Techies gathered last week for the annual show-and-tell/schmoozefest known as the Consumer Electronics Show. Now it’s the biotechies turn to have their big conference of the year. The madhouse known as the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference officially starts today, for the 29th year, at San Francisco’s Union Square. I’m here as always, looking forward to … Continue reading “See You at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference”
Category: San Diego
San Diego’s Avalon Ventures Closes Ninth Fund, Raises $200 M
When Avalon Ventures began fund-raising for its ninth venture fund back in May, the San Diego VC firm said it was targeting $150 million. Today Avalon plans to announce that it has closed capital commitments of $200 million for its ninth and largest fund. Founder Kevin Kinsella says Avalon Ventures IX was more than 33 … Continue reading “San Diego’s Avalon Ventures Closes Ninth Fund, Raises $200 M”
The ABCs of SBA Loans
Financing your small business in today’s economy can be challenging to say the least. However, understanding the various financing options available to businesses, and what you need to know to position your business to be “bankable” before you meet with a lender, can make all of the difference. In this workshop, you will learn about … Continue reading “The ABCs of SBA Loans”
Frontiers in Science: Pharmaceuticals from the Sea
Pharmacological research reveals that marine cyanobacteria, single-celled organisms often referred to as blue-green algae, are an effective cancer treatment. Combining cyanobacteria with new screening processes and technology is openingh a new frontier in in anticancer and anti-inflammatory research that is rich with opportunities. Cyanobacteria and algae are especially rich in lipids that are being studied … Continue reading “Frontiers in Science: Pharmaceuticals from the Sea”
Healthcare Reimbursement and Regulations: Practical Approaches to Innovations in Wireless Health
The debate over healthcare reform was one of the driving forces behind the changes the November elections brought to Washington. As the new Congressional session begins this month, healthcare reform will continue to be a major policy focus. One area of debate that was noticeably absent during Congress’ healthcare reform deliberations was the developing wireless … Continue reading “Healthcare Reimbursement and Regulations: Practical Approaches to Innovations in Wireless Health”
Desalination and Related Water Technologies
Since General Atomics developed the first reverse osmosis membrane in 1967, San Diego has been one of the leading desalination R&D centers in the world. Topics to be covered at this all-day symposium include the increasingly attractive economics of desalination, San Diego as a leader center of desalination technology, and opportunities in the San Diego-Baja … Continue reading “Desalination and Related Water Technologies”
Economic Leadership Summit
Unemployment remains at record high levels, access to capital is severely constrained, and economic recovery is moving in fits and starts on an uncertain path. The solution to these overlapping dilemmas lies in applying innovation to enhance community competitiveness in the global marketplace. The International Economic Development Council’s 2011 Leadership Summit will provide economic development … Continue reading “Economic Leadership Summit”
Ten Thoughts from MIT Sloan’s Silicon Valley Tech Trek
Each year, we at the MIT Entrepreneurship Center at the Sloan School of Management travel to Silicon Valley for a three-day immersion program with our MBA students who have a very entrepreneurial spirit and interest. While we make visits during other parts of the year, this is different in that it is a 24×7 analysis … Continue reading “Ten Thoughts from MIT Sloan’s Silicon Valley Tech Trek”
Here Are Six Features Apple Should Include in the iPad 2 (And They’re Not the Ones You Think)
Unlike most of my tech-journalism brethren, I’m not at the circus in Las Vegas this week. Neither is Apple—the hardware giant has traditionally skipped the International Consumer Electronics Show, rightly figuring that it can generate all the hype it needs just by inviting a few hundred people to the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco … Continue reading “Here Are Six Features Apple Should Include in the iPad 2 (And They’re Not the Ones You Think)”
Some Prognostications on Biotechnology in 2011
After consulting with the Oracle at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, here are a few of the trends I was told to watch for in 2011… Two revolutionizing pharmaceutical frontiers are on the horizon—RNA therapeutics and stem cell therapies: —RNA therapeutics will become a big reality in 2011. Mipomersen, a LDL lowering drug from … Continue reading “Some Prognostications on Biotechnology in 2011”
Quidel Shares Fall After Pricing New Offering
