The grand ballroom of the Royal Sonesta hotel in Cambridge, MA, was jam-packed last night and had a collective energy that I haven’t felt in a long time. Hundreds of people were on hand for the Web Innovators Group meeting, organized by venture capitalist David Beisel (formerly of Venrock, now with NextView Ventures). I had … Continue reading “Play140 Looks Into the Future of Social Gaming, Sees the Past (Text-Based Games)”
Category: National
Two San Diego Startups Launching at Demo Fall 2010
Startup technology CEOs from such far-flung locales as Singapore, Cairo, Lisbon, and Lund, Sweden, have gathered at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara, CA, today to pitch their companies at Demo Fall 2010, the annual technology conference. While the schedule includes some prominent Silicon Valley CEOs as speakers (Twitter co-founder and Square CEO Jack Dorsey … Continue reading “Two San Diego Startups Launching at Demo Fall 2010”
The Social Contract of Science
To know what to change to make universities more innovative in the way they manage science, we have to go back to the way our biomedical-industrial complex is constructed. We have come a long way from the days when science was done by a gentleman scientist in a room in his mansion, supported by his … Continue reading “The Social Contract of Science”
Get Satisfaction Snags $6M to Crowdsource Customer Support—To Other Customers
You may have heard of Valleywag, the tech gossip site owned by Gawker Media. But you’ve probably never heard of Valleyschwag—a short-lived startup where subscribers could sign up to receive monthly grab-bags full of surplus promotional goodies. Late one night in 2006, the Valleyschwag team updated its website with a new feature, sent out an … Continue reading “Get Satisfaction Snags $6M to Crowdsource Customer Support—To Other Customers”
Winshuttle Goes from Bootstrapped to World Beater With $12M (First Financing Round)
Bothell, WA-based Winshuttle said today it has raised $12 million in growth equity financing from Summit Partners. It’s big news for the business software company, which hasn’t taken outside financing until now. Winshuttle, which has been one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. over the last few years, bootstrapped its way to profitability … Continue reading “Winshuttle Goes from Bootstrapped to World Beater With $12M (First Financing Round)”
Arena Obesity Drug Was Effective by ‘Slim Margin,’ FDA Staff Raises Rat Cancer Concern; Shares Tumble
Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARNA]]) has spent a dozen years working on developing a new drug with potential to help millions of people lose weight. Now U.S. regulators have had a chance to comb through detailed clinical trial results, and found it passed one of the two common standards for effectiveness of an obesity drug by … Continue reading “Arena Obesity Drug Was Effective by ‘Slim Margin,’ FDA Staff Raises Rat Cancer Concern; Shares Tumble”
Punchbowl Changes Domain Name, Looks to Prevail in Tough Climate for Parties
Here’s an interesting snapshot of a lean, consumer-oriented Internet startup that has survived the recession so far—and is looking to take its business to a new level. Framingham, MA-based Punchbowl Software, an online party-planning company, said today it has surpassed one million registered users as of a few weeks ago. That number includes senders and … Continue reading “Punchbowl Changes Domain Name, Looks to Prevail in Tough Climate for Parties”
World Economic Forum Helps Burnish San Diego’s On-Ramp Wireless, a Specialist in Low-Power, Low Data Rate Technology
San Diego’s On-Ramp Wireless already seemed to have plenty of momentum before the World Economic Forum of Geneva, Switzerland, included the San Diego wireless startup on its list of 31 companies designated as 2011 “technology pioneers.” The startup was founded in 2008 to develop a specialized, end-to-end wireless system for low data rate communication across … Continue reading “World Economic Forum Helps Burnish San Diego’s On-Ramp Wireless, a Specialist in Low-Power, Low Data Rate Technology”
Michigan’s Emerging Startup Economy—A Conversation with Renaissance Venture Capital’s Chris Rizik
On Labor Day, the Renaissance Venture Capital Fund announced the final close of its fund, bringing the total raised to just under $50 million. The Ann Arbor-based Renaissance is a fund of funds: instead of investing money directly into startups, it invests in other venture funds, thereby hedging its bets in one sense, but also … Continue reading “Michigan’s Emerging Startup Economy—A Conversation with Renaissance Venture Capital’s Chris Rizik”
Cequint Acquired for $112.5M, DataSphere Raises $10M From OVP, Hydrovolts Prepares For Big Business, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
Over the last week, as summer waves goodbye, the autumn deals have started rolling in. Take a look at the highlights: —Seattle-based startup DigitalScirocco rolled out of stealth a few months ago, and into a deal with US Presswire last week. The digital content marketplace teamed up with the sports wire service to build out … Continue reading “Cequint Acquired for $112.5M, DataSphere Raises $10M From OVP, Hydrovolts Prepares For Big Business, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Who Knew? Part 3: Xconomy Uncovers Even More Strange-But-True Facts About Boston’s Innovation Leaders
We’re back! After a long hiatus, Xconomy has returned with more strange-but-true facts from the world of New England innovation. And in this latest installment, our third so far, things are getting seriously offbeat. Who once acted as press secretary for not one, but two of the four leaders of the Tiananmen Square revolt—and which … Continue reading “Who Knew? Part 3: Xconomy Uncovers Even More Strange-But-True Facts About Boston’s Innovation Leaders”
Seattle Doesn’t Need a Biotech Anchor Tenant. It Needs to Be a Place Where Startups Thrive
Over the past week or so, I have been asked by a number of people, both privately and in the media, what I think about the acquisition of Seattle-based ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) by Bristol-Myers Squibb. As is usually true in Seattle, the prevailing reaction following the announcement was some moaning and gnashing of teeth, with … Continue reading “Seattle Doesn’t Need a Biotech Anchor Tenant. It Needs to Be a Place Where Startups Thrive”
Jonathan Bush and Girish Navani, Two Major Figures in Health IT, to Headline Xconomy Xchange
There are literally billions of dollars at stake in this contest: Across the U.S., electronic health records (EHR) vendors are hustling to get physicians to buy their products as the federal government forges ahead with a multibillion-dollar effort to increase usage of the records. The race was ignited by the February 2009 passage of the … Continue reading “Jonathan Bush and Girish Navani, Two Major Figures in Health IT, to Headline Xconomy Xchange”
Ironwood Pharma Passes Third Big Clinical Trial With Constipation Drug, Shares Climb
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals went public earlier this year after passing its first two pivotal clinical trials. Now the company has cleared its third major clinical hurdle, which sent the Cambridge, MA-based company’s shares (NASDAQ:[[ticker:IRWD]]) up by more than 15 percent in after-hours trading. Ironwood’s experimental drug reached its goal of relieving abdominal pain/discomfort and helping reduce … Continue reading “Ironwood Pharma Passes Third Big Clinical Trial With Constipation Drug, Shares Climb”
UTest Raises its Largest Round Yet, $13 Million, to Scale Up Crowdsourced Software Testing Community
UTest, which helps big companies crowdsource their software quality assurance (QA) testing to a community of 30,000 freelance testers, said today that it has raised $13 million in Series C financing. It’s one of the largest venture funding rounds ever collected by a crowdsourcing company, and from the size of the round, “you should take … Continue reading “UTest Raises its Largest Round Yet, $13 Million, to Scale Up Crowdsourced Software Testing Community”
Book of Odds, With Book Deal in Tow, Is Updating Website to Help Consumers Make Sense of Risks in Everyday Life
The Book of Odds isn’t betting its future on any one thing, and founder and president Amram Shapiro see that as one of its strengths. “A lot of websites and startups are one-trick ponies,” Shapiro says. “Everything really has to work or pretty much they’re out of it. We think of ourselves as a 10- … Continue reading “Book of Odds, With Book Deal in Tow, Is Updating Website to Help Consumers Make Sense of Risks in Everyday Life”
Relypsa Snags $70M Venture Round to Get Rid of Excess Potassium in Blood
The people who made a bundle off a company called Ilypsa may just have found a hit in their second act. Santa Clara, CA-based Relypsa said today it has nailed down $70 million in a Series B round of venture financing to pursue a new drug that tamps down excessive potassium in the blood. OrbiMed … Continue reading “Relypsa Snags $70M Venture Round to Get Rid of Excess Potassium in Blood”
Third Rock Ventures Secures $426M Second Fund, Makes Changes to Partner Ranks
