Daily deal net: June 8, 2020

Oxehealth, a UK-based distance health monitoring device spun out of University of Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Oxford University Hospitals, has secured £5m ($6.4m) of funding co-led by commercialisation firm IP Group and investment firm Ora, Yahoo Finance UK reported on Saturday. Oxehealth’s technology relies on computer vision, sensors and signal processing to track a patient’s pulse and breathing rates from a distance without physically affixing wired clips or pulse oximeters to the patient’s fingers, allowing greater social distancing. The technology has been expanded with Covid-specific functionality, and is in use at UK-based hospitals, mental health units and police forces. Oxehealth now aims to win contracts with Sweden-based care homes and US nursing facilities, using proceeds from its latest round. IP Group led a $4m round for Oxehealth in 2017, before the spinout joined accelerator Upscale 4.0 in January last year. Ora Capital Partners, later wound up and replaced by Ora, had co-led a $3.4m round with Top Technology Ventures in 2014 according to Unquote, following an $810,000 from IP Group in 2012.
Bellrock Technology, a UK-based data analytics spinout of University of Strathclyde, has obtained £1m ($1.3m) of funding from investors including the university. Scottish Investment Bank, the investment arm of government-owned development agency Scottish Enterprise, and ESM Investments filled out the round. Bellrock markets a software platform called Lumen that provides quick data analysis for various industries, including healthcare, manufacturing and financial services. The funding will go to a new iteration of Lumen due to launch later in 2020. Bellrock previously collected $930,000 of funding in 2015.
SideRos, a France-based cancer drug developer based on research from cancer-focused science hub Institut Curie, has collected $590,000 in seed cash from angel investors in the pharmaceutical sector. SideRos is working on a group of molecules including lead compound ironmycin expected to kill cancer cells resistant to conventional treatments which often result in relapses and cancer metastases. The funding will aid pre-clinical development and bolster SideRos’s hand as it looks for a manufacturing subcontractor.
Hydrogenious LOHC, a Germany-based hydrogen fuel distribution technology spinout of Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, has secured an undisclosed sum from car manufacturer Hyundai. Founded in 2013, Hydrogenious LOHC has created an oil-based technology for storing hydrogen fuel safely and at high capacity while using conventional delivery channels, for purposes including automotive refuelling and industrial distribution. The strategic deal provides for joint technology and business development aimed at implementing the spinout’s technology within Hyundai gas refuelling stations and industrial vehicles. Hyundai plans to eventually merge the spinout’s operations into its European hydrogen distribution business. Hydrogenious LOHC obtained €17m ($18.9m) in an August 2019 round led by fuel tank supplier Royal Vopak that included manufacturing conglomerate Mitsubishi and speciality polymer and chemicals supplier Covestro as well as Mitsubishi-backed venture firm AP Ventures. The funding followed an undisclosed series A sum in 2014 from mining firm Anglo American Platinum, one of the anchor investors in AP Ventures. ESI-Africa pegged the round at $100m, although this was not otherwise confirmed.
Imperial College London has launched UK-based social enterprise spinout VacEquity Global Health to take forward its coronavirus vaccine candidate. VacEquity Global Health starts out with support from both Imperial and investment firm Morningside Group.  The company’s vaccine releases genetic instructions to muscle cells to produce the spike-esque protein antibody found in coronavirus and evoke an immune response against the Sars-Cov-2 virus. Imperial’s vaccine will commence phase one and two clinical trials on June 15 before an efficacy trial with 6,000 people slated for October. VacEquity Global Health would waive royalties to its vaccine for the UK and low-income countries. A separate company called VaxEquity has launched with the same backers to commercialise the vaccine’s underlying RNA technology for other health conditions.