Category: Seattle

One Giant Leap for Human Genomics Science and Business

[Editor’s Note: This post was co-authored by Becky Drees, Mark Minie, and Richard Gayle.] Several months back Spiral Genetics CEO Adina Mangubat lamented the difficulty of getting actionable information from now-abundant human DNA sequence data in an Xconomy post (“First Comes The $1,000 genome, Then Comes The $10,000 Analysis”.  With the simultaneous publication of over … Continue reading “One Giant Leap for Human Genomics Science and Business”

Reklaim Technologies Garners $4,251,946 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6cce1d13-f538-4d5a-8501-eb75d24977fc&Preview=1 Date 9/26/2012 Company Name Reklaim Technologies Mailing Address 3401 Fremont Avenue N. Seattle, WA 98103 Company Description The current method of disposing of a tire wastes valuable energy, resources, and pollutes the environment. Tires take centuries to decompose in a landfill. Burning them releases harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Many … Continue reading “Reklaim Technologies Garners $4,251,946 New Funding Round”

Attachmate Moves HQ, PopCap Closes Dublin Office

We’ve got a pair of updates on Seattle tech companies reshuffling their offices—one moving to a new space, and another shutting down an overseas office. —Attachmate, a Seattle software icon, is relocating its headquarters from the west side of Lake Union to the Union Station complex, nestled between the International District and the Seahawks and … Continue reading “Attachmate Moves HQ, PopCap Closes Dublin Office”

Genomes-R-Us: Is BGI now Complete?

The sad endgame in the acquisition of Complete Genomics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GNOM]]) came last week: having failed to create a sustainable business, CGI was put up for sale in June of this year, culminating in a takeover by sequencing powerhouse BGI for $117.6 million in cash plus $30 million in bridge financing. Behind that headline is … Continue reading “Genomes-R-Us: Is BGI now Complete?”

Boris Wertz & Version One Ventures: The NW’s Newest Early Stage VC

Boris Wertz’s career as an entrepreneur blossomed at an unbelievably exciting time for technology startups: 1999, the height of the first tech bubble, when it felt like the world-connecting power of the Internet was about to revolutionize every business on the planet. The company itself, he says, was a little more pedestrian. “It was a … Continue reading “Boris Wertz & Version One Ventures: The NW’s Newest Early Stage VC”

Intellectual Ventures Settles Lawsuits with Asian Memory Companies

Intellectual Ventures, the controversial patent-licensing company founded by former Microsoft technology chief Nathan Myhrvold, has settled a high-profile legal dispute with a pair of Asian memory manufacturers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it seems likely that Intellectual Ventures was able to secure licensing payments from South Korea-based SK hynix and Japan-based Elpida Memory—that’s … Continue reading “Intellectual Ventures Settles Lawsuits with Asian Memory Companies”

We Have To Do Better on TB, In King County and High-Burden Countries

[Editor’s Note: This editorial was co-authored by Jim Connolly, president and CEO of Rockville, MD-based Aeras] Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is more prevalent than experts realized and continues to infect new victims, according to a recent study in The Lancet. Even in the best health care settings, these tuberculosis strains are incredibly difficult to cure, … Continue reading “We Have To Do Better on TB, In King County and High-Burden Countries”

Who Should Life Science Pros Follow on Twitter?

[Updated: 6:45 pm ET] Last week, I made a case that Twitter has begun to come of age in biotech, and it’s now a must-read source of real-time industry news and information. But one helpful reader (on Twitter, of course) pointed out something was missing in that column: a list of people in the biotech … Continue reading “Who Should Life Science Pros Follow on Twitter?”

