Over the years, we have invested in more than 200 companies, from start to finish. Excluding debt, these companies have raised capital in excess of €3 billion over their life time. The €600 million of pure equity capital that we have put to work to help start and grow these companies has therefore multiplied more than seven times.

All this start-up and growth capital has helped to develop new diagnoses, new treatments and new devices for indications such as diabetes, cholesterol management, ulcerative colitis, constipation, hematologic indications, pain relief, heart failure, asthma, infectious diseases, cartilage repair and many more. Large numbers of patients have benefitted from these healthcare innovations. Many more may benefit from new products and technologies currently in development by our companies. In the past, many of our companies were acquired by large pharmaceutical, diagnostic or medical device companies, leading to even more capital invested in these products and technologies.

Over time, our companies have struck more than 50 strategic partnerships. In total, these partnerships represent a total value in upfront, milestone and royalty payments of approximately €6 billion. In addition, our companies have counted on average of 90 employees. This adds up to a total workforce of some 7,000 highly educated employees. Independent research shows that given the high quality nature of the work performed by these employees, every one of them creates or sustains at least two other jobs in other sectors. Thus, the total workforce supported by our investments exceeds 21,000 employees.

We believe that the positive impact of our investments on society is large and is exemplified by the many patients that have been or will be treated, diagnosed, monitored or cured, today and in the future, by the companies that we have helped to create and grow.