There wasn’t a surfeit of tech news last week, but what we had was meaty. Your Monday tech briefing has arrived. —Web technology development has become an increasingly important focus at San Diego-based Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]), especially at Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, the chip-design business also known as QCT. As the number of software engineers at … Continue reading “Qualcomm Expands Web Tech, MeLLmo Raises $30M, Bandsintown Acquired by Cellfish, and More San Diego BizTech News”
Author: Bruce V. Bigelow
In Memoriam: Our dear friend Bruce V. Bigelow passed away on June 29, 2018. He was the editor of Xconomy San Diego from 2008 to 2018. Read more about his life and work here.
Bruce Bigelow joined Xconomy from the business desk of the San Diego Union-Tribune. He was a member of the team of reporters who were awarded the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting for uncovering bribes paid to San Diego Republican Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham in exchange for special legislation earmarks. He also shared a 2006 award for enterprise reporting from the Society of Business Editors and Writers for “In Harm’s Way,” an article about the extraordinary casualty rate among employees working in Iraq for San Diego’s Titan Corp. He has written extensively about the 2002 corporate accounting scandal at software goliath Peregrine Systems. He also was a Gerald Loeb Award finalist and National Headline Award winner for “The Toymaker,” a 14-part chronicle of a San Diego start-up company. He takes special satisfaction, though, that the series was included in the library for nonfiction narrative journalism at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.
Bigelow graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 1977 with a degree in English Literature and from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1979. Before joining the Union-Tribune in 1990, he worked for the Associated Press in Los Angeles and The Kansas City Times.
Sequoia Leads $30M Round for Visualization App-Maker MeLLmo
Del Mar, CA-based MeLLmo, which provides visualization software that transforms data from spreadsheets and other business software into interactive graphics for the iPhone and iPad, says today it has secured $30 million through a round led by Sequoia Capital. This is MeLLmo’s first round of institutional financing. The startup had previously raised $20 million from … Continue reading “Sequoia Leads $30M Round for Visualization App-Maker MeLLmo”
Ion Torrent Racing to Change Healthcare, VentiRx to Close SD Office, RF Surgical Raises $12M, and More San Diego Life Sciences News
San Diego’s biggest life sciences stories over the past week were fundamentally about the potential of new technologies. We’ve got what’s happening at Life Technologies’ Ion Torrent and Panmira Pharmaceuticals wrapped up for you here. —Luke talked with Ion Torrent founder Jonathan Rothberg about the company’s increasingly high profile in sequencing genomes at high speed … Continue reading “Ion Torrent Racing to Change Healthcare, VentiRx to Close SD Office, RF Surgical Raises $12M, and More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Accumetrics CEO Measures Progress of Its Medical Diagnostics Business
Accumetrics CEO Tim Still tells me much has changed since I profiled the San Diego medical diagnostics company in 2009. The venture-backed company makes an automated diagnostic instrument that uses a disposable test kit to measure a cardiovascular patient’s specific response to anti-clotting drugs. More than a million Americans are hospitalized each year due to … Continue reading “Accumetrics CEO Measures Progress of Its Medical Diagnostics Business”
As Browsing Becomes the “Killer Use” in Mobile, Qualcomm Makes Web Technology a Priority
San Diego-based Qualcomm has traditionally been known as the world’s biggest maker of mobile phone chips—with most of that technology coming out of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, the company’s “QCT” division. But Qualcomm crossed a kind of tipping point three years ago, when the software engineers at QCT began to outnumber the hardware engineers, according to … Continue reading “As Browsing Becomes the “Killer Use” in Mobile, Qualcomm Makes Web Technology a Priority”
Qualcomm Adds Femtocell Capabilities to Wi-Fi Products for Corporate Networks
In the five months since San Diego’s Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) completed its acquisition of San Jose, CA-based Atheros Communications, the two companies have been working to integrate their operations and combine their technologies. One example of how that’s playing out came into focus yesterday, with Qualcomm saying it has combined its proprietary Femtocell modem chipset … Continue reading “Qualcomm Adds Femtocell Capabilities to Wi-Fi Products for Corporate Networks”
