Twenty-two-year-old Fan Bi is the mastermind behind Blank Label, an online clothier where fashion-conscious young men can use sophisticated “configurator” software to design their own dress shirts from a variety of fabrics and collar, cuff, and pocket styles. Tailors in Shanghai assemble shirts from the designs and ship the finished articles back to the U.S., … Continue reading “Invent a Cool Clothing Site, Now Leave the Country—Fan Bi, Blank Label, and The Case for the “Founders Visa””
Category: Boston
Gaterocket Obtains $2,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=473e5089-0e2b-404c-abf6-c9e95f558475&Preview=1 Date 12/17/2009 Company Name Gaterocket Mailing Address 19 Crosby Drive Bedford, MA 01730 Company Description GateRocket offers the industry’s first Device Native™ verification solution for Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). This product can cut in half the time it takes to develop the electronic products that enrich our lives every day. … Continue reading “Gaterocket Obtains $2,000,000 New Round”
TechStars, the Startup Boot Camp, Coming to Seattle Next Fall, Led by Andy Sack
Yes, it’s another big rumor confirmed today… TechStars, the two-year-old seed-stage investment fund and boot camp for tech startups, announced it is expanding to Seattle in the fall of 2010. Seattle entrepreneur and investor Andy Sack will lead the local effort as executive director. Sack has previously served as a mentor in Boston and in … Continue reading “TechStars, the Startup Boot Camp, Coming to Seattle Next Fall, Led by Andy Sack”
Acceleron Pharma Reports $10.9M Financing
Acceleron Pharma, the Cambridge, MA-based developer of biotech drugs for anemia, bone loss, and other ailments, reports in an SEC filing that it has raised $10.9 million in equity financing. The funding includes an $8 million investment that Cambridge-based biotech Alkermes (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ALKS]])made as part of a licensing deal Luke reported early this month, as well … Continue reading “Acceleron Pharma Reports $10.9M Financing”
CyPhy Works Wins UAV Grant
DroidWorks, the stealth-mode robotics company launched early in 2009 by iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner, has changed its name to CyPhy Works and has won a $2.4 million research award from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to study ways of using unmanned aerial vehicles to inspect civil infrastructure such as highways, bridges and dams, … Continue reading “CyPhy Works Wins UAV Grant”
GlassHouse Raises $2M
Framingham, MA-based GlassHouse Technologies, which provides data center management and backup services, has raised $2 million in new equity financing, according to a regulatory filing. The company declined to comment on the funding. GlassHouse’s previous financing round was a $9.8 million Series F investment one year ago led by Cisco Systems. The company nixed plans … Continue reading “GlassHouse Raises $2M”
Biogen Idec Board in Flux, Cubist Acquires Calixa, ImmunoGen Drug Passes Clinical Test, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
Gadzooks, was this a busy news week for the biotech, devices, and healthcare IT sectors in New England. Here’s the lightning round version: —Luke examined Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]])’s efforts to create antibody drugs that can hit two targets at once. —Cambridge-based Parasol Therapeutics, an MIT spinoff developing treatments and diagnostics for influenza … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Board in Flux, Cubist Acquires Calixa, ImmunoGen Drug Passes Clinical Test, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
QD Vision Sees $10M Round
QD Vision, of Watertown, MA, said today that it has raised $10 million to bankroll the rollout of its quantum dot nanomaterials for use in LED-based solid state lighting and displays. Investors in the round were Boston-area venture firms North Bridge Venture Partners and Highland Capital Partners, as well as In-Q-Tel, the investment arm of … Continue reading “QD Vision Sees $10M Round”
Millipore Taps Langer for Board Seat
Millipore, a large provider of life sciences research products and services, said yesterday that MIT chemist Bob Langer has joined its board of directors. Langer (an Xconomist) is a winner of the 2006 National Medal of Science for his discoveries in polymer science for drug delivery and tissue regeneration, and has licensed his inventions to … Continue reading “Millipore Taps Langer for Board Seat”
ULocate’s Where Is That Rare Beast: A Location-Based Mobile Platform Earning Real Money
As the news cycle slows down with the approach of the holidays, I’ve had a bit of time to attend to my towering backlog of unpublished interviews, including the one below, from a visit to Boston-based uLocate. CEO Walt Doyle and vice president of marketing Dan Gilmartin had me over on November 9 for the … Continue reading “ULocate’s Where Is That Rare Beast: A Location-Based Mobile Platform Earning Real Money”
Google Senior Exec Alan Eustace on Innovation Strategy and the Technology of the Next Decade
If ever a company defied hyperlocal coverage, it’s Google. Whether you live in Boston or Bosnia, Seattle or Shanghai, Google is a big deal—and it’s getting bigger every day. Whether it’s attracting or gobbling up the best companies and talent in New England or Southern California, or competing with giants like Microsoft (Bing) and Amazon … Continue reading “Google Senior Exec Alan Eustace on Innovation Strategy and the Technology of the Next Decade”
Helicos Raises $6.4M
Helicos Biosciences, the Cambridge, MA-based maker of genetic research instruments, said today it has raised $6.4 million. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HLCS]]) collected the cash by offering a combination stock and warrants. The deal was underwritten by Thomas Weisel Partners.
