Washington State’s Employment Security Department has confirmed that 872 Microsoft employees are losing their jobs in Seattle, Redmond, Issaquah, and Bellevue. The layoffs are effective March 23. Last Thursday, Microsoft announced it was slashing 1,400 jobs immediately, with up to 5,000 to be cut in the next 18 months.
Category: Seattle
Apptio, LiquidPlanner, Ontela, Pet Holdings, Picnik, Wetpaint Among Finalists for WTIA Industry Achievement Awards
The first round of voting is done. This morning, the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced the finalists for its 14th annual Industry Achievement Awards. Among the finalists are several Seattle-area companies we’ve reported on extensively at Xconomy, and a few others you’ll be hearing more about soon. Here are this year’s finalists, sorted by … Continue reading “Apptio, LiquidPlanner, Ontela, Pet Holdings, Picnik, Wetpaint Among Finalists for WTIA Industry Achievement Awards”
Seattle Genetics Gets Orphan Drug Status
Seattle Genetics said its SGN-35 drug candidate for Hodgkin’s disease and anaplastic large cell lymphoma has received orphan drug designation from regulators in Europe. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) has also added the designation for anaplastic large cell lymphoma in the U.S., after previously securing that status for Hodgkin’s in the U.S. The designation is designed … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Gets Orphan Drug Status”
Cardiac Dimensions, Fixer of Leaky Hearts, Edges Toward European Market and Pivotal U.S. Test
Cardiac Dimensions has a dream of developing the first method for tightening up loose heart valves without requiring a surgeon to touch a scalpel. This year, the Kirkland, WA-based medical device company will get a clearer sense of whether it has successfully created such a device, and whether it will become a practical way to … Continue reading “Cardiac Dimensions, Fixer of Leaky Hearts, Edges Toward European Market and Pivotal U.S. Test”
Judy Estrin on “Closing the Innovation Gap”
Innovation drives economic growth, our quality of life and is the only hope of addressing the major challenges we face. But America, a cornerstone of innovation throughout the world, has become increasingly short-sighted. By taking innovation for granted we threaten not only our own strength, but the overall global economy. Judy Estrin, technology and business … Continue reading “Judy Estrin on “Closing the Innovation Gap””
SAManage Scores Xenia Funding
Redmond, WA-based SAManage, a software and IT management company, announced it has raised a Series A funding round from the Israeli firm Xenia Venture Capital. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Microsoft Layoff Hits Gaming, Online Services, Real Estate
A day after the largest layoff in Microsoft history—1,400 jobs cut yesterday, with up to 5,000 in the next year and a half—the ripples are spreading far and wide throughout the technology and business communities. Here’s a snapshot of where the cuts are happening in the Seattle area. —Microsoft’s ACES studio, the Redmond, WA-based group … Continue reading “Microsoft Layoff Hits Gaming, Online Services, Real Estate”
IDRI Forms Vaccine Deal in Brazil
The Infectious Disease Research Institute, a Seattle-based global health research center, said it has licensed two key components of an experimental leishmaniasis vaccine to research partners at the Instituto Butantan in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Under the deal, IDRI will receive royalty payments on sales if its partners develop a marketable vaccine for leishmaniasis, which affects … Continue reading “IDRI Forms Vaccine Deal in Brazil”
Lovell Joins NWEN as Executive Director
The Bellevue, WA-based Northwest Entrepreneur Network (NWEN) has announced that Rebecca Lovell is joining the organization as executive director. Lovell is program director at the Seattle-based Alliance of Angels, and she succeeds outgoing NWEN executive director Peter Quinn. NWEN was founded in 1985, has more than 800 members, and produces 40-plus events and programs per … Continue reading “Lovell Joins NWEN as Executive Director”
Theo Chocolate Teams Up with UW to Sniff Out the Perfect Bean
Theo Chocolate, Inc. wants to unlock the cocoa bean’s secrets. Together with chemists at the University of Washington, Theo’s chief operating officer and food scientist Andy McShea is using “electronic nose” lab techniques to identify the best organic bean he can find. I met with McShea in the Seattle chocolate company’s office, which overlooks the … Continue reading “Theo Chocolate Teams Up with UW to Sniff Out the Perfect Bean”
E-Book Readers on the iPhone? They’re Not Quite Kindle Slayers Yet
