Venture Capital
Venture capital is an essential element in enabling innovative entrepreneurship. Gimv is a solid partner here, boasting years of experience, expert teams with knowledge in software & internet, clean tech, biopharma/agriculture and medtech, and a strong financial base. Gimv helps young companies redefine boundaries, become increasingly professional and convert innovative ideas into trendsetting products that are already starting to answer tomorrow's challenges.
As it is to many companies operating in sectors of the future, internationalisation is of enormous importance to venture capitalists. From this perspective Gimv has strongly expanded its network with offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany and an international venture capital team. All this combined with a portfolio reaching far beyond its own national borders makes Gimv a pan-European player.
Combining of forces, varied and complementing disciplines and a multidisciplinary approach are important Gimv assets. Our in-house technology and finance professionals team up with outside entrepreneurs, industry experts and other international venture capitalists who act as co-investors. In all this Gimv is more than a capital provider, enabling its portfolio companies to benefit from its many years’ experience and expertise. Working with innovative companies, Gimv is helping draw the future in the true sense of the word. Gimv creates opportunities for portfolio companies. Its investments in Ebuzzing and Active Path, operating in internet and software respectively, are enabling these promising companies to accelerate product development and achieve international roll-out.
During the past year, Gimv also took advantage of the slightly improved stock market climate to bring three of its portfolio companies successfully to the stock market with IPOs for technology company INSIDE Secure and two U.S. biotech companies, Ceres and Chemocentryx . All three can now rely on a broader funding base for their further growth.
Gimv opts very deliberately for long-term relationships. Success is the outcome of years of commitment and flexibility as an investor. The signal importance Gimv accords to these are clearly visible from its track record . Since its inception in 1980 the team has achieved numerous exits and 19 successful IPOs (of 22 for Gimv in total).
Multiplicom
Multiplicom is a young molecular diagnostics company that manufactures and markets innovative DNA tests based on the Multiplexer™ technology. These tests enable genetic analysis laboratories to carry out tests more effectively, faster and at limited cost. Multiplicom’s tests for breast cancer, colon cancer and cystic fibrosis are already commercially available.
Multiplicom is the sixth VIB spin-off in which Gimv has participated. Gimv invested EUR 2 million alongside the University of Antwerp, VIB and the Biotech Fund Flanders, also managed by Gimv. This funding is intended for developing a wider range of diagnostic tests. This will help increase understanding of the cause of diseases, so that in the longer term each patient can be prescribed the most appropriate treatment. In this way Gimv is actively investing in innovation for better and more affordable healthcare.
Multiplicom is also using the proceeds of this financing round to expand its European sales network. An agreement has already been signed with the German marketing and sales organization IFFMEDIC. Gimv is closely involved in the further development of Multiplicom. Together with management it is building a long-term strategy focused on the added value that Multiplicom can offer within the diagnostic sector. www.multiplicom.com
Biotech Fonds Vlaanderen
Gimv manages the Biotech Fonds Vlaanderen for the Flemish government. This fund - established in 1994 – provides seed and growth capital to new and existing biotechnology companies in Flanders. In addition, the fund seeks to interest biotech companies in starting up operations in this region, so as to develop Flanders into a reputable global player in research and industrial development. With Biotech Fonds Vlaanderen, Gimv has invested over EUR 85 million in more than 15 biotech companies, some of which have since been listed.
INSIDE Secure
With INSIDE Secure (Nyse Euronext INSIDE.PA) – founded in 1995 and headquartered in the French town of Aix-en-Provence – Gimv has a company in its portfolio that focuses on secure transactions and is a pioneer in state-of-the-art technologies in this field. INSIDE Secure is going flat-out for innovation, with a significant portion of its budget earmarked for research and development.
Gimv already entered the company in 1998, having seen the potential of the NFC (Near Field Communications) technology for safer and more user-friendly mobile payments and access and identity controls etc. Gimv’s long-term investor stance is paying off. INSIDE Secure has grown over the years into a global player with more than 380 employees and facilities in 13 countries, including UK, USA, China, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
Encouraged by Gimv, INSIDE Secure in 2010 acquired the Secure Microcontroller Solutions business of Atmel Corporation. The business was successfully integrated into the rest of the company and INSIDE Secure was ready for the next step. This was followed in February 2012 by a highly successful IPO on Euronext Paris.
Gimv has contributed its expertise at all these important stages, constantly encouraging management to develop a long-term strategy and continuously adjust it to ever-changing market conditions and trends. Only thus can INSIDE Secure remain a top player. That this French technology company has been none the worse for this approach is proved by the prizes it has gathered in recent years, including a Deloitte Technology Fast 50 award. www.insidesecure.com
Gimv-Arkiv Tech Fund II
The Flemish government has since established two ARKimedes funds to support innovation, employment and quality of life. These funds join forces with qualified venture capitalists - the so-called ARKIVs - in funding Flemish starters and SMEs. Gimv received ARKIV recognition again in August 2011 and started the Gimv-Arkiv Tech Fund II, focused on early-to-midstage equity investments in Flemish SMEs in ICT and cleantech. The size of the fund is EUR 25 million: 12 million from the ARKimedes-fund II and 13 million from Gimv.