Stephen Lesser
Director/Board Member at Aceragen, Inc. (North Carolina)
Profile
Stephen Lesser, Principal at NovaQuest Capital Management, is responsible for sourcing, structuring, negotiating, and managing animal health and human health investments.
He has extensive experience advising life sciences companies and their leadership teams on complex transactions, including corporate finance, venture capital, M&A, and other strategic and growth initiatives.
Before joining NovaQuest, Mr. Lesser spent seven years at Bayer.
Most recently, Mr. Lesser served as lead counsel for Leaps by Bayer, Bayer’s corporate venture capital arm.
He was responsible for advising on equity, joint venture, and other strategic investment, licensing, and collaboration activities across Bayer’s portfolio of pharmaceutical, agricultural, animal health, and consumer health investments.
Previously, Mr. Lesser served as a senior lawyer for Bayer’s U.S.
agricultural business unit advising on all aspects of its strategy and commercial operations, including venture capital investments.
Prior to joining Bayer, Mr. Lesser spent five years at Troutman Sanders LLP, where he represented public and private companies in dynamic and heavily regulated environments on > $15 billion in M&A, debt and equity offerings, and other corporate matters.
Mr. Lesser earned a BA in History from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a JD from the Washington and Lee University School of Law, and a MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Stephen Lesser active positions
Companies | Position | Start |
---|---|---|
Aceragen, Inc. (North Carolina)
Aceragen, Inc. (North Carolina) Pharmaceuticals: MajorHealth Technology Part of Aceragen, Inc., Aceragen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that develops therapeutics for orphan diseases. The company is based in Durham, NC. The company was founded in 2021 by John Clayton Taylor. Aceragen, Inc. (North Carolina) was acquired by Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on September 28, 2022. | Director/Board Member | - |
NovaQuest Capital Management LLC
NovaQuest Capital Management LLC Investment ManagersFinance NovaQuest Capital Management LLC (NovaQuest Capital Management) is a private equity firm founded in 2010 by John Layton Bradley and Jonathan Edward Tunnicliffe. The firm is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. | Private Equity Investor | 01/01/2020 |
Former positions of Stephen Lesser
Companies | Position | End |
---|---|---|
Leaps by Bayer
Leaps by Bayer Investment ManagersFinance Leaps by Bayer is venture investment unit of Bayer AG (Xetra: BAYN) founded in 2015. The firm is headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany. | General Counsel | 01/12/2019 |
AgTech Accelerator Corp.
AgTech Accelerator Corp. Financial ConglomeratesFinance AgTech Accelerator Corp. focuses on discovering and developing agricultural technology companies. It offers finance to agricultural firms. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Durham, NC. | Director/Board Member | 01/04/2019 |
BAYER AG | General Counsel | 01/02/2019 |
Troutman Sanders LLP
Troutman Sanders LLP Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services Troutman Sanders LLP engages in the provision of legal services. The company was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. | Private Equity Analyst | 01/04/2013 |
Training of Stephen Lesser
Kenan-Flagler Business School | Masters Business Admin |
University of Maryland Baltimore County | Undergraduate Degree |
Washington & Lee University School of Law | Graduate Degree |
Experiences
Positions held
Connections
1st degree connections
1st degree companies
Male
Female
Members of the board
Executives
Linked companies
Listed companies | 1 |
---|---|
BAYER AG | Health Technology |
Private companies | 5 |
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Aceragen, Inc. (North Carolina)
Aceragen, Inc. (North Carolina) Pharmaceuticals: MajorHealth Technology Part of Aceragen, Inc., Aceragen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that develops therapeutics for orphan diseases. The company is based in Durham, NC. The company was founded in 2021 by John Clayton Taylor. Aceragen, Inc. (North Carolina) was acquired by Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on September 28, 2022. | Health Technology |
NovaQuest Capital Management LLC
NovaQuest Capital Management LLC Investment ManagersFinance NovaQuest Capital Management LLC (NovaQuest Capital Management) is a private equity firm founded in 2010 by John Layton Bradley and Jonathan Edward Tunnicliffe. The firm is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. | Finance |
Leaps by Bayer
Leaps by Bayer Investment ManagersFinance Leaps by Bayer is venture investment unit of Bayer AG (Xetra: BAYN) founded in 2015. The firm is headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany. | Finance |
AgTech Accelerator Corp.
AgTech Accelerator Corp. Financial ConglomeratesFinance AgTech Accelerator Corp. focuses on discovering and developing agricultural technology companies. It offers finance to agricultural firms. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Durham, NC. | Finance |
Troutman Sanders LLP
Troutman Sanders LLP Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services Troutman Sanders LLP engages in the provision of legal services. The company was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. | Commercial Services |
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