Category: Boston

Megapixels, Shmegapixels: How to Make Great GIGAPIXEL Images With Your Humble Digital Camera

Size matters, at least when it comes to the resolution of digital photos. As much as I love my iPhone, its built-in 1200×1600-pixel camera just doesn’t work for serious photography. Problem is, it’s been my only camera for almost a year, ever since my previous digicam croaked during a cross-country road trip. But a couple … Continue reading “Megapixels, Shmegapixels: How to Make Great GIGAPIXEL Images With Your Humble Digital Camera”

Will “Motley Crew” Band of Financiers Drive Celts to Banner 17?

I love hoops. Bill Aulet of the MIT Entrepreneurship Center, no slouch himself on the hardwood, calls me “Danger.” I like to think it’s because whenever I go up for the J, the other team is in danger—due to my dead-eye shooting. But some say, especially these days, it’s simply dangerous for other players when … Continue reading “Will “Motley Crew” Band of Financiers Drive Celts to Banner 17?”

Icahn Jabs Biogen Idec, Says Its Board Had `Very Little’ Input in Sale Process

Carl Icahn has launched a new line of attack on Biogen Idec’s credibility. The billionaire investor, in a memo to shareholders filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission early today, says the company’s public statements about its sale process last year don’t match up with internal documents it had to hand over in court. Based … Continue reading “Icahn Jabs Biogen Idec, Says Its Board Had `Very Little’ Input in Sale Process”

Vertex Cashes Out HIV Drugs, FDA Smiles on Infinity and Frowns on Indevus, Alnylam Makes Cross-Border Investment, & More Life Sciences News

Boston-area life sciences firms had mixed success navigating regulatory waters this week. Here’s the skinny on that and the rest of the week’s biomedical news. —Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) sold the rights to its royalty stream on two HIV drugs for $160 million; the Cambridge, MA-based firm plans to use the cash to help bring … Continue reading “Vertex Cashes Out HIV Drugs, FDA Smiles on Infinity and Frowns on Indevus, Alnylam Makes Cross-Border Investment, & More Life Sciences News”

Podcamp Boston 3

From the event’s website: “How many times have you heard this old saw: ‘The best part of a conference is the conversations in the hallway.’ What if the conference WAS the hallway? That’s the power of PodCamp Boston, the power of community, the power of conversation. The power of putting smart people from every walk … Continue reading “Podcamp Boston 3”

Rockport Capital Launches World’s Largest Cleantech Fund

Boston-based venture firm Rockport Capital is upping the ante on cleantech investing. The six-partner firm, which has focused since its founding eight years ago on cleaner and more efficient energy and production technologies, announced today that it has finished raising its third fund. It’s Rockport’s largest fund by a long shot, weighing in at a … Continue reading “Rockport Capital Launches World’s Largest Cleantech Fund”

Look Out, Comcast and Verizon: Bicoastal Startups Are Bringing Free Wi-Fi to Harvard Square (and Elsewhere Soon, We Hope)

Why isn’t there free Wi-Fi everywhere? I ask this as I sit in an Espresso Vivace in Seattle, typing away and enjoying free wireless (and a truly terrific latte—easily an 8.5 on the Huang scale). Being new to the city and still in the process of setting up connectivity, I’m acutely aware of any and … Continue reading “Look Out, Comcast and Verizon: Bicoastal Startups Are Bringing Free Wi-Fi to Harvard Square (and Elsewhere Soon, We Hope)”

Indevus Drug Delayed by FDA Safety Questions, Shares Plummet

Indevus Pharmaceuticals got slapped down hard this morning. The Lexington, MA-based company said today it expects the FDA to formally ask for more safety data that will require a new clinical trial before it will approve Nebido, a long-lasting testosterone replacement therapy for men with low levels of the male sex hormone. Shares of the … Continue reading “Indevus Drug Delayed by FDA Safety Questions, Shares Plummet”

Alexandria Bets That Future of Life Sciences Is In the ‘Urbs, Not ‘Burbs

Young biomedical scientists don’t want to sit in traffic for hours every week, burning gasoline for more than $4 a gallon. That’s part of the equation for Alexandria Real Estate Equities as it plans to bet $1 billion over the next decade that it can build, and fill up, new laboratory space that’s a short … Continue reading “Alexandria Bets That Future of Life Sciences Is In the ‘Urbs, Not ‘Burbs”

