Category: Boston

Ringing in a New Year With Predictions for Hot Software Sectors

The constrained venture capital markets and difficult environment for IPOs, will make 2010 a big year for M&A transactions. The leaders in hot new software sectors will be swallowed up at a premium, along with entrepreneurs tired of running on the treadmill as they get closer to retirement, will drive more M&A transactions than ever. … Continue reading “Ringing in a New Year With Predictions for Hot Software Sectors”

Auction Holdings Receives $13,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b01af95f-7a1a-4c41-8268-45660785e56c&Preview=1 Date 12/28/2009 Company Name Auction Holdings Mailing Address 38 Everett Street Allston, MA 02134 Company Description Auction Holdings is a Live online auction marketplace. Website http://www.auctionzip.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $13,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Commonwealth Capital Ventures Venture … Continue reading “Auction Holdings Receives $13,000,000 New Round”

SCVNGR Secures $4,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=784722ee-a609-4abf-9d6f-37e7e0e85962&Preview=1 Date 12/28/2009 Company Name SCVNGR Mailing Address 580 Harrison Avenue Boston, MA 02118 Company Description SCVNGR is a geo-gaming platform that enables anyone to quickly and easily build location-based mobile games, tours, and interactive experiences that can be enjoyed from any mobile device. Website http://www.scvngr.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “SCVNGR Secures $4,000,000 New Financing Round”

BSX Pays $22M in DOJ Settlement

Boston Scientific (NYSE:[[ticker:BSX]]) said yesterday that it has agreed to pay $22 million in a settlement related to a U.S. Department of Justice investigation of surveys conducted by the Natick, MA-based medical device firm’s subsidiary, Guidant. The company admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement. Reuters reported that the DOJ was investigating Guidant for paying doctors … Continue reading “BSX Pays $22M in DOJ Settlement”

Novexel Offers Exit to Atlas and Abingworth

Atlas Venture and Abingworth Management, two venture firms with local offices in Waltham, MA, are in line to exit their investments in French antibiotics developer Novexel, which announced yesterday it would be acquired by London-based drug giant AstraZeneca in a $505 million deal. AstraZeneca has agreed to pay $350 million in cash for all shares … Continue reading “Novexel Offers Exit to Atlas and Abingworth”

Readers’ Picks for 2009: Terrafugia’s Maiden Flight, Kindle 2 Taps E Ink, Follica’s War on Baldness, & More

For the second year straight, our readers have made stories about the biotech startup Follica’s plans to treat baldness, Terrafugia’s street-legal aircraft, and the nonprofit One Laptop Per Child Foundation among Xconomy Boston’s five most popular posts for the year. What conclusions can we draw from this? Well, none. But I’ll speculate that some stories, … Continue reading “Readers’ Picks for 2009: Terrafugia’s Maiden Flight, Kindle 2 Taps E Ink, Follica’s War on Baldness, & More”

See Which Life Sciences Companies Are Getting The $25M State Tax Breaks

Quite a few of the companies we cover here at Xconomy received some good fortune this year right before the holidays. These 28 life sciences companies will pocket a total of $25 million in tax incentives, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. Gov. Deval Patrick, who staked a fair bit of … Continue reading “See Which Life Sciences Companies Are Getting The $25M State Tax Breaks”

Exponentials R Us: Seven Computer Science Game-Changers from the 2000’s, and Seven More to Come

Forty years ago, in 1969, Neil Armstrong left footprints on the surface of the moon. It was an extraordinary accomplishment. Also in 1969, with much less fanfare and at much less expense, Len Kleinrock’s programmer Charley Kline sent the first message over ARPANET. (The message was “lo” – the first two letters of “login.” Then … Continue reading “Exponentials R Us: Seven Computer Science Game-Changers from the 2000’s, and Seven More to Come”

Kala Pharmaceuticals, Stealthy New Company Tied to MIT’s Bob Langer, Gets $2M

MIT’s famously inventive bioengineering professor, Bob Langer, is lending his expertise to yet another fledgling biotech company. Boston-based Kala Pharmaceuticals, which lists Langer on its board of directors, has secured a $2 million equity financing, according to a regulatory filing. Kala doesn’t have a website, and I haven’t been able to find any public statements … Continue reading “Kala Pharmaceuticals, Stealthy New Company Tied to MIT’s Bob Langer, Gets $2M”