Third Rock Ventures, a healthcare-focused venture firm with offices in Boston and San Francisco, says today it has raised $426 million for its second fund. The fund represents a vote of support for the firm’s model of investing in and starting life sciences ventures that have the potential to transform healthcare. The Boston-based firm, which … Continue reading “Third Rock Ventures Secures $426M Second Fund, Makes Changes to Partner Ranks”
Genzyme Agrees to Sell Genetics Unit to LabCorp for $925M
Cambridge, MA-based biotech powerhouse Genzyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GENZ]]) has struck a deal to sell its laboratory testing unit to Laboratory Corporation of America for $925 million in cash, the company reported this morning. The move is part of a plan to win over shareholders and comes after the French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis made an unsolicited offer … Continue reading “Genzyme Agrees to Sell Genetics Unit to LabCorp for $925M”
How the B-School Dropouts at Bump Are Filling a Big Gap in Mobile Communications
During his first week at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business in 2008, David Lieb found himself meeting dozens of new classmates and typing their names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses into his phone’s address book, one by one. “There is this little loop running in my mind that’s always going, ‘Why are … Continue reading “How the B-School Dropouts at Bump Are Filling a Big Gap in Mobile Communications”
What Will Happen to ZymoGenetics’ Landmark Headquarters when Bristol Calls the Shots?
The big question these days in Seattle biotech is about people. What will happen to the 320 people who work at ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]), now that the pioneering company has agreed to be taken over by pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb for $885 million? Given the history of takeovers like this, the safe bet is that … Continue reading “What Will Happen to ZymoGenetics’ Landmark Headquarters when Bristol Calls the Shots?”
How Hydrovolts’ $250k Development Deal Could Turn into a $20M Contract and Global Market
Hydrovolts has scored an investment deal that looks small at first blush, but could take the cleantech startup to the next level. The Seattle-based company, which develops small hydropower turbines that generate renewable energy from small streams and canals, last week received a $250,000 investment from civil engineering firm DLZ Corp. to develop prototype turbine … Continue reading “How Hydrovolts’ $250k Development Deal Could Turn into a $20M Contract and Global Market”
It’s True: Using More FDA ‘Wheels’ Under Cancer Drugs Can Speed Approval
Despite cancer’s complex nature, biotech firms have cranked out approvable therapies for the disease at an impressive pace, from blockbusters such as Genentech/Roche’s bevacizumab (Avastin) and trastuzumab (Herceptin) to smaller-selling but vital compounds targeting tumors that previously were treated inadequately or not at all. Clinical blowups abound, but the gains have been real. How do … Continue reading “It’s True: Using More FDA ‘Wheels’ Under Cancer Drugs Can Speed Approval”
Seattle Genetics’ Dark Horse Drug Candidate Fails in Key Study
Seattle Genetics has struck out in its bid to treat one of the more aggressive forms of leukemia. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) is announcing today that one of its experimental antibody drugs failed to help people with acute myeloid leukemia live longer in a clinical trial. The study of 210 patients, which … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics’ Dark Horse Drug Candidate Fails in Key Study”
A123 Opens Lithium Ion Battery Plant in Michigan, Wants to Create Global Hub for Electric Vehicles
Big companies put on dog-and-pony shows for government officials all the time, but this one actually means something. A123Systems (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AONE]]), based in the Boston area, is officially opening a 291,000-square-foot lithium ion battery manufacturing facility in Livonia, MI, today. The plant already employs more than 300 people, and is part of a Michigan expansion … Continue reading “A123 Opens Lithium Ion Battery Plant in Michigan, Wants to Create Global Hub for Electric Vehicles”
WebSideStory Founder Returns with Anametrix, VMIX Gets Capital, Cannon Power Group Closes Record Wind Power Deal, & More San Diego BizTech News
Could San Diego’s software sector be strengthening? We’re seeing a couple of new companies and some new funding, and our roundup is here. —Veteran software CEO John Mutch, who headed a bankruptcy reorganization of San Diego’s Peregrine Systems, is now at the helm of BeyondTrust, an IT security company that recently moved its headquarters to … Continue reading “WebSideStory Founder Returns with Anametrix, VMIX Gets Capital, Cannon Power Group Closes Record Wind Power Deal, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Google Gets Instant Results, Investors Write Livescribe a Big Check, Willow Garage Unleashes a $400,000 Robot, & More Bay Area Biztech News
Last week was a short but eventful one, with Google’s announcement about a revamped search interface dominating the news. Here were the highlights. —Google introduced “Google Instant,” a new version of its core search engine that guesses what you’re searching for and flashes pages of search results before you’ve finished entering your query. The company … Continue reading “Google Gets Instant Results, Investors Write Livescribe a Big Check, Willow Garage Unleashes a $400,000 Robot, & More Bay Area Biztech News”
Transparency
Transparency is viewed by many as the solution to many of the world’s problems, and perhaps a solution to failed collaborations. Indeed, a common explanation for disputes is that they result from an imbalance of information between the two sides. If we could have more transparency, some say, then we would all have the same … Continue reading “Transparency”
PerkinElmer Expects to Make Acquisitions After $500M Business Sale: CEO Talks Boston-Area Talent and Growth in Software, Imaging
PerkinElmer has recently struck a deal that it hopes will fuel its growth in the human and environmental health markets, among other things. Rob Friel, the chairman and chief executive of the Waltham, MA-based maker of lab analytical tools, gave me his personal take on his firm’s (NYSE: [[ticker:PKI]]) sale of its illumination and detection … Continue reading “PerkinElmer Expects to Make Acquisitions After $500M Business Sale: CEO Talks Boston-Area Talent and Growth in Software, Imaging”
Have a Beer With Carl Weissman and Me Monday at Xconomy Meetup
We spend a lot of time breaking stories and thinking about big events here at Xconomy, but sometimes we like to kick back at a local watering hole to just chat informally with readers. So we’re carving out time to do this, starting Monday, for the first of what we expect will be a series … Continue reading “Have a Beer With Carl Weissman and Me Monday at Xconomy Meetup”
Genzyme Cutting 1,000 Jobs Over Next 15 Months
Cambridge, MA-based Genzyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GENZ]]) is cutting 1,000 jobs over the next 15 months, as it faces intense pressure from shareholders to recover from manufacturing woes and deal with a takeover bid from Paris-based drug giant Sanofi-Aventis. Genzyme CEO Henri Termeer described the job cut plan this morning in a memo to employees. The layoffs … Continue reading “Genzyme Cutting 1,000 Jobs Over Next 15 Months”
Zynga Gets Zinged, Evernote Gets A Memory Button, Google TV Gets Accelerated, & Other Web News You Might Have Missed
While I was preoccupied this short week covering stuff like open source robots, smart pens, custom e-mail signatures, and Google Instant, quite a few interesting tech stories were popping up elsewhere on the Web. A few quick pointers: —I’ve only been in San Francisco since July, and I’ve already heard plenty of whispers about Zynga … Continue reading “Zynga Gets Zinged, Evernote Gets A Memory Button, Google TV Gets Accelerated, & Other Web News You Might Have Missed”
Lithium-Ion Battery Maker Sakti3 Gets $4.2 Million from GM, Itochu to Speed Up Commercialization Efforts
Sakti3, an Ann Arbor, MI-based lithium-ion battery maker, announced today that it has brought in $4.2 million from General Motors Ventures and Itochu Technology Ventures to put toward the manufacturing and commercialization of its battery cells. Sakti3 was co-founded by Ann Marie Sastry, a University of Michigan engineering professor, in 2007, and is working on … Continue reading “Lithium-Ion Battery Maker Sakti3 Gets $4.2 Million from GM, Itochu to Speed Up Commercialization Efforts”
Google’s Street View “Trike” at Faneuil Hall Today: Q&A with Digital Imaging Mastermind Luc Vincent
If you’re in the Faneuil Hall area of Boston today, look out for the trike. That would be the Google Street View Trike, a pedicab-like contraption mounted with a camera and computer equipment. It’s meant to capture 360-degree, street-level images of places where Google’s fleet of Street View cars can’t go—pedestrian malls, university campuses, parks, … Continue reading “Google’s Street View “Trike” at Faneuil Hall Today: Q&A with Digital Imaging Mastermind Luc Vincent”
