Category: Seattle

Going Wireless at the W: A Few Thoughts From a Mobile Mixer

On Thursday night I found myself at the too-hip W Hotel in downtown Seattle, taking in a paidContent mixer hosted by publisher Rafat Ali and mocoNews.net principal correspondent Tricia Duryee. The topic was “mobile advertising in a 4G world.” John Cook of the Seattle P-I did a nice writeup of the event, catching up with … Continue reading “Going Wireless at the W: A Few Thoughts From a Mobile Mixer”

Advanced Media Research Group, Inc. Secures $6,999,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0ab2115c-fea9-4001-834e-f3e7e06a87da&Preview=1 Date 6/30/2008 Company Name Advanced Media Research Group, Inc. Mailing Address 190 Queen Anne Avenue Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description BuddyTV is headquartered in the lovely city of Seattle, Washington, USA. Our goal is to bring entertainment and content closer to fans. We do this by providing original articles, news, spoilers, … Continue reading “Advanced Media Research Group, Inc. Secures $6,999,000 New Funding Round”

Perlego Systems, Inc. Secures $2,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bd3c1178-a60a-4f39-94e3-296c635abe2d&Preview=1 Date 6/30/2008 Company Name Perlego Systems, Inc. Mailing Address 3312 Rosedale St. Gig Harbor, WA 98335 Company Description Perlego Systems, Inc. is the only provider of end-to-end mobile device lifecycle management solutions that allow enterprises, resellers and device manufacturers to effectively manage deployed smart wireless devices, regardless of platform or carrier. … Continue reading “Perlego Systems, Inc. Secures $2,000,000 New Financing”

Ambric, Inc. Obtains $9,294,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b9a8f7b1-35fe-448a-8ec9-5ebbf825973e&Preview=1 Date 6/30/2008 Company Name Ambric, Inc. Mailing Address 15655 SW Greystone Ct. Beaverton, OR 97006 Company Description Ambric is a fabless semiconductor company developing a new type of software-programmable, high-performance IC platform based on the first practical programming model for massively-parallel embedded computing. Ambric’s products will help electronics companies accelerate time … Continue reading “Ambric, Inc. Obtains $9,294,000 New Round”

Propel Launches Biodiesel Fuel Station in South Lake Union

Not in my back yard. Just kidding, always wanted to say that. This morning I stopped by the media launch of Seattle-based Propel‘s new biodiesel station on the corner of Westlake Avenue and Valley Street, which becomes Broad Street—just blocks from my home in South Lake Union. (In fact, I can see the green canopy … Continue reading “Propel Launches Biodiesel Fuel Station in South Lake Union”

Lessons From a Year of (Our) Startup Life

You know how, in the excitement of a new relationship, you often find yourself celebrating dozens of little “anniversaries?” The day you met, first date, first… You get the idea. Building a company is like that, with so many milestones to be passed and, a year hence, commemorated. First business plan. First viable business plan. … Continue reading “Lessons From a Year of (Our) Startup Life”

Ed Lazowska Comments on Bill Gates’s Departure from Microsoft

Just wanted to post a quick note about Bill from one of our editorial advisors, Xconomist Ed Lazowska, who holds the Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington: “The big change is that Bill now gets to choose how to allocate his time. A number of new … Continue reading “Ed Lazowska Comments on Bill Gates’s Departure from Microsoft”

Bill Gates’s Departure From Microsoft Won’t Hurt Innovation, Seattle Entrepreneurs Say

Unless you’ve been buried under a rock for weeks, you’ve heard that this is Bill Gates’s last week at Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]). There has been a ton of national and international coverage—almost a lovefest, really, full of memoirs and anecdotes from people who’ve known him over the years. Love him or hate him, everyone has … Continue reading “Bill Gates’s Departure From Microsoft Won’t Hurt Innovation, Seattle Entrepreneurs Say”

NeoPad Technologies Corp. Lands $14,000,000 Series C Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fb92b8f5-a38b-4f52-be91-30712374442c&Preview=1 Date 6/27/2008 Company Name NeoPad Technologies Corp. Mailing Address 7425 NW Evergreen Parkway Hillsboro, OR 97124 Company Description Neopad Technologies Corporation offers specific application CMP pad technology to meet the challenging CMP polishing performance requirements for next generation IC and HDD designs. Our innovative solo pad design provides significant performance advantages … Continue reading “NeoPad Technologies Corp. Lands $14,000,000 Series C Round”

