CBPE Capital (“CBPE”) has invested to acquire a majority ownership position in Blatchford, a world leading provider of advanced prosthetic and orthotic (“P&O”) devices.  CBPE will be investing alongside fourth generation family member Stephen Blatchford and the management team led by Adrian Stenson, CEO. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Blatchford provides highly innovative, premium quality prosthetic and orthotic devices to lower-limb patients across the world. Over 80% of product sales are outside of the UK. As well as designing, manufacturing and distributing products, Blatchford also operates clinical service centres in the UK and Norway, providing valuable patient feedback into the research and development process for new products.

The company will continue its dedication to and focus on developing innovative products that lead to improved clinical outcomes and enhanced quality of life for patients.  The ongoing investment in R&D, under the stewardship of Professor Sir Saeed Zaheedi, has resulted in pioneering prosthetics such as Linx, the world’s first and only truly integrated microprocessor-controlled limb system. This patient-centric culture extends into the clinical divisions of Blatchford where patients receive market-leading, quality rehabilitation services.

CBPE will support management’s plans to bring a range of innovative new products to market and to expand the business geographically, both organically and through acquisitions.

The investment in Blatchford continues CBPE’s successful track record of investing in and developing market-leading, high-growth healthcare businesses. The current portfolio includes Rodericks, a leading provider of dental services, SpaMedica, a leading provider of ophthalmic services, OH Assist, the largest occupational health services provider in the UK, Medica Reporting which is the UK market leader in teleradiology, and Assisted Reproduction & Gynaecology Centre (ARGC) the leading fertility clinic in the UK.

Naveen Passi, Director, CBPE said: “Blatchford provides life-changing products and is a technology-leader in the P&O field. Stephen and Adrian have led the business through a period of substantial growth and we are delighted to be supporting the business in the next phase of its development.”

Adrian Stenson, CEO of Blatchford said: “In CBPE we have found an investor that shares our values, has taken the time to understand the direct effect we have on people’s lives and will help us build our brand and what we stand for on the global stage. CBPE has a track record of successful direct investment in the healthcare area and we look forward to working as a close team to continue delivering exceptional outcomes for patients and stakeholders alike.”

CBPE’s investment in Blatchford was led by Naveen Passi and Ian Moore with support from Rupert Parker and Aqil Sohail. Naveen Passi and Ian Moore will join the Board of Blatchford.

Camel-IDS, a Brussels-based company developing cancer-targeted radiopharmaceuticals today announced the completion of a series-A financing round, whereby the company secured funding of EUR 37 million. Gimv, who leads this round together with V-Bio Ventures, invests EUR 6 million. They are joined by HealthCap, Novo Seeds, Pontifax and BioMedPartners. This financing, which is one of the larger rounds of a European early-stage life sciences company, will enable Camel-IDS to run a phase Ib/II trial with its lead program targeting brain metastatic breast cancer, while further progressing and broadening its preclinical pipeline.

Camel-IDS (www.camel-ids.com), which was founded in 2014 as a spin-off from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), develops novel radiopharmaceuticals, using camelid domain antibodies linked to radionuclides. Breast cancer patients with tumors that overexpress HER2, a growth-promoting protein, can benefit from effective targeted treatments today. However, they have a poor prognosis when the cancer progresses towards the brain. Camel-IDS’ lead program shall be used to effectively irradiate such brain lesions while sparing healthy tissue. This is based on its unique technology platform that leverages the favourable tissue distribution of camelid derived single domain antibodies linked to radionuclides.

Karl Naegler, Partner in Gimv’s Health & Care platform, adds: ‘From early on in our discussions, the renowned expertise of the Camel-IDS’ team in radio-immunotherapy became clear, with Prof. Tony Lahoutte bringing exceptional knowledge to the table. Together with Ruth Devenyns as CEO, an industry veteran of the European biotech landscape and successful entrepreneur, the company is well positioned to move up to the next level.’

This investment marks Gimv’s 4th investment in the life sciences, medtech and healthcare sector this year, thus further underpinning Gimv’s position as one of the most active European investors in the healthcare industry. Moreover, this brings the total number of portfolio companies in the Health & Care investment platform to no less than 21.

For further information, we refer to the company’s press release in attachment.

Read the full press release:

Utrecht (The Netherlands), Cambridge (United States) – Respiratory device producer Vapotherm, Inc. announced its Initial Public Offering and listing on the NYSE exchange. Shares in the IPO are issued to institutional investors in the US and Europe, raising gross proceeds of $56 million. The offering was significantly oversubscribed. The total market capitalisation of Vapotherm will be $244 million at the introduction price and shares will trade under the ticker symbol VAPO.

