Seattle-based Calistoga Pharmaceuticals has raised $30 million in a second round of venture capital to support its growing pipeline of drugs for cancer and inflammatory diseases. The venture financing is the second-biggest of the year in the Seattle life sciences cluster, behind the $40 million raised in March by Kirkland, WA-based Pathway Medical Technologies. Calistoga … Continue reading “Calistoga Raises $30M to Develop Drugs for Cancer, Inflammation”
Category: Seattle
Gist Gets $6.75M From Vulcan, Foundry Group
Gist, a Seattle startup developing an online service intended to help people organize information from disparate sources on the Web in a single location, has raised $6.75 million in a Series A round of financing, according to a statement. Foundry Group, a Boulder, CO-based venture firm, led the new round of financing, which included contributions … Continue reading “Gist Gets $6.75M From Vulcan, Foundry Group”
Urbanspoon Exits, Likewise Lands $10M, Zymo Licenses Drugs to Startup, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
It was a pretty busy week for deals in the Northwest, with activity in consumer Internet, security software, gaming, and biotech. —The most talked-about deal in the Seattle startup community was Urbanspoon’s acquisition by New York-based IAC (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IACI]]), which owns dozens of popular websites like Citysearch and Evite. Financial terms were not disclosed. Urbanspoon, … Continue reading “Urbanspoon Exits, Likewise Lands $10M, Zymo Licenses Drugs to Startup, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Seattle 2.0 Awards 2009
A night to celebrate Seattle Startups and the hard-working people behind them! (Complete info here.) Who: Entrepreneurs, “Wantrepreneurs”, Investors, Journalists and Startup Aficionados Program: 6:00 – 6:55 PM: Cocktail, Networking and Startup Showcase 7:00 – 7:20 PM: Guest Speaker: Glenn Kelman 7:20 – 7:55 PM: Awards Ceremony 8:00 – 10:00 PM: Food, drinks, networking, showcase … Continue reading “Seattle 2.0 Awards 2009”
Leveraging the Downturn to Find Opportunity (MITEF and WTIA)
Business builders, leaders and buyers share counter-cyclical wisdom and entrepreneurial success stories, co-hosted by MIT Enterprise Forum and the Washington Technology Industry Association. (Info and registration here.) It takes a special kind of leader to find opportunity when everyone else only sees doom and gloom. Counter-cyclical businesses have unique characteristics, and can result in some … Continue reading “Leveraging the Downturn to Find Opportunity (MITEF and WTIA)”
NWEN Venture Breakfast: The Shifting Balance Between Filter and Creator
Join us for the Northwest Entrepreneur Network’s May Venture Breakfast. Speaker: Ben Huh, Pet Holdings WHAT YOU WILL LEARN If you’ve seen pictures of “talking” cats, you’ve seen Pet Holdings. Pet Holdings runs one of the largest blog networks in the world, including the content sites icanhascheezburger.com, failblog.org, graphjam.com and others. Despite the odd-ball and … Continue reading “NWEN Venture Breakfast: The Shifting Balance Between Filter and Creator”
WTIA Fast Pitch Forum & Technology Showcase
The Fast Pitch Forum & Technology Showcase (FPF) generates buzz year after year as one of the most popular and successful Washington state technology events. It’s a vehicle for Northwest technology companies to pitch and therefore “showcase” their business to the local community, key venture capitalists and technology buyers, and to learn about the state … Continue reading “WTIA Fast Pitch Forum & Technology Showcase”
Biotech Business Model “Unsustainable” in Financial Crisis, E&Y Says
Biotechnology by its nature goes through booms and busts driven by hope and fear, but now the industry is really in deep trouble. That’s the big headline coming out of this year’s Ernst & Young annual biotech survey, Beyond Borders. Common sense would tell you that in a global economic meltdown, where mainstays like Citigroup … Continue reading “Biotech Business Model “Unsustainable” in Financial Crisis, E&Y Says”
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Lands $30,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d53debc2-80aa-40bf-bcb3-74e886eeb366&Preview=1 Date 5/5/2009 Company Name Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 2101 – 4th Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, is developing a drug candidate acquired from Icos that has potential to treat various forms of cancer, according to the company. Icos, maker of the impotence drug Cialis, was acquired by its … Continue reading “Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Lands $30,000,000 Series B Funding”
Powerit Holdings, Inc. Secures $6,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=59ac4d41-42d5-4025-9cff-e816008cbcea&Preview=1 Date 5/5/2009 Company Name Powerit Holdings, Inc. Mailing Address 114 Alaskan Way South Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Powerit Solutions provides comprehensive energy demand response and demand control solutions for industrial and commercial applications. We are committed to helping customers in a wide variety of industries manage their energy usage, reduce … Continue reading “Powerit Holdings, Inc. Secures $6,000,000 New Round”
Gist Lands $6,750,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5674d16d-6675-4a08-b413-eca38b4d19a5&Preview=1 Date 5/5/2009 Company Name Gist Mailing Address 1st Ave South Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description We are focused on delivering real user value and rapidly iterating based on customer input. If you are interested in the team, please visit our jobs page to see what we are looking for. Website http://www.gist.com … Continue reading “Gist Lands $6,750,000 Series A Funding”
