SOFINNOVA-PARTNERS
30.6.2021 10:02:11 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Sofinnova Partners , a leading European life sciences venture capital firm based in Paris, London and Milan, announced today three new investments from the Sofinnova Telethon Fund, its early-stage fund dedicated to investments in rare, genetic diseases. The startups, AAVantgarde Bio , Alia Therapeutics , and Borea Therapeutics , are developing promising new therapies for rare, genetic diseases.
Graziano Seghezzi, Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners, commented: “These investments mark an important step in our mission to support the excellent scientific research coming out of Italian academic and research centers. They also highlight the exceptional flow of new investment opportunities in Italian biotech, and the important role that venture capital plays in enabling ground-breaking treatments to reach patients suffering from rare, genetic diseases who today have very few therapeutic options.”
The Sofinnova Telethon Fund is the largest fund entirely dedicated to biotechnology in Italy. The team is led by technology transfer specialists Lucia Faccio and Paola Pozzi, Partners at Sofinnova Partners, who are based in the firm’s Milan office.
The three new seed investments, totaling €6M, align with the fund’s investment strategy to seek out and support the best Italian science and the most promising entrepreneurs to develop world-class companies in the field of rare, genetic diseases.
AAVantgarde Bio, based in Milan, is developing gene therapies for inherited retinal disorders. The founder, Professor Alberto Auricchio, is a highly recognized scientist and a pioneer in the field of gene therapy. The company’s technology builds on existing AAV, or adeno-associated virus-based platforms, which are the main viral vector technology used in gene therapy applications. Existing AAV-based platforms have been limited by capacity, and AAVantgarde Bio responds to this challenge by enabling delivery of large genes to tissue and cells in vivo. The company is a spin-off of TIGEM, an international research institute based in Naples that is owned and managed by the Telethon Foundation.
Alia Therapeutics, based in Trento, is developing next generation CRISPR-based medicine for safer on-target in vivo gene editing approaches to the treatment of retinal degeneration. Alia is a spin-off of the University of Trento and was accelerated at BiovelocITA, Italy’s first biotechnology accelerator co-founded in 2015 by Sofinnova Partners and two serial entrepreneurs, Silvano Spinelli and Gabriella Camboni. It is the second company to emerge from the accelerator, following the success of Enthera Pharmaceuticals, another Italian startup that is part of Sofinnova Partners’ portfolio. This round of financing also included participation from BiovelocITA, Indaco Venture Partners, and a group of Italian investors brought together by Banor SIM and Banca Profilo.
Ms. Pozzi, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, board member of AAVantgarde Bio and an investment partner in Alia Therapeutics, commented: “We are delighted to support these innovative biotech startups as they advance promising programs towards preclinical and clinical development. Both companies have highly qualified scientific teams with globally recognized expertise in the field of gene therapy and gene editing. We are confident in the potential of these companies to tackle the limitations of existing therapies and develop treatments to diseases that do not have adequate solutions today.”
Borea Therapeutics, based in Milan, is advancing a new generation of gene therapies that would enable targeting of specific tissues and cells. The company’s innovative technology could enable viral vectors to reach areas like the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS), thus opening the door to new therapeutic options. Borea Therapeutics was co-founded by Professor Paul Heppenstall and the European Molecular Biology Lab (EMBL), an intergovernmental research organization with six research sites throughout Europe, including one in Rome. The company’s research activities are performed in collaboration with Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), a scientific center of excellence in Trieste.
Ms. Faccio, Partner at Sofinnova Partners and a board member of Borea Therapeutics, commented: “One of the major limitations of gene therapy is the difficulty of selectively targeting specific cells or tissues. Borea Therapeutics’ technology has the potential to pinpoint specific tissues and cells, which would enable the use of lower doses, making treatment safer and more effective for patients. This could be the next breakthrough in gene therapy.”
