Every day, Global University Venturing rounds up the smaller investments from across the university innovation ecosystem in its deal net.
Purec, a Japan-based regenerative medicine spinout of Shimane University, secured ¥300m ($2.7m) in funding on Wednesday from photography and imaging company Fujifilm. Purec is working on a treatment for osteogenesis imperfecta, a group of genetic disorders that causes fragile bones that break even from mild trauma or without apparent impact. The investment will enable Fujifilm’s parent company, regenerative medicine producer Japan Tissue Engineering (J-Tec), to tap into the spinout’s technology. Purec and J-Tec will collaborate on the development of products.
CyberOwl, a UK-based cybersecurity spinout of Coventry University, closed a £1m ($1.3m) funding round today backed by Mercia Technologies and the MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, managed by Mercia, as well as 24Haymarket. CyberOwl will use the money to scale the commercialisation of its Medulla platform, which helps safeguard critical infrastructure and smart transport systems, and open an office in Birmingham, where it will hire six staff. CyberOwl was founded in 2016 based on research by Prof Siraj Shaikh. As part of the investment, Matthew Bowcock will join the board of directors to represent 24Haymarket.
– Disclaimer: 24Haymarket is also an investor in Mawsonia, which publishes Global University Venturing.
