Category: Boulder/Denver

Medical Test Maker Venaxis Raises $18.4M, Files for FDA Approval

Venaxis, a small medical diagnostics company in Castle Rock, CO, has raised $18.4 million through a public offering that closed Monday. Venaxis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:APPY]]) is developing a protein biomarker-based blood test doctors can use to diagnose whether a patient has acute appendicitis. The test, known as APPY1, is intended to be used in emergency rooms … Continue reading “Medical Test Maker Venaxis Raises $18.4M, Files for FDA Approval”

State-Level Equity Crowdfunding: The Next Big Thing

Just a few weeks ago, Facebook’s surprise $2 billion purchase of virtual reality headset developer Oculus riled up some of the startup’s earliest financial backers, who said they got a raw deal while the founders got rich.  We’re talking about pre-order backers on Kickstarter here, not investors. But if new equity crowdfunding rules had been … Continue reading “State-Level Equity Crowdfunding: The Next Big Thing”

The Rise of the “People’s Web”

Silicon Valley is one of the most dynamic engines of capitalism the world has ever seen. For decades, technology providers focused on creating cutting-edge hardware and software designed to optimize efficiency, productivity, and data-based knowledge for large corporations. But today, many technology innovators are also working hard to level the playing field by providing individual … Continue reading “The Rise of the “People’s Web””

Kauffman Study: Weaker Entrepreneurship Spells Stronger Job Market

The U.S. saw slightly fewer businesses created last year, but there’s a silver lining: the poorer numbers nationwide likely indicate that a stronger job market relieved some of the pressure on people to start companies out of necessity. That’s among the takeaways from the latest Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, an annual study from the … Continue reading “Kauffman Study: Weaker Entrepreneurship Spells Stronger Job Market”

Closely Raises $3M To Continue Growth and Development of Perch App

The people who run small businesses are in a bind when it comes to social media. User reviews on Yelp shape their reputations. Deals advertised on Facebook and Twitter connect with new and current customers. But mastering social media takes time that overstretched small business owners don’t have. That’s the view of Perry Evans, founder … Continue reading “Closely Raises $3M To Continue Growth and Development of Perch App”

Announcing Napa Summit 2014: Get An Invite to Xconomy’s Elite Confab

For the past two years, Xconomy has held an invitation-only event in the heart of California wine country with a general focus on the economy, emerging technology, competitiveness, and jobs—and spanning the range of topics we cover, from information technology to life sciences, healthcare, energy, cybersecurity, food, and much more (read on). We convene some … Continue reading “Announcing Napa Summit 2014: Get An Invite to Xconomy’s Elite Confab”

Closely Obtains $3,000,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f5724a5e-b3c5-486e-872c-c2cac337860c Date 4/8/2014 Company Name Closely Mailing Address 3507 Ringsby Court Denver, CO 80216 USA Company Description We’re a Colorado-based start-up, formed in October, 2009. While we’re a young company, we’re a deeply experienced team with a track record in local media, real-time technology and live content distribution. Website http://www.closely.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Closely Obtains $3,000,000 Series A Financing”

Crowdfunding Startups: Opportunities and Bottlenecks

There has been a bit of action for a while now in the crowdfunding world, and certain startups have been able to get themselves off the ground using Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and similar sites. By and large, these types of financings have gone to companies that are building physical products, digital games, and the like. Fundings … Continue reading “Crowdfunding Startups: Opportunities and Bottlenecks”

Datalogix Garners New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4a4ef916-e5dd-4195-a573-2b7553822880 Date 4/7/2014 Company Name Datalogix Mailing Address 10075 Westmoor Dr. Westminster, CO 80021 USA Company Description As a company, we made it our mission to leverage the power of purchase-based audience targeting to drive measurable online and offline sales. Our data includes almost every U.S. household and more than $1 trillion … Continue reading “Datalogix Garners New Funding Round”

GoSpotCheck Returns From Google’s Inaugural Demo Day With $100K

GoSpotCheck co-founders Matt Talbot and Samantha Holloway hoped good things would come out of their trip to California for Google’s first demo day. And they did—in the form of a $100,000 check from former AOL chairman and CEO Steve Case. GoSpotCheck, which is based in Denver, was one of ten startups invited to Google’s Mountain … Continue reading “GoSpotCheck Returns From Google’s Inaugural Demo Day With $100K”

