Funding
US-based security radar technology developer Echodyne has completed a $135m round featuring aerospace and defence manufacturer Northrop Grumman Corporation. Investment manager Baillie Gifford co-led the round with Bill Gates, and it included included NEA, Madrona Ventures, Vulcan Capital and Vanedge Capital.
ImCheck, a France-based developer of antibody-driven immunotherapies, has secured €96m ($103m) from investors including a range of corporates. Pharmaceutical firms Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation and Pfizer took part through their Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and Pfizer Ventures unit respectively, while Alexandria Venture Investments represented real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities. The round was co-led by Earlybird and Andera Partners with additional backing from Invus, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Therapy Acceleration Program, Kurma Partners’ Growth Opportunity Fund, Eurazeo, Gimv, EQT Life Sciences, BPIfrance’s Innobio 2, Large Venture subsidiary, Wellington Partners, Agent Capital and Pureos Bioventures.
M&A
Mobile chipmaker Qualcomm has paid a reported $350m to acquire portfolio company Cellwize, an Israel-based provider of mobile network automation technology. Cellwize had raised a total of over $56m as of a $32m series B round in late 2020, from the corporate’s Qualcomm Ventures unit and additional investors including Intel Capital, Samsung Next, Sonae Investment Management, Verizon Ventures and Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, representing semiconductor technology producer Intel, electronics manufacturer Samsung, conglomerate Sonae and telecommunications firms Verizon and Deutsche Telekom respectively.
Other funding
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