The news roundup for the week ending 24 June 2016.
Big deal: UCD and Trinity initiate $68m fund
The two universities have joined forces with Atlantic Bridge and attracted the European Investment Fund, Enterprise Ireland, AIB and Bank of Ireland as investors.
Blade helps itself to $45m slice
Johns Hopkins University spinout Blade Therapeutics has attracted $45m in commitments from investors including Pfizer, Novartis and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Woodford ups Imperial Innovations stake
Woodford Investment Management increases its stake in Imperial innovations to 21% with a $16m investment.
EIF boosts $38m Thuja healthcare fund
Thuja Capital Healthcare Fund II will support commercialisation of research at Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht and Radboud University Medical Center.
Aligo Innovations invests in Université du Québec à Rimouski biotech spinout Ovens, which is working on oral treatments for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Valor Water Analytics drinks up $1.6m
The spinout of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill raises $1.6m to bring its water loss monitoring system to clients across the US.
Netra gains seed round insight
MIT big data spinout Netra raises a seed investment of $1.85m to expand its team and develop its product as it signs a technology licensing agreement with Kantar.
A $25m early-stage investment fund is to support spinouts of University System of Maryland.
Cyberowl watches over $212,000
Mercia Fund Management aims to keep businesses safe online by investing $212,000 in Coventry University spinout Cyberowl.
Groningen boosts tech transfer fund to $35m
EIF invests in the tech transfer fund of Groningen University and UMCG to support innovation in northern areas of the Netherlands and the healthy ageing sector.
Preclinical boost for Imstar from BDC Capital
Imstar gets the backing of BDC Capital and Accel-Rx in advancing its preclinical work on its potential treatment for Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) in a $1.8m seed round.
Davis and Gerngross step down at Dartmouth TTO
Dartmouth College’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer loses two employees who helped establish the office as they move on to new challenges.
Michigan puts $126m in four funds
Four investments totalling $126m to be made by Michigan University’s endowment are disclosed through the agenda for its Board of Regents meeting.
Russian universities set up $13.8m fund
Novosibirsk State University and Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics join forces to create a $13.8m venture fund.
