January 2026 Kicked Off the New Year with Strong Investment and Transaction Activity in Montgomery County 

January 2026 kicked off the new year with strong investment and transaction activity across Montgomery County, Maryland, underscoring the County’s attractiveness to investors across life sciences, technology, and space industries. Last month, investment activities included support to clinical trials, strategic acquisitions and accelerator participation. Overall, investment into local companies of varying growth stages 

 remains strong.  

Leading the month’s activity was Altimmune, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on treatments for obesity, metabolic diseases, and liver disease. The company raised $75 million through a private placement on January 29 to support preparation for its upcoming Phase 3 clinical trial in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The capital will also be used for working capital and general corporate purposes, reinforcing Montgomery County’s role as a center for advanced life sciences research and development. Located in Gaithersburg, Altimmine currently has almost 60 employees and recently announced that its drug pemvidutide, which was developed to treat MASH, was granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA.  

In another notable deal last month, aerospace company Kythera Space Solutions was acquired by Auria Space for an undisclosed amount, demonstrating Montgomery County’s growing footprint in space and defense-related technologies. Founded in 2018 and based in Bethesda, Kythera develops a software solution platform intended for designing, optimizing, and managing next-generation communication satellites and networks. 

In the education technology sector, Rockville-based Amplio Learning completed a secondary private transaction on January 29, with Volos Investment selling its stake to an undisclosed buyer. Amplio provides a special education platform that integrates evidence-based programs, dynamic reporting, and remote learning services to support educators and administrators nationwide.  

Finally, ASC3ND Technologies Group, which is based in Derwood, joined TEDCO’s BRIDGE Program Proposal Lab cohort on January 27. Participation in the accelerator supports ASC3ND’s growth in cybersecurity, cloud modernization, and secure artificial intelligence solutions for government and regulated enterprises. 

Every month, the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation summarizes the private and venture capital investment activities related to our key industries across the County.