Reports Say Google Wants to Buy Admeld

Sounds like Google, the Mountain View, CA-based search and advertising giant, is out to acquire another advertising-technology startup. This time it’s Admeld, the New York-based provider of software designed to help Web publishers earn more from advertisers. But there are conflicting media reports, all based on unnamed sources, about how far the deal has progressed. … Continue reading “Reports Say Google Wants to Buy Admeld”

Apple: The New Headquarters of Computing

You probably thought that the biggest news out of Apple this week was about iCloud, the new cloud data sharing service unveiled at the World Wide Developer Conference in San Francisco. Or maybe you’d point to iOS 5, the next version of Apple’s operating system for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, or Lion, the … Continue reading “Apple: The New Headquarters of Computing”

OrganizedWisdom’s Jerry Levin to Chair New Health Entrepreneurship Program

In April, OrganizedWisdom co-founder Unity Stoakes told Xconomy that his New York-based Web company was on a mission to improve access to health and wellness information online. Former Time Warner CEO Jerry Levin had just invested in OrganizedWisdom and joined its board. Now Levin and OrganizedWisdom are making good on their promise with a new … Continue reading “OrganizedWisdom’s Jerry Levin to Chair New Health Entrepreneurship Program”

SeamlessWeb Scores $50 Million From Spectrum

Spectrum Equity Investors is paying $50 million for a minority stake in online food-ordering service SeamlessWeb, according to VentureWire. The New York-based site, which includes 7,000 restaurants in 27 cities, will be spun off from Aramark Holdings. SeamlessWeb’s CEO Jonathan Zabusky told VentureWire the company plans to expand its mobile offerings.

Taykey’s Ad Tech Wins $9 Million in Funding

New York-based Taykey, an online advertising platform that predicts where Web surfers are going next, raised a $9 million Series B and launched its service today, according to a press release. The company, which was founded by three former intelligence officers from the Israeli Defense Ministry, uses a proprietary algorithm to tell advertisers where their … Continue reading “Taykey’s Ad Tech Wins $9 Million in Funding”

Bob Langer’s Selecta Wins Support From Diabetes Foundation for Research Collaboration

Ever since 2004, when the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) started a program called Industry Discovery and Development Partnership, it has awarded $75 million to 32 companies that are developing entirely new approaches to combating Type 1 diabetes. Today, the New York-based foundation announced the newest recipient of funding and research support under that program: … Continue reading “Bob Langer’s Selecta Wins Support From Diabetes Foundation for Research Collaboration”

American Aerogel Receives $2,500,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=77cdad22-c634-4136-805b-153e6860e4e5&Preview=1 Date 6/9/2011 Company Name American Aerogel Mailing Address 460 Buffalo Rd. Rochester, NY 14611 Company Description American Aerogel Corporation supplies thermal insulation material for temperature sensitive markets with breakthrough R-50 per inch insulation value. Website http://www.americanaerogel.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The investment will … Continue reading “American Aerogel Receives $2,500,000 New Financing”

Taykey Lands $9,000,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=31d79b5a-cfeb-4a10-9e39-52d347953f0c&Preview=1 Date 6/9/2011 Company Name Taykey Mailing Address 10 W. 18th St. New York, NY 10011 Company Description Taykey’s real-time trends platform extends your reach to people who care about you, right now. Our core algorithms that monitor trends to discover who is interested in you right now, and place your brand … Continue reading “Taykey Lands $9,000,000 Series B Funding Round”

Pfizer Forms $100M Research Partnership with Boston-Area Schools and Hospitals

Let’s see if this produces some much-needed new drugs for Pfizer’s pipeline. The New York City-based pharmaceutical giant (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) announced today it is starting a five-year, $100 million research collaboration in Boston with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard University, Partners HealthCare, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts … Continue reading “Pfizer Forms $100M Research Partnership with Boston-Area Schools and Hospitals”

Don’t Discount Biofuels

As one who’s spent a lifetime chasing the quest of a practical, sustainable bioeconomy – I have sympathy for biofuel skeptics. Let’s face it; petroleum is an incumbent that has no match in political or economic strength. But it is hard to deny the convergence of historical and technological trends that suggest a sustainable biofuel … Continue reading “Don’t Discount Biofuels”

Stemline Makes Headway Against Cancer Stem Cells And Proves Value of Virtual Model

On June 6, at the meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), a University of Pittsburgh scientist working with New York-based Stemline Therapeutics revealed that two patients in an early trial of the company’s drug had recovered from advanced malignant glioma—a deadly form of brain cancer. Another patient, a 10-year-old girl in a … Continue reading “Stemline Makes Headway Against Cancer Stem Cells And Proves Value of Virtual Model”

ASCO Wrap-Up: The Skinny on Cancer News From All Corners of the U.S.

