In early 2002, a little startup named A123Systems was looking for a place to, well, start up. Even though the company had been formed to commercialize technology invented at MIT, the lithium-ion battery developer found just the space it needed across the river at Boston University, inside what’s now called the Photonics Center Incubator. The … Continue reading “A123Systems IPO Could Bring $10M-Plus Windfall for Boston University, Sources Say. (MIT’s Stake Likely Not Too Shabby, Either.)”
Category: National
Charles Simonyi, Software Giant Turned Space Tourist, Talks Technology and Exploration at UW
Do you ever sit down with a friend who wants to show you all their latest vacation pictures? (Maybe not as much since photo-sharing sites took off.) Well, yesterday’s kickoff of the Distinguished Lecturer Series at the University of Washington’s department of computer science and engineering was just like that—if your friend were Charles Simonyi, … Continue reading “Charles Simonyi, Software Giant Turned Space Tourist, Talks Technology and Exploration at UW”
How to Launch a Professional-Looking Blog on a Shoestring
Maybe you’d like to have a sleek, attractive blog or website for yourself or your business. Maybe you’ve looked around at some of the free blogging or lifestreaming platforms like Blogger, Posterous, Tumblr, TypePad, and WordPress.com and you’ve been underwhelmed by the cookie-cutter sameness of the sites you see there. If either of those things … Continue reading “How to Launch a Professional-Looking Blog on a Shoestring”
Silicon Valley Beats Boston in VC-Backed Flameouts, Too
As you might have noticed around Boston, a lot of people like to whine about how California and especially Silicon Valley are, well, just better at startups. Entrepreneurs flock to California, where venture capitalists take more risks. Why, oh why, can’t we be more like Silicon Valley? Well, it turns out VCs and entrepreneurs in … Continue reading “Silicon Valley Beats Boston in VC-Backed Flameouts, Too”
Variety of Investors Expected at Mass. Biotech Council Forum
How hard has it gotten for life sciences companies to raise capital? Will biotech startups eventually resort to collecting change in hats to raise money? Companies these days are ready to consider a number of different avenues to raise money and move their science toward commercialization—venture capital financings, corporate partnerships, government grants, awards from nonprofits. … Continue reading “Variety of Investors Expected at Mass. Biotech Council Forum”
How Much Do Biotech Workers Really Earn? Maybe Not as Much as Politicians Say
The biotech industry enjoys a lot of political clout in Washington D.C. and state capitals largely because it attracts highly educated people into high-paying jobs. But I spotted an intriguing bit of data this week that suggests biotech workers aren’t really taking home nearly as much money as some of the industry’s lobbyists and political … Continue reading “How Much Do Biotech Workers Really Earn? Maybe Not as Much as Politicians Say”
San Diego Agri-Biotech Startup Moves to Challenge Monsanto on its Own Turf
San Diego’s little Cibus Global is preparing to one day take on Monsanto, the Fortune 500 agri-industry colossus and leading producer of genetically engineered seed. The bioscience company last month formed a joint partnership with an agricultural products company based in Tel Aviv to spur development of new strains of crops. High on Cibus’ to-do … Continue reading “San Diego Agri-Biotech Startup Moves to Challenge Monsanto on its Own Turf”
Google Backs Adimab, PVI Sweetens E Ink Deal, Sanofi-Aventis Partners With Merrimack Pharma, & More Boston-Area Deals News
As has been the case in recent weeks, M&A news featured prominently in this week’s New England tech and life sciences deals. —Harvard spinoff Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals of Watertown, MA, raised $10 million out of a planned $29.6 million equity financing round, the company indicated in an SEC filing. Tetraphase is developing new antibiotics to treat … Continue reading “Google Backs Adimab, PVI Sweetens E Ink Deal, Sanofi-Aventis Partners With Merrimack Pharma, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
ViaSat Pays $568M to Buy WildBlue and Connect Its Satellite With High-Speed Internet Customers
Satellite Communications specialist ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VSAT]]) says it is buying WildBlue Communications, a suburban Denver company that provides high-speed Internet access to mostly rural areas in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $568 million. Until now, Carlsbad, CA-based ViaSat has specialized in developing satellite-based communications hardware and software, including modems, radios, and ground stations, for … Continue reading “ViaSat Pays $568M to Buy WildBlue and Connect Its Satellite With High-Speed Internet Customers”
The Web Has Feelings Too: How Seattle Startups Are Cashing In on Sentiment Analysis
Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Weep, and you weep alone (as the old saying goes). Or maybe not. Maybe no one weeps alone anymore, what with Twitter, Facebook, and the like. This week’s release of a “sentiment analysis” product from Seattle-based Appature made me think about what’s really going on at the intersection … Continue reading “The Web Has Feelings Too: How Seattle Startups Are Cashing In on Sentiment Analysis”
Xconomy Channels Startups and Life Sciences
Notice anything new here? Over to the right a little… Little more… Next to the map? (Bear with me, loyal RSS and e-mail subscribers, this will all make sense in a minute.) Today marks the official launch of our new Startups and Life Sciences channels, whose homepages you can access via those handy new buttons … Continue reading “Xconomy Channels Startups and Life Sciences”
Merrimack Pharma Grabs $60M Upfront From Sanofi for Cancer Antibody
Cambridge, MA-based Merrimack Pharmaceuticals struck a big deal today with Paris-based pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis that will bring $60 million in upfront cash to the smaller company in exchange for rights to co-develop and co-market an experimental antibody drug for cancer. The deal calls for Sanofi to pay all developments costs, plus another $470 million in … Continue reading “Merrimack Pharma Grabs $60M Upfront From Sanofi for Cancer Antibody”
Calit2’s Larry Smarr (Part 2): Insights on the Path Ahead and 4 Big Ideas for the Future of Health, Energy, Environment, and Culture
When California Gov. Gray Davis created the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology in 2000, it was part of a broad state initiative that spawned four new centers for science and innovation with a shared mission “to invent the future.” The specific mission for the institute known as Calit2 (Cal IT2), which is based … Continue reading “Calit2’s Larry Smarr (Part 2): Insights on the Path Ahead and 4 Big Ideas for the Future of Health, Energy, Environment, and Culture”
iRobot Alumni Build Robot-Vacuum Accessories To Promote “Successful Cleaning Missions”
Sometimes a robot just needs a little help from its friends. And now a pair of former iRobot engineers who lost their jobs in last year’s downsizing at the Bedford, MA, company have struck out on their own to help iRobot’s popular Roomba floor cleaning robots do their jobs better. Launched in January, Robot Add-Ons … Continue reading “iRobot Alumni Build Robot-Vacuum Accessories To Promote “Successful Cleaning Missions””
Google Ventures Backs Adimab in Antibody Discovery Business
[Updated 10/01/09 10:45 am. See below] Adimab has added Google Ventures to the roster of venture investors that are backing the Lebanon, NH-based biotech startup in its development of a fast and powerful antibody discovery platform, the company reports this morning. Google Ventures, the corporate venture arm of the Internet giant Google (NASDAQ:[[ticker:GOOG]]), led a … Continue reading “Google Ventures Backs Adimab in Antibody Discovery Business”
AVI Settles In, ZymoGenetics MS Drug Fails, Dendreon’s FDA Filing Set for Mid-November & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
Dendreon watchers got all hyped up in anticipation of the company’s analyst day in New York, but there really wasn’t much in the way of news. So I dug up some other stuff for your reading enjoyment. —The biggest piece of news out of Seattle-based Dendreon‘s analyst day was that the company says it plans … Continue reading “AVI Settles In, ZymoGenetics MS Drug Fails, Dendreon’s FDA Filing Set for Mid-November & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Sequenom Starts Over After Purge, Patent Lawsuits Flying Over Gene Sequencing Technologies, Zogenix Prepares for Needle-Free Injections, & More San Diego Biotech News
Sequenom had the big story for San Diego’s life sciences community this week. We have the latest developments about that, as well as other biotech news. —Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]) now faces a long rebuilding process after the San Diego medical diagnostic company ousted president and CEO Harry Stylli and a senior vice president of research … Continue reading “Sequenom Starts Over After Purge, Patent Lawsuits Flying Over Gene Sequencing Technologies, Zogenix Prepares for Needle-Free Injections, & More San Diego Biotech News”
Top 5 Latest and Greatest iPhone Apps from Seattle
It’s been just over a year since we first catalogued the iPhone apps originating from our fair city (and environs). Back then, mobile applications like Urbanspoon, Whrrl (from Pelago), and Jott were relatively new and just starting to take off, letting iPhone users do things like discover restaurants and events and dictate e-mails and text … Continue reading “Top 5 Latest and Greatest iPhone Apps from Seattle”
Recruit Rock Star Scientists To Make Seattle Thrive as an Innovation Hub
I am quite often asked, in some form or another, “What can [STATE][LOCAL] government do to spur on an innovation-based economy in [SEATTLE][WASHINGTON]?” Well, as I said on a panel at the Technology Alliance meeting in Leavenworth yesterday, the single biggest correlate to the strength of an innovative biotechnology industry in any geography is the … Continue reading “Recruit Rock Star Scientists To Make Seattle Thrive as an Innovation Hub”
Former Harvard Official Tapped to Expand Tech Transfer at Brown U.
Brown University says it has hired Katherine Gordon, a veteran of Harvard University’s technology transfer office, to help the Providence, RI-based university commercialize more of its research. Brown’s tech transfer efforts have lagged some of its Ivy League counterparts in the past, but Gordon says she has the industry experience and contacts to expand commercial … Continue reading “Former Harvard Official Tapped to Expand Tech Transfer at Brown U.”
Nexus Dx, Stealthy San Diego Company with Kleiner Perkins and Bay City Ties, Raises $15M
Nexus Dx, a stealthy San Diego biotechnology company that appears to be an emerging diagnostics maker, has raised $9 million in new equity funding and $6 million in debt and options, according to a pair of regulatory filings. The documents don’t say who is providing the money, but they list Risa Stack, a partner with … Continue reading “Nexus Dx, Stealthy San Diego Company with Kleiner Perkins and Bay City Ties, Raises $15M”
Vertex Raises $155M Through Debt Financing for Hepatitis C Drug in Europe
Vertex Pharmaceuticals said today it will bring in $155 million in cash through a pair of deals related to the potential commercialization of its lead hepatitis C drug in Europe, the company said this afternoon. In both transactions, investors are betting on telaprevir, a projected multibillion-dollar seller, to win European approval. The Cambridge, MA-based drug … Continue reading “Vertex Raises $155M Through Debt Financing for Hepatitis C Drug in Europe”
Spiration Pulls in $7M Debt Financing For Device to Treat Lung Diseases
[Update: 1:55 pm, 09/30/09. See below] Spiration, the Redmond, WA-based maker of a device to treat deadly lung diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis, has raised $7 million in debt out of a $10 million financing, according to a regulatory filing. The financing is coming entirely from Spiration’s partner in Europe and Japan, Olympus Medical … Continue reading “Spiration Pulls in $7M Debt Financing For Device to Treat Lung Diseases”
Founder’s Co-op Funds Nearlyweds and BigDoor Media, and Is Exploring New Investment Model
[Updated 9/30/09 2:15 pm. See below.] Seattle-based Founder’s Co-op, the seed-stage fund run by Andy Sack and Chris DeVore, has been busy as of late. The peer-to-peer angel group has made two startup investments that have come to light this month. The financial details of the deals haven’t been announced, but something interesting may be … Continue reading “Founder’s Co-op Funds Nearlyweds and BigDoor Media, and Is Exploring New Investment Model”
E Ink Buyer Amends Merger Offer After Shareholder Unrest
After some E Ink shareholders said they would block a merger between the Cambridge, MA-based firm and Taiwan’s Prime View International (PVI), an amended merger agreement has gained enough shareholder support for the deal to reach fruition, both companies report. E Ink shareholders had complained PVI’s initial offer of $215 million in cash, made in … Continue reading “E Ink Buyer Amends Merger Offer After Shareholder Unrest”
Calit2’s Larry Smarr on the Origins of the Internet, Innovations in IT, and Insights on the Path Ahead (Part I)
After establishing himself as a leading expert on computing and information technology, including the Internet and World Wide Web, Larry Smarr left the comfort of a job that was tailored for him at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, for a position in San Diego that offered an even better fit. In 2000, Smarr was hired … Continue reading “Calit2’s Larry Smarr on the Origins of the Internet, Innovations in IT, and Insights on the Path Ahead (Part I)”
Hearings on Non-Compete Restrictions Set for Next Week
A bill proposing restrictions on non-compete agreements in employment contracts in Massachusetts will have its first hearing on Beacon Hill next week, after nine months of discussion, revision, and compromise. The state legislature’s Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development will hear comments on the bill, introduced by State Representatives Lori Ehrlich and Will Brownsberger, … Continue reading “Hearings on Non-Compete Restrictions Set for Next Week”
