We are Invivo Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage companies in biotechnology and at the intersection of AI and deeptech.
Managed by Luis Pareras, Albert Ferrer, and Laura Rodríguez, with investments in 17 portfolio companies and 4 successful exits.
Our portfolio companies have raised over 450M€ from global VCs.
Our team combines scientific, technical, and financial expertise to make impactful investments and foster growth in the health sector. With our deep understanding of Technology Transfer and market trends, we aim to become a leading player in Europe's biotech industry.
Our investors base includes major institutional investors like the European Investment Fund, Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO), Institut Català de Finances (ICF - Catalan Finance Institute), Institut Valencià de Finances (IVF), Barcelona City Council, and a majority of private investors.
Projects
We seek projects according to the following criteria:
Investment size
Initial investments range from 2-4M€, with follow-ons in portfolio companies up to 10M€ per company after meeting set milestones.
Stage of development
Pre-seed (company creation) and Seed investments, in preclinical stage, and direct in Series A investments for companies 1-2 years away from First-in-Human trials,
Geographical focus
European based companies with special focus in Spanish opportunities.
Sector
In Biotechnology: companies developing innovative drugs, with a particular interest in Advanced therapies and Synthetic Biology.
Healthequity is a VC fund focused on investing in early-stage companies in the Healthcare sector. Promoted by the Medical Association of Barcelona and the financial group Riva y Garcia, it was registered with the CNMV and founded in 2012.
The fund finished its first investment period in early 2019.
Invivo Ventures was registered with the CNMV in March 2019 and achieved a final closing of 60M €.
The fund will complete its investment period in 2024.
Invivo Ventures III was registered with the CNMV in November 2023 and and is set to achieve its first closing in the first half of 2024, targeting a volume of 100M€.
Invivo Ventures AI is set to achieve its first closing in the first half of 2026, targeting a volume of 100M€.
Luis Serrano, Ph.D.
Director, CRG (Centre for Genomic Regulation).
Dr. Luis Serrano earned his Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the CBM (Madrid, Spain) and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research in protein folding at the MRC (UK) under Prof. A.R. Fehrst. In 1993, he became a Group Leader at EMBL (Heidelberg, Germany), focusing on protein folding and design. A decade later, he was appointed Head of the Structural & Computational Biology program at EMBL, where he pioneered research in Systems and Synthetic Biology.
In 2006, Dr. Serrano returned to Spain to establish a Systems Biology research program, serving as vice-director before becoming Director of CRG in July 2011.
His current research focuses on Synthetic Biology, particularly in engineering and designing biological systems. A recognized leader in the field, he is a member of EMBO and RACEFyN and has received several prestigious international awards, including the Marie Curie Excellence Award, three ERC Advanced Grants and prizes like the Premi Ciuta de Barcelona, Fundacion Cobos and Jaume I in new technologies.
He has been a Coordinator in multiple EU-funded research projects and has co-founded 6 startup companies.
Begoña Carreño, Ph.D.
Chief Business Development Officer at Aspeya.
Dr. Carreño is currently the Chief Business Development Officer at Aspeya (formerly known as Vectura Fertin Pharma) in Switzerland. Prior to this, she spent 18 years at Novartis Pharma AG in its Business Development and Licensing (“BD&L”) group, her last role being World Wide BD&L Head in the Ophthalmology Franchise, based in Basel, Switzerland.
Dr. Carreño has over 20 years of pharmaceutical development experience. She is a seasoned and energetic BD&L professional who has led the BD&L efforts at Novartis across five different therapeutic franchises in the last 15 years, including cardiovascular & metabolism, respiratory, arthritis, bone, and musculoskeletal diseases.
She has a proven track record in licensing deals, M&A, as well as developing collaborations within cross-functional, multicultural, and matrix environments at global, regional, and country levels. Before joining Novartis, she was the Head of External Pharmaceutical Projects at Almirall (Barcelona, Spain).
She is a non-executive board member at ProQR, a public company specialized in RNA editing, and a member of the Business Advisory Board at the IRB in Barcelona.
Dr. Carreño holds a Ph.D. in Drug Delivery from the London School of Pharmacy (UK) and a BSc in Biochemistry from Keele University (UK).
Theresa Heggie.
Biopharmaceutical Executive & Board Member.
Theresa Heggie is a highly accomplished executive in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, with extensive leadership experience spanning global commercial strategy and operations, business development, and market access
She joined Freeline as CEO in June 2020, overseeing the company’s clinical development from its headquarters north of London. Previously, she was SVP, Head of CEMEA at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a pioneering biotech firm specializing in RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics. She has also held senior roles as Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Bupa and SVP, Global Commercial Operations at Shire Human Genetic Therapies, where she also served as CEO of Jerini following its acquisition by Shire. Earlier in her career, she held leadership positions at Baxter and Janssen.
Ms. Heggie currently serves on the Boards of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals and ProQR Therapeutics. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University.
Dr. Timothy Lu.
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Senti Bio.
Dr. Timothy Lu is a leader in synthetic biology and biopharmaceutical innovation. Since co-founding Senti Bio in 2016, he has served as the company’s CEO, overseeing the development of advanced gene and cell therapies.
Dr. Lu joined MIT as a faculty member in MIT’s Biological Engineering and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science departments in 2010. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Lu pioneered work in engineering smart genetic circuits for therapeutic applications. He has co-founded and advised multiple biotech companies, including Senti, BiomX, Corvium, Eligo Bioscience, Engine Biosciences, Synlogic, and Tango Therapeutics.
Dr. Lu earned his M.D. from Harvard Medical School and his Ph.D. in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering from MIT through the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program. His groundbreaking work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the NIH New Innovator Award, US Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, MIT Technology Review’s TR35, and the Navy and Army Young Investigator Prizes.
A space where we share insights, reflections, and updates from the worlds of biotechnology, healthcare, and deeptech. Here you’ll find thought pieces, analyses of emerging trends, and notes from our team and network of experts shaping the future of science-driven innovation.
View posts here
This policy reflects our approach to environmental, social, and governance management throughout our investment horizon, from initial selection and investment decision through to divestment, with the objective of generating sustainable and socially responsible value in the investees in which we invest.
We believe that major global concerns such as climate change, demographic development, technological advances, and social inequality will influence markets, companies, and society in general, and will have implications for companies in terms of risks and opportunities that need to be assessed and considered.
We also understand that acting as responsible investors is a gradual process, and we are committed to progressively incorporating ESG best practices in an effort of continuous improvement.
In this regard, this policy reflects our commitment to conducting our business in strict compliance with applicable regulations in accordance with the highest ethical standards and professional conduct. Among them, the development and management of social and governance risks of our activity are considered essential.
Consult the policy here
