Stephen Tomlin has a succinct way of explaining the significance of the technology that San Diego-based Awarepoint has developed over the past five years. Hospitals are just always looking for their stuff, says Tomlin, who is a managing member of San Diego’s Avalon Ventures and a member of Awarepoint’s board of directors. Sometimes medical equipment … Continue reading “Using Zigbee Mesh Networks, Awarepoint Ready to Catch Wave of Healthcare Innovation”
Category: National
Boston’s @biz Twitter Fit
I’ve been watching the Twitter dialog between @hybernaut (aka Brian Del Vecchio, founding member of the Beta House collaborative in Cambridge) and a slew of Twitter users from Hubspot about a “Tweetup” being held today in honor of Biz Stone. More widely known by his Twitter username, @biz, Stone is Twitter’s co-founder and creative director, … Continue reading “Boston’s @biz Twitter Fit”
RunKeeper’s Mad Dash to the Marathon Finish: Of Foot Injuries, Viral Video, and Dressing Up as an iPhone
If you’re out watching the Boston Marathon on Monday and you see a giant iPhone limp past, chances are it’s Jason Jacobs inside. Jacobs is the hyperkinetic founder and CEO of Boston-based FitnessKeeper, which makes a highly popular run-tracking application for the Apple iPhone 3G called RunKeeper. (He was also a panelist at Xconomy’s recent … Continue reading “RunKeeper’s Mad Dash to the Marathon Finish: Of Foot Injuries, Viral Video, and Dressing Up as an iPhone”
A123Systems Counts to $69M, Sun Catalytix Out to Grow Seed From Polaris, Synageva Gets $30M, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Many different corners of New England’s innovation empire were heard from this week. —Return investors put $20 million in Branford, CT-based Marinus Pharmaceuticals, which plans to used the money to further development of ganaxolone, its drug for seizures and other disorders. Participants in the deal included Canaan Partners, Domain Associates, Foundation Medical Partners, and Sofinnova … Continue reading “A123Systems Counts to $69M, Sun Catalytix Out to Grow Seed From Polaris, Synageva Gets $30M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Sapphire Energy Hikes Green Crude Production Estimates
[Update: This report was updated at 6:10 PT with a statement from Sapphire Energy president C.J. Warner] Citing a breakthrough, San Diego’s Sapphire Energy, a startup developing algae-to-fuel technology, today doubled its estimated production for 2011, saying that by then the company will be capable of producing 1 million gallons of diesel and jet fuel … Continue reading “Sapphire Energy Hikes Green Crude Production Estimates”
Biogen Idec Tysabri Sales Fall Shy of Street Expectations
Biogen Idec’s fortunes rise and fall on largely on the performance of sales of natalizumab (Tysabri), and the latest Tysabri sales trends are disappointing investors. Biogen, which has headquarters in Cambridge, MA, and significant operations in San Diego, said today that the multiple sclerosis drug generated $227 million in worldwide sales during the first quarter. … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Tysabri Sales Fall Shy of Street Expectations”
Amgen Shows Off Cancer Drug Pipeline Before Scientific Meeting
Amgen became the world’s biggest biotech company because of its ability to treat the side effects of cancer chemotherapy. But Amgen’s dream over the past decade has been to get into the game of targeted cancer drugs that actually kill tumors, and over the next few years it will find out if it will be … Continue reading “Amgen Shows Off Cancer Drug Pipeline Before Scientific Meeting”
Founder of EasyTaxFix Finds Online Property Tax Service Less Appealing, More Complicated, Than Expected
The day after April 15 may not be a time when many folks want to think about taxes, but what if the subject is reducing your taxes? EasyTaxFix launched its online business last September in a bid to help homeowners throughout San Diego County lower their property taxes. The concept was simple enough. Home prices … Continue reading “Founder of EasyTaxFix Finds Online Property Tax Service Less Appealing, More Complicated, Than Expected”
UW’s Connie Bourassa-Shaw on the Genetics of Entrepreneurs, and Why Seattle Is Startup Mecca
