The Global University Venturing deal net rounds up the smaller investments from across the university innovation ecosystem.
Strivr, a US-based virtual training software provider launched out of Stanford University, has added $35m from investors including professional services firm Accenture and Workday Ventures – part of human resources software producer Workday – to its series B round, hiking it to $65m. Growth equity firm Georgian led the extension, which also featured financial services firm Bank of America and Gaingels and which came two years after Georgian led a $30m first tranche also backed by Prologis Ventures, the investment arm of warehouse operator Prologis, as well as Franklin Templeton, GreatPoint Ventures and Alumni Ventures Group.
Raptor Maps, a US-based producer of solar system management software spun out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has completed a $22m series B round featuring University of California-backed Congruent Ventures. The round included software provider Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund, assurance and risk management services firm DNV and Engie New Ventures, a vehicle for energy utility Engie. Investment firm MacKinnon, Bennett & Co led the round, which also featured Blue Bear Capital, Buoyant Ventures and Data Point Capital.
Eco-Pork, a Japan-based pig farming autonomation technology developer, has raised ¥600m ($4.7m) in a series A equity and debt financing round featuring QB Capital, which is backed by Kyushu University’s tech transfer arm Kyushu TLO, and RealTech Fund.
Experify, the Switzerland-based operator of an online platform which allows potential purchasers to get product feedback from experienced buyers, has completed a $4m seed round featuring Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, the investment vehicle of University of California (UC), Berkeley’s incubator SkyDeck. The round was led by Vertex Ventures US and also included Sonae Investment Management, a vehicle for conglomerate Sonae.
Gra&Green, a Japan-based agri-biotechnology developer, has raised ¥500m ($3.9m) in series B funding from University of Tokyo’s Innovation Platform, financial services firm Shizuoka Bank’s Shizuoka Capital unit, Beyond Next Ventures and an unnamed angel investor, taking its total funding to ¥830m ($6.4m).
Lightblue Technology, the Japan-based image and natural language processing technology developer spun out of University of Tokyo, has raised an undisclosed sum from human resources software provider Uluru.
Craif, a Japan-based artificial intelligence-equipped, microRNA-based treatment discovery platform spun out of Nagoya University, has raised an undisclosed amount in a series B extension from Hakuhodo DY Ventures, Kirin Health Innovation Fund and Nobunaga Capital Village, subsidiaries of marketing group Hakuhodo DY, brewery Kirin and financial services firm Juroku Bank respectively, as well as VC firm Saisei Ventures. Craif had raised a similarly undisclosed amount in series B financing in November 2021.
Chowa Giken, a Japan-based artificial intelligence technology developer spun out of Hokkaido University, has raised an undisclosed amount from bearing and miscellaneous metal product provider Nakanishi Metal Works.
Curie AI, a US-based respiratory monitor system developer, has completed a seed round of undisclosed size backed by digital health technology provider ResMed, Factory and SeedToB. Curie’s earlier backers include Stanford University-linked Stanford-StartX Fund.
– Additional reporting by Edison Fu
