Next Phase Newsletter

The venture arm of a New Jersey-based merchant bank looks at life science companies that have or are close to acquiring FDA approval, and are now seeking commercial capital. The firm typically leads and co-invests, and will look at early stage companies if the management team is well versed in the specific life science space. The firm typically invests between $5 million and $10 million, and opportunistically invests based on transaction. The firm typically makes 2-3 deals per year, and has invested over $40 million in the past year. The firm currently holds over $60 million in capital. The firm focuses on the east coast of USA, specifically from Boston to Florida, but is also open to Eastern Canada, including Toronto and Montreal.

The firm makes 60% of their activity in medtech devices, including those in healthcare IT and diagnostics. Around 20% of the firm’s activity involves biotech pharmaceuticals and therapeutics. The firm is interested in PMA and 510K medical devices, as well as software-enabled devices and lab equipment and drug development enabling technologies. The firm is open to all diagnostic subsectors—genomics, imaging, and in-vitro—as well as all therapeutic subsectors, though are focused on small molecules. The firm is interested in Phase III to on the market therapeutics, and is interested in medical devices in the development stage that have passed the preliminary design phase with a prototype. The firm has historically invested in assays in cancer diagnostics, as well as devices in the cardiovascular space. The firm is now focusing on opportunities in the pain and neuromodulation space, as well as orthopedics, cancer, and pediatric neurology.

The firm prefers a strong management team that has significant foothold in the space, and has great potential to make good partners. The firm will help fill the management team if necessary, and typically takes a board seat after an investment.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com

A corporate venture capital fund of a large pharmaceutical company is currently investing from its second fund of $100M. The firm invests in early-stage biotechnology companies focusing on discovering and developing human therapeutics primarily in the areas of the current therapeutic interest to its parent company. The firm typically invests (equity) $3-$4M per round with $10M reserved for follow-on investments. The firm seeks companies that are based in the US and Europe. The firm seeks to make about 2-3 allocations in the next 6-9 months.

The firm seeks early-stage companies developing human therapeutics. The firm is seeking companies with products in pre-clinical to phase II. The firm’s therapeutic areas of focus are: Cardiovascular (Acute Coronary Syndromes, Dyslipidemia, Heart Failure); Hematology (Anemia, Neutropenia, Stem Cell Mobilization); Inflammation (Asthma, Bowel Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Osteoarthritis, Psoriasis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus); Metabolic Disorders (Diabetes, Osteoporosis); Nephrology (Hyperparathyroidism, Renal Failure); Neuroscience (Alzheimer’s Disease, Cognition, Pain-Neuropathic & Inflammatory, Parkinson’s Disease, Schizophrenia); and Oncology. The firm is also interested in drug delivery therapeutics and Healthcare IT.

The firm seeks a company with a strong and experienced management team or technical experts in the relevant technology.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com

A venture capital founded in and based in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Suzhou, China has invested in nearly 50 healthcare companies in China and the U.S. across all sectors of life sciences from pharmaceuticals and medical devices to healthcare IT and diagnostics. The firm typically leads investments, though is also open to co-investing. The firm typically makes equity investments ranging from $1-$35 million, and currently has $1.7 billion in total assets under management, with their latest fund raised in 2014 at $500 million. The firm seeks to make 20-30 new investments within the next year, with a geographical focus in China. The firm is open to opportunities in the US, as the firm recently closed deals in Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

The firm is open to all sectors and subsectors in the life science space – biotech therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, and healthcare IT. The firm mostly invests in 510K devices due to its faster turnaround, but will also invest in devices in the PMA pathway depending on its stage. In therapeutics, the firm is interested in all subsectors including small molecule, biologics, cell therapy, and biosimilars. The firm invests in therapeutics that are past the pre-clinical stage at Phase I to on the market, as well as medical devices that are either at the clinical stage or on the market. The firm is also interested in lab equipment and drug development enabling technologies, and is open to all indications.

The firm prefers a company with a strong management team with experience in the space. The firm will help the company fill spaces in the team if necessary, and will typically take a board seat after an investment.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com

A VC fund based in the United States The firm invests in advanced materials technologies across several sectors, including life sciences. The firm is generally a lead investor, and commits up to $8 million per opportunity; investments may be tranched, with an initial commitment of $2-3 million. The firm is open to opportunities globally and has a partner based in Japan, but the firm primarily invests in North America.

