Category: Boston

Logility Acquires Optiant for $3,300,000

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b38404ba-551a-4ed8-a882-c339f6caeded&Preview=1 Date 3/22/2010 Company Name Optiant Mailing Address 7 New England Executive Park Burlington, MA 01803 Company Description Optiant helps Global 2000 companies optimize their bottom-line performance by creating responsive and resilient supply chains. As the leading provider of inventory planning and optimization solutions, Optiant’s solutions optimally balance resources, total costs, and … Continue reading “Logility Acquires Optiant for $3,300,000”

Genetix Gets $35M for Gene Therapy, FDA Delays Decision on Alkermes/Amylin Drug, MedMinder and Vitality Tackle Medication Compliance, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News

The FDA added some suspense to one New England biotech firm’s week, while two others reached closure on nice-sized venture deals. —Genetix Pharmaceuticals raised $35 million in a Series B round of venture capital from new investors Third Rock and Genzyme Ventures and return backers Easton Capital, Forbion Capital Partners, and TVM Capital. Ryan took … Continue reading “Genetix Gets $35M for Gene Therapy, FDA Delays Decision on Alkermes/Amylin Drug, MedMinder and Vitality Tackle Medication Compliance, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”

Why I’ve Abandoned Quicken, But Not Intuit

Somebody at Intuit must have seen the writing on the wall. Last September, the Mountain View, CA, software company, which has been selling PC-based personal finance programs since 1983 via floppy discs, CD-ROMs, and downloads, paid $170 million to buy a two-year-old Web startup called Mint.com. If you believe, as I do, that almost everyone … Continue reading “Why I’ve Abandoned Quicken, But Not Intuit”

DNA Synthesis for Beginners: Ginkgo BioWorks Sells the Scissors and Glue

The founders of Boston-based Ginkgo BioWorks think that assembling synthetic biological systems shouldn’t just be for experienced researchers. So they put together a kit that consists of the “scissors and glue for putting together pieces of DNA,” says co-founder Reshma Shetty. Unlike the electronics industry, which sets standards to ensure compatibility and interoperability, the methods … Continue reading “DNA Synthesis for Beginners: Ginkgo BioWorks Sells the Scissors and Glue”

How to Reconnect at the the Right Time: Entrepreneur’s Personal Project Evolves into an E-mail Reminder Service

When Chris Keller was working full-time at his startup, the online celebrity fantasy league site Fafarazzi.com, he had plenty of e-mails that needed following up on, as most entrepreneurs do. He’d set reminders for himself on his calendar, but found this mechanism wasn’t ideal, since it was tedious to modify every calendar entry to reflect … Continue reading “How to Reconnect at the the Right Time: Entrepreneur’s Personal Project Evolves into an E-mail Reminder Service”

Boston-Area Tech Tells People to Take Their Meds, Targets Billions in Wasted Healthcare Spending

It’s tough to find an excuse for forgetting to take your medications nowadays. And if you’re thinking of a good excuse right now, chances are that companies and technologists in the Boston area have already addressed it with an information technology invention. Poor adherence to medications has been a bugaboo in the healthcare system for … Continue reading “Boston-Area Tech Tells People to Take Their Meds, Targets Billions in Wasted Healthcare Spending”

Xconomy Forum: Healthcare In Transition

An avalanche of advances in information technology is poised to reshape the healthcare landscape, and the Boston area, home to one of the world’s greatest concentrations of medical research institutions and technology innovators, is at the forefront of this transformation. The innovations afoot extend far beyond electronic medical records and other efforts to make traditional … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: Healthcare In Transition”

Obama’s Health IT Chiefs on Tap for Governor Patrick’s Big Health Technology Ball

Massachusetts is going to be the focus of the health IT universe late next month — if it isn’t already. Governor Deval Patrick and his staff have invited power players in both the healthcare and technology fields to Boston in April for a conference that is expected to highlight the state’s fast-growing health IT sector. … Continue reading “Obama’s Health IT Chiefs on Tap for Governor Patrick’s Big Health Technology Ball”

