About five years ago, in a previous life at another technology publication, I wrote that I wished I could “Google my sock drawer.” I was being facetious, but my point was that searching the Web had become so easy that it left me yearning for equally convenient ways to search other things, like the books … Continue reading “Speak & Spell: New Apps Turn Phones into Multimedia Search Appliances”
Category: National
Staying Alive Through Small Business Research Grants—A Primer
The panel discussion that CommNexus organized yesterday in San Diego was intended for the telecom association’s military special interest group. But since the financial markets tanked and credit dried up, many fledgling technology companies might also be interested to know how to tap federal small business research grants. Good thing Xconomy was there, eh? The … Continue reading “Staying Alive Through Small Business Research Grants—A Primer”
InVivo CEO Overcame Spinal Cord Injury, Now Aims to Create Better Treatment For Same Problem
Frank Reynolds, the CEO of Cambridge, MA-based InVivo Therapeutics, says he still feels pain in his lower back when he steps off a curb. The pain stems from the spinal cord injury Reynolds suffered in an auto accident in 1992. It’s no coincidence that today he is running a medical technology firm with an implant … Continue reading “InVivo CEO Overcame Spinal Cord Injury, Now Aims to Create Better Treatment For Same Problem”
Out With the Old Shots, In With the New: Xconomy Forum To Explore Disruptive Changes in Vaccines
Old-school vaccines like shots for tetanus don’t add up to good business anymore for doctors who give them, according to a report this week in the Associated Press. Then again, the market for a new breed of vaccines against all sorts of other diseases is booming, on a trajectory from an estimated $10 billion in … Continue reading “Out With the Old Shots, In With the New: Xconomy Forum To Explore Disruptive Changes in Vaccines”
Optimer Sharpens Up Commercial Game Plan, After “C.Diff” Drug Success
Of all the people I met last month on a whirlwind of meetings with San Diego biotech companies, none had more bounce in their step than the folks at Optimer Pharmaceuticals. This company passed a huge test last month that suggests it has created the first new drug in decades for a bacterial invader called … Continue reading “Optimer Sharpens Up Commercial Game Plan, After “C.Diff” Drug Success”
EMC Secures Microsoft Alliance, Polaris Backs Infinite Power Solutions, ExtendMedia Extends its Balance Sheet by $10M, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Nope, it’s not Monday again already. We just moved the Boston deals roundup from Monday to Friday to make room for the brand-new San Diego deals roundup. So Boston readers are getting a bonus roundup this week. It’s a good thing, too–there’s much to discuss: —Oak Investment Partners of Westport, CT and Palo Alto, CA … Continue reading “EMC Secures Microsoft Alliance, Polaris Backs Infinite Power Solutions, ExtendMedia Extends its Balance Sheet by $10M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Dispatch from India’s Innovation Front Lines
Editor’s note: Xconomist Vinit Nijhawan is in India visiting venture capitalists and startups with an eye to bridging Boston and Indian startup ecosystems. This is the first in a series of dispatches. New Delhi, Thursday, December 4—I arrived in Delhi near midnight off a packed flight and to a crowded international airport, no sign of … Continue reading “Dispatch from India’s Innovation Front Lines”
Calling All Bands and Music Fans—Xconomy’s Battle of the Tech Bands 2 Is Approaching
January can be a cold, dark, cruel month around Boston. But Xconomy plans to liven it up—at least for one very loud evening—with our second annual Battle of the Tech Bands, planned for January 22 at the Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub here in Cambridge, MA. If you’re a musician and at least one member … Continue reading “Calling All Bands and Music Fans—Xconomy’s Battle of the Tech Bands 2 Is Approaching”
Boston Loses Mobile Internet World Conference to San Francisco
