Category: Boulder/Denver

Techstars Grad GoSpotCheck Wins Contest to Attend Google’s Demo Day

GoSpotCheck, a Denver-based software startup, is headed to California for the inaugural Google Demo Day. The company was selected by a panel of local judges to participate in the event, scheduled for April 2 at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, CA. The news was announced Tuesday on the Google for Entrepreneurs Google+ page. GoSpotCheck is … Continue reading “Techstars Grad GoSpotCheck Wins Contest to Attend Google’s Demo Day”

Colorado’s Ampio Pharmaceuticals Raises $63M+ in Stock Offering

Ampio Pharmaceuticals announced today it has raised net proceeds of $63.3 million following the completion of an underwritten public offering. Ampio (NYSE: [[ticker:AMPE]]), which is based in Greenwood Village, CO, focuses on developing therapies for inflammatory conditions. Its two most advanced drug candidates are aspartyl-alanyl diketopiperazine (Ampion), which could be used to treat osteoarthritis of … Continue reading “Colorado’s Ampio Pharmaceuticals Raises $63M+ in Stock Offering”

Farewell, Xconomy Readers. I’m Going to Climb a New Mountain

This is my last week on the job at Xconomy. After almost six years, I’m moving on. I’m going to finish writing a biography of Leroy Hood, the pioneer of high-speed DNA sequencing and genomic-based personalized medicine. And then I’ll see what’s next. When I first joined Xconomy, it had been founded 10 months earlier … Continue reading “Farewell, Xconomy Readers. I’m Going to Climb a New Mountain”

4 Ways to Stop Social Media from Blowing Up In Your Startup’s Face

Social media offers startups a powerful platform to cost-effectively market their products and services, get their brand recognized, and engage with a wide audience of customers. Yet social media also throws up multiple risks. Many of these risks—be they security and privacy risks, compliance risks, or reputational risks—are not new. However, companies have become more … Continue reading “4 Ways to Stop Social Media from Blowing Up In Your Startup’s Face”

Supreme Court Should Scale Back Securities Class Actions

Class-action lawsuits against publicly traded companies, which ironically are meant to protect investors like me, have officially jumped the shark.  That was the only conclusion I could come to after learning last week that one firm alone, Levi & Korsinsky, is suing not one, but three companies I invest in—Aegerion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AEGR]]), Sarepta Therapeutics … Continue reading “Supreme Court Should Scale Back Securities Class Actions”

Why It’s Time to Retire the Term “Life Sciences”

I originally thought about titling this piece “Life Sciences, Biosciences, BioPharma, Biotech, and Healthcare: What’s the Difference?” but that was simply too unwieldy. Many people use these terms interchangeably without thinking about what they specifically refer to, and which types of jobs and activities they encompass. Are they all the same thing? I don’t think … Continue reading “Why It’s Time to Retire the Term “Life Sciences””

Adtech Startup Trada’s Execs Talk About Year of Transition, Future

The past year has been a time of transition for Trada, the Boulder, CO-based advertising tech startup backed by Google Ventures and the Foundry Group. The startup, which specializes in paid search and pay-per-click advertising, has raised $18 million from investors and was one of the fastest growing startups in Colorado. But last fall its … Continue reading “Adtech Startup Trada’s Execs Talk About Year of Transition, Future”

Bob Doyle and the Magic of Merlin, the First Mobile Game

If you sat down to make a list of the key turning points in the history of mobile computing, you’d definitely have to include 2007, the year Apple released the iPhone. Its glowing touchscreen became a personalized portal to our friends, to the Web, and to hundreds of thousands of games and other specialized apps. … Continue reading “Bob Doyle and the Magic of Merlin, the First Mobile Game”

How to Tell When a Startup Is Ready for Investment

Since 2005 startup accelerators have provided cohorts of startups with mentoring, pitch practice, and product focus. However, accelerator Demo Days are a combination of graduation ceremony and pitch contest, with the uncomfortable feel of a swimsuit competition. Other than “I’ll know it when I see it”, there’s no formal way for an investor attending Demo … Continue reading “How to Tell When a Startup Is Ready for Investment”

