The Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing (NIAC) has landed supercomputing luminary Thom Dunning Jr., who will help lead the effort to tie together two of the region’s top centers of computing research. Dunning comes to the NIAC after a career that has included stints at several universities and national laboratories—including Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which … Continue reading “New UW, PNNL Institute Attracts Supercomputing Expert Dunning”
Author: Benjamin Romano
Benjamin is the former Editor of Xconomy Seattle. He has covered the intersections of business, technology and the environment in the Pacific Northwest and beyond for more than a decade. At The Seattle Times he was the lead beat reporter covering Microsoft during Bill Gates’ transition from business to philanthropy. He also covered Seattle venture capital and biotech. Most recently, Benjamin followed the technology, finance and policies driving renewable energy development in the Western US for Recharge, a global trade publication. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.
Startup MovingWorlds Helps Professionals Volunteer In Developing World
Mark Horoszowski wants to make it easier for people with business expertise to help organizations in emerging economies, which he describes with the neologism “experteering.” He came upon the idea while trying to do exactly that on a year-long trip to countries including Nepal, Malaysia, and Indonesia in 2011. Horoszowski had fallen out of love … Continue reading “Startup MovingWorlds Helps Professionals Volunteer In Developing World”
Report: Google Buying Seattle Startup Wavii to Augment Knowledge Graph
Wavii, a Seattle startup that makes a Facebook-style feed for whatever you’re interested in, has been scooped up by Google for “more than $30 million,” according to TechCrunch, citing “a legitimate source.” We’ve asked founder and CEO Adrian Aoun for comment and will update as appropriate. As part of the deal, Aoun and Wavii’s two … Continue reading “Report: Google Buying Seattle Startup Wavii to Augment Knowledge Graph”
Roundup: VC Investment, Tableau Q1, Greenest Building, Asteroids, & More
On Earth Day, the world’s “greenest office building” is opening in Seattle, providing a model for commercial developers weighing the costs and benefits of sustainability. Meanwhile, Northwest venture investment was down in the first quarter; Tableau Software updated its IPO registration statement with first-quarter results; Planetary Resources landed a big partner and investor in Bechtel; … Continue reading “Roundup: VC Investment, Tableau Q1, Greenest Building, Asteroids, & More”
Flowboard App Is Platform For ‘Touch Publishing’ on iPad
The debate rages on: are tablets good for creating content, or just consuming it? The iPad and other touch-enabled tablets are undeniably awesome for browsing the Web, viewing photos and videos, shopping, playing games, reading (for some people), and consuming other digital media. But they are often knocked as clunky when it comes to creating … Continue reading “Flowboard App Is Platform For ‘Touch Publishing’ on iPad”
Startup BevyUp Rolls Out Platform to Make Shopping Social
Seattle startup BevyUp is introducing a social shopping service for online retailers that allows groups of people to browse, chat, and tag items together. The company, founded in 2011 by Microsoft veterans including CEO Mauricio Cuevas and backed by unnamed angel investors to the tune of nearly $1 million, charges retailers for each shopping session … Continue reading “Startup BevyUp Rolls Out Platform to Make Shopping Social”
University Grants Could Aid Data Science Push in New York, Seattle
The New York Times turned its attention last weekend toward education of data scientists, highlighting a budding “rivalry” between New York City and Seattle. The paper’s Education Life section focused on the relative merits of the two cities as big data hubs, and efforts to build curricula in this field at universities around the country. … Continue reading “University Grants Could Aid Data Science Push in New York, Seattle”
A Billion Prices and Counting: Big Data Ambition at Startup Indix
Indix, a startup straddling two continents with an enormous business data problem in its sights, is gradually coming out of stealth. After announcing a $4.5 million financing round last week, founder and CEO Sanjay Parthasarathy explained how he ended up back in Bellevue, WA, and offered a few details on the big data application Indix … Continue reading “A Billion Prices and Counting: Big Data Ambition at Startup Indix”
Roundup: AudienceScience, Treehouse, Donuts, EveryMove and More
Northwest companies AudienceScience, Treehouse, Donuts, and EveryMove were among those raising significant capital in early April, while business travel companies Egencia and Concur paired up for a new offering, Zipwhip introduced texting for business landlines, and new groups formed for Seattle-area women entrepreneurs and location-based marketers. Read on for details: —Digital marketing technology provider AudienceScience … Continue reading “Roundup: AudienceScience, Treehouse, Donuts, EveryMove and More”
Student Teams Working on Environmental Innovation Inspire
You can’t help but be inspired after spending a couple of hours with the 20 Northwest student teams at the UW Environmental Innovation Challenge. Despite the shortcomings of our education system at multiple levels, rising tuition, and laments about diminishing American technological competitiveness, here is a group of talented, motivated young people thinking hard about … Continue reading “Student Teams Working on Environmental Innovation Inspire”
Ignition Partners Raises $150M, Expands to Silicon Valley
Bellevue, WA-based Ignition Partners has raised a $150 million fund to make early-stage investments in enterprise technology companies, mainly on the West Coast, and is opening a second office in Palo Alto, CA. Ignition Venture Partners V, which was oversubscribed and was raised in less than three months, is significantly smaller than Ignition’s $400 million … Continue reading “Ignition Partners Raises $150M, Expands to Silicon Valley”
Seattle Big Data Star Tableau Software Seeks $150M in IPO
Tableau Software’s much-anticipated IPO filing Tuesday could attract new attention to the Seattle tech scene and its growing big data cluster in particular. The 10-year-old company—profitable in each of the last three years—aims to raise up to $150 million in what would be the first tech company IPO from the Seattle area since Zillow in … Continue reading “Seattle Big Data Star Tableau Software Seeks $150M in IPO”
Seattle Roundup: Indix, Haiku, Livemocha, WebTuner, and More
A handful of interesting local companies have raised significant capital in the last week, including Indix and Haiku Deck, and stealthy WebTuner, which added to an earlier round. Meanwhile, Rosetta Stone is buying language learning company Livemocha; apps from some Seattle companies are hitching a ride in your Bimmer; Verdiem wants to help businesses save … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Indix, Haiku, Livemocha, WebTuner, and More”
Nuance Brings Madison Avenue Mobile Ads That Talk To You
If you could have a conversation with an ad on your mobile phone, would you pay more attention to it? Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]), maker of widely used voice recognition software, and some of the biggest names in advertising are betting that you will. The company is putting its technology in the hands of Madison … Continue reading “Nuance Brings Madison Avenue Mobile Ads That Talk To You”
INRIX Traffic Data Shows Improving Economy, Big Data Possibilities
Traffic congestion across the U.S. increased in December, January, and February. It’s the strongest sustained increase in the last two years and another that the U.S. economy is in recovery. The latest INRIX Gridlock Index (IGI), which measures average trip times in the 100 largest U.S. metro areas, also illustrates how companies are finding novel … Continue reading “INRIX Traffic Data Shows Improving Economy, Big Data Possibilities”
Why Maveron Plans More Venture Investments in Consumer Startups
[Clarified 3/27/13, 9:43 am. See below.] Maveron, the venture capital firm co-founded in Seattle by Howard Schultz and Dan Levitan, plans to make more frequent early investments in tech-enabled consumer businesses. The firm, which expanded by opening a San Francisco office in 2009, has always focused on investing in companies that aim their products and … Continue reading “Why Maveron Plans More Venture Investments in Consumer Startups”
Roundup: Kick, UW STEM Programs, Funds for Indochino, World CNG
[Corrected 3/26/13, 12:00 pm See below.] In addition to Decide’s $8 million funding round, local companies Indochino and World CNG raised capital this week. Meanwhile, new resources are being added to the front end of the local business and technology pipeline with expanded technology education programs at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, and a new … Continue reading “Roundup: Kick, UW STEM Programs, Funds for Indochino, World CNG”
Decide Raises $8 million To Expand to ‘All E-Commerce Categories’
Decide.com, the company that uses big data to help consumers buy smarter, is about as Seattle as it gets right now in tech, having just closed an $8 million Series C funding round led by Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital. Decide combines Seattle’s legacy strength in e-commerce with big data, an emerging cluster here, to aggregate … Continue reading “Decide Raises $8 million To Expand to ‘All E-Commerce Categories’”
Touring Seattle’s Newest Data Center
Going inside a modern data center is a chance to remember that our data-intensive online lives and businesses still require lots of hardware, even though we may see and touch less of it. The server racks, conduits, nests of wire and cable, “meet me” rooms, and the heavy power, cooling, and security infrastructure supporting it … Continue reading “Touring Seattle’s Newest Data Center”
Accelerator 9Mile Labs Names Initial Class of B2B Startups
Startup accelerator 9Mile Labs received about 100 applicants for its first class and selected nine cloud-based companies working on a range of problems from healthcare to content publishing to employee giving. The initial cohort in the Seattle area’s newest business-to-business focused accelerator begins a three-month run April 8. In exchange for a 4-8 percent equity … Continue reading “Accelerator 9Mile Labs Names Initial Class of B2B Startups”
Roundup: Dwellable Partnership, Front Desk Launch, Concur Buy & More
There was deal news for the leisure and business traveler this week as Dwellable partnered with FlipKey to expand the reach of its vacation rental app, and Concur bought conTgo to enhance business travel communications and marketing. Meanwhile, Front Desk landed cash from some big names ahead of its planned launch; Chris DeVore—a member of … Continue reading “Roundup: Dwellable Partnership, Front Desk Launch, Concur Buy & More”
Targeted Growth Spins Out Camelina Biofuels Producer Sustainable Oils
[Updated 3/15/13 2:45 pm. See below.] Sustainable Oils, formed in 2007 by Seattle’s Targeted Growth and Texas-based Green Earth Fuels with ambitious goals for producing camelina-based biodiesel, has been acquired by Global Clean Energy Holdings. Targeted Growth “and the other minority owner of Sustainable Oils” were paid 40 million shares of Global Clean Energy Holdings … Continue reading “Targeted Growth Spins Out Camelina Biofuels Producer Sustainable Oils”
Google Growing in Seattle Area, But Where Are The Startups?
Google plans to double its Kirkland, WA campus by 2015, potentially accommodating another 800 employees and further solidifying its status as an anchor of the Seattle-area technology industry. Google’s growth in Seattle—stretching back to 2004 when it arrived largely to pull talent from Microsoft—has yet to spill over into the local startup scene in the … Continue reading “Google Growing in Seattle Area, But Where Are The Startups?”
Haiku Deck Rises From the Ashes of ‘Mix-N-Match with Sir Mix-A-Lot’
After Giant Thinkwell flopped with its initial efforts—a celebrity based social game starring Sir Mix-A-Lot and later a social video play—the Seattle startup was falling apart. For a while, co-founders Adam Tratt and Kevin Leneway were the only ones left. “At that moment of darkness, we realized we needed to sort of start over,” Tratt … Continue reading “Haiku Deck Rises From the Ashes of ‘Mix-N-Match with Sir Mix-A-Lot’”
EnerG2 Takes Energy Storage Innovation From UW Lab to Factory
A year after opening a $28.5 million factory, Seattle-based EnerG2 is looking like a textbook example of laboratory innovation in a strategically important industry generating U.S. high-tech manufacturing jobs, with an assist from Uncle Sam. Someone page Joe Biden. The company got a $21.3 million Department of Energy stimulus grant covering three-quarters of the cost … Continue reading “EnerG2 Takes Energy Storage Innovation From UW Lab to Factory”
With Atlas Buy, Facebook Positioning For Ad Expansion
Facebook appears to be moving closer to an Internet-wide advertising network, and much of that effort will be based in Seattle. The social network is buying from Microsoft the Atlas Advertiser Suite, one of the last vestiges of the Redmond technology giant’s costly 2007 purchase of aQuantive. While terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed, … Continue reading “With Atlas Buy, Facebook Positioning For Ad Expansion”
Roundup: Julep Mints, TiE Angels, Showrooming, Predictive Policing
Seattle beauty brand Julep scores Series B cash, while TiE Seattle joins the angel investing game, Placed studies Amazon “showrooming,” and Seattle police get crime prediction software. We also note comings and goings at Contour, the University of Washington College and Engineering, Lighter Capital, and Cascadia Capital. —You may have to be on the A-list … Continue reading “Roundup: Julep Mints, TiE Angels, Showrooming, Predictive Policing”
New Partner at Quiet Hambrecht Fund Takes ‘Moneyball’ Approach to VC
Thomas Thurston says we’ve entered “the era of the Moneyball VC,” and no less a name than investment banking pioneer Bill Hambrecht is placing a bet on this Northwest-based data scientist’s formula for picking winners. Over the last seven years, Thurston (pictured) has been developing algorithms—first at Intel Capital, and later in collaboration with Harvard … Continue reading “New Partner at Quiet Hambrecht Fund Takes ‘Moneyball’ Approach to VC”
Roundup: Version One Ventures, Scope 5, Gigabit Squared, and Fledge
In the news this week: Canadian fundraising with an eye on U.S. startups, funding for sustainability software company Scope 5, Seattle’s high-speed broadband project expanding, and a new flock of Fledglings. —Vancouver, B.C., angel investor Boris Wertz has raised $19 million for Version One Ventures, a seed fund planning to back early stage tech startups … Continue reading “Roundup: Version One Ventures, Scope 5, Gigabit Squared, and Fledge”
On the Cusp of Commercialization, Hydrovolts Runs Out of Cash
Seattle renewable energy equipment maker Hydrovolts, which was on the “cusp” of initial commercial sales of its small hydroelectric turbines, is evaluating its options after running out of capital. “The company does not have operating capital right now, and we’re looking at ways to restructure it and move forward,” Hydrovolts president and chief operating officer … Continue reading “On the Cusp of Commercialization, Hydrovolts Runs Out of Cash”
Itron CEO Talks Smart Grids and Cities, Big Data, China, and Water
Based outside of Spokane, WA, but with a business presence in 120 countries, Itron is the quiet, global giant in the state’s cleantech sector—and a key part of the Pacific Northwest’s cluster of smart grid businesses. Philip Mezey took the helm of Itron at the start of the year, guiding a company in an enormous … Continue reading “Itron CEO Talks Smart Grids and Cities, Big Data, China, and Water”
Roundup: Cozi, X2Impact Raise Funds, Angels Report, and More
Investors are making bets on Seattle companies including family organizer Cozi and X2Impact, which aims to prevent sports head injuries, while angel groups the Keiretsu Form Northwest and Northwest Energy Angels closed the books on 2012. And what happens if you locate an accelerator inside an incubator? An accelerbator? An inculator? 9Mile Labs and SURF … Continue reading “Roundup: Cozi, X2Impact Raise Funds, Angels Report, and More”
Roundup: Ignition Raising Fund As Northwest Deals Abound
Ignition Venture Partners is going forward with a $150 million fund, while Northwest startups Rover.com, Urban Airship, and Rivet & Sway, recently raised venture capital. Other Northwest tech companies are buying and selling, including Avanade, which snapped up Opstera, and Avalara, which bought Tax Technology Services. Read on for details on these deals, as well … Continue reading “Roundup: Ignition Raising Fund As Northwest Deals Abound”
Fledge Raises Funds As ‘Fledgling’ BURN Gets $4m For Africa Factory
Seattle startup incubator Fledge has closed the initial round of a venture capital fund to back companies addressing a broad market of “conscious consumers,” while a member of its first class landed $4 million to manufacture clean cookstoves in Africa. The Fledge fund’s first close of $307,000 is sufficient to back the incubator’s 2012 cohort … Continue reading “Fledge Raises Funds As ‘Fledgling’ BURN Gets $4m For Africa Factory”
Washington Governor Woos, But AMSC Has No Imminent Plans to Move
Washington Governor Jay Inslee dashed off a hand-written note to the chief executive of clean energy company AMSC minutes after being sworn in last month, inviting the Massachusetts company to move to the Evergreen State. It was at least a symbolic gesture, underscoring Inslee’s commitment to building the state’s clean technology sector, a point he … Continue reading “Washington Governor Woos, But AMSC Has No Imminent Plans to Move”
New Zillow Tool Helps Homeowners Daydream About Remodeling
Zillow is aiming a new service at the one major portion of the real estate marketplace it hasn’t touched yet: remodeling. The Seattle company is launching Zillow Digs, an iPad app and Web service that will compete to improve the process of gathering and sharing remodeling ideas, and give homeowners a sense of whether that … Continue reading “New Zillow Tool Helps Homeowners Daydream About Remodeling”
Hydrovolts Introduces Commercial Turbine, Targets Wastewater Plants
As recently as a year ago, Seattle renewable energy startup Hydrovolts planned to sell its turbines primarily to irrigation districts for use in canals. But the company now sees a more promising initial market for a “waterfall turbine” that can be bolted onto systems within wastewater treatment plants and other industrial facilities. “We made that … Continue reading “Hydrovolts Introduces Commercial Turbine, Targets Wastewater Plants”
Inslee Claims Clean Energy Mandate, Outlines Ideas for Sector
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says he has a “mandate” on clean energy and outlined “eight general ideas” to advance the sector, but he offered little in the way of specific new policies to his stalwart supporters at the Washington Clean Technology Alliance policy conference. “We were the first state to really elect a governor who … Continue reading “Inslee Claims Clean Energy Mandate, Outlines Ideas for Sector”
Roundup: 9Mile, Invoke, nFluence, FlexMinder, Sigby, and Globys
Another Northwest startup incubator is launching, this one in Vancouver, BC, while Seattle’s newest, 9Mile Labs, adds to its roster of partners. Meanwhile, nFluence Media, FlexMinder, and Sigby each took on more than $1 million of additional investment, and Globys moved its headquarters to accommodate growth. —Voyager Capital alum Enrique Godreau and Microsoft exec Tom … Continue reading “Roundup: 9Mile, Invoke, nFluence, FlexMinder, Sigby, and Globys”
Defense Secretary Gates: Underfund Basic Research at America’s Peril
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates distills a critical challenge to America’s continued prosperity and global leadership: Deliver to his generation all promised entitlements, or invest in research and education—the foundations of the country’s success. “I think it’s fair to say America’s economic pre-eminence—and I would argue our national security, and national influence as well—is largely … Continue reading “Defense Secretary Gates: Underfund Basic Research at America’s Peril”
Confirmed: Ignition Partners Scaling Down With New $150M Fund
[Updated 5:30 pm Pacific] One of the Northwest’s leading venture firms is scaling back, looking at raising a smaller fifth fund with fewer active partners. A source familiar with the situation confirms the news that Bellevue, WA-based Ignition Partners is in the process of raising a new fund in the $150 million range, significantly smaller … Continue reading “Confirmed: Ignition Partners Scaling Down With New $150M Fund”
