Sofinnova Partners is a venture capital firm that invests in the life sciences sector, from seed to later-stage. The firm manages over €2 billion of assets dedicated to life science investing and actively partners with ambitious entrepreneurs as a lead or cornerstone investor to develop transformative innovations that have the potential to positively impact its collective future. It invests in start-ups, early-stage companies, corporate spin-offs, and occasionally turnaround situations with a focus on Life Sciences (Biopharmaceuticals / Biotech, Medical Devices, Industrial Biotechnology). Sofinnova Partners proactively sources deals, takes a lead role, is most often the first institutional investor in Round A financings, and leads its portfolio companies until exit. They sit on the boards of their portfolio companies and play an active role from the formation phase alongside entrepreneurs. It was headquartered in Paris, Ile-de-France in 1972.

Sofinnova Partners

Gimv is a European investment company with over three decades of experience in private equity and venture capital.  Gimv is listed on NYSE Euronext Brussels. Gimv currently manages around 1.8 billion EUR (including third party funds) of investments in 85 portfolio companies, which jointly realise a turnover of more than EUR 6 billion and employ over 28,000 professionals.   As a recognized market leader in selected investment platforms, Gimv identifies entrepreneurial and innovative companies with high-growth potential and supports them in their transformation into market leaders. Gimv’s four investment platforms are: Consumer 2020, Health & Care, Smart Industries and Sustainable Cities. Each of these platforms works with a skilled and dedicated team across Gimv’s home markets of the Benelux, France and Germany and can count on an extended international network of experts.  More information on Gimv can be found on [www.gimv.com].

Gimv

VIB, a Belgium-based life sciences research institute, performs research for pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications.

Agri-Vie is a private equity investment fund focused on food and agribusiness in Sub-Sahara Africa with a mission to generate an above average investment return, as well as demonstrable socio-economic development impacts through its equity investments in food and agribusinesses. As such, Agri-Vie is styled as an ‘impact investment fund’, harnessing investment disciplines to address development challenges.  The fund was initiated by SP-aktif and Sanlam Private Equity with the cooperation of South African and international investors as well as the Makotulo Consortium. The fund’s vision is to be a catalyst for sustainable growth in Africa through investing in one of the foundational sectors of the continent.  Agri-Vie seeks to realise this vision through deploying development capital and management know-how according to sound investment and business principles.

Agri Vie

Biovest International, Inc. is a publicly-traded (OTCQB: BVTI), emerging leader in the field of active personalized immunotherapy targeting life-threatening cancers of the blood system, and markets state-of-the-art hollow fiber bio-production instruments, as well as provides custom cell culture services, including contract manufacturing.

Biovest International

Qbic is the result of a lot of thinking, debating and sketching of what a city hotel could be; one that breaks the rules and makes people smile. An astonishing level of change has swept through the world over the last few years. But the hotel experience is no different than it’s ever been: stuffy, over-priced and lacking soul. They’re here to change all that. they’re curious, imaginative and friendly, and they think there are lots of people just like us seeking a hotel with personality in the middle of the city. They believe in something better than what’s currently out there. A place that celebrates life rather than sucks life out of it. A hotel that’s built on creativity and a belief that you don’t have to accept the conventional. Somewhere that sends you away with fun stories and ideas, and is easy on your pocket.

Qbic

PMV is a do and dare company that is shaping the future of the Flemish economy. It provides funding for promising companies' businesses, from the day they first open their doors, through their various growth stages and even on to operating internationally. Working with and for the government and other partners, PMV implements projects that are important for prosperity and well-being in Flanders. PMV is convinced that entrepreneurship is crucial for the development of a prosperous future for Flanders and everyone who lives there. It firmly believes that every promising enterprise project in Flanders needs to find funding – but also that every business needs to be profitable in order to be sustainable. Which is why PMV and the companies and projects in which it invests must be profitable in the end.

