Category: Raleigh-Durham

Seven Major Cancer Centers To Pool Patients’ Gene, Health Data

Here and there, the genetic information of a cancer patient has helped a doctor find that person the right drug or steer her away from the wrong one. But the use of genetic knowledge to improve people’s health is in its infancy. That’s why seven major cancer treatment centers in North America and Europe are … Continue reading “Seven Major Cancer Centers To Pool Patients’ Gene, Health Data”

To Be or Not To Be An Equity Crowdfunding Portal?

After the pioneering crowdfunding sites Indiegogo and Kickstarter set up shop roughly seven years ago, other entrepreneurs were saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Those fundraising platforms quickly scaled up, offering inventors, artists, and others an online meeting place where they could appeal for contributions to get their projects off the ground. The fundraising … Continue reading “To Be or Not To Be An Equity Crowdfunding Portal?”

Fuzzy Logix Lands $5,500,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7904d68c-4a3a-4118-ba81-c33a63553a56 Date 11/4/2015 Company Name Fuzzy Logix Mailing Address 10735 David Taylor Dr. Charlotte, NC 28262 USA Company Description Fuzzy Logix is an analytics software and professional services company. We provide a new generation of in-database analytic solutions which help companies make smarter decisions and improve effectiveness and performance. Website http://www.fuzzyl.com Transaction … Continue reading “Fuzzy Logix Lands $5,500,000 Series A Round”

Big Data Analytics Startup Fuzzy Logix Raises $5.5M in Series A

There’s no shortage of big data analytics companies pledging to help industries make greater sense—and use—of the data they have. Startup Fuzzy Logix is throwing its hat into the ring with a $5.5 million fundraising round to scale its growth. New Science Ventures led the Series A round for Charlotte, NC-based Fuzzy Logix, which markets … Continue reading “Big Data Analytics Startup Fuzzy Logix Raises $5.5M in Series A”

Even With New Crowdfunding Rules, No Easy Path Forward For Biotechs

[Corrected 11/3/15, 1:18pm. See below.] As Xconomy reported Friday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has finally filled in the missing pieces in the equity crowdfunding puzzle, giving private startups clearer rules about selling equity to the investor masses through Internet portals. In her opening remarks before the SEC commissioners voted 3-1 to approve nationwide … Continue reading “Even With New Crowdfunding Rules, No Easy Path Forward For Biotechs”

Bristol-Myers to Add Cardioxyl’s Heart Failure Drug With $300M Deal

Bristol-Myers Squibb is set to buy Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals and its portfolio of clinical and pre-clinical heart drugs in a deal that boosts the big pharma company’s cardiovascular drug pipeline. Under the definitive agreement announced this morning, New York-based Bristol-Myers (NYSE: [[ticker:BMS]]) will pay up to $300 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments to acquire … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers to Add Cardioxyl’s Heart Failure Drug With $300M Deal”

What’s Next for Storage?

The evolution of business technology is constant, but not uniform. Sometimes the changes are revolutionary, such as the word processor replacing the typewriter or the 1991 debut of the World Wide Web. Other changes are iterative, such as new versions of word processing software or Web browsers. After decades of only experiencing iterative changes, the … Continue reading “What’s Next for Storage?”

Bristol-Meyers Squibb Acquires Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals for $2,075,000,000

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=50a03547-6f0e-4609-bb65-0f58781fdcaf Date 11/2/2015 Company Name Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 1450 Raleigh Road Chapel Hill, NC 27517 USA Company Description Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals’ mission is the discovery and development of newclasses of safe and effective therapeutic agents for the treatment ofcardiovascular disease. Cardioxyl’s initial program is a novel medication forthe treatment of acute decompensated … Continue reading “Bristol-Meyers Squibb Acquires Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals for $2,075,000,000”

At Long Last, SEC Provides Final Equity Crowdfunding Rules

[Corrected 11/2/15, 12:30 pm. See below.] Mom and Pop, you can now buy shares in the bakery down the street, or in your son’s girlfriend’s sister’s tech startup. That, in effect, was the message the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sent today, voting to give retail investors the right to buy shares in tiny private … Continue reading “At Long Last, SEC Provides Final Equity Crowdfunding Rules”

Pendo’s Engagement Software Clicks With VCs, Sparking $11M Round

Pendo, a company whose software helps companies glean insights about their customers by analyzing their Web behavior, has raised $11 million in a Series A round of financing. Battery Ventures led the round, joined by Salesforce Ventures and existing investors Contour Venture Partners, Core Capital Partners, and IDEA Fund Partners. With Pendo’s new financing, Battery … Continue reading “Pendo’s Engagement Software Clicks With VCs, Sparking $11M Round”

