[Updated 9/15/09 8:15 am. See below.]San Diego-based Gen-Probe (NASDAQ: [[ticker: GPRO]]) says it is spinning off its industrial testing business into an independent company, called Roka Bioscience, that is developing real-time molecular tests for biopharmaceutical, food, and water safety testing. Gen-Probe plans to initially own 19.9 percent of the new company. Affiliates of three private … Continue reading “Gen-Probe Spins Off New Company, Roka Bioscience, For Industrial Testing”
Category: National
Innovative Spinal Technologies’ Assets Sold
The story of ill-fated spinal implant startup Innovative Spinal Technologies of Mansfield, MA, appears to be drawing to a close. Integra Life Sciences Holdings (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IART]]) of Plainsboro, NJ, said today that its subsidiary Integra Spine has acquired “substantially all of the assets” of IST in a bankruptcy auction for $9.25 million in cash. As … Continue reading “Innovative Spinal Technologies’ Assets Sold”
How My Career in Technology Influenced My Fly Fishing Business
I spent nine years working for a Customer Relationship Management software provider called Onyx Software. Our CRM systems were (at the time) largely implemented and run on-site at our customers’ locations. I ran the Professional Services team for the Americas—we were responsible for aligning business strategy with our software implementations, conducting business modeling, installing and … Continue reading “How My Career in Technology Influenced My Fly Fishing Business”
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Chip Keeps Smartbooks “Always On,” Sapphire Energy Developing Bio-Refinery, EvoNexus Picks First Startups, & More San Diego BizTech News
Qualcomm technology that’s being incorporated in a new line of small and lightweight netbook computers—which Qualcomm calls smartbooks—could make the wireless devices one of the hot gift items for consumers this Christmas. Read on as we unwrap that news and more. —Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs says a lineup of “smartbook” computers that are set for … Continue reading “Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Chip Keeps Smartbooks “Always On,” Sapphire Energy Developing Bio-Refinery, EvoNexus Picks First Startups, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Oregon Angel Fund Raises $3M, Makes New Investments in Software, Retail, and Apparel
Angel capital just might be alive and well—at least in Oregon. Following up on Rick Turoczy’s guest post about Portland, OR, startups on Friday, we’ve learned that the Oregon Angel Fund has closed a new $3 million fund this summer, made up of 60 individual investors who each contributed $25,000, plus $1.5 million from the … Continue reading “Oregon Angel Fund Raises $3M, Makes New Investments in Software, Retail, and Apparel”
Funding for Massachusetts Startups Slower, but Still Strong, in August; Early-Stage Deals Predominate
The pace of everything in Massachusetts seems to slow in August, and startup financings were not an exception this year. But despite the tail off from July’s big deal-making surge, investments in Bay State startups looked pretty good last month. All told, VCs pumped $179.2 million into 21 deals, according to data provided to Xconomy … Continue reading “Funding for Massachusetts Startups Slower, but Still Strong, in August; Early-Stage Deals Predominate”
Amylin, Dark Horse of the Obesity Drug Battle, Follows Fast Behind Arena, Orexigen
The competition to create new obesity drugs is usually portrayed as a three-way battle royal among San Diego’s Arena Pharmaceuticals, crosstown rival Orexigen Therapeutics, and Mountain View, CA-based Vivus. Yet there’s one more San Diego biotech company with a drug in an earlier phase of development, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, which may just have the most effective … Continue reading “Amylin, Dark Horse of the Obesity Drug Battle, Follows Fast Behind Arena, Orexigen”
Why Aren’t There Good Drugs for Autism? Ex-MDRNA Exec Takes a Shot at Pharma’s Neglected Disease
[Corrected: 09/14/09, 12:40 pm. See below.] Autism has stumped drug developers for a long time. Scientists say they don’t really know what causes it. There’s a long list of symptoms, from social isolation, to obsessive behaviors like staring at ceiling fans, to difficulty with language. So it’s hard for drug developers to form a strategy … Continue reading “Why Aren’t There Good Drugs for Autism? Ex-MDRNA Exec Takes a Shot at Pharma’s Neglected Disease”
MIT Spinoff, 1366 Technologies, Reaches Efficiency Goal, Shines More Light on its Solar Cell Design