SmartSheet.com Secures $999,999 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6c0b6987-b821-4252-b194-3d7cfda52a73&Preview=1 Date 9/24/2012 Company Name SmartSheet.com Mailing Address 10500 NE 8th St Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description Smartsheet.com is a privately-held Software as a Service (SaaS) provider based in Bellevue, Washington (USA). Incorporated in 2005, the company launched its Smartsheet.com service in August of 2006. Since that time, thousands of users throughout … Continue reading “SmartSheet.com Secures $999,999 New Round”

Navigating Cancer Receives $2,250,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0b78aac1-1026-4b29-b839-fc095910aa90&Preview=1 Date 9/24/2012 Company Name Navigating Cancer Mailing Address 6 Nickerson Street Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description We understand how overwhelming a cancer diagnosis can be. Navigating Cancer will help you take control of your journey by bringing together powerful tools, relevant cancer resources, and a supportive community — all free and … Continue reading “Navigating Cancer Receives $2,250,000 New Funding”

WellnessFX Offers Insights—But Are Americans Ready to Be Healthy?

“It says here you drink four or more cups of coffee a day. Do you feel like you really need that much?” Yes. Yes, I do, thank you very much. I’m on the phone with a doctor in Sacramento. He’s looking at the results of the blood-chemistry tests I recently commissioned through WellnessFX, along with … Continue reading “WellnessFX Offers Insights—But Are Americans Ready to Be Healthy?”

Can Microsoft Convince People to Subscribe to Software?

On the verge of what Steve Ballmer says will be a momentous year for his company, Microsoft is about to conduct a massive social experiment to see whether people are willing to pay yearly fees for basic software programs. If it works, the company will have built a stable, lucrative new way of raking in … Continue reading “Can Microsoft Convince People to Subscribe to Software?”

UW Spinoff Cardiac Insight Gets New CEO, Gears Up for FDA Push

Cardiac Insight got its start with a scientist at the University of Washington. Then it needed an experienced engineer/entrepreneur to put together a medical device that was good enough to put on the market. Now it’s turning to the guy who it hopes will end up selling the company for a big return. Bellevue, WA-based … Continue reading “UW Spinoff Cardiac Insight Gets New CEO, Gears Up for FDA Push”

Innovative Pulmonary Pockets $10.6M, Finds New CEO

Innovative Pulmonary Solutions, a stealthy Bellevue, WA-based medical device startup, has raised more than $10 million in venture capital and recruited a new CEO with experience selling a couple of other startups, Xconomy has learned. The company is planning to announce today that it closed a Series B equity financing in March worth $10.6 million, … Continue reading “Innovative Pulmonary Pockets $10.6M, Finds New CEO”

Join Cliff Stocks, Pat Gray, Mike Gallatin & More Nov. 27 for ‘The Icos Impact’

Icos was once the great hope for Seattle biotech. Founded in 1990 with investment from Bill Gates and inspirational leadership from George Rathmann, it went on over the next 15 years to assemble a team of 700 employees and create a $1 billion molecule. But as anyone in business more than a few years knows, … Continue reading “Join Cliff Stocks, Pat Gray, Mike Gallatin & More Nov. 27 for ‘The Icos Impact’”

Corporate Venture Activity Rebounds After Slump in Deals and Dollars

Corporate venture capital investments started strong and stayed high during the second quarter, with $2.1 billion invested in innovative startups throughout the United States during the three months that ended in June, according to a survey released today. That’s a 16 percent gain over the $1.8 billion that corporate VCs invested during the same quarter … Continue reading “Corporate Venture Activity Rebounds After Slump in Deals and Dollars”

Justin.tv Secures $15,209,994 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=28596a05-644f-4dda-8675-6df5b68b3b39&Preview=1 Date 9/20/2012 Company Name Justin.tv Mailing Address 1424 East Ward St. Seattle, WA 98112 Company Description Justin.tv’s video portal provides a unique and easy way to browse live video streams featuring interesting people, places, and events from around the world. We have created one of the coolest ways to quickly find … Continue reading “Justin.tv Secures $15,209,994 New Financing Round”

Mobilisafe: Security Questions as Kindle Fire Pops Up in Workplace

The tech world is in the middle of a new device explosion, as manufacturers and retailers prepare for the crucial holiday sales season. And once people start firing up those new gadgets, it’ll set off a new round of security headaches back at the office. That’s because employees are increasingly using their own smartphones and … Continue reading “Mobilisafe: Security Questions as Kindle Fire Pops Up in Workplace”