Qualcomm Acquires Video Technologies, State Senate Blocks Brown’s Job Package, Wildcat Expands Funding Round, & More San Diego BizTech News
The Labor Day holiday made for a short week of technology news, but we’ve labored to pull it all together for you here. —Underscoring the growing importance of mobile video, San Diego-based Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) said it’s acquiring video processing technologies and other assets from Integrated Device Technology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IDTI]]) of San Jose, CA, for … Continue reading “Qualcomm Acquires Video Technologies, State Senate Blocks Brown’s Job Package, Wildcat Expands Funding Round, & More San Diego BizTech News”
SABPA Medical Device and Diagnostics Forum
As China surpasses Japan as the world’s second-largest economy, and while China’s central government invests $193 billion to modernize China’s healthcare system, a tremendous market is emerging for medical devices and diagnostics. Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, and other industry behemoths from the U.S. and Europe are stepping up their presence in China to capitalize on … Continue reading “SABPA Medical Device and Diagnostics Forum”
Amira’s Windfall Sale, Ardea Advances Gout Drug, Gov. Brown’s Jobs Plan Wins Biotech Support, & More San Diego Life Science News
What was my favorite local life sciences news over the past week? It would have to be the announcement that Apricus Biosciences made before the three-day Labor Day holiday. In case you missed it, we’ve got it here. —Amira Pharmaceuticals CEO Bob Baltera talked with Luke about the fortuitous outcome of the company’s acquisition by … Continue reading “Amira’s Windfall Sale, Ardea Advances Gout Drug, Gov. Brown’s Jobs Plan Wins Biotech Support, & More San Diego Life Science News”
Xconomist of the Week: Five Questions with Biocom CEO Joe Panetta
Joe Panetta is a 30-year biotech veteran on both sides of the interface between business and government regulators. He’s spent close to half of that time as president and CEO of Biocom, the San Diego-based regional life sciences industry association. Panetta also happens to be the latest member of the local innovation community to join … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Five Questions with Biocom CEO Joe Panetta”
Program Retraining Workers for ‘Green’ Economy Graduates First 50 Students
As President Obama prepares to roll out a jobs program in a nationwide address tomorrow, the first 50 people to enroll in a six-month program to retrain workers for jobs in biofuels, sustainable biotechnology, and other cleantech industries are graduating today. The students began their technical training earlier this year with classes at UC San … Continue reading “Program Retraining Workers for ‘Green’ Economy Graduates First 50 Students”
Upping the Ante: San Diego Life Sciences Startups Raise More Cash
Several San Diego life sciences companies raised money in the past few weeks, based on Form D notifications that companies are required to file with government regulators within 15 days after the first sale of securities in such offerings. The filings do not list the investors, however. Here’s a quick rundown of what I found: … Continue reading “Upping the Ante: San Diego Life Sciences Startups Raise More Cash”
San Diego Life Sciences Leaders Show Support for Governor’s Tax Changes
San Diego’s life sciences and biomedical communities showed their support today for California Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax plan, which he has offered as a way to promote statewide job growth by closing a “toxic tax loophole” and offering other incentives for companies to add jobs. “The majority of Biocom’s members are smaller companies within Southern … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Leaders Show Support for Governor’s Tax Changes”
Sony Launches Its Tablet, Ortiva Looks to Expand Through Partnerships, Oberon Fuels Lands Deal with SoCalGas, & More San Diego BizTech News
Welcome back from the last long weekend of the summer. Here’s the definitive roundup of all the news you’ll need to start your week. —Sony (ticker: [[NYSE:SNE]]) officially launched its Tablet S, a 9.4-inch tablet computer that includes apps developed by San Diego’s Chumby Industries. The Japanese consumer electronics giant also made it easier for … Continue reading “Sony Launches Its Tablet, Ortiva Looks to Expand Through Partnerships, Oberon Fuels Lands Deal with SoCalGas, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Michael Robertson, Serial San Diego Entrepreneur and Super Disruptor
