Recession gripped the nation in early 2009, and many startups in San Diego were locked in a desperate struggle to survive. So Connect CEO Duane Roth inaugurated a showcase event for local startups that was initially billed as The La Jolla Research & Innovation Summit. Roth defied conventional wisdom, which was intimidated by the liquidity … Continue reading “Live! Anderson & Ferrara Headline Rock Stars of Innovation Summit”
Category: San Diego
Build Credibility As You Build Your Business
Whether you are a first-time entrepreneur or a veteran company executive, the one aspect of growing a business and raising capital, or selling a product rarely discussed at seminars is the building of your organization’s credibility. It doesn’t get much attention when you issue your quarterly report because it is not always easy to measure … Continue reading “Build Credibility As You Build Your Business”
Novira Therapeutics Garners $7,500,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6fa1f7e2-55a9-4897-8839-2de78ce92a97&Preview=1 Date 3/26/2013 Company Name Novira Therapeutics Mailing Address Undisclosed Los Angeles, CA 90041 Company Description Novira is an antiviral drug discovery company launched in 2009 that is focused on the discovery of novel, first-in-class therapeutics for the treatment of HBV and HIV, two global diseases in need of better therapies. The … Continue reading “Novira Therapeutics Garners $7,500,000 Series A Funding Round”
SpinMedia Obtains $15,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fef904d4-3883-485b-abb5-4630d670fbfb&Preview=1 Date 3/26/2013 Company Name SpinMedia Mailing Address 6464 W Sunset Blvd Hollywood, CA 90028 Company Description 40 million obsessed fans – Consuming over 400 million pageviews each month. They come because SpinMedia understands the complex relationship between brands, content and millennial consumers. We provide a platform that feeds their obsession with … Continue reading “SpinMedia Obtains $15,000,000 New Round”
Airware Obtains $100,000 Seed Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=34c7df9e-849e-42b7-b3e0-2ac307d9c29f&Preview=1 Date 3/26/2013 Company Name Airware Mailing Address 2901 W Coast Highway Newport Beach, CA 92663 Company Description Airware specializes in professional grade, customizable autopilots which act as Development Platforms for micro to mid-size fixed-wing, helicopter, multiple-rotor, and custom configuration UAS. Launching in the Fall of 2012, our os-Series Autopilots integrate hardware, … Continue reading “Airware Obtains $100,000 Seed Round”
Complying with Regulations Doesn’t Have to Slow Down Your Startup
These are exciting times for innovators. Arguably never before have the right opportunities, circumstances, and technologies come together as they have today to create such a fertile ground for the creation of new products and services. Yet one of the biggest obstacles along the way is the increasing burden of regulations. And the ones who … Continue reading “Complying with Regulations Doesn’t Have to Slow Down Your Startup”
Biotech VCs Aren’t Lemmings Anymore. They’re Lone Rangers
A certain song has been running through my head the past few days. Lately, it strikes me as an anthem of sorts for biotech venture capital in 2013. It’s Fleetwood Mac’s classic break-up song, “Go Your Own Way.” Allow me to explain. Biotech venture capital has been going through a shakeout now for a couple … Continue reading “Biotech VCs Aren’t Lemmings Anymore. They’re Lone Rangers”
Meet AstraZeneca Group’s MedImmune Ventures
Prescience International has asked three members of MedImmune Ventures to give an overview of their key areas of interest, background on their portfolio, and best practices in venture capital investing. MedImmune Ventures has been fostering innovation and entrepreneurship by investing in emerging healthcare companies since 2002. MedImmune Ventures is a wholly-owned venture capital fund within … Continue reading “Meet AstraZeneca Group’s MedImmune Ventures”
California Clean Innovation 2013
The California Clean Innovation conference is a joint venture between UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management and UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, and is intended to highlight new innovation in the clean technology industry. The conference includes leaders from business, non-profits, and academia. Breakfast and lunch will be served. There will be tours of … Continue reading “California Clean Innovation 2013”
Today’s Big Trends and the Impact on Life Sciences
