Birmingham-based startup secures $1M in seed funding for academic research

There’s a new Birmingham-based startup climbing the ranks after securing $1 million in seed funding. Say hello to Astound, one of the first digital marketplaces for industry-funded academic research.

What Astound is all about

According to PR Newswire, CEO and Founder Dr. Joel Berry is behind the company. A biomedical engineer, he has 30 years of experience in life sciences and bioengineering product development. Wow!

After seeing the need for easier collaboration between industry and academia, Dr. Berry created Astound, one of the first digital marketplaces for industry-funded academic research.

Through their up-and-coming platform, Astound helps research institutions and universities more easily find corporate sponsors for important science research while also accelerating new technologies from lab to market.

“Corporate spending on sponsored university research is approximately $80B globally and over $40B annually in the US alone. Astound will provide a platform that makes it easy and fast for companies to find and sponsor research relevant to their product development goals. Ultimately, our mission is to be a catalyst for advancing science and technology.”

Dr. Berry, CEO + Founder, Astound Research

Behind Astound’s $1M in seed funding

Wondering who’s behind the $1 million in seed funding? It’s Nashville-based company, Mark Two Ventures, a venture studio that provides startups with seed-stage capital as well as product development, software engineering and design expertise. 

“As a venture studio, we will provide Astound with access to our team of experienced product managers, software engineers, designers, and more to help them build and grow their platform.”

Glenn Clayton, Managing Partner + Co-Founder, Mark Two Ventures

What’s next for Astound

The startup plans to have a limited launch for early beta customers later this year with a full platform launch in early 2023. Currently, the company is actively seeking universities and corporate research sponsors who have an interest in learning more about the platform. 

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