Google Quietly Operating Sensor Startup Following Stealthy Buyout

Google (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOOG]]) has acquired a San Diego startup that invented new sensor technology for precisely tracking changes in direction, according to two industry experts who would only discuss the deal anonymously. The Mountain View, CA-based technology giant agreed to buy Lumedyne Technologies in November for about $85 million, one expert said, just months after … Continue reading “Google Quietly Operating Sensor Startup Following Stealthy Buyout”

Regulus Therapeutics CEO Xanthopoulos Quits Unexpectedly

Kleanthis Xanthopoulos, who has served more than seven years at the helm of San Diego microRNA drug developer Regulus Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RGLS]]) unexpectedly resigned as CEO and from the company’s board, according to a statement from the company. The company named Paul Grint, who previously served as chief medical officer at Regulus, as CEO and … Continue reading “Regulus Therapeutics CEO Xanthopoulos Quits Unexpectedly”

Freedom Meditech Raises $4.8M to Commercialize Ocular Scanner

Freedom Meditech, a San Diego medical diagnostic company, said it has raised $4.8 million in a Series C financing round, bringing total venture funding to about $14 million in the nine years since the company was founded. The company also named John Gerace as CEO and as a member of the company’s board of directors. … Continue reading “Freedom Meditech Raises $4.8M to Commercialize Ocular Scanner”

Qualcomm Names First 10 Companies to Robotics Accelerator

Following a global recruiting effort that yielded hundreds of applications, San Diego-based Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) today named the 10 startups selected for the new robotics accelerator program it is operating with Techstars. The inaugural class includes two San Diego robotics startups, Inova Drone and CleverPet, San Francisco-based Carbon Robotics, and early stage companies from Singapore; … Continue reading “Qualcomm Names First 10 Companies to Robotics Accelerator”

Mitek Expands Mobile Fintech Role by Acquiring Dutch ID Firm

In a deal that targets emerging opportunities in the mobile fintech industry, San Diego’s Mitek Systems (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MITK]]) has acquired IDchecker, a global provider of identity and document authentication technology. Mitek, which provides its mobile check-deposit technology to 3,700 U.S. banks, agreed to pay as much as $10.6 million to gain access to cloud-based technologies … Continue reading “Mitek Expands Mobile Fintech Role by Acquiring Dutch ID Firm”

With Undisclosed Siemens Funding, CyberFlow Closes $4M Seed Round

San Diego network security startup CyberFlow Analytics said it has closed out its seed funding round after raising a total of $4 million from Toshiba America Electronic Components, angel investors, and Siemens Venture Capital, which did not disclose the size of its investment. As part of the deal, CyberFlow also formed a strategic partnership with … Continue reading “With Undisclosed Siemens Funding, CyberFlow Closes $4M Seed Round”

EY Names Regional Finalists in 2015 Entrepreneur of Year Award

EY, the accounting and professional services firm formerly known as Ernst & Young, today named the founders and CEOs of 15 companies in San Diego and Imperial Counties for its 2015 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in this region. The awards are intended to honor entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such … Continue reading “EY Names Regional Finalists in 2015 Entrepreneur of Year Award”

Companion Medical Raises $3M to Get Its Smart Insulin Pen to Market

Companion Medical, a San Diego medical device startup founded about 16 months ago, has raised $3 million in an ongoing Series B financing round led by an investment from Eli Lilly, according to a statement from the company yesterday. “We will use the capital to attempt to achieve FDA clearance of our device as well … Continue reading “Companion Medical Raises $3M to Get Its Smart Insulin Pen to Market”

Celgene to Use Cypher Genomics’ Data Analytics in Drug Development

Under a collaboration announced today, San Diego-based Cypher Genomics said it would use its biomarker discovery service to help New Jersey’s Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) identify key genetic variants among patients who respond well to specific drugs. If successful, the use of Cypher’s proprietary technology to pinpoint such “functional variants” could enable a drug maker to … Continue reading “Celgene to Use Cypher Genomics’ Data Analytics in Drug Development”

Fate Therapeutics, Riding High on Juno Deal, Raising More Cash

Taking advantage of a healthy bounce on Wall Street, San Diego’s Fate Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FATE]]) said Monday it plans to sell 6 million shares of its common stock through a secondary public offering. All shares of common stock to be sold in the offering will be offered by the company. With Fate shares trading at … Continue reading “Fate Therapeutics, Riding High on Juno Deal, Raising More Cash”

