Kevin Sharer will not go down in history as one of biotech’s most successful, or beloved, CEOs. But how well did Sharer really perform during his decade running the industry’s biggest company? For those who missed it, Thousand Oaks, CA-based Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) said last week that Sharer, 63, will be retiring as CEO in … Continue reading “Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer’s Report Card: C”
Category: New York
What Can Attending a Football Game Teach Technology Companies?
Let me state this right off the top: I’m a huge New England Patriots fan. Even though I’m now based on the West Coast, I make it a point to watch every Patriots game and I attend several games each season, making the cross-country trek to cheer on my team. It was on one of … Continue reading “What Can Attending a Football Game Teach Technology Companies?”
BestVendor Secures $3,000,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=51f4c839-da62-4d09-a7a0-a82b7f65f198&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name BestVendor Mailing Address 160 Varick St. 12th Floor New York, NY 10013 Company Description BestVendor helps people at startups and small businesses make faster, smarter purchasing decisions through social recommendations. Our vision is to become the first place you go whenever you need to figure out what … Continue reading “BestVendor Secures $3,000,000 Series A Financing”
Lot18 Uncorks European Wine Market with Vinobest Acquisition
Members of online wine and gourmet food club Lot18 can expect to see more offerings of European vintages in the future, thanks to the New York-based company’s expansion into France and Britain. Backed by proceeds from a $30 million Series C round in November led by Accel Partners, Lot18 on Dec. 9 purchased wine e-commerce … Continue reading “Lot18 Uncorks European Wine Market with Vinobest Acquisition”
How To Build a “Lifestyle Business” with 30M Visitors Per Month
In Silicon Valley, there is no more pejorative term than “lifestyle business.” It’s usually applied to companies that do well enough to earn their founders and employees a living—sometimes a very good living—but that will never make anyone mega-rich. Venture capital partners, who have to weed out all but the fastest-growing companies if they’re to … Continue reading “How To Build a “Lifestyle Business” with 30M Visitors Per Month”
BinOptics Lands $13,300,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3de3545f-a182-4d05-9db9-1f8d1257b040&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2011 Company Name BinOptics Mailing Address 9 Brown Road Ithaca, NY 14850 Company Description BinOptics Corporation designs, develops, and manufactures monolithically integrated optoelectronic components based on indium phosphide and other semiconductor materials. Website http://www.binoptics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $13,300,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The Ithaca-based manufacturer of … Continue reading “BinOptics Lands $13,300,000 New Round”
MediaBrix Lands $4,000,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2b0c95be-660f-4555-89e1-b2451ddd6d67&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2011 Company Name MediaBrix Mailing Address 36 West 25th Street 7th Floor New York, NY 10010 Company Description MediaBrix offers a broad platform of social content and tools, providing brands access to an audience of over 500 million users both on PC and Mobile devices. Website http://www.mediabrix.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “MediaBrix Lands $4,000,000 Series B Financing”
Xconomy’s NY Venture Forum to Feature Insights From Gilt
Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, co-founder and chief merchandising officer of Gilt Groupe, knows a thing or two about attracting venture capital. Gilt—which holds limited time, online “flash” sales of clothing, accessories, and travel offerings—was founded in 2007 and raised $80 million in several rounds of financing. Then, in May of this year, Gilt raised an incredible … Continue reading “Xconomy’s NY Venture Forum to Feature Insights From Gilt”
Xconomist of the Week: Stefan Savage on Computer Security
The evolution of computer security is not merely some dark mirror, passively reflecting advances in technology. While technology provides new opportunities for threats, these become true dangers only when there is a motivation to exploit them and a means to do so. Stefan Savage, writing in The New York Times, Dec. 5, 2011. By his … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Stefan Savage on Computer Security”
LocalResponse Expands to Chicago, Plans to Double Staff in 2012
With eyes pointed westward, New York-based LocalResponse announced today it opened a new office in Chicago and is considering plans for an office in California. LocalResponse, backed by Cava Capital and others, puts a business-to-business spin on the “check-in” market. The startup created a platform that lets brands and other marketers respond with relevant ads … Continue reading “LocalResponse Expands to Chicago, Plans to Double Staff in 2012”
IBM Eats Up Emptoris, 20th Acquisition in MA Since 2003
