Claris I Biotech starts, with European funds to support biofarma early stage in Italy

 

Claris Ventures SGR announces the final closing of “Claris Biotech I” fund and “Claris Biotech I – Parallel Fund” for a total amount of € 85M. The capital raised will be mainly invested in new biotech companies based in Italy developing drugs to treat diseases with high clinical need.

The final closing has been subscribed by the European Investment Fund (EIF), with an investment of € 40M, supported by the European Commission’s “InnovFin Equity” programme, as well as the European Guarantee Fund (EGF). A further subscription of € 10M comes from CDP Venture Capital on behalf of the Fondo di Co-investimento MiSE, which follows previous subscriptions by CDP Venture Capital on behalf of FOF VenturItaly, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Inarcassa, Ersel and other private individuals and family offices.

Two investments already in the portfolio, one of which in the immuno-oncology field and one in the metabolic field. The investment rounds in the first two companies, for a total of € 24M, were led by Claris Ventures as lead investor and saw the participation of international investors and pharmaceutical companies.

Claris Ventures, founded by Pietro Puglisi and Ciro Spedaliere, thus confirms itself as the main Italian VC firm with focus on early-stage biotech, a sector of strategic importance for the country. Biotechnological research is now at the center of public attention given the ongoing pandemic crisis, which has made us understand how important it is to transform research into drugs and, therefore, into companies. In this context, venture capital plays a fundamental role in contributing to the development of new therapies, acting as a link between research, finance and the pharmaceutical industry.

“The trust placed in Claris Ventures by important national and international institutions allows us to contribute decisively to the development of the Italian biotech sector, creating a positive impact on patients and generating economic and social value at the same time.” – state Pietro Puglisi and Ciro Spedaliere.

“The importance of early-stage ventures in the biotech field can easily be overlooked, and we need to ensure that funding is available so that these life-changing technologies can achieve their full potential.” said EIF Director Alessandro Tappi. “This investment in Claris comes at a crucial time when we are looking up towards the end of the COVID-crisis, and companies need all the funding they can get to grow and thrive.”

“We enthusiastically renew our trust in Claris Ventures, which supports the creation and growth of new Italian biotech companies, now more than ever at the center of national and international interest – states Enrico Resmini, CEO and General Manager of CDP Venture Capital Sgr – “We believe that the transition from labs to market is crucial to support the value chain of Italian research of excellence.”

“Our Foundation recognizes the great value of translational research in life sciences, therefore it has made its patient capital available for Claris Biotech I, which represents a very important signal for the possibility to support high quality Italian research in this field.” – declares Francesco Profumo, President of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo – “Our commitment into Claris Biotech I fund highlights a vocation that our Foundation has matured in recent years and which is now becoming a strategic priority in all respects: to be an ecosystem developer, supporting entrepreneurship made in Turin and, at the same time, giving “oxygen” to sectors that have a strategic relevance for the Country.”

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Claris Ventures SGR SpA

Claris Ventures SGR SpA is an Italy based venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in biotech. Claris Ventures aims at identifying and supporting innovative programs in the pharmaceutical field, investing in new companies that develop potential drugs capable of revolutionizing the current treatment scenario in indications with limited therapeutic alternatives. The firm has € 85 million under management and already invested in two biotech companies.

 

European Investment Fund

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank Group. Its central mission is to support Europe’s micro, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) by helping them to access finance. EIF designs and develops venture and growth capital, guarantees and microfinance instruments which specifically target this market segment. In this role, EIF fosters EU objectives in support of innovation, research and development, entrepreneurship, growth, and employment.

The EIF investment is supported by InnovFin Equity, with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020). Through or alongside selected Venture Capital (VC), Business Angels (BA), Technology Transfer funds and funds-of-funds, the EU provides risk capital financing to enterprises, research organisations, universities in their proof-of-concept, pre-seed, seed, start-up and other early-stage phases allowing them to set up or reach their next stage of development.