Back in February, Lexington, MA-based solar energy startup 1366 Technologies won an award from the U.S. Department of Energy worth as much as $3 million. The catch: it had to show that its techniques for making more efficient photovoltaic cells, born in the laboratory of MIT mechanical engineer Emanuel “Ely” Sachs, would actually work on … Continue reading “MIT Spinoff, 1366 Technologies, Reaches Efficiency Goal, Shines More Light on its Solar Cell Design”
Marathon Hopes to Go the Distance with New CEO
In 2004, Marathon Technologies abandoned its old hardware business to focus on “fault tolerance” software for Windows servers—programs that switch computing work from one server to another almost instaneously in the case of a hardware failure. Last year, in a move to adapt to the virtualization movement sweeping through the corporate IT world, Marathon brought … Continue reading “Marathon Hopes to Go the Distance with New CEO”
Bootstrapping Our Way Back From the Collapse
Since the collapse of Lehman Brothers last year (along with broader financial markets) the question at the top of my mind has been, “What next?” or maybe, “Where to from here?” From my perspective it is clear that small business must be a top priority in the coming months and years. There are approximately five … Continue reading “Bootstrapping Our Way Back From the Collapse”
Apperian Builds iPhone App to Lead You to New England Hikes—and Timberland Retailers
Chuck Goldman, CEO of Boston-based mobile app development house Apperian, called me this week to let me know about the launch of Timberland Expedition. The new iPhone application, which went live in Apple’s iTunes App Store today, was designed by Apperian to appeal to the outdoor-enthusiast types whom Stratham, NH-based Timberland (NYSE: [[ticker:TBL]]) considers the … Continue reading “Apperian Builds iPhone App to Lead You to New England Hikes—and Timberland Retailers”
Portland Tech Startups Power Through a Summer of Highs and Lows—A Guest Roundup
Like many metropolitan areas, the Portland, OR, startup scene has had its share of ups and downs this summer. Some folks started new ventures, some won new customers and garnered funding, and some closed up shop. All in all, it was fairly balanced—especially given the economy. But win or lose, there are still lessons to … Continue reading “Portland Tech Startups Power Through a Summer of Highs and Lows—A Guest Roundup”
TechStars’ First Class of Boston Startups Launched at Microsoft-Hosted Gala
One of the big tickets in town last night for the tech startup community was the TechStars Investor Evening at Microsoft’s New England Research and Development Center in Cambridge. (The other was a big Polaris-hosted party at Fenway Park for Woburn, MA-based LogMeIn, celebrating its July IPO.) The TechStars event, where the Boulder, CO-based venture … Continue reading “TechStars’ First Class of Boston Startups Launched at Microsoft-Hosted Gala”
Reality is Virtual at San Diego’s Tioga Pharmaceuticals
The chief medical officer of Tioga Pharmaceuticals, a start-up working on a drug for irritable bowel syndrome, is in North Carolina. The company’s regulatory team is in San Francisco. Its chief operating officer works from an office at San Diego’s Forward Ventures, the venture capital firm that formed Tioga. He also happens to be the … Continue reading “Reality is Virtual at San Diego’s Tioga Pharmaceuticals”
UW’s Tadayoshi Kohno on Computer Security and How to Think Like the Bad Guy
Tadayoshi Kohno spends his career looking at life through the eyes of a criminal, and he’s teaching University of Washington students to do the same. The UW computer science and engineering assistant professor studies computer security and privacy, which to Kohno means anticipating the bad guy’s moves before he does. I chatted with him recently … Continue reading “UW’s Tadayoshi Kohno on Computer Security and How to Think Like the Bad Guy”
Acceleron, Bucking Conventional Wisdom, Pushes Ahead Drug For Bone Loss, Anemia
A basic search of scientific literature says that Cambridge, MA-based Acceleron Pharma is trying to do something that won’t work. Past experiments suggest that a drug like its lead candidate is more likely to cause people to get anemia, not help treat it. But Acceleron has witnessed the unexpected in small human studies, and it’s … Continue reading “Acceleron, Bucking Conventional Wisdom, Pushes Ahead Drug For Bone Loss, Anemia”
Seven Projects to Stretch Your Digital Wings: Part Two
Whether the fall is back-to-school season for you or not, there’s always more to learn. In last week’s column I outlined three fun weekend projects involving new technologies for digital self-expression. My suggestions covered art (digital “finger painting” with an iPhone app called Brushes), writing (“lifestreaming” with Posterous and Friendfeed), and photography (building three-dimensional photographic … Continue reading “Seven Projects to Stretch Your Digital Wings: Part Two”
