Category: San Diego

Sorenson’s New CEO Establishes San Diego ‘Hub’

One of the corollaries of hiring a new CEO is that sometimes the corporate mountain moves instead of the guy at the top, which may be a factor in an announcement today by Utah’s Sorenson Media. The Salt Lake City-based developer of video compression and encoding software said today Sorenson has opened a new San Diego … Continue reading “Sorenson’s New CEO Establishes San Diego ‘Hub’”

A Snapshot of San Diego’s Innovation Economy

San Diego’s spirit of entrepreneurship remained resilient in 2008, despite a credit crisis that precipitated one of the worst financial periods in U.S. history, according to Connect, a San Diego nonprofit group that promotes technology innovation and entrepreneurship. Connect says 73 new technology companies were started in the San Diego area during the last three … Continue reading “A Snapshot of San Diego’s Innovation Economy”

UK Pharma Visualization Startup Chooses San Diego Region for Expansion

Just a few weeks after we reported Torrey Path’s arrival in La Jolla, another bioinformatics company is setting up shop San Diego. Dotmatics, a scientific visualization and bioinformatics software developer founded in the United Kingdom, has opened an office near San Diego as part of an expansion that targets the U.S. life sciences market. “Now … Continue reading “UK Pharma Visualization Startup Chooses San Diego Region for Expansion”

Verenium Struggles to Make Ends Meet

Verenium (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRNM]]), a biofuels startup based in Cambridge, MA, and San Diego, warned in an annual 10-K income statement filed with the SEC yesterday that independent accountants hired by the firm have raised “substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.” Losses are piling up from the company’s research and development … Continue reading “Verenium Struggles to Make Ends Meet”

More San Diego Layoffs Hit Cymer, Goodrich Aerostructures, La Jolla Pharmaceutical

With unemployment in San Diego County at 8.6 percent in January—its highest level since the 1970s—it should come as no surprise that some of San Diego’s leading technology companies continue to shed workers. Still, the depth of the layoffs has been surprising among the companies we follow at Xconomy. You can check our updated list … Continue reading “More San Diego Layoffs Hit Cymer, Goodrich Aerostructures, La Jolla Pharmaceutical”

Using HIV as Model, Anadys Develops Drug Cocktail Ingredient for Hepatitis C

HIV was transformed from a terminal illness into a chronic disease in wealthy countries in the late 1990s, once scientists learned to mix anti-viral drugs into a potent cocktail. That was supposed to hold the virus in check by attacking it from many different angles, keeping it from developing resistance to any one drug. The … Continue reading “Using HIV as Model, Anadys Develops Drug Cocktail Ingredient for Hepatitis C”

Quidel Shares Plunge on Warning

A surprisingly light flu season is drawing to a close, which is good news except perhaps at San Diego-based Quidel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QDEL]]), which makes rapid diagnostic tests. Investors hammered the stock after Quidel said it anticipates a first quarter loss due to a significant decline in sales of its diagnostic products for influenza and Strep … Continue reading “Quidel Shares Plunge on Warning”

Case Dismissed: Broadcom’s Legal Bid to Defang Qualcomm Patents

The lawyers for Irvine, CA-based Broadcom have been on a roll in a protracted legal battle over mobile phone technology patents against San Diego arch-rival Qualcomm, including one case that led to sanctions last year. But Broadcom’s lawyers misfired in a lawsuit filed against Qualcomm just five months ago. The suit broadly alleged that Qualcomm … Continue reading “Case Dismissed: Broadcom’s Legal Bid to Defang Qualcomm Patents”

Obama’s Stem Cell Reversal Sparks Deals, Qualcomm’s MediaFLO Revealed, Nokia’s Wireless Mapping, & More SD BizTech News

President Obama’s reversal of federal funding restrictions on research using embryonic stem cells prompted some interesting commentary last week, along with some related developments among local startups. We also have news about the expanding world of mobile media and wireless mapping technologies, so read on! —No one is expecting immediate and widespread changes after the … Continue reading “Obama’s Stem Cell Reversal Sparks Deals, Qualcomm’s MediaFLO Revealed, Nokia’s Wireless Mapping, & More SD BizTech News”

Could Patent Reform Hurt Cleantech?

