Category: Seattle

SonoSite Buys CardioDynamics for $12.3M

Sonosite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SONO]]), the Bothell, WA-based maker of portable ultrasound machines, announced today it will purchase San Diego-based CardioDynamics International (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CDIC]]), a developer and manufacturer of noninvasive medical diagnostic tools for cardiovascular disease. SonoSite paid $1.35 per share in cash, or about $10 million. The total deal is worth $12.3 million when accounting for … Continue reading “SonoSite Buys CardioDynamics for $12.3M”

Amazon Solicits Customers for TV Ad Ideas

Amazon.com wants your brain. Well, actually it wants your creative ideas for a television advertisement. The “Your Amazon Ad Contest” announced yesterday is giving customers of the Seattle, WA-based internet retail giant a chance to send in their own ads for the website. Two winners, one picked by Amazon and one voted on by people … Continue reading “Amazon Solicits Customers for TV Ad Ideas”

Microsoft Spins Out Irish Firm InishTech

Microsoft’s IP Ventures program announced today it has launched a new startup called InishTech, based in Dublin, Ireland. The company will handle Microsoft’s Software Licensing and Protection Services, an existing business since 2007. Microsoft is providing an undisclosed amount of startup funding, as well as support through its BizSpark program. Its IP Ventures program has … Continue reading “Microsoft Spins Out Irish Firm InishTech”

MDRNA Nasal Spray Gets FDA Nod

Bothell, WA-based MDRNA (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]) said today that a generic calcitonin nasal spray for osteoporosis has received FDA approval, and has been introduced to the market. The Bothell, WA-based company sold the product in March to Woodcliff Lake, NJ-based Par Pharmaceutical (NYSE: [[ticker:PRX]]), although MDRNA still stands to receive an undisclosed profit share from the … Continue reading “MDRNA Nasal Spray Gets FDA Nod”

Prepared Response Raises $6.3M, Cell Therapeutics Loses Debt, RealNetworks Gets Into Netbooks, & More Seattle-Area Deals News

Deals in the Northwest have slowed down a bit in the past week. But there were some new partnerships formed, as well as a trickle of funding deals, in software, entertainment, cleantech, and biotech (the biggest deal came this morning). —Seattle-based NanoString Technologies raised $30 million in a third-round venture financing led by new investor … Continue reading “Prepared Response Raises $6.3M, Cell Therapeutics Loses Debt, RealNetworks Gets Into Netbooks, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”

NanoString Nabs $30M in Third Venture Round (Which It Hopes Will Be The Last)

NanoString Technologies, a Seattle-based maker of genetic analysis tools, has nailed down $30 million in a third-round venture financing to boost sales of its first product, just as it was running low on cash while it tries to prove itself in the marketplace. The round was led by Clarus Ventures, and was joined by NanoString’s … Continue reading “NanoString Nabs $30M in Third Venture Round (Which It Hopes Will Be The Last)”

NanoString Technologies Receives $30,000,000 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9c7b2c45-3cd4-4827-a736-5ddfb2deb728&Preview=1 Date 6/9/2009 Company Name NanoString Technologies Mailing Address 530 Fairview Ave N Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description NanoString™ Technologies is developing a patent pending platform for single molecule identification and digital quantification. The NanoString™ system uniquely barcodes individual target molecules, scans them, and delivers a literal inventory of target molecules in … Continue reading “NanoString Technologies Receives $30,000,000 Series C Funding Round”

Vu1 Corporation Lands $500,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=44fd8004-b15a-4cdd-b829-6dded7ac27e8&Preview=1 Date 6/9/2009 Company Name Vu1 Corporation Mailing Address 557 Roy Street Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description Vu1 (“view one”) Corporation is setting a new global standard for safe, sustainable, energy-efficient lighting. We plan to transform the world and safe-keep its environment by accelerating innovation and the adoption of next generation energy-efficient … Continue reading “Vu1 Corporation Lands $500,000 New Funding Round”

Pacific Health Summit–Focus on Multidrug-Resistant TB

The Pacific Health Summit will focus this year on the problem of fighting multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. The World Health Organization estimates that TB affects 2 billion people worldwide, and 500,000 new cases of multidrug resistant form emerge each year. The Summit brings together leading figures in global health across all sectors including: Margaret Chan, Director-General, WHO; … Continue reading “Pacific Health Summit–Focus on Multidrug-Resistant TB”

Snow Leopard Growls at Windows 7

Apple announced today at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco that its new operating system, Snow Leopard, will ship in September, just a month before Microsoft’s Windows 7. In the speech unveiling Snow Leopard, Apple senior vice president of software engineering Bertrand Serlet said Snow Leopard represents real improvement over the current Apple … Continue reading “Snow Leopard Growls at Windows 7”

