The big question these days in Seattle biotech is about people. What will happen to the 320 people who work at ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]), now that the pioneering company has agreed to be taken over by pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb for $885 million? Given the history of takeovers like this, the safe bet is that … Continue reading “What Will Happen to ZymoGenetics’ Landmark Headquarters when Bristol Calls the Shots?”
Category: Seattle
How Hydrovolts’ $250k Development Deal Could Turn into a $20M Contract and Global Market
Hydrovolts has scored an investment deal that looks small at first blush, but could take the cleantech startup to the next level. The Seattle-based company, which develops small hydropower turbines that generate renewable energy from small streams and canals, last week received a $250,000 investment from civil engineering firm DLZ Corp. to develop prototype turbine … Continue reading “How Hydrovolts’ $250k Development Deal Could Turn into a $20M Contract and Global Market”
Seattle Genetics’ Dark Horse Drug Candidate Fails in Key Study
Seattle Genetics has struck out in its bid to treat one of the more aggressive forms of leukemia. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) is announcing today that one of its experimental antibody drugs failed to help people with acute myeloid leukemia live longer in a clinical trial. The study of 210 patients, which … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics’ Dark Horse Drug Candidate Fails in Key Study”
Transparency
Transparency is viewed by many as the solution to many of the world’s problems, and perhaps a solution to failed collaborations. Indeed, a common explanation for disputes is that they result from an imbalance of information between the two sides. If we could have more transparency, some say, then we would all have the same … Continue reading “Transparency”
Swedish’s 2010 Healthcare Symposium: Featuring GE’s Jeff Immelt
Swedish Medical Center, as part of its 100th anniversary, is organizing a symposium on the transformation of health care delivery in the U.S. General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt is a featured speaker. Due to the level of interest and limited space, Swedish anticipates a sell out, and advises people to reserve spaces early. … Continue reading “Swedish’s 2010 Healthcare Symposium: Featuring GE’s Jeff Immelt”
Have a Beer With Carl Weissman and Me Monday at Xconomy Meetup
We spend a lot of time breaking stories and thinking about big events here at Xconomy, but sometimes we like to kick back at a local watering hole to just chat informally with readers. So we’re carving out time to do this, starting Monday, for the first of what we expect will be a series … Continue reading “Have a Beer With Carl Weissman and Me Monday at Xconomy Meetup”
Google Instant Is Anything But a Time-Saver
At a press event in San Francisco this week, Google introduced Google Instant, an overhaul of its core search engine that brings up location- and history-sensitive search results even before you’ve finished typing your query. If you live in San Francisco and you type “s-a-u,” for example, Google Instant will make an educated guess that … Continue reading “Google Instant Is Anything But a Time-Saver”
Smilebox Takes on Shutterfly, Snapfish in Growing Global Market for Photo Sharing
Smilebox is on a mission to help people around the world capture life’s moments, and share them. The Redmond, WA-based startup’s photo service—something of a cross between a desktop application like iTunes, and a pure Web-based service like Google search—helps consumers share pictures and videos online, create original projects like greeting cards, invitations, scrapbooks, slideshows, … Continue reading “Smilebox Takes on Shutterfly, Snapfish in Growing Global Market for Photo Sharing”
Hydrovolts Inks Prototype Deal with DLZ
Seattle-based small-scale hydropower startup (and McKinstry Innovation Center resident) Hydrovolts said today that it has received a $250,000 investment from U.S.-based civil engineering firm DLZ Corp. to develop a 25 kW hydrokinetic canal turbine for the company. DLZ plans to use the prototype in a hydrokinetic power project on the 14-km Chilla Canal in northern … Continue reading “Hydrovolts Inks Prototype Deal with DLZ”
Xconomy Forum: VC Crossfire
Venture capital is going through a wrenching and potentially permanent transformation. The losses of the past decade and the sluggish economy have taken a toll, forcing some VCs to virtually halt new investment to focus on their existing portfolios, while others are gravitating toward safer later-stage deals or making smaller, earlier-stage bets. Estimates are that … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: VC Crossfire”
Global Health: The Local Impact
CityClub is organizing an event Sept. 15 in Seattle on the local impact being made by the city’s global health institutions. Tom Hansen, the CEO of Seattle Children’s Hospital, David Fleming of Public Health-Seattle & King County, Dan Dixon of Swedish Health Services, and Neeti Nundy of PATH are the featured speakers. For more information … Continue reading “Global Health: The Local Impact”
