San Diego drug developer Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals says it has changed its name to Harbor BioSciences, nearly a year after the company fired Richard Hollis, the biotech’s namesake founder and CEO, for cause unknown. Harbor BioSciences also changed its ticker symbol to (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HRBR]]), saying that shares would begin trading under the new ticker today. The … Continue reading “Hollis-Eden Now Harbor BioSciences”
Category: San Diego
Renewable Energy Investor Says Wind Industry Ripe for Innovation
You could say I blew into the wind power event that Cleantech San Diego organized here last week. The canapés were gone by the time I arrived, but the show was just getting started. I got there in time to hear keynote speaker Jim McDermott of energy investment fund U.S. Renewables Group describe a somewhat … Continue reading “Renewable Energy Investor Says Wind Industry Ripe for Innovation”
Proteostasis, a Rich Boston Biotech with San Diego Ties, Grows to Pursue Diseases of Aging
Just before the financial crisis hit in September 2008, Cambridge, MA-based Proteostasis Therapeutics was fortunate to snag $45 million of initial venture financing to pursue a dream. It has been pretty quiet since then. But behind the scenes, the idea has morphed into a company built to make convenient oral pills for diseases of aging. … Continue reading “Proteostasis, a Rich Boston Biotech with San Diego Ties, Grows to Pursue Diseases of Aging”
Another Setback for Cadence, Stimulus Funds Help Fuel Life Sciences Jobs, Tioga Gets More Funding for Drug Trial & More San Diego Life Sciences News
Some local biotechnology companies landed funding deals during the past week. We’ve got that and other highlights below. —Tioga Pharmaceuticals raised $18 million in private equity to fund a late-stage clinical trial of asimadoline, its experimental drug for irritable bowel disorder. —San Diego received $4.95 million of $225 million in stimulus funding awarded nationwide to … Continue reading “Another Setback for Cadence, Stimulus Funds Help Fuel Life Sciences Jobs, Tioga Gets More Funding for Drug Trial & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Clicker Lands $11,000,000 Series B Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eb2c9b71-7d80-49d0-b3b3-de6e89c41430&Preview=1 Date 2/18/2010 Company Name Clicker Mailing Address 6824 Melrose Ave Los Angeles, CA 90038 Company Description Clicker is the complete guide to Internet Television. Our mission is to make it simple for you to find the right show, right now. Website http://www.clicker.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $11,000,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Clicker Lands $11,000,000 Series B Round”
San Diego’s Tioga Pharmaceuticals Raises $18 Million to Develop IBS Drug
Tioga Pharmaceuticals, a virtual company based in San Diego with just two fulltime employees, is announcing today it has raised $18 million in private equity to fund a late-stage clinical trial of asimadoline, its experimental drug for irritable bowel disorder. A new investor, Genesys Capital Partners of Toronto, joined current stakeholders Forward Ventures, New Leaf … Continue reading “San Diego’s Tioga Pharmaceuticals Raises $18 Million to Develop IBS Drug”
San Diego-Based Sony Electronics Ready to Talk About 3D And Other Innovations
Sony Electronics usually maintains a low corporate profile at its North American headquarters, even though it ranks among San Diego’s biggest private employers—with roughly 2,000 workers here. That seemed especially true after its corporate parent announced a massive reorganization at this time last year, which included hundreds of Sony layoffs in San Diego. So it … Continue reading “San Diego-Based Sony Electronics Ready to Talk About 3D And Other Innovations”
How EcoATM Became San Diego’s Hottest Startup Deal, If I Say So Myself
For a company that was founded by three wireless industry veterans only about a year ago, ecoATM ended 2009 with some pretty impressive results. If there was a yearbook for San Diego startups, you could say we were voted most likely to succeed: Out of more than 100 local start-ups that entered the San Diego … Continue reading “How EcoATM Became San Diego’s Hottest Startup Deal, If I Say So Myself”
Tioga Pharmaceuticals Secures $18,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=97a7e489-95ee-4ee9-aac9-5bff2b0d56ee&Preview=1 Date 2/17/2010 Company Name Tioga Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 9393 Towne Centre Dr. San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Tioga Pharmaceuticals is engaged in the development of novel therapies for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Tioga is developing asimadoline, a proprietary small molecule, for treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and post operative … Continue reading “Tioga Pharmaceuticals Secures $18,000,000 New Funding Round”
ecoATM Secures New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e956bec0-0fcb-4284-b293-88c1681d5bc3&Preview=1 Date 2/17/2010 Company Name ecoATM Mailing Address 10309 Pacific Center Ct San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Solving the eWaste problem on a broad scale requires the collaboration of the OEM’s that make the devices, the retailers that sell them, and the consumers that buy and retire them. With $25B in … Continue reading “ecoATM Secures New Funding”
