Going Mobile: TurboTax App for EZ Tax Filing is Latest Example of Intuit’s Broader Smartphone Initiative

Shortly after Brad Smith took over in January, 2008, as president and CEO of Intuit (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTU]]), he embarked on a “listening tour” to identify the Mountain View, CA, company’s biggest opportunities and challenges. In developing what he called the “case for change,” Smith combined what he heard with some broader trends, such as shifting … Continue reading “Going Mobile: TurboTax App for EZ Tax Filing is Latest Example of Intuit’s Broader Smartphone Initiative”

CareFusion Names Gallahue as Chairman and CEO

San Diego-based CareFusion (NYSE: [[tickerCFN]]), the medical equipment company that was spun out by Cardinal Health (NYSE:[[ticker:CAH)]] in late 2009, today named Kieran Gallahue as chairman and CEO, succeeding David Schlotterbeck, who had previously announced his retirement. CareFusion, which posted $3.9 billion in sales last year, is a medical technology company with such established products … Continue reading “CareFusion Names Gallahue as Chairman and CEO”

Farrell Resumes Command at ResMed

San Diego’s ResMed (NYSE: [[ticker:RMD]]) says founder and executive chairman Peter Farrell is returning as CEO following the surprise resignation of Kieran  Gallahue, who left to become the chairman and CEO of San Diego-based CareFusion (NYSE: [[tickerCFN]]). Farrell, who also will continue to serve as the board’s executive chairman, founded ResMed in 1989 and served … Continue reading “Farrell Resumes Command at ResMed”

Qualcomm Names 6 Finalists in Global QPrize Venture Financing Competition

I had to double-check after Qualcomm today announced the six regional finalists for its second annual QPrize venture investment competition. The San Diego wireless giant (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) held its inaugural QPrize event in 2009, but the logistics of running a global prize competition made it difficult to reprise the entire process in 2010. So this … Continue reading “Qualcomm Names 6 Finalists in Global QPrize Venture Financing Competition”

Venture Outlook 2011: Returning to the Way We Were

Charles River Ventures partner Bill Tai made an interesting analogy between surfing and venture investing for the San Diego audience that gathered last week at the San Diego Venture Group’s panel discussion on the venture outlook for the coming year. The annual event usually draws big crowds, and this year was no exception. Some 350 … Continue reading “Venture Outlook 2011: Returning to the Way We Were”

Qualcomm’s CEO Talks Wireless Health, InLab Ventures Pioneers New VC Model, Fallbrook Technologies Tops Deals List, & More San Diego BizTech News

If there was a theme to last week’s biztech news in San Diego, it might be learning how to negotiate the complexities of technology innovation. We’ve got it wrapped up for you, from Qualcomm’s Paul Jacobs to Sorenson Media’s Eric Quanstrom. —During a panel discussion about combating chronic disease at last week’s World Economic Forum … Continue reading “Qualcomm’s CEO Talks Wireless Health, InLab Ventures Pioneers New VC Model, Fallbrook Technologies Tops Deals List, & More San Diego BizTech News”

A Done Deal: Ligand Diversifies its Drug Revenue With CyDex Acquisition

Investors showed little response this morning after San Diego’s Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LGND]]) said yesterday it had acquired CyDex Pharmaceuticals for more than $36 million in mostly borrowed cash. After gaining a few cents a share, Ligand’s stock reversed course, and was down 9 cents a share at mid-day, to $8.67 a share in normal … Continue reading “A Done Deal: Ligand Diversifies its Drug Revenue With CyDex Acquisition”

Novartis Acquires Genoptix, Elcelyx Raises $6M, Pfenex Gets Subcontract to Work on Malaria Treatment, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

Much of the life sciences news out of San Diego over the past week concerned new technologies and treatments for diabetes and obesity. We’ve got it covered. —Switzerland’s Novartis AG agreed to pay $470 million to buy Genoptix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GXDX]]), a Carlsbad, CA-based company that centralized the business of providing specialized diagnostic services for cancers … Continue reading “Novartis Acquires Genoptix, Elcelyx Raises $6M, Pfenex Gets Subcontract to Work on Malaria Treatment, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

