There was some feisty commentary this week on the site to go with a couple big personnel moves right before the holiday weekend. —Exelixis CEO George Scangos built that company’s reputation around a productive R&D pipeline, and now he’s taking on the big challenge of fixing the R&D engine at Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Exelixis CEO Takes Biogen Gig, What Drives Brook Byers Crazy, The Mission Bay Biotech Cluster, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News”
Category: National
Biogen Names CEO, Glaser Leaves Partners, SV Closes $523M Fund, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
We’ve seen some big executive moves, funding announcements, and strategy updates at New England area life sciences firms this week. —A blog post revealed Partners HealthCare chief information officer John Glaser would be living his role to become CEO of the hospital software division of Siemens, who confirmed the report later Monday afternoon. The news … Continue reading “Biogen Names CEO, Glaser Leaves Partners, SV Closes $523M Fund, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Northrop Grumman Planning First UAV-to-UAV Aerial Refueling
At Northrop Grumman’s unmanned systems development center in suburban San Diego, some folks are describing a $33 million contract that was announced today as “DARPA hard.” DARPA is an acronym for the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the two-year contract awarded to Northrop Grumman calls for demonstrating the feasibility of using one high-altitude … Continue reading “Northrop Grumman Planning First UAV-to-UAV Aerial Refueling”
ITA Software Bought by Google for $700M, Shifting Balance of Power in Travel Search
Score a big one for travel search. This deal was a long time in coming, but Cambridge, MA-based ITA Software is being acquired by Google for about $700 million in cash. There were rumors earlier, and the companies have now confirmed they have signed a definitive agreement. ITA makes the behind-the-scenes software that organizes data … Continue reading “ITA Software Bought by Google for $700M, Shifting Balance of Power in Travel Search”
Amazon Upgrades Kindle DX E-Reader with New E Ink Display
Can this device take on the iPad? Last night, Seattle-based Amazon.com announced its new version of the Kindle DX (its larger e-reader device), which it touts as having “50 percent better contrast for the clearest text and sharpest images,” as well as a slew of other features including long battery life, 3G wireless connectivity, and … Continue reading “Amazon Upgrades Kindle DX E-Reader with New E Ink Display”
World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode IV: Torch Lake, MI
Sharon Branson, a retired nurse, and her husband Dean Branson, a retired industrial chemist and toxicologist, are busy enough for any three non-retired couples. I met this fascinating couple through my parents, who serve with Dean in the Three Lakes Association, a conservation group working to preserve the natural environment around Michigan’s Torch Lake and … Continue reading “World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode IV: Torch Lake, MI”
Qualcomm Offers Cash Incentives, Broader Support, in Bid to Energize App Developers (and Partners Like Twitter)
After taking a hiatus in its annual Brew developers conference last year, Qualcomm raised the curtain yesterday on its new and improved Brew MP (mobile platform) at Uplinq—a reincarnated developers conference that recasts the two-year-old Brew MP as a “fully realized” mobile operating system that is broader, deeper, and more developer friendly. Following a multimedia … Continue reading “Qualcomm Offers Cash Incentives, Broader Support, in Bid to Energize App Developers (and Partners Like Twitter)”
New CEO George Scangos Says Biogen Idec’s R&D Has to Improve
George Scangos, the newly appointed chief executive of Biogen Idec (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]), is calling for the biotech powerhouse to improve its research and development productivity. Which could mean that some projects get cut, Scangos said in a call with analysts yesterday. The news broke on Wednesday that Biogen selected Scangos for the big job. Scangos, 62, … Continue reading “New CEO George Scangos Says Biogen Idec’s R&D Has to Improve”
Rising from the Ashes of Pfizer: The Michigan Contract Research Organization Cluster
