Every corner drugstore carries cheap meds for allergies, and about 30 million people in the U.S. still suffer from the symptoms. But now VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, a small biotech with operations in Seattle and San Diego, has generated some intriguing data that suggests it might have found a completely new way to treat—and possibly prevent—allergies. VentiRx … Continue reading “VentiRx, With Venti-Sized Ambition to Treat (and Maybe Prevent) Allergies, Passes First Big Test”
Category: Seattle
TOPGUN: Good Training for Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship
Top Gun the movie, like many movies loosely based on true stories or real organizations, certainly left us all entertained, and hopefully even a little motivated. The scenes of beach volleyball, testosterone-charged competition, and Maverick’s famous rendition of the Righteous Brothers’ classic were all unforgettable. But Hollywood never lets the truth get in the way … Continue reading “TOPGUN: Good Training for Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship”
Aneesh Chopra, Obama’s Chief Technology Officer, Talks About Health IT Geek Squads, Entrepreneurship Prizes, and “Data as a Policy Lever”
“In the Obama Administration, entrepreneurs are welcome.” So said Aneesh Chopra, chief technology officer of the United States, in a keynote speech yesterday at “DC to VC,” a summit on healthcare IT investing organized by Morgenthaler Ventures partner Rebecca Lynn in San Francisco and co-sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank and Venrock. Speaking to a group … Continue reading “Aneesh Chopra, Obama’s Chief Technology Officer, Talks About Health IT Geek Squads, Entrepreneurship Prizes, and “Data as a Policy Lever””
Sage Attracts Bigwigs, Hutch Adds Immunotherapy Center, the Pro-Life Vaccine Firm, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
We had an unusual grab bag of news and features this week from the Seattle biotech beat, from the worlds of genomics, cancer treatment, stem cells, vaccines, and medical devices. —Sage Bionetworks, the Seattle-based nonprofit seeking to kickstart an open source movement for biology, said it has secured commitments from a quartet of big-name biologists … Continue reading “Sage Attracts Bigwigs, Hutch Adds Immunotherapy Center, the Pro-Life Vaccine Firm, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
When Will TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington Quit AOL? Conceivian Takes a Stab
Ever since AOL (NYSE: [[ticker:AOL]]) acquired San Francisco-based TechCrunch for an undisclosed amount, many in the technology community have been speculating on how long it will take founder Michael Arrington to toss in his towel and leave the Internet giant. At least that’s the question on the minds of the folks over at Redmond, WA-based … Continue reading “When Will TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington Quit AOL? Conceivian Takes a Stab”
Verizon to Roll Out 4G in Seattle
Verizon Wireless will be rolling out its 4G LTE network in 38 major metropolitan areas nationwide, including Seattle, by the end of the year, the company said today. The network will span from the Seattle waterfront to Issaquah, and Lynnwood to Fife. In addition to the nationwide network launch, Verizon will also be equipping 60 … Continue reading “Verizon to Roll Out 4G in Seattle”
Nick Hanauer and Rich Barton Start New Social Gaming Company “King of the Web”
Early Amazon investor and aQuantive founder Nick Hanauer is teaming up with Zillow co-founder and former Expedia CEO Rich Barton on a new social gaming venture, according to Brier Dudley of The Seattle Times. The company, called “King of the Web,” will reportedly roll out in December. Until then, all we know is that the … Continue reading “Nick Hanauer and Rich Barton Start New Social Gaming Company “King of the Web””
Microsoft Invests in AppNexus
Redmond, WA-based Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) has participated in a $50 million Series C investment round for AppNexus, a New York-based maker of display advertising software, according to a press release yesterday. Other investors in the round include Venrock, Kodiak Venture Partners, and First Round Capital. Microsoft is a longstanding customer of AppNexus, whose software lets … Continue reading “Microsoft Invests in AppNexus”
Stanford, UCSD Biologists Take Plunge Into Arpanet-Style Project With Sage Bionetworks
[Updated: 6:40 am Pacific] Stephen Friend had plenty of doubters last year when he quit a high-powered Big Pharma executive job to start a nonprofit seeking to spark an open source style movement for biology. One year later, the former chief of cancer research at Merck has pulled off another unlikely feat. He’s corralled four … Continue reading “Stanford, UCSD Biologists Take Plunge Into Arpanet-Style Project With Sage Bionetworks”
