BioNTech
Established: 2008
Country: Germany
Region: Mainz
Investors: AT Impf (Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann), MIG
BioNTech is a leader in personalised immunotherapies using mRNA technology to treat cancer and novel diseases. The Mainz, Germany-based company achieved global attention when it joined forces with Pfizer and Fosun to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 in 2020. Their Project Lightspeed initiative was the first to deliver an approved mRNA vaccine in the EU, the UK and the US, with distribution and inoculation starting before the end of the year. BioNTech has continued to adapt its product to new strains of the COVID virus and forecast the production of four billion doses in 20221.
BioNTech raised some of the largest venture capital funding rounds in European biotech history to pursue its range of candidates for infectious diseases, cancer and autoimmune conditions and invest in manufacturing capacity2. In addition to mRNA technology, the company operates in three other drug classes: engineered cell therapies, antibodies and small cell immunomodulators. It is using the lessons from its COVID-19 programme to inform and accelerate its research.
$1.4bn
in seed and VC funding rounds
$150m
raised at IPO
3,082
employees, more than doubled since 2019
Key achievements
First approved mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 in the EU, UK and US
One of the largest VC funding rounds in European Biotech history at $325m in 20193
Listed on Nasdaq in 2019 at $3.4bn valuation4, rising to market cap of $34bn in 20225
Funding history
$1.4bn in seed and VC funding rounds6
Raised $150m in IPO and $500m in subsequent placements
Employment impact
More than doubled employee numbers from 1,310 in 2019 to 3,082 in 20227
Find out more
1. https://www.biopharma-reporter.com/Article/2022/01/25/Pfizer-and-BioNTech-maintain-production-estimates-of-4-billion-COVID-19-vaccine-doses-in-2022#
2. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/biontech-raises-325m-b-round-to-advance-cancer-pipeline
3. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-09/cancer-firm-lands-one-of-europe-s-biggest-biotech-funding-rounds?sref=KaVRqOin
4. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/biontechs-ipo-values-it-at-$3.4-billion-in-one-of-the-largest-biotech-listings-of-all-time
5. https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/BNTX/
6. Preqin
7. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1300627/biontech-employees-number/
Investors