Well, this is the first time I’ve written my weekly column while wearing a tuxedo. No, I’m not on my way home from an inauguration ball, or campaigning for higher style standards among reporters. As I write this, I’m getting ready to emcee Xconomy’s Battle of the Tech Bands 2. Our preparations for the event … Continue reading “E-Book Readers on the iPhone? They’re Not Quite Kindle Slayers Yet”
MDRNA Cuts Executive Pay, Freezes Salaries as Cash Runs Out
MDRNA is running out of cash, and is drastically cutting down payroll expenses, according to a source close to the situation. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]) has asked executives to work for no pay, and has frozen employee salaries at $1,250 for the final two weeks of January, according to the source. Matt … Continue reading “MDRNA Cuts Executive Pay, Freezes Salaries as Cash Runs Out”
Tracing the Ancestry of Puget Sound’s Technology Cluster
When people try to get a sense of the vibrancy in a regional high-tech cluster, they usually look up reams of data on technology licenses, patents, jobs, and number of startups. This morning, I got to look at a fresh (and important) perspective that traces out where the founding people cut their teeth and got … Continue reading “Tracing the Ancestry of Puget Sound’s Technology Cluster”
Largest Layoff in Microsoft History Raises Questions
Here are a few thoughts after listening to the Microsoft earnings conference call. The software giant announced 1,400 layoffs today, with up to 5,000 positions being eliminated over the next 18 months, mostly at its Redmond, WA headquarters. (The company’s New England operations will not be directly affected, according to a Microsoft spokesperson we contacted; … Continue reading “Largest Layoff in Microsoft History Raises Questions”
Intel to Shut Down Oregon Plant
Intel announced it will stop production at its 200-mm wafer fabrication plant in Hillsboro, OR, later this year. The move is part of a plan to consolidate manufacturing and test facilities worldwide. Four other Intel plants in Santa Clara, CA, Malaysia, and the Philippines are also slated to close. The restructuring will affect between 5,000 … Continue reading “Intel to Shut Down Oregon Plant”
Microsoft Cuts 5,000 Jobs, Almost 6 Percent of Workforce
Microsoft’s long-rumored job cuts are now official: 5,000 employees will be losing their jobs. The Redmond, WA-based software giant (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) said today in its quarterly earnings report that it is eliminating those positions over the next 18 months, which amounts to almost six percent of its workforce of 90,000 employees. About 1,400 people are … Continue reading “Microsoft Cuts 5,000 Jobs, Almost 6 Percent of Workforce”
FriendlyFavor Rolls Out Request Tool for Social Networks
Want to ask your network of friends and colleagues for advice on where to stay when you’re traveling? Or maybe you want to offer recommendations for a local electrician, dentist, or specialty food shop. You could do it all by e-mail, or through existing social networks like Facebook. But dealing with such requests and recommendations … Continue reading “FriendlyFavor Rolls Out Request Tool for Social Networks”
Dendreon Expects Results in April, Seattle Genetics Plans Hodgkin’s Trial, ImaRx Moves to Town & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and a historic inauguration made this week a little light on Seattle biotech news, but we still gathered some interesting nuggets. —Seattle-based Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) made news on the last day of the JP Morgan Healthcare conference in San Francisco, saying that it now expects to have final results … Continue reading “Dendreon Expects Results in April, Seattle Genetics Plans Hodgkin’s Trial, ImaRx Moves to Town & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
SAManage Obtains Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b40e363a-b784-4c42-8c2a-0f8311ff1c77&Preview=1 Date 1/22/2009 Company Name SAManage Mailing Address 16541 Redmond Way Redmond, WA 98052 Company Description SAManage is a leading provider of Next Generation, on demand, IT Asset Management services. Our IT audit and tracking services can benefit organizations of all sizes. We use state-of-the-art SaaS services to enable any SMB or … Continue reading “SAManage Obtains Series A Financing”
Lee Hartwell on “Science and the Arts”
The Friends of the Libraries Annual Meeting features a presentation by Lee Hartwell, Ph.D., the 2001 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine. Following a brief Friends meeting, Hartwell will be speaking on “Science and the Arts.” A reception will follow the talk. For more information about how to register, click here.
