Denver-based startup FullContact announced today that it has acquired Cobook, a Latvia-based company that’s created a popular contact management app for Apple users. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. FullContact is a Techstars grad that’s trying to solve what CEO Bart Lorang calls the world’s contact management problem. The company wants to integrate address … Continue reading “FullContact Buys Cobook, Adds Address-Book Apps and 1M Users”
Author: Michael Davidson
Michael Davidson is an award-winning journalist whose career as a business reporter has taken him from the garages of aspiring inventors to assembly centers for billion-dollar satellites. Most recently, Michael covered startups, venture capital, IT, cleantech, aerospace, and telecoms for Xconomy and, before that, for the Boulder County Business Report. Before switching to business journalism, Michael covered politics and the Colorado Legislature for the Colorado Springs Gazette and the government, police and crime beats for the Broomfield Enterprise, a paper in suburban Denver. He also worked for the Boulder Daily Camera, and his stories have appeared in the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. Career highlights include an award from the Colorado Press Association, doing barrel rolls in a vintage fighter jet and learning far more about public records than is healthy. Michael started his career as a copy editor for the Colorado Springs Gazette's sports desk. Michael has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan.
Ampio Pharmaceuticals Starts Final Study for Osteoarthritis Treatment
Ampio Pharmaceuticals thinks it has a new way to combat joint pain caused by osteoarthritis, and the growing Colorado biotech company is spending millions so it can hit the ground running if it gets FDA approval for its treatment. Greenwood Village-based Ampio (NYSE MKT: [[ticker:AMPE]]) announced Monday that it is beginning a 500-patient Phase III … Continue reading “Ampio Pharmaceuticals Starts Final Study for Osteoarthritis Treatment”
Biodesix Secures $26M in New Funds to Market Cancer Treatment Test
Biodesix, a Boulder, CO-based molecular diagnostics company, has been busy on the financing front, announcing today it has raised an additional $6.1 million from investors in an equity sale. The company also secured a $20 million debt facility last week. Biodesix is developing VeriStrat, a test that can be used during the treatment of advanced … Continue reading “Biodesix Secures $26M in New Funds to Market Cancer Treatment Test”
Mile High Roundup: New Tech Gets Healthy, CU Contest Kicks Off
Welcome to the Mile High Roundup, a look at some of the interesting things that have happened this week in the tech scene in Boulder, Denver, and around Colorado. In this edition, healthcare startups take over New Tech, Colorado’s own space shuttle gets some European friends, and the University of Colorado Boulder’s New Venture Challenge … Continue reading “Mile High Roundup: New Tech Gets Healthy, CU Contest Kicks Off”
Space Flight Launched Today Includes CU Studies of Antibiotics, Ants
An experiment designed at the University of Colorado at Boulder, testing the effect of microgravity on antibiotics, blasted off into space today. CU scientists believe the mission could help solve how bacteria develop drug resistance, a danger to astronauts and Earth-dwellers alike. The flight is bound for the International Space Station, and the experiment—along with … Continue reading “Space Flight Launched Today Includes CU Studies of Antibiotics, Ants”
Scott McNealy’s Social Media Startup Wayin Buys Argentine Company
Wayin, a Denver-based startup co-founded by Sun Microsystems co-founder Scott McNealy, announced today it has purchased Buenos Aires-based Comenta TV, a social media analytics startup in South America. The price was not disclosed. Wayin is a startup that collects social media postings from sites like Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook and filters them according to criteria … Continue reading “Scott McNealy’s Social Media Startup Wayin Buys Argentine Company”
Orbotix, GeoPalz Lead Colorado Startups at CES in Las Vegas
It’s that time of the year again, when Colorado tech companies leave the winter behind for Las Vegas and the annual Consumer Electronics Show. This year a handful of locally based startups will make the trip, including Orbotix, which is unveiling a new robot, Sphero 2B. According to the CES media guide, 41 firms headquartered … Continue reading “Orbotix, GeoPalz Lead Colorado Startups at CES in Las Vegas”
