Investor · 3 deals
Melbourne, VIC
Every published round GBS Venture Partners Ltd. took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
| Company | Stage | Announced | Amount | Role | Alongside | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinifex Pharmaceuticals | Series C | 13 May 2014 | $45m | Participant | bionity.com, GBS Ventures (Tue 30 Jun 2015), clinicalleader.com, GBS Ventures (Tue 13 May 2014) | |
| Peplin Inc | Unnamed stage | 18 Aug 2008 | $24m | Lead | GBS Ventures (Mon 18 Aug 2008), GBS Ventures (Mon 18 Aug 2008) | |
| Spinifex Pharmaceuticals | Unnamed stage | Jul 2005 | $3.2m | Participant | bionity.com, GBS Ventures (Tue 30 Jun 2015), clinicalleader.com, GBS Ventures (Thu 3 Aug 2006), GBS Ventures (Tue 26 Jul 2005) |
Companies GBS Venture Partners Ltd. has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peplin Inc | 18 Aug 2008 | 1 | 1 | |
| Spinifex Pharmaceuticals | Jul 2005 | 2 | 0 |
Fund closes reported for GBS Venture Partners Ltd., as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies GBS Venture Partners Ltd. has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal GBS Venture Partners Ltd. did.
| Company | Bought by | Kind | Announced | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinifex Pharmaceuticals | Novartis International | Acquisition | 29 Jun 2015 | $200m+ |
| Spinifex Pharmaceuticals | Novartis | Acquisition | 29 Jun 2015 | $700m |
| Peplin Inc | LEO Pharma A/S | Acquisition | 3 Sep 2009 | ~$348.4m |
| Name | Role | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Geoff Brooke | GBS Ventures (Tue 13 Jun 2006), GBS Ventures (Tue 10 May 2005) | |
| Dr Andrew Baker | clinicalleader.com | |
| Brigitte Smith | Managing Director (former) | GBS Ventures |
Stories naming GBS Venture Partners Ltd.. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Anniversary profile of incubator Cicada Innovations' two decades, telling portfolio biotech Elastagen's story: its tropoelastin work, Series A backing, a government grant, and its 2018 sale to Allergan.
Also GBS Ventures·GBS Ventures
Chronic-pain drug developer Spinifex Pharmaceuticals has agreed to be bought by Novartis for US$200 million upfront plus undisclosed milestones, centred on its lead candidate EMA401.
Profile of Australian biotech Spinifex Pharmaceuticals and its neuropathic pain drug EMA401, covering phase II trials, the science behind its AT2 approach, and its venture backers as it weighs a future series C.
Australian pharmaceutical developer Hatchtech appoints Tim Waugh, a former Roche divisional vice president, as chief executive officer to lead development and commercialisation of its head lice treatment DeOvo and establish a United States presence.
GBS Ventures announces it has fully wound down its 1998 biotech fund with returns in the top quartile of US peers, recalling portfolio listings, Dynamic Hearing's sale to Wolfson, and its $122.5m fourth fund.
Sunshine Heart has completed an A$9.5m rights issue, following a September placement of A$3.7m. Backers GBS Venture Partners and CM Capital took full entitlements plus shortfall; proceeds fund US trials and European approval.
ChemGenex has signed a convertible note deal giving Cephalon up to A$15 million in notes, plus options over 19.9 percent of shares held by Stragen and Merck; major shareholders back the issue.
Also GBS Ventures
LEO Pharma has struck a deal to buy ASX-listed Peplin for roughly US$287.5 million, with its two biggest shareholders, including GBS Venture Partners, backing the transaction.
Sunshine Heart has completed a $1.75 million share placement and announced a rights issue, with about $4.65 million pledged so far, including cornerstone commitments from CM Capital and GBS Venture Partners.
Melbourne biotech Cryptopharma completed an $800,000 round from GBS Venture Partners, Uniseed and ANU Connect for its cystic fibrosis drug, and appointed Dr David Crump CEO, with Dr Paul MacLeman moving to the board.
Sunshine Heart's major shareholders CM Capital and GBS agreed a revised schedule for their $6 million share subscription, payable in two 2007 tranches with extra options, as the company seeks US trial approval.
ChemGenex completed an A$10.5m rights issue following an equal February institutional placement, a combined A$21m raise, with Alta Partners and GBS Venture Partners increasing their stakes to fund Ceflatonin leukemia trials.
Spinifex Pharmaceuticals won a $1.67 million federal Commercial Ready grant to advance its neuropathic pain drug, after a $3.25 million syndicate raise the previous July; it was spun out of the University of Queensland.
Sunshine Heart says co-founder Crispin Marsh will swap his executive corporate affairs role for a non-executive board seat from mid-2006, as the medical device maker brings in senior staff including a new COO.
OPAL Therapeutics raised a US$6 million Series A, with GBS Venture Partners leading a syndicate including Alloy Ventures, Alta Partners and Uniseed, to develop HIV and hepatitis C immunotherapies from University of Melbourne technology.
University of Queensland spinout Spinifex Pharmaceuticals landed $3.25 million from Symbiosis, GBS Venture Partners and Uniseed to advance its neuropathic pain therapy toward toxicology testing.
Also GBS Ventures·GBS Ventures·clinicalleader.com·bionity.com
GBS Venture Partners closed its third life science fund at $145 million, exceeding its $120 million target, with backing from returning and new Australian institutional investors.