Stanley Druckenmiller's Duquesne Family Office and the Bezos Family Office are investing heavily in biotechnology startups.
Family offices of ultra-wealthy families are driving a rebound in biotechnology venture capital. In August, family offices made 52 direct investments in private companies, with biotech startups accounting for approximately 20% of those transactions.
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Stanley Druckenmiller's Duquesne Family Office, one of the most active in the U.S., has invested in at least four pharmaceuticals or life sciences companies this year. Last month, Duquesne participated in a $90 million Series C round for Epicrispr Biotechnologies, a startup developing gene therapy for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Stanley Druckenmiller stated that the family office invested in biotech due to the potential of artificial intelligence in drug discovery and diagnostics. The Bezos Family Office also participated in a $188 million Series E round for LifeMine Therapeutics, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze fungal genomes. Gates Frontier, the venture capital firm of Bill Gates, also participated in that round. U.S. and European biopharma startups raised $12.6 billion in the first half of 2026, a five-year high. However, investors are writing fewer checks overall, with a larger share of funding going toward companies with drugs already in testing.