GM Deal is a Milestone on Long Road for Maxwell Technologies

Shares of San Diego’s Maxwell Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MXWL]]) soared Tuesday by 18 percent, or 92 cents, to $6.03 a share, after Maxwell said General Motors is using its voltage stabilization system on many 2016 Cadillac models. Maxwell said General Motors is the first North American automaker to integrate its ultracapacitor technology as part of an … Continue reading “GM Deal is a Milestone on Long Road for Maxwell Technologies”

Qualcomm Buys Capsule to Unite Health Data Across Hospital & Home

Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) said its Qualcomm Life subsidiary has acquired Capsule Technologie, an Andover, MA-based healthtech systems company with more than 1,900 hospital customers in 38 countries. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Qualcomm bought Capsule from JMI Equity and Bulger Capital Partners, which together held a majority ownership stake in the company … Continue reading “Qualcomm Buys Capsule to Unite Health Data Across Hospital & Home”

Ten Startups at Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator Make Their Big Debut

Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) staged a pretty good sendoff in San Diego yesterday for the 10 startups that began the company’s robotics accelerator program 16 weeks ago. Techstars manages the startup-mentoring program in San Diego under a corporate partnership with Qualcomm. The wireless technology giant held its inaugural “Demo Day” for the Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator in … Continue reading “Ten Startups at Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator Make Their Big Debut”

West Coast Biotech Roundup: Tandem, Pathway Genomics, Denali & More

Now that Labor Day is over, the innovation-driven life sciences editors at Xconomy can pass along the really important news—Billboard magazine’s final Songs of the Summer chart. As you may know, Billboard tracks the most popular ear candy from Memorial Day through Labor Day—and the official 2015 “Song of Summer” is…Jamaican singer OMI’s version of … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Tandem, Pathway Genomics, Denali & More”

Ingenu Plans Nationwide Wireless Network for Internet of Things

San Diego’s On-Ramp Wireless has shed its skin. The startup that was founded in 2008 and raised $77 million to advance its low-power, wireless networking technology for utility power grids and other industrial applications has a new identity, new CEO, and a bigger, more ambitious strategic focus on the Internet of Things (IoT). As the … Continue reading “Ingenu Plans Nationwide Wireless Network for Internet of Things”

San Diego Developer Offers Perks for Tech Elite, Lands GoPro Outpost

Can a sleek tech campus with “concierge” services reverse the gravitational pull that Silicon Valley seems to exert on San Diego tech startups? Maybe. GoPro (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GPRO]]), the digital camera maker based in San Mateo, CA, is expanding its suburban San Diego outpost—moving over 100 employees into a renovated and amenity-laden campus just 400 feet … Continue reading “San Diego Developer Offers Perks for Tech Elite, Lands GoPro Outpost”

New Technique for Wearable Sensors Transmits Signal Through Body

Electrical engineers at UC San Diego have reported a new wireless communication technique that uses magnetic fields to transmit ultra low-power signals through the human body. At a time when forecasts of the global market for wearable wireless technologies range from $6 billion to $19 billion by 2018, a UC San Diego spokeswoman said the … Continue reading “New Technique for Wearable Sensors Transmits Signal Through Body”

Acadia, Under New CEO, Seeks Approval for Parkinson’s Drug

San Diego’s Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACAD]]) said today it has submitted its lead drug candidate for FDA approval. The company also said Steve Davis, who became interim CEO in March, will officially continue as the company’s president and CEO. The company now appears to be back on track after stumbling almost six months ago. Traders … Continue reading “Acadia, Under New CEO, Seeks Approval for Parkinson’s Drug”

Scripps Enrolls 4,000+ in Scanadu Trial of Device for Vital Signs

In the five years since it was founded, Mountain View, CA-based Scanadu has been blessed with a groundswell of support from some pretty diverse groups—ordinary folks, elite investors, Web innovators, and even Trekkies. Now the company gets to bask in the reflected glow of San Diego’s prestigious Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI). In a statement … Continue reading “Scripps Enrolls 4,000+ in Scanadu Trial of Device for Vital Signs”

Topol Calls on Healthcare Industry to “Emancipate” Patient Data

Eric Topol has a long list of job titles. From a talk yesterday in San Diego, he might be aiming to add a new moniker, as “the great emancipator” of electronic medical records. Already a professor of genomics, director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, practicing cardiologist, and advocate for digital health innovation, Topol called … Continue reading “Topol Calls on Healthcare Industry to “Emancipate” Patient Data”

