Every day, Global University Venturing rounds up the smaller investments from across the university innovation ecosystem in its deal net.
FocalPoint, a UK-based positioning technology developer, has closed a £6m ($8.4m) series B round, with the full amount provided by Draper Esprit, according to Tech.eu. The company, founded by University of Cambridge graduate Ramsey Faragher, previously obtained $5m in funding in February 2017 from tech transfer office Cambridge Enterprise, Passion Capital and Cambridge Angels. Tech.eu additionally identified Cambridge Innovation Capital, , IQ Capital, Rockspring Nominees and Demis Hassabis as shareholders.
CytoSeek, a UK-based developer of cell therapies for cancer that is based on research at University of Bristol, closed a £3.6m ($5m) funding round today led by Science Creates Ventures, marking the incubator and venture fund’s first investment following its launch three months ago. The round also attracted Parkwalk Advisors, Meltwind, Luminous Ventures, UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund (UKI2S) and assorted private investors. Parkwalk and Science Creates Ventures will appoint representatives to CytoSeek’s board of directors. In November 2019, CytoSeek obtained $1.4m in capital from Parkwalk-managed University of Bristol Enterprise Fund, UKI2S and angel investors affiliated with Bristol Private Equity Club.
TerminusDB, an Ireland-based platform to collaboratively develop data-intensive applications, has collected €3.6m ($4.4m) in seed capital led by Volta Ventures, with participation from Atlantic Bridge-managed University Bridge Fund, Enterprise Ireland and Acequia Capital, the Irish Times reported yesterday. TerminusDB was founded in 2019 as DataChemist and will use the money to accelerate technology development and to double its headcount to more than 20 staff.
Senisca, a UK-based anti-ageing technology spinout of University of Exeter, has obtained £1.3m ($1.8m) in a funding round featured Emerging Longevity Ventures, R42 Group, Longevity Tech Fund, Trend Investment Group and assorted angel investors. Founded in 2020, Senisca has developed biotechnology that restores functional levels of RNA splicing factors, resetting the cellular ageing clock.
HighLine Technology, a Germany-based solar manufacturing spinout of Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, has secured €1.2m ($1.5m) in seed funding from High-Tech Gründerfonds and Fraunhofer Society’s Fraunhofer Technologie Transferfonds. The two investors each provided half of the total amount. HighLine launched in September 2020.
GlycoPath, a US-based developer of bioanalytical assays spun out of Medical University of South Carolina, has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding from scientific instrument producer Bruker. GlycoPath is initially targeting hepatic fibrosis, a condition where an excess amount of connective tissue builds up in the liver.
FullDepth, a Japan-based industrial underwater drone developer spun out of University of Tsukuba, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Drone Fund and Tsukuba Exceed Fund, a vehicle formed between Joyo Bank and Joyo Industrial Research, which are both subsidiaries of financial services holding company Mebuki Financial Group. FullDepth previously obtained $3.1m in funding from Tsukuba Research Institute, an R&D centre owned by housing and wood products group Sumitomo Forestry, in an April 2019 round led by Drone Fund, with additional contributions from insurance group Mitsui Sumitomo’s investment subsidiary, Mitsui Sumitomo Capital, and venture firm Beyond Next Ventures.
PulmoBioMed, a UK-based developer of a non-invasive medical device that collects exhaled breath condensate samples to detect diseases such as asthma, cancer and neurodegenerative and metabolic conditions, was spun out of Northumbria University today with funding from the institution and Innovate UK. The spinout is looking to complete a £2.5m ($3.5m) funding round. PulmoBioMed’s device is currently being tested in covid clinics. The technology works by capturing biomarkers including protein, RNA, DNA, bacteria, fungi, viruses and other compounds, and PulmoBioMed is hoping it will deliver instant diagnostic capabilities. Find out more about Northumbria’s approach to tech transfer in our upcoming April issue, featuring an interview with the university’s IP and commercialisation manager Chelsea Brain.
Cyberselves, a UK-based robotics software developer, has been spun out of University of Sheffield. Cyberselves has created software that analyses how human beings perceive their own experiences in a digital environment, such as social media or virtual reality. The spinout is now looking to help tackle the challenges posed by such digital spaces.
– Additional reporting by Robert Lavine and Liwen-Edison Fu
