Today’s column was co-written by myself and Curt Woodward, Xconomy’s Seattle-based senior editor. There’s a great term of art in the history profession: hagiography. It’s from the Greek for “holy writing,” and at one time it pertained mostly to biographies of saints. Well, there’s a whole lot of beatification going on this week as the … Continue reading “Saint Steve? Not Exactly. Apple and the Power of the Dark Side”
Category: National
Enterproid Continues Development of App With $11M Series A From Comcast, Google, Qualcomm
Bruce V. Bigelow in San Diego contributed to this story. With $11 million from a Series A that was announced yesterday, New York-based Enterproid is moving closer to a full release of its app, which allows users to set their smartphones for business or personal use. Comcast Ventures (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CMCSA]]) led the round, with participation from … Continue reading “Enterproid Continues Development of App With $11M Series A From Comcast, Google, Qualcomm”
Five Perspectives on Steve Jobs: Reflections from Around the Xconomy Network
When the news broke that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died, there was no shortage of tributes and remembrances, from names big and small. And they’re still pouring out, from entrepreneurs, technologists, consumers, and more. We were able to tap into our network of guest authors, known as the Xconomists, for some insights into Jobs’ legacy … Continue reading “Five Perspectives on Steve Jobs: Reflections from Around the Xconomy Network”
Thong Le Named New Chairman of WBBA, Replacing Tom Clement
Thong Le, the well-wired venture investor at Seattle-based WRF Capital, is stepping up to become chairman of the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association, the state’s trade organization that represents biotech and medical device companies. Le will formally replace medical device entrepreneur Tom Clement in the volunteer chairmanship at the WBBA’s annual meeting, which coincides with … Continue reading “Thong Le Named New Chairman of WBBA, Replacing Tom Clement”
Celgene Pays Agios $20M, Lycera Adds Cambridge CEO, Getinge Buys Atrium Medical, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
We saw a mix of personnel, drug partnership, and acquisition news from New England’s life sciences players this week. —Atrium Medical, a Hudson, NH-based developer of cardiology and radiology medical devices, is getting acquired by the Swedish firm, Getinge Group, for $680 million. Atrium will act as an independent business unit of the Getinge subsidiary … Continue reading “Celgene Pays Agios $20M, Lycera Adds Cambridge CEO, Getinge Buys Atrium Medical, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Done Deal: Nuance Buying Swype for Around $100M in Cash
[Updated 10/7/11, 8 am Pacific] There’s a Tegic Communications reunion shaping up in Seattle. Documents filed with the SEC show that Nuance Communications is buying mobile software startup Swype for $102.5 million. As we reported last night, based on a source with knowledge of the deal, about three-quarters of the cash is paid up-front with … Continue reading “Done Deal: Nuance Buying Swype for Around $100M in Cash”
FDA Adopts New Initiative, Scripps Health Begins Longevity Study, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
What was the biggest life sciences news over the past week? It might be that five San Diego companies landed financing deals, grants, and payments. Here are our highlights. —The U.S. Food and Drug Administration outlined a new strategic initiative intended to address industry criticism that the agency has been thwarting life sciences innovation through … Continue reading “FDA Adopts New Initiative, Scripps Health Begins Longevity Study, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
The Essential Steve Jobs for Today’s Pharmaceutical Executive
It is hard to overestimate the importance of Steve Jobs on the American psyche. The co-founder and guiding force of Apple has died, succumbing to a long illness after only recently stepping down as chief executive. But his impact continues beyond his life, his business, his industry, his leadership, and his vision. One only needs to … Continue reading “The Essential Steve Jobs for Today’s Pharmaceutical Executive”
Steve Jobs & the Power of Vision: My Visits to the ‘Reality Distortion Field’
