Category: Seattle

Greenstart Accelerator Hatches Four Energy Startups

Will the startup accelerator model that’s proved so popular and successful in the Web and mobile sectors also help to boost entrepreneurship in other industries, such as healthcare and cleantech? In a tottering economy that needs all the job-creating companies it can get, that’s a crucial question. And here in the Bay Area, it’s been … Continue reading “Greenstart Accelerator Hatches Four Energy Startups”

Seattle Genetics, Millennium Look to Broaden Reach of Hodgkin’s Drug

Seattle Genetics and its partner, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, are following one of the well-traveled roads in cancer drug development. It’s about first gaining experience in the market by treating a small group of the very sickest patients, then working backwards until your drug eventually becomes part of the standard of care for more … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics, Millennium Look to Broaden Reach of Hodgkin’s Drug”

NanoString Nails Breast Cancer Study, Challenging Genomic Health

Seattle-based NanoString Technologies has made a big bet that the future of the company depends on turning its genetic analysis research tool into a diagnostic workhorse. Today, it presented some hard data that suggests it is on its way. The company reported today that its instrument, called nCounter, was able to predict whether or not … Continue reading “NanoString Nails Breast Cancer Study, Challenging Genomic Health”

Amazon’s New Billing Partner Points to Kindle Fire In-App Payments

As company “announcements” go, this one barely qualifies. Bango, a UK-based provider of mobile billing services, says it has “signed an agreement to provide services to Amazon.” And that’s that. But it actually says a whole lot. It’s pretty easy to guess what Bango’s providing here—most likely, it’s in-app payments for the Kindle Fire, Amazon’s … Continue reading “Amazon’s New Billing Partner Points to Kindle Fire In-App Payments”

Point Inside Faces a Big Competitor as Google Starts Mapping Indoors

When you run a startup that focuses on mapping the floor plans of retail stores, there’s this inevitable question: What happens when Google, the company that has already mapped the entire world, decides to do the same thing as you? Josh Marti, the CEO of Seattle-based Point Inside, has heard it plenty of times. “And … Continue reading “Point Inside Faces a Big Competitor as Google Starts Mapping Indoors”

Lessons on Bouncing Back From Disaster

Disaster is defined by Merriam-Webster as a sudden or great misfortune or failure. In 2006, NPS Pharmaceuticals had certainly experienced its own “disaster.” With much of the company’s resources dedicated to building a commercial infrastructure in anticipation of FDA approval of its lead product for osteoporosis, the company was thrown a curve ball. NPS received … Continue reading “Lessons on Bouncing Back From Disaster”

Mobile Startups Kinvey and Urban Airship Team Up, Share Stories

This is a tale of two CEOs whose reputations precede them. It is a short tale. The news today is that Cambridge, MA-based Kinvey and Portland, OR-based Urban Airship have formed a technology partnership involving mobile applications. Basically, Kinvey will handle the data back-end for mobile app developers whose apps reach end users through “push … Continue reading “Mobile Startups Kinvey and Urban Airship Team Up, Share Stories”

Microsoft, GE Pool Health IT Resources to Form New Company in Seattle

Microsoft and General Electric are mashing together some of their health IT business lines to create a new company in Seattle that will attempt to bring more efficiencies to the massively inefficient $2.6 trillion U.S. healthcare industry. The new company, which doesn’t yet have a name, will be a 50/50 joint venture between Microsoft (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Microsoft, GE Pool Health IT Resources to Form New Company in Seattle”

Zipline’s Wolf Toss Game Goes for Hat Trick Debut on iOS, Android, Chrome

Rolling out a game on two platforms at once is so passé. Why not three at once? That’s the target for Seattle game startup Zipline Games, which is showing off its new game today on iOS, Android, and Google’s Chrome Web browser. “No one’s been crazy enough to hit three platforms, so we thought we’d … Continue reading “Zipline’s Wolf Toss Game Goes for Hat Trick Debut on iOS, Android, Chrome”