Whoever came up with the phrase “drinking from the fire hose,” could have easily been thinking of the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting. The information on cancer R&D has been flowing furiously the past few days at ASCO, which draws about 30,000 cancer doctors, drug company executives, investors, and journalists. I didn’t attend … Continue reading “ASCO Wrap-Up: The Skinny on Cancer News From All Corners of the U.S.”

CityPockets, Still Couch Surfing and Managing Daily Deals, Gets Office After $500K Grab

CityPockets’ tiny team was in desperate straits this past April. The Silicon Alley startup was supposed to help users organize the flood of online vouchers and daily deals that pack the inboxes of budget foodies and fashionistas. But just a couple months ago none of the three-person team seemed likely to be indulging in discount … Continue reading “CityPockets, Still Couch Surfing and Managing Daily Deals, Gets Office After $500K Grab”

API Hack Day NYC @Internet Week

This all-day coding fest is focused on building apps and mashups with APIs and is open to developers of all experience levels. At the end of the day, you’ll get a chance to present your work to a panel of judges. Register here.

12 Hours of Tech

This day-long event will present tips, tools, and practical strategies you can implement to save time, operate more effectively, boost revenue,Speakers include John Engates, chief technology officer at Rackspace Hosting, Steve Jarvis v.p. of marketing for Concur, and Stacy Robin, managing partner of The Degania Group. and more. Register here.

New York Senator Chuck Schumer Tells Local Entrepreneurs the City Can Surpass Silicon Valley as the High-Tech Capital of America

Senator Charles “Chuck” Schumer, the publicity-loving Democrat from New York, has his share of critics—but none seemed to be in attendance this morning at Internet Week New York, where he gave the kickoff keynote speech. The audience of journalists and Internet entrepreneurs ate up Schumer’s message: New York, he said, can and should surpass Silicon … Continue reading “New York Senator Chuck Schumer Tells Local Entrepreneurs the City Can Surpass Silicon Valley as the High-Tech Capital of America”

The Quest For Biotech Independence: Maybe It Isn’t So Quixotic After All

Conventional wisdom a couple years ago said that the era of the independent biotech giant was over. Nobody would ever again build a multi-billion dollar, fully integrated independent biopharma company on the scale of an Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]), or even a Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]). Drug development is too risky, time-consuming, and expensive. Investors, tired … Continue reading “The Quest For Biotech Independence: Maybe It Isn’t So Quixotic After All”

Dear Apple: Go Big with Siri and Nuance in iOS 5

As someone who served on the boards of Siri and Nuance—two companies whose technologies are rumored to be deeply integrated into Apple’s upcoming iOS 5—I might have a unique take on what’s possible at the upcoming Apple World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC ) in San Francisco June 6-10. I throw my speculations into the ring … Continue reading “Dear Apple: Go Big with Siri and Nuance in iOS 5”

Fourth Annual Internet Week a Panoply of Learning, Networking, and Celebrating for NYC’s Web Entrepreneurs

Internet Week New York kicks off June 6 with a menu of 200 events that chairman David-Michel Davies promises will be “incredibly diverse and all curated by the Internet community in NYC.” Internet Week was founded in 2008 as a public/private partnership by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences and the City of … Continue reading “Fourth Annual Internet Week a Panoply of Learning, Networking, and Celebrating for NYC’s Web Entrepreneurs”

Silicon Chef: A Half-Baked Guide to Food Startups

[Updated 12/06/12 with additional listings] When the ex-CEO of Pure Digital, maker of the famous Flip pocket camcorder, wins funding from Sequoia Capital to open a chain of grilled cheese sandwich shops, it may be time to abandon your own enterprise-cloud-marketing-analytics-automation venture or your social-mobile-deals-gamification startup and think about getting into the food business. I was … Continue reading “Silicon Chef: A Half-Baked Guide to Food Startups”

OnSwipe Lands $5,000,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d0299a15-28d2-4a6e-b31a-0c0e9c70c72c&Preview=1 Date 6/3/2011 Company Name OnSwipe Mailing Address 841 Broadway, Eighth Floor New York, NY 10003 Company Description OnSwipe is a platform that makes it insanely easy for publishers of all sizes to make their content and advertising a beautiful experience on touch-enabled devices via Web browser. Website http://www.onswipe.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “OnSwipe Lands $5,000,000 Series A Round”

