It’s taken as a given that universities are integral to the innovation process. Researchers create technology, the university finds a licensee or a startup company is formed to develop the invention, and products are created that drive growth in the economy. But that is a simplistic view of a complex system. And today, a select … Continue reading “Kauffman Seminar Asks How Universities Can Improve Innovation”
Category: National
New Microsoft Board Member Maria Klawe on Bill Gates, College Students, and Seattle Innovation
On Monday, Microsoft announced it had appointed Maria Klawe, the president of Harvey Mudd College, to the company’s board of directors. Klawe’s appointment makes Microsoft’s board 10 members strong again, after longtime director Jon Shirley (a former Microsoft president and chief operating officer) stepped down last November. I had the opportunity to speak with Klawe … Continue reading “New Microsoft Board Member Maria Klawe on Bill Gates, College Students, and Seattle Innovation”
Invention Machine and the Case of the Failing Toilet Flapper
If you follow Xconomy you might remember a story I wrote a year ago called “Invention Machine and the Case of the Boxed-Up Box Spring.” That piece talked about Goldfire Innovator, the expert-system software for product engineers made by Boston-based Invention Machine, and how mattress manufacturer Leggett & Platt had used the system to solve … Continue reading “Invention Machine and the Case of the Failing Toilet Flapper”
CG Retools with Dendreon Alumni, Microsoft Explains HealthVault, Calistoga Reunites Icosians, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
Cancer drugs are one of the core strengths of Seattle’s life sciences hub, and this week we found a couple of intriguing stories about startups that haven’t been covered anywhere else in depth. —Seattle-based CG Therapeutics is moving toward clinical trials with an immune-boosting therapy designed to knock down a protein that cloaks tumor cells … Continue reading “CG Retools with Dendreon Alumni, Microsoft Explains HealthVault, Calistoga Reunites Icosians, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Aura Biosciences Aims to Develop “Ballistic Missile” Drug to Beat Pancreatic Cancer, Deliver RNAi Therapies
[[Correction: see editor’s note below]] It’s a difficult time for a brand new biotech firm to be drumming up interest in a novel approach to delivering drugs, with investors snubbing so many firms with drugs already in clinical trials. But the market conditions haven’t stopped Elisabet de los Pinos, a former fellow at the MIT … Continue reading “Aura Biosciences Aims to Develop “Ballistic Missile” Drug to Beat Pancreatic Cancer, Deliver RNAi Therapies”
Biogen Idec, Genentech’s Rituxan Fails in Pivotal Study of Lupus of Kidneys
Rituxan, the hit lymphoma drug from Genentech and Biogen Idec, has failed in yet another bid to expand into treating other diseases. The drug fell short of reaching the main goal in a final-stage study of 144 patients with lupus nephritis, an inflammatory disease of the kidneys. The study, called Lunar, showed that patients who … Continue reading “Biogen Idec, Genentech’s Rituxan Fails in Pivotal Study of Lupus of Kidneys”
New Group Aims to Bring More Women into Energy and Cleantech
The energy and environmental sectors, like all too many other parts of the business world, have a dearth of women in leadership positions. But a new networking group dedicated to changing that situation is launching officially tomorrow in Boston. Called New England Women in Energy & the Environment (NEWIEE), the group’s goals are to foster … Continue reading “New Group Aims to Bring More Women into Energy and Cleantech”
Blade Games Raises $4M, Wants to Make Game Development Cheaper and Easier
Bellevue, WA-based Blade Games World announced today it has raised $4 million in a first round of venture funding led by California Technology Ventures. Blade Games was formed last month in a merger between game-development toolmaker Digini, based in Issaquah, WA, and Shanghai, China-based Vyk Games. Digini was known for creating Blade3D, a software tool … Continue reading “Blade Games Raises $4M, Wants to Make Game Development Cheaper and Easier”
Washington Is “Well Behind” Other States in Cleantech, but Gaining in Smart Grid, Efficiency
