A biotechnology company whose research and intellectual property has helped to create the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine has raised new investment from venture capitalists.
Oxford-based Vaccitech has agreed the funds – understood to be as much as £10million – from Future Planet Capital which also invests in health, climate change and education projects.
It is believed the capital will be used to help the roll-out of the Oxford vaccine, which could get UK approval as soon this week.
Vaccitech is seen by some as Britain’s answer to German firm BioNTech
Vaccitech is seen by some as Britain’s answer to German firm BioNTech, the company behind the Pfizer vaccine.
It owns the rights to the viral vector technology ChAdOx which is used in the Oxford vaccine and was co-founded by Professor Sarah Gilbert, who has led the project.
Previous investors are understood to have included Google Ventures and the firm is thought to be considering raising further funds to build on their success with the Covid vaccine.
Bill Enright, chief executive at Vaccitech, said: ‘Future Planet and its practical and ethical policy of impact investment was a welcome investor at an important time.’
Future Planet was founded by Douglas Hansen-Luke to invest in promising intellectual property coming out of leading universities.
