You usually only hear about startups when they’re successful, but Seattle-based ClayValet is an exception. Two weeks ago, founder Mikhail Seregine announced that he was shutting down his four-person company, an online shopping service that allowed customers to ask questions about products and get personal recommendations. He followed up this week with a really informative … Continue reading “Startups Aren’t Dead, Says ClayValet Founder in Wake of Shutdown”
Author: Gregory T. Huang
Greg is a veteran journalist who has covered a wide range of science, technology, and business. As former editor in chief, he overaw daily news, features, and events across Xconomy's national network. Before joining Xconomy, he was a features editor at New Scientist magazine, where he edited and wrote articles on physics, technology, and neuroscience. Previously he was senior writer at Technology Review, where he reported on emerging technologies, R&D, and advances in computing, robotics, and applied physics. His writing has also appeared in Wired, Nature, and The Atlantic Monthly’s website. He was named a New York Times professional fellow in 2003.
Greg is the co-author of Guanxi (Simon & Schuster, 2006), about Microsoft in China and the global competition for talent and technology. Before becoming a journalist, he did research at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab. He has published 20 papers in scientific journals and conferences and spoken on innovation at Adobe, Amazon, eBay, Google, HP, Microsoft, Yahoo, and other organizations. He has a Master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Washington Venture Capitalists Brace for the Worst Between Now and Year’s End
OK, this isn’t all that surprising. In the early days of the fourth quarter of 2008, the majority of Washington state’s venture capitalists see the national economy as the top issue facing their portfolio companies, and they’re predicting lower revenue growth and lower valuations for all companies—and no exits. That’s according to the latest quarterly … Continue reading “Washington Venture Capitalists Brace for the Worst Between Now and Year’s End”
Judy’s Book Relaunched Under “New” Ownership, with Focus on Customer Reviews
When TechCrunch served up a headline yesterday saying Seattle startup Judy’s Book was “Back from the Dead,” I thought there might actually be some news. The same day, John Cook at TechFlash posted a much more informative story about the current state of the online reviews-and-shopping company, which was founded by Andy Sack and Chris … Continue reading “Judy’s Book Relaunched Under “New” Ownership, with Focus on Customer Reviews”
Top 10 Takeaways from the VC Panel at Seattle’s Renewable Energy Finance Forum
This morning, I stopped by the panel on venture capital in cleantech, at the Renewable Energy Finance Forum-West conference at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Seattle. It was moderated by Nancy Floyd of Nth Power and Michael Butler of Seattle-based Cascadia Capital (who’s an Xconomist). The panelists were Raj Atluru of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Anup … Continue reading “Top 10 Takeaways from the VC Panel at Seattle’s Renewable Energy Finance Forum”
$6.5M for Rich Barton’s Glassdoor
Glassdoor.com, the Sausalito, CA-based online workplace community and job site co-founded by Zillow CEO Rich Barton, announced it has raised $6.5 million in Series B funding from Sutter Hill Ventures and Benchmark Capital. Barton is Glassdoor’s non-executive chairman of the board and a venture partner at Benchmark.
PopCap Launches Casual Game With a Twist, Wants To Make Everyone a Gamer
I’m not really a Frank Gehry fan, but I have to say the Gehry-designed Experience Music Project at Seattle Center was the perfect venue for PopCap’s gala last night. The Seattle-based casual game maker was celebrating its new release in its bestselling “Bejeweled” series—Bejeweled Twist—and it pulled out all the stops. If the quality of … Continue reading “PopCap Launches Casual Game With a Twist, Wants To Make Everyone a Gamer”
Amazon Gets Into Games, Getty Grabs Jupiterimages, ZymoGenetics Settles a Suit, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
The leaves have changed, the World Series is winding down (hang in there, Tampa Bay), and the deals continue to flow in the Northwest. Digital media, software, and biotech were well represented in the last week. —Seattle-based HyperQuality, which makes software to improve call centers and customer experience, secured $7.6 million of a $12.1 million … Continue reading “Amazon Gets Into Games, Getty Grabs Jupiterimages, ZymoGenetics Settles a Suit, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Microsoft Launches Cloud Computing Product, Goes Head-to-Head with Amazon
It looks like Microsoft is getting with the program. The cloud computing program, that is. Ray Ozzie, Microsoft’s chief software architect, has just announced “Windows Azure,” a cloud-based Web service that is hosted on Microsoft servers and lets developers build and run software applications via the Internet. Ozzie spoke about the new product in his … Continue reading “Microsoft Launches Cloud Computing Product, Goes Head-to-Head with Amazon”
MarketOutsider Tells Investors Who’s Up, Who’s Down in the Media
When I first met Bryce Baril in June, he was a winning contestant in Seattle LivePitch, an event in which local entrepreneurs pitch their startups in two minutes. For the past four months, Baril has been holed up with his company, MarketOutsider, quietly working away on a software prototype—a “robotic financial analyst” that could potentially … Continue reading “MarketOutsider Tells Investors Who’s Up, Who’s Down in the Media”
Amazon’s Cloud Does Windows
Amazon Web Services has announced that Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), its environment for running Web applications in the Internet cloud, is now available to the general public and is running Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server. The move is seen as an effort to keep Amazon ahead of competitors like Google and Microsoft in … Continue reading “Amazon’s Cloud Does Windows”
Welcome to Seattle, Al Gore—Can UW Startups Get Some VC Love?
