Clay is an entrepreneur turned venture capitalist. Since 1995, he has co-founded eight companies in the life science arena and in 2000 co-founded Hatteras Venture Partners, a venture capital partnership that manages over $700 million across six vintages. Clay has led investments and numerous strategic transaction processes in a range of life science companies, including biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, and research informatics. Some of these companies include: G1 Therapeutics (GTHX), Clearside Biomedical (Nasdaq: CLSD), Lysosomal Therapeutics, Inc., Asthmatx, Inc., PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals (PHAS), ArtusLabs, Embrella, Kymera Therapeutics (KYMR), and Synthematix, Inc.

Mr. Thorp currently serves as Chairman of PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PHAS), and as a member of the board of directors of Clearside Biomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLSD), StrideBio, Inc., Vigil Neuroscience, Inc., GeneCentric Therapeutics, Inc., and Seaport Diagnostics, Inc. He is also on the Strategic and Scientific Advisory Board of Brii Biosciences. Mr. Thorp serves on the Chancellor’s Philanthropic Committee at University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, the Board of Visitors of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at UNC-Chapel Hill and on the board of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Foundation. He holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard University and a B.A. in mathematics and art history from UNC-Chapel Hill.