Canadian Consulate Helps San Diego’s Technology Companies Look Across the (Northern) Border—and Vice Versa
San Diego is a major border city, tourism destination, and convention hotspot, so it should come as no surprise that the U.S. State Department recognizes 25 consular representatives of foreign governments in this area. But with a handful of exceptions, nearly all of them are honorary positions with no regular office hours. Among the exceptions … Continue reading “Canadian Consulate Helps San Diego’s Technology Companies Look Across the (Northern) Border—and Vice Versa”
Federal Judge Rules in Biogen Idec’s Favor, Sepracor Agrees to $2.8B Buyout, FDA Panel Endorses Gloucester Pharma Drug, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
The buyout of Sepracor was probably the biggest piece of New England life sciences news this past week, but it certainly wasn’t the only one. —Cambridge, MA-based Quanterix named David Okrongly its new CEO. Founding CEO Nicholas Naclerio will continue to server as chairman of the company, which is developing single-molecule analysis tools for diagnosing … Continue reading “Federal Judge Rules in Biogen Idec’s Favor, Sepracor Agrees to $2.8B Buyout, FDA Panel Endorses Gloucester Pharma Drug, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Some Thoughts on Rhapsody, iTunes, and the Future of Digital Music
It can’t hurt for Rhapsody to offer an iPhone app. However, they are going to have to compete with rampant iTunes, Pandora, and rampant piracy. While Pandora has a paid option, their free option satisfies many of the needs mobile users have for music. If RealNetworks offers a similar “free” option, it could provide a … Continue reading “Some Thoughts on Rhapsody, iTunes, and the Future of Digital Music”
Quidel, Pulling Off a Turnaround, Predicts Record Profit on Demand for Flu Tests
Quidel’s woes from earlier this year look like ancient history now, thanks to surging worldwide demand for its quick diagnostic flu tests. The San Diego-based company said today that it expects to eclipse its quarterly sales and profit records as health officials stock up in anticipation of a worsening global flu pandemic. Quidel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QDEL]]) … Continue reading “Quidel, Pulling Off a Turnaround, Predicts Record Profit on Demand for Flu Tests”
Dog Patch Labs Is Just the Latest in a Rash of New Initiatives to Help Boston Entrepreneurs—And It All Seemed to Start When Y Combinator Left Town
[Updated October 5, 2009—see below] Today was a good day for Boston area entrepreneurs, as Polaris Venture Partners announced the opening of a new startup incubation and geek hangout space, Dog Patch Labs Cambridge, which will open next week on Third Street not far from Kendall Square. Dog Patch Cambridge, which I wrote about earlier … Continue reading “Dog Patch Labs Is Just the Latest in a Rash of New Initiatives to Help Boston Entrepreneurs—And It All Seemed to Start When Y Combinator Left Town”
Polaris to Open Dog Patch Labs Incubator in Cambridge
Boston entrepreneurs, start your yipping. Polaris Venture Partners is announcing today that it is opening a counterpart to its fast-growing San Francisco-based Dog Patch Labs startup incubator near Kendall Square here in Cambridge, MA. Dog Patch Labs Cambridge, as it’s aptly called, will officially open for business next week and will be housed in the … Continue reading “Polaris to Open Dog Patch Labs Incubator in Cambridge”
Jobzle.com Launched in Providence by Brown U. Students to Help College Kids Get Jobs
Brown University student Walker Williams is leading the launch of a new online job service for college students, Jobzle.com, through a marketing campaign that began this week in Providence and is expected to spread to other universities in Rhode Island in the days and weeks ahead. Jobzle is initially focusing on serving students in the … Continue reading “Jobzle.com Launched in Providence by Brown U. Students to Help College Kids Get Jobs”
Arena Prepares to Release Big Obesity Study, Minnow Medical Goes Into ‘Commercialization Mode,’ Metabasis Hires Strategic Adviser, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARNA]]) plans to announce results of a 4,000-patient clinical trial of its obesity drug lorcaserin this month. But Northern California rival Vivus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VVUS]]) announced results of its own obesity drug first. Get the skinny on all this and the rest of San Diego’s life sciences news. —San Diego’s Arena Pharmaceuticals is … Continue reading “Arena Prepares to Release Big Obesity Study, Minnow Medical Goes Into ‘Commercialization Mode,’ Metabasis Hires Strategic Adviser, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Baseball, the Red Sox, and the (Swedish) Innovation Economy
The Baseball World Cup qualification series started this week over here in Sweden, as well as in several other countries in Europe. South Korea, Canada, the Dutch Antilles, and Sweden will meet each other at a field in the Stockholm suburb Sundbyberg. The finals will take place at the end of the month in Italy. … Continue reading “Baseball, the Red Sox, and the (Swedish) Innovation Economy”
What Will Seattle Biotech Be Like in 20 Years? Xconomy Event Looks Far Into Region’s Future
[Updated, 3:15 pm Sept. 11 with added “burst” from Immune Design.] Seattle biotech has taken its share of lumps lately, but beyond the next quarter or next year, what kind of life sciences potential really exists here in the Northwest? Over the next 20 years, will this area have grown as a world leader in … Continue reading “What Will Seattle Biotech Be Like in 20 Years? Xconomy Event Looks Far Into Region’s Future”
Ambit Biosciences, In Third Incarnation, Gears Up for Pivotal Study of Leukemia Drug
Biotech companies run into walls all the time, and either reinvent themselves or die. If they’re fortunate, they get one shot at a turnaround. San Diego-based Ambit Biosciences is getting a third chance, and this time it has some hard data, not just a flashy concept, to offer. Ambit got started in May 2000, just … Continue reading “Ambit Biosciences, In Third Incarnation, Gears Up for Pivotal Study of Leukemia Drug”
Lilipip, With Recent Focus on Animated Ads, Looks to Keep Growing Without Venture Capital
From architecture to kids’ videos to online animated ads, Ksenia Oustiougova’s path to founder of Seattle online ad company Lilipip has been unusual. To start, the company was funded not by investors, but on credit cards. The good news: after shutting down the kids’ video version of Lilipip and retooling to its current incarnation, Oustiougova … Continue reading “Lilipip, With Recent Focus on Animated Ads, Looks to Keep Growing Without Venture Capital”
San Diego’s EvoNexus Incubator Selects First Gaggle of Fledgling Startups
EvoNexus, the non-profit incubator launched in San Diego three months ago, has selected its inaugural group of new technology companies to be hatched. Cathy Pucher, the incubator’s executive director, tells me the first clutch of startups getting support from EvoNexus were culled from about 45 applicants. The contenders came from a surprisingly diverse number of … Continue reading “San Diego’s EvoNexus Incubator Selects First Gaggle of Fledgling Startups”
Targeted Genetics Lives On, CellCyte Charged With Fraud, Theraclone Finds HIV Weakness, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
There were some striking highs and lows in Seattle biotech this week. —Seattle-based Targeted Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TGEN]]), the stalwart of gene therapy, needed a lifeline if it was going to survive any longer, and it got one at the last minute this week from Cambridge, MA-based biotech giant Genzyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GENZ]]). Targeted is handing over … Continue reading “Targeted Genetics Lives On, CellCyte Charged With Fraud, Theraclone Finds HIV Weakness, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Startups Gear Up for Scavenger Hunt of Boston’s Innovation Hotspots, to Benefit Young Entrepreneurs
Boston-area technology entrepreneurs may not get much work done on Friday, October 9. If Highland Capital Partners can drum up enough interest, hundreds of high-tech employees will be spending that afternoon combing Boston for digital clues as part of what it is calling “The Quest for Innovation.” It’s a high-tech scavenger hunt intended to raise … Continue reading “Startups Gear Up for Scavenger Hunt of Boston’s Innovation Hotspots, to Benefit Young Entrepreneurs”
Calling All WordPress/PHP/Apache/Linux Gurus—Particularly the Ones With Pagers
As we’ve grown Xconomy.com over the last few years, we’ve prided ourselves on keeping our operations lean and mean, in no small part by making the most of DIY technologies and virtual working arrangements. But every once in a while—say when a bitchy little worm wiggles its way through WordPress sites across the Web—we’re reminded … Continue reading “Calling All WordPress/PHP/Apache/Linux Gurus—Particularly the Ones With Pagers”
Investment in Washington Startups Totaled $25M (or $51.4M, Depending on How You Count) in August
Last month sure seemed like a busy one for Seattle-area startup financings, especially for summer. But the hard data paints a much more modest picture. Venture capitalists invested $25 million into four companies headquartered in Washington state last month, according to data provided to Xconomy by ChubbyBrain, a New York-based information services company that develops … Continue reading “Investment in Washington Startups Totaled $25M (or $51.4M, Depending on How You Count) in August”
A123 Unveils IPO Terms: The Power of Nine?
