Life sciences firm launches with €50m fund

A new biotech fund has launched in France and has already raised €50m.

The Kurma Biofund will target companies operating in the life sciences and healthcare sectors and has established strong strategic relationships with the Institut Pasteur and the Institut Curie in France, both of which backed the Kurma Biofund I.

The fund has also established a working relationship with Imperial Innovations, the publicly-listed technology commercialization unit of Imperial College London.

Kurma was founded by Thierry Laugel, formely of AGF Private Equity, and Alain Maiore, who led the biotech investment team at Ventech for eight years.

Susan Searle, CEO of Imperial Innovations, said: “We are currently reviewing several

co-investment opportunities together with Thierry and Alain and their team, and look

forward to concluding a number of deals with Kurma in due course.”