Christine Aylward
Founder & Managing Partner
Christine Aylward has worked at the forefront of healthcare innovation since the beginning of her career at Roche and has been in venture capital since 2011. As a founder, business executive and investor, Christine evaluates companies through a unique lens, making her an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs.
She has a proven track record of investing in healthcare leaders, and her meaningful relationships and expertise span pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, genomics, technology, and finance. Her experience commercializing global franchises and building companies has awarded her deep domain and industry operating expertise. She has helped launch more than 20 products in the pharmaceutical, genomics, healthcare technology and diagnostic sectors.
Christine began her career at Roche Pharmaceuticals, where she launched the revolutionary technology polymerase chain reaction (PCR), formed the first cross collaboration between the pharmaceutical and diagnostic divisions, was a key member of several marketing teams, and was placed on the Executive Development Track.
Most recently, Christine was a Managing Director at Foresite Capital, which she joined at its founding. There she was instrumental in building the firm to $1.2 billion in assets under management and helped identify and grow some of the most valuable companies within the portfolio. Christine has also been an entrepreneur in the media sector and was a partner at a technology-focused investment bank acquired by Goldman Sachs. Christine currently sits on the boards of ConsejoSano, Amydis, EMME and UCSF Health Hub.
Richard Evans, D.V.M.
Venture Partner
Dr. Richard Evans is an industry expert with more than 25 years experience. He is the Founder and General Manager of SSR Health LLC, a boutique sell-side investment research firm. Richard and Christine met as colleagues at Roche Pharmaceuticals and he joined Magnetic as a Venture Partner at its founding.
Dr. Evans served as a Senior Analyst covering the US pharmaceuticals industry at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC, from 1998 until 2006. While there, he was named to the Institutional Investor’s All-America Research Team. He was also ranked first amongst his peers for drug stock selection and amongst the top 20 stock pickers globally by Bloomberg.
Previously, he was a member of senior management at Roche Pharmaceuticals, where he served as head of Business Development and Strategic Planning, Product Director for the company’s injectable anesthetics, and most recently as Vice President, Business Policy and Account Management. In this capacity, he was responsible for Roche’s commercial interactions with large buyers, managed-care organizations and governments. His responsibilities included account management, customer marketing, pricing, contract administration, pharmacoeconomics, and distribution.
Dr. Evans earned a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University in 1988 and a Master’s of Public and Private Management from Yale University in 1991. His work has been highlighted in various major media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, The New York Times, Fortune, CNN, CBS, and Frontline.