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GBS BioVentures III

10 / 05 / 2005

GBS Venture Partners, Australia's leading life science specialist venture capital investor, this week completed the close of its GBS BioVentures III Fund, with $145 million. Geoff Brooke of GBS said "We were delighted with the level of interest in the fund and thrilled to close well over our $120 million target size."

"This is a great endorsement of Australian life science, and the investment opportunities that it creates," said Brigitte Smith of GBS. "We are excited to be looking for new life science investments, with the ability to invest more than $10 million in each company," she added.

The majority of commitments to the Fund are from investors that have invested in earlier GBS funds, including Westscheme, clients of Quentin Ayers, Wilshire Private Markets Group, and clients of Macquarie Funds Management. GBS is also delighted to include several new investors in the new fund, including MilitarySuper, Quay Partners, Statewide and clients of the Counterpoint Group.

About GBS Venture Partners
GBS Venture Partners (GBS) is Australia's largest life science venture capital group. GBS invests in and adds value to unlisted high growth companies involved in innovative technologies such as:

human therapeutics and diagnostics
animal therapeutics and diagnostics
medical devices
health information technology
agribusiness, food and environmental technology
GBS invests at the seed, start-up or early expansion stage of company development.

GBS manages three other funds which have invested in more than 25 early staged life science companies:

The Australian Bioscience Trust - a $42.5 million fund raised in October 1998 under the Australian Federal Government''s Innovation Investment Fund (IIF) program
GBS Bioventures II - a $64.5 million fund raised in July 2001
The Genesis Fund - a $30 million fund raised in October 2002 under the Australian Federal Government''s Pre-Seed Fund (PSF) program
GBS uses these and other funds under management to make a significant commitment to building companies based on Australian life science technology.

Contacts

Brigitte Smith
Mob 0417 234 703
Office 03 8650 9920
Email Brigitte.smith@gbsventures.com.au
www.gbsventurepartners.com.au