Sofinnova
Encyclopedia
Sofinnova is the name shared by two formerly-related venture capital
firms, Sofinnova Ventures and Sofinnova Partners. Both firms trace their roots back to Sofinnova SA, an investment institution founded in Paris in 1972. The two firms have raised nearly $3B combined since inception, and share the similar investment strategies of investing in the life science and technology sectors. The two sister firms distinguish themselves on the basis of their target geographies, and have been fully independent since 1997.
Sofinnova Ventures and Sofinnova Partners have had historically some of the same Limited Partners, and have co-invested together in selected companies from their respective funds. Both firms work together in a collegial way to exchange information and due diligence in each other's respective geographies. The firms do not have an obligation to show each other deals or to co-invest
, but historically have co-invested together in ~10% of their collective investments.
. Sofinnova invested in Collagen Aesthetics
, Biogen
, Genentech
, Tandon, Tandem Computers
and Printonix, Tumbleweed, and Phone.com. Sofinnova Ventures funded several of these as start-up
s that developed into large international companies. More recently, Sofinnova Ventures has backed companies including: Kosan Biosciences
, Actelion, Intermune, Seattle Genetics, Cotherix, Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Prestwick, Preglem, Movetis, Intellikine and Amarin.
The San Francisco office of Sofinnova Ventures was often remembered for having an original 18 ft. mosasaurus in the office of one of the Managing Partners (Mike Powell). Sofinnova Ventures closed their San Francisco office in 2011, and combined their Bay Area offices into a single office on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park.
The following funds have been raised by Sofinnova Ventures. The earlier funds of the SVP series were predominantly information technology (IT), wherein the later funds were predominantly life science focused. SVP VIII has a life science focus only, with emphasis on Phase 2 and 3 drug development. SVP IV was Sofinnova's initial fund after the reorganization of Sofinnova (see below).
Source: Private Equity Intelligence and Sofinnova Ventures.
with approximately €1.2 billion of capital. The firm invests in early stage companies and corporate spin-offs, in information technology/cleantech and life science:
Sofinnova has financed more than 460 companies in Europe since inception 1972 of which more than 20% have successfully completed an initial public offering
and more than 20% have been acquired
by strategic buyers.
Sofinnova closed its fifth fund with €385M in 2005. That same year, in 2005, Sofinnova was named “Fund of the Year” by Private Equity International
and “VC Techno House of the Year 2005” by the European Venture Capital Journal (EVCJ) which described Sofinnova's fundraising as the “Fundraising of the Year 2005”. This fund has invested in a number of companies including Taptu
.
Source: Private Equity Intelligence
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
firms, Sofinnova Ventures and Sofinnova Partners. Both firms trace their roots back to Sofinnova SA, an investment institution founded in Paris in 1972. The two firms have raised nearly $3B combined since inception, and share the similar investment strategies of investing in the life science and technology sectors. The two sister firms distinguish themselves on the basis of their target geographies, and have been fully independent since 1997.
- Sofinnova Ventures has offices in Menlo Park, CA and San Diego, CA and focuses largely on US biotech investments, with ~20% allocation for Europe.
- Sofinnova Partners is based in Paris and focuses primarily on European biotech and cleantech investments, with a similar reciprocal allocation for the US.
Sofinnova Ventures and Sofinnova Partners have had historically some of the same Limited Partners, and have co-invested together in selected companies from their respective funds. Both firms work together in a collegial way to exchange information and due diligence in each other's respective geographies. The firms do not have an obligation to show each other deals or to co-invest
Equity co-investment
An equity co-investment is a minority investment, made directly into an operating company, alongside a financial sponsor or other private equity investor, in a leveraged buyout, recapitalization or growth capital transaction. In certain circumstances, venture capital firms may also seek...
, but historically have co-invested together in ~10% of their collective investments.
Sofinnova Ventures (USA)
Sofinnova Ventures is an independent venture capital firm based in Menlo Park with $1.4B capital under management.Investments
Sofinnova Ventures has been an active venture investor, investing in some well known venture investments of the periodPrivate equity in the 1980s
Private equity in the 1980s relates to one of the major periods in the history of private equity and venture capital. Within the broader private equity industry, two distinct sub-industries, leveraged buyouts and venture capital experienced growth along parallel although interrelated tracks.The...
. Sofinnova invested in Collagen Aesthetics
Allergan
Allergan, Inc., is a global specialty pharmaceutical company. Their product ranges include ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, dermatology products, and neurological products.-Profile:...
, Biogen
Biogen Idec
Biogen Idec, Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in drugs for neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders and cancer. The company was formed in 2003 by the merger of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Biogen Inc. and San Diego, California-based IDEC Pharmaceuticals...
, Genentech
Genentech
Genentech Inc., or Genetic Engineering Technology, Inc., is a biotechnology corporation, founded in 1976 by venture capitalist Robert A. Swanson and biochemist Dr. Herbert Boyer. Trailing the founding of Cetus by five years, it was an important step in the evolution of the biotechnology industry...