A Letter to the Year 2061 (If We Make It That Far)

Dear Citizens of 2061, If you’re reading this, congratulations. You’ve survived the first half of the 21st century, and you’ve evidently still got computers, libraries, virtual-reality visors, or some kind of communications system that enabled you to dig up these old scribbles. I have some questions for you. I know you can’t really write back, … Continue reading “A Letter to the Year 2061 (If We Make It That Far)”

Patients Are Customers. Who Knew?

I was finally getting to my giant pile of reading this week when I saw an article in Health Care Information Week that included the following sentence:  As consumer satisfaction begins to have a bigger impact on the bottom line, more hospitals are hiring a chief patient experience officer (CXO) to treat patients like valued … Continue reading “Patients Are Customers. Who Knew?”

Levels Beyond Raises $2.5M, Announces New Partnership with Sundance

Levels Beyond is leveling up. The Denver-based startup announced Thursday that it has raised $2.5 million, bringing the total it has raised to $7.5 million. That entire amount has come from TVC Capital, a small San Diego, CA-based growth equity firm that specializes in software deals. Levels Beyond also announced new partnerships with the Sundance … Continue reading “Levels Beyond Raises $2.5M, Announces New Partnership with Sundance”

Plink Obtains $249,999 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4cc6ea66-0e2f-403c-baf5-7974a27de54a Date 4/3/2014 Company Name Plink Mailing Address 2000 S. Colorado Blvd. Denver, CO 80222 USA Company Description Plink is an online-to-offline loyalty program that rewards members for dining and shopping at their favorite national restaurants and offline stores. Website http://www.plink.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $249,999 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Plink Obtains $249,999 New Financing Round”

Note to Government: Mandate Cybersecurity, Then Get Out of the Way

The digital economy stands on uncertain ground. From Target to Adobe, cybercriminals have infiltrated the networks of some of the largest businesses in the United States, turning 2013 into a record-setting year for data breaches. Companies lost more than 800 million records in nearly 2,200 incidents, doubling the loss of the previous highest year, 2011, … Continue reading “Note to Government: Mandate Cybersecurity, Then Get Out of the Way”

Valid Evaluation Seeks to Improve Feedback for Entrepreneurs

Adam Rentschler has a problem with business plan competitions. While the events can help entrepreneurs raise money and their profile, teams that don’t make the final stage might not get a lot in return—other than a form letter thanking them for entering and wishing them well, that is. Rentschler would like to change that, and … Continue reading “Valid Evaluation Seeks to Improve Feedback for Entrepreneurs”

Evolutionary Genomics Lands $2,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0c434870-5804-4d7e-adc8-8befdefd4c2b Date 4/1/2014 Company Name Evolutionary Genomics Mailing Address 1376 Miners Drive Lafayette, CO 80026 USA Company Description Evolutionary Genomics (EG) is a unique biotechnology company that is changing how relevant gene/target discovery and validation is performed during the post-genomics era. The company’s proprietary Adapted Traits platform sifts through vast amounts of … Continue reading “Evolutionary Genomics Lands $2,000,000 New Financing Round”

Tech Startups Bringing Information, Action to Disaster Recovery

When calamity strikes, emergency responders offer the most vital form of relief to those affected—but technology can also lend a helping hand. New tools are being created to find out what happened in a disaster and then take action, thanks to innovations startups have developed. That can mean anything from getting quick access to live … Continue reading “Tech Startups Bringing Information, Action to Disaster Recovery”

Google Ventures-backed Cool Planet Closes $100M Series D Round

Cool Planet Energy Systems, a Colorado-based developer of “green fuels,” announced Monday it has closed a $100 million Series D round that shows the alternative fuels industry might still have life left in it. Cool Planet, which is based in Greenwood Village, uses biomass such as corn cobs and dead or dying trees to create … Continue reading “Google Ventures-backed Cool Planet Closes $100M Series D Round”