Sensata and Aveo Go Public; Genetix, Rhythm, and CorrelSense Get Funding; Pegasystems to Acquire Chordiant; & More Boston-Area Deals News

New England’s life sciences and software companies kept us busy with news of early venture rounds, IPOs, and partnerships. —Battery Ventures, with offices locally in Waltham, MA, announced the close of its ninth fund, at $750 million. Existing limited partners account for about 85 percent of the fund’s investors, said the firm, which also has … Continue reading “Sensata and Aveo Go Public; Genetix, Rhythm, and CorrelSense Get Funding; Pegasystems to Acquire Chordiant; & More Boston-Area Deals News”

Swaptree Raises $4.8 Million

Swaptree, a Boston startup whose website allows members to trade used books, DVDs, CDs, and video games, has raised $4.8 million out of a planned $6 million offering involving equity, options, and warrants, according to a regulatory filing published today. Swaptree’s $3.35 million Series C financing round in September 2008 came from Safeguard Scientifics of … Continue reading “Swaptree Raises $4.8 Million”

$8M Series B for CorrelSense

Framingham, MA-based CorrelSense, which makes software that tracks business transactions and helps companies improve the performance of large enterprise applications, has collected $8 million in Series B venture funding, according to an announcement today. Accel Partners led the round, with existing investors Vertex Venture Capital, eXceed Technology and ProSeed Ventures joining in. The company says … Continue reading “$8M Series B for CorrelSense”

Ship Web 2.0 Features Early, and Don’t Fear User Hatred, Investor Dave McClure Tells Dogpatch Labs Audience

“Ship early, ship buggy,” was the advice San Francisco-based Web 2.0 investor Dave McClure gave to his audience at Cambridge, MA’s Dogpatch Labs last week. “The world is filled with products that shipped too late,” he continued. One example? The online budget-tracking service, Mint.com, a company McClure invests in along with other sites such as … Continue reading “Ship Web 2.0 Features Early, and Don’t Fear User Hatred, Investor Dave McClure Tells Dogpatch Labs Audience”

For Biotech and Pharma, Emerging Markets Offer Great Potential and Require New Strategies, Panelists Say

Emerging markets present an important opportunity for U.S. pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. This was one of the take-home messages from the annual MIT Sloan BioMedical BioInnovations conference, which drew about 250 people to the Marriot Hotel in Cambridge last Friday. In a panel discussion, Jonathan Fleming, the managing general partner of Oxford Bioscience Partners, said … Continue reading “For Biotech and Pharma, Emerging Markets Offer Great Potential and Require New Strategies, Panelists Say”

Ischemix Faces Moment of Truth with Mid-Stage Heart Drug Trial

Ischemix is facing the biggest hurdle in its 11-year history. The Maynard, MA-based biotech firm is launching the first human study to test the effectiveness of its drug that’s supposed to protect heart tissue from injuries that often occur when blood flow is restored in cardiac surgeries. The drug, called CMX-2043, is the only contender … Continue reading “Ischemix Faces Moment of Truth with Mid-Stage Heart Drug Trial”

From Main Street to Wall Street—10 Things a Startup Should Do to Groom Itself for an Eventual IPO

You’ve got the vision, the core team, and even a little money. You’re prepared to devote enormous time and energy to your new startup. You’re unsure what the future will bring but you want to preserve the possibility of going public some day. Here are 10 things you can do to put your startup on … Continue reading “From Main Street to Wall Street—10 Things a Startup Should Do to Groom Itself for an Eventual IPO”

Correlsense Secures $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=72bc4f12-4342-4f86-b659-81dfc8230923&Preview=1 Date 3/16/2010 Company Name Correlsense Mailing Address 945 Concord 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 Secures $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round”

Diagnosaurus Aims to ID Ailments

Diagnosaurus aims to be a quick reference tool for physicians as well as concerned moms and dads, allowing users to search for diagnoses by symptom, disease, or organ system. Unbound Medicine, the Charlottesville, VA-based firm that provides the app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, says it offers more than 1,000 different diagnoses. Diagnosaurus is … Continue reading “Diagnosaurus Aims to ID Ailments”

PocketCPR: Anyone Know CPR?!