HyperMed Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Burlington, MA-based medical devices firm HyperMed has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and ceased operations, the Boston Business Journal reports today. The weekly business newspaper, citing bankruptcy filings from Massachusetts District Court, wrote that the company has $2.4 million in debts and $1.1 million in assets. The startup had been marketing a device that used … Continue reading “HyperMed Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy”

pSivida Shares Boom as Eye Drug Passes Pivotal Trial

Shares of pSivida (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PSDV]]) rocketed more than 50 percent this morning on some positive clinical trial news. The Watertown, MA-based company, the developer of a treatment for an eye disorder related to diabetes, said its technology helped patients improve their vision after two years of follow up in a clinical trial. pSivida climbed 56 … Continue reading “pSivida Shares Boom as Eye Drug Passes Pivotal Trial”

India’s Innovation Front Lines 2009 (Part 2): Maharajas, Jewelry, and Economic Growth

Jaipur, December 22, 2009—I have come to Jaipur, a major tourist attraction, for the TiE Charter Member Annual Retreat. Some 250 charter members from across the 53 chapters of TiE are in attendance. These are some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the U.S., UK, India, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan. The retreat begins with … Continue reading “India’s Innovation Front Lines 2009 (Part 2): Maharajas, Jewelry, and Economic Growth”

Announcing Xconomy Battle of the Tech Bands 3: Seattle vs. Boston

Are you tired of this whole East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry? Do you want it settled once and for all? What better way to do so than with a knock-down drag-out fight— with bass, drums, and guitars. That’s the idea behind Xconomy Boston’s third annual Xconomy Battle of the Tech Bands. The theme of … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Battle of the Tech Bands 3: Seattle vs. Boston”

Joule Biotechnologies Picks Site For Pilot Ethanol Plant in the Desert

Joule Biotechnologies has been busy since we last spoke to the company’s leadership around the time it first started talking publicly in July. The Cambridge, MA-based company, which develops fuels and chemicals in a process that mimics photosynthesis, has been advancing toward commercialization. I got the update from Bill Sims, the firm’s CEO. For starters, … Continue reading “Joule Biotechnologies Picks Site For Pilot Ethanol Plant in the Desert”

Biogen Drops Facet Bid, Aveo Reveals IPO Ambitions, Pfizer Partners with Adimab, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News

New England’s drug developers and device makers are squeezing in a few more partnerships, acquisitions, financings, and strategic moves before the year’s end. —Acceleron Pharma, the Cambridge, MA-based biotech that’s building its own drug-making infrastructure rather that outsourcing the work, raised $10.9 million in equity financing, according to an SEC filing. $8 million comes from … Continue reading “Biogen Drops Facet Bid, Aveo Reveals IPO Ambitions, Pfizer Partners with Adimab, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”

The Top Five Advances From the Decade of Genomics

1. The Human Genome Project 2. Massively parallel DNA sequencing 3. Personalizing therapeutics via companion diagnostic tests (Herceptin, Gleevec, OncoDX, …) 4. Advanced diagnostics by blood biomarker analysis (e.g. fetal DNA/cells in mother’s blood) 5. The launch of the field of systems biology [Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of posts from Xconomists … Continue reading “The Top Five Advances From the Decade of Genomics”

Xconomy’s Battle of the Tech Bands 3

A tech networking event that really rocks. Musicians from New England’s most innovative companies take on their Seattle competition—you pick the winners! Net ticket proceeds will be donated to Science Club for Girls and Year Up Boston. Date: Thursday, February 4, 2010 Location: Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub, 472 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge Time: Doors open … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Battle of the Tech Bands 3”

GI Dynamics Gets European Approval

GI Dynamics has garnered European marketing approval for its temporary intestinal implant for treating Type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to the Lexington, MA-based firm. The company said it plans to begin selling the device, called the EndoBarrier, in Europe in the first half of 2010. The firm’s venture backers include Advanced Technology Ventures, Catalyst … Continue reading “GI Dynamics Gets European Approval”

Genocea Eyes Vaccines that Treat, Not Just Prevent, Infectious Diseases

Genocea Biosciences sees a big potential in high-speed technology for discovering vaccines—not only ones that prevent diseases, but also ones that treat them. Indeed, the Cambridge, MA-based biotech has decided to pursue an immune-boosting therapy for genital herpes as its lead product candidate. Genocea (pronounced Jen-O-shuh) has been one of the biotech startups to watch … Continue reading “Genocea Eyes Vaccines that Treat, Not Just Prevent, Infectious Diseases”

