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Life sciences focused fund has executed three investments to date

STRASSEN, Luxembourg, June 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vesalius Biocapital III ('Vesalius'), the specialist life sciences venture capital investor, announces the final close of the VBC III fund securing EUR 120 million of equity commitments. This includes commitments of EUR 30 million from the European Investment Fund (EIF) and new and existing investors from Europe, the Americas and MENA. The fund is a validation of Vesalius' proven approach to invest in later-stage European life sciences companies, providing capital to support their development. Vesalius Biocapital III has executed three investments to date.

Dr Christian Schneider, Managing Partner at Vesalius Biocapital III, said: "We are delighted to announce the final close of Vesalius Biocapital III, the largest fund raised so far under the Vesalius brand. We would like to thank our existing and new investors; the quality of this investor base underscores the strength and proven track-record of our investment strategy and depth of our portfolio. We are also very pleased to have received the strong endorsement from the EIF. Our goal has been to support innovative start-up and scale-up companies across Europe which is aligned with the EIF objectives of supporting innovation, R&D, entrepreneurship, growth and employment."

Stéphane Verdood, Managing Partner at Vesalius Biocapital III, added: "For the past 12 years, we have had the honor of being chosen as a partner for growth by entrepreneurs who have had a transformative effect on European healthcare. This new fund enables us to continue our work supporting the best companies. We are very excited about the levels of innovation we are seeing and have already made investments in promising companies. We look forward to continuing our efforts to promote pioneering science and entrepreneurs across life sciences - drug development, medtech, diagnostics and digital health - to create successful companies by backing them for the long-term."

Vesalius Biocapital III targets later-stage European life science companies in drug development, medtech, diagnostics and digital health with the goal of investing in 10-15 companies over the lifetime of the fund. The fund has executed three investments to date. These include investments in Forendo, a clinical stage drug development company focusing on novel treatments in women's health; Mecuris, a Munich-based medtech developing an easy-to-use online platform for customizable and 3D-printed orthotics and prosthetics; and SWORD Health, a tech-enabled provider of physical therapy, pairing its AI-powered digital therapists with human clinical teams to recover patients faster and better.

About Vesalius Biocapital

Vesalius Biocapital III is a specialist life sciences venture capital fund and is in line with predecessor funds Vesalius Biocapital I and Vesalius Biocapital II, which have supported life sciences companies since 2007. Vesalius Biocapital I and II raised over EUR 150 million and contributed in the development of over 20 companies.

The investment portfolio is well balanced between drug development, medical device & diagnostics and digital health investments and committed to providing capital to science-backed innovation and ambitious entrepreneurs, with a strong focus on exit within five years.

The specialist team consists of seasoned life science professionals with healthcare industry, corporate finance and strategy consulting experience, supporting companies through their growth cycle. The team is based in Europe and explores investment opportunities and valuation potential for the portfolio.

Vesalius Biocapital III, launched in April 2017, announced a final close with EUR 120 million in commitments. The fund targets later-stage European life science companies in drug development, medtech, diagnostics and digital health. For more information please visit: https://www.vesaliusbiocapital-3.com