Crimson Hexagon Edges Forward in Social Media Analysis with Big Customers Like Bing
OK, I think both the Boston and Seattle tech communities should pay attention to this startup. Mostly because it overlaps with a number of local efforts on both coasts. But also because Microsoft’s Bing is involved. The three-year-old startup is Crimson Hexagon, based in Cambridge, MA, and it is the brainchild of Gary King, a … Continue reading “Crimson Hexagon Edges Forward in Social Media Analysis with Big Customers Like Bing”
NW Cleantech Open Names Nanocel, Puralytics, and Arcimoto as Finalists
The Cleantech Open Pacific Northwest regional finalists, out of a pool of 15 semifinalists, were announced at NW the Cleantech Open at the Bell Harbor Conference Center yesterday. Of the participants, who have gone through months of training, consulting, and business planning in preparation for the competition, three—Seattle-based Nanocel, Beaverton, OR-based Puralytics, and Eugene, OR-based … Continue reading “NW Cleantech Open Names Nanocel, Puralytics, and Arcimoto as Finalists”
The Soapbox: RevenueLoan and Bonanza Join Ace Lineup at Xconomy’s VC Crossfire
We’re tapping into a hot issue at our next big Xconomy Forum, called “VC Crossfire” on October 28 at Amazon’s brand new South Lake Union headquarters. We’ve assembled a stellar cast of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs (Bob Nelsen, Tom Alberg, Martin Tobias, Chris Henney) to talk about something that affects everybody in the Northwest innovation … Continue reading “The Soapbox: RevenueLoan and Bonanza Join Ace Lineup at Xconomy’s VC Crossfire”
Smart Grid Demo Projects Nabs $89M More, Green Startups Compete at Cleantech Open, Isilon & F5 Are Primed for Buyouts, and More Seattle-Area Deals News
Where are all the tech deals? I thought things were supposed to speed up as autumn set in, not slow down. But there wasn’t a single financing deal for Seattle tech companies that we tracked down over the last week. Still, a number of potential negotiations did work their way into the spotlight. Take a … Continue reading “Smart Grid Demo Projects Nabs $89M More, Green Startups Compete at Cleantech Open, Isilon & F5 Are Primed for Buyouts, and More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Isilon, F5 Being Primed for Buyouts, Reports Say
Both Seattle-based Isilon Systems (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ISLN]]) and F5 Networks (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FFIV]]) are rumored to be potential candidates for acquisitions, according to two recent reports. Isilon, which has a market value of $1.52 billion, may be shopping itself around to possible buyers, according to a report by Bloomberg. The Bloomberg story cites two anonymous sources briefed … Continue reading “Isilon, F5 Being Primed for Buyouts, Reports Say”
Fred Hutch Wins $14M Grant to Establish Cancer Immunotherapy Trial Center
Seattle researchers have lived through the ups and downs of cancer immunotherapy, and now they are seizing a growing leadership position in the field. Martin “Mac” Cheever, a scientist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington, has been awarded a five-year, $14 million grant from the National Institutes of Health … Continue reading “Fred Hutch Wins $14M Grant to Establish Cancer Immunotherapy Trial Center”
Fifteen Green Companies Compete For Finalist Slots at the Cleantech Open Today
Today is the day many in the in the local cleantech community have been waiting for. The Cleantech Open, a national business plan competition for clean technology and energy startups, plans to announce the Pacific Northwest regional finalists at the Bell Harbor Conference Center at Pier 66 in Seattle this evening. This event will bring … Continue reading “Fifteen Green Companies Compete For Finalist Slots at the Cleantech Open Today”
The Grand Challenge of Innovation
Recently, the X Prize Foundation awarded a total of $10 million to three companies at the forefront of building the world’s most efficient cars. It was the culmination of a competition that began in 2008 with 111 teams and was pared down to nine finalists. The competition was rigorous: it demanded teams to engineer and … Continue reading “The Grand Challenge of Innovation”
Biosimilars/Follow-On Biologics: WBBA Event
The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association is organizing an event on biosimilars on Nov. 18. For more information on how to register, click here.
Venture Investment and Partnering Forum: WBBA Event With Essex Woodlands
The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association is organizing its latest VIP Forum with Essex Woodlands Health Ventures. For more information on how to register, click here.