Spreedly Secures $2,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f5b57bbd-0b66-4bad-a58d-759a05272354 Date 10/28/2015 Company Name Spreedly Mailing Address 116 West Main Street Durham, NC 27701 USA Company Description Formed in 2008 Spreedly was a simple, elegant subscription management service. Built by developers for developers, we placed an emphasis on solving difficult business challenges around online recurring payments. Over time we realized the … Continue reading “Spreedly Secures $2,000,000 New Round”

Pendo Lands $11,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=11643678-96ad-4d45-9861-e47b11747eec Date 10/28/2015 Company Name Pendo Mailing Address 310 S. Harrington St. Raleigh, NC 27603 USA Company Description Pendo was founded in late 2013 by former product owners that have experienced the joys and challenges of creating great products at companies like Rally, Google, Cisco, and Red Hat among others. Our platform … Continue reading “Pendo Lands $11,000,000 Series A Funding”

Patheon’s Mullen: Drug Price Debate Could Shape Pharma’s Future

Even as Patheon CEO Jim Mullen sees promise in the scientific advances made in drug development, he says many of the pharmaceutical industry’s challenges ahead are economic. With pharmacoeconomics—the comparison of the economic value of therapies—playing a greater role in how insurance companies cover medicines, it’s critical for companies to think about reimbursement early on, … Continue reading “Patheon’s Mullen: Drug Price Debate Could Shape Pharma’s Future”

Intel Acquires Saffron Technology for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dcf43fe4-d4a0-4ad7-aae5-c25dc6b2e19b Date 10/27/2015 Company Name Saffron Technology Mailing Address 1000 Centregreen Way Cary, NC 27513 USA Company Description Saffron Technology combines the genius methods of the human brain with the power of computing to enable more informed decisions in every data-intensive field. Website http://ww2.saffrontech.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round … Continue reading “Intel Acquires Saffron Technology for Undisclosed Sum”

BioDelivery Sciences Opioid Gets FDA Approval for Chronic Pain

BioDelivery Sciences International has received FDA approval for a chronic pain treatment that uses the company’s proprietary drug-delivery technology. With the regulatory nod, Raleigh, NC-based BioDelivery (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BDSI]]) is now in line for a $50 million milestone payment from Endo Pharmaceuticals, the unit of Endo International (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ENDP]]) that licensed the treatment in 2012. The … Continue reading “BioDelivery Sciences Opioid Gets FDA Approval for Chronic Pain”

RevBoss Obtains $1,100,000 Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b2edb4de-ad5e-4c23-b6af-1c2f309cc9bc Date 10/23/2015 Company Name RevBoss Mailing Address 1025 Sycamore St. Durham, NC 27707 USA Company Description RevBoss enables SaaS / B2B companies to “push a button, get a sales pipeline”. Our software helps our customers drive revenue by accelerating top-of-the-funnel activity through outbound sales development. Website http://www.revboss.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “RevBoss Obtains $1,100,000 Seed Financing”

LabCentral Backers Planning $150M Venture Fund For Biotech Startups

[Corrected 10/29/15, 12:52 am. See below.] Boom or not, there’s always a need for startup capital in biotech. A new source is about to emerge. The founders of LabCentral and Cambridge BioLabs, well-known biotech incubators in Cambridge, MA, are on the verge of closing what they hope to be a $150 million early-stage fund for … Continue reading “LabCentral Backers Planning $150M Venture Fund For Biotech Startups”

Biogen to Cut 400 Jobs in Massachusetts in Big Restructuring

Biogen’s rise and fall this year has been symbolic of the sector’s bull run and recent retreat, which is why all eyes were squarely on the Cambridge, MA-based company’s latest sales numbers this morning. Those numbers beat expectations, but they were overcast by some bigger news: Biogen has hunkered down, and cut a bunch of … Continue reading “Biogen to Cut 400 Jobs in Massachusetts in Big Restructuring”

Humacyte Lands $150M Series B for Phase 3 Study of Lab-Grown Veins

Regenerative medicine company Humacyte has nabbed $150 million in financing to take its lab-grown blood vessels into late-stage testing. The funding for the Research Triangle Park, NC-based company comes from a group of new and existing investors including Access Industries, Bangkok Bank Public Company Ltd., Pacific Eagle Asset Management, Reignwood Group, and individual investors Brady … Continue reading “Humacyte Lands $150M Series B for Phase 3 Study of Lab-Grown Veins”

What’s Your DNA Worth? The Scramble To Cash In On the Genome

The consumer genome. You’ll hear that phrase enough the next couple years that it will gain both the weight and lightness of inevitability. It will feel inevitable because, as we’ve been hearing for years now, DNA is just another long string of crunchable, malleable, transportable code, so it’s just the next destination for the digital … Continue reading “What’s Your DNA Worth? The Scramble To Cash In On the Genome”

Humacyte Secures $150,000,000 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fde22cf5-50de-4485-a2ae-2ce919adb28d Date 10/20/2015 Company Name Humacyte Mailing Address 7020 Kit Creek Rd. Morrisville, NC 27560 USA Company Description Humacyte’s core technology is the engineering of human-based tissue scaffolds that can be shaped into tubes, sheets, or particulate conformations and can be applied to many specific applications. Website http://www.humacyte.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Humacyte Secures $150,000,000 Series B Funding”

As SEC Mulls Equity Crowdfunding, CA Entrepreneurs Test Other Options

California is one of the dominant U.S. producers of fruits, nuts, vegetables—and tech startups. In the Silicon Valley, the startups sprouting up each season are nurtured by a host of accelerators and incubators as well as VCs and angel investors providing seed funding. That still leaves some startups hungry for cash, but California is not … Continue reading “As SEC Mulls Equity Crowdfunding, CA Entrepreneurs Test Other Options”

Could North Carolina’s Next Wave of Innovation Come From the Sea?

Diabetics may someday be able to ditch daily needle sticks and opt instead for a less frequent injection of tiny insulin-bearing particles to manage their blood sugar. Key to this experimental drug delivery method is the source material: shrimp shells and seaweed. This nanoparticle technology, developed in labs at the joint biomedical engineering program at … Continue reading “Could North Carolina’s Next Wave of Innovation Come From the Sea?”

Discovery Over Dogma at Today’s Innovative University

There’s a rich and often controversial conversation going on right now about the role that colleges and universities should play in preparing students—and our society—for the future. One of the most provocative voices in this discussion belongs to David Brooks, the always-thoughtful and always sensitive columnist for The New York Times. Recently, Brooks advanced the … Continue reading “Discovery Over Dogma at Today’s Innovative University”

Envisia Therapeutics Obtains $4,600,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5c82acac-99d6-47ec-bcdf-cae7fa30ce06 Date 10/19/2015 Company Name Envisia Therapeutics Mailing Address P.O. Box 110065 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 USA Company Description Envisia encourages applications from highly motivated individuals who excel in their field of expertise and enjoy a fast-paced, challenging work environment. Website http://www.envisiatherapeutics.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $4,600,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Envisia Therapeutics Obtains $4,600,000 New Funding”

Cempra Antibiotic Hits Phase 3 Target, FDA Filing Planned

Cempra’s next-generation antibiotic, which has been touted as a potential blockbuster, is moving toward an FDA filing on news that the drug achieved positive results in a Phase 3 clinical trial. Chapel Hill, NC-based Cempra (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CEMP]]) said this morning that an intravenous form of its drug, solithromycin, was successful treating patients with community-acquired bacterial … Continue reading “Cempra Antibiotic Hits Phase 3 Target, FDA Filing Planned”

Retaking Control of the Hotel Digital Experience

The digital entertainment landscape is constantly changing and the rapid adoption of mobile devices coupled with cloud-based platforms has revolutionized how people consume TV. This has led to significant challenges, particularly in the hospitality industry where companies are struggling to adapt to the changing demands of their consumers. But with change comes opportunity. The ability … Continue reading “Retaking Control of the Hotel Digital Experience”

Q3 Venture Funding Surges Near Record Levels, and Top 10 Deals

Buoyed by some giant deals, venture capital continues to flow at near-record levels in 2015, according to just-released data from two nationwide surveys that track quarterly VC activity. While the $16.3 billion that venture firms put into 1,070 deals in the third quarter was down a notch from the previous quarter, according to the MoneyTree … Continue reading “Q3 Venture Funding Surges Near Record Levels, and Top 10 Deals”

Triad Semiconductor Secures $3,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ffc28c26-353c-490c-93b1-733d05ec194c Date 10/16/2015 Company Name Triad Semiconductor Mailing Address 1760 Jonestown Road Winston-Salem, NC 27103 USA Company Description Triad Semiconductor was founded in August 2002. Our early years were focused on developing configurable analog and digital technology for the mixed signal ASIC market. This enormous undertaking has resulted in patent protected silicon … Continue reading “Triad Semiconductor Secures $3,000,000 New Financing Round”

Is the Hit TV Series “Mr. Robot” an Accurate Portrayal of Hackers?

