Category: Seattle

Amazon Brings its Deals Site to Seattle Area, Still Backed by LivingSocial for Now

Amazon.com’s attempt to cash in on the online-coupon craze, AmazonLocal, is spreading to a bigger market: The online retailer’s hometown of Seattle. Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) kicked off its deals offering earlier this month, starting out in Boise, ID. Today, Amazon is announcing its first discounts in the Seattle area, including a half-off coupon for food … Continue reading “Amazon Brings its Deals Site to Seattle Area, Still Backed by LivingSocial for Now”

Allozyne’s Backdoor IPO, Sound Pharma Fights iPod Deafness, Mirina Vs. Marina Ends, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

Seattle biotech hasn’t had an IPO in a long time, but this week one biotech startup found a way to get onto the NASDAQ without doing the usual road show to entice investors. —One of Seattle’s top private biotech companies, Allozyne, essentially agreed to acquire a shell of a public company, San Francisco-based Poniard Pharmaceuticals … Continue reading “Allozyne’s Backdoor IPO, Sound Pharma Fights iPod Deafness, Mirina Vs. Marina Ends, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

PopCap Games, Previously Talking Plenty About an IPO, Now Subject of $1B Buyout Report

Seattle’s PopCap Games, which makes well-known casual game titles like Bejeweled and Plants vs. Zombies, has been making lots of noise about its plans to possibly seek an IPO later this year. Of course, one result of a lot of IPO talk is sometimes an acquisition, and that may also be in the cards. This … Continue reading “PopCap Games, Previously Talking Plenty About an IPO, Now Subject of $1B Buyout Report”

Allozyne Acquires Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Finds Backdoor Route to NASDAQ

Sometimes biotech startups can find a backdoor route to going public without going to all the trouble of doing an IPO, and that’s what Seattle-based Allozyne just did today. Allozyne, the developer of a long-lasting protein drug for multiple sclerosis, said today it has agreed to a merger with San Francisco-based Poniard Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PARD]]) … Continue reading “Allozyne Acquires Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Finds Backdoor Route to NASDAQ”

Case Closed on Mirina vs. Marina, as Accelerator Startup Changes Name

There won’t be any more Mirina vs. Marina stories to kick around here anymore. Seattle-based Mirina, the privately-held developer of microRNA therapies, has dropped its trademark infringement lawsuit against Bothell, WA-based Marina Biotech (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]). Mirina, a startup at Accelerator, has changed its name to Groove Biopharma, according to Accelerator CEO Carl Weissman. “Every single … Continue reading “Case Closed on Mirina vs. Marina, as Accelerator Startup Changes Name”

Fighting iPod Deafness, Sound Pharma Focuses on Teens Cranking up the Volume

The iPod made tiny earbuds supercool. But the digital music revolution has created some damaging consequences, as millions of young people listen to songs for hours every day at sometimes deafening volumes. Most of them won’t turn down the noise anytime soon, and as millions develop early forms of hearing loss, it is creating a … Continue reading “Fighting iPod Deafness, Sound Pharma Focuses on Teens Cranking up the Volume”

Glympse Garners $7,500,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3cf4df04-a0ac-49d4-87a6-0ac69e579d15&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2011 Company Name Glympse Mailing Address 23515 NE Novelty Hill Road Redmond, WA 98053 Company Description Glympse is a mobile service that allows GPS-enabled mobile phone users to share their location via a Web-based map for a pre-set period of time with anyone they choose. With Glympse, you are in … Continue reading “Glympse Garners $7,500,000 Series B Funding Round”

VC Survey Highlights Anxiety Over Weak IPO Market

There must be some way out of here, but venture capitalists around the world say the current level of initial public offering (IPO) activity is too anemic to sustain the venture capital industry in the United States and eight other countries, according to a global VC survey. In the United States, 91 percent of the … Continue reading “VC Survey Highlights Anxiety Over Weak IPO Market”