MassRoots Building Digital Hub for Multi-Billion Cannabis Industry
Colorado took a big step toward becoming “the Silicon Valley of cannabis” on Wednesday when it became legal to sell marijuana in the state, according to the founder of MassRoots, a tech startup that’s moving here to take advantage of the state’s burgeoning cannabis economy and friendly laws. MassRoots is an app-based social network for … Continue reading “MassRoots Building Digital Hub for Multi-Billion Cannabis Industry”
New Venture Funds, Sympoz’s Big Score are Top Colorado Stories for 4Q
With 2013 finally in the books, here’s a rundown of some of the top stories from the final three months of the year. -VC firms close 2013 with a flourish Colorado’s small community of venture capitalists seized the spotlight in late December, with news emerging that two prominent local firms were seeking to raise funds … Continue reading “New Venture Funds, Sympoz’s Big Score are Top Colorado Stories for 4Q”
SnowShoe Makes Impression with High-Tech Software, Low-Tech Stamp
So how does SnowShoe, a four-person tech startup originally from Madison, WI, and now split between that city and San Francisco, plan to make it big? With a little plastic widget that’s about 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, less than an inch thick, and can be made by a 3-D printer for less than … Continue reading “SnowShoe Makes Impression with High-Tech Software, Low-Tech Stamp”
SnowShoe Tries to Succeed With One Foot in Madison, Other in SF
To stay in the nurturing environment of the place where you were raised, or to strike out into the unknown to find your fortune? It’s a quandary even for startups—especially when they become the local favorites and standard bearers. An example is SnowShoe, a startup from Madison, WI. The four-person tech firm was born in … Continue reading “SnowShoe Tries to Succeed With One Foot in Madison, Other in SF”
Colorado-based Boulder Ventures to Raise $100M Venture Fund
The flurry of activity in Colorado’s small venture capital world continues, with news emerging that local VC firm Boulder Ventures is raising a new $100 million fund. Boulder Ventures is a Boulder-based firm that specializes in investing in companies in the Boulder-Denver area. The firm invests in software, hardware, IT, and biotech companies. Its list … Continue reading “Colorado-based Boulder Ventures to Raise $100M Venture Fund”
Cohen Likely to Keep Aim on “Angel-Scale” Deals with new $150M Fund
The evolution of Techstars CEO David Cohen from an entrepreneur “vaguely dissatisfied with the way angel investing worked” to a full-fledged venture capitalist has taken another major step forward with his fresh efforts to raise a $150 million investment fund. While Cohen is best known as the head of the Techstars startup accelerator, which has … Continue reading “Cohen Likely to Keep Aim on “Angel-Scale” Deals with new $150M Fund”
Techstars CEO David Cohen to Raise $150M Fund
Techstars co-founder and CEO David Cohen has begun the process of raising a $150 million fund, according to an SEC filing made earlier today. While Cohen is best known as the head of Boulder, CO-based Techstars, he’s also an active investor who has made a few hundred “angel-scale” investments in startups across the country. Many … Continue reading “Techstars CEO David Cohen to Raise $150M Fund”
Sympoz Closes $35M Series C Round Backed by Adams Street Partners
Sympoz has been hard at work building an online education service. Turns out, the company might be able to teach a few lessons of its own about raising investment cash. Denver-based Sympoz, the parent of Craftsy, has just raised a $35 million Series C round, with private equity firm Adams Street Partners coming on as … Continue reading “Sympoz Closes $35M Series C Round Backed by Adams Street Partners”
VC-Backed Travel Startup Inspirato Takes over Rival’s Portfolio
Inspirato, the Denver-based luxury vacation club that has raised $48.5 million from Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Institutional Venture Partners, said Wednesday it is taking over the portfolio of rival Portico. Portico had been part of Denver-based Exclusive Resorts. The deal was officially labeled a “combination,” and the amount … Continue reading “VC-Backed Travel Startup Inspirato Takes over Rival’s Portfolio”
