Skin disorders attack one of the most visible signs of our health. Take vitiligo, which causes skin to lose its color and form irregular white spots all over the body. MoMelan Technologies, a secretive startup in Cambridge, MA, is fighting back against such conditions with a device that could literally expand the impact of skin … Continue reading “MoMelan, New Rox Anderson Startup, Gets Funds for Device Aimed at Skin Disorders”
Category: National
All-Michigan VC Team Helps Bring State-Grown Medical Imaging Technology to Market
There are three reasons Michigan can feel good about a recent $8 million venture capital investment in Detroit-based medical imaging company Delphinus Medical Technologies. It is an investment in a Michigan company; The investment comes from an all-Michigan VC team; It is an investment in Michigan-grown technology developed in one of the state’s premier research … Continue reading “All-Michigan VC Team Helps Bring State-Grown Medical Imaging Technology to Market”
Feds’ Sequenom Probe Breaks Into the Open, Life Technologies Moves Into Synthetic Biology, DexCom Agrees to Re-Label Its Medical Devices, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
The big news came with a guilty plea by Sequenom’s former R&D chief, but it’s just the beginning. In pleading guilty, Elizabeth Dragon agreed to cooperate with a continuing criminal investigation of wrongdoing in the company’s development of a prenatal diagnostic test for Down syndrome. Our weekly wrap-up begins here. —The former chief of research … Continue reading “Feds’ Sequenom Probe Breaks Into the Open, Life Technologies Moves Into Synthetic Biology, DexCom Agrees to Re-Label Its Medical Devices, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Ten Startups Share Their Wares at TechStars Demo Night
You can’t throw darts at a calendar this month without hitting at least a couple of technology events in Boston. Tuesday night it was Angel Boot Camp, and last night it was the MITX Technology Awards and the TechStars Demo Night. Maybe that’s why they’re calling June Innovation Month in New England. There was definitely … Continue reading “Ten Startups Share Their Wares at TechStars Demo Night”
Amgen Gets FDA Approval, SonoSite’s New Frontier, Craig Venter’s Enabler, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
Quite a few Seattle biotechies are quietly gearing up for the always-important American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting from June 4 to 8 in Chicago. Combine that with a holiday weekend, and the local life sciences news was a little light for Xconomy Seattle. —One of the big national headlines this week came when Amgen … Continue reading “Amgen Gets FDA Approval, SonoSite’s New Frontier, Craig Venter’s Enabler, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Sequenom’s Former R&D Chief Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud Charge
A former senior vice president for research and development at Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]) admitted today that she knew “blinded” studies the company was conducting of a genetic test for Down syndrome were falsified. Elizabeth A. Dragon, a former Sequenom senior vice president for research and development, admitted in an appearance before a federal judge this … Continue reading “Sequenom’s Former R&D Chief Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud Charge”
Founders Seeking Buyers for SDNN, Local Online News Startup
The San Diego News Network, or SDNN, which launched a regional news website in March 2009, boasted of rapid expansion plans, and which reportedly raised close to $3.2 million, is searching for a buyer. SDNN is continuing to publish San Diego news on its website with a reduced staff, according to SDNN President (and former … Continue reading “Founders Seeking Buyers for SDNN, Local Online News Startup”
Zebigo, Led by Boeing and Blue Origin Vet, Rolls Out Ride-Sharing Network in Seattle
Mark Russell spent 13 years commuting the 50-odd miles from Graham, WA, to Kirkland and back. Driving alone, he couldn’t use the carpool lane, so he spent countless hours sitting in traffic. Now he is channeling years of pent-up frustration to help solve the broader ride-sharing problem, using a confluence of social networks, mobile applications, … Continue reading “Zebigo, Led by Boeing and Blue Origin Vet, Rolls Out Ride-Sharing Network in Seattle”
Sonic Solutions to Merge With DivX as Battle Looms for Internet TV Dominance
Media technology company Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ:[[ticker:SNIC]]) of Novato, CA, is acquiring DivX (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DIVX]]), the San Diego digital media and video codec developer, in a deal valued at roughly $323 million. The buyout, which was announced by both companies today, will help Sonic accelerate its development of Web-based infrastructure for streaming online video movies and … Continue reading “Sonic Solutions to Merge With DivX as Battle Looms for Internet TV Dominance”
