Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=aefb68b5-36d5-4422-9438-fd4d0717b41f Date 3/4/2015 Company Name AlchemyAPI Mailing Address 2300 15th St Denver, CO 80202 USA Company Description AlchemyAPI provides advanced cloud-based and on-premise text analysis infrastructure that eliminates the expense and difficulty of integrating natural language processing systems into your application, service, or data processing pipeline. Website http://www.alchemyapi.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction … Continue reading “IBM Acquires AlchemyAPI for Undisclosed Sum”
Category: Boulder/Denver
Tiger Teams, Dropping Subs, and Biotech’s Elusive Second Strikes
Onesie-twosie? Double dipping? The old razzle dazzle? Whatever you call it, it’s a rare feat to sell a biotech company, hold something back to start a new company, then ride that second horse to success. The team behind Flexus Biosciences is halfway there, as I wrote about last week. They sold a preclinical cancer immunotherapy … Continue reading “Tiger Teams, Dropping Subs, and Biotech’s Elusive Second Strikes”
Avalara Acquires HotSpot Tax for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8e77688e-359a-4f4f-956e-e4e67cff2075 Date 3/3/2015 Company Name HotSpot Tax Mailing Address 5300 Dtc Pkwy Greenwood Village, CO 80155 USA Company Description HotSpot is the leader is HotSpot’s powerful software platform provides an automated state and local tax compliance solution serving thousands of properties across the U.S. HotSpot’s unique and powerful solution manages all aspects … Continue reading “Avalara Acquires HotSpot Tax for Undisclosed Sum”
Cancer Immunotherapy Companies: Looking Forward and Looking Back
[Updated, 4/7/15, see below] I’ve been researching one of our local immunotherapy developers here in Seattle, trying to round up the views of industry experts regarding the future prospects of a drug at the front of its pipeline. Do they think it’s a good investment? Here’s what I found out: Analysts predict that sales of … Continue reading “Cancer Immunotherapy Companies: Looking Forward and Looking Back”
Innovation Hub: Advertising’s New Age
A product, a camera phone, and a sensor. Those may be the essential tools of advertising in the 21st century. Increasingly, we’re witnessing the disappearance of the classic, 30-second ad. Now products are looking to lure us with humor (I’m looking at you, Old Spice Guy) or whiz-bang theatrics (think Jean-Claude Van Damme straddling Volvos). … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Advertising’s New Age”
Milestones of Innovation 3: ‘Modern Pioneers’ at the Waldorf–1940
When people made lists of leading innovators 75 years ago, they saw a landscape very different from today’s for putting discoveries, techniques, money, workers, and customers together to get something new and useful onto the market. In the brief interval between the Depression and World War II, the dominant factor was the large, vertically integrated … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 3: ‘Modern Pioneers’ at the Waldorf–1940”
BiOptix Diagnostics Garners $1,500,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=993d54b9-3de6-4350-af91-8413c60768e7 Date 2/27/2015 Company Name BiOptix Diagnostics Mailing Address 1775 38th St. Boulder, CO 80301 USA Company Description The company’s mission is to develop its proprietary E-SPR (Enhanced Surface Plasmon Resonance) technology platform for the detection of molecular interactions. Website http://www.bioptix.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “BiOptix Diagnostics Garners $1,500,000 New Financing Round”
Colorado Lawmakers Set Stage for Equity Crowdfunding
Colorado stands poised to become the latest state to allow residents who do not meet the stringent SEC standards for accredited investors to invest small amounts in companies located within its borders. State lawmakers on Tuesday introduced “the Colorado Crowdfunding Act.” The bill, officially HB15-1246, would allow businesses to use websites to attract investors and … Continue reading “Colorado Lawmakers Set Stage for Equity Crowdfunding”
To Manage a Successful Sports Team, Focus on Data
The mantra of youth sports where “everyone gets a trophy” is permeating professional leagues. These days every team can claim some semblance of winning. In the bygone era of the NFL, two teams made the playoffs and that consisted of one game, the Super Bowl. Today six teams from each conference advance, and there is … Continue reading “To Manage a Successful Sports Team, Focus on Data”
Simple Energy Flips Switch on E-Commerce Site for Utility Customers
Explaining how you can save money, and maybe the planet, by cutting energy consumption is simple. Getting people to change their behavior is not. Simple Energy, a software company in Boulder, CO, has made solving that challenge its mission since it was founded in 2011, and now it has what it thinks is a powerful … Continue reading “Simple Energy Flips Switch on E-Commerce Site for Utility Customers”
