LifeArc Ventures, which invests in innovative early-stage life science companies as part of LifeArc, has announced significant progress in 2024, with three new investments, several follow-on investments, and scientific advances by a number of its portfolio companies.

4T2 Sensors, a Birmingham-based company developing real-time fluid analysis technology, has secured £800k in seed funding. The round was led by the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (WMCO), managed by Midven (part of Future Planet Capital), alongside Waterpoint Lane and a group of angel investors.

CANADA: Aspect Biosystems, a biotechnology company pioneering the development of bioprinted tissue therapeutics as a new category in regenerative medicine, has announced that it has closed a US$115 million Series B financing round. The financing was led by Dimension, a multistage investment firm dedicated to the interface of technology and the life sciences, with participation from existing and new investors including Novo Nordisk, Radical Ventures, an undisclosed leading global investment firm, InBC, Pallasite Ventures, Pangaea Ventures, Rhino Ventures, and T1D Fund: A Breakthrough T1D Venture.

Dyneval, the pioneering fertility technology company, has raised £515,772 in a new round of investment to advance its flagship product, the Dynescan. The funding round included funding from angel investment connector Lifted Ventures. This funding will enable the company to leverage an additional £85,000 grant funding from Scottish Enterprise to develop a high-throughput version of the Dynescan, capable of analysing four samples in parallel.

Wellhub, the leading global corporate wellness platform which provides employees with the best benefit plans for fitness, mindfulness, therapy, nutrition, and sleep, has acquired Fitprime, a key player in the Italian corporate wellness market, backed since 2019 by Italian Angels for Growth and Club degli Investitori. 

A mid-Wales-based start-up which plans to make DNA testing technology as easy to use as a smartphone has been backed with a £350,000 equity investment from the Development Bank of Wales, alongside £185,000 from London-based tech investors SFC Capital.

The Bettii Pod Ltd, a pioneering FemTech start-up founded in 2021 by CEO Elaine Galston, has successfully raised £337,000 to further its mission of normalising and destigmatising menstruation while promoting sustainable menstrual practices.

The Bettii Pod's innovative menstrual cup/disc washer is designed for installation within the cubicles of away from home toilets, addressing the practical challenges faced by users of reusable menstrual products. By focusing on convenience and hygiene, the company is poised to drive adoption of sustainable menstrual solutions, advancing the FemTech hardware sector.

The investment was led by Edinburgh angel syndicate Equity Gap, with co-investment from Scottish Enterprise. Lifted Ventures introduced 12 angel investors to participate in the deal. Lifted Ventures contributed not only by helping The Bettii Pod raise capital from its angel network, but also by bringing expertise, connections, and strategic guidance.

Axial3D, a leader in creating AI-powered 3D medical imaging algorithms, automated planning and patient specific 3D solutions, has announced the completion of a new investment round totalling USD 18.2 million

Resalis Therapeutics, which received investment from Italian Angels for Growth (IAG) in March, has announced a strategic equity investment from Sanofi. 

Scottish bio-tech Biotangents has completed a £2.3 million investment round led by Eos and British Business Investments through their Regional Angels Programme, and existing investors and Kelvin Capital and Scottish Enterprise.

Animal Health Angels, a group of veterinary and animal health professionals committed to advancing innovation in the animal health industry, has invested in SageTech Medical as part of an ambitious £650,000 seed round led by EMV Capital.

This investment supports SageTech Medical's pioneering work in developing sustainable solutions for anaesthetic gas capture and recycling-a breakthrough with implications for both human and animal healthcare.

Newcells Biotech - whose laboratory models help speed up drug development and reduce reliance on animal testing - has raised a further £1.2m from existing investors Mercia Ventures, Northstar Ventures and North East Finance.