Fabless Chip Designer Sheds Stealth Cloak, Changes Name to Enerv

Pervasive was keeping a low profile last year, when I reported the fabless semiconductor design startup had raised $6 million in a round led by two Bay Area venture firms, New Enterprise Associates and Walden International. But that’s not true any more. Reza Mirkhani, the company’s San Diego-based founder and CEO, tells me the company … Continue reading “Fabless Chip Designer Sheds Stealth Cloak, Changes Name to Enerv”

Pfēnex Awarded $3.1M for Malaria Work

San Diego-based Pfēnex, a 2009 spinout from Dow Chemical, got a $3.1 million subcontract from SAIC, the Virginia-based government contractor, to help develop a scalable production process for a key Malaria antigen. Pfēnex has developed a technology platform that uses fluorescing bacteria to produce a variety of specialized protein-based products. In a statement today, the … Continue reading “Pfēnex Awarded $3.1M for Malaria Work”

Stealthy Elcelyx Therapeutics, Focused on Diabetes, Raises $6M

Elcelyx Therapeutics, a stealthy biotech developing new therapeutics for treating diabetes and other metabolic diseases, is emerging in San Diego, adding its name to the deep roster of local companies with expertise in fighting these related threats to public health. Elcelyx has raised just over $6 million from investors in what appears to be the … Continue reading “Stealthy Elcelyx Therapeutics, Focused on Diabetes, Raises $6M”

InLab Ventures, Based in San Diego and Orange County, Pursues Alternative VC Path

Some folks have been saying for at least a couple of years that the venture capital business model is broken. But is the venture capital industry really ready for a different business model? Orange County investor and entrepreneur Chip F. Parker founded InLab Ventures two years ago as an early stage venture firm with a … Continue reading “InLab Ventures, Based in San Diego and Orange County, Pursues Alternative VC Path”

Sorenson Media, a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ for Video Encoding, Sets Course for Web-Based Service

A major upgrade to a well-established software product doesn’t usually move the needle much at Xconomy, where we prefer to focus on the really disruptive innovations and strategic innovations taking place throughout the tech sector. But this is a time of intensifying frothiness in the world of online video technology. So the improvements that Carlsbad, … Continue reading “Sorenson Media, a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ for Video Encoding, Sets Course for Web-Based Service”

Stepping Down in San Diego: Venture Funding and Our Top 10 List of Fourth Quarter VC Deals

Venture investing in San Diego declined substantially during the last three months of 2010, according to additional data coming in today from Dow Jones VentureSource, and from the MoneyTree Report. VentureSource found that venture firms invested $154.3 million in 21 San Diego startups during the fourth quarter of 2010. That was a 27 percent decline … Continue reading “Stepping Down in San Diego: Venture Funding and Our Top 10 List of Fourth Quarter VC Deals”

MoneyTree Reports Drop in San Diego Venture Funding, Verve Wireless Hires New CEO, Fallbrook Aligns Transmission Deal, & More San Diego BizTech News

It was a short week for news with the Martin Luther King holiday, and it showed. Here’s a short and (we hope) sweet wrapup of San Diego’s tech sector. —Venture capital investing in San Diego startups plunged during the fourth quarter that ended December 31st, with $193.1 million invested in 26 companies, according to the … Continue reading “MoneyTree Reports Drop in San Diego Venture Funding, Verve Wireless Hires New CEO, Fallbrook Aligns Transmission Deal, & More San Diego BizTech News”

A Return to Normalcy: MoneyTree Tracks Venture Funding Gains in 2010

Another report on venture investing is being released today, this time showing a decline in fourth-quarter deal activity compared with the same quarter in 2009—albeit a slight uptick from the previous quarter—and a significant overall gain for the entire year. Venture funding during the fourth quarter of 2010 amounted to $5 billion in 765 deals … Continue reading “A Return to Normalcy: MoneyTree Tracks Venture Funding Gains in 2010”

