A roundup of all the latest news on www.globaluniversityventuring.com for our subscribers.
Big Deal: FanDuel and DraftKings to join the same team
Edinburgh University spinout FanDuel will merge with daily fantasy sports competitor DraftKings to form an undisputed leader in the sector.
The drone traffic management platform, which spun out of research institute Vito, secured funding from Qbic, Terra Drone and PMV.
Soul Machines gets animated with $7.5m series A
The avatar developer and University of Auckland spinout has also appointed virtual reality headset Vive’s founder Phil Chen as its executive chairman.
Bayern Kapital and HTGF seed Mecuris
Mecuris, a spinout of Ludwig-Maximilian University Hospital, received a “high six-figure sum” in a seed round provided by the two state-backed groups.
University of Tennessee seeds four student-led startups
A travel risk-assessment consultancy and a developer of synthetic biological materials were among the startups receiving a total of $35,000 in seed investment from UT.
The US-based wireless infrastructure technology developer and University of Texas spinout has also named board member Cole Brodman as its new chief executive.
Two med-techs spin out of Dundalk Institute
Medical device cybersecurity developer Nova Leah and clinical support software provider Tapa Healthcare received funding from the college and Enterprise Ireland.
Unicef’s $11m Innovation Fund picks five startups
The fund targets open source technology-focused startups, and is looking to invest in 40 more businesses in 2017.
Facebook snaps up FacioMetrics
Facebook acquired the face recognition software developer, which spun out of Carnegie Mellon University last year, for an undisclosed sum.
Psarouthakis to head U-M’s Venture Center
After a national search, Mike Psarouthakis has been promoted to director of the University of Michigan’s Tech Transfer Venture Center, replacing Jack Miner.
