Alicia Irurzun-Lafitte, formerly a principal at M Ventures, the corporate venture capital unit for Germany-based drugs producer Merck Group, has joined UCB Ventures, Belgium-based biopharmaceutical company UCB’s corporate venturing subsidiary, as a partner.
UCB Ventures is a €150m ($168m) fund launched in 2017 that invests in early-stage startups developing therapeutics focused on immunological aspects of neurodegenerative and musculoskeletal disorders.
Irurzun-Lafitte, who will be based in Boston, in the United States, will scout and conduct US-based deals in collaboration with UCB Ventures teams in Belgium and the UK. She had spent nearly three years at M Ventures, helping to grow its healthcare-focused portfolio and in forming spinoff companies.
Irurzun-Lafitte told Global Corporate Venturing: “It is an exciting time for corporate venturing. The added value of CVC for startups is well-established. Institutional VCs and CVCs bring complementary strengths and perspectives to young companies. I got excited to join a new CVC team that has the ambition to continue on this path.
“Delivering impactful therapies to patients is deeply rooted in UCB’s culture, and its venture fund is one of the key enablers of this ambition.”
The news followed another high-profile departure from M Ventures in recent months, Roel Bulthuis having left the unit for Netherlands-based venture capital fund Inkef Capital in November 2018.
Photo of Alicia Irurzun-Lafitte courtesy of LinkedIn.