J&J Subsidiary Backs Alzheimer Drug Discovery at Sanford-Burnham, Portable Genomics to Move to San Diego, Ardea Plans Secondary Stock Offering, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

It was relatively quiet for life science news in San Diego over the past week, but it was nevertheless encouraging, with a new research collaboration, new funding, and a new company planning to move here. Our roundup begins now. —San Diego’s Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institution announced a three-year pact with a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary … Continue reading “J&J Subsidiary Backs Alzheimer Drug Discovery at Sanford-Burnham, Portable Genomics to Move to San Diego, Ardea Plans Secondary Stock Offering, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

No Time for Small Bets: The Decades-Long View of Sapphire Energy’s Jason Pyle

Since Sapphire Energy settled into its San Diego headquarters more than two years ago, local public appearances by CEO Jason Pyle have been about as rare as sightings of the endangered California clapper Rail. So I was eager to join the 250 or so people (and the only one with field glasses) who turned out … Continue reading “No Time for Small Bets: The Decades-Long View of Sapphire Energy’s Jason Pyle”

Internet Deals Boost Venture Funding, ViaSat Delays Launch of Internet Satellite, Intuit Unveils Mobile Tax App, & More San Diego BizTech News

There was no break in San Diego’s tech news leading up to the Martin Luther King holiday. Even though Xconomy observed the holiday, we still managed to round up the news you’ll need to get your week started. —The early returns on venture capital investing during the fourth quarter of 2010 came in from New … Continue reading “Internet Deals Boost Venture Funding, ViaSat Delays Launch of Internet Satellite, Intuit Unveils Mobile Tax App, & More San Diego BizTech News”

From Bordeaux to San Diego: Portable Genomics on the Move

Fresh on the heels of advances in genome sequencing announced by Illumina and Complete Genomics earlier this week (and by Life Technologies last month), a French scientist tells me he is moving his startup, Portable Genomics, to San Diego. Patrick Merel, a molecular biologist in Bordeaux, tells me by e-mail he has applied for an … Continue reading “From Bordeaux to San Diego: Portable Genomics on the Move”

Illumina Launches Desktop Gene Sequencer, Avalon Raises $200M for Ninth Fund, Quidel Offering Raises Capital for New Strategy, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

Many life sciences executives have been making announcements timed to the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco this week, so we have plenty of biotech news to round up. —A race among genetic device companies is dramatically lowering costs and accelerating the speed of sequencing complete human genomes. San Diego-based Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) … Continue reading “Illumina Launches Desktop Gene Sequencer, Avalon Raises $200M for Ninth Fund, Quidel Offering Raises Capital for New Strategy, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

December Surge of Internet Deals Carries Venture Capital to Two-Year High

A wave of Internet deals helped venture funding during the fourth quarter of 2010 reach a two-year high-water mark in both the number of deals and capital invested, according to CB Insights, a New York information and data services company tracking the innovation economy. Venture capital firms poured a total of more than $6.5 billion … Continue reading “December Surge of Internet Deals Carries Venture Capital to Two-Year High”

Transaction Wireless Names New CEO

San Diego-based Transaction Wireless, which provides virtual and mobile gift cards, today named Doug Schneider as President and CEO. Schneider was previously the chief executive at Genea where he transformed a legacy building control system integration business into a leading, software-as-a-service (SaaS) smart building company, increasing sales by more than 42 percent. There was no … Continue reading “Transaction Wireless Names New CEO”

Service-Now CEO Fred Luddy Sees a Clear Path to $1 Billion in Annual Revenue

Fred Luddy has been in the technology industry since 1973, but as a longtime programmer for mainframe computers and enterprise systems, he says he was still surprised by the advent of Web-based computing. “I didn’t see this whole notion of software over the Internet, of on-demand, software-as-a-service in the cloud,” says Luddy, who now describes … Continue reading “Service-Now CEO Fred Luddy Sees a Clear Path to $1 Billion in Annual Revenue”

