Joao Ribas

Partner at Novo Holdings

Speaker

João Ribas is a Partner at Novo Holdings, where he focuses on early-stage investing and the creation of new companies. He plays a central role in the firm’s company creation efforts, including its company creation platform, the de novo foundry.

An active investor-operator, João serves on the boards of multiple portfolio companies and frequently takes hands-on operational roles, supporting strategy, pipeline definition, and company formation. He has been a founding investor in companies such as Orbis Medicines, leading efforts from inception through team build-out, platform development, and syndicated Series A financing. He currently serves on the boards of Asgard Therapeutics, Booster Therapeutics, NMD Pharma, Orbis Medicines, and Tribune Therapeutics.

Prior to joining Novo Holdings, João was an investor at M Ventures, where he worked across the full investment lifecycle. Earlier in his career, he founded and built ventures in the U.S. and Europe, an experience that continues to shape his approach to company creation and partnering with founders.

João holds a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Coimbra and conducted his doctoral research at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.