The new funds enable Vapotherm to continue ramping sales of its Hi-VNI® technology in the US and Europe. Vapotherm’s Hi-VNI® treats patients in respiratory distress in the neo-natal intensive care unit (ICU), the adult ICU, the emergency department, post-acute care and for patients in hospice. The technology has been proven equivalent to the gold standard of non-invasive ventilation, however can be delivered without the need for a mask, providing patients with more comfort and flexibility in their care.

In addition to ramping sales with existing products, Vapotherm will use proceeds from the IPO to pursue an aggressive product development program which includes products which automate the delivery of oxygen based on feedback from a patient’s oxygen levels; and a portable device which has the potential to be used in expanded clinical settings, including the home.

Gilde Healthcare acted as lead investor in the Series B financing for Vapotherm and will remain represented on the board of Vapotherm post listing. During Gilde’s investment period Vapotherm tripled US and International revenues, established a highly specialized direct sales force, and dramatically increased gross margins.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch and William Blair acted as Joint Bookrunners in connection with the IPO. Canaccord Genuity acted as lead manager and BTIG acted as co-manager.

About Gilde Healthcare

Gilde Healthcare is a specialized European healthcare investor managing €1 billion across two business lines: a venture & growth capital fund and a private equity fund. Gilde Healthcare’s venture & growth capital fund invests in medtech, digital health and therapeutics. The portfolio companies are based in Europe and North America. Gilde Healthcare’s private equity fund invests in profitable European lower mid-market healthcare services companies with a focus on the Benelux and DACH-region. The portfolio consists of healthcare providers, suppliers of medical products and other service providers in the healthcare market. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.gildehealthcare.com

Stockholm, November 7, 2018

CCS Healthcare has entered into agreements to divest its Consumer Skincare business unit. CCS’s factory and contract manufacturing activities in Borlänge, Sweden, will be sold to Svenska Krämfabriken AB and the Group’s portfolio of skincare brands sold in Sweden, Norway, Finland and the UK will be acquired by Trimb Healthcare AB.

Following the divestments, CCS will be exclusively focused on hygiene and safety products in the professional business-to-business markets.

The transactions are expected to be completed in January 2019.

CCS Healthcare is a portfolio company of Segulah IV L.P.

For further information, please visit www.ccshc.com, www.segulah.com or contact:

Johan Möllerström, Investment Manager, Segulah Advisor AB, +46 72 543 79 11

Helsinki, Finland: 25 October 2018 – Nexstim Plc (NXTMH:HEX, NXTMS:STO), the targeted neuromodulation company developing, and marketing pioneering navigated personalised, non-invasive brain stimulation systems for the treatment of Major Depression Disorder (MDD), announces today that it has secured € 342 thousand in the form of future R&D loans from Business Finland. The funding is part of the ELASTRONICS project to develop wireless Electromyography (EMG) devices. ELASTRONICS (Enabling the Future of Wearable Electronics) is Finland’s largest research project for stretchable electronics technologies and production processes.

Palo Alto CA, USA: 12 October 2018 – Varian (NYSE: VAR) today announced the acquisition of privately-held software company Noona Healthcare, developer of a cloud-based, mobile service designed to capture cancer patient-reported outcomes (PROs). The Noona patient software app lets clinics capture PROs and communicate directly with patients. This acquisition expands Varian’s portfolio of cancer care solutions and fits the company’s long-term growth and value creation strategy.

Noona’s intuitive user interface creates an engaging experience for patients that encourages a high rate of adoption and adherence over long periods. Noona helps patients and care teams to proactively manage patient symptoms, which could lead to improved clinical outcomes and reduced hospitalization and emergency room visits.

As part of a succession plan, Gimv is investing in the two German companies Medi-Markt Homecare-Service GmbH and Medi Markt Service Nord Ost GmbH as well as a number of affiliated companies. These two leading service providers in incontinence care will continue to grow in the coming years as a newly formed group with the support of Gimv.

Antwerp / Munich / Mannheim / Isenbüttel, 18 October 2018, 07:30 am – European investment company Gimv has reached an agreement on the takeover of the majority of both Medi-Markt Homecare-Service GmbH based in Mannheim as well as Isenbüttel-based Medi Markt Service Nord Ost GmbH. These transactions are part of a succession plan for both companies. Gimv is thus expanding its Health & Care portfolio with a leading supplier of medical supplies in Germany, which is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. The remaining shares will be acquired by the newly appointed CEO of the Medi Markt Group,Markus Reichel. The transaction is subject to customary approval requirements and is expected to close within a few weeks.

