Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=88d62ec4-bea6-4f24-bd84-87657c66a013&Preview=1 Date 2/22/2012 Company Name Buuteeq Mailing Address 1455 NW Leary Way Seattle, WA 98107 Company Description Buuteeq offers a hosted digital marketing solution for small/medium size independently managed hotels. Website http://www.buuteeq.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. … Continue reading “Buuteeq Secures $2,000,000 New Funding Round”
Category: Seattle
Mobilisafe Study: Outdated OSs, Vanishing Devices Hamper Security
As if they didn’t have enough headaches to deal with, here’s some fresh fear, uncertainty, and doubt for small-business IT guys: Employees are not going to stop hauling their smartphones to work, and you probably don’t have a good idea of just who is tapping into your system. That’s the word from Seattle startup Mobilisafe, … Continue reading “Mobilisafe Study: Outdated OSs, Vanishing Devices Hamper Security”
Google Transit: A Search Giant Remaps Public Transportation
You can’t talk to a Googler for very long without hearing them recite the company’s mission statement: to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Not only does it sound noble, but it’s an all-purpose answer for the sorts of nosey questions tech journalists pose, like why Google would want to … Continue reading “Google Transit: A Search Giant Remaps Public Transportation”
Join The Group!
For an entrepreneur, figuring out how to get things done today with very little available capital is the key to successfully keeping his/her latest idea percolating. In the past, venture firms were eager to support early stage concepts because they could take a substantial stake, help control the decisions and directions taken by the company, … Continue reading “Join The Group!”
Oh, And One More Thing: A Wowser Moment in DNA Sequencing
[Updated and corrected, 10:15 am PT] Steve Jobs used to love being on stage, getting the audience in the palm of his hand. Famously, he’d say, “Oh, and one more thing,” to build suspense right before delivering some stunning line about a new Apple product. Last week, that same showmanship was at work in a … Continue reading “Oh, And One More Thing: A Wowser Moment in DNA Sequencing”
Applied Hope
The early bioneer Bill McLarney was stirring a vat of algae in his Costa Rica research center when a brassy North American lady strode in. What, she demanded, was he doing stirring a vat of green goo when what the world really needs is love? “There’s theoretical love,” Bill replied, “and then there’s applied love”—and kept on stirring. … Continue reading “Applied Hope”
Xconomy’s Timmerman Wins National Journalism Award
Xconomy’s national biotech editor, Luke Timmerman, has won a national award for column-writing from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. It’s the first national journalism award for Xconomy, which was founded in 2007 and now operates a six-city network of news sites focused on business innovation. The award is for Luke’s weekly BioBeat … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Timmerman Wins National Journalism Award”
Cell Therapeutics Stock Rises on EU Recommendation for Lymphoma Drug
The roller coaster known as Cell Therapeutics is back on the ascent today. The Seattle-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTIC]]) said its experimental lymphoma drug pixantrone (Pixuvri) has received a positive recommendation from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use. This is one of the key steps in the European regulatory process … Continue reading “Cell Therapeutics Stock Rises on EU Recommendation for Lymphoma Drug”
LinkedIn: The Missing Manual Worth Reading
I picked up The Start-up of You, the new book published this week by LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and journalist-entrepreneur Ben Casnocha, with some trepidation. I feared that the title was intended literally—that this would be one of those dreary business books that spends seven chapters twisting reality to fit its gimmicky metaphor. (I’ve got … Continue reading “LinkedIn: The Missing Manual Worth Reading”
Open Source May be the Answer for Pharma and Biotech
In his State of the Union Speech President Obama called for support for ‘the same kind of research that led to the computer chip and the Internet.’ He rightfully implies that for several decades now the innovation story has been primarily focused on computers, software and communication. As the power of science, technology, and free … Continue reading “Open Source May be the Answer for Pharma and Biotech”
King of the Web: A Quirky Fame Contest Primed for the Young & Savvy
This week, if you were looking in the right corner of the Web, you could have stumbled across a curious thing—a fun little video-blogging contest had escalated into a full-blown international incident. A Swedish guy named Felix Kjellberg, who has amassed a following on YouTube for his freaked-out reactions to horror video games, was in … Continue reading “King of the Web: A Quirky Fame Contest Primed for the Young & Savvy”
Amp Orthopedics Takes Aim at Boomers’ Achy Knees and Shoulders
Westlake Center is the place in Seattle to shop, people watch, or protest. It’s not exactly ground zero for hotshot medical device startups. But to Amp Orthopedics, the town’s downtown retail core was as good a place as any to pursue its dream of making a fortune by soothing the ailing knees and shoulders of … Continue reading “Amp Orthopedics Takes Aim at Boomers’ Achy Knees and Shoulders”
Xconomist of the Week: Peter Kuhn on Detecting Circulating Tumor Cells
Worrying whether a solid tissue tumor might spread elsewhere in the body represents one of the biggest unknowns for many cancer patients, according to Peter Kuhn, an associate professor of cell biology at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego. “As long as the disease is confined to the primary tumor, the oncologists can deal … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Peter Kuhn on Detecting Circulating Tumor Cells”
Will New Business Models Enhance or Endanger Drug Discovery?
