Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Venture Capital
🚑 Electra Therapeutics, an SF-based biotech focused on immunology and cancer, raised a $183m Series C round co-led by Nextech and EQT Life Sciences, with participation from Sanofi, HBM Healthcare Investments and Mubadala Capital. Go deeper
• Shop My Shelf (dba ShopMy), a New York City-based curated commerce infrastructure company, raised $70m at a $1.5b valuation. Avenir led with participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, Sofia Richie, Gregg Renfrew, Raissa Gerona, Alex Mondre of AGM Ventures, Aimee Song and Jacopo Moschin. Go deeper
🚑 Starna Therapeutics, a Chinese biotech focused on mRNA vaccines, raised $44m to advance in vivo CAR-T programs. Go deeper
• GradBridge, a Delaware-based student loan fintech, raised a $20m Series A led by Acorn Investment Partners. Go deeper
🚑 VitriVax, a Boulder, Colo.-based vaccine formulation company, raised a $17.25m Series B co-led by Adjuvant Capital and RA Capital Management. Go deeper
• Wolf Games, an LA-based generative AI gaming company, raised a $9m Series A led by Main Street Advisors. Go deeper
🚑 Ampa, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based brain stimulation company, raised $8.5m led by Nexus NeuroTech Ventures. Satori Capital, Morningside Ventures, Continuum Health Ventures, and the Zabara Foundation participated. Go deeper
⚡️Sizable Energy, a Milan-based ocean energy storage startup, raised $8m led by Playground Global. Go deeper
• Bricklayer AI, an Arlington, Va.-based agentic cybersecurity platform, raised a $5m seed round. Tech Square Ventures led, with participation from Sovereign's Capital, Dreamit Ventures and BlueWing Ventures. Go deeper
🚑 Smartbax, a German biotech focused on antibiotics for drug-resistant bacteria, raised a €4.7m pre-Series A led by Anobis Asset and Bayern Kapital, with participation from UnternehmerTUM Funding for Innovators, HTGF and Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund. Go deeper
Private Equity
• BevLogic, backed by Performant Capital, will acquire select beverage alcohol compliance technology assets from Vista Equity Partners-backed Avalara. Go deeper
🚑 Curewell Capital made a majority investment in Wilmington Pharmatech, a drug manufacturing company. Go deeper
• Ivy Technology, a portfolio company of Staple Street Capital, acquired PureWrx, a provider of certified pre-owned programs offered to original equipment manufacturers. Go deeper
🚑 Frontline Healthcare Partners acquired Integracare, a Canadian private-pay home care company. Go deeper
• OuterBox, backed by WILsquare Capital, acquired Accelerated Digital Media, a digital marketing agency specializing in serving health care and eCommerce. Go deeper
M&A
🚑 Alkermes, an Irish brain drug developer, agreed to acquire Irish biotech Avadel Pharmaceuticals for $18.50 per share, valuing it at $2.1b. Go deeper
🚑 Ipsen, a French pharmaceutical company, acquired ImCheck Therapeutics, a French biotech company focused on oncology. Go deeper
• GE Vernova plans to acquire the remaining 50% stake of Prolec GE from Xignux for $5.3b in cash and debt. Go deeper
• FalconX, backed by Accel, Adams Street Partners, Altimeter Capital, agreed to acquired 21Shares, a Swiss crypto ETP provider backed by Softbank and Cathy Wood last valued at $2b. Go deeper
Fundraising
⚡️ Peregrine Energy Solutions, a Boulder, Colo.-based utility-scale renewables and energy storage developer, raised $130m. Go deeper
• Burnt Island Ventures, a New York-based VC firm focused on early-stage water innovation, raised $50m for its second fund. Go deeper
It's Personnel
⚡️ Dave Ferguson was promoted to co-chief executive officer of Nuro. Ferguson was previously Nuro's president. Go deeper
• Laurence Goldberg, former global head of technology, media and telecom at Barclays Investment Bank, was named president at Eden Global Partners. Go deeper
• Kraft Heinz (Nasdaq: KHC) appointed L. Kevin Cox, Mary Lou Kelley and Tony Palmer to its board. Go deeper
• Perkins Miller, former CEO of Fandom, was named CEO of media company PlayOn Sports. Go deeper
• Adam Sokolic was named head of business operations and integrations at Bluespring Wealth Partners. Rochelle Levy was named chief compliance officer, and William Salmen was named head of mergers and integrations. Go deeper
🚑 Chuck Washburn, former chief revenue officer at BettrAi, was named CRO at Tellihealth. Go deeper
- Ryan Barwick, Natalie Breymeyer, Erin Brodwin, Colin Campbell, Katherine Davis, Katie Fehrenbacher, Ryan Lawler, Chris Metinko, Alan Neuhauser, Dan Primack, and Brock E.W. Turner contributed to this report.
