The Fifth Conference on Clean Energy, one of the biggest events of the year for New England energy and cleantech entrepreneurs, is coming up November 12 and 13 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. For the second year in a row, I worked with the organizers of the conference—the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center and … Continue reading “Xconomy Podcast Previews the Fifth Conference on Clean Energy”
Category: National
An Entrepreneur’s Tale: Diego Borrego and the Twists and Turns Behind Networkfleet
To a large extent, the story of San Diego-based Networkfleet is also an intriguing tale about co-founder Diego Borrego. The privately held company, which currently has more than 100 employees, is one of the nation’s largest providers of technology and services for monitoring the location and status of company-owned vehicles. Borrego, a Mexican-American who says … Continue reading “An Entrepreneur’s Tale: Diego Borrego and the Twists and Turns Behind Networkfleet”
Microsoft Lays Off 800 More; Washington and Massachusetts Affected
Microsoft has confirmed it is cutting 800 positions across the company today, in its third round of layoffs this year. About a quarter of the jobs are in the Seattle area, and an unspecified number of employees in Massachusetts are impacted, among other regions. It is not yet clear which product groups and divisions will … Continue reading “Microsoft Lays Off 800 More; Washington and Massachusetts Affected”
Vertex and Ironwood Drugs Fare Well in Clinical Trials, Pulmatrix Breathes in $30.2M, IRobot Launches Healthcare Unit, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
A number of New England’s life sciences companies had good news to report this week. —Cambridge, MA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) reported results from clinical trials that indicate its experimental hepatitis C drug, telaprevir, could work well for patients who haven’t responded fully to standard treatments, and could be as effective taken twice a day … Continue reading “Vertex and Ironwood Drugs Fare Well in Clinical Trials, Pulmatrix Breathes in $30.2M, IRobot Launches Healthcare Unit, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
It Takes a Village to Raise an Entrepreneur: Cultivating the Emerging Seattle Talent Pool
It can be argued that among talent, cash and technology, no factor is more critical to a start up than talent. The talent drives innovation, attracts the venture capital and makes the critical life or death choices of the company. No matter how groundbreaking the technology or the amount of money invested, it is the … Continue reading “It Takes a Village to Raise an Entrepreneur: Cultivating the Emerging Seattle Talent Pool”
Student Dissertation Launches San Diego Life Sciences Tools Company, Sirigen
The work leading to Brent Gaylord’s dissertation on using light-emitting polymers to detect bits of DNA was more far more than an academic exercise. His initial paper, and the intellectual property that was subsequently generated, directly lead to the creation of San Diego’s Sirigen. Gaylord co-founded Sirigen six years ago to enter a business plan … Continue reading “Student Dissertation Launches San Diego Life Sciences Tools Company, Sirigen”
Microsoft’s Craig Mundie on Future Interfaces, Computer Science Education, and Life After Bill G
Craig Mundie is a geek, and I mean that in the best possible way. Microsoft’s chief research and strategy officer, the 17-year veteran of Redmond, WA, still talks like an engineer, throwing out terms like “heterogeneous machine architectures,” “GUIs” (graphical user interfaces), and “clouds and clients” like there’s no tomorrow. It’s kind of refreshing, given … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Craig Mundie on Future Interfaces, Computer Science Education, and Life After Bill G”
The Litl Computer That Could? Boston Startup Tries a New Take on the Home Internet Appliance
Somebody forgot to tell John Chuang that it’s impossible to create a new kind of home computer these days. Either that, or he didn’t listen. Because Chuang, a serial entrepreneur who made his first fortune in the staffing industry with Boston-based Aquent, has built a gadget that looks deceptively like a laptop but works nothing … Continue reading “The Litl Computer That Could? Boston Startup Tries a New Take on the Home Internet Appliance”