Malama Composites Gets USDA’s “Biobased” Product Certification

Addressing the needs of a climate-changing world seems like an important cause, but many cleantech startups that are developing sustainable products face an intractable challenge. Producing a “green” alternative for an industry already using petroleum-based raw materials usually requires selling a comparable product at a competitive price. But getting those costs down is often problematic, … Continue reading “Malama Composites Gets USDA’s “Biobased” Product Certification”

West Coast Biotech Roundup: BioMarin, Tocagen, Medivation, Twelve

For the ancient Greeks, the rising of the dog star Sirius brought on the sweltering heat of summer, and August came to be associated with languid days of heat, drought, and fire. That might sound like the weather that has descended on the West Coast. But in the ancient texts, the dog days of summer … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: BioMarin, Tocagen, Medivation, Twelve”

Epic Sciences Names Dave Henderson as CIO

San Diego-based Epic Sciences today named former Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]) chief information officer Dave Henderson as its new CIO. He has “extensive experience implementing enterprise solutions for global companies in regulated environments,” Epic Sciences CEO Murali Prahalad said in the company’s statement. He added that Henderson’s experience in strategic planning, information technology development, and production support … Continue reading “Epic Sciences Names Dave Henderson as CIO”

Human Longevity Names Mark Winham as COO

Human Longevity, the San Diego-based genomics company founded by J. Craig Venter, has named Mark Winham as Chief Operating Officer. Winham, who was previously the COO of Millennium Health and spent 10 years at Life Technologies (now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific), will report directly to Venter, who remains CEO.  According to a statement from … Continue reading “Human Longevity Names Mark Winham as COO”

Private Code Academies Stake Their Claims in San Diego

Private “coding academies”—vocational schools that provide accelerated training for software development jobs—have begun to sprout in San Diego. The newest arrival, Origin Code Academy, is recruiting students for its first class on Sept. 21, and says it is the first coding education provider in San Diego “to guarantee its students a software development job within … Continue reading “Private Code Academies Stake Their Claims in San Diego”

Reva Medical Names Regina Groves as CEO

San Diego-basee Reva Medical (ASX: [[ticker:RVA]]) named Regina Groves as CEO, replacing Robert Stockman, who will remain as non-executive chairman of the company’s board of Directors. She was previously vice president and general manager of AF Solutions, the cardiac rhythm and heart failure division of Medtronic (NYSE: [[ticker:MDT]]), and has more than 30 years’ experience … Continue reading “Reva Medical Names Regina Groves as CEO”

Synthorx Makes Proteins Using Expanded Alphabet of Synthetic DNA

A synthetic biology startup that grabbed headlines last year by inserting synthesized DNA in bacteria—and getting it to replicate—said yesterday it has taken its technology a step further—engineering the bacteria to make proteins that don’t exist in nature. The advance announced by San Diego-based Synthorx has not yet been reported in a scientific journal, as … Continue reading “Synthorx Makes Proteins Using Expanded Alphabet of Synthetic DNA”

USC Makes Federal Case Out of Dispute Over Alzheimer’s Study

In a surprising turn of events, the University of Southern California has moved a bitter legal dispute with UC San Diego over a prestigious Alzheimer’s disease research program to federal court—and replaced the law firm that was handling its case. Lawyers for USC filed a notice of removal of the dispute to federal court on … Continue reading “USC Makes Federal Case Out of Dispute Over Alzheimer’s Study”

Food Tech Peach Raises $8M as First Course, Plans Entrée in Boston

After expanding to San Diego in May, Seattle-based Peach says it has raised $8 million in venture funding to bring its lunch ordering technology to Boston this October, and to Washington D.C. by early next year. In a statement today, Peach says Seattle’s Madrona Venture Group led the current Series A financing round, which was … Continue reading “Food Tech Peach Raises $8M as First Course, Plans Entrée in Boston”

Bootstrapping Fast Growth: Q&A with Cognitive Medical’s Doug Burke

Last week, Inc. magazine released its 34th annual list of America’s fastest-growing private companies, which highlights 5,000 businesses of all kinds. The top-ranked business in the San Diego area, which ranks among the magazine’s list of “fastest-growing metro areas” (with 96 companies that qualified, based on their increased revenue growth from 2011 to 2014), sells … Continue reading “Bootstrapping Fast Growth: Q&A with Cognitive Medical’s Doug Burke”

