De financiering zal ViAqua de mogelijkheid bieden om zijn eerste product op de markt te brengen, te investeren in R&D voor toekomstige producten en het vermogen van het platform te bewijzen om op RNA gebaseerde oplossingen op schaal te leveren.

HAIFA, Israël, 5 september 2023 — ViAqua Therapeutics, een biotechnologiebedrijf en ontwikkelaar van een platform voor oraal toegediende RNA-deeltjes ter bevordering en verbetering van de diergezondheid in de aquacultuur, heeft bekendgemaakt de financieringsronde van USD 8,25 miljoen te hebben afgerond onder leiding van S2G Ventures en met deelname van Rabo Ventures, The Trendlines Group Ltd., Agriline Limited, Nutreco, I-Lab Angels en Circle Investments LLC.

Aquacultuur is essentieel voor het verbeteren van de voedselzekerheid, het bieden van een gezonde en duurzame voedselbron en het beschermen van wilde visbestanden in het licht van de groeiende vraag naar mariene eiwitten. Maar volgens een analyse van Kontali is ziektebeheer op dit moment het grootste probleem waarmee de aquacultuursector te maken heeft, met een economische impact van meer dan USD 8,5 miljard voor alleen al de garnalenindustrie.

Om dit probleem aan te pakken heeft ViAqua een op biotechnologie gebaseerd platform voor orale toediening ontwikkeld voor het gericht toedienen van op RNA gebaseerde oplossingen om de ziekteresistentie in de aquacultuur te verbeteren.

“Oraal toedienen is de heilige graal van de gezondheidsontwikkeling in de aquacultuur, omdat het onmogelijk is om garnalen individueel te vaccineren, maar ook de operationele kosten van ziektebeheer substantieel te verlagen en tegelijkertijd de resultaten te verbeteren”, aldus Shai Ufaz, CEO van ViAqua. “We zijn verheugd met de marktintroductie van deze technologie om tegemoet te komen aan de behoefte aan betaalbare ziekteoplossingen in de aquacultuur.”

Vooral garnalen, een van de meest geconsumeerde zeevruchten ter wereld, zijn erg vatbaar voor ziekten vanwege hun gebrek aan adaptieve immuunsystemen, en er zijn momenteel geen producten beschikbaar tegen garnalenziekten. Het eerste product van het bedrijf is een voedingssupplement om de weerstand tegen virale infecties bij garnalen te vergroten, waarbij de eerste toepassing zich richt op het White Spot Virus (WSSV), dat een jaarlijks verlies van ongeveer USD 3 miljard veroorzaakt en een vermindering van 15 procent in de wereldwijde garnalenproductie. Deze oplossing zal garnalenkwekers de broodnodige productiestabiliteit bieden en tegelijkertijd de mogelijkheid creëren om de productie per bedrijf te verhogen zonder het ziekterisico te vergroten.

“Aquacultuur is van cruciaal belang voor de duurzame aanvoer van mariene eiwitten”, zegt Kate Danaher, algemeen directeur van het Ocean and Seafood-fonds van S2G Ventures. “Met de platformtechnologie zal ViAqua verder kunnen gaan dan WSSV en tal van andere ziekten in de aquacultuur kunnen aanpakken, waarbij het nog jaren duurt voordat soortgelijke technologieën de markt bereiken.”

ViAqua produceert zijn capsuleproducten met behulp van commerciële, industriële processen en schaalt de productie op om zijn eerste product op de markt te brengen. Met plannen om de productie in India begin 2024 te starten, is het bedrijf een commercieel samenwerkingsverband aangegaan via een gezamenlijke ontwikkelings- en marketingovereenkomst met Skretting, een Nutreco-bedrijf, om het product op de markt te brengen. Terwijl ViAqua zich momenteel richt op de garnalenproductie, heeft de toedieningstechnologie talloze toepassingen in de aquacultuur en daarbuiten, die het bedrijf graag wil verkennen.

