Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fd345882-c70b-4689-ab4a-6475398f19c5 Date 10/3/2013 Company Name Upside Mailing Address 9201 Oakdale Avenue Chatsworth, CA 91311 Company Description Upside is a media network committed to providing IT vendors cost effective lead generation solutions. Through the exclusive Upside Content Network, we offer our advertising partners access to over 1 million professionals that are interested in … Continue reading “Upside Garners $100,000 Seed Round”
Category: San Diego
BioNano Genomics Raises $10M from Venture Investors
San Diego’s BioNano Genomics said today it has raised $10 million in venture financing to continue commercializing its long-strand gene sequencing technology in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The startup, which licensed its technology from Princeton University a decade ago and moved to San Diego in 2011, says three of its existing investors, Domain … Continue reading “BioNano Genomics Raises $10M from Venture Investors”
Seeing Beyond the IPO Window Dressing
In his Life Sci VC blog, Bruce Booth recently wrote “Biotech is back with a vengeance in this IPO window.” It’s an accurate snapshot of the market, but the good times he describes accrue to money and sweat equity already long in the ground. In a business with a 10- to 15-year product development cycle, … Continue reading “Seeing Beyond the IPO Window Dressing”
Telogis Obtains $93,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a066782d-5985-4764-b0b2-9095350bc587 Date 10/2/2013 Company Name Telogis Mailing Address 20 Enterprise Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 Company Description Telogis’ product portfolio consists of a comprehensive wireless fleet management solution for fleets and a robust, proprietary mapping solution for fleet management companies and other telematics OEMs, enterprise users and systems integrators. Website http://www.telogis.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Telogis Obtains $93,000,000 New Funding Round”
BioNano Genomics Receives $10,001,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e07c81d7-fbb9-4089-8762-b527c5811410 Date 10/2/2013 Company Name BioNano Genomics Mailing Address 9640 Towne Centre Drive San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description BioNano Genomics introduces an altogether better way of looking at DNA and other long biomolecules. With our revolutionary new platform, you can conduct unique studies to gain a complete picture of genome biology, … Continue reading “BioNano Genomics Receives $10,001,000 New Financing”
The Memo That Spawned Microsoft Research—Analysis and Download
Microsoft Research, the central research arm of that tech giant of the northwest, was founded in September 1991. This is the prehistory. With the recent stepping down of Rick Rashid—the head of the organization since its inception, who took a new job at Microsoft in July—I have decided to post the memo that gave birth … Continue reading “The Memo That Spawned Microsoft Research—Analysis and Download”
The Memo That Spawned Microsoft Research—and Its Lessons for Today
How many great corporate organizations were created with the words, “Once upon a time?” Not many, I’ll wager. Yet that is exactly how Microsoft Research, one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious corporate research institutions, came to life back in 1991. “Once upon a time,” former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold wrote to Bill Gates … Continue reading “The Memo That Spawned Microsoft Research—and Its Lessons for Today”
The End of Personal Computers
Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot about the idea that we are witnessing “the end of personal computers,” the “post-PC era,” or, as Microsoft would have it, the “PC-plus era.” The difference in terminology is telling, revealing the intense commercial competition and staggering financial stakes that underlie this transition. For those who have been in … Continue reading “The End of Personal Computers”
A Wild September for Wireless: Putting it in Context
A wild and wacky wireless September it was. In one of the most frenzied months in the history of nearly any tech sector, we saw the following developments dominate the headlines: Verizon bought out Vodafone’s stake in Verizon Wireless for $130 billion. In a week, this financing went from “can they do it” to being … Continue reading “A Wild September for Wireless: Putting it in Context”
Fate Therapeutics Receives $40,200,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=23a38c2e-caac-4994-b403-e80f11c34923 Date 10/1/2013 Company Name Fate Therapeutics Mailing Address 3535 General Atomics Court San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description The Fate Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FATE) platform focuses on both regenerative and reprogramming medicine. Fate’s regenerative medicine platform involves developing drugs that awaken adult stem cells in the body to repair damaged cells and … Continue reading “Fate Therapeutics Receives $40,200,000 New Financing Round”
Nirvanix, San Diego Cloud Storage Services Provider, is Shutting Down
San Diego’s Nirvanix is headed to a new state of being, but it’s not transcendent. The 15-year-old cloud storage services provider is winding down its business, according to a notice posted on the company’s website over the weekend. Nirvanix had positioned itself as an alternative to Amazon Web Services, the big gorilla in cloud storage services. … Continue reading “Nirvanix, San Diego Cloud Storage Services Provider, is Shutting Down”
San Francisco’s Vista Equity Agrees to Pay $1B for Active Network
San Francisco-based Vista Equity Partners, which is managing more than $7 billion in software-related investments, has been doing a lot of shopping in San Diego this year. After paying approximately $1 billion in May to acquire San Diego-based Websense, a public Web security company, and $800 million in August to buy San Diego-based Qualcomm’s Omnitracs … Continue reading “San Francisco’s Vista Equity Agrees to Pay $1B for Active Network”
An Xconomy Slideshow: Moving the Conversation Forward in San Diego
Since the day we were founded in Cambridge, MA, a little more than six years ago, Xconomy has held an annual reception in every city where we have established an outpost to provide business news coverage of the people and ideas that give rise to innovation. It’s our way of thanking the local tech leaders … Continue reading “An Xconomy Slideshow: Moving the Conversation Forward in San Diego”
The Pharma Bureaucracy Index: Who’s Nimble, and Who’s Sloooowww?
