The European Life Sciences Coalition has been launched in Brussels with the aim of strengthening Europe’s life sciences and biotechnology venture capital environment by mobilising greater levels of public and private investment.
Created in association with Invest Europe, the coalition brings together leading venture capital firms, research institutions and other sector stakeholders.
According to the announcement, coalition members collectively manage more than €24 billion in life sciences‑specific assets and have invested in or helped found over 1,400 companies. The group intends to contribute practical, market‑driven perspectives to policy discussions on capital allocation, company formation and scale‑up challenges.
The initiative responds to growing concern that Europe is struggling to scale and retain its life sciences innovation despite strong scientific foundations. The press release highlights structural barriers such as underutilised private savings, fragmented capital markets, a declining number of specialised VC firms and slow, uneven regulatory processes.
These factors are said to limit access to growth capital and push promising companies to seek financing outside the EU.
The launch comes as European policymakers focus on strategic autonomy, capital markets integration and competitiveness.
The sector supports around 29 million jobs across the EU, underpins public health and economic resilience and plays a central role in the development and manufacture of life‑saving medicines. The coalition warns that without decisive action Europe risks a progressive hollowing‑out of its life sciences VC ecosystem, with consequences for long‑term growth, innovation and patient access.
The data underline the challenge: European life sciences VC funds account for just 7% of the global market, compared with 63% in the United States and 14% in China. Meanwhile, 66 of 67 EU biotech companies that went public in the past six years listed outside the EU.
Through the coalition, members aim to reverse these trends by advocating for more effective mobilisation of start‑ and scale‑up capital and a more integrated, efficient investment environment.
The group emphasises that it is not calling for handouts but for a fundamental shift in how European capital is deployed, working with policymakers and Invest Europe to ensure the continent can finance, scale and retain its life sciences innovation.
