Location Business Summit USA

UK-based TheWhereBusiness sponsors a two-day conference on location-based services. (The conference was formerly known as MetaPlaces.) From the event website: “The Location Business Summit USA brings together key companies from across the ecosystem, with over 30 top speakers, 200 hundred plus attendees and a highly focused agenda which gets to the core of local search, … Continue reading “Location Business Summit USA”

Flipping Out over Flipboard, Going Geo-Loco, Grilling Silicon Valley’s MacGyver, & More Bay Area Biztech News

Last week’s business and technology news ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous—sometimes both in one story (Flipboard’s new iPad app is pretty amazing, even if it didn’t work for half of the people who downloaded it). —After visiting Palo Alto, CA-based Nanosys, I wrote a feature explaining how the nine-year-old nanotech firm is finally … Continue reading “Flipping Out over Flipboard, Going Geo-Loco, Grilling Silicon Valley’s MacGyver, & More Bay Area Biztech News”

Onyx Preps for Dash to FDA, After Myeloma Drug Helps Sickest of the Sick

Tony Coles has been pushing for two years to re-fashion Onyx Pharmaceuticals into more than a one-drug company, and now he might have the data to make that happen. The Emeryville, CA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONXX]]) is announcing today that its drug candidate for multiple myeloma was able to at least partially shrink tumors for … Continue reading “Onyx Preps for Dash to FDA, After Myeloma Drug Helps Sickest of the Sick”

Biotech on a Shoestring? There’s a Better Way

A recent Xconomy article “Biotech on a Shoestring” reflects an industry landscape change where, “the era of free-spending is supposedly out, and austerity is the watchword.” An emphasis on a heightened form of frugality can certainly save dollars but can also create uncertainty and anxiety amongst the rank and file. The inevitable next question arises … Continue reading “Biotech on a Shoestring? There’s a Better Way”

Greylock’s Henry McCance on Why the Firm Moved Its HQ to Silicon Valley and How Boston Must Find Its Google

Greylock Partners is one of the world’s premier venture firms and a hallmark here in New England, so it was no small news in May 2009 when the storied firm announced it was moving its headquarters from the Boston area to Silicon Valley—giving New England yet another reason for Valley envy. I recently sat down … Continue reading “Greylock’s Henry McCance on Why the Firm Moved Its HQ to Silicon Valley and How Boston Must Find Its Google”

Convoke Systems Garners $5,500,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1f0b5601-4300-4fe0-92a3-33aa3727e0f3&Preview=1 Date 7/26/2010 Company Name Convoke Systems Mailing Address 275 Battery St. San Francisco, CA 94111 Company Description Convoke Systems is dedicated to bridging the information flow issues plaguing original credit issuers and the accounts receivable management industry. The Company’s management team is comprised of experienced business, sales, software development, marketing, collection … Continue reading “Convoke Systems Garners $5,500,000 Series B Round”

Nexant Obtains $32,500,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=76bdf237-95a6-4d09-a7cb-50887b8d10c8&Preview=1 Date 7/26/2010 Company Name Nexant Mailing Address 101 2nd St. San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description Nexant is a provider of intelligent grid software and clean energy solutions—pioneering, developing, and advancing electric power grid and alternative energy technologies and services. Website http://www.Nexant.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $32,500,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Nexant Obtains $32,500,000 New Funding”

Boston’s Skyhook Will Map Tweets, Check-ins at San Francisco Marathon

“Knowing where someone is in real time—particularly if you have some context around that—is an incredibly valuable marketing opportunity.” So said Union Square Ventures partner Fred Wilson at a conference on geolocation in San Francisco this week. But sometimes it can be difficult to visualize that value—to imagine how proximity might translate into profit. Thanks … Continue reading “Boston’s Skyhook Will Map Tweets, Check-ins at San Francisco Marathon”

Flipboard, Off to a Shaky Start, Could Still Grow Into One of Tablet Computing’s Killer Apps

