It was a week of beginnings and endings—and fundings—in San Diego’s life sciences sector. There’s a beginning to our roundup as well, and you are there now. —San Diego’s Ambit Biosciences named Michael Martino as CEO. Martino spent the previous 30 years overseeing new product launches, drug development, funding, and other business activities at CareFusion, … Continue reading “Martino Joins Ambit, Nordhoff Leaves Gen-Probe, Swarmology Raises $1.2M, and More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Category: San Diego
A Shortcut in Engine Design: Specialized Software Models Soot Formation
In Fairbanks, AK (where I spent a year after I graduated from college), winter temperatures can plunge to minus 40 degrees (F) for weeks at a time, creating ideal conditions for a local phenomenon called “ice fog.” When temperatures get that cold, the air can’t hold much water vapor. Automotive engine exhaust is mostly water … Continue reading “A Shortcut in Engine Design: Specialized Software Models Soot Formation”
Biopharmaceuticals: Nothing Compares to You
Are biotech and pharma companies doing well, or falling apart at the seams? People will have differences of opinion on this, but one thing is clear: it’s all relative. At a speech to a trade group in Philadelphia last month, James Greenwood, president of the biotechnology trade group BIO, asked the government to stop picking … Continue reading “Biopharmaceuticals: Nothing Compares to You”
Celladon Receives $780,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=163c8af6-239a-4dfc-b4da-0a7d777fd264&Preview=1 Date 11/17/2011 Company Name Celladon Mailing Address 2223 Avenida de la Playa La Jolla, CA 92037 Company Description Celladon Corporation is an exciting new biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for cardiovascular diseases through the application of scientific discoveries in molecular cardiology. Website http://www.celladon.net Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $780,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Celladon Receives $780,000 New Funding”
Allylix Garners $1,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8837ccf6-cb61-4fce-8d8f-1a98e6586f80&Preview=1 Date 11/17/2011 Company Name Allylix Mailing Address 6020 Cornerstone Court San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Allylix has developed proprietary technology that allows it to produce a group of natural products called terpenes at low cost. In nature, terpenes are produced by plants in minute quantities to serve a number of … Continue reading “Allylix Garners $1,000,000 New Funding Round”
Join Us for a Live “Tweetchat” on the Biotech VC Crisis with Daphne Zohar of PureTech Ventures
The biotech VC world is in crisis. Just in the space of a few weeks, some venerable names have made some disturbing news. Prospect Venture Partners said it was unable to raise a new fund, Morgenthaler Ventures and Advanced Technology Ventures said they are splitting off their life sciences teams to raise a new merged … Continue reading “Join Us for a Live “Tweetchat” on the Biotech VC Crisis with Daphne Zohar of PureTech Ventures”
FDA Clears Portable Insulin Pump from San Diego’s Tandem Diabetes
The FDA has cleared the first commercial product from San Diego’s Tandem Diabetes Care, a wearable insulin pump, according to a statement today from the medical device startup. Tandem Diabetes says its “t:slim” insulin pump represents an advance in terms of practicality and ease of use for managing type 1 diabetes—particularly for people who manage their … Continue reading “FDA Clears Portable Insulin Pump from San Diego’s Tandem Diabetes”
ServiceMesh Lands $15,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b0f8686c-9a23-4378-86ed-cda6520cc2e6&Preview=1 Date 11/16/2011 Company Name ServiceMesh Mailing Address 233 Wilshire Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90401 Company Description ServiceMesh enables Agile IT operating models for global 2000 clients to improve their business agility while simultaneously lowering capital spending and operating costs. Website http://www.servicemesh.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “ServiceMesh Lands $15,000,000 New Funding Round”
Nordhoff Retiring from Gen-Probe Board
Henry “Hank” Nordhoff, who served as CEO for 15 years at San Diego-based Gen-Probe (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GPRO]]) is retiring as chairman at the San Diego maker of biomedical diagnostic products, according to a statement from the company today. Nordhoff, 69, joined Gen-Probe as CEO in 1994, about two years after the company was spun out from … Continue reading “Nordhoff Retiring from Gen-Probe Board”
Intel Invests in Urban Airship, Inks Deal for Portable PC Apps
Those guys in Portland are pretty busy these days. Urban Airship, the Oregon-based supplier of push notifications and other services for mobile app developers, is being named today as one of the first two investments from a new $100 million mobile application-focused investment fund from the venture arm of tech giant Intel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTC]]). The … Continue reading “Intel Invests in Urban Airship, Inks Deal for Portable PC Apps”