Looking for an Exit: Startup Founders, Investors, and Bankers Offer Some IPO Guidance
There have been 108 IPO filings nationwide so far this year, which is more than seven times the paltry 15 filings that were made by this time last year, according to IPO data from Renaissance Capital. The big local story so far has been Carlsbad, CA-based MaxLinear (NYSE: [[ticker:MSL]]), a wireless chip design company founded … Continue reading “Looking for an Exit: Startup Founders, Investors, and Bankers Offer Some IPO Guidance”
DexCom Pledges to Cooperate With FDA on Improved Warning Labels for Devices
San Diego’s DexCom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DXCM]]) says it intends to cooperate with changes sought by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the way it labels certain biomedical devices for monitoring blood sugar levels. In a statement yesterday, DexCom says it received an FDA warning letter alleging that the company had failed to adequately disclose that … Continue reading “DexCom Pledges to Cooperate With FDA on Improved Warning Labels for Devices”
Glaxo’s SR One Injects Pharma Bucks into $22M Round for Constellation Pharma
Scientists have been buzzing for years now about new drugs that can turn DNA on or off in ways that affect many diseases. Now more big pharmaceutical dollars are flowing to support this idea at a Cambridge, MA-based biotech that specializes in making drugs based this field of genetics research. SR One, the venture capital … Continue reading “Glaxo’s SR One Injects Pharma Bucks into $22M Round for Constellation Pharma”
Aastrom Biosciences Seeks to Catch Cell Therapy Wave, Ride Dendreon’s Coattails
Dendreon blazed a new trail in late April when it won FDA approval of a treatment to actively stimulate a patient’s own immune cells to fight prostate cancer. Now lots of companies are casting themselves as the next Dendreon, with gee-whiz biotechnology on the verge of a breakout. One of them is Ann Arbor, MI-based … Continue reading “Aastrom Biosciences Seeks to Catch Cell Therapy Wave, Ride Dendreon’s Coattails”
Calling All Angels: Experienced, Aspiring Angel Investors Confer in Cambridge
If you Google “Angel Boot Camp,” the first seven results refer to a Victoria’s Secret competition to find the next “runway angel.” Well, there were no models or runways yesterday at the Microsoft NERD Center in Cambridge for Angel Boot Camp (the eighth result on Google)—but there were plenty of entrepreneurs vying for the attention … Continue reading “Calling All Angels: Experienced, Aspiring Angel Investors Confer in Cambridge”
Seattle Sensor Systems, Reborn in Twist of Fate, Spots Food Pathogens with a Little Box
Sometimes a startup is born when a couple of old friends bump into each other after years of going their separate ways. That’s what happened in February for Seattle Sensor Systems, when Carole Spangler e-mailed University of Washington genomics researcher Clem Furlong to ask him a scientific question and to catch up personally. He wrote … Continue reading “Seattle Sensor Systems, Reborn in Twist of Fate, Spots Food Pathogens with a Little Box”
Zipcar Files for $75M IPO, Tetraphase Gets $45M, Covidien Acquires ev3 for $2.6B, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Monday may have been a holiday, but New England’s tech and life sciences companies haven’t slowed down their deal making. We’ve had plenty of headlines of acquisitions, an IPO, and venture funding rounds for companies we’ve covered before and other not-so-familiar names. —Expressor Software, a Burlington, MA-based integration software provider, raised $4.5 million in expansion … Continue reading “Zipcar Files for $75M IPO, Tetraphase Gets $45M, Covidien Acquires ev3 for $2.6B, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
YongoPal, UW Business Plan Winner, Looks to Cash In on Video Language Lessons—and Some Lessons of Its Own
With the end of May comes another brood of promising young companies born of the University of Washington’s business plan competition. After many months of hard work, coaching, and pitching, they’re ready to strike out on their own. This year’s group of semi-finalist companies was particularly diverse, representing the fields of consumer Internet, materials, energy, … Continue reading “YongoPal, UW Business Plan Winner, Looks to Cash In on Video Language Lessons—and Some Lessons of Its Own”
Follica, the Biotech With Potential Drug Against Baldness, Nabs $7.5M Venture Financing
(Updated—6:15 pm ET, 6/01/10) Follica has raised more money for its quest against hair follicle disorders like male pattern baldness. The biotech startup, which is developing drugs that could spur the formation of new hair follicles, has raised $7.5 million in equity financing, according to an SEC filing. Daphne Zohar, a Follica co-founder and managing … Continue reading “Follica, the Biotech With Potential Drug Against Baldness, Nabs $7.5M Venture Financing”
Survey Says: Resources for Startups Are Hiding in Plain Sight
“I would love to start a company, but I can’t get financing, find affordable office space, or recruit capable talent.” If you are an entrepreneur, or someone with close ties to the entrepreneurial community, this statement may sound familiar. But it turns out that there are plenty of resources available, some of which are hiding … Continue reading “Survey Says: Resources for Startups Are Hiding in Plain Sight”
XSITE-ment Mounting—Agenda Posted for Xconomy Summit; Still Looking for a Few Great Startups
Just two weeks and two days to go until XSITE 2010—the Xconomy Summit on Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. The second annual iteration of one of New England’s biggest celebrations of entrepreneurship—with the theme “Building the Next Economy”—goes down on June 17 at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. We’ve got more than 40 speakers lined up … Continue reading “XSITE-ment Mounting—Agenda Posted for Xconomy Summit; Still Looking for a Few Great Startups”
Zipcar Files to Take $75M IPO Ride
Zipcar has set its sights on a new funding vehicle: An initial public offering. The Cambridge, MA-based car sharing service says it wants to raise $75 million in an IPO, according to an SEC filing. The company, founded in 2000, has changed the way many people think about renting cars. Its members can reserve cars … Continue reading “Zipcar Files to Take $75M IPO Ride”
Three Dealmakers Make Moves, MicroGreen Gets Moolah, SonoSite Buys Visualsonics, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
The past couple of weeks have been slow-going for company financings and acquisitions in the Northwest. We’ve seen some high-profile personnel moves at Microsoft, as well as at Accel Partners and Founder’s Co-op (see below), but little in the way of money changing hands. Nevertheless, there was some action in the worlds of software, advanced … Continue reading “Three Dealmakers Make Moves, MicroGreen Gets Moolah, SonoSite Buys Visualsonics, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Tetraphase Nails $45M Round to Test Pipeline of New Antibiotics
Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals is coming back to work with a bang after the holiday weekend. The Watertown, MA-based company has raised $45 million in a Series C venture round to support a trio of new antibiotics that are designed to be tougher for bugs to resist. A new investor, Excel Venture Management, is leading the deal. … Continue reading “Tetraphase Nails $45M Round to Test Pipeline of New Antibiotics”
Digital Video Experts React to Google’s WebM, Motorola Out Scouting for Spinoff Headquarters, BakBone Cuts ColdSpark, & More San Diego BizTech News
It might be hard to remember last week’s flood of local high-tech news after enjoying the three-day weekend that usually kicks off the summer vacation season. Lucky we’re here to remember it for you. —The digital video experts at Qualcomm, Sorenson Media, VMIX, and elsewhere provided their perspective on WebM, an Internet video technology standard … Continue reading “Digital Video Experts React to Google’s WebM, Motorola Out Scouting for Spinoff Headquarters, BakBone Cuts ColdSpark, & More San Diego BizTech News”
SonoSite’s New Frontier: High-Res Ultrasound to See a Mouse Heartbeat, the Inside of Your Blood Vessels, & More
SonoSite looked like it was out of ideas. Why, after all, would the maker of portable ultrasound machines spend $89 million of hard-earned cash to buy back shares a couple months ago? That’s one of those time-honored financial engineering tricks that companies often do when they don’t have any promising new products to boost sales, … Continue reading “SonoSite’s New Frontier: High-Res Ultrasound to See a Mouse Heartbeat, the Inside of Your Blood Vessels, & More”
Ending the Suspense, Celladon’s Gene Therapy Helps Heart Failure Patients in Small Study
Gene therapy has never lived up to two decades of hype, but some intriguing new evidence for the technology emerged over the weekend at a medical meeting in Berlin. That was where San Diego-based Celladon unveiled results from a clinical trial—albeit a small one—that offers the first sign that gene therapy might help people suffering … Continue reading “Ending the Suspense, Celladon’s Gene Therapy Helps Heart Failure Patients in Small Study”
Prysm, Maker of Laser Screens, Quietly Breeds a Large-Display Revolution in Concord
When you think of Concord, MA, you’re more likely to visualize Revolutionary War skirmishes or Thoreau’s cabin on Walden Pond than factories full of complex machinery. But in fact, Concord was once a major hub of the clockmaking industry—in 1800 there were at least seven well-known clockmakers in the city, along with a network of … Continue reading “Prysm, Maker of Laser Screens, Quietly Breeds a Large-Display Revolution in Concord”
One Tablet Per Child?
The Cambridge, MA-based One Laptop Per Child Foundation arguably launched an industry with its XO-1 Laptop, which first went into large-scale production in 2007. The worldwide buzz generated by the little green machine, which was intended mainly for classroom use in technologically underserved areas of the world, inspired computer makers to build an array of … Continue reading “One Tablet Per Child?”
Wave vs. Wave: Breaking News in San Diego’s War Between the Surf Machines
Stand on any beach on any ocean, and one of the things you will eventually notice about waves is that they keep coming—which might turn out to be the case with legal disputes over wave-making technology as well. It certainly seemed that way last year, when I wrote about a startup in Solana Beach, CA, … Continue reading “Wave vs. Wave: Breaking News in San Diego’s War Between the Surf Machines”
Under the Radar Financings in the Northwest: Foodista, PhotoRocket, EnergySavvy, and More
OK, usually when we pull out our monthly “under the radar” deals, it’s companies we haven’t heard much about before. Not so this time. I’ve been lamenting the relative dearth of financing deals for early-stage software startups around Seattle lately. This month’s news won’t really change that, but at least there are a few intriguing … Continue reading “Under the Radar Financings in the Northwest: Foodista, PhotoRocket, EnergySavvy, and More”
Goby and TripAdvisor: Two Great Mobile Apps for Your Upcoming Travels
It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, when thoughts turn to vacation and summer road trips, so I thought I’d write briefly today about two cool travel-related mobile apps, both hailing from the Boston area. But first, I want to take a moment to remind you that June is Innovation Month in New England. Similar to the … Continue reading “Goby and TripAdvisor: Two Great Mobile Apps for Your Upcoming Travels”
FDA Approves Genzyme Pompe Drug, Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Trial Succeeds, Thermo Fisher Acquires Fermentas, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
Life sciences news in the past week has run the gamut, from stealthy companies emerging with funding to big name drug makers scoring FDA approval and successful drug trial results, not to mention a few headlines of partnerships and acquisitions. —Logical Therapeutics, a Waltham, MA-based developer of anti-inflammatory drugs designed to be safer on the … Continue reading “FDA Approves Genzyme Pompe Drug, Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Trial Succeeds, Thermo Fisher Acquires Fermentas, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Venture Mechanics, Led by Ron Wiener, Opens “Berkubator” for Tech Startups, Introduces Three New Companies
Looking to start a technology company in this era of small teams, lean cost structures, and fast times to market? You might want to check out Venture Mechanics in Seattle. It’s basically an outfit of four experienced startup executives who are trying to reinvent the process of launching tech companies. They held an open-house launch … Continue reading “Venture Mechanics, Led by Ron Wiener, Opens “Berkubator” for Tech Startups, Introduces Three New Companies”
Vertex Gets Strong Results From Hepatitis C Trial, Anadys Explores Alternatives, Funding Helps to Revive La Jolla Pharmaceutical, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
We saw mostly funding news for San Diego’s life sciences community over the past week, and it was light fare. Get our latest roundup here, and enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. —Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which is based in Cambridge, MA, and operates a research facility in San Diego, said its experimental drug for hepatitis C cured … Continue reading “Vertex Gets Strong Results From Hepatitis C Trial, Anadys Explores Alternatives, Funding Helps to Revive La Jolla Pharmaceutical, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
TechTown, Unity Studios Will Partner to Produce Michigan-Based Film Crews
OK. You’re a Hollywood director, and you’ve come to the Detroit area to film your movie and take advantage of Michigan’s highest-in-the-nation 42 percent tax credit. You’ve set up your home base in a local hotel and your star—let’s say, oh, Meryl Streep—she’s costing you $100,000 a day. You need to find a local crew … Continue reading “TechTown, Unity Studios Will Partner to Produce Michigan-Based Film Crews”
