Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e163d10c-642d-4055-a2ea-3cbe3df4999a Date 12/4/2013 Company Name Stretchr Mailing Address 4209 Niblick Drive Longmont, CO 80503 Company Description Stretchr is a start-up based in Boulder, CO providing world-class cloud hosted data services to any web enabled device. Currently in private BETA, the company are perfecting their offering which will include a range of next … Continue reading “Stretchr Lands $25,000 Seed Round”
Category: Boulder/Denver
Biodesix Closes $8.3M Round, New Clovis Shareholders Begin Selling
Biodesix, a medical diagnostics startup based in Boulder, CO, has raised an $8.3 million Series E round, the company announced Monday. The round included $4.3 million in new funds from existing investors and the conversion of a $4 million convertible note, Biodesix said in its release. Biodesix has now raised about $78 million since forming … Continue reading “Biodesix Closes $8.3M Round, New Clovis Shareholders Begin Selling”
SomaLogic Names New CEO; Founder Larry Gold to Stay on as Chairman
After 13 years at the helm of SomaLogic, a Boulder, CO-based startup developing diagnostic tests that use protein biomarkers to identify maladies, Larry Gold is stepping down as CEO, the company announced Tuesday. Gold founded SomaLogic in 2000 and has been its CEO and chairman ever since. Gold will remain SomaLogic’s chairman and plans to … Continue reading “SomaLogic Names New CEO; Founder Larry Gold to Stay on as Chairman”
Modern Day Scrooges Are Ruining Our Health Care System
More than a 150 years ago Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol introduced the character Ebenezer Scrooge, who was the embodiment of greed, “tight-fisted…. a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire.” If Dickens were alive today he’d recognize that … Continue reading “Modern Day Scrooges Are Ruining Our Health Care System”
BioView Networking Event
A chance for members of the local biotech and medical industries to network high up DaVita’s new world headquarters in downtown Denver. The event is free for Colorado BioScience Association members and $50 for nonmembers. Registration information is here.
Denver CEO/CTO Meetup
A monthly meetup for local CEOs and CTOs.
Denver Founders Network
The Denver Founders Network is hosting a “holiday mashup” at Galvanize. In the spirit of the holidays, they are adding a little non-profit love to the event this month. Car2Go and Uber have donated an awesome group of prizes that we’re going to give away in a drawing. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20 … Continue reading “Denver Founders Network”
SEC Crowdfunding Rules Workshop and Public Comment Open House
An overview of the rules the Securities and Exchange Commission has created to govern crowdfunding. Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet will speak, followed by an overview of the rules and the public review and comment process by Douglas S. Ellenoff. That will be followed by a panel discussion featuring academics and crowdfunding experts. More information is … Continue reading “SEC Crowdfunding Rules Workshop and Public Comment Open House”
New Tech Denver Meetup
The Denver version of Colorado’s largest monthly gathering of entrepreneurs and techies, with presentations from great companies, networking, and job leads. $10 donation is requested. Registration through Meetup.com required. More information, including agenda and list of companies presenting, and registration information here.
New Tech Fort Collins Meetup
The Fort Collins version of Colorado’s largest monthly gathering of entrepreneurs and techies, with presentations from great companies, networking, and job leads. $10 donation is requested. Registration through Meetup.com required. More information, including agenda and list of companies presenting, and registration information here.
New Tech Boulder Meetup
The event is Boulder’s version of Colorado’s largest monthly gathering of entrepreneurs and techies, with presentations from great companies, networking, and job leads. $10 donation is requested. Registration through Meetup.com required. More information, including an agenda, list of of companies presenting, and registration information, is available here and here.
