Category: San Diego

The Enduring Success of a Healthcare Radical

I’ve spent some time over the past few months reading about an American political figure’s transformative role in our health care system. His crusade began when his staff surveyed drug prices in 77 countries and found “of these, 28 allowed product patents and the prices of drugs in those countries were 18 to 255 times … Continue reading “The Enduring Success of a Healthcare Radical”

San Diego’s Volcano Paying $36M+ for Menlo Park’s Crux Biomed

San Diego vascular device maker Volcano Corp. (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VOLC]]) today disclosed an agreement to pay at least $36 million for Menlo Park, CA-based Crux Biomedical. The Crux deal comes just a few weeks after Volcano said it was acquiring Israeli imaging software developer Sync-Rx for $17.3 million. Volcano specializes in devices that improve the diagnosis … Continue reading “San Diego’s Volcano Paying $36M+ for Menlo Park’s Crux Biomed”

Xconomist of the Week: Helen Greiner’s CyPhy Works Unveils Drones

After roughly three years in development and some $3 million in venture investment, iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner is showing off her newest robotic creations. But don’t be fooled by the cool things this new pair of aerial drones can do—the real advancement is the cable that connects them to the ground. Greiner’s robotics startup, CyPhy … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Helen Greiner’s CyPhy Works Unveils Drones”

Investor & Partnership Forum for Early Stage Life Sciences Startups

It seems only appropriate that the San Diego Entrepreneurs Exchange (SDEE) has partnered with the American Chemical Society (ACS) for this event, a forum that outlines the benefits and issues of industry partnerships and introduces the ACS’s new Entrepreneurial Resources Center. The SDEE also has arranged an  opportunity for local startups to make presentations to … Continue reading “Investor & Partnership Forum for Early Stage Life Sciences Startups”

How Ed-Tech Companies Will Make (and Lose) a Few Fortunes

It’s bubble time in education technology. Over the past few years, investment dollars have started to flow in larger amounts. MBAs (like me and one of my co-founders) are starting to get interested, and I know of at least two separate groups in Boston alone trying to develop ed-tech incubation spaces. But for all the … Continue reading “How Ed-Tech Companies Will Make (and Lose) a Few Fortunes”

Where’s the Can-Do Spirit in Biotech? It’s Alive, Deep Down

How many people in the biotech industry today really feel like they are part of something special, something bigger than themselves? How many people feel such camaraderie with their co-workers that they’d show up to meet them at a reunion five years from now? How many people in biotech feel the task in front of … Continue reading “Where’s the Can-Do Spirit in Biotech? It’s Alive, Deep Down”

ArmaGen Technologies Obtains $17,000,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=31581031-edf2-4366-ae6c-fb29dc3e7f79&Preview=1 Date 12/3/2012 Company Name ArmaGen Technologies Mailing Address 914 Colorado Ave Santa Monica, CA 90401 Company Description ArmaGen provides platform technology solutions to the ‘blood-brain barrier’ problem, and can non-invasively target recombinant proteins, therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, and siRNA to the brain. Website http://www.armagen.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $17,000,000 Transaction … Continue reading “ArmaGen Technologies Obtains $17,000,000 Series A Funding Round”

Five Characteristics VCs Look For in a Marketing Exec

Venture capitalists are paying more attention to the structure of the marketing teams they invest in. Why? Because marketing plays an increasingly influential role in the success of their portfolio companies. To ensure that the marketing department can generate the kind of leads that drive sales, they want to see a particular profile in a … Continue reading “Five Characteristics VCs Look For in a Marketing Exec”

Photo Books from Blurb: A High-Tech Gift Idea with Low-Tech Charm

SPOILER ALERT: If your name is Paul or Patricia Roush and you live in Central Lake, MI, stop reading now or you’ll ruin one of the surprises under the Christmas tree this year. Really. You’ve been warned! Every year I put “Amazon gift certificate” on my holiday and birthday wish lists so that I can … Continue reading “Photo Books from Blurb: A High-Tech Gift Idea with Low-Tech Charm”