Avago’s $6.6B Acquisition of LSI Could Have Major Effect on Colorado
Avago Technologies’ planned $6.6 billion cash acquisition of LSI could be felt in Colorado, where LSI has about 650 employees, but officials with the company said their fate has not been determined. Avago Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVGO]]) makes and sells analog semiconductor devices, while LSI (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LSI]]) designs semiconductors and software for storage and networking in … Continue reading “Avago’s $6.6B Acquisition of LSI Could Have Major Effect on Colorado”
JumpCloud Names Colorado Startup Veteran Rajat Bhargava Its New CEO
[Corrected 1/15/14, 9:19 am. See below.] JumpCloud, a Boulder, CO-based startup trying to capitalize on the IT industry’s “DevOps” trend, announced Monday it has appointed a new CEO. Rajat Bhargava, a veteran of Colorado’s startup scene and one of JumpCloud’s co-founders, is taking the reins. JumpCloud launched in September and is developing cloud-based software that allows … Continue reading “JumpCloud Names Colorado Startup Veteran Rajat Bhargava Its New CEO”
Economist: Startups Showing Increasing Impact on Colorado’s Economy
Colorado is wrapping up a record year for startups, and according to the state’s leading economic forecaster, they could be having a growing impact on the Centennial State’s economy for years. Richard Wobbekind is the executive director of the Business Research Division at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and he oversees the university’s annual … Continue reading “Economist: Startups Showing Increasing Impact on Colorado’s Economy”
Techstars’ David Cohen Talks Fintech, Managing Directors, and Growth
If you want to know why the Techstars accelerator is partnering with Barclays, a U.K. bank, on a new London-based startup accelerator, take a look in your pocket. No, not at your cash or wallet. Look at your iPhone or Android. Smartphones have replaced watches, cameras, planners, notebooks, landline telephones, some categories of computers—and, in … Continue reading “Techstars’ David Cohen Talks Fintech, Managing Directors, and Growth”
Cleantech’s New Economics and the U.K.’s Electric Superbike
Investment is down, new capacity is up, and negative press has everyone twisted and turned around—it’s been a roller coaster ride for the cleantech industry. That ride’s not likely to stop any time soon, from what I saw last week at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s annual industry growth forum, an event that brought together … Continue reading “Cleantech’s New Economics and the U.K.’s Electric Superbike”
Mars One Foundation Picks Lockheed Martin to Develop First Landing Plan
It’s “Mars or Bust” for the nonprofit Mars One foundation, which seeks to lead the first privately funded mission to the Red Planet, and the path to the Martian surface will go through Colorado. Mars One’s long-term goal is to create a permanent human settlement on Mars, but first it needs to prove it can … Continue reading “Mars One Foundation Picks Lockheed Martin to Develop First Landing Plan”
Colorado Tech Industry Driving Job Growth, Despite Talent Shortage
Colorado’s top economists and business leaders expect the state’s economic growth will continue into 2014, and they believe high tech industries such as aerospace and software development will lead the way. In fact, the industries are expected to do so well, they might have more job openings than qualified people to fill them. That’s according … Continue reading “Colorado Tech Industry Driving Job Growth, Despite Talent Shortage”
Roundup: Rally’s Results, Zayo’s $150M Refi, and Startup Week’s Return
Rally Software’s roll continued this week, with the company’s latest quarterly revenue beating expectations while CEO Tim Miller earned an award for being Colorado’s top CEO. The Boulder-based software development company (NYSE: [[ticker:RALY]]) announced late Thursday a 28 percent year-to-year revenue increase for its most recent quarter, which ended Oct. 31. The company, which went … Continue reading “Roundup: Rally’s Results, Zayo’s $150M Refi, and Startup Week’s Return”
Tesla Investor’s Enduring Lessons for Cleantech (and Other) Startups
