Saisei Ventures taps Kili as partner to advance Japanese biotech

Most recently, Kili served as CEO of Antion Biosciences
Previously, he held leadership positions at GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi-Genzyme
Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Tokyo, Saisei Ventures invests in the healthcare sector

Saisei Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on advancing Japanese biotechnology and therapeutic innovations, has appointed Dr. Sven Kili as a partner.

“I am very excited to be able to leverage my experience of treating patients and developing cell and gene therapies to now supporting amazing founders and entrepreneurs to develop therapies that will positively impact patients,” Kili wrote on LinkedIn. “Saisei Ventures is at such a thrilling stage where we are able to support the amazing science being done in Japan and the development of companies developing therapies locally and globally to enrich patients lives.”

Kili previously served as CEO of Antion Biosciences. He also held leadership positions at companies in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, including GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi-Genzyme.

“We are excited to welcome Sven to Saisei Ventures as partner,” Saisei managing partner Jonathan Yeh said in statement. “His unparalleled expertise in discovering and developing cell and gene therapies, coupled with a successful track record in strategic leadership, will strengthen our mission to advance transformative therapies and expand our impact in the global biotech landscape.”

Saisei, which has offices in Tokyo and Cambridge, Massachusetts, was launched in 2021 by Healios, a Japanese clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on stem cells for regenerative medicine. “The fund will be seeded by Healios and will hold its first closing in January 2021,” Healios said in a statement. “A major sovereign wealth fund investor in the Asia region has agreed to commit capital to the fund’s investment program and will invest alongside Healios.”

In 2023, Japan Investment Corporation announced that it committed $30 million to Saisei’s debut fund. Other LPs include Mizuho Capital and SMBC Nikko Securities, according to fundraising data from affiliate title Private Equity International.