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MEDICE
MEDICE was founded in 1949 in Iserlohn, Germany, and remains entirely family-owned under the third generation of the Ammer and Pütter families.
MEDICE
MEDICE was founded in 1949 in Iserlohn, Germany, and remains entirely family-owned under the third generation of the Ammer and Pütter families. Managing Partners Dr. Richard Ammer and Dr. Katja Pütter-Ammer lead the group as both an operating pharmaceutical company and a corporate investment platform. The founding family's wealth originated from scaling prescription and over-the-counter drug manufacturing within the German healthcare system. The firm pursues a multi-asset healthcare strategy focused on pharmaceutical products, digital therapeutics, and nutritional health concepts. Its investment approach leans heavily on direct corporate venture participation within the European healthcare ecosystem. Confirmed positions or co-investments include the digital therapeutic Selfapy, backed alongside healthcare specialist SHS Capital. Strategic licensing partnerships extend the group's pharmaceutical reach — a notable deal licenses Akebia Therapeutics' Vafseo for European markets. Geographic coverage centers on Germany and broader European healthcare markets from its operational base in North Rhine-Westphalia. The group operates principal production and distribution from its Iserlohn headquarters, with an additional industrial production site in Salzgitter-Ringelheim expanded through ongoing site investments. Professional team data is not publicly disclosed, though the firm maintains active industry governance participation — Dr. Richard Ammer serves as Vice President of the German Pharmaceutical Association (BPI). The operating footprint includes a monitored ecological initiative, the Iserlohn Flowering Meadows, and an associated Health Family Shop retail venture. MEDICE's structural differentiator lies in its hybrid architecture: a fully integrated pharmaceutical manufacturer simultaneously deploying corporate balance-sheet capital into early-stage and growth healthcare ventures. The link between its regulated drug production, European licensing arrangements, and venture co-investments creates a feedback loop — new therapies enter its commercial pipeline while corporate development capital backs adjacent digital and nutritional health founders.
General information
Firm type
Corporate Investor
Year founded
1949
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Germany
City
Iserlohn
Corporate office
Kuhloweg 37, 58638 Iserlohn, Germany
Principals
Dr. Richard Ammer
Managing Partner and CEO
Dr. Katja Pütter-Ammer
Managing Partner and 3rd generation owner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at MEDICE?
Investment decisions sit with the family-led management. Dr. Richard Ammer acts as Managing Partner and CEO, with Dr. Katja Pütter-Ammer serving as Managing Partner and third-generation owner. Their dual oversight combines operational pharmaceutical leadership with capital allocation.
How does MEDICE source proprietary deal flow?
Deal flow is sourced through the group's pharmaceutical licensing network, industry relationships, and co-investment partnerships. Its role as a European licensee for therapies such as Akebia Therapeutics' Vafseo creates direct pipeline visibility into biotech innovation.
Is MEDICE a single-family office or an operating pharmaceutical company?
MEDICE functions as both. The core operation is a third-generation family-owned pharmaceutical manufacturer with production sites in Iserlohn and Salzgitter-Ringelheim. That operating company also deploys corporate capital into digital health and adjacent healthcare ventures, making it a hybrid operator-investor.
Does MEDICE participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Known activity is concentrated in direct corporate venture investments and co-investments alongside specialists such as SHS Capital in deals like Selfapy. No fund-of-fund commitments are publicly documented.
Which sectors does MEDICE explicitly avoid?
MEDICE is anchored to human health — physical and mental pharmaceutical therapies, digital treatments, and nutritional health. It does not invest outside healthcare, nor has it disclosed activity in sectors such as enterprise software, industrials, or fintech.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The wealth originates from a pharmaceutical manufacturing business founded in 1949 in Iserlohn, Germany. Continual reinvestment of operating profits over three generations created the corporate balance sheet that now backs venture investment activity.
How are philanthropic activities separated from the corporate investment platform?
Philanthropy appears structured through a distinct non-profit vehicle, the Märkisches Sauerland Foundation. Corporate assets, including the Iserlohn headquarters, Schaper & Brümmer production site, and healthcare venture investments, sit inside the operating company.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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