San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Acadia, RQx, and Venture Funding

Venture funding for life sciences startups has been gradually declining in recent years, and Xconomy’s Luke Timmerman took a look at what that means in biotech hubs in San Diego and elsewhere. We have that news and more. —The price of shares in Acadia Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: [[ticker:ACAD]]) more than doubled (to more than $5 a … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Acadia, RQx, and Venture Funding”

Meet VeeMe: The Virtual Agent Programmed to Think Like Me

Meet VeeMe, my “virtual me” that acts like me and reacts like me. I’ve written about him/me before (here and here). If you think VeeMe sounds creepy, I agree! But I think it will happen. I both fear it and hope for it. So far, the information revolution has consistently performed beyond our imaginations. Twenty … Continue reading “Meet VeeMe: The Virtual Agent Programmed to Think Like Me”

CapLinked Garners $1,600,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f710c609-3123-49b5-8340-3e73cbe2ef7f&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2012 Company Name CapLinked Mailing Address 1500 Rosecrans Ave. Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 Company Description The company operates an online platform for private company investments. Website http://www.caplinked.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,600,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes This financing round, coupled with hiring Adam Sroka as our … Continue reading “CapLinked Garners $1,600,000 Series A Funding Round”

CardiAQ Valve Technologies Secures $37,300,000 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b73d90da-e4b6-4d86-b5ab-cf0644575a00&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2012 Company Name CardiAQ Valve Technologies Mailing Address 2 Jenner Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description CardiAQ Valve Technologies (CVT), a privately held company founded by heart surgeon Dr. Arshad Quadri, is developing innovative approaches to heart valve replacement and is initially focused on percutaneous mitral valve replacement (PMVR). Website http://www.cardiaq.com … Continue reading “CardiAQ Valve Technologies Secures $37,300,000 Series B Funding”

MyHeritage Acquires Geni.com for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=595f8cbb-2c68-4e65-a86e-b126fe9572cc&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2012 Company Name Geni.com Mailing Address 8491 West Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 Company Description Geni lets you create a family tree through our fun simple interface. When you add a relative’s email address, he or she will be invited to join your tree. That relative can then add … Continue reading “MyHeritage Acquires Geni.com for Undisclosed Sum”

With New Antibiotic in Hand, RQx Pharmaceuticals Looks for Partner

The genesis of San Diego’s RQx Pharmaceuticals began in 2010, with a chance encounter by two strangers at Zumbar Coffee & Tea in Sorrento Valley. Floyd Romesberg says he likes to start his day at Zumbar because it’s a good place to get some paperwork done before he heads into The Scripps Research Institute, where … Continue reading “With New Antibiotic in Hand, RQx Pharmaceuticals Looks for Partner”

Big Pharma’s Role in Supporting the Life Science Innovation Ecosystem

The life sciences industry has been challenged over the last several years with an economic environment that is not conducive to breeding new innovation. While things are slowly improving, reports abound of fewer investments in life science start-ups and fewer active investors in the sector. Many new ideas aren’t being developed—because the financial climate can’t … Continue reading “Big Pharma’s Role in Supporting the Life Science Innovation Ecosystem”

At the Pool Lands $750,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=aa6de5fb-f2e0-4f54-b0a8-1c7bd58727ba&Preview=1 Date 11/28/2012 Company Name At the Pool Mailing Address Undisclosed Los Angeles, CA 90049 Company Description At The Pool is a team of students and recent grads. We are dreamers and doers. Each of us have passions, hobbies, and causes we believe in. We live to broaden our horizons and we … Continue reading “At the Pool Lands $750,000 New Round”

Fresh Dish Lands $500,000 Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d1dbc982-a6d6-4ea9-ae93-8dee83e533a2&Preview=1 Date 11/28/2012 Company Name Fresh Dish Mailing Address 1410 Second Street Santa Monica, CA 90401 Company Description Fresh Dish offers prepped meal kits, delivered to your home, ready to cook and enjoy. Each delivery includes sliced and diced ingredients and simple-to-follow recipes that take 30 minutes or less to prepare. Website … Continue reading “Fresh Dish Lands $500,000 Seed Financing”