Connie Bourassa-Shaw has been the director of the University of Washington’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) in the Foster School of Business for just three years. But her ties to the UW go back to 1987, when she was a writer for the UW economic and business magazine, Pacific Northwest Executive. She has played … Continue reading “UW’s Connie Bourassa-Shaw on the Genetics of Entrepreneurs, and Why Seattle Is Startup Mecca”
YouRenew Hopes Message of Green Simplicity Will Help It Outrun Gazelle in Gadget-Recycling Market
The Web has drastically lowered the barriers to starting a business. But that benefit has a flip side: established Web businesses are more vulnerable to competitors who can suddenly come up from behind. That’s the story that may play out this year in the electronics recycling market. Last year we ran a couple of stories … Continue reading “YouRenew Hopes Message of Green Simplicity Will Help It Outrun Gazelle in Gadget-Recycling Market”
Q&A With Gary West: Using Wireless Technology to Transform Healthcare
Less than three weeks ago, the Gary and Mary West foundation helped establish San Diego’s new West Wireless Health Institute, one of the first medical research organizations devoted to the development of new wireless healthcare technologies. As a result, in the not-too-distant-future, you could get a warning on your cell phone before you suffer a … Continue reading “Q&A With Gary West: Using Wireless Technology to Transform Healthcare”
Dendreon’s “Clear Hit” on Provenge, Oncothyreon Rides Coattails, Cell Therapeutics Nabs $15M, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
The Xconomy biotech desk felt more like “Dendreon News Central” this week. The Seattle biotech company captured headlines around the world when its immune-stimulating treatment for prostate cancer showed it could help men live longer with prostate cancer with minimal side effects. We had several angles on this story, but there was actually plenty of … Continue reading “Dendreon’s “Clear Hit” on Provenge, Oncothyreon Rides Coattails, Cell Therapeutics Nabs $15M, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Polaris Venture Partners Backing MIT Chemist’s “Solar Fuel” Startup
(Update: this story was updated at 10:15 a.m. today with additional financial information on Sun Catalytix.) Yes, that’s solar fuel. MIT chemistry professor Daniel Nocera has been widely lauded for developing a breakthrough technology that could harness the energy of the sun to provide a clean source of fuel. Xconomy has now learned that Polaris … Continue reading “Polaris Venture Partners Backing MIT Chemist’s “Solar Fuel” Startup”
Hutch Cuts 83 Jobs To Cope with Drop in Philanthropy
[[Updated, 11:55 am Pacific April 16, with corrected employee and budget figures]] The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has joined the list of organizations announcing layoffs, by eliminating 83 jobs, or about 3 percent of its workforce. The Seattle-based nonprofit research institute said in a statement that it made the budget cuts to offset the … Continue reading “Hutch Cuts 83 Jobs To Cope with Drop in Philanthropy”
Icahn Denounces Amylin’s Chairman
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn turned up the heat today in his proxy fight with San Diego-based Amylin Pharmaceuticals by calling for the resignation of chairman Joseph Cook. In a letter to Amylin that was filed with the SEC, Icahn criticized Cook for destroying shareholder value. He says the company, under Cook’s stewardship, has made many … Continue reading “Icahn Denounces Amylin’s Chairman”
How Seattle VCs Are Adapting to the UW TechTransfer Revolution
[This is Part 1 of a two-part series on how the process of identifying venture-backed startup opportunities at the University of Washington is evolving—Eds.] Back in February, we reported on the “VC revolution” happening on the campus of the University of Washington. Six months into her tenure as vice provost of UW TechTransfer, Linden Rhoads … Continue reading “How Seattle VCs Are Adapting to the UW TechTransfer Revolution”
Taking (Photo) Stock: BrightQube Seeking Venture Funding to Enlarge Burgeoning Web Picture Business
Lee Corkran has spent most of his life working in photography, graphic design, and online media. He’s participated in changes that have transformed his industry as he moved from jobs at the former Sigma photo agency, a news photo provider, to Kodak, Yahoo, and Hewlett-Packard’s San Diego-based Imaging and Printing Group. Based on the insights … Continue reading “Taking (Photo) Stock: BrightQube Seeking Venture Funding to Enlarge Burgeoning Web Picture Business”
