Forbion, a Netherlands-based venture firm, raised 2.3 billion euros ($2.6 billion) in the largest European life-sciences venture raise this year. About 60% of funding came from European investors including Dutch pension managers MN and PGGM, while 40% came from North American backers. The round brings Forbion's total assets under management to 7.5 billion euros ($8.5 billion), a 50% increase from two years ago.
The raise follows warnings from nine major drugmakers including AstraZeneca, GSK, Novartis, Roche Holding, and Sanofi that Europe is losing ground in pharmaceutical investment. Europe's share of global drug research has fallen to 31% from 43% in 1990, as China aggressively builds its biotech sector. European venture funds hold only 7% of the global life-sciences venture market compared to 63% for the U.S.
Despite the broader European venture market posting its weakest annual total in a decade in 2025, Forbion's success signals a recovery favoring established players. Other recent deals include Paris-based Jeito Capital's $1.2 billion fund and London-based Isomorphic Labs' $2.1 billion raise using AI for drug design. Sander Slootweg, Forbion's co-founder and managing partner, noted these figures represent the first signs of available capital returning to the European market.
Источник: Wall Street Journal Markets · Сводку подготовил HeadlinesBriefing