The most successful biotechs of the past quarter century have been companies that established relatively large, cutting edge research programs, such as Biogen, Immunex, and Genentech. I’ll refer to this as the B.I.G. model. These companies were able to hire young, innovative scientists by promising them a certain degree of intellectual freedom to pursue research … Continue reading “Will New Business Models Enhance or Endanger Drug Discovery?”
NeuroNEXT at Swedish Neuroscience Institute
NeuroNEXT is a new NINDS-sponsored consortium of 25 neuroscience centers across the US that will participate in rapid development and implementation of clinical trials for adult and pediatric neurological disorders. NeuroNEXT is actively seeking industry partnerships to broaden the portfolio of novel treatments available to the consortium. An informational event will be held on March … Continue reading “NeuroNEXT at Swedish Neuroscience Institute”
Former Sun CEO’s New Venture: A Healthcare Locker for Families
Jonathan Schwartz, the former Sun Microsystems CEO who sold the server-and-software maker to Oracle for $7.4 billion in 2009, was in the hospital for surgery a couple of months ago. When he went to get an MRI, he noticed that the imaging machine was hooked up to a Sun workstation. Sun’s most famous tag line … Continue reading “Former Sun CEO’s New Venture: A Healthcare Locker for Families”
nFluence Media Secures $3,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=56f2775b-f3a2-4196-9ba3-fcbfdf3eaa7c&Preview=1 Date 2/15/2012 Company Name nFluence Media Mailing Address 999 N. Northlake Way Seattle, WA 98103 Company Description nFluence empowers consumers to retake control of their digital presence. Marketers have spammed us to such an extent that it takes on average 250 messages to reach one consumer – leaving 249 consumers ignoring … Continue reading “nFluence Media Secures $3,000,000 New Financing Round”
Couple Fire Opens Lovey-Dovey Social Site (Yes, for Valentine’s Day)
Even with a ton of digital tools at your disposal, it’s still a little difficult to get all mushy online. Texts, instant messenger conversations, and e-mails are private, but pretty fleeting, while more lasting things—tweets, Facebook posts—tend to be out in the open. Google Plus has made limited sharing a bit easier with its concept … Continue reading “Couple Fire Opens Lovey-Dovey Social Site (Yes, for Valentine’s Day)”
Venture Capital Is the Essence of Everything Good in Capitalism
I was heartened this month to see that the Private Equity Growth Capital Council launched a multi-million-dollar education and public affairs campaign on the Internet highlighting the basics of private equity. Hopefully, this will address a general lack of understanding about private equity, which, among other things, is too often confused with venture capital. This … Continue reading “Venture Capital Is the Essence of Everything Good in Capitalism”
nFluence Rounds up $3M to Create Avatars of Advertising
Most consumers have made a bargain with the digital tools and services in their life: give me something useful, and I’ll give up some of my information. Sure, there are overreaches and controversies that cause companies to pull back. But overall, we’re firmly on the path of giving up more and more of our personal … Continue reading “nFluence Rounds up $3M to Create Avatars of Advertising”
SpaceCurve Receives $2,700,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=92fc3cdf-1dd1-4f02-9080-479d6dfdb995&Preview=1 Date 2/14/2012 Company Name SpaceCurve Mailing Address 101 Yesler Way Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description SpaceCurve is a fundamentally new kind of massively parallel analytical database technology. Effortlessly index geospatial polygon data in real-time using Internet-scale compute clusters. Efficiently analyze social and semantic graphs on massively parallel systems. Fuse complex sensors … Continue reading “SpaceCurve Receives $2,700,000 New Round”
EnerG2 Fires Up Oregon Factory
EnerG2, a University of Washington spinoff that creates synthetic carbon materials that are highly efficient at storing energy, is opening a new factory in Albany, OR today. The company, founded in 2003, won a $21.3 million federal grant to help finance the factory, part of the federal stimulus spending. EnerG2 says the Oregon plant is … Continue reading “EnerG2 Fires Up Oregon Factory”
Option to Buy: The New Face of Biotech Funding?
When Cambridge, MA-based Warp Drive Bio launched on January 10, the startup was as notable for its financing structure as it was for its technology—maybe more. That’s because part of the $125 million in funding that Warp Drive received came from French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]) , which received in return the chance to … Continue reading “Option to Buy: The New Face of Biotech Funding?”
Voyager Capital Co-Founder Enrique Godreau Leaves Firm
A big change at Seattle’s Voyager Capital: co-founder Enrique Godreau has resigned after nearly 15 years, as the VC firm seeks to raise a $125 million fourth fund. Co-founder Bill McAleer says the decision was Godreau’s. “He’s making a personal transition. He wants to go pursue some entrepreneurial and philanthropic interests that he has,” McAleer … Continue reading “Voyager Capital Co-Founder Enrique Godreau Leaves Firm”
AllTrails and National Geographic Team Up to Get Hikers Oriented
The United States is essentially an unpopulated wilderness. If you scattered the citizenry evenly across the country, we’d each have a luxurious eight acres to ourselves. But here’s the weird thing: In a country where the outdoors is so vast, people rarely go there. Even folks who think of themselves as outdoorsy types don’t leave … Continue reading “AllTrails and National Geographic Team Up to Get Hikers Oriented”
Advanced Inquiry Systems Secures $697,881 Series D Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1b912e58-5818-4c57-8b09-a930b4b80a2e&Preview=1 Date 2/10/2012 Company Name Advanced Inquiry Systems Mailing Address 20520 NW Evergreen Parkway Hillsboro, OR 97124 Company Description Advanced Inquiry Systems, Inc. (AISI) is revolutionizing semiconductor test, helping our customers combat rising costs in the midst of falling product prices. Our unique solutions enhance flexibility for device design, greatly reduce test … Continue reading “Advanced Inquiry Systems Secures $697,881 Series D Funding”
WTIA Awards: Try These Kids’ Games and Pick a Scholarship Winner
Angel investors and venture capitalists spend a lot of their time beating the bushes for that next great tech genius and entrepreneur who is destined to change the world. This seems like a pretty good place to get some super-early scouting done: the Washington Technology Industry Association’s award for Technology Leader of Tomorrow. As a … Continue reading “WTIA Awards: Try These Kids’ Games and Pick a Scholarship Winner”
Werner Vogels on How Amazon Web Services Wins: Fast, Flexible, Cheap
It can be pretty dizzying to tally up the scope of Amazon Web Services, a potentially $1 billion business that serves up critical cloud computing infrastructure for a big slice of the digital economy. Even keeping up with the number of individual services the company offers can be a challenge—and Amazon CTO Werner Vogels wants … Continue reading “Werner Vogels on How Amazon Web Services Wins: Fast, Flexible, Cheap”
Xconomist of the Week: Tim Mayleben on Building University Startups
Last month, Aastrom Biosciences president and CEO Tim Mayleben and his wife, Dawn, announced they are funding a new “venture shaping” program at the University of Michigan. Venture shaping refers to the process of systematically vetting a nifty idea for a startup, with the idea that the failure of a less-than-viable business will occur at … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Tim Mayleben on Building University Startups”
UW Incubator: Ground Zero for Doubling Startup Spinouts in 3 Years
In a typical year, research at the University of Washington will spawn about a dozen promising young companies. In the next three years, the school’s new president wants to see that output double—and ground zero for a lot of those startups will likely be a new incubator space unveiled this week. When renovations are complete, … Continue reading “UW Incubator: Ground Zero for Doubling Startup Spinouts in 3 Years”
Xconomy Is on Google+!
All the cool kids were doing it, so we just couldn’t resist. We’ve created an Xconomy page on Google+, where we’ll share several of our most interesting stories every day. We’ve also added Google+ sharing buttons to all of our stories here on the site—you’ll find them in the sharing box at right, and at the … Continue reading “Xconomy Is on Google+!”
UW Opening “New Ventures” Incubator to Support Spin-Offs
When the University of Washington hired Michael Young to be its new president last year, one qualification that stood out was an impressive record of spinning out companies from his previous employer, the University of Utah. Today, the UW is taking a step toward fulfilling some of that promise by opening its New Ventures Facility, … Continue reading “UW Opening “New Ventures” Incubator to Support Spin-Offs”
Spoken Communications Lands $11,500,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7db536ee-3fe3-4c3c-94fd-b5fe804f5205&Preview=1 Date 2/8/2012 Company Name Spoken Communications Mailing Address 10900 NE 8th St Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description Spoken Communications, founded in 2005 and incorporated as Intellisist, Inc., is a provider of a leading enterprise cloud platform for contact centers. The Spoken platform supports cost productivity, enables big data streams and extends … Continue reading “Spoken Communications Lands $11,500,000 Series B Financing Round”
Candid Advice for Founders as Kinect Accelerator Deadline Hits
Long hours, breakneck deadlines, high stakes, and conflicting advice—it’s all part of the package when entrepreneurs submit a few months of their life to an incubator program in hopes of creating the next big thing. Not surprisingly, some groups crumble under the pressure, says TechStars Seattle director Andy Sack. “The number one risk facing your … Continue reading “Candid Advice for Founders as Kinect Accelerator Deadline Hits”
Life Sciences VC Investing Up in Dollar Value, Down in Deal Volume
At first glance, a report released last week by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association seems to portend rich times for life sciences startups. Biotech companies raised $4.7 billion in 2011—more than any other sector except for software and enough to help make last year one of the top three years for venture fundraising … Continue reading “Life Sciences VC Investing Up in Dollar Value, Down in Deal Volume”
SocEnt Weekend
This Startup Weekend-inspired event brings together socially minded entrepreneurs and others in a crash-innovation format aimed at developing the kernel of a possible product or service. Runs from Friday evening to Sunday night, with judging at the conclusion, food, and guest speakers. Find out more or purchase tickets at the SocEnt Weekend website.
FDA vs. Drug Ads: Cut the Kids and Dogs, Spell Out Side Effects
If you’ve turned on your TV anytime in the last, oh, decade or so, you’ve no doubt been bombarded by ads imploring you to “ask your doctor” about Drug X. And you’re well familiar with the routine: You get treated to happy images of folks dancing, perhaps, or walking their dogs in pretty green meadows, … Continue reading “FDA vs. Drug Ads: Cut the Kids and Dogs, Spell Out Side Effects”
EquaShip Suspends Operations, Overhauls Shipping Network
Seattle shipping startup EquaShip, which aims to save small and medium-sized businesses big bucks over UPS and FedEx, has hit a big stumbling block. The company is suspending operations to overhaul the way it routes packages in a bid to speed up delivery times. The change is major—CEO Ron Wiener says it could take a … Continue reading “EquaShip Suspends Operations, Overhauls Shipping Network”
10 Apps & Sites That Bring Back the Joy of Reading
You wouldn’t throw a fancy dinner party in a 7-Eleven. You wouldn’t hold a symphony concert in a subway station, or teach a meditation class on a tilt-a-whirl ride. So why does anyone expect readers to read long articles on the Web? Call me a traitor to my kind, but I think the World Wide … Continue reading “10 Apps & Sites That Bring Back the Joy of Reading”
7 Lessons from TechStars’ David Cohen on Building a Startup Culture
When it comes to tech startups—especially in Internet software and app development—San Diego has been adrift in the horse latitudes. That’s the term Spanish mariners had for the waters where the trade winds died out for days and even weeks at a time. Becalmed sailors desperate to gain some headway would heave their horses overboard … Continue reading “7 Lessons from TechStars’ David Cohen on Building a Startup Culture”
Parallels: Windows-on-Mac Guys Say Small-Biz Software is Sexy