Who Will Pay For Innovation in the 21st Century? Find Out at Xconomy “VC Crossfire” Oct. 28
Some say the days when venture capitalists could bet big on risky, world-changing companies like Google and Genentech are in the past. The prolonged sluggish period in the U.S. economy has taken a toll, and an estimated one-third to one-half of all venture funds are thought to be slowly going out of business. Many VC … Continue reading “Who Will Pay For Innovation in the 21st Century? Find Out at Xconomy “VC Crossfire” Oct. 28″
DataSphere, Backed by OVP and Ignition, Raises $10M to Tap into Hyperlocal Online Ad Market
DataSphere Technologies is riding the hyperlocal wave. The Bellevue, WA-based Web technology and ad sales company has raised another $10 million in a Series C venture round led by Kirkland, WA-based OVP Venture Partners. The financing will back DataSphere’s further expansion into the $100 billion U.S. local advertising market, the company said in a statement … Continue reading “DataSphere, Backed by OVP and Ignition, Raises $10M to Tap into Hyperlocal Online Ad Market”
ZymoGenetics Reaches the End, Stratos Genomics Nabs $4M, Children’s New Ventilator, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
One huge story hit Seattle biotech this week. I got all the usual “who, what, when, where” in the initial reports. But I’m still thinking hard about the nuances of why this happened, and what will come next. Stay tuned. —The big news, of course, came when Bristol-Myers Squibb said it has agreed to acquire … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Reaches the End, Stratos Genomics Nabs $4M, Children’s New Ventilator, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
DataSphere Obtains $10,000,000 Series C Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=464e66e3-e401-4883-a6d8-20105cf85799&Preview=1 Date 9/9/2010 Company Name DataSphere Mailing Address 15395 SE 30th Place Bellevue, WA 98007 Company Description DataSphere Technologies, Inc. is a Software as a Service (SaaS) Web technology company built by a group of senior online technologists and Web marketers. With decades of experience in driving traffic and site design at … Continue reading “DataSphere Obtains $10,000,000 Series C Funding”
Artielle ImmunoTherapeutics Receives $100,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6381f172-2566-47dc-abcc-cb2f8b18d639&Preview=1 Date 9/9/2010 Company Name Artielle ImmunoTherapeutics Mailing Address 9020 SW Washington Square Road Tigard, OR 97223 Company Description Artielle ImmunoTherapeutics’ technology is focused on a new proprietary class of molecules known as Recombinant T cell receptor Ligands (RTLs) that can be tailored to treat a wide range of autoimmune diseases. Artielle … Continue reading “Artielle ImmunoTherapeutics Receives $100,000 New Round”
Governor’s Life Sciences Summit/WBBA Annual Meeting
For the first time, the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association (WBBA) is combining the Governor’s Life Science Summit and its annual meeting. More than 800 leaders of Washington’s life sciences community are expected. The WBBA says “this intense program will be a celebration of our successes, and a discussion of the industry’s current challenges and … Continue reading “Governor’s Life Sciences Summit/WBBA Annual Meeting”
Cequint Acquired For Up to $112.5M
Seattle-based startup Cequint, a developer of Caller ID technology for mobile phones, has agreed to be acquired by Virginia-based Transaction Network Services (TNS) for up to $112.5 million. The terms of the deal, which is expected to close early in the fourth quarter of 2010, dictate that TNS will purchase Cequint for an initial $46.7 … Continue reading “Cequint Acquired For Up to $112.5M”
Intersect Rolls Out Online Storytelling Platform, Using Time, Place to Create Personal ‘Storylines’
It’s safe to say that the face of the media has gone through some major changes recently—with the onset of blogging and digital media, practically anyone with a camera phone and sharp texting skills can become a citizen journalist. Even the oldest names in traditional media are going social, with many publications signing up for … Continue reading “Intersect Rolls Out Online Storytelling Platform, Using Time, Place to Create Personal ‘Storylines’”
Swedish Names Chief Scientist
Seattle-based Swedish Medical Center said today that it named Dr. Mark Reisman, a well-known interventional cardiologist, to the new position of chief scientific officer and head of research. Reisman is taking on the new role as part of an expanded research program at Swedish, which the hospital says is intended to advance research, but also … Continue reading “Swedish Names Chief Scientist”
Shiftboard Emerges From Eight-Year Stealth, Sees ‘Triple Digit’ Growth in Online Scheduling