“We zijn echt enthousiast over het potentieel van ViAqua’s technologie vanwege de waarde die het ontsluit voor de planeet en de garnalenkwekers. Ziekten veroorzaken sterftecijfers tot wel 50%, wat ertoe leidt dat jaarlijks 25-30% van de garnalenkwekerijen failliet gaat. Dit is enorm onproductief en schaadt veel bestaansmiddelen,” legt Shishir Sinha, investeringsdirecteur bij Rabo Ventures, uit. “De aquacultuurspecialisten van onze bank, Gorjan Nikolik en Novel Sharma, waren onder de indruk van de baanbrekende impact van een oplossing voor een probleem dat de sector al decennialang teistert en dat een betekenisvol verschil kan maken in het leven van de kleine garnalenkwekers, die 80% van het aanbod vertegenwoordigen.”

Over ViAqua Therapeutics

ViAqua is opgericht om tegemoet te komen aan de groeiende behoefte aan effectief, specifiek en betaalbaar gezondheidsbeheer van ziekten in de aquacultuur. Een van de grootste uitdagingen bij de overgang naar een duurzame aquacultuur is de preventie en de behandeling van ziekten. ViAqua ontwikkelt een op biotechnologie gebaseerd platform voor het oraal toedienen van op nucleïnezuur gebaseerde oplossingen ter bevordering van de gezondheid bij mariene soorten.

Over S2G Ventures:

S2G Ventures, het directe investeringsteam van Builders Vision, werkt samen met ondernemers die werken aan oplossingen voor enkele van ‘s werelds grootste uitdagingen op het gebied van voedsel, landbouw, oceanen en schone energie. Wij bieden kapitaal, mentorschap en middelen met toegevoegde waarde aan bedrijven die innovatieve, commerciële oplossingen nastreven die positieve sociale, ecologische en financiële rendementen genereren. Wij bieden onze partners flexibele kapitaaloplossingen die kunnen variëren van start- en durffinanciering via groeikapitaal tot schuld- en infrastructuurfinanciering. Ga voor meer informatie over S2G naar s2gventures.com of volg ons op LinkedIn.

Over Rabo Ventures:

Rabo Ventures, onderdeel van de Rabobank, werkt samen met startende bedrijven in de hele waardeketen om hun groeiambities te ondersteunen en de vitale transities mogelijk te maken die nodig zijn in de wereldwijde voedsel- en landbouwindustrie. We investeren in geweldige managementteams die oplossingen ontwikkelen voor echte problemen, met de nadruk op het stimuleren van innovatie en duurzaamheid. Met een lokale aanwezigheid in 25 landen en ruim 100 toegewijde sectorspecialisten en onderzoekers is de Rabobank wereldleider op het gebied van Food & Agriculture banking. Als onderdeel van de captive investment-franchise van de Rabobank, Rabo Investments, maken we gebruik van het platform, de kennis en het netwerk van de banken om uw bedrijf te ondersteunen en te laten groeien en tegelijkertijd de van belang zijnde transities te versnellen.

Mediacontact:
Ally Dunne
Ally.Dunne@zenogroup.com

SOURCE ViAqua Therapeutics

NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 — The Shipyard, advised by JEGI CLARITY, has received an investment from Alaris Equity Partners.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Columbus, OH, The Shipyard is an integrated marketing agency renowned for “Engineering Brand Love” by uniquely combining data science with integrated media, creative, and analytical processes to discover and engage all relevant audience segments via omnichannel marketing campaigns, driving marketing outcomes and accelerating brand growth. The Company’s audience discovery approach, “No Customer Left Behind”, is supported by a proprietary data intelligence engine, The Helm, combined with a full-suite of end to-end, agency of record marketing solutions to drive measurable and sustainable results for brands. The Shipyard has developed vertical expertise across highly attractive sectors, including Travel & Tourism, Financial & Professional Services, Energy & Sustainability, and Consumer Packaged Goods/Retail, with significant runway and ongoing initiatives to further penetrate each.

