Index Forms Growth Fund

Index Ventures has raised EUR 400 million for its first growth capital fund. The firm's growth team includes Index co-founder Giuseppe Zocco, former Yahoo Europe CEO Dominique Vidal and Guido Magni, global head of medical science in the pharma division of F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. The fund expects to make investments of between EUR 20 million and EUR 50 million in European companies.

PRESS RELEASE

Index Ventures today announced the closing of the EUR 400 million Index Ventures Growth I L.P. The fund is the first of its kind raised by a European venture capital firm and was formed to address the market opportunity created by the maturation of Europe's start-up industry and the movement of traditional late-stage investors into larger deal sizes in both the technology and life science sectors.  The new fund will complement the firm's venture capital fund, Index Ventures IV L.P., which will continue to focus primarily on seed and early-stage investments.

The growth investment team, which will be fully integrated into the existing investment team, will be led by: Index co-founder Giuseppe Zocco; Dominique Vidal, previously CEO of Yahoo! Europe and co-founder of Kelkoo; and Guido Magni, formerly the Global Head of Medical Science, Pharmaceutical Division,  F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. Basel, Switzerland.

“Index has been investing in European start-ups since 1996 so we've had front row seats to watch the industry expand and mature,” said Giuseppe Zocco. “There is now a critical mass of companies that have the potential to be market leaders and make a global impact.  With the growth fund, we have the ability to find and support these companies, helping them get to the next level.”

The fund expects to make investments of between EUR 20 million and EUR 50 million in European-based companies. The team will also selectively consider companies in Eastern Europe and the U.S. that have plans to expand internationally. Technology and life science companies are the primary focus, with media, retail and green technology opportunities also being considered.

“Our goal with the Index Ventures Growth Fund is to partner with entrepreneurs who have built successful, quickly growing businesses that have reached a stage when they are considering strategic alternatives including being acquired.” said Dominique Vidal. “In many of these cases, investing additional capital and time in the business will result in a much greater long-term payoff and allow the entrepreneur to continue growing his or her company into a market leader.”

Vidal and Magni bring decades of operating experience to Index, supplementing Zocco's long history with the firm. The team will also include Tony Zappal