Domesticating Global Health, Part 4: WBBA Event
The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association is hosting an event Nov. 3 on strategies to strengthen the region as a center of global health innovation. Melinda Moree, chief executive officer of BIO Ventures for Global Health, will moderate a panel with experts from Philips Healthcare and PATH. For more information on how to register, click … Continue reading “Domesticating Global Health, Part 4: WBBA Event”
Innovative Pulmonary Solutions Snags $3M to Treat Lung Diseases
Bellevue, WA-based Innovative Pulmonary Solutions has raised $3 million to pursue its vision of a new way of helping people with common lung disorders to breathe better. The company raised $3 million in new equity out of a financing round that could be worth as much as $8 million, according to a regulatory filing. The … Continue reading “Innovative Pulmonary Solutions Snags $3M to Treat Lung Diseases”
Introducing Your High-Tech Startup: An Irreverent Guide
You shape the view that others hold of your company via either one-to-one interactions or one-to-many interactions. Of course, the one-to-one interactions in business meetings and social settings are the most potent, because you have both quantity and quality of attention. But this doesn’t scale well. Another reason that personal one-to-one contact is so effective … Continue reading “Introducing Your High-Tech Startup: An Irreverent Guide”
Boston vs. NYC vs. Silicon Valley? Forget It—The Real City of Innovation Is Everywhere
In William Gibson’s 1984 cyberpunk masterpiece Neuromancer, the hero Case lives in a near-future place called BAMA—the Boston-Atlanta Metropolitan Axis, aka the Sprawl, a giant city that has spread Coruscant-like across the whole eastern seaboard. (If it had extended to Orlando, maybe Gibson could have called it OBAMA.) But while this part of Gibson’s sci-fi … Continue reading “Boston vs. NYC vs. Silicon Valley? Forget It—The Real City of Innovation Is Everywhere”
Embryonic Stem Cell Research Foe, Tracy Deisher, Seeks to Market Pro-Life Vaccines
The woman who helped bring the U.S. embryonic stem cell research enterprise to a standstill for a couple weeks this summer is also a Seattle biotech entrepreneur who wants to create what she calls the first pro-life vaccine company. Theresa “Tracy” Deisher, a Stanford-trained molecular physiologist, made national news in late August as one of … Continue reading “Embryonic Stem Cell Research Foe, Tracy Deisher, Seeks to Market Pro-Life Vaccines”
Novel Seeks to Marry Casual Games With MMOs in “Empire & State”
I have never played a massively multiplayer online (MMO) video game. Okay, that’s not entirely true. I played World of Warcraft once. In college. I was experimenting. But that was it, I never got hooked. I guess I failed to see the point of getting so invested in the virtual world, when I could barely … Continue reading “Novel Seeks to Marry Casual Games With MMOs in “Empire & State””
Innovative Pulmonary Solutions Garners $3,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b47babdf-c005-46ef-a3d8-43620bd1b764&Preview=1 Date 10/1/2010 Company Name Innovative Pulmonary Solutions Mailing Address 12810 N. E. 32nd Pl. Bellevue, WA 98005 Company Description The company is developing pulmonary medical device technology. Website http://www.innovativepulmonary.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms … Continue reading “Innovative Pulmonary Solutions Garners $3,000,000 New Financing”
Smart Grid Demo Project Inks $89M More
The Department of Energy has authorized the release of $89 million in stimulus funding to the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project (PNW-SGDP), a collaboration between the Bonneville Power Administration, the University of Washington, five technology partners, 11 utilities companies across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and Battelle, which operates the Pacific Northwest National … Continue reading “Smart Grid Demo Project Inks $89M More”
Our Top 20 Stories of the Third Quarter: What’s Making Waves in the NW’s Tech and Biotech Sectors
Last week marked my three-month anniversary here at Xconomy, and as I reflected on my time here so far (which just happens to coincide almost perfectly with the third quarter), I realized there have been so many interesting stories—and important ones at that—that even I have forgotten about. It’s hard to keep up with news, … Continue reading “Our Top 20 Stories of the Third Quarter: What’s Making Waves in the NW’s Tech and Biotech Sectors”
NPario Shows EA How to Track and Target Consumers Across Web, Mobile, Social, Internet TV, and Game Consoles
It’s a big week for nPario. The young Redmond, WA- and Palo Alto, CA-based startup is using technology developed at Yahoo to help businesses study media consumers who hop incessantly between their PCs, tablet devices, smartphones, game consoles, and Internet-connected TVs, then target them with the right ads on the right platforms. It’s had one … Continue reading “NPario Shows EA How to Track and Target Consumers Across Web, Mobile, Social, Internet TV, and Game Consoles”
Necessity is the Mother of Stratification: Personalized Medicine is Getting Real
Joe Stanta of eyeforpharma organized a Personalized and Translational Medicine conference last week for people who are directly involved with making personalized medicine a reality. What was especially refreshing about the conference was a healthy balance of prognosticators and practitioners—with the majority of speakers representing the latter. I came away from this conference with the … Continue reading “Necessity is the Mother of Stratification: Personalized Medicine is Getting Real”
