Category: Seattle

Twitter Buys Seattle’s Cloudhopper to Expand SMS Service Globally: The Story Behind the Deal

It’s an exciting day for Joe Lauer. The Seattle entrepreneur and founder of Cloudhopper, a mobile messaging service, just told me his startup has been acquired by Twitter, the micro-messaging giant based in San Francisco. Financial terms of the cash-and-stock deal weren’t released, but Lauer and fellow employee Kristin Kanaar have joined Twitter full-time. Lauer … Continue reading “Twitter Buys Seattle’s Cloudhopper to Expand SMS Service Globally: The Story Behind the Deal”

Creating a Virtual 3-D World: Inside PhotoCity from UW and Cornell

[Updated 3:30 pm, 4/23/10. See below] Zoran Popovic, a computer scientist at the University of Washington, is constructing 3-D virtual recreations of real life. First step, the UW campus; next, the whole world. Building on a previous program called Photo Tourism that pieces together photos culled from Flickr into virtual 3-D models, PhotoCity is a … Continue reading “Creating a Virtual 3-D World: Inside PhotoCity from UW and Cornell”

Dodd Bill Update: Listening to the Market

Like an entrepreneur listening to market feedback while designing a product, Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn) has made some improvements to features of his pending legislation that we described last month. Originally designed to fight the “too big to fail” problem in the financial markets, many constituents—including the Angel Capital Association and the National Venture Capital … Continue reading “Dodd Bill Update: Listening to the Market”

Detroit: America’s Laboratory for Innovation

What the heck is Xconomy doing opening a bureau in Detroit? The same thing we’ve been doing all along: seeking out technology innovators in key cities and chronicling the work they’re doing to turn their ideas into businesses that will drive the economy forward, both regionally and nationally. There’s no question that Detroit falls short … Continue reading “Detroit: America’s Laboratory for Innovation”

Amazon, Microsoft Post Profits; Shares Fall

Seattle-area tech giants Amazon.com and Microsoft reported their earnings for the first three months of 2010 today, and each touted significant increases in profits compared with the same period a year ago. Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) reported a quarterly profit of $4.01 billion, an increase of 35 percent over the first three months of 2009, thanks … Continue reading “Amazon, Microsoft Post Profits; Shares Fall”

Technology Alliance Showcases Five Companies in Sensors, Mobile Displays, and Drug Therapies: Investors Take Notice

Yesterday afternoon, I attended the Seattle-based Technology Alliance’s “Innovation Showcase” at the Rainier Square Conference Center downtown. This is a relatively new event—the fourth one so far, and the first open to the press—in which tech and life sciences companies from Washington state pitch their businesses to a small, select crowd of angel investors, entrepreneurs, … Continue reading “Technology Alliance Showcases Five Companies in Sensors, Mobile Displays, and Drug Therapies: Investors Take Notice”

The XSITEment Returns on June 17 at Babson College—X Prize Founder Diamandis to Keynote Xconomy Summit

Most Xconomy events last only an afternoon or an evening. Barely enough time, in other words, to scratch the surface of all the amazing work technology entrepreneurs are doing around New England, in areas as varied as cloud computing, health IT, mobile commerce, smart grid technology, and the future of drug development. But our flagship … Continue reading “The XSITEment Returns on June 17 at Babson College—X Prize Founder Diamandis to Keynote Xconomy Summit”

AVI Biopharma Ousts CEO, CombiMatrix Drops Seattle Wing, Cell Therapeutics Cans 36 Workers, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

There was more than the usual amount of carnage this week on the Seattle biotech beat. —AVI Biopharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]]) ousted CEO Les Hudson as part of a boardroom coup. The board installed chief financial officer David Boyle as the interim CEO, and a company spokesman says Boyle has the board’s confidence and is a … Continue reading “AVI Biopharma Ousts CEO, CombiMatrix Drops Seattle Wing, Cell Therapeutics Cans 36 Workers, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