(Editor’s Note: This is excerpted from written testimony to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.) Out of the many patents that will be filed in the coming years, there will be a handful of world-changing inventions that can crucially alter the course of our future. These are the jewels we need to protect: —inventions that solve … Continue reading “Could Patent Reform Hurt Cleantech?”

Pico Pharmaceuticals, In Its Early Days, Aims to Make More Potent Cancer Drugs, Anti-Bacterials

One out of three biotech companies in the U.S. are running down to their last six months of cash, but biotech entrepreneurs are continuing to start new companies. The latest one to cross my desk is San Diego-based Pico Pharmaceuticals, which emerged last week on the local biotech scene in style, with a scientific paper … Continue reading “Pico Pharmaceuticals, In Its Early Days, Aims to Make More Potent Cancer Drugs, Anti-Bacterials”

Full Disclosure: Financial Relationships Between Life Sciences Companies and Medical Doctors

Biocom has invited Bill Huron, the chief compliance officer at Sorin, and Carol Clove, UCLA’s chief compliance officer, to discuss increasing public scrutiny of payments by life sciences companies to doctors. The experts will discuss the rules governing financial relationships, revisions to the AdvaMed Code, recent government enforcement actions and pending legislation. Partner Mike Scarano … Continue reading “Full Disclosure: Financial Relationships Between Life Sciences Companies and Medical Doctors”

Biotechnology for Non-Science Business Professionals

San Diego Biocom has organized this all-day seminar to provide a concise overview of the key concepts of modern biology and an introduction to the technology and terminology used in the biotech and medical device industries. Classes are specifically geared toward the non-science professional who needs to better understand industry terminology, techniques and issues. Register … Continue reading “Biotechnology for Non-Science Business Professionals”

The CIO in a Downturn Economy

Gartner managing vice president Barbara Gomoloski and local CIOs, or Chief Information Officers, discuss their insights and strategies for success amid the economic crisis. Find out what San Diego IT executive are doing to get ahead. Registration begins at 7 a.m., or register online here.

What Went Wrong With the Math? The Financial Crisis and Analytic Models

University of San Diego Law School Professor Frank Partnoy discusses the erroneous assumptions underlying financial models used by Wall Street’s power houses before the fall. Portnoy also plans to discuss historical parallels to the market meltdown of 2008 and new opportunities for software analytics in the financial industry. Registration begins at 5:30 pm, or register … Continue reading “What Went Wrong With the Math? The Financial Crisis and Analytic Models”

California Clean Innovation Conference

This all-day conference on clean technology provides an opportunity to network with industry leaders. The focus will be on energy, transportation and water technologies. Panels will cover energy storage, thermal waste conversion technologies, and alternative vehicle technologies. Registration opens at 8 am, or register online here.

Frontiers in Science and Technology

Frank Gordon of SPAWAR, the Navy’s San Diego-based Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, will discuss the latest innovations in the field. Gordon heads the navigation and applied sciences department at SPAWAR Systems Center on Point Loma.

Solar Power Finance and Investment Summit

This all-day seminar on solar power company financing brings together solar companies, venture capitalists, private equity, investment bankers, lenders and other financial players. Topics include the financial crisis and its impact on solar power, the impact on new policies and incentives, as well as perspectives from venture capital and private equity. Register here

Leveraging High-Tech Assets For Your Company’s Growth

Who owns the products and technology resulting from high-tech strategic alliances and joint ventures? To answer that question, San Diego Connect and the Foley and Lardner law firm have organized this panel on ways to protect intellectual assets like software, hardware and know-how. Online registration is here.