SBRI’s Passport to Global Health Celebration: Paul Farmer Keynote
From multidrug-resistant TB to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Paul Farmer, the co-founder of Partners in Health, has taken on some of the most difficult challenges of global health and discovered new ways of making progress. Dr. Farmer will be the keynote speaker at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute’s fifth annual Passport to Global Health Celebration on April … Continue reading “SBRI’s Passport to Global Health Celebration: Paul Farmer Keynote”
Philips Closes Auburn Center, Lays Off 96
Philips Electronics North America is laying off 96 employees at its supply chain solution center in Auburn, WA, according to a notice from Washington State’s Employment Security Department. The staff cuts are effective on March 20, 2009, when the facility will shut down.
Looking to Efficiency to Build Energy Independence
In our current economy, one of the biggest challenges for American lawmakers—at both the state and federal levels—is to do what they can to minimize the impact and shorten the duration of the recession. A cornerstone of our return to prosperity should be a program designed to establish energy independence, with a focus on improving … Continue reading “Looking to Efficiency to Build Energy Independence”
Tableau Boasts Record Sales, New Customers
Seattle data-visualization firm Tableau Software announced its 16th consecutive quarter of record sales, and a host of new customers acquired in the last three months of 2008. Tableau’s new customers include AAA Allied Group, Active Network, Mitel Networks, the University of Texas at El Paso, and U.S. Auto Parts.
Seattle Genetics Unveils Pivotal Trial Plan for “Empowered Antibody”
Seattle Genetics has settled on the design of a clinical trial that could pave the way for its first marketed cancer drug. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) said today it has reached an agreement with the FDA on the parameters of a pivotal clinical trial of its SGN-35 drug candidate as a treatment … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Unveils Pivotal Trial Plan for “Empowered Antibody””
Five Questions for Seattle Biotech, Medical Device Leaders About the Year Ahead
Last week at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, I did some informal polling of biotech industry leaders in our three Xconomy network hubs of Boston, San Diego, and Seattle. I asked them all the same five questions to get a feel for how they plan to cope with the economic downturn, and … Continue reading “Five Questions for Seattle Biotech, Medical Device Leaders About the Year Ahead”
Madrona Leads $1.5M Investment in PetraVM to Make Software Cheaper, More Reliable
The Seattle-based VC firm Madrona Venture Group has led a seed investment in a University of Washington startup called PetraVM. The deal is worth $1.5 million, and includes investment from Seattle-based WRF Capital. Founded by professors Mark Oskin and Luis Ceze of the UW’s computer science and engineering department, PetraVM is out to improve the … Continue reading “Madrona Leads $1.5M Investment in PetraVM to Make Software Cheaper, More Reliable”
PetraVM Receives $1,500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a8665c75-af3b-4b6d-8f82-b95f472ac174&Preview=1 Date 1/21/2009 Company Name PetraVM Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description PetraVM, Inc. is a VC-funded stealth-mode startup company based in the heart of old Seattle, Pioneer Square. We are developing technology to enable effective and reliable use of now ubiquitous multi-core systems. Website http://www.petravm.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “PetraVM Receives $1,500,000 New Round”
ThePlatform Signs Aussie Deal
ThePlatform, a Seattle-based online video firm, announced it has partnered with the Australian publisher News Digital Media to manage video across 50 sites, including The Australian, news.com.au, and Vogue.com.au. ThePlatform is an independent subsidiary of Comcast.