Zumobi Makes Apps for Palm Pre

Seattle-based Zumobi, a mobile software startup, announced today it has created two new applications for the Palm Pre. Released Saturday, the Palm Pre is the first smartphone to run Palm’s operating system. The new apps are the Today Show and Sporting News Baseball, which provide news and information from their respective hosts. The Zumobi network … Continue reading “Zumobi Makes Apps for Palm Pre”

MOD Systems to Sell Music, Movies Without DRM in Retail Stores

Digital rights management took another hit today. MOD Systems, a Seattle, WA-based creator of digital delivery systems for media, announced it has signed deals with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and EMI Music, along with several groups of independent labels, to sell more than 5.2 million music tracks and 4,000 movies … Continue reading “MOD Systems to Sell Music, Movies Without DRM in Retail Stores”

Her Interactive’s Nancy Drew Games Help Solve the Mystery of Girl Gamers

On a desk, two magnifying glasses lie atop a small stack of books bound in a style reminiscent of a stately Victorian library. In any other video game company’s office they might seem out of place, but Bellevue, WA-based Her Interactive makes video games based on the written adventures of girl detective Nancy Drew, whose … Continue reading “Her Interactive’s Nancy Drew Games Help Solve the Mystery of Girl Gamers”

Alder Expands Partnership with Schering-Plough, Adds “Significant” Upfront Cash

Alder Biopharmaceuticals, the Bothell, WA-based developer of antibody drugs, is announcing today it has broadened its four-year-old partnership with Kenilworth, NJ-based drug giant Schering-Plough. The new deal calls for Alder to develop new targeted therapies against an undisclosed target on cells associated with a common neurological disease. Financial terms of the deal aren’t being disclosed, … Continue reading “Alder Expands Partnership with Schering-Plough, Adds “Significant” Upfront Cash”

Verdiem Releases Energy-Saving Software Stats from Seattle, Chicago, Honolulu

Seattle-based Verdiem has some encouraging news today from around the country—and its own backyard. The maker of energy-saving software for personal computers is announcing results from trials performed by the city governments of Seattle, Chicago, and Honolulu. These customers have been using Verdiem’s product over a period of months to a year, in an effort … Continue reading “Verdiem Releases Energy-Saving Software Stats from Seattle, Chicago, Honolulu”

Calistoga Drug Shrinks Tumors as Study Grows

Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, the Seattle-based biotech company, said today that its lead drug in development was able to at least partially shrink tumors in 12 of the first 24 patients with blood cancers in a clinical trial. The data were presented today at the European Hematology Association meeting in Berlin, Germany. This finding buttresses some more … Continue reading “Calistoga Drug Shrinks Tumors as Study Grows”

Coinstar Partners with Game Companies

Bellevue, WA-based Coinstar announced today it has formed a partnership with gaming companies including WildTangent, Spare Change, Rixty, and Aeria Games, to sell prepaid online gaming cards at some 500 Cumberland Farms retail locations this summer, and at more retailers later in the year. Financial terms were not given. Coinstar’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CSTR]]) new digital entertainment … Continue reading “Coinstar Partners with Game Companies”

SplashCast Focuses on Social TV, Looks To Get Acquired

Portland, OR-based SplashCast has been making news in the past day or so, after a report surfaced in TechCrunch that it has discontinued its original product—user-generated content software—and is looking for a buyer after failing to raise a Series B funding round. Rick Turoczy, of the Portland-based blog Silicon Florist, pointed out that when it … Continue reading “SplashCast Focuses on Social TV, Looks To Get Acquired”

Cozi Founder Talks About Dell Deal, a Great Mentor, and Why He Had to Start a Company

I recently had a good chat with Robbie Cape, the founder and CEO of Seattle-based Cozi. We talked about some key issues in tech startups and entrepreneurship, as well as the deal his company just landed in April with computer giant Dell—one that is helping drive some much-needed business to his consumer-focused startup. The basic … Continue reading “Cozi Founder Talks About Dell Deal, a Great Mentor, and Why He Had to Start a Company”

Eric Rosenfeld of Capybara Ventures on the Portland Technology and Innovation Scene

Any venture firm named after a rodent, especially the world’s biggest rodent (100 pounds), is OK in my book. But I did have to ask co-founder Eric Rosenfeld where the name Capybara Ventures comes from. Rosenfeld explained that the capybara is a “majestic, noble, inspiring rodent.” It’s also a “category leader,” he added, and “spends … Continue reading “Eric Rosenfeld of Capybara Ventures on the Portland Technology and Innovation Scene”

