Highlights from recent Life Science venture capital news.
North America
Secondary Venture Round
10.01.2012 – Cambridge, MA
Warp Drive Bio Launches With $125M from Third Rock, Greylock, Sanofi
Warp Drive is being launched with $125 million in funding from Third Rock and French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NYSE: SNY). Greylock Partners also participated in the financing. Warp Drive was co-founded by Greg Verdine, a Harvard University chemical biologist and venture partner at Third Rock, along with Harvard University genomics expert George Church, and biolochemist James Wells of the University of California at San Francisco.
http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2012/01/10/…
09.01.2012 – San Jose, CA
Aria Diagnostics Raises $52.7M Series C
Aria Diagnostics (formerly Tandem Diagnostics), a molecular diagnostics company, today announced that it has secured more than $50 million in oversubscribed Series C funding. New investors include Meritech Capital Partners and a prominent mutual fund group. They join existing investors Venrock and Domain Associates. The company is developing a directed approach to cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis in maternal blood to create a safe, highly accurate and affordable test for pregnant women. Aria will use the funds to support product development and prepare commercialization of its proprietary prenatal test to detect common fetal trisomies such as Trisomy 21, which is associated with Down syndrome.
http://www.ariadx.com/news/aria-corporate-press-release-1912.pdf
09.01.2012 – Redwood City, CA
Avinger Raises $22.5 Million in Series C Financing
Avinger, Inc., a Redwood City, CA-based medical device manufacturer of innovative, multi-functional catheters for treating patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), closed a $22.5m Series C funding round. All existing major investors participated in the round. New investors contributed approximately $6m.
http://www.vcaonline.com/news/news.asp?ID=2012010901
Europe
First Venture Round
09.01.2012 – Bergen, Norway
BerGenBio completes $9 million Series A financing for first in class oncology therapeutics
BerGenBio AS, an emerging oncology biopharma company, today announced it has completed an $8.8 million Series A financing round. The financing will be used primarily to take lead compound BGB324 into clinical trials and to develop a companion diagnostic. Lead investors are Sarsia Seed AS and Investinor AS.
http://www.bergenbio.com/news_events/view/pr_1326118002
Secondary Venture Round
09.01.2012 – Oxfordshire, UK
Glysure Secures £7M Series C Round
GlySure, which develops in-hospital continuous blood glucose monitoring systems, has closed its $10.9 million Series C financing round. The company plans to use the funding to complete clinical trials in support of regulatory approvals in the U.S. and Europe. Morningside Venture, Amadeus Capital Partners, Chester Investments and Delta Partners all participated in the round.
http://www.glysure.com/sitefiles/upload_docs/PR-GlySureFundingC.PDF
This Week In Venture Capital is brought to you by VM Index from Venture Market Intelligence – Venture Capital made easier
VM Index is an online Life Science, Med Tech & Biotech venture capital funding tool with expert data that enables companies to raise more money, faster and at a better valuation than they could otherwise.