Audio: Amazon, Microsoft, and the Mobile Wars on KUOW

The Seattle area is now home to the two big tech companies with a realistic shot at breaking up the Apple/Android duopoly in mobile computing: Amazon in tablets, and Microsoft in smartphones. In a recent story, I laid out why I thought Amazon’s job was a bit easier than Microsoft’s, and why the e-commerce company’s … Continue reading “Audio: Amazon, Microsoft, and the Mobile Wars on KUOW”

Ensuring TPP Doesn’t Derail Innovation

From e-commerce and the iPad to new medical devices and cutting edge manufacturing breakthroughs, American innovation has been on hyper drive over the last decade and has dynamically altered the ways in which we work and live in today’s modern economy. Yet, now there are questions as to whether the United States will continue to … Continue reading “Ensuring TPP Doesn’t Derail Innovation”

Familiar Garners $1,300,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=779e9fed-e00e-4e01-a575-28868d494c06&Preview=1 Date 9/19/2012 Company Name Familiar Mailing Address 117 E. Louisa St Seattle, WA 98102 Company Description A fast-growing new app, Familiar offers friends and family a simple, seamless way to view photos. Familiar makes it easy to stay privately connected with loved ones all over the world through any easy, instant … Continue reading “Familiar Garners $1,300,000 Seed Funding Round”

Tech Tidbits: New Google Guy, Amazon & Taxes, GameHouse & Kindle

A few bits of news involving Seattle-area tech companies and startup organizations to get you up to speed as the week continues: —There’s a new site director at Google’s Kirkland, WA office. Brier Dudley reports in The Seattle Times that the new head honcho is Chee Chew, 42, a user interface expert and MIT graduate … Continue reading “Tech Tidbits: New Google Guy, Amazon & Taxes, GameHouse & Kindle”

Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer on Surface, Phones—and No More Yelling

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is dropping some more hints about what it hopes to accomplish with the Surface tablet and new Windows phones, and the company’s sales strategy to compete with Apple this holiday season. It’s mostly what you’d expect, and what others have already asserted. But there are some glimmers that Ballmer at least … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer on Surface, Phones—and No More Yelling”

Biotech Begins to Come of Age on Twitter

Two years ago, most everybody in biotech had heard of Twitter but most people were looking for reasons to ignore it. A year ago, people in the industry began realizing that even though they’re busy, it’s not a fad, and maybe they should see what the fuss was about. Now we’re just beginning to see … Continue reading “Biotech Begins to Come of Age on Twitter”

WebTuner Garners $7,403,300 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d101fad9-deb0-4a36-b8ce-ec646d5aa001&Preview=1 Date 9/15/2012 Company Name WebTuner Mailing Address 11121 Willows Rd. NE Redmond, WA 98052 Company Description WebTuner supplies software infrastructure for the next generation video distribution networks. Website http://www.webtuner.tv Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,403,300 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed

Seattle Fundraising Notes: Airbiquity, WebTuner, Lockerz

Before you head off for one of the last good weekends of summer, here are a few tidbits of fundraising action culled from the week’s filings with the SEC. They’re pretty light on the details, but worth noting. —Seattle connected-car software provider Airbiquity has raised about $10.4 million in an equity offering that could grow to … Continue reading “Seattle Fundraising Notes: Airbiquity, WebTuner, Lockerz”

‘The Next 50’ Pacific Northwest Innovation Forum

The Pacific Northwest Economic Region and Washington Economic Development Commission are hosting a Pacific Northwest Innovation Summit in Seattle Sept. 17-19th as part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Seattle World’s Fair. The summit brings together an invited group of business, government and academic leaders to leverage innovation assets and collaborative efforts between states and provinces of the Pacific Northwest … Continue reading “‘The Next 50’ Pacific Northwest Innovation Forum”

Zillow Sues IPO-Seeking Rival Trulia Over Home-Estimate Patent

Online real estate service Zillow is stepping up its competitive attack on San Francisco-based rival Trulia, filing a patent infringement lawsuit just as the smaller company prepares for its IPO. Specifically, Zillow (NASDAQ: [[ticker:Z]]) says Trulia is copying its patented system of letting web users add information to automatic property value estimates—a feature that Zillow … Continue reading “Zillow Sues IPO-Seeking Rival Trulia Over Home-Estimate Patent”

