-  Strategic investment to support RBL's mission to launch and scale breakthrough startups 

-  Founder and general partner of Modi Ventures, Sahir Ali, to join RBL board of directors

-  Modi Ventures' Ali, RBL managing partner Wotton to speak on venture creation at Canaccord Genuity Growth Conference Aug. 12

HOUSTON, Aug. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- RBL LLC, a pioneering biotech venture creation studio dedicated to rapidly building companies based on breakthrough medical technologies, announced that it has secured an investment from Modi Ventures to support its mission to launch and scale breakthrough startups into clinical-stage companies.

In addition, RBL has announced the appointment of Sahir Ali to its board of directors. Ali is the founder and current general partner of Modi Ventures, a leading venture capital firm investing in biology and technology based in Houston. Ali's experience as an accomplished technology and health care leader, investor and adviser will be instrumental in bridging the gap between academic biotech discoveries and the clinical care market.

"This investment by Modi Ventures will be instrumental to RBL's growth as it reinforces confidence in our venture creation model and accelerates our ability to develop successful biotech startups," said Paul Wotton, RBL's managing partner. "Sahir's addition to the board will also amplify this collaboration with Modi. His strategic counsel and deep understanding of field-defining technologies will be invaluable as we continue to grow and deliver on our mission."

"The bold thinking and entrepreneurial initiatives coming out of RBL represent an important cornerstone of the rapidly evolving Houston life sciences scene, and I am honored to contribute to this growth by joining this exceptional board," Ali said. "Partnering my new role at RBL with the investment made by Modi can truly help not only build companies but also shape the future of patient care in a collaborative and more efficient way."

"Modi Ventures' investment is a strong signal of market validation for the acceleration model we've built into RBL," said Paul Cherukuri, board member of RBL and chief innovation officer of Rice University. "It reflects growing investor confidence in RBL's ability to turn breakthrough science into real-world therapies and in Houston's rise as a global force in biotech innovation."

Modi Ventures employs a proprietary financial engineering framework grounded in modern portfolio theory and efficient frontier principles. With $134 million under management, Modi Ventures backs category-defining companies advancing artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery, diagnostics and engineered therapeutics. The firm also invests in leading funds across the biotech and technology spectrum. A parallel entrepreneur, scientist and innovator, Sahir has led transformative work and built companies across AI, cloud computing and precision medicine.  Sahir serves on the board of directors of the Drug Information Association, a leading global life science membership association driving collaboration in drug, device and diagnostics development in pursuit of a healthier world.

Sahir will join existing board members Wotton, Cherukuri, Omid Veiseh, Rima Chakrabarti, John Jaggers, Devyn Smith and James Watson, an accomplished group of leaders with deep expertise in biotech innovation, clinical translation and venture building who together provide strategic guidance to help drive RBL's continued growth and success.

Wotton and Ali will participate in a panel discussion at the Canaccord Genuity 45^th annual Growth Conference Aug. 12 to discuss the future of biotech venture creation and the evolving role of academic innovation in company formation.

About RBL LLC:

RBL LLC is a pioneering biotech venture creation studio based in Houston that is dedicated to accelerating the development of breakthrough medical technologies and therapies through company formation. RBL provides entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators with infrastructure, financial support and strategic guidance as well as access to laboratory space and shared resources in the Texas Medical Center Helix Park. For more information, please visit https://www.rbl-llc.com/.

Media Contact:

Russo Partners
David Schull or Liz Phillips
(347) 956-7697
david.schull@russopartnersllc.com 
elizabeth.phillips@russopartnersllc.com 

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SOURCE RBL LLC