Qualcomm Acquires Atheros, Sony Introduces Its Google TV, Memjet Spins Out Partnerships, & More San Diego BizTech News

Last week’s Consumer Electronics Show dominated San Diego’s tech news last week. We have the highlights from the two dozen San Diego tech companies that attended the annual conference, along with the rest of the local biztech news. —In one more sign that Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly important to the future of wireless network infrastructure, … Continue reading “Qualcomm Acquires Atheros, Sony Introduces Its Google TV, Memjet Spins Out Partnerships, & More San Diego BizTech News”

Active Network Launches New ‘Schwaggle’ Program in Bay Area

San Diego’s Active Network, which provides Web-based registration services for marathons, recreation leagues, and other activities, says it is launching a “deal-of-the-day” program tomorrow in the San Francisco Bay Area, with other regions to follow later this year. Active.com says the first deals to be offered this week through its new “Schwaggle” service include a … Continue reading “Active Network Launches New ‘Schwaggle’ Program in Bay Area”

Acadia Raises $15M

Silicon Valley’s New Enterprise Associates and Venrock are among the institutional investors participating in a private placement with Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACAD]]), a San Diego biotech focused on central nervous system disorders. Acadia says it is selling nearly 12.6 million shares for slightly more than $1.19 a share in a transaction that’s expected to generate … Continue reading “Acadia Raises $15M”

Electric Superbike Finishes Near Top

Riding an all-electric superbike against conventional twin-cylinder, gasoline-powered race bikes, Aliso Viejo, CA-based rider Chip Yates placed 2nd and 3rd in two races yesterday at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. As I reported last month, it was the self-funded SWIGZ.com Pro Racing team’s first race with the electric superbike. A statement from the … Continue reading “Electric Superbike Finishes Near Top”

San Diego’s Avalon Ventures Closes Ninth Fund, Raises $200 M

When Avalon Ventures began fund-raising for its ninth venture fund back in May, the San Diego VC firm said it was targeting $150 million. Today Avalon plans to announce that it has closed capital commitments of $200 million for its ninth and largest fund. Founder Kevin Kinsella says Avalon Ventures IX was more than 33 … Continue reading “San Diego’s Avalon Ventures Closes Ninth Fund, Raises $200 M”

Quidel Shares Fall After Pricing New Offering

Shares of Quidel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QDEL]]), the San Diego diagnostic test maker, sank more than 8 percent on heavy volume today, after the company priced a secondary public offering of 4 million common shares at $13.15 a share. The company, which granted an additional 600,000 to the underwriter to cover over-allotments, says the closing of the … Continue reading “Quidel Shares Fall After Pricing New Offering”

Ligand Licenses Liver Drug Candidates

San Diego’s Ligand Pharmaceuticals said today it has licensed two liver drug candidates to Chiva Pharmaceuticals, a Los Altos Hills, CA, affiliate of Hainan Kaihua Pharmaceutical. Ligand says the deal, which gives Chiva rights to develop and market the drugs in China, could be worth more than $100 million in milestone payments and royalties. Ligand … Continue reading “Ligand Licenses Liver Drug Candidates”

Independa Launches ‘Smart Reminders’ Service to Help Elderly and Their Caregivers

San Diego-based Independa was in stealth mode until September, when founding CEO Kian Saneii gave a presentation about the startup and its technology at the Demo conference in San Jose. Today, Saneii is unveiling Independa’s first apps at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. “This is the first time that customers can sign up … Continue reading “Independa Launches ‘Smart Reminders’ Service to Help Elderly and Their Caregivers”

John Mendlein Tries His Hand as a ‘Parallel Entrepreneur,’ Santaris Continues RNA Therapeutics Work for Pfizer, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

