Seattle-based Madrona Venture Group has led a $4.4 million funding round for Animoto, a Web software startup based in New York that lets people automatically create professional-quality videos and slideshows from photos and music. Other investors in the round include Seattle-based Amazon, Palo Alto, CA-based SoftTech VC (run by Jeff Clavier), and Bruce Livingstone, the … Continue reading “Madrona, Amazon Bet $4.4M on Animoto, a Startup With Roots at Bellevue High School”
Category: Seattle
5to1 Receives $4,500,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e0699050-cbe9-4373-b0fd-073b8353176e&Preview=1 Date 6/18/2009 Company Name 5to1 Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98100 Company Description Stealthy 5to1 may be involved in online advertising. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor TechFlash
Bing Raises Microsoft Search Profile
Bing, Microsoft’s new search engine, is raising the position of the Redmond, WA-based company in the search engine market, according to a study released today by comScore, an Internet research firm based in Reston, VA, with an office in Seattle. The study showed that “daily searcher penetration” rose 0.9 percent this past week to 16.7 … Continue reading “Bing Raises Microsoft Search Profile”
Seattle Lunch 2.0
Seattle Lunch 2.0 is having their second anniversary lunch at Office Nomads. According to the website: “Continuing the two year long Seattle Lunch 2.0 conversation, we are going to have a less technical topic with the same great entrepreneurs, developers, and tech community. Given we are hosting at a co-working space, we are going to … Continue reading “Seattle Lunch 2.0”
Seattle Lunch 2.0 Happy Hour at Devhub
Seattle Lunch 2.0 is hosting a happy hour event. According to the event website, Devhub will be launching or demonstrating their latest product. Josh Maher wrote on the site: “I’ve seen the preview and these guys have some good stuff in the works. If you want to come talk shop, be the first to scoop … Continue reading “Seattle Lunch 2.0 Happy Hour at Devhub”
Optimum Energy Raises $4.5M, Eyes Expansion in Cleantech-IT for Commercial Buildings
Seattle cleantech company Optimum Energy has secured a commitment of up to $4.5 million in new equity funding, led by Columbia Pacific Advisors. The company has previously raised capital from private groups, and said it does not anticipate future funding rounds. Optimum Energy’s technology is being used by more than 50 large customers, including the … Continue reading “Optimum Energy Raises $4.5M, Eyes Expansion in Cleantech-IT for Commercial Buildings”
Amazon’s A9 Buys SnapTell
Amazon.com has purchased SnapTell, a mobile image matching startup, according to a release by SnapTell yesterday evening. Amazon bought the company through its Palo Alto, CA-based subsidiary A9 for an undisclosed price. A9, created by Amazon in 2003, runs advertisements on Amazon as well as providing a search engine and developing technology like OpenSearch. SnapTell, … Continue reading “Amazon’s A9 Buys SnapTell”
Sanofi-Aventis Donates 100 Million Flu Vaccine Doses to WHO at Seattle Summit
Sanofi-Aventis, the Paris-based drugmaker that produces 40 percent of the world’s flu vaccines, is announcing today that it will donate 100 million doses of flu vaccine to the World Health Organization to help poor countries deal with the swine flu pandemic. The announcement is being made this morning in Seattle at the Pacific Health Summit, … Continue reading “Sanofi-Aventis Donates 100 Million Flu Vaccine Doses to WHO at Seattle Summit”
Johnson & Johnson, TB Alliance Form Partnership to Push New TB Drug Through Clinic
Johnson & Johnson, the diversified healthcare giant, is forming a partnership with the nonprofit TB Alliance to share expertise and resources needed to finish clinical trials aimed at developing the first new drug for tuberculosis in more than 40 years. The announcement from J&J (NYSE : [[ticker:JNJ]]) is being made this morning in Seattle at … Continue reading “Johnson & Johnson, TB Alliance Form Partnership to Push New TB Drug Through Clinic”
Dollars Not the Only Way to do Business, Especially in a Recession
In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt outlawed the hoarding of gold, ending its use as the basis of U.S. currency. Since then, the American (and the rest of the world) economy has relied on paper currency based on trust in a particular government and a currency’s value relative to other monetary systems around the world. Sometimes … Continue reading “Dollars Not the Only Way to do Business, Especially in a Recession”
CombiMatrix Reinvents Itself From Lab Toolmaker to Cancer Diagnostics Player
CombiMatrix tried for years to sell sophisticated genetic analysis instruments to laboratories, and essentially got overrun by big competitors like Santa Clara, CA-based Affymetrix and San Diego-based Illumina. But the little Mukilteo, WA-based company is still around, and hoping to flank the big boys in an emerging market that could be more lucrative—diagnostics for earlier … Continue reading “CombiMatrix Reinvents Itself From Lab Toolmaker to Cancer Diagnostics Player”
Zino Marketplace: Consumer Products & Services