Shares of Quidel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QDEL]]), the San Diego diagnostic test maker, sank more than 8 percent on heavy volume today, after the company priced a secondary public offering of 4 million common shares at $13.15 a share. The company, which granted an additional 600,000 to the underwriter to cover over-allotments, says the closing of the … Continue reading “Quidel Shares Fall After Pricing New Offering”
Ligand Licenses Liver Drug Candidates
San Diego’s Ligand Pharmaceuticals said today it has licensed two liver drug candidates to Chiva Pharmaceuticals, a Los Altos Hills, CA, affiliate of Hainan Kaihua Pharmaceutical. Ligand says the deal, which gives Chiva rights to develop and market the drugs in China, could be worth more than $100 million in milestone payments and royalties. Ligand … Continue reading “Ligand Licenses Liver Drug Candidates”
Less Changey, But Still Hopey About 2011
Last year at year end, I wrote about technology trends. Those trends, like the merger of the cloud and mobile devices, personalized medicine, reprogramming of human cells to cure disease, and the re-emergence of nanotechnology, still hold. Startups are breaking down impossible barriers in computing, biology, energy, and materials science. The USA is leading and … Continue reading “Less Changey, But Still Hopey About 2011”
Independa Launches ‘Smart Reminders’ Service to Help Elderly and Their Caregivers
San Diego-based Independa was in stealth mode until September, when founding CEO Kian Saneii gave a presentation about the startup and its technology at the Demo conference in San Jose. Today, Saneii is unveiling Independa’s first apps at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. “This is the first time that customers can sign up … Continue reading “Independa Launches ‘Smart Reminders’ Service to Help Elderly and Their Caregivers”
Receptos Cuts Deals With J&J, Lilly
Receptos, the San Diego-based biotech company, said today it has licensed its technology to a pair of drug giants—Eli Lilly and the Ortho McNeil Janssen unit of Johnson & Johnson. Under the first deal, Receptos will collaborate with Lilly to develop a drug against a single target on cells known as a G-protein coupled receptor. … Continue reading “Receptos Cuts Deals With J&J, Lilly”
John Mendlein Tries His Hand as a ‘Parallel Entrepreneur,’ Santaris Continues RNA Therapeutics Work for Pfizer, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
The holiday left a void of sorts in San Diego’s life sciences news, or maybe everybody is prepping for J.P. Morgan’s big biotech conference in San Francisco next week. Either way, we’ve got the latest update here. —Luke profiled John Mendlein as a life sciences jack-of-all-trades who made his name as a CEO in 2007, … Continue reading “John Mendlein Tries His Hand as a ‘Parallel Entrepreneur,’ Santaris Continues RNA Therapeutics Work for Pfizer, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
My Three Predictions for 2011
In 2011, the U.S. economy will come roaring back as our businesses and their customers gain confidence that the electorate has come to its senses and chosen not to grow governments but economies instead. In 2011, the last jihadist jerk will accidently blow himself up, at home without harming anyone else. In 2011, the progress … Continue reading “My Three Predictions for 2011”
Coda Automotive Lands $76,000,000 Series D Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=29e68cb7-6baf-42d2-8eb5-05ea8424ed92&Preview=1 Date 1/6/2011 Company Name Coda Automotive Mailing Address 1601 Wilshire Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90403 Company Description We were formed by a group of innovators, experts in their fields, motivated to solve some of today’s most pressing problems to leave a better world for their children. Our business model is unique. … Continue reading “Coda Automotive Lands $76,000,000 Series D Funding”
CES Kicks Off With Focus on Tablets, Smart Phones, and Internet TVs
The world’s biggest consumer electronics show, officially known as CES International 2011, is holding some preview events this evening, with the main event opening tomorrow for 126,000 registered attendees at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Global retail sales of consumer electronics are expected to grow by 10 percent this year, from $873 billion in 2010 … Continue reading “CES Kicks Off With Focus on Tablets, Smart Phones, and Internet TVs”
Wright Resigning From San Diego Regional EDC
Julie Meier Wright, the longtime president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., said today she plans to retire June 30, although she will continue after that as a consultant for the rest of 2011. The EDC’s board plans to conduct a national search for a new CEO. After joining the EDC … Continue reading “Wright Resigning From San Diego Regional EDC”
Five Technology Trends to Watch in 2011
“Real” 4G Mobile broadband. Verizon recently launched its 4G LTE network (via laptop modem cards). The Verizon network speed dwarfs the “4G” networks being advertised by Sprint and T-Mobile. Verizon’s 4G will be users’ first taste of true mobile broadband and will further drive mobile data usage and the percentage of time users spend on … Continue reading “Five Technology Trends to Watch in 2011”
