It might be the most successful software startup you’ve never heard of. Last year, Bothell, WA-based Winshuttle was ranked 124th on the “Inc. 5000” list of fastest-growing private U.S. companies—and sixth in Washington state. It has been doubling its sales every year for the past four years, and now has some 400 corporate customers including … Continue reading “Winshuttle Is Doubling Revenues Every Year, Looking to Win the Data “Shuttling” Battle”
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.
Led by Neil Roseman, Evri Wants to Understand Content of Every Web Page (and Connections Between Them)
First of all, please don’t call it a search company. Not even a “semantic” search company (one that uses natural-language processing of text), which is what its technology is based on. Evri, a Seattle startup backed by Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital, is about more than search—it’s about browsing, understanding content, and “connecting the rest of … Continue reading “Led by Neil Roseman, Evri Wants to Understand Content of Every Web Page (and Connections Between Them)”
General Software Acquired by Phoenix Technologies
Milpitas, CA-based Phoenix Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PTEC]]), which makes PC systems software, announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire Bellevue, WA-based General Software. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal is intended to expand Phoenix’s presence across mobile and consumer electronics, communications systems such as network routers, and medical devices.
Gaming the Industry: Defining, Pitching, and Monetizing Casual Games at Casual Connect
What exactly is “casual” gaming? My impression was that it’s a term to describe short video games that are usually played online with a minimum of software downloads and time commitment—things like solitaire and various brainteaser games. As opposed to “core” gaming, which spans the role-playing, virtual-world, and shoot-em-up market segments, traditionally played on consoles. … Continue reading “Gaming the Industry: Defining, Pitching, and Monetizing Casual Games at Casual Connect”
Cisco To Buy Pure Networks for $120 Million
Nobody’s going public these days, but the acquisitions market is certainly heating up. A day after Boeing announced its purchase of Bingen, WA-based Insitu, Cisco (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CSCO]]) is getting into the act. The San Jose, CA-based networking giant announced it is buying Pure Networks, a privately held company based in Seattle. The deal is worth … Continue reading “Cisco To Buy Pure Networks for $120 Million”
Quick Hits with Venture Capitalist Bill Bryant, Partner at Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Bill Bryant is one of the best-known venture capitalists on the local scene. As a tech entrepreneur and angel investor, he’s been involved with startups in the Seattle area for 20 years. In the early 1990s, he was the founding vice president of sales and marketing for Visio, now part of Microsoft. Last October, he … Continue reading “Quick Hits with Venture Capitalist Bill Bryant, Partner at Draper Fisher Jurvetson”
Around the World with Nathan Myhrvold (and His Camera)
This week Nathan Myhrvold published some of the most stunning pictures I’ve seen in a long time. They’re compiled in a photo essay, entitled “Panoramas and Photo Technology from Iceland and Greenland,” on John Brockman’s Edge.org site. Besides the gorgeous scenery, what I found interesting was the technology behind creating these pictures, particularly the panoramic … Continue reading “Around the World with Nathan Myhrvold (and His Camera)”
thePlatform Partners with Time Warner Cable
Seattle-based thePlatform announced that it will manage and publish video content and advertising for Time Warner Cable’s Road Runner website, which offers programming from HBO, CNN, and other sources. Time Warner Cable, the second-largest cable operator in the U.S., also gets access to thePlatform’s media player tools. A subsidiary of Comcast, thePlatform handles the logistics … Continue reading “thePlatform Partners with Time Warner Cable”
Google Forging Connections with University of Washington
Last week, the University of Washington’s Computer Science and Engineering department hosted a special workshop sponsored by Google and the National Science Foundation. The goal of the three-day program was to instruct professors on how to teach Google-style computing—which includes harnessing huge amounts of digital data and doing “cluster computing” over large-scale, networked servers. The … Continue reading “Google Forging Connections with University of Washington”
Venture Activity in Washington State Picks Up in Second Quarter, Surpasses 2007 Levels
Pacific Northwest venture deals are making a comeback of sorts. Second-quarter investment numbers for Washington are up compared with the same period last year, according to data released over the weekend by Dow Jones VentureSource. In the second quarter of 2008, there were 25 venture deals in Washington worth a total of $302 million—an 8.7 … Continue reading “Venture Activity in Washington State Picks Up in Second Quarter, Surpasses 2007 Levels”
WTIA’s Summer Social: Busy Times, Hating Starbucks, and an Offer I Can’t Refuse
“The only tall blonde women in Seattle are recruiters.” This and other astute observations from Aviel Ginzburg—by day, a mild-mannered developer at Seattle-based Appature, and by night, head of the underground startup Timelope. Looking around at the tech-networking crowd, I had to say he was right so far. While Luke was hobnobbing at the WBBA … Continue reading “WTIA’s Summer Social: Busy Times, Hating Starbucks, and an Offer I Can’t Refuse”