Foundry Group Looking to Disrupt Book Publishing With New Startup

The Foundry Group is getting into the book publishing game. The Boulder, CO-based venture capital firm said Wednesday that it has formed FG Press, a startup publishing house. The purpose of the new press will be to better connect authors and readers by upending the traditional role of publishers, according to the FG Press website. … Continue reading “Foundry Group Looking to Disrupt Book Publishing With New Startup”

A New Era for Microsoft: Overcoming the Innovator’s Dilemma

I don’t know if Microsoft will be a $300 billion company 50 years from now, but I do know one thing: selecting Satya Nadella as CEO gives it a better chance than some of the names that were discussed in the news since Steve Ballmer announced he would be stepping down. The reason is simple: … Continue reading “A New Era for Microsoft: Overcoming the Innovator’s Dilemma”

Ramen Lands Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8c52eec8-c276-4d49-a2a4-a0e687e82bc5 Date 2/27/2014 Company Name Ramen Mailing Address Undisclosed Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description We’re Ramen: a fundraising platform that kicks into gear right after your campaign ends. We let you collaborate with your backers to build the best product possible. Website http://www.ramen.is Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round … Continue reading “Ramen Lands Seed Financing”

Ramen Raises Cash for Crowdfunding and Collaboration Software

Ramen is heating up. No, not the meal well known to hungry entrepreneurs and hackers, but a Boulder, CO-based startup of the same name. Ramen, which is just a few months old and has won a major hackathon, said Monday it has raised a seed round and has begun courting customers. So what does Ramen … Continue reading “Ramen Raises Cash for Crowdfunding and Collaboration Software”

Encore Entrepreneurs: They’re Older and They Have More Insurance

OK, I want you to take a quick test and answer the question with the first thing that comes to mind: What does a “start-up entrepreneur” look like? OK, do you have a picture in your mind? If you are like most people, I bet your first thought was someone who looks suspiciously like a … Continue reading “Encore Entrepreneurs: They’re Older and They Have More Insurance”

Uvize Secures $540,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8817eb62-8e29-4791-8bbc-0cd368a4a56f Date 2/26/2014 Company Name Uvize Mailing Address 1321 College Ave Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description We give veterans the unfair advantage in college. Website http://www.uvize.com Transaction Type Debt, Crowdfunder Transaction Amount $540,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. Not an offer or solicitation for sale of securities. … Continue reading “Uvize Secures $540,000 New Financing Round”

Uvize Lands $540,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8817eb62-8e29-4791-8bbc-0cd368a4a56f Date 2/26/2014 Company Name Uvize Mailing Address 1321 College Ave Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description We give veterans the unfair advantage in college. Website http://www.uvize.com Transaction Type Debt, Crowdfunder Transaction Amount $540,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. Not an offer or solicitation for sale of securities. … Continue reading “Uvize Lands $540,000 New Round”

An Executive’s Guide to Not Screwing Up Partnerships

Everyone loves partnerships. These fancy sounding deals are also often called “strategic alliances,” “co-marketing agreements,” “channel sales,” or in Continental Europe, “a coöperation” (sounds quite nice and German, doesn’t it?). Partnerships are prestigious, and they whisper to you the sweet possibilities of easy revenue. In Silicon Valley, they are generally run with lots of fanfare … Continue reading “An Executive’s Guide to Not Screwing Up Partnerships”

Transzap Receives New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7085c123-c463-44c6-bbca-77b450873b22 Date 2/25/2014 Company Name Transzap Mailing Address 633 17th Street Denver, CO 80202 Company Description Transzap provides software solutions that give businesses the tools they need to stay competitive. Whether your organization is looking to improve A/P processes; gain greater visibility into the supply chain; speed up the budget approval process; … Continue reading “Transzap Receives New Funding”

The Inside Story: What CISOs Know About Cybersecurity

In the wake of aggressive press coverage of recent major breaches at companies from Target to Neiman Marcus, cybersecurity has finally moved out of the shadows to become a top-of-mind issue at major enterprises. The new focus is dramatically changing the landscape for security leaders and business executives, who no longer struggle to convince their … Continue reading “The Inside Story: What CISOs Know About Cybersecurity”

