Scouting San Diego, Battelle Chemist Seeks Catalyzing Role as Industrial Biotech Arises Here

Like a lot of big companies that offer contract R&D and specialized services, Columbus, OH-based Battelle has kept an office in San Diego for decades, mostly to manage technical programs and help clients like the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps on special projects. That started to change, though, just over a year ago when Bhima … Continue reading “Scouting San Diego, Battelle Chemist Seeks Catalyzing Role as Industrial Biotech Arises Here”

TechAmerica Names San Diego Tech Award Winners

It was 1993 when the San Diego chapter of the American Electronics Association organized its first high tech industry awards to recognize local companies for their business excellence, technology innovation, community involvement, and sometimes simply for persevering in the face of adversity. Since then, the nationwide organization that HP founder David Packard helped form in … Continue reading “TechAmerica Names San Diego Tech Award Winners”

Achates Power Cites “Huge” Improvement in Diesel Fuel Savings, Emissions

San Diego’s Achates Power, a startup developing a radical new design for a diesel-powered truck engine, is blowing its own air horn today about its progress in demonstrating significant improvements in the efficiency and performance of its engine. Through a series of tests that began just over a year ago, Achates says its prototype has … Continue reading “Achates Power Cites “Huge” Improvement in Diesel Fuel Savings, Emissions”

Raising Funds: BillMyParents, Ortiva Wireless, and Organovo

[Corrected 11/3/11, 1:45 pm. See below.] A couple of tech fundings came through in recent regulatory filings, as well as a deal for Organovo, the San Diego medical device startup. Organovo’s scientific founder, Gabor Forgacs, was among the esteemed speakers at last week’s TedMed conference. Here are the details: [Corrected to explain filing] Organovo, the … Continue reading “Raising Funds: BillMyParents, Ortiva Wireless, and Organovo”

Jobs at Center of UCLA Forecast, Sony Buys Out Partner, Wireless Health on Stage at CEA Forum, & More San Diego Biztech News

Economists from the UCLA Anderson Forecast and University of San Diego will break out details of their 2012 economic outlook at a conference in downtown San Diego this morning. The study was released earlier today. We have highlights, along with a roundup of last week’s San Diego tech news. —Job growth in the nation, state, … Continue reading “Jobs at Center of UCLA Forecast, Sony Buys Out Partner, Wireless Health on Stage at CEA Forum, & More San Diego Biztech News”

In a Detour From Device Strategy, Zogenix Edges Closer to New Drug Application

San Diego-based Zogenix, a specialty pharma that has been selling its first product (a fast-acting migraine drug in a single-dose injector) for 22 months, is getting ready to diversify its portfolio. As we reported in August, Zogenix successfully completed its late-stage safety and efficacy trials for an extended-release formulation of the painkilling drug hydrocodone bitartrate … Continue reading “In a Detour From Device Strategy, Zogenix Edges Closer to New Drug Application”

Agradis Takes Root, Illumina Cuts Back, Verenium Arranges Financing, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

It was another big week for life sciences news in San Diego, with interesting developments in agricultural biotech, industrial biotech, and genomic sequencing. This is our wrap up of what you need to know. —San Diego’s Synthetic Genomics spun out a new San Diego-based agricultural biotech, Agradis, with $20 million in Series A financing and … Continue reading “Agradis Takes Root, Illumina Cuts Back, Verenium Arranges Financing, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

Catalyzing Growth Through Regional Innovation Clusters

This three-day summit organized by Global Connect explores the potential behind academic partnerships, new financial models, and the critical role of government. Presenters include representatives from Janssen Healthcare Innovation (J&J), Qualcomm, Pfizer’s Centers for Therapeutic Innovation, Intel Capital, IBM Global Entrepreneurs Program. The conference also will showcase successful models for accelerating innovation, including TechStars, Johns … Continue reading “Catalyzing Growth Through Regional Innovation Clusters”

San Diego SuperData Summit

Every day “Big Data” analytics reveal fresh insights in healthcare, finance, and social media. The results are more accurate medical diagnoses, real-time fraud detection, custom-targeted advertising—and a gold mine of career opportunities. The San Diego Software Industry Council has organized this afternoon summit to cover a number of topics, including a demonstration of IBM Watson, … Continue reading “San Diego SuperData Summit”

