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

Trainual, a US-based business knowledge transfer platform, raised $6.8m in series A funding on Tuesday co-led by 4490 Ventures, the venture capital firm co-founded by Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and Math Venture Partner. Trainual operates a platform for companies to onboard and train employees through interactive courses. The company already has more than 3,000 clients across more than 100 countries, though it does not appear to have previously raised equity financing.
Envelio, a Germany-based smart grid management spinout of RWTH Aachen, has raised €6m ($6.7m) in series A financing from private-partnership High-Tech Gründerfonds, eCapital and Demeter. Founded in 2017, Envelio has developed a software called Intelligent Grid Platform that enables electricity distributors to automate power flow management. The money will go towards accelerated international expansion plans in Europe, Asia and the Americas. The spinout previously raised $1.2m in funding in May 2018.
Ionomr Innovations, a Canada-based energy storage technology spinout of Simon Fraser University, on Tuesday collected $3m in a seed round led by Pallasite Ventures. Founded in 2017, Ionomr is working on ion-exchange membranes and polymers that make renewable energy sources such as fuel cells, hydrogen production, advanced batteries and carbon capture more cost-efficient and more sustainable. The seed capital will drive the development, production and market expansion of the spinout’s products.
Humm, a US-based neurostimulation wearable developer that has graduated from University of California, Berkeley-backed accelerator SkyDeck, yesterday raised $2.6m in a seed round led by BlueYard Capital. Humm has created a plaster-like wearable device that consumers place on their forehead for 15 minutes to strengthen their memory retention for up to 90 minutes. The technology has secured regulatory clearance in the US after being proven in a trial with 30,000 participants. The company is now targeting the launch of its first product, aimed at the elderly, in 2020.
Slingshot Simulations, a UK-based advanced computer simulations software developer spun out of University of Leeds, has raised £750,000 ($980,000) in funding led by investment firm Mercia through the NPIF – Mercia Finance vehicle, and with participation from the university itself, Prolific North reported yesterday. Slingshot enables enterprise users to realistically simulate real-world environments in order to facilitate design decisions or choosing the optimal location for a warehouse, taking into account factors such as fuel costs and supply-chain demands. The money will allow the spinout to drive technology development and enter additional markets.
DearEmployee, a Germany-based mental health platform spun out of Free University of Berlin, has received a seven-figure euro sum (€1m = $1.1m) from public-private partnership High-Tech Gründerfonds and angel syndicate Impact51. DearEmployee allows employers to identify work-related stress affecting their staff at an early stage and intervene with preventative measures against burnout.

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.