Seattle supercomputing company Cray (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CRAY]]) is cutting about 50 jobs as it reconfigures its employee mix, according to a regulatory filing. The company didn’t specify what types of jobs were being cut, or say where they were located, other than to indicate the losses aren’t concentrated in any particular place or category. Cray’s headquarters … Continue reading “Cray Says Layoffs Make Room for Future Hires, Headcount to Stay Roughly Flat by Year’s End”
Category: Seattle
Omeros Combo Drug Passes Cataract Surgery Study
Omeros has some news out this morning on one of the lesser-known members of its drug development pipeline. The Seattle-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OMER]]) said today that its experimental treatment for patients undergoing eye surgery to correct cataracts was safe, able to maintain pupil dilation during the procedure, and reduce postoperative pain and irritation. The … Continue reading “Omeros Combo Drug Passes Cataract Surgery Study”
Who’s Going to Pay for Future Drug Development? (Part 2)
In the first part of this article, I detailed how pharma and biotech companies, along with the federal government, provide the majority of funding for biomedical research in the U.S. In this second part, I’ll turn my attention to a number of other sources, both for-profit and nonprofit, that also provide the capital that drives … Continue reading “Who’s Going to Pay for Future Drug Development? (Part 2)”
Allen Institute Adds Caltech Neuroscientist
The Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Seattle-based nonprofit backed by billionaire Paul Allen, said today it has hired Christof Koch as its new chief scientific officer. Koch comes from Caltech, where he spent 25 years on the faculty studying biophysics, neural computation, and neural systems, the Allen Institute said in a statement. “We are … Continue reading “Allen Institute Adds Caltech Neuroscientist”
See You at Xconomy Meetup With New Tech Writer Curt Woodward
We’re wrapping up our stories for tomorrow a little early so we can knock off for happy hour. In case you missed it, we’re having an Xconomy Meetup today from 4 pm to 6 pm at my favorite neighborhood dive bar, the Streamline Tavern, 121 West Mercer Street in Lower Queen Anne. This is a … Continue reading “See You at Xconomy Meetup With New Tech Writer Curt Woodward”
Cleantech Open Seattle Event
The Pacific Northwest Cleantech Open Seattle launch event will take place on Wednesday, March 23rd from 5 pm to 7 pm at Benaroya Hall in the Norcliffe Founders Room on 2nd Avenue in downtown Seattle. Members of the Pacific Northwest organizing committee will unveil global expansion plans for the Cleantech Open and various improvements to … Continue reading “Cleantech Open Seattle Event”
Amazon Pushes Ahead with “Appstore” Despite Apple’s Lawsuit over “App Store” – a Trademark that Microsoft also Opposes
The Seattle area’s two tech giants, Amazon.com and Microsoft, find themselves on the same side today—battling a trademark claim by Apple. As expected, Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) said Tuesday that it was indeed opening its new Appstore for Android, despite a recent federal lawsuit by Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) claiming trademark infringement of that company’s App Store … Continue reading “Amazon Pushes Ahead with “Appstore” Despite Apple’s Lawsuit over “App Store” – a Trademark that Microsoft also Opposes”
SeaGen Inks Abbott Deal
Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]), said today it will get an $8 million upfront payment from Abbott Laboratories in exchange for the right to use technology that links targeted antibodies to toxins that make them more potent drugs. Abbott (NYSE: [[ticker:ABT]]) has gotten a license to use the Seattle Genetics technology against one molecular target on … Continue reading “SeaGen Inks Abbott Deal”
Who’s Going to Pay for Future Drug Development? (Part 1)
In case you haven’t noticed, heart disease remains a debilitating illness for millions. Cancer, despite some recent advances, has not been cured. Drug resistant strains of bacteria are spreading across the globe. There are still no effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and a huge number of other illnesses. The number … Continue reading “Who’s Going to Pay for Future Drug Development? (Part 1)”
