Apellis Pharmaceuticals
Unicorn exit · $5.6Bacquired by BiogenCrestwood, US · 11 known investors
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Acquired by Biogen May 2026 · $5.6B ($41 per share cash plus contingent value right up to $4/share, ~$5.6 billion total transaction value) · source ↗
NASDAQ-listed company developing therapies for complement cascade-driven diseases in haematology, ophthalmology, and nephrology.
Founders & leadership
Board
Investors · 11
How we know: Avoro Capital Advisors's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us
How we know: EMBL Ventures's portfolio page · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us
How we know: Epidarex Capital's portfolio page · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us
How we know: F-Prime Capital's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us
How we know: Keyhorse Capital's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us
How we know: Sofinnova Ventures's portfolio page · board seat on SEC Form D · the VCSheet dataset · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us
How we know: open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us
How we know: venBio Partners's portfolio page · board seat on SEC Form D · the VCSheet dataset · Not right? Tell us
Also in the syndicate · 3
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$134.9M disclosed across 5 of 6 rounds · 2013–2017
- Undisclosed amountSeries CDec 2014
AJU IB Investment Co., Ltd. (lead), Morningside Ventures (lead), Epidarex Ventures
Source ↗
▶$20MraisedAug 2017 · 16 investors · PharmaceuticalsRule 506(b)
- Bihua ChenDirector
- Steven AxonExecutive Officer
- Alec MachielsDirector
- Stephanie O'BrienDirector
- Robert AdelmanDirector
- Nicole PerryExecutive Officer
- Maha KatabiDirector
- Gerald ChanDirector
- A. Sinclair DunlopDirector
- Daniel GeffkenExecutive Officer
- Cedric FrancoisExecutive Officer, Director
- Pascal DeschateletsExecutive Officer
- David WatsonExecutive Officer
- Robert KimExecutive Officer
- Offering amount
- $60.1M
- Amount sold
- $20M
- First sale
- Aug 2017
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$47.1MraisedFeb 2016 · 7 investors · PharmaceuticalsRule 506(b)
- David WatsonExecutive Officer
- Stephanie O'BrienDirector
- Bihua ChenDirector
- Alec MachielsDirector
- Pascal DeschateletsExecutive Officer
- Daniel GeffkenExecutive Officer
- Nicole PerryExecutive Officer
- A. Sinclair DunlopDirector
- Robert AdelmanDirector
- Cedric FrancoisExecutive Officer, Director
- Gerald ChanDirector
- Federico GrossiExecutive Officer
- Offering amount
- $47.1M
- Amount sold
- $47.1M
- First sale
- Dec 2015
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$32.1MraisedJan 2016 · 6 investors · PharmaceuticalsRule 506(b)
- Cedric FrancoisExecutive Officer, Director
- A. Sinclair DunlopDirector
- Bihua ChenDirector
- Pascal DeschateletsExecutive Officer
- Federico GrossiExecutive Officer
- Daniel GeffkenExecutive Officer
- David WatsonExecutive Officer
- Stephanie O'BrienDirector
- Nicole PerryExecutive Officer
- Gerald ChanDirector
- Alec MachielsDirector
- Offering amount
- $32.1M
- Amount sold
- $32.1M
- First sale
- Dec 2015
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$17.7MraisedJun 2015 · 1 investors · BiotechnologyRule 506(b)
- Gerald ChanDirector
- Stephanie O'BrienDirector
- Alec MachielsDirector
- A. Sinclair DunlopDirector
- Pascal DeschateletsExecutive Officer
- Cedric FrancoisExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $17.7M
- Amount sold
- $17.7M
- Minimum investment
- $10K
- First sale
- Dec 2014
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$17.8MraisedAug 2014 · 25 investors · PharmaceuticalsRule 506(b)
- Alec MachielsDirector
- Stephanie O'BrienDirector
- Cedric FrancoisExecutive Officer, Director
- Gerald ChanDirector
- Pascal DeschateletsExecutive Officer
- Offering amount
- $24M
- Amount sold
- $17.8M
- First sale
- Jul 2013
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2009
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Founder mafia
3 people who came through Apellis Pharmaceuticals went on to found or lead other companies.
In the news
Frequently asked questions
- What does Apellis Pharmaceuticals do?
- NASDAQ-listed company developing therapies for complement cascade-driven diseases in haematology, ophthalmology, and nephrology.
- Who founded Apellis Pharmaceuticals?
- Apellis Pharmaceuticals was founded by Pascal Deschatelets, Cedric Francois.
- Who are Apellis Pharmaceuticals's investors?
- Apellis Pharmaceuticals's investors include Avoro Capital Advisors, EMBL Ventures, Epidarex Capital, F-Prime Capital, Keyhorse Capital, Sofinnova Ventures, Solasta Ventures, venBio Partners.
- How much funding has Apellis Pharmaceuticals raised?
- Apellis Pharmaceuticals has disclosed $134.9M raised across 5 of its 6 known rounds.
- Who acquired Apellis Pharmaceuticals?
- Apellis Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Biogen.
- Where is Apellis Pharmaceuticals headquartered?
- Apellis Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in Crestwood, US.