Back in August, Luke sat down with the University of Washington’s incoming Vice Provost for Technology Transfer, Linden Rhoads. The serial tech entrepreneur talked about taking charge of the university’s tech transfer office, and how one of her top priorities was to meet with venture capitalists in the Northwest and in the San Francisco Bay … Continue reading “Welcome to Seattle, Al Gore—Can UW Startups Get Some VC Love?”
Investors Talk Biofuels Winners, Latecomers to the Party, and $100 Billion Dollar Companies at Algae Biomass Summit
Algae-based biofuels are the topic du jour. And why not—the prospect of using pond scum to power 21st-century transportation and replace crude oil is pretty appealing. So one of the highlights from the Algae Biomass Summit in Seattle yesterday, besides the keynote by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, was a panel of prominent VCs discussing the … Continue reading “Investors Talk Biofuels Winners, Latecomers to the Party, and $100 Billion Dollar Companies at Algae Biomass Summit”
Vinod Khosla Speaks at Seattle’s Algae Biomass Summit
This afternoon, I’ve been attending the second annual Algae Biomass Summit at the Bell Harbor Conference Center down by the waterfront in Seattle. This year’s conference has drawn 600 participants—who knew the algae community was this big already? Here at Xconomy, we’ve covered some algae biofuel startups with local connections, including AXI out of the … Continue reading “Vinod Khosla Speaks at Seattle’s Algae Biomass Summit”
HyperQuality Raises $7.6M
Seattle-based HyperQuality, a provider of software and services to improve call centers and customer experience, has secured about $7.6 million of a $12.1 million Series C financing round, according to PE Hub, which cites a regulatory filing. HyperQuality, founded in 2003, has previously raised some $17 million from the likes of Ignition Partners and Miramar … Continue reading “HyperQuality Raises $7.6M”
Getty Images Buys Jupitermedia’s Online Photo Biz for $96M
It’s one of the biggest acquisitions of the year in the Northwest. Getty Images, the Seattle-based creator and distributor of online photos and video, is buying New York-based Jupitermedia’s online images business. The acquisition of Jupiterimages is worth $96 million in cash, and will help Jupitermedia pay off its bank debt, according to a statement … Continue reading “Getty Images Buys Jupitermedia’s Online Photo Biz for $96M”
Why Wetpaint Went from Wikis to Social Publishing—the Next Step in Social Networks
Back in the summertime, we did a short piece about Wetpaint, the Seattle-based Web startup that had just surpassed its 1-millionth-consumer-wiki milestone. Wetpaint is one of the more heralded tech startups in the Northwest, backed to the tune of $40 million in venture capital—including, most recently, a $25 million round led by DAG Ventures in … Continue reading “Why Wetpaint Went from Wikis to Social Publishing—the Next Step in Social Networks”
GE Invested $30M More in A123
GE announced today it invested an additional $30 million in A123Systems, the Watertown, MA-based battery maker. That brings GE’s total investment in A123 to $55 million, or a 9 percent ownership stake. According to the announcement, the $30 million was part of a $102 million Series E round raised by A123 in May, but the … Continue reading “GE Invested $30M More in A123”
Puget Sound Business Journal Launches TechFlash Site with Cook, Bishop
Where are John and Todd? A month after Luke reported that venerable Seattle tech reporters John Cook and Todd Bishop left the Seattle P-I for new roles at the Puget Sound Business Journal, they have officially surfaced today at a new website, called TechFlash. Billed as “Seattle’s technology news source,” TechFlash will offer breaking news … Continue reading “Puget Sound Business Journal Launches TechFlash Site with Cook, Bishop”
Amazon Buys Reflexive Entertainment, Looks to Distribute Casual Games
It looks like Amazon is getting more serious about gaming. As we reported in July, the Seattle Internet retail giant backs Atomic Moguls, a Seattle-based social-network gaming firm. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is also an investor in Palo Alto, CA-based Social Gaming Network. But now, earlier this week, Reflexive Entertainment, a developer and … Continue reading “Amazon Buys Reflexive Entertainment, Looks to Distribute Casual Games”
Last Day to Take the Financial Crisis Survey
Two weeks ago, the Washington Technology Industry Association launched a survey to get feedback from the tech community about the current financial crisis and its impact on businesses. Xconomy is the WTIA’s exclusive media partner for the survey, and we plan to report its findings next week. The survey is scheduled to close by the … Continue reading “Last Day to Take the Financial Crisis Survey”
