—  Kaela, Technical.ly lead reporter in Baltimore and DC

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Halethorpe’s Cambium helps companies use lumber from trees that would otherwise be trashed, with the help of AI to streamline supply chains. The company has raised $28.5 million following its latest raise. 

Cambium’s tech tracks the wood at every step through the supply chain. Its platform connects tree care services, sawmills and manufacturers to salvage wood, dubbed “Carbon Smart” wood, plus mass timber and millwork.

That's not the only recent deal of note: Data center tech provider PwrQ is boosting its workforce and manufacturing operations in Maryland, citing the growing demand for data centers. The expansion is in part possible thanks to loans from the state. Continue reading ... 

Techstars' newest local accelerator, supported by a partnership with Johns Hopkins University and regional insurance provider CareFirst, focuses on startups using AI to tackle issues in various parts of the health and medical system.

Founders from across the Western Hemisphere came to Baltimore to work on scaling their companies. Two longtime ecosystem members will guide these startups focusing on improving IVF, cancer detection, mental health services and more. Continue reading ... 

• Check out the 19 dynamic startups that we named to our 2025 RealLIST. [Technical.ly]

• Johns Hopkins University could lose federal funding over antisemitism claims. The institution is one of 60 colleges, including Harvard and Cornell, facing the Trump administration's warning after Palestinian solidarity protests took place on their campuses. The university is also facing cuts to federal research grants if a rule change regarding capping funding holds. [Baltimore Banner]

• VC funding in the late- and growth-stage periods increased for women founders in 2024, while early-stage funding declined. [Technical.ly]

• Some government IT services are still disrupted after a cyber incident in Anne Arundel County several weeks ago. The county launched a webpage to assist residents in accessing certain services like paying bills. [Patch/Anne Arundel County]

• Emergent BioSolutions, a biotechnology company that faced controversy over millions of ruined COVID-19 vaccines, is selling its drug manufacturing plant in Bayview for $36.5 million. [Baltimore Business Journal/Technical.ly]

• Royal Caribbean is relocating one of its ships from the Port of Baltimore to Florida in 2026. [CBS]

• Nonprofit United Way granted regional organizations thousands of dollars to carry out  "community-centered" projects. One recipient is A Prosperous Tomorrow, which works to advance digital equity. [United Way]

• Maryland’s Senate president is anticipating a recession in the state, citing the Trump administration's federal job cuts and Maryland's reliance on federal funds. [Maryland Matters] 

• An investigation into Baltimore City’s public works department found the agency regularly exposed employees to harm but did not receive a fine. The investigation started after a worker died on the job over the summer. [WYPR]

• Irazú Oncology, a biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies, landed funding, hired a chief medical officer and expanded its lab space at the University of Maryland BioPark's 4MLK facility. [UM BioPark/Technical.ly]