BioCentury
ARTICLE | Finance

Direct from UCB Ventures

Why UCB Ventures has pivoted from backing VC funds to making direct investments

June 22, 2018 8:58 PM UTC

UCB Ventures’ recent investment in Durham, N.C.-based gene therapy play StrideBio Inc. marks the next phase in how the strategic investor plans to deploy its €150 million ($174 million) fund. After backing multiple healthcare VC funds, the venture arm of UCB S.A. (Euronext:UCB) now plans to invest directly in companies that are “higher risk” but still loosely align with UCB’s therapeutic focus.

VP and Head of UCB Ventures Erica Whittaker told BioCentury that the fund, which launched last year, initially invested an undisclosed proportion of its fund in funds run by Arix Bioscience plc, Pappas Ventures and Qiming. ...

BCIQ Company Profiles

UCB S.A.