One common complaint I hear from biotech entrepreneurs is that negotiating a license agreement with a university can be a nightmare. There are universities—some of them within the very top echelons of academia—that are infamous for having technology transfer people who are described as very difficult to work with. It’s not that surprising that these … Continue reading “A One-Size-Fits-All License Agreement: The Holy Grail of Tech Transfer?”
Category: Detroit
Angie’s List Garners $22,500,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=439f9846-7aef-4f95-9d78-d2b22983d863&Preview=1 Date 9/21/2010 Company Name Angie’s List Mailing Address 1030 E. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46202 Company Description Angie’s List is a growing collection of homeowners’ real-life experiences with local service companies. The people who join Angie’s List are like you — looking for a way to find trustworthy companies that perform … Continue reading “Angie’s List Garners $22,500,000 New Funding”
The Future of Humankind Depends on Quality Science Education
Each decade produces new insights into science, especially life sciences, where we are learning more about ourselves. As our society becomes increasingly dependent on its scientific legacy, it becomes more and more important that each new generation understands the role of science in our lives. However, the accumulation of facts can be daunting to students … Continue reading “The Future of Humankind Depends on Quality Science Education”
Kabongo Takes School-Based Learning Games to the Consumer, Focuses on Being Both Fun and Effective
Kids usually don’t do schoolwork at home purely for fun. But Terry Anderson, president and CEO of educational gaming company Kabongo, thinks that his company’s products could provide an exception to that rule. The startup—headquartered in Emeryville, CA, with research operations in Ann Arbor, MI—first marketed its learning-skills-building games directly to schools. But earlier this … Continue reading “Kabongo Takes School-Based Learning Games to the Consumer, Focuses on Being Both Fun and Effective”
Can #NewTwitter Swim Faster Than a Fail Whale?
The Coast Guard reported Thursday that a ship entering San Francisco Bay struck a 25-foot whale and dragged it all the way to Berth 57 at the Port of Oakland, where it was pronounced DOA. (I’m not joking.) If you worked at San Francisco-based Twitter and you were looking for bad omens, this might be … Continue reading “Can #NewTwitter Swim Faster Than a Fail Whale?”
Lycera CEO Resigns After Less Than One Year, Michigan Startup Plans to Keep Boston Presence
The CEO of Lycera, one of Michigan’s high-profile biotech startups, has left the company after less than a year on the job. CEO Bill Sibold, the former Biogen Idec executive who was hired to lead the Plymouth, MI-based startup in January, has resigned to pursue other interests, Xconomy has confirmed. Sibold’s corporate biography no longer … Continue reading “Lycera CEO Resigns After Less Than One Year, Michigan Startup Plans to Keep Boston Presence”
Intel and the Three Ds of the App Store Business
Where are app stores going next? For the past few years, the app store model has spread through the wireless ecosystem like wildfire. There have been a few big winners and lots of…well, losers is probably too strong, but let’s say there are a lot of app stores that have yet to reach critical mass. … Continue reading “Intel and the Three Ds of the App Store Business”
We Can Get There From Here: The Automotive X Prize Awards $10 Million to 3 Winners
A very light car powered by an internal combustion engine (and fueled by a standard gasoline-ethanol blend known as E85) won the $5 million purse today in the Progressive Automotive X Prize—proving you don’t need an electric vehicle to get over 100 mpg. The nonprofit X Prize Foundation and Progressive Insurance, which sponsored the automotive … Continue reading “We Can Get There From Here: The Automotive X Prize Awards $10 Million to 3 Winners”
What We Can Learn from the Flight of Microsoft Execs to Amazon, AOL, GM, Nokia, Yahoo…and Micro VC
Sometimes all you need to do is look at where former Microsoft executives are going, to piece together some interesting trends in the tech industry. In recent months, a number of high-profile leaders from very different divisions of the Redmond, WA-based software firm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) have departed. This might be true in any given year … Continue reading “What We Can Learn from the Flight of Microsoft Execs to Amazon, AOL, GM, Nokia, Yahoo…and Micro VC”
Accio Adds New CEO
Ann Arbor, MI-based Accio Energy, a developer of technology for converting wind to energy without using turbines, announced yesterday that it has added Jennifer Baird as its chief executive officer. Baird most recently served as president and CEO of venture-backed Accuri Cytometers of Ann Arbor, a maker of affordable instruments for examining microscopic particles in … Continue reading “Accio Adds New CEO”
NanoBio Passes First Key Clinical Trial With Nasal Flu Vaccine, Scopes Other Opportunities
NanoBio has its sights set on developing a new generation of vaccines against the flu and other pathogens, and this past week the Ann Arbor, MI-based company showed the first real evidence in human beings that its approach might work. An initial study of 199 healthy adults, presented over the weekend at the Interscience Conference … Continue reading “NanoBio Passes First Key Clinical Trial With Nasal Flu Vaccine, Scopes Other Opportunities”