Fate Therapeutics Growing Fast on “Industrialized” Stem Cell Technology
Want to know how fast Fate Therapeutics is growing? When I toured the La Jolla, CA, company’s labs to get an update last week, one young scientist stood up from his desk, looked me in the eye, offered a firm handshake, and said “Welcome aboard.” I understood why a visiting journalist in a button-down shirt … Continue reading “Fate Therapeutics Growing Fast on “Industrialized” Stem Cell Technology”
Microsoft Buys Interactive Supercomputing, Digeo Acquired for $20M, Ignition’s Cloud Portfolio, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
The Northwest deal flow in the past week tended toward small partnerships and acquisitions. But there was still some significant activity in software, Internet, and entertainment. —As ghostbuster Bill Murray once said, “Dogs and cats living together…mass hysteria!” Seattle-based Pet Holdings, operators of I Can Has Cheezburger (Lolcats) and other humor websites, formed an advertising … Continue reading “Microsoft Buys Interactive Supercomputing, Digeo Acquired for $20M, Ignition’s Cloud Portfolio, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Genzyme Faces More Setbacks, Humedica Creating a Healthcare “Census,” Pops Back as Alkermes CEO, & More Boston-Area Life Science News
There were a wide variety of developments in the Boston-area life sciences sector over the past week. Companies in the headlines included big ones like Genzyme and Covidien as well as smaller startups such as Humedica and Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals. Here are some highlights: —We got an early look at Cambridge, MA-based Humedica’s strategy for developing … Continue reading “Genzyme Faces More Setbacks, Humedica Creating a Healthcare “Census,” Pops Back as Alkermes CEO, & More Boston-Area Life Science News”
Boston Scientific Pays $716M to Settle Patent Dispute with J&J
Boston Scientific has agreed to pay $716 million to Johnson & Johnson to settle 14 lawsuits related to patent disputes in the field of interventional cardiology. Both companies make products in that field that seek to be less invasive alternatives for patients with cardiovascular disease, who otherwise might be headed toward open-heart surgery. Natick, MA-based … Continue reading “Boston Scientific Pays $716M to Settle Patent Dispute with J&J”
Akamai Takes High-Definition to the Internet
Engineers long ago figured out how to deliver high-definition TV signals via over-the-air broadcast and cable, but the Internet is a different animal. Trying to squeeze that much data through a home or office Internet connection can lead to stutter and long “buffering” delays. For some time now, Akamai has been working on upgrades to … Continue reading “Akamai Takes High-Definition to the Internet”
Intel Labs Seattle Shows Off New Sensing Interfaces, Self-Charging Robot, Wireless Power
Yesterday’s annual open house at Intel Labs Seattle, near the UW campus, did not disappoint. I got a whirlwind tour from incoming lab director Dieter Fox (who also talked with me about Intel and the future of robotics). In attendance were some prominent members of the Intel brass like chief technology officer Justin Rattner, and … Continue reading “Intel Labs Seattle Shows Off New Sensing Interfaces, Self-Charging Robot, Wireless Power”
MooBella’s Revamped Ice Cream Machines Debut at MIT After $18M Financing Deal
MooBella was having no trouble finding people willing to try out its make-your-own ice cream machines last week at MIT. If only designing market-ready versions of the machines—which are now more than a decade in the making—were as easy. Xconomy got the inside scoop recently on how MooBella has spent the last couple of years … Continue reading “MooBella’s Revamped Ice Cream Machines Debut at MIT After $18M Financing Deal”
AppBank Helps Facebook Users Make Money, Looks to Become the Ad King for Social Apps
It’s always good to hear about another small Seattle startup that’s bootstrapped and already profitable. Yesterday it was Appature, today it’s AppBank. They may share the first three letters of their names (and bootstrapped profitability), but after that they’re about as different as two Internet software companies can be. AppBank is a six-person company focused … Continue reading “AppBank Helps Facebook Users Make Money, Looks to Become the Ad King for Social Apps”
Flying High at Babson: Len Schlesinger Wants to Create the Equivalent of the Airline Industry’s Star Alliance for Teaching Entrepreneurship
Len Schlesinger wryly refers to himself as president of the finest business school between Route 128 and I-495. And indeed, Wellesley, MA-based Babson College is, for many folks around Boston (and elsewhere), often over-shadowed by Hub institutions I don’t need to name. Yet Babson is also one of the country’s top business schools. I’m not … Continue reading “Flying High at Babson: Len Schlesinger Wants to Create the Equivalent of the Airline Industry’s Star Alliance for Teaching Entrepreneurship”
SAIC Founder J. Robert Beyster Calls Moving Company HQ from San Diego to D.C. ‘Inevitable’—But Says He Probably Would Not Have Done It
The timing of my lunch yesterday with SAIC founder J. Robert Beyster was pretty close to impeccable, since it came just four days after the defense contractor formally announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters from San Diego to McLean, VA. The departure of a Fortune 500 headquarters with a 40-year history in one city … Continue reading “SAIC Founder J. Robert Beyster Calls Moving Company HQ from San Diego to D.C. ‘Inevitable’—But Says He Probably Would Not Have Done It”
Amylin CEO, Putting Boardroom Coup Behind Him, Turns Up Heat on New Diabetes Drug
The first half of this year, Amylin Pharmaceuticals CEO Dan Bradbury was absorbed in the closest thing corporate America has to political warfare—a boardroom challenge from billionaire Carl Icahn and another unhappy shareholder, Eastbourne Capital. The second half has been more about doing the basics Amylin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]) must do if the San Diego diabetes … Continue reading “Amylin CEO, Putting Boardroom Coup Behind Him, Turns Up Heat on New Diabetes Drug”
AVI Biopharma Settles Into New Digs, Scopes Out Seattle Biotech Talent Pool
The day I stopped by to visit Seattle’s newest biotech company, the building was chilly on one side and hot on the other. An assistant wasn’t sure at first where the light switch was in the conference room. Nobody answered right away when I called from the security phone outside. “Hopefully the next time you … Continue reading “AVI Biopharma Settles Into New Digs, Scopes Out Seattle Biotech Talent Pool”
Intel Labs Seattle’s New Director, Dieter Fox, on Why the Future of Robotics Matters to Intel
Yesterday afternoon I stopped by Intel Labs Seattle, the research lab run by the chip-making giant near the University of Washington campus, for the lab’s annual open house. It’s an extravaganza that always draws a big crowd from the local tech community. Besides the huge variety of lab demos, one of the most interesting things … Continue reading “Intel Labs Seattle’s New Director, Dieter Fox, on Why the Future of Robotics Matters to Intel”
Zintro’s Pay-by-the-Call Service Connects Investors, Others with Industry Experts
If you spend much time in the business or legal world, “due diligence” is a phrase you hear a lot. It’s the polite term for the time you have to spend figuring out whether a potential client, vendor, investment, acquisition, or partner is legit or phony, smart or just slick. Part of the process involves … Continue reading “Zintro’s Pay-by-the-Call Service Connects Investors, Others with Industry Experts”
Sequenom Shares Tank After Executives Ousted Over Data Mishandling
Sequenom shares plummeted 44 percent today in after-hours trading after the San Diego-based company said it has ousted CEO Harry Stylli and its head of R&D in the wake of an investigation into mishandling of data for its prenatal genetic test for Down Syndrome. Chairman Harry Hixson, 71, the former president of Amgen, has assumed … Continue reading “Sequenom Shares Tank After Executives Ousted Over Data Mishandling”
Sequenom Ousts CEO Harry Stylli, After Investigating Mishandling of Down Syndrome Test