Fallbrook Technologies Files for $50M IPO
San Diego’s Fallbrook Technologies, a cleantech venture developing a proprietary transmission that offers improved efficiency for a variety of vehicles, intends to raise $50 million through an IPO, according to a filing today with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A Fallbrook spokesman declined to comment on the stock offering. In its filing, Fallbrook says its … Continue reading “Fallbrook Technologies Files for $50M IPO”
Qualcomm Previews Flo-Enabled Content
Qualcomm, the San Diego wireless technologies giant, says it is previewing a variety of new applications at this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that enable certain features of its Flo-TV technology to run on netbooks equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor. Qualcomm says its technology combines live mobile TV programming with real-time Web content and … Continue reading “Qualcomm Previews Flo-Enabled Content”
What Will San Diego’s Biotech Hub Look Like in 20 Years? Xconomy Event Takes Long View
San Diego has grown up into the world’s third-leading hub of life sciences over the past three decades. But what will the local life sciences landscape look like another two decades from now? Will the region have gained basic research prowess, attracted more venture financing, and stimulated more entrepreneurial activity? I’m excited to announce that … Continue reading “What Will San Diego’s Biotech Hub Look Like in 20 Years? Xconomy Event Takes Long View”
San Diego Gets $4.95M to Boost Life Sciences Employment
A $4.95 million grant from the federal stimulus package will be used to boost education, training, and placement services for people who are seeking jobs in San Diego’s life sciences and health care professions, according to local biotech and education leaders. The grant is part of more than $225 million in stimulus funds awarded by … Continue reading “San Diego Gets $4.95M to Boost Life Sciences Employment”
Veoh Networks RIP, Connect Is Recruiting an Innovation Lobbyist, Envision Solar Goes Public, & More San Diego BizTech News
The big news last week came from venture-backed Veoh Networks, which is filing for bankruptcy liquidation. Founder Dmitry Shapiro told me Veoh was the biggest Internet company that San Diego has ever seen (see below). —San Diego’s Veoh Networks, a video streaming website, was officially launched in 2005. It raised $70 million in venture capital, … Continue reading “Veoh Networks RIP, Connect Is Recruiting an Innovation Lobbyist, Envision Solar Goes Public, & More San Diego BizTech News”
VoxOx Debuts Translator-in-the-Cloud for Instant Messaging, E-mails, Texting, Social Media
Today San Diego-based TelCentris is announcing at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that it has incorporated a new free offering—a “universal translator”—as part of VoxOx, its free, cloud-based, unified communications service. Some online services, such as Babelfish.com, currently enable users to copy and paste in foreign language text to get a translation. But TelCentris … Continue reading “VoxOx Debuts Translator-in-the-Cloud for Instant Messaging, E-mails, Texting, Social Media”
WebVisible Lands $20,000,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0c575c0e-fe22-4cb6-a66d-05f7c016b99c&Preview=1 Date 2/16/2010 Company Name WebVisible Mailing Address 121 Innovation Drive Irvine, CA 92617 Company Description Local business owners are too busy minding their stores to successfully navigate the complexities of buying and managing their own online advertising, whether pay-per-click, banner ads, call-based solutions or ROI measurement tools. WebVisible solves this problem … Continue reading “WebVisible Lands $20,000,000 Series C Financing”
Presidents Day
Posting will be light today as Xconomy is closed for Presidents Day. We’ll be back tomorrow full force. Meanwhile, enjoy the holiday!
After Pulling Plug, Veoh Networks’ Dmitry Shapiro Says Litigation “Choked Off Our Oxygen”
In the beginning, San Diego’s Veoh Networks had the support of several prominent VCs, and some of the biggest names in the media business. Venture firms like Boston’s Spark Capital, and names like Michael Eisner, the former Disney titan. After five years, founder Dmitry Shapiro tells me the site had 23 million unique visitors a … Continue reading “After Pulling Plug, Veoh Networks’ Dmitry Shapiro Says Litigation “Choked Off Our Oxygen””
Xconomy Forum: San Diego Life Sciences 2030
San Diego biotech has taken its share of lumps lately, but beyond the next quarter or next year, what kind of life sciences potential really exists here? What will the San Diego life sciences landscape look like 20 years from now? Will the region have grown as a world leader in university and corporate research, … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: San Diego Life Sciences 2030”
Why Biomedical Jobs Are Recession Resilient
Biomedical employment has held remarkably steady in San Diego and throughout California, even though other parts of our economy saw steep declines and the highest unemployment levels since the Great Depression. That was the top-line finding of the 2010 California Biomedical Industry Report, just released by the California Healthcare Institute (CHI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers. San Diego … Continue reading “Why Biomedical Jobs Are Recession Resilient”
The $14.99 E-Book: Publishing’s Salvation, Or Just the Last Nail in the Coffin?
Last summer, when the UK National Portrait Gallery and the Wikimedia Foundation got into a kerfuffle over whether the foundation had the right to copy thousands of the gallery’s high-resolution digital images to the Wikimedia site without paying, I wrote that the foundation may have been within its rights, since the original portraits are in … Continue reading “The $14.99 E-Book: Publishing’s Salvation, Or Just the Last Nail in the Coffin?”
Verdezyne Raises $9M
Carlsbad, CA-based Verdezyne, an industrial biotechnology company developing methods for using yeast to make industrial chemicals, has raised $9 million in an ongoing $15.2 million venture round, according to spokeswoman Risa Goldman Burgess. She said today the funding is being used to validate technology, which Verdezyne recently disclosed, for making adipic acid, a key feedstock … Continue reading “Verdezyne Raises $9M”
Shutdown Reported at Veoh Networks, Backed by Boston’s Spark Capital and Other VCs
The lights are on, but is anybody left at Veoh Networks? We’re seeing multiple accounts of sweeping layoffs at Veoh, the San Diego-based Internet TV service, with several citing a report by Media Memo’s Peter Kafka, who says a Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation is expected soon. I sent a quick e-mail to Veoh CEO Dmitry … Continue reading “Shutdown Reported at Veoh Networks, Backed by Boston’s Spark Capital and Other VCs”
Cadence Pharmaceuticals’ Pain Reliever Handed Second Regulatory Setback
Cadence Pharmaceuticals’ plans to market an intravenous form of acetaminophen received another regulatory setback today. The FDA told the San Diego-based company that it could not approve the drug because of manufacturing problems at a plant where the drug is made. The company’s shares dove nearly nine percent to close at $9.46. Cadence (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CADX]]) … Continue reading “Cadence Pharmaceuticals’ Pain Reliever Handed Second Regulatory Setback”
Envision Solar Reveals Move to Become Public Company
San Diego architect (and Xconomist) Bob Noble says that Envision Solar, the solar development firm that he founded in 2005, will soon begin trading shares over the counter after completing a reverse merger with a dormant public company. He announced the move at a reception held last night for about 75 friends and colleagues, which … Continue reading “Envision Solar Reveals Move to Become Public Company”
Halozyme Pursues Anti-Cellulite Drug, Optimer’s Antibiotic Kills C. Difficile Germs, Tragara Pharmaceuticals Raises Funds & More San Diego Life Sciences News
There was a steady flow of drug development and funding news from San Diego’s life sciences industry over the past week. Here are the highlights. —Halozyme Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HALO]]) CFO Kurt Gustafson talked with me about the experimental anti-cellulite drug that company is testing in preclinical studies. —Connect, a non-profit that supports local technology and … Continue reading “Halozyme Pursues Anti-Cellulite Drug, Optimer’s Antibiotic Kills C. Difficile Germs, Tragara Pharmaceuticals Raises Funds & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Ready, Set, Go Public—The 10 Things You Need to Do Now
The IPO market is open for business. The IPO market window has slammed shut. Which is it? Unless your IPO is pricing in the next week or two, it doesn’t matter. The reality is that IPO planning typically takes six to 12 months. If you hope to go public in the next year-and want to … Continue reading “Ready, Set, Go Public—The 10 Things You Need to Do Now”
WebVisible Receives $20,000,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=524517b4-4779-4f38-93e6-6a70428f7ca8&Preview=1 Date 2/11/2010 Company Name WebVisible Mailing Address 121 Innovation Drive Irvine, CA 92617 Company Description That local business owners are too busy minding their stores to successfully navigate the complexities of buying and managing their own online advertising, whether pay-per-click, banner ads, call-based solutions or ROI measurement tools. WebVisible solves this … Continue reading “WebVisible Receives $20,000,000 Series C Financing”
Lifevantage Raises $2.6 Million
Lifevantage (OTCBB: [[ticker:LFVN]]), a San Diego-based nutraceuticals company, raised $2.6 million of a $5 million securities offering that included debt and options, warrants or other rights to acquire another security, according to a regulatory filing. The filing didn’t say how the funds would be used.
Wind Power Industry Convenes in San Diego Amid Howls Over Which Way Stimulus Funds Are Blowing
The movers and shakers in wind power are gathering in San Diego this week for what some renewable energy advocates view as the U.S. industry’s most important annual meeting—the Wind Power Finance & Investment Summit. They may be in for a chilly reception, though, with recent news accounts that foreign energy companies have been reaping … Continue reading “Wind Power Industry Convenes in San Diego Amid Howls Over Which Way Stimulus Funds Are Blowing”
Genzyme and Isis Report Positive Results for Cholesterol-Lowering Drug, Liver Safety Issue Lingers
[Updated 2/10/10 12:15 pm. See below] Genzyme and Isis Pharmaceuticals are making progress in the clinic with their cholesterol-lowering therapy mipomersen, a major potential moneymaker for both firms. Today the companies, which are collaborating on the development of the drug, report that the treatment significantly lowered the cholesterol of patients with a rare condition called … Continue reading “Genzyme and Isis Report Positive Results for Cholesterol-Lowering Drug, Liver Safety Issue Lingers”
As Advertisers Expand Online, Covario Adds Web-Based Tools to Measure Their Success
A new generation of corporate marketing executives was in attendance last week when San Diego-based Covario convened its fourth annual corporate partners conference at the downtown Hard Rock Hotel. As a rock band jammed onstage, the gathering crowd included JP Morgan Chase’s vice president of search governance, Amgen’s senior marketing manager for oncology, and the … Continue reading “As Advertisers Expand Online, Covario Adds Web-Based Tools to Measure Their Success”
Complying With U.S. Export Controls
The Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce is holding a two-day workshop on export regulations that control software and other dual-use technologies. The program covers U.S. export controls, types of controls, classifying your product, license requirements and procedures, support documentation, export clearance, and enforcement. More information and online registration is … Continue reading “Complying With U.S. Export Controls”
Sequenom Gets Rights to Genetic Test for Vision Disorder
San Diego-based Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]) says it has obtained rights to develop and commercialize a diagnostic test from New Haven, CT-based Optherion to predict a patient’s genetic predisposition to late-stage, age-related macular degeneration, a progressive eye disorder that can lead to a loss of central vision. Financial terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed. … Continue reading “Sequenom Gets Rights to Genetic Test for Vision Disorder”
Novatel Claims First LTE Data Call
In what may be a pre-emptive announcement before next week’s GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, San Diego’s Novatel Wireless (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NVTL]]) says it has successfully made a data transmission call using Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G technology. LTE is one of several next-generation wireless technology standards that promise increased capacity as cell phone users … Continue reading “Novatel Claims First LTE Data Call”
San Diego’s Halozyme Therapeutics Seeks Biotech Cure for Cellulite
Cellulite is the bane of women everywhere. Caused by the irregular tightening of connective fibers between the muscle and skin, cellulite mars the rump and thighs with uneven dimples and bulges, as if a layer of cottage cheese lies just below the skin. Cosmetic creams and lotions can make the skin look smoother by inducing … Continue reading “San Diego’s Halozyme Therapeutics Seeks Biotech Cure for Cellulite”
Media Platform On-Demand Garners $5,500,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a23a20a7-9dda-4966-b977-ea441144cc8b&Preview=1 Date 2/9/2010 Company Name Media Platform On-Demand Mailing Address 13160 Mindano Way Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Company Description The company is developing enterprise-scale software. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,500,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Syncom Management … Continue reading “Media Platform On-Demand Garners $5,500,000 Series B Financing Round”
Connect Creates Post for Innovation Lobbyist in Washington DC
Connect, the San Diego non-profit that supports local technology and entrepreneurship, says it is opening an office in Washington D.C. “to be part of the process,” and to represent the interests of San Diego’s innovation community. Establishing a lobbyist in Washington was a key part of an initiative that Connect CEO Duane Roth unveiled last … Continue reading “Connect Creates Post for Innovation Lobbyist in Washington DC”
Relocated Biotech Raises $2.3M
NexMed (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NEXM]]), a New Jersey life sciences company that moved to San Diego following its acquisition three months ago of Bio-Quant, a San Diego contract research organization (CRO), says today it has raised $2.3 million in promissory notes from two investors. NexMed says it intends to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, and … Continue reading “Relocated Biotech Raises $2.3M”
Tragara Raises $5M