Juice In The City Obtains $6,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3662ae9c-6842-4743-8f22-b4340e53a6b7&Preview=1 Date 6/3/2011 Company Name Juice In The City Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10001 Company Description The company operates an online website for daily deals aimed at mothers and families. Website http://www.juiceinthecity.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The startup will use the infusion … Continue reading “Juice In The City Obtains $6,000,000 New Funding Round”

OneStop Singles, Small but Profitable, Flirts for Attention in Crowded Online Dating Industry

Standing out in New York can be a challenge for a young company—especially one serving the singles scene. The “been there, done that” attitude is difficult to overcome in Manhattan when pushing a dating website, given the plethora of paid and free services available such as Match.com, eHarmony, OkCupid, and PlentyofFish. While many dating services … Continue reading “OneStop Singles, Small but Profitable, Flirts for Attention in Crowded Online Dating Industry”

Ad Summos Receives $1,500,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8abbd2f1-319f-46a1-80e8-c564091f0b89&Preview=1 Date 6/2/2011 Company Name Ad Summos Mailing Address 307 7th Ave. New York, NY 10001 Company Description We’re working to bring you the next generation solution for effective online advertising and will provide updates as we progress. Website http://www.adsummos.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Ad Summos Receives $1,500,000 New Financing Round”

Altruik Garners $2,800,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9db2a3b5-69f7-40a7-8821-ed1d55dc2ad3&Preview=1 Date 6/2/2011 Company Name Altruik Mailing Address 1359 Broadway New York, NY 10018 Company Description Altruik is a Search Engine Optimization technology innovator. The company’s patent-pending technology ensures that search engine crawlers and bots are able to see and index the hidden data contained in database-driven websites. Website http://www.altruik.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Altruik Garners $2,800,000 Series B Financing Round”

New York Area Companies Head to ASCO With High Hopes For Future Cancer Blockbusters

[Corrected 6/3/11, 7 a.m. See below.] This weekend, the pharmaceutical industry will descend on Chicago for the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The show provides an opportunity for drug companies to impress physicians and investors with data on cancer drugs they’re developing, as well as those that are already on the … Continue reading “New York Area Companies Head to ASCO With High Hopes For Future Cancer Blockbusters”

Xconomy Not Going Public, But We Had a Great Time at NYSE Euronext—Thanks to Our New York Supporters

Xconomy held a great party last Thursday on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The only caveats from our fantastic host NYSE Euronext was that if I rang the bell, the symbol XCON would never trade…(well, they didn’t actually say that, but I felt the hint was there). So we didn’t ring any … Continue reading “Xconomy Not Going Public, But We Had a Great Time at NYSE Euronext—Thanks to Our New York Supporters”

Cyclacel Looks to ASCO as Showcase for Potent Cancer-Fighting Cocktail

For most Big Pharma companies, the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is one of dozens of important venues for spotlighting data on experimental drugs. But for tiny Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYCC]])—which is focused on developing cancer treatments—the confab of oncologists, cancer researchers, and drugmakers is the make-or-break event of the … Continue reading “Cyclacel Looks to ASCO as Showcase for Potent Cancer-Fighting Cocktail”

Startup Weekend New York City

This 54-hour event brings together techies and business folks to field startup ideas. Startup teams spend the weekend working on customer development, validating their ideas, practicing LEAN startup methods, and building viable products. Register here.

From Startup to Business

Joshua Kushner, founder and managing partner of Thrive Capital, will teach this course on how to grow a startup into a profitable company. Attendees will learn how to establish a customer base, stand up to the competition, recruit and manage key employees, and more. Register here.

Yes, Technology Is Taking Jobs Away, But Here’s How It Might Give Them Back

Back in March, I wrote a column arguing that smartphones, tablet computers, Internet TVs and other personal technologies are delivering an unexpected bonus. Rather than depreciating, the way most equipment does, these gadgets actually get more valuable over time thanks to the hundreds of new apps that debut every week, plus free upgrades for existing … Continue reading “Yes, Technology Is Taking Jobs Away, But Here’s How It Might Give Them Back”

SnapGoods Targets Consumers Who Want to Rent Instead of Buy

Brooklyn-based SnapGoods is looking to create a consumer space that does not involve buying or selling goods, but targets a third, often-neglected consumer: the one who simply wants to borrow stuff. “You use it, and then you give it back,” said Ron Williams, 34-year-old CEO and co-founder of the Brooklyn-based startup, a company whose tagline … Continue reading “SnapGoods Targets Consumers Who Want to Rent Instead of Buy”