In Wondertouch Acquisition, GenArts Adds Fizz to its FX
GenArts, the Cambridge, MA-based visual special effects startup, has added sparkles to its glints. Which is to say, it has acquired a small St. Louis, MO-based company called Wondertouch that specializes in software that generates so-called “particle-based” special effects—think fireworks, explosions, smoke, clouds, comets, and pixie dust. Executives at GenArts say the technology nicely complements … Continue reading “In Wondertouch Acquisition, GenArts Adds Fizz to its FX”
MassTLC, MassNetComms To Merge
The leaders of two of the biggest associations representing the information technology industry in Massachusetts—the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, better known as MassTLC, and the Massachusetts Network Communications Council, or MassNetComms—said today that the organizations are joining forces under the banner of MassTLC, the larger and more well recognized of the two. “We can do … Continue reading “MassTLC, MassNetComms To Merge”
See You There Tomorrow at Pharma’s Bet on Boston Innovation
I’m dashing this message off right before I get on a plane for Xconomy’s big event tomorrow afternoon: “Pharma’s Bet on Boston Innovation.” Only a few tickets are left for this gathering at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, MA. I’m personally excited to fly in from Seattle for this event because it will bring together … Continue reading “See You There Tomorrow at Pharma’s Bet on Boston Innovation”
Ironwood, Forest Labs Drug for Chronic Constipation Passes Two Pivotal Trials
Cambridge, MA-based Ironwood Pharmaceuticals has some new evidence out this morning that its lead drug candidate is an effective treatment for patients with chronic constipation. Ironwood and its partner, New York-based Forest Laboratories (NYSE: [[ticker:FRX]]) said last night that the drug, linaclotide, passed the test in a pair of pivotal clinical trials. A significant percentange … Continue reading “Ironwood, Forest Labs Drug for Chronic Constipation Passes Two Pivotal Trials”
New San Diego Incubator Adds Three More Startups on Opening Day
EvoNexus, San Diego’s free high-tech incubator, announced that it has enrolled three more startup companies during ceremonies yesterday that officially marked the opening of its new facility. CommNexus, the San Diego wireless industry group, announced five months ago that it was leading the creation of the free and “no strings attached” startup incubator, to be … Continue reading “New San Diego Incubator Adds Three More Startups on Opening Day”
On-Q-ity Raises $21M in A Round for Personalized Cancer Testing
Waltham, MA-based diagnostics firm On-Q-ity has found $21 million in a Series A round of venture capital, according to a story this morning in peHUB. The developer of cancer tests was formed through the combination of CELLective Diagnostics and The DNA Repair Company, both portfolio companies of Mohr Davidow Ventures that had been unable to … Continue reading “On-Q-ity Raises $21M in A Round for Personalized Cancer Testing”
Amazon Closes Zappos Deal, RF Arrays Raises Cash, 16 Under the Radar Financings, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
It was a quiet week for deals in the Northwest, but we dug up some important ones in business software, wireless, and biotech. —Seattle-based Amazon’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) acquisition of Zappos, the online apparel and shoe seller based in Las Vegas, has closed. The deal, first announced back in July, is valued at $1.2 billion in … Continue reading “Amazon Closes Zappos Deal, RF Arrays Raises Cash, 16 Under the Radar Financings, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
ProQuo, Which Raised $15M in Venture Capital, Quietly Shut Down—Founder Calls It “Truly A Painful Experience”
I met recently with Bob Nascenzi, the software industry executive who stepped in last May as the CEO of ProQuo, the San Diego startup that was created to help consumers control their personal information and reduce their junk mail. I didn’t realize, however, that ProQuo had shut down. The last I heard about the company’s … Continue reading “ProQuo, Which Raised $15M in Venture Capital, Quietly Shut Down—Founder Calls It “Truly A Painful Experience””
The Story of Google Friend Connect: Google Cambridge’s First Wholly Home-Grown Product
[Updated and corrected, see below—Also see end of story for news of Google announcement of Nov. 4] In May 2008, Google moved into colorful (hey, it’s Google) new offices in the heart of Kendall Square. Governor Deval Patrick played ping-pong at the grand opening with Google site director Steve Vinter. And since then, Google Cambridge … Continue reading “The Story of Google Friend Connect: Google Cambridge’s First Wholly Home-Grown Product”
Combination Drugs Are The Future for Hepatitis C
Combination therapy has been a central component of treatment for certain viral diseases for more than 15 years. The benefits of combination therapy can arise from activation of multiple host pathways, suppression of mutational variants that can lead to viral escape, or perhaps both. In HIV, the benefit of combination therapy is due to suppression … Continue reading “Combination Drugs Are The Future for Hepatitis C”
UW Scientists, Backed by Gates Foundation, Enter “Put Up or Shut Up” Phase with Portable Diagnostic
When somebody gets a fever in a poor country, there is no quick or easy way to tell whether it’s a symptom of flu, malaria, a bacterial invader, or some other bug. And if you don’t what it is, then it’s hard to treat. So it’s only natural that shrinking modern diagnostic tools into a … Continue reading “UW Scientists, Backed by Gates Foundation, Enter “Put Up or Shut Up” Phase with Portable Diagnostic”
Exploring Mountains of Innovation in Northern New England
It’s not that I thought Vermont and New Hampshire were technological backwaters, because I knew from my years of working in Boston that the local venture capitalists were pumping millions of dollars into startups in the two northern New England states. But what I’ve found over the past year or so of living in both … Continue reading “Exploring Mountains of Innovation in Northern New England”
E Ink, Marvell Create a Chip for Cheaper E-Book Devices
If you thought the e-reader market was already confusing—with Sony, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble all offering their own unique versions of e-book devices based on the same underlying electronic paper display technology from Cambridge, MA-based E Ink—get ready for a new level of chaos. Companies like Interead in England and Irex in the Netherlands … Continue reading “E Ink, Marvell Create a Chip for Cheaper E-Book Devices”
Tasktop Finds Path to Profits, Via a More Efficient Interface Inspired by Brain Science
For Mik Kersten, it all started when he saw Maria Klawe speak at the University of British Columbia. It was the mid-1990s, and Klawe, a distinguished mathematician and computer scientist—now the president of Harvey Mudd College and recently appointed to Microsoft’s board of directors—was giving a lecture to students and faculty. “She talked about her … Continue reading “Tasktop Finds Path to Profits, Via a More Efficient Interface Inspired by Brain Science”
Negroponte Outlines the Future of OLPC—Hints at Paperlike Design for Third Generation Laptop
[Updated 11/2/09 with additional details about 3rd-generation laptop design, see page 2] After the October 24 announcement that the Internet Archive is about to make 1.6 million e-books available free to children with XO Laptops from the One Laptop Per Child Foundation, we decided it was time to catch up with OLPC’s founder and chairman, … Continue reading “Negroponte Outlines the Future of OLPC—Hints at Paperlike Design for Third Generation Laptop”
Dendreon Files Provenge Application to FDA Ahead of Schedule, Now It’s Time to Wait
Seattle-based Dendreon said today it has completed all the necessary paperwork for its lead drug candidate, and handed over the amended application for approval to the FDA. The company had told investors to expect this milestone by “mid-November,” so this application came in a few days or even a few weeks ahead of schedule. Investors … Continue reading “Dendreon Files Provenge Application to FDA Ahead of Schedule, Now It’s Time to Wait”
Pulmatrix Scores $30M To Block All Sorts of Bugs That Make People Sick in the Lungs
Pulmatrix, the Lexington, MA-based company working to stop infectious bugs from being absorbed into the lungs, has raised $30.2 million in a Series B venture round to advance its unorthodox method for treating and preventing respiratory diseases like flu, the company is announcing today. Arch Venture Partners and Novartis Bioventures Fund co-led the new financing, … Continue reading “Pulmatrix Scores $30M To Block All Sorts of Bugs That Make People Sick in the Lungs”
