- Thera Liechtenstein brings extensive biotech investment and company‑building experience to new role as Partner at 4BIO Capital
- Tetsu Maruyama, former Head of Drug Discovery at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, appointed as Venture Partner
London, United Kingdom, 30 March 2026 - 4BIO Capital, a specialist biotech venture firm transforming innovative technologies into breakthrough precision therapies, today announces the appointments of Dr. Therese (Thera) Liechtenstein as Partner and Dr. Tetsuyuki (Tetsu) Maruyama as Venture Partner.
Thera steps into the role of Partner having served as Investment Director at 4BIO Capital since 2024, where she held board roles at Actithera, Araris Biotech and Code Biotherapeutics. During her tenure as Investment Director, she led Actithera’s oversubscribed $75.5 million Series A financing and supported Araris Biotech’s acquisition by Taiho Pharmaceutical for up to $1.14 billion.
Thera joined 4BIO Capital from M Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Merck KGaA, where she was Senior Investment Director in the Biotechnology team. At M Ventures, she led company creation efforts, new Seed and Series A investments across Europe and North America and served on multiple boards. Prior to this, she managed strategic projects for Merck’s Healthcare business and previously worked in wealth preservation at Industrie‑ & Finanzkontor Ets.
Thera Liechtenstein, Partner at 4BIO Capital, commented: “4BIO's investment thesis is built on a conviction I share deeply, that value is created for patients and investors when you back the right science and the right people to overcome disease- and modality-relevant biological and technical challenges. I look forward to continuing to partner closely with our portfolio at every stage, from platform development through to clinical translation, and to helping build the next generation of breakthrough therapies.”
Based in Japan, Dr Tetsu Maruyama brings more than two decades of global leadership experience in neuroscience, neurodegeneration, and translational drug discovery. As Venture Partner, he will support 4BIO as it looks to transform innovative Japanese technologies into breakthrough precision therapies for patients. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative (ADDI).
Tetsu began his career as an academic neuroscientist, holding faculty positions in the US and UK before moving into industry. He has held senior R&D leadership roles at Merck’s Neuroscience Research Centre in the UK and at GlaxoSmithKline in Singapore, where he served as Director of the Centre for Cognitive and Neurodegenerative Disorders. In 2010, he became Head of Drug Discovery at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, leading global research efforts across key therapeutic areas. In 2016, he joined the Dementia Discovery Fund as Chief Scientific Officer.
He has served on the boards of several privately held biotech companies and non‑profit organisations focused on open science and was a member of the World Dementia Council. Tetsu holds a PhD in Psychology from Stanford University and completed post‑doctoral research in neurophysiology at Yale University.
Dr Tetsu Maruyama, Venture Partner at 4BIO Capital, commented: “4BIO’s commitment to advancing breakthrough biology and supporting companies tackling some of the most complex scientific challenges is compelling. I look forward to applying my experience in global R&D and translational neuroscience to help founders build platforms that are scientifically rigorous and positioned to deliver meaningful therapeutic impact, and supporting 4BIO’s contributions to developing innovative companies in Japan.”
Dima Kuzmin, Managing Partner at 4BIO Capital, said: “Thera has already made a significant contribution to 4BIO, demonstrating exceptional conviction and scientific insight in shaping our portfolio and supporting the development of breakthrough platforms. Her appointment as Partner reflects the important role she plays in advancing our investment strategy. We are also delighted to welcome Tetsu, whose global R&D leadership and deep neuroscience expertise will further strengthen our ability to guide platform creation and expansion. Together, their complementary perspectives will help us continue delivering on our mission to accelerate life‑changing therapies for patients with significant unmet needs.”
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Contacts
| 4BIO Capital | +44 (0) 203 427 5500 info@4biocapital.com |
| ICR Healthcare Amber Fennell, Chris Welsh, Jonathan Edwards | +44 (0)20 3709 5700 4biocapital@icrhealthcare.com |
About 4BIO Capital
4BIO Capital is a global specialist biotech venture firm investing in breakthrough technologies that solve critical healthcare challenges. 4BIO partners with visionary biotech founders, investing with conviction and serving as a therapeutic navigator to guide the transformation of scientific innovation into life-changing therapies. The 4BIO team are specialists with deep scientific expertise and proven commercial track records, strategically matched to portfolio companies that align with their specific areas of knowledge. For more information, connect with us on LinkedIn and X @4biocapital and visit www.4biocapital.com.