Fierce 15 Shines Light on Some of Our Favorite Companies in Boston and Beyond
I’ve never actually met the folks at FierceBiotech in person, but today I felt like we had undergone some kind of Vulcan mind meld. The online industry publication unveiled its annual Fierce 15 list of the 15 most promising private biotech companies in the U.S. What jumped out at me right away? All but one … Continue reading “Fierce 15 Shines Light on Some of Our Favorite Companies in Boston and Beyond”
U-M’s Ken Nisbet on Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Economic Recovery in Michigan
With an annual research budget of more than $1 billion, the University of Michigan is a leading hub of new technological inventions and entrepreneurship. It’s serving as a wellspring of new ideas and startups that are helping to lead the economic recovery in the Great Lakes State. Ken Nisbet plays a key role in advancing … Continue reading “U-M’s Ken Nisbet on Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Economic Recovery in Michigan”
GM Updates OnStar Brand for the Era of Mobile, Social Media
Since 1997, owners of selected General Motors vehicles have had the option of subscribing to OnStar, a cellular service that lets drivers make hands-free phone calls, hear turn-by-turn navigational cues, receive remote diagnostic reports, and get emergency support in accidents. In the car business, 13 years is a long time—but in the world of mobile … Continue reading “GM Updates OnStar Brand for the Era of Mobile, Social Media”
Notes from the Opening of A123Systems’ Michigan Manufacturing Plant
Under cloudless blue skies in Livonia, MI, many of those at the forefront of electrification of vehicles gathered on Monday to celebrate the opening of A123 Systems’ lithium ion battery manufacturing plant. From political leaders to business executives and scientists, an array of notable speakers highlighted new and important progress on advanced batteries and vehicle … Continue reading “Notes from the Opening of A123Systems’ Michigan Manufacturing Plant”
SpringCM Garners $15,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2f6ce5ad-2c03-4644-89a1-6849179d803f&Preview=1 Date 9/15/2010 Company Name SpringCM Mailing Address 350 North Orleans Street Chicago, IL 60654 Company Description Our integrated subscription solution incorporates enterprise search, remote storage, collaboration and content distribution technologies completely on demand. SpringCM combines mature technologies with innovations from our R&D lab to offer applications designed to serve people, so … Continue reading “SpringCM Garners $15,000,000 New Funding”
The Social Contract of Science
To know what to change to make universities more innovative in the way they manage science, we have to go back to the way our biomedical-industrial complex is constructed. We have come a long way from the days when science was done by a gentleman scientist in a room in his mansion, supported by his … Continue reading “The Social Contract of Science”
Michigan’s Emerging Startup Economy—A Conversation with Renaissance Venture Capital’s Chris Rizik
On Labor Day, the Renaissance Venture Capital Fund announced the final close of its fund, bringing the total raised to just under $50 million. The Ann Arbor-based Renaissance is a fund of funds: instead of investing money directly into startups, it invests in other venture funds, thereby hedging its bets in one sense, but also … Continue reading “Michigan’s Emerging Startup Economy—A Conversation with Renaissance Venture Capital’s Chris Rizik”
Perceptis Garners $6,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ce482f28-a628-4a17-85a4-28eae44432d0&Preview=1 Date 9/14/2010 Company Name Perceptis Mailing Address 1250 Old River Rd. Cleveland, OH 44113 Company Description Perceptis is a leading provider of advanced help desk, customer support services and business intelligence to higher education. We provide 24/7 support for IT, Financial Aid, Human Resources, Recruitment, Admissions, Enrollment, Retention, Facilities and General … Continue reading “Perceptis Garners $6,000,000 New Financing Round”
A123 Opens Lithium Ion Battery Plant in Michigan, Wants to Create Global Hub for Electric Vehicles
Big companies put on dog-and-pony shows for government officials all the time, but this one actually means something. A123Systems (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AONE]]), based in the Boston area, is officially opening a 291,000-square-foot lithium ion battery manufacturing facility in Livonia, MI, today. The plant already employs more than 300 people, and is part of a Michigan expansion … Continue reading “A123 Opens Lithium Ion Battery Plant in Michigan, Wants to Create Global Hub for Electric Vehicles”
Transparency
Transparency is viewed by many as the solution to many of the world’s problems, and perhaps a solution to failed collaborations. Indeed, a common explanation for disputes is that they result from an imbalance of information between the two sides. If we could have more transparency, some say, then we would all have the same … Continue reading “Transparency”