Xconomist of the Week: Sean MacLeod Says Stop Trying to Be SF

One of the most popular parlor games in Seattle, and every other city that isn’t in the center of the technology universe, starts with people asking themselves this: How can we become more like the San Francisco Bay Area? Sean MacLeod, president of Seattle’s Stratos Product Development and one of our Xconomists, says he’s heard … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Sean MacLeod Says Stop Trying to Be SF”

Airbiquity Lands $10,419,873 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=66d5cd57-2428-4d89-adb9-311324aa7c64&Preview=1 Date 9/13/2012 Company Name Airbiquity Mailing Address 1011 Western Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Airbiquity provides reliable and cost-effective data transport solutions to the Telematics and M2M markets. Our unique patented aqLink technology leverages existing digital cellular networks to send data over the voice channel. Website http://www.airbiquity.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Airbiquity Lands $10,419,873 New Round”

Cardiac Dimensions Garners $5,815,270 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0f768f1e-32a1-404d-a857-fb30ca61f7cf&Preview=1 Date 9/13/2012 Company Name Cardiac Dimensions Mailing Address 5540 Lake Washington Blvd. Kirkland, WA 98033 Company Description Cardiac Dimensions, Inc. is a medical device company developing novel interventional tools for the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) and related conditions. Website http://www.cardiacdimensions.com Transaction Type Debt, Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,815,270 Transaction … Continue reading “Cardiac Dimensions Garners $5,815,270 New Funding Round”

Cardiac Dimensions Garners $5,815,270 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0f768f1e-32a1-404d-a857-fb30ca61f7cf&Preview=1 Date 9/13/2012 Company Name Cardiac Dimensions Mailing Address 5540 Lake Washington Blvd. Kirkland, WA 98033 Company Description Cardiac Dimensions, Inc. is a medical device company developing novel interventional tools for the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) and related conditions. Website http://www.cardiacdimensions.com Transaction Type Debt, Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,815,270 Transaction … Continue reading “Cardiac Dimensions Garners $5,815,270 New Round”

Lockerz Secures $675,120 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3ae60905-7f77-4567-b7b8-95f04e0d1b2c&Preview=1 Date 9/13/2012 Company Name Lockerz Mailing Address 100 S. King St. Sixth Floor Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Lockerz’ mission is to be the homepage for men and women ages 13 to 30, building a community of trendsetters and tastemakers who love to shop, play and connect on the Web. As … Continue reading “Lockerz Secures $675,120 New Funding”

Cardiac Dimensions Nabs $5.8M for Heart Failure Device

[Updated: 10:20 am 9/13/12] Cardiac Dimensions has pulled in another round of financing as it looks to sell its first marketable product in Europe. The Kirkland, WA-based company has raised $5.8 million in a combination of equity, debt, and warrants to buy more shares from a group of 17 investors, according to a filing with the … Continue reading “Cardiac Dimensions Nabs $5.8M for Heart Failure Device”

WTIA TechNW: North to Innovation

The Washington Technology Industry Association’s TechNW conference is a meeting of the brightest minds and most innovative technology companies in the Northwest. It’s the region’s high-profile, must-attend forum for learning, business development and strategic networking. Featured speakers include Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff, Draper Fisher Jurvetson partner Bill Bryant, Big Fish Games founder and CEO Paul … Continue reading “WTIA TechNW: North to Innovation”

As Apple Steals the Show, 4 Things to Remember About Amazon’s Kindle

The technology industry is in full rapture mode today as it awaits Apple’s latest product unveiling. And if you think too much is made of the company’s announcements, just recall how furiously all of the other technology giants worked to get their news out ahead of the big bomb from Cupertino. For the Seattle area, … Continue reading “As Apple Steals the Show, 4 Things to Remember About Amazon’s Kindle”

More Details from Fledge’s First Class of “Conscious” Companies

The first time I wrote about Fledge, the new Seattle-based “social enterprise” incubator program, I had to make educated guesses about a few of the startups involved. Fledge’s director, Michael “Luni” Libes, politely let me know that some of those guesses weren’t exactly on the mark. But hey, you have to try. Some of these … Continue reading “More Details from Fledge’s First Class of “Conscious” Companies”