Blue Is the New Green: Why Energy Entrepreneurs Need to Think Different

Many innovators lament that the time-honored VC model does not work for what they call “cleantech” or “greentech.” They raise as proof the capital intensivity and long timeframes for energy start-ups. I say they have it backwards. Energy will get solved when the energy ecology changes to fit the VC model, not vice versa. Take … Continue reading “Blue Is the New Green: Why Energy Entrepreneurs Need to Think Different”

MIT Media Lab Director Aims to Transform Healthcare—By Bringing Patients Front and Center

An avalanche of new technology promises to transform healthcare. You’ve heard a lot about it: Electronic medical records. New ways to mine genomic data to match patients with the right medicines. Everything from iPhone apps and robots to help you exercise or take your meds. Not to mention relatively “old” advances like digital imaging and … Continue reading “MIT Media Lab Director Aims to Transform Healthcare—By Bringing Patients Front and Center”

My Top 10 List of Innovations Across the Spectrum

Here are my top 10 innovations that are coming to the forefront in 2010. Of course, none of these would be possible without the economic engine that is embodied by the USA Science & Engineering Festival, which is creating the innovative minds of the future. 1) High-tech treatment of nuclear waste, a technology that solves … Continue reading “My Top 10 List of Innovations Across the Spectrum”

Viewfinity Secures $8,600,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b90b6112-32f1-4153-b55a-81f49b1b14f6&Preview=1 Date 12/22/2009 Company Name Viewfinity Mailing Address 1050 Winter Street Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description Viewfinity offers uncomplicated systems management solutions to manage, support and control desktops, laptops and Windows servers, regardless of worker location, via SaaS-enabled software. In four easy steps, and in less than 10 minutes, IT departments can … Continue reading “Viewfinity Secures $8,600,000 Series B Financing”

EyeGate Pharma, Delivering Drugs Into the Eye, Raises $11M Out of $23M Round

EyeGate Pharma, a Waltham, MA-based company developing more effective ways to deliver drugs into the eye, has raised $11 million in new financing out of an equity round that could potentially bring in $22.7 million, according to a regulatory filing today. EyeGate hasn’t issued a statement on the financing, and a company spokesman couldn’t immediately … Continue reading “EyeGate Pharma, Delivering Drugs Into the Eye, Raises $11M Out of $23M Round”

The New Google: Internet Giant Opens Up About Real-Time and Local Search, Cloud Computing, and Data Liberation

When it comes to product and business strategy, Google is one of the most secretive companies around. So I was pleased when the Internet giant agreed to grant me a series of interviews last week, most of them with senior product managers from its Mountain View, CA, headquarters. I touched on elements of Google’s technology … Continue reading “The New Google: Internet Giant Opens Up About Real-Time and Local Search, Cloud Computing, and Data Liberation”

Javelin Pharma Agrees to Merger with Myriad Pharma

Cambridge, MA-based Javelin Pharmaceuticals (AMEX:[[ticker:JAV]]) has agreed to be acquired by Myriad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:MYRX]]) of Salt Lake City in an all-stock merger, the companies reported last week. The merger agreement would initially give Javelin shareholders control of 41 percent of the stock in the combined company and up to 45 percent ownership of the merged … Continue reading “Javelin Pharma Agrees to Merger with Myriad Pharma”

Agios, Seeking to Starve Cancer Cells to Death, Wins Support from Brain Tumor Foundation

Cancer cells can essentially get addicted to food, and Agios Pharmaceuticals thinks it has a groundbreaking way to starve them to death. Now it’s getting some help to test the idea from a foundation started by the family of AOL founder Steve Case. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech company is announcing today that it has secured … Continue reading “Agios, Seeking to Starve Cancer Cells to Death, Wins Support from Brain Tumor Foundation”

India’s Innovation Front Lines 2009 (Part 1): Of “Jugaar” and A Quick Recovery from Global Recession

Driving from Delhi to Jaipur on the Delhi-Jaipur highway, December 17, 2009—The new 10-lane Gurgaon highway, opened a year back, is already at capacity. The first 30 miles. through the industrial suburbs of Delhi, are stop-and-go traffic. The Maruti-Suzuki car factories and Hero-Honda motorcycle factories and their parasitic ecosystem for auto jug manufactures ring the … Continue reading “India’s Innovation Front Lines 2009 (Part 1): Of “Jugaar” and A Quick Recovery from Global Recession”

