There’s a long-held belief that, if caught early, colorectal cancer is almost always treatable through surgery alone. But according to Ann Arbor-based Everist Genomics, nearly one in three Stage 2 colon cancer patients who have surgery alone, without adding chemotherapy, will suffer a recurrence of their cancer. And more than 80 percent of those patients, Everist says, will … Continue reading “Ann Arbor’s Everist Genomics Develops New Tests for Cancer Risk”
Category: National
Xeround Gets $9M for New Cloud Mission, at New HQ
Cloud-computing startup Xeround, which previously focused on helping telecom companies manage big databases, has raised a $9 million Series C round from its existing investors to bankroll an entirely new mission: database services on public cloud platforms, such as Amazon Web Services or Rackspace. Xeround also has a new headquarters, in Mountain View, CA. The … Continue reading “Xeround Gets $9M for New Cloud Mission, at New HQ”
Hipmunk Homecoming: CEO Adam Goldstein Talks Travel Site Usability
Into the lair of beasts strode Adam Goldstein. Armed only with his wits and a mean set of slides, he descended on the Boston area on a warm, early winter day. He was no stranger to the premises. Goldstein had been an MIT undergrad before moving to San Francisco to participate in the Y Combinator … Continue reading “Hipmunk Homecoming: CEO Adam Goldstein Talks Travel Site Usability”
See You Later at “The Genetics Institute Impact”
We are getting ready this afternoon to head over to the Koch Institute for Xconomy’s biggest life sciences event of the year, “The Genetics Institute Impact.” This event, a reunion of one of Boston’s pioneering biotech companies, is sold out, with more than 275 people registered. We expect standing room only in the back, and … Continue reading “See You Later at “The Genetics Institute Impact””
Anticipating FDA Clearance in 2012, Sotera Wireless Raises $12.2M
San Diego’s Sotera Wireless says it has raised $12.2 million in a Series D round of financing led by the Singapore-based global fund EDB Investments. Sotera says it also signed a commercial agreement with Cerner, the Kansas City, MO-based giant that provides complete health IT systems for hospitals and other medical organizations to integrate and … Continue reading “Anticipating FDA Clearance in 2012, Sotera Wireless Raises $12.2M”
Outbrain Raises $35M in Series D Round Led by Index Ventures
New York-based startup Outbrain said in a press release issued Wednesday that it raised $35 million in a Series D funding round led by Index Ventures with participation from existing investors Carmel Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Founded in 2006, Outbrain created a recommendation engine that suggests stories and other material to readers who visit … Continue reading “Outbrain Raises $35M in Series D Round Led by Index Ventures”
TaskRabbit Runs Down $17.8M More for Expansion
TaskRabbit, a San Francisco service-networking startup with roots in Boston, said it has closed $17.8 million in Series B financing led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Previous investors Baseline Ventures, First Round Capital, Floodgate Fund, Collaborative Fund, and Shasta Ventures, as well as other new investors, participated in the round. TaskRabbit announced a $5 million Series … Continue reading “TaskRabbit Runs Down $17.8M More for Expansion”
Fate Therapeutics Names Biotech Vet Bill Rastetter as Chairman, Interim CEO
Fate Therapeutics has been quiet during a down time for the stem cell business, but now it’s making news by luring a big name into its inner management circle. Bill Rastetter, the CEO of Idec Pharmaceuticals during its long journey to develop the blockbuster lymphoma drug rituximab (Rituxan), has agreed to become the chairman and … Continue reading “Fate Therapeutics Names Biotech Vet Bill Rastetter as Chairman, Interim CEO”
Zillow Shows Why Microsoft Might Love the Kindle Fire: No Google Maps
From its very early days, one of the core appeals of online real-estate marketplace Zillow has been looking up your house (or your neighbor’s, or anyone else’s) on a digital map to see how much it might be worth. “For us, really more than any other app in the category, we start with a map. … Continue reading “Zillow Shows Why Microsoft Might Love the Kindle Fire: No Google Maps”
AesRx Navigates “Valley of Death” to Get Sickle Cell Drug Into Trials
Last week, Newton, MA-based AesRx announced that it has begun human trials of its lead drug, Aes-103, to treat sickle cell disease. To biotech observers, this may not have seemed like a big deal—sickle cell is a rare disease that affects only about 75,000 people in the U.S.—but for AesRx CEO Stephen Seiler, just getting … Continue reading “AesRx Navigates “Valley of Death” to Get Sickle Cell Drug Into Trials”
Merck Chemists Use High-Tech Science to Combat Alzheimer’s Disease Challenge
