Will the Cabinet Secretary give the latest estimates of the full-time equivalent jobs created within Wales as a result of the Arthurian Life Sciences fund, broken down by company within the portfolio of investment?
The Wales Life Sciences Investment Fund was established in February 2013 as a ten year discretionary venture capital fund managed by Arthurian Life Sciences. The Fund is an innovative economic development intervention intended to deliver economic and financial objectives over its 10 year lifetime.
The Fund is almost at the end of its initial 5 year investment period having made 11 investments in 9 businesses, both indigenous and new to Wales. These portfolio companies are at different stages of maturity and rates of growth and are developing linkages within the Welsh supply chain, driving further investment and growth, having created and safeguarded c 295 high value quality jobs to date.
One of the key aims of the Fund has been to raise the profile and standing of the Life Sciences sector in Wales on a global level. A number of the investments have been made in cutting edge life sciences sector businesses and have attracted significant co-investment, raising the profile of Wales not only in the Life Sciences sector but also in the Venture Capital community.