Like most advances in the life sciences, ensuring reimbursement by medical insurance providers and getting new wireless devices through the government regulatory process will be crucial barriers for the emerging wireless health sector to overcome, according to Qualcomm chairman and CEO Paul Jacobs. Jacobs, who was key to organizing a mobile health summit held in … Continue reading “Qualcomm CEO Points to Wellness and Chronic Care Management as Big Opportunities in Mobile Health”
Category: San Diego
World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode VI: Wall, South Dakota
If Xconomy had an official interstate highway, it would be I-90. The longest highway in the whole interstate system, it stretches 3,099 miles from Logan Airport in Boston (Xconomy’s birthplace) to Safeco Field in Seattle (the second city in our network). On our way to San Francisco, we followed I-90 from Boston to Buffalo, and … Continue reading “World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode VI: Wall, South Dakota”
Qualcomm Seeks Spark for Brew MP, Northrop Grumman Gets $35M for UAV-to-UAV Refueling, & More San Diego BizTech News
It was a busy week for San Diego BizTech news, as Qualcomm convened its inaugural Uplinq conference to encourage programmers to write apps for its Brew MP system. We’ve got that news and more, so link up here. —Qualcomm convened its first-ever Uplinq conference in San Diego last week in a bid to reinvigorate the … Continue reading “Qualcomm Seeks Spark for Brew MP, Northrop Grumman Gets $35M for UAV-to-UAV Refueling, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Amazon’s Cloud Computing Service Sees Opportunity in Genomic Data Overload
The future of biology, if Amazon has its way, will be in the cloud. The Seattle-based online retailer (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) has generated buzz the past few years with its foray into cloud computing through Amazon Web Services. This is the model in which customers rent server space on a pay-as-you-go basis, and get access to … Continue reading “Amazon’s Cloud Computing Service Sees Opportunity in Genomic Data Overload”
Using Biotechnology to Transform Algae Into Fuel, Food, and Medicine
Stephen Mayfield, Director of the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology professor of biology at UC San Diego, provides an overview on algae biotechnologies. Over the last ten years, Mayfield’s lab has been the first to show high levels of recombinant protein expression in algae, setting the stage for the use of algae as a … Continue reading “Using Biotechnology to Transform Algae Into Fuel, Food, and Medicine”
Connect Frontiers in Science and Technology: The First 90 Days of the Gulf Oil Disaster
Tony Haymet, Director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD provides an overview of the by the largest environmental disaster our nation has ever experienced. Scripps Oceanography researchers have been studying the Gulf of Mexico for many years, and along with their partners around the country have rapidly redeployed people and equipment to assist … Continue reading “Connect Frontiers in Science and Technology: The First 90 Days of the Gulf Oil Disaster”
CommNexus Industry Leader Series: Qualcomm’s Bill Davidson
Bill Davidson is senior vice president of global marketing and investor relations for Qualcomm. Davidson provides leadership for Qualcomm’s marketing and public relations efforts worldwide and is the primary liaison with the investment community and Qualcomm shareholders. Davidson previously served as vice president of carrier relations for Qualcomm Internet Services (QIS). He worked closely with … Continue reading “CommNexus Industry Leader Series: Qualcomm’s Bill Davidson”
Using Military Tech Transfer to Get Out of the Gate
The CommNexus military special interest group has organized a panel discussion about successful military technology transfer. Speakers from three San Diego military contractors will discuss how and why they expanded beyond Pentagon contacts to build successful businesses. The panel includes representatives from ViaSat, Peregrine Semiconductors, and Lumedyne Technology. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., or register … Continue reading “Using Military Tech Transfer to Get Out of the Gate”
Opportunities for Semiconductor Makers in Advanced Metering Infrastructure
CommNexus has organized a panel of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) experts to discuss new markets and opportunities in wireless communication technologies required to connect electric, gas and water meters to the Utilities’ networks. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., or register online here.
