Every day, Global University Venturing rounds up investments from across the university innovation ecosystem in its deal net.

Sermonix Pharmaceuticals, a US-based biopharmaceutical company focused on metastatic breast and gynaecological cancers, has completed a $40m series A3 round led by Perceptive Advisors’ Xontogeny Ventures Fund II. The round included unnamed existing backers. Sermonix, which is based on research at Duke University, previously disclosed $26m in series A financing led by the Wild Family Office, with participation from private investors, in July 2019. The spinout had already raised nearly $1.6m in funding in July 2016, according to a regulatory filing.

Neuro-ID, a US-based fraud detection technology spinout of University of Arizona, has collected $35m in a series B round led by Canapi Ventures, with commitments from Fin VC and TTV Capital.  The latter two had co-led a $7m series A round in December 2020, when Canapi Ventures also contributed.

Welmo, the Japan-based operator of an artificial intelligence and internet-of-things technology-equipped welfare platform, has secured ¥2.04bn ($18.1m) from 12 investors including University of Tokyo’s Innovation Platform. The round also featured printing services firm Toppan, chemical manufacturer Somar Corporation, vehicle leasing service Tsukui Capital and insurers Aflac (through Aflac Ventures), Tokio Marine Nichido and Dai-ichi Life (through its alternative investment department). DG Ventures and DG Incubation (Hamagin DG Innovation) both represented internet company Digital Garage in the round, and while Femto Partners, a fund formed by financial services firm Shinsei Bank subsidiary Shinsei Corporate Investment, and investment firms Catalyst Capital and PrimeRock Investment also contributed. The company’s total funding stands at roughly ¥4.12bn ($36.5m).

SciRhom, a Germany-based developer of antibody therapies for autoimmune diseases, doubled its seed round to €16m ($17.9m) today. It is unclear when the company raised the initial €8m and it has only listed High-Tech Gründerfonds and unnamed private backers as investors in the round. SciRhom builds on the research of scientific founder Carl Blobel, professor of medicine and of physiology, biophysics and systems biology at Cornell University.

Sepion Technologies, a US-based lithium-metal battery developer spun out University of California-managed, government-owned Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has completed a $16m series A round that included mutual insurer ITIC and Solvay Ventures, the strategic investment arm of chemicals producer Solvay. The round was led by Fine Structure Ventures, a fund affiliated with investment and financial services group Fidelity, and also backed by 11.2 Capital, SV Pacific Ventures, Gaingels, Impact Science Ventures, Dolby Family Ventures, ACVC Partners, Alumni Ventures, VoLo Earth Ventures, Motus Ventures, Calm Ventures and Creative Ventures. The company also disclosed it had previously raised an undisclosed sum in a seed round led by Creative Ventures, without giving further details.

Speqtral, a Singapore-based quantum encryption technology developer formerly known as S15 Space Systems and spun out of National University of Singapore, completed an $8.3m funding round led by Xora Innovation, an early-stage vehicle for Temasek. Speqtral had previously raised $1.9m in a seed round led by Space Capital in April 2019.

EverImmune, a France-based cancer-focused biotechnology spinout of research institute Gustave Roussy, raised more than €5m ($6m) in a series A round backed by unnamed private investors today.

Ginco, a Japan-based blockchain platform, has raised ¥570m ($5.1m) from Kyoto University’s Miyako Capital, as well as Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and DBJ Capital, units for financial services firm Mitsubishi UFJ and Development Bank of Japan respectively.

Jupiter Ionics, an Australia-based spinout of Monash University working on an environmentally friendly process to produce green ammonia, has raised A$2.5m ($1.8m) in a seed round backed by Tenacious Ventures and assorted private investors. The spinout will use the money to move its technology from the lab to a commercially scalable device.

Bumblebee Power, a UK-based developer of charging technology for mobility applications such as e-scooters, has received £750,000 ($1m) from investors including Imperial College Innovation Fund, a vehicle managed by Parkwalk Advisors on behalf of the university. Bumblebee Power was co-founded by researchers from Imperial College’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Bacchus Bioinnovation, a Japan-based microorganism biotechnology developer spun out of Kobe University, has received an undisclosed amount from conglomerate Sojitz. Bacchus previously raised an undisclosed sum from pharmaceutical firm Rohto Pharmaceutical in March 2021.

– Additional reporting by Liwen-Edison Fu and Robert Lavine

Thierry Heles

Thierry Heles is the former editor-at-large of Global University Venturing and Global Corporate Venturing, and was the producer and host of the Beyond the Breakthrough podcast until December 2024.