In just 10 years, Tesla Motors has become a symbol of automotive excellence and an iconic company for risk-taking and determined entrepreneurs everywhere. But according to director and early investor Ira Ehrenpreis, it wasn’t always that way. Ehrenpreis is a general partner at Technology Partners, a Palo Alto, CA-based venture capital firm. He specializes in … Continue reading “Tesla Investor’s Enduring Lessons for Cleantech (and Other) Startups”
Cleantech Overcoming Challenges, Rough Years, Tesla VC Investor Says
Building revolutionary companies is not easy, and bad times have to be expected and endured. But dark days don’t dissuade visionaries. Ask Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, or the innovators who built Silicon Valley’s greatest companies. In the eyes of Ira Ehrenpreis, an early investor in Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TSLA]]) and a current director, it shouldn’t … Continue reading “Cleantech Overcoming Challenges, Rough Years, Tesla VC Investor Says”
Biodesix Closes $8.3M Round, New Clovis Shareholders Begin Selling
Biodesix, a medical diagnostics startup based in Boulder, CO, has raised an $8.3 million Series E round, the company announced Monday. The round included $4.3 million in new funds from existing investors and the conversion of a $4 million convertible note, Biodesix said in its release. Biodesix has now raised about $78 million since forming … Continue reading “Biodesix Closes $8.3M Round, New Clovis Shareholders Begin Selling”
SomaLogic Names New CEO; Founder Larry Gold to Stay on as Chairman
After 13 years at the helm of SomaLogic, a Boulder, CO-based startup developing diagnostic tests that use protein biomarkers to identify maladies, Larry Gold is stepping down as CEO, the company announced Tuesday. Gold founded SomaLogic in 2000 and has been its CEO and chairman ever since. Gold will remain SomaLogic’s chairman and plans to … Continue reading “SomaLogic Names New CEO; Founder Larry Gold to Stay on as Chairman”
Techstars’ Elihuu Makes Move to Oakland, Lands $30K from CU Students
Colorado has been good to Elihuu, the Techstars Boulder 2013 graduate that wants to play matchmaker between a new generation of designers and manufacturers. But now the startup is moving to Oakland, CA, to capitalize on the Bay Area’s larger manufacturing industry. Before Elihuu left, though, it got one last parting gift in the form … Continue reading “Techstars’ Elihuu Makes Move to Oakland, Lands $30K from CU Students”
Cleantech Investors, Startups Try to Pair Up in New Climate for Industry
A few years ago, investors raced to put money into the hottest clean energy startup. Some people might not remember those days fondly, especially as a few of the biggest bets turned into breathtaking busts. In some cases, like the now-infamous Fremont, CA-based Solyndra, the technology and startup’s management just weren’t ready. Across the industry, … Continue reading “Cleantech Investors, Startups Try to Pair Up in New Climate for Industry”
Investors Consider Smart Hub Maker Revolv a Smart Bet, Invest $4M
Fresh off the launch of its smart device hub earlier this month, Revolv announced today it has closed a $4 million Series A round. Revolv is developing a hub that will control smart devices like locks, lights, or thermostats made by different manufacturers, including Sonos, Phillips, Belkin, and Yale. Users can control the devices using … Continue reading “Investors Consider Smart Hub Maker Revolv a Smart Bet, Invest $4M”
Seamless Toy Introduces Atoms, the Latest Robotic Toy from Colorado
A lot of people will tell you simplicity is a virtue. Like kids who play with dolls or building blocks for hours. Or the engineers who helped design Apple’s hardware and OS X software. Or, apparently, U2 lead singer Bono. That’s the philosophy behind Seamless Toy, a one-year-old Boulder, CO-based startup. Seamless Toy was founded … Continue reading “Seamless Toy Introduces Atoms, the Latest Robotic Toy from Colorado”
Buildings and Batteries Yield New Investment for Colorado Startups
Three Colorado startups that build better buildings, batteries, and businesses announced this week they received money from investors. Prescient, a Denver-based startup founded in September 2012, Prescient announced it raised $3 million in private equity investment this week. Prescient makes software that designs 3D models of buildings and then uses that software to manufacture precision-cut … Continue reading “Buildings and Batteries Yield New Investment for Colorado Startups”