Sorbent Therapeutics Secures $21,800,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2c8bb69b-2b90-4352-8095-96a52399a5ee&Preview=1 Date 9/13/2010 Company Name Sorbent Therapeutics Mailing Address 750 East Bunker Court Vernon Hills, IL 60061 Company Description Sorbent Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of adaptable non-absorbed polymeric drugs to satisfy unmet clinical needs in large markets such as End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), Congestive Heart Failure … Continue reading “Sorbent Therapeutics Secures $21,800,000 Series B Funding”
Lithium-Ion Battery Maker Sakti3 Gets $4.2 Million from GM, Itochu to Speed Up Commercialization Efforts
Sakti3, an Ann Arbor, MI-based lithium-ion battery maker, announced today that it has brought in $4.2 million from General Motors Ventures and Itochu Technology Ventures to put toward the manufacturing and commercialization of its battery cells. Sakti3 was co-founded by Ann Marie Sastry, a University of Michigan engineering professor, in 2007, and is working on … Continue reading “Lithium-Ion Battery Maker Sakti3 Gets $4.2 Million from GM, Itochu to Speed Up Commercialization Efforts”
Google Instant Is Anything But a Time-Saver
At a press event in San Francisco this week, Google introduced Google Instant, an overhaul of its core search engine that brings up location- and history-sensitive search results even before you’ve finished typing your query. If you live in San Francisco and you type “s-a-u,” for example, Google Instant will make an educated guess that … Continue reading “Google Instant Is Anything But a Time-Saver”
Allied Minds Injects $3 Million Into Ann Arbor-based Biotectix to Support Conductive Polymer Technology for Implantable Medical Devices
Allied Minds, which makes seed investments in technology developed at universities and national labs, said yesterday it has invested $3 million in Ann Arbor, MI-based Biotectix to advance research and development of its novel conductive polymer technology. The company, which was formed out of the University of Michigan, is working on polymer materials and coatings … Continue reading “Allied Minds Injects $3 Million Into Ann Arbor-based Biotectix to Support Conductive Polymer Technology for Implantable Medical Devices”
Biotectix LLC Receives $3,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=95bcdefc-37ec-4c76-940d-910d8c4dc180&Preview=1 Date 9/10/2010 Company Name Biotectix LLC Mailing Address 2260 Hyward 2644 Cse Bldg Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Company Description The Compay develops electromedical and electrotherapeutic equipment. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company intends to advance research and development of its novel … Continue reading “Biotectix LLC Receives $3,000,000 New Round”
Sakti3 Receives $4,200,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bf879c37-5754-41e9-8fb1-839c1c249e83&Preview=1 Date 9/10/2010 Company Name Sakti3 Mailing Address 1000 Victors Way Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Company Description Sakti3 is a Michigan-based company that is developing an advanced solid-state rechargeable lithium-ion battery technology. We aim to further enable electric drivetrain vehicles that are capable of getting over 100 miles per gallon. Website http://www.sakti3.com … Continue reading “Sakti3 Receives $4,200,000 New Financing”
Beringea Backs Mophie to Help Make Smartphones Smarter in an Exploding Market
In about four years, Mophie has evolved from a startup operated out of a founder’s garage in Kalamazoo, MI, to a fast-growing provider of electronic accessories for smartphones and other mobile devices with operations in Paw Paw, MI, and Santa Ana, CA. That’s according to Jeff Bocan, a managing director for the Farmington Hills, MI-based … Continue reading “Beringea Backs Mophie to Help Make Smartphones Smarter in an Exploding Market”
Helicopter Lasers, Health Record Exchange, and Rick Snyder’s Past—A Michigan Roundup
There has been a smattering of innovation news from around the state this week: —University of Michigan researchers are developing a laser-based system to protect military helicopters from heat-seeking missiles by jamming their sensors, according to a report in Gizmag. Mohammed Islam, a U-M professor of electrical engineering and computer science, is leading the research … Continue reading “Helicopter Lasers, Health Record Exchange, and Rick Snyder’s Past—A Michigan Roundup”
Healthcare Industry Concepts Rise from the Grave
There was a great article authored by Gregory Huang and posted on Xconomy last week called Party Like It’s 1999: 10 Old Tech Ideas That Are New Again. The article was basically about the top 10 things that are hot right now but are, essentially, “back to the future” developments in technology that had a … Continue reading “Healthcare Industry Concepts Rise from the Grave”
Back from Labor Day: Three Posts You Should Read
Was there a summer slowdown this year in the tech-business world? I’m not so sure (and neither are some other observers). In any case, let’s get ready for the craziness that is fall news and events in our industries. Here are three blog posts from around the Web—and around the country—that you might have missed … Continue reading “Back from Labor Day: Three Posts You Should Read”
Michigan’s Renaissance “Fund of Funds” Closes at Nearly $50M, Ready to Make Connections Between VCs and Entrepreneurs