Colorado-based Drug Developer Ampio Releases Plan to Sell 8M Shares

Ampio Pharmaceuticals, a drug development company based in Colorado, announced today it plans to sell 8 million shares of stock through an underwritten public offering. Ampio (NYSE: [[ticker:AMPE]]) shares have not been priced yet, but the shelf offering would raise $71.8 million at $8.98 a share, the price the stock closed at on Friday. Ampio … Continue reading “Colorado-based Drug Developer Ampio Releases Plan to Sell 8M Shares”

Hiring in Biotech is Tricky. But Algorithms Won’t Save the Day

People who appreciate baseball stats agree: Jonny Gomes of the Boston Red Sox is a below-average player. Yet, if you pay attention to his intangibles, he looks better. Even with lousy performance data, he was credited with playing a key role last fall in helping his team win the World Series. The Gomes example reminds … Continue reading “Hiring in Biotech is Tricky. But Algorithms Won’t Save the Day”

My Dealer Service Obtains $25,000 Seed Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8869231f-d65e-4236-b6a3-228679404101 Date 2/24/2014 Company Name My Dealer Service Mailing Address Undisclosed Denver, CO 80002 Company Description My Dealer Service is a start up in the works by a bunch of semi-nerdy but very handsome characters in Denver, CO. Website http://www.mydealerservice.com Transaction Type Accelerator Transaction Amount $25,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes The … Continue reading “My Dealer Service Obtains $25,000 Seed Financing Round”

WhatsApp, $19 Billion, and the Unreal Economy of Silicon Valley

Facebook announced Wednesday that it will acquire mobile messaging provider WhatsApp, a five-year-old startup in Santa Clara, CA, for $4 billion in cash, $12 billion in stock, and another $3 billion in restricted stock units. So, $19 billion when all’s said and done. The deal is eyebrow-raising on any number of levels. What made WhatsApp … Continue reading “WhatsApp, $19 Billion, and the Unreal Economy of Silicon Valley”

MycoTechnology Lands New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ab944f12-d740-4f54-9819-2583f670001e Date 2/21/2014 Company Name MycoTechnology Mailing Address 12635 E. Montview Blvd. Aurora, CO 80045 Company Description The company’s process utilizes the ability of mushrooms to selectively consume bitter compounds in foods, resulting in better tasting products. Website http://www.mycotechcorp.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The … Continue reading “MycoTechnology Lands New Funding Round”

With Australian Partner, Boulder Ionics Looks to Improve Batteries

Building better batteries is one of the biggest challenges in cleantech—if not all of tech. Experts believe more efficient and stable energy storage systems could make electric vehicles cheaper and safer, allow the military to power vital equipment, and create ways for utilities to store excess energy they generate. Boulder Ionics, a startup based in … Continue reading “With Australian Partner, Boulder Ionics Looks to Improve Batteries”

What Does $19B Buy? Market Validation for Text Messaging

When Facebook acquired WhatsApp last night, most of the initial headlines focused on the value of the deal and overall shock at how big the number actually was. Examples ranged from “Facebook to buy WhatsApp for $19 billion in deal shocker” (Reuters) to “Stunner: Facebook to buy WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash, stock” (Forbes). … Continue reading “What Does $19B Buy? Market Validation for Text Messaging”

Are Universities Creating Too Many Biotech Startups?

Bruce Booth, the biotech venture capitalist known for his social media savvy, sent a Tweet last month that caught my eye. He tweeted in reference to the number of academic spinoffs reported in the 2012 AUTM Licensing Survey Report, “What % biotech? My bet, ~ half.” Extrapolating from Top U.S. universities, institutes for life sciences in … Continue reading “Are Universities Creating Too Many Biotech Startups?”

e-Chromic Technologies Obtains $600,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=de7d629e-ed1d-4d5a-ac3f-5a1dc9650770 Date 2/20/2014 Company Name e-Chromic Technologies Mailing Address P.O. Box 11053 Boulder, CO 80301 Company Description e-Chromic LLC is a cleantech company founded by Loren Burnett and Richelle Burnett for the purpose of commercializing technology developed by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Golden Colorado. Website http://www.use-chromic.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “e-Chromic Technologies Obtains $600,000 New Financing”

StoryVine Obtains Seed Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c43f918d-b6ad-47c4-9326-747fb31c9837 Date 2/20/2014 Company Name StoryVine Mailing Address Undisclosed Boulder, CO 80309 Company Description We’re storytellers first. But we’re also business leaders with a strong track record, geeks who code and designers who get excited about things like colors and fonts. Website http://www.storyvine.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round … Continue reading “StoryVine Obtains Seed Round”

This Ain’t Like Dusting Crops, Boy. Oh, Wait…Actually, It Is.

