Testive Secures $500,000 Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=49f08e97-f542-402a-a5af-5af4683d423c&Preview=1 Date 12/11/2012 Company Name Testive Mailing Address Undisclosed Cambridge, MA 02138 Company Description Using adaptive algorithms and engaging experiences, Testive helps companies engage with students and students engage with the test prep process. Testive powers solutions for some of the largest companies in test preparation. Website http://www.testive.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Testive Secures $500,000 Seed Financing”

Nike + TechStars: Another Licensing Deal for Top Startup Accelerator

TechStars, the top-tier startup accelerator program with branches across the country, is finding a bigger corporate appetite for its three-month startup “bootcamp” sessions. Nike has announced that it will partner with Boulder, CO-based TechStars for a version of the accelerator focused on using the sports apparel company’s Nike+ technology, which incorporates sensors and software to … Continue reading “Nike + TechStars: Another Licensing Deal for Top Startup Accelerator”

New VC Fund Quantum Wave Focusing on Quantum Physics

Quantum physics, the focus of the 2012 Nobel Prize for Physics, may be ready for a commercial close-up. The newly formed Quantum Wave Fund, based in Boston, announced today that it has raised $30 million in capital, with plans to reach $100 million dollars, to fund early stage companies that are developing products and services … Continue reading “New VC Fund Quantum Wave Focusing on Quantum Physics”

A123 Sells Bulk of Company to Wanxiang, Feds Must Approve

A123 Systems, the bankrupt advanced-battery company bankrolled in part by federal stimulus money, has agreed to sell its commercial business to China’s largest auto-parts manufacturer. But the twisted saga of the former cleantech poster child is not over—the U.S. federal government must still approve the transaction, a potentially big political hurdle. Following a four-day private … Continue reading “A123 Sells Bulk of Company to Wanxiang, Feds Must Approve”

Wayfair, Top-Funded Tech Firm in Boston, Brings In $36M More for Flash Sale Site

The rich are getting richer. But you already knew that. What you might not know is that Boston-based Wayfair, the closest thing we have to an “Amazon for the home,” has secured $36.3 million in new equity funding from existing investors to promote its private sale site for home furnishings, Joss & Main. Wayfair (formerly … Continue reading “Wayfair, Top-Funded Tech Firm in Boston, Brings In $36M More for Flash Sale Site”

The Road to Predictable Innovation: Genomics in Drug R&D

There is a great need by large biotechs and pharma companies to show true and more predictable innovation. In an industry report issued just last week by Deloitte and Thomson Reuters, analysis of the top 12 pharmaceutical companies globally shows that the risk in new drug discovery have grown worse. The report notes an increasing … Continue reading “The Road to Predictable Innovation: Genomics in Drug R&D”

Staples Plans to Enter 3-D Printing Scene, Shapeways Keeps Cool

There are two ways, generally speaking, for growing companies to react when big players take competitive interest in their market: scramble for new survival strategies or grin knowingly with a look that screams “let’s dance.” Office supply chain Staples (Nasdaq: [[ticker:SPLS]]) based in Framingham, MA announced plans to bring 3-D printing in the first quarter … Continue reading “Staples Plans to Enter 3-D Printing Scene, Shapeways Keeps Cool”

Amgen Acquires DeCode Genetics, the Once-Fallen Star, for $415M

Biotech companies rarely ever recover after falling into bankruptcy, but Iceland-based deCode Genetics just pulled off that rare feat. And it apparently has made some significant returns for its two recent venture backers—Polaris Venture Partners and Arch Venture Partners. Iceland-based deCode agreed to be acquired by Thousand Oaks, CA-based Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) for $415 million … Continue reading “Amgen Acquires DeCode Genetics, the Once-Fallen Star, for $415M”

AxioMx Lands $500,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cbbda2f0-7bc8-4116-b1ea-4934131fed30&Preview=1 Date 12/10/2012 Company Name AxioMx Mailing Address 688 E Main Street Branford, CT 06405 Company Description AxioMx has developed synthetic recombinant antibody libraries with greater than ten billion unique clones. Diversity in our libraries is restricted to the most variable positions in the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of natural antibody sequences. … Continue reading “AxioMx Lands $500,000 New Funding Round”