[Update: 1:58 pm Pacific, 9/28/09] San Diego-based Sequenom has ousted president and CEO Harry Stylli after an investigation by independent members of the company’s board raised “serious concerns” about the mishandling of data to support the company’s non-invasive prenatal test for Down Syndrome, the company said today in a statement. Besides terminating Stylli, the board … Continue reading “Sequenom Ousts CEO Harry Stylli, After Investigating Mishandling of Down Syndrome Test”
WTIA Merges With TechAmerica, Gets More Electronics and Device Companies On Board
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced today it is joining forces with TechAmerica, the advocacy organization, to become a unified tech entity in Washington state. The move broadens WTIA’s membership to include more companies in hardware, electronics, and devices, which complements the trade association’s strengths in software, digital media, and telecom, says Ken Myer, … Continue reading “WTIA Merges With TechAmerica, Gets More Electronics and Device Companies On Board”
ZymoGenetics Partner Halts Multiple Sclerosis Trials After Drug Fails
More bad news out of ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) this morning. The Seattle-based biotech company disclosed in a regulatory filing today that its partner, Germany-based pharmaceutical giant Merck KGaA, has halted studies of their atacicept drug candidate for multiple sclerosis after concluding the drug’s benefit wasn’t worth the risk. One trial showed that multiple sclerosis patients … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Partner Halts Multiple Sclerosis Trials After Drug Fails”
Virginia is for Lovers—and SAIC, MeLLmo Raises $4M, DEMOfall ’09 Comes to Town, & More San Diego BizTech News
Earlier this year, defense contractor SAIC celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding near a ballet studio in La Jolla. Now the company, which has more than 45,000 employees, has moved its headquarters from San Diego to McLean, VA. Get that and the rest of the local technology innovation news here. —Defense contractor SAIC, which … Continue reading “Virginia is for Lovers—and SAIC, MeLLmo Raises $4M, DEMOfall ’09 Comes to Town, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Appature Looks to Land Venture Funding, Go Big in Healthcare Marketing Software
Healthcare-IT is a hot topic in Seattle these days—and it’s about to get even hotter. Sources with knowledge of the company tell me Appature, a two-and-a-half-year-old Seattle startup focused on improving marketing and customer relationship management in the healthcare industry, is close to getting its first round of venture funding—and may even be the subject … Continue reading “Appature Looks to Land Venture Funding, Go Big in Healthcare Marketing Software”
Alkermes’ Ambitious Builder, Richard Pops, Grabs Reins to Re-Ignite Growth Phase
Richard Pops is not the sort of guy to sit still and patiently wait for good things to happen. He took the CEO job at Cambridge, MA-based Alkermes when he was just 28 years old, built it from 20 employees to more than 400, and made it profitable by the end of his 16-year run … Continue reading “Alkermes’ Ambitious Builder, Richard Pops, Grabs Reins to Re-Ignite Growth Phase”
Botox’s Singh Moves on to San Diego’s Transdel, Developer of Pain Reliever to Rival Advil
The woman who helped bring the famous anti-wrinkle treatment Botox to the U.S. market is working on a pain reliever that she says can compete with some of the best-known drugs in the world—Tylenol and Advil. Her name is Juliet Singh, and she’s the CEO of a tiny La Jolla, CA-based company called Transdel Pharmaceuticals. … Continue reading “Botox’s Singh Moves on to San Diego’s Transdel, Developer of Pain Reliever to Rival Advil”
From Academics to Biotech: A Journey to the Supposed “Dark Side”
If you had told me last year that today I would be running the offices of Accelerator Corporation—at least for one morning while everyone is out of town—I would have probably sniffed in disdain, tossed my hair, and shuffled back to my post-doc lab bench, a free donut in one hand (magic vendor food) and … Continue reading “From Academics to Biotech: A Journey to the Supposed “Dark Side””