US drug company Eli Lilly has promised to invest 20% of a $250m biotechnology fund being raised by the Australian state.
US drug company Eli Lilly has promised to invest 20% of a $250m biotechnology fund being raised by the Australian state.
The fund is based in Brisbane, Queensland, and its local government has committed A$25m ($20.9m) to the fund with another tranche of money promised from unnamed US companies.
Lilly is one of the biggest healthcare corporate venturing units through Lilly Ventures and has a strategic investment in Queensland-based biotech firm Protagonist.
Lilly Ventures led a $9m series A round in September 2006 into Protagonist alongside Queensland BioCapital Funds, part of the local state pension fund, Queensland Investment Company, and Australia-based venture capital firm Starfish Ventures.
Anna Bligh, Premier of Queensland, said: "We are making a strategic investment of [A]$25m in this venture capital fund because it goes to the heart of our vision of having a strong Queensland economy powered by bright ideas. These funds are sourced from the Future Growth Fund.
"We have a plan to make Queensland’s biotechnology industry worth [A]$20bn and employ 16,000 people.
"This fund, which will have its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Brisbane, makes Queensland a key biotechnology hub in the Asia Pacific region. It will be run out of Brisbane but will also invest throughout Queensland, Australia and SE Asia."