San Diego Newcomer Airbitz Raises $450K for Bitcoin Technology

Airbitz, a downtown San Diego startup with a vision of bringing digital currency to the masses, said it recently raised $450,000 of what is expected to be an initial seed round of more than $1.2 million. In presentations over the past year, Airbitz co-founder and CEO Paul Puey has said the company’s vision is “to … Continue reading “San Diego Newcomer Airbitz Raises $450K for Bitcoin Technology”

Online Retailer GovX Raises $11.5M to Expand Member-Only Services

San Diego-based GovX, an e-commerce retailer that operates like an online military base exchange for qualified U.S. Armed Forces, law enforcement, and public safety personnel, said it has raised $11.5 million from investors to expand its exclusive array of discounted products and services. Two existing shareholders, Alestra Ltd. and Arbor Group, led the round, which … Continue reading “Online Retailer GovX Raises $11.5M to Expand Member-Only Services”

Coursera, UC San Diego Use MOOCs to Make Workers More Job-Ready

After establishing a new office of online education earlier this year, UC San Diego recently unveiled plans to develop massive open online courses—or MOOCs—to better prepare workers for jobs in two specialized tech sectors. Under a “global skills initiative” announced by Mountain View, CA-based Coursera, UC San Diego said it will be working on the … Continue reading “Coursera, UC San Diego Use MOOCs to Make Workers More Job-Ready”

Neurotechnology Research Symposium

The San Diego Brain Consortium is hosting its first regional symposium to highlight cutting-edge research related to government-funded initiatives focused on the brain. Topics include new developments in wireless devices, nanotechnology, human-computer interfaces, optogenetics, brain imaging, and genetic tools. More information is available here.

Metacrine Raises $36M in VC Funding, Focuses on Metabolic Diseases

Metacrine, a new San Diego biotech, says today it has raised $36 million in Series A financing to advance two new classes of drugs that could be used to help control chronic liver disease and related metabolic diseases and disorders. Metacrine was founded with technology licensed from the Salk Institute, where discoveries by Ron Evans, … Continue reading “Metacrine Raises $36M in VC Funding, Focuses on Metabolic Diseases”

Judge Orders USC to Restore Control of Alzheimer’s Study to UCSD

[Updated, 8:25 am PT, with court document] A San Diego judge yesterday ordered the University of Southern California and a prominent Alzheimer’s disease researcher to restore control over a nationwide Alzheimer’s research program to UC San Diego “with all deliberate speed.” The five-page preliminary injunction (posted below), signed by Superior Court Judge Judith Hayes, is … Continue reading “Judge Orders USC to Restore Control of Alzheimer’s Study to UCSD”

USC Countersues UCSD as Fight Over Alzheimer’s Study Intensifies

[Updated 8/3/15 1:25 pm. See below.] The short path to a resolution in the dispute between UC San Diego and the University of Southern California over a nationwide Alzheimer’s research program has taken a sharp detour into the thorny underbrush. While both sides were awaiting a formal court order granting UC San Diego’s request for a … Continue reading “USC Countersues UCSD as Fight Over Alzheimer’s Study Intensifies”

La Jolla Immunology Institute Agrees to Formal Ties with UCSD

In what may be a sign of the times, an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institute in San Diego that is focused on immune diseases and disorders has officially established ties with the UC San Diego Health System. The agreement signed by the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology and the UC San Diego Health … Continue reading “La Jolla Immunology Institute Agrees to Formal Ties with UCSD”

ServiceNow Founder and Investor Offer Lessons in Startup Growth

After Fred Luddy founded ServiceNow in 2003, he was still a little shell-shocked from his experience as the CTO of San Diego’s Peregrine Systems. Luddy had spent 13 years developing Peregrine’s asset management product before the high-flying enterprise software giant collapsed in a corporate accounting scandal in 2002. When a new management team finally calculated … Continue reading “ServiceNow Founder and Investor Offer Lessons in Startup Growth”

MoneyTree Shows Drop in San Diego VC Funding, and Top 15 Deals

At a time when venture capital investments hit $17.5 billion nationwide—the highest quarterly level in 15 years—VCs invested only about $141.5 million in the San Diego region, according to MoneyTree data released today. Second-quarter venture funding in San Diego was down about 48 percent from the previous quarter, when the MoneyTree Report found that venture … Continue reading “MoneyTree Shows Drop in San Diego VC Funding, and Top 15 Deals”