AT&T Grabs T-Mobile, Online Retail’s Tax Drain, Thoughts from “Chasm” Author Geoffrey Moore, & More in the Seattle-area Tech Roundup
The Seattle area’s longstanding prominence in the wireless carrier sector was thrown into question this weekend with AT&T’s announcement that it was purchasing Bellevue, WA-based T-Mobile USA for $39 billion. It will take months to see how the feds handle this proposed acquisition. But at least in the meantime, AT&T is saying all the right … Continue reading “AT&T Grabs T-Mobile, Online Retail’s Tax Drain, Thoughts from “Chasm” Author Geoffrey Moore, & More in the Seattle-area Tech Roundup”
Visible Technologies Secures $2,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b4311ba4-60a5-49dc-8461-a6c194daee7a&Preview=1 Date 3/22/2011 Company Name Visible Technologies Mailing Address 3535 Factoria Blvd SE Bellevue, WA 98006 Company Description Visible Technologies empowers companies to track, analyze and participate in consumer-generated media to drive their business forward. Their innovative TruCast platform is the industry’s first complete solution for social media analysis and participation. Visible … Continue reading “Visible Technologies Secures $2,000,000 New Financing Round”
Z2Live Obtains New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ce187975-9bd3-4dd9-ab1a-abc6b0e4d73b&Preview=1 Date 3/22/2011 Company Name Z2Live Mailing Address 1000 Second Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Z2Live was formed to leverage the new capabilities of mobile devices, the seamless flow between mobile and Web communities and the advent of consumer-focused marketplaces. The company was founded in 2009 by Damon Danieli, a 14-year … Continue reading “Z2Live Obtains New Financing Round”
Visible Technologies Garners $6,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b4311ba4-60a5-49dc-8461-a6c194daee7a&Preview=1 Date 3/22/2011 Company Name Visible Technologies Mailing Address 3535 Factoria Blvd SE Bellevue, WA 98006 Company Description Visible Technologies empowers companies to track, analyze and participate in consumer-generated media to drive their business forward. Their innovative TruCast platform is the industry’s first complete solution for social media analysis and participation. Visible … Continue reading “Visible Technologies Garners $6,000,000 New Round”
WBBA Pub Night
The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association is holding one of its pub nights on April 14. For more information, click here.
Leading With International Markets for Medical Tech Commercialization: Boom or Bust?
The University of Washington Bothell, the University of Washington Professional & Continuing Education and the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association (WBBA) plan to present “A Leadership Summit: Leading with International Markets for Medical Technology Commercialization – Boom or Bust?” on April 7, 2011. For more information on how to register, click here.
Microsoft Sues Over Android on Nook
Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) announced Monday that it’s suing Barnes & Noble (NYSE: [[ticker:BKS]]) and the bookseller’s manufacturing partners over the Nook e-reader that runs on Google’s Android operating system. Here is a copy of the nine-page lawsuit filed Monday—I didn’t include the many pages of exhibits. It’s not the first time that Microsoft has asserted patent … Continue reading “Microsoft Sues Over Android on Nook”
OwnZones Gets $500K for Media Paywalls
Hot on the heels of The New York Times’ new metered-access pay plan for digital content, Remond, WA-based OwnZones Media Network is touting an initial $500,000 round of financing. The investors were not disclosed. The company says it’s building a digital content aggregation service based around charging consumers a monthly fee to access higher-quality material … Continue reading “OwnZones Gets $500K for Media Paywalls”
Think Obamacare Will Suffocate New Drug Development With Price Controls? Think Again
There were a million arguments against healthcare reform a year ago. One was that if President Obama got his way and expanded health insurance to millions of uninsured people, and the government made a real effort to study the comparative effectiveness of drugs at high and low prices, it was really the first step toward … Continue reading “Think Obamacare Will Suffocate New Drug Development With Price Controls? Think Again”
Doxo, Kashless, Physiosonic led WA’s Equity Financing Deals in February
