It’s an unofficial tradition in my family to spend the last few days of the year—often New Year’s Eve itself, I’m embarrassed to admit—deciding what charities we’d like to support before the tax-deduction clock resets for another year. So for any of you who are thinking along the same lines this week, and who are … Continue reading “A Different Type of Tech Giving Guide”
Category: National
Washington’s Life Sciences Ambassador, Jack Faris, Exits the Stage
From the minute he took the job as Washington state’s biotech ambassador, Jack Faris had a dream of making this mysterious business a little less intimidating, a little more embraceable, for the general public. Faris, a career ad man who helped Boeing airplanes capture the public imagination, wanted to do the same thing for an … Continue reading “Washington’s Life Sciences Ambassador, Jack Faris, Exits the Stage”
India’s Innovation Front Lines, Part 6: Return to Pune, the Boston of India
Pune, Monday, December 22—I visited the cerebral city of Pune, 120 miles southeast of Bombay (Mumbai), on the Deccan plateau. Pune is the closest parallel city to Boston, with a multitude of universities and government research labs. I attended high school in Pune over 30 years ago. The city was unrecognizable, with huge population and … Continue reading “India’s Innovation Front Lines, Part 6: Return to Pune, the Boston of India”
Wishing You A Healthy and Happy Holiday Season; Posting Will Be Light
Another year is coming to an end, and for us at Xconomy it has been an action-packed 12 months. Not only has our flagship Boston site grown beyond our expectations, we have also launched Xconomy Seattle and Xconomy San Diego, building our own small, but rapidly growing, network. We’d like to take this occasion to … Continue reading “Wishing You A Healthy and Happy Holiday Season; Posting Will Be Light”
Take an Innovation Tour of India
The world might not be completely flat, but a bulldozer has been working overtime on leveling the global innovation playing field—and many previously emerging nations are establishing themselves as serious competitors to the U.S. India is near the top of the list. Previously known in the technology world as a place for cheap outsourcing of … Continue reading “Take an Innovation Tour of India”
Amazon’s Top 10 Best-Selling Gadgets, and a Kindle Update
In the shopping spirit of the season, I thought it might be useful to give a quick update on what the year’s best-selling tech gadgets have been on Amazon.com, and how Amazon’s own foray into gadgets is going. Probably too late to help with your own shopping list, but nevertheless here are a couple notable … Continue reading “Amazon’s Top 10 Best-Selling Gadgets, and a Kindle Update”
Where Tech Coast Angels Tread, And Why
Jack Florio fits the casting profile of the kind of guy Hollywood might see as an angel investor. He has 30 years experience in the pharmaceutical business, much of it in management jobs at pharma giant Eli Lilly. He’s got the experience to offer advice to a younger entrepreneur, and the Rolodex to make key … Continue reading “Where Tech Coast Angels Tread, And Why”
Biotech Vets Herd Cats at the UW, Hutch, and Children’s For “Translational Research”
Some of the stories Lynn Rose told me the other week made me laugh out loud, and want to cry in mercy. One story was about the academic researcher who ran a single experiment in an animal species that panned out. This scientist, who shall remain nameless, figured it was time to call up the … Continue reading “Biotech Vets Herd Cats at the UW, Hutch, and Children’s For “Translational Research””
New RNAi Drugs, Major Cutbacks at Targanta, Big Partnerships for Arqule and Archemix, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
There was quite a bit of news this week relating to RNA-interference drugs, and to FDA approval (or non-approval, as the case may be) of drugs under development by local biotechs. Without further ado: —It was sports week for Ryan. First, he interviewed biotech hedge fund founder Rich Aldrich, part of the group that owns … Continue reading “New RNAi Drugs, Major Cutbacks at Targanta, Big Partnerships for Arqule and Archemix, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Qualcomm Strikes Deal With China’s Biggest Cell Phone Maker