Biocom Breakfast Roundtable with California Assembly Rep. Nathan Fletcher
California State Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, represents the 75th Assembly District. Fletcher was elected in 2008 and serves as vice chair of both the Assembly Health Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on Biotechnology. He is the first combat veteran of the Global War on Terror to serve in the California State Legislature. Fletcher … Continue reading “Biocom Breakfast Roundtable with California Assembly Rep. Nathan Fletcher”
3rd annual San Diego Regional Security Conference
The 3rd annual San Diego Regional Security Conference is focused on IT and cybersecurity, robotics, secure communications, and sensors of all kinds. Keynote presentations and panel sessions will cover a range of topics that include: Information Assurance; Identity Management; Data Integrity; Intrusion Detection & Prevention; Security Testing and Audit Technologies; Ensuring and Fusing Secure Data … Continue reading “3rd annual San Diego Regional Security Conference”
Wireless Health 2010: Where Science, Engineering, and Clinical Medicine Converge
The San Diego-based Wireless Life Sciences Alliance has organized this inaugural conference to showcase the vanguard of international R&D in mobile health. The three-day conference combines academic research with keynote talks and panel discussions by leaders from academia, medicine, government, and industry. More information and online registration is available here.
SDEE Entrepreneurs Roundtable – How to Get Seed Funding
The San Diego Entrepreneurs Exchange (SDEE) has organized a forum to discuss how how life sciences entrepreneurs can get seed funding. The evening will include a roundtable and discussion with Court Turner from Avalon Ventures, Raj Krishnan, the founder of Biological Dynamics, and Malcolm Bohm the founder of Trialytics. ATS president and chief technology officer … Continue reading “SDEE Entrepreneurs Roundtable – How to Get Seed Funding”
Kleiner-Backed V-Vehicle’s Headquarters Remains in San Diego—For Now
San Diego has learned from years of painful experience that being the hometown of a corporate headquarters is an insecure relationship that depends entirely on the fidelity of the company’s CEO. So it seemed inevitable that San Diego-based V-Vehicle would move its headquarters to the San Francisco Bay Area after the wheels came off the … Continue reading “Kleiner-Backed V-Vehicle’s Headquarters Remains in San Diego—For Now”
World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode V: Minneapolis, MN
When I hatched this kooky plan to drive across the country to San Francisco, shooting, editing, and publishing videos along the way, I had no idea it would be quite so exhausting. So when we reached the home of Graham’s friend Oliver Zhou in Minneapolis Wednesday night, we were grateful to have a place to … Continue reading “World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode V: Minneapolis, MN”
Northrop Grumman Planning First UAV-to-UAV Aerial Refueling
At Northrop Grumman’s unmanned systems development center in suburban San Diego, some folks are describing a $33 million contract that was announced today as “DARPA hard.” DARPA is an acronym for the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the two-year contract awarded to Northrop Grumman calls for demonstrating the feasibility of using one high-altitude … Continue reading “Northrop Grumman Planning First UAV-to-UAV Aerial Refueling”
World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode IV: Torch Lake, MI
Sharon Branson, a retired nurse, and her husband Dean Branson, a retired industrial chemist and toxicologist, are busy enough for any three non-retired couples. I met this fascinating couple through my parents, who serve with Dean in the Three Lakes Association, a conservation group working to preserve the natural environment around Michigan’s Torch Lake and … Continue reading “World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode IV: Torch Lake, MI”
Qualcomm Offers Cash Incentives, Broader Support, in Bid to Energize App Developers (and Partners Like Twitter)
After taking a hiatus in its annual Brew developers conference last year, Qualcomm raised the curtain yesterday on its new and improved Brew MP (mobile platform) at Uplinq—a reincarnated developers conference that recasts the two-year-old Brew MP as a “fully realized” mobile operating system that is broader, deeper, and more developer friendly. Following a multimedia … Continue reading “Qualcomm Offers Cash Incentives, Broader Support, in Bid to Energize App Developers (and Partners Like Twitter)”
New CEO George Scangos Says Biogen Idec’s R&D Has to Improve
George Scangos, the newly appointed chief executive of Biogen Idec (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]), is calling for the biotech powerhouse to improve its research and development productivity. Which could mean that some projects get cut, Scangos said in a call with analysts yesterday. The news broke on Wednesday that Biogen selected Scangos for the big job. Scangos, 62, … Continue reading “New CEO George Scangos Says Biogen Idec’s R&D Has to Improve”
Sanofi Buys TargeGen, Biogen Idec Hires CEO, Orexigen Obesity Drug Shows Promise Against Diabetes, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
It’s been barbell time for life sciences news in San Diego, with much of the developments happening yesterday and at the end of last week. Still, it shouldn’t require too much heavy lifting; your workout starts now. —Sanofi-Aventis, the French pharma giant, is acquiring San Diego-based TargeGen in a structured deal that could be worth … Continue reading “Sanofi Buys TargeGen, Biogen Idec Hires CEO, Orexigen Obesity Drug Shows Promise Against Diabetes, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Arena Strikes Deal with Eisai to Market Obesity Drug in U.S., Pocketing $50M Upfront
Arena Pharmaceuticals has raised $1 billion to get an obesity drug candidate on the doorstep of FDA approval, and now it has found someone else to commercialize it. The San Diego-based company has struck a deal with Japan-based Eisai Pharmaceuticals to sell lorcaserin in the U.S. This isn’t the usual transaction you see between a … Continue reading “Arena Strikes Deal with Eisai to Market Obesity Drug in U.S., Pocketing $50M Upfront”
Santarus Cuts 120 Jobs
San Diego-based Santarus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SNTS]]) said today it is cutting 120 jobs, or 37 percent of its workforce, because a competitor is starting to sell cheaper generic copies of omeprazole sodium bicarbonate (Zegerid). Santarus is ending its promotion of brand-name Zegerid, although it will retain 110 sales reps to promote metformin hydrochloride (Glumetza) for Type … Continue reading “Santarus Cuts 120 Jobs”
Should It Be Called “Startbucks?”
