Category: Seattle

Pablos Holman of IV on Breaking and Building New Technologies: Science & Technology Discovery Series

Pablos Holman, an inventor at Intellectual Ventures, will be the first speaker of the fall season at the Technology Alliance’s annual Science & Technology Discovery Series breakfast talks. Holman is described by the Tech Alliance as “a hacker, futurist, IT security expert, and inventor.” For more information on how to register for the annual breakfast series, … Continue reading “Pablos Holman of IV on Breaking and Building New Technologies: Science & Technology Discovery Series”

Amid Talk of Bubble, Xconomy Incubator Guide Grows to 121 Listings

After we put out the 2011 Xconomy Guide to Venture Incubators, my colleague Wade wrote a Friday column entitled “There Is an Incubator Bubble—And It Will Pop.” That particular guide listed 64 startup incubator programs, up from 34 in 2010, and 20 in our first guide in 2009. Wade concluded his column with the admonition: … Continue reading “Amid Talk of Bubble, Xconomy Incubator Guide Grows to 121 Listings”

Zymeworks Hits Antibody Drug Milestone For Merck, Raises $11M

One year ago, Zymeworks was a little company that hardly anybody in the U.S. biotech or pharmaceutical industry had ever heard of. Then it formed a collaboration worth as much as $187 million with Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]). Suddenly, it seemed to Zymeworks CEO Ali Tehrani like everybody in the pharma industry wanted to hear about … Continue reading “Zymeworks Hits Antibody Drug Milestone For Merck, Raises $11M”

Inovise Medical Lands $449,512 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=67132115-3279-4fc2-8c5f-4d0c1f3e8a9d&Preview=1 Date 9/6/2012 Company Name Inovise Medical Mailing Address 8770 SW Nimbus Avenue Beaverton, OR 97008 Company Description Inovise Medical Inc. is pioneering diagnostic medical technology that is shaping cardiac care worldwide. Website http://www.inovise.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $449,512 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Inovise Medical Lands $449,512 New Round”

Act-On Software Receives $16,000,000 Series D Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=677963a5-c435-4d44-977e-d182f82e3d49&Preview=1 Date 9/6/2012 Company Name Act-On Software Mailing Address 8405 Nimbus Ave Beaverton, OR 97008 Company Description We provide a next-generation communication and collaboration service that transforms business e-mail into a true 24/7 prospect and customer interaction service. Website http://www.actonsoftware.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $16,000,000 Transaction Round Series D Proceeds … Continue reading “Act-On Software Receives $16,000,000 Series D Financing Round”

SweetLabs Offers an Option for PCs in Desperate Need of a Makeover

As a startup aiming to disrupt the personal computing continuum, San Diego’s SweetLabs represents an intriguing challenge to the Microsoft juggernaut. With the new Windows 8 operating system scheduled for general availability next month, SweetLabs recently completed beta testing its Pokki technology for the desktop PC, saying Pokki now has more than 1 million monthly … Continue reading “SweetLabs Offers an Option for PCs in Desperate Need of a Makeover”

Nokia & Microsoft: Features Alone Can’t Win the Smartphone War

After a long debut party in New York, the latest best chance for Nokia and Microsoft to make a dent in the smartphone market is finally upon us. From afar, the list of features and ideas packed into the two new Nokia phones looked pretty impressive. In a world of iPhone clones, Windows Phone remains … Continue reading “Nokia & Microsoft: Features Alone Can’t Win the Smartphone War”

Zillow Raising $130M Through Secondary Share Sale

Online real estate service-provider Zillow, the most recent Seattle-area tech company to hit the public stock market, is seeking to raise round $130 million by selling off nearly 3.2 million common shares. Several insiders, including co-founders Lloyd Frink and Rich Barton, also are cashing out some Zillow stock. That’s a much bigger haul than the … Continue reading “Zillow Raising $130M Through Secondary Share Sale”

One Year after Being Acquired, Hipcricket at Core of Augme’s Strategy

There can be a lot of noise in the advertising scene in New York, which overflows with players scrambling for dominance—especially on the mobile front. Mobile marketing and advertising services company Hipcricket, a transplant from the Seattle area, continues to grow in spite of mounting competition. Hipcricket barged into this crowded landscape one year ago … Continue reading “One Year after Being Acquired, Hipcricket at Core of Augme’s Strategy”

Would Longer Drug Patents Really Lead to Lower Drug Prices?