, Tandon, Tandem Computers
Tandem Computers
Tandem Computers, Inc. was the dominant manufacturer of fault-tolerant computer systems for ATM networks, banks, stock exchanges, telephone switching centers, and other similar commercial transaction processing applications requiring maximum uptime and zero data loss. The company was founded in...
and Printonix, Tumbleweed, and Phone.com. Sofinnova Ventures funded several of these as start-up
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
s that developed into large international companies. More recently, Sofinnova Ventures has backed companies including: Kosan Biosciences
Kosan Biosciences
Kosan Biosciences, Inc. , is a pharmaceutical company which deals with cancer therapeutics medications. The company is currently working on advancing two new classes of anticancer agents through clinical development: heat shock protein 90 inhibitors and epothilones.Their technology platform is...
, Actelion, Intermune, Seattle Genetics, Cotherix, Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Prestwick, Preglem, Movetis, Intellikine and Amarin.
The San Francisco office of Sofinnova Ventures was often remembered for having an original 18 ft. mosasaurus in the office of one of the Managing Partners (Mike Powell). Sofinnova Ventures closed their San Francisco office in 2011, and combined their Bay Area offices into a single office on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park.
The following funds have been raised by Sofinnova Ventures. The earlier funds of the SVP series were predominantly information technology (IT), wherein the later funds were predominantly life science focused. SVP VIII has a life science focus only, with emphasis on Phase 2 and 3 drug development. SVP IV was Sofinnova's initial fund after the reorganization of Sofinnova (see below).
- 1984 - $6M - Sofinnova Venture Partners I
- 1991 - $20M - Sofinnova Venture Partners II
- 1994 - $31M - Sofinnova Venture Partners III
- 1998 - $72M - Sofinnova Venture Partners IV
- 2000 - $210M - Sofinnova Venture Partners V
- 2003 - $250M - Sofinnova Venture Partners VI
- 2007 - $375M - Sofinnova Venture Partners VII
- 2011 - $440M - Sofinnova Venture Partners VIII
Source: Private Equity Intelligence and Sofinnova Ventures.
Sofinnova Partners (France)
Sofinnova Partners is an independent venture capital firm based in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with approximately €1.2 billion of capital. The firm invests in early stage companies and corporate spin-offs, in information technology/cleantech and life science:
Sofinnova has financed more than 460 companies in Europe since inception 1972 of which more than 20% have successfully completed an initial public offering
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
and more than 20% have been acquired
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling, dividing and combining of different companies and similar entities that can help an enterprise grow rapidly in its sector or location of origin, or a new field or...
by strategic buyers.
Investments
Following the separation of the two firms, Sofinnova Partners completed fundraising for its third private equity fund, Sofinnova Capital III with €121 million of capital. Among the investments in this fund are Innate, Maximiles and NovusPharma. Sofinnova's fourth fund which raised €330 million of capital made Sofinnova one of the largest venture firms in Europe at the time.Sofinnova closed its fifth fund with €385M in 2005. That same year, in 2005, Sofinnova was named “Fund of the Year” by Private Equity International
PEI Media
PEI was founded in London in November 2001 by a team of managers from the financial media group Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. The company was originally funded by a number of US-based investors. It is an independent media company....
and “VC Techno House of the Year 2005” by the European Venture Capital Journal (EVCJ) which described Sofinnova's fundraising as the “Fundraising of the Year 2005”. This fund has invested in a number of companies including Taptu
Taptu
Taptu is a social media and technology company that builds platforms, tools and applications that enable highly personalized creation, curation, recommendation, search, discovery, management, consumption and sharing of content across all personal screen-based devices, and most significantly on...
.
- 1989 - €38M - Sofinnova Capital I
- 1994 - €47M - Sofinnova Capital II
- 1998 - €121M - Sofinnova Capital III(first independent fund)
- 2001 - €330M - Sofinnova Capital IV
- 2005 - €385M - Sofinnova Capital V
- 2008 - €260M - Sofinnova Capital VI
Source: Private Equity Intelligence
The Founding of Sofinnova in the 1970s
- 1972 - Sofinnova was founded with the backing of several French financial institutions (most notably Crédit National) and was notable at the time for creating the first "American style" venture capital firm in France. Peter Brooke, the founder of TA AssociatesTA AssociatesTA Associates, founded in 1968, is one of the oldest private equity firms in the United States. The firm employs a hybrid strategy making growth capital investments in developing companies and acquiring mature companies through leveraged buyout and recapitalization transactions...
, was a board member of Sofinnova SA in its early years. Sofinnova SA quickly established a presence in the European market through the formation of Sofinnova Partners in Paris. Sofinnova SA owned this firm from 1972 until 1997.