San Diego wireless giant Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) has reached a licensing agreement with Beijing Tianyu Communications Equipment Co., China’s biggest cell phone maker. Under the deal, Tianyu has obtained worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and sell Qualcomm’s proprietary CDMA2000 and WCDMA subscriber units and modem cards. Qualcomm said Tianyu will pay royalties at its standard … Continue reading “Qualcomm Strikes Deal With China’s Biggest Cell Phone Maker”
Google to Host Startup Weekend in Seattle
Want 54 hours to start a tech company? You got it. In a few weeks, Google will be hosting a talented group of entrepreneurs from the startup community, giving them time and space over a weekend, and adding stimulating discussions, activities, and, yes, food. With that potent mix at work, local organizers want to see … Continue reading “Google to Host Startup Weekend in Seattle”
A Call For Good Data Stewardship Before The Digital Deluge
Everybody knows that America’s crumbling roads, bridges, power plants, and other physical infrastructure won’t make it into the future without costly maintenance, retrofitting, and construction. It’s expensive but necessary: Our civil infrastructure provides the foundation for modern living, and it’s hard to get anywhere without it. The same is true for our digital world. Information … Continue reading “A Call For Good Data Stewardship Before The Digital Deluge”
Imaging Agent for Early Detection of Heart Disease, From Molecular Insight, Reaches Goal
Cambridge, MA-based Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals said today that its experimental imaging agent, when combined with standard diagnostic tests, reached its goal in a clinical trial of detecting early signs of cardiac ischemia—or reduced blood flow to the heart–which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Molecular Insight (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MIPI]]) said the Phase II study … Continue reading “Imaging Agent for Early Detection of Heart Disease, From Molecular Insight, Reaches Goal”
SAIC Says Greek Government Has Finally Accepted $322 Million Athens Olympics Project
It might have won a gold medal for longest-running contract dispute. Finally, though, it’s over—or so it seems. San Diego defense contractor SAIC said yesterday the Greek government has formally accepted the sophisticated “command and control” security network the company installed for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. The company also known as Science Applications International … Continue reading “SAIC Says Greek Government Has Finally Accepted $322 Million Athens Olympics Project”
Archemix Secures Partnership with Glaxo to Develop Drugs for Inflammatory Diseases
(Update: The first paragraph includes information that seven drugs are subject to the partnership, and the final paragraph includes comment from Archemix about this deal’s impact on its proposed merger.) Archemix scored one of the biggest biotech deals of the year just in time for Christmas. The privately held Cambridge, MA-based drug developer secured a … Continue reading “Archemix Secures Partnership with Glaxo to Develop Drugs for Inflammatory Diseases”
Alnylam Pushes First RNAi Drug That Circulates Through Body Into Human Test
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, one of the leaders in developing drugs through RNA interference, has achieved another big first for the emerging field. The Cambridge, MA-based drug developer (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) is announcing today that it has filed an application with the FDA to start the first clinical trial of an RNAi drug that can circulate throughout the … Continue reading “Alnylam Pushes First RNAi Drug That Circulates Through Body Into Human Test”
Outsourced Chemistry Shop, BioBlocks, Sees Growth in San Diego and Hungary
Peter Pallai has an unusual take on outsourcing. In his view, it might be the way to bring some stability to the volatile world of biotechnology. Pallai, a Hungarian-born medicinal chemist, is carrying out this vision through a contract-chemistry shop in San Diego called BioBlocks. Pallai started this outfit in 2002 after spending more than … Continue reading “Outsourced Chemistry Shop, BioBlocks, Sees Growth in San Diego and Hungary”
3Tier Group Gets $10M, Socialmedian Sold for $7.5M, Gates Gives $7M to IDRI, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
