Unitus Seed Fund

SYN Ventures Launches Largest Dedicated Cybersecurity Seed Fund in U.S. History

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Software, Networks, Finance, Start-Up, Small Business, Professional Services, Technology, Security, Carbon, Investment, Transmit Security, Unitus Seed Fund, Talon, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Ownership of Rangers F.C., CISO, SYN, Partner (business rank), Tenable, Growth, AUM, IPO, Ciso, Revelstoke, Cryptocurrency, Accurizing, Phosphorus, Mitiga International Airport

SYN Ventures , the only venture capital firm founded and led exclusively by former Fortune 500 CISOs and C-level security leaders with over $600M of assets under management (AUM), today announced the first closing of its dedicated cybersecurity seed fund with over $75 Million – the largest cyber seed dedicated fund domiciled in the United States.

Key Points: 
  • SYN Ventures , the only venture capital firm founded and led exclusively by former Fortune 500 CISOs and C-level security leaders with over $600M of assets under management (AUM), today announced the first closing of its dedicated cybersecurity seed fund with over $75 Million – the largest cyber seed dedicated fund domiciled in the United States.
  • “The SYN Ventures Seed Fund will partner with best-in-class teams and strategies at their earliest stage, collaborate with founders and assist them with everything from hiring, operations, and board governance to collaborating on their product roadmap,” said Dan Burns, Investment Committee Chairman for the SYN Seed Fund.
  • SYN Ventures will leverage its experience with this group of companies to manage its new dedicated Seed Fund.
  • Finally, Marcio Lempert, based in Tel Aviv, has joined SYN full-time as a Venture Partner with the launch of the SYN Seed Fund.

UT AUSTIN INVESTS IN AUSTIN-BASED BATTERY TECH COMPANY, GROUP1

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Workforce, Heart, Kyle Bass, Partnership, University, Nickel, KIB, Energy Institute, Unitus Seed Fund, Clean Energy Institute, Lithium iron phosphate, Research, IP, LFP, Associate, KPW, Professor, NIB, Knowledge, Spectroscopy, Nobel, Goodenough, LIB, Safety, Lithium, Electric battery, Cryptocurrency, Cobalt, Copper, Center for Transportation Research UT Austin, University of Texas at Austin

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery to Impact at The University of Texas at Austin has invested $250,000 in Group1, a UT Austin-affiliated startup aiming to revolutionize the energy industry by developing Potassium-ion battery (KIB) technology. The investment will help Group1 increase its workforce, expand production capacity of their product potassium cathode material, Kristonite™, to pilot-scale, and forge business partnerships with Tier1 cell and automotive manufacturers that wish to establish a domestic, "lithium alternative" solution.

Key Points: 
  • AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery to Impact at The University of Texas at Austin has invested $250,000 in Group1, a UT Austin-affiliated startup aiming to revolutionize the energy industry by developing Potassium-ion battery (KIB) technology.
  • The fund invests in the most promising new startups built on university-owned intellectual property emerging from UT Austin's $845 million research enterprise.
  • "We are proud to be based in the battery capital of the world, Austin, Texas, and to further strengthen our ties with world renowned institution such as UT Austin."
  • Group1 has further developed KIB core technology and has established a world leading IP position, which includes exclusive license from UT Austin.

NK:IO Raises £1.2M, Bringing Total Seed Funding to £5.1M, to Advance Pioneering NK Cell Therapy

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, Health, Oncology, Interim, Cell biology, Gene, IO, Cancer research, Unitus Seed Fund, Cancer, Cancer Research UK, Research, Patient, Hugh, Innovation, Engineering, Cell, Neoplasm, Imperial College London, Entrepreneurship, Immunology, Ovarian cancer, Therapy, Catapult, Pharmaceutical industry, NK, Chemistry

This brings total equity financing to £3.2M and will enable the company to reach key milestones in progressing its differentiated NK cell therapy candidates into development.

