[Update: 3:45 pm] Turn on a TV, and you’ll see Microsoft running commercials touting something few men on the street know much about—cloud computing. So if the concept is starting to go mainstream, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of Seattle’s early movers in the space, Skytap, has already made some serious headway … Continue reading “Skytap, Fresh Off Boston-Led $10M Financing, Seeks to Make Cloud Computing Work Better”
Category: Seattle
Vaccine Innovations That Will Expedite Access for the Next Generation of Treatments
As viral pandemics and drug resistant bacteria become more common, it is imperative that the pharmaceutical industry increases its efforts to develop truly revolutionary treatments to combat infectious diseases. One area of focus is the development of new prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. When a pandemic strikes, the traditional vaccine development and manufacturing process is cumbersome … Continue reading “Vaccine Innovations That Will Expedite Access for the Next Generation of Treatments”
Hood Wins $500K Russ Prize
Leroy Hood, the pioneer of high-speed gene sequencing machines, has added another big item for his trophy case. Hood has won the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize, a $500,000 award for bioengineering achievement that is presented by the National Academy of Engineering. Hood has previously received a number of prestigious honors, including the … Continue reading “Hood Wins $500K Russ Prize”
Venture-Backed Buyouts at Record Volume as Increasing Pace of Exits Mark Possible Recovery
Initial public offerings and acquisitions surged for venture-backed companies during the fourth quarter of 2010. The results suggest a recovery in the overall pace of “liquidity events” since the capital crisis of 2008, which triggered a painful economic recession throughout the U.S. and elsewhere. Most of the IPO activity was driven by Chinese companies going … Continue reading “Venture-Backed Buyouts at Record Volume as Increasing Pace of Exits Mark Possible Recovery”
How 2011 Will Unfold in Healthcare
It’s the beginning of the year—an opportune time to forecast how 2011 will unfold in healthcare. We are likely to see some surprises, such as the sharply rising importance of primary care physicians. Here are some predictions about the new year: • More consolidation is on its way in healthcare under Obamacare, which heightens the … Continue reading “How 2011 Will Unfold in Healthcare”
Skytap Scores $10M More, Led by Boston Investor OpenView
Cloud-computing startups are getting older and wiser. Seattle-based Skytap announced today it has raised $10 million in Series C financing led by new investor OpenView Venture Partners, based in Boston. Skytap’s existing investors Madrona Venture Group, Ignition Partners, and Washington Research Foundation also participated in the round. OpenView senior managing director Scott Maxwell is joining … Continue reading “Skytap Scores $10M More, Led by Boston Investor OpenView”
NW Biodiesel Network Monthly Meeting
Jessica Finn Coven, a policy specialist with Climate Solutions, will be the featured speaker at this month’s meeitng of The Northwest Biodiesel Network. For more information on how to register, click here.
The Immunex Alumni: Where Are They Now?
[Update: 10:30 am, 12/30/11] Immunex was the company that made Seattle believe it could become a world-class cluster for the biotech industry. The company was born during the industry’s founding wave in the early 1980s. Young genetic engineering hotshots from around the world gravitated to its culture of freewheeling scientific inquiry, can-do entrepreneurship, and irreverence. … Continue reading “The Immunex Alumni: Where Are They Now?”
Five Popular Predictions for 2011 That Are Wrong
1. Prediction in Vogue: 2011 will be the year of the “Super Angel” Reality: Given all the angel investment activity, and the fact that it has never been easier to start a new company (low cost of computer power, plenty of talented people, plenty of real estate, etc), too many “me too” companies will be … Continue reading “Five Popular Predictions for 2011 That Are Wrong”
The Top 10 Ways 2010 Changed Mobile Apps
This month, IDC analysts released a forecast report showing that mobile apps will support more of our everyday interactions, with downloads projected to increase to nearly 76.9 billion in 2014. However, while future predictions are great to consider, it’s always valuable to take a look back at what actually happened over the past year. Undoubtedly … Continue reading “The Top 10 Ways 2010 Changed Mobile Apps”
Skytap Garners $9,999,997 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f0bc7018-aa17-4da9-9249-c37f82da839c&Preview=1 Date 12/31/2010 Company Name Skytap Mailing Address 710 2nd Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Skytap is the leading provider of cloud-based virtualization solutions available as on-demand services over the Web. Virtualization is poised to become the defining technology of the 21st century and Skytap’s goal is to make serving up … Continue reading “Skytap Garners $9,999,997 New Funding Round”
Top Five Biotech Surprises & Innovations of 2010, and Five Trends to Watch for in 2011
1. FDA’s decision to remove the breast cancer indication from the label of bevacizumab (Avastin). 2. Approval of Dendreon’s sipuleucel-T (Provenge), representing a new class of drug. 3. Sanofi-Aventis’ pursuit of Genzyme. It illustrates an industry move towards adding orphan and rare therapeutic areas to pharma portfolios. Another example of the trend came when Pfizer … Continue reading “Top Five Biotech Surprises & Innovations of 2010, and Five Trends to Watch for in 2011”
Xconomy Man of Year for 2010—Plus a Gigantic Energy Prediction for 2011
My Xconomy “Man of the Year” for 2010 would not be Mark Zuckerberg (that should have been a year or two ago if you are on the leading edge like Xconomy), but rather Andrew Mason, founder of Groupon. The speed and magnitude that this business innovation achieved through this company was stunning and still boggles … Continue reading “Xconomy Man of Year for 2010—Plus a Gigantic Energy Prediction for 2011”
The Top 3 Technology Surprises of 2010, and Six Predictions for 2011
Top Surprises of 2010: · Magnitude of iPad success · Isilon’s acquisition by EMC as well as the resurgence of the storage sector overall · Rapid growth of Android smart phones 2011 Predictions: · Continued growth of web services and people will stop referring to things as “private”, “public” and “hybrid” cloud and focus more … Continue reading “The Top 3 Technology Surprises of 2010, and Six Predictions for 2011”
Northern California’s Top 5 Biotech Innovation News Stories
The year that was 2010 was another year on the rollercoaster. We had our ups and our downs. But throughout, we continued to be at the forefront of innovation. From mature companies to emerging technologies, 2010 was an exciting year. Here are BayBio’s top five stories for 2010. 1. Amgen secures approval for two new … Continue reading “Northern California’s Top 5 Biotech Innovation News Stories”
One Surprise in the Auto Industry in 2010—With More on the Road Ahead
We saw much of what has happened coming. I am surprised at how quickly the domestic auto industry has become profitable at still a depression level of sales. Looking ahead I think we will be surprised at the rate of cost reduction of batteries and electric and plug-in hybrid technology. [Editor’s Note: This is part … Continue reading “One Surprise in the Auto Industry in 2010—With More on the Road Ahead”
Dashwire Receives $981,326 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3a6c1c4e-3583-4368-82fb-2bd3eaa98631&Preview=1 Date 12/28/2010 Company Name Dashwire Mailing Address 936 N. 34th Street Seattle, WA 98103 Company Description Dashwire seamlessly integrates your mobile phone and the world it captures with your computer and the web, helping you access and share your mobile experiences – no cables required. Website http://www.dashwire.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction … Continue reading “Dashwire Receives $981,326 New Round”
Computing in the Age of the $1,000 Genome: Speakers from Isilon, Arch Join Stellar Lineup
The quest to sequence entire human genomes for $1,000 or less is one of the stories that many predict will change healthcare in the 21st century. It’s an enormously complex puzzle that requires some of the brightest minds in both IT and life sciences to put their heads together. And quite a few of them … Continue reading “Computing in the Age of the $1,000 Genome: Speakers from Isilon, Arch Join Stellar Lineup”
Vaccines Top the List of 2010 Innovations
