Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=95554a1e-d711-454a-b7df-48985e24c1c3 Date 1/13/2016 Company Name Grail Mailing Address Undisclosed Venice, CA 90291 USA Company Description The mission of Grail is to enable the early detection of cancer in asymptomatic individuals through a blood screen – with the goal of massively decreasing global cancer mortality by detection at a curable stage. Grail will … Continue reading “Grail Obtains $100,000,000 New Funding Round”
Category: San Diego
Grindr Garners $93,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=94e6694c-7fb1-4929-8e53-4bbe0a616b32 Date 1/13/2016 Company Name Grindr Mailing Address 6725 W Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 USA Company Description The company operates an online matchmaking service for gay persons. Website http://www.grindr.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $93,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes We have taken this investment in our company to … Continue reading “Grindr Garners $93,000,000 New Financing Round”
VertiFlex Receives $26,825,680 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bade5c9d-ecbf-4078-a583-b57ed042419b Date 1/13/2016 Company Name VertiFlex Mailing Address 1351 Calle Avanzado San Clemente, CA 92673 USA Company Description VertiFlex is a privately held medical device company dedicated to the advancement of minimally invasive solutions for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis(LSS), which is the leading cause of spinal surgery in the elderly. … Continue reading “VertiFlex Receives $26,825,680 New Financing Round”
Working Hard—and Smart—to Build Habits for a Lifetime
The turning point in my life that shaped my perspective on work happened at age 12. I had just done some landscaping for a friend’s dad and I thought I had done a great job. I overheard the father telling his wife that although he really cared for me and thought I was a great … Continue reading “Working Hard—and Smart—to Build Habits for a Lifetime”
Frazier Enlists Three Laguna Pharma Execs to Scout for New Drugs
Like a phoenix rising from the shutdown of San Diego’s Laguna Pharmaceuticals, former Laguna CEO Bob Baltera and two other ex-Laguna executives are now roosting under the wing of Menlo Park, CA-based Frazier Healthcare Partners as Hawkeye Therapeutics. Baltera, former Laguna CMO Howard Dittrich, and former Laguna chief business development officer Brian Farmer officially joined … Continue reading “Frazier Enlists Three Laguna Pharma Execs to Scout for New Drugs”
StartEngine Obtains $5,500,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=52e13c8e-288e-45ce-a2c5-07dfc7b5d19c Date 1/12/2016 Company Name StartEngine Mailing Address 604 Arizona Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90401 USA Company Description Have a company that needs to raise up to $50M in capital? Build an easy-to-create profile on our platform. For any questions at any time, visit our FAQ or contact a customer service team … Continue reading “StartEngine Obtains $5,500,000 New Funding Round”
Preparing For A Downturn—A Fintech CEO’s Take
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle How should entrepreneurs and investors prepare for a future downturn? The economy always operates with opposing forces. It’s expected that there will be downturns and upturns. Entrepreneurs and investors can find opportunities to prepare, possibly flourish, and possibly fall apart, if not ready to deal … Continue reading “Preparing For A Downturn—A Fintech CEO’s Take”
Demand for Broadband Gets Ahead of Expected Norms in Tech Development
The most notable and surprising trend I noticed in 2015 was that broadband bandwidth consumption appears to be outpacing Moore’s Law, by a long shot. The increase of our own customers’ usage was immense: Their bandwidth consumption more or less doubled for New York City in 2015, and that follows a doubling in 2014. I have not seen this … Continue reading “Demand for Broadband Gets Ahead of Expected Norms in Tech Development”
BioAtla Garners $45,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d030d2a2-93e9-4b89-9441-4c7ada9d0e90 Date 1/11/2016 Company Name BioAtla Mailing Address 11011 Torreyana Road San Diego, CA 92121 USA Company Description BioAtla uses deep expertise in protein and antibody engineering and proprietary technologies to solve critical protein development challenges and produce novel, IP-protectable products for our partners and our own product portfolio. Website http://www.bioatla.com Transaction … Continue reading “BioAtla Garners $45,000,000 New Financing”
Illumina Forms Grail in Quest for Ultimate Cancer Diagnostic
Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]), the San Diego-based pioneer in gene-sequencing technology, says it has formed a new company called Grail to advance the sensitivity of technology already being used to detect infinitesimal pieces of DNA shed by cancerous tumors into the bloodstream. In a conference call with analysts Sunday evening, Illumina CEO Jay Flatley laid out … Continue reading “Illumina Forms Grail in Quest for Ultimate Cancer Diagnostic”
Apple Buys Emotient, A Digital Analyst of Consumer Feelings