That First Move Can Be a Doozy: Why Peach Expanded to San Diego

Seattle-based Peach makes its debut in San Diego today, and therein lies a tale. The question, “Where do we expand first?” can be one of the hardest decisions confronting an early stage tech company looking to rapidly scale its business beyond the hometown market. Peach, founded in early 2014 by three ex-Amazon software engineers, began … Continue reading “That First Move Can Be a Doozy: Why Peach Expanded to San Diego”

New Venture Studio Cursive Labs Raises $2.2M for DIY Startups

The Bay Area has Giant Pixel and Monkey Inferno. New York has betaworks and Thirty Labs. Boston has Blade and Redstar. Los Angeles has Science. Now San Diego has Cursive Labs, a “venture studio” founded by a team of entrepreneurs who prefer to start and build their own digital technology ventures. The operational details may … Continue reading “New Venture Studio Cursive Labs Raises $2.2M for DIY Startups”

Advntur Sets Out to Build Online Sharing Community for Athletes

Is there room for another Web company based on the “sharing economy” business model? Entrepreneur Matt Doran thinks so. Doran is the founder of Advntur, a San Diego startup launched in January to help athletes and sports enthusiasts connect with like-minded people elsewhere who are willing to give them a place to stay, share their … Continue reading “Advntur Sets Out to Build Online Sharing Community for Athletes”

Organovo Working with L’Oreal to Test Cosmetics on Bioprinted Skin

[Corrected 5/11/15, 3:30 pm. See below.] Testing cosmetic ingredients on animals has been a contentious topic for decades. Public opposition to such practices led the European Union and a few other countries to impose complete bans on such testing in 2013. In the United States, legislation was introduced in 2014 that would ban animal testing … Continue reading “Organovo Working with L’Oreal to Test Cosmetics on Bioprinted Skin”

UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute Opens Startup “Innovation Space”

The Qualcomm Institute, the UC San Diego division of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), inaugurated a new “innovation space” Thursday, with enough space to house 15 to 20 seed-stage startups. The 6,000-square-foot facility on the second floor of the Calit2 headquarters in Atkinson Hall follows the February 6 debut of “The … Continue reading “UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute Opens Startup “Innovation Space””

Once Part of Sony, Daybreak Games Looks to Conquer New Worlds

After operating for close to 20 years as part of Sony in San Diego, the creators of EverQuest, DC Universe Online, PlanetSide, and other massively multiplayer online games are starting over with a new identity as the Daybreak Game Company. “We’ve finally become an independent studio,” Laura Naviaux, Daybreak’s senior vice president of global sales … Continue reading “Once Part of Sony, Daybreak Games Looks to Conquer New Worlds”

San Diego’s aTyr Pharma Raises Total Proceeds of $75M in IPO

Shares of San Diego-based aTyr Pharma are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq market tomorrow morning, after the company priced its IPO late today, selling nearly 5.4 million shares at $14 a share. The offering raised gross proceeds of $75 million, and gives aTyr a fully diluted market value of $333 million, according to … Continue reading “San Diego’s aTyr Pharma Raises Total Proceeds of $75M in IPO”

Even with Turmoil at Top, NuVasive Beat First-Quarter Expectations

San Diego spinal implant maker NuVasive (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUVA]]) posted first-quarter financial results yesterday that exceeded analysts’ estimates for both revenue and earnings. But the first three months of 2015 also turned out to be an especially busy quarter for the company’s lawyers. During an afternoon conference call with investors and analysts Monday, NuVasive chairman and … Continue reading “Even with Turmoil at Top, NuVasive Beat First-Quarter Expectations”

NuVasive Reaches Tentative Settlement with Justice Department

When San Diego-based NuVasive (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUVA]]) disclosed the sudden departure of chairman and CEO Alex Lukianov about four weeks ago, a NuVasive spokeswoman said it was unrelated to a two-year investigation of NuVasive by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. So it is apparently just a … Continue reading “NuVasive Reaches Tentative Settlement with Justice Department”

On-Ramp Wireless Looks to Catch Coming Wave of IoT Technologies

As the Internet of Things comes of age, San Diego’s On-Ramp Wireless may be one of the prototypical companies to emerge among a wave of IoT technologies known as low-power wide-area networks. In contrast to bandwidth-hungry wireless networks that require high power to drive video streaming and other high-volume data applications, low-power networks are intended … Continue reading “On-Ramp Wireless Looks to Catch Coming Wave of IoT Technologies”

Viking Therapeutics Set to Make Nasdaq Debut Following IPO

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VKTX]]) said its shares are expected to begin trading today, after the San Diego biopharmaceutical raised $24 million in its initial public offering last night by selling 3 million shares at $8 a share. The price fell within the $7 to $9 range set last week, when Viking expected to raise $20 … Continue reading “Viking Therapeutics Set to Make Nasdaq Debut Following IPO”

GreatCall Targets 65+ Market with Health and Safety Services

Back in 1989, an American home protection company named LifeCall began saturating daytime television with ads featuring an elderly woman who uses a pendant device to call a dispatcher, declaring, “I’ve fallen… and I can’t get up!” The melodramatic cry became a catchphrase of American pop culture in the ‘90s. Since then, it has become … Continue reading “GreatCall Targets 65+ Market with Health and Safety Services”

Celladon Anticipates Layoffs After Its Gene Therapy Trial Fails

The swiftly turning fortune of San Diego-based Celladon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLDN]]) could bring a note of caution to the hot field of gene therapy. One year ago, Celladon said the FDA had granted its “breakthrough therapy” designation for Mydicar, Celladon’s gene therapy treatment for patients with severe heart failure. The company sought the designation based on … Continue reading “Celladon Anticipates Layoffs After Its Gene Therapy Trial Fails”

Innovation Grants and Unsung Life Sciences Startups of San Diego

It comes as no surprise that federal grants for innovative research or technology transfer have become a lifeline for many early stage life sciences startups in the San Diego area. What may be surprising, though, is the extent of such funding, and the number of local biotech and medical device companies that have gotten Small … Continue reading “Innovation Grants and Unsung Life Sciences Startups of San Diego”

Intel, Edico Genome Working to Speed Analysis of Genomic Data

As some 3,000 experts in genomics and bioinformatics gather in Boston this morning for the opening of the 2015 Bio-IT World Conference & Expo, San Diego’s Edico Genome announced it has forged a partnership with Intel to accelerate data analysis of next-generation genome sequencing technologies. Edico Genome was founded two years ago to address a bottleneck … Continue reading “Intel, Edico Genome Working to Speed Analysis of Genomic Data”

San Diego First-Quarter VC Funding Hits $270M & Top 10 Deals

Venture funding for software staged a comeback in San Diego during the first quarter, with investments classified as software deals accounting for nearly $110 million, or 40 percent of the $270 million that venture firms invested in the San Diego area, according to the latest MoneyTree Report. Of 19 venture deals in San Diego counted … Continue reading “San Diego First-Quarter VC Funding Hits $270M & Top 10 Deals”

Dip, But No Slowdown in First-Quarter VC Funding, & Top 10 Deals

A new MoneyTree Report being released today shows that U.S. venture capital activity eased off during the first three months of 2015. Yet it still marked the fifth consecutive quarter in which U.S. venture funding remained above $10 billion. VCs invested $13.4 billion in 1,020 deals throughout the U.S. during the first quarter of 2015, … Continue reading “Dip, But No Slowdown in First-Quarter VC Funding, & Top 10 Deals”

UCSD Marks an Innovation Milestone: Control Over Tech Transfer

San Diego’s place as a hub for innovation in biotechnology, chip design, telecommunications, and other industries was made possible by a change that went mostly unnoticed in early 1994, UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said Tuesday night at a campus event. That was the year a University of California ad hoc advisory committee recommended … Continue reading “UCSD Marks an Innovation Milestone: Control Over Tech Transfer”

Kyriba Raises $21M to Expand Treasury Management Software

San Diego-based Kyriba, a cloud-based provider of corporate treasury management software, raised $21 million in a Series C financing round that includes a strategic investment by HSBC, the U.K. multinational financial services company that ranks as the world’s second-biggest bank. Existing investors that also participated in the round include France’s BRED Banque Populaire, Beirut-based Daher … Continue reading “Kyriba Raises $21M to Expand Treasury Management Software”

VC Funding Slows as Big Funds Crowd into Late-Stage Venture Deals

Following a December surge, when U.S. venture firms invested $7.2 billion in 342 deals nationwide, VC activity reset at a lower pace during the first quarter of 2015, according to data being released today by CB Insights. The New York venture capital tracker says VCs invested $11.3 billion in 805 startups over the three months … Continue reading “VC Funding Slows as Big Funds Crowd into Late-Stage Venture Deals”

Financier Ernest Rady Commits $100M to UC San Diego Business School

Ernest Rady is the San Diego gift who just keeps on giving. After donating $30 million to UC San Diego in 2004 to support the university’s newly established School of Management, with another $5 million for campus expansion, the billionaire philanthropist and his wife Evelyn have agreed to donate an additional $100 million to recruit … Continue reading “Financier Ernest Rady Commits $100M to UC San Diego Business School”