23andMe Identifies Possible Protective Gene Against Parkinson’s Disease

The benefits of generating databases based on the personal genetics of thousands of people came into better focus today with an announcement from Mountain View, CA-based 23andMe, the startup that aspires to be the world’s trusted source for personal genetic information. Using genetic data drawn from thousands of 23andMe customers, the company says it has … Continue reading “23andMe Identifies Possible Protective Gene Against Parkinson’s Disease”

VC Slows, ViaSat Soars, Wests Unveil $100M Healthtech Fund, & More San Diego BizTech News

Data on venture capital investment activity during the third quarter poured in from different sources last week. The highlights are here, along with the rest of the San Diego’s biztech news. —Total venture capital invested in San Diego startups so far this year amounted to $567.7 million in 82 deals, according to the MoneyTree Report … Continue reading “VC Slows, ViaSat Soars, Wests Unveil $100M Healthtech Fund, & More San Diego BizTech News”

Synthetic Genomics Spins Out Another Startup, Agradis, Focused on Agricultural Biotechnology

After spinning out a startup last year to develop next-generation vaccines, San Diego’s Synthetic Genomics says today it has joined forces with a Mexican investor to form Agradis, an agricultural biotech that will seek to commercialize its advances in plant breeding and genomics. With $20 million in Series A financing, Agradis is intended to accelerate … Continue reading “Synthetic Genomics Spins Out Another Startup, Agradis, Focused on Agricultural Biotechnology”

Xconomy Asks the Experts: Can Technology Innovation Really Lower the Cost of Healthcare?

Last week I was struck in particular by a comment that one reader appended to my post about the formation of a $100 million West Health Investment Fund by San Diego philanthropists Gary and Mary West. The Wests say they created the fund (and are providing the entire $100 million themselves) to invest in “cutting-edge” … Continue reading “Xconomy Asks the Experts: Can Technology Innovation Really Lower the Cost of Healthcare?”

Q3 Venture Investing Waxed in Software, Internet, IT—Waned in Life Sciences

The numbers rarely agree, but a third set of venture investment data for the third quarter also shows a nationwide decline in life sciences funding, a trend that’s also apparent in venture data for the San Diego area. The latest venture survey, from Dow Jones VentureSource, shows VCs putting $8.37 billion into 765 deals in … Continue reading “Q3 Venture Investing Waxed in Software, Internet, IT—Waned in Life Sciences”

Roche Acquires Anadys, Wests Create $100M Fund, Johnson & Johnson Makes Room for 20 Startups, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

Between the formation of the new $100 million West Health Investment Fund and the new wet-lab space Johnson & Johnson is hosting for as many as 20 startups, you’d have to say it’s been a good week for life sciences innovation in San Diego. Get briefed here or get left behind. —San Diego’s Gary and … Continue reading “Roche Acquires Anadys, Wests Create $100M Fund, Johnson & Johnson Makes Room for 20 Startups, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

ViaSat Launches Satellite in One Giant Leap for High-Capacity Internet

[Updated 10/20/11 12:45 pm, with ViaSat announcing successful launch.] Carlsbad, CA-based ViaSat (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VSAT]]) says today that yesterday’s launch of its ViaSat-1 satellite was successful, and the spacecraft is now moving into position for its final geosynchronous orbit. The satellite, designed to be the highest data capacity satellite ever built, blasted off from from the … Continue reading “ViaSat Launches Satellite in One Giant Leap for High-Capacity Internet”

Wests Create New $100M Investment Fund Focused on Cutting Healthcare Costs

San Diego philanthropists Gary and Mary West lifted the curtain today on a $100 million fund they have established solely to invest in “cutting-edge” medical technologies and services that offer “the potential to substantially reduce” healthcare costs. The new West Health Investment Fund says it is targeting its investments in “early stage opportunities” with a … Continue reading “Wests Create New $100M Investment Fund Focused on Cutting Healthcare Costs”