Pathway Medical Cuts One-Fifth of Staff as Fundraising, Sales Projections Fall Short
Pathway Medical Technologies, the Kirkland, WA-based medical device maker, has cut about one-fifth of its staff because its latest round of venture financing fell short of expectations, Xconomy has learned. Today, Pathway eliminated 39 jobs, or about 19 percent of its workforce, leaving it with a staff of about 170, according to CEO Paul Buckman. … Continue reading “Pathway Medical Cuts One-Fifth of Staff as Fundraising, Sales Projections Fall Short”
ZymoGenetics Unloads Drug Candidates to Cut Costs, Spin Off New Company
One company’s cost burden can sometimes be a vital building block for another. That’s the impression I got today from Seattle-based ZymoGenetics, which said it is licensing away the rights to eight different drug candidates in early development to a new startup company called Seattle Life Sciences. Under the deal, ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) is handing … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Unloads Drug Candidates to Cut Costs, Spin Off New Company”
Huey Joins Alliance of Angels
Seattle-based Alliance of Angels, a not-for-profit angel investor group run by the Technology Alliance, announced its new program director will be Greg Huey. Previously, Huey oversaw strategy and corporate development for Hewlett-Packard in London, UK, and spent nearly six years with Frazier Technology Ventures in Seattle. Huey, who starts tomorrow, succeeds Rebecca Lovell, who left … Continue reading “Huey Joins Alliance of Angels”
Arrowsmith Challenges Scientific Establishment With New Approach for Brain Cancer
Much has been written about personalizing cancer drugs by giving them to patients with a genetic profile that makes them likely to respond to treatment. But what if doctors could tailor cancer drugs a different way, confining standard chemotherapy to a precise organ or cancerous region, without sending the drugs flowing throughout the rest of … Continue reading “Arrowsmith Challenges Scientific Establishment With New Approach for Brain Cancer”
MOD Opens Japan Subsidiary
Seattle-based MOD Systems, a maker of digital media delivery technologies for retailers, announced today it has opened a subsidiary in Tokyo. MOD Systems Japan will work with the company’s strategic investors, Toshiba and NCR, to drive business development in Japan. MOD raised $35 million from its investors in September, in a deal that has come … Continue reading “MOD Opens Japan Subsidiary”
WTIA Releases Fast Pitch Lineup
The Washington Technology Industry Association announced today its list of 24 local startups that will participate in its Fast Pitch Forum and Technology Showcase on May 27. The WTIA’s investment forum, which has changed its format this year, will include presentations from AdReady, blist, Bonanzle, BuddyTV, Daptiv, DataSphere Technologies, Gist, Konnects, Liquid Planner, Ontela, Pet … Continue reading “WTIA Releases Fast Pitch Lineup”
Microsoft’s Cloud Platform, Azure, Looks to Combine Best of Google, Amazon Web Services
The idea of computing “in the cloud” is certainly, well, in the air—to the point where I think people are starting to become allergic to it. It seems that “cloud computing” has become the new “nano.” Putting the term in front of whatever your business is doing doesn’t necessarily make it a good (or even … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Cloud Platform, Azure, Looks to Combine Best of Google, Amazon Web Services”
Talyst Founder Raises Venture Fund
Jim Torina, the co-founder and former CEO of Bellevue, WA-based Talyst, is raising a venture fund and launching a startup incubator called The University Funds, also in Bellevue. The news was first reported by PE Hub. The seed-stage fund is looking to work with Washington State University and other institutions to build companies around universities’ … Continue reading “Talyst Founder Raises Venture Fund”
Ray Ozzie on Cloud Strategy and Washington Vs. Massachusetts: Takeaways from Tech Alliance
In football, the expression is “three yards and a cloud of dust.” But at Microsoft, it’s apparently “three screens and a cloud.” That’s according to chief software architect Ray Ozzie, who took part in a keynote conversation with University of Washington computer scientist Ed Lazowska at today’s State of Technology Luncheon, hosted by the Technology … Continue reading “Ray Ozzie on Cloud Strategy and Washington Vs. Massachusetts: Takeaways from Tech Alliance”
Polaris’s McGuire Takes Helm at U.S. Venture Group, Plans to Fight Obama Effort to Hike Taxes on VC Firms
It’s probably fitting that I caught up with Boston venture veteran Terry McGuire this week while he was chatting in a corner of a busy conference room with his West Coast counterpart, Dixon Doll. McGuire, a co-founder and managing general partner of Waltham, MA-based Polaris Venture Partners, introduced Doll to me as the chairman of … Continue reading “Polaris’s McGuire Takes Helm at U.S. Venture Group, Plans to Fight Obama Effort to Hike Taxes on VC Firms”
Intelius Scoops Up Spock
Bellevue, WA-based Intelius, a company that provides background checks and identity theft protection, has acquired Redwood City, CA-based people search engine Spock, as reported by VentureBeat, TechCrunch, and others. Terms were not disclosed. Intelius was founded in 2003 and is led by CEO Naveen Jain, the founder of InfoSpace.
What the Urbanspoon Acquisition Means for Consumer Internet Startups
One of the year’s most talked-about deals so far was this week’s announcement that Seattle-based Urbanspoon, the online restaurant guide and iPhone application, has been bought by Internet giant IAC. Financial terms were not disclosed, but reactions I’ve heard from local entrepreneurs and investors have ranged anywhere from “this is great for Urbanspoon and the … Continue reading “What the Urbanspoon Acquisition Means for Consumer Internet Startups”
Minecode CEO Sentenced for Sabotage
A federal judge today ordered the CEO of a Bellevue, WA, computer programming and Web design company to pay at least $264,000 in fines and restitution and to serve 90 days’ home confinement for an alleged act of cyberspace sabotage. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Seattle, Minecode CEO Pradyumna Samal ordered a Minecode … Continue reading “Minecode CEO Sentenced for Sabotage”
Cascadia Capital Internet Report Touts Future of Social Media, Mobile, and Online Marketing
Seattle-based investment bank Cascadia Capital released a comprehensive report today on the state of the Internet and new media market and its future prospects. The analysis points to social media and mobile applications as areas in which companies are most likely to make money in the next couple of years. It also fleshes out the … Continue reading “Cascadia Capital Internet Report Touts Future of Social Media, Mobile, and Online Marketing”
Wetpaint Teams Up With MSN
Seattle social-publishing startup Wetpaint announced it has formed a partnership with MSN Entertainment, a leading online network, to create more than two dozen fan sites that will start rolling out this quarter. Financial terms of the deal were not given. MSN Entertainment will use Wetpaint’s software to power social sites where fans can write content, … Continue reading “Wetpaint Teams Up With MSN”
Big Fish Gobbles Grubby Games
Seattle-based Big Fish Games has acquired Grubby Games, a studio based in Vancouver, BC, for an undisclosed price. The news was first reported by Gama Sutra. Grubby Games is the maker of titles like Incredibots, Professor Fizzwizzle, and My Tribe. Big Fish plans to release a new brand based on Grubby’s software next quarter.
Three Things Every Startup Should Do, As Inspired by UW Business Competition
I overheard some crucial advice for young startups while helping judge the UW Business Plan competition on Tuesday. As I worked the room, I compared notes on the various teams with some well-established entrepreneurs like Steve McCracken of CultureMob, Brent Lamphier of Athleon, Nathan Kaiser of nPost, and Marcelo Calbucci of Sampa and Seattle 2.0. … Continue reading “Three Things Every Startup Should Do, As Inspired by UW Business Competition”
Likewise Laps Up $10M Series C
Likewise Software, a Bellevue, WA-based provider of software designed to track and secure access to computer networks, including those that involve multiple operating systems, says it has closed a $10 million Series C round of financing. Previous investors Ignition Partners, based in Bellevue, as well as California-based Trinity Ventures and Intel Capital led the round. … Continue reading “Likewise Laps Up $10M Series C”
Dendreon Drug Prolongs Life, ZymoGenetics Cuts Staff, Microsoft Tackles Biotech & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This week, Seattle biotech got some of the best news it has seen in years. One local biotech company, Dendreon, scored a major coup by generating results that show its immune-boosting drug for prostate cancer can prolong life with minimal side effects. But there was a lot more happening in the local lab scene than … Continue reading “Dendreon Drug Prolongs Life, ZymoGenetics Cuts Staff, Microsoft Tackles Biotech & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Vigilos Corporation Garners $1,400,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f9a74cfd-375b-497d-a80c-752d5066b750&Preview=1 Date 4/30/2009 Company Name Vigilos Corporation Mailing Address 2030 First Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description The Vigilos Brightsite Service, based on Vigilos Enterprise Security Management (ESM) software designed for large enterprises, is a turnkey hosted solution that offers improved security, higher guard performance, reduced false alarms and comprehensive metrics. Website … Continue reading “Vigilos Corporation Garners $1,400,000 New Funding Round”
