It’s time for our irregular, data-driven roundup of high-tech fundraising, M&A, and IPO news from around the San Francisco Bay Area. $100 billion—The potential valuation of Facebook in an IPO tentatively planned for late May, according to a story yesterday from Kara Swisher at AllThingsD. Facebook hopes to raise $10 billion in the offering, according … Continue reading “Symantec, PivotLink, Splunk: Bay Area BizTech by the Numbers”
Category: National
SG Biofuels Raises $17M in Move Toward Agricultural Production
San Diego’s SG Biofuels, an agricultural biotech developing the Jatropha plant to produce biofuels, says today it has raised $17 million in a Series B round of financing led by Thomas, McNerney & Partners. San Diego-based Finistere Ventures also joined the round, along with existing investors, Carlsbad-based Life Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LIFE]]) and Flint Hills Resources, … Continue reading “SG Biofuels Raises $17M in Move Toward Agricultural Production”
Joule Socks Away $70M For New Mexico Green Fuel Facility
Joule Unlimited, a biofuels startup located in Bedford, MA, announced today that it has pocketed $70 million in financing to put toward a facility underway in Hobbs, NM, that will demonstrate Joule’s process for converting sunlight and carbon dioxide into fuels such as diesel and ethanol. The new money brings Joule’s funding total to more … Continue reading “Joule Socks Away $70M For New Mexico Green Fuel Facility”
1stdibs CEO Seeks Queries For VCs Wilson, Dagres at Xconomy Forum
Day in and day out, venture capitalists ask questions of entrepreneurs—some might say grill them. But on February 1, at Xconomy’s New York Venture Emergence forum, former DoubleClick CEO David Rosenblatt, who’s now CEO of luxury online marketplace 1stdibs and chairman/co-founder of Group Commerce, will help us turn the tables. Rosenblatt will be the moderator … Continue reading “1stdibs CEO Seeks Queries For VCs Wilson, Dagres at Xconomy Forum”
Genentech Pours $95M Into Constellation’s Drug Platform
Cambridge, MA-based Constellation Pharmaceuticals is announcing today that it has formed a major partnership with Roche’s Genentech unit, based in South San Francisco, to develop treatments for cancer and other diseases. The deal is worth $95 million to Constellation in the form of an up-front payment and research support over the next three years. Constellation—which … Continue reading “Genentech Pours $95M Into Constellation’s Drug Platform”
Reinventing the Board Part III: The Agenda
CEOs, investors, and board members frequently complain about ineffective board meetings. Steve Blank, Jeff Bussgang, Brad Feld, and Fred Wilson each have suggested board meetings could be improved by changing the format, process, or content. Having good meetings starts by having the right people in the room (as discussed in the first installment of this … Continue reading “Reinventing the Board Part III: The Agenda”
Sanofi CEO Viehbacher on Stirring Innovation in the Era of R&D Cutbacks
Chris Viehbacher has seen plenty of ideas come and go from people trying to shake up the pharma R&D model. No matter how much people have tried to fix things, it still takes a notorious amount of time, money, and risk to create new drugs. Now, as the CEO of Paris-based Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]), Viehbacher … Continue reading “Sanofi CEO Viehbacher on Stirring Innovation in the Era of R&D Cutbacks”
JP Morgan: Where the Boys Are…And Not the Girls
I set off for five straight days at the annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference last Monday, but on the way drove the carpool to my daughter’s high school that morning in a last ditch attempt to act like a responsible and caring parent. My poor daughter gets completely abandoned during JP Morgan week every year … Continue reading “JP Morgan: Where the Boys Are…And Not the Girls”
“Independent of Exit”: Talking Evernote with Gary Little
Earlier today I grabbed some time with Gary Little, who’s been a partner at Menlo Park, CA-based Morgenthaler Ventures since 1998 and has led the company’s investments in Evernote, the fast-growing Silicon Valley startup that aims to help you “remember everything.” I’ve long been intrigued by CEO Phil Libin’s publicly stated ambition to make Evernote … Continue reading ““Independent of Exit”: Talking Evernote with Gary Little”
Fundraising Notes: Walk Score, Demand Energy, Mad Fiber, Rover, WISErg
Seattle-based Walk Score, an online service that ranks rental properties, cities, and neighborhoods by how pedestrian-friendly they are, has raised $2 million in a Series A round that could still grow slightly. The company’s recent federal regulatory filing says 11 investors were involved, although more money was added since the form was filed with the … Continue reading “Fundraising Notes: Walk Score, Demand Energy, Mad Fiber, Rover, WISErg”
Axonia Medical Raises $1 Million in Seed Financing
