NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Akadeum Life Sciences announced today that it has closed on approximately $1.5 million of financing, led by Silicon Valley-based BioInflexion Point Partners. Additional Silicon Valley and Michigan investors also helped finance the Ann Arbor-based startup.
Founded in 2014, Akadeum is currently developing a group of products that separate cells, proteins, nucleic acids, and food pathogens using its microbubble technology. The technique involves capturing cells or biomolecules and then gently floating them to the surface, where researchers then can easily extract them. This allows researchers to perform entire separations within a tube or well plate, and more importantly, without a magnet.
"[Akadeum] has the perfect combination of a disruptive technology, a smart team that delivers results, and operates in a large, fast-growing market," managing partner of BioInflexion Point Partners Brock Siegel said in a statement.
Other investors include University of Michigan's Michigan Invests in New Technology Startups, 5 Prime Ventures, Detroit Innovative Fund, and eLab Ventures. eLab Ventures was the first investor in Akadeum and also participated in the latest round of financing.
"Our focus over the last two years has been to demonstrate what no company has done before — to produce microbubbles for the effective capture and separation of human cells," Akadeum CEO Brandon McNaughton said in a statement.
"Now that we have accomplished this, we look forward to putting this investment to work and plan on introducing the first range of compelling new products in the cell separation market," he added.