The Changing Face of Venture Capital
[This post also appears on OVP’s blog—Eds.] The University of Washington’s Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department’s Affiliates day is one of the most fun and rewarding days of the year for me as venture investor and geek. It involves a showcase of projects and research areas by professors and students and is a festival … Continue reading “The Changing Face of Venture Capital”
Homeland Security Backs Cell Phone Sensors to “Crowdsource” Detection of Deadly Chemicals
[Updated at 4:45 pm 11/2/09 to clarify size of NASA Ames sensing device] The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has taken the wraps off a program to develop miniaturized sensor technologies for detecting deadly chemicals—sensors tiny enough to be installed inside ordinary cell phones. DHS officials meeting in San Diego last week say they have … Continue reading “Homeland Security Backs Cell Phone Sensors to “Crowdsource” Detection of Deadly Chemicals”
Qualcomm Creates Open-Source Subsidiary, SDG&E Gets $28M for Smart Grid & More San Diego BizTech News
San Diego’s tech sector got some money and glory during a week that was overshadowed by news from two life science conferences: TEDMED and the annual Biocom Investor Conference. Get your tech news now while it’s still hot. —To stay connected with open-source development for smart phones, San Diego’s Qualcomm created a subsidiary, the Qualcomm … Continue reading “Qualcomm Creates Open-Source Subsidiary, SDG&E Gets $28M for Smart Grid & More San Diego BizTech News”
QuantumCor Sees Future of Heart Failure Treatment in No Device Left Behind
The leading edge of innovation in medical devices is often concentrated on nifty implantable tools that a doctor can insert without a scalpel, as a less-invasive alternative to surgery. But now we’re seeing more startups, like Bothell, WA-based QuantumCor, designing devices to fix what’s broken in the body without even leaving any sort of implant … Continue reading “QuantumCor Sees Future of Heart Failure Treatment in No Device Left Behind”
New England Biz Plan Competitions That Offer Cash and Connections to Entrepreneurs
It seems like every few days since Labor Day weekend we at Xconomy get invited to attend or cover an entrepreneurship competition. This is a good thing. It means there are more and more opportunities for innovators in New England to gain exposure to the business community and investors—as well as a chance to win … Continue reading “New England Biz Plan Competitions That Offer Cash and Connections to Entrepreneurs”
Amylin Strikes $1 Billion Deal with Takeda to Co-Develop Weight Loss Drugs
San Diego-based Amylin Pharmaceuticals, the dark horse in the race to develop a new breed of weight-loss drugs, has struck a partnership with Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceuticals that could be worth more than $1 billion over time if the drug reaches certain goals in development and in the marketplace. The agreement calls for Amylin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]) … Continue reading “Amylin Strikes $1 Billion Deal with Takeda to Co-Develop Weight Loss Drugs”
MIT Elevator Pitch Contest Takes Startup Salesmanship to New Level
How does $300,000 an hour sound? Walking away with $5,000 for his 60-second pitch, the winner of Thursday night’s MIT $100K Elevator Pitch Contest (EPC), Rouzbeh Shahsavari, seemed pretty excited about it. His idea? Nanoengineered concrete that is twice as strong, cuts CO2 emissions in half, and is dramatically cheaper than typical concrete. The EPC … Continue reading “MIT Elevator Pitch Contest Takes Startup Salesmanship to New Level”
Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Passes Key Test With More Convenient, Twice-Daily Dose
Vertex Pharmaceuticals wants to make sure doctors walk away from this weekend’s big liver disease research meeting with two main ideas stuck in their heads. No. 1—The company’s experimental drug is showing that it can cure even the toughest-to-treat patients with hepatitis C. No. 2—it may work just as well in a twice-daily dose as … Continue reading “Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Passes Key Test With More Convenient, Twice-Daily Dose”
Amylin, Lilly’s Byetta Wins FDA Approval as Standalone Therapy, Without Combo Drugs
