Category: Boston

15 Great Apps for that iPad Under the Tree

The iPad 2 won’t be the only tablet turning up as a holiday gift this year: it’s finally got some real competition in the form of the more affordable Kindle Fire. But let’s face it: you don’t buy (or give someone) a Kindle Fire because of the apps. The device is designed primarily as a … Continue reading “15 Great Apps for that iPad Under the Tree”

Millennium, Metamark, Amgen, & More Boston Life Sciences Headlines

Big drug collaborations and acquisitions took the spotlight in the New England life sciences news pool this week. —Coronado Biosciences, which moved from New York to Burlington, MA, this past August, debuted on the Nasdaq stock exchange, with an opening share price of $6.50 on Monday. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNDO]]) went public not through a conventional … Continue reading “Millennium, Metamark, Amgen, & More Boston Life Sciences Headlines”

Acceleron Pharma Lands $30,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a9156b52-c8b4-4945-958e-014b02e68551&Preview=1 Date 12/23/2011 Company Name Acceleron Pharma Mailing Address 128 Sidney Street Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description Acceleron is establishing itself as the premier company in GDF-targeted therapies. We have developed an unparalleled expertise in GDF biology, and our scientific advisory board consists of leaders and pioneers in the field. Website http://www.acceleronpharma.com … Continue reading “Acceleron Pharma Lands $30,000,000 New Financing”

PatientKeeper Inks $6M, Promotes Hazard to Chairman

Waltham, MA-based health IT company PatientKeeper announced today that it has added $6 million in growth financing, from Flybridge Capital Partners, New Enterprise Associates and Whitney & Company. The company, which makes software for improving patient care and physician workflow, said the new money will go to product development and the expansion of its professional … Continue reading “PatientKeeper Inks $6M, Promotes Hazard to Chairman”

Report: Amazon Opening Boston-Area Office

I guess Werner Vogels changed his mind. Amazon.com’s chief technology officer told me a couple years ago that his company had no intention of opening a Boston office. MIT engineers, he said, had no problem moving out west to Seattle to join the e-retail technology giant. I thought that was kind of strange, but Amazon … Continue reading “Report: Amazon Opening Boston-Area Office”

Akamai to Buy Cotendo for $268M

Some big acquisition news before the holidays here. Cambridge, MA-based Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]), the Web delivery and networking giant, said today it is acquiring a competitor, Sunnyvale, CA-based Cotendo, for $268 million in cash. The deal, which has been rumored for the past month, is expected to close in the first half of 2012. … Continue reading “Akamai to Buy Cotendo for $268M”

How Not to Name a Startup: The Curse of the Camel Case

What’s in a tech startup name? More specifically, is there a correlation between the type of name a company has and its success? That’s a question every startup founder and investor should be interested in. Because if there is a correlation, then using a name-based strategy for picking winners would be, well, about as good … Continue reading “How Not to Name a Startup: The Curse of the Camel Case”

Boston-Power Adds $30M to Bring Venture Funding Pot to $346M

Anyone who says cleantech companies are having a tough time raising money should take a look at Boston-Power. The Westborough, MA-based advanced lithium-ion battery maker is announcing today that it’s taken in $30 million in equity funding, just three months after announcing a massive $125 million Series F funding round. The company has now attracted … Continue reading “Boston-Power Adds $30M to Bring Venture Funding Pot to $346M”

Boston-Power Obtains $30,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c924bc5f-fa0a-404e-960b-042cbef36977&Preview=1 Date 12/22/2011 Company Name Boston-Power Mailing Address 2200 West Park Drive Westborough, MA 01581 Company Description Boston-Power, Inc. is an emerging portable power company answering the call for safer, longer lasting Lithium-ion batteries – today. Website http://www.boston-power.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $30,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The investment … Continue reading “Boston-Power Obtains $30,000,000 New Financing Round”

Cyber-Ark Software Receives $40,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7108e0a4-4eb9-4abc-9a1f-387c902e1da8&Preview=1 Date 12/22/2011 Company Name Cyber-Ark Software Mailing Address 57 Wells Avenue Newton, MA 02459 Company Description Cyber-Ark Software is a global information security company that specializes in protecting and managing privileged users, applications and sensitive information to improve compliance, productivity and protect organizations against insider threats and advanced external threats. Website … Continue reading “Cyber-Ark Software Receives $40,000,000 New Round”

MEARS Technologies Receives $1,412,758 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d6cc1ed3-fb9a-40bb-916f-5d73fa61c641&Preview=1 Date 12/22/2011 Company Name MEARS Technologies Mailing Address 189 Wells Ave 3rd Floor Newton, MA 02459 Company Description MEARS Technologies is dedicated to delivering a stream of innovative solutions to the global semiconductor industry. We focus on enabling the continued improvement of silicon semiconductor performance at ever finer geometries and increased … Continue reading “MEARS Technologies Receives $1,412,758 New Financing”

PatientKeeper Garners $6,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=399d1515-7235-40ce-8565-a0cfb60c3dc8&Preview=1 Date 12/22/2011 Company Name PatientKeeper Mailing Address 880 Winter Street Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description PatientKeeper, Inc. provides physicians with software that delivers clinical and financial benefits. Only PatientKeeper is designed to support a physician through the entire day. Website http://www.patientkeeper.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “PatientKeeper Garners $6,000,000 New Financing Round”

IBM Gets Emptoris, Nuance Buys Vlingo, & More Boston-Area Deals News

Acquisitions and IPO announcements dominated the deals news in New England this week. —Boston-based Third Rock Ventures put $34 million in Series A funding into Ember Therapeutics, a startup that’s developing drugs to fight obesity in a new way. Ember, also of Boston, is harnessing new understanding of the bodily tissue known as brown fat, … Continue reading “IBM Gets Emptoris, Nuance Buys Vlingo, & More Boston-Area Deals News”

Cyber-Ark Closes $40M, Looks to Go Big in Security

Strange name. Big money. Newton, MA-based Cyber-Ark Software said today it has raised $40 million in investment led by Goldman Sachs and Jerusalem Venture Partners. The deal includes the purchase of stock from existing shareholders as well as growth capital. Cyber-Ark had previously raised $25 million in venture and angel capital. Cyber-Ark works in the … Continue reading “Cyber-Ark Closes $40M, Looks to Go Big in Security”

Reinventing Fire-An Evening with Amory Lovins

Dramatically reducing the nation’s hunger for fossil fuels could lower our impact on the environment and increase energy security. But wouldn’t it also require a dramatic shift in humankind’s approach to the planet? The answer is an emphatic, ‘No,’ says Amory Lovins, cofounder, chairman, and chief scientist of Rocky Mountain Institute. Aided by an array … Continue reading “Reinventing Fire-An Evening with Amory Lovins”

Immigrants Fill Top Ranks of Venture-Backed Tech Startups

Immigrant entrepreneurs are playing important roles at U.S. technology startups, with immigrants serving in key management and product development positions at 37 of the top 50 venture-backed companies—or roughly three out of every four of the startups—according to a study released yesterday. “It’s clear that America gains a great deal when we’re open to talent, … Continue reading “Immigrants Fill Top Ranks of Venture-Backed Tech Startups”

Video: Tuan Ha-Ngoc on Learning from Science Whizzes at GI

Tuan Ha-Ngoc remembers feeling like he belonged in the bottom 10 percent in terms of intelligence at Genetics Institute when he was getting started in the 1980s. Looking back, he says he loved it. “Most of the people at Genetics Institute in the 1980s were much smarter than I am,” Ha-Ngoc said. “What a fantastic … Continue reading “Video: Tuan Ha-Ngoc on Learning from Science Whizzes at GI”

The Move to Value-Based Pricing for Prescription Drugs

The standard marketing value equation taught in business school states value equals utility or benefits less costs. Because the relationship between the price of medicines and the value they deliver isn’t always clear, there are those who would argue that the established marketing value equation has not been universally applied by the pharmaceutical industry. The … Continue reading “The Move to Value-Based Pricing for Prescription Drugs”