How to Succeed at a Web Startup Without Quitting Your Day Job

In their spare time, two friends designed and launched Manvite.com, a free alternative to Evite geared to men. The talk will describe their journey, including how they built the application, created the business structure, and used free and low-cost tools to make their vision a reality on a shoestring budget. Register online through the San … Continue reading “How to Succeed at a Web Startup Without Quitting Your Day Job”

Fisker Automotive, Inc. Secures $3,500,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e6197f84-f70e-4b7a-bad4-5ad2739730c8&Preview=1 Date 3/15/2009 Company Name Fisker Automotive, Inc. Mailing Address 2811 McGaw Ave Irvine, CA 92614 Company Description The concept was created between two independent companies who clearly wanted to make a difference in not only the automotive industry, but to the environment as well. Fisker Coachbuild, LLC and Quantum Technologies announced … Continue reading “Fisker Automotive, Inc. Secures $3,500,000 Series C Financing”

Sangart Raises $50 Million For Blood Substitute

San Diego-based Sangart, a biopharmaceutical company developing artificial blood products based on human hemoglobin, says it has raised $50 million in funding that completes its Series F round. Sangart says the $50 million was raised when its investors exercised warrants the company had issued in 2007 as part of its Series F round, and bring … Continue reading “Sangart Raises $50 Million For Blood Substitute”

The First Lady of Wireless Built Mobile Startup to Send Message of Simplicity

When Arlene Harris co-founded GreatCall Inc. in Del Mar, CA, she had a clear idea about the type of mobile phone service she wanted to provide. “The mobile phone is made to serve us, not to enslave us,” she told me recently. “I don’t want my phone to tell me what to do! We are … Continue reading “The First Lady of Wireless Built Mobile Startup to Send Message of Simplicity”

Top 9 Tech Updates: Photosynth, Geocaching, Google Earth, and More

I’ve been writing World Wide Wade for almost a year now; this is the 44th installment. A year is a long time in the technology world—long enough for many of the gadgets, services, and websites I’ve covered in the past to evolve cool new features. So I thought I’d revisit a few of my previous … Continue reading “Top 9 Tech Updates: Photosynth, Geocaching, Google Earth, and More”

Fate Therapeutics Adds Scientific Muscle, Advancing Stem Cell Technology into First Clinical Trial

Fate Therapeutics has wowed people with its big plans to make drugs that activate adult stem cells in the body to treat diseases and regenerate tissues. And now the biotech startup has brought on new scientific talent to help put its first treatment to the test in clinical trials. Fate said yesterday it has recruited … Continue reading “Fate Therapeutics Adds Scientific Muscle, Advancing Stem Cell Technology into First Clinical Trial”

Cornerstone OnDemand Secures $12,000,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eef2aa79-86b8-4cee-a358-d29b1120eb32&Preview=1 Date 3/13/2009 Company Name Cornerstone OnDemand Mailing Address 1601 Cloverfield Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90404 Company Description Cornerstone has worked in conjunction with HR, talent and learning executives to build the leading talent management platform for learning and development, performance management, succession planning, compliance and compensation management, in addition to over … Continue reading “Cornerstone OnDemand Secures $12,000,000 Series B Round”

Sangart Lands $50,000,000 Series F Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=63200277-bca4-4ae8-839f-dc68011941df&Preview=1 Date 3/13/2009 Company Name Sangart Mailing Address 6175 Lusk Blvd San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Sangart, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of oxygen transport agents. Website http://www.sangart.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $50,000,000 Transaction Round Series F Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “Sangart Lands $50,000,000 Series F Financing”

Stem Cell Board Elects Roth Vice-Chair

Duane Roth, CEO of San Diego’s Connect (and an Xconomist), was elected today as vice-chair of the governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the state’s stem cell agency. He was nominated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who cited Roth’s 30-year experience in San Diego’s biotech industry and at Connect, which promotes innovative technologies by … Continue reading “Stem Cell Board Elects Roth Vice-Chair”

Cadence Drug Fails to Prevent Hospital Infections; Company Scraps Program

Cadence Pharmaceuticals has taken a couple steps forward in the past few months, and now it took one step back. The San Diego-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CADX]]) said today the second drug candidate in its pipeline failed in a final-stage clinical trial to help prevent infections from developing in hospitalized patients. Cadence said it is … Continue reading “Cadence Drug Fails to Prevent Hospital Infections; Company Scraps Program”

Kauffman Seminar Asks How Universities Can Improve Innovation

It’s taken as a given that universities are integral to the innovation process. Researchers create technology, the university finds a licensee or a startup company is formed to develop the invention, and products are created that drive growth in the economy. But that is a simplistic view of a complex system. And today, a select … Continue reading “Kauffman Seminar Asks How Universities Can Improve Innovation”