- 1974 - Sofinnova became the first European venture company to enter the US market launching its US affiliate, Sofinnova, Inc (Sofinnova Ventures). Sofinnova co-founder, Jean Deleage, who would later co-found US venture firm Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co.Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co.Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co. was a venture capital firm which focused on investments in information technology, communications, and healthcare/biotechnology companies....
, was appointed the head of the US operation. Sofinnova's US business gained attention for its role as an early backer of Tandem ComputersTandem ComputersTandem Computers, Inc. was the dominant manufacturer of fault-tolerant computer systems for ATM networks, banks, stock exchanges, telephone switching centers, and other similar commercial transaction processing applications requiring maximum uptime and zero data loss. The company was founded in...
and GenentechGenentechGenentech Inc., or Genetic Engineering Technology, Inc., is a biotechnology corporation, founded in 1976 by venture capitalist Robert A. Swanson and biochemist Dr. Herbert Boyer. Trailing the founding of Cetus by five years, it was an important step in the evolution of the biotechnology industry...
in the early 1980s.
- 1976 - Sofinnova co-founder Jean DeleageJean DeleageDr. Jean Deleage, Ph.D. was an early venture capital investor responsible for the founding or co-founding of three notable venture capital firms since 1971: Sofinnova, Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co. and Alta Partners.-Career:...
established the American subsidiary of Sofinnova, called Sofinnova, Inc., in San Francisco, which eventually became Sofinnova Ventures. Deleage departed Sofinnova in 1979 to co-found another venture capital firm Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co.Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co.Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co. was a venture capital firm which focused on investments in information technology, communications, and healthcare/biotechnology companies....
. In 1981, working with Deleage, Sofinnova developed a partnership with Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co.Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co.Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co. was a venture capital firm which focused on investments in information technology, communications, and healthcare/biotechnology companies....
and ultimately other US firms. Jean-Bernard Schmidt, who would later serve as Chairman of Sofinnova, was named the head of US operations of Sofinnova, Inc.
The Early Growth of Sofinnova in the 1980s
- 1985 - Sofinnova completed an initial public offeringInitial public offeringAn initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
with a listing on the Paris Stock Exchange.
- 1987 - Alain Azan moved to San Francisco to take over management of Sofinnova Ventures, replacing Jean-Bernard Schmidt. Schmidt would be named Chairman of Sofinnova, retaining that position through 2007. Sofinnova Ventures completed fundraising for SVP I, which was an private equity fundPrivate equity fundA private equity fund is a collective investment scheme used for making investments in various equity securities according to one of the investment strategies associated with private equity....
originally intended to invest in European companies expanding in the US. Ultimately, Sofinnova Venture Partners would shift its focus toward investments in domestic US companies.
- 1989 - Sofinnova Partners completed fundraising for Sofinnova Capital, its first private equity fundPrivate equity fundA private equity fund is a collective investment scheme used for making investments in various equity securities according to one of the investment strategies associated with private equity....
in France, with €38M of investor commitments. Sofinnova's investments in this fund include Genset CorporationGenset CorporationGenset, a biotechnology company, was established in 1989 in Paris, France with Pascal Brandys as its first president.Genset was listed on the NASDAQ and the Paris Bourse in 1996. Genset rapidly became the European flagship company in the field of genomics and became the second largest...
as well as Cerep, Egide and Flamel.
The Reorganization of Sofinnova in the 1990s
- 1993 - Sofinnova delisted itself from the Paris exchange to raise capital privately through traditional private equity fundPrivate equity fundA private equity fund is a collective investment scheme used for making investments in various equity securities according to one of the investment strategies associated with private equity....
s. Prior to the 1997 reorganization, Sofinnova Ventures raised three venture funds totaling $57M, and Sofinnova Partners raised funds with €85M in commitments.
- 1997 - The global Sofinnova organization restructured, formally creating two separate management companies, one for Sofinnova Ventures, and one for Sofinnova Partners. The reorganization was done on the basis of geography, creating Sofinnova Ventures in the US and Sofinnova Partners in Europe. Following a management buyoutManagement buyoutA management buyout is a form of acquisition where a company's existing managers acquire a large part or all of the company.- Overview :Management buyouts are similar in all major legal aspects to any other acquisition of a company...
, each of the management companies was solely owned by its respective management teams.
Sofinnova Ventures
- Sofinnova Ventures. Business Week Profile.
- DISTILLATIONS, University of Toronto
- Sofinnova's Window on Early-Stage Technology in Europe
- HelloSoft Closes $11 Million in Financing Led by Venrock Associates And Sofinnova Ventures
Sofinnova Partners
- Sofinnova - company history
- Accent to Expand with Investment from Sofinnova Partners
- Avaki Closes $4.2 Million Financing; Investments From Polaris, General Catalyst and Sofinnova Bring Avaki's Total Funding to Over $20 Million
- French VC Sofinnova invests in two biotech firms
- Sofinnova Partners Presentation
External links
- Sofinnova Ventures (US) - company website
- Sofinnova Partners (France) - company website