San Diego-based Amylin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]) and its partner Eli Lilly got some positive news late Friday from the FDA. The agency now says the companies have clearance to market exenatide (Byetta) as a standalone therapy for diabetes, which means doctors won’t need to combine it with other common drugs, or hold it in reserve … Continue reading “Amylin, Lilly’s Byetta Wins FDA Approval as Standalone Therapy, Without Combo Drugs”
Lilly, With New Focus on Innovation (But Not Necessarily Inclusiveness), Opens San Diego Center for Biotech R&D
“Ouch.” I’m sorry to say I didn’t write about the grand opening that drug giant Eli Lilly held in La Jolla yesterday for its new biotechnology center of excellence. I didn’t know about it. I wrote last December about the difficulty of getting information from Lilly about the status of its plans to combine Applied … Continue reading “Lilly, With New Focus on Innovation (But Not Necessarily Inclusiveness), Opens San Diego Center for Biotech R&D”
Who’s Up, Who’s Down in Tech Company Earnings Land
Well, we can’t all be Amazon. While the Seattle-based e-commerce giant (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) raked in a $199 million profit for the third quarter of 2009—a 68 percent increase in net income over the same period last year—Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) posted an 18 percent decline in its profits (still $3.57 billion, better than analysts expected). But … Continue reading “Who’s Up, Who’s Down in Tech Company Earnings Land”
Cequent Pharmaceuticals, With First Oral RNAi Drug Soon to Enter Humans, Raises $3.4M
[Update: 7:15 pm Eastern, 10/30/09] Cambridge, MA-based Cequent Pharmaceuticals, one of the many aspiring firms in the field of RNA interference drug technology, has raised $3.35 million in equity in the first tranche of a venture round that could be worth as much as $15 million, according to CEO Peter Parker. A regulatory filing released … Continue reading “Cequent Pharmaceuticals, With First Oral RNAi Drug Soon to Enter Humans, Raises $3.4M”
RunMyErrand Picks Up $1 Million from West Coast Venture Firms
RunMyErrand, the Boston-based online clearinghouse where busy people can recruit temporary helpers to complete tasks around town, doesn’t have a branch in the San Francisco Bay Area (yet). But if it did, founder and CEO Leah Busque might be using it to pick up checks from Baseline Ventures and Maples Investments this week. Baseline, in … Continue reading “RunMyErrand Picks Up $1 Million from West Coast Venture Firms”
Verdezyne Raises $3M in Venture Funding to Advance Industrial Biotechnology
Carlsbad CA-based Verdezyne, which just disclosed a $1.7 million government grant, has raised nearly $3 million of a planned $15.2 million round of venture capital, according to a regulatory filing yesterday. The company, which was previously known as CODA Genomics, is developing genetic engineering techniques and processes for producing industrial chemicals and fuels from microbes. … Continue reading “Verdezyne Raises $3M in Venture Funding to Advance Industrial Biotechnology”
Idenix Shares Drop as Novartis Walks Away From Hepatitis C Drug
Shares of Cambridge, MA-based Idenix Pharmaceuticals plummeted in early trading this morning after Novartis declined an option to further develop an Idenix drug for the liver disease hepatitis C. Idenix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IDIX]]) dropped 14 percent to $2.15 shortly after the opening bell this morning after the announcement, and the stock was downgraded by the investment … Continue reading “Idenix Shares Drop as Novartis Walks Away From Hepatitis C Drug”
Cleantechies Schmooze With the Gov, Compete for Cash as Three Regional Finalists Go National
Money may be tight for aspiring cleantech entrepreneurs in a downturn, but they got a little cash and some precious attention for their ideas last night. Gov. Chris Gregoire showed up to mingle at the ACT Theatre in Seattle with about a dozen entrepreneurial semi-finalists who were gathered to compete at the first Clean Tech … Continue reading “Cleantechies Schmooze With the Gov, Compete for Cash as Three Regional Finalists Go National”
Spark, Bezos Back Aviary, American Well Nabs $10M, Virdante Banks $30M, & More Boston-Area-Deals News