Rigel Pockets $130M in Financing, Seeks To Pick up Pfizer’s Ball and Run With it

New York-based Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) is the biggest drug company in the world, so when it slashes costs and dumps drug candidates left and right, people take note. But sometimes what gets overlooked is that one company’s loss is another’s gain, and that’s what appears to be happening at South San Francisco-based Rigel Pharmaceuticals. Rigel … Continue reading “Rigel Pockets $130M in Financing, Seeks To Pick up Pfizer’s Ball and Run With it”

Ford Lists Top 25 EV Cities, Highlights Pacific Coast Corridor for Future EV Road Trips

With the average price of gasoline reaching almost $4 a gallon nationwide, it’s safe to say a lot of people are curious about the all-electric vehicles (EV) that many automakers have been showing off lately. Still, it’s hard to justify the $100,000-plus sticker price for a Tesla Roadster or the $33,000 price of a Nissan … Continue reading “Ford Lists Top 25 EV Cities, Highlights Pacific Coast Corridor for Future EV Road Trips”

BuyWithMe Buys Groop Swoop, Keeps Expanding

New York-based BuyWithMe, an online group-buying startup founded in Boston, said today it has acquired Groop Swoop, a San Francisco-based deals site. Terms of the purchase were not given, but it’s an example of further consolidation in the daily deals sector led by Groupon and LivingSocial. The acquisition comes on the heels of BuyWithMe’s purchase … Continue reading “BuyWithMe Buys Groop Swoop, Keeps Expanding”

NYC Scientists Score $250,000 Awards in Annual BioAccelerate Competition

Five New York-based scientists—developing technologies ranging from replacement bones to prosthetic eyes—were named today as the winners of the 2011 BioAccelerate competition. Each will receive $250,000 from the New York City Investment Fund, which they will use to transform their technologies into commercial companies. BioAccelerate was launched two years ago to fill a gaping funding … Continue reading “NYC Scientists Score $250,000 Awards in Annual BioAccelerate Competition”

Vizibility Lets You Dictate How Google Presents You to the World

Ever since the invention of search engines, entrepreneur James Alexander has been frustrated. “I could never find myself on the Internet,” says Alexander, who gets lost on the Web because of his common name, or as he puts it, his “two first names.” So in 2009, he started playing around with the “advanced search” option … Continue reading “Vizibility Lets You Dictate How Google Presents You to the World”

FSAStore Secures $800,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=773f2a6b-caad-404f-a9e2-0ed09e804a9f&Preview=1 Date 5/24/2011 Company Name FSAStore Mailing Address 244 5th Ave. New York, NY 10001 Company Description FSAStore.com is the only one-stop-ecommerce site exclusively stocked with FSA eligible products and services so there are no guessing games about what is and isn’t reimbursable by an FSA. Website http://www.FSAStore.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “FSAStore Secures $800,000 Series A Financing”

Terra-Gen Power Lands $55,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=30ec95ec-7f33-46e3-8a1b-3e04dab51529&Preview=1 Date 5/24/2011 Company Name Terra-Gen Power Mailing Address 1095 Avenue of the Americas 25th Floor New York, NY 10036 Company Description Terra-Gen Power is a renewable energy company focused on geothermal, wind and solar generation. Terra-Gen Power owns 1,131 MW (net equity) in twenty-one operating renewable energy projects across the Western … Continue reading “Terra-Gen Power Lands $55,000,000 New Funding Round”

IPO Pipeline Pumps Up the Volume in First Quarter

A recent study of IPO filings by the Ernst & Young accounting firm shows that 47 companies filed for initial public offerings during the quarter that ended March 31, and a total of 125 companies are waiting to go public on U.S. markets. Of the 125 companies in the pipeline, 25 are based in California, … Continue reading “IPO Pipeline Pumps Up the Volume in First Quarter”

Tech Talent Shortage, One of this Year’s Major Storylines, Illustrated in National Study by Job-Search Site Dice

If you want another bit of evidence that the technology job market is really competitive, job-search site Dice is out with a new study that ranks states according to their estimated shortage of new tech workers. Xconomy locations, which align with the top innovation clusters nationally, are well represented atop the list for having the … Continue reading “Tech Talent Shortage, One of this Year’s Major Storylines, Illustrated in National Study by Job-Search Site Dice”

New York Angels Step Up to Fund Local Biotech and Medtech Startups

Shortly after Milena Adamian joined the San Francisco office of Easton Capital in 2007, she got involved in two local angel groups, Life Science Angels and Health Tech Capital. Adamian, who is a cardiologist by training, was drawn to the opportunity to support fledgling entrepreneurs—some of whom were developing new drugs and devices that she … Continue reading “New York Angels Step Up to Fund Local Biotech and Medtech Startups”