GERMANY - Heidelberg Innovation leads 4.6m series-c round for IonGate

Lead investor Heidelberg Innovation and KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) have closed the third funding round for biotechnology company IonGate Biosciences GmbH which has raised a total of EUR 4.6m. Previous investments included a seed financing in 2001, and a second funding round in 2004 from Heidelberg Innovation amounting to EUR 3m. Based in Frankfurt/Main, IonGate Biosciences GmbH develops, produces and markets innovative screening technologies to investigate transporters. Transporters are essential for the metabolic functions of the cell, information processing in the entire organism and play a fundamental role to human health. The company supplies complete solutions, besides disposables and reagents, this mainly comprises individual consulting services comprising the design of customized applications. The company was established in 2000 and currently employs more than 30 staff.