The last official week of summer brought a slew of Northwest deals, to go along with today’s heat wave. Two of the year’s biggest financings happened in tech and life sciences, along with a big acquisition in healthcare, while a host of smaller deals went down in software, digital media, and advertising—and one company inched closer to an IPO.
—Seattle-based Integrative Diagnostics, Leroy Hood’s early cancer detection company, has raised $7.5 million out of a $30 million equity round, as Luke reported. The investors were not disclosed, but we’ll have more on this story soon.
—Seattle-based Free & Clear, which offers phone-based coaching for company employees battling tobacco addiction, obesity, and stress, was acquired by Inverness Medical Innovations (NYSE: [[ticker:IMA]]) of Waltham, MA, for $100 million in cash plus up to $30 million in follow-on payments, as Wade reported. Free & Clear was backed by Polaris Venture Partners, Three Arch Partners, and Kaiser Permanente Ventures. Inverness offers medical diagnostic tests and other disease management services for consumers.
—Portland, OR-based Ensequence raised $20 million, led by Clay Mathile, the CEO of CYMI Technologies (and former owner of Iams, the pet food company sold to Proctor & Gamble for $2.3 billion in 1999). It’s one of the Northwest’s largest tech financings of the year. Ensequence was founded in 2000 and is a leader in the interactive TV business, which lets viewers do things like call up additional information on the screen. There is some question as to whether the firm is moving its headquarters to New York, where its new CEO, Peter Low, is based.
—In the biggest life sciences venture financing of the year, Seattle-based Calypso Medical raised $50 million led by Skyline Ventures and Frazier Healthcare Ventures, with Bay City Capital and InterWest Partners also participating, as Luke reported. The funds will be used to expand Calypso’s worldwide rollout of its radiation pinpointing product, which helps radiation oncologists and technicians better treat prostate cancer. Luke also reported on the story behind the deal here.
—Seattle-based Getty Images, the creator and distributor of photos and other digital media, has made a $4 million strategic investment in Daylife, a New York media and content services company, according to the Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital blog. The two companies have also formed