Bureaucracy is one of the dirty words in business. Nobody wants to publicly admit their company is bogged down with too many layers of management, or needs a dozen committees to sign off on every little decision. For a couple years now, I’ve been hearing entrepreneurs complain about suffocating bureaucracy in pharma. So I started … Continue reading “The Pharma Bureaucracy Index: Who’s Nimble, and Who’s Sloooowww?”
deviantART Lands New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=591f7695-2a0f-4fa2-bf2c-9107ca8e2946 Date 9/30/2013 Company Name deviantART Mailing Address 7095 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood, CA 90028 Company Description deviantART was created to entertain, inspire, and empower the artist in all of us. Founded in August 2000, deviantART is the largest online social network for artists and art enthusiasts with over 28 million registered members, … Continue reading “deviantART Lands New Funding Round”
MemberPlanet Secures $2,500,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e968fd8b-39c5-4d70-a0f9-c21bf6a1545f Date 9/30/2013 Company Name MemberPlanet Mailing Address 23224 Crenshaw Blvd Torrance, CA 90505 Company Description MemberPlanet is a web-based company focused around providing groups, organizations, and clubs of any industry a centralized location for its members to manage all their communication, financial, and administrative needs. Established in 2011, MemberPlanet is part … Continue reading “MemberPlanet Secures $2,500,000 Seed Funding”
San Diego Startup OvaPal Gets Angel Ovation for Ovulation Tracker
A San Diego startup that developed a wearable wireless sensor that enables a woman to track her ovulation cycle and optimize the odds of pregnancy was declared the grand-prize winner last night at the San Diego Tech Coast Angels Quick Pitch competition. As the overall winner, OvaPal co-founder and CEO Giovanna Scheidler (pictured above), also … Continue reading “San Diego Startup OvaPal Gets Angel Ovation for Ovulation Tracker”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Evoke, Halozyme, Biocept, and More
The life sciences are on a roll in San Diego, as more companies line up to go public. We have the latest on local IPOs, along with the rest of the local industry news. —Healthcare IPOs are back, according to EY’s U.S. IPO Insights Report. The quarterly report issued by the firm previously known as … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Evoke, Halozyme, Biocept, and More”
Reimagining Work: Scott Berkun’s Year Without Pants at Automattic
From my desk at Xconomy San Francisco—aka my Potrero Hill apartment—I can look out the window at Highway 280, watch the traffic that crawls into the city every morning and back out every evening, and chuckle smugly. There’s never any traffic congestion on the commute from my bed to my coffee machine to my laptop. … Continue reading “Reimagining Work: Scott Berkun’s Year Without Pants at Automattic”
Porch Garners $2,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6f43f2b3-f24d-44f9-a010-0ce6e5a7157c Date 9/27/2013 Company Name Porch Mailing Address 1251 Emerald Street San Diego, CA 92109 Company Description Porch connects homeowners and home professionals, making it easy to discover inspiring home projects, learn what any project costs, and decide on the best service professional based on who neighbors and friends have used and … Continue reading “Porch Garners $2,000,000 New Funding Round”
GreenWave Reality Garners $8,531,760 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=39d2d6d1-7a50-485e-9d83-a44df963a481 Date 9/27/2013 Company Name GreenWave Reality Mailing Address 39 Parker Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description GreenWave Reality is a global innovator in the emerging Home Energy Management market. Website http://www.greenwavereality.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,531,760 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. Not … Continue reading “GreenWave Reality Garners $8,531,760 New Financing Round”
JustFab Secures $40,000,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3103fbf3-5ddc-4b57-b1e6-c108520867a9 Date 9/27/2013 Company Name JustFab Mailing Address 2301 Rosecrans Ave El Segundo, CA 90245 Company Description At JustFab, we believe that every woman deserves to wear the same fashion-forward designs as the rich and famous regardless of her social status. Not to mention the fact that establishing an on-trend wardrobe filled … Continue reading “JustFab Secures $40,000,000 Series C Financing”
Agenda Live for Xconomy Healthcare Summit Oct. 15–Get Your Invite
Quick question: What is so important to Americans that the U.S. Congress is willing to shut the government down over it? The answer (as if you didn’t know already): healthcare. Here at Xconomy, we have long been tired of the political spin doctoring that surrounds healthcare. So we set out to convene a very exclusive, … Continue reading “Agenda Live for Xconomy Healthcare Summit Oct. 15–Get Your Invite”
