Category: New York

GramercyOne Lands $14,500,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=efefbc8f-570f-47a3-99ff-8ceaf7de0a93&Preview=1 Date 10/19/2011 Company Name GramercyOne Mailing Address 257 Park Avenue South Floor 11 New York, NY 10010 Company Description GramercyOne is a leading provider of cloud-based business management and marketing solutions to service businesses around the world. Website http://www.gramercyone.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $14,500,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds … Continue reading “GramercyOne Lands $14,500,000 Series A Financing”

NYC TechStars Holds Demo Day for Startups from Its Summer Program

On a drizzly Tuesday morning in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, the twelve graduates from the New York TechStars summer program took the stage to pitch their companies to investors and mentors. Though many of the startups hail from the city, some came from as far as Venezuela to participate in the New York branch of … Continue reading “NYC TechStars Holds Demo Day for Startups from Its Summer Program”

How the iPhone Got Tail Fins—Part 1 of 2

It was the most advanced consumer product of the century. The industry started with its innovators located in different cities over a wide region. But within 20 years it would be concentrated in a single entrepreneurial startup cluster. At first it was a craft business, then it was driven by relentless technology innovation and then … Continue reading “How the iPhone Got Tail Fins—Part 1 of 2”

Third Rock Launches Sage Therapeutics with $35M Series A and Plan to Tackle Brain Diseases

Can brain disorders be treated more effectively by fine-tuning key receptors in the brain, rather than turning them completely on or off? That’s the question Boston-based Third Rock Ventures’ latest startup, Sage Therapeutics, hopes to answer with a new class of treatments it is developing to treat diseases such as schizophrenia and depression. Third Rock … Continue reading “Third Rock Launches Sage Therapeutics with $35M Series A and Plan to Tackle Brain Diseases”

Johnson & Johnson Creates Innovation Center for Life Sciences Startups in San Diego

In a bid to foster life sciences startups, Johnson & Johnson is refurbishing part of its pharmaceutical research and development facility in San Diego to create an “innovation center” for new biotech and health IT companies. The New Jersey pharmaceutical and healthcare giant anticipates housing from 18 to 20 life sciences startups in the new … Continue reading “Johnson & Johnson Creates Innovation Center for Life Sciences Startups in San Diego”

EcoSense Lighting Receives $13,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=680aa017-26ed-4529-8a2e-5cca3f682cad&Preview=1 Date 10/18/2011 Company Name EcoSense Lighting Mailing Address 80 Broad Street 5th Floor New York, NY 10004 Company Description LED illumination continues to gain ground over traditional lighting solutions. See why EcoSense Lighting’s long-serving LED lighting industry veterans, exacting performance and environmental standards, and best-in-class warranty are quickly becoming the specifier’s … Continue reading “EcoSense Lighting Receives $13,000,000 Series B Financing”

BillGuard Receives $10,000,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e3984b58-e872-49e9-917d-83f5d31c50d4&Preview=1 Date 10/18/2011 Company Name BillGuard Mailing Address 12 Desbrosses St New York, NY 10013 Company Description BillGuard is a free service powered by the collective knowledge of its users and millions of people posting billing complaints online. The family of data scientists, mathematicians, security experts and industry leaders below facilitate the … Continue reading “BillGuard Receives $10,000,000 Series B Financing Round”

Entrepreneurs Roundtable Joins Clan of NYC Tech Incubators, Graduates First Class of Startups

When Entrepreneurs Roundtable started up in New York four years ago, its mission was to offer networking opportunities and monthly pitch events, where startup execs could describe their ideas to potential financiers. A couple of years later, the tech scene exploded in New York, and entrepreneurs were hungering for more, says Jonathan Axelrod, a serial … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs Roundtable Joins Clan of NYC Tech Incubators, Graduates First Class of Startups”

Genomics 2.0: Ten Years After the Bubble, it’s Getting Really Interesting Again

What do 10,000 people with autism, 50,000 people in some remote islands in the North Atlantic, and 1,000 healthy old folks in southern California have in common? They are on the front edge of one of the most exciting stories in science today, and their contributions will have a huge impact on our long-term understanding … Continue reading “Genomics 2.0: Ten Years After the Bubble, it’s Getting Really Interesting Again”