The holiday left a void of sorts in San Diego’s life sciences news, or maybe everybody is prepping for J.P. Morgan’s big biotech conference in San Francisco next week. Either way, we’ve got the latest update here. —Luke profiled John Mendlein as a life sciences jack-of-all-trades who made his name as a CEO in 2007, … Continue reading “John Mendlein Tries His Hand as a ‘Parallel Entrepreneur,’ Santaris Continues RNA Therapeutics Work for Pfizer, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

CES Kicks Off With Focus on Tablets, Smart Phones, and Internet TVs

The world’s biggest consumer electronics show, officially known as CES International 2011, is holding some preview events this evening, with the main event opening tomorrow for 126,000 registered attendees at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Global retail sales of consumer electronics are expected to grow by 10 percent this year, from $873 billion in 2010 … Continue reading “CES Kicks Off With Focus on Tablets, Smart Phones, and Internet TVs”

Qualcomm Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Atheros Communications

[Updated 1/5/10 11:15 am. See below.] It’s official: Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire San Jose’s Atheros Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ATHR]]) at $45 a share, or roughly $3.1 billion. The transaction has been approved by the boards of both companies, but must still clear the necessary regulatory requirements. Atheros … Continue reading “Qualcomm Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Atheros Communications”

HowRandom Targets College Students With Website For Anonymous Chats

At a time when Facebook ranks as the most-used social networking site on the planet, a couple of young San Diego entrepreneurs are trying to establish their own niche in an expanding universe of social networks, online chat rooms, and Internet forums. Co-founders Jon Cook and Jason Humphries have created HowRandom as an online forum … Continue reading “HowRandom Targets College Students With Website For Anonymous Chats”

Motorola Splits in Two, But No Word Yet on Mobility’s New HQ

Motorola, which began business in Chicago 83 years ago as the Galvin Manufacturing Co., is officially splitting into two separate companies today: Motorola Solutions (NYSE: [[ticker:MSI]]) retains the company’s mainstay public-safety radio, bar-code scanner, and RFID businesses, while Motorola Mobility (NYSE: [[ticker:MMI]]) gets the cell phone and cable set-top box businesses. I had expected Motorola … Continue reading “Motorola Splits in Two, But No Word Yet on Mobility’s New HQ”

Qualcomm Spending $1B on Mirasol Fab Plant in Taiwan

The Taiwanese Ministry of Economy Affairs says San Diego’s Qualcomm is investing nearly $1 billion to expand production of its proprietary Mirasol flat panel displays in Taiwan’s Hsinchu Science Park. The technology uses an electrically switched modulator to generate intense colors through the interference of reflected light. Qualcomm has been developing the technology since 2004, … Continue reading “Qualcomm Spending $1B on Mirasol Fab Plant in Taiwan”

Venture-Backed Buyouts at Record Volume as Increasing Pace of Exits Mark Possible Recovery

Initial public offerings and acquisitions surged for venture-backed companies during the fourth quarter of 2010. The results suggest a recovery in the overall pace of “liquidity events” since the capital crisis of 2008, which triggered a painful economic recession throughout the U.S. and elsewhere. Most of the IPO activity was driven by Chinese companies going … Continue reading “Venture-Backed Buyouts at Record Volume as Increasing Pace of Exits Mark Possible Recovery”

Qualcomm Sells Some Wireless Spectrum, Report Predicts Cleantech Job Growth in San Diego, JMI’s Paul Barber Talks About Investment Strategy, & More San Diego BizTech News

The holidays have ended, and we have some catching up to do. Get ready for 2011 with our wrap-up of San Diego’s recent tech news. —Qualcomm said it was coming: The San Diego wireless giant agreed to sell the wireless spectrum that runs its Flo TV mobile television service to AT&T for more than $1.9 … Continue reading “Qualcomm Sells Some Wireless Spectrum, Report Predicts Cleantech Job Growth in San Diego, JMI’s Paul Barber Talks About Investment Strategy, & More San Diego BizTech News”