Apple has snapped up Emotient, a startup that scrutinizes human faces to gauge feelings and reactions, the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets are reporting. San Diego-based Emotient, founded in 2012, had been marketing its services to advertisers and researchers as a tool to predict how consumers would react to digital ads, movies, and … Continue reading “Apple Buys Emotient, A Digital Analyst of Consumer Feelings”
West Coast Bio Roundup: Big Waves, Big Cash & a Deep Pre-JPM16 Breath
I’d say this week was the calm before the J.P. Morgan storm, except that we on the West Coast have had plenty of storms this week. Perhaps not tornadoes, but weather big enough to churn up 50 foot waves yesterday. (Not to be confused with 50 Foot Wave.) Seeing those surf pictures from Mavericks, just … Continue reading “West Coast Bio Roundup: Big Waves, Big Cash & a Deep Pre-JPM16 Breath”
Predictions for 2016: Self-Driving Cars, AI, and Brain Monitoring
Whether we have been in a tech bubble or not is frankly not that interesting. What is interesting is that the foundation for innovation is as strong as we’ve ever seen and entrepreneurs are bringing the future to reality at an amazing pace. Here are a few of my predictions for what we’ll see in … Continue reading “Predictions for 2016: Self-Driving Cars, AI, and Brain Monitoring”
Ringing in the Years (and Ears): What I’d Like to Hear in 2016
For the last 30 years, the tech revolution in PCs, Macs, and Smartphones has been largely connected with our eyes, not our ears. 2016 will mark the beginning of the commercialization of virtual and augmented reality, and although our visual experience will continue to be the main focus for these radical changes, it’s time our … Continue reading “Ringing in the Years (and Ears): What I’d Like to Hear in 2016”
Bottlenose Receives $2,196,557 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f83086a3-aabd-4169-b983-401c988891d7 Date 1/8/2016 Company Name Bottlenose Mailing Address 15301 Venture Blvd. Bldg D Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 USA Company Description Bottlenose is a real-time discovery engine for the social web. It measures what the crowd is paying attention to, so you can discover and focus on what’s important now. Bottlenose is used … Continue reading “Bottlenose Receives $2,196,557 New Financing Round”
Bruin Biometrics Lands $9,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7bbc9a6a-a438-4890-b944-a1e082282ca6 Date 1/8/2016 Company Name Bruin Biometrics Mailing Address 10960 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90024 USA Company Description At BBI, we are relentlessly committed to using technology to improve the way that health care is delivered. By developing innovative medical device systems that can cost-effectively detect and monitor select medical conditions … Continue reading “Bruin Biometrics Lands $9,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
With $100M, Guardant Health to Expand Reach of Blood Test for Cancer
We’ve all heard that dust is at least partly made up of dead skin cells. However true or untrue that may be, living tissue that is growing rapidly, such as a cancerous solid tumor, does indeed shed dead cells. When a person has a tumor that is growing, it sheds dead cells and their contents—including … Continue reading “With $100M, Guardant Health to Expand Reach of Blood Test for Cancer”
The Myth Of A Secure Back Door For Encryption
It seems like an appealing move–give the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, as well as our spy organizations, a back door—a “golden key”—to unlock encrypted communications to help catch criminals and terrorists and to protect Americans from harm. This notion of heightened protection is particularly compelling in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks … Continue reading “The Myth Of A Secure Back Door For Encryption”
A Tipping Point in Robotics, and My Five Predictions for 2016
While scientists are making progress in understanding how the mind works, robotics has failed to live up to the expectations set in the 1950s and ‘60s for human-like robots, exemplified by the Jetson’s cartoon character, Rosie the robot maid. Since the rejuvenation of robotics began in the 1980s, we have discovered that engineering and building … Continue reading “A Tipping Point in Robotics, and My Five Predictions for 2016”
Apple Acquires Emotient for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d583b2f2-a44d-4b21-817f-d44f5ea0e36c Date 1/7/2016 Company Name Emotient Mailing Address 4435 Eastgate Mall San Diego, CA 92121 USA Company Description Emotient is the leading authority on facial expression recognition and analysis technologies that are enabling a future of emotion aware computing. Website http://www.emotient.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A … Continue reading “Apple Acquires Emotient for Undisclosed Sum”
From Ambitions To Markets: Richard Kitney And More Synthetic Bio Views
Last week, Xconomy ran the first part of my conversation with Richard Kitney, a bioengineering professor at Imperial College London and a pioneer in the field of synthetic biology. We met in his campus office in November. Kitney has coauthored hundreds of papers and helped galvanize U.K. government support for synthetic biology. He is also … Continue reading “From Ambitions To Markets: Richard Kitney And More Synthetic Bio Views”
