Wellington leads Rigontec’s €9.45m series-A

NRW Bank and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) also backed the company. The funding will be used to begin clinical development.

Bonn-based HTGF usually invests €500,000 in the first round of funding, with the scope to invest a further €1.5m in follow-on financing.

NRW Bank is the development bank for the state of North-Rhine Westphalia.

Wellington Partners focuses on both life sciences and technology companies and is currently investing its fourth life sciences fund. According to unquote" data, the €85m vehicle, which held its final close in September 2013, failed to reach its €120m target.

Company
Launched in January 2014 as a spinout of the Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Bonn, Rigontec develops ribonucleic acid (RNA)-based immunotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer and viral diseases. The receptors it develops recognise viral RNA, which in turn activate a gene. This promotes the destruction of diseased cells and creates a lasting immune memory to prevent recurrence of the disease.

Its lead compound, ImOl100, is being tested for the treatment for melanoma and prostate cancer among others. It has already shrunk tumours and prevented their reappearance in preclinical tests.

Rigontec comprises a team of four people, including interim CEO Annegret de Baey-Diepolder.

People
Gunther Hartmann and Veit Hornung are co-founders of Rigontec and will become advisers to the board. Regina Hodits is general partner at Wellington. Marcus Kostka is director at Boehringer. Both Hodits and Kostka will join the Rigontec board of directors.

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• Topics
• DACH
• Early-stage
• Healthcare
• Germany
• High-Tech Gründerfonds
• Wellington Partners