Techstars’ Elihuu Makes Move to Oakland, Lands $30K from CU Students
Colorado has been good to Elihuu, the Techstars Boulder 2013 graduate that wants to play matchmaker between a new generation of designers and manufacturers. But now the startup is moving to Oakland, CA, to capitalize on the Bay Area’s larger manufacturing industry. Before Elihuu left, though, it got one last parting gift in the form … Continue reading “Techstars’ Elihuu Makes Move to Oakland, Lands $30K from CU Students”
Financial Apps Will Make People Smarter and More Open About Money
Socially acceptable topics of conversation are always evolving. It’s no longer uncommon to hear discussions about religion and politics at the dinner table. However, there’s still one incredibly important issue that most people would just as soon sweep under the rug: finances. When was the last time you had a detailed conversation with your spouse, … Continue reading “Financial Apps Will Make People Smarter and More Open About Money”
3 Life Sciences Companies That Are Built to Last
Lots of biotech companies today say they want to be great for a long, long time. But which of today’s companies are actually doing it? Which ones are truly visionary, and built to last? These questions have been on my mind since I re-read “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies” in preparation for … Continue reading “3 Life Sciences Companies That Are Built to Last”
Biodesix Receives $4,300,000 Series E Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1e84dc49-5507-4123-a0ac-22965bd67648 Date 12/2/2013 Company Name Biodesix Mailing Address 2970 Wilderness Place Boulder, CO 80301 Company Description Biodesix was founded in 2005 to apply the principles of complex data analysis and mass spectrometry (MS) to the discovery and development of improved multivariate tests that give physicians better information to understand the patient and … Continue reading “Biodesix Receives $4,300,000 Series E Financing”
Elihuu Receives $30,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=00f2f27e-c01b-429a-80fc-177942342a9f Date 11/29/2013 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 Receives $30,000 New Round”
It’s Time to Play Moneyball: The Investment Readiness Level
Investors sitting through Incubator or Accelerator demo days have three metrics to judge fledgling startups – 1) great looking product demos, 2) compelling PowerPoint slides, and 3) a world-class team. We think we can do better. We now have the tools, technology and data to take incubators and accelerators to the next level. Teams can … Continue reading “It’s Time to Play Moneyball: The Investment Readiness Level”
Cleantech Investors, Startups Try to Pair Up in New Climate for Industry
A few years ago, investors raced to put money into the hottest clean energy startup. Some people might not remember those days fondly, especially as a few of the biggest bets turned into breathtaking busts. In some cases, like the now-infamous Fremont, CA-based Solyndra, the technology and startup’s management just weren’t ready. Across the industry, … Continue reading “Cleantech Investors, Startups Try to Pair Up in New Climate for Industry”
Is This the End of Premium Pricing in Drug and Device Innovation?
Healthcare costs in the United States today account for approximately 18 percent of our gross domestic product—far more than any other developed country. Americans’ average life expectancy and the efficiency of our healthcare system are ranked near the bottom of countries with advanced economies. It’s not just a healthcare problem, either. It’s an economic problem. … Continue reading “Is This the End of Premium Pricing in Drug and Device Innovation?”
23andMe: Victim of an Overboard FDA Crackdown, or Provocateur?
Last Friday, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to the direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23andMe ordering it to stop marketing its Personal Genome Service. According to the FDA, the 23andMe genetic test is a medical device, and subject to intense regulation before it can be marketed, because “it is intended for use … Continue reading “23andMe: Victim of an Overboard FDA Crackdown, or Provocateur?”
