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

Via Separations, a US-based industrial decarbonisation technology spinout of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has secured $38m in a series B round backed by The Engine, the venture fund and incubator established by MIT. The round was led by NGP ETP and also included 2040 Foundation, Safar Partners, Prime Impact Fund, Embark Ventures and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Via Separations previously completed a $4.8m series A round in 2019 that also featured The Engine. Jimu Intelligent, a China-based autonomous driving technology developer, has raised RMB200m ($31m) in a series C1 round backed by MY Tsinghua Capital, a vehicle linked to Tsinghua Strait Research Institute – a joint research institute for Tsinghua University and National Tsing Hua University. The round was co-led by Forebright Capital and SDIC Unity Capital, with participation from UMC Capital, the investment arm of chipmaker UMC, and Avic Pingshan, a subsidiary of aerospace and defence conglomerate China Aviation Industry Corporation. It was filled out by Founder Securities’ Founder H Fund and unnamed others. Jimu previously raised $14.8m in a series B round featuring conglomerate Hyundai in 2019 and has raised more than $51m to date. Deci, an Israel-based developer of deep learning development software spun out of Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, has secured $21m in series A funding from investors including Samsung Next, a corporate VC vehicle for consumer electronics manufacturer Samsung. Growth equity firm Insight Partners led the round, which also featured Square Peg Capital, Vintage Investment Partners, Fort Ross Ventures, Emerge and Jibe Ventures. It came 12 months after Emerge and Square Peg led the company’s $9.1m seed round. Contraline, a US-based developer of a hydrogel implant to provide non-permanent male contraception, completed a $10.7m series A round on Wednesday led by MBX Capital. Based on research at University of Virginia, Contraline’s series A investors also include Rhia Ventures, ShangBay Capital, Founders Fund, Metaplanet Holdings, Graphene Ventures, Smith Ventures and private investors Jaffray Woodriff and Jason Calacanis. Contraline received $1m from non-profit Male Contraceptive Initiative in November 2020, following a $2.3m seed round in April 2017 that was led by Founders Fund and also attracted pharmaceutical product manufacturer Afton Scientific, Center for Innovative Technology, Abstract Ventures, and angel investors including Calacanis and Woodriff. Risilience, a UK-based developer of software designed to help businesses mitigate the risks of climate change that was spun out of University of Cambridge, raised £6m ($8.4m) from investors including insurance firm Tokio Marine yesterday. The round was led by…

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Thierry Heles

Thierry Heles is the editor of Global University Venturing, host of the Beyond the Breakthrough interview podcast and responsible for the monthly GUV Gazette (sign up here for free).