MITX Hands Out Technology Awards

At a ceremony at the Cambridge Royal Sonesta that was briefly interrupted by a fire alarm last night, the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX) announced the winners of its fifth annual MITX Technology Awards, which are intended to recognize innovative technologies developed in New England. The organization gave out awards in 14 categories. Some … Continue reading “MITX Hands Out Technology Awards”

Oh Friendly Day: Boston VCs Launch National Network for Renewable-Energy Entrepreneurs

As I wrote last year in a piece entitled “Go East, Young Man,” cleantech investors Rob Day and Andrew Friendly both left California around the same time in early 2007—Day to become a principal at Wilmington, MA-based @Ventures and Friendly to become a senior associate at Waltham, MA-based Advanced Technology Ventures. The two men already … Continue reading “Oh Friendly Day: Boston VCs Launch National Network for Renewable-Energy Entrepreneurs”

Bradford Networks, Inc. Lands $8,000,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0754f3ea-338a-4ca5-964b-08b639a2f889&Preview=1 Date 6/4/2008 Company Name Bradford Networks, Inc. Mailing Address 162 Pembroke Road Concord, NH 03301 Company Description Bradford Networks is dedicated to solving the security challenges facing institutions, enterprises and government by developing innovative network access control products and services that deliver automated security solutions by leveraging existing network infrastructures. Website … Continue reading “Bradford Networks, Inc. Lands $8,000,000 Series B Round”

Turbine, Inc. Obtains $40,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4e7c99ff-cba9-4f14-8e9e-7564874eae3d&Preview=1 Date 6/4/2008 Company Name Turbine, Inc. Mailing Address PO Box 747 Westwood, MA 02090 Company Description Turbine, Inc. is a premier producer, publisher and operator of online subscription entertainment and is headquartered in Westwood, Mass. With studios on two coasts, the company is the largest privately-held online games company in North … Continue reading “Turbine, Inc. Obtains $40,000,000 New Financing”

W3C Launches eGovernment Forum, Encourages Public-Private Mashups

Citizens depend on their governments for documents and information ranging from driver’s licenses to tax forms to maps. And the more of this information is stored on the Web using open formatting standards such XML, the more people will be able to access it and re-use it for the public good. At least, that’s the … Continue reading “W3C Launches eGovernment Forum, Encourages Public-Private Mashups”

Vertex Sells Royalty Rights to HIV Drugs, Bets on Hepatitis C

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is doubling down on its hepatitis C drug program. The Cambridge, MA-based company sold the rights to its royalty stream on two HIV drugs for a one-time payment of $160 million in cash, which it will pump into its hepatitis C program. The HIV meds, Lexiva and Agenerase (both marketed by GlaxoSmithKline), are … Continue reading “Vertex Sells Royalty Rights to HIV Drugs, Bets on Hepatitis C”

Liberal VCs, (More) Conservative CEOs: A Who’s Who of Presidential Campaign Donors in the Boston Innovation Community

Leading partners from top Boston venture firms have given more than three times as much money to Democratic presidential candidates (3.3 times as much to be more precise) as they have to Republican candidates. That’s even more lopsided than the roughly 2.3-to-1 ratio for notoriously liberal Massachusetts residents as a whole, according to Federal Election … Continue reading “Liberal VCs, (More) Conservative CEOs: A Who’s Who of Presidential Campaign Donors in the Boston Innovation Community”

$400M Contract for Foster-Miller, 65K Order for OLPC, $1B In, $5M Out for Alnylam, & More Deals News

Sheesh, maybe it was the sheer volume of the last week’s deals that made the equipment at our Web hosting company explode. Check it out: —The U.S. military awarded Foster-Miller its biggest robot contract yet, for $400 million worth of the Waltham, MA-based firm’s TALON robots and spare parts. The robots will be used to … Continue reading “$400M Contract for Foster-Miller, 65K Order for OLPC, $1B In, $5M Out for Alnylam, & More Deals News”

U.S. Faces Competition in Wireless, Internet, and Biopharma, Says 2008 Venture Capital Survey (and One Local Investor)

Let’s take a global view of innovation. The Boston and San Francisco clusters may anchor the U.S.’s dominance in biotech, but Europe is gaining ground—and in areas like telecom and clean energy, there is already strong competition from both Europe and Asia. That’s the news today from the 2008 Global Venture Capital Survey, conducted by … Continue reading “U.S. Faces Competition in Wireless, Internet, and Biopharma, Says 2008 Venture Capital Survey (and One Local Investor)”

