Many innovative life sciences startups struggle to secure the capital and expertise to develop and commercialise their groundbreaking therapies and technologies. Sofinnova Partners, a leading European life sciences venture capital firm based in Paris, London, and Milan, addresses this challenge by providing crucial funding, operational expertise, and access to a vast network of industry professionals. This comprehensive support helps startups overcome financial and operational obstacles to bring their innovations to market.
Today, the firm announced the final close of Sofinnova Biovelocita II. The fund has exceeded its target, raising €165 million with substantial backing from leading global pharmaceutical companies, including Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Pfizer Ventures.
This milestone marks a significant expansion of Sofinnova’s biotech acceleration strategy beyond Italy. It now encompasses France, the United Kingdom, and Denmark, with plans to expand to additional European countries.
How Sofinnova Partners bridges the innovation gap in life sciences
Sofinnova Partners traces its roots to Sofinnova SA, established in 1972 in Paris with support from several French financial institutions, notably Crédit National. The venture capital firm was founded to create an “American-style” venture capital operation in France. Its focus on breakthrough therapies, such as BioClec’s work on Alzheimer’s disease and Forth Therapeutics’ fibrosis treatments, demonstrates its commitment to transforming healthcare.
The firm brings together global professionals with deep scientific, medical, and business expertise. With offices in Paris, London, and Milan, Sofinnova Partners is a hands-on company builder throughout the life sciences investment chain, from the seed stage to later phases. This approach leverages over a decade of expertise in startup acceleration, biotech, and MedTech, which has proven instrumental in creating pioneering ventures.
Today, Sofinnova Partners manages over €4 billion in assets, backed by 50 years of experience supporting more than 500 companies and creating market leaders worldwide.
Biovelocita II Fund: Over 300 projects and several investments
Led by Partners Gabriella Camboni, Matthieu Coutet, Alex Leech, and Zhizhong Joel Yao, Sofinnova Biovelocita II stands as the largest pan-European biotech accelerator, dedicated to creating, building, and managing the next generation of biotech startups.
Since its launch, the Biovelocita II Fund has evaluated over 300 projects and made several key investments across Europe, advancing cutting-edge biotechnology innovation. Notable newly established companies include BioClec, focused on breakthrough Alzheimer’s therapies; Forth Therapeutics, a University of Edinburgh spin-out developing next-generation precision therapeutics for fibrosis; and Signadori Bio, a novel cell therapy platform developed from Gustave Roussy Institute research.
Graziano Seghezzi, Managing Partner of Sofinnova Partners, stated: “Building on the success of Biovelocita I in Italy, we have developed a pan-European strategy and assembled a world-class team to create and manage companies across the European biotech ecosystem. The strong response from our pharmaceutical partners and the fact that we exceeded our fundraising target underscores the demand for such an approach. This achievement highlights our commitment to fostering biotech innovation, supporting visionary entrepreneurs, and shaping the future of healthcare.”
As Sofinnova continues to support entrepreneurs and drive innovation, its position as a leader in European venture capital will strengthen further. With several promising companies already established, Sofinnova Partners is set to launch more innovative startups, continuing to shape biotechnology’s future.
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