Refined Innovation: A New Approach to Investing

It’s obvious that the financial downturn has negatively impacted innovation. Lack of investment has meant fewer startups, and lack of capital for liquidity events and exits has pushed a listless market into even greater torpor. Overall, the downward pressure is preventing a lot of great new ideas and technological advances from getting off the ground. … Continue reading “Refined Innovation: A New Approach to Investing”

HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals Secures $12,000,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ac04b182-ad45-419c-9938-894c276e9ebc&Preview=1 Date 4/22/2010 Company Name HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 1229 Madison Street Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description HemaQuest is a company developing proprietary small molecule therapeutics to treat serious blood disorders. Website http://www.hemaquest.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $12,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes The financing is intended to help … Continue reading “HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals Secures $12,000,000 Series B Financing Round”

Cray Wins $20M Brazilian Contract

Seattle-based Cray, the supercomputer company, announced today it has been awarded a multi-year, $20 million contract with the Foundation for Space Technology, Applications and Science in Brazil. Under the terms of the contract, the company will deliver a Cray XT6 supercomputer to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, to perform weather forecasts and climate studies; … Continue reading “Cray Wins $20M Brazilian Contract”

UW Prof Shwetak Patel’s Energy Startup, Zensi, Bought by Belkin

Zensi, an energy monitoring startup co-founded by University of Washington assistant professor Shwetak Patel, has been acquired by Belkin, the computer hardware and wireless company based in the Los Angeles area. Financial terms of the cash deal weren’t given. The news was reported earlier today by CNET. Patel co-founded Zensi in 2008 while he was … Continue reading “UW Prof Shwetak Patel’s Energy Startup, Zensi, Bought by Belkin”

Bill Gates Pushes His Foundation’s Health, Education, Energy Agenda at MIT—Podcast and Report

Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates visited MIT today as part of his College Tour, a three-day trip to universities across the United States. In his talk, Gates emphasized the importance of getting more bright young people to innovate in critical areas such as global health, education, and energy—all areas where the Bill and Melinda … Continue reading “Bill Gates Pushes His Foundation’s Health, Education, Energy Agenda at MIT—Podcast and Report”

The Xconomists Reach Out to Detroit

One of Xconomy’s unique strengths is our network of Xconomists, leaders in the worlds of innovation and entrepreneurship who have accepted our invitation to act as occasional guest bloggers, story sources, and informal editorial advisers. We’re proud to count 61 Xconomists in Boston (our original home base), 50 in Seattle, 42 in San Diego, and … Continue reading “The Xconomists Reach Out to Detroit”

AVI Biopharma Ousts CEO Les Hudson in Boardroom Coup

[Update: 11 am Pacific] AVI Biopharma CEO Les Hudson has been ousted as part of a boardroom shakeup. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]]) said today that chief financial officer David Boyle will take his place as interim president and CEO through an agreement with activist shareholders. AVI Biopharma director K. Michael Forrest is … Continue reading “AVI Biopharma Ousts CEO Les Hudson in Boardroom Coup”

Sylvia Pagán Westphal Takes the Pulse of Life Sciences for Xconomy

One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about technology journalism is how cozy a niche it is. There just aren’t than many folks who can geek out with the lab dwellers, put the hard questions to the executives, and get it all down on the page, on a deadline–so it often feels like if you … Continue reading “Sylvia Pagán Westphal Takes the Pulse of Life Sciences for Xconomy”

HemaQuest Pockets Full $12M to Treat Sickle Cell and Other Blood Disorders

Seattle-based HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals has nailed down a full Series B round of financing worth $12 million, according to a company statement. This means HemaQuest has secured a second installment of $6 million, after grabbing the first chunk of cash in late January, which we first reported based on a regulatory filing. The complete deal is … Continue reading “HemaQuest Pockets Full $12M to Treat Sickle Cell and Other Blood Disorders”

Confident Technologies Makes Its Debut in Restart of Vidoop’s Security Software

Curtis Staker tells me that Portland, OR-based Vidoop had a Web security idea that was just too good to let die. So Staker, a veteran software security executive, helped to acquire Vidoop’s assets in January, moved the software development operation to Solana Beach, CA, near San Diego, and today is launching the reincarnated business as … Continue reading “Confident Technologies Makes Its Debut in Restart of Vidoop’s Security Software”

