Every day, Global University Venturing rounds up the smaller investments from across the university innovation ecosystem in its deal net.
AnSeen, a Shizuoka University spinout that is developing a high-resolution X-ray colour image sensor, has completed a ¥900m ($8.5m) series B round featuring CEJ Fund, Shinkin Capital and Shizuoka Capital, respective venture capital subsidiaries of robotics technology provider Cyberdyne, Shinkin Central Bank and Shizuoka Bank, as well as VC funds Energy & Environment Investment and Drone Fund. The round also included debt from Shoko Chukin, Hamamatsu Iwata Shinkin Bank and a ¥180m ($1.7m) grant from New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation. Shizuoka Capital had already backed a ¥300m ($2.7m) series A round in November 2018, which included RealTech Fund and Hamashin Lease Shinkin Capital.
BionicM, a University of Tokyo spinout that conducts research and development on prosthesis devices for lower extremity amputees, has received ¥550m ($5.2m) in a series A round led by University of Tokyo’s Edge Capital (Utec), which invested with University of Tokyo Innovation Platform and Japan Science and Technology Agency. Utec had also led the seed round of undisclosed size in February 2019.
ClinSpec Diagnostics, a UK-based multi-cancer diagnostics spinout of University of Strathclyde, secured £2.4m ($3.2m) in a round backed by the university yesterday. Commercialisation firm Mercia Asset Management led the round from its EIS Funds, investing with government-owned Scottish Investment Bank, SIS Ventures and EoS Advisory. The funding will go to clinical development of blood tests for brain, prostate and pancreatic cancers that exploit infra-red light and artificial intelligence to provide results in minutes. The spinout has raised $5.2m in equity and grant funding to date including a $1.6m seed round in 2019 co-led by Mercia EIS Funds, EoS Advisory and Co-Investment Fund, a vehicle run by Scottish Investment Bank. ClinSpec Diagnostics is currently seeking a $1.3m investment to prepare for a future series A round.