Giant Thinkwell Gets $600K Seed

Seattle social-gaming startup Giant Thinkwell, which just unveiled its first official celebrity endorsed game with Seattle hip-hop legend Sir Mix-A-Lot, is also announcing that it’s landed a $600,000 seed investment round. The investment was led by Madrona Venture Group, with Founder’s Co-op and unnamed angels also participating. Giant Thinkwell, part of the first Seattle TechStars class, … Continue reading “Giant Thinkwell Gets $600K Seed”

ScaleXtreme’s $11M, led by Ignition and Accel, Shows Stronger Valley Ties with the Northwest

Personal connections between Silicon Valley and the Pacific Northwest are what make deals flow between the two regions. Today’s example is Bellevue, WA-based Ignition Partners taking the lead role for an $11 million Series B investment in Palo Alto, CA’s ScaleXtreme, a provider of online IT management software. This particular cross-border connection is personified by … Continue reading “ScaleXtreme’s $11M, led by Ignition and Accel, Shows Stronger Valley Ties with the Northwest”

ExtraHop, Profibrix, Avalara Lead Way Toward $70M in Equity Deals for WA Companies in May

Companies working on IT management, drug development, and software of all kinds led the way to about $70 million worth of equity deals in Washington state during May, according to data compiled by CB Insights. The top investment went to ExtraHop Networks, which reeled in $14 million in an over-subscribed round led by Meritech Capital … Continue reading “ExtraHop, Profibrix, Avalara Lead Way Toward $70M in Equity Deals for WA Companies in May”

Edward Jung on Innovation, Startup Weekend Branches Out, Nuance’s Innovation Hub, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup

I’m still re-adjusting to Pacific time after spending most of last week back in Boston for XSITE 2011, the latest installment of our annual conference that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and more for an all-day confab on innovation. Among the top-notch speakers and presenters was Edward Jung, a Microsoft veteran and co-founder of Bellevue, … Continue reading “Edward Jung on Innovation, Startup Weekend Branches Out, Nuance’s Innovation Hub, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup”

Billing Revolution Secures New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2086c89f-c0cc-4c57-862a-61044066dfc0&Preview=1 Date 6/21/2011 Company Name Billing Revolution Mailing Address 1409 Post Alley Seattle, WA 98101 Company Description Single-Click Checkout, available in HTML5 and Android, enables merchants to easily accept credit card payments from any phone with only a single click! Website http://www.billingrevolution.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Billing Revolution Secures New Financing”

Green Shoots of an Entrepreneurial Spring

[Editor’s note: Cross-posted from The Economist, 6/16/11] As the G8 last month pledged $10 billion to aid the Arab Spring to support the building of economic and political institutions, the May 24th NASDAQ debut of Russia’s $10 billion Yandex was but one of many green shoots of an equally significant Entrepreneurial Spring blossoming out from … Continue reading “Green Shoots of an Entrepreneurial Spring”

Decide Opens Shopping Site

Decide.com, a gadget-shopping site co-founded by University of Washington professor Oren Etzioni, is opening its doors to the public. Decide’s consumer pitch is taking the regret out of buying expensive electronics by trying to predict whether new models are coming out, or if prices might change in the near future—it’s no coincidence that Etzioni was … Continue reading “Decide Opens Shopping Site”

Alder Gets $15M From Bristol

Alder Biopharmaceuticals, the Bothell, WA-based developer of antibody drugs, said today it will receive a $15 million milestone payment from its partner, Bristol-Myers Squibb. Alder got the milestone for initiating a Phase 2b clinical trial of its rheumatoid arthritis drug, ALD518, in a trial that compares it against a blockbuster drug in the category—Abbott Laboratories’ … Continue reading “Alder Gets $15M From Bristol”

Pfizer’s Idea to Fix the Drug Development Crisis, Which Probably Won’t Work (But Just Might)

Big companies love acronyms, and Pfizer is no exception. So when I heard the world’s biggest drugmaker talk about using its CTI network to validate POMs, it sounded like some Dilbert-style, soul-crushing initiative going nowhere. Writing off this latest initiative would be the safe bet, as many have tried and failed to revitalize the unproductive … Continue reading “Pfizer’s Idea to Fix the Drug Development Crisis, Which Probably Won’t Work (But Just Might)”

