Forbion, already one of Europe’s largest life sciences venture capital firms, now has more investment firepower with €2.3 billion (about $2.6 billion) raised for two new funds.
The fundraise is the largest in Forbion’s 20-year history, the Naarden, Netherlands-based firm said Tuesday. It comes in a market generally characterized by a shortage of capital, particularly in Europe.
This year through the third quarter, VC firms globally have raised $142.1 billion total, according to a new report from Pitchbook. VC fundraising is on pace to top $200 billion for the full year, which would mark a strong rebound from 2025. But the report also shows more money going into fewer funds.
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Furthermore, there’s geographic imbalance in the fundraising. About two thirds of this year’s financial commitments to date are for firms in North America. Pitchbook said that despite this year’s global fundraising already surpassing 2025 figures, Europe is on pace for its lowest fundraising total since 2019, excluding last year.
The imbalance is also evident in tallies of VC investments. The number of deals and the deal values are up year over year, but that reflects strong activity in North America, the report said. Every other region in the world is on pace for a decline in deal count year over year, which Pitchbook attributes to the lack of liquidity across global markets.
Forbion said it has already completed the first investments from its two new funds, Forbion Growth Opportunities Fund IV and Forbion Ventures Fund VIII. The firm added that it expects its new capital will support investments in about 30 portfolio companies. In the announcement, Forbion co-founder and Managing Partner Sander Slootweg said the capital enables the firm to invest in “the most exciting biotech companies.”
“We will continue to focus on building and scaling those companies that develop the most paradigm-shifting treatments, addressing true unmet needs and delivering societal impact,” Slootweg said.
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Forbion’s investments this year to date include participation in the $130 million Series A financing of North Carolina-based migraine drug developer Slate Medicines (now on track to go public in a reverse merger) and the $125 million Series A financing of immunology biotech Coultreon Biopharma, based in Belgium.
Forbion said its new capital comes from existing investors as well as new ones. Disclosed investors include MN, PGGM, KfW Capital, Kauffman Foundation, and Eli Lilly and Company. With the capital raised for the two new funds, Forbion said it has €7.5 billion (about $8.5 billion) in assets under management spread across 13 funds, making it Europe’s largest dedicated life sciences VC firm.
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