Investors in digital health David Buller and Laurent van Lerberghe have announced the launch of KELES. This new venture capital firm will focus on investing in digital health growth across Europe, with the aim of bridging the gap between innovation innovation, global measurement and global impact.
KELES will invest in growth-stage European companies with proven profitability and approaching an inflection point. The goal of the fund is 250 million euros, and investment tickets will be between 8 and 30 million euros.
The company’s two managing partners are David Buller, founding partner of leading UK digital health fund Ascension Life Fund and former health technology entrepreneur, and Laurent van Lerberghe, pharmaceutical company C-suite executive turned digital health investor*. * Their strong investment returns, business-building track records and extensive global networks position KELES to access unique business flows, identify world-class innovation and deliver strong returns in the global market.
The KELES team, which has spent the last year testing and validating its new investment thesis with European investors and entrepreneurs, will be based in Paris, London, Brussels and Luxembourg. The fund KELES SCSp., SICAV – RAIF has been established in Luxembourg. They are currently raising the funds and are on track for a first close in the first quarter of 2025.
After its initial closure, KELES is intended to support major developments that address some of the most pressing challenges facing healthcare and communities.
David Buller, Chief Executive of KELES, said: “Globally, health systems are under enormous pressure from aging populations, staff shortages, the growing burden of chronic disease and the increasing complexity of care. Now more than ever, new solutions are needed to ensure that systems and providers can provide efficient and quality care to the ever-growing number of patients. I’ve spent decades on the front lines of technology-driven efforts and venture capital decisions to address these challenges, and it’s clear that we’ve reached an inflection point in the market. Now is the time to strategically inject capital into the ecosystem to unlock urgently needed growth. *
The digital health sector offers unparalleled opportunities for social impact and value creation, thanks to large pharmaceutical and healthcare needs, diverse pay scales, global and regional scale opportunities, and multiple exit options.
While Europe is bursting with innovation, access to the capital needed for health technology companies to scale rapidly and achieve global success is still limited. KELES is committed to bridging this gap, investing in proven solutions in research and development (R&D), diagnostics and patient care.
“We will support the technologies that will make the most efficient use of artificial intelligence and those that accelerate drug discovery and deliver smarter diagnosis.” We will look for technologies that set new standards of care, those that address the root causes of inefficiencies in healthcare, and those that improve patient and population outcomes. We have thoroughly tested our investment thesis and are now ready to launch KELES and fill a significant funding gap in the European investment landscape.” adds Laurent van Lerberghe, founder and managing director of KELES.
With Laurent’s background in pharma and biotech across Europe, the US and Asia, combined with David’s experience in venture capital investing with a track record of strong returns, the fund is uniquely positioned to provide capital and strategic guidance to help these companies succeed.
Through the Ascension Life Fund, David has invested in 17 digital health start-ups in the UK. The portfolio is performing strongly and Aparito, one of its biotech investments, was recently acquired by Eli Lilly. David has also made a number of deep tech and AI investments in the UK and US, with market-leading returns, giving him an insider’s view of the most promising and value-creating technologies.
Former Head of Strategy at Sanofi and Business Director at Abbott, Laurent van Lerberghe has led launches, investments and partnerships for multiple projects across multiple continents, developing deep expertise in healthcare, R&D, AI and digital health.
KELES will offer portfolio companies access to an extensive network of global advisors, partners and industry insiders from pharmaceutical, healthcare, venture capital and startups, ensuring market access, product marketability and flexibility.
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