[Updated, see page 2] Say a reviewer goes to a performance of the latest Broadway extravaganza, and the elaborate stage machinery breaks down before the show even starts, forcing everyone to go home. This actually happened to me once, at a showing of Sunset Boulevard in New York. It probably wouldn’t be fair for the … Continue reading “Flipboard, Off to a Shaky Start, Could Still Grow Into One of Tablet Computing’s Killer Apps”

Tethys Pockets $33M, Achaogen’s Vision for Antibiotics, Genentech Strikes Out at FDA Panel, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News

Two prominent Bay Area biotech companies took their lumps in front of FDA advisory panels this week, which clearly sent some shivers through the startup community. —Genentech, the U.S. unit of Roche, failed to persuade an FDA advisory panel to support the use of bevacizumab (Avastin) for women with a type of breast cancer that … Continue reading “Tethys Pockets $33M, Achaogen’s Vision for Antibiotics, Genentech Strikes Out at FDA Panel, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News”

Glam Media Acquires AdPortal for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dfd52123-0ea8-42e2-8c30-a1274a8eb777&Preview=1 Date 7/23/2010 Company Name AdPortal Mailing Address 580 Market St. San Francisco, CA 94104 Company Description Their solution, the AdPortal software, automates the advertising sales process by providing tools to help fully sell more deals at a top tier on the value pyramid by packaging under-utilized inventory into audiences and categories … Continue reading “Glam Media Acquires AdPortal for Undisclosed Sum”

Smart Spending on Energy Efficiency is the Key to Creating Construction Jobs

As Congress weighs legislation to address persistent concerns about high unemployment, the construction sector in particular demands urgent attention. With investment in new homes and commercial buildings stalled at historically low levels, the unemployment rate for skilled construction workers is now more than twice the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 1.9 … Continue reading “Smart Spending on Energy Efficiency is the Key to Creating Construction Jobs”

$12.6M Validates Validity

Validity, a San Jose, CA-based maker of fingerprint sensors for identity verification on electronic devices, said this week that it has raised $12.6 million in Series D financing. New investor Panorama Capital led the round, which also included existing investors Crosslink Capital, Qualcomm Ventures, TeleSoft Partners, and VentureTech Alliance. According to a company statement, the … Continue reading “$12.6M Validates Validity”

The Truth About Solar

The Loma Prieta chapter of the Sierra Club’s Black Mountain Group and the Belmont Library in Belmont, CA, are co-sponsoring a workshop conducted by solar residential installer Sungevity on residential rooftop solar systems. The workshop will cover issues such as installation costs, financial benefits, and government rebates and incentives. Information here.

Detroit’s Livio Radio Tunes in to NPR, Pandora, and a Passion for Pleasing Customers

At the close of 2007, Jake Sigal had a choice to make. He was a product manager at automotive supplier Delphi’s consumer electronics group, which manufactured XM Satellite Radio portable players. Then XM and Sirius Satellite Radio announced a merger and Sigal “saw the writing on the wall.” “I always wanted to start a business,” … Continue reading “Detroit’s Livio Radio Tunes in to NPR, Pandora, and a Passion for Pleasing Customers”

Seven Years Into Personalized Medicine Foray, Mohr Davidow Stays Patient, Keeps Betting on Big Idea

Personalized medicine is one of those big ideas people have been talking about for a decade, and it still hasn’t made much of an appearance in the doctor’s office. But to Menlo Park, CA-based Mohr Davidow Ventures, after seven years of bets on this big idea, it still has all the promise of a field … Continue reading “Seven Years Into Personalized Medicine Foray, Mohr Davidow Stays Patient, Keeps Betting on Big Idea”

Going Geo-Loco: Lessons on the Mad Scramble to Exploit Location Data

When you’re a cartogeek like me and a conference on location-based services is going on six blocks away from your own home, you sort of have to go. So I spent part of my Wednesday at Geo-Loco. This was a gathering of entrepreneurs and developers debating how to build profitable businesses around the petabytes of … Continue reading “Going Geo-Loco: Lessons on the Mad Scramble to Exploit Location Data”

Plum District Secures $2,100,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b3c58ef2-bcf9-49a9-ac77-b183b6d7202c&Preview=1 Date 7/22/2010 Company Name Plum District Mailing Address 609 Mission St. San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description The site differentiates itself by catering its local deals–including day camps, groceries and spa treatments–to busy mothers. Website http://www.PlumDistrict.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,100,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “Plum District Secures $2,100,000 New Funding Round”

Apixio Lands $1,500,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d92fe6ea-6875-4e09-9041-e08f3edbb9fd&Preview=1 Date 7/22/2010 Company Name Apixio Mailing Address 1455 Adams Dr. Menlo Park, CA 94025 Company Description At Apixio, our mission is to improve healthcare by providing instant access to relevant medical information, anywhere. Website http://www.Apixio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “Apixio Lands $1,500,000 Series A Round”

TurnHere Receives $3,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fc22cd3f-526d-46ee-a93f-fb4922e4c33a&Preview=1 Date 7/22/2010 Company Name TurnHere Mailing Address 1480 64th Street Emeryville, CA 94608 Company Description TurnHere, Inc. is a full-service Internet video solutions provider to the media, publishing, travel, local and real estate industries. We provide video strategy development services, produce high quality low-cost Internet videos and develop and execute plans … Continue reading “TurnHere Receives $3,000,000 New Funding Round”

How a MacGyver of the Semiconductor Industry Plans to Rescue Nanosys

Jason Hartlove has a name and a rakish mug worthy of a soap-opera star, a resume that any Silicon Valley engineer would envy, and a bit of swagger as a turnaround CEO. He co-invented the optical mouse at Hewlett-Packard, ran a 3,000-employee manufacturing operation for HP spinoff Agilent in Malaysia, and set South Korea’s struggling … Continue reading “How a MacGyver of the Semiconductor Industry Plans to Rescue Nanosys”

Tethys Snags $33M in Equity, Debt for Predictive Diabetes Test

[Corrected: 9 am Eastern] Tethys Bioscience has secured $33 million to see if it can build a big business around predicting and possibly heading off one of scourges of modern life—diabetes. The Emeryville, CA-based company is announcing today it has nailed down $23 million in equity investment, while borrowing another $10 million to finance the … Continue reading “Tethys Snags $33M in Equity, Debt for Predictive Diabetes Test”

Help Increase Transparency in Private Company Executive Compensation

A decade ago, investors and chief executive officers were largely flying blind when it came to compensation in early-stage, privately held companies. They had little more than anecdotal information and their gut to judge how much it would take to land a new head of sales or whether it was worthwhile to retain a chief … Continue reading “Help Increase Transparency in Private Company Executive Compensation”

Jive Software Nabs $30M in Round From Kleiner Perkins, Sequoia Capital

Jive Software, the Palo Alto, CA-based software company started in Portland, OR, has received $30 million in Series C financing led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. This latest shot of cash, part of which comes from Sequoia Capital, means the company has raised more than $57 million in the last three years. Sequoia had … Continue reading “Jive Software Nabs $30M in Round From Kleiner Perkins, Sequoia Capital”

Flipboard Obtains $10,500,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f0206122-94d4-4494-a06d-7468fbd8c935&Preview=1 Date 7/21/2010 Company Name Flipboard Mailing Address Undisclosed Palo Alto, CA 94303 Company Description Flipboard is the world’s first social magazine. Inspired by the beauty and ease of print media, Flipboard’s mission is to fundamentally improve how people discover, view and share content across their social networks. Website http://www.flipboard.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Flipboard Obtains $10,500,000 Series A Financing Round”

Validity Sensors Obtains $12,600,000 Series D Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=45a18026-16c1-470b-a4f3-c34ec3869a40&Preview=1 Date 7/21/2010 Company Name Validity Sensors Mailing Address 2199 Zanker Road San Jose, CA 95131 Company Description Validity’s patented LiveFlex™ technology provides durability, ruggedness, reliability, and flexibility to create the best overall fingerprint sensing solution for both client and enterprise applications. Website http://www.validityinc.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $12,600,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Validity Sensors Obtains $12,600,000 Series D Funding”

