Index Ventures announces today that it has raised a €150 million fund dedicated to the life sciences sector. The fund was raised from several of Index’s previous partners, but the fund included large investments from GlaxoSmithKline and the venture capital affiliate of the Janssen pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson.
Index’s “asset centric” model focuses on investment in companies with just one or two projects, rather than companies with multiple programs. The fund will consider opportunities across Europe, primarily, but also across the USA, with assets that have first-in-class or best-in-class mechanisms of action and target areas of unmet medical need.
Index still has control of investment decisions, but as a scientific advisory board each company has appointed a few personnel. From GSK, Dr. Moncef Slaoui and Dr Paul-Peter Tak, Head of GSK’s Immunoinflammation Therapy Area Unit and, from Janssen, Dr. Paul Stoffels and Dr. Bill Hait, Global Head, Research and Development.
Index Ventures’ Partner, Francesco De Rubertis said: “We are delighted by the decision of GlaxoSmithKline and Janssen to participate in this fund. The fact that these two global pharmaceutical leaders are committing substantial resources to seek early-stage opportunities through a pure-play classic Venture Capital fund is a testament to the visionary leadership behind the companies”.
The current active funds under management for life sciences investments are Index II, IV, V and Growth Fund I. The new life sciences fund launched today is called Index Life VI.
