Category: New York

Solve Media Obtains $999,997 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=18ad5090-fefc-4e76-9a06-e23110d89d72 Date 12/19/2013 Company Name Solve Media Mailing Address 298 Fifth Avenue 4th Floor New York, NY 10001 Company Description Solve Media’s proprietary TYPE-IN system delivers performance-based campaigns to agencies and advertisers seeking superior engagement, awareness and recall. Website http://www.solvemedia.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $999,997 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Solve Media Obtains $999,997 New Funding Round”

uBeam Secures $300,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9b61a355-e6f6-4b34-9a50-f007d0e23748 Date 12/19/2013 Company Name uBeam Mailing Address 12 W. 57th St. New York, NY 10019 Company Description uBeam beams electricity through the air to charge all of your portable electronics remotely and wirelessly. It’s like Wi-Fi for energy. Website http://www.ubeam.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $300,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “uBeam Secures $300,000 New Financing”

Foursquare Lands $35,000,000 Series D Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ce502d93-461f-405c-9918-c55ad1c38a90 Date 12/19/2013 Company Name Foursquare Mailing Address 568 Broadway 10th Floor New York, NY 10012 Company Description We’re all about helping you find new ways to explore the city. We’ll help you meet up with your friends and let you earn points and unlock badges for discovering new places, doing new … Continue reading “Foursquare Lands $35,000,000 Series D Financing”

MdotLabs, Backed by Great Oaks & Others, Sifts Out Bogus Web Traffic

When is a page view not a real page view? That is one of the questions MdotLabs offers to help Web companies answer through its software. Much of the revenue in digital publishing and online ads rides on audience flow. So being able to verify the number of people who check out websites is crucial. … Continue reading “MdotLabs, Backed by Great Oaks & Others, Sifts Out Bogus Web Traffic”

TouchCast Opens Up Two-Way Interactive Window for Videos

Ever feel disconnected—figuratively—from videos online? Aside from clicking on ads or links that pop up during playback, there is not much for the audience to do but sit back and watch. Now a startup in New York thinks viewers want more. “Up until now, video has been this other [type of] media,” says Erick Schonfeld, … Continue reading “TouchCast Opens Up Two-Way Interactive Window for Videos”

Betting on the Recurring Revenue Market

Big companies are betting big on recurring revenue—that is, pricing plans designed to guarantee continuing income, as opposed to one-time payments. They believe that if they play their hands correctly, this strategy will deliver profitability and growth. We’ve been watching the red-hot recurring revenue market closely, and in recent months, we’ve seen one established company … Continue reading “Betting on the Recurring Revenue Market”

For CytRx’s Insiders, What a Difference a Day Makes

CytRx (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYTR]]) investors had a lot to be happy about last week.  The good times came on Wednesday, Dec. 11, after the small cap biotech announced encouraging summary results from a mid-stage clinical trial of its doxorubicin conjugate, aldoxorubicin, in patients getting their initial treatment for soft tissue sarcoma.  This announcement sent Los Angeles-based … Continue reading “For CytRx’s Insiders, What a Difference a Day Makes”

Sailthru Secures $20,000,000 Series C Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b41061b1-8229-4944-bc18-2271985ce28c Date 12/17/2013 Company Name Sailthru Mailing Address 160 Varick St. 12th Floor New York, NY 10013 Company Description Sailthru helps you learn about your users’ preferences across email and web engagement — including browsing, cart behavior and clicks — from their very first visit. The more they engage, the more robust … Continue reading “Sailthru Secures $20,000,000 Series C Financing Round”

PadInMotion Garners $360,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=21a5cd32-ef37-450c-94bb-c5b74f6a536e Date 12/17/2013 Company Name PadInMotion Mailing Address 342 Broadway New York, NY 10013 Company Description Our goal is to give hospital patients an amazing technology experience in a convenient and affordable way. PadInMotion was founded by 3 entrepreneurs – a cardiologist, a seasoned executive and a finance professional who set out … Continue reading “PadInMotion Garners $360,000 New Round”

PadInMotion Obtains $360,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=21a5cd32-ef37-450c-94bb-c5b74f6a536e Date 12/17/2013 Company Name PadInMotion Mailing Address 342 Broadway New York, NY 10013 Company Description Our goal is to give hospital patients an amazing technology experience in a convenient and affordable way. PadInMotion was founded by 3 entrepreneurs – a cardiologist, a seasoned executive and a finance professional who set out … Continue reading “PadInMotion Obtains $360,000 New Funding”

