Barry Sandrew, who was once a staff neuroscientist at the Harvard Medical School, now presides over one of the fastest-growing companies in San Diego—with a business that has nothing to do with medical research. As a matter of fact, the company known today as Legend 3D no longer resembles the digital colorization studio that Sandrew … Continue reading “Legend Has It—An Early Lead in the Post-Avatar Rush to Convert 2D Films to 3D”
Category: National
Rocket Racing League, Led by XSITE Keynoter and X Prize Founder Peter Diamandis, Readies iPhone & iPad Game
The Rocket Racing League game coming to the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad early this summer is a rare beast: a futuristic video game that’s based on real life. RRL Games, a wing (or should I say fin?) of the Orlando, FL-based Rocket Racing League, is expected to release its game for the iPhone and … Continue reading “Rocket Racing League, Led by XSITE Keynoter and X Prize Founder Peter Diamandis, Readies iPhone & iPad Game”
Clay Christensen Speaks at Technology Alliance on Disruptive Innovations in Education, Health, VC
A roomful of 850 business leaders and policy makers got some serious food for thought at yesterday’s annual “State of Technology” Luncheon in Seattle, organized by the Technology Alliance. The guest of honor was Clayton Christensen, the Harvard Business School professor who coined the term “disruptive innovation” in a series of bestselling business books starting … Continue reading “Clay Christensen Speaks at Technology Alliance on Disruptive Innovations in Education, Health, VC”
Leroy Hood’s Personalized Medicine Vision Enters Proving Ground at Ohio State
Seven years after biotech pioneer Leroy Hood coined the term “P4 Medicine,” for a transformative new idea in healthcare, he has captured the first significant money and manpower from a major U.S. medical school to carry the idea forward. Ohio State University, the nation’s second-largest university, said late Friday that its board has approved a … Continue reading “Leroy Hood’s Personalized Medicine Vision Enters Proving Ground at Ohio State”
From Tech Town to Maker Faire, Detroit’s Entrepreneurship Culture is Growing
In April 2009, the Kauffman Foundation formally engaged on the ground to support the New Economy Initiative, TechTown, and other efforts to re-energize the Detroit entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than 1,500 individuals have since attended Kauffman’s FastTrac to the Future one-day events, which have exposed them to the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship. Over 800 individuals … Continue reading “From Tech Town to Maker Faire, Detroit’s Entrepreneurship Culture is Growing”
Inspired by Iron Man, Zazu Makes Mobile App for More Intelligent Wake-Up Calls
Punit Shah used to think that there was no good reason that JARVIS, the artificial intelligence personal assistant to the Iron Man comic series protagonist Tony Stark, shouldn’t exist in real life. It’s an idea that he brought with him to Boston’s Startup Weekend in December, an event where aspiring entrepreneurs team up for 54 … Continue reading “Inspired by Iron Man, Zazu Makes Mobile App for More Intelligent Wake-Up Calls”
Fallbrook Details Risk Factors in Amended IPO Filing
San Diego’s Fallbrook Technologies amended its IPO filing with securities regulators Friday—providing additional details about the company’s risk factors, including its lack of profitability and need to raise more capital to stay afloat. As we reported, Fallbrook filed for its initial public offering in February. The cleantech company, which has 56 employees, has been developing … Continue reading “Fallbrook Details Risk Factors in Amended IPO Filing”
Glass Flakes in Vials Prompt Halozyme, Baxter to Recall Hylenex Pediatric Rehydration Product
First San Diego’s Cadence Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CADX]]), and now, Halozyme Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HALO]]), have encountered troubles resulting from contaminated biomedical products coming from their manufacturing partner, Baxter Healthcare, a unit of Baxter International (NYSE: [[ticker:BAX]]) of Deerfield, IL. Today Halozyme and Baxter said they are voluntarily recalling affected lots of a product called Hylenex that … Continue reading “Glass Flakes in Vials Prompt Halozyme, Baxter to Recall Hylenex Pediatric Rehydration Product”
Evri Absorbs Twine, Goes Mobile for Tech News on Android Phones