Imagine needing a drug to save your life, finding one that is likely to work, and then realizing you can’t afford it. This was the ironic situation that recently confronted a research physician who was diagnosed with leukemia, the very disease he had devoted his life to studying. Fortunately, the doctor’s friends raised the money … Continue reading “Would Longer Drug Patents Really Lead to Lower Drug Prices?”

Korrio Adds $4.6M to Expand Youth Sports Sites

Korrio, the Seattle-based startup that offers websites to help grownups organize youth sports leagues, has raised another $4.6 million from existing investors. That brings the total venture investment in the company to nearly $8 million. Korrio, founded in 2009, offers an online service corrals game and practice updates, and can also handle team registration, payments, and … Continue reading “Korrio Adds $4.6M to Expand Youth Sports Sites”

Fearless Football and Biotech Picks For Fall 2012

Football season starts this week, which means a few things to me. Summer vacation season is over, people’s batteries should be recharged, and it’s time to start fresh at work and school. This is also the time of year I look for lessons and storylines from America’s most popular spectator sport for ways to liven … Continue reading “Fearless Football and Biotech Picks For Fall 2012”

Pirq Lands $1,200,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=587663e5-b2cc-4abe-92ef-98d0c963d1cc&Preview=1 Date 9/4/2012 Company Name Pirq Mailing Address 811 Kirkland Ave Kirkland, WA 98033 Company Description Pirq is a dynamic new company, with a proven, sustainable business model, created to solve the problems, for both businesses and consumers, brought on by the “one-time daily deal” maze and craze. Website http://www.pirq.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Pirq Lands $1,200,000 New Financing”

Korrio Garners $4,685,753 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cb568533-1438-4fde-8964-a96d4dffef2c&Preview=1 Date 9/4/2012 Company Name Korrio Mailing Address 1943 1st Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98134 Company Description The company is using web technology to organize and automate youth sports information and registration. Website http://www.korrio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,685,753 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Korrio Garners $4,685,753 New Funding”

Phones on Flights: The New Mobile Madness

Earlier this week I was in seat 27D on an American Airlines 737 flying from Dallas-Fort Worth to San Francisco. We were descending into SFO on the final leg of the flight when I glanced across the aisle and was surprised to see that the people in 27B and 27C—an older gentleman and a young … Continue reading “Phones on Flights: The New Mobile Madness”

VLST Scoops Up Antibody for Cancer From Pfizer

Biopharmaceutical companies, sooner or later, must get drug candidates moving through clinical trials where most of the value gets created for investors. VLST has spent eight long years working to get to that point, and now it has its first product ready to roll in tests of human beings. The Seattle-based biotech company is announcing … Continue reading “VLST Scoops Up Antibody for Cancer From Pfizer”

Amazon’s Fuzzy Math: Stop Encouraging Them

Amazon is ramping up its marketing push for a big product announcement right after Labor Day weekend, which will surely be a new Kindle Fire tablet and perhaps additional e-ink Kindle readers. And since we’re talking about Amazon, that means it’s time for another round of handcrafted statistics meant to convey huge sales numbers. Unfortunately, most … Continue reading “Amazon’s Fuzzy Math: Stop Encouraging Them”

I’m Moving to Boston–But My Brain is Staying in Seattle

It’s been a thrilling, challenging, and rewarding experience covering the technology innovation scene in the Seattle area these past 18 months, meeting all of the brilliant people (and maybe a few dodgy characters) who make this a supremely interesting part of the world. Starting in September, I’ll be doing the job from a new location: … Continue reading “I’m Moving to Boston–But My Brain is Staying in Seattle”

