Oxford, UK: February 7, 2023: Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), the independent investment company created to found, fund and build transformational businesses via its unique partnership with the University of Oxford, today announces the appointment of Sanne de Jongh as Partner, Life Sciences.
Sanne brings extensive venture capital, early-stage investment and company creation experience to the growing team at OSE and will be responsible for sourcing and structuring new spin-out opportunities from the University of Oxford as well as supporting the firm’s existing life sciences portfolio.
She joins OSE from specialist transatlantic investor Gilde Healthcare where she was an investment manager focused on biotech across a range of development stages, therapeutic areas and modalities. At Gilde, she also set up the Fellowship program to offer scientists a route from academia into venture capital (VC), as well as to increase diversity in the profession.
Prior to Gilde, Sanne spent three years at Anterra Capital, a transatlantic Food and Ag Tech VC firm, at which she focused on the creation and backing of biotech companies aiming to improve the global food supply chain. At Anterra, she also held an active role in its expansion into the US and setting up its office in Boston. Sanne began her career at M Ventures, the strategic corporate VC fund of Merck KGaA, focused on healthcare.
Sanne has a strong venture capital background with significant experience in, and passion for, the creation and development of early-stage companies with potential to make a difference to human health and wellbeing.
Katya Smirnyagina, Senior Partner (Life Sciences), Oxford Science Enterprises, said: “I am delighted to welcome Sanne to Oxford Science Enterprises. Sanne has a strong venture capital background with significant experience in, and passion for, the creation and development of early-stage companies with potential to make a difference to human health and wellbeing. Her experience and drive make Sanne an excellent fit within our growing team as we continue to identify, scale up and nurture opportunities based on world-class Oxford science.”
Sanne de Jongh added: “I am thrilled to join Oxford Science Enterprises. The prospect of working closely with leading academics and entrepreneurs at the University of Oxford and within the dynamic Oxford ecosystem is incredibly exciting. I very much look forward to contributing towards the creation of high-quality companies capable of tackling some of the biggest challenges in life sciences.”
Sanne holds a BSc in Biochemistry from Leiden University with a minor in Neurology, and MSc in Biochemical Engineering from Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, graduating cum laude.
ENDS
About Oxford Science Enterprises
Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) is an independent, billion-pound investment company, created in 2015 to found, fund and build transformational businesses via its unique partnership with the University of Oxford, the world’s #1 research university.
This partnership enables OSE to work with the brightest academic minds tackling the world’s toughest challenges and guarantees unrivalled access to their scientific research. In collaboration with its global network of entrepreneurs and advisers, OSE goes well beyond funding to shape and nurture these complex ideas into successful businesses.
Actively focused on a core portfolio of around 40 companies spanning three high-growth, high-impact sectors – Life Sciences, Health Tech, and Deep Tech – the company adopts a flexible, long-term investment approach, recognising the path from ground-breaking research to global markets takes time and resilience.
To date, OSE has invested £0.5 billion in over 80 ambitious companies built on Oxford science, helping progress 28 from seed to Series A, and 22 to Series B and beyond, including 2 IPOs and 7 trade sales.
A key player in Oxford’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, OSE is highly motivated to foster an environment that catalyses pioneering research and steers it to commercial success.
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