The Mobile Internet World trade show, produced in Boston in 2007 and 2008 by the Trendsmedia events division of Boston-based market research firm Yankee Group, will be transplanted to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2009 and revamped as a “more intimate” conference focused on networking and education, according to a Trendsmedia announcement. The announcement, … Continue reading “Boston Loses Mobile Internet World Conference to San Francisco”
BeatThat Founder: Holiday Discounts Unimpressive So Far
Both traffic to online retailers and actual sales appear to have been up moderately on Cyber Monday, the Internet equivalent of last week’s Black Friday bricks-and-mortar shopping binge. But it wasn’t because of the big discounts allegedly being offered by e-retailers as a way to get recession-stung consumers to open their wallets, according to an … Continue reading “BeatThat Founder: Holiday Discounts Unimpressive So Far”
Grounded in Reality, Maxwell Technology’s CEO Dispels Static Around Ultracapacitors
Is it just me, or have ultracapacitors somehow become the latest hot and mysterious alternative energy technology? Just a few weeks ago, my Xconomy colleague Greg Huang reported that Seattle startup EnerG2 landed $8.5 million in venture funding to develop a new class of ultracapitors that use nanocomposite materials to store energy. Before that, Light … Continue reading “Grounded in Reality, Maxwell Technology’s CEO Dispels Static Around Ultracapacitors”
Boston Biotechs Seek Scarce Funds Amid Market Famine at Annual Pitch Event
Many biotech firms in the Boston area and elsewhere are starved for capital, and initial public offerings appear to be off the table due to the economic recession. These harsh realities are likely to flavor the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council’s (MBC) annual MassBio Investors Forum next week, when 17 biotech outfits (including a new regenerative medicine … Continue reading “Boston Biotechs Seek Scarce Funds Amid Market Famine at Annual Pitch Event”
Urbanspoon Unveils Restaurant Sites in All U.S. Cities; Co-Founder Ethan Lowry Talks Strategy
I didn’t think it was possible for a popular website like Urbanspoon to fly below the radar. But it has—at least for the past week. The two-year old Seattle startup, which provides local restaurant reviews and has more than a million users of its iPhone application every month, quietly unveiled new sites in every city … Continue reading “Urbanspoon Unveils Restaurant Sites in All U.S. Cities; Co-Founder Ethan Lowry Talks Strategy”
Re-energizing Energy Innovation: Experts Spar (Lightly) at Xconomy Forum
The role of technology entrepreneurs in rebuilding the U.S. energy economy was the main theme at Xconomy’s latest forum Tuesday night. Topping the agenda was an all-star panel of local entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and academic analysts, who shared their thoughts with a sold-out crowd of some 125 attendees at the British Consulate General in Cambridge, … Continue reading “Re-energizing Energy Innovation: Experts Spar (Lightly) at Xconomy Forum”
Bruce Carter Exits Stage Left, Targeted Genetics Cuts Payroll, OncoGenex Cancer Drug Prolongs Lives, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
The big news of the past couple weeks came before Thanksgiving, when one of Seattle’s biotech pioneers, Bruce Carter, decided to exit stage left. Here is that and other highlights of the past two weeks: —ZymoGenetics’ charismatic CEO Bruce Carter, 65, has decided to retire at year’s end, and promote Doug Williams to take his … Continue reading “Bruce Carter Exits Stage Left, Targeted Genetics Cuts Payroll, OncoGenex Cancer Drug Prolongs Lives, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Traditional Venture Model is “Broken” for Biotech, Companies Need to Adapt, Says VC Alan Frazier
Alan Frazier controls one of the world’s biggest life sciences venture capital funds, so it would only be natural that he’d like to hide under a rock these days. But he was still willing to sit down with me at his 32nd floor office in downtown Seattle this week for a wide-ranging talk about the … Continue reading “Traditional Venture Model is “Broken” for Biotech, Companies Need to Adapt, Says VC Alan Frazier”
Innovation Will Set America Back on Track
Most Americans are depressed about the economy. But if we pull back and try to rise above the clouds, there are real reasons for hope. The combination of a “Yes We Can” administration headed to the White House, along with our country’s established leadership in innovation, has us standing at the crest of a trail … Continue reading “Innovation Will Set America Back on Track”
Xconomy’s Top 9 List of How to Deal With the Downturn Now Up to 12 As More Good Advice Pours In
A few weeks ago we ran a story called How to Handle the Downturn: Xconomy’s Top 9 List of Top 10 Lists. We’d been combing the Web looking for an even ten Top 10 advice lists—but came up one short. Since that time, the advice has continued to flow. One list of particular note, from … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Top 9 List of How to Deal With the Downturn Now Up to 12 As More Good Advice Pours In”
Verdiem’s New CEO, Jeremy Jaech, Sees Big Opportunity in IT Energy Savings
Updated Dec. 3 with comments from Ed Lazowska (see below): Seattle-based Verdiem, a cleantech-meets-computing firm, announced its new chief executive today. He is Jeremy Jaech, the co-founder of software powerhouses Aldus and Visio, a University of Washington alum, and a certified tech-entrepreneur giant of the Northwest. I’ve had my eye on Verdiem as an interesting … Continue reading “Verdiem’s New CEO, Jeremy Jaech, Sees Big Opportunity in IT Energy Savings”
Glaxo Promotes Sirtris’ Christoph Westphal to Drug Discovery Leadership Role
Christoph Westphal is not only sticking around at Cambridge, MA-based Sirtris after the biotech company was acquired by drug giant GlaxoSmithKline, he’s just accepted a promotion. Westphal, one of the region’s top life sciences entrepreneurs, agreed to take on a new responsibility as senior vice president of Glaxo’s Center of Excellence for External Drug Discovery, … Continue reading “Glaxo Promotes Sirtris’ Christoph Westphal to Drug Discovery Leadership Role”
Harvard Endowment Down $8B, Further Losses Expected
Harvard University’s endowment, the largest in higher education and historically a major investor in venture capital funds, has dropped a scary 22 percent, or $8 billion, from its $36.9 billion value on June 30, the Harvard Crimson student newspaper reports. The impact of the big decline is already being felt. The Crimson reports that university … Continue reading “Harvard Endowment Down $8B, Further Losses Expected”
Running Near Empty, Overland Storage May Be a Sign of The Times
I thought it was unusual when San Diego’s Overland Storage said Friday it had closed on a $9 million receivable financing agreement. All it means is that a finance company has agreed to lend Overland immediate cash for its customers’ IOUs—like one of those “payday loan” outfits. So I arranged to talk with Vern LoForti, … Continue reading “Running Near Empty, Overland Storage May Be a Sign of The Times”
Prostate Cancer Drug from OncoGenex, Isis Prolongs Lives; OncoGenex Shares Soar
Some eye-opening news for prostate cancer patients crossed the wire this morning, sending shares of OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals rocketing up 80 percent. An experimental drug from OncoGenex and Isis Pharmaceuticals, used in combination with standard treatments, helped men with prostate cancer live a median time of 10.6 months longer than if they took the usual chemo … Continue reading “Prostate Cancer Drug from OncoGenex, Isis Prolongs Lives; OncoGenex Shares Soar”
Artes Files for Bankruptcy After Drop in Facial Filler Sales
Artes Medical, a maker of an injectable filler to smooth facial wrinkles, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, citing reduced consumer spending on its cosmetic treatment due to the poor economy. The San Diego-based medical technology firm said in an earlier SEC filing on November 21 that a liquidation of its assets and bankruptcy were … Continue reading “Artes Files for Bankruptcy After Drop in Facial Filler Sales”
How To Spot a Breakthrough: Tips from Early Amazon Investor Nick Hanauer
Last night, I attended an inspiring talk by Nick Hanauer of Seattle-based Second Avenue Partners. The venue was Seattle University, and the topic was “breakthrough thinking and ideas”—what they are, how to find them, and which companies have developed (and will develop) them. The event was organized by the Northwest Entrepreneur Network. Hanauer knows a … Continue reading “How To Spot a Breakthrough: Tips from Early Amazon Investor Nick Hanauer”
