Thomas Lau

Merlin Biosciences has been under the cloud of an investigation by the UK's Serious Fraud Office. Now founder Chris Evans says the firm is planning new investments.

The technology-transfer unit of Imperial College London, continuing preparations for its stock-market debut on 31 July, said it has completed a £25 million private placement and set a public share price that would value the business at £181 million.

Imperial College London is set to become the first university to float its technology-transfer office directly on the stock market.

This week the European Investment Fund took the first step in its ambitious new plan to unleash a wave of technology transfer across Europe. In doing so it endorsed a model pioneered in the UK.

The European Investment Fund has partnered with UK technology commercialisation company IP Group to form a venture capital fund to invest in university spin-outs.

European food manufacturers are being offered access to a new software tool that takes the trial and error out of devising and developing convenience food recipes,.

Swedish spin-out Denator Biotechnology is raising money to fund development of its technology that analyses protein samples without adulterating them with added reagents.

Antenova of Cambridge, UK, a developer of smart antenna for accessing mobile location-based services, said is targeting a flotation on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in 2007.

Mista Ltd is looking for funding and publishers for its software, which allows users to create virtual guided tours.

Innate Pharma SA has applied for an initial public offering and listing on the Euronext in Paris, to raise funds to expand its pipeline of oncology therapeutics.