Awhile back I blogged about Ashwin, one of my ex-students wanted to raise a seed round to build Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) with a hyper-spectral camera and fly it over farm fields collecting hyper-spectral images. These images, when processed with his company’s proprietary algorithms, would be able to tell farmers how healthy their plants were, … Continue reading “This Ain’t Like Dusting Crops, Boy. Oh, Wait…Actually, It Is.”

Marketing Automation Startup Signpost Plans Major Denver Expansion

Signpost, a venture-backed startup that creates marketing automation software for small- and medium-sized businesses, has hung up its shingle and a help wanted sign at a new location in Denver. The company, which has raised $15 million from Google Ventures and other investors, recently relocated its Denver office to a new, 8,500-square-foot office near downtown … Continue reading “Marketing Automation Startup Signpost Plans Major Denver Expansion”

Intel Survey: Americans Skeptical, Yet Hopeful, About Smart Cities

Intel thinks it’s only a matter of time before cars, streets, highways, buildings—in short, most parts of the urban infrastructure—get a brain upgrade. And naturally, it expects that Intel chips will be powering much of the new smarts. But the Santa Clara, CA-based semiconductor giant knows that public fears about sensor networks and large-scale data … Continue reading “Intel Survey: Americans Skeptical, Yet Hopeful, About Smart Cities”

Balancing Power Between Biotech and Big Pharma Benefits Both

Xconomy’s Luke Timmerman recently suggested that biotechs’ IPO option has shifted the balance of power between Big Pharma and biotech closer to parity, and the big guys have lost (or at least loosened) their iron grip on venture-backed biotech. As he put it, The power dynamic between the two parties is the closest it’s been … Continue reading “Balancing Power Between Biotech and Big Pharma Benefits Both”

Molecular Diagnostics Are in a Rut. The Industry Needs the FDA

Some of the more exciting ideas in biotech are coming up in molecular diagnostics. There’s cool science at work. A number of tests have potential to cut down on overtreatment, reduce waste in healthcare, and give physicians clever new ideas on how to help patients. But this industry, which accounts for less than 2 percent … Continue reading “Molecular Diagnostics Are in a Rut. The Industry Needs the FDA”

Rapt Media Seeks Attention with Interactive Video Platform

Some experts are betting that interactive video is about to reach its potential as the next big thing in online advertising. Boulder, CO-based Rapt Media is working to prove them right. Rapt Media this week released a new Web-based software program that marketers and content creators can use to create interactive video and websites. Rapt … Continue reading “Rapt Media Seeks Attention with Interactive Video Platform”

15 Places to Turn for Technology News That Really Matters

Nobody on their deathbed says they wish they’d spent more time reading tech blogs. Don’t get me wrong: It’s great that consumers and entrepreneurs have so many places today to get news about the world of Internet startups, mobile devices, software, and venture investing. Back in 1998-2001, the last time things were this crazy in … Continue reading “15 Places to Turn for Technology News That Really Matters”

Elihuu Lands $215,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=efb31321-1ada-4092-9c8d-748d0e4db277 Date 2/14/2014 Company Name Elihuu Mailing Address 3425 Wyandot St. Denver, CO 80211 Company Description The Elihuu all-star team is made up of makers, hobbyist, artist, and revolutionaries. Our mission is to democratize the process of design, invention, and manufacturing. We believe new technologies change the thinking around the production of … Continue reading “Elihuu Lands $215,000 New Round”

GlobeImmune Lands $7,500,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c5936915-cff9-4988-a872-4623d48c0cf1 Date 2/14/2014 Company Name GlobeImmune Mailing Address 1450 Infinite Drive Louisville, CO 80027 Company Description GlobeImmune, Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery, development and manufacturing of potent, targeted molecular immunotherapy products called Tarmogens for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Website http://www.globeimmune.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $7,500,000 … Continue reading “GlobeImmune Lands $7,500,000 New Financing Round”