Top Five Tech Advances of the 2000s

[Editor’s Note: As the decade comes to an end, we’ve asked Xconomists and other technology leaders around the country to identify the top innovations they’ve seen in their fields the past 10 years, or predict the top disruptive technologies that will impact the next decade.] 1—Digital camera proliferation. Digital cameras and camera phones have become … Continue reading “Top Five Tech Advances of the 2000s”

Myriad Pharmaceuticals Acquires Javelin Pharmaceuticals for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=44660082-8474-435e-a2e4-5e4b4f0c91fe&Preview=1 Date 12/21/2009 Company Name Javelin Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 125 CambridgePark Drive Cambridge, MA 02140 Company Description Javelin is a specialty pharmaceutical company that applies innovative proprietary delivery technologies to develop new, improved formulations of existing drugs that target unmet and underserved medical needs in the growing pain management market. Website http://www.javelinpharmaceuticals.com … Continue reading “Myriad Pharmaceuticals Acquires Javelin Pharmaceuticals for Undisclosed Sum”

EyeGate Pharmaceuticals Garners $11,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5c92652f-c5c4-44a6-8e23-eb0353b4ab92&Preview=1 Date 12/21/2009 Company Name EyeGate Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 100 Beaver Street Waltham, MA 02453 Company Description EyeGate Pharma is focused on replacing ocular injections and other invasive methods of ocular disease treatment. Our goal is to build a pipeline of safer, more effective and patient friendly ocular treatments based on our … Continue reading “EyeGate Pharmaceuticals Garners $11,000,000 New Funding Round”

Report: Security Breach Behind Twitter Outage Did Not Originate with New Hampshire DNS Provider

A hacker attack on the domain name system (DNS) servers that enable access to Twitter’s website disrupted service for many users late Thursday, directing them instead to a web page declaring “This site has been hacked by Iranian Cyber Army.” In the wake of the attack, which was fended off within hours, many fingers are … Continue reading “Report: Security Breach Behind Twitter Outage Did Not Originate with New Hampshire DNS Provider”

Oneforty Raises $1.2M More to Develop Twitter App Store

Oneforty, the Brighton, MA-based Twitter app store startup that has wooed and wowed angel investors on both coasts, has taken in about $1.25 million in new funding, to go along with $372,525 it had previously raised from debt financing that was converted to equity, according to an SEC filing today. The filing indicates the total … Continue reading “Oneforty Raises $1.2M More to Develop Twitter App Store”

Airvana Goes Private in $530M Deal

Chelmsford, MA-based Airvana (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AIRV]]), which makes femtocell equipment and other infrastructure for wireless operators, announced today that it’s departing the public markets and going private in a $530 million deal with a group of private-equity investors. Airvana will become a subsidiary of 72 Mobile Holdings, a new company owned by affiliates of S.A.C. Private … Continue reading “Airvana Goes Private in $530M Deal”

Chu Singles Out FloDesign’s Efficient Wind Turbines at Climate Change Conference

[Editor’s Note: Erik Mellgren, a noted Swedish business and technology journalist who worked with Xconomy as an Innovation Fellow in 2008, sends this article from Stockholm, just as the United Nations climate change conference is winding down in nearby Copenhagen, Denmark.] Massachusetts startup FloDesign Wind Turbine was singled out by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu … Continue reading “Chu Singles Out FloDesign’s Efficient Wind Turbines at Climate Change Conference”

The Decade’s Most Important Biomedical Discovery

The past decade has been rich in biological and biomedical advances. The decade opened with the reports of the large number of new genes within the human genome that encode small non-coding RNAs, or microRNAs. We have learned that these RNAs a) control at least half of all genes, b) are dysfunctional in many cancers … Continue reading “The Decade’s Most Important Biomedical Discovery”

Aveo Aims for $86M Debut, Exagrid Snags $16M, PatientKeeper Adds $13M, & More Boston-Area Deals News

In honor of the eighth day of Hanukah, here are the top eight deals of the last week. —Lexington, MA-based Cubist Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:CBST]]) inked a deal to acquire San Diego-based Calixa Therapeutics for $92.5 million upfront, with as much as $310 million more in potential payments also on the table. The merger of the firms, … Continue reading “Aveo Aims for $86M Debut, Exagrid Snags $16M, PatientKeeper Adds $13M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”

