Investor directory

Novo Holdings

Novo Holdings, established in 1999, is the holding company of the Novo Group, primarily managing the investment assets of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Based in Copenhagen, with additional offices in San Francisco and Boston, Novo Holdings focuses on two main investment categories: Life Science Investments, which encompasses funding life science companies at various stages of development, and Financial Investments, which entails managing a diversified portfolio of equity and fixed income securities. As a prominent life science investor, Novo Holdings aims to create long-term value while ensuring that the Foundation can distribute returns for scientific, social, and humanitarian purposes to enhance public health and welfare. The company has also developed initiatives such as Novo Seeds, which supports early-stage applied research in life sciences, and invests in later-stage life science companies through growth equity. Novo Holdings maintains a strategic influence over affiliated companies, aligning their operations with the values and objectives of the Novo Group.

Focus

Scale StageTherapeuticsSeries ASeries BEarly VentureShow more
http://www.novoholdings.dk
https://takcharkh.com
https://crunchbase.com/organization/novo-a-s
https://linkedin.com/company/novo-a-s
https://pitchbook.com/profiles/fund/14870-71F
https://signal.nfx.com/firms/novo-ventures
https://www.capitaliq.com/CIQDotNet/company.aspx?companyId=980152

Scott Beardsley

Managing Partner, Life Sciences Operating Committee, Venture Investments

Jørgen Boe

Director

Emmanuelle Coutanceau

Partner

Thomas P. Dyrberg

Partner

Casper Tind Hansen

Principal

Karen Hong

Partner

Junie Lim

DIRECTOR, GENERAL COUNSEL (US)

Heather Ludvigsen

Investor

Peter Moldt

Partner

Søren Møller

Managing Partner

Jørgen Søberg Petersen

Senior Partner, Seed Investments

Past deals in Healthcare and Biotech

Verana Health

Series E in 2022
Innovation in healthcare is hindered by the time and cost of bringing new products to market. Verana Health is partnering with medical associations to build a regulatory-grade data platform for health care innovation that utilizes specialty clinical data sets. Verana Health’s platform enables physicians and industry to work together towards their shared goal of accelerating the availability of better treatments and cures for patients. Learn more at veranahealth.com.

Zhenge Biotech

Series C in 2022
Shanghai ZhenGe Biotechnology Co.,Ltd. researches and develops drugs. It also engages in mammalian cell line development, upstream development, downstream development, and formulation development for various protein therapeutics. In addition, the company provides contract development and manufacturing services; and offers IND and BLA filing services. Further, it provides platform for research and development of antibodies, transient infection, process development, N-Glycosylation, and CAR-T. Shanghai ZhenGe Biotechnology Co.,Ltd. was founded in 2017 and is based in Shanghai, China.

Disc Medicine

Series B in 2021
Disc Medicine, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics based on human genetics to address ineffective red blood cell production in hematologic diseases. The company specializes in programs targeting the hepcidin metabolism axis for the treatment of disorders related to hepcidin. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Disc Medicine is led by a team of experienced scientists and industry experts, supported by a panel of advisors with a proven history in discovering and developing innovative therapies. The company was established with backing from Atlas Venture, along with contributions from Novo Ventures and Access Biotechnology.

BBI Group

Acquisition in 2021
The BBI Group has been a trusted partner to some of the world’s leading diagnostic and healthcare organisations for over 25 years. Founded upon the success of the superior quality and performance of our gold reagents, our organisation has grown to incorporate 3 businesses delivering excellence in diagnostic assay development and manufacturing across a range of sectors, and the supply of consumer healthcare products.

Esco Lifesciences

Series A in 2021
Esco Lifesciences Group provides enabling technologies, products, and services for the life sciences and healthcare industries, supporting academic research and scientific discoveries, clinical practice, as well as biopharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing.

IO Biotech

Series B in 2021
IO Biotech ApS is a clinical stage biotech company developing disruptive immune therapies i.e. checkpoint/cancer vaccines. Checkpoint/cancer vaccines suppress the function of regulatory immune cells and induce inflammation in the microenvironment in addition to direct targeting of cancer cells.

