Category: Boston

WordStream Lands $6,000,000 Series C Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0194fc38-e756-47ae-b63e-d2424cf560b1&Preview=1 Date 7/30/2012 Company Name WordStream Mailing Address 177 Huntington Ave 16th Floor Boston, MA 02115 Company Description The company is provider of search engine marketing and optimization solutions. Website http://www.wordstream.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes The additional funding will be used in continued … Continue reading “WordStream Lands $6,000,000 Series C Financing Round”

EyeNetra Secures $1,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6c532078-fb82-429b-aeb7-f95cbceb5e5f&Preview=1 Date 7/30/2012 Company Name EyeNetra Mailing Address 35 Medford Street Somerville, MA 02143 Company Description Based in Cambridge, MA, EyeNetra is transforming the eye care industry by providing on-demand access to eye care from anywhere at anytime, benefiting hundreds of millions around the globe. Website http://www.eyenetra.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “EyeNetra Secures $1,000,000 New Funding Round”

The World Summit on Innovation & Entrepreneurship

To put it in their own words, “the Summit sets the scene for some of the world’s eminent dreamers and doers to plot the new frontier of the smarter innovation economy.” That includes panels and breakout sessions exploring subjects like startup infrastructure, big data, and the cleantech revolution. Visit here to request an invitation.

Vertex Wins EU Approval for Cystic Fibrosis Drug

[Updated: 2:30 pm ET] Vertex Pharmaceuticals made big news in the U.S. cystic fibrosis community six months ago when it won FDA approval for a groundbreaking drug, and now it’s taking the product to Europe. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]), which has significant operations in San Diego, said today it has gotten clearance … Continue reading “Vertex Wins EU Approval for Cystic Fibrosis Drug”

A Mouse and Keyboard Don’t Make a Hardware Company

Microsoft is not, and never will be, a hardware company. Please don’t go off saying “what about Xbox or mice and keyboards?” Microsoft does not really want to build and sell hardware. Surface is akin to Google’s Nexus; a ‘north star’ product intended to lead OEMs in the right direction. “With Surface we wanted to … Continue reading “A Mouse and Keyboard Don’t Make a Hardware Company”

Not All E-Mails Are Created Equal; SaneBox Knows the Difference

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a column on ways we can work together to restore e-mail sanity. I argued that e-mail overload has a simple cause that’s often overlooked: we’re all sending each other too many messages. We can try all the time-management tricks and software plugins in the book to deal with … Continue reading “Not All E-Mails Are Created Equal; SaneBox Knows the Difference”

Tech Tidbits: Apptopia, Bluefin Labs, iRobot, PayPal, TripAdvisor, & More

Catching up on a smattering of technology news updates this week… —Cambridge, MA-based Bluefin Labs, which does social media analytics around TV, has appointed JP Maheu as its new CEO. Maheu is the former CEO of Razorfish and global CEO of Publicis Modem (the digital marketing unit of Publicis Worldwide). Deb Roy, Bluefin’s co-founder and … Continue reading “Tech Tidbits: Apptopia, Bluefin Labs, iRobot, PayPal, TripAdvisor, & More”

VoltServer Receives $250,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3f1f721e-1908-474b-9480-a97dbebe5355&Preview=1 Date 7/27/2012 Company Name VoltServer Mailing Address 9 General Stanton Drive Charlestown, RI 02813 Company Description VoltServer is developing innovative power distribution products base on the company’s patented Packet Energy Transfer (PET) technology. Website http://www.voltserver.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $250,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The new money is … Continue reading “VoltServer Receives $250,000 New Round”

Apptopia Receives $1,000,000 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cb005d4e-2ca0-429b-bcda-b95964e03606&Preview=1 Date 7/27/2012 Company Name Apptopia Mailing Address 1 Cambridge Center Floor 6 Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description Apptopia is the marketplace that will broker the sale of these apps. We will manage the entire process through to completion. Starting with recommending app valuation & connecting sellers with buyers. Concluding with escrow … Continue reading “Apptopia Receives $1,000,000 Seed Funding”

