The UK’s life sciences sector has been boosted by a funding injection from the Development Bank of Japan.
It has invested in the third fund from 4BIO Capital, an international venture capital firm unlocking the treatments of the future by investing in advanced therapies and other emerging technologies.
The group is targeting $200-300 million for the final close of the fund, expected to be in 2024. This investment by the DBJ represents the bank’s first investment into a UK life sciences fund.
4BIO Ventures III is already deploying capital and is focused on forming and investing in private companies addressing the world’s most impactful disease areas by developing advanced therapies and other emerging technologies, including cell and gene therapy, RNA-based therapy, targeted therapies and the microbiome.
The group’s objective is to create and invest in, support, and grow early-stage companies developing treatments in areas of high unmet medical need, with the ultimate goal of ensuring access to these potentially curative therapies for all patients.
“At 4BIO Capital, we strongly believe that advanced therapies and other emerging technologies are the future of healthcare,” said Dmitry Kuzmin, managing partner at 4BIO Capital.
“Our journey through Ventures II brought significant validation to our early-stage creation and incubation strategy, as seen by the upsized and oversubscribed financings of Entact Bio, Code Bio, and Ray Therapeutics as well as the continued success of our existing portfolio.
“With the support of the Development Bank of Japan and its fantastic track record of successful investment strategy, we are excited to continue supporting and incubating the best science answering key technological and medical unmet needs with 4BIO Ventures III.”
Mami Matsunaga, vice president at Development Bank of Japan, said: “4BIO Capital are true experts in company creation and incubation of some of the most exciting science in BioTech.
“Its network and knowledge of the advanced therapies sector in the UK, Japan and globally makes them the perfect partner. By investing in 4BIO Ventures III, we look forward to collaborating and supporting the creation of potentially ground-breaking medical treatments for all patients.”