Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5ca49869-f2cf-4f03-b53c-c50d9475b8d0&Preview=1 Date 12/7/2009 Company Name Aurora Biotechnologies Mailing Address 7668 El Camino Real Carlsbad, CA 92009 Company Description Aurora Biotechnologies High-Performance Microplate Products improve Assay and Imaging fidelity in demanding applications in all aspects of Life Science Research. Website http://www.aurorabiotechnologies.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms … Continue reading “Nexus Biosystems Acquires Aurora Biotechnologies for Undisclosed Sum”
Category: San Diego
Zogenix Garners $20,000,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a5a16857-28de-4d7b-871c-cee62df9b3f5&Preview=1 Date 12/7/2009 Company Name Zogenix Mailing Address 12671 High Bluff Drive San Diego, CA 92130 Company Description Zogenix is a specialty pharmaceutical company whose goal is to uniquely enhance and differentiate medicines by incorporating innovative technologies in an effort to relieve suffering in people with CNS and pain disorders. Founded in … Continue reading “Zogenix Garners $20,000,000 Series B Financing”
Federal Biofuel Awards Made for Green Refinery Projects in 15 States, Including Pilot Plants for Sapphire Energy, BioEnergy Intl.
Sapphire Energy, the San Diego-based algae biofuels startup that got much of its venture funding out of Seattle, and BioEnergy International of Quincy, MA, are among 19 biofuel refinery projects that were designated today to get as much as $564 million in federal funding. Sapphire spokesman Tim Zenk says the company got a $50 million … Continue reading “Federal Biofuel Awards Made for Green Refinery Projects in 15 States, Including Pilot Plants for Sapphire Energy, BioEnergy Intl.”
Cleantech Sense and Sensibility: UCSD and Internet Guru Larry Smarr Push for Wide Adoption of Sensors to Save Energy, Cut Greenhouse Gases
If Jane Austen had been an avant-garde technology writer instead of a 19th Century English novelist, she might have imagined a character like Larry Smarr: a brainy and bespectacled man of 61 years who tends the roses and fuchias of his La Jolla garden on weekends while designing the infrastructure of the Internet the rest … Continue reading “Cleantech Sense and Sensibility: UCSD and Internet Guru Larry Smarr Push for Wide Adoption of Sensors to Save Energy, Cut Greenhouse Gases”
Stylefeeder Dissects Shopping Trends By Zip Code; Victoria’s Secret is Hot in Seattle, Hurley Beachwear is Tumbling in San Diego, Marc Jacobs is de Rigueur in Boston
Cambridge, MA-based Stylefeeder is bending more brainpower toward the study of online shopping behavior than virtually any other startup I know. The personalized product recommendation company has seven full-time employees, and five of them actually write code. Recently, they’ve been coding up some cool algorithms that show site visitors a customized set of products depending … Continue reading “Stylefeeder Dissects Shopping Trends By Zip Code; Victoria’s Secret is Hot in Seattle, Hurley Beachwear is Tumbling in San Diego, Marc Jacobs is de Rigueur in Boston”
Semiconductor Industry Update
Jodi Shelton, executive director of the Global Semiconductor Alliance, gives a status report on the global industry. Under her leadership, GSA has grown its membership to include companies throughout the supply chain representing 25 countries across the globe. More information and online registration is available here.