Biotech CEOs Don’t Know It All. They Need Mentors
Biotech CEOs are human beings too. But somehow they are often portrayed, particularly by themselves, as herculean beings that can independently solve it all. Time for brutal honesty: every CEO relies heavily on others’ guidance regarding how the company collective can be successful. Much of this input is appropriately provided by the rest of the … Continue reading “Biotech CEOs Don’t Know It All. They Need Mentors”
3D Robotics Obtains New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ed99f686-781b-4a34-afaa-63166dadfbb4 Date 9/26/2013 Company Name 3D Robotics Mailing Address 7170 Convoy Ct. San Diego, CA 92111 Company Description The aim of this ramp-up is simple: more cool stuff and a great customer and community experience. As part of this, we’ll be launching a new 3D Robotics site/store, new product sites, manuals and … Continue reading “3D Robotics Obtains New Financing”
Burner Secures $2,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=06721c4a-ee91-4443-a687-ff2a00afbdd6 Date 9/26/2013 Company Name Burner Mailing Address 2898 Rowena Ave Los Angeles, CA 90039 Company Description Burner is an iOS application and service that enables users to obtain temporary, disposable numbers for voice and SMS communication. Fast, safe, and private, Burner lets you get as many numbers as you want, use … Continue reading “Burner Secures $2,000,000 New Financing Round”
Foundation’s IPO Isn’t Bubbly, It’s a Jolt for Genomic Diagnostics
Foundation Medicine, the Cambridge, MA-based cancer diagnostic company, reminded me of the 2000 genomics bubble when it went public this week. The company sold its IPO shares at $18, and the stock (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FMI]]) almost doubled in its first day of trading, closing at $35.35, a 96 percent increase off an already bumped-up IPO price. … Continue reading “Foundation’s IPO Isn’t Bubbly, It’s a Jolt for Genomic Diagnostics”
Janssen Introduces Mobile Health Manager to Send Med Reminders
For people who forget to take their meds—which is about half of us—Janssen Healthcare Innovation has introduced a free mobile app and Web-based platform designed to help anyone with almost any type of cell phone take their medications as prescribed. Janssen, part of New Brunswick, NJ-based Johnson & Johnson, says its Care4Today Mobile Health Manager … Continue reading “Janssen Introduces Mobile Health Manager to Send Med Reminders”
Balancing Act: How a Working Mom Built Steals.com
Working mothers are constantly struggling to strike a balance between spending time with their kids and making the most of their professional skills or supporting their families financially. Jana Francis, co-founder of Steals.com, has achieved this balance, and for her, the most rewarding part is that her employees are able to strike a balance as … Continue reading “Balancing Act: How a Working Mom Built Steals.com”
Evoke Pharma Garners $25,200,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5b10ce9a-f0c2-43e1-83dc-df31efd6f20b Date 9/25/2013 Company Name Evoke Pharma Mailing Address 12555 High Bluff Drive San Diego, CA 92130 Company Description Evoke Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVOK) is specialty pharmaceutical company focused on treatments for gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Website http://www.evokepharma.com Transaction Type IPO Transaction Amount $25,200,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes are on … Continue reading “Evoke Pharma Garners $25,200,000 New Financing”
Aiming for Chartbuster, Germany’s BASF Acquires San Diego’s Verenium
San Diego-based Verenium (Nasdaq: [[ticker:VRNM]]), created in 2007 with the merger of Cambridge, MA-based Celunol and San Diego-based Diversa, had all the makings of a country-western song. Diversa was a rambler, and gathered enzymes from the farthest corners of the world. Celunol was an Ivy League moonshiner. They got married—changed their name to Verenium—but times … Continue reading “Aiming for Chartbuster, Germany’s BASF Acquires San Diego’s Verenium”
PatientSafe Solutions Garners Series C Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0bef26d3-4c31-4c69-be00-c25d30c913ed Date 9/24/2013 Company Name PatientSafe Solutions Mailing Address 5375 Mira Sorrento Place San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description We believe nurses are the center of the care system. They’re the healthcare professionals who patients spend the most time with once they’re admitted, and who make sure the care continues when they’re … Continue reading “PatientSafe Solutions Garners Series C Round”
