Europe
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Taaleri buys majority stake in Nordic Science Investments
NSI’s management is selling a 51% stake in the spinout investment firm, which has a €45 million first fund.
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JIC launches CZK400 million fund to back startups across CEE
JIC was founded by four universities in Czechia’s South Moravian Region in 2003 and first began investing in 2015.
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Panel: AI is a recompilation engine
Is AI stealing your creativity? We’re tackling the ethical dilemmas and creative challenges of generative AI across marketing, gaming, and consulting.
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Constantin Coussios to lead innovation at Oxford following historic spinout exit
Constantin Coussios’ spinout OrganOx became the University of Oxford’s largest exit to date last year when it was bought for $1.5 billion.
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Empirical Ventures pockets another £10 million from British Business Bank
The British Business Bank’s commitment has now reached £15 million, and will allow Empirical Ventures to back more venture scientists.
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Ysios launches €100 million fund to fuel Spain’s biotech spinouts
Ysios Capital’s InceptionBio fund will build and invest in biotech spinouts across Spain to establish the country as a life sciences hub.
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Michael Stucky becomes CEO of Swiss Startup Association
Michael Stucky has founded two university spinouts and was founding managing partner of a planned pan-European university venture fund.
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Hetti Barkworth-Nanton: Defence innovation is about protecting the vulnerable
Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, CEO of Ploughshare Innovations and chair of Refuge, explores how security innovation and social impact can coexist.
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Poli360 pushes Fund II to €85 million first close
Managed by 360 Capital, the spinout investment fund has a target size of €100 million and will invest in early-stage deeptech spinouts.
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Rachel Simpson starts as director of pan-Scottish commercialisation office ShaKEs
Employed by Queen Margaret University, Rachel Simpson will be based at Abertay University and support knowledge exchange activities across Scotland’s smaller institutions.
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Cambridge x Manchester enlists Faye Holland to lead partnership
Faye Holland brings considerable expertise of the Cambridge cluster in particular to the job, and is a successfully exited founder.
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Brechtje Vreenegoor, Sebastiaan Berendse: In agriculture, spinouts need to reform the whole system
Wageningen University & Research is a truly unique organisation combining a higher education institution with an applied research institute. Listen now to find out what challenges and opportunities this presents.
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Czech Academy of Sciences forms subsidiary to double down on spinouts
The subsidiary is co-owned by an initial eight institutes within the Czech Academy of Sciences, with aims to sign up more of the total 54 institutes.
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Rich Ferrie leaves Royal Veterinary College for Babraham Research Campus
Rich Ferrie is moving on from the RVC’s London Bioscience Innovation Centre after four years to become CEO of the Babraham Research Campus.
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Inven2 brings in Hans Vassgård Eid to double down on investments
Hans Vassgård Eid’s appointment comes half a year after the tech transfer office Inven2 helped launch a life sciences investment fund.
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Helsinki Innovation Services CEO Marko Hakovirta set to leave in six months
Helsinki Innovation Services’ chief executive officer, Marko Hakovirta, will become president of the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
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Amanda Selvaratnam joins York St John University to lead knowledge exchange
Amanda Selvaratnam has spent the past 27 years at the University of York, most recently as associate director of research and enterprise and head of enterprise services.
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Rosie Bennett returns to SETsquared as interim executive director
Rosie Bennett had worked for SETsquared from 2017 to 2022, and later followed former colleague Simon Bond to Bristol Innovations.
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University of Klagenfurt establishes TTO led by Harald Jenull
The Austrian university has launched a technology transfer office and recruited commercialisation expert Harald Jenull as founding director.
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UKRI releases report into deepening university-investor links
The review, released today, was written by Tony Hickson and makes four sets of recommendations, including a significant boost to preseed funding.
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City St George’s promotes Ian Gibbs to head of IP and commercialisation
Ian Gibbs has worked for City St George’s, University of London since 2017, having served as the head of academic enterprise since 2018.
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ZOHO.VC achieves first close for Nuremberg-based fund
ZOHO.VC is the investment fund of Zollhof, the incubator-turned-startup-factory affiliated with the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen–Nuremberg.
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Fraunhofer’s TT49 achieves €72 million first close
TT49 is the successor to the Fraunhofer Technology Transfer Fund and has a target size of €90 million.
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Swedish government puts SEK40 million into university holding companies
Sweden’s university holding companies act as the commercialisation and investment arm of their respective institutions.
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Montana Children’s Health secures €30 million to commercialise paediatric healthcare research
The vehicle is the first to receive a capital commitment through the EIF and Madrid government’s Innvierte Technology Transfer & Deep-Tech fund of funds.
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Epidarex secures £50 million from British Business Bank for new fund
Epidarex Capital focuses on early-stage life sciences spinouts from medical research institutions in the US and the UK.
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Austria inches closer to spinout fund of funds
The Austrian government has released its industrial strategy with 114 action points, including a commitment to a fund of funds to bolster spinouts.