The Pros (and Not Many Cons) of Merck’s HPV Vaccine, According to UW’s Laura Koutsky
Everyone has human papillomavirus (HPV) crawling all over our skin. This usually doesn’t cause us any harm, but in about 11,000 cases a year in the U.S., sexual activity leads to an infection that causes cervical cancer, which kills about 3,800 women a year. This basic fact is at the root of a revolution in … Continue reading “The Pros (and Not Many Cons) of Merck’s HPV Vaccine, According to UW’s Laura Koutsky”
Speech Recognition on the iPhone, Via Vlingo
Back in June, Cambridge, MA speech-recognition startup Vlingo rolled out software that lets Blackberry owners run their devices using voice commands instead of their thumbs—opening applications, dictating e-mails, entering terms into Web search engines, and the like. CEO Dave Grannan said at the time that Vlingo engineers were working on similar software for other devices, … Continue reading “Speech Recognition on the iPhone, Via Vlingo”
Meritage Pharma Aims to Develop Drug to Reduce Swelling in the Food Pipe
Intense allergic reactions to things like bee stings or peanuts can be life-threatening because some people can suffocate from massive inflammation in the windpipe. But it’s a little-known fact that the same kind of allergic reaction can also cause swelling and narrowing in the food pipe (aka the esophagus). Sometimes it’s so severe that food … Continue reading “Meritage Pharma Aims to Develop Drug to Reduce Swelling in the Food Pipe”
The Obama Presidency: Some Needed Changes Likely Coming in the Life Sciences
For months and months, we heard the mantra of “Obama: the change we need; change we can believe in.” The election is finally over. The people have spoken. Now that Senator Barack Obama is president-elect, it is my hope that certain “changes” supported by the president-elect will help jump-start two areas of focus in the … Continue reading “The Obama Presidency: Some Needed Changes Likely Coming in the Life Sciences”
Alkermes Regains Vivitrol Rights, Biogen Idec Heads for the Burbs, A Peek at Partners Innovation Fund’s Portfolio, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
Several of the Boston area’s public life sciences companies were making news this week. But first… —Ryan delved into the strategy and portfolio of Partners Innovation Fund, which was launched last year by Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals to invest exclusively in startups with science from the two Harvard-affiliated hospitals. Among the startups … Continue reading “Alkermes Regains Vivitrol Rights, Biogen Idec Heads for the Burbs, A Peek at Partners Innovation Fund’s Portfolio, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
38 Studios Goes National with Student Game Challenge
38 Studios, the Maynard, MA-based game development house founded by Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, announced today that it’s repeating the “Massachusetts Game Challenge” it launched last year. But the company is extending eligibility beyond New England this time to all U.S. and Canadian college and university students. The contest is designed to cultivate and … Continue reading “38 Studios Goes National with Student Game Challenge”
Appeals Court Slams Qualcomm, Clarifies Law on Disclosing Patents to Standards Groups
A federal appellate court agreed that San Diego’s Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) should be punished for hiding its work from industry groups developing a new video technology standard. But the three-judge panel ruled that a San Diego trial judge went a step too far by invalidating Qualcomm’s patents on the video compression technology it had concealed. … Continue reading “Appeals Court Slams Qualcomm, Clarifies Law on Disclosing Patents to Standards Groups”
Creator of Seattle 2.0, Marcelo Calbucci, Looks to Build the Ultimate Resource Site for Startups
Are you a new tech entrepreneur in the Seattle area? Or interested in the workings of startups from a Northwest perspective? If so, you should check out Marcelo Calbucci’s “ultimate guide,” which he posted on his Seattle 2.0 blog yesterday. In it, he discusses the practicalities of starting a business, like office space, legal issues, … Continue reading “Creator of Seattle 2.0, Marcelo Calbucci, Looks to Build the Ultimate Resource Site for Startups”
