The capital will help push development of the Cornell University spinout's copolymer-based materials for nanofabrication.

TeraPore Technologies, a US-based nanofabrication technology spinout from Cornell University, has raised $6m in an oversubscribed series A round led by VC firm Anzu Partners.

RA Capital Management, Artiman Ventures and the spinout’s legal counsel, law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati also took part in the round.

Founded in 2013, TeraPore is developing filters that use scalable copolymer blocks. The polymers are fabricated into membranes and then spontaneously form into highly uniform structures featuring precise nanoscale holes.

The technology has applications in biological drugs, where it could be used to separate viral contaminants from the drug material, as well as water treatment, semiconductor processing and responsive fabrics.

The capital will go towards product development and commercialisation for TeraPore’s target industries.

TeraPore spun out from Cornell University with the help of three US government-owned agencies – the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and Defense Threat Reduction Age­­­ncy.

Rachel Dorin, co-founder of TeraPore, researched self-assembling materials as part of her PhD in Cornell University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Dorin now serves as TeraPore’s chief technology officer.

TeraPore previously secured approximately $3.6m in equity, according to securities filings, with Anzu Partners identified as a returning investor for the series A round.

Peter Kolchinsky, managing director at RA Capital Management, said: “We see the potential for TeraPore to solve critical manufacturing challenges and upgrade the quality of hundreds of biologics currently in clinical development for many diseases.”

“Utilising TeraPore nanofiltration could become a meaningful competitive differentiator for companies commercialising branded drugs, as well as biosimilars, and may even evolve to become a new standard for the industry.”