VentriPoint Receives $1,159,798 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=efe4206f-8217-4222-919e-620425e5fec1&Preview=1 Date 6/20/2011 Company Name VentriPoint Mailing Address 100 W. Harrison St North Tower Seattle, WA 98119 Company Description VentriPoint is dedicated to “connecting all the dots”, to improving the diagnosis of heart disease by increasing the accuracy, speed and ease of measuring heart functions using traditional ultrasound and MRI imaging. Website … Continue reading “VentriPoint Receives $1,159,798 New Funding”

Sir Mix-A-Lot, Giant Thinkwell to Posse Up

Seattle social-game startup Giant Thinkwell, a TechStars company hatched at a Startup Weekend last year, is getting ready to roll out its first official celebrity-branded game, featuring Seattle hip-hop legend Sir Mix-A-Lot. Word comes via Twitter, where folks are passing around an invite by Giant Thinkwell to help build social-media buzz for the game, called … Continue reading “Sir Mix-A-Lot, Giant Thinkwell to Posse Up”

SeaGen Promotes Dobmeier

Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]), the Bothell, WA-based developer of targeted cancer drugs, said today that Eric Dobmeier has been promoted from chief business officer to chief operating officer. Dobmeier, who joined the company in 2002, has overseen the company’s efforts to license out its technology for linking antibodies to toxins that make them more potent … Continue reading “SeaGen Promotes Dobmeier”

An Ode to Error: Entrepreneurship and the Importance of Being Wrong

Is your world view marked by a sense of hopelessness? Do you obsess about past errors? Do you tend to minimize or overlook positive news? If your answers are yes, you may not be clinically depressed. Maybe you’re just being realistic. Depressed people are often told they’re just not looking at things the right way. … Continue reading “An Ode to Error: Entrepreneurship and the Importance of Being Wrong”

Dell Acquires RNA Networks for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d21b3d5b-2e14-4f2a-b425-2b4c32a1f0eb&Preview=1 Date 6/17/2011 Company Name RNA Networks Mailing Address 34 NW 1st Ave Portland, OR 97209 Company Description The customers of RNA networks, inc. run the globe’s most challenging enterprise IT applications, implementing solutions which deliver immediate business benefit. RNA’s products address critical business needs by accelerating applications in datacenter environments where … Continue reading “Dell Acquires RNA Networks for Undisclosed Sum”

Kinect Hacks Finally Legitimate – Is Skype Next? Microsoft Releases Developer Kit for Motion- and Sound-Sensing Controller

[Updated 2:10 pm with more details throughout] It’s not just for bootleggers anymore. Today, Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) is making good on its promises to officially open up the Xbox 360’s Kinect motion sensor, offering a software development kit download for non-commercial uses. That means it’s aimed at “enthusiasts and academics,” some of whom the company … Continue reading “Kinect Hacks Finally Legitimate – Is Skype Next? Microsoft Releases Developer Kit for Motion- and Sound-Sensing Controller”

Nuance’s Seattle Office: The ‘Other Guys’ from Tegic and Their Fellow Startup Vets Build A Mobile Innovation Hub

Brad Bargen knows a thing or two about being acquired—he’s actually been through it five times, dating back to General Motors’ 1985 deal for Hughes Aircraft. In the latest phase of his career, Bargen is a leader in Nuance Communications’ mobile R&D hub in Seattle, one of the nation’s most longstanding and vibrant innovation centers … Continue reading “Nuance’s Seattle Office: The ‘Other Guys’ from Tegic and Their Fellow Startup Vets Build A Mobile Innovation Hub”

Nuance to Acquire Speech Software Firm SVOX

[Updated 6/17/11 with terms. See below] Some big news in the world of speech software today. Burlington, MA-based Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]) is acquiring Zurich-based embedded speech software firm SVOX, Xconomy has learned from a source with knowledge of the deal. The acquisition price wasn’t disclosed, but is said to be in the triple-digit millions … Continue reading “Nuance to Acquire Speech Software Firm SVOX”

Startup Weekend, Looking to Strengthen Communities for Entrepreneurs, Builds New Startup Foundation in Seven Cities