Quanterix Uses Fiber Optics to Find Cancer Protein, Nears New Funding Round
Both academics and industry have long sought ways to spot cancer in patients before it becomes deadly. This week, Cambridge, MA-based Quanterix said its single-molecule detection system could potentially find signs of prostate cancer recurrence lurking in the blood years before traditional lab tests. The study, published in Nature Biotechnology, showed that Quanterix’s technology detected … Continue reading “Quanterix Uses Fiber Optics to Find Cancer Protein, Nears New Funding Round”
Geoff Entress, the Go-To Startup Investor, Weaves Himself Deeper Into Seattle Tech Community With Founder’s Co-op
How did Geoff Entress become Seattle’s go-to tech investor and startup guru? For those outside the local technology community, Entress is an angel investor who has put his own money to work in more than 35 startup companies, most of them software-based and in the Northwest. They range from firms that are now well-established like … Continue reading “Geoff Entress, the Go-To Startup Investor, Weaves Himself Deeper Into Seattle Tech Community With Founder’s Co-op”
Craig Venter’s Enabler, Seattle’s Blue Heron, Grows With Synthetic Genes Made to Order
When genomics pioneer J. Craig Venter stepped before the cameras last week and claimed that he engineered the first bacterial cell with an entirely synthetic genome, he actually had a lot of help. One of the key players he relied on behind the scenes was a privately held company in Bothell, WA, called Blue Heron … Continue reading “Craig Venter’s Enabler, Seattle’s Blue Heron, Grows With Synthetic Genes Made to Order”
Seattle Genetics Grows Up Fast, Valocor Seeks to Fight Acne, Cell Therapeutics Nabs $21M & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This week we had a few of the usual small deals to cover, but there were a few moments to take a deep breath and look at the big-picture trends underway in the Northwest biotech community. —Seattle Genetics is practically invisible compared to the drama queen across Lake Washington, otherwise known as Dendreon. But while … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Grows Up Fast, Valocor Seeks to Fight Acne, Cell Therapeutics Nabs $21M & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
QinetiQ, Thermo Scientific Collaborate to Equip Explosive-Sniffing Robots with Smart Sensors
Chemically fueled improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are one of the deadliest hazards to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and incidents like the Oklahoma City bombing and the Sarin gas attack in Tokyo have demonstrated that civilians, too, can be the targets of chemicals and explosives. Now two organizations with Massachusetts roots are collaborating to offer … Continue reading “QinetiQ, Thermo Scientific Collaborate to Equip Explosive-Sniffing Robots with Smart Sensors”
What Google’s WebM Looks Like to Video Digerati in San Diego and Boston
It’s been a week since Google announced a new open-source video project called WebM at its I/O Developers Conference in San Francisco, with the online media giant arguing that streaming video—like nearly everything else on the Internet—just wants to be free. So it seemed like a good time to see how some digital video technology … Continue reading “What Google’s WebM Looks Like to Video Digerati in San Diego and Boston”
Rob Glaser, RealNetworks Founder, Joins Accel Partners, Looks to Connect VC Firm with Seattle Entrepreneurs
Rob Glaser, the founder, chairman, and former CEO of Seattle-based RealNetworks (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]), announced yesterday that he has joined Accel Partners, the Silicon Valley-based VC firm, as a part-time venture partner. Glaser will focus on digital media, social media, and mobile service investments—and he’ll do it from the Seattle area. Accel invested in RealNetworks back … Continue reading “Rob Glaser, RealNetworks Founder, Joins Accel Partners, Looks to Connect VC Firm with Seattle Entrepreneurs”
Tesaro Nabs $20M Series A Financing for Cancer Drugs, $40M More in Reserve
A team of cancer drug veterans has formed a new company in Boston. The company, Tesaro, says today that it has raised $20 million in a Series A round of funding from the investment firm New Enterprise Associates and its founders. Tesaro says it plans to acquire and develop cancer drugs and other oncology products. … Continue reading “Tesaro Nabs $20M Series A Financing for Cancer Drugs, $40M More in Reserve”
Seattle Genetics, Growing Up in a Hurry With Millennium, Aims to Make Most of Cancer Drug
Seattle Genetics has spent more than a decade thinking about cutting-edge biology, chemistry, and clinical trials to prove its drug candidates work. Then last week, for the first time in nine years I’ve been reporting on CEO Clay Siegall, he talked with passion about things like manufacturing, inventory, quality assurance, quality control, and insurance reimbursement. … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics, Growing Up in a Hurry With Millennium, Aims to Make Most of Cancer Drug”
Is it Time for the FDA to Chime in on Drug Company Tweets?
These days, when I least expect it, an e-mail pops into my inbox that I can’t ignore. It announces that someone is following me on Twitter. I’m still figuring out how it works (I have a measly 4 tweets to my name), which explains why, upon reading one of those e-mails, I usually succumb to … Continue reading “Is it Time for the FDA to Chime in on Drug Company Tweets?”
Valocor Therapeutics, a QLT Spinoff, Envisions Safe Anti-Acne Drug and More
One of Vancouver, BC’s big biotech success stories, QLT, was clobbered by Genentech a few years ago in the market for treating age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness among elderly people. But during its heyday, QLT spawned a few cool R&D projects, and now some of them are being packaged into a new … Continue reading “Valocor Therapeutics, a QLT Spinoff, Envisions Safe Anti-Acne Drug and More”
Logical and Arsenal Get $10M Apiece, Constant Contact Acquires NutshellMail, Avila Gets $209M From Clovis, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Biotech companies occupied the majority of the deals news in the last week, but we also saw headlines on smaller transactions and acquisitions for some transportation, Internet, and software companies. —Darien, CT-based Cytogel Pharma, a biopharmaceutical development firm, pulled in $2.2 million in equity and rights-based funding. The company, which aims to license drugs to … Continue reading “Logical and Arsenal Get $10M Apiece, Constant Contact Acquires NutshellMail, Avila Gets $209M From Clovis, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
The Clean Energy Choice—To Lead or Lag
This month a group of 50 clean energy CEOs, investors and executives from New England traveled to Washington D.C. to deliver a common message to our leaders in the nation’s capitol: comprehensive energy and climate legislation is critical for building the clean energy economy here in New England and across the United States. The Kerry-Lieberman … Continue reading “The Clean Energy Choice—To Lead or Lag”
After Decade of Development, Cymer Moves Into OLED Display Manufacturing
When San Diego-based Cymer (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYMI]]) announced its first-quarter financial results last month, the company noted almost parenthetically that it’s just beginning to roll out technology to manufacture OLED display screens. In the 24 years since it was founded, Cymer’s business has been focused almost entirely on making advanced lasers that serve as the light … Continue reading “After Decade of Development, Cymer Moves Into OLED Display Manufacturing”
Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Passes Pivotal Test, Cures Three Out of Every Four Patients
Vertex Pharmaceuticals has finally got the definitive proof it needs to say it has made a breakthrough for hepatitis C patients. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech company said today that its experimental drug for the chronic liver damaging disease was able to cure three-fourths of patients in the last stage of clinical testing required for FDA … Continue reading “Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Passes Pivotal Test, Cures Three Out of Every Four Patients”