Heading into the holidays, the deals have slowed down a bit. But there was still a trickle of activity over the past week in biotech, renewable energy, and software. —Seattle-based Jobster’s co-founder and ex-CEO, Jason Goldberg, sold his New York startup, Socialmedian, to Hamburg, Germany-based Xing for $7.5 million. Socialmedian’s news-filtering service fits well with … Continue reading “3Tier Group Gets $10M, Socialmedian Sold for $7.5M, Gates Gives $7M to IDRI, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Sempra Energy Beams Over Completion of Solar Plant
California’s major utilities have been scrambling to meet a state mandate that requires using renewable energy sources to generate 20 percent of the electricity they supply by 2010. So San Diego’s Sempra Energy (NYSE: [[ticker:SRE]]) had good reason to bask yesterday as it announced its Sempra Generation subsidiary has completed the company’s first solar energy … Continue reading “Sempra Energy Beams Over Completion of Solar Plant”
New Privacy Regulations A Burden for Most Massachusetts Companies, A Blessing for Others
If not for a reprieve granted in mid-November by the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR), most businesses in the Bay State would be spending these last two weeks before the New Year rushing to meet state mandates requiring the encryption of personal data about Massachusetts residents stored on laptops or transmitted … Continue reading “New Privacy Regulations A Burden for Most Massachusetts Companies, A Blessing for Others”
Sports Web Site Wins Venture Group’s PitchFest
The San Diego Venture Group today named TheSportsTV.com as the winner of its ninth annual “PitchFest” business plan competition. The startup, which was awarded $20,000, was among three finalists that made presentations to 280 people who attended the venture group’s annual meeting on Dec. 3. TheSportsTV.com is a Web site that enables amateur athletes to … Continue reading “Sports Web Site Wins Venture Group’s PitchFest”
Sermo, Taking a Page from Google, Creates Flu Tracker
Looks like Cambridge, MA-based startup Sermo is trying to one-up Google, at least when it comes to tracking flu outbreaks. Back in November, Google researchers revealed that for the last year or more they’ve been keeping track whenever users enter search terms related to common flu symptoms. Working with flu experts at the Centers for … Continue reading “Sermo, Taking a Page from Google, Creates Flu Tracker”
Google’s Kirkland Site to Shrink, Microsoft Layoffs May Be Looming
Since my tech-savvy colleague Greg is off today, I’m scanning the web for the local tech news. Be warned, this isn’t good for holiday cheer. Here goes: —Google is giving up some of its office space at its new campus in Kirkland, according to this report by Brier Dudley in The Seattle Times. The Internet … Continue reading “Google’s Kirkland Site to Shrink, Microsoft Layoffs May Be Looming”
Y Combinator Startup Posterous Raises Round, Launches Group Blog Feature
This past summer, I had a great time at the Y Combinator Demo Day, schmoozing with guests and watching some altogether fascinating demos from the incubator’s latest batch of startup companies. One of those that made my list of favorite demos was Posterous, which today announced a $750,000 funding round from a group of high … Continue reading “Y Combinator Startup Posterous Raises Round, Launches Group Blog Feature”
Abbott Buys Isis’ Diagnostics Subsidiary, Ligand Binds With GlaxoSmithKline, Ardea Raises $30M & More San Diego BizTech News
It was the week before Christmas, and the deals were flying. Could San Diego’s economy be downturn defying? Heed the tech news and be of good cheer! We wish you an Xconomy Xmas and Xponential New Year! —The big deal of the week came Wednesday, when Abbott Labs (NYSE: [[ticker:ABT]]) exercised its option to acquire … Continue reading “Abbott Buys Isis’ Diagnostics Subsidiary, Ligand Binds With GlaxoSmithKline, Ardea Raises $30M & More San Diego BizTech News”
Biotech “Walks With Light,” But If We Don’t Start Explaining it Better, We’re “Cuckoo”
For the last 17 years my office at Targeted Genetics looked out closely onto a pretty major intersection, busy with cars and pedestrians going to and from downtown Seattle. For years the pedestrian crossing signs stated “Walk with Light.” Maybe I’m a romantic fool, but I always thought of that phrase, “walk with light,” as … Continue reading “Biotech “Walks With Light,” But If We Don’t Start Explaining it Better, We’re “Cuckoo””