And the Global Capital of Robotics Is…Everywhere

Here at Xconomy we’ve spilled considerable ink over the question of why Silicon Valley robotics companies seem to lag behind their peers in big centers of robotics like Boston and Pittsburgh. But if you look at the locations of robot makers worldwide, it’s clear that no single region really dominates this emerging industry. Makers of … Continue reading “And the Global Capital of Robotics Is…Everywhere”

In Comeback Study, Acadia Says Drug Controls Parkinson’s Psychosis

Clinical trials of a new drug intended to control hallucinations associated with advanced Parkinson’s disease also have become a trial in perseverance for San Diego’s Acadia Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: [[ticker:ACAD]]). Despite a big setback three years ago, the company is reporting some encouraging results today in a comeback study evaluating the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of … Continue reading “In Comeback Study, Acadia Says Drug Controls Parkinson’s Psychosis”

Does Jerusalem Have What It Takes to Build A Life Sciences Cluster?

Dark news was coming out of Israel on the morning of November 15. But in a talk that morning at MIT, Nir Barkat, mayor of Jerusalem, painted a bright picture of the city’s future. Barkat—whose name, incidentally, means “light”—argues that Jerusalem’s “brand name” has been building for over 3,000 years. As a panelist at the … Continue reading “Does Jerusalem Have What It Takes to Build A Life Sciences Cluster?”

Cynvenio Biosystems Obtains $992,665 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0b796099-8dfe-465b-a0fb-6c200e693c82&Preview=1 Date 11/27/2012 Company Name Cynvenio Biosystems Mailing Address 2260 Townsgate Road Unit 2 Westlake Village, CA 91361 Company Description Cynvenio Biosystems, Inc. is a California biotech company dedicated to providing game-changing technology to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. Cynvenio’s rare cell detection and mutational profiling applications include the … Continue reading “Cynvenio Biosystems Obtains $992,665 Series B Round”

PathCentral Obtains $907,284 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7abc61c1-cdad-4d42-8c7e-90ce03af9c31&Preview=1 Date 11/27/2012 Company Name PathCentral Mailing Address 213 Technology Dr. Irvine, CA 92629 Company Description PathCentral is the first and only company to provide all the tools required by community pathology practices to increase revenues, improve operating efficiencies, and ensure patient safety, in a single integrated and affordable platform. Website http://www.pathcentral.net … Continue reading “PathCentral Obtains $907,284 New Financing”

San Diego’s Antengo Marching to Next Round in Mobile Classified Ads

Marcus Wandell tells me he was attending a music festival in New York City’s Lower East Side in 2009, “getting price-gouged on a $12 beer,” when he came up with the idea for Antengo. What if there was a mobile app that could help you find the nearby places to buy a less-expensive beer? Since … Continue reading “San Diego’s Antengo Marching to Next Round in Mobile Classified Ads”

Y Combinator Alters Investment Package to Avoid “Contested Divorces”

Startups admitted the Winter 2013 class at Y Combinator, the prestigious startup accelerator in Mountain View, CA, will be greeted by a smaller investment package. Under a new program outlined in a blog post today, startups will get $80,000 each from a group of four outside venture investors, in addition to Y Combinator’s investment of … Continue reading “Y Combinator Alters Investment Package to Avoid “Contested Divorces””

The Few and the Proud: The Biotech Startup Class of 2012

[Updated: 3:35 pm PT, 12/3/12] Quick: Can you name three exciting biotech companies that got started, in your city, in 2012? I can’t, as a citizen of Seattle. Chances are, no matter where you live in the U.S., and no matter how plugged-in you are into the industry, you can’t either. This wasn’t supposed to … Continue reading “The Few and the Proud: The Biotech Startup Class of 2012”