To Chris Rizik, one of the best things about yesterday’s announced final close of nearly $50 million in investment funds for the Renaissance Venture Capital Fund is that the money comes with no government strings attached. “There’s not one government dollar in this,” says Rizik, CEO of the Detroit and Ann Arbor, MI-based “fund of … Continue reading “Michigan’s Renaissance “Fund of Funds” Closes at Nearly $50M, Ready to Make Connections Between VCs and Entrepreneurs”
superDimension Ltd Lands $15,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=07f5f4fa-f614-4360-89fb-71d83217fca2&Preview=1 Date 9/7/2010 Company Name superDimension Ltd Mailing Address 161 Cheshire Lane Minneapolis, MN 55441-5433 Company Description The superDimension team consists of over seventy highly-skilled individuals in a variety of disciplines including R&D, manufacturing, operations, finance, administration, clinical research, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, marketing, technical support and sales. Website http://www.superdimension.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “superDimension Ltd Lands $15,000,000 New Financing”
MightyNest Receives $285,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f9325aa0-1fad-4aec-99d6-88ee2bfd6b8c&Preview=1 Date 9/7/2010 Company Name MightyNest Mailing Address 1570 Oak Ave. Evanston, IL 60201 Company Description MightyNest is a unique Web site that provides parents the ability to research, get advice and buy natural, organic and non-toxic products all in one place. Website http://mightynest.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $285,000 Transaction … Continue reading “MightyNest Receives $285,000 New Financing Round”
Polyera Secures $3,108,148 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4a8b794a-c3ae-41b0-8a8c-b9e775befe30&Preview=1 Date 9/7/2010 Company Name Polyera Mailing Address 8045 Lamon Avenue Skokie, IL 60077 Company Description Polyera Corporation is a leading supplier in semiconductor, dielectric, and interfacial materials for the printed and flexible electronics industry. Polyera is focused on developing breakthrough materials for its portfolio of ActivInk products and on working closely … Continue reading “Polyera Secures $3,108,148 New Funding”
The Innovation Imperative: How Corporations and Nations Can Survive the Tsunami of Global Competition and Thrive
Government leaders in Europe and North America are seeking to formulate enlightened, effective policies to create the necessary ecosystems and help their corporations respond to threats of loss of markets at home and abroad. The need to better commercialize public and private investments in R & D is well understood, but does not always happen … Continue reading “The Innovation Imperative: How Corporations and Nations Can Survive the Tsunami of Global Competition and Thrive”
The Leaning Tower of Ping: How iTunes Could Be Apple’s Undoing
With each new product that Apple announces, including the revamped Apple TV and the new Ping social network, Steve Jobs reveals a little bit more of his plan to dominate the media universe. But I can summarize that plan’s fatal flaw in one word: iTunes. Don’t get me wrong. I think Apple’s hardware is unbeatable, … Continue reading “The Leaning Tower of Ping: How iTunes Could Be Apple’s Undoing”
U.S. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council Quietly Holds First Meeting in DC, Starting with Steve Case-Hosted Dinner
It’s a big day for U.S. innovation strategy. The National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship is holding its first official meeting at the Department of Commerce in Washington, DC, today—and Xconomy has some exclusive details. The council, made up of 26 national leaders in business, technology, and academia, is charged with helping the Obama … Continue reading “U.S. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council Quietly Holds First Meeting in DC, Starting with Steve Case-Hosted Dinner”
Mascoma Gets New Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Through $51M Deal With SunOpta
Mascoma has grabbed improved technology for breaking down the raw materials it uses for making biofuels. The Lebanon, NH-based firm has acquired the SunOpta BioProcess unit of the Canadian food and mineral company SunOpta (NASDAQ:[[ticker:STKL]]) in a deal worth $51 million, according to a statement yesterday from SunOpta. Mascoma, which plans to eventually use the … Continue reading “Mascoma Gets New Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Through $51M Deal With SunOpta”
Party Like It’s 1999: 10 Old Tech Ideas That Are New Again
Timing is everything—especially in the tech world. If you follow trends in technology, science, or business for long enough, you realize there are very few new ideas. Instead, the combination of the right idea with the right timing and execution is usually the key to success in any field. Look at all the snazzy tech … Continue reading “Party Like It’s 1999: 10 Old Tech Ideas That Are New Again”
Ambiq Micro Wins Investment from Michigan’s Student-Run Frankel Commercialization Fund
At the University of Michigan, the inmates really are running the asylum. I’ve written before about the Wolverine Venture Fund, where students are not playing with Monopoly money: they’re investing real capital into real companies and accepting real risk. Well, the pre-seed version of this idea is the Frankel Commercialization Fund, another student-led effort, which … Continue reading “Ambiq Micro Wins Investment from Michigan’s Student-Run Frankel Commercialization Fund”
Will the Stem Cell Ruling Affect Venture Capital Investing?
