💸 Liya Shuster-Bier's Maia Oncology Raised $4.25M in Seed funding
FemWealth Issue #140
Hi FemWealth Friends,
In today’s edition: Liya Shuster-Bier’s Maia Oncology raised $4.25 million in Seed funding; Coleen Acosta and Anne Bloch Thomsen’s Freya Biosciences secured $38 million in Series A to treat infertility in women with dysbiotic vaginal microbiota; Lisett Luik’s Arbonics raised a €5.5 million Seed round for its forest-carbon removal platform; and more.
Stay tuned for a special edition of FemWealth on January 7, 2024!
In the Spotlight 💸
Founded and led by cancer survivor Liya Shuster-Bier, Maia Oncology is a US-based virtual comprehensive oncology-primary care clinic for cancer patients and survivors. Its mission is to better coordinate care between oncology teams and primary care providers.
“We are stitching together oncology and primary care. With Maia, our team will be working side-by-side with the oncologist team to make sure that the patients’ pre-existing comorbidities and family history of high risk of comorbidities will be taken into account during the treatment.” - Liya Shuster-Bier, Maia Oncology (via FierceHealthcare)
The company raised $4.25 million in Seed funding co-led and co-incubated by Takeda Digital Ventures and Yosemite. BrightEdge - American Cancer Society, BBG Ventures, and Coalition Operators also participated in the round.
FemWealth Favourites ❤️
Startups: Bicara nets second nine-digit haul in nine months, raising $165M series C - Led by Claire Mazumdar, Ph.D., Bicara Therapeutics is a US-based company developing dual-action biologics. It raised $165 million in Series C funding in a round co-led by Braidwell and TPG and joined by Deerfield, Fairmount, and Aisling Capital.
Freya Biosciences secures $38m to develop reproductive immunotherapies - Co-founded by Coleen Acosta (CEO) and Anne Bloch Thomsen, Freya Biosciences is a Copenhagen-based biotech company that develops reproductive immunotherapies aiming to treat infertility in women with dysbiotic vaginal microbiota. It secured $38 million in Series A funding in a round led by Sofinnova Partners and OMX Ventures. The Export and Investment Fund of Denmark, Angelini Ventures, and CE-Ventures also participated.
Procurement software startup Pivot raises $21.6 million just a few months after its creation - Co-founded by Estelle Giuly, Pivot is a Paris-based software tool that helps companies simplify the procurement process. It raised €20 million in Series A funding from Visionaries, Emblem, and Anamcara.
Kenyan e-commerce Copia rakes in $20M to push toward profitability - Founded by Tracey Turner, Copia Global secured $20 million in Series C extension funding from Enza Capital, LGT, Goodwell Investments, U.S. DFC, DEG, Elea, Perivoli Foundation, and Sorenson Foundation.
Waste management payments firm CurbWaste raises $10M (Axios Pro $) - Co-founded by Ashley (Koretz) Patel, the New York City-based startup provides a software platform for waste services management. It raised $10 million in Series A funding in a round led by Flourish Ventures and joined by TTV Capital, Mucker Capital, and B Capital.
Encellin Closes $9.9M Financing Led by Khosla Ventures to Advance Cell Encapsulation Platform for Endocrine Disorders - Co-founded by Crystal Nyitray (CEO) and Grace Wei (COO), Encellin is a US-based biotech company developing a cell encapsulation platform with an initial focus on Type 1 Diabetes. It raised $9.9 million in a financing round led by Khosla Ventures, with support from Y Combinator.
Enerpoly secures $8.4M grant for world’s first zinc-ion battery megafactory - Led by Eloisa de Castro, Enerpoly secured an $8.4 million three-year grant from the Swedish Energy Agency.
A four-time founder raises $7 million for an online discount store that competes with TJ Maxx and Instacart (Fortune $) - Co-founded by Louise Fritjofsson and Kari Morris, US-based Martie raised $7 million in funding to build the largest online discount store.
Arbonics secures €5.5M to grow its forest-carbon removal platform - Co-founded by Lisett Luik (COO), Arbonics helps forest owners plan and grow new forestry and earn new revenue streams from carbon and biodiversity. It secured a €5.5 million Seed investment from NordicNinja, Plural, and Tilia Impact Ventures.
Helicity Space raises $5M to unlock fusion propulsion – and fast travel in deep space - Co-founded by Marta Calvo (COO), US-based Helicity Space secured $5 million in Seed funding to accelerate the development of its fusion propulsion technology aiming to unlock fast, efficient travel in deep space. Airbus Ventures, TRE Advisors, Voyager Space Holdings, E2MC Space, Urania Ventures, and Gaingels participated in the round.