Advanced Cell Technology Betting Future on Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy for Eye Disease
Advanced Cell Technology is banking on an experimental cellular therapy for a rare eye disease to show the world that controversial embryonic stem cells have a place in treating diseases. Amid serious financial constraints at the Worcester, MA-based biotech firm (OTCBB[[ticker:ACTC]]), a plan is in place to pioneer the use of cellular therapies made with … Continue reading “Advanced Cell Technology Betting Future on Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy for Eye Disease”
GlassHouse Technologies Lands $2,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4f4a87cc-1d25-4811-9957-e05fb24fcb9e&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2009 Company Name GlassHouse Technologies Mailing Address 200 Crossing Boulevard Framingham, MA 01702 Company Description GlassHouse Technologies, Inc. provides services that help organizations solve the business problems of enterprise storage. From strategy through deployment and support, GlassHouse partners with clients to transform storage into a strategic advantage. GlassHouse clients include … Continue reading “GlassHouse Technologies Lands $2,000,000 New Financing”
QD Vision Secures $10,000,000 Series D Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8469525c-d1b3-4829-8437-f7ce89ed129d&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2009 Company Name QD Vision Mailing Address 313 Pleasant St Watertown, MA 02472 Company Description Our leading edge solutions will give customers decisive performance and manufacturing advantages in the competitive market for flat panel displays. Because our solutions use standard OLED device structures, customers with installed manufacturing equipment can leverage … Continue reading “QD Vision Secures $10,000,000 Series D Funding Round”
Afferent Pharmaceuticals Receives $23,000,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d5096069-7f3a-4ce2-acc3-35687ac03d56&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2009 Company Name Afferent Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 29 Newbury Street Boston, MA 02116 Company Description Develops medicines to treat chronic pain. Afferent Pharmaceuticals is focused on developing first-in-class medicines to treat chronic pain by targeting P2X3 receptors in nerve fibers. Research shows that P2X3-containing receptors are highly specific to nerve … Continue reading “Afferent Pharmaceuticals Receives $23,000,000 Series A Round”
Biogen Prepared for Proxy Battle for Facet Biotech
Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec told investors today that it’s willing to wage a proxy battle to take control of the board of Facet Biotech, which it has been trying to acquire without success since September. Biogen (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]) said that it would run a proxy contest to take a majority of seats on the board of … Continue reading “Biogen Prepared for Proxy Battle for Facet Biotech”
PatientKeeper Collects $13M Funding, Puts VC Chip Hazard on Board
PatientKeeper is developing software for physicians that will help them comply with planned federal guidelines for the use of electronic medical records. And the Newton, MA-based firm says today that it’s raised $13 million in debt and equity funds to cover the costs of updating its products and supporting business growth. The equity portion of … Continue reading “PatientKeeper Collects $13M Funding, Puts VC Chip Hazard on Board”
Cloud3 Speakers Share Their Presentations
At Xconomy’s Cloud3 Forum on December 10, several attendees asked me whether we would be putting the speakers’ presentations online. It seemed like a great idea—in fact I wished I’d thought of it myself! So I asked all of our speakers for permission to post their decks, and voila, here are seven of them. You … Continue reading “Cloud3 Speakers Share Their Presentations”
Azure Reorganization Raises Questions About the Future of Ray Ozzie at Microsoft
Last week, we reported that Microsoft is moving Windows Azure, its cloud computing platform, into a new business unit called the Server and Cloud Division, as the company gears up to offer a paid cloud service early next year. Azure now falls under the authority of Bob Muglia, president of the company’s Server and Tools … Continue reading “Azure Reorganization Raises Questions About the Future of Ray Ozzie at Microsoft”
Nasuni Starts with $8M A Round
Nasuni, a Natick, MA-based startup developing a cloud storage product, reports this morning that it’s raised $8 million in a Series A financing from North Bridge Venture Partners and Sigma Partners. The founders of the stealthy company are CEO Andres Rodriguez and Robert Mason, both of whom are former executives of a Massachusetts-based online storage … Continue reading “Nasuni Starts with $8M A Round”