VectivBio

Venture Round in 2020
VectivBio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company bringing transformational medicines to patients with serious rare diseases. They are committed to pursuing rare diseases with well-defined biology that can be targeted with best-in-disease therapies that have the potential to meaningfully transform and improve the lives of patients and their families, not just provide an incremental improvement or benefit over the standard-of-care. It was founded as a spinout from Therachon, a biotechnology company acquired by Pfizer for its program in achondroplasia. VectivBio was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Basel, Switzerland.

IO Biotech

Debt Financing in 2020
IO Biotech ApS is a clinical stage biotech company developing disruptive immune therapies i.e. checkpoint/cancer vaccines. Checkpoint/cancer vaccines suppress the function of regulatory immune cells and induce inflammation in the microenvironment in addition to direct targeting of cancer cells.

VectivBio

Series A in 2020
VectivBio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company bringing transformational medicines to patients with serious rare diseases. They are committed to pursuing rare diseases with well-defined biology that can be targeted with best-in-disease therapies that have the potential to meaningfully transform and improve the lives of patients and their families, not just provide an incremental improvement or benefit over the standard-of-care. It was founded as a spinout from Therachon, a biotechnology company acquired by Pfizer for its program in achondroplasia. VectivBio was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Basel, Switzerland.

Disc Medicine

Series A in 2019
Disc Medicine, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics based on human genetics to address ineffective red blood cell production in hematologic diseases. The company specializes in programs targeting the hepcidin metabolism axis for the treatment of disorders related to hepcidin. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Disc Medicine is led by a team of experienced scientists and industry experts, supported by a panel of advisors with a proven history in discovering and developing innovative therapies. The company was established with backing from Atlas Venture, along with contributions from Novo Ventures and Access Biotechnology.

Oxford BioMedica

Acquisition in 2019
Oxford BioMedica is a pioneer of gene and cell therapy, with a leading industry position in lentiviral vector and cell therapy research, development and manufacture. Gene therapy is the treatment of disease by delivering therapeutic DNA into a patient’s cells. This can be either in vivo or ex vivo, the latter encompassing the field of cell therapy whereby genetically modified cells are put back into the body. Their pipeline of seven gene and cell therapy therapy products addresses diseases for which there is currently no treatment or that are inadequately treated today, including ocular and central nervous system disorders. Their product candidates have the potential to transform treatment landscapes. Their strategy is to develop their product candidates to their next value inflection points whilst continuing to build OXB Solutions into a valuable revenue-generating manufacturing and development services business.

Battersea Biotech

Seed Round in 2016
Battersea Biotech develops alternative cell types and technologies to overcome the shortcomings of current CAR-T and TCR technologies.

Nuvelution Pharma

Venture Round in 2015
Nuvelution Pharma, Inc. is based in Pembroke, Massachusetts, and provides capital solutions to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The company focuses on facilitating product development through a combination of financial resources and human expertise. By leveraging its extensive knowledge and industry relationships, Nuvelution engages in risk-sharing collaborations that aim to streamline the process of bringing essential medicines to market. This approach is designed to make their model a valuable asset for pharma and biotech firms seeking to advance their product offerings and improve patient access to critical therapies.

Imagen Biotech

Series A in 2011
Imagen Biotech, Inc. is a private, venture-backed biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying and developing therapeutics for blinding diseases with high unmet medical needs, including dry age-related macular degeneration. Since its formation in the summer of 2011 with financing from SV Life Sciences, Novo Ventures and Fidelity Biosciences, Imagen continues to evaluate numerous compounds sourced worldwide to determine their feasibility as drug development candidates. The Company was co-founded by ophthalmologists Matthew Feinsod, MD, former medical officer at FDA and later SVP with Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, and David Guyer, MD, former founder and CEO of Eyetech Pharmaceuticals and current partner with SV Life Sciences. Imagen is funded to develop approximately three compounds through predetermined milestones.

MediQuest Therapeutics

Series B in 2009
MediQuest is a specialty pharmaceutical / biotechnology company specializing in first in class and best in class topical drug delivery systems. Primary focus is on the discovery, development, and commercialization of products for the topical treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases.

MediQuest Therapeutics

Series A in 2006
MediQuest is a specialty pharmaceutical / biotechnology company specializing in first in class and best in class topical drug delivery systems. Primary focus is on the discovery, development, and commercialization of products for the topical treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases.