Every day, Global University Venturing rounds up the smaller investments from across the university innovation ecosystem in its deal net.
EveryoneSocial, a US-based employee advocacy platform, has closed a $7.6m series A round led by University of Montana-backed venture firm Next Frontier Capital, with participation from Crane Group and Epic Ventures. The money will drive recruitment, client support, product development and market expansion.
Blubrake, an Italy-based e-mobility company co-founded by Politecnico di Milano faculty, has raised €5.2m ($6.2m) in series A funding led by e-Novia – which had incubated Blubrake – and with participation from Progress Tech Transfer and assorted private investors, according to EU-Startups. The company has now reportedly raised more than €10m ($12.4m at current exchange rates) but it is unclear whether this includes non-dilutive or debt financing.
Eternygen, a Germany-based developer of treatments for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, has raised an initial €5m ($5.9m) in series A2 funding led by drug discovery company Evotec, with participation from Epidarex Capital, IBB Ventures and several unnamed family offices. Eternygen was co-founded in 2012 by Prof Dr Andreas Birkenfeld who was then at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The company previously raised $8.5m in series A funding in January 2017 led by Epidarex, with contributions from Evotec, IBB and two unnamed family offices.
WoHo, a US-based real estate software developer, has picked up $4.5m in seed funding led by The Engine, the venture firm and incubator set up by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). WoHo’s offering aims to integrate architecture, engineering and construction into a single platform in order to design and build affordable, sustainable housing. It was co-founded by chief executive Israel Ruiz, the founding chairman of The Engine who stepped down earlier this month to be replaced by Sue Siegel. Ruiz, who was also the treasurer of MIT, co-founded WoHo with Anton Garcia-Abril, a professor of the School of Architecture at MIT, and Debora Mesa, the Ventulett chairwoman in architectural design at Georgia Tech University.
DataChat, a US-based data analytics platform spun out of University of Wisconsin-Madison, has completed a $4m seed round co-led by WRVI Capital and Nepenthe Capital, with participation from private investors. DataChat has built a business intelligence platform that allows users to gain insights into data through conversational chats with the AI.
PerioTrap Pharmaceuticals, a Germany-based periodontitis treatment developer spun out of Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, has collected €3m ($3.6m) in seed funding from the research organisation’s Fraunhofer Venture as well as BMP Ventures, I&I Prague and an unnamed strategic partner. PerioTrap emerged out of a research collaboration also involving Jagiellonian University, University of Bern and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. The spinout will look to further expand its network of academic partners.
Psyomics, a UK-based healthtech spinout of University of Cambridge, has closed a £1.5m ($2m) funding round led by Parkwalk Advisors, with participation from the university’s tech transfer office Cambridge Enterprise, and Martlet, the investment arm of aerospace and defence company Marshall of Cambridge, as well as private investor Jonathan Milner. Psyomics previously obtained an undisclosed amount of financing in May 2019.
Aipore, a Japan-based developer of medical technology with Osaka University’s artificial intelligence-powered nanopore sensor research, has raised ¥200m ($1.9m) from Osaka University Venture Capital, which had already provided $1.3m in November 2018.
Ateios, a US-based flexible, customisable battery developer spun out of University of California, San Diego (UCSD), has raised $1.25m in seed funding led by Good Growth Capital, with contributions from Keshif Ventures, Techstars Ventures, Elevate Ventures, HG Ventures, Impact Assets, VisionTech Angels and angel investors. Ateios is working on paper-thin batteries based on research at UCSD’s Jacob School of Engineering.
Fleep Technologies, an Italy-based spinout of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia that has developed technology to create electronics based on biocompatible and recyclable carbon-based polymers, has completed a €900,000 ($1.1m) seed round backed by Pariter Partners Syndicate, members of Italian Angels for Growth and the Club degli Investitori, as well as the Cogliati family. The spinout hopes to bring its printed electronics technology to market within three years.
Urban X Technologies, a Japan-based developer of smart city technologies leveraging data and artificial intelligence, has received ¥70m ($668,000) in funding from University of Tokyo’s UTokyo IPC. Urban X was incubated by UTokyo IPC’s 1stRound’s fifth programme in January 2020.
Homepal, a Sweden-based real estate digitisation technology producer, has closed a €290,000 ($343,000) funding round backed by LU Holding, the investment arm of Lund University, SF Ventures, Quinary Investment and Mist Ventures, according to Øresund Startups. Homepal, which was co-founded by Lund students, previously received an undisclosed sum from LU Holding in June 2019.
Brightwind, an Ireland-based wind resources assessment firm operating out of University College Dublin’s NovaUCD, has secured an undisclosed amount from renewable energy consulting firm Everoze in return for a 49.9% stake. The investment is expected to bolster both companies’ expertise and, while they will continue to operate independently, the deal will facilitate the collaboration on projects.
Diagnotes, US-based healthcare records and communication platform spun out of Indiana University (IU), has received an undisclosed amount led by Elevate Ventures. The company had previously obtained $500,000 in funding from the IU Philanthropic Venture Fund and Innovate Indiana Fund in June 2020.
Tyrata, a US-based company whose technology monitors, tracks and predicts tire tread life, has raised $2.9m from undisclosed backers. Tyrata emerged out of Duke University and the latest funding follows an announcement earlier this month that it had signed a strategic partnership agreement with conglomerate Marubeni.
Robotiz3D, a UK-based pothole detection technology developer, has been spun out of University of Liverpool in partnership with electronics hardware and software design services provider A2E. The university has committed financing through its Enterprise Investment Fund, while A2E is also set to invest, although financial terms were not disclosed. Robotiz3D will look to commercialise research exploiting artificial intelligence and robotics to improve the detection and repair of potholes and road cracks.
– Additional reporting by Liwen-Edison Fu
