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

Prospection, an Australia-based medical data analytics services provider,  has received A$10m ($6.7m) in a round featuring national research institute Csiro’s venture firm Main Sequence Ventures and Horizons Ventures, the Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday. Prospection evaluates patient data for medical research purposes using predictive analytics and machine learning, at present working alongside 50 clients in Australia. The funding will aid Prospection’s international expansion and recruitment plans, while also driving technology development around its core machine learning system and support for more pharmaceutical subtypes. Prospection grew from multi-university-backed incubator Cicada Innovations in 2012 but does not appear to have disclosed funding details since then. InhaTarget Therapeutics, a Belgium-based lung cancer treatment spinout of Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), has obtained €5.6m ($6.1m) in a round featuring Sambrinvest and multiple private investors, RTBF has reported. The funding is expected to give InhaTarget a runway of at least three years to progress commercialisation of its inhaler-administered drugs for pulmonary diseases, including a dry powder form of the existing chemotherapy cisplatin intended to treat lung cancer. InhaTarget was formed in 2018 to advance technology from ULB’s pharmacy and biopharmacy lab pioneered by the company’s chief scientific officer, Rémi Rosière, during his post-PhD research. Luxana Biotech, a Japan-based drug developer, has extended its series A round to ¥650m ($5.9m) with contributions from university venture fund Osaka University Venture Capital (OUVC) in addition to chemicals production group Nissan Chemical Industries, pharmaceutical R&D firm Summit Pharmaceuticals International and Mizuho Capital and Senshu Ikeda Capital – venture capital units allied to financial services firms Mizuho Bank and Senshu Ikeda Bank respectively. Luxana Biotech will put the funding towards industry and academic research collaborations to uncover potential candidates using its nucleic acid-based drug discovery technology. OUVC was described as a “lead investor” during Luxana Biotech’s formation, but further details could not be ascertained. Acuva Technologies, a Canada-based water purification technology spinout of University of British Columbia (UBC), has completed a C$5.4m ($4.1m) series B round featuring undisclosed existing and new investors, BetaKit reported on Monday. The funds will go to bolstering Acuva’s headcount both in Canada and internationally in response to projected demand for its ultraviolet light-emitting diode-powered water purification products, which employ short-wavelength radiation to destroy microorganisms harboured within water by disturbing their nucleic acid structure. Acuva attracted $755,000 from government-backed research organisation Genome British Columbia in September 2019, after a $2.1m series A round in early 2018 featuring assorted angel investors. Entrepreneurship@UBC Seed Fund, a philanthropic vehicle…

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