Allurion Technologies Receives $1,658,749 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=540cfda2-5ecb-48f1-8411-eafdcf8e2f07&Preview=1 Date 7/27/2012 Company Name Allurion Technologies Mailing Address 888 Worcester Street Wellesley, MA 02482 Company Description Allurion manufactures a medical device for obesity that can be delivered and removed without surgery or endoscopy. The company was founded in 2009 and formerly known as SGL Medical Inc. Website http://www.alluriontechnologies.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Allurion Technologies Receives $1,658,749 New Financing”

VoltServer Adds $250K to Build “Internet Protocol of the Electricity World”

Earlier this week, Rhode Island-based Slater Technology Fund announced that it had backed VoltServer, a new startup out of the Ocean State, to the tune of $250,000. Charlestown, RI-based VoltServer is developing technology around packet energy transfer, a method that breaks up electricity into smaller chunks to transmit high volumes of power more safely than … Continue reading “VoltServer Adds $250K to Build “Internet Protocol of the Electricity World””

Lantos Raises $3.8M to Push 3D Ear Scanner Closer to Market

When Cambridge, MA-based Lantos Technologies filed SEC documents earlier this month indicating that it raised $3.8 of a planned $6.6 million funding round, the company was pretty much mum on the matter—no press releases or announcements of any kind. But when Xconomy reached Doug Hart, the MIT mechanical engineering professor who founded the company in … Continue reading “Lantos Raises $3.8M to Push 3D Ear Scanner Closer to Market”

Xamarin Beckons Windows Developers to Build iOS and Android Apps

Nat Friedman was nearing the end of an 18-month trip through Uganda, Thailand, and Cambodia with his new wife Stephanie when he got an urgent call from his old business partner Miguel de Icaza. Back in 1999, Friedman and de Icaza had co-founded a startup called Ximian. The company was best known for launching an … Continue reading “Xamarin Beckons Windows Developers to Build iOS and Android Apps”

Harvest Power CEO Talks Sustainable Startups & Lessons from Farming

In case you’re wondering why there aren’t more entrepreneurs tackling really big problems like alternative energy and sustainability, consider Paul Sellew. Here’s a guy who was never tempted by dot-com fame and fortune. Instead, he has built a successful career around cleantech and the environment—while also making a lot of money in his businesses. Sellew … Continue reading “Harvest Power CEO Talks Sustainable Startups & Lessons from Farming”

NatureShare Receives $1,500,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4cb3d9c2-3e85-408e-88c6-0b92923ba265&Preview=1 Date 7/26/2012 Company Name NatureShare Mailing Address 16 Central St. Woodstock, VT 05091 Company Description NatureShare is an innovative digital media publisher and the mobile apps market leader in nature and wildlife. The company designs and publishes authoritative and comprehensive mobile applications that work to engage users with the natural world … Continue reading “NatureShare Receives $1,500,000 New Financing”

innoPad Garners $1,963,262 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b4295b61-4159-48e5-adc7-9f3aff548916&Preview=1 Date 7/26/2012 Company Name innoPad Mailing Address 265 Ballardvale Street Wilmington, MA 01887 Company Description innoPad delivers breakthrough improvements in productivity and consumables usage, enabling significant reductions in customer cost-of-ownership. Website http://www.innopad.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,963,262 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. … Continue reading “innoPad Garners $1,963,262 New Financing Round”

Pinstant Karma Lands Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=26810b8a-cc5e-429e-9e72-bf10d863f1d5&Preview=1 Date 7/26/2012 Company Name Pinstant Karma Mailing Address 200 Lowder Brook Drive Westwood, MA 02090 Company Description Rather than the gimmicks, love formulas, and pseudoscience that you find elsewhere, Pinstant Karma aims to put your interests into the spotlight in a new and visually appealing way. Think of us as the … Continue reading “Pinstant Karma Lands Seed Financing”

4th Annual mHealth World Congress

Get the scoop on which mobile technologies and initiatives are making an impact in healthcare. The mHealth World Congress will feature panels on subjects like regulation, security, and consumer engagement. Register here (and e-mail here for a discount)

