Daily deal net: October 5, 2020

Lumenisity, a UK-based fibre optic and cabling supplier aligned to University of Southampton, closed a £7.5m ($9.7m) round on Wednesday led by BGF and featuring Parkwalk Advisors, the fund manager owned by commercialisation firm IP Group. The cash will go to building a new manufacturing and testing plant. Lumensity produces fibre optic cables using a hollow core technology which helps light propagate more effectively.
Ena Respiratory, an Australia-based cold and flu medicine developer at University of Melbourne, has secured A$11.7m ($8.4m) in a round featuring multi-university venturing fund Uniseed that was led by Australian government-backed vehicle Medical Research Commercialisation Fund. The company has identified a small molecule that could serve as a nasal spray to boost the immune system almost immediately in combating the common cold and flu. Ena Respiratory claims the product could be rapidly manufactured should its efficacy be proven during clinical studies given the need for respiratory medicines to limit the effect on healthcare providers during the covid-19 pandemic. Ena Respiratory previously raised $4.7m from Uniseed and MCRF in 2017.  It extends research led by David Jackson, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at University of Melbourne.
Geospock, a UK-based big data analytics platform spun out of University of Cambridge,  secured $5.4m of series A funding on Friday co-led by Cambridge Innovation Capital, a VC investor focused on the Cambridge, UK ecosystem. NChain co-led the round with participation from telecoms firm NTT Docomo Ventures, a vehicle for mobile network operator NTT Docomo, backed the round alongside venture capital firm Global Brain. The funding will go to product development and expanding Geospock internationally. The spinout had raised $27.1m prior to the latest round, including $2.6m from investors including Parkwalk Advisors in March 2019.
Nu Quantum, a UK-based quantum photonics spinout of University of Cambridge, today obtained £2.1m ($2.7m) in seed funding today led by Amadeus Capital Partners, with participation from tech transfer office Cambridge Enterprise, Cambridge researchers-founded Ahren Innovation Capital, Seraphim Capital, IQ Capital and Martlet Capital, the investment division for aerospace manufacturer Marshall of Cambridge. The money will fund a photonics lab in Cambridge and enable Nu Quantum to hire across several teams as it approaches commercial technology demonstration. Amadeus previously led an $840,000 pre-seed round in November 2019, when Cambridge Enterprise, IQ Capital, Ahren Innovation Capital and Martlet Capital also contributed.
BioAesthetics, a US-based breast reconstruction graft technology spinout of Tulane University, has collected more than $2.5m of series A funding from investors led by Sandra Coufal, managing director of Sibling Capital Ventures. The other participants were NO/LA Angel Network, Pelican Fund, Launch Place, FemHealth Ventures, New Orleans BioFund, IndieBio/SOSV and undisclosed angel investors. BioAesthetics has created a collagen scaffold to restore damaged tissue caused by breast cancer and surgery.  The company is currently trialling its manufacturing capacity to prepare for commercial launch.
Arskan, a France-based 3D data compression technology developer, has received €1.2m ($1.4m) in funding from regional tech transfer office Satt Pulsalys, incubator 1kubator, investment company Jemfi Invest, government-owned investment bank Bpifance, the French Tech Seed Fund and two financial services firms. Founded in 2016, Arskan has developed technology to compress vast amounts of 3D data to the point where it can be transmitted over mobile networks in real time.
Restorative Neurotechnologies, an Italy-based cognitive medical device spinout of Palermo University, has closed a €1m ($1.2m) round featuring CDP Venture Capital, the VC subdivision of Italian state-owned development financier Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. The deal also includes IAG Members, SocialFare Seed and undisclosed additional investors. The funding will go to R&D for Restorative’s technology, a connected device and glasses which can improve cognitive attention, memory and language.
iMed Technologies, a Japan-based developer of artificial intelligence-equipped cerebrovascular surgery support software, has pocketed ¥50m ($474,000) in funding from Globis School of Management, which took part in a larger round of undisclosed size together with SBI Investment and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital, respective subsidiaries of financial services firm SBI and insurer Mitsui Sumitomo. This represents the eighth investment from the school’s Globis Alumni Growth Investment, also known as G-Growth Fund, which backs startups founded by the institution’s students and alumni.
PalledAd, a Japan-based advertising digitisation technology startup, has raised ¥20m ($189,000) of pre-seed finanicng from University of Tokyo Entrepreneur Supporter’s Club Incubation Fund, DG Ventures, the investment arm of internet company Digital Garage, IT services firm Hitokuse, Logly Investment and unnamed angel investors.
NanoSyrinx, a UK-based gene editing technology spinout of University of Warwick, raised an undisclosed amount in a pre-seed round led by M Ventures, a strategic investment arm of pharmaceutical firm Merck Group, on Wednesday. NanoSyrinx closed the round thanks to contributions from government-backed UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKIS2) and BioCity, and has also secured grant money from UKIS2 and Midlands Innovation Commercialisation of Research Accelerator, a state-funded regional tech transfer grouping that includes University of Warwick. The spinout has developed a nanosyringe for delivering peptide and protein payloads containing gene editing materials into diseased cells.
Bond180, a UK-based fixed income market technology spinout of University of Cambridge, has closed a round of undisclosed size led by the university’s tech transfer office Cambridge Enterprise. It was unclear whether the round was separate to the one Bond180 had completed in July 2020.
UTokyo Economic Consulting, a Japan-based, economics-focused consultancy formed by University of Tokyo, has secured an undisclosed amount of funding from newspaper publisher Nikkei and market research and credit report firm Tokyo Shoko Research.
AddRess, a Japan-based co-living services provider, has secured an undisclosed amount of funding from Ritsumeikan Social Impact Fund, a vehicle for Ritsumeikan University, Marui Group and Himawari G4, a fund owned by Chibagin Capital, part of financial services firm Chiba Bank.
SeaBeLife, a France-based biotech developer, has received €1.5m ($1.8m) in a round led by regional TTO Satt Ouest Valorisation, with contributions from government-owned investment bank Bpifrance and angel investors. SeaBeLife has amassed a portfolio of 35 molecular candidates that it believes will be capable of combating regulated cell death. The company is based at marine biology research centre Roscoff Biological Station and also performs its work in collaboration with research institutes Irset and ICBMS.
Hades, a Switzerland-based computer vision technology developer linked to University of Zurich, has obtained an unspecified sum from utility company A2A’s Corporate Venture Capital arm, according to La Stampa. Hades uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to detect leaks, breaks and cracks in wastewater networks, enabling companies to undertake maintenance before a serious problem occurs.
Synklino, a Denmark-based biotechnology developer working a treatment for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections, has closed a seed round of undisclosed size co-led by Eir Ventures and Vækstfonden. Synklino, a spinout of University of Copenhagen and Technical University of Denmark, hopes to tackle the main cause for infectious complications following transplants in adult patients.
– Additional reporting by editor Thierry Heles