2008 What’s Next Forum & Technology Awards Ceremony

The 2008 What’s Next Forum & Technology Awards, sponsored by the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange, will recognize and celebrate innovative technologies developed in New England. Winners will be announced in nine categories. (Check out the finalists here.) This year’s keynote speaker and special honoree is Dr. Amar Bose, Chairman & Technical Director. The ceremony … Continue reading “2008 What’s Next Forum & Technology Awards Ceremony”

Ten Cities Drive New England’s Digital Economy

Ten cities, mainly inside the famous Route 128 belt around Boston, dominate New England’s digital economy, according to a survey released today by MITX, the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange. With more than four-fifths of the total number of employees, Massachusetts dominates the digital marketing, media, and technology industry in New England, the report said. … Continue reading “Ten Cities Drive New England’s Digital Economy”

Abiomed Wins FDA Approval of Heart Pump

Abiomed got a healthy boost this morning. The FDA cleared the company’s new heart pump for sale in the U.S., enabling it to potentially reach a market of about 14,000 interventional cardiologists. Shares of the Danvers, MA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ABMD]]) shot up 13 percent to $16.75 at 12:14 p.m. Eastern Standard time. The Impella 2.5 … Continue reading “Abiomed Wins FDA Approval of Heart Pump”

Will Web 2.0 Go Pop? A Guest Post from Microsoft’s Don Dodge

Is Web 2.0 headed for Bubble 2.0? That was the subject of a debate at the TiECON East Conference on Friday. Fred Wilson (Union Square Ventures), Nabeel Hyatt (Conduit Labs), Brian Balfour (Viximo), and I had a lively discussion and arrived at some very different conclusions. Xconomy asked me to write them up, and I’m … Continue reading “Will Web 2.0 Go Pop? A Guest Post from Microsoft’s Don Dodge”

Explosion Leads to a Little Down Time for Xconomy (and Thousands of Other Sites)

Houston, you have a problem. Saturday afternoon, a transformer explosion blew out three walls of the electrical equipment room at The Planet‘s primary data center in Houston. The Planet is the Web hosting provider for thousands of online businesses, including Xconomy. The explosion knocked out power to the entire facility, which houses some 9,000 servers … Continue reading “Explosion Leads to a Little Down Time for Xconomy (and Thousands of Other Sites)”

Nonprofit Startups a Nonstarter? Non True.

It is nice to see that a nonprofit like Diagnostics For All (DFA) can actually garner attention and interest from both the MIT and Harvard communities by winning the MIT’s 100K competition and Harvard Business School’s Business Plan Contest. Just a year ago George Whitesides and I were repeatedly told that if we stuck to … Continue reading “Nonprofit Startups a Nonstarter? Non True.”

Announcing Xconomy’s June 24 Forum: The Promise and Reality of Cloud Computing

Yes, “cloud computing” is a trendy buzzword. But it’s also a real technology serving as the platform for a growing number of innovative businesses. And within a few years, it seems certain, big chunks of the everyday computing done by large enterprises and average consumers will be handled in the cloud. Here’s what a few … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy’s June 24 Forum: The Promise and Reality of Cloud Computing”

Goodbye Amazon, Hello Cambridge: Powered by Local Firms, Borders’ Online Store Is the New Face of E-Commerce

I love Borders. Independent bookshops aside, it’s my favorite place to kill an hour or two while browsing the latest books and enjoying a nice cup of coffee. (The original Borders chai was the best, but it’s hard to argue with a latte from Seattle’s Best—more on that coming soon). So when I heard about … Continue reading “Goodbye Amazon, Hello Cambridge: Powered by Local Firms, Borders’ Online Store Is the New Face of E-Commerce”

American Biomass Corp. Lands $4,000,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0c22fefa-ca66-40d9-9bd8-143d9d7ba777&Preview=1 Date 6/2/2008 Company Name American Biomass Corp. Mailing Address 84 Daniel Plummer Road Goffstown, NH 03045 Company Description We recognized that there was a need in the industry for retailers to be able to go to a source they could count on for reliable supply, for independent quality assessments – and … Continue reading “American Biomass Corp. Lands $4,000,000 Series A Round”

First Coverage Inc. Receives $9,000,000 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=02f0559b-570a-433d-b3c7-586f33eedc45&Preview=1 Date 6/2/2008 Company Name First Coverage Inc. Mailing Address 10 High St. Boston, MA 02210 Company Description First Coverage (formerly iSequent) is a privately-held Canadian company which was founded in 2005 through the combined efforts of financial industry experts and successful technology entrepreneurs. Website http://www.firstcoverage.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “First Coverage Inc. Receives $9,000,000 Series B Funding”