The EIF participation is also backed under the European Guarantee Fund (EGF), which was set up by the EIB Group with contributions from Italy and other EU Member States to shield companies suffering from the COVID-19 crisis. Using nearly EUR 25 billion in guarantees, the EGF allows the EIB and the EIF to quickly make loans, guarantees, asset-backed securities, equity and other financial instruments available to mostly small and medium-sized enterprises. The EGF is part of the European Union’s recovery package aiming to provide a total of EUR 540 billion boost those parts of the EU economy that have been hit the worst.

 

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Intesa Sanpaolo and Futura Invest launch €250M Indaco Venture I Fund managed by Indaco Venture Partners SGR

Milan, 30 April 2018 – Today saw the creation of Indaco Venture Partners SGR, an asset management company that will manage the largest Italian venture capital fund, the Indaco Ventures I Fund, whose aim is to raise total funds exceeding €200M, of which the first €130M will be subscribed by 1st May 2018. 

The asset management company is run by a team of managers with a long history of success in Venture Capital (led by Davide Turco), Fondazione Cariplo and the Intesa Sanpaolo Group. The company aims to create the first Italian operator capable of competing at a European level.

Futura Invest (whose main shareholders are Fondazione Cariplo and Fondazione Enasarco) and Intesa Sanpaolo will hold 49% of the shares in Indaco Venture Partners SGR (24.5% each), while 51% of the Company will be owned by the five key-managers: Davide Turco (Chief Executive Officer - since 2008 Head of the Atlante Venture Fund of Intesa Sanpaolo), Elizabeth Robinson (Executive Vice-President, previously Investment Director at Quadrivio Capital SGR) and the Investment Directors Antonella Beltrame (previously Investment Director at IMI SpA SGR), Alvise Bonivento (previously Investment Director at IMI fondi chiusi SGR Atlante Ventures) and Valentina Bocca (previously Senior Investment Manager at Quadrivio Capital SGR).

The project rests firmly on the long-term experience of its managers, who have been involved in numerous successful exits on the Italian scene, such as the sales to large groups of Yogitech (acquired by Intel in April 2014) and Silicon Biosystems (acquired in september 2013 by the multinational pharmaceutical Menarini group), the IPOs of Directa Plus, Expert System, Digital Magics and H-Farm, as well as the positive exits of Igea, Mosaicoon (video content marketing platform) Timbuktu and Compass.

Indaco SGR will handle the Indaco Ventures I Fund which has already raised €130M from Intesa Sanpaolo, Fondo Italiano d'Investimento and Fondazione Cariplo. 

By the end of this year the Indaco Ventures I Fund aims to raise total funds exceeding €200M (up to a maximum of €250M) from Italian institutional investors and European institutions interested in the expected returns from this asset class and from its top quality management team and also in the opportunity to finance the real economy and the growth and development of innovative companies in Italy.

The Fund will invest in 20-30, mainly late-stage startup companies, operating in the following key areas: digital technology, electronics and robotics, medtech and new materials.

The Indaco I Fund has already identified two promising investments - one in the medical field and one in electronics - and has a pipeline of innovative startups that could successfully tackle the European and global market if provided with adequate capital and managerial support. The investments will focus on companies whose competitive advantages stem from cutting-edge proprietary technologies or innovations that can lead to an effective digital transformation, with Italian teams and “Made in Italy” technologies - or at the least, “Developed in Italy” - with a view to facilitating the creation of qualified jobs and, consequently, the sustainable, resilient and innovative development of our country. 

Given the extent of the funds to be raised, the Fund will have the chance to invest significant sums in the most promising companies in the portfolio, supporting them in their growth in the global markets. A limited allocation is also provided for investments in early-stage startups, but only if the prospects are based on replicable and scalable business models and that can grow globally, based on solid competitive advantages. 

In line with international best practices, the managers will hold the majority of seats on the Board of Directors of Indaco SGR, whereas two directors will be appointed by Intesa Sanpaolo and two independent directors (including the Chairman) will be chosen by Futura Invest. 

