Rouen, France, April 29, 2020 – Robocath, a company that designs, develops and commercializes cardiovascular robotic systems for the treatment of vascular diseases, today announces it has secured €40 million ($43M) in a series C round of financing. This was led by MicroPort Scientific Corporation (HKG:853), a major listed industrial player in the cardiovascular field, with participation from institutional investors (Zhejiang Silk Road Fund, Luxembourg CLIIF managed under TUS-Holdings, CS Group and Anaxago) as well as existing Robocath investors1.
The financial payment of €40M ($43M) will enable the company to aggressively expand its sales and marketing efforts for its first robotic-assisted platform, R-One™. It will also allow the company to broaden and accelerate the product development of its second-generation robot to address more PCI procedures and start peripheral and neurovascular applications.
On completion of this operation, existing Robocath investors[1], as well as Philippe Bencteux, chairman and founder of the company, will hold more than two thirds of the company’s capital.
In connection with this investment, Robocath and MicroPort have also signed a strategic agreement to set up a China-based joint-venture company. With over 7,000 global employees, MicroPort has an established expertise in medical devices manufacturing and commercialization dating back to its founding in 1998 and is a leader in its domestic Chinese market in the cardiovascular field. The company has a full line of stents and balloons products worldwide and generated revenue of $793M (€729.5M) in 2019 (approximately one third from its cardiovascular business). Over the last five years, the company had an average turnover growth of +17%. MicroPort has been listed on the Hong-Kong Stock Exchange Market since September 2010.
Capitalizing on this shared expertise and through this joint-venture, Robocath will open the Asian market with the commercialization of its first robotic-assisted platform. This expansion will be facilitated by local manufacturing of consumables and robot’s assembly to ensure optimal distribution of Robocath products in this market. Both companies will also carry out research and development activities related to next generation long-distance, remote control over 5G network technologies and will develop artificial intelligence algorithms to be used with robotic-assisted platforms.
“We believe that the future growth of medical device therapies will be driven by innovative robotics platform technologies to facilitate procedures and open up next generation capabilities such as remote and AI,” said Dr. Alex He, general manager of Medbot (MicroPort’s robotics subsidiary). “We are thrilled to partner with Robocath to commercialize its highly innovative proprietary vascular robotics platform in the Chinese market.”
“This financial round gives Robocath the resources to achieve its overall ambitions,” said Lucien Goffart, CEO of Robocath. “MicroPort’s commitment demonstrates the relevance of our value proposition. Thanks to the excellent technological and commercial synergies between our companies, we will accelerate our development and together build a great future in the vascular robotic field. This will benefit patients, physicians and ultimately healthcare systems.”
“With this financing round, Robocath enters a new phase in its strategic development. I am proud of how far we have come since the creation of the company and would like to thank all our historical shareholders for their renewed support and our new shareholders for their strong buy-in to our plans,” said Philippe Bencteux, chairman and founder of Robocath. “I’m delighted to welcome Mr. Jonathan Chen, chief international business officer at MicroPort, Dr. Alex He, general manager of Medbot, a MicroPort’s robotics subsidiary, and Mr. Haitong Wang, managing partner at Zhejiang Silk Road Fund, to our strategic committee.”
For this operation, Robocath was advised by Mavietech and Bionest Partner Finance, fundraising advisors, and Dechert and L2B law offices.
[1] GO CAPITAL, NCI, Cardio Participations, M Capital, Supernova Invest, Normandie Participations, Crédit Agricole Normandie, Unexo, Caisse d’Epargne Normandie
Further expansion of HORAMA gene therapy portfolio to treat Inherited Retinal Dystrophies to lead to second clinical program by 2023
PARIS & LEIDEN, Netherlands –HORAMA SA, a French biotechnology company focusing on gene therapy for the treatment of rare genetic diseases in ophthalmology, announced today an exclusive licensing agreement with the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) for global rights to a gene therapy program to treat the Inherited Retinal Dystrophy associated with pathogenic CRB1 gene mutations, a rare but devastating ophthalmic condition leading to blindness
“We are excited to enter into this agreement with the LUMC, a leading academic institution with highly recognised scientific leaders in the field of gene therapy such as Jan Wijnholds, to expand our leadership in gene therapy. This collaboration enables us to expand our pipeline of gene therapy treatments for ophthalmic conditions for which there is a high unmet medical need”, commented Christine Placet, CEO of HORAMA.
