SOFINNOVA-PARTNERS
Sofinnova Partners (“Sofinnova"), a leading European life sciences venture capital firm based in Paris, London, and Milan, announced the appointment of Manohar (Mano) Iyer, a serial entrepreneur with longstanding ties to Sofinnova, as Venture Partner.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230105005045/en/
Mano Iyer (Photo: Business Wire)
Mr. Iyer will investigate global medical device investment opportunities across the Sofinnova Partners platform of strategies, with a particular focus on helping the firm’s in-house medtech accelerator, Sofinnova MD Start, incubate world-class companies.
Mr. Iyer has more than 25 years of experience in the medical device industry. In 2008, he was a founding member of the original MD Start team that incubated companies including CorWave and LimFlow. He also advised CoreValve, a Sofinnova Capital Strategy portfolio company, which was subsequently purchased by Medtronic for $800 million.
Mr. Iyer founded ReCor Medical during his time as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Sofinnova Partners in 2009. ReCor, another Sofinnova Partners investment, which is developing an ultrasound renal denervation system to treat high blood pressure, was successfully sold to Otsuka Medical Devices in 2018. Mr. Iyer left Sofinnova in 2013 to work full-time as the Chief Operating Officer of ReCor.
Antoine Papiernik, Chairman and Managing Partner of Sofinnova Partners, said: “We are delighted to have Mano back in the fold at Sofinnova Partners. He is an experienced company builder and a respected figure in the medical device community who has shown an uncanny ability to start successful companies no matter what condition the global economy is in.”
Anne Osdoit, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, said: “Mano joins us as MD Start is really hitting its stride. Several of our companies are maturing exceptionally well and we have a healthy flow of promising disruptive medtech projects. Mano brings a deep understanding of the sector thanks to his experience and network in the US and Europe. He also knows our medtech acceleration model inside out, having pioneered it with ReCor. We are thrilled to be working with him.”
Mr. Iyer said: “Sofinnova has realized something truly impressive in developing a first-class medtech ecosystem based out of Europe. The firm is recognized globally as an influential player in the space and I’m excited and proud to be back.”
Mr. Iyer started his career in medical devices as an engineer at Arrow International. While at Arrow, he met Tim Lenihan. In 2001, he co-founded Contract Medical International (CMI) with Mr. Lenihan, and ran operations and engineering. CMI specialized in the development and custom manufacturing of minimally invasive medical device systems. It was acquired by Heraeus Group in 2020.
After earning an MBA from Stanford, he joined Sofinnova Partners thanks to an introduction from Gerard Hascoët, whom he had also met while at Arrow. The trio (Hascoët, Lenihan, Iyer) joined forces with Antoine Papiernik and, with the backing of Sofinnova Partners, founded MD Start to create and incubate innovative medical device companies. Now in its third iteration, MD Start is fully integrated into the Sofinnova platform of strategies.
About Sofinnova Partners
Sofinnova Partners is a leading European venture capital firm in life sciences, specializing in healthcare and sustainability. Based in Paris, London and Milan, the firm brings together a team of professionals from all over the world with strong scientific, medical and business expertise. Sofinnova Partners is a hands-on company builder across the entire value chain of life sciences investments, from seed to later-stage. The firm actively partners with ambitious entrepreneurs as a lead or cornerstone investor to develop transformative innovations that have the potential to positively impact our collective future.
