Nilay Thakar

Nilay Thakar is a Principal at ARCH Venture Partners based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he specializes in life sciences venture capital. Before joining the investment firm in 2017, he served as General Manager at Stem Cells Limited, leading a corporate turnaround, and worked as a Think Tank Advisor for the Australian Academy of Sciences. Thakar also co-founded Skylark Bio, acting as Head of Business Development, and currently holds board observer seats at six biotechnology startups, including Arbor Biotechnologies and Volastra Therapeutics. He earned a PhD in Cell Biology from the University of Queensland and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, authoring seven peer-reviewed scientific publications with over 150 citations. His current focus centers on early-stage life sciences investments, new technology evaluation, and portfolio company creation across the biotechnology sector.