I absolutely love what I do—running a seed-stage venture fund (Founders’ Co-op) and startup accelerator (Techstars Seattle)—but neither is a job with a well-defined career path. Unlike later-stage or public market investing, where finance and quantitative analysis is a big part of the job, effective early-stage investing requires a combination of human, strategic, and operational … Continue reading “So You Want to Be an Early Stage Investor?”
Category: San Diego
Teach More Business in School
Science, medicine and information technology have become intimately entangled with business on all levels. Whether in academic settings or business settings, success in these areas increasingly requires involvement with basic business concepts and principles that aren’t taught in college. Undergraduates in science and engineering disciplines graduate from universities and enter positions in biotechnology and technology … Continue reading “Teach More Business in School”
Dallas Entrepreneur Center Aims to Bridge Tech’s Diversity Divide
The issue of gender and diversity is not a new challenge but one that has recently come to the forefront in a lot of our communities. There seems to be an awareness of the issues and an inherent need to address, but many are still conflicted how to best move forward. I think the best … Continue reading “Dallas Entrepreneur Center Aims to Bridge Tech’s Diversity Divide”
Hepatitis C Commercial Game Theory
Anyone either celebrating or fearing the start of a Hepatitis C drug price war should take a break from the excitement to consider that a far more nuanced and profound game is at hand, one where the rules of tacit collusion (the legal kind) constrain price erosion—and each new entrant with a “good enough” drug … Continue reading “Hepatitis C Commercial Game Theory”
The Small Business Revolution Will Be Measured
In 2015 I predict we will see a rise in the number of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that collect and analyze data for improving operational efficiencies, reducing risk, and better meeting customer needs. People tend to think of big data and business intelligence as living mostly in the realm of the big enterprise. Large … Continue reading “The Small Business Revolution Will Be Measured”
What Was the Biggest Surprise of 2014?
As we close out the year, we at Xconomy have been asking our network of sources and informal advisors (the Xconomists) a series of questions. An obvious but telling one was to inquire about the biggest surprise of 2014, from their point of view. We’ve been posting their answers on a variety of topics as … Continue reading “What Was the Biggest Surprise of 2014?”
Snapchat Receives $485,633,975 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=942e5c5f-91fa-421c-a945-aa320b76e3aa Date 12/31/2014 Company Name Snapchat Mailing Address 63 Market Street Venice, CA 90291 USA Company Description Snapchat is a new way to share photos with friends and family. We’re making social media fun again. And we’re totally mobile. Website http://www.snapchat.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $485,633,975 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “Snapchat Receives $485,633,975 New Funding Round”
Improve Education with Great Expectations for All Students
If I could change one thing about our K-12 education system, it would be to end the curse of low expectations in Washington’s public schools. Numerous studies have shown that teacher and principal expectations have a profound effect on school culture and student performance. A student treated as if she or he can accomplish anything … Continue reading “Improve Education with Great Expectations for All Students”
Attracting, Retaining Talent Key to Driving Economy Forward
A major issue continues to be how to attract and train the necessary talent to drive forward both individual businesses and the economy as a whole. This issue is being addressed in pockets (such as some nascent, innovative programs in Michigan), but not nearly at the scope that is needed. Among other things, it involves … Continue reading “Attracting, Retaining Talent Key to Driving Economy Forward”
5 Tips for Students to Get Ahead in Technology and Business
What advice would you give students interested in your field? That’s a question we posed to our network of Xconomists around the country. They range from academic leaders to startup founders to venture capitalists. What we found was that their answers were generally bigger than their particular field of expertise. Taken together, the tips provide … Continue reading “5 Tips for Students to Get Ahead in Technology and Business”
San Diego Innovation and the Top 10 Stories of 2014
To understand the ebb and flow of innovation in San Diego over the past year, I combined a ranking of stories with the most page views on Xconomy San Diego with my own editorial curation. Some themes are apparent in this top 10 list. The life sciences are ascendant here, with advances in genomics, stem … Continue reading “San Diego Innovation and the Top 10 Stories of 2014”
14 for ’14: Xconomy’s Top Innovation Stories of the Year
