Forbion raises €2.3bn in largest European life-sciences venture fundraise of 2026
Forbion has raised €2.3bn (about $2.6bn) — the largest life-sciences venture raise in Europe this year — lifting its assets under management to €7.5bn.
Netherlands-based Forbion, one of Europe’s largest biotech investors, has raised €2.3 billion (about $2.6 billion) — the largest life-sciences venture raise in Europe this year, according to The Wall Street Journal. The firm confirmed the record raise in a 6 October announcement from Naarden.
About 60% came from European investors and 40% from North American ones. Backers include Dutch pension managers MN and PGGM, Germany’s KfW Capital and Eli Lilly. The raise takes Forbion’s assets under management to about €7.5 billion ($8.5 billion), up 50% from two years ago.
The raise comes as Europe’s drug industry warns: last month the chairs of nine drugmakers — AstraZeneca, GSK, Novartis, Roche and Sanofi among them — warned that Europe is losing the pharma investment race, its share of global drug research down to 31% from 43% in 1990. European funds hold just 7% of the global life-sciences venture market versus 63% for the US, says the European Life Sciences Coalition, of which Forbion is a member.
“There’s a lot of debate about making available more capital [in Europe],” said Sander Slootweg, Forbion’s co-founder and managing partner. “What we’re seeing here are the first signs of that.” Jeito Capital closed a $1.2 billion fund in March — the largest European venture raise through Q2, per PitchBook — while Isomorphic Labs raised $2.1 billion in May. European venture fundraising posted its weakest annual total in a decade in 2025; this year’s recovery favours established players such as Forbion.
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