Bellevue, WA-based Livemocha, the online language learning startup, said today it has appointed Michael Schutzler as its new CEO. Schutzler was previously the CEO of Classmates.com, a senior vice president at RealNetworks and Monster.com, and the founder of CEOSherpa, a business coaching firm. He succeeds Livemocha co-founder and former CEO Shirish Nadkarni, who will serve … Continue reading “Schutzler Joins Livemocha as New CEO”
Category: Seattle
BigDoor Raises $5M Led by Foundry Group, Looks to Bring Game Mechanics to All the Web
Score another one for the “gamification” of websites. Seattle-based BigDoor Media said today it has raised $5 million in Series B funding led by new investor Foundry Group, the Boulder, CO-based venture firm co-founded by Brad Feld. Feld led his firm’s investment in this financing round, and is joining BigDoor’s board of directors. What do … Continue reading “BigDoor Raises $5M Led by Foundry Group, Looks to Bring Game Mechanics to All the Web”
Asemblon, Hydrogen Fuel Startup, Finds Ally in Schwarzenegger’s Favorite Big Rig Maker
Hydrogen-powered cars and trucks are supposed to be cheaper and greener to run than anything today. It’s one of those big cleantech ideas that always seems to be five years away from the market. Yet Asemblon, a little Redmond, WA-based company on a quest to make this dream practical, took a small step forward recently … Continue reading “Asemblon, Hydrogen Fuel Startup, Finds Ally in Schwarzenegger’s Favorite Big Rig Maker”
BigDoor Media Garners $5,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=278b4d0f-a72e-4339-b251-75ab4ab373de&Preview=1 Date 6/8/2010 Company Name BigDoor Media Mailing Address 14003 SE. 43rd St. Bellevue, WA 98006 Company Description Our platform helps companies build game-like mechanics and loyalty programs into their site or app through points, badges, levels, leaderboards, virtual currency and virtual goods. Website http://www.bigdoor.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 … Continue reading “BigDoor Media Garners $5,000,000 New Funding Round”
AVI Biopharma Gets $18M Flu Contract
AVI Biopharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]]), the Bothell, WA-based developer of RNA-based therapies, said today it has been awarded a U.S. defense contract that could be worth as much as $18 million to develop a treatment against pandemic H1N1 flu. The money is supposed to support development of AVI-7100 as a nasal spray formulation, and to pay … Continue reading “AVI Biopharma Gets $18M Flu Contract”
CombiMatrix Directors Resign
CombiMatrix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CBMX]]), the Mukilteo, WA-based maker of genetic analysis and diagnostic tools, said today that two members of its board have resigned. Chairman Tom Akin, a large shareholder in the company, is stepping down from the board, along with Brooke Anderson, who is also resigning his full-time role as chief operating officer as the … Continue reading “CombiMatrix Directors Resign”
Andy Sack, Flush With $6M, Builds Revenue Based Financing Company That Could Disrupt Venture Capital, Startup Ecosystem
Andy Sack has been working behind the scenes for more than a year. Yes, we know he’s been busy bringing the first session of TechStars, the startup bootcamp, to Seattle this fall. He’s also been co-leading Founder’s Co-op, the seed-stage investment fund, for the past couple of years. But just when you think the Seattle … Continue reading “Andy Sack, Flush With $6M, Builds Revenue Based Financing Company That Could Disrupt Venture Capital, Startup Ecosystem”
Napera Joins Google Apps Marketplace
Mercer Island, WA-based Napera Networks said today it has released its software for network management and security on the Google Apps Marketplace. It is the first systems and network management application sold in the Google marketplace, says Napera’s CEO and co-founder Todd Hooper. Napera joins Concur Technologies, Skytap, Smartsheet, and Gist in the growing list … Continue reading “Napera Joins Google Apps Marketplace”
Ekos Wins $2.7M NIH Grant
Ekos, the Bothell, WA-based company that uses ultrasound to treat vascular diseases, said today it has received a $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study its method of treating hemorrhagic strokes. About 100,000 patients in the U.S. have this condition, in which a blood vessel ruptures in the brain and creates … Continue reading “Ekos Wins $2.7M NIH Grant”
Microsoft, EveryScape Team Up to Provide 3-D Views of Restaurants Online
The next time you’re trying to pick a place to go out to eat, you might have more information at your fingertips than just reviews, photos, and menus. A Boston-area company called EveryScape has teamed up with Microsoft’s Bing Maps to deliver 3-D panoramic views of restaurants—both interiors and exteriors—on the Web. EveryScape, based in … Continue reading “Microsoft, EveryScape Team Up to Provide 3-D Views of Restaurants Online”
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Builds Stronger Case for Blood Cancer Drug