An unusually high percentage of this week’s New England tech and life sciences deals came from companies based in Boston proper. What’s up with that? —Spark Capital of Boston led a $7 million Series B investment in Long Island, NY-based Aviary. Backed also by Bezos Expeditions, Aviary makes cloud-based software for graphic design, audio editing, … Continue reading “Spark, Bezos Back Aviary, American Well Nabs $10M, Virdante Banks $30M, & More Boston-Area-Deals News”
Under the Radar Deals: 10 New England High-Tech Financings You Haven’t Heard About
There’s a big argument over whether venture capitalists and even angel investors are doing as many early stage or small deals these days. The general sentiment is that no, they aren’t. Since we began our monthly roundup of Massachusetts venture deals back in June, however, we’ve argued that the data doesn’t support that view: virtually … Continue reading “Under the Radar Deals: 10 New England High-Tech Financings You Haven’t Heard About”
Sony, Google Point the Way Toward a More Open Future for E-Books
In a presentation at the Boston Book Festival last weekend, Jon Orwant, a Google engineer involved in the company’s Book Search project, made a memorable and, I thought, quite perceptive remark about the e-book business. “Think about the books you have at home and how you organize them,” Orwant said. “Some of you may not … Continue reading “Sony, Google Point the Way Toward a More Open Future for E-Books”
Top Tech Events of the Fall—an Xconomy Guide
My head is exploding trying to keep up with all the tech-business events going on around Seattle these days. Here’s a quick guide to the most prominent ones on my brain, in the hopes of saving you some stress (and keeping you up to date): —Last night’s “Women in Tech” event from TechFlash was a … Continue reading “Top Tech Events of the Fall—an Xconomy Guide”
San Diego’s Eric Topol Outlines a Coming Wave of Innovation in Wireless Health
Here at Xconomy, our focus on technology innovation is usually riveted on the interface where startups get built around new inventions and discoveries. But in a presentation last night at TEDMED, Eric Topol highlighted an innovative new medical device from an industrial giant that was unveiled last week at the Web 2.0 Summit in San … Continue reading “San Diego’s Eric Topol Outlines a Coming Wave of Innovation in Wireless Health”
New York Biotech Sues Sequenom for Fraud
Xenomics, a New York-based developer of molecular diagnostic technologies, says it has filed a suit in New York state court alleging that San Diego’s Sequenom fraudulently misrepresented the status of its prenatal Down syndrome test. Xenomics alleges the fraud induced them to exclusively license valuable patent rights to Sequenom. According to a licensing agreement announced … Continue reading “New York Biotech Sues Sequenom for Fraud”
Energy Experts React to Forthcoming Cleantech Incubator from McKinstry
The smell of startup incubators is in the air. Adeo Ressi from TheFunded recently announced that his Founder Institute training program for entrepreneurs is coming to Seattle this winter. And next week, TechStars, the seed-stage investment fund with operations in Boulder, CO, and Boston, is holding its annual reunion event in Seattle amid increasing buzz … Continue reading “Energy Experts React to Forthcoming Cleantech Incubator from McKinstry”
Xconomy Hosts Investing Legend Peter Brooke: The Photo Gallery
Last Wednesday, October 21, it was our privilege at Xconomy to provide a stage for a conversation between two legends of the investing world. The guest of honor was Peter Brooke, the founder of Advent International and TA Associates and the man most widely credited with spreading the idea of venture capital and private equity … Continue reading “Xconomy Hosts Investing Legend Peter Brooke: The Photo Gallery”
UK’s Enigma Looks to San Diego, Life Gets Sweeter for Senomyx, Arena Says Obesity Drug Is Not “Wimpy,” & More San Diego Life Sciences News
San Diego’s life sciences news picked up a bit last week amid fresh signs of the area’s growing prominence in the laboratory tools and diagnostics sectors. —Carlsbad, CA-based Helixis, a startup maker of genetic analysis technology from the Caltech labs of Nobel Laureate David Baltimore and Axel Scherer, raised $1.8 million from unidentified investors, according … Continue reading “UK’s Enigma Looks to San Diego, Life Gets Sweeter for Senomyx, Arena Says Obesity Drug Is Not “Wimpy,” & More San Diego Life Sciences News”