Category: Seattle

Calling Bay Area Investors: Seattle Entrepreneurs Want To See More of You, and Help Build Your Brand

Lately I’ve been hearing from the tech-startup community about the need to get venture capitalists from the San Francisco Bay Area to spend more time in Seattle—and with the companies they invest in here. The topic first came up during a coffee chat with Kevin Merritt, founder and CEO of the social-database site Blist. (Back … Continue reading “Calling Bay Area Investors: Seattle Entrepreneurs Want To See More of You, and Help Build Your Brand”

Acucela Strikes Deal With Otsuka Pharmaceutical to Develop Drug for Eye Disease

Acucela has struck another big deal with its Japanese connections. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company said today it has agreed to form a partnership with Tokyo-based Otsuka Pharmaceutical to develop its lead drug candidate for the top cause of blindness among the elderly—the “dry” form of macular degeneration. The deal has sweet terms for Acucela. … Continue reading “Acucela Strikes Deal With Otsuka Pharmaceutical to Develop Drug for Eye Disease”

A Who’s Who of Geeking Out at Nathan Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures

When I visited Nathan Myhrvold last month at the Intellectual Ventures lab in Bellevue, WA, I didn’t get a chance to meet one of the lab’s most distinguished residents, science-fiction novelist Neal Stephenson. Myhrvold mentioned him during our meeting, but it was too early in the day to find him in the building. Stephenson, best … Continue reading “A Who’s Who of Geeking Out at Nathan Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures”

ZymoGenetics Hands Over Atacicept Rights to Partner, Merck KGaA

ZymoGenetics is making a sacrifice to conserve cash. The Seattle biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) said today it has agreed to hand over atacicept—its leading drug candidate for autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis—to its partner, Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck KGaA. The move means that the German partner will now have to pay for … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Hands Over Atacicept Rights to Partner, Merck KGaA”

In Amazon’s Purchase of Shelfari, a Possible Front in the Battle with Borders—and a Triumph for Social Book Sites

Last week, we reported that Amazon is acquiring Seattle-based Shelfari, a literary social networking site. We also noted that Cambridge, MA-based LibraryThing (which Amazon also owns 40 percent of) had some harsh words for its West Coast rival. John Cook of the Seattle P-I provided some useful insights and comments here (e.g., the deal is … Continue reading “In Amazon’s Purchase of Shelfari, a Possible Front in the Battle with Borders—and a Triumph for Social Book Sites”

WTIA’s Technology In Focus Series: Cashing in on Web Services

While display advertising has been the preferred revenue engine for web services, even destinations with millions of users like MySpace and Facebook have had difficulty achieving profitability with this approach. At the same time, advertising is not always welcomed by users of business-related applications. What are the emerging, successful revenue models that eschew display ads? … Continue reading “WTIA’s Technology In Focus Series: Cashing in on Web Services”

WTIA’s Sunset Over Summer Networking Event

The Washington Technology Industry Association will host its “Sunset Over Summer” networking event on Wednesday, Sept. 10th. It will be at the Terrace Garden (Red Lion Hotel) located in the heart of downtown Seattle. This outdoor patio oasis offers a haven to enjoy drinks and appetizers while watching a golden hue fall over Elliot Bay. … Continue reading “WTIA’s Sunset Over Summer Networking Event”

WTIA’s State-of-the-State on Venture Capital in Washington

Want an inside look at the state of the local VC market? What’s hot? What’s not? Interested in hearing what VC’s look for as they evaluate companies to invest in? Want to pick the brain of some local Venture Capitalists? Then join your peers for breakfast on September 9th as the WTIA introduces its Urban … Continue reading “WTIA’s State-of-the-State on Venture Capital in Washington”

Science & Technology Discovery Series, Hosted by the Technology Alliance

Moe Khaleel from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will discuss computing for accelerating the energy technology development cycle. Presentations are held monthly, September through May, Friday mornings from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the Rainier Club in downtown Seattle. The intimate setting, with approximately 70 attendees per breakfast, includes a breakfast buffet, time for networking with … Continue reading “Science & Technology Discovery Series, Hosted by the Technology Alliance”

Science & Technology Discovery Series, Hosted by the Technology Alliance

Dr. Colleen Delaney from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center will discuss using umbilical cord blood to save lives. Discovery Series presentations are held monthly, September through May, Friday mornings from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the Rainier Club in downtown Seattle. The intimate setting, with approximately 70 attendees per breakfast, includes a breakfast buffet, … Continue reading “Science & Technology Discovery Series, Hosted by the Technology Alliance”