Celebrate Express Agrees to $31 Million Takeover by Liberty Media

Celebrate Express, (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BDAY]]) the Kirkland, WA-based online retailer of party supplies, said today it has agreed to be acquired by Liberty Media for $31 million in cash, or $3.90 a share. Liberty, (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LINTA]] based in Englewood, CO, plans to merge its new property with Buyseasons, another online party supplier retailer it bought in … Continue reading “Celebrate Express Agrees to $31 Million Takeover by Liberty Media”

Loctronix Completing $3.5M Series B Financing

Woodinville, WA-based Loctronix has announced it is closing a $3.5 million round of Series B financing, and is coming out of stealth mode. The round was led by Hawkeye Investments, based in Kirkland, WA. Loctronix provides location-sensing and positioning systems for mobile devices.

CVS Caremark, Microsoft Form Partnership To Help Consumers Track Their Health Data

CVS Caremark, the nation’s largest provider of prescription drugs, is joining forces with Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) to help consumers keep better track of their health information, the companies said today in a statement. The deal allows consumers to do things like download a full list of their prescriptions filled at a pharmacy or by mail … Continue reading “CVS Caremark, Microsoft Form Partnership To Help Consumers Track Their Health Data”

Founder of nPost Puts His Finger on the Pulse of What Seattle Tech Entrepreneurs Really Need

Nathan Kaiser is connected. His office is wherever he feels like working. He walks into shared startup digs on Alaskan Way, and people flash him knowing hand signals. I probably shouldn’t even be talking to him, given my lack of an iPhone; my Nokia brick looks like it’s from 1998. (I’m 10 years behind when … Continue reading “Founder of nPost Puts His Finger on the Pulse of What Seattle Tech Entrepreneurs Really Need”

Seattle Has the Greenest Drivers; What About Its Cleantech Companies?

Tired of city rankings yet? OK, I’ll be brief. So the July/August issue of Men’s Health, out this week, ranks Seattle #1 in “most environmentally conscious” drivers. Not that surprisingly, the Northwest did well in the survey overall: Portland, OR, and Spokane, WA, also made the top 10. The analysis of 100 American cities took … Continue reading “Seattle Has the Greenest Drivers; What About Its Cleantech Companies?”

MediQuest Therapeutics Persuades FDA to Do 6-Month Review of Lead Product

The FDA gave MediQuest Therapeutics a boost today. MediQuest, the developer of a treatment for Raynaud’s disease, a painful condition of the hands and feet, said the FDA has agreed to give its drug application an expedited 6-month review since it can treat an unmet medical need. The agency usually takes 10 months to consider … Continue reading “MediQuest Therapeutics Persuades FDA to Do 6-Month Review of Lead Product”

Clear Water Compliance Acquires KI Environmental

Seattle-based Clear Water Compliance Services, a water-treatment company, announced it has acquired KI Environmental Services, a consulting firm based in Richmond, BC. Though the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the acquisition should help Clear Water gain customers in British Columbia.

Boston, Seattle Investors Pony Up for Twitter

Twitter, whose hybrid text messaging/social networking/microblogging service has made missives of 140 characters or less into the hottest new form of Internet communication, announced yesterday that it’s finally accepted a major venture funding round. The news couldn’t have come early enough for Twitter addicts, who have been increasingly frantic lately about the service’s frequent outages. … Continue reading “Boston, Seattle Investors Pony Up for Twitter”

Charter Chops Off Plan To Track and Sell Surfing Data

Charter Communications, the St. Louis, MO-based cable and Internet service provider (of which Paul Allen is the chairman and largest stockholder), announced that it is indefinitely halting its plan to monitor users’ surfing habits. The idea was to partner with advertising companies to deliver targeted ads, but it has drawn privacy concerns from customers and … Continue reading “Charter Chops Off Plan To Track and Sell Surfing Data”