This summer, USA Network premiered the series Mr. Robot, a drama/thriller that uses computer security and hacking as plot devices. Elliot Alderson, the protagonist, is a reclusive computer security professional who suffers from social anxiety disorder and delusions. When someone triggers his curiosity, he hacks their online accounts, from social media to bank accounts, in … Continue reading “Is the Hit TV Series “Mr. Robot” an Accurate Portrayal of Hackers?”

Selling Your Company? Don’t Make These Five Common Mistakes

You always believed your startup would be a success. Now others are realizing it, too, and you’re fielding offers for an acquisition of your company. Before you ink any agreements, protect your company, your employees, and yourself by avoiding these five common mistakes. Rushing to sell. Take the case of a biotech startup CEO, who found himself literally … Continue reading “Selling Your Company? Don’t Make These Five Common Mistakes”

Viamet Names Former Quintiles Executive Cohen to Management Team

Viamet Pharmaceuticals has hired Quintiles (NYSE: [[ticker:Q]]) veteran Oren Cohen to become the company’s chief medical officer as the Durham, NC, company presses forward in clinical trials. Cohen had previously worked as senior vice president, global head, early clinical development, as well as chief medical officer for Quintiles, a contract research organization also based in … Continue reading “Viamet Names Former Quintiles Executive Cohen to Management Team”

Driven by Big Deals, VC Funding So Far Already Has Eclipsed 2014

U.S. venture firms invested $19.8 billion in 1,035 companies during the third quarter that ended September 30, putting VC funding on track to reach a five-year high, according to a quarterly Venture Pulse Report being released today by CB Insights and KPMG. While the deal count was lower than the 1,276 companies that got venture … Continue reading “Driven by Big Deals, VC Funding So Far Already Has Eclipsed 2014”

5 Risk Management Practices Innovators Should Follow

High-tech and investment company startups plan for big successes – and this planning should include putting in place features that startup leaders may think are only necessary for established companies. However, whether business is boom or bust, new business leaders should seriously consider tried-and-true best practices. Before you launch your business with customers or take … Continue reading “5 Risk Management Practices Innovators Should Follow”

K4Connect Lands $1,900,000 Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=66eadf5d-1093-47a5-946f-982299814b42 Date 10/13/2015 Company Name K4Connect Mailing Address 19 W Hargett St. Raleigh, NC 27601 USA Company Description K4Connect is a systems integration company connecting any number of disparate devices, systems and applications into a single cohesive system – whether in your home, office, or anywhere in-between. Website http://www.k4connect.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “K4Connect Lands $1,900,000 Seed Financing”

Infinite IO Chief: Dell’s $67B EMC Deal Makes It ‘One-Stop Shop’

The monumental Dell-EMC merger is a sign that, among other things, Dell can now be a competitor to the likes of Hewlett-Packard and IBM in selling everything from servers to storage to networking. While Dell may have already offered those services, EMC makes its storage offering “premier,” according to Mark Cree, the CEO and founder … Continue reading “Infinite IO Chief: Dell’s $67B EMC Deal Makes It ‘One-Stop Shop’”

For $67B, Dell-EMC Deal May Have Little Impact on Tech Industry

OK, so this really happened. For $67 billion, the biggest technology deal in history. What’s surprising is how little impact people seem to think it will have on the industry. Texas computer giant Dell has agreed to acquire Hopkinton, MA-based EMC (NYSE: [[ticker:EMC]]) for roughly $67 billion in cash and stock in VMware (NYSE: [[ticker:VMW]]), … Continue reading “For $67B, Dell-EMC Deal May Have Little Impact on Tech Industry”

Solar Makes NC Cleantech Shine, But Tax Credit Expiry Clouds Future

While biotech and software are the sectors commonly associated with North Carolina innovation, cleantech has quietly emerged as its own economic bright spot. North Carolina’s renewable energy capacity now totals more than 1 gigawatt, making it the fourth state to cross that threshold. Much of the growth has come from solar installations. North Carolina’s 396.6 … Continue reading “Solar Makes NC Cleantech Shine, But Tax Credit Expiry Clouds Future”

Better Batteries for Future Energy Demands

We often take for granted the fact that when we flick a switch a light turns on. In reality, the seemingly simple act of turning on a light is a complicated process that requires a precise balance between generation and transmission of energy as demand varies throughout the day. With consumers increasingly interested in getting their … Continue reading “Better Batteries for Future Energy Demands”