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University of Bristol hires SETsquared’s Marty Reid as director of innovation
Marty Reid is currently the executive director of enterprise partnership SETsquared, of which the University of Bristol is a member.
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Aberdeen appoints Lucy Leiper as interim head of innovation, seeks permanent director
The University of Aberdeen has named Lucy Leiper as interim director of research and innovation.
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PSV Hafnium closes €60 million fund
The fund was launched in 2024 with an initial €55 million and a hard cap of €80 million, closing at the lower end of the scale.
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University of Manchester is quietly raising a pre-seed fund
The University of Manchester already has a stake in Northern Gritstone but is in the process of raising a separate pre-seed fund.
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QUBIS appoints Marina Donohoe as its next CEO
Marina Donohoe will succeed Brian McCaul, who announced his decision to step down earlier this year.
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Mikkel Sørensen steps down from DTU Skylab to focus on SkyFactory
After twelve years with TU Denmark’s innovation hub Skylab, Mikkel Sørensen is putting his focus on the new DTU SkyFactory.
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Cambridge tasks Roland Sinker with inclusive innovation review
Roland Sinker will lead a review into the delivery of inclusive innovation and growth for the University of Cambridge over the next year.
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U2V launches €60 million fund targeting European spinouts
University2Ventures has been set up by the partners of Earlybird X, which launched in 2021 to similarly invest in university spinoffs.
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TNO Ventures backs Keen’s Defense & Safety Fund
The commercialisation arm of Dutch applied research organisation TNO is making its fourteenth LP commitment.
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University of Eastern Finland bets on local funds to supercharge commercialisation
The University of Eastern Finland is increasing its support for spinouts by backing only funds with a focus on the regional innovation ecosystem.
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Dutch universities launch standard IP agreement
The National IP Deal Term Principles were developed and will be used by all technology transfer offices in the country going forward.
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Qbic promotes Sara Vandenwijngaert to chief scientific director
Qbic, a venture fund backed by multiple Belgian universities, is introducing the position of chief scientific director and appoints Sara Vandenwijngaert.
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Entertech VCIF launches to back Turkish startups
The fund has been created by Entertech Istanbul Technopark, which is owned by Istanbul University and Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa.
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Zuzana Paulovics leaves CUIP after police intervention
Zuzana Paulovics has left her role as chairwoman of Charles University Innovations Prague after just a little over five months.
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ASTP report paints complex picture of knowledge transfer metrics
A report published by an ASTP working group outlines the often vastly different data points collected through national surveys.
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Polytechnique Ventures secures €21 million for second fund
The École Polytechnique-aligned fund has a final target of €30 million to €40 million, which would roughly double its assets under management.
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Karim Bahou joins Manchester innovation district Sister
Karim Bahou has been appointed head of innovation at Sister, a joint initiative of the University of Manchester and Bruntwood SciTech.
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Universities in Jena launch joint tech transfer centre
JenaInnovation is a joint project of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the University of Applied Sciences Jena, and University Hospital Jena.
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Creator Fund raises $41 million for pan-European fund
The venture fund targets startups built by PhD students, and Creator Fund is targeting a $55 million final close by early 2026.
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Empowering academic founders: policies, programmes, and pitfalls
How can universities instil the entrepreneurial mindset in faculty, staff and students? Is this even something you can teach? And if you can, what are some of the challenges and pitfalls? Figuring out the answers to these questions, and more, is a panel of experts from around the world: Kirsty Collinge, the head of research […]
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Brian McNicoll leaves the University of Dundee
The university’s head of entrepreneurship is stepping down after thirteen years with the Scottish institution.
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Stockholm universities launch Trio Impact Invest
Karolinska Institute, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University have joined forces to launch an early-stage venture fund.
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Friday Five: VR glaucoma scans, heat-powered sensors, and 3D‑printing space trash into tools
Spinouts turn waste, thermal energy and VR tech into sustainable solutions for industry, space, and healthcare.
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Friday Five: Stop metastasis, sync fleets, sterilise surfaces
Block Biosciences, FleetMQ, Molecular Sustainable Solutions, OnTracx, and TransHumanity make up this week’s selection of spinouts to watch.
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Friday Five: Agate Sensors, Detechgene, Data Revival, SenseAI Vision, xCystence Bio
The Friday Five series is back after the summer break, and we’re kicking things off with an array of spinouts that just so happen to all be operating within the life sciences.
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Caroline Aruoja takes over leadership of TalTech’s TTO
Caroline Aruoja started in the new job this week, having previously led the Estonian university’s Startup Centre.
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Tech transfer office Inven2 helps launch Aleap Ventures
The University of Oslo’s tech transfer office Inven2 is among the investors in Aleap Ventures, which will invest in life sciences spinouts.
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Aarhus launches Delphinus Venture Capital
Aarhus University Research Foundation has partnered with Heartland, Norlys, and Salling Group to launch the evergreen fund.
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Portal Innovations kicks off $100 million Velocity Fund
Portal Innovations, established by John Flavin who previously set up the Polsky Center, partners with institutions like UChicago to support spinouts.