Synbody Biotechnology Obtains $250,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1f9654b5-b1d3-4f05-8ec1-9038af051c49&Preview=1 Date 12/10/2012 Company Name Synbody Biotechnology Mailing Address 400 Farmington Avenue Farmington, CT 06032 Company Description Synbody Biotechnology (SBI) is an early stage biotechnology company based on a powerful synthetic antibody, or “Synbody” The technology was developed at Arizona State University Institute for Biodesign. SBI is based in Farmington, CT Website … Continue reading “Synbody Biotechnology Obtains $250,000 New Financing Round”

New CEO Jeff Glass on Skyhook’s Future and Leaving Bain Capital Ventures

The saga of Skyhook is continuing under a new chief executive. Earlier this week, the Boston mobile software firm said it has appointed Jeff Glass as CEO, succeeding founder and longtime chief Ted Morgan. Skyhook started in 2003 and helped pioneer location-positioning technology for mobile phones using Wi-Fi signals, GPS, and cellular networks. Its software … Continue reading “New CEO Jeff Glass on Skyhook’s Future and Leaving Bain Capital Ventures”

SEC’s Action Against Hastings a Step Backwards

Last night, Netflix disclosed that the Securities and Exchange Commission, @sec_news if you want to follow them on Twitter, intends to institute a cease and desist proceeding and/or bring a civil injunction against Netflix and its CEO Reed Hastings for a posting he made on the social media website Facebook this summer. As an individual … Continue reading “SEC’s Action Against Hastings a Step Backwards”

Pearl Harbor: A Day That Should Live in Innovation

Almost everyone raised in America knows the story of Pearl Harbor. On the morning of December 7, 1941—71 years ago today—the Japanese Imperial Navy launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, claiming eight battleships and other vessels, and 2,403 military and civilian lives, nearly as many as on … Continue reading “Pearl Harbor: A Day That Should Live in Innovation”

How to Crowdfund Your Dream: Checking In on Our Kickstarter Fund

Back on Nov. 9, I published a list of 10 Kickstarter projects every geek should support, and put my money where my mouth was by creating the World Wide Wade Kickstarter Fund. I pledged $10 to each project on the list (eventually there were 13 in all), and promised that I’d return in a few weeks … Continue reading “How to Crowdfund Your Dream: Checking In on Our Kickstarter Fund”

East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Zafgen, Moderna, Merck, More

—Obesity is paying off for Cambridge, MA-based Zafgen. On Tuesday the company said it closed on $21 million in a Series D equity funding to support continued development of its obesity drug, beloranib, currently in a Phase IIa clinical trial. New investor Alta Partners joined existing backers Atlas Ventures and Third Rock Ventures in this round. … Continue reading “East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Zafgen, Moderna, Merck, More”

Onyx, Millennium, Ariad: Firms to Watch at Hematology Meeting

[Corrected 12/07/12, 10:18 pm. See below.] The life sciences industry has been talking up personalized medicine for more than a decade, but so far the idea that diseases will be treated with a unique drug regimen tailored to each patient has made little headway in actual clinical practice. A number of drug developers large and … Continue reading “Onyx, Millennium, Ariad: Firms to Watch at Hematology Meeting”

CMD Bioscience Receives $5,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5b7e80ec-a34b-42c4-a5cc-dffdfa5b7bd2&Preview=1 Date 12/7/2012 Company Name CMD Bioscience Mailing Address 5 Science Park New Haven, CT 06511 Company Description CMDBioscience is a privately held computational biotechnology company that focuses on the application of our computational peptide discovery platform (platform name) to enable the discovery, design and optimization of novel therapeutic peptides. Website http://www.cmdbioscience.com … Continue reading “CMD Bioscience Receives $5,000,000 New Funding”

Angle and Yang to Demo Telepresence Robot at Health IT Forum Dec. 10

Healthcare will no doubt shape the future of our country. And, if iRobot and InTouch Health succeed, robots may shape the future of healthcare. As Greg Huang wrote in September, iRobot has entered the healthcare field with the RP-VITA (Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant), a robot it hopes will improve patient care by, … Continue reading “Angle and Yang to Demo Telepresence Robot at Health IT Forum Dec. 10”

A123 Goes on the Auction Block: Here’s How It Got This Bad

[Update 12/10: Chinese firm wins A123 auction, feds must approve deal.] A123 Systems was supposed to be a leading light in the next phase of clean-energy innovation in the U.S.—hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants, state-government support in Massachusetts and Michigan, deals to supply the batteries for luxury electric cars. In 2009, the … Continue reading “A123 Goes on the Auction Block: Here’s How It Got This Bad”