Mobile Madness NW: Photos from Our Standing-Room-Only Event

Mobile Madness Northwest was a pretty action-packed affair all the way through—from the scramble to get more chairs for our standing-room-only crowd to the networking and conversations that were still going on as the caterers were packing up and going home. It was our first time bringing this specific event to the Seattle area, and … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NW: Photos from Our Standing-Room-Only Event”

What’s Ahead for Groupon, LivingSocial? Seattle’s Tippr Has Some Ideas

LivingSocial will skip the IPO and get acquired. Hundreds of smaller daily deals startups will shut their doors. Groupon’s special product offerings will crash and burn. Those are among predictions for 2012 from Seattle’s Tippr, a daily deals startup that focuses mainly on offering white-label services to publishers that want their own discount brands. Headed by … Continue reading “What’s Ahead for Groupon, LivingSocial? Seattle’s Tippr Has Some Ideas”

EquaShip Receives $1,500,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=905b009d-0137-473c-a1c9-baea646b75c2&Preview=1 Date 12/7/2011 Company Name EquaShip Mailing Address 200 West Thomas Seattle, WA 98119 Company Description EquaShip is a new kind of parcel delivery service designed specifically for small and medium-sized business shippers. Website http://www.equaship.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company plans to use … Continue reading “EquaShip Receives $1,500,000 New Round”

DreamBox Learning Secures $11,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4bd0fce2-9814-4bd0-8a2b-ee617a90f7de&Preview=1 Date 12/7/2011 Company Name DreamBox Learning Mailing Address 305 108th Ave NE Second Floor Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description DreamBox Learning’s team brings an unprecedented combination of experiences. We’re entrepreneurs, educators, creative designers, and technologists. Website http://www.dreambox.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $11,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes DreamBox Learning … Continue reading “DreamBox Learning Secures $11,000,000 New Round”

Dendreon Pulls In $125M By Selling Royalty Slice of Merck’s Hepatitis C Drug

Dendreon has never lifted a finger to develop any new drugs for hepatitis C, but now the Seattle cancer drug developer is getting $125 million in cash for its stake in the emerging market for the chronic liver infection. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) said today it made the money by selling off the rights to … Continue reading “Dendreon Pulls In $125M By Selling Royalty Slice of Merck’s Hepatitis C Drug”

Theraclone Names Cliff Stocks, Vet of Icos & Calistoga, as New CEO

Theraclone Sciences has been searching for more than a year for a new CEO, and it found one close to home in Cliff Stocks. The Seattle-based biotech company is announcing today that Stocks, a veteran biotech dealmaker with experience at Icos and Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, is taking over as CEO at Theraclone. Stocks is replacing Steve … Continue reading “Theraclone Names Cliff Stocks, Vet of Icos & Calistoga, as New CEO”

Lean Startups? I Prefer Mine Phat

I read the book and found it quite enjoyable. And with all due respect to Eric Ries and all of the VCs out there chasing lean startups, I recognized one simple truth. I still like my startups Phat. A phat startup aims to solve a very big, very difficult problem that will transform an industry. … Continue reading “Lean Startups? I Prefer Mine Phat”

It Takes a Village to Raise a Biotech Startup: Highlights from the Tweetchat

Carol Gallagher, the former CEO of Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, is glad to see Gilead Sciences spending billions on acquiring a new drug for hepatitis C, rather than spending billions on stock buybacks. And Jason Rhodes, the chief business officer of Epizyme, borrowed a line from Hillary Clinton, on how “it takes a village” to raise a … Continue reading “It Takes a Village to Raise a Biotech Startup: Highlights from the Tweetchat”

