How broadly do you define ‘Life Sciences & Health’?
We invest in promising and scalable start-ups in:
- Life Sciences (biotech, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics)
- Digital Health
- Medical Devices
- Animal Health
We do not invest in healthcare providers or consultancy firms.
What is TRL?
TRL stands for ‘Technology Readiness Level’ and indicates a product or technology’s current phase of development. There are several ways to define TRL, but we use the EU system. Click here to take a look at our detailed TRL descriptions or download the document.
Do you also invest in established companies?
Yes, as long as they satisfy our criteria and terms & conditions.
Who is Utrecht Holdings?
The Utrecht Holdings team manages the Utrecht Health Seed Fund (UHSF). Utrecht Holdings has been investing in University Medical Center Utrecht and University of Utrecht spin-offs since 1998 and it also has been managing their intellectual property (IP) portfolios. With the Utrecht Health Seed Fund Utrecht Holdings will be expanding its investment activities to opportunities throughout the province of Utrecht.
Please visit the Utrecht Holdings website for more information.
Does the UHSF also fund projects, for example research projects?
No, the UHSF only approves and funds companies satisfying the investment committee’s terms & conditions and investment focus.
What are the terms & conditions for funding?
The main criteria for eligibility are as follows:
The company seeking investment is a promising start-up that:
- is developing a product or service in the field of Life Sciences & Health,
- is in an early stage of development (TRL 2–7), and
- has registered offices in the province of Utrecht.
Our portal lists the information and documents we require. Our Investment Terms & Conditions are also available for download: https://healthseedfund.uhsf.nl/en/investment-terms-conditions/
What do you mean by ‘co-investor’ or ‘co-financier’? Would, for example, a research grant count as a ‘co-financier’?
When we use the term ‘co-investor’ or ‘co-financier’, we mean a third party who invests in a company by means of a convertible loan, equity, or other forms of corporate finance.
Although research grants are extremely important to companies in their early stages, we do not view grant providers as constituting a ‘co-financier’.
Does the UHSF invest in types of company other than BVs, such as foundations or associations?
No, the UHSF only invests in BVs (Dutch privately held corporations).
