Venture capital catches a cure

Venture capital in the region has returned to rude health – with the buoyant market for listings that persisted for much of 2014 the best medicine

European venture capital investment has had its strongest quarter for 13 years. In the third quarter, €2.3 billion was invested in 323 deals, according to Dow Jones VentureSource data, up 36% on the same quarter last year. Investor confidence has been boosted by the strength of the exit market.

Mark Dorff, a partner at law firm Brown Rudnick, explained: “When people can see how they are going to get out, it makes them more likely to want to get in.” Interest from US investors has helped, Dorff added.

Appropriately, three of the quarter’s five biggest investments were in healthcare companies: Adaptimmune in the UK (€77 million), Biocartis in France (€65 million) and Cardiorentis in Switzerland (€45 million).