Reading’s Osborne Clarke advises FA Bio on £5.3m investment

Published by

Daniel Face

Rob Hayes, venture and growth capital partner, led the team from Osborne Clarke.

Lawyers at Osborne Clark in Reading have advised biotech firm FA Bio on a £5.3 million investment.

Backing came from three European venture capital investment funds alongside existing shareholders and new private investors.

FA Bio (formerly FungiAlert) specialises in the development of advanced microbial bioproducts such as biocontrols, biostimulants and biofertilisers to replace chemical inputs in agriculture.

Visit Hampshire Biz News for bright, upbeat and positive business news from the county

The new investment will help the firm commercialise its technology and ongoing research work, as well as funding the expansion of its team, led by Dr Angela de Manzanos Guinot and Dr Kerry O’Donnelly Weaver.

London’s Clean Growth Fund and Amsterdam’s Pymwymic co-led the investment, with participation from Barcelona’s Ship2B Ventures.

Back in Reading, the team from Osborne Clarke was led by venture and growth capital partner Rob Hayes, who worked with associate director Robert Pook, senior associate Magnus Williams and senior paralegal Fern Tawera.

The firm’s international venture capital team supports a number of companies in tech-enabled industries, from startup to scaleup.

Daniel Face

Born and raised in Berkshire, Dan fell into journalism after completing his bachelor’s degree in English at UCL. Writing for The Business Magazine and local Biz News sites has given him the opportunity to chat with all manner of small business owners and share their success stories with a wider audience. Outside of work, Dan enjoys live music, board games and quiz shows, and is making a slow but persistent effort to learn Spanish.