[Updated and corrected: 11:30 am, 7/7/10] Michigan suffered one heck of a body blow in January 2007. That’s when Pfizer, the world’s largest drugmaker, said it was shutting down its Ann Arbor, MI, research and development center, and eliminating 2,400 jobs. That’s usually the end of the story, as hardly anybody keep tracks of what … Continue reading “Rising from the Ashes of Pfizer: The Michigan Contract Research Organization Cluster”
Medify, Incubated at Voyager Capital, Raises $1.3M to Reshape Health IT for Consumers
It’s not quite two guys in a garage getting their big break, but it’s close. Medify, a healthcare IT startup incubated at Seattle-based Voyager Capital, said today it has raised $1.3 million in first-round venture funding. Voyager put in $1 million, and the rest was from angel investors and the founders. The stealth company is … Continue reading “Medify, Incubated at Voyager Capital, Raises $1.3M to Reshape Health IT for Consumers”
Airport Wind Turbine, Educational Software, Customized News Get Michigan Microloan Funds
Three Michigan companies have received a combined $104,000 through the Michigan Microloan Fund Program, managed by the Ann Arbor SPARK business incubator. This latest round means the program has invested a total of more than $1.3 million in 36 companies since it was started last July. Microloans range from $10,000 to $50,000 and are reserved … Continue reading “Airport Wind Turbine, Educational Software, Customized News Get Michigan Microloan Funds”
New CFO Pearl Chan on What Drew Her to the Cheezburger Network and Why Humor is for Everyone
If you like to spend your spare time crawling the Internet for pictures of cute animals with silly captions or stories of others’ “fails” (i.e. moments of sheer misfortune caught on camera), odds are you’ve stumbled upon I Can Has Cheezburger. It’s grown into a network of 51 sites that have become the viral ‘it … Continue reading “New CFO Pearl Chan on What Drew Her to the Cheezburger Network and Why Humor is for Everyone”
Sanofi Buys TargeGen, Biogen Idec Hires CEO, Orexigen Obesity Drug Shows Promise Against Diabetes, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
It’s been barbell time for life sciences news in San Diego, with much of the developments happening yesterday and at the end of last week. Still, it shouldn’t require too much heavy lifting; your workout starts now. —Sanofi-Aventis, the French pharma giant, is acquiring San Diego-based TargeGen in a structured deal that could be worth … Continue reading “Sanofi Buys TargeGen, Biogen Idec Hires CEO, Orexigen Obesity Drug Shows Promise Against Diabetes, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
The Wireless Vineyard: A Former Intel Researcher Reinvents Irrigation in the Mountains Above Napa
The vines are standing in straight rows along the irrigation pipes at Camalie Vineyards, high on the side of Mt. Veeder, in Napa Valley. For each vine a smaller pipe, thinner than a soda straw, runs from the pipe into the earth and down to the roots. Here and there you can spot some yellow … Continue reading “The Wireless Vineyard: A Former Intel Researcher Reinvents Irrigation in the Mountains Above Napa”
Calistoga Pockets $40M, NanoString Hires CEO, Spiration Sells to Olympus, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This week was so busy with companies breaking news before the holiday weekend that I didn’t have time to immediately jump on the latest tempest affecting Dendreon. Alas, tomorrow is another day. —Seattle-based Calistoga Pharmaceuticals generated the big news of the week, by raising $40 million in the biggest venture deal of the year so … Continue reading “Calistoga Pockets $40M, NanoString Hires CEO, Spiration Sells to Olympus, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Arena Strikes Deal with Eisai to Market Obesity Drug in U.S., Pocketing $50M Upfront
Arena Pharmaceuticals has raised $1 billion to get an obesity drug candidate on the doorstep of FDA approval, and now it has found someone else to commercialize it. The San Diego-based company has struck a deal with Japan-based Eisai Pharmaceuticals to sell lorcaserin in the U.S. This isn’t the usual transaction you see between a … Continue reading “Arena Strikes Deal with Eisai to Market Obesity Drug in U.S., Pocketing $50M Upfront”
Should It Be Called “Startbucks?”
Today Starbucks begins providing free Internet in their stores. To me, this means that Howard Schultz has just provided 11,000 free offices for startups. To an entrepreneur, having tables, chairs, free Internet, and access to food and coffee is a golden opportunity. To a professional who provides support services to startups (e.g. marketing, design, business … Continue reading “Should It Be Called “Startbucks?””
Second Wind, Looking to Boost Wind Farm Productivity, Logs Millionth Hour of Data Captured on Which Way the Wind Blows
Somerville, MA-based Second Wind started with the intention of measuring which way the wind blows. And in the last few years, it has learned that there’s more than one reason to do that. The company formed in 1980 with the aim of collecting wind data to determine which sites were ideal for developing wind farms. … Continue reading “Second Wind, Looking to Boost Wind Farm Productivity, Logs Millionth Hour of Data Captured on Which Way the Wind Blows”
Exelixis Promotes Morrissey to CEO, Replacing Scangos as He Heads to Biogen Idec
Exelixis didn’t have to spend a lot of time searching for a CEO to replace George Scangos. The South San Francisco-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXEL]]) said today that its president of R&D, Michael Morrissey, is being promoted to the company’s top job as Scangos is leaving to become CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec. Morrissey, … Continue reading “Exelixis Promotes Morrissey to CEO, Replacing Scangos as He Heads to Biogen Idec”
Monitoring Climate Change: Operational Plan Needed Now
All of the research in the world will be unable to mitigate the potentially devastating impact of climate change without a plan that brings measurements into a coordinated operational system. That system must enable accurate change forecasts, must monitor compliance with emission restrictions, and must verify that emission restrictions fulfill their purpose. While the Unites … Continue reading “Monitoring Climate Change: Operational Plan Needed Now”
Obtaining Maximum Value for Your Company in Today’s M&A Market
At the end of 2009, we were optimistic that the M&A markets would pick up and become the key near-term source of liquidity for investors before any real momentum in the IPO and capital markets kicked in. We also believed the technology sector, led by reemerging growth and profitability, would be at the forefront of … Continue reading “Obtaining Maximum Value for Your Company in Today’s M&A Market”
Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh on Surrounding Himself with More Talent, and the Future of the Global Humor Blog Network
Ben Huh is a very busy man. He’s only 32, yet he’s already spent much of the last few years soaking up the media spotlight due to the almost instant success of his network of humor blogs famous for its eccentric and misspelled name, I Can Has Cheezburger. In the three years since Huh purchased … Continue reading “Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh on Surrounding Himself with More Talent, and the Future of the Global Humor Blog Network”
Reports: Biogen Picks Exelixis Chief George Scangos as New CEO
Biogen Idec won’t be the biggest biotech without a CEO for long. Bloomberg News reported late this morning that the Cambridge, MA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) is expected to announce its appointment of George Scangos as its new chief executive as soon as today. Scangos, a microbiologist by training, has been CEO of the South San … Continue reading “Reports: Biogen Picks Exelixis Chief George Scangos as New CEO”
TargeGen Sells to Sanofi For As Much As $560M, Offering Returns to Forward Ventures, Enterprise Partners
Ivor Royston is catching the opera tonight in Paris, and he has some reason to relax. The managing partner of San Diego’s Forward Ventures was in France as the press release hit the wire announcing his portfolio company, TargeGen, has been acquired by Paris-based drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis for as much as $560 million. This deal, like … Continue reading “TargeGen Sells to Sanofi For As Much As $560M, Offering Returns to Forward Ventures, Enterprise Partners”
Longworth and OVP Put $4M Into Symform, Raise Stakes in Cloud Data Storage
Some interesting bicoastal news in cloud computing today. Seattle startup Symform, a maker of cloud storage and data protection technology, has raised $4 million in its second round of funding, led by Boston-area VC firm Longworth Venture Partners. Original investor OVP Venture Partners, based in Kirkland, WA, also participated in the round. As part of … Continue reading “Longworth and OVP Put $4M Into Symform, Raise Stakes in Cloud Data Storage”
World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode III, Who’s Wade?
Mile 971—northern Michigan. We definitely aren’t taking the direct route from Boston to San Francisco. We’ve veered north in order to take in Torch Lake—where we’ve spent the last two nights with my parents—and Minneapolis, our next destination. We were at Torch Lake long enough to record two videos. The second, coming tomorrow, is a … Continue reading “World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode III, Who’s Wade?”
What Drives Brook Byers Crazy & More Lessons On Innovation from the QB3/BayBio Event
Brook Byers got a little animated last night. Speaking in a packed auditorium that bears his name on UCSF’s Mission Bay campus, the famed venture capitalist rhapsodized about the scientific wonders around him, and how the university has created an entrepreneurial culture to translate discoveries into real-world products and businesses. It was all upbeat until … Continue reading “What Drives Brook Byers Crazy & More Lessons On Innovation from the QB3/BayBio Event”
Biotech Investors Should Quit the Marketing Games, and Build Real Innovative Companies
I’d like to see people get back to the concept of building companies. The venture capital community over the last seven to eight years has really gone toward binary outcome type of plays. As a result, they run into a boom and bust cycle of their own creation. This is opposed to conceptually building sustainable … Continue reading “Biotech Investors Should Quit the Marketing Games, and Build Real Innovative Companies”
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Nabs $40M in Washington’s Biggest Venture Deal of 2010
Seattle-based Calistoga Pharmaceuticals has nailed down $40 million in new venture capital, making it the biggest VC deal of the year so far in Washington state (if you don’t count broader private equity deals). The financing was led by a new investor, New York-based Quogue Capital. The rest of the money came from Calistoga’s existing … Continue reading “Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Nabs $40M in Washington’s Biggest Venture Deal of 2010”
Keas, Founded by Former Google and Bit9 Execs, Tries to Make Online Care Plans Pay
Keas has an online platform that gives patients interactive software for improving their health. But the San Francisco-based startup has had to change its strategy to find customers to pay for its technology. In October 2009, Keas made its first big public debut, with articles in the New York Times and on a Wall Street … Continue reading “Keas, Founded by Former Google and Bit9 Execs, Tries to Make Online Care Plans Pay”
Qualcomm Looks to Re-Energize the Brew Faithful at Inaugural Uplinq Conference
Nine years ago, San Diego-based Qualcomm introduced Brew, a programming language that made it easier for software developers to integrate short programs with wireless devices so mobile users could also play games, send messages, share photos, and get other services. The idea was to provide a standard programming environment to accelerate the adoption of mobile … Continue reading “Qualcomm Looks to Re-Energize the Brew Faithful at Inaugural Uplinq Conference”
State Names San Diego “Innovation Hub,” Awards $4M Grant for Biofuels Worker Training
The California Department of Labor says it has awarded the San Diego region a $4 million grant to create job training programs for workers in the emerging biofuels industry. In a related announcement, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Office of Economic Development today named the combined area of San Diego and Imperial Counties as the state’s … Continue reading “State Names San Diego “Innovation Hub,” Awards $4M Grant for Biofuels Worker Training”
BIND Gets Backed by J&J Veteran’s VC Firm, SV Life Sciences Closes Fifth Fund, Boston Power Raises $60M, & More Boston-Area Deals News
We’ve seen investments in software, energy, and life sciences companies in the last week, plus the closing of a big investment fund for a healthcare-focused venture firm. —Extreme Reach, a maker of software for delivering and tracking video advertisements across multiple platforms, wrapped up a $9 million Series B funding round. Village Ventures led the … Continue reading “BIND Gets Backed by J&J Veteran’s VC Firm, SV Life Sciences Closes Fifth Fund, Boston Power Raises $60M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Toyota Delivers Three Prius Plug-In Hybrids for Year-Long Demo
