Srinivas Akkaraju, M.D., Ph.D. is the Founder and Managing Partner of Samsara BioCapital, described on the firm's team page as Founder and Managing General Partner. He was in Business and Corporate Development at Genentech from October 1998 to April 2001, joined J.P. Morgan Partners in 2001 and became a Partner there in 2005, co-founded and was a Managing Director of the private equity firm Panorama Capital, LLC, served as Managing Director of New Leaf Venture Partners from January 2009 to April 2013, and was a General Partner of Sofinnova Ventures from April 2013 to February 2016. He is named in the 21 March 2017 Form D for Samsara BioCapital, L.P. as a Managing Member of the fund's general partner. He received his M.D. and a Ph.D. in Immunology from Stanford University and undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Computer Science from Rice University. Samsara's team page states that he serves as a director of Scholar Rock, Mineralys Therapeutics, vTv Therapeutics, Alumis, Inventiva, Kalaris and several private biotechs, and that he previously served on the boards of Seattle Genetics, Principia Biopharma, Chinook Therapeutics, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, ZS Pharma, Synageva Biopharma Corp., Amarin Corporation and Barrier Therapeutics.
Education
M.D., Stanford University
Ph.D. in Immunology, Stanford University
Undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Computer Science, Rice University
Previous Experience
Genentech, Inc., Business and Corporate Development, October 1998 to April 2001
J.P. Morgan Partners, joined 2001, Partner from 2005
Panorama Capital, LLC, Managing Director and co-founder
New Leaf Venture Partners, Managing Director, January 2009 to April 2013
Sofinnova Ventures, General Partner, April 2013 to February 2016
Notable Investments
Scholar Rock Holding Corp SRRKAlumis Inc. ALMSMineralys Therapeutics, Inc. MLYSvTv Therapeutics Inc. VTVTInventiva S.A. IVAKalaris Therapeutics, Inc. KLRS
Board Seats
Scholar Rock Holding Corp (Nasdaq: SRRK), Director
Mineralys Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MLYS), Director
vTv Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: VTVT), Director
Alumis Inc. (Nasdaq: ALMS), Director, since March 2024
Inventiva S.A. (Nasdaq: IVA), Director
Kalaris Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: KLRS), Director
Career Timeline
1998
Joins Genentech, Inc. in Business and Corporate Development.
2001
Joins J.P. Morgan Partners.
2005
Becomes a Partner at J.P. Morgan Partners.
2009
Becomes Managing Director of New Leaf Venture Partners in January.
2013
Becomes a General Partner of Sofinnova Ventures in April.
2017
Named as a related person and Managing Member of the general partner in the first Samsara BioCapital, L.P. Form D, filed 21 March 2017.
2022
Joins the Board of Directors of Scholar Rock, announced 26 July 2022.
2024
Has served as a member of the Alumis Board since March 2024, per the Alumis 2026 proxy statement.