Inventages

Inventages Venture Capital Investment Inc is an investment arm of Nestle SA specializing in PIPES, seed, early, mid, and late venture investments. The firm seeks to invest in middle market and mature companies. It provides mezzanine and bridge financing. The firm seeks to invest in health care, life sciences, cosmeceuticals, pharmaceuticals, enabling technologies and services, and diagnostic and medical devices. Within the pharmaceutical sector, it typically invests in small molecules, proteins, antibodies, vaccines, phytopharmaceuticals, natural compounds, botanicals, antibiotics, and therapeutics. Within the diagnostic sector, it focuses on genetic materials, biomarkers, pathological markers, genetic profiles, protein profiles, pharmacogenomics, food and environmental safety, genetically modified organism detection and trading, medical monitoring, diagnostic and analytical tools, and quality control. Within enabling technologies and services it primarily invests in novel packaging, process and production technologies, supply chain management, innovative materials and resources, delivery systems for active compounds, encapsulation and prevention, food services, extraction and fractionation of biological materials, consumer relation management, green biotechnology, smell and taste modifying technologies, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, screen and characterization technologies, chemical and biological engineering, and innovative preventive and therapeutic concepts. It also invests in companies involved in the prevention of medical foods, nutraceuticals, cosmoceuticals, nutrition, innovative food, functional food, dietary and food supplements, oral and skin care, immune modulation and stimulation, and health and disease management.

Bill J. Kermode

Partner

Wolfgang Reichenberger

General Partner

Gunnart Weikert

Founder, CEO, Managing Partner, MD and Chairman

Gunnar Weikert

Founder

38 past transactions

Cryolog

Series A in 2004
Founded in 2002 and taken over in 2014 by CLOCK-T °, CRYOLOG specializes in the control of the cold chain. Creator of thermosensitive microbiological tablets "TOPCRYO", CRYOLOG is a French company whose main shareholder is CapAgro: innovation capital investment fund specialized in agribusiness. TOPCRYO is a high-tech product to interpret the time/temperature impact on the conservation of products by a simple change of color from green to red.

MooBella

Series A in 2009
MooBella has developed a revolutionary, disruptive technology that has the potential to transform and expand the nearly $60 billion ice cream industry. It enables instantaneous aeration, flavoring and freezing of ice cream into scoops of premium hard ice cream within seconds, and thereby eliminating the frozen supply chain.

Accera

Venture Round in 2018
Accera, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company that develops therapies for central nervous system disorders. The company focuses on developing a pipeline of products targeting neurodegenerative conditions. Its proprietary scientific platform addresses unmet medical needs in brain health, including Alzheimer’s disease. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Boulder, Colorado. Accera, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Nestlé S.A.

CMP Therapeutics

Venture Round in 2010
CMP Therapeutics, Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company, develops chitin microparticles (CMP) for macrophages and dendritic cells in the nasal and respiratory tract. The company develops a CMP nasal spray for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, as well as for the clinical applications of nasal spray for enhancing natural resistance to influenza and other respiratory pathogens. Its CMP is also used as an adjuvant in nasal vaccines. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Bicester, the United Kingdom.

Phytomedics

Series A in 2004
Phytomedics is committed to quality, technological innovation and research. Their powerful portfolio of overlapping proprietary technologies is targeted to turning green plants into reliable vehicles for discovering and manufacturing proprietary botanical pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. NewLeadTM and RhizexTM elicitation and optimization processes greatly enhance the efficacy and reproducibility of plant-derived products and increase the synergy between various chemical components of plant extracts. The Company has developed an efficient and proprietary discovery and lead prioritization process based on high-power bio-informatics, high-tech data mining, efficient activity screening, and an extensive network of international collaborations.
SelectX Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of aminoglycoside therapeutics for unmet medical needs. It has built an advanced aminoglycoside drug and other drugs. The company’s advanced program, development candidate SXP2523, is a next generation aminoglycoside antibiotic for drug resistant gram-negative hospital-acquired infections. SelectX Pharmaceuticals Inc. is currently developing a next generation inhaled aminoglycoside antibiotic for drug resistant gram-negative infections in patients with Cystic Fibrosis and other respiratory diseases. The company is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Opsona

Series B in 2009
Drug development firm focused on immunology. They are headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Opsona Therapeutics is one of Europe's most innovative and dynamic drug development companies. We are at the forefront of drug development in immunology research, with particular focus on the innate immunity pathways. Since its founding in 2004, Opsona has validated and developed a series of exciting new drug candidates and strategies which modulate the human innate immune system. We are located in Dublin, Ireland.

