Molekule, a San Francisco-based company with strong ties to the University of South Florida, has added celebrity funds to its long line of investors.
Maisie Williams, an actor most known for her role on the HBO hit series "Game of Thrones," has invested an undisclosed amount into Molekule. The company's co-founder Yogi Goswami is the director of USF's Clean Energy Research Center and Molekule itself was patented at the university and has research facilities in the school.
The latest funding follows the company's recent $58 million Series C round, which closed in February.
“With the dangers of air quality so prevalent in our lives today, there has never been a more important time to protect ourselves against air pollution,” Williams said in a statement. “As an early fan and customer of Molekule, I’ve personally experienced the many benefits of its PECO technology. And now as an investor, I’m proud to continue my support in a company that is dedicated to providing access to clean air for everyone.”
After the Emmy-award winning show came to an end in May 2019, Williams turned her attention to the startup world. The 22-year-old launched her own startup, Daisie, which aims to bring artists together. This appears to be her first investment in another startup.
"We deeply value and search for partners that believe in the mission for clean air,” Jaya Rao, CEO and co-founder of Molekule, said in a statement. “[Williams'] care for this space and her understanding for how vital the air people breathe is, led to an instant alignment."
Rao said the funds will help the company advance its technology, which currently spans three clean air products. It has raised over $96.4 million to date, with a $10.1 million Series A in July 2017, followed by a $25 million Series B round in November 2018 and the Series C in February.
The company received federal clearance for its latest product in April, and deepened its Tampa Bay ties in 2019 by announcing its first U.S. manufacturing plant would be in Polk County. The latest fund is a reminder that local backing can still be tough for startups to find in the Tampa Bay region.
“What is missing here that they have at Stanford and those areas is the availability of venture capital,” Goswami said in a previous interview. “It’s not that Tampa doesn’t have money — Tampa has a lot of money here. But the investors here are not used to taking the risks that they have to take with a [pre-revenue] startup.”
