Category: Boston

ExxonMobil Makes $600 Million Bet on Biofuels—And Synthetic Genomics

J. Craig Venter, the maverick co-founder of San Diego’s Synthetic Genomics, has been hinting that the company had a huge funding announcement in the works—and tonight The New York Times has the story on its website. The newspaper says ExxonMobil has laid plans to invest $600 million or more in the development of renewable, algae-derived … Continue reading “ExxonMobil Makes $600 Million Bet on Biofuels—And Synthetic Genomics”

Are You Who You Say You Are? Delfigo Security Can Tell From Your Typing

The idea that a computer authentication system might be watching not just for the content of your username and password, but to the way you type them—that is, the exact amount of time your fingers linger on each key, measured to the millisecond—may sound a little spooky. But that’s the premise of Delfigo Security‘s new … Continue reading “Are You Who You Say You Are? Delfigo Security Can Tell From Your Typing”

Tributes.com Raises $1.2M More

Boston-based obituary listings site Tributes.com, a spinoff of boomer social networking site Eons, has raised a $1.2 million second round of funding, the company said today. That brings the total venture pot for the startup, which earns revenues on partnership with media groups and funeral services companies, to $5.4 million. The company didn’t name the … Continue reading “Tributes.com Raises $1.2M More”

VC Fundraising Engine Stalled, Q2 Venture Fund Closings Hit 13-year Low

Could it be the nadir of this recession for the venture capital industry? U.S. venture firms closed the fewest number of funds since the mid-1990s in the second quarter of 2009, according to a study released today. The 63.1-percent decline in quarterly VC fundraising indicated in the study is further evidence that the venture industry … Continue reading “VC Fundraising Engine Stalled, Q2 Venture Fund Closings Hit 13-year Low”

Integra5 Wants to be MediaFriends With You

Woburn, MA-based Integra5 announced today that it has changed its name to MediaFriends, a move intended to underscore the startup’s focus on technology that lets people communicate across multiple devices, including phones, PCs, and televisions. Under the Integra5 brand, the 10-year-old company was known mainly as a supplier of “converged services” software to cable, phone, … Continue reading “Integra5 Wants to be MediaFriends With You”

ConforMIS Shapes Corporate Expansion with $50M D Round

Burlington, MA-based ConforMIS has tapped government and private funds around the globe to raise $50 million, providing a huge financial boost to expand its business of providing patients with customized knee implants based on CT or MRI scans of their damaged knees. ConforMIS chairman and CEO Philipp Lang tells me the company drew investments for … Continue reading “ConforMIS Shapes Corporate Expansion with $50M D Round”

MC10 Tapping Founding VC North Bridge Venture Partners to Advance Stretchable Silicon Business

North Bridge Venture Partners has committed to participating in a planned $5 million Series A round of financing for stealthy startup MC10, which the Waltham, MA-based VC firm formed last year to commercialize stretchable silicon material, according to MC10 CEO Dave Icke. The stretchable silicon is both flexible in a literal sense and in terms … Continue reading “MC10 Tapping Founding VC North Bridge Venture Partners to Advance Stretchable Silicon Business”

OurStage Lands $3,000,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6460c5d6-e8c4-422d-a4ac-4b9188e67cd8&Preview=1 Date 7/13/2009 Company Name OurStage Mailing Address 321 Billerica Rd Chelmsford, MA 01824 Company Description OurStage is where the world’s music fans come to discover, enjoy and reward the best emerging artists – and where the world’s artists come to find their fans, get amazing gigs and launch their careers. Website … Continue reading “OurStage Lands $3,000,000 Series B Funding Round”

Tributes Obtains $1,200,000 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a88a9128-e062-453b-8d23-87650adf8938&Preview=1 Date 7/13/2009 Company Name Tributes Mailing Address 280 Summer Street, Fourth Floor Boston, MA 02210 Company Description Tributes.com is the online resource for current local and national obituary news, lasting tributes celebrating the lives of loved ones, and an online community to provide support during times of loss and grieving. Website … Continue reading “Tributes Obtains $1,200,000 Series B Funding”

