Former CIA director James Woolsey and McKinsey & Company vet Richard Foster have joined New York-based Lux Capital as partners, the company said in a press release. Woolsey will be looking for investing opportunities in the energy sector, while Foster will focus on life sciences and healthcare IT. “Innovation in energy will be the primary … Continue reading “Lux Capital Adds James Woolsey and Richard Foster”
Category: New York
Oyster.com Scores $7.5 Million from The Travel Channel
New York-based hotel-information site Oyster.com confirmed in a blog posting that The Travel Channel has invested $7.5 million in the company. Under the terms of the partnership, Oyster’s content will be featured on The Travel Channel’s TV network and website. Oyster.com, founded in 2008, sends under-cover reviewers to hotels. The site features those reviews, plus … Continue reading “Oyster.com Scores $7.5 Million from The Travel Channel”
Pearson plc Acquires SchoolNet for $230,000,000
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5e7ca255-c40c-4b3c-9a1f-f2c64a3f34e4&Preview=1 Date 4/26/2011 Company Name SchoolNet Mailing Address 525 Seventh Avenue Fourth Floor New York, NY 10018 Company Description SchoolNet Inc., the leader in School Performance Management Systems, improves efficiency and increase achievement in school systems. Website http://www.schoolnet.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount $230,000,000 Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms The acquisition … Continue reading “Pearson plc Acquires SchoolNet for $230,000,000”
Kadmon Pharmaceuticals and Nano Terra Form Joint Venture
New York-based Kadmon Pharmaceuticals has been granted an exclusive license to three clinical-stage product candidates owned by Brighton, MA-based Nano Terra, according to a press release. Kadmon will also have rights to Nano Terra’s drug-discovery platform, and the two companies will form a joint venture called NT Life Sciences. The three drug candidates target specific … Continue reading “Kadmon Pharmaceuticals and Nano Terra Form Joint Venture”
Fashion Site Gilt Looks Beyond Discounted “Flash Sales” and Embraces the Upscale Men’s Market
The founders of fashion e-tailer Gilt Groupe, Alexandra Wilkis Wilson and Alexis Maybank, are quite aware that they have competitors popping up on the Web all the time. (Last week, Xconomy New York identified seven other fashion-related Web startups in New York City alone.) But the inventors of the fast-growing Gilt believe they can stay … Continue reading “Fashion Site Gilt Looks Beyond Discounted “Flash Sales” and Embraces the Upscale Men’s Market”
New York: The Next Innovation Hub
New York has long been synonymous with Wall Street, Madison Avenue and the Garment District, flagship markets for the city’s economic lifeblood that attracts an endless and competitive pool of talent to fuel its growth. When it comes to technology and innovation on the other hand, most entrepreneurs and startup companies have historically turned their … Continue reading “New York: The Next Innovation Hub”
VCs Turn Up The Heat on FDA to Get Faster, More Predictable
The FDA felt the heat in the 1990s when AIDS activists marched in the streets, shouting about how bureaucratic foot-dragging meant that patients died while waiting for approvals of experimental drugs. The FDA listened. It started clearing more new drugs for sale, and completing safety and effectiveness reviews faster than before. Now it’s venture capitalists, … Continue reading “VCs Turn Up The Heat on FDA to Get Faster, More Predictable”
Oyster Hotel Reviews Secures $10,012,222 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a2dcc6db-0907-4e7a-8788-4412a7888750&Preview=1 Date 4/25/2011 Company Name Oyster Hotel Reviews Mailing Address 75 Ninth Avenue Floor 3rd New York, NY 10011 Company Description At Oyster Hotel Reviews, we have a very simple mission: to give a comprehensive preview of the hotels you might choose to stay at, from the beds you’ll sleep in to … Continue reading “Oyster Hotel Reviews Secures $10,012,222 New Financing Round”
Transhumanism Meets Design
Humanity+ International teams up with Parsons The New School for Design to present this two-day conference on emerging technology, trans-disciplinary design, culture and media theory, and biotech. The event will bring together artists, academicians, and technology developers. Register here.
Buyouts New York
Meet new investors, find deal partners, and gain insights from both the buy and sell sides at this two-day conference. Keynote speakers include David Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group, Chris Kojima, managing director and co-head of alternative investments at Goldman Sachs, and Mark Attanasio, managing partner of Crescent Capital Group. Register here.