Founded in 1972, Sofinnova Partners is a deeply established venture capital firm in Europe, with 50 years of experience backing over 500 companies and creating market leaders around the globe. Today, Sofinnova Partners has over €2.5 billion under management. For more information, please visit: sofinnovapartners.com.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230105005045/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Alta Semper Secures USD 57.5 Million from EIB Group and IFC for Growth Fund II to Expand Healthcare Access Across Africa13.1.2026 19:30:00 CET | Press release
Alta Semper Capital LLP (“Alta Semper”), a London-based private equity firm focused on healthcare and consumer investments in high-growth markets, today announced that it has secured USD 57.5 million in commitments to Alta Semper Growth Fund II. These commitments come from a consortium of investors including the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). This landmark partnership was signified earlier today with a momentous signing ceremony held at a Government Ministry in Cairo. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260113837616/en/ Andrew McDowell (EIB), Cheick Oumar Sylla (IFC), Gelsomina Vigliotti (EIB), Rania Al-Mashat (Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation of Egypt), Bassel Rahmy (MSMEDA), Afsane Jetha (CEO, Alta Semper) and Mark Bryson-Richardson MBE (British Ambassador to Egypt) at the signing ceremony in Cairo. (Photo: AETOSWire)
500 Global and Creators HQ Support Creators and Founders Building Startups Collectively Valued at US$130M+13.1.2026 17:00:00 CET | Press release
500 Global, one of the world’s most active Silicon Valley-based venture capital firms1, and Creators HQ, the first content creator hub in the UAE and the Middle East enabling the creator ecosystem globally, announced the Creators Ventures Accelerator program is building and supporting creator-led startups collectively valued at over US$130 million.2 The Creators Ventures Accelerator received over 1,100 applications from content creators and technology startup founders across more than 70 countries. Following a competitive selection process, 21 creators and founders were chosen for the program. This cohort serves a community of 20M+ followers, subscribers, and users across platforms. “Creators represent a growing class of bona fide entrepreneurs, with 50 million creators globally, projected to grow at 10-20% annually over the next 5 years. The first iteration of this industry was built on visibility and virality to monetize. With consumers getting savvier and more discerning, we believe
Nexo Becomes First-Ever Title Partner of the U.S. ATP 500 Dallas Open in Multi-Year Deal13.1.2026 16:30:00 CET | Press release
The agreement builds on Nexo’s long-term approach to partnerships with established global sports institutions. Nexo, the digital assets wealth platform, has been named the U.S. ATP 500 Dallas Open’s first-ever Title Partner under a multi-year agreement beginning in 2026, as the company advances its long-term brand strategy through leading global sports properties. The partnership was unveiled in Dallas alongside the debut of the Nexo Dallas Open brand and the resurfacing of two public tennis courts in North Texas. As one of only two ATP 500 tournaments in the U.S. and the country’s sole indoor ATP Tour championship, the Dallas Open places Nexo among a limited group of ATP 500 title partners. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260113901822/en/ The Nexo Dallas Open “This partnership with Nexo represents a transformative milestone for the Dallas Open,” said Tournament Director Peter Lebedevs. “Securing a title spons
Blue Matter Establishes New Capabilities in Biopharma Research & Development Led by Partner, Tara Austraat-Churik13.1.2026 15:01:00 CET | Press release
Blue Matter is pleased to announce that it has established a practice area dedicated to serving clients in biopharmaceutical Research & Development (R&D). The practice is led by Tara Austraat-Churik, a Partner who joined the firm in September 2025. Tara Austraat-Churik has been serving life science clients for more than 20 years. Her areas of expertise include strategy development and implementation, operating model and organizational design, and process optimization in R&D and Medical Affairs. Prior to joining Blue Matter, she served as Managing Director in R&D, Health, Science, and Wellness at EY. She has a robust background in consulting, which also includes roles at Booz Allen Hamilton, Navitas, WPP, and IBM. She holds a BA and MA from the University of Notre Dame and an MSc in Translational Medicine from the University of Edinburgh. The R&D practice, according to Austraat-Churik, exists to help biopharma companies simplify and accelerate the pathway to market. She adds, “R&D organ
Wasabi Raises $70M in New Equity to Power the Next Era of Data Infrastructure13.1.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release
At a $1.8 billion valuation, backed by L2 Point and Pure Storage, the company scales AI-first cloud storage to meet the explosive demands of modern data Wasabi Technologies, the Hot Cloud Storage company, today announced a $70 million equity funding round led by L2 Point Management with participation from Pure Storage and existing investors including Fidelity Management & Research Company. The new round values Wasabi at $1.8 billion and brings the company’s total funding to over $600 million. The capital will be used to accelerate Wasabi’s expansion into AI infrastructure, broaden its global footprint, and enhance its product portfolio to meet the growing data demands of enterprises and AI developers worldwide. “We’re ushering in the next generation of cloud storage, powering data-intensive workloads like generative AI and autonomous systems,” said David Friend, co-founder and CEO of Wasabi Technologies. “This funding underscores Wasabi’s strong market position and continued growth as
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom