Category: Seattle

Separating Hype from Reality in Alternative Fuels: the Photo Gallery

Even though the sun was finally out in Seattle, dozens of folks from the worlds of cleantech, life sciences and high tech got together to share thoughts and network at Xconomy’s latest event, “Separating Hype from Reality in Alternative Fuels.” Our panelists and presenters dove into the past and future of biofuels, the need for … Continue reading “Separating Hype from Reality in Alternative Fuels: the Photo Gallery”

Electric Cars Won’t Take Over, Biofuels 3.0 Must Fix the Bugs, & Microorganisms as Problem-Solvers: Big Ideas from Cleantech Leaders

We had a great time at our latest Xconomy Seattle event, “Separating Hype from Reality in Alternative Fuels,” held last night at the new Institute for Systems Biology headquarters in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. The presenters sketched some meaty ideas about the drive to develop oil alternatives, challenged a bit of conventional thinking, and … Continue reading “Electric Cars Won’t Take Over, Biofuels 3.0 Must Fix the Bugs, & Microorganisms as Problem-Solvers: Big Ideas from Cleantech Leaders”

Adapx, a Digital-Pen Company With Serious Military Chops, Adds $5M to Modernize Note-Taking

Seattle-based Adapx, which aims to speed up workflows by making it easier to mark up digital documents, has raised a new financing round of $5 million and says it has grown to about 800 customers. Adapx (pronounced “adapts”) said the money would be used to expand its Capturx software line for mainstream business uses and … Continue reading “Adapx, a Digital-Pen Company With Serious Military Chops, Adds $5M to Modernize Note-Taking”

Garageband on the iPad Makes Amateur Musicians into Artists

Can you be a composer without being a musician? Thanks to the latest generation of music authoring software, the answer is yes. Take me, for example. I played the trombone in high school, and I can still read music (bass clef anyway), but I would be very hard pressed to strum a guitar chord, keep … Continue reading “Garageband on the iPad Makes Amateur Musicians into Artists”

Adapx Garners $5,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=933f0d65-4883-4e93-bf7b-8a366dd6a367&Preview=1 Date 5/20/2011 Company Name Adapx Mailing Address 2127 Fifth Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description Adapx has developed field information capture technology that digitizes field personnel handwritten information. Website http://www.adapx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company will use the financing proceeds to expand … Continue reading “Adapx Garners $5,000,000 New Funding Round”

See You Tonight at “Separating Hype from Reality in Alternative Fuels”

Gas is $4 a gallon, consumers are steaming, the oil companies keep getting tax breaks, and alternative fuels are still a long way from reaching the consumer masses. What’s going on here? There’s a lot of meaty material to discuss as I’m getting ready for tonight’s Xconomy event, titled “Separating Hype from Reality in Alternative … Continue reading “See You Tonight at “Separating Hype from Reality in Alternative Fuels””

Resolve Maps Out New Biotech Model, SeaGen Expands, Schadt Heads East, & More in Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

Local biotech people and companies were moving onward and upward this week. —Eric Schadt, the shorts-wearing, motorcycle-riding genomics brainiac, the guy who made his name at Seattle’s Rosetta Inpharmatics, is moving to the Big Apple to run a big new genomics institute at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Schadt, a co-founder of Seattle-based Sage Bionetworks, … Continue reading “Resolve Maps Out New Biotech Model, SeaGen Expands, Schadt Heads East, & More in Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

Take That, Gmail: San Francisco Goes With Microsoft For Cloud-Based Email Upgrade

Microsoft has scored a bit of a coup in rival Google’s backyard: The Redmond, WA-based software giant has landed a contract to provide cloud-based email for San Francisco’s city and county government, winning out against options from Google (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOOG]]) and Lotus. San Francisco will pay Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) about $1.2 million per year for … Continue reading “Take That, Gmail: San Francisco Goes With Microsoft For Cloud-Based Email Upgrade”

Medtronic’s Hawkins and BSX’s Elliott Exit Stage Right As Medical Device Industry Shifts

It’s pretty tough to be a CEO at a major medical device company these days. Just ask Bill Hawkins, who was reportedly pushed out at Medtronic and Ray Elliott, who abruptly left Boston Scientific. I’m not sure if the two men ever knew each other but their departures have a weird type of symmetry. Both … Continue reading “Medtronic’s Hawkins and BSX’s Elliott Exit Stage Right As Medical Device Industry Shifts”

Boeing’s NW Biofuel Strategy, Kleiner Perkins’ Natural Gas Startup & More on Deck for Tomorrow’s Alternative Fuels Event

Gas is selling for more than $4 a gallon, and consumers are hopping mad. Even though we’ve all seen this movie before, nobody has yet made a serious impact with alternatives that power motor vehicles with something other than fossil fuels. Finding various clean, renewable, and cost-competitive sources of energy is one of the big … Continue reading “Boeing’s NW Biofuel Strategy, Kleiner Perkins’ Natural Gas Startup & More on Deck for Tomorrow’s Alternative Fuels Event”

Clearwire Hands Network Management to Sprint Partner Ericsson, Continuing Rapid Makeover

Wireless network provider Clearwire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLWR]]) continues taking significant steps to remake itself. Today, the Kirkland, WA-based company announced it is handing over day-to-day management of its fourth-generation (4G) network to Ericsson (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ERIC]]). The move means that about 700 Clearwire employees will work for Ericsson, “in locations around the United States before mid-year 2011,” … Continue reading “Clearwire Hands Network Management to Sprint Partner Ericsson, Continuing Rapid Makeover”

Finding a Solution To Our Biotech Malaise Together

We have many problems in biotechnology but I think Seattle is well positioned to overcome those barriers. Bear with me as I work to one possible approach. I think there are two problems weighing on the biotechnology industry producing the current melancholy – lack of sustainable employment over a career and the inability to change … Continue reading “Finding a Solution To Our Biotech Malaise Together”

Yahoo! Acquires 5to1 for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=846af3de-ebff-45cd-b370-7c8b4b38a52d&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name 5to1 Mailing Address 5048 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle, WA 98105 Company Description The 5to1 platform empowers content owners to ensure ads are placed in the appropriate context, at the appropriate time and for the right audience, so advertisers can achieve maximum value and branding for their clients. … Continue reading “Yahoo! Acquires 5to1 for Undisclosed Sum”

PATH VP Takes CEO Gig at Global Impact

Scott Jackson, the vice president of external relations at Seattle-based PATH, is leaving to become the CEO of Global Impact, an Alexandria, VA-based humanitarian organization. Jackson, who oversaw PATH’s advocacy, visibility and fundraising efforts the past five years, will now oversee an organization that has raised more than $1.3 billion for 58 U.S.-based charities, according … Continue reading “PATH VP Takes CEO Gig at Global Impact”

Microsoft’s Qi Lu Talks Future of the Web: Look Out, Facebook, Groupon, Apple, and (Oh Yeah) Google

If Microsoft has its way, you’ll soon be Skyping on your Windows Phone with 500 of your closest Facebook friends about the latest daily deals in your city. Then you’ll find those local businesses through Bing, which will help you decide which ones to pursue—and will help both merchants and consumers cash in on those … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Qi Lu Talks Future of the Web: Look Out, Facebook, Groupon, Apple, and (Oh Yeah) Google”

Red Hot: The Computer Science Job Market

It’s no secret that there’s extraordinary competition right now for computer scientists. Both nationally and regionally, new graduates from strong programs at all degree levels are receiving extraordinary offers. This year’s UW Computer Science & Engineering seniors have reported starting salaries as high as $105,000 (that’s the highest I’ve heard – there may be higher) … Continue reading “Red Hot: The Computer Science Job Market”

Resolve Nabs $2M For Lupus Drug, First Step on the Road to Returns With No IPO, No M&A

Seattle-based Resolve Therapeutics raised its first $2 million to execute on a plan that challenges about 30 years of conventional wisdom of how you make money in biotech. And it took some creative thinking from a couple of New York-based venture firms to pull it together. The plan, crafted by Resolve CEO Jim Posada, is … Continue reading “Resolve Nabs $2M For Lupus Drug, First Step on the Road to Returns With No IPO, No M&A”

Microsoft Gobbles Skype, Gamification’s Present and Future, Bill Gates on Clean Energy, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup

Microsoft’s blockbuster $8.5 billion deal to acquire Skype dominated headlines far beyond the Puget Sound region last week, raising all kinds of interesting implications for mobile computing, business communications, video games, and more. Many commenters were walloped by the sheer scope of Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) products that Skype could be plugged into, but in our … Continue reading “Microsoft Gobbles Skype, Gamification’s Present and Future, Bill Gates on Clean Energy, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup”