Today Starbucks begins providing free Internet in their stores. To me, this means that Howard Schultz has just provided 11,000 free offices for startups. To an entrepreneur, having tables, chairs, free Internet, and access to food and coffee is a golden opportunity. To a professional who provides support services to startups (e.g. marketing, design, business … Continue reading “Should It Be Called “Startbucks?””
Eucalyptus Systems Obtains $20,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7f56cdf6-e810-4f7e-b81a-e16344b02b5f&Preview=1 Date 7/1/2010 Company Name Eucalyptus Systems Mailing Address 130 Castilian Drive Goleta, CA 93117 Company Description We started Eucalyptus as a research project in the Computer Science Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In the Fall of 2007, Rich Wolski (whose research group eventually designed and built Eucalyptus) was … Continue reading “Eucalyptus Systems Obtains $20,000,000 New Funding”
Reports: Biogen Picks Exelixis Chief George Scangos as New CEO
Biogen Idec won’t be the biggest biotech without a CEO for long. Bloomberg News reported late this morning that the Cambridge, MA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) is expected to announce its appointment of George Scangos as its new chief executive as soon as today. Scangos, a microbiologist by training, has been CEO of the South San … Continue reading “Reports: Biogen Picks Exelixis Chief George Scangos as New CEO”
TargeGen Sells to Sanofi For As Much As $560M, Offering Returns to Forward Ventures, Enterprise Partners
Ivor Royston is catching the opera tonight in Paris, and he has some reason to relax. The managing partner of San Diego’s Forward Ventures was in France as the press release hit the wire announcing his portfolio company, TargeGen, has been acquired by Paris-based drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis for as much as $560 million. This deal, like … Continue reading “TargeGen Sells to Sanofi For As Much As $560M, Offering Returns to Forward Ventures, Enterprise Partners”
Zementis Partners With Datameer
Datameer, a San Mateo, CA-based provider of data analytics, and Zementis, a San Diego-based analytics startup, have announced a strategic partnership to help customers integrate scalable standards-based predictive analytics. The partnership combines a proprietary decision engine developed by Zementis for real-time execution of predictive models with the power and scale of Datameer Analytics Solution (DAS), … Continue reading “Zementis Partners With Datameer”
Zeebo Expands Funding to $13.5M
Zeebo, the San Diego game console maker that raised $8 million last month, has now raised $13.5 million in equity and debt, according to an updated regulatory filing. Zeebo is backed by San Diego-based Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) and Brazilian video-game developer Tectoy S.A., and has focused so far on developing products for the Latin American … Continue reading “Zeebo Expands Funding to $13.5M”
World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode III, Who’s Wade?
Mile 971—northern Michigan. We definitely aren’t taking the direct route from Boston to San Francisco. We’ve veered north in order to take in Torch Lake—where we’ve spent the last two nights with my parents—and Minneapolis, our next destination. We were at Torch Lake long enough to record two videos. The second, coming tomorrow, is a … Continue reading “World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode III, Who’s Wade?”
