Versalius Biocapital Closes $137 Million European Life Science Fund

Vesalius Biocapital III ('Vesalius'), a specialist life sciences venture capital investor, announced on 6/25/19 the final close of the VBC III fund securing EUR 120 million of equity commitments. This includes commitments of EUR 30 million from the European Investment Fund (EIF) and new and existing investors from Europe, the Americas and MENA. The fund is a validation of Vesalius' proven approach to invest in later-stage European life sciences companies, providing capital to support their development. Vesalius Biocapital III has executed three investments to date.

Dr. Christian Schneider, Managing Partner at Vesalius Biocapital III, said: "We are delighted to announce the final close of Vesalius Biocapital III, the largest fund raised so far under the Vesalius brand. We would like to thank our existing and new investors; the quality of this investor base underscores the strength and proven track-record of our investment strategy and depth of our portfolio. We are also very pleased to have received the strong endorsement from the EIF. Our goal has been to support innovative start-up and scale-up companies across Europe which is aligned with the EIF objectives of supporting innovation, R&D, entrepreneurship, growth and employment."

Vesalius Biocapital III targets later-stage European life science companies in drug development, medtech, diagnostics and digital health with the goal of investing in 10-15 companies over the lifetime of the fund. The fund has executed three investments to date. These include investments in Forendo, a clinical stage drug development company focusing on novel treatments in women's health; Mecuris, a Munich-based medtech developing an easy-to-use online platform for customizable and 3D-printed orthotics and prosthetics; and SWORD Health, a tech-enabled provider of physical therapy, pairing its AI-powered digital therapists with human clinical teams to recover patients faster and better.