Seattle Genetics’ Home Run, Acucela Growing Ties to Japan, Calistoga’s Wall Street Guy, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This was the week that one of the mainstays of Seattle biotech, after a dozen years, confirmed that it has developed its first drug with real commercial legs. —Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]), the company mentioned above, released some truly remarkable data from the pivotal trial of its “empowered antibody” for Hodgkin’s disease. This drug, brentuximab … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics’ Home Run, Acucela Growing Ties to Japan, Calistoga’s Wall Street Guy, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Korrio Lands $3,317,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=299f9df9-84f8-4940-acc0-dd2affefecbc&Preview=1 Date 9/30/2010 Company Name Korrio Mailing Address 7818 78th Ave. SE Mercer Island, WA 98040 Company Description The company is using web technology to organize and automate youth sports information and registration. Website http://www.korrio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,317,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “Korrio Lands $3,317,000 New Financing”
Sage Bionetworks: Washington Partners Program
Sage Bionetworks, the nonprofit seeking to spark an open source movement for biology, is organizing the launch event for its Washington Partners Program on Nov. 1. This event will feature talks from Sage president Stephen Friend, Jim Karkanias of Microsoft, Trey Ideker of UC San Diego, and Eric Schadt of Pacific Biosciences. The program, supported … Continue reading “Sage Bionetworks: Washington Partners Program”
Evri Expands Mobile Offerings Beyond Tech News to Sports, Music, and Celebrity Gossip
Evri is going mobile in a big way. The Seattle- and San Francisco-based information discovery website backed by Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital introduced an Android app called EvriThing Tech back in May, taking advantage of the startup’s semantic search technology to help on-the-go tech news addicts track the latest developments on subtopics from gadgets to … Continue reading “Evri Expands Mobile Offerings Beyond Tech News to Sports, Music, and Celebrity Gossip”
Hydrovolts Finalist in Bend Venture Conference
Seattle-based hydropower turbine developer Hydrovolts has been selected as one of five finalists up for $175,000 in venture funding at the 7th annual Bend Venture Conference. The company, founded in 2007, will pitch its concept and business idea in a shark-tank style competition at the conference on October 15. Earlier this month Hydrovolts scored a … Continue reading “Hydrovolts Finalist in Bend Venture Conference”
Amazon’s Top Techie, Werner Vogels, on How Web Services Follows the Retail Playbook
Amazon.com doesn’t like being labeled simply as an e-retail company. To understand the trajectory it has taken over 15 years, and where it’s going in the future, one of the company’s senior executives says, you need to look at how it uses technology as a means to serve customers in retail and in business. “Amazon, … Continue reading “Amazon’s Top Techie, Werner Vogels, on How Web Services Follows the Retail Playbook”
ZymoGenetics Melanoma Drug Shows Survival Data, Adding More Juice to Bristol’s Pipeline
ZymoGenetics has some shareholders out there wondering if the company has agreed to be acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb for too low of a price. Today there’s a small, but potentially important piece of data that might make a few more investors pause about whether now is really the time to sell. The Seattle-based biotech company … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Melanoma Drug Shows Survival Data, Adding More Juice to Bristol’s Pipeline”
Washington Startups Bring in $59M in August, Healthcare, Internet, and Software Sectors Dominate Deals
Every month we compile all of the deals at Washington tech and biotech companies into one story where we watch up and coming trends in local financing. Unlike our regular investment coverage and weekly deals roundups, these monthly features give us a chance to look at both the large investments that usually make news, alongside … Continue reading “Washington Startups Bring in $59M in August, Healthcare, Internet, and Software Sectors Dominate Deals”
Second to Market isn’t Always Second Best
About a year ago, I had the opportunity to hear Paul English, the CTO and Co-Founder of Kayak.com, speak. In his chat, Paul focused a great deal on ruthless efficiency and excellent customer experience. He wowed the crowd with stories of answering his own customer service calls, getting feedback on Kayak’s new iPhone application from … Continue reading “Second to Market isn’t Always Second Best”
Oggifinogi Secures $2,263,598 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=54cc708b-4ac7-478e-8c39-e37bc62f34cc&Preview=1 Date 9/29/2010 Company Name Oggifinogi Mailing Address 13256 NE 20th Street Bellevue, WA 98005 Company Description OggiFinogi delivers an incredibly interactive, highly engaging ad experience better and faster than any other company. OggiFinogi has re-defined rich media as we know it. This next generation technology delivers higher responses, customer interaction and … Continue reading “Oggifinogi Secures $2,263,598 New Round”
Oggifinogi Raises $2M
[Corrected: 12:51 pm Pacific, 9/29/10] Oggifinogi has raised $2 million in equity financing. The creative technology and rich media advertising firm, founded in 2008, is based in Bellevue, WA and New York. The financing was disclosed in a regulatory filing this week, although Oggifinogi first announced the deal last month. [Corrected: 12:51 pm Pacific, 9/29/10. … Continue reading “Oggifinogi Raises $2M”
Puget Sound Venture Club 25th Anniversary Dinner
The Puget Sound Venture Club is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a dinner on October 6 at the Bellevue Club. Mark Anderson, the CEO of Strategic News Service, and David Giuliani, the CEO of Pacific Bioscience Labs, will be the featured guest speakers. For more information, click here.
Yes, You Can Build a Profitable Company in Today’s Environment: MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest
Jonathan Roberts, a partner and founder at Ignition Partners, and Stan Shull, the vice president of strategic alliances at Apptio (which recently closed a $16.5M funding round), will be the featured speakers at this MIT Enterprise Forum event on building profitable companies in today’s environment. For more information on how to register, click here.
Calistoga Hires Public Company CFO
Seattle-based Calistoga Pharmaceuticals said today it has hired Andrew Guggenhime as its new chief financial officer. Guggenhime has an extensive network on Wall Street, after spending a decade as the chief financial officer of public biotech companies, including Facet Biotech (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FACT]]) and PDL Biopharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PDLI]]). Hiring a CFO with public company experience shouldn’t … Continue reading “Calistoga Hires Public Company CFO”
Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh on Selling to Amazon Vs. Microsoft, Fixing His Biggest Mistakes, and Why Harvard Entrepreneurs Go West
What do Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Tony Hsieh have in common? That’s right, they all went to Harvard. And they have all run billion-dollar companies. Unlike Bill G. and Zuck, though, Hsieh actually graduated, in 1995. The CEO of Zappos, the Las Vegas-based online shoe retailer now owned by Amazon.com, was in Boston yesterday … Continue reading “Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh on Selling to Amazon Vs. Microsoft, Fixing His Biggest Mistakes, and Why Harvard Entrepreneurs Go West”
ProNAi Therapeutics Advances Gene-Silencing Cancer Drug, Marina Biotech Provides Delivery Package
A quiet competitor in the gene-silencing game has surfaced with good news. Kalamazoo, MI-based ProNAi Therapeutics says that it’s started to treat cancer patients with its first experimental DNA interference drug, which is essentially made to specifically silence disease at the fundamental level of DNA. And the firm is relying on molecules from Bothell, WA-based … Continue reading “ProNAi Therapeutics Advances Gene-Silencing Cancer Drug, Marina Biotech Provides Delivery Package”
Bonanzle Changes Name to Bonanza, Verizon Wireless Partners with Ground Truth and Urban Airship, Brammo Nabs $12.5 M, and More Seattle-Area Deals News
Though there were only a handful of actual financing deals and partnerships for Northwest companies over the last week, the technology sector definitely made some strides toward laying the groundwork for future investment. Take a look at the highlights: —Seattle-based online marketplace for rare and out of the ordinary items, Bonanzle, changed its name to … Continue reading “Bonanzle Changes Name to Bonanza, Verizon Wireless Partners with Ground Truth and Urban Airship, Brammo Nabs $12.5 M, and More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Northwest Energy Angels Executive Director Margo Shiroyama on Her First Six Months, and the Future of the NW Cleantech Scene
After years in the technology industry, Margo Shiroyama recently made the transition to cleantech. As the new executive director of the Northwest Energy Angels, Margo spends her days meeting with potential investors, coordinating with local cleantech companies, and brainstorming ways to marry the financial side of the industry with the innovation side. “You’re working during … Continue reading “Northwest Energy Angels Executive Director Margo Shiroyama on Her First Six Months, and the Future of the NW Cleantech Scene”
Acucela, Strengthening Ties With Japan’s Otsuka, Gets Right to Develop New Glaucoma Drug
[Corrected: 9 am Pacific] Little biotech companies usually discover new drugs, and hand them off for development to a Big Pharma company with cash and expertise in running clinical trials. But one of the Seattle area’s little biotech companies, Acucela, is doing the exact opposite, and doing it in a profitable way. Seattle-based Acucela is … Continue reading “Acucela, Strengthening Ties With Japan’s Otsuka, Gets Right to Develop New Glaucoma Drug”
Seattle Genetics, Millennium Generate “Dream” Data With Empowered Antibody Drug for Cancer
Seattle Genetics is making history today, after a dozen years of effort, with groundbreaking clinical trial results in the field of cancer drugs. The results pave the way for the first successful “empowered antibody” drug for cancer, and a new therapy for people who have run out of options for fighting Hodgkin’s disease. The Bothell, … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics, Millennium Generate “Dream” Data With Empowered Antibody Drug for Cancer”