Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dd62af21-47c1-4048-a241-3ce6dc41e8c4&Preview=1 Date 9/26/2011 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 Debt Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “PatientKeeper Lands $1,500,000 New Funding Round”
Category: Boston
ioRevolution Secures $1,594,996 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2426b98a-942a-4666-8595-4ff4e9013bcb&Preview=1 Date 9/26/2011 Company Name ioRevolution Mailing Address 129 Franklin Street Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description The company has developed PowerInbox that allows any notification email from an outside website like Groupon or Facebook to be seen inside the body of your email, instead of having to click on a link in … Continue reading “ioRevolution Secures $1,594,996 New Round”
Genentech, ImmunoGen’s Souped-Up Antibody for Breast Cancer Passes Key Test
The evidence is mounting to prove the point that Genentech’s scientists have been trying to make for years—that a souped-up version of its top-selling antibody drug for breast cancer can be more effective in some cases than the original. Genentech, the South San Francisco-based unit of Roche, and its partner, Waltham, MA-based ImmunoGen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IMGN]]), … Continue reading “Genentech, ImmunoGen’s Souped-Up Antibody for Breast Cancer Passes Key Test”
U-M’s Faley on Entrepreneurial Programs’ Explosive Growth, and Ending the Midwestern Shame Game
“Entrepreneurialism is a virus that must be spread.” So said Samuel Zell 12 years ago as he and Anne Lurie (on behalf of her deceased husband Robert) gave the University of Michigan Ross School of Business $10 million to establish the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. Since then, the Institute has extended its reach beyond U-M, playing … Continue reading “U-M’s Faley on Entrepreneurial Programs’ Explosive Growth, and Ending the Midwestern Shame Game”
Turning the Social Network Inside Out: What the Changes at Facebook Mean For Apple and Google-and You
One of the most persistent criticisms of Facebook is that it’s trying to build a “walled garden” analogous to AOL’s dialup service in the 1980s and early 1990s. Blogger Jason Kottke said it in 2007. Tim Berners-Lee said it in Scientific American in 2010. Google’s Vint Cerf revived the meme earlier this week at an … Continue reading “Turning the Social Network Inside Out: What the Changes at Facebook Mean For Apple and Google-and You”
This Week’s Xconomy Report for WGBH: Batteries, Incubators, Drugs & More
We’re a few weeks into our partnership with WGBH Radio to provide a weekly roundup of the week’s technology and innovation news and how it’s affecting the economy and other corners of our lives. This week’s Xconomy Report, read by WGBH’s Bob Seay, covered big cleantech and startup incubator financings, as well as deals for … Continue reading “This Week’s Xconomy Report for WGBH: Batteries, Incubators, Drugs & More”
Xconomy Venture Chat on Monday: VCs Duke It Out, Startups Burst (Just a Few Tickets Left…)
We’re gearing up for our first Boston event of the fall: a chat with some prominent venture capitalists around the theme of “Consumers, the Cloud, and Beyond—New Rules for Innovation.” It’s happening this Monday from 6:00-8:00 pm in downtown Boston. We have just a few tickets left, so get yours today… I know what you’re … Continue reading “Xconomy Venture Chat on Monday: VCs Duke It Out, Startups Burst (Just a Few Tickets Left…)”
With $50M Deal, San Diego Company Combines PV Solar, Financing, and New Roof
One of South Korea’s largest conglomerates led a $50 million Series A financing for OneRoof Energy, a San Diego company with a leasing program that enables homeowners to install photovoltaic (PV) solar tiles on their roofs without paying upfront costs. The company says Hanwha International, part of the Seoul-based Hanwha Group, is getting a “significant, … Continue reading “With $50M Deal, San Diego Company Combines PV Solar, Financing, and New Roof”
Big Pharma Attempts to Extend Own Lifespan by Activating Sirtuins
Can drugs that supposedly “activate” a controversial target—sirtuin proteins—stop or even reverse the aging process? A new report this week said “No.” According to this report, published Wednesday night in Nature, sirtuin activators do not extend lifespan in roundworms and flies and earlier studies that said they did were flawed. Nonetheless, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) continues to … Continue reading “Big Pharma Attempts to Extend Own Lifespan by Activating Sirtuins”
