Every day, Global University Venturing rounds up the smaller investments from across the university innovation ecosystem in its deal net.

Pickle, a US-based spinout of Massachusetts Institute of Technology developing a logistics robot, has secured $5.6m in seed funding led by Hyperplane, according to TechCrunch. The round also attracted Third Kind Venture Capital, Box Group and Version One Ventures and unnamed others.
Exotanium, a US-based cloud optimisation software developer spun out of Cornell University, has closed a $5m seed round co-led by Walden International and Nepenthe Capital. The round will allow Exotanium to scale its business, recruit more staff, expand its offering and sign up additional customers.
WarpSpace, a Japan-based small optical relay satellite developer spun out of University of Tsukuba, has secured ¥400m ($3.7m) in a series A first close from financial services firm Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation’s SMBC Venture Capital unit, Space Frontier Fund, a vehicle for asset manager Sparx Innovation for Future, and KSK Angel Fund.
Springpod, a UK-based professional social network linking young adults to employers and education providers, has received £2.3m ($3.2m) in series A financing co-led by Cass Entrepreneurship Fund, a vehicle for City University of London’s Cass Business School, according to Insider Media. The round was co-led by Alliance Fund Managers’ MSIF’s Merseyside Loan and Equity Fund and by Triple Point, and also included undisclosed existing backers.
Movellus, a US-based developer of technology to enhance chip design for cloud computing and artificial intelligence applications, has raised $3m in bridge financing that included a $150,000 commitment from Accelerate Blue Fund, an evergreen vehicle set up by University of Michigan (U-M). Other investors were not identified. The deal marks the first investment for Accelerate Blue Fund. Spun out of U-M in 2014, Movellus secured $6m in a series A round two years ago from the institution’s Invests in New Technology Startups fund. The series A round was led by Stata Venture Partners and also featured Intel Capital, the corporate venturing arm of chipmaker Intel.
Datafluct, a Japan-based data technology developer, has secured ¥300m ($2.8m) in series A funding from University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners. The company received $420,750 in an angel round backed by assorted individuals in October 2019.
Swarm Engineering, a US-based artificial intelligence-powered platform for international agriculture supply chain logistics, has completed a $2.7m seed round backed by Virginia Tech Carilion Innovation Fund, a VC partnership between Virginia Tech Foundation and healthcare provider Carilion Clinic. The round was led by S2G Ventures and also attracted Serra Ventures, Harvard Business School Alumni, Wells Street Capital, Rinvest and angel investor Soren Schroder.
Imageens, a France-based developer of artificial intelligence software for medical imaging, has raised €1.2m ($1.5m) in funding led by asset manager Anaxago, with participation from angel syndicates Badge and Paris Business Angels, as well as an entity called Coalescence. Imageens was spun out of Sorbonne University and university hospital Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris in 2017.
Zoog.ai, an Israel-based platform to turn children’s books into social experiences through augmented reality, has collected $600,000 in pre-seed funding from investors including Zell Early Stage Fund, a student-run venture fund at University of Michigan’s Samuel Zell and Robert H Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, according to the Calcalist. The round also attracted Reimagine Ventures and Joy Ventures.
Nanotis, a Japan-based infectious disease rapid test device developer spun out of University of Tokyo, has secured an undisclosed amount of pre-series A funding from optical equipment manufacturer Hamamatsu Photonics and printing and sensor technology provider Nissha, which took its total funding to ¥80m ($736,000). The company had previously secured $400,000 from Hamamatsu Photonics, Shizuoka Capital and unnamed angel investors in 2018 and an undisclosed amount of pre-series A funding from pharmaceutical firm Taisho Pharmaceutical in May 2020.
EF Polymer, the Japan-based developer of organic polymers that help convert food waste into usable materials, closed a ¥40m ($360,000) seed round last month featuring Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University’s OIST Startup Accelerator Program, it has announced. The round included MTG Ventures, the VC arm of brand development group MTG, Yosemite, Beyond Next Ventures and angel investor Tatsuya Suzuki.
Alimetry, a New Zealand-based medical devices developer focused on gastrointestinal diseases, has emerged from stealth with an undisclosed amount of capital led by IP Group, with participation from University of Auckland’s Inventors Fund, managed by tech transfer office UniServices, and venture capital fund Matū. Alimetry was spun out of University of Auckland’s Bioengineering Institute and Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences in 2019. It will use the money to support clinical trials, enter the market and advance regulatory approval in the US.
Celadyne Technologies, a US-based spinout of University of Texas at Austin that is developing technology intended to enhance the performance of hydrogen fuel cells and electrolysers, has pocketed an undisclosed sum from Shell Ventures, the corporate venturing vehicle for oil and gas supplier Shell. Celadyne secured the funding in relation to its participation in the Third Derivative accelerator.
– Additional reporting by Robert Lavine and Liwen-Edison Fu

Thierry Heles

Thierry Heles is the former editor-at-large of Global University Venturing and Global Corporate Venturing, and was the producer and host of the Beyond the Breakthrough podcast until December 2024.