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Mandy Parkinson takes on knowledge exchange role at the University of Salford
Prof Mandy Parkinson has been appointed associate pro vice chancellor for knowledge exchange at the University of Salford.
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Vojtěch Malina steps down as head of tech transfer at Charles University
Vojtěch Malina is leaving Charles University’s tech transfer office after just over a year of being in charge.
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UCL Business managing director Steven Schooling steps down
Steven Schooling, who has been with University College London’s commercialisation subsidiary since 2006, is leaving today.
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Catherine Lafarge appointed interim president of Linksium
Linksium is one of France’s regional tech transfer organisations, Réseau SATT, and Lafarge had previously served as deputy CEO.
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Vanessa Wood leaves knowledge transfer role at ETH Zurich
Vanessa Wood, vice president for knowledge transfer and corporate relations at ETH Zurich, will step down at the end of the year to focus on her research full time.
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Friday Five: EnAcuity, Filics, Gallion Health, ODOS, Plasma Fresh
Software that turns surgical cameras into hyperpectral imaging tools, a platform that helps farmers operate more sustainably, and cold plasma that kills foodborne pathogens are all becoming real applications thanks to these spinouts.
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Brian McCaul steps down as chief executive of QUBIS
Brian McCaul will leave his role at QUBIS, the commercialisation arm of Queen’s University Belfast, at the end of this year after more a decade in charge.
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Friday Five: Apate, Cosma, Licovolt, pHydrogen, ScoutinScience
The Friday Five series provides a weekly insight into innovative early-stage spinouts that are making a significant impact in their fields.
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Simon Bond moves to the University of Bath
Simon Bond, currently the director of Bristol Innovations, will oversee the development of the Bath Riverside Innovation Quarter.
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Friday Five: Aspecthera, Axiles, LayerLogic, Orinova, Peach Cars
We take a look at some of the early-stage spinouts that caught our eye. This week: Aspecthera, Axiles, LayerLogic, Orinova, Peach Cars
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Chalmers Ventures appoints Jenny Dahlberg as CFO
Jenny Dahlberg succeeds Emma Siljeäng, who stepped down earlier this week after a decade working for the Swedish university venture fund..
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Emma Siljeäng leaves Chalmers Ventures after a decade
Chalmers Ventures CFO Emma Siljeäng stepped down today, having been with the university venture fund since its inception in 2015.
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Friday Five: DigitalCNC, Draig Therapeutics, LastingAsset, RIFT, ScopeBio
We take a look at some of the early-stage spinouts that caught our eye. This time: DigitalCNC, Draig Therapeutics, LastingAsset, RIFT, and ScopeBio.
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Northern Gritstone and Parkwalk Advisors team up for the Northern Universities Venture Fund
Parkwalk Advisors, which already has more than £500 million under management, will manage a new fund in partnership with Northern Gritstone.
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Biotope Ventures reaches €5 million first close for Fund II
Biotope Ventures, the accelerator and investment arm for Belgian research institute VIB, has raised €5 million towards a €9 million goal for its second fund.
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Liam Cronin hired as the new innovation director at University College Dublin
Cronin was most recently the chief executive officer of digital innovation centre RDI Hub and he succeeds Tom Flanagan, who left in October last year.
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Friday Five: Astratus, Hirundo, Lembas, OrisDX, and Somnee
We take a look at some of the early-stage spinouts that caught our eye. This time: Astratus, Hirundo, Lembas, OrisDX and Somnee.
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SETsquared Bristol promotes Caroline Thompson
Caroline Thompson had been a programme manager at the SETsquared Partnership since last year and brings more than a decade of experience to her new role.
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Charles University Innovations Prague finds new chairwoman in Zuzana Paulovics
Zuzana Paulovics is the new chairwoman of Charles University’s technology transfer arm, replacing Otomar Sláma.
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Károly Szántó: Hungary will be the blueprint for university funds in Eastern Europe
Károly Szántó, the COO of Óbuda University’s venture fund and studio OUVC, has a plan to supercharge investment activities in Central and Eastern Europe.
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Gavin Clark, Mark Mann: Here’s how to build a shared TTO
Gavin Clark and Mark Mann share how they’ve built a tech transfer office shared by six UK universities focused on social sciences and creative industries.
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Panel: What’s next for quantum technologies?
What does the future hold for quantum technologies? A panel of experts tackled the challenges at a recent Foresight Live event.
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Nicky Dibben: People buy products, not technology
Nicky Dibben discusses how marketing strategy is everything that comes between you and your customer, and not simply “fluffy” social media.
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Winsome Cheung: Startups, here’s what to know when negotiating with big pharma
Winsome Cheung is a partner at Covington who helps biotech startups and big pharma negotiate deals. Here, she shares what to look out for in contracts.
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Stuart Wilkinson: What does a sweet shop have to do with spinouts?
The impact of university research commercialisation can go far beyond the initial spinout, says Knowledge Exchange UK’s chief executive Stuart Wilkinson.
