Connected stove developer MF Fire has become the first portfolio company of the Maryland Momentum Fund.

MF Fire, a US-based cleantech spinout of University of Maryland, College Park, raised a $1.2m round yesterday backed by University System of Maryland’s (USM’s) commercialisation vehicle Maryland Momentum Fund.

Individual investor Bill Clarke also backed the round, to which Maryland Momentum committed $192,500, its first investment since launching in March 2017.

The Momentum fund holds $10m from USM but is targeting a final close at $25m with contributions from VC firms and angel investors.

MF Fire has designed an app-controlled…