NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AVANT BIO LLC, the growth equity firm investing in life science industrials and enabling technologies, today announced the appointment of Peggy Lio and Philip Vanek, Ph.D., as Operating Advisors. In their new roles, Lio and Vanek will work alongside AVANT BIO and its portfolio companies to support commercialization, business development, strategic growth and the translation of emerging technologies into profitable businesses.
Lio and Vanek bring complementary experience at the intersection of scientific innovation, commercialization and business building. Their appointments deepen the strategic support available to AVANT BIO portfolio companies while further expanding the firm’s Operating Advisor team, which also includes Maik Jornitz and Lukas Utiger.
Phil brings more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning strategy, business development, innovation, investment and general management across start-up and global biotechnology companies, currently serving as CCO of ISCT. He most recently served as CTO and Partner at Gamma Biosciences, a KKR life sciences tools platform with nearly $300 million in deployed capital, where he led technical diligence and helped shape the portfolio.
Previously, Vanek served as General Manager of Cell and Gene Therapy Strategy at GE Healthcare Life Sciences (now Cytiva, part of Danaher) where he led the company’s global cell therapy business strategy, with acquisitions including Biosafe and Asymptote, and helped build strategic collaborations across the regenerative medicine ecosystem. Earlier, he held senior innovation, business development and commercial leadership roles at Lonza, BD Biosciences and Life Technologies.
“AVANT BIO’s focus on enabling technologies strongly aligns with the work I have pursued throughout my career—identifying technologies with the potential to change the industry and helping turn that potential into sustainable businesses,” said Vanek. “I’m excited to bring both an operator’s and investor’s perspective to the team and to work closely with AVANT’s portfolio companies.”
Peggy Lio has built a career spanning bioprocess development, technology innovation, product strategy and commercialization, with experience ranging from early-stage biotechnology development to global business leadership. She currently advises bioprocess companies on product strategy, commercialization, customer engagement and market entry. Previously, she spent more than a decade at GE Healthcare Life Sciences (now Cytiva, part of Danaher), ultimately serving as Senior Director, Global Cell Culture R&D and Services. In this role, she led a global organization across R&D, product management, business development, applications and new technology development. Her responsibilities also included strategic roadmaps, technology assessment, partnerships and identifying opportunities for portfolio growth and potential M&A. Earlier in her career, Lio held leadership positions at Life Technologies and spent more than two decades at Schering-Plough, where she worked across biotechnology development, cell culture and fermentation processes supporting protein therapeutics and gene therapy.
“I’ve spent much of my career helping teams connect the science behind a technology with the customer problem it ultimately needs to solve,” said Lio. “That intersection of technical understanding, market insight and customer engagement is often what determines whether an innovation achieves meaningful adoption. I’m excited to work with AVANT BIO and its portfolio companies to help strengthen that connection and support their next stages of growth.”
“Phil and Peggy bring a powerful combination of scientific depth, commercial judgment and firsthand experience turning innovation into successful businesses,” said Daniella Kranjac, Founding General Partner of AVANT BIO. “Phil has been at the forefront of life science innovation for more than three decades. Peggy has spent her career at the intersection of science, applications and commercial strategy, with a rare ability to understand what customers need and translate emerging technologies into differentiated, market-ready solutions. Both have already made positive contributions in support of our portfolio companies and technical diligence process and we’re excited to be working together again.”
The appointments also build on long-standing professional relationships across the AVANT BIO network. Lio, Vanek and Kranjac previously collaborated at GE Healthcare Life Sciences, while Vanek and AVANT BIO Operating Advisor Lukas Utiger both have roots at Lonza, adding another layer of connectivity and shared industry experience to the firm’s operating network.
About AVANT BIO
AVANT BIO LLC is a growth equity firm investing in therapeutic-enabling technologies shaping how tomorrow’s therapies are discovered, developed, manufactured and delivered. With an investment focus engineered to accelerate new growth and innovation at various stages of company development, AVANT BIO is committed to amplifying value and unlocking the full potential of therapeutic enabling technologies, TechBio, and HealthTech.
For further information, including opportunities to partner, visit www.avant.bio. Follow AVANT BIO on LinkedIn for the latest news and industry insights.
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SOURCE AVANT BIO LLC
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