It has been quite a year for one-word headlines: Ebola, Sony, Uber, WhatsApp, to name a few. Behind those headlines are complex issues in business and technology that came to the fore in 2014. Things like impediments to vaccine development; mounting threats in cybersecurity and privacy; the regulatory and cultural struggles of high-flying startups; and … Continue reading “14 for ’14: Xconomy’s Top Innovation Stories of the Year”
To Diversify the Innovation Community, Jump-Start Female Entrepreneurship
Just about a year ago at this time, I read a report that made me ask myself whether I was doing enough—and the right kind of “enough”—to encourage diversity in our technology startup community and innovation ecosystem here in Boston/Cambridge. Fortunately, when I looked at the startups in my portfolio of seed investments, I found … Continue reading “To Diversify the Innovation Community, Jump-Start Female Entrepreneurship”
Expand Our Notion of Success from Wealth Creation to Value Creation
We have too narrow a view of success in the tech community, fueled by investors wanting big returns, business schools reinforcing these values, and universities trying to maximize financial returns on their research. Young people see this. Many children of immigrants want to help their parents’ homelands. Many young people want to build a more … Continue reading “Expand Our Notion of Success from Wealth Creation to Value Creation”
10 Bits of Advice for Students Interested in Drug Development
Here are my 10 crucial pieces of advice for students who aspire to a career in pharmaceutical labs: 1. You need a solid foundation in science. Master the basics, and learn how to apply that knowledge. 2. But, try to also take classes and build skills in complementary areas like business, legal topics (especially intellectual … Continue reading “10 Bits of Advice for Students Interested in Drug Development”
Kicking the Cyber Attack Can Down the Road
By far the most important issue where the can got “kicked down the road” is any kind of concerted effort to deter or dissuade cross-border cyber-crime, cyber-attacks, cyber-vandalism and other various forms of hacking mischief. As more and more people become reliant of digital devices and networks for their livelihoods and leisure, their vulnerability to … Continue reading “Kicking the Cyber Attack Can Down the Road”
From STEM to C-Suite, Steps to Improve Technology’s Gender Balance
Gender and diversity problems certainly aren’t new for either the technology community or for business in general. Over the past several decades, women and minorities have worked to gain access to higher levels within organizations, and many white males already in senior roles have also worked to address these issues. However, progress has been slow, … Continue reading “From STEM to C-Suite, Steps to Improve Technology’s Gender Balance”
Biggest Surprises in 2014: Apple After Steve Jobs
What was the biggest surprise of the year? The continued success of Apple. It’s been a quiet period after Jobs’s disappearance and it is very difficult to step into those shoes, I had not counted on the success. The iPhone 6 is a marvel even if it’s not a groundbreaking innovation. But the Apple Watch … Continue reading “Biggest Surprises in 2014: Apple After Steve Jobs”
Simple Steps Toward More Inclusive Entrepreneurship
At conferences, meetups, and events, my colleagues and I often lament the lack of diversity in the audience, particularly the lack of women. Organizations like the Doyenne Group here in Madison, WI, are doing great things to cultivate entrepreneurship among women. Some recent changes in my life, however, have given me a new perspective on … Continue reading “Simple Steps Toward More Inclusive Entrepreneurship”
AltheaDx, with Personalized Medicine Diagnostics, Files for IPO
San Diego-based AltheaDx, which uses diagnostic tests and bioinformatics to help doctors identify the optimal drugs based on a patient’s genetic make-up, plans to raise as much as $69 million in an IPO. The company, which began operating in 2008, says in its IPO filing that it has used its IDgenetix technology to complete tests … Continue reading “AltheaDx, with Personalized Medicine Diagnostics, Files for IPO”
Device-Maker BeneChill Seeks to Raise $14.6M Through IPO
BeneChill, a startup established in San Diego eight years ago to develop a rapid-chilling technology to treat patients suffering from heart attacks and brain injury, intends to raise more than $14.6 million through an IPO. The company needs the cash. In its IPO filing with federal regulators, BeneChill says it generated only $400,000 in revenue … Continue reading “Device-Maker BeneChill Seeks to Raise $14.6M Through IPO”
What’s Missing From Education? Critical Thinking
There is too little emphasis on teaching critical thinking skills in schools. Many adults have little understanding of important science and technology issues, which leaves them open to poor decision making on matters that will affect both their families as well as society in general. A good example would be a failure to understand and … Continue reading “What’s Missing From Education? Critical Thinking”
What’s the Most Important Issue That Didn’t Get Addressed in 2014?
