Forbion Capital Partners, a leading investment firm dedicated to the
life science sector, today announces the final closings of both FCF I
Co-Invest Fund and of FCF II, raising a total of more than 190m
($240m). Forbions 54m Co-Invest Fund aims to invest alongside FCF I in
a select number of late-stage FCF I portfolio companies. FCF II has an
investment strategy similar to its predecessor fund FCF I. Forbion aims
to invest the majority of the fund in Europe and the remainder in North
America and Israel. The investment focus is on private companies
developing novel drugs, medical devices and diagnostics for high- or
even unmet medical needs. This is serving a market that is both driven
by the pharmaceutical industrys continued need for new products to
supplement their ailing pipelines as well as by patient demand for safer
and more efficacious treatments.
“It is the
Forbion teams proven ability of applying commercial focus in investing
in this technology-rich space that makes Forbion one of the strongest
managers. We believe the European life sciences market to be very
interesting if you are able to select the right funds.”
Forbion typically leads the investment syndicates it forms and has built
a strong track record in recent years. Last year alone, they were
involved in two of the three most successful exits of private, European
life sciences companies, with the sale of Fovea Pharmaceuticals to
Sanofi Aventis and the sale of PanGenetics to Abbott. As the venture
industry is moving towards further specialization and consolidation,
Forbion recently decided to expand its European footprint by opening an
office in Munich and by hiring Dr. Holger Reithinger (formerly with
Global Life Sciences Ventures and 3i) in April of this year.
FCF I Co-Invest Fund has already committed funds to five companies,
including Circulite, Pathway Medical, AMT Holding, Biovex and Xention.
Following the first close of FCF II investments have already been made
in Niti, arGEN-X, Exosome, Promedior and Cardoz.
With these fundraisings, Forbion was able to further expand its global
investor base of high quality limited partners, to include the EIF (also
through their ERP-EIF and LfA-EIF facilities), US and EU pension funds,
major insurance companies and leading European family offices.
Commenting on the close, Bart Bergstein, Managing Partner at Forbion
said: We are very pleased to have raised such a substantial amount as
fundraising conditions have never been more challenging. Forbions
long-running, successful track record in making life science
investments, built over the past decade has been pivotal in our ability
to raise this new capital. The fact that both existing limited partners
decided to continue backing us and that many new investors decided to
commit as well makes us very proud. Given that only few venture players
have active funds to commit from, we currently see many highly
attractive assets from an increasingly rich deal flow. We are therefore
confident that both new funds could be at least as successful as FCF I.
Juan Delgado-Moreira, Managing Director at Hamilton Lane (London, UK)
and one of the longstanding investors in Forbion commented: It is the
Forbion teams proven ability of applying commercial focus in investing
in this technology-rich space that makes Forbion one of the strongest
managers. We believe the European life sciences market to be very
interesting if you are able to select the right funds.
About Forbion Capital Partners
Forbion Capital Partners is a Netherlands-based venture capital firm
focused on investing in life sciences companies in drug development as
well as MedTech companies addressing high medical needs. Forbions
investment team of nine investment professionals has built an impressive
performance track record since the late nineties with successful
investments in Rhein Biotech, Crucell, Neutec, Glycart, Borean, Impella,
Alantos, Acorda, Fovea and PanGenetics. Current assets under management
exceed 400m ($500m), split between three active funds. Finally, Forbion
co-manages BioGeneration Ventures, an early stage fund focused on
academic spin-outs and seed investments in the Netherlands.
For more information, please visit www.forbion.com.
Source: Business Wire
