Jack Mason has begun work as chief operating officer of University of Wyoming’s new Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, aiding efforts to strengthen entrepreneurial systems.

Kentucky’s public higher education institutions have joined forces for a commercialisation drive part funded by a $1.2m grant from state-run entrepreneurship hub KY Innovation.

Frontier IP sold $3.2m through a placement to new and existing backers as it announced its portfolio value had risen 34% year-on-year.

Utec-backed Chiba spinout Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory has filed for an initial public offering on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and plans to list on December 21.

Jon Darsee will oversee an economic development strategy at University of Iowa now separated from the office of the vice-president for research.

The institute has secured grant funding to coalesce its entrepreneurial services into a new centre partnered with corporates including Teva, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Alpha Omega.

The seed funding will support CMU spinout RoadBotics’ automated road inspection platform already used by 78 clients in the US and Australia.

Dundee spinout Kinetic Discovery has been picked up by its peer Exscientia in a deal consolidating the equity of Frontier IP, which held stakes in both drug discovery companies.

A roundup of all the latest news on www.globaluniversityventuring.com for our subscribers.

Cambridge Enterprise has contributed to a $1.9m funding round for its spinout Echion Technologies.