Obama Inauguration Breaks Streaming-Media Records
This morning, we gave you a guide to online outlets with live streaming video of President Obama’s swearing-in. This afternoon, we can report that record-breaking audiences accessed these streams, at least as far as Cambridge, MA-based networking leader Akamai was able to measure. At the height of Internet traffic at approximately 12:15 p.m. Eastern time … Continue reading “Obama Inauguration Breaks Streaming-Media Records”
Northwest Venture Deals Down in Fourth Quarter of 2008—But Still a Few Good Ones
OK, no big surprise here. In the fourth quarter of 2008, venture capital investment in Washington and Oregon fell to $142 million, down 45 percent from $260 million in the previous quarter and a 68 percent drop from $450 million in the fourth quarter of 2007. For the year, venture investment in Washington state dropped … Continue reading “Northwest Venture Deals Down in Fourth Quarter of 2008—But Still a Few Good Ones”
Microsoft Streams Obama Inauguration, Smartsheet Lands Cash, eBay Buys Positronic, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
After a gangbusters start to the year, the deal flow in the Northwest has slowed down. Most of the activity was in software last week. —Not the usual sort of deal, but Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) said its Silverlight software is being used to stream live video of today’s presidential inauguration on the organizers’ official website. … Continue reading “Microsoft Streams Obama Inauguration, Smartsheet Lands Cash, eBay Buys Positronic, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
ImaRx, Led by Former Icos Manager, Comes to Town
ImaRx Therapeutics, a biotech company developing a new ultrasound-based stroke treatment, has moved its headquarters from Tucson, AZ, to Redmond, WA, as it attempts to get back on its feet again after a one-two punch of devastating setbacks. ImaRx (Imm-uh-Rex) is led by CEO Bradford Zakes, who formed his connections with the Seattle area from … Continue reading “ImaRx, Led by Former Icos Manager, Comes to Town”
Microsoft Helps Stream Inauguration Video
Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) announced today that its Silverlight software will be used to stream live video of the official swearing-in ceremony on the Presidential Inaugural Committee website on Tuesday, January 20. The media-player software was developed in collaboration with Las Vegas, NV-based iStreamPlanet.
Taking Monday On
Posting will be light between now and Tuesday as we’ll be observing Monday’s King Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who would have turned 80 yesterday. If you’d like to do some volunteering to mark the occasion, or if you’re hosting a service event and need volunteers, President-elect Obama has … Continue reading “Taking Monday On”
Loud to Delist Stock from NASDAQ
Woodinville, WA-based Loud Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LTEC]]), a pro audio and music company, has announced it is delisting its common stock from NASDAQ, effective in February. Loud cited management time and costs to maintain the listing, limited trading, and its 2008 financial results as some of the reasons for the move.
How Failure Is Viewed in the Innovation Community: Seattle Startups and VCs Weigh In
Last week, I reported that Voyager Capital managing director Erik Benson said failure is seen as a “black mark” in the Seattle innovation community—more so than in places like the San Francisco Bay Area or New England. I’ve been asking around at local startups and investment firms to see what people’s reactions are, and (if … Continue reading “How Failure Is Viewed in the Innovation Community: Seattle Startups and VCs Weigh In”
Have Xtra Fun Making Movies with Xtranormal
This week’s column comes partly in the form of a digital cartoon. Click on the play button below to watch it. (Or if you’re reading this story via an RSS feed or e-mail newsletter, click this link to view the video—then come back here). Clever, eh? Of course, it’s just fiction. I still have a … Continue reading “Have Xtra Fun Making Movies with Xtranormal”
Seattle Layoff Update: Cardiac, Medio, Varolii, Vulcan, and WatchGuard Slash Jobs
Unfortunately, this is fast becoming a weekly roundup of job losses. About the only bright side is that Microsoft hasn’t announced any layoffs—yet. But the following Seattle-area companies have all confirmed significant staff cuts this week (see the updated Xconomy Seattle layoff litany here): —Cardiac Science (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CSCX]]), a maker of heart diagnostic and therapeutic … Continue reading “Seattle Layoff Update: Cardiac, Medio, Varolii, Vulcan, and WatchGuard Slash Jobs”
Vulcan Cuts 50 Jobs, 9 Percent of Workforce, In Response to Downturn
Even Paul Allen isn’t immune to the global economic downturn. Vulcan Inc., the company that oversees the Microsoft co-founder’s business and charitable interests, said today it is eliminating about 50 jobs. Vulcan’s cuts affect about 9 percent of its workforce, leaving it with a staff of about 600 people, says spokesman David Postman. He declined … Continue reading “Vulcan Cuts 50 Jobs, 9 Percent of Workforce, In Response to Downturn”
Dendreon, With Key Milestone Now Reached, Sees Final Results on Immune-Boosting Drug Coming in April
Dendreon-watchers, mark your calendars for April. The Seattle-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) said today its study of 500 men with terminal prostate cancer will offer a final answer by April on whether its experimental immune-boosting drug helps patients live longer. The trial, known as Impact, enrolled men with terminal forms of prostate cancer and randomly … Continue reading “Dendreon, With Key Milestone Now Reached, Sees Final Results on Immune-Boosting Drug Coming in April”
WTC Funds Eight Company Projects
The Seattle-based Washington Technology Center announced it has awarded $561,797 in funding to eight projects, each comprising a collaboration between a local company and a state university. The grants, which range from $30,000 to $100,000, were awarded to Applied Precision, ATS, Boeing and Heatcon Composite Systems, Enertechnix, GeoMonkey, Greenwood Technologies, Omeros, and Theo Chocolate.