PocketCPR has some solid credentials among several CPR training apps. For one, the iPhone app employs some of the same technology used in an FDA-cleared device, also called PocketCPR, which provides real-time instructions and feedback to assist people while they perform actual CPR. Pawtucket, RI-based Bio-Detek, the maker of PocketCPR products, markets the iPhone app … Continue reading “PocketCPR: Anyone Know CPR?!”

RunKeeper: How Far, How Fast, How Often…

Don’t ever kid yourself about how far you ran again. RunKeeper is an app that has made strides in keeping people honest and informed about the speed and distance of their runs, using the GPS technology on the iPhone 3G. FitnessKeeper, the app’s developer, offers a free, ad-supported version of it and an ad-free version … Continue reading “RunKeeper: How Far, How Fast, How Often…”

Pegasystems Acquires Chordiant

Cambridge, MA-based Pegasystems, a maker of business process management software, announced it will acquire Chordiant Software for about $161.5 million. The company will pay $5 a share for all outstanding shares of Cupertino, CA-based Chordiant, which also has offices in Bedford, NH, and specializes in customer experience management software. The Chordiant (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CHRD]]) and Pegasystems … Continue reading “Pegasystems Acquires Chordiant”

SS&C Sets IPO Range

SS&C Technologies Holdings, a Windsor, CT-based financial services software provider, has set price range for its initial public offering of 10.725 million shares at between $13 and $15 a share, according to an amended SEC filing. The offering, whose total projected value is between $139.4 million and $160.9 million, includes 8.225 million shares to be … Continue reading “SS&C Sets IPO Range”

Forma to Discover Lymphoma Drugs in Deal with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Cambridge, MA-based Forma Therapeutics has formed a partnership with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of White Plains, NY, to discover drugs for immune cell cancers, according to a press release. No financial details were revealed. The partnership will focus on blocking a protein known as “Bcl-6,” which plays a role many lymphomas. Forma has been … Continue reading “Forma to Discover Lymphoma Drugs in Deal with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society”

Amylin, Alkermes Diabetes Drug Delayed by FDA

[Updated: 8:38 am Eastern, 3/15/10] Amylin Pharmaceuticals and its partners Eli Lilly and Alkermes are going to have to wait a while to celebrate. The FDA has delayed an application from San Diego-based Amylin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]) and Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly to start marketing their new diabetes drug, the first once-weekly shot, as a more convenient … Continue reading “Amylin, Alkermes Diabetes Drug Delayed by FDA”

Massachusetts Startups Held Their Own in February—Upwards of $200 Million Invested in 26 Deals

There was a lot of turmoil in the Bay State last month: tumultuous weather, seasonal lethargy, and school vacations, not to mention the ongoing discussion/celebration/lamentation surrounding newly elected senator Scott Brown, who arrived in Washington to create even more confusion around health care reform. But investors sure kept their focus, as the venture deals kept … Continue reading “Massachusetts Startups Held Their Own in February—Upwards of $200 Million Invested in 26 Deals”

Rhythm Pharma Gets $21M A Round to Target Obesity, Diabetes

The potential riches for makers of obesity and diabetes treatments are irresistible to biotech entrepreneurs and investors. Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, a drug developer focused on these multibillion-dollar markets, has closed a $21 million Series A round of funding, according to the firm. Rhythm has been quietly incubating at the Boston offices of MPM Capital. Then on … Continue reading “Rhythm Pharma Gets $21M A Round to Target Obesity, Diabetes”

New E Ink Leader Sees Colorful Future for Company Under Taiwan’s Prime View International

