StartUps and SMEs

Almost halfway through 2025, and financing for European biotech could be described as challenging. Market volatility, geopolitical instability and trade barriers all loom large in biotech CEO minds when pitching for funding. In Vivo talked to biotechs and investors to gain a realistic view of the current market for company funding so far this year.

Private Company Edition: SV Health Investors revealed the final closing of its second Dementia Discovery Fund. Also, Eikon cut nearly 15% of its staff, Pathos AI raised $365m in series D venture capital and CellCentric completed a $120m series C round, among other financings.

Private Company Edition: Deerfield’s third innovations fund will back therapeutics and other opportunities, the Gates Foundation – a sometimes funder of biotech firms – will spend $200bn over the next 20 years, and NewLimit raised a $130m series B round, among other financings.

HTX-001 targeting the long non-coding RNA known as Wisper is being developed for non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. HAYA partnered with Lilly last year in obesity.

Rising Leader Jacob Rubens, who has co-founded and led several Flagship companies and is now origination partner, believes aspiring leaders should follow their bliss.

Ochre Bio co-founder and CSO Quin Wills spoke with In Vivo about the UK-based company's novel approach to finding RNA therapies for chronic liver disease.

Eight $1bn+ alliances were penned in March, and five exceeded $2bn.

Private Company Edition: After Q1 venture capital investment slumped relative to 2024 totals due to declines in both smaller financings and mega-rounds, Q2 started off with six $100m-plus financings in the first half of April after there were only three in February and six in all off March.

The next big thing in auto-immune therapies: worms. Or so a young California biotech believes. Holoclara is pioneering a new class of medicines derived from intestinal worms to revolutionize the treatment of autoimmune diseases, allergies, and more.

Evaluate data show that biopharma companies raising cash in the smallest and largest categories of venture capital financings struggled to meet bars set in prior quarters.

The sixth annual edition of In Vivo’s Rising Leaders features entrepreneurs, academics, lawyers, regulators and innovators from around the globe, representing the forefront of creativity in health care.

Top 30 leaders: see the list of industry influencers highlighted in the sixth edition of In Vivo's Rising Leaders series.