Calypso Medical’s “GPS For the Body” Gaining Ground With Radiation Doctors

There might be a mutiny among radiation technicians at Swedish Medical Center if someone took away their Calypso machine. “Put it this way, you’d have some very unhappy people here,” says Timothy Mate, a radiation oncologist at the Seattle hospital who uses the system. It’s been almost two years since Seattle-based Calypso Medical Technologies won … Continue reading “Calypso Medical’s “GPS For the Body” Gaining Ground With Radiation Doctors”

Party Like It’s 2006: Seattle Ranks #1 in Tech Job Growth (and #9 in Tech Employment); Boston Ranks #6 (and #4)

The tech scene here is on the move. In comparison to other U.S. cities, Seattle has had the largest growth in tech jobs, and has moved up to #9 (from #10) in total number of tech workers. By comparison, Boston ranks #6 in number of jobs gained and #4 in total tech employment. That’s all … Continue reading “Party Like It’s 2006: Seattle Ranks #1 in Tech Job Growth (and #9 in Tech Employment); Boston Ranks #6 (and #4)”

University of Washington Hires Entrepreneur to Run Tech Transfer

The University of Washington has hired someone with business chops to run the office that transfers university inventions into the business world. Linden Rhoads, a serial entrepreneur at Seattle-based technology companies, will take over as Vice Provost for Technology Transfer on August 14, the university said in a statement. Rhoads has been involved in a … Continue reading “University of Washington Hires Entrepreneur to Run Tech Transfer”

Industrial Defender Acquires Teltone

Industrial Defender, a cyber security company based in Foxborough, MA, announced today that it has acquired Bothell, WA-based Teltone. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Teltone’s technology will help Industrial Defender create secure communications systems for power utilities.

Geospiza Cuts Deal With Illumina, To Help Scientists Cope With Information Overload

Geospiza, a Seattle-based maker of software to support biological research, said today it is hitching its wagon to San Diego-based Illumina, a rising star in next-generation gene sequencing. Geospiza is joining Illumina Connect, a sort of referral service in which researchers who buy Illumina’s gene analysis machines are advised that Geospiza software can help them … Continue reading “Geospiza Cuts Deal With Illumina, To Help Scientists Cope With Information Overload”

Olympic Flame Update: Google Exec One-Ups Microsoft (Again)

Last Friday we reported that three distinguished Microsoft employees, all formerly of the firm’s Beijing research lab (Microsoft Research Asia), were slated to run with the Olympic torch in the lead-up to the Summer Games. On Saturday, we learned that Microsoft search VP Harry Shum’s run in Lhasa, Tibet, went off without a hitch, and … Continue reading “Olympic Flame Update: Google Exec One-Ups Microsoft (Again)”

Washington: All Geared Up To Fight the Last War

By now you’ve seen the 2008 Milken Institute “State Technology and Science Index.” Washington ranks fifth, behind Massachusetts, Maryland, Colorado, and California. Not too shabby? Let’s take a look under the covers. At the outset, it’s important to acknowledge that all such rankings have a huge bogosity quotient—they’re highly sensitive to the precise criteria that … Continue reading “Washington: All Geared Up To Fight the Last War”

Immune Design, Led By Star Scientists, Raises $18 Million To Build Vaccine Company

Vaccines are coming back in a big way. Immune Design, a Seattle-based startup vaccine company, made that clear today when it said it raised $18 million in an initial round of venture capital. The names involved are some of the biggest in immunology. The founders include Nobel Laureate David Baltimore of Caltech, Steve Reed of … Continue reading “Immune Design, Led By Star Scientists, Raises $18 Million To Build Vaccine Company”

Two-Minute Pitch Competition Yields Two Startups To Watch, in Internet and Energy

“Anyone know any investor jokes?” asks Carolynn Duncan of FundingUniverse. A pause, then someone on the side of the stage shouts “Yahoo!” We’re at Seattle LivePitch, in the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in West Seattle, on a sunny Friday afternoon. (On the way over, I got my first look at the snow-capped Olympic Mountains—awesome.) Hosted … Continue reading “Two-Minute Pitch Competition Yields Two Startups To Watch, in Internet and Energy”

The Boston Health 2.0 Cluster

For the better part of a decade, advocates of computing in healthcare have fixated on the dream of paperless medicine—a new era in which every patient’s medical records would be stored digitally and every hospital, physician’s practice, pharmacy, and insurer would have access to these records, reducing paperwork costs and medical errors. But for all … Continue reading “The Boston Health 2.0 Cluster”

