Research and Markets: Guide to Venture Capital in European Biopharma.

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com) has announced the addition of Guide to Venture Capital in European Biopharma to their offering.

Raising venture capital can be absolutely critical for the success of a company. The fund raising process should therefore be planned and carried out with the same level of seriousness and professionalism as any other serious business objective. This report is designed to speed up VC raising campaigns by distilling the information and knowledge needed to proceed efficiently.

Acting as a tool for planning and preparing fund raising campaigns, this report contains information that will help understand the current investment climate, face the most critical issues for obtaining financing and help understand how to localise and approach suitable investors. The latest developments and trends in the European Venture Capital market for life sciences have been analysed. The financial strengths of investors are presented, how they prefer to invest and what triggers them. The benefits vs. potential disadvantages of attracting multiple investors and trans-national investors are also described.

111 active venture capital investors in European biopharma have been localised and listed. Further, the biopharma deals of these investors throughout 2002 until the end of August 2004 have been mapped done. These investors, together with their contact data, investment preferences, biopharma deal structures, portfolio companies, recent biopharma co-investments etc. are listed in Appendices B and C. Using this unique and near-to-complete investment data, several trend analyses of investments in the European Biopharma Industry have been conducted. General investment trends for this segment are discussed as well as trends in terms of platforms and indications targeted. So far, 2004 has been a very good year for the biopharma industry. According to this analysis, venture capital investments in this segment are expected to rise by more than 20% after two years of standstill. The total value of biopharmaceutical investments in the second quarter of 2004 are the highest in two years, and, for the first time ever, the total amount invested in European life science companies exceeded the amount invested in information technology in Q2 2004, according to Ernst & Young. The increased level of life science investments has partly been influenced by the once-again active life science IPOs in the U.S. and lately also in Europe. The question, however, is whether this development will continue? Although the re-opening of the IPO window surely is a positive sign in itself, recent life science IPOs in Europe have failed to raise as much as expected.

Trans-national co-investments between investors located in different countries are clearly increasing in Europe. This is believed to be a very healthy sign. However, many issues remain for the European Biopharma Industry to be dealt with. It is believed that major consolidations, increased M&A and increased b2b-and pharma collaborations are still needed in order for the European Biopharma Industry to thrive.

The demands and preferences from VC investors can often seem contradictory. However, some general trends have been identified. Preferences in terms of company models, scientific fields and geography of major pan-European investors are analysed and discussed.

This report will be valuable for investors, who may use it to benchmark their biopharma investments to those of others and possibly for viewing the biopharma industry from another perspective.

This report will help to:

--Understand the VC investment market in biopharma and its latest trends and developments

--Understand the VC community's view of the current biopharma market

--Get a feeling for what a VC investor looks for when making a new investment and what "triggers" most investors today in biotech 

--Get a feeling for the trends in terms of platforms and indications targeted along those biopharma companies that have recently received VC funding

--Prepare and present your company in a manner that may increase your chances of obtaining VC funding

--Localise potential investors for your company in terms of investment stage preferences, company type preferences, co-investment preferences and geographical concerns

Selection of Investors

--Atlas Venture

--Global Life Science Ventures

--Sofinnova Partners

--Techno Venture Management TVM 

--Ventech

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c4929