A123Systems, the Watertown, MA-based advanced battery manufacturer that hopes to provide lithium ion batteries for the next generation of electric and hybrid vehicles, today revealed the expected stock price for its initial public offering. The company will seek to sell 25 million shares of its common stock at $8.00 to $9.50 per share, according to … Continue reading “A123 Unveils IPO Terms: The Power of Nine?”
Vivus, Rival to Arena and Orexigen, Nails Big Results in Clinical Trials of Obesity Drug
The obesity drug competition just got tougher for a pair of San Diego-based companies. Shares of Mountain View, CA-based Vivus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VVUS]]) shot up this morning after it said its experimental obesity drug helped people lose a substantial amount of weight in a pair of clinical trials with more than 3,750 patients. Vivus reported the … Continue reading “Vivus, Rival to Arena and Orexigen, Nails Big Results in Clinical Trials of Obesity Drug”
CEOs to Follow on Twitter, What Tweaks VCs, What Entrepreneurs Should Copy, Making Cleantech Pay, & Other Recent Boston Blog Posts to Peruse
Coming out of the long weekend, with summer vacations over, I can feel the pace of entrepreneurial action quicken. With a lot of people out of town or chillin’ the past few weeks, I thought it might be a good time to highlight some interesting recent blog posts you might have missed from various local … Continue reading “CEOs to Follow on Twitter, What Tweaks VCs, What Entrepreneurs Should Copy, Making Cleantech Pay, & Other Recent Boston Blog Posts to Peruse”
Targeted Genetics Survives Brush With Death, Sells Gene Therapy IP to Genzyme for $7M
Targeted Genetics needed a lifeline and it got one at the last possible minute. The Seattle-based mainstay of gene therapy, which has been running on fumes for months, has struck an 11th-hour deal to stay alive another year by selling off its most valuable intellectual property for $7 million to Genzyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GENZ]]). Many of … Continue reading “Targeted Genetics Survives Brush With Death, Sells Gene Therapy IP to Genzyme for $7M”
Minnow Medical Aims to Commercialize Improved Device for Treating Peripheral Artery Disease
Tom Steinke says he founded San Diego’s Minnow Medical out of an abiding conviction of the limitations of the medical stent, a mesh tube inserted in arteries to help prop open clogged blood vessels. Steinke came to this view after spending 20 years developing medical devices in the cardiovascular industry. His previous startup was San … Continue reading “Minnow Medical Aims to Commercialize Improved Device for Treating Peripheral Artery Disease”
Valu Valu Revamps Site for Businesses That Want to Monitor Prices
Seattle-area e-commerce startup Valu Valu has made a strategic shift in the past few months. Instead of continuing to pitch its service primarily to bargain-hunting consumers and resellers, Valu Valu relaunched two weeks ago as an online price monitoring site geared toward businesses. The idea is to give Internet retailers and small businesses an efficient … Continue reading “Valu Valu Revamps Site for Businesses That Want to Monitor Prices”
09/09/09: A Big Day in the Life of the Boston Video Game Industry
It’s a banner day for the Boston-area gaming industry. In what’s either a bizarre coincidence, a piece of arcane marketing numerology, or just a sign that the enormous PAX gaming conference in Seattle has ended, three local companies in the console and online gaming markets picked 09/09/09 to take the lid off big new products. … Continue reading “09/09/09: A Big Day in the Life of the Boston Video Game Industry”
San Diego’s Sapphire Energy Plans Bio-Refinery in New Mexico as ‘Algaeus’ Begins Promotional Cross-Country Tour
I got a phone call from Tim Zenk, a spokesman for San Diego-based Sapphire Energy, shortly before the hoopla began this afternoon in San Francisco, where a Toyota Prius hybrid electric car is setting out on an eco-friendly cross-country tour. Instead of using conventional gasoline, the Prius (which has been christened “Algaeus”) will use a … Continue reading “San Diego’s Sapphire Energy Plans Bio-Refinery in New Mexico as ‘Algaeus’ Begins Promotional Cross-Country Tour”