Steve was an incredible product visionary and had an uncompromising sense of product design. Aldus and desktop publishing came about because Steve had a vision of what was possible by marrying a plain paper copier to a computer to make the Apple Laserwriter. When the Laserwriter was introduced it cost $7000, more than twice as much … Continue reading “Steve Jobs & the Power of Vision: My Visits to the ‘Reality Distortion Field’”
Intellectual Ventures Sues Motorola Amid Acquisition by Google – an IV Investor
Intellectual Ventures is stepping up its position in the mobile patent wars, suing Motorola Mobility in federal court today for allegedly infringing on a range of patents covering hardware and software. Irony alert: Google, which is in the middle of acquiring Motorola Mobility for about $12.5 billion, has been listed in previous court filings as … Continue reading “Intellectual Ventures Sues Motorola Amid Acquisition by Google – an IV Investor”
Steve Jobs: The Soul of an Industry
When I heard the news of Steve Jobs’s death last night, even though I was hardly surprised, I felt like I had been kicked in the gut—as if the industry in which I’ve spent my career had lost its soul. I’m rarely shy about criticizing the titans of our industry, but from the beginning Steve … Continue reading “Steve Jobs: The Soul of an Industry”
Lycera Hires New CEO, Plans Move to U-M Research Center
Plymouth, MI-based biopharmaceutical company Lycera announced yesterday it has hired a new CEO: Kathleen Metters, former senior vice president and head of worldwide basic research at Merck. The company is also in the process of moving from Plymouth to a spot at the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Center. Metters will continue to be based … Continue reading “Lycera Hires New CEO, Plans Move to U-M Research Center”
Of Aspirin, Bubbles, and Clouds: A Chat with OpenView Venture’s Scott Maxwell
“We’re not social media investors,” says Scott Maxwell. And I like him already. Maxwell is the founder of OpenView Venture Partners. The Boston-based VC firm is different from a lot of its peers in that it doesn’t typically invest in early-stage startups or late-stage growth companies. Instead it specializes in something in between, what it … Continue reading “Of Aspirin, Bubbles, and Clouds: A Chat with OpenView Venture’s Scott Maxwell”
LiveIntent, with $8M from Series B, Plans New Hires and Weighs Overseas Opportunities
Catching the attention of customers can hinge on timing and placement. That’s the thinking behind New York’s LiveIntent, which offers advertisers and publishers a way to tailor banner ads in e-mails for the recipients. The two-year-old startup closed an $8 million Series B funding round in September and, according to chief operating officer David Hendricks, … Continue reading “LiveIntent, with $8M from Series B, Plans New Hires and Weighs Overseas Opportunities”
Steve Jobs: A Few Memories
I’m so sad this evening—as millions are—to hear of Steve Jobs’s death. Scattered over the last quarter century, I learned much from Steve Jobs, and was proud to consider him a friend. And indeed, he contributed in various ways to all three of my major life projects so far: Mathematica, A New Kind of Science and Wolfram|Alpha. I … Continue reading “Steve Jobs: A Few Memories”
Sweeney Among the Florence Nightingales: Wireless Health Pioneer Jim Sweeney Customizes iTouch for Patient Care
When it comes to healthcare, San Diego’s Jim Sweeney has some serious entrepreneurial street cred. Before taking over the San Diego company now known as PatientSafe Solutions in 2009, Sweeney founded eight healthcare companies, beginning in 1979 with Caremark, which sold to Baxter for roughly $600 million in 1987. His enterprising run continued to CardioNet, … Continue reading “Sweeney Among the Florence Nightingales: Wireless Health Pioneer Jim Sweeney Customizes iTouch for Patient Care”
Varolii Helps Southwest Wrangle Pilot Schedules, Sees Bigger Moves Ahead
Here’s a sign that your industry is ripe for a technological overhaul: Last-minute scheduling is sometimes handled by old-fashioned phone trees, with human schedulers making hundreds of phone calls a day to fill open slots. That was the case at Southwest Airlines (NYSE: [[ticker:LUV]])—at least it was before a new text-messaging program supplied by Seattle-based … Continue reading “Varolii Helps Southwest Wrangle Pilot Schedules, Sees Bigger Moves Ahead”
Xconomist of the Week: Five Questions for New York Life Sciences 2031 Panelist Eric Schadt
Eric Schadt’s career as a scientist has been focused on unlocking genetic cues to common human diseases such as diabetes and obesity. He is the chief scientific officer of Pacific Biosciences, a Menlo Park, CA, company that develops gene-sequencing technologies. He recently joined Mount Sinai Medical Center as the director of the Institute for Genomics … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Five Questions for New York Life Sciences 2031 Panelist Eric Schadt”
Light Sciences Stumbles, Cardiac Dimensions Gets EU OK, Immune Design Pockets $11M, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This week had a smattering of pretty significant updates from companies that tend to (try anyway) to keep a pretty low profile. —Seattle-based Immune Design, the developer of vaccine technology, said it has pulled in another $11 million through the second tranche of its previously announced Series B venture financing. The company is backed by … Continue reading “Light Sciences Stumbles, Cardiac Dimensions Gets EU OK, Immune Design Pockets $11M, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
How Steve Jobs Rewired Our Lives-and Raised Our Expectations
What was Steve Jobs’ greatest contribution to society? The amazing thing is that there are so many answers to choose from. Was it the insanely great Mac? Or perhaps the iPod and the MP3 music revolution? Or Pixar and Toy Story and all of the studio’s other animated wonders? Or the iPhone and the iPad … Continue reading “How Steve Jobs Rewired Our Lives-and Raised Our Expectations”
Steve Jobs: A Technology Guy For the Rest of Us
It’s impossible to overstate Jobs’s contributions. First, monumental contributions to design. Design is at least as much about what to omit as it is about what to include, and Jobs was a master of both. As you saw in the New York Times last month, Jobs’s design patents ranged from the Mac Air, the iPhone, … Continue reading “Steve Jobs: A Technology Guy For the Rest of Us”
Social Media Agency Spring Creek Group Acquired by Interpublic
Seattle social media agency Spring Creek Group has been sold to the Mediabrands division of Interpublic Group, a global marketing and media company that controls a bundle of agencies, including PR firm Weber Shandwick and ad agency McCann Erickson. The news comes via this blog post from Spring Creek founder Clay McDaniel. Terms weren’t disclosed. … Continue reading “Social Media Agency Spring Creek Group Acquired by Interpublic”
Immune Design Rakes In Another $11M From Prior VC Round
Seattle-based Immune Design has quietly pulled in another $11 million in venture capital. That new cash represents the second installment of a Series B financing that the company announced last July, when it was said to be worth as much as $32 million total. Immune Design, the developer of new vaccine technology, disclosed the new … Continue reading “Immune Design Rakes In Another $11M From Prior VC Round”
ImThera Gets Cyberonics’ Funding in Quest to Put Sleep Apnea to Rest
Houston’s Cyberonics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYBX]]), which makes an implantable neurostimulation device used to treat epilepsy and depression, says today it’s making a $4 million investment in San Diego startup ImThera Medical. Cyberonics says its investment could eventually total $12 million, providing that ImThera meets certain milestones. The San Diego startup has been developing technology that fits … Continue reading “ImThera Gets Cyberonics’ Funding in Quest to Put Sleep Apnea to Rest”
Unless You Are Awesome, You Will Be Outsourced
We’re quickly moving to a new world where the wealth gap is compounding and increasing. We’re moving to a world that is going to look a lot like Hollywood: a few people enjoying insane success … and everyone else spends their days waiting tables. The delta between A-players and B-players in companies has always been … Continue reading “Unless You Are Awesome, You Will Be Outsourced”
Welcome to Detroit: Future Home of RobotTown?
Detroit already has a Greektown, a Corktown, a Poletown, and even Hockeytown. Soon, if Mark Salamango has his way, it will also have RobotTown, a nonprofit “living laboratory” dedicated to robotics innovation, testing, education, incubation, and events. Salamango compares RobotTown, which he hopes will have a campus in the middle of the city, to a … Continue reading “Welcome to Detroit: Future Home of RobotTown?”