EquaShip Fills Out Fundraising Round, Now at $1.5M

EquaShip, the Seattle startup that’s aiming to wrangle dramatically cheaper shipping costs for small and medium-sized businesses, has added another $600,000 in financing from undisclosed investors. That pushes the startup’s total funding to $1.5 million, following the announcement of a $900,000 investment in June. EquaShip rolled out its service in October, targeting the small sellers—many … Continue reading “EquaShip Fills Out Fundraising Round, Now at $1.5M”

While Politicians Fight, Entrepreneurs Focus on “Smart Health”

A new decade of “smart health” arrived in 2011. Granted, it wasn’t always easy to discern – what with the noisy background of healthcare legal challenges and political one-upmanship. Fortunately, even while various policies continue to be ironed out, a set of resilient entrepreneurs have been busy making sure we get smarter about our health. … Continue reading “While Politicians Fight, Entrepreneurs Focus on “Smart Health””

Clearwire Plans to Sell up to $345M in Stock Following Deal with Sprint

Remember when Sprint (NYSE: [[ticker:S]]) said it would buy more stock if Clearwire made an offering sometime in the future? Well, the bill’s about to come due: Clearwire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLWR]]) says it plans to sell $300 million in Class A common shares. The sale’s underwriters also will get a 30-day option to buy up to $45 … Continue reading “Clearwire Plans to Sell up to $345M in Stock Following Deal with Sprint”

W Fund Nabs $5M from State to Top Off $25M Investment Pool

The state of Washington is chipping in $5 million from a federal jobs program to put the finishing touch on a new $25 million investment fund that will look to spin more startups out of research labs at the University of Washington, Washington State University, and other local research institutions. Gov. Chris Gregoire is announcing … Continue reading “W Fund Nabs $5M from State to Top Off $25M Investment Pool”

Mobile Madness NW: Free Windows, Android Phones from AT&T

We’re gearing up for Mobile Madness Northwest, Xconomy’s half-day forum focusing on how Northwest innovators are tackling the mobile computing revolution. And if you’re a last-minute shopper, here’s a couple of things that might pique your interest: Registering now saves you $30 over the walk-up price, and our event sponsors at AT&T are giving away … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NW: Free Windows, Android Phones from AT&T”

Join Us at 3 pm ET/Noon PT for Tweetchat on Biotech Startups

Quick reminder for those of you on Twitter to join us for a live chat at 3 pm Eastern/Noon Pacific on the state of biotech startups. Carol Gallagher (@carol_gallagher) and Jason Rhodes (@JasonPaulRhodes) are the featured guests, who will field questions on how biotech startups can make it at a time when biotech venture capital … Continue reading “Join Us at 3 pm ET/Noon PT for Tweetchat on Biotech Startups”

TappIn Acquired for $9M, Price Could Grow

Seattle file-sharing startup TappIn, formerly known as Homepipe Networks, has been acquired by San Antonio, TX-based GlobalSCAPE (AMEX: [[ticker:GSB]]), a company that provides file transfer software. GlobalSCAPE is paying $9 million up front for TappIn, with another $8 million in possible payments over the next three years if the new property hits revenue and development … Continue reading “TappIn Acquired for $9M, Price Could Grow”

Steve Jobs’s Dying Realization About Biology and Technology

Take a guess who made the following statement: “I think the biggest innovations of the 21st century will be at the intersection of biology and technology. A new era is beginning.” A. Bill Gates B. Steve Jobs C. Paul Allen The comment has gotten little attention in the last few weeks, but it jumped off … Continue reading “Steve Jobs’s Dying Realization About Biology and Technology”

iPubSci: An Alternative to Unaffordable Science Journals

Advances in the biomedical sciences are highly dependent upon researchers having a clear understanding of the current state of knowledge. This information is primarily acquired by having access to the scientific literature via professional journals and, less commonly, books. Unfortunately, this body of literature has not only expanded greatly over the past few decades, most … Continue reading “iPubSci: An Alternative to Unaffordable Science Journals”