This new partnership will enable The Shipyard to strengthen their current offerings and expand their presence in the market. Rick Milenthal, Chairman & CEO of The Shipyard said, “The Alaris investment model is perfect for a growing successful company like The Shipyard. They back our team and fuel our growth, fully empowering our management team to do what is best for our people and our clients.”

About JEGI CLARITY
JEGI CLARITY is a pre-eminent M&A advisory firm for the media, marketing, information and technology industries. With a global reach from New York, London, Boston, Sydney and San Francisco, we have closed more than 800 transactions during our 35+ year history. For more information, visit www.jegiclarity.com.

Contact: Kelsey Kovachik, Vice President of Marketing
+1 212 754 0710 | [email protected] | www.jegiclarity.com/

SOURCE JEGI CLARITY

The platform allows companies to spot and react to current consumer trends, by providing AI-generated product attributes from titles, descriptions, ingredients, reviews, and more

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2023 — Harmonya, a software company transforming CPG and retail with AI-powered product data, announced today their $20M Series A, bringing their total funding to $25M. The round was led by Bright Pixel Capital with the participation of existing investor Team8, as well as Arc Investors, J Ventures, Silicon Road Ventures, Allen & Company, LiveRamp Ventures, and Susa Ventures. The funds will be used to further develop Harmonya’s proprietary generative AI technology, enhance its suite of tools, and scale its go-to-market operations.

The current product data infrastructure used by major retailers and consumer packaged goods companies relies on outdated, static data models that lack a granular understanding of individual products. “When a new consumer trend emerges, like Sustainability or Wellness, CPGs and retailers need to go over all of their existing products after the fact and manually add attributes to each,” said Cem Kent, CEO and Co-Founder of Harmonya. “This limits their ability to quickly identify and respond to emerging consumer preferences, power accurate demand forecasting, and create tailored shopping experiences.”

Harmonya offers an AI-powered product data enrichment, categorization, and insights platform for retailers and brands. The solution harnesses the power of cutting-edge generative AI and large language models to dynamically surface product attributes from a wide range of sources. Harmonya’s platform helps its users identify consumer drivers of market performance, uncover category insights, optimize assortment and merchandising, guide innovation, and automate the process of product coding.

“The CPG and retail industries are vast and ever-changing, presenting countless opportunities for innovation–especially in the area of product data, where current approaches and technology don’t meet the standards of modern data-driven organizations,” said Francisco Nunes of Bright Pixel Capital. “Harmonya’s groundbreaking platform positions the company as a key player in unlocking the untapped potential within these industries, bringing them closer to how consumers perceive and experience products.”

Harmonya’s customers include four of the top ten global CPGs as well as some of the largest US retailers. The company has grown its customer base significantly in the first half of the year, serving data teams in HQ as well as customer teams working directly with merchants and buyers. Harmonya’s proprietary technology ingests information from millions of online product listings and creates unique tags from titles, descriptions, ingredients, consumer reviews, and more, and relies on a proprietary large-language model trained on their retail-specific data repository.

“Bright Pixel Capital’s deep understanding of retail and CPG technology further validates the transformative potential of the Harmonya platform,” said Cem Kent. “This investment will help us further our mission to bridge the gap between legacy product data, which lacks descriptive and diagnostic power and limits what organizations can do, and the modern need for a dynamic product language to power more impactful analytics and decision-making.”

“We’ve been looking closely at potential uses of data technologies and data infrastructure,” said Yuval Shachar, Managing Partner and Executive Chairman of Team8. “It was clear to us that there’s a market need for a company to disrupt the space in the retail industry and unlock tremendous value by adapting product data for the AI era. Harmonya is doing just that, and we are glad to partner with Harmonya’s great team, as part of Team8’s unique company-building model, to help retailers and CPGs gain a consumer-centric perspective in a modern, AI-powered fashion.”