Twine.com is officially no more. As of Friday, the semantic and social news service has been discontinued, and most of its features have been folded into Evri.com, the Seattle-based semantic information discovery site. Both companies were backed by Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital, and in February, Evri acquired Twine (Radar Networks, based in San Francisco) for … Continue reading “Evri Absorbs Twine, Goes Mobile for Tech News on Android Phones”
Google’s “Passive Sniffing” Technique May Have Paved the Way for Wi-Fi Privacy Flap, Skyhook CEO Says
Every Wi-Fi network in every home and business broadcasts both public data—such as its network name and unique machine identifier—and “payload data,” or actual content such as e-mails and Web pages. For the last several years, Google said on Friday, the Street View teams who crisscross the world taking pictures and collecting Wi-Fi network location … Continue reading “Google’s “Passive Sniffing” Technique May Have Paved the Way for Wi-Fi Privacy Flap, Skyhook CEO Says”
Detroit’s NextCAT Hopes to Light a Fire Under Idled Biodiesel Producers with New Catalysts
A funny thing happened on the way to the green economy. Real-life market forces have a way of foiling the best-laid plans of mice, men, and government incentives. When petroleum diesel was 4 bucks a gallon a couple of years ago, biodiesel seemed like such a deal. But then, says Derrin Leppek, of Detroit-based biodiesel … Continue reading “Detroit’s NextCAT Hopes to Light a Fire Under Idled Biodiesel Producers with New Catalysts”
Helping Businesses Join the YouTube Era: How Pixability Found Its Groove
If you’re a disciple of the “lean startup” philosophy now in vogue among tech entrepreneurs, you know you’re supposed to “fail fast, fail cheap,” then “pivot to a new vision” before you’re “out of runway.” In ordinary English, the idea is to quickly scrap your product if it’s not flying with customers, and find one … Continue reading “Helping Businesses Join the YouTube Era: How Pixability Found Its Groove”
Five Ways Michigan Can Make its Mark in Life Sciences
When you hear “Michigan,” the automotive industry and Motown automatically come to mind, much as when someone says “Seattle,” one thinks of software, airplanes and coffee. That has changed over the years, and Seattle has increasingly gained recognition as a growing leader in the fields of life sciences and global health. And how we’ve done … Continue reading “Five Ways Michigan Can Make its Mark in Life Sciences”
National Alliance Focuses on Turning Algal Biofuels Into Viable Industry
It was just over a year ago that some of San Diego’s biggest life sciences research institutions announced the formation of SD-CAB, the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology, amid some outsized calls to make San Diego the top of the mountain in biofuels development. Since then, we’ve continued to see occasional flurries of activity, … Continue reading “National Alliance Focuses on Turning Algal Biofuels Into Viable Industry”
“Disruptive Innovation” Author Speaks, Seattle 2.0 Awards, the Next Twiistup, & More Seattle Events
Event season is in full swing here in Seattle. I thought it’d be useful to give a quick rundown of some of the gatherings our readers might want to attend in the next few weeks. If you want to know the secret to surviving as a startup (or a big company, for that matter), or … Continue reading ““Disruptive Innovation” Author Speaks, Seattle 2.0 Awards, the Next Twiistup, & More Seattle Events”
Illume’s iZUP Mobile App Padlocks Cell Phones to Eliminate the Temptation to Talk or Text While Driving
If you’ve been paying attention to news headlines, consumer safety reports, and state laws, you know that you shouldn’t be talking or texting on your cell phone while driving. But sometimes the temptation to stay off your phone is just too strong, especially when it rings or beeps with incoming calls or texts. And now, … Continue reading “Illume’s iZUP Mobile App Padlocks Cell Phones to Eliminate the Temptation to Talk or Text While Driving”
Venture Financing Looking Up, Sorenson Media Launches Online Video Technology, Avalon Ventures Buys Copley Building, & More San Diego BizTech News
The emerging mobile health industry made a stronger showing last week than it has in past years at its annual Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance Convergence Summit. Get the latest uptick in wireless health and other news now. —San Diego’s Avalon Ventures founder Kevin Kinsella told me the firm’s investment in San Francisco-based Zynga, which develops multiplayer … Continue reading “Venture Financing Looking Up, Sorenson Media Launches Online Video Technology, Avalon Ventures Buys Copley Building, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Alder, Bristol Arthritis Drug Shows “Outstanding” Results in Trial, Lead Researcher Says
Six months after Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) wrote a big check to Bothell, WA-based Alder Biopharmaceuticals, we can see what some of the fuss is about. The first public glimpse of data from a mid-stage clinical trial of Bristol and Alder’s experimental antibody drug for rheumatoid arthritis appeared online last week. These are the results … Continue reading “Alder, Bristol Arthritis Drug Shows “Outstanding” Results in Trial, Lead Researcher Says”
Cut the Belts and Look for Capital and Talent in Your Own Backyard
The first step in getting any venture ecosystem going is capital formation. With all the retired auto industry execs in the region, there should be no shortage of angel investors. But someone has to organize them and convince them that they are angel investors—and that investing in local innovation is a worthy expenditure of their … Continue reading “Cut the Belts and Look for Capital and Talent in Your Own Backyard”
Vertex, Worth $7.5B, Eagerly Awaits Final Proof that Hepatitis C Drug Works
Vertex Pharmaceuticals has been in business for more than 20 years, and burned through more than $2.8 billion on a quest to develop drugs that shake up the medical standards of care. Now in the coming weeks and months, it will get the first definitive evidence that will say whether its lead drug candidate for … Continue reading “Vertex, Worth $7.5B, Eagerly Awaits Final Proof that Hepatitis C Drug Works”
Xconomy Seattle’s Health IT Event: The Slides You’ve Been Asking For
Quite a few people, including my old friend Carol Ostrom from The Seattle Times, asked me to post the slides from speakers at Wednesday’s Xconomy Forum on health IT innovation. As I told Carol, we listen carefully to our readers around here. Ask and ye shall receive. Below are the slides from five of the … Continue reading “Xconomy Seattle’s Health IT Event: The Slides You’ve Been Asking For”
The $300M Deal Nobody’s Talking About, and More Seattle Funding Highlights
Ever heard of Liberty Dialysis? It’s a healthcare company, headquartered in Mercer Island, WA, that runs more than 100 dialysis clinics around the country, and has more than 1,750 employees. Last month, we reported the company raised money from KRG Capital Partners, Bain Capital Ventures, and local investors Ignition Partners (or Ignition Capital, the growth-stage … Continue reading “The $300M Deal Nobody’s Talking About, and More Seattle Funding Highlights”
Avalon’s Kinsella Says San Diego, Like Any Robust Startup Ecosystem, Needs Local VCs
My favorite journalistic description of Avalon Ventures founder Kevin Kinsella came from former San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Penni Crabtree, who wrote in 2005: “He has an exacting intelligence, a steely competitiveness, and a passion for big ideas. On the flip side, those who know him say Kinsella tends to lose interest when the grunt work … Continue reading “Avalon’s Kinsella Says San Diego, Like Any Robust Startup Ecosystem, Needs Local VCs”
Three Ideas to Help Entrepreneurs Do What Entrepreneurs Do Best
Entrepreneurs in Michigan can reinvigorate the economy by doing what innovators do best: using existing resources to create new value. Here are three resources Michiganders can leverage: 1. Michigan’s world-class universities—After the collapse of the steel industry in Pittsburgh, universities filled the void with new technology start-ups. The University of Michigan is one of the … Continue reading “Three Ideas to Help Entrepreneurs Do What Entrepreneurs Do Best”
Okay, You’ve Declared E-Mail Bankruptcy. Now What?
There’s lots going on in Xconomy-land, so this week’s column will be shorter than usual. Which is probably fine with you, since everyone seems pressed for time these days. Microsoft is notorious for its lame ad campaigns, but lately the software giant has been putting its finger on the overcommitment problem, through an amusing series … Continue reading “Okay, You’ve Declared E-Mail Bankruptcy. Now What?”