NeoMatrix, Inc. Garners $15,000,000 Series C Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5213d0fc-b44a-4cad-9d9e-09cebc37cb7b&Preview=1 Date 3/12/2009 Company Name NeoMatrix, Inc. Mailing Address 16 Technology Drive Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description NeoMatrix develops innovative devices that allow women and their doctors to promote optimal breast health. The company’s premier product, the HALO™ Breast Pap Test, is the only fully automated, noninvasive breast disease screening device designed … Continue reading “NeoMatrix, Inc. Garners $15,000,000 Series C Funding”

Biogen Idec, Genentech’s Rituxan Fails in Pivotal Study of Lupus of Kidneys

Rituxan, the hit lymphoma drug from Genentech and Biogen Idec, has failed in yet another bid to expand into treating other diseases. The drug fell short of reaching the main goal in a final-stage study of 144 patients with lupus nephritis, an inflammatory disease of the kidneys. The study, called Lunar, showed that patients who … Continue reading “Biogen Idec, Genentech’s Rituxan Fails in Pivotal Study of Lupus of Kidneys”

Greening the Internet and Verari Systems’ “Data Center in a Box”

Making improvements in energy efficiency may not seem like the cutting edge of innovation, but the combined effects of the recession and rising energy costs have many big companies scrambling for novel ways to get on top of energy demands. At the same time, efforts to reduce the load on California’s increasingly constrained power grid … Continue reading “Greening the Internet and Verari Systems’ “Data Center in a Box””

Biogen Idec Aims to Regenerate Damaged Nerves, Crack Multi-Billion Dollar Market

Biogen Idec’s scientists have a vision for regenerative medicine, and it has nothing to do with what’s been written and said about embryonic stem cells. Deep in Biogen’s pipeline, on the verge of entering clinical trials, are a pair of regenerative medicines that the company hopes will become trailblazers in the world of neurological diseases. … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Aims to Regenerate Damaged Nerves, Crack Multi-Billion Dollar Market”

Rotohog Garners $2,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f110fbb3-355e-4e3c-b97d-6e4ba5fc8333&Preview=1 Date 3/11/2009 Company Name Rotohog Mailing Address 9800 La Cienega Blvd. Inglewood, CA 90301 Company Description RotoHog, a product of Sports Composite DE, seeks to revolutionize the way Fantasy Sports are played. Combining a traditional points scoring system with an innovative player trading floor, RotoHog will crown the best fantasy manager … Continue reading “Rotohog Garners $2,000,000 New Funding”

Qualcomm Faces Allegations Over Certain Practices in Korea

Qualcomm said today the Korean Fair Trade Commission has made allegations about “the lawfulness of certain business practices.” The company says the allegations, set forth in a case examiner’s report, relate to Qualcomm’s integration of multimedia technologies into its chipsets, which are widely used in cell phones, along with “rebates and discounts provided to its … Continue reading “Qualcomm Faces Allegations Over Certain Practices in Korea”

Dancing in the Light: Expanding Access to Human Embryonic Stem Cells

The Obama campaign, and subsequently his administration, had been hinting for a long time that it would allow researchers to use federal funds to study human embryonic stem cell “lines” which had, under the policies of President Bush, been legal to study only with private funding. Considering the relatively small number of scientists actually working … Continue reading “Dancing in the Light: Expanding Access to Human Embryonic Stem Cells”

Survey Ranks San Diego No. 1 in Remote Working

A survey released today by Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) says San Diego is the best midsize city in the United States for remote working. The nationwide survey commissioned by the Redmond, WA, software giant found that U.S. employers generally support remote-working programs, although just 39.4 percent have a policy that details how their employees can work … Continue reading “Survey Ranks San Diego No. 1 in Remote Working”

What Lifting The Federal Ban on Stem Cell Research Means: Our Xconomists Offer Some Thoughts

[Updated at 2:30 pm with additional commentary. See details below] After President Barack Obama signed a new executive order yesterday that clears the way to resume federal funding for stem cell research, we asked some local Xconomists and other biotech leaders for their reaction. The president’s order reversed eight years of federal funding restrictions imposed … Continue reading “What Lifting The Federal Ban on Stem Cell Research Means: Our Xconomists Offer Some Thoughts”