Immigration. Very sad and shows how deeply dysfunctional our system is. This is really hurting innovation—and other countries, like Canada, U.K., Chile and Spain, have moved way ahead of us. Very frustrating. [Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading … Continue reading “What’s the Most Important Issue That Didn’t Get Addressed in 2014?”
Zealot Networks Garners New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fb4d0454-9614-43b0-b156-b651f2a8086b Date 12/24/2014 Company Name Zealot Networks Mailing Address Undisclosed Los Angeles, CA 90013 USA Company Description A person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their ideals. Zealot intends to disrupt the digital media landscape. Website http://www.zealotnetworks.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The … Continue reading “Zealot Networks Garners New Financing”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Gilead/AbbVie, Juno, Auspex, Bina & More
It was a very good year for the Bay Area’s Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]), which saw its new hepatitis C treatments— sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) and Harvoni (a combination of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir)—make big inroads and help cure patients, even as the price tag of the drugs raised ire. Hackles were up not just among longtime industry watchdogs like … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Gilead/AbbVie, Juno, Auspex, Bina & More”
SAIC Founder J. Robert Beyster Dies
J. Robert “Bob” Beyster, the nuclear physicist who founded Science Applications International Corp.—the multibillion-dollar government contractor better known as SAIC—died of natural causes yesterday at his home in San Diego. He was 90 years old. Beyster was a Cold War scientist who founded SAIC to tackle some of the nation’s most-difficult problems in national security—and … Continue reading “SAIC Founder J. Robert Beyster Dies”
SideChef Obtains $1,000,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cde1f12d-b8d5-438b-9e35-c872a5e22a1a Date 12/23/2014 Company Name SideChef Mailing Address 1520 2nd St. Santa Monica, CA 90401 USA Company Description SideChef makes cooking easy by giving you photos and instructions for every step of a recipe, so you always know what you’re doing even if it’s your first time trying something new. Website http://www.sidechef.com … Continue reading “SideChef Obtains $1,000,000 Seed Funding”
All Day Obtains $2,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ada9784c-ee47-4c66-b1b7-f6496188d746 Date 12/23/2014 Company Name All Day Mailing Address 2020 S. Robertson Blvd. Studio E Los Angeles, CA 90034 USA Company Description All Day, and our partner social media accounts like @HistoryInPics and @EarthPix, is just as intellectually curious as you and your friends are. And start digging around and you’ll realize … Continue reading “All Day Obtains $2,000,000 New Financing Round”
The Sony Wake-Up Call
[Corrected, see below] The Sony saga continues. Last week, the FBI said there is enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for the Sony cyberattack. Now some are beginning to wonder how the U.S. should retaliate. Surely, new developments will continue to unfold, but our focus remains on what this breach … Continue reading “The Sony Wake-Up Call”
Rethinking Venture Philanthropy After the Kalydeco Windfall
The Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation’s big win in venture philanthropy can fuel constructive competition among companies developing innovative CF drugs, benefiting both patients and the healthcare system by increasing future treatment options and reducing their cost. CF is a fatal genetic disease affecting around 30,000 people in the U.S. that is caused by mutations in … Continue reading “Rethinking Venture Philanthropy After the Kalydeco Windfall”
#Hashtag This: How the Twitter Hashtag Caught Fire in San Diego
It’s been over seven years since Chris Messina proposed that Twitter users adopt the hash symbol as a way to collate their discussions and designate groups. I’m only just now catching up to him, although I have an excuse. I used to be mainstream media. Still, as Messina told me recently by phone from San … Continue reading “#Hashtag This: How the Twitter Hashtag Caught Fire in San Diego”
NoteVault Secures New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=478499f5-54e6-4151-8f34-8c5549390e1f Date 12/22/2014 Company Name NoteVault Mailing Address 6305 Lusk Blvd. San Diego, CA 92121 USA Company Description NoteVault was founded to develop and deploy innovative service solutions for construction. Website http://www.notevault.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture … Continue reading “NoteVault Secures New Financing Round”
Corent Technology Lands $2,149,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bda1dfeb-c445-4afc-b1e2-e80d9ded898c Date 12/22/2014 Company Name Corent Technology Mailing Address 26895 Aliso Creek Road Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 USA Company Description Corent Technology is the provider of SurPaaS, a disruptive SaaS-enablement and software delivery as a Service platform. Corent’s SurPaaS was named the 2012 Cloud Product of the Year and has received multiple … Continue reading “Corent Technology Lands $2,149,000 New Financing”
Metamaterials Moguls: Gates, Allen Back New Radar Startup Echodyne
Microsoft’s co-founders are backing a Seattle-area startup that wants to apply proprietary metamaterials technology to radar. Bill Gates is co-leader with Madrona Venture Group of a $15 million Series A funding round for Echodyne, which will seek to commercialize the metamaterials technology portfolio of Intellectual Ventures “for a wide range of new radar applications,” Gates … Continue reading “Metamaterials Moguls: Gates, Allen Back New Radar Startup Echodyne”
Furlocity Lands $1,200,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=394751b9-cef5-4f88-9bc6-3e28a8ac2a7a Date 12/19/2014 Company Name Furlocity Mailing Address P.O. Box 911102 San Diego, CA 92191 USA Company Description Furlocity was founded in 2012 and is run by Andy Smit, CO-Founder and CEO, Adam Bronte, Co-Founder and CTO and Amber Kirsten-Smit, Co-Founder and President. As pet parents ourselves we wanted to create some … Continue reading “Furlocity Lands $1,200,000 New Funding Round”
Ankasa Regenerative Therapeutics Garners Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b771c955-3418-485b-9f24-ef7b010d536b Date 12/19/2014 Company Name Ankasa Regenerative Therapeutics Mailing Address Undisclosed La Jolla, CA 92037 USA Company Description Pharmaceutical preparations including reactivated stem cells for organ and tissue re-growth, tissue repair, and healing. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “Ankasa Regenerative Therapeutics Garners Series A Round”
Beautycounter Garners New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8dd93a28-be74-48ed-a478-57d658a09987 Date 12/19/2014 Company Name Beautycounter Mailing Address 1727 Berkeley Street Santa Monica, CA 90404 USA Company Description Like many of you, I’m a wife and mom—and like many of you, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. As I applied sunscreen, lotion, and any number of beauty products on myself and … Continue reading “Beautycounter Garners New Financing”
EdgeWave Receives $2,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=922b3481-ae7f-424f-99d1-52a80ec76a5d Date 12/18/2014 Company Name EdgeWave Mailing Address 15333 Avenue of Science San Diego, CA 92128 USA Company Description At EdgeWave our mission is to enable enterprises to confidently embrace the cloud-connected world. We do this by providing simple but highly effective data security and advanced threat protection in bundled solutions that … Continue reading “EdgeWave Receives $2,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
SERVIZ Secures $12,500,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c2ebca14-726b-42d8-bde8-679eeae0de5d Date 12/18/2014 Company Name SERVIZ Mailing Address 15303 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks , CA 91403 USA Company Description SERVIZ performs criminal background checks on all SERVIZ Pros, and all SERVIZ Pros are reviewed and must maintain positive ratings from our customers to stay active. Website http://www.serviz.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “SERVIZ Secures $12,500,000 Series B Financing”
EdgeWave Adds $2M to Extend Overhaul of Enterprise Cybersecurity
San Diego-based EdgeWave, which raised $6 million in equity funding in July (and arranged a $5 million credit facility), says today it has raised another $2 million in equity from three investors in an extension of its Series A round. The cybersecurity company, known previously as St. Bernard Software, a public company, has been moving … Continue reading “EdgeWave Adds $2M to Extend Overhaul of Enterprise Cybersecurity”
TRACE Live Network Obtains $2,500,000 Seed Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=905192ce-5018-404c-ac6a-15f062b0e525 Date 12/17/2014 Company Name TRACE Live Network Mailing Address 1600 Main St. Venice, CA 90291 USA Company Description TRACE.com is a live-action content platform aggregating streamed footage from globally activated TRACEr1 devices. The TRACEr1 is a visually intelligent camera that autonomously operates a selection of tracking devices and live-streams captured user … Continue reading “TRACE Live Network Obtains $2,500,000 Seed Funding Round”
Auspex Shares Soar on Late-Stage Results from Huntington’s Study
San Diego-based Auspex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ASPX]]) says it plans to file a new drug application by mid-2015 after reporting today that its lead drug candidate curbed involuntary movements associated with Huntington’s disease in a late-stage clinical trial. The price of Auspex shares gained about 65 percent, leaping by more than $16 to $41.21 a share … Continue reading “Auspex Shares Soar on Late-Stage Results from Huntington’s Study”
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Magnovision?