CeraPedics Obtains $4,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=452cd51a-5d83-4876-8743-7f3f85995eb4 Date 2/24/2015 Company Name CeraPedics Mailing Address 11025 Dover Street Westminster, CO 80021 USA Company Description CeraPedics, Inc. is developing and commercializing products for the orthopedic bone substitutes market. The Company’s products utilize a proprietary small peptide called P-15. Website http://www.cerapedics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “CeraPedics Obtains $4,000,000 New Financing Round”
Angel Groups Seek to Assure Entrepreneurs They Are Accredited
The angel investing horror story goes something like this: An entrepreneur publicly solicits seed capital under new securities laws, but accidentally accepts investment from an unaccredited investor. When this violation of JOBS Act rules is discovered, the entire investment round must be rolled back and the money—if there’s any left—returned. It’s the ultimate lose-lose situation. “Everything … Continue reading “Angel Groups Seek to Assure Entrepreneurs They Are Accredited”
Innovation Hub: Meet the Science Evangelist
Ainissa Ramirez says she’s a “Science Evangelist,” and she travels the country to preach her gospel in classrooms. As a result, the former Yale professor hopes to invigorate students, amping up their engagement with everything from nanotech to material science. I talked to her about how you help a generation of kids find their inner … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Meet the Science Evangelist”
WHO Approves 15-Minute Ebola Test Developed by Corgenix
Doctors who continue to battle the Ebola epidemic that rages on in Africa—even if it’s once again out of the headlines in the U.S.—might be getting a new tool thanks to Corgenix, a medical test maker based outside Denver. On Thursday, the World Health Organization approved Corgenix’s blood test that can diagnose Ebola victims within … Continue reading “WHO Approves 15-Minute Ebola Test Developed by Corgenix”
Fears Percolate as Billion-Dollar Private Company Valuations Climb
There are 73 private companies in the world with valuations of more than $1 billion, up from 40 just one year ago, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal yesterday. Some of those 40 companies are no longer on the list. Beats, valued in February 2014 at $1.1 billion, was sold to … Continue reading “Fears Percolate as Billion-Dollar Private Company Valuations Climb”
For Life Science Industry, Social Media Takes on New Significance
It seemed like a question out of left field at the time: “How many of you maintain and monitor Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr accounts?” The question was posed by Jeremy Levin, former president and CEO of Teva Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: [[ticker:TEVA]]), and just a few hands went up at the 2014 CED Life Science conference … Continue reading “For Life Science Industry, Social Media Takes on New Significance”
Biotech M&A by Slow Simmer: An Inside Look at the Build to Buy Deal
Here’s a question for consideration: What does it mean to acquire a virtual, single asset biotech that was ‘built’ for the sole purpose of being bought? The answer is much more complex than you might think. In this post I’ll explain by peeking under the hood at The Medicines Co.’s recent acquisition of Annovation Biopharma, … Continue reading “Biotech M&A by Slow Simmer: An Inside Look at the Build to Buy Deal”
Tendril Secures $8,079,778 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7a10665e-88e5-487a-9062-33ef5de9b6a2 Date 2/18/2015 Company Name Tendril Mailing Address 2560 55th Street Boulder, CO 80301 USA Company Description Tendril bridges the gap between wireless sensor and control networks and programmers by providing system-wide smart grid development tools, deployment engines, and professional services. Website http://www.tendrilinc.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,079,778 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Tendril Secures $8,079,778 New Financing”
MiRagen Therapeutics Receives $8,499,962 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c5a7fc7f-bc54-43da-be19-4b50a471324b Date 2/18/2015 Company Name MiRagen Therapeutics Mailing Address 6200 Lookout Rd Boulder, CO 80301 USA Company Description Miragen was founded in 2007 to exploit recent discoveries showing that specific perturbations in microRNA expression are correlated with various forms of cardiovascular disease. Website http://www.miragentherapeutics.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $8,499,962 Transaction Round … Continue reading “MiRagen Therapeutics Receives $8,499,962 New Financing Round”
10.10.10 Debuts in Denver with Healthcare Startups in Mind
Ten entrepreneurs from around the country are getting the chance to use their ideas and skills to try to solve 10 “wicked problems” in health over the next 10 days—and create a successful startup in the process. 10.10.10 started Monday with an event in downtown Denver. Organizers estimate between 275 and 300 people attended. Together … Continue reading “10.10.10 Debuts in Denver with Healthcare Startups in Mind”
Ready, Aim, CRISPR: Will Gene-Editing Tools Hit Their Targets?
