Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 30, 2026

Alta Partners

Alta Partners is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco which invests primarily in biotechnology and life science companies.

Last revised
Jun 30, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
450 w
Citations
17
Source
Alta Partners
TypePrivate ownership
IndustryPrivate equity
PredecessorBurr, Egan, Deleage & Co.
Founded1996
Founder
HeadquartersOne Embarcadero Center
San Francisco, California, United States
Key people
  • Daniel S. (Dan) Janney,
    managing partner1
  • Peter (Pete) Hudson,
    managing partner2
  • Robert J. (Bob) More,
    managing partner3
ProductsVenture capital
Websitewww.altapartners.com

Alta Partners is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco which invests primarily in biotechnology and life science companies.4

Cofounder Guy Nohra later relocated in Barcelona, Spain, to cofound Alta Life Sciences5 in 2016.6

History

Dan Janney joined Alta as a partner in 1996, when the firm was founded; Pete Hudson and Bob More joined in 2017.7

In 2000, the firm launched two VC funds, Alta California Partners III and Alta BioPharma Partners II.8 It raised its ninth fund, Alta Partners NextGen Fund I, in 2017.7 Two new healthcare VC funds were launched in 2004: Alta BioPharma Partners III and ACP IV.9

In May 2022, the company filed a lawsuit against BRC Inc.10 (NYSE:BRCC),11 the surviving entity of a 2021 merger between SilverBox Capital and Black Rifle Coffee12) in the Southern District of New York, which alleging a breach of contract, and seeking damages due to BRC's refusal to allow Alta to exercise warrants in 2022. The suit was settled in June 2025, with Alta paying BRC $1,000,000, and BRC issuing 2,300,100 shares of its Class A common stock to Alta.11

Investments

Notable investments have included Ellie Mae, Be Inc., Ilex Oncology, Connects Corp, The Medicines Co.,8 Kite Pharmaceuticals, ZS Pharma, Esperion, Allakos Chemgenx, DeCode Calistoga, Aerie, Cymabay, Tyra Biosciences,13 DIspatchHealth and VIR Biotechnology.4

See also

See also

References

References

  1. "Daniel S. Janney - ALLK | Allakos Inc. - Wall Street Journal". www.wsj.com. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  2. "Dr. Peter Hudson "Pete"". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  3. "Robert J More "Bob"". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  4. "16 Top Biotech VC Firms 2025 | TRUiC". startupsavant.com. 2024-07-02. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  5. "Guy Nohra, Alta Life Sciences: "Barcelona has world-class science that needs to be invested in"". catalonia.com. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  6. "Alta Life Sciences Portfolio Investments, Alta Life Sciences Funds, Alta Life Sciences Exits". www.cbinsights.com. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  7. Hale, Conor (2018-06-13). "Alta raises $130M for its new biotech VC fund, missing its $200M goal | Fierce Biotech". www.fiercebiotech.com. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  8. Writer, Staff (2000-06-01). "Alta Launches Two New Funds -". Venture Capital Journal. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  9. Archives, L. A. Times (2004-03-31). "Alta Partners Healthcare Funds Exceed Targets". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  10. "Alta Partners, LLC v. BRC Inc". Justia Dockets & Filings. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  11. "BRC Settles Lawsuit with Alta Partners". TipRanks. June 20, 2025. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  12. "TANG CAPITAL PARTNERS LP v. BRC INC (2024)". Findlaw. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  13. "Carlsbad's Tyra Biosciences nets $50 million to combat drug resistance in cancer therapies". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2020-01-21. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
External links