Hanmi puts 1B KRW into Molgenbio as it resumes venture investing
What's the deal? Hanmi PharmaceuticalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → invested 1 billion KRW (about $726,000) in MolgenbioDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an early-stage biotech startup, in January. The deal secured 24,911 shares, or a 4.4% stake.
What does Molgenbio do? It discovers small-molecule drugs from microorganisms using its own MtG (Molecule Through Gene) platform. Candidates include MG-TA205, a disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
Why now? The Molgenbio deal is part of a wider open innovation push. Two days earlier, Hanmi put 3 billion KRW into InteraDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an unlisted biotech developing a norovirus vaccine, for a 7.9% stake — a combined 4 billion KRW across two startups.
What's the endgame? Hanmi is pairing in-house research with outside bets. "Investing in promising biotech startups from an early stage offers not only the prospect of gains in equity value as the company grows, but also a range of options as the technology is validated, including joint research, co-development of new drugs and technology licensing," an industry official said.
The strategy runs alongside a run of large licensing deals. After licensing a candidate to Eli LillyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → in June, Hanmi signed an exclusive agreement in August with Genentech, a RocheDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → subsidiary, for an obesity and metabolic disease candidate worth up to $2.305 billion.
The signal: At roughly $726,000, the Molgenbio round is small — sitting near the bottom of the range for disclosed deals. But for Hanmi, the size matters less than the option value: early stakes that could turn into joint research, co-development, or licensing as platforms prove out.
Read more: en.sedaily.com
Image credit: umseas
