• Solithor

  Participated · Seed · May 2022

  SOLiTHOR is a Belgium-based spin-off from imec that develops solid-state lithium battery cell technology. Founded in 2021 by Huw Hampson-Jones and Dr Fanny Bardé, the company is commercializing next-generation solid-state batteries. It claims its technology will improve energy density, charging speed, weight, volume and safety while being easier to manufacture than other solid-state approaches. SOLiTHOR plans to apply its batteries across transport sectors including automotive, aviation, marine and space to enable further electrification and address autonomy, performance, longevity and safety challenges. The company raised €10 million in funding to develop the required technology and advance toward manufacturing and commercialization. SOLiTHOR aims to become a key provider in the European battery value chain and contribute to exports and local manufacturing activity.

• Kebony

  Participated · Equity · Oct 2021

  Kebony develops a wood modification process that impregnates sustainably harvested softwood with waste from sugarcane and corncobs and cures it in an autoclave, permanently altering cell walls to produce hardwood-like properties. The company says the treated wood matches or in some cases exceeds the characteristics of precious tropical hardwoods and is superior to traditional preservative treatments. Kebony positions the product as a lower-carbon alternative to concrete, steel and tropical hardwoods, citing roughly 350 kg CO2 per cubic metre versus around 10,000 kg for some traditional materials. Its core markets are Europe and the U.S., where the company plans to expand, and it currently operates two production sites with a blueprint to scale further. Kebony reported 23% revenue growth in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 and said it achieved a strong positive EBITDA. Kebony ASA produces durable, environmentally friendly wooden products and commercializes them into the global cladding, decking and flooring markets. The company operates a production facility with 30,000 cubic meters of capacity and offers licensing packages for its brand and technology. Kebony completed a €12m financing round to support its international expansion. CEO Christian Jebsen said the company is a solution for the future and welcomed ETF's support for achieving global ambitions. The financing is intended to help Kebony grow its presence in international markets.

• MICLEDI Microdisplays

  Led · Equity · Mar 2021

  Micledi Microdisplays develops MicroLED display modules aimed at augmented reality (AR) applications. The company validated a unique 300mm wafer manufacturing methodology and has demonstrated blue and green GaN-based MicroLED arrays with pixel-by-pixel microlenses. Micledi is a 2019 spinout from imec and is based in Leuven, Belgium. It plans to use the new funding to expand its team, design an active backplane ASIC, and build a fully functional MicroLED display module for AR glasses. The company has agreed to transfer its MicroLED manufacturing flow into GlobalFoundries’ CMOS fab and to design backplane ASICs in GF’s advanced CMOS process nodes. Micledi expects full-color modules with an active backplane to be available in 2024 and to introduce its first demo glasses in the first half of the second quarter. MICLEDI Microdisplays is a fabless developer spun out of imec in 2019 that builds microLED display technology for Augmented Reality headsets. Its technology combines III/V materials processing, 3D integration and 300mm silicon‑based processing with a proprietary ASIC to produce compact, high‑image‑quality, power‑efficient monolithic AR displays. The company is working with imec for process technology and prototyping prior to transfer to an industrial foundry partner for mass production. Recent plans funded by the round include demonstration of native RGB microLED displays using a reconstitution approach on 300mm wafers, preparation of technology IP for foundry transfer, and the launch of product development including system‑level ASIC work and qualification/testing. MICLEDI also intends to extend supply‑chain engagements and strengthen its product development team. The company raised EUR 7M in the announced capital round to accelerate commercialisation and transition from pilot‑line development to product design and manufacturing. MICLEDI Microdisplays is developing ultra-small, ultra-bright microLED displays aimed at next-generation AR glasses. The startup uses imec’s new integration technology for microLED on 300mm wafers to build what it calls the world’s smallest and brightest displays. MICLEDI claims its displays are about 100 times brighter than current commercial alternatives. The company’s mission is to make AR suitable for everyday personal use by enabling smart glasses that are small, lightweight, have long battery life, and a reasonable price. Founders Dr. Soeren Steudel and Dr. Alexander Mityashin are researchers from imec, and Sean Lord joined as CEO. The recently announced €4.5 million seed funding will be used to advance development of its microLED display technology.