San Diego Gas & Electric and the nonprofit California Center for Sustainable Energy rolled out three Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) today in what’s expected to be at least a year-long program intended to assess the vehicles’ performance in real-world driving conditions throughout the United States. The three cars unveiled today in San Diego … Continue reading “Toyota Delivers Three Prius Plug-In Hybrids for Year-Long Demo”
Tech Alliance’s Susannah Malarkey on Four Things Seattle Could Learn from Boston, and One Big Northwest Advantage
Susannah Malarkey, the executive director of the Technology Alliance in Seattle, spent three days earlier this month in Boston with a group of Seattle civic and business leaders as part of the 2010 Intercity Study Mission. These annual trips, organized by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce since 1983, enable Seattle business leaders to pick the … Continue reading “Tech Alliance’s Susannah Malarkey on Four Things Seattle Could Learn from Boston, and One Big Northwest Advantage”
Company Formation, Venture Capital Remain Concerns in Data for San Diego’s Innovation Economy
The economic indicators in San Diego’s innovation economy are flashing mixed signals for the first quarter of 2010, based on data released by Connect, the nonprofit group for technology and entrepreneurship. The Connect Innovation Report can be found online here, and my roundup of the latest data follows: —Flashing Red: New company formation fell by … Continue reading “Company Formation, Venture Capital Remain Concerns in Data for San Diego’s Innovation Economy”
Fear Not, Boston Entrepreneurs: Betahouse Is Expanding, Founder Says Local Techies Need More Confidence
Jon Pierce is an unassuming young man who just might hold the keys to the kingdom. The Boston tech startup kingdom, that is. OK, that’s the kind of bluster he probably hates to see, especially in the media. Pierce is about community first—and that’s why he’s particularly important. He is the founder of Betahouse, a … Continue reading “Fear Not, Boston Entrepreneurs: Betahouse Is Expanding, Founder Says Local Techies Need More Confidence”
Tesla Rocks the Nasdaq, But Analysts Skeptical Electric Car Company Can Go The Distance
Tesla, the Palo Alto, CA electric car company, wowed the markets today when it went public, raising $229 million in the IPO and trading at $17 apiece, a buck more than the company’s estimated upper range of $16 a share. Despite the strong start in an otherwise weak IPO market, some analysts are cautious about … Continue reading “Tesla Rocks the Nasdaq, But Analysts Skeptical Electric Car Company Can Go The Distance”
World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode II: Rochester, NY
A confession: Graham and I recorded the first episode in this week’s video travelogue series, the interview with Mark Nelson at C.B. Fisk in Gloucester, MA, a couple of weeks ago as a dry run for our trip. Today’s episode is the first one shot en route. We left Boston early Sunday morning, June 27, … Continue reading “World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode II: Rochester, NY”
San Diego’s Genomatica Scales Up Bio-Based Technology in Michigan Demo
Genomatica says it has successfully scaled up technology that uses genetically engineered microbes to make 1,4-butanediol (BDO)—a solvent and industrial chemical usually made from crude oil or natural gas. The San Diego company, which touts itself as a leader in the “sustainable chemicals revolution,” worked with an industrial biotechnology partner in Lansing, MI, to make … Continue reading “San Diego’s Genomatica Scales Up Bio-Based Technology in Michigan Demo”
NanoString Hires Genzyme Vet as CEO to Lead Foray Into Molecular Diagnostics
Seattle-based NanoString Technologies hasn’t had a permanent CEO for more than a year, and now the search has ended in Boston. The company, which makes instruments to help scientists perform sophisticated genetic analyses, has named Brad Gray, the former vice president of product and business development for Cambridge, MA-based Genzyme Genetics, as its new president … Continue reading “NanoString Hires Genzyme Vet as CEO to Lead Foray Into Molecular Diagnostics”
Former J&J Group Chairman’s Firm Backs BIND Biosciences in $12.4M Round