The BoD will be chaired by Salvatore Bragantini, an economist and former Consob commissioner. A key role in the process and investment decisions will be played by the management team which will be supported by leading technological advisers (so-called “technology champions”) and will benefit from analysis, reporting and advisory services from Cariplo Factory, which uses the information flows and skills from the growITup platform promoted by Cariplo Factory together with Microsoft.

“We are very grateful to the investors who have believed in this project. We are convinced that Indaco Ventures will be able to help with catching up on the delay in Venture Capital in Italy, finally providing new companies, which have the greatest potential and ambitions, with the financial resources needed to make a significant leap ahead in terms of size and thus compete on equal, or nearly equal, terms with their competitors operating in contexts involving considerably larger resources for innovation,” said Davide Turco, CEO of Indaco Venture Partners SGR.

“On 1 May two years ago, we announced the birth of Cariplo Factory, the first operating company of the Cariplo Foundation dedicated to the creation of employment opportunities for young people and growth in youth entrepreneurship. Cariplo Factory today is an important operator that has already created more than 6,700 employment opportunities out of the target of 10,000 that we set ourselves to achieve in three years, by placing young people in an ecosystem dedicated to innovation. An important element that was still missing has been created today with the establishment of the Indaco Fund. Venture Capital in our country is still way behind international standards. Through this fund we aim to provide those companies which show significant opportunities for growth with a vehicle that can strengthen their international competitiveness, and thus help new companies. Startups in Italy can be an important resource; we need tools and resources to strengthen them and contribute towards their growth,” said Giuseppe Guzzetti, Chairman of Fondazione Cariplo.

“As indicated in the 2018–2021 Business Plan we expect to significantly boost our commitment towards Corporate Social Responsibility: we aim to become the first Impact Bank in the world, we also intend to further support the Circular Economy and we will provide support for youth entrepreneurship and new business ideas. The project we are presenting today together with Fondo Italiano d'Investimento and Fondazione Cariplo, with whom we have long shared aims and projects within this field, intends to enhance our commitment towards entrepreneurship whose primary features include Italian expertise and technology. We believe that safeguarding this sector is a strategic necessity: there is a significant increase in operations on a year-to-year basis and, similarly, strong growth in the interest shown in our market by major international players. In short, this commitment aims to stimulate competitiveness, boost new investment and confirm, once again, our support for business development,” said Carlo Messina – CEO and Managing Director of Intesa Sanpaolo.

 “The investment made in Indaco Ventures represents a continuation of the support given to the Italian venture capital market by Fondo Italiano d'Investimento, currently operating in this specific segment with a direct investment fund and with two funds of funds, plus a third in the process of being launched. In this case, we are especially pleased to contribute towards this important initiative, whose objectives are to support the development and competitiveness of the Italian system of young high-tech companies. The idea has been developed in partnership with two highly prestigious institutions, namely the Fondazione Cariplo and Intesa Sanpaolo,” said Carlo Mammola, CEO of Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR.

“Our country has enormous potential that we need to exploit by promoting innovation within the fabric of the Italian economy: with this in mind, it is essential to support new business ideas so as to contribute towards the enrichment of our ecosystem. This matter, in our view, is of strategic importance and we have been giving impetus to it, on a global scale, with the Microsoft for Startups program that provides high-potential companies with support through an overall investment of 500 million dollars in technology and mentorship, and also on a local scale with growITup, the project we have been working on together for years with the Fondazione Cariplo to create a concrete and effective bridge between key Italian Industries and the most promising startups. The announcement today of the birth of the Indaco Ventures I Fund is a further step forward in promoting innovation in Italy and we are sure that it will contribute towards speeding up the impact of growITup in our country,” commented Silvia Candiani, Managing Director of Microsoft Italia.

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Sofinnova Partners leads EryDel’s €26.5 million financing

Milan, Italy, April 24th, 2018 – EryDel, an Italian biotechnology company, specializing in the administration of drugs carried by the patient's red blood cells and developing an innovative red-blood-cell-based drug delivery device for the treatment of rare neurodegenerative diseases, announced yesterday a €26.5M financing round led by Sofinnova Partners with the participation of current shareholders Genextra spa and Innogest SGR. In conjunction with the financing, Sofinnova Partners' Managing Partner Graziano Seghezzi, has joined EryDel's Board of Directors.