MoneyTree Report Sees Third-Quarter Slowdown in U.S. Venture Investments

Venture capital firms invested $6.95 billion in 876 deals throughout the United States during the three months that ended Sept. 30, according to the MoneyTree Report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. The numbers marked a slowdown from the preceding quarter, when venture capitalists put $7.9 billion in 1,015 deals. But look at … Continue reading “MoneyTree Report Sees Third-Quarter Slowdown in U.S. Venture Investments”

Raising Funds: AnaptysBio, Sonexa, Eclipse, NextDx, Naviscan

There’s been a flurry of funding deals among San Diego life sciences companies in recent weeks, led by AnaptysBio, a six-year-old startup that named a new executive chairman and chief business officer just last week. Here’s a rundown of recent activity: —AnaptysBio, founded in 2005 with technology to discover and optimize potent antibodies to fight … Continue reading “Raising Funds: AnaptysBio, Sonexa, Eclipse, NextDx, Naviscan”

Johnson & Johnson Creates Innovation Center for Life Sciences Startups in San Diego

In a bid to foster life sciences startups, Johnson & Johnson is refurbishing part of its pharmaceutical research and development facility in San Diego to create an “innovation center” for new biotech and health IT companies. The New Jersey pharmaceutical and healthcare giant anticipates housing from 18 to 20 life sciences startups in the new … Continue reading “Johnson & Johnson Creates Innovation Center for Life Sciences Startups in San Diego”

Sequenom Inaugurates New Diagnostic Test for Down Syndrome

San Diego-based Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]) says today it’s making a prenatal test for fetal Down syndrome available in 20 U.S. cities, 2 1/2 years after the company shelved the debut of an earlier Down syndrome test due to “mishandled” research data. The proprietary test announced today is a laboratory-developed test (LDT) that detects an abnormal … Continue reading “Sequenom Inaugurates New Diagnostic Test for Down Syndrome”

Wireless Devices to Double by 2020, Overland Set for Turnaround, Ford Demos Wireless Health, & More San Diego BizTech News

Mobile technologies were the topic of the week as the wireless industry’s big enterprise & applications conference came to town. But we also had some interesting economic new, and our Xconomy week in review begins now. —The number of wireless-connected devices around the world will double by 2010, from roughly 12 billion to about 24 … Continue reading “Wireless Devices to Double by 2020, Overland Set for Turnaround, Ford Demos Wireless Health, & More San Diego BizTech News”

Ford Developing Wireless Health Apps for Motorists on the Go

K. Venkatesh Prasad has been working in Detroit for the past five years on an innovation that could be described as the next big crazy idea that might just work. As the senior technical leader in vehicle design and infotronics at Ford Research & Innovation, Prasad oversees development of voice-activated apps and wireless services that … Continue reading “Ford Developing Wireless Health Apps for Motorists on the Go”

San Diego’s Economic Engine Boosted by High-Tech Jobs, Wages

San Diego’s high-tech sectors did not escape unscathed from the great recession of 2007-2009, but a new study says local technology industries have had a disproportionate effect in boosting the regional economy in recent years. Using state employment data, the study released yesterday by the National University System Institute for Policy Research counted just over … Continue reading “San Diego’s Economic Engine Boosted by High-Tech Jobs, Wages”

Sequenom Plans $19M Lab in North Carolina, Illumina Shares Plunge, PatientSafe Advances Device, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

It was a full and busy week for life sciences news in San Diego, with interesting advances in wireless health and a variety of deals. I’m planning at least one more report from the Wireless Health 2011 Conference, but in the meantime, here’s everything else. North Carolina Gov. Beverly Burdue said yesterday that San Diego-based … Continue reading “Sequenom Plans $19M Lab in North Carolina, Illumina Shares Plunge, PatientSafe Advances Device, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

Overland Set to Ring Turnaround Bell with Disruptive Technology at a Disruptive Price

With yesterday’s introduction of a new line of data storage products, San Diego’s Overland Data (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OVRL]]) has set out to make a name for itself in the same high-tech market where it has been operating for the past 31 years. Since it began making IBM-compatible 9-track tape drives in 1980, Overland Storage has been … Continue reading “Overland Set to Ring Turnaround Bell with Disruptive Technology at a Disruptive Price”