It’s Easy Being Green: Seattle Is Greenest City, Oregon Is Greenest State; Massachusetts and Washington #2 and #4
In terms of eco-friendliness, the Pacific Northwest and New England—Xconomy’s two homes—are both sitting pretty. In terms of education, however, one of them is not. That’s according to the 2008 Business Facilities rankings report, released this week. The annual survey, which compares different business environments around the country, ranks cities and states based on everything … Continue reading “It’s Easy Being Green: Seattle Is Greenest City, Oregon Is Greenest State; Massachusetts and Washington #2 and #4”
Elementary, My Dear Video: Elemental Technologies Raises $7.1 Million, Goes After Media Conversion Market
Everyone knows that Internet video is taking off. With the popularity of YouTube, online TV shows, and other video sites, the market seems to be ready. But now there are plenty of new problems to be solved on the technology and business side, from content delivery and coding to search and advertising. And the companies … Continue reading “Elementary, My Dear Video: Elemental Technologies Raises $7.1 Million, Goes After Media Conversion Market”
Networking at nPost: The Seattle Freeze, the Google Divide, and a House to Rival Bill Gates’s
Last night I took the bus down to South Seattle for nPost’s networking event at the Columbia City Theater (not to be confused with the Columbia City Cinema just up the street). It was hosted by nPost founder Nathan Kaiser, whose resource site for tech entrepreneurs is getting ready to launch a biotech job site … Continue reading “Networking at nPost: The Seattle Freeze, the Google Divide, and a House to Rival Bill Gates’s”
Get Off the Couch, Build a Startup, and Control Your Own Destiny, Says Founder of TeachStreet
I had a good chat yesterday with Dave Schappell, the founder and CEO of Seattle-based TeachStreet. I’ve been hearing more and more about his website, which launched in April as an online community of teachers and students. The basic idea is if you want to learn any skill, from boxing to basket weaving, the site … Continue reading “Get Off the Couch, Build a Startup, and Control Your Own Destiny, Says Founder of TeachStreet”
Tips for Getting Acquired (and Acquiring Others), from Eddie Pasatiempo of The Clarion Group
Getting bought out. It’s the exit strategy of choice these days. With the IPO market drying up, venture-backed companies need to get acquired to provide a payout for early investors. Whether it’s Microsoft buying San Francisco-based Powerset or CafePress acquiring Seattle’s Imagekind, there is an art to doing these deals, and startups and big companies … Continue reading “Tips for Getting Acquired (and Acquiring Others), from Eddie Pasatiempo of The Clarion Group”
Jeff Bezos and Amazon Are Banking on the Games People Play (on Social Networks)
iPhone, schmy-Phone. While games and other applications developed for Apple’s iPhone have been all the rage for the last few days, there’s another sector worth keeping an eye on: social-network gaming, or games made for online platforms like Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo, which typically need to be played on a desktop or laptop. VentureBeat is … Continue reading “Jeff Bezos and Amazon Are Banking on the Games People Play (on Social Networks)”
Avvo Expands to Three More East Coast States
Seattle-based Avvo, which runs a website to help people find and rate lawyers, announced it has expanded its service to Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland. Avvo’s attorney profiles are now available in 18 states, including Massachusetts, New York, and Oregon, as well as Washington DC. That covers 80 percent of the practicing attorneys in the … Continue reading “Avvo Expands to Three More East Coast States”
Boeing and SkyHook’s Zeppelin-Copter Faces Safety Challenges
OK, so this isn’t technically a Seattle story. But how can we resist a bizarre new flying machine being built by Boeing to travel to the farthest reaches of the Earth? This week, Boeing announced it is teaming up with Calgary, Alberta-based SkyHook to develop a “heavy-lift rotorcraft” that can carry a 40-ton load up … Continue reading “Boeing and SkyHook’s Zeppelin-Copter Faces Safety Challenges”
Keep Your Employees Happy (and Your Company Small) and All Goodness Will Flow, Says Founder of Jackson Fish Market
I had a good chat on Monday with Hillel Cooperman, founder of Jackson Fish Market, a Seattle-based startup that builds interesting websites. I had come across Cooperman’s blog last week in which he argued in favor of “bottoms up” management as opposed to the traditional top-down approach in companies. Given Cooperman’s experience—which includes almost 10 … Continue reading “Keep Your Employees Happy (and Your Company Small) and All Goodness Will Flow, Says Founder of Jackson Fish Market”
Impinj Acquires Intel’s RFID Business, Strengthens Hold on Tracking Technologies (Especially Chips)
Last month we reported that Seattle-based Impinj, a prominent maker of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologies, had sold off its memory business to focus on its core RFID products. Now the company has announced that it is acquiring Intel’s RFID business, which specializes in making chips for smaller-size applications like handheld readers. It’s a “huge step … Continue reading “Impinj Acquires Intel’s RFID Business, Strengthens Hold on Tracking Technologies (Especially Chips)”
Alerts.com Raises $1.2M
Bellevue, WA-based Alerts.com has raised $1.2 million in financing, led by Monster Venture Partners, also in Bellevue. Alerts.com is a service for receiving and managing reminders, news, stock quotes, and other online information. Its public beta version launched last month.