San Diego’s Startup Circle hosts MP3.com founder Michael Robertson, who will discuss his newest venture, DAR.fm, an online service that records radio to play back on demand. It’s like a Web-based Tivo for radio. Just as a DVR (digital video recorder) captures TV broadcasts to play back when requested, DAR.fm’s digital audio recorder records music. … Continue reading “Michael Robertson, Serial San Diego Entrepreneur and Super Disruptor”
Sony Integrates Its Online Entertainment Services in New Brand
In addition to announcing the launch of its new tablets yesterday in Berlin, Sony (NYSE: [[ticker:SNE]]) said it’s combining its Qriocity on-demand music and video services with the PlayStation Network under a new brand, the Sony Entertainment Network. The announcement underscores the importance Sony is placing on its online content—and how the company has endeavored … Continue reading “Sony Integrates Its Online Entertainment Services in New Brand”
Apricus Bio Wins Third FDA Clearance, Aethlon to Test Blood Filtering Device, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
There wasn’t a lot of news out of San Diego’s life sciences community over the past week, unless you count the executives at public companies who plan to give presentations at various financial conferences in coming weeks. We’ve got the best of the rest, and our briefing begins now. —San Diego’s Apricus Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:APRI]]) … Continue reading “Apricus Bio Wins Third FDA Clearance, Aethlon to Test Blood Filtering Device, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Gamemaker Zeebo Raises Additional Capital in Major Strategy Change
San Diego-based Zeebo, founded in 2007 to build a business around a new wireless game console, apparently is making a significant change in its strategy, and has raised additional equity funding, according to a recent regulatory filing. Zeebo discloses in the document submitted to the SEC that it’s raising $17 million in equity financing, but … Continue reading “Gamemaker Zeebo Raises Additional Capital in Major Strategy Change”
Sony Tablets Open New Opportunities for San Diego’s Chumby
[Updated 8/31/11, 3:30 pm. See below.]The new 9.4-inch Tablet S that Sony is introducing today includes many features that the consumer electronics giant hopes will be compelling for users, including access to Sony’s network of PlayStation video games, music, movies, and other entertainment services. The Android-based tablet also can “throw” steaming video or music to … Continue reading “Sony Tablets Open New Opportunities for San Diego’s Chumby”
San Diego’s EvoNexus Eyes Downtown Move and Expansion
EvoNexus, the free incubator founded in San Diego more than two years ago by CommNexus, the non-profit technology industry group, is evaluating a move that would significantly expand the scale of its operations. Kevin Hell, who stepped in nine months ago as part-time chairman of the incubator’s oversight committee, tells me “the infrastructure is in … Continue reading “San Diego’s EvoNexus Eyes Downtown Move and Expansion”
New York’s DoubleVerify Raises $33 Million to Track Online Media Advertising
New York-based DoubleVerify, which has technology for tracking and verifying online advertising, says today it has raised $33 million in a Series C round of financing led by JMI Equity, based in San Diego and Baltimore, and the Bay Area’s Institutional Venture Partners (IVP). Existing investors Blumberg Capital and First Round Capital joined in the … Continue reading “New York’s DoubleVerify Raises $33 Million to Track Online Media Advertising”
Active Network Names Dejanovic to New Role
The San Diego-based Active Network today named former Monster Worldwide executive and chief information officer Darko Dejanovic as its chief technology, product, and innovation officer, a newly created role. At Monster Worldwide, parent of the online employment giant Monster.com, Dejanovic was responsible for global IT strategy, product design, online marketing, consumer sales, and operations and … Continue reading “Active Network Names Dejanovic to New Role”
Aiming at Constrained Bandwidth, Ortiva’s Technology Improves Video Streaming
[Updated 8/30/11, 1:25 pm. See below.] The way to think about San Diego’s Ortiva Wireless is that it serves as a kind of accelerator. The reason the company exists comes down to the fact that the world is going wireless, the mobile device is moving into the center of our lives, and bandwidth congestion is … Continue reading “Aiming at Constrained Bandwidth, Ortiva’s Technology Improves Video Streaming”
MP3Tunes Likes Sound of Court Ruling, PureForge Raises $4.5M, Qualcomm Backs AliveCor, & More San Diego BizTech News
