Online real estate company Zillow, which announced a small quarterly loss related to its recent headquarters move, is acquiring Diverse Solutions, a company that provides online marketing tools for real estate agents. The stock-and-cash transaction is worth $7.8 million, Zillow (NASDAQ: [[ticker:Z]]) said Wednesday. Zillow said its net loss for the third quarter was $750,000, … Continue reading “Zillow Acquires Real Estate Marketing Company, Registers Loss on HQ Move”
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.
New RealNetworks CEO: Former Adobe Exec Thomas Nielsen
RealNetworks, the dot-com era digital media company that has gone through a major overhaul in the past couple of years, has appointed former Adobe VP Thomas Nielsen president and CEO effective Nov. 9. Nielsen, who worked at Microsoft earlier in his career, also will join the company’s board. Nielsen comes to RealNetworks (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]) from … Continue reading “New RealNetworks CEO: Former Adobe Exec Thomas Nielsen”
Gates at UW, PopCap’s Mobile Guru, Redfin’s Millions: Wrapping up Seattle Tech Headlines
The past week in tech headlines was dominated by our leading alpha geek: Microsoft co-founder and chairman Bill Gates. Gates stopped by the University of Washington to give a short talk about the future of computing, and how he sees cheap, powerful storage and processing revolutionizing everything from robots to disease eradication (the part about … Continue reading “Gates at UW, PopCap’s Mobile Guru, Redfin’s Millions: Wrapping up Seattle Tech Headlines”
Gates Foundation, WA Colleges Roll Out Open-Source Texts
Tech entrepreneurs are pushing pretty hard these days to improve education, from the Khan Academy to Codecademy to Altius Education to education-focused Startup Weekend events. And, of course, there’s the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has made education its primary domestic policy initiative—something Bill Gates discussed in his recent wide-ranging lecture and Q&A session … Continue reading “Gates Foundation, WA Colleges Roll Out Open-Source Texts”
PopCap Mobile Chief Giordano Contestabile: Games as a Service Transform the Industry
Giordano Contestabile started working in mobile gaming before it was cool. Way before. Back then, the only available mobile games were based around sending and receiving text messages—something that brings in nice profits for mobile carriers, of course. “I’d go out and pitch this game, and the game was an SMS fishing game. Already it … Continue reading “PopCap Mobile Chief Giordano Contestabile: Games as a Service Transform the Industry”
Clearwire Board Member Wolff Resigns
Benjamin Wolff, a former CEO of Clearwire and close ally of company founder Craig McCaw, has resigned from the troubled wireless company’s board. Clearwire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLWR]]) reported the change in a filing with federal regulators on Friday, saying Wolff’s “decision to resign is not due to any disagreements with the company.” McCaw’s investment firm, Eagle River … Continue reading “Clearwire Board Member Wolff Resigns”
Ask Bill Gates Anything: Being a Billionaire is Strange, Microsoft Co-Founder Tells Students
How’s the life of a billionaire? “Quite strange,” says Bill Gates, who fielded questions from University of Washington students on Thursday evening as part of a lecture on the future of computing. Gates’ talk, at a packed hall in the UW’s computer science building, focused on some areas where he thinks cheap, powerful computing will … Continue reading “Ask Bill Gates Anything: Being a Billionaire is Strange, Microsoft Co-Founder Tells Students”
Redfin Adds $14.8M to Expand Online Real Estate Brokerage to New Markets
[Updated 12:20 pm Pacific with correction] Redfin, the Seattle-based online real estate brokerage, says it has raised $14.8 million led by new investor Globespan Capital Partners. Redfin says the new round of financing, which pushes its total venture tally to about $46 million, will be used for R&D spending and expansion into new markets. At … Continue reading “Redfin Adds $14.8M to Expand Online Real Estate Brokerage to New Markets”