Into the Swarm: San Diego’s Swarmology Mines Online Conversations for Health Data
Swarmology, a San Diego provider of social media analytics for healthcare clients, is stepping into the light today, disclosing initial funding of $1.2 million and the debut of its website. The company, founded last December by pharmaceutical and health IT executive Malcolm Bohm, provides targeted, Web-based marketing services for its customers by analyzing online conversations … Continue reading “Into the Swarm: San Diego’s Swarmology Mines Online Conversations for Health Data”
Reinventing the Board Part II: The Role of the Chair in Increasing Board Effectiveness
Technology companies’ boards of directors need better leadership. I made a case last month about reinventing the board of directors by treating the board as a team and doing annual assessments against company needs. Boards that are structurally more aligned with their company’s operations are better able to help them achieve success-or at least reduce … Continue reading “Reinventing the Board Part II: The Role of the Chair in Increasing Board Effectiveness”
Big Solar Project Advances, Perminova Raises $7M, Qualcomm Buys Charging Technology, & More San Diego BizTech News
A 48-percent uptick in new company formations, a funding deal, and two acquisitions made for an encouraging week in San Diego’s innovation economy. This is our roundup of tech sector news. —The California Public Utilities Commission approved five power purchase agreements that Soitec, the photovoltaic chip maker based Bernin, France, negotiated with San Diego Gas … Continue reading “Big Solar Project Advances, Perminova Raises $7M, Qualcomm Buys Charging Technology, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Hey, Where Is Everybody Going? The Flight from Healthcare Investing
If you are simply reading the paper or engaging in any random cocktail party conversation these days, it doesn’t take long before you are reading or talking about healthcare. Health and healthcare issues have been a dominant topic in the national media since the 2008 Presidential election and have been constantly in the news as … Continue reading “Hey, Where Is Everybody Going? The Flight from Healthcare Investing”
Reengineering Capitalism
In the fading months of 2011, we find ourselves in an uncertain world. On the one hand, America is still reeling from the 2008 financial crisis, and the nation’s faith in free-market capitalism as its guiding principle has been shaken to the core. On the other hand, Europe is reeling under the burdens of socialism … Continue reading “Reengineering Capitalism”
The Herman Cain-Inspired “1-100-0” Plan for Personalized Medicine?
You could feel Herman Cain’s presence last week on the biotech beat. And there was a lot of grousing about it. Cain, the Republican presidential candidate known for his simple 9-9-9 tax plan and some dubious extra-curricular activities, didn’t attend the Personalized Medicine Conference at Harvard Medical School. But a former advisor to President Obama, … Continue reading “The Herman Cain-Inspired “1-100-0” Plan for Personalized Medicine?”
Ten Startups That Raised $100 Million Have 100 Startup Tech Jobs
SweetLabs, a venture-backed Web 2.0 startup in downtown San Diego, and nine other San Diego tech startups will host and sponsor an event for software industry job seekers. The event is free for qualified local product managers, developers, and designers interested in new job opportunities. The evening will begin with a fireside chat between San … Continue reading “Ten Startups That Raised $100 Million Have 100 Startup Tech Jobs”
Case Studies in Corporate Valuations
Through a series of “real world” case studies and interactive group discussion, this program is intended to cover a range of valuation issues and topics, including intellectual property, M&A deals, and private shareholder agreements, among other things. More information and online registration is here.
Optimizing Websites, Social Media, and Mobile Devices
Websites are becoming more interactive and social media and mobile applications are impacting brand awareness and sales. Connect has organized a highly interactive presentation to cover websites, social media, and mobile computing—including related opportunities and potential pitfalls. This session is focusing on mobile devices. More information and online registration is here.
Showcase for Life Sciences Summer Institute and Introductory Life Sciences Experience
Meet the next generation of scientists and life sciences industry professionals. Biocom is hosting the LSSI and ILSE showcase to network with colleagues and celebrate with students and teachers. Online registration is here.
The Venture Capital Outlook in 2012
The San Diego Venture Group is kicking off the New Year with an expert panel of startup prognosticators to make their forecasts for 2012. Doors open and networking begins at 7 a.m. Online registration is here.
