Carlos Paya trained as both an M.D. and Ph.D. in Madrid, did postdoctoral research in viral immunology at the Institut Pasteur, and later became a Mayo Clinic professor before moving into senior roles at Eli Lilly and serving as President of Elan Pharmaceuticals. He went on to lead Immune Design as CEO through its sale to Merck and has since held chairman roles at companies like Vaxcyte, Highlight Therapeutics, and Standard BioTools/Fluidigm, giving him firsthand experience across academic medicine, big pharma, biotech leadership, and public-company boards.
About their Fund
Ysios Capital is Spain's largest life sciences venture capital firm, with ties to Spain's science leadership through cofounder Cristina Garmendia, who left the firm to serve as Spain's Minister of Science and Innovation before returning as a partner, and it has moved beyond typical venture investing into company creation through its InceptionBio vehicle, which builds biotech companies from early tech-transfer projects with a strong focus on Spain. The firm focuses on hard science areas like gene therapy, oncology, orphan CNS disease, calcification disorders, and regenerative cardiovascular implants, has backed deals such as Sanifit's acquisition by Vifor Pharma and U.S.-based Kala Pharmaceuticals, and produced three NASDAQ IPOs in 2021 alongside its oversubscribed €216M third fund.
















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