PHILADELPHIA, PA — Osage University Partners announced a trio of senior promotions as the university-backed venture firm sharpens its focus on deep technology and life sciences investing amid continued growth.
The firm said Manny Stockman, PhD, has been promoted to managing partner, Mitra Miri, PhD, to partner, and Beth Grafstrom to senior vice president of finance. OUP said the moves reflect its expanding platform and long-term strategy of building category-defining companies rooted in university research and scientific commercialization.
In their expanded roles, Stockman and Miri will help set firm strategy, lead investments across OUP’s core sectors, and deepen relationships with research institutions and investors. Grafstrom will continue to oversee the firm’s finance and accounting operations, supporting its investment teams and limited partners across multiple funds.
Stockman joined OUP in 2015 after a career in early-stage research and development and has been a key architect of the firm’s technology portfolio. His work spans advanced computing, AI-enabled infrastructure software, materials science, and frontier technologies. He has led investments including IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), SiFive, Quintessent, Censys, and NuMat Technologies.
Miri joined OUP in 2021 and has played a central role in expanding the firm’s life sciences strategy, focusing on therapeutics and platform technologies grounded in strong scientific differentiation. Her investments include Veradermics, Precede Biosciences, Normunity, and RedRidge Bio.
Grafstrom, who also joined OUP in 2015, has helped build the firm’s finance and accounting organization, providing reporting, investor communications, and operational support as OUP scaled its fund platform.
“Manny and Mitra exemplify the thoughtful, forward-thinking investment mindset required to invest in startups based on cutting-edge science,” said Marc Singer, managing partner of OUP. He credited both executives with guiding founders through the challenges of commercialization and said Grafstrom has built a strong operational foundation as the firm expanded.
“I’m proud to step into the managing partner role at a firm whose mission aligns with the growth we are seeing in deep tech venture capital,” Stockman said, adding that OUP’s ability to track early research breakthroughs and translate them into venture-scale outcomes sets it apart.
Miri said OUP’s strategy is rooted in close collaboration with research institutions. She said universities are central to unlocking biological insights and technologies that underpin many of the most transformative startups, and she expressed a commitment to advancing those discoveries into real-world therapies.
OUP said the leadership changes position the firm to continue scaling its investment activity as demand grows for venture capital tied to foundational science and university innovation.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.