Moderna, $40M in Tow, Hopes to Reinvent Biotech with “Make Your Own Drug”

Noubar Afeyan, Bob Langer, Tim Springer, and a host of other Boston biotech luminaries have been sitting on a big secret. Today we’re going to out them. Moderna Therapeutics, a stealthy startup in Cambridge, MA, is the subject of their considerable brainpower and experiments. The company is finally emerging from stealth, having raised $40 million … Continue reading “Moderna, $40M in Tow, Hopes to Reinvent Biotech with “Make Your Own Drug””

ModeRNA Therapeutics Lands $40,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d838d4cf-a0b5-4ca7-9080-887080876816&Preview=1 Date 12/6/2012 Company Name ModeRNA Therapeutics Mailing Address 1 Memorial Drive 7th Floor Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description Moderna Therapeutics is a life science start-up company based in Cambridge, MA. Moderna was founded by leading research scientists from Harvard, MIT and MGH in the field of mRNA research. Website http://www.modernatx.com Transaction … Continue reading “ModeRNA Therapeutics Lands $40,000,000 New Funding Round”

Massachusetts Water Mission to Israel Looks to “Win Inbound Innovation”

Consider, if you will, the future of water. Good old H2O gets a bum rap when it comes to hurricanes, floods, and tsunamis, but it sure comes in handy when you’re thirsty and trying to survive, irrigate crops, or flush a toilet. Over the past decade, an impending global water crisis has come to light. … Continue reading “Massachusetts Water Mission to Israel Looks to “Win Inbound Innovation””

Three Big Themes from the Personalized Medicine Conference

Hello from Boston, and from the 2012 Partners Personalized Medicine Conference, which last week brought together life science thought leaders from business, research and technology. Several themes that emerged from this year’s program: Genomes, genomes, genomes. Previous personalized medicine conferences had tended to focus on commercialization of and reimbursement for traditional molecular diagnostics. This year, … Continue reading “Three Big Themes from the Personalized Medicine Conference”

Boston Deals: Next Step, Adelphic, Ray Ozzie’s Talko, & More

Investments for startups tackling energy efficiency, mobile ads, and much more, along with some more droplets of news about a big name in tech’s next project are on the deals watch list so far this week: —Next Step Living, a Boston-based startup that analyzes and retrofits homes to help improve energy efficiency, has raised $18.2 … Continue reading “Boston Deals: Next Step, Adelphic, Ray Ozzie’s Talko, & More”

Promoboxx Receives $1,375,000 Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=419afbfb-17d0-4712-b332-554fb2d87411&Preview=1 Date 12/5/2012 Company Name Promoboxx Mailing Address 500 Harrison Ave Boston, MA 02118 Company Description Promoboxx offers a product that allows manufacturing brands to help their retailers with local online marketing. Previous campaigns included one with Chevy in January, which allowed 6,000 Chevy dealers to share the car maker’s Super Bowl … Continue reading “Promoboxx Receives $1,375,000 Seed Financing”

SurgiQuest Obtains $18,500,000 Series D Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a74c1135-5de6-47f0-b14f-67f66d0f6d2a&Preview=1 Date 12/5/2012 Company Name SurgiQuest Mailing Address 333 Quarry Road Milford, CT 06460 Company Description SurgiQuest, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 with the goal of removing current technological barriers for minimally invasive surgery. We are a venture funded company located in Orange, CT. Our focus is the current and emerging trends … Continue reading “SurgiQuest Obtains $18,500,000 Series D Funding Round”

SurgiQuest Secures $18,500,000 Series D Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a74c1135-5de6-47f0-b14f-67f66d0f6d2a&Preview=1 Date 12/5/2012 Company Name SurgiQuest Mailing Address 333 Quarry Road Milford, CT 06460 Company Description SurgiQuest, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 with the goal of removing current technological barriers for minimally invasive surgery. We are a venture funded company located in Orange, CT. Our focus is the current and emerging trends … Continue reading “SurgiQuest Secures $18,500,000 Series D Funding”

Quantia Communications Obtains $14,437,297 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=716b1b58-b62a-4635-986f-c3df5974ceca&Preview=1 Date 12/5/2012 Company Name Quantia Communications Mailing Address 52 Second Avenue Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description Provides Internet communications through cellular phones. Website http://www.quantiaco.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $14,437,297 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed

Playrific Obtains $1,675,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=38581521-2f75-4dc9-bbbe-c640f135309c&Preview=1 Date 12/5/2012 Company Name Playrific Mailing Address 7 Esquire Rd Billerica, MA 01862 Company Description Playrific is the only service to allow children to safely explore a broad range of parent-and-educator-approved digital content: videos, online games, books, songs, drawing and coloring apps and more — all on their own. Playrific’s team … Continue reading “Playrific Obtains $1,675,000 New Financing”

LearnLaunch Looks to Spur Ed-Tech Startups in New England

The education tech scene is heating up in Boston. LearnLaunch, a new nonprofit focused on learning and education tech companies, is getting off the ground, led by co-founders Jean Hammond, Marissa Lowman, and Eileen Rudden. Its goal? To bring together a community of entrepreneurs, investors, teachers, educators, students, and buyers; and to offer classes, forums, … Continue reading “LearnLaunch Looks to Spur Ed-Tech Startups in New England”

HHS CTO Bryan Sivak on How Government Can Spur Healthcare Innovation

It’s not every entrepreneur who even entertains the notion of moving from business to government. Bryan Sivak, though, has made the shift three times over. Sivak left his job at the company he helped create for a position in city government (as Chief Technology Officer for Washington, DC), then became Maryland’s Chief Innovation Officer, and … Continue reading “HHS CTO Bryan Sivak on How Government Can Spur Healthcare Innovation”

Adelphic Adds $10M, Led by Google Ventures, to Merge Big Data & Mobile Ads

If the names m-Qube, Enpocket, Third Screen Media, Quattro Wireless, and Where mean anything to you, well, you are well-versed in the recent history of Boston mobile advertising companies. (All of the above were acquired in the past six years.) If Adelphic Mobile means anything to you, well, perhaps you know the future of the … Continue reading “Adelphic Adds $10M, Led by Google Ventures, to Merge Big Data & Mobile Ads”

The Enduring Success of a Healthcare Radical

I’ve spent some time over the past few months reading about an American political figure’s transformative role in our health care system. His crusade began when his staff surveyed drug prices in 77 countries and found “of these, 28 allowed product patents and the prices of drugs in those countries were 18 to 255 times … Continue reading “The Enduring Success of a Healthcare Radical”

Flexion Therapeutics Secures $20 Million to Fight Osteoarthritis

[Corrected 12/04/12, 9:08 a.m. See below.] Flexion Therapeutics, based in Woburn, MA, said today that it has raised $20 million in a Series B financing led by Novo Ventures, a new investor. Flexion CEO Michael Clayman told me that the money will be used to start a Phase 2b clinical trial of its leading drug candidate, … Continue reading “Flexion Therapeutics Secures $20 Million to Fight Osteoarthritis”

Next Step Living Garners $18,215,354 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2f43cbeb-c91d-45bf-95ce-1f6e037f5356&Preview=1 Date 12/4/2012 Company Name Next Step Living Mailing Address Undisclosed Boston, MA 02140 Company Description Next Step Living is a residential energy efficiency company, providing home energy diagnostics and improvements to the greater New England area. We are a socially-conscious, environmentally focused, results-driven organization dedicated to helping our customers lower their … Continue reading “Next Step Living Garners $18,215,354 New Funding”

Flexion Therapeutics Obtains $20,000,000 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=01bc29a0-f5ce-4692-8aa5-23053bad65a6&Preview=1 Date 12/4/2012 Company Name Flexion Therapeutics Mailing Address 300 TradeCenter Woburn, MA 01801 Company Description Flexion Therapeutics advances drug candidates through clinical proof of concept and beyond, in partnership with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. By providing expertise and sharing risk, Flexion effectively expands the portfolios of its partners. Website http://www.flexiontherapeutics.com Transaction … Continue reading “Flexion Therapeutics Obtains $20,000,000 Series B Funding”

Cocomo Garners $4,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b12515c3-0eee-4ecd-bfa1-426e072b7366&Preview=1 Date 12/4/2012 Company Name Cocomo Mailing Address Undisclosed Boston, MA 02421 Company Description Cocomo, the Boston-based startup founded by former Microsoft exec and Lotus Notes creator Ray Ozzie. The company, doing business as Talko Inc., has been super stealthy about its purpose. Website http://www.cocomo.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,000,000 … Continue reading “Cocomo Garners $4,000,000 New Financing Round”

