Sofinnova Partners Welcomes Mano Iyer as Venture Partner
5.1.2023 12:00:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Sofinnova Partners (“Sofinnova"), a leading European life sciences venture capital firm based in Paris, London, and Milan, announced the appointment of Manohar (Mano) Iyer, a serial entrepreneur with longstanding ties to Sofinnova, as Venture Partner.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230105005045/en/
Mano Iyer (Photo: Business Wire)
Mr. Iyer will investigate global medical device investment opportunities across the Sofinnova Partners platform of strategies, with a particular focus on helping the firm’s in-house medtech accelerator, Sofinnova MD Start, incubate world-class companies.
Mr. Iyer has more than 25 years of experience in the medical device industry. In 2008, he was a founding member of the original MD Start team that incubated companies including CorWave and LimFlow. He also advised CoreValve, a Sofinnova Capital Strategy portfolio company, which was subsequently purchased by Medtronic for $800 million.
Mr. Iyer founded ReCor Medical during his time as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Sofinnova Partners in 2009. ReCor, another Sofinnova Partners investment, which is developing an ultrasound renal denervation system to treat high blood pressure, was successfully sold to Otsuka Medical Devices in 2018. Mr. Iyer left Sofinnova in 2013 to work full-time as the Chief Operating Officer of ReCor.
Antoine Papiernik, Chairman and Managing Partner of Sofinnova Partners, said: “We are delighted to have Mano back in the fold at Sofinnova Partners. He is an experienced company builder and a respected figure in the medical device community who has shown an uncanny ability to start successful companies no matter what condition the global economy is in.”
Anne Osdoit, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, said: “Mano joins us as MD Start is really hitting its stride. Several of our companies are maturing exceptionally well and we have a healthy flow of promising disruptive medtech projects. Mano brings a deep understanding of the sector thanks to his experience and network in the US and Europe. He also knows our medtech acceleration model inside out, having pioneered it with ReCor. We are thrilled to be working with him.”
Mr. Iyer said: “Sofinnova has realized something truly impressive in developing a first-class medtech ecosystem based out of Europe. The firm is recognized globally as an influential player in the space and I’m excited and proud to be back.”
Mr. Iyer started his career in medical devices as an engineer at Arrow International. While at Arrow, he met Tim Lenihan. In 2001, he co-founded Contract Medical International (CMI) with Mr. Lenihan, and ran operations and engineering. CMI specialized in the development and custom manufacturing of minimally invasive medical device systems. It was acquired by Heraeus Group in 2020.
After earning an MBA from Stanford, he joined Sofinnova Partners thanks to an introduction from Gerard Hascoët, whom he had also met while at Arrow. The trio (Hascoët, Lenihan, Iyer) joined forces with Antoine Papiernik and, with the backing of Sofinnova Partners, founded MD Start to create and incubate innovative medical device companies. Now in its third iteration, MD Start is fully integrated into the Sofinnova platform of strategies.
About Sofinnova Partners
Sofinnova Partners is a leading European venture capital firm in life sciences, specializing in healthcare and sustainability. Based in Paris, London and Milan, the firm brings together a team of professionals from all over the world with strong scientific, medical and business expertise. Sofinnova Partners is a hands-on company builder across the entire value chain of life sciences investments, from seed to later-stage. The firm actively partners with ambitious entrepreneurs as a lead or cornerstone investor to develop transformative innovations that have the potential to positively impact our collective future.
Founded in 1972, Sofinnova Partners is a deeply established venture capital firm in Europe, with 50 years of experience backing over 500 companies and creating market leaders around the globe. Today, Sofinnova Partners has over €2.5 billion under management. For more information, please visit: sofinnovapartners.com.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230105005045/en/
Contact information
Bommy Lee
Head of Communications
Sofinnova Partners
blee@sofinnovapartners.com
+33 (0) 6 47 71 38 11
North America
RooneyPartners LLC
Kate Barrette
kbarrette@rooneypartners.com
+1 212 223 0561
France
StrategiesImage
Anne Rein
anne.rein@strategiesimage.com
+33 (0) 6 03 35 92 05
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Americhem Launches nDryve™: PFAS-Free In-Melt Technology Platform for Functional Fibers1.4.2026 14:00:00 EEST | Press release
Americhem, Inc., a global polymer solutions provider, today announced the launch of nDryve™, a PFAS-free, in-melt surface-modifying technology platform designed to deliver durable multi-fluid repellency against alcohol and other low-surface-energy fluids in fiber systems. As global regulations accelerate the phase-out of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), manufacturers are under increasing pressure to maintain barrier performance without fluorinated chemistries. nDryve™ was developed to address this shift, offering a PFAS-free, in-melt alternative to conventional surface applied treatments. Engineered for Performance Without PFAS Often referred to as “forever chemicals,” PFAS have come under heightened regulatory scrutiny due to their persistence and potential environmental and health impacts. nDryve™ integrates directly into the polymer during melt processing, embedding surface-modifying functionality within the fiber matrix rather than relying on removable finishes. By engin
Biocytogen and Sihuan Pharmaceutical Announce Strategic Partnership in Weight Loss and Beyond1.4.2026 14:00:00 EEST | Press release
Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (Biocytogen, SSE: 688796; HKEX: 02315), a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies, today announced a strategic partnership with Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd. (Sihuan Pharmaceutical; HKEX: 00460). Under the agreement, both parties will combine Biocytogen’s leading fully human antibody discovery platform with Sihuan Pharmaceutical’s extensive capabilities in drug development, manufacturing, and commercialization. The collaboration will focus on advancing innovative therapies across multiple disease areas, including weight loss, leveraging complementary strengths to drive synergies and establish a long-term strategic partnership. Sihuan Pharmaceutical highly values the strength of Biocytogen’s technology platforms. In this collaboration, Biocytogen will leverage its integrated platforms, including proprietary target-humanized mouse models and
Huawei, LG Electronics and Nokia Named as Founder Licensors of New Sisvel POS Pool1.4.2026 13:17:00 EEST | Press release
Three world-class innovators are the founder licensors of the new Point of Sale (POS) patent pool, covering 2G to 5G technology, which Sisvel has launched today. Huawei, LG Electronics and Nokia have made their standard essential patents (SEPs) reading on cellularly connected POS devices available through the programme, so simplifying access to the increasingly ubiquitous technology. Early participation incentives for licensors to join the pool are available until mid-May. Other cellular patent owners not currently in discussions with Sisvel are encouraged to get in touch. Ranging from handheld card machines to tablet-based registers, POS devices have transformed customer payment processing. Increasingly, they also offer enhanced capabilities such as inventory management, real-time tracking, advanced analytics and automatic re-ordering. Standardised cellular technology is the critical feature that enables POS terminals to function wherever customers are located. The Sisvel POS programm
Mosaic Therapeutics appoints Dr Vince O'Neill, MD, as Head of R&D1.4.2026 12:11:00 EEST | Press release
Mosaic Therapeutics, Ltd, (‘Mosaic’, or ‘the Company’) a clinical-stage oncology therapeutics company developing next-generation, Synergistic Precision combination therapies, today announced the appointment of Dr Vince O’Neill as Head of Research and Development (R&D) to support its next phase of growth. “We are delighted to welcome Vince to the Mosaic leadership team at this pivotal stage of the company’s evolution,”said Thomas Fuchs, CEO, Mosaic Therapeutics.“His deep expertise in targeted oncology drug development and diagnostics will be instrumental as we advance our pipeline to bring transformative therapies to patients in need.” Vince is a board-certified medical oncologist and highly experienced biotechnology executive, bringing over two decades of therapeutic and diagnostic R&D experience within industry to Mosaic Therapeutics, with a track record spanning from IND through to NDA/BLA/MAA approval. Most recently he served at BioXcel Therapeutics as EVP, Head of Product Developme
The AI Summit London Launches Strategic Partnerships with London Business School and General Purpose to Ignite New Era in AI Leadership1.4.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
The AI Summit London, the conference where commercial AI comes to life, has announced strategic collaborations with London Business School and General Purpose to introduce two dedicated AI Training programmes, taking place ahead of the conference on 9 June. Drawing upon the globally recognised expertise in executive education at the London Business School’s Data Science & AI Initiative (DSAI), the one-day AI Leadership Accelerator is a high-impact session designed to equip senior business leaders with the knowledge and tools to unlock real and profitable value from AI. The DSAI at London Business School helps leaders make sense of AI in a way that goes beyond the hype, focusing on what it really means for their organisations, industries, and competitive positioning. Drawing on rigorous, cross-disciplinary research, DSAI provides clear, evidence-based insights - equipping executives with the perspective needed to make confident, high-stakes decisions. “Through our work we increasingly s
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom