We don’t always capture Xconomy events on video, but fortunately the camera was rolling last week at our biggest Boston biotech event of the year—“The Genetics Institute Impact.“ For those of you who missed it, this was the event that brought together more than 250 people from one of Boston’s pioneering biotech companies from the … Continue reading “The Genetics Institute Impact: Caught on Video”
Category: National
Boston: Cradle of Liberty and Data Startups
I didn’t know the full extent to which the Boston area has a thriving data and analytics startup scene. I had always associated the city primarily with biotech innovation. My company, Chart.io, provides hosted business dashboards to help companies visualize their database data. We’re based out in San Francisco (we were part of the 2010 … Continue reading “Boston: Cradle of Liberty and Data Startups”
A123 Systems, NSTAR Partner on Grid Energy Storage Project
Waltham, MA-headquartered lithium-ion battery manufacturer A123 Systems, which has operations in Michigan, announced today that it is kicking off a pilot project with Boston-based NSTAR to study the benefits of employing the A123’s grid battery technology in a suburban electric grid. The system, NSTAR’s first battery energy storage project, is expected to be up and running in 2012 … Continue reading “A123 Systems, NSTAR Partner on Grid Energy Storage Project”
What Now? Reactions, Questions After the AT&T-Mo Failure
There’s got to be plenty of mixed feelings for all those magenta-clad T-Mobile folks in Bellevue right now. News that AT&T is abandoning its mega-merger attempt to acquire the fourth-place U.S. wireless carrier raises a ton of questions about T-Mobile’s future—none of them particularly reassuring. Now that AT&T is on the hook for a $4 … Continue reading “What Now? Reactions, Questions After the AT&T-Mo Failure”
Tech Roundup of the Week: Ford Focus EV, Flud, Legend3D, Sotera
—Quest Software (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QSFT]]), the IT software provider on the border between San Diego and Orange Counties, said today it acquired BitKOO, a North Hollywood, CA-based specialist in identity and access management technology. Financial terms were not disclosed. Combined with the recent acquisitions of e-DMZ (privileged identity management), Völcker Informatik AG (provisioning), and Symlabs (virtual … Continue reading “Tech Roundup of the Week: Ford Focus EV, Flud, Legend3D, Sotera”
AT&T Drops T-Mobile Bid, Will Pay $4B Breakup Fee
After a brutal few months battling Obama administration officials on two fronts, AT&T has given up its blockbuster $39 billion bid to acquire Bellevue, WA-based T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom. The end of an outright merger was clearly telegraphed a week ago, when the two companies and the Justice Department postponed a federal antitrust lawsuit. … Continue reading “AT&T Drops T-Mobile Bid, Will Pay $4B Breakup Fee”
Amgen, Watson Strike $400M Deal for Biosimilar Cancer Drugs
Amgen has spent years defending itself from enemies in the generic drug business, but now the world’s largest biotech company has found a way to join forces with a major maker of copycat pharmaceuticals. Thousand Oaks, CA-based Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]), which has R&D operations in Seattle, San Francisco, and Boston, said today it has agreed to … Continue reading “Amgen, Watson Strike $400M Deal for Biosimilar Cancer Drugs”
Skyword Scores $6M to Blend Media and Marketing
Boston-based Skyword is moving up in the world. The startup, which makes a software platform for brands to create Web content, said today it has closed $6 million in financing from Cox Media Group. The company says it helps publishers—which is marketing-speak for retail and industry brands, as well as media companies—create online content “for … Continue reading “Skyword Scores $6M to Blend Media and Marketing”
Metamark Inks Potential $365M Deal with J&J For Cancer Marker Discovery
Cambridge, MA-based Metamark Genetics said today it had entered into a research agreement with Janssen Biotech, a unit of New Brunswick, NJ-based Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]). Metamark, which was founded in 2007 on science from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is developing prognostic tests based on genes discovered to play a role in how tumors progress and … Continue reading “Metamark Inks Potential $365M Deal with J&J For Cancer Marker Discovery”
Health Care Reform Is Coming To Town
Last year about this time of year I wrote a parody of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas about the coming of healthcare IT and meaningful use. I decided to make these holiday parody songs an annual event. I figure I have years of material, as there are so many ways of ruining an otherwise joyous … Continue reading “Health Care Reform Is Coming To Town”
EnVerv Raises $12 Million to Advance Power Line Communications Chips
EnVerv, a chip design firm based in San Jose, CA, says this morning it has raised $12 million in a Series B round for its “system-on-a-chip” technology, which enables a utility to use its own power lines to serve as a smart grid communications network. Benchmark Capital led the new round, which was joined by … Continue reading “EnVerv Raises $12 Million to Advance Power Line Communications Chips”
Zynga, Twitter, NextG: Bay Area BizTech by the Numbers
Time for our roundup of the latest deals news from Bay Area technology companies, from biggest to smallest. And today’s biggest numbers are pretty big. $1 billion—The approximate amount raised by social game maker Zynga (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZNGA]]) in its IPO last Thursday. The company’s shares priced at $10 per share, momentarily giving it a market … Continue reading “Zynga, Twitter, NextG: Bay Area BizTech by the Numbers”
MediaBrix Raises $4M with Edison Ventures, Plans to Grow Staff in 2012
MediaBrix, a New York-based developer of a social media advertising platform, closed a $4 million Series B funding round. MediaBrix CEO Ari Brandt says Edison Ventures was the sole investor in the round. Edison Ventures principal Ryan Ziegler, and Mike Leo, CEO of the advertising software maker Operative in New York, joined MediaBrix’s board in … Continue reading “MediaBrix Raises $4M with Edison Ventures, Plans to Grow Staff in 2012”
Trius Antibiotic Passes Pivotal Study Against Pfizer’s Zyvox
San Diego-based Trius Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TSRX]]) got some long-awaited good news today for its lead antibiotic in development. The company said today that its experimental drug, tedizolid phosphate, met the main goal of its pivotal clinical trial by showing it was roughly equal (non-inferior) to Pfizer’s linezolid (Zyvox) when treating acute skin and skin structure … Continue reading “Trius Antibiotic Passes Pivotal Study Against Pfizer’s Zyvox”
Burrill Raises $313M for New Life Sciences Fund
San Francisco-based biotech industry maven Steve Burrill said today his investment firm has raised $313 million for a new life sciences fund. The Burrill Capital Fund IV started operations on December 1 with $313 million to make a wide variety of early and late-stage investments in companies working on drugs, diagnostics, and medical devices, as … Continue reading “Burrill Raises $313M for New Life Sciences Fund”
Biofuels Firm Coskata, Backed by Boston VCs, Files for IPO
Here’s another data point for New England cleantech investors. Coskata, a Warrenville, IL-based developer of cellulosic ethanol, has filed paperwork for an initial public offering. The proposed maximum offering is $100 million, but as usual, that doesn’t mean much at this point. Coskata is backed by a couple of Boston-area venture firms—Advanced Technology Ventures and … Continue reading “Biofuels Firm Coskata, Backed by Boston VCs, Files for IPO”
Coronado Biosciences Debuts on Nasdaq, Moves Two Lead Drugs Forward
The path to becoming a publicly listed company chosen by Coronado Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNDO]]) was anything but conventional, but it seems to be working for the biotech startup. After raising $47.4 million privately over the last year, the company filed a Form 10 with the SEC so it could become a public company by registering all … Continue reading “Coronado Biosciences Debuts on Nasdaq, Moves Two Lead Drugs Forward”
GameChanger Media Makes a Play to Broaden Sports Stats App in 2012
High school and youth sports teams may lack the deep pockets of the pros, but they can still take advantage of technology for tracking game stats thanks to a New York startup. Angel investor-backed GameChanger Media offers coaches of young athletes a mobile platform that evolves record keeping from pen and paper to smartphones and … Continue reading “GameChanger Media Makes a Play to Broaden Sports Stats App in 2012”
Scientists Morph Into Entrepreneurs Through NSF I-Corps Program
In a grand test of whether the Silicon Valley startup accelerator model can help university scientists get promising new technologies to market faster, 21 teams hand-picked for the National Science Foundation’s new Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program converged on the Stanford University campus last week. The goal: to review the progress they’d made during an eight-week … Continue reading “Scientists Morph Into Entrepreneurs Through NSF I-Corps Program”
Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer’s Report Card: C
Kevin Sharer will not go down in history as one of biotech’s most successful, or beloved, CEOs. But how well did Sharer really perform during his decade running the industry’s biggest company? For those who missed it, Thousand Oaks, CA-based Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) said last week that Sharer, 63, will be retiring as CEO in … Continue reading “Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer’s Report Card: C”
What Can Attending a Football Game Teach Technology Companies?
Let me state this right off the top: I’m a huge New England Patriots fan. Even though I’m now based on the West Coast, I make it a point to watch every Patriots game and I attend several games each season, making the cross-country trek to cheer on my team. It was on one of … Continue reading “What Can Attending a Football Game Teach Technology Companies?”
Fighting Crime with Technology: A Detroit Success Story
In Forbes magazine’s annual piece about America’s most dangerous cities, published in October, the article leads with an anecdote from Detroit. Detroit has been a mainstay on such lists for decades, and last year, it led the nation in violent crimes with with 345 murders and 1,111 violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents. According to … Continue reading “Fighting Crime with Technology: A Detroit Success Story”
Lot18 Uncorks European Wine Market with Vinobest Acquisition
Members of online wine and gourmet food club Lot18 can expect to see more offerings of European vintages in the future, thanks to the New York-based company’s expansion into France and Britain. Backed by proceeds from a $30 million Series C round in November led by Accel Partners, Lot18 on Dec. 9 purchased wine e-commerce … Continue reading “Lot18 Uncorks European Wine Market with Vinobest Acquisition”
Paul Allen, AT&T-Mo, Clearwire: Seattle’s Weekly Rewind
Billionaires in space! This week started out with a big announcement from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who is bankrolling a new company that aims to make private spaceflight more routine by launching rockets from the belly of an airplane—the biggest one ever built. Allen said it’ll probably cost him 10 times the nearly $30 million … Continue reading “Paul Allen, AT&T-Mo, Clearwire: Seattle’s Weekly Rewind”
Hacker’s Putty, Soggy Doggy, & Other Gift Ideas from Daily Grommet
Holiday shopping season is a fun time of year for a company like Daily Grommet. The Lexington, MA-based Web startup finds unusual consumer products and tells a story about one such “grommet” each day through videos and text. This week I touched base with founder and CEO Jules Pieri, who shared some info with me … Continue reading “Hacker’s Putty, Soggy Doggy, & Other Gift Ideas from Daily Grommet”
How To Build a “Lifestyle Business” with 30M Visitors Per Month
In Silicon Valley, there is no more pejorative term than “lifestyle business.” It’s usually applied to companies that do well enough to earn their founders and employees a living—sometimes a very good living—but that will never make anyone mega-rich. Venture capital partners, who have to weed out all but the fastest-growing companies if they’re to … Continue reading “How To Build a “Lifestyle Business” with 30M Visitors Per Month”
A Look at Modern India
A decade ago, scooters and mopeds made up the bulk of motorized transport in India. Today, motorcycles and cars of all makes are a common sight, from Harley Davidson and French carmaker Renault to Suzukis. India is undergoing important socio-economic shifts that are resulting in the segmentation of existing markets and the opening of previously … Continue reading “A Look at Modern India”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: BeneChill, Sotera, Imthera, & More
—After naming former Boston Scientific executive Fred Colen as CEO last month, San Diego’s BeneChill raised nearly $15 million in a round that’s targeting a total of $25.6 million, according to a recent regulatory filing. BeneChill, founded in 2004, has been developing therapeutic hypothermia medical products. The company’s European headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland, and … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: BeneChill, Sotera, Imthera, & More”
Vertex, Ariad, Alnylam, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences Newsmakers
New England saw a flurry of life sciences news this week, from venture firms, new startups, and established biotechs. —Boston-based Avila Therapeutics presented data at the American Society of Hematology from early human trials of its lead cancer drug, AVL-292, which is on track to enter more extensive Phase 2 trials next year. This compound, … Continue reading “Vertex, Ariad, Alnylam, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences Newsmakers”
Ford Plugs Focus Electric in SD Stop of Fuel-Efficiency Road Trip
There are about 25 million cars registered in California, and probably about 2 million of those are motoring around the roads of San Diego County. So it was statistically insignificant when I stepped out of the San Diego Automotive Museum today and counted at least six all-electric vehicles bathed in Southern California sunshine at the … Continue reading “Ford Plugs Focus Electric in SD Stop of Fuel-Efficiency Road Trip”
Pirq Adds $1.9M from Rally Capital
Kirkland, WA-based digital discounts startup Pirq has raised $1.95 million from Rally Capital, the venture firm headed by former Nextel CEO Dennis Weibling. Pirq is led by CEO James Sun, an entrepreneur best known for appearing on the NBC program “The Apprentice” with Donald Trump. Sun says the money will be used to expand Pirq’s … Continue reading “Pirq Adds $1.9M from Rally Capital”
The Genetics Institute Impact: Some Great Memories and Photos
Genetics Institute, one person told me last night, “was like college, only more fun.” When’s the last time you heard anybody describe a corporate workplace that way? There was something special about the culture and people who made up Genetics Institute, one of Boston’s original biotech highfliers from the ’80s and ’90s. We felt the … Continue reading “The Genetics Institute Impact: Some Great Memories and Photos”
Livemocha Loves AWS in Brazil: Speeds Go from 1999 to 2011
One Seattle-area company is more than a little happy about Amazon Web Services opening a new South American computing region: Livemocha, an online language-learning service that counts about a quarter of its more than 11 million members in Brazil alone. Livemocha runs its Web-based software on AWS, but previously, the closest region for South American … Continue reading “Livemocha Loves AWS in Brazil: Speeds Go from 1999 to 2011”
Updated Flud Platform Combines News Aggregation and Social Networking
According to Bobby Ghoshal, the future of news consumption is in finding new ways for users to interact with content and influence other users’ reading habits, and the development of online “news personalities.” Ghoshal is the co-founder and CEO of Flud, a news aggregation app that unveiled its updated platform for the iPhone and iPad earlier … Continue reading “Updated Flud Platform Combines News Aggregation and Social Networking”
VMIX Extends Video Streaming Technology with Invitation-Only Service
San Diego-based VMIX has been revising its strategy, which was originally focused on providing a technology platform that enables TV stations and other media companies to stream online video. Earlier this year, VMIX began rolling out technology that allowed consumers to use the company’s video streaming technology on social media sites like Facebook. Now the … Continue reading “VMIX Extends Video Streaming Technology with Invitation-Only Service”
Proofpoint, GreenVolts, Prezi: Bay Area BizTech by the Numbers
Time for our irregular, data-driven roundup of recent deals news from around San Francisco Bay. From biggest to smallest: $50 million—The amount that Sunnyvale, CA-based Proofpoint hopes to raise in an upcoming initial public offering, according to S-1 registration papers filed with the SEC yesterday. The cloud security company’s leading venture investors include Mohr Davidow … Continue reading “Proofpoint, GreenVolts, Prezi: Bay Area BizTech by the Numbers”
Badgeville’s Radical Idea: Tell Customers What They Should Do
For about six months now, I’ve been trying to get Kris Duggan to change the name of his company. To me, “Badgeville” manages to be both faddish and inaccurate: it tries to snag a little of Zynga’s (fading) Farmville glory, while also suggesting that the Menlo Park startup’s business is all about gamification and virtual … Continue reading “Badgeville’s Radical Idea: Tell Customers What They Should Do”
Xconomy’s NY Venture Forum to Feature Insights From Gilt
Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, co-founder and chief merchandising officer of Gilt Groupe, knows a thing or two about attracting venture capital. Gilt—which holds limited time, online “flash” sales of clothing, accessories, and travel offerings—was founded in 2007 and raised $80 million in several rounds of financing. Then, in May of this year, Gilt raised an incredible … Continue reading “Xconomy’s NY Venture Forum to Feature Insights From Gilt”
SonoSite Sold to FujiFilm for Nearly $1B
Portable ultrasound maker SonoSite is being acquired by Japan’s Fujifilm for just under $1 billion. SonoSite will remain based in Bothell, WA, under its current leadership team, the companies said in a joint announcement. The $995 million price represents a cash offer to purchase all SonoSite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SONO]]) shares for $54 each, a 50 percent … Continue reading “SonoSite Sold to FujiFilm for Nearly $1B”
Xconomist of the Week: Stefan Savage on Computer Security
The evolution of computer security is not merely some dark mirror, passively reflecting advances in technology. While technology provides new opportunities for threats, these become true dangers only when there is a motivation to exploit them and a means to do so. Stefan Savage, writing in The New York Times, Dec. 5, 2011. By his … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Stefan Savage on Computer Security”