“If you’re a technology junkie, cleantech is the candy store for you,” said Byron McCann, co-founder and managing partner of Seattle-based Ascent Partners, an investment bank that advises cleantech and software entrepreneurs. McCann, who also serves on the board of the Northwest Energy Angels, was talking about his own transition from software to energy, and … Continue reading “Washington Is “Well Behind” Other States in Cleantech, but Gaining in Smart Grid, Efficiency”
Greening the Internet and Verari Systems’ “Data Center in a Box”
Making improvements in energy efficiency may not seem like the cutting edge of innovation, but the combined effects of the recession and rising energy costs have many big companies scrambling for novel ways to get on top of energy demands. At the same time, efforts to reduce the load on California’s increasingly constrained power grid … Continue reading “Greening the Internet and Verari Systems’ “Data Center in a Box””
Obama’s 50-State Ad Campaign, Animated Shopping Carts, Baby Pictures on Steroids, and More News from the Web Innovators Group
Soon there will be no point in writing up stories about the Web Innovators Group meetings organized by Venrock’s David Beisel. Last night’s gathering in Cambridge was so crowded that it seemed everybody who could conceivably be interested in reading about the event was actually there. But for the stragglers and those stuck at home … Continue reading “Obama’s 50-State Ad Campaign, Animated Shopping Carts, Baby Pictures on Steroids, and More News from the Web Innovators Group”
Calistoga Reunites Icos Execs To Pursue Cancer, Inflammation Drugs
Some members of the band that pumped out a one-hit wonder at Icos are getting back together to see if they can produce at least one more hit at Seattle-based Calistoga Pharmaceuticals. Calistoga has been building up its management team over the past year, and the latest recruit is chief business officer Cliff Stocks. He … Continue reading “Calistoga Reunites Icos Execs To Pursue Cancer, Inflammation Drugs”
ImmunoGen Drug Nears Finish Line, Surface Logix Latches Onto $20M, Athenahealth CEO Bush Talks Stimulus, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
It was nice to see a little venture activity among New England’s biotechs this past week, but overall things have been relatively quiet. —Regulus Therapeutics, a Carlsbad, CA-based spinoff of Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ALNY]]), took a step toward greater independence with $20 million in Series A financing from Alnylam and Carlsbad’s Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ISIS]]), … Continue reading “ImmunoGen Drug Nears Finish Line, Surface Logix Latches Onto $20M, Athenahealth CEO Bush Talks Stimulus, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Biogen Idec Aims to Regenerate Damaged Nerves, Crack Multi-Billion Dollar Market
Biogen Idec’s scientists have a vision for regenerative medicine, and it has nothing to do with what’s been written and said about embryonic stem cells. Deep in Biogen’s pipeline, on the verge of entering clinical trials, are a pair of regenerative medicines that the company hopes will become trailblazers in the world of neurological diseases. … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Aims to Regenerate Damaged Nerves, Crack Multi-Billion Dollar Market”
Clean Energy Revenues Climbed 53% in 2008: Forecast Flat to Down for This Year
The global cleantech industry stayed on a bull run despite a shaky economy in 2008, but the momentum is bound to slow down this year. That was the key finding from a report released yesterday by Portland, OR-based Clean Edge, a consulting firm. The three major clean energy sectors—solar photovoltaics, wind power, and biofuels—saw their … Continue reading “Clean Energy Revenues Climbed 53% in 2008: Forecast Flat to Down for This Year”
The Death of the Focus Group? At Invoke Solutions, Apple Vet Makes Market Research User-Friendly, for the Surveyors and the Surveyed
Focus groups are such a standard part of our market-driven culture that they’ve long since become the subject of parody. Decision-makers are seen as being afraid to act without consulting them; surely, no political party would pick a candidate, no legislator would introduce a big policy initiative, and no movie studio would green-light a big-budget … Continue reading “The Death of the Focus Group? At Invoke Solutions, Apple Vet Makes Market Research User-Friendly, for the Surveyors and the Surveyed”
Dancing in the Light: Expanding Access to Human Embryonic Stem Cells