Investors Consider Smart Hub Maker Revolv a Smart Bet, Invest $4M
Fresh off the launch of its smart device hub earlier this month, Revolv announced today it has closed a $4 million Series A round. Revolv is developing a hub that will control smart devices like locks, lights, or thermostats made by different manufacturers, including Sonos, Phillips, Belkin, and Yale. Users can control the devices using … Continue reading “Investors Consider Smart Hub Maker Revolv a Smart Bet, Invest $4M”
Gates Foundation Health Chief on Coaxing Pharma to Do Good (Part 2)
Yesterday, I ran the first installment of an interview with Trevor Mundel, the president of global health at the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He talked about his personal reasons for leaving the pharmaceutical industry to work on global health problems, and how the foundation makes decisions on how to spend its money. Today, … Continue reading “Gates Foundation Health Chief on Coaxing Pharma to Do Good (Part 2)”
Revolv Receives $4,000,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b7046d49-3b28-4845-9965-4fb443d9b09e Date 11/26/2013 Company Name Revolv Mailing Address 1155 Canyon Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description With just one Hub and one App, the Revolv Smart Home Solution is your gateway to a unified experience with all your favorite connected home devices, such as Nest Learning Thermostat, Sonos HiFi Wireless Speakers and Philips … Continue reading “Revolv Receives $4,000,000 Seed Funding”
Seamless Toy Introduces Atoms, the Latest Robotic Toy from Colorado
A lot of people will tell you simplicity is a virtue. Like kids who play with dolls or building blocks for hours. Or the engineers who helped design Apple’s hardware and OS X software. Or, apparently, U2 lead singer Bono. That’s the philosophy behind Seamless Toy, a one-year-old Boulder, CO-based startup. Seamless Toy was founded … Continue reading “Seamless Toy Introduces Atoms, the Latest Robotic Toy from Colorado”
Gates Foundation Health Chief on Coaxing Pharma to Do Good
Bill Gates can summon the CEOs of every major global pharmaceutical company, and get them thinking and talking about things that won’t help them make more money. Pharma and biotech companies, cast as the villain pretty much everywhere, certainly like the PR boost they get from working with Gates and putting their immense resources to … Continue reading “Gates Foundation Health Chief on Coaxing Pharma to Do Good”
Buildings and Batteries Yield New Investment for Colorado Startups
Three Colorado startups that build better buildings, batteries, and businesses announced this week they received money from investors. Prescient, a Denver-based startup founded in September 2012, Prescient announced it raised $3 million in private equity investment this week. Prescient makes software that designs 3D models of buildings and then uses that software to manufacture precision-cut … Continue reading “Buildings and Batteries Yield New Investment for Colorado Startups”
Vital Therapies Postpones IPO as Biotech Sector Chills
Life sciences IPOs ran into market resistance for the second consecutive week. San Diego-based Vital Therapies and Malvern, PA’s TetraLogic Pharmaceuticals both postponed their IPOs yesterday, according to the IPO research firm Renaissance Capital. Travena, another Pennsylvania biotech, scrapped its IPO earlier in the week, and two other life science companies, Oxford Immunotec and Evogene, … Continue reading “Vital Therapies Postpones IPO as Biotech Sector Chills”
Collective IP Obtains $2,500,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5557dd4f-091a-45b1-a867-311eaaa3e216 Date 11/22/2013 Company Name Collective IP Mailing Address 3455 Ringsby Ct. Denver, CO 80216 Company Description Collective IP was founded in 2011 with a singular mission: Accelerate the commercialization of global R&D through a marketplace that uniquely surfaces ideas, technologies and inventors; and quickly catalyze the connection between buyers and sellers … Continue reading “Collective IP Obtains $2,500,000 Series A Funding Round”
MobileDay Obtains $1,500,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=64b660ac-2cc1-490b-bf12-3d6fff04e94e Date 11/22/2013 Company Name MobileDay Mailing Address 1919 14th Street Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description MobileDay provides One-Touch access into any conference call. Painlessly connect into any call with your Android or iPhone. Website http://www.mobileday.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “MobileDay Obtains $1,500,000 New Financing Round”
Northern Colorado Incubator at Work Setting Up New $20M Seed Fund
More money for early stage startups could be coming to Colorado, thanks to ongoing efforts by an incubator based in Fort Collins and a nonprofit lender to small businesses to bring more capital into the northern Colorado region. The Rocky Mountain Innosphere and Colorado Enterprise Fund announced this week they are in the process of … Continue reading “Northern Colorado Incubator at Work Setting Up New $20M Seed Fund”