ConforMIS Garners $50,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c18c4c0f-b908-4c6e-932f-89b631b9f91a&Preview=1 Date 7/13/2009 Company Name ConforMIS Mailing Address 2 Fourth Ave. Burlington, MA 01803 Company Description Our mission is to provide best-in-class, patient-specific, minimally invasive medical implants for orthopedics and sports medicine. This is achieved through use of our unique and highly differentiating imaging analysis tools that render precision 3-D implant sizing … Continue reading “ConforMIS Garners $50,000,000 New Financing”

ConnectEDU Lands $8,200,000 Series C Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6d427b21-c2d4-41c8-8db4-eca5f7f75e00&Preview=1 Date 7/13/2009 Company Name ConnectEDU Mailing Address 20 Park Plaza Boston, MA 02116 Company Description ConnectEDU is the nation’s leading technology firm dedicated to providing students, educators and employers with comprehensive solutions to successfully navigate education and employment transitions. Website http://www.connectedu.net/ Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,200,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “ConnectEDU Lands $8,200,000 Series C Round”

Some Pixily User E-mails Released

The private e-mail addresses of several hundred customers of Waltham, MA-based Pixily were accidentally shared with other customers Saturday in the aftermath of an Internet routing snafu that left many users unable to reach the document-scanning service for several hours. The breach, in which names intended for the “bcc” line of a customer service e-mail … Continue reading “Some Pixily User E-mails Released”

The Browser Geolocation Wars: Skyhook’s CEO on Why Google Maps is Misreading Your Location

[Updated 9:20 p.m. EDT 7/10/09 with responses from Google; see the sections marked “Update” below] Yesterday Google announced that the “My Location” feature familiar to anyone who’s used Google Maps on a mobile device—the little blue button that shows you your position on a map—is now available to people accessing Google Maps from their laptop … Continue reading “The Browser Geolocation Wars: Skyhook’s CEO on Why Google Maps is Misreading Your Location”

Vertex Selling Telaprevir Payment Rights

Cambridge, MA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:VRTX]]) revealed today its plans to raise cash through the sale of rights to $250 million in milestone payments it could receive for successfully developing and launching its experimental hepatitis C treatment, telaprevir, in Europe, according to a press release. No buyer of the rights was announced. Vertex gained rights to … Continue reading “Vertex Selling Telaprevir Payment Rights”

Freedom To Compete? A Symposium on Bills Affecting Employee Non-Compete Agreements

The Boston Bar Associaton’s Intellectual Property Section, Labor & Employment Law Section, and Litigation Section sponsors a free symposium, open to the public, on the pros and cons of non-compete agreements in employment contracts in Massachusetts. From the event website: “It is argued that employee non-compete agreements have chilled the spawning of new enterprises in … Continue reading “Freedom To Compete? A Symposium on Bills Affecting Employee Non-Compete Agreements”

Personal Podcasting with AudioBoo, UK’s “Twitter for Voice”

The human voice is making a comeback. For a while, it looked like e-mail, instant messaging, blogs, RSS, and all of the Internet’s other texty goodness might permanently eclipse the old-fashioned phone call and other voice-driven forms of communication. Even the spread of cell phones hasn’t halted the tide of text—more than a third of … Continue reading “Personal Podcasting with AudioBoo, UK’s “Twitter for Voice””

Awesome Foundation Looking For Offbeat Ideas That Need a $1,000 Boost

Flame-thrower enthusiasts and giant dinosaur puppet-makers of the world, rejoice. The Awesome Foundation for Arts and Sciences wants to support your efforts. Starting in July, the new Cambridge, MA-based “microtrust” will be giving out one grant each month in the spirit of supporting creations that evoke “surprise and delight.” The application process is simple: explain … Continue reading “Awesome Foundation Looking For Offbeat Ideas That Need a $1,000 Boost”

EMC Prevails in Data Domain Bidding War, New Funds for Excel and 5AM, Sonian Sees $4.1M, & More Boston-Area Deals News

There’s not one but two venture-fund closings to report this week. More below on those, and the rest of the week’s deals news from New England’s life science and tech firms. —Hopkinton, MA-based EMC (NYSE: [[ticker:EMC]]) won a protracted bidding war with rival NetApp over software maker Data Domain. After EMC increased its offer for … Continue reading “EMC Prevails in Data Domain Bidding War, New Funds for Excel and 5AM, Sonian Sees $4.1M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”

