Flagship, ARCH Close VC Funds Totaling $2.56bn

Flagship Pioneering raised $1.1bn to fund life science companies emerging from Flagship Labs. ARCH, another frequent start-up co-founder, raised two funds totaling $1.46bn to back early-stage biotech.

Business, Technology, Internet and network concept. Young businessman working on a virtual screen of the future and sees the inscription: venture capital — Both Flagship and ARCH focus on company creation and early-stage investments • Source: Shutterstock

Two investment firms that focus on life science companies at their earliest stages said on 2 April that they have raised a total of $2.56bn across three venture capital funds – Flagship Pioneering with a single $1.1bn fund and ARCH Venture Partners with two funds totaling $1.46bn. These new funds may help their investors and limited partners capitalize on the biopharmaceutical industry’s rising profile due to its role in helping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is remarkable that two separate firms were able to raise $1bn-plus during a time when economic uncertainty due to...