The Global University Venturing deal net rounds up the smaller investments from across the university innovation ecosystem.
Sales Impact Academy, a UK-based sales education software provider, raised $22m yesterday in a funding round co-led by MIT Investment Management Company and sales and marketing software producer HubSpot’s strategic investment arm, HubSpot Ventures. The round included existing backers Stage 2 Capital and Emerge Education.
OmniML, a US-based machine learning technology developer co-founded by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University researchers, raised $10m in series A funding on Tuesday led by GGV Capital. The round featured Qualcomm Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of mobile chipmaker Qualcomm, as well as Foothill Ventures, Matrix Partners, Tectonic Ventures, Fellows Fund, IMO Ventures and GSR Ventures.
Heqet Therapeutics, a UK-based regenerative medicine spinout of King’s College London, has closed a £6.6m ($8.7m) series A round co-led by Claris Ventures and 2Invest. Heqet focuses on cardiomyocytes regeneration to repair cardiac damage suffered after myocardial infarction. It is based on research by Prof Mauro Giacca, who began his research into cardiomyocytes at International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Italy before moving to King’s College London.
Avalanche Energy, a US-based fusion energy technology developer, has raised $5m in its first funding round featuring Congruent Ventures, the venture capital firm backed by University of California, Geekwire reported yesterday. The round was led by Azolla Ventures (formerly known as Prime Impact Fund) and also included Lowercarbon Capital and nearly a dozen of unnamed “smaller” investors.
Ebenbuild, a Germany-based personalised lung simulation models platform based on research at TU Munich, obtained €2.5m ($2.8m) in seed funding co-led by High-Tech Gründerfonds and Bayern Capital, with participation from assorted angel investors. Ebenbuild’s digital models aim to improve treatment outcomes for patients in intensive care who are on ventilators because they suffer from acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Vaxxel, a France-based developer of vaccines for respiratory viral infections, has raised €1.2m ($1.3m) in funding from Bpifrance, Angels Santé and Femmes Business Angels as well as unnamed others. Vaxxel was spun out of University of Claude Bernard Lyon 1 by regional tech transfer office SATT Pulsalys.
Effectual, the Japan-based operator of word-of-mouth platform Location Connect, has raised ¥200m ($1.6m) in pre-series B funding from Tokyo University of Science’s Innovation Capital unit, regional mobile store operator Mobilecom, regional business information distributor Future Link Network and travel agency AirTrip.
HarvestX, a Japan-based agricultural robot developer, has raised ¥150m ($1.2m) from University of Tokyo’s Innovation Platform, internet and telecommunications firm SoftBank’s DeepCore Tokyo 2 unit and Anri.
EX-Fusion, a Japan-based laser fusion energy technology developer spun out of Osaka University, has secured ¥31m ($255,000) from the institution’s Osaka University Venture Capital subsidiary.
Araqev, a US-based machine learning-powered additive manufacturing technology developer, Pluto Aerospace, a US-based hypersonic and suborbital launch vehicle platforms developer, and ReproHealth Technologies, a US-based bovine reproductive technology developer, have secured $25,000 each from Purdue Foundry, the innovation hub of Purdue University. The companies were eligible to pitch thanks to their participation in Purdue Foundry’s Boost accelerator.
– Additional reporting by Edison Fu and Robert Lavine
