Nat Findlay is a former Cardinal Health executive and serial entrepreneur who tells me he founded Myca Health in 2002 around technology that enabled people to use their cell phone to take a photo of their meals. The company’s MyFoodPhone application enabled customers to send the picture to an online platform that provided a nutrition … Continue reading “A Netflix for Doctors: Myca Health’s CEO Findlay Offers Health IT in the Cloud”
Category: National
Entrepreneurs’ Pre-Thanksgiving Pizza Lunch is Back This Friday: Special Guests Project 11
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and once again we’ve decided to celebrate it Xconomy-style—with some pizza! Last year, on the day before Thanksgiving, we kicked off a new holiday tradition over here at Xconomy: the entrepreneurs’ pre-turkey day pizza lunch. That led to making impromptu pizza parties a year-round occurrence, and even morphed into … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs’ Pre-Thanksgiving Pizza Lunch is Back This Friday: Special Guests Project 11”
Dendreon Prepares to Take Some Heat in the Other Washington Over Cancer Drug Prices
Cancer drugs cost a lot, and don’t work very well for most people. Not surprisingly, this is at least part of the reason there’s a popular backlash against drugmakers. And tomorrow, we’re going to see some unusual political theater that could say a lot about how cancer drugs get priced in the future. Seattle-based Dendreon … Continue reading “Dendreon Prepares to Take Some Heat in the Other Washington Over Cancer Drug Prices”
Verastem, Founded by MIT Big Names, Raises $16M to Fight Cancer Stem Cells
Robert Weinberg and Eric Lander, two of the most famous biologists at MIT, are putting their heads together at a new biotech company that seeks to fight cancer by attacking cancer stem cells. The startup, Verastem, has raised $16 million in its Series A venture financing, the company announced today. Longwood Founders Fund—the group led … Continue reading “Verastem, Founded by MIT Big Names, Raises $16M to Fight Cancer Stem Cells”
Facebook is Mission-Critical
Facebook is mission-critical infrastructure. Not for me and not for you either, since you reading this makes the odds of your age being greater than Zuckerberg’s quite high. However, for millions of people between the ages of 10 and 23, Facebook is critical to their lives. The reason? Homework. I’m old enough to have stopped … Continue reading “Facebook is Mission-Critical”
PayNearMe Unveils Mobile Payment Network, Collects $16 Million
There’s an industry term for the one-quarter of American households where, through choice or necessity, members don’t have bank accounts or credit or debit cards: the “unbanked.” But just because these consumers don’t have formal relationships with financial institutions doesn’t mean they don’t pay a lot for financial services. Every time they cash a payday … Continue reading “PayNearMe Unveils Mobile Payment Network, Collects $16 Million”
Anthera, On a Lean Budget, Seeks to Tap Big Heart Attack Market By Blocking Inflammation
Big Pharma giants are gathering in Chicago this week to wine and dine doctors at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, hoping docs will keep prescribing their multi-billion dollar heart drugs. Not many little biotechs can compete in this league, but Hayward, CA-based Anthera Pharmaceuticals is hoping to lay some groundwork for a new drug … Continue reading “Anthera, On a Lean Budget, Seeks to Tap Big Heart Attack Market By Blocking Inflammation”
Health IT in San Diego: The Xconomy List
It might not be completely definitive, but it’s pretty close. Let’s just say we’ve got the most-definitive list of health IT companies based in the San Diego area, compiled form a variety of trade groups and other sources. Not all of the businesses on this list are well known, which is one reason why I … Continue reading “Health IT in San Diego: The Xconomy List”
Backupify Snaps Up TweetBackup to Strengthen Position in Cloud-Based Data Archiving
