MIT venture fund raises $150 million for technology startups
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s new investment fund raised more than $150 million to support startup companies developing scientific and technological innovations. MIT said Thursday that it contributed $25 million to the Engine Accelerator Fund I, which the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based university controls. The rest of the money was raised from a small group of unidentified investors […]
Virginia Tech and Carilion form $15 million venture capital fund
Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic have formed a new $15 million venture capital fund designed to catapult the startups taking root around Blacksburg and Roanoke’s so-called innovation corridor. About 60 percent of the investments will be in the life sciences industry and most will be based in Virginia. If they’re in another state, the companies […]
UMass Amherst creates venture fund to support innovation, job growth in Western Massachusetts
The University of Massachusetts Amherst hopes maroon will soon not only symbolize the campus colors but also innovation. University officials announced this week the formation of the Maroon Venture Partners Fund, a new effort to support entrepreneurship among alumni, faculty and students. “UMass Amherst, as the Commonwealth’s flagship, plays a crucial role in the state’s […]
Michigan State University Venture Fund Startup Develops Smart Headband To Detect Head Impacts
The Michigan State University Foundation (MSUF) has announced its newest program, Red Cedar Ventures, which features a pre-seed fund and opportunity focused on helping Michigan State University-based startup companies. “We have been working hard to put together a campus-wide ecosystem for entrepreneurs that embraces all of the creative talents across the university,” MSU President Lou […]
University Investment-A New Model Of Venture Capital
In the alternative investments space, attorneys have long been able to play an important role. Whether the investment in question is senior bank loans, non-recourse litigation finance liabilities, venture capital investments, or hedge fund vehicles, attorneys play a crucial role in helping clients to evaluate risk. Given that, there is an exciting new business model […]
Licensing & Ventures Group Hire Seed Fund Director to Shepherd UVA Innovations
Robert J. Creeden has joined the University of Virginia’s Licensing & Ventures Group as its first managing director of the UVA Seed Fund and New Ventures. The Licensing & Ventures Group’s mission is to maximize the impact of UVA’s innovation in research and technology via commercialization while providing high levels of customer service, value-added business […]
Yale Endowment’s Venture Funds Hit Home Run
Yale’s aggressiveness in allocations to venture funds as a larger share of endowment investment portfolio appears to be paying off with returns from such companies as Uber and Airbnb. Over the past 20 years, this portfolio has earned 92.7% per annum and an 18% annualized return over the past 10 years. ————————- Yale University provided […]
UNC Rex’s venture fund expands by $8 million
UNC Rex Healthcare, which four years ago committed $10 million to create a venture capital fund that invests in startup health care companies, has set aside an extra $8 million for further investments. The board of directors at Rex, which is part of the UNC Health Care System, has authorized the fund, Rex Health Ventures, […]
Google’s GV leads $21M Series B in bioscience firm Cambridge Epigenetix
VC firm GV (née Google Ventures) has made another investment in Europe — its seventh — leading a $21 million Series B round for epigenetic sequencing tech company and Cambridge University spin-out, Cambridge Epigenetix. The U.K.-based bioscience company makes DNA modification analysis tools for epigenetics researchers — an emerging field of study which looks at how environmental factors and […]
Transition in Tech Transfer: Will MIT Ever Start a Venture Fund?
By the end of June, Lita Nelsen will retire from MIT’s Technology Licensing Office, where she has worked for 30 years. She has been director of the office since 1993 and has seen a lot of things. Nelsen recently sat down with Xconomy to talk about trends in tech transfer and entrepreneurship. One timely issue: […]