Managing complexity was a recurring theme at a global conference on data mining and predictive analytics held in San Diego last week, and sometimes it’s a recurring theme here at Xconomy as well. We’ve pulled together a lot of disparate elements for this roundup, for example. Your briefing begins now. —In a ruling with broad … Continue reading “MP3Tunes Likes Sound of Court Ruling, PureForge Raises $4.5M, Qualcomm Backs AliveCor, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Genomatica Files for IPO, Tandem Diabetes Raises $12M, Zogenix Looks to Raise Almost $50M, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
The big news for San Diego life sciences companies over the past week fell into two categories, raising money and winning regulatory approval. Either way, it’s all good news. —Genomatica, which genetically engineers microorganisms to produce industrial chemicals from renewable raw materials, has applied to raise $100 million through an IPO. The proceeds would be … Continue reading “Genomatica Files for IPO, Tandem Diabetes Raises $12M, Zogenix Looks to Raise Almost $50M, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
San Diego’s Awarepoint Raises $27M in Series F—As in Final—Venture Round
San Diego-based Awarepoint, which has developed real-time tracking technology for the healthcare industry, says today it has raised $27 million in a Series F round of financing led by Silicon Valley’s Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The company says a new investor, San Francisco’s Top Tier Capital Partners, joined in the round, along with existing … Continue reading “San Diego’s Awarepoint Raises $27M in Series F—As in Final—Venture Round”
San Diego’s Genomatica, a Pioneer in Industrial Biotechnology, Files for IPO
San Diego-based Genomatica, an industrial biotech that uses engineered microorganisms to produce high-value chemicals in fermentation tanks, has submitted plans for an initial public offering, according to a regulatory filing today. The underwriters include Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan Securities, and Jefferies & Company, and the company hopes to someday trade under the ticker symbol GENO. … Continue reading “San Diego’s Genomatica, a Pioneer in Industrial Biotechnology, Files for IPO”
Confident Technologies Adds New Capabilities to Its Network Security Software
Curtis Staker and Roman Yudkin have been busy in the 16 months since they officially launched Confident Technologies of Solana Beach, CA—using salvaged computer security software originally developed by Portland, OR-based Vidoop. As I explained last year, the suburban San Diego company has developed an alternative to the security protocol that requires an online user … Continue reading “Confident Technologies Adds New Capabilities to Its Network Security Software”
San Diego’s Michael Robertson, MP3tunes, Claim ’99 Percent’ Win in Fight Over Cloud Music
A federal judge in New York has largely rebuffed a request for summary judgment in a copyright infringement case that Capitol Records and its parent EMI Music Group filed in 2007 against MP3tunes, the San Diego-based provider of cloud-based music services. MP3tunes founder Michael Robertson, who previously founded San Diego’s MP3.com (and became a pariah … Continue reading “San Diego’s Michael Robertson, MP3tunes, Claim ’99 Percent’ Win in Fight Over Cloud Music”
SaaS Deals Get Top Valuations, Del Mar DataTrac Sold, Qualcomm Introducing a Pet Tracker, & More San Diego BizTech News
The climate for software deal-making improved during the second quarter, especially for cloud-based companies offering Software-as-a-Service. We’ve got the rundown on that, as well as a new software deal to be counted in the next quarter. —San Diego’s Software Equity Group counted 397 buyouts and mergers in the software sector with a cumulative value of … Continue reading “SaaS Deals Get Top Valuations, Del Mar DataTrac Sold, Qualcomm Introducing a Pet Tracker, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Growing Need for “Big Data” Analysis Spurs Growth in Today’s SD Conference
More than 1,100 experts who analyze “Big Data” are gathered in San Diego today for the industry’s major conference on “Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining” (KDD). The registered attendance is a 22 percent increase over the 900 who attended last year’s KDD conference in Washington D.C. “In this field, at least, we’re experiencing a recovery,” … Continue reading “Growing Need for “Big Data” Analysis Spurs Growth in Today’s SD Conference”
San Diego’s Tandem Diabetes Raises $12 Million While Insulin Pump Is Under Review
Tandem Diabetes Care, a San Diego medical device maker founded in 2008, has raised $12 million of a financing round that could eventually total nearly $13.7 million, according to a recent regulatory filing. The company has applied to the FDA for clearance for its insulin pump, according to VentureWire. The company’s website says its wearable … Continue reading “San Diego’s Tandem Diabetes Raises $12 Million While Insulin Pump Is Under Review”
