The word Mara means "mottled" or "motley" in Maa, the language of the Masai tribe of the Mara-Serengeti plains in East Africa, where Gaston Matthyssens and Richard Williams first met 20 years ago. "Motley", which means 'of diversified color', relates to the landscape of the Serengeti, patched or 'mottled' with groves of acacia trees. The name 'Mara' was chosen for the fund as a reflection of the diverse nature of the biotech industry.

The logo was adapted from an illustration taken from "The Four Phases of Alchemy" published in Philosophia Reformata in 1622. The logo refers to one of the three goals of medieval alchemists, namely to find transmutations of metals.

Photographs copyright 1996 - PhotoDisc / logo designed by Reuben Matthyssens - copyright 2001 - Site copyright 2002 - Mara Venture Partners