Claris Ventures and Exor Ventures Team Up for the Development of Innovative Drugs in Italy

Alliance for the discovery of new treatments in collaboration with universities and research centers

Turin, May 14, 2024 – Claris Ventures and Exor Ventures are joining forces in a new initiative aimed

at developing innovative drugs in collaboration with Italian universities and research centers.

The partnership will fund drug discovery and preclinical validation activities while also supporting

the subsequent stages towards clinical development. "Our primary goal is to accelerate the

development of new pharmacological solutions in therapeutic areas with the highest clinical need,

by working alongside researchers from the early stages and leveraging scientific and operational

synergies " says Pietro Puglisi of Claris Ventures.

Claris Ventures, the first Italian VC operator focused on biotech, and Exor Ventures, the VC

investment arm of Exor, will be looking for potential drugs and preclinical candidates to add to

their development pipeline in the coming months. To this end, researchers from across Italy are

invited to submit their ideas and projects through the dedicated online portal www.leverbio.com.

Particular attention will be paid to the expertise of the proposing groups and the availability of

preclinical models that enable rapid pharmacological optimization to maximize the synergy

between academic research and development activities.

Initially, the initiative will focus on development programs originating from the Italian ecosystem,

without excluding the possibility of collaborating with some of the universities and research centers

abroad that Claris Ventures and Exor Ventures have previously worked with to launch new biotech

companies.

"We are confident that through our partnership with Claris Ventures and the level of ambition

inherent in Exor's DNA, we will have a profound impact on pharmaceutical research and the

development of new treatments," says Noam Ohana of Exor Ventures. "This collaboration

represents an important step in our commitment to supporting innovation in the biotech sector,

especially in Italy," adds Ileana Pirozzi of Exor Ventures.

Contacts:

Website: www.leverbio.com

Claris Ventures

Claris Ventures is the first Italian venture capital operator focused on biotech, active since 2020

through its first fund (85 million euros). To date, Claris Ventures has invested in nine biotech

companies that have collectively raised around 135 million euros, involving numerous international

investors and pharmaceutical companies.

Exor Ventures

Exor Ventures is the VC investment arm of Exor N.V., founded in 2017. It invests primarily in startups

in the fields of healthcare, software, artificial intelligence, and mobility. Exor Ventures embodies the

deeply entrepreneurial DNA of Exor, a fifth-generation company with a long history of building and

developing successful companies such as Ferrari, Stellantis, The Economist, and, more recently,

Philips. In recent years, Exor Ventures has invested in leading companies including Neuralink,

Neumora, Novocure, and Twist Biosciences.