Olympic Flame, You’re in Good Hands with Microsoft (We Hope)

As the Olympic torch wends its way towards Beijing for the start of the Summer Games, you’d be interested to know that it has ties to the local tech community. It turns out that 12 people from Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) were invited to be torchbearers. Among them are three guys that Bob and I know … Continue reading “Olympic Flame, You’re in Good Hands with Microsoft (We Hope)”

One Founder’s Opinion: Internet Entrepreneur Andy Sack Says Seattle Startups Need Less Money, More Mentoring

It’s going to be a busy summer for Andy Sack. The serial online entrepreneur and investor is getting deep into his latest venture, Founder’s Co-op, and he doesn’t have much time for chit-chat. I’m just able to catch him on his cell, while he’s rushing off to a meeting and getting ready to head out … Continue reading “One Founder’s Opinion: Internet Entrepreneur Andy Sack Says Seattle Startups Need Less Money, More Mentoring”

Space Needle Envy: A Bostonian’s Ode to Seattle

“Only one is a wanderer. Two, together, are always going somewhere.” It’s one of my favorite lines from my favorite movie—Hitchcock’s Vertigo—and now it’s true of Xconomy. By introducing our Seattle site this week, we’ve become a real network. Adding Seattle to our original Boston presence gives us the chance to show that the original … Continue reading “Space Needle Envy: A Bostonian’s Ode to Seattle”

TIBCO Software Scoops Up Insightful for $25M

Insightful, a Seattle-based provider of statistical analysis and data-mining software, announced today that it has agreed to be acquired by TIBCO Software, a business-infrastructure software firm based in California. The deal is worth some $25 million, and Insightful will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of TIBCO.

Massachusetts #1, Washington #5 in State Tech and Science Rankings; New England Dominates List

As if its sports teams’ bragging rights weren’t enough, Massachusetts has now topped the state rankings in science and technology prowess. Meanwhile, Washington placed a respectable #5. That’s the word today from the California-based Milken Institute’s 2008 State Technology and Science Index. The rankings are based on 77 indicators across five broad categories: R&D inputs, … Continue reading “Massachusetts #1, Washington #5 in State Tech and Science Rankings; New England Dominates List”

Vaccsys Raises $9M in Series A

Vaccsys, a vaccine maker based in Seattle, has called down $9 million of an $18 million Series A round, according to Private Equity Hub, which cites a regulatory filing. The investors include Alta Partners, The Column Group, and Versant Ventures (all based in California).

Icahn Nominee Concedes Defeat at Biogen Idec Annual Meeting

[Updated below.] In a major vote of confidence for current management under CEO James Mullen, shareholders at Biogen Idec’s annual meeting this morning have evidently rejected the slate of board nominees put forth by investor Carl Icahn and approved the company’s choices instead. “We think we didn’t succeed in getting onto the board of Biogen, … Continue reading “Icahn Nominee Concedes Defeat at Biogen Idec Annual Meeting”

University of Washington Tech Transfer Group, LaunchPad, Is Looking for the Next Big Startup

The University of Washington’s commencement ceremony may have been last weekend, but Jim Roberts and his team at UW TechTransfer aren’t winding things down—they’re gearing up for the high season. “During the summer it doesn’t drop off,” Roberts says. Roberts is the head business development officer at LaunchPad, a two-year-old initiative within the university’s tech … Continue reading “University of Washington Tech Transfer Group, LaunchPad, Is Looking for the Next Big Startup”

American Well Partners with Microsoft, Lands Hawaii Health Plan as First Major Customer

When I wrote my post yesterday about the launch of American Well, the Boston-based startup that plans to let patients visit with doctors via a multimedia Web interface, I couldn’t tell you the whole story. That post was tied to the company’s formal debut at the AHIP Institute 2008 meeting in San Francisco Wednesday morning–which, … Continue reading “American Well Partners with Microsoft, Lands Hawaii Health Plan as First Major Customer”

