Top 5 Angel Groups and VC Funds for Biotech Startups in South Carolina (2026)

The top angel and early-stage investors for South Carolina biotech startups are VentureSouth, Charleston Angel Partners, Good Growth Capital, MUSC's venture funds and SC Launch Inc. Two are angel groups, and three are venture funds that put money into life sciences founders.

South Carolina's biotech scene is quietly building momentum. The state's life sciences industry generates $20.1 billion in annual economic impact and supports 63,000 jobs, according to SCbio's 2026 economic impact report.

From medtech to drug discovery, the Palmetto State is seeing a growing number of promising biotech startups. But as every founder knows, innovation needs fuel, and that means capital.

In this article, we've rounded up five angel groups and venture funds that back South Carolina's biotech and life sciences founders. If you want a wider list, you can also browse the 180+ investors in our database based in South Carolina or the 19,000+ investors tagged to biotechnology.

Let's get started!

Top 5 Angel Groups and VC Funds for Biotech Startups in South Carolina

Here's a table to quickly summarize the list:

VentureSouth (Paul Clark)

• Focused Sectors: Industry agnostic; portfolio includes healthcare and life sciences startups

• Present In: Greenville, South Carolina

• Notable Investments: OBMedical and Zylo Therapeutics

VentureSouth is a Greenville-based angel network and early-stage investment firm. It says it has 500+ investors, has invested $100 million+ and has backed 130+ companies across the Southeast.

Paul Clark co-founded VentureSouth in 2014 and is its managing director. He also serves as general partner of its angel funds. Before VentureSouth, he was a principal at BC Partners and began his career advising healthcare companies on mergers and acquisitions at NM Rothschild & Sons.

VentureSouth says it is industry agnostic and looks for scalable, capital-efficient companies with strong product-market fit, usually driven by technology. Its portfolio does include life sciences and healthcare startups, such as OBMedical and Zylo Therapeutics. According to a Venture Nashville report, it has typically invested $250,000 to $1,000,000 in early-stage companies.

Charleston Angel Partners

• Focused Sectors: Technology and life sciences

• Present In: Charleston area, South Carolina

• Notable Investments: Baebies and RealSeq Biosciences

Charleston Angel Partners (CHAP) is an angel group founded in 2004 that invests in early-stage tech and life science companies. Its portfolio includes Baebies and RealSeq Biosciences.

South Carolina's business development site lists the group among the state's early-stage investors, with a focus on healthcare, consumer goods and other industries.

Good Growth Capital (David Mendez)

• Focused Sectors: Life sciences (medical devices, therapeutics and diagnostics), data sciences and GreenTech

• Present In: Charleston, South Carolina

• Notable Investments: Mendez sits on the boards of Ateios, NALA Membranes and MFNS

Good Growth Capital is an early-stage venture firm that invests in transformative science and technology. David Mendez is one of its managing partners.

Before joining Good Growth, Mendez co-founded Capital A Partners (CapA), which the firm describes as the first VC firm in South Carolina and says returned over 9x to its investors. He also served as a managing director of the Techstars/Arcadis City of 2030 Accelerator in Amsterdam and earlier as a managing director at Katalyst Venture Partners.

MUSC 1824 Health Ventures Fund I and South Carolina Health Innovation Fund

• Focused Sectors: Health care innovation

• Present In: Charleston, South Carolina

• Fund Sizes: $20 million and $10 million

• Website: 1824healthventures.com

In August 2025, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) launched two venture funds: the $20 million 1824 Health Ventures Fund I and the $10 million South Carolina Health Innovation Fund. They are meant to support health care innovation businesses inside the MUSC system and across the state.

Bob Crutchfield is the managing director of both funds, according to Live 5 News.

SC Launch Inc.

• Focused Sectors: Life sciences, advanced materials and manufacturing, and information technology

• Present In: South Carolina

• Notable Investments: Leukogene Therapeutics

• Website: scra.org/sc-launch/who-we-are

SC Launch Inc. is the investment affiliate of the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA). It provides loans and investments to selected South Carolina companies in its program, which is open to life sciences, advanced materials and manufacturing, and information technology startups.

In a recent biotech deal, it invested $400,000 in Leukogene Therapeutics, a cancer research startup based at MUSC.

Wrap-Up

In short, South Carolina's biotech scene is buzzing, and investors are paying attention.

With 63,000 jobs in life sciences and startups popping up across the state, angel groups and venture funds are playing a key role in making sure these innovations reach their full potential.

But let's be real, getting that investment isn't a walk in the park.

Pitching to investors needs a game plan. If you're looking to grab their attention, here are a few tips that will set up your journey (our guide on how to pitch to angel investors covers the rest):

1. Your team is everything. Investors want to see a group of people who can execute.

2. Know your market inside and out. Be ready to prove there's a real demand for what you're offering.

3. Don't sugarcoat it. Investors want to know the risks as much as the rewards.

Want a wider list? Our guide to the top angel investors in South Carolina covers the whole state, not just biotech.

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