Wetpaint Acquired by Viggle for $30M, a Loss for Investors

Wetpaint, a digital publisher that focused on churning out entertainment and celebrity news distributed over social media, has been acquired by “second screen” TV app maker Viggle for $30 million in cash and stock. The deal will be a disappointment for Wetpaint’s investors, who poured about $40 million into the company—venture firms DAG Ventures, Accel Partners, … Continue reading “Wetpaint Acquired by Viggle for $30M, a Loss for Investors”

Xconomy Launches in Wisconsin: Innovation Isn’t Something We Fly Over

There are no flyover zones in the United States. That’s the way Xconomy views the map, anyway, because we see innovation happening all over America. So it is with great pleasure that today we are launching Xconomy Wisconsin, the ninth hub in our growing national network. It is our third launch this year—after Boulder-Denver and … Continue reading “Xconomy Launches in Wisconsin: Innovation Isn’t Something We Fly Over”

What Was Hyped, and What Fell Out of Favor, This Year in Biotech

Every year, Science magazine profiles its “Breakthrough of the Year.” People get excited. But what many readers don’t fully appreciate is that these discoveries—at least in biomedicine—are almost always decades away from turning into useful new drugs, diagnostics, or other products that advance human health. There are, shall we say, kinks that need to be … Continue reading “What Was Hyped, and What Fell Out of Favor, This Year in Biotech”

How Nelson Mandela Inspired Me to Fight Infectious Disease

[Editor’s Note: Alan Aderem is a former political activist from South Africa who now serves as the President of Seattle BioMed, a research institute that focuses on global infectious diseases.] My first response to Nelson Mandela’s death was one of profound loss and sadness. This feeling was soon replaced by recognition of Mandela’s mammoth contributions … Continue reading “How Nelson Mandela Inspired Me to Fight Infectious Disease”

A Revolution is Taking Place in the Treatment of Blood Cancers

I try to avoid sensationalizing early clinical trial results presented at medical conferences, what’s commonly known as “hype over hope.” But at this year’s annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in New Orleans I was struck by the thought that I was a witness to the beginning of a revolution in the … Continue reading “A Revolution is Taking Place in the Treatment of Blood Cancers”

Former MIT President Charles Vest Dead of Cancer at 72

[Updated, Dec. 14, 2013–see below] Charles Vest, one of the leading contemporary figures of higher education, engineering, and science, and an early friend of Xconomy, has passed away. He was 72, and the cause was cancer, according to an announcement from MIT. Chuck, as most people called him, was the down home, congenial president of “the … Continue reading “Former MIT President Charles Vest Dead of Cancer at 72”

Houzz—the Alluring App for Home Remodelers and Wannabes

The first time you open the Houzz app on your Apple or Android tablet, you’ll take in the midcentury modern living rooms with their Eames sofas and Noguchi coffee tables, the gleaming neo-Craftsman bungalows surrounded by herb gardens, and the outdoor kitchens complete with wood-fired pizza ovens, and you’ll think you’ve landed inside the digital … Continue reading “Houzz—the Alluring App for Home Remodelers and Wannabes”

Sam Sia’s NY Biotech Incubator Already Bustling With 16 Startups

It was less than a year ago when Columbia University professor and entrepreneur Samuel Sia sat on an airplane sketching out the floor plan for a biotech incubator in the middle of Manhattan. That vision is now becoming real. Sia is the co-founder of Harlem Biospace, a new biotech incubator on 127th Street in Manhattan’s … Continue reading “Sam Sia’s NY Biotech Incubator Already Bustling With 16 Startups”

East Coast Biotech Roundup: ASH, Proteostasis, Retrophin, & More

[Updated, 8:35 am ET] 2013 is winding down, and with it, a lot of the biotech news flow. But there was still a flurry of dealmaking this week, even with many of the sector’s top names busy at one of the year’s biggest medical meetings. Those stories and more below: —Much of the biotech world … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: ASH, Proteostasis, Retrophin, & More”

State Economic Rankings Don’t Measure Up

This post was co-written with Yasuyuki Motoyama and Jared Konczal. A few weeks ago, a new ranking was published measuring “opportunity” on a state-by-state basis. Vermont came out on top as the friendliest state for upward mobility, scoring well on both the Community and Education metrics. Someone from Vermont e-mailed us here at the Kauffman … Continue reading “State Economic Rankings Don’t Measure Up”

Moda Operandi Lands $20,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=33c2b373-37c1-4c96-a32d-ea1cd23cfd49 Date 12/13/2013 Company Name Moda Operandi Mailing Address 33 West 19th Street New York, NY 10001 Company Description Moda Operandi is the first online luxury fashion retailer to allow members to pre-order tomorrow’s styles today. Working closely with the world’s top designers such as Marc Jacobs, Isabel Marant, Proenza Schouler, Vera … Continue reading “Moda Operandi Lands $20,000,000 New Financing”

Filip Technologies Lands $8,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ca570866-748b-452e-96dc-ef83675331d1 Date 12/13/2013 Company Name Filip Technologies Mailing Address 221 W 17th St 4th Floor New York, NY 10011 Company Description FiLIP will retail for $199.99, plus shipping. Each FiLIP will come with the FiLIP device, wristband and charger. For just $10 a month as part of an AT&T Mobile Share or … Continue reading “Filip Technologies Lands $8,000,000 New Funding”

There May Be More to the FDA/23andMe Story Than Meets the Eye

Consumers and life science startup companies alike are reacting strongly to the recent decision by the FDA to restrict the genetic testing company, 23andMe, from marketing its genetic testing service. In our day-to-day work, we are frequently approached with a gamut of regulatory questions from both large and small life science companies navigating the intersection … Continue reading “There May Be More to the FDA/23andMe Story Than Meets the Eye”

Filip Technologies, eGifter, & Simulmedia Get Cash for the Holidays

Santa’s big red bag opened a little early for a few New York startups. Filip Technologies, maker of a smartwatch-style phone and GPS locator for kids, said Wednesday it raised $8 million from new investors including KEC Venture, Horizon Ventures, and The Social+Capital Partnership. London-based Filip has its U.S. headquarters in New York City and … Continue reading “Filip Technologies, eGifter, & Simulmedia Get Cash for the Holidays”

Quovo Secures $1,400,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f7067073-088e-4635-b34e-568fd443cf1b Date 12/12/2013 Company Name Quovo Mailing Address 175 East 79Th Street New York, NY 10075 Company Description Quovo reimagines the world’s most elite portfolio tools as an easy to use all-in-one platform. Website http://www.quovo.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,400,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Quovo will use the … Continue reading “Quovo Secures $1,400,000 Series A Financing”

Moda Operandi Garners $20,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2a44f677-fffe-4965-a812-603b883d18bb Date 12/12/2013 Company Name Moda Operandi Mailing Address 33 West 19th Street New York, NY 10001 Company Description Moda Operandi is the first online luxury fashion retailer to allow members to pre-order tomorrow’s styles today. Working closely with the world’s top designers such as Marc Jacobs, Isabel Marant, Proenza Schouler, Vera … Continue reading “Moda Operandi Garners $20,000,000 New Funding Round”

Mandy Ginsberg Teaches Tutor.com Lessons in Connecting with Consumers

It keeps getting easier to find help with schoolwork—some good, some less so—thanks to technology, and Mandy Ginsberg thinks tutoring is on the cusp of a transformation. Her bullishness is to be expected; she’s CEO of New York-based Tutor.com, after all. The company, owned by IAC, lets students connect with tutors in `round-the-clock online sessions. … Continue reading “Mandy Ginsberg Teaches Tutor.com Lessons in Connecting with Consumers”

U.S. IPO Activity in 2013 on Track for Highest Level in 9 Years

As the IPO counter continues to roll, the EY accounting firm says it estimates 2013 will ring up a total of 222 U.S. IPOs (or maybe 223), with cumulative proceeds generating a total of about $59.7 billion. EY has counted 211 IPOs as of yesterday, and 10 more IPOs are on the calendar for this … Continue reading “U.S. IPO Activity in 2013 on Track for Highest Level in 9 Years”