The Zino Society, a Seattle-based angel investment network, is hosting the inaugural Zino Marketplace: Consumer Products and Services Investment Forum on June 24. This event will bring together thought leaders, angel investors, VCs and entrepreneurs who are committed to innovation and the advancement of consumer products and services. Zino Marketplace will feature 12 entrepreneurial companies … Continue reading “Zino Marketplace: Consumer Products & Services”
Optimum Energy LLC Obtains $4,500,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c49babed-59f7-43d5-91b7-9ba0d6d1249a&Preview=1 Date 6/17/2009 Company Name Optimum Energy LLC Mailing Address 5900 4th Avenue South Seattle, WA 98108 Company Description Optimum Energy develops networked building control applications and products to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings. Our groundbreaking integrated solutions reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases while increasing operating efficiencies in HVAC plants … Continue reading “Optimum Energy LLC Obtains $4,500,000 New Financing Round”
Doyenz Raises $1.5M in Cash
[Updated June 17th with more details about financing] Doyenz, a Bellevue, WA-based company whose cloud-based software allows IT consultants to set up and manage virtual IT infrastructures for their small-to-medium-sized business clients, has raised $1.5 million in new cash, according to a regulatory filing today. In connection with the financing, $2.8 million worth of debt … Continue reading “Doyenz Raises $1.5M in Cash”
Zoodango Relaunches as GeoPage
Seattle-based Zoodango, a social site that combines map-based navigation and ratings of local businesses, relaunched nationwide today as GeoPage, according to a company announcement. The retooled site features new data on businesses around the U.S., resulting from a partnership with Citysearch. GeoPage uses an algorithm based on Citysearch and Yelp reviews, Zagat ratings, user reviews, … Continue reading “Zoodango Relaunches as GeoPage”
Microsoft Accuses Firm of Ad Scam
Microsoft said yesterday in a press release it has filed a civil complaint against three Vancouver, B.C. residents, alleging that they had manipulated the company’s pay-per-click advertising system. According to the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle, Eric Lam, Gordon Lam and Melanie Suen arranged for automatic repeated clicking on Internet ads for … Continue reading “Microsoft Accuses Firm of Ad Scam”
MDRNA Pays Off $5.5M Debt
MDRNA, the Bothell, WA-based developer of RNA interference drug technology, said today it has paid back all of its debt to GE Capital. The company paid back a $5.5 million loan, removing all liens on its intellectual property, equipment or other assets, MDRNA said. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]) ran low on cash earlier this year, … Continue reading “MDRNA Pays Off $5.5M Debt”
Seattle’s Pacific Health Summit, the “Davos” of Global Health, Zeroes in on Tuberculosis
Movers and shakers in global health—including a lot of people not named Bill & Melinda—will be buzzing around the Seattle waterfront this week for what some people like to call the “Davos” of global health. Like the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland—another picturesque setting with mountains and water nearby—the Pacific Health Summit is an … Continue reading “Seattle’s Pacific Health Summit, the “Davos” of Global Health, Zeroes in on Tuberculosis”
Xconomy Seattle Celebrates First Anniversary Digging up News on Innovation in the Northwest
We move fast around here at Xconomy Seattle, so there isn’t much time to look back or celebrate. Today we’re making an exception. It’s been exactly one year since we took a deep breath, pushed the button, and published the first edition of Xconomy Seattle. There’s truly never been a dull moment since we fired … Continue reading “Xconomy Seattle Celebrates First Anniversary Digging up News on Innovation in the Northwest”
Talyst Raises $8M, MDRNA Sells Stock for $10.5M, Sonosite Buys CardioDynamics & More Seattle-Area Deals News
Deals this week involved companies working in everything from pharmaceuticals and cleantech, to search engines and mobile software. Most of these deals were small, even those made by bigger companies. —Bellevue, Wa-based Talyst clinched $8 million in funding from investors last month, but the details were only revealed last week. Talyst, which develops medication management … Continue reading “Talyst Raises $8M, MDRNA Sells Stock for $10.5M, Sonosite Buys CardioDynamics & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Doyenz Lands $1,500,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fcc45a57-95af-48d0-8aae-6df26d9716ca&Preview=1 Date 6/16/2009 Company Name Doyenz Mailing Address 15395 SE 30th Place Bellevue, WA 98007 Company Description Doyenz is the first to deliver Automated Virtual IT Out-of-the-box, a ground-breaking end-to-end virtual appliance lifecycle management solution, for the SMB market. Automated Virtual IT empowers VARs and IT consultants to deliver high quality and … Continue reading “Doyenz Lands $1,500,000 New Financing”
Alliance of Angels Pitch Clinic
The Alliance of Angels is hosting its 10-minute pitch clinic on July 7 for entrepreneurs looking to sharpen up their skills at presenting their business plan to angel investors. Cost is $95 in advance, or $110 at the door, space permitting. To register online, click here.
Antenna Acquires Dexterra
Dexterra, a Bothell, WA-based developer of mobile software, has been acquired by Antenna, a rival company based in Jersey City, NJ, according to an announcement by Antenna today. Financial terms weren’t announced, but TechFlash has reported that Dexterra was ultimately purchased for $18 million. As part of the acquisiton, Antenna said it would be keeping … Continue reading “Antenna Acquires Dexterra”
Thoughts on Bing and Search Engines of the Future, From UW Computer Scientist Dan Weld
Dan Weld spends a lot of time thinking about the Web and how to get the best information out of it. Weld is a professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington and a serial entrepreneur, having co-founded Netbot, AdRelevance, and Nimble Technology. He is also a venture partner with Seattle-based Madrona … Continue reading “Thoughts on Bing and Search Engines of the Future, From UW Computer Scientist Dan Weld”
Gates, Allen Beat Deadline for Battle of the Tech Bands—Did You?
Alas, the deadline has come and gone. Finis. At the stroke of midnight on Friday night, the doors officially closed on any new band submissions for Xconomy’s Battle of the Tech Bands. The big event is happening on July 30, at the WTIA Annual Summer Celebration at the Pyramid Alehouse in Seattle. You can beg, … Continue reading “Gates, Allen Beat Deadline for Battle of the Tech Bands—Did You?”
Nobel Laureate Mario Capecchi Encourages Postdocs, and Third Graders, To “Dream Big”
Mario Capecchi performs open-heart surgery in third-grade classrooms. He revels in answering the questions he gets as he reveals the wonders of the pumping heart to the children. Of course, the surgery is performed on a mouse, but it’s hard to imagine a better way to get kids asking questions about biology than by closing … Continue reading “Nobel Laureate Mario Capecchi Encourages Postdocs, and Third Graders, To “Dream Big””
Antenna Software, Inc Acquires Dexterra Inc for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=edf3ea8b-d743-4bcd-a113-902b1a2d32e3&Preview=1 Date 6/15/2009 Company Name Dexterra Inc Mailing Address 21540 30th Dr SE Bothell, WA 98021 Company Description Dexterra offers the leading mobile platform available today, Dexterra ConcertTM, to enterprises across the globe in industries such as manufacturing, transportation, real estate, utilities, IT consulting, government, facilities management and consumer packaged goods. Website … Continue reading “Antenna Software, Inc Acquires Dexterra Inc for Undisclosed Sum”
$136K for Washington Technology Center
Seattle-based Washington Technology Center announced today it has been awarded $136,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to improve thin-film silicon solar cells. The project, done in partnership with Oregon State University and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, involves using nanotech methods to trap more light in the solar cell so as to … Continue reading “$136K for Washington Technology Center”
Poker, Children’s Books, & Going to California—A Seattle Entrepreneur Roundup
A few random rumblings from around the tech community today: —Some notables from the Seattle startup scene are heading to Las Vegas next week to compete in the World Series of Poker. Dave Schappell of TeachStreet, Andy Liu of BuddyTV, Davis Bae of the Bae Law Group, and a few others will be bringing it … Continue reading “Poker, Children’s Books, & Going to California—A Seattle Entrepreneur Roundup”
Talyst, With $8M in New Funding, Sets Sights on Its Next Healthcare-IT Business
It might be too early to call Bellevue, WA-based Talyst a success, but its story certainly makes for a compelling case study. The company closed $8 million last month from existing investors OVP Venture Partners, Ignition Partners, and AIG Global Investment Group, but didn’t make an announcement. Why? Things have been too busy. “We raised … Continue reading “Talyst, With $8M in New Funding, Sets Sights on Its Next Healthcare-IT Business”