Resolve Therapeutics Lands $2,000,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cb3d6987-f8f0-4dcb-9cf8-9a35785c8e87&Preview=1 Date 5/17/2011 Company Name Resolve Therapeutics Mailing Address 5400 Carillon Point Kirkland, WA 98033 Company Description Resolve Therapeutics is a privately held biotechnology company based in Seattle that is dedicated to helping patients with lupus through the development of RSLV-125, its novel targeted biologic therapy. Website http://www.resolvebio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Resolve Therapeutics Lands $2,000,000 Series A Funding Round”

Report: Marketfish Adds $4.5M

Marketfish, a Seattle startup that provides email marketing services for businesses, has raised another $4.5 million in venture capital from Javelin Ventures and Rustic Canyon, according to GeekWire. Marketfish’s product gives marketing clients the ability to dial up specific criteria for the people on its email blasts—targeting by profession, size of family, income, and location, … Continue reading “Report: Marketfish Adds $4.5M”

Billing Revolution Raises $6.6M

Seattle-based e-commerce startup Billing Revolution has raised $6.6 million in a Series B financing round led by DCM and SK Telecom Ventures, according to multiple reports (TechCrunch appears to have published it first). The company makes software that allows mobile application developers to incorporate credit-card sales. Unlike other mobile-payment startups, such as Square, Billing Revolution’s … Continue reading “Billing Revolution Raises $6.6M”

Amazon, PopCap Strike Deal

Up-and-coming Seattle casual game company PopCap Games is partnering with one of the city’s tech titans, Amazon.com, to sell its first games for Google’s Android smartphone platform. The deal, announced today, gives Amazon’s Appstore for Android first crack at selling the games Chuzzle and Plants vs. Zombies, for two weeks each. Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) has … Continue reading “Amazon, PopCap Strike Deal”

Bill Gates’ Favorite Biofuel Company on the Docket for Thursday’s Alternative Fuels Event

There might be 100 good energy ideas in the U.S. today, as Bill Gates said last week at a fundraiser for Climate Solutions, but one of the really big ones he’s backing is San Diego-based Sapphire Energy. This company, which has raised more than $300 million to execute on its vision of making algae a … Continue reading “Bill Gates’ Favorite Biofuel Company on the Docket for Thursday’s Alternative Fuels Event”

PacBio Chief Scientist Heads to NYC to Run New $100M Genomics Center at Mt. Sinai

Eric Schadt, one of the world’s top researchers looking at how changes in the genome lead to disease, is leaving his full-time job as chief scientist of Pacific Biosciences to spearhead a new genomics research center armed with more than $100 million of financial backing at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York. This … Continue reading “PacBio Chief Scientist Heads to NYC to Run New $100M Genomics Center at Mt. Sinai”

The Resurgence of Gene and Cell Therapy

For those who have not been watching or involved, gene and cell therapy is experiencing a state of resurgence, driven by a series of positive achievements over the last three to four years. These are exciting times for those who kept the faith over the last two decades and pushed onward. There is buoyancy in … Continue reading “The Resurgence of Gene and Cell Therapy”

Lockerz’s Latest $30M Haul Easily Tops April’s List of Washington State Equity Deals

Let’s count the juicy consumer-Internet trends piled up in Seattle startup Lockerz: Social networking, photo sharing, gamification, deals, and original content. That’s a mouthful, and investors apparently like what they see—Lockerz’s $30 million venture round is by far the biggest equity deal in Washington state for the month of April, according to data compiled by … Continue reading “Lockerz’s Latest $30M Haul Easily Tops April’s List of Washington State Equity Deals”

Will Biotech Ever Again Captivate the Public Imagination, Like Facebook or LinkedIn?

Everywhere you look this spring, there are signs of bubbly enthusiasm for technology. Microsoft just paid $8.5 billion for a company that isn’t profitable. Facebook has racked up more than 600 million members around the world. LinkedIn is teed up to go public this week at a valuation of more than $3 billion. It may … Continue reading “Will Biotech Ever Again Captivate the Public Imagination, Like Facebook or LinkedIn?”

Billing Revolution Garners $6,600,000 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a17e037e-dd66-491e-9009-11a8430445e8&Preview=1 Date 5/16/2011 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 $6,600,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “Billing Revolution Garners $6,600,000 Series B Funding”

Marketfish Receives $4,500,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e25d42ae-e0a0-459b-8d83-4576c98d2c95&Preview=1 Date 5/16/2011 Company Name Marketfish Mailing Address 512 2nd Ave Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Marketfish is the only 100% self-service lead generation platform that offers free access to permission-based email marketing lists as well as the ability to build and execute marketing campaigns, all in under thirty minutes. Website http://www.marketfish.com … Continue reading “Marketfish Receives $4,500,000 New Funding”

Zaarly on Capitol Hill: Why the Startup Ecosystem Matters

On Tuesday, May 10, 2011, I had the opportunity to participate in a hearing convened by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. This was an incredible honor as an entrepreneur to sit on a distinguished panel and speak directly to leaders in the House of Representatives and from the Securities … Continue reading “Zaarly on Capitol Hill: Why the Startup Ecosystem Matters”

Microsoft’s Online Head Qi Lu: Skype Deal Is “Key Addition” of Marquee Consumer Brand

Microsoft’s biggest acquisition to date was on display this week, in Boston. I’m not talking about Skype. I’m talking about Qi Lu. Lu, the president of Microsoft’s online services division, was in town on Wednesday to meet with employees at the firm’s New England Research and Development Center (NERD) in Cambridge, MA, and, in addition … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Online Head Qi Lu: Skype Deal Is “Key Addition” of Marquee Consumer Brand”

The iPad Finally Has a Worthy Rival: Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1

Apple may be the world’s largest electronics company as measured by market capitalization, but Samsung is the largest by sales. So it makes sense that the Seoul, Korea-based giant—not Microsoft, not HP, not Motorola, not Dell—would the first to compete seriously in the market that Apple invented last year with the introduction of the iPad. … Continue reading “The iPad Finally Has a Worthy Rival: Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1”

Innovating for Education: Puget Sound Businesses Can Lead the Way

Educational reform is at the top of the national agenda, and it is a particularly salient issue for the tech industry. To lead the world in innovation, we also must lead in education. The U.S. already lags behind many other nations in math and science proficiency, and we have fallen to ninth in the proportion … Continue reading “Innovating for Education: Puget Sound Businesses Can Lead the Way”

Go Global: Connecting WA Tech Companies to World Markets

Learn about reaching foreign markets from business leaders who have been there at the Washington Technology Industry Association’s Go Global, an event based around small peer-group interactions. Experts on trade from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas also on hand. Keynote address from Rajeev Singh, president of Concur, and wrap-up presentation by Mike McSherry, … Continue reading “Go Global: Connecting WA Tech Companies to World Markets”

Geospiza Sells to PerkinElmer, PATH Vaccine Nabs $100M, Halosource Gets China Approval, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

We had one pretty noteworthy acquisition in the Bio/IT community this week, and a smattering of news items from the world of global health, biotech drugs, and biofuels. —Seattle-based Geospiza, one of the mainstays of the bioinformatics industry, agreed to be acquired by PerkinElmer (NYSE: [[ticker:PKI]]), the giant life sciences toolmaker in Waltham, MA. Terms … Continue reading “Geospiza Sells to PerkinElmer, PATH Vaccine Nabs $100M, Halosource Gets China Approval, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

Gamification, Barely a Year Old, Could Implode & Take a New Industry Down With It—Thoughts From Bobber Interactive’s Scott Dodson

These are dizzying days for the business of games. It was almost exactly a year ago that we first wrote about the idea of applying video game features, like rewards and leaderboards, to websites and other connected services. Known as “gamification,” this new niche business aims to increase the amount of time people spend with … Continue reading “Gamification, Barely a Year Old, Could Implode & Take a New Industry Down With It—Thoughts From Bobber Interactive’s Scott Dodson”

Matrix Genetics Pursues the Algae Fuel Dream in the Lab, Not With Big Steel Tanks, Giant Ponds

Margaret McCormick has been dreaming of ways to make microorganisms do big things since her grad school days in biology at MIT. Years later, the scientist-turned-venture capitalist is now in a position to act on those dreams as CEO of a Seattle-based startup called Matrix Genetics. The idea is about as big as startup visions … Continue reading “Matrix Genetics Pursues the Algae Fuel Dream in the Lab, Not With Big Steel Tanks, Giant Ponds”

A Startup Rival Offers His Perspective on Enormous Microsoft-Skype Deal

On Tuesday, the sun set in the East. Water ran uphill. And Redmond, WA-based Microsoft agreed to pay $8.5 billion in cash for an Internet company that gives away much of its service for free. The news could only be more de-polarizing if Luxembourg-based Skype Technologies had developed its Internet-based telephone service as open source … Continue reading “A Startup Rival Offers His Perspective on Enormous Microsoft-Skype Deal”

ISPE Golf Tournament

ISPE, the nonprofit society that serves pharmaceutical industry professionals, is organizing its annual golf tournament for July 29 at Willow Run Golf Course in Redmond. For more information on how to register, click here.