The company is led by founder and CEO Luca Benatti, a serial entrepreuer who previously co-founded Newron Pharmaceuticals. Based in Milan, Erydel has developed an innovative drug delivery device based on red blood cells for the treatment of rare neurodegenerative diseases. The proprietary technology is based on the encapsulation of drugs in red blood cells taken from the patient's blood, which are then re-injected into the subject. The lead product, EryDex, has received Orphan Drug designation both from the FDA and the EMA for the treatment of Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT), a rare autosomal recessive disorder for which there is currently no established therapy.

EryDel will use the funds to accelerate its international development and complete the ATTEST, a single pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of its lead product EryDex for treatment of rare neurological symptoms of Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT), a rare autosomal recessive disorder for which no established theraby is currently available. ATTEST is currently being enrolled in Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States.

In January 2016 EryDel raised €6M from the European Horizon 2020 research program, while in May 2015 it announced the €29.5M increase in the Series B investment round started in 2013, when it announced the achievement of €15M (see here the press release). In the 2013 round he was led by Genextra, who had invested for the first time alongside the first hour investors, that is Innogest sgr and Focus Gestioni sgr (see here the press release). Innogest SGR, with the fund Innogest Capital, and Focus Gestioni SGR (which was headed by Banca Marche), with the fund Focus Impresa, had invested for the first time in EryDel in 2008.

Erydel develops an innovative red-blood-cell-based drug delivery device for the treatment of rare neurodegenerative diseases. Its proprietary technology relies upon the encapsulation of drugs into red cells taken from the patient’s own blood which are then re-infused into the patient. EryDel’s lead product, EryDex, has received Orphan Drug designation both from the FDA and the EMA for the treatment of Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT), a rare autosomal recessive disorder for which there is currently no established therapy. Next to AT, EryDel’s technology is being developed in a wide range of additional applications.
"AT is a devastating genetic neurological condition with no therapy available yet. EryDel’s technology is offering an opportunity to bringing to the market a valid option for patients suffering from the disease. We are delighted to have attracted, a world-class investor, to support key steps for regulatory approval of EryDex and to leverage potential of EryDel’s drug delivery platform”, said Luca Benatti, CEO of EryDel.

Graziano Seghezzi, Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners, adds: “We have known Luca Benatti, a serial entrepreneur who previously founded Newron Pharmaceuticals (NWRN), for almost two decades and followed EryDel’s development since the beginning. We believe the company is now poised for rapid growth and are happy to actively contribute to this exciting development”

About Ataxia Telangiectasia
Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT) is a rare genetic disease caused by biallelic mutations in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene, for which no established therapy is currently available. ATM encodes a PI3Kinase protein shown to play a pivotal role in response to DNA damage and cell cycle control. Homozygosity for ATM mutations result in a multi-systemic disorder, mainly involving the nervous and immune systems. The major clinical feature of AT is severe progressive neurodegeneration from early infancy. Specific features include progressive ataxia of the trunk and limbs, involuntary movements, oculomotor apraxia, difficulties with speech and swallowing, and delayed peripheral neuropathy. Other clinical features of patients with the classical phenotype include oculocutaneous telangiectasia, immunodeficiency with recurrent respiratory tract infections, radiosensitivity and an increased incidence of cancer. 

About EryDel
Based in Milan, Italy, EryDel SpA is a biotechnology company specialized in the development of drugs delivered through red blood cells (RBCs) by using a proprietary medical device technology. Its most advanced product, EryDex System (EDS) is under late stage development for the treatment of Ataxia Telangiectasia, a rare autosomal recessive disorder for which no established therapy is currently available.
EryDex has received Orphan Drug designation for the treatment of AT both from the FDA and the EMA. A completed pilot Phase II trial in AT patients demonstrated statistically significant efficacy of EDS on both the primary and secondary efficacy measures. An international multi-center, Phase III pivotal study, ATTeST, is being conducted. EryDel has a pipeline of preclinical programs that use its proprietary RBC’s delivery technology for the treatment of other rare diseases. 

About Sofinnova Partners

Sofinnova Partners is a leading European venture capital firm specialized in Life Sciences. Based in Paris, France, the firm brings together a team of professionals from all over Europe, the US and China. The firm focuses on paradigm shifting technologies alongside visionary entrepreneurs. Sofinnova Partners seeks to invest as a lead or cornerstone investor in seed, start-ups, corporate spin-offs and late stage companies. It has backed nearly 500 companies over more than 45 years, creating market leaders around the globe. Today, Sofinnova Partners has over €1.9 billion under management. For more information: www.sofinnova.fr

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Mapadore raises €1M in venture funding from Nuvolab and business angels

Mapadore, a Milan, Italy and London-based startup that, thanks to artificial intelligence algorithms, increases the effectiveness and efficiency of the sales process, has announced an investment round of €1M, of which €500k in capital increase and the remaining €500k in form of debt financings.

The financing round, which saw the participation of various business angels, was led by the Nuvolab accelerator in Milan, the startup accelerator founded by Francesco Inguscio and in which the startup was accelerated by Fabrizio Bosio and Francesco Inguscio itself in 2016. Headquartered in Milan and London, Mapadore offers a SaaS (software as a service) solution designed for all commercial agents and operators who perform their professional activities on the move and this investment will help the team in expanding into the international market and implementing new platform functionalities. The startup was recently mentioned by Gartner, a global leader in  strategic consulting, research and analysis in the It area, among the "Cool Vendors in CRM Sales 2018", within its report that mentions the three best applications worldwide that use artificial intelligence to increase sales.

Social matching is one of the key features of the future development of the platform. This is a feature that allows you to identify the agent that, for interests and characteristics, best matches the customer on the basis of their social profiles. Search the agent who, for interests and characteristics, best matches the prospect client on to their respective social profiles. This feature generated an increase of up to 27% in the conversion rate of their business appointments.

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Hg Capital invests UK£7.1M in DADA S.p.A.

HgCapital today announces its investment in DADA S.p.A (DADA), a leading provider of online hosting services to SMEs in Italy, the UK and other regions across Europe.

Founded in 1995, DADA is headquartered in Florence and has around 650,000 business and consumer customers across Europe. DADA’s digital services enable SMEs to administer their online presence: creating, managing and hosting domains and websites.

As well as operating in Italy under the Register.it brand, DADA also operates in the UK, Ireland, Spain, France, Portugal and the Netherlands under the Namesco, Register365, Nominalia and Amen brands, respectively.

The process follows an initial investment for a majority stake of 69.432% in DADA, made by Hg’s technology team in October 2017 and acquired from a subsidiary of Orascom TMT Investments.
HgCapital has now successfully completed a tender offer on the remaining ordinary shares and will complete a public-to-private transaction of DADA from the Italian Stock Exchange. HgCapital is one of the leading investors in the tech sector in Europe, with over 25 years’ experience in the sector and 37 investments made in technology companies, bringing together a unique collection of networks and insight to create value and support business success.

Nick Jordan, Partner at HgCapital said: “DADA is a leading business in this hosting sector which we have admired for a number of years. We are excited about the opportunity to work with the DADA management team and its employees to continue to develop their business in Italy and across Europe organically and through acquisitions. HgCapital have extensive experience of investing in SME-focused technology businesses and we are well placed to partner with DADA for the next phase of their growth.”

Enrico Grasso, Director at HgCapital said: “We are delighted to partner with DADA’s talented management team to continue to support Italian SMEs in their journey to become more digitally enabled and increase their online visibility. This is Hg’s third investment in Italy over the last two years, testament to our continued interest in the region and Italian businesses. Italy has an important fabric of small and medium enterprises that have unique skills, know-how, and an opportunity to grow internationally.”
HgCapital were advised by Linklaters, Banca IMI and Deloitte.