German Web 2.0 Clothing Retailer Spreadshirt Finds Boston Fits It to a T
When you’re a technology reporter and you stumble across the same startup two or three times in quick succession, it’s the journalism gods telling you to write a story. I first stumbled across Spreadshirt on Tax Day, April 15. (As I’d later learn, the Leipzig, Germany-based startup has been famous among Web-savvy fashionistas for years, … Continue reading “German Web 2.0 Clothing Retailer Spreadshirt Finds Boston Fits It to a T”
Talyst Secures $8,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=63ac9e12-cc35-40d6-b89d-46c680ef7e41&Preview=1 Date 6/12/2009 Company Name Talyst Mailing Address 13555 SE 36th St Bellevue, WA 98006 Company Description Talyst enables the intelligent pharmacy. The company provides automated systems to hospitals and other centralized pharmacies, to reduce costs and increase productivity, while improving accuracy and patient safety. Its equipment and software are used to … Continue reading “Talyst Secures $8,000,000 New Funding Round”
IDRI Offers Flu Vaccine Boosters
The Infectious Disease Research Institute, a Seattle-based nonprofit research center, said today it it is offering a critical ingredient to manufacturers that could increase the world supplies of flu vaccine. IDRI has developed adjuvants, or immune-boosting compounds, that make it possible to give smaller doses that can still protect people against infection. The announcement came … Continue reading “IDRI Offers Flu Vaccine Boosters”
PayScale and Bing Give Each Other a Raise
Bing, Microsoft’s new search engine, is partnering with PayScale, a Seattle-based salary comparison company, to help Bing users find answers about job salaries. Bing debuted last week, and has continued to add new features and capabilities as it attempts to compete with Google and become what Microsoft calls a “decision engine.” Under the terms of … Continue reading “PayScale and Bing Give Each Other a Raise”
Rogue Sheep Wins Apple Award
Seattle-based Rogue Sheep, a software development and consulting firm, has won an Apple Design Award for its iPhone App, Postage. The news was announced this week at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, and reported by the Seattle Times. Postage lets you create customized electronic postcards.
UW Spinout, Beat BioTherapeutics, Aims to Make Stem Cells for Damaged Hearts
Stem cell researchers have a lot of big dreams, and one is to someday regenerate damaged hearts. That is still many years away from becoming a commercial reality, if ever, but a few University of Washington scientists have formed a new company that hopes to make cells that can replace pacemakers, and someday rebuild damaged … Continue reading “UW Spinout, Beat BioTherapeutics, Aims to Make Stem Cells for Damaged Hearts”
Dendreon Resists Urge to Sell Out, NanoString Nabs $30M, VC Firm Cashes Out on OncoGenex, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This is definitely not in sync with the economic theme of 2009, but surprisingly, there was a lot of good news in Seattle biotech the past week. —Dendreon CEO Mitchell Gold fielded a lot of questions at the company’s annual shareholder meeting yesterday, and the biggest one of all is whether he’s looking to sell … Continue reading “Dendreon Resists Urge to Sell Out, NanoString Nabs $30M, VC Firm Cashes Out on OncoGenex, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Casual Connect Seattle 2009
Casual Connect Seattle 2009 is expected to draw more than 2,000 people from the U.S. casual gaming industry to the Northwest. Sponsors include local players like Big Fish Games, Microsoft Casual Games, WildTangent, and PopCap Games. The event is being held July 21-23 at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. For more information, click here.