Brad Feld’s Colorado VC Firm Joins Massachusetts Crusade Against Non-Compete Agreements

The directors of Foundry Group, a Boulder, CO-based venture firm, have signed on as supporters of the Alliance for Open Competition, a group lobbying to outlaw the use of non-compete clauses in employment agreements in Massachusetts and other states. The alliance, founded last year by partners at Boston’s Spark Capital, argues that the non-compete clauses … Continue reading “Brad Feld’s Colorado VC Firm Joins Massachusetts Crusade Against Non-Compete Agreements”

Modiv Checks Out $1.2 Million

SEC documents published online today indicate that Quincy, MA-based Modiv Media, which helps grocery stores deliver in-store digital media, has collected $1.2 million out of a planned $2.52 million financing round. The documents list Ignition Partners partner Steven Hooper and Seapoint Ventures managing partner Thomas Huseby as board members. Modiv completed an $8 million Series … Continue reading “Modiv Checks Out $1.2 Million”

Beacon Power Wins $43M DOE Loan

Tyngsboro, MA-based flywheel energy storage company Beacon Power (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BCON]]) announced last week that the U.S. Department of Energy has extended a loan guarantee amounting to $43 million. The loan will provide more than half of the financing for a planned 20-megawatt commercial flywheel energy storage facility to be built in Stephentown, NY. But the … Continue reading “Beacon Power Wins $43M DOE Loan”

Data Domain Founder, Kai Li, on EMC Acquisition and the Future of Data Storage

Now I know why venture capitalists walk the halls at the University of Washington—you never know who you might run into. My timing was impeccable yesterday as I sat down with Kai Li, the co-founder and chief scientist of Data Domain (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DDUP]]), the Santa Clara, CA-based data storage company that just got bought by … Continue reading “Data Domain Founder, Kai Li, on EMC Acquisition and the Future of Data Storage”

Massachusetts Startup Fundraising Tallied $145M in June—Early Stage Venture Holds Its Own

Led by the Bay State’s strong healthcare sector, Massachusetts startups attracted just over $145 million in investment in June. That’s the tally from our new partner, ChubbyBrain, a New York-based information services company developing tools for investors, startups, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Health care companies—spanning drug development, medical devices, and consumer health and wellness—were the focus … Continue reading “Massachusetts Startup Fundraising Tallied $145M in June—Early Stage Venture Holds Its Own”

Genzyme Rival, Actelion, Seeks to Fill Void Created by Cerezyme Shortage

Genzyme dominates the market for treating Gaucher’s disease, each year selling more than $1.2 billion worth of its drug imiglucerase (Cerezyme) to patients with the rare genetic disease, who need to take the treatment throughout their lives. But competitors are flocking in to grab some of the market now that the Cambridge, MA-based biotech is … Continue reading “Genzyme Rival, Actelion, Seeks to Fill Void Created by Cerezyme Shortage”

Modiv Media Inc. Secures $1,200,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=56882845-70b5-4714-bfbc-4c9cc16b417d&Preview=1 Date 7/9/2009 Company Name Modiv Media Inc. Mailing Address 1250 Hancock Street Quincy, MA 02169 Company Description For brand marketers and retailers looking to influence consumers’ shopping habits and buying decisions, Modiv Media™ orchestrates relevant retail messages and improved shopping experiences at exactly the right moment in exactly the right place. … Continue reading “Modiv Media Inc. Secures $1,200,000 New Round”

Venture Capital Fundraising Down by 63 Percent So Far This Year

In news that’s not exactly unexpected, a mid-year survey shows that fundraising among U.S. venture capital firms is near low ebb, with the total raised so far at the lowest point since 2003, when 34 VC funds raised $2.2 billion in the first half of the year. The survey released today by Dow Jones Private … Continue reading “Venture Capital Fundraising Down by 63 Percent So Far This Year”