Why Yammer Said Yes to Microsoft: Q&A with Co-founder David Sacks

I’ve been meaning to catch up with David Sacks, the co-founder and CEO of Yammer, for a while now, and we actually had a meeting on the books for June 6 at the company’s SoMa headquarters. That meeting got canceled, for reasons that went totally unexplained at the time. But it turns out that the … Continue reading “Why Yammer Said Yes to Microsoft: Q&A with Co-founder David Sacks”

Matrix Genetics Garners New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=793285d9-d096-4bc5-b5b5-fb2edc724b2a&Preview=1 Date 8/30/2012 Company Name Matrix Genetics Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Matrix Genetics, LLC (“Matrix”), located in Seattle, Wash. is a biotechnology company focused on producing renewable fuel and specialty chemicals derived from cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). The company’s state-of-the-art, metabolic engineering and systems biology platform is the most … Continue reading “Matrix Genetics Garners New Funding Round”

Microsoft’s Sneak-Attack on Apple: SkyDrive, Xbox Live Show the Way

Microsoft won’t compete with Apple by going head-to-head in the hardware business. But the software pioneer could still climb back into the fight by offering connected software services that work on every platform—including Apple’s. That’s the read from Charlie Kindel, a Seattle-area entrepreneur and angel investor who spent some 20 years at Microsoft. In a … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Sneak-Attack on Apple: SkyDrive, Xbox Live Show the Way”

Matrix Genetics Snags Investment from Avista for Algae Biofuel

Matrix Genetics is pursuing the dream of turning algae into the workhorses of oil production, and now it has gotten some financing to go after it. The Seattle-based startup, led by Margaret McCormick, said today it has secured an investment from Avista Development, the venture arm of Spokane, WA-based energy company Avista (NYSE: [[ticker:AVA]]). The … Continue reading “Matrix Genetics Snags Investment from Avista for Algae Biofuel”

Xconomist of the Week: Josh Linkner On Detroit “Getting Back Its Mojo”

Detroit Venture Partners CEO and managing partner Josh Linkner, with his success as a serial entrepreneur, venture fund backed by Quicken Loans founder and chairman Dan Gilbert, and unwavering commitment to nurturing Motor City startups, has become an icon of the city’s revitalization. He’s the kind of guy other investors all over the country—and I … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Josh Linkner On Detroit “Getting Back Its Mojo””

RealNetworks Cutting 160, as Glaser Promises New Direction

RealNetworks is cutting another 160 jobs as part of a re-organization being led by founder and newly returned CEO Rob Glaser. The Seattle company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]) disclosed the plans in a regulatory filing today. Glaser also sent out a company-wide memo, which he posted on his personal Facebook account. The job cuts will reduce Real’s … Continue reading “RealNetworks Cutting 160, as Glaser Promises New Direction”

UW Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute Opening

The University of Washington is holding a symposium on Sept. 18 to celebrate the grand opening of its Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute. Speakers include Rick Luebbe, CEO of EnerG2; Eric Dobmeier, COO of Seattle Genetics; Suzie Pun of the University of Washington, and Jay Keasling of UC Berkeley. For more information on how to … Continue reading “UW Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute Opening”

CEO of Startup Lockerz Hired as Yahoo’s New Marketing Chief

Kathy Savitt, a longtime PR and marketing executive who founded the well-financed “social commerce” website Lockerz, has left her CEO post at the startup to take the job of chief marketing officer at Yahoo. She’s being replaced by former Amazon and Pepsi executive Mark Stabingas, who had been serving as the startup’s operations chief. Yahoo announced … Continue reading “CEO of Startup Lockerz Hired as Yahoo’s New Marketing Chief”

Alder Gets $3.5M Milestone as Bristol-Myers Starts Crohn’s Study

Alder Biopharmaceuticals struck its first big partnership three years ago with Bristol-Myers Squibb based largely on the potential of its antibody drug candidate for rheumatoid arthritis. But the product has more potential uses than that, and now Alder is pulling in some more cash as Bristol-Myers is advancing the drug as a treatment for Crohn’s … Continue reading “Alder Gets $3.5M Milestone as Bristol-Myers Starts Crohn’s Study”