Scripps’ Young Tech Transfer Boss Seeks to Cut Deals With Industry, Not Just Push Paper
There’s an ambitious young director of technology transfer on the job at The Scripps Research Institute, and if he gets his way, people will soon think differently about how the San Diego research center relates with the business world. “Historically, people have perceived that Scripps is more or less a subsidiary of a Big Pharma … Continue reading “Scripps’ Young Tech Transfer Boss Seeks to Cut Deals With Industry, Not Just Push Paper”
FDA Approves Over-the-Counter Version of Santarus Drug, Pioneer of Algal Biofuels Says Algae Will Make Drugs Too, Receptos Gets $25M, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
San Diego’s biotech news picked up in pace following the Thanksgiving holiday, with Phenomix announcing a major partnership, Santarus benefitting from FDA approval of its over-the-counter heartburn drug, and Receptos getting a VC infusion. Our Xconomy post-holiday news feast is ready, so come and get it: —After forming a partnership last year with New York-based … Continue reading “FDA Approves Over-the-Counter Version of Santarus Drug, Pioneer of Algal Biofuels Says Algae Will Make Drugs Too, Receptos Gets $25M, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Phenomix Strikes European Partnership for Diabetes Drug, Potentially Worth $163M
Phenomix has found a partner to help it develop a diabetes drug in Europe and certain other countries. The San Diego-based biotech company said today that the Italy-based Chiesi Farmaceutici has agreed to pay $28 million in near-term cash and equity payments, and a total of as much as $163 million if the Phenomix treatment … Continue reading “Phenomix Strikes European Partnership for Diabetes Drug, Potentially Worth $163M”
A Sapphire Energy Co-Founder Sees Solutions in Algae for Drugs as Well as Biofuels
The potential of algae as a clean energy source has been generating a lot of entrepreneurial excitement in San Diego. At last count, 10 local companies are busy working on technologies focused on transforming ordinary pond scum into “green crude” one day capable of powering aircraft, trucks, automobiles, and even utility plants—and easing the world’s … Continue reading “A Sapphire Energy Co-Founder Sees Solutions in Algae for Drugs as Well as Biofuels”
DriveCam Obtains $4,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3156ddfb-c940-499c-8849-4b08c62de495&Preview=1 Date 12/2/2009 Company Name DriveCam Mailing Address 8911 Balboa Ave San Diego, CA 92123 Company Description DriveCam, Inc. is the leading provider of knowledge-based systems that identify and improve unsafe driving behavior for commercial fleets. Website http://www.drivecam.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $4,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes DriveCam can continue … Continue reading “DriveCam Obtains $4,000,000 New Financing”
TeleCommunication Systems Acquires Networks In Motion for $170,000,000
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c4b2df02-82f0-4332-9373-0a70cecc22a4&Preview=1 Date 12/2/2009 Company Name Networks In Motion Mailing Address 6A Liberty Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 Company Description Networks In Motion (NIM) is an award winning Wireless Navigation and LBS Company, with products that are built on a foundation of strategic patents, scalable and extensible server network, advanced mapping technology and integration … Continue reading “TeleCommunication Systems Acquires Networks In Motion for $170,000,000”
San Diego’s Extrabux, With a Boost From Old-Fashioned TV, Sees Online Shopping Traffic Skyrocket
Noah Auerhahn and Jeff Nobbs knew they were onto a good business idea last year, when they won the fourth annual USC technology plan competition. They were undergraduates after all, competing in a contest that was open to all graduate students, faculty and researchers on campus. Nevertheless, Auerhahn tells me that what happened yesterday was … Continue reading “San Diego’s Extrabux, With a Boost From Old-Fashioned TV, Sees Online Shopping Traffic Skyrocket”
Santarus Shares Boom on FDA Approval of Over-the-Counter Heartburn Drug
San Diego-based Santarus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SNTS]]) got some good news late today. The company’s partner, the Schering-Plough unit of Merck, has gotten clearance from the FDA to start selling an over-the-counter version of Santarus’ fast-acting heartburn drug. U.S. drug regulators gave the green light for capsules of omeprazole (Zegerid OTC) in a 20 milligram dose, a … Continue reading “Santarus Shares Boom on FDA Approval of Over-the-Counter Heartburn Drug”
Xconomy is Growing; You Could Be Part of It
In the two and a half years that we’ve been live, Xconomy has been lucky to have some of the world’s best innovation journalists covering some of the nation’s most fascinating innovation hubs. But we’re well aware that there’s important tech and life sciences news happening beyond the borders of Boston, Seattle, and San Diego, … Continue reading “Xconomy is Growing; You Could Be Part of It”
Michael Robertson on Gizmo5, and How the World Has Changed for Internet Startups
Just a few weeks ago, Michael Robertson sold his Web-based phone service venture, Gizmo5, to Google for a reported $30 million. So he was in a good mood when we sat down yesterday to talk about what might be next for San Diego’s patriarch of Internet startups. “One of my goals for the year was … Continue reading “Michael Robertson on Gizmo5, and How the World Has Changed for Internet Startups”
San Diego Biotech Leaders on the Future of Stem Cells, MicroRNA, & Cancer Biology
San Diego has some of the most intriguing biotech companies in the world, and one of the things I’ve noticed is that they aren’t all packed in one neighborhood where everyone can mingle. So we at Xconomy are thrilled that we are about two weeks away from bringing together some of the brightest biotech minds … Continue reading “San Diego Biotech Leaders on the Future of Stem Cells, MicroRNA, & Cancer Biology”
Tech Executive Pay Raises Way Down, New Study Says
Technology executive pay raises in 2009 have taken their biggest nosedive of the past decade, according to a new compensation study. The study, which polled privately held firms from around the U.S., indicates that the current economic downturn has had a more drastic impact on executive pay than the period after the dot-com bubble burst. … Continue reading “Tech Executive Pay Raises Way Down, New Study Says”
SDBN: Drug Discovery 2.0 With Assay Depot
There are approximately 125 Contract Research Organizations (CROs) in the San Diego area, but taking advantage of this resource can be challenging. At this event Assay Depot CEO Kevin Lustig will talk about online marketplaces, and how this model can transform how drug research is done and its potential to stimulate growth for local companies … Continue reading “SDBN: Drug Discovery 2.0 With Assay Depot”
Founder Institute Ranks San Diego Lowest, Seattle Highest in Likelihood for Entrepreneurial Success
As if it wasn’t already hard enough to be an entrepreneur in San Diego. A recent survey suggests that San Diego entrepreneurs are the least likely to succeed in their startup ventures—while Seattle’s entrepreneurs are the most likely to break through to the other side. The survey, which was first reported by VentureBeat last week, … Continue reading “Founder Institute Ranks San Diego Lowest, Seattle Highest in Likelihood for Entrepreneurial Success”
Local Startup Culture Tied to Bay Area VCs, AirHop Looks to Next-Generation Wireless, SDG&E Strikes Out in Bid for Grant, & More San Diego BizTech News
For a week shortened by the Thanksgiving holiday, we still had lots of news about venture funding deals, views on startup failures and San Diego’s innovation culture, and Qualcomm getting a reprieve from European regulators. Get our rundown of the local tech news you need to know: —I conducted an informal poll on local attitudes … Continue reading “Local Startup Culture Tied to Bay Area VCs, AirHop Looks to Next-Generation Wireless, SDG&E Strikes Out in Bid for Grant, & More San Diego BizTech News”
A Smarter War on Cancer
[Editor’s Note: this editorial was co-authored by Jay (Marty) Tenenbaum of CollabRx and Leroy Hood of the Institute for Systems Biology.] One of society’s great challenges is to advance health care while deflecting its rising cost. Achieving this objective requires that we capitalize upon the immense potential of personalized medicine. Cancer is a case in … Continue reading “A Smarter War on Cancer”
Going Rogue at the Cellular Level
Cancer occurs when a group of cells in the body lose their ability to divide in an orderly fashion. Angiogenesis, or blood vessel growth, induced by a tumor allows it to continue growing. UCSD pathologist David Cheresh studies tumor angiogenesis and tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Scientists working in his lab have developed a number … Continue reading “Going Rogue at the Cellular Level”
Hispanic E-Commerce and Business Networking
The San Diego Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce is holding its first business networking event at the Altitude Sky Lounge, in the San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Marriott. Online information is available here.
