Category: Boston

Metamark, Stealthy Startup with Dana-Farber Roots, Seeks to Tell Docs When to Treat Prostate Cancer, and When Not

Metamark Genetics has graduated from stealth mode. Now the Cambridge, MA-based startup, founded by top scientists at Harvard University and elsewhere, has hired a diagnostics industry veteran as its chief executive, and set a public goal for releasing a product that could change the way physicians decide how to treat prostate cancer in its early … Continue reading “Metamark, Stealthy Startup with Dana-Farber Roots, Seeks to Tell Docs When to Treat Prostate Cancer, and When Not”

The Changing Face of Boston VC: A Chat With NextView Ventures’ David Beisel

I have glimpsed the future of Boston venture capital—one possible future, anyway—and it looks a bit like David Beisel. He’s kind of an unassuming guy, but those are the ones you have to watch because they can make big things happen. Traditional VCs might scoff at the notion that so-called micro-VCs or “super angels”—earlier-stage, smaller … Continue reading “The Changing Face of Boston VC: A Chat With NextView Ventures’ David Beisel”

New CEO for Crimson Hexagon

Cambridge, MA-based Crimson Hexagon, a social media analytics startup, announced today that it has hired Patricia Gottesman as its president and chief executive officer. She joined the company as a member of the board in December, and replaces previous Crimson Hexagon CEO Scott Centurino, who started the position last April. Gottesman previously held marketing, operations, … Continue reading “New CEO for Crimson Hexagon”

Tippr Gets Injunction for Alleged Trade Secret Theft by BuyWithMe, Also Launches Patent Lawsuit

Kashless, the parent of Seattle-based group deals site Tippr, is accusing New York- and Boston-based BuyWithMe of improperly obtaining insider information from a Tippr employee in a civil lawsuit filed in Seattle. Kashless’s lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court, alleges that BuyWithMe founder Andrew Moss successfully solicited financial information from a Tippr salesman, Andrew … Continue reading “Tippr Gets Injunction for Alleged Trade Secret Theft by BuyWithMe, Also Launches Patent Lawsuit”

Xconomy’s VC65: Celebrating the 65th Anniversary of Venture Capital in America

Venture Capital in America: 65 Years of Funding Entrepreneurs and Innovation The venture capital industry in the United States was born as a professional activity in June of 1946 with the formation of American Research and Development in Boston by Harvard Business School professor General Georges Doriot. Since then, the industry has funded innovation and … Continue reading “Xconomy’s VC65: Celebrating the 65th Anniversary of Venture Capital in America”

Vertex Stock Up 15 Percent on CF Data

Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ winning ways are being felt on Wall Street this morning. The Cambridge, MA-based drug developer’s (NASDAQ:[[ticker:VRTX]]) shock price was up 15 percent to $44:03 per share as of 10:14 am Eastern time today as investors reacted to positive results the firm revealed this morning from a late-stage trial of its treatment VX-770 for … Continue reading “Vertex Stock Up 15 Percent on CF Data”

iAMscientist, Backed by George Whitesides, Tries to Help Firms and Institutes Find Top Talent

If your name is Borya Shakhnovich, people tend to make assumptions about you. One, they don’t want to play you in competitive chess. Two, they wouldn’t be terribly surprised if you introduced yourself by saying something like, “I am scientist.” OK, I’m stereotyping here (a real time-saver, I know), but at least one of those … Continue reading “iAMscientist, Backed by George Whitesides, Tries to Help Firms and Institutes Find Top Talent”

Vertex Nails Pivotal Study for Cystic Fibrosis, Racing Toward Market With Second Drug

Vertex Pharmaceuticals has been moving in this direction for a long time, but it can now say with confidence that it is on its way to shaking up the standard of care for not just one disease this year, but two. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]), which has operations in San Diego, is … Continue reading “Vertex Nails Pivotal Study for Cystic Fibrosis, Racing Toward Market With Second Drug”

Traackr Obtains Series A Funding, Moves to San Francisco

Traackr, a three-year-old startup that helps marketers identify the most influential social media users in any given niche, has picked up an undisclosed amount of Series A funding from at least two Silicon Valley “super angels” and one early-stage startup fund, according to co-founder Pierre-Loïc Assayag. The company was born in Boston and later moved … Continue reading “Traackr Obtains Series A Funding, Moves to San Francisco”

Constant Contact Buys Bantam Live, Forest Pays $1.2B for Clinical Data, Paydiant Scores $7.6M, & More Boston-Area Deals News