CTIA Convenes Apps & Enterprise Conference Amid Predictions of Explosive Growth

The CTIA wireless industry group convened its annual enterprise and apps conference in San Diego yesterday, and the biggest buzz so far has been around Google and Samsung’s decision to cancel the debut they had planned for both the “Ice Cream Sandwich” version of Android and the Nexus Prime, characterized as the next “pure Google” … Continue reading “CTIA Convenes Apps & Enterprise Conference Amid Predictions of Explosive Growth”

Websense Partners With Facebook, Qualcomm Shuffles Top Execs, ViaSat Satellite Set for Launch Next Week, & More San Diego BizTech News

There’s been a lot of tech news in San Diego over the past week, from Web 2.0 startups like SocialIQ that are identifying and measuring social media influencers, to changes in the executive leadership at established companies like Qualcomm. Our roundup begins now. —San Diego’s Websense (NASDAQ: [[ticker:WBSN]]) said it has installed its network security … Continue reading “Websense Partners With Facebook, Qualcomm Shuffles Top Execs, ViaSat Satellite Set for Launch Next Week, & More San Diego BizTech News”

Atlantis Technologies Cleans Up at Angels’ Quick Pitch Competition

Atlantis Technologies is a San Diego cleantech startup that has developed proprietary, low-energy, chemical-free water desalination systems for treating industrial wastewater—especially the 1 trillion gallons of salty wastewater created each year by the oil and gas industry ‘s fracking practices. In a presentation last week, Atlantis CEO P.M. Curran said the company is now seeking … Continue reading “Atlantis Technologies Cleans Up at Angels’ Quick Pitch Competition”

FDA Adopts New Initiative, Scripps Health Begins Longevity Study, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

What was the biggest life sciences news over the past week? It might be that five San Diego companies landed financing deals, grants, and payments. Here are our highlights. —The U.S. Food and Drug Administration outlined a new strategic initiative intended to address industry criticism that the agency has been thwarting life sciences innovation through … Continue reading “FDA Adopts New Initiative, Scripps Health Begins Longevity Study, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

Sweeney Among the Florence Nightingales: Wireless Health Pioneer Jim Sweeney Customizes iTouch for Patient Care

When it comes to healthcare, San Diego’s Jim Sweeney has some serious entrepreneurial street cred. Before taking over the San Diego company now known as PatientSafe Solutions in 2009, Sweeney founded eight healthcare companies, beginning in 1979 with Caremark, which sold to Baxter for roughly $600 million in 1987. His enterprising run continued to CardioNet, … Continue reading “Sweeney Among the Florence Nightingales: Wireless Health Pioneer Jim Sweeney Customizes iTouch for Patient Care”

ImThera Gets Cyberonics’ Funding in Quest to Put Sleep Apnea to Rest

Houston’s Cyberonics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYBX]]), which makes an implantable neurostimulation device used to treat epilepsy and depression, says today it’s making a $4 million investment in San Diego startup ImThera Medical. Cyberonics says its investment could eventually total $12 million, providing that ImThera meets certain milestones. The San Diego startup has been developing technology that fits … Continue reading “ImThera Gets Cyberonics’ Funding in Quest to Put Sleep Apnea to Rest”

DARPA Awards Aethlon $6.8M for Technology to Combat Sepsis

The Pentagon’s Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a $6.8 million contract to San Diego’s Aethlon Medical to develop a medical device that could be used to reduce the incidence of sepsis, a potentially fatal bloodstream infection. In a statement today, Aethlon says sepsis often the cause of death in combat-injured soldiers. Aethlon … Continue reading “DARPA Awards Aethlon $6.8M for Technology to Combat Sepsis”

San Diego Startup Tracks Your Social IQ (Influence Quotient), Looks to Raise Capital

With the flip of a switch, a Web 2.0 startup that began life in mid-2009 has launched SocialIQ.com, a new beta website that also marks the San Diego company’s change to a new identity. Originally known as Soovox, the company now known as SocialIQ is making a strategic adjustment to align its corporate brand with … Continue reading “San Diego Startup Tracks Your Social IQ (Influence Quotient), Looks to Raise Capital”

