What Claris Ventures does

Claris Ventures SGR S.p.A. is an Italian venture capital firm headquartered in Turin (Piazza San Carlo 206), authorized by Banca d'Italia as an alternative investment fund manager (Albo SGR n. 176) and founded in 2019 by Pietro Puglisi and Ciro Spedaliere. The firm is the first VC in Italy purpose-built for early-stage biopharma, making equity investments of €5–15m in companies with programs ready to start clinical studies within 12–24 months. It targets the translational gap between Italian academic research and clinical development, sourcing deals through formal partnerships with the Molecular Biotechnology Center (University of Turin), CEINGE-Biotecnologie avanzate (Naples), IIT Genova, and Torino City Lab.

The firm operates two flagship products: Claris Biotech I, a €85m fund fully deployed across 10+ portfolio companies with 4 programs now in clinical development and over €170m raised by portfolio companies in follow-on capital; and Claris Biotech II, launched April 2025 with a €100m target. Its core service is hands-on investment and portfolio support — providing capital, board participation, project management, finance, and strategic development to scientific founders, while leveraging co-investor syndicates and operational partnerships (notably Evotec, signed March 2024, and a joint initiative with Exor Ventures signed May 2024). The portfolio spans oncology (NeoPhore, ALKemist Bio, Haptena, Lever Bio, Repron, Page), CNS (Iama Therapeutics), respiratory rare disease (Kither Biotech), cardiac regeneration (Heqet), obesity/RNAs (Resalis), and protein degradation (Sibylla Biotech).

Revenue is generated through conventional VC economics: management fees (typically ~2% annually on committed capital across both funds) and carried interest on portfolio exits, none of which have been publicly disclosed. Limited partners include the European Investment Fund (€40m commitment to Fund I), CDP Venture Capital (€10m+ across funds), Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Inarcassa, Ersel, and various family offices. The investment team comprises five professionals led by the two Managing Partners, supported by a Partner (Giulia Vestri) and Partner (Michael Hodges, appointed February 2023), plus investment management and analyst staff, finance/administration, and a senior advisor network that includes Laura Iris Ferro (founder of Gentium, sold to Jazz Pharmaceuticals for $1bn).

Name

Claris Ventures

Legal name

Claris Ventures SGR S.p.A.

Website

https://clarisventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Claris Ventures is an Italian venture capital firm (SGR S.p.A.) founded in 2019 in Turin, specializing in early-stage biopharma equity investments of €5–15m in companies nearing clinical development, serving scientific founders across oncology, CNS, and rare disease areas through its €85m Fund I and €100m Fund II.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital / Private Equity

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate LP Programs (Corporate as LP in VC/PE funds) (FSANAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Therapeutic-Area CROs (e.g., oncology/rare disease) (HLAGAAAL)

Keywords

• Venture capital
• Biotech investments
• Early-stage biopharma
• Life sciences funding
• Clinical development financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Torino

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees: VC fund management typically generates revenue through management fees charged on committed capital, typically 2% annually on fund size
2. Carried Interest: Performance-based carried interest (typically 20%) on profits generated from successful portfolio company exits through IPO or trade sales

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Claris Ventures is an Italian venture capital firm that makes equity investments in early-stage biopharma companies ready to start clinical studies within 12-24 months. The firm provides capital (€5-15m per round), strategic guidance, board participation, and hands-on operational support including project management, finance, and clinical development expertise to help scientific founders advance therapeutics through proof-of-concept clinical data.

Product overview

Claris Ventures is a venture capital firm that manages two specialized biotech-focused investment funds: Claris Biotech I (€85 million, launched 2020) and Claris Biotech II (€100 million target, launched 2025). The firm provides equity investments and hands-on operational support to early-stage biopharma companies, including project management, finance, and strategic development services. Their portfolio spans 11 biotech companies across oncology, immunology, rare diseases, and other therapeutic areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Claris Biotech I: First venture capital fund managed by Claris Ventures, launched in September 2020 with €85m for early-stage biotech investments in Italian companies.
• Claris Biotech II

