French contrast developer Guerbet signed an equity acquisition of 15 million euros ($17 million U.S.) in the BioMedTech fund managed by Truffle Capital, which specializes in investing in start-ups.
The fund is dedicated to investments in a dozen mainly French start-ups -- mostly medical technology companies but also biotechnology companies -- working in the fields of minimally invasive interventional medicine.
The fund invests in firms that meet the following criteria:
- Are developing an innovation capable of changing the lives of patients
- Are developing a product capable of becoming a "first-in-class" or "best-in-class" leader in its sector in six to eight years
- Are staffed by a high-level management team and board of directors
- Have a broad and strong intellectual property portfolio with licensing freedom
- Participate in attractive sectors for industrial acquirers or for stock markets
Guerbet said it wants to contribute to the development of new diagnostic or therapeutic systems, and investing in this fund will allow it to do so.
