RAPHA CAPITAL PE LIFE SCIENCES
The Rapha Capital Mission is to use our unique abilities to identify those companies that we believe will go on to profoundly improve peoples’ lives while building great value, from a sea of seemingly indistinguishable, less compelling, opportunities.
In Rapha Capital PE Life Sciences Fund VI, LP, our new Private Equity fund, we plan to maintain our focus on identifying great value in these times of market disruption in the broader life sciences and healthcare arena to add investments in mid- and later-stage companies, focused on follow on financing for our most successful, promising and de-risked portfolio companies.
About
We intend to capitalize on our management team’s experience and expertise to identify unique investment opportunities in the life sciences and healthcare sectors, with a focus on disruptive technologies with the potential to transform healthcare and dramatically improve the lives of patients.
We believe our ability to create great value for our investors will be enhanced by the partnership between Rapha Capital Management, LLC (“RCM”) and RNA Advisors, LLC (“RNA”).
Rapha Capital Management, LLC is an investment management firm located in Miami, Florida, focusing on strategic investments in early stage, non-public biotechnology companies. Rapha Capital was founded by its President, Kevin Slawin, MD, a successful and experienced oncologic and robotic surgeon, biotech consultant, investor, and founder focusing on technologies in oncology, T cells and immunotherapy, as well as other breakthrough healthcare technologies. Rapha Capital Management manages thirteen legacy SPIVs, Rapha Capital Investment I – XIII, with investments in a wide range of early stage biotech companies.
LEARN MORE
According to RCM’s Founder and Managing Partner, Kevin Slawin, M.D., successfully identifying future successful biotech investment targets at, or just prior to, the Series A stage requires a wide range of knowledge, experience, and a little bit of luck. He believes there is no “formula” that can be applied by investment “technicians” to reliably identify future successful companies. Dr. Slawin has a unique mix of experience as a robotic oncologic surgeon, academician, basic and clinical researcher, biotech founder and investor, as well as public biotech operator. His expertise is focused in disruptive technologies in oncology, T cells and immunotherapy, as well as other breakthrough healthcare technologies. Dr. Slawin is also the founder of Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which he successfully took public in an approximately $161 million initial public offering (“IPO”) in December 2014. He also plays a guiding role in several of the investments managed by RCM in certain companies, for instance, serving as a board member at 3DBio Therapeutics, Inc., FIZE Medical, Inc., K-2 Biolabs Acclerator, LLC and Demeetra AgBio, Inc. He served as a board member and interim CEO of portfolio company AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc., engineering their $35 million Series A financing led by Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund in 2020. He is the founder and CEO of PONCE Therapeutics, Inc., a company leveraging the growing scientific knowledge surrounding the aging process to develop anti-aging technologies, reuniting the team that founded Bellicum Pharmaceuticals to focus on the anti-aging space, which he believes will soon rival oncology in both interest and value.
He is the founder and managing partner of Miami Medicos, LLC, a growing group of physicians, founders, executives and investors working to expand the entrepreneurial healthcare ecosystem in Miami and South Florida.
He is co-Inventor of the FDA-approved “prostate health index (PHI)” test licensed and marketed by Beckman Coulter and utilized around the world. He has published in medical and scientific journals including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). In addition to his publications, Dr. Slawin has also been listed in America’s Top Doctors for Cancer (Castle Connolly Medical). RCM manages Rapha Capital Investment I through XIII, which are thirteen legacy special purpose investment vehicles (“SPIVs”) that currently manage early-stage biotech investments since it was formed in2017. RCM also manages Rapha Capital BioVentures Fund I, LP (the “RCBV Fund”) that is also solely focused on investment in early-stage life science companies, and that builds on the experience, success and investor base from Rapha Capital I – XIII.
RNA Advisors is a financial, strategic and transaction advisory services firm which focuses almost exclusively on life sciences and healthcare technology. RNA’s team has completed multiple transactions in these sectors by leveraging their industry expertise and capital markets experience to provide acquirers, targets, lenders and investors with compelling, tailored, data driven analyses to support financial, strategic and transactional objectives. RNA will provide investment diligence, market research and financial modeling support to RCM for the management of Rapha Capital PE Life Sciences Fund VI, LP.
Investment Philosophy & Strategy
Rapha Capital Management, the Fund Manager, is focused on identifying and growing revolutionary and disruptive ideas in medicine, healthcare, biotechnology, and medical devices, before others can see their value. Utilizing the great breadth and depth of expertise of RNA Advisors, the management team executes its investment strategy by making equity and debt investments in both privately held companies at early, mid- and late-stage, and in some cases, public companies, that RCM believes have developed a transformative product, technology, or process that will drive medium- and long-term value creation for shareholders.
Key Investment Highlights
- Experienced Management Team
- Successful Track Record in Early-Stage Biotech Investing
- Leveraging This Experience to Extend into Mid- and Later-stage opportunities
- Unique Partnership between Rapha Capital Management and RNA Advisors
- RNA Provides Deep Industry Knowledge and Financial Analysis
- Focus on Follow On Financing For Our Most Promising and De-Risked Portfolio Companies
- Significant Operational Value-Add Capabilities
Team
Experienced Investment Team

