The company is focusing more on the European market by strengthening its team and building on its success with existing portfolio companies in Europe
SAN FRANCISCO, August 05, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Illumina Ventures, an independent healthcare-focused venture capital firm in a strategic partnership with Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN), today announced the addition of four new members to its European team. Arnaud Autret, PhD, MSc, will be Director and Head of European Operations, William Byrne, PhD, will be Partner – Europe, and Ronan Byrne and Ivan Coulter, PhD, BSc, will act as Venture Capital Advisors – Europe.
“We already support large companies in Ireland, France and the UK. Adding Arnaud, William, Ronan and Ivan to our team will allow us to build on our success and pursue even more ambitious genomics-focused projects in Europe,” said Nick Naclerio, PhD, founding partner of Illumina Ventures.
Arnaud brings to his new position more than 15 years of financial and investment experience in the life sciences and biopharmaceutical sectors, as well as scientific knowledge. Prior to joining the company, Arnaud was Investment Director in the biotech team of M Ventures, which is the venture capital arm of Merck KGaA, Amsterdam. Previously, he worked as a senior partner in the Life Sciences team of Seventure Partners in Paris, and as a senior financial auditor in the healthcare operating unit at KPMG, also in Paris. Arnaud completed his postdoctoral studies in oncology at Trinity College Dublin, after obtaining his doctorate in immunology at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. Arnaud also holds an MSc in finance from ESCP Business School in Paris. Arnaud is based in Amsterdam.
Prior to joining Illumina Ventures, William was Head of Biotechnology at NEOM, a futuristic megacity to be located in Saudi Arabia that will leverage renewable energy and new technologies for sustainable living. William led efforts to establish NEOM as a global biotechnology center focused on precision medicine. Previously, he worked as a consultant in the healthcare and life sciences industries, providing clients in the Middle East and Europe with investment, research, go-to-market and product launch. William obtained a PhD in Tumor Immunology and a License in Pharmacy from University College Cork in Ireland. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration from INSEAD in France. William is based in Cork.
As a seasoned CEO, Ronan has built and led several businesses during his career which he later sold to multinational corporations. Over the past decade, he has focused his efforts on commercializing innovations in the life science industry. He was CEO of ClearSight Innovations (ophthalmic diagnostic technologies) which was sold to an industry leader and is currently CEO and co-founder of Pharma Latch in Dublin which is developing breakthrough intradermal delivery technology for drugs, vaccines and a range of immunotherapies; he is also a business mentor at Enterprise Ireland. Ronan holds an MSc in Business Administration and a BA in Economics and Politics from University College Dublin.
Ivan is an entrepreneur experienced in transforming early-stage innovations into clinical development programs. As a pharmacologist, he understands the importance of aligning molecular pathways with appropriate therapies and diagnostics. He is currently founder and Managing Director of Eden BioPharma Limited in Dublin. Ivan was also founder and CEO of Sigmoid Pharma Limited, where he focused on the development of an integrated drug delivery platform in the gastrointestinal tract. As a consultant, he has advised academics and entrepreneurs in setting up businesses, developing fundable strategies and building multidisciplinary teams. Ivan obtained his MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University in New York and completed his postdoctoral fellowship in developmental biology at the Institut Curie in Paris, after obtaining a doctorate in cancer research and a degree in pharmacology from University College Dublin. He and Ronan are based in Dublin.
“We are committed to supporting new and existing early-stage startups in Europe that are developing innovative clinical diagnostic and life science research tools, as well as therapeutic platforms, digital health initiatives and genomics applications” , said Wouter Meuleman, PhD, Illumina Ventures Partner. “We are delighted that Arnaud, William, Ronan and Ivan are joining our efforts”.
About Illumina Ventures
Illumina Ventures is an independent, healthcare-focused venture capital firm in a strategic partnership with Illumina, with the vision to unleash the power of the genome. As an early-stage, value-added investor, Illumina Ventures helps entrepreneurs turn breakthrough science and technology into market-leading companies to transform healthcare. The company is focused on investing in life science tools, therapies, diagnostics and personal wellness.
For more information, visit illuminaventures.com.
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