About Harmonya

Harmonya is the all-in-one AI-powered product data enrichment, categorization, and insights platform for retailers and brands. Based in New York with an office in Tel Aviv, the company builds revolutionary technologies and tools to help its customers realize their full potential through deeper product understanding. Harmonya transforms static, commoditized product data into a dynamic resource to enrich, categorize, and draw insights from products and help Fortune 500 CPGs and retailers grow their businesses.

To learn more, please visit: www.harmonya.com.

About Bright Pixel Capital (formerly Sonae IM)

Bright Pixel Capital, formerly known as Sonae IM, is the technology investment arm of the multinational group Sonae. With a special focus on cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and retail technologies, it has a portfolio of more than 50 companies, from early to growth stages. Bright Pixel Capital acts as a partner that brings specialized know-how, a global footprint, and a wealth of experience in helping companies from early stage to IPO.

Find out more at brpx.com.

About Team8

Team8 Group is a global Company-Building and Venture Capital group that creates and invests in companies focusing on Cybersecurity, Data & AI, Fintech, and Digital Health.

Team8’s signature foundry model is designed to identify meaningful problems, create theses on potential solutions, and build innovative companies that tackle these challenges.

Team8 foundry model leverages an in-house multi-disciplinary team of more than 90 company-builders located in Tel Aviv and New York, together with dedicated communities of global C-level executives and thought leaders grouped as Team8 domain-focused villages.

Visit www.team8.vc to learn more.

SOURCE Harmonya

NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2023 — Madison International Realty, a leading liquidity provider to real estate investors worldwide, announced the final closing of Madison International Real Estate Liquidity Fund VIII, its latest commingled investment vehicle, with $1.7 billion of equity commitments, including side cars, co-investment vehicles and general partner commitments.

“In the midst of a volatile market and an extremely challenging fundraising climate, investors have continued to demonstrate confidence in Madison’s differentiated strategy,” said Ronald M. Dickerman, Madison International Realty Founder and President. “We are gratified with the robust support we have received from both returning and new investors for Madison VIII’s capital raise.  Madison’s direct secondary investment strategy is targeted to be counter-cyclical, allowing us to leverage opportunities in rapidly changing economic conditions.

“Given our position as a liquidity provider, we have been able to make well-timed investments and increase our allocations to tech enabled, growth oriented real estate asset classes,” Dickerman said.

Madison International Realty focuses on the acquisition of ownership stakes in prime properties and portfolios in demographically compelling geographies of the US, UK, and Europe. Madison VIII is invested or specified in several diversified investments in the multi-family, industrial, cold storage, single family rental, life science, and data center sectors across the US, UK, and Europe.

Madison VIII investors include endowments, foundations, public and private pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, insurance companies and high net worth individuals in the US, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia.

About Madison International Realty
Madison International Realty (www.madisonint.com) is a leading liquidity provider to real estate investors worldwide. Madison provides equity capital for real estate owners and investors seeking to monetize embedded equity, replace capital partners seeking an exit or to recapitalize balance sheets. The firm provides equity for recapitalizations, partner buyouts and capital infusions; and acquires joint venture, limited partner and co-investment interests as principals. In addition, Madison provides strategic growth capital to established, middle-market real estate operating platforms, seeking to accelerate their growth and investment programs. Madison has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Luxembourg, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt, where the firm operates under the name of Madison International Realty GmbH.

SOURCE Madison International Realty

LISBON, Portugal, Sept. 5, 2023 — APEX, an athlete-driven investment company, today announced the launch of its new €50 million Elite Performance Fund. This investment vehicle is poised to reshape the landscape of sports, media, and entertainment by channeling the expertise and vision of world-renowned athletes such as Formula 1 sensations Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz and FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League winner Raphaël Varane. 

The fund’s core philosophy revolves around fostering innovative solutions that redefine the boundaries of the sports, media, and entertainment industries. Investors gain privileged access to a diverse portfolio meticulously managed by APEX’s team of experts known for their credibility and ability to find the right opportunities in the market.