Startup Weekend, the create-a-company cram session that has spread worldwide in just a few years, is branching out in a big way. The Seattle-based nonprofit tells Xconomy it is creating a sister organization called the Startup Foundation, aimed at establishing a permanent hub for local entrepreneurial communities around the globe. The new project has backing … Continue reading “Startup Weekend, Looking to Strengthen Communities for Entrepreneurs, Builds New Startup Foundation in Seven Cities”

Despite Early “Victories,” Medical Device Industry Continues To Face Uphill Slog in Washington DC

From a $20 billion industry tax to pay for healthcare reform to the Food and Drug Administration’s plans to toughen the 510(k) approval program, the medical device industry hasn’t had much to cheer about of late. However, things were starting to look up this year. After a slow start, the industry began to mobilize its … Continue reading “Despite Early “Victories,” Medical Device Industry Continues To Face Uphill Slog in Washington DC”

The Debate Over Vaccines

The World Affairs Council is organizing a panel on June 22 titled “Vaccines: The Global Health Miracle.” The panel will feature Helen Evans, the interim CEO of the GAVI Alliance; Chris Elias of PATH; Alan Aderem of Seattle Biomedical Research Institute; and David Fleming of Public Health Seattle & King County. For more information, click … Continue reading “The Debate Over Vaccines”

Innovation at Large Scale: A Glimpse of this Thursday’s XSITE Keynote by Intellectual Ventures’ Edward Jung

Every day in the world’s great science and technology clusters, brilliant people go to work thinking about innovation—how to innovate in research, how to build and grow startups, how to keep innovating at public companies so the startups don’t eat their lunch. Edward Jung admires all that work, but believes it can only go so … Continue reading “Innovation at Large Scale: A Glimpse of this Thursday’s XSITE Keynote by Intellectual Ventures’ Edward Jung”

Amazon’s Expanding Cloud, Concur’s Acquisition, Biofuel Exploration, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup

Back in 2000, Amazon.com (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) was a roughly was a $2.7 billion company that packed a pretty hefty load of data to process its online retail empire. Today, one of Amazon’s newer businesses, Amazon Web Services, adds enough computing capacity to bring a turn-of-the-century Amazon online every single day. That was one of the … Continue reading “Amazon’s Expanding Cloud, Concur’s Acquisition, Biofuel Exploration, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup”

Why Twitter Matters Now in Biotech, and Why Executives Can’t Ignore it Anymore

Two years ago, I caved in to the pressure and signed up for a Twitter account. I had been resisting for months. Millions of people were flocking to the 140-character microblogging service, but from what I could see then, it looked like a time-wasting fad. Hardly anybody in the business I write about, biotechnology, was … Continue reading “Why Twitter Matters Now in Biotech, and Why Executives Can’t Ignore it Anymore”

Light Sciences Oncology Secures $6,256,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1c7d2dca-52c4-4c4a-8ecf-d868a503c3dc&Preview=1 Date 6/13/2011 Company Name Light Sciences Oncology Mailing Address 15405 SE 37th Street Bellevue, WA 98006 Company Description Light Sciences Oncology is developing Light Infusion Therapy (Litx), an innovative light-activated treatment for solid tumors. LSO is currently developing Litx for the treatment of patients with cancers such as hepatoma, metastatic colorectal … Continue reading “Light Sciences Oncology Secures $6,256,000 New Funding Round”

WBBA/LSDF Open House

The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association and the Life Sciences Discovery Fund are holding an open house on August 11. For more information, click here.

Pacific Health Summit

The Pacific Health Summit will be held this year in Seattle from June 21-23, with a focus on vaccine development. For more information, click here.