Products and services

• Claris Biotech I First venture capital fund with €85m final close, focused on seed and Series A investments in early-stage biotech companies from the Italian research ecosystem.
• Claris Biotech II Second venture capital fund with €100m target size, continuing Claris Ventures' early-stage biotech investment strategy with emphasis on first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutics.
• Portfolio Companies Investment Platform Hands-on investment and operational support services for early-stage biopharma companies, including project management, finance support, and strategic development. Focuses on companies ready to start clinical studies in 12-24 months.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Exor VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2024Joint initiative between Claris Ventures and Exor Ventures (VC arm of Exor) to develop innovative drugs in collaboration with Italian universities and research centers. The partnership will fund drug discovery and preclinical validation activities, with researchers invited to submit ideas through dedicated online portal (leverbio.com). Focus on programs from Italian ecosystem with potential for clinical development.
• EvoteccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2024Strategic partnership providing Claris portfolio companies with access to Evotec's fully integrated pre-clinical and clinical development and manufacturing capabilities. Evotec will support portfolio companies through its Campus Levi-Montalcini in Verona, Italy. The partnership builds on existing collaboration with IAMA Therapeutics whose lead program IAMA-6 successfully entered Phase I clinical trials in January 2024 with Evotec's support.
• Torino City LabminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 November 2019Claris Ventures participates as project partner in Torino City Lab, an initiative-platform aimed at creating simplified conditions for companies interested in testing innovative solutions for urban living. Promoted by the City of Turin, the initiative involves public and private sector partners supporting the local innovation ecosystem.
• Molecular Biotechnology Center (University of Turin)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner collaborating with Claris Ventures for scientific evaluation and due diligence of prospective investments. Supports investment activities with research center analysis.
• CEINGE-Biotecnologie avanzate (Naples)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMolecular diagnostics and biotechnology research center in Naples collaborating with Claris Ventures for deal sourcing and scientific validation of biotech investment opportunities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Atlas Venture: Boston-based biotech-focused VC firm that builds and funds early-stage therapeutic companies. Comparable in stage focus and company-creation model but operates globally with substantially larger AUM than Claris.
• Versant Ventures: Global healthcare-focused VC firm with offices in North America and Europe, investing across biotech, medtech, and healthcare services. Overlaps with Claris in early-stage European biotech but operates at much larger fund scale and broader sector mandate.

Direct peers

• Forbion: Leading European life sciences VC firm headquartered in the Netherlands, managing multiple funds and investing in early- to late-stage biopharma companies. Highly comparable to Claris in fund-stage biotech investing and pan-European portfolio construction.
• LSP (Life Sciences Partners): Amsterdam-based European life sciences VC firm investing in public and private biotech and medical-technology companies. Comparable to Claris in pan-European biotech investing, fund-stage orientation, and active portfolio support.
• Kurma Partners: Paris-based European healthcare VC firm investing across biotech, medtech, and digital health from seed to growth. Comparable to Claris in fund structure, early-to-growth stage therapeutic focus, and European footprint.
• Medicxi: European biotech-focused VC firm (spin-out from Index Ventures) that originates and develops asset-centric pharmaceutical companies. Highly comparable to Claris in science-driven, early-stage biotech investing and company-creation model.
• BioGeneration Ventures (BGV): Dutch seed- and early-stage biotech VC firm creating and funding European biotech startups from academic origins. Comparable to Claris in stage focus, company-creation orientation, and clinical-development support model.
• Sofinnova Partners: One of the largest and longest-established European biotech VC firms, investing across early- to late-stage therapeutic companies from offices in Paris, London, and Milan. Direct peer to Claris Ventures in focus on European biotech venture investing with a hands-on, science-driven approach.
• Innogest SGR: Italian venture capital firm with a dedicated life sciences practice that employed both Claris co-founders (Puglisi and Spedaliere) before they started Claris. Closest historical and operational peer within the Italian VC ecosystem.

Regional players

• Indaco Venture Partners: Italian venture capital firm with a life sciences focus that has co-invested alongside Claris in portfolio companies such as Sibylla Biotech. Directly comparable as an Italian biotech VC peer in the same regional ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ClarisVentures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clarisventures

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments15 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Claris Ventures