Kevin Slawin, MD
Kevin Slawin, MD. Principal. Rapha Capital is an investment management firm focused on making strategic investments in early stage, non-public biotechnology companies.
Kevin Slawin, MD. Principal. Rapha Capital is an investment management firm focused on making strategic investments in early stage, non-public biotechnology companies. In addition to managing the Partnership, Rapha Capital is the Manager for Rapha Capital Investment I through XIII, its legacy SPIVs (the “Rapha SPIVs”) as well as for Rapha Capital BioVentures Fund I, LP. He is the Chief Chief Strategy Officer and Member of the Board of Arbor Rapha Capital Bioholdings Fund I (https://arcbiocorp.com). The Company is a “SPAC” or “blank check” company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, a capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses.
Rapha Capital was founded by its President, Kevin Slawin, M.D., a successful and experienced oncologic and robotic surgeon, in 2017. After leaving practice, Dr. Slawin has been serving as a biotech consultant, investor, and founder, focusing on disruptive technologies in oncology, T cells and immunotherapy, and other breakthrough healthcare technologies. He is the founder of Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Bellicum”), a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ, leading Bellicum to a successful $161 million IPO in December, 2014.
He also plays a guiding role in several of the investments managed by Rapha Capital in certain companies, serving as a board member at 3DBio Therapeutics, Inc. (https://3dbiocorp.com/), FIZE Medical, Inc. (https://fizemedical.com), Demeetra AgBio, Inc. (https://demeetra.com) and Imagin Medical, Inc. (https://imaginmedical.com), where he serves as Board Chairman. He served as a board member and interim CEO of portfolio company AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. (https://asclepix.com) in 2020, engineering their $35 million Series A financing led by Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund in mid 2020.
He is also the founder and CEO of Ponce Therapeutics, Inc. (https://poncetherapeutics.com), which reunites the team that founded Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and is retooling their original cell control technology with state-of-the-art advances towards creating anti-aging products based on a scientific foundation, and DELiver Therapeutics, Inc. (https://delivertherapeutics.com), which is using novel, high throughput screening technologies to deliver therapeutics to address the most difficult problems in clinical medicine. Both have R&D facilities located at K2Bio in Houston (https://www.k2-biolabs.com/), a coworking research facility for biotech and pharma startups recently opened in Houston, where he is a co-founder, investor, and board member.