Enigma Names Top U.S. Execs
Enigma Diagnostics, the UK genetic diagnosis instrument maker that is setting up its U.S. shop in San Diego, today named Jorge Garces as president and CEO of the U.S. team. Garces was previously a vice president at Hologic, and managed the R&D, clinical, and manufacturing business unit in Madison, WI. Enigma also named another Hologic … Continue reading “Enigma Names Top U.S. Execs”
Where Failure is an Option: San Diego’s Startup Culture as a Bay Area Annex
Not long ago, one of my Xconomy colleagues in Seattle posted a provocative piece about startup failures and suggested the startup culture in some cities—especially the San Francisco Bay Area—is far more tolerant of technology entrepreneurs who fail. Greg found that many Seattle entrepreneurs say they feel stigmatized by startup failures in the Pacific Northwest … Continue reading “Where Failure is an Option: San Diego’s Startup Culture as a Bay Area Annex”
Illumina OKs $100M Share Buyback
San Diego-based Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) said today that its board has authorized a program to buy back $100 million of stock. The new program is on top of a $75 million share repurchase program the company announced in August.
Ocera Therapeutics, Pursuing New Drug for Liver, Hopes to Help People Stay Mentally Sharp
The liver is hot in the biotech world. Cambridge, MA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) has made headlines this year with an antiviral drug that it hopes will do for hepatitis C—a chronic liver-damaging condition affecting millions of people—what a previous generation of treatments did for HIV. But away from the spotlight, a small San Diego … Continue reading “Ocera Therapeutics, Pursuing New Drug for Liver, Hopes to Help People Stay Mentally Sharp”
Local Bid for Smart Grid Funding Goes Unanswered
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said today the Department of Energy is awarding $620 million for smart grid projects around the country, but a San Diego coalition that sought $100 million was not on the list. The coalition, which included San Diego Gas & Electric, Cleantech San Diego, and UC San Diego, sought the DoE … Continue reading “Local Bid for Smart Grid Funding Goes Unanswered”
European Union Drops Qualcomm Case
Word from Brussels today has removed a big unknown that was weighing on San Diego wireless giant Qualcomm and its global technology licensing strategy. European Union antitrust regulators say they are dropping their investigation into Qualcomm’s business practices. The six companies that instigated the probe also have withdrawn their complaints that Qualcomm royalty fees were … Continue reading “European Union Drops Qualcomm Case”
Under the Radar: Five San Diego Deals That Are Signs of Things to Come
With help from New York-based ChubbyBrain, we’re introducing a new feature for Xconomy San Diego today that we call our “under-the-radar” deals. Here at Xconomy, our news coverage about technology innovation and startups includes the big venture financing deals that are the lifeblood of the early stage companies working to commercialize advances in the life … Continue reading “Under the Radar: Five San Diego Deals That Are Signs of Things to Come”
Harvard Unveils New Alumni Entrepreneurship Contest
Harvard Business School (HBS) says that it will hold a new business plan competition open to HBS alumni from all over the world. Qualified ventures will compete for a cash prize of $25,000. The contest—which was formally announced online by the business school’s Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship and Alumni Relations—will be open to teams … Continue reading “Harvard Unveils New Alumni Entrepreneurship Contest”
AirHop, Adapting to “Dense” Wireless of the Future, Develops Self-Organizing Networking Software
One of the recurring themes during the international wireless industry’s conference in San Diego last month was the phenomenal surge in mobile data traffic, and how it is leading to constraints and bottlenecks in existing network infrastructure. As engineers approach the limit in terms of wringing any more efficiencies out of existing radio bands, Qualcomm … Continue reading “AirHop, Adapting to “Dense” Wireless of the Future, Develops Self-Organizing Networking Software”
Fallbrook Raises $4M
Fallbrook Technologies, the San Diego startup developing a transmission without gears, has raised $4 million from investors in a secondary round of funding, according to a regulatory filing the company made last week. Fallbrook raised $25.4 million in January from NGEN Partners, a Santa Barbara cleantech venture firm; Robeco, the investment arm of Rabobank of … Continue reading “Fallbrook Raises $4M”
OnTech Ends Business
OnTech, a San Diego venture that makes self-heating beverage containers sold under the Hillside Beverages brand, went out of business Nov. 8, according to a brief notice on its online store. Venture Wire, which was the first to report the company had gone cold, says OnTech raised about $31.6 million in equity and $11 million … Continue reading “OnTech Ends Business”
Aptera Postpones Production, HR Biopetroleum and Shell in Biofuel Collaboration, Power Grid Needs Tech Innovation, & More San Diego BizTech News
It was a busy week for cleantech news. Local biofuels executives talked about their collaborative partnerships with big energy companies, and Vista, CA-based Aptera disclosed why it has pared back on some operations. Read all about it here. —Aptera, the Vista, CA-carmaker, said it has delayed production of its all-electric Aptera 2e that once was … Continue reading “Aptera Postpones Production, HR Biopetroleum and Shell in Biofuel Collaboration, Power Grid Needs Tech Innovation, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Orexigen Beefs Up Management
Orexigen Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OREX]]), the San Diego-based developer of obesity drugs, said today it has added four new executives to its management team. Dawn Viveash is the new head of global regulatory affairs; Suzanne McDonald will be responsible for managed markets and government affairs; Preston Klassen will be the head of the global Contrave program; … Continue reading “Orexigen Beefs Up Management”
Receptos, Led By Biogen Idec Vets and Scripps Stars, Snags $25M For Drug Discovery Engine
Receptos, a San Diego-based biotech startup formed by a number of Biogen Idec veterans, has nailed down $25 million in venture capital to develop a vivid new way to look at certain protein structures on cells that it hopes will ultimately take a lot of the guesswork out of drug discovery. The cash infusion is … Continue reading “Receptos, Led By Biogen Idec Vets and Scripps Stars, Snags $25M For Drug Discovery Engine”
Fallbrook Technologies Obtains $4,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a2cbf765-187e-4f58-a15c-5421f319a3ee&Preview=1 Date 11/23/2009 Company Name Fallbrook Technologies Mailing Address 9444 Waples St San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Fallbrook Technologies Inc. (Fallbrook) is a research and development company manufacturing advanced transmission systems. Fallbrook’s core technology is its traction-based, NuVinci® transmission – a continuously variable planetary (CVP) drive ideally suited for applications in … Continue reading “Fallbrook Technologies Obtains $4,000,000 Series B Funding”
Receptos Pharmaceuticals Obtains $25,000,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1464bc48-44b0-4a6e-b835-c69c4d997437&Preview=1 Date 11/23/2009 Company Name Receptos Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 10835 Road to the Cure San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Receptos is developing the next generation in GPCR drug discovery. Website http://www.receptos.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $25,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The Series A capital will support the … Continue reading “Receptos Pharmaceuticals Obtains $25,000,000 Series A Financing”
NICE Systems Ltd. Acquires Orsus for $22,000,000
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c61b6b2b-db18-4629-8f27-014fb0aa8a20&Preview=1 Date 11/23/2009 Company Name Orsus Mailing Address 15615 Alton Parkway Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description Orsus is focusing on the development of an innovative system that provides a comprehensive solution in the area of situation and response management for command and control centers, particularly organizations in which field security is critical … Continue reading “NICE Systems Ltd. Acquires Orsus for $22,000,000”
West 2010 and Smart Power: Does the Quadrennial Defense Review Get It Right?
Co-sponsored by AFCEA (Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association) International and the U.S. Naval Institute, West 2010 is the largest event on the West Coast for communications, electronics, intelligence, information systems, imaging, military weapon systems, aviation, shipbuilding, and more. This event is a showcase for technology innovation and emerging opportunities in defense systems, strategies, and … Continue reading “West 2010 and Smart Power: Does the Quadrennial Defense Review Get It Right?”
Growing Green: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Cleantech Innovation in San Diego
[Editors note: Architect Robert Noble wrote this article with Glenn Croston] The San Diego area is the home of numerous cleantech businesses that are developing innovative green cars (Aptera, V-Vehicle Co.), developing alternative fuels (GreenHouse International, Synthetic Genomics Inc., Sapphire Energy), finding alternatives to petrochemicals (Genomatica, Verdezyne), and providing renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions … Continue reading “Growing Green: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Cleantech Innovation in San Diego”
Biogen Idec Accused Again of Excessive CEO Pay, Lousy Performance, By Big Shareholder
[Update: 1:55 pm Eastern, 11/20/09] After a bitter standoff earlier this year with billionaire investor Carl Icahn over alleged mismanagement, Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec now faces another sharp attack from a major shareholder. New York-based HealthCor Management, a hedge fund that invests in health and biotech companies, said today in a regulatory filing that Biogen … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Accused Again of Excessive CEO Pay, Lousy Performance, By Big Shareholder”
After Re-Engineering Itself, Verdezyne Sets Course to Develop Biofuels and “Green” Industrial Chemicals
After Carlsbad, CA-based Verdezyne disclosed last month that it plans to raise more than $15 million in venture funding, I arranged to sit down with Damien Perriman, the company’s vice president of business development. As it turns out, the startup that was founded in 2005 as CODA Genomics has essentially re-engineered itself over the past … Continue reading “After Re-Engineering Itself, Verdezyne Sets Course to Develop Biofuels and “Green” Industrial Chemicals”
Using Google’s Building Maker to Change the Face of Boston
When I was in fifth grade, I wanted to be an architect. (I also wanted to be a geneticist, a meteorologist, and an astronaut. I guess I wound up doing the next best thing to all of those sci/tech careers—writing about them.) I loved my junior builder kit, a collection of little plastic columns and … Continue reading “Using Google’s Building Maker to Change the Face of Boston”
Futuristic Carmaker Aptera Disputes Internal Rift, Acknowledges Cutbacks
Aptera, the sleek carmaker backed by Google and Idealabs, didn’t respond to my inquiry earlier this week about reports of an internal split in which founders Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony had left the company. But in an online report published today by The San Diego Union-Tribune, Aptera officials rejected accounts that Fambro and Anthony … Continue reading “Futuristic Carmaker Aptera Disputes Internal Rift, Acknowledges Cutbacks”
Big Energy Collaborations Seen to Jump-Start Emerging Biofuels Technologies
As startups developing next-generation biofuels emerge in San Diego, Boston, and elsewhere, a business model for rapidly expanding to commercial-scale operations already can be found in the biotech industry, experts said yesterday. The premise of presentations organized by Biocom, San Diego’s life sciences industry group, is that collaborations being formed between biofuel startups and big … Continue reading “Big Energy Collaborations Seen to Jump-Start Emerging Biofuels Technologies”
Ligand Nabs $2M From Merck
San Diego-based Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LGND]]) said today it has received $2 million in milestone payments as part of research collaboration with Merck that is due to expire next month. The partnership started with Organon, which was later acquired by Schering-Plough, which was then acquired by Merck.
Tysabri, the MS Drug Haunted by Deadly Side Effect, Doesn’t Look So Deadly Anymore
Few doctors knew much about a rare brain infection called PML back in 2005, when two patients on a hot new multiple sclerosis drug from Biogen Idec and Elan died from the side effect. The infection, at the time, was generally considered a death sentence. But now with three years of data from more than … Continue reading “Tysabri, the MS Drug Haunted by Deadly Side Effect, Doesn’t Look So Deadly Anymore”