Imaging, Visualization and Simulation: New Tools for Technology and Healthcare
This day-long conference will focus on the challenge of managing massive data sets in healthcare.Presentations will feature ideas for data processing, integration, analysis, and simulation in research technology, including modeling protein dynamics with atomic-level resolution, and 4-dimensional cardiac imaging. Register here.
Columbia Stem Cell Day 2011
This daylong series of talks on tapping the potential of stem cells for human health features a keynote address by David T. Scadden, co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Register here.
Pixable Pulls In $3.6M More
New York City-based Pixable, an online photo-management startup with roots at MIT, says it has raised $3.6 million in Series B financing led by Menlo Ventures. Previous investor Highland Capital Partners also participated in the round. Pixable (not to be confused with Cambridge, MA-based Pixability) was founded in 2009 by three MIT alums including CEO … Continue reading “Pixable Pulls In $3.6M More”
Could a Game Be the Answer to Your E-mail Woes?
E-mail is the great savior and scourge of our time. We couldn’t get much done without it. Yet as regular readers know, I have an ongoing feud with my inbox. I’ve declared e-mail bankruptcy (twice), I’ve adopted tools like Taskforce that help turn e-mails into to-do list items, and I’ve tried filtering options like Gmail’s … Continue reading “Could a Game Be the Answer to Your E-mail Woes?”
Pixable Garners $3,600,000 Series B Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d3bf4dde-5d99-457b-bacb-7610c7c81ca1&Preview=1 Date 4/22/2011 Company Name Pixable Mailing Address 160 Varick Street New York, NY 10013 Company Description The company operates a website and service that allows users to print their Facebook and other social networking website content. Website http://www.Pixable.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,600,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Pixable Garners $3,600,000 Series B Round”
Former Pfizer R&D Chief Urges Big Pharma To Go Small
Dr. Peter Corr thinks the business model that underpinned Big Pharma for years is irrevocably broken. And he should know. Dr. Corr, a former global research and development chief for Pfizer, witnessed firsthand how big corporations approached product development, which, he says, was not particularly impressive. In fact, it was downright dysfunctional, Dr. Corr says. … Continue reading “Former Pfizer R&D Chief Urges Big Pharma To Go Small”
Social Shopping Sites Storm NYC, Offering Everything From Indian Goods to Makeup
On Monday, I wrote about three new websites that are part of a plethora of online fashion-based startups in New York City. A Forrester analyst described the phenomenon using the dreaded “B” word: “bubble.” Here’s a list of all the companies I’ve found in NYC. Let me know if I missed any, and if you … Continue reading “Social Shopping Sites Storm NYC, Offering Everything From Indian Goods to Makeup”
Five Questions for IBM on Watson, Jeopardy, and Real-World Applications for Sophisticated Analytics
In mid-February, IBM’s Watson computer was the biggest star on television. In a three-day tournament against former Jeopardy champs Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, Watson was the hands-down champion, winning more than $77,000. To create Watson, IBM had to engineer analytics technology that could sift through the equivalent of one million books and find a … Continue reading “Five Questions for IBM on Watson, Jeopardy, and Real-World Applications for Sophisticated Analytics”
Scanbuy Completes Oversubscribed $12.5 Million Funding
New York-based Scanbuy, which makes mobile barcode technology, said in a statement that it had completed a $12.5 million funding round. Investors included Motorola Solutions Venture Capital and Hudson Ventures. Scanbuy markets ScanLife, a barcode-reading application for mobile devices. Scanbuy said the funding round was oversubscribed, a phenomenon the company attributes to a 1,600 percent … Continue reading “Scanbuy Completes Oversubscribed $12.5 Million Funding”
KellBenx Locks Up $2.5 Million Seed Round
KellBenx, a New York-based company developing prenatal diagnostic tests, raised $2.5 million from four investors, according to a press release. The announcement came just days after KellBenx secured an agreement with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to develop a new blood test designed to predict the risk of premature births early in pregnancy. The test may even … Continue reading “KellBenx Locks Up $2.5 Million Seed Round”
Triangulating VC Activity: Third Survey Shows Q1 Increase in Invested Capital
Another survey on venture capital activity during the first quarter shows that venture investors put $6.4 billion into 661 startups nationwide. That’s a 35 percent increase in capital and a 5 percent rise in deals, according to the report from Dow Jones VentureSource. It’s the third survey to show a substantial increase in the amount … Continue reading “Triangulating VC Activity: Third Survey Shows Q1 Increase in Invested Capital”