Most people probably know Parallels as the company that puts Microsoft Windows on the Mac. And as Apple products continue their almost unbelievable proliferation, that’s not a bad business to be in—Parallels is seeing strong growth tied to Apple’s rise, particularly with more penetration of Macs and iPads in big business. But if you ask … Continue reading “Parallels: Windows-on-Mac Guys Say Small-Biz Software is Sexy”
Xconomist of the Week: Gilt Founders Say Friends Can Work Together
At Xconomy’s event yesterday, New York’s Venture Emergence, members of Gilt Groupe’s founding team fascinated a standing-room-only audience with the tale of how, in just four years, they grew from a scrappy startup to one of the most successful e-commerce sites on the Web. Co-founders Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, who is one of our Xconomists, and … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Gilt Founders Say Friends Can Work Together”
After Demo Day: The Debrief from Y Combinator Startup FutureAdvisor
The explosion in incubators for early stage tech companies has spawned a familiar startup storyline: A team of bright founders hits on a promising idea, builds a prototype, and applies to one of the big-name programs. After they get accepted (or sometimes even if they don’t), it’s off to the races for a few intense … Continue reading “After Demo Day: The Debrief from Y Combinator Startup FutureAdvisor”
Keiretsu NW Invested $24M in 2011, Highest Ever in Region
The Northwest chapter of angel investment group Keiretsu Forum says its members invested $24 million in 36 companies last year, the highest total since the regional group was formed in 2005. And most of those investments—29 of the 36—were for businesses in the region, Keiretsu says. Nine of the investments were follow-on rounds, and 27 … Continue reading “Keiretsu NW Invested $24M in 2011, Highest Ever in Region”
Dendreon Names John Johnson CEO After Volatile Year
Seattle-based Dendreon Corp. (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) said today it has named John Johnson to the position of president and CEO, succeeding longtime CEO Mitchell Gold. Johnson was previously the CEO of East Brunswick, NJ-based Savient Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SVNT]]). The appointment comes after a difficult run for Dendreon. In 2010, the company won approval for sipuleucel-T (Provenge), the … Continue reading “Dendreon Names John Johnson CEO After Volatile Year”
Vertex’s Big Day Felt Like Moon Landing, Seattle Researcher Says
Bonnie Ramsey said three years ago that a cystic fibrosis drug from Vertex Pharmaceuticals was a huge medical advance in the making, and would end up being an achievement on par with putting a man on the moon, at least for her patients. Yesterday, she says, was the day it truly felt like she was … Continue reading “Vertex’s Big Day Felt Like Moon Landing, Seattle Researcher Says”
New Google Seattle Head Sees “Shocking Diversity” in Local Tech Skills
When Doug Orr first moved up to Google’s Seattle office in mid-2010, he found a lot to like. The infrastructure expert isn’t a California guy—he came to Google by way of Ann Arbor, MI—and found Seattle’s culture, and even its climate, a little more familiar than Silicon Valley’s. “People are pretty laid back here, and … Continue reading “New Google Seattle Head Sees “Shocking Diversity” in Local Tech Skills”
How Trulia Soared Through the Housing Crash
No journalist can resist a good horse race. That’s why most stories about Trulia, the San Francisco-based real estate search company with 17 million users per month, also mention Seattle competitor Zillow (NASDAQ: [[ticker:Z]]). After all, both companies were founded in 2005, and both offer fancy map-driven interfaces for canvassing rental listings and houses for … Continue reading “How Trulia Soared Through the Housing Crash”
Four Themes to Watch in Personalized Medicine
Good morning from Mountain View, CA, and from the close of the 2012 Personalized Medicine World Conference, which brought together thought leaders of business, government, healthcare-delivery, research and technology. Four themes that emerged from this year’s program: • Greater optimism, triggered by the 2011 approvals of two major oncologic agents paired with companion diagnostics: vemurafenib … Continue reading “Four Themes to Watch in Personalized Medicine”
Gates, 13 Pharmas Join $785M Push for Neglected Diseases
[Corrected 2/8/12. See below.] The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has joined with 13 pharmaceutical companies and leading public health organizations as part of a massive $785 million drive to wipe out—or at least better control—10 historically neglected tropical diseases by the end of the decade. [Edited to reflect that the total value of the … Continue reading “Gates, 13 Pharmas Join $785M Push for Neglected Diseases”