For us it would be in the area of vaccines first. The approval of the first cancer therapeutic vaccine from Dendreon in prostate cancer establishes the concept that immunotherapy is a conceptually achievable and clinically useful approach for treating cancer. This allows us and others to develop novel concepts of immunotherapy for cancer. On another … Continue reading “Vaccines Top the List of 2010 Innovations”
EnergySavvy Garners $685,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7fd9e511-5974-44bd-ac96-dd36cb56d62b&Preview=1 Date 12/27/2010 Company Name EnergySavvy Mailing Address 2109 9th Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description The company operates a one stop shop web application that helps homeowners become more energy efficient. Website http://www.energysavvy.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $685,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “EnergySavvy Garners $685,000 Series A Financing”
Marvell CEO Says ARM Chips are “Here to Stay,” With or Without Microsoft Windows
The CEO of Santa Clara, CA-based semiconductor maker Marvell, Sehat Sutardja, has downplayed the significance of rumors circulating this week that Microsoft plans to unveil a version of Windows that runs on low-power ARM chips like those made by Marvell, Qualcomm, Samsung, and many other companies. Observers are saying that such a move would be … Continue reading “Marvell CEO Says ARM Chips are “Here to Stay,” With or Without Microsoft Windows”
Editor’s Picks: The Best of 2010 From Xconomy Seattle
This is the time of year for counting blessings, so I have to say we consider ourselves fortunate as journalists to have what is sometimes called the front row seat to history. That’s how I feel when I look back at the year’s mix of features, breaking news stories, scoops, and up-close profiles. We feel … Continue reading “Editor’s Picks: The Best of 2010 From Xconomy Seattle”
Come Shoot the Breeze, Have a Cup of Tea, With Me and Thong Le of WRF Capital
The news is starting to wind down as we head into the holiday season, so that can only mean one thing—it’s time to shoot the breeze at a special holiday edition of “Xconomy Meetup.” Here’s the idea. In between our fancy-pants productions where we sell tickets, like “Biotech’s Back in Seattle” and “Computing in the … Continue reading “Come Shoot the Breeze, Have a Cup of Tea, With Me and Thong Le of WRF Capital”
Xconomy Meetup: Thong Le of WRF Capital
Please join Xconomy’s national biotech editor, Luke Timmerman, for the next installment of “Xconomy Meetup.” This will be a free and open conversation, in which readers can come have an informal chat with Xconomy editors about what’s new and interesting in the local innovation scene. The next Xconomy Meetup will be at 4 pm on … Continue reading “Xconomy Meetup: Thong Le of WRF Capital”
Get Your Expenses in Now! Concur Declares Today the Biggest Moment for Expense Filing
We all know about Black Friday, and Cyber Monday and the implications they have for business worldwide. But apparently now we have File-Your-Gosh-Darn-Expenses-Already Tuesday. That’s what we learned today from Redmond, WA-based Concur Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNQR]]). The company, which makes software that helps companies manage business expenses, said December 21 is the busiest day of … Continue reading “Get Your Expenses in Now! Concur Declares Today the Biggest Moment for Expense Filing”
Survey Shows Venture Industry’s Outlook Brightening for 2011
Venture capitalists and venture-backed CEOs are feeling more optimistic about 2011, according to the fifth annual outlook survey being released today by the National Venture Capital Association and Dow Jones VentureSource. The most recent “Venture View” survey is based on responses from more than 330 VCs and 180 executives that were collected nationwide at the … Continue reading “Survey Shows Venture Industry’s Outlook Brightening for 2011”
Fighting Alzheimer’s: New Hope in a New Year Through Innovation
The toll of Alzheimer’s disease on patients, their families, and our society is devastating. Alzheimer’s robs people of their memories, their identities and ultimately their lives. And the cost to society can’t be ignored. According to a new study, “Medicines in Development for Alzheimer’s Disease,” without effective new drugs and other therapies that curtail or … Continue reading “Fighting Alzheimer’s: New Hope in a New Year Through Innovation”
iStocking Stuffers: The Best Apps for That iPad Under the Tree
So you know someone who’s lucky enough to be getting an Apple iPad as a Christmas present. Well, that’s just the beginning of the adventure. The next step is to get their device loaded up with great apps—and naturally, they’ll want a few that show off the iPad’s remarkable capabilities. Today I’m sharing my ideas … Continue reading “iStocking Stuffers: The Best Apps for That iPad Under the Tree”
GlobalScholar’s Kal Raman, Fresh Off $160M Deal, Seeks to Build an Oracle for K-12 Schools
