Biopharma giant BioGeneration Ventures (BGV) has raised its biggest fund yet, closing its fifth fund at an impressive €150 million. BGV has established itself as a leading early-stage VC in European biopharma since launching its first fund in 2006. This significant capital raise reflects the exciting opportunities found in the fast-moving biopharmaceutical sector.
BGV V was heavily sought after, attracting investors from both existing and new sources alike. Existing investors such as Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Holdings and Bristol Myers Squibb, further deepened the life sciences and institutional investor pool for BGV’s fund.
Additionally, 78% of the new investors were from the US, comprised of colossal financial institutions and renowned global life sciences companies.
BGV V is gearing up to take its venture investment strategy a step further. With an aim to invest in 12 pioneering companies dedicated to developing groundbreaking therapeutics and breakthrough science discoveries, BGV V seeks to continue the success of its predecessor funds and discover the next generation of therapeutics.
Investing in drug discovery and development, the goal is to identify transformative technologies that will make a positive impact on people’s lives and help shape the future of drug generation.
BGV has had remarkable success with their investments, particularly with Acerta Pharma which was acquired by AstraZeneca for a whopping $7 billion! This acquisition led to the development of the hugely successful drug Calquence®. Their success story was further bolstered with the acquisition of Synaffix by Lonza for €160 million with a €100 million upfront cash payment.
BGV’s Managing Partner Edward van Wezel couldn’t be happier about the successful closure of their fifth Fund V, a testament to investors’ continued confidence in the company’s mission to construct innovative companies and develop life-changing treatments.
With this new influx of capital and all the expertise BGV can muster, their portfolio companies and their founders can now progress projects from discovery to clinical proof-of-concept. What’s more, global pharmaceutical companies have collaborated in their confidence in early-stage European biotechs and invested in Fund V to boot!
BGV is proud to support innovative companies in their pursuit of groundbreaking medical treatments. Azafaros, Dualyx, and Complement Therapeutics are all part of the current BGV portfolio’s mission of advancing healthcare.
Azafaros holds a clinical candidate focusing on rare lysosomal storage disorders in children, Dualyx recently raised €40 million to progress potential treatments for immunological diseases, and Complement Therapeutics raised €72 million in a Series A to develop a gene therapy approach for common, untreatable eye-diseases. BGV is proud to partner with these groundbreaking companies and contribute to the advancement of healthcare.
About BGV
BGV is an experienced European venture capital firm with a focus on early-stage biotechnology companies, and a track record of delivering significant financial returns through healthcare investments. With an impressive €400 million portfolio, BGV carefully selects the most promising opportunities that converge scientific innovations, unmet medical needs, and viable proof of concept.
As such, BGV not only strives to grow its portfolio companies, but also to advance medicine by guiding them through clinical trials to ensure the successful development of drugs and strong value realization for its investors.
Forbion, a European life sciences venture capital fund with €3 billion in capital under management, has partnered with BGV, an early-stage focused platform, to drive innovation and growth. Located in Naarden, The Netherlands, BGV is poised to bring in cutting-edge investments and initiatives to further the success of this esteemed venture fund.
The European Investment Fund, with the backing of the European Union’s European Fund for Strategic Investments, recently invested in Fund V as part of the Venture Centre of Excellence initiative under the Sustainable Development Umbrella Fund’s Health Compartment. This initiative is part of the Investment Plan for Europe and is designed to promote and facilitate productive investments in the EU, as well as increase accessibility to financing.