The Cloud3 Crowd: Photos from Xconomy’s Cloud Computing Forum
Xconomy’s Cloud3 Forum on December 10 attracted a capacity crowd of more than 200 people—and now we’ve got the photos to prove it! We used the morning event, which was hosted by Microsoft, to hash out some of the stickiest issues around cloud computing, such as cost and security, and to bring the audience up … Continue reading “The Cloud3 Crowd: Photos from Xconomy’s Cloud Computing Forum”
$16 Million More for Exagrid
[Corrected 12/15/09, see below] Exagrid, a provider of disk-based backup storage equipment and deduplication software in Westborough, MA, has raised an additional $16 million in equity-based financing, according to regulatory documents filed December 14. This venture round, the company’s fifth, follows a $20 million Series C round in November 2007 and a $12 million Series … Continue reading “$16 Million More for Exagrid”
New Faces, New Vacancies on Biogen Idec Board May Foretell Another Proxy Battle
The Biogen Idec boardroom has seen a lot of turnover in the past few months, and who ends up filling the empty slots could say a lot about whether the Cambridge, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) will have another proxy fight with billionaire investor Carl Icahn on its hands this spring. Since Icahn won a … Continue reading “New Faces, New Vacancies on Biogen Idec Board May Foretell Another Proxy Battle”
In Online Advertising Auctions, DataXu’s Rocket Science Turns the Tables in Buyers’ Favor
The introduction of pay-per-click advertising in the early 2000s by Overture, Google, Yahoo, and others made the Web a lot more appealing to advertisers, since it meant they only had to pay for ads when Web surfers actually clicked through to their sites. A more recent innovation—real-time bidding for individual display-ad impressions—also helps advertisers, by … Continue reading “In Online Advertising Auctions, DataXu’s Rocket Science Turns the Tables in Buyers’ Favor”
The Top Five Biotech Innovations of the 2000s
[Editor’s Note: As the decade comes to an end, we’ve asked a number of Xconomists around the country to weigh in with the Top 5 innovations they’ve seen in their respective fields the past 10 years, or the Top 5 disruptive technologies that will impact the next decade. Here’s the first installment.] Here are the … Continue reading “The Top Five Biotech Innovations of the 2000s”
Seattle Genetics Nabs $60M Upfront From Millennium For “Empowered Antibody”
Seattle Genetics lost one marquee partner last week, and a few days later, it gained another. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company said today that it has clinched a partnership with Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company to co-develop and market an “empowered antibody” for Hodgkin’s disease and related lymphomas. Millennium, a Cambridge, MA-based operation that handles … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Nabs $60M Upfront From Millennium For “Empowered Antibody””
Shire Making Lemonade with Genzyme’s Lemons
Shire, the British drugmaker with a big presence in Massachusetts, has seen its fortunes rise during this year of manufacturing woes over at Cambridge, MA-based Genzyme. Shire (LON: [[ticker:SHP]]) doesn’t yet have regulatory approval to market two treatments for genetic diseases that will rival Genzyme, but U.S. regulators have allowed the company to go ahead … Continue reading “Shire Making Lemonade with Genzyme’s Lemons”
ExaGrid Systems Receives $16,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ae38a893-2f8d-46a1-b6e0-3f7b1aeeaefd&Preview=1 Date 12/15/2009 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 $16,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes … Continue reading “ExaGrid Systems Receives $16,000,000 New Funding”
Countdown To Buy Obtains $1,100,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ed11c675-5346-4957-ba4f-5ee497fed13e&Preview=1 Date 12/15/2009 Company Name Countdown To Buy Mailing Address 6 Stony Hill Rd Bethel, CT 06801 Company Description Countdown To Buy (CTB) is a next generation online real estate marketplace that offers the most fair and effective way to buy and sell properties. The Company was founded by Jim Hodson, a … Continue reading “Countdown To Buy Obtains $1,100,000 New Round”
PatientKeeper Obtains $13,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8910f815-ebb9-4f9e-9dab-7a5bf6ae9c2c&Preview=1 Date 12/15/2009 Company Name PatientKeeper Mailing Address 275 Washington Street Newton, MA 02458 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, Venture Equity Transaction Amount $13,000,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “PatientKeeper Obtains $13,000,000 New Financing”
