Forbion

Last week saw the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference take center stage, and now, with a weekend to reflect, we can take the time to digest James Waldron’s in-depth Fierce Biotech article which captured the mood across investors, biotech leaders and advisors. The lengthy piece provides a comprehensive look at how the sector is navigating tariffs, MFN policy shifts, market volatility and a cautious IPO environment. Forbion is featured, with Managing Partner Sander Slootweg outlining how we have stayed the course throughout 2025 by maintaining a steady stream of new investments and backing high-potential companies from early discovery to late-stage growth. Sander's perspective highlights the growing strength of Europe’s biopharma ecosystem and renewed momentum in cardiovascular, immunology, oncology and neurology innovation. The article reinforces our commitment to supporting breakthrough science and building a more resilient, competitive European life sciences landscape. Read the full article using the following link: https://lnkd.in/eqvd9eNE #biotech #lifesciences #venturecapital #drugdevelopment #europeaninnovation

It is set to be an exciting week for Europe’s life sciences investment landscape with the start of the Jefferies London Healthcare Conference, and we have kicked it off with Forbion’s perspective as featured in Fierce Biotech’s coverage. James Waldron, Fierce Biotech’s UK/EU Bureau Chief, recapped day one and highlighted the growing influence of the event. In the piece, Forbion Managing Partner Sander Slootweg emphasised why the event matters for both investors and innovators: its accessibility for European stakeholders and its value for US participants seeking efficient access to their full network of European biotech companies and partners. Forbion’s presence at Jefferies London reinforces our conviction that Europe’s innovation landscape and capital markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, ambitious and globally competitive. The conference now plays a pivotal role in accelerating that momentum. With members of our investment team in London, we are pleased to contribute our views and continue supporting the founders, companies and scientific advances that are driving the sector forward. Read the full recap from Fierce Biotech in the following link: https://lnkd.in/eJt6dpQE #lifesciences #biotech #venturecapital #drugdevelopment

Forbion Principals Vanessa Carle and Morgan Haller, CPA, CFA were on hand to accept the award on Forbion's behalf for "Venture Capital Firm of the Year" at the European Lifestars Awards - Celebrating Life Science Leaders which took place in London last night. Thank you to the entire Forbion team for their hard work and dedication that made this award a reality. Let us continue to work together to impact the future. #venturecapital #teamwork #lifesciences #biotech #leadership Sander Slootweg Martien van Osch Dirk Kersten Geert-Jan Mulder

Check out this article based on a Dutch-language column written by Forbion's Head of Public Affairs, Marc van Voorst tot Voorst for The Financial Investigator. In the article Marc reflects on Europe’s growing focus on strategic autonomy in biotech. He explains that in an era of de-globalisation, the EU aims to reduce dependence on major powers and strengthen its competitiveness. The newly introduced EU Biotech Act seeks to harmonise fragmented regulations, improve financing for costly biotech development, promote safe use of genetic technologies, and address shortages of skilled talent. Marc also notes that these measures are not sufficient on their own. Because biotech innovation is lengthy and expensive, companies tend to recover their investments in the United States, where pricing is higher and the market more favourable, effectively making American consumers the primary financiers of global biotech innovation. For Europe to achieve genuine strategic autonomy, he concludes, it must develop a stronger home market that supports innovation and provides the economic foundation for a competitive biotech sector. This requires political commitment, long-term vision, and significantly more capital, particularly in the Netherlands. #Biotech #PublicAffairs #LifeSciences #InnovationPolicy #EUIndustry #industry #competitiveness Read the article in its entirety https://lnkd.in/erJxYudj.

The 6th edition of WuXi AppTec’s WXPress newsletter focuses on advancing age-related therapies, and features an interview with Forbion General Partner Marco Boorsma, PhD. In the discussion, Marco reflects on the progress made a year after we closed more than €2 billion across two new funds, and outlines our strategy for scaling innovation in aging and age-associated diseases. Marco highlights how disciplined, stage-gated investing, human-relevant translational models, early regulatory planning, and strong CMC foundations are critical to advancing high-quality programs toward meaningful clinical milestones. The interview explores major opportunity areas in aging, including neurodegeneration, metabolic and fibrotic disease, and mechanistic aging biology. Marco also underscores Europe’s strong scientific capabilities, the rising role of AI in drug development, and the continued need for reliable biomarkers and improved delivery technologies. With a growing presence in Europe and North America, Forbion remains committed to supporting exceptional science and building globally competitive companies in age-related therapeutic innovation. Read the interview and access the video with the following link: https://lnkd.in/eafvsY5r #thoughtleaders #KOL #lifesciences #biotech #venturecapital #drugdevelopment #companybuilder

Forbion has led Gate Bioscience’s $65 million oversubscribed Series B financing, joined by new investor Eli Lilly and Company and existing investors Versant Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health, GV (Google Ventures), and ARCH Venture Partners. Gate Bioscience is pioneering a new class of small molecule medicines, molecular gates, that eliminate disease-causing proteins at their source. These orally available therapies have the potential to transform treatment paradigms in inflammation and other disease areas by addressing high-value, clinically validated targets through a novel intracellular mechanism of action. As part of the financing, Forbion Principal Vanessa Carle, Ph.D., has joined Gate’s Board of Directors. This investment reflects Forbion’s commitment to advancing differentiated therapeutics that can significantly improve patient outcomes and drive innovation across key areas of unmet medical need. Learn more about Gate Bioscience and the Series B financing here: https://lnkd.in/edyXf-BB Gijs van den Brink Roberto Hofmann #Forbion #VentureCapital #Biotech #LifeSciences #Innovation #GateBioscience #InvestingInHealth