Also joining the list of star investors are, among others, F1’s Valtteri Bottas, international footballers Christian Eriksen and Daley Blind and surfer Kanoa Igarashi.

APEX CEO António Caçorino said, “This fund fuses the drive, dedication, and performance mindset of athletes with forward-looking investment strategies. Unlike typical investors, our roots, experience, and insights come directly from the sports world. Athletes aren’t just our capital sources; they’re our partners.”

Lando Norris, McLaren Formula 1 driver: “As an athlete, I’m always focused on performing at my best, so it’s going to be exciting to apply this perspective when I’m working alongside APEX to drive innovation in the sports, media and entertainment space.”

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1 driver: “Being deeply involved in sports has given me a unique perspective on its landscape. With APEX’s guidance, I’m tapping into that insight to discover exciting investment opportunities. It’s not just about capital for me; it’s about strategically positioning myself as a genuine contributor in the sports investment world.”

Raphaël Varane, Manchester United and France international: “I have been investing in startups for some time now. Gaining access to the right opportunities is paramount. By joining APEX, I will not only be able to access the right opportunities, on top of that I can share my investment experiences with other athletes and learn from theirs. A powerful and exciting combination.”

Kanoa Igarashi, WSL Surfer, Olympic medalist: “By partnering with APEX, I can invest and collaborate with companies that have the potential to shape the future of sports. I believe that through my experiences as a professional athlete, I can add unique insights as an investor.”

The Portuguese investment company has already invested in other elite sports ventures such as TMRW SPORTS’ Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy (https://tmrwsportsgroup.com/tmrw-sports-adds-all-star-investors).

SOURCE APEX

SINGAPORE and MUMBAI, India, Sept. 5, 2023 — IndoSpace, the largest investor, developer, and operator of grade A industrial and logistics real estate in India, is pleased to announce the successful completion of its second round of fundraising for IndoSpace Logistics Parks IV (“ILP IV”), securing an additional USD 150 million in investment. The round was led by the Qatar Investment Authority (“QIA”), and Grosvenor’s Diversified Property Investments business.

Following the initial close of USD 243 million, this second round of funding increases the fund size to USD 393 million and demonstrates the continued confidence and support from leading global investors in IndoSpace’s advanced approach to industrial real estate development in India.

QIA and Grosvenor’s participation in this round reflects the attractive opportunity to develop modern grade A industrial and logistic parks in the world’s fastest growing large economy. The funds raised in this round will continue to advance IndoSpace’s mission of developing state-of-the-art industrial and logistics parks across the top 8 markets in India.

With a strong focus on sustainability and modern design, IndoSpace provides world-class infrastructure and tailored solutions to meet the evolving needs of businesses operating in the e-commerce, manufacturing, retail, and logistics sectors.

IndoSpace has a proven track record of leveraging its deep understanding of market dynamics and strong industry relationships to deliver returns to investors while also driving economic growth and job creation in India.

ILP IV will add an additional 25-30 million square feet to the IndoSpace portfolio, furthering IndoSpace’s leading position in the Indian market. ILP IV will focus on India’s largest logistics real estate markets: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune. The establishment of ILP IV follows on from the first three development funds, which have a combined total of 58 million square feet of modern logistics real estate in India completed and under development.

About Qatar Investment Authority

Qatar Investment Authority (“QIA”) is the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar. QIA was founded in 2005 to invest and manage the state reserve funds. QIA is among the largest and most active sovereign wealth funds globally. QIA invests across a wide range of asset classes and regions as well as in partnership with leading institutions around the world to build a global and diversified investment portfolio with a long-term perspective that can deliver sustainable returns and contribute to the prosperity of the State of Qatar.

