In an era where it’s difficult for small businesses to obtain capital, this event will teach participants about alternative financing. For more information, click here.
Category: Detroit
How to Perfect Your Pitch: Rooftop Lunch with Josh Linkner
Need some help crafting that winning pitch? Detroit Venture Partners’ Josh Linkner will offer his advice and perspective during a rooftop lunch sponsored by Bizdom at the Madison Building. For registration and details, click here.
Innovation Marketplace at SAE Convergence 2012
This event is an opportunity for startups and small businesses interested in getting established in the mobile electronics industry. Entrepreneurs will also be able to network with some of the industry leaders. Candidates must apply to participate. For more about the event, click here.
WIPJam “Day for Developers” and Hackathon
As part of the Mobile Moves Michigan contest, this daylong event will include master classes on topics such as app life cycle planning, user engagement, and developer trends. A 24-hour hack-a-thon will begin in the afternoon. For details and registration, click here.
Biotech VCs, in Shadow of Tech, Start Delivering More Hits
A strange thing has happened during an otherwise bleak time for biotech venture capital. Life science venture capitalists are apparently hitting more of their investments out of the park. There were 17 so-called “Big Exits” for investors in privately held biotech companies, and 18 in the medical device business in 2011, the most of any … Continue reading “Biotech VCs, in Shadow of Tech, Start Delivering More Hits”
ReDigi Lands $762,692 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b326d3d6-0ba5-4cdf-9835-31f21faa15f5&Preview=1 Date 7/19/2012 Company Name ReDigi Mailing Address 1 Broadway 14th Floor Cambridge, MI 02142 Company Description ReDigi is the future of digital music. It is a free Cloud service that allows you to store, stream, and/or sell your legally purchased digital music. It is an Online Marketplace where you can buy … Continue reading “ReDigi Lands $762,692 New Funding”
Steve Blank on Detroit’s Renaissance and Why Startups Aren’t Cool
Xconomist and startup guru Steve Blank swept into Detroit last night for a sold-out, wide-ranging discussion at the Madison Building. (Kudos to Bizdom, Detroit Venture Partners, Startup Michigan, and Grow Detroit for packing the auditorium with over 100 people on less than 24 hours notice of Blank’s appearance.) Prone to tangents that are no less insightful … Continue reading “Steve Blank on Detroit’s Renaissance and Why Startups Aren’t Cool”
Boom! The New Economy: Your “Handshake” Pitch
A brief, articulate “handshake pitch” can be a valuable networking tool in any startup founder’s arsenal. Seracon Consulting’s Jan Gensheimer will be on hand to help participants refine their pitches. Event is open to all entrepreneurs age 50 and older. For more information, click here.
Detroit4Detroit: How to Hold a Successful Fundraising Event
Detroit4Detroit, the microphilanthropy initiative that aims to turn ordinary Detroiters into passionate fundraisers for the city’s nonprofits, will hold this workshop and recruitment event for interested citizen philanthropists. To learn more, click here.
Detroit4Detroit’s Digital Philanthropy Off to a Brisk Start
Detroit4Detroit, the first-of-its-kind microphilanthropy initiative in an American city, has met its goal of recruiting 150 citizen philanthropists to fund community-improvement projects using a strategy that’s heavy on social networking and other digital tools. The goal of Detroit4Detroit—which is managed by Michigan Corps and Citizen Effect with a financial assist from the Knight Foundation—is to turn everyday Detroiters into … Continue reading “Detroit4Detroit’s Digital Philanthropy Off to a Brisk Start”
Juventas Therapeutics Receives $22,200,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d95845e0-35b5-4ef6-9448-0ed2bca4b1b2&Preview=1 Date 7/17/2012 Company Name Juventas Therapeutics Mailing Address 10000 Cedar Ave. Cleveland, OH 44106 Company Description Juventas Therapeutics is a privately held biotechnology company developing a pipeline of regenerative therapies to treat life–threatening diseases. The company’s lead product, Stromal–cell Derived Factor 1 (SDF–1), has been shown to protect and repair tissue … Continue reading “Juventas Therapeutics Receives $22,200,000 Series B Financing”
Venture Investment Hits Highest Level Since Dot-Com Era
Venture capitalists invested some $8.1 billion in more than 800 deals in the second quarter, registering the highest such total in more than a decade, according to a new report from the analysts at CB Insights. The totals represent a fairly modest uptick from the second quarter last year: A 5 percent rise in dollars, … Continue reading “Venture Investment Hits Highest Level Since Dot-Com Era”
Genome Dynamics on Taking Overactive Bladder Biomarker Tests Mainstream
Though the pharmaceutical industry seems to want to do its best to make us giggle with its cutesy advertising campaigns, to Martin Bluth, an overactive bladder is no laughing matter. Bluth, co-founder of Detroit-based Genome Dynamics International (GDI), says treatments for overactive bladders represent a $26 billion market—and that’s not including the social costs of … Continue reading “Genome Dynamics on Taking Overactive Bladder Biomarker Tests Mainstream”
