LOPHIUS closed 2nd financing round and appoints Dr. Michael Lutz as new CEO

Lophius Biosciences announced today that the company has successfully closed a 2^nd round financing with a value of around 1,6 m EUR. The investment of S-Refit, the new lead investor, is strongly supplemented by follow up investments from existing investors High-Tech Gruenderfonds and Bayernkapital. The financing will be used to boost the development of the company with a strong focus on commercialization of existing diagnostic products and the generation of new tests based on the company´s proprietary technology platforms.

With immediate effect, Dr. Michael Lutz has been appointed as Lophius´ new CEO. In this function, he replaces the existing managing directors PD Dr. Deml and Marc Akteries who will remain within the company in leading positions. Dr. Michael Lutz has significant expertise in building up and managing of innovative biotech companies. He supports Lophius since Sep. 2009 as coach and advisor. Before, Dr. Lutz was Global General Manager of Cogenics and CEO of Epidauros.

Bertram Gilka-Bötzow from S-Refit commented: “We are delighted to jointly support Lophius Biosciences with the existing investors High-Tech Gruenderfonds and Bayernkapital. Lophius is a promising and innovative company further strengthening the local biotech hotspot in Regensburg. With the appointment of Dr. Michael Lutz as experienced CEO of small and medium-sized Biotech companies a major milestone has been achieved to ensure the future growth and development of the company.”

“Within a short period we were able to secure S-Refit as new lead investor. S-Refit optimally fits to Lophius´ future development based on its investment strategy and local presence and was highly convinced by the company quality” said Dr. Michael Lutz, Lophius´ new CEO of Lophius. „At this point I would like to take the opportunity to thank the outgoing management, in particular PD Dr. Deml for their hard work in building up the company during the seed investment phase.”

About Lophius Biosciences:
Lophius Biosciences GmbH is a spin-off of the Universitätsklinik Regensburg focusing on the development and marketing of innovative T-cell based test systems for the diagnosis and potential therapy guidance in the fields of transplantation and infectious as well as autoimmune diseases.

Contact:
Marc Akteries
Phone: +49 941 944 4637
marc.akteries@lophius.de
https://www.lophius.de/

About S-Refit AG:
Since it was founded in the year 1990, S-Refit AG has concentrated on the Germany`s Eastern Bavaria region and on companies with solid management, professional experience and entrepreneurial vision. Without having a specific industrial sector focus, we are active in biotechnology, mechanical engineering and software.

S-Refit AG`s regional investment principle arises from its shareholder structure, savings banks in Eastern Bavaria, the tbg der kfw-Mittelstandsbank and the Eastern Bavarian Technology Transfer Institute (OTTI).

https://www.s-refit.de/ 

About Bayernkapital:
Bayern Kapital was founded in 1995 as initiative of the Bavarian government to strengthen the future of the region „Offensive Zukunft Bayern”, especially to establish and support and invest in new and innovative companies. Up to date Bayern Kapital has invested about 152,5m Euro in more than 185 innovative High Tech companies. Currently Bayern Kapital manages through funds around 190m Euro.

Clusterfonds EFRE, managed by Bayern Kapital, invests in technology start-ups in cooperation with a lead investor. The lead investor has to actively support the company in strategic planning and market entry. Investments up to 2m Euro are possible.

About High-Tech Gründerfonds:
High-Tech Gründerfonds invests venture capital in young, high-opportunity technological companies implementing promising research results in an entrepreneurial manner. The start-up companies are planned to lead their R&D projects to the production of a prototype or a “proof of concepts” or market launch by means of the seed financing of up to 500k EUR. The High-Tech Gründerfonds has a fund volume of around 272m EUR. Investors of the public-private partnership are the Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology, the KfW bank group as well as the six industrial groups BASF, Deutsche Telekom, Siemens, Robert Bosch, Daimler and Carl Zeiss.

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Dr. Caroline Fichtner
Senior Investmentmanagerin
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn
Phone: +49 228 96568500
Fax: +49 228 96568550
info@high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de