PARIS, April 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Voluntis, a pioneer in therapeutic companion software, closes a major Series D financing co-led by Bpifrance and Innovation Capital, plus Vesalius Biocapital, Qualcomm, and existing investors
Voluntis, a company pioneering therapeutic companion software, today announced the completion of its Series D financing round. With a total of €20.75 million ($29 million), this fund raising is one of the largest rounds of investment in the m-health sector this year. The round was co-led by Bpifrance Large Venture and international venture capital firm Innovation Capital. Luxemburg-based Vesalius Biocapital and US-based Qualcomm Incorporated, through its venture capital arm, Qualcomm Ventures, contributed to the round. Voluntis existing Series C investors, CapDecisif Management, CM-CIC Capital Innovation and Sham, also participated in the round.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140428/683170 )
Voluntis innovates healthcare by embedding connectivity in therapeutics and medical intelligence in software. Dedicated to managing chronic conditions, Voluntis' digital solutions aim to enable treatment personalization, support care coordination, and improve real-life outcomes, as shown through significant results in randomized clinical trials.
Harnessing its proprietary technology, Voluntis is active in diabetes, anticoagulation and hemophilia. In diabetes, Voluntis Insulin Therapy Manager (VITM) is developed to support patients across the insulin pathway. Conceived as part of a significant clinical program, VITM was granted CE mark in December 2013. VITM is branded as Diabeo®, a registered trademark of Sanofi, and as Insulia®, a registered trademark of Voluntis.
Voluntis will utilize the new funds to accelerate the development of its diabetes management solution, advance new programs in other chronic diseases and ramp up its US operations.
"This strong investor syndicate is recognition of our relentless work to design the next-generation therapeutic solutions that combine digital and medical expertise in order to help solve some key daily problems of patients and care providers. This round is pivotal to grow Voluntis. I would like to thank the existing investors for their continued support and welcome the new investors who have stepped up to help us meet the exciting challenges ahead," commented Pierre Leurent, founder and CEO, Voluntis.
Mailys Ferrère, Director in charge of large venture investments at Bpifrance, considers that: "We are particularly pleased to make this significant investment in Voluntis, which is very well positioned to become a global leader in the m-health promising field. Voluntis fits perfectly into our investment strategy which focuses on groundbreaking technology companies in digital, life-sciences or cleantech."
Dr Florian Reinaud, Partner at Innovation Capital, said: "We are delighted to co-lead this round of investment in Voluntis as the first investment from our new Innovative Healthcare Services fund. We share Voluntis' vision that combining best in class information technologies with therapeutics will contribute to solving some of the key issues faced by healthcare systems, notably those related to the management of chronic diseases and ageing. Such innovative solutions will likely become the backbone of an outcome-driven process that integrates care delivery and aligns the interests of patient, providers and payers across the continuum of care."
Alain Parthoens, Managing Partner at Vesalius Biocapital, is "excited to be working alongside Voluntis management and other investors to reinforce and expand the company's capabilities and assets."
Miles Kirby, Senior Director of Qualcomm Ventures Europe, said: "Qualcomm is very pleased to participate in the Series D financing of Voluntis. We see mobile health as an important growth area where the benefits of mobility can transform outcomes for patients and improve the efficiency of health care delivery. We are excited to work with Voluntis on their cutting edge health care applications on both sides of the Atlantic."
"Having recognized Voluntis' potential since 2007, it is very satisfying to see the substantial progress made by Pierre Leurent and his team to move the programs ahead, partner with life science global leaders, demonstrate strong clinical outcomes and secure regulatory clearance," commented Emilie Lidome, Investment Director at CM-CIC Capital Innovation.
"From the beginning, we were very seduced by the Voluntis project and its strong ability to generate value for patients, healthcare organizations and hospitals. Backed by a visionary management team, Voluntis carries a technological disruption that effectively addresses important issues of telemedicine. We are proud of the progress made, and we welcome the arrival of new investors," commented Bervin Bouani, Portfolio Manager at Sham.
For this round of capital raising, Voluntis was advised by Silver Ocean Ventures' Managing Partner, Dr John Tchelingerian.
About Voluntis
Voluntis was founded in 2001 by three entrepreneurs who believed that innovative medical solutions built with advanced information technologies would transform patient lives and enhance quality of care. Voluntis develops proprietary companion software but also provides partners with development and regulatory capabilities to elaborate their own digital solution based upon its Medpassport core system architecture. Voluntis is headquartered in Paris, France, and has offices in Boston, USA. http://www.voluntis.com
About Bpifrance
Formed by the law of 31 December 2012, Bpifrance (a public sector investment bank) is the outcome of the merger between OSEO, the FSI, CDC Entreprises and FSI Régions. Its two shareholders are the French state and the Caisse des Dépôts bank. Its object is to support businesses (SMEs, medium-sized enterprises and larger companies of a strategic importance to the French economy), from start-up through to stock market flotation, by providing loans, guarantees and equity. Bpifrance also provides enhanced support and backing for innovation, export, and external growth. With its 42 regional offices, it is a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs in each region for all their finance and investment needs. http://www.bpifrance.fr - Follow us on Twitter: @bpifrance
Bpifrance team: Mailys Ferrère, Director in charge of large venture investments ; Litzie Maarek, Investment Director ; Jean Bertin, Investment Manager.
About Innovation Capital
Founded in 1996, Innovation Capital is an international venture capital firm based in Paris with a local presence in the Silicon Valley. With over €450 million under management, Innovation Capital current focus is on venture and growth investments in the Innovative Healthcare Services space in Europe. Innovation Capital aims to create value by providing talented entrepreneurs with the resources, experience, and network necessary to turn innovative technologies into great businesses.
About Vesalius
Vesalius Biocapital is a pan-european venture capital group investing in early stage innovative biotech companies. Most of our investments consist of therapeutic companies, developing new drugs and devices. Our total fund size is €160 million. The team is composed of experienced life science experts and business people.
About Qualcomm Incorporated
Qualcomm Incorporated is a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. Qualcomm Incorporated includes Qualcomm's licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of its patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of Qualcomm's engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of its products and services businesses, including its semiconductor business, QCT. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.
About CM-CIC Capital Innovation
CM-CIC Capital Innovation specializes in venture capital tech investments. In addition to Sudinnova, it supports the development of companies with strong growth potential in dynamic sectors such as information technologies, healthcare, industrial innovation and the environment. CM-CIC Capital Innovation is a subsidiary of CM-CIC Capital Finance, the investment wing and merchant bank of the Crédit Mutuel-CIC Group. With €2.6 billion in capital (including €1.9 billion in equity), a portfolio of 630 companies, and 6 regional branches throughout France (Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Lille, Strasbourg and Bordeaux), CM-CIC Capital Finance is one of the few merchant banks that invests its own funds for the long term.
About CapDecisif Management
CapDecisif Management manages CapDecisif, FCPR CapDecisif 3 and G1J Ile-De-France, early-stage venture capital funds sponsored by Bpifrance, the Ile-de-France region and BNP. Since 2002, the management team has invested in 32 new information technology companies in software, the life sciences, biotech, energy and the environment, and the engineering sciences. CapDecisif Management currently manages almost €100 million.
About Sham
Created in 1927, Sham is a mutual insurance company specializing in risk management for healthcare, social and medico-social stakeholders. It is the leading insurer for medical legal liability in France, with an asset portfolio of €1.6 billion invested in various channels. Since 2007, the company has also been investing in innovative healthcare businesses.
Share this article