Tethys Bioscience Obtains $33,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=de677e39-3319-4ace-89a1-feb08d4912c8&Preview=1 Date 7/21/2010 Company Name Tethys Bioscience Mailing Address 5858 Horton Street Emeryville, CA 94608 Company Description The company has become a pioneer in the discovery, development and value creation of novel biological markers for the clinical diagnostics marketplace: Biomarkers. The company believes there is a large unmet need in both the … Continue reading “Tethys Bioscience Obtains $33,000,000 New Funding”

PlaySpan Receives $18,000,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0fb8cbbc-4bbb-4b57-a936-944c50211156&Preview=1 Date 7/21/2010 Company Name PlaySpan Mailing Address 2953 Bunker Hill Lane Santa Clara, CA 95054 Company Description PlaySpanTM (formerly Tradeits Inc.) is the game industry’s first publisher-sponsoredTM in-game commerceTM network. PlaySpan’s patent-pending in-game search, commerce and micropayment technologies enables game publishers and developers to generate new revenues, acquire new users and … Continue reading “PlaySpan Receives $18,000,000 Series C Financing”

Google Energy Strikes First Deal—A 20-Year Wind Power Contract in Iowa

If you’ve crossed the U.S. Midwest by car recently, as I have, you may have noticed a new kind of crop sprouting up amidst the corn and soybeans: wind turbines, thousands of them. Now, some of the electricity those turbines produce will be going to Google Energy, a new entity set up by the Mountain … Continue reading “Google Energy Strikes First Deal—A 20-Year Wind Power Contract in Iowa”

GE Spurs Smart Grid Investing, Evernote Opens Its Trunk, Zendesk Touts Twitter, & More Bay Area BizTech News

It’s an Xconomy tradition: for the benefit of readers who may be too busy to keep up with us from day to day, we offer regular roundups of our news coverage from the past week. Typically we publish two separate roundups each week: one for life sciences news, and one for financial deals and general … Continue reading “GE Spurs Smart Grid Investing, Evernote Opens Its Trunk, Zendesk Touts Twitter, & More Bay Area BizTech News”

Predilect Lands $750,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dba91f3d-4acb-45fe-baf2-5367ea6248f0&Preview=1 Date 7/20/2010 Company Name Predilect Mailing Address Undisclosed Undisclosed, CA 94000 Company Description The company is developing online tools to allow users to increase their security. Website http://www.predilect.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $750,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed

Fliqz Secures $500,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dc18b4cd-d268-4a3c-bd1d-cbff2692b9a9&Preview=1 Date 7/20/2010 Company Name Fliqz Mailing Address 2745 10th St Berkeley, CA 94700 Company Description The company operates a video-sharing website. Website http://www.fliqz.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed

Medium Entertainment Obtains $1,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=47063d23-79f0-4da4-be38-d073ddfbc86f&Preview=1 Date 7/20/2010 Company Name Medium Entertainment Mailing Address 477 9th Ave. San Mateo, CA 94402 Company Description The company provides developers with tools to foster mobile gaming communities. Website http://www.playhaven.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed

Dell Acquires Ocarina Networks for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=df29c926-85b0-4a53-aac2-cfdbc505f688&Preview=1 Date 7/20/2010 Company Name Ocarina Networks Mailing Address 42 Airport Parkway San Jose, CA 95110 Company Description The company develops storage and network subsystems. Website http://www.ocarinatech.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Epocrates Re-files for IPO

Epocrates, the San Mateo, CA-based software company that makes healthcare-related mobile applications for doctors and nurses who use iPhones, Android phones, Blackberry phones, and other information devices, restarted the initial public offering process on Friday submitting a new S-1 registration form to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company has raised $86 million in venture … Continue reading “Epocrates Re-files for IPO”

Pixazza Picks Up $12M

Mountain View, CA-based Pixazza, whose “visual commerce” software supplements standard Web images with pop-up shopping information, announced today that it has closed a $12 million Series B financing round. New investor Shasta Ventures led the round, which also included returning investors August Capital, CMEA Capital, and Google Ventures. The startup said it will use the … Continue reading “Pixazza Picks Up $12M”

Was ‘Antennagate’ a Side Effect of Apple’s Secrecy Culture?

