The investors AURELIA, High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), KfW, ILB, the - venture capital fund of the Sparkassen of Brandenburg and Business Angels sell their GILUPI shares to the strategic partner VIROAD. GILUPI is a company developing and manufacturing personalized cancer diagnostics in Potsdam. Due to the takeover, GILUPI gets the opportunity to continue the development of its medical products and to diversify their range of products through in-vitro diagnostics. At the same time, the transaction allows the young biotechnology company the access to the attractive Chinese market.
Since December 2012, VIROAD is a strategic partner, largest investor and shareholder of GILUPI. The Chinese investor has many years of experience in the approval of medical devices. The approval procedure, including the associated clinical study for the GILUPI CellCollector® has already been started in China. The GILUPI CellCollector® isolates complete circulating tumor cells (CTC) - the so-called liquid biopsy. To ensure a stable future and sustainable growth prospects within international markets, VIROAD now takes over all company shares. The investors, who accompany GILUPI financially and commercially since 2006, are pleased with the attractive exit. The HTGF, that allowed the launch of GILUPI as seed investor, emphasizes that "even the facility in Germany will strengthen and expand by the Chinese involvement. VIROAD will market the products in China, but needs the German site for developments and also to address the European markets.” said Dr. Michael Brandkamp, CEO of HTGF.
The managing director at GILUPI, Dr. Jens Pfannkuche, is convinced that the company can market its promising technology and other diagnostic products, especially in Europe and Asia now: "Predictive and companion diagnostics are more and more important in the oncological area, since there are various treatment options. Together with VIROAD we can realize a rapid market access in China in addition to the core markets of Europe. Our current focus is on cell enumeration as a prognostic biomarker in the main oncological indications. Further, we are currently working on molecular assays, to detect genetic changes of CTCs on DNA and RNA level. Especially, therapy decisive measures in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are in our focus. The easy access to CTCs from the bloodstream using our GILUPI CellCollector® - when compared to to tissue biopsy - particular for the detection of resistance mutations makes our Liquid Biopsy concept very attractive."
Xu Baozhi, general manager of the Chinese medical technology company VIROAD, emphasizes "The products of GILUPI have met the strong demand in our Chinese market. The population in our country is aging, and the market for diagnostics is growing dynamically. We are therefore looking forward to expand with our German partner. "
About GILUPI GmbH
GILUPI was founded in 2006 and is based at the Technology Park in Potsdam Hermannswerder. GILUPI is a medical device company with focus on the development and production of new innovative products for the in vivo isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). These products are based on a unique patented technology. The GILUPI CellCollector® consists of a thin, gold-coated stainless steel wire. The tip is coated with a biocompatible hydrogel with bound antibodies which are specifically directed against surface proteins of CTC. Once CTCs flow by, they are bound to the antibodies and can be isolated from the blood of the patient for further diagnosis.
For further information: www.gilupi.com
About AUREALIA Technology Fund I
AURELIA Technology Fund I, located in Frankfurt am Main, takes share in innovative technology companies in Germany. In the business areas media, telecommunication technology, IT, life sciences and industry, the corporation invests in companies which are led by an excellent management and offer products with a unique advantage over the competition.
For further information: www.aurelia-pe.de
About BC Brandenburg Capital GmbH
BC Brandenburg Capital GmbH (BC) is the holding company of different investments funds. As subsidiary of the Investitionsbank of the state of Brandenburg (ILB) and shareholder of tbg Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mbH of the KfW, BC supports growth- and innovation-oriented small and mid-size characterized companies based in and/or with plant location in Brandenburg at financing all phases of company development. The six venture capital funds allocated to BC are provided with a total volume of 150 million Euro, derived from public as well as private capital.
Momentarily, for new investments the Risikokapitalfonds of the Sparkassen of the state of Brandenburg (S-UBG) and particularly the BFB Wachstumsfonds Brandenburg are available. The means of the mutual funds BFB BeteiligungsFonds Brandenburg GmbH and BFB Wachstumsfonds Brandenburg GmbH are provided at 75 percent by the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRE) and at 25 percent by the Ministry of Economy and European Affairs of the state of Brandenburg.
For further information: www.bc-capital.de and www.ilb.de
Contact:
Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg
Corporate Communcations
Press officer
Matthias Haensch
Steinstrasse 104-106
14480 Potsdam
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)331 660 1505
Fax: +49 (0)331 6601231
About KfW bank group
The KfW bank group invigorates economy, society and ecology worldwide. As a development bank owned by the Federal Government and the Laender, it supports sustainable improvements of economic, social and ecological living and economic conditions, for example in the scope of medium-sized business, start-ups, environment protection, housing industry, infrastructure, promotion of education, project and export financing or development corporation.
