Investment Professionals
Harry Karelis
hkarelis@titanbioventures.com
Harry Karelis is the founder and Managing Director of Titan BioVentures Management Pty Ltd. Titan is the investment manager of BioTech Capital Ltd (one of the largest life-science focused private equity funds in Australia) and Harry was instrumental in the establishment and ongoing management of this company. BioTech Capital is considered a leading life sciences fund in Australia. Harry has led investments in drug discovery, regenerative medicine, medical devices and several other technology platform areas.
Harry graduated from The University of Western Australia with Bachelors and Honours in Science majoring in Biochemistry and Microbiology as well as a Masters in Business Administration.
He is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has qualified as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) from the CFA Institute in the United States.
Prior to establishing BioTech Capital Harry worked in the financial services industry with roles in financial analysis and funds management both in Australia and overseas.
He has diversified experience in the financial services sector including fundamental analysis, funds management and private equity investing. He has also been a successful angel investor in several biotechnology companies and sits on the boards of several private and public life-science companies.
Justin Hondris
jhondris@titanbioventures.com
Justin Hondris is a Partner in our London operation and provides a vital link to northern hemisphere markets. His responsibilities include investment analysis, sourcing partnerships for our portfolio companies, interacting with the finance community and managing exits.
He has extensive financial markets knowledge, networks and experience spanning institutional stockbroking, corporate finance and advisory roles in both Australia and Europe.
He holds a Bachelor of Business and is a fully qualified chartered accountant, an Associate of the Securities Institute of Australia and is a past member of Chartered Secretaries Australia.
Justin is also currently a Level 2 candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) programme.
Dr Stewart Washer
swasher@titanbioventures.com
Stewart is a Venture Partner with Titan and he has over 14 years of senior executive and Board experience in commercial technology companies in the medical, food, agricultural and industrial sectors. He has raised over $50m in private shareholder and government funds into his companies and was a founder of Biopacific Ventures, a $120m fund based in New Zealand. He is currently a Venture Partner with the Swiss-based Inventages Group, a €1.5 billion life science fund.
Stewart was most recently the founding CEO of Phylogica Ltd (ASX:PYC). Before this, he was CEO of Celentis and managed the commercialisation of intellectual property from AgResearch in New Zealand with 650 Scientists and $130m revenues.
Stewart is also a Director of Genesis (ASX:GEN) and Chairman of Hatchtech Pty Ltd. Stewart sits as on the Senate at Murdoch University in Western Australia and is a member of the Australian Federal Government Advisory Panel for Industrial Biotechnology.
Dr Patrizia Washer
pwasher@titanbioventures.com
Patrizia holds the position of Investment Director at Titan and has over five years of experience in managing and commercialising R&D in medical and agricultural biotechnology. She gained her PhD in 1997 from The University of Western Australia in leukaemia research at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research. In 1999, she began working in the commercial sector as manager of an agricultural diagnostic company based at Murdoch University in Perth.
In 2001, Patrizia co-founded a consulting company in the biotech sector and moved into technology commercialisation for one of the largest university technology transfer companies in Australasia, Auckland UniServices Limited, based in New Zealand. Patrizia was at UniServices for 3 years as Business Manager of biotechnology managing the commercialisation of research within the life sciences for The University of Auckland. She negotiated numerous commercial research contracts and agreements with international biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Caspar van der Meer
cvandermeer@titanbioventures.com
Caspar is an Investment Analyst at Titan and has several years experience as a business consultant specialising in advising small and medium enterprises on commercial development and growth strategies, particularly in relation to the commercialisation of early stage business ideas and technology. He has principal responsibility for the corporate development of White Biotechnology Pty Ltd – a private company established by Titan to exploit opportunities in the industrial biotechnology sector.
He has been involved with a number of start-up companies and early stage technology development projects in which he was instrumental in the development and implementation of corporate development and commercialisation strategies. His experience and expertise include the preparation of information memoranda and associated documentation for potential investors.
Prior to his consulting career Caspar worked in Australia and France as a qualified winemaker. He managed vineyards and oversaw the winemaking process through several vintages acquiring valuable technical skills and knowledge as well as hands-on business management experience.
Caspar has a Bachelor of Science (Microbiology) and Master of Business Administration degree with distinctions from the University of Western Australia as well as a Graduate Diploma in Oenology from Roseworthy College (University of Adelaide).