Business Roundup

Evonik Industries has invested an undisclosed sum in Interface Polymers. The start-up, founded in 2016 out of the University of Warwick, makes additives that simplify plastics processing and recycling.

BASF’s venture capital arm is investing in WayBeyond, a precision farming start-up that uses smart sensors to provide farms with recommendations to improve yields. BASF also started production of a sprayer that only applies herbicide to weeds identified by an onboard camera.

Waters is facing a patent infringement lawsuit from SilcoTek related to inert amorphous silicon coatings for liquid chromatography components. The contested coatings improve peak resolution by preventing certain analytes, including many biomolecules, from adhering to metal surfaces.

Viridos has raised $25 million in series A financing from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Chevron, and United Airlines Ventures to develop a biofuel derived from algae. The company hopes to sell its product as fuel for jets and diesel engines.

Curia has announced the appointment of Philip Macnabb as CEO, succeeding John Ratliff, who remains as chairman of the board. Curia, the former Albany Molecular Research, employs about 4,000 people at 29 sites in the US, Europe, and Asia.

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and Charm Therapeutics, a 3D deep learning research start-up that develops medicines, have announced a collaboration to identify and optimize compounds aimed at the former’s chosen targets. Charm will receive an undisclosed up-front payment and investment, and could get further payments if BMS selects compounds from the program.

Seamless Therapeutics has launched with $12.5 million in seed funding. The German company is developing programmable recombinase enzymes for editing the human genome to treat diseases.

Sandoz says it will spend $400 million building a plant in Slovenia making biosimilar drugs, a field where Sandoz wants to be the leader. Work will begin this year on a facility expected to be in operation in 2026.