V-Bio Ventures raises additional capital to support young biotech companies

28.01.2022

V-Bio Ventures, a venture capital company that focuses specifically on the segment of young pioneering biotech companies, has increased the capital of its second fund V-Bio Fund2 to 96 million euros. The fundraising will continue for several months, and the fund managers expect the target of EUR 100 million will be achieved.

The investors who were already involved at the start-up of V-Bio Fund 2 in early 2021 are the European Investment Fund (EIF), Participatie Maatschappij Vlaanderen (PMV), the Federale Participatie- en Investeringsmaatschappij (FPIM), and BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity, with in addition various family investment vehicles and university parties (VIB, KU Leuven, and Ghent University). Since then, additional investors have joined V-Bio Fund 2, including KBC Private Partners Life Sciences, Group Vanden Avenne Commodities, the family investment vehicles Korys (Colruyt family) and De Eik (Van Waeyenberge family) and the Dutch real estate and biotech investor Aat van Herk (known for investments in, among others, argenX and Galapagos). Fundraising will continue in the coming months and the total capital of V-Bio Fund 2 is expected to further increase to reach the target amount of EUR 100 million or beyond. V-Bio Ventures specializes in financing and co-creating young biotech companies, both from the medical sector and sustainable agriculture. V-Bio Ventures mainly focuses on projects that build on extraordinary scientific breakthroughs and therefore have the potential to grow into disruptive companies. The venture capitalist has a privileged partnership with VIB (Flemish Institute for Biotechnology), a Flemish research institution that is one of the world's best in the life sciences. In addition to the collaboration with the preferential partner VIB, V-Bio Ventures is looking for exceptional start-ups from other top academic institutes throughout Europe. In order to make the best choices among the most promising projects, V-Bio Ventures has a team of 7 experienced investment professionals with a scientific background and a wealth of experience from biotech companies and investment funds, and can also call on the expertise of more than 1800 scientists connected to VIB. V-Bio Ventures previously invested in the next generation of Belgian biotech star companies such as Confo, Orionis, Agomab, Aphea.Bio, Exevir, Precirix and Protealis, as well as in companies from other European regions, including Muna, Coave, Oxular and Corteria. With the additional financing, V-Bio Fund 2 will further expand its portfolio of exceptional growth companies.

About V-Bio Ventures

V-Bio Ventures (www.v-bio.ventures) is an independent venture capital firm, specialized in developing and financing young, innovative life sciences companies. V-Bio Ventures was founded in 2015 and works closely with Belgium-based VIB, one of the world’s leading research institutes in the life sciences. The fund invests across Europe in high growth potential start-ups targeting transformational innovations in the biotech, pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors.

European Investment Fund (EIF) participates in V-Bio Ventures with the support of the European Commission through InnovFin and of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).

For additional information please contact: