Seattle shipping startup EquaShip, which aims to save small and medium-sized businesses big bucks over UPS and FedEx, has hit a big stumbling block. The company is suspending operations to overhaul the way it routes packages in a bid to speed up delivery times. The change is major—CEO Ron Wiener says it could take a … Continue reading “EquaShip Suspends Operations, Overhauls Shipping Network”
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.
Parallels: Windows-on-Mac Guys Say Small-Biz Software is Sexy
Most people probably know Parallels as the company that puts Microsoft Windows on the Mac. And as Apple products continue their almost unbelievable proliferation, that’s not a bad business to be in—Parallels is seeing strong growth tied to Apple’s rise, particularly with more penetration of Macs and iPads in big business. But if you ask … Continue reading “Parallels: Windows-on-Mac Guys Say Small-Biz Software is Sexy”
After Demo Day: The Debrief from Y Combinator Startup FutureAdvisor
The explosion in incubators for early stage tech companies has spawned a familiar startup storyline: A team of bright founders hits on a promising idea, builds a prototype, and applies to one of the big-name programs. After they get accepted (or sometimes even if they don’t), it’s off to the races for a few intense … Continue reading “After Demo Day: The Debrief from Y Combinator Startup FutureAdvisor”
Keiretsu NW Invested $24M in 2011, Highest Ever in Region
The Northwest chapter of angel investment group Keiretsu Forum says its members invested $24 million in 36 companies last year, the highest total since the regional group was formed in 2005. And most of those investments—29 of the 36—were for businesses in the region, Keiretsu says. Nine of the investments were follow-on rounds, and 27 … Continue reading “Keiretsu NW Invested $24M in 2011, Highest Ever in Region”
New Google Seattle Head Sees “Shocking Diversity” in Local Tech Skills
When Doug Orr first moved up to Google’s Seattle office in mid-2010, he found a lot to like. The infrastructure expert isn’t a California guy—he came to Google by way of Ann Arbor, MI—and found Seattle’s culture, and even its climate, a little more familiar than Silicon Valley’s. “People are pretty laid back here, and … Continue reading “New Google Seattle Head Sees “Shocking Diversity” in Local Tech Skills”
Tableau’s 10th Year: CEO Christian Chabot Remembers the Lean Years
Earlier this week, Seattle’s Tableau Software announced a big jump in annual sales and major hiring plans—something that’s becoming almost routine for those watching the Stanford-bred data-analysis software company’s growth. Now entering its tenth year, Tableau recently opened a London office and has started to expand into the Asia-Pacific region. By the end of the … Continue reading “Tableau’s 10th Year: CEO Christian Chabot Remembers the Lean Years”
Long-Awaited Remake of RealNetworks is Under Way-Again
About a year ago, RealNetworks said the elimination of about 10 percent of its workforce officially marked the end of a difficult restructuring period, one that saw nearly 400 layoffs since 2009 and left the digital-media pioneer more focused, efficient, and ready for the future. Turns out that was just a prelude. On Thursday, the … Continue reading “Long-Awaited Remake of RealNetworks is Under Way-Again”
Amazon Looking to “Rapidly Grow” Digital Music Team
Now that it’s got a very Apple-like system in place—tablet computer paired with digital media—Amazon.com appears to be cranking up the volume on its online music service as well. The San Francisco office of Amazon’s a2z research and development subsidiary is chock full of job ads for people to work on the Amazon MP3 store … Continue reading “Amazon Looking to “Rapidly Grow” Digital Music Team”
Amazon Boosting Game Teams in Seattle, CA with Social & Mobile Focus
Amazon.com’s cloud-computing services already power some of the biggest names in online gaming. Its new Kindle Fire tablet and app store are giving game publishers a critical new sales channel. And now, the e-commerce pioneer appears to be getting more serious about publishing its own games. Over the last few months, Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) has … Continue reading “Amazon Boosting Game Teams in Seattle, CA with Social & Mobile Focus”
Symform Adds $2M for Peer-to-Peer Data Storage
Symform, a business IT startup that employs users as storage nodes on a distributed data network, has raised $2 million from WestRiver Capital. The company says that rounds out its Series A fundraising at $7.5 million. Symform was founded in 2007 by ex-Microsofties Praerit Garg and Bassam Tabbara. Symform’s previous investors are Kirkland’s OVP Venture … Continue reading “Symform Adds $2M for Peer-to-Peer Data Storage”
Tableau Software to Add 300 to Staff After Near-Double Sales Growth
Tableau Software, the Seattle-based data visualization company that started as a Stanford University spinoff, says it plans to hire some 300 employees this year after ending 2011 with nearly double revenue growth. The company, which views itself as “a future IPO prospect,” says its hiring plans include an expansion of its San Francisco Bay Area … Continue reading “Tableau Software to Add 300 to Staff After Near-Double Sales Growth”
Finsphere Adds $7.3M, Vodafone Ventures Board Member
Bellevue, WA-based Finsphere has added $7.3 million in fundraising and a board member from Vodafone Ventures, according to a new SEC filing. The new money, which appears to include the sale and exercise of some options, adds to a total of $3.95 million that Finsphere raised in related equity financings last year. Finsphere, founded in … Continue reading “Finsphere Adds $7.3M, Vodafone Ventures Board Member”
MoneyTree Report: Seattle Venture Dollars Hit 7-Year Low Last Year
The amount of venture financing poured into Seattle-area companies didn’t keep pace with strong growth nationally last year—in fact, it was quite the opposite. That’s according to the latest MoneyTree Report, from the National Venture Capital Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers, which shows venture investment in Seattle region dropping to $508 million in 2011. That’s the lowest figure … Continue reading “MoneyTree Report: Seattle Venture Dollars Hit 7-Year Low Last Year”
Microsoft, Vulcan, RealNetworks Back Gay Marriage in WA
Microsoft is joining several other notable corporate names throwing their support behind full marriage rights for gay couples in Washington state, a move that could give a final push to gay-marriage efforts at that state Capitol this year. The companies—including RealNetworks, Concur, and Paul Allen’s Vulcan—announced their support for a possible state gay-marriage law on … Continue reading “Microsoft, Vulcan, RealNetworks Back Gay Marriage in WA”
Twitter Acquires Vancouver’s Summify
Pulling signal out of the noise is getting much more important. And the folks at Twitter are getting some help sorting through the flood of daily updates by buying Summify, a Vancouver, B.C.-based startup that counts RealNetworks founder Rob Glaser among its investors. Summify analyzes a user’s media feeds, including social media and news syndication, … Continue reading “Twitter Acquires Vancouver’s Summify”
We’re No. 5! Seattle Outperforms in PayScale’s Wage Index
Hey Seattle, are you feeling above average? You should, at least in the paycheck department, according to the latest report tracking American wages from Seattle-based PayScale. The greater Seattle area came in as the fifth-best city for wage growth in 2011, one notch ahead of the San Francisco area. Yep, that’s right—we beat the Valley at something. … Continue reading “We’re No. 5! Seattle Outperforms in PayScale’s Wage Index”
Amazon Web Services Adds DynamoDB for Database Scaling
Amazon Web Services is unveiling a new service that it says will allow developers to adopt fast-scaling databases to handle the explosive growth that can squeeze digital companies. It’s called DynamoDB, and is designed to give customers a simple interface that will allow them to quickly dial up or down the performance they need from … Continue reading “Amazon Web Services Adds DynamoDB for Database Scaling”
Inside Double Down: How a $500M Deal Started With a $1M Investment
In the spring of 2010, at a small startup in Seattle, some online gaming veterans were ready to send their latest creation into the world. It was a blackjack game for Facebook, fully legal because players couldn’t cash out their virtual chips. With much better production values and an ability to play with other users, … Continue reading “Inside Double Down: How a $500M Deal Started With a $1M Investment”
Fundraising Notes: Walk Score, Demand Energy, Mad Fiber, Rover, WISErg
Seattle-based Walk Score, an online service that ranks rental properties, cities, and neighborhoods by how pedestrian-friendly they are, has raised $2 million in a Series A round that could still grow slightly. The company’s recent federal regulatory filing says 11 investors were involved, although more money was added since the form was filed with the … Continue reading “Fundraising Notes: Walk Score, Demand Energy, Mad Fiber, Rover, WISErg”
Social Game Maker Double Down Sold for Up To $500M
Turns out gambling with digital money can pay off pretty big, too. Seattle’s Double Down Interactive, maker of casino-style videogames for social networks, is being purchased by slot-machine giant International Game Technology for up to $500 million. Rumors of the sale started trickling out this afternoon, and IGT (NYSE: [[ticker:IGT]]) confirmed the purchase just after markets … Continue reading “Social Game Maker Double Down Sold for Up To $500M”
Expedia Exec Durchslag Resigns
Expedia Worldwide president Scott Durchslag has abruptly resigned, according to media reports (first spotted at TechFlash). GeekWire reports that a spokeswoman declined to say why Durchslag left Bellevue, WA-based Expedia (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXPE]]) about a year after joining, and there wasn’t an SEC filing reflecting the departure before word got out, which indicates it wasn’t a … Continue reading “Expedia Exec Durchslag Resigns”
Microsoft Claims Patent Licenses on 70% of Android Phones
Microsoft’s “Android isn’t free” campaign continues to roll along, with the Redmond software behemoth today announcing a patent licensing deal with handset maker LG to cover Google’s mobile operating systems. With this deal, Microsoft says it’s got licenses covering more than 70 percent of all U.S.-sold smartphones running Google’s Android operating system. The LG deal … Continue reading “Microsoft Claims Patent Licenses on 70% of Android Phones”
Facebook’s Parikh: Mum on Google+, Lots to Say About Infrastructure
First things first: Yes, Facebook engineering director Jay Parikh has some thoughts about Google’s move to boost Google Plus above other social sources in its search stream. And no, he can’t say anything about it. Twitter has been out front in criticizing Google’s newest social-signals revamp—named Search Plus Your World—and Facebook Seattle adviser Hadi Partovi … Continue reading “Facebook’s Parikh: Mum on Google+, Lots to Say About Infrastructure”
Elemental Pounces on Feds’ Push to Hush Loud Commercials
Our long national nightmare of TV commercials that are too loud is finally nearing its end—and Portland, OR-based Elemental Technologies is angling to help its network customers keep their programming audio nice and steady. Elemental, whose investors include Seattle’s Voyager Capital and Alliance of Angels, is known mainly for its video-processing products. The company, which … Continue reading “Elemental Pounces on Feds’ Push to Hush Loud Commercials”
Ignition’s Artale: 2012 is the Year of Cloud Applications
For all of you who’ve felt like cloud computing is some kind of foreign territory that you might never visit or fully understand, take heart. Ignition Partners managing director Frank Artale, who specializes in the sector, says everyone else has spent most of the past two years just figuring out what in the hell is going … Continue reading “Ignition’s Artale: 2012 is the Year of Cloud Applications”
Sonic Sex Toys: Revel Body Puts Fancy-Toothbrush Tech into Vibrators
Turns out sonic-wave motors aren’t just good for cleaning your teeth or skin. Seattle startup Revel Body, newly backed by an array of Northwest angel investors, is using a similar motor technology to power a new line of sex toys. Yep, that’s right—vibrators. Revel Body founder Robin Elenga says the resonant motors that power sonic … Continue reading “Sonic Sex Toys: Revel Body Puts Fancy-Toothbrush Tech into Vibrators”
Madrona Promotes Jacobson, Jordan, Porter
Seattle’s Madrona Venture Group, known as one of the earliest backers of Amazon.com, is promoting partners Scott Jacobson, Len Jordan, and Tim Porter to managing director. In a release, the firm says the trio led six of Madrona’s 14 investments in 2011, including deals with B.C.-based suit-maker Indochino, and Oregon-based cloud-computing companies AppFog and Cedexis. … Continue reading “Madrona Promotes Jacobson, Jordan, Porter”
TechStars Grad EveryMove Raises $375K
EveryMove, a member of the Seattle TechStars 2011 class, has filed regulatory paperwork for a $375,000 investment round. Investors weren’t disclosed, but BuddyTV founder Andy Liu and Premera BlueCross vice president Kent Marquardt were listed on the SEC form as directors (Liu also is listed as an executive). EveryMove is building a health-tracking software service … Continue reading “TechStars Grad EveryMove Raises $375K”
Young Entrepreneur Social: Seattle Has to Stop Eating its Young
Brayden Olson was frustrated. After a couple of years spent beating the bushes for successful young entrepreneurs in the Seattle area, the 24-year-old says he could only find a few people he considered peers. And even worse, Olson says, was the lack of generosity he found among the 30-something generation of Seattle entrepreneurs that came … Continue reading “Young Entrepreneur Social: Seattle Has to Stop Eating its Young”
Founder’s Co-Op Closes $8M Second Fund
Founder’s Co-op, the Seattle-based early stage investment group headed by Andy Sack and Chris DeVore, has closed its second fund at just under $8 million. That’s a significant step up from the first Founder’s Co-op fund, which DeVore says was about $2.5 million—a shift that reflects both the growth of Seattle’s startup scene, and a … Continue reading “Founder’s Co-Op Closes $8M Second Fund”
Seattle Rewind: Ozzie’s Startup, Mobile Predictions, Big Questions
We’re back in the swing of things after the holidays, which means this is your first weekly rewind of the new year. Read on, especially if you were too busy catching up on e-mails and meetings to pay attention to the Seattle-area headlines the first time around: —Former Microsoft software chief Ray Ozzie resurfaced this … Continue reading “Seattle Rewind: Ozzie’s Startup, Mobile Predictions, Big Questions”
RealNetworks CFO Stepping Down
RealNetworks, which recently installed a new CEO, is looking for a new financial chief. The company says CFO Michael Eggers is leaving effective April 15, via a filing with federal regulators (hat tip to John Cook at GeekWire for spotting). Eggers has been at RealNetworks (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]) for 14 years, according to the SEC filing—quite … Continue reading “RealNetworks CFO Stepping Down”
Startup Weekend Shuts Down Eight-City Startup Foundation Project
Startup Weekend, the Seattle-based nonprofit that runs an international network of hackathon events, is shutting down its effort to create a sister organization called the Startup Foundation. That project, first reported by Xconomy back in June, aimed to create a more permanent presence in individual cities that could help stimulate the entrepreneurial community. When I … Continue reading “Startup Weekend Shuts Down Eight-City Startup Foundation Project”
Seattle Deals: Ubermind, iCopyright, Vizify
—Consulting firm Deloitte has acquired Seattle mobile developer Ubermind, the companies announced Wednesday. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Ubermind CEO Shehryar Khan and founder Donald Brady will join Deloitte Consulting as principals, according to Deloitte’s press release. On its blog, Ubermind says that Deloitte’s large footprint is a big opportunity for the smaller company, … Continue reading “Seattle Deals: Ubermind, iCopyright, Vizify”
Amazon, Microsoft Expected to Make Waves in Mobile This Year
Mobile industry leaders are looking for big moves in 2012 from the Seattle area’s two technology heavyweights, taking the lead from a surge by Google’s Android operating system, according to a new survey from Issaquah, WA-based Chetan Sharma Consulting. Sharma’s 2012 Mobile Industry Predictions Survey, compiled from about 150 responses through the consulting firm’s global … Continue reading “Amazon, Microsoft Expected to Make Waves in Mobile This Year”
12 Big Questions for Seattle Tech in 2012
I don’t want to read too much into the arbitrary turn of the calendar, but it seems like we’re in the middle of a pretty interesting moment for Seattle’s technology scene. One of our mega-companies may be on the wane, while the other appears to be headed for much bigger things. The startup scene is … Continue reading “12 Big Questions for Seattle Tech in 2012”
Seattle Rewind: AT&T-Mo, Google, Amazon, Angels & More
AT&T shook up a potentially drowsy holiday week with the news that it was abandoning its $39 billion bid for Bellevue, WA-based T-Mobile. Ma Bell and T-Mo’s parent, Deutsche Telekom, telegraphed the end of their deal a week earlier when they got a federal antitrust lawsuit suspended. It seemed for a while like maybe there … Continue reading “Seattle Rewind: AT&T-Mo, Google, Amazon, Angels & More”
Google’s New Seattle Director: Cloud Expert Doug Orr
Google’s new site director in Seattle is Doug Orr, a senior engineer at the tech giant who was working most recently on cloud computing projects, two sources tell Xconomy. Orr takes over for Brian Bershad, a former University of Washington professor who is now working for Google in Russia, one of our sources confirms. Word of Bershad’s … Continue reading “Google’s New Seattle Director: Cloud Expert Doug Orr”
Innovation on Call: Insights from the Stratos Idea Factory
It’s been said plenty of times: If the U.S. wants to get out of this seemingly neverending economic malaise, we’ll have to innovate our way out. It’s a good idea, and a great slogan. But actually making it happen is not so easy. Sean MacLeod, president of Seattle’s Stratos Product Development, sees this kind of … Continue reading “Innovation on Call: Insights from the Stratos Idea Factory”
Seattle Angel Conference: A New Idea for Drafting New Investors
It’s one of the most nagging questions for Seattle-area technology entrepreneurs: How do you get more of the region’s tech wealth invested in local startups? Business veteran John Sechrest sees a possible answer in Oregon, where investors have created a series of events that help get newbie angels into the game. He’s hoping to replicate that … Continue reading “Seattle Angel Conference: A New Idea for Drafting New Investors”
Digital Lifeboat: Data Backup without the Data Centers
When the veteran entrepreneurs behind Digital Lifeboat settled on a location for their fledgling company, they weren’t concerned with landing one of the hot tech-startup addresses in South Lake Union or Pioneer Square. “Our offices are between the cemetery and the trailer park in Redmond,” co-founder and CEO Steve Teglovic says with a laugh. “That’s … Continue reading “Digital Lifeboat: Data Backup without the Data Centers”
Voyager Capital Aims for $125M in New Fund
Seattle-based venture firm Voyager Capital is raising a new fund pegged at up to $125 million, according to a new filing with federal regulators. The VC firm, which also has offices in Portland and Silicon Valley, finished raising its last fund in 2007 at $107 million. Notable investments from that fund included Ontela, which acquired … Continue reading “Voyager Capital Aims for $125M in New Fund”
T-Mobile to Grow with AT&T Assets, But Who’s the Next Suitor?
Now back on its own, T-Mobile stands to grow its coverage area with some assets from the breakup penalty that AT&T will pay for its failed buyout attempt. But most of the consolation prize will stay with T-Mobile’s German parent company, which has been looking for a way to exit the U.S. market, rather than … Continue reading “T-Mobile to Grow with AT&T Assets, But Who’s the Next Suitor?”
What Now? Reactions, Questions After the AT&T-Mo Failure
There’s got to be plenty of mixed feelings for all those magenta-clad T-Mobile folks in Bellevue right now. News that AT&T is abandoning its mega-merger attempt to acquire the fourth-place U.S. wireless carrier raises a ton of questions about T-Mobile’s future—none of them particularly reassuring. Now that AT&T is on the hook for a $4 … Continue reading “What Now? Reactions, Questions After the AT&T-Mo Failure”
AT&T Drops T-Mobile Bid, Will Pay $4B Breakup Fee
After a brutal few months battling Obama administration officials on two fronts, AT&T has given up its blockbuster $39 billion bid to acquire Bellevue, WA-based T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom. The end of an outright merger was clearly telegraphed a week ago, when the two companies and the Justice Department postponed a federal antitrust lawsuit. … Continue reading “AT&T Drops T-Mobile Bid, Will Pay $4B Breakup Fee”
Paul Allen, AT&T-Mo, Clearwire: Seattle’s Weekly Rewind
Billionaires in space! This week started out with a big announcement from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who is bankrolling a new company that aims to make private spaceflight more routine by launching rockets from the belly of an airplane—the biggest one ever built. Allen said it’ll probably cost him 10 times the nearly $30 million … Continue reading “Paul Allen, AT&T-Mo, Clearwire: Seattle’s Weekly Rewind”
Pirq Adds $1.9M from Rally Capital
Kirkland, WA-based digital discounts startup Pirq has raised $1.95 million from Rally Capital, the venture firm headed by former Nextel CEO Dennis Weibling. Pirq is led by CEO James Sun, an entrepreneur best known for appearing on the NBC program “The Apprentice” with Donald Trump. Sun says the money will be used to expand Pirq’s … Continue reading “Pirq Adds $1.9M from Rally Capital”
Livemocha Loves AWS in Brazil: Speeds Go from 1999 to 2011
One Seattle-area company is more than a little happy about Amazon Web Services opening a new South American computing region: Livemocha, an online language-learning service that counts about a quarter of its more than 11 million members in Brazil alone. Livemocha runs its Web-based software on AWS, but previously, the closest region for South American … Continue reading “Livemocha Loves AWS in Brazil: Speeds Go from 1999 to 2011”
SonoSite Sold to FujiFilm for Nearly $1B
Portable ultrasound maker SonoSite is being acquired by Japan’s Fujifilm for just under $1 billion. SonoSite will remain based in Bothell, WA, under its current leadership team, the companies said in a joint announcement. The $995 million price represents a cash offer to purchase all SonoSite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SONO]]) shares for $54 each, a 50 percent … Continue reading “SonoSite Sold to FujiFilm for Nearly $1B”
Amazon Web Services Opens New Region in Brazil
Amazon Web Services has opened an eighth global center to serve cloud-computing customers, expanding to South America for the first time with a new computing region in Brazil. The company says the new region, known as Sao Paulo, will improve speeds for end users in South America. On his blog, Amazon CTO Werner Vogels says … Continue reading “Amazon Web Services Opens New Region in Brazil”