WA Companies Raked in Nearly $32M in September Deals
Washington companies in the technology, biotech, and cleantech sectors rolled up nearly $32 million in financing in September, according to data compiled by our partners at research firm CB Insights. Leading the way was RF Surgical Systems, a Bellevue-based company that raised $12 million last month. As Luke wrote last year, the company is working … Continue reading “WA Companies Raked in Nearly $32M in September Deals”
EquaShip, Isilon, Tippr, Zaarly: Wrapping up a Week-Plus of Seattle Headlines
A pretty busy week in Seattle business means this weekly wrap of Seattle tech headlines is a little longer than normal: —EquaShip, the upstart shipping competitor hoping to outfox UPS and FedEx by consolidating parcels from small and medium-sized businesses, finally took the covers off its service last week. The company is led by CEO … Continue reading “EquaShip, Isilon, Tippr, Zaarly: Wrapping up a Week-Plus of Seattle Headlines”
Clearwire Shares Go for Another Ride on Word of Latest Sprint Plans
One thing you can say about having Sprint as a majority investor: It’s not boring. Shares of Kirkland, WA-based Clearwire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLWR]]) bounced up today after the third-quarter earnings report from Sprint (NYSE: [[ticker:S]]), particularly CEO Dan Hesse’s comments about a possible deal for Clearwire’s as-yet-unbuilt long-term evolution network. As quoted by Forbes’ Eric Savitz, … Continue reading “Clearwire Shares Go for Another Ride on Word of Latest Sprint Plans”
Ignition’s Cameron Myhrvold Joins the Lineup for Mobile Madness NW Dec. 6
We’re adding another name to the already power-packed list of speakers for Mobile Madness Northwest on Dec. 6: Cameron Myhrvold, founding partner at Ignition Partners. And speaking of Mobile Madness, you’ll want to buy your tickets now to get the best deal—the best rate expires today. Cameron knows his way around innovation in the Northwest … Continue reading “Ignition’s Cameron Myhrvold Joins the Lineup for Mobile Madness NW Dec. 6”
Playmark Opens Digital Licensing Shop with Rights to 2,000 NFL Players
Professional athletes marketing their mugs in endorsements is nothing new. But the explosion of digital goods and micro-entrepreneurs has opened up a ton of new ways for sports stars to make their mark, such as the mobile apps and games from the likes of Chad Ochocinco and Mike Tyson. Seattle startup Playmark is hoping to … Continue reading “Playmark Opens Digital Licensing Shop with Rights to 2,000 NFL Players”
UW Prof’s Startup Rolls out Smart Thermostats, Inspired by Apple’s Iconic Devices
In her work at the University of Washington, Yoky Matsuoka spends time figuring out how to make the brain work directly with machines. In her startup work, she’s targeting something a lot less fancy-sounding: the home thermostat. Matsuoka is vice president of technology at Nest, a Palo Alto, CA-based startup aiming to tackle energy efficiency … Continue reading “UW Prof’s Startup Rolls out Smart Thermostats, Inspired by Apple’s Iconic Devices”
Zaarly Rings Up $14M to Fuel Growth, adds Firepower to Board with HP’s Meg Whitman
Peer-to-peer e-commerce startup Zaarly, born out of a Startup Weekend event just this spring, has tallied a new $14.1 million venture round and is adding freshly installed Hewlett-Packard chief Meg Whitman to its board. The news represents some pretty high-profile votes of confidence in Zaarly, which has only been around as a functioning product for … Continue reading “Zaarly Rings Up $14M to Fuel Growth, adds Firepower to Board with HP’s Meg Whitman”
Facebook Takes Credits to the Web, & Real’s GameHouse is the Petri Dish
Facebook is testing its virtual currency system, Facebook Credits, on sites across the broader Web—and the first public guinea pig is GameHouse, the casual-games division of RealNetworks (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]) that is going full-bore after a bigger slice of the social-gaming sector. Facebook Credits allow players to buy “virtual goods” within games they play. So, if … Continue reading “Facebook Takes Credits to the Web, & Real’s GameHouse is the Petri Dish”
