Fortel Management and Inveni Capital hav invested nearly 1 million euro in BioSilta and EnBase technology.

Fortel Management Oy administers the investment fund ”Oulun Seudun Hyvinvointirahasto Ky”, which invests on growth companies in areas of Oulu and Kainuu (www.fortelman.fi).

Translation of Original Press Relase in Finnish

Fortel Management and Inveni Capital have together made an investment worth almost 1 million Euros to an Oulu-based company BioSilta Oy. This investment is aimed to promote the market penetration and internationalization of BioSilta. Inveni Capital has invested on BioSilta since 2008, but Fortel Management is a new investor. BioSilta is a ”born-global” company, since its market areas are international. The turnover of the line of business associated to BioSilta is over $800M with annual increase of over 12%. The BioSilta personnel are international, representing Finland, Germany, UK and USA.

BioSilta was founded 2007 as a spin-off of the Dept. of Process and Environmental Engineering of the Univ. of Oulu. The company founders were Prof. Peter Neubauer and Dr. Antti Vasala, who developed a new enzymatic glucose feeding system for microbial cultures. Prof. Neubauer is an internationally acknowledged researcher and lecturer of bioprocess engineering. Since 2009 he has worked as a professor in the Technical University of Berlin, but he still participates actively to BioSilta's operations. Dr. Vasala works now as R&D manager of BioSilta. BioSilta has also a daughter company in Berlin. The company employs 8 workers.

The business idea is based on the patented EnBase technology, which can be applied to microbial cultivations and can provide over ten-fold improved production compared to the generally used cultivation systems. Company's products are targeted to small and medium size microbial cultures, and the customer basis includes researchers, biotech companies, food industry and pharmaceutical industry. An example of a practical application is brewing industry, which requires for quality control plated cultivations from each product batch to reveal possible contaminations. The method developed by BioSilta can significantly reduce the detection time and ensure fluent product turnover and quarantee profitability.

Detailed information of BioSilta's products and technology can be found from company's web-page www.biosilta.com. Further information can be obtained from R&D manger Antti Vasala (Tel. +358 44 557 1861) or CEO Russell Golson (Tel. +44 77 6726 8556).

Fortel Management Oy administers the investment fund ”Oulun Seudun Hyvinvointirahasto Ky”, which invests on growth companies in areas of Oulu and Kainuu (www.fortelman.fi). Futher information can be obtained from Hannu Säynäjäkangas (Tel. +358 40 502 1092). Inveni Capital is a Finnish-German venture capital company, which has officies in Helsingissä and Munich (www.invenicapital.com).

"BioSilta is a rapidly expanding biotech company, which specializes in microbial cell culture technology, and provides the patented EnBase technology to research laboratories. EnBase technology is the world's first complete microbial cultivation kit for the production of up to 20 times more bacteria and 10 times more recombinant protein than traditional laboratory media."

Oulu Region Wellness Fund LP is established in the beginning of the year 2008 and it’s managed by Fortel Management Oy, as a responsible manager Hannu Säynäjäkangas. The Funds is investing on life science and cleantech companies located in Oulu and Kainuu region. The Fund invests in early-stage companies which are seeking fast growth and internationalization. Entrepreneurial characteristics and the team as well as credible plans are most important investment criterias. The typical investment amount is a few hundred thousand euros up to €500K. Behind the fund is an angel-investor group and they can make additional investments if they believe that the target company is promising. Combined financing (Fund, Angels, bank-loans and Society Development Grants) can grow several-fold.

Inveni Capital offers entrepreneurial venture capital to life science companies in Northern and Central Europe. Inveni Capital, established in 2007, is a life science focused venture capital firm. Inveni Capital invests in early to growth stage pharmaceutical development and medical technology companies in Northern and Central Europe. Inveni Capital has offices in Helsinki, Finland and Munich, Germany.

Original Press Release

Tiedote

julkaisuvapaa 24.11.2011

Fortel Management ja Inveni Capital ovat tehneet lähes miljoonan euron yhteissijoituksen oululaiseen BioSilta Oy:öön. Sijoituksen tarkoituksena on tukea BioSillan markkinoille pääsyä ja kansainvälistymistä. Inveni Capital on ollut BioSillassa sijoittajana jo vuodesta 2008 lähtien, Fortel Management tuli nyt mukaan uutena sijoittajana. BioSilta on ns. born-global yhtiö, sillä sen kohdemarkkinat ovat kansainväliset. BioSiltaan liittyvän toimialan vuotuinen liikevaihto on yli $800M ja kasvuvauhti yli 12%. BioSillan henkilökunta on kansainvälistä, sillä edustettuina ovat Suomi, Saksa, UK ja USA.

