Key Takeaways
- • Forbion raised €2.3bn (US$2.6bn) across two new life sciences venture funds, marking the firm's largest fundraising to date and one of the largest life sciences VC raises globally in the past five years.
- • The capital raise, substantially above target, increases Forbion's total assets under management to approximately €7.5bn, solidifying its position as Europe's largest dedicated life sciences venture capital firm.
- • Two new vehicles launched: Forbion Growth Opportunities Fund IV for later-stage biopharma in Europe and North America, and Forbion Ventures Fund VIII focused on therapeutics-driven biotech, with combined capacity to finance approximately 30 portfolio companies.
- • Prominent investors backing the raise include MN, PGGM, KfW Capital, the Kauffman Foundation, and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, alongside existing and new limited partners.
- • The substantial dry powder deployment comes during a market characterized by capital scarcity, positioning Forbion to selectively target paradigm-shifting treatment platforms addressing unmet medical needs.
Summary
Netherlands-based life sciences venture capital firm Forbion has completed a €2.3bn fundraising across two new investment vehicles, representing its largest capital raise to date and one of the most significant life sciences VC closings globally over the past five years. The capital was raised substantially above the firm's initial target and closed at pace, reflecting strong institutional demand from both existing limited partners and new backers entering the firm's investor base.
The two new funds—Forbion Growth Opportunities Fund IV and Forbion Ventures Fund VIII—bring the firm's total assets under management to approximately €7.5bn. This milestone reinforces Forbion's standing as Europe's largest dedicated life sciences venture capital platform. The Growth Opportunities Fund IV will target later-stage biopharma companies across Europe and North America, while Ventures Fund VIII will focus on therapeutics-oriented biotech enterprises. Combined, the two vehicles possess capacity to deploy capital across approximately 30 portfolio companies.
The investor consortium includes institutional names such as MN, PGGM, and KfW Capital, alongside the Kauffman Foundation and Eli Lilly, demonstrating confidence from both traditional institutional allocators and pharmaceutical industry participants. Sander Slootweg, managing partner and co-founder of Forbion, emphasized the strategic timing of the raise, noting that substantial dry powder in a capital-constrained market enables the firm to identify and back only the most innovative biotech platforms addressing genuine unmet medical needs while generating meaningful societal impact.
The two new funds—Forbion Growth Opportunities Fund IV and Forbion Ventures Fund VIII—bring the firm's total assets under management to approximately €7.5bn. This milestone reinforces Forbion's standing as Europe's largest dedicated life sciences venture capital platform. The Growth Opportunities Fund IV will target later-stage biopharma companies across Europe and North America, while Ventures Fund VIII will focus on therapeutics-oriented biotech enterprises. Combined, the two vehicles possess capacity to deploy capital across approximately 30 portfolio companies.
The investor consortium includes institutional names such as MN, PGGM, and KfW Capital, alongside the Kauffman Foundation and Eli Lilly, demonstrating confidence from both traditional institutional allocators and pharmaceutical industry participants. Sander Slootweg, managing partner and co-founder of Forbion, emphasized the strategic timing of the raise, noting that substantial dry powder in a capital-constrained market enables the firm to identify and back only the most innovative biotech platforms addressing genuine unmet medical needs while generating meaningful societal impact.
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