Tippr’s Martin Tobias: Groupon Clones Done, ‘Arms Dealer’ Approach Paying Off
Updated 10:45 am Pacific After Groupon’s season of woe, a truckload of me-too disappearing acts, and last week’s mass-layoff meltdown at third-place competitor BuyWithMe, it sure isn’t looking like a very bullish time to be operating a daily deals startup. Martin Tobias would disagree. The Seattle entrepreneur, who been through some notable ups and downs … Continue reading “Tippr’s Martin Tobias: Groupon Clones Done, ‘Arms Dealer’ Approach Paying Off”
Video: What is Cloud Computing, Anyway? These Kids Get Pretty Close
The Seattle area is an undeniable leader in the rapidly growing cloud-computing sector, from tech mega-companies like Microsoft and Amazon, to local branches like the expanding EMC Isilon division, and active investors. We know it’s big. We know it’s important. We know it will change the way things are done. But if you’re not an … Continue reading “Video: What is Cloud Computing, Anyway? These Kids Get Pretty Close”
Inrix, Zulily Battle for Top Spot in WA’s Q3 Venture Dollars
Microsoft traffic-data spinout Inrix and flash-sales startup Zulily led the field of Washington state-based companies raising venture capital in the third quarter, which yielded $192.5 million across 27 deals, according to the latest MoneyTree Report from the National Venture Capital Association and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Inrix‘s $37 million expansion round made news in late July. CEO Bryan … Continue reading “Inrix, Zulily Battle for Top Spot in WA’s Q3 Venture Dollars”
EMC Isilon Adding 200 Jobs at Seattle Hub, Already Outgrowing New Offices
Big-data company EMC plans to add 200 jobs at its Seattle-based Isilon branch through 2012, filling out spacious new offices in the city’s Pioneer Square neighborhood—and leading to another hunt for office space in the not-too-distant future. Add those 200 new jobs to the 430 Isilon workers already in Seattle, and some additional people from … Continue reading “EMC Isilon Adding 200 Jobs at Seattle Hub, Already Outgrowing New Offices”
Mobile Madness, VC Dollars, Appature’s Growth: Wrapping up Seattle’s Tech Headlines
The biggest news out of Xconomy Seattle this past week is the announcement of Mobile Madness NW, our December 6 half-day forum presented with the Washington Technology Industry Association and hosted by F5 Networks. We’ve got a stellar lineup of speakers, including Wesley Chan from Google Ventures, Tom Alberg from Madrona Venture Group, Bernie Yee from Bungie … Continue reading “Mobile Madness, VC Dollars, Appature’s Growth: Wrapping up Seattle’s Tech Headlines”
EquaShip Starts Challenging FedEx, UPS with Big Discounts for the Little Guy
When two million online merchants fire up their shipping software today, they’ll see a fourth option for package carriers: EquaShip, a Seattle startup aiming to take on FedEx and UPS by offering steep discounts for small and medium-sized businesses. We first profiled EquaShip back in March, when it was known under a different name. Since … Continue reading “EquaShip Starts Challenging FedEx, UPS with Big Discounts for the Little Guy”
Mobile Madness NW: Xconomy and WTIA Join Forces for an All-Star Forum Dec. 6
The region that pioneered national wireless networks is at a turning point. Carriers are heading toward more consolidation, piling up tons of user data, and scrambling to build their next-generation networks. Microsoft is battling to be the vital third competitor in mobile operating systems, while Amazon stakes out its own device and cloud services ecosystem … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NW: Xconomy and WTIA Join Forces for an All-Star Forum Dec. 6”
Video: Microsoft Research, CMU Take Covers off “OmniTouch” Touchscreen Projector
We got a look at one of Microsoft Research’s latest advanced-interface projects a few weeks back, during festivities for MSR’s 20th anniversary. The company actually prohibited anyone from taking images of one demo in particular, for a projected-touchscreen system called OmniTouch, just because the team was going to present it at an upcoming conference. Well, … Continue reading “Video: Microsoft Research, CMU Take Covers off “OmniTouch” Touchscreen Projector”
