Biotech VC FORTY51 announces first close of Fund I

FORTY51’s core strategy focuses on company formation and early stage investments in Biotech with geographic emphasis on Switzerland, France and Germany. FORTY51 Ventures will lead or co-lead early rounds (Seed and Series A) of its growing portfolio which will include both academic and Pharma spin-outs.

The fund is advised by a complementary founding team of three industry veterans, Sara Núñez-García, Sascha Oliver Bucher and Tamás Schweighoffer, who bring a deep network and decades of drug development, transactions and venture expertise. In addition, Peter van Vlasselaer, Bill Symonds, Jonathan Knowles, Hans Schikan and Darren Ji will support FORTY51 Ventures as Industry advisors who will lend deep expertise to the growing family of entrepreneurs. Alan S. Roemer will advise the fund as Strategic Partner in the US.

Erik Serrano-Berntsen, Founder and CEO of Stable Asset Management mentioned “FORTY51 Ventures brings true company building to Europe’s exciting Biotech scene and leverages a unique arbitrage opportunity with their reach into the US. I have not come across a truly differentiating investment strategy in Biotech coupled with such a highly complementary skillset among the founding Partners - Sara's scientific and investment expertise, Tamas’s experience in bringing early programs into the clinic, and Sascha's ability in building and transacting businesses - we are extremely proud to help bring FORTY51 Ventures to its first close”.

Strong investor syndicate
FORTY51 Ventures is anchored by a strong institutional investor syndicate with Stable Asset Management, as well as the Fischli Family. Seasoned Biotech entrepreneurs and private individuals also participated in the first close of the fund. Walter Fischli, Biotech entrepreneur and investor commented “From personal experience, I know the great yet largely untapped, investment opportunity that exists in Biotech in Switzerland and its neighboring countries. It requires a very experienced team with the ability to focus on early stage companies being able to provide a clear development path for the assets – given the great prospects of FORTY51, I am  very excited to become one of the anchor investors in their first fund ”.

Last week Mosanna Therapeutics had announced the first investment of FORTY51. Mosanna is a newly created company that pursues the development of a small molecule developed by Sanofi S.A. (Paris, France) to address patients’ needs suffering from metabolic obstructive sleep apnea.

(Press relase / SK)