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Enterome Bioscience SA gains Principia SGR as New Venture Investor in €32M Series D Financing Round

 Milan, 4 January 2018. Principia SGR invests in Enterome Bioscience SA, a France, Paris-based cleanical-stage biotech company pioneering innovative therapies to treat microbiome-associated diseases with a focus on inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and immuno-oncology (IO) indications, announcing its participation in the €32M Series D financing round. 

Principia SGR took part as new venture investor alongside global biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb to the €32M Series D financing round together with all current investors - Seventure Partners, Health for Life Capital, LundbeckFonden Ventures, Omnes Capital, Nestlé Health Science.

The proceeds of the fundraising will be used primarily to progress two proof-of concept clinical trials of Enterome’s lead development programs, a Phase 2 study of the Company’s oral FimH blocker EB8018 for the treatment of Crohn’s disease, and a Phase 1b study of EO2315, a novel immuno-oncology candidate, in patients with aggressive brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme).

In addition, Enterome will pursue the development of the next generation of its proprietary metagenomics drug discovery platform, reinforcing its leadership in the discovery and development of new therapeutic leads and targets for microbiome-associated diseases and expanding the reach of its technology platforms.

In conjunction with its equity financing, Enterome has entered into an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for access to a €40M loan facility to further support the acceleration of its pipeline and technology development.

Enterome’s EB8018 is a novel, first-in-class oral small molecule that is gut-restricted and minimally absorbed into the bloodstream. It represents a non-biologic, non-steroidal, non-immunomodulatory approach for the treatment of Crohn’s Disease. EB8018 inhibits FimH-mediated adhesion of some pro-inflammatory bacteria invading the microbiome of Crohn’s patients, such as Adherent Invasive Escherichia coli and Klebsiella, to receptors in the gut wall, thereby reducing the production of inflammatory cytokines including TNF. EB8018 successfully completed a Phase 1 trial in 2017, demonstrating safety and minimal blood absorption.

In IO, EO2315 is the lead candidate originating from Enterome’s technology platform, which is being applied to discover novel bacterial antigens that display similarities with cancer antigens. Such bacterial antigens have been shown to trigger a robust immune response against host antigens specifically expressed in tumors in animal models, thus providing innovative solutions to making cancer cells the target of the adaptive immune system.

Enterome has already demonstrated that EO2315 generates a strong immune response against an undisclosed tumor target, resulting in potent tumor cell-killing ex vivo and controlled tumor growth in vivo when combined with a checkpoint inhibitor.

The method used by Enterome is based on mapping of total fecal bacterial gene content and functions, leading to the characterization of a personal metagenome (metagenotype®) potentially for each individual. Each metagenotype® is analyzed using proprietary algorithms (linking individual metagenotype® to associated phenotypes) allowing proper evaluation of personal risk of each subject to develop a wide variety of pathological conditions.

Enterome has built up a vertical R&D organization with in-depth expertise in clinical development: the Company has already prospectively enrolled more than 2000 patients in both the U.S. & EU, as well as having expertise in technological development (migration of large-scale sequencing towards commercial diagnostic platforms).

Pierre Belichard, Chief Executive Officer of Enterome, said: “We are very pleased to receive the funding and support from this group of current and new investors, who have recognized the potential, versatility, and uniqueness of our microbiome-derived drug discovery platform. The microbiome influences many areas of human disease through its effects on the immune system, and we believe that many new therapies will be discovered based on a greater understanding of its function. Enterome, which is at the forefront of this approach, is already developing two exciting programs based on this knowledge and this financing will allow us to progress these programs through the major inflection points of clinical proof of concept, and to expand our clinical work to additional inflammatory bowel diseases and oncology indications.”

Paolo Siviero, Head of Investments at Principia SGR, said: “We are very pleased to join a prestigious syndicate of venture and strategic investors – we strongly believe Enterome is geared to achieve the major clinical milestones that are ahead. We are convinced that the differentiated approach pioneered by Enterome in the field of immune diseases caused by defects of the gut microbiome, will lead to the successful development of a new therapeutic arsenal against immune-related disorders affecting millions of people around the world.”