Apmetrix Receives Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=053614da-9d8f-4f86-ae34-e17a99dd3221 Date 9/24/2013 Company Name Apmetrix Mailing Address 5414 Oberlin Dr San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description We strongly believe that providing developers with the tools to learn from and listen to their customers ultimately allows companies of all sizes to not only fine tune their game or app, but ultimately make … Continue reading “Apmetrix Receives Seed Funding”
San Diego’s Connect Begins Search for New Innovation Leader
Connect, the San Diego nonprofit supporting local innovation and entrepreneurship, has hired an executive search firm to help the organization recruit a new leader following the death of Connect CEO Duane Roth. Roth, who led Connect for nearly nine years, suffered a traumatic head injury in a July 21 bicycling accident in the mountains east … Continue reading “San Diego’s Connect Begins Search for New Innovation Leader”
The Best Biotech Graduate Schools in Real Life
[Updated 2 pm ET 9/30] Let’s imagine, for a second, you are someone in your 20s or 30s, getting started in the biotech industry. You want to work somewhere you can acquire a well-rounded set of experiences over the next five to 10 years so that you will have what it takes to be qualified … Continue reading “The Best Biotech Graduate Schools in Real Life”
Estimote Receives Seed Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=82cc52c3-851c-485d-b378-a5d0d0a46b16 Date 9/23/2013 Company Name Estimote Mailing Address 340S Lemon Ave Walnut, CA 91789 Company Description Estimote, Inc. is a technology start-up building a sensor-based analytics and engagement platform. We develop what we like to call an operating system for physical locations — one that will change how people run businesses in … Continue reading “Estimote Receives Seed Financing Round”
Indi Molecular Lands $1,500,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e960116c-460e-4094-a920-93dc14cc1f99 Date 9/21/2013 Company Name Indi Molecular Mailing Address 6162 Bristol Parkway Culver City, CA 90230 Company Description Indi Molecular is an emerging life sciences company that is developing a synthetic class of diagnostic and therapeutic agents with antibody-like properties: protein-catalyzed capture agents. Website http://www.indimolecular.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 … Continue reading “Indi Molecular Lands $1,500,000 Seed Funding”
10 Ways to Live Longer, Without Help from Google
With a simple blog post or news exclusive, Google can instantly glamorize any field of research, whether it’s teaching cars to drive themselves, sending robotic rovers to the Moon, blanketing Earth with wireless data from balloons, or—this week—helping people live longer. The airiest of promises from the company evokes the world’s awe and admiration, and … Continue reading “10 Ways to Live Longer, Without Help from Google”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Ex-CEO Shoots Two, OncoSec, & More
[Updated 9/21/13 8 pm. See below.] It was a quiet week for life sciences news in San Diego, except for a shooting spree in La Jolla that wounded two people, including a prominent UC San Diego cancer scientist. Here’s my rundown. —[Updated to show statement by Petersen about Traversa IP is in dispute] Hans Petersen, who … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Ex-CEO Shoots Two, OncoSec, & More”
BookingPal Receives $1,500,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e9085798-7389-468f-b36f-8e73add9a42a Date 9/20/2013 Company Name BookingPal Mailing Address Undisclosed Irvine, CA 92610 Company Description BookingPal is a cloud based global distribution system intended for use in the vacation rental, independent car rental, campground and RV property rental markets. The Booking Pal platform takes the inventory from your software and distributes it to … Continue reading “BookingPal Receives $1,500,000 Seed Funding”
Healthcare Megatrends, Part 1: Shifting Risk
While debates continue on the pros and cons of health reform, one fact remains: the marketplace is changing. There has been approximately $1 trillion in health care M+A activity since 2008. Payers are becoming providers, providers are becoming payers and placing insurance products on the exchanges, benefit consultants are creating exchanges, payers are looking increasingly … Continue reading “Healthcare Megatrends, Part 1: Shifting Risk”
Total Transit Acquires San Diego Mobile App Developer GoFastCab
Total Transit, a Glendale, AZ-based transportation company and taxi cab operator, has acquired GoFastCab, a five-year-old San Diego startup that had developed mobile apps that enable smartphone users to get a taxi immediately or to schedule a future pickup. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. GoFastCab founders Josh Komenda and Jeremy Schrage, who … Continue reading “Total Transit Acquires San Diego Mobile App Developer GoFastCab”
How Much Is Your Startup Worth?
