Science and Enterprise

Tag: equity

  • U.S. Venture Deals, Dollars Decline in Q1 2012

    Companies in the U.S. raised less money in fewer venture capital deals during the first three months of 2012 compared to the same period last year, according to data compiled by Dow Jones VentureSource. Some science-based sectors fared better than others during this period, while venture capital (VC) investors generally showed more interest this year…

  • Biotech Company Secures $38 Million Series D Funds

    Alder BioPharmaceuticals Inc. in Bothell, Washington says it closed $38 million in financing today to support clinical studies of its two lead compounds. The series D round, the fourth financing installment after initial start-up, is led by Novo Ventures, the venture capital subsidiary of Danish pharmaceutical maker Novo Nordisk. Alder BioPharmaceuticals has developed an antibody production…

  • Nutritional Enzyme Maker Secures $10M Early-Stage Financing

    Alcresta, in Newton, Massachusetts, has closed a $10 million series A financing round, the first funding installment after start-up. Investors are led by the venture capital firms Bessemer Venture Partners, Frazier Healthcare, and Third Rock Ventures. The company develops and commercializes enzyme-based nutritional products designed to improve the health of and manage disease for infants,…

  • Infectious Disease Diagnostics Company Lands Series B Funds

    Molecular Detection Inc. in Wayne, Pennsylvania, a company developing tests for diagnosing infectious diseases, says it has completed a new $1.9 million round of series B financing, the second funding installment after initial start-up. All existing investors, says the company, took part in the round, including MentorTech Ventures, Robin Hood Ventures, Elm Spring Holdings, and…

  • Not-For-Profit Hospital Starts $10M Health Care Venture Fund

    Rex Healthcare, a not-for-profit health care system in Raleigh, North Carolina, has unveiled Rex Strategic Innovations that offers funding for start-up companies and organizations, including venture capital financing. The program is also devising ways to help individuals and organizations develop ideas for improving health care into real-life goods and services. The initiative includes Rex Health…

  • Michigan State Forms Subsidiary to Encourage Start-Ups

    Michigan State University in East Lansing has formed a subsidiary of its MSU Foundation to help faculty and students turn their research discoveries into operating businesses. Spartan Innovations LLC will be part of the university’s Innovation Center located adjacent to the campus. Spartan Innovations is expected to tap into a $350 million capital fund from…

  • Merck Investing in Life Sciences Venture Fund

    Flagship Ventures in Cambridge, Massachusetts says Merck’s venture arm has joined in a recent investment fund backing start-up life sciences companies. The amount of the investment, which was not disclosed, was made by Merck’s Research Ventures Fund in Flagship Ventures Fund IV that closed in January. Flagship says its Ventures Fund IV will be devoted…

  • Venture Funds in U.S., Europe Raise More Cash in Q1

    More venture capital (VC) funds in the U.S. successfully hit their fund-raising targets in the first quarter of 2012, and like their counterparts in Europe, raised more cash in the process, according to Dow Jones LP Source, a financial industry research service. Tracking VC fund-raising offers an early indicator of investment money for start-up companies…

  • U.S. Angel Investment Deals, Dollars Jump in 2011

    The number and dollar amounts of angel investment deals in the U.S. rose sharply in 2011, with financing for science-related companies comprising nearly half of those transactions. The summary report of angel investing released yesterday by the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Venture Research also shows more initial-stage involvement in start-up companies than in…

  • Algae Biofuel Start-Up Secures $144M for Demo Plant

    Sapphire Energy in San Diego says it received the last installment of its series C financing — the third round of funding after initial start-up — valued at $144 million. The company develops biofuels from algae and bacteria, and the new financing is expected to fund a demonstration production plant in Luna County, New Mexico.…