Eagb

Greater Baltimore’s entrepreneurial and
technology ecosystem continues to thrive

with over $205M in total investment for
the first quarter of 2020. This number
more than doubles the prior year’s Q1
total, and represents almost 58% of
reported investments in Greater Baltimore
companies for all of 2019 ($205 million
vs. $355 million). The $205 million total
does not include investments in real estate
development, or in Greater Baltimore's existing high-value companies. Investments
were tracked for companies at the pre-seed, seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, and
Series D rounds, as well as Private Equity investments in early- and mid-stage
growth companies.
While the coronavirus epidemic did slow worldwide investment at the end of
March – and should lead to lower investment figures in Q2 2020 – Greater
Baltimore’s value proposition remains strong. These investments support the
Region’s vibrant innovation ecosystem, built upon the foundations of a highly-
talented technical workforce, ideal mid-Atlantic location, and rich quality of life
assets. Greater Baltimore’s start-up assets received global recognition in Q1 when
Baltimore City’s Emerging Technologies Center was ranked as one of the top
ten incubators in the world. The ecosystem effect of these economic assets is
exemplified by the growth of Cecil County, home to the highest GDP growth
rate of any mid-sized county east of the Mississippi (BLS, 2020)
January got off to a great start with Hunt
Valley-based NAYAX’s closing of a $60
million venture round, the acquisition of
Columbia-based Unleashed
Technologies by Linc Partners, and
Cognate BioServices' successful Series B
fundraising. February saw over $100
million invested in Cybersecurity
companies, led by ZeroFox’s $74 million
raise, and successful Series A rounds by
EAGB Q1 2020 INVESTMENT REPORT 1
Huntress ($18 million) and EnVeil ($10 million). March’s wins included big
investments in digital health company b.Well Connected Health ($16 million)
and produce delivery service Hungry Harvest ($7.25 million), both of which may
outperform during and after the coronavirus epidemic.
Baltimore City reported the most deals and the highest total investment value,
with 11 deals valued at over $107 million. Howard County followed in second in
terms of deal count (6), but lagged Baltimore County’s strong total of over $60
million. Additional deals were reported across the Region, including Harford
County, whose Forest Hill-based CadmiumCD did not report deal value. Among
the nine companies receiving more than $1 million in investment, five were located
in Baltimore City, three in Howard County, and one in Baltimore County.
An industry breakdown reveals the Information
Technology/ Cybersecurity sector led with 11
total deals, with technology-related startups
posting nearly $175 million in investments.
Healthcare/ Life Sciences followed with 4 deals,
valued at over $16 million. Baltimore City was
the location for half (2) of the investments in
Healthcare/Life Sciences, while Howard County
received the plurality (4) of Information
Technology/ Cybersecurity investments.

In the Non-Profit and Government sectors…
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Greater Baltimore experienced significant
investment in human capital assets across the Region. These include the creation of
the BMore Co-Lab, a $2.7 million venture led by T. Rowe Price and the CASH
Campaign of Maryland to teach entrepreneurship in downtown Baltimore.
Additionally, the Rouse Company Foundation donated $500,000 to Howard
Community College to expand its math boot-camp for all entering students.
Finally, the Johns Hopkins University Center for Biotechnology Education
announced its plans to relocate into Greater Baltimore.
In government contracting, L2 Defense (Middle River) won a Department of
Defense contract in February for chemical attack preparedness training, worth up
to $49.4 million.
Amidst the Coronavirus Epidemic…
Greater Baltimore has taken a lead role in the fight against coronavirus, with Johns
Hopkins’ online database becoming the world’s leading tool for monitoring
coronavirus infection statistics. In addition, Greater Baltimore’s Emergent
BioSolutions recently won the contract to scale up Novovax’s ahead-of-schedule
coronavirus vaccine as soon as it become available. Efforts towards any antibody
treatment were bolstered by a $4 million investment in a Johns Hopkins
University study by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the State of Maryland.
Across the Region, individuals and businesses are joining together in the fight
against coronavirus, and investing in Greater Baltimore institutions along the way.
CareFirst has pledged $2 million to coronavirus relief efforts in Greater
Baltimore, while a coalition of Greater Baltimore businesses and non-profits have
pledged over $1 million to the cause. The coronavirus epidemic has also led to
expediting planned hospital expansions, including a $12.5 million expansion of
Mercy Medical Center.

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Greater Baltimore’s entrepreneurial and

technology ecosystem continues to thrive

EAGB Q1 2020 INVESTMENT REPORT 2

EAGB Q1 2020 INVESTMENT REPORT 3

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