The news roundup for the week ending 22 January 2016.
IP Group anticipates successful 2015
IP Group’s unaudited accounts for 2015 show a $285m increase in the fair value of its portfolio, making 2015 the firm’s most financially successful year to date.
Limerick to increase spinout rate
The launch of the Excellence and Impact 2020 strategy plots the course for Limerick University to increase the number of spinouts created at the university.
Imperial Innovations exports funding to Import.io
Imperial College London’s tech transfer office invests in Import.io’s $13m series A round to help companies access data from the web.
AISpeech makes a noise with $30m series C
The speech recognition technology company, funded by corporate venturing unit Legend Star at series A stage, has raised $30m from undisclosed backers.
Woodford considers additional fundraising
British businessman Neil Woodford’s Woodford Patient Capital Trust is assessing ways to raise additional capital after investing all the proceeds from its initial public offering.
Abvitro is not immune to $125m acquisition
Juno Therapeutics increases its cancer treating T-cell research by acquiring Harvard spinout Abvitro, which focuses on diseases resistant to the immune system.
Brown dives into Nautic Partners
Brown University becomes a limited partner in Nautic Partners’ latest fund that closed on its hard cap of $900m.
Jerry Education studies for $40m series A
A fund co-created by Shanghai Jiao Ton University’s investment unit backs Jerry Education’s $40m round to open more schools and develop an online platform.
PierianDx sequences $9.25m series A
The DNA sequencing technology developer raises $9.25m from Utah University’s Arup Laboratories and others to further develop its product and increase sales and marketing.
Tmunity sells Eli Lilly on $10m series A
The pharmaceutical firm’s Lilly Asia Ventures unit is co-investing in the T-cell technology developer with University of Pennsylvania.
Lodo loads up series A with $17m
Lodo Therapeutics has been launched by investment firm Accelerator Corporation with series A capital from investors including AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Wuxi PharmaTech, Pfizer, IBM and Johnson & Johnson.