Nuance’s Vlingo Purchase Seen As Survival Move Against Apple, Google

It’s hard to believe that two companies that have spent the last three years suing each other really mean it when they say that together they will be stronger. I’m talking about speech recognition competitors Cambridge, MA-based Vlingo and Burlington, MA-based Nuance Communications. The two software makers announced Tuesday that Nuance would acquire the younger, … Continue reading “Nuance’s Vlingo Purchase Seen As Survival Move Against Apple, Google”

GMZ Energy Secures $14,000,000 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2cda739f-e248-4558-a876-239fcb63dec5&Preview=1 Date 12/21/2011 Company Name GMZ Energy Mailing Address 11 Wall Street Waltham, MA 02453 Company Description These thermoelectric materials exhibited the first fundamental improvements in almost 50 years. GMZ Energy, a venture-funded company, was founded in 2007 to commercialize materials and devices that leverage these discoveries. Solid state approaches to cooling … Continue reading “GMZ Energy Secures $14,000,000 Series C Funding Round”

Aushon Biosystems Lands $1,955,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=16f1e0a3-beb8-4a3b-9b92-a765aad3602e&Preview=1 Date 12/21/2011 Company Name Aushon Biosystems Mailing Address 43 Manning Rd. Billerica, MA 01821 Company Description Aushon BioSystems Inc. is a small, privately owned corporation applying advanced engineering and systems-engineering approaches to the challenges of developing life science markets. Aushon is leveraging its advanced engineering capabilities to develop a set of … Continue reading “Aushon Biosystems Lands $1,955,000 New Funding”

Aspen Aerogels Garners $15,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f9a84e82-90eb-411c-a596-43f1330db3ae&Preview=1 Date 12/21/2011 Company Name Aspen Aerogels Mailing Address 30 Forbes Road Building B Northborough, MA 01532 Company Description Aspen Aerogels is nanotechnology at work in oil pipelines, natural gas and military ships, building and construction, boots and jackets and much, much more. Website http://www.aerogel.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Aspen Aerogels Garners $15,000,000 New Financing Round”

Millennium: Takeda Acquires San Diego’s Intellikine for $190M Upfront

Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceuticals, which has its cancer drug development operations in Cambridge, MA, said today it is acquiring San Diego-based Intellikine to get ahold of the startup’s portfolio of cancer drugs. Takeda said it has agreed to pay $190 million upfront, plus another $120 million in future milestone payments, to acquire privately held Intellikine. Through … Continue reading “Millennium: Takeda Acquires San Diego’s Intellikine for $190M Upfront”

TripAdvisor Going Public and Independent; Boston Tech Scene Yawns

It’s probably the quietest Boston-area public offering of the year. But why? Maybe because it’s a spinoff from an already public company, and the deal was announced back in April. Or maybe because New England doesn’t go wild for its consumer-focused tech companies the way some other regions do. Or maybe everyone is just sick … Continue reading “TripAdvisor Going Public and Independent; Boston Tech Scene Yawns”

After Years of Legal Battles, Vlingo to Be Acquired by Nuance

Cambridge, MA-based voice-to-text tech startup Vlingo, which just three months ago charged Nuance Communications with unfair competition, commercial bribery, breach of contract, and intentional interference with prospective business relationships, is being acquired by the Burlington, MA-based speech software giant, according to an announcement today. Nuance (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]) and Vlingo, which develops speech-recognition technology for cell … Continue reading “After Years of Legal Battles, Vlingo to Be Acquired by Nuance”

Excelimmune Adds $12M to Advance Polyclonal Antibodies

Woburn, MA-based Excelimmune announced today that it has raised $12 million from an undisclosed “private” investor. The funding follows close on the heels of a $10.5 million Series B round the company announced in May. Excelimmune is developing “polyclonal” antibodies, which are therapeutic proteins designed to bind to multiple regions of specific disease-causing antigens. The … Continue reading “Excelimmune Adds $12M to Advance Polyclonal Antibodies”

MIT-Born Enumeral Advances Human-Based Method for Hunting Drugs

Geneticist Arthur Tinkelenberg has always been struck by the lack of strategy in scientific research. “Historically it’s been somewhat ad hoc,” he says. “For example, why do we study fruit flies? Because somewhere in the dim past, somebody did something interesting with a fruit fly, and now you have a whole field.” So when Tinkelenberg … Continue reading “MIT-Born Enumeral Advances Human-Based Method for Hunting Drugs”