Getting Off the Ground: The Year in Review and a Celebration of Success
Bring your good cheer for a holiday celebration of the entrepreneurs who closed the new round, the startup skipper who sold the company, and the venture partner who raised a new fund. The San Diego Venture Group is hosting David Kabakoff of Sofinnova Ventures, Joe Milana of Opera Solutions, Bob Baltera of Almira Pharmaceuticals, and … Continue reading “Getting Off the Ground: The Year in Review and a Celebration of Success”
Life Sciences Innovation at the Janssen Labs and What it Takes to Get Funded
Prescience International CEO Melinda Richter will discuss the formation of the Janssen Labs for innovation at the Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development center in La Jolla. Afterward, the San Diego Entrepreneurs Exchange (SDEE) has scheduled a panel of speakers, focused on tips and strategies that help to find and secure funding. Register online … Continue reading “Life Sciences Innovation at the Janssen Labs and What it Takes to Get Funded”
Public Policy Forum with USPTO Director David Kappos
After several years of legislative modifications, patent reform has finally passed Congress and was signed by the President. The “America Invents Act” makes sweeping changes to the American patent system not seen since the Founding Fathers enshrined intellectual property protection into the U.S. Constitution. Now that the law has passed, the United States Patent and … Continue reading “Public Policy Forum with USPTO Director David Kappos”
The New Prescription: How IT Is Transforming Medicine
Advances in information technology and telemedicine are fueling a dramatic transformation that will empower patients/consumers and catalyze a giant qualitative improvement in healthcare delivery. A panel of experts from across the health care continuum will offer a glimpse inside one of the most exciting new sectors of the life sciences industry and the revolutionary changes … Continue reading “The New Prescription: How IT Is Transforming Medicine”
Klip: iPhone Video Sharing Refined to A High Art
Put high-quality cameras into devices with broadband wireless connections. Add powerful smartphone operating systems like iOS or Android and app-store ecosystems like iTunes and the Android Market. Mix in some sloth and disinterest on the part of established photo-sharing destinations like Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter. Under these conditions, it was probably inevitable that entrepreneurs would … Continue reading “Klip: iPhone Video Sharing Refined to A High Art”
Qualcomm Plans Wireless EV Charging Trial in London
San Diego’s Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) says it’s rolling out the first wireless electric vehicle charging trials next year in London—just two days after the mobile giant said it acquired HaloIPT, a London startup developing the wireless charging technology. In a statement today, Qualcomm says it is collaborating with the UK government, as well as the … Continue reading “Qualcomm Plans Wireless EV Charging Trial in London”
Active Network Opens Trail to Online Ski Reservations with Colorado Deal
In financial results for the quarter ending Sept. 30, San Diego’s Active Network (NYSE: [[ticker:ACTV]]) said it paid $21.5 million in cash to acquire RTP, an Avon, CO-based IT company that provides online registration services for Vail and other ski resorts. While the deal is consistent with the Active Network’s basic strategy, it is the … Continue reading “Active Network Opens Trail to Online Ski Reservations with Colorado Deal”
Rempex Raises $67.5M, Vertex Shares Tumble, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
The price of shares at San Diego’s Gen-Probe, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, and Optimer were clipped for various reasons over the past week, but several local startups successfully raised capital. Our good news, bad news briefing begins here. —Rempex Pharmaceuticals, a San Diego biopharmaceutical startup developing a new approach to antibiotics resistance, said it raised $67.5 million … Continue reading “Rempex Raises $67.5M, Vertex Shares Tumble, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
YouMail Garners New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0acc6434-d6e0-4965-a4a3-f28d5a2664b7&Preview=1 Date 11/10/2011 Company Name YouMail Mailing Address 2102 Business Center Dr Irvine, CA 92612 Company Description YouMail is a patented, easy, fun and social mobile messaging experience that allows subscribers to create unique outgoing voice greetings for individual inbound callers, based on caller ID. Website http://www.youmail.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “YouMail Garners New Financing Round”
Seven Innovation Policy Ideas to Spark an Economic Recovery in the U.S.
In San Diego, Connect is the non-profit organization that reaches into most corners of the local innovation community. Connect likes to say that it has assisted in the formation of more than 3,000 technology and life sciences companies in the area, and more than 50 cities around the world have emulated its programs for mentoring … Continue reading “Seven Innovation Policy Ideas to Spark an Economic Recovery in the U.S.”