Infinity Pharma Lead Cancer Drug Trial Halted, Ends in Failure
Infinity Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ:[[ticker:INFI]]) lead cancer drug has crashed and burned in a late-stage clinical trial for treating relapsed forms of malignant stomach tumors, after interim results showed that more patients were dying when taking the drug than those who weren’t on the drug, the company reports. The decision to halt the Phase III “RING” trial … Continue reading “Infinity Pharma Lead Cancer Drug Trial Halted, Ends in Failure”
Mascoma to Cut Staff, Leave Boston
Boston-based Mascoma, a startup developing techniques for making ethanol from high-cellulose feedstock such as wood chips, said yesterday it will consolidate its operations in a new office building and R&D facility in Lebanon, NH, near the Dartmouth College location where the company was founded, and where the majority of its workers are already employed. The … Continue reading “Mascoma to Cut Staff, Leave Boston”
From Ultracapacitors to Soybeans to Sludge: University Teams Pitch Local VCs
Three local venture firms put on what amounted to a university startup fair at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square yesterday. I went hoping for a peek at a few of the companies that could be pulling down Series A rounds a year or two from now. Now in its second year, the invitation-only University … Continue reading “From Ultracapacitors to Soybeans to Sludge: University Teams Pitch Local VCs”
Biogen and Icahn Duel Again, Marinus Gets $20M, Vigilance Urged on Patent Reform, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
It was a relatively quiet week for New England’s life sciences firms, but with earnings reports from several key players due at the end of this week I’m guessing the next roundup will be a doozy. —Cambridge, MA-based Cerulean Pharma named Oliver Fetzer, a former executive at Lexington, MA-based Cubist Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CBST), as its new … Continue reading “Biogen and Icahn Duel Again, Marinus Gets $20M, Vigilance Urged on Patent Reform, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Tapioca Gets the Message—and the Video—to Mobile Phone Masses
Tapioca Mobile wants to see your cellular phone play more videos, and the San Diego-based wireless media company has the know-how to do it—no matter what phone you use. Tapioca has created a unique video-transcoding process and has, according to co-founder and CTO Chas Wurster, “the largest footprint of addressable video mobile devices in the … Continue reading “Tapioca Gets the Message—and the Video—to Mobile Phone Masses”
From Microsoft to Olympia: Q&A With Rogers Weed, New Washington Commerce Chief
Olympia, in the view of many entrepreneurs I’ve talked to over the years, is practically a code word in this state for “bureaucrats out of touch with what it takes to run a business.” So when I heard Gov. Chris Gregoire turned to Rogers Weed, a former Microsoft vice president, to be in her cabinet … Continue reading “From Microsoft to Olympia: Q&A With Rogers Weed, New Washington Commerce Chief”
Ensemble Nails Deal with Bristol-Myers Squibb to Discover New Drugs
Ensemble Discovery has secured an important partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb to keep its engine of new drugs humming along in a downturn. The Cambridge, MA-based company will get a $5 million upfront payment, $7.5 million to pay part of its research expenses over the next two years, and may get milestone payments worth $29.5 million … Continue reading “Ensemble Nails Deal with Bristol-Myers Squibb to Discover New Drugs”
A123Systems Gets $100M in Tax Breaks to Expand in Michigan
“Go Michigan!” We didn’t hear them say it, but the team at A123Systems has likely become big fans of the state of Michigan. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation has granted the Watertown, MA-based developer of advanced battery systems $100 million in tax credits to support its plans to open an R&D center and manufacturing plants … Continue reading “A123Systems Gets $100M in Tax Breaks to Expand in Michigan”
Microsoft Sells Franchise for $20M, Cell Therapeutics Collects $15M, Adapx Raises $9M, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
Maybe everyone has finally done their taxes, so they can announce their funding deals. For whatever reason, it was a busy week for deals in the Northwest, with quite a bit of financing activity in software, biotech, and devices. —Seattle-based ExtraHop Networks announced it raised a $5.1 million Series A round led by Madrona Venture … Continue reading “Microsoft Sells Franchise for $20M, Cell Therapeutics Collects $15M, Adapx Raises $9M, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Riding Dendreon’s Coattails, Antigenics and Oncothyreon Shares Soar
Who will be the next Dendreon? That’s the question investors are asking today, as Dendreon’s good news from this morning is sending a ripple effect through shares of other companies that aspire to develop treatments that stimulate the immune system to fight cancer. Lexington, MA-based Antigenics saw its shares rocket 63 percent in mid-day trading, … Continue reading “Riding Dendreon’s Coattails, Antigenics and Oncothyreon Shares Soar”
Amid Worsening Economy, Software Startups Look to San Diego’s DaggerBoard Advisors for Different Kinds of Help
Dennis Clerke says the kernel of the idea behind DaggerBoard Advisors formed in his mind years ago, while he was still the CEO of Cardiff Software, a business in Vista, CA, he co-founded to automate business forms processing. “When I was CEO, I’d just get parts of my board members’ time and attention,” Clerke told … Continue reading “Amid Worsening Economy, Software Startups Look to San Diego’s DaggerBoard Advisors for Different Kinds of Help”
ExtraHop Hauls In $5.1M to Help Companies Manage Their Networks Efficiently
And the hits keep coming. In a busy week for financing deals, Seattle-based ExtraHop Networks is announcing today it has raised a $5.1 million Series A round, led by Madrona Venture Group. Prominent angel investors Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz also participated in the funding round, which closed at the end of February. ExtraHop, which … Continue reading “ExtraHop Hauls In $5.1M to Help Companies Manage Their Networks Efficiently”
Dendreon Immune Booster for Prostate Cancer Helps Men Live Longer; Shares Boom
[[Updated]] Dendreon has been vindicated. The Seattle biotech company, after living through years of controversy about whether its experimental drug helps prostate cancer patients live longer, said today that a clinical trial of 512 men now shows that the treatment can help prolong life with minimal side effects. Shares skyrocketed by more than $12, rising … Continue reading “Dendreon Immune Booster for Prostate Cancer Helps Men Live Longer; Shares Boom”
New Wave-Making Technology Touches Off San Diego’s Wave War
Bruce McFarland has a long-standing relationship with waves. He learned to surf while he was growing up in Manhattan Beach, CA, a classic Los Angeles-area beach community and home of what is believed to be California’s first surfboard shop. He studied mechanical engineering and fluid mechanics at UC Santa Barbara, and after graduation worked for … Continue reading “New Wave-Making Technology Touches Off San Diego’s Wave War”
Dendreon’s Top Five Shareholders Hold Their Breath for Big Trial Result
One way or another, Dendreon is going to create some major winners and losers today, but who will they be? Investors will find out if the company has been able to show in a clinical trial whether its immune-boosting therapy for prostate cancer, Provenge, is able to prolong lives. A positive result could send the … Continue reading “Dendreon’s Top Five Shareholders Hold Their Breath for Big Trial Result”
Rematch Time: Carl Icahn and Biogen Idec Square Off Again
It’s rematch time in the battle for control of Biogen Idec. With the Cambridge, MA-based company’s annual shareholder meeting likely coming sometime in the next couple months, the incumbent board nominees are being challenged by four rivals put forth by billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn. A media leak has fueled speculation of a potential buyout … Continue reading “Rematch Time: Carl Icahn and Biogen Idec Square Off Again”
Risk and Reward: GoCrossCampus Morphs Into Casual Games Site for Teams
