The former corporate venturing unit of US-based pharmaceutical company Quintiles is a backer of the UK-based oncology and critical care company, which was sold to Jazz Pharmaceuticals for $650m.
Month: April 2012
Google backs YouTube founders at Avos
Google Ventures backs the company set up by the co-founders of YouTube, which was bought by the US-based search engine in 2006
Boulder Ionics charges up with $4.3m
Japan-based materials supplier JSR Corporation and a venture firm linked to US-based advanced ceramics business Coorstek invest in the ionic liquids company, which plans to be the first producer of the battery material in “industrial volumes”.
Healthbox expands to Massachusetts
The incubator previously backed by Sandbox Industries and imaging company Merge Healthcare follows up a programme in Chicago with one in the Boston and Cambridge area.
IDG Ventures India backs Forus Health
IDG Ventures India was joined by Accel Partners, backing the India-based medical technology company.
Ahalife.com shops for $10.1m
Rakuten is joined by DCM and FirstMark Capital in the round backing the luxury goods website.
Bekaert begins reorganisation
Nuno Carvalho is the new head of Bekaert Corporate Venturing since the beginning of the month
Enerkem stops flotation plans
Last month, Enerkem amended its regulatory filing and said it would sell 7.25 million shares at between $17 and $19 each.
Mitsui sets up in Mumbai
Separately, Mitsui’s portfolio company BrightStar, a US-based provider of distribution and related services to the wireless device industry, has withdrawn its plans for a $300m flotation.
Envivio completes flotation
The company priced 7.76 million shares at $9 each, which was below the $10 $12 per share offering range, for an initial market capitalisation of about $240m.
More pulled flotations have wider impact
Enerkem’s slow-to-no IPO might frustrate venture capitalists but with such a business case for shifting a business model, using corporate venturing as a tool to help speed up or make the shift would appear to be a no-brainer for Waste Management at least.
The Big Deal: Multi-track research and development (R&D)
The multi-track element signifies Astellas is developing its innovation toolkit – including R&D, venture-backed entrepreneurs and licensing – so various units can work relatively independently on similar medical problems and leave it up luck and judgement as to which one might work and then be distributed if successful enough.
Lardieg enters Octopus’ garden
After nearly two years at Vodafone Ventures, Lardieg had been investor and board observer at a number of companies, including LocalResponse and VoucherCloud.
Narayan to leave Kodak
Narayan was previously at venture capital firms Inflection Equity and Crescendo Ventures and is understood to be planning a new venture for after the summer.