Concur Technologies is often cited as one of the Seattle area’s under-the-radar success stories: A growing public company, founded in 1993, that sells travel and expense reporting software to businesses big and small. Instagram, it definitely ain’t. But the cool-obsessed technology industry, whose investors and insiders tend to reward swagger, is missing something if it … Continue reading “Concur Bets Big on Mobile, the Next Big Revolution in Biz Travel”
Author: Curt Woodward
Curt covered technology and innovation in the Boston area for Xconomy. He previously worked in Xconomy’s Seattle bureau and continued some coverage of Seattle-area tech companies, including Amazon and Microsoft.
Curt joined Xconomy in February 2011 after nearly nine years with The Associated Press, the world's largest news organization. He worked in three states and covered a wide variety of beats for the AP, including business, law, politics, government, and general mayhem.
A native Washingtonian, Curt earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. As a past president of the state's Capitol Correspondents Association, he led efforts to expand statehouse press credentialing to online news outlets for the first time.
Tier 3 Adds $10M, Led by Intel Capital, to Expand Cloud Services
Cloud-computing service provider Tier 3 has raised another $10 million to expand its IT products for big businesses. The new money first showed up in a filing with the SEC. A company spokeswoman says new investor Intel Capital led the Series B round, which also included investments from existing backers Madrona Venture Group and Ignition … Continue reading “Tier 3 Adds $10M, Led by Intel Capital, to Expand Cloud Services”
Tire-Recycling Company Reklaim Resurfaces, Raising $4M
Updated 9/27 It’s been a long and twisted path for Reklaim, a cleantech company that seeks to turn old tires into oils and other useful products. Now, it’s finding more investment cash to fuel its next chapter. The Seattle-based company was founded in 2003 and raised some $20 million in capital from investors including Goldman … Continue reading “Tire-Recycling Company Reklaim Resurfaces, Raising $4M”
Mobile Madness NY: Ehrenberg, Porteous, & More at Our Forum Dec. 4
Five years after the first iPhones hit the streets, there’s hardly a business that hasn’t been touched by the mobile computing revolution. Think of it this way: Apple’s smartphone business generated more revenue in the past year than all of Microsoft. And Toys ‘R’ Us is now selling a tablet for kids. To help you … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NY: Ehrenberg, Porteous, & More at Our Forum Dec. 4”
Attachmate Moves HQ, PopCap Closes Dublin Office
We’ve got a pair of updates on Seattle tech companies reshuffling their offices—one moving to a new space, and another shutting down an overseas office. —Attachmate, a Seattle software icon, is relocating its headquarters from the west side of Lake Union to the Union Station complex, nestled between the International District and the Seahawks and … Continue reading “Attachmate Moves HQ, PopCap Closes Dublin Office”
Boris Wertz & Version One Ventures: The NW’s Newest Early Stage VC
Boris Wertz’s career as an entrepreneur blossomed at an unbelievably exciting time for technology startups: 1999, the height of the first tech bubble, when it felt like the world-connecting power of the Internet was about to revolutionize every business on the planet. The company itself, he says, was a little more pedestrian. “It was a … Continue reading “Boris Wertz & Version One Ventures: The NW’s Newest Early Stage VC”
Intellectual Ventures Settles Lawsuits with Asian Memory Companies
Intellectual Ventures, the controversial patent-licensing company founded by former Microsoft technology chief Nathan Myhrvold, has settled a high-profile legal dispute with a pair of Asian memory manufacturers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it seems likely that Intellectual Ventures was able to secure licensing payments from South Korea-based SK hynix and Japan-based Elpida Memory—that’s … Continue reading “Intellectual Ventures Settles Lawsuits with Asian Memory Companies”
Can Microsoft Convince People to Subscribe to Software?
On the verge of what Steve Ballmer says will be a momentous year for his company, Microsoft is about to conduct a massive social experiment to see whether people are willing to pay yearly fees for basic software programs. If it works, the company will have built a stable, lucrative new way of raking in … Continue reading “Can Microsoft Convince People to Subscribe to Software?”
Mobilisafe: Security Questions as Kindle Fire Pops Up in Workplace
The tech world is in the middle of a new device explosion, as manufacturers and retailers prepare for the crucial holiday sales season. And once people start firing up those new gadgets, it’ll set off a new round of security headaches back at the office. That’s because employees are increasingly using their own smartphones and … Continue reading “Mobilisafe: Security Questions as Kindle Fire Pops Up in Workplace”
Audio: Amazon, Microsoft, and the Mobile Wars on KUOW
The Seattle area is now home to the two big tech companies with a realistic shot at breaking up the Apple/Android duopoly in mobile computing: Amazon in tablets, and Microsoft in smartphones. In a recent story, I laid out why I thought Amazon’s job was a bit easier than Microsoft’s, and why the e-commerce company’s … Continue reading “Audio: Amazon, Microsoft, and the Mobile Wars on KUOW”
Tech Tidbits: New Google Guy, Amazon & Taxes, GameHouse & Kindle
A few bits of news involving Seattle-area tech companies and startup organizations to get you up to speed as the week continues: —There’s a new site director at Google’s Kirkland, WA office. Brier Dudley reports in The Seattle Times that the new head honcho is Chee Chew, 42, a user interface expert and MIT graduate … Continue reading “Tech Tidbits: New Google Guy, Amazon & Taxes, GameHouse & Kindle”
Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer on Surface, Phones—and No More Yelling
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is dropping some more hints about what it hopes to accomplish with the Surface tablet and new Windows phones, and the company’s sales strategy to compete with Apple this holiday season. It’s mostly what you’d expect, and what others have already asserted. But there are some glimmers that Ballmer at least … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer on Surface, Phones—and No More Yelling”
Seattle Fundraising Notes: Airbiquity, WebTuner, Lockerz
Before you head off for one of the last good weekends of summer, here are a few tidbits of fundraising action culled from the week’s filings with the SEC. They’re pretty light on the details, but worth noting. —Seattle connected-car software provider Airbiquity has raised about $10.4 million in an equity offering that could grow to … Continue reading “Seattle Fundraising Notes: Airbiquity, WebTuner, Lockerz”
Zillow Sues IPO-Seeking Rival Trulia Over Home-Estimate Patent
Online real estate service Zillow is stepping up its competitive attack on San Francisco-based rival Trulia, filing a patent infringement lawsuit just as the smaller company prepares for its IPO. Specifically, Zillow (NASDAQ: [[ticker:Z]]) says Trulia is copying its patented system of letting web users add information to automatic property value estimates—a feature that Zillow … Continue reading “Zillow Sues IPO-Seeking Rival Trulia Over Home-Estimate Patent”
Xconomist of the Week: Sean MacLeod Says Stop Trying to Be SF
One of the most popular parlor games in Seattle, and every other city that isn’t in the center of the technology universe, starts with people asking themselves this: How can we become more like the San Francisco Bay Area? Sean MacLeod, president of Seattle’s Stratos Product Development and one of our Xconomists, says he’s heard … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Sean MacLeod Says Stop Trying to Be SF”
As Apple Steals the Show, 4 Things to Remember About Amazon’s Kindle
The technology industry is in full rapture mode today as it awaits Apple’s latest product unveiling. And if you think too much is made of the company’s announcements, just recall how furiously all of the other technology giants worked to get their news out ahead of the big bomb from Cupertino. For the Seattle area, … Continue reading “As Apple Steals the Show, 4 Things to Remember About Amazon’s Kindle”
More Details from Fledge’s First Class of “Conscious” Companies
The first time I wrote about Fledge, the new Seattle-based “social enterprise” incubator program, I had to make educated guesses about a few of the startups involved. Fledge’s director, Michael “Luni” Libes, politely let me know that some of those guesses weren’t exactly on the mark. But hey, you have to try. Some of these … Continue reading “More Details from Fledge’s First Class of “Conscious” Companies”
Disk Space as Currency: Symform Aims to Leap Ahead in Cloud Storage
Data centers are so 20th century. That’s the idea, anyway, at Symform, a Seattle data-storage startup that uses extra space on its customers’ hard drives to create a virtual data center online. The company was started by a pair of ex-Microsofties, and last year hired former DocuSign CEO Matthew Schiltz to handle the next stage … Continue reading “Disk Space as Currency: Symform Aims to Leap Ahead in Cloud Storage”
RealNetworks Separates Games, RealPlayer, SaaS Units
The plan to resurrect RealNetworks continues. In a filing with federal regulators, the Seattle company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]) says it will now operate three of its divisions as separate business units, a move that could set any of those branches up for a spin-off. The change affects the company’s RealPlayer media streaming business, its software-as-a-service arm, … Continue reading “RealNetworks Separates Games, RealPlayer, SaaS Units”
Why Amazon Can Win in Mobile, While Microsoft Sputters
In the span of two days, the Seattle region’s two cornerstone technology companies showed why they’re the most credible challengers to the current duopoly in mobile computing. And it’s pretty clear that only one has a chance to succeed. First up was Microsoft, which presented (via its desperate partner Nokia) an innovative, interesting-looking pair of … Continue reading “Why Amazon Can Win in Mobile, While Microsoft Sputters”
Nokia & Microsoft: Features Alone Can’t Win the Smartphone War
After a long debut party in New York, the latest best chance for Nokia and Microsoft to make a dent in the smartphone market is finally upon us. From afar, the list of features and ideas packed into the two new Nokia phones looked pretty impressive. In a world of iPhone clones, Windows Phone remains … Continue reading “Nokia & Microsoft: Features Alone Can’t Win the Smartphone War”
Zillow Raising $130M Through Secondary Share Sale
Online real estate service-provider Zillow, the most recent Seattle-area tech company to hit the public stock market, is seeking to raise round $130 million by selling off nearly 3.2 million common shares. Several insiders, including co-founders Lloyd Frink and Rich Barton, also are cashing out some Zillow stock. That’s a much bigger haul than the … Continue reading “Zillow Raising $130M Through Secondary Share Sale”
Korrio Adds $4.6M to Expand Youth Sports Sites
Korrio, the Seattle-based startup that offers websites to help grownups organize youth sports leagues, has raised another $4.6 million from existing investors. That brings the total venture investment in the company to nearly $8 million. Korrio, founded in 2009, offers an online service corrals game and practice updates, and can also handle team registration, payments, and … Continue reading “Korrio Adds $4.6M to Expand Youth Sports Sites”
Amazon’s Fuzzy Math: Stop Encouraging Them
Amazon is ramping up its marketing push for a big product announcement right after Labor Day weekend, which will surely be a new Kindle Fire tablet and perhaps additional e-ink Kindle readers. And since we’re talking about Amazon, that means it’s time for another round of handcrafted statistics meant to convey huge sales numbers. Unfortunately, most … Continue reading “Amazon’s Fuzzy Math: Stop Encouraging Them”
I’m Moving to Boston–But My Brain is Staying in Seattle
It’s been a thrilling, challenging, and rewarding experience covering the technology innovation scene in the Seattle area these past 18 months, meeting all of the brilliant people (and maybe a few dodgy characters) who make this a supremely interesting part of the world. Starting in September, I’ll be doing the job from a new location: … Continue reading “I’m Moving to Boston–But My Brain is Staying in Seattle”
Microsoft’s Sneak-Attack on Apple: SkyDrive, Xbox Live Show the Way
Microsoft won’t compete with Apple by going head-to-head in the hardware business. But the software pioneer could still climb back into the fight by offering connected software services that work on every platform—including Apple’s. That’s the read from Charlie Kindel, a Seattle-area entrepreneur and angel investor who spent some 20 years at Microsoft. In a … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Sneak-Attack on Apple: SkyDrive, Xbox Live Show the Way”
RealNetworks Cutting 160, as Glaser Promises New Direction
RealNetworks is cutting another 160 jobs as part of a re-organization being led by founder and newly returned CEO Rob Glaser. The Seattle company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]) disclosed the plans in a regulatory filing today. Glaser also sent out a company-wide memo, which he posted on his personal Facebook account. The job cuts will reduce Real’s … Continue reading “RealNetworks Cutting 160, as Glaser Promises New Direction”
CEO of Startup Lockerz Hired as Yahoo’s New Marketing Chief
Kathy Savitt, a longtime PR and marketing executive who founded the well-financed “social commerce” website Lockerz, has left her CEO post at the startup to take the job of chief marketing officer at Yahoo. She’s being replaced by former Amazon and Pepsi executive Mark Stabingas, who had been serving as the startup’s operations chief. Yahoo announced … Continue reading “CEO of Startup Lockerz Hired as Yahoo’s New Marketing Chief”
Meet Double Down’s Lone Investor: Ron Erickson Talks Online Gambling
Early this year, a small Seattle social video game studio called Double Down Interactive came out of virtually nowhere to be acquired by slot-machine company International Game Technology for up to $500 million. It was a signal that online gambling with real money would start to engulf the fast-moving games industry, especially as the longstanding … Continue reading “Meet Double Down’s Lone Investor: Ron Erickson Talks Online Gambling”
FutureAdvisor Collects $5M to Expand 401(k) Advice Software
Seattle personal finance startup FutureAdvisor, a summer 2010 graduate of the Y Combinator startup accelerator program, has landed a new round of venture financing to add employees and continue expanding its 401(k) advice service. Co-founders Bo Lu and Jon Xu, who run the startup out of a historic building in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, say that … Continue reading “FutureAdvisor Collects $5M to Expand 401(k) Advice Software”
PopCap Lays Off 50, May Have to Close Irish Office
PopCap Games, a veteran Seattle casual video game publisher bought last year by industry giant Electronic Arts, is laying off about 50 people in North America as it grapples with the rapidly changing games business. There’s also a chance that PopCap’s office in Dublin, Ireland may have to close if profits in Europe don’t improve. … Continue reading “PopCap Lays Off 50, May Have to Close Irish Office”
Gates Backs Intellectual Ventures Spinout: Antenna Maker Kymeta
Updated 11:20 am, see final paragraph Intellectual Ventures, the patent-licensing firm headed by former Microsoft technology chief Nathan Myhrvold, has spun out a new company that promises to make fast broadband Internet available almost anywhere. The new company, named Kymeta, is the second to emerge from Intellectual Ventures. It debuts amid continued criticism that Intellectual … Continue reading “Gates Backs Intellectual Ventures Spinout: Antenna Maker Kymeta”
WhitePages IDs Growth in the Explosion of Personal Data
This is the golden age for data nerds—especially if you collect data on people. With Facebook steaming toward 1 billion users and smartphones now accounting for more than half the cell phone market in the U.S., the amount of digital information the average person generates about their lives has exploded. And it’s not going to … Continue reading “WhitePages IDs Growth in the Explosion of Personal Data”
Jackpot: Big Fish Games Dives into Real-Money Online Gambling
Casual game companies are already big money-makers on smartphones and social networks, often by selling power-ups and extra digital goodies that gamers can use to supercharge their play. But the industry’s next frontier is something edgier and potentially more lucrative: Real-money gambling. As of today, Seattle’s Big Fish Games is going all in. Big Fish … Continue reading “Jackpot: Big Fish Games Dives into Real-Money Online Gambling”
Zulily Quietly Powers Past 5M Members in Mom-and-Kid Sales
There probably isn’t a startup in Seattle as intriguing as Zulily. Founded by veterans of e-commerce jewel seller Blue Nile and backed by more than $50 million in venture capital, the company is often said to be the biggest success story among early stage Seattle companies, with supposedly remarkable revenue growth. Not that you can … Continue reading “Zulily Quietly Powers Past 5M Members in Mom-and-Kid Sales”
Smartphones at Tipping Point as Carriers Turn to Data Revenue
More than half of Americans are now carrying a smartphone—and their hunger for mobile Internet access will only grow, leading to more tiered data plans as wireless carriers search for new streams of cash. In a new market survey, relying on data from carriers, industry consultant Chetan Sharma reports that smartphones for the first time … Continue reading “Smartphones at Tipping Point as Carriers Turn to Data Revenue”
TechStars Seattle: The Early Word on the Lucky Few
While most of us are enjoying the summer, one group of entrepreneurs is buckling down for three intense months of work. TechStars, the national tech startup accelerator program, has just named its latest Seattle-based class of companies. Well, most of them, anyway. Ten companies in all were chosen from a long list of applicants, and … Continue reading “TechStars Seattle: The Early Word on the Lucky Few”
Microsoft’s Bing Fund Makes First Investments: Buddy and Pinion
The Bing Fund, a new angel investment arm of Microsoft, has announced its first two deals: Mobile developer service Buddy and video-game advertising startup Pinion. Bing Fund general manager Rahul Sood didn’t disclose the size of the investments in his blog post, and declined to offer more details on that front in a follow-up e-mail … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Bing Fund Makes First Investments: Buddy and Pinion”
Starbucks and Square: This One’s About the Bankers
Updated 1:40 pm Pacific, see below Starbucks surprised the retail and tech worlds today with news that it will start using mobile-payments startup Square to process credit- and debit-card payments at U.S. coffee shops. And while a lot of the initial reaction has focused on the gee-whiz features possible with Square’s consumer smartphone app, the fundamental … Continue reading “Starbucks and Square: This One’s About the Bankers”
Connected Cars Show New Signs of Life, and Seattle Companies Benefit
For years, it seemed that most car owners were nowhere near the computer-laden machines of the future promised back in the days of “Knight Rider.” Sure, a rich guy could get a savvy computer system in his ride. But for your average Joe, an iPod connection was a feature to brag about. Today, that’s changing—and … Continue reading “Connected Cars Show New Signs of Life, and Seattle Companies Benefit”
More Cash for DocuSign: Google Ventures Now an Investor
DocuSign has raked in even more investment cash to help expand its electronic signature business. Today, the company says Google Ventures has contributed about $8 million to the company’s Series D financing, bringing that round of investment to a whopping $55.7 million. Total cash invested in the company now tops $120 million. DocuSign got its … Continue reading “More Cash for DocuSign: Google Ventures Now an Investor”
Amazon (Officially) Leaps into Social Games
It’s been speculated for months that e-commerce titan Amazon would begin publishing its own casual games. Today, the company made it official with the release of “Living Classics,” a fairy-tale-themed game for Facebook. Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) didn’t indicate whether Amazon Game Studios would concentrate specifically on social games, which are generally light and entertaining “casual” … Continue reading “Amazon (Officially) Leaps into Social Games”
How Wavii Turned #NBCFail into a Real-Time Feed for Olympics Fans
When the Summer Olympics got under way, the folks at Seattle startup Wavii figured they had a great test case for exploring some new ways of visualizing content. With thousands of voices online pumping out information about a shared topic, Wavii could do what it does best: Crawl an enormous database of things being discussed … Continue reading “How Wavii Turned #NBCFail into a Real-Time Feed for Olympics Fans”
Point Inside Locates $3.2M to Fuel Indoor GPS for Retailers
Even for some of the brightest technology minds of this generation, mobile advertising is a tough nut to crack. Just ask Mark Zuckerberg and company. While the media portals sort that out, a different breed of company is banking on the mobile computing revolution by helping bricks-and-mortar retailers serve the people in their stores. And … Continue reading “Point Inside Locates $3.2M to Fuel Indoor GPS for Retailers”
Overseas Pirates a Big Target for Big Fish Games’ Streaming Service
It’s easy to see why Seattle’s Big Fish Games is bullish on the streaming service it unveiled last week. More than a year in development, the new Big Fish Unlimited offering gives players unlimited access to a catalog of casual video games on smartphones, tablets, traditional computers, and even some connected TVs. And at $7.99 … Continue reading “Overseas Pirates a Big Target for Big Fish Games’ Streaming Service”
Seattle Fundraising Notes: Contour, Adapx, Jawfish, Solavei, Motiga
Updated 11:45 am with more on Motiga Who said summer was a time for taking vacation? Around the Seattle region, it appears, startup companies have been putting the finishing touches on some fundraising. Here are the highlights from a recent flurry of financing paperwork reported to the SEC from companies in the area: —Contour, the … Continue reading “Seattle Fundraising Notes: Contour, Adapx, Jawfish, Solavei, Motiga”
Decide Gets Opinionated: Smart-Shopping Site Pulls in Reviews
Decide, a Seattle startup that pores over tons of data to make money-saving shopping recommendations, is getting a little more picky. Starting today, Decide will expand its data-based recommendations to include ratings on the quality of the products it analyzes. Decide arrives at it quality score—on a 100-point scale, ranging from “Don’t Buy It” to … Continue reading “Decide Gets Opinionated: Smart-Shopping Site Pulls in Reviews”
Seven Socially Minded Startups to Take Flight at Fledge
Fledge, a new Seattle-based incubator for companies that hope to improve society, is announcing its first class of seven startups. The proto-companies will be running through the Fledge program for eight and a half weeks at the SURF Incubator co-working offices in downtown Seattle, and plan to have their demo day in late September at … Continue reading “Seven Socially Minded Startups to Take Flight at Fledge”
Inside Zipwhip’s Plan to Free Texting from the Phone
Text messages aren’t usually anyone’s idea of an innovative communication medium. But then again, most people probably haven’t used a text to remotely command a robotic coffee machine. That kind of thing is possible in the office of Seattle startup Zipwhip. Send a message to a special phone number, and the company’s hacked-together “Textspresso” machine … Continue reading “Inside Zipwhip’s Plan to Free Texting from the Phone”
Impinj Backs Away from IPO, Raises $21.6M from Private Sources
Impinj, a Seattle-based seller of radio-frequency ID devices, is withdrawing its bid for an initial public stock offering and has instead raised $21.6 million from private investors. Impinj first filed its IPO registration papers in April 2011, seeking up to $100 million. But the 12-year-old company hadn’t updated that paperwork since July 2011, and there … Continue reading “Impinj Backs Away from IPO, Raises $21.6M from Private Sources”