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals has come a long way in one year. The Seattle-based biotech company made its first ripple on the national scene last year at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), when it showed its novel drug for blood cancers caused tumor shrinkage in half of the first dozen patients tested. This year at … Continue reading “Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Builds Stronger Case for Blood Cancer Drug”
Of Cuban Missiles and Chinese Wind Turbines
Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a series of meetings in Washington, DC, together with an impressive array of business leaders and investors. The group that held the meetings is called the Progressive Business Leaders Network, and it focuses on a select set of issues that are critical to driving U.S. competitiveness. PBLN’s … Continue reading “Of Cuban Missiles and Chinese Wind Turbines”
Alder Reduces Anemia in Cancer Study
Alder Biopharmaceuticals, the Bothell, WA-based developer of targeted antibody drugs against cancer and inflammation, said today its lead product candidate was effective against anemia for more than half of advanced cancer patients in a trial. The study, of 124 patients, randomly assigned patients to take Alder’s ALD518 or a placebo. About 58 percent of patients … Continue reading “Alder Reduces Anemia in Cancer Study”
ZymoGenetics Melanoma Drug Passes Small Study, Gets Overshadowed by Bristol-Myers
[Updated: 2:30 pm Pacific] ZymoGenetics just can’t seem to catch a break. The Seattle-based biotech company has some positive, albeit preliminary, data out today on its experimental treatment for melanoma that has spread throughout the body—one of the toughest forms of cancer to treat. But ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) had the misfortune to be upstaged big-time … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Melanoma Drug Passes Small Study, Gets Overshadowed by Bristol-Myers”
Seattle Genetics Shows Re-Treatment Action
Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) and Cambridge, MA-based Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company said today that their “empowered antibody” for blood cancers showed promising results in a small study of patients who were re-treated following a relapse. The study found that seven of 11 patients with Hodgkin’s disease or anaplastic large cell lymphoma had at least … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Shows Re-Treatment Action”
Chase Franklin Departs Daptiv
Seattle-based Daptiv, a maker of project management software, has reduced its staff from 105 to 90 people, and CEO Chase Franklin has stepped down, according to a report in TechFlash. Franklin, the co-founder and former CEO of mobile commerce firm Qpass, joined Daptiv last September, but was unable to raise a new financing round for … Continue reading “Chase Franklin Departs Daptiv”
My Journey from Microsoft to the Cleantech Industry
[This post first appeared on the EnergySavvy blog—Eds.] In May 2008, I left my corporate software job in search of my next challenge. I had spent 10 years developing software in various product roles mostly at Microsoft. When I left, I had heard of the hyped-up cleantech space and said to myself, “I don’t know … Continue reading “My Journey from Microsoft to the Cleantech Industry”
Pacific Northwest Cleantech Open: Semifinalists Reception
The Pacific Northwest Cleantech Open is hosting a reception on June 14th for the regional group of semifinalists in the national cleantech startup competition. For more information on how to register, click here.
Let’s Abandon the Industrial-Decay Porn and Take a Closer Look at What’s Growing in Detroit
If you got all your information about Detroit from the blogosphere, the mainstream media, or the photography section of your local bookstore and never actually visited the Motor City, you could be forgiven for assuming that it’s one giant, bombed-out wasteland. That’s certainly the impression conveyed by many of the artists who have been criss-crossing … Continue reading “Let’s Abandon the Industrial-Decay Porn and Take a Closer Look at What’s Growing in Detroit”
Ballmer Says iPad Is a PC, Bill Gates Praises Steve Jobs and Apple—A Few Microsoft Highlights
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Microsoft. Amid all the product news about Windows Live, Windows and Google, Office Web Apps, Kin phones, Bing Maps, and the like, the media has been buzzing about Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) passing the Redmond, WA, software firm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) in terms of market capitalization for the first … Continue reading “Ballmer Says iPad Is a PC, Bill Gates Praises Steve Jobs and Apple—A Few Microsoft Highlights”
Trubion Wins Genentech, Biogen Patent Case
Seattle-based Trubion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TRBN]]), the developer of targeted therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases, said today it has won a patent dispute against Genentech and Biogen Idec. The dispute centers on targeted therapies designed to block a marker on cells, CD20, which is currently hit by Genentech and Biogen Idec’s rituximab (Rituxan). Trubion, which … Continue reading “Trubion Wins Genentech, Biogen Patent Case”