Report Shows San Diego’s Innovation Economy Gaining Strength Through June
A comprehensive snapshot of San Diego’s innovation economy shows that 76 technology startups were formed during the three months that ended June 30, a nearly 20 percent increase over the 64 startups established during the same quarter last year. Counting the 70 new tech companies formed during the first quarter, a total of 146 startups … Continue reading “Report Shows San Diego’s Innovation Economy Gaining Strength Through June”
Rempex Pharmaceuticals Lands $67,500,000 Series B Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8154feb5-eb19-41d2-9011-f61b15b6c79e&Preview=1 Date 11/9/2011 Company Name Rempex Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 11535 Sorrento Valley Rd. San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Rempex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to develop important new therapies to combat the growing issue of antibiotic resistance. Website http://www.rempexpharma.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $67,500,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Rempex Pharmaceuticals Lands $67,500,000 Series B Funding Round”
Mavenlink Obtains $3,900,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=280febf8-4767-42be-b881-16131fda2e84&Preview=1 Date 11/9/2011 Company Name Mavenlink Mailing Address 2211 Michelson Drive Irvine, CA 92612 Company Description A better way to manage your projects online with features designed to streamline workflow and increase your productivity. Website http://www.mavenlink.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,900,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “Mavenlink Obtains $3,900,000 New Funding Round”
Phorus Lands $2,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e2b38dcf-158e-4961-9611-5d4aae11a100&Preview=1 Date 11/9/2011 Company Name Phorus Mailing Address 16255 Ventura Blvd Encino, CA 91436 Company Description At phorus, we’re big believers in the idea that listening to music should be simple. It’s been phenomenal to see how far digital music has come. Enjoy almost any song, anywhere, from any device. People are … Continue reading “Phorus Lands $2,000,000 Series A Funding”
Qualcomm Buys HaloIPT (and Patents) for Wireless Charging Technology
Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]), the San Diego wireless technology giant, turned in a new direction today with its acquisition of HaloIPT, a startup founded last year by Auckland University’s UniServices and Arup, the engineering design giant, to develop technology that can transmit electricity without wires. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. With technology from … Continue reading “Qualcomm Buys HaloIPT (and Patents) for Wireless Charging Technology”
Vertex Stock Drops 17% Over Two Days, As Potent Hep C Rivals Emerge
Cambridge, MA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals has seen its stock take a whopping 17 percent hit in the past two days at a scientific meeting, as investors have had time to think about the implications of new clinical trial data from a couple of competitors in the hepatitis C field. Vertex (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) saw its stock tumble … Continue reading “Vertex Stock Drops 17% Over Two Days, As Potent Hep C Rivals Emerge”
Perminova Raises $7M to Expand Development of Health IT as a Service
Perminova, a San Diego startup developing Web-based software for use in cardiology centers, says today it has raised $7 million in a combination of equity and credit financing. The company says it is pioneering healthcare’s move from outdated client-server technology to secure cloud-based computing. The company was founded several years ago by Gregory Feld, a … Continue reading “Perminova Raises $7M to Expand Development of Health IT as a Service”
Amylin and Eli Lilly Part Ways on Diabetes Drug; Alkermes Deal Intact
San Diego’s Amylin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]])) and Eli Lilly today called a cease-fire to litigation that began earlier this year, and outlined an agreement to end the alliance they formed in 2002 to commercialize exenatide (Byetta), Amylin’s diabetes drug. A replay of Amylin’s conference call with analysts about the deal is available here. Amylin sued … Continue reading “Amylin and Eli Lilly Part Ways on Diabetes Drug; Alkermes Deal Intact”
PharmaSecure Combats Drug Counterfeiting, Armed With Funding From Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors
Nathan Sigworth was studying economics at Dartmouth College a few years back when he became fascinated with the problem of counterfeit drugs in developing countries. Plenty of technology had been developed to combat counterfeits—RFID tagging and the like—but it wasn’t affordable enough to be scaled up in places like India. “The technology that was out … Continue reading “PharmaSecure Combats Drug Counterfeiting, Armed With Funding From Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors”
The Wisdom of the Crowd: Social Networking Meets Capital Formation