Calico Energy Services Obtains $2,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fda478a5-e3ca-4c56-b233-c1dd84737899&Preview=1 Date 9/11/2012 Company Name Calico Energy Services Mailing Address 777 – 108th Avenue NE Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description Calico Energy Services was founded in 2009 by a group of seasoned energy, enterprise software, and business automation professionals. From the Company’s inception, our vision has been to redefine the way the … Continue reading “Calico Energy Services Obtains $2,000,000 New Round”

U.S. CTO Todd Park Out to Spur Entrepreneurship With Data “Jujitsu”

The chief technology officer of a company can have a wide range of responsibilities—from overseeing development of innovative new products to making sure servers stay up. But what about the chief technology officer of the United States of America? The position is barely three years old, created by President Obama in 2009, and is evolving … Continue reading “U.S. CTO Todd Park Out to Spur Entrepreneurship With Data “Jujitsu””

Disk Space as Currency: Symform Aims to Leap Ahead in Cloud Storage

Data centers are so 20th century. That’s the idea, anyway, at Symform, a Seattle data-storage startup that uses extra space on its customers’ hard drives to create a virtual data center online. The company was started by a pair of ex-Microsofties, and last year hired former DocuSign CEO Matthew Schiltz to handle the next stage … Continue reading “Disk Space as Currency: Symform Aims to Leap Ahead in Cloud Storage”

The FDA Turns Friendly Toward Pharma in 2012

The FDA, for most of the past 10 years, was the regulatory agency that many people in biotech and pharma loved to hate. Critics have long complained about bureaucratic foot-dragging, byzantine organization, poor communication, excessive aversion to risk, and arbitrary decisions around whether to approve new drugs for sale in the U.S. But FDA bashers, … Continue reading “The FDA Turns Friendly Toward Pharma in 2012”

The End of Meat. And Driving. And Football.

Americans are great at giving up things—in emergencies, anyway. Under World War II rationing plans, U.S. citizens cut way back on their use of gasoline, nylon stockings, coffee, sugar, and everything made of steel or rubber. In the 1970s, in response to the Middle East oil embargoes, the federal government imposed odd-even gasoline rationing in … Continue reading “The End of Meat. And Driving. And Football.”

RealNetworks Separates Games, RealPlayer, SaaS Units

The plan to resurrect RealNetworks continues. In a filing with federal regulators, the Seattle company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]) says it will now operate three of its divisions as separate business units, a move that could set any of those branches up for a spin-off. The change affects the company’s RealPlayer media streaming business, its software-as-a-service arm, … Continue reading “RealNetworks Separates Games, RealPlayer, SaaS Units”

Why Amazon Can Win in Mobile, While Microsoft Sputters

In the span of two days, the Seattle region’s two cornerstone technology companies showed why they’re the most credible challengers to the current duopoly in mobile computing. And it’s pretty clear that only one has a chance to succeed. First up was Microsoft, which presented (via its desperate partner Nokia) an innovative, interesting-looking pair of … Continue reading “Why Amazon Can Win in Mobile, While Microsoft Sputters”

Sarepta Moves From Seattle to Boston for the Talent

Just when it looked like Seattle might be getting another emerging biotech company in Sarepta Therapeutics, it has picked up and moved East. Sarepta (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRPT]]), the company formerly known as AVI Biopharma, has moved its headquarters from Bothell, WA, to Cambridge, MA, CEO Chris Garabedian said yesterday in a phone interview. The company currently … Continue reading “Sarepta Moves From Seattle to Boston for the Talent”

Ratify Secures $2,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2e56bece-7ff4-4420-bdbf-875d49990490&Preview=1 Date 9/7/2012 Company Name Ratify Mailing Address 10800 NE 8th Street Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description Ratify, Inc. was founded by former Microsoft executives and a team that knows software (licensing in particular) intimately, in order to deliver a better solution to the problem facing all companies today – how to … Continue reading “Ratify Secures $2,000,000 New Funding Round”