TriMed Research

Venture Round in 2005
TriMed Research, Inc. engages in the research and development of therapeutic products primarily related to mammary gland protein designated as MAA.

DNage

Series A in 2005
DNage is a life sciences company founded in 2004 as a spin off from the Department of Genetics of the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam. The Company was seed-funded through an equity investment of an international syndicate of venture capitalists including LSP (NL) and Inventages (CH).

DiObex

Series B in 2007
DiObex, Inc. operates as a biotechnology company in the United States. The company develops novel products for the treatment of metabolic disorders, including type-one and type-two diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, and diabetic nephropathy. Its products include DIO-901, a very low dose glucagon product that is developed for the reduction of nocturnal hypoglycemia in patients with type-one diabetes; and DIO-902, a cortisol synthesis inhibitor that is developed as a therapy for glucose and cholesterol control in patients with type-two diabetes. DiObex, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Shield Therapeutics

Series A in 2011
Shield Therapeutics is an independent specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of late-stage, mineral-derived hospital pharmaceuticals which address areas of high unmet medical need. During 2011 Shield will be commencing global pivotal Phase III studies of its lead asset, ST10-021, for the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia associated with inflammatory bowel disease and subsequently chronic kidney disease. The Company is headquartered in Wollerau, Switzerland.

GC-Rise Pharmaceutical

Series A in 2008
GC-Rise Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a solely-foreign-owned enterprise invested by INVENTAGES, a famous European investment group engaged in healthcare industry. Taking “Devoted to human healthcare and a better life” as our mission, the company makes full use of the business networks of our strategic cooperation partner in America, Europe and Japan, their affluent experiences in clinical development, clinical trials and registration in China, and their abundant strength in commercial distribution, hospital sale, marketing, so as to provide novel, safe, and highly efficient medical products and treatment ideas for Chinese patients.

Phosphate Therapeutics

Venture Round in 2012
Phosphate Therapeutics, a UK-based independent specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of mineral-derived hospital pharmaceuticals. The company intends to use the capital to complete the Phase 2 development of its phosphate binder (PT20) for the treatment of a late-stage renal disease suffer from systemic phosphate accumulation, hyperphosphataemia, whose global rights were acquired from the Medical Research Council.

AM Pharma

Series E in 2014
AM-Pharma B.V., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of therapeutics for human use in the Netherlands. It focuses in the pre-clinical and clinical development of novel therapeutics to treat inflammatory and infectious diseases. The company develops products based on endogenous proteins and protein derived peptides, as well as molecules that naturally occur in the human body. Its products include alkaline phosphatase for treatment of acute kidney injury and ulcerative colitis; and immune response amplifying peptide hLF1-11 for the treatment of drug resistant hospital acquired infections. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Bunnik, the Netherlands.

Accera

Series C in 2008
Accera, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company that develops therapies for central nervous system disorders. The company focuses on developing a pipeline of products targeting neurodegenerative conditions. Its proprietary scientific platform addresses unmet medical needs in brain health, including Alzheimer’s disease. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Boulder, Colorado. Accera, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Nestlé S.A.

Phagenesis

Series B in 2013
Phagenesis Limited researches and develops medical device technology for the treatment of dysphagia and swallowing problems for patients with stroke and brain injury. The company develops a device under the brand name Phagenyx that includes a base station that delivers optimal stimulations to patient and records and stores patient’s information and a catheter, connected to the base station that is introduced to patient via the nose and deliver stimulations to patient’s pharynx along with a feeding tube. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Accera

Series B in 2006
Accera, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company that develops therapies for central nervous system disorders. The company focuses on developing a pipeline of products targeting neurodegenerative conditions. Its proprietary scientific platform addresses unmet medical needs in brain health, including Alzheimer’s disease. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Boulder, Colorado. Accera, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Nestlé S.A.

Opsona

Series A in 2005
Drug development firm focused on immunology. They are headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Opsona Therapeutics is one of Europe's most innovative and dynamic drug development companies. We are at the forefront of drug development in immunology research, with particular focus on the innate immunity pathways. Since its founding in 2004, Opsona has validated and developed a series of exciting new drug candidates and strategies which modulate the human innate immune system. We are located in Dublin, Ireland.