Signature Genomic Gets Sold for $90M, DreamBox Bought by Netflix CEO, The $7M Madrona Man, & More Seattle-Area Deals News

A very wide range of deals were done this week in the Northwest, ranging from small tech partnerships and fundings to a large biotech acquisition. Methinks the action will pick up in the next month before summertime. —Bellevue, WA-based DreamBox Learning, an online math education startup, has been acquired by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and … Continue reading “Signature Genomic Gets Sold for $90M, DreamBox Bought by Netflix CEO, The $7M Madrona Man, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”

Technology Alliance: Innovation Showcase

Info and registration here. The Innovation Showcase helps bridge the gap between research and commercialization by highlighting the most promising discoveries and new technologies ready for commercialization in Washington, and promotes the networking and idea sharing that helps turn research into results. Our audience includes the top tier of our state’s business community interested in … Continue reading “Technology Alliance: Innovation Showcase”

Partovis to Step Down at MySpace

Ali Partovi and Hadi Partovi, co-founders of Seattle-based social music startup iLike, are stepping down from their senior executive positions at MySpace. The news was reported by All Things Digital, TechCrunch, and other outlets. MySpace acquired iLike last August, and the Partovis were promoted to senior vice president roles under MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta. … Continue reading “Partovis to Step Down at MySpace”

DreamBox Learning Bought by Netflix CEO (and Microsoft Board Member) Reed Hastings and Charter Fund—Some More Context

Score one for online education. Bellevue, WA-based DreamBox Learning announced today it has been acquired by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and the Charter Fund, a nonprofit venture firm. The price was not disclosed, but the deal includes a new investment of $10 million in the company, which will be used to advance DreamBox’s e-learning technology, … Continue reading “DreamBox Learning Bought by Netflix CEO (and Microsoft Board Member) Reed Hastings and Charter Fund—Some More Context”

Washington’s Culture of Creative Enterprise: CityClub Anniversary Luncheon

CityClub, a Seattle-based nonprofit that seeks to connect with citizens about complex issues, is organizing a panel discussion on innovation and entrepreneurship at its annual fundraiser. University of Washington president Mark Emmert, Greg Gottesman of Madrona Venture Group, Kevin Goodwin of Sonosite, UW computer scientist Yoky Matsuoka, and Christina Lomasney of Modumetal will be part … Continue reading “Washington’s Culture of Creative Enterprise: CityClub Anniversary Luncheon”

Airbiquity, Hitachi Team Up on Electric Cars

Seattle-based Airbiquity announced today it has formed a partnership with Tokyo-based Hitachi Automotive Systems to develop telecommunications systems for electric vehicles. Financial terms of the deal weren’t given. The technology could allow drivers to do things like check their battery using their mobile phone, locate nearby charging stations, and get directions. The move is part … Continue reading “Airbiquity, Hitachi Team Up on Electric Cars”

The Man Behind Madrona’s Investment in Searchandise: Lessons in VC, Company-Building, and Selling to Microsoft

If you live in Seattle and follow technology trends, you know who Brian McAndrews is. If you’re a Boston techie, though, it’s possible that you don’t. Luckily, you have Xconomy to help bridge the gap between East and West. (Bear with me here.) McAndrews is a relatively new managing director at Madrona Venture Group, a … Continue reading “The Man Behind Madrona’s Investment in Searchandise: Lessons in VC, Company-Building, and Selling to Microsoft”

Xconomy Opens in Detroit to Tell a Vital Story of Innovation and Economic Transformation

Even as the Detroit Red Wings seek to battle back in their NHL playoff series against the Phoenix Coyotes, entrepreneurs and innovators in Michigan are working overtime to help the state meet an economic challenge far more imposing than the Coyotes are on ice. That’s how we see it here at Xconomy, and that’s why … Continue reading “Xconomy Opens in Detroit to Tell a Vital Story of Innovation and Economic Transformation”