A Summer Reading List for Biotech Pros
[Updated: 7/17 9:15 am PT] Summer is here, so there’s a bit of a lull on the average biotech pro’s schedule. If there’s ever an opportunity to take a breather from the relentless scientific, medical, and investor meetings that dominate the industry calendar, this is it. Time to catch up on reading a few good … Continue reading “A Summer Reading List for Biotech Pros”
Diagnostic Photonics Secures $406,248 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1f4f3dd2-2c54-408c-abb9-334846e20f80&Preview=1 Date 7/16/2012 Company Name Diagnostic Photonics Mailing Address 200 S Wacker Drive 31st Floor Chicago, IL 60606 Company Description Diagnostic Photonics is developing advanced imaging technology to assist clinicians in the evaluation of diseased tissue during surgery. Website http://www.diagnosticphotonics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $406,248 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Diagnostic Photonics Secures $406,248 New Funding Round”
Capstory Garners $100,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3d33eea6-b892-46d3-ab86-600dc293f5b4&Preview=1 Date 7/16/2012 Company Name Capstory Mailing Address Undisclosed Mason, OH 45040 Company Description Capstory is a web application that allows groups to aggregate mobile generated photos and text messages into a centralized dashboard called a capsule. Capsules can be external to social networking websites but can also push approved content into … Continue reading “Capstory Garners $100,000 Seed Funding”
EcoMotors Closes $32.5 Million Series C Round—Eyes China Expansion
Allen Park, MI-based EcoMotors, maker of energy efficient engines, this week announced that it had raised $32.5 million in a Series C round of financing led by New York-based Braemar Energy Ventures. Also participating in the round were Bill Gates and Menlo Park, CA-based Khosla Ventures, who previously invested $23 million in an earlier round of financing. To … Continue reading “EcoMotors Closes $32.5 Million Series C Round—Eyes China Expansion”
7 Ways We Can Work Together to Restore E-Mail Sanity
Just like you, I’m locked in a perpetual battle against e-mail. I spend the whole day fending off the incoming messages, like some cranky old dude standing on his porch with a weed whacker. I feel compelled to do this, because if I don’t, my inbox will quickly swell beyond my ability to tame it. … Continue reading “7 Ways We Can Work Together to Restore E-Mail Sanity”
Silent Power Garners $8,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ba916b2a-8e23-45f0-8f43-4205b28d5ff1&Preview=1 Date 7/13/2012 Company Name Silent Power Mailing Address 8175 Industrial Park Rd. Baxter, MN 56425 Company Description Silent Power was founded in 2002 with an initial focus on innovative and reliable power conversion and energy storage equipment for the off grid market. The company created patented technology to allow a high … Continue reading “Silent Power Garners $8,000,000 New Financing”
FlockTAG Obtains $250,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3b244c40-e27f-45fa-aa65-bfbe6210697e&Preview=1 Date 7/13/2012 Company Name FlockTAG Mailing Address Undisclosed Undisclosed, MI 48030 Company Description FlockTAG is developing a mobile loyalty system for quick service restaurants which creates a cross promotional platform with customized deals. Website http://www.flocktag.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $250,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “FlockTAG Obtains $250,000 Seed Financing”
FreeStride Therapeutics Obtains $100,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0dfb8bb1-e15a-4f4a-9e62-f4d3ca7a102b&Preview=1 Date 7/13/2012 Company Name FreeStride Therapeutics Mailing Address 2403 Vinewood Boulevard Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Company Description FreeStride Therapeutics is developing therapies for treatment of bone-related conditions. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $100,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Michigan … Continue reading “FreeStride Therapeutics Obtains $100,000 Seed Funding”
Larky Lands $250,000 Seed Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=60618b8f-db85-4496-8020-fe7537556a78&Preview=1 Date 7/13/2012 Company Name Larky Mailing Address Undisclosed Detroit, MI 48201 Company Description Larky’s application helps consumers manage discounts from retailers, membership organizations increase loyalty, and merchants generate business. Website http://www.larky.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $250,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes Receiving investment from the Pre-Seed Capital Fund has … Continue reading “Larky Lands $250,000 Seed Round”
Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund Invests $600K in Three Tech Startups
The Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund announced this week that it has invested $600,000 in three tech startups: Flocktag, Larky, and FreeStride Therapeutics. To date, the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund has invested $16.5 million in 75 Michigan companies. While Flocktag and Larky both want to leverage customer satisfaction and their hunger for discounts, FreeStride Therapeutics is working on treatments for … Continue reading “Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund Invests $600K in Three Tech Startups”