A 21st-Century Bill of Consumer Product Rights
Among the great innovations of the 21st century are products that are cloud-connected and update and improve automatically. For software, gone are the days of having to buy a new version of physical media (disks or CDs). For hardware it’s the magical ability to have a product get better over time as new features are … Continue reading “A 21st-Century Bill of Consumer Product Rights”
Prescient Secures $3,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1128b260-19c6-43ff-80e0-ef1950d041b6 Date 11/21/2013 Company Name Prescient Mailing Address 6260 Downing Street Denver, CO 80216 Company Description We are a growing team of industry professionals with a vision toward a better quality built environment.The team at Prescient has developed a game changing technology for our industry. There is no integrated solution available today … Continue reading “Prescient Secures $3,000,000 New Round”
To Tell the Story of Innovation in Detroit, Xconomy Needs Your Help
Whenever I’m describing Xconomy to someone who hasn’t come across our website before, I rattle off the names of the eight high-tech hubs where we have bureaus, in the order we opened them: Boston, Seattle, San Diego, Detroit, San Francisco, New York, Boulder/Denver, and Texas. At that point, the listener usually exclaims “Detroit! Why Detroit?” … Continue reading “To Tell the Story of Innovation in Detroit, Xconomy Needs Your Help”
A Few Good Mentors: A DIY Mentor Program for Startup Communities
I’m going to go out on a limb here. I guarantee that good startup mentors exist everywhere, even in your neck of the woods. Without any more evidence than my personal experience—working alongside hundreds of mentors and entrepreneurs around the globe, including such far-off places as Brussels, Moscow, and Kuala Lumpur—I’m willing to bet there … Continue reading “A Few Good Mentors: A DIY Mentor Program for Startup Communities”
Kindara Garners $370,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ed9cd50e-4b3d-49d1-86c2-d05209114eee Date 11/20/2013 Company Name Kindara Mailing Address 1628 Walnut Street Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description To give women and men the tools, knowledge and power to navigate their fertility with clarity and confidence. Website http://www.kindara.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $370,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “Kindara Garners $370,000 New Funding”
Boulder Ionics Lands $500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=65e5ce27-eb11-4314-8299-ffecd7dc4809 Date 11/20/2013 Company Name Boulder Ionics Mailing Address 18300 West Highway 72 Arvada, CO 80007 Company Description Boulder Ionics is a rapidly growing start-up that produces ionic liquids and ionic liquid based electrolytes for demanding electrochemical applications. Using a proprietary high-throughput synthesis platform, Boulder Ionics is able to manufacture ultra-high-purity ionic … Continue reading “Boulder Ionics Lands $500,000 New Round”
As Total U.S. IPOs Mount, Several Biotech Deals Stumble
With less than six weeks remaining in 2013, the number of U.S. IPOs continues to mount at a rate unseen since the financial meltdown of 2008. Ten companies are set to go public on U.S. markets this week, according to Renaissance Capital, the IPO investment firm based in Greenwich, CT. That includes Vital Therapies, a … Continue reading “As Total U.S. IPOs Mount, Several Biotech Deals Stumble”
Futuristic “Human-on-Chip” Models Will Help Drug Development
The pharmaceutical industry needs better scientific models for testing drugs before they get to the proving ground of human clinical trials. Current lab dish models and animal testing models are time-consuming, expensive and chronically unable to predict which drugs are going to work in clinical trials. The industry is crying out for new modes of … Continue reading “Futuristic “Human-on-Chip” Models Will Help Drug Development”
NASA’s Colorado-built Mars Satellite Lifts Off, Starts 10-Month Trip
The Colorado-built MAVEN satellite blasted off today for its mission to the Red Planet. MAVEN—or the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission—will orbit Mars and study its atmosphere. The question MAVEN is trying to answer is how Mars’ loss of atmospheric gases affected its climate. The rocket carrying MAVEN launched at 1:28 EST and the … Continue reading “NASA’s Colorado-built Mars Satellite Lifts Off, Starts 10-Month Trip”
The Biotech Startup Class of 2013: Don’t Worry, It’s a Short List
[Updated: 12:45 pm PT 12/13/13] We’ve heard a lot this year about the IPO boom for biotech companies. Even after a few high-profile blowups (Ariad, Sarepta), the public biotech stock indexes are still outperforming the Nasdaq Composite Index and S&P 500. Some biotechs have been acquired for megabucks (Onyx, ViroPharma). We’ve heard about another biotech … Continue reading “The Biotech Startup Class of 2013: Don’t Worry, It’s a Short List”