Bluebird Bio Snags $60M From Existing VCs and Newcomers Like Shire

Cambridge, MA-based Bluebird Bio said today it raised $60 million in an oversubscribed Series D financing to further development and testing of its gene therapy platform to treat severe genetic diseases. The round included existing investors ARCH Venture Partners, Third Rock Ventures, TVM Capital, and Forbion Capital Partners, along with new investors Deerfield Partners, RA … Continue reading “Bluebird Bio Snags $60M From Existing VCs and Newcomers Like Shire”

Pet Dogs Help Biotech Startups Find New Weapons to Fight Cancer

A few weeks back, a black-and-white terrier mix named Chance entered a clinical trial for a drug that may offer a completely new way to combat cancer—not only in dogs, but in people, too. The drug, made by San Diego-based Genelux, uses a genetically engineered virus to annihilate tumor cells. Genelux made two different versions … Continue reading “Pet Dogs Help Biotech Startups Find New Weapons to Fight Cancer”

Kayak, VMware, 3M, & More Names from the Boston Deal Roundup

We’ve seen deals in the past week involving New England software makers, health IT startups, and biotechs. —Framingham, MA-based application performance management software maker Correlsense said it raised $3 million in Series C funding. The money comes from Accel Partners, Vertex Venture Capital, ProSeed Venture Capital Fund, eXeed Technology, and Technion Research & Development Foundation. —Sermo, … Continue reading “Kayak, VMware, 3M, & More Names from the Boston Deal Roundup”

bluebird bio Garners $60,000,000 Series D Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7b1864ce-f8cb-4712-a21c-be9ad0d564a4&Preview=1 Date 7/25/2012 Company Name bluebird bio Mailing Address 840 Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description bluebird bio is developing innovative gene therapies for severe genetic disorders. At the heart of bluebird bio’s product creation efforts is its broadly applicable gene therapy platform for the development of novel treatments for diseases … Continue reading “bluebird bio Garners $60,000,000 Series D Funding Round”

Boston Entrepreneur’s $20M Ferrari Collection Up For Auction: Photos

Every great entrepreneur dreams of changing the world, but most also dream of changing their own lives, too—by making some money and, perhaps, giving themselves the means to pursue a few passions they might not otherwise be able to afford. Sure seems like Sherman Wolf, who died this spring at the age of 86, was … Continue reading “Boston Entrepreneur’s $20M Ferrari Collection Up For Auction: Photos”

Histogenics Brings In $49M for Tissue Regeneration—and Recapitalization

This is one of the bigger venture deals of the year for Boston. Histogenics, a regenerative medicine company based in Waltham, MA, has closed $49 million in new financing led by Sofinnova Ventures. New investors Split Rock Partners, BioMed Ventures, and FinTech GIMV Fund also participated in the round, along with previous investors ProChon Holdings, … Continue reading “Histogenics Brings In $49M for Tissue Regeneration—and Recapitalization”

Histogenics Obtains $49,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3828c2b2-c91a-4585-9339-eb718499fd48&Preview=1 Date 7/24/2012 Company Name Histogenics Mailing Address 830 Winter Street 3rd Floor Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description Histogenics is a tissue regeneration company developing breakthrough treatments for long-lasting joint repair. Its cartilage regeneration products apply advanced cell biology, tissue engineering, and materials science in the repair of injured or diseased joints, … Continue reading “Histogenics Obtains $49,000,000 Series A Funding”

Histogenics Receives $49,000,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3828c2b2-c91a-4585-9339-eb718499fd48&Preview=1 Date 7/24/2012 Company Name Histogenics Mailing Address 830 Winter Street 3rd Floor Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description Histogenics is a tissue regeneration company developing breakthrough treatments for long-lasting joint repair. Its cartilage regeneration products apply advanced cell biology, tissue engineering, and materials science in the repair of injured or diseased joints, … Continue reading “Histogenics Receives $49,000,000 Series A Round”

Cloudant, Born from Big Science, Looks to Build Big Database Business

Big science and big technology work hand in hand. Without the World Wide Web, an idea conceived by scientists at CERN (the European Center for Nuclear Research), we wouldn’t have technologies people use every day, like social media, e-commerce, or Internet cat videos. And, as my colleague Wade argued, without the Web, scientists probably wouldn’t … Continue reading “Cloudant, Born from Big Science, Looks to Build Big Database Business”