Doxo’s bid to wipe out paper business correspondence attracted a $10 million round of venture financing last month, outpacing several others as the biggest single venture deal in Washington state last month, according to data compiled by CB Insights. Doxo‘s Series B investment was led new investor Sigma Partners, and included returning investors Mohr Davidow … Continue reading “Doxo, Kashless, Physiosonic led WA’s Equity Financing Deals in February”
OwnZones Media Network Garners $500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a4f041f0-28a6-47ca-83f6-14ff5845bc0a&Preview=1 Date 3/21/2011 Company Name OwnZones Media Network Mailing Address Undisclosed Redmond, WA 98052 Company Description The company is creating a digital ecosystem that allows users to pay for content. Website http://www.ownzones.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes This capitalization will support the company’s efforts to … Continue reading “OwnZones Media Network Garners $500,000 New Round”
T-Mobile’s Sale to AT&T: What They’re Saying, What it Means for the Northwest
The sale of Bellevue, WA-based T-Mobile USA to AT&T for $39 billion shook up the mobile world this weekend, both nationally and in the Seattle area. It’s unclear what the practical effects will be for T-Mobile employees in the Puget Sound region, and we might not know for some time: The companies say the acquisition … Continue reading “T-Mobile’s Sale to AT&T: What They’re Saying, What it Means for the Northwest”
Party With a Purpose
The Party With a Purpose, an initiative to get 20 and 30-somethings involved in global health causes, is being held this year on June 17th at McCaw Hall in Seattle. This year, the event is focusing on the Infectious Disease Research Institute and its efforts to control and eliminate tuberculosis in Haiti. For more information … Continue reading “Party With a Purpose”
Alnylam CEO: Tekmira Accusation of Trade Secret Misuse was a “Big Surprise”
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals CEO John Maraganore found out his firm was getting sued by one of its business partners for more than $1 billion when an e-mail arrived in his inbox a few minutes after a press release on Wednesday. This was a bombshell, to say the least. The CEO of Vancouver, BC-based Tekmira Pharmaceuticals said … Continue reading “Alnylam CEO: Tekmira Accusation of Trade Secret Misuse was a “Big Surprise””
Tekmira-Alnylam Lawsuit Centers on Drug Carrier Particles
Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ALNY]]) has been working with Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TSE:[[ticker:TKM]]) of Vancouver, BC, since at least 2006 on getting its gene-silencing drugs into cells to treat diseases. But the partnership has gone sour. Tekmira has filed a lawsuit that is seeking what could amount to more than $1 billion from Alnylam. Alnylam, founded … Continue reading “Tekmira-Alnylam Lawsuit Centers on Drug Carrier Particles”
Online Sales “Leakage” Costing WA About $740M Over Two Years—Even With Amazon Collecting Sales Taxes
[Updated at 4:10 p.m. with more statistics and a correction, see below] Washington is one of the few states where Amazon.com collects sales taxes and sends the money to the government. But Washington is still losing hundreds of millions of dollars each year to sales tax “leakage” from online retail sales. In Thursday’s forecast of … Continue reading “Online Sales “Leakage” Costing WA About $740M Over Two Years—Even With Amazon Collecting Sales Taxes”
How to Enchant Your Way to Tech Success, Kawasaki Style
You’re a technology entrepreneur—more power to you. You’ve built a great product that solves a real problem—congratulations. Unfortunately, that’s only half the battle. Maybe even less than half. Now you have to make the world believe in you and your product. That’s the part of entrepreneurship that many innovators and startup founders aren’t prepared for. … Continue reading “How to Enchant Your Way to Tech Success, Kawasaki Style”
Jawbone Opening Seattle Office
San Francisco-based Jawbone, which makes noise-canceling Bluetooth headsets, is the latest Bay Area tech company to move into the Seattle job market. This job ad, first reported by GeekWire, says Jawbone is looking for experienced engineers for its expansion into Seattle. The ad gives no timeline for when an office might be open. Facebook, Zynga, … Continue reading “Jawbone Opening Seattle Office”
