US

Therachon takes in $60 mln

Basel, Switzerland-based Therachon, a biotechnology company focused on rare diseases, has closed $60 million in financing. Novo Holdings led the round with participation from Cowen Healthcare Investments, Pfizer Ventures, Tekla Capital Management LLC, Versant Ventures, OrbiMed, Bpifrance and Inserm Transfert Initiative.

Investor group commits $30 mln to merged OvaScience and Millendo

An investor syndicate that includes New Enterprise Associates, Frazier Healthcare Partners, Roche Venture Fund, Innobio managed by Bpifrance, Osage University Partners, Altitude Life Science Ventures, Adams Street Partners, and Longwood Fund has committed to invest $30 million in the newly merged OvaScienceSM and Millendo Therapeutics. OvaScience is a developer of treatments for women and couples struggling with infertility while Millendo Therapeutics Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on treating orphan endocrine diseases. The newly combined company is expected to operate under the name Millendo Therapeutics and trade on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "MLND."

Modulus Discovery snags $7.2 mln Series A

Tokyo-based Modulus Discovery Inc, an early-stage drug discovery company, has secured about $7.2 million in Series A funding. Fast Track Initiative Inc led the round with participation from PeptiDream Inc and DBJ Capital Co. Ltd, the venture capital subsidiary of Development Bank of Japan.

Akili Interactive nabs $13 mln

Boston and San Francisco Bay Area-based Akili Interactive, a prescription digital medicine company, has secured $13 million in funding. The investors included CLSA, Omidyar Technology Ventures, Digital Garage Group and Fearless Ventures.

Pie Insurance raises $11 mln from Greycroft, Aspect Ventures, Sirius Group, Moxley Holdings, Elefund

Pie Insurance said it raised $11 million of Series A capital in a round led by Greycroft and joined by Aspect Ventures and existing investors Sirius Group, Moxley Holdings, and Elefund.

Stealth company Kebotix announces $5 mln seed round

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Kebotix, a materials discovery company that’s still in stealth, announced it has raised more than $5 million in seed-stage funding. One Way Ventures, the Boston firm founded by two former directors of Techstars, led the round. The company was founded last year by a group of Harvard University scientists, including Professor Alán Aspuru-Guzik, who has since left Harvard for the University of Toronto. Kebotix is led by CEO Jill Becker, who is listed as a venture partner at NextGen Venture Partners.

Naspers commits to invest $500 mln in letgo

New York-based letgo, which operates a peer-to-peer marketplace to buy and sell goods locally, announced that Naspers has committed to invest $500 million into the company, $150 million of which was transferred earlier this summer. The company, founded in 2015, previously raised more than $475 million from Naspers, Accel, Insight Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, 14W, Eight Roads Ventures and other investors.

Strategic Healthcare Investment Partners to raise $125 mln venture-capital fund

Strategic Healthcare Investment Partners has set out to raise a $125 million venture-capital fund, according to a filing with the SEC.

DNAlite Therapeutics fetches $1.5 mln

DNAlite Therapeutics Inc, an gastrointestinal gene therapy biotech startup, has raised $1.5 million in seed financing. Berkeley Catalyst Fund led the round with participation from University of California Berkeley, Blue Bear Ventures, SOSV, the Baldota family, BrightGene and SVE Capital.

Spark Neuro collects $13.5 mln Series A

New York City-based Spark Neuro, a research firm that evaluates audience engagement in advertising and entertainment, has secured $13.5 million Series A financing. Thiel Capital led the round with participation from actor/producer Will Smith and Michael Eisner's Tornante Company.