Our Relationship With the Internet: Trust Is the Big Concern in 2016
There is no denying we all have a relationship with the Internet. It used to be just a data source, now it is a companion as we go to sleep at night. It informs, entertains, and excites us. And it engages, disappoints, and saddens us. Internet experts and visionaries say 2016 will get even more … Continue reading “Our Relationship With the Internet: Trust Is the Big Concern in 2016”
Artificial Intelligence Growing Slowly in Healthcare, And That’s OK
One of the most significant advances in 2015 was the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in a variety of fields, including healthcare. While work on AI has been going on for years and still has a long way to go, 2015 saw progress made on self-driving cars, a growing ecosystem of AI startups, and open-sourcing … Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence Growing Slowly in Healthcare, And That’s OK”
Gem Secures $7,100,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=867369d7-6a6e-4dcb-b3e1-8dfdfa9ccc8c Date 1/6/2016 Company Name Gem Mailing Address 1410 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, CA 90291 USA Company Description Gem (previously BitVault) empowers developers to rapidly build apps and solutions using Bitcoin and cryptocurrency without needing to be experts in cryptography, security or the underlying protocols. They provide bank-grade security on cryptocurrency for … Continue reading “Gem Secures $7,100,000 Series A Funding Round”
NuVasive Acquires Ellipse Technologies for $410,000,000
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0b2c8a50-c3c5-44cc-92b4-ccac991c6f1c Date 1/6/2016 Company Name Ellipse Technologies Mailing Address 101 Enterprise Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 USA Company Description Ellipse Technologies, Inc. is focused on developing its implantable remote control technology platforms to include innovative and state-of-the-art treatments for a broad spectrum of spinal and orthopedic deformity applications, orthopedic trauma and fracture management. … Continue reading “NuVasive Acquires Ellipse Technologies for $410,000,000”
NuVasive Buys Skeletal Specialist in First Deal under New CEO
San Diego’s NuVasive (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUVA]]), a medical device maker that specializes in spinal procedures, said today it is acquiring privately held Ellipse Technologies for $380 million in cash, with an additional $30 million in potential milestone payments. Ellipse, an Aliso Viejo, CA-based medical technology company founded in 2005, specializes in implantable rods that can be … Continue reading “NuVasive Buys Skeletal Specialist in First Deal under New CEO”
VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview
Before this week’s big reveals of new technology at CES, a few teaser events are offering glimpses of things to come. CES Unveiled Las Vegas, one such event held Monday evening, had a smattering of gadgets eager for their share of the spotlight (see slideshow). A number of the devices I spied, such as Somabar, … Continue reading “VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview”
Making Time to Think in an Always-On World
I schedule thinking time as needed, like it’s a customer meeting or other commitment. Although I produce my work digitally, I think in analog. I’m most effective at brainstorming on paper or whiteboards where I can think in free-form. These mediums are inherently free of digital distractions like e-mail alerts and text messages, and they … Continue reading “Making Time to Think in an Always-On World”
Formerly Atterocor, Millendo Changes Name, Strategy—And Nabs $62M
When a biotech company with one product in development misses its milestones, investors typically don’t throw more money at it. Not so with the newly renamed Millendo Therapeutics. The Ann Arbor, MI-based drug firm has reeled in a $62 million Series B round to shift from a one-product company seeking a buyer to a pipeline … Continue reading “Formerly Atterocor, Millendo Changes Name, Strategy—And Nabs $62M”
Oncology’s Future: Liquid Biopsies and the Heterogeneity of Cancer
We have known for some time that cancer is not a static, monolithic disease. Instead, we now think of cancer as heterogeneous. Each patient’s cancer may arise from widely dissimilar origins, even in patients with the same type of tumor. Several studies in the last year have spelled out the extent of this diversity, which … Continue reading “Oncology’s Future: Liquid Biopsies and the Heterogeneity of Cancer”
Lab Space on a Navy Ship, And Other Creative Solutions for NY Biotech
I was a management consultant in a former life, and was trained in that role to always have three arguments to support any conclusion. But having spent the last six months living and breathing biotech in New York City, I am convinced there are only two strategic challenges holding this city back from becoming a … Continue reading “Lab Space on a Navy Ship, And Other Creative Solutions for NY Biotech”
