US based - Novarits Venture Funds is scouting for investment opportunities in India. The company is looking out for local partners across the life sciences domain.

The 13 year old NVF has invested in more than 70 companies across US and UK. 

The fund typically invests $15-20 mn per company, but the investment can be as low as $1,00,000 depending on the requirements. However, the fund is primarily interested in biotech and life - sciences companies, it is willing to invest in other sectors as well, provided the comapny has has a strong track-record.

NVF is interested in technology platforms and the target company needs to be involved with developing break-through technology where patients may not have an alternative medicine or therapy, he said, even if the patient population the technology addressed is small. Also working in favour of target companies was strong intellectual property and capital efficiency, he added.

In fact, the present mantra at Swiss drug-maker Novartis is to pursue research pathways to address unmet medical needs of even a small patient population, as opposed to the earlier trends in the pharmaceutical world of chasing the next big block-buster drug.

Its recent investments include Vienna based Nabriva Therapeutics and US based GlycoMimetics.