At an R&D and business briefing meeting that Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) held for Wall Street analysts at its Whitehouse Station, NJ, headquarters in November, the drug giant generated quite a bit of buzz for a drug that’s still several years away from market. That’s because the drug, called MK-8931, may offer a completely new way … Continue reading “Merck Chemists Use High-Tech Science to Combat Alzheimer’s Disease Challenge”
Kinvey, Zink, ImmusanT, and More of this Week’s Boston Dealmakers
IT and life sciences companies around New England shared the deals news pool this week. —Zink pinned down $35 million in a Series B round led by Genii Capital. The Bedford, MA-based company, whose name stands for “zero ink,” is developing technology for inkless printers that can connect to devices like digital cameras. Zink also … Continue reading “Kinvey, Zink, ImmusanT, and More of this Week’s Boston Dealmakers”
Sold! Clearwire Raises $715M from Stock Sale to Bankroll New Network
Struggling wireless provider Clearwire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLWR]]) has raised cash to beef up its network with new, faster technology. Bellevue, WA-based Clearwire says it netted $715.5 million in stock sales Tuesday—$384.1 million in public share sales and another $331.4 million in a separate, private transaction with Sprint, its majority shareholder and customer. It’s another big step … Continue reading “Sold! Clearwire Raises $715M from Stock Sale to Bankroll New Network”
Charles Simonyi on Paul Allen’s Spaceship: I’ll Go, if the Price is Right
When Paul Allen and company discussed their vision for a new kind of private space launch on Tuesday, they made a few nods to an audience member who knows something about the subject: Former Microsoft chief software architect Charles Simonyi, the only private citizen to fly in space twice. While Allen said that he’s planning … Continue reading “Charles Simonyi on Paul Allen’s Spaceship: I’ll Go, if the Price is Right”
Paul Allen Heads Back to Space with Stratolaunch
Noted billionaire space-geek Paul Allen is pushing for the stars again. Allen, the Microsoft co-founder, announced Tuesday that he’s teaming up with aerospace guru Burt Rutan and PayPal co-founder Elon Musk to develop a new private space flight venture called Stratolaunch Systems, which plans to send private crafts into space by launching them from the … Continue reading “Paul Allen Heads Back to Space with Stratolaunch”
Leaders of Entrepreneurial Programs From MI Universities Gather
Last Thursday and Friday, leaders of entrepreneurial studies programs from seven Michigan universities met in Lansing for the Michigan Entrepreneurship Leaders Forum, where they discussed what’s working in their individual programs, how they might be able to collaborate in the future, and how all of their efforts might help boost the state’s economy. “I’ve been … Continue reading “Leaders of Entrepreneurial Programs From MI Universities Gather”
The Startup Team
Individuals play the game, but teams beat the odds. —SEAL team saying Over the last 40 years technology investors have learned that the success of a startup is not just about the technology, “it’s about the team.” We spent a year screwing it up in our Lean LaunchPad classes until we figured out it was … Continue reading “The Startup Team”
With New Post-Production 3D Initiative, Legend3D Secures $19 Million
San Diego-based Legend3D, a private digital media and visual effects company, says it has closed on a $19 million Series E preferred stock offering. The company, which ranks as the largest studio providing 3D conversion services in the United States, says proceeds from the offering will be used to further research and development, and to … Continue reading “With New Post-Production 3D Initiative, Legend3D Secures $19 Million”
ImmusanT, Developing Celiac Disease Treatments, Closes $20M Series A
Cambridge, MA-based ImmusanT, a new biotech working on therapies targeting celiac disease, announced today that it has wrapped up $20 million in Series A financing from New York-based Vatera Healthcare Partners. The money will go to development of ImmusanT’s vaccine and diagnostic and monitoring tool for patients with celiac disease, a condition that is normally … Continue reading “ImmusanT, Developing Celiac Disease Treatments, Closes $20M Series A”
Cloud-Device Startup Nebula Takes Aim at Seattle Engineers
It’s not just the Silicon Valley giants of technology who are moving into the Seattle area to raid technical talent from Microsoft, Amazon, and others. These days, you’re just as likely to see some well-financed startups wooing the big-company guys with promises of changing the world. A prime example is Nebula, a cloud computing startup … Continue reading “Cloud-Device Startup Nebula Takes Aim at Seattle Engineers”
Zipmark Grabs $2M to Develop Mobile Payment System