Seattle Docs, Via Qliance, Aim to Revolutionize Health Care By Freezing Out Insurance
One of the simplest—and most disruptive—business ideas I’ve heard for U.S. health care reform is gaining momentum in downtown Seattle. It’s with a small group of primary care doctors at a company called Qliance, who don’t accept health insurance payments of any kind. I made a beeline over to the Qliance office after hearing about … Continue reading “Seattle Docs, Via Qliance, Aim to Revolutionize Health Care By Freezing Out Insurance”
The Greater Boston Mobile Technology Cluster
Though we in Boston can’t claim to host a major handset maker like Nokia or Motorola or a major wireless carrier like Verizon or AT&T, the New England area is nonetheless one of the world capitals of the mobile business. As Xconomy’s lead infotech writer for the East Coast, I spend at least a quarter … Continue reading “The Greater Boston Mobile Technology Cluster”
Quidel Aims for a Piece of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Market
No matter how many times Katie Couric reminds folks that detecting colon cancer early can be a lifesaver, most people are pretty squeamish about the tests involved—not only the invasive ones like colonoscopy but even the less-invasive ones like those that look for traces of blood in the stool. So I was intrigued to hear … Continue reading “Quidel Aims for a Piece of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Market”
Cepheid, Maker of Test to Spot MRSA Staph Infections, Builds Growing Presence in Washington
Lots of innovation is happening inside nondescript office buildings in Bothell, but this activity gets little attention because it takes place at branch operations of companies headquartered elsewhere. Cepheid, the maker of molecular diagnostic tools based in Sunnyvale, CA, is one of those companies. So I jumped at an opportunity to interview CEO John Bishop … Continue reading “Cepheid, Maker of Test to Spot MRSA Staph Infections, Builds Growing Presence in Washington”
India’s Innovation Front Lines, Part 5: The Emerging Entrepreneurial Class
Mumbai Friday December 19, 2008—The TiE Entrepreneurial Summit in Bangalore was a huge success–the sponsoring hotel was barely able to manage the large crowd. What struck me was how young the crowd was and how aggressive the entrepreneurs were in approaching anyone who looked like they had money to invest. Speaker after speaker lauded the … Continue reading “India’s Innovation Front Lines, Part 5: The Emerging Entrepreneurial Class”
MIT Spinout Semprus BioSciences Looks for Strong Bonds with Medical-Device Companies After Closing $8M Series A
David Lucchino doesn’t like to use the word “coating” to describe the technology under development at his Cambridge, MA-based startup, Semprus Biosciences. Semprus, which was spun out of famous MIT inventor Bob Langer’s lab in 2007, is in the early stages of providing surfaces for medical devices engineered to fight bugs, prevent unhealthy blood clots, … Continue reading “MIT Spinout Semprus BioSciences Looks for Strong Bonds with Medical-Device Companies After Closing $8M Series A”
Putting XO Laptops Under Christmas Trees—and into Classrooms—via Amazon
As the holidays approach, the Cambridge, MA-based One Laptop Per Child Foundation (OLPC) has revived its Give One, Get One program, designed to encourage consumers in industrialized nations to buy the foundation’s XO laptops for schoolchildren in the developing world while also securing one for a child in their own family. The foundation, which is … Continue reading “Putting XO Laptops Under Christmas Trees—and into Classrooms—via Amazon”
Tysabri Patient Dies of Brain Infection, First Death Since Drug Re-Introduced
A patient taking Biogen Idec’s fastest-growing multiple sclerosis drug has died from a rare brain infection. The patient, a woman in the U.S., was diagnosed in October with the PML brain infection after taking natalizumab (Tysabri) for her neurodegenerative disease, said Naomi Aoki, a spokeswoman for the Cambridge, MA-based biotech company. The death represents the … Continue reading “Tysabri Patient Dies of Brain Infection, First Death Since Drug Re-Introduced”
Michael Robertson Is Calling, But Will Anybody Answer?
