The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced today it is joining forces with TechAmerica, the advocacy organization, to become a unified tech entity in Washington state. The move broadens WTIA’s membership to include more companies in hardware, electronics, and devices, which complements the trade association’s strengths in software, digital media, and telecom, says Ken Myer, … Continue reading “WTIA Merges With TechAmerica, Gets More Electronics and Device Companies On Board”
Category: Seattle
ZymoGenetics Partner Halts Multiple Sclerosis Trials After Drug Fails
More bad news out of ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) this morning. The Seattle-based biotech company disclosed in a regulatory filing today that its partner, Germany-based pharmaceutical giant Merck KGaA, has halted studies of their atacicept drug candidate for multiple sclerosis after concluding the drug’s benefit wasn’t worth the risk. One trial showed that multiple sclerosis patients … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Partner Halts Multiple Sclerosis Trials After Drug Fails”
Appature Looks to Land Venture Funding, Go Big in Healthcare Marketing Software
Healthcare-IT is a hot topic in Seattle these days—and it’s about to get even hotter. Sources with knowledge of the company tell me Appature, a two-and-a-half-year-old Seattle startup focused on improving marketing and customer relationship management in the healthcare industry, is close to getting its first round of venture funding—and may even be the subject … Continue reading “Appature Looks to Land Venture Funding, Go Big in Healthcare Marketing Software”
From Academics to Biotech: A Journey to the Supposed “Dark Side”
If you had told me last year that today I would be running the offices of Accelerator Corporation—at least for one morning while everyone is out of town—I would have probably sniffed in disdain, tossed my hair, and shuffled back to my post-doc lab bench, a free donut in one hand (magic vendor food) and … Continue reading “From Academics to Biotech: A Journey to the Supposed “Dark Side””
It’s About Health Care, Not Health Insurance
Health care reform discussions almost always revolve around health insurance, as if care and insurance are synonymous. Understanding the difference can lead to the delivery of better care for less money, and help break the health care reform logjam in Congress. An amendment introduced this week by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell to America’s Healthy Future … Continue reading “It’s About Health Care, Not Health Insurance”
Amazon Plows Ahead in E-Books, Electronics, and Retail—An Update
For some reason, it has been even harder than usual to keep up with Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) this month. Here’s a quick roundup of the week’s most interesting news regarding the Internet giant’s place in the e-book and retail world. —Every day, it seems like a new e-book reader comes on the market to compete … Continue reading “Amazon Plows Ahead in E-Books, Electronics, and Retail—An Update”
Naverus Gets FAA Approval for U.S. Public Use
Kent, WA-based Naverus announced today it has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to design and test “required navigation performance” flight paths for public use in the U.S. That means Naverus’s navigation software and flight patch design can now be used widely by U.S. airports and airlines to help make flights faster, safer, and … Continue reading “Naverus Gets FAA Approval for U.S. Public Use”
CEO Chase Franklin on Daptiv’s “Tremendous Potential”—and an Offer He Couldn’t Refuse
On Monday, Seattle-based Daptiv, a maker of project management software, announced Chase Franklin has joined the firm as its new chief executive. Franklin, the former co-founder and CEO of Qpass (now owned by Amdocs), succeeds Jeff Pancottine, who stepped down as Daptiv’s CEO this summer. I reached Franklin by e-mail this week to hear his … Continue reading “CEO Chase Franklin on Daptiv’s “Tremendous Potential”—and an Offer He Couldn’t Refuse”
Ansel Adams Meets Apple: The Camera Phone Craze in Photography
[Corrected 9/28/09: Chase Jarvis is based in Seattle, not San Francisco. I regret the error and apologize to our Seattle readers!] Seattle-based commercial photographer Chase Jarvis is known for his arresting, color-saturated images of people in motion—skiing, swimming, somersaulting. He’s also known for (literally) trademarking the phrase “the best camera is the one you have … Continue reading “Ansel Adams Meets Apple: The Camera Phone Craze in Photography”
HP’s New High-End Printer Bypasses the PC, Connects Directly to the Web
After two years of project development, Hewlett-Packard is preparing for the official sales launch of a new inkjet printer that the technology giant bills as the world’s first “Web-connected home printer,” a peripheral that cuts the cord to the PC by connecting directly to the Internet. The Palo Alto, CA-based company says the device, which … Continue reading “HP’s New High-End Printer Bypasses the PC, Connects Directly to the Web”
