Quattro Wireless of Waltham, MA, announced today that it has raised $10 million in new venture funding to help expand its mobile content and advertising network. Despite the withering economy, Quattro hit a “hockey stick” in customer acquisition and revenue growth in late 2008 and needs the money to invest in sales, marketing, and technology … Continue reading “Quattro Wireless Hits “Hockey Stick” Growth, Raises Additional $10 Million”
Category: Boston
$8M for NKT Therapeutics
NKT Therapeutics, a Newton, MA-based startup built around technology from Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital, announced it has raised $8 million in a Series A financing led jointly by SV Life Sciences and MedImmune Ventures. NKT, whose website says the financing closed in December 2008, is developing … Continue reading “$8M for NKT Therapeutics”
Boston-Power HP Battery For Sale
Back in December, Westborough, MA-based Boston-Power announced a major deal to manufacture new longer-lasting, eco-friendly laptop batteries for Hewlett-Packard. The new $150 battery, called the Enviro, is compatible with 17 notebook computers in the HP Pavilion, HP HDX, Compaq Presario and HP G lines, and goes on sale today at HP’s e-commerce site, hpshopping.com. Starting … Continue reading “Boston-Power HP Battery For Sale”
Carmichael Roberts Brings Scientific Expertise to North Bridge Venture Partners, Launching New Startup
Carmichael Roberts says he has avoided taking the traditional path during his career as a scientist and entrepreneur. And he’s now taking a path that will lead North Bridge Venture Partners from its traditional emphasis on IT to a larger mix of investments based on breakthroughs in chemistry and materials science. He even let me … Continue reading “Carmichael Roberts Brings Scientific Expertise to North Bridge Venture Partners, Launching New Startup”
Could Patent Reform Hurt Cleantech?
(Editor’s Note: This is excerpted from written testimony to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.) Out of the many patents that will be filed in the coming years, there will be a handful of world-changing inventions that can crucially alter the course of our future. These are the jewels we need to protect: —inventions that solve … Continue reading “Could Patent Reform Hurt Cleantech?”
Weaving Words with Wordle: A Talk with IBM’s Jonathan Feinberg
Xconomy chose to set up shop in Kendall Square because we wanted to be at the epicenter of investment and innovation in the Boston area. But it was just luck that we ended up right across the street from IBM’s Cambridge research facility at 1 Rogers Street, which is home to both the Collaborative User … Continue reading “Weaving Words with Wordle: A Talk with IBM’s Jonathan Feinberg”
NKT Therapeutics, Inc. Obtains $8,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c0bc1a17-bf9a-4d08-b128-b8934889e783&Preview=1 Date 3/16/2009 Company Name NKT Therapeutics, Inc. Mailing Address 233 Needham Street Newton, MA 02464 Company Description NKT Therapeutics, Inc. (the Company) is a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics based on unique immune cells called natural killer T (NKT) cells. NKT cells are a rare but central component of the … Continue reading “NKT Therapeutics, Inc. Obtains $8,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
Good Data Raises Round, Leaves Cambridge
Good Data, a startup developing user-friendly, Web-based tools for analyzing business intelligence data, has raised an undisclosed amount of venture financing from Cambridge, MA-based Generaly Catalyst and Boston-area technology investor John Landry (an Xconomist), according to a March 12 report by Scott Kirsner. The company formerly had an office at the Cambridge Innovation Center, but … Continue reading “Good Data Raises Round, Leaves Cambridge”
Good Data Corporation Garners New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a419b099-1619-4290-9500-6de735933d1b&Preview=1 Date 3/15/2009 Company Name Good Data Corporation Mailing Address One Broadway, 14th Floor Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description Good Data Corporation was founded with the mission to provide a platform for collaborative analytics. We believe that sharing and teamwork allows our users to move past isolated reports and arrive at the … Continue reading “Good Data Corporation Garners New Financing Round”
Pulmatrix Inhales $3M Financing
Pulmatrix, a Lexington, MA-based developer of aerosol drugs intended to treat and prevent the spread of respiratory ailments, has raised $3 million in a financing, Mass High Tech reports, citing a regulatory filing. A company spokeswoman says the financing is a bridge round in anticipation of a larger financing, but the firm isn’t commenting on … Continue reading “Pulmatrix Inhales $3M Financing”
Hologic Gets FDA Nod for HPV Tests
Hologic (NASDAQ:[[ticker:HOLX]]), a Bedford, MA-based provider of women’s healthcare products, says that the FDA has approved two of its “Cervista” tests for detecting human papillomavirus (HPV), a major cause of cervical cancer. One of the tests is intended to identify 14 “high-risk” strains of HPV, according to the firm, and the other test is designed … Continue reading “Hologic Gets FDA Nod for HPV Tests”