AVI Gets $3M For Muscular Dystrophy

AVI Biopharma (NASDAQ:[[ticker:AVII]]), the Portland, OR-based developer of RNA-based therapies, said today it will receive another $3 million from Charley’s Fund to further develop an experimental drug for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. AVI’s contract with the foundation is now worth a total of $5 million to develop AVI-5038, with a goal of taking the drug into … Continue reading “AVI Gets $3M For Muscular Dystrophy”

No Cash or Credit? Try Dibits, an Alternative Currency

There’s a place on the Internet where you can arrange for an hour-long massage, a ride to the airport, and a tour of the haunted parts of Seattle, all without spending a dollar. Dibspace, a relatively new Seattle startup, makes this possible by creating its own currency, the “dibit,” by which people can barter goods … Continue reading “No Cash or Credit? Try Dibits, an Alternative Currency”

Cell Therapeutics Shares Boom, Vulcan’s Breast Cancer Bombshell, Microsoft Buys Rosetta Assets, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

Most of Seattle’s biotech news this week came out of Orlando, FL, where local companies vied for the attention of 30,000 cancer specialists at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting. The best clinical trial data I saw didn’t actually come from a Seattle-based company—but it had a strong local tie to Paul Allen’s … Continue reading “Cell Therapeutics Shares Boom, Vulcan’s Breast Cancer Bombshell, Microsoft Buys Rosetta Assets, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

Prepared Response Prepared to Grow With Latest $6.3M Financing

Prepared Response, a Seattle-based crisis management and emergency preparedness company, has raised $6.3 million out of an $8.7 million equity offering, according to a regulatory filing today. Most of the money came from angel investors with the rest by Benaroya Capital. The money will be used to develop the company’s software products, as well as … Continue reading “Prepared Response Prepared to Grow With Latest $6.3M Financing”

Future of Cloud Computing: Data Centers, Outsourcing, and the Power of Cultures

Over the last couple of years, we have been witnessing a resurgence of the “Internet as the new computing platform” idea. I say resurgence because that was the premise of the late 90’s “Internet Bubble.” Given that history, it would be a mistake to use the same term, of course. Instead, we’ve coined a new … Continue reading “Future of Cloud Computing: Data Centers, Outsourcing, and the Power of Cultures”

Seattle Passes Boston in High-Tech Center Ranking; San Diego at #7

Seattle, the Washington D.C. area, and Orange County have moved up in Milken Institute’s ranking of top high-tech center areas in North America. From 2003 to 2007, Seattle passed Boston and became America’s second-ranking high-tech metro area. San Diego is at seventh place. (These are Xconomy’s network cities.) The number one spot belongs to Silicon … Continue reading “Seattle Passes Boston in High-Tech Center Ranking; San Diego at #7”

Experimental Gene Therapy for Blindness Will Proceed Even if Targeted Genetics Goes Dark

[Editors note: corrects times in previous version for third patient through maze ] Among the more impressive presentations at the annual meeting of the American Society for Gene Therapy in San Diego last week was this video provided by researchers at University College London. It shows a man with a form of hereditary blindness navigating a maze before and … Continue reading “Experimental Gene Therapy for Blindness Will Proceed Even if Targeted Genetics Goes Dark”

EnerG2 Snaps Up $2.5M

EnerG2, a Seattle-based company developing ultracapacitors to make it more efficient to store energy, has secured an additional $2.5 million in equity and options, according to a regulatory filing. The company raised an initial $8.5 million in October from Kirkland, WA-based OVP Venture Partners, and Palo Alto, CA-based Firelake Capital Management, a scoop first reported … Continue reading “EnerG2 Snaps Up $2.5M”

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot: A Portland Startup Preview

I spent yesterday pounding the pavement in Portland, OR, enjoying a burst of warm sunshine and a weird, creative vibe. It offered a great contrast from the last time I tried to travel there for work meetings, back in January when I-5 was underwater and Amtrak wasn’t running. This visit was enough to make me … Continue reading “Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot: A Portland Startup Preview”

RealNetworks Partners with Netbook OS Vendors

Seattle-based RealNetworks (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]) announced today it has signed licensing agreements to power entertainment and digital media applications on netbooks and mobile devices. The digital entertainment giant has formed partnerships with operating system vendors including Canonical, Xandros, Phoenix, and DeviceVM, so now it targets both Windows and Linux-based devices. The move is being viewed as … Continue reading “RealNetworks Partners with Netbook OS Vendors”

