Monthly analysis: April 2021
Category: Analysis
How Evox is engineering a new class of therapeutics
Spinouts always operate, by their very nature, on the cutting edge of science, but every once in a while, one comes along that could prove truly transformational by inventing an entirely new field.
Israel ushers in innovation and technology
Innovative region: Israel
Using human brains to improve AI
Special report: Sparsity looks to make AI infrastructure more efficient, AI increasingly useful in the software stack, quantum and classical hardware evolves
Analysis: A week of big exits
We provide a brief overview of some of the notable exit transactions reported last week. They highlight a broader upward trend in exit transactions for corporate investors, which we have been tracking for some time now.
Analysis: Mid-May multimillions
May was a busy time for exits; GCV reported various multimillion and multibillion deals across sectors.
Media disruption continues through the pandemic
Sector report: Media
Analysis: Solid Power with a $130m recharge
Solid-state battery developer Solid Power secured a $130 series B round co-led by its potential customers from the automotive sector BMW and Ford Motor Company.
Subsector: healthcare IT and administration
A decade or more after setting up the golden age of corporate venturing units were set up with a focus on life sciences and healthcare, such as US-listed conglomerate Alphabet’s GV (formerly known as Google Ventures) and US-listed drugs company Merck’s Global Health Innovation Fund (GHIF), and the returns have surpassed many expectations.
Analysis: Shapeways goes public in a reverse merger
Shapeways is another company from the 3D printing space, which has gone public through a reverse merger, after its peer Desktop Metal in 2020. The additive manufacturing space has seen a somewhat modest interest from corporate investors in the past decade.
Subsector: AR & VR
Apple last week introduced AirTag, “a small and elegantly designed accessory that helps keep track of and find the items that matter most with Apple’s Find My app”.
Analysis: ActiveCampaign takes $240m
The marketing automation technology provider’s previous backer Susquehanna International Group returned for its series C round that has pushed to new highs.
Oil & gas venturing in Q1 2021
Q1 analysis: Venturing deals still concentrated in non-core areas, more exits reported in the first quarter, average deal size dropped slightly
Special report: Mission for capturing, storing and using carbon
CO2 is the focus but limiting emissions is hard; capturing, using and storing offers opportunities; but critical under investment in innovation