The Immunex Impact: Some Great Memories and Photos

What was it, I asked last night, that made Immunex so special? Co-founder Steve Gillis summed it all up pretty succinctly, as usual. “It was the people,” Gillis said. The brainpower, entrepreneurial spirit, good humor, and camaraderie from Seattle’s pioneering biotech company were all on display last night at our big event, “The Immunex Impact.” … Continue reading “The Immunex Impact: Some Great Memories and Photos”

Oncothyreon CEO Bob Kirkman Returns from Medical Leave

Bob Kirkman, the CEO of Seattle-based Oncothyreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONTY]]), took an unexplained medical leave from the company back in September. The company said at the time he’d return in the fourth quarter of 2011, but now it’s official that he’s back on the job as CEO, Xconomy has learned. “Bob is back,” says Christopher Henney, … Continue reading “Oncothyreon CEO Bob Kirkman Returns from Medical Leave”

WeVideo Makes Cloud Video Editing Look Like Kids’ Stuff

Video editing software is way too hard to use. At least, that seems to be what most consumers think. It explains why most of the videos you’ll find on YouTube and other video sharing sites are so raw, with no cuts, titles, or other effects. Apparently, people have a hard enough time just getting video … Continue reading “WeVideo Makes Cloud Video Editing Look Like Kids’ Stuff”

Join Us for a Tweetchat Monday on Biotech Startups

[Update: 10:50 am PT] Biotech VCs had their chance to vent on Twitter last week about the sad state of affairs in financing startups, and now it’s time for the entrepreneurs to take their turn. So we’re bringing together a couple of top biotech startup executives, Carol Gallagher and Jason Rhodes, to share their thoughts … Continue reading “Join Us for a Tweetchat Monday on Biotech Startups”

Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh’s Amazing Story of Survival

If you just read the headlines and watch the reality shows, the life of a tech entrepreneur probably sounds something like this: Work hard, play hard, raise tons of money, change the world, retire early. It’s a swashbuckling, mile-a-minute joyride filled with the best and the brightest. Except when it’s not. The flip side of … Continue reading “Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh’s Amazing Story of Survival”

Seattle Genetics Sees Case of PML, Causing Market Twitch

Seattle Genetics has had a bit of a dust-up today in the stock market, as investors have been seeking to make sense of a second case of a dangerous adverse event seen in a patient on the company’s new lymphoma drug. Shares of the company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) dipped almost 6 percent early in the day, … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Sees Case of PML, Causing Market Twitch”

Clearwire Gets $1.6B from Sprint, Makes Debt Payment

Financially troubled wireless provider Clearwire and majority shareholder Sprint are keeping their seemingly reluctant partnership alive today, announcing a new injection of up to $1.6 billion from Sprint for current and future network capacity, along with possible equity sales. The move allows Kirkland, WA-based Clearwire to make a $237 million debt payment due today—a bill … Continue reading “Clearwire Gets $1.6B from Sprint, Makes Debt Payment”

Xconomist of the Week: 5 Questions with Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle

November was a big month for news in the algae-based biofuels sector. On November 7, roughly four months after renewable fuels were approved for use in commercial aviation, United Airlines flew passengers from Houston to Chicago aboard a Boeing 737-800 powered by a mixture of algae-based jet fuel and conventional, petroleum-based fuel. Two days later, … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: 5 Questions with Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle”

So That’s What Wavii is Up To: “Making Facebook out of Google”

Seattle startup Wavii, previously seen taking the concept of “stealth mode” to extreme lengths, is letting slip more details about the product it’s been building for these many quiet months. In a pair of blog posts today, the startup says it’s using machine learning to sort content from across the Web into feeds—as they say … Continue reading “So That’s What Wavii is Up To: “Making Facebook out of Google””

Amazon Admits it: Collecting Sales Taxes Not So Hard Anymore

In the long-running debate over online sales tax laws, one of the most laughable ideas has been that calculating sales tax rates all over the country is somehow a difficult job for big e-commerce companies like Amazon.com. You know, the same company that adds enough servers every single weekday to run a circa-2000 version of … Continue reading “Amazon Admits it: Collecting Sales Taxes Not So Hard Anymore”

enterpriseSeattle’s 40th Annual Economic Forecast Conference

enterpriseSeattle will host its 40th annual Economic Forecast Conference on January 12. Dick Conway of the Puget Sound Economic Forecaster, Ken Goldstein of the Conference Board, and Michael Dueker, the head of North American investments for Russell Investments, will be the featured speakers. For more information, click here.