San Diego-based Tragara Pharmaceuticals, which has focused its current drug development on two compounds for treating tumors, has raised $5 million of a targeted $10 million venture round, according to a recent regulatory filing. The company raised $40 million in its Series A round in 2007. Tragara’s filing did not identify the investors in its … Continue reading “Tragara Raises $5M”
PatientSafe Solutions Secures $30M Round, Report Says
PatientSafe Solutions (formerly IntelliDOT) has raised $30 million in a restructuring round of funding, according to a report in VentureWire. The San Diego-based startup, which develops technology that is intended to prevent costly errors in hospitals, is raising the funds as it plans to expand its product offerings. VentureWire reports that the lead backers in … Continue reading “PatientSafe Solutions Secures $30M Round, Report Says”
Quattrone Predicts VC Shrinkage, ViaSat CEO Says Bandwidth Was Key to Internet Satellite, UCSD Scientists Win Google Grant, & More San Diego BizTech News
With online video consuming more and more bandwidth, ViaSat’s decision to design its own high-capacity satellite for Internet service is looking more and more prescient. We’re beaming that and the rest of the news to you now, so take off your foil hats and tune in. —Frank Quattrone, a former investment banker and controversial figure … Continue reading “Quattrone Predicts VC Shrinkage, ViaSat CEO Says Bandwidth Was Key to Internet Satellite, UCSD Scientists Win Google Grant, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Fallbrook Technologies Spinoff Viryd Raises Another $5M for Wind Power Innovation
Viryd Technologies, a wind turbine technology startup spun out last May by San Diego’s Fallbrook Technologies, has secured a $5 million investment that includes a Chinese maker of automotive components. Viryd was founded near Austin, TX, to integrated Fallbrook’s proprietary transmission technology in power-generating wind turbines for the renewable energy. Unlike a conventional transmission, which … Continue reading “Fallbrook Technologies Spinoff Viryd Raises Another $5M for Wind Power Innovation”
Verdezyne Identifies First Product
When I profiled Verdezyne in November, the Carlsbad, CA-based startup didn’t want to disclose the first feedstock chemical it is aiming to displace by using genetically engineered yeast in a fermentation tank instead of a petrochemical refinery. Today Verdezyne is announcing it can use its proprietary sustainable processes to make adipic acid, a primary ingredient … Continue reading “Verdezyne Identifies First Product”
Optimer Rises on Takeover Buzz and Clinical Trial Results; Still Faces Business Risks
One of the buzzwords I keep hearing is that biotech investors want companies that are “de-risked.” This is kind of amusing, because the complex nature of biology makes biotech drug development one of the riskiest investments of all. But this craving for security is positive, at least for a while, if you are San Diego-based … Continue reading “Optimer Rises on Takeover Buzz and Clinical Trial Results; Still Faces Business Risks”
PatientSafe Solutions Receives $30,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=acd464fa-ec32-4058-8944-a32c209836ae&Preview=1 Date 2/8/2010 Company Name PatientSafe Solutions Mailing Address 5375 Mira Sorrento Place San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description We believe nurses are the center of the care system. They’re the healthcare professionals who patients spend the most time with once they’re admitted, and who make sure the care continues when they’re … Continue reading “PatientSafe Solutions Receives $30,000,000 New Funding Round”
Tragara Pharmaceuticals Garners $5,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9158ccd0-b246-44e4-b6b9-ad59e2c33c06&Preview=1 Date 2/8/2010 Company Name Tragara Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 10955 Vista Sorrento Parkway San Diego, CA 92130 Company Description Tragara Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California focused on the clinical and commercial development of proprietary drugs for the treatment of cancer and inflammation-related diseases. Tragara launched operations … Continue reading “Tragara Pharmaceuticals Garners $5,000,000 Series B Funding”
Zad Mobile Acquires eMotive Communications for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=977425a9-7754-4261-9da2-b9066839ac07&Preview=1 Date 2/8/2010 Company Name eMotive Communications Mailing Address 6345 Balboa Blvd. Building 2 Encino, CA 91316 Company Description Emotive is an entertainment focused innovation company that provides real-time interactive multimedia products and services to network communication networks worldwide. The company’s “Push Ringer” product introduces active social media networking to the network … Continue reading “Zad Mobile Acquires eMotive Communications for Undisclosed Sum”
Fly Fishing for Sharks: Inside the Head of a Venture Investor
Go swimming in the shark tank with Mike Elconin of the San Diego Tech Coast Angels, private investor Ken Olson, Shepherd Ventures managing partner Tom Siegel, and Dennis Clerke of Daggerboard Advisors. In this “open mike night” The San Diego Software Industry Council allows entrepreneurs and company founders to pitch their technologies and startups and … Continue reading “Fly Fishing for Sharks: Inside the Head of a Venture Investor”