Seattle Smorgasbord: UW Molecule, Telanetix Sold, Symform CEO, and More
Can you taste the potential in a promising new ferroelectric molecule, new ownership for cloud-based voice provider Telanetix, new leadership at backup service Symform, more cash for app host Blue Box, and a software program that promises to vanquish jargon? Read on to sample the latest Seattle-area tech news. —A novel organic molecule discovered by … Continue reading “Seattle Smorgasbord: UW Molecule, Telanetix Sold, Symform CEO, and More”
SEOmoz Buys AudienceWise, Plans Hipster-Friendly Portland Office
Cue the “Dream of the ’90s.” SEOmoz is acquiring AudienceWise, its third Portland-based buy, and will open an office in the Rose City. The Seattle search engine and social marketing company is parting with cash and stock in the “low seven-figure” range for AudienceWise, which helps develop audiences for news and e-commerce sites. The company’s … Continue reading “SEOmoz Buys AudienceWise, Plans Hipster-Friendly Portland Office”
Simply Measured Plans to Double Staff with $8M From Bessemer, Others
Simply Measured, a Seattle startup that helps marketers analyze and report on their social media presence, achieved profitability in three years with an investment of only $900,000. But Adam Schoenfeld, chief executive of the 40-person company, and his co-founders Aviel Ginzburg and Damon Cortesi, are raising the stakes with an $8 million Series B investment … Continue reading “Simply Measured Plans to Double Staff with $8M From Bessemer, Others”
Governor Inslee Comes Out Swinging For Washington Cleantech
Washington Governor Jay Inslee devoted about one-seventh of his inaugural address to climate change and the state’s moral imperative and economic opportunity in responding to it. While the longtime environmental champion left detailed policy proposals for later, his address—along with an op-ed published in Publicola last month—provide a sense of the specific markets and initiatives … Continue reading “Governor Inslee Comes Out Swinging For Washington Cleantech”
Symform, Tred, LikeBright, UIEvolution, and More Seattle Tech Deals
Washington attracted 4 percent of VC investment in the fourth quarter of 2012—up from 2 percent a year earlier—and new deals are continuing to roll out for Northwest tech companies this year. Seattle TechStars grads Tred and LikeBright landed funding, along with Symform, UIEvolution, and Portland’s Janrain, which collected a whopping $33 million. Read on … Continue reading “Symform, Tred, LikeBright, UIEvolution, and More Seattle Tech Deals”
Winter 2013 Innovation Showcase—Technology Alliance
The Winter 2013 Innovation Showcase continues the Technology Alliance’s effort to highlight Washington research that is ready for commercialization. This quarter’s event, on Jan. 22 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m., will feature presentations from Saltbox, SEngine Medicine, Qazzow, and Princeton University Professor Paul Steinhardt. Here’s the link for more information.
Big Data—MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest
Big data remains a big topic in 2013. The MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest will tackle it with a panel discussion Jan. 16 including Brian Lent of Medio Systems, Stephen Purpura of Context Relevant, Paul Sanford of Splunk, and moderated by Madrona Venture Group’s Len Jordan. The event begins at 5 p.m. at the … Continue reading “Big Data—MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest”
Exo Labs Links iPads, Microscopes To Modernize Science Education
Exo Labs wants to turn the iPad—proliferating in schools like generations of Apple products before it—into a platform for science education, both in the classroom and in the field. The Seattle-area hardware startup, which landed $640,000 from angel investors in December and a clutch of recognition through local startup competitions last fall, plans to begin … Continue reading “Exo Labs Links iPads, Microscopes To Modernize Science Education”
New Advanced Computing Institute Bolsters NW Big Data Cluster
The burgeoning big data cluster in Washington is getting a boost with a new partnership between the University of Washington and the federal government’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They are forming the Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing, based at the UW. Experts from the UW and PNNL will research system design, data-driven science, modeling, and … Continue reading “New Advanced Computing Institute Bolsters NW Big Data Cluster”