After a gangbusters start to the year, the deal flow in the Northwest has slowed down. Most of the activity was in software last week.
—Not the usual sort of deal, but Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) said its Silverlight software is being used to stream live video of today’s presidential inauguration on the organizers’ official website. Microsoft developed the media-player software together with Las Vegas, NV-based iStreamPlanet.
—The Washington Technology Center, based in Seattle, awarded $561,797 in funding to eight projects around the state. Each project is co-led by a technology company and a researcher at a state university. The grants, ranging from $30,000 to $100,000, were awarded to the following Washington companies: Applied Precision, ATS, Boeing and Heatcon Composite Systems, Enertechnix, GeoMonkey, Greenwood Technologies, Omeros, and Theo Chocolate.
—Smartsheet, a business-software startup in Bellevue, WA, raised $1.25 million in Series B funding, led by Madrona Venture Group. Smartsheet co-founder and executive chairman Brent Frei invested as well. The startup makes software to help companies track and manage remote, team-based projects.
—Mobui, a Redmond, WA-based mobile software startup, received an undisclosed equity investment from Fort Worth, TX-based Teletouch Communications, a cellular service provider and retailer. Mobui plans to use the funds to expand its software development and customer operations.
—Seattle-based Positronic, the Internet search startup co-founded by ex-Microsoft search execs Christopher Payne and Dane Glasgow, was acquired by eBay for an undisclosed amount. Payne and Glasgow have relocated to San Jose, CA, as eBay vice presidents. Positronic was working on predictive modeling and machine-learning techniques for improving search engines.