How Microsoft (and Startups) Can Make Money in Health IT, Personalized Medicine Is a “Crock,” and Other Highlights from the Xconomy Forum
Business leaders, researchers, and investors interested in the intersection of healthcare and information technology packed into the auditorium of the Frye Art Museum on First Hill in Seattle on Wednesday. Luke showed you some of the pictures from our Xconomy Forum already. Let me give you my observations from the event, in the form of … Continue reading “How Microsoft (and Startups) Can Make Money in Health IT, Personalized Medicine Is a “Crock,” and Other Highlights from the Xconomy Forum”
Oxford’s Fambrough Leaves for Dicerna, Clinical Data Aims to Take on Big Pharma with Antidepressants, Genzyme’s Termeer Courts Shareholders, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
It was a lighter-than-usual week for breaking news stories from New England’s life sciences companies, so we used the time to take a closer look at trends and companies we’ve come across before. —Doug Fambrough, a general partner at Boston’s Oxford Bioscience Partners, left his full-time position at the venture firm to become CEO of … Continue reading “Oxford’s Fambrough Leaves for Dicerna, Clinical Data Aims to Take on Big Pharma with Antidepressants, Genzyme’s Termeer Courts Shareholders, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Ikaria, Developer of the Hutch’s Hibernation-on-Demand Concept, Seeks $200M IPO
Ikaria, the developer of a drug to induce hibernation on demand like something from a science fiction novel, is attempting to raise $200 million through an initial public offering to help it achieve its goal. Ikaria is headquartered in Clinton, NJ, but its R&D base is in Seattle, close to the lab of Mark Roth … Continue reading “Ikaria, Developer of the Hutch’s Hibernation-on-Demand Concept, Seeks $200M IPO”
Xconomy Seattle’s Health IT Photo Gallery
Thanks to everyone who made yesterday’s Xconomy event on how information technology can transform medicine into such a smash hit. We had a full house at the Frye Art Museum’s auditorium; a cast of dynamic speakers with diverse perspectives on health IT; a highly interactive panel discussion; and a fascinating duo of visionaries from the … Continue reading “Xconomy Seattle’s Health IT Photo Gallery”
Cooley Q1 Report Shows Venture Investment Terms Continue to Improve
Venture financing is not out of the woods yet, but there are fewer trees, according to a report issued today that analyzes 83 VC transactions with a total value of $935 million. The Cooley law firm’s Venture Financing Report shows “continuing improvement” in VC deals nationwide during the first three months of 2010. Cooley, which … Continue reading “Cooley Q1 Report Shows Venture Investment Terms Continue to Improve”
Delta-Q Raises $17M from Tandem Expansion to Push Electric Vehicle Technologies
Burnaby, BC-based Delta-Q Technologies has raised $17 million in growth capital from Canadian firm Tandem Expansion, the company said yesterday. Delta-Q makes power conversion and power management systems for electric vehicles. Delta-Q was founded in 1999 to develop battery charging technologies for electric-drive vehicles. The company has since expanded its products to include power electronics … Continue reading “Delta-Q Raises $17M from Tandem Expansion to Push Electric Vehicle Technologies”
Xconomy Sets Up Entrepreneurs’ Rate for Events—Starting with XSITE on June 17
We here at Xconomy love startups (we’re one ourselves). We pride ourselves on writing great stories about great entrepreneurs and startup companies—and on showcasing interesting startups at our events. We also occasionally hold impromptu pizza parties here in our headquarters for entrepreneurs in the ‘hood. (And we’ll be doing one again soon.) Now, thanks in … Continue reading “Xconomy Sets Up Entrepreneurs’ Rate for Events—Starting with XSITE on June 17”
Electric Cycles and Software For The Soul: A Tale of Two Startups—and Whether They Plan to Stay in Michigan
Peter Scott, president of Current Motor, an electric scooter and motorcycle company based in Ann Arbor, MI, had just finished his 10-minute pitch on the opening day of this week’s Michigan Growth Capital Symposium, when he was immediately taken aside by Lauren Flanagan of Douglas, MI, who is with Phenomenelle Angels Fund in Madison, WI. … Continue reading “Electric Cycles and Software For The Soul: A Tale of Two Startups—and Whether They Plan to Stay in Michigan”
