Newton Biocapital

What Newton Biocapital does

Newton Biocapital is a Belgium-based venture capital firm founded in 2017 that invests in early-stage life sciences companies with a specialization in chronic diseases. The firm operates two fund vehicles — Newton Biocapital I, established in 2017 with €114 million in net assets across 14 portfolio companies (10 European and 4 Japanese), and Newton Biocapital II, established in 2021 — and supports investee companies from research and preclinical stages through clinical development, with active board participation and hands-on guidance on clinical program selection. The portfolio spans oncology, autoimmune, neurological, metabolic, and genetic diseases, as well as adjacent areas such as antimicrobial resistance and digital health, and includes both university spin-offs (e.g., SANTERO from Université libre de Bruxelles, EPICS Therapeutics) and Japanese-originated companies (e.g., J-Pharma, EditForce, Tensegrity Pharma, Perseus Proteomics).

Name

Newton Biocapital

Legal name

Newton Biocapital Partners SRL

Website

https://www.newtonbiocapital.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Newton Biocapital is a Belgium-based life sciences venture capital firm founded in 2017 that invests in early-stage biotech and medtech companies in Europe and Japan, specializing in chronic diseases through two active funds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital / Life Sciences Fund Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Financial Vehicles (525990)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Life Sciences Growth Equity (FSANACAB)

Keywords

• Life sciences venture capital
• Biotech investment funds
• Chronic disease therapeutics
• Early stage biotech financing
• Europe Japan healthcare investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fund Management: Manages two venture capital funds (Newton Biocapital I and II) investing in early-stage life sciences companies across Europe and Japan, with the goal of creating value for patients, society, local ecosystems, and investors through successful exits

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Newton Biocapital is a venture capital firm that manages two life sciences investment funds (Newton Biocapital I and II) targeting early-stage biotech and medtech companies in Europe and Japan. The firm invests in companies developing treatments for chronic health conditions across oncology, autoimmune, neurological, metabolic, and genetic diseases, from research and preclinical stages through clinical development. It provides active board participation, scientific guidance, and network access to international investors and pharma partners to enable successful exits.

Product overview

Newton Biocapital is a life sciences venture capital firm operating two fund vehicles: Newton Biocapital I (established 2017, €114 million AUM) and Newton Biocapital II (established 2021). The firm invests in early-stage biotech and medtech companies across Europe and Japan, focusing on chronic health conditions in oncology, autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases, metabolic diseases, and genetic diseases. The fund supports companies from research through preclinical and clinical stages, with a portfolio of 14 companies under Fund I (10 European, 4 Japanese) including companies such as SANTERO (antibiotics), PRISM BioLab (PepMetics drug discovery), Epics Therapeutics (RNA epigenetics), Sequana Medical (alfapump medical device), AdipoPharma (PATAS diabetes treatment), and Aboleris Pharma (immunomodulators).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Newton Biocapital I First venture capital fund vehicle established in 2017 with €114 million in assets under management, investing in 14 portfolio companies (10 European, 4 Japanese) spanning research through preclinical and clinical stages, focused on chronic health conditions across multiple disease areas and technology platforms.
• Newton Biocapital II Second venture capital fund vehicle established in 2021, continuing Newton Biocapital's life sciences investment strategy focused on early-stage biotech and medtech companies in Europe and Japan.

Quantifiable outcome

• Created 4 university spin-off companies (Epics Therapeutics, Neuvasq Biotechnologies, Aboleris Pharma, Chromacure) as lead investor
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) JapancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2025NBC and MHLW signed contract for Support Project for Development of Drug Discovery Ecosystems. NBC will support early practical application of drug discovery seeds created at universities and institutions in Japan
• Eli Lilly and CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2023PRISM BioLab (portfolio company) entered License and Collaboration Agreement with Lilly for discovering small molecule inhibitors of protein-protein interaction targets using PepMetics technology. PRISM receives upfront payments and up to $660 million in milestones plus royalties
• Japanese Life Sciences EcosystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong ties with Japan's world-class life sciences ecosystem through Tokyo office, enabling identification of promising investment opportunities and helping Japanese companies access European markets and vice versa
• SATT ConectusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench government-sponsored organization promoting French science globally, supported AdipoPharma with Acting CEO Emmanuel Poteaux providing endorsement
• European Life Sciences EcosystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong ties with Europe's world-class life sciences ecosystem through Brussels office, enabling access to academic centers where research leads to creation of spin-off companies
• European Stroke Organization Conference (ESOC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortfolio company Acticor Biotech presented phase 2/3 ACTISAVE clinical study results at ESOC 2024 in Basel, Switzerland
• Astellas PharmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTensegrity Pharma received transfer of discontinued clinical development project from Astellas Pharma to continue development for cachexia treatment
• Global Pharmaceutical IndustrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBC opens doors to global pharma industry, helping companies create partnerships that lead to collaborations and successful exits

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• M Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Merck KGaA investing in life sciences and technology. Comparable to Newton Biocapital in life sciences focus but operates as a strategic CVC with deeper pockets and corporate development synergies.
• Sofinnova Partners: One of Europe's largest life sciences venture capital firms with multiple strategies across biotech, medtech, and industrial biotech. While broader than Newton Biocapital, Sofinnova competes directly for similar European early-stage life sciences deals.
• Novo Seeds (Novo Holdings): Danish life sciences investor and early-stage venture arm of Novo Holdings, with significant capital and broad biotech exposure. Competes with Newton Biocapital for European life sciences deals while having substantially more capital and longer track record.

Direct peers

• Vesalius Biocapital: Belgian life sciences venture capital firm investing in early-to-mid-stage biotech and medtech companies across Europe. Highly comparable to Newton Biocapital in geographic focus (European base), stage focus (early-stage), and sector specialization (life sciences therapeutics).
• Kurma Partners: Paris-based life sciences venture capital firm investing in early-to-mid-stage European biotech and medtech. Similar to Newton Biocapital in stage focus, European geographic base, and active involvement in portfolio companies.
• BioGeneration Ventures (BGV): Dutch venture capital firm focused on early-stage life sciences companies, primarily spin-offs from Dutch and European academic institutions. Directly comparable to Newton Biocapital's strategy of backing university spin-offs in life sciences.
• HealthCap: Nordic-based life sciences venture capital firm investing in early-stage therapeutic companies. Similar to Newton Biocapital in stage focus and life sciences specialization, with comparable fund sizes and active board participation model.
• Forbion: European life sciences venture capital firm with broader therapeutic focus and larger fund sizes. Similar stage and sector strategy to Newton Biocapital but with greater scale, providing a benchmark for what NBC could grow into with successful Fund III.
• LSP (Life Sciences Partners): Dutch life sciences venture capital firm with similar European focus on early-stage biotech and medical devices. Directly comparable to Newton Biocapital in sector, stage, and active investor approach.

Regional players

• Capricorn Partners: Belgian-based venture capital and growth equity firm with life sciences exposure. Comparable to Newton Biocapital in Belgian geographic base and life sciences focus, though broader in sector coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/newton-biocapital-fund
• Xx.com/newtonbiocapita

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments23 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Newton Biocapital