Appearing Briefly at Your Next Conference: “Whac-A-Mole” Speakers

Whac-A-Mole, for those of you who are not familiar with it, is a fast-paced arcade game in which mechanical moles pop quickly in and out of holes on a large board. You earn points by whacking them with a giant hammer whenever they pop out of their holes. You need really good reflexes to do … Continue reading “Appearing Briefly at Your Next Conference: “Whac-A-Mole” Speakers”

4 IT Mistakes All Startups Should Avoid

Information Technology (IT) can be a startup’s biggest asset. Take, for instance, the cloud, mobile devices, and social media—they have all opened up exciting new business opportunities for startups, while also offering them the tools to grow their business powerfully. Yet, we have seen multiple startups make critical IT mistakes. Consequently, their business operations become … Continue reading “4 IT Mistakes All Startups Should Avoid”

Cool Planet Energy Systems Secures $100,000,000 Series D Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1a7dabc8-8fde-4f85-ab0b-14d749b9c57f Date 3/31/2014 Company Name Cool Planet Energy Systems Mailing Address 6400 S. Fiddlers Green Circle Greenwood Village, CO 80111 USA Company Description Cool Planet has developed a patented process that converts non-food biomass into gasoline through mechanical and chemical processes. Our process, known as the carbon negative fuel cycle creates drop-in … Continue reading “Cool Planet Energy Systems Secures $100,000,000 Series D Funding Round”

18 Ways to Kill a Startup: Bad Teams and Ideas, Arrogance, and More

How can you screw your startup? Let us—and Jason Mendelson—count the ways. Mendelson is a managing director of the Foundry Group, a venture capital firm based in Boulder, CO, and he knows startups. As a VC or mentor, he’s worked with hundreds, so he’s seen up close what works and what doesn’t. Mendelson focused on … Continue reading “18 Ways to Kill a Startup: Bad Teams and Ideas, Arrogance, and More”

Think Like a Founder Before Becoming One

February 2014 will go down in history as a month with two huge startup exits: Nest (acquired by Google for a whopping $3.2 billion) and WhatsApp (acquired by Facebook for an even more whopping $19 billion). If you haven’t caught the startup bug, there’s a good chance you will have caught it after this. What’s … Continue reading “Think Like a Founder Before Becoming One”

Sugary Foods Are Killing Us. The Internet, Not So Much.

When I’m jittery from too much caffeine, I don’t blame it on Starbucks. It’s not entirely Hershey’s fault that I have an unhealthy love of chocolate. And if, in a moment of idleness, I click on a headline like 35 Foods From Your Childhood That Are Extinct Now, I don’t blame BuzzFeed for wasting three … Continue reading “Sugary Foods Are Killing Us. The Internet, Not So Much.”

Houston’s RedLabs Creates Prep Program for New Summer Accelerator

At RedLabs, we found that having an accelerator isn’t enough to support student entrepreneurs. A brief background: The University of Houston founded RedLabs in 2012 to serve as the hub for technology entrepreneurship by helping students either launch startups or encourage them to join startups as early employees.  Our first class joined the accelerator last … Continue reading “Houston’s RedLabs Creates Prep Program for New Summer Accelerator”

Datavail Secures $2,115,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5326f47c-9d7c-479e-be4d-07c6781ca58f Date 3/27/2014 Company Name Datavail Mailing Address 11800 Ridge Parkway Broomfield, CO 80021 USA Company Description At Datavail, you will find the flexibility and personal focus of a boutique database consultancy, delivering the excellence and professionalism you would expect to see in the largest outsourcers in the world with lower-cost, labor … Continue reading “Datavail Secures $2,115,000 New Round”

Why Internal Ventures Are Different from External Startups

This post follows directly on Steve Blank’s earlier excellent post, Why Companies are not Startups. The question of how corporations can be more innovative is one I have wrestled with for a long time. For those who don’t know, I wrote the book Open Innovation in 2003, and followed it with Open Business Models in … Continue reading “Why Internal Ventures Are Different from External Startups”

Calling All Angels: Practically Anyone Can Be an Angel Investor

I’m a big fan of angel investing. The thrill of helping innovative entrepreneurs launch their dreams is as exciting as anything I’ve ever done. I once heard someone say your life is divided into thirds—you spend the first third learning, the second third earning, and the last third returning. I like that. For me, angel … Continue reading “Calling All Angels: Practically Anyone Can Be an Angel Investor”