If nothing else, Michael Robertson gets credit for stickin’ it to the establishment. Maybe it’s because he was born in 1967, amid America’s flaring protests. Maybe it’s just a result of his penchant for libertarian views. When I saw an announcement earlier this week from Robertson about GizmoCall, his new browser-based calling service, my first … Continue reading “Michael Robertson Is Calling, But Will Anybody Answer?”
Huntington Capital Raises $78 Million For Second Fund
Huntington Capital partner Tim Bubnack says the San Diego firm, which operates as both a venture lender and private equity investor, has raised $78 million in capital commitments for its second fund. The firm hopes to raise a total of $100 million for “Fund II” by early next year. Bubnack told me in October that … Continue reading “Huntington Capital Raises $78 Million For Second Fund”
Video: Local CTOs Mull the Future of Mobile Software in Boston
On December 1, I moderated the dinner conversation at a gathering of some 20 CTOs from Boston-area companies that create software and services for mobile devices. Organized by Mobile Monday Boston and sponsored by Flybridge Capital Partners, the dinner at the Lenox Hotel’s Azure restaurant was an opportunity for many of the local mobile community’s … Continue reading “Video: Local CTOs Mull the Future of Mobile Software in Boston”
Novocell Forms Deal with Pfizer to Research Stem Cells for Diabetes
The world’s largest drugmaker is turning to a San Diego-based biotech company to jumpstart its foray into the world of stem cell research. Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) has agreed to form a two-year collaboration with Novocell to advance the biotech’s work, which concentrates on turning human embryonic stem cells into pancreas cells that might one day … Continue reading “Novocell Forms Deal with Pfizer to Research Stem Cells for Diabetes”
A Totally Cool $45M for Konarka, a $24M Boost for Momenta, IPO Woes for TransMedics and BioTrove, & More Boston-Area Deals News
A couple more IPOs bit the dust this last week. But elsewhere in the Boston area, tech and life sciences firms were having reasonable luck raising money and cutting deals. —Konarka raised $45 million from Total and inked an R&D agreement with the Paris-based international oil and gas conglomerate. Based in Lowell, MA, Konarka is … Continue reading “A Totally Cool $45M for Konarka, a $24M Boost for Momenta, IPO Woes for TransMedics and BioTrove, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Where Food Meets Tech: iPhone Apps, Bacon Salt, The Coffee Nazi, and Other Tasty Seattle Connections
In a great food town like Seattle, it’s no surprise there are so many food-related startups. But lately we’ve been hearing even more about tech companies and food than expected—big successes, wacky products, major projects—so we figured it was time to round up (and update) our recent coverage of said companies. Plus, what better time … Continue reading “Where Food Meets Tech: iPhone Apps, Bacon Salt, The Coffee Nazi, and Other Tasty Seattle Connections”
Top Web Apps for the Real World: Seattle and Boston Startups Make 2008 List
Seattle and Boston, two of Xconomy’s network cities, have something extra to be proud of today—at least when it comes to Internet startups. Each city contributed two companies to a popular list of the year’s best Web applications for improving customers’ real lives. That’s according to the tech-news blog ReadWriteWeb, which has published its list … Continue reading “Top Web Apps for the Real World: Seattle and Boston Startups Make 2008 List”
The 3-D Graphics Revolution of 1859—and How to See in Stereo on Your iPhone
Gadget lovers and other technology enthusiasts suffer from a curious myopia about the past. The general assumption—fostered by the admittedly blinding pace of progress in computing and software—is that everything really cool must have been invented in the last decade or two. Marvels like wearable virtual-reality displays with force feedback gloves are often described as … Continue reading “The 3-D Graphics Revolution of 1859—and How to See in Stereo on Your iPhone”
Oncothyreon Sells Off Stimuvax, Cuts Jobs, Facilities To Preserve Cash
Seattle-based Oncothyreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONTY]]) made a series of strategic moves today to preserve its remaining cash, and find a way to survive on its own as a developer of cancer drugs. Some investors liked the decision, as shares more than doubled from 73 cents to $1.70 in after-hours trading. First, the company said it agreed … Continue reading “Oncothyreon Sells Off Stimuvax, Cuts Jobs, Facilities To Preserve Cash”
Kashless Is Hiring, Expanding, and Pioneering “Recommerce,” Says Founder Martin Tobias
This morning, I had a good chat with Seattle entrepreneur and investor Martin Tobias, in advance of tomorrow’s holiday open house at his new startup, Kashless. Known to get around on his Segway, Tobias said he trudged down the hill on foot today to his new office, which is in Lower Queen Anne. All of … Continue reading “Kashless Is Hiring, Expanding, and Pioneering “Recommerce,” Says Founder Martin Tobias”
3Tier Raises $10M in Venture Round to “Remap the World” for Alternative Energy
Seattle-based 3Tier Group has raised $10 million in venture financing to drive its quest to help developers and financiers spot the best places in the world to build renewable energy facilities. Good Energies led the venture round, which will be used to establish offices in Europe and Asia, as first reported this morning by John … Continue reading “3Tier Raises $10M in Venture Round to “Remap the World” for Alternative Energy”
Ligand Cuts Another Deal With GlaxoSmithKline
San Diego-based Ligand Pharmaceuticals has formed another sizable partnership with the world’s second-biggest drugmaker, GlaxoSmithKline. Today, Ligand (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LGND]]) said it granted an exclusive, worldwide license to Glaxo to develop a drug for thrombocytopenia, a disease in which people lack enough platelet cells in the blood to form clots. Under the deal, Glaxo will pay … Continue reading “Ligand Cuts Another Deal With GlaxoSmithKline”
CMC Icos Biologics Postpones Expansion
CMC Icos Biologics is putting the brakes on its big expansion plan. The Bothell, WA-based operation, which manufactures biotech drugs under contract to other companies, said today it is postponing its growth plan announced in September because of the deepening recession. “With the current challenges of the global economy, we must carefully manage our resources … Continue reading “CMC Icos Biologics Postpones Expansion”
Another Next-Generation RNAi Startup Emerges, Makes Big Claims About Its Ability to Silence Bad Genes
I was initially skeptical when I first heard about biotech startup AiRNA Pharmaceuticals and its new approach to RNA-interference (RNAi already gets lots of attention for its ability to silence genes for cancer and many other diseases). The Norwood, MA, firm claimed in a press release that its next-generation RNA-interference (RNAi) technology is “superior” to … Continue reading “Another Next-Generation RNAi Startup Emerges, Makes Big Claims About Its Ability to Silence Bad Genes”
Cadence Turns Attention to Marketplace, as IV Pain Reliever Reaches Goals in Clinical Trials
Cadence Pharmaceuticals can now start turning even more of its energy toward doing what it takes to become a commercial drug company. The San Diego-based biotech (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CADX]]) said yesterday it passed all three clinical trials it says it needs to satisfy FDA requirements so a new intravenous form of an old standby pain reliever … Continue reading “Cadence Turns Attention to Marketplace, as IV Pain Reliever Reaches Goals in Clinical Trials”
Maglev Industry Gains Momentum, But Is Big Cost A Turn-Off?
In meeting room G of San Diego’s Manchester Grand Hyatt, Neil Cummings was preaching yesterday to the choir—which in this case is the 20th International Conference on Magnetically Levitated Systems and Linear Drives. “I call it the new Iron Horse,” said Cummings, referring to the maglev industry’s vision for high-speed trains driven by magnetic levitation … Continue reading “Maglev Industry Gains Momentum, But Is Big Cost A Turn-Off?”