Genzyme in “Tough Spot” with Icahn Proxy Challenge—CEO Termeer Courting Key Shareholders
With his leadership under attack and FDA regulators cracking down on his company’s manufacturing, Genzyme chairman and CEO Henri Termeer is traveling to meet with the firm’s top 30 shareholders over the next month. The road trip, discussed yesterday in an interview with Genzyme spokesman Bo Piela, comes just over a month before the company’s … Continue reading “Genzyme in “Tough Spot” with Icahn Proxy Challenge—CEO Termeer Courting Key Shareholders”
Five Ways Michigan Can Become a High Tech and Life Sciences Powerhouse
Although I have lived in the Boston area for more than half my life, I grew up in the Detroit area and still have strong connections to my alma mater—the University of Michigan. I serve on the Board and Leadership Council of the Life Sciences Institute at U-M. In that capacity, I have kept in … Continue reading “Five Ways Michigan Can Become a High Tech and Life Sciences Powerhouse”
Sequenom Restarts Down Syndrome Test, Cytori Upbeat About Cardiac Study, Pathway Genomics Mass Markets Genome Tests, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
The sector was firing on all burners in the past week with fresh developments in devices, drug development, wireless health, and weight loss (just ask Larry Smarr). You can catch all the latest here. —Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]), which scrubbed the launch of its diagnostics test for Down syndrome a year ago over “mishandled data,” is … Continue reading “Sequenom Restarts Down Syndrome Test, Cytori Upbeat About Cardiac Study, Pathway Genomics Mass Markets Genome Tests, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Alder Seeks to Treat Cancer in a Radical Way, Fighting Inflammation, Not Tumors
There are a lot of radical ideas for treating cancer, and most are pure bunk. But now one of Seattle’s most promising biotech startups, Alder Biopharmaceuticals, says it has the first hard evidence to support a concept that would have gotten them laughed out of the room by most cancer physicians a year ago. Alder’s … Continue reading “Alder Seeks to Treat Cancer in a Radical Way, Fighting Inflammation, Not Tumors”
New England Startups Collect $203M in April; Life Sciences and Internet Sectors Top the List
The Boston-area pollen count surged in April, but venture financings experienced a more modest increase. New England’s tech and life sciences startups raised a total of $202.9 million in 21 equity-based deals, compared to March’s $194.5 million raised in 17 deals, according to data provided by our partner, private company intelligence platform, CB Insights. (Note, … Continue reading “New England Startups Collect $203M in April; Life Sciences and Internet Sectors Top the List”
Create Regulatory Exemptions for Small Vehicles
Get your legislators to create regulatory exemptions for vehicles that are sold in small annual volumes. Right now, it costs about $250 million to bring a new vehicle through all the safety and other regulatory requirements and $1 billion to build the factory that can produce such vehicles in volume. Is it any wonder that … Continue reading “Create Regulatory Exemptions for Small Vehicles”
Norway’s Think Plans to Build Electric Cars in Indiana and Test Them in Southern California with Additional Funding from Boston
Boston’s Rockport Capital has chipped in $12.5 million as part of a $40 million financing round for Think, the Oslo, Norway-based company building long-range electric vehicles. Think said in an May 11 announcement that it plans to use the new funds to expand operations and sales in North America, including opening a planned assembly facility … Continue reading “Norway’s Think Plans to Build Electric Cars in Indiana and Test Them in Southern California with Additional Funding from Boston”
C-Crete Wins MIT $100K for Making Cleaner Concrete
You can’t win them all, but you can sure win a few. Ask C-Crete Technologies, the winner of the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition this year. Team founder Rouzbeh Shahsavari, a MIT civil engineering PhD candidate, also won the Elevator Pitch Contest segment of the $100K in November for his 60-second pitch of his technology, which … Continue reading “C-Crete Wins MIT $100K for Making Cleaner Concrete”
Gary and Mary West Add $20M to Their $45M Donation For Wireless Health Institute