Big Data, Social, Cloud, Mobile, and ever-increasing regulatory requirements are all trends impacting the life sciences industries today. Biocom has invited top industry experts to discuss how they are shaping new strategies for Life Sciences companies. More information and online registration is here
Looking Outside Your Own Backyard for Market Entry
As the healthcare landscape continues to change, with clinical trials, regulatory issues, and reimbursement evolving with new ideas, life sciences companies must adjust their go-to-market strategy. To gain the best advantage for the company and the product, that might involve launching outside of the country first. Biocom has asked three companies to discuss how they … Continue reading “Looking Outside Your Own Backyard for Market Entry”
Redefining Success: CalBio 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center
The annual CalBio conference is the only statewide biotech conference, with workshops and sessions focused on how to commercialize the next great discovery in the life sciences, and how to carry breakthroughs in biotechnology and medical devices forward to achieve industrial success. Program includes case studies, the digital future of healthcare, speed-dating with venture capital, … Continue reading “Redefining Success: CalBio 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Health IT, Illumina, & More
San Diego’s digital health community was following a three-day hearing on health IT held in Washington D.C. The House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations said it was focused on potential regulations and taxes on smartphones, tablets, mobile apps and other health-related IT. My roundup of the rest of San Diego’s life sciences news is below. … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Health IT, Illumina, & More”
Saying Farewell to World Wide Wade
They say it’s better to quit while you’re ahead, and I believe them. It’s easy to see what happens when you don’t. Remember season 7 of The West Wing? The second term of Ulysses S. Grant’s presidency? All of the Star Wars prequels? With precedents like that in mind, I’m shutting down World Wide Wade. … Continue reading “Saying Farewell to World Wide Wade”
Pyxis Founder Ron Taylor Joins Connect Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
To the fictional emergency room staff on the Showtime TV series “Nurse Jackie,” the computerized drug dispenser is a source of mischief and dramatic suspense, often referred to as “the Pyxis” or “Pill-o-Matic,” and sometimes as “Not a candy machine!” But to Ron Taylor, the Pyxis Medstation is a real-life San Diego success story. In … Continue reading “Pyxis Founder Ron Taylor Joins Connect Entrepreneur Hall of Fame”
Study Says Medical Device Interoperability Could Save $30B a Year
Like a proverbial Tower of Babel, hospitals nowadays come with medical devices that are unable to share critical data—but innovation enabling health care equipment and systems to share information could save more than $30 billion a year in healthcare costs. That’s the conclusion of a new analysis conducted by the San Diego-based West Health Institute. … Continue reading “Study Says Medical Device Interoperability Could Save $30B a Year”
Drug Development: Let’s Play!
My 9-year-old son is addicted to “Let’s Play” videos on YouTube. You watch videos that take you through level after level of a video game, giving you a preview of what’s to come, or, in my case, a peek at a level I’ll never be skilled enough to reach. Stupid Bowser. But anyway. This is … Continue reading “Drug Development: Let’s Play!”
UCSD Business School’s Venture Fund Joins Texas Startup’s $16M Deal
After launching its student-run Rady Venture Fund three years ago, UCSD’s Rady School of Management says today it has invested $25,000 in its biggest deal so far—a $16 million Series B investment in Savara Pharmaceuticals of Austin, TX. Savara, founded in 2007, is in mid-stage development of an inhaled antibiotic to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus … Continue reading “UCSD Business School’s Venture Fund Joins Texas Startup’s $16M Deal”
Fighting a Global War on Rare Diseases
Are we winning the war against rare, or “orphan,” diseases? A casual observer could be forgiven for thinking so, given the drumroll of news. The crescendo came in 2011, when the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved 26 drugs in this category, meaning for illnesses that afflict fewer than 200,000 people. It was the … Continue reading “Fighting a Global War on Rare Diseases”
A Call for the 113th Congress to Support an Innovation Agenda
