If there was a theme in the first session of the Cleantech Capital Summit that convened in San Diego yesterday, it’s that government spending on cleantech projects in 2009 will easily dwarf whatever investments in “green” deals the VC industry can muster. No surprise there. As we reported over the weekend, total U.S. venture investing … Continue reading “Cleantech Venture Investors See Potential Boon in Federal Stimulus Funding”
Category: San Diego
Cutting the Cable: It’s Easier Than You Think
In a column published last July, I vacillated publicly about whether it was time to stop paying extortionate rates to my local cable provider, Comcast, for the privilege of watching 17 minutes of commercials with every hour of programming. Well, it took me a while, but in early March I finally cut the cord. I … Continue reading “Cutting the Cable: It’s Easier Than You Think”
Biogen Idec To Show Off MS Drugs at Seattle Neurology Meeting
Biogen Idec is the world’s largest maker of multiple sclerosis drugs, and to keep it that way, the company needs to stay on the good side of neurologists. So when a large number of these docs get together for a scientific meeting, it’s time to start wooing. This is at the top of Biogen’s agenda … Continue reading “Biogen Idec To Show Off MS Drugs at Seattle Neurology Meeting”
Investors Dump Anadys Shares on Report of Itchy Side Effect
Did three cases of skin rash prompt Anadys shareholders to act rashly? The company’s stock crashed today after investors interpreted the cases as a warning sign that the company’s hepatitis C drug might not be as safe as expected. The shares (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ANDS]]) fell 40 percent to $3.51, making it the biggest percentage decliner on … Continue reading “Investors Dump Anadys Shares on Report of Itchy Side Effect”
Arena Lays Off 130 Employees After Weight Drug Disappointment
San Diego’s Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARNA]]) said in a regulatory filing today it’s laying off approximately 130 employees, or 31 percent of its U.S. workforce, over the next four weeks. Check Xconomy’s San Diego layoff tracker here to see our running tally of local tech sector layoffs. In its SEC filing, Arena says, “We believe it is … Continue reading “Arena Lays Off 130 Employees After Weight Drug Disappointment”
Sequenom Reorganizes its Genetic Analysis Business, Trims Workforce
San Diego-based Sequenom said today it’s laying off 30 employees, or 12 percent of its workforce, as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative in the company’s genetic analysis business. The company, which has developed a proprietary, high-performance system for precisely analyzing genetic material, says the restructuring was necessitated by the “continuing weak outlook in 2009 … Continue reading “Sequenom Reorganizes its Genetic Analysis Business, Trims Workforce”
Fate Therapeutics and Stemgent Team Up to Offer Stem Cell Advances to the Research Market
San Diego-based Fate Therapeutics and Stemgent, a provider of stem cell research products headquartered in Cambridge, MA, have joined forces to offer new developments in so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology for research purposes. The joint effort could provide Fate with a new source of money to develop drugs based on the same technology. … Continue reading “Fate Therapeutics and Stemgent Team Up to Offer Stem Cell Advances to the Research Market”
DivX Videos to LG TVs
San Diego-based video coding technology company DivX and consumer electronics giant LG have announced LG’s new line of digital TVs are capable of playing DivX high-definition videos from a PC or the Internet. The LG television enables consumers to easily play DivX videos through a USB slot. DivX says approximately two hours of high-quality DivX … Continue reading “DivX Videos to LG TVs”
Anadys Hepatitis C Drug Shows Potent Effect in Small Study
San Diego-based Anadys Pharmaceuticals generated a ton of buzz almost four months ago when it offered an early peek at data suggesting its hepatitis C drug might be working, and now a presentation of the full data appears to reinforce the first impression. Anadys’ lead drug candidate, ANA598, was able to wipe out more than … Continue reading “Anadys Hepatitis C Drug Shows Potent Effect in Small Study”
San Diego’s Receding Tide of Venture Funding Reveals Ailing VCs
Venture investors like to talk about transformative change. But it’s becoming increasingly evident that San Diego’s venture capital community is itself in a period of transformative change. The figures we reported this week on local venture investments for the first three months of 2009 were gloomy enough, with $194.6 million going into 15 deals, according … Continue reading “San Diego’s Receding Tide of Venture Funding Reveals Ailing VCs”