Tekmira Sues Alnylam, Alan Aderem Bolts to Seattle BioMed, Dendreon’s Warhorse Retires, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This week’s big headlines came from a couple of personnel moves, and one potentially nasty trade secrets lawsuit. —Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) said that David Urdal, the chief scientific officer who lived through the company’s roller coaster story over the past 15 years, plans to retire at the end of 2011. Urdal, 62, says it’s time … Continue reading “Tekmira Sues Alnylam, Alan Aderem Bolts to Seattle BioMed, Dendreon’s Warhorse Retires, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Intellectual Ventures: Troubled Japan Plant’s Technology is Like a Model T Compared to TerraPower’s Next-Gen Nuclear Systems
Intellectual Ventures, the invention lab headed by former Microsoft technology chief Nathan Myhrvold, says the technology behind its nuclear-energy startup TerraPower is vastly more advanced than the earthquake-damaged nuclear reactors currently making dire headlines from Japan. In a blog post Wednesday, Intellectual Ventures said all of its employees based in the Tokyo office were safe, … Continue reading “Intellectual Ventures: Troubled Japan Plant’s Technology is Like a Model T Compared to TerraPower’s Next-Gen Nuclear Systems”
Tekmira Sues Alnylam for $1 Billion, Accusing Partner of Misusing RNAi Trade Secrets
[Updated 10:40 am ET, with Alnylam response] Tekmira Pharmaceuticals, the Vancouver, BC-based maker of technology to deliver RNA interference therapies, has filed a lawsuit against Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals seeking damages of more than $1 billion because of what Tekmira’s CEO calls “relentless and egregious” misappropriation of trade secrets. Tekmira filed the legal complaint (see full … Continue reading “Tekmira Sues Alnylam for $1 Billion, Accusing Partner of Misusing RNAi Trade Secrets”
Report: Zillow Hires Bankers Ahead of IPO
Seattle real-estate website Zillow.com has hired Citigroup to manage an initial public offering, Bloomberg reports, citing unnamed sources. Bloomberg said its sources didn’t identify any timeline for a possible Zillow IPO. The company hasn’t yet filed an S-1 prospectus to declare its IPO plans, which would identify its underwriters, and reveal how much cash it … Continue reading “Report: Zillow Hires Bankers Ahead of IPO”
Harvest Power Hauls In $51.7M Led by Al Gore’s Investment Firm
This is one of the bigger cleantech deals we’ve seen around the country. Waltham, MA-based Harvest Power, a waste-to-energy startup that’s building a plant near Vancouver, BC, said today it has raised a $51.7 million Series B financing round led by Generation Investment Management, a London-based firm co-founded by Al Gore and David Blood. New … Continue reading “Harvest Power Hauls In $51.7M Led by Al Gore’s Investment Firm”
Geoffrey Moore: Why Middle Managers Are the New Kings, Stiff-arming Shortsightedness, & the Money “Chasm” in the Mobile-Social Sphere
Author, consultant, and venture capitalist Geoffrey Moore has written a half-dozen books—his latest comes out later this year—including the classic “Crossing the Chasm,” an analysis of how businesses can push through the deadly barriers to broad adoption. This Friday, he’ll be a keynote speaker at the Washington Innovation Summit sponsored by the Technology Alliance. Booking … Continue reading “Geoffrey Moore: Why Middle Managers Are the New Kings, Stiff-arming Shortsightedness, & the Money “Chasm” in the Mobile-Social Sphere”
Jeremy Jaech Leaves CEO Post at Seattle’s Verdiem
[Updated March 21 with comment from Jaech, see below] Longtime Northwest tech entrepreneur Jeremy Jaech has left the chief executive post at Seattle-based Verdiem, Xconomy has learned. Experienced tech entrepreneur and executive John Scumniotales, now heading the company as president and CEO, says the change was amicable and will allow Verdiem to move more aggressively … Continue reading “Jeremy Jaech Leaves CEO Post at Seattle’s Verdiem”
SeaGen Expands Millennium Deal
Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) said today that it has gotten an additional undisclosed fee from its partner, Cambridge, MA-based Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, to expand a collaboration that seeks to develop “empowered antibody” drugs for cancer. Millennium first gained access to Seattle Genetics’ technology, which links antibodies to toxins that make them more potent, … Continue reading “SeaGen Expands Millennium Deal”
