The Global University Venturing deal net rounds up the smaller investments from across the university innovation ecosystem.
Regrow Ag, a US-based sustainable farming system developer, has raised $38m in a series B round backed by Main Sequence Ventures, the venture firm founded by CSIRO. The round attracted agribusiness Cargill and software provider Microsoft’s M12 subsidiary. It was led by Galvanize Climate Solutions, while Time Ventures, Rethink Impact, Ajax Strategies and Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Foundation’s Neglected Climate Opportunities vehicle also took part.
TamoRx, a New Zealand-based cancer immunotherapy developer spun out of University of Auckland, has collected more than NZ$15m ($9.7m) in funding from the University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund and Brandon Capital, 1News reported yesterday.
Patronus, a Germany-based developer of digital tools for the elderly and their carers, revealed $7m in seed financing yesterday that it raised in autumn 2021. The round featured UVC Partners, the venture capital affiliate of TU Munich’s innovation hub UnternehmerTUM, as well as Cavalry Ventures, DN Capital and several angel investors. The company did not disclose a specific date when it closed the round.
Euphoria, a Japan-based athlete performance and injury management service developer, has raised ¥700m ($5.5m) in series C funding from investors including Keio Innovation Initiative, the venture fund of Keio University. The round also included Innovation Engine, human resources firm Atrae and office equipment manufacturer Kokuyo as well as MTG Ventures, KDDI Open Innovation Fund and Resona Capital, respective vehicles for internet company MTG, telecoms firm KDDI and financial services provider Resona. Euphoria previously raised an undisclosed sum from KDDI Open Innovation Fund, a vehicle for telecoms firm KDDI, in August 2018, followed by a series B round of undisclosed size in December 2019 featuring human resources firm Atrae, textile trader Toyoshima & Co, KDDI Open Innovation Fund and Asics Ventures, the investment arm of sneaker brand Ascics.
Singularity Energy, a US-based grid decarbonisation platform spun out of Harvard University, raised $4.5m in a seed round co-led by Spero Ventures and Energy Impact Partners. The round also featured Third Sphere, J Ventures and assorted angel investors, which were all listed as existing shareholders.
Natrion, a US-based electric vehicle solid-state battery technology developer founded out of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Indiana University, obtained $2m in seed financing yesterday from investors including Illinois Ventures, a venture fund aimed at University of Illinois System-linked startups, and led by TechNexus Venture Collaborative. The round also featured Tamarack Global and private investors such as Mark Cuban.
Aramune Technologies, a UK-based plant-derived feed materials developer spun out of Queen’s University of Belfast, has raised £800,000 ($1m) in funding from tech transfer office Qubis and its venture vehicle Qubis Innovation Fund, Co-Fund NI and a private investor. Aramune’s products aim to bolster an animal’s immune system to reduce the chance of antimicrobial resistance due to the overuse of antibotics.
Alithea Genomics, a Switzerland-based RNA sequencing and transcriptomics analysis company that emerged out of EPFL, closed a CHF1m ($1m) seed round on Monday led by the Novalis Biotech Acceleration fund, with the participation of individual investors.
Watercycle Technologies, a UK-based developer of graphene-based membranes and systems to extract minerals such as lithium from brines and water solutions, has secured a round of undisclosed size led by Aer Ventures. Watercycle is a spinout of University of Manchester.