Savient Pharma Sells to GTCR-Backed Crealta For $120M

Savient Pharmaceutials was finally able to woo some buyers and stoke up its price. Unfortunately, all that action took place in bankruptcy. Bridgewater, NJ-based Savient said today that it’s reached a deal to sell itself to Crealta Pharmaceuticals, a recently-created specialty pharmaceutical company based in Lake Forest, IL. Crealta has agreed to pay $120.4 million … Continue reading “Savient Pharma Sells to GTCR-Backed Crealta For $120M”

eGifter Garners $1,700,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=615f7e74-1342-4b5d-8110-25db515ac7b3 Date 12/11/2013 Company Name eGifter Mailing Address 445 Broad Hollow Road Melville, NY 11747 Company Description eGifter is a web and mobile social gifting app that enables users to give eGift Cards to friends, family, and even themselves. We enable retailers to include social networks in their marketing mix, while driving … Continue reading “eGifter Garners $1,700,000 New Financing”

Magzter Lands $10,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9db4ebd4-fc6b-4207-9c3a-6f9cd6620a9e Date 12/11/2013 Company Name Magzter Mailing Address One Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10020 Company Description Launched on June 16, 2011, Magzter is a unique global digital mobile magazine store and newsstand that makes it easy for publishers to offer digital editions of their titles, and even easier for readers to … Continue reading “Magzter Lands $10,000,000 New Round”

Simparel Lands $1,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6bdc2269-a245-4563-a28b-41a0652b6d01 Date 12/11/2013 Company Name Simparel Mailing Address 53 West 36th Street 11th Floor New York, NY 10018 Company Description Simparel is a technology company that has developed a new generation of ERP solutions with numerous advantages over traditional software systems. Simparel offers a unique combination: the simplest, quickest, most flexible and … Continue reading “Simparel Lands $1,000,000 New Financing Round”

Novartis, Gilead, Genentech & More: An ASH 2013 Wrap-Up

Advances in the treatment of blood cancer were in the news this week. If you missed some of the signal while seeing a lot of noise from press releases, tweets, and analyst reports coming from the American Society of Hematology conference, don’t feel bad. There weren’t a whole lot of major new revelations that I … Continue reading “Novartis, Gilead, Genentech & More: An ASH 2013 Wrap-Up”

Artiphon’s Music Maker Gives New Meaning to “One-Man Band”

Its shape and sound harken back to a lap steel guitar, but also a violin—unless it is held like a cello. Hang on to that confusion for a minute and gander at the Instrument 1 from Artiphon. With its hardwood construction, virtual strings, and a port for a mobile device, this odd-looking gadget can be … Continue reading “Artiphon’s Music Maker Gives New Meaning to “One-Man Band””

Catchpoint Systems Lands $6,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f4a2ee24-608d-4f4a-be0d-4df54990de30 Date 12/10/2013 Company Name Catchpoint Systems Mailing Address 336 West 37th Street New York, NY 10018 Company Description Catchpoint provides real time analytics in the end to end performance of internet services. Our web performance and application monitoring tools allow companies to measure the behavior of their services from multiple vantage … Continue reading “Catchpoint Systems Lands $6,000,000 Series B Financing”

Simulmedia Receives $25,000,000 Series D Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e63d8337-35fd-4207-9119-d3b16f2a4e57 Date 12/10/2013 Company Name Simulmedia Mailing Address 670 Broadway 2nd Floor New York, NY 10012 Company Description Simulmedia is a company aimed at helping television companies improve ratings by lifting the effectiveness of tune-in programming spots. Website http://www.simulmedia.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $25,000,000 Transaction Round Series D Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Simulmedia Receives $25,000,000 Series D Round”

How Do You Want to Spend the Next Four Years of Your Life?

As our Lean LaunchPad for Life Sciences class winds down, a good number of the 26 teams are trying to figure out whether they should go forward to turn their class project into a business. Given that we’ve been emphasizing evidence-based entrepreneurship and the Investment Readiness Level, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when … Continue reading “How Do You Want to Spend the Next Four Years of Your Life?”

MSpy Casts a Watchful Eye on Mobile Devices, Plans Move to New York

Trust can be a fickle thing, especially when it comes to mobile communication. These personal gadgets let people capture and share information that, in the wrong hands, might do harm. They can also expose bad behavior in the making. The co-founders of mSpy say that’s what prompted them to build technology for keeping tabs on … Continue reading “MSpy Casts a Watchful Eye on Mobile Devices, Plans Move to New York”

12 Things the Pharma Industry Can Do to Rebuild Real Public Trust

Remember when Merck was the most admired company in America? When pharmaceutical companies ranked among the most respected of all industries, because of their achievements for human health and well-being? I don’t. I was born in 1975, putting me smack in Generation X. I started paying attention to the business of biomedical innovation, as a … Continue reading “12 Things the Pharma Industry Can Do to Rebuild Real Public Trust”

Honest Buildings Garners $4,000,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1e1ada72-4a8b-4ee3-aa73-0feea6a0a8b2 Date 12/9/2013 Company Name Honest Buildings Mailing Address 233 Broadway New York, NY 10007 Company Description The Honest Buildings Network helps professionals across the entire real estate industry discover building information, uncover the best companies for your specific needs, highlight the most qualified service providers and organizations, plus much more. Website … Continue reading “Honest Buildings Garners $4,000,000 Series A Financing”

ObserveIT Obtains $20,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ed7f5b01-1cca-40b6-b6f6-89bfa5219c4d Date 12/9/2013 Company Name ObserveIT Mailing Address 241 West 30th Street 5th Floor New York, NY 10001 Company Description Since launching the company in 2006, the ObserveIT team has been passionate about making life easier for IT managers, security officers and compliance officers. Our unique server monitoring and auditing technology, now … Continue reading “ObserveIT Obtains $20,000,000 New Funding”

East Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, Editas, Celgene, & More

The holidays are in full swing, as are some big startup ideas that have had the biotech world buzzing over the past few weeks. Those stories and more as the roundup returns from a Thanksgiving break: —Juno Therapeutics earned the distinction this week of having one of the largest bets ever placed on a biotech … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, Editas, Celgene, & More”

High-Tech Holidays: The Xperience Gift Guide, 2013 Edition

Wait, what? Cyber Monday was four days ago, and you still haven’t finished your holiday gift buying? Don’t worry, we haven’t either. But we thought we’d take some time away from our busy shopping schedules to help you find the best presents for the gadget geeks in your life. In the slideshow above, we’ve collected … Continue reading “High-Tech Holidays: The Xperience Gift Guide, 2013 Edition”

LearnVest Secures $3,324,976 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3d6248b6-9855-4acd-b3e3-763961f0e538 Date 12/6/2013 Company Name LearnVest Mailing Address 113 University Place 5th Floor New York, NY 10003 Company Description LearnVest is the leading independent personal finance website targeting the 70 million women who control over 80% of all consumer. Through LearnVest.com, LearnVest provides trusted content and tools to help women tackle their … Continue reading “LearnVest Secures $3,324,976 New Financing Round”

YieldMo Secures $8,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b7f5d56c-9b14-4348-8808-773ac7034330 Date 12/6/2013 Company Name YieldMo Mailing Address 33 West 17th Street New York, NY 10011 Company Description YieldMo is rethinking mobile advertising to optimize yield for publishers, ROI for marketers, and the experience for consumers. YieldMo’s Premium Private Platform for Mobile enables marketers to purchase high quality non-banner ad inventory in … Continue reading “YieldMo Secures $8,000,000 New Funding”

Off Track Planet Secures $500,000 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8513fa27-386c-4995-80ae-989a3425cab6 Date 12/6/2013 Company Name Off Track Planet Mailing Address 68 Jay St. Brooklyn, NY 11201 Company Description Off Track Planet is a digital-based travel brand for independent travelers. Originating as a blog in 2009, OTP has since reached over 2 million readers worldwide with four print magazine editions distributed at over … Continue reading “Off Track Planet Secures $500,000 Seed Funding”

SeatGeek Obtains $2,200,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2ebb8329-a4be-4c0a-a34b-b94dc85c7fef Date 12/6/2013 Company Name SeatGeek Mailing Address 57 E. 11th Street Floor 8A New York, NY 10003 Company Description SeatGeek forecasts the price of sports or concert tickets. So before buying tickets to an event, you can check SeatGeek for a price forecast. If the price is going up, you’ll want … Continue reading “SeatGeek Obtains $2,200,000 New Funding”

FDA’s Culture Is Genetically Dominant Over 23andMe’s Business Model

I’ve been following the 23andMe saga with dread and fascination and frustration since it hit in late November. If you’re not up to date, David Dobbs has the canonical collection of stories to get you there. This is a post about business models and culture clashes. It’s long. I should also start by disclosing that my former … Continue reading “FDA’s Culture Is Genetically Dominant Over 23andMe’s Business Model”