Shiftboard has managed to stay under the radar for quite some time, despite a slew of big name clients, but that is starting to change. The Seattle-based scheduling and dynamic workforce management software developer, founded in 2002, has started to come out of stealth mode, so I figured it was time to sit down with … Continue reading “Shiftboard Emerges From Eight-Year Stealth, Sees ‘Triple Digit’ Growth in Online Scheduling”
Transaction Network Services Acquires Cequint for $112,500,000
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=62f5eaa4-25e1-4b14-b580-35ef678aca43&Preview=1 Date 9/8/2010 Company Name Cequint Mailing Address 1525 4th Avenue Seattle, WA 98101 Company Description Cequint develops and markets software applications that enhance wireless mobile devices. Cequint’s products improve carrier network services while making mobile devices easier to use and more productive. The company’s partnerships with carriers and device manufacturers ensure … Continue reading “Transaction Network Services Acquires Cequint for $112,500,000”
ZymoGenetics Reaches End of Road in Seattle, Faces Uncertain Future, Potential Job Cuts
[Updated: 5:12 pm Pacific, 9/7/10] ZymoGenetics, the company that once aspired to replace Immunex as the anchor company of Seattle’s biotech cluster, has reached the end of its road as an independent company. Many of its 320 employees could potentially lose their jobs as part of a takeover agreement reached with Bristol-Myers Squibb. The companies … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Reaches End of Road in Seattle, Faces Uncertain Future, Potential Job Cuts”
ZymoGenetics, Seattle Biotech Pioneer, Acquired by Bristol-Myers for $885M
Big breaking news just hit the Seattle biotech community. Seattle-based ZymoGenetics, a pioneer in the Northwest life sciences cluster that was founded back in 1981, has agreed to be acquired by pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb for $885 million. The deal, approved by the boards of both companies, values ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) at $9.75 per share—a … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics, Seattle Biotech Pioneer, Acquired by Bristol-Myers for $885M”
Amazon Technology Open House: Featuring Werner Vogels
Amazon is opening up its new South Lake Union headquarters to the local technology community for its first Amazon Technology Open House. Amazon CTO Werner Vogels will be there to give a keynote talk, and the company encourages members of the tech community to “grab a beverage and network with fellow technology leaders.” The event … Continue reading “Amazon Technology Open House: Featuring Werner Vogels”
Xconomy Meetup: Featuring Carl Weissman
Please join Xconomy’s national biotech editor, Luke Timmerman, for the first installment of a new event series we are calling “Xconomy Meetup.” This will be a free and open conversation at a local bar or coffee shop, in which Xconomy editors will be available to have an informal chat with readers about what’s new and … Continue reading “Xconomy Meetup: Featuring Carl Weissman”
Onvia Appoints Henry Riner as CEO
Seattle-based information services company Onvia (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONVI]]) has appointed Henry (Hank) Riner as president and chief executive, effective October 4, according to a regulatory filing. Riner, 59, is currently the CEO of New Jersey-based online invoice and statement printing services company OSG Billing Services. He has previously served as chief executive at trade promotions management … Continue reading “Onvia Appoints Henry Riner as CEO”
Stratos Genomics Raises $4M, Pushes Ahead in Competitive Field of Low-Cost DNA Sequencing
Stratos Genomics, a Seattle-based developer of low-cost gene sequencing technology, said today it has raised $4 million in a Series A round of venture financing. The deal was led by Fisk Ventures, and included Stratos Group LLC. While the amount of investment isn’t huge, the fact that Stratos raised the cash is interesting on its … Continue reading “Stratos Genomics Raises $4M, Pushes Ahead in Competitive Field of Low-Cost DNA Sequencing”
Insilicos Gets $1.2M NIH Grant
Insilicos, a Seattle-based developer of biomedical software and diagnostics, has secured a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, through the Small Business Innovation Research program, to study a potential new test for people with chest pain. The test will be given to 400 patients at the University of Washington with cardiovascular disease, … Continue reading “Insilicos Gets $1.2M NIH Grant”
Healthcare Industry Concepts Rise from the Grave
There was a great article authored by Gregory Huang and posted on Xconomy last week called Party Like It’s 1999: 10 Old Tech Ideas That Are New Again. The article was basically about the top 10 things that are hot right now but are, essentially, “back to the future” developments in technology that had a … Continue reading “Healthcare Industry Concepts Rise from the Grave”
Back from Labor Day: Three Posts You Should Read
Was there a summer slowdown this year in the tech-business world? I’m not so sure (and neither are some other observers). In any case, let’s get ready for the craziness that is fall news and events in our industries. Here are three blog posts from around the Web—and around the country—that you might have missed … Continue reading “Back from Labor Day: Three Posts You Should Read”