Forbion is now accepting applications for our 2026 Fellowship Program. This is a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in life sciences and bioeconomy venture capital investing. The program offers two dedicated tracks within Forbion’s investment teams: Human Health Fellowship Work alongside Forbion’s Life Sciences investment team, contributing to both our Venture and Growth strategies. Fellows will evaluate cutting-edge biotech innovations, perform scientific and financial due diligence, and learn how breakthrough science translates into successful companies and impactful therapies. Planetary Health Fellowship (BioEconomy Fund) Join the Forbion BioEconomy investment team, which focuses on biotechnology-driven solutions across food, agriculture, materials, and environmental technologies. This fellowship offers exposure to companies shaping a more sustainable future and addressing global challenges through innovation. Both programs are based at Forbion’s headquarters in Naarden, The Netherlands, and provide an immersive 6–9 month experience working directly with our investment professionals. Fellows will gain deep insight into venture capital, company building, and the intersection of science, sustainability, and finance. Application Details Location: Naarden, The Netherlands Duration: 6–9 months, full-time Start Dates: BioEconomy Fellowship – January 2026 Life Sciences Fellowship – April/May 2026 Application Deadlines: BioEconomy Fellowship – 12 November 2025 Life Sciences Fellowship – 28 November 2025 To learn more and apply, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/e5jJCh4h? Join us in impacting the future of human and planetary health. #Forbion #VentureCapital #LifeSciences #BioEconomy #SustainableInnovation Rory Gummerson Geert-Jan Mulder Francine MacLeod Manuel

We are pleased to share the latest team update from our BioEconomy Fund. We warmly welcome Carolin Lanfer, who has joined Forbion as Senior Associate. Carolin brings deep experience in circular economy, sustainable materials, and innovation ecosystems from her previous positions within corporate venture capital at adidas and consulting at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). During her career, she has operationally supported biotech start-ups and scaled innovative business models.        We are also pleased to announce the promotion of Joseph Iwasyk to Analyst after completing his venture capital fellowship. Joseph combines a bioengineering technical background with entrepreneurial experience. He holds an MSc from ETH Zürich and has experience driving both R&D and business growth for biotech startups in the U.S. and Switzerland. Together, Carolin and Joseph will strengthen our mission to invest in transformative companies at the nexus of biology and chemistry, scaling commercially viable technologies that drive positive planetary impact across agriculture, food, materials and environmental tech. Demonstrating this mission, the BioEconomy Fund already includes five portfolio companies - eeden, SOLASTA® Bio, Novameat, Genomines, and PACT. Please join us in welcoming Carolin to the Forbion team and congratulating Joseph on his well-deserved promotion. #Forbion #BioEconomy #SustainableInnovation #VentureCapital #Impact #team #moversandshakers Click on the following link to learn more about the BioEconomy team: https://lnkd.in/eE3jQkzY

Braveheart Bio has launched with $185 million in Series A financing to advance novel therapeutics for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and related conditions. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z Bio + Health), Forbion, and OrbiMed, with participation from Enavate Sciences (a platform of Patient Square Capital) and Frazier Life Sciences. The company’s lead program, BHB-1893, is a selective cardiac myosin inhibitor designed to improve heart performance in patients with HCM. The molecule has already demonstrated promising clinical data, including rapid and meaningful reduction in left ventricular outflow tract gradients and a favorable safety profile. Braveheart Bio plans to initiate global late-stage clinical development in 2026. The company is led by Travis Murdoch, MD, President and CEO, and supported by a leadership team with deep expertise in cardiovascular drug development and late-stage company building. The Board of Directors, chaired by Christopher Viehbacher includes Forbion General Partner Jasper Bos, PhD, and Forbion Principal Tim Lohoff, Ph.D. alongside other experienced industry leaders. Forbion is pleased to support Braveheart Bio’s mission to develop best-in-class treatments for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, addressing one of the most prevalent and serious inherited cardiac conditions. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eTtn8X2K #CardiovascularInnovation #LifeSciences #Biotech #seriesA #HypertrophicCardiomyopathy #ForbionPortfolio Tim Lohoff, Ph.D. Yigal Pinto Regina Salvat Jasper Bos

Forbion has reached a significant milestone with the oversubscribed close of Forbion BioEconomy Fund I at its hard cap of €200 million with leading institutional LPs. Led by Joy Faucher and Alexander Hoffmann, the BioEconomy strategy extends on Forbion’s proven expertise in biotechnology to back transformational innovations that can deliver on scale, cost-competitiveness, and planetary health impact. The Fund has already invested in five pioneering companies across Food, Agriculture, Materials, and Environmental Technologies, and include eeden, Genomines, SOLASTA® Bio, Novameat, and PACT. The strong investor demand, driving the Fund to an oversubscribed close, highlights a growing conviction that science-led innovation is key to achieving large-scale decarbonization and industrial resilience. Working closely with our Investor Relations team, we are proud to partner with leading institutions such as KfW Capital, Novo Holdings, Rentenbank, Aurae Impact, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., and EIFO, who share our belief that capital can catalyse both environmental and financial returns. As biotechnology expands beyond healthcare into the realm of planetary health, Forbion is uniquely positioned to back the next generation of companies redefining sustainability. Read more about the close in the following link: https://lnkd.in/em8K3XhH #Forbion #BioEconomy #VentureCapital #SustainableInnovation #PlanetaryHealth Jasper Bos Rachelle Young Felix Güttersberger Maximilien Souvereyns Cerelia Caesar Joseph Iwasyk Sander Slootweg Marco Boorsma Robbert van de Griendt