Sofinnova Partners

A sharp piece from Laura Morelli in INNLIFES, and a question that gets to the heart of where European biotech is heading. Graziano Seghezzi, Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners, reflects on how far Italy has come: more capital, more startups, stronger institutional backing. And he points to a clear and exciting next chapter: scaling up later-stage development while keeping early-stage momentum alive. The France-Italy comparison is a reminder that the building blocks are there. The shared challenges, clinical trial speed, HTA, late-stage funding, are real, but they are solvable. And solving them together, at a European level, is exactly the opportunity in front of us. 🌍

Biotech IPO activity remains selective, but the fundamentals are evolving. In a recent BioPharma Dive article by Gwendolyn Wu highlights how the current IPO landscape continues to favor companies with strong clinical data and well-funded pipelines, underscoring a sustained focus on quality in the public markets. As Antoine Papiernik, Chairman and Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners, noted: “we should see more companies pursuing the IPO route, including smaller offerings and potentially earlier-stage or higher-risk opportunities.” This points to a market that is gradually reopening, while continuing to reward differentiation, data, and disciplined execution. At Sofinnova, we remain focused on backing companies built for long-term value creation, across both public and private markets. Read Gwen's take on Q1 2026 and beyond: https://lnkd.in/eEhyq7VG

We are thrilled to see our own Javier Nunez-Vicandi recognized in this year's cohort of Rising Leaders, alongside the CEOs of two of our portfolio companies.   In Vivo's annual 2026 Rising Leaders list recognizes 30 exceptional individuals shaping the future of healthcare and life sciences across the globe.   Javi is part of our Digital Medicine team, focused on the intersection of healthcare and technology, spanning AI platforms, machine learning and data analytics. What makes his perspective truly distinctive is where it started: as a practicing medical doctor at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust.   We are equally proud to celebrate:   Samir Ounzain, CEO and co-founder of HAYA Therapeutics, whose pioneering work targeting long non-coding RNAs in the dark genome is opening a new frontier in RNA medicines for fibrosis and chronic disease.   Colleen Acosta, co-founder and CEO of Freya Biosciences, who has built a first-in-class microbiome immunotherapy company focused on women's health, bringing scientific rigor and global health expertise to one of medicine's most underserved areas.   Congratulations Javi, Samir and Colleen 👏!

🌍 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁. The companies shaping a sustainable future aren't waiting on perfect conditions. They're building in spite of uncertainty, fuelled by science, community, and a long-term view. We are getting ready to share the 4th edition of the Sofinnova Partners Impact Report, which will look at how science-driven innovation is tackling climate change, and reshaping industries. The case studies we will share prove that environmental progress and economic performance can go hand in hand. Stay tuned for more. In the meantime, what does Earth Day mean to you?   👇 Tell us in the comments.

BioCentury Inc. has published a deeply moving tribute on our former colleague, mentor, and friend Denis Lucquin, and we are grateful for the care and thoughtfulness with which they have honored his life and legacy.   Denis was more than a founding architect of Sofinnova Partners. He was a father of French biotech, a builder of the European ecosystem, and above all, an exceptional human being.   "He used to call it 'adventure capital,'" said Sofinnova Chairman and Managing Partner Antoine Papiernik. "That's what Denis was about. The adventure."   "Everyone loved Denis," Papiernik added. "He had this ability to connect with people that was uncanny, and that was a big part of his success."   His CEOs knew this better than anyone.   "Lucquin offered a proverb in French to the Ablynx board,” counseling the company that being “polite in communications is more effective than being harsh,” it was “very key to who he was,” said Edwin Moses, who led Ablynx one of Denis's most celebrated investments.   "I think first of a good person, and second, an excellent professional," said Michele Garufi, founder of Nicox, reflecting on what Denis meant to him.   The walls of our Paris office are lined with photographs of the founders, entrepreneurs, and CEOs whose journeys Denis was part of. They are there because he believed people matter more than numbers. That culture, lives on at Sofinnova because of him.   We invite you to read BioCentury's tribute in full which is open access to all.    https://lnkd.in/eKNTugUR Jeff Cranmer, Simone Fishburn, Karen Bernstein, David Flores

𝗜𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝘂𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗻 We are deeply saddened by the passing of Denis Lucquin, our former Chairman and one of the principal architects of Sofinnova Partners. Denis joined Sofinnova in 1991 and spent more than three decades building something lasting. He had the conviction, early on, that life sciences was where this firm belonged and the persistence to make it so. He also saw the potential of industrial biotech before most, and built that strategy from the ground up. The firm we are today reflects his vision.   But Denis was more than his achievements. He was warm, direct, and curious, the kind of person everyone wanted to be around. He had a rare ability to see potential in people and in ideas before others did, and he acted on it. That quality shaped Sofinnova as much as any investment decision.   Our thoughts are with his wife, his sons, his grandchildren, and all who had the privilege of knowing him.   He will be greatly missed.

We were honored to take part in the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance roundtable at Windsor Castle earlier this week. Scaling the circular bioeconomy requires exactly the kind of cross-sector collaboration the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance is championing. Bringing together innovators, investors, and industry alongside policymakers is how we move from ambition to action. We look forward to the outcomes and next steps. ♻️ More details below.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀?   Cédric Moreau, Partner at Sofinnova Partners tackles this question in his latest opinion piece for European Biotechnology Magazine (EBM), and the numbers are stark: 🔬 66 of 67 EU biotech companies that went public in the past six years listed outside the EU 💶 European life sciences VC is just 7% of the global market, versus 63% in the US 📉 EU pension funds allocate ~0.02% of assets to VC, compared to nearly 2% in the US   The European Life Sciences Coalition (ELSC), launched in February 2026 with Invest Europe, is working to change that: mobilizing pension funds, insurers, and banks toward greater life sciences allocations, and pushing for a unified European capital market with a dedicated pathway for high-growth biotech companies.   The ambition is to build something distinctly European and worthy of the science being created here every day.   👉 Read Cédric's full piece in the Spring 2026 issue of European Biotechnology Magazine. https://lnkd.in/e9_NKb58

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹? BioCentury Inc.’s Lindsay Martin, PhD explores how firms are applying AI across sourcing, diligence, and portfolio support. The article includes insights from Javier Nunez-Vicandi, Principal in Digital Medicine at Sofinnova Partners and co-lead of Sofinnova.AI. Sofinnova Partners' internal AI, Sof.ia, combines proprietary data with AI-driven analysis to map scientific landscapes, triage opportunities, and support decision-making across the investment lifecycle. As Javi notes: “The tool helps us focus on the next steps and deeper diligence, rather than on the groundwork to gather the data.” AI is not changing what good investing looks like. It is changing how quickly and how rigorously it can be done. Read more below 👇.

Congratulations to Elevara Medicines, a Sofinnova Partners portfolio company on dosing the first patient in the Phase 2b START-SYNERGY trial of ELV001. A key milestone for the program and an exciting step toward new options for patients with rheumatoid arthritis 👏.