Brigham Docs Share Medical Scans Remotely Using IBM Web Browser Technology
For hundreds of years, students and spectators could gather in operating theaters like the Ether Dome at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital to watch doctors perform surgery. Now IBM and researchers at another famous Boston hospital, Brigham and Women’s, have developed a tool that lets many physicians gather virutally to get a good look at a … Continue reading “Brigham Docs Share Medical Scans Remotely Using IBM Web Browser Technology”
Synta Pharma Cuts 90 Workers
Synta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:SNTA]]) says it will cut 90 workers, or about 41 percent of its staff, to conserve cash after its late-stage clinical trial for its lead treatment for a deadly form of skin cancer ended in disaster last month. The Lexington, MA-based firm, which ended 2008 with $65 million to $70 million in cash … Continue reading “Synta Pharma Cuts 90 Workers”
Top 9 Tech Updates: Photosynth, Geocaching, Google Earth, and More
I’ve been writing World Wide Wade for almost a year now; this is the 44th installment. A year is a long time in the technology world—long enough for many of the gadgets, services, and websites I’ve covered in the past to evolve cool new features. So I thought I’d revisit a few of my previous … Continue reading “Top 9 Tech Updates: Photosynth, Geocaching, Google Earth, and More”
Carbonite Adds Features, Ups Price
Boston-based online storage provider Carbonite said yesterday it plans to increase the cost of its service from $49.95 per year to $54.95, effective March 16. But customers will get added features for the extra money—notably the ability to access the files they’ve back up from any compute via a Web browser. “Remote access is a … Continue reading “Carbonite Adds Features, Ups Price”
$20M for Surface Logix, $5M for Veracode, $14M for Stemgent, and More Boston-Area Deals News
It’s all about smallish venture deals and acquisitions of indeterminate size this week. Maybe next week New England’s tech and life sciences companies will only announce partnerships? —Vitalize Consulting Services, a Reading, MA-based manager of IT implementation projects for big healthcare companies, acquired Santa Ana, CA-based r3 Health Partners for an undisclosed sum. —Surface Logix … Continue reading “$20M for Surface Logix, $5M for Veracode, $14M for Stemgent, and More Boston-Area Deals News”
Fate Therapeutics Adds Scientific Muscle, Advancing Stem Cell Technology into First Clinical Trial
Fate Therapeutics has wowed people with its big plans to make drugs that activate adult stem cells in the body to treat diseases and regenerate tissues. And now the biotech startup has brought on new scientific talent to help put its first treatment to the test in clinical trials. Fate said yesterday it has recruited … Continue reading “Fate Therapeutics Adds Scientific Muscle, Advancing Stem Cell Technology into First Clinical Trial”
SpaceClaim Corporation Receives $7,000,000 Series C Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f54ab1f1-0def-4523-b339-480e899f6838&Preview=1 Date 3/13/2009 Company Name SpaceClaim Corporation Mailing Address 150 Baker Ave. Ext Concord, MA 01742 Company Description SpaceClaim Corporation provides breakthrough mechanical design technology that enhances engineers’ productivity by empowering them to contribute to, consume, and share mechanical designs in 3D digital format. SpaceClaim’s innovative and intuitive 3D tools extend the … Continue reading “SpaceClaim Corporation Receives $7,000,000 Series C Funding Round”
Biogen Idec R&D Boss Retires
Biogen Idec said today that its president of R&D, Cecil Pickett, is retiring. Pickett, 62, will stay in the job until a replacement is filled, and he will keep his seat on the board of directors after retirement, the company said in a regulatory filing. Pickett joined the Cambridge, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) in … Continue reading “Biogen Idec R&D Boss Retires”
2009 Massachusetts Biotechnology Council Annual Meeting
Biotechnology is a mainstay of the Massachusetts innovation economy, and there is no better place to take the pulse of the overall sector than at the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council’s annual meeting. The day’s events will center around findings from the new 2015 Strategic Report. There’s a great lineup of speakers who include: * Governor Deval … Continue reading “2009 Massachusetts Biotechnology Council Annual Meeting”
Epix Pharma Halves Workforce
Lexington, MA-based Epix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:EPIX]]), a developer of drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and Cystic Fibrosis, says that it plans to cut half of its workers immediately to reduce expenses. The cuts will affect a total of 44 workers, with 33 of the employees losing their jobs in Massachusetts, a company spokeswoman confirmed. The company expects … Continue reading “Epix Pharma Halves Workforce”
Invention Machine and the Case of the Failing Toilet Flapper
If you follow Xconomy you might remember a story I wrote a year ago called “Invention Machine and the Case of the Boxed-Up Box Spring.” That piece talked about Goldfire Innovator, the expert-system software for product engineers made by Boston-based Invention Machine, and how mattress manufacturer Leggett & Platt had used the system to solve … Continue reading “Invention Machine and the Case of the Failing Toilet Flapper”
Aura Biosciences Aims to Develop “Ballistic Missile” Drug to Beat Pancreatic Cancer, Deliver RNAi Therapies
[[Correction: see editor’s note below]] It’s a difficult time for a brand new biotech firm to be drumming up interest in a novel approach to delivering drugs, with investors snubbing so many firms with drugs already in clinical trials. But the market conditions haven’t stopped Elisabet de los Pinos, a former fellow at the MIT … Continue reading “Aura Biosciences Aims to Develop “Ballistic Missile” Drug to Beat Pancreatic Cancer, Deliver RNAi Therapies”
Advanced Cell Technology Inc. Garners $5,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2492548f-30f5-49aa-b5f5-7a9ad0d73b62&Preview=1 Date 3/12/2009 Company Name Advanced Cell Technology Inc. Mailing Address 381 Plantation Street Biotech V Worcester, MA 01605 Company Description Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (OTCBB:ACTC – News) is applying stem cell technology in the field of regenerative medicine to bring effective, patient-specific therapies to the bedside. The company’s Myoblast program is … Continue reading “Advanced Cell Technology Inc. Garners $5,000,000 New Financing Round”
Biogen Idec, Genentech’s Rituxan Fails in Pivotal Study of Lupus of Kidneys
Rituxan, the hit lymphoma drug from Genentech and Biogen Idec, has failed in yet another bid to expand into treating other diseases. The drug fell short of reaching the main goal in a final-stage study of 144 patients with lupus nephritis, an inflammatory disease of the kidneys. The study, called Lunar, showed that patients who … Continue reading “Biogen Idec, Genentech’s Rituxan Fails in Pivotal Study of Lupus of Kidneys”
New Group Aims to Bring More Women into Energy and Cleantech
The energy and environmental sectors, like all too many other parts of the business world, have a dearth of women in leadership positions. But a new networking group dedicated to changing that situation is launching officially tomorrow in Boston. Called New England Women in Energy & the Environment (NEWIEE), the group’s goals are to foster … Continue reading “New Group Aims to Bring More Women into Energy and Cleantech”
Bessemer, Spark Are In Like with OMGPOP
New York-based OMGPOP, an online gaming and social networking destination for teens and twentysomethings that was known until recently as “I’minlikewithyou,” has raised $5 million in Series B funding, according to a report at PaidContent.org. The round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, which has an office in Wellesley Hills, MA, and was joined by … Continue reading “Bessemer, Spark Are In Like with OMGPOP”
Obama’s 50-State Ad Campaign, Animated Shopping Carts, Baby Pictures on Steroids, and More News from the Web Innovators Group
Soon there will be no point in writing up stories about the Web Innovators Group meetings organized by Venrock’s David Beisel. Last night’s gathering in Cambridge was so crowded that it seemed everybody who could conceivably be interested in reading about the event was actually there. But for the stragglers and those stuck at home … Continue reading “Obama’s 50-State Ad Campaign, Animated Shopping Carts, Baby Pictures on Steroids, and More News from the Web Innovators Group”
ImmunoGen Drug Nears Finish Line, Surface Logix Latches Onto $20M, Athenahealth CEO Bush Talks Stimulus, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
It was nice to see a little venture activity among New England’s biotechs this past week, but overall things have been relatively quiet. —Regulus Therapeutics, a Carlsbad, CA-based spinoff of Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ALNY]]), took a step toward greater independence with $20 million in Series A financing from Alnylam and Carlsbad’s Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ISIS]]), … Continue reading “ImmunoGen Drug Nears Finish Line, Surface Logix Latches Onto $20M, Athenahealth CEO Bush Talks Stimulus, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Epix Reaches Milestone in CF Research
Epix Pharmaceuticals says that it is eligible for a $500,000 milestone fee from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics—a nonprofit affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation—for completing screening for small molecule drug candidates for cystic fibrosis. Lexington, MA-based Epix (NASDAQ:[[ticker:EPIX]]) is searching for drugs to target a mutated form of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator ion … Continue reading “Epix Reaches Milestone in CF Research”
Biogen Idec Aims to Regenerate Damaged Nerves, Crack Multi-Billion Dollar Market
Biogen Idec’s scientists have a vision for regenerative medicine, and it has nothing to do with what’s been written and said about embryonic stem cells. Deep in Biogen’s pipeline, on the verge of entering clinical trials, are a pair of regenerative medicines that the company hopes will become trailblazers in the world of neurological diseases. … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Aims to Regenerate Damaged Nerves, Crack Multi-Billion Dollar Market”
The Death of the Focus Group? At Invoke Solutions, Apple Vet Makes Market Research User-Friendly, for the Surveyors and the Surveyed
Focus groups are such a standard part of our market-driven culture that they’ve long since become the subject of parody. Decision-makers are seen as being afraid to act without consulting them; surely, no political party would pick a candidate, no legislator would introduce a big policy initiative, and no movie studio would green-light a big-budget … Continue reading “The Death of the Focus Group? At Invoke Solutions, Apple Vet Makes Market Research User-Friendly, for the Surveyors and the Surveyed”
Dancing in the Light: Expanding Access to Human Embryonic Stem Cells
The Obama campaign, and subsequently his administration, had been hinting for a long time that it would allow researchers to use federal funds to study human embryonic stem cell “lines” which had, under the policies of President Bush, been legal to study only with private funding. Considering the relatively small number of scientists actually working … Continue reading “Dancing in the Light: Expanding Access to Human Embryonic Stem Cells”
Seahorse Buys BioProcessors, Raises $6M
Seahorse Bioscience, a North Billerica, MA-based maker of instruments for studying mitochondrial function in cells from people with various health problems, announced yesterday that it has acquired BioProcessors Corp., a Woburn, MA, company that makes automated cell-culture equipment for pharmaceutical research. Seahorse didn’t say how much it paid for BioProcessors, but it did reveal that … Continue reading “Seahorse Buys BioProcessors, Raises $6M”
Opportunities for Investment in Clean Energy Technologies
Dhiraj Malkani of Rockport Capital will speak to the 128 Innovation Capital Group on clean energy investing. Tickets $45 for entrepreneurs and managers, $55 for investors and service providers. Information here, registration here.
Paul Graham on Why Boston Should Worry About Its Future as a Tech Hub—Says Region Focuses On Ideas, Not Startups
For entrepreneurs and investors alike, it was a sad day back in January, when Y Combinator founder Paul Graham announced he would stay in Silicon Valley year round and give up splitting his startup incubation activities between Mountain View and Cambridge, MA, where Y Combinator has traditionally held forth each summer. On his website, Graham … Continue reading “Paul Graham on Why Boston Should Worry About Its Future as a Tech Hub—Says Region Focuses On Ideas, Not Startups”
Scientia, a Life Sciences Management Consulting Firm, Provides Answers, Not Questions
The old joke about management consultants is that they’ll look at your watch, tell you what time it is, and hand you a bill for $50,000. But if you’re a healthcare company and you hire Scientia Advisors, here’s what’s more likely to happen: they’ll look at your watch, notice that it’s running slow, take it … Continue reading “Scientia, a Life Sciences Management Consulting Firm, Provides Answers, Not Questions”
FAST Search Founders Hope to Repeat Success with Induct Software’s Innovation Management Portal
Henry Chesbrough, the UC Berkeley business professor who wrote the influential 2003 book Open Innovation, argued that companies need to do a better job of incubating, cataloguing, and licensing the knowledge and inventions they have in-house, and of bringing in intellectual property from outside, if that’s what’s needed to jump-start product development. But while many … Continue reading “FAST Search Founders Hope to Repeat Success with Induct Software’s Innovation Management Portal”
Seahorse Bioscience Lands $6,000,000 Series D Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5206310c-1d51-429c-a54a-814d7ad59bdf&Preview=1 Date 3/10/2009 Company Name Seahorse Bioscience Mailing Address 16 Esquire Road North Billerica, MA 01862 Company Description We design and manufacture consumable sensors and custom injection molded Labware in our Seahorse Labware facility in Massachusetts. Website http://www.seahorsebioscience.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,000,000 Transaction Round Series D Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Seahorse Bioscience Lands $6,000,000 Series D Funding”
The Business Impact of Massachusetts Data Security Regulations
Implementation of Massachusetts’ new data security regulations has twice been postponed. But come January 1, 2010, every business will have to reckon with the changes, which require encryption of all private customer records. Peritus Security Partners, Sophos, and its local subsidiary Utimaco are hosting a series of information sessions in Boston, Newton, and Springfield on … Continue reading “The Business Impact of Massachusetts Data Security Regulations”
Veracode Assembling $10M Third Round
Burlington, MA-based Veracode, which tests corporate software for back doors and other security holes by analyzing its raw binary code, has collected half of a $10 million third financing round, according to a regulatory filing cited by PE Hub. The investors for the round include Atlas Venture, .406 Ventures, Macrovision, Polaris Venture Partners, and Symantec. … Continue reading “Veracode Assembling $10M Third Round”
Stemgent Nails Down $14M to Make Supplies, Tools for Stem Cell Researchers
Stemgent, a startup in Cambridge, MA, and San Diego that makes consumable materials for stem cell research labs, has raised $14 million in venture capital, according to PE Hub. The company’s backers include HealthCare Ventures and Morgenthaler Ventures, according to PE Hub. CEO Ian Ratcliffe didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment about the … Continue reading “Stemgent Nails Down $14M to Make Supplies, Tools for Stem Cell Researchers”
Pain Specialist Victory Pharma Raises $45M in Venture Round
San Diego’s Victory Pharma, a venture-backed pharmaceutical company that specializes in treatments for pain, said today it has raised $45 million in a secondary investment round. The investment was headed by Essex Woodlands Health Ventures of Palo Alto, CA, and included existing investor Ampersand Ventures of Wellesley, MA.Victory, which acquired its lead drug product in … Continue reading “Pain Specialist Victory Pharma Raises $45M in Venture Round”
Social Media Marketing with David Meerman Scott
MassNetComms hosts an evening keynote talk and panel discussion on harnessing social media marketing, featuring marketing strategist David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR and World Wide Rave. MassNetComms members get in for $40, others $80; all attendees will receive a copy of World Wide Rave. Information and registration here.
Of FIRST Robotics “Lunacy” and A Shout Out to “Dancin'” Woz
“Robot coming through…Robot.” That was the cry, heard throughout the day Saturday at Boston University’s Agganis Arena, scene of the Boston regional finals of the annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics competition. The robots were constantly on the move as teams ushered them back and forth from the competition area—think … Continue reading “Of FIRST Robotics “Lunacy” and A Shout Out to “Dancin’” Woz”
Surface Logix, Developer of Obesity and Diabetes Drugs, Nabs $20M Financing
Surface Logix got a new CEO on board last fall, and five months later it has nailed down a load of new cash. The Brighton, MA-based biotech company, which uses an unusual chemical trick to treat obesity and diabetes, has secured $20 million to see if it can prove its experimental drugs work in human … Continue reading “Surface Logix, Developer of Obesity and Diabetes Drugs, Nabs $20M Financing”
Athenahealth’s Bush, First Cousin of the 43rd Pres., on Obama’s $19B Plan to Pay for Electronic Health Records
Most doctors in the U.S. have never heard of Athenahealth, the Watertown, MA-based firm offering Web-based software for managing billing, electronic medical records (EMRs), and other functions in physician practices. But the federal government plans to invest $19 billion to make funds available for doctors to switch from the usual paper-based systems to electronic medical … Continue reading “Athenahealth’s Bush, First Cousin of the 43rd Pres., on Obama’s $19B Plan to Pay for Electronic Health Records”
Surface Logix, Inc. Receives $20,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7f443a11-7320-4df5-84d8-e8d0f73bce0c&Preview=1 Date 3/9/2009 Company Name Surface Logix, Inc. Mailing Address 50 Soldiers Field Place Brighton, MA 02135 Company Description Surface Logix is a drug development company which uses its expertise in biophysical chemistry to create new small molecule drugs with significantly improved pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) properties compared with class leaders. … Continue reading “Surface Logix, Inc. Receives $20,000,000 New Round”
Veracode, Inc. Secures $10,000,000 Series C Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=03c13549-ecf7-4d28-8081-286186768d12&Preview=1 Date 3/9/2009 Company Name Veracode, Inc. Mailing Address 4 Van de Graaff Drive Burlington, MA 01803 Company Description Veracode is the industry’s first provider of automated, on-demand application security solutions. Created by a world-class team of application security experts from @stake, Guardent, ISS, VeriSign and Symantec, the company delivers services to … Continue reading “Veracode, Inc. Secures $10,000,000 Series C Funding Round”
Vitalize Vacuums Up R3
Reading, MA-based Vitalize Consulting Services, which manages IT implementation projects for big healthcare companies, announced today that it has acquired rival r3 Health Partners of Santa Ana, CA. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Vitalize is backed by SV Life Sciences, Ferrer Freeman and Company, and Bank of America.