Nasuni Receives $8,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d7f02559-0381-4a86-82b7-d473fab6e176&Preview=1 Date 12/15/2009 Company Name Nasuni Mailing Address 313 Speen Street Natick, MA 01760 Company Description Nasuni was founded in 2009 by seasoned executives to deliver a gateway to cloud storage that makes it feasible for more business users. Website http://www.nasuni.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,000,000 Transaction Round Series A … Continue reading “Nasuni Receives $8,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
CoreStreet Sold to ActivIdentity for $20M
Fremont, CA-based ActivIdentity, which makes software and devices used to authenticate individuals entering secure facilities or logging on to private networks, said today that it is acquiring Cambridge, MA-based competitor CoreStreet for $20 million in cash, stock, and warrants. ActivIdentity said CoreStreet’s physical access control products and its distributed credential validation system—in which the information … Continue reading “CoreStreet Sold to ActivIdentity for $20M”
Emo Labs Raises $1.5 Million
Jason Carlson, CEO of Waltham, MA-based Emo Labs, confirmed today that the audio technology company has collected $1.5 million in the first tranche of a planned $2.7 million venture funding round, as indicated by regulatory documents filed December 11. Emo is developing transparent loudspeakers that attach to the front of large displays, greatly improving the … Continue reading “Emo Labs Raises $1.5 Million”
Caliper Sells XenBio for $11M
Caliper Life Sciences, a Hopkinton, MA-based provider of life sciences research products and services, said today that it has sold its small animal services business, Xenogen Biosciences (XenBio), to the laboratory rodent provider Taconic Farms for about $11 million. Taconic, headquartered in Hudson, NY, is also becoming the distributor of Caliper’s transgenic rodents that can … Continue reading “Caliper Sells XenBio for $11M”
IDC Picks Up 7ticks
Interactive Data Corporation (NYSE: [[ticker:IDC]]), the Bedford, MA-based market data provider, announced today that it will acquire 7ticks, a 42-employee firm in Chicago that provides customers with high-speed access to derivatives, options, and commodities exchanges such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and EuroNext. Interactive Data said in a statement that the acquisition “represents an important … Continue reading “IDC Picks Up 7ticks”
Avenue100 Acquires GetTheJob.com
Avenue100 Media Solutions, a Woburn, MA-based online marketing subsidiary of the Washington Post Company, said today that it has acquired job search site GetTheJob.com. The sites Avenue 100 already oversees include CourseAdvisor.com and EducationGrant.com; the acquisition represents “a natural step in our corporate evolution given our successful Web properties in the education realm,” Avenue 100 … Continue reading “Avenue100 Acquires GetTheJob.com”
Cubist to Acquire Calixa Therapeutics in Deal Worth up to $402.5M
Lexington, MA-based Cubist Pharmaceuticals says today that it’s inked a deal to buy fellow antiobiotic drug developer Calixa Therapeutics, of San Diego, for $92.5 million upfront and up to $310 million more in potential payments to Calixa shareholders. Calixa—which Luke profiled back in March after it cleared a key safety study for one of its … Continue reading “Cubist to Acquire Calixa Therapeutics in Deal Worth up to $402.5M”
On-Q-ity Ups Venture Round by $5M
Waltham, MA-based cancer diagnostics firm On-Q-ity has added a new investor and an additional $5 million to the $21 million Series A venture round it announced in early November, according to a press release summarized in the Boston Globe today. The new investor, Atlas Venture, joins Bessemer Venture Partners, MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures, Northgate Capital, and … Continue reading “On-Q-ity Ups Venture Round by $5M”
Monotype Buys Planetweb
Woburn, MA-based Monotype Imaging (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TYPE]]) has paid $1.9 million in cash to acquire the assets of Planetweb, a dot-com-era holdover based in Redwood Shores, CA, according to a Monotype announcement today. Founded in 1996, Planetweb had raised nearly $60 million in venture backing to develop Internet browsers for televisions and other devices; its current … Continue reading “Monotype Buys Planetweb”
Novomer Uses Kodak’s Idle Film Plants to Scale Up Its Green Process for Making Plastic
There’s news out of Boston-based Novomer today offering a measure of encouragement to environmentalists fixated on this month’s climate-change negotiations in Copenhagen. The material science startup, which has venture backing from Kirkland, WA-based OVP Venture Partners and other firms, says it has embarked on a partnership with Kodak to use the 117-year-old company’s chemical manufacturing … Continue reading “Novomer Uses Kodak’s Idle Film Plants to Scale Up Its Green Process for Making Plastic”