Judge Rejects Court Order Requested in Fight Over Alzheimer’s Study

A San Diego judge denied the University of Southern California’s request for a temporary restraining order against UC San Diego yesterday afternoon, as the two universities continued their fight for control of a nationwide study on Alzheimer’s disease. USC submitted its request for the order Tuesday, alleging that officials at UC San Diego had somehow … Continue reading “Judge Rejects Court Order Requested in Fight Over Alzheimer’s Study”

Celgene to Acquire San Diego’s Receptos for $7.2B in Cash

[Updated 7/14/15 5:15 pm. See below.] Drug maker Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]), based in Summit, NJ, has agreed to acquire San Diego-based Receptos (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RCPT]]) in a cash deal valued at $7.2 billion, the two companies announced today. Receptos, founded in 2009 and headed by CEO Faheem Hasnain since 2010, has been developing drugs that target … Continue reading “Celgene to Acquire San Diego’s Receptos for $7.2B in Cash”

Alzheimer Researcher Paul Aisen’s Jump to USC Sparks Legal Fight

Paul Aisen recently moved from UC San Diego to head up the University of Southern California’s new Alzheimer’s institute, leaving his former employers in a litigious state of mind. UCSD is suing USC and Aisen, alleging they conspired to hijack the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) while it was recruiting Aisen to lead its new … Continue reading “Alzheimer Researcher Paul Aisen’s Jump to USC Sparks Legal Fight”

New Allegations Fly in Universities’ Fight Over Alzheimer’s Study

The fight between UC San Diego and the University of Southern California over an Alzheimer’s study escalated yesterday in a flurry of legal filings, with each school seeking emergency relief by asking a judge to issue court orders against the other side. [Updated 7/14/15 1:40 pm ] San Diego Superior Court Judge Judith Hayes, who … Continue reading “New Allegations Fly in Universities’ Fight Over Alzheimer’s Study”

Analysis: NIH Guidelines Appear to Support UCSD in Alzheimer’s Study

[Updated 7/13/15 5:15 pm. See below.]  It’s a little hard to score the fight after the first court hearing adjourned last week in a lawsuit between UC San Diego and the University of Southern California over a nationwide study of Alzheimer’s disease. The UC Regents filed the civil lawsuit against USC and former UCSD scientist … Continue reading “Analysis: NIH Guidelines Appear to Support UCSD in Alzheimer’s Study”

Cisco Acquiring Carlsbad, CA-based MaintenanceNet for $139M

Networking giant Cisco Systems (NYSE: [[ticker:CSCO]]) has agreed to pay $139 million in cash to acquire MaintenanceNet, a Carlsbad, CA, provider of Web software that generates new sales leads by analyzing a company’s service contracts with its customers. The deal includes retention-based incentives, according to a Cisco blog post announcing the buyout. The deal, expected … Continue reading “Cisco Acquiring Carlsbad, CA-based MaintenanceNet for $139M”

UCSD Asks Court to Restore Custody and Control of Alzheimer’s Data

If there’s anything that’s clear in the recent donnybrook between UC San Diego and the University of Southern California, it’s that a 24-year study known as the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) is suddenly not very cooperative anymore. UC San Diego filed a civil lawsuit last week against USC and former UCSD scientist Paul Aisen, … Continue reading “UCSD Asks Court to Restore Custody and Control of Alzheimer’s Data”

West Health COO Shelley Lyford to Succeed Nick Valeriani as CEO

West Health CEO Nick Valeriani plans to retire in September, after three years overseeing the San Diego-based nonprofit medical research organization founded by the Nebraska telemarketing billionaire couple Gary and Mary West. Valeriani, who was previously a Johnson & Johnson vice president, will remain on the Gary and Mary West Health Institute’s board of directors, … Continue reading “West Health COO Shelley Lyford to Succeed Nick Valeriani as CEO”

San Diego’s Fleet Matrix Raises $1M, Changes Name to Acculitx

Acculitx, a San Diego startup founded several years ago as Fleet Matrix, said it has raised $1 million from a local investment firm to advance its data analytics technology for scoring motorists according to their driving behavior. The company says it’s working with major insurance companies to redefine usage-based insurance by ranking drivers based on … Continue reading “San Diego’s Fleet Matrix Raises $1M, Changes Name to Acculitx”

Deeper Issues Underlie UC San Diego Lawsuit Over Raid by USC

[Updated 7/6/15 11:14 am with statements from UCSD and USC below.] A lawsuit that UC San Diego filed last week against the University of Southern California and a prominent Alzheimer’s disease researcher may have ramifications for a concerted effort to create a major new hub for life sciences innovation in Los Angeles. The lawsuit (posted at … Continue reading “Deeper Issues Underlie UC San Diego Lawsuit Over Raid by USC”

Classy Raises $18M in Round Led by Peter Thiel’s Mithril Capital

Classy, a four-year-old San Diego startup that provides online fund-raising services for Teach for America, Oxfam, and other nonprofit organizations, has raised $18 million in a growth-funding round led by Mithril Capital Management, according to a statement from the company. Mithril is the San Francisco investment firm founded in 2012 by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel … Continue reading “Classy Raises $18M in Round Led by Peter Thiel’s Mithril Capital”

AstraZeneca Working with Eolas Therapeutics on Anti-Addiction Drug

Eolas Therapeutics, a Carlsbad, CA-based startup developing new drugs for treating addiction, said it has signed a global licensing and partnership agreement with AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]) to advance development of its experimental drug, designed to block a neuropeptide associated with addiction to nicotine and stimulants such as cocaine, opiates, and alcohol. Details concerning the deal … Continue reading “AstraZeneca Working with Eolas Therapeutics on Anti-Addiction Drug”

San Diego’s Ambrx Names New CEO, CSO

San Diego-based Ambrx, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company developing optimized protein therapeutics known as bio-conjugates, named Dr. Tiecheng (Alex) Qiao as CEO. He was previously a partner at Coentre, a private angel investment firm. Ambrx also named Dr. Feng Tian, formerly vice president of science and technology, China, chief science officer, a newly-created position.

San Diego Developer/Philanthropist Gives $100M to Sanford-Burnham

The San Diego-based Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, which also operates in Orlando, FL, has been renamed the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute following a $100 million gift from the developer and philanthropist Conrad Prebys. Prebys, a real estate developer and owner of San Diego-based Progress Construction and Management, was identified as one of America’s … Continue reading “San Diego Developer/Philanthropist Gives $100M to Sanford-Burnham”

Connect Charts Signs of Expansion in San Diego’s Innovation Economy

A record 446 technology and life sciences startups were founded in San Diego in 2014, according to the latest innovation report released by Connect, the nonprofit group that supports regional innovation and entrepreneurship. The number was slightly higher than the 426 companies that Connect counted in 2013, and represents a new high in the number … Continue reading “Connect Charts Signs of Expansion in San Diego’s Innovation Economy”

GoFundMe Gets Undisclosed Funding Led by Accel Partners, TCV

GoFundMe, a San Diego-based crowdfunding startup, has sold a majority stake to an investor group led by Accel Partners and Technology Crossover Ventures, according to a report this morning on The Wall Street Journal’s website for tech news. GoFundMe, which operates a website that enables individuals and charities to raise funds for tragedies and good … Continue reading “GoFundMe Gets Undisclosed Funding Led by Accel Partners, TCV”

U.S. IPO Activity Loses Steam to PE Deals in First Half of 2015

In the strange times category of today’s innovation news, a preview of IPO activity through the first half of 2015 suggests that market bubbles don’t always rise. In fact, the total number of IPO deals and proceeds actually sank through the first half of 2015, with 101 IPOs raising total proceeds of $19.7 billion, according … Continue reading “U.S. IPO Activity Loses Steam to PE Deals in First Half of 2015”

The Extraordinary Vision of Larry Bock

When Larry Bock gave the commencement speech for the University of California, Berkeley, College of Chemistry in 2007, he was introduced as “a very unusual man” who had founded, co-founded, or provided early stage financing for more than 48 startups, mostly in the life sciences. What went unsaid in the moment was that Bock started … Continue reading “The Extraordinary Vision of Larry Bock”

Disrupting Credit Cards: A Q&A with LoanHero’s Kristin Slink

San Diego-based LoanHero recently disclosed that it has raised $1.7 million in seed funding to expand its software-based service for merchants. The technology offers consumers a variety of financing options when they are purchasing big-ticket items like furniture and home improvements. The year-old fintech company said it also has secured a $20 million debt facility … Continue reading “Disrupting Credit Cards: A Q&A with LoanHero’s Kristin Slink”

A Small Biz COO App: Five Questions for Shopventory’s Rares Saftoiu

Rares Saftoiu and Bach Le were working on the TurboTax engineering team at Intuit in San Diego when they decided to quit in 2013 to work full-time on Shopventory, a software startup they founded to serve small business owners. It was their second attempt at a startup while they were still working full-time at Intuit. … Continue reading “A Small Biz COO App: Five Questions for Shopventory’s Rares Saftoiu”