Five Things To Look For In The Coming Year In Healthcare/Life Sciences
1. Data‐Driven Healthcare. In 2011 and into this next decade, the rate of data generation from biological measurement will continue to accelerate. Making sense of this deluge of data from sources as disparate as electronic medical records, biometric sensors, population statistics, environmental factors, and genomics will be the interesting part! Nimble start‐ups that can aggregate … Continue reading “Five Things To Look For In The Coming Year In Healthcare/Life Sciences”
Access 360 Media Lands $12,000,000 Series C Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9874b966-d115-4276-980d-f7ddeb6aa129&Preview=1 Date 1/5/2011 Company Name Access 360 Media Mailing Address 2951 28th Street Santa Monica, CA 90405 Company Description ACCESS 360 Media is a media network that connects to over 30 million young adult consumers (P12-34) each month, in the places and through the communication platforms that matter most to them – … Continue reading “Access 360 Media Lands $12,000,000 Series C Funding Round”
Qualcomm Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Atheros Communications
[Updated 1/5/10 11:15 am. See below.] It’s official: Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire San Jose’s Atheros Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ATHR]]) at $45 a share, or roughly $3.1 billion. The transaction has been approved by the boards of both companies, but must still clear the necessary regulatory requirements. Atheros … Continue reading “Qualcomm Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Atheros Communications”
HowRandom Targets College Students With Website For Anonymous Chats
At a time when Facebook ranks as the most-used social networking site on the planet, a couple of young San Diego entrepreneurs are trying to establish their own niche in an expanding universe of social networks, online chat rooms, and Internet forums. Co-founders Jon Cook and Jason Humphries have created HowRandom as an online forum … Continue reading “HowRandom Targets College Students With Website For Anonymous Chats”
Santaris Gets $14M From Pfizer
Santaris Pharma, the developer of RNA-based therapies in San Diego and Denmark, said today it has expanded its alliance with Pfizer, which has agreed to pay the smaller company $14 million to continue developing its technology. Santaris is also eligible to receive milestone payments of as much as $600 million, and royalties on as many … Continue reading “Santaris Gets $14M From Pfizer”
Vaccine Innovations That Will Expedite Access for the Next Generation of Treatments
As viral pandemics and drug resistant bacteria become more common, it is imperative that the pharmaceutical industry increases its efforts to develop truly revolutionary treatments to combat infectious diseases. One area of focus is the development of new prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. When a pandemic strikes, the traditional vaccine development and manufacturing process is cumbersome … Continue reading “Vaccine Innovations That Will Expedite Access for the Next Generation of Treatments”
Motorola Splits in Two, But No Word Yet on Mobility’s New HQ
Motorola, which began business in Chicago 83 years ago as the Galvin Manufacturing Co., is officially splitting into two separate companies today: Motorola Solutions (NYSE: [[ticker:MSI]]) retains the company’s mainstay public-safety radio, bar-code scanner, and RFID businesses, while Motorola Mobility (NYSE: [[ticker:MMI]]) gets the cell phone and cable set-top box businesses. I had expected Motorola … Continue reading “Motorola Splits in Two, But No Word Yet on Mobility’s New HQ”
FitOrbit Lands $3,239,994 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=880d53c5-9c1b-42e0-9b52-4400d0f7ecda&Preview=1 Date 1/4/2011 Company Name FitOrbit Mailing Address 11611 San Vicente Los Angeles, CA 90049 Company Description The company operates a website that connects people to professional personal trainers online. Website http://www.fitorbit.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,239,994 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. … Continue reading “FitOrbit Lands $3,239,994 New Financing Round”
Qualcomm Spending $1B on Mirasol Fab Plant in Taiwan
The Taiwanese Ministry of Economy Affairs says San Diego’s Qualcomm is investing nearly $1 billion to expand production of its proprietary Mirasol flat panel displays in Taiwan’s Hsinchu Science Park. The technology uses an electrically switched modulator to generate intense colors through the interference of reflected light. Qualcomm has been developing the technology since 2004, … Continue reading “Qualcomm Spending $1B on Mirasol Fab Plant in Taiwan”
Venture-Backed Buyouts at Record Volume as Increasing Pace of Exits Mark Possible Recovery