LocalResponse Expands to Chicago, Plans to Double Staff in 2012
With eyes pointed westward, New York-based LocalResponse announced today it opened a new office in Chicago and is considering plans for an office in California. LocalResponse, backed by Cava Capital and others, puts a business-to-business spin on the “check-in” market. The startup created a platform that lets brands and other marketers respond with relevant ads … Continue reading “LocalResponse Expands to Chicago, Plans to Double Staff in 2012”
Ariad Loads Up With $200M Stock Deal, After Big Medical Meeting
Cambridge, MA-based Ariad Pharmaceuticals was one of the stars of the show at a recent blood cancer meeting, and now it’s striking while the iron is hot to raise more than $200 million in new cash. Ariad (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARIA]]) said today it has agreed to sell 21.5 million new shares of common stock at $10.42 … Continue reading “Ariad Loads Up With $200M Stock Deal, After Big Medical Meeting”
Atlas Venture, Shire to Create Startups to Tackle Rare Diseases
Atlas Venture has been spending a lot of time lately figuring out how to create new drugs, and new companies, in untraditional ways—and it is showing the results of its strategizing again today through a new partnership with Shire Human Genetic Therapies. Cambridge,MA-based Atlas said it has formed a multi-year collaboration with Shire to look … Continue reading “Atlas Venture, Shire to Create Startups to Tackle Rare Diseases”
Cerulean Pharma Adds $15M to Further Nano-Drug Platform
Cambridge, MA-based Cerulean Pharma announced today that it has raised $15 million in a Series D financing round, which included one new investor: CVF, an affiliate of Henry Crown and Company. Also participating in this round were existing investors Polaris Venture Partners, Venrock, Lilly Ventures, Lux Capital, and Bessemer Venture Partners. Cerulean’s lead drug candidate, … Continue reading “Cerulean Pharma Adds $15M to Further Nano-Drug Platform”
IBM Eats Up Emptoris, 20th Acquisition in MA Since 2003
News flash: Another Massachusetts software company is joining Big Blue. Armonk, NY-based IBM (NYSE: [[ticker:IBM]]) said today it is acquiring Emptoris, a Burlington, MA-based maker of supply and contract management software. Terms of the deal weren’t given, but it is expected to close in the first quarter of next year. This will be the 20th … Continue reading “IBM Eats Up Emptoris, 20th Acquisition in MA Since 2003”
Vertex Names Jeff Leiden as New CEO, Staring Down Tough Competition
[Update: 10:40 am ET] Vertex Pharmaceuticals is getting a new CEO, as it faces tough new competition with its flagship hepatitis C drug and prepares to roll out a second new medicine for cystic fibrosis. Cambridge, MA-based Vertex (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) said today that Jeff Leiden, a member of the company’s board and a managing director … Continue reading “Vertex Names Jeff Leiden as New CEO, Staring Down Tough Competition”
Hutch Spinoff Presage Biosciences Shuffles Management
Seattle-based Presage Biosciences, a spinoff from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, is making some leadership changes. CEO Caitlin Cameron has resigned, and is being replaced on an interim basis by Jim Towne, an investor in the company who was briefly president of Microsoft in its early days. Nathan Caffo, Presage’s vice president of business … Continue reading “Hutch Spinoff Presage Biosciences Shuffles Management”
Swipely Expands Card-Linked Customer Loyalty Program to Boston
Providence, RI-based Swipely is kicking off a discount program in Boston that it says will give shoppers discounts and earn local merchants a more loyal, consistent customer base. Swipely first got started as a platform that enabled consumers to broadcast and review purchases they made on their debit and credit cards, but switched its focus … Continue reading “Swipely Expands Card-Linked Customer Loyalty Program to Boston”
Third Rock Looks to Fight Fat in a New Way, With Ember Therapeutics
Obesity is one of the biggest public health problems of the 21st century, and now a Boston biotech startup is looking to fight it in an unorthodox way. The bet at Ember Therapeutics is that it can coax the body to burn off some of that unwanted fat. The company is emerging from stealth mode … Continue reading “Third Rock Looks to Fight Fat in a New Way, With Ember Therapeutics”
Amazon Web Services Opens New Region in Brazil
Amazon Web Services has opened an eighth global center to serve cloud-computing customers, expanding to South America for the first time with a new computing region in Brazil. The company says the new region, known as Sao Paulo, will improve speeds for end users in South America. On his blog, Amazon CTO Werner Vogels says … Continue reading “Amazon Web Services Opens New Region in Brazil”