EPS Corp Receives $30,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0f64b46f-3b64-4601-a20f-ac91c2419369&Preview=1 Date 4/23/2009 Company Name EPS Corp Mailing Address 150 Paularino Avenue Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Company Description EPS measures its success by implementing efficiency and environmental benefits that are quantifiable, achievable, and sustainable. The company’s strategic and innovative three-step process provides accurate, and measurable energy usage data for plant and executive … Continue reading “EPS Corp Receives $30,000,000 Series B Funding”
No Peace Between Amylin and Icahn
San Diego’s Amylin Pharmaceuticals, which is embroiled in a proxy battle with billionaire investor Carl Icahn, disclosed today that settlement negotiations are being held. But the discussion could be summarized as, “Yes, we talked. No, there is no deal (and no cease-fire).” In its statement, which Amylin filed with the SEC, the company says talks … Continue reading “No Peace Between Amylin and Icahn”
NuVasive Acquires New Jersey Spine Disk Maker
San Diego medical device company NuVasive (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUVA]]) said today it has purchased Rockaway, NJ-based Cervitech in a in cash and stock deal that could be worth as much as $80 million, if the FDA approves Cervitech’s cervical disc replacement device. NuVasive agreed to pay $47 million upfront and another $33 million depending on FDA … Continue reading “NuVasive Acquires New Jersey Spine Disk Maker”
Illumina Anticipates Purchasing Slowdown
San Diego-based Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) CEO Jay Flatley told analysts and investors that some researchers “are beginning to wait a little while to do the next version of the genome-wide association study before the next-generation (equipment) ships.” The anticipated slowdown is expected to be temporary. Illumina makes sophisticated machines that enable scientists to do full … Continue reading “Illumina Anticipates Purchasing Slowdown”
Qualcomm in Settlement Talks With Broadcom, Postpones Q2 Financials
Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) said today it is in advanced IP settlement discussions with rival chipmaker Broadcom of Irvine, CA, and the San Diego wireless giant postponed the release of its second-quarter financial results that was scheduled today. “Hopefully, this is a good thing,” says James Brehm, an information and communications technologies analyst with Frost & … Continue reading “Qualcomm in Settlement Talks With Broadcom, Postpones Q2 Financials”
Maxwell Gets Work for Hybrid Electric Bus
San Diego-based Maxwell Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MXWL]]) said today it has begun supplying its energy-storage devices to three transit bus makers in China under purchase orders totalling $13.5 million. Maxwell says its BoostCap ultracapacitors will be used to boost the energy efficiency of the hybrid diesel-electric buses. According to Maxwell’s president and CEO David Schramm, deliveries … Continue reading “Maxwell Gets Work for Hybrid Electric Bus”
Zenobia Therapeutics, Inspired by Warrior Queen, Focuses on Developing Drug for Parkinson’s Disease
Zenobia Therapeutics is an example of San Diego’s great biotech circle of life. Vicki Nienaber, Zenobia’s founding president and chief scientist, started the specialized drug discovery company almost 11 months ago, after learning that Japan’s Rigaku Americas Corp. was closing ActiveSight, its San Diego-based biotech research division. Nienaber found lab space at the La Jolla … Continue reading “Zenobia Therapeutics, Inspired by Warrior Queen, Focuses on Developing Drug for Parkinson’s Disease”
Chumby The Clumsy Goes Global
Chumby is a cute little digital device with a strange story. Duane Maxwell, Chumby’s co-founder and vice president of software development, laughs as he says it began a couple of years ago when Steve Tomlin, a managing member of San Diego’s Avalon Ventures, was staying in a hotel. “They always have an alarm clock on … Continue reading “Chumby The Clumsy Goes Global”
Xconomy Wins Its Twitter Struggle–How Wade Reclaimed Our Good Name
After a months-long struggle, Xconomy has finally evicted the squatter who usurped our namesake account on Twitter. It took perseverance, Zen, and knowing folks in high Tweeting places to pull it off. But as of last night, Xconomy is on the Twitter air. Thank you Bijan. Thank you Twitter. And thanks to CNET for the … Continue reading “Xconomy Wins Its Twitter Struggle–How Wade Reclaimed Our Good Name”
Are You Who You Say You Are? Prove It
Think about a database of 360 billion human identity attributes—names, addresses, dates of birth, credit behavior. That is what San Diego-based ID Analytics‘ has created with its enormous new ID Network. It’s a sophisticated computer technology built to analyze payments and applications for loans, cell phones, and credit cards; it looks for fabricated names and … Continue reading “Are You Who You Say You Are? Prove It”
Two Internet Entrepreneurs and Their Yet-to-be-Named Online Resale Marketplace