NWEN Breakfast Buzz: Social Media for Startups
Information and registration here. Whether your world is brick-and-mortar or all Web 2.0 all the time, we’re all swimming in a sea of social media. Foursquare, Twitter, Facebook, blogs—transparency is king, and the lines between personal and professional have become fainter and fuzzier. How can you meaningfully engage in any or all of these channels? … Continue reading “NWEN Breakfast Buzz: Social Media for Startups”
TechFlash Live: Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital
Information and registration here. Join the entire technology community for TechFlash Live on June 15, an evening event that will bring top executives from throughout the region to network and develop business together. Whether you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, developer, marketing guru or connected to the tech industry in some other way, you’ll make valuable connections … Continue reading “TechFlash Live: Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital”
Twitter Is Killing the Blogosphere, and More Insights from Internet Marketing Whiz Neil Patel
Neil Patel claims he doesn’t know much about the world. “There’s only one thing I’m good at,” he says, “and that is getting traffic from Yahoo and Google.” It’s a peculiar skill, but it has definitely paid off. Patel taught himself the art of search engine optimization about nine years ago, after he had started … Continue reading “Twitter Is Killing the Blogosphere, and More Insights from Internet Marketing Whiz Neil Patel”
Amgen Gets FDA Approval, SonoSite’s New Frontier, Craig Venter’s Enabler, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
Quite a few Seattle biotechies are quietly gearing up for the always-important American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting from June 4 to 8 in Chicago. Combine that with a holiday weekend, and the local life sciences news was a little light for Xconomy Seattle. —One of the big national headlines this week came when Amgen … Continue reading “Amgen Gets FDA Approval, SonoSite’s New Frontier, Craig Venter’s Enabler, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Washington State Biomedical Device Summit
The third annual Washington State Biomedical Device Summit will once again bring together over 200 executives, entrepreneurs, researchers, government officials, thought leaders and stakeholders from the medical device community to review the current landscape and discuss strategies for navigating the new healthcare economy. This year’s event, on June 17, will include speakers from Micronics; Pathway … Continue reading “Washington State Biomedical Device Summit”
Zebigo, Led by Boeing and Blue Origin Vet, Rolls Out Ride-Sharing Network in Seattle
Mark Russell spent 13 years commuting the 50-odd miles from Graham, WA, to Kirkland and back. Driving alone, he couldn’t use the carpool lane, so he spent countless hours sitting in traffic. Now he is channeling years of pent-up frustration to help solve the broader ride-sharing problem, using a confluence of social networks, mobile applications, … Continue reading “Zebigo, Led by Boeing and Blue Origin Vet, Rolls Out Ride-Sharing Network in Seattle”
Tippr Buys Chitown Deals
Seattle-based group buying site Tippr.com announced today it has acquired Chitown Deals, based in Chicago, for an undisclosed amount. Tippr, which focuses on consumers’ collective buying (and discount vouchers) from small businesses, is currently operating in 10 U.S. cities and looking to expand. The site is led by entrepreneur and investor Martin Tobias. Its parent … Continue reading “Tippr Buys Chitown Deals”
Seattle Sensor Systems, Reborn in Twist of Fate, Spots Food Pathogens with a Little Box
Sometimes a startup is born when a couple of old friends bump into each other after years of going their separate ways. That’s what happened in February for Seattle Sensor Systems, when Carole Spangler e-mailed University of Washington genomics researcher Clem Furlong to ask him a scientific question and to catch up personally. He wrote … Continue reading “Seattle Sensor Systems, Reborn in Twist of Fate, Spots Food Pathogens with a Little Box”
YongoPal, UW Business Plan Winner, Looks to Cash In on Video Language Lessons—and Some Lessons of Its Own
With the end of May comes another brood of promising young companies born of the University of Washington’s business plan competition. After many months of hard work, coaching, and pitching, they’re ready to strike out on their own. This year’s group of semi-finalist companies was particularly diverse, representing the fields of consumer Internet, materials, energy, … Continue reading “YongoPal, UW Business Plan Winner, Looks to Cash In on Video Language Lessons—and Some Lessons of Its Own”
Amgen’s Dmab Wins FDA Approval
Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) has received clearance from the U.S. FDA to start selling denosumab (Prolia) as a treatment for women with osteoporosis. The drug, an injection taken every six months, works to decrease the destruction of bone and increase bone mass and strength, according to an FDA statement. The drug was approved ahead of schedule, … Continue reading “Amgen’s Dmab Wins FDA Approval”
TechFoam (Startup Happy Hour)
Info and more details here. TechFoam has now partnered with nPost and TechCafe (formerly Seattle Lunch 2.0), and will be collaborating to make Seattle an even better place for startups. TechFoam will be taking place as scheduled this Wednesday (6/2), and the first two pitchers of beer will be funded by the new combined organization … Continue reading “TechFoam (Startup Happy Hour)”
Zipcar Files to Take $75M IPO Ride
Zipcar has set its sights on a new funding vehicle: An initial public offering. The Cambridge, MA-based car sharing service says it wants to raise $75 million in an IPO, according to an SEC filing. The company, founded in 2000, has changed the way many people think about renting cars. Its members can reserve cars … Continue reading “Zipcar Files to Take $75M IPO Ride”
Three Dealmakers Make Moves, MicroGreen Gets Moolah, SonoSite Buys Visualsonics, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
The past couple of weeks have been slow-going for company financings and acquisitions in the Northwest. We’ve seen some high-profile personnel moves at Microsoft, as well as at Accel Partners and Founder’s Co-op (see below), but little in the way of money changing hands. Nevertheless, there was some action in the worlds of software, advanced … Continue reading “Three Dealmakers Make Moves, MicroGreen Gets Moolah, SonoSite Buys Visualsonics, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
SonoSite’s New Frontier: High-Res Ultrasound to See a Mouse Heartbeat, the Inside of Your Blood Vessels, & More
SonoSite looked like it was out of ideas. Why, after all, would the maker of portable ultrasound machines spend $89 million of hard-earned cash to buy back shares a couple months ago? That’s one of those time-honored financial engineering tricks that companies often do when they don’t have any promising new products to boost sales, … Continue reading “SonoSite’s New Frontier: High-Res Ultrasound to See a Mouse Heartbeat, the Inside of Your Blood Vessels, & More”
Feedjit, Survey Analytics, SEOmoz Climb Web Ranks
Seattle 2.0’s monthly startup index reports that Cheezburger Network and Zillow still lead the pack of local Internet startups in terms of traffic estimates. Feedjit, Survey Analytics, SEOmoz, and Smilebox moved up the ranks in the top 10, while Sporcle, Entertonement, AppStoreHQ, Evri, Zulily, and Onehub made strong upward moves in the top 50. Seattle … Continue reading “Feedjit, Survey Analytics, SEOmoz Climb Web Ranks”
Under the Radar Financings in the Northwest: Foodista, PhotoRocket, EnergySavvy, and More
OK, usually when we pull out our monthly “under the radar” deals, it’s companies we haven’t heard much about before. Not so this time. I’ve been lamenting the relative dearth of financing deals for early-stage software startups around Seattle lately. This month’s news won’t really change that, but at least there are a few intriguing … Continue reading “Under the Radar Financings in the Northwest: Foodista, PhotoRocket, EnergySavvy, and More”
Goby and TripAdvisor: Two Great Mobile Apps for Your Upcoming Travels
It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, when thoughts turn to vacation and summer road trips, so I thought I’d write briefly today about two cool travel-related mobile apps, both hailing from the Boston area. But first, I want to take a moment to remind you that June is Innovation Month in New England. Similar to the … Continue reading “Goby and TripAdvisor: Two Great Mobile Apps for Your Upcoming Travels”
YongoPal Wins UW Biz Competition
YongoPal, a Web startup that enables English conversations between people in Korea and the U.S., won the grand prize of $25,000 at tonight’s University of Washington Business Plan Competition. Empowering Engineering Technologies, a company that seeks to help disabled people to walk again, won the $10,000 second place award, while Emergent Detection and Febris each … Continue reading “YongoPal Wins UW Biz Competition”
Venture Mechanics, Led by Ron Wiener, Opens “Berkubator” for Tech Startups, Introduces Three New Companies
Looking to start a technology company in this era of small teams, lean cost structures, and fast times to market? You might want to check out Venture Mechanics in Seattle. It’s basically an outfit of four experienced startup executives who are trying to reinvent the process of launching tech companies. They held an open-house launch … Continue reading “Venture Mechanics, Led by Ron Wiener, Opens “Berkubator” for Tech Startups, Introduces Three New Companies”
32 Pivotal Leaders Selected in Cleantech
