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Health for Life Capital Fund, managed by Seventure Partners, increases focus on skin microbiome in its portfolio

Paris, France – 11 January 2021 – Seventure Partners, one of Europe’s leaders in financing innovation and a world leader in life science microbiome investment, has increased focus on skin microbiome investments in its Health for Life fund portfolio, with four companies active in this area, including BiomX, Dermala, Siolta Therapeutics and Eligo Bioscience.
 

The first Health for Life fund was launched in 2014, as the first fund with a specific focus on microbiome-related investments, with a portfolio that today comprises >20 companies. With microbiome research becoming increasingly important, Seventure has also expanded its investment portfolio to new, emerging areas, such as the skin microbiome. Recent examples of its activities and portfolio company news include:

• Seventure’s portfolio company, Eligo Bioscience, has just signed a major agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) in order to advance Eligo’s technology, Eligobiotics^®, for the treatment or prevention of acne vulgaris by modifying the composition of the skin’s microbiome.
   
• At the end of last year, Seventure joined a $6.73 million Series A financing round in Dermala, a dermatology company developing personalized, microbiome-based topical and oral solutions for acne and other skin conditions.
   
• Siolta Therapeutics, where Seventure invested in the 30 M$ Series B in May 2020, plans to launch two phase 2 clinical studies in allergic diseases (i.e, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and atopic wheeze) based on the oral administration of the multi-species cocktail named STMC-103H, (i) a study on at-risk neonates to prevent incidence of disease in H1 2020, followed shortly by (ii) a study on small children diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, to tone down its progression and prevent ‘atopic march’, i.e. the incidence of food allergy in addition.
   
• The fourth Seventure portfolio company with programs in skin microbiome, BiomX (NYSE American: PHGE), is expected to launch a Phase 2 cosmetic clinical study for acne, as well as start a new programme to develop a topically administered phage therapy for Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium strongly linked to atopic dermatitis, in 2021.

“While microbiome research is a relatively young area, our understanding of the close connection between the human microbiome and our immune system is growing by the day. This is also reflected by the growing number of major deals in this field, in many modalities and in many therapeutic areas, including the skin microbiome, which is increasingly drawing attention from major skincare companies,” said Isabelle de Cremoux, CEO and Managing Partner, Seventure Partners, who led Health for Life Capital fund raising and microbiome strategy. 
 

Seventure’s second Health for Life Fund II was launched in March 2019, and due to significant interest, its final close has been extended until Spring 2021. This second fund is significantly oversubscribed, already exceeding the initial €200m target size. The fund has already made eight investments in the microbiome space.
 

About Seventure Partners

With €750m net commitments under management as of the end of 2018, Seventure Partners is a leading venture capital firm in Europe. Since 1997, Seventure Partners has been investing in innovative businesses with high growth potential in two fields: Life sciences across Europe, Israel, Asia and North America and Digital technologies in France and Germany.
 

In Life sciences, the main areas of focus include “classic” approaches such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, diagnostic and medtech, industrial biotechnology, as well as “beyond the pill” approaches such as MICROBIOME-linked innovations, nutrition, foodtech, digital/connected health, wellbeing and personalized medicine& personalized nutrition. Investments can range between €500k and €10m per round, or up to €20m per company, from early to late stage.
 

Seventure Partners successfully launched Health for Life Capital™ which invests in Life sciences (health, nutrition, digital/connected health…) with a core focus on the microbiome revolution and its applications in human health, nutrition and food.
 

In March 2018, Seventure Partners launched AVF, a new fund dedicated to animal nutrition, feed and health with Adisseo as strategic partner. In July 2019, it launched Sport & Performance Capital, dedicated to innovations in Sport & wellness.
 

About Health for Life Capital™

Seventure Partners launched Health for Life Capital™, the first venture capital fund focused mainly on investments “beyond the pill” in the microbiome and nutrition space. Europe is the primary focus of the fund, but it also invests in North America, Asia and Israel.
 

The €160m first fund launched in 2014 has invested in 20 companies at the forefront of their fields, such as Enterome, Vedanta Biosciences, MaaT Pharma, Eligo Bioscience, LNC Therapeutics/Ysopia Bioscience, TargEDys, A-Mansia Biotech, BiomX, Microbiotica, Anaeropharma, LiMM Therapeutics, Siolta Therapeutics, DayTwo, Zipongo (renamed Foodsmart), Mdoloris Medical Systems, MycoTechnology, etc.
 

In January 2019 it launched second fund Health for Life Capital II™ with a target fund size of over €200m. Both first fund and second fund attracted strategic investments from prestigious organisations including Danone, Novartis, two US based global food ingredient providers (to be disclosed), Lesaffre, Tornier, Tereos, Unigrains and Bel, as well as financial institutions, family offices and entrepreneurs.
 

For more information please contact: seventure@instinctif.com

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Melanie Toyne-SewellManaging Partner