Xconomist of the Week: ATV’s Bob Hower on “A” Startups, IPOs, & the God of VC
The venture capital industry is in flux. A lot of firms and funds are contracting. Big guys are doing more later-stage investments (see GitHub). Little guys are trying to innovate with early stage companies. Fund investors are trying to figure out how to get more bang for their venture buck. In the midst of all … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: ATV’s Bob Hower on “A” Startups, IPOs, & the God of VC”
Elevance Renewable Sciences Obtains $104,000,000 Series E Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=aa19d298-b4c0-419d-a3fd-954529d3b331&Preview=1 Date 7/12/2012 Company Name Elevance Renewable Sciences Mailing Address 2501 Davey Road Woodridge, IL 60517 Company Description Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. creates a wide range of specialty chemicals from natural oils. Using a Nobel Prize winning technology called olefin metathesis; the company creates high performance waxes, functional oils, anti-microbials, lubricants, additives … Continue reading “Elevance Renewable Sciences Obtains $104,000,000 Series E Round”
In Search of Meaningful GAIN in Renewal of Prescription Drug Act
The repercussions of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Affordable Care Act have largely overshadowed another key healthcare milestone—President Obama’s signing Monday of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, also known as PDUFA V. Originally passed in 1992, PDUFA V re-authorizes the FDA to collect fees from drug sponsors to speed the review and … Continue reading “In Search of Meaningful GAIN in Renewal of Prescription Drug Act”
Startup Superpowers, And How Big Companies Can Get Them Too
For nine years, I worked for one of the largest tech companies in the world, which will go unnamed at this particular time. I had so many ideas and was hopeful that my input and entrepreneurial spirit would be cultivated. Instead, I was consistently shut down and ended up feeling virtually powerless, like a cog … Continue reading “Startup Superpowers, And How Big Companies Can Get Them Too”
Xolve Secures $95,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c8ff0c2e-e193-4cdd-87bd-0d3a6b1bbd49&Preview=1 Date 7/11/2012 Company Name Xolve Mailing Address 1895 Short Lane Platteville, WI 53818 Company Description Xolve is an early stage company commercializing IP that enables effective, simple, room temperature processing of graphene and other nanoparticle composites, solutions and coatings. Website http://www.xolve.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $95,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Xolve Secures $95,000 New Funding Round”
Hireology Lands $1,000,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=47bdf9f1-c162-4a1a-8428-937b6ae63970&Preview=1 Date 7/11/2012 Company Name Hireology Mailing Address 640 N Lasalle St. Chicago, IL 60654 Company Description Hireology was founded on a simple, powerful idea: by analyzing the behaviors of top-performing employees, you can create a highly accurate system that identifies the best person for the job. Website http://www.hireology.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Hireology Lands $1,000,000 Series A Financing”
Analyte Health Receives $7,999,998 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=77d96f3f-b8d2-4051-9806-f16108a8fe30&Preview=1 Date 7/11/2012 Company Name Analyte Health Mailing Address 328 South Jefferson Street Chicago, IL 60661 Company Description The Internet has revolutionized the way we get information about our health, but when it comes to getting care, the model of the physician’s office visit is failing us. Convenient access to quality care … Continue reading “Analyte Health Receives $7,999,998 Series C Financing”
How Amazon Can Disrupt Smartphones and Take Apple & Google to School
The rumor mill is heating up on Amazon’s plans to enter the smartphone business—a fiercely competitive market currently dominated by Apple’s iPhone franchise and Google’s Android platform. Despite massive investments, Microsoft has so far failed to make inroads as a third platform, so Amazon will have to pull off some very impressive work on many … Continue reading “How Amazon Can Disrupt Smartphones and Take Apple & Google to School”
Oakland University Incubator Focuses on Cleantech, Outreach
Tucked amid the gorgeous rolling hills surrounding Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester Hills, MI, is the Oakland University Incubator. Despite being a sprawling space complete with a demonstration hall the size of a football field, it’s a four-person operation. Amy Butler runs the place, and she’s got a vision to not only attract more tenants and … Continue reading “Oakland University Incubator Focuses on Cleantech, Outreach”
Halo Report: Angel Investing Holds Steady in First Quarter
[Updated 7/9/12 12:42 am. See below.] The average amount of capital that angels invested in early stage companies during the first three months of 2012 declined slightly from last year, according to a new report on U.S. angel activity. The average size of deals involving only angels and angel groups was $940,000 during the first … Continue reading “Halo Report: Angel Investing Holds Steady in First Quarter”
EcoMotors Secures $32,500,000 Series C Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=996594eb-8ae0-4e7f-836f-bc4e103ec1b7&Preview=1 Date 7/10/2012 Company Name EcoMotors Mailing Address 17000 Federal Drive Allen Park, MI 48101 Company Description EcoMotors is developing innovative next-generation diesel engines, with a focus on fuel efficiency, low emissions and cost effective solutions for developing markets. The family of EcoMotors engines will set a new industry standard for clean … Continue reading “EcoMotors Secures $32,500,000 Series C Financing Round”
Greenlancer: Clean Tech Engineering From the Cloud
Bizdom-backed, Detroit-based startup Greenlancer has been receiving a lot of local attention lately. Earlier this year, co-founder and CEO Patrick McCabe was named one of metro Detroit’s rising stars in Crain’s “20 in their 20s” list. In June, Greenlancer won a $10,000 prize in the advanced energy sector in the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest. Now the … Continue reading “Greenlancer: Clean Tech Engineering From the Cloud”
The Best Boring Companies in Biotech
Sometimes great companies have really boring stories. Maybe the company makes great products, or generates big profits and returns, but just doesn’t have the sizzle to get on the TV news, or even keep folks away from the veggie dip at your neighborhood barbecue. It almost takes work to be boring in biotech, since this … Continue reading “The Best Boring Companies in Biotech”
U-M Tech Transfer Office, MVCA Announce Partnership
The University of Michigan’s Tech Transfer office and the Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) have announced that they will partner on a new, collaborative office inside Tech Transfer’s Venture Accelerator. The partnership, the first of its kind for the MVCA, will give the organization’s members direct access to the startups and technology spun out of university research. … Continue reading “U-M Tech Transfer Office, MVCA Announce Partnership”
What the Higgs Boson Owes to the World Wide Web
Quick: Name the greatest thing ever to come out of CERN, the European Center for Nuclear Research. If your answer is the Higgs boson, the existence of which was more or less confirmed this week by two teams working on parallel experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), I respectfully disagree. The greatest thing to … Continue reading “What the Higgs Boson Owes to the World Wide Web”
TechTown Hosts North African Entrepreneurs as Part of State Dept. Program
What brings a group of entrepreneurs from the Mahgreb region of Africa to Detroit’s TechTown? It’s an interesting story that started in Egypt three years ago. On June 4, 2009, President Obama delivered a speech in Cairo that was aimed promoting harmony between the United States and the Muslim world. Tensions were high after eight … Continue reading “TechTown Hosts North African Entrepreneurs as Part of State Dept. Program”
BenchPrep Receives $6,000,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e055aafb-4155-4f4b-898d-0cb7fcd23b15&Preview=1 Date 7/5/2012 Company Name BenchPrep Mailing Address 600 W. Chicago Ave Chicago, IL 60654 Company Description BenchPrep makes test prep courses that you can access on your computer, iPhone, Android and iPad. We partner with publishers with expert education content and pack the course full of review questions, reading material, quizzes … Continue reading “BenchPrep Receives $6,000,000 Series B Financing”
Trendspotting with Ford: How the Auto Industry Prepares for the Future
Sheryl Connelly, whose title at Ford is “Global Trends and Futuring Expert,” doesn’t spend much time thinking about cars. Her mind is on big-picture global trends: what’s going on socially, technologically, economically, environmentally, and politically. “My approach is, what are the things we have no control over?” Connelly says when reached by phone. “What is … Continue reading “Trendspotting with Ford: How the Auto Industry Prepares for the Future”
Narrative Science Secures $3,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b0ca3aaa-04a0-4e77-9e0b-8b942564929d&Preview=1 Date 7/3/2012 Company Name Narrative Science Mailing Address 111 E. Wacker Drive Evanston, IL 60601 Company Description Narrative Science started life as a joint research project at Northwestern University Schools of Engineering and Journalism. Our first automatically generated story described a Northwestern Wildcats baseball game. Formally launched in early 2010, the … Continue reading “Narrative Science Secures $3,000,000 New Round”
Bridesmaid No More: It is Time For Diagnostics To Shine
A 41 year old HIV patient sits down with his physician to discuss his options. After a year of diagnostic tests that indicate stable CD4 cell counts, viral load, and creatinine levels, there has been a change. Over the past few months, the patient’s creatinine has crept up to 1.5 milligrams per deciliter of blood, … Continue reading “Bridesmaid No More: It is Time For Diagnostics To Shine”
Who’s Still Active Among the Early-Stage Biotech VCs?
