ReNetX Bio Launched to Advance Innovative Neuro-Regenerative Technology Developed at Yale University
ReNetX Bio, a company developing first-in-class therapeutics to treat injury to the central nervous system, today announced its launch as a new company with the appointment of Erika Smith as Chief Executive Officer. The company also announced the initiation of a Series A financing round to fund its first clinical trial of its lead therapeutic […]
Innovate UK innovation agency gains cash — and clout
UK scientists fearful for their research funds ahead of Brexit were cheered last November when the government announced it would plough an extra £4.7 billion (US$6.1 billion) into research and development (R&D) by 2020–21. But the biggest winner from the largely industry-focused cash may be a government innovation agency that is rapidly gaining clout. Innovate UK began […]
$500K Venture Capital Gift backs efforts to commercialize research projects at Cornell University
The bridge taking Cornell’s budding inventors and entrepreneurs from the lab to the boardroom just got a whole lot sturdier, thanks to a gift from venture capital firm Kairos Ventures. The Los Angeles-based firm, which invests in and supports early stage technologies and discoveries from top universities, has made a commitment of $500,000 to the […]
UK fund’s A$200M investment commitment validates Powerhouse university investment model
London Stock Exchange-listed IP Group’s decision to invest A$200 million over 10 years in commercialising scientific innovations from universities Down Under validates the business model of ASX-listed tech incubator Powerhouse Ventures, says its new chairman Russell Yardley. Powerhouse has a portfolio of 19 companies developing intellectual property spun out of New Zealand research institutions with […]
First half of year start-up funding in Middle East surges
The number of start-up funding deals in the UAE surged in the first half of the year following Amazon’s high-profile acquisition of local online retailer Souq.com and a US$150 million investment in the ride-hailing service Careem. The rise in the number of investments also comes amid intensifying efforts by governments in the region to help small […]
Do federally funded programs help boost innovation at universities?
Likely, there isn’t anyone reading this column who doesn’t have an opinion about what the federal government should and should not pay for. It seems there are numerous federal programs that could probably be cut or reduced without having a negative impact on economic growth. However, the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and the […]
Through Accelerators and POC Programs, Cape Town is Battling its Nation’s Economic Woes to Become Africa’s Tech Capital
South Africa is suffering an economic crisis. Growth has slowed to 0.3%, its slowest since 2009, and unemployment is at a 14-year high of 27.7%. Manufacturing and agricultural job markets have shrunk. The government is now South Africa’s largest employer. But the gloom has accelerated a shift towards entrepreneurialism and tech, that has been concentrated […]
Listen Up: Nobel Laureate on Who Should Fund research at universities
A recent report by the World Economic Forum states that India had 2.6 million new graduates with a degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) in the year 2016, next only to China, which stood first at 4.7 million. The numbers are not surprising, considering the ample career options available for those with a […]
McGill University’s X-1 Accelerator receives $2 million from John Dobson Foundation
The McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has received a $2 million donation from the John Dobson Foundation, which supports entrepreneurial development in Canadian universities. The funding, which will be spent over a 10-year period, will be used to fund and support the centre’s McGill X-1 Accelerator, an intensive 10-week summer program dedicated to accelerating and […]
John Hopkins, U Maryland, Plank Industries team up on business accelerator to target health and fitness technology companies
new startup accelerator program based at the Johns Hopkins University’s FastForward East will target companies developing health and fitness technologies. Hopkins is teaming up with the University of Maryland, Plank Industries, Brown Advisory and the Abell Foundation to launch the 16-week program, called M-1 Ventures, in September. “I see all these accelerators out there and they’re cool,” […]