Osage University Partners Promotes Kirsten Leute to Partner

BALA CYNWYD, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Osage University Partners (“OUP”), a Philadelphia-based venture capital firm, today announced the promotion of Kirsten Leute to Partner, University Relations. Kirsten joined the firm in 2015 as Senior Vice President, University Relations and previously was Associate Director of the Office of Technology Licensing at Stanford University.

OUP has partnered with over 100 leading universities to make direct investments in their most promising startup companies. In March of 2019, the firm announced the closing of its $273 million third fund.

Since joining OUP in 2015, Kirsten has led efforts in growing the firm’s partner institution network from 75 partners to over 100 today, including 27 of the top 30 U.S. research institutions. The partner institution network includes universities, research institutions, accelerators, and university venture funds in the U.S. and abroad. A full list of OUP’s partner universities can be found here.

"This promotion reflects our firm's commitment to recognizing excellence," said Marc Singer, Managing Partner at OUP. "Kirsten has been instrumental in our firm's rapid growth and success in developing deep relationships with our existing partner institutions, but also in establishing new relationships among the higher education community. We are confident Kirsten will be even more effective in her new role as OUP continues to establish itself as a leading investor in university startups."

Through a deep relationship with the Technology Transfer Offices of these institutions, OUP has backed nearly 100 of the most exciting companies based on university research to date. In the last three years, OUP has had multiple IPOs, including Aptinyx (APTX), Biohaven Pharma (BHVN), Kura Oncology (KURA), Homology Medicines (FIXX), Selecta Biosciences (SELB), Spero Therapeutics (SPRO), Precision Biosciences (DTIL), Satsuma Pharmaceuticals (STSA), and Synthorx (THOR). OUP has also had the following successful acquisitions: Body Labs was acquired by Amazon; Cell Design Labs was acquired by Gilead Sciences; Modis Therapeutics was acquired by Zogenix; Synthorx was acquired by Sanofi.