Inside MediaFLO’s Operations Center—And the Race to Deploy Over-the-Air Mobile TV Service

The digital broadcast center for Qualcomm’s MediaFLO mobile TV service is a hushed, dimly lit room in San Diego that is dominated by 24 flat-screen, rear-projection screens mounted along one wall. The engineers in the room face these ever-changing displays at work stations equipped with even more flat-panel screens, so the darkness is illuminated by … Continue reading “Inside MediaFLO’s Operations Center—And the Race to Deploy Over-the-Air Mobile TV Service”

Leap Wireless Adds Philadelphia Service

San Diego-based Leap Wireless (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LEAP]]) today is launching its Cricket unlimited wireless service in the greater Philadelphia area. That’s the second major market the low-cost wireless provider has entered since January, when Cricket began service in Chicago. The company, which announced its move yesterday, is now forecasting 5.3 million subscribers this year. At the … Continue reading “Leap Wireless Adds Philadelphia Service”

Nokia Mapping a Future for Location-Based Mobile Services and Applications

In Finland I am a reporter for Ilta-Sanomat, Helsinki’s second-largest newspaper. I write about Finland’s Nokia a lot, so I may have a different perspective on Qualcomm, the San Diego-based chipset maker. For us Finns, Nokia is a larger-than-life, close-to-home success story. We speak the same strange language and it’s our only global giant. In … Continue reading “Nokia Mapping a Future for Location-Based Mobile Services and Applications”

Enclarity, Inc. Secures $5,500,000 Series C Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=721e98b3-3f7b-4a24-b9d4-a424e3e98148&Preview=1 Date 3/10/2009 Company Name Enclarity, Inc. Mailing Address 65 Enterprise Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 Company Description The company’s software uses advanced analytics and proprietary technology coupled with a massive referential database and telephone verification to clean provider files, assuring the data is accurate and current, increasing the productivity and profitability of … Continue reading “Enclarity, Inc. Secures $5,500,000 Series C Round”

Stemgent Nails Down $14M to Make Supplies, Tools for Stem Cell Researchers

Stemgent, a startup in Cambridge, MA, and San Diego that makes consumable materials for stem cell research labs, has raised $14 million in venture capital, according to PE Hub. The company’s backers include HealthCare Ventures and Morgenthaler Ventures, according to PE Hub. CEO Ian Ratcliffe didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment about the … Continue reading “Stemgent Nails Down $14M to Make Supplies, Tools for Stem Cell Researchers”

Pain Specialist Victory Pharma Raises $45M in Venture Round

San Diego’s Victory Pharma, a venture-backed pharmaceutical company that specializes in treatments for pain, said today it has raised $45 million in a secondary investment round. The investment was headed by Essex Woodlands Health Ventures of Palo Alto, CA, and included existing investor Ampersand Ventures of Wellesley, MA.Victory, which acquired its lead drug product in … Continue reading “Pain Specialist Victory Pharma Raises $45M in Venture Round”

Teams Collect Prizes Like Moon Rocks in Regional Robotics Contest

Most of the teams that gathered at the San Diego Sports Arena last week came from the American Southwest—from places like Flagstaff, AZ, and El Centro, CA. One team came all the way from Pennsylvania. Another came from Brazil. But these teams didn’t come to the arena to play hockey, football, or some other sport. … Continue reading “Teams Collect Prizes Like Moon Rocks in Regional Robotics Contest”

Biotechs Raise Capital, the Tale of Four Finns Who Helped Pioneer the Web Browser, Qualcomm Takes Another Step in Its Corporate Succession, & More SD BizTech News

It’s hard for any company to raise capital in this recession, but several San Diego life sciences startups disclosed last week they had done just that. A few bright spots also appeared during a local seminar on mergers and acquisitions—so let the news light your way. —A big deal on the other side of North America … Continue reading “Biotechs Raise Capital, the Tale of Four Finns Who Helped Pioneer the Web Browser, Qualcomm Takes Another Step in Its Corporate Succession, & More SD BizTech News”