Techstars’ Cohen on Promoting Diversity and Preparing for a Downturn

Techstars has made its views on diversity in the tech sector no secret. The Boulder, CO-based accelerator operator made commitments to the White House earlier this year, alongside various other prominent national organizations, to improve diversity in the industry by doubling the number of women or underrepresented minorities in its startup programs. Even more recently, … Continue reading “Techstars’ Cohen on Promoting Diversity and Preparing for a Downturn”

Biopharma CEOs, VCs, and Hedge Fund Managers: Fifty Shades of Greed

I just returned from a family vacation and was going through my accumulated mail. I got a notice that the terms of my auto loan were being adjusted. Instead of paying $300 a month, I was shocked to find out that I would now be paying $16,667 per month. My car company (the lender) explained … Continue reading “Biopharma CEOs, VCs, and Hedge Fund Managers: Fifty Shades of Greed”

Netsertive Receives $15,000,000 Series C Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=10a2a40e-d536-4af0-a2e6-c5eed6a6b927 Date 10/7/2015 Company Name Netsertive Mailing Address 2400 Perimeter Park Drive Morrisville, NC 27560 USA Company Description We wrote the book on using technology to localize online marketing for small & medium businesses and deliver national online exposure through local online channels. Website http://www.netsertive.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 … Continue reading “Netsertive Receives $15,000,000 Series C Funding”

Spreedly Receives $500,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bb74cdec-e5db-4c89-84f7-c7e1af738ce6 Date 10/7/2015 Company Name Spreedly Mailing Address 116 West Main Street Durham, NC 27701 USA Company Description Formed in 2008 Spreedly was a simple, elegant subscription management service. Built by developers for developers, we placed an emphasis on solving difficult business challenges around online recurring payments. Over time we realized the … Continue reading “Spreedly Receives $500,000 New Financing”

Avadim Technologies Secures $2,334,750 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9ec959ee-15e8-4710-afbf-eb0914101dbf Date 10/7/2015 Company Name Avadim Technologies Mailing Address 81 Thompson St. Asheville, NC 28801 USA Company Description Avadim Technologies,Inc was formed in 2007 in hopes of providing the healthcare community a variety of Therapeutic Skin Care products. The mission of Avadim Technologies, Inc is to provide innovative, evidence based, therapeutic skin … Continue reading “Avadim Technologies Secures $2,334,750 New Financing”

Raleigh-Durham Roundup: RTP Park Center, Liquidia, Novan, & More

Here are the highlights in life science news as the Carolinas starts to dry out from a soggy 12 straight days of rain: —The Research Triangle Foundation, which manages Research Triangle Park, secured $50 million from public and private sources to finance the first phase of Park Center, a redevelopment project that will bring a … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: RTP Park Center, Liquidia, Novan, & More”

Amid Nobel Prize Suspense, Making Sense Of Latest Gene-Editing News

There was a meeting Monday in Washington, D.C., to discuss some of the latest advances in gene editing, a field that has profound medical, agricultural, social, and ethical implications for society. At the lunch break, the webcast played over and over a genteel piece of classical music—Albinoni’s string concerto No. 4 in G major, to … Continue reading “Amid Nobel Prize Suspense, Making Sense Of Latest Gene-Editing News”

AtriCure Acquires nContact Surgical for $149,000,000

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bde2f82a-ae2e-46db-be2f-40014b01a11b Date 10/6/2015 Company Name nContact Surgical Mailing Address 1001 Aviation Pkwy. Morrisville, NC 27560 USA Company Description nContact is a medical device company founded in 2005 with a mission to develop devices for the endoscopic treatment of arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AF). Website http://www.ncontactsurgical.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount $149,000,000 Transaction … Continue reading “AtriCure Acquires nContact Surgical for $149,000,000”

AtriCure to Buy Heart Device Developer nContact for $99M

NContact, a medical device company focused on treatments for heart rhythm disorders, is set to be acquired by AtriCure in a cash and stock deal valued at $99 million. AtriCure (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ATRC]]), a company that also focuses on devices treating arrhythmias, says it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Morrisville, NC-based nContact for $91 … Continue reading “AtriCure to Buy Heart Device Developer nContact for $99M”

From Dance Clubs to Syn Bio: MIT’s Collins on Startups, Second Chances

It happens over and over again with new science. A discovery prompts crazy hype and massive investment that the data aren’t ready to support. A crash ensues, backers lose millions, egos are bruised—yet the pioneers slowly trudge forward. They regroup, away from the limelight, and try to learn from failure. When it comes to synthetic … Continue reading “From Dance Clubs to Syn Bio: MIT’s Collins on Startups, Second Chances”