Adelphic Mobile Lands $10,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0f1b9179-1d3c-4ab7-aa63-53398b4e7240&Preview=1 Date 12/4/2012 Company Name Adelphic Mobile Mailing Address 36 Fairbanks Road Lexington, MA 02421 Company Description Adelphic Mobile enables efficient buying and selling of targeted mobile media at scale through our powerful and intelligent Predictive Data Platform. Website http://www.adelphic.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Adelphic Mobile Lands $10,000,000 New Funding”

TrueLens Obtains $1,200,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fd40ccd9-72e4-4220-9cca-6f12a5f1bfe3&Preview=1 Date 12/4/2012 Company Name TrueLens Mailing Address One Broadway Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description Founded by visionary marketers and technologists from MIT, our mission is helping brands understand high-value truths about their business by empowering them to address the human side of their customers: their interests, expressions, desires and preferences. We … Continue reading “TrueLens Obtains $1,200,000 New Funding Round”

Zafgen Obtains $21,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=47ca6874-0599-4fde-901b-d5b5745cfa29&Preview=1 Date 12/4/2012 Company Name Zafgen Mailing Address 1 Cambridge Center Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description The company is developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of obesity. Website http://www.zafgen.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $21,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds from the financing will be used to support the continued … Continue reading “Zafgen Obtains $21,000,000 New Funding Round”

Matter Ventures Aims To Launch “The Next Great Media Institutions”

Once upon a time, public radio and TV stations were the new kids on the media block, disrupting the commercial media world by offering educational, cultural, and community-based content of a type that just wasn’t available from the privately owned networks. But that was 60 years ago: the nation’s flagship public stations, WGBH and KQED, … Continue reading “Matter Ventures Aims To Launch “The Next Great Media Institutions””

Xconomist of the Week: Helen Greiner’s CyPhy Works Unveils Drones

After roughly three years in development and some $3 million in venture investment, iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner is showing off her newest robotic creations. But don’t be fooled by the cool things this new pair of aerial drones can do—the real advancement is the cable that connects them to the ground. Greiner’s robotics startup, CyPhy … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Helen Greiner’s CyPhy Works Unveils Drones”

How Ed-Tech Companies Will Make (and Lose) a Few Fortunes

It’s bubble time in education technology. Over the past few years, investment dollars have started to flow in larger amounts. MBAs (like me and one of my co-founders) are starting to get interested, and I know of at least two separate groups in Boston alone trying to develop ed-tech incubation spaces. But for all the … Continue reading “How Ed-Tech Companies Will Make (and Lose) a Few Fortunes”

SocMetrics Reveals “TrueLens” Marketing Tech and Google VC Round

It has been interesting to watch the world of social-media analytics evolve over the past few years. Roughly speaking, tech companies have moved from sentiment analysis—getting the gist of what people are saying online—to doing more sophisticated text and language processing, to pulling out insights from huge amounts of Web data to try to help … Continue reading “SocMetrics Reveals “TrueLens” Marketing Tech and Google VC Round”

Where’s the Can-Do Spirit in Biotech? It’s Alive, Deep Down

How many people in the biotech industry today really feel like they are part of something special, something bigger than themselves? How many people feel such camaraderie with their co-workers that they’d show up to meet them at a reunion five years from now? How many people in biotech feel the task in front of … Continue reading “Where’s the Can-Do Spirit in Biotech? It’s Alive, Deep Down”

Magenta Medical Garners $4,000,000 Seed Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b18dab26-e993-4c74-9f5b-8bd2fc36fb77&Preview=1 Date 12/3/2012 Company Name Magenta Medical Mailing Address 10 Allen Street Hanover, NH 03755 Company Description Magenta Medical is developing a device that provides hemostasis during minimally-invasive off pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery, without the use of an aortic clamp. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,000,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Magenta Medical Garners $4,000,000 Seed Financing Round”

CMD Bioscience Receives $775,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ce544f47-ce0c-4fe4-978c-967395441738&Preview=1 Date 12/3/2012 Company Name CMD Bioscience Mailing Address 5 Science Park New Haven, CT 06511 Company Description CMDBioscience is a privately held computational biotechnology company that focuses on the application of our computational peptide discovery platform (platform name) to enable the discovery, design and optimization of novel therapeutic peptides. Website http://www.cmdbioscience.com … Continue reading “CMD Bioscience Receives $775,000 New Round”