CombiMatrix Cuts Mukilteo Facility, CEO Resigns, Shifts to Diagnostic Strategy

Big cuts are happening at Mukilteo, WA-based CombiMatrix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CBMX]]). CEO Amit Kumar is stepping down, expenses are being cut, and the board is betting the future of the company on diagnostics, not on its traditional business of selling genetic analysis instruments to researchers. The company’s statement today is vague, but the news is clearly … Continue reading “CombiMatrix Cuts Mukilteo Facility, CEO Resigns, Shifts to Diagnostic Strategy”

NanoString Unveils MicroRNA Kit

NanoString Technologies, the Seattle-based maker of tools for genetic analysis, said today it has introduced a new product to analyze microRNA molecules on its nCounter instrument. MicroRNAs are tiny strings of RNA that don’t carry the instructions for making genes, but are thought to regulate the activity of important biological processes. NanoString is rolling out … Continue reading “NanoString Unveils MicroRNA Kit”

Washington’s Top 10 Venture Deals of the First Quarter—and Some Reactions

The first three months of 2010 are in the books. The dreaded tax day has passed. Time to look back at the top 10 venture capital deals in Washington state so far this year, and see what the trends are. What kinds of companies are getting cash? Who’s unable to attract the loot, and why? … Continue reading “Washington’s Top 10 Venture Deals of the First Quarter—and Some Reactions”

Will Your Doctor Carry an iPad? Xconomy Delves Into the Future of Health IT on May 12

Some of our regular readers have noticed we are on a Health IT kick around here at Xconomy. We launched a new Health IT website earlier this month, and our colleagues in Boston are gearing up for a big event on that theme there on April 26. Not to be outdone, Greg and I are … Continue reading “Will Your Doctor Carry an iPad? Xconomy Delves Into the Future of Health IT on May 12”

Surveys Agree on Rising Tide of VC Activity, But Differ on the Ebb and Flow

After running the early returns on first-quarter venture activity, we got some additional perspective from other sources over the weekend that show an ebb of VC investments in life sciences startups and a surge in energy deals. All three VC surveys—from Dow Jones, MoneyTree, and CB Insights—showed an overall rising tide compared with the first … Continue reading “Surveys Agree on Rising Tide of VC Activity, But Differ on the Ebb and Flow”

Online Notebook Smackdown: Evernote Vs. Springpad

I’m a digital pack rat, which means I tend to get unreasonably excited about online notekeeping systems. I’m driven by the conviction that there’s got to be one best way to use the Internet to save and retrieve every bit of information I might want to look at later, whether that means Web clippings, important … Continue reading “Online Notebook Smackdown: Evernote Vs. Springpad”

Glympse Rolls Out Facebook Tie-In, Looks to Gain Traction in Location-Aware Social Networks

Question: Where is Glympse? Answer: Getting more socially connected. The Redmond, WA, startup, which makes location-based software for mobile phones, is announcing today it has integrated its service with Facebook. This means consumers can automatically share where they are in real-time with certain friends and contacts in their social network via their iPhone or Android … Continue reading “Glympse Rolls Out Facebook Tie-In, Looks to Gain Traction in Location-Aware Social Networks”

TEDx Seattle

Info, program, and registration here. Convening Community Through Social Technologies: Stories from Puget Sound to Cape Town A Livestream of TEDx Seattle will be made available this Friday, April 16th right here on our website. Stay tuned! This regional TEDx event will bring together great minds in creativity, scholarship, and entrepreneurship to discuss the possibilities … Continue reading “TEDx Seattle”

Twiistup: Raising Capital from Angel Investors

Info and registration here. Startup Sessions – Raising Capital from Angel Investors (first in a monthly series). Angel Investors Andy Sack and Geoff Entress of the Founder’s Co-op will explain the details and nuances of raising capital from Angel Investors. Andy and Geoff are two of the most active Angel Investors in the Pacific Northwest. … Continue reading “Twiistup: Raising Capital from Angel Investors”