After raising $76M in Series E Round, aTyr Pharma Files for IPO

San Diego’s aTyr Pharma, which raised $76 million last week from a group of venture and institutional crossover investors, intends to raise an additional $86.2 million through an IPO, according to a regulatory filing yesterday. The company was founded in 2005 by two scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, Paul Schimmel and Xiang-Lei Yang, to … Continue reading “After raising $76M in Series E Round, aTyr Pharma Files for IPO”

ScoreStream Adds $2M to Build Out Its Web Technology Interface

ScoreStream, a San Diego sports media startup, has raised $2 million in an early stage round led by Sinclair Digital Ventures, a division of the Baltimore, MD-based Sinclair Broadcast Group (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SBGI]]). Existing investors Avalon Ventures and New Enterprise Associates also participated, according to Derrick Oien, ScoreStream’s founding CEO. A number of angel investors in … Continue reading “ScoreStream Adds $2M to Build Out Its Web Technology Interface”

West Coast Biotech Roundup: Auspex, Hyperion, NuVasive, & More

Xconomy national biotech editor Alex Lash is out wandering in the desert this week, so I’m stepping in as drover, and as biotech herds go, the one I’m rounding up today covers a lot of territory. Down San Diego way, Auspex Pharmaceuticals said “Okey Dokey” to a buyout offer worth close to $3.5 billion. Up … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Auspex, Hyperion, NuVasive, & More”

NuVasive CEO Resigns After Probe of Personnel and Policy Violations

San Diego-based NuVasive (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUVA]]), which makes specialized surgical products for use in spinal surgery, said today that chairman and CEO Alex Lukianov has resigned over violations of the company’s personnel and expense reimbursement policies. Greg Lucier, a NuVasive board member who is the former chairman and CEO of San Diego-based Life Technologies, was named … Continue reading “NuVasive CEO Resigns After Probe of Personnel and Policy Violations”

ATyr Pharma Raises $76M Round to Advance Physiocrine Drugs

San Diego’s aTyr Pharma has gotten all dressed up, but what’s the big occasion? The biotherapeutics company said yesterday it recently raised $76 million in Series E financing to advance its program in physiocrine-based drugs for treating rare immune diseases. The latest round brings total financing for aTyr (pronounced a-tire) to at least $184 million … Continue reading “ATyr Pharma Raises $76M Round to Advance Physiocrine Drugs”

Teva Agrees to Buy San Diego’s Auspex Pharmaceuticals for $3B+

Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: [[ticker:TEVA]]) says today it has agreed to acquire San Diego-based Auspex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ASPX]]) in a cash deal valued between $3.2 billion and $3.5 billion. The acquisition strengthens Teva’s core franchise in drugs for the central nervous system. Auspex, which became a publicly traded company just over a year ago, … Continue reading “Teva Agrees to Buy San Diego’s Auspex Pharmaceuticals for $3B+”

EvoNexus Incubator Transforms CommNexus as SD Startup Scene Grows

After 16 EvoNexus startups made short presentations at a Demo Day in San Diego last week, the big news was perhaps not that the audience voted Sonic VR as “champion,” or that CEO Jason Riggs left afterward for an EvoNexus-hosted dinner with a dozen investors. What was arguably more impressive is how EvoNexus is becoming … Continue reading “EvoNexus Incubator Transforms CommNexus as SD Startup Scene Grows”

As Pharma Collaborations Gain Importance, GSK Opens Second Outpost

After establishing a “first-of-its-kind collaboration” with San Diego’s Avalon Ventures in 2013, the British pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has opened a small office in San Diego to manage its R&D partnerships and to prospect for more deals on the West Coast. The move reflects an effort by GSK to get closer to the scientific innovators … Continue reading “As Pharma Collaborations Gain Importance, GSK Opens Second Outpost”

San Diego’s Huntington Capital Raises $91.7M for Impact Fund

San Diego-based Huntington Capital, which provides debt and equity financing to private, small-to-mid-size companies, said it has raised $91.7 million in capital commitments for its third fund. The firm raised $78 million for its previous fund in 2008, and Huntington says it has raised more than $210 million in total capital commitments for its three … Continue reading “San Diego’s Huntington Capital Raises $91.7M for Impact Fund”

