Nola Masterson

Nola Elizabeth Masterson, MSc is a veteran biotechnology investor, board director, and industry pioneer with more than four decades of experience advancing life science innovation. She is a Lead Investor with Portfolia’s Femtech Funds, where she focuses on backing high-impact companies improving women’s health and wellness.

Nola is the founder of Science Futures, Inc. and Managing Director of Science Futures Management Company, through which she has invested in and advised life science companies and venture funds since 1982. Earlier in her career, she was the first biotechnology analyst on Wall Street, helping establish institutional coverage of the biotech sector, and later co-founded Sequenom, Inc., a genetic analysis company that successfully went public.

In addition to her investment work, Nola has held numerous public and private company board roles, including serving as board chair of Repros Therapeutics, and continues to advise early-stage healthcare and biotech ventures. She is also a partner at Boardwise, coaching corporate directors, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco, where she teaches the business of biotechnology.

Nola holds a Master of Science in Biological Sciences from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from Marymount College. She is widely recognized for her leadership in biotechnology investing and her advocacy for expanding women’s participation in venture capital and corporate governance.