Key Points: 
  • This brings total equity financing to £3.2M and will enable the company to reach key milestones in progressing its differentiated NK cell therapy candidates into development.
  • NK:IO is based on pioneering discoveries in NK cell biology from Hugh J M Brady, Professor of Immunology and Matt Fuchter, Professor of Chemistry, at Imperial College.
  • NK:IO is exploiting these in its unique platform which activates blood stem cell progenitors to yield industry-leading NK cell tumour-killing potency and very high yield cell production, which it believes will be transformative in cancer cell therapy.
  • This includes development of a manufacturing process in collaboration with the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, whose mission is to support the UK’s cell and gene therapy industry.

TEDCO Portfolio Company, Blackpoint Cyber, Successfully Exits

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 22, 2023
Organization, Growth, Ecosystem, Member of the Scottish Parliament, Unitus Seed Fund, Cryptocurrency, Accel

COLUMBIA, Md., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for technology companies, announced the successful exit of its portfolio company, Blackpoint Cyber (Blackpoint), an Ellicott City, Md.-based, technology-focused cybersecurity company providing its security ecosystem via managed service providers (MSPs). Blackpoint received a $190 million growth investment led by Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, with participation from Accel and others.

Key Points: 
  • COLUMBIA, Md., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TEDCO , Maryland's economic engine for technology companies, announced the successful exit of its portfolio company, Blackpoint Cyber (Blackpoint), an Ellicott City, Md.-based, technology-focused cybersecurity company providing its security ecosystem via managed service providers (MSPs).
  • Blackpoint received a $190 million growth investment led by Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, with participation from Accel and others.
  • In 2018, TEDCO invested $200,000 in Blackpoint to support the growth and development of the company whose goal is to provide effective, affordable real-time threat detection and response to organizations worldwide.
  • "We are very appreciative of TEDCO for having interest and investing in our company at an early stage," said Jon Murchison, CEO and founder of Blackpoint Cyber.

WaveArray Antifouling Systems, LLC Receives $1M SBIR Phase II Award from The National Science Foundation

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
NSF, SBIR, Biofouling, National Science Foundation, Unitus Seed Fund, Small Business Innovation Research, Phase, Environment, Dredging

NAPLES, Fla., April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WaveArray Antifouling Systems, LLC, a Naples, Florida-headquartered marine electronics company, has received a $999,122 National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II award. The 16-month project will provide funds to support WaveArray's continued development of the SlipArray™ technology platform, which harnesses the use of ultrasonic transducer arrays submerged in slips to prevent the attachment of barnacles and other unwanted biofouling species to boats and other submerged surfaces.

Key Points: 
  • We are pleased that the NSF recognized our unique technological approach and the societal impact with this Phase II SBIR award" said Dr. Jim DiLorenzo, CEO and founder of WaveArray Antifouling Systems LLC.
  • The SBIR Phase II award will allow the company to continue its development progress and to demonstrate its technology in real life marina demonstrations.
  • WaveArray Antifouling Systems, LLC is a business headquartered in Naples, FL specifically created to solve the problem of biofouling on submerged structures.
  • It has won multiple National Science Foundation (America's Seed Fund) awards based upon its innovative solutions.

HAWKE VENTURES LEADS $3M SEED ROUND FOR LOS ANGELES-BASED SUPERFILIATE

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Mills, Marketing, Unitus Seed Fund, Investment, Commerce, Banc of California, Financial services, Sales

LOS ANGELES, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawke Ventures, a Seed Fund focusing on emerging commerce enablement technologies, is announcing their $25M Fund 2 last year with anchor Banc of California and is extremely active in deploying over $5M towards deals in 2022 and 2023.

Key Points: 
  • Hawke Ventures has seen explosive growth in the past six months leading to the $3M Seed Fund round for Superfilliate.
  • Hawke Ventures has seen explosive growth in the past six months leading to the $3M Seed Fund round for Los Angeles-based Superfilliate.
  • Many prominent investors are joining Hawke Ventures in this round including Ventana Capital, R2 Ventures, Rest Seed Fund, Sandbox Studio Investments, Nick Sharma of Sharma Brands, Ben from Super Angel, Chris Quinn, and more.
  • Erik Huberman, CEO and Founder of Hawke Media, says "Superfiliate has created something incredibly needed and special.