Pure Gets Global Marketing Partner for Germ-Killing Compound
San Diego’s Pure Bioscience, (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PURE]]) a 25-employee company, has gained a global partner for its silver-based compound that acts as a germ-killing alternative to chlorine and other chemicals. Pure gave exclusive marketing rights to Switzerland’s Ciba for silver dihydrogen citrate, or SDC, in Ciba personal care products worldwide. The deal also gave non-exclusive rights … Continue reading “Pure Gets Global Marketing Partner for Germ-Killing Compound”
Biogen Confirms HQ Move from Cambridge to Suburbs
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]) confirmed yesterday that the biotech company plans to move its corporate headquarters from Cambridge, MA, to a site in Weston, MA, in 2010, the Boston Business Journal reports. A company spokeswoman told the BBJ that the firm has recently inked a lease on 350,000 square feet of office space in the Boston … Continue reading “Biogen Confirms HQ Move from Cambridge to Suburbs”
Hospital-Backed Partners VC Fund Finds Deals Close to Home—Here’s the Early List
It occurred to me that Partners Innovation Fund, unlike all other venture investors I can think of, knows exactly where it will find its future deals. That’s because the fund, launched by Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals last year, invests exclusively in startups with science from the two Harvard-affiliated hospitals. And given that … Continue reading “Hospital-Backed Partners VC Fund Finds Deals Close to Home—Here’s the Early List”
Clearwire Closes WiMax Merger, Entellium Goes on Sale, Microsoft May Yet Buy Yahoo Search, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
Despite the Thanksgiving holiday, it was a fairly busy week for deals in the Northwest. Some big companies reared their heads (or at least were reported to) in software, wireless, and biotech, and other deals are in the works, so stay tuned. —The Times of London reported that Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) is looking to acquire … Continue reading “Clearwire Closes WiMax Merger, Entellium Goes on Sale, Microsoft May Yet Buy Yahoo Search, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
San Diego’s SeaBotix Making Robots For Deep Blue See
When hurricanes Gustav and Ike blew through the Gulf of Mexico in late August and September, most offshore oil and gas production platforms were evacuated and shut down. That’s bad news for the estimated 3,800 platforms in the region, which account for roughly 25 percent of U.S. domestic oil output and 15 percent of natural … Continue reading “San Diego’s SeaBotix Making Robots For Deep Blue See”
Can Tiny Insect Planes Survive Collisions? The Air Force Wants to Know
Here at Xconomy we usually focus on technologies already hitting the marketplace rather than laboratory-stage investigations. But last week we got wind of a project that’s so cool we just had to write about it: an effort to build tiny robot planes with flexible structures and built-in reflexes that would allow them to ricochet off … Continue reading “Can Tiny Insect Planes Survive Collisions? The Air Force Wants to Know”
Who Needs VCs? Seattle Entrepreneurs Say Bootstrapping Is the Way To Go (Part 2)
What are the arguments for and against bootstrapping a tech startup? When should a company raise venture funding? And what have Seattle entrepreneurs experienced in taking various different paths? I interviewed three prominent local entrepreneurs in the past week to get their thoughts. Yesterday, in Part 1 of this story, I gave some context and … Continue reading “Who Needs VCs? Seattle Entrepreneurs Say Bootstrapping Is the Way To Go (Part 2)”
Disputed Report Says Microsoft To Acquire Yahoo’s Search Business—Any Truth To It?
Yes, they’re at it again. Or are they? For those who didn’t spend their holiday weekend following the latest twists in the Microsoft-Yahoo acquisition soap opera, let’s get you up to speed on whether there’s any substance to the latest reports. On Saturday, the UK-based Times Online (aka The Times of London) reported that Microsoft … Continue reading “Disputed Report Says Microsoft To Acquire Yahoo’s Search Business—Any Truth To It?”
Cyber Monday Breaking Records So Far, Akamai Says
Today is Cyber Monday—the Internet sequel to the Black Friday retailing rush. And according to Cambridge, MA-based Akamai, whose global network of content servers is used by hundreds of large e-commerce sites to accelerate website performance, traffic to e-retail sites is approaching record-breaking levels today as consumers try to complete their holiday gift-giving online. Akamai’s … Continue reading “Cyber Monday Breaking Records So Far, Akamai Says”
Awarepoint Nabs $13.3M, Kratos Fuses With Digital Fusion, Pocket Communications Financing Signals Challenge for Leap Wireless, & More San Diego Deals News
As people gathered from near and far to celebrate Thanksgiving, a couple of startups with San Diego connections had more than one reason to give thanks, with deals closing on a variety of fronts, including one close to home—at home, really—for Xconomy. —Cardinal Partners of Princeton, NJ, (not to be confused with Cardinal Equity Partners … Continue reading “Awarepoint Nabs $13.3M, Kratos Fuses With Digital Fusion, Pocket Communications Financing Signals Challenge for Leap Wireless, & More San Diego Deals News”
Never Mind That Bailout: Venture Funding for Auto Innovation Accelerates As Startups Race to Leave Detroit in its Own Dust
Tomorrow, Detroit’s automakers are expected to give Congress a detailed plan that explains exactly how they intend to use $25 billion in taxpayer funding to engineer a turnaround—no doubt refueling the nationwide debate over the auto industry bailout. Meanwhile, venture capital funding for innovative automotive technologies has accelerated dramatically over the past five years. Investment … Continue reading “Never Mind That Bailout: Venture Funding for Auto Innovation Accelerates As Startups Race to Leave Detroit in its Own Dust”
Who Needs VCs? Seattle Entrepreneurs Say Bootstrapping Is the Way To Go (Part 1)
Should young tech companies seek venture capital, or try to bootstrap their way to profitability? It’s a hot topic these days, especially with the economy and funding climate the way they are. I’ve been asking experienced entrepreneurs around town for their opinions on bootstrapping versus venture capital and angel investment, after I read a recent … Continue reading “Who Needs VCs? Seattle Entrepreneurs Say Bootstrapping Is the Way To Go (Part 1)”
Having Vanquished Hair Frizz, Living Proof Looks to Skin Care and Cosmetics
Since I wrote about Living Proof this summer, we’ve had a flurry of comments and questions about the Cambridge, MA-based firm’s biotech-inspired products for combating frizzy hair. And my Xconomy colleagues and I have had some questions of our own about the company and its wares, so I recently caught up with Living Proof CEO … Continue reading “Having Vanquished Hair Frizz, Living Proof Looks to Skin Care and Cosmetics”
Scout Medical: The Device Incubator That Batted 3-For-3
Everybody in the Seattle life sciences scene has heard about Accelerator, as a model for venture-backed incubators of promising biotech startups. But when the report cards come due on its portfolio companies in a few years, it may end up the second-ranked local incubator of life sciences startups behind Scout Medical Technologies. Scout was founded … Continue reading “Scout Medical: The Device Incubator That Batted 3-For-3”
Pocket Communications Pockets $100M From Battery Ventures And Others, Nuance Makes New Bid for Zi, Xconomy Closes Second Round, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Dealmaking ebbed last week as the gravy flowed, but Boston-area tech and life sciences companies still managed to serve up a few morsels of news. —Waltham, MA- and Menlo Park, CA-based Battery Ventures led a $100 million venture round for San Antonio, TX-based Pocket Communications Northeast. Pocket is putting together a new cellular network that … Continue reading “Pocket Communications Pockets $100M From Battery Ventures And Others, Nuance Makes New Bid for Zi, Xconomy Closes Second Round, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
MicroRNA Leaps Ahead: Alnylam-Isis Venture, Regulus, Shows Its Drug Works in Animals With Heart Failure
The scientific community, and Wall Street, will be buzzing this week about microRNA. That’s because a Carlsbad, CA-based company called Regulus Therapeutics and its collaborators have suggested for the first time that a drug that blocks microRNA can prevent and treat heart failure in animals. Regulus, a joint venture of Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “MicroRNA Leaps Ahead: Alnylam-Isis Venture, Regulus, Shows Its Drug Works in Animals With Heart Failure”
Arena Pharmaceuticals’ Sleeper Drug Aims To Help You Stay Asleep
Arena Pharmaceuticals is known on Wall Street for one thing—obesity. The San Diego biotech company has a modified form of the fen-phen combination drug that’s supposed to help people lose weight without causing the heart damage that killed that Wyeth product a decade ago. But Arena (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARNA]]) has a sleeper in pipeline— a novel … Continue reading “Arena Pharmaceuticals’ Sleeper Drug Aims To Help You Stay Asleep”