Tokai Gets $23M, Eleven Therapeutics Hires New CEO, Ariad Drug Advances, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
This week’s New England life sciences news was dominated by area drugmakers. —Healthcare companies accounted for more than 75 percent of the $156.5 million brought in by Massachusetts startup companies in August, according to CB Insights FundingFlash. The overall monthly funding total has been shrinking since June, though. –Cambridge, MA-based prostate cancer drug developer Tokai … Continue reading “Tokai Gets $23M, Eleven Therapeutics Hires New CEO, Ariad Drug Advances, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Daily Grommet Obtains $310,634 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e9710f8c-95a4-46d4-bec8-e4dfcb3c3387&Preview=1 Date 9/23/2011 Company Name Daily Grommet Mailing Address 6 Wallis Court Lexington, MA 02421 Company Description At the heart of it, we’re a bunch of regular folks with a passion for finding Grommets; wonderful products–with interesting stories–that people would love to know about. Website http://www.dailygrommet.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $310,634 … Continue reading “Daily Grommet Obtains $310,634 New Funding Round”
FirstFuel Software Secures $2,400,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=90f44a4f-ea82-470f-a9c3-ebc754f7aef8&Preview=1 Date 9/23/2011 Company Name FirstFuel Software Mailing Address Undisclosed Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description We’ve developed our own patent-pending energy analytics platform for commercial buildings. Through the lens of building consumption data from your utility, we can “see” into buildings and understand how energy is being used, where it is wasted … Continue reading “FirstFuel Software Secures $2,400,000 Series A Round”
Bridge Energy Obtains Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8b9cd1ff-1ed3-4114-9364-d0f8b8574852&Preview=1 Date 9/23/2011 Company Name Bridge Energy Mailing Address 377 Simarano Drive Marlborough, MA 01752 Company Description BRIDGE Energy Group, Inc. is the Trusted Advisor & Implementation Partner in providing Smart Grid Integration and Utility Solutions to the Energy industry. Whether your business is embarking on Smart Grid initiatives, updating outdated systems, … Continue reading “Bridge Energy Obtains Series A Round”
FirstFuel Scores $2.4M to Put Toward Software for Remote Energy Audits
FirstFuel Software, a developer of energy auditing analytics technology for commercial buildings, announced today that it has nabbed $2.4 million in first round funding, led by Battery Ventures and Nth Power. The money will go to scaling and fueling customer adoption of FirstFuel’s software, which can profile the energy performance of buildings using data on … Continue reading “FirstFuel Scores $2.4M to Put Toward Software for Remote Energy Audits”
Visible Measures Sees $13M Series D, Goes After Social Video Advertising
What the heck is social video analytics and advertising? Whatever it is, Visible Measures has closed a Series D financing round worth $13 million, based on the strength of its software platform in that field. The Boston company, which started in 2005, has raised a total of more than $45 million to date. DAG Ventures … Continue reading “Visible Measures Sees $13M Series D, Goes After Social Video Advertising”
How to Build a Web Startup: Lean LaunchPad Edition
As part of our Lean LaunchPad classes at Stanford, Berkeley, Columbia and for the National Science Foundation, students build a startup in 8 weeks using Business Model Design + Customer Development. One of the problems they run into is building a website. If you’re an experienced coder and user interface designer you think nothing is … Continue reading “How to Build a Web Startup: Lean LaunchPad Edition”
Ariad Brings Third Cancer Drug Into Human Trials
Yesterday Cambridge, MA-based Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARIA]]) began dosing patients in a trial of its third cancer drug, which the company believes may pack a double punch against the disease. The medicine, AP26113, inhibits two genetic targets found in some patients with solid tumors, particularly non-small cell lung cancer. The initial phase of the trial … Continue reading “Ariad Brings Third Cancer Drug Into Human Trials”