WBBA Golf Invitational
The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association is hosting its fifth annual WBBA Golf Invitational at the Fairwood Country Club in Renton, WA. The early bird rate is $200 until June 15, after which it will be $235. All skill levels are welcome, and proceeds from the event will go to Biopac, the WBBA’s political action … Continue reading “WBBA Golf Invitational”
WBBA Summer Social
The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association is hosting its 11th annual summer social in the afternoon of July 16. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is expected to make an appearance at the event, which is expected to draw about 400 people to the Naval Reserve Center at South Lake Union Park. Cost is $35 for WBBA … Continue reading “WBBA Summer Social”
Cell Therapeutics, After Raising More Cash, Hands Some Out in Management Bonuses
Cell Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTIC]]) has been running dangerously low on cash this year, on a “tight-wire act” in the words of CEO James Bianco. Now the board has decided to hand out some rewards to management for not falling off. The compensation committee of the Seattle biotech company’s board agreed on June 4 to pay … Continue reading “Cell Therapeutics, After Raising More Cash, Hands Some Out in Management Bonuses”
Microsoft Shuts Down MS Money
Microsoft announced today that it will stop selling its personal finance program, MS Money, at the end of this month. The Redmond, WA-based company cited banks and websites which provide similar services as the reason for discontinuing the program, which had already been removed from retail stores last year and is available only online. This … Continue reading “Microsoft Shuts Down MS Money”
Friday Is the Deadline to Enter Xconomy’s Battle of the Tech Bands
Two more days… That’s all that stands between us and the start of the ultra-competitive judging process to determine the finalists for Xconomy’s Battle of the Tech Bands. In case you haven’t heard, the big event is taking place on July 30, at the Washington Technology Industry Association’s annual summer celebration in Seattle (event details … Continue reading “Friday Is the Deadline to Enter Xconomy’s Battle of the Tech Bands”
Dendreon, Resisting Urge to Sell, Eyes Opportunity to Be Seattle’s Next Immunex
Dendreon CEO Mitch Gold envisions his company becoming the next anchor tenant for the biotechnology industry in Seattle—the first big success story since Immunex in the late 1990s and early 2000s. For those in need of a refresher, Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) has been riding a wave of enthusiasm the past couple months, since a clinical … Continue reading “Dendreon, Resisting Urge to Sell, Eyes Opportunity to Be Seattle’s Next Immunex”
SpectraWatt Gets $500K Grant
SpectraWatt, a Hillsboro, OR-based maker of photovoltaic cells, received a $500,000 contract from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory yesterday. Part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the contract is for the company to develop ways of improving solar cells without changing current manufacturing processes. SpectraWatt was one of 13 companies to receive money from … Continue reading “SpectraWatt Gets $500K Grant”
A Fresh Take on Websites and Wiki-Based Discovery, from Ray King of AboutUs
I dropped in on AboutUs for a mid-year checkup while I was in Portland, OR, last week. The company announced a $2.5 million Series A funding round from Voyager Capital in January, and has been transitioning from startup mode to strategic execution of its plans to reinvent how people discover and share information on the … Continue reading “A Fresh Take on Websites and Wiki-Based Discovery, from Ray King of AboutUs”
MDRNA Raises $10.5M
MDRNA, the Bothell, WA-based developer of RNA interference drug technology, said today it has raised $10.5 million in a stock sale to existing investors. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]) agreed to sell 5.25 million shares at $2 apiece, plus warrants to buy the same number of shares at $2.38 over the next 5.5 years. Canaccord Adams … Continue reading “MDRNA Raises $10.5M”
Ventures West Cashes Out Stake in OncoGenex, Developer of Prostate Cancer Drug
Who says you can’t make money investing in biotech? Vancouver, BC-based Ventures West, one of the largest venture firms in Canada, has cashed out on its booming investment in Bothell, WA-based OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OGXI]]). Ventures West disclosed earlier this week in a regulatory filing that it has sold all of its shares in OncoGenex—which … Continue reading “Ventures West Cashes Out Stake in OncoGenex, Developer of Prostate Cancer Drug”
Survey Shows VCs Expect Huge Shifts in Fundraising, Global Investing
We keep hearing there’s no better opportunity to start a company than during hard times, but a survey of venture capitalists shows that doesn’t necessarily translate into increased investment activity. In fact, results of a survey of VCs around the world being released today show that just over half (51 percent) of 725 VCs who … Continue reading “Survey Shows VCs Expect Huge Shifts in Fundraising, Global Investing”
MDRNA Obtains $10,500,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=49f0b46c-bad2-4685-9530-9443fbdb32ac&Preview=1 Date 6/10/2009 Company Name MDRNA Mailing Address 3830 Monte Villa Parkway Bothell, WA 98021 Company Description MDRNA is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutic products based on RNA interference (RNAi). We are building a broad, flexible and cutting-edge drug discovery platform based on the premise that … Continue reading “MDRNA Obtains $10,500,000 New Funding”