Digital Magazines Emerge—But Glossy Paper Publishers Haven’t Turned the Page on the Past

With all the drama this year around newspapers, including the Boston Globe‘s near-death experience and the actual demise of several other papers such as the Seattle P-I and the Rocky Mountain News, there’s been slightly less hoopla over the fate of magazines. They’re dealing with many of the same problems as newspapers, including a falloff … Continue reading “Digital Magazines Emerge—But Glossy Paper Publishers Haven’t Turned the Page on the Past”

Crispy Gamer Acquires GamerDNA for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=73556ef1-deae-426d-98b7-f15f7a644aef&Preview=1 Date 12/18/2009 Company Name GamerDNA Mailing Address 585 Massachusetts Ave 2nd Floor Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description GamerDNA is building a community for the millions of people around the world who are passionate about the immersive, engaging experiences that can be found through games. Website http://www.gamerdna.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Crispy Gamer Acquires GamerDNA for Undisclosed Sum”

Biogen Idec Bid for Facet Biotech Shot Down, But the Show’s Not Over

[Update: 5:26 pm Eastern, 12/17/09] Biogen Idec failed to persuade shareholders to approve its $450 million hostile takeover bid for Redwood City, CA-based Facet Biotech, but a statement today suggests that this particular corporate dance isn’t over yet. Shareholders of Facet (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FACT]]) turned down Cambridge, MA-based Biogen’s offer of $17.50, and now that the … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Bid for Facet Biotech Shot Down, But the Show’s Not Over”

TechStars Expansion to Seattle Fueled by Boston Success, Says Brad Feld

Yesterday’s official announcement that TechStars, the startup boot camp and seed-stage investment fund, is coming to Seattle next fall has a lot of us here buzzing with anticipation. Founded in Boulder, CO, in 2007, the program invites about 10 small tech startups for three months of training and mentorship, and awards $6,000 per founder in … Continue reading “TechStars Expansion to Seattle Fueled by Boston Success, Says Brad Feld”

Crispy Gamer Absorbs Cambridge’s GamerDNA

New York-based Crispy Gamer, an online video game review site, has acquired GamerDNA of Cambridge, MA, which attempted to build a community website that used real-time game play information to generate video game recommendations for community members. Jon Radoff, the founder of GamerDNA, announced the merger in a blog post today. The transition isn’t a … Continue reading “Crispy Gamer Absorbs Cambridge’s GamerDNA”

Aveo Pharmaceuticals Eyes $86.3M IPO

Aveo Pharmaceuticals indicated late yesterday that it wants to take the plunge into the public markets, filing papers with the SEC to raise up to $86.25 million in an initial public offering. It’s a brave move, considering that public markets have been stingy to biotech firms seeking IPOs in recent years. The Cambridge, MA-based company … Continue reading “Aveo Pharmaceuticals Eyes $86.3M IPO”

SeeWhy Brings in $2M

Andover, MA-based SeeWhy, which makes analytics software that helps website owners determine why visitors abandon shopping carts and online forms, said yesterday that it has raised $2 milion in new equity financing from its current investors, including UK-based Delta Partners. The startup said the funds would help it boost sales, marketing and SaaS support for … Continue reading “SeeWhy Brings in $2M”

Adimab Proves Fast Antibody Discovery Tool to Merck, Roche; Snags New Deal With Pfizer

Adimab has an audacious goal for speeding up the way antibody drugs are discovered, and apparently it’s delivering the goods. The Lebanon, NH-based biotech company is announcing today it has collected milestone payments from its first two corporate partners, Merck and Roche, and built on that experience to grab a pair of additional partnerships with … Continue reading “Adimab Proves Fast Antibody Discovery Tool to Merck, Roche; Snags New Deal With Pfizer”

Chicken Little is History, Now It’s Time for Old School VC

“Biotech is Broken!” “Pharmaceuticals Out of Balance!” “Venture Capital abandoning Biotech Sector!” Lately articles on the state of biotech scream out like spinning headlines on the MovieTone News Reels from seventy years ago: “Millions out of work!” or “War in the Pacific!” Since I’m penning my article on Pearl Harbor Day, the dramatic headlines pop … Continue reading “Chicken Little is History, Now It’s Time for Old School VC”