The Genetics Institute Impact: Caught on Video

We don’t always capture Xconomy events on video, but fortunately the camera was rolling last week at our biggest Boston biotech event of the year—“The Genetics Institute Impact.“ For those of you who missed it, this was the event that brought together more than 250 people from one of Boston’s pioneering biotech companies from the … Continue reading “The Genetics Institute Impact: Caught on Video”

Boston: Cradle of Liberty and Data Startups

I didn’t know the full extent to which the Boston area has a thriving data and analytics startup scene. I had always associated the city primarily with biotech innovation. My company, Chart.io, provides hosted business dashboards to help companies visualize their database data. We’re based out in San Francisco (we were part of the 2010 … Continue reading “Boston: Cradle of Liberty and Data Startups”

A123 Systems, NSTAR Partner on Grid Energy Storage Project

Waltham, MA-headquartered lithium-ion battery manufacturer A123 Systems, which has operations in Michigan, announced today that it is kicking off a pilot project with Boston-based NSTAR to study the benefits of employing the A123’s grid battery technology in a suburban electric grid. The system, NSTAR’s first battery energy storage project, is expected to be up and running in 2012 … Continue reading “A123 Systems, NSTAR Partner on Grid Energy Storage Project”

Skyword Garners $6,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d90612c1-ebe1-4a53-aaa3-00a899564a0b&Preview=1 Date 12/20/2011 Company Name Skyword Mailing Address 234 Congress St. fourth floor Boston, MA 02110 Company Description Skyword is the leader in Search-Driven Media (SDM). Skyword enables brands to acquire and engage customers through efficient forecasting, creation and placement of brand-aligned content that precisely matches consumer search. Clients include Proctor & … Continue reading “Skyword Garners $6,000,000 New Round”

Matchbox Secures $2,500,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d6d94957-e357-44ee-954c-86993ba86350&Preview=1 Date 12/20/2011 Company Name Matchbox Mailing Address One Broadway 14th Floor Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description Matchbox helps universities accelerate and improve their entire recruitment process. Website http://www.matchbox.net Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Floodgate Venture … Continue reading “Matchbox Secures $2,500,000 New Financing”

Excelimmune Lands $12,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0e472db2-b67c-4e71-b2b5-8fe433a3f362&Preview=1 Date 12/20/2011 Company Name Excelimmune Mailing Address 12-B Cabot Road Woburn, MA 01801 Company Description Excelimmune Inc., based in Cambridge, is a biotechnology company developing therapuetic applications of human recombinant polyclonal antibodies. Website http://www.excelimmune.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $12,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Novel treatments in nocosomial infections … Continue reading “Excelimmune Lands $12,000,000 New Round”

Nuance Communications Acquires Vlingo for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8f9396b9-3b9a-4c3f-8743-cef5fbd4d0fe&Preview=1 Date 12/20/2011 Company Name Vlingo Mailing Address 17 Dunster Street Cambridge, MA 02138 Company Description At vlingo we unlock access to wireless data services. We provide wireless carriers and wireless application providers a voice interface to their applications. With vlingo, instead of triple-tapping on a small keyboard, users can now simply … Continue reading “Nuance Communications Acquires Vlingo for Undisclosed Sum”

Amgen, Watson Strike $400M Deal for Biosimilar Cancer Drugs

Amgen has spent years defending itself from enemies in the generic drug business, but now the world’s largest biotech company has found a way to join forces with a major maker of copycat pharmaceuticals. Thousand Oaks, CA-based Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]), which has R&D operations in Seattle, San Francisco, and Boston, said today it has agreed to … Continue reading “Amgen, Watson Strike $400M Deal for Biosimilar Cancer Drugs”

Skyword Scores $6M to Blend Media and Marketing

Boston-based Skyword is moving up in the world. The startup, which makes a software platform for brands to create Web content, said today it has closed $6 million in financing from Cox Media Group. The company says it helps publishers—which is marketing-speak for retail and industry brands, as well as media companies—create online content “for … Continue reading “Skyword Scores $6M to Blend Media and Marketing”

Metamark Inks Potential $365M Deal with J&J For Cancer Marker Discovery

Cambridge, MA-based Metamark Genetics said today it had entered into a research agreement with Janssen Biotech, a unit of New Brunswick, NJ-based Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]). Metamark, which was founded in 2007 on science from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is developing prognostic tests based on genes discovered to play a role in how tumors progress and … Continue reading “Metamark Inks Potential $365M Deal with J&J For Cancer Marker Discovery”

Biofuels Firm Coskata, Backed by Boston VCs, Files for IPO

Here’s another data point for New England cleantech investors. Coskata, a Warrenville, IL-based developer of cellulosic ethanol, has filed paperwork for an initial public offering. The proposed maximum offering is $100 million, but as usual, that doesn’t mean much at this point. Coskata is backed by a couple of Boston-area venture firms—Advanced Technology Ventures and … Continue reading “Biofuels Firm Coskata, Backed by Boston VCs, Files for IPO”

Coronado Biosciences Debuts on Nasdaq, Moves Two Lead Drugs Forward

The path to becoming a publicly listed company chosen by Coronado Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNDO]]) was anything but conventional, but it seems to be working for the biotech startup. After raising $47.4 million privately over the last year, the company filed a Form 10 with the SEC so it could become a public company by registering all … Continue reading “Coronado Biosciences Debuts on Nasdaq, Moves Two Lead Drugs Forward”

Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer’s Report Card: C

Kevin Sharer will not go down in history as one of biotech’s most successful, or beloved, CEOs. But how well did Sharer really perform during his decade running the industry’s biggest company? For those who missed it, Thousand Oaks, CA-based Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) said last week that Sharer, 63, will be retiring as CEO in … Continue reading “Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer’s Report Card: C”

What Can Attending a Football Game Teach Technology Companies?

Let me state this right off the top: I’m a huge New England Patriots fan. Even though I’m now based on the West Coast, I make it a point to watch every Patriots game and I attend several games each season, making the cross-country trek to cheer on my team. It was on one of … Continue reading “What Can Attending a Football Game Teach Technology Companies?”

Expressor Software Lands $1,500,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=76185e6a-a98c-44db-b58f-01646eb8b598&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name Expressor Software Mailing Address 1 New England Executive Park Burlington, MA 01803 Company Description The company provides multi-platform, parallel, processing, data management software. Website http://www.expressor-software.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing-amended. M&A Terms Venture … Continue reading “Expressor Software Lands $1,500,000 New Financing”

Cloudant Secures $2,084,160 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6b2330aa-31c9-4f66-86fb-4c2c692ddcd0&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name Cloudant Mailing Address 580 Harrison Ave Boston, MA 02118 Company Description Cloudant offers an integrated database, analytics, and search, providing businesses with an easy to use, highly-scalable data platform based on Apache CouchDB. Website http://www.cloudant.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,084,160 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Cloudant Secures $2,084,160 New Funding”

Hacker’s Putty, Soggy Doggy, & Other Gift Ideas from Daily Grommet

Holiday shopping season is a fun time of year for a company like Daily Grommet. The Lexington, MA-based Web startup finds unusual consumer products and tells a story about one such “grommet” each day through videos and text. This week I touched base with founder and CEO Jules Pieri, who shared some info with me … Continue reading “Hacker’s Putty, Soggy Doggy, & Other Gift Ideas from Daily Grommet”

How To Build a “Lifestyle Business” with 30M Visitors Per Month

In Silicon Valley, there is no more pejorative term than “lifestyle business.” It’s usually applied to companies that do well enough to earn their founders and employees a living—sometimes a very good living—but that will never make anyone mega-rich. Venture capital partners, who have to weed out all but the fastest-growing companies if they’re to … Continue reading “How To Build a “Lifestyle Business” with 30M Visitors Per Month”

Vertex, Ariad, Alnylam, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences Newsmakers

New England saw a flurry of life sciences news this week, from venture firms, new startups, and established biotechs. —Boston-based Avila Therapeutics presented data at the American Society of Hematology from early human trials of its lead cancer drug, AVL-292, which is on track to enter more extensive Phase 2 trials next year. This compound, … Continue reading “Vertex, Ariad, Alnylam, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences Newsmakers”