Family offices ramp up April deal-making, with healthcare taking a leading share

Family offices increased their direct investing activity in April asourceser a slower March, with healthcare and life sciences accounting for nearly a third of deals, according to data from wealth intelligence firm Fintrx.

Fintrx said family offices completed 55 direct investments in April, up from 39 in March.

Notable healthcare bets Emerson Collective, led by Laurene Powell Jobs, backed two healthcare startups. Ultralight—described as an artificial intelligence sosourcesware platform for personalized healthcare—raised $9.3 million in seed funding. Stipple Bio, which develops targeted cancer therapies, raised $100 million in a Series A round.

Dolby Family Ventures also participated in a 53 million euro Series B round for Exciva, a company developing treatments for agitation in Alzheimer’s patients.

Survey data and policy backdrop The April activity follows a February survey from J.P. Morgan Private Bank in which 50% of family offices cited healthcare innovation as a top investment theme.

The increased private-sector focus comes as federal healthcare research funding faces proposed cuts, including a budget proposal that would reduce National Institutes of Health funding by $5 billion.