New York-based startup Zipmark has raised $2 million in seed funding, according to a press release. Village Ventures and Contour Venture Partners led the funding round, which also included NYC Seed, High Peaks Venture Partners, and several angel investors. One of the other investors in this round was the New York City Investment Fund, which … Continue reading “Zipmark Grabs $2M to Develop Mobile Payment System”
How Mindflash Disrupted Itself by Taking Training Software to the Web
If you’re a technology company, it’s painful to bury an obsolete product before it’s well and truly dead. Most established companies can’t bring themselves to do it, choosing instead to keep limping down the comfortable old path—which is why they so often lose out to newcomers (can anyone say Nokia or Siebel?). By 2008, the … Continue reading “How Mindflash Disrupted Itself by Taking Training Software to the Web”
Fiksu Releases Service to Make Paid Mobile Apps Free for Consumers
Boston-based Fiksu, a startup focused on mobile app marketing, is introducing a new service today that it says will get consumers paid mobile apps for free, while still bringing mobile app developers revenue and traffic. The service, FreeMyApps, allows consumers to rack up credits by trying free, mostly advertising-supported apps from select sponsors, and then … Continue reading “Fiksu Releases Service to Make Paid Mobile Apps Free for Consumers”
Alnylam Racing to Prove RNAi Works, For a Disease You’ve Never Heard Of
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has been in the doghouse for a while now, as its technology of choice has fallen out of favor in the industry. But while many people have written it off, the Cambridge, MA-based company has started to show hints that it might—just might—be onto something that works against a rare and deadly disease. … Continue reading “Alnylam Racing to Prove RNAi Works, For a Disease You’ve Never Heard Of”
Jason Baptiste of OnSwipe Talks Tablets, TV, & Taking On Google
Beware of CEOs who dress like their company logo. Beware of Jason Baptiste. Just kidding. Baptiste is one of the most intensely likable startup founders around (emphasis on intense). His company, New York-based OnSwipe, is trying to take the tablet publishing world by storm. And not just with its aggressively stylish magenta-and-black color scheme. OnSwipe … Continue reading “Jason Baptiste of OnSwipe Talks Tablets, TV, & Taking On Google”
Cerevast Therapeutics Nails Down $6.6M for Ultrasound Stroke Device
[Update: 4:15 pm] Redmond, WA-based Cerevast Therapeutics has raised $6.6 million in venture capital to develop a new ultrasound technology to treat stroke patients. The company, led by Icos veteran Bradford Zakes, said today that that it raised the money from seven investors in a Series C preferred stock offering. The round could be worth … Continue reading “Cerevast Therapeutics Nails Down $6.6M for Ultrasound Stroke Device”
AT&T, T-Mobile Postpone Lawsuit to Rework Deal
AT&T’s $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile is on hold in the federal courts as the parties look for a new way to structure a deal that could get approval from regulators. The merger is currently tied to a federal antitrust lawsuit, which was postponed today. AT&T and Deutsche Telekom, the parent company of Bellevue, WA-based T-Mobile … Continue reading “AT&T, T-Mobile Postpone Lawsuit to Rework Deal”
AVI Biopharma Axes 28% of Workforce, After Missing Out on Flu Contract
AVI Biopharma has made some significant job cuts in Washington and Oregon after missing out on a potentially huge federal contract to make an RNA-based treatment against pandemic flu. The Bothell, WA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]]) is cutting the jobs of about 35 of its 125 employees—28 percent of the workforce—according to CEO Chris Garabedian. The … Continue reading “AVI Biopharma Axes 28% of Workforce, After Missing Out on Flu Contract”
San Diego BizTech Roundup: News from Mingle, Qualcomm, & More
Some of San Diego’s biggest tech news last week came out of the mHealth Summit near Washington, D.C. But we’ve rounded up all the other tech news too. —San Diego-based Mingle, an Internet holding company operating Climber.com and several affiliated businesses, said it acquired Sunnyvale, CA-based Affinity Circles to expand its job hunting and recruiting … Continue reading “San Diego BizTech Roundup: News from Mingle, Qualcomm, & More”
DVP-Backed Marxent Labs Wants to Augment Your Shopping Experience
Thanks to a $700,000 investment from Detroit Venture Partners, Detroit-based Marxent Labs launched its ShopWith.It app two weeks ago, right in time for the holidays. ShopWith.It allows consumers to scan product barcodes or take photos, then share and discuss those products with friends. “Most of us have a network of friends and family who are … Continue reading “DVP-Backed Marxent Labs Wants to Augment Your Shopping Experience”