Grab a Beer With Me and My New Partner in Crime, Curt Woodward, at the Xconomy Meetup March 22
Every now and then—pretty much whenever I feel like it—we here at Xconomy like to invite our readers to come out and shoot the breeze with us over a beer. These are some of my favorite events, and I have a really good excuse to schedule a new one now—it’s time to introduce readers to … Continue reading “Grab a Beer With Me and My New Partner in Crime, Curt Woodward, at the Xconomy Meetup March 22”
Tippr and BuyWithMe’s Round 2, Dissecting Amazon’s Sales Tax Skirmishes, Clearwire’s Shakeup, & More in Seattle-Area Tech News
Competition in the crowded daily-deals market got a little more pugnacious recently with an acquisition by group discount site BuyWithMe. The Boston- and New York-based company purchased LocalTwist, boosting BuyWithMe in San Diego and putting the company in a new market—Seattle. The latter city, of course, is the home base of competitor Tippr, the Martin … Continue reading “Tippr and BuyWithMe’s Round 2, Dissecting Amazon’s Sales Tax Skirmishes, Clearwire’s Shakeup, & More in Seattle-Area Tech News”
DYMO/Mimio Acquires Headsprout for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2b8f454e-3ce8-4117-be9c-fafcef68db24&Preview=1 Date 3/15/2011 Company Name Headsprout Mailing Address 127 Broadway Ave E. Seattle, WA 98102 Company Description We help children master basic academic skills with fun, interactive learning programs that work. Every hour of every day, in schools and homes across the country and around the world, children are learning to read … Continue reading “DYMO/Mimio Acquires Headsprout for Undisclosed Sum”
Alliance of Angels 10-Minute Pitch Clinic
Alliance of Angels gives insights on effectively pitching to angel investors in a 10-minute window. The Alliance’s four-step process is discussed, and managers offer a workshop to answer question and help develop messaging. Prices are $95 per person in advance and $110 at the door. Register at the Alliance of Angels website or contact Amy Bell … Continue reading “Alliance of Angels 10-Minute Pitch Clinic”
Animoto Opens Slide Show Creation Tools to Kodak Gallery and More Partners
There’s a slew of tools like Apple’s iMovie for turning your raw photos and videos into fun multimedia slide shows that you can share with friends and family. The problem is that none of them are drop-dead simple—except perhaps Animoto’s. The startup, which is based in San Francisco and New York and backed mainly by … Continue reading “Animoto Opens Slide Show Creation Tools to Kodak Gallery and More Partners”
Alan Aderem, With Team in Tow, Bolts From ISB to Take Leading Role at Seattle BioMed
Alan Aderem, the immunologist who co-founded the Institute for Systems Biology a decade ago with Leroy Hood and Reudi Aebersold, is leaving the Seattle research center to take over the presidency of another of one of the Northwest’s other leading centers of biomedicine—the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. Aderem, 55, is joining Seattle BioMed as director, … Continue reading “Alan Aderem, With Team in Tow, Bolts From ISB to Take Leading Role at Seattle BioMed”
Where Are Tomorrow’s Blockbuster Biotech Drugs Coming From? You Might be Surprised
The San Francisco Bay Area has a storied tradition as the birthplace and leading hub of biotechnology, but something curious has happened the past couple years. Most of the scientifically groundbreaking, medical-textbook rewriting, financially lucrative new biotech drugs of the 21st century are coming from somewhere else. This dawned on me last week as I … Continue reading “Where Are Tomorrow’s Blockbuster Biotech Drugs Coming From? You Might be Surprised”
Medical Images Get Cloudy
The revolution of cloud computing is poised to have a major impact on the healthcare technology market. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the developments surrounding medical imaging. While concerns over availability and privacy have slowed adoption to date, those are issues are highly addressable and the market is moving forward. Medical imaging … Continue reading “Medical Images Get Cloudy”
Xconomy Meetup With Curt Woodward & Luke Timmerman
Come out to meet Xconomy Seattle editor Luke Timmerman and the team’s newest addition, senior editor Curt Woodward, over a beer. We like it if you’ll send an RSVP to [email protected], but we won’t bust your chops if you just stop by unannounced to say Hi.