George Church: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature–And Us

Imagine a microbe that could convert corn into plastic—almost like brewing beer—or a bacteria that could purify sewage in a process that generates electricity. A few years ago, those scenarios would have been science fiction—but today they’re quickly becoming a reality. And that’s just the beginning, says Harvard Medical School Genetics Professor George Church. The … Continue reading “George Church: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature–And Us”

David Quammen: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

The emergence of strange new diseases—Ebola, SARS, Hendra—is a frightening problem that seems to be getting worse: In this age of speedy travel, it augurs a worldwide pandemic. Even scarier, says science writer David Quammen: Such phenomena are part of a single pattern, as the bugs that transmit these diseases all originate in wild animals … Continue reading “David Quammen: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic”

If You Can’t Stand the Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen

I recently took a vacation in Italy, and in my quest to eat everything not nailed down in the Lake Como region, I had the good fortune to participate in an amazing private cooking class in the resort kitchen of the Villa d’Este Hotel. The sous chef, a charming Italian man (duh) took my family through … Continue reading “If You Can’t Stand the Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen”

10 Indispensable Apps for the Back-to-School Season

There’s a reason that George Fox University, Regis College, Chicago State University, Seton Hill, and other colleges and universities are giving iPads to all incoming freshmen this fall. It’s because the Apple tablets are just as good as laptops for many types of educational tasks, such as notetaking, and even better for others, such as … Continue reading “10 Indispensable Apps for the Back-to-School Season”

Meet Double Down’s Lone Investor: Ron Erickson Talks Online Gambling

Early this year, a small Seattle social video game studio called Double Down Interactive came out of virtually nowhere to be acquired by slot-machine company International Game Technology for up to $500 million. It was a signal that online gambling with real money would start to engulf the fast-moving games industry, especially as the longstanding … Continue reading “Meet Double Down’s Lone Investor: Ron Erickson Talks Online Gambling”

The Top 5 Risks Confronting Startups

You might have a great idea for a startup. You may be passionate, driven, and ready to go. But how ready are you to manage your risks? Many startups fail because of ineffective risk management. So how do you avoid a similar fate? It all depends on how well you understand and manage your risks. … Continue reading “The Top 5 Risks Confronting Startups”

FutureAdvisor Collects $5M to Expand 401(k) Advice Software

Seattle personal finance startup FutureAdvisor, a summer 2010 graduate of the Y Combinator startup accelerator program, has landed a new round of venture financing to add employees and continue expanding its 401(k) advice service. Co-founders Bo Lu and Jon Xu, who run the startup out of a historic building in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, say that … Continue reading “FutureAdvisor Collects $5M to Expand 401(k) Advice Software”

Kymeta Receives $12,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d55566c0-a221-45bb-99ca-11b004426cd5&Preview=1 Date 8/22/2012 Company Name Kymeta Mailing Address 12277 134th Court NE Redmond, WA 98052 Company Description Kymeta’s mTennaTM products will simplify the connection between mobile users and high capacity Ka-band communications satellites, allowing passengers on planes, trains, boats, automobiles and other vehicles to enjoy the same kind of broadband experience that … Continue reading “Kymeta Receives $12,000,000 New Financing Round”

RareCyte Garners New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=99e3c32f-797a-4e52-ac78-25b2818b3c97&Preview=1 Date 8/22/2012 Company Name RareCyte Mailing Address 228 9th Avenue North Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description RareCyte is a life science research and diagnostic development company focused on characterizing and isolating rare cells in the blood. Our team of biologists and engineers is dedicated to building innovative technologies to better understand … Continue reading “RareCyte Garners New Round”

Discovery Bay Games Garners $15,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bb78c778-6a33-4fcf-aba2-b5b3b313b2dd&Preview=1 Date 8/22/2012 Company Name Discovery Bay Games Mailing Address 206 1st Ave S Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Discovery Bay Games was already a leading creator of multi-player games when it began developing for the yet unreleased iPad in early 2010. The Company launched Duo, the world’s first iPad game accessory … Continue reading “Discovery Bay Games Garners $15,000,000 Series B Financing”

FutureAdvisor Secures $5,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b594d3e0-64d8-40a0-ae4f-d902f2444d5d&Preview=1 Date 8/22/2012 Company Name FutureAdvisor Mailing Address 122 S Jackson Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description FutureAdvisor takes academically researched portfolio management principles and applies them to your situation. Our recommendation algorithms are based on these principles and academic works. Website http://www.futureadvisor.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “FutureAdvisor Secures $5,000,000 Series A Funding”

PopCap Lays Off 50, May Have to Close Irish Office

PopCap Games, a veteran Seattle casual video game publisher bought last year by industry giant Electronic Arts, is laying off about 50 people in North America as it grapples with the rapidly changing games business. There’s also a chance that PopCap’s office in Dublin, Ireland may have to close if profits in Europe don’t improve. … Continue reading “PopCap Lays Off 50, May Have to Close Irish Office”

Gates Backs Intellectual Ventures Spinout: Antenna Maker Kymeta

Updated 11:20 am, see final paragraph Intellectual Ventures, the patent-licensing firm headed by former Microsoft technology chief Nathan Myhrvold, has spun out a new company that promises to make fast broadband Internet available almost anywhere. The new company, named Kymeta, is the second to emerge from Intellectual Ventures. It debuts amid continued criticism that Intellectual … Continue reading “Gates Backs Intellectual Ventures Spinout: Antenna Maker Kymeta”

On Our New Mobile Site, You’ve Been Upgraded to Xconomy Class

Visiting Xconomy.com on a smartphone should be like flying first class in the Pan Am heyday: a chance to listen in on the conversations of some of the day’s biggest movers and shakers in state-of-the-art surroundings with the minimum of aggravation or delay. That’s why we’re excited to announce the arrival of a dramatically upgraded version … Continue reading “On Our New Mobile Site, You’ve Been Upgraded to Xconomy Class”

An Insider’s View on Raising Money from Life Sciences VCs

The life sciences venture capital industry is undergoing rapid change. Although many innovative ideas have been taken from the bench to scientific discovery to treating patients, funding today to develop new products and services is getting more difficult to attain. Getting a product to market involves not only a long scientific process, but a carefully … Continue reading “An Insider’s View on Raising Money from Life Sciences VCs”

WhitePages IDs Growth in the Explosion of Personal Data

This is the golden age for data nerds—especially if you collect data on people. With Facebook steaming toward 1 billion users and smartphones now accounting for more than half the cell phone market in the U.S., the amount of digital information the average person generates about their lives has exploded. And it’s not going to … Continue reading “WhitePages IDs Growth in the Explosion of Personal Data”

Alzheimer’s R&D Isn’t Doomed, it’s Learning From Failure

The biggest hope for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in a long time just went up in smoke. The next high-profile drug candidate will probably be toast in a few weeks, analysts say. The easiest thing now would be to write off the whole field of Alzheimer’s R&D, and declare that scientists have to go … Continue reading “Alzheimer’s R&D Isn’t Doomed, it’s Learning From Failure”

InEnTec Lands $1,500,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8e977b46-ec70-4346-8a4d-892901f3ff2b&Preview=1 Date 8/20/2012 Company Name InEnTec Mailing Address 595 SW Bluff Drive Bend, OR 97702 Company Description InEnTec’s technology, called the Plasma Enhanced Melter or PEM, uses the power of plasma to break materials apart into their elemental components (such as hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen) and then transform those elements into synthesis … Continue reading “InEnTec Lands $1,500,000 New Round”

InEnTec Secures $1,500,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8e977b46-ec70-4346-8a4d-892901f3ff2b&Preview=1 Date 8/20/2012 Company Name InEnTec Mailing Address 595 SW Bluff Drive Bend, OR 97702 Company Description InEnTec’s technology, called the Plasma Enhanced Melter or PEM, uses the power of plasma to break materials apart into their elemental components (such as hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen) and then transform those elements into synthesis … Continue reading “InEnTec Secures $1,500,000 New Funding Round”