Four Montgomery County companies in the financial services, AI, biopharma, and clean tech industries raised just over $460 million across public offerings and private investment activity in June and July, signifying continued investor confidence in Montgomery County’s business ecosystem.
In June, Forbright, a Chevy Chase-based bank holding company with 545 employees, successfully completed its initial public offering on the Nasdaq. The D.C. region’s fastest-growing bank raised $142.2 million, valuing the company at approximately $950 million, marking not only a major milestone for the company but also for Montgomery County’s rapidly expanding financial services industry, which boasts companies spanning venture capital, private equity, financial technologies, and investment asset management.
Also in June, Bethesda-based Xometry announced a $225 million secondary public offering. Founded in Gaithersburg, the AI-powered manufacturing marketplace has become one of Montgomery County’s homegrown innovation economy success stories, connecting businesses with manufacturing capacity around the world through its intelligent digital platform. The additional capital will allow the company, which employs over 1,000 people, to continue expanding and investing in advanced manufacturing innovation.
Known as the anchor of the third-largest biopharma hub in the nation, it’s not surprising that life sciences companies in the County also continue to attract attention from investors. In July, RegenxBio, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of gene therapy treatments, raised $90.04 million in its second public offering on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Located in Rockville with over 370 employees, RegenxBio is a leader in developing therapies for retinal, neuromuscular, and neurodegenerative diseases.
In clean tech, Arculus Solutions, a developer of hydrogen-barrier coatings designed to protect infrastructure from hydrogen embrittlement, raised $1.95 million of Seed-1 funding from undisclosed investors, putting the company’s pre-money valuation at $20.05 million. The company’s coatings can be used in various applications, such as hydrogen fuel cell pipelines, storage tanks and hydrogen-powered vehicles, enabling the energy industry to reduce the risk of accidents and improve safety. Based in Bethesda, Arculus is yet another example of Montgomery County’s growing position as a hub for clean tech, which is home to several leading clean tech companies, including X-energy and Liatris.
From innovative financial institutions and AI leaders to biopharma and clean tech companies that are developing technologies that are shaping to future, Montgomery County continues to remain a place where companies can start and scale quickly.