Dendreon’s Warhorse, Chief Scientific Officer Dave Urdal, To Retire at Year-End
David Urdal, the scientific entrepreneur who co-founded the modern version of Dendreon over 15 years ago and helped turn it into a pioneer of cancer immunotherapy, is stepping down from his job as chief scientific officer at the Seattle biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]). Urdal, 61, will be retiring as Dendreon’s executive vice president and chief … Continue reading “Dendreon’s Warhorse, Chief Scientific Officer Dave Urdal, To Retire at Year-End”
BuyWithMe Acquires LocalTwist, Goes Head-to-Head Vs. Tippr While Lawsuits Simmer
This is not just another consolidation of local-deal sites. This is a life-and-death struggle for third place behind Groupon and LivingSocial (for now anyway). This is BuyWithMe vs. Tippr, Round Two. New York- and Boston-based BuyWithMe said today it has acquired LocalTwist, a daily-deals site that is active in Seattle and San Diego, and soon … Continue reading “BuyWithMe Acquires LocalTwist, Goes Head-to-Head Vs. Tippr While Lawsuits Simmer”
Amazon’s Multi-State Sales Tax Battles are a Sideshow to the Real National Solution, and the Politicians Know It
Revenue-hungry state governments are licking their chops. Stuck with declining tax collections and soaring costs for services, they’re chasing Amazon.com around the country in a series of attempts to make it collect sales taxes. That’s led some to wonder whether this high-tech round of whack-a-mole might be the front edge of a viral political movement … Continue reading “Amazon’s Multi-State Sales Tax Battles are a Sideshow to the Real National Solution, and the Politicians Know It”
Clearwire CEO Morrow Out, Stanton Named Interim Chief
Leadership shake-ups continue at Clearwire: the Kirkland, WA-based company said Thursday that CEO Bill Morrow and two other top officers are out. Board chairman John Stanton, one of Washington state’s wireless pioneers, is now interim chief executive. Clearwire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLWR]]) said Morrow is stepping down for personal reasons, and also is leaving as a director … Continue reading “Clearwire CEO Morrow Out, Stanton Named Interim Chief”
Dendreon Gets FDA Green Light for NJ Factory
Seattle-based Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) said today it has won FDA clearance to quadruple the output from the New Jersey factory where it makes its lone product, sipuleucel-T (Provenge). The drug, for men with advanced forms of prostate cancer, was first cleared for sale in the U.S. last April, at a time when Dendreon had extremely … Continue reading “Dendreon Gets FDA Green Light for NJ Factory”
Gates Amps Up Biotech Investment, Calypso Seeks Rebound, Targeted Genetics’ Obit, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
One of our local billionaires made a couple of significant biotech investments this week, while one of the venerable names from the biotech scene faded away. —The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation made its first-ever direct equity investment in a for-profit biotech company last week, when it plunked down $10 million on Research Triangle Park, … Continue reading “Gates Amps Up Biotech Investment, Calypso Seeks Rebound, Targeted Genetics’ Obit, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”