Top-Ranked Web Startups Don’t Get the Most Funding, Says Founder of Sampa
Earlier this week I saw Marcelo Calbucci’s monthly “Seattle Startup Index” on his blog, Seattle 2.0, and I was a bit puzzled. There are 299 local websites on his list, ranked using Alexa and Compete—services that estimate Web traffic numbers by extrapolating from the browsing behavior of users of Alexa and Compete’s toolbars. The top … Continue reading “Top-Ranked Web Startups Don’t Get the Most Funding, Says Founder of Sampa”
nPost Networking Event for Tech Startups
Come on down to the Columbia City Theater for an evening of mingling with tech entrepreneurs, VCs, and angel investors. It’s hosted by Nathan Kaiser and nPost, and the first 100 attendees get free beer tickets. Catch company demos from Catch the Best, Pelago, TimeLope, HomeSavvi, ClayValet, and others. Sponsors include Sun Microsystems, Silicon Valley … Continue reading “nPost Networking Event for Tech Startups”
Xeround Rounds Up $16M in Series B Round
Venture financing deals have been slow going into the dog days of summer. But today Xeround, a software startup based in Bellevue, WA, announced it has closed a Series B funding round worth $16 million. Ignition Partners and Trilogy Partnership, both also in Bellevue, led the round and were joined by previous investors Benchmark Capital … Continue reading “Xeround Rounds Up $16M in Series B Round”
Imagekind Acquired by CafePress
Imagekind, a Seattle-based online marketplace for user-generated art, announced that it has agreed to be acquired by CafePress, best known for its customized T-shirts. The deal is worth $15-20 million, according to VentureBeat, the Seattle P-I, and others.
Icahn and Ballmer Strengthen Case for a Microsoft Takeover of Yahoo, but Lose Some Respect
It reminds me of a playground tug-of-war between little kids. Only there’s $40 billion-plus at stake. In any case, the Microsoft-Yahoo battle is heating up again, and this time things could really get nasty. As you might have noticed, there has been a huge flurry of activity and coverage over the past day or so, … Continue reading “Icahn and Ballmer Strengthen Case for a Microsoft Takeover of Yahoo, but Lose Some Respect”
DepotPoint Digs Up $7M, Goes After Foreclosure Market
In tough economic times, some see hardship while others see opportunity. Speaking of which—want a good deal on a house? Bellevue, WA-based DepotPoint, a real-estate technology company specializing in the foreclosure market, announced today that it has closed a $7 million round of Series C funding. OVP Venture Partners led the round, and Trident Capital … Continue reading “DepotPoint Digs Up $7M, Goes After Foreclosure Market”
Ignition’s John Zagula Offers Three Tips For Making a Winning Pitch to a VC
One out of 100: that’s roughly how many business plans are considered promising enough to generate a meeting with a venture capitalist, according to John Zagula, a partner at Bellevue, WA-based Ignition Partners. The firm invests in software and services for large businesses, as well as consumer tech and communications. The competition for a VC’s … Continue reading “Ignition’s John Zagula Offers Three Tips For Making a Winning Pitch to a VC”
Sonics Leave “High-Tech Shining City of the Future;” How Will Innovation Fare?