The best description of the San Diego Web-based business that Jan Anton and Brendan Boyd have developed may be a symbolic cloud that includes the corporate logos for eBay, Amazon, Craigslist, and other online markets. For the time being, that image also happens to be the current logo for their startup, which was known until … Continue reading “Two Internet Entrepreneurs and Their Yet-to-be-Named Online Resale Marketplace”
Ardea Biosciences Finds Early Results of Drug Candidate Equivalent to Existing Gout Treatment
San Diego’s Ardea Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RDEA]]) said today its experimental gout drug performed no better than existing drugs in an early stage study, but CEO Barry Quart nevertheless said he’s happy with the result. “This is the first stage of drug development and we have not yet optimized the dose,” Quart said. “We have demonstrated … Continue reading “Ardea Biosciences Finds Early Results of Drug Candidate Equivalent to Existing Gout Treatment”
The Dismal Science and San Diego’s 4th Annual Regional Economic Outlook
Economists from the UCLA Anderson Forecast present their interpretation of national, state, and regional economic trends. Presentations will touch on the recession, how deep and how long, the federal economic recovery stimulus plan, and when financial markets will return to normal. Qualcomm executive vice president Margaret “Peggy” Johnson also will provide a perspective on San … Continue reading “The Dismal Science and San Diego’s 4th Annual Regional Economic Outlook”
Athena Seminar on Leading High Performance Teams
Athena, San Diego’s networking group for professional women, has organized a panel discussion on creating a positive team dynamic , best practices in fostering team performance, and recognizing the circumstances that might lead to failure. The invited panelists are Molly Cartmill, Sempra Energy director of local government relations; Kristie Burns, ResMed senior director of market … Continue reading “Athena Seminar on Leading High Performance Teams”
Generating Strategic Options in the Valley of Death
Silicon Valley Bank Chairman Alex W. “Pete” Hart, who has spent 40 years in banking and the financial services industry, discusses raising capital, debt financing, and other strategic options in this session for C-level executives. Networking and registration for this roundtable discussion and luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m., or you can register online here.
Advice on Angel Financing and Venture Capital
McDermott Will & Emery law partner Peter Townshend and Finistere Ventures partner Kenneth Selzer provide an overview of the venture funding process, including the best approach in dealing with investors, how the VC process works, and other information. Registration begins at 8 a.m., or you can register online here.
What You Need to Know to Protect Your Intellectual Property
An overview intended to help entrepreneurs, inventors, and others identify intellectual property and determine how to best protect it, using patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. The program also focuses on the patent process, and includes strategies for protecting your IP on a budget. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., or you can register online here.
Using Facebook to Build Online Marketing Campaigns
The San Diego Software Industry Council has organized this presentation by Johnny Chan from eBoost Consulting to help members and non-members understand how to structure successful marketing campaigns on Facebook. Networking and registration begins at 7:30 a.m., or you can register online here.
H2O Audio Gets More Steelpoint VC Funding
San Diego-based H2O Audio has raised more than $1.7 million in venture funding. Among other things, the startup plans to use the capital to roll out a new product line of its waterproof housings and headsets for the Apple iPod and MP3 players. H2O Audio CEO Kristian Rauhala told me today that $1 million of … Continue reading “H2O Audio Gets More Steelpoint VC Funding”
Jet-Powered Predator UAV Unveiled by GA-Aeronautical Systems
San Diego’s General Atomics Aeronautical Systems said it has begun flight testing a jet-powered version of its Predator unmanned aircraft system (UAS) with a stealthier design and with the ability to operate aboard Navy aircraft carriers. Dubbed the “Avenger,” the jet-powered version of the armed surveillance aircraft can fly as high as 60,000 feet and … Continue reading “Jet-Powered Predator UAV Unveiled by GA-Aeronautical Systems”
Icahn Aiming for Amylin Sale to Eli Lilly
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn wants San Diego’s Amylin Pharmaceuticals to sell itself to Eli Lilly, its diabetes drug marketing partner. Icahn’s intentions were revealed today in a letter that Amylin director James Wilson wrote to Icahn as the two sides exchange salvos in a power struggle to control Amylin. In his letter to Icahn, which … Continue reading “Icahn Aiming for Amylin Sale to Eli Lilly”