Last week’s federal district court ruling ordering an immediate halt in federal funding for stem cell research has thrown academic research circles into a state of confusion. This has caught the attention of the VC community, as the venture-backed biotech world is largely dependent on technology developed in academic institutions, and the cutting-edge research produced … Continue reading “Will the Stem Cell Ruling Affect Venture Capital Investing?”
Detroit’s NextEnergy Charges Ahead With First Michigan Power Station in Electric Vehicle Program
A common refrain among skeptics of electric vehicles is that there’s a “lack of infrastructure” to support their widespread adoption. On Thursday, Detroit will see a what could be the beginning of the end of that circumstance when NextEnergy introduces Michigan’s first ChargePoint America electric vehicle charging station. ChargePoint America is a program sponsored by … Continue reading “Detroit’s NextEnergy Charges Ahead With First Michigan Power Station in Electric Vehicle Program”
Fallbrook Raises Additional $6M for Innovative Transmission
San Diego’s Fallbrook Technologies has raised another $6 million in venture capital, according to an amended IPO registration form the company filed with government regulators Friday. Fallbrook, which is developing an innovative continuously variable transmission (CVT) for a variety of applications, originally filed for an IPO in February and revised its S-1 form previously in … Continue reading “Fallbrook Raises Additional $6M for Innovative Transmission”
‘Innovation Index’ Says Michigan is Headed, Slightly, Toward Pre-Recession Numbers
If you squint just the right way at new numbers from a quarterly “innovation index” released by the University of Michigan-Dearborn, you might just believe that Michigan could be headed toward an actual end to the recession. The index, which measures things like loans, VC funding, and new incorporations rose to 89 (out of 100) … Continue reading “‘Innovation Index’ Says Michigan is Headed, Slightly, Toward Pre-Recession Numbers”
Michigan Startups Raise $123M So Far This Year, Up 35 Percent From Last Year
Investors have funneled more than $123 million into Michigan startup companies so far this year, a 35 percent increase compared to the same time period in 2009, according to a report released today by the Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA). The report notes that dollar totals are up even though deal numbers are down: There … Continue reading “Michigan Startups Raise $123M So Far This Year, Up 35 Percent From Last Year”
Fotopedia Heritage Shows the Web Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Met the App World
The reports of the Web’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Wired has been getting a lot of attention this month for its “The Web Is Dead” cover piece. But, as many observers have pointed out, the article’s central chart, which purports to illustrate the Web’s wane, is fundamentally misleading. Web traffic may make up a … Continue reading “Fotopedia Heritage Shows the Web Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Met the App World”
Lessons in Energy from an MIT Sloan School Grad
A little less than two years ago I made the decision to enroll at MIT Sloan for an MBA. Shortly after getting to the campus, I made the decision to look at careers in the energy sector. Despite being armed with a technical degree and spending some time in the energy sector prior to enrolling … Continue reading “Lessons in Energy from an MIT Sloan School Grad”
Herding Lionesses: Michigan Women’s Foundation Gathering Power Women, Forming Angel Fund to Invest in Female Entrepreneurs
[Updated and corrected, Aug. 26—see below] Just a few years ago, the Michigan Women’s Foundation was truly your mother’s philanthropic foundation—putting on fund-raising dinners, tapping corporate sponsors like the Big Three automakers, and then giving away small chunks of money to a wide array of charitable groups—totaling some $3.5 million to 420 entities to be … Continue reading “Herding Lionesses: Michigan Women’s Foundation Gathering Power Women, Forming Angel Fund to Invest in Female Entrepreneurs”
Can Microsoft Outflank Apple, Facebook, and Google? A Strategy Update
I left Seattle just over a month ago, and people keep asking if I miss anything about it. Yes, I say. But it’s not the amazing coffee, the great food, the nice people, or the beautiful scenery. I miss Microsoft. I’m only half-kidding. I don’t miss hearing about Steve Ballmer’s iPhone and every turn of … Continue reading “Can Microsoft Outflank Apple, Facebook, and Google? A Strategy Update”