Verve Ventures

Our portfolio company tozero has closed an 11m $ Seed round led by NordicNinja VC. The company is the first and only battery recycler in Europe successfully supplying customers with its recycled lithium, utilized in end products sold worldwide. IQT (In-Q-Tel), Honda, JGC and existing investors participated in the round, too. The funding will be used to build tozero’s first industrial deployment (FOAK) plant, scale commercial production of recycled lithium, and expand the team. Coverage in TechCrunch: https://lnkd.in/d-hP4gEa Read the press release: https://lnkd.in/euBNRwD9 Congratulations, Ksenija, Sarah, and the team! Thomas Meier, Lorenzo Fabritius #cleantech #startup #investment

Our investment team in Zurich is looking for a new colleague with a (scientific) master's degree. The position is for six months, starting in March 2025. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/ezEfEnu5 Why we think the brightest students should consider a career in venture capital: https://lnkd.in/gBBnZRRD The picture was taken at our recent off-site. However, the view from our office is also impressive.

Our portfolio company, Nuclera, raised a USD 75m Series C financing round led by Elevage Medical Technologies. Cambridge Innovation Capital, British Patient Capital, and existing investors participated. Pharma companies spend billions on protein synthesis, a manual process that requires weeks or months of manipulating and growing host cells to produce the proteins of interest. Nuclera’s eProtein Discovery system is designed to speed up protein expression and purification in research labs, including those using AI for protein design. The system reduces the time and cost of these processes by automating construct screening, allowing for protein scale-up, and producing milligram amounts of protein in less than 48 hours. The eProtein Discovery system has already been installed at contract research organizations (CROs), biotech and biopharma companies, and leading academic institutes. Press release: https://lnkd.in/eVfxCw8D

We have participated in the first close of the USD 8M Series B funding round for Retinai, alongside Sanoptis, THINC Ventures (Topcon Healthcare), and Zürcher Kantonalbank. This investment reinforces our commitment to advancing AI-driven solutions in ophthalmology, optometry, and beyond. By supporting RetinAI/Ikerian, we are helping accelerate the development of their powerful platforms— RetinAI Discovery® and Discovery CONNECT™— which are set to revolutionize data connectivity and enhance patient care across European clinics. RetinAI is also broadening its reach into new therapeutic areas, including neurodegenerative disorders and rare diseases, through its mother brand, Ikerian. It is leveraging real-world evidence (RWE) and AI to transform healthcare decision-making. Press release: https://lnkd.in/ei8x7-w6

Somagenetix raises CHF 10m Series A led by Vi Partners. The company appoints Andrin Oswald as CEO. Somagenetix develops a gene therapy against a group of inherited immunodeficiencies called CGD. The condition is characterized by genetic defects that affect a type of white blood cells called phagocytes. Co-founder Prof. Janine Reichenbach said: "My team at the University of Zurich has developed a best-in-class gene therapy platform for phagocytes, and achieved successful preclinical validation of our approach." The funds will be used to advance the company to the clinical stage. Full press release: https://lnkd.in/erzhw7zf

Last week, our portfolio company Orakl Oncology won the Grand Prix in the Pharmacy and Biotechnology category of the i-Lab startup competition organized by the Gouvernement of France in collaboration with Bpifrance and the The French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME). Orakl Oncology was selected among 177 projects and is one of the 10 Grand Prix i-Lab winners that will be supported through #France2030. Congratulations to CEO Fanny Jaulin, PhD and the entire Orakl team! Since 1999, the i-Lab innovation competition has enabled the creation of more than 2,000 companies. A true springboard for deep tech entrepreneurs, it successfully fulfills its role in identifying innovative business projects in France. You can see the full list of the 2024 winners here (French): https://lnkd.in/e-gwgc7W #oncology #ilab2024 #grandprix #startupnews #innovation #technology #drugdevelopment

Verve Ventures enlarges its climate tech portfolio and invests in Phlair's EUR 14.5m Seed round. Phlair's hydrolyzer-based Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology enables scalable and low-cost CO₂ capture from ambient air. The system employs a pH-swing mechanism for efficient CO₂ capture and release. Malte Feucht, Paul Teufel and Steffen Garbe founded the Munich-based startup in 2022. Phlair serves prominent carbon removal customers, including Shopify, Stripe, Klarna, and Deep Sky. Extantia led the round, which included Planet A Ventures and a EUR 2.5m grant from the EIC accelerator program. Existing investors: Atlantic Labs, Counteract and UnternehmerTUM Funding for Innovators. Read more about the technology in TechCrunch: https://lnkd.in/dbbK_6xS Verve Ventures climate and energy practice: Thomas Meier, Lorenzo Fabritius.

This week, pharma and medical imaging startup and Verve Ventures portfolio company MedTrace Pharma A/S announced the appointment of Nicholas Borys, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr Borys has extensive global experience in leading clinical research and drug development programs for innovative therapies and diagnostics in cardiology, oncology, neurology, and nuclear medicine. He has spent 15 years as Executive Vice President and CMO at the Nasdaq-listed pharma company IMUNON and now joins MedTrace after having spent the last two years as a Consulting Chief Medical Officer at NB&C Consulting. At MedTrace he will be responsible for the successful completion of the company’s Phase III Clinical Trial. Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/dMQvTvRP #newhire #startupnews #health #medtech #medicalimaging #pharma

Last week, Verve Ventures Principal Romeo Bütler emphasized the crucial need for the investor ecosystem to grasp the multifaceted value of water during the Investing in Water Innovation session organized by UpLink - World Economic Forum. Hosted by Anna Huber, Project Lead Innovation Ecosystems at UpLink, and featuring insights from UpLink Aquapreneur Catalina Pfenniger, Strategy Director at Kran Nanobubble, and Kelven Lam, Investment Manager at Emerald Technology Ventures, the session delved into the untapped potential of water innovation investment. Watch the full session: https://lnkd.in/d-KSAAUz #waterinnovation #investmentopportunities #sustainability #water #innovation

Spine surgery specialist and Verve Ventures portfolio company Neo Medical announced today the successful closing of its Series B financing round, including the conversion of existing shareholder loans. With this financing round, Neo has secured an additional equity investment of up to USD 68 million to accelerate its global growth. The round was led by Gyrus Capital, alongside the participation of existing investors, including Verve Ventures and Neo founders Vincent Lefauconnier and Jonas Larsson. This landmark round is one of the most significant in the spine industry in the last decade. Congratulations to the whole Neo team! The proceeds will be used to increase Neo’s market share in key regions with an immediate focus on expanding the US business, deploying new, complementary, and disruptive products, and enhancing the capabilities of its unique AI-driven augmented reality intraoperative data platform, ADVISE™. Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/dqv-jbZa #fundingnews #health #spinesurgery #surgery #medicaldevices #startupnews