Every day, Global University Venturing rounds up the smaller investments from across the university innovation ecosystem in its deal net.
Myosana Therapeutics, a US-based non-viral gene delivery platform developer spun out of University of Washington, has secured up to $1m in seed funding from CureDuchenne Ventures, the venture arm of nonprofit organisation CureDuchenne. The cash is expected to progress a lead candidate for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder characterised by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. Myosana was co-founded in 2018 by Stan Froehner, distinguished professor and chairman of the department of physiology and biophysics, and Nick Whitehead, a research associate professor in the same department.
Bee Corp, a US-based beehive health monitoring technology provider, secured $250,000 in funding on Wednesday from IU Philanthropic Venture Fund, a university venturing vehicle for Indiana University. Founded in 2016 by the then-managers of IU’s campus beekeeping club, Bee Corp has devised a monitoring platform that uses infrared to measure the population of beehives and inform deals between beekeepers and farmers. Among other uses, bees help pollinate certain crops and produce honey for consumption. The funding will go to R&D in order to bring Bee Corp’s technology to new markets.
CMLaser Technologies, a US-based developer of supercontinuum laser-powered missile defence systems spun out of University of Arizona, has secured an undisclosed sum from UA-affiliated venture firm UAVenture Capital. The spinout’s technology would protect military and civilian aircraft from heat-seeking missile attacks, offering reduced size, variation and costs compared with existing alternatives. CMLaser’s core technology was invented by Nasser Peyghambarian, chairman for photonics and lasers at UA’s James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences.