Clickable Lands $12,000,000 Series C Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c42ef2a6-b34f-473d-83d7-436164f2492f&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name Clickable Mailing Address 7 West 22nd Street 7th Floor New York, NY 10010 Company Description Clickable is an online solution that makes creating and managing online advertising simple and effective. Clickable provides an intuitive interface to view performance across all major search advertising networks. Website http://www.clickable.com Transaction … Continue reading “Clickable Lands $12,000,000 Series C Round”

SideTour Lands $1,500,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a1034723-b1ef-4b5a-a9dc-8aa434c7e99f&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name SideTour Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10002 Company Description SideTour is your place to discover and book new experiences offered by interesting and talented people around the world. Website http://www.sidetour.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “SideTour Lands $1,500,000 New Financing Round”

iCal or iHAL? Apple and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Dear Mom: You asked me to write to let you know if I arrived safely in iCloud-land. Well, I’m here and I’m in one piece, although unfortunately some of my things didn’t make it here with me, such as my calendar. It was a pretty hellish journey, I’ll tell you. There were a couple of … Continue reading “iCal or iHAL? Apple and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”

Computers vs. Humans: A Recap of Xconomy’s New York Life Sciences 2031

In front of a full house at Xconomy’s first public Big Apple event—New York Life Sciences 2031—biotech entrepreneurs Sam Waksal and Eric Schadt wagered on the likelihood that computers would overtake human scientists in the quest to develop drugs. Schadt pointed to IBM’s Watson as an example of a computer performing better than humans at … Continue reading “Computers vs. Humans: A Recap of Xconomy’s New York Life Sciences 2031”

Xconomist of the Week: Appature’s Kabir Shahani Eyes Culture as Company Expands

When it’s time for a scrappy tech startup with a bootstrapped culture to expand its footprint, the conventional thinking might go something like this: Hire young, hungry people who won’t blow through too much of your coin, and hold onto that staff until you absolutely have to take the plunge into grown-up salaries and benefits. … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Appature’s Kabir Shahani Eyes Culture as Company Expands”

Greenpeace and Michele Bachmann’s Joint Campaign to Stop Science

I took the family to Boston on vacation in September. During the time away, I read Patrick Moore’s book “Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout: The Making of a Sensible Environmentalist.“ Dr. Moore was one of the original founders of Greenpeace in the 1970s. I heard him speak recently. While he remains a passionate advocate for … Continue reading “Greenpeace and Michele Bachmann’s Joint Campaign to Stop Science”

Cloud Identity Summit

Ping Identity and Google host this afternoon conference on the future of cloud security. Speakers include Nishant Kaushik, chief architect at Identropy, Donald Murphy, identity architect at M&T Bank, and Eric Sachs, product manager, security and CIO at Google. Register here.

SNS Predictions Dinner

Join Stategic News Service for an evening of dining and discussion with Robert Hormats, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy & Agricultural Affairs. The event will also feature Mark Anderson, CEO of Strategic News Service, speaking on the economic landscape and technology predictions for 2012. Register here.

Mayor Bloomberg Announces New Advisory Council on Technology at NY Tech Meetup

Tuesday night’s NY Tech Meetup took on a new spin when a special guest took the stage. Though it was interesting to spot David Tisch of TechStars in the audience, what was most notable was that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg spoke at the monthly gathering of local technology entrepreneurs and innovators for the first time … Continue reading “Mayor Bloomberg Announces New Advisory Council on Technology at NY Tech Meetup”

VC Keeps up Hot Pace, 2011 Could Mark 10-Year Peak, CB Insights Says

Market meltdowns, international turmoil, stubborn unemployment—none of the lingering macro-economic troubles seem to be holding back the momentum for venture investing in 2011, according to a report on third-quarter investments from research firm CB Insights. The latest tally from the firm’s venture capital database shows venture investments reaching $7.9 billion in the quarter across 790 … Continue reading “VC Keeps up Hot Pace, 2011 Could Mark 10-Year Peak, CB Insights Says”