Facebook Funds Seattle Startups, 1000 Markets Gets Seed Financing, Modumetal Closes Equity Round, & More Seattle-Area Deals News

Heading into the summer months, deals in the Northwest show no signs of slowing down. Neither does Xconomy, which debuted the reporting of our Seattle intern, Eric Hal Schwartz, last Tuesday. In the past week, Eric, Luke, and I have had our hands full with deals in biotech, materials, software, and energy. —Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) … Continue reading “Facebook Funds Seattle Startups, 1000 Markets Gets Seed Financing, Modumetal Closes Equity Round, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”

To Build or Buy? Microsoft Amps Up Life Sciences Strategy By Buying Rosetta Biosoftware

Microsoft has been angling toward the life sciences software market for years, and yesterday it made a significant play in the sector by scooping up an industry pioneer just a few miles away. The Redmond, WA-based software company said yesterday it is acquiring the assets of Rosetta Biosoftware, a Seattle-based division of Merck that has … Continue reading “To Build or Buy? Microsoft Amps Up Life Sciences Strategy By Buying Rosetta Biosoftware”

Hydrogen Cars: Saving the Environment’s a Gas

Cruising north on Interstate-5 in a Chevy Equinox hardly sounds like a reason to be excited, but I felt lighter than air yesterday. That may just be an effect of the hydrogen fueling the car, or perhaps just the giddy sensation that comes from driving the future of General Motors on the same day their … Continue reading “Hydrogen Cars: Saving the Environment’s a Gas”

Tableau Rolls Out BI Software

Seattle-based Tableau Software, a company focused on data visualization and business intelligence, announced today the general release of its new product, Tableau 5.0. Elissa Fink, Tableau’s vice president of marketing, said the software package has more than 60 new features that make it more interactive, so more customers can dive deeper into charts and pull … Continue reading “Tableau Rolls Out BI Software”

EnerG2, Inc Secures $2,500,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1866ec32-b01b-483b-91c3-d24fc9ee3a31&Preview=1 Date 6/2/2009 Company Name EnerG2, Inc Mailing Address 810 3rd Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Founded in 2003 in Seattle, Washington, EnerG2 pursues commercial opportunities in energy storage created by advanced material processing techniques. Working closely with the University of Washington’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering, EnerG2 has produced … Continue reading “EnerG2, Inc Secures $2,500,000 New Financing”

Cell Therapeutics Lymphoma Drug Boosts Remissions, Shares Boom

[Updated with share price, 4:30 pm ET] Cell Therapeutics is betting the farm on an experimental drug for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and today it showed cancer doctors some evidence it hopes will convince them it’s a winner. The findings sent the company’s shares soaring by 47 percent in the last two hours of trading to close … Continue reading “Cell Therapeutics Lymphoma Drug Boosts Remissions, Shares Boom”

Microsoft, Dipping Toe Deeper into Life Sciences, Buys Rosetta Assets from Merck

Microsoft could be safely ignored on the biotech beat for years, but not anymore. The Redmond, WA-based software powerhouse, in another move to beef up its stake in the life sciences software business, said today it is acquiring the Seattle-based assets of Rosetta Biosoftware from Merck. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but … Continue reading “Microsoft, Dipping Toe Deeper into Life Sciences, Buys Rosetta Assets from Merck”

Trubion Drug Kills Cancer in Blood

Trubion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TRBN]]), a Seattle-based developer of targeted therapies, said today that its experimental TRU-016 treatment showed encouraging results in a small trial of 26 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The drug reduced the median number of cancer cells circulating in the blood by about two-thirds, researchers said. Researchers have not yet pinpointed a … Continue reading “Trubion Drug Kills Cancer in Blood”

The Future of Search and the Intelligent Web, From Vulcan Capital’s Steve Hall

Search is hot again. Just when you thought Google had everything figured out, along comes Microsoft with its new search engine, Bing. This upstart effort may not supplant the search king, or even compete with it all that seriously, but it will certainly make things interesting for a while. Even more interesting, though, is the … Continue reading “The Future of Search and the Intelligent Web, From Vulcan Capital’s Steve Hall”

Seattle Genetics Pockets $11.5M

Seattle Genetics, the Bothell, WA-based developer of targeted antibody drugs, has raised another $11.5 million, according to a regulatory filing. The company received approval from existing shareholders sell more shares to Baker Brothers Life Sciences, an investment firm led by one of the firm’s directors, Felix Baker. The $11.5 million sale was a follow-on transaction … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Pockets $11.5M”