Life Sciences Angel Network “Second Opinion”

LSAN presents the first in a series of discussions on entrepreneurship in healthcare. This event will feature an informal Q&A with Benjamin Wolin, founder of Everyday Health, and Thomas Lee, founder of One Medical Group, who will share their insights on how they turned their ideas into strong healthcare businesses. Register here.  

The $1000 Genome Revolution

This luncheon presentation will feature expert opinions on the impact of the genomic revolution, and the implications of low-cost genetic testing. Speakers include Nancy Kelley, executive director of the New York Genome Center, David Darst, biotechnology analyst for OrbiMed, and David Ferreiro, executive director and senior life science analyst for Oppenheimer. Register here.

NYC Business Networking Mixer

New York Entrepreneurs Business Network presents an evening of networking, with two separate tracks for established businesses and startups. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to meet with professionals in a number of industries, including banking, advertising, and media. Register here.

Secrets of Digital Success in the Big Apple

MIT Enterprise Forum of NYC and New York Technology Council present the first in a series of panel discussions on NYC’s emerging technology scene. This event will feature local entrepreneurs discussing issues such as the causes of early pivots, how business models evolved, and what obstacles they overcame. Speakers include Rafat Ali, founder and former CEO of paidContent, … Continue reading “Secrets of Digital Success in the Big Apple”

The Pace of Re-Imagination: We All Live in Dog Years Now

My dog Rhody, an Australian Shepherd, turned 15 a few weeks ago. He’s a living refutation of the old myth that dogs age as much in one year as humans do in seven. By that formula he’d be acting like a doddering 105-year-old, but if you met him you’d agree that he doesn’t seem a … Continue reading “The Pace of Re-Imagination: We All Live in Dog Years Now”

Accelerator Looks to Expand, With an Eye on the Big Apple

Accelerator, the venture-backed biotech startup machine, has made its name over the past decade as a hotspot for financing life sciences companies in Seattle with big dreams and potential. Now it’s considering expanding its model for starting biotech companies in other life science clusters around the world, including New York. Plans are still in the … Continue reading “Accelerator Looks to Expand, With an Eye on the Big Apple”

SumAll Receives $1,500,000 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e7754b39-277d-4313-8608-4c5ee7d53d62&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2012 Company Name SumAll Mailing Address 247 Centre Street 6th Floor New York, NY 10013 Company Description We’re creating a tool that people can use to choose practical courses of action quickly and painlessly, and to support them as they implement those actions. We’ll make it easy for you to … Continue reading “SumAll Receives $1,500,000 Seed Funding”

Merchant Exchange Tries Exclusivity as Hook in Daily Deals

While the luster fades on some daily deals and rewards programs, a New York-based startup is trying to set itself apart from rivals in this market by essentially being less social. Merchant Exchange is a website that connects consumers to deals. But what makes it different is the merchants do not broadcast the same deals … Continue reading “Merchant Exchange Tries Exclusivity as Hook in Daily Deals”

Merck Oncology Chief Heads to ASCO With High Hopes for New Drugs

At the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), starting tomorrow in Chicago, drug giant Merck will be presenting no less than 100 abstracts detailing its efforts to develop new cancer drugs. The company’s oncology franchise head, Gary Gilliland—who left a 20-year faculty position at Harvard to join New Brunswick, NJ-based Merck … Continue reading “Merck Oncology Chief Heads to ASCO With High Hopes for New Drugs”

IRX Therapeutics Garners $1,500,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a1012de3-e3d9-4319-8fb9-8c163b1521ec&Preview=1 Date 5/31/2012 Company Name IRX Therapeutics Mailing Address 140 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019 Company Description IRX Therapeutics’ mission is to discover and commercialize drugs that stimulate a coordinated TH1-specific cellular immune response to treat human diseases. This immune response is essential for the eradication of most viruses and … Continue reading “IRX Therapeutics Garners $1,500,000 New Round”

innRoad Obtains $5,800,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2657b762-0241-4fcd-a41d-05fb22b80b49&Preview=1 Date 5/31/2012 Company Name innRoad Mailing Address 37 WIndmill Lane Southampton, NY 11968 Company Description innRoad is the only Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) hotel software solution that seamlessly integrates property management, global distribution, bookings and marketing–all on a single, easy-to-use platform designed exclusively for independent hoteliers, small hotel chains and hotel management companies. … Continue reading “innRoad Obtains $5,800,000 Series B Funding Round”

Google+ Local Replaces Google Places, Adds Zagat Rankings

Today Google launched its new Google+ Local service replacing the version of Google Places used by consumers with features that include the rating system developed by its New York-based Zagat subsidiary. The service curates recommendations on places to visit from users’ Google+ friends, as well as reviews drawn from others. Avni Shah, Google’s director of … Continue reading “Google+ Local Replaces Google Places, Adds Zagat Rankings”

Q&A: Deloitte Finds More Ways to Connect with Digital Startups

As the crop of startups continues to grow, particularly in digital media, consulting and financial advisory firm Deloitte is working do more than just introduce innovators to potential investors. So Deloitte has been co-sponsoring the Digital Media Center (DMC) group to bring together New York startups from the digital media arena and venture capitalists. And … Continue reading “Q&A: Deloitte Finds More Ways to Connect with Digital Startups”

Basic Biology: The Complex Core of Drug Discovery

The hardest task in major league sports is hitting a baseball. Those who can successfully do this even three out of every ten times over the course of a career are likely to find themselves enshrined in Cooperstown at the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, scientists who strive to discover new medicines can only fantasize about … Continue reading “Basic Biology: The Complex Core of Drug Discovery”

Quincy Apparel, Driven to Make Women’s Clothes Fit, Nabs $950K

Quincy Apparel, a New York-based women’s e-commerce site with a mission of improving fit, has raised $950,000 in a convertible debt-based seed round, the founders say. The round was led by Great Oaks Venture Capital, and included Launch Capital and a diverse group of angel investors such as Bobbi Brown Cosmetics co-founder Ken Landis, David … Continue reading “Quincy Apparel, Driven to Make Women’s Clothes Fit, Nabs $950K”

Group Commerce Receives $21,000,000 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=80413b5f-6e86-488b-b9cb-38e97c71e95d&Preview=1 Date 5/30/2012 Company Name Group Commerce Mailing Address 628 Broadway New York, NY 10012 Company Description The company has developed a white label, full-service group buying platform for publishers and merchants. Website http://www.groupcommerce.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $21,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes The funding will be used … Continue reading “Group Commerce Receives $21,000,000 Series C Funding Round”

Genentech, Roche Find New Balance Three Years Post-Merger

In late 2009, I wrote a feature story for BusinessWeek that was given the clever and rather blunt headline “Can Roche Leave Genentech Alone?” It was a pressing question at the time. Roche had just laid out $47 billion to acquire the 44 percent of Genentech that it didn’t already own. For years leading up … Continue reading “Genentech, Roche Find New Balance Three Years Post-Merger”

10gen Garners $42,000,000 Series E Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c0f5b85a-6dab-4794-b485-fa420f68d077&Preview=1 Date 5/29/2012 Company Name 10gen Mailing Address 134 5th Ave Third Floor New York, NY 10011 Company Description 10gen is a new platform-as-a-service technology designed to help developers quickly and easily build dynamic, scalable, mission critical web sites and applications. Website http://www.10gen.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $42,000,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “10gen Garners $42,000,000 Series E Funding”

Twitter’s Former CTO Talks About Joining CornellNYC Tech

Greg Pass is bringing more technology “street cred” to the team that is establishing the applied science and engineering campus on Roosevelt Island in New York. The former chief technology officer of Twitter on Wednesday was named the founding entrepreneurial officer for CornellNYC Tech, a $2 billion school to be built in the city. The … Continue reading “Twitter’s Former CTO Talks About Joining CornellNYC Tech”

Xconomist of the Week: Evan Snyder—Stem Cell Reality Check

San Diego Xconomist Evan Snyder has been called a “stem cell revolutionary” and is regarded as a father in the field of stem cell research. When we talked in his office at San Diego’s Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, he told me he isolated the first neural stem cell in the mid-1980s, as well as the … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Evan Snyder—Stem Cell Reality Check”

Can Pocket (née Read It Later) Become the TiVo of the Web?

On the iPhone, the first page of the home screen—the one you see when you wake up the device—has room for only 20 apps, counting those in the dock. The iPad home screen holds 26. For me, that means the home screen is prime real estate, reserved only for the apps I use most often. … Continue reading “Can Pocket (née Read It Later) Become the TiVo of the Web?”

Eos Energy Storage Secures $1,250,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=99940da3-ea34-4b91-a037-111dbc490db6&Preview=1 Date 5/25/2012 Company Name Eos Energy Storage Mailing Address 3 East 80th Street New York, NY 10075 Company Description Eos develops novel, low-cost energy storage solutions for the electric utility and transportation industries. Eos’ mission is to produce cost effective energy storage solutions that are not only less expensive than other … Continue reading “Eos Energy Storage Secures $1,250,000 New Financing Round”

Meddik Garners $750,000 Seed Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ae00d553-2f8c-4dcd-a2c2-802693fdf8d5&Preview=1 Date 5/25/2012 Company Name Meddik Mailing Address 483 Broadway 2nd Floor New York, NY 10013 Company Description Meddik is a better way to search for health information and find support. It is a place to ask questions and get answers from people who’ve been there share your wisdom and stories with … Continue reading “Meddik Garners $750,000 Seed Round”

Women’s Demo Night

NY Tech Meetup presents its first demo night specifically for women-owned businesses. The event, being held in conjunction with Change the Ratio and Microsoft, will feature demos by seven companies, followed by tips and coaching from industry experts. Companies can register to demo here. Attendees register here.

June 2012 NY Tech Meetup

Join hundreds of fellow technologists for an evening of live demos from companies developing every variety of technology innovation in New York. The event will be hosted by the group’s executive director, Nate Westheimer, entrepreneur and advisor to Flybridge Capital Partners. Register here.

How to Get Your First Million Users

Michael Geer, founder of CauseCart and NYC Bubble Proof, will lead this session on attracting users and speeding up the growth of a fledgling social site or app. The session will be held at New York’s General Assembly incubator. Learn more about the agenda and register here.

Analytic Software Wins Janssen Prize to Reduce Hospital Readmissions

A team developing analytic software that scores patients for the risk they pose to being readmitted within 30 days after being discharged from a hospital is the winner of the inaugural Janssen Connected Care Challenge. The prize is sponsored by Janssen, a unit of New Brunswick, NJ-based Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]) . Kim Park, … Continue reading “Analytic Software Wins Janssen Prize to Reduce Hospital Readmissions”

MakeDirect Turns $2M Series A Round from DFJ into a Fresh Start

Taking another crack at building a company, Duy Huynh thinks MakeDirect, his latest New York-based startup, can scale up quickly by breaking old traditions in manufacturing. The company’s e-commerce site lets consumers buy furniture direct from the factory, but moreover, Huynh is shaking up his own strategy to exploit opportunities for growth. MakeDirect’s site launched … Continue reading “MakeDirect Turns $2M Series A Round from DFJ into a Fresh Start”

Remedy Pharmaceuticals Receives $2,704,222 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6a946d55-fb0a-4b87-91da-c3b40a4844dc&Preview=1 Date 5/23/2012 Company Name Remedy Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 802 6th Avenue New York, NY 10001 Company Description Remedy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical stage company developing small molecule drugs targeting NCCa-ATP channels in acute central nervous system injury including traumatic brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury. Website http://www.remedypharmaceuticals.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Remedy Pharmaceuticals Receives $2,704,222 New Financing”

Undaunted by Wall Street “Penalty Box,” Keryx Focuses on Kidney Drug

On April 2, shares of New York-based Keryx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KERX]]) fell a stomach-churning 65 percent to $1.74 after the company announced that a late-stage trial of its colon cancer drug failed. But CEO Ron Bentsur was unfazed. In fact, he was so confident in the company’s other drug candidate—a treatment for kidney dialysis patients—that … Continue reading “Undaunted by Wall Street “Penalty Box,” Keryx Focuses on Kidney Drug”

Google Makes Room for Cornell Engineering Campus at its NY Offices

The $2 billion applied science and engineering college campus planned for New York is still years away from opening its doors, but Google stepped in today to give the project a head start. Google CEO Larry Page hit the city this morning to announce his company would let CornellNYC Tech occupy 22,000 square feet at … Continue reading “Google Makes Room for Cornell Engineering Campus at its NY Offices”

Who’s on Biotech’s Endangered Species List? Mid-Sized Drugmakers

[Updated: 9:20 pm PT] Only a few companies have ever been successful enough to call themselves Big Biotechs. If boards and shareholders lack vision and guts, we’ll look back in a few years and wonder why the Big Biotechs went extinct. The group of Big Biotechs includes companies like Amgen, Gilead Sciences, Biogen Idec, and … Continue reading “Who’s on Biotech’s Endangered Species List? Mid-Sized Drugmakers”

Can Facebook’s New Millionaires Save the World?

From everyone to whom much is given, much shall be required. Regular readers know that I’m not in the habit of quoting scripture. But this line found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke has a bit of new relevance this morning, as Facebook’s initial public offering—valuing the company at $106 billion at the … Continue reading “Can Facebook’s New Millionaires Save the World?”

Xconomist of the Week: Tom Maniatis on Prize4Life and ALS Research

A few years back, molecular geneticist Tom Maniatis was approached by a Harvard Business School student with a heart-wrenching story. The student, Avichai Kremer, then 29, had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Kremer had an unusual idea: He wanted to advance ALS research by offering million-dollar prizes … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Tom Maniatis on Prize4Life and ALS Research”

Investors Talk Disruption in Digital Music at Internet Week New York

At a time when companies such as Pandora and Songza are trying to change the way listeners discover music, some hurdles continue to stand in the way of the industry’s evolution. In a relatively short timespan, music has graduated from digital downloads to live streams curated for listeners’ individual tastes. The pace of change may … Continue reading “Investors Talk Disruption in Digital Music at Internet Week New York”

Callision Lands $100,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5a6f5b0d-05a8-4339-a409-82e407aeeec7&Preview=1 Date 5/17/2012 Company Name Callision Mailing Address 11 Broadway New York, NY 10004 Company Description Callision was founded with a sole purpose of making business communications easier. The technological revolution that is currently happening is shifting the way people people perceive hi-tech. The world is moving away from the expensive and … Continue reading “Callision Lands $100,000 New Round”

Targeted Cancer Drugs With Punch: The Next Big Class of Antibodies

[Updated: 11 am PT, 6/5/12] One of the big dreams in biotech over the past 35 years has been to make drugs that work like “smart bombs” by destroying tumors while minimizing collateral damage. Scientists have learned this is no easy thing, but now that a couple of these types of drugs have been shown … Continue reading “Targeted Cancer Drugs With Punch: The Next Big Class of Antibodies”

Ensequence Looks to Keep Consumers Glued to TV Shows and Ads

With each new generation of television, broadcasters and marketers look for fresh ways to keep the audience invested in what they are watching. These days it is not unheard of for TV viewers to see discreet messages appear in the margins of their screens during broadcasts. If they click on these messages, marketing material or … Continue reading “Ensequence Looks to Keep Consumers Glued to TV Shows and Ads”

AxialMarket Garners $6,250,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e5d3188b-fd7f-4eb9-ba92-bc173420140c&Preview=1 Date 5/16/2012 Company Name AxialMarket Mailing Address 45 East 20th Street 12th Floor New York, NY 10003 Company Description AxialMarket provides technology-enabled tools and analytics to help intelligently connect qualified buyers and sellers of privately held companies. Website http://www.axialmarket.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,250,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “AxialMarket Garners $6,250,000 New Round”

Lenddo Grabs $8M, Expands Microloan Model to Asia and Latin America

New York-based Lenddo, which uses social media to help middle-class folks in emerging countries secure loans, announced today that it has raised $8 million in a Series A funding round. Investors include Accel Partners, Blumberg Capital, Omidyar Network, iNovia Capital, and Metamorphic Ventures. The one-year-old firm also counts among its supporters angel investors Geoff Judge, David … Continue reading “Lenddo Grabs $8M, Expands Microloan Model to Asia and Latin America”

Five Questions for E&Y’s David DeMarco on the Future of Health IT

In March, global consulting firm Ernst & Young released an annual report for its life sciences clients called “The Third Place: Healthcare Everywhere.” It discusses a range of topics, from apps designed to improve patient adherence to medical treatments, to games that encourage healthy habits. Today Ernst & Young is holding a summit in Princeton, … Continue reading “Five Questions for E&Y’s David DeMarco on the Future of Health IT”

EyeTrackShop Secures $3,000,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=94c774c0-c4bc-4468-9280-68495a3dcbde&Preview=1 Date 5/15/2012 Company Name EyeTrackShop Mailing Address 330 Madison Avenue 6th Floor New York, NY 10017 Company Description EyeTrackShop is the World’s First Online Eye Tracking Solution for Large Scale Online Panels. Our concept has become very popular with our many clients and we are now rapidly scaling up our capacity … Continue reading “EyeTrackShop Secures $3,000,000 Series A Financing”

Behance Secures $6,500,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=407f8c54-f493-4f00-b064-f2bc24c7fe00&Preview=1 Date 5/15/2012 Company Name Behance Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10002 Company Description The leading online platform to showcase & discover creative work. Creative professionals update their work in one place to broadcast it widely and efficiently. Companies explore the work and acess talent on a global scale. Website http://www.behance.net … Continue reading “Behance Secures $6,500,000 New Funding”

Xconomy Editor Luke Timmerman a Finalist for Loeb Award

Anyone in business journalism knows full well the power of the Gerald Loeb Awards for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism. Loeb was a founding partner of E.F. Hutton and a noted author and columnist, and the awards he created in 1957 to promote and recognize great writing and reporting for individual investors have become something … Continue reading “Xconomy Editor Luke Timmerman a Finalist for Loeb Award”

Looking to the Future of A New Kind of Science

[This is the third in a series of posts about A New Kind of Science. Previous posts have covered the original reaction to the book and what’s happened since it was published. This post first appeared on Wolfram’s blog—Eds.] Today ten years have passed since A New Kind of Science (”the NKS book”) was published. But in many … Continue reading “Looking to the Future of A New Kind of Science”

ASCO Preview: Eight Cancer Drugs to Watch at the Big Show

The pistons of the biggest publicity engine in cancer R&D will start firing this week. It’s time to behold the annual rite of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, the biggest event for showing off what’s new and interesting in the treatment of cancer. This conference, officially held June 1-5 at McCormick Place … Continue reading “ASCO Preview: Eight Cancer Drugs to Watch at the Big Show”