BioSilta on Oulun yliopiston Prosessi- ja ympäristötekniikan osaston spin-off vuodelta 2007. Perustajina olivat prof. Peter Neubauer ja tohtori Antti Vasala, jotka kehittivät tutkimusryhmässään uudenlaisen glukoosientsyymin vapautusmenetelmän. Neubauer on kansainvälisesti tunnettu ja arvostettu alan tutkija ja luennoitsija. Hän on toiminut vuodesta 2009 professorina Berliinin Teknillisessä Yliopistossa mutta osallistuu edelleen aktiivisesti yrityksen kehitystoimintaan. Antti Vasala toimii teknisenä johtajana yrityksen t&k-yksikössä Oulussa. BioSillalla on myös myyntiyhtiö Berliinissä. Yritys työllistää kymmenkunta työntekijää ja käyttää sen lisäksi alihankkijoita pakkaukseen ja sterilointiin.

BioSiltan liikeidea on mikrobien kasvualustoille soveltuva patentoitu EnBase -teknologia, missä ravinnon kontrolloitu vapauttaminen mahdollistaa jopa monikymmenkertaisen mikrobituotannon nykymenetelmiin verrattuna. Yhtiön tuotteet on suunnattu pieniin ja keskisuuriin mikrobituotantoihin ja asiakkaina ovat sekä tutkijat ja bioteknologiayritykset että elintarvike- ja lääketeollisuus. Hyvä esimerkki BioSillan teknologian käytännön sovellutuksesta on panimoteollisuus, missä jokaisesta oluterästä tehdään laadun varmistamiseksi mikrobiviljelys. BioSillan menetelmällä tutkimusaikaa on mahdollista lyhentää merkittävästi, mikä puolestaan nopeuttaa laadunvarmistusprosessia, nopeuttaa kiertoa ja parantaa panimon kannattavuutta.

Tarkempaa tietoa BioSillan tuotteista ja teknologiasta löytyy yhtiön kotisivuilta www.biosilta.com. Lisätietoja antavat tekninen johtaja Antti Vasala (puh. +358 44 557 1861) ja toimitusjohtaja Russell Golson (puh. +44 77 6726 8556).

Fortel Management Oy hallinnoi Oulun Seudun Hyvinvointirahasto Ky:tä, joka tekee tekee pääomasijoituksia kasvua hakeviin yrityksiin Oulun ja Kainuun alueella (www.fortelman.fi). Lisätietoja antaa Hannu Säynäjäkangas (puh +358 40 502 1092).

Inveni Capital on suomalais-saksalainen pääomasijoitusrahasto, jolla on toimipisteet sekä Helsingissä, Suomessa että Munchenissä, Saksassa (www.invenicapital.com). "BioSilta is a rapidly expanding biotech company, which specializes in microbial cell culture technology, and provides the patented EnBase technology to research laboratories. EnBase technology is the world's first complete microbial cultivation kit for the production of up to 20 times more bacteria and 10 times more recombinant protein than traditional laboratory media."

Oulu Region Wellness Fund LP is established in the beginning of the year 2008 and it’s managed by Fortel Management Oy, as a responsible manager Hannu Säynäjäkangas. The Funds is investing on life science and cleantech companies located in Oulu and Kainuu region. The Fund invests in early-stage companies which are seeking fast growth and internationalization. Entrepreneurial characteristics and the team as well as credible plans are most important investment criterias. The typical investment amount is a few hundred thousand euros up to €500K. Behind the fund is an angel-investor group and they can make additional investments if they believe that the target company is promising. Combined financing (Fund, Angels, bank-loans and Society Development Grants) can grow several-fold. Inveni Capital offers entrepreneurial venture capital to life science companies in Northern and Central Europe. Inveni Capital, established in 2007, is a life science focused venture capital firm.

Inveni Capital invests in early to growth stage pharmaceutical development and medical technology companies in Northern and Central Europe. Inveni Capital has offices in Helsinki, Finland and Munich, Germany.

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Official Press Release

BioSilta, a spin-out company from the University of Oulu in Finland, has released EnPresso Y Defined Tablet medium designed for protein production in yeast, such as Pichia pastoris.

The EnPresso Y Defined is a pre-sterilized tablet having an extended shelf-life and can be added directly to sterile water to create an instant microbial medium ready for inoculation and cultivation.The product is made using EnBase technology, which is based on providing an enzymatic-controlled glucose supply in a fed-batch type manner, enabling an extended growth period and promoting higher final cell density.

EnBase technology also helps in bioprocess scale-up, protein production and optimization, enzyme screening, protein crystallography, plasmid production and brewery contaminant detection.

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BioSilta and AS One Corporation have signed an exclusive agreement to allow AS One to distribute the EnBase portfolio in Japan.

AS One Corporation was founded in 1962 and currently managed by President Takuji Iuchi in Osaka, Japan. AS One is an extremely successful biotech in Asia and isconsistently rated in the Forbes top 15 Asia biotechs.

AS One provides products to the laboratory, factory and hospital industries with efficient delivery due to warehouses in the Osaka and Tokyo areas. AS One provides many types of highly specialized equipment for the lifesciences and products for the protein market. Now, AS One has added another strong product to thier portfolio, the EnBase product line. The combination of EnBase technology and AS One's experience and team will enhance the protein research in Japanese laboratories. 

AS One Corporation

4-15-5, Tenma

Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8560

Japan

Tel: 81/6/6356/1561

www.as-1.co.jp

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