V-Bio Ventures

V-Bio Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Gent, Belgium, focused on investing in startup and early-stage companies within the life sciences sector. Established in 2015, the firm specializes in bio-pharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and agriculture. V-Bio Ventures aims to support innovative companies, particularly those located in Europe, with a particular emphasis on Belgium. The firm typically takes minority stakes in its investments, allowing it to foster growth while sharing the entrepreneurial journey of its portfolio companies.

Willem Broekaert Ph.D

Managing Partner

Ward Capoen

Principal

Katja Rosenkranz

Partner

Christina Takke

Managing Partner

26 past transactions

Dualyx

Series A in 2023
Dualyx engages in the discovery and development of biologicals for the treatment of autoimmune and rare diseases.

Precirix

Series B in 2022
Camel-IDS develops radiopharmaceuticals for cancer patients. Its product, CAM-H2, treats HER2 positive cancers. It also engages in clinical development to treat breast cancer patients; and develops compounds for other cancer indications. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Brussels, Belgium.

Corteria Pharmaceuticals

Seed Round in 2021
Corteria Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing innovative therapies for heart failure subpopulations, particularly those experiencing worsening and acute decompensated heart failure. The company focuses on addressing unmet medical needs in this area and aims to provide effective treatments that enhance understanding of the underlying disease biology. Additionally, Corteria's research extends to related conditions such as sarcopenia and obesity, positioning the company to make a significant impact on the management of these interconnected health issues.

Horama SAS

Series B in 2021
Horama SAS is a biotechnology company based in Paris, France, established in 2014. It specializes in developing gene therapy products aimed at treating rare ophthalmic diseases, particularly targeting inherited retinal dystrophies and retinopathies. By utilizing recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors, Horama's therapies aim to deliver a functional copy of mutated genes to affected retinal cells. This approach seeks to restore normal cell function, prevent further deterioration of vision, and ultimately improve or restore visual capabilities for patients. The company is positioning itself as a significant player in the ophthalmic gene therapy sector, with the goal of enhancing patient autonomy while also contributing to reduced healthcare costs.

AgomAb Therapeutics

Series B in 2021
AgomAb is developing molecular therapies for the regeneration of damaged tissues. Their unique agonistic monoclonal antibody molecules (“agomAbs”) stimulate molecular and cellular repair mechanisms that have the potential to restore organ function in patients with fibrotic, inflammatory, autoimmune and degenerative diseases.

Oxular

Venture Round in 2021
Precision Ocular Metrology is a medical device startup dedicated to revolutionizing the way we measure ocular surface topography. Standard Placido disk slope measurements are great for optical power measurements on the central regions of the cornea but provide poor elevation topography, making them poor choices for specialty lens fitting. Our sMap3D topographer addresses this problem by providing direct anterior surface elevation measurements, letting you map the complete three-dimensional eye surface with an unprecedented 10 um precision.

Aphea.Bio

Series B in 2020
Aphea.Bio will develop next generation ‘biopesticides’ based on natural microorganisms. These products will provide an alternative for chemical pesticides, which are currently under serious pressure. In addition, the company will develop novel ‘biostimulants’, i.e. microorganisms that stimulate crop growth, for example through promoting the uptake of nutrients from the soil.

Animab

Seed Round in 2020
Animab BV, a biotechnology company, develops monoclonal antibodies for livestock. It develops mimic secretory IgA, a type of natural antibody passed through colostrum and milk to protect nursing animals. The company will help swine producers with antibiotics for the control of gastrointestinal pathogens. Animab BV was incorporated in 2020 and is based in Ghent, Belgium.

Syndesi Therapeutics

Series A in 2020
Syndesi Therapeutics is developing molecules that uniquely modulate the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A, which plays a central role in synaptic transmission (the communication between neurons in the brain). Regulating synaptic transmission represents a promising approach to treating Alzheimer’s Disease and other disorders with cognitive impairment. Syndesi has an exclusive license to its platform technology from UCB, the leading company in SV2A research.

Biodol Therapeutics

Series A in 2020
Biodol Therapeutics SAS develops compounds for the treatment of chronic pain. The company develops compounds through FLT3 that expresses on sensory neurons and instruments in the generation and maintenance of a pain response. Biodol Therapeutics was incorporated in 2015 and is based in Clapiers, France.

ExeVir

Series A in 2020
ExeVir Bio BV is a Belgium-based biotechnology company established in 2020, focused on developing single-domain antibody therapies to combat viral infections. The company utilizes a llama-derived antibody technology platform, specifically the VHH technology, to create robust antiviral treatments that offer broad protection against coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. ExeVir's lead candidate, VHH72-FC, targets a conserved region on the virus's spike protein essential for cellular entry. This innovative approach not only aims to provide effective treatment and prevention strategies for viral infections but also enables rapid development of drug candidates in response to emerging health threats, ensuring stability and cost-effectiveness for global access. ExeVir Bio's therapies are designed to reduce viral load and inflammation, thereby supporting immune responses and protecting vulnerable populations, including healthcare workers and individuals with co-morbidities.

Orionis Biosciences

Series B in 2020
Orionis Biosciences operates in the healthcare industry focusing on the biotechnology business and innovation. The company is an early-stage drug discovery and development biotechnology company fueled by a suite of disruptive technologies to advance innovative medicines for the treatment of diseases with high unmet medical needs – with an initial internal focus in oncology and immunotherapies. Orionis Biosciences has research facilities in the Boston area (Headquarters in Waltham, MA, USA) and Ghent (Belgium), and is operated by a world class team of entrepreneurs, scientists and transatlantic network of investors, in concert with strategic research and development collaborations. The latter includes collaborations with VIB (Belgium), Orionis Biosciences co-founding institution.

