First Year-in-Review: Jeito Capital confirms strength of its investment model and 2021 ambitions with more deals and significant capital

The investment fund confirms the strength of its investment model in medical innovation, closing 2020 and celebrating its one-year anniversary with more than €250 million under management and first three investments.

Paris, January 26th, 2021 One year after its launch and first funding round of €200 million, Jeito Capital (“Jeito”) has already proven that it is a healthcare innovation investment fund to be reckoned with.

Following its launch in January 2020, Jeito’s first investment was in Neogene Therapeutics in September 2020, a European biotech led by world renowned cell therapy experts developing treatments for solid cancer tumors. Jeito co-led the $110 million Series A financing alongside EcoR1 Capital and Syncona; with support from Neogene Therapeutics’ seed investors Vida Ventures & TPG. This was closely followed by Jeito’s first French investment in SparingVision, a future leader in ophthalmology, whose gene therapy treatment could provide an effective treatment for up to two million patients worldwide suffering from retinitis pigmentosa. In December 2020, the firm led a €20 million financing in InnoSkel, a new gene therapy company founded by renowned researcher Elvire Gouze, focused on the treatment of rare skeletal diseases.

Jeito’s multi-disciplinary team supports innovative companies at all stages of their development, from clinical trials to market access in Europe and the United States. Jeito was founded by Rafaèle Tordjman, MD PhD, specialist in Onco-hematology, former managing partner of Sofinnova Partners. Joined by Sabine Dandiguian as Managing Partner, former President of Operational Companies at Johnson&Johnson, Tordjman aims to accelerate the development of and bring to market breakthrough innovative treatments in areas of high medical need in Europe and the US. Jeito’s partnership is joined by Rachel Mears, based in New York, an intellectual property attorney with extensive experience in biotech.

Jeito’s unique investment strategy has caught the attention of major players in the French and European markets. In November, Sanofi invested €50 million in Jeito marking its first investment into a private European-based fund with the objective to work together to strengthen the therapeutic innovation eco-system.

As the firm moves into 2021, Jeito is well positioned to attract and invest in the most innovative healthcare companies committed to providing solutions to patients in areas with therapeutic gaps. Its investment portfolio is expected to continue to grow in 2021 and diversify into broader therapeutic fields.

Rafaèle Tordjman, Founder and CEO of Jeito Capital, comments: “2020 has been a ground-breaking year for the life sciences industry with positive recognition of the need to support the development of

innovative therapies in Europe and beyond. In its first year, Jeito achieved its initial objectives and has started to build a promising portfolio of French and European portfolio companies with very significant potential.

“Looking ahead to 2021, we will continue to expand our team and invest in new companies to help accelerate the development and access of new breakthrough treatments for patients in areas of high unmet need. Jeito’s ‘raison d’être’ is to go faster for the patient, further with the entrepreneur and create more value.”

About Jeito Capital

Jeito Capital is an international investment company with a patient benefit driven approach that focuses both on financing ground-breaking medical innovation and promoting positive societal impact. Jeito has a unique, long-term investment strategy, with the aim of providing continuity from clinical development to market access for breakthrough drugs with validated proofs of concept. This continuity is expressed both in the support provided to entrepreneurs by the Jeito Capital team and by the investment of significant capital to ensure the growth of companies, the acceleration towards commercialization and faster access to these major innovations. Jeito Capital is based in Paris with a presence in Europe and the United States.