Initial public offerings and acquisitions surged for venture-backed companies during the fourth quarter of 2010. The results suggest a recovery in the overall pace of “liquidity events” since the capital crisis of 2008, which triggered a painful economic recession throughout the U.S. and elsewhere. Most of the IPO activity was driven by Chinese companies going … Continue reading “Venture-Backed Buyouts at Record Volume as Increasing Pace of Exits Mark Possible Recovery”
How 2011 Will Unfold in Healthcare
It’s the beginning of the year—an opportune time to forecast how 2011 will unfold in healthcare. We are likely to see some surprises, such as the sharply rising importance of primary care physicians. Here are some predictions about the new year: • More consolidation is on its way in healthcare under Obamacare, which heightens the … Continue reading “How 2011 Will Unfold in Healthcare”
John Mendlein, Biotech Exec With Surfer Look, Follows Winding Path as “Parallel Entrepreneur”
When John Mendlein walks down the street, most people think one thing: surfer dude. But for those who know better in the biotech industry, Mendlein represents a lot more than a laid-back stereotype. The tall guy with long blond hair is an intense driving force behind one of the big success stories of the past … Continue reading “John Mendlein, Biotech Exec With Surfer Look, Follows Winding Path as “Parallel Entrepreneur””
Qualcomm Sells Some Wireless Spectrum, Report Predicts Cleantech Job Growth in San Diego, JMI’s Paul Barber Talks About Investment Strategy, & More San Diego BizTech News
The holidays have ended, and we have some catching up to do. Get ready for 2011 with our wrap-up of San Diego’s recent tech news. —Qualcomm said it was coming: The San Diego wireless giant agreed to sell the wireless spectrum that runs its Flo TV mobile television service to AT&T for more than $1.9 … Continue reading “Qualcomm Sells Some Wireless Spectrum, Report Predicts Cleantech Job Growth in San Diego, JMI’s Paul Barber Talks About Investment Strategy, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Five Popular Predictions for 2011 That Are Wrong
1. Prediction in Vogue: 2011 will be the year of the “Super Angel” Reality: Given all the angel investment activity, and the fact that it has never been easier to start a new company (low cost of computer power, plenty of talented people, plenty of real estate, etc), too many “me too” companies will be … Continue reading “Five Popular Predictions for 2011 That Are Wrong”
The Top 10 Ways 2010 Changed Mobile Apps
This month, IDC analysts released a forecast report showing that mobile apps will support more of our everyday interactions, with downloads projected to increase to nearly 76.9 billion in 2014. However, while future predictions are great to consider, it’s always valuable to take a look back at what actually happened over the past year. Undoubtedly … Continue reading “The Top 10 Ways 2010 Changed Mobile Apps”
Half and Half: My Take on 2010 and 2011
My top 3 innovations of advertising and media technology in 2010: —Tablet devices. I’m not singling out just the Apple iPad, but also the Samsung Galaxy and Blackberry Playbook. —Facebook targeting tools. The “business side” of Facebook became much more robust this year for advertisers. —Social buying and dealmaking: Groupon, LocalTwist, Swoop, etc. My Top … Continue reading “Half and Half: My Take on 2010 and 2011”
WaterHealth International Obtains $5,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1078b626-628c-423d-8155-1bcf46ef65eb&Preview=1 Date 12/31/2010 Company Name WaterHealth International Mailing Address 9601 Irvine Center Drive Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description WaterHealth International, Inc. provides innovative business solutions to one of the world’s most desperate health crises, the lack of safe, clean and affordable water for the billions of people who have little or no … Continue reading “WaterHealth International Obtains $5,000,000 New Funding”
Verdezyne Lands $6,320,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=58e40e30-9103-48b2-b23e-3110db1f7133&Preview=1 Date 12/31/2010 Company Name Verdezyne Mailing Address 2715 Loker Avenue West Carlsbad, CA 92010 Company Description Verdezyne employs its biology expertise and proprietary advanced computational algonithms to design and synthesize novel, high-diversity gene libraries for engineering proteins, metabolic pathways, and microorganisms. Website http://www.verdezyne.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,320,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Verdezyne Lands $6,320,000 New Round”
Top Five Biotech Surprises & Innovations of 2010, and Five Trends to Watch for in 2011
1. FDA’s decision to remove the breast cancer indication from the label of bevacizumab (Avastin). 2. Approval of Dendreon’s sipuleucel-T (Provenge), representing a new class of drug. 3. Sanofi-Aventis’ pursuit of Genzyme. It illustrates an industry move towards adding orphan and rare therapeutic areas to pharma portfolios. Another example of the trend came when Pfizer … Continue reading “Top Five Biotech Surprises & Innovations of 2010, and Five Trends to Watch for in 2011”