About Grosvenor Diversified Property Investments

Grosvenor Diversified Property Investments backs local partners globally, who share Grosvenor’s core values, have specialist expertise and a demonstrable investment track record. The team sits within the wider Grosvenor business, an international organisation whose activities span urban property, food and agtech, rural estate management and support for philanthropic initiatives. By investing Grosvenor’s own capital alongside local partners who have a clear understanding of the changing demands of real estate in their markets, the business aims to generate strong commercial results, while advancing Grosvenor’s social and environmental ambitions. Since its first partnership in 2012, the team has successfully backed aligned, specialist, local management teams across five continents and in a broad range of sectors including industrial/ logistics, student accommodation, life sciences, healthcare, housing, and offices. Find out more here.

About IndoSpace

IndoSpace (www.indospace.in) is the largest investor, developer, and operator of grade A industrial and logistics real estate in India. IndoSpace has the largest national network of 51 logistics parks with 58 million square feet delivered/under development across 11 cities. With India’s largest and most experienced industrial real estate team, IndoSpace continues to lead the development of key logistics infrastructure for India’s economic growth. For more information, visit www.indospace.in and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2201490/IndoSpace_Park.jpg

SOURCE IndoSpace

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sept. 5, 2023 — BioInnovation Institute (BII), an international non-profit foundation incubating and accelerating world-class life science research, today announces that six companies are to receive additional financial support through its Venture House program, created to further support former Venture Lab companies through their next phase of growth.

The Venture House program provides exclusive follow-on funding in the form of a founder-friendly convertible loan of EUR 1.3M to selected companies that have already participated in the 12-month Venture Lab program created to support business acceleration, scientific and team development. As part of the Venture House program, companies will also take advantage of BII’s extensive network to help establish a strong board, chairman and key scientific advisors. This is the third cohort of companies to be accepted into the Venture House program since its launch in August 2022.

To support product innovation and ecosystem growth, the program consists of four executive sprints, each focused on a key development area to help mature the project and ultimately attract further funding. The first sprint focuses on helping companies develop an operational plan, while the following sprints provide training and support in fundraising, partnership, and leadership.

Bobby Soni, Chief Business Officer at BioInnovation Institute, said: “These six companies have shown promise during their time in the Venture Lab program and collectively align with BII’s focus on providing solutions to benefit people and society. On behalf of the team at BII, we look forward to continuing to work alongside these innovative companies as they mature and attract funding.”

All six companies have partaken in BII’s Venture Lab program that supports business acceleration, scientific development and team development in which each company received a risk-free convertible loan of EUR 500,000 plus access to labs and offices at the BII’s entrepreneurial ecosystem in the center of Copenhagen. Thus, after entering the Venture House program they have received in total EUR 1.8M. The new companies the BII has accepted into the Venture House program are:

• TriptoBIO is developing a high-value plant compound production platform focused on triptolide to liberate the world from rat poison.
• Agrobiomics develops transformative natural solutions, with a vision of securing sustainable food supply, that make agriculture resilient to climate change. The Company’s solutions are affordable and highly potent, thereby enabling growers globally to increase yields of crops affected by abiotic stress such as salinity and drought.
• MATR Foods is producing delicious new plant food from the side streams of the current food industry.
• HHC Medical is building a platform technology for non-viral delivery of genetic therapies. The approach will enable genetic therapies to be delivered very specifically to a target volume anywhere in the body.
• Solid Therapeutics is developing novel cancer therapeutics with dual performance targeting cancer cells and immune cells to treat solid tumors.
• FimmCyte is dedicated to developing tailored women’s health therapeutics. FimmCyte’s lead program, FMC2, is a first-in-class disease-modifying treatment for endometriosis. FimmCyte is jointly supported by BII and Ferring Pharmaceuticals through a strategic collaboration.

Since its inception in 2018, BII has supported 87 start-ups and projects with EUR 85 million alongside the venture capital, industry and business expertise it provides to help them accelerate to the next level. In total, BII’s start-ups have raised over EUR 424 million in external funding from both local and international investors. Recent company successes include Embark Laboratories, Adcendo, Stipe Therapeutics, Twelve Bio, Octarine Bio, and Cirqle Biomedical.

