Claris Ventures announces first closing of Claris Biotech II
New fund dedicated to Italian biotech, with subscriptions from CDP Venture Capital and FEI.
New fund dedicated to Italian biotech, with subscriptions from CDP Venture Capital and FEI.
Turin, April 23, 2025
Claris Ventures announces the first closing of Claris Biotech II, a venture capital fund dedicated to early-stage investments in biotech startups originating from the Italian research ecosystem, with a fundraising target of €100 million. The fund continues the trajectory started with the first fund launched in 2020, which raised a total of €85 million and financed 10 biotech companies active in therapeutic areas such as oncology, neurology, cardiometabolic diseases, and rare diseases.
To date, four therapeutic programs supported by the first fund have already entered clinical development, and the portfolio companies have collectively raised over €170 million in capital, attracting the interest of international investors and pharmaceutical groups, including Sanofi, Bristol Myers Squibb, and ONO Pharmaceutical.
“This second fund marks an important step in our vision for the growth and maturation of the biotech industry in Italy, starting from science and guiding it toward clinical validation,” said Pietro Puglisi and Ciro Spedaliere, Managing Partners at Claris Ventures. “We will continue investing in new entrepreneurial ventures arising from high-impact discoveries: we are not afraid to take the first step, and this is the only way to make a real contribution to the Italian biotech ecosystem—while also representing a significant return opportunity.”
Claris Biotech II maintains the focused approach of the first fund: selective investments in therapeutic programs with strong scientific rationale, addressing deep clinical needs and offering high potential. The goal is to support startups through early clinical validation, creating the conditions for partnering or M&A transactions with major pharmaceutical groups.
Institutional investors who have already committed to the new fund include CDP Venture Capital and the European Investment Fund (EIF, part of the EIB Group), confirming their commitment to supporting innovation in life sciences, in continuity with their support of the first Claris Ventures fund.
“As the leading venture capital financier in Europe, investing in innovative companies in the life sciences sector is one of EIF’s strategic priorities,” commented Marco Marrone, Chief Investment Officer at EIF. “Through our investment in Claris Biotech II, we aim to support new biotech companies arising from excellent scientific discoveries, generating positive value for society and patients in Italy and across Europe.”
Simona Corno, Senior Partner and co-head of the FoF VenturItaly II at CDP Venture Capital, added: “We are renewing our support to Claris Ventures, a well-established Italian manager that, with Claris Biotech I, has demonstrated strong scouting capabilities and rapid construction of a biotech startup portfolio already marked by growth and clear value creation. For CDP Venture Capital, the life sciences sector is a priority, and the commitment to Claris Biotech II reflects our intention to support the growth of early-stage biotech, including through international collaborations.”
On the first closing, Claris Ventures also announces the addition of Giulia Vestri to the team as Partner. With solid experience in biotech business development and the strategic side of the pharmaceutical sector, Giulia further strengthens the team’s expertise, enhancing the ability to support portfolio companies during the most critical stages of their growth path—from strategic ideation to the creation of clinical and industrial value.
Claris Ventures will continue to work closely with the early-stage ecosystem, integrating scientific, industrial, and financial expertise to accelerate the transition from research to new drug development.