It is a gloomy day in Seattle. First real rain in weeks, eerie echoes of thunder in the air—the city is in mourning. Yesterday, the Seattle Supersonics’ deal went down, with the NBA team set to leave town for Oklahoma next season. I had thought when I moved here that I’d get to enjoy at … Continue reading “Sonics Leave “High-Tech Shining City of the Future;” How Will Innovation Fare?”
In Smart Energy, Seattle Isn’t as Smart as It Thinks, Says Energy X Prize Guru
Within five minutes of sitting down to lunch, Jesse Berst has burst my bubble. “I’m not sanguine about Seattle as a big leader in the area,” he says. “I don’t know if we’ll have a cluster here.” He’s talking about smart energy and cleantech, and he knows a thing or two about the space. As … Continue reading “In Smart Energy, Seattle Isn’t as Smart as It Thinks, Says Energy X Prize Guru”
The Future of Online Video Ads, from Microsoft’s adCenter Labs
I had an interesting chat yesterday with Ying Shan, an applied researcher at Microsoft’s adCenter Labs in Redmond. Formed in 2006, the 120-strong lab is dedicated to researching and incubating new digital advertising technologies—primarily to compete with Google’s AdSense in the realm of online contextual ads. Shan, an expert in computer vision and machine learning, … Continue reading “The Future of Online Video Ads, from Microsoft’s adCenter Labs”
Technology Alliance Tallies Up Economic Impact of Washington’s Tech Industry
We’re Number Four. That is, in terms of concentration of technology-based employment and R&D activity in the state, Washington ranks fourth in the nation (after Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia), largely on the strength of its aerospace and software publishing industries. The concentration is defined as the number of jobs in a given sector relative … Continue reading “Technology Alliance Tallies Up Economic Impact of Washington’s Tech Industry”
Impinj Sells Memory Business to Virage Logic for $5.2M
Seattle-based Impinj, a maker of radio-frequency identification systems, has announced that it has sold its nonvolatile-memory intellectual property business to California-based Virage Logic for $5.2 million. Impinj will focus on its core business, which is developing RFID tags, readers, software, and antennas, while Virage Logic has hired the 30-odd Impinj employees who work on nonvolatile … Continue reading “Impinj Sells Memory Business to Virage Logic for $5.2M”
Neopad Tech Raises $14 Million
Neopad Technologies, a nanotech company based in Hillsboro, OR, has raised some $14 million in Series C funding, according to Private Equity Hub, which cites a regulatory filing. Investors included InterWest Partners, BlueRun Ventures, Intel Capital, and SmartForest Ventures. Neopad develops polishing pads for semiconductor wafers.
Going Wireless at the W: A Few Thoughts From a Mobile Mixer
On Thursday night I found myself at the too-hip W Hotel in downtown Seattle, taking in a paidContent mixer hosted by publisher Rafat Ali and mocoNews.net principal correspondent Tricia Duryee. The topic was “mobile advertising in a 4G world.” John Cook of the Seattle P-I did a nice writeup of the event, catching up with … Continue reading “Going Wireless at the W: A Few Thoughts From a Mobile Mixer”
Propel Launches Biodiesel Fuel Station in South Lake Union
Not in my back yard. Just kidding, always wanted to say that. This morning I stopped by the media launch of Seattle-based Propel‘s new biodiesel station on the corner of Westlake Avenue and Valley Street, which becomes Broad Street—just blocks from my home in South Lake Union. (In fact, I can see the green canopy … Continue reading “Propel Launches Biodiesel Fuel Station in South Lake Union”
Ed Lazowska Comments on Bill Gates’s Departure from Microsoft
Just wanted to post a quick note about Bill from one of our editorial advisors, Xconomist Ed Lazowska, who holds the Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington: “The big change is that Bill now gets to choose how to allocate his time. A number of new … Continue reading “Ed Lazowska Comments on Bill Gates’s Departure from Microsoft”
Bill Gates’s Departure From Microsoft Won’t Hurt Innovation, Seattle Entrepreneurs Say
Unless you’ve been buried under a rock for weeks, you’ve heard that this is Bill Gates’s last week at Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]). There has been a ton of national and international coverage—almost a lovefest, really, full of memoirs and anecdotes from people who’ve known him over the years. Love him or hate him, everyone has … Continue reading “Bill Gates’s Departure From Microsoft Won’t Hurt Innovation, Seattle Entrepreneurs Say”
Report Says Microsoft Will Buy Powerset for $100M
VentureBeat is reporting that Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) has agreed to buy California-based Powerset, a natural-language search firm. If the report is accurate, the deal will be worth some $100 million and will be announced next month.