News flash: Another Massachusetts software company is joining Big Blue. Armonk, NY-based IBM (NYSE: [[ticker:IBM]]) said today it is acquiring Emptoris, a Burlington, MA-based maker of supply and contract management software. Terms of the deal weren’t given, but it is expected to close in the first quarter of next year. This will be the 20th … Continue reading “IBM Eats Up Emptoris, 20th Acquisition in MA Since 2003”
Outbrain Raises $35M in Series D Round Led by Index Ventures
New York-based startup Outbrain said in a press release issued Wednesday that it raised $35 million in a Series D funding round led by Index Ventures with participation from existing investors Carmel Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Founded in 2006, Outbrain created a recommendation engine that suggests stories and other material to readers who visit … Continue reading “Outbrain Raises $35M in Series D Round Led by Index Ventures”
Merck Chemists Use High-Tech Science to Combat Alzheimer’s Disease Challenge
At an R&D and business briefing meeting that Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) held for Wall Street analysts at its Whitehouse Station, NJ, headquarters in November, the drug giant generated quite a bit of buzz for a drug that’s still several years away from market. That’s because the drug, called MK-8931, may offer a completely new way … Continue reading “Merck Chemists Use High-Tech Science to Combat Alzheimer’s Disease Challenge”
Eos Energy Storage Lands $1,655,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5bfd26b1-69b9-4ab9-b0ef-50cf353d606a&Preview=1 Date 12/14/2011 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 Lands $1,655,000 New Funding Round”
Outbrain Receives $35,000,000 Series D Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9c28f4af-999c-404b-9844-de789e1f4ac7&Preview=1 Date 12/14/2011 Company Name Outbrain Mailing Address 116 East 16th Street 12th floor New York, NY 10003 Company Description We want to combine the collective intelligence of like-minded RSS/blog readers and save each outbrainer time by floating the best posts and flagging the worst. No need for you to read something … Continue reading “Outbrain Receives $35,000,000 Series D Round”
BrightFarms Lands $4,300,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=42e52eb5-f28c-42dc-962e-7efd53b298c9&Preview=1 Date 12/14/2011 Company Name BrightFarms Mailing Address 211 East 48th Street New York, NY 10017 Company Description BrightFarms designs, finances, builds and operates hydroponic greenhouse farms at supermarkets, eliminating time, distance and cost from the food supply chain. There is no cost to the supermarket retailer, only an obligation to purchase … Continue reading “BrightFarms Lands $4,300,000 Series A Round”
A New Age in Patent Liquidity: New Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
When Google bought Motorola Mobility for $12 billion, citing the value of its smartphone patents, it was clear that a new age of intellectual property is well underway. This evening panel discussion, sponsored by MIT Enterprise Forum, will address the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of patent transactions. Speakers include Kevin Barhydt, head of acquisitions for … Continue reading “A New Age in Patent Liquidity: New Opportunities for Entrepreneurs”
The Startup Team
Individuals play the game, but teams beat the odds. —SEAL team saying Over the last 40 years technology investors have learned that the success of a startup is not just about the technology, “it’s about the team.” We spent a year screwing it up in our Lean LaunchPad classes until we figured out it was … Continue reading “The Startup Team”
Zipmark Grabs $2M to Develop Mobile Payment System
New York-based startup Zipmark has raised $2 million in seed funding, according to a press release. Village Ventures and Contour Venture Partners led the funding round, which also included NYC Seed, High Peaks Venture Partners, and several angel investors. One of the other investors in this round was the New York City Investment Fund, which … Continue reading “Zipmark Grabs $2M to Develop Mobile Payment System”
Jason Baptiste of OnSwipe Talks Tablets, TV, & Taking On Google
Beware of CEOs who dress like their company logo. Beware of Jason Baptiste. Just kidding. Baptiste is one of the most intensely likable startup founders around (emphasis on intense). His company, New York-based OnSwipe, is trying to take the tablet publishing world by storm. And not just with its aggressively stylish magenta-and-black color scheme. OnSwipe … Continue reading “Jason Baptiste of OnSwipe Talks Tablets, TV, & Taking On Google”
Style for Hire Secures $1,075,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c3dba52b-3d7e-4790-91fa-d648811e0713&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name Style for Hire Mailing Address 560 3rd St. Brooklyn, NY 11215 Company Description Style for Hire is a national network of top-tier, trained and certified personal stylists, co-founded by fashion executive Cindy McLaughlin and celebrity stylist Stacy London, who serves as the Company’s spokesperson and Stylist-in-Chief. Website … Continue reading “Style for Hire Secures $1,075,000 New Financing Round”
Silicon Alley Startup Battlefield Series 12
New York Entrepreneurs Business Network presents an evening of rapid-fire pitches, startup presentations, and product demos. The evening includes pizza and networking. Register here.