Lee Hood’s New Idea, Calypso Scores $50M, Novo’s Historic Mistake Pays Off for Seattle, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This week featured the best run of positive news for Seattle biotech I’ve seen this year. —Seattle-based Calypso Medical Technologies raised the biggest venture capital round of the year in the Northwest, pulling in $50 million. Calypso, which sells a device that pinpoints radiation therapy for prostate cancer so it doesn’t go off track and … Continue reading “Lee Hood’s New Idea, Calypso Scores $50M, Novo’s Historic Mistake Pays Off for Seattle, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Ray King, Jama Software Win OEN Awards
The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) announced the winners of its 2009 Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards on Thursday night. Ray King, founder and CEO of Portland, OR-based AboutUs, won the award for individual achievement. The award for development-stage company of the year went to Portland-based Jama Software. Portland-based Monsoon and Medford, OR-based Motorcycle Superstore won in … Continue reading “Ray King, Jama Software Win OEN Awards”
Microsoft Rolls Out Web Developer Program
Microsoft has announced a new program for Web developers and small companies (with fewer than 10 employees) that build websites and Web applications for others. The program, called WebsiteSpark, follows in the footsteps of BizSpark for startups and DreamSpark for students. It offers free development software and support for three years, after which participants have … Continue reading “Microsoft Rolls Out Web Developer Program”
Top 10 Takeaways from WTIA’s Healthcare-IT Event: Follow the Money, Startup Opps, & More
The role of information technology in healthcare reform is such a huge, sprawling topic that it’s hard to make any real progress in just an hour or two of discussions. Yet that’s just what transpired at a stellar event last night called “Healthcare-IT—Innovations That Will Transform Healthcare Now and in the Future.” It all took … Continue reading “Top 10 Takeaways from WTIA’s Healthcare-IT Event: Follow the Money, Startup Opps, & More”
Dendreon to Turn in Provenge Application to FDA in Mid-November
Dendreon has been saying for months that it plans to file its amended application to the FDA in the fourth quarter, and today it got a little more specific, saying it expects to complete that job by mid-November. That means it should be on target to start selling sipuleucel-T (Provenge) to U.S. prostate cancer patients … Continue reading “Dendreon to Turn in Provenge Application to FDA in Mid-November”
Biotech Pioneer Steve Gillis on Life as a VC, How Today’s Entrepreneurs Can Make It, and Seattle’s Future in Life Sciences (Part 2)
Yesterday, we ran the first installment of an extended interview with Steve Gillis, the biotechnology pioneer who’s now a managing director at Arch Venture Partners. Today, we have the second half of the conversation, in which Gillis talks more about ways biotech entrepreneurs can adjust to the tough fundraising climate, and Seattle’s realistic assets as … Continue reading “Biotech Pioneer Steve Gillis on Life as a VC, How Today’s Entrepreneurs Can Make It, and Seattle’s Future in Life Sciences (Part 2)”
Five Big Questions For Dendreon’s Analyst Day
Dendreon shocked the cancer research world back in April, proving for the first time in a major clinical trial that a drug which actively stimulates the immune system can be effective against tumors. Now the Seattle-based company has to wrestle with a whole new set of challenges to make sure it fully exploits the potential … Continue reading “Five Big Questions For Dendreon’s Analyst Day”
Maveron, Spark Lead $8M Round for Altius
Seattle-based Maveron and Boston-based Spark Capital have co-led an $8 million Series A investment in Altius Education, based in San Francisco, according to a press release today. The Noah Fund also participated in the deal. Maveron was founded by Dan Levitan and Howard Schultz in 1998, and focuses on consumer and tech companies. Altius was … Continue reading “Maveron, Spark Lead $8M Round for Altius”
Ignition Partners Talk Cloud Computing and Virtualization—A Crucial Part of the VC Firm’s Strategy
Now that the media craze around cloud computing seems to have died down just a bit, I thought it would be a good time to take a considered look at what one of the Northwest’s most prominent venture capital firms is working on in this space, which is having increasing influence in every area of … Continue reading “Ignition Partners Talk Cloud Computing and Virtualization—A Crucial Part of the VC Firm’s Strategy”
Paul Allen’s Digeo Bought by Arris for $20M
Kirkland, WA-based Digeo, a 10-year-old home entertainment company backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has been sold to Arris, a broadband communications firm based in Suwanee, GA, for about $20 million in cash. Digeo is known for its high-definition digital video recorder, called Moxi. The acquisition gives Arris expertise, intellectual property, and talent in video … Continue reading “Paul Allen’s Digeo Bought by Arris for $20M”
Biotech Pioneer Steve Gillis on Life as a VC, How Today’s Entrepreneurs Can Make It, and Seattle’s Future in Life Sciences (Part 1)
Most Seattleites would probably list Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Howard Schultz, and Jeff Bezos when asked to name local entrepreneurs who built not just successful companies but entirely new industries. But they’d be forgetting Steve Gillis. Gillis would have to be considered something like the Fifth Beatle in a group like that—you can walk into … Continue reading “Biotech Pioneer Steve Gillis on Life as a VC, How Today’s Entrepreneurs Can Make It, and Seattle’s Future in Life Sciences (Part 1)”
Gov. Gregoire “Committed” to Biotech Fund While Juggling DC Health Reform, Economy
Gov. Chris Gregoire has been in the thick of the health care reform talks in the other Washington. To hear her tell the story, she has been talking with President Obama’s top health policy aide, Nancy Ann DeParle, U.S. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and one of the leading Senators on health … Continue reading “Gov. Gregoire “Committed” to Biotech Fund While Juggling DC Health Reform, Economy”
Microsoft Buys Interactive Supercomputing
Microsoft (NASDAQ:[[ticker:MSFT]]) confirmed yesterday on its Windows Server Division Weblog that the company has purchased the technology assets of Interactive Supercomuting (ISC), a Waltham, MA, developer of parallel computing software. Financial details of the acquisition weren’t revealed. The Microsoft blog says that ISC’s CEO, Bill Blake, and his firm’s technical experts are moving into the … Continue reading “Microsoft Buys Interactive Supercomputing”
The Seattle Biotech Survival Index: Companies Bounce Back in Mid-2009
Seattle’s biotechnology industry is in significantly better financial shape than it was six months ago. The turnaround has been nothing short of amazing, thanks to a frantic run of dealmaking, cost-cutting, and remarkable clinical trial results that have made local companies some of the best-performing stocks this year on the NASDAQ. Indeed, while our first … Continue reading “The Seattle Biotech Survival Index: Companies Bounce Back in Mid-2009”
Alibaba Brings Entrepreneur Competition to Seattle; Contenders To Vie for $100K in Prizes
‘Tis the season for startup-pitching events. Last week, it was the Zino Society’s investment forum in Seattle. Today it’s the DEMOfall09 conference in San Diego, where four Northwest companies are presenting. And tonight there is nPost’s networking and demo event for tech startups at the Columbia City Theater in South Seattle. But there is also … Continue reading “Alibaba Brings Entrepreneur Competition to Seattle; Contenders To Vie for $100K in Prizes”
Decho Delivers Online Backup in China
Seattle-based Decho, which is an EMC (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EMC]]) company, and China Telecom announced today a partnership to deliver cloud-based data services to Chinese Internet users. The companies’ first offering is called eYun, and is based on Decho’s Mozy online backup service. Financial terms of the partnership weren’t given. Decho was formed in November 2008 by … Continue reading “Decho Delivers Online Backup in China”
Free & Clear Acquired for $100M-Plus, Calypso Gets $50M, Ensequence Ensnares $20M, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
The last official week of summer brought a slew of Northwest deals, to go along with today’s heat wave. Two of the year’s biggest financings happened in tech and life sciences, along with a big acquisition in healthcare, while a host of smaller deals went down in software, digital media, and advertising—and one company inched … Continue reading “Free & Clear Acquired for $100M-Plus, Calypso Gets $50M, Ensequence Ensnares $20M, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Lee Hood’s New Idea, Integrative Diagnostics for Early Cancer Detection, Raises $7.5M
[Update: 09/21/09, 6:27 pm. See below.] Leroy Hood’s new idea for a company that detects cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages in the bloodstream has gotten some venture capital after a year of effort. Seattle-based Integrative Diagnostics has secured $7.5 million out of a $30 million equity round, according to a filing with the … Continue reading “Lee Hood’s New Idea, Integrative Diagnostics for Early Cancer Detection, Raises $7.5M”
Four Northwest Startups Presenting at DEMO: A Sneak Preview
The DEMOfall 09 conference, billed as “the launchpad for emerging technology,” kicks off today in San Diego, with company presentations and new product launches officially starting tomorrow morning. The Seattle and Portland, OR, metro areas are well-represented in the mix, with three Seattle-area startups and one Portland company scheduled to present their stuff. That’s all … Continue reading “Four Northwest Startups Presenting at DEMO: A Sneak Preview”
Learn That Name Hits iPhone
A mobile application called Learn That Name, developed by entrepreneurs in the Seattle area, is getting props in a Wall Street Journal blog today, after going live in the iPhone app store late last week. Learn That Name, which helps you associate names with photos in your LinkedIn contacts, debuted at Startup Weekend in Redmond, … Continue reading “Learn That Name Hits iPhone”
Chase Franklin, Former Qpass Founder and CEO, Takes Charge of Daptiv
Score one more for the Qpass mafia. Chase Franklin, the co-founder and former CEO of digital commerce firm Qpass (sold to Amdocs for $275 million in 2006), has joined Seattle-based Daptiv as its chief executive, effective immediately. Daptiv makes collaborative business software, and raised $9 million in Series B funding back in August 2008. Its … Continue reading “Chase Franklin, Former Qpass Founder and CEO, Takes Charge of Daptiv”
Enology 101: Three Things Every Startup Should Learn from Seattle’s Zino Society
The results of last Thursday’s investment forum organized by the Zino Society are still wafting through the Seattle business community. Six finalists were chosen for two $50,000 investment prizes—Photon Machines, Enroute, and Giftango in the “tech” category, and MicroGreen Polymers, Harbor Wing, and Zero Crossing in the “non-tech” category. Zino founder and CEO Cathi Hatch … Continue reading “Enology 101: Three Things Every Startup Should Learn from Seattle’s Zino Society”
New VC in Boston: Arch Venture Partners Opens Small Office With Eye Toward Basic Science, Multidisciplinary Collaborations
[Updated, Sept. 22, 11:15 am. See end of story] You might have seen Alex Rives around town in the past year, particularly if you’ve spent time hanging out at coffee shops near MIT, Harvard Medical School, and other bastions of basic research. He’s the one invariably wearing dark jeans and a sport coat over a … Continue reading “New VC in Boston: Arch Venture Partners Opens Small Office With Eye Toward Basic Science, Multidisciplinary Collaborations”
Seattle Companies Most Flush With Venture Cash Are Still Cutting Jobs
When a startup company raises a big wad of venture capital, logic would say they are likely to hire a bunch more smart people. That may have been true in the past, but lately we’ve spotted a disturbing trend: Some of the Northwest companies with the biggest recent VC cash infusions have instead been cutting … Continue reading “Seattle Companies Most Flush With Venture Cash Are Still Cutting Jobs”
The Key to Green Energy: WSU Innovators Series
What if we could see inside living plants and algae and easily assess their potential as food or fuel? What if farmers could quickly determine the health of their crops and apply precise remedies to improve yields? Washington State University professor David Kramer will describe some of the revolutionary new ideas in plant science, which … Continue reading “The Key to Green Energy: WSU Innovators Series”
Portland’s Ensequence Raises $20M for Interactive TV
In one of the Northwest’s biggest tech financings this year, Interactive television firm Ensequence, based in Portland, OR, said today it has secured $20 million in funding led by Clay Mathile, the CEO of CYMI Technologies and former CEO and owner of Iams (the pet food company sold to Proctor & Gamble for $2.3 billion … Continue reading “Portland’s Ensequence Raises $20M for Interactive TV”
Novo Nordisk’s Historic Mistake is Seattle’s Future Gain, Says Novo CEO
Seattle might never have gotten its newest biotech research center if not for a historic corporate blunder from 30 years ago, according to Lars Rebien Sorensen, the CEO of Novo Nordisk. Novo, the Danish drugmaker that is the world’s biggest producer of insulin for treating diabetes, was approached then by a small biotech company from … Continue reading “Novo Nordisk’s Historic Mistake is Seattle’s Future Gain, Says Novo CEO”
Jive Makes Social Network for Congress
Portland, OR-based Jive Software announced it is providing the social networking and collaboration software for National Journal Group’s 3121, a professional networking tool designed for U.S. congressional members and staff. Financial terms were not disclosed. Jive works with a number of U.S. government agencies, including NASA, the Army, the Air Force Medical Service, and members … Continue reading “Jive Makes Social Network for Congress”
Put Yourself On the Map, Build a Virtual House: Seven Projects to Stretch Your Digital Wings, Part Three
When I set out to write “Seven Projects to Stretch Your Digital Wings” two weeks ago, I really meant to put all seven projects into one column. But I’m famous around Xconomy for my inability to say anything briefly. If 800 words are good, then 1,600 words are even better—that’s my motto. The point being … Continue reading “Put Yourself On the Map, Build a Virtual House: Seven Projects to Stretch Your Digital Wings, Part Three”
How Did Calypso Raise $50M? The Story Behind Seattle’s Biggest VC Deal of 2009
Word out of Calypso Medical Technologies the past year hasn’t been what most people would call positive. The Seattle-based medical device company cut one-fifth of its staff in December. Even in its third year on the market, it was still struggling to get Medicare to pay for its devices that pinpoint radiation in ways that … Continue reading “How Did Calypso Raise $50M? The Story Behind Seattle’s Biggest VC Deal of 2009”
Voyager Capital Hires Former Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen, Strengthens Digital Media Expertise
Seattle-based Voyager Capital is announcing today it has added a new venture partner—Bruce Chizen, the former chief executive of Adobe Systems (2000-2007). Chizen started in his new role this month, and he’s based in Silicon Valley, but he’s already making an impact on Northwest companies in Voyager’s portfolio. First things first, I had to ask … Continue reading “Voyager Capital Hires Former Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen, Strengthens Digital Media Expertise”
Zino Society Investment Forum Yields Six Finalists for $100K in Prizes
The Seattle-based investor and entrepreneur network Zino Society hosted its fourth annual Zino Zillionaire Investment Forum today at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Seattle. The event drew 28 companies, some in technology and some non-tech, each making a pitch for a chance to win one of two $50,000 investment prizes. Here are the six … Continue reading “Zino Society Investment Forum Yields Six Finalists for $100K in Prizes”
Bing Is Fastest Growing Search Engine
Microsoft’s new search engine, Bing, is growing faster than its rivals, including Google, according to Nielsen Online. The report says Bing’s share of the Web search market was 10.7 percent in August, up from 9.0 percent in July, representing a 22 percent increase in its total number of searches. Google’s market share increased slightly to … Continue reading “Bing Is Fastest Growing Search Engine”
RealGames Mobilizes, Rolls Out Program for Mobile Game Developers
The world of traditional mobile games can be tough for small studios and publishers to navigate. Having to work around all the different wireless carriers, handsets, and operating systems can severely limit the distribution of their games. Which is why the iPhone and other app stores attract so many developers. Now, Seattle-based RealNetworks is trying … Continue reading “RealGames Mobilizes, Rolls Out Program for Mobile Game Developers”
Calypso Medical Raises $50M to Strengthen Pinpointed Radiation Therapy for Cancer
Calypso Medical, the Seattle-based developer of technology that pinpoints radiation therapy for cancer to minimize side effects, has raised $50 million in the biggest venture financing of the year in the Northwest life sciences industry. The financing for Calypso was led by Skyline Ventures, and the same venture firm that founded the company—Seattle-based Frazier Healthcare … Continue reading “Calypso Medical Raises $50M to Strengthen Pinpointed Radiation Therapy for Cancer”
VentiRx, Evangelist for Lean, Mean Virtual Way, Makes Progress With Cancer, Allergy Drugs
Virtual companies have been all the rage for some time with biotech venture capitalists, but I’ve been wondering whether this lean-and-mean outsource-darn-near-everything model is really a better way to develop drugs than the traditional soup-to-nuts approach at companies like Genentech. I haven’t seen a good academic paper on this question, and until I do, I’m … Continue reading “VentiRx, Evangelist for Lean, Mean Virtual Way, Makes Progress With Cancer, Allergy Drugs”
Omeros Moves Closer to IPO, Zymo Drug Fails Arthritis Trials, Uptake Medical Gets $3.4M, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
One of Seattle’s biotech companies showed it’s willing to stick its neck out to see whether the IPO window is really going to open this fall or not. —Omeros, the Seattle biotech company developing a treatment to help people recover faster from knee surgery, has been getting its ducks in a row to go public … Continue reading “Omeros Moves Closer to IPO, Zymo Drug Fails Arthritis Trials, Uptake Medical Gets $3.4M, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Calypso Medical Technologies Secures $50,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7a5e399d-4ce3-48ec-876a-cfd3a2822262&Preview=1 Date 9/17/2009 Company Name Calypso Medical Technologies Mailing Address 2101 Fourth Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc., was founded in 1999 and is a privately held medical device company located in Seattle, Washington. The Company and its employees are dedicated to enabling physicians with organ motion management … Continue reading “Calypso Medical Technologies Secures $50,000,000 New Financing”
Omeros Moves Closer To IPO, Sets Price Goal
Omeros, the Seattle biotech company that’s attempting to pull off the first IPO from a Washington company in two years, took a step closer toward its goal today by updating its prospectus and stating it hopes to go public at a range of $10 to $12 a share. Xconomy broke the news last month based … Continue reading “Omeros Moves Closer To IPO, Sets Price Goal”
When Paid Crowdsourcing Hits the Mainstream: A Report and Online Panel
Sometimes the only way to flush out the truth on something is to state an opinion and spark a discussion. Using on-demand workers has been around for over 10 years, but there are precious few resources available for someone to get educated. Hopefully my report will stimulate discussion and bring a greater level of awareness … Continue reading “When Paid Crowdsourcing Hits the Mainstream: A Report and Online Panel”