Atlas Venture was founded in 1980 in Amsterdam by Michiel de Haan as a subsidiary of NMB Bank (now ING Group), initially investing across both life sciences and information technology before a pivotal October 2014 decision to become a biotech-only firm, spinning its tech investing team into a new firm called Accomplice. That singular focus has made Atlas one of the most prolific and enduring biotech venture firms in the world, running a genuinely seed-led venture creation model where the firm actively builds companies from the earliest scientific insight rather than simply funding existing teams. Anchored by Partner Bruce Booth, whose LifeSciVC blog has become required reading across the industry, Atlas has invested in more than 150 life sciences startups since 1990 across immuno-oncology, gene and cell therapy, neuroscience, and anti-infectives, producing real outcomes including Akero Therapeutics' $4.7 billion acquisition by Novo Nordisk and Nimbus Therapeutics' $4 billion TYK2 deal with Takeda, with $2.7 billion under management.
Akero Therapeutics' $4.7 billion acquisition by Novo Nordisk in 2025, expanding its MASH treatment portfolio - one of Atlas's clearest recent wins, alongside Nimbus Therapeutics' $4 billion TYK2 licensing deal with Takeda