Sofinnova Partners (“Sofinnova”), a leading European life sciences venture capital firm based in Paris, London, and Milan, announced the appointment of Mary McCarthy as Partner at Sofinnova Partners, joining the growing Sofinnova Industrial Biotech Strategy team. She will use her extensive experience and network to help identify the most promising early-stage companies developing biotech-enabled sustainable solutions in agriculture, food, chemicals, and materials. The Sofinnova Industrial Biotech Strategy has made 24 investments to date and is actively investing out of its third fund of €175M.
Before joining Sofinnova Partners, Mary was a Partner at Brightlands Venture Partners (BVP) where she was the Fund Manager of the BVP Renewable Chemistry Fund and served on various boards. With over 24 years in chemistry and materials, Mary has occupied various roles in the sector: She was CEO of a start-up developing materials for the circular economy and worked at SABIC for 15 years, where she held various functions in R&D, HR, Change Management, and Corporate Venturing.
Michael Krel, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, said: “Mary is a perfect addition to our team with broad experience in the venture, start-up and corporate world. This appointment is another step forward in the growth of our industrial biotech strategy; it bolsters our commitment to identifying and supporting early-stage companies that have the potential to develop innovations with strong environmental impact.”
Joško Bobanović, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, said: “Mary joins our team at an exciting time of growth and evolution of the industrial biotech ecosystem. With her track record of successful investments, Mary will strengthen our capacity to meet the increasing demand for innovative and sustainable solutions for the environment.”
Mary McCarthy, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, said: “I’m very pleased to join Sofinnova Partners. The Industrial Biotech team is a recognized pioneer in the sector with a wealth of accumulated knowledge. I am looking forward to contributing to the team’s mission of finding deeptech solutions with strong environmental impact that can truly change the world for the better.”
Antoine Papiernik, Chairman and Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners, said: “Mary’s appointment strengthens Sofinnova’s leadership position in industrial biotech and reinforces the work this team has been doing for over a decade in forging a strong platform through investments in sustainability. Industrial biotech is a crucial pillar for the future of our firm, and Mary’s extensive network, ability to recognize disruptive technology, and genuine commitment to make the global economy more sustainable will undoubtedly contribute to accelerating this trajectory.”
Mary holds a PhD in chemistry from University College Dublin, Ireland and held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands and the Max Planck Institute für Kohlenforschung, Germany.