“Our studies in the last 20 years resulted in the development of a platform for candidate gene therapy medicines for children with pathogenic CRB1 mutations. The main obstacle to test our novel innovative medicine gene therapy products in clinical studies was the high costs of the clinical development phase. We are, therefore, excited about this research agreement with HORAMA team, which is a global expert in this field”, commented Jan Wijnholds, LUMC.
Under the agreement, HORAMA will receive an exclusive worldwide license to certain patent rights and know-how for the drug candidate (referenced as HORA-001). In return for these rights, LUMC will receive an undisclosed upfront payment, milestone payments and royalties on net sales of products. HORAMA shall be responsible to bring the gene therapy to market with completion of the non-clinical and clinical studies. Based on current timelines, and subject to regulatory review, HORAMA expects initiating a Phase I/II clinical study with HORA-001 in 2023.
Per the agreement, the parties have entered into a non-clinical development agreement with Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), led by Dr. Jan Wijnholds, Team Leader and permanent staff member at the LUMC Department of Ophthalmology.
About HORAMA
At HORAMA, we believe in gene therapy to treat a broad range of inherited disorders.
Our focus is on Inherited Retinal Dystrophies with our lead clinical program targeting patients with PDE6B gene mutations, a condition which leads to progressive vision loss in children and adults ultimately leading to legal blindness.
Our team is pushing the boundaries of gene therapy by advancing next generation delivery platforms that will improve effectiveness and coverage of gene transfer to address multiple diseases. For more information, please go to: www.horama.fr.
Gene therapy market (source: FiorMarkets and Grand View Research, Inc)
Gene therapy is being developed with an aim to treat rare conditions with limited or no treatment options.
Genetic disorders occur due to gene mutations, which can result in incorrect protein synthesis. Gene therapy is used to introduce a healthy gene into cells to allow the synthesis of a functional protein. Growing awareness and acceptance of gene therapy for various disease treatments are favouring market growth.
The global gene therapy market is estimated to reach $5.5 billion by 2026, while the global ophthalmology market is projected to grow to $43 billion by 2026 (April 2019 report issued by Grand View Research, Inc.).
Inherited Retinal Dystrophies
Inherited Retinal Dystrophies (IRD) represent a diverse group of progressive visually debilitating diseases that can lead to blindness. In patients with an IRD, mutations in genes, which are critical to retinal function, lead to progressive, direct or indirect photoreceptor cell death and associated visual function losses.
IRDs are a genetically heterogeneous group of diseases, with over 260 genes identified to date, IRDs associated with pathogenic CRB1 gene mutations are among this heterogeneous group, similar to the autosomal recessive IRD associated with pathogenic PDE6B gene mutations.
About CRB1
CRB1 gene mutations are a major cause of early onset and delayed onset IRD. Proteins such as CRB1 and CRB2 are essential in the retina to maintain adhesion between photoreceptors and Müller glial cells. Loss of CRB function results in loss of photoreceptors and causes blindness.
PARIS – March 11th, 2020 – HORAMA, a clinical stage gene therapy company in ophthalmology, today announced that Rodolphe Clerval has been appointed as Chief Business Officer (CBO). Rodolphe has a strong track record of executing strategic partnerships, business development deals and financing efforts. He will be responsible for business and corporate development, supporting HORAMA in operating a portfolio of gene therapy programs in inherited retinal dystrophies.
«We are delighted to welcome Rodolphe, who brings us solid international experience in business development and corporate development strategy, acquired in biotech and pharmaceutical companies. His precious skills will allow us to prepare the next steps and to optimize the potential of our gene therapy products in ophthalmic diseases, for which there is a strong and unmet medical need », says Christine Placet, CEO, HORAMA.
Rodolphe Clerval (44) has over 18 years’ international experience in the pharma and biotech industry. Prior to joining HORAMA, Mr. Clerval was co-founder and Chief Business Officer at Enterome. During his tenure at Enterome, he has executed over 15 transactions, including major industrial partnerships with Takeda, J&J, BMS, Abbvie and Nestle Health Sciences, totalizing over €100m in upfront and R&D payments and in equity investments. He was also actively involved in fundraising rounds. Rodolphe previously worked with TcLand Expression and Genzyme in business development, and with Natixis as sell-side equity analyst. He started his career at Aventis Animal Nutrition as a scientist.