Qualcomm Looks to Re-Energize the Brew Faithful at Inaugural Uplinq Conference
Nine years ago, San Diego-based Qualcomm introduced Brew, a programming language that made it easier for software developers to integrate short programs with wireless devices so mobile users could also play games, send messages, share photos, and get other services. The idea was to provide a standard programming environment to accelerate the adoption of mobile … Continue reading “Qualcomm Looks to Re-Energize the Brew Faithful at Inaugural Uplinq Conference”
State Names San Diego “Innovation Hub,” Awards $4M Grant for Biofuels Worker Training
The California Department of Labor says it has awarded the San Diego region a $4 million grant to create job training programs for workers in the emerging biofuels industry. In a related announcement, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Office of Economic Development today named the combined area of San Diego and Imperial Counties as the state’s … Continue reading “State Names San Diego “Innovation Hub,” Awards $4M Grant for Biofuels Worker Training”
Toyota Delivers Three Prius Plug-In Hybrids for Year-Long Demo
San Diego Gas & Electric and the nonprofit California Center for Sustainable Energy rolled out three Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) today in what’s expected to be at least a year-long program intended to assess the vehicles’ performance in real-world driving conditions throughout the United States. The three cars unveiled today in San Diego … Continue reading “Toyota Delivers Three Prius Plug-In Hybrids for Year-Long Demo”
California Industrial Biotech Conference
The day-and-a-half conference will explore the research, business, and investment aspects of the biotech community. Panels and networking breaks will allow attendees to better understand California’s role in the industrial biotech space. Register online.
Company Formation, Venture Capital Remain Concerns in Data for San Diego’s Innovation Economy
The economic indicators in San Diego’s innovation economy are flashing mixed signals for the first quarter of 2010, based on data released by Connect, the nonprofit group for technology and entrepreneurship. The Connect Innovation Report can be found online here, and my roundup of the latest data follows: —Flashing Red: New company formation fell by … Continue reading “Company Formation, Venture Capital Remain Concerns in Data for San Diego’s Innovation Economy”
World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode II: Rochester, NY
A confession: Graham and I recorded the first episode in this week’s video travelogue series, the interview with Mark Nelson at C.B. Fisk in Gloucester, MA, a couple of weeks ago as a dry run for our trip. Today’s episode is the first one shot en route. We left Boston early Sunday morning, June 27, … Continue reading “World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode II: Rochester, NY”
San Diego’s Genomatica Scales Up Bio-Based Technology in Michigan Demo
Genomatica says it has successfully scaled up technology that uses genetically engineered microbes to make 1,4-butanediol (BDO)—a solvent and industrial chemical usually made from crude oil or natural gas. The San Diego company, which touts itself as a leader in the “sustainable chemicals revolution,” worked with an industrial biotechnology partner in Lansing, MI, to make … Continue reading “San Diego’s Genomatica Scales Up Bio-Based Technology in Michigan Demo”
Dream of an IPO, but Plan for an Acquisition
It’s now very clear to me: a successful M&A exit is far more likely for entrepreneurs than the once vaunted IPO. Structural changes in the venture-IPO ecosystem over the past 15 years have made it increasingly difficult for young companies to successfully tap the public markets to fuel their continued growth. While this fact has … Continue reading “Dream of an IPO, but Plan for an Acquisition”
AqueSys Garners $35,000,000 Series C Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f4f8c12f-f614-41dc-a453-0722fb4d46f2&Preview=1 Date 6/29/2010 Company Name AqueSys Mailing Address 9834 Research Dr. Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description The company is developing a device treatment for primary open angle glaucoma. Website http://www.tif.net/portfolio_aquesys.htm Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $35,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes The Series C raise is designed to build upon … Continue reading “AqueSys Garners $35,000,000 Series C Financing Round”
DOE Awards $9M for Algae Biotech Center
San Diego’s quest to become a hub for the development of algae-based biofuels got a boost today, with the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology (SD-CAB), saying it’s getting the lion’s share of a three-year, $9 million federal Department of Energy grant awarded today. In addition to the $9 million in federal funds, a consortium … Continue reading “DOE Awards $9M for Algae Biotech Center”
Zacharon Raises $500,000
Zacharon Pharmaceuticals, a San Diego startup that got $3.5 million in venture capital and a $2.2 million research grant in 2008, has raised another $500,000 in additional funding that includes debt, securities, and warrants or rights, according to a recent regulatory filing. The company intends to raise $1.9 million. As Luke reported two years ago, … Continue reading “Zacharon Raises $500,000”
