Science and Enterprise

Tag: equity

  • Investment Fund to Back Health Cost-Cutting Technologies

    The West Health Investment Fund, an angel capital enterprise in San Diego, unveiled its first set of investments and plans to support other entrepreneurs developing health care technologies and services designed to lower the cost of health care. Gary and Mary West, who established the fund, expect to invest $100 million in early-stage companies. The…

  • Diagnostics Start-Up Closes $33.5M Early-Stage Financing

    Foundation Medicine Inc., a developer of cancer genome diagnostics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has expanded its early stage financing to $33.5 million, adding new venture investors. The additional financing is expected to help the company continue its research  work on cancer diagnostic tests. The new funding from Google Ventures and venture capital company Kleiner Perkins Caufield…

  • Venture Firm Raises $440 Million for Life Sciences

    Sofinnova Ventures, a venture capital (VC) company in Menlo Park, California says it has completed raising funds for its next round of investments in life sciences companies. The fund, Sofinnova Venture Partners VIII, has collected or has commitments totaling $440 million. Sofinnova says it plans to invest the funds primarily in later stage health care…

  • Google to Partner with, Finance DNA Sequencing Data Company

    DNAnexus Inc., a DNA data management and analysis company in Mountain View, California, says it will collaborate with Google Inc. to provide access to its archive of publicly available DNA data. Also today, DNAnexus announced it has secured $15 million in second-round equity funding from a syndicate led by Google Ventures and life sciences venture…

  • Angel Early Stage Investments Gain in First Half of 2011

    Angel investments in very early stage U.S. entrepreneurial companies rose in the first half of 2011 according to a new report from the Center for Venture Research (CVR) at University of New Hampshire. Science-based enterprises, says CVR, accounted for over half of the total dollars invested by angels in that period. Angel investors are individuals…

  • Survey: VCs Pulling Back from Biopharma, Devices Companies

    A survey of venture capital (VC) companies investing in health care enterprises says they have shifted funding away from businesses that develop drugs and medical devices toward less regulated services and information technology firms. The survey, conducted by the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) from July to September 2011, covers 156 of its members with…

  • University of Michigan to Invest in Campus Start-Ups

    University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman said Wednesday that the university would begin investing directly in new businesses created from research conducted on its campus. The program, called Michigan Investment in New Technology Startups (MINTS), would provide up to $25 million in early-stage capital over the next 10 years. The university says eligible start-ups…

  • AngelSoft Becomes Gust, Offers Start-Up Funding Platform

    AngelSoft, a network of 600 angel investor groups, is rebranding itself under the new name Gust, and will offer both entrepreneurs and investors a common platform to make connections and develop partnerships. Gust says it has endorsements from more than 15 national and international investor associations, 150 venture capital funds, and 35,000 individual angel investors.…

  • Biotech Developing Anti-Cancer Drugs Gets $15M Investment

    Tensha Therapeutics in Cambridge, Massachusetts says it has received $15 million in early stage financing to advance treatments for cancer by regulating the transcription of disease-associated genes. The series A investment — the first round of funding after a company’s initial seed capital — is provided by HealthCare Ventures, life science venture capital firm, also…

  • Cambridge U.K. Spin-Off Gains $9.5 Million in Early Funding

    Mission Therapeutics, a research spin-off company from Cambridge University in the U.K., has raised £6 million ($US 9.5 million) in Series A funding from a European venture capital syndicate. Series A investments represent the first round of significant funds raised after an enterprise’s initial launch. The company specializes in the discovery and development of drugs…