Last year I had a chance to visit Washington D.C. and tour the Washington Monument. I later learned that this magnificent national icon was, in fact, an early example of crowd funding. Crowd funding is the process of aggregating small amounts of money from a large number of people in order to accomplish great things. … Continue reading “The Wisdom of the Crowd: Social Networking Meets Capital Formation”
Mention Mobile Garners $250,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e0a21305-2711-4ff3-ae21-47345cc04508&Preview=1 Date 11/8/2011 Company Name Mention Mobile Mailing Address 7223 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036 Company Description Mention Mobile is a young innovative development company that specializes in incorporating real friends into casual social games on facebook & mobile devices. Website http://www.mentionmobile.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $250,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Mention Mobile Garners $250,000 New Financing Round”
San Diego BizTech Roundup: Battelle, QuickPlay Come to Town, Qualcomm Growth Continues
There were some interesting portents of things to come in San Diego’s emerging cleantech sector last week. Here is our Monday morning roundup of the news you need to know. —Battelle’s Bhima Vijayendran told me he’s on the lookout for new business opportunities with local San Diego companies, as both an R&D partner and as … Continue reading “San Diego BizTech Roundup: Battelle, QuickPlay Come to Town, Qualcomm Growth Continues”
Groupon: The IPO With More Sizzle, and Money, Than the Entire Biotech IPO Class of 2011
Groupon raked in so much cash through its initial public offering last week that it could buy the entire class of life sciences companies that have gone public in 2011. For those of you who aren’t following the Groupon melodrama, the Chicago-based online daily deals site raised $700 million last week in its IPO after … Continue reading “Groupon: The IPO With More Sizzle, and Money, Than the Entire Biotech IPO Class of 2011”
iTherx Pharmaceuticals Obtains $3,173,595 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b4a345e3-864a-4d1a-aa7f-f67e33cb3b9c&Preview=1 Date 11/7/2011 Company Name iTherx Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 14090 Caminito Vistana San Diego, CA 92130 Company Description iTherX is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for Hepatitis C. This is a disease that affects almost 3% of the world’s population, and is the … Continue reading “iTherx Pharmaceuticals Obtains $3,173,595 New Funding Round”
QuickPlay Media Takes Over Network Control Center from Qualcomm’s Flo TV
[Clarification 11/5/11, 11:10 am. See below.] Toronto’s QuickPlay Media says its goal is to stream video to any IP-connected device on behalf of any media network or wireless carrier. To accomplish this, the Canadian startup founded almost eight years ago has raised about $42 million in venture capital, and established several offices in the United … Continue reading “QuickPlay Media Takes Over Network Control Center from Qualcomm’s Flo TV”
Mobile App Search is So Bad AltaVista Could Have Done It. Chomp Is Biting Off the Problem
There are roughly 500,000 iPhone and iPad apps in Apple’s iTunes App Store, and almost that many smartphone and tablet apps in Google’s Android Market. That gives mobile consumers lots of choices, but it has created an untenable situation for mobile developers. Unless you get lucky and your app vaults onto the top-5 or top-10 … Continue reading “Mobile App Search is So Bad AltaVista Could Have Done It. Chomp Is Biting Off the Problem”
Proximetry Secures $1,806,343 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c48a62d9-f394-4a25-8fe0-8c0bffcb0b6a&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2011 Company Name Proximetry Mailing Address 909 W. Laurel Street San Diego, CA 92101 Company Description Proximetry provides wireless performance management solutions, for highly distributed, performance critical, multi-protocol wireless networks. Proximetry’s carrier-class software solution, AirSync, enables network operators, public safety, energy, and transportation organizations to provision and manage performance critical … Continue reading “Proximetry Secures $1,806,343 Series A Financing Round”
Zoosk Acquires WooMe for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9534d196-f89d-46b1-9853-3eb66e303965&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2011 Company Name WooMe Mailing Address Undisclosed Los Angeles, CA 90000 Company Description WooMe brings the speed dating craze online and extends it to let users meet new people live in fast, fun and free speed sessions. There are no long forms or lengthy profile descriptions, simply find a session … Continue reading “Zoosk Acquires WooMe for Undisclosed Sum”
Optimer Pulls in $10.6M in Sales, With Commercial Rollout of New Antibiotic
San Diego-based Optimer Pharmaceuticals is new to this idea of being a commercial enterprise, but it did OK in its first quarter with an actual product to sell. Optimer (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OPTR]]) said today it generated $10.6 million in net sales of fidaxomicin (Dificid) in the quarter that ended on Sept. 30. The drug, a treatment … Continue reading “Optimer Pulls in $10.6M in Sales, With Commercial Rollout of New Antibiotic”