The namesake family foundation that launched San Diego’s West Wireless Health Institute last year with a $45 million donation has just announced another $20 million grant to support biomedical engineering research in mobile health. Word of the latest bequest from the Gary and Mary West Foundation came out of today’s closed session of the Wireless-Life … Continue reading “Gary and Mary West Add $20M to Their $45M Donation For Wireless Health Institute”
David Berry of Flagship Ventures on Funding Advice, Investment Themes, Trends in Biofuels
A rising star of the Boston-area venture capital scene is in Seattle today. He’s David Berry, a partner with Flagship Ventures, and he’s speaking on a panel tonight that will tackle a question on every young company’s mind, when it comes to financing: to VC or not to VC? The event is organized by the … Continue reading “David Berry of Flagship Ventures on Funding Advice, Investment Themes, Trends in Biofuels”
Sequenom Raises $51.6 Million As It Prepares to Restart Down Syndrome Test
Sequenom can cross off another item on its long to-do list. The San Diego-based developer of diagnostic tests is announcing today that it has raised $51.6 million in a private placement, an important step toward regaining the confidence of investors. The much-needed funds will go toward R&D, product commercialization and general corporate purposes, Sequenom (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Sequenom Raises $51.6 Million As It Prepares to Restart Down Syndrome Test”
See You This Afternoon at Seattle Health IT Event
The Xconomy Seattle team will soon be heading across the street to the Frye Art Museum for our afternoon event on how information technology is transforming healthcare. This is the fourth consecutive sell-out event we’ve convened over the past eight months in Seattle. In October, we examined the 20-year outlook for local life sciences. November … Continue reading “See You This Afternoon at Seattle Health IT Event”
Boston’s Litl to Bring Simplicity–and Flash—to Big-Screen Televisions
[Updated 1:30 p.m. 5/13/10 with product images] Litl, the Boston-based startup behind the unconventional Webbook home information appliance, is about to jump into the tumultuous and competitive “connected TV” market. At the Flash and the City conference this weekend in New York, the company will announce plans for a set-top box designed to let people … Continue reading “Boston’s Litl to Bring Simplicity–and Flash—to Big-Screen Televisions”
Wireless-Life Sciences Investor Meeting Puts Innovation on Stage—Boston Sleep Company Zeo Claims a Top Prize
As Qualcomm’s vice president of health and life sciences and as chairman of the San Diego-based Wireless Life Sciences Alliance (WLSA), Don Jones is attuned to subtle disturbances in the field of mobile health. He tells me that one of the auspicious signals for the still-emerging industry is that the 200 people who registered for … Continue reading “Wireless-Life Sciences Investor Meeting Puts Innovation on Stage—Boston Sleep Company Zeo Claims a Top Prize”
Four Things Michigan Can Do to Reinvigorate its Economy (And One Thing to Avoid)
The interesting thing about Michigan is that as a state it has already implemented many forward-thinking economic development strategies and policies. Michigan has been much more innovative than Washington state has been in this respect. Washington’s success has frankly been in spite of, rather than because of, state policy much of the time. We in … Continue reading “Four Things Michigan Can Do to Reinvigorate its Economy (And One Thing to Avoid)”
Can academia bridge the gap between bench and bedside?
A few weeks ago I heard a pharmaceutical executive say at an industry meeting that academia shouldn’t be trying to develop drugs. They don’t know how to do it, his message was. Now, he didn’t specify what he meant: Was it that academics do not know how to discover and optimize promising drug candidates, or … Continue reading “Can academia bridge the gap between bench and bedside?”
How Internet Pioneer Larry Smarr Lost 20 Pounds by Becoming a “Quantified Self”
Larry Smarr is one of the people who had a vision in the 1980s for a high-speed computer network that grew to become the Internet of today. So sharing data is important to him. Now he has found a new source of data that he believes has great potential if shared widely: information from his … Continue reading “How Internet Pioneer Larry Smarr Lost 20 Pounds by Becoming a “Quantified Self””