Tech Advice for the Next U.S. President: Seattle and Boston Leaders Weigh In
Whether it’s John McCain or Barack Obama, what should the new American president do to promote technological innovation and global competitiveness? Computerworld asked a collection of tech luminaries from around the country for their advice, and published their thoughts today. Here are contributions from three info-tech experts in Xconomy cities. Rick Rashid, senior vice president … Continue reading “Tech Advice for the Next U.S. President: Seattle and Boston Leaders Weigh In”
Earth Class Mail Raises $5.1M
Seattle-based Earth Class Mail, which digitizes paper mail and delivers it via the Internet, has announced it has raised $5.1 million in angel investment led by Keiretsu Forum. Earth Class Mail also said it has increased staffing by 35 percent in the past two quarters to keep up with demand from corporate and government customers.
Imperium Infused with $18M, Winshuttle Wins Over the French, the Top 10 Q3 Venture Deals, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
With baseball’s Fall Classic about to begin (hats off to the Tampa Bay Rays), deals in the Northwest have continued to pick up. No blockbusters in the past week, but there was decent action in tech mergers and acquisitions, as well as funding of biotech and energy companies. —Bob reported on the top 10 venture … Continue reading “Imperium Infused with $18M, Winshuttle Wins Over the French, the Top 10 Q3 Venture Deals, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Social Networks, Swedish Phone Throwing, & More at Mobile Northwest
“One banker says to the other—wait, what other banker?” says Tom Huseby. The Seattle venture capitalist and wireless guru slipped in a joke about the thinning ranks of financiers during his keynote talk at today’s second annual Mobile Northwest Conference. I had a chance to stop by and see this morning’s session at the convention … Continue reading “Social Networks, Swedish Phone Throwing, & More at Mobile Northwest”
GrapeCity Grabs Data Dynamics
GrapeCity, an international software company with U.S. headquarters in Kirkland, WA, announced it has acquired Columbus, OH-based Data Dynamics. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the transition will begin in January 2009. GrapeCity is based in Japan and partners with Microsoft to build software tools and services for businesses.
The Lights Are Still On (Think Energy and Biotech Investments), but the Party’s Over for Many U.S. Venture Deals
The venture-capital numbers for the U.S. are out for the third quarter of 2008, and they don’t quite reflect the turmoil in the broader financial markets—at least not yet. Total venture investment in U.S. companies in Q3 amounted to $7.1 billion in 907 deals, which is down 7 percent from the second quarter of this … Continue reading “The Lights Are Still On (Think Energy and Biotech Investments), but the Party’s Over for Many U.S. Venture Deals”
Real-Estate Startups Reeling as Zillow Lays Off a Quarter of Its Staff
Bad news comes in threes. (Or let’s hope it’s only in threes.) After this week’s layoffs at Seattle-based Redfin and Portland, OR-based Jive Software, Seattle real estate firm Zillow today announced it has cut 25 percent of its staff. Last month, Zillow’s CFO Spencer Rascoff said the company had 150 employees. That would mean the … Continue reading “Real-Estate Startups Reeling as Zillow Lays Off a Quarter of Its Staff”
SolarWorld Opens Huge Factory in Oregon, Wants to Lead the World in Photovoltaics
Today marks the opening of what will be North America’s largest solar-cell manufacturing plant. And it’s right here in the Northwest. SolarWorld, based in Bonn, Germany, is launching a new solar facility in Hillsboro, OR. On the docket this morning is a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a tour of the sprawling, 480,000 square-foot facility. Expected to … Continue reading “SolarWorld Opens Huge Factory in Oregon, Wants to Lead the World in Photovoltaics”
ESI and Zygo To Merge
Portland, OR-based Electro Scientific Industries (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ESIO]]) and Middlefield, CT-based Zygo (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZIGO]]) announced today they have agreed to merge in an all-stock transaction. ESI’s expertise is in photonic microengineering, while Zygo’s is in metrology and optical systems. The merger is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2009.