Gene therapy is finally upon us. After more than two decades of work, one product is approved in Europe. Others are steadily advancing through clinical trials, and gene therapy companies are doing big deals and raising big sums of cash. Now here comes a more precise version of gene therapy—gene editing. Instead of trying to … Continue reading “Ready, Aim, CRISPR: Will Gene-Editing Tools Hit Their Targets?”
Bet the Jockey…and the Horse…and the Track
Earlier this month we announced a new investment in Iora Health, a fascinating company run by an extraordinary entrepreneur transforming an enormous sector of the healthcare economy: primary care. Rushika Fernandopulle (CEO and co-founder) is fundamentally re-architecting how many of us will buy and consume primary care—and in so doing, he has created a passionate, … Continue reading “Bet the Jockey…and the Horse…and the Track”
10.10.10, Entrepreneurs to Tackle “Wicked Problems” in Healthcare
If you’ve talked to Tom Higley lately, you know the Denver entrepreneur is passionate about his newest endeavor, 10.10.10. You know Higley has great hopes that the 10 entrepreneurs coming to Denver next week will, after 10 intense days studying 10 “wicked problems” related to health and healthcare, come up with ideas for companies that … Continue reading “10.10.10, Entrepreneurs to Tackle “Wicked Problems” in Healthcare”
Innovation Hub: The Data Behind Online Dating
Online dating is big business. As of last year, it’s worth over 2 billion dollars, having grown at a steady 3.5 percent rate since 2008. And that big business has transformed the way we find love. If you’re getting married this year, there’s a one in three chance that you’ve met your spouse online. That’s … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: The Data Behind Online Dating”
NIH Opens Discussion: How to Build a U.S. Health Research Database?
National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins kicked off a two-day meeting in Bethesda, MD, this morning to discuss how to turn President Obama’s call for a national health research database into reality. The database, which NIH officials are calling the National Research Cohort, is one of two main thrusts of the administration’s precision medicine … Continue reading “NIH Opens Discussion: How to Build a U.S. Health Research Database?”
Handll Receives $1,009,505 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=75d8d777-8bc7-47a6-8043-123c5f63c012 Date 2/11/2015 Company Name Handll Mailing Address 2401 Larimer St. Denver, CO 80205 USA Company Description HANDLL. Social Players use data to display the most impactful social content on your site. Website http://www.handll.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,009,505 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Handll Receives $1,009,505 New Financing Round”
Colorado Stereo Gear Makers, Accelerator Grads Kickstart Growth
Colorado tech companies old and new have turned to Kickstarter to raise money, attract attention, and build their user base. But while hot startups might attract the most attention, it’s a pair of stereo equipment makers that perhaps unexpectedly made the most money in 2014. Xconomy is looking at Kickstarter funding trends across our 10-region network … Continue reading “Colorado Stereo Gear Makers, Accelerator Grads Kickstart Growth”
“21st Century Cures” By Year’s End? Its Backers Want More Ideas
If you have an idea to include in the bipartisan initiative known as 21st Century Cures, Fred Upton (R-MI) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) say they are all ears. But speak up quickly: They want to present a bill to the House of Representatives by Memorial Day. That was the message the two members of Congress … Continue reading ““21st Century Cures” By Year’s End? Its Backers Want More Ideas”
Aventura Adds $14M to Help Doctors Navigate Electronic Records
Whether or not doctors, nurses, or patients like it, electronic health records are here to stay, and computers are becoming ubiquitous in exam rooms. While the healthcare world adjusts, some software companies are taking the next step—making applications that improve the performance and usability of the first wave of digital systems. One such company is … Continue reading “Aventura Adds $14M to Help Doctors Navigate Electronic Records”
Metasurvey Says: Fewer Biopharmas Capturing More Venture Dollars
In biotech, young companies have been raising money from public and private investors alike at an astounding rate. But all the rain isn’t letting a thousand flowers bloom. In other words, there’s more money going into new biopharma companies, but the cash is not being spread widely. That’s according to a new survey released today … Continue reading “Metasurvey Says: Fewer Biopharmas Capturing More Venture Dollars”
Resistance Is Futile: Why That’s A Good Thing In Biomedicine
Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation are very familiar with the Borg, a society of cybernetic individuals linked together in a collective mindset. The Borg navigate the universe in cube-shaped spacecraft actively seeking members of other races to absorb into their collective. Whenever others oppose their efforts, the Borg let them know, in no … Continue reading “Resistance Is Futile: Why That’s A Good Thing In Biomedicine”
Innovation on Kickstarter: The 10 Top-Funded Tech Ideas of 2014
A lot of ink has been spilled about the Coolest Cooler, a re-imagined picnic cooler equipped with a built-in blender, waterproof Bluetooth speaker, and UBS charger (among other things). To fund the project, inventor Ryan Grepper of Portland, OR, raised a record $13.3 million from 62,642 backers last summer on Kickstarter. The $13.3 million Grepper … Continue reading “Innovation on Kickstarter: The 10 Top-Funded Tech Ideas of 2014”
Spotzer Lands $1,173,550 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=44af4eb3-9500-429e-a7c5-59b5816b8bd8 Date 2/9/2015 Company Name Spotzer Mailing Address 3001 Brighton Boulevard Denver, CO 80216 USA Company Description We provide full service online marketing to small and local businesses in 16 countries. Based in the heart of Amsterdam, with offices in Denver and Melbourne, we are powered by our 85 person in-house team … Continue reading “Spotzer Lands $1,173,550 New Round”
Aventura Obtains $14,000,000 Series C Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=923f319a-59dc-457f-915a-e790df7d0691 Date 2/9/2015 Company Name Aventura Mailing Address 1001 17th St. Denver, CO 80202 USA Company Description Aventura provides healthcare IT and workflow solutions for clinicians. Website http://www.aventurahq.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $14,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes Aventura will use proceeds from the funding to expand sales and … Continue reading “Aventura Obtains $14,000,000 Series C Funding”
Milestones of Innovation 2: Gregor Mendel on Heredity, 1865
Today, as 150 years ago, for an innovation to happen, the idea it rests on must be understood by the people who hear it. On the 8th of February and the 8th of March 1865, the Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel told his local natural science society about a decade of results from thousands of cross-breeding … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 2: Gregor Mendel on Heredity, 1865”
Innovation Hub: Meet Amy, Your AI Assistant
Amy Ingram is the most well-liked personal assistant in New York City. She was created by Dennis Mortensen to do a real job: schedule business meetings. And, given the fact that she’s artificially intelligent, she’s very good at it. But Mortensen, CEO and founder of x.ai, envisions more. His AI trainers are researching ways to … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Meet Amy, Your AI Assistant”
FDA’s Hamburg Stepping Down With Biopharma Turnaround as Her Legacy
[Corrected 2/6/15, 2:40 pm. See below.] FDA Commissioner Margaret “Peggy” Hamburg will step down in March after nearly six eventful years, transforming the agency from one of the life science industry’s biggest bete noirs into, arguably, a fairly reliable arbiter for innovators. She announced her decision this morning in an open letter to FDA employees. … Continue reading “FDA’s Hamburg Stepping Down With Biopharma Turnaround as Her Legacy”
French Utility Giant Funds Tendril’s European Expansion With $7.2M
Tendril Networks, the Boulder, CO-based company that develops software for the utility industry, announced Tuesday it has received a $7.2 million investment from one of the largest utilities in the world, and that it will use the new money to expand into Europe. The investment comes from GDF Suez, an international energy provider based in … Continue reading “French Utility Giant Funds Tendril’s European Expansion With $7.2M”
Now Playing: California’s $1 Billion Stem-Cell Renovation Show
Home remodeling shows are a reality TV staple. But no Park Avenue mansion or country estate can top the nearly $1 billion price tag of the house C. Randal Mills is trying to renovate on the fly in California. Mills, who goes by Randy, is the president of the State of California’s stem cell agency, … Continue reading “Now Playing: California’s $1 Billion Stem-Cell Renovation Show”
Three Colorado Startups Get Chance to Make Pitch at Google Demo Day
Three Colorado startups are making plans for a possible trip to Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, CA, where they could meet Google personnel and make their pitches before Silicon Valley investors and a worldwide audience watching online. The three startups—Conspire, Native, and RxRevu—beat out 13 other startups last week for the chance to present at this … Continue reading “Three Colorado Startups Get Chance to Make Pitch at Google Demo Day”
Innovation Hub: 10 Years After the Larry Summers Controversy
