# Bryan Faust

> Bryan Faust, PhD is an Investment Partner on the Bio + Health team at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where he backs seed and Series A companies at the intersection of biology and technology. A trained biophysicist with a PhD from UCSF, he published research in Nature, Science, and Cell before pivoting to venture—studying antibody-protein interactions, GPCR signaling, and COVID-19 nanobodies along the way. At a16z he has co-led investments in Stipple Bio, Tessera Labs, Gate Bioscience, and Formation Bio, and writes widely on AI in life sciences, biotech financing, and the coming era of programmable medicine. When he's not reading pitch decks, he's surfing, roasting coffee, or hunting down the perfect tacos al pastor.

- **Role:** Investment Partner - Bio + Health at Andreessen Horowitz
- **Organizations:** Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), 5AM Ventures, Genentech, AbbVie (Stemcentrx), Baxter International, University of California San Francisco, University of California Davis, Nucleate
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** PhD, Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), BS, Biological Sciences (Cellular & Molecular Biology emphasis), University of California, Davis
- **Known for:** Published original research in Nature, Science, and Cell during PhD at UCSF, Defined cryo-EM structures of thyrotropin receptor across multiple activity states, Contributed to AeroNabs research — inhalable COVID-19 antibody protection

## Career timeline

- **~2014** — Intern, Fetal Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, UC Davis
- **~2015-2016** — Research intern at Baxter International Inc.
- **~2016-2017** — Research Associate at Stemcentrx (later AbbVie), antibody biophysics
- **~2017-2018** — Research Associate at Genentech, protein chemistry
- **2018** — Began PhD in Biophysics at UCSF
- **2020** — Published COVID-19 nanobody research (AeroNabs) — work covered by UCSF media
- **2021** — Co-founded/helped launch Nucleate, a student-led biotech organization
- **2021-2022** — Investment Fellow at 5AM Ventures (concurrent with PhD)
- **2022** — Completed PhD at UCSF; joined Andreessen Horowitz as Investment Analyst, Bio + Health
- **2022** — Promoted to Investment Partner, Bio + Health at a16z
- **2023** — Co-led investment in Gate Bioscience (molecular gates therapeutics)
- **2024** — Co-authored 'AI Jobs to Be Done in Life Sciences' with Vijay Pande et al. (January)
- **2024** — Co-authored 'Virtual Data Rooms: The Unsung Hero of Biotech Financing' (February)
- **2024** — Featured on a16z podcast 'Dark Genome Hunting' (April)
- **2024** — Co-led investment in Formation Bio
- **2026** — Co-led Stipple Bio's oversubscribed $100M Series A (April)
- **2026** — Co-led Tessera Labs' $60M Series A with a16z

## Achievements

- Published original research in Nature, Science, and Cell during PhD at UCSF
- Defined cryo-EM structures of thyrotropin receptor across multiple activity states
- Contributed to AeroNabs research — inhalable COVID-19 antibody protection
- Helped launch Nucleate, a national student biotech organization
- Joined a16z as one of the few VC partners with active first-author publications in top scientific journals
- Co-led Stipple Bio's $100M Series A — one of the largest oncology seed-to-clinical rounds in 2026
- Co-led Tessera Labs' $60M Series A in AI-driven ERP transformation
- Co-authored widely read a16z framework: 'AI Jobs to Be Done in Life Sciences' (Jan 2024)
- Investment range up to $40M with a $2.2B fund platform (a16z Bio + Health)

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Co-led Stipple Bio's oversubscribed $100M Series A alongside RA Capital and Nextech Invest
- **2026-02** — Co-led Tessera Labs' $60M Series A — AI platform for ERP/SAP migration
- **2024-04** — Featured on a16z podcast 'Dark Genome Hunting' discussing oncogenic transcriptome remodeling
- **2024-02** — Co-authored 'Virtual Data Rooms: The Unsung Hero of Biotech Financing' with Becky Pferdehirt and Vineeta Agarwala
- **2024-01** — Co-authored 'AI Jobs to Be Done in Life Sciences' with Vijay Pande, Becky Pferdehirt, and Zak Doric

## Links

- Website: https://a16z.com/author/bryan-faust/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanfaust/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/Bryan__Faust

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/bryan-faust
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-09