KellBenx Obtains $2,500,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=01f3ab03-3e90-437d-a112-695f00483860&Preview=1 Date 4/21/2011 Company Name KellBenx Mailing Address 61 Alhambra Road Massapequa, NY 11758 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 to improve women’s … Continue reading “KellBenx Obtains $2,500,000 New Funding Round”
Aristotle Circle Secures $2,000,000 Series B Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f7b0c0d2-c17c-4bda-8c71-ebe516a1f42c&Preview=1 Date 4/21/2011 Company Name Aristotle Circle Mailing Address 475 Park Ave. S. Fourth Floor New York, NY 10016 Company Description Aristotle Circle helps parents and students globally, by connecting applicants with education and admission experts. The company offers services ranging from pre-K to graduate school. Website http://www.aristotlecircle.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Aristotle Circle Secures $2,000,000 Series B Round”
New York’s ACRE Incubator is Churning Out Cleantech Startups, and Helping Build a New Engine for the City’s Economy
Micah Kotch, operations director of New York City’s only cleantech incubator, has developed a bit of a complex. The incubator, called NYC ACRE (Accelerator for a Clean & Renewable Economy), is housed within New York University’s better-known technology incubator on Varick Street. Since ACRE started up in July 2009, Kotch has watched a procession of … Continue reading “New York’s ACRE Incubator is Churning Out Cleantech Startups, and Helping Build a New Engine for the City’s Economy”
Extension Entertainment Raises Funding for MP3 Browser Tech
New York-based Extension Entertainment raised $750,000 in an equity-based funding round, according to an SEC filing. The company developed an extension for the Chrome browser that allows music lovers to organize, stream, and share MP3 files from any website as they’re browsing the Internet. Extension Entertainment previously raised a $500,000 seed round in 2010 from … Continue reading “Extension Entertainment Raises Funding for MP3 Browser Tech”
ScanBuy Garners $5,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=31b7199d-1b52-42a4-8ddb-4463b4b5bb20&Preview=1 Date 4/20/2011 Company Name ScanBuy Mailing Address 54 West 39th Street 4th Floor New York, NY 10018 Company Description SCANBUY enables camera phones to capture and immediately decode printed or electronically displayed barcodes. One scan to stream music, watch trailers, download ringtones, access information, and shop with your cell phone. Website … Continue reading “ScanBuy Garners $5,000,000 New Financing Round”
exfm Garners $750,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2c161b71-50c8-4587-8fb3-d6bbb94fa3f8&Preview=1 Date 4/20/2011 Company Name exfm Mailing Address 199 Lafayette St. New York, NY 10012 Company Description exfm is a browser extension for Chrome that turns the entire web into your personal music library. As you browse, ExtensionFM runs in the background indexing every MP3 file you come across, building a music … Continue reading “exfm Garners $750,000 New Financing Round”
Four Kinds of Startups
Since part of my job at Redstar Ventures is to meet as many entrepreneurs as possible who might want to co-found a startup with us, I’ve swilled plenty of coffee at Voltage and Peet’s swapping ideas with many a bright, passionate, and inventive entrepreneur. Somewhere into my second gallon of cappuccino, I began to notice … Continue reading “Four Kinds of Startups”
Adaptly Scores $1.4 Million Funding
New York-based Adaptly, which describes itself on its website as “the easiest way to advertise across the social Web,” has raised $1.4 million of an equity-based funding round that could hit $2 million, according to an SEC filing. Adaptly provides a single technology platform that its clients can use to advertise across multiple social networks, … Continue reading “Adaptly Scores $1.4 Million Funding”
Postling, from Etsy.com Veterans, Looks to Manage Social Media for the Non-Tech-Savvy Business Owner
Your average doctor who owns his practice doesn’t exactly have time to monitor Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, YouTube, and blogs all day for comments and reviews on his business, says entrepreneur David Lifson. Yet a busy doctor is just the type of customer that Lifson is targeting with Postling, the startup he co-founded in New York … Continue reading “Postling, from Etsy.com Veterans, Looks to Manage Social Media for the Non-Tech-Savvy Business Owner”
Acorda Issued Patent on MS Drug Following Days of Speculation
Hawthorne, NY-based Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on the company’s 10 milligram, sustained-release version of dalfampridine (Ampyra) to treat multiple sclerosis. The patent is set to expire in 2026. Acorda saw its stock skyrocket April 14 on a report from RBC, which speculated that if the … Continue reading “Acorda Issued Patent on MS Drug Following Days of Speculation”
