SOFINNOVA-PARTNERS
5.1.2023 10:01:39 CET | Business Wire | Press release
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
Owkin Creates New Spin out Waiv, Formerly Owkin Dx, With $33M Financing12.3.2026 14:30:00 CET | Press release
Investment lead by OTB Ventures and Alpha Intelligence CapitalWaiv develops AI-powered precision testing to better identify and stratify patients in the clinic and in clinical trials, transforming patient careWaiv extends Owkin’s strategy of real-world validation for its AI Owkin, the AI company on a mission to solve the complexity of biology, today announced the spin out of Waiv, formerly known as Owkin Dx. The move follows significant investor interest and positions Waiv to bring AI-powered precision testing for better identification of patients in the clinic and in clinical trials, to transform patient care. This follows on from the successful launch of Bioptimus, an Owkin incubated company, in February 2024. Waiv translates AI innovation into real-world clinical impact, developing tests that predict biomarkers and patient outcomes, including RlapsRisk BC for prognostic risk profiling. With multiple tests already in use in clinical settings, its deployment platform Destra, and colla
RQM+ Launches SMART Solutions Life Cycle Partnership Model12.3.2026 14:30:00 CET | Press release
Helps MedTech Companies Navigate MDR, IVDR, and AI-Enabled Device Development RQM+, a leading MedTech CRO offering regulatory consulting, clinical trial, laboratory, and reimbursement services, today announced the launch of SMART Solutions, a life cycle partnership model designed to help medical device and diagnostics companies manage growing regulatory and development complexity. SMART Solutions introduces a strategy-led operating framework that unifies regulatory, quality, clinical, reimbursement, and laboratory expertise to support MedTech companies across the entire product life cycle to help reduce risk from early development through post-market. “MedTech companies are navigating unprecedented complexity as regulatory expectations evolve, product innovation accelerates, and post-market expectations are expanding,” said John Potthoff, Ph.D., chief executive officer of RQM+. “SMART Solutions moves beyond traditional consulting by providing an integrated life cycle partnership that h
Cryptio Raises $45m Series B as Digital Assets Move Into Regulated Financial Markets12.3.2026 14:06:00 CET | Press release
The system of record for tokenized finance – ERP infrastructure for institutions operating in digital assets Cryptio, a leader in financial data transformation and enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications for regulated digital assets, announced today a $45 million Series B funding round co-led by BlackFin Capital Partners and Sentinel Global, with participation from 1kx, Alven, BlueYard Capital and Ledger Cathay Capital. Banks, exchanges, asset managers, including Société Générale’s SG Forge, Circle, Gemini, and Securitize rely on Cryptio to ensure financial integrity across their digital assets businesses. Existing ERP systems fall short for digital assets Traditional ERP and accounting systems were not designed for blockchain-native assets, real-time reporting, or modern custody frameworks. As regulated financial institutions expand into stablecoins, tokenized securities and other on-chain instruments, these limitations create material operational and reporting challenges. Cry
HyperLight Introduces 145 GHz Reference Modulators to Enable 448Gbps per Lane Datacom and 260GBaud Telecom Development12.3.2026 14:03:00 CET | Press release
HyperLight Corporation, creator of the TFLN Chiplet™ platform, today announced the release of its 145 GHz Packaged Intensity Modulator (IM), expanding the company‘s high-speed modulator portfolio. The new device is designed for ultra-wide modulation bandwidth, high signal fidelity, and stable operation control, enabling 448 Gbps per lane intensity-modulated-direct-detection (IMDD), 260 GBaud coherent links, and broadband RF photonics systems. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260312319685/en/ Fig. 1: HyperLight’s 145 GHz intensity modulator for 448Gbps per lane IMDD and 260GBaud coherent applications, with operational electro-optical bandwidth >145GHz, stable bias control, 0.8 mm-connector; available in O-, C-, and L-bands. As symbol rates and analog bandwidth requirements continue to rise across data center interconnects, AI-driven photonics infrastructure, and laboratory test environments, system architects in
Enodia Therapeutics Strengthens Sec61 Portfolio Through Acquisition of Preclinical Assets from Kezar Life Sciences12.3.2026 14:00:00 CET | Press release
Transaction deepens insights into Sec61 selectivity for targeted protein degradation, supporting accelerated development of Enodia’s novel small-molecule inhibitors Enodia Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing novel small-molecule therapies for targeted protein degradation at the point of synthesis, and Kezar Life Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: KZR), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel small molecule therapeutics to treat unmet needs in immune-mediated diseases, today announced that Enodia has acquired Kezar’s assets from its Sec61-based discovery and development program. The acquisition enables Enodia to advance its understanding of Sec61 selectivity mechanisms, expanding biological and translational insights for faster progression toward key clinical milestones. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260312627573/en/ Under the terms of the purchase agreement between Enodia and Kezar, Kezar w
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