Little Insights About ‘Big Data’

A little over a year ago I became the CEO of a company in the “big data” space that is developing predictive analytics software. My CTO is the “data guy,” and I’m the “business guy.” While my background is technical, I had very little experience in data or analytics and only knew about big data … Continue reading “Little Insights About ‘Big Data’”

The Missing Middle Class: Jobs in the Second Machine Age

Technological change is not a tide that lifts all boats in our economy. The truth is that it’s more like a tsunami. It threatens to overturn all the boats and drown their occupants, sparing only the lucky few who have already reached safety in the hills. That’s the kind of admission you won’t often see … Continue reading “The Missing Middle Class: Jobs in the Second Machine Age”

Lessons From Pat McGovern for Entrepreneurs

Very sad about the passing of Pat McGovern, the Chairman of International Data Group (IDG). He was my mentor and friend for over 30 years, and a giant in the technology, media, market research, and venture capital fields. Today, I took some time to reflect on what Pat taught me as an entrepreneur and investor. … Continue reading “Lessons From Pat McGovern for Entrepreneurs”

Welltok Acquires Seattle-based Mobile Health Developer Mindbloom

[Updated 3/20/14 11:35 am. See below.] Welltok, a Denver-based health IT startup, has bought Seattle-based Mindbloom for an undisclosed price in an all-cash deal, the company announced Thursday. Welltok develops software that healthcare providers and insurers can use to encourage consumers to live healthy lives. [Sentence edited for clarity.] Mindbloom specialized in developing mobile healthcare apps like … Continue reading “Welltok Acquires Seattle-based Mobile Health Developer Mindbloom”

Denver-based Adtech Startup Choozle Raises $1.8M Seed Round

Choozle, an adtech startup based in Denver, has raised a $1.8 million seed round, the company announced today. Great Oaks Venture Capital, which is based in New York City, led the round, which included other, unnamed strategic partners, a release from Choozle said. The money will be used to support Choozle’s expansion and investments in … Continue reading “Denver-based Adtech Startup Choozle Raises $1.8M Seed Round”

Choozle Lands $1,800,000 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=91c6ced8-e6cb-40c8-9de8-5ee9b731f92f Date 3/20/2014 Company Name Choozle Mailing Address 2546 15th Street Denver, CO 80211 USA Company Description Founded in early 2012, the Choozle team is disrupting the ad technology ecosystem with its development of a SIMPLE, elegant and effective digital marketing platform. Ad technology is flooded with confusing acronyms, but the only … Continue reading “Choozle Lands $1,800,000 Seed Funding”

Go Code Colorado Looks to Reward Apps Built Around Government Data

Hey, hackers, the state of Colorado wants to talk to you—and maybe give you some money. This week marks the start of Go Code Colorado, a competition sponsored by the state government. It is intended to reward teams of software developers for making apps that use public data collected by government agencies like the Secretary … Continue reading “Go Code Colorado Looks to Reward Apps Built Around Government Data”

Get the Heck Out of the Building in Founder’s School: Part 2

With a ~$2 billion endowment the Kauffman Foundation is the largest non-profit focused on entrepreneurship in the world. Giving away $80 million to every year (~$25 million to entrepreneurial causes) makes Kauffman the dominant player in the entrepreneurship space. Kauffman launched Founders School – a new education series to help entrepreneurs develop their businesses during … Continue reading “Get the Heck Out of the Building in Founder’s School: Part 2”

Fort Collins Entrepreneurs Planning for City’s First Startup Week

Entrepreneurs in Fort Collins, CO, are going to be busy this spring—not just with running startups, but also with community building. The city of nearly 150,000 in northern Colorado will host its first startup week this May. The event will run from May 20 to 25. Fort Collins Startup Week is modeled on similar multi-day … Continue reading “Fort Collins Entrepreneurs Planning for City’s First Startup Week”