Ripple Foods

Series D in 2020
Ripple exists to make dairy-free as it should be: high in protein, low in sugar, loaded with nutrition and delicious. That’s where Ripple comes in. Ripple has 8x the protein of almond milk and half the sugar of dairy milk. It’s high in bioavailable calcium (50% more than milk), potassium and provides a good source of omega-3s. It’s lower in calories than milk and best of all, it has the creamy, delicious texture our dairy-free friends are missing. No more thin, chalky almond/ soy/ cashew milk.

MSI Methylation Sciences

Series A in 2011
MSI Methylation Sciences, Inc. develops oral and small molecule therapies for adjunctive treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). It develops Strada, an orally administered therapy that improves the symptoms of depression in patients with MDD. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Surrey, Canada.

Accera

Series D in 2011
Accera, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company that develops therapies for central nervous system disorders. The company focuses on developing a pipeline of products targeting neurodegenerative conditions. Its proprietary scientific platform addresses unmet medical needs in brain health, including Alzheimer’s disease. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Boulder, Colorado. Accera, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Nestlé S.A.

Steaz

Venture Round in 2008
Steaz is a brand of organic green tea beverages made with ingredients you can feel good about. Since 2002, Steaz has provided fans with healthy, high-quality beverages while maintaining strong, socially responsible relationships with the company’s ingredient partners around the world. Their pride is anchored in their organic certification and dedication to fair trade and support for sustainable farming around the world. Steaz is available in three healthy and delicious product lines – iced green teas, energy drinks and cactus water beverages. Find your flavor and start sipping on certified goodness.
Food Quality Sensor International, Inc. operates as a sensor technology company. It develops and commercializes real-time and interactive food freshness measurement devices. The company provides SensorQ, which measures the level of freshness of meat or poultry within the package; and SensorfreshQ, a handheld electronic nose that detects meat and poultry spoilage. It serves food processing, grocery distribution, food service, regulatory, defense, and consumer retail markets. The company was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Cognoptix

Series D in 2014
Cognoptix is creating and developing an innovative, non-invasive eye test to assist in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. Cognoptix's goal is to provide clinicians with a quick, predictive, reliable, inexpensive, and widely available test, enabling early diagnosis and treatment. The company was founded in 2001 and headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

Phagenesis

Series B in 2011
Phagenesis Limited researches and develops medical device technology for the treatment of dysphagia and swallowing problems for patients with stroke and brain injury. The company develops a device under the brand name Phagenyx that includes a base station that delivers optimal stimulations to patient and records and stores patient’s information and a catheter, connected to the base station that is introduced to patient via the nose and deliver stimulations to patient’s pharynx along with a feeding tube. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Cryolog

Series B in 2007
Founded in 2002 and taken over in 2014 by CLOCK-T °, CRYOLOG specializes in the control of the cold chain. Creator of thermosensitive microbiological tablets "TOPCRYO", CRYOLOG is a French company whose main shareholder is CapAgro: innovation capital investment fund specialized in agribusiness. TOPCRYO is a high-tech product to interpret the time/temperature impact on the conservation of products by a simple change of color from green to red.

MooBella

Series A in 2007
MooBella has developed a revolutionary, disruptive technology that has the potential to transform and expand the nearly $60 billion ice cream industry. It enables instantaneous aeration, flavoring and freezing of ice cream into scoops of premium hard ice cream within seconds, and thereby eliminating the frozen supply chain.

CMP Therapeutics

Series A in 2006
CMP Therapeutics, Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company, develops chitin microparticles (CMP) for macrophages and dendritic cells in the nasal and respiratory tract. The company develops a CMP nasal spray for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, as well as for the clinical applications of nasal spray for enhancing natural resistance to influenza and other respiratory pathogens. Its CMP is also used as an adjuvant in nasal vaccines. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Bicester, the United Kingdom.

Cognoptix

Series B in 2008
Cognoptix is creating and developing an innovative, non-invasive eye test to assist in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. Cognoptix's goal is to provide clinicians with a quick, predictive, reliable, inexpensive, and widely available test, enabling early diagnosis and treatment. The company was founded in 2001 and headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

AM Pharma

Series C in 2007
AM-Pharma B.V., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of therapeutics for human use in the Netherlands. It focuses in the pre-clinical and clinical development of novel therapeutics to treat inflammatory and infectious diseases. The company develops products based on endogenous proteins and protein derived peptides, as well as molecules that naturally occur in the human body. Its products include alkaline phosphatase for treatment of acute kidney injury and ulcerative colitis; and immune response amplifying peptide hLF1-11 for the treatment of drug resistant hospital acquired infections. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Bunnik, the Netherlands.

Tanfield Direct Ltd.

