Forbion raises $2.6B across two venture funds, its largest ever

· Health · Netherlands · United States

Dutch life sciences investor Forbion has raised €2.3 billion ($2.6 billion) across two venture funds, its largest fundraising to date. The firm plans to use the capital to back about 30 companies. The fundraise is a lift for a European biotech industry that has fallen further behind its counterparts in the US and China, and it drew backing from Eli Lilly, among others. BioPharma Dive described it as the firm's largest raise. The size of the haul indicates that institutional investors remain willing to commit large sums to specialist life sciences venture managers even as the broader venture market has been selective, and it gives European company creators a sizable new source of early- and mid-stage capital.

Why it matters：A large European life sciences fundraise matters because capital availability shapes which biotechs get built and where, at a time when Europe is trying to close its gap with the US and China.

Key points

  • Forbion raised €2.3 billion ($2.6 billion) across two funds.
  • The capital will be used to back about 30 companies.
  • Eli Lilly is among the investors backing the funds.

Sources (original reporting)

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