For further information: www.kfw.de
About High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds invests in young, high potential high-tech start-ups. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping and to market launch. Typically, High-Tech Gründerfonds invests EUR 600,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 2 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this public/private partnership include the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, the KfW Banking Group, as well as strategic corporate investors including ALTANA, BASF, Bayer, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Lanxess, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, METRO, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, SAP, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gründerfonds has about EUR 576 million under management in two funds (EUR 272 million HTGF I, EUR 304 million HTGF II). For further information: www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Dr. Michael Brandkamp
Schlegelstraße 2
53113 Bonn
Tel: + 49 228 / 82 30 01-00
Fax: + 49 228 / 82 30 00-50
info@htgf.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
Since December 2012, VIROAD is a strategic partner, largest investor and shareholder of GILUPI. The Chinese investor has many years of experience in the approval of medical devices. The approval procedure, including the associated clinical study for the GILUPI CellCollector® has already been started in China. The GILUPI CellCollector® isolates complete circulating tumor cells (CTC) - the so-called liquid biopsy. To ensure a stable future and sustainable growth prospects within international markets, VIROAD now takes over all company shares. The investors, who accompany GILUPI financially and commercially since 2006, are pleased with the attractive exit. The HTGF, that allowed the launch of GILUPI as seed investor, emphasizes that "even the facility in Germany will strengthen and expand by the Chinese involvement. VIROAD will market the products in China, but needs the German site for developments and also to address the European markets.” said Dr. Michael Brandkamp, CEO of HTGF.
The managing director at GILUPI, Dr. Jens Pfannkuche, is convinced that the company can market its promising technology and other diagnostic products, especially in Europe and Asia now: "Predictive and companion diagnostics are more and more important in the oncological area, since there are various treatment options. Together with VIROAD we can realize a rapid market access in China in addition to the core markets of Europe. Our current focus is on cell enumeration as a prognostic biomarker in the main oncological indications. Further, we are currently working on molecular assays, to detect genetic changes of CTCs on DNA and RNA level. Especially, therapy decisive measures in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are in our focus. The easy access to CTCs from the bloodstream using our GILUPI CellCollector® - when compared to to tissue biopsy - particular for the detection of resistance mutations makes our Liquid Biopsy concept very attractive."
Xu Baozhi, general manager of the Chinese medical technology company VIROAD, emphasizes "The products of GILUPI have met the strong demand in our Chinese market. The population in our country is aging, and the market for diagnostics is growing dynamically. We are therefore looking forward to expand with our German partner. "
About GILUPI GmbH
GILUPI was founded in 2006 and is based at the Technology Park in Potsdam Hermannswerder. GILUPI is a medical device company with focus on the development and production of new innovative products for the in vivo isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). These products are based on a unique patented technology. The GILUPI CellCollector® consists of a thin, gold-coated stainless steel wire. The tip is coated with a biocompatible hydrogel with bound antibodies which are specifically directed against surface proteins of CTC. Once CTCs flow by, they are bound to the antibodies and can be isolated from the blood of the patient for further diagnosis.
For further information: www.gilupi.com
About AUREALIA Technology Fund I
AURELIA Technology Fund I, located in Frankfurt am Main, takes share in innovative technology companies in Germany. In the business areas media, telecommunication technology, IT, life sciences and industry, the corporation invests in companies which are led by an excellent management and offer products with a unique advantage over the competition.
For further information: www.aurelia-pe.de
About BC Brandenburg Capital GmbH
BC Brandenburg Capital GmbH (BC) is the holding company of different investments funds. As subsidiary of the Investitionsbank of the state of Brandenburg (ILB) and shareholder of tbg Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mbH of the KfW, BC supports growth- and innovation-oriented small and mid-size characterized companies based in and/or with plant location in Brandenburg at financing all phases of company development. The six venture capital funds allocated to BC are provided with a total volume of 150 million Euro, derived from public as well as private capital.
Momentarily, for new investments the Risikokapitalfonds of the Sparkassen of the state of Brandenburg (S-UBG) and particularly the BFB Wachstumsfonds Brandenburg are available. The means of the mutual funds BFB BeteiligungsFonds Brandenburg GmbH and BFB Wachstumsfonds Brandenburg GmbH are provided at 75 percent by the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRE) and at 25 percent by the Ministry of Economy and European Affairs of the state of Brandenburg.
For further information: www.bc-capital.de and www.ilb.de
Contact:
Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg
Corporate Communcations
Press officer
Matthias Haensch
Steinstrasse 104-106
14480 Potsdam
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)331 660 1505
Fax: +49 (0)331 6601231
About KfW bank group
The KfW bank group invigorates economy, society and ecology worldwide. As a development bank owned by the Federal Government and the Laender, it supports sustainable improvements of economic, social and ecological living and economic conditions, for example in the scope of medium-sized business, start-ups, environment protection, housing industry, infrastructure, promotion of education, project and export financing or development corporation.
For further information: www.kfw.de
About High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds invests in young, high potential high-tech start-ups. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping and to market launch. Typically, High-Tech Gründerfonds invests EUR 600,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 2 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this public/private partnership include the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, the KfW Banking Group, as well as strategic corporate investors including ALTANA, BASF, Bayer, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Lanxess, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, METRO, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, SAP, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gründerfonds has about EUR 576 million under management in two funds (EUR 272 million HTGF I, EUR 304 million HTGF II). For further information: www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Dr. Michael Brandkamp
Schlegelstraße 2
53113 Bonn
Tel: + 49 228 / 82 30 01-00
Fax: + 49 228 / 82 30 00-50
info@htgf.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
