US

FlyHomes locks in $4 mln total

FlyHomes, a real estate and technology company, has raised a total of $4 million, which includes $2 million in Series A funding. Mark Vadon led the investment round with participation from Pritzker Group Venture Capital and Al Goldstein, the CEO and co-founder of Avant. In conjunction with the funding, Vadon will join FlyHomes' board of directors.

Frontier Venture Capital raises $2.1 mln toward $25 mln fund

Frontier Venture Capital has raised $2.1 million toward a $25 million early stage venture-capital fund, according to a filing with the SEC.

Biotech company Visterra scores $46.7 mln Series C

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Visterra Inc, a biotech company, has closed its Series C funding round at $46.7 million. The investors included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MRL Ventures Fund, Vertex Venture Holdings Ltd., Polaris Partners, Flagship Pioneering, Omega Funds, Cycad Group and Alexandria Venture Investments.

Vestagen hauls in $9.5 mln

Orlando, Florida-based Vestagen Protective Technologies Inc, a maker of advanced performance textile products and technologies, has raised $9.5 million in financing. The investors were Advent Life Sciences, HealthQuest Capital,Greenline Ventures, Northwell Ventures and Mercy Health of Cincinnati.

Macrolide Pharmaceuticals names two to board

Watertown, Massachusetts-based Macrolide Pharmaceuticals, a developer of antibiotics for for drug-resistant, hospital-acquired infections, has appointed Christopher Viehbacher and Dr. Markus Goebel to its board of directors. Viehbacher is a managing partner at Gurnet Point Capital and chairman of Boston Pharmaceuticals while Goebel is a managing director at Novartis Venture Fund.

Gavl lands $1.8 mln Series A

Gavl, a Australian live auctions company, has raised $1.8 million in Series A funding. The investor was Harris Capital.

Ulrich joins FirstMark as MD

New York City-based FirstMark Capital, an early-stage venture firm, has hired Catherine Ulrich as a managing director, according to a company announcement. Previously, she was chief product officer at Shutterstock.

VC-backed Rhythm Pharmaceuticals goes public

Boston-based Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Inc, a developer of peptide therapeutics that treats rare genetic deficiencies, has debuted its IPO after pricing its over 7 million shares at $17 per share. The stock began trading October 5, 2017 on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "RYTM." Morgan Stanley, BofA Merrill Lynch and Cowen are the lead underwriters. Rhythm Pharmaceuticals' pre-IPO backers include New Enterprise Associates, Third Rock Ventures, MPM Capital, OrbiMed and Pfizer.

Insurance rating and educational platform Clearsurance takes in $4 mln Series A

Newburyport, Massachusetts-based Clearsurance, a rating and educational platform for the insurance industry, has raised $4 million in Series A funding. The investors included Davis Capital Partners.

Palleon Pharmaceuticals attracts $47.6 mln Series A

Waltham, Massachusetts-based Palleon Pharmaceuticals, a developer of glycoimmune checkpoint inhibitors that treat cancer, has closed $47.6 million in Series A financing. The investors were SR One, Pfizer Ventures, Vertex Ventures HC, Takeda Ventures and AbbVie Ventures.