Hopes are lifting that increased pension investment will encourage late-stage startups to stay in the country and even seek to list on the London Stock Exchange.

The former startup founder and Silicon Valley investor will head the University of Cambridge’s commercialisation arm.

The number of deals in UK spinouts at the earliest stage of equity investing has been falling over the past few years, highlighting a potential bottleneck in early-stage funding.

Kyocera, the Japanese industrial ceramics and electronics multinational, has established a second fund to target startups in the US and EMEA region.

The corporates backed a $38.6m series A round for Abolis through an agreement to develop sustainable cosmetics ingredients together.

The UK port operator is taking its first steps into corporate venturing by considering equity stakes in startups in return for discounted leases and other fees at its ports.

Luca Zabaione, who was with Banca Sella for 14 months, will be senior investment manager for VC group CDP’s Digital Transition Fund.

The state-backed Luxembourg Future Fund has put $5.4m into VIVES Inter-University Fund, bringing the multi-university venture fund’s new total to $80.5m.

The UK insurer’s CVC team, headed by Ben Luckett, has joined Aviva Investors’ newly formed venture and strategic capital function.

PruVen Capital's first fund had one corporate backer. Its second sees contribution from multiple insurance companies.