SweetLabs Raises $13M, Entropic Invests $10M, Young & Restless Prefer Other Cities to San Diego, & More San Diego BizTech News

While some tech companies said last week that they are expanding their operations, fresh concerns are emerging about San Diego’s ability to attract and retain the young entrepreneurs driving the next generation of innovation. We’ve got all that and more in our summary of last week’s tech news. —Intel Capital was the lead investor in … Continue reading “SweetLabs Raises $13M, Entropic Invests $10M, Young & Restless Prefer Other Cities to San Diego, & More San Diego BizTech News”

ServiceNow Hires New CTO From Microsoft Cloud

[Corrected 10/3/11, 10:25 am. See below.] ServiceNow CEO Frank Slootman said in August that he was accelerating hiring as the Web-based provider of IT services makes its transition from a fast-growth startup to an established leader in the Software as a Service industry. [Updated to correct and clarify Luddy’s role] Today the San Diego company … Continue reading “ServiceNow Hires New CTO From Microsoft Cloud”

Elevation Partners Grabs $17M, NanoSort Wins Grants, NIH Collaborates with Afraxis on Rare Disease R&D, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

Funding needed to advance innovative technologies came in small dollops for several local life sciences startups last week, although one company got a big serving. Our weekly briefing begins now. —San Diego’s Elevation Partners, which has been developing a long-lasting aerosol drug for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, took in a $17 million tranche in … Continue reading “Elevation Partners Grabs $17M, NanoSort Wins Grants, NIH Collaborates with Afraxis on Rare Disease R&D, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

Intel Capital Leads $13M Round for SweetLabs in Bid to Re-Invent Desktop Experience

SweetLabs scored what could be construed as a Google seal of approval in April 2010 when the San Diego startup, then known as OpenCandy, landed $5 million in a Series B round of venture funding led by Google Ventures. Today, the four-year-old startup says it has scored a similar coup—raising $13 million in a Series … Continue reading “Intel Capital Leads $13M Round for SweetLabs in Bid to Re-Invent Desktop Experience”

Connect Lists Finalists for San Diego’s Most Innovative Product Awards

Connect, the San Diego nonprofit group for innovation and entrepreneurship, says it has selected three finalists in eight categories for the region’s 24th annual Most Innovative New Product (MIP) Awards competition. The 24 finalists were culled from more than 140 nominations submitted, according to a statement from Connect. The finalists in each category are evaluated … Continue reading “Connect Lists Finalists for San Diego’s Most Innovative Product Awards”

San Diego’s Innovation Economy, and What it Takes to Recruit “The Young and Restless”

As the chief operating officer of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. (EDC), Lauree Sahba says, “Our region’s future as a technology center of excellence depends on our ability to attract and retain the next generation of innovators and young talent.” Yet Sahba frets that the renowned research institutions and balmy weather that drew … Continue reading “San Diego’s Innovation Economy, and What it Takes to Recruit “The Young and Restless””

San Diego’s Entropic Invests In, and Partners With, Cupertino’s Zenverge

San Diego semiconductor designer Entropic Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ENTR]]) says today it has formed a strategic partnership with Zenverge, a Cupertino, CA-based chip design firm to work together on the next generation of multimedia products for home entertainment systems. In a separate release, Zenverge says it has closed a $20.5 million Series D round of financing … Continue reading “San Diego’s Entropic Invests In, and Partners With, Cupertino’s Zenverge”

San Diego’s Afraxis Gets NIH Support to Develop Compound for Rare Fragile X Syndrome

Afraxis will partner with the NIH to advance work on the San Diego company’s disease-modifying treatments for Fragile X syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that is the most common inherited form of mental retardation, according to a statement from the company today. The biotech’s lead program targets p21-activated kinase (PAK), a protein that regulates the … Continue reading “San Diego’s Afraxis Gets NIH Support to Develop Compound for Rare Fragile X Syndrome”

Intuit Showcases New Apps, How San Diego’s Software Sector Could Come Together, OneRoof Energy Nails $50M, & More San Diego BizTech News

