VC fund briefs, week of Dec. 24, 2007

Index focuses on late stage with new fund

Index Ventures, the Geneva-based early stage venture firm that was an early backer of Skype Technologies, plans to raise a new fund focused on late stage deals, according to VentureWire. The firm, which typically invests in Series A and Series B deals in life sciences and IT companies in Europe, plans to expand in the cleantech sector.

The firm plans to close the fund, which is targeted at $577 million, early next year. One limited partner in the new fund told VentureWire that the fund is already oversubscribed.

The firm last year raised about $460 million for its fourth early stage fund.

Santé raises $300M for inaugural fund

Santé Health Ventures has closed its debut venture capital fund with $130 million in committed capital. The health care-focused firm had targeted to raise $100 million.

The firm will focus on seed and early stage companies nationwide that are developing innovative new medical technologies and health care services. The firm was co-founded by three former managers from Austin Ventures, Ascension Health Ventures and Ascension Health Ventures.

The firm, which has offices in Austin, Texas, and Brentwood, Tenn., has already invested from the new fund.

Spinal Restoration, Inc., an Austin, Texas-based medical device company, raised $16 million in a Series B round from Santé Health Ventures, MB Venture Partners, Austin Ventures and Path4 Ventures.

RiverVest to open Cleveland office

RiverVest Venture Partners, a life sciences venture firm based in St. Louis, plans to open an office at the BioEnterprise facility, a bioscience technology initiative, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Karen Spilizewski, who is joining RiverVest on a part-time basis as a vice president on Jan. 1, will manage the new office.

Spilizewski joined BioEnterprise in 2005. Before that, she was at Avery Dennison, working in research and business development.