Pharmaceutical startups have had a strong start to 2024, showing off areas like psychedelic mental health treatments, radiotherapeutic cancer drugs and medicine for underserved populations.

Japanese pharma firm Taiho has added $100m to its US-based CVC subsidiary, which has a team of five people.

Bauke Anninga was a principal at M Ventures for two years.

The ex-Illumina Ventures employee has launched a VC firm where she will be managing partner.

Illumina Ventures alumnus Noel Lee has moved up to partner at Novo Holdings, just eight months after being hired as a principal in its Growth Investments team.

Claire Leurent, formerly principal at Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, has joined AbbVie’s CVC unit as managing director.

The fund, co-managed with a seed-stage VC firm, will target AI, robotics and internet-of-things across multiple industries.

Alphabet’s early-stage investment unit has hired Michael McBride to seek out AI and open-source software startups.

Pioneer Management Consulting has launched a venture capital firm to invest in startups developing treatments for rare brain tumours.

The Intuitive Ventures Fund II will invest in startups transforming treatment in minimally invasive care.