Large life sciences deals and corporate investors buying the companies in their own portfolio have been key to an improving exit market.

Many of the companies have financial and corporate venture backers, as businesses seek alternatives to single-use plastics.

The Nato Innovation Fund has made a dozen investments in dual-use technologies that are already deployed in areas of conflict and with allies' armed forces.

With the launch of its new fund, the Japanese insurer's corporate venturing unit has assets under management of $400m, up tenfold since its first fund.

The investment fund will mostly back founders from the US university.

There was a 62% jump in exits for corporate-backed startups in November, with IPOs and acquisitions across a range of geographies and sectors but also some notable bankruptcies.

Hondo Geurts and Mike Murray, both with decades of experience in the national security sector, joined Anzu-Green Critical Technologies Fund.

The US university has formed an industry-university partnership to advance aspects such as sustainable agriculture in the whiskey distilling industry.

Scania’s loan will keep Northvolt operational during bankruptcy as it fights to survive.

Joseph Tou and Simone Lavizzari left the Japanese conglomerate's CVC unit, the latter having taken up an investment manager role at Join Capital.