Knewton Secures $33,000,000 Series D Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=60d0de8c-d03d-4f18-8ad9-119440c3edd5&Preview=1 Date 10/13/2011 Company Name Knewton Mailing Address 19 Union Sq. W. New York, NY 10003 Company Description Knewton has developed the industry’s most powerful adaptive learning engine, customizing educational content to meet the needs of each student. Whereas traditional classrooms and textbooks provide the same material to every student, Knewton dynamically … Continue reading “Knewton Secures $33,000,000 Series D Round”

Stylesight Obtains $3,052,497 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bb40f272-6d14-4b2c-ab05-a7d8afea45e3&Preview=1 Date 10/13/2011 Company Name Stylesight Mailing Address 25 West 39th Street 14th Floor New York, NY 10018 Company Description Stylesight is a team of seasoned and accomplished industry insiders whose extensive careers traverse the fields of fashion design, trend analysis, forecasting, reporting, merchandising and apparel manufacturing. We understand the business of … Continue reading “Stylesight Obtains $3,052,497 New Financing”

Movable Ink Obtains $1,300,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fd854dc4-fc5a-4619-a70d-02e25407919c&Preview=1 Date 10/13/2011 Company Name Movable Ink Mailing Address 902 Broadway 4th Floor New York, NY 10010 Company Description Movable Ink creates a live container that can live inside emails, letting companies share current and relevant information from their websites with users based on time, location, social context and what kind of … Continue reading “Movable Ink Obtains $1,300,000 New Funding”

Onepager Receives $350,000 Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7b8976a6-50a9-4569-a7f6-a844e5604197&Preview=1 Date 10/13/2011 Company Name Onepager Mailing Address 154 Grand St New York, NY 10013 Company Description Onepager is the easiest way for small business owners to setup a professional looking website in minutes. Website http://www.onepagerapp.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $350,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “Onepager Receives $350,000 Seed Financing”

Pfizer, deCode Genetics Strike Deal To Look For New Lupus Drug Targets

Companies like Pfizer that constantly need to develop new drugs never got much return on the investment in genomics a decade ago. But Pfizer is showing some renewed interest in genomics through a partnership being announced today with deCODE Genetics, the Iceland-based genomics company. deCODE, a 15-year-old operation which Arch Venture Partners and Polaris Venture … Continue reading “Pfizer, deCode Genetics Strike Deal To Look For New Lupus Drug Targets”

LocalResponse Raises $5M for Social Marketing Platform

New York-based LocalResponse announced that it has closed a $5 million funding round from Cava Capital, Vodafone Ventures, Advancit Capital, and Progress Ventures, with participation from previous investors. LocalResponse makes tools that allow companies to detect when people are “checking in” to places where their products are sold—so they can offer them coupons and the … Continue reading “LocalResponse Raises $5M for Social Marketing Platform”

Wanderfly’s Technology Feeds Wanderlust on The New York Times’ Travel Pages

For vacationers who are unsure of where to go for their next trip, New York’s Wanderfly is bringing its recommendation technology to a broad audience of travelers. Last Wednesday, technology from Wanderfly began running on some 1,000 travel pages hosted by The New York Times, according to Christy Liu, co-founder and director of marketing for … Continue reading “Wanderfly’s Technology Feeds Wanderlust on The New York Times’ Travel Pages”

LocalResponse Lands $5,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a14fd605-90a0-4c5a-aecb-e4bb757839ff&Preview=1 Date 10/12/2011 Company Name LocalResponse Mailing Address 37 W. 28th St. Fifth Floor New York, NY 10001 Company Description LocalResponse has developed a web-based tool that allows local businesses to respond to check-in posts on social media sites. Website http://www.LocalResponse.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “LocalResponse Lands $5,000,000 New Financing”