Kal Raman has one of those classic poor-boy-makes-good life stories. He was born and raised in a village in India, hungry, with no electricity, no running water. The poor boy grew up to make a small fortune in the executive ranks in the U.S. at companies like Wal-Mart, drugstore.com, and Seattle-based Amazon. Now Raman, a … Continue reading “GlobalScholar’s Kal Raman, Fresh Off $160M Deal, Seeks to Build an Oracle for K-12 Schools”
How Michael French, a Military Brat Turned Dealmaker, Kept Marina Biotech Alive
Not once has J. Michael French scraped together more than six months of operating cash for his company since he became CEO in June 2008. More than once, almost any rational person would have concluded bankruptcy was imminent. Yet 30 months have come and gone and French’s company, Bothell, WA-based Marina Biotech (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]), is … Continue reading “How Michael French, a Military Brat Turned Dealmaker, Kept Marina Biotech Alive”
Hutch Buys Building for $36M
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center said today it has agreed to acquire a 177,000 square foot building for $36 million from a development group led by Bruce Blume. The center said it will use the new building, at 1100 Eastlake Avenue East, for offices and to support shared resources at its main campus across … Continue reading “Hutch Buys Building for $36M”
Report: RIM to Buy Gist
Research in Motion (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RIMM]]), the maker of BlackBerry smartphones, is in talks to possibly acquire Seattle-based Gist, the maker of software that helps people keep track of their contacts online, according to a report today by GigaOm. While the deal is “nearly done” the two sides may not come to an agreement, GigaOm said. … Continue reading “Report: RIM to Buy Gist”
For Startups, Is Friction Always Bad?
There’s probably nary a Web entrepreneur who hasn’t had a forehead-slapping “Why didn’t I build Groupon?” moment at some point in 2010. Well, I had an experience like that this week, reading Devin Friedman’s superb article “The Viral Me” in the December issue of GQ. It’s all about the Y Combinator venture incubator in Mountain … Continue reading “For Startups, Is Friction Always Bad?”
Washington Startups Collect $24M in November, Med Devices Lead the Way
It looks like startup investors laid low during turkey month, when tech and life sciences companies collected a total of $24.4 million in equity-based funding across 19 deals. The November total shrunk from this summer and early fall, when the state’s startups pulled in anywhere from $50 million to $80 million per month in financing, … Continue reading “Washington Startups Collect $24M in November, Med Devices Lead the Way”
Mobisante, Striving to Put Ultrasound on Smartphones, Raises Cash from WRF Capital
Mobisante has a vision of taking the next step in miniaturization of ultrasound technology, and today it has raised some of the cash it needs to carry out the idea. The Redmond, WA-based company has raised an undisclosed amount of seed financing from Seattle-based WRF Capital. Mobisante plans to use the cash to finish some … Continue reading “Mobisante, Striving to Put Ultrasound on Smartphones, Raises Cash from WRF Capital”
GlobalScholar Bought By Scantron
Bellevue, WA-based GlobalScholar, the maker of technology for K-12 education, has agreed to be acquired by Scantron, a unit of San Antonio, TX-based Harland Clarke Holdings. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. GlobalScholar’s programs, which are used for tracking student and teacher performance, are used to support 5 million students, Harland Clarke said in … Continue reading “GlobalScholar Bought By Scantron”
Microsoft and Sentillion: A Progress Report on a Crucial Health IT Acquisition
It was a big day last February when Sentillion, the Andover, MA-based provider of healthcare software, announced its acquisition by Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) was complete and that the company and its 110 employees (most of whom are in Massachusetts) would be folded into the technology giant’s Health Solutions Group. The deal (exact terms of which … Continue reading “Microsoft and Sentillion: A Progress Report on a Crucial Health IT Acquisition”
Adaptive TCR Seeks to Dominate New Industry, Ultrasound on an iPhone, AVI Names CEO, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
The medical meeting season has passed, and pretty soon Seattle biotechs will go into hibernation for the holidays. But here are a few headlines to catch up on you may have missed in the last week. —Washington’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund had never invested in a corporation until October, when it agreed to pump $5 … Continue reading “Adaptive TCR Seeks to Dominate New Industry, Ultrasound on an iPhone, AVI Names CEO, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
So You Have an Idea, Now What? NWEN Breakfast Buzz