A couple of weeks ago, Xconomy broke the news that Russ Wilcox, co-founder of Cambridge, MA-based E Ink, was leaving the company after eight years as CEO. Shortly after that report I caught up with the organization’s new leader, executive vice president T.H. Peng, who was formerly director of strategic planning at Prime View International … Continue reading “New E Ink Leader Sees Colorful Future for Company Under Taiwan’s Prime View International”

Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Receives $21,000,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bd5a15f2-0627-4ac8-9495-35d79b904497&Preview=1 Date 3/15/2010 Company Name Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address Undisclosed Boston, MA 02101 Company Description Rhythm is a biotechnology company developing peptide therapeutics that address unmet needs in metabolic diseases. Website http://www.rhythmtx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $21,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The funds will be used to develop … Continue reading “Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Receives $21,000,000 Series A Funding Round”

GeoSentric Garners $11,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9146405b-925c-433a-bff9-e44cfed7c62f&Preview=1 Date 3/15/2010 Company Name GeoSentric Mailing Address 175 Metro Center Blvd Warwick, RI 02886 Company Description GeoSentric is a developer and provider of solutions, products and technologies for location based services and LBS-enabled social networks. It develops a leading geo-integration platform for mobile devices, personal navigation devices, web browsers, and other … Continue reading “GeoSentric Garners $11,000,000 New Financing”

The Early-Stage Life Sciences Technology Conference VI

Here’s a one stop shop for pitching your newly developed technology to investors. This Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center event brings research institutions and newly formed companies to present their technologies to angel investors, venture capitalists, and corporate investors. Check out the website for company qualifications and registration information.

Providence Geek Dinner

Providence Geeks, a Rhode Island innovation group, meets roughly every month for dinners, but March’s event has something special in store. Geeks co-founders (and brothers) Jack and Chris Templin will unveil a business endeavor of their own: Lockify, a web-based system for the safe sharing of sensitive information. You can RSVP to this one on … Continue reading “Providence Geek Dinner”

Start Here Open House: Vivox

These startup open houses sure do run the gamut. Tune in this time to Vivox, a Natick company that delivers voice-chatting platforms for online games. As always, registration is free for this New England Venture Capital Association event.

Start Here Open House: RatePoint

You’re invited to this free startup open house at RatePoint. Learn how the company helps small and medium businesses use customer reviews and feedback to their sales and marketing advantage, at another event organized by the New England Venture Capital Association. Sign up for free online!

PAX East “Made in MA” Party

PAX, the three-day game festival, is on its way to Boston, so meet up the night before it starts for a party that celebrates that $2 billion gaming industry in Massachusetts! You can register here for this networking event, hosted by the Mass. Technology Leadership Council.

Genetix Pharma Raises $35M from Third Rock, Genzyme for Gene Therapy

Venture capitalists are giving the risky field of gene therapy a new dose of confidence—and cash. Genetix Pharmaceuticals, a 17-year-old developer of gene therapies, has replenished its coffers with a $35 million Series B round of venture capital. The Cambridge, MA-based company attracted the fresh capital after a study in France showed that one of … Continue reading “Genetix Pharma Raises $35M from Third Rock, Genzyme for Gene Therapy”

The Apple iPad: Three Unanswered Questions

Today is the first day that consumers can put down money for an Apple iPad. If you pre-order a Wi-Fi model now, you can avoid waiting in the inevitable around-the-block lines when the gadget hits Apple Stores on Saturday, April 3. (If you want the Wi-Fi + 3G model, though, you’ll have to wait until … Continue reading “The Apple iPad: Three Unanswered Questions”

Forget Business Plans—Go for Market and Passion, Say Investors

MIT’s Kirsch Auditorium was filled to its last seat as over 300 people showed up at the MIT Enterprise Forum Wednesday evening. The topic: “Accelerating Startup Growth: Seed Funding, Incubation and Mentorship Models.” “You don’t know what you don’t know when you start a company for the first time,” said Laura Fitton, the founder of … Continue reading “Forget Business Plans—Go for Market and Passion, Say Investors”