Maker Studios Obtains $40,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6b20791e-b6f0-4a80-a4bc-3c413940c437&Preview=1 Date 11/26/2012 Company Name Maker Studios Mailing Address 13428 Maxella Avenue Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Company Description Maker studios is a media company that bridges the gap between youtube and television. Maker is developing sustainable programming and building large audiences on YouTube with over 80 million subscribers and 1 billion … Continue reading “Maker Studios Obtains $40,000,000 New Funding Round”

MabVax Therapeutics Secures $5,250,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=be06a1f2-62e5-4150-bb0c-756063736e62&Preview=1 Date 11/23/2012 Company Name MabVax Therapeutics Mailing Address 11588 Sorrento Valley Road San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description MabVax Therapeutics, Inc. is a San Diego, California based immunotherapeutics discovery and development company focused on developing and commercializing novel vaccines and human antibodies for the treatment of cancer. The company was formed … Continue reading “MabVax Therapeutics Secures $5,250,000 New Financing”

San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Allergan, Qualcomm Life, & More

We saw a spate of funding deals and other activity in the week or so preceding Thanksgiving. Here’s our roundup of life sciences news, with best wishes from Xconomy for your Thanksgiving holiday. —Allergan (NYSE: [[ticker:AGN]]), the Irvine, CA-based multi-specialty healthcare company, said it has agreed to pay $350 million upfront to buy the skin … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Allergan, Qualcomm Life, & More”

The Road Not Taken and Genomatica’s Renewable Chemicals Strategy

A few weeks ago, BP cancelled a $350 million project in Highlands County, FL, that was supposed to produce 36 million gallons of ethanol a year from “energy grasses” and other high-cellulose plants. In a statement at the time, the global energy conglomerate said it was refocusing its U.S. biofuels strategy on research and development—and … Continue reading “The Road Not Taken and Genomatica’s Renewable Chemicals Strategy”

theAudience Secures $20,000,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2e959e83-479e-411e-9d63-1d6013cd7fc9&Preview=1 Date 11/21/2012 Company Name theAudience Mailing Address Undisclosed Los Angeles, CA 90049 Company Description theAudience developed software to help track the success of wall posts and tweets, to measure the level of fan engagement with particular posts, the length of time fans stay engaged, what times of day are best for … Continue reading “theAudience Secures $20,000,000 Series A Financing Round”

Cap That Lands $2,300,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3d0554ff-3209-474b-b5c6-8ac2e452b57b&Preview=1 Date 11/21/2012 Company Name Cap That Mailing Address 9595 Wilshire Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Company Description Cap That allows users to upload video or Instagram photos they’ve taken, and imprint a captured still image on merchandise like smartphone covers, T-shirts, coffee mugs and wall art. Website http://www.capthat.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Cap That Lands $2,300,000 Series B Round”

Tel Aviv, L.A. Right Behind Silicon Valley in Startup Genome Rankings

Brace for some surprising news. As a place to build a startup, Tel Aviv, Israel, outranks every other major startup hub in the world except Silicon Valley. That’s according to a report set to be released today by Startup Genome, a San Francisco-based R&D project. All right, you say; surely the No. 3 spot after … Continue reading “Tel Aviv, L.A. Right Behind Silicon Valley in Startup Genome Rankings”

How To Build a Biotech Cluster That Isn’t Boston or SF

I live and work in Louisville, KY, a city that probably isn’t too different from a lot of communities in the U.S. that are not biotech hubs like San Francisco and Boston. Driven in part by economic development, many in my hometown would like to develop a biotech cluster. But building a biotech cluster is … Continue reading “How To Build a Biotech Cluster That Isn’t Boston or SF”

Xconomist of the Week: Q&A with General Assembly’s Brad Hargreaves

I hate New York sports teams. But I don’t mind New York startup incubators. Especially when they have a growing presence in Boston and other cities. General Assembly is much more than that, of course. The company runs a network of startup schools dedicated to entrepreneurship and education, primarily in the fields of technology, business, … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Q&A with General Assembly’s Brad Hargreaves”