Pathway Genomics Secures $40,000,000 Series E Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c864bdb4-d4ed-4793-ac71-56820142e7be Date 1/5/2016 Company Name Pathway Genomics Mailing Address 4755 Nexus Center Drive San Diego, CA 92121 USA Company Description Pathway Genomics is a privately-held, venture-backed company that offers affordable, personal DNA genotyping tests for less than $250. Website http://www.pathway.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $40,000,000 Transaction Round Series E Proceeds … Continue reading “Pathway Genomics Secures $40,000,000 Series E Funding”
Greenwave Systems Lands $60,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=538b3a28-a928-4ea9-a22c-f8a0a84ae616 Date 1/5/2016 Company Name Greenwave Systems Mailing Address 133 Technology Irvine, CA 92618 USA Company Description Greenwave Systems is a global Internet of Things (IoT) software and services company whose disruptive Greenwave360 model enables category-leading brands to quickly and profitably deploy managed services. Greenwave Systems empowers market leading brands to profitably … Continue reading “Greenwave Systems Lands $60,000,000 New Financing Round”
Machine Learning + Human Insights
In 2015, we saw the relationship between man and machine evolve into its most collaborative form yet—or at least pave the way for it. With intuitive technology such as IBM Watson and its ability to “learn” breaking ground on the machine front, and companies including Spare5 discovering ways to scale the power of human intelligence … Continue reading “Machine Learning + Human Insights”
A Potential Downturn Is On My Mind
Downturns are an exciting time for entrepreneurs and investors alike. Quality entrepreneurs who focus on the fundamentals of real growth will have less competition from startups fueled by venture capital dollars, me-too products and ego. Likewise, many of the “tourist” investors retreat, providing increased opportunities for longstanding investors, many of whom have been priced out … Continue reading “A Potential Downturn Is On My Mind”
GlySens Obtains $20,000,030 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9bd28ef3-3ae8-458f-97f0-1071607fb15a Date 1/4/2016 Company Name GlySens Mailing Address 6450 Lusk Boulevard San Diego, CA 92121 USA Company Description GlySens Incorporated is a privately held corporation devoted to developing the world’s first truly long term continuous glucose monitoring system. Website http://www.glysens.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $20,000,030 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “GlySens Obtains $20,000,030 New Financing”
Applied Cavitation Obtains $10,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=03a359bf-038d-40bd-84bd-f169d9e2e333 Date 1/4/2016 Company Name Applied Cavitation Mailing Address 44 Castilian Drive Goleta, CA 93117 USA Company Description Applied Cavitation, Inc. (ACI) is a nanotechnology process and formulation company. ACI is dedicated to unlocking and harnessing the true potential of nanomaterials. Website http://www.appliedcavitationinc.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Applied Cavitation Obtains $10,000 New Round”
If There Is One Major Issue the Innovation Scene Must Address…
It’s diversity. The world is being written and consumed in code now. But the teams writing the code aren’t reflective of their global customers. We often hear that major companies can’t find enough talent from different backgrounds because of a pipeline problem that starts in schools. At PowerToFly we disagree. We don’t want people to … Continue reading “If There Is One Major Issue the Innovation Scene Must Address…”
Xconomy’s Top 10 Innovation Stories of 2015
It was the year of drug pricing, fantasy-sports and Uber regulations, and countless cyber and terror attacks. It was a year when initial public offerings were few and far between for technology companies, and the biotech window may have closed as well. Yet there were plenty of commercial advances in fields like gene editing, immunotherapy, … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Top 10 Innovation Stories of 2015”
Synthetic Biology Primer: In Conversation With Richard Kitney, Part 1
“Synthetic biology” has always been a puzzling term to me. Prosthetic limbs are synthetic. Knee replacements are synthetic. Splicing the gene from one organism into another, a practice that began in the 1970s and gave rise to the biotechnology industry, is also a synthetic act. But those things are not “synthetic biology” in the way … Continue reading “Synthetic Biology Primer: In Conversation With Richard Kitney, Part 1”
Surprises in Tech from 2015, and What to Do If A Downturn Hits
Two tech trends gained surprising momentum this year, which positions them to be key drivers in 2016. Both take aim at the heart of the economy. Recently the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) gave crowd finance a shot in the arm. First it passed Regulation A which provides an exemption to the registration requirements mandated … Continue reading “Surprises in Tech from 2015, and What to Do If A Downturn Hits”
In 2016, Will We Finally Enter the Age of Imagination?