[Corrected 1/16/12, 1:20 p.m. See below.] When Xconomy’s biotech editor Luke Timmerman first wrote about Axonia Medical in January 2011, he wondered if the Kalamazoo, MI-based startup would be able to raise the investment funds it needs, given the cautious venture-capital climate and the unprecedented nature of Axonia’s nerve-regeneration technology. The startup produces living, functional tissue-engineered nerve … Continue reading “Axonia Medical Raises $1 Million in Seed Financing”
MakerBot Industries Prints a New Dimension in Product Creation at CES
Three-year old MakerBot Industries in Brooklyn unveiled its new Replicator 3D printers at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, demonstrating how its technology can be used to create most anything users want to design—within a certain size, that is. A wide range of objects can be produced through 3D printing, which … Continue reading “MakerBot Industries Prints a New Dimension in Product Creation at CES”
With TV App, Dijit Hopes to Ride Out the Coming Apple Revolution in TV
I have a lot of Apple gear, and I’m pretty happy with it. There’s just one problem. The better Apple’s stuff gets, the less patience I have for everyone else’s clunky hardware and software. Televisions and all the boxes we hook up to them are the worst offenders. No two TV manufacturers or set-top-box makers … Continue reading “With TV App, Dijit Hopes to Ride Out the Coming Apple Revolution in TV”
Seattle Genetics Sees Updated Side Effect Warning in Drug Label
Seattle Genetics is getting some new warnings, including one new language about a potentially deadly brain infection, put into the FDA-approved prescribing information of its lone marketed product. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) said today it is working on an update to the label for brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris), which will include a boxed warning about the … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Sees Updated Side Effect Warning in Drug Label”
How to Turn a Mobile Health Application into a Real Business
2011 has been a big year for health sciences technology and, specifically, mobile health. Venture capital investors, looking for the next big thing, are beginning to invest in companies developing mobile applications in the health and wellness sector. Smartphones are making new health care applications feasible, and one doesn’t have to look far to see … Continue reading “How to Turn a Mobile Health Application into a Real Business”
The Boston Life Sciences Newsmakers: Civitas, Blend, Forma, & More
Development deals, clinical advances, startup funding, and new hires made up the New England life sciences news this week. —Chelsea, MA-based Civitas Therapeutics, a spinout from the Waltham, MA, biotech Alkermes (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALKS]]), said that its inhaled form of the Parkinson’s disease drug L-dopa performed well in a Phase 1 clinical trial. The study aimed … Continue reading “The Boston Life Sciences Newsmakers: Civitas, Blend, Forma, & More”
Social Game Maker Double Down Sold for Up To $500M
Turns out gambling with digital money can pay off pretty big, too. Seattle’s Double Down Interactive, maker of casino-style videogames for social networks, is being purchased by slot-machine giant International Game Technology for up to $500 million. Rumors of the sale started trickling out this afternoon, and IGT (NYSE: [[ticker:IGT]]) confirmed the purchase just after markets … Continue reading “Social Game Maker Double Down Sold for Up To $500M”
Microsoft, PayPal, Ford, & Facebook: Boston Tech Tidbits
Some big-company-related news to report in the Boston area. Let’s get right to it. —Microsoft Research New England has made three new hires in its social media research group, joining danah boyd. They are professors Nancy Baym from the University of Kansas (specializing in personal connections and online communities); Kate Crawford from the University of … Continue reading “Microsoft, PayPal, Ford, & Facebook: Boston Tech Tidbits”
San Diego Life Sciences News: AnaptysBio, Life, NeuroGenetic & More
There was a whole lot of life sciences news over the past week. Here’s my roundup. —Carlsbad-based Life Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LIFE]]) said it’s taking orders for a benchtop genome sequencer that can to decode an individual’s DNA within 24 hours and at a cost of roughly $1,000. The company priced its new Ion Proton Sequencer … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences News: AnaptysBio, Life, NeuroGenetic & More”
Expedia Exec Durchslag Resigns
Expedia Worldwide president Scott Durchslag has abruptly resigned, according to media reports (first spotted at TechFlash). GeekWire reports that a spokeswoman declined to say why Durchslag left Bellevue, WA-based Expedia (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXPE]]) about a year after joining, and there wasn’t an SEC filing reflecting the departure before word got out, which indicates it wasn’t a … Continue reading “Expedia Exec Durchslag Resigns”
