Key Takeaways
- • Hatteras Venture Partners named Sir Andrew Witty, former CEO of GlaxoSmithKline and UnitedHealth Group, as Chairman, per a September 30, 2026 GLOBE NEWSWIRE press release.
- • Norman "Ned" Sharpless, M.D., former NCI director and former acting FDA Commissioner, joined as Managing Director of Hatteras Discovery Innovation (HDI) to lead a renewed company-creation strategy.
- • Hatteras held the first closing of Hatteras Opportunity Fund II (HOF II), targeting $100 million in commitments, with capital under management reported above $1 billion.
- • HOF II will make concentrated follow-on investments in portfolio companies approaching clinical, regulatory, or commercial milestones.
Summary
Hatteras Venture Partners, a Durham, N.C.-based venture capital firm focused on healthcare innovation, has appointed two senior healthcare executives to leadership roles, according to a paid press release distributed via GLOBE NEWSWIRE on September 30, 2026. Sir Andrew Witty, former Chief Executive Officer of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and UnitedHealth Group, has been named Chairman. Witty previously served as a Venture Partner at Hatteras from 2017 to 2019, and according to the firm, will act as Hatteras's chief strategic adviser.
Norman "Ned" Sharpless, M.D., a former director of the National Cancer Institute, a former Acting Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and co-founder of G1 Therapeutics (acquired by Pharmacosmos A/S), joined Hatteras as Managing Director of Hatteras Discovery Innovation. Sharpless's ties to the firm date to G1 Therapeutics, in which Hatteras was the first institutional investor. Sharpless will lead a renewed Hatteras Discovery strategy modeled on the original initiative launched in 2012, which the firm says seeded 11 companies and contributed to multiple public listings, acquisitions, and two FDA-approved medicines, Cosela and Xipere.
Hatteras also announced the first closing of Hatteras Opportunity Fund II, which is targeting $100 million in capital commitments and is said to bring the firm's capital under management above $1 billion. HOF II is designed to make concentrated follow-on investments in selected portfolio companies as they approach important clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones. Clay Thorp, a founding General Partner of Hatteras, said the appointments add complementary relationships and experience to the firm's partner base. Taken together, the firm says these initiatives expand its capacity to support healthcare companies from early scientific foundations through later-stage growth.
Norman "Ned" Sharpless, M.D., a former director of the National Cancer Institute, a former Acting Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and co-founder of G1 Therapeutics (acquired by Pharmacosmos A/S), joined Hatteras as Managing Director of Hatteras Discovery Innovation. Sharpless's ties to the firm date to G1 Therapeutics, in which Hatteras was the first institutional investor. Sharpless will lead a renewed Hatteras Discovery strategy modeled on the original initiative launched in 2012, which the firm says seeded 11 companies and contributed to multiple public listings, acquisitions, and two FDA-approved medicines, Cosela and Xipere.
Hatteras also announced the first closing of Hatteras Opportunity Fund II, which is targeting $100 million in capital commitments and is said to bring the firm's capital under management above $1 billion. HOF II is designed to make concentrated follow-on investments in selected portfolio companies as they approach important clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones. Clay Thorp, a founding General Partner of Hatteras, said the appointments add complementary relationships and experience to the firm's partner base. Taken together, the firm says these initiatives expand its capacity to support healthcare companies from early scientific foundations through later-stage growth.
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