Software Industry Valuations Rise, Driven by Demand for Software-as-a-Service
Global spending on information and communications technologies is fueling higher valuations for public software companies, according to a quarterly report released by the San Diego-based Software Equity Group. Much of that increased spending, however, reflects an intensifying demand for cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS), as big-company CIOs increasingly accept the notion of … Continue reading “Software Industry Valuations Rise, Driven by Demand for Software-as-a-Service”
Qualcomm, Apple, & Nokia Reportedly Still Considering InterDigital Buyout
Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]), Apple, (NASDAQ: [[ticker:APPL]]) and Nokia (NYSE: [[ticker:NOK]]) are deciding if buying wireless technologies specialist InterDigital (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IDCC]]) makes sense, according to a report in Reuters. InterDigital, based in King of Prussia, PA, generates most of its revenue from its portfolio of nearly 9,000 wireless technology patents. The company, which opened a new … Continue reading “Qualcomm, Apple, & Nokia Reportedly Still Considering InterDigital Buyout”
Genomatica Signs Up for Italian Job
San Diego’s Genomatica, the industrial biotechnology startup, says it has agreed to establish a joint venture with Novamont, the Italian bio-plastic producer, to develop the first industrial plant in Europe to produce butanediol (BDO) from renewable feedstocks. Novamont plans to use the estimated 40 million pounds per year output to meet the increasing demand for … Continue reading “Genomatica Signs Up for Italian Job”
Consortium Find New HIV Antibodies, Zogenix Gets Drug to Clinical End Point, TrovaGene Reclaims Technology, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
Our roundup of San Diego’s life sciences news is short and sweet this morning. Could these be the dog days of summer? —Scientists from Seattle’s Theraclone Sciences, San Diego’s Scripps Research Institute, South San Francisco’s Monogram Biosciences, and the New York-based International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) have identified 17 new human antibodies that target a … Continue reading “Consortium Find New HIV Antibodies, Zogenix Gets Drug to Clinical End Point, TrovaGene Reclaims Technology, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Envision Solar Names New CEO
San Diego’s Envision Solar says Desmond Wheatley, the firm’s president and chief operating officer, succeeded founding CEO and chairman Bob Noble on Aug. 10. Noble has moved to a new role as executive chairman. The company also named a new CFO, Chris Caulson.
Zogenix Pain Drug Meets Endpoint
San Diego-based Zogenix says its late-stage efficacy study of hydrocodone bitartrate (Zohydro) met the company’s intended goal, with patients reporting improved chronic pain relief compared to a placebo. The study also demonstrated that the drug candidate was safe and well-tolerated. If federal drug regulators approve the drug for the U.S. market, Zogenix says it could … Continue reading “Zogenix Pain Drug Meets Endpoint”
San Diego’s Stock Twits Aims its Social Media Tweets at the Wall Street People Who Matter
After more than 20 years of experience as a Wall Street investor and entrepreneur, Howard Lindzon has become a connoisseur of stock culture. He says his disdain for CNBC was the reason he created WallStrip, an offbeat videoblog mix of finance, markets, and humor, in 2007. Eight months later, CBS acquired WallStrip for an undisclosed … Continue reading “San Diego’s Stock Twits Aims its Social Media Tweets at the Wall Street People Who Matter”
Finding Trends: Cleantech IPOs Skew Toward Biofuels, Materials, Energy Efficiency
Even before global markets reacted to the U.S. credit downgrade, IPOs for cleantech companies have been relatively few and far between. Still, the IPO data for the first half of 2011 reveals the kinds of alternative energy and green technology companies are going public—a good indication of which sectors are more likely to attract more … Continue reading “Finding Trends: Cleantech IPOs Skew Toward Biofuels, Materials, Energy Efficiency”
Pleasanton’s Ellie Mae Buys San Diego’s Del Mar DataTrac for $25.2M
Pleasanton, CA-based Ellie Mae (NYSE Amex: [[ticker:ELLI]]), which provides software used by mortgage lenders to underwrite home loans and related transactions, says today it has acquired Del Mar DataTrac, a privately held competitor in San Diego. In a statement, Ellie Mae says it agreed to pay $17.2 million at closing, with another $8 million in … Continue reading “Pleasanton’s Ellie Mae Buys San Diego’s Del Mar DataTrac for $25.2M”