Avila Shows Progress in Covalent Cancer Drugs at Prominent ASH Confab
Boston-based Avila Therapeutics announced data today from early human trials of its lead cancer drug, AVL-292, which the company is presenting at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting in San Diego. The results support the company’s plans to move the drug into more extensive Phase 2 trials next year, says CEO Katrine Bosley. … Continue reading “Avila Shows Progress in Covalent Cancer Drugs at Prominent ASH Confab”
TV Stylist Stacy London’s Style for Hire Raises $1M in Series A Round
Three-year-old Style for Hire in Brooklyn raised more than $1 million in a Series A round led by Golden Seeds in New York according to a press release issued Monday. Co-founded by Stacy London, co-host of television show What Not to Wear on TLC, Style for Hire is a network of trained and certified personal … Continue reading “TV Stylist Stacy London’s Style for Hire Raises $1M in Series A Round”
Tigo, FanSnap, Soasta: Bay Area Biztech by the Numbers
Start your week off right with our data-driven roundup of deals and M&A news from San Francisco and Silicon Valley. $18 million—New venture funding for solar photovoltaic module manufacturer Tigo Energy of Los Gatos, CA. New investor Bessemer Venture Partners joined all of Tigo’s existing backers in the round, including Generation Investment Management, Inventec Appliances Corp., … Continue reading “Tigo, FanSnap, Soasta: Bay Area Biztech by the Numbers”
Optimer Wins EU Approval for New Antibiotic
Optimer Pharmaceuticals got approval in the U.S. for its new antibiotic just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, and now it has closed out the year by getting clearance for the drug in Europe. The San Diego-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OPTR]]) said today it has gotten clearance from the European Commission to start selling … Continue reading “Optimer Wins EU Approval for New Antibiotic”
Bill Walton Hails Spirit of Entrepreneurship at San Diego Awards
Connect, the non-profit group that supports innovation and entrepreneurship, named San Diego’s eight most-innovative products of 2011—and bestowed its highest honor on Gen-Probe (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GPRO]]) for its nucleic acid test for screening donated blood. Connect gave Gen-Probe its William W. Otterson Award for its Procleix test, which won FDA approval in 2002, saying Procleix has … Continue reading “Bill Walton Hails Spirit of Entrepreneurship at San Diego Awards”
KinectStars: Why Microsoft Drafted TechStars to Target Startups
The offices have been laid out. The applications are flowing in. And come next spring, 10 proto-companies will meet in Seattle for a three-month bootcamp focused on new uses for the Kinect, Microsoft’s breakthrough motion- and sound-sensing system. For Redmond-watchers, that may not seem like such a big deal. Microsoft already cultivates startups through its … Continue reading “KinectStars: Why Microsoft Drafted TechStars to Target Startups”
Energy Subsidies: A Historical Perspective
As we turn the page on the year 2011, there is no shortage of topics about which the entire world seems to be debating. One that interests me the most is the renewed debate on the role of government in the energy sector, specifically in the United States. Budget shortages, deficit increases, front-page analysis of … Continue reading “Energy Subsidies: A Historical Perspective”
Angel-Funded GoldRun Helps Nike Augment Its Reality
Shoppers with iPhones will be able to discover Nike products in a virtual way at Finish Line stores today, thanks to technology from GoldRun in New York. GoldRun raised $1.2 million in a seed round in April with a plan to conquer an emerging field: augmented reality, which is technology that adds images, sounds, or … Continue reading “Angel-Funded GoldRun Helps Nike Augment Its Reality”
The Hepatitis C Market: Biotech’s Version of the Daytona 500
Biotech rivalries are sometimes a bit like boxing matches, where you have two lone fighters vying for the prize. But the hepatitis C market is turning into a battle royal that’s more wide open and unpredictable, with all the competitive maneuvering, surprise crashes, and comebacks you might expect from the Daytona 500. The medical advances … Continue reading “The Hepatitis C Market: Biotech’s Version of the Daytona 500”
Onyx Drug Effective in New Myeloma Patients, Taking Aim at Millennium
[Updated: 8:45 am PT] Onyx Pharmaceuticals has set its sights on shaking up the standard of care for a deadly cancer of the bone marrow, and now results from at least one small study suggest it has a shot. Researchers are reporting today that when the experimental treatment from South San Francisco-based Onyx (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONXX]]) … Continue reading “Onyx Drug Effective in New Myeloma Patients, Taking Aim at Millennium”