Repeat after me: rubber baby iPhone bumpers, rubber baby iPhone bumpers. That’s more or less the mantra that emerged from Apple’s “Antennagate” press conference in Cupertino, CA, on Friday, called to address consumers’ and reporters’ (and Senators‘!) concerns about reception problems with the iPhone 4. CEO Steve Jobs shared data confirming that the iPhone 4—and … Continue reading “Was ‘Antennagate’ a Side Effect of Apple’s Secrecy Culture?”

Puppet Labs Nabs $5M Round Led By Kleiner Perkins, Upgrades Software Product

Portland, OR-based data center automation software developer Puppet Labs, formerly known as Reductive Labs, has raised $5 million in Series B venture financing led by Menlo Park, CA-based firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The open-source startup, founded in 2003, helps companies automate the configuration and management of computers and servers through their flagship product—and … Continue reading “Puppet Labs Nabs $5M Round Led By Kleiner Perkins, Upgrades Software Product”

Achaogen, Flush with $56M, Seeks to Build Lasting Company with Potent Antibiotics

Want to raise a mountain of venture capital to pursue your biotech dreams in 2010? Do what Kevin Judice of Achaogen did. First, find some government agencies and charities willing to commit $100 million to your R&D, then see if the VCs will pull out the checkbook. That’s what happened earlier this year for South … Continue reading “Achaogen, Flush with $56M, Seeks to Build Lasting Company with Potent Antibiotics”

Cleantech Payday: An Expensive Lesson in Patience

Many software entrepreneurs and investors are looking to replicate their successes in cleantech. They are in for a surprise. While investors often have enjoyed quick returns in software, many of the opportunities in cleantech require longer-term commitments and overcoming some of the challenges outlined below. Long Development Cycles. There is a reason it’s called hardware. … Continue reading “Cleantech Payday: An Expensive Lesson in Patience”

Venture Surveys Show Nationwide Increase, More or Less, in Second-Quarter Investments

How would you prefer your venture capital survey data this morning? Depending on the source, we can serve it up lukewarm, hot, or scalding. All three measures show that venture funding rose during the second quarter; it’s just a matter of degree: —CB Insights, a startup financial services firm based in New York, reports that … Continue reading “Venture Surveys Show Nationwide Increase, More or Less, in Second-Quarter Investments”

Pixazza Receives $12,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2ba9de4c-a02b-4fb8-8df2-1a4660313337&Preview=1 Date 7/19/2010 Company Name Pixazza Mailing Address 100 View Street Mountain View, CA 94041 Company Description Pixazza is a new platform that allows shoppers to buy products from photos seen on websites of our web publishing partners. Our unique capability allows these web publishers to generate incremental revenues by “visual commerce … Continue reading “Pixazza Receives $12,000,000 Series B Financing”

LedEngin Garners Series D Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c4abfe37-951d-491a-87eb-7fc38648b1b3&Preview=1 Date 7/19/2010 Company Name LedEngin Mailing Address 3350 Scott Blvd. Bldg Santa Clara, CA 95054 Company Description LedEngin, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells ultra-small, ultra-bright, ultra-cool LED components and light source modules for general lighting, display, automotive, and medical/dental applications. LedEngin deploys extensive light source design capabilities and works closely with … Continue reading “LedEngin Garners Series D Financing Round”

iKoa Corporation Secures $7,800,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d7d2666d-1451-42e6-bbe6-cd2154c31b71&Preview=1 Date 7/19/2010 Company Name iKoa Corporation Mailing Address 149 Commonwealth Drive Menlo Park, CA 94025 Company Description iKoa Corporation, formerly Arithmosys, Inc., is an early stage semiconductor startup in stealth mode. The company is led by semiconductor industry veterans and backed by top-tier venture capital. We are developing a disruptive method … Continue reading “iKoa Corporation Secures $7,800,000 New Round”

Social Currency CrunchUp

TechCrunch presents a day-long conference about the intersection of the Web and traditional retailing. From the event writeup: “As early adopters of technology, we’ve all grown accustomed that our opinions and product uses are not indicative of the average consumer. So what happens when we hit an inflection point and the masses matter? Do we … Continue reading “Social Currency CrunchUp”