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 […]

Samsung to back European start-ups with $150 million investment fund

Samsung‘s venture capital arm announced Wednesday it is expanding into Europe to invest in the continent’s start-up scene. Samsung NEXT will use a $150 million global fund raised in January to target early stage start-ups in Europe for investment or acquisition, focusing on tech companies working on artificial intelligence, the internet of things, augmented reality […]

Oxford Seed Fund invests in Noise-Cancellation Tech and Fraud Protection Software

Circadian, cyber security software, and Sanctum Technologies, noise cancellation for airplane cabins, are The Oxford Seed Fund’s newest investments. Added to a growing portfolio of high growth ventures including Onfido and Go1, the fund is in its fifth year of providing seed funding to ambitious Oxford-founded start-ups. “The Oxford Seed Fund couldn’t be more excited […]

Research Center IMEC creates smart tech VC fund, targets €100 million 

The imec.xpand fund is targeting a total of €100 million to €120 million (up to about $135 million) and has already secured a significant amount of that according to Tom Vanhoutte, who is a manager of the fund alongside Peter Vanbekbergen. The fund is looking to support ideas and projects across the range of hardware […]

Dutch universities of technology start €75m investment fund 

Dutch universities Eindhoven, Enschede and Wageningen are each putting €1.5m into a €75m investment fund, Innovation Industries, which will help finance projects stemming from their own R&D programmes. The aim is to provide funding averaging €5m to 20 companies operating in new technologies in the agricultural, health care and IT sectors. Founder and investor Harm […]

Enterprise Ireland announce €1.5m competition for start-up businesses

A total of €1.5m in start-up funding will be available from Enterprise Ireland as part of two new competitive start-up fund competitions. Start-ups located outside of Co. Dublin are also invited to apply to the €1m Regional Entrepreneurship Competitive Start Fund. At least 30 successful applicants will receive high-level business development support and an investment […]

Rainbow seed fund & University of Birmingham back promising technology spinout Linear Diagnostics 

Rainbow Seed Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on building technology companies from the UK’s research base, announced today an investment into University of Birmingham spinout Linear Diagnostics. The investment was match-funded with an award from the University of Birmingham’s Spinout Investment fund and the company received a total investment of £300,000. The investment will enable Linear […]

Four University of Malta research projects awarded €240,000 in new pilot programme

The University of Malta recently launched a new pilot programme to award four prospective research projects by university researchers, a total of €60,000 each over two years. The funds will cover expenses and costs such as those for research assistants, data gathering and surveys, software, consumables, conferences, dissemination and outreach etc. The projects will be […]