RootWave

Series A in 2020
RootWave develops and distributes machinery that kills weeds in the agricultural lands. It offers hand weeders for growers, gardeners, and groundskeepers to spot weed and treat invasive species; and solutions for automating weeding in agriculture using visual recognition and to target weeds in arable crops. The company sells its products through distributors in France, Australasia, Ireland, and South Korea. RootWave was founded in 2012 and is based in Kineton, United Kingdom.

Augustine Therapeutics

Seed Round in 2019
Augustine Therapeutics N.V., founded in 2019 and based in Gent, Belgium, focuses on developing innovative medicines for patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and other neuromuscular disorders. The company is engaged in two primary drug discovery programs aimed at identifying selective HDAC6 inhibitors and GABABR1a agonists. These compounds are designed to offer neuroprotection against nerve degeneration and to promote the repair of peripheral myelin. Through its research and development efforts, Augustine Therapeutics aims to enhance the quality of life for patients afflicted with these challenging neurological conditions.

Confo Therapeutics

Series A in 2019
Confo Therapeutics is a drug discovery company based in Brussels, Belgium, founded in 2015. The company specializes in developing internal drug discovery programs focused on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to address unmet medical needs. Utilizing its proprietary CONFO® technology, Confo Therapeutics stabilizes inherently unstable functional conformations of GPCRs, providing a robust starting point for drug discovery. This approach reveals previously inaccessible structural features of these receptors, facilitating the identification of novel agonists that enhance therapeutic interventions.

AgomAb Therapeutics

Series A in 2019
AgomAb is developing molecular therapies for the regeneration of damaged tissues. Their unique agonistic monoclonal antibody molecules (“agomAbs”) stimulate molecular and cellular repair mechanisms that have the potential to restore organ function in patients with fibrotic, inflammatory, autoimmune and degenerative diseases.

Precirix

Series A in 2018
Camel-IDS develops radiopharmaceuticals for cancer patients. Its product, CAM-H2, treats HER2 positive cancers. It also engages in clinical development to treat breast cancer patients; and develops compounds for other cancer indications. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Brussels, Belgium.

Horama SAS

Series B in 2018
Horama SAS is a biotechnology company based in Paris, France, established in 2014. It specializes in developing gene therapy products aimed at treating rare ophthalmic diseases, particularly targeting inherited retinal dystrophies and retinopathies. By utilizing recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors, Horama's therapies aim to deliver a functional copy of mutated genes to affected retinal cells. This approach seeks to restore normal cell function, prevent further deterioration of vision, and ultimately improve or restore visual capabilities for patients. The company is positioning itself as a significant player in the ophthalmic gene therapy sector, with the goal of enhancing patient autonomy while also contributing to reduced healthcare costs.

Syndesi Therapeutics

Series A in 2018
Syndesi Therapeutics is developing molecules that uniquely modulate the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A, which plays a central role in synaptic transmission (the communication between neurons in the brain). Regulating synaptic transmission represents a promising approach to treating Alzheimer’s Disease and other disorders with cognitive impairment. Syndesi has an exclusive license to its platform technology from UCB, the leading company in SV2A research.

Aphea.Bio

Series A in 2017
Aphea.Bio will develop next generation ‘biopesticides’ based on natural microorganisms. These products will provide an alternative for chemical pesticides, which are currently under serious pressure. In addition, the company will develop novel ‘biostimulants’, i.e. microorganisms that stimulate crop growth, for example through promoting the uptake of nutrients from the soil.

OCTIMET Oncology

Series A in 2017
OCTIMET oncology’s overall strategy is to advance the development of discovery stage molecules by employing innovative patient selection and pharmacodynamic biomarker-based strategies, as well as an innovative clinical development strategy.

Oxular

Series A in 2016
Precision Ocular Metrology is a medical device startup dedicated to revolutionizing the way we measure ocular surface topography. Standard Placido disk slope measurements are great for optical power measurements on the central regions of the cornea but provide poor elevation topography, making them poor choices for specialty lens fitting. Our sMap3D topographer addresses this problem by providing direct anterior surface elevation measurements, letting you map the complete three-dimensional eye surface with an unprecedented 10 um precision.

Orionis Biosciences

Series A in 2016
Orionis Biosciences operates in the healthcare industry focusing on the biotechnology business and innovation. The company is an early-stage drug discovery and development biotechnology company fueled by a suite of disruptive technologies to advance innovative medicines for the treatment of diseases with high unmet medical needs – with an initial internal focus in oncology and immunotherapies. Orionis Biosciences has research facilities in the Boston area (Headquarters in Waltham, MA, USA) and Ghent (Belgium), and is operated by a world class team of entrepreneurs, scientists and transatlantic network of investors, in concert with strategic research and development collaborations. The latter includes collaborations with VIB (Belgium), Orionis Biosciences co-founding institution.

Confo Therapeutics

Venture Round in 2016
Confo Therapeutics is a drug discovery company based in Brussels, Belgium, founded in 2015. The company specializes in developing internal drug discovery programs focused on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to address unmet medical needs. Utilizing its proprietary CONFO® technology, Confo Therapeutics stabilizes inherently unstable functional conformations of GPCRs, providing a robust starting point for drug discovery. This approach reveals previously inaccessible structural features of these receptors, facilitating the identification of novel agonists that enhance therapeutic interventions.