Earlybird portfolio company BMEYE has been sold to Edwards Lifesciences Corporation for €32.5 million, the Berlin-based VC firm has announced. Health technology firm BMEYE specialises in developing non-invasive technology for advanced monitoring of blood flow, while California-based Edwards Lifesciences is a world leader in manufacturing heart valves.
The exit is the final strage in a big success story for Earlybird, which led the Series B investment of €6 million in BMEYE three years ago. With more than $500 million in assets currently under management, Earlybird – which moved its headquarters to Berlin from Munich earlier this year – focuses both on technology and health tech startups.
BMEYE was founded in 2005 as a spin off from the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research. At the time of Earlybird’s investment, partner Thom Rasche joined the BMEYE board, while the company was shortlisted as one of Europe’s most innovative in the 2010 Red Herring Awards.
Carlyn Solomon, Edwards Lifesciences’ corporate vice president, said in a statement: “BMEYE’s unique non-invasive technology platform complements our existing portfolio and will provide clinicians with critical, comprehensive hemodynamic monitoring information for a broader range of patients.”
The exit comes after Earlybird announced a €75 million fund for Berlin startups in April.
And the company has also being working with LinkedIn co-founder Konstantin Guericke, who told Silicon Allee earlier this month: “Earlybird has the desire to take some risks with things that are less proven than maybe other investors would be, and they’re working with me to help people get to the market.”
The investment in BMEYE has certainly paid off.