EvoNexus Demo Day Spring 2015

At Demo Day, 17 companies incubating at the San Diego EvoNexus will pitch their startup and demo their products to the entrepreneurial community and investors. Their goal is to show that they’ve created a minimum sellable product, have validated their market, and developed a business model. Presenting companies are Audvi, CleverPet, Doctible, GroupSolver, INOVA Drone, … Continue reading “EvoNexus Demo Day Spring 2015”

Kyoto Prize Winner Robert Langer on Innovations to Come

The Kyoto Prize Symposium is now in full flower in San Diego, highlighting Japan’s highest international award for honoring the people who have made significant contributions to the scientific, cultural, and spiritual betterment of mankind. The Kyoto Prize was first awarded in 1985, and for many it has become the most prestigious award available in … Continue reading “Kyoto Prize Winner Robert Langer on Innovations to Come”

As FAA OKs Commercial Drones, 3D Robotics Aims for Blue Sky Market

The largest U.S. maker of lightweight, multi-rotor drones and unmanned aerial systems is looking to substantially expand its commercial business—targeting companies that want to use drones to inspect railways, monitor construction sites, and for all sorts of other things. After raising $50 million late last month, 3D Robotics is at a watershed moment made possible … Continue reading “As FAA OKs Commercial Drones, 3D Robotics Aims for Blue Sky Market”

Vista Equity Reportedly Seeks Buyer after Moving Websense to Texas

[Updated 3/17/15 10:40 am. See below.] Vista Equity Partners, the private equity firm that acquired San Diego’s Websense in 2013 and moved 445 jobs to Austin, TX, has hired Citigroup to assist in the company’s sale, according to a recent Bloomberg News report. Websense spoksman Charles Saunders declined comment, writing in an e-mail this morning, … Continue reading “Vista Equity Reportedly Seeks Buyer after Moving Websense to Texas”

After Raising $60M, Kura Oncology Renews Work on Shelved Cancer Drug

[Updated 3/12/15 9:55 am.] Even after the FDA refused to approve the anti-cancer drug tipifarnib in 2005, some experts could see a tantalizing glimmer of potential for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other forms of cancer. [Updated to add Kura’s presence in Cambridge, MA] Now the oral drug is getting a second chance … Continue reading “After Raising $60M, Kura Oncology Renews Work on Shelved Cancer Drug”

In Move That Spells Relief, Zogenix Sells Painkiller to Pernix

Zohydro was supposed to be a new kind of painkiller, but it gave Zogenix CEO Roger Hawley a headache that lasted more than a year. Now perhaps he can rest a little easier. After introducing Zohydro in the United States almost exactly a year ago, San Diego-based Zogenix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGNX]]) said today it has agreed … Continue reading “In Move That Spells Relief, Zogenix Sells Painkiller to Pernix”

Companion Diagnostic Specialist AltheaDx Withdraws IPO

San Diego’s AltheaDx, which offers a series of molecular diagnostic tests that enable doctors to identify the optimal drugs for treating patients, yesterday withdrew its plans for an initial public offering, according to a regulatory filing. The company first revealed its plans for an IPO a few days before Christmas. In its withdrawal notice, AltheaDx … Continue reading “Companion Diagnostic Specialist AltheaDx Withdraws IPO”

NIH Director Hails “Stunning Case” as Example of Genomic Revolution

A pregnant mom who got a non-invasive prenatal test because she knew at age 40 that her baby was a higher risk for Down syndrome has become a case study in the potential power of precision medicine. The certified blood test, developed by San Diego-based Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]), is sensitive enough to identify bits of … Continue reading “NIH Director Hails “Stunning Case” as Example of Genomic Revolution”

With Narrowed Focus, Elcelyx Prepares for Diabetes Drug Trial

For San Diego’s Elcelyx Therapeutics, 2014 may someday be remembered as “the year of heavy lifting.” Since the fall of 2013, when Elcelyx spun out NaZura BioHealth as a sister company with the same management (focused on commercializing a dietary ingredient called Lovidia), the company has crossed off a variety of accomplishments that include: —Selling … Continue reading “With Narrowed Focus, Elcelyx Prepares for Diabetes Drug Trial”

Grid2Home Changes Name to Kitu Systems, Raises $2.3M from Investors

San Diego-based Grid2Home, founded in 2009 to develop software for the emerging market in smart meter data communications, has changed its name to Kitu Systems, apparently to position the company for the broader market in the “Internet of Things.” The company explains on its website that “Kitu” means “thing” in Swahili. Kitu Systems also has … Continue reading “Grid2Home Changes Name to Kitu Systems, Raises $2.3M from Investors”