The firm is interested in life science companies developing advanced material technologies. In the medtech sector, the firm is oriented toward diagnostic and delivery technologies (including both in vivo and ex vivo delivery); the firm is also interested in advanced materials technologies used in biotech R&D. Areas of interest include biomaterials, drug discovery tools, purification and separation techniques, electrochemistry, nanotechnology, microfluidics, and optics. In diagnostics, the firm is interested in new diagnostic applications of materials science including in sample collection, rapid tests, and biosensors used for real time monitoring; microbiomic diagnostics are also of interest. In addition to the aforementioned areas, the firm is interested in ‘blue sky’ applications of materials science in the life sciences.

The firm does not invest in products that are regulated as therapeutics; in the device space the firm is open to investing in 510k devices, but not PMA devices. However, the firm prefers to invest in technologies that do not require FDA approval. The firm invests in companies that have strong proof of concept data supporting their advanced materials. The firm is open to investing in companies that do not yet have products on the market.

The firm favors companies with partner-based business models, eg. companies developing an enabling technology that a larger partner will deploy to develop a new product. The firm has deep expertise in manufacturing; additionally, LPs include large pharma and medical device manufacturing companies, and the firm helps portfolio companies develop relationships with these strategics.If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com

The venture capital arm of a Taiwanese financial conglomerate with about NT$ 2 trillion (USD 31 billion) AUM is looking to invest in the biotechnology, and medical/healthcare and IT sectors. Typical equity allocations range from US$1-3 million and can be up to US$5 million. Historically the firm mainly invested in early-late stage companies in Taiwan, however currently the firm is actively seeking new investment opportunities from North America and Europe.

Within healthcare, the firm is interested in all sectors of medical technology, including both consumer and non-consumer products. The firm is agnostic to indications. The firm is less interested in therapeutics, but it would consider drug reformulation. The firm looks for products that are ready for commercialization or at the commercial stage and seeking growth/expansion capital.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com

An investment and advisory firm with representatives in California, Boston, and London is managing a $100 million fund focused on regenerative medicine. The firm is looking to build a portfolio of 10-12 early stage regenerative medicine companies, investing up to $10 million per deal with an initial investment of $1-3 million. The firm prefers to lead investments, though is willing to co-invest. A government agency will provide due diligence and commercialization support to the fund’s portfolio companies. The firm invests globally in regenerative medicine.

The fund focuses exclusively on regenerative medicine, including stem cells, cell therapies, immunotherapies, and tissue engineering. The firm is interested in therapeutics, and is actively looking at several immunotherapies, such as those involving T-cells, dendritic cells, and/or checkpoint inhibitors. The firm is open to any indication in the therapeutic space, as long as the underlying regenerative medicine technology is robust, and has demonstrated efficacy that is not incremental, but rather a dramatic change in the way the disease is currently treated. The firm invests in early projects, primarily from the pre-clinical stage through Phase II.

The firm is looking for compelling regenerative medicine technologies, and is prepared to build or augment the management team and/or board of a company, if necessary.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com

A China-based venture capital founded in 2006 has invested in nearly 50 healthcare companies in China and the U.S. across all sectors of life sciences from pharmaceuticals and medical devices to healthcare IT and diagnostics. The firm typically leads investments, though is also open to co-investing. The firm typically makes equity investments ranging from $1-$35 million, and currently has $1.7 billion in total assets under management, with their latest fund raised in 2014 at $500 million. The firm seeks to make 20-30 new investments within the next year in China and the USA.

The firm is open to all sectors and subsectors in the life science space – biotech therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, and healthcare IT. The firm mostly invests in 510K devices due to its faster turnaround, but will also invest in devices in the PMA pathway depending on its stage. In therapeutics, the firm is interested in all subsectors including small molecule, biologics, cell therapy, and biosimilars. The fund invests in therapeutics that are past the pre-clinical stage at Phase I to on the market, as well as medical devices that are either at the clinical stage or on the market. The firm is also interested in lab equipment and drug development enabling technologies, and is open to all indications.

The firm prefers a company with a strong management team with experience in the space. The firm will help the company fill spaces in the team if necessary, and will typically take a board seat after an investment.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com