It was a busy week, with several meaty stories from San Diego’s tech front. Our Monday briefing is ready for your reading pleasure. —Jason Mendelson, a partner and co-founder of the Boulder, CO-based Foundry Group, talked about the factors that helped create a critical mass of new company formations and funding activity in Boulder’s software … Continue reading “Intuit Showcases New Apps, How San Diego’s Software Sector Could Come Together, OneRoof Energy Nails $50M, & More San Diego BizTech News”

With $50M Deal, San Diego Company Combines PV Solar, Financing, and New Roof

One of South Korea’s largest conglomerates led a $50 million Series A financing for OneRoof Energy, a San Diego company with a leasing program that enables homeowners to install photovoltaic (PV) solar tiles on their roofs without paying upfront costs. The company says Hanwha International, part of the Seoul-based Hanwha Group, is getting a “significant, … Continue reading “With $50M Deal, San Diego Company Combines PV Solar, Financing, and New Roof”

Orexigen’s Diet Drug Springs Back to Life, Independa Gets $1.6M, NuVasive Faces Big Judgments in Patent Dispute, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

San Diego life sciences research and development, the engine that drives innovation, got some new digs at Isis Pharmaceuticals, and J. Craig Venter started the digging for the construction of a new genomics research headquarters. But we didn’t have to go digging for news; our roundup begins now. —After meeting with federal regulators, San Diego’s … Continue reading “Orexigen’s Diet Drug Springs Back to Life, Independa Gets $1.6M, NuVasive Faces Big Judgments in Patent Dispute, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

San Diego’s Independa Raises $1.6M for Technology to Help Elderly Stay Independent

[Corrected 9/21/11, 1:05 pm. See below.] Independa, the San Diego startup developing Web-based services for the elderly, says it has closed on $1.6 million in early stage financing, and investor interest has been strong enough to extend the round to $2.2 million. [Corrected to show $200,000 loan is in addition to $1.6M investment] Independa CEO … Continue reading “San Diego’s Independa Raises $1.6M for Technology to Help Elderly Stay Independent”

New Citrix Startup Accelerator Makes Seed Investment in San Diego’s Nukona

Nukona, a Solana Beach, CA-based software developer that enables IT administrators to manage consumer-oriented mobile apps, says today it has closed on a funding round led by Citrix Systems’ Startup Accelerator program in Santa Clara, CA. The corporate incubator program was launched earlier this year by Fort Lauderdale, FL-based Citrix Systems. The accelerator program, which … Continue reading “New Citrix Startup Accelerator Makes Seed Investment in San Diego’s Nukona”

Jason Mendelson, the Elvis of Innovation, Offers Some Lessons for San Diego’s Tech Sector

I like you. Just maybe you’ve got a clue Meet my partners on a Monday, We’ll see if they can dig you too ‘Cuz I’m a VC, I’m a VC I drive around a Prius and meet over sushi I’m a VC. Uh-huh. Who are you? It takes more than PowerPoint slides to impress me … Continue reading “Jason Mendelson, the Elvis of Innovation, Offers Some Lessons for San Diego’s Tech Sector”

FDA at the Center of Huge Gray Area in Establishing Regs for Wireless Health, Execs Say

When Rob McCray founded San Diego’s Wireless Life Sciences Alliance (WLSA) in 2005, the group’s corporate membership constituted just three companies: Qualcomm; Johnson & Johnson; and TripleTree, a boutique banking and research firm where McCray was a partner. Since then, the convergence of healthcare and wireless technologies has become more obvious, and the WLSA has … Continue reading “FDA at the Center of Huge Gray Area in Establishing Regs for Wireless Health, Execs Say”

Plunging Valuations and Surplus of Groupon Clones Sets Off Frenzy of M&A Activity

Buyouts and mergers of Web companies that offer online “daily deals” have accelerated sharply over the past five months, driven by a rapid decline in valuations and a surplus of Groupon clones, according to a report issued today by CB Insights, a New York data services firm. CB Insights counted 22 global mergers and acquisitions … Continue reading “Plunging Valuations and Surplus of Groupon Clones Sets Off Frenzy of M&A Activity”