“Enterome’s innovative research in the gut microbiome and its role in the immune system across cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases offers a tremendous opportunity to discover differentiated therapies to help patients,” said Paul Biondi, Senior Vice President, Head of Business Development at Bristol-Myers Squibb. “We are excited to support their continued progress in microbiome-derived drug discovery and development.”

“Enterome has been the first investment of our microbiome fund Health for Life Capital,” said Seventure Partners CEO Isabelle de Cremoux. “We are proud to see that our initial support is backed by a unique mix of strategic and finance investors to support Enterome’s pipeline at a very exciting point of its development.”

“Supporting innovation and businesses is a priority of the European Union’s bank. It is our responsibility to create the optimal conditions for financing research in biotech companies, which is essential for developing new treatments,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “The gut microbiome is becoming a key strategic area in both medical and pharmaceutical worlds, so the EIB is very pleased to support Enterome’s innovation and development projects in such a strategic field. This is an innovative financing operation that will have a strong impact on the health and daily life of Europe’s citizens.”

Enterome has already collaborated with some of the most important companies in the sector, including Johnson & Johnson, Innovation / Janssen Biotech, Takeda, ABBvie, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Nestle Health Science, some of which have directly participated in this round investment.

About Enterome

Enterome was established in 2012 in Paris (France) to develop the discoveries made by the INRA metagenomic platform, and is backed by leading venture capital investors (Seventure Partners, Lundbeckfonden Ventures, Health for Life Capital, Omnes Capital and Principia) and strategic investors (BMS, Nestlé Health Science, Shire & INRA Transfert).

and has already raised a €7.5M series A with three private equity funds (Seventure, Omnes Capital & Lundbeckfond Ventures) and two strategic investors (Danone & Shire).

Enterome develops science-based personalized medical tests and companion diagnostics based on profiling of the human gut microbiome with the goal to improve management of microbiome-related diseases, e.g., metabolic, gastrointestinal, and autoimmune. These chronic disorders depend on genetic susceptibility (polymorphisms of the human genome), but are also triggered by environmental factors where dysbiosis of the intestinal bacterial ecosystem (gut microbiome) is a major contributor.

• Series A - €5M Funding Round on Mar 23, 2012 with lead investors Seventure Partners and LundbeckFonden Ventures
• Series B - €10M Funding Round on May 5, 2014 with lead investor Seventure Partners , Omnes Capital and LundbeckFonden Ventures.
• Series C - €14.5M Funding Round on Apr 20, 2016 with lead investor Seventure Partners , Nestlé Health Science and LundbeckFonden Ventures.
• Series D - €42M Funding Round on Jan 4, 2018 with lead investor Seventure Partners. Other backers include LundbeckFonden Ventures, Omnes Capital, Nestlé Health Science and global biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb.
• Debt Financing €40M from European Investment Bank

About Principia SGR 

Principia SGR, founded in 2002, is one of the leading Italian venture capital operators.

The SGR currently manages 4 investment fund: Principia II, Principia III - Health, Principia IV - Alis and Principia V Utopia. The fund Principia III - Health, dedicated to Venture and Growth capital investments in the Healthcare sector, raised €206M million euros, and made 9 investments as of today deploying €80M. Principia IV - Alis is the fourth Fund of the SGR dedicated to the development of the excellence of Made in Italy, focused on fashion and design. The fund it is currently in fund raising. Principia Utopia is the most recent Fund launched by Principia with a target size of €70M million. The Fund has a very well-defined strategy: funding and supporting Life-Tech start ups for patents development in the first and second stage with management of the intellectual property. The focus will be on projects that develop molecules, curative devices and advanced diagnostics for prevention.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb 

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. 

About the European Investment Bank Group 

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the EU bank, and together with the European Investment Fund (EIF) forms the EIB Group. Thanks to its reliable expertise and the financial attractiveness of its AAA rating, the EIB Group has doubled the volume of its activities in France since 2012 (reaching EUR 9.3bn in 2016), not only supporting SMEs and innovation but also financing investment in strategic sectors such as climate action, energy, healthcare, education for young people and training facilities. 