Oncothyreon To Sell Stock, Bet Resources on Developing Two Cancer Drugs

Oncothyreon, a Seattle biotech company developing drugs against cancer, said today it is planning to sell 5.1 million more shares of stock in the second week of September to raise cash for its treatments in development. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONTY]]) also said it plans to concentrate its resources on developing two cancer drugs, and on … Continue reading “Oncothyreon To Sell Stock, Bet Resources on Developing Two Cancer Drugs”

Gaming Away the Holiday Weekend at the Penny Arcade Expo (Part 2)

There’s nothing like three straight days of a massive video-game expo to get your mind off work. OK, I didn’t go to the whole thing, but I got a decent sample of the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) at the convention center in downtown Seattle—North America’s biggest trade show for computer and video games and a … Continue reading “Gaming Away the Holiday Weekend at the Penny Arcade Expo (Part 2)”

ZymoGenetics, Bayer Drug Vying for European Regulatory Approval

ZymoGenetics is going to try to crack the European pharmaceutical market. The Seattle biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) said today that its partner, Bayer, has filed an application with the European Union to market Recothrom, a drug for excess surgical bleeding. The filing means ZymoGenetics will collect a $5 million milestone payment from Bayer (NYSE: [[ticker:BAY]]). … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics, Bayer Drug Vying for European Regulatory Approval”

Ikaria Developing Drug For “Hibernation-on-Demand,” Could Pull Off Biggest Biotech IPO Ever, VC Says

Hibernation-on-demand is one of those enduring concepts of science fiction. If you can slow down breathing, heartbeat, and other metabolic functions without going too far and suffocating people, you could possibly send them on long voyages into space. Here on Earth, it might buy time for a surgeon trying to save someone before he or … Continue reading “Ikaria Developing Drug For “Hibernation-on-Demand,” Could Pull Off Biggest Biotech IPO Ever, VC Says”

Voxmobili Team Wins $100K Google Android Prize

A team from Paris, France-based Voxmobili, which has operations in Bellevue, WA, has won $100,000 in Google’s Android Developer Challenge. The Paris-based team developed PhoneBook 2.0, a mobile-software package that combines instant messaging, social networking (showing contacts and locations), and live streaming in a secure way.

Greenfield Ditches Quadrangle, Merges with Microsoft in $468M Deal

Wilton, CT-based Greenfield Online (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRVY]]), which owns a network of Internet-based consumer survey and comparison shopping sites, announced a complex sequence of changes today. The company is backing out of a previously announced merger with New York-based Quadrangle Group. Simultaneously, it’s selling its Internet survey business to an as-yet-unnamed buyer from the financial services … Continue reading “Greenfield Ditches Quadrangle, Merges with Microsoft in $468M Deal”

Photographing Spaces, Not Scenes, with Microsoft’s Photosynth

Up to now, software giant Microsoft has largely missed out on the digital photography revolution. The most popular photo editing tools come from Microsoft competitors like Adobe and Apple. Flickr, every geek’s favorite photo-sharing site, was invented in Microsoft’s backyard in Vancouver, BC, but went on to become part of Yahoo. And Corbis, Bill Gates’ … Continue reading “Photographing Spaces, Not Scenes, with Microsoft’s Photosynth”

Impel NeuroPharma Develops Novel Delivery System to Get Drugs Into the Brain

Lots of drugs struggle to get into the brain. John Hoekman, the co-founder and chief scientific officer of a new University of Washington spinoff company called Impel Neuropharma, thinks he has found a better way to get certain therapeutics, like pain meds, where they need to go in the brain. Hoekman is new to the … Continue reading “Impel NeuroPharma Develops Novel Delivery System to Get Drugs Into the Brain”

Gaming Away the Holiday Weekend at the Penny Arcade Expo

Everyone knows the gaming industry is huge in Seattle. Well, this weekend it will get even huger. Today marks the start of the 5th annual Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in downtown Seattle. Since 2007, when the E3 convention in Los Angeles was majorly downsized, PAX has become … Continue reading “Gaming Away the Holiday Weekend at the Penny Arcade Expo”

Daptiv, Inc. Obtains $9,000,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2e58f3b0-f693-48ee-b0f4-6531089cd238&Preview=1 Date 8/29/2008 Company Name Daptiv, Inc. Mailing Address 1008 Western Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Daptiv is the on-demand leader in collaborative business software that enables companies of all sizes to transform their mid-office business operations. From new product development to operations and service delivery, Daptiv’s on-demand solutions streamline employees’ … Continue reading “Daptiv, Inc. Obtains $9,000,000 Series B Funding Round”

