The founders of Biontech, Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann, want to invest in the new company that departing executive partners Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci are forming. Thomas Strüngmann said, “We promised Ugur we would support his company and invest accordingly”. He joined his twin brother Andreas, three other colleagues, and the two cancer‑research scientists Sahin and Türeci in establishing Biontech in 2007, according to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”.
Biontech, a Mainz‑based biotech, created a COVID‑19 vaccine in record time during 2020. Just last week, Sahin and Türeci – who had been CEO and chief research officer – announced their planned departure from Biontech’s leadership team, effective at the end of the year. They said they intend to concentrate more on researching and developing future therapies and will launch a new venture. The announcement sent Biontech’s stock tumbling roughly 20 percent.
Sahin and Türeci indicated they will retain their approximately 15 percent stake in the company. The Strüngmann brothers, who have financed several biotech firms after selling their former pharmaceutical company Hexal, hold about 44 percent of Biontech’s shares. Thomas Strüngmann clarified that he has no intention to sell, adding that he purchased additional shares in response to the price decline.