Rodolphe graduated with a degree in Biochemical Engineering from Polytech Marseille and he is a Certified European Financial Analyst from EFFAS/SFAF.
“HORAMA is a remarkable company, combining top gene therapy research, clinical stage programs with a strong team of industry leaders. I am thrilled to join HORAMA and to support the company in delivering best-in-class therapies in inherited retinal dystrophies”, said Rodolphe Clerval, CBO, Horama.
Gene therapy market (source: FiorMarkets and Grand View Research, Inc)
Gene therapy is being developed with an aim to treat rare conditions with limited or no treatment options.
Genetic disorders occur due to gene mutations, which can result in incorrect protein synthesis. Gene therapy is used to introduce a healthy gene into cells to allow the synthesis of a functional protein. Growing awareness and acceptance of gene therapy for various disease treatments are favouring market growth.
The global gene therapy market is estimated to reach $5.5 billion by 2026, while the global ophthalmology market is projected to grow to $43 billion by 2026 (April 2019 report issued by Grand View Research, Inc.).
About HORAMA
At HORAMA, we believe in gene therapy to treat a broad range of inherited disorders.
Our focus is on Inherited Retinal Dystrophies with our lead clinical program targeting patients with PDE6B gene mutations, a condition which leads to progressive vision loss in children and adults leading to legal blindness.
Our team is pushing the boundaries of gene therapy by advancing next generation delivery platforms that will improve effectiveness and coverage of gene transfer to address multiple diseases. For more information, please go to: www.horama.fr.
March 10th, 2020 – Energiency, a French scale-up company developing artificial intelligence solutions in the field of energy performance for Industry, completes a Series-A round of financing of €4.5 million from Encevo Group alongside historical shareholders ISAI, Go Capital, West Web Valley, InnoEnergy and 50 Partners. This Series A round is aimed to further fuel growth after a Seed round of €2.7 million in 2017.
Founded in 2013 and operated by a team of 20 employees, Energiency analyzes in real time data available in industrial plants to detect and render energy / CO2 savings possible in industry.
Energiency’s technology has already been rolled out in Europe and Asia by industrial leaders such as ArcelorMittal, Solvay and SKF. This second round of financing will enable Energiency to rapidly double its team, expand its product range towards demand response and accelerate its international deployment.
Arnaud Legrand, CEO and founder of Energiency: ” The advent of Industry 4.0 technologies is today a unique opportunity for major industrial groups to achieve the digital transformation of their core business while significantly reducing their impact on climate change. Encevo’s support is a real asset to enable Energiency to accelerate and have significant impact at i international scale. »
Claude Seywert, CEO and Nicolas Milerioux, Head of Venture Capital of Encevo added: “ We are very keen to join this team and a group of like-minded investors to lay the foundations for the next phase of Energiency’s growth. In our regions, the technological capabilities and recognized know-how of Energiency will enable our industrial customers to maximize the value from their
operations, whilst stimulating a smarter, greener energy use and delivering a substantial contribution to the overall energy efficiency”
NATAS presents Emmy® Award to AVIWEST for groundbreaking live video over bonded cellular internet solution.
February, 24, 2020 – The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has presented AVIWEST with a Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award for the second consecutive year. The Emmy® Award was presented to AVIWEST for excellence and innovation in video broadcasting standards over bonded cellular internet.
“We are honored to be selected for a second Emmy® award for our bonded cellular video solution. Receiving the most prestigious broadcast award again is remarkable. This prize highlights and rewards the amazing work done by all of our teams over the past few years, honoring our achievements in live video transmission with reliable connectivity anywhere. It recognizes not once but twice our effort to be innovative, agile, and responsive to our customers’ needs.” Ronan Poullaouec, chief technology officer at AVIWEST
In 2019, AVIWEST received its first NATAS Emmy® Award for its Safe Streams Transport (SST) protocol. Receiving this second award is proof of AVIWEST’s significant contribution to the constant advancement of a leading-edge reliable transport method for live content over unmanaged networks and the public internet.