Alnylam, Studying History of Genzyme, Eyes Drug to Make Big Impact for Rare Disease
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has a technology, RNA interference, that scientists say has potential to break new ground against hundreds of diseases for decades to come. But when you have a proverbial “platform” technology that can do so much, how exactly should you set priorities, and decide which drugs to develop first? I got a sense for … Continue reading “Alnylam, Studying History of Genzyme, Eyes Drug to Make Big Impact for Rare Disease”
Sugar Gets Sweeter: Former OLPC Exec Walter Bender on Netbooks, E-books, Blueberry, and Cloudberry
Every so often, we like to check in with Walter Bender, the former president of software and content for the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Foundation. He’s always busy with something interesting—and lately, it’s been Sugar, the classroom-oriented software environment that he and a team of software engineers originally developed for the OLPC’s $200 XO … Continue reading “Sugar Gets Sweeter: Former OLPC Exec Walter Bender on Netbooks, E-books, Blueberry, and Cloudberry”
On-Q-ity Receives $5,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f9b90e4b-0177-4852-8d34-469dd7f70fa7&Preview=1 Date 12/14/2009 Company Name On-Q-ity Mailing Address 610 Lincoln Street Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description Informed decisions will improve the way cancer is treated. On-Q-ity is an innovative diagnostic company that is focused on providing physicians with the tools they need to make the best decision when treating individual cancer patients. … Continue reading “On-Q-ity Receives $5,000,000 Series A Funding”
Emo Labs Obtains $1,500,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=92cb295d-a2c1-44b6-b07a-e02564bccfb8&Preview=1 Date 12/14/2009 Company Name Emo Labs Mailing Address 186 Third Avenue Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description Emo Labs’ invisible loudspeaker solutions unify audio and video to create a better multimedia entertainment experience. Website http://www.emolabs.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “Emo Labs Obtains $1,500,000 Series A Financing Round”
ActivIdentity Acquires CoreStreet Ltd. for $20,000,000
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bd5c8551-6408-4a93-a52d-c6c81adc0c6e&Preview=1 Date 12/14/2009 Company Name CoreStreet Ltd. Mailing Address One Alewife Center Cambridge, MA 02140 Company Description Businesses and governments around the world deploy CoreStreet products and CoreStreet-enabled solutions to increase security, reduce costs, and comply with regulations. Website http://www.corestreet.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount $20,000,000 Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms … Continue reading “ActivIdentity Acquires CoreStreet Ltd. for $20,000,000”
The Cloud3 Crowd: Photos from Xconomy’s Cloud Computing Forum
NEXT IMAGE >> Akamai Guy—Tom Leighton, co-founder and chief scientist at Cambridge, MA-based Akamai, argued that the performance a company gets out of cloud services is only as good as the network connecting the company to its cloud providers’ data centers. He described Akamai’s ability to optimize network routing paths between cloud-computing users and cloud … Continue reading “The Cloud3 Crowd: Photos from Xconomy’s Cloud Computing Forum”
WPI Venture Forum: Squeeze More Value from Your IP
Douglas Flood, former VP of Corporate Development at Mercury Computer Systems, is the keynote at this event focusing on how to maximize the value of intellectual property. Flood should have some insights to share: at Mercury, he “led more than 13 merger and acquisition transactions and 12 other strategic alliances or licensing agreements during his … Continue reading “WPI Venture Forum: Squeeze More Value from Your IP”
TCN Breakfast Roundtable: Pitching a Business Plan
Pitching is an art—and that is just as true in entrepreneurship as in baseball or cricket. This breakfast panel event features some experts in the subject: Phil Cooper, a member of Boston Harbor Angels, consultant Diane Ripstein, and oneforty founder Laura Fitton, Boston’s doyenne of pitching. According to the event description: “Through an interactive panel … Continue reading “TCN Breakfast Roundtable: Pitching a Business Plan”
WordCamp Boston
Xconomy and about a gazillion other blogs run on WordPress, the open source blogging platform. This event brings together all those WordPress hard-core developers and just plain casual users and everyone in between. Signup here. And, hey, any WordPress guru who’s out there and wants to help Xconomy do some cool new things, just drop … Continue reading “WordCamp Boston”