Sofinnova Partners appoints Karl Naegler as Partner
10 September 2024 - 5:00PM
Business Wire
Seasoned investor with 20 years of experience
and a strong track record strengthens VC’s leadership in
early-stage life science investments
Sofinnova Partners (“Sofinnova"), a leading European venture
capital firm in life sciences, based in Paris, London, and Milan,
announced the appointment of Karl Naegler as Partner. This
strategic hire also marks Sofinnova’s expansion into Germany,
bolstering its reach and influence across Europe.
Naegler will play a key role in Sofinnova Capital, the firm’s
early-stage investment strategy, established 35 years ago. His
expertise strengthens the firm’s commitment to championing
early-stage innovation in life sciences and enhances a
well-established team of partners.
Before joining Sofinnova, Naegler was a Managing Partner at
Wellington Partners Life Sciences and a Partner at Gimv, where he
was instrumental in the success of several high-profile startups,
from company formation to successful exit. These include Seamless
Therapeutics, recently launched with a top syndicate of investors,
Breath Therapeutics, a co-investment with Sofinnova, acquired by
Zambon, Covagen, acquired by Johnson & Johnson, and Prosonix,
acquired by Circassia Pharmaceuticals.
"We’ve known and worked with Karl for two decades and his track
record speaks for itself," said Graziano Seghezzi, Managing
Partner, at Sofinnova Partners. "His deep industry knowledge,
impeccable reputation, and strong relationship with Sofinnova make
him an exceptional addition to the team. Karl’s appointment follows
the recent promotion of Anta Gkelou, from Principal to Partner,
further solidifying our team of senior partners."
"Sofinnova is a world-class firm that truly leads life sciences
venture capital in Europe," Naegler said. "The opportunity to be
part of an investment platform spanning multiple sectors, stages
and geographies, with such a high-caliber team, was an opportunity
I could not pass up. I look forward to bringing my experience to
bear as we build and support the most innovative companies in life
sciences across Europe while reinforcing our footprint in
Germany."
Naegler’s career includes key roles at Ventech and Atlas
Venture. He was also a Scientific Fellow at CNRS for Neurochemistry
in Strasbourg and earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Neurobiology from
the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin.
About Sofinnova Partners
Sofinnova Partners is a leading European venture capital firm in
life sciences, specializing in healthcare and sustainability. Based
in Paris, London and Milan, the firm brings together a team of
professionals from all over the world with strong scientific,
medical, and business expertise. Sofinnova Partners is a hands-on
company builder across the entire value chain of life sciences
investments, from seed to later-stage. The firm actively partners
with ambitious entrepreneurs as a lead or cornerstone investor to
develop transformative innovations that have the potential to
positively impact our collective future.
Founded in 1972, Sofinnova Partners is a deeply established
venture capital firm in Europe, with 50 years of experience backing
over 500 companies and creating market leaders around the globe.
Today, Sofinnova Partners has over €2.8 billion under management.
For more information, please visit: sofinnovapartners.com.
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Bommy Lee Head of Communications Sofinnova Partners
blee@sofinnovapartners.com +33 (0) 6 47 71 38 11
United Kingdom Optimum Strategic Communications Hana
Malik sofinnova@optimumcomms.com +44 (0) 20 3882 2119
France StrategiesImage Anne Rein
anne.rein@strategiesimage.com +33 (0) 6 03 35 92 05
Italy Havas PR Milan Pierluigi Cavarai
pierluigi.cavaraiext@havaspr.com +39 (0) 392 77 999 33
DACH MC Services AG Katja Arnold, Kaja Skorka
sofinnova@mc-services.eu +49-89-210 228-0