If you’re a startup that organizes giant games of Risk on college campuses, it doesn’t matter how many thousands of dorm residents you can recruit to participate—there’s still a fundamental flaw your business model. It’s that the game and the semester eventually end, and everyone goes home. The antidote? Keep people involved year-round by moving … Continue reading “Risk and Reward: GoCrossCampus Morphs Into Casual Games Site for Teams”
Buckle Up: Dendreon Trading Halted With Prostate Cancer Results Due Tomorrow Morning
Dendreon’s long-awaited big news is coming tomorrow morning. The Seattle biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) said it will hold a conference call before stock trading opens tomorrow morning to discuss the final results of a clinical trial that will show whether its immune-stimulating drug for prostate cancer, Provenge, can help men live longer. The company’s conference … Continue reading “Buckle Up: Dendreon Trading Halted With Prostate Cancer Results Due Tomorrow Morning”
Microsoft Live Labs Reorganization, Questioned by Many, Is Great for Innovation, Says Lazowska
Much has been made of the fact that Microsoft is moving about half of its Live Labs applied research staff to other divisions, such as product groups and Microsoft Research. The news, announced within Microsoft a week ago, has been met with criticism from outside observers, who lament the reduction of one of the company’s … Continue reading “Microsoft Live Labs Reorganization, Questioned by Many, Is Great for Innovation, Says Lazowska”
Cell Therapeutics Grabs $15M From Single Investor
[[Updated 1:30 pm with investor name]] Cell Therapeutics has been slashing costs to keep its doors open this year, and now it has found a source of new capital to keep going at least a little while longer. The Seattle biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTIC]]) said today it has pulled in $15 million from a single … Continue reading “Cell Therapeutics Grabs $15M From Single Investor”
Departed Amylin Co-Founder Greene Says Company in ‘Perfect Storm,’ But Confident in Management
Amylin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]) co-founder Howard E. “Ted” Greene, long a leading figure in San Diego’s biotech community, said today that Amylin has encountered a “perfect storm” of events that have caused its share price to drop precipitously and unleashed a proxy battle—but that he’ll seek other ways to help the company since he has … Continue reading “Departed Amylin Co-Founder Greene Says Company in ‘Perfect Storm,’ But Confident in Management”
A123Systems Expanding Battery Tech Production and R&D with Fresh $69M Financing
A123Systems says it has reeled in $69 million from GE and other investors to ramp up production of its advanced lithium-ion batteries and enhance development of its smart grid energy storage technology. The $15 million that GE (NYSE:[[ticker:GE]]) contributed to the round—via its GE Energy Financial Services and GE Capital units—ups the company’s stake in … Continue reading “A123Systems Expanding Battery Tech Production and R&D with Fresh $69M Financing”
Amylin Braces to Battle Carl Icahn, Calit2’s Network for Institutional Innovation, Sangart Ponders Its Next Move, & More San Diego BizTech News
Perhaps the week before Easter was a good time for San Diego’s technology innovators to be taking stock. Amylin is busy weighing how best to fend off dissident investors Carl Icahn and Eastbourne Capital before next month’s annual shareholder meeting. Other San Diego startups, such as Trius Therapeutics and Sangart, are considering how best to … Continue reading “Amylin Braces to Battle Carl Icahn, Calit2’s Network for Institutional Innovation, Sangart Ponders Its Next Move, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Adapx Raises $9M to Bring Digital Pen Technology to Mobile Field Workers
A few local tech companies have still been able to raise significant new funding rounds in a very tough climate. The latest is Seattle-based Adapx, which is announcing today it has raised a $9 million Series B round, led by new investor UV Partners in Salt Lake City, UT. Existing investors OVP Venture Partners, based … Continue reading “Adapx Raises $9M to Bring Digital Pen Technology to Mobile Field Workers”
Going Green, Gradually: Catching Up with Local Motors and Its Crowd-Sourced Car