Colorado-based GlobeImmune Gives IPO a Second Shot, Aims for $35M

Maybe the second time will be the charm for GlobeImmune, a Louisville, CO-based biotech that filed for an IPO on Monday after seeing its first effort to do so come up empty. The company, which initially filed for an IPO in 2012 but cancelled those plans last October after it couldn’t find buyers, is looking … Continue reading “Colorado-based GlobeImmune Gives IPO a Second Shot, Aims for $35M”

For Products, Technology Still Matters

Popular media has seriously overshot on the relative importance of marketing and design versus technology for product companies. Just spend some time perusing the usual outlets and you’ll quickly forget that startups employ technologists. What’s scary is it’s not just media—the rest of the world is starting to follow. The number of companies, raising very … Continue reading “For Products, Technology Still Matters”

From Cosimo to Cosmos: The Medici Effect in Culture and Technology

Deep inside the Palazzo Vecchio, the tall stone fortress that has served as the seat of government power in Florence since the 14th century, there’s a room called the Sala delle Carte Geografiche, the Hall of Maps. The cabinets lining the walls, which once held scientific instruments and other precious items, are decorated with 53 … Continue reading “From Cosimo to Cosmos: The Medici Effect in Culture and Technology”

WellTok Lands $163,510 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2399cd32-c590-4793-8c7e-1b8ed3f28b1c Date 3/14/2014 Company Name WellTok Mailing Address 1675 Larimer Street Denver, CO 80202 Company Description Our social platform allows health plans to rapidly participate in the health care community in a new and powerful way, thus strengthening engagement and collaboration with their members. Website http://www.welltok.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “WellTok Lands $163,510 New Funding”

What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Sci-Fi: Previewing CU Law’s Event

On Friday, the University of Colorado Law School’s Silicon Flatirons Center will host its annual conference on entrepreneurship. This year the event comes with a twist: instead of discussing a topic such as fundraising, the conference, titled Sci-Fi and Entrepreneurship: Is Resistance Futile?, will be about what entrepreneurs can learn from science fiction. Brad Bernthal, … Continue reading “What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Sci-Fi: Previewing CU Law’s Event”

TrackVia’s List of “DIY” Apps Includes Cadavers, Stem Cell Therapy

Cadavers—there’s an app for that. TrackVia, a venture-backed startup in Denver, has released its annual list of “the 10 Most Interesting Business Apps” built using TrackVia’s “do-it-yourself” development platform for business applications. At the top of the list is an app designed by the Illinois-based Innoved Institute that tracks where body parts from cadavers go. … Continue reading “TrackVia’s List of “DIY” Apps Includes Cadavers, Stem Cell Therapy”

DigitalGlobe’s Tomnod, Crowd Searching for Clues About Missing Plane

DigitalGlobe, the Longmont, CO-based satellite imagery provider, has once again turned to the crowd to help analyze its images as part of a disaster recovery effort, this time for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared Saturday. DigitalGlobe is participating in the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared Saturday while flying from Kuala … Continue reading “DigitalGlobe’s Tomnod, Crowd Searching for Clues About Missing Plane”

Five Ways To Avoid Losing Money as An Angel Investor

I have an angel investor friend—let’s call this friend “Alex.” Alex has great deal flow and works hard to pick the best opportunities for investment. Alex has been frustrated over the past several years, however, because she doesn’t seem to be making any money. This is despite solid operational performance by several of the companies … Continue reading “Five Ways To Avoid Losing Money as An Angel Investor”

Colorado Startup Robauto Tries to Help Autistic People Using Robots

It can be notoriously hard for people with autism to communicate with other people and interact with the world around them. But a Boulder, CO-based entrepreneur thinks he may have found a solution that could make it a little easier for some—and that solution is a small robot that’s cheap enough for families to use … Continue reading “Colorado Startup Robauto Tries to Help Autistic People Using Robots”

Photobucket Garners $2,772,660 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eb342988-f89d-477e-9c34-26cf568f431a Date 3/7/2014 Company Name Photobucket Mailing Address 2399 Blake St. Denver, CO 80205 Company Description Photobucket provides an online service that enables users to upload and share photos and videos. Website http://www.photobucket.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,772,660 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory … Continue reading “Photobucket Garners $2,772,660 New Round”