About Health For Life Capital™ 

Seventure Partners launched Health for Life Capital™, the first venture capital fund focused mainly on investments in the microbiome, food and nutrition space. Europe is the primary focus of the fund, but it also invests in North America, Israel and Asia. The €160M fund attracted strategic investments from prestigious organizations including Danone, Novartis, Tereos, Tornier, Lesaffre and Bel, as well as financial institutions and entrepreneurs. Health for Life Capital™ is managed by Seventure's Life sciences team.

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Italian Angels for Growth and SICI - Fondo Toscana Innovazione exit WinMedical to AbMedica

Italian Angels for Growth (IAG), the leading Italian business angel network specialized in seed investing in technology startups, and SICI - Fondo Toscana Innovazione (SICI), have exited WinMedical, a company specialized in the development of wearable medical devices, to ab medica, Italy's leading company in the production and distribution of medical technologies, as well as reference point for robotics surgery - acquires WinMedical,  

ab medica was founded in 1984 by Aldo Cerruti, still president of the company. Since January 2015 Ab medica is part of an holding of companies oriented to innovation in medicine, together with Tlc (telecommunications and systems for telemedicine), Genomnia (genomics and bioinformatics), Medical Labs (production of advanced medical devices), Pacinotti (commercialization of medical devices), Telbios (remote assistance, telecardiology, home telemonitoring) and Rizzoli Orthopedic Workshops (prostheses, orthopedic equipment, aids and hospital equipment).

Win Medical was founded in 2009 as a spin off of the Sant'Anna School of Pisa and has operated in recent years from the site hosted at the Technological Pole of Navacchio. The shareholders IAG and SICI there were some members of Italian Angels for Growth, the leading Italian business angel network specialized in seed investing in technology startups, and Sici - Fondo Toscana Innovazione, have since 2011 helped finance the company's growth with an investment of €1M.

Thanks to the two shareholders who immediately believed in the company, WinMedical was able to develop the WinPack platform on the Italian market.

WinPack is the modular platform designed for continuous and real-time monitoring of the most important vital parameters. Thanks to the modularity and self-configurability that characterize it, WinPack allows to connect the various components in "plug & play" mode, monitoring 5-lead ECG, Respiratory Rate, 2-lead ECG, Heart Rate, Oxygen Saturation, Temperature, Posture and Non-invasive and continuous blood pressure.

The extreme versatility of this platform makes it adaptable to the needs of multiple departments, from general medicine to hematology, through radiotherapy, digestive and thoracic endoscopy, radiology, surgery, long-term care, pneumology, onco Pediatric hematology, up to the emergency room and geriatrics. Where low and medium intensity care is provided, WinPack proves to be extremely valuable for a more efficient reorganization of departments. As well as in hospitals, this tool allows doctors and nurses to monitor patients at home and on their own via PC, Laptop, Tablet and Smartphone.

"Consistent with the commitment that has always guided us in improving the quality of care and life of patients - says Aldo Cerruti, President of Ab Medica - welcoming in our group WinMedical is the answer to the desire to expand, improve and intensify the services of telemedicine, to ferry health towards the future of a 2.0 "medicine

Precisely in view of a redefinition of a Health Service that must evolve and change to respond to the needs of the person the company promotes and supports a new paradigm in medical care, an unprecedented course that finds in modular medical technology, wireless and wearable the key factor to address future challenges, including the contrast of clinical risk, better prevention of adverse events and consequently the reduction of costs for the health system, all to the benefit of a faster recovery and discharge of the patient.

Once the exit has been completed (the value of the transaction has not been disclosed), the medium-term objective for the company is now to become, within three years, the reference supplier in Europe in the field of medical devices to support clinical risk through the WinPack proprietary platform: WinMedical is experiencing this acquisition as a fundamental step that will guarantee it to face the challenges that global markets impose to medium-small Italian companies, A path is thus completed within the technological transfer system promoted by Regione Toscana, and WinMedical consolidates itself in the most great Italian Biomedical group confirming that processes of open-innovation, industrialization and commercialization of new technologies are also possible in Italy.

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