Xconomy Man of Year for 2010—Plus a Gigantic Energy Prediction for 2011
My Xconomy “Man of the Year” for 2010 would not be Mark Zuckerberg (that should have been a year or two ago if you are on the leading edge like Xconomy), but rather Andrew Mason, founder of Groupon. The speed and magnitude that this business innovation achieved through this company was stunning and still boggles … Continue reading “Xconomy Man of Year for 2010—Plus a Gigantic Energy Prediction for 2011”
The Top 3 Technology Surprises of 2010, and Six Predictions for 2011
Top Surprises of 2010: · Magnitude of iPad success · Isilon’s acquisition by EMC as well as the resurgence of the storage sector overall · Rapid growth of Android smart phones 2011 Predictions: · Continued growth of web services and people will stop referring to things as “private”, “public” and “hybrid” cloud and focus more … Continue reading “The Top 3 Technology Surprises of 2010, and Six Predictions for 2011”
Northern California’s Top 5 Biotech Innovation News Stories
The year that was 2010 was another year on the rollercoaster. We had our ups and our downs. But throughout, we continued to be at the forefront of innovation. From mature companies to emerging technologies, 2010 was an exciting year. Here are BayBio’s top five stories for 2010. 1. Amgen secures approval for two new … Continue reading “Northern California’s Top 5 Biotech Innovation News Stories”
One Surprise in the Auto Industry in 2010—With More on the Road Ahead
We saw much of what has happened coming. I am surprised at how quickly the domestic auto industry has become profitable at still a depression level of sales. Looking ahead I think we will be surprised at the rate of cost reduction of batteries and electric and plug-in hybrid technology. [Editor’s Note: This is part … Continue reading “One Surprise in the Auto Industry in 2010—With More on the Road Ahead”
Ondax Lands $1,585,770 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=81e22dd3-b75f-4f34-84ee-dc02b3ecd7ae&Preview=1 Date 12/28/2010 Company Name Ondax Mailing Address 700 West Huntington Drive Monrovia, CA 91016 Company Description ONDAX is a leading manufacturer of Volume Holographic Gratings (VHG’s). Products include the PowerLocker for laser wavelength stabilization, TO cans and fiber coupled wavelength stabilized lasers, RGB filters for display and laser sources, beam combiners, … Continue reading “Ondax Lands $1,585,770 New Round”
How Can San Diego Win the Fight Against Diabesity? Xconomy to Dig Deep on Jan. 27
One of San Diego’s strengths as a biotech hub is its expertise fighting two of the biggest epidemics of the 21st century—obesity and diabetes. Yet the FDA has taken a tough stance, demanding more and more evidence, before it will allow new drugs for these conditions on the U.S. market. It’s been a rough year … Continue reading “How Can San Diego Win the Fight Against Diabesity? Xconomy to Dig Deep on Jan. 27”
Vaccines Top the List of 2010 Innovations
For us it would be in the area of vaccines first. The approval of the first cancer therapeutic vaccine from Dendreon in prostate cancer establishes the concept that immunotherapy is a conceptually achievable and clinically useful approach for treating cancer. This allows us and others to develop novel concepts of immunotherapy for cancer. On another … Continue reading “Vaccines Top the List of 2010 Innovations”
Onset Medical Garners $2,139,492 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5bf80247-7604-4807-9911-5425afe39d19&Preview=1 Date 12/27/2010 Company Name Onset Medical Mailing Address 13700 Alton Parkway Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description Onset Medical Corporation develops, manufactures and markets innovative percutaneous and minimally invasive access devices. Website http://www.onsetmedical.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,139,492 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory … Continue reading “Onset Medical Garners $2,139,492 New Round”
Zumbox Obtains $9,741,458 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8d9f817f-3fe5-453a-aca6-3f8d45948f05&Preview=1 Date 12/24/2010 Company Name Zumbox Mailing Address 31364 Via Colinas Westlake Village, CA 91362 Company Description Zumbox provides the first all-digital postal system that is free for qualified senders of regular mail, such as billers, governments and community organizations. Zumbox delivers mail electronically based on the same street addresses as traditional … Continue reading “Zumbox Obtains $9,741,458 New Funding Round”
EMN8 Raises $12.2M
San Diego-based EMN8, which makes transaction kiosks with touchscreen displays to accelerate customer orders at fast-food restaurants and other retailers, has raised $12.2 million of a targeted $18.2 million equity round, according to a recent regulatory filing. EMN8 signed an agreement with IBM in September in which IBM is taking on EMN8’s manufacturing, services, and … Continue reading “EMN8 Raises $12.2M”