World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode I: Gloucester, MA
If you don’t know where you started from, it’s harder to figure out where you’re going. That’s why we chose to kick off this week’s special video travelogue series, World Wide Wade Goes West, in a place that’s as East Coast as they come: the historic seaport of Gloucester, MA. While Gloucester is famous for … Continue reading “World Wide Wade Goes West—Episode I: Gloucester, MA”
mSpot Opens Up Freemium Cloud Music Service in a Bid to Pre-empt Apple and Google; In-Depth Q&A with CEO Daren Tsui
MSpot might be the biggest mobile music service you’ve never heard of. The Palo Alto company has been profitable since shortly after its launch in 2004, and its streaming music service has six million users across 10 different wireless carriers in North America. But it white-labels that service, meaning it shows up under names like … Continue reading “mSpot Opens Up Freemium Cloud Music Service in a Bid to Pre-empt Apple and Google; In-Depth Q&A with CEO Daren Tsui”
World Cup Draws Big Fans From San Diego’s Innovation Elite, Mushroom Networks Targets Internet Bottlenecks, SmartDraw Aims for a Bigger Market, & More San Diego BizTech News
Local companies revealed a flurry of venture funding deals last week, but some VC partners said venture capital continues to lag the overall economic recovery. The nagging problem is that IPOs and other exits remain constricted for venture-backed companies. We have all that and even some World Cup news. You better settle in, because our … Continue reading “World Cup Draws Big Fans From San Diego’s Innovation Elite, Mushroom Networks Targets Internet Bottlenecks, SmartDraw Aims for a Bigger Market, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Mobile Health Summit Convenes Today
The World Economic Forum, which organizes the exclusive annual meeting on global economics, business, and policy in Davos, Switzerland, is convening its first invitation-only summit on mobile healthcare today at San Diego’s Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa. A key figure driving the event is Qualcomm Chairman and CEO Paul Jacobs, who also is chairman … Continue reading “Mobile Health Summit Convenes Today”
Future Biotech Winners Will Help Nurses Clean up Less (Stuff), Says Roger Longman
Savvy biotech companies developing, say, cancer drugs, will have to do more in the future than just look at whether a new drug is safe and kills tumors, according to Roger Longman. They’ll also measure things that really count for payers, like length of hospital stays, and—set aside your bowl of Cheerios—how much time it … Continue reading “Future Biotech Winners Will Help Nurses Clean up Less (Stuff), Says Roger Longman”
Vigilistics Garners $1,494,817 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ba9cbed8-22c8-49dc-b080-068106eacb37&Preview=1 Date 6/28/2010 Company Name Vigilistics Mailing Address 14 Bunsen Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description Vigilistics software is offered with a set of economic modules for specific performance objectives such as reducing milk loss or energy consumption. Vigilistics software was developed specifically for compliance requirements, including accurate and auditable data and plant … Continue reading “Vigilistics Garners $1,494,817 New Financing Round”
Geodelic Lands $7,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=79ea9215-f2f3-4841-a8fb-24baa1bd414a&Preview=1 Date 6/28/2010 Company Name Geodelic Mailing Address 2110 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90405 Company Description The company operates as a mobile telecommunication company. Website http://www.geodelic.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor MK Capital Venture … Continue reading “Geodelic Lands $7,000,000 Series B Funding”
HitFix Obtains $1,600,000 Series B Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b9ef8bc2-8896-4b86-bd6d-3f77a4ca09a6&Preview=1 Date 6/28/2010 Company Name HitFix Mailing Address 9031 1/2 Rangely Ave Los Angeles , CA 90048 Company Description HitFix is creating a unique offering by bringing the world of insider entertainment to fans of movies, television and music while providing an insider view on the news, events and information that matter … Continue reading “HitFix Obtains $1,600,000 Series B Round”
Zeebo Secures $13,500,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7f0a11ce-4175-4b15-b9e2-f1217a322a03&Preview=1 Date 6/28/2010 Company Name Zeebo Mailing Address 5405 Morehouse Dr. San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Meet Zeebo, a casual gaming, entertainment and education platform that brings fun and learning to tomorrow’s consumers. Using technologies such as 3G wireless content delivery, Zeebo fundamentally alters the economics of interactive entertainment and learning … Continue reading “Zeebo Secures $13,500,000 New Funding”
San Diego’s Hotbed of Innovation Also a Hotbed for World Cup Fans
Earlier this week on ESPN radio, the announcers introduced news about the dramatic U.S. victory over Algeria in the World Cup soccer tournament by saying (approximately): And now, for the four or five Americans who are soccer fans… Ouch. Ironic too, considering that ESPN invested $100 million for the broadcasting rights to the 2010 World … Continue reading “San Diego’s Hotbed of Innovation Also a Hotbed for World Cup Fans”