Osaka spinout Cuorips has added $14.7m to its coffers from investors including vehicles for the institution and Kyoto University, just three months after collecting $19.3m.

Cuorips, a Japan-based cell therapy developer spun out of Osaka University, has secured ¥1.6bn ($14.7m) from a consortium featuring respective vehicles for Osaka and Kyoto universities.
Handai Venture NVCC I and Kyodai Venture NVCC II, managed by Nippon Venture Capital on behalf of Osaka and Kyoto respectively, were joined in the round by regenerative medicine manufacturer CellSource and optics and medical engineering conglomerate Fujifilm.
VC firm Jafco’s SV6 and SV6-S funds filled out the round together with JIC Venture Growth Fund I, operated by government-owned JIC Growth Investments.
Founded in 2017 as Cuore, Cuorips is developing an induced pluripotent stem cells-based treatment for severe heart failure.
In conjunction with its investment, Fujifilm entered into a partnership agreement with Cuorips that gives the corporate priority negotiation rights for contract development and manufacturing of Cuorips’ technology in the US.
Kyoto previously participated in a $19.3m round in December 2020, investing through Kyoto University Innovation Capital (KU-iCap). The round also attracted medical equipment producer Asahi Intecc, construction firm Dai-Dan, cord blood bank StemCell Institute and pharmaceutical firm Taiko Pharmaceutical.
In 2018, Cuorips received $9.1m in equity financing from KU-iCap, clinical thermometer maker Terumo and pharmaceutical firm Daiichi Sankyo. The latter had already supplied an undisclosed sum in 2017.

Edison Fu

Edison Fu is head of Asia development at Global Corporate Venturing.