Acquisitions news has stolen the show for Boston-area tech and life sciences headlines in the last week, but we’ve also seen some funding and partnership news. —The Boston area saw its biggest ever biotech acquisition, with the sale of Cambridge, MA-based Genzyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GENZ]]) to French drug company Sanofi-Aventis for $20.1 billion, or $74 per … Continue reading “Constant Contact Buys Bantam Live, Forest Pays $1.2B for Clinical Data, Paydiant Scores $7.6M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”

Fluidnet Secures $499,999 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7b79740a-afbc-4c6b-8866-1a52115e5aca&Preview=1 Date 2/23/2011 Company Name Fluidnet Mailing Address 21 Water Street 5th Floor Amesbury, MA 01913 Company Description The company sells a low-cost, simple, highly portable and capable IV infusion pump. Website http://www.fluidnet.net Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $499,999 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. … Continue reading “Fluidnet Secures $499,999 New Financing”

Bluespec Garners $1,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=98fa5bc0-8e1a-45ea-8f16-51c79203d207&Preview=1 Date 2/23/2011 Company Name Bluespec Mailing Address 14-16 Spring Street Waltham, MA 02451-1121 Company Description Bluespec, Inc. manufactures an industry standards-based Electronic Design Automation (EDA) toolset that significantly raises the level of abstraction for hardware design while retaining the ability to automatically synthesize high quality RTL, without compromising speed, power or … Continue reading “Bluespec Garners $1,000,000 New Financing”

Acetylon Pharma Raises $12.4M

Acetylon Pharmaceuticals, a developer of drugs that inhibit HDAC enzymes to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases, has raised $12.4 million of a proposed $30 million second round of equity financing, according to an SEC filing. The Boston startup, which is developing technology based on discoveries made by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard … Continue reading “Acetylon Pharma Raises $12.4M”

Microsoft and Athenahealth Join Forces on Health Software

Athenahealth (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ATHN]]) says it has formed a new alliance with Microsoft (NASDAQ:[[ticker:MSFT]]) to develop software to make their systems more compatible and easier for healthcare professionals to use together. The new collaboration, Athena says, will enable healthcare providers to use the companies’ existing products to get a single view of patient records from hospitals and … Continue reading “Microsoft and Athenahealth Join Forces on Health Software”

Forest Labs Snaps Up Clinical Data for $1.2B

Clinical Data chief executive Drew Fromkin wasn’t blowing smoke last month when he told analysts that his firm was in talks about a potential change in control. About a month after gaining FDA approval for its anti-depression drug, the Newton, MA-based company (NASDAQ:[[ticker:CLDA]]) said today that it has agreed to be acquired by the New … Continue reading “Forest Labs Snaps Up Clinical Data for $1.2B”

Paydiant Gets $7.6M for Mobile Payments

Boston-area mobile payments startup Paydiant has raised $7.6 million in Series A financing led by North Bridge Venture Partners and General Catalyst Partners. The news was first reported in a blog post by Scott Kirsner. Paydiant was founded by former edocs veterans Chris Gardner (also from m-Qube and ExtendMedia), Kevin Laracey (Siebel and Sigma Partners), … Continue reading “Paydiant Gets $7.6M for Mobile Payments”

Quanterix, Novartis Test Out Super-Sensitive Diagnostic Tool for Neuro Disorder

Quanterix envisions its technology could someday be a driving force in the $8 billion a year global diagnostics industry. Now it has one of the industry’s big players on board, taking a look for itself at close range to see what the Cambridge, MA-based startup can do. Novartis Diagnostics, the unit of the giant healthcare … Continue reading “Quanterix, Novartis Test Out Super-Sensitive Diagnostic Tool for Neuro Disorder”

A Focus on Energy Efficiency Will Help Keep The U.S. Competitive, and Other Cleantech Industry Predictions for 2011

Foreign competition is rising, and U.S. consumers haven’t departed from their penny-pinching mentality of The Great Recession, and behind this double whammy the cleantech industry is feeling the squeeze. That’s one of the big impressions I came away with after polling a crop of cleantech experts from Xconomy’s network of advisors and op-ed contributors for … Continue reading “A Focus on Energy Efficiency Will Help Keep The U.S. Competitive, and Other Cleantech Industry Predictions for 2011”

Paydiant Secures $7,600,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b71bf1d2-1137-4904-bda9-44f83638534c&Preview=1 Date 2/22/2011 Company Name Paydiant Mailing Address Undisclosed Boston, MA 02142 Company Description The company operates an online service that facilitates online payments via mobile phones. Website http://www.Paydiant.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,600,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The investment will be used to accelerate product development, sales … Continue reading “Paydiant Secures $7,600,000 Series A Funding Round”

Correx Lands $2,812,403 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8ac9c29f-cc51-4a7e-821c-c87cf200fc92&Preview=1 Date 2/22/2011 Company Name Correx Mailing Address 135 Beaver St. Waltham, MA 02452 Company Description Correx has developed a complete kit for aortic valve bypass, designed in collaboration with the world’s most expert surgeons in this field, and using proven, durable components. Website http://www.Correxinc.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,812,403 … Continue reading “Correx Lands $2,812,403 New Funding”

Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Secures $12,400,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=be1f23e3-de68-4249-ba0a-52d2f1475dd5&Preview=1 Date 2/22/2011 Company Name Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 303 Congress Street 2nd Fl Boston, MA 02210 Company Description Acetylon Pharmaceuticals is a Boston-based company recently formed to commercialize promising pharmaceutical technology emerging from collaborative research at Harvard University and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Acetylon intends to pursue the clinical development and … Continue reading “Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Secures $12,400,000 Series B Financing Round”

Get Out Of Cambridge Lands $560,231 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=de3a0c90-cfbf-4e81-9e31-58398934629d&Preview=1 Date 2/21/2011 Company Name Get Out Of Cambridge Mailing Address 67 Mount Auburn St. Fourth Floor Cambridge, MA 02138 Company Description The company operates a an online social oriented travel site. Website http://www.gtrot.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $560,231 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Get Out Of Cambridge Lands $560,231 New Financing”

Seven Questions That Will Decide Mobile’s Future—Part One

I always smile to think that we launched Xconomy on June 27, 2007, just two days before the original iPhone hit Apple stores in the U.S. That was a transformative moment in consumer information technology—as important as the launch of the Macintosh in 1984, Windows 3.0 in 1990, or Netscape in 1995. Thanks to Apple, … Continue reading “Seven Questions That Will Decide Mobile’s Future—Part One”

Pixability Picks Up $1M from Angels

Cambridge, MA-based Pixability, a video marketing startup, has raised a little over $1 million in angel financing, according to founder and CEO Bettina Hein. The round was led by Launchpad Venture Group, with participation from members of several other New England angel groups including Beacon Angels, Boston Harbor Angels, Maine Angels, North Country Angels, and … Continue reading “Pixability Picks Up $1M from Angels”

Alkermes Sees Chance to Reinvent Vivitrol For Fighting Drug Addiction, Not Just Alcoholism

If you were to poll Wall Street a few months ago for impressions of Alkermes’ naltrexone injection (Vivitrol), you’d hear a number of things. Most aren’t good. It’s a bust. They still own that? Who cares? Seeing the name Vivitrol in my inbox, I must admit, makes me think first about a drug that never … Continue reading “Alkermes Sees Chance to Reinvent Vivitrol For Fighting Drug Addiction, Not Just Alcoholism”

Sanofi Buys Genzyme for $20B, Aveo Inks Deal with Astellas, Hologix Nabs FDA Approval, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News

It was a historic week in the Boston biotech field with big acquisition news, but we also saw headlines on stealthier firms and startup financings. —Ryan took a closer look at H3 Biomedicine, a cancer research house setting up shop in Cambridge, MA, with the support of Japanese drugmaker Eisai. He compared it to the … Continue reading “Sanofi Buys Genzyme for $20B, Aveo Inks Deal with Astellas, Hologix Nabs FDA Approval, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”

Cappella Lands $7,111,612 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=002a0357-4691-4cdd-a0ca-07487dd1945d&Preview=1 Date 2/18/2011 Company Name Cappella Mailing Address 41 Magnolia Dr. Westford, MA 01886 Company Description Cappella has developed a novel solution for the treatment of coronary bifurcated disease. In contrast to current approaches for treating bifurcations, Cappella´s Sideguard Sidebranch Stent conforms to the anatomy of the bifurcated segment. Website http://www.cappella-med.com Transaction … Continue reading “Cappella Lands $7,111,612 New Financing Round”

Pixability Lands $1,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2e395ea7-e8a8-4231-9ea1-0bde0794bb72&Preview=1 Date 2/18/2011 Company Name Pixability Mailing Address One Broadway 14th Floor Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description We offer the easiest, quickest, most economical way to create quality video to help you market your company or organization. Now anyone, from company president to cashier, can be part of the web video revolution. … Continue reading “Pixability Lands $1,000,000 New Round”

SolarCity Acquires GroSolar for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=65f08d7e-13d7-4943-a799-18a58fe13467&Preview=1 Date 2/18/2011 Company Name GroSolar Mailing Address 601 Old River Road White River Junction, VT 05001 Company Description We are dedicated to the triple bottom line: profit for the company, social justice for our employees and customers and environmental protection. Solar energy allows us to create communities of people, employees, customers, … Continue reading “SolarCity Acquires GroSolar for Undisclosed Sum”

Flagship VentureLabs, Creating and Spinning Out Cleantech and Life Sciences Startups for 10 Years, Takes the Veil Off

A number of innovative cleantech and life sciences startups we’ve written about have been funded and staffed by Cambridge, MA-based Flagship Ventures. But not all of these companies made traditional pitches to Flagship like they would any other investor. A large chunk of the firm’s portfolio includes companies that have been created, developed, and incubated … Continue reading “Flagship VentureLabs, Creating and Spinning Out Cleantech and Life Sciences Startups for 10 Years, Takes the Veil Off”

Training Clean Energy Capitalists

[Editor’s note: This post was co-authored by Peter Rothstein, President of the New England Clean Energy Council.] Over the next 10 years, over $1.7 trillion will be invested in clean power projects across the globe, according to recent projections from the Pew Charitable Trusts. That estimate is if nothing changes to strengthen our clean energy … Continue reading “Training Clean Energy Capitalists”

Ze-Gen Adds $8M

Ze-Gen, a Boston-based developer of technology for converting solid waste into gas for power plants, has raised another $8 million in equity-based funding, according to an SEC filing. The money comes atop $17.6 million in funding that the firm revealed last year in a regulatory document, bringing the financing’s total to $25.6 million.

Cleantech VC Hemant Taneja Moves to Bay Area, Talks Investment Strategy at General Catalyst

A proverbial giant has left the cleantech stage here in Boston—though he probably wouldn’t admit any part of that statement. Hemant Taneja, a managing director at General Catalyst Partners in Cambridge, MA, has moved to the San Francisco Bay Area this week. Taneja is one of the top venture capitalists in the energy sector. Beyond … Continue reading “Cleantech VC Hemant Taneja Moves to Bay Area, Talks Investment Strategy at General Catalyst”

Sermo Gets $3.5M from MMV

Cambridge, MA-based Sermo, provider of the nation’s largest online community of doctors, has received $3.5 million in growth capital funding from MMV Financial, the finance firm announced today. The money comes as part of a $5 million round for Sermo, which will use the funds to expand its physician community, according to the announcement. Sermo … Continue reading “Sermo Gets $3.5M from MMV”

Boston’s Quiet Startups About to Make Noise: Take the Interview, Open Mile, Locately, and More

I generally hate cocktail parties, but the one at Cambridge, MA-based Performable on Tuesday night was pretty good (you can see some photos here). Not that many VCs were there, which was just as well, because I got to meet tons of entrepreneurs from Boston and beyond, all working on interesting startups. Plus, who knew … Continue reading “Boston’s Quiet Startups About to Make Noise: Take the Interview, Open Mile, Locately, and More”

Sermo Obtains $3,500,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fd590efd-12fc-455d-9ee4-91646008315b&Preview=1 Date 2/17/2011 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 Debt Transaction Amount $3,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The financing, part of a larger $5 million facility for Sermo, will allow … Continue reading “Sermo Obtains $3,500,000 New Financing Round”

Web Innovators Group 29

This regular, informal gathering spotlighting Web and mobile technology meets again. Check back on which companies will be making big pitches to the audience, and which ones will showcase throughout the venue. Register here

Aveo Pharma Lands $1.4B Deal with Astellas, A Few Months Ahead of Cancer Trial Result

Aveo Pharmaceuticals has beefed up its cash coffers as it heads into the home stretch of a vitally important clinical test of its lead anti-cancer drug. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ:[[ticker:AVEO]]) has struck its largest deal ever with the major Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma. Tokyo-based Astellas is paying Aveo $125 million initially (composed of … Continue reading “Aveo Pharma Lands $1.4B Deal with Astellas, A Few Months Ahead of Cancer Trial Result”

Crocodoc Rolls Out Embeddable HTML5 Document Viewer; YC Startup Wants to Be “The New Adobe of the Web,” Sans Flash