Qualcomm’s Snaptracs—Not SnapTrack—Offers New Pet Tracking Technology to Consumers
San Diego-based Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) has focused most of its business and resources on commercial customers who install the company’s wireless chips and related technologies in a host of cell phones, mobile devices, networking equipment, and other products. But today, a year-old Qualcomm subsidiary called Snaptracs is unveiling a new product for consumers—a lightweight tracking … Continue reading “Qualcomm’s Snaptracs—Not SnapTrack—Offers New Pet Tracking Technology to Consumers”
Post-IPO Active Network Shows Profit, SmartDrive Raises $10M, Human Engines Goes Commercial, & More San Diego BizTech News
Software-as-a-service is driving strong growth at two San Diego Web companies, and several other tech companies raised cash last week. We’ve got the highlight reel, and our play-by-play analysis begins now. —After its May 25 IPO, San Diego’s Active Network (NYSE: [[ticker:ACTV]]) reported its first quarterly financial results, showing a $5.5 million profit on $99 … Continue reading “Post-IPO Active Network Shows Profit, SmartDrive Raises $10M, Human Engines Goes Commercial, & More San Diego BizTech News”
From Life Sciences Laboratory to Leadership
Biocom and the Leadership Edge have organized this four-day program for bringing out the best in life sciences industry managers. More than 3,000 people from 300 companies have enrolled, helping their companies address such matters as creating productive teams in a challenging environment and clearly communicating goals. Sessions will be held on Sept. 12, Sept. … Continue reading “From Life Sciences Laboratory to Leadership”
Biomimicry, Innovation, and the Global Economy
Lynn Reaser, the chief economist at the Point Loma Nazarene University Fermanian Business and Economic Institute, was commissioned last year to conduct an economic impact study about the potential economic impact of the emerging field of biomimicry. Now, almost one year later, Dr. Lynn Reaser will announce the Da Vinci Index, as a means of … Continue reading “Biomimicry, Innovation, and the Global Economy”
Strategy and Tactics: How Active Network’s CEO Uses Innovation to Fuel Growth
On the day after the San Diego-based Active Network reported its first quarterly financial results as a publicly traded company (NYSE: [[ticker:ACTV]]), CEO Dave Alberga was looking satisfied as he fielded questions in his office. The Active Network had just posted its first-ever profit—$5.5 million for the second quarter ended June 30. The company increased … Continue reading “Strategy and Tactics: How Active Network’s CEO Uses Innovation to Fuel Growth”
Adventrx Shares Plummet, Pfizer Adds UC San Diego to its Network, New RNAi Center Opens, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
San Diego’s life sciences community was teeming with news over the past week. We’ve got it all cultivated for you. —Shares of San Diego’s Adventrx Pharmaceuticals (NYSE Amex: [[ticker:ANX]]) plunged by more than 55 percent after the biotech company said the FDA refused to approve its new lung-cancer drug vinorelbine injectable emulsion (Exelbine) until a … Continue reading “Adventrx Shares Plummet, Pfizer Adds UC San Diego to its Network, New RNAi Center Opens, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
SmartDrive Raises $10.1M
San Diego’s SmartDrive Systems has raised $10.1 million of a planned $11.5 million from investors, according to a recent regulatory filing. As we reported a couple of years ago, SmartDrive helps fleet operators mitigate their risk by using a SmartRecorder device mounted above the dashboard to record driving behavior and determine what happened in accidents. … Continue reading “SmartDrive Raises $10.1M”
San Diego’s KidZui Raises $2M, Launches a “Google for Kids”
If there is a children’s book section in the local public library, shouldn’t part of the Internet also be reserved for kids? San Diego’s KidZui answered this question in 2008, when it launched its kid-friendly Internet browser (as an add-on to Firefox) that allowed kids to browse websites that were pre-screened and approved by a … Continue reading “San Diego’s KidZui Raises $2M, Launches a “Google for Kids””
Google Ventures Leads $500K Seed Round for San Diego’s Nettle
Nettle, a 10-month-old San Diego startup with a new social/local/mobile application for the global entertainment market, says it has raised $500,000 in seed financing led by Google Ventures. Advancit Capital and 500 Startups also participated, along with some angel investors that include former eBay and Qualcomm executives. Nettle co-founder and CEO Brian Dear isn’t saying … Continue reading “Google Ventures Leads $500K Seed Round for San Diego’s Nettle”