Research Triangle Park, NC-based Hatteras Venture Partners recently announced the first closing of its third venture capital fund, Hatteras Venture Partners III, LP (HVP III). The Fund has secured commitments for $60 million to invest in seed and early-stage companies in biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics and related opportunities in human medicine. The ultimate fund size is expected to be $100 million. HVP III may invest in opportunities throughout the country but will focus on forming and leading companies in the southeastern United States, where the level of National Institutes of Health-funded research is high but the availability of early-stage venture capital is limited. (more…)

MAKO Surgical Corp., a Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based developer of a guidance system that aids in surgery for early-stage osteoarthritis of the knee, has raised $30 million in Series C funding. Tudor Investment Corp. led the deal, and was joined by Ziegler Meditech Equity Partners and return backers The Exxel Group, MDS Capital, Aperture Venture Partners, Ivy Healthcare Capital and Sycamore Ventures.

www.makosurgical.com

Icagen, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICGN), a biopharmaceutical company based in Research Triangle Park, NC, recently announced that it has entered into a definitive securities purchase agreement with institutional and other accredited investors, including both new and existing investors, for the private placement of approximately 15.4 million shares of common stock, together with warrants to purchase approximately 5.4 million additional shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.45 per share, for a total purchase price of approximately $1.42 per unit. (more…)

NeurOp Corporation, a preclinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on next generation drugs for CNS indications, announced today that it has received a Phase 1 SBIR award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). This grant is in addition to a $1.4MM SBIR Phase 2 award received by NeurOp from NINDS in September of 2006. (more…)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Southeast BIO (SEBIO), a regionalnonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the growth of the Southeast’s life sciencesindustry, announced today the first annual BIO/Plan Competition. (more…)