AVIWEST’s SST protocol — implemented in all of its products — offers reliable and broadcast-grade video quality and data transmission over 3G/4G/5G cellular, LAN, Wi-Fi, satellite, and the public internet by simultaneously aggregating multiple network connections, dynamically adapting the video bitrate according to network bandwidth fluctuations, protecting stream content, and supporting retransmission of lost data. SST enables broadcasters to live-stream content through a low-cost public internet connection, providing video crews with greater flexibility wherever they are.
“We are so proud and thankful to be recognized as one of the companies in the world that has significantly revolutionized the way live video is produced by broadcasters. This achievement has been possible thanks to our world-class engineering team and their hard work during the past several years. Our partners and customers have also undoubtedly contributed to this success through their continuous trust and strong support for our products and technology.” Erwan Gasc, CEO at AVIWEST
The Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards will be presented at the 2020 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The awards honor development and innovation in broadcast technology and recognize companies, organizations, and individuals for breakthroughs that have had a significant effect on television engineering.
GOSSELIES (Belgium), February 19, 2020 – GRAFTYS SA (“Graftys”), a global leader in resorbable bone cements, today announces a new distribution agreement for its bestselling product Graftys® QuickSet in the US territory.
Responding to a medical need and to a direct request from orthopedic surgeons, Graftys® QuickSet, a new generation macroporous calcium phosphate cement which will be distributed in the USA under the tradename QuickPack™ by OrthoPediatrics Corp. (“OrthoPediatrics”), displays an optimal natural cellular resorption/substitution cycle by providing a calcium deficient apatite matrix structurally and chemically similar to native bone crystals, a full range of micro- and macropores (facilitating fluid exchanges and cells colonization) and a compressive strength in the range of cancellous bone. Further, Graftys® QuickSet / QuickPack™ is delivered in a closed loop double-compartment syringe specifically designed for safety, reproducibility and ease-of-use: with Graftys® QuickSet / QuickPack™, there is no need of a complex preparation toolbox, no risk of preparation mistake and no product loss.-
Enrico Bastianelli, Chief Executive Officer of Graftys, highlighted, “By choosing us, OrthoPediatrics offers to our products a wider and focused access to the US territory. This new partnership reinforces our desire to continue to respond to the clinical issues faced daily by orthopedic surgeons.”
About GRAFTYS :
Graftys is an innovation-driven medtech company committed to the development and manufacturing of synthetic bone biomaterials. Graftys’ products are registered in more than 25 countries worldwide, including Europe, USA, and South America. Graftys’ mission is to become a major player in the design, manufacturing & distribution of bone biomaterials, thanks to a solid portfolio of products built on clinical evidence and addressing patient’s/surgeon’s medical needs, and thanks to an innovation-driven pipeline through partnerships with leading academic research institutions in Europe.
AVIWEST, a leader in providing video contribution systems, has announced that the company has completed a series B fundraising round with an €8 million investment from Go Capital, Turenne Group, Sodero Gestion, and UNEXO, Groupe Crédit Agricole.
The new investment will contribute to AVIWEST’s rapid growth of innovative services and strengthen its commercial presence in markets associated with live video production-contribution and IP connectivity.
Live video production and contribution is a booming industry and its growth trends for the coming years offer AVIWEST numerous opportunities for developing new innovative products and solutions, along with high added-value services.
“New media are constantly emerging and live video coverage around the world is increasing, further building the case as to why bonded, unmanaged IP networks are a smart choice for delivering high-quality live event coverage,” said Ronan Poullaouec, chief technology officer at AVIWEST. “With the global rollout of 5G networks currently underway, broadcasters will see a lot of benefits in video contribution. Using our Emmy® award-winning bonded, unmanaged IP network technology, which includes a best-in-class hardware encoding platform, professionals in the video business can address the growing demand for high-quality live video coverage of sports, breaking news, and other events in the most affordable and bandwidth-efficient way, from anywhere in the world.”
AVIWEST plans to increase its innovation and maintain its agility and reactivity to continue offering powerful and reliable top-notch live video contribution solutions.
“Thanks to our new investment, we will continue to work hard to increase our presence in markets associated with IP connectivity and strengthen our business worldwide, especially in China and the U.S., which both represent an important part of our global market,” said Erwan Gasc, CEO at AVIWEST. “It will also allow us to recruit around 50 new people over the coming months.”
Visit www.aviwest.com
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