The Northwest Entrepreneur Network seeks to begin 2011 with a simple concept – “So you have an idea, now what?” So much more than a new year’s resolution, you have an idea for a consumer good, a technology, or perhaps something in the green space, but where do you start and who do you kick … Continue reading “So You Have an Idea, Now What? NWEN Breakfast Buzz”
eIQ: Branding Strategies for Startups
Creating a brand for your business is an important differentiator for cutting through, and establishing yourself in a crowd of like-minded companies and/or other startups. Does it mean slapping a logo on everything you touch from your attire to your laptop cover? Not exactly. Knowing some of the key elements of good branding and then … Continue reading “eIQ: Branding Strategies for Startups”
Boomers, Technology & Health: Consumers Taking Charge! MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest
Today, 112 million Americans are over the age of 45, representing the fastest-growing, highest-spending segment of any single demographic in history. They want to age in place, and make connecting with family and friends easier – both online and off. As an affluent group who adopts technology with enthusiasm, and is willing to try new … Continue reading “Boomers, Technology & Health: Consumers Taking Charge! MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest”
Hutch Award Luncheon: Honoring Atlanta Braves Pitcher Tim Hudson
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is holding its 46th Hutch Award luncheon on January 26th at Safeco Field in Seattle. Atlanta Braves pitcher Tim Hudson will receive the Hutch Award this year. For more information on how to register, click here.
Angel Capital Association Meeting: Northwest
The Alliance of Angels is hosting the Angel Capital Association’s Northwest Regional Meeting in Seattle on February 3rd & 4th, 2011. This two-day event provides accredited investors with an opportunity to keep up with the latest trends in angel investing, share best practices, and expand their network. For more information on how to register, click … Continue reading “Angel Capital Association Meeting: Northwest”
Northwest Biofuel Efforts: Science & Technology Discovery Series
Washington State University’s John Gardner will be the guest speaker on January 14th at the Technology Alliance’s Science & Technology Discovery Series. Gardner will talk about regional biofuel efforts. For more information on how to register, click here.
Alliance of Angels 10-Minute Pitch Clinic
The Alliance of Angels is hosting a 10-minute pitch clinic to coach entrepreneurs on how to best describe their business to angel investors. For more information on how to register, click here.
39th Annual Economic Forecast
Enterprise Seattle and the Washington Global Health Alliance have teamed up to organize the 39th annual Economic Forecast Conference in the Pacific Northwest. Martha Choe of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gov. Chris Gregoire, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and economist Dick Conway are among the featured speakers this year. For more information on … Continue reading “39th Annual Economic Forecast”
EveryScape and Bing Ramp Up 3-D Virtual Tours in Local Search Results
Here’s an interesting snapshot of a small startup working with a tech giant to change how people check out local establishments on the Web—and also how those establishments advertise online. The startup is Newton, MA-based EveryScape, which creates 3-D panoramic tours of restaurants and other businesses from photos of their interiors. The tech giant is … Continue reading “EveryScape and Bing Ramp Up 3-D Virtual Tours in Local Search Results”
iConference 2011
The iConference is an international showcase for emerging work in areas like health informatics, user experience design/HCI, information management, information security, collaboration, and e-government. In addition to keynotes from information science visionaries Colin B. Burke and Susan Dumais, the conference features industry panels on “Privacy in the Cloud” and “Big Data.” The event is being … Continue reading “iConference 2011”
Spoken Raises $4M
Bellevue, WA-based Spoken Communications, the maker of speech recognition technology for customer call centers, said today it has raised $4 million from Ignition Growth Capital. The company said it plans to use the money to provide extra capacity to customers that are looking to expand with virtual call centers.
With UW Partnership, Novel Moves a Step Closer to “The Matrix” for Businesses
When we last checked in with Brayden Olson, it was early fall, and the wunderkind co-founder and CEO of Redmond, WA-based videogame startup Novel was busy telling us about his company’s massively multiplayer online game, Empire & State. That was all well and good. But the real intrigue behind Novel is its plan to develop … Continue reading “With UW Partnership, Novel Moves a Step Closer to “The Matrix” for Businesses”