The Adventure Never Stops: Serial Entrepreneurship
Join Alex Mashinsky, founder of early-stage VC fund Governing Dynamics, for an evening discussion of what it takes to be a serial entrepreneur. What did you learn from your successes? What about your mistakes? Is it a good idea to be putting your money at risk? Learn the answers to those questions and more. Register … Continue reading “The Adventure Never Stops: Serial Entrepreneurship”
TV Stylist Stacy London’s Style for Hire Raises $1M in Series A Round
Three-year-old Style for Hire in Brooklyn raised more than $1 million in a Series A round led by Golden Seeds in New York according to a press release issued Monday. Co-founded by Stacy London, co-host of television show What Not to Wear on TLC, Style for Hire is a network of trained and certified personal … Continue reading “TV Stylist Stacy London’s Style for Hire Raises $1M in Series A Round”
Energy Subsidies: A Historical Perspective
As we turn the page on the year 2011, there is no shortage of topics about which the entire world seems to be debating. One that interests me the most is the renewed debate on the role of government in the energy sector, specifically in the United States. Budget shortages, deficit increases, front-page analysis of … Continue reading “Energy Subsidies: A Historical Perspective”
Angel-Funded GoldRun Helps Nike Augment Its Reality
Shoppers with iPhones will be able to discover Nike products in a virtual way at Finish Line stores today, thanks to technology from GoldRun in New York. GoldRun raised $1.2 million in a seed round in April with a plan to conquer an emerging field: augmented reality, which is technology that adds images, sounds, or … Continue reading “Angel-Funded GoldRun Helps Nike Augment Its Reality”
The Hepatitis C Market: Biotech’s Version of the Daytona 500
Biotech rivalries are sometimes a bit like boxing matches, where you have two lone fighters vying for the prize. But the hepatitis C market is turning into a battle royal that’s more wide open and unpredictable, with all the competitive maneuvering, surprise crashes, and comebacks you might expect from the Daytona 500. The medical advances … Continue reading “The Hepatitis C Market: Biotech’s Version of the Daytona 500”
Jun Group Lands $2,500,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9f065118-7602-411b-af7b-c7aee27af017&Preview=1 Date 12/12/2011 Company Name Jun Group Mailing Address 554 5th Avenue 6th Floor New York, NY 10036 Company Description Jun Group has been a leader in social video since 2005. We’re privately held, with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Our clients are Fortune 500 brands, major entertainment companies, and … Continue reading “Jun Group Lands $2,500,000 New Funding Round”
NanoBio, Merck to Collaborate on Gates-Funded RSV Vaccine
The acronym RSV is one that often inspires dread in the hearts of parents—it stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and it hospitalizes 75,000 to 125,000 children under the age of one each year, infecting almost all children by the age of two. RSV can also have a life-threatening impact on the elderly. There is a … Continue reading “NanoBio, Merck to Collaborate on Gates-Funded RSV Vaccine”
Greenstart Accelerator Hatches Four Energy Startups
Will the startup accelerator model that’s proved so popular and successful in the Web and mobile sectors also help to boost entrepreneurship in other industries, such as healthcare and cleantech? In a tottering economy that needs all the job-creating companies it can get, that’s a crucial question. And here in the Bay Area, it’s been … Continue reading “Greenstart Accelerator Hatches Four Energy Startups”
Lessons on Bouncing Back From Disaster
Disaster is defined by Merriam-Webster as a sudden or great misfortune or failure. In 2006, NPS Pharmaceuticals had certainly experienced its own “disaster.” With much of the company’s resources dedicated to building a commercial infrastructure in anticipation of FDA approval of its lead product for osteoporosis, the company was thrown a curve ball. NPS received … Continue reading “Lessons on Bouncing Back From Disaster”
Fab.com Raises $40M from Andreessen Horowitz, Ashton Kutcher
Just five months after raising $8 million in a Series A funding round, New York-based daily-deals site Fab.com announced it has brought in a $40 million Series B. The funding was led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from existing investors Menlo Ventures, First Round Capital, Baroda Ventures, SoftTech VC, and actor Ashton Kutcher’s A-Grade Investments. … Continue reading “Fab.com Raises $40M from Andreessen Horowitz, Ashton Kutcher”
Everyday Health is Out to Dominate Media via Video, Apps, and Social
When dot-com entrepreneurs Benjamin Wolin and Michael Keriakos founded Everyday Health in 2002, everyone thought they were nuts. Their idea was to take well-known offline brands in the health industry and give them an online presence—a strategy that during the depths of the dot-com bust seemed mighty risky. “When we told people we wanted to … Continue reading “Everyday Health is Out to Dominate Media via Video, Apps, and Social”
Xconomist of the Week: Stephen Wolfram on Big Ideas & Companies
Stephen Wolfram is not one to be summed up in a few pithy quotes. Well, too bad. Here is his life in a nutshell: “I grew up in England and went to all sorts of good schools that I thought were completely irrelevant.” “By the time I was 20 years old, I was a physics … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Stephen Wolfram on Big Ideas & Companies”
Flow Garners $3,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=87f2c8cc-4503-4626-b70d-238b7a25b5e4&Preview=1 Date 12/8/2011 Company Name Flow Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10022 Company Description The fast and easy way to build real-time, data-rich apps. Website http://www.flow.net Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Birnberg Group Venture … Continue reading “Flow Garners $3,000,000 Series A Funding”
Cross Pixel Media Obtains $1,500,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4e38f3f6-d4f4-4c84-9af1-d641112c96f2&Preview=1 Date 12/8/2011 Company Name Cross Pixel Media Mailing Address 494 8th Avenue New York, NY 10001 Company Description Cross Pixel is the leading provider of high performance audience data for the online advertising industry. Cross Pixel is the only provider of audience data that operates in a fully transparent format; our … Continue reading “Cross Pixel Media Obtains $1,500,000 Series A Round”
Digital Media Center Looks Ahead at Financing Scene for 2012
Investment bankers, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists gathered Tuesday morning at the New York offices of accounting and consulting firm Deloitte near Bowling Green to listen to a panel discuss the financing outlook for technology startups in 2012. The event was the first to be presented by the Digital Media Center, a new group formed by … Continue reading “Digital Media Center Looks Ahead at Financing Scene for 2012”
Momenta Gets a Steal on Promising Scientific Asset from Once-Hot Virdante
When Cambridge, MA-based Momenta Pharmaceuticals said Monday that it had acquired the scientific assets of neighboring Virdante Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MNTA]]), few paid much attention, perhaps because of the deal’s small size. Momenta paid just $4.5 million up front, plus additional milestone payments that could reach $51.5 million over time. But it appears that Momenta is … Continue reading “Momenta Gets a Steal on Promising Scientific Asset from Once-Hot Virdante”
Fab.com Secures $40,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=032188b2-7489-42cd-9a3a-cde7be3de083&Preview=1 Date 12/7/2011 Company Name Fab.com Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10000 Company Description Fab.com is a social net and lifestyle site aimed at gay men. Website http://www.fab.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $40,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company plans to use the funds to invest its distribution … Continue reading “Fab.com Secures $40,000,000 New Financing Round”
Classing Up the Joint
Regular visitors to Xconomy.com may have noticed that we did some redecorating over the weekend. Our new look and feel, courtesy of the crazy talented Rob Hunter of True Italic in New York, is the first in a series of changes we’ll be making over the next few months—all aimed at making it easier and … Continue reading “Classing Up the Joint”
Lean Startups? I Prefer Mine Phat
I read the book and found it quite enjoyable. And with all due respect to Eric Ries and all of the VCs out there chasing lean startups, I recognized one simple truth. I still like my startups Phat. A phat startup aims to solve a very big, very difficult problem that will transform an industry. … Continue reading “Lean Startups? I Prefer Mine Phat”
IncubateNYC Hopes to Stir A New Harlem Renaissance With Startups
A campaign to win the contract to bring a technology incubator to Harlem went into high gear on Monday with the launch of a new website. IncubateNYC, a group of entrepreneurs and investors co-founded by Marcus Mayo and Brian Shields, believes it has the answer to the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s request for … Continue reading “IncubateNYC Hopes to Stir A New Harlem Renaissance With Startups”
It Takes a Village to Raise a Biotech Startup: Highlights from the Tweetchat
Carol Gallagher, the former CEO of Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, is glad to see Gilead Sciences spending billions on acquiring a new drug for hepatitis C, rather than spending billions on stock buybacks. And Jason Rhodes, the chief business officer of Epizyme, borrowed a line from Hillary Clinton, on how “it takes a village” to raise a … Continue reading “It Takes a Village to Raise a Biotech Startup: Highlights from the Tweetchat”
While Politicians Fight, Entrepreneurs Focus on “Smart Health”
A new decade of “smart health” arrived in 2011. Granted, it wasn’t always easy to discern – what with the noisy background of healthcare legal challenges and political one-upmanship. Fortunately, even while various policies continue to be ironed out, a set of resilient entrepreneurs have been busy making sure we get smarter about our health. … Continue reading “While Politicians Fight, Entrepreneurs Focus on “Smart Health””
Join Us at 3 pm ET/Noon PT for Tweetchat on Biotech Startups
Quick reminder for those of you on Twitter to join us for a live chat at 3 pm Eastern/Noon Pacific on the state of biotech startups. Carol Gallagher (@carol_gallagher) and Jason Rhodes (@JasonPaulRhodes) are the featured guests, who will field questions on how biotech startups can make it at a time when biotech venture capital … Continue reading “Join Us at 3 pm ET/Noon PT for Tweetchat on Biotech Startups”
Health Startups And Bigwigs Crowd Into First NYC Health IT Showcase
For two days last week, the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) hosted presentations and exhibits from 43 companies eager to show off their health IT initiatives. The gathering attracted big names like UnitedHealth and GE, as well as nine startups seeking to make a name in health IT. The organizers of NYeC were stunned by … Continue reading “Health Startups And Bigwigs Crowd Into First NYC Health IT Showcase”
Steve Jobs’s Dying Realization About Biology and Technology
Take a guess who made the following statement: “I think the biggest innovations of the 21st century will be at the intersection of biology and technology. A new era is beginning.” A. Bill Gates B. Steve Jobs C. Paul Allen The comment has gotten little attention in the last few weeks, but it jumped off … Continue reading “Steve Jobs’s Dying Realization About Biology and Technology”
iPubSci: An Alternative to Unaffordable Science Journals
Advances in the biomedical sciences are highly dependent upon researchers having a clear understanding of the current state of knowledge. This information is primarily acquired by having access to the scientific literature via professional journals and, less commonly, books. Unfortunately, this body of literature has not only expanded greatly over the past few decades, most … Continue reading “iPubSci: An Alternative to Unaffordable Science Journals”
Xconomy Forum: New York’s Venture Emergence
With jobs growth anemic and full economic recovery still over the horizon, the stakes for creating innovative new companies are arguably higher than ever. Yet amidst the uncertainty come areas of frenzied growth-and it seems that almost overnight, behind a wave of super-valued startups from Foursquare to Gilt, New York has risen to rival Silicon … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: New York’s Venture Emergence”
WeVideo Makes Cloud Video Editing Look Like Kids’ Stuff
Video editing software is way too hard to use. At least, that seems to be what most consumers think. It explains why most of the videos you’ll find on YouTube and other video sharing sites are so raw, with no cuts, titles, or other effects. Apparently, people have a hard enough time just getting video … Continue reading “WeVideo Makes Cloud Video Editing Look Like Kids’ Stuff”