Woeful Websites: How to Guarantee Your Startup Won’t Get Funding

You don’t have to work in venture capital to know that many biotech startups are having a difficult time raising money. The economy remains in the tank, and the former Olympic-sized pool of accessible cash now more closely resembles a wading pool. There are an enormous number of reasons why a company will have difficulty … Continue reading “Woeful Websites: How to Guarantee Your Startup Won’t Get Funding”

Scarcity of Samples Threatens Personalized Medicine

Plenty of factors can conspire to slow down progress in molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine. There’s never enough money to run all the experiments scientists can imagine, it’s hard to gather data that squares with traditional medical evidence standards, and society is willing to pay a lot more money for drugs than diagnostics. But there’s … Continue reading “Scarcity of Samples Threatens Personalized Medicine”

7AC Technologies Receives Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d29fac7c-3fc4-42de-b791-51a8a2236a0b&Preview=1 Date 7/23/2012 Company Name 7AC Technologies Mailing Address 92-94 Cummings Park Woburn, MA 01801 Company Description 7AC Technologies, Inc. develops revolutionary Ultra Efficient Liquid Desiccant HVAC systems for Commercial and Industrial (C&I) buildings delivering a 50%+ reduction in energy costs over conventional HVAC units. Website http://www.7actech.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “7AC Technologies Receives Series B Financing”

OvaScience Obtains $2,232,324 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=95bee200-2402-4beb-ba2d-81ebcf1cbf0f&Preview=1 Date 7/23/2012 Company Name OvaScience Mailing Address 800 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02199 Company Description The company is applying innovative science to improve the quality of eggs (oocytes) and increase the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF). OvaScience’s proprietary technology, exclusively licensed from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, enables … Continue reading “OvaScience Obtains $2,232,324 New Funding Round”

TaskRabbit Garners $13,000,000 Series C Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a862ff58-cd21-4e22-90f5-aa03ac66843b&Preview=1 Date 7/23/2012 Company Name TaskRabbit Mailing Address 102 Bartlett St. Charlestown, MA 02129 Company Description The company operates a website that enables users to find people to do tasks for them. Website http://www.TaskRabbit.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $13,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes The new funds will support … Continue reading “TaskRabbit Garners $13,000,000 Series C Financing Round”

Seattle Genetics, Millennium Get EU Recommendation for Lymphoma Drug

Seattle Genetics won FDA approval for its first cancer drug last August in the U.S., and now its partner appears close to getting that same clearance in Europe. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) said today that its partner, Cambridge, MA-based Millenium: The Takeda Oncology Company, got a positive recommendation for brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics, Millennium Get EU Recommendation for Lymphoma Drug”

Can Anyone Catch Khan Academy? The Fate of the U in the YouTube Era

Traditional American universities are suddenly running scared of the Internet, and for good reason. They successfully weathered the rise of online, open-enrollment degree programs like the University of Phoenix, but now they’re confronting a much more terrifying enemy: YouTube. Not just YouTube, of course—there’s also Vimeo and 5min and iTunes U and TED and the … Continue reading “Can Anyone Catch Khan Academy? The Fate of the U in the YouTube Era”

The Slog Continues…

Last week the National Venture Capital Association (where I am on the Executive Committee) and Thomson Reuters announced the 2Q12 fundraising data for venture firms—don’t worry, you are excused if you did not see the results. Not pretty. The data has some potentially troubling implications for entrepreneurs. While the headline looked encouraging with $5.9BN raised … Continue reading “The Slog Continues…”

Alnylam, Galenea, Gen9, & More from the Boston Life Sciences Roundup

This week’s New England life sciences news consisted of venture funding news, a research partnership, a health IT acquisition, and more. —Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) saw its stock climb more than 40 percent on Monday after it released positive data on its experimental drug ALN-TTR02, a treatment for the rare disease TTR amyloidosis. The Cambridge, MA-based company is … Continue reading “Alnylam, Galenea, Gen9, & More from the Boston Life Sciences Roundup”

Software Surge Drives Up U.S. Venture Activity—and Top 10 Deals

Overall venture capital activity turned up sharply during the three months that ended June 30, with venture firms investing just over $7 billion in 898 deals throughout the United States, according to the latest MoneyTree survey. The study generally confirms the improving trend in VC activity that was highlighted in the quick take from CB … Continue reading “Software Surge Drives Up U.S. Venture Activity—and Top 10 Deals”

