Wistar Institute nets $4.6 million, plus more top funding news for Philadelphia-based companies

Wistar Institute nets $4.6 million, plus more top funding news for Philadelphia-based companiesPhoto: Wistar Institute/Facebook
Hoodline
Published on September 25, 2019

Philadelphia-based medical company Wistar Institute has secured $4.6 million in grant funding, according to company database Crunchbase, topping the city’s recent funding headlines. The cash infusion was announced Sept. 12 and financed by National Institutes of Health.

According to its Crunchbase profile, "The Wistar Institute is the nation’s first independent institution devoted to medical research and training. The Wistar Institute has evolved from its beginnings as an anatomical teaching museum to its present-day status as an international leader in basic biomedical research. In 1972, The Wistar Institute was designated a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center in basic research — a distinction it holds to this day."

The 48-year-old company has raised two previous funding rounds, including a $1.1 million grant in 2015.

The round brings total funding raised by Philadelphia companies in biotechnology over the past month to $117 million, an increase of $111 million from the month before. The local biotechnology industry has produced 20 funding rounds over the past year, capturing a total of $578 million in venture funding.

In other local funding news, education and collaboration company KickUp announced a $1.7 million Series A funding round on Sept. 18, led by SustainVC.

According to Crunchbase, "KickUp partners with K-12 organizations to coordinate professional learning efforts, improve decision-making and ensure that great ideas translate into demonstrable outcomes in the classroom. “The great thing about KickUp is they brought credibility to the professional development work we are doing. It’s challenging to be a ‘prophet in our own land’, but having KickUp’s professional reports presented in clear and compelling ways instantly became a communication tool between our entire curriculum department, the district cabinet and the school board."

Founded in 2014, the company has raised two previous rounds, including a $730,000 seed round in 2017.

Meanwhile, predictive analytics company Oncora Medical raised corporate round funding, announced on Sept. 15. The round was financed by Varian.

From the company's Crunchbase profile, "Oncora Medical is a digital health company integrating big data and machine learning into radiation oncology. Founded in 2014, Oncora's intuitive software platform allows for better collection and application of real world data for all healthcare related decisions, for the benefit of the patient."

Oncora Medical last raised $1.3 million in seed funding in 2017.


This story was created automatically using local investment data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.