Category: Seattle

Asteroid Miners to Hitch Rides on Richard Branson’s New Rocket

Planetary Resources, a startup that hopes to mine precious materials from asteroids, is partnering with a leading name in private space exploration: Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. The deal calls for Bellevue, WA-based Planetary Resources to use Virgin Galactic’s new LauncherOne spacecraft to send “constellations” of its telescopes into orbit near the Earth. Those telescopes are … Continue reading “Asteroid Miners to Hitch Rides on Richard Branson’s New Rocket”

In Search of Meaningful GAIN in Renewal of Prescription Drug Act

The repercussions of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Affordable Care Act have largely overshadowed another key healthcare milestone—President Obama’s signing Monday of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, also known as PDUFA V. Originally passed in 1992, PDUFA V re-authorizes the FDA to collect fees from drug sponsors to speed the review and … Continue reading “In Search of Meaningful GAIN in Renewal of Prescription Drug Act”

Startup Superpowers, And How Big Companies Can Get Them Too

For nine years, I worked for one of the largest tech companies in the world, which will go unnamed at this particular time. I had so many ideas and was hopeful that my input and entrepreneurial spirit would be cultivated. Instead, I was consistently shut down and ended up feeling virtually powerless, like a cog … Continue reading “Startup Superpowers, And How Big Companies Can Get Them Too”

How Amazon Can Disrupt Smartphones and Take Apple & Google to School

The rumor mill is heating up on Amazon’s plans to enter the smartphone business—a fiercely competitive market currently dominated by Apple’s iPhone franchise and Google’s Android platform. Despite massive investments, Microsoft has so far failed to make inroads as a third platform, so Amazon will have to pull off some very impressive work on many … Continue reading “How Amazon Can Disrupt Smartphones and Take Apple & Google to School”

Ubi Interactive Bets on Kinect, Finds a New Home in Seattle

Last Christmas was not shaping up to be a banner holiday season for Anup Chathoth. Sick and cooped up at home, the young entrepreneur was contemplating how he could revive an idea that he’d been crunching for several months. Chathoth and his partner, Chao Zhang, were trying to make a new device that could turn … Continue reading “Ubi Interactive Bets on Kinect, Finds a New Home in Seattle”

Halo Report: Angel Investing Holds Steady in First Quarter

[Updated 7/9/12 12:42 am. See below.] The average amount of capital that angels invested in early stage companies during the first three months of 2012 declined slightly from last year, according to a new report on U.S. angel activity. The average size of deals involving only angels and angel groups was $940,000 during the first … Continue reading “Halo Report: Angel Investing Holds Steady in First Quarter”

Gates Foundation’s Jeff Raikes To Start Off Seattle Biotech Event

[Updated 3:30 pm] It may not seem right as the weather has turned so beautiful, but it’s time to leave the T-shirt and jeans in the closet and break out the sportcoat for the biggest annual event in Seattle biotech. About 1,000 people are expected to come together at the Washington State Convention Center tomorrow … Continue reading “Gates Foundation’s Jeff Raikes To Start Off Seattle Biotech Event”

UW’s Computer Science Hiring Spree Nets More Kudos

It’s been a rough few years for state-supported entities in Washington, as tax collections still haven’t rebounded from the Great Recession. Among the most visible victims has been the University of Washington, which has seen its state tax funding drop by about half over the past several years. But recently, the UW has been making … Continue reading “UW’s Computer Science Hiring Spree Nets More Kudos”

The Best Boring Companies in Biotech

Sometimes great companies have really boring stories. Maybe the company makes great products, or generates big profits and returns, but just doesn’t have the sizzle to get on the TV news, or even keep folks away from the veggie dip at your neighborhood barbecue. It almost takes work to be boring in biotech, since this … Continue reading “The Best Boring Companies in Biotech”

PhaseRx Secures $5,200,053 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=982945a4-0d48-4937-a044-3891ebe565fe&Preview=1 Date 7/9/2012 Company Name PhaseRx Mailing Address 410 West Harrison Street Seattle, WA 98119 Company Description The company is developing therapies via sIRNA technologies. Website http://www.phaserx.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $5,200,053 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filings – amended. M&A Terms Venture Investor … Continue reading “PhaseRx Secures $5,200,053 New Round”

Zipline Games Lands $750,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ea8f0d31-c70e-4db5-9bf2-4261fda644b5&Preview=1 Date 7/9/2012 Company Name Zipline Games Mailing Address 7683 SE 27th Street Mercer Island, WA 98040 Company Description Zipline Games is a Seattle based mobile games company and the creator of Moai, the game platform powering the hottest new mobile games. Moai revolutionizes both the development and operation of mobile games … Continue reading “Zipline Games Lands $750,000 New Funding”

What the Higgs Boson Owes to the World Wide Web

Quick: Name the greatest thing ever to come out of CERN, the European Center for Nuclear Research. If your answer is the Higgs boson, the existence of which was more or less confirmed this week by two teams working on parallel experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), I respectfully disagree. The greatest thing to … Continue reading “What the Higgs Boson Owes to the World Wide Web”

Novo Nordisk Weaves Itself Into Seattle Biotech, With Diabetes R&D

Novo Nordisk’s CEO once said his company put down roots in Seattle because of a historic blunder. But now the Denmark-based drugmaker, the world’s largest maker of insulin for diabetes, is moving ahead with purpose on a long-term plan to weave itself into the Seattle biotech community, and hopefully come up with some useful new … Continue reading “Novo Nordisk Weaves Itself Into Seattle Biotech, With Diabetes R&D”

A Computer Guy’s Dream, Immusoft, Turns Cells Into Drug Factories

Matthew Scholz has been told many times that his idea for reprogramming the body’s immune cells to create drugs was impossible. Maybe dangerous. Maybe just dumb. Scholz, a computer scientist with no formal biology training, could easily have been written off as a quixotic dreamer until this spring, when he got his breakout moment. The … Continue reading “A Computer Guy’s Dream, Immusoft, Turns Cells Into Drug Factories”

Frazier Makes It Official: Seeking to Raise New $400M Fund

Frazier Healthcare Ventures is officially out raising a new $400 million fund, according to a regulatory filing. The Seattle-based venture firm, which has an office in Menlo Park, CA, said today in the filing that it is seeking to raise as much as $400 million in a new venture fund, the seventh in its history … Continue reading “Frazier Makes It Official: Seeking to Raise New $400M Fund”

RealNetworks CEO Nielsen Out, Glaser Back as Interim Chief

The latest makeover at RealNetworks is over before it really got started. This afternoon—just before a holiday, of course—the Seattle-based company reported that president and CEO Thomas Nielsen had resigned, and would be replaced on an interim basis by founder Rob Glaser. There’s a particular emphasis on the “interim,” with Glaser reporting in the company’s … Continue reading “RealNetworks CEO Nielsen Out, Glaser Back as Interim Chief”

Life Sciences Discovery Fund Gets New Leader, A Familiar Face

The state’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund has a new boss, but he’s not a new face to people familiar with the state-supported biotech fund. John Des Rosier, who has been the director of programs for the LSDF since 2006, is moving up to be the executive director following Lee Huntsman’s retirement on June 30. While … Continue reading “Life Sciences Discovery Fund Gets New Leader, A Familiar Face”

Northeastern Looks Northwest, Aims to Fill Voids in Tech Job Market

Seattle imports high-tech talent, and Boston exports. So it makes sense that one of the big players in Boston’s competitive higher education market, Northeastern University, would see a new niche opening up across the country, where it can help feed a fast-growing high-tech cluster with more brainpower. Northeastern, a 114-year-old private institution with 20,500 full-time … Continue reading “Northeastern Looks Northwest, Aims to Fill Voids in Tech Job Market”

Targeted Growth Lands $5,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=16e4d2cd-8210-49d4-9f6a-30104250806f&Preview=1 Date 7/3/2012 Company Name Targeted Growth Mailing Address 2815 Eastlake Avenue East Seattle, WA 98102 Company Description Targeted Growth, based in Seattle, WA, was formed in 1999 to address this opportunity by focusing solely on increasing seed size and yield in major biofuel crops. Targeted Growth has the technology platform and … Continue reading “Targeted Growth Lands $5,000,000 New Round”

Bridesmaid No More: It is Time For Diagnostics To Shine

A 41 year old HIV patient sits down with his physician to discuss his options. After a year of diagnostic tests that indicate stable CD4 cell counts, viral load, and creatinine levels, there has been a change. Over the past few months, the patient’s creatinine has crept up to 1.5 milligrams per deciliter of blood, … Continue reading “Bridesmaid No More: It is Time For Diagnostics To Shine”

Who’s Still Active Among the Early-Stage Biotech VCs?

Imagine for a moment you’re a hotshot biomedical scientist at a university. You have invented a technology in your lab that you think has potential to make a big difference for the world of medicine. Despite all the accolades you might be getting in Nature, you are savvy enough to know you still have a … Continue reading “Who’s Still Active Among the Early-Stage Biotech VCs?”

Startups Burst into Motion at Kinect Accelerator Demo Day

Thursday was the climactic final day for the first class of TechStars’ Kinect Accelerator, concluding not only with the standard on-stage pitches expected at a Demo Day, but also with a room full of actual, live, working demos. I was a mentor with the accelerator, and looking back across the full 13 weeks of the … Continue reading “Startups Burst into Motion at Kinect Accelerator Demo Day”

What Apple’s New Podcasts App Means For Listeners—And for Apple

Without warning or fanfare, Apple introduced a new Podcasts app this week that gives users of iPhones, iPads, and iPods a much simpler way to find and listen to downloadable audio shows. Pundits had been expecting the move as part of the introduction this fall of iOS 6, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating … Continue reading “What Apple’s New Podcasts App Means For Listeners—And for Apple”

Carena Obtains $14,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5d4e1c08-f20e-40ce-b430-1ee7c08f9c1f&Preview=1 Date 6/29/2012 Company Name Carena Mailing Address 1525 4th Avenue Seattle, WA 98101 Company Description Carena provides a new model of health care delivery for innovative, self-insured companies of all sizes. Through our care programs, our physicians provide in-person medical care and education 24 hours a day, seven days a week, … Continue reading “Carena Obtains $14,000,000 New Financing Round”

Context Relevant Receives $1,300,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fadd9d8d-deb2-4fc3-b9c7-f52d36bd9707&Preview=1 Date 6/29/2012 Company Name Context Relevant Mailing Address 2101 4th Ave Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description At Context Relevant, we’ve developed revolutionary software that enables you to analyze Big Data faster and more thoroughly than ever before. Website http://www.contextrelevant.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,300,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Context Relevant Receives $1,300,000 Seed Funding Round”

Gates Foundation Looks to Make More Equity Bets in Biotech

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has looked at a lot of different ways to get the most bang for every buck it puts into global health. Now its new global health leader, Trevor Mundel, says he hopes to do that by making more equity investments in biotech companies. Mundel, a former Novartis executive, said … Continue reading “Gates Foundation Looks to Make More Equity Bets in Biotech”

“Engineering is For Helping People”: Xconomist of the Week Yoky Matsuoka

We had an amazing lineup of speakers at our first-ever forum on the future of robotics at SRI International in Menlo Park back in May. But I was especially excited to have the opportunity to do an on-stage interview with Yoky Matsuoka, whose pioneering studies of “neurobotics” have brought us closer to a future where … Continue reading ““Engineering is For Helping People”: Xconomist of the Week Yoky Matsuoka”

Context Relevant Raises $1.3M to Democratize Data Science

From DNA sequencing to high finance to time-wasting games, our ever-growing networks of powerful computers are generating piles of data about virtually every facet of life. That makes it a pretty good time to be a high-level data scientist. Stephen Purpura should know—he’s one of them. Educated at Harvard and Cornell, the former Microsoftie has seen the … Continue reading “Context Relevant Raises $1.3M to Democratize Data Science”

Corporate VC Investing Drops in Q1, Mobile Funding Poised to Jump

Deals made by the venture capital arms of major companies fell for the fourth straight quarter—a clear sign that corporate VCs are being more conservative than independent investment firms are—according to a report released today by New York-based deal tracker CB Insights. Corporate VCs participated in 11 percent of all venture deals in the first … Continue reading “Corporate VC Investing Drops in Q1, Mobile Funding Poised to Jump”

Avalara Rings Up $20M Growth Round Led by Battery Ventures

Fast-growing sales tax software provider Avalara wasn’t out looking for additional investment cash, after raising a $21 million round just last year. But when Battery Ventures came knocking, the Bainbridge Island, WA, company couldn’t say no. “They’d researched the market, they’d researched Avalara, they’d really done a lot of homework. And they came to us … Continue reading “Avalara Rings Up $20M Growth Round Led by Battery Ventures”

Avalara Lands $20,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4d992910-28bc-48f9-ba3c-ea84a835b3f7&Preview=1 Date 6/27/2012 Company Name Avalara Mailing Address 435 Ericksen Ave. N.E. Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 Company Description Avalara was founded by a team of tax and software industry veterans to fulfill a vision of delivering an affordable, scalable sales tax solution. Thus making what was not economically feasible in the past … Continue reading “Avalara Lands $20,000,000 New Financing Round”

Status-Report Startup Thinkfuse Acquired by Salesforce

The trend of enterprise software consolidation marches on. On the same day that Microsoft confirmed its $1.2 billion buyout of corporate communication platform Yammer, Seattle startup Thinkfuse announced that it’s being acquired by Salesforce.com. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. It doesn’t sound like the Thinkfuse product will be ported over to Salesforce—in its blog post, … Continue reading “Status-Report Startup Thinkfuse Acquired by Salesforce”

Clash of the BioPharma Titans Looms Over Biosimilars

Fights between powerful combatants form the foundation of many mythological tales. In the epic film Clash of the Titans, Perseus, the mortal son of Zeus, must kill the monstrous Kraken before it can annihilate his beloved Princess Andromedra and the citizenry of Joppa. Perseus heroically decapitates the dreaded Gorgon Medusa to obtain the most powerful … Continue reading “Clash of the BioPharma Titans Looms Over Biosimilars”

Salesforce Acquires Thinkfuse for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8df2e90b-3bb5-4743-84e1-67a1632bbf1e&Preview=1 Date 6/25/2012 Company Name Thinkfuse Mailing Address 511 Boren Ave N Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description The company operates a website and service that allows users to create status reports more easily. Website http://www.thinkfuse.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction … Continue reading “Salesforce Acquires Thinkfuse for Undisclosed Sum”

Can We Be Too Connected? A Harvard Scholar Explores Interoperability

If you’re fond of delicious ironies, as I am, there’s a new book that will leave you positively gorged. It’s called Interop: The Promise and Perils of Highly Interconnected Systems, and last week I got to speak with one of its authors, Harvard Law School professor John Palfrey. The central irony that fascinates Palfrey and … Continue reading “Can We Be Too Connected? A Harvard Scholar Explores Interoperability”

Now Hear This: Hark Racks Up Hollywood Success (and Profits)

From its earliest days, sound-sharing website Hark.com had its sights set on Hollywood. And these days, the Seattle-based startup is hitting the mark—it’s profitable, counts a growing audience, and has inked licensing partnerships with several big-name studios. But, like countless entertainment industry hopefuls before it, Hark found that the road to show-business success wasn’t always … Continue reading “Now Hear This: Hark Racks Up Hollywood Success (and Profits)”

Gamification Hits Healthcare as Startups Vie for Cash and Partners

Would working out at the gym be easier if you earned cash every time you hopped on the treadmill? Boston-based startup GymPact is betting that millions of Americans will answer that question with a resounding “yes,” and at least some members of the VC community agree. The startup uses GPS to track how much time … Continue reading “Gamification Hits Healthcare as Startups Vie for Cash and Partners”

EndoGastric Solutions Secures $13,000,000 Series F Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=da8015a5-9390-4ee5-a524-5470caf4c3a8&Preview=1 Date 6/21/2012 Company Name EndoGastric Solutions Mailing Address 8210 154th Ave NE Redmond, WA 98052 Company Description EGS leverages the most current wisdom in gastroenterology and surgery in developing new transoral incisionless procedures and products to advance the state of the art in treating gastrointestinal diseases. Website http://www.endogastricsolutions.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “EndoGastric Solutions Secures $13,000,000 Series F Round”

Nuance, Swype Combine Strengths—with an Eye On More than Mobile

When Nuance acquired Seattle startup Swype last year, it wasn’t just another startup buy for the Burlington, MA-based mobile-input juggernaut. It was actually a kind of reunion, bringing together a core group of mobile veterans who had worked at Tegic Communications in the mid-1990s. If Tegic’s name doesn’t ring a bell, think back to the … Continue reading “Nuance, Swype Combine Strengths—with an Eye On More than Mobile”

$20 Million W Fund, Focusing on Research Spinouts, Open for Business

We’ve been hearing about a new investment fund for university spinouts in Washington state for close to two years. Starting today, the W Fund is officially ready to start cutting checks—and it’s already started investigating promising research projects from colleges and government R&D labs around the state. Officials say the $20 million W Fund is … Continue reading “$20 Million W Fund, Focusing on Research Spinouts, Open for Business”

AdReady Garners $507,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=01939a78-bc9e-4544-a139-02e2404c525f&Preview=1 Date 6/20/2012 Company Name AdReady Mailing Address 936 N 34th Street Seattle, WA 98103 Company Description AdReady is an exciting Seattle-based start-up founded by online marketing veterans with over 50 years of combined experience. We are backed by premier venture capital firm, Madrona Venture Group, and our team is well-equipped to … Continue reading “AdReady Garners $507,000 New Financing”

Join Us Today for a Tweetchat at Noon ET/9 am PT With Katrine Bosley

Katrine Bosley is having a pretty good year. She was the CEO of Bedford, MA-based Avila Therapeutics when the company was acquired by Celgene for $350 million upfront in January. OK, six months have gone by since that big event. Did she sip a few mai tais on some Carribbean island, recharge her batteries, and … Continue reading “Join Us Today for a Tweetchat at Noon ET/9 am PT With Katrine Bosley”

Biotech Wasn’t Immune to Job Loss in Great Recession, BIO Report Says

The biotechnology industry is often held up by public officials as an engine for producing lots of high-skill, high-wage jobs. But bioscience-based industries shed thousands of jobs in the Great Recession, and industry employment still hasn’t completely recovered to the pre-recession levels of 2007, according to a new economic analysis. Biotech, which was defined broadly … Continue reading “Biotech Wasn’t Immune to Job Loss in Great Recession, BIO Report Says”

Startup Weekend Expands Global Operations with New Foreign Offices

Startup Weekend has grown into a global network of entrepreneurs and mentors who flock to its 54-hour company-creating events. And despite that worldwide footprint, the nonprofit organization’s efforts have all been tied back to its hometown of Seattle—until now. Startup Weekend now says it’s now opening its first official foreign branch offices, part of a … Continue reading “Startup Weekend Expands Global Operations with New Foreign Offices”

Columbia Green Technologies Garners $1,200,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8e5db854-575f-492e-8139-02dfa1911f2b&Preview=1 Date 6/19/2012 Company Name Columbia Green Technologies Mailing Address 79 SE Taylor Street Portland, OR 97214 Company Description Columbia Green is an Eco-Technology Company. We are a diverse expert team of passionate and creative individuals who are committed to creating and selling products that better our world. Columbia Green’s core technologies … Continue reading “Columbia Green Technologies Garners $1,200,000 New Round”

PetHub Receives $1,300,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5a93537f-3a37-4ee5-aeb4-519700f335a6&Preview=1 Date 6/19/2012 Company Name PetHub Mailing Address 700 NW Gilman Blvd Issaquah, WA 98027 Company Description The people at Pet Hub know that you’re all about your pet. Well, we’re all about that. We’re proud to be part of a community of people that make sure that come dinner time they … Continue reading “PetHub Receives $1,300,000 New Financing Round”