SonoSite Marketing Boss Resigns to Take Job at Smith & Nephew

Sonosite, the Bothell, WA-based maker of portable ultrasound machines, said today that Thomas Dugan, its senior vice president of global marketing and U.S. sales, is resigning as of Sept. 11. He is taking a new job as president of the North American business within the Advanced Wound Management Division of the medical device company Smith … Continue reading “SonoSite Marketing Boss Resigns to Take Job at Smith & Nephew”

Dendreon Rival Suffers Meltdown, Investors Sitting Tight For Next Big Clinical Trial News

One of the high-profile competitors to Dendreon suffered a major meltdown yesterday in a clinical trial. Cell Genesys, (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CEGE]]), a developer of treatments to stimulate the immune system against cancer, said yesterday that a clinical trial of 600 prostate cancer patients was halted early after a safety monitoring board found a higher risk of … Continue reading “Dendreon Rival Suffers Meltdown, Investors Sitting Tight For Next Big Clinical Trial News”

Nexterra Energy Raises $3.8 Million From ARC Financial

Nexterra Energy, a Vancouver, BC-based company that enables industrial customers to generate heat and power from waste fuels, said it has raised $3.8 million Canadian in a fourth-round equity financing. The financing was led by ARC Financial of Calgary, Alberta, the largest energy investment firm in Canada. ARC has invested more than $20 million Canadian … Continue reading “Nexterra Energy Raises $3.8 Million From ARC Financial”

Spaltudaq Harnessing Mother Nature’s Wisdom to Make Better Drugs For Infections

Spaltudaq has never really said a whole lot publicly about what it’s doing. So I was eager to get an update this week from CEO David Fanning about what’s percolating at the Seattle biotech company, particularly since he’s just down the hall from Xconomy’s Seattle office on First Hill. The basic idea hasn’t changed much … Continue reading “Spaltudaq Harnessing Mother Nature’s Wisdom to Make Better Drugs For Infections”

Ultrasound Stethoscopes, Stealthy Software, A New Enzyme Startup, and More from Alexandria Real Estate’s Summer Celebration

Yesterday afternoon, Luke and I jumped in the Zipcar and headed over to the Lakeside Event Center on the north side of Lake Union in Seattle. It was time for an end-of-summer party put on by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, and co-hosted by Xconomy. Over cocktails and appetizers of shrimp, beef, pastries, and roasted vegetables, … Continue reading “Ultrasound Stethoscopes, Stealthy Software, A New Enzyme Startup, and More from Alexandria Real Estate’s Summer Celebration”

Red Sox Owner’s Simulation Startup, iRacing.com, Waves the Green Flag

In Boston and Seattle, the professional sports teams aren’t just for entertainment—they’re managed by some of the biggest movers and shakers in the two regions’ high-tech economies. In the Seattle area, the Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers are part of Vulcan Inc., owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The Kraft Group, owner of the … Continue reading “Red Sox Owner’s Simulation Startup, iRacing.com, Waves the Green Flag”

RadioFrame Networks Nets $28M, Wants to Improve Cell Coverage in Your Home or Business

Wireless is soaring in the Seattle area. Last week it was software—SnapIn and Medio made some big deals. Today it’s hardware. Redmond, WA-based RadioFrame Networks has announced it has closed a $28 million round of Series F equity and debt financing. The round was led by Ericsson Venture, Ignition Partners, VantagePoint Venture Partners, and Plainfield … Continue reading “RadioFrame Networks Nets $28M, Wants to Improve Cell Coverage in Your Home or Business”

UW TechTransfer’s Linden Rhoads Aiming to Nurture More Startups, Entice More VCs to Look at UW’s Research Cupboard

Linden Rhoads is fired up. The high-tech entrepreneur-turned-university official has been circulating around town since she started on August 14 to lay the groundwork for a new era in technology transfer at the University of Washington. First on her calendar are meetings with all of the Northwest’s venture capital firms. When that’s done, she plans … Continue reading “UW TechTransfer’s Linden Rhoads Aiming to Nurture More Startups, Entice More VCs to Look at UW’s Research Cupboard”

Amazon Acquires Shelfari; SnapIn Gets Snapped Up by Nuance; AltaRock Closes Funding Round with Vulcan, Google, and ATV; & More

In the last week, there have been some very interesting deals (and other news) in wireless, social networking, and cleantech. Perhaps it’s a sign of things to come after the holiday weekend, when we expect the deals to really pick up. —Amazon is acquiring Seattle-based Shelfari, a social-networking site for book lovers, for an undisclosed … Continue reading “Amazon Acquires Shelfari; SnapIn Gets Snapped Up by Nuance; AltaRock Closes Funding Round with Vulcan, Google, and ATV; & More”

RadioFrame Networks Secures $28,000,000 Series F Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=af3e0733-9d66-445f-ad9e-b0fdab186190&Preview=1 Date 8/27/2008 Company Name RadioFrame Networks Mailing Address 9461 Willows Road NE Redmond, WA 98052 Company Description RadioFrame Networks, a provider of in-building wireless infrastructure that extends cellular coverage and provides for WLAN environments. Website http://radioframe.com/ Transaction Type Debt, Venture Equity Transaction Amount $28,000,000 Transaction Round Series F Proceeds Purposes The … Continue reading “RadioFrame Networks Secures $28,000,000 Series F Funding”

Daptiv Raises $9M More

Seattle-based Daptiv (formerly eProject), a maker of collaborative business software, has raised an additional $9 million in Series B funding, according to PE Hub, which cites a regulatory filing, and VentureBeat. Last year, the company closed a $12 million round. Its investors include Bay Partners, Kennet Partners, King Street Partners, and Wolf Bay Holdings. Earlier … Continue reading “Daptiv Raises $9M More”

QLT Licenses Atrigel Rights to Reckitt Benckiser

QLT, (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QLTI]]) a Vancouver, BC-based biotechnology company, said today its U.S. subsidiary provided an exclusive license to Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals to develop Atrigel sustained-release drug delivery technology. Reckitt agreed to pay $25 million upfront, and milestone payments of another $5 million if it can successfully develop two Atrigel products. Rickett acquired 18 employees from … Continue reading “QLT Licenses Atrigel Rights to Reckitt Benckiser”

The 2008 Olympics: The Defining Moment for Video 2.0, or Opportunity Lost?

[Editor’s note: This Xconomist Forum post is a revised, updated version of an essay contributor Matt Kaplan wrote for the PermissionTV blog on August 9, 2008.] Every four years I look forward to the summer Olympic Games. It’s not so much that I’ll sit down and watch the coverage non-stop, but there are a few … Continue reading “The 2008 Olympics: The Defining Moment for Video 2.0, or Opportunity Lost?”

Amazon Shells Out For Shelfari

Amazon will acquire Seattle-based Shelfari, a social networking site for bookworms, Shelfari’s CEO has confirmed on the company blog. John Cook broke the news yesterday and has a nice analysis of the ongoing tensions between Shelfari and its top rival, LibraryThing, in which Amazon also has a stake. And TechCrunch reports that Amazon previously invested … Continue reading “Amazon Shells Out For Shelfari”

With Intellectual Ventures, Nathan Myhrvold Out to Create “Invention Capital” Industry—and Stop Hurricanes, Malaria, and Global Warming in the Process (Part 2)

Yesterday, we ran the first half of a sit-down interview with Nathan Myhrvold, cofounder and CEO of Intellectual Ventures, the Bellevue, WA-based invention laboratory and investment firm. Myhrvold, the former CTO of Microsoft (and an Xconomist), placed his current company’s goals in the context of venture capital and private equity, arguing that there is a … Continue reading “With Intellectual Ventures, Nathan Myhrvold Out to Create “Invention Capital” Industry—and Stop Hurricanes, Malaria, and Global Warming in the Process (Part 2)”

Trubion Pushing Forward Arthritis Trials, Working to Re-Ignite the Spark for Investors

The stock chart for Trubion Pharmaceuticals tells an ugly tale this past year. The company had sunk to $4.48 as of yesterday’s close, after selling shares in an initial public offering at $13 in October 2006. Steven Harr, an influential biotech analyst at Morgan Stanley, summed it up in a report in March, saying Trubion … Continue reading “Trubion Pushing Forward Arthritis Trials, Working to Re-Ignite the Spark for Investors”

Cleantech Entrepreneurs Speak Out for Obama’s Energy Plan

Barack Obama probably doesn’t have to worry much about the cleantech vote. A handful of renewable energy entrepreneurs couldn’t say enough good things about the Democratic presidential candidate in a press conference this morning at the Propel Biofuels station in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. The cleantechies gave me a series of blank stares when … Continue reading “Cleantech Entrepreneurs Speak Out for Obama’s Energy Plan”

Cell Therapeutics Authorizes 1-for-10 Reverse Stock Split

Cell Therapeutics said today its board has authorized a 1-for-10 reverse stock split, meaning that shareholders will get one share of common stock in exchange for 10 they own. The Seattle-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTIC]]) said the change will take effect Aug. 31. The move was made primarily to regain compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements, … Continue reading “Cell Therapeutics Authorizes 1-for-10 Reverse Stock Split”