Likewise Software Secures $10,000,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9e8919d9-9893-4d10-bb1a-797902076d11&Preview=1 Date 4/30/2009 Company Name Likewise Software Mailing Address 15395 SE 30th Pl Bellevue, WA 98007 Company Description Centeris solutions give customers the freedom to choose the server platform best suited to their business needs. Centeris has experienced management and engineering teams in place and is led by senior executives from leading … Continue reading “Likewise Software Secures $10,000,000 Series C Financing”
ZymoGenetics Cuts One-Third of Workforce To Hold Onto Cash
ZymoGenetics, the largest independent biotech company in Washington, said today it is cutting one-third of its workforce to conserve cash. The Seattle biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) said today it is eliminating 161 jobs, or 32 percent, of its staff, which will leave it with about 350 employees. The company said it is cutting costs broadly … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Cuts One-Third of Workforce To Hold Onto Cash”
Ebola Fighter AVI Biopharma Gears Up for Biodefense Contracts
AVI Biopharma has got Ebola virus on its mind. This horrifying bug from central Africa would only have to infect a few people in the U.S. to cause a real bioterror scare, because it’s so deadly and there’s no cure. The federal government would like to get an effective treatment stockpiled just in case a … Continue reading “Ebola Fighter AVI Biopharma Gears Up for Biodefense Contracts”
UW Biz Contest Yields 16 Finalists
Yesterday’s judging round yielded 16 finalists in the UW Business Plan Competition, organized by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The advancing teams, who will compete for prizes on May 21, are: 3 Phase Energy Systems, AuraViz, Big Canvas, Ecowell, Energizing Solutions, Green Windows, HydroSense, MicroDose, Myyeyou, Nanocel, Nanofacture, Nova Theranostics, Olive Only, Shockmetrics, Sisalwood, … Continue reading “UW Biz Contest Yields 16 Finalists”
Urbanspoon Bought by IAC, Will Remain Independent Brand
It’s an acquisition that is truly surprising to no one, but now it’s official: Seattle-based Urbanspoon, the online restaurant guide, has been bought by New York-based IAC (NASDAQ GS: [[ticker:IACI]]) for an undisclosed amount. Urbanspoon will stay an independent brand based in Seattle, and will report to Jay Herratti, who heads up some of IAC’s … Continue reading “Urbanspoon Bought by IAC, Will Remain Independent Brand”
Seattle Innovators, It’s Time to Rock: WTIA and Xconomy Team Up for Battle of the Tech Bands
The Seattle music scene is one of those cliches that people around the country always ask me about, along with the coffee and the weather. But I don’t mind, not one bit. From Jimi Hendrix to Nirvana and Pearl Jam, from the Presidents of the USA to Death Cab for Cutie and Fleet Foxes, the … Continue reading “Seattle Innovators, It’s Time to Rock: WTIA and Xconomy Team Up for Battle of the Tech Bands”
WTIA Summer Celebration Featuring the Xconomy Battle of the Tech Bands
Backstage Access to the Hottest Bands in the Technology Industry! Xconomy and the Washington Technology Industry Association are teaming up to put on a tech networking event that really rocks—Seattle’s first-ever Xconomy Battle of the Tech Bands, at WTIA’s Annual Summer Celebration. Musicians from the Seattle area’s most innovative companies will play their geeky hearts … Continue reading “WTIA Summer Celebration Featuring the Xconomy Battle of the Tech Bands”
No Devil in Details: Dendreon Data Stands Up to Scrutiny from Doctors, Investors
Suspense has been building for two weeks about just how good Dendreon’s big clinical trial results were going to be, and when the results finally came out today, fans of the company had nothing to be disappointed about. Earlier in the day, we reported what readers needed to remember about the context of this trial, … Continue reading “No Devil in Details: Dendreon Data Stands Up to Scrutiny from Doctors, Investors”
Life Technologies, Geospiza Form Cloud Computing Deal for Scientists to Dig Into Genome
Genome sequencing instruments have gotten so much faster and cheaper over the years that they have created a new problem for scientists—digging through mountains of data on DNA, and maintaining these stores of data. So today, Carlsbad, CA-based Life Technologies and its Applied Biosystems division have formed a partnership with Seattle-based Geospiza to help researchers … Continue reading “Life Technologies, Geospiza Form Cloud Computing Deal for Scientists to Dig Into Genome”
Dendreon Immune-Booster for Prostate Cancer Extends Survival 4.1 Months
[[Updated with analyst comment 2:25 pm Eastern]] Dendreon’s immune-stimulating therapy for prostate cancer, called Provenge, was able to improve median survival time by 4.1 months, and lowered the risk of death by 22.5 percent, according to long-awaited clinical trial results presented today. Side effects were consistent with previous trials, involving fever and chills that lasted … Continue reading “Dendreon Immune-Booster for Prostate Cancer Extends Survival 4.1 Months”
Vigilos Raises $1.4M from NWVA
Seattle-based Vigilos, a security software firm, announced today it has closed $1.4 million in equity capital, led by Northwest Venture Associates, and is in the process of raising an additional $300,000. Vigilos makes software that helps organizations like the FBI, U.S. Navy, and Washington State Department of Transportation remotely monitor sites. The technology is also … Continue reading “Vigilos Raises $1.4M from NWVA”
NewPath Picks Up $30M, Asemblon Raises $2.9M, Amazon Buys Lexcycle, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
It was another busy week for deals in the Northwest, with lots of action in cloud computing software, mobile, and healthcare. Xconomy even got into the act, inking a partnership with The Seattle Times (see below). —Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) acquired Lexcycle, an e-book startup based in Portland, OR, and Austin, TX. No financial terms were … Continue reading “NewPath Picks Up $30M, Asemblon Raises $2.9M, Amazon Buys Lexcycle, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
AVI Gets Patent For Ebola Drug
AVI Biopharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]]), the Portland, OR-based developer of RNA interference drugs, said today it has gotten the second of two patents needed for its drug that treats infections with Ebola Zaire virus. The patents cover composition of matter and methods for treating Ebola with a range of compounds, and they expire Oct. 31, 2025, … Continue reading “AVI Gets Patent For Ebola Drug”
Dendreon Clinical Trial Primer: What You Need to Know About Today’s Provenge Data
Dendreon said it made history a couple weeks ago, when its drug for stimulating the immune system to fight cancer cells was found to be the first of its kind to help men with prostate cancer live longer. Today, we’ll find out just how strong the medical evidence is to support that claim. The Seattle … Continue reading “Dendreon Clinical Trial Primer: What You Need to Know About Today’s Provenge Data”
Measuring Success in the Biotech World
What defines success in biotechnology? I’ve noticed that many companies are described as being successful, but there’s no widely agreed upon definition for success within the industry. Lack of agreement on a definition of biotechnology success can serve as a source of friction within a company’s senior management group—some of whom may be trained in … Continue reading “Measuring Success in the Biotech World”
Microsoft Aims to Help Scientists Move Past Excel, Make Sense of Gene Data Overload
Biologists are living in an era of information overload, and Microsoft says it’s making an effort to help them cut through the noise. The Redmond, WA-based software firm is introducing a new program today called Amalga Life Sciences, designed to help lab scientists make sense of the vast reams of genomic data piling up from … Continue reading “Microsoft Aims to Help Scientists Move Past Excel, Make Sense of Gene Data Overload”
Vigilos Corporation Obtains $1,400,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=94b2e130-595a-4b25-8e32-05ec863d7172&Preview=1 Date 4/28/2009 Company Name Vigilos Corporation Mailing Address 2030 First Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description The Vigilos Brightsite Service, based on Vigilos Enterprise Security Management (ESM) software designed for large enterprises, is a turnkey hosted solution that offers improved security, higher guard performance, reduced false alarms and comprehensive metrics. Website … Continue reading “Vigilos Corporation Obtains $1,400,000 New Financing”
Lexcycle Bought by Amazon
Amazon has acquired Lexcycle, an e-reader startup based in Portland, OR, and Austin, TX. Financial terms were not given. Lexcycle makes Stanza, an online bookstore application for desktops and iPhones. The news was first reported by the New York Times, which says the move is part of Amazon’s effort to solidify its position on mobile … Continue reading “Lexcycle Bought by Amazon”
Amazon Startups Sink, Microsoft Profits Plummet, Sony Scraps with Xbox: Seattle Tech Highlights
There has been lots of activity in the Seattle tech blogosphere (gotta use that word once or twice a year) in the past few days. Some of the most compelling news is about the big local companies and how they’re dealing with major strategic challenges in this economic sandstorm. So far, they have avoided huge … Continue reading “Amazon Startups Sink, Microsoft Profits Plummet, Sony Scraps with Xbox: Seattle Tech Highlights”