The Rally Fighter is half dune buggy, half muscle car. Designed for off-road racing in the deserts of the Southwest, it looks a lot like any ride you might see on the cover of Road & Track. But what’s different about the Rally Fighter is that it’s a product of the Web 2.0 revolution: it … Continue reading “Going Green, Gradually: Catching Up with Local Motors and Its Crowd-Sourced Car”
“Danger!” — The Need for Active Watch of Patent Reform
“Danger, Will Robinson!” These immortal words uttered by the Robot in the 1960s television series “Lost in Space” are now part of our pop culture lexicon when warning of an impending, and sometimes unseen, threat. It’s too bad the Robot is just a fictional character, because as we’ve seen with recent economic and legislative happenings, … Continue reading ““Danger!” — The Need for Active Watch of Patent Reform”
Five Hot Prospects on the UW Faculty, from Engineering Dean Matt O’Donnell
This is the time of year when I look for hot young prospects for my fantasy baseball team. Maybe that’s why it seemed natural to think of Matt O’Donnell, the dean of the University of Washington’s College of Engineering, as being like a baseball general manager. Part of his job is to recruit and develop … Continue reading “Five Hot Prospects on the UW Faculty, from Engineering Dean Matt O’Donnell”
From Movie Sets to Operating Rooms, Chamberlain Group Turns Special Effects Biz into Healthcare Winner
Before computer animation took hold of the movie industry, spaceships, exploding cities, dislodged body parts, and other scene-stealing special effects were crafted by highly skilled model makers. But after decades spent in entertainment, Lisa and Eric Chamberlain have taken their skills in the entertainment and special effects businesses and applied them to provide realistic anatomical … Continue reading “From Movie Sets to Operating Rooms, Chamberlain Group Turns Special Effects Biz into Healthcare Winner”
Seattle Layoff Update: Amgen, Isilon Cut Staff
The carnage continues at tech and life sciences companies in the Northwest. You can follow Xconomy Seattle’s updated layoff litany here—we’ve kept a running tally of job cuts since November. (If you’ve heard of other layoffs in the innovation community, please drop us a line at [email protected] or [email protected].) —Luke broke the news that Amgen … Continue reading “Seattle Layoff Update: Amgen, Isilon Cut Staff”
San Diego’s Sangart Readying for Clinical Trials of ‘Oxygen Therapeutic’
When I reported last month that San Diego-based Sangart had raised $50 million in additional venture funding, CEO Brian O’Callaghan was eager to discuss how the biopharmaceutical has progressed in a field where others ran aground. But O’Callaghan, who is every bit as Irish as his name sounds, was unavailable at the time. So I … Continue reading “San Diego’s Sangart Readying for Clinical Trials of ‘Oxygen Therapeutic’”
Boston Can Survive, Even Thrive, Without Today’s Globe
It’s difficult to see how the Boston Globe can last long in its current form. Even if its owner, the New York Times Co., extracts the entire $20 million in concessions that it demanded this week from the paper’s unions, the paper would still lose $65 million this year, according to the company’s own figures. … Continue reading “Boston Can Survive, Even Thrive, Without Today’s Globe”
CarDomain Scrapes for Survival in Struggling Auto Website Sector
Sitting in the cockpit of a brand new 2010 Chevy Camaro SS (red paint job with 6-speed manual transmission), Rob Einaudi probably has better things to do than talk to the media. But I reached Einaudi, the editor-in-chief of CarDomain.com, yesterday at the New York International Auto Show, where he was taking this particular sports … Continue reading “CarDomain Scrapes for Survival in Struggling Auto Website Sector”
A123Systems Gives Chrysler a Charge, Segway Scoots into GM Deal, Basho Banks $2M, & More Boston-Area Deals News
It’s only been a few days since last I rounded up the deals news from New England’s tech and life sciences firms, but there are still a few transactions worth mentioning. —Millennium, the Cambridge, MA-based subsidiary of Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, paid $4 million up front to Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) for a worldwide license … Continue reading “A123Systems Gives Chrysler a Charge, Segway Scoots into GM Deal, Basho Banks $2M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”