Loctronix Completing $3.5M Series B Financing
Woodinville, WA-based Loctronix has announced it is closing a $3.5 million round of Series B financing, and is coming out of stealth mode. The round was led by Hawkeye Investments, based in Kirkland, WA. Loctronix provides location-sensing and positioning systems for mobile devices.
Founder of nPost Puts His Finger on the Pulse of What Seattle Tech Entrepreneurs Really Need
Nathan Kaiser is connected. His office is wherever he feels like working. He walks into shared startup digs on Alaskan Way, and people flash him knowing hand signals. I probably shouldn’t even be talking to him, given my lack of an iPhone; my Nokia brick looks like it’s from 1998. (I’m 10 years behind when … Continue reading “Founder of nPost Puts His Finger on the Pulse of What Seattle Tech Entrepreneurs Really Need”
Seattle Has the Greenest Drivers; What About Its Cleantech Companies?
Tired of city rankings yet? OK, I’ll be brief. So the July/August issue of Men’s Health, out this week, ranks Seattle #1 in “most environmentally conscious” drivers. Not that surprisingly, the Northwest did well in the survey overall: Portland, OR, and Spokane, WA, also made the top 10. The analysis of 100 American cities took … Continue reading “Seattle Has the Greenest Drivers; What About Its Cleantech Companies?”
Clear Water Compliance Acquires KI Environmental
Seattle-based Clear Water Compliance Services, a water-treatment company, announced it has acquired KI Environmental Services, a consulting firm based in Richmond, BC. Though the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the acquisition should help Clear Water gain customers in British Columbia.
Charter Chops Off Plan To Track and Sell Surfing Data
Charter Communications, the St. Louis, MO-based cable and Internet service provider (of which Paul Allen is the chairman and largest stockholder), announced that it is indefinitely halting its plan to monitor users’ surfing habits. The idea was to partner with advertising companies to deliver targeted ads, but it has drawn privacy concerns from customers and … Continue reading “Charter Chops Off Plan To Track and Sell Surfing Data”
Party Like It’s 2006: Seattle Ranks #1 in Tech Job Growth (and #9 in Tech Employment); Boston Ranks #6 (and #4)
The tech scene here is on the move. In comparison to other U.S. cities, Seattle has had the largest growth in tech jobs, and has moved up to #9 (from #10) in total number of tech workers. By comparison, Boston ranks #6 in number of jobs gained and #4 in total tech employment. That’s all … Continue reading “Party Like It’s 2006: Seattle Ranks #1 in Tech Job Growth (and #9 in Tech Employment); Boston Ranks #6 (and #4)”
Industrial Defender Acquires Teltone
Industrial Defender, a cyber security company based in Foxborough, MA, announced today that it has acquired Bothell, WA-based Teltone. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Teltone’s technology will help Industrial Defender create secure communications systems for power utilities.
Olympic Flame Update: Google Exec One-Ups Microsoft (Again)
Last Friday we reported that three distinguished Microsoft employees, all formerly of the firm’s Beijing research lab (Microsoft Research Asia), were slated to run with the Olympic torch in the lead-up to the Summer Games. On Saturday, we learned that Microsoft search VP Harry Shum’s run in Lhasa, Tibet, went off without a hitch, and … Continue reading “Olympic Flame Update: Google Exec One-Ups Microsoft (Again)”
Two-Minute Pitch Competition Yields Two Startups To Watch, in Internet and Energy
“Anyone know any investor jokes?” asks Carolynn Duncan of FundingUniverse. A pause, then someone on the side of the stage shouts “Yahoo!” We’re at Seattle LivePitch, in the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in West Seattle, on a sunny Friday afternoon. (On the way over, I got my first look at the snow-capped Olympic Mountains—awesome.) Hosted … Continue reading “Two-Minute Pitch Competition Yields Two Startups To Watch, in Internet and Energy”
Olympic Flame, You’re in Good Hands with Microsoft (We Hope)
As the Olympic torch wends its way towards Beijing for the start of the Summer Games, you’d be interested to know that it has ties to the local tech community. It turns out that 12 people from Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) were invited to be torchbearers. Among them are three guys that Bob and I know … Continue reading “Olympic Flame, You’re in Good Hands with Microsoft (We Hope)”