Beth Seidenberg

Dr. Beth Seidenberg has medicine in her blood. From standing on a stool as a child watching her father conducting heart surgery, to her groundbreaking work developing new treatments for diseases as diverse as AIDS and arthritis, Seidenberg has applied her medical expertise to the venture capital world. She helps entrepreneurs translate their scientific breakthroughs into new medicines to help patients. Along the way, she has built more than 20 successful biotech companies.

As a founding managing director of Westlake Village BioPartners, Seidenberg believes this is the Golden Age of Biotech. “The pace and quality of innovation has hit an inflection point,” she explains. “With Westlake Village BioPartners we have the freedom and expertise to turn the next big technologies into products and companies that benefit human health.”

Seidenberg is excited by how entrepreneurs see the world. “They have the vision to see what’s around the corner,” she says, “and we can help them build their companies and understand the complexities of starting and building a successful biotech company.”

Seidenberg looks for entrepreneurs who have a clear vision and passion for what they are doing and why they are doing it. Her advice to entrepreneurs: “Focus on an important unmet medical need and find a seasoned, quality mentor and investor to help guide you through the company-building process.”

As a venture capitalist, for Seidenberg it’s not just about bringing new medicines to patients. That is her core mission, but these new companies also provide jobs and shareholder value that benefit society more broadly. Her energy and attention to detail coupled with her drive to improve human health prove valuable assets in the complex and multifaceted world of being a venture capitalist.

Looking ahead, Seidenberg’s vision for Westlake Village BioPartners is to become one of the top biotech investors in the country and establish Los Angeles as a major biotech hub.

A longtime life sciences investor, and a general partner at Kleiner Perkins, Seidenberg has incubated and invested in 20 biotech ventures since January 2006, including ARMO, Arresto, Arsenal Biosciences, Atara Biotherapeutics, Cell Design Labs, Epizyme, Flexus, iPerian, Kyverna Therapeutics, TESARO, RAPT, True North, Livongo, and Progyny.

Seidenberg has a demonstrated ability to identify and accelerate meaningful molecules through development. Her expertise is grounded in her significant senior-level industry experience with leadership roles at Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck Research Laboratories. Most recently, at Amgen, Seidenberg was chief medical officer and head of global development.

Prior to life science investing, Seidenberg’s career focused on developing new treatments for AIDS, arthritis, asthma, cancer and psoriasis, cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological and renal disorders for over 20 years. During that time, she introduced 10 innovative products to market.

Seidenberg holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and anthropology from Barnard College and attended medical school at the University of Miami School of Medicine. She completed her medical residency at Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University, and Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.