Looking For Signs of Life in San Diego’s VC Deals
The evaporation of venture deals involving San Diego’s software, wireless, and related IT startups was probably the most surprising revelation that jumped out of the regional first-quarter venture data released Friday. The survey by Dow Jones VentureSource reported that 15 startups in the San Diego region got a total of $194.6 million during the first three … Continue reading “Looking For Signs of Life in San Diego’s VC Deals”
San Diego’s First IPO of 2009, New Institute Plans to Transform Healthcare, Making Waves at Water Parks, & More San Diego Biz/Tech News
We saw several San Diego innovators making waves last week. Bridgepoint Education defied the recession by going public, Sapphire Energy upped its production estimates due to a technological breakthrough, and a wave war erupted among San Diego’s wave makers. So this is how things looked during the week: —San Diego’s Bridgepoint Education (NYSE: [[ticker:BPI]]) priced … Continue reading “San Diego’s First IPO of 2009, New Institute Plans to Transform Healthcare, Making Waves at Water Parks, & More San Diego Biz/Tech News”
H2O Audio Secures $1,700,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3b52344e-44ec-4daa-8632-f84a8ead3668&Preview=1 Date 4/20/2009 Company Name H2O Audio Mailing Address 11010 Roselle St. San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description We listen to our music just because we are passionate about our water, snow and sand sports. Why should the runners and cyclists get to keep their tunes on while they play, but our … Continue reading “H2O Audio Secures $1,700,000 New Funding Round”
First Quarter Venture Investments Plunge 50 Percent Nationwide
There was a time when venture capital partners used to tell me that venture investing is unaffected by the overall economy, because it takes five to 10 years to realize returns in startup investments. In January 2008, Deepak Kamra of Menlo Park, CA-based Canaan Partners said, “Most venture-backed companies don’t have a lot of debt, so they’re not … Continue reading “First Quarter Venture Investments Plunge 50 Percent Nationwide”
Using Zigbee Mesh Networks, Awarepoint Ready to Catch Wave of Healthcare Innovation
Stephen Tomlin has a succinct way of explaining the significance of the technology that San Diego-based Awarepoint has developed over the past five years. Hospitals are just always looking for their stuff, says Tomlin, who is a managing member of San Diego’s Avalon Ventures and a member of Awarepoint’s board of directors. Sometimes medical equipment … Continue reading “Using Zigbee Mesh Networks, Awarepoint Ready to Catch Wave of Healthcare Innovation”
RunKeeper’s Mad Dash to the Marathon Finish: Of Foot Injuries, Viral Video, and Dressing Up as an iPhone
If you’re out watching the Boston Marathon on Monday and you see a giant iPhone limp past, chances are it’s Jason Jacobs inside. Jacobs is the hyperkinetic founder and CEO of Boston-based FitnessKeeper, which makes a highly popular run-tracking application for the Apple iPhone 3G called RunKeeper. (He was also a panelist at Xconomy’s recent … Continue reading “RunKeeper’s Mad Dash to the Marathon Finish: Of Foot Injuries, Viral Video, and Dressing Up as an iPhone”
Sapphire Energy Hikes Green Crude Production Estimates
[Update: This report was updated at 6:10 PT with a statement from Sapphire Energy president C.J. Warner] Citing a breakthrough, San Diego’s Sapphire Energy, a startup developing algae-to-fuel technology, today doubled its estimated production for 2011, saying that by then the company will be capable of producing 1 million gallons of diesel and jet fuel … Continue reading “Sapphire Energy Hikes Green Crude Production Estimates”
Biogen Idec Tysabri Sales Fall Shy of Street Expectations
Biogen Idec’s fortunes rise and fall on largely on the performance of sales of natalizumab (Tysabri), and the latest Tysabri sales trends are disappointing investors. Biogen, which has headquarters in Cambridge, MA, and significant operations in San Diego, said today that the multiple sclerosis drug generated $227 million in worldwide sales during the first quarter. … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Tysabri Sales Fall Shy of Street Expectations”
Sempra Expanding Solar Plant
San Diego’s Sempra Energy, (NYSE: [[ticker:SRE]]) says its Sempra Generation subsidiary is expanding its 10-megawatt solar power-generation facility near Boulder City, NV, by adding a 48-megawatt photovoltaic system. Sempra hired First Solar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FSLR]]) of Tempe, AZ, to engineer, procure, and install nearly 830,000 thin-film solar panels at the site, which is about 40 miles … Continue reading “Sempra Expanding Solar Plant”
Founder of EasyTaxFix Finds Online Property Tax Service Less Appealing, More Complicated, Than Expected
