Pitchford is managing director of healthcare investments at Imperial Innovations Group, a UK-listed venture capital firm that primarily supports spin-outs from British universities after its own spin out from Imperial College London.

BVM Capital is a local venture capital firm that invests in life science opportunities from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, the world's leader in diabetes, nutrition and obesity research.

Also in the syndicate are venture capital firms Crossroad Fund, Medica Venture Partners, SCP-Vitalife and the Technion Investment Opportunities Fund, the investment fund of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.

Investment banks Jefferies and Leerink Swann are co-lead underwriters of OncoMed's initial public offering (IPO).

Investment banks JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs are co-lead underwriters of Kythera's initial public offering.

Lundemose is co-founder of several companies including Symphogen, Santaris and Prosidion, a UK subsidiary of OSI Pharmaceuticals where he had been a managing director of OSI's corporate venturing unit.

Alongside local corporations Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Elbit Imaging and Clal Biotechnology Industries were venture capital firms Israel Healthcare Venture, Amgen, Denali Ventures and Auriga Ventures.

Mark Offerhaus, chief executive of Micreos, said: "The investment by Altria Ventures will further accelerate availability of our products."

Investors in D extension include Siemens Venture Capital and Fidelity Biosciences.

Various Blue Cross Blue Shield companies have backed health rewards-based marketing and incentives company Everymove.