Backupify, a Cambridge, MA-based provider of online technology for backing up e-mail and social networking data, announced today that it has acquired TweetBackup, a Sweden-based service that automatically backs up users’ Twitter posts daily. Financial terms weren’t disclosed for the deal, which went through in October and is meant to help Backupify maintain its edge … Continue reading “Backupify Snaps Up TweetBackup to Strengthen Position in Cloud-Based Data Archiving”
Allozyne’s Next Drug, Made to Kill Two Birds With One Stone, Being Prepped for Clinic
Allozyne, the Seattle-based developer of targeted therapies, is announcing today that its experimental antibody drug that hits not just one, but two targets on inflammatory cells, passed a pair of animal tests that will pave the way for clinical trials. That’s not normally much in the way of news, but it signals a shift of … Continue reading “Allozyne’s Next Drug, Made to Kill Two Birds With One Stone, Being Prepped for Clinic”
iRobot’s Michigan Unit Aids in Key Military Deal
IRobot (NASDAQ:[[ticker:IRBT]]) has quietly added to its forces in Michigan. The Bedford, MA-based provider of robotics for the home, government, and industrial markets now has two full-time employees based in the Wolverine state, where it first established a one-person office in 2009 to focus on its military customers. Joe Dyer, iRobot’s chief of operations, sounded … Continue reading “iRobot’s Michigan Unit Aids in Key Military Deal”
Report: UCSF Strikes $85M Deal With Pfizer to Develop Biotech Drugs
UC San Francisco has struck a big sponsorship deal with Pfizer, the world’s largest drugmaker, to develop innovative new biologic treatments, according to an online report from the Wall Street Journal. This deal, to be announced tomorrow, calls for Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) to pay as much as $85 million over the next five years to … Continue reading “Report: UCSF Strikes $85M Deal With Pfizer to Develop Biotech Drugs”
Amazon, Elemental Team Up for Video Processing in the Cloud
Seattle-based Amazon Web Services announced today it has introduced a new cloud-computing service based on graphics processing units (GPUs). Portland, OR-based Elemental Technologies is the first company to offer cloud-based services for video transcoding on top of Amazon Web Services. Elemental is going after broadcast and online video customers in its push to become the … Continue reading “Amazon, Elemental Team Up for Video Processing in the Cloud”
EMC Acquires Isilon Systems for $2.25B—Now the Real Work Begins
[Updated 12:30pm ET, see below.] OK, we knew this was coming—it was just a matter of when. Hopkinton, MA-based data storage giant EMC (NYSE: [[ticker:EMC]]) announced today it will acquire Seattle-based Isilon Systems (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ISLN]]) for $2.25 billion in cash. EMC is paying $33.85 per share, a 29 percent increase over Isilon’s previous closing price … Continue reading “EMC Acquires Isilon Systems for $2.25B—Now the Real Work Begins”
Cerulean Grabs $24M for Nano Drugs
[Correction—8:16 pm Eastern time on 11/15/10. See editor’s note.] Tiny drugs just got a big endorsement. Cambridge, MA-based Cerulean Pharmaceuticals has closed a $24 million Series C funding round to fuel development of its nanoparticle drugs, the company announced this morning. The deal gives the startup funding for a mid-stage clinical trial of its lead … Continue reading “Cerulean Grabs $24M for Nano Drugs”
“Changing the Way We Start Companies”: Q&A with AngelPad’s Thomas Korte
Last week I reported on the inaugural demo day presentations from startups at San Francisco-based AngelPad, the newest of the Y Combinator-style tech incubators springing up around the country. After the presentations I had a chance to speak with Thomas Korte, one of the founders of AngelPad, about the vision behind the program, and I’ve … Continue reading ““Changing the Way We Start Companies”: Q&A with AngelPad’s Thomas Korte”
Act-On Software Scores $4M from Voyager, USVP
Act-On Software, an online marketing startup based in Beaverton, OR, has raised $4 million in Series B venture financing, co-led by Seattle-based Voyager Capital and Silicon Valley-based U.S. Venture Partners. The startup makes marketing and sales automation software (across Web, e-mail, and social media) for businesses. This is a fast-growing and competitive field. Act-On’s customers … Continue reading “Act-On Software Scores $4M from Voyager, USVP”
Physio-Control, iPhone Appmaker Seek Smooth Wireless Data Between Ambulance and Hospital
Physio-Control has made some unhappy headlines the past few years because of quality control problems that temporarily caused it to halt shipments of its heart defibrillators. But at the same time it was trying to fix that short-term issue, it has been investing for the long-term in wireless infrastructure that it hopes could save precious … Continue reading “Physio-Control, iPhone Appmaker Seek Smooth Wireless Data Between Ambulance and Hospital”
Quest Buys San Diego’s BakBone, Novatel Acquires Enfora, West Wireless Health Institute Develops its First Prototype, & More San Diego BizTech News
It was a week of deals for San Diego’s technology companies, with some tales of new product developments thrown in for extra measure. Our briefing begins here. —Novatel Wireless (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NVTL]]), the San Diego provider of wireless mobile devices, said it is buying machine-to-machine specialist Enfora of suburban Dallas. Avondale Partners analyst John F. Bright … Continue reading “Quest Buys San Diego’s BakBone, Novatel Acquires Enfora, West Wireless Health Institute Develops its First Prototype, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Overland’s Ordeal: Turnaround Continues as New Management Team Sets New Course, Readies New Products
Not too long ago, I got a chance to talk with Jillian Mansolf, who joined San Diego’s Overland Storage (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OVRL]]) as vice president of global sales and marketing about 18 months ago. A few days earlier, Overland had disclosed its acquisition of Sunnyvale, CA-based MaxiScale, a three-year-old data storage startup, a deal that prompted … Continue reading “Overland’s Ordeal: Turnaround Continues as New Management Team Sets New Course, Readies New Products”
GREENtrepreneurs: The Challenge & The Opportunity (Part 2)
[Editor’s Note: the first part of this guest post ran on Friday.] Governments, Law and Regulations, Oh My! One of the hallmarks of the growth of the Internet was a lack of government regulation or involvement. While not the case for all green businesses, many of the larger opportunities and business sectors look to government … Continue reading “GREENtrepreneurs: The Challenge & The Opportunity (Part 2)”
RockMelt’s New Browser, AngelPad’s 8 New Web Startups, Flowtown’s New Twitter Services, & More Bay Area BizTech News
Companies offering new takes on social media and collaboration dominated the local business and technology news last week, as they seem to be doing an increasing amount of the time. —After two years in stealth, a Mountain View, CA, startup called RockMelt began distributing a new Windows and Mac browser by the same name. In … Continue reading “RockMelt’s New Browser, AngelPad’s 8 New Web Startups, Flowtown’s New Twitter Services, & More Bay Area BizTech News”
TechStars Demo Day Yields 10 New Seattle Startups—and a Lot of Work Ahead
It’s pretty impressive what a few startup teams can accomplish in 90 days with a lot of hard work, mentorship, and late-night Maker’s Mark bourbon-fueled sessions. But their real journey is just beginning—and it will be a long one. That’s my main takeaway from TechStars Seattle’s first “demo day” on Thursday. The seed-stage mentorship program—which … Continue reading “TechStars Demo Day Yields 10 New Seattle Startups—and a Lot of Work Ahead”
Dave Morin’s Path App—A Rebuke to Facebook?
Ex-Facebooker Dave Morin’s much-anticipated Path service has launched on the iPhone. It’s built around photo sharing, and it’s being billed as a “personal network,” with an explicit limit of 50 friends, as opposed to Facebook’s 5,000. The news went out in a note to journalists tonight from Path’s public relations representatives. Using the free Path … Continue reading “Dave Morin’s Path App—A Rebuke to Facebook?”