TEDCO Announces Investment in Foretrace

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Unitus Seed Fund, Risk management

COLUMBIA, Md., Feb. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for technology companies, announced today its Seed Funds invested $500,000 from its Cybersecurity Investment Fund in Foretrace, Inc., a Maryland-based cybersecurity company focused on providing cost-effective information to help secure businesses from cyber attackers. TEDCO's Seed Funds invest in early-stage, technology and life sciences companies and provides access to gap financing.

Key Points: 
  • "Foretrace leverages the same techniques and tools used by attackers and red teams to proactively alert our clients to vulnerabilities, information exposure, and external gaps.
  • By integrating known attacker techniques, Foretrace provides clients with a clear image of what information adversaries could find.
  • "Cost-effective solutions like those that Foretrace offers may be instrumental in preventing the leak of important business information," explains TEDCO's chief investment officer, Jack Miner .
  • Anyone looking to apply for their first investment from TEDCO Seed Funds must have started operations within seven years from the date of the application and investment.

National Science Foundation Awards MONSTR Sense Technologies SBIR Phase II Grant to Transform Inspection of Semiconductors for Electric Vehicles

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 26, 2023
MicroLED, ANN, Unitus Seed Fund, NSF, National Science Foundation, Smartphone, Science, SBIR

The funding will allow the company to conduct rigorous benchmark testing, and to develop a turn-key system to expand its addressable market.

Key Points: 
  • The funding will allow the company to conduct rigorous benchmark testing, and to develop a turn-key system to expand its addressable market.
  • This project builds upon MONSTR Sense's ultrafast lifetime imaging expertise with its laser-scanning microscope NESSIE® that is optimized for semiconductor research applications.
  • This Phase II funding enables us to next build a turn-key and user-friendly tool that is optimized for the high-power semiconductor inspection market."
  • By developing effective wafer inspection, MONSTR Sense is helping to improve the efficiency of manufacturing electric vehicles, 5G electronics, and microLEDs.

TEDCO's Venture Funds Invests Nearly $1M in Warrior Centric Health

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 19, 2022
Ecosystem, Patient, Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital, Growth, Microsoft, Nation, Communications officer, WCH, Unitus Seed Fund, Business, Native American Venture Fund, Health equity, Multimedia, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Guard, Research, Hospital, Health insurance, Management, Veteran, Warrior

COLUMBIA, Md., Dec. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for technology companies, is pleased to announce its Venture Funds invested nearly $1M in Warrior Centric Health (WCH), an organization that enables healthcare facilities and providers to deliver optimal care to 75 million veterans, active service members, and their families. TEDCO's evergreen Venture Funds are dedicated to funding and growing the next generation of early-stage businesses in Maryland.

Key Points: 
  • TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for tech and life science startups, invested nearly $1M in Warrior Centric Health.
  • "TEDCO is proud to support Warrior Centric Health in their mission to enable health equity for those who have served," said Troy LeMaile-Stovall , TEDCO CEO.
  • "Warrior Centric Health's Solution Suite is creating an answer to a real problem, one where the Warrior Community faces a unique set of chronic health issues that too often go untreated," said Katherine Hill Richie , senior director of Venture Funds, TEDCO.
  • Warrior Centric Health (WCH)® provides hospitals and health systems with a groundbreaking digital platform that enables them to deliver comprehensive, best-practice population health management to the vast Warrior Community.

SBA Announces Second Annual Innovation Ecosystem Summit

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
Transfer, R, Federation, Small business, Investment, Research, Human, SBIR, Small Business Innovation Research, Ecosystem, Economic development, Village Capital, University, Knowledge, SBA, Unitus Seed Fund, Moscow Technological Institute, IPO, Entrepreneurship, Incubator, Organization, OII, ESOS, ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology, Renewable energy, Management, Innovation, Techstars

Washington D.C., Dec. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announces the second annual Innovation Ecosystem Summit for entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) to gather virtually on December 6-7.

Key Points: 
  • Washington D.C., Dec. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announces the second annual Innovation Ecosystem Summit for entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) to gather virtually on December 6-7.
  • “The Innovation Ecosystem Summit brings together leaders across the public and private sectors working every day to strengthen the relationships between local and national innovation and entrepreneurship networks,” said Bailey DeVries, Associate Administrator for the SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation.
  • The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) leads programs that provide the high-growth small business community access to financial capital and R&D funds to develop commercially viable innovations.
  • It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations.