Modi Ventures Research
Investment Thesis
Modi Ventures is a Houston-based venture firm that invests at the intersection of technology and biology. Its organizing idea is the BioStack: biology understood as a technology stack running DNA, RNA, protein, cell, then tissue, organ and human. The firm argues that life is becoming engineerable, and that the 21st century will be built on the cell the way the 20th was built on the electron. Its investment philosophy is framed as Read, Write, Reprogram: technologies that read biology (sequencing, diagnostics, imaging, AI analytics), write it (gene editing, synthetic biology, engineered proteins, computational drug design), and reprogram it (cell therapy, regenerative medicine, engineered immune systems).
The firm treats AI and biology as inseparable. It looks for companies that generate biological data, interpret it, design biological systems, engineer therapeutic interventions, manufacture biological products, reprogram cells and tissues, or extend healthy lifespan.
Stage Focus
Modi describes its investments as early stage. It backs founders directly and also invests as an LP in other venture funds, which gives it a view of the fundraising environment and hype cycles in tech bio. Its direct deals range from seed rounds to larger rounds it joins alongside specialist biotech investors (for example Series B and C participation).
Check Size
Check size is not published. Fund I closed at $32M in 2023 (Tech+Bio Fund I) and press reports a second fund of about $88M, which implies small early-stage checks. Check size fields are left empty rather than guessed.
Lead Tendency
Both. Press describes Sahir Ali leading the seed round of Lapsi Health, while recent deals such as the $80M Proxima seed and the Brainomix Series C were syndicated rounds the firm joined.
Recent Activity
The firm has been active through 2026. It joined the $80M seed round for Proxima (AI-driven drug discovery for proximity-based therapeutics) in January 2026. It is listed in Exciva's $59.7M Series B (January 2026) and Brainomix's Series C (February 2026). The portfolio page adds 2026 entries Breye Therapeutics, Imagenomix, Cytospire, Serif Biomedicines and Eridu. Fund status appears to be actively deploying.
Portfolio Highlights
The portfolio page lists 30 companies and 19 fund commitments. Notable names include Groq (AI inference chips, assets reported acquired by Nvidia for about $20B in December 2025), Lila Sciences (scientific superintelligence, Flagship-backed), Generate Biomedicines (IPO reported in 2026), Proxima, Kamau Therapeutics, Latus Bio, Rubedo, Elemind, Glyphic Biotechnologies, ProFound Therapeutics, Brainomix and Exciva. Fund commitments include Khosla Ventures, Flagship Pioneering, OrbiMed, RTW Funds, Abingworth, Draper Associates, Antler and Section 32.
Team
- Sahir Ali, Founder and General Partner: PhD, background in AI, medical imaging, cancer research and enterprise technology; also a Draper Associates partner per NFX Signal
- Amir Ali, Senior Partner and COO: engineer and entrepreneur, Principal at the Modi Family Office
- Praveen Kudithipudi, Principal
- Evangelia Tzika, Investment Associate
- Kiley Giebel, Associate focused on TechBio and AI; Operations Manager at the Founder Mental Health Pledge
- J.D. Swartz, Head of Operations: marketing and brand leader
- Advisors and venture partners include Ronald DePinho (former President, MD Anderson), Andrew Yang, Junaid Bajwa (Flagship Pioneering), Peter Gammel (hardware), Jimmy Ku, Irfan Ali, Manu Sebastian, Geeta Nayyar and Michael Kalos
Decision Process
Not published. The firm is a family-office-backed partnership with Sahir Ali as the visible lead decision maker.
Founder Preferences
Founders with deep science or technical platforms in AI, microfluidics hardware, multiomics, precision medicine, synthetic biology, gene editing and living therapies. The firm leans on academic and clinical networks (MD Anderson, Texas Medical Center) for sourcing and diligence.
Geographic Focus
Based in Houston, TX, with a global portfolio spanning the US, UK (Brainomix, Ignota Labs) and Europe (Lapsi Health). Not geographically restricted.