Northern Colorado Incubator at Work Setting Up New $20M Seed Fund
More money for early stage startups could be coming to Colorado, thanks to ongoing efforts by an incubator based in Fort Collins and a nonprofit lender to small businesses to bring more capital into the northern Colorado region. The Rocky Mountain Innosphere and Colorado Enterprise Fund announced this week they are in the process of … Continue reading “Northern Colorado Incubator at Work Setting Up New $20M Seed Fund”
NASA’s Colorado-built Mars Satellite Lifts Off, Starts 10-Month Trip
The Colorado-built MAVEN satellite blasted off today for its mission to the Red Planet. MAVEN—or the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission—will orbit Mars and study its atmosphere. The question MAVEN is trying to answer is how Mars’ loss of atmospheric gases affected its climate. The rocket carrying MAVEN launched at 1:28 EST and the … Continue reading “NASA’s Colorado-built Mars Satellite Lifts Off, Starts 10-Month Trip”
DigitalGlobe Turns to the Crowd to Analyze Post-Typhoon Images
Since Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines last Thursday, the world has witnessed scenes of devastated villages, destroyed homes, and washed-out roads and bridges. The pictures are heartbreaking and have motivated people around the world to try to help. Usually that means donating money or supplies, but DigitalGlobe, a satellite imagery company based in Colorado, … Continue reading “DigitalGlobe Turns to the Crowd to Analyze Post-Typhoon Images”
Revolv Flips Switch on its Smart Hub to Unite Home Automation Devices
There are a lot of companies that say they can make your home electronics and appliances smarter. Sonos, Phillips, Belkin, Honeywell, Trane, Kwikset, Yale, and of course Nest all sell products that automate stereos, lights, thermostats, and locks. The list of manufactures and products is sure to grow. But who’s building the device that makes … Continue reading “Revolv Flips Switch on its Smart Hub to Unite Home Automation Devices”
Agencies Turn to Denver Company to Raise Money for Typhoon Relief
International disaster relief agencies continue working to help the victims of the catastrophic typhoon that hit the Philippines on Friday, and many people are looking to make donations. I’d like to take a moment to highlight the Denver software company that’s working behind the scenes to make sure those donations are getting to the right … Continue reading “Agencies Turn to Denver Company to Raise Money for Typhoon Relief”
Former LineRate and NexGen CEOs Talk Exits and Trade War Stories
Before getting in, you should think about how you’re going to get out. That was the message of last week’s Colorado Capital Conference, an event run by the Rockies Venture Club. While the event featured the usual startup pitches and networking, the focus of this year’s keynotes were planning and executing exits. That’s a fitting … Continue reading “Former LineRate and NexGen CEOs Talk Exits and Trade War Stories”
Hip to Be Cubed: Modular Robotics Raises More Than $56K Via Kickstarter
Add another name to the list of well-funded startups turning to Kickstarter to build an audience and gain exposure for new product launches. Modular Robotics is a Boulder, CO-based startup that builds robotic construction kits. On Thursday, ModRobotics began a Kickstarter campaign for MOSS, its second product. The target is to raise $100,000 within 34 … Continue reading “Hip to Be Cubed: Modular Robotics Raises More Than $56K Via Kickstarter”
Rally, Noodles Execs to Share Lessons from IPOs with Aspiring Angels
If Colorado’s burgeoning tech industry has a weak link, it’s probably the relatively limited number of angel investors. Individuals and organizations are trying to change that, and many of them will gather this week for the 25th Annual Colorado Capital Conference. The Rockies Venture Club runs the event, which includes the conference Thursday in Golden … Continue reading “Rally, Noodles Execs to Share Lessons from IPOs with Aspiring Angels”
Denver’s Mobile Accord Raises $6.6M to Take Pulse of Developing World