When the ads for Mars vacations came on the TV, Doug Quaid couldn’t turn away. He thought about Mars at work, dreamed about it at night, badgered his wife about going there. She reminded him that they couldn’t afford it—and anyway, Saturn is much nicer. But he could not get Mars out of his head. … Continue reading “Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Magnovision?”
Intrigue and Outdated Rules Complicate Big Biotech Patent Fight
How’s this for strange? What’s likely the most important biotech patent battle of the decade is now being fought under outmoded rules that the U.S. Congress, in a rare spasm of common purpose three years ago, agreed roundly were due for a once-in-a-lifetime overhaul. The fight is over CRISPR/Cas9, a potential Nobel-winning biotech discovery, and … Continue reading “Intrigue and Outdated Rules Complicate Big Biotech Patent Fight”
Techstars Hires Startup Vet to Run Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator
Ryan Kuder, a San Diego startup veteran who left the mobile device recycler EcoATM earlier this year, has been hired to lead the new robotics startup accelerator that Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) is establishing under a deal with Techstars. Boulder, CO-based Techstars, which just announced its 16th startup program last week in Detroit, named Kuder as … Continue reading “Techstars Hires Startup Vet to Run Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator”
Insightra Medical Lands $6,125,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3abe3376-c2bc-4a36-a199-22a2c8cb7b34 Date 12/16/2014 Company Name Insightra Medical Mailing Address 9200 Irvine Center Dr. Irvine, CA 92618 USA Company Description In 2006 the first equity capital was raised and the current management team was assembled. Around that time, marketing rights were acquired for Ultra IAB aortic balloon pump catheter range created by TMP … Continue reading “Insightra Medical Lands $6,125,000 New Financing”
VideoAmp Obtains $2,200,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=df27ec2d-fc22-453a-9793-2460a8269265 Date 12/15/2014 Company Name VideoAmp Mailing Address 2043 Colorado Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90404 USA Company Description A video advertising platform built from the ground up to buy, optimize and measure video ads across television, mobile and desktop. Website http://www.videoamp.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,200,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “VideoAmp Obtains $2,200,000 New Funding Round”
405Labs Secures $2,329,998 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=15451110-886d-4025-bef1-10b5dfe30ffa Date 12/12/2014 Company Name 405Labs Mailing Address 6285 Lusk Blvd. San Diego, CA 92037 USA Company Description At 405labs we work directly with top organizations to customize our advanced analytics to search for changes in behavior of users, key business systems and applications caused by targeted cyber attacks Website http://www.405labs.com Transaction … Continue reading “405Labs Secures $2,329,998 New Funding”
Woven Digital Lands $18,000,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f0ab2f56-7bef-41a6-91b6-f06286678ea5 Date 12/12/2014 Company Name Woven Digital Mailing Address 10381 Jefferson Blvd. Culver City, CA 90231 USA Company Description We don’t just cover Current Events. We make them. Website http://www.woven.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $18,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor … Continue reading “Woven Digital Lands $18,000,000 Series A Round”
Seattle’s QuestionPro Acquires RapidEngage (aka SlimSurveys)
QuestionPro, a Seattle Web-survey and market-research company, has acquired RapidEngage, a San Diego startup with micro survey technology that enables merchants and other businesses to gather customer feedback in less than 30 seconds. RapidEngage was co-founded in 2012 as SlimSurveys by Sean Callahan, Rodney Rumford, and Daniel Marashlian. They self-funded the startup, and Rumford said … Continue reading “Seattle’s QuestionPro Acquires RapidEngage (aka SlimSurveys)”