Mirabilis Nabs $1M for Ultrasound

Mirabilis Medica, the Bothell, WA-based developer of ultrasound technology to treat uterine fibroids, has raised $1 million in debt and options out of a financing round that could be worth $2 million, according to a regulatory filing. This company, which Xconomy profiled last June, said last year it had raised $11 million since inception from … Continue reading “Mirabilis Nabs $1M for Ultrasound”

Microsoft Talks Kin Phone, Tightens Twitter Ties, Dominates Human-Computer Interactions—A Redmond Roundup

It has been a busy week indeed in Microsoft land. While the man on the street has been scrambling to file his taxes, the Redmond, WA, company has been making headway in smartphones, real-time search, and other important areas. Let’s get right to the highlights: Microsoft talks up Kin “social phone” This is a phone … Continue reading “Microsoft Talks Kin Phone, Tightens Twitter Ties, Dominates Human-Computer Interactions—A Redmond Roundup”

Bootstrapping or VC? One Company’s Path

I was recently headed down the fund-raising road with one of my technology startup clients, when something strange happened. This client is a company founded by entrepreneurs with accomplished backgrounds. They came up with a novel idea and had developed it over the previous 24 months. Their product had been commercially released, and they were … Continue reading “Bootstrapping or VC? One Company’s Path”

Dendreon Hires HR Boss

Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]), the Seattle-based developer of immune-stimulating therapies for cancer, said today it has hired Richard Ranieri as its new senior vice president for human resources starting on April 19. Ranieri was formerly the executive vice president of human resources at Sepracor, which was acquired last September by Dainippon Sumitomo for $2.6 billion. Ranieri … Continue reading “Dendreon Hires HR Boss”

Dendreon’s Pricing Question, UW’s $300M Stimulus Windfall, Cell Therapeutics Rejected by FDA, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

One of Seattle’s oldest biotech companies was rejected by U.S. drug regulators in the past week, while another is on pins and needles awaiting what most analysts expect will be an imminent FDA approval. —How much will people pay for a new prostate cancer drug that will help men live a median of four months … Continue reading “Dendreon’s Pricing Question, UW’s $300M Stimulus Windfall, Cell Therapeutics Rejected by FDA, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

Mirabilis Medica Secures $1,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1b79b4e8-f412-4436-9bbb-3b714a315fc7&Preview=1 Date 4/15/2010 Company Name Mirabilis Medica Mailing Address 18706 North Creek Parkway Bothell, WA 98011 Company Description Develops and designs Ultrasound technology for medical imaging. Website http://www.mirabilismedica.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed

Concur Goes Convertible, Frazier and Arch Back Achaogen, Lucid Commerce Gets Cash, & More Seattle-Area Deals News

Done your taxes yet? If so, sit back, relax, and enjoy this rundown of the week’s deals in the Northwest. It’s a mix of software and biotech financings, some encouraging (and not so encouraging) regional and national venture capital stats, and a new crop of inspiring startups. —Lucid Commerce, a Seattle provider of business intelligence … Continue reading “Concur Goes Convertible, Frazier and Arch Back Achaogen, Lucid Commerce Gets Cash, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”

Lucid Commerce Closes $5M Series B

[Updated 12:20pm, 4/14/10] Seattle-based Lucid Commerce, a provider of business intelligence software and data for direct marketers, has closed a Series B funding round, according to a report in VentureWire this morning. New York-based Greycroft Partners, a new investor, co-led the round together with OVP Venture Partners in Kirkland, WA, which has confirmed that the … Continue reading “Lucid Commerce Closes $5M Series B”

Dendreon’s Big Question: How Much Will People Pay for Provenge?

How much will people in the U.S. pay for a new prostate cancer drug that helps dying men live a few months longer? This is one of the tricky questions Seattle-based Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) is wrestling with these days. The decision will have a significant impact on how successful Dendreon is for years to come. … Continue reading “Dendreon’s Big Question: How Much Will People Pay for Provenge?”