Xconomist of the Week: Appature’s Kabir Shahani Eyes Culture as Company Expands
When it’s time for a scrappy tech startup with a bootstrapped culture to expand its footprint, the conventional thinking might go something like this: Hire young, hungry people who won’t blow through too much of your coin, and hold onto that staff until you absolutely have to take the plunge into grown-up salaries and benefits. … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Appature’s Kabir Shahani Eyes Culture as Company Expands”
VC Keeps up Hot Pace, 2011 Could Mark 10-Year Peak, CB Insights Says
Market meltdowns, international turmoil, stubborn unemployment—none of the lingering macro-economic troubles seem to be holding back the momentum for venture investing in 2011, according to a report on third-quarter investments from research firm CB Insights. The latest tally from the firm’s venture capital database shows venture investments reaching $7.9 billion in the quarter across 790 … Continue reading “VC Keeps up Hot Pace, 2011 Could Mark 10-Year Peak, CB Insights Says”
Zulily’s $43M Leads the Seattle-area Pack in End-of-Summer Fundraising Tally
They grow up so quick! Zulily, which offers daily “flash sales” on moms-and-kids items, easily led the field for angel and venture financing deals in Washington in August. That’s according to monthly data compiled by our partners at CB Insights, which tallied $79 million in overall financings across tech, biotech and cleantech companies for the … Continue reading “Zulily’s $43M Leads the Seattle-area Pack in End-of-Summer Fundraising Tally”
Seattle: Coffee Town with a Software Problem
Are you a highly educated, salmon-eating, coffee-swilling tech worker who likes soccer? Congratulations! You fit pretty easily into the profile of a Seattle consumer, as detailed by this infographic from Zaarly. The startup, which lets people crowdsource their needs by putting a price on specific goods or services, is based in San Francisco and Kansas … Continue reading “Seattle: Coffee Town with a Software Problem”
Swype, Jobs, Clearwire: the One-Minute Week in Seattle Tech Headlines
—Swype, one of the most talked-about startups in the Seattle area, made good on all the attention it’s earned by selling to mobile-software leader Nuance (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]) for $102.5 million. Nuance has been gobbling up lots of technology and talent in the past few years, including Tegic Communications, the former home of Swype’s Cliff Kushler. … Continue reading “Swype, Jobs, Clearwire: the One-Minute Week in Seattle Tech Headlines”
Sprint Makes it Pretty Clear: Clearwire on Its Own
Sprint (NYSE: [[ticker:S]]) is unveiling a new plan to upgrade its national wireless network today, and Kirkland, WA-based Clearwire is not part of the picture. That’s sent shares of Clearwire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLWR]]) into a nosedive, losing a third of their value in afternoon trading. It had previously seemed that Sprint, as the majority shareholder, might … Continue reading “Sprint Makes it Pretty Clear: Clearwire on Its Own”
Five Perspectives on Steve Jobs: Reflections from Around the Xconomy Network
When the news broke that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died, there was no shortage of tributes and remembrances, from names big and small. And they’re still pouring out, from entrepreneurs, technologists, consumers, and more. We were able to tap into our network of guest authors, known as the Xconomists, for some insights into Jobs’ legacy … Continue reading “Five Perspectives on Steve Jobs: Reflections from Around the Xconomy Network”
Done Deal: Nuance Buying Swype for Around $100M in Cash
[Updated 10/7/11, 8 am Pacific] There’s a Tegic Communications reunion shaping up in Seattle. Documents filed with the SEC show that Nuance Communications is buying mobile software startup Swype for $102.5 million. As we reported last night, based on a source with knowledge of the deal, about three-quarters of the cash is paid up-front with … Continue reading “Done Deal: Nuance Buying Swype for Around $100M in Cash”