Kohort Raises $3 Million Seed Round for Social Media Startup
New York-based Kohort launched its social media site today, backed by $3 million in seed funding, according to VentureWire. The lead investor is IA Ventures, with additional funding from a large syndicate that includes High Peaks Venture Partners, Contour Venture Partners, and angel group Anduin Ventures. Kohort is still in stealth mode, though, so its … Continue reading “Kohort Raises $3 Million Seed Round for Social Media Startup”
adapt.ly Garners $1,384,428 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fc28ce75-fc06-4dc5-afe4-8b61f1df057d&Preview=1 Date 4/19/2011 Company Name adapt.ly Mailing Address 301 W. 53rd St. New York, NY 10019 Company Description Adapt.ly constantly monitors advertising data and provides actionable intelligence to constantly improve your ad campaigns. Website http://adapt.ly Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,384,428 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “adapt.ly Garners $1,384,428 New Round”
Tagged Acquires dotSyntax for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2551e29f-ba3f-429d-974a-a4dad567c547&Preview=1 Date 4/19/2011 Company Name dotSyntax Mailing Address 125 Tech Park Dr. Rochester, NY 14623 Company Description Instant Messaging – digsby is a multiprotocol IM client that lets you chat with all your friends on AIM, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, Google Talk, and Jabber with one simple to manage buddy list. Website http://www.digsby.com … Continue reading “Tagged Acquires dotSyntax for Undisclosed Sum”
Bamboom Labs Raises $4.5 Million Seed Round
Bamboom Labs is beta testing a new service in New York designed to let consumers watch their favorite broadcast TV shows on any Internet-connected device. The company has raised $4.5 million from the likes of FirstMark Capital, First Round Capital, Highland Capital Partners, High Line Venture Partners, and SV Angel, according to VentureWire. For $10 … Continue reading “Bamboom Labs Raises $4.5 Million Seed Round”
New Shopping Sites Combine Personalization And Social Media, But Experts Warn of a Bubble
Need a little fashion advice? Click onto WingTipIt, a Web site launching this week, and assemble your own virtual closet of clothes you covet—then seek feedback from friends via Facebook. Or if accessories are more your thing, click over to Send the Trend, fill out a quick survey, and you’ll receive a list of jewels, … Continue reading “New Shopping Sites Combine Personalization And Social Media, But Experts Warn of a Bubble”
Regeneron’s AMD Drug Gets Priority Review With FDA
The FDA has granted priority review status to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]) experimental treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a press release. The drug, called VEGF Trap-Eye, is specifically designed to treat the neovascular form of the disease, which is commonly known as “wet AMD.” The target date for the FDA to hand over … Continue reading “Regeneron’s AMD Drug Gets Priority Review With FDA”
Synthes Confirms J&J Merger Talks
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]) is in discussions with Swiss medical device maker Synthes about a potential merger, according to a statement today from Synthes. Rumors emerged on Friday that New Brunswick, NJ-based J&J was considering picking up Synthes for as much as $20 billion. Synthes makes a variety of devices used in spinal surgery, hand … Continue reading “Synthes Confirms J&J Merger Talks”
Biotech’s Missed Opportunity: Small-Town and Rural America
The biotech and pharmaceutical industry is full of people who went to the top universities, live in the fanciest neighborhoods, and work for brand-name companies. But this industry needs to start thinking more about millions of people who are mostly an afterthought today. I’m talking about people who live in America’s small cities and rural … Continue reading “Biotech’s Missed Opportunity: Small-Town and Rural America”
Everyday Health Garners $1,200,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a2a343f2-8a04-41c0-ade1-610f82608b7a&Preview=1 Date 4/18/2011 Company Name Everyday Health Mailing Address 345 Hudson St. 16th Floor New York, NY 10014 Company Description The company provides consumers, healthcare professionals, and brands with content and advertising-based services across a broad portfolio of over 25 websites that span the health spectrum – from lifestyle offerings in pregnancy, … Continue reading “Everyday Health Garners $1,200,000 New Funding Round”
Pfizer Releases Top Line Data on Novel RA Drug
Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) announced that the 10 milligram dose of tofacitinib, its experimental JAK inhibitor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), met all primary endpoints in a phase 3 study. Patients taking the drug showed statistically significant changes in the signs and symptoms of the disease, as well as a slowing of structural damage of the joints, when compared … Continue reading “Pfizer Releases Top Line Data on Novel RA Drug”
AmEx Backs Payfone’s Mobile Check-Out System
American Express (NYSE: [[ticker:AXP]]) is teaming up with New York-based Payfone to create a mobile payment processing service, according to a press release. The two companies plan to combine Payfone’s mobile authorization system with AmEx’s new digital payments platform, called Serve. This will allow consumers to pay for online purchases using their cell phone numbers. Payfone also … Continue reading “AmEx Backs Payfone’s Mobile Check-Out System”
Reporter’s Notebook: A Dozen Digital Media Discoveries
Every day, I come across loads of interesting material that I’d love to blog about but can’t because I don’t have the time or the right venue. I usually just stick this stuff into Evernote and tell myself I’ll write about it later. Well, it’s later. In today’s column I want to round up a … Continue reading “Reporter’s Notebook: A Dozen Digital Media Discoveries”
Why Do I Love Drug Regulation? Simple: It Keeps Us Safe
I frequently read comments from pundits and politicians decrying the US drug regulatory system, specifically the FDA. Many of these people, reading from the same PR playbook, will try to convince you that regulation is the primary factor in stifling innovation. But based on history, I am convinced that without adequate government regulation, companies in … Continue reading “Why Do I Love Drug Regulation? Simple: It Keeps Us Safe”
Bamboom Labs Obtains $4,500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a739b168-c5ec-4935-acf7-7cd2b6360460&Preview=1 Date 4/15/2011 Company Name Bamboom Labs Mailing Address 37-18 Northern Blvd. Long Island City, NY 11101 Company Description Bamboom is a bold new technology that revolutionizes the way consumers watch broadcast TV. Based in New York, NY, Bamboom provides the only true infrastructure platform that enables consumers to access live, over-the-air … Continue reading “Bamboom Labs Obtains $4,500,000 New Round”
INVIDI Technologies Lands $49,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2cd3a3d2-2481-4a84-aef4-9c57e32c9bc6&Preview=1 Date 4/15/2011 Company Name INVIDI Technologies Mailing Address 420 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10170 Company Description INVIDI Technologies Corporation is the world’s only truly addressable targeted television advertising and marketing solution for cable, satellite and IPTV service providers at the headend, household and individual viewer level. Website http://www.invidi.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “INVIDI Technologies Lands $49,000,000 New Round”
Acorda Stock Halted as Shares Skyrocket on Patent Speculation
Shares of Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) skyrocketed nearly 27 percent on the NASDAQ exchange to $27.13 today—before being halted mid-afternoon—when RBC Capital Markets speculated in a report that the patent on the company’s multiple sclerosis (MS) drug, dalfampridine (Ampyra), might extend for longer than initially expected. RBC analysts noted that filings from the US Patent and … Continue reading “Acorda Stock Halted as Shares Skyrocket on Patent Speculation”
TechStars Inaugural New York Demo Day Spotlights NYC Web Startups Focused on Fashion, Real Estate, Classifieds, Education, & More
There was a long line outside of historic Webster Hall nightclub in New York this morning, where the marquis—quite appropriately—read “Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained.” A mix of more than 700 startup investors, journalists, and other interested parties showed up to check out TechStars’ first New York Demo Day. TechStars is a mentorship program for startups … Continue reading “TechStars Inaugural New York Demo Day Spotlights NYC Web Startups Focused on Fashion, Real Estate, Classifieds, Education, & More”
Proper Cloth Tackles Custom Shirt Design Online for the Novice to the Expert
Seph Skerritt, a New York entrepreneur, says he has a foolproof way to solve a problem well-known to many New York men—how to find a perfect fitting dress shirt. Skerritt’s company, Proper Cloth, offers an online interface enabling men to custom create dress shirts based on their desired measurements, style, fit, and fabric. I know … Continue reading “Proper Cloth Tackles Custom Shirt Design Online for the Novice to the Expert”
Looking Up: First Quarter Venture Capital Deals & Dollars Rise
Venture capital investments surged during the first three months of 2011, driven mostly by sharply increased funding for Internet and cleantech-renewable energy startups, according to CB Insights, a New York information and data services firm. Venture investors sunk a total of $7.5 billion into 738 deals throughout the country during the first quarter, a 27 … Continue reading “Looking Up: First Quarter Venture Capital Deals & Dollars Rise”