UniQuest, UQ's main commercialisation company that has created over 70 companies since 1984, licensed the serum production technology to Q-Sera.

Cindy Xiao Shiato, an executive with the Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee, said: "We want to have a close collaboration with US universities, US [VC] firms."

Investment bank JP Morgan is advising Prizm, which has been backed by venture capital firm Sequoia, to find the strategic partner, according to news provider DealCurry.

The investment gives NTT Docomo a 20% stake in the venture, Baidu Yi Xin Network Technology (Beijing) Company.

The investment came a month after D2 Communications, a mobile advertising and marketing subsidiary of NTT and media group Dentsu, bought 350 new shares from Alfredcore.

Alongside NTT in Shift's round are financial services conglomerate Mitsui and venture capital firm DFJ JAIC.

Alongside NTT in the round were financial conglomerate Mizuho Capital and venture capital firm Venture Now.

Cerego Japan provides iKnow! for enterprises and education institutions.

NTT Investment Partners, a corporate venturing unit of Japan-based phone operator Nippon Telegraph & Telephone (NTT), has invested $1m in Synerchip, which helps connect video and voice devices and raised $10.5m last year.