Fusion Coolant Systems Cracks Big Problems in Manufacturing, Now Needs Customers
Manufacturers have made strides in rolling eco-friendly products like electric vehicles off their assembly lines, yet it might be a bigger challenge to entice industry to clean up its production methods. Ann Arbor, MI-based startup Fusion Coolant Systems is taking on this challenge with its brand new metalworking fluid technology. Steven Skerlos, a co-inventor of … Continue reading “Fusion Coolant Systems Cracks Big Problems in Manufacturing, Now Needs Customers”
Alkermes CEO Leans on Internal Pipeline as Bydureon Hangs Out in the Penalty Box
When biotech firms get bad news from the FDA, the fallout can have a dramatic impact on everyone from the CEO to the bench scientists. But Waltham, MA-based biotech firm Alkermes (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ALKS]]) was able to escape a disappointing regulatory ruling last month without any impact on its day-to-day operations, Richard Pops, the company’s chairman and … Continue reading “Alkermes CEO Leans on Internal Pipeline as Bydureon Hangs Out in the Penalty Box”
Ambiq Micro To Move From Michigan, Says Talent is in Texas
Ambiq Micro, an Ann Arbor, MI, startup developing low-power microcontrollers for smart credit cards and ultralong-life sensors for homes and buildings, is moving out of its lab space at the University of Michigan to new offices in Austin, TX. The decision, first reported by AnnArbor.com, comes just a few days after Ambiq Micro announced it … Continue reading “Ambiq Micro To Move From Michigan, Says Talent is in Texas”
RockMelt: A Great Social Browser for the Desktop, But Isn’t This the Mobile Era?
While nearly everything about the Web has changed since its emergence circa 1993—who’s using it, what types of content are available, how Web pages are constructed, how it’s all paid for—the desktop browser hasn’t. It’s still basically a big blank square that lets you navigate between Web pages, with a set of buttons and controls … Continue reading “RockMelt: A Great Social Browser for the Desktop, But Isn’t This the Mobile Era?”
Avila Therapeutics Pursuing Rival to Lung Cancer Drug in Dana-Farber Lawsuit
An experimental lung cancer drug discovered at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is currently at the center of a lawsuit involving Dana-Farber, Swiss drug giant Novartis, and Millbrae, CA-based Gatekeeper Pharmaceuticals. But while that complicated case continues to unfold, Waltham, MA-based biotech startup Avila Therapeutics is working on a similar molecule, which is designed to treat … Continue reading “Avila Therapeutics Pursuing Rival to Lung Cancer Drug in Dana-Farber Lawsuit”
Ambit Files for IPO, Arena Pharmaceuticals Says Weight-Loss Drug on Track, ESRI Launches Medical Place History Map App, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
New money and new product innovations seemed to be the intertwining themes of San Diego’s life sciences news over the past week. See if you agree. —San Diego’s Ambit Biosciences intends to raise as much as $86.3 million in an IPO, according to a regulatory filing last week. Ambit, which has been developing a drug … Continue reading “Ambit Files for IPO, Arena Pharmaceuticals Says Weight-Loss Drug on Track, ESRI Launches Medical Place History Map App, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Ouch for Arch: VC Bob Nelsen Says Ikaria Will March On After Withdrawing Big IPO
If Bob Nelsen ever wanted to hide, yesterday would’ve been the time. Ikaria, the futuristic “hibernation-on-demand” company he bankrolled five years ago, was on the cusp of going public this week at a valuation of more than $700 million. It was a moment he had been eagerly awaiting a long time. Two years ago, Nelsen … Continue reading “Ouch for Arch: VC Bob Nelsen Says Ikaria Will March On After Withdrawing Big IPO”
Complete Genomics Goes Public, 23andMe Raises $22M, Genomic Health’s Dx Vision, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News
The stock market, and its lackluster appetite for new IPOs, was the story of the week on the biotech beat. —Complete Genomics, the Mountain View, CA-based company seeking to be a leader in the race to deliver complete human genome sequences for $1,000 or less, pulled the trigger on its initial public offering this week. … Continue reading “Complete Genomics Goes Public, 23andMe Raises $22M, Genomic Health’s Dx Vision, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News”
GREENtrepreneurs: The Challenge & the Opportunity
“So what is so special about green entrepreneurs?” This is an excellent question and was a central theme in my recently published book, Green Entrepreneur Handbook. Why is a green entrepreneur any different than any other sort of entrepreneur? Does it take a special entrepreneur with different skills to build a green business? Throughout the … Continue reading “GREENtrepreneurs: The Challenge & the Opportunity”
Genzyme Initiates Job Cuts, Dana-Farber/Gatekeeper Suit Advances, GTC Bought by LFB, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
Biotechs, research institutes, health IT companies, diagnostics firms, and the investing side of life sciences all made the news in the New England area this week with headlines of funding, litigation, and personnel changes. —Woburn, MA-based biodefense and diagnostics firm Pathogenetix, formerly called U.S. Genomics, raised a $1.3 million equity-based financing, and $900,000 of a … Continue reading “Genzyme Initiates Job Cuts, Dana-Farber/Gatekeeper Suit Advances, GTC Bought by LFB, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Forget About a Second Genomics Bubble: Complete Genomics Tumbles on IPO First Day
Super-fast, super-cheap DNA sequencing technologies have made big news in biotech the last couple years. But the early returns have made it clear that investors haven’t gone ga-ga for genomics like they did a decade ago. The latest data point arrived today in the form of Complete Genomics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GNOM]]). This Mountain View, CA-based company, … Continue reading “Forget About a Second Genomics Bubble: Complete Genomics Tumbles on IPO First Day”
Stealth Startups and Acquisition Rumors: Some Tidbits from King of the Web, Sparkbuy, PhotoRocket, Isilon, Widevine, and TechStars
Let’s get caught up on some Seattle tech gossip, shall we? It’s on my mind as I come back to town for the second time in as many weeks. Man, I miss this place and all its back-channel intrigue… —Nick Hanauer of Second Avenue Partners told me a little more about the new social gaming … Continue reading “Stealth Startups and Acquisition Rumors: Some Tidbits from King of the Web, Sparkbuy, PhotoRocket, Isilon, Widevine, and TechStars”
A VC Re-Visits China: Vitality and Optimism, but What Lies Ahead?
What a fascinating week to be traveling in Asia. President Obama is here for the G20 Summit—as is Tiger Woods—and, frankly, I am surprised at how tough the local press is on both men (at least one is well deserving of the criticism, though). The juxtaposition to when I was here right after President Obama … Continue reading “A VC Re-Visits China: Vitality and Optimism, but What Lies Ahead?”
ZymoGenetics CEO Exits Stage, Resolve’s Recession-Era Biotech Plan, Ikaria Pulls IPO, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
Two of the Seattle area’s venture capitalists watched the IPO market with bated breath this week, and while one looks like it will get a cherished liquidity event, another saw its hopes dashed at the 11th hour. —Ikaria, the hibernation-on-demand company with technology from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, slashed its IPO asking price … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics CEO Exits Stage, Resolve’s Recession-Era Biotech Plan, Ikaria Pulls IPO, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
At AngelPad Demo Night, Ex-Googlers Share Plans to Overhaul the Web
It seems you can’t walk a block in SoMa these days without passing the door of a new venture incubator. The latest addition to the startup-school scene is AngelPad, which announced its existence in August and has already graduated its first class of founders. Eight AngelPad companies pitched their audacious ideas to a standing-room-only crowd … Continue reading “At AngelPad Demo Night, Ex-Googlers Share Plans to Overhaul the Web”
“No, I Will Not Fund Your Company”
If you are an entrepreneur and you haven’t heard the phrase above, then you probably got one of the following: “why don’t you come back when you have more traction;” “this just isn’t for us;” or (my least favorite), “this looks like a solid double…we only take home runs.” I do some work for LaunchCapital, … Continue reading ““No, I Will Not Fund Your Company””
Report: Ikaria Withdraws IPO, Leaving Arch, Hutch in the Lurch
Ikaria, the company with the futuristic “hibernation-on-demand” technology with roots at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, has withdrawn its IPO plans, according to a report from Dow Jones News Services. Goldman Sachs, an underwriter of the deal, confirmed it has been withdrawn, according to the wire service. Earlier in the day, Xconomy … Continue reading “Report: Ikaria Withdraws IPO, Leaving Arch, Hutch in the Lurch”
Complete Genomics Gets Ho-Hum Reception, Cuts IPO Price More than 30%, to $9
Complete Genomics has an audacious goal to make DNA sequencing super-fast and super-cheap, but this bold vision hasn’t ginned up the enthusiasm on Wall Street that the company was hoping for. The Mountain View, CA-based company said in a regulatory filing on Monday that it was planning to sell 6 million shares in its initial … Continue reading “Complete Genomics Gets Ho-Hum Reception, Cuts IPO Price More than 30%, to $9”
Optimer Halts Study After Antibiotic for Traveler’s Diarrhea Linked to Rash; Shares Drop
Optimer Pharmaceuticals has some bad news out today. The San Diego-based developer of antibiotics said it has halted a study of an experimental antibiotic for traveler’s diarrhea after a higher than expected rate of skin rashes. Shares of Optimer (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OPTR]]) fell more than 15 percent after the news broke. The company made the disclosure … Continue reading “Optimer Halts Study After Antibiotic for Traveler’s Diarrhea Linked to Rash; Shares Drop”
EMC Acquisitions Could Include Isilon, LFB Buys GTC, Tremor Media Snaps Up ScanScout, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Diagnostics and software startups were active on the New England-area deals front this week. We saw news of acquisitions, financings, and stock purchases, and also covered some more in-depth strategy at a big area tech name. —Pathogenetix, a Woburn, MA-based diagnostics startup formerly named U.S. Genomics, brought in $1.3 million in equity-based funding, and $900,000 … Continue reading “EMC Acquisitions Could Include Isilon, LFB Buys GTC, Tremor Media Snaps Up ScanScout, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Ikaria IPO Finds So-So Demand, Company Slashes Proposed Offering 38 Percent
One of the hotly anticipated life science IPOs of the fall is getting a tepid reception during a rough week in the stock market. Ikaria, the Clinton, NJ-based biotech company with futuristic “hibernation-on-demand” technology from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, has scaled back its IPO plans this week, according to a filing today with … Continue reading “Ikaria IPO Finds So-So Demand, Company Slashes Proposed Offering 38 Percent”
West Wireless Health Institute Joins Xconomy Forum on Health IT
The non-profit West Wireless Health Institute says it has developed its first engineering prototype—a wireless fetal and maternal monitoring device called “Sense4Baby.” The device, which is intended for use by expectant mothers wherever cellular or Internet service exist, also has become part of a collaboration with Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]), the San Diego wireless giant, and … Continue reading “West Wireless Health Institute Joins Xconomy Forum on Health IT”
Why I Moved Backupify To Boston
Backupify was started in November 2008 in Louisville, KY. In April of 2010, we decided to move the company to Boston, and we officially opened our Boston headquarters in September. As part of the decision, we decided to focus solely on the three primary startup hubs in the United States: Boston, New York City, and … Continue reading “Why I Moved Backupify To Boston”
Flowtown Turns E-Mail Lists into Customer Networks; Acquires Who Should I Follow? to Boost Twitter Marketing
It’s obvious, these days, that anyone who wants to sell things or build an audience on the Web should be tapping into social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, where interesting messages can spread virally and drive lots of free traffic back to a blog, site, or landing page. But knowing this and being able … Continue reading “Flowtown Turns E-Mail Lists into Customer Networks; Acquires Who Should I Follow? to Boost Twitter Marketing”
Q&A with Bill Davenhall on Medical Place History, TEDMED, and the Importance of a Story Well Told
A little more than a year ago, ESRI’s Bill Davenhall delivered a thought-provoking talk at TEDMED about the importance of including a “place history”—a record of the places where a person has lived (and the nearby environmental risks)—as part of that person’s medical history. (Watch a video of Davenhall’s talk here.) ESRI, based in Redlands, … Continue reading “Q&A with Bill Davenhall on Medical Place History, TEDMED, and the Importance of a Story Well Told”
Resolve Therapeutics, UW Spinoff With an Eye on Lupus, Crafts Recession-Era Business Plan
The economists all say that the recession is over, but you’d hardly know from the creative contortions entrepreneurs must perform to start a biotech company in 2010. The latest sign of the times comes from Resolve Therapeutics, an interesting new startup in Seattle. Resolve is the latest spinoff from the University of Washington, where it … Continue reading “Resolve Therapeutics, UW Spinoff With an Eye on Lupus, Crafts Recession-Era Business Plan”