Join Trinet CEO Burton M. Goldfield and JMI Equity’s Robbie Lim for a dialog about startup valuation. While there’s no exact way to determine valuation, CommNexus is hosting this discussion to identify and explain the factors that investors and VCs analyze. You might find a few surprising elements come into consideration. More information and online … Continue reading “How Much Is Your Startup Worth?”
eSolar Lands New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e8f95fb2-c427-479b-b119-df7e39363508 Date 9/18/2013 Company Name eSolar Mailing Address 3355 W. Empire Ave. Burbank, CA 91504 Company Description eSolar is an Idealab company founded by CEO Asif Ansari in 2007 to develop, construct and deploy modular, scalable solar thermal power plants. Website http://www.esolar.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “eSolar Lands New Round”
CA Lawmakers Punt Decision on Startup Tax to Governor
California Governor Jerry Brown will now have the final say on whether small-business investors will be fully—or just partially—spared from the brunt of retroactive tax increases going back to 2008. Unable to come down on one side of the issue or the other, California legislators chose both, approving two conflicting bills last week and leaving … Continue reading “CA Lawmakers Punt Decision on Startup Tax to Governor”
Cool Planet Energy Systems Receives $19,400,000 Series D Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f02665e1-668d-4449-a6e8-fab7f372b0b4 Date 9/17/2013 Company Name Cool Planet Energy Systems Mailing Address 460 Calle San Pablo Camarillo, CA 93012 Company Description Cool Planet has developed a patented process that converts non-food biomass into gasoline through mechanical and chemical processes. Our process, known as the carbon negative fuel cycle creates drop-in gasoline and can … Continue reading “Cool Planet Energy Systems Receives $19,400,000 Series D Financing”
CyberHive San Diego: Securing the Smart Grid and Internet of Things
CyberHive San Diego is bringing together 200 thought leaders in Big Data, Internet of Things, Machine-to-Machine communications, privacy, and security. Daniel Obodovski, co-author The Silent Intelligence—The Internet of Things, is scheduled to give a keynote presentation. Suggested Donation: $20. Registration at the door begins at 3 pm, and a post-conference reception with live band begins … Continue reading “CyberHive San Diego: Securing the Smart Grid and Internet of Things”
Don’t Be Naïve: 7 Things to Know Before Taking a Biotech Startup Job
You’ve spent years working hard to hone your skills in science, medicine, or business. You’ve accomplished things, and you have the talent and desire to do more. You may be bored, or stuck at a dead end job in academia, Big Biotech, or Big Pharma. You are intrigued by a job posting you just saw … Continue reading “Don’t Be Naïve: 7 Things to Know Before Taking a Biotech Startup Job”
Do VCs Add Value?
Vinod Khosla’s recent comment during an interview with Michael Arrington that 95 percent of VCs don’t add value (and that 70-80 percent might actually add negative value in their advising) got me thinking about the underlying dynamics of the question. I agree with Khosla that a surprisingly large portion of VCs add little value, but … Continue reading “Do VCs Add Value?”
Mentoring Startups is Hard: Five Ways to Be a Better Mentor
Mentoring has become a more significant part of the economy today than since, perhaps, apprenticeships in the Craftsman Age. Why? The rise of entrepreneurship and our expanding freelance economy are driving massive transformation, and workers are increasingly required to find their own means of making a living. During the Industrial age, most labor was focused … Continue reading “Mentoring Startups is Hard: Five Ways to Be a Better Mentor”