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 billion under management. For more information, please visit: www.sofinnovapartners.com
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210630005320/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
SuperElastic* Material Unveiled by Angelalign2.11.2026 18:46:00 CET | Press release
New, Improved Clear Aligner Material Gives Orthodontists More Control Angelalign Technology Inc. (6699.HK) (“Angel”)http://www.angelaligner.com, a global clear aligner leader, today unveiled SuperElastic (MC-SE*), a new propietary aligner material that is a significant breakthrough in performance over its current material. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261102654659/en/ Specialists in orthodontics have long asked for new aligner materials that enable better treatment for complex cases: biologically safe force levels, a large elastic working range, and strength and toughness. MC-SE* provides all of them. “Angel is commited to innovation and never settling for 'good enough'. MC-SE* is the result of seven years of materials research, testing and manufacturing optimization. The new material aims to create a new generation of aligner material that allows orthodonists to differentiate their treatment from other tre
Galderma Announces Proposed Board Appointments and Chief Financial Officer Transition2.11.2026 18:00:00 CET | Press release
The Company will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting on December 3, 2026 to further reinforce its Board of DirectorsAd hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Galderma Group AG (SIX:GALD), the pure-play dermatology category leader, today announced proposed changes to its Board of Directors, aimed at further strengthening its governance and supporting its long-term growth. The company also announced that Luigi La Corte, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), has decided to leave Galderma to pursue a significant new opportunity. Luigi La Corte will continue to fulfil his responsibilities as CFO during the transition period, supporting business continuity and a smooth handover. The company will communicate further details regarding succession arrangements and the transition timeline in due course. The Board of Directors is proposing the election of Rosalind Brewer and Petra Rumpf as new Board members. Both candidates bring extensive leadership and governance experience, alongside expertise span
Donaldson Introduces Alpha-Pore™ Technology Platform for Extended Sterile Filtration Performance2.11.2026 15:35:00 CET | Press release
Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE: DCI), a leading worldwide manufacturer of innovative filtration products and solutions, today announced Alpha‑Pore™ technology, a next generation sterile filtration platform engineered to extend filter service life while maintaining critical process performance. Built for critical applications, Alpha‑Pore technology enables longer filter run time compared with competitive single- and dual-layer polyethersulfone (PES) membrane filters, while maintaining flow characteristics, sterility assurance, and process integrity.* The platform is designed to help manufacturers improve operational efficiency through fewer changeouts and more consistent performance over time. Engineered for Extended Performance Sterile filtration processes often require balancing run time with key performance parameters such as flow, differential pressure, and contaminant retention. Alpha‑Pore technology is designed to achieve all three. By optimizing pore structure and filter architect
SBC Medical Forms Capital and Business Alliance with AtomicSoftware, Provider of the medicalforce Clinic Management Platform Used by 800+ Clinics in Japan2.11.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release
Companies to co-develop AI features, starting with physician documentation support, to enhance medicalforce and SBC Medical’s in-house systems and drive per-clinic productivity and profitability SBC Medical Group Holdings Incorporated (Nasdaq: SBC) (“The Company” or “SBC Medical”), a Medical Services Organization (MSO) providing management support across a wide range of healthcare fields, today announced that it entered into a capital and business alliance agreement on October 26, 2026, with AtomicSoftware Inc. (“AtomicSoftware”), the Tokyo-based provider of medicalforce, an all-in-one software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for clinics. In connection with the alliance, SBC Medical has invested ¥600 million (approximately US$3.8 million) in AtomicSoftware’s Series C funding round. The two companies will co-develop AI features, beginning with a feature that supports physicians in preparing medical records. Key HighlightsProven platform: medicalforce is used by more than 800 clinics*1 in J
Smartly Launches Intelligence Pro to Connect Campaign Planning, Performance and Incrementality2.11.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release
The new offering brings together planning, performance benchmarks, headroom analysis and incrementality signals to help marketers make more informed decisions across the campaign lifecycle Smartly, the AI-powered advertising technology company, today launched Intelligence Pro, a premium offering that brings together four capabilities to help marketers plan investment, understand true incrementality and determine where to spend their next dollar. Intelligence Pro connects causal inference models with planning tools to help marketers prove business impact and make faster decisions from increasingly complex data. “Marketing teams are inundated with data, but the challenge is identifying what signals are useful and turning them into a decision they can act on,” said Maxwell Tang, Chief Product Officer at Smartly. “Intelligence Pro brings forecasting, market context and state-of-the-art incrementality signals together to help marketers assess where to invest and what their media is contribu
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