NetSuite, Inc. Acquires OpenAir for $26,000,000

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3bd3835f-b2c5-4099-b87d-aaada0415165&Preview=1 Date 6/2/2008 Company Name OpenAir Mailing Address 211 Congress St. Boston, MA 02110 Company Description OpenAir is a leading provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) services automation management software. Offering both Professional Services Automation (PSA) and Project Portfolio Management (PPM) solutions, OpenAir provides project-based organizations and firms the tools they need to help … Continue reading “NetSuite, Inc. Acquires OpenAir for $26,000,000”

BioVex Viral Treatment Shrinks Melanoma Tumors in Trial

BioVex has created a virus with kick. The privately held biotech company based in Woburn, MA, said today its genetically modified virus was able to completely eliminate or partially shrink tumors for more than one-fourth of patients with a deadly type of skin cancer in a clinical trial. The study of 43 patients with terminal, … Continue reading “BioVex Viral Treatment Shrinks Melanoma Tumors in Trial”

Infinity Drug Slows Spread of Deadly Stomach Cancer—FDA Clears Accelerated Trial

Here’s something you don’t see every day from the FDA. The U.S. drug regulator is allowing Infinity Pharmaceuticals to skip the usual second phase of clinical trials, after an early study showed one of its drug candidates stabilized tumors for two-thirds of patients with a deadly stomach cancer. The move enables the Cambridge, MA-based company … Continue reading “Infinity Drug Slows Spread of Deadly Stomach Cancer—FDA Clears Accelerated Trial”

Clean Technology IP Seminar

Law firm Wolf Greenfield will hold a seminar on “Clean Technology and Intellectual Property: Managing Convergence and Protecting Novelty” on June 11, at Le Méridien Cambridge. A panel of industry and academic leaders will cover: Where IP should be prioritized in the business strategy How to secure protection for converging technologies Identifying innovation when core … Continue reading “Clean Technology IP Seminar”

Now That’s Real Cloud Computing: AeroSat Gets $14 Million To Take Broadband Wireless to the Skies

Soon, transatlantic flights may no longer be a safe haven from the daily grind of e-mail and the Web. AeroSat, an aviation communications company based in Amherst, NH, has developed a broadband antenna system that could allow passengers to connect to the Internet, use cell phones, and watch live television while flying. AeroSat’s technology can … Continue reading “Now That’s Real Cloud Computing: AeroSat Gets $14 Million To Take Broadband Wireless to the Skies”

Syndexa Snags $15 Million Financing For Metabolic Diseases

Syndexa Pharmaceuticals, a Cambridge, MA-based developer of drugs for metabolic diseases, raised $15 million in a Series B financing, the company said today in a statement on its Web site. Yalcin Ayasli, the founder of Chelmsford, MA-based Hittite Microwave, led the round and will join the Syndexa board of directors. The company plans to use … Continue reading “Syndexa Snags $15 Million Financing For Metabolic Diseases”

Web Innovators Group 18

After a late-spring hiatus, the Web Innovators Group gathering, hosted by David Beisel of Venrock, returns on July 15. The companies slated to present have not been announced yet, but the venue is the same: the Cambridge Royal Sonesta. Free registration here.

Employee Non-Compete Agreements: Protecting Innovation or Stifling It?

Spark Capital and Harvard Law Schools Berkman Center for Internet & Society will host a panel discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of non-compete agreements in employment contracts. Berkman Center executive director John Palfrey will moderate the discussion, which will also include Brightcove founder and CEO Jeremy Allaire, Akamai general counsel Melanie Haratunian, Harvard University … Continue reading “Employee Non-Compete Agreements: Protecting Innovation or Stifling It?”