Stanford’s Mike Snyder is Showing the Way With Personalized Medicine

Say the words “personalized medicine” to people from various walks of life, and you’re likely to get one of about four different reactions. A. “Personalized medicine? What’s that?” (Usually spoken by 99 percent of patients.) B. “Personalized medicine will bankrupt the country with expensive new diagnostic tests, and overrated targeted drugs.” (Usually spoken by health … Continue reading “Stanford’s Mike Snyder is Showing the Way With Personalized Medicine”

On Analytics and Using Twitter As A Data Source

The UC Riverside Department of Computer Science and Engineering is studying the problem of correlating micro-blogging activity with stock-market events, defined as changes in the price and traded volume of stocks. Specifically, they collect messages related to a number of companies, and they search for correlations between stock-market events for those companies and features extracted … Continue reading “On Analytics and Using Twitter As A Data Source”

Janssen Labs’ 8th Annual Holiday Party & Panel on ‘Funding in Biotech’

Hear from some of the most successful CEOs and company founders for a candid discussion on the future of life science investing in the coming year. Panelists include: 5AM Ventures, Receptos, Plexxikon, Edison Pharmaceuticals, and Wellspring Biosciences. The panel will be followed by a holiday celebration and networking reception. More information and online registration is … Continue reading “Janssen Labs’ 8th Annual Holiday Party & Panel on ‘Funding in Biotech’”

Meet with… Thomas, McNerney & Partners @ Janssen Labs

Through the “Meet with…” Series, Prescience International provides emerging companies with greater access to partnering and/or financing opportunities. Three members of the Thomas, McNerney & Partners’ team will attend this session to give an overview presentation about their key areas of interest, current portfolio, and best practices in venture capital. More info and online registration … Continue reading “Meet with… Thomas, McNerney & Partners @ Janssen Labs”

Janssen Labs Bench to Boardroom Lecture Series

Join Prescience for lunch to hear from David Kirn, a global leader in the clinical research and development of oncolytic viruses for cancer. Kirn will talk about Jennerex Biotherapeutics, one of the Bay Area’s most promising clinical-stage biotherapeutics companies. Jennerex’s lead product is currently in a Phase 2b clinical trial for hepatocellular carcinoma and Phase … Continue reading “Janssen Labs Bench to Boardroom Lecture Series”

Digital In-store Shopping: Re-imagining How We Shop

Smart-phones, tablets, and in-store digital displays have dramatically changed the consumer’s path to purchase. Retailers have taken notice and are wooing shoppers with interactive experiences at the point of purchase. They are competing to capture consumer mind share, and share of wallet, by delivering meaningful and relevant content that’s personalized to meet the unique needs … Continue reading “Digital In-store Shopping: Re-imagining How We Shop”

InSourcing, Outsourcing, and Capital Deployment

Facing limited capital, an aggressive competitive environment and tight capital markets, biopharma companies are facing the same question: Do you build capabilities in house, or do you seek outside expertise and outsource around your core competencies? Once that decision has been made, how do the capital markets view those management plays when looking at a … Continue reading “InSourcing, Outsourcing, and Capital Deployment”

What Comes Next with Biosimilars: The Real Potential

The Affordable Care Act created a pathway for FDA approval of biosimilars, and the agency has been developing the rules that will govern this new area. Biocom has organized a discussion about the challenges state and federal authorities face in creating a system that will work for both biosimilar innovators and manufacturers. This session offers … Continue reading “What Comes Next with Biosimilars: The Real Potential”

What it Will Take to Increase Wireless Network Capacity by 1,000x

Mobile networks represent the biggest technology platform in the history of mankind and mobile devices are becoming a primary gateway for interactions with other people, media consumption and even content creation. The cellular infrastructure, originally designed to carry voice traffic, now must also support web access, social networking, connected applications, interactive gaming, online shopping, internet … Continue reading “What it Will Take to Increase Wireless Network Capacity by 1,000x”