Early stage roudup

SAN FRANCISCO (Private Equity Week) - Only six startups in the United States and Canada raised early stage funding last week, according to Thomson Reuters.

Among the startups to raise capital was San Francisco-based Mixamo, which provides customized character animation for websites and video. The technology is based on research at nearby Stanford University's Bio Motion Lab in Palo Alto, Calif., in which people's movements are videotaped and studied using multiple cameras and body sensors. The initial goal of the Bio Motion Lab was to study and treat musculoskeletal diseases and injuries, but the technology has also proven to have uses in the gaming industry and now animation.

The Mixamo advisory board consists of game development and animation industry executives, such as Jim Levy, CEO of Blizzard, which created Warcraft; Luc Barthelet, former CTO of Electronic Arts; and Isaac Babbs, former general manager of Alias.

ANIMATION

Mixamo Inc.

San Francisco

www.mixamo.com

Amount/Round: $4M/Series A

Investors: Granite Ventures and Keynote Ventures.

Details: Provides online service for customizing and creating character animation.

CLEANTECH

General Fusion

Burnaby, British Columbia

www.generalfusion.com

Amount/Round: $22M/NA

Investors: GrowthWorks Capital, Braemar Energy, Chrysalix Energy Ventures, The Entrepreneurs Fund and The Sustainable Development Canadian Technology Fund.

Details: Develops technology to generate fusion energy. The Sustainable Development Canadian Technology Fund contributed $13M to the early stage round, contingent on General Fusion's ability to meet key milestones.

MED TECH

Cardiorobotics Inc.

Pittsburgh

www.cardiorobotics.com

Amount/Round: $11.6M/Series A

Investors: Eagle Ventures (led), Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse and the Slater Technology Fund.

Details: Develops snake robot technologies for use in surgical and interventional applications.

Dormir Inc.

Carmel, Ind.

http;//www.dormirinc.com

Amount/Round: $12M/Series A

Investors: CHL Medical Partners (led), Noro-Moseley Partners and Excel Venture Management.

Details: Provides sleep diagnostic services and equipment. Jeffrey Collinson of CHL, Michael Elliott of NMP, and Juan Enriquez of Excel have joined the board. Caleb Winder of Excel will serve as a board observer.

PHARMACEUTICALS

Akebia Therapeutics Inc.

Cincinnati

www.akebia.com

Amount/Round: $16M/Series A

Investors: Novartis Bioventures (co-led), Venture Investors (co-led), Triathlon Medical Ventures, Kearny Venture Partners, Athenian Venture Partners and Sigvion Capital.

Details: Develops small-molecule drugs to treat anemia and vascular disorders. The funding brings the total to $25M.

SOFTWARE

Egnyte

Mountain View, Calif.

www.egnyte.com

Amount/Round: $6M/Series A

Investors: Polaris Venture Partners (led) and Maples Investments.

Details: Provides on-demand file server software solutions. The company had raised seed funding from Maples Investments.