While the 113th Congress addresses hot-button issues like gun control, comprehensive immigration reform, sequester spending cuts and the federal budget, a critical issue that greatly impacts our economy and global competitiveness is being overlooked—innovation. Washington’s approach to innovation policy has been fragmented and detached from other prevalent issues, which led CONNECT to develop an innovation … Continue reading “A Call for the 113th Congress to Support an Innovation Agenda”
Sapphire Energy Signs Deal with Tesoro, Begins Year-Round Production
San Diego-based Sapphire Energy says today it has agreed to supply crude oil produced from algae at its “Green Crude Farm” near Columbus, NM, under a new commercial agreement with Tesoro, the independent oil company based in San Antonio, TX. Sapphire says it also has begun year-round production of algae-based crude oil at its New … Continue reading “Sapphire Energy Signs Deal with Tesoro, Begins Year-Round Production”
Excess Healthcare Spending Is Undermining Innovation
I read Luke Timmerman’s article yesterday on ProCure with mixed emotions. My first emotion was that of deep gratitude for the men and women who commit their lives to the science of improving healthcare. I continue to be inspired by these professionals and their incredible contributions to a healthcare industry that is very slow to … Continue reading “Excess Healthcare Spending Is Undermining Innovation”
ViaSat Enrolls 285K in Internet Satellite Service; CEO Talks Costs
As the “Satellite 2013” conference gets underway this week in Washington D.C., Carlsbad, CA-based ViaSat (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VSAT]]) says more than 285,000 subscribers have signed up for its satellite-based Internet service, which began just over a year ago. In a statement yesterday, ViaSat chairman and CEO Mark Dankberg said, “Our results prove that driving down the … Continue reading “ViaSat Enrolls 285K in Internet Satellite Service; CEO Talks Costs”
Should Big Data Businesses Be Forced to Prevent Hacking?
Earlier this year, Twitter admitted they lost personal information on 250,000 or so users to hackers. Other organizations, including the New York Times and the Federal Reserve, reported hackers had been inside their systems. The list of high profile hackings is so long that perhaps the day has come when companies should expect they will … Continue reading “Should Big Data Businesses Be Forced to Prevent Hacking?”
FitDeck Secures $20,000 Seed Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e9d5a5b3-a2f1-4078-b1cd-337a713edc1e&Preview=1 Date 3/19/2013 Company Name FitDeck Mailing Address P.O. Box 22774 San Diego, CA 92192 Company Description FitDeck is a custom deck of playing cards that makes exercise more simple, convenient and fun. By shuffling the cards, you constantly create new and exciting workouts no matter what type of fitness activities you … Continue reading “FitDeck Secures $20,000 Seed Financing Round”
Women, Success, and Corporate Culture: Are These the Values We Want?
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In, is probably right. What it takes to be successful in a U.S. company and what we define as success in America requires the kind of singular focus on developing leadership skills and a strong power base that Sandberg discusses in her book. These are the hard facts of … Continue reading “Women, Success, and Corporate Culture: Are These the Values We Want?”
Smart Tech Spending for Startups
At a startup, all decisions about hiring, product development, or marketing campaigns have to align with cash flow. One area that can eat into funding is technology spending. How does a young startup know which technology to spend in, and which technology they need? Oftentimes, the trends of the season are obsolete by the end … Continue reading “Smart Tech Spending for Startups”
Why Are Healthcare Costs Exploding? See Proton Cancer Therapy
Whenever a new medical technology comes out in the U.S., a few things happen. Doctors, hospitals, the media, and, of course, the drug and device makers cheer. Newer technology must always be better, right? Never mind if it costs a little extra. We’re talking about a patient’s life and well-being, after all. But when we … Continue reading “Why Are Healthcare Costs Exploding? See Proton Cancer Therapy”
Where Have All the Gadgets Gone?
A remarkable shift is taking place right under our noses. The universe of electronic devices in our homes and offices has stopped expanding, and has in fact begun to shrink. At the same time, our productivity continues to rise and our information, entertainment, and learning options keep exploding. In other words, we’re getting more stuff … Continue reading “Where Have All the Gadgets Gone?”