Spiral Genetics, Started by UW Classmates, Looks to Crunch DNA Data in New Way

DNA data is piling up on servers and hard drives near you, and scientists are struggling to sort through it all as genome sequencing keeps getting faster and cheaper. Seattle-based Spiral Genetics is the latest startup in town with ambitions to help relieve some of the IT pain that biomedical scientists are feeling. Spiral was … Continue reading “Spiral Genetics, Started by UW Classmates, Looks to Crunch DNA Data in New Way”

You’ll Be Dead Soon-Carpe Diem

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. —Steve Jobs Watching an … Continue reading “You’ll Be Dead Soon-Carpe Diem”

Rhapsody at 10 Years: Surviving Long Enough to Face a Herd of New Competitors

Being too early with a concept is one of the more frustrating ways that an entrepreneur can wind up going bust. But a decade after emerging as one of the original subscription music services in the U.S., Seattle’s Rhapsody is still around. That survivor story includes a pretty twisted ownership history, as Rhapsody evolved from … Continue reading “Rhapsody at 10 Years: Surviving Long Enough to Face a Herd of New Competitors”

The Immunex Impact: What to Expect Tomorrow Night

We here at Xconomy are eagerly anticipating our biggest Seattle biotech event of the year: “The Immunex Impact.” We expect to pack the house tomorrow night at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, as more than 230 people have registered. There is still a little bit more room to squeeze a few more folks … Continue reading “The Immunex Impact: What to Expect Tomorrow Night”

FCC Report on AT&T + T-Mo Deal: Sorry, We’re Not Buying It

The Federal Communications Commission gave AT&T and T-Mobile USA a little kick on the way out the door today, releasing its staff report on the companies’ proposed $39 billion merger. AT&T and T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom pulled their merger application last week (on Thanksgiving!), choosing instead to focus their regulatory fight where it really matters—the … Continue reading “FCC Report on AT&T + T-Mo Deal: Sorry, We’re Not Buying It”

Mobile Madness NW: the Big Agenda and Your Last Chance to Save on Tickets

From innovative games and e-commerce platforms to operating systems and cloud infrastructure—not to mention the networks that keep all that data flowing—innovators in the Pacific Northwest stand at the intersection of nearly every powerful force in mobile computing. That’s why we’re so excited for our next big Seattle tech event, Mobile Madness Northwest, coming up … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NW: the Big Agenda and Your Last Chance to Save on Tickets”

Puppet Labs Receives $8,500,000 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1628eb0b-4cbe-4697-b66a-6aa0a1351837&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2011 Company Name Puppet Labs Mailing Address Undisclosed Portland, OR 97201 Company Description Puppet Labs provides next-gen IT automation, enabling IT organizations to manage infrastructure as code so they can provide higher service levels with less staff. Reductive Lab’s flagship offering, Puppet, significantly improves the automation and management of IT … Continue reading “Puppet Labs Receives $8,500,000 Series C Funding Round”

After Thanksgiving Flareup, AT&T and T-Mobile Endgame Unchanged

While most of us were sleeping off the effects off too much turkey and pumpkin pie, AT&T and federal regulators were engaging in a very public spat over Ma Bell’s $39 billion bid for T-Mobile USA. But now that things have simmered down a bit, it actually looks like the prospects for this deal haven’t changed … Continue reading “After Thanksgiving Flareup, AT&T and T-Mobile Endgame Unchanged”