Votorantim New Business

Votorantim Novos Negócios (VNN) was the venture capital and private equity arm of the Votorantim Group, one of Brazil's largest industrial conglomerates. The firm played a pioneering role in the Brazilian biotechnology sector by founding and incubating high-tech companies such as Alellyx Applied Genomics and CanaVialis. These ventures focused on genomic research and molecular biology, particularly for the agricultural and bioenergy sectors, leading to a landmark acquisition by Monsanto in 2008. VNN also expanded into human health through Scire, a specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to incremental innovation. While the specific VNN brand was later integrated into the parent company's broader investment strategy, its activities were instrumental in establishing a commercial foundation for life sciences in South America.