Intellectual Ventures Sues Motorola Amid Acquisition by Google – an IV Investor
Intellectual Ventures is stepping up its position in the mobile patent wars, suing Motorola Mobility in federal court today for allegedly infringing on a range of patents covering hardware and software. Irony alert: Google, which is in the middle of acquiring Motorola Mobility for about $12.5 billion, has been listed in previous court filings as … Continue reading “Intellectual Ventures Sues Motorola Amid Acquisition by Google – an IV Investor”
Varolii Helps Southwest Wrangle Pilot Schedules, Sees Bigger Moves Ahead
Here’s a sign that your industry is ripe for a technological overhaul: Last-minute scheduling is sometimes handled by old-fashioned phone trees, with human schedulers making hundreds of phone calls a day to fill open slots. That was the case at Southwest Airlines (NYSE: [[ticker:LUV]])—at least it was before a new text-messaging program supplied by Seattle-based … Continue reading “Varolii Helps Southwest Wrangle Pilot Schedules, Sees Bigger Moves Ahead”
Social Media Agency Spring Creek Group Acquired by Interpublic
Seattle social media agency Spring Creek Group has been sold to the Mediabrands division of Interpublic Group, a global marketing and media company that controls a bundle of agencies, including PR firm Weber Shandwick and ad agency McCann Erickson. The news comes via this blog post from Spring Creek founder Clay McDaniel. Terms weren’t disclosed. … Continue reading “Social Media Agency Spring Creek Group Acquired by Interpublic”
Amazon, Khosla, Tippr: The 1-Minute Week in Seattle Tech Headlines
—Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) jumped into the tablet game with the much-hyped Kindle Fire device, but don’t be fooled. The new tablet is not about Amazon getting into the hardware business—it’s much more about making sure that consumers get access to Amazon’s slew of cloud services and traditional shopping on something other than Apple’s iPad, which … Continue reading “Amazon, Khosla, Tippr: The 1-Minute Week in Seattle Tech Headlines”
Rhapsody Adds Napster – and Maybe Some Overseas Subscribers
Rhapsody, the online-subscription music service that spun out of RealNetworks last year, is acquiring online music pioneer Napster from retailer Best Buy. Seattle-based Rhapsody didn’t say how much it is paying for Napster, and it wouldn’t say how many U.S. subscribers it may add through the acquisition, but the company did say Napster was its … Continue reading “Rhapsody Adds Napster – and Maybe Some Overseas Subscribers”
Vinod Khosla: A Brutally Honest VC Tells Startup Weekenders to Make an Impact
Vinod Khosla admits he’s not really known as a polite guy. But he comes by it honestly. “I sort of had a habit at age 12 of insulting priests in India, because it was fun for me. I was a troll,” Khosla said Friday. “There is fun in that. If there’s a lot of conventional … Continue reading “Vinod Khosla: A Brutally Honest VC Tells Startup Weekenders to Make an Impact”
Tippr’s Federal Patent Lawsuit: 14 Daily Deals Players Targeted, Now All Quietly Settled
It’s been a wild few months for companies peddling daily deals. As market leader Groupon faces criticism for its accounting and turmoil in its executive ranks, bigger competitors continue to expand or kill their efforts, while smaller fish get gobbled up in a spree of consolidation. If that’s not enough churn, you can also add some … Continue reading “Tippr’s Federal Patent Lawsuit: 14 Daily Deals Players Targeted, Now All Quietly Settled”
Why Amazon’s Tablet Matters: It’s Not a Computer. It’s a Store.
Updated 11 am Pacific The tech world is going into hype-tastic overdrive today with the release of Amazon’s new tablet computer. If the predictions and previews are correct, the new device could be a big competitor to the market-defining Apple iPad and cement Amazon as a major player in the computing game. But this isn’t … Continue reading “Why Amazon’s Tablet Matters: It’s Not a Computer. It’s a Store.”