A Preview of Xconomy Forum: New York Life Sciences 2031

Xconomy’s first public event in New York City—a look ahead at the biotech scene over the next 20 years—is coming up this Thursday, October 13. We’ve been chatting with our panelists over the last few weeks, and the consensus is clear: There are a lot of great topics to cover, and the diverse set of … Continue reading “A Preview of Xconomy Forum: New York Life Sciences 2031”

Cleantech Resources for Startup Ventures

Enterprise Forum of New York City presents this evening event, which will showcase the latest in technology platforms for development, utility industries shopping list for new technologies, and venture deal trends. Panelists include Jeffrey Seul of Holland & Night, Nolan Browne of Fraunhofer CSE, and Pradeep Haldar of the College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering … Continue reading “Cleantech Resources for Startup Ventures”

Agios and Celgene: Anatomy of an Ultra-Valuable Biotech Marriage

It wouldn’t be much of an over-statement to say Cambridge, MA-based Agios’ $150 million cancer-drug development deal with biotech giant Celgene is unprecedented. At least not in the view of Kevin Starr, a partner at Third Rock Ventures, which helped found Agios in 2008, providing part of its $33 million Series A funding. In April … Continue reading “Agios and Celgene: Anatomy of an Ultra-Valuable Biotech Marriage”

How Not to Start a Startup

Startups can be a lot like first girlfriends (or boyfriends). You fall madly, passionately in love, think of them 24/7, talk, walk, eat, drink, breathe them, put everything into them and beyond, but sometimes, despite the passion, it just doesn’t work out. And, actually if you’re willing be to be brutally honest, in retrospect the … Continue reading “How Not to Start a Startup”

QWiPS Receives $1,250,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6945438c-b42a-4020-a4cf-5a57d1002162&Preview=1 Date 10/11/2011 Company Name QWiPS Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10001 Company Description QWiPS is fun, easy-to-use, social voice utility that lets you add your spoken voice to the social conversation. Website http://www.qwips.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,250,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The funding will be … Continue reading “QWiPS Receives $1,250,000 Series A Round”

Smoke on the Water: Fireworks at the Cleveland Clinic Medical Innovation Summit

I spent the early part of this week attending the Cleveland Clinic Medical Innovation Summit and, despite the fact that the Cleveland Clinic stubbornly insists on holding its conference in Cleveland (aka The Mistake on the Lake), it was well worth attending. Cleveland is an interesting town. Once upon a time, when old white men … Continue reading “Smoke on the Water: Fireworks at the Cleveland Clinic Medical Innovation Summit”

Five Things Industry Can Do to Support True FDA Reform, and Restore Public Confidence

The FDA is one of the easiest punching bags in American politics. Depending on your point of view, it’s either too hard on business with its unreasonable demands, or too soft on those predatory drug companies seeking to profit off Grandma’s illness regardless of whether the products are safe. When it does its job well, … Continue reading “Five Things Industry Can Do to Support True FDA Reform, and Restore Public Confidence”

TwoChop Secures $450,000 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=145aa718-b202-4be8-88ac-1de0fedfcd59&Preview=1 Date 10/10/2011 Company Name TwoChop Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10001 Company Description We take text, images, sounds, music and even data from any site and convert then into interactive fun. Our goal is to gamify the web. Website http://www.twochop.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $450,000 Transaction Round Seed … Continue reading “TwoChop Secures $450,000 Seed Funding”

Saint Steve? Not Exactly. Apple and the Power of the Dark Side

Today’s column was co-written by myself and Curt Woodward, Xconomy’s Seattle-based senior editor. There’s a great term of art in the history profession: hagiography. It’s from the Greek for “holy writing,” and at one time it pertained mostly to biographies of saints. Well, there’s a whole lot of beatification going on this week as the … Continue reading “Saint Steve? Not Exactly. Apple and the Power of the Dark Side”

Enterproid Continues Development of App With $11M Series A From Comcast, Google, Qualcomm

Bruce V. Bigelow in San Diego contributed to this story. With $11 million from a Series A that was announced yesterday, New York-based Enterproid is moving closer to a full release of its app, which allows users to set their smartphones for business or personal use. Comcast Ventures (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CMCSA]]) led the round, with participation from … Continue reading “Enterproid Continues Development of App With $11M Series A From Comcast, Google, Qualcomm”

User Acquisition

You know you have a great product, but how do you get people to use it? Learn the answer in this day-long workshop at General Assembly. Topics will include SEO, SEM, product virality, and funnel and registration management. Register here.

Columbia Business School Health Care Conference

Join more than 400 health industry leaders and students from NYC colleges for networking and a day of discussion on the emergence of partnerships in the industry. Speakers include Franz B. Humer, chairman of the board of Roche Holding and non-executive chairman of Diageo; Sheri McCoy, vice chairman, executive committee, and member of the office … Continue reading “Columbia Business School Health Care Conference”

Patenting Biotech: Strategies and Tips for Protecting Your Invention

This lunchtime seminar will focus on steps biotech entrepreneurs should take during patent filing and patent prosecution to best maximize the commercial value of their biotech inventions. Speaker Gonzalo Merino is a member of the Patent and Licensing Group at Columbia University’s Office of the General Counsel. Pizza will be served. Register here.

Alternative Vehicle Technology Conference and Expo

Join the Center for Sustainable Energy at this conference, where experts will discuss technology and opportunities in alternative energy, and there will be 25 alternative-fuel vehicles on display. The keynote speech will be given by Chris Paine, director of “Who Killed the Electric Car,” and “Revenge of the Electric Car.” Register here.

Five Perspectives on Steve Jobs: Reflections from Around the Xconomy Network

When the news broke that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died, there was no shortage of tributes and remembrances, from names big and small. And they’re still pouring out, from entrepreneurs, technologists, consumers, and more. We were able to tap into our network of guest authors, known as the Xconomists, for some insights into Jobs’ legacy … Continue reading “Five Perspectives on Steve Jobs: Reflections from Around the Xconomy Network”

The Essential Steve Jobs for Today’s Pharmaceutical Executive

It is hard to overestimate the importance of Steve Jobs on the American psyche. The co-founder and guiding force of Apple has died, succumbing to a long illness after only recently stepping down as chief executive. 
But his impact continues beyond his life, his business, his industry, his leadership, and his vision. One only needs to … Continue reading “The Essential Steve Jobs for Today’s Pharmaceutical Executive”

Steve Jobs & the Power of Vision: My Visits to the ‘Reality Distortion Field’

Steve was an incredible product visionary and had an uncompromising sense of product design. Aldus and desktop publishing came about because Steve had a vision of what was possible by marrying a plain paper copier to a computer to make the Apple Laserwriter. When the Laserwriter was introduced it cost $7000, more than twice as much … Continue reading “Steve Jobs & the Power of Vision: My Visits to the ‘Reality Distortion Field’”

Steve Jobs: The Soul of an Industry

When I heard the news of Steve Jobs’s death last night, even though I was hardly surprised, I felt like I had been kicked in the gut—as if the industry in which I’ve spent my career had lost its soul. I’m rarely shy about criticizing the titans of our industry, but from the beginning Steve … Continue reading “Steve Jobs: The Soul of an Industry”

LiveIntent, with $8M from Series B, Plans New Hires and Weighs Overseas Opportunities

Catching the attention of customers can hinge on timing and placement. That’s the thinking behind New York’s LiveIntent, which offers advertisers and publishers a way to tailor banner ads in e-mails for the recipients. The two-year-old startup closed an $8 million Series B funding round in September and, according to chief operating officer David Hendricks, … Continue reading “LiveIntent, with $8M from Series B, Plans New Hires and Weighs Overseas Opportunities”

Steve Jobs: A Few Memories

I’m so sad this evening—as millions are—to hear of Steve Jobs’s death. Scattered over the last quarter century, I learned much from Steve Jobs, and was proud to consider him a friend. And indeed, he contributed in various ways to all three of my major life projects so far: Mathematica, A New Kind of Science and Wolfram|Alpha. I … Continue reading “Steve Jobs: A Few Memories”