Apple: The New Headquarters of Computing

You probably thought that the biggest news out of Apple this week was about iCloud, the new cloud data sharing service unveiled at the World Wide Developer Conference in San Francisco. Or maybe you’d point to iOS 5, the next version of Apple’s operating system for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, or Lion, the … Continue reading “Apple: The New Headquarters of Computing”

Adding a Circa-2000 Amazon.com Every Day, Data Centers With No Air Conditioning, & More from Amazon Web Services’ James Hamilton

James Hamilton is obsessed with efficiency. As vice president and distinguished engineer for Amazon Web Services, Hamilton is at the forefront of the Seattle company’s massive cloud computing effort, from software and switches to air conditioning and building design. Kind of fitting for a veteran of Microsoft and IBM who also used to fix high-end … Continue reading “Adding a Circa-2000 Amazon.com Every Day, Data Centers With No Air Conditioning, & More from Amazon Web Services’ James Hamilton”

ASCO Wrap-Up, Pathway Medical Grinds It Out, Gates Foundation’s New Digs, & More in Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

This week we had news from a couple of Seattle-area life sciences companies who appeared at a big cancer drug conference, a notable financing story, and a couple of in-depth profiles. —Kirkland, WA-based Pathway Medical Technologies, the maker of a tiny drill that clears out blockages in leg arteries, provided me with a detailed update … Continue reading “ASCO Wrap-Up, Pathway Medical Grinds It Out, Gates Foundation’s New Digs, & More in Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

Stratos Genomics Receives $2,100,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9f8cf69e-1d7f-4a83-8501-4160c1c9becc&Preview=1 Date 6/9/2011 Company Name Stratos Genomics Mailing Address 2401 Elliott Ave. 5th Floor Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description Stratos Genomics mission is to establish the next gold standard of DNA sequencing with its flagship Sequencing by Expansion (SBX) method. SBX is a simple, elegant, single-molecule detection process that circumvents the limitations … Continue reading “Stratos Genomics Receives $2,100,000 New Financing Round”

Stratos Genomics Raises $2.1M

Seattle-based Stratos Genomics, developer of low-cost gene sequencing technology, says it has added $2.1 million in financing from existing investors, tied to last year’s $4 million Series A round. In a press release, CEO Allan Stephan said shareholders “don’t want our validation pace interrupted by external fundraising activities.” Stratos Genomics was founded in 2007 as a spinoff … Continue reading “Stratos Genomics Raises $2.1M”

Don’t Discount Biofuels

As one who’s spent a lifetime chasing the quest of a practical, sustainable bioeconomy – I have sympathy for biofuel skeptics. Let’s face it; petroleum is an incumbent that has no match in political or economic strength. But it is hard to deny the convergence of historical and technological trends that suggest a sustainable biofuel … Continue reading “Don’t Discount Biofuels”

The Critical Need for Lean Thinking in Healthcare Today

To borrow a term from the military, we live in a VUCA world—Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. Unfortunately, healthcare’s traditional hierarchical management approach lacks the flexibility, adaptive agility, or innovative energy to meet the challenges of this new world. However, every employee at every healthcare institution has the ability to identify waste and enact long … Continue reading “The Critical Need for Lean Thinking in Healthcare Today”

Buuteeq Brings In $3.5M for Hotel Marketing

Seattle-based Buuteeq, a startup focused on digital marketing software for independent hotels, said today it has raised $3.5 million in Series A financing. The round was led by aQuantive co-founder Mike Galgon and angel investor Geoff Entress, with participation from Benaroya Capital and others. Buuteeq (no, that’s not a misprint) makes cloud-based software that helps … Continue reading “Buuteeq Brings In $3.5M for Hotel Marketing”

Computer Science Tuition Could Rise Faster than Other Degrees Under New WA Rules

With a hot market for their skills and employers who offer top-notch salaries and benefits, should computer science students pay more for their bachelor’s degree than theater or history majors? In Washington state, the answer could soon be yes. Historically, undergraduates in this state have paid flat tuition rates based on the number of credits … Continue reading “Computer Science Tuition Could Rise Faster than Other Degrees Under New WA Rules”

Pathway Medical Grinds It Out, Seeks Profit Formula, Three Years After FDA Approval

Selling expensive new medical equipment to doctors today, no matter how good it may be, is no easy thing. Just ask Pathway Medical Technologies. Almost three years have passed since the Kirkland, WA-based company won FDA approval for its first device, which drills through and sucks out tough-to-treat blockages in leg arteries. The company, founded … Continue reading “Pathway Medical Grinds It Out, Seeks Profit Formula, Three Years After FDA Approval”