Venture Round in 2010
Tanfield Direct is an online provider of natural foods.

Cavis microcaps

Series A in 2005
The Cavis microcaps has many years’ experience in the field of alginate-based encapsulation and immobilisation. The main focus of their services is encapsulation of additives for the food industry and pet food sectors. Their products are used in food technology as well as in cosmetic and technical applications.

XOLUTION

Venture Round in 2016
XOLUTION GmbH manufactures re-closable ends for beverage cans. XOLUTION GmbH is based in Munich, Germany.

Phytomedics

Series B in 2007
Phytomedics is committed to quality, technological innovation and research. Their powerful portfolio of overlapping proprietary technologies is targeted to turning green plants into reliable vehicles for discovering and manufacturing proprietary botanical pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. NewLeadTM and RhizexTM elicitation and optimization processes greatly enhance the efficacy and reproducibility of plant-derived products and increase the synergy between various chemical components of plant extracts. The Company has developed an efficient and proprietary discovery and lead prioritization process based on high-power bio-informatics, high-tech data mining, efficient activity screening, and an extensive network of international collaborations.

Technologie BiolActis

Series A in 2006
Technologie BiolActis (BiolActis) is a Canadian biotechnology company incorporated in 1998. Since its foundation, the entrepreneurs were committed to create novel Biologics meeting well identified needs from the Wellness Industries (Functional Nutrition, Dietary Supplements, Cosmeceuticals and Pharmaceuticals).

Opsona

Series B in 2009
Drug development firm focused on immunology. They are headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Opsona Therapeutics is one of Europe's most innovative and dynamic drug development companies. We are at the forefront of drug development in immunology research, with particular focus on the innate immunity pathways. Since its founding in 2004, Opsona has validated and developed a series of exciting new drug candidates and strategies which modulate the human innate immune system. We are located in Dublin, Ireland.

Accera

Private Placement in 2018
Accera, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company that develops therapies for central nervous system disorders. The company focuses on developing a pipeline of products targeting neurodegenerative conditions. Its proprietary scientific platform addresses unmet medical needs in brain health, including Alzheimer’s disease. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Boulder, Colorado. Accera, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Nestlé S.A.

Honest Tea

Private Equity Round in 2007
Seth Goldman, co-founder of Honest Tea, drank a lot of liquids. An active person, Seth was continually in search of the perfect drink to quench his thirst after a run, a game of basketball or between grad school classes. Yet, Seth found most drinks either too sweet or too tasteless. Barry Nalebuff, Seth’s professor at the Yale School of Management, found that he and Seth shared a passion for the idea of a less sweet, but flavorful beverage during a class discussion of a Coke vs. Pepsi case study. They agreed that there were tons of sweet options and lots of watery drinks, but in 1994, there was nothing in between to fill the void. Fast forward to ’97. Seth goes for a run in New York City with a college friend who used to concoct juice drinks with him after class. As they found themselves doing the same beverage mixing after the run, Seth knew then that if he was going to quench his thirst for good, he would have to create the drink himself. He e-mailed Barry to see if he was still excited about the idea. Timing was everything. Barry had just returned from India where he had been analyzing the tea industry for a case study. Among other things, he came away with the impression that the tea many American companies purchased for bottling was the dust and fannings left after whole tea leaves had been brewed. Barry had even come up with a name to describe a bottled tea that was made with real tea leaves–Honest Tea. When Seth heard the name, the simmering idea began to boil–it was the perfect name for an all-natural brand that would strive to create healthy and honest relationships with its customers, suppliers and the environment. Seth took a deep breath, quit his job at Calvert mutual funds, and started brewing batches of tea in his kitchen. Five weeks after taking the plunge, he brought thermoses of tea and a recycled bottle with a mock-up label to Fresh Fields (Whole Foods Market). The buyer ordered 15,000 bottles, and Seth and Barry were in business–if they could figure out how to make that much tea. They did, and they’re still at it 15 years later. In March 2011, The Coca-Cola Company purchased Honest Tea after an initial 40% investment in 2008, which helped expand the distribution of HONEST® beverages. Today, Honest Tea is run as an independent business unit and their HONEST TEA®, HONEST ADE®, HONEST KIDS®, HONEST SPLASH™ and HONEST Fizz beverages can be found in more than 100,000 stores across United States. The dream that took root in Seth’s kitchen in 1998 became a company that just celebrated its 15th anniversary. Seth continues to run the business as the President and TeaEO in Bethesda, MD with the same passion towards health, the environment and social responsibility.