The two companies and their affiliates, which together employ around 225 people, will form one group as of this transaction and will operate jointly under the Medi-Markt brand, headquartered in Mannheim. Markus Reichel, formerly managing director of Medi-Markt Homecare-Service GmbH, will become managing director of the new group and a co-shareholder. The companies are specialised mail-order providers of homecare supplies with a particular focus on absorbing incontinence. Further product groups include revulsive incontinence, diabetes control, stoma care, enteral nutrition, disinfection and protection as well as personal hygiene, supplying a total of c.12,000 different products. The companies distribute branded and private label products. Medi-Markt is one of the major providers in the country for incontinence aids and stoma care. The group has a combined annual turnover of more than 50 million EUR.

Medi-Markt supplies around 150,000 end-consumers annually. The majority of the products are reimbursed by health insurances, for whom Medi-Markt has been a reliable partner for many years.

“Together with our new growth partner Gimv, we want to further expand our product offering and advance into adjacent segments. We are also considering acquisitions of suitable companies,” explains Markus Reichel, Managing Director of Medi-Markt Homecare-Service GmbH and future CEO of the group. The business benefits from the demographic change since Medi Markt primarily caters an ageing population: today c. 7 million people suffer from incontinence in Germany. This number is expected to further increase to nine million over the next 20 years. “Medi-Markt’s high quality products and the company’s customer-centric approach enable many people to maintain a more independent lifestyle. At the same time, due to lean organizational structures, the company improves efficiency of care,” says Philipp v. Hammerstein, Partner at Gimv in the Health & Care segment in Munich. “We are l ooking forward to continuing the success story of these two leading specialists, while leveraging further potential related to the merger. Together with the experienced management team, we will focus on organic growth as well as on buy-and-build opportunities.”

The new investment marks Gimv’s seventh acquisition in the German-speaking healthcare market. This means that Gimv currently has 20 participations in companies in the healthcare and life sciences sector. This acquisition further underpins Gimv’s position as one of the most active European investors in the healthcare industry. The portfolio also includes several clinic and practice groups, medical technology and biotech companies.

Further details about the transaction will not be published.

17 October 2018 – Montagu Private Equity (“Montagu”) and Astorg (“Astorg”) today announce that Montagu has signed an agreement to sell Nemera (“the company”), a leading global manufacturer of drug administration systems for the pharmaceutical industry, to Astorg.

While committing to acquire the business in full, Astorg has offered Montagu the opportunity to reinvest as a partner in the next phase of Nemera’s growth, alongside its management team. Given the strength and growth potential of the company, Montagu has elected to exercise this option and form an equal partnership with Astorg to support Nemera’s management team in delivering the company’s ambitious development plans. Further terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in La Verpillière (France), Nemera designs, develops, and manufactures a full range of drug delivery devices including auto-injectors, inhalers, insulin pens, eye droppers and pumps from four state-of-the-art manufacturing sites in France, Germany and the US. Its products are sold to a variety of blue-chip customers from the pharmaceutical, biotech and generics industries. Nemera employs 1,950 full-time-equivalent employees.

With the support of Montagu, Nemera has grown its sales by 50% and increased by 25% its workforce since its carve out from Rexam PLC in 2014. The company has also further strengthened its world-class innovation centre and developed new services in line with its long-term commitment to improve patients’ lives and remain the partner of choice for its longstanding clients.

Following the transaction, Astorg will jointly control Nemera with Montagu, providing the financial resources and sector expertise required to support management’s ambitious growth plans, both organically and via carefully selected add-on acquisitions.

Marc Haemel, Nemera’s CEO, said “We are excited about our new partnership with Astorg and Montagu. We have been very impressed by Astorg’s in-depth understanding of our business, as well as their overall expertise in the healthcare space, which will help us fulfill our growth ambitions. We are also delighted to continue working with Montagu, who has significantly contributed to our success.

This transaction opens a promising new chapter for the company. It will allow us, with the support of Astorg and the continued commitment of Montagu, to build upon the company’s strengths and accelerate the development of our proprietary device portfolio and innovation capabilities, while also exploring additional value-creating opportunities.”

Completion of the transaction is subject to satisfactory clearance from relevant anti-trust authorities.

Astorg was advised by Citigroup and Latham & Watkins. Montagu was advised by HSBC, Morgan Stanley and Weil Gotshal.