Merck and CDRD Announce Joint Investment in the Canadian Life Sciences Ecosystem
he Canadian scientific community gathered in Ottawa this week to engage in a national dialogue on science, technology and innovation policy at the annual Canadian Science Policy Conference. Just prior to the Keynote Address at this event by the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, Merck Canada Inc. and CDRD – The Centre for Drug […]
Consortium of companies, led by Northwestern Mutual, to fund startup accelerator program
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. announced today it is teaming up with Rockwell Automation, Kohl’s, Robert W. Baird & Co. and Milwaukee Institute to fund an accelerator program for early-stage Milwaukee startup companies. John Schlifske, chairman and CEO of Northwestern Mutual, announced the new program at a technology summit hosted this morning at Northwestern Mutual’s […]
Amazon Catalyst program welcomed to Washington State University campus
Washington State University announces the launch of a collaborative program with Amazon titled Amazon Catalyst — a successful innovation grant program. Amazon will provide up to $300,000 to WSU to launch the initiative, providing funding and mentorship to support bold, globally impactful and disruptive projects proposed by members of the university community. The Amazon Catalyst program will […]
Microsoft Ventures, Madrona and others launch $3.5M AI startup competition
The firm is partnering with Madrona Venture Partners, Notion Capital and Vertex Venturesto host this competition, which is looking for (very) early-stage AI startups in North America, Europe and Israel. The Innovate.AI competition will award $1M in funding to one startup per region (North America, Europe and Israel), in addition to a $500,000 “AI for Good” prize. All prizes also come […]
Salesforce (CRM) Unveils $50M Fund for AI-Focused Start-Ups
Making the very first anniversary of Salesforce Einstein special, Salesforce.com Inc. ‘s CRM investment arm venture – Salesforce Ventures – announced a $50-million fund to invest in start-ups focused on artificial intelligence (AI). Per the company, Highspot, Squirro and TalkIQ are the first recipients of this funding. AI: A Hot Trend in Tech Space AI has become a global […]
Corporate venture in Brazil gains steam as giants amp up startup investments
What a difference one year makes. Since showing noteworthy signs of a maturing tech ecosystem last summer, corporate venture in Latin America has begun to crescendo in just 12 months, led by Brazil. According to LAVCA’s 2017 Latin American Startup Directory, of the 144 early-stage tech companies that received $1 million-plus in funding over at least two […]
Swinburne University and IIM announce graphene smart composites project
Imagine Intelligent Materials and Swinburne University have announced a collaborative six-month project aiming to develop graphene-reinforced smart composites. The composite will be able to report on the condition of large structures, and will have major commercial potential in the transport sector, including automotive and aerospace. The project is supported by a $20,000 Seed grant from the university […]
Microsoft launches new startup accelerator program in Berlin
Microsoft has announced its newest European startup accelerator program, in a move that helps tie software startups to its Azure services. The Microsoft Accelerator program looks to equip startups with tools to help them develop their product and grow their organisation. Microsoft gives the companies networking opportunities, funding, access to equipment, training and management in order to achieve […]
TEC Edmonton breaks ground on newest technology accelerator with Merck Canada
TEC Edmonton broke ground on a new business accelerator for technology companies on Tuesday. The accelerator, a partnership with pharmaceutical company Merck Canada Inc., will connect emerging Alberta-based health-focused companies with the health research expertise of Merck to bring innovative health technologies to the market. “Working in partnership with TEC Edmonton to provide both scientific […]
U Zurich, Novartis UZH Life Sciences Fund Invests in First Spin-off
CUTISS is a company with a vision: To use personalized skin grafts to heal people all over the world with skin defects, including burn victims. The UZH spin-off has developed a novel procedure whereby a postage-stamp-sized biopsy of healthy skin is harvested from the patient. This is then bioengineered to create a skin graft around […]