Crowdfunding: The Train to the Future Is Leaving—Get on Board

It has been a whirlwind last few days in the crowd-funding world. For those of you who have not yet tuned in to this, there is legislation afoot, backed by the President and (so far) the House, that would enable, in effect, mini- IPOs as a way to fund startups. Forget everything you know about … Continue reading “Crowdfunding: The Train to the Future Is Leaving—Get on Board”

The Lytro Camera Is Revolutionary, But It’s No iPhone

The inventors and investors behind the Lytro, the hot new “light field” camera that creates refocusable digital photos, are trying to have it both ways. They’re arguing that their new camera, which sells for $399-$499, will revolutionize consumer photography in the near term by freeing people from shutter delays and the need to focus their … Continue reading “The Lytro Camera Is Revolutionary, But It’s No iPhone”

Sprinklr Secures $5,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1d3f3a80-b28f-41c8-8441-8b8d11109aba&Preview=1 Date 3/9/2012 Company Name Sprinklr Mailing Address 115 W. 30th Street New York, NY 10001 Company Description Sprinklr was founded on the core idea that it is not only possible for large enterprises to successfully adapt to the realities of a world dominated by mobile, social, and network-empowered customers, but to … Continue reading “Sprinklr Secures $5,000,000 New Financing Round”

Angels Favored Healthcare & Internet, With Bigger Rounds in 2011

Each time new private investing data comes out, it seems like it’s another chance for California to show its dominance. That’s the case with the Halo Report, but this particular report also reveals some interesting trends in angel investing. Put together by the Angel Resource Institute, Silicon Valley Bank, and the data services firm CB Insights, … Continue reading “Angels Favored Healthcare & Internet, With Bigger Rounds in 2011”

J&J Prostate Cancer Drug Hits Goal; Hurts Dendreon, Helps Medivation

[Updated: 11:20 am PT] Johnson & Johnson just delivered some encouraging news for prostate cancer patients that could end up being a boon for one of its competitors (San Francisco-based Medivation), and a drag for another (Seattle-based Dendreon). J&J, the New Brunswick, NJ-based healthcare giant (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]), said today that it stopped a clinical trial of … Continue reading “J&J Prostate Cancer Drug Hits Goal; Hurts Dendreon, Helps Medivation”

An Opportunity for Congress to Vote for Job Creation

Congressional leaders of both parties have a short-term opportunity to come together in rare bipartisan fashion and get on the right side of American economic growth and job creation. With the House expected to pass a bill this week that would temporarily ease regulatory requirements related to young, high growth companies filing for an initial … Continue reading “An Opportunity for Congress to Vote for Job Creation”

Sramana Mitra Combats Infant Entrepreneur Mortality

Investor Stewart Alsop has called San Francisco Xconomist Sramana Mitra “a symbol of everything that is great about America: a geek, an entrepreneur, an immigrant, a leader.” He could have added “prolific writer”: Mitra is the author of a blog and five books, as well as three years’ worth of Forbes columns. Throughout these writings, … Continue reading “Sramana Mitra Combats Infant Entrepreneur Mortality”

Accedo Broadband Plots NY Expansion to Capture Clients and Talent

Stockholm-based Accedo Broadband plans to set up New York offices in a strategic maneuver to get up close and personal with the consumer electronics giants it works with such as Samsung, Panasonic, and LG Electronics. Accedo, which develops apps and platforms that deliver content to televisions connected to the Web, plans to hire as many … Continue reading “Accedo Broadband Plots NY Expansion to Capture Clients and Talent”

Barry Diller-Backed Aereo Faces Legal Fight with TV Broadcasters

Outraged by Long Island City-based Aereo’s attempts to exploit a supposed loophole regarding the transmission of television shows, broadcasters have sued the startup to keep its service from launching on March 14. Experts say the broadcasters may have a legitimate case. If so, the litigation could jeopardize Aereo’s plan to offer its subscribers live streaming … Continue reading “Barry Diller-Backed Aereo Faces Legal Fight with TV Broadcasters”

The Thinking Behind Domain’s $760M Life Sciences Deal in Russia

The partnership that the life sciences venture firm Domain Associates and the Russian state technology firm Rusnano disclosed yesterday began almost two years ago, at a time when the U.S. financial crisis was especially bleak. Domain partner Brian Dovey says he initially conceived of the alliance as a way to tap a new and substantial … Continue reading “The Thinking Behind Domain’s $760M Life Sciences Deal in Russia”

Startup Roundtable Series 9 With Esther Dyson

New York Entrepreneurs Business Network presents an evening with Esther Dyson, CEO of EDventure Holdings and an active investor in a variety of start-ups around the world. NYEBN founder Andrew Wong will interview Dyson, and there will be plenty of time for networking and drinks. Register here.

Molecular Health Sets up in NYC With Personalized Med Tools

When executives at medical software developer MolecularHealth were working on a new product for oncologists, they consulted with a cancer center that was grappling with an emerging trend: About 100 patients a year were paying for their own genomes to be sequenced. Jeffrey Marrazzo, chief business officer of MolecularHealth, a Swiss-founded company that recently set … Continue reading “Molecular Health Sets up in NYC With Personalized Med Tools”

Q&A: KeyView’s Holistic Stance on Fostering Health IT Startups

One week after unveiling itself as a new player in the health-investing landscape, New York-based KeyView Partners is releasing today a guide for entrepreneurs who want to succeed in the booming health IT startup space. The report—which is called iHealth Ecosystem and has an accompanying website—identifies six major trends driving change in the health care … Continue reading “Q&A: KeyView’s Holistic Stance on Fostering Health IT Startups”

San Diego’s Aragon Raises $42 Million, Targets Hormone-Driven Cancers

Aragon Pharmaceuticals, a San Diego startup targeting hormone-driven cancers, has raised $42 million in a Series C financing led by a new investor, the Topspin Fund, a Long Island, NY-based firm affiliated with the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies. Aragon CEO Richard Heyman tells me the life sciences startup was founded in 2009 to advance work … Continue reading “San Diego’s Aragon Raises $42 Million, Targets Hormone-Driven Cancers”

Remedy Pharmaceuticals Garners $292,506 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7e5a7186-ffd1-453c-8ad9-dbf13bc344ce&Preview=1 Date 3/6/2012 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 Garners $292,506 New Funding”

Verdant Power Lands $530,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5f3184cd-9c0f-41d5-abc3-e604f8058472&Preview=1 Date 3/6/2012 Company Name Verdant Power Mailing Address 888 Main Street New York, NY 10044 Company Description A renewable energy company, Verdant Power seeks to generate mechanical and electrical power in a cost-effective manner, causing minimal or no ecological impact, and with consideration for social equity. Website http://www.verdantpower.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Verdant Power Lands $530,000 New Financing Round”

Article One Partners Lands $7,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9edb3eaa-ef08-48a6-851f-f0705a15d174&Preview=1 Date 3/6/2012 Company Name Article One Partners Mailing Address 488 Madison Ave 19th Floor New York, NY 10022 Company Description Article One isn’t a technology for your teenage sibling or grandmother. It won’t help you access Twitter or aggregate your online profiles. What it will do is enable virtually every one … Continue reading “Article One Partners Lands $7,000,000 New Funding”

Songza’s Music Strategy Poised to Disrupt Pandora, Spotify, iTunes

The team at Songza in Long Island City is chasing a trend in the music world: They’re moving away from downloads and towards streaming content. And the Songza folks are hoping their platform, which curates song lists for users, can stifle the likes of larger Internet music player Pandora. To leverage its curation strategy, company unveiled … Continue reading “Songza’s Music Strategy Poised to Disrupt Pandora, Spotify, iTunes”

From MIT’s Media Lab to Time Warner’s: Innerscope’s Biometric Tech

It doesn’t take a neuroscientist to know that the past two New England Patriots vs. New York Giants Super Bowl games have been emotionally charged for fans. But it might take one to measure the more under-the-surface emotional responses to advertising throughout the games. That’s where Boston-based Innerscope Research comes in. Founded in 2006, Innerscope … Continue reading “From MIT’s Media Lab to Time Warner’s: Innerscope’s Biometric Tech”

