Private Company Edition: Alexis Borisy and his Curie.Bio co-founders will invest $5m-$7m to help companies get to lead optimization within 12-18 months. Also, Feng Zhang-founded Aera launched with $193m, Hexagon Bio raised a $77.3m series B round and Halda emerged with $76m.

Private Company Edition: Recent VC financings across biopharma sectors include three major mega-rounds as Generate Biomedicines bringing in $370m, followed by $250m for Acelyrin and $125m for Chroma Medicine. Also, Treadwell raised a $91m series B and Ncardia brought in $60m-plus.

Device companies raised 50% more in Q1 2016 than the previous quarter, reaching $1.8 billion and led by debt offerings; diagnostic imaging acquisitions, such as Toshiba Medical Systems, were abundant. Diagnostics financings double in Q1, mostly from venture funding, including strong showing from liquid biopsy companies.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Venture Funding Deals column provides a comprehensive monthly review of emerging life science companies that have received venture funding, including companies within the In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, and Research, Analytical Equipment and Supplies sectors. This month’s column covers deals announced December 2015 through January 2016.