The Obama campaign, and subsequently his administration, had been hinting for a long time that it would allow researchers to use federal funds to study human embryonic stem cell “lines” which had, under the policies of President Bush, been legal to study only with private funding. Considering the relatively small number of scientists actually working … Continue reading “Dancing in the Light: Expanding Access to Human Embryonic Stem Cells”
What Lifting The Federal Ban on Stem Cell Research Means: Our Xconomists Offer Some Thoughts
[Updated at 2:30 pm with additional commentary. See details below] After President Barack Obama signed a new executive order yesterday that clears the way to resume federal funding for stem cell research, we asked some local Xconomists and other biotech leaders for their reaction. The president’s order reversed eight years of federal funding restrictions imposed … Continue reading “What Lifting The Federal Ban on Stem Cell Research Means: Our Xconomists Offer Some Thoughts”
Haute Secure Scores $1.6M, Second Ave Invests in Fanzter, LookStat Gets Funded, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
It was a very quiet week for deals in the Northwest, with just a trickle of activity in software, security, and biotech. —Seattle-based Haute Secure, a software firm focused on computer security against malware, raised about $1.6 million in Series A funding. Investors in the round included Silicon Valley firms Baseline Ventures and Sherpalo Ventures. … Continue reading “Haute Secure Scores $1.6M, Second Ave Invests in Fanzter, LookStat Gets Funded, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Paul Graham on Why Boston Should Worry About Its Future as a Tech Hub—Says Region Focuses On Ideas, Not Startups
For entrepreneurs and investors alike, it was a sad day back in January, when Y Combinator founder Paul Graham announced he would stay in Silicon Valley year round and give up splitting his startup incubation activities between Mountain View and Cambridge, MA, where Y Combinator has traditionally held forth each summer. On his website, Graham … Continue reading “Paul Graham on Why Boston Should Worry About Its Future as a Tech Hub—Says Region Focuses On Ideas, Not Startups”
CG Therapeutics, Immune-Booster For Cancer, Recruits Dendreon Vets, New CEO
Flameouts are the norm for any company that dares to try to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells. Cell Genesys, Genitope, Favrille, and Antigenics have been added to the long list of companies that have stumbled in this promising field that hasn’t yet produced a single FDA-approved therapy. One of the sector … Continue reading “CG Therapeutics, Immune-Booster For Cancer, Recruits Dendreon Vets, New CEO”
Inside MediaFLO’s Operations Center—And the Race to Deploy Over-the-Air Mobile TV Service
The digital broadcast center for Qualcomm’s MediaFLO mobile TV service is a hushed, dimly lit room in San Diego that is dominated by 24 flat-screen, rear-projection screens mounted along one wall. The engineers in the room face these ever-changing displays at work stations equipped with even more flat-panel screens, so the darkness is illuminated by … Continue reading “Inside MediaFLO’s Operations Center—And the Race to Deploy Over-the-Air Mobile TV Service”
Scientia, a Life Sciences Management Consulting Firm, Provides Answers, Not Questions
The old joke about management consultants is that they’ll look at your watch, tell you what time it is, and hand you a bill for $50,000. But if you’re a healthcare company and you hire Scientia Advisors, here’s what’s more likely to happen: they’ll look at your watch, notice that it’s running slow, take it … Continue reading “Scientia, a Life Sciences Management Consulting Firm, Provides Answers, Not Questions”
Nokia Mapping a Future for Location-Based Mobile Services and Applications
In Finland I am a reporter for Ilta-Sanomat, Helsinki’s second-largest newspaper. I write about Finland’s Nokia a lot, so I may have a different perspective on Qualcomm, the San Diego-based chipset maker. For us Finns, Nokia is a larger-than-life, close-to-home success story. We speak the same strange language and it’s our only global giant. In … Continue reading “Nokia Mapping a Future for Location-Based Mobile Services and Applications”
Jive Rolls Out New Product, Takes on Microsoft and IBM in Social Business Software
