IP Group Sells £21M Oxford Nanopore Stake, Retains 7% Holding

IP Group has completed a £21 million partial divestment of its stake in Oxford Nanopore Technologies by selling 10 million ordinary shares, while preserving a direct 7.2% equity interest valued at £151.5 million according to an official company announcement.

The transaction allows the venture capital firm to monetize a portion of its portfolio holdings while maintaining exposure to the DNA sequencing company's commercial trajectory.

"Oxford Nanopore has been one of the standout successes within our portfolio and we remain strong supporters of the company, its management team and its long-term prospects," said Greg Smith, Chief Executive of IP Group, in a statement regarding the release.

Breakdown of Holdings and Managed Funds

Following the share sale, IP Group retains 70,775,255 ordinary shares in Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc, accounting for 7.23% of the company's issued share capital. Beyond IP Group's direct stake, separate funds managed by the firm continue to hold approximately 11.8 million additional shares in the sequencing specialist.

The transaction was executed through an institutional placement managed by Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. As part of the agreement, IP Group entered into a 90-day lock-in undertaking restricting further sales of its retained direct holding, subject to customary market exceptions.

Capital Realisation Strategy

"This transaction represents an appropriate partial realisation of our holding, demonstrating our ability to realise value from maturing portfolio companies while preserving meaningful exposure to future upside," Smith said.

For university spin-out investor IP Group, partial exits provide the liquidity required to fund early-stage science and technology ventures across its broader portfolio. Oxford Nanopore, which originated as an academic spin-out from the University of Oxford, has grown into a publicly traded genomic sequencing firm listed on the London Stock Exchange, making it one of the venture group's prominent holdings.