Hamburger Heaven: Business Lessons from a Child’s Bookshelf
Perhaps because I have a sales/marketing/product background, or perhaps because sales/marketing/product development are such a focus of conversation when you hang around with entrepreneurs, I am often asked what business book I would most recommend on these topics. I am sure that most would expect me to recommend one of the “classics,” such as Clayton … Continue reading “Hamburger Heaven: Business Lessons from a Child’s Bookshelf”
DigitalGlobe Turns to the Crowd to Analyze Post-Typhoon Images
Since Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines last Thursday, the world has witnessed scenes of devastated villages, destroyed homes, and washed-out roads and bridges. The pictures are heartbreaking and have motivated people around the world to try to help. Usually that means donating money or supplies, but DigitalGlobe, a satellite imagery company based in Colorado, … Continue reading “DigitalGlobe Turns to the Crowd to Analyze Post-Typhoon Images”
The Hottest High-Tech Toy of 2013: Anki’s iPhone-Driven Robot Cars
If you had wandered up to the second floor of the Apple store in San Francisco on a Thursday evening a couple of weeks ago, you would have seen an unusual spectacle. The big wooden tables were cleared of the usual iPads and MacBooks, and in their place visitors had laid out large sheets of … Continue reading “The Hottest High-Tech Toy of 2013: Anki’s iPhone-Driven Robot Cars”
Austin’s MapMyFitness Charts Digital Fitness Course to $150M Exit
2007 wasn’t that long ago, but at that time when Robin Thurston and Kevin Callahan founded what was then called MapMyRun, using digital devices to enhance one’s fitness routine was still largely the domain of ultra-athletes. Smartphones were new and everyday use of GPS was uncommon. Six years later, the rechristened MapMyFitness has gone from … Continue reading “Austin’s MapMyFitness Charts Digital Fitness Course to $150M Exit”
In Defense of Sarepta’s Chris Garabedian
Anyone who follows the biotechnology industry surely is aware of the setback Cambridge, MA-based Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRPT]]) experienced this week after FDA changed their mind about the company’s ability to request early approval for its Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy drug, eteplirsen, on the basis of an encouraging Phase IIb study of 12 patients. However, the … Continue reading “In Defense of Sarepta’s Chris Garabedian”
Austin’s MapMyFitness Bought by Under Armour for $150M
MapMyFitness, an Austin, TX-based workout app company, is being acquired by the athletic apparel company Under Armour (NYSE: UA) for $150 million. The Austin startup, which was founded in 2007, has about 20 million users for its most popular apps, MapMyRun and MapMyRide. By using GPS and other technologies, fitness apps like MapMyFitness help users … Continue reading “Austin’s MapMyFitness Bought by Under Armour for $150M”
The Future of Microsoft Research: One on One With New Boss Peter Lee
How do you help invigorate the Microsoft machine? Well, for Peter Lee, the answer lies in the frontiers of computer science. Lee is the new managing director of Microsoft Research, the company’s global research arm. His job is to help his parent company, not always quick on the uptake with emerging technology, understand the latest … Continue reading “The Future of Microsoft Research: One on One With New Boss Peter Lee”
Revolv Flips Switch on its Smart Hub to Unite Home Automation Devices
There are a lot of companies that say they can make your home electronics and appliances smarter. Sonos, Phillips, Belkin, Honeywell, Trane, Kwikset, Yale, and of course Nest all sell products that automate stereos, lights, thermostats, and locks. The list of manufactures and products is sure to grow. But who’s building the device that makes … Continue reading “Revolv Flips Switch on its Smart Hub to Unite Home Automation Devices”
Agencies Turn to Denver Company to Raise Money for Typhoon Relief
International disaster relief agencies continue working to help the victims of the catastrophic typhoon that hit the Philippines on Friday, and many people are looking to make donations. I’d like to take a moment to highlight the Denver software company that’s working behind the scenes to make sure those donations are getting to the right … Continue reading “Agencies Turn to Denver Company to Raise Money for Typhoon Relief”
Newdea Lands $1,422,647 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=01bcc75a-2e06-48c1-b064-e2ec267f56d5 Date 11/13/2013 Company Name Newdea Mailing Address 4B Inverness Ct. E Englewood, CO 80112 Company Description Newdea’s software solutions help companies. Increase philanthropic success. Reduce resource requirements by equally focusing on impact and efficiency. Turn good intentions and hard work into positive results. Maximize organizational efforts to create the highest level … Continue reading “Newdea Lands $1,422,647 New Funding”