In the burgeoning software hub of Portland, OR, one company is breaking new ground today. Jive Software, a maker of “social business software” that helps employees communicate with each other and manage their work information, is releasing a new product called SBS 3.0. The software is targeted to businesses, and its goal is to let … Continue reading “Jive Rolls Out New Product, Takes on Microsoft and IBM in Social Business Software”
FAST Search Founders Hope to Repeat Success with Induct Software’s Innovation Management Portal
Henry Chesbrough, the UC Berkeley business professor who wrote the influential 2003 book Open Innovation, argued that companies need to do a better job of incubating, cataloguing, and licensing the knowledge and inventions they have in-house, and of bringing in intellectual property from outside, if that’s what’s needed to jump-start product development. But while many … Continue reading “FAST Search Founders Hope to Repeat Success with Induct Software’s Innovation Management Portal”
Stemgent Nails Down $14M to Make Supplies, Tools for Stem Cell Researchers
Stemgent, a startup in Cambridge, MA, and San Diego that makes consumable materials for stem cell research labs, has raised $14 million in venture capital, according to PE Hub. The company’s backers include HealthCare Ventures and Morgenthaler Ventures, according to PE Hub. CEO Ian Ratcliffe didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment about the … Continue reading “Stemgent Nails Down $14M to Make Supplies, Tools for Stem Cell Researchers”
The Xconomy Guide to the Northwest’s Cleantech Clusters
Last week, we published a series of three stories documenting the companies and organizations in the Pacific Northwest that are focused on alternative energy and cleantech. We organized the lists by geography, breaking out separate lists for companies in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. Now we can take a step back, analyze the trends in … Continue reading “The Xconomy Guide to the Northwest’s Cleantech Clusters”
Pain Specialist Victory Pharma Raises $45M in Venture Round
San Diego’s Victory Pharma, a venture-backed pharmaceutical company that specializes in treatments for pain, said today it has raised $45 million in a secondary investment round. The investment was headed by Essex Woodlands Health Ventures of Palo Alto, CA, and included existing investor Ampersand Ventures of Wellesley, MA.Victory, which acquired its lead drug product in … Continue reading “Pain Specialist Victory Pharma Raises $45M in Venture Round”
Of FIRST Robotics “Lunacy” and A Shout Out to “Dancin'” Woz
“Robot coming through…Robot.” That was the cry, heard throughout the day Saturday at Boston University’s Agganis Arena, scene of the Boston regional finals of the annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics competition. The robots were constantly on the move as teams ushered them back and forth from the competition area—think … Continue reading “Of FIRST Robotics “Lunacy” and A Shout Out to “Dancin’” Woz”
Surface Logix, Developer of Obesity and Diabetes Drugs, Nabs $20M Financing
Surface Logix got a new CEO on board last fall, and five months later it has nailed down a load of new cash. The Brighton, MA-based biotech company, which uses an unusual chemical trick to treat obesity and diabetes, has secured $20 million to see if it can prove its experimental drugs work in human … Continue reading “Surface Logix, Developer of Obesity and Diabetes Drugs, Nabs $20M Financing”
Athenahealth’s Bush, First Cousin of the 43rd Pres., on Obama’s $19B Plan to Pay for Electronic Health Records
Most doctors in the U.S. have never heard of Athenahealth, the Watertown, MA-based firm offering Web-based software for managing billing, electronic medical records (EMRs), and other functions in physician practices. But the federal government plans to invest $19 billion to make funds available for doctors to switch from the usual paper-based systems to electronic medical … Continue reading “Athenahealth’s Bush, First Cousin of the 43rd Pres., on Obama’s $19B Plan to Pay for Electronic Health Records”
Microsoft’s Vet of Online Banking, Travel Aims To Make You Switch to Digital Health Records
No way would American consumers ever switch to online banking. It’s too risky, people used to tell David Cerino in the 1990s. Travel? Same story. Consumers would never voluntarily put their credit card numbers into a website that could get hacked. Turned out the switch to online banking and travel took less than four years, … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Vet of Online Banking, Travel Aims To Make You Switch to Digital Health Records”