VCs More Concerned About Capital than Economy, Says WTIA Report
As expected, the economic downturn is hitting venture capital hard. The top challenge for Washington state VCs for the first quarter of 2009 will be the availability of capital—ahead of the national economy and overall market growth. That’s according to the Washington Technology Industry Association’s Q1 2009 venture capital outlook survey. The quarterly survey tracks … Continue reading “VCs More Concerned About Capital than Economy, Says WTIA Report”
Piot Starts at Gates Foundation
Peter Piot, the founding executive director of the Joint United Nations’ Program on HIV/AIDS, has joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a senior fellow. He will advise the foundation on global health strategy, including the fight against HIV and other infectious diseases. The appointment will last only until May, when Piot will start … Continue reading “Piot Starts at Gates Foundation”
How to Stand Out in the Mobile Apps Market: The Zumobi Plan
In a market glutted with free cell phone applications, and as advertising budgets dive along with the rest of the economy, what’s a mobile-media company to do? Seattle’s Zumobi has a few tricks up its sleeve. Namely, don’t charge your sponsors anything upfront, and find innovative ways to drive users of one of your applications … Continue reading “How to Stand Out in the Mobile Apps Market: The Zumobi Plan”
ZymoGenetics Cuts Big Deal, Pathway Unveils Strategy, Chris Rivera Takes Over at WBBA & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This week the biotech industry converged on San Francisco’s Union Square for the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference. Plenty of investors were licking their wounds from a rough year, but there was still news to get the juices flowing, including one lucrative partnership out of Seattle. —ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) made the biggest headline of this year’s … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Cuts Big Deal, Pathway Unveils Strategy, Chris Rivera Takes Over at WBBA & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Smartsheet Raises $1.25M from Madrona Venture Group, Others
Bellevue, WA-based Smartsheet has raised $1.25 million in Series B funding, says co-founder and executive chairman Brent Frei, on his blog. Investors included Madrona Venture Group and Frei himself. Smartsheet makes software that companies use to manage team-based projects and track outsourced tasks, as an alternative to Excel spreadsheets, e-mail folders, and the like. Frei, … Continue reading “Smartsheet Raises $1.25M from Madrona Venture Group, Others”
SpaceShipOne Replica Arrives at Paul Allen’s Hangar
Paul Allen just got a new addition to his Flying Heritage Collection of vintage aircraft. Yesterday, the Paine Field facility in Everett, WA, held a media event in which the museum hoisted a full-scale replica of SpaceShipOne to the ceiling. Just thought Xconomy readers would be interested to see these photos (courtesy of Jennifer Bragg … Continue reading “SpaceShipOne Replica Arrives at Paul Allen’s Hangar”
Zillow, BlueKai, Smilebox Top Startup List
According to Seattle 2.0’s startup index for December, real-estate firm Zillow’s website remains tops in traffic, while online marketing startup BlueKai and creative messaging site Smilebox made strong gains to crack the top three. Other notable gains in the top 100 were made by Estately, GoGoMo, Blist, InsideTrip, ClearStay, Dashwire, and Tesly.
Smoothing Out Jittery Internet Video, Elemental Technologies Looks to Reinvent How You Watch
If you’re like most people, you’re viewing a lot more videos on your computer or mobile device these days. But say you want to watch CNN’s live coverage of the U.S. presidential inauguration next week on your BlackBerry, iPhone, or laptop. You might not be able to—or you might get a jittery, unclear picture—because of … Continue reading “Smoothing Out Jittery Internet Video, Elemental Technologies Looks to Reinvent How You Watch”