How Google Glass, Indoor Location, & Mobile Shopping Can Save Retail
Retail is changing. Roughly $3.7 trillion in annual U.S. spending is up for grabs. That’s a lot of money. Some technology theorists, including Marc Andreessen, believe the change will be revolutionary in nature—predicting the outright death of brick-and-mortar retail. The theory is that soon enough, visiting a physical store will be as archaic as reading … Continue reading “How Google Glass, Indoor Location, & Mobile Shopping Can Save Retail”
Attention Startups: The Automotive Industry Isn’t a Rust Belt Monolith
What do you think about when you hear the phrase “online advertising” or “big data”? How about “social network”? Do visions of hoodie-wearing young entrepreneurs dance through your head? Each of these are massive parts of the startup tech sector. In 2012, online display advertising was $12 billion; big data has become the new hot … Continue reading “Attention Startups: The Automotive Industry Isn’t a Rust Belt Monolith”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Ambit, Lithera, Histogen, & More
Here’s our wrap up of the latest developments in San Diego’s life sciences community. —The increasing importance of emerging markets to portfolio companies of life sciences VC Domain Associates led partner Brian Halak to create a new business model in China. Domain, which has offices in San Diego and Princeton, NJ, joined forces the Beijing-based … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Ambit, Lithera, Histogen, & More”
Has The Pendulum Swung Too Far in Favor of Rare Diseases?
As a politician, one of the worst things you can be accused of is being a flip-flopper, a person who changes their mind on one or more issues. Another way of looking at this character trait is to say one has thoughtfully wrestled with an issue and changed one’s mind, as President Obama recently did … Continue reading “Has The Pendulum Swung Too Far in Favor of Rare Diseases?”
HG Data Company Secures $2,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f62e146e-dfa0-4b1d-8c67-605318581825&Preview=1 Date 3/14/2013 Company Name HG Data Company Mailing Address 15 W Figueroa St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Company Description At HG Data’s lab in California, our data scientists are pioneering surprising new ways to procure, extract and apply data. We love the astounded look on our customer’s face upon first seeing … Continue reading “HG Data Company Secures $2,000,000 New Funding”
New Domain Partnership Focuses on China’s Emerging Healthcare Market
Domain Associates, the life sciences venture firm based in San Diego and Princeton, NJ, says today it has formed a partnership with the Beijing-based firm Elite Consulting to license biomedical products and technologies from the West, and to help commercialize those technologies in China. The exclusive partnership, called Domain Elite, intends to in-license rights to … Continue reading “New Domain Partnership Focuses on China’s Emerging Healthcare Market”
Crowdsourced Workforces Rising
Crowdsourcing is a growing trend in the tech startup industry, and one that has the potential to address pressing needs in various markets. In particular, crowdsourcing of workforces is seeing tremendous uptick. At 1M/1M we’ve encountered several startups that are applying the model on different problem domains related to hiring and staffing. CrowdFlower founder Lukas … Continue reading “Crowdsourced Workforces Rising”
With Kythera as Model, Lithera Tests Drug to Shrink ‘Love Handles’
At the end of last year, the venture fund established by Domain Associates and Russia’s Rusnano disclosed that they had invested $20.6 million in San Diego-based Lithera, an aesthetic biotech developing a drug to reduce the fat tissue that builds up under the skin. Now the six-year-old startup is taking the next step. In a … Continue reading “With Kythera as Model, Lithera Tests Drug to Shrink ‘Love Handles’”
Ambit Still Committed to Leukemia Drug After Astellas Ends Pact
[Corrected 3/12/13, 11:55 pm. See below.] They say that breaking up is hard to do. Ambit Biosciences knows that it’s true. After Japan’s Astellas Pharma said last night it had exercised its right to terminate their worldwide licensing agreement, Ambit spokesman David Schull says San Diego-based Ambit remains “fully committed” to moving ahead with mid-stage … Continue reading “Ambit Still Committed to Leukemia Drug After Astellas Ends Pact”
Four Things I Learned From Studying Innovation in 3 U.S. Cities
I’ve spent most of my career studying how key regions around the world have harnessed their indigenous research capabilities, entrepreneurial spirit, and industrial prowess to realize the economic and employment returns many innovative technologies promise. I’m particularly intrigued by the differences that make some places engines for innovation. If we are to be successful in … Continue reading “Four Things I Learned From Studying Innovation in 3 U.S. Cities”
Histogen Forms Joint Venture to Advance Regenerative Orthopedics
San Diego-based Histogen, a regenerative medicine company founded in 2007, says today it has partnered with a group of medical device investors to establish a joint venture, PUR Biologics, to adapt its expertise in fibroblasts, the cells that form connective tissue, for use in orthopedics. The joint venture is based in Aliso Viejo, CA, in … Continue reading “Histogen Forms Joint Venture to Advance Regenerative Orthopedics”
Some Bold Baseball and Biotech Picks for the 2013 Season
Spring training is here. That means I get to spend days thinking and writing about biotech and nights dreaming about hard-throwing setup men with decent walks-plus-hits-allowed per inning pitched (WHIP) ratios who have a shot at becoming a closer. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which obsession is the greater malady. Kidding aside, … Continue reading “Some Bold Baseball and Biotech Picks for the 2013 Season”
UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering Research Expo
The annual research expo includes presentations by UC San Diego faculty, a poster session featuring research by UCSD grad students, a job fair, and an ideal opportunity for tech employers to prospect for engineers and computer scientists with advanced degrees. More information and online registration is here.