Bioinformatics Education Should Start in High School
The Puget Sound region is home to more than 175 biotechnology institutions. These facilities have many of the brightest minds focused on improving health here and around the world. As a high school science teacher, one of my aims is to excite students about rapidly growing and rewarding career pathways. Those who excel in the … Continue reading “Bioinformatics Education Should Start in High School”
DigitalScirocco Inks Deal with US Presswire, Plans Expansion into Tech Content Space
Bruce D’Ambrosio wants to make online content sharing easy. Eager to bridge the gap between content owners, and publishers, the 63-year-old serial entrepreneur and computer science professor at Oregon State University founded DigitalScirocco in 2009, and rolled the startup out of stealth mode in March. Since then D’Ambrosio, who serves as the company’s CEO, says … Continue reading “DigitalScirocco Inks Deal with US Presswire, Plans Expansion into Tech Content Space”
Apptio Nabs $16.5M, Zillow Partners With Apartments.com, MOD Systems Raises $6M More Despite Executive Controversy, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
As summer draws to an end, the deals seem to be trickling back in. Take a look at the highlights from the past week. —Bellevue, WA-based technology business management developer Apptio raked in $16.5 million in Series C financing led by continuing investor Shasta Ventures. The four-year-old company, which designs software to help businesses manage … Continue reading “Apptio Nabs $16.5M, Zillow Partners With Apartments.com, MOD Systems Raises $6M More Despite Executive Controversy, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Stratos Genomics Secures $4,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f1235db3-06f6-4969-a28a-b3cbd2b2e6dd&Preview=1 Date 9/7/2010 Company Name Stratos Genomics Mailing Address 2401 Elliott Ave., 5th Floor Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description Stratos Genomics mission is to establish the next gold standard of DNA sequencing with its flagship Sequencing by Expansion (SBX) method. SBX is a simple, elegant, single-molecule detection process that circumvents the limitations … Continue reading “Stratos Genomics Secures $4,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
Wetpaint Rolls Out New Platform to ‘Reinvent Publishing,’ Wetpaint Entertainment
Wetpaint has long been considered one of the Northwest’s top young tech startups. The Seattle-based company, founded in 2005, has raised $40 million from venture capitalists, including one who backed Facebook. Wetpaint has been heralded by Jude O’Reilley (then at online-health startup Trusera, now at Amazon) as “stars in the consumer wiki space,” and a … Continue reading “Wetpaint Rolls Out New Platform to ‘Reinvent Publishing,’ Wetpaint Entertainment”
WTIA’s TechNW
TechNW is a meeting of the brightest minds and most innovative technology companies in the Northwest. It is the region’s high profile, must-attend forum for learning, business development, and networking. By fostering intellectual and creative interaction among industry leaders, TechNW provides critical insights into the future of ever-evolving tech sectors, many that originated and continue … Continue reading “WTIA’s TechNW”
ZINO Zillionaire Investment Forum 2010
Join ZINO Society for our 5th Annual ZINO Zillionaire Investment Forum (ZZIF). Meet and hear over 36 companies, representing a variety of business sectors, present to an audience of angel investors, venture capitalists and business leaders. Presenting companies and investors connect throug.hout the day via 5 minute powerpoint presentation with Due Diligence Live! Panel, 2 … Continue reading “ZINO Zillionaire Investment Forum 2010”
Gaming Away Labor Day: The Top 10 Sessions at PAX 2010
For many Seattleites, Labor Day weekend is a time to take refuge in the outdoors. Some 50,000 people will spend the holiday weekend wandering around the Seattle Center grounds listening to live music, cooling off in the International fountain, and filling up on $5 elephant ears (for those of you who’ve missed the phenomenon, these … Continue reading “Gaming Away Labor Day: The Top 10 Sessions at PAX 2010”
Emerald BioStructures Forms Deal
Emerald BioStructures, the contract research firm in Bainbridge Island, WA, said today it has formed a new collaboration with Boulder, CO-based SomaLogic. The deal calls for Emerald to provide its expertise in determining precise crystal structures of protein targets on cells, so that SomaLogic can make specific “aptamer” drugs, and small molecules, that bind tightly … Continue reading “Emerald BioStructures Forms Deal”
MOD Systems Inks $6M Series B, Surviving Controversy Surrounding Indictment of Co-Founder Mark Phillips
