Benjamin Matthews, Investment Manager at Heartwood Investment Management, gives his views on the emerging biotech opportunities arising from demographic shifts.

Arix Bioscience plc, a global healthcare and life science company supporting medical innovation, has announced that its Group Business Artios Pharma Limited, a leading DNA Damage Response (DDR) company developing innovative treatments for cancer, has completed an oversubscribed £65 million Series B financing following strong interest from investors.

UK agri-tech start-up PBD Biotech, developers of the first rapid test for live mycobacteria, has secured £400,000 in its first major strategic investment round to fund international trials and launch a suite of products.

Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. and TxCell S.A. have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement on July 20, 2018 pursuant to which Sangamo will, following the completion of the contemplated acquisition of a majority stake of TxCell, file a simplified cash tender offer for the purchase of all then outstanding ordinary shares of TxCell, at a price of EUR 2.58 per share in cash, or approximately EUR 72 million, on a debt-free and cash-free basis. Subject to satisfaction of closing conditions (including in particular those relating to regulations governing foreign investments in France), Sangamo expects to complete the transaction in the fourth quarter of 2018.

snap40, an AI-enabled healthcare company with the mission to protect the health of every human being, today announced it has secured US $8 million in seed financing led by ADV, with participation from MMC Ventures. Total funding to date is US $10 million, and the latest investment is the largest seed financing round for a digital healthcare company in the U.K. snap40 monitors the human body in real-time using its wearable device, with accuracy equivalent to ICU monitoring. Using this real-time data, the company’s proprietary algorithms identify those whose health is at risk and proactively bring healthcare to them. Initially, snap40 is deploying this with top healthcare providers in the U.K. and the U.S.

A surgical and high-precision engineering company that provides  bespoke full jaw dental implant solutions in a day to patients  has received a £4m investment from BGF. London-headquartered Evo will use the funding to expand its clinics, which feature on-site dental laboratories with the latest hi-tech medical manufacturing technology across the UK and explore international growth.

Evo’s advanced, proprietary solution provides life changing treatment for patients suffering from severe dental problems caused by advanced gum disease, congenital bone loss or accidents, and who require a full jaw reconstruction. 

BGF has invested £5m growth capital in Alnwick-based pharmaceutical company Arcinova following a period of rapid growth and development at its life sciences super site in Alnwick, Northumberland. The company will use the funding to drive continued innovation as well as international expansion.

Univercells SA and Global Health Investment Fund have closed a €16 million ($18.8M) Series B equity financing. Investment proceeds will support the continued development of Univercells’ game-changing biomanufacturing technology, which has the potential to dramatically reduce the capital expenditure, physical footprint and operating costs required to produce a variety of complex biologics.

OurCrowd backed Sight Diagnostics has launched OLO, an AI-based blood diagnostics device which offers lab-quality Complete Blood Count (CBC) tests from finger prick samples at the point-of-care. The company also announces the completion of a 250-person clinical trial at Israel’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, which led to a CE Mark registration for OLO. This European regulatory certification indicates OLO’s conformity with high safety, health, and environmental protection standards and allows for commercial sale in countries that require CE marking.

Booksy, the world’s largest and fastest growing booking app for appointment-based beauty businesses, has announced that it has secured $13.2 million (£9.5 million) in funding. 

New Anglia Capital has invested in PBD Biotech to fund the firm's international expansion.

NVM Private Equity has invested £1.5 million of growth capital into Newcastle based hiPSC company Newcells Biotech alongside existing investors Northstar Ventures, who have provided a further £500k bringing the total round to £2 million.

Founded in 2015 and headquartered at the world-renowned International Centre for Life in Newcastle (an incubator space for young and established biotechnology companies) Newcells is a successful, early-stage, life-sciences spinout from Newcastle University, which is leading the way in the development of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSCs) for efficacy and toxicity testing in the drug development sector.