Start-Ups & SMEs

Private Company Edition: NVCA and Pitchbook data show pharma and biotech companies raised $37.8bn in venture capital in 2021, up 41% from the record $26.8bn total in 2020. Recent mega-rounds include $190m for Maze and $200m for Alumis, and Sound Bioventures raised a €110m fund.

Eikon launched in 2021 with $148m in series A venture capital and former Merck R&D head Roger Perlmutter as its CEO, but even with half a billion dollars in fresh cash, the firm has not revealed its therapeutic focus.

Private Company Edition: Omega Funds closed its seventh venture capital fund, far exceeding its $500m goal. Also, Anaveon raised a CHF110m ($119.8m) series B round, Ambys brought its series A total to $107m with $47m in additional investment and Mythic launched with a $103m series B round.

Private Company Edition: Newpath Partners’ second fund totals $350m, Merck KGaA committed €600m to M Ventures, Eir Ventures raised €122.3m and Breakout Ventures has $112.5m. Recent financings were led by SOTIO ($317.5m), Odyssey ($218m), Avistone ($200m) and Acepodia ($109m).

The new capital will allow the VC arm to create and finance "a new and larger portfolio of innovative companies that align with the future strategies" of Merck's businesses.

Expertise in dendritic cells could help generate new targets in cancer and autoimmune disease immunotherapy.

Private Company Edition: Scrip spoke with DDF US partner Jonathan Behr about the convergence of emerging science, venture capital investment and rising big pharma interest in neurodegeneration. Also, in recent VC financings HotSpot raised $100m, while Curie and Ablaze debuted with $75m each. 

After investing more than €23m in Sanifit, the Spanish firm being acquired by Vifor Pharma, Caixa Capital's director of life sciences investments spoke to Scrip about the venture capital firm's long-term approach.

The London-based biotech is hoping to turn the dream of liver organ transplant without the need for lifelong immunosuppression into reality.

Private Company Edition: Recent VC financings across biopharma sectors include three major mega-rounds as Generate Biomedicines bringing in $370m, followed by $250m for Acelyrin and $125m for Chroma Medicine. Also, Treadwell raised a $91m series B and Ncardia brought in $60m-plus.

Private Company Edition: Arbor is developing drugs based on proprietary gene editors, Acrivon is applying proteomics to precision cancer therapies, and bit.bio is producing differentiated cell products. Also, Marengo launches with $80m, Sanofi invests up to $60m in Gyroscope and Shasqi raises $50m.

Private Company Edition: Flagship’s Pioneering Medicines initiative and the firm’s portfolio companies will deliver cystic fibrosis drug candidates. Also, recent venture capital financings include cloud technology firm Saama’s $430m round and Shoreline’s $140m in new funding.