Arkivum, a UK-based long-term data archiving technology provider, received £3m ($3.8m) in funding from existing shareholders – commercialisation firm IP Group, Parkwalk Advisors and Oxford Capital on Monday. The company has raised approximately $12.8m to date, according to deals database Pitchbook, and will use the latest money to further expand into the sectors of healthcare, life sciences and financial services.
Carnegie Mellon University has spun out Biohybrid Solutions, a company exploiting protein engineering with a wide range of applications, from having food packaging change colour when the produce becomes unsafe to consume to treating diseases including cancer and immune disorders. The company received a Small Business Innovation Research grant of $150,000 from the US Department of Energy and a subcontract from the US Department of Defense for $140,000, according to the Post Gazette. The company could secure a total of $1.5m from the multi-phase investment.
Cambridge Innovation Capital, the investment fund of Cambridge University, has invested £2.5m in Imagen, which has developed a software-as-a-service platform to manage media assets. The company’s clients include broadcasters such as Sky, ESPN and NBC as well as sports federations such as the Premier League and the Ryder Cup.
Proxisense, a spinout of Oxford University’s engineering department that manufactures proximity and fluid contamination sensors for jets and Formula 1 engines, has attracted £2m from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Oxford Times reported yesterday. Parkwalk Advisors previously provided an undisclosed amount in September 2016, according to deals database Pitchbook, and the company has reportedly also received angel funding from private investors.
UK-based drug discovery company Enterprise Therapeutics closed a £4m funding round yesterday provided by Imperial Innovations, the commercialisation firm spun out of Imperial College London, and Epidarex Capital. The company focuses on diseases such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Imperial and Epidarex previously supplied $3.6m in series A capital in May 2015, following an initial $2.4m series A investment made by Epidarex in February 2015.