Madeli Participaties

The Qbic Fund is a multi-sector fund supporting spin-off companies of the Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp university associations and of VITO. Through its strategic partnership with the universities of Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp, and VITO, the Qbic Fund has early and privileged access to promising research projects at these partner universities. Our investment approach is based on early in-depth and independent review and analysis followed by hands on involvement and support.  In May 2012 the Qbic Fund held its first close and currently it has over € 30 million under management. The Qbic Fund is backed by several public and private investors and managed by Qbic Venture Partners.

Qbic Fund

Ackermans & van Haaren is a diversified group active in 5 segments: Marine Engineering & Infrastructure; Private Banking; Real Estate, Leisure & Senior Care; Energy & Resources; Development Capital.  Marine Engineering & Infrastructure:  DEME, one of the largest dredging companies in the world - Algemene Aannemingen Van Laere, a leading contractor in Belgium. Ackermans & van Haaren is an independent and diversified group aiming at creating shareholder value through long-term investments in a limited number of companies with growth potential on an international level.

Ackermans & van Haaren

AgroSavfe nv, a Belgium-based agro-biotech company

Agri Investment Fund

K&E is a Belgian family company with several holdings active in agriculture and crop protection.

K & E

Novalis Lifesciences LLC, is a globally acting venture capital firm focused on breakthrough technologies in Life Science. Founded and managed by Dr. Marijn E. Dekkers, current chairman of Unilever and former chief executive officer of Bayer AG and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Novalis works with a diversified group of project-based specialists leading in their respective life science fields

Novalis LifeSciences

Biotalys

Biotalys is an Agricultural Technology (AgTech) company that employs its proprietary Agrobody technology platform to develop crop and food protection products. The company develops a new generation of protein-based biocontrol solutions, shaping the future of sustainable and safe food supply. Biotalys' unique protein-based biocontrols combine the high-performance characteristics of chemicals with the clean safety profile of biologicals, making them ideal crop protection agents for both pre- and post-harvest applications. It was incorporated in 2013 and is based in the Biotech hub in Ghent, Belgium.

Biotalys is an Agricultural Technology (AgTech) company that develops protein-based biocontrol solutions for crop and food protection. The company's AGROBODY technology platform allows it to discover and develop novel biological solutions that combine high efficacy, consistency, and safety, with new modes of action to combat resistance. Biotalys' first innovative biofungicide, Evoca, helps sustainably control economically important fungal diseases like Botrytis and powdery mildew in fruits and vegetables. Evoca is expected to obtain approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in early 2023.

Novozymes and Biotalys announce successful Evoca™ feasibility study

Syngenta and Biotalys Enter Into Strategic Partnership in Biologicals Innovation to Advance Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture

Transforming Crop Protection

Biotalys Enters into Academic Collaborations with Key Scientific Leaders in Europe and U.S.

Results of the Special Shareholders’ Meeting

Syngenta and Biotalys Enter into Strategic Partnership in Biologicals Innovation to Advance Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture

Biotalys announces participation at upcoming scientific, industry and investor events

Biotalys and Olon enter protein

Invitation to a Special Shareholders’ Meeting

Results of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting

Biotalys (formerly AgroSavfe)

Biologically protecting plants from pests

Biopesticides

Biotalys Appoints Kamal El Mernissi as Chief Business Development Officer

Syngenta

Partnering to research, develop, and commercialize biocontrol solutions to manage pests in a broad range of crops.

Companies that use machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to develop plant-based replacements to synthetic chemical. These companies develop biochemicals that use naturally occurring substances such as pheromones, and insect attractants to trap and control pests in plants.  This also includes companies that offer plant intelligence for creating biochemicals.