Seattle-based MOD Systems, a developer of digital-media delivery systems, has had a rocky couple of years, but now it has found a new lifeline in the form of a $6 million investment. The company, which develops technologies that allow consumers to purchase digital movies, TV shows, and music, and load them onto SD cards portably … Continue reading “MOD Systems Inks $6M Series B, Surviving Controversy Surrounding Indictment of Co-Founder Mark Phillips”
The Innovation Imperative: How Corporations and Nations Can Survive the Tsunami of Global Competition and Thrive
Government leaders in Europe and North America are seeking to formulate enlightened, effective policies to create the necessary ecosystems and help their corporations respond to threats of loss of markets at home and abroad. The need to better commercialize public and private investments in R & D is well understood, but does not always happen … Continue reading “The Innovation Imperative: How Corporations and Nations Can Survive the Tsunami of Global Competition and Thrive”
The Leaning Tower of Ping: How iTunes Could Be Apple’s Undoing
With each new product that Apple announces, including the revamped Apple TV and the new Ping social network, Steve Jobs reveals a little bit more of his plan to dominate the media universe. But I can summarize that plan’s fatal flaw in one word: iTunes. Don’t get me wrong. I think Apple’s hardware is unbeatable, … Continue reading “The Leaning Tower of Ping: How iTunes Could Be Apple’s Undoing”
MOD Systems Secures $6,000,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c6667f28-30d1-4c88-a862-915dee9c1cd3&Preview=1 Date 9/3/2010 Company Name MOD Systems Mailing Address 1201 3rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 Company Description MOD Systems’ media-on-demand solution enables retailers to transform stores into digital destinations. With MOD Systems’ sophisticated software solution and interactive touchscreen kiosks, retailers can create an engaging experience for consumers to quickly and easily search … Continue reading “MOD Systems Secures $6,000,000 Series B Financing”
The Feds Need to Start Supporting Early-Stage Drug Development
The U.S. Congress is on track to fund a pivotal element of healthcare reform, a $50 million dollar down payment on the $500 million dollar Cures Acceleration Network (CAN) initiative. This is a critically important element of the landmark new law. It’s also an opportunity Congress should seize to refocus the National Institutes of Health … Continue reading “The Feds Need to Start Supporting Early-Stage Drug Development”
Buildings that Act Like Guinea Pigs for Energy Efficiency: The Puget Sound Regional Council Plan for Green Jobs
Everyone is looking for the next big thing during an economic downturn, whether it be individuals searching for ways to reinvent their careers after lags and layoffs, or whole regions needing to rebuild their economies. This region has a history as a technology and innovation hub, which has translated in the past to jobs—lots of … Continue reading “Buildings that Act Like Guinea Pigs for Energy Efficiency: The Puget Sound Regional Council Plan for Green Jobs”
Apple Vs. Amazon Battle Continues: Adventures in TV Land
[Corrected, 11:00 am. See below] First it was the iPad vs. the Kindle. Now the battleground is shifting to television. Apple keeps rolling out new devices to control how consumers interact with screens of different sizes. What the world really needs is a smart, stretchable display material so people could adjust their screen to whatever … Continue reading “Apple Vs. Amazon Battle Continues: Adventures in TV Land”
U.S. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council Quietly Holds First Meeting in DC, Starting with Steve Case-Hosted Dinner
It’s a big day for U.S. innovation strategy. The National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship is holding its first official meeting at the Department of Commerce in Washington, DC, today—and Xconomy has some exclusive details. The council, made up of 26 national leaders in business, technology, and academia, is charged with helping the Obama … Continue reading “U.S. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council Quietly Holds First Meeting in DC, Starting with Steve Case-Hosted Dinner”
Information Risk Management for the 21st Century Life Sciences Company: WBBA Event
Compliance with information-security legal obligations and protecting proprietary information have become increasingly difficult, given this decade’s ever-increasing universe of types of data leakage. Extreme advances in information technology and data mobility have exacerbated the ramifications of inevitable human error. Exciting new platforms such as social-networking/Web-2.0 sites and “the cloud” often catch on without adequate risk-assessment. … Continue reading “Information Risk Management for the 21st Century Life Sciences Company: WBBA Event”
VIP Forum With NEA: WBBA Event
The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association is organizing a Venture Investment and Partnering (VIP) Forum on Friday Sept. 17 with New Enterprise Associates. The event is part of a series in which entrepreneurs get a chance to make 30-minute presentations to visiting venture firms. For more information, click here.