NetApp Bows Out, Clearing Way for EMC-Data Domain Nuptials

Sunnyvale, CA-based NetApp (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NTAP]]) said today it would not try to top EMC’s $33.50 per share offer for Data Domain (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DDUP]]), clearing the way for the Hopkinton, MA-based storage and information management giant to acquire the much-sought-after provider of data deduplication software. NetApp kicked off the competition for Data Domain on May 20 … Continue reading “NetApp Bows Out, Clearing Way for EMC-Data Domain Nuptials”

Amazon Lowers Kindle 2 Price to $299

Amazon’s e-book reader, the Kindle, dropped $60 in price today from $359 to $299, only five months after the February debut of the second generation reader. The price change comes as something of a surprise, after repeated statements from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to the effect that the company could not sell the Kindle for … Continue reading “Amazon Lowers Kindle 2 Price to $299”

For Microsoft and Google, Battleground Shifts to Web-Based Operating Systems

The fight between Microsoft and Google for the future of computing just got more intense. Last night, Google officially announced a new project, a Web browser-based operating system called Google Chrome OS, which will initially target netbooks. Google said it would make the code available on an open-source basis later this year, and plans to … Continue reading “For Microsoft and Google, Battleground Shifts to Web-Based Operating Systems”

Microsoft Unveils Logo for “NERD”

Microsoft’s New England Research & Development Center at One Memorial Drive here in Cambridge, MA—NERD, as it is so affectionately called inside and outside the company—has quickly become one of the central gathering spots for the Boston tech community. In late March, the company opened a big conference area on its second floor, and almost … Continue reading “Microsoft Unveils Logo for “NERD””

$4.1M for Sonian

Dedham, MA-based Sonian, which provides cloud-based e-mail archiving services, has raised $4.1 million out of a planned $6.6 million private stock offering, according to regulatory documents filed yesterday. Prism Ventureworks partner William Kohler is named as a Sonian board member.

A Deep Dive with Black Coral Capital

On Monday we learned that Rob Day, a former principal at @Ventures in Wilmington, MA, and one of the dynamic young leaders of the energy investing scene in New England, has taken on a new assignment. He’s become a partner at Black Coral Capital, a Boston-based private equity fund formed in 2008 to build a … Continue reading “A Deep Dive with Black Coral Capital”

Free Carbonite Trial for Java Users

Boston-based online computer backup provider Carbonite announced an agreement yesterday with Sun Microsystems that could broaden the startup’s user base. Computer users who download Sun’s Java runtime environment for the first time, or who upgrade to the newest version of Java, will be offered a 30-day free trial of the Carbonite service. “This program will … Continue reading “Free Carbonite Trial for Java Users”

Rapid Micro Biosystems Raises $18.6M for Faster Detection of Microbial Contamination

Rapid Micro Biosystems, a Bedford, MA-based developer of technology that quickly spots microbes that can cause disaster in the biotech drugmaking process, has nailed down a whopping $18.6 million in a Series A round of venture financing. The company, led by CEO Steve Delity, secured the cash from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, TVM Capital, … Continue reading “Rapid Micro Biosystems Raises $18.6M for Faster Detection of Microbial Contamination”

Biogen Idec Buys MS Drug Rights, Immuneering Models Cancer Drug Responses, Hologic Wins Contraceptive Device Approval, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News

Perhaps New England’s life sciences companies were busy building arks this past week, because the news flow was a heck of a lot lighter than the rainfall. There are still a few interesting developments to report, though. —Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]) agreed to pay $110 million up front, plus up to $400 million in … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Buys MS Drug Rights, Immuneering Models Cancer Drug Responses, Hologic Wins Contraceptive Device Approval, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”

Sonian Garners $4,100,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=672cf8e7-295e-4d6e-8663-4bdc9317890a&Preview=1 Date 7/8/2009 Company Name Sonian Mailing Address Undisclosed Dedham, MA 02026 Company Description Sonian is a technology platform and hosted services company on a mission to help millions of organizations world-wide manage their critical IT functions such as archiving, search, compliance, e-discovery and storage management. The Sonian platform is easy to … Continue reading “Sonian Garners $4,100,000 New Financing”

Rapid Micro Biosystems Inc. Secures $18,600,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=db7ee5ad-d81c-42d9-a40e-eb14cb86d88c&Preview=1 Date 7/8/2009 Company Name Rapid Micro Biosystems Inc. Mailing Address One Oak Park Drive, 2nd Floor Bedford, MA 01730 Company Description Rapid Micro Biosystems is providing innovative products for faster detection of microbial contamination in the manufacture of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and personal care products. The Company’s Growth Direct™ System detects contamination … Continue reading “Rapid Micro Biosystems Inc. Secures $18,600,000 Series A Financing Round”

5AM Ventures Beats Goal for 3rd Fund

5AM Ventures, a life sciences-focused early stage venture capital firm, has surpassed its $150 million target for its third fund, reports PE Hub. An SEC filing that indicates 5AM, which has offices in Waltham, MA, and Menlo Park, CA, has raised $159.2 million from 34 investors. Companies in the firm’s portfolio include Pulmatrix, a Lexington, … Continue reading “5AM Ventures Beats Goal for 3rd Fund”

Economics of Cleantech

Ultra Light Startups hosts this forum. They write: “The ‘Economics of Cleantech’ meetup will focus on discussing today’s energy problems, the economics and challenges of bringing new technologies to market, and the role that startups play in environmentally sustainable economies… How can we fund (and start) the right companies, choose the right technologies, and efficiently … Continue reading “Economics of Cleantech”

Hologic Device Approved by FDA

Bedford, MA-based Hologic (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HOLX]]) announced that the FDA has approved its permanent contraception device, called Adiana. Offering a less-invasive alternative to tubal ligation—a surgical procedure that is one of the most common forms of contraception worldwide—the device can be inserted via catheter through the vagina in a 15-minute procedure. Hologic gained European approval for … Continue reading “Hologic Device Approved by FDA”

Web Innovators Group 22

The Web Innovators Group meeting, featuring three “main dish” and six “side dish” presentations from local pre-venture-funded Web startups, returns to the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge on July 15 after a short spring hiatus. Main dish presenters: * Planet Cazmo (Pileated Pictures) – Michael E. Levine * Thunder Thimble (thoughbot) – Chad Pytel * … Continue reading “Web Innovators Group 22”

Immuneering, Led by Young CEO and Mentor, Aims to Pick Which Cancer Drugs Should Work

Cancer drugs are notorious for offering slim odds of helping patients live longer, while guaranteeing they’ll suffer some unhappy side effects. Lots of scientists are searching for clues in the genome for how to select people most likely to benefit from a drug, while sparing everyone else. Boston-based Immuneering thinks there’s a better place to … Continue reading “Immuneering, Led by Young CEO and Mentor, Aims to Pick Which Cancer Drugs Should Work”

The “Least Worst,” General Catalyst’s Two-for-One Sale, Turning Your Umbrella Upside Down, and Other Gems From Xconomy’s Star-Studded Venture Panel

“The rest of the economy is now dealing with the uncertainty that we deal with every day in a good economy. We do that by choice, they’re doing it now out of necessity.” The scene was XSITE, the Xconomy Summit on Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, held on June 24 at Boston University. The speaker was … Continue reading “The “Least Worst,” General Catalyst’s Two-for-One Sale, Turning Your Umbrella Upside Down, and Other Gems From Xconomy’s Star-Studded Venture Panel”

Excel Venture Unveils $125M Fund to Make Life Sciences Ideas Cross Over to IT, Energy

Here’s a rare bit of good news from the venture capital world. Boston-based Excel Venture Management has nailed down a $125 million fund to invest in new life sciences companies that it hopes will have broad potential to shake up a variety of industries, including information technology and alternative energy. Excel has been operating for … Continue reading “Excel Venture Unveils $125M Fund to Make Life Sciences Ideas Cross Over to IT, Energy”

Fisher Plaza Fire Felt from Seattle to East Coast: Lessons from a Data Disaster

In case you missed it over the holiday, an electrical fire and power outage at Fisher Plaza near Seattle Center late on Thursday night disrupted a number of websites and services, including those of local tech companies Redfin, Survey Analytics, and Big Fish Games, as well as Microsoft’s Bing Travel site (formerly Farecast), Verizon’s DSL … Continue reading “Fisher Plaza Fire Felt from Seattle to East Coast: Lessons from a Data Disaster”