Pre-Amp

Their thesis, in full

Pre-Amp is a venture studio, not a fund: it co-founds and builds precision-medicine companies in-house rather than writing cheques into founders' existing startups. Operating as the company-creation engine of Amplitude Ventures, it explores scientific whitespace at the intersection of biology and machine learning, develops venture hypotheses, validates them (with partner Evotec's industrialized drug-discovery platforms), then recruits founding scientists and incorporates the company. Once a concept passes the studio's go/no-go gate, Amplitude Ventures supplies the capital from pre-seed through later rounds, so Amplitude typically holds a meaningful cap-table position from day one. For founders this means Pre-Amp is the right path if you are a scientist or inventor who wants to co-build a company around your science with a studio's capital, team and labs behind you, not if you already have an incorporated startup seeking a passive lead investor. The main on-ramp is the annual Amplitude Fellowship (summer, paid, Montreal) or a direct precision-medicine concept submission.

Questions they usually ask

Have an answer ready for each one before the first call.

1. Does the opportunity sit squarely in precision medicine at the intersection of biology and computational sciences, with a clear unmet patient need and a credible path to a first-in-class therapy?
2. Is the founding scientist willing to co-build inside the studio model, sharing the cap table with Amplitude from inception, rather than seeking a hands-off investor?
3. Has the science cleared (or can it clear) the studio's validation gate, including proof-of-concept feasibility via Evotec's platforms, before the launch decision?

Follow-on

Pre-Amp engages at the earliest possible stage, before a company even exists, providing hands-on mentorship, an in-house team of drug developers and studio operators, IP generation, and access to Evotec's laboratories and network of subject-matter experts. It moves a validated concept through a disciplined three-phase model (Explore, Refine, Launch), recruits the head of research and founding talent, and incorporates the company. Amplitude Ventures then finances the new company and supports it through to exit.

Who to talk to

• Michael MeeManaging Director, Pre-Amp; Partner, Amplitude VenturesLinkedIn ↗
• Jean-François PariseauBoard Chair, Pre-Amp; Managing Partner, Amplitude VenturesLinkedIn ↗
• Vincent FrappierComputational Biology Entrepreneur in ResidenceLinkedIn ↗
• Riccardo CardilliFinance DirectorLinkedIn ↗
• Virginie Petel LégaréVenture ManagerLinkedIn ↗
• Madison Bolger-MunroVenture AssociateLinkedIn ↗
• Laura DiGiovanniVenture AssociateLinkedIn ↗
• Eric DesjardinsVenture AssociateLinkedIn ↗