Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Feature
  • Published:

The rise of European venture capital for biotechnology

Nature Biotechnology volume 21, pages 1287–1291 (2003)Cite this article

Changes in economic institutions and the entrepreneurial climate, together with a growth in venture capital funds, have greatly increased European biotechnology venture formation in recent years.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Geographical distribution of public and private biotechnology companies around the world.
Figure 2: Average size of funds in the four stages of the fund life cycle—European versus US VC funds.
Figure 3: Percentage of VC funds that invest in each financing stage.
Figure 4: Where the money is: number of European VC sites with biotechnology companies in their portfolios.

References

  1. Crocker, G. Endurance: Ernst and Young's European Biotechnology Report, 10th Anniversary Edition (Ernst and Young, London, 2003)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Alt Assets. Delivering on Discovery: Private Equity Investing in Biotechnology. (AltAssets, London, UK; 2002)

  3. Initiative Europe Ltd. Venture Capital Yearbook 2002 (Initiative Europe Ltd, Redhill, UK, 2003).

  4. Subacchi, P. Eur. Venture Capital J. 1 November 2001. http://www.privateequityweek.com/evcj/protected/ sectorreps/industry/ZZZ8E6NLITC.html

  5. Birnbaum, M. European Life Sciences 2002: Deals, Sources, and Investors. (Windmill Reports, Amsterdam, 2003).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Paisner, G. Europe's biotech VCs are waiting out the downturn—by making larger investments. Red Herring Magazine, 11 December 2001. http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?f=articles%2farchive%2fmag%2fissue108%2f973.xml

  7. Dibner, M., Trull, M. & Howell, M. US venture capital for biotechnology. Nat. Biotechnol. 21, 613–617 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Essijck, K. European Venture Capitalists Kept Wallets Closed in 2001. Special to the Wall Street Journal. http://www.mysql.com/articles/inpress_wsj_01042002.html

  9. Ernst & Young. Beyond Borders: The Global Biotechnology Report 2002 (Ernst & Young, New York, 2002).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Innovation in a harsh market. European Venture Capital Journal, 7 May 2003. http://www.ventureeconomics.com/evcj/protected/ctryreps/1047652019313.html

  11. AltAssets. After the Goldrush: A Survey of European Venture Capital Firms. (AltAssets, London, 2002).

  12. European Venture Capital Association. European Private Equity and Venture Capital Industry Hampered by the Fragmentation of EU Country's Tax and Legal Environments. Press release, March 31, 2003.

  13. Country Reports: UK-British Venture Capital Association, European Venture Capital Journal. March 3, 2003. (available at http://www.privateequityweek.com/evcj/protected/ctryreps/1045005237159.html)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, North Carolina, USA

    Michael Howell

  2. BioAbility, LLC, PO Box 14569, Research Triangle Park, 27709, NC, USA

    Melanie Trull & Mark D Dibner

Authors
  1. Michael Howell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Melanie Trull
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mark D Dibner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark D Dibner.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Howell, M., Trull, M. & Dibner, M. The rise of European venture capital for biotechnology. Nat Biotechnol 21, 1287–1291 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1103-1287

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1103-1287

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing