As the COVID-19 strain of coronavirus continues to spread around the globe, companies are scrambling to develop effective diagnostics and vaccines to contain the outbreak and reduce future threats. Among those is Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., which has been awarded a $5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to speed testing and scale of smart delivery device for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

PARIS – Quantum Surgical SAS, of Montpellier, France, has been awarded development aid amounting to $2.25 million in grants and repayable loans from Bpifrance bank, as part of the French Deeptech program.

Tirat Carmel, Israel-based Insightec Ltd. has inked a deal for a series F financing of up to $150 million led by Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), a subsidiary of Koch Industries. The round, which has a post-money valuation of $1.3 billion, is earmarked for continued study of the company’s low-intensity, focused ultrasound technology in treating certain movement disorders.

Campbell, Calif.-based startup Supira Medical Inc. scooped up $35 million in a series B financing led by Cormorant Asset Management. Also participating in the round were The Capital Partnership, 415 Capital, Amed Ventures and Shifamed Angels. The new capital is earmarked to advance the development and clinical evaluation of the company’s next-generation percutaneous ventricular assist device.