Index Ventures Launches New €150m Life Sciences Fund

Index Ventures today announced the launch of its first fund solely dedicated to making investments in the life sciences sector. This €150m fund includes investments from several of Index's largest existing limited partners and two companies, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the venture capital affiliate of the Janssen pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). 

With this investment in the fund, the two global pharmaceutical companies will share their expertise by participating in the scientific advisory board (SAB) of the fund. Index will maintain full decision making rights to the portfolio companies and the fund rules and procedures will follow previous Index Ventures funds. This unique pharma/venture partnership model is intended to stimulate promising, early-stage R&D innovation. 

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 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". 

Index Ventures is a leading global venture capital firm active in technology and biotechnology venture investing since 1996. The firm is dedicated to helping top entrepreneurial teams build their companies into market defining global leaders. The firm has offices in Geneva, London, Jersey and San Francisco and focuses on investments from seed through to growth stage companies.