BEIJING – During the market downturn caused by COVID-19 disruptions, biotech and med-tech companies continue to attract investors at a time when medical solutions are needed more than ever. Qiming Venture Partners said that it has established a new $1.1 billion fund to target early stage health care and technology investments, the latest good news sector for biopharma and med-tech startups. Known as the Qiming Venture Partners Fund VII, this $1.1 billion fund draws most of its capital from endowments, foundations, family offices and private pensions.

PERTH, Australia – Cochlear Ltd., of Sydney, is gearing up to launch its new Remote Check solution for cochlear implant users on the heels of an AU$880 million (US$559 million) capital raise and a patent battle loss that it plans to appeal.

Farmington, Conn.-based biotech startup Lambdavision Inc. is preparing to test the benefits of microgravity in producing its protein-based artificial retina, thanks to a $5 million, three-year award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The first-of-a-kind treatment aims to restore vision to people who have lost all or much of their sight due to advanced retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

Pi-Cardia Ltd. has raised a $27 million round of financing led by Sofinnova Partners. The Rehovot, Israel-based company will use the round to back parallel U.S. feasibility and European pivotal trials of its catheter-based, nonimplant heart valve calcification treatment.

DUBLIN – The Swiss biotech sector raised about CHF1.2 billion ($$1.2 billion) in equity investment in 2019, a significant downward dip on the last two years, but well ahead of its average annual raise of CHF800 million over the past decade, according to the newly published Swiss Biotech Report 2020.

DUBLIN – Genespire Srl, a Milan-based startup led by gene therapy pioneer Luigi Naldini, is the third company to receive funding from Sofinnova Partners’ Italian €108 million (US$117.5 million) gene therapy fund, the Sofinnova Telethon Fund.