Micronics Makes $9M
Redmond, WA-based Micronics, a maker of tools for molecular diagnostics and monitoring, announced today it has closed a Series C financing round led by the Southwest Michigan First Life Science Fund. The latest round, combined with a Series B round raised earlier this year from private investors, brings a total of $9 million in capital … Continue reading “Micronics Makes $9M”
Founder’s Co-op Gets Warm Reception, Wants Startups That Will Survive Cold Recession
Andy Sack’s favorite coffee drink is a 12-ounce, single-shot, non-fat latte. But if you’re meeting with him to pitch your latest technology startup idea, be advised that he’s probably on his second or third cup already. These days, his schedule is filled with meetings and networking—most of it pretty informal. “I’ll have coffee with anyone,” … Continue reading “Founder’s Co-op Gets Warm Reception, Wants Startups That Will Survive Cold Recession”
Winshuttle Acquires ADAR, Launches French Office
Bothell, WA-based Winshuttle, maker of data-entry software and download tools for businesses, announced today it has acquired ADAR, a French distributor of data-management tools. Winshuttle’s new French operations will be based in Paris and will provide sales and technical support to customers such as Bouygues Telecom, Yves Rocher, and Solvay.
Jive Software Jarred by Layoffs
Layoffs are hitting the Northwest tech community this week—first Redfin, now Jive Software. TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington reports that Portland, OR-based Jive, a maker of social software for businesses, laid off about one-third of its staff, or about 40 people, yesterday. Among those who left the company are a vice president of engineering and a vice … Continue reading “Jive Software Jarred by Layoffs”
Dendreon Sells $20M in Stock, Microsoft Teams Up with Scripps, Monster Buys BitWine, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
Heading deep into the battles of October (hang in there, Red Sox), dealflow has been fairly strong. The Northwest saw plenty of action in mobile, biotech, health care, and seed-stage tech funds in the past week. —Redmond, WA-based MobUI, a mobile software developer, acquired Bellevue, WA-based Action Engine, as Ryan reported. MobUI also raised new … Continue reading “Dendreon Sells $20M in Stock, Microsoft Teams Up with Scripps, Monster Buys BitWine, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Redfin Layoffs Bode Ill for Real Estate Startups
Is this the beginning of the end for online real estate companies? Yesterday, Seattle-based Redfin announced it had laid off roughly 20 percent of its employees, leaving it with a staff of about 75 spread across Seattle, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Chicago. The news comes as a serious blow to a company that … Continue reading “Redfin Layoffs Bode Ill for Real Estate Startups”
Five Seattle-Area Companies, and an Apprentice, Join WTIA’s Mobile Mission to China
‘Tis the season for grand tours of Asia. Last week, we covered life on the road with Intellectual Ventures, as the Bellevue, WA-based invention firm launched offices in five Asian countries, including China. This week, it’s the Washington Technology Industry Association’s turn. Together with the Washington State Community, Trade and Economic Development office, the WTIA … Continue reading “Five Seattle-Area Companies, and an Apprentice, Join WTIA’s Mobile Mission to China”
Scripps Health Teams Up With Microsoft and Others for Genetic Testing Study
It was almost exactly a year ago that Microsoft launched its HealthVault service, a secure online database for users to store and manage their medical records. And in recent months, we’ve reported on the software giant’s increasing efforts in health care, including its new partnerships with prescription drug provider CVS Caremark and Boston, MA-based health … Continue reading “Scripps Health Teams Up With Microsoft and Others for Genetic Testing Study”
WTIA Launches Survey on Impact of Financial Crisis
It’s what everyone is talking about: the global financial crisis, and its impact on business and markets. But more specifically, what is its impact on local-area tech businesses and innovation, and how will people respond to it? Here at Xconomy, we’ve posed those important questions to some of our distinguished network of Xconomists—leaders in technology, … Continue reading “WTIA Launches Survey on Impact of Financial Crisis”
Mentor Graphics Acquires Flomerics
Wilsonville, OR-based Mentor Graphics, which does electronics design and analysis, announced it has acquired the Flomerics Group, a U.K.-based maker of fluid-dynamics simulation software. Flomerics will become the mechanical analysis division within Mentor (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MENT]]).
