News
Freshfields advises Univercells in two successive equity raising and financing
Freshfields Brukhaus Deringer ('Freshfields') has advised Univercells in the second largest equity raising in the life sciences sector in Belgium this year and on an equity financing by Gamma Biosciences, a KKR fund, in its subsidiary Univercells Technologies.
Univercells is a Belgian company active in the medical and biomedical industry with a view to delivering novel biomanufacturing platforms and solutions.
The latest investment is a Series-C financing by which existing shareholders and new investors have agreed to invest EUR 50 million. This investment will contribute to finance Univercells' vaccines (including Covid-19 related projects), biosimilars and contract development and manufacturing business units.
Earlier in the year, we advised Univercells on a joint venture and equity investment by Gamma Biosciences, a KKR fund, in Univercells Technologies to further accelerate the development of the manufacturing technologies business of Univercells.
These deals constitute a significant milestone for this promising Belgian company, which continues to attract large international investors, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, private equity fund KKR, and Belgian public investors, such as SFPI-FPIM and SRIW. This second investment round places Univercells at the top of the chart of Belgian life sciences companies being funded by high profile investors.
The corporate team in Brussels was led by partner Deborah Janssens and associate Elliott Fosséprez, with the support from associates Alicia Harte and Coline Minguet.