Read more about the Venture House program here.

About the BioInnovation Institute Foundation:

At BioInnovation Institute (BII), we accelerate world-class life science start-up innovation for the benefit of people and society. As a non-profit institute, BII operates the company creation programs, Bio Studio, Venture Lab and Venture House, to support life science start-ups with knowledge, network, infrastructure and funding of up to 3M EUR per projects and 1,8 M EUR per start-up. With our expertise, network, funding, and infrastructure, we empower startups to succeed and believe in the transformative power of life science innovation. Read more on www.bioinnovationinstitute.com 

SOURCE BioInnovation Institute

LUND, Sweden, Sept. 5, 2023 — Swedish semiconductor trailblazer, AlixLabs, has successfully secured SEK 40 million in funding to accelerate their pioneering work. Specializing in semiconductor advancements, AlixLabs has developed a revolutionary Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) Pitch Splitting technology (APS), which has attracted substantial investment from notable backers including Navigare Ventures, Industrifonden, and FORWARD.one. This marks a significant step towards transforming semiconductor manufacturing by making it more energy-efficient and cost-effective.

The semiconductor industry has long faced challenges related to escalating expenses, particularly due to the high costs of Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV) equipment and has an escalating need for energy-efficient alternatives and more sustainable practices. AlixLabs is disrupting the semiconductor landscape with their innovative approach to manufacturing. Through their ALE Pitch Splitting technology (APS), they enable the precise division of nanostructures while significantly reducing energy consumption and emissions. This breakthrough has now caught the attention of investors, as it addresses the rising costs associated with current manufacturing techniques.

Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs, stated: “The investment plays a pivotal role in propelling our company towards scalable success. The infusion of capital not only validates our vision but also empowers us to bring our groundbreaking technology to the forefront of semiconductor manufacturing. This investment marks a significant milestone as we work towards our goal: to have our meticulously developed process adopted by circuit manufacturers in their most advanced production by 2025. With this support, we are forging a path to transform the semiconductor landscape and usher in a new era of efficiency and innovation.”

AlixLabs’ innovation arrives at an opportune moment, with the European Union’s ambitious semiconductor initiative, the EU Chips Act, allocating substantial resources for semiconductor companies. With over 43 billion euros earmarked for the next five years, this initiative complements AlixLabs’ mission to drive technological progress and sustainable manufacturing.

Alex Basu, Investment Manager at Navigare Ventures, said: “AlixLabs has taken considerable steps in establishing itself as an emerging equipment manufacturer, contributing to the fast growing European semiconductor industry. We look forward to a continued partnership as they bring their technology to production in the coming years.”

Tobias Elmquist, Senior Investment Director, commented: “At Industrifonden, we’re committed to science-backed, scalable investments that have the power to drive meaningful change in society. AlixLabs is redefining semiconductor manufacturing and we’re proud to support them on their journey towards a more efficient and sustainable industry.”

Arjan Göbel, partner at FORWARD.one:”The technology that AlixLabs has developed solves real problems for its semiconductor customers and adds a lot of value for them by reducing the complexity of making chips and making the process much cheaper while reducing the environmental impact of the process significantly. Doing this with a very skilled and ambitious team, makes it a great investment for FORWARD.one.”

Contact:

Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs, phone +46 767 63 94 67, email [email protected]. 

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE AlixLabs AB

Funding will enable ViAqua to bring its first product to market, invest in R&D for future products, and prove the platform’s ability to deliver RNA-based solutions at scale.

HAIFA, Israel, Sept. 5, 2023 — ViAqua Therapeutics, a biotechnology company and developer of an orally administered RNA-particle platform to promote and improve animal health in aquaculture, announced it has completed a US$8.25M round led by S2G Ventures with participation from Rabo Ventures, The Trendlines Group Ltd., Agriline Limited, Nutreco, I-Lab Angels and Circle Investments LLC.

