Successful Exit for Creathor Ventures, High-Tech Gründerfonds, Bayern Kapital and KfW – PerkinElmer Agrees to Acquire Viral Vector Gene Delivery Leader SIRION Biotech

June 23, 2021

• SIRION Biotech, Martinsried near Munich, will continue to grow its leading position in viral vector technologies for cell and gene therapy as part of PerkinElmer
• The addition of SIRION’s offerings will complement PerkinElmer’s Horizon Discovery portfolio
• In 2007 High-Tech Gründerfonds, Creathor Ventures together with KfW and Bayern Kapital were the first seed investors of SIRION Biotech GmbH
• The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals

Bonn, 23.06.2021 – High-Tech Gründerfonds, Creathor Ventures, KfW and Bayern Kapital announced that they are committed to sell their shares of SIRION Biotech GmbH, a global provider of viral vector-based technologies that drive improved delivery performance for cell and gene therapies. This news comes after PerkinElmer, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire SIRION. The acquisition is expected to close during the third quarter of 2021.

In 2007 Creathor Ventures, High-Tech Gründerfonds, Bayern Kapital and KfW syndicated in a first seed financing round of SIRION.

Headquartered in Munich, Germany, privately held SIRION has approximately 50 employees based in Germany, the U.S. and France. The company has established a strong licensing portfolio leveraged by over a dozen major pharmaceutical and biotech players researching more than twenty-five diseases and conditions.

Our team is excited to work with PerkinElmer to continue to grow our leading position in viral vector technologies for cell and gene therapy. We will benefit greatly from becoming part of the PerkinElmer portfolio, with increased access to genomics analysis, gene editing and base editing technologies, as well as a strong global infrastructure and reach

Dr. Christian Thirion, CEO of SIRION

We are very proud to have played a part in SIRION’s successful development. As a seed investor, we are always on the lookout for high-potential technologies prior to market launch as well as highly motivated entrepreneurs and teams. SIRION delivered on all these aspects.

Marco Winzer, Partner at High-Tech Gründerfonds

SIRION is a great example of founders and management teaming up with experienced investors to bring an early-stage scientific innovation from the academic lab bench to world-wide technology leadership. We are very pleased to have played an active role in this success story.

Karlheinz Schmelig, Partner at Creathor Ventures

From the very beginning, we have been very impressed with SIRION’s technical knowledge and market expertise, and have been actively supporting the company’s growth over the years as of the earliest stage. We are therefore very pleased with this great success and wish SIRION the very best.

Roman Huber, Managing Director at Bayern Kapital

The PerkinElmer Inc., full press release is available here.

About SIRION Biotech GmbH
SIRION Biotech was founded in 2005 with the goal to spark a new generation of viral vector technologies for gene and cell therapy as well as vaccine development. SIRION evolves novel therapeutic viral vectors and uses proprietary technology platforms based on lenti-, adeno-, and adeno-associated viruses, to expedite its partners’ advances in drug development.
For additional information, please visit www.sirion-biotech.com.

Corporate Contact
Dieter Lingelbach, COO
+49 89-700-96199-14
lingelbach@sirion-biotech.com

About Creathor Ventures
Creathor Ventures invests in technology-oriented companies that drive the personalization and digitalization of healthcare, and the automation of industry. The team currently supports over 30 tech and healthcare companies. Over the past 30 years, the funds have financed over 200 companies as lead or co-lead investor. More than 20 companies have been listed on international stock exchanges. Creathor Ventures currently manages a fund volume of over 230 million euros.
Further information can be found at: www.creathor.com

Media Contact
Ute Molders, Office Management
T.: +49 6172 139720
ute.molders@creathor.com

Investors Contact
Karlheinz Schmelig, Managing Partner
T.: +49 6172 139720
karlheinz.schmelig@creathor.com

About Bayern Kapital
Bayern Kapital GmbH, based in Landshut, Germany, was founded as an initiative of the Bavarian government in 1995. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bavarian LfA Förderbank. As the venture capital organisation of the Free State of Bavaria, Bayern Kapital provides equity capital financing for the founders of young innovative technology companies in Bavaria. Presently, Bayern Kapital manages twelve investment funds with a total volume of around EUR 500 million. So far, it has invested roughly EUR 350 million in about 290 innovative technology companies in various sectors including life sciences, software & IT, medical technology, materials and new materials, nanotechnology and environmental technology. In this way, more than 8,000 long-term jobs in sustainable companies have been created in Bavaria.
More about Bayern Kapital: www.bayernkapital.de

Press Contact
IWK Communication Partner
Ira Wülfing / Dominik Neumüller
Ohmstraße 1, DE-80802 München
+49. 89. 2000 30-30
bayernkapital@iwk-cp.com
www.iwk-cp.com

About KfW
KfW is one of the world’s leading promotional banks. With its decades of experience, KfW is committed to improving economic, social and ecological living conditions across the globe on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany and the federal states. To do this, it provided funds totaling EUR 135,3 billion in 2020 alone; and of this, 33% went into measures for protecting the environment and combating climate change.
KfW does not have any branches and does not hold customer deposits. It refinances its promotional business almost entirely through the international capital markets. In 2020 KfW raised EUR 66,4 billion for this purpose. In Germany, the KfW Group is represented in Frankfurt, Berlin, Bonn and Cologne. Its network includes 80 offices and representations around the world.
www.kfw.de

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is a seed investor that finances high-potential, tech-driven start-ups. With around EUR 900 million in total investment volume across three funds and an international network of partners, HTGF has already helped forge more than 600 start-ups since 2005. Driven by their expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and passion, its team of experienced investment managers and startup experts help guide the development of young companies. HTGF’s focus is on high-tech start-ups in the fields of digital tech, industrial technology, life sciences, chemistry and related business areas. To date, external investors have injected more than EUR 3 billion into the HTGF portfolio via more than 1,700 follow-on financing rounds. HTGF has also successfully sold interests in more than 130 companies.
Investors in this public-private partnership include the Federal Ministry For Economic Affairs and Energy, KfW Capital, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V., as well as the companies ALTANA, BASF, BAYER, B.Braun, Boehringer Ingelheim, Robert Bosch, BÜFA, CEWE, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Post DHL, Dräger, 1&1 AG, EVONIK, EWE AG, FOND OF, Haniel, Hettich, Knauf, Körber, LANXESS, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT, QIAGEN, RWE Generation SE, SAP, Schufa, Schwarz Gruppe, STIHL, Thüga, Vector Informatik, WACKER and Wilh. Werhahn KG.
www.htgf.de/en

Media Contact
Stefanie Grüter, Head of Marketing & Communications
T.: +49 228 – 82300 – 188
s.grueter@htgf.de

Contact Investors
Marco Winzer, Partner
T.: +49 228 – 82300 – 106
m.winzer@htgf.de