Ten years ago, Harvard’s then-president, Larry Summers, wondered why women are so scarce in elite math and science departments. Is it because they’re less ambitious than men? Or, perhaps, they’re less inclined to be extremely smart? His comments caused a national furor, and Summers stepped down as president the following year. Now, Professor Eileen Pollack, … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: 10 Years After the Larry Summers Controversy”
Obama Wants You (And 1 Million Others) For ‘Precision’ Health Data
[Updated 1/30/15 1:15 pm. See below.] President Obama’s precision medicine plan just got a bit more precise, and it has a $215 million price tag. Starting with that cash, his administration wants to build a massive national database to study long-term public health trends, gathering head-to-toe health data from a million or more volunteers over … Continue reading “Obama Wants You (And 1 Million Others) For ‘Precision’ Health Data”
Wunder Garners $625,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b148ea83-b3c3-4bb9-a551-e6e114265ac5 Date 1/30/2015 Company Name Wunder Mailing Address 1035 Pearl Street 5th Floor Boulder, CO 80302 USA Company Description Helps investors find small commercial solar energy projects that need financing. Investors buy equity in projects in exchange for a share of revenue and tax credits and incentives. Website http://www.wundercapital.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Wunder Garners $625,000 New Funding”
FullContact Releases First iOS App, Raises $7M
FullContact announced today it has raised $7 million in a Series C round and is releasing new mobile apps it thinks will help everyone tame their address books and contact lists. The Denver-based company’s new app for iOS is available Thursday through the Apple App Store, and it plans to release apps for Android and … Continue reading “FullContact Releases First iOS App, Raises $7M”
Xconomy Is Seeking Great Sales People in Boston and San Francisco
When it comes to writing in-depth, daily stories about the business of high technology—in tech, life sciences, and beyond—we at Xconomy believe there are few news organizations that can match our editorial team. We feature many of these stories—and the people behind them—at our events as well. Now, right here in Boston and also in … Continue reading “Xconomy Is Seeking Great Sales People in Boston and San Francisco”
Scott McNealy to Preach Virtues of Colorado at Showcase for VCs
The Colorado Venture Summit will return for a second year, and this time the headline speaker will be Scott McNealy, the co-founder and former CEO of Sun Microsystems, who has become an outspoken advocate for Colorado despite being a Silicon Valley legend. The goal of the venture summit is to bring together the leaders of … Continue reading “Scott McNealy to Preach Virtues of Colorado at Showcase for VCs”
Techstars Closes $150M Seed and Early Stage Fund
Techstars has closed a $150 million third fund to make seed and early stage investments, the Boulder, CO-based startup accelerator announced Wednesday. Techstars co-founder and CEO David Cohen said the fund will be focused on investing on startups that have graduated from the accelerator or have other ties to the program. According to its website, … Continue reading “Techstars Closes $150M Seed and Early Stage Fund”
The Venture Funding Gap is Widening; What Does it Mean?
The National Venture Capital Association has just released the latest MoneyTree data on venture industry fund-raising, which always makes me sit up straight and take notice—it’s kind of an industry scorecard. In addition to being baffled by the fact that the amount the U.S. venture industry invests outstrips how much we raise (see below), I … Continue reading “The Venture Funding Gap is Widening; What Does it Mean?”
Dizzion Lands $3,900,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=79124b0a-c518-4193-8afc-d45c84f1e38e Date 1/27/2015 Company Name Dizzion Mailing Address 3457 Ringsby Court Denver, CO 80216 USA Company Description Proprietary managed desktop service built on enterprise technology that includes infrastructure, software licensing, management, support and security for a monthly fee. Website http://www.dizzion.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,900,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds … Continue reading “Dizzion Lands $3,900,000 Series A Financing”
$75M in Real Cash Helps Coinbase Launch First U.S. Bitcoin Exchange
Bitcoin took a potentially big step toward legitimacy in the U.S. today with the launch of the nation’s first licensed exchange for the virtual currency. Now, it’s up to San Francisco startup Coinbase to convince would-be traders that its platform is a safe and preferable place to put their money. Founded in 2012, Coinbase has … Continue reading “$75M in Real Cash Helps Coinbase Launch First U.S. Bitcoin Exchange”