Google Instant Is Anything But a Time-Saver
At a press event in San Francisco this week, Google introduced Google Instant, an overhaul of its core search engine that brings up location- and history-sensitive search results even before you’ve finished typing your query. If you live in San Francisco and you type “s-a-u,” for example, Google Instant will make an educated guess that … Continue reading “Google Instant Is Anything But a Time-Saver”
Smilebox Takes on Shutterfly, Snapfish in Growing Global Market for Photo Sharing
Smilebox is on a mission to help people around the world capture life’s moments, and share them. The Redmond, WA-based startup’s photo service—something of a cross between a desktop application like iTunes, and a pure Web-based service like Google search—helps consumers share pictures and videos online, create original projects like greeting cards, invitations, scrapbooks, slideshows, … Continue reading “Smilebox Takes on Shutterfly, Snapfish in Growing Global Market for Photo Sharing”
Ramius Group Gains Ally in Fight With Cypress Bioscience
A second institutional shareholder has joined a potential proxy battle at Cypress Bioscience after the San Diego biotech spurned an unsolicited buyout offer from a New York hedge fund. The shareholder, Arcadia Capital Advisors of Great Neck, NY, which owns less than a 5 percent stake in Cypress, has issued an open letter that is … Continue reading “Ramius Group Gains Ally in Fight With Cypress Bioscience”
Good Start Genetics Emerges from Stealth with $18M Series A Round
Good Start Genetics is making boosters from all corners of the life sciences sector in Massachusetts look really good today. The Boston-based startup, which is developing genetic tests for prospective parents, says today that it has finished raising an $18 million Series A round of funding. There appear to be a number of people and … Continue reading “Good Start Genetics Emerges from Stealth with $18M Series A Round”
iPierian Entices Corporate VCs, Plexxikon’s One-Two Punch, Jennerex’s Road Less Traveled, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News
We had news from the world of cancer drugs, genomics, stem cells, and an interesting little piece on a strategy for potentially preventing chronic fatigue syndrome. Get caught up here. —Emeryville, CA-based Onyx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONXX]]) said it has struck a partnership with Japan-based Ono Pharmaceuticals. The deal provides about $59 million in upfront cash … Continue reading “iPierian Entices Corporate VCs, Plexxikon’s One-Two Punch, Jennerex’s Road Less Traveled, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News”
The Personalized Medicine Opportunity–Shifting the Business to Regulated Markets
Life science tool companies have traditionally operated in the “research use only” market—selling equipment and reagents to academic labs, research centers and biopharmaceutical R&D. By selling into the research-only market, these companies have been able to avoid the burdens of controls placed on regulated products. However, the line between research and clinical activities is increasingly … Continue reading “The Personalized Medicine Opportunity–Shifting the Business to Regulated Markets”
Pfizer Axes Celldex Agreement, Vertex’s Telaprevir Performs in Clinical Trial, Anchor Therapeutics Inks Potential $480M Deal With J&J, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
—Needham, MA-based Celldex Therapeutics announced that Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) had terminated a agreement in which it licensed Celldex’s experimental cancer vaccine rindopepimut, because it no longer views the drug as a strategic priority. Celldex (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLDX]]) will regain full rights to develop and commercialize the drug, effective November 1. —Ryan checked in with Oliver Fetzer, … Continue reading “Pfizer Axes Celldex Agreement, Vertex’s Telaprevir Performs in Clinical Trial, Anchor Therapeutics Inks Potential $480M Deal With J&J, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Allied Minds Injects $3 Million Into Ann Arbor-based Biotectix to Support Conductive Polymer Technology for Implantable Medical Devices
Allied Minds, which makes seed investments in technology developed at universities and national labs, said yesterday it has invested $3 million in Ann Arbor, MI-based Biotectix to advance research and development of its novel conductive polymer technology. The company, which was formed out of the University of Michigan, is working on polymer materials and coatings … Continue reading “Allied Minds Injects $3 Million Into Ann Arbor-based Biotectix to Support Conductive Polymer Technology for Implantable Medical Devices”
Angel Boot Camp, Project 11, and Hacker Angels Meet at a Startup Called Locately
Normally, we wouldn’t get too excited about a $300,000 tech startup financing in Boston. We might write a brief, or save it for a deal roundup. But today’s news that Locately, a Boston-based location analytics firm, has raised a seed round touches on several important local innovation themes and organizations. Consider the following: —One of … Continue reading “Angel Boot Camp, Project 11, and Hacker Angels Meet at a Startup Called Locately”
Beringea Backs Mophie to Help Make Smartphones Smarter in an Exploding Market
In about four years, Mophie has evolved from a startup operated out of a founder’s garage in Kalamazoo, MI, to a fast-growing provider of electronic accessories for smartphones and other mobile devices with operations in Paw Paw, MI, and Santa Ana, CA. That’s according to Jeff Bocan, a managing director for the Farmington Hills, MI-based … Continue reading “Beringea Backs Mophie to Help Make Smartphones Smarter in an Exploding Market”
Powerhouse Dynamics, With Another $400K, Is Out to Monitor Energy Use at the Circuit Level and Sell Through Dealers
Not using energy you don’t need has become an attractive way of going green, and has given birth to companies out to track and target your energy consumption, or retrofit your home for greater efficiency. Newton, MA-based Powerhouse Dynamics, founded in 2008, is a player in the energy-monitoring software field, but it’s been going about … Continue reading “Powerhouse Dynamics, With Another $400K, Is Out to Monitor Energy Use at the Circuit Level and Sell Through Dealers”
Who Will Pay For Innovation in the 21st Century? Find Out at Xconomy “VC Crossfire” Oct. 28
Some say the days when venture capitalists could bet big on risky, world-changing companies like Google and Genentech are in the past. The prolonged sluggish period in the U.S. economy has taken a toll, and an estimated one-third to one-half of all venture funds are thought to be slowly going out of business. Many VC … Continue reading “Who Will Pay For Innovation in the 21st Century? Find Out at Xconomy “VC Crossfire” Oct. 28″
Zogenix Files for IPO, Orexigen Licenses Obesity Drug to Takeda, ImThera Raises Capital For Sleep Apnea, & More San Diego Life Science News
The big news: San Diego’s Orexigen inked a marketing deal around its obesity drug compound whose value could soar into the billions of dollars. We’ve got that and the rest of San Diego’s life science news for you here. —Zogenix, the four-year-old San Diego startup that develops compounds for treating pain and central nervous system … Continue reading “Zogenix Files for IPO, Orexigen Licenses Obesity Drug to Takeda, ImThera Raises Capital For Sleep Apnea, & More San Diego Life Science News”
Acceleron Snags $498M Deal With Shire to Develop Muscular Dystrophy Drugs
Shire has got to be feeling a little extra bounce in its step, as one of its competitors (Genzyme) has wobbled recently, and today it’s continuing its bold push forward in the world of rare diseases in a big partnership with Cambridge, MA-based Acceleron Pharma. Shire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SHGPY]]), the U.K-based company that’s become an increasingly … Continue reading “Acceleron Snags $498M Deal With Shire to Develop Muscular Dystrophy Drugs”
WiseStamp Puts a More Personal Signature on E-mail
In ancient times, before the dawn of e-mail, there were people who would grab any old blank sheet of paper to write or type on, and there were people who would only use fancy letterhead paper embossed with their names or logos. People in the first group probably cared more about getting their message across … Continue reading “WiseStamp Puts a More Personal Signature on E-mail”
DataSphere, Backed by OVP and Ignition, Raises $10M to Tap into Hyperlocal Online Ad Market
DataSphere Technologies is riding the hyperlocal wave. The Bellevue, WA-based Web technology and ad sales company has raised another $10 million in a Series C venture round led by Kirkland, WA-based OVP Venture Partners. The financing will back DataSphere’s further expansion into the $100 billion U.S. local advertising market, the company said in a statement … Continue reading “DataSphere, Backed by OVP and Ignition, Raises $10M to Tap into Hyperlocal Online Ad Market”