Aquaculture is essential for improving food security, providing a healthy and sustainable food source, and protecting wild fish stocks in the face of growing demand for marine protein. But disease management is currently the biggest issue facing the aquaculture industry, resulting in more than $8.5 billion in economic impact for the shrimp industry alone, according to an analysis from Kontali.

To address this problem, ViAqua has developed a biotechnology-based oral delivery platform for the targeted administration of RNA-based solutions to improve disease resistance in aquaculture.

“Oral delivery is the holy grail of aquaculture health development due to both the impossibility of vaccinating individual shrimp and its ability to substantially bring down the operational costs of disease management while improving outcomes,” said Shai Ufaz, chief executive officer of ViAqua. “We are excited to bring this technology to market to address the need for affordable disease solutions in aquaculture.”

Shrimp, one of the most widely consumed seafood products globally, in particular, are very susceptible to disease due to their lack of adaptive immune systems, and there are currently no products available that address shrimp disease today. The company’s first product is a feed supplement to enhance resistance to viral infections in shrimp, with the initial application targeting White Spot Virus (WSSV), which causes an annual loss of around $3 billion and a 15 percent reduction in global shrimp production. This solution will provide much-needed production stability for farmers while also creating the opportunity to increase production per farm without increasing disease risk.

“Aquaculture is critical for the sustainable supply of marine protein,” said Kate Danaher, managing director of S2G Ventures’ Ocean and Seafood fund. “ViAqua’s platform technology will enable the company to move beyond WSSV to address numerous other diseases in aquaculture while similar technologies are still years away from reaching the market.”

ViAqua produces its capsule products using commercial, industrial processes and is scaling production to take its first product to market. With plans to begin production in India at the beginning of 2024, the company has established a commercial partnership through a joint development and marketing agreement with Skretting, a Nutreco company, to bring the product to the market. While ViAqua is currently focused on shrimp production, the delivery technology has numerous applications in aquaculture and beyond, which the company is excited to explore.

“We are truly excited by the potential of ViAqua’s technology because of the value it unlocks for the planet and the farmers. Diseases cause mortality rates of up to 50%, which result in 25-30% of shrimp farms failing annually. This is tremendously unproductive and hurts a lot of livelihoods,” explained Shishir Sinha, investment director at Rabo Ventures. “Our bank’s aquaculture specialists Gorjan Nikolik and Novel Sharma were impressed by the game-changing impact potential of having a solution for an issue that has plagued the sector for decades and can make a meaningful difference in the lives of the smallholder farmers, who represent 80% of supply.”

About ViAqua Therapeutics

ViAqua was established to address the growing need for effective, specific, and affordable health management of diseases in aquaculture. One of the major challenges facing the shift to sustainable aquaculture practice is the prevention and treatment of disease. ViAqua is developing a biotechnology-based, oral delivery platform for administration of nucleic acid-based solutions for promoting health in marine species.

About S2G Ventures:

S2G Ventures, the direct investment team of Builders Vision, partners with entrepreneurs who are working on solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges across the food, agriculture, oceans, and clean energy markets. We provide capital, mentorship, and value-added resources to companies pursuing innovative market-based solutions that generate positive social, environmental, and financial returns. We provide our partners with flexible capital solutions that can range from seed and venture funding through growth equity to debt and infrastructure financing. For more information about S2G, visit s2gventures.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.

About Rabo Ventures:

Rabo Ventures, part of Rabobank, partners with early stage companies across the value chain to support their growth ambitions and enable the vital transitions needed in global Food & Agriculture. We invest behind stellar management teams building solutions for real problems with a focus on driving innovation and sustainability. With a local presence in 25 countries and over 100 dedicated sector specialists and researchers, Rabobank is the global leader in Food & Agriculture banking. As part of Rabobank’s captive investment franchise, Rabo Investments, we leverage the banks platform, knowledge and network to help sustain and grow your business while accelerating transitions that matter.

Media Contact:
Ally Dunne
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SOURCE ViAqua Therapeutics