The day after April 15 may not be a time when many folks want to think about taxes, but what if the subject is reducing your taxes? EasyTaxFix launched its online business last September in a bid to help homeowners throughout San Diego County lower their property taxes. The concept was simple enough. Home prices … Continue reading “Founder of EasyTaxFix Finds Online Property Tax Service Less Appealing, More Complicated, Than Expected”
Q&A With Gary West: Using Wireless Technology to Transform Healthcare
Less than three weeks ago, the Gary and Mary West foundation helped establish San Diego’s new West Wireless Health Institute, one of the first medical research organizations devoted to the development of new wireless healthcare technologies. As a result, in the not-too-distant-future, you could get a warning on your cell phone before you suffer a … Continue reading “Q&A With Gary West: Using Wireless Technology to Transform Healthcare”
Icahn Denounces Amylin’s Chairman
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn turned up the heat today in his proxy fight with San Diego-based Amylin Pharmaceuticals by calling for the resignation of chairman Joseph Cook. In a letter to Amylin that was filed with the SEC, Icahn criticized Cook for destroying shareholder value. He says the company, under Cook’s stewardship, has made many … Continue reading “Icahn Denounces Amylin’s Chairman”
Taking (Photo) Stock: BrightQube Seeking Venture Funding to Enlarge Burgeoning Web Picture Business
Lee Corkran has spent most of his life working in photography, graphic design, and online media. He’s participated in changes that have transformed his industry as he moved from jobs at the former Sigma photo agency, a news photo provider, to Kodak, Yahoo, and Hewlett-Packard’s San Diego-based Imaging and Printing Group. Based on the insights … Continue reading “Taking (Photo) Stock: BrightQube Seeking Venture Funding to Enlarge Burgeoning Web Picture Business”
Tapioca Gets the Message—and the Video—to Mobile Phone Masses
Tapioca Mobile wants to see your cellular phone play more videos, and the San Diego-based wireless media company has the know-how to do it—no matter what phone you use. Tapioca has created a unique video-transcoding process and has, according to co-founder and CTO Chas Wurster, “the largest footprint of addressable video mobile devices in the … Continue reading “Tapioca Gets the Message—and the Video—to Mobile Phone Masses”
Big Stage Entertainment, Inc Receives $10,600,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9648e7ce-931d-454c-afc3-90a1d79ebbb0&Preview=1 Date 4/15/2009 Company Name Big Stage Entertainment, Inc Mailing Address 1010 Sycamore Ave South Pasadena, CA 91030 Company Description Big Stage Entertainment, Inc. is a media technology company that enables the projection of self into digital life. With Big Stage Entertainment products and services, consumers can create a photorealistic, 3-D, animated … Continue reading “Big Stage Entertainment, Inc Receives $10,600,000 Series B Financing”
Bridgepoint IPO Nets $142M
San Diego-based Bridgepoint Education has raised $142 million in its initial public offering, according to Bloomberg. The IPO was only the second this year by a U.S. company. Bridgepoint is a secondary education provider that offers nearly all of its classes online. Earlier this month, the company disclosed plans to raise between $190 million and … Continue reading “Bridgepoint IPO Nets $142M”
Amid Worsening Economy, Software Startups Look to San Diego’s DaggerBoard Advisors for Different Kinds of Help
Dennis Clerke says the kernel of the idea behind DaggerBoard Advisors formed in his mind years ago, while he was still the CEO of Cardiff Software, a business in Vista, CA, he co-founded to automate business forms processing. “When I was CEO, I’d just get parts of my board members’ time and attention,” Clerke told … Continue reading “Amid Worsening Economy, Software Startups Look to San Diego’s DaggerBoard Advisors for Different Kinds of Help”
Calit2 to Collaborate With Darkstrand
Darkstrand, a Chicago firm that provides industry with access to an ultra high-speed fiber optic network, says it has reached a collaboration agreement with Calit2, the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, based at UCSD and UC Irvine. Under the collaboration agreement, Calit2 will become a provider of specialized expertise to Darkstrand’s business customers … Continue reading “Calit2 to Collaborate With Darkstrand”
New Wave-Making Technology Touches Off San Diego’s Wave War
Bruce McFarland has a long-standing relationship with waves. He learned to surf while he was growing up in Manhattan Beach, CA, a classic Los Angeles-area beach community and home of what is believed to be California’s first surfboard shop. He studied mechanical engineering and fluid mechanics at UC Santa Barbara, and after graduation worked for … Continue reading “New Wave-Making Technology Touches Off San Diego’s Wave War”