UK-based investment firm Ahren Innovation Capital closed its inaugural vehicle at more than £200m ($253m) from limited partners (LPs) including consumer goods conglomerate Unilever, insurance firm Aviva and broadcaster Sky.
The LP list also featured diversified holding group Wittington Investments, undisclosed US families, and individual investors including André Desmarais, Carlos Rodriquez-Pastor and the eight scientists who co-founded the vehicle. The fund had reached a $129m first close in September 2018.
Founded in 2017, Ahren Innovation Capital focuses on technologies covering the human brain and artificial intelligence, genetics and biotechnology, space and robotics, and energy and environmental technologies.
The firm both invests in and helps build companies, offering access to the expertise of its founding science partners. It is in particular seeking out opportunities that take a multidisciplinary approach to tackle challenges.
Ahren has already achieved its first exit, after Bicycle Therapeutics, a UK-based developer of treatments for diseases with a high unmet need, which completed a $60.7m initial public offering in May 2019.
Alice Newcombe-Ellis, founder and managing partner of Ahren, said: “We feel privileged to have an LP base of exceptional individuals and institutions sharing Ahren’s vision and values. We consider this our valued ‘family’ of thought-leaders.
“We now focus our attention on actively supporting entrepreneurs to achieve their ambitions. We are very selective in identifying outstanding opportunities, but once we invest, we are deeply committed to helping ensure their success.”
The original version of this article appeared on our sister site, Global University Venturing.