Extreme Reach Expands with Acquisition, $9M Credit Line
Some interesting developments in ad distribution and video this week. Needham, MA-based Extreme Reach, the maker of a video-ad platform for TV and Web, has secured more money for its growth and has made an important acquisition. Extreme Reach said today it has closed a $9 million credit facility with TD Bank. The company also … Continue reading “Extreme Reach Expands with Acquisition, $9M Credit Line”
Universal Display Sees Its OLED Technology Shine through Samsung at CES
When Samsung Electronics unveiled its new 55-inch screen organic LED television at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Universal Display (Nasdaq: [[ticker:PANL]]) in Ewing, NJ saw its own prospects rise. Organic LED (OLED) technology uses razor-thin layers of organic semiconductor material to generate light and electronic displays. It is an alternative to traditional LED and LCD … Continue reading “Universal Display Sees Its OLED Technology Shine through Samsung at CES”
VirtuOz Says Virtual Agents are “Siri for the Enterprise”
2011 was a very big year for natural language processing (NLP)—the science of teaching computers to communicate with humans in plain English (or French, or Japanese). First IBM’s Watson beat Jeopardy champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. Then Apple captivated mobile consumers with the iPhone 4S, which included an enhanced version of Siri, the voice-driven … Continue reading “VirtuOz Says Virtual Agents are “Siri for the Enterprise””
Jerome Rubin of E Ink and LexisNexis Dead at 86
A dark day in Boston is a little darker now. Jerome Rubin, the publishing executive and inventor who co-founded the display company E Ink and helped commercialize the online database that became LexisNexis, died from a stroke on Monday in New York City, according to a report by the Associated Press. He was 86. Rubin … Continue reading “Jerome Rubin of E Ink and LexisNexis Dead at 86”
Microsoft Claims Patent Licenses on 70% of Android Phones
Microsoft’s “Android isn’t free” campaign continues to roll along, with the Redmond software behemoth today announcing a patent licensing deal with handset maker LG to cover Google’s mobile operating systems. With this deal, Microsoft says it’s got licenses covering more than 70 percent of all U.S.-sold smartphones running Google’s Android operating system. The LG deal … Continue reading “Microsoft Claims Patent Licenses on 70% of Android Phones”
Greenwashing
[Editor’s Note: We asked selected Xconomists a series of questions designed to zero in on the big issues of the year, including “What would you be willing to throw a punch over?”] In both of my fields of distributed renewable energy infrastructure and environmental composites, I would throw a punch at corporations and/or public sector … Continue reading “Greenwashing”
Social TV Startup GetGlue Plots Expansion With $12M in New Funding
Tech entrepreneur Alex Iskold has always been a huge entertainment fan, especially when it comes to his favorite TV shows, but a few years back he was frustrated by what he saw as a major void in social media. “Even though I was on Facebook and Twitter, it was hard for me to find out … Continue reading “Social TV Startup GetGlue Plots Expansion With $12M in New Funding”
Q4 Venture Deals, Dollars Stayed Strong, Making 2011 Best in a Decade
Venture capital deals backed off just a tad during the last three months of 2011, but remained strong enough to carry VC activity during the year to a new high-water mark, according to data being released today by CB Insights, a financial data firm that maintains a venture capital database. VCs invested $7.6 billion in … Continue reading “Q4 Venture Deals, Dollars Stayed Strong, Making 2011 Best in a Decade”
Facebook’s Parikh: Mum on Google+, Lots to Say About Infrastructure
First things first: Yes, Facebook engineering director Jay Parikh has some thoughts about Google’s move to boost Google Plus above other social sources in its search stream. And no, he can’t say anything about it. Twitter has been out front in criticizing Google’s newest social-signals revamp—named Search Plus Your World—and Facebook Seattle adviser Hadi Partovi … Continue reading “Facebook’s Parikh: Mum on Google+, Lots to Say About Infrastructure”
Elemental Pounces on Feds’ Push to Hush Loud Commercials
Our long national nightmare of TV commercials that are too loud is finally nearing its end—and Portland, OR-based Elemental Technologies is angling to help its network customers keep their programming audio nice and steady. Elemental, whose investors include Seattle’s Voyager Capital and Alliance of Angels, is known mainly for its video-processing products. The company, which … Continue reading “Elemental Pounces on Feds’ Push to Hush Loud Commercials”
Rock Health Gathers Healthcare & Technology Stars: A Photo Gallery
In short order, startup incubator Rock Health has become one of the Bay Area’s hubs for entrepreneurs working on technology ideas that could change healthcare delivery. Formed last year to test whether the startup accelerator model pioneered by organizations like Y Combinator and TechStars will work in the healthcare industry, Rock Health has already graduated … Continue reading “Rock Health Gathers Healthcare & Technology Stars: A Photo Gallery”
Ignition’s Artale: 2012 is the Year of Cloud Applications
For all of you who’ve felt like cloud computing is some kind of foreign territory that you might never visit or fully understand, take heart. Ignition Partners managing director Frank Artale, who specializes in the sector, says everyone else has spent most of the past two years just figuring out what in the hell is going … Continue reading “Ignition’s Artale: 2012 is the Year of Cloud Applications”
From Flingo to Lantos to Shodogg: U.S. Startups Carve Out Niche at CES
For the first time ever, the International Consumer Electronics Show created a zone called Eureka Park specifically to showcase startups from across the country. Fledgling companies have come to CES before and can still be found elsewhere at the conference, but Eureka Park is a new way to highlight them at the 2012 show. At … Continue reading “From Flingo to Lantos to Shodogg: U.S. Startups Carve Out Niche at CES”
Me-Too Drugs
[Editor’s Note: We asked selected Xconomists a series of questions designed to zero in on the big issues of the year, including “What would you be willing to throw a punch over?”] The FDA is the easy target for those of us who are in drug development. But what I am most mad about is … Continue reading “Me-Too Drugs”
Ex-Groupon Exec Puts Indie Movies Online at Startup Prescreen
When Shawn Bercuson and his family went to Park City, UT, exactly one year ago, they may have been the only people not in town to attend the famous Sundance Film Festival, which is held there every January. “I do enjoy movies, but my family and I go skiing every year during Sundance,” he says. … Continue reading “Ex-Groupon Exec Puts Indie Movies Online at Startup Prescreen”
Flagship Closes New $270M Fund For Healthcare and Cleantech Ventures
Cambridge, MA-based Flagship Ventures announced today that it has closed its fourth fund, raising $270 million—significantly more than the $250 million the firm initially intended to secure. “We could have raised even more, but we decided to cut it off and get on with forming a portfolio,” says Noubar Afeyan, CEO and managing partner of … Continue reading “Flagship Closes New $270M Fund For Healthcare and Cleantech Ventures”
Slain Biotech Investor Leaves $1 Million to Support Entrepreneurship
The San Diego members of Southern California’s Tech Coast Angels (TCA) have established a $1 million nonprofit foundation in the name of John G. Watson, the late San Diego life sciences executive and investor who was slain here almost two years ago. In a touching afterward to the tragedy, TCA president Stephen Flaim tells me … Continue reading “Slain Biotech Investor Leaves $1 Million to Support Entrepreneurship”
Amicus Counts on “Chaperone” Tech to Enhance Rare Disease Treatments
On Thursday, Amicus Therapeutics CEO John Crowley will join the long procession of biotech executives making presentations at one of the industry’s most important gatherings, the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. But Crowley does have one claim to fame that makes him stand out from the crowd: He’s the only biotech CEO whose … Continue reading “Amicus Counts on “Chaperone” Tech to Enhance Rare Disease Treatments”
Regulatory Overkill
[Editor’s Note: We asked selected Xconomists a series of questions designed to zero in on the big issues of the year, including “What would you be willing to throw a punch over?”] Regulatory overkill. We spend so much time and resources in the USA due to regulations that, while well-intentioned when conceived, are set into … Continue reading “Regulatory Overkill”
LogMeIn, Safari, Forma, And More Behind the Boston-Area Deals News
Boston area software and life sciences startups are starting off the new year right with a slew of financing, acquisitions, and partnerships news. —Marlborough, MA-based Physicians Interactive Holdings received a $17 million pledge from Merck Global Health Innovation Fund to develop Web and mobile apps for connecting physicians and life sciences companies. —Repeat biotech entrepreneurs Bob … Continue reading “LogMeIn, Safari, Forma, And More Behind the Boston-Area Deals News”
Prescription Skin-Care Specialist SkinMedica Acquires Colorescience
Carlsbad, CA-based SkinMedica says it has acquired Dana Point, CA-based Colorescience, a mineral makeup company that provides cosmetics to remedy and camouflage skin discolorations and other defects while also protecting skin from the damaging effects of the sun. Financial terms were not disclosed. In a statement, SkinMedica indicates that it plans to operate Colorescience as … Continue reading “Prescription Skin-Care Specialist SkinMedica Acquires Colorescience”
A .data Top-Level Internet Domain?