From the Kinect to AIDS Vaccines: Rick Rashid Reflects on 20 Years of Microsoft Research
How many top-level Microsoft executives have been in the same job for 20 years? By Rick Rashid’s count, he’s the only one. That sort of continuity says a lot about Microsoft Research, the in-house invention factory that Rashid was recruited from Carnegie Mellon to run in 1991. It’s still growing—up to about 850 PhDs and … Continue reading “From the Kinect to AIDS Vaccines: Rick Rashid Reflects on 20 Years of Microsoft Research”
TechStars, Wetpaint, Intel: A 1-Minute Recap of Seattle Tech Headlines
—TechStars has upped its game in the incubator wars by adding a $24 million fund that will help it offer startups in the competitive program another $100,000 in financing, on top of the small stipends that founders get for the 12-week entrepreneurship bootcamp. The new money, which won’t take effect until next year’s classes, signals … Continue reading “TechStars, Wetpaint, Intel: A 1-Minute Recap of Seattle Tech Headlines”
Smart Kitchens & Beyond: Intel’s New Research Partnership with UW Boosts “Pervasive Computing”
You reach for the peppers, dicing them to the perfect size for your famous homemade stir-fry. As the knife does its work, cameras mounted around your kitchen are watching. They log your knife technique and the size of the dice, while sensors at the stove relay the temperature when you add them to the mix. … Continue reading “Smart Kitchens & Beyond: Intel’s New Research Partnership with UW Boosts “Pervasive Computing””
Xconomist of the Week: Ben Elowitz Goes Deep with TV Gossip, Maps the Future of Media
What does “Jersey Shore” star Snooki have to do with the future of online media? Plenty, it turns out. That’s one of the surprising things I learned recently chatting with Ben Elowitz, the CEO of Seattle-based Wetpaint, a well-financed startup that’s about a year into its newest mission: Trying to reinvent how content is created … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Ben Elowitz Goes Deep with TV Gossip, Maps the Future of Media”
Calypso Medical Technologies Acquired for $10M by Varian Medical Systems
Calypso Medical Technologies, a Seattle company whose “GPS for the body” technology helps target radiation at cancerous tumors, has been acquired for $10 million upfront by Varian Medical Systems of Palo Alto, CA. While there are unspecified earn-outs for hitting sales milestones, the price probably isn’t something that will make investors smile. Calypso raised $50 … Continue reading “Calypso Medical Technologies Acquired for $10M by Varian Medical Systems”
Shopobot, Angels, AT&T: The 1-Minute Week in Seattle Tech
—A startup caught in the crossfire of Amazon.com‘s battles with big-box retailers and money-starved state governments is finding a new home in Seattle. Shopobot, a price-tracking site for electronics shopping, got its start in San Francisco, including a spot in the AngelPad accelerator program. But when Amazon dropped its affiliates over an attempt to make … Continue reading “Shopobot, Angels, AT&T: The 1-Minute Week in Seattle Tech”
UW’s Shwetak Patel Named “Genius Grant” Recipient for Work on Sensor Networks
University of Washington professor Shwetak Patel, best known for his work on developing sensor networks that can be used to monitor power use in buildings, has been named a MacArthur Fellow—the award commonly known as the “genius grant,” which comes with a $500,000 cash prize that recipients can use however they want. Patel, 29, is … Continue reading “UW’s Shwetak Patel Named “Genius Grant” Recipient for Work on Sensor Networks”
Alliance of Angels’ Dan Rosen: National Angel Syndicate a Matter of Trust, Natural Evolution
They finance some of the most innovative entrepreneurs on the planet, and foster inventions that make global business fast, cheap, and easy. So why do so many early stage tech investors still do a big chunk of deals in their own backyard? Dan Rosen, chairman of Seattle’s Alliance of Angels, says it’s all about trust. … Continue reading “Alliance of Angels’ Dan Rosen: National Angel Syndicate a Matter of Trust, Natural Evolution”
Northwest Deals: Hootsuite, Symform, Avalara, X2Impact, Osprit
—HootSuite, the Vancouver, B.C.-based social media company best known for its power-user Twitter interface, has raised $3 million in what it calls “debt bridge financing.” Millennium Technology Ventures is on board as a new investor in the round, which included return investments from Hearst Interactive Media, Blumberg Capital, and ubiquitous Seattle angel Geoff Entress. In … Continue reading “Northwest Deals: Hootsuite, Symform, Avalara, X2Impact, Osprit”
WA Attorney General Joins Fed Lawsuit Blocking AT&T and T-Mobile
Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna, the Republican favorite for governor in 2012, has joined his counterparts from six other states to support the U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit blocking AT&T’s proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile USA. It’s not unusual for state governments to get involved in cases like this, particularly when there may be … Continue reading “WA Attorney General Joins Fed Lawsuit Blocking AT&T and T-Mobile”