Five Reasons Illumina Should Fight Roche’s Insulting Low-Ball Bid

Illumina is like the Apple of the genomics business. Tools made by the San Diego company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) are revered by genomics researchers around the world just like millions of consumers love their iPhones and iPads. And Illumina holds its dominant position at an enviable moment in history, as we’re heading into a scientific golden … Continue reading “Five Reasons Illumina Should Fight Roche’s Insulting Low-Ball Bid”

Cloud Sherpas Acquires GlobalOne for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=364a706c-4953-4df5-9bc7-00b9a76ddcb3&Preview=1 Date 3/5/2012 Company Name GlobalOne Mailing Address 2 Wall Street 5th Floor New York, NY 10005 Company Description GlobalOne is a cloud solution provider providing strategy, implementation, and support services with focus on client management (CRM), cloud computing (development and strategy), and social business. The GlobalOne team brings together individual professionals … Continue reading “Cloud Sherpas Acquires GlobalOne for Undisclosed Sum”

Investor Feedback Forum and Pitch Showdown

Ultra Light Startups presents this evening of startup pitches, feedback from experts, and networking. Nine companies will present, including Take the Interview, Dealsurf, and Favorly. Panelists include Murat Aktihanoglu of ER Accelerator, Phineas Barnes of First Round Capital, Dennis Mortensen of Visual Revenue, and Bill Reinisch of Paladin Capital Group. Register here.

How Zite’s News App Altered the Zeitgeist in Personalized Publishing

It’s just past noon on March 30, 2011. The entire executive team from Zite is at the Sharon Heights Starbucks in Menlo Park—the usual hangout for entrepreneurs making the venture circuit. They’re killing time between VC meetings on Sand Hill Road, and they’re a little nervous. But it’s not because of the meetings, or the … Continue reading “How Zite’s News App Altered the Zeitgeist in Personalized Publishing”

Ad Tech Boom Continues With $1M Funding of Precision Health

Ever since Xconomy New York launched almost a year ago, we’ve been tracking the incredible rise of advertising technology startups in the city. Now we can add another up-and-comer to the list: New York-based Precision Health Media, which announced Wednesday that it has raised $1 million in a Series B, bringing its total venture haul to … Continue reading “Ad Tech Boom Continues With $1M Funding of Precision Health”

Precision Health Media Lands $1,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=46c1187b-b1ce-4b4c-aece-c80aa84d55f7&Preview=1 Date 3/2/2012 Company Name Precision Health Media Mailing Address 275 Madison Ave New York, NY 10016 Company Description Precision Health Media (PHM) reaches the largest diagnosed online audience backed by the technology to maximize its effectiveness. PHM’s ConditionMatchTM technology identifies the most effective contextual pages on top health sites for your … Continue reading “Precision Health Media Lands $1,000,000 New Funding”

Celmatix Lands $1,499,997 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c3ce592d-b8f5-49de-b521-d611e4c590c2&Preview=1 Date 3/2/2012 Company Name Celmatix Mailing Address 12 Desbrosses Street New York, NY 10013 Company Description Celmatix, Inc. is a New York City-based biotechnology company targeting the reproductive medicine sector with products designed to improve reproductive technologies and outcomes. Our lead product under development is FertilArrayTM, an in vitro genetic diagnostic … Continue reading “Celmatix Lands $1,499,997 New Financing”

Xconomist of the Week: Roger Perlmutter’s Parting Thoughts on Amgen

[Updated: 1:50 pm PT] Roger Perlmutter had a long run by biotech standards, a full 11 years, to put his stamp on R&D at Amgen. Some of the work he oversaw was unequivocally good (denosumab for osteoporosis and cancer), some bad (the EPO debacle), and some of the record is still a work in progress (44 … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Roger Perlmutter’s Parting Thoughts on Amgen”

The Harvard Fashion Tech Crew, Round Two

Call it an embarrassment of riches. On Valentine’s Day (no coincidence) I published a roundup of 16 fashion tech startups with founders from Harvard Business School, and asked any entrepreneurs I may have missed to please come forward. What resulted was enough new submissions to merit another story. So here we are. This new set … Continue reading “The Harvard Fashion Tech Crew, Round Two”

Mediamorph Secures $8,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5a30941b-7d37-484f-9060-d9966bc9ec2e&Preview=1 Date 3/1/2012 Company Name Mediamorph Mailing Address 1220 Broadway New York, NY 10001 Company Description Mediamorph is a leader in the cloud computing software sector, providing business support to the media industry. Our goal is to help you better understand your business and the digital environment within which you operate. Mediamorph’s … Continue reading “Mediamorph Secures $8,000,000 New Financing Round”

Matt Harris to Pursue Growth Investments at Bain Capital Ventures

Village Ventures co-founder Matt Harris is busy preparing to become a managing director at the New York offices of Bain Capital Ventures, where he plans to explore investments in early and growth-stage companies in the financial-services sector. It is a bit of a homecoming for Harris, who started his investing career at Boston-based Bain in … Continue reading “Matt Harris to Pursue Growth Investments at Bain Capital Ventures”

KellBenx Obtains $1,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=979927bb-d57c-405c-88f2-af2027a9ade6&Preview=1 Date 2/29/2012 Company Name KellBenx Mailing Address 3500 Sunrise Highway Building 200 Great River, NY 11739 Company Description KellBenx, Inc. is a privately-held biotechnology company based in New York City. KellBenx is developing high value, innovative tests that leverage the ability to extract clinically relevant information from blood. Our focus is … Continue reading “KellBenx Obtains $1,000,000 New Financing”

Hello Health Secures $10,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=acd380f5-d3de-4a2e-bd71-b7937c0bcc7d&Preview=1 Date 2/29/2012 Company Name Hello Health Mailing Address 10 Morton Street New York, NY 10014 Company Description Hello Health provides the Patient Management platform and the professional services that allow practitioners to build stronger patients relationships, automate their processes, increase revenue and take control of their practices. Website http://www.hellohealth.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Hello Health Secures $10,000,000 New Financing”

Krossover Receives $3,500,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=517e983e-75a8-42fa-9be2-09c0269260f0&Preview=1 Date 2/29/2012 Company Name Krossover Mailing Address 100 Riverside Blvd Unit 5J New York, NY 10069 Company Description Krossover Intelligence is a New York City based technology company with a focus on the online video search industry. The company’s first vertical of choice is the sports world, with the aim of … Continue reading “Krossover Receives $3,500,000 New Funding Round”

KeyView Launches With Plan to Fund Health Startups

A new growth-equity firm, KeyView Partners—headed up by veterans of Ernst & Young, Deloitte & Touche, and Johnson & Johnson—is set to open its doors next month in New York, with a plan to fund medical-technology startups. According to its website, the company’s goal is to “bring together capital, operational expertise, and strategic planning.” KeyView’s … Continue reading “KeyView Launches With Plan to Fund Health Startups”

How Big Data Is Changing Everything

There’s a radical transformation happening in information technology today, one that promises to be every bit as significant—and every bit as disruptive to existing business models—as were Web applications in the 1990s and virtualization in the first decade of the 21st century. It’s a foundational change in the way enterprises, their employees, and their customers … Continue reading “How Big Data Is Changing Everything”

Poppin Pulls in $6M for Office-Products Site

In the latest sign that e-commerce is alive and well in NYC, office-products e-tailer Poppin announced that it has raised $6 million in a Series A funding round. The funding was led by Shasta Ventures, with participation from First Round Capital and a group of angel investors. Poppin, which is still in beta mode, seeks … Continue reading “Poppin Pulls in $6M for Office-Products Site”

Poppin Receives $6,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4b80acd5-b864-4043-9ebe-23c0f7b0f5f9&Preview=1 Date 2/28/2012 Company Name Poppin Mailing Address 44 W 18th Street New York, NY 10011 Company Description Poppin’s goal is to make “buying, using, looking at, and thinking about office products an extraordinary experience.” That seems ridiculous, but the site is actually quite nice. Browse products by color, category, or bundle, … Continue reading “Poppin Receives $6,000,000 Series A Funding”

Vaultive Garners $10,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=472b518d-0d35-4a6d-bafb-a3a0cdcf3901&Preview=1 Date 2/28/2012 Company Name Vaultive Mailing Address 100 Broadway 6th Floor New York, NY 10005 Company Description Vaultive provides cloud data encryption solutions that empower organizations to realize the cost savings, enhanced productivity and operational efficiencies of cloud computing while maintaining the data security, control and compliance advantages of on-premise computing. … Continue reading “Vaultive Garners $10,000,000 New Financing Round”

Killing Your Startup By Listening to Customers

The art of entrepreneurship and the science of Customer Development is not just getting out of the building and listening to prospective customers. It’s understanding who to listen to and why. Five Cups of Coffee I got a call from Satish, one of my ex-students, last week. He got my attention when he said, “Following … Continue reading “Killing Your Startup By Listening to Customers”

Vaultive Raises $10M, Emerges from Stealth in Cloud Data Security

New York-based Vaultive, a provider of encryption technology for Internet data, announced today it raised $10 million in a Series A round led by .406 Ventures, Harmony Partners, and New Science Ventures. Vaultive’s technology is designed to help big companies comply with increasingly stringent regulations on information security. The company, founded in late 2008, previously … Continue reading “Vaultive Raises $10M, Emerges from Stealth in Cloud Data Security”

Greening From the Ground Up

This day-long conference will bring together community organizations from across New York City and beyond to share lessons learned in urban neighborhoods implementing healthier and more environmentally sustainable practices. Workshop topics include “growing urban agriculture,” “engaging young people in environmental justice and public health,” and “green by design: arts, culture & sustainability.” Register here.

Bruce Booth, a LifeSciVC Shining Some Much-Needed Light on Biotech

Techies who want to learn about high-tech venture capital learn quickly they must read blogs by guys like Fred Wilson and Brad Feld. They are insiders who speak with clear, consistent, and insightful voices about an otherwise opaque little corner of the investing world. Nobody has ever performed this kind of service for biotech venture … Continue reading “Bruce Booth, a LifeSciVC Shining Some Much-Needed Light on Biotech”

What If Your Next TV Is a Tablet?

It is a dark time for the TV rebellion. Although legions of cord-cutters have abandoned their cable subscriptions, Hollywood troops have driven the early TV-technology startups from their hidden Silicon Valley bases and pursued them across the Internet. Evading the dreaded cable and satellite companies, a group of freedom fighters led by Boxee, Netflix, and … Continue reading “What If Your Next TV Is a Tablet?”

Silicon Alley Battlefield Series 14

Join NY Entrepreneurs Business Network (NYEBN) for an evening of pitches and networking. Panelists include Matt Harris of Village Ventures, Marc H. Michel of Metamorphic Ventures. Steve Schlafman of Lerer Ventures, and William Peng of Raptor Ventures. Register here.

Blog World & New Media Expo

This conference, held in conjunction with Book Expo America, will feature three days of networking, discussions, and a trade show for bloggers and new media professionals. Speakers include Peter Shankman of Vocus, Andraz Tori of Zemanta, and Jelena Woehr of Yahoo! All attendees get free access to BEA, too. Register here.

Fanattac Receives $1,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8fbde7c5-080d-4828-97d7-2c40c1b8cf5a&Preview=1 Date 2/24/2012 Company Name Fanattac Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10022 Company Description Fanattac gives music fans a home to enjoy music and content. It is a place to discover and connect with like-minded fans in an engaging social environment. Fanattac empowers fans to champion the music they love, as … Continue reading “Fanattac Receives $1,000,000 New Round”

Quartzy Secures $1,200,000 Seed Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fc42cd51-55be-48f3-9af6-4a1ec2c13bf6&Preview=1 Date 2/24/2012 Company Name Quartzy Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10001 Company Description Quartzy was created to help scientists bring order to their labs. The founders met while conducting research at Columbia University. As they worked on their research, they became frustrated by disorganization, poor communication, and endless administrative tasks—issues … Continue reading “Quartzy Secures $1,200,000 Seed Financing Round”

Xconomist of the Week: Rich Sheridan and the Business Value of Joy

[Corrected 2/24/12, 10:00 am. See below.] The first thing you notice upon walking into Menlo Innovations, a small open-plan office in Ann Arbor, MI, is how hard everyone is working. There is a hive-like focus and intensity, so much so that the 40-member staff seems oblivious to the presence of a stranger with a notebook and … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Rich Sheridan and the Business Value of Joy”