March Mingle IX
San Diego Tech Scene has brought together technologists from dozens of San Diego user groups for a night of networking, food, drinks, and relaxation. March Mingle is a technology-agnostic event that brings together developers of all flavors for San Diego’s annual “Technology Woodstock” or “Ultimate Geek Happy Hour.” Hosted at a local venue and conducted … Continue reading “March Mingle IX”
SDSU Business Alumni Network: A New Industry Cluster
The San Diego State University Business Alumni Network is hosting a presentation on “The Business of Craft Beer” to explore how San Diego’s culture of collaboration and business innovation helped to build an unusual industry cluster. Today, San Diego County has more craft beer breweries per capita than any other county in America, and this … Continue reading “SDSU Business Alumni Network: A New Industry Cluster”
Wanted: Star Journalist to Help Launch Xconomy in the Lone Star State
It’s no secret that we’re on a little bit of an expansion bender these days (hey there, Boulder/Denver), and our next hit is going to be a big one: Xconomy Texas. With the combination of Houston’s first-class research hospitals and growing life sciences sector, Austin’s vibrant tech scene, and the state’s massive energy sector we … Continue reading “Wanted: Star Journalist to Help Launch Xconomy in the Lone Star State”
What Makes an App Awesome? A Case Study with Mokriya Craigslist
If you were starting a Mobile App Design Hall of Fame, how would you decide which apps to nominate? Personally, I think I’d vote for the apps that keep me engaged through creative, elegant use of touchscreen-specific design principles. I’d point to a handful of mobile apps that are so delightful to play with that … Continue reading “What Makes an App Awesome? A Case Study with Mokriya Craigslist”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Life Technologies, Althea, Sorrento
The week’s biggest news just might be a fresh round of rumors concerning a possible buyout at Life Technologies. From the biggest to the smallest, here’s our briefing of San Diego’s life sciences news. —Reports of a possible private equity buyout of Life Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LIFE]]), the Carlsbad, CA-based provider of gene sequencing equipment and … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Life Technologies, Althea, Sorrento”
Beats Electronics Lands $60,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=631a4043-41bb-4a47-a451-1c8af13c5d0e&Preview=1 Date 3/7/2013 Company Name Beats Electronics Mailing Address 1601 Cloverfield Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90404 Company Description Established in 2006 as the brainchild of legendary artist and producer Dr. Dre and Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records Jimmy Iovine, Beats Electronics provides a premium sound experience at every touch point of … Continue reading “Beats Electronics Lands $60,000,000 New Funding Round”
Dx Biosciences Garners $529,386 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bba061cd-c6b7-469f-b696-40d5855bd58d&Preview=1 Date 3/7/2013 Company Name Dx Biosciences Mailing Address 10620 Treena St. San Diego, CA 92131 Company Description Develops novel, non-invasive diagnostic technologies to extract biomarkers from tissue samples. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $529,386 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A … Continue reading “Dx Biosciences Garners $529,386 New Financing Round”
LIA Receives $400,000 Seed Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bf939fb7-7669-4c55-8ce9-5a59ca09af01&Preview=1 Date 3/7/2013 Company Name LIA Mailing Address 2150 W Washington St San Diego, CA 92110 Company Description We provide a unique software solution from the executive level down through the channels for the B2B environment. Our product is a simple, touchable interface delivered through a mobile device and supported by a … Continue reading “LIA Receives $400,000 Seed Financing Round”