Imagine for a moment you’re a hotshot biomedical scientist at a university. You have invented a technology in your lab that you think has potential to make a big difference for the world of medicine. Despite all the accolades you might be getting in Nature, you are savvy enough to know you still have a … Continue reading “Who’s Still Active Among the Early-Stage Biotech VCs?”
Credit Suisse on Supporting (And Increasing) MI’s Capital Continuum
In 2005, as Michigan continued limping along in an economic slump that had begun early in the decade, the state government decided to try something different. It passed legislation that allocated $1 billion from Michigan’s share of the settlement from a national lawsuit against tobacco companies and established the 21st Century Jobs Fund, a 10-year … Continue reading “Credit Suisse on Supporting (And Increasing) MI’s Capital Continuum”
What Apple’s New Podcasts App Means For Listeners—And for Apple
Without warning or fanfare, Apple introduced a new Podcasts app this week that gives users of iPhones, iPads, and iPods a much simpler way to find and listen to downloadable audio shows. Pundits had been expecting the move as part of the introduction this fall of iOS 6, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating … Continue reading “What Apple’s New Podcasts App Means For Listeners—And for Apple”
Quantum OPS Secures $1,050,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=81f4203a-1d7f-46f0-b7ae-c9826760e208&Preview=1 Date 6/29/2012 Company Name Quantum OPS Mailing Address 3805 Transportation Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46818 Company Description QuantumOPS is an orthopedic technology company for today’s sophisticated operating suite professionals. Our products combine ingenuity and 21st century technology designed to deliver superior clinical outcome for patients, surgeons, nurses and anesthesiologists everywhere. We … Continue reading “Quantum OPS Secures $1,050,000 Series A Financing Round”
Lycera Secures $20,999,999 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=42a58218-9d4d-4bd3-88ce-ef1ae57e98a2&Preview=1 Date 6/29/2012 Company Name Lycera Mailing Address 2800 Plymouth Rd NCRC Building 26 Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Company Description Lycera is an early-stage pharmaceutical company developing first-in-class drugs to treat immune disorders. Lycera’s technology platforms include proprietary small molecules that modulate a target, which is central to cellular bioenergetics along with … Continue reading “Lycera Secures $20,999,999 New Funding”
“Engineering is For Helping People”: Xconomist of the Week Yoky Matsuoka
We had an amazing lineup of speakers at our first-ever forum on the future of robotics at SRI International in Menlo Park back in May. But I was especially excited to have the opportunity to do an on-stage interview with Yoky Matsuoka, whose pioneering studies of “neurobotics” have brought us closer to a future where … Continue reading ““Engineering is For Helping People”: Xconomist of the Week Yoky Matsuoka”
Corporate VC Investing Drops in Q1, Mobile Funding Poised to Jump
Deals made by the venture capital arms of major companies fell for the fourth straight quarter—a clear sign that corporate VCs are being more conservative than independent investment firms are—according to a report released today by New York-based deal tracker CB Insights. Corporate VCs participated in 11 percent of all venture deals in the first … Continue reading “Corporate VC Investing Drops in Q1, Mobile Funding Poised to Jump”