If you’re a Web geek, you know all about the death match between Flash and HTML5. Even if you’re not, you’ve probably heard at least in passing about the controversy over Adobe’s proprietary video and animation platform, and how Apple won’t provide support for Flash videos on its mobile devices, and how Steve Jobs and … Continue reading “Crocodoc Rolls Out Embeddable HTML5 Document Viewer; YC Startup Wants to Be “The New Adobe of the Web,” Sans Flash”

Constant Contact Pays $15M For Bantam Live

Waltham, MA-based online marketing technology firm Constant Contact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTCT]]) announced today that it has acquired Bantam Live, a New York-based social customer relationship management technology provider owned by Bantam Networks, for $15 million in cash. The acquisition, which closed on February 15, will enable Constant Contact to create a unified repository of data across … Continue reading “Constant Contact Pays $15M For Bantam Live”

Mass Customization, Mystery Developers, and Men’s Shirts: Blank Label Returns to Boston

Think you know what a virtual company is? Try having never seen your chief technology officer’s face. Now that’s a virtual company. It’s just one of the quirky things about Blank Label, a “mass customization” startup focused on letting consumers design their own dress shirts from a variety of fabrics and styles. In December 2009, … Continue reading “Mass Customization, Mystery Developers, and Men’s Shirts: Blank Label Returns to Boston”

Genzyme, After Months of Holding Out, Agrees to be Sold to Sanofi-Aventis for $20.1B

It’s been a long time coming, but the sale of Genzyme, the Cambridge, MA-based biotech company, to pharma giant Sanofi-Aventis for $20.1 billion marks a landmark moment in the biotech industry here in Boston and beyond. The deal puts Genzyme, the largest biotech company in Massachusetts, and the fate of 10,000 employees in new hands … Continue reading “Genzyme, After Months of Holding Out, Agrees to be Sold to Sanofi-Aventis for $20.1B”

Green IT: Boston’s Mini-Cluster of Companies Using Hardware, Software, and Web Information Technology to Lower Consumer Energy Usage

The Boston area gets plenty of attention for the software, Web, hardware, and mobile firms it serves as home to. It also has a crop of companies working on renewable energy and efficient battery technology. But it turns out those IT and energy areas aren’t mutually exclusive, as there’s a growing cluster of companies who … Continue reading “Green IT: Boston’s Mini-Cluster of Companies Using Hardware, Software, and Web Information Technology to Lower Consumer Energy Usage”

HP Snaps Up Vertica, TechStars Bags $500K, Skyhook Partners With Intel and Citysearch, & More Boston-Area Deals News

Software, tech, and stealth dominated the week’s deals news. —TechStars Boston, the startup incubator program, raised about a quarter of a planned $2 million funding round. If completed, the round will reportedly support the program through 2014. —Palo Alto, CA-based Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: [[ticker:HPQ]]) acquired Vertica, the Billerica, MA-based database management and analytics software firm, for … Continue reading “HP Snaps Up Vertica, TechStars Bags $500K, Skyhook Partners With Intel and Citysearch, & More Boston-Area Deals News”

ExaGrid Systems Receives $10,599,998 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=939ae2bd-ff0e-4f75-843c-77bc103ee757&Preview=1 Date 2/16/2011 Company Name ExaGrid Systems Mailing Address 2000 West Park Drive Westborough, MA 01581 Company Description ExaGrid Systems, an innovator in Self-Protecting Storage, provides the industry’s most comprehensive integrated storage and data protection solutions. Website http://www.exagrid.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,599,998 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes … Continue reading “ExaGrid Systems Receives $10,599,998 New Financing Round”

Plexxi, VisionScope, and CashStar: A Trio of New England Tuesday Financings

Tech companies across the New England region revealed today that they have been raising some cash. Check out the details below: —CashStar, a Portland, ME-based startup in the digital gifting and incentives space, announced today that it has raised $5 million in funding, led by San Francisco-based Passport Capital, with participation from investment bank Allen … Continue reading “Plexxi, VisionScope, and CashStar: A Trio of New England Tuesday Financings”

Bay State Startup Funding Booms to $242.5M in January; Healthcare Firms Lead the Way

Funding dollars for Massachusetts tech and life sciences startups surged by more than 25 percent from December to January, with 32 startups bringing in $242.5 million in equity-based funding, according to data supplied by our partner CB Insights’ FundingFlash, a daily roundup of companies receiving venture capital, angel investment, and growth equity funding. The healthcare … Continue reading “Bay State Startup Funding Booms to $242.5M in January; Healthcare Firms Lead the Way”