Global University Venturing

UMC Utrecht molecular diagnostics spinout Genome Diagnostics has won funding from Ampersand Capital Partners and will work with the private equity firm to spur business growth through activities including M&A.

Osage University Partners has invested in LunaPBC, the public benefit corporation responsible for operating the community-owned LunaDNA genetic and health data collection platform.

Bill Brizzard will end his tenure as executive director of Indiana University’s Innovation and Commercialization Office to be replaced by Karen White on a temporary basis.

UCLA spinout Neural Analytics increased its total funding to $66m as it prepares for further testing of its robotically-assisted brain health monitoring platform.

MIT-run social enterprise incubator MIT Solve is to gain an impact investment fund with a $30m target size to back participants in its annual Global Challenges innovation contest.

Pfizer will pay $340m upfront and up to an additional $470m in milestone payments to purchase its portfolio company Therachon, providing an exit to Inserm Transfert Initiative.

FAW Group will reportedly provide $100m for TUS Holdings-backed Byton for a $500m round likely to value the electric SUV developer at more than $2.5bn.

UCL spinout Promethera Biosciences has increased its series D round to $44.4m with a $33.1m Mitsui and Medipal-backed extension, adding to Itochu’s initial investment earlier this year.

Sales productivity software platform Ciara has won the backing of TUM-allied venture firm UVC Partners in a round that will support continued development of its software.

Sioux Technologies co-led SamanTree’s series A round, which will support marketing of the EPFL spinout’s subcellular resolution microscopy scanner for surgical cancer interventions.

TUM automated legal analysis spinout Rfrnz has secured backing from Unternehmertum-operated Initiative for Industrial Innovations, HTGF and unnamed additional investors.