Datalogz raises $5M to deal with your business intelligence sprawl - Co-founded by Tina Bhatia, Datalogz is a US-based BI Ops platform that provides visibility into BI environments. It raised a $5 million round led by Great Point Ventures. Graphene Ventures, Squadra Ventures, Berkeley Skydeck, Defined VC, Mana Ventures, and Trajectory Ventures also participated.
VirtualZ Computing Raises $4.9 Million to Enable Enterprise Innovation With Mainframe Data Through Out-of-the-Box, Bi-Directional Access from Hybrid Cloud - Co-founded and led by Jeanne Glass, VirtualZ Computing is a US-based data access startup. It raised $2.2 million in Seed funding bringing its total funding to $4.9 million. Next Frontier Capital led the round, joined by 2M Companies, Innosphere Ventures, and Next Coast Ventures.
CitrusX raises $4.5 million Seed for AI explainability collaboration platform - Founded and led by Noa Srebrnik, the Israel-based platform helps companies validate and monitor their AI models. It raised $4.5 million in Seed funding in a round led by Awz and joined by angel investors.
Samabriva is Set to Become a World Leader in Precision Biomanufacturing of Complex Molecules With the Announcement of a €4 Million Fundraising Round - Led by Marina Guillet, Samabriva is a France-based company that develops a plant-based bioproduction process aiming to transform the production of high-value molecules for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors. It raised €4 million in Series A funding in a round co-led by Noshaq and Investsud Tech.
Unilever Ventures Reinvests In Straand To Increase The Scalp Care Brand’s Funding To Over $4M - Co-founded by Sarah Hamilton and Meagan Pate, the Australian microbiome-centered scalp care brand raised $2.6 million from the Harvey Family Office and Unilever Ventures, bringing its funding to over $4 million.
Binkey bags $3.3M to maximize health savings accounts (Axios Pro $) - Founded and led by Obiaku Ohiaeri, Binkey is a US-based fintech that helps businesses accept FSA (Flexible Spending Account) and HSA (Health Savings Account) payments. It raised $3.3 million in Seed funding in a round led by Wellington Management, joined by Springtide Ventures, Plug and Play Ventures, and Third Culture Capital.
SupportPay Lands $3.1M to Deliver a Unique Employee Benefit for Parents, Family Members, and Caregivers While Expanding its Consumer Offering - Founded and led by Sheri Atwood, SupportPay is a US-based platform that enables divorced, single, step, co-parents, and caregivers to easily manage and exchange child support, shared expenses, payments, communications, custody, and schedules. It raised a $3.1 million Seed round led by HearstLabs, with participation from Michigan Capital Network, Victorium Capital, Rendar Capital, Connetic Ventures, and Stage Next Ventures.
Woola secures €2.5M funding to replace plastic with sustainable packaging - Co-founded by Anna-Liisa Palatu (CEO) and Katrin Kabun (Designer), Woola is an Estonian sustainable packaging company. It raised €2.5 million in a round led by Metaplanet and joined by Future Ventures and Lemonade Stand.
Social commerce platform Maka raises $2.65M to simplify buying fashion and beauty products in Africa - Co-founded and led by Diana Owusu-Kyereko, Maka is an African fashion and beauty e-commerce platform. It raised a $2.65 million Pre-Seed round led by 4DX Ventures and Janngo Capital.
Cadenza Bio, Inc. Secures $2.44M in Oversubscribed Series Seed Financing - Co-founded by Carol Curtis, Ph.D. (CEO) and Elaine Hamm (COO), Cadenza Bio is a US-based biotech company that develops therapeutics for demyelinating and inflammatory diseases. It raised $2.4 million in Seed funding in a round led by Plains Ventures and joined by Oklahoma Life Science Fund, Cortado Ventures, Boyd Street Ventures, and Illinois Ventures.
Pulmonary Embolism Startup Flow Medical Adds $2M in Funding - Co-founded and led by Jennifer Fried, Flow Medical is a US-based startup developing a pulmonary embolism treatment. It raised $2 million in a friends-and-family investment round.
Fighting fashion industry waste, Türkiye-founded Myth AI stitches together $1.3M - Founded and led by Özgecan Üstgül, Myth AI incorporates generative AI to streamline the pattern-making process, aiming to create a more sustainable design and production process. The company raised a $1.3 million Seed round.
VC: The best companies build worlds - Solo GP Sarah Drinkwater reflects on the first six months of investing full-time through her fund Common Magic.
Thank you for reading and supporting FemWealth in 2023. Wish you a wonderful holiday season and an excellent start to the New Year! ✨
See you on January 7, 2024!
Anamaria
Founder & Writer of FemWealth