Nobel Laureate Biochemist Dr. James Rothman Joins Deep Tech VC Firm Celesta Capital 

San Francisco, CA – November 13, 2024 – Celesta Capital, a global deep tech venture capital firm, today announced it is welcoming 2013 Nobel Laureate Dr. James Rothman as a Senior Advisor. Dr. Rothman will apply his expertise as a biomedical researcher and executive to support Celesta’s bio-convergence strategy, which invests in companies developing innovative healthcare applications that merge medical science disciplines with technologies such as semiconductors, bioprinting, and AI.

The addition will further bolster Celesta’s biotech ecosystem, leveraging Dr. Rothman’s extensive network, as well as his expertise in research and commercialization. Dr. Rothman was the recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, honored for his discoveries around the transfer of materials among cells, advancing understanding of cellular processes such as release of insulin into the blood and entry of viruses into cells. He currently serves as Chairman of the Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Cell Biology and Director of the Nanobiology Institute on Yale’s West Campus. 

“There has never been a more exciting time for researchers and entrepreneurs working to advance human health through technology,” said Rothman. “The companies we are helping to nurture at Celesta are developing innovations with true potential to revolutionize critical areas of healthcare such as diagnostics and drug discovery. Celesta is at the forefront of this space and I’m excited to pair my knowledge of the biotech sector with their deep understanding of emerging technology.” 

"Jim is one of the most accomplished medical science researchers in the world and we're delighted to welcome him to Celesta," said Celesta Founding Managing Partner Michael Marks. "His expertise will be invaluable to our growing portfolio of bio-convergence companies as they pursue such bold visions to advance healthcare."

Dr. Rothman will closely advise select Celesta portfolio companies, as well as serving as a Board Director at many. Current Celesta biotech and bio-convergence investments include:

• Alveo Technologies: Alveo is creator of an adaptable multiplex pathogen testing platform able to detect a wide range of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Alveo’s handheld analyzer and cloud-based analysis brings diagnostics out of the lab and into the field for a wide range of human, animal, and environmental applications.
• Magnetic Insight: Magnetic Insight is spearheading Magnetic Particle Imaging, a groundbreaking non-radioactive alternative to nuclear medicine that offers a more economical and sustainable solution for diagnosing cancer and heart disease and can enable entirely new imaging applications. 
• Prellis Biologics: Prellis has developed an antibody screening platform which recaptures the human immune system within 3D-printed organoids, enabling the rapid discovery of diverse, high-quality antibodies for next generation therapeutics.

Dr. Rothman previously served as Chief Scientist of General Electric Healthcare. He has also advised leaders at Genentech, Merck & Co., GlaxoSmithKline, and Eli Lilly. Prior to Yale, Rothman served as a professor at Stanford, Princeton, and Columbia universities. He founded and chaired the Department of Cellular Biochemistry and Biophysics at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. 

Rothman has received numerous awards and honors in recognition of his work on vesicle trafficking and membrane fusion, including the King Faisal International Prize for Science, the Gairdner Foundation International Award, the Lounsbery Award of the National Academy of Sciences, the Heineken Foundation Prize of the Netherlands Academy of Sciences, the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize of Columbia University, the Lasker Basic Science Award, and the Kavli Prize in Neuroscience.

About Celesta Capital 

Celesta Capital is a global deep tech venture capital firm. Led by technology industry veterans with decades of investment and operational experience, Celesta Capital has a passion and proven track record for building and scaling global businesses. Founded in 2013, Celesta has a portfolio of more than 100 early-stage technology investments. Learn more at http://celesta.vc.

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Media Contact:

Jack Buttacavoli

Jack@relativity.ventures 

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