• reMYND

  Participated · Series B · Jan 2021

  reMYND is a clinical-stage biopharma built on a proprietary drug-discovery platform that identifies novel mechanisms, targets and first-in-class small molecules. Its most advanced program, ReS19-T, is an investigational compound for Alzheimer’s that entered the clinic in Q4 2020 and has shown restoration of synaptic plasticity in animal models. The company is also developing ReS39 for diabetes; animal studies indicate increased endogenous insulin production and durable effects on blood glucose and end-organ protection. reMYND operates a dedicated CRO that tests pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and efficacy in proprietary CNS animal models for a global client base. Proceeds from the recently extended Series B will fund completion of clinical proof-of-concept trials for both the Alzheimer’s and diabetes programs in 2022 and support continued clinical advancement. The company has signaled plans to engage potential pharma partners and international investors to advance programs beyond proof-of-concept.

• Avantium

  Participated · Equity · Apr 2016

  Avantium is an Amsterdam-based company specialising in sustainable chemistry technologies. It focuses on developing and commercialising technologies aimed at sustainability within the chemical industry. The company launched a €65M capital increase through a fully committed and underwritten rights offering. The financing is intended to extend Avantium's financial runway until it reaches EBITDA break-even in 2027. The rights offering is structured as a fully underwritten equity raise to secure operations through that break-even target. The article does not disclose participating investors or prior funding rounds. Avantium develops renewable and circular polymer materials. The company is Dutch and based in Amsterdam. It recently secured €10M and has reached a conditional agreement with its lenders to extend and amend its existing Senior Debt Financing Agreement. Avantium is planning an equity raise scheduled for September 2025. The near-term financing activity centers on amendments to its senior debt and a forthcoming equity round. No other financial metrics or investor names were disclosed in the article. Avantium is an Amsterdam-based innovative chemical technology company advancing the YXY technology to produce 100% biobased packaging material PEF (polyethylenefuranoate). Its core product is PEF, described as a next-generation plastic with superior performance. The company intends to commercialize the YXY technology and roll out a reference plant with capacity of up to 50,000 metric tons per year in Antwerp, Belgium. Avantium has signed a letter of intent with BASF to establish a joint venture for production and marketing of the renewable chemical building block FDCA and for marketing of PEF. That joint venture intends to use the YXY process technology and subsequently license the technology for industrial-scale applications. Avantium is led by CEO Tom van Aken and recently closed a financing to support commercialization efforts. Avantium develops and commercializes YXY, a technology platform that catalytically converts plant-based materials into biobased chemicals and bioplastics such as PEF. PEF is a novel 100% biobased polyester with enhanced barrier, thermal and mechanical properties over existing packaging materials. The company supplies its technology development partners with PEF manufactured from material produced at its pilot plant in Geleen. Avantium closed a €36m financing round to support its development. It intends to use the funds to advance PEF, complete industrial validation and finalize the engineering and design of its first commercial-scale plant. The company is planning a 50,000-ton commercial plant projected to be operational in 2017 to enable the full commercial launch of the first PEF bottles to consumers. Avantium produces catalytic-derived furanics — bio-materials made from sugars or non-food carbohydrate sources — that serve as chemical building blocks for industrial plastics, textiles and fuels. The company is developing a 100 percent plant-based, fully recyclable polyester and aims to make it cost-competitive with petroleum-based equivalents. Avantium uses a catalytic process to convert carbohydrates into furanics that can replace petroleum-derived feedstocks. The new funding is earmarked in part to complete and begin operating a production plant in Geleen, the Netherlands, which had been expected to be operational earlier. Financially, Avantium raised EUR 30 million (about $43.9 million), including a EUR 25 million financing tranche plus a EUR 5 million subsidy/innovation credit from the Dutch Ministry of Economy, Agriculture and Innovation. Part of the round was also used to buy out shares held by several prior investors.

No current team members are available.