Sermo, After Raising $40M+, Bought by WorldOne For Undisclosed Sum

Cambridge, MA-based Sermo, the provider of an online physician community, announced today that it has been acquired by New York-based healthcare insights company WorldOne. The purchase price of the deal was not disclosed. Sermo has pulled in at least $40 million since being founded in 2005. It raised a $26.7 million Series C round in 2007, … Continue reading “Sermo, After Raising $40M+, Bought by WorldOne For Undisclosed Sum”

The Key to Fantasy Sports Startups? Marketing & Data, Says DraftKings

The latest seed investment to be announced by Cambridge, MA-based Atlas Venture is DraftKings, an online fantasy sports startup in Boston. Atlas led a $1.4 million financing round for the company earlier this year, but today the founders are saying more about what they’re building. Fantasy sports is kind of an odd duck. It’s male-dominated … Continue reading “The Key to Fantasy Sports Startups? Marketing & Data, Says DraftKings”

From One Japanese Backer to Another: Galenea Advances Brain Drugs

When Cambridge, MA-based Galenea wrapped up a five-year, $90 million partnership with Japanese pharma company Otsuka in 2011, CEO Mark Benjamin feared the biotech’s days might be numbered. “We thought if we didn’t get a VC in the door within a few months, we’d be done,” Benjamin says. Much to Benjamin’s surprise, Galenea not only … Continue reading “From One Japanese Backer to Another: Galenea Advances Brain Drugs”

Biotech VCs, in Shadow of Tech, Start Delivering More Hits

A strange thing has happened during an otherwise bleak time for biotech venture capital. Life science venture capitalists are apparently hitting more of their investments out of the park. There were 17 so-called “Big Exits” for investors in privately held biotech companies, and 18 in the medical device business in 2011, the most of any … Continue reading “Biotech VCs, in Shadow of Tech, Start Delivering More Hits”

TourSphere Offers Do-It-Yourself Mobile Apps For Visitor Destinations

Mobile apps have grown so big that there’s now no shortage of companies selling software to help other companies build their own applications. But Boston-based TourSphere is tackling a very specific niche of that space—museums and historic and cultural tours, and the like. One of the more exciting projects built on its platform: The Metropolitan … Continue reading “TourSphere Offers Do-It-Yourself Mobile Apps For Visitor Destinations”

DraftKings Lands $1,400,000 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ddf1f8a2-e008-4e41-a78d-0661e1a41459&Preview=1 Date 7/19/2012 Company Name DraftKings Mailing Address 376 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116 Company Description DraftKings, which was recently named one of “Five you should follow” by Mass High Tech’s Startup Watch, allows people to not only play for one day, but they can bet through the website and find out … Continue reading “DraftKings Lands $1,400,000 Seed Funding”

inStream Media Secures $592,147 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8404b26a-7d23-4451-8844-54ed55990afd&Preview=1 Date 7/19/2012 Company Name inStream Media Mailing Address 40 Walnut Street Wellesley, MA 02481 Company Description Every day there are millions of shoppers connected by where and when they shop, what they are buying, and what they use to pay.inStream’s patent pending marketing solution allows brands to harness the power of … Continue reading “inStream Media Secures $592,147 New Round”

Correlsense Receives $3,000,000 Series C Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=108db008-37c9-4d07-a4d7-078a83006ed8&Preview=1 Date 7/19/2012 Company Name Correlsense Mailing Address 111 Speen Street Framingham, MA 01701 Company Description Correlsense is the leader in IT Reliability software. Correlsense SharePath provides a breakthrough in IT Reliability by enabling both a birds-eye and detailed view of how business transactions perform across the four dimensions (4D) of end-users, … Continue reading “Correlsense Receives $3,000,000 Series C Funding”

WorldOne Research Acquires Sermo for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=27c25ab9-adac-405d-83ba-052374247c78&Preview=1 Date 7/19/2012 Company Name Sermo Mailing Address 215 First Street Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description The company operates as an online aggregator of medical information. Website http://www.sermo.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed by the parties.