There’s been very little change in top-level internet domains (like .com, .org, .us, etc.) for a long time. But a number of years ago I started thinking about the possibility of having a new .data top-level domain (TLD). And starting this week, there’ll finally be a period when it’s possible to apply to create such a thing. … Continue reading “A .data Top-Level Internet Domain?”
Motorola Venture Arm Puts $6.5 Million Into MicroPower Technologies
San Diego’s MicroPower Technologies, founded in 2008 to develop ultra-low power wireless video surveillance products, said it has landed the first installment of a $6.5 million round of funding from Motorola Solutions Venture Capital and an undisclosed private fund. The Series C funding represents MicroPower’s first institutional investment. Motorola Solutions Venture Capital is the investment … Continue reading “Motorola Venture Arm Puts $6.5 Million Into MicroPower Technologies”
Microsoft’s Ballmer Focuses on Windows 8 in His Last CES Keynote
At his curtain call—for the moment anyway—at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer hyped his company’s efforts to innovate and compete across multiple platforms. Microsoft announced previously that after 2012 it will no longer give the keynote at CES. As they waited for seats Monday evening, some members of the press … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Ballmer Focuses on Windows 8 in His Last CES Keynote”
With a Fresh $17M, Pyxis Mobile Pivots Business and Rebrands as Verivo
For almost two years, Pyxis Mobile has been restructuring its business to sell platforms for mobile app development, but was lacking the capital to make the switch official, says CEO Steven Levy. That’s over now, with Waltham, MA-based Pyxis announcing today that it has socked away $17 million in new funding and has rebranded as … Continue reading “With a Fresh $17M, Pyxis Mobile Pivots Business and Rebrands as Verivo”
Cebix to Raise $20 Million for Pivotal Trial of Diabetes Supplement
San Diego’s Cebix, founded in 2008 to develop a new supplemental treatment for complications arising from type 1 diabetes, intends to raise more than $20 million in a Series B round needed to fund pivotal trials, according to VentureWire. Cebix CEO James Calloway told VentureWire the startup raised $28.5 million from Sofinnova Ventures, InterWest Partners, … Continue reading “Cebix to Raise $20 Million for Pivotal Trial of Diabetes Supplement”
Howard University Grad’s Startup Connects Alums to HBCU Apparel
Clover McFadden grew up in Detroit, where she graduated from Renaissance High School before heading to Washington, D.C., to attend Howard University. She got her degree in chemistry and she planned to go into medicine. After graduating from Howard, she came back to Detroit to regroup. Then a funny thing happened on the way to … Continue reading “Howard University Grad’s Startup Connects Alums to HBCU Apparel”
Sonic Sex Toys: Revel Body Puts Fancy-Toothbrush Tech into Vibrators
Turns out sonic-wave motors aren’t just good for cleaning your teeth or skin. Seattle startup Revel Body, newly backed by an array of Northwest angel investors, is using a similar motor technology to power a new line of sex toys. Yep, that’s right—vibrators. Revel Body founder Robin Elenga says the resonant motors that power sonic … Continue reading “Sonic Sex Toys: Revel Body Puts Fancy-Toothbrush Tech into Vibrators”
Madrona Promotes Jacobson, Jordan, Porter
Seattle’s Madrona Venture Group, known as one of the earliest backers of Amazon.com, is promoting partners Scott Jacobson, Len Jordan, and Tim Porter to managing director. In a release, the firm says the trio led six of Madrona’s 14 investments in 2011, including deals with B.C.-based suit-maker Indochino, and Oregon-based cloud-computing companies AppFog and Cedexis. … Continue reading “Madrona Promotes Jacobson, Jordan, Porter”
The Situation at the FDA: We Are All to Blame
[Editor’s Note: We asked selected Xconomists a series of questions designed to zero in on the big issues of the year, including “What would you be willing to throw a punch over?”] It takes a lot to get me riled-up—I’m overly rational, if anything. Outside of the bad behavior we were supposed to outgrow in … Continue reading “The Situation at the FDA: We Are All to Blame”