Pivotal Leaders, a new Portland, OR-based network of cleantech business leaders, announced this week its 32 top leaders for 2010. They were nominated by the community and selected by their peers, from a pool of more than 600 nominations, as people most likely to lead successful Northwest clean technology companies in the next three to … Continue reading “32 Pivotal Leaders Selected in Cleantech”
SonoSite Acquires Visualsonics
SonoSite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SONO]]), the Bothell, WA-based maker of portable ultrasound machines, said today it has agreed to acquire Toronto-based Visualsonics for $71 million, net of cash and debt. Visualsonics is the leader in ultra high frequency micro-ultrasound that uses five times the frequency center range of conventional technologies, SonoSite says. This has enabled biologists to … Continue reading “SonoSite Acquires Visualsonics”
Geoff Entress, the Go-To Startup Investor, Weaves Himself Deeper Into Seattle Tech Community With Founder’s Co-op
How did Geoff Entress become Seattle’s go-to tech investor and startup guru? For those outside the local technology community, Entress is an angel investor who has put his own money to work in more than 35 startup companies, most of them software-based and in the Northwest. They range from firms that are now well-established like … Continue reading “Geoff Entress, the Go-To Startup Investor, Weaves Himself Deeper Into Seattle Tech Community With Founder’s Co-op”
Craig Venter’s Enabler, Seattle’s Blue Heron, Grows With Synthetic Genes Made to Order
When genomics pioneer J. Craig Venter stepped before the cameras last week and claimed that he engineered the first bacterial cell with an entirely synthetic genome, he actually had a lot of help. One of the key players he relied on behind the scenes was a privately held company in Bothell, WA, called Blue Heron … Continue reading “Craig Venter’s Enabler, Seattle’s Blue Heron, Grows With Synthetic Genes Made to Order”
Seattle Genetics Grows Up Fast, Valocor Seeks to Fight Acne, Cell Therapeutics Nabs $21M & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This week we had a few of the usual small deals to cover, but there were a few moments to take a deep breath and look at the big-picture trends underway in the Northwest biotech community. —Seattle Genetics is practically invisible compared to the drama queen across Lake Washington, otherwise known as Dendreon. But while … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Grows Up Fast, Valocor Seeks to Fight Acne, Cell Therapeutics Nabs $21M & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Rob Glaser, RealNetworks Founder, Joins Accel Partners, Looks to Connect VC Firm with Seattle Entrepreneurs
Rob Glaser, the founder, chairman, and former CEO of Seattle-based RealNetworks (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]), announced yesterday that he has joined Accel Partners, the Silicon Valley-based VC firm, as a part-time venture partner. Glaser will focus on digital media, social media, and mobile service investments—and he’ll do it from the Seattle area. Accel invested in RealNetworks back … Continue reading “Rob Glaser, RealNetworks Founder, Joins Accel Partners, Looks to Connect VC Firm with Seattle Entrepreneurs”
Seattle Genetics, Growing Up in a Hurry With Millennium, Aims to Make Most of Cancer Drug
Seattle Genetics has spent more than a decade thinking about cutting-edge biology, chemistry, and clinical trials to prove its drug candidates work. Then last week, for the first time in nine years I’ve been reporting on CEO Clay Siegall, he talked with passion about things like manufacturing, inventory, quality assurance, quality control, and insurance reimbursement. … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics, Growing Up in a Hurry With Millennium, Aims to Make Most of Cancer Drug”
Is it Time for the FDA to Chime in on Drug Company Tweets?
These days, when I least expect it, an e-mail pops into my inbox that I can’t ignore. It announces that someone is following me on Twitter. I’m still figuring out how it works (I have a measly 4 tweets to my name), which explains why, upon reading one of those e-mails, I usually succumb to … Continue reading “Is it Time for the FDA to Chime in on Drug Company Tweets?”
WTIA Energy Series: Smart Fuels
Info and registration here. Session 3: Smart Fuels The list is growing of new ways to produce alternate fuels for transportation, consumer, and commercial purposes. From BioMass and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to plastic, waste oils, agricultural products and algae…the list continues to grow of innovative new fuels. Come here the state of the alternative … Continue reading “WTIA Energy Series: Smart Fuels”
Valocor Therapeutics, a QLT Spinoff, Envisions Safe Anti-Acne Drug and More
One of Vancouver, BC’s big biotech success stories, QLT, was clobbered by Genentech a few years ago in the market for treating age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness among elderly people. But during its heyday, QLT spawned a few cool R&D projects, and now some of them are being packaged into a new … Continue reading “Valocor Therapeutics, a QLT Spinoff, Envisions Safe Anti-Acne Drug and More”