Biotechs Raise Capital, the Tale of Four Finns Who Helped Pioneer the Web Browser, Qualcomm Takes Another Step in Its Corporate Succession, & More SD BizTech News
It’s hard for any company to raise capital in this recession, but several San Diego life sciences startups disclosed last week they had done just that. A few bright spots also appeared during a local seminar on mergers and acquisitions—so let the news light your way. —A big deal on the other side of North America … Continue reading “Biotechs Raise Capital, the Tale of Four Finns Who Helped Pioneer the Web Browser, Qualcomm Takes Another Step in Its Corporate Succession, & More SD BizTech News”
Top 10 Startup Financing Takeaways from Investors Michelle Goldberg and Andy Sack
First of all, the terms “downturn” and “recession” don’t do justice to the current climate, says early-stage tech investor Andy Sack. As he puts it, “This is the seminal event of our lifetimes. This is our World War II. I guarantee I’ll be talking to my grandchildren about the Depression of 2009-10: ‘Make sure you … Continue reading “Top 10 Startup Financing Takeaways from Investors Michelle Goldberg and Andy Sack”
Vertex Puts up $375M for ViroChem, Nuance Finally Nabs Zi, Proteon Procures $38M, & More Boston-Area Deals News
This week saw news of two interesting acquisitions and a couple of huge venture financings, among other deals cut by New England tech and life sciences firms. — Burlington, MA-based Nuance Communications (NASDAQ:[[ticker:NUAN]]), after a series of unsuccessful offers begun last summer, has finally convinced the board of the Canadian firm Zi (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ZICA]]) to accept … Continue reading “Vertex Puts up $375M for ViroChem, Nuance Finally Nabs Zi, Proteon Procures $38M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Otonomy Tunes in to Biotech’s Sound Opportunity: Diseases of the Ear
Driving down Prospect Street in La Jolla one day in January 2008, Jay Lichter got so dizzy he had to pull over. After a stop in the ER, he ended up in the office of Jeff Harris, the chief of ear, nose, and throat surgery at the UC San Diego. The diagnosis: Meniere’s (Men-yay’s) disease, … Continue reading “Otonomy Tunes in to Biotech’s Sound Opportunity: Diseases of the Ear”
Three Startups and a Social Technologist: How Ex-Microsofties Are Driving Seattle Innovation
Does Microsoft innovate? What impact is it having on the startup community these days? Say what you want about the company, but its ex-employees are on a tear. In the past few months, we’ve seen a spike in the number of startups formed by ex-Microsofties who have recently left the company. With the specter of … Continue reading “Three Startups and a Social Technologist: How Ex-Microsofties Are Driving Seattle Innovation”
Souped-Up Herceptin Aims to Validate ImmunoGen’s Long-Sought Dream Cancer Drug
Nowhere but America makes it possible for a company to pursue its dreams for 28 years without making a profit. Even in the most optimistic times, it’s hard to explain. So how can it possibly be, in the depths of recession, that things are looking up at Waltham, MA-based ImmunoGen? This company has been around … Continue reading “Souped-Up Herceptin Aims to Validate ImmunoGen’s Long-Sought Dream Cancer Drug”
A Veteran Entrepreneur Looks to Rescue St. Bernard Software
Like any entrepreneur, Lou Ryan has a job that’s roughly akin to kindling a blaze from a faint spark. In Ryan’s case, though, it might be more like trying to rebuild a fire that was started in 1995. Ryan, 54, is the software industry veteran (and former venture partner at Menlo Park, CA-based Sand Hill Capital) … Continue reading “A Veteran Entrepreneur Looks to Rescue St. Bernard Software”
Three New Reasons To Put Off Buying a Kindle
I titled my January 23 column “E-Book Readers on the iPhone: They’re Not Quite Kindle Slayers Yet.” How quickly technology marches ahead. In the weeks since then, three very compelling new options have arrived for people like me who want to read e-books but balk at the price tag on Amazon’s Kindle 2, the best … Continue reading “Three New Reasons To Put Off Buying a Kindle”
Vivek Kundra, the Nation’s New CIO, Is Supporter of Seattle Startup, Tableau Software