Eleven Biotherapeutics Dials Up New CEO, Primes Lead Eye Drug for Clinic Next Year
There’s a running joke at Cambridge, MA-based Eleven Biotherapeutics. It shouldn’t be a surprise, since the company draws inspiration for its name from the 1984 rock mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap” in which one of the dim-witted members of the band cranks up the amplifier to 11, because that’s louder than 10. At Eleven Biotherapeutics … Continue reading “Eleven Biotherapeutics Dials Up New CEO, Primes Lead Eye Drug for Clinic Next Year”
Xconomist of the Week: Ben Elowitz Goes Deep with TV Gossip, Maps the Future of Media
What does “Jersey Shore” star Snooki have to do with the future of online media? Plenty, it turns out. That’s one of the surprising things I learned recently chatting with Ben Elowitz, the CEO of Seattle-based Wetpaint, a well-financed startup that’s about a year into its newest mission: Trying to reinvent how content is created … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Ben Elowitz Goes Deep with TV Gossip, Maps the Future of Media”
Getting Ready for an IPO Window: Venture Capital in the Northeast
An overriding story of the past several years has undoubtedly been the global economic volatility. Conditions in the stock markets have been unpredictable and therefore many venture capital firms have felt the need to reserve more capital for existing investments, postpone new investments and, in some cases, postpone raising new funds. While a number of … Continue reading “Getting Ready for an IPO Window: Venture Capital in the Northeast”
Sabet and Wilson Out at Twitter, Hirshland Out at Polaris, & More VC Comings and Goings
Catching up on an eventful week in Boston- and San Francisco-area venture capital personnel moves… —Bijan Sabet of Spark Capital and Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures are leaving the board of Twitter at the end of this month. Sabet and Wilson were early investors in the social-media giant, and there has been plenty of … Continue reading “Sabet and Wilson Out at Twitter, Hirshland Out at Polaris, & More VC Comings and Goings”
Innerscope Research Obtains $9,400,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dcdc5242-3fce-41d5-81db-a24b8f40a343&Preview=1 Date 9/22/2011 Company Name Innerscope Research Mailing Address 98 North Washington St 2nd Floor Boston, MA 02114 Company Description Innerscope Research, Inc. is dedicated to creating unique insights by measuring and analyzing unconscious emotional responses to media and marketing stimuli. With its breakthrough and validated Biometric Monitoring System, Innerscope accurately predicts … Continue reading “Innerscope Research Obtains $9,400,000 Series A Funding Round”
Visible Measures Secures $13,000,000 Series D Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d77a1553-e4b0-4944-bcd4-ddc82b1ee552&Preview=1 Date 9/22/2011 Company Name Visible Measures Mailing Address 25 Kingston St 5th Fl Boston, MA 02111 Company Description Visible Measures Corp. (VMC) is helping to revolutionize the way publishers, advertisers, and audiences engage with Internet delivered video. Our Video Experience Measurement (VXM) suite of products provides objective 3rd party audience measurement … Continue reading “Visible Measures Secures $13,000,000 Series D Financing”
DisruptiveApps Obtains $1,200,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f4e8f12d-37a7-45be-ab46-18b95416b7ac&Preview=1 Date 9/22/2011 Company Name DisruptiveApps Mailing Address Undisclosed Boston, MA 02101 Company Description iJukebox is a smartphone app that lets you request songs wherever you eat, drink, shop or hangout. Website http://www.myijukebox.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,200,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms … Continue reading “DisruptiveApps Obtains $1,200,000 New Financing Round”
TechStars Raises $24M More, Offers Each Startup $100K; Founder David Cohen Talks “Quality Over Quantity”
The early-stage tech accelerator business just got even more competitive. Boulder, CO-based TechStars, which runs seed-stage mentorship programs for startups in Boulder, Boston, Seattle, and New York, announced today it has raised a new $24 million fund from a long list of investors that includes Foundry Group, IA Ventures, Avalon Ventures, DFJ Mercury, SoftBank Capital, … Continue reading “TechStars Raises $24M More, Offers Each Startup $100K; Founder David Cohen Talks “Quality Over Quantity””
The Disrupt Experience
The decision to apply to TechCrunch’s Disrupt Battlefield competition wasn’t an easy one. TalkTo had been operating in stealth. We didn’t want to launch publicly, we wanted to launch successfully. Something changed once that application went forward. None of us knew if we’d even be selected as a finalist but we worked as if we … Continue reading “The Disrupt Experience”
Mascoma Seeks IPO, Tokai Takes in $23M, Boston-Power Gets $125 for Shift to China, & More Boston-Area Deals News
This week’s deals news in New England was dominated by cleantech and life sciences firms. —Quincy, MA-based Bluefin Robotics, a maker of autonomous underwater vehicles, acquired the assets of Hawkes Remotes for an undisclosed sum. Hawkes Remotes is a spinoff of Hawkes Ocean Technologies, a Bay Area developer of deep-ocean explorer vehicles. —Providence, MA-based NABsys, … Continue reading “Mascoma Seeks IPO, Tokai Takes in $23M, Boston-Power Gets $125 for Shift to China, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
CustomMade, Hopper, OfficeDrop, Yottaa Join Xconomy’s Venture Chat on Sep. 26
We’re gearing up for a very interesting panel discussion next Monday, September 26, in downtown Boston. And the program just got even more interesting. Xconomy is organizing a venture chat around the theme of “Consumers, the Cloud, and Beyond—New Rules for Innovation,” which will tackle hard questions about what entrepreneurs and investors need to think … Continue reading “CustomMade, Hopper, OfficeDrop, Yottaa Join Xconomy’s Venture Chat on Sep. 26”
Tokai Snaps Up $23M From Novartis and Apple Tree to Challenge Leaders in Prostate Cancer
[Correction: 2 pm ET 10/6/11] The big bet at Cambridge, MA-based Tokai Pharmaceuticals is on prostate cancer, and now the size of that bet is getting a lot bigger. Tokai is announcing today it has raised $23 million in a Series D3 financing, which included its existing investors Novartis Venture Fund, Apple Tree Partners, and … Continue reading “Tokai Snaps Up $23M From Novartis and Apple Tree to Challenge Leaders in Prostate Cancer”
Plunging Valuations and Surplus of Groupon Clones Sets Off Frenzy of M&A Activity
Buyouts and mergers of Web companies that offer online “daily deals” have accelerated sharply over the past five months, driven by a rapid decline in valuations and a surplus of Groupon clones, according to a report issued today by CB Insights, a New York data services firm. CB Insights counted 22 global mergers and acquisitions … Continue reading “Plunging Valuations and Surplus of Groupon Clones Sets Off Frenzy of M&A Activity”
Boston-Power Pulls In $125M, Shifting Focus and Most Operations to China to Get Its Battery Tech into Electric Vehicles
Just after I wrote that no Massachusetts-based cleantech companies inked funding last month, Westborough-based Boston-Power bucks that trend for September. The developer of advanced lithium-ion battery technology is announcing today that it has raised $125 million. The deal, which brings Boston-Power’s total funding pot to more than $316 million, has some serious implications for the … Continue reading “Boston-Power Pulls In $125M, Shifting Focus and Most Operations to China to Get Its Battery Tech into Electric Vehicles”
Boston-Power Garners $125,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=81334857-94ba-43a4-9602-450d43db2eeb&Preview=1 Date 9/20/2011 Company Name Boston-Power Mailing Address 2200 West Park Drive Westborough, MA 01581-3961 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 $125,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company … Continue reading “Boston-Power Garners $125,000,000 New Funding”
Tokai Pharmaceuticals Obtains $23,000,000 Series D Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=05bcfc14-3ff6-4901-a30f-5e3b9d43f06c&Preview=1 Date 9/20/2011 Company Name Tokai Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address One Broadway 11th floor Cambridge , MA 02142 Company Description The company develops biopharmaceutical products that focus on endocrine treatment. Website http://www.tokaipharmaceuticals.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $23,000,000 Transaction Round Series D Proceeds Purposes The new money will go toward Tokai’s lone … Continue reading “Tokai Pharmaceuticals Obtains $23,000,000 Series D Financing Round”
CredoRax Obtains New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=011ffe05-a7ed-4211-927c-96dae6cb9e89&Preview=1 Date 9/20/2011 Company Name CredoRax Mailing Address 106 Southville Road Southborough, MA 01772 Company Description Credorax provides online payment processing & acquiring bank services under one roof, to a diverse range of online merchants worldwide. Website http://www.credorax.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The investment … Continue reading “CredoRax Obtains New Round”
Five Take-Home Messages from the FutureM Conference
Between the FutureM conference, Web Innovators Group, Mobile Monday, the Entrepreneur Walk of Fame, and the MIT tech festival t=0, there wasn’t a lot of time for Boston techies to breathe last week. To keep you up to date, here are some high-level takeaways from FutureM, the sprawling MITX event that was really 50-plus separate … Continue reading “Five Take-Home Messages from the FutureM Conference”
What Bubble? August Startup Funding in MA Slides Further to $156.5M
The rate at which investors put money into startups continued to slow last month. Bay State tech and life sciences companies received $156.5 million across 27 equity-based deals, sinking further from the July total of $250.5 million. That’s according to data from FundingFlash, a daily roundup put out by CB Insights that tracks companies receiving … Continue reading “What Bubble? August Startup Funding in MA Slides Further to $156.5M”
Stirring the Pot Once in a While Doesn’t Hurt, and It Could Help Biotech Break its Malaise
Listen to enough biotech industry leaders talk in public, and you’ll hear a lot of carefully scripted comments. Everyone can list off their corporate milestones on a PowerPoint slide, and utter some politically correct platitudes about novel technology, helping patients, having a “good working relationship” with the FDA, constructive partnership talks. Blah, blah, blah. Rarely … Continue reading “Stirring the Pot Once in a While Doesn’t Hurt, and It Could Help Biotech Break its Malaise”
Mascoma, Biofuels Maker Backed by Big VCs, Files for IPO
Big news today in New England cleantech—a sector that could certainly use some positive developments. Lebanon, NH-based Mascoma, a biofuels firm that plans to break ground on a cellulosic ethanol plant in Michigan later this year, has filed for an initial public offering. In its SEC filing, Mascoma says it intends to sell up to … Continue reading “Mascoma, Biofuels Maker Backed by Big VCs, Files for IPO”
Apperian CEO Patrick Will Turn the Tables on VCs as Moderator of Xconomy Venture Chat on Sep. 26
The worlds of founding and investing in startups seem to have turned almost upside down in recent years—at least in the Internet space. Suddenly, in this age of the cloud and mobile apps, it’s possible for hopeful entrepreneurs to create a hugely profitable company, not out of their garage, but from their desktops—and they might … Continue reading “Apperian CEO Patrick Will Turn the Tables on VCs as Moderator of Xconomy Venture Chat on Sep. 26”
A Day in the Life of the San Francisco Tech Community
My job is pretty cool. I get to spend time picking the brains of some of the planet’s smartest and most successful entrepreneurs—and invariably, I’m asking them to talk about the one thing they care about most passionately, their startup and/or its technology. Even if I weren’t doing something I care about passionately myself—helping to … Continue reading “A Day in the Life of the San Francisco Tech Community”
Entrepreneur Walk of Fame Opens in Kendall Square: Gates, Jobs, Kapor, Hewlett, Packard, Swanson, and Edison are Inaugural Inductees
It was a little over a year ago that Xconomy broke the news that a movement was underway to bring an Entrepreneur Walk of Fame to Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA, modeled after its Hollywood namesake. The idea makes a lot of sense: If we celebrate movie stars and athletes, why not the top innovators … Continue reading “Entrepreneur Walk of Fame Opens in Kendall Square: Gates, Jobs, Kapor, Hewlett, Packard, Swanson, and Edison are Inaugural Inductees”
Tensha Nabs $15M, Termeer Gives MIT $10M, Stata Puts $10M Into NABsys, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
We saw an interesting mix of financings, collaborations, and research news from New England’s drug and medical device developers this week. —HealthCare Ventures put $15 million in Series A funding into Cambridge, MA-based Tensha Therapeutics, a startup developing small-molecule drugs designed to treat cancer and other diseases by regulating the expression of disease-associated genes. —Boston’s … Continue reading “Tensha Nabs $15M, Termeer Gives MIT $10M, Stata Puts $10M Into NABsys, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Gtrot Receives $150,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5f21882e-8dac-434b-af6c-2f6c13243855&Preview=1 Date 9/16/2011 Company Name Gtrot Mailing Address 67 Mount Auburn St. Fourth Floor Cambridge, MA 02138 Company Description The company operates an online social oriented travel site. Website http://www.gtrot.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $150,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms … Continue reading “Gtrot Receives $150,000 New Funding Round”
GI Dynamics Lands $37,504,548 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4bdfb4d1-3c30-431c-85ef-b75897194591&Preview=1 Date 9/16/2011 Company Name GI Dynamics Mailing Address One Maguire Road Lexington, MA 02421 Company Description GI Dynamics has developed novel devices that are delivered into the gastrointestinal tract using minimally invasive techniques. Website http://www.gidynamics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $37,504,548 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “GI Dynamics Lands $37,504,548 New Financing”
TenMarks Secures $3,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ccf6d723-a470-4a52-825d-bd36eec7ade4&Preview=1 Date 9/16/2011 Company Name TenMarks Mailing Address 46 Glen Avenue Newton, MA 02459 Company Description TenMarks is on a mission to build a stronger foundation and a stronger future for all children. TenMarks was founded by entrepreneurial parents searching for a better way to help students achieve their potential in math, … Continue reading “TenMarks Secures $3,000,000 New Funding”
Merck Joins the Big Pharma VC Party, Setting Up $250M Biotech Investment Fund
[Updated with Merck comment 1:25 pm ET, 9/16] Just about all the major pharmaceutical companies have their own venture capital funds to invest in biotech startups, and now one of the real biggies, Whitehouse Station, NJ-based Merck, has joined the club. Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) has established the new Merck Research Venture Fund (MRVF) with $250 … Continue reading “Merck Joins the Big Pharma VC Party, Setting Up $250M Biotech Investment Fund”
Silicon Valley’s Pay-It-Forward Culture
Foreign visitors to Silicon Valley continually mention how willing we are to help, network and connect strangers. We take it so for granted we never even to bother to talk about it. It’s the “Pay-It-Forward” culture. The Chips are Down in 1962 Walker’s Wagon Wheel Bar/Restaurant in Mountain View became the lunch hangout for employees … Continue reading “Silicon Valley’s Pay-It-Forward Culture”
Fraunhofer CSE, With Roots In Post-WWII Germany, Eyes South Boston Building as Energy Efficiency Test Bed
Building owners and managers are often reluctant to adopt new energy efficiency technology because they doubt it will be worth the cost in the long run. Nolan Browne, managing director of the Cambridge, MA-based (for now) Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, is on the same page. “I fundamentally agree with them,” he says. “If … Continue reading “Fraunhofer CSE, With Roots In Post-WWII Germany, Eyes South Boston Building as Energy Efficiency Test Bed”
NABsys Takes in $10M Round, Led by Stata, for Gene Sequencing Tools
NABsys, a Providence, MA-based gene-sequencing startup, announced today it has closed a $10 million Series C investment led by return investor Stata Venture Partners, the Needham, MA-based firm founded by Analog Devices (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ADI]]) co-founder and chairman Ray Stata (a member of the NABsys board of directors). The new money, which brings NABsys’ total financing … Continue reading “NABsys Takes in $10M Round, Led by Stata, for Gene Sequencing Tools”
Xconomist of the Week: Reed Sturtevant of Lotus, Idealab, and Microsoft Fame Talks Tech Trends to Watch
You know the type. He’s at every tech startup event, every investor event, and every incubator and early-stage mentorship session (at least every good one). He’s talked to every entrepreneur in the area and has had a hand in the development of many of their companies. He has been a fixture of the local software … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Reed Sturtevant of Lotus, Idealab, and Microsoft Fame Talks Tech Trends to Watch”