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Marius Nacht founds $100m life sciences fund

Marius Nacht, photo: Tamar Matsafi
Marius Nacht, photo: Tamar Matsafi
15 Nov, 2016 15:44
שלח תגובה במיילGali Weinreb and Tali Tsipori

"I’m wishing for the creation of another Teva or another Check Point in healthcare."

Marius Nacht, one of the three cofounders of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP) and the company's chairman in the past few years, is founding an investment fund focused on life sciences, estimated at $100 million. Reuters reports that Nacht has so far invested his own money in over ten startups and is now interested in expanding his operations and turning them into an official fund.

Nacht told Reuters, "I’m wishing for the creation of another Teva or another Check Point in healthcare. We are not here to sell out, we are really here to try ... and create a big company in the field of biomed in Israel." Nacht added that the fund will invest in companies with the potential of becoming self-sufficient.

One of the companies Nacht has already invested in is DayTwo, a company providing personalized nutrition based on the composition of intestinal bacteria, which is unique to each individual. DayTwo was founded at Nacht's initiative, based on the findings of a Weizmann Institute research in which participated.

He has also invested in Regenera Pharma, partially owned by InterCure Ltd. (TASE: INCR-L). Regenera has developed a drug from a botanical source preventing nerve damage in degenerative diseases. The product is currently undergoing clinical trials for treatment of the rare optic neuropathy non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).

At this stage, financing is based only funds invested by Nacht himself, his friends and family, and he has not turned to any financial institution. The value of Nacht's Check Point stake is estimated at $1.8 billion. In 2012, the capital of Nacht and his then-wife Anat Agmon was estimated at $2.5 billion, as part of divorce proceedings. In the same year, Nacht was ranked 11th richest person in Israel by "Forbes".

Nacht's fund will probably invest in companies at relatively advanced stages, with less focus on seed investments.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 15, 2016

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2016

Marius Nacht, photo: Tamar Matsafi
Marius Nacht, photo: Tamar Matsafi
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