Vertex Pursues Drug-Cocktail Strategy, Phase Forward Out To Expand Health IT Empire, Alkermes Awaits FDA Ruling, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News

Another week, another cadre of CEOs with big plans for growing their New England life sciences companies even bigger. —Diagnostics For All CEO Una Ryan talked about her multi-pronged effort to raise money for testing and deployment of her Cambridge, MA-based firm’s affordable diagnostic technology. Developed in the legendary Harvard lab of chemist George Whitesides, … Continue reading “Vertex Pursues Drug-Cocktail Strategy, Phase Forward Out To Expand Health IT Empire, Alkermes Awaits FDA Ruling, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”

GENETIX Pharmaceuticals Garners $35,000,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c2a3c4b2-67ad-40c6-8f8f-58d20b4be0af&Preview=1 Date 3/12/2010 Company Name GENETIX Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 840 Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description GENETIX’ LentiGlobin hemoglobin gene therapy utilizes a highly modified human lentivirus to deliver a corrective version of the native beta-globin gene to the chromosomes of blood stem cells, found in large numbers in bone marrow. … Continue reading “GENETIX Pharmaceuticals Garners $35,000,000 Series B Round”

Aveo Pharmaceuticals Goes Public at $9, Falls Short of Hoped-For Range

[Updated: 4:40 pm Eastern, 3/12/10] Aveo Pharmaceuticals is proving once again that IPO investors have a limited appetite for biotech companies. The Cambridge, MA-based developer of cancer drugs sold its initial public shares to investors last night at $9, a long shot from its hoped-for range of $13 to $15. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVEO]]) started … Continue reading “Aveo Pharmaceuticals Goes Public at $9, Falls Short of Hoped-For Range”

Hubspot Leaving Kendall Square; Next Stop: Lechmere

HubSpot, a fast-growing marketing technology startup born at the Cambridge Innovation Center, will leave its space at One Broadway this summer for new offices at 25 First Street, about 10 city blocks north, Xconomy has learned. While the move will take the startup out of the center of Kendall Square, vice president of marketing Mike … Continue reading “Hubspot Leaving Kendall Square; Next Stop: Lechmere”

Babson Energy & Environmental Conference 2010- Sustainability in Action

Come check out how your company can use sustainable strategies to strengthen business and drive profits all while helping the planet, at this energy and environment conference at Babson College. Seminars and panels (one of which will be facilitated by NPR’s Tom Ashbrook) will explore clean tech strategies and the companies implementing them. Register on … Continue reading “Babson Energy & Environmental Conference 2010- Sustainability in Action”

$2M for Rapid7

Boston-based Rapid7, a network security software provider, has sold $2 million of a planned $4 million equity offering, a regulatory filing shows. Members from Bain Capital Ventures, an existing Rapid7 investor, are listed as directors on the filing for the round, which included eight investors. Bain pumped $7 million into the company in 2008.

Fluidnet Grabs $9.1M

Fluidnet, a Portsmouth, NH, maker of electronic infusion pumps for administering IV fluids, raised $9.1 million of a planned $9.9 million equity offering, according to an SEC filing. Partners from existing Fluidnet investors, Cardinal Partners and Rockport Venture Partners, are listed as directors on the filing. The round included 12 investors, according to the filing, … Continue reading “Fluidnet Grabs $9.1M”

Public Markets Warming Up to Venture-Backed Companies? Boston-Area IPO List

It’s a far cry from a hot market for initial public offerings these days, but there are reasons to believe that the long-awaited “IPO Window” is slowly opening for venture-backed companies in the Boston area. Sensata Technologies, an Attleboro, MA-based maker of sensors and switches, jumped through the IPO window yesterday, pricing its initial public … Continue reading “Public Markets Warming Up to Venture-Backed Companies? Boston-Area IPO List”