One Year Old, Widgetbucks Steps Up Attack on Google Ads
This week marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of Widgetbucks, the online ad network from Seattle-based startup Mpire. Founded in 2005, Mpire’s story makes for a pretty compelling case study in adapting to the market. Although the verdict isn’t in yet—we’ll see how much market share it ends up taking from Google ads, for … Continue reading “One Year Old, Widgetbucks Steps Up Attack on Google Ads”
On the Road with Intellectual Ventures’ Global Head of Technology, Patrick Ennis
It’s 10:15 pm, and Patrick Ennis is in a taxi bound for the airport in Delhi, India. He’s getting ready for a 1:00 am flight to Beijing. The streets of India are legendary for displaying 2,000 years of transportation history in one place—animals, pedestrians, carts, bikes, cars, buses, trucks—and it sounds like tonight is no … Continue reading “On the Road with Intellectual Ventures’ Global Head of Technology, Patrick Ennis”
Keith Grinstein, 1960-2008, Was Larger Than Life
The Seattle community lost a giant last week, when Keith Grinstein passed away at the age of 48. A memorial service for Grinstein, the chairman of Coinstar and a venture capitalist at Second Avenue Partners, was held yesterday afternoon in Seattle. I wanted to post a couple of thoughts from the community that I’ve gathered. … Continue reading “Keith Grinstein, 1960-2008, Was Larger Than Life”
Monster Venture Buys BitWine
Monster Venture Partners, based in Bellevue, WA, has acquired a controlling stake in BitWine, an online startup that lets users get expert advice and share knowledge. Former Expedia exec Ronnie Gurion has been named chief executive officer of Bitwine, and Rob Monster has joined as chairman of the board.
Jeff Bezos Helps You Find a Doc, Oberon Goes to China, Imperium Gets Investment, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
Heading into the baseball battles of October (go Red Sox), the dealflow is really picking up. In the past week, the Northwest has seen deals in gaming, mobile software, healthcare, genomics, and biofuels. —Oberon Media, a maker of casual games and gaming platforms that is based in New York but has a publishing arm in … Continue reading “Jeff Bezos Helps You Find a Doc, Oberon Goes to China, Imperium Gets Investment, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Oberon, Maker of Casual Games and Platforms, Scores $20M Investment, Chinese Partnership
Things are really heating up in the casual games business. Today, Hong Kong-based Infinity Equity announced it has invested $20 million in Oberon Media, a major developer of casual games and gaming platforms. Oberon is based in New York, but has a publishing office in Seattle called I-Play. The news comes on the heels of … Continue reading “Oberon, Maker of Casual Games and Platforms, Scores $20M Investment, Chinese Partnership”
TriQuint Wins $4.5M Navy Contract
Hillsboro, OR-based TriQuint Semiconductor has announced it has won a 21-month, $4.5 million contract from the Office of Naval Research to manufacture high-power, high-frequency gallium arsenide amplifiers. The technology is used in radar, electronic warfare, and communications applications. TriQuint (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TQNT]]) is a maker of integrated circuits for communications, defense, and aerospace.
Washington and Oregon Could Lead the U.S. in Cleantech Under New Policies, Report Says
The Pacific Northwest could potentially be the first region in the United States to achieve 75 percent of its electricity supply from carbon-free sources like hydropower and renewables. But that will require a dedicated new effort in cleantech policy and investment which, if successful, could create 41,000 to 63,000 new jobs in Washington and Oregon … Continue reading “Washington and Oregon Could Lead the U.S. in Cleantech Under New Policies, Report Says”
RealNetworks Could Be in Real Trouble Over DVD Lawsuit—Consumers Beware
[Addendum, 10/6/08: RealDVD has been offline as of this weekend—the result of a restraining order requested by the Hollywood studios and granted by a federal judge. The RealDVD site says, “Due to recent legal action taken by the Hollywood movie studios against us, RealDVD is temporarily unavailable. Rest assured, we will continue to work diligently … Continue reading “RealNetworks Could Be in Real Trouble Over DVD Lawsuit—Consumers Beware”
NeuroCom Bought for $18M
Natus Medical, a San Carlos, CA-based healthcare company that makes screening and diagnostic tools, announced it is acquiring Clackamas, OR-based NeuroCom International for $18 million. NeuroCom, which was founded in 1984, makes computerized tools for assessing and rehabilitating patients with balance and mobility disorders.
Imperium Renewables Gets New Investment to Settle Debts, Regain Footing
Back in August, we wrote about the ongoing struggles of Imperium Renewables, the Seattle-based biodiesel fuel producer that canceled its $345 million IPO, went through several rounds of layoffs, and lost a key contract with Royal Caribbean. Today, Imperium announced a recapitalization involving its existing investors. The majority of the new investment (the value and … Continue reading “Imperium Renewables Gets New Investment to Settle Debts, Regain Footing”