Kayvon Namvar
Kayvon Namvar has deep expertise in forecasting, valuation, litigation support, and transaction advisory support...
Kayvon serves as a Principal at RNA Capital Advisors, a financial and strategic advisory firm, and as VP, Finance & Strategic Analysis at Hawthorne Effect, Inc, a healthcare technology company focused on decentralizing clinical trials. Previously, Kayvon was a director in the consulting group at Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc., a consulting and accounting firm headquartered in San Francisco. Kayvon was also a director in the valuation and financial advisory services group within the corporate finance and restructuring division of FTI Consulting, Inc. His predecessor company, The Salter Group, LLC, a leading independent financial and strategic advisory firm, was acquired by FTI.
Kayvon holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Corporate Finance from the University of Southern California. He has been a guest lecturer and presenter at the University of Southern California and the California Institute of Technology, among others.

Rob Del Prete
RDP Fund Services, LLC – Managing Partner, Previously Manager, Fund Administration at Carta
Investment Committee (Fund VI)

Kevin Slawin, MD
Kevin Slawin, MD. Principal. Rapha Capital is an investment management firm focused on making strategic investments in early stage, non-public biotechnology companies.
Kevin Slawin, MD. Principal. Rapha Capital is an investment management firm focused on making strategic investments in early stage, non-public biotechnology companies. In addition to managing the Partnership, Rapha Capital is the Manager for Rapha Capital Investment I through XIII, its legacy SPIVs (the “Rapha SPIVs”) as well as for Rapha Capital BioVentures Fund I, LP. He is the Chief Chief Strategy Officer and Member of the Board of Arbor Rapha Capital Bioholdings Fund I (https://arcbiocorp.com). The Company is a “SPAC” or “blank check” company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, a capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses.
Rapha Capital was founded by its President, Kevin Slawin, M.D., a successful and experienced oncologic and robotic surgeon, in 2017. After leaving practice, Dr. Slawin has been serving as a biotech consultant, investor, and founder, focusing on disruptive technologies in oncology, T cells and immunotherapy, and other breakthrough healthcare technologies. He is the founder of Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Bellicum”), a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ, leading Bellicum to a successful $161 million IPO in December, 2014.
He also plays a guiding role in several of the investments managed by Rapha Capital in certain companies, serving as a board member at 3DBio Therapeutics, Inc. (https://3dbiocorp.com/), FIZE Medical, Inc. (https://fizemedical.com), Demeetra AgBio, Inc. (https://demeetra.com) and Imagin Medical, Inc. (https://imaginmedical.com), where he serves as Board Chairman. He served as a board member and interim CEO of portfolio company AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. (https://asclepix.com) in 2020, engineering their $35 million Series A financing led by Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund in mid 2020.
He is also the founder and CEO of Ponce Therapeutics, Inc. (https://poncetherapeutics.com), which reunites the team that founded Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and is retooling their original cell control technology with state-of-the-art advances towards creating anti-aging products based on a scientific foundation, and DELiver Therapeutics, Inc. (https://delivertherapeutics.com), which is using novel, high throughput screening technologies to deliver therapeutics to address the most difficult problems in clinical medicine. Both have R&D facilities located at K2Bio in Houston (https://www.k2-biolabs.com/), a coworking research facility for biotech and pharma startups recently opened in Houston, where he is a co-founder, investor, and board member.

Kayvon Namvar
Kayvon Namvar has deep expertise in forecasting, valuation, litigation support, and transaction advisory support...
Kayvon serves as a Principal at RNA Capital Advisors, a financial and strategic advisory firm, and as VP, Finance & Strategic Analysis at Hawthorne Effect, Inc, a healthcare technology company focused on decentralizing clinical trials. Previously, Kayvon was a director in the consulting group at Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc., a consulting and accounting firm headquartered in San Francisco. Kayvon was also a director in the valuation and financial advisory services group within the corporate finance and restructuring division of FTI Consulting, Inc. His predecessor company, The Salter Group, LLC, a leading independent financial and strategic advisory firm, was acquired by FTI.
Kayvon holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Corporate Finance from the University of Southern California. He has been a guest lecturer and presenter at the University of Southern California and the California Institute of Technology, among others.

Doron Junger
Sanvia Capital, a nascent Florida-based biopharmaceutical investment firm, was originally started by Doron as a Millennium Partners platform company.