With Intellectual Ventures, Nathan Myhrvold Out to Create “Invention Capital” Industry—and Reinvent Invention in the Process (Part 1)

This time last week, Nathan Myhrvold was sitting down with Bill Gates. Gates had just returned from the Olympics, where he had watched some high-profile ping-pong matches—a very hot ticket in China. The two former Microsoft colleagues were catching up, and their discussion turned to racquet sports, and the various technical differences between them. “Bill … Continue reading “With Intellectual Ventures, Nathan Myhrvold Out to Create “Invention Capital” Industry—and Reinvent Invention in the Process (Part 1)”

Venture-Funded Consultants at Security Innovation Show Companies How to Make Software Unbreakable

Outside of a few giants like IBM, you’d be hard pressed to find many technology companies that offer both consulting services and boxed software products. Harder still would be finding a venture firm daring enough to fund a startup that wants to combine these two seemingly disparate lines. But software security startup Security Innovation, which … Continue reading “Venture-Funded Consultants at Security Innovation Show Companies How to Make Software Unbreakable”

Amazon.com Inc. Acquires Shelfari for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f47f8a80-7682-4d14-9175-540758622ddc&Preview=1 Date 8/25/2008 Company Name Shelfari Mailing Address 616 1st Ave Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Our first product, Shelfari, enables our users to become part of a global community of book lovers and empowers them to share their taste in books with their peers. Website http://www.shelfari.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Amazon.com Inc. Acquires Shelfari for Undisclosed Sum”

Amazon’s Elastic Block Store—A Glimpse of Cloud Computing’s Future

Earlier this week, Amazon announced an important new feature in its cloud computing Web service offerings that should further cause those of us who work in technology to consider the way in which we build software systems. It’s another exciting little glimpse of the future, one that should give pause to anybody still thinking of … Continue reading “Amazon’s Elastic Block Store—A Glimpse of Cloud Computing’s Future”

Medio in Reported Deal with Google and Verizon, Putting Seattle on the Mobile-Search Map

And the wireless hits keep coming… Seattle mobile-search startup Medio Systems is moving towards a deal with Google and Verizon Communications to manage an all-in-one search service provided by the two giants, according to the Wall Street Journal. Medio already handles searches for limited types of mobile content for Verizon. Google would help Medio search … Continue reading “Medio in Reported Deal with Google and Verizon, Putting Seattle on the Mobile-Search Map”

Pogue on the iPhone 3G: A Product Manual You Won’t Be Able to Put Down

The Apple iPhone is easily the most powerful, multitalented phone ever marketed. As I and many others have pointed out, it’s really a handheld multimedia computer, with camera and (in the iPhone 3G) GPS functions to boot. So it’s a little baffling that the only set of instructions you get when you buy an iPhone … Continue reading “Pogue on the iPhone 3G: A Product Manual You Won’t Be Able to Put Down”

Putting Electrons Behind Getting Things Built: Seattle Science Foundation Aims to Connect Scientists, Start Companies

Bob Franza has a way with words. I stopped by to visit the visionary biologist in his office at the Seattle Science Foundation yesterday, hoping to get a better sense of what the new nonprofit organization is all about. He didn’t give me the usual public-relations boilerplate. He mentioned social networking for scientists as a … Continue reading “Putting Electrons Behind Getting Things Built: Seattle Science Foundation Aims to Connect Scientists, Start Companies”

In Nuance’s Snapping Up of SnapIn Software, Investors Get a Better Deal—Some Further Analysis

The big-time acquisition train keeps on rolling through town. The latest Seattle-area company to get bought for big bucks is SnapIn Software, based in Bellevue, WA, which announced earlier this week that it is closing a deal with Burlington, MA-based Nuance Communications worth an estimated $180 million in Nuance stock. On the surface, it’s not … Continue reading “In Nuance’s Snapping Up of SnapIn Software, Investors Get a Better Deal—Some Further Analysis”

Seattle Chamber Regional Leadership Conference

The Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s regional leadership confernece will explore this year how global health became a major industry in our region, how the Puget Sound and state economy benefits from the sector, and how we as leaders can support global health to strengthen our region and significantly enhance and save lives across the … Continue reading “Seattle Chamber Regional Leadership Conference”

Genomics Panel Discussion at ISB

The Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association will host a panel discussion titled “Genomic Approaches to Understanding Disease and Enhancing Drug Development at the Institute for Systems Biology. Speakers include Eric Schadt, executive scientific director of Rosetta Inpharmatics, Jerry Radich, a genetics researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Leroy Hood, president of the … Continue reading “Genomics Panel Discussion at ISB”