Groove Biopharma Snags $6M to Push the Frontiers With MicroRNA Drugs
Seattle-based Groove Biopharma has nailed down another $6 million in venture capital to continue its quest to create a class of drugs that work unlike anything else on the market today. Groove, the microRNA drug developer founded at the Seattle-based Accelerator in 2008, has secured its Series B financing from the same investors who put … Continue reading “Groove Biopharma Snags $6M to Push the Frontiers With MicroRNA Drugs”
Curisma Beckons Consumers to Find Cool Tech, Go Gadget Shopping
Gadget girl walks in carrying a red umbrella. It’s not just any red umbrella, though. This one is a “blunt” umbrella. It has round tips, instead of pointy ones, so you don’t poke people in the eye as you walk down a crowded street. It also has what looks like a special tensioning system along … Continue reading “Curisma Beckons Consumers to Find Cool Tech, Go Gadget Shopping”
NanoBio, Merck to Collaborate on Gates-Funded RSV Vaccine
The acronym RSV is one that often inspires dread in the hearts of parents—it stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and it hospitalizes 75,000 to 125,000 children under the age of one each year, infecting almost all children by the age of two. RSV can also have a life-threatening impact on the elderly. There is a … Continue reading “NanoBio, Merck to Collaborate on Gates-Funded RSV Vaccine”
Greenstart Accelerator Hatches Four Energy Startups
Will the startup accelerator model that’s proved so popular and successful in the Web and mobile sectors also help to boost entrepreneurship in other industries, such as healthcare and cleantech? In a tottering economy that needs all the job-creating companies it can get, that’s a crucial question. And here in the Bay Area, it’s been … Continue reading “Greenstart Accelerator Hatches Four Energy Startups”
LifeImage Wraps Up $8M in New Funding
[Updated 12/9/11 at 11:45 am. See below.] LifeImage, a Newton, MA-based startup that develops technology for sharing digital medical images via the Internet cloud, has taken in $8 million in new equity-based funding, according to a document filed with the SEC. In January LifeImage boosted its Series B financing to $12 million, with money from Stamford, CT-based … Continue reading “LifeImage Wraps Up $8M in New Funding”
SF’s Prescience Sharpens New Biotech Business Model in San Diego
[Updated 12/12/11 11:20 am to clarify terms for startups. See below.] After spending much of her career in the tech sector, Melinda Richter has been pondering a provocative question for the life sciences industry. “Billionaires are a dime a dozen in tech,” she says, “but it’s hard to find an entrepreneur in the life sciences … Continue reading “SF’s Prescience Sharpens New Biotech Business Model in San Diego”
Seattle Genetics, Millennium Look to Broaden Reach of Hodgkin’s Drug
Seattle Genetics and its partner, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, are following one of the well-traveled roads in cancer drug development. It’s about first gaining experience in the market by treating a small group of the very sickest patients, then working backwards until your drug eventually becomes part of the standard of care for more … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics, Millennium Look to Broaden Reach of Hodgkin’s Drug”
EnVivo, Biogen, Momenta, & Other Boston-Area Life Sciences Newsmakers
Drugs, conglomerates, medical nutrition companies, and biotechs dominated the New England life sciences news this week. —EnVivo Pharmaceuticals of Watertown, MA, said its experimental schizophrenia drug EVP-6124 demonstrated statistically significant improvements in patient cognitive function in a Phase 2b study. Patients also demonstrated improvements in what are known as negative schizophrenia symptoms, such as inability … Continue reading “EnVivo, Biogen, Momenta, & Other Boston-Area Life Sciences Newsmakers”
NanoString Nails Breast Cancer Study, Challenging Genomic Health
Seattle-based NanoString Technologies has made a big bet that the future of the company depends on turning its genetic analysis research tool into a diagnostic workhorse. Today, it presented some hard data that suggests it is on its way. The company reported today that its instrument, called nCounter, was able to predict whether or not … Continue reading “NanoString Nails Breast Cancer Study, Challenging Genomic Health”
Point Inside Faces a Big Competitor as Google Starts Mapping Indoors
When you run a startup that focuses on mapping the floor plans of retail stores, there’s this inevitable question: What happens when Google, the company that has already mapped the entire world, decides to do the same thing as you? Josh Marti, the CEO of Seattle-based Point Inside, has heard it plenty of times. “And … Continue reading “Point Inside Faces a Big Competitor as Google Starts Mapping Indoors”