The biggest advance or most surprising development of 2015 was the private sector’s rapidly advancing and serious pursuit of commercial spacecraft development. This, coupled with the success of various missions like the Pluto fly-by; the dream of landing a craft on Jupiter’s moon Europa; the discussion of an outpost on the moon; the colonization of … Continue reading “In 2016, Will We Finally Enter the Age of Imagination?”
Thong Le: Biotech Thoughts On Pitches, Prices, Diversity, And Stress
Thong Le is the CEO of Accelerator, a Seattle biotech venture fund and incubator more than a decade old. Le took over in early 2014 and is overseeing a cross-country expansion. A second Accelerator facility opened with fanfare in New York City a year and a half ago. Le said at the time that Accelerator … Continue reading “Thong Le: Biotech Thoughts On Pitches, Prices, Diversity, And Stress”
Virtual Reality’s Turning Points In 2015
Among the most significant developments in VR this year have been the rate of change and improvement in mobile VR. Until recently, compelling VR experiences required a high-powered PC, considerable technical know-how, and were enjoyed only by enthusiasts and early adopters. Now there are mobile solutions that deliver a comparable level of quality, but are … Continue reading “Virtual Reality’s Turning Points In 2015”
Procore Technologies Receives $49,999,989 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9b40b006-faa9-4878-a570-749dc6cd06bf Date 12/30/2015 Company Name Procore Technologies Mailing Address 6309 Carpinteria Ave. Carpinteria, CA 93013 USA Company Description Procore was founded in 2002 and provides contractors with software and services thatimprove the efficiency of construction projects. Procore’s web-based softwarecoordinates the project management activities of contractors, architects, and otherproject team members. Website http://www.pro-core.com … Continue reading “Procore Technologies Receives $49,999,989 New Funding”
Time to Bring Our Education System in Line with the 21st Century
The most pressing issue facing the innovation community is the lack of a robust tech talent pipeline to support emerging new enterprises and to help legacy industries adapt. While other countries are developing workers with skills to compete in the 21th century, our country’s education system remains stuck in the 20th. Not only do public education programs lack … Continue reading “Time to Bring Our Education System in Line with the 21st Century”
In the Face of Genomic Data Challenges, the Cloud Keeps Us Afloat
The data intensity of genomics is so intense that it’s difficult for most people to comprehend. According to estimates published in the journal PLOS Biology in July, as many as 2 billion human genomes could be sequenced by 2025, which would far exceed the data output expected of other “big data domains,” such as astronomy, … Continue reading “In the Face of Genomic Data Challenges, the Cloud Keeps Us Afloat”
Infrastructure Investments Are Key to U.S. Future
The issue that makes me most angry is the lack of investment in the infrastructure of the United States. From roads to mass transit to science to education, we are falling behind (or further behind) other regions. It’s a false economy, as lack of investment now means less capability to generate returns in the future. … Continue reading “Infrastructure Investments Are Key to U.S. Future”
Innovation vs. Healthcare Spending: Biotech’s Biggest Looming Challenge
Let’s start with the good news. We are at the beginning of a transformation in human health, treating diseases in ways that we could only speculate about in the recent past. While biology isn’t quite engineering (yet), biotech has become a technology-based, high-growth, high-wage space, all while working to cure cancer. Doing well by doing … Continue reading “Innovation vs. Healthcare Spending: Biotech’s Biggest Looming Challenge”
Eversound Obtains $1,000,000 Seed Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=333b6c1f-2986-4844-9912-70e0cb646389 Date 12/28/2015 Company Name Eversound Mailing Address 1550 Pachino Circle Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 USA Company Description Here you will find timeless, heartfelt and uplifting music created by very talented artists from all around the world. Website http://www.eversound.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,000,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Eversound Obtains $1,000,000 Seed Funding Round”