Clay B. Thorp

Clay is an entrepreneur turned venture capitalist. Since 1995, he co-founded eight life science companies and initiated Hatteras in 2000. Under his leadership, Hatteras grew from a $3 million seed fund to managing over $800 million across seven vintages. He has spearheaded investments in diverse life science sectors, from biopharmaceuticals to research informatics.

In 1995, Clay co-founded Xanthon, Inc., a bioinformatics firm. He then co-founded Novalon Pharmaceutical Corporation, leading its business development until its sale to Karo Bio for $106.7 million in 2000. He later co-founded Hatteras Venture Partners. Hatteras has since invested in over 80 life science companies, with Clay playing a pivotal role in many, including G1 Therapeutics, Rodin Therapeutics, and Synthematix, Inc., where he served as CEO and Chairman until its 2005 acquisition by Symyx Technologies.

Currently, Clay chairs PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals (PHAS) and sits on the boards of Clearside Biomedical, GeneCentric Therapeutics, and StrideBio, Inc. He’s also a board observer for several companies and is part of the Strategic and Scientific Advisory Board of Brii Biosciences. He’s actively involved with UNC-Chapel Hill and the NC School of Science and Mathematics Foundation. Clay holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.