Biotalys is an Agricultural Technology (AgTech) company that develops protein-based biocontrol solutions for crop and food protection. The company's AGROBODY technology platform allows it to discover and develop novel biological solutions that combine high efficacy, consistency, and safety, with new modes of action to combat resistance. Biotalys' first innovative biofungicide, Evoca, helps sustainably control economically important fungal diseases like Botrytis and powdery mildew in fruits and vegetables. Evoca is expected to obtain approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in early 2023.
In October 2022, Biotalys announced a successful feasibility study with Novozymes, where the latter obtained proof of concept for a new manufacturing process that offers potential cost and scaling advantages for Evoca. This could broaden the commercial potential of Evoca and potentially reduce time to market. In February 2024, Biotalys entered into academic collaborations to deepen its expertise in oomycetes and isolate new fungal strains, supporting its R&D programs for developing biofungicides against diseases like late blight in potatoes and leafspot in cowpeas.
Biotalys was founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) and is headquartered in the biotech cluster in Ghent, Belgium.

Groundwork BioAg is an Israeli bioagriculture company that produces mycorrhizal inoculants for mainstream agriculture. Its flagship product line, Rootella, consists of highly concentrated mycorrhizal fungi that establish a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, extending their reach into the soil. This symbiosis enables plants to access otherwise unavailable nutrients, especially phosphorus, leading to significant crop yield improvements. Additionally, Rootella enhances plant resilience to various stresses like drought and salinity while reducing fertilizer dependency.
Groundwork BioAg's Mycorrhizal BioPlatform, driven by innovative high-volume production techniques, has been successfully commercialized across major agricultural regions globally. These include the US, Brazil, China, India, Canada, Ukraine, Europe, Asia, and Africa, catering to crops like corn, soybeans, grains, fruits, and vegetables. A standout offering is Tormos, a granular mycorrhizal inoculant tailored for Indian farming practices, developed through a collaboration with ADAMA.
In 2022, Groundwork BioAg raised USD 18 million in Series B funding led by Climate Innovation Capital, underscoring the demand for yield-enhancing biologicals that sequester carbon and promote regenerative agriculture. The company's technology enables conventional and regenerative farmers to achieve higher profitability while permanently sequestering carbon in their fields. Groundwork BioAg has also launched the Rootella Carbon program in 2023, aiming to sequester one gigaton of CO2 within a decade through its mycorrhizal inoculants.
Key customers and partnerships
In 2023, Groundwork BioAg expanded its North American team by appointing Andrew Duff as General Manager to accelerate the adoption of Rootella mycorrhizal inoculants among mainstream growers in the US.
In June 2022, Groundwork BioAg partnered with ADAMA, a leading global crop protection company, to offer the Tormos mycorrhizal inoculant in India. This collaboration leverages ADAMA's extensive farmer network and Groundwork BioAg's Mycorrhizal BioPlatform to provide cost-effective solutions to Indian growers.

Groundwork BioAG

Solasta Bio is a Glasgow-based agritech company specializing in the development of peptide-based bioinsecticides for crop protection. Founded in 2020 as a spin-out from the University of Glasgow, the company has created the world's first technology platform for producing neuropeptide-based Insect Control Agents (ICAs) derived from nature rather than synthetic chemistry.
These ICAs are designed to disrupt targeted physiological processes in insect pests, effectively controlling them while leaving beneficial pollinators like bees and other non-target species unharmed. Solasta Bio's solutions offer unique insect specificity, proven efficacy on par with traditional chemical insecticides, and an environmentally friendly, biodegradable approach that does not accumulate residues in nature.
Solasta Bio's platform enables the company to target a wide spectrum of pests, including those resistant to synthetic chemistries. The company aims to bring its first ICA products to market by 2027/2028, approximately half the time traditionally required for synthetic pest control products. Its technology is patent-protected, and an additional patent application is pending.
In February 2024, Solasta Bio announced the successful completion of over 20 field trials across Europe, the UK, and the US, demonstrating the efficacy and safety of its ICAs across various crops and pests, including aphids, Spotted Wing Drosophila, caterpillars, and leafhoppers.

