This document discusses corporate venture capital from Novartis Venture Funds. It provides an overview of NVF's decade of success investing in about 70 private companies with a $750 million capital base. Typical investments are around $15-20 million in companies with novel science that can benefit patients. The global economic downturn led to decreased venture funding levels industry-wide but corporate venture funds have provided more stability. Pharmaceutical companies continue acquiring biotech assets as biotechs lack cash. The top performing biotech exits have raised more funding and focus on a few programs. European venture activity contracted but specialist funds and pharmaceutical venture arms have become more important players alongside some government initiatives.
3. Innovative and Successful
A Decade of Success Novartis Venture Fund
14 years as a leading corporate portfolio:
(independent) venture capital firm ~70 private companies
Strong returns driven by looking
beyond to what is “strategic to the
~$750M USD Capital Base
industry”
~$15-20M USD per
NVF reputation viewed as progressive
investment
& forward thinking
45+ portfolio company board
Two capital choices – Venture Fund
seats
and Option Fund
Experienced team (Cambridge
Independent decision making
and Basel)
4. NVF Investment Criteria
Unmet need / Management
Clinical Impact experience
Innovation
Patient Benefit
Superior Returns
Novel proprietary science Capital
/ understanding of efficiency
mechanism
5. Typical Investment Process
Screen ~1000 companies and proposals per year
Of the screened companies <1% conclude with an investment
Lead syndicates when appropriate
Multi-stage due diligence process with investment decision
vested in the Novartis VC team and reviewed by independent
board
New investments +/- 20% stake, diluted down to +/ - 15% in
later rounds, typically with board seat
Follow on investments dependent on operational performance
and financial discipline
NVF is a long-term partner and enabler in developing the
company and finding profitable exit
9. VCs Consequences….
Lower valuations, more down-rounds and pay-to-
play
More scrutiny / due diligence and longer approval
Text process
Increased capital reserves for follow-on
investments
Increased focus on M&A driven by lower valuations
and more widespread “build vs. buy”
considerations
10. Corporate VCs
18%
16%
14%
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Healthcare Corporate VCs seem to be backed by stronger
strategic motivations and management commitment (and
probably cash flows) that ensure stability and continuity even
in a downturn
Source: NVCA, Thomson Financial. Kauffman Fellows
12. Pharma has cash for biotech assets
Biotech / medtech lack cash (> 40% have more than a
years’ worth cash - nearly 100 publicly-traded biotechs do
not have enough cash to last 6 months)
Source: Evaluate
14. Exit top-performers
Top performing biotechs have raised median pre-exit
funding of $36m and exit at a value of $250m, generating a
median ROI of 5.4; median performers have raised
median pre-exit $66m and exit at $133m, generating an
ROI of 1.7
Top performers have typically been exclusively venture
funded pre-exit; companies with only venture funding
represent 85% of the top performers in contrast to 49% of
the total exited
Top performers have a focused portfolio at exit; top
performers 3 development and launched candidates at exit
while the median have almost twice as many
Source: BioCentury; Windhover; McKinsey analysis
15. Exit Drivers
Out- and in-licensing ARE NOT major
performance drivers; top performers have
licensed at the same rate as the median –
BUT reliance on early stage alliances does
help to be attractive for VCs
VCs are exclusively focused on exit,
minimum 1.7x ROI
Source: BioCentury; Windhover; McKinsey analysis
19. Funding Strategy
VC activity has contracted
Generalist VCs have moved away leaving a fewer
specialist VC firms
Venture arms of big pharma now essential players
(new in 2010: Serono, Boehringer, Sanofi, Merieux etc.)
Some government match-fund initiatives have
emerged (UK Innovation Fund €150m, French Innobio
€150 mio, Max Plack)
Large European grants through the Innovation
Medicines Initiatives (FP7, Eureka etc). Large local
grants available in France, Belgium, Italy. Attractive
tax credit in France (€1 credit for €3 invested)
20. Not yet out of the woods, but
situation is improving
Thank You!
Florent Gros
Managing Director
Novartis Venture Funds