YFM in £3m round for ImmunoBiology

The GP invested in the firm, which it originally backed in 2000, through the British Smaller Companies VCT2 fund.

Existing investors Inventages Venture Capital Investments, Oxford VCTs and Hygea VCT also reinvested in the firm, alongside new investor Rockridge and a private individual.

The fresh capital will underpin human clinical trials for a universal meningitis vaccine.

Previous funding
In 2000, Chord Capital, Oxford Technology Management and YFM led a funding round of less than €1m for the firm. Six months later, Interikea Finance, Oxford Technology Management and YFM provided further capital to the company. In 2003, ImmunoBiology raised €1m from Generics Asset Management, Oxford Technology 3 VCT and YFM through the British Smaller Technology Companies VCT2. In 2006, Inventages led an €8m round for the firm which saw all previous investors commit further capital.

Company
Founded by Camilo Colaҫo in 1999 and based in Cambridge, ImmunoBiology is a vaccine development company. The firm employs 15 people at the Babraham Research Campus.

The firm's lead product MenBioVax is a strain-independent vaccine for meningitis, including the B strains. A vaccine against tuberculosis is also nearing human clinical trials in China.

People
David Bell is portfolio director at YFM and worked on the deal. As part of the transaction, YFM has appointed John Lambert, former president of Chiron Vaccines (now Novartis Vaccines) as non-executive chairman of the ImmunoBiology board.

Advisers
Equity (YFM) – Gunner Cooke, Greg Sher (Legal); Vincent Sykes Higham, John Davies (Legal).

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