Solasta Bio

Enko Chem, Inc. is a crop health company focused on developing sustainable crop solutions to address global food security challenges. The company utilizes its proprietary ENKOMPASS technology platform, which combines DNA-encoded library screening, machine learning, and structure-based design, to discover novel crop protection chemistries. This approach enables Enko to rapidly identify new, better-performing, and more targeted molecules across various categories of crop protection products.
Enko's current pipeline is led by a range of herbicides designed to break cycles of weed and pest resistance while reducing environmental impact compared to existing solutions. The company aims to provide effective crop protection solutions that help growers adapt to and mitigate challenges exacerbated by climate change, such as pesticide-resistant weeds, fungus, and pests.
Since its inception in 2017, Enko has generated hundreds of leading molecules through its technology platform. In January 2023, the company announced an USD 80 million Series C funding round, bringing its total capital raised to USD 150 million. The additional funds will be utilized to advance Enko's product pipeline and support the company's efforts to bring new crop protection solutions to market.

Enko Chem

BioPhero is a Denmark-based company that has developed a pioneering and highly efficient yeast fermentation process for manufacturing pheromones at significantly lower costs and with fewer production steps compared to traditional chemical synthesis methods. Pheromones are compounds used in integrated pest management programs for controlling insect populations by disrupting the mating process, thereby reducing egg-laying and decreasing the next generation of the target insect species. BioPhero's patented fermentation technology allows for the sustainable and cost-effective production of pheromones, expanding their potential application from specialty crops like fruits and vegetables to large-scale row crops such as corn, soybeans, and rice.
Through its innovative bioprocessing platform, BioPhero aims to make pheromones widely available and contribute to sustainable agriculture by offering an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional insecticides. The company's pheromone products are highly specific to target pests, promoting biodiversity and posing no threat to pollinators or beneficial insects. FMC Corporation, a leading agricultural sciences company, acquired BioPhero in July 2022 for approximately USD 200 million, integrating its pheromone platform into FMC's biologicals business. FMC projects revenue from pheromones and pheromone-based insect control products to reach approximately USD 1 billion with above company-average EBITDA margin by 2030.

BioPhero

Redag Crop Protection is a biotechnology research and development company focused on developing novel crop protection products. The company's core technology is the Redox Switch platform, which allows for the creation of new compounds by modifying the oxidation state of existing best-in-class products. This approach provides Redag Crop Protection with a pipeline of candidates across multiple high-value applications in the crop protection industry.
The Redox Switch platform offers several advantages. It enables the company to secure intellectual property rights around existing products by creating structurally similar but chemically distinct compounds. These new compounds share similarities with well-characterized parent compounds, reducing the risk profile, development time, testing redundancy, and overall cost of bringing products to market. Additionally, the structural similarity to existing product classes means that Redag Crop Protection can leverage current manufacturing assets, further reducing market entry costs.

Redag Crop Protection

Companies that use microscopic living organisms (such as viruses, bacteria or nematodes) or toxins produced by these organisms to act as pest control. This also includes companies developing technology platforms to use microorganism chemistry to develop different kinds of microbial pesticides.

Companies that develop pesticide substances produced by plants as a result of genetic manipulation. These companies use technology such as genetic engineering to derive natural substances that plants can produce to kill pests that feed on them.

Companies that use naturally occurring plant materials such as Azadirachtin, nicotinoids, natural pyrethrins, rotenoids,  and neem products in full or dilute form for pest and insect controls.

Companies that use natural enemies or predators like lady beetle, true bug, lacewings or parasitoids to protect the plants from pests.

Companies that use natural resources such as diatomaceous earth, mineral oil, water, minerals such as sulfur, potassium, or even organic acids for controlling various types of pests.

Companies that use biologically-derived substances such as microorganisms, seaweed extracts, and other organic matter that are applied to the plants or the soil to improve nutrient uptake, enhance tolerance of plant stress, and in turn improve crop growth and yield.

Provides natural alternatives to chemical pesticides

Processes often use AI and machine learning-based tech platforms to formulate biopesticides

Biotalys

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