Three New England Teams Move on to Cleantech Open Finals in California
Plastic, oil, natural gas, paper, solar panels, analytics, semiconductors, blimps, mobile phones, wind turbines, smart grid. These were some of the words tossed around by the six teams presenting at last night’s Cleantech Open Northeast Regional Finals. Three companies were selected to go on and compete in the Cleantech Open Global Forum in California next … Continue reading “Three New England Teams Move on to Cleantech Open Finals in California”
Tweetchat on RNA Interference Upstages iPhone (Not Really, but It Was Still Fun)
Who says you can’t be smart, witty, or say anything of substance in 140 characters or less? Alnylam Pharmaceuticals CEO John Maraganore had a zinger ready yesterday as Apple’s dog-and-pony show was happening during the first Xconomy “Tweetchat,” on the latest ups and downs in RNA interference. “RNAi vs iPhone, RNAi better for patients” is … Continue reading “Tweetchat on RNA Interference Upstages iPhone (Not Really, but It Was Still Fun)”
Six Cities, Six Big Tech Ideas Coming to Boston on December 1: Stephen Wolfram to Keynote
Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please. Ahem. [A giant “6×6” fills the screen.] Macho narrator voice: Star Wars had The Empire Strikes Back (Vader: “I am your father”) The Godfather had The Godfather Part II (Pacino: “You broke my heart”) Mad Max had The Road Warrior…well, you get the idea. Now Xconomy presents 6×6, the … Continue reading “Six Cities, Six Big Tech Ideas Coming to Boston on December 1: Stephen Wolfram to Keynote”
Agios Pulls in $20M From Celgene, Under Extended Cancer Metabolism Partnership
Cambridge, MA-based Agios Pharmaceuticals struck a lucrative partnership with Celgene last year that just got more lucrative. Agios, the developer of drugs that seek to starve tumors to death by blocking metabolic pathways they rely on, said today it has extended its exclusive partnership with Summit, NJ-based Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) from three years to four, … Continue reading “Agios Pulls in $20M From Celgene, Under Extended Cancer Metabolism Partnership”
Merck Fine-Tunes Biosimilars Strategy as FDA Guidelines Loom
The pharmaceutical world is abuzz over rumors that the FDA is on the verge of releasing its guidelines for how companies should develop generic versions of biotech drugs. Among the folks waiting eagerly for those guidelines is Michael Kamarck, president of Merck BioVentures, who was literally sitting on the edge of his seat when he … Continue reading “Merck Fine-Tunes Biosimilars Strategy as FDA Guidelines Loom”
Siri, Apple’s New Old Personal Assistant App, Points Toward A Voice-Activated Future
I have seen the future, and it’s right here in my hands. While the rest of you poor suckers will have to wait until October 14 to try Siri on the new iPhone 4S, I’m looking at this magical, revolutionary technology right now. I’m using it to check the weather, book restaurant tables, set reminders, … Continue reading “Siri, Apple’s New Old Personal Assistant App, Points Toward A Voice-Activated Future”
FDA, After Taking Heat, Offers Up Reforms to Support Pharma, Biotech & Device Innovation
The FDA has spent decades talking about how its job is to make sure all kinds of U.S. medical products are safe to use, and effective. Now it’s coming out with a new strategic outline on how it intends to do all that same stuff, while also spurring the development of more innovative drugs and … Continue reading “FDA, After Taking Heat, Offers Up Reforms to Support Pharma, Biotech & Device Innovation”
EMC Picks Up Zettapoint, IBM Scoops Up Q1, Intel’s McAfee Acquires NitroSecurity, & More Boston-Area Deals NEws
New England area security, consumer Web, database, and medical device tech startups have been acquired by firms near and far at a feverish pace in the last week. —CustomMade, a Cambridge, MA-based provider of an online marketplace for connecting consumers with artisans, raised $2 million in funding from an unnamed group of investors. —A trio … Continue reading “EMC Picks Up Zettapoint, IBM Scoops Up Q1, Intel’s McAfee Acquires NitroSecurity, & More Boston-Area Deals NEws”
Marina Biotech Ends Bothell Lease on Nasal Spray Building, Coughs up Shares to Landlord
Marina Biotech, the developer of RNA interference drugs, has been running low on cash for a while, and now it has found a way to send less cash every month to its landlord. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]) said today in a regulatory filing that it has terminated the lease on its lab … Continue reading “Marina Biotech Ends Bothell Lease on Nasal Spray Building, Coughs up Shares to Landlord”
Four Things Lawyers and Hackers Have in Common
Are hackers and lawyers really that different? If you hear someone talking about the two in the same sentence, you’d be well within your rights to assume it was an expansion of the old debate about whether a pirate or a ninja would win in a fight. On first impression, the hacker (a.k.a. the software … Continue reading “Four Things Lawyers and Hackers Have in Common”
DARPA Awards Aethlon $6.8M for Technology to Combat Sepsis
The Pentagon’s Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a $6.8 million contract to San Diego’s Aethlon Medical to develop a medical device that could be used to reduce the incidence of sepsis, a potentially fatal bloodstream infection. In a statement today, Aethlon says sepsis often the cause of death in combat-injured soldiers. Aethlon … Continue reading “DARPA Awards Aethlon $6.8M for Technology to Combat Sepsis”
Pinnacle Looks Beyond Detroit as the Market for Its Opposed-Piston Engine
When Ecomotors International set out to change the way car and truck engines are built, it set up shop in Livonia, MI, a suburb of Detroit, in hopes of eventually licensing its technology to the big U.S. automakers. It was a calculated risk. As radical as Ecomotors’ opposed-piston engine design may be, at least the … Continue reading “Pinnacle Looks Beyond Detroit as the Market for Its Opposed-Piston Engine”
NitroSecurity Snapped Up by Intel’s McAfee Amid Escalating Cyber Threats
Lots of action in computer security, especially around New England. On the same day IBM said it’s acquiring Q1 Labs of Waltham, MA, the security firm McAfee, a recent subsidiary of Santa Clara, CA-based Intel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTC]]), said it has agreed to buy NitroSecurity of Portsmouth, NH. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. NitroSecurity specializes … Continue reading “NitroSecurity Snapped Up by Intel’s McAfee Amid Escalating Cyber Threats”
IBM Acquires Q1 Labs, Forms New Division Around Software Security
N-n-n-n-n, n-, n-, n-, n-n-n-n-n-nineteen. Anyone remember that song from the golden age of music and movies? In any case, IBM has made its 19th acquisition of a Massachusetts software company since 2003. Today Big Blue (NYSE: [[ticker:IBM]]) announced it is acquiring Waltham, MA-based Q1 Labs, a 10-year-old security software firm that helps businesses see … Continue reading “IBM Acquires Q1 Labs, Forms New Division Around Software Security”
Light Sciences Oncology Stumbles in Clinical Trial, Layoffs Loom
Light Sciences Oncology, the Bellevue, WA-based developer of an unusual drug/device combo treatment for cancer, has failed in a pivotal clinical trial and is preparing to make deep cuts, including layoffs, Xconomy has learned from sources familiar with the situation. The privately-held company has raised well over $130 million since its founding in 1995, from … Continue reading “Light Sciences Oncology Stumbles in Clinical Trial, Layoffs Loom”
Join Us at 1 pm Eastern/10 am Pacific for RNAi “Tweetchat” with Alnylam’s John Maraganore
Here’s just a quick reminder that we’re doing the live Tweetchat today with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals CEO John Maraganore. This chat, which anyone with a Twitter account is free to join, will be held today at 1 pm Eastern/10 am Pacific. The best way to follow the questions and answers will be to follow the live … Continue reading “Join Us at 1 pm Eastern/10 am Pacific for RNAi “Tweetchat” with Alnylam’s John Maraganore”
Solve Media, Backed by First Round Capital and AOL, Uses Online Ads to Tell People and Spambots Apart
New York’s Solve Media, funded by AOL Ventures, New Atlantic Ventures, First Round Capital, and others, is putting Web advertising in hard-to-miss places. The two-year-old startup combines ads with the verification systems users must respond to when joining websites or requesting lost passwords. Solve Media’s CEO and co-founder Ari Jacoby says the idea is to … Continue reading “Solve Media, Backed by First Round Capital and AOL, Uses Online Ads to Tell People and Spambots Apart”
Amazon, Khosla, Tippr: The 1-Minute Week in Seattle Tech Headlines
—Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) jumped into the tablet game with the much-hyped Kindle Fire device, but don’t be fooled. The new tablet is not about Amazon getting into the hardware business—it’s much more about making sure that consumers get access to Amazon’s slew of cloud services and traditional shopping on something other than Apple’s iPad, which … Continue reading “Amazon, Khosla, Tippr: The 1-Minute Week in Seattle Tech Headlines”
San Diego Startup Tracks Your Social IQ (Influence Quotient), Looks to Raise Capital
With the flip of a switch, a Web 2.0 startup that began life in mid-2009 has launched SocialIQ.com, a new beta website that also marks the San Diego company’s change to a new identity. Originally known as Soovox, the company now known as SocialIQ is making a strategic adjustment to align its corporate brand with … Continue reading “San Diego Startup Tracks Your Social IQ (Influence Quotient), Looks to Raise Capital”
SweetLabs Raises $13M, Entropic Invests $10M, Young & Restless Prefer Other Cities to San Diego, & More San Diego BizTech News
While some tech companies said last week that they are expanding their operations, fresh concerns are emerging about San Diego’s ability to attract and retain the young entrepreneurs driving the next generation of innovation. We’ve got all that and more in our summary of last week’s tech news. —Intel Capital was the lead investor in … Continue reading “SweetLabs Raises $13M, Entropic Invests $10M, Young & Restless Prefer Other Cities to San Diego, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Emergent BioSolutions Snags $1.25B Contract to Provide Anthrax Vaccine to Feds
Rockville, MD-based Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE: EBS) today announced it has landed a contract worth $1.25 billion over five years to provide the federal government with 44.75 million doses of BioThrax, the only vaccine licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to protect against anthrax infection. The company will manufacture the vaccine at its facility in … Continue reading “Emergent BioSolutions Snags $1.25B Contract to Provide Anthrax Vaccine to Feds”
Rhapsody Adds Napster – and Maybe Some Overseas Subscribers
Rhapsody, the online-subscription music service that spun out of RealNetworks last year, is acquiring online music pioneer Napster from retailer Best Buy. Seattle-based Rhapsody didn’t say how much it is paying for Napster, and it wouldn’t say how many U.S. subscribers it may add through the acquisition, but the company did say Napster was its … Continue reading “Rhapsody Adds Napster – and Maybe Some Overseas Subscribers”
Complete Genomics, Scripps To Sequence 1,000 Old Folks’ Genomes to Find Secret to Long Life
Nobody a year ago could have realistically imagined sequencing 1,000 genomes of old, healthy people just to see what might be their secret to long and healthy life. But Mountain View, CA-based Complete Genomics and the Scripps Health system in San Diego are looking to take advantage of the advances in super-fast, super-cheap sequencing to … Continue reading “Complete Genomics, Scripps To Sequence 1,000 Old Folks’ Genomes to Find Secret to Long Life”
From Atrium to Zettapoint: New England Firms Swept Up by Getinge, EMC, and HuffPo
Here a merger, there a merger, everywhere a merger merger… Some small, medium, and large acquisition news today around New England. —Localocracy, a Boston-based online town common and community platform, has been acquired by the Huffington Post Media Group and will join the AOL (NYSE: [[ticker:AOL]]) content unit. The news was first reported by All … Continue reading “From Atrium to Zettapoint: New England Firms Swept Up by Getinge, EMC, and HuffPo”