Today, President Obama appointed Vivek Kundra federal chief information officer, which is a new administrative position in the U.S. government. Kundra, currently the District of Columbia’s chief technology officer, will be in charge of policy and strategic planning of federal investments in information technology. Kundra, 34, has previous experience as an executive at the DC-area … Continue reading “Vivek Kundra, the Nation’s New CIO, Is Supporter of Seattle Startup, Tableau Software”
Paul Graham Angel Investing Conference—Live Streaming Now
I just learned that there is a very interesting angel investing conference, happening as I type this, in Silicon Valley. The confab, bringing together angels and entrepreneurs, was organized by Paul Graham, of Y Combinator. It is live streaming here on Justin.tv. A parade of speakers seems to be imparting some great advice on angel … Continue reading “Paul Graham Angel Investing Conference—Live Streaming Now”
Proteon Fills Coffers with $38M Round, Inks Deal for Potential Sale to Novartis
Proteon Therapeutics says it has closed a $38 million Series B round of financing to fund development of its drug for kidney disease patients on chronic dialysis—and the Waltham, MA-based company has struck a separate deal that gives Swiss drug giant Novartis an option to buy the firm if the drug, the lead treatment in … Continue reading “Proteon Fills Coffers with $38M Round, Inks Deal for Potential Sale to Novartis”
Wanted: A Few Good Mobile Demos
Here at Xconomy, we love our iPhones and Blackberries and Windows Mobile smartphones, and we love the local companies that create cool software and services for them. In fact, we love them so much we’re organizing an April 7 conference on “The Future of Mobile Innovation in New England“—and we’re looking for companies who want … Continue reading “Wanted: A Few Good Mobile Demos”
Optimer Raises $32.9M in Stock Offering
Optimer Pharmaceuticals has seen its stock almost triple from its low point in the past year, and yesterday it took advantage of the rising tide. The San Diego biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OPTR]]) received commitments from investors to buy new shares and warrants that add up to a cash infusion worth $32.9 million. The company agreed … Continue reading “Optimer Raises $32.9M in Stock Offering”
M&A Workshop Offers A Glimmer of Hope For Defense Companies, Others
Some unexpected bright spots appeared in the outlook for mergers and acquisitions yesterday during a workshop for local executives, which was co-sponsored by Connect and the San Diego offices of the Allen Matkins law firm. The overall M&A market is bleak. But John Stiska, who oversees venture lending for the San Diego office of Agility … Continue reading “M&A Workshop Offers A Glimmer of Hope For Defense Companies, Others”
Founded by Apple Vets, Apperian Gets Down to Business with the iPhone
The Apple iPhone is perhaps the most powerful mobile phone ever built, so it’s no surprise that big enterprises want to use it, both to make their mobile workforces more efficient and to help customers access their products and services in new ways. But Apple, for a variety of reasons, isn’t interested in catering directly … Continue reading “Founded by Apple Vets, Apperian Gets Down to Business with the iPhone”
The British Columbia Cleantech Cluster: The A-to-Z List of Alternative Energy Players
(Updated) British Columbia is bigger in land area than Washington, Oregon, and California combined, but has about one-tenth the total population. Yet pound-for-pound, our neighbor to the north appears to have its share of entrepreneurs thinking hard about energy alternatives that can be profitable while also better protecting the natural environment. We’ve been on a … Continue reading “The British Columbia Cleantech Cluster: The A-to-Z List of Alternative Energy Players”
Friend Leads Open Source Biology Push, Arzeda Leaves UW Nest, SBRI Teams with PATH on Malaria, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
It was another busy week in Seattle life sciences, with some good news from the nonprofit side, and some bad news from the public-traded biotechs. —Xconomy had the exclusive story this week on how Merck’s Stephen Friend is forming a new nonprofit in Seattle called Sage that hopes to spark an open-source biology movement to … Continue reading “Friend Leads Open Source Biology Push, Arzeda Leaves UW Nest, SBRI Teams with PATH on Malaria, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”