When Colorado entrepreneur James Eberhard started developing content for cell phones in the early 2000s, the most advanced thing they could do was blast out tinny-sounding ringtones and send out text messages. Eberhard, founder and CEO of Denver-based Mobile Accord, turned those ringtones into a company worth about $40 million when he sold it in … Continue reading “Denver’s Mobile Accord Raises $6.6M to Take Pulse of Developing World”
Defrag Returns With Underwater “DIY” Robots, User-Friendly Skynet
Since its start in 2007, the Defrag conference has grown into one of the marquee events in Colorado, drawing technologists from global companies like Intel and Facebook as well as innovative startups. Defrag’s organizers consider the event a “forum for exploring information overload and building implicit tools for the Web,” and their ambition is to … Continue reading “Defrag Returns With Underwater “DIY” Robots, User-Friendly Skynet”
Colorado Startups Push to Get Unmanned Aircraft Industry Airborne
The sky might be the limit for the unmanned aircraft industry, but before it takes flight, the engineers, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts trying to build an industry that they say could soon have a $13.6 billion economic impact will have to navigate a tricky route through the offices of regulators and lawmakers—and the court of public … Continue reading “Colorado Startups Push to Get Unmanned Aircraft Industry Airborne”
Nobels and $125M Exits: Report Tells Tales of Two Colorado Startups
A startup commercializing Nobel Prize-winning research and the software startup that kicked off Colorado’s year of $100 million-plus exits were highlighted in a new report released today by the Science Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to getting the federal government to increase support for basic scientific research. LineRate Systems and ColdQuanta both received support from the … Continue reading “Nobels and $125M Exits: Report Tells Tales of Two Colorado Startups”
Webroot Secures Future by Moving Consumer Anti-Malware Suite to Cloud
A few years back, the team at Webroot, a company that makes Internet security software, was at a crossroads. Webroot was founded in Boulder, CO, in 1997 and had carved out a niche for itself in the consumer network security market during the mid-2000s with its product, Spy Sweeper. The software was among the most … Continue reading “Webroot Secures Future by Moving Consumer Anti-Malware Suite to Cloud”
Denver’s Convercent Closes $10M Series B Round Led by SAP Ventures
Convercent, a Denver-based startup, announced today it has raised a $10 million Series B round. The startup is developing cloud-based software for companies looking to improve governance, risk management, and compliance procedures. SAP Ventures led the round and managing director Doug Higgins will join Convercent’s board. The investment in Convercent is the first investment SAP … Continue reading “Denver’s Convercent Closes $10M Series B Round Led by SAP Ventures”
Zen Planner Raises $10M to Develop Software for Gyms and Yoga Studios
Zen Planner, a Highlands Ranch, CO-based company that develops business management software for gyms, health clubs, and yoga studios, announced Tuesday it has raised $10 million in a growth equity round. The lone investor was Mainsail Partners, according to a media release. Mainsail is based in San Francisco. Mainsail is the first institutional investor to … Continue reading “Zen Planner Raises $10M to Develop Software for Gyms and Yoga Studios”
Ad-Tech Startup Integrate Raises $7M From Foundry, Cable Companies
Startups that make software for advertising and marketing remain appealing to investors, with the latest example coming from Integrate, which makes software that helps media buyers plan and manage campaigns across traditional and digital media channels. Integrate announced today it has raised $7 million in a follow-on to the $11 million Series B round that … Continue reading “Ad-Tech Startup Integrate Raises $7M From Foundry, Cable Companies”
OtterBox Founder Splashes $250K on Colorado Business Plan Challenge
What could get entrepreneurs interested in another business plan competition? How about $250,000 cash in prizes, along with the potential for further investment and mentoring and professional services? And maybe some lessons from the founder and chairman of OtterBox about how to build a $500 million-plus company. That’s what’s available in the inaugural Blue Ocean … Continue reading “OtterBox Founder Splashes $250K on Colorado Business Plan Challenge”