Athos family office invests in AAVantgarde Bio’s $141M Series B

AAVantgarde Bio, a clinical‑stage biotechnology company developing gene‑therapy treatments for inherited retinal diseases, closed a US$141 million (€122 million) Series B financing round. The round was co‑led by Schroders Capital alongside existing investors Atlas Venture and Forbion. New investors included Amgen Ventures, the single‑family office Athos KG, CDP Venture Capital through its Large Ventures Fund, Columbia IMC, Neva SGR, Sixty Degree Capital, XGen Venture and Willett Advisors. AAVantgarde will use the proceeds to complete clinical proof‑of‑concept studies for its gene‑augmentation therapies targeting Stargardt disease (AAVB‑039 CELESTE study) and retinitis pigmentosa secondary to Usher syndrome 1B (AAVB‑081 LUCE study), both of which currently have no approved treatments.

Athos KG: the Strüngmann family office

Athos KG is the single-family office of Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann, twin brothers who founded the pharmaceutical company Hexal in 1986. The brothers sold Hexal to Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis in 2005 for US$7.5 billion, positioning themselves among Germany’s wealthiest entrepreneurs. Since then, they have deployed their substantial wealth through Athos and complementary investment vehicle Santo Holding to support numerous ventures across healthcare and life sciences. Beyond their prominent majority stake in BioNTech, the German company behind one of the first COVID‑19 vaccines, the Strüngmanns have made significant investments in biosimilar developer Formycon (acquiring a 26.6% stake through a €650 million transaction), oncology-focused Ganymed Pharmaceuticals, protein research firm Nexigen, and other healthcare-focused companies including those addressing autoimmune diseases and pharmaceutical development. Operating from their Munich base with a deliberate approach to discretion and privacy, the Strüngmann brothers emphasize long-term commitment and sustainable entrepreneurial success over short-term returns, as evidenced by their substantial real estate acquisitions including Frankfurt’s Villa Kennedy and Munich’s Fünf Höfe shopping district. In addition to their commercial investments, the brothers founded the Ernst-Strüngmann-Forum in 2007, a research institute affiliated with the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies dedicated to addressing contemporary challenges. Their participation in AAVantgarde’s Series B round reflects Athos’ strategic focus on backing cutting‑edge therapeutic innovations with potential to address unmet clinical needs and transform patient outcomes in areas where treatment options are severely limited.

Picture Source: A.C. (03.11.2025)
Article Source: Aavantgarde