Apollo Health Ventures Closes Fund II, at $180M

Apollo Health Ventures

Apollo Health Ventures, a Boston, MA and Berlin, Germany-based venture capital firm specialized in developing and investing in data-driven biotechnology and health tech ventures, closed its second venture fund at $180m.

. Apollo Health Ventures invests in game-changing companies at the seed or early stage and builds companies within the aging sector. Apollo’s team consists of entrepreneurs, seasoned biotech investors and scientists with remarkable track records in life science investments and venture creation.

The new fund is supported by Apollo’s existing international investor base as well as new notable and experienced investors.

Fund II aims to build a portfolio of data-driven biotechnology and healthtech ventures aimed at extending human healthspan. It will invest in both venture creation as well as externally sourced deals.

Led by Nils Regge, Co-founder and Partner, Apollo Health Ventures has an investments focus on companies targeting well-validated aging pathways with the aim of, for example, maintaining overall cellular health and fitness, reducing tissue damage caused by chronic inflammation, or restoring a healthy immune system to provide more resilience and protection against diseases.

The firm’s predecessor fund has built and invested in companies developing differentiated therapeutics against age-related disorders. Portfolio companies from the fund include Aeovian Pharmaceuticals, a company developing a safer version of rapamycin, a drug which has been shown to extend healthspan as well as lifespan in several animal models. Apollo has also co-founded Samsara Therapeutics, the world‘s largest discovery platform developing autophagy-enhancing molecules covering a broad range of therapeutic indications.

Regge ranks among the most successful European serial entrepreneurs. Companies he founded or co-founded have raised capital in over 30 fundraising rounds with a total valuation exceeding $1 billion. Since 2017, he has been focusing on healthtech and biotech companies. During his career he has been involved in several company exits leading to lucrative investor returns.

The team also includes:

  • Dr. Jens Eckstein, who joined Apollo Health Ventures in 2019. With more than 25 years of experience in biotech venture capital and leading roles at TVM Capital and SR One (GSK’s corporate VC), he brings a long track record of successful transactions to the firm, including investments in groundbreaking companies like CRISPR Therapeutics.
  • Dr. Marianne Mertens, who joined Apollo Health Ventures as Partner. She will be responsible for Apollo’s investment- and company building activities. Mertens has over 13 years of experience in the life science industry, including roles in research, management consulting and venture investing. She was formerly with Wellington Partners, a pan-European venture capital firm, and High-Tech Gruenderfonds, Europe’s largest seed stage investor.
  • Dr. Jan Adams, who has been appointed as a Venture Partner and will focus on company creation at Apollo Health Ventures. Prior to joining Apollo, Adams was heading commercial activities as Head of Business Builder / Senior Director at the Merck Innovation Center in Germany and was a Managing Director with EMBL Ventures.

FinSMEs

11/12/2021