Ex-a16z Partner Vijay Pande Launches VZVC to Back AI-Native Biotech

29 Aug 2026, 11:06 pm · 14d ago · 1 min read · TechCrunch AI

Vijay Pande, former head of Andreessen Horowitz's approximately $4 billion biotech practice, has launched VZVC, a focused investment firm dedicated to AI-native biotechnology startups. Pande highlighted a fundamental transition in biology from an observational discovery discipline to an engineering science powered by computational intelligence. He argued that open, shared datasets are essential to transforming modern medicine, rather than siloed proprietary data pools. Pande also noted that while AI accelerates drug discovery phases, high clinical trial expenses remain a critical hurdle. VZVC intends to make selective, high-conviction investments rather than deploying high-volume venture bets.