Marketfish Rolls Out New Web Platform, Resembles aQuantive, Says Clark Kokich
Last month, we broke the story of Marketfish, the Seattle-based online marketing startup that has raised an undisclosed sum of money from prominent local investors, including the Alliance of Angels. Today, Marketfish launched a beta version of its new online platform, which helps marketing agencies and businesses find and rent direct mail and e-mail lists … Continue reading “Marketfish Rolls Out New Web Platform, Resembles aQuantive, Says Clark Kokich”
SEC Charges CellCyte With Stem Cell Fraud
CellCyte Genetics, the Bothell, WA-based company that once said it was on the verge of entering clinical trials with a stem cell compound to repair the heart, has been charged with violating federal securities laws by making false statements to investors. Today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, the company, its former CEO, and former … Continue reading “SEC Charges CellCyte With Stem Cell Fraud”
A Recap of Penny Arcade Expo: The Ultimate Destination for Gaming Fans
Pacific-Northwest Armani Exchange it isn’t, but it is totally the height of Geek Chic. Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) has become the ultimate destination for gaming fans. Since 1995, every gamer has dreamed of being able to sneak into E3: the video game industry’s annual closed-to-the-public trade convention, where new games and products are introduced and … Continue reading “A Recap of Penny Arcade Expo: The Ultimate Destination for Gaming Fans”
Heartland Robotics Confirms $7M Funding Round; Charles River Ventures in Lead Role
Heartland Robotics confirmed today that it has raised $7 million in a Series A-1 venture financing round, a story first reported by Xconomy on August 21. The lead funder in the round was Charles River Ventures of Waltham, MA, according to Heartland president Patrick Sobalvarro. Bezos Expeditions, the Seattle-based venture investing operation of Amazon founder … Continue reading “Heartland Robotics Confirms $7M Funding Round; Charles River Ventures in Lead Role”
In Challenge for Emerging Netbook Market, Qualcomm Moves From Smart Phones to Smartbooks
As interest builds in the coming introduction of new wireless netbooks, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs tells the San Diego Union-Tribune that many netbooks based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor also will include Qualcomm’s MediaFLO, the company’s satellite-based TV broadcast for mobile devices. In an interview with the newspaper’s editorial board, Jacobs says the new line of … Continue reading “In Challenge for Emerging Netbook Market, Qualcomm Moves From Smart Phones to Smartbooks”
Mission Ventures’ Leo Spiegel Senses an Uptick in VC Activity, SAIC Plays Crucial Role in Cyber Security, DivX Buys AnySource, & More San Diego BizTech News
While there was a bit of a lull among San Diego’s hardware and software companies last week, Mission Ventures’ Leo Spiegel told me venture activity in the sector seems to be picking up. Our news summary begins now. —Mission Ventures managing partner Leo Spiegel told me he’s “cautiously optimistic” about a resumption in venture investment … Continue reading “Mission Ventures’ Leo Spiegel Senses an Uptick in VC Activity, SAIC Plays Crucial Role in Cyber Security, DivX Buys AnySource, & More San Diego BizTech News”
TriQuint Acquires TriAccess, Dashwire Gets Cash, VoiceBox Talks Funding, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
It was another quiet week for deals in the Northwest, as the holiday weekend brought summer to its unofficial close. We saw a little activity in software, mobile, and semiconductors, and heard from an old Seattle-area dealmaker (see below). —Kai-Fu Lee, the former Microsoft vice president and founding director of Microsoft Research Asia, has quit … Continue reading “TriQuint Acquires TriAccess, Dashwire Gets Cash, VoiceBox Talks Funding, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”