Gazing Through Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope

I was 13 years old when Carl Sagan’s 13-part PBS miniseries Cosmos appeared in 1980. I was so hypnotized by the combination of Sagan’s storytelling, Jon Lomberg’s space art, and Vangelis’s music that I decided to become an astronomer. I saved up to buy a telescope—an Edmund Scientific Astroscan, a fantastic beginner’s instrument that is … Continue reading “Gazing Through Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope”

Debating Non-Compete Agreements

We got an interesting note this week from Bijan Sabet, a general partner at Boston’s Spark Capital who’s been on a campaign to get rid of non-compete agreements, the clauses in many employment contracts that prevent people who’ve left their jobs from engaging in similar businesses for a certain period. We interviewed Bijan on the … Continue reading “Debating Non-Compete Agreements”

Syndexa Obtains $15,000,000 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a6e26d76-efdb-4cfa-93c1-2d7ca419adfd&Preview=1 Date 5/30/2008 Company Name Syndexa Mailing Address 767C Concord Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 Company Description The company develops drugs targeting novel biological mechanisms for the treatment and prevention of metabolic diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Website http://www.syndexa.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “Syndexa Obtains $15,000,000 Series B Funding”

MedVentive, Inc. Obtains $3,550,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5a09099c-24da-4bf7-8880-a7536a896b02&Preview=1 Date 5/30/2008 Company Name MedVentive, Inc. Mailing Address One Kendall Square, Building 200, 3rd Floor Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description MedVentive delivers a fully-integrated suite of quality intervention, pharmacy management and point of care decision support tools, all built on a solid, risk-adjusted data foundation. Our solutions identify opportunities for care … Continue reading “MedVentive, Inc. Obtains $3,550,000 Series B Round”

DebtFolio Inc. Receives $2,300,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f5827905-c2c3-4b6b-aef5-fe6580e2e816&Preview=1 Date 5/30/2008 Company Name DebtFolio Inc. Mailing Address 35 Tripp Street, Studio 14 Framingham, MA 01702 Company Description DebtFolio helps people effectively manage their outstanding debt while providing innovative tools to improve their credit score. DebtFolio provides users with the latest rate information and promotions on 300+ available credit-related products. Website … Continue reading “DebtFolio Inc. Receives $2,300,000 Series A Funding”

Xconomy Forum: The Promise and Reality of Cloud Computing **SOLD OUT**

What is cloud computing? Is there one cloud, or many? Where are they, who owns them-and what are the differences between cloud computing, utility computing, grid computing, and software as a service? What can the cloud do for you now, and what lies over the horizon? Find out from an elite group of cloud-computing experts … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: The Promise and Reality of Cloud Computing **SOLD OUT**”

Bannister hired as CEO for Massachusetts Life Sciences Center

Susan Windham-Bannister has been picked as the first president and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, according to a story in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Windham-Bannister, a vice president with Abt Bio-Pharma Solutions in Lexington, MA, will be in charge of the agency that’s expected to oversee much of the proposed $1 billion … Continue reading “Bannister hired as CEO for Massachusetts Life Sciences Center”

$16 Million in Funding for Two Stealth Mobile Companies

There’s something in the air, and it smells like wireless. Two local mobile-software startups, both very mysterious, both still in stealth mode, have received financing in the same week. On the heels of recent activity involving Red Bend, Skyhook Wireless, and iPhone parties, it seems like the local mobility scene is heating up. OK, here’s … Continue reading “$16 Million in Funding for Two Stealth Mobile Companies”

Colombian State Orders 65,000 XO Laptops

The department (or state) of Caldas in central Colombia has signed an agreement to purchase 65,000 XO laptops for public-school children, the One Laptop Per Child Foundation announced today. It’s the third largest single order received by OLPC, behind Peru’s purchase of 270,000 machines last December and Uruguay’s order of 100,000 last October. Caldas, a … Continue reading “Colombian State Orders 65,000 XO Laptops”

Takeda and Alnylam Join Forces, Carl Icahn Makes His Case, New England Biotech is Hot (Duh), & More Life Sciences News

Japan’s Takeda took another bite out of Boston-area biotech this week, while Ernst & Young’s numbers showed just how juicy that apple is. Here’s more on that, and the rest of the week’s life sciences news. —Not long after its $8.8 billion acquisition of Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Japanese drug giant Takeda Pharmaceutical Company forged an agreement … Continue reading “Takeda and Alnylam Join Forces, Carl Icahn Makes His Case, New England Biotech is Hot (Duh), & More Life Sciences News”

Akamai Details Winners, Losers in Broadband Race

About one-fifth of all Internet traffic passes through an Akamai server on the way to its destination—and even the four-fifths that doesn’t leaves ripples in the network that the Cambridge, MA-based content distribution network can easily detect. Indeed, with 34,000 servers monitoring traffic within and between 950 networks in 70 countries, Akamai may have the … Continue reading “Akamai Details Winners, Losers in Broadband Race”