Pivothead Smart Glasses Offer New Point of View on Everyday Life

Think of the special occasions in life you want to capture on video. Like a birthday party, a trip to the beach, or a hike in the mountains. Now think about the compromises you have to make to record those moments. Sure, the days of bulky cameras are mostly gone, and the cameras on smartphones … Continue reading “Pivothead Smart Glasses Offer New Point of View on Everyday Life”

How to Find the Right Chief Technology Officer

Last year, the Kauffman Foundation named four cities in Colorado (Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins/Loveland and Colorado Springs) to the Top 10 List for best cities for startups. With so many entrepreneurs looking to found startups—and because of the strong technology emphasis in today’s economy—I’m sometimes asked for advice on how to find a technical co-founder … Continue reading “How to Find the Right Chief Technology Officer”

Retrophin Shares Boom Following Manchester Pharma Buyout

Shares of Retrophin on Thursday soared after the company cut a deal to acquire privately-held Manchester Pharmaceuticals and, along with it, a drug that’s long been prescribed off-label for a rare inherited disease. Late Wednesday, New York-based Retrophin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RTRX]]) agreed to pay $29.5 million up front, and $62.5 million total, to snap up Fort … Continue reading “Retrophin Shares Boom Following Manchester Pharma Buyout”

Flipping the Flipped Classroom

Two of the hot topics in education in the last few years have been Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC’s) and the flipped classroom. I’ve been experimenting with both of them. What I’ve learned (besides being able to use the word “pedagogy” in a sentence) is 1) assigning students lectures as homework doesn’t guarantee the students … Continue reading “Flipping the Flipped Classroom”

Welltok Raises $22M, Starts Working with IBM Watson Supercomputer

Denver-based healthcare tech startup Welltok announced today it has closed a $22.1 million Series C round and will be working with IBM to develop new products powered by the IBM Watson supercomputer. The new financing brings the money raised by Welltok to more than $40 million since April, a release from the company said. The … Continue reading “Welltok Raises $22M, Starts Working with IBM Watson Supercomputer”

TerraLUX Garners $4,500,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ccefaadc-db09-4469-b398-eaa4db15bdb5 Date 2/12/2014 Company Name TerraLUX Mailing Address 1830 Lefthand Circle Longmont, CO 80501 Company Description TerraLUX, Inc. designs, patents, manufactures, and distributes LED-based lighting solutions for a variety of markets and applications including Portable, Medical, Industrial, and General Illumination. Website http://www.terraluxcorp.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “TerraLUX Garners $4,500,000 New Financing”

WellTok Lands $22,100,000 Series C Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2dc1b1ee-5a6e-4708-9465-fab329e8d5f0 Date 2/12/2014 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 $22,100,000 Series C Round”

Blue Ocean Challenge’s $250K Prize Draws 16 Startups to Fort Collins

What does it take to get entrepreneurs from around the country to come to Fort Collins, a college town in northern Colorado, for a business competition? Apparently the chance to win a $250,000 grand prize and receive mentoring from the people who made OtterBox a leading brand in mobile phone accessories will do the trick. … Continue reading “Blue Ocean Challenge’s $250K Prize Draws 16 Startups to Fort Collins”

Mosaic Biosciences Secures $2,274,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=71525e4e-6da9-4365-86ef-30bc51266531 Date 2/11/2014 Company Name Mosaic Biosciences Mailing Address 3415 Colorado Ave. Boulder, CO 80309 Company Description Mosaic Biosciences is advancing a fundamentally new class of synthetic materials to support native tissue regeneration. With its proprietary platform technology, Mosaic expects to significantly impact the field of tissue regeneration, including applications in wound … Continue reading “Mosaic Biosciences Secures $2,274,000 New Financing”

The Young and Proven Biotech VCs From 2012. Where Are They Now?

One of the old saws in journalism is to “follow the money” when you’re looking for a story. But sometimes you learn even more by following the people. The people, in this case, are biotech venture capitalists. Regular readers of this column know that biotech VC has been going through a historic shakeout the last … Continue reading “The Young and Proven Biotech VCs From 2012. Where Are They Now?”