Vie Ventures Co-founders SRF Chairman Luke Evnin, PhD, left, and Dr. Steven St. Peter. Photo: TOM DODGE/NEW VIEW MEDIA
San Francisco, CA (July 9, 2025)— The Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF) is proud to announce our participation as a Strategic Collaborator in the newly launched Vie Ventures—a venture capital firm uniting biotech investment with mission-driven disease foundations. Vie aims to advance innovative therapeutics to patients, using biotech venture capital and the strength of multiple autoimmune disease organizations to fuel the translation of discovery research into clinical development.
By joining this collective effort, the SRF strengthens its commitment to accelerating breakthrough therapies for scleroderma through cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Participation in this effort directly supports three of the SRF’s strategic priorities:
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- Accelerate the development of innovative therapeutics for scleroderma and other autoimmune diseases
- Elevate scleroderma’s profile within the biotech and philanthropic sectors
- Potential to raise capital for the SRF research program through investment returns
We’re also honored to stand alongside the initial group of other leading disease foundations participating in the fund, including the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, National MS Society, Lupus Research Alliance, and Sjögren’s Foundation. We are excited to participate with these other leading foundations across the autoimmune disease space in efforts to accelerate the development of therapeutics for all our patients.
Vie Ventures is co-founded by Steven St. Peter, MD, and SRF Chairman Luke Evnin, PhD, who each bring to the firm a strong track record of life sciences investing and operational leadership. The firm has also tapped the former CEO of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Lou DeGennaro, PhD, to head up collaboration strategy as a senior advisor to the firm.
Luke Evnin was quoted today as saying, “I’m excited to reunite with Steven and leverage our shared passion for discovering and advancing groundbreaking drug discovery companies focused on cross-autoimmune disease initiatives that have the potential to bring innovative therapeutics to market and change the standard of care. As someone who has long been a champion of venture philanthropy and patient-centered innovation, biopharmaceutical companies need investors who can provide more than just capital: they can benefit from partners with expertise within distinct disease-focused ecosystems.”
The Vie Ventures team also noted that “this bridge between disease-focused philanthropies and the for-profit world funding therapeutics is unique, and we believe it will enable us to make more informed investment decisions, be a value-added investment partner for our portfolio companies, and increase the probability they succeed.”
The co-founders of Vie Ventures have aligned financial incentives with impact by pledging a share of their own proceeds and time to philanthropic efforts, including the formation of Vie Ventures Foundation. Vie Ventures Foundation is a public charity whose mission is to accelerate innovation in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
The SRF is excited to be part of this forward-thinking initiative that brings together science, strategy, and partnership to drive impact for those living with autoimmune diseases.
Learn more about Vie Ventures at https://vieventures.com.
About the Scleroderma Research Foundation
The Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF), a 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 1987 with a mission to fund and facilitate the most promising, highest-quality research aimed at new treatments and, ultimately, a cure for scleroderma. Led by a Scientific Advisory Board comprised of some of the most highly regarded scientists in the nation, the SRF’s research program actively seeks out the leading scientific minds from disparate fields, including autoimmunity, immunology, genetics, and fibrosis, to join the scleroderma research community. In addition to its core research program, the SRF has led the formation of several large-scale projects aimed at accelerating scleroderma research:
- CONQUEST, a global platform clinical trial—the first of its kind in rheumatology
- The CONQUER Registry, the first nationwide longitudinal registry for scleroderma patients, and
- The GRASP Project, which examines scleroderma in the African American community.
The SRF is also dedicated to educating people living with scleroderma and their caregivers as they learn about how to best manage the challenges of the disease.
