V-Bio Ventures, a Ghent, Belgium-based independent venture capital firm focused on biotech, closed its second fund, V-Bio Fund 2, at EUR 110m.
Almost all limited partners of their first fund are participating in this second fund, as are multiple new investors. Together with the first fund, V-Bio Fund 1, V-Bio Ventures will have over EUR 185m under management.
Led by Christina Takke and Willem Broekaert, Founding Managing Partners, V-Bio Ventures focuses specifically on the segment of young pioneering biotech companies and its strategy to invest in transformational companies in the medical and agricultural sectors. V-Bio Fund 2 will maintain its relationship with VIB, Europe’s leading life sciences institute, to access deals from the renowned research center that has spun out multiple successful biotech companies such as Ablynx.
The firm is also expanding their team from seven to nine experienced investment professionals with a scientific background and a wealth of experience from biotech companies and investment funds. Shelley Margetson joined the fund as Managing Partner, bringing her expertise as senior executive in multiple European biotechnology companies, including Nasdaq-listed Merus (MRUS). In addition to expanding the team, Ward Capoen, who has been with V-Bio Ventures since the start of the first fund, is being promoted to Partner.
Since its inception in 2015 V-Bio Ventures has invested in nineteen companies, has co-created seven of them, and has helped to advance eight therapies into clinical development and closer to patients. Recent meaningful deals include Syndesi Therapeutics, which was acquired earlier this year by AbbVie for up to $1bn, as well as Agomab and Precirix having raised EUR 63m and 80m respectively from international investment syndicates.
FinSMEs
01/04/2022