Deals
CuraSen Therapeutics, a privately held biotechnology company focussed on developing therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases, has closed a USD54.5 million Series A financing Led by New Leaf Venture Partners.
The investor syndicate also includes Longitude Capital, funds managed by Tekla Capital Management LLC, Alta Partners, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc. (JJDC), and Pappas Capital.
CuraSen is developing small molecule drugs targeting a novel mechanism in the brain to alleviate disabling symptoms and modify disease pathology in patients who suffer from less common (orphan) neurodegenerative disorders as well as Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease. These symptoms include cognition,
Roquette, a specialist in plant-based ingredients for Food, Nutrition and Health markets and a pioneer in new vegetal proteins, and Equinom Ltd, an Israel-based breeding technology company, have signed a partnership agreement for the development and sourcing of new pea varieties with high-protein content.
In addition to this new collaboration, Roquette and Equinom’s current shareholder Fortissimo Capital will jointly invest USD4 million in the company to support its further development. This is the first agreement and investment made by Roquette in Israel. Through this collaboration Roquette is able to be involved on the cutting edge of new non-GMO plant variety
The UK’s first fully-automated fashion manufacturing marketplace Sewport has secured GBP650,000, less than a year after it launched.
Only launched at the end of 2017, and founded by Latvian entrepreneur Boris Hodakel, Sewport has attracted more than 500 manufacturers and suppliers, as well as more than 4,000 brands internationally.
The company connects small to medium sized fashion brands and budding designers with manufacturers at all stages of development, enabling them to bring their designs to life in an easy and cost-effective way. Boris started the company after working with luxury high fashion brands and realising there was a gap
Dow Schofield Watts Angels – the Northern angel network – has completed its second deal, with a GBP300,000 investment in Miribase Limited, the company behind the Shopblocks e-commerce platform.
Over 25 angel investors took part in the funding round, which will be used to accelerate Shopblocks’ revenues by investment in new sales and marketing resources.
The Shopblocks platform provides a hosted website and online shop solution for SMEs. Shopblocks makes it possible for businesses to launch a bespoke website in an easy and cost-effective way. It fills a gap in the market between inflexible, template-based platforms and custom-built websites
Private equity firm The Riverside Company has added Applied Logic to its Censis Technologies platform.
Headquartered in St Louis, Applied Logic provides software and third-party hardware used in the sterile processing department (SPD) of hospitals and medical facilities. The company’s products assist with SPD workflows, tracking surgical inventory and alerting staff to issues such as insufficient sterilisation and missing items following surgery.
“Given the similarities between the two businesses, the combination of Censis and Applied Logic will create a very innovative offering,” says Riverside Managing Partner Loren Schlachet. “With its blue-chip customer base and compelling recurring revenue model, Applied
Dallas-based private equity firm CenterOak Partners’ portfolio company Aakash Chemicals & Dye-Stuffs has acquired Sandream Impact, a supplier of colourants and other specialty chemicals to the cosmetic, personal care, and nutritional markets. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Sandream Impact serves a broad base of customers across the United States, Canada, and Europe, offering a comprehensive line of pearlescent pigments, nutraceuticals, and cosmetic actives. The acquisition of Sandream Impact by Aakash Chemicals brings a highly complementary focus on colorants and cosmetics and expands the product line of Aakash Chemicals in the special effect pearlescent pigments category.
“CenterOak has a
IW Capital has today announced senior loan funding of GBP1.1 million to assist in the acquisition of Troika Systems, a specialist supplier to the printing and packaging industry, by Fresh Equity Limited.
Troika Systems Ltd is a long-established and award-winning UK manufacturer and distributor of 2D and 3D microscope scanning and management systems. Fresh Equity Limited, a Midlands-based SME investor, will be working with the management team to further grow the sector profile of Wiltshire-based Troika and its presence in the global marketplace.
The acquisition marks the first transaction that IW Capital has completed with Fresh Equity. Both parties
Syncron, a provider of cloud-based after-sales service solutions, has secured a USD67 million minority investment from global growth equity firm Summit Partners.
The partnership with Summit Partners will support Syncron’s continued development of its category-leading enterprise SaaS solutions and further expansion of its global operations.
Servitisation – where organisations transition from selling one-off products to selling the output or value that products deliver – is leading manufacturers to evolve their after-sales service operations from reactive, break-fix models focused on repair execution, to a new paradigm focused on dynamic repair prevention and maximising product uptime.
Syncron offers a fully
Global investment bank GCA Altium has advised Deep Sea Electronics (DSE) on the sale of a majority stake to Caledonia Investments plc (Caledonia), for a consideration of GBP162 million.
Investment trust company Caledonia, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, has acquired a majority stake in DSE, a manufacturer of controllers for diesel-powered electricity generators and intelligent battery chargers, as it looks to expand its global presence.
Founded in 1975, DSE operates globally, providing products to support public sector infrastructure projects and defence applications, as well as diverse applications across industry sectors, including oil and gas, telecoms, construction,
Private equity firm The Riverside Company has invested in Woon-Tech, a Boston, Massachusetts, manufacturer of specialty glass for shower enclosures and other residential and commercial applications. Woon-Tech is an add-on to Riverside’s Cardinal platform.
Riverside invested in Louisville, Kentucky-based Cardinal in early 2018. The company manufactures and provides glass products for residential, hospitality and light commercial use. The addition of Woon-Tech complements Cardinal’s product portfolio and will expand its geographic footprint.
“With quick lead times, expansive capabilities and consistent quality, Woon-Tech has quickly developed a strong reputation in the Northeast,” said Riverside Managing Partner Suzy Kriscunas. “We’re excited to
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