EMN8 Raises $12.2M

San Diego-based EMN8, which makes transaction kiosks with touchscreen displays to accelerate customer orders at fast-food restaurants and other retailers, has raised $12.2 million of a targeted $18.2 million equity round, according to a recent regulatory filing. EMN8 signed an agreement with IBM in September in which IBM is taking on EMN8’s manufacturing, services, and … Continue reading “EMN8 Raises $12.2M”

With New $875M Fund, JMI Equity Maintains Focused Strategy on Software Deals

“We don’t spend a lot of time on our story,” JMI Equity’s Paul Barber told me last week in the investment firm’s La Jolla office. It’s another way of saying the firm maintains a low profile, and during my 20 years in San Diego, I can’t remember JMI ever stepping voluntarily into the media spotlight. … Continue reading “With New $875M Fund, JMI Equity Maintains Focused Strategy on Software Deals”

Navy’s Goal Could Improve Economics of Biofuel Development, Arena Plans More Studies of Weight-Loss Drug, Lpath Signs Deal With Pfizer for Eye Drug, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

San Diego’s life sciences news began to slow down over the past week, but there was still plenty of items to round up. Happy holidays from Xconomy. —San Diego’s emerging algal biofuels industry got encouragement from the U.S. Navy, which said it will need 336 million gallons of advanced biofuels a year, beginning in 2020, … Continue reading “Navy’s Goal Could Improve Economics of Biofuel Development, Arena Plans More Studies of Weight-Loss Drug, Lpath Signs Deal With Pfizer for Eye Drug, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

Reva Raises $85M in Australian IPO

San Diego’s Reva Medical says its stock is expected to begin trading tomorrow on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker symbol RVA after the medical device company raised almost $85 million in its initial public offering. Reva says it issued more than 7.7 million new shares of common stock, which represents nearly 77.3 million … Continue reading “Reva Raises $85M in Australian IPO”

MeLLmo Raises $10M as Roambi Expands Compatibility

MeLLmo, the Del Mar, CA-based startup that specializes in visualization software for displaying business intelligence on mobile devices, says it has closed its third and biggest round of funding—$10 million from private investors. The company has now raised total funding of $20 million since MeLLmo was founded in January 2008. As MeLLmo founder Santiago Becerra … Continue reading “MeLLmo Raises $10M as Roambi Expands Compatibility”

Survey Shows Venture Industry’s Outlook Brightening for 2011

Venture capitalists and venture-backed CEOs are feeling more optimistic about 2011, according to the fifth annual outlook survey being released today by the National Venture Capital Association and Dow Jones VentureSource. The most recent “Venture View” survey is based on responses from more than 330 VCs and 180 executives that were collected nationwide at the … Continue reading “Survey Shows Venture Industry’s Outlook Brightening for 2011”

GA Electromagnetic System Launches Navy Carrier Aircraft

General Atomics says a Navy F/A-18E Hornet aircraft was successfully launched using the company’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System instead of the steam-powered catapult technology used aboard aircraft carriers. General Atomics has been designing the electromagnetic launch system for CVN-78 class aircraft carriers. “This event marks the first time in over 50 years that the Navy … Continue reading “GA Electromagnetic System Launches Navy Carrier Aircraft”

Navy Drives Biofuel Production With Goal to Buy 336M Gallons a Year by 2020, Enhancing San Diego’s Role as Center for Algae Biofuels

The U.S. military’s interest in developing algae biofuels dates back at least three years, when the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) began to assess the technical capabilities needed to produce JP-8 grade jet fuel. By the end of 2008, DARPA awarded separate contracts to San Diego’s General Atomics and SAIC, now based in McLean, … Continue reading “Navy Drives Biofuel Production With Goal to Buy 336M Gallons a Year by 2020, Enhancing San Diego’s Role as Center for Algae Biofuels”