Geospiza Lands New Customer, New Board Member

Geospiza, a Seattle company that develops software to manage genetic analysis, announced that it has been selected to provide its analysis package to the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research in Toronto. This follows the appointment last week of Leroy Hood, cofounder and president of Seattle’s Institute for Systems Biology (and an Xconomist), to the company’s … Continue reading “Geospiza Lands New Customer, New Board Member”

Microsoft Buys Navic Networks, Deliverer of Targeted TV Ads

Microsoft said yesterday that it’s buying Waltham, MA-based Navic Networks for an undisclosed sum. Navic, founded in 2001, makes software for set-top boxes that TV advertisers can use to target ads at specific digital cable subscribers and measure their responses. Its software can also be used to add interactive features such as voting and polls—for … Continue reading “Microsoft Buys Navic Networks, Deliverer of Targeted TV Ads”

Blue Heron Strives to Replace Gene-Making Grunt Work with Custom Manufacturing

It used to take weeks of labor for a drug company to make a batch of genes for an experiment. Those days are fading, as Blue Heron Biotechnology of Bothell, WA, and an emerging group of competitors have found ways to pump out industrial quantities of custom-manufactured genes, cheaper and faster than before. The market … Continue reading “Blue Heron Strives to Replace Gene-Making Grunt Work with Custom Manufacturing”

Vaccsys Inc. Receives $9,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f1509c7f-0512-4401-8c21-22b2a42afac7&Preview=1 Date 6/18/2008 Company Name Vaccsys Inc. Mailing Address 1124 Columbia St Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description The company is developing vaccines that “regulate immune responses by targeting dendritic cell biology with combinations of proprietary vectors and adjuvants.” Website http://www.vaccsys.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $9,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds … Continue reading “Vaccsys Inc. Receives $9,000,000 Series A Funding”

Open Coffee at Louisa’s: Internet Startups, Investors, and One Notable No-Show

This morning I had the pleasure of attending my first Open Coffee Club at Louisa’s Bakery & Cafe up on Eastlake Avenue in Seattle. Every Tuesday morning from 8:30 to 10 (note to self: bus schedules mean nothing here, just like in Boston), it’s where local tech entrepreneurs gather to network and talk ideas over … Continue reading “Open Coffee at Louisa’s: Internet Startups, Investors, and One Notable No-Show”

Intel Spins Off $50M Solar Company: SpectraWatt To Open Facility in Oregon

Looks like Intel is officially entering the renewable-energy space. The Santa Clara, CA-based chipmaker, which has major operations in the Northwest, has announced that it is spinning out an independent solar-energy company called SpectraWatt (an awful name, can we all agree). Intel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTC]]) said in a statement that the company was formed “to spur … Continue reading “Intel Spins Off $50M Solar Company: SpectraWatt To Open Facility in Oregon”

GreenFuel Announces CEO: One Step Left in Metcalfe’s Seven-Step Recovery Plan—Money

GreenFuel Technologies, the algae farming startup headed by Polaris Venture Partners (a major investor in the company) general partner Bob Metcalfe on an interim basis since last June, finally got its CEO, the Cambridge, MA-based company announced today. The new top executive, who won’t start until mid-July and was not available for direct comment, is … Continue reading “GreenFuel Announces CEO: One Step Left in Metcalfe’s Seven-Step Recovery Plan—Money”

Calling Any and All Late-Stage Investors: An OVP Partner’s Take on Seattle’s VC Scene

Yesterday I had a nice chat with Lucinda Stewart, a managing director at Kirkland-based OVP Venture Partners. A fast-rising star, Stewart focuses on investments in software, digital media, and security, and she serves on the board of directors of several area companies including Talyst, Vantos, and most recently Lucid Commerce, which announced a Series A … Continue reading “Calling Any and All Late-Stage Investors: An OVP Partner’s Take on Seattle’s VC Scene”

Washington Biotechies Showing Off the Green (Trees) at BIO Conference

Washington state doesn’t do much Texas-style boasting, and the state’s economic development promoters have never tossed around big bucks to crow about the biotechnology cluster here. Case in point: how many of you know that the world’s top-selling biotechnology drug, and fifth-biggest pharmaceutical product in 2007 (Amgen and Wyeth’s Enbrel) was developed in Seattle? As … Continue reading “Washington Biotechies Showing Off the Green (Trees) at BIO Conference”