BIND Biosciences has a knack for selling high-profile investors on its idea of targeting cancer cells with nanoparticle drugs. The Cambridge, MA-based startup has added to its list of marquee backers with the closing of a $12.4 million Series C round of funding, according to the company. Endeavour Vision, the Swiss venture firm, is the … Continue reading “Former J&J Group Chairman’s Firm Backs BIND Biosciences in $12.4M Round”
The Mission Bay Biotech Cluster: Antibodies, RNAi, Biofuels, & More
[Update: 11:30 am, 7/8/10] Much has been written about the transformation of San Francisco’s Mission Bay district from run-down railroad property into a biotech hotbed. An estimated 56 biotech companies were said to be operating in San Francisco as of last month, compared to just one back in 2004, according to this report from Tom … Continue reading “The Mission Bay Biotech Cluster: Antibodies, RNAi, Biofuels, & More”
Dream of an IPO, but Plan for an Acquisition
It’s now very clear to me: a successful M&A exit is far more likely for entrepreneurs than the once vaunted IPO. Structural changes in the venture-IPO ecosystem over the past 15 years have made it increasingly difficult for young companies to successfully tap the public markets to fuel their continued growth. While this fact has … Continue reading “Dream of an IPO, but Plan for an Acquisition”
HP Buys Melodeo, RumbleFish Partners With YouTube, Motricity Declines & More Seattle-Area Deals News
Although it hasn’t been the biggest deal week for Northwest tech companies volume-wise, there have been some sizeable transactions worth mentioning in the roundup. In the past week, we’ve seen three global companies take particular interest in our local startup scene, especially in some pretty unusual music and mobile ventures. Take a look at the … Continue reading “HP Buys Melodeo, RumbleFish Partners With YouTube, Motricity Declines & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Sonicbids, Run by Former Music Talent Agent, Brings Band Gig-Booking Into the Digital Age, Adds San Francisco Presence
After graduating from Berklee College of Music in the mid 1990s, Panos Panay started working at a music talent agency in Boston’s Allston neighborhood, and was eager to book his first tours. So eager that he mailed bands’ press kits across the globe and incurred an Airborne Express shipping bill in excess of $4,000 one … Continue reading “Sonicbids, Run by Former Music Talent Agent, Brings Band Gig-Booking Into the Digital Age, Adds San Francisco Presence”
DOE Awards $9M for Algae Biotech Center
San Diego’s quest to become a hub for the development of algae-based biofuels got a boost today, with the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology (SD-CAB), saying it’s getting the lion’s share of a three-year, $9 million federal Department of Energy grant awarded today. In addition to the $9 million in federal funds, a consortium … Continue reading “DOE Awards $9M for Algae Biotech Center”
Rodney Brooks, Founder of iRobot and Heartland Robotics, To Retire From MIT
Famed robotics expert Rodney Brooks, the former director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), is retiring from academic duties at MIT as of this week. The co-founder and former chief technical officer of Bedford, MA-based iRobot will be focusing full-time on his newest company, Heartland Robotics, based in Cambridge, MA. Brooks’s new … Continue reading “Rodney Brooks, Founder of iRobot and Heartland Robotics, To Retire From MIT”
Tesla Investors Hope IPO Heralds a New Era in Electric Automobiles
San Francisco angel investor Bill Lee says he knew what he was getting himself into four years ago when he decided to invest in Tesla, the Palo Alto, CA electric car company that is expected to go public Tuesday. Much of the media coverage today has focused on the fact that Tesla has not turned … Continue reading “Tesla Investors Hope IPO Heralds a New Era in Electric Automobiles”
World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode I: Gloucester, MA
If you don’t know where you started from, it’s harder to figure out where you’re going. That’s why we chose to kick off this week’s special video travelogue series, World Wide Wade Goes West, in a place that’s as East Coast as they come: the historic seaport of Gloucester, MA. While Gloucester is famous for … Continue reading “World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode I: Gloucester, MA”