Sante Ventures

Sante Ventures is a specialized healthcare and life sciences venture capital firm founded in 2006 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, with over $1 billion in capital under management across five funds. The firm was co-founded by Douglas French, Joe Cunningham, and Kevin Lalande, who serves as Founding Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer. In February 2026 Sante closed Fund V at $330 million — its largest vehicle to date and above its $300 million target — and simultaneously promoted Dennis McWilliams and Omar Khalil to Managing Director. The 34-person investment team includes 9 Partners and 7 Venture Partners, all based in the United States. Sante leads rounds at the early stage in biotechnology, medical technology, and digitally enabled healthcare companies addressing significant unmet medical needs. The firm has made approximately 100 investments over its history. A defining principle is that Sante explicitly avoids relying on unicorn-valuation exits: the firm instead targets disciplined strategic M&A outcomes that deliver better health outcomes at lower total cost. That approach has produced an exceptional exit record — portfolio companies have been acquired by Johnson and Johnson (Laminar), Boston Scientific (Farapulse, Claret Medical, Millipede Medical), Bristol Myers Squibb (AbVitro), IBM (Explorys), and Becton Dickinson (TVA Medical). Molecular Templates and Healthcare Highways are among additional named exits. Recent deal activity includes AI Proteins ($41.5 million Series A in November 2025), OutcomesAI, and value-based oncology platform Reimagine Care. Sante made 9 investments in 2025 alone, reflecting the sustained pace of a team that has operated continuously through multiple healthcare investment cycles and fund vintages.