Propelling Quebec and Canada to the Forefront with More Than $400 Million Invested in This Sector
MONTREAL, Nov. 6, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Teralys Capital, Canada's largest innovation-focused investor, recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary alongside its investors, fund managers and entrepreneurs. The firm has grown and now has over $2 billion in assets under management across four venture capital funds of funds and two additional legacy portfolios of funds.
Looking specifically at its life sciences practice, Teralys has committed more than $400 million across 17 funds and 3 direct co-investments. Its latest fund commitment was made into the first closing of Montreal-based Amplitude Venture Capital which was announced today.
"Life sciences in Canada has been undergoing a resurgence over the past decade, with real companies being created and expanded, and great positive returns generated for investors", said Cedric Bisson, Partner at Teralys Capital. "As an industry, we are now investing in bolder, more disruptive science; we have expanded our relationships with strategic partners; our management teams are much more operational and experienced, and they are building links with their counterparts in the US, Europe and Asia, as well as with key financial stock exchanges."
Over the past years, Teralys has leveraged its extensive network to grow Canadian funds into franchises, to attract into Canada top international investors, and to selectively co-invest in later stage companies to expand them alongside its fund managers. It has built a portfolio of funds within Canada with different but complementary investment models, sectors of focus, and target stages of development.
The investment in Amplitude illustrates Teralys' efforts to allow new managers to emerge: indeed, Teralys worked extensively with Amplitude on the creation of its new platform for life sciences in Canada, putting a special focus on creating, growing and scaling life sciences companies. Teralys also supported existing firms such as Lumira Ventures, CTI Life Sciences and Genesys Capital in their quest to grow their franchises.
In addition to its leadership with Canadian managers, Teralys also attracted into Canada international managers with a business plan to make things happen in Canada. For instance, Teralys' initial investment in Versant Ventures, a top tier US biotech venture capitalist, has translated into multiple successor funds and a meaningful presence in Vancouver, Toronto and Montréal through the firms' proprietary discovery engines that led to companies such as Repare Therapeutics. TVM Life Science, another firm brought into Canada by Teralys, has deployed its asset-centric model into companies such as Montreal-based AurKa Pharma, which won the CVCA deal of the year award in 2019.
"Our commitment to life sciences is strong and durable, and we intend to continue to cover the financing continuum from the early to the later stages, and to attract new investors to this sector", concluded Jacques Bernier, Managing Partner at Teralys Capital. "Our ultimate goal is to help entrepreneurs grow their life sciences companies into international champions."
About Teralys Capital
Teralys Capital is a private fund manager financing private venture capital funds investing in innovative businesses in information technologies, life sciences, and clean & industrial innovations. Our partner funds cover the entire investment spectrum from early stage start-ups to expansion, growth and technology buy-outs. With more than $2 billion in assets under management across four venture capital funds of funds and two additional legacy portfolios of funds, Teralys Capital is the largest innovation-focused investor in Canada. Visit teralyscapital.com.
SOURCE Teralys Capital Inc.
Teralys Capital, Eric Legault, Managing partner, (514) 509-2082, [email protected]
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