PATH Meningitis Vaccine Gets $100M

The GAVI Alliance, the Geneva, Switzerland-based global health organization, said today it has committed $100 million to support the use of a meningitis vaccine developed by Seattle-based PATH. The vaccine, MenAfriVac, was developed through a $70 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a 10-year development effort. It has been widely used … Continue reading “PATH Meningitis Vaccine Gets $100M”

Sustainable Fuel Research at WSU: NW Biodiesel Network Monthly Education

Some of the most innovative research in the world is happening at Washington State University. WSU is leading the way in sustainable fuel research that will profoundly impact the way we live. Their research, ranging from diverse biomass feedstock for biofuels to diverse transportation and other end uses, will drive innovation in the areas of … Continue reading “Sustainable Fuel Research at WSU: NW Biodiesel Network Monthly Education”

3Tier, Tracking the World’s Hotspots for Alternative Energy, Names New CEO

Seattle-based 3Tier Group, which has developed a map of the world’s best places for wind and solar power, has named Craig Husa as its new chief executive. Founder Kenneth Westrick, who previously served as CEO, remains with the company as chairman. The company announced in December that Westrick was moving away from day-to-day duties. Husa … Continue reading “3Tier, Tracking the World’s Hotspots for Alternative Energy, Names New CEO”

Inporia Obtains $1,250,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7f46b343-7ca6-46ef-a208-ab4202238823&Preview=1 Date 5/11/2011 Company Name Inporia Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Inporia is your personal shopping concierge, helping you find sales and new arrivals for brands, Website http://www.Inporia.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,250,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company will use the financing to continue to … Continue reading “Inporia Obtains $1,250,000 New Round”

Halosource Secures Approval in China

Bothell, WA-based Halosource, the developer of technology to purify drinking water, said today it has secured formal approval from the Chinese Ministry of Health. Halosource said it is the first developer of clean drinking water technology to get approval from Chinese authorities under a new set of regulatory standards. The company said its China subsidiary … Continue reading “Halosource Secures Approval in China”

Bill Gates on The Energy Challenge: Optimistic on Science & Business, but Not So Much on Politics

When people think of Bill Gates, they probably think one of two things. He’s either a hard-driving software mogul, or warm-hearted billionaire devoted to saving the poor. But what fewer people realize is that Seattle’s most famous son also spends a lot of his time thinking about, and investing in, clean energy technologies that he … Continue reading “Bill Gates on The Energy Challenge: Optimistic on Science & Business, but Not So Much on Politics”

Dan Reed, Microsoft’s Resident Futurist, Thinks Past Windows to the Fusion of Mobile and Cloud Computing; Meet Him Next Week at Beyond Mobile

Dan Reed heads a crew within Microsoft that may have the coolest name of any division in the company: the eXtreme Computing Group, or XCG. Formed a little less than two years ago, the group is part of Microsoft Research, but its mandate goes beyond R&D: it’s to help the company as a whole look … Continue reading “Dan Reed, Microsoft’s Resident Futurist, Thinks Past Windows to the Fusion of Mobile and Cloud Computing; Meet Him Next Week at Beyond Mobile”

Microsoft & Skype, in $8.5B Merger, Could Have Tons of Applications, but Mobile and Kinect are Ones to Watch

With its $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype this morning, Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) appears to be embracing one of the classic digs at Redmond: It’s grown too big to truly innovate. According to the companies’ announcement, Luxembourg-based Skype, which has offices and investors in Silicon Valley, will be its own division within the Redmond, WA, software … Continue reading “Microsoft & Skype, in $8.5B Merger, Could Have Tons of Applications, but Mobile and Kinect are Ones to Watch”

BigDoor Media Adds Power-Hitter Client: Seattle Startup Brings Gamification to Major League Baseball’s Website

The trend of gamification—adding virtual rewards and other game mechanics to all kinds of customer relationships—is barely a year old. But Seattle startup BigDoor Media is showing that the developing field could have some big potential: Today, the company is announcing that its technology is being integrated with MLB.com, the website for Major League Baseball. … Continue reading “BigDoor Media Adds Power-Hitter Client: Seattle Startup Brings Gamification to Major League Baseball’s Website”