Another accomplished technology leader will control a Seattle sports franchise, but don’t try taking the Alaskan Way Viaduct to see John Stanton in the Mariners owners’ box at Safeco Field over the next two weeks. This week, we’re reviewing a big funding round for Remitly, a spinout company from Whitepages, a minimum-wage pledge from Vacasa, … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Mariners Win World Series (of New Ownership)”
Category: Seattle
With CRISPR in Humans On The Horizon, Will the Public Back Intellia?
An icy March wind was blowing across the Charles River, but in the laboratory of Intellia Therapeutics, the 1970s soft-rock hit “Summer Breeze” was blasting. Chief scientific officer Tom Barnes apologized. “Usually it’s heavy metal,” he said. He pointed out a window to a local tower, visible over the Cambridge, MA rooftops, rising from a … Continue reading “With CRISPR in Humans On The Horizon, Will the Public Back Intellia?”
From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary
Cybersecurity is a rapidly changing field. The arms race between hackers and organizations trying to defend themselves has given rise to a lexicon of epic proportions—and leaders from almost every industry are learning to speak the language. As concepts like antivirus and firewalls have grown old, security-tech companies are selling everything from “advanced threat detection” … Continue reading “From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary”
Sales Is Toxic to Innovation
Having had the good fortune to participate in business development and sales in both startups and large companies (Intel and Microsoft), I have arrived at the conclusion that sales is largely detrimental to successfully bringing innovative ideas to market. There is a critical transition from business development to sales, and if made prematurely it will … Continue reading “Sales Is Toxic to Innovation”
Versium Analytics Receives $1,325,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=01e78108-2ef9-4992-a963-62a3270e0e45 Date 4/29/2016 Company Name Versium Analytics Mailing Address 7530 164th Ave NE Redmond, WA 98052 USA Company Description Versium is a data technology company that operates a LifeData predictive analytics scoring service. Versium delivers Predictive Scores that are built from the company’s proprietary LifeData platform which contains over half a trillion … Continue reading “Versium Analytics Receives $1,325,000 New Funding”
COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability
Last week’s signing of the Paris climate accord successfully returned international efforts on climate change to the media spotlight. As private investors in cleantech startups since 2006, Element 8 members have been following the developments since December very closely. We are notably encouraged about the future of clean technologies in the wake of not just … Continue reading “COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability”
Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite
Carving out time to really ponder the future of our technology landscape can be touch, but it can also be incredibly valuable. And if that time is spent with some of the world’s great innovators, technologists, and investors, all the better. That’s just the opportunity you’ll have at Xconomy’s invitation-only Napa Summit on May 16-17. … Continue reading “Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite”
SnappyData Receives $3,650,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5762f473-6dbe-4534-baeb-82c6744b97d2 Date 4/28/2016 Company Name SnappyData Mailing Address 111 SW Columbia St. Portland, OR 97201 USA Company Description Snappydata was incubated at Pivotal by a highly experienced team of engineers empowered to create a breakthrough OSS Big Data platform. That team spun out in Jan 2016 as a standalone entity. Website http://www.snappydata.io … Continue reading “SnappyData Receives $3,650,000 Series A Financing”
Cardiac Insight Obtains $2,505,524 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8e01255b-be64-4d46-bc4f-bc4062a13393 Date 4/27/2016 Company Name Cardiac Insight Mailing Address 3230 Carillon Point Kirkland, WA 98033 USA Company Description Cardiac Insight, Inc. is a privately held medical device company based in Seattle, WA, that develops advanced body worn sensing and computing technologies for applications in cardiology, respiratory and other complex disease states. Website … Continue reading “Cardiac Insight Obtains $2,505,524 New Funding Round”
Saver Rate Ends Today for Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors
We’re just a week away from Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors—and we’re offering you the chance to save $80. It all takes place next Monday, May 2, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA. Join us to for fireside chats, spotlight talks, keynotes, and more with some of Seattle’s top entrepreneurs, investors, and … Continue reading “Saver Rate Ends Today for Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors”
Money Transfer Service Remitly Raises $38.5M to Expand to New Markets
Already serving three of the largest destination countries for money sent home by foreign workers in the U.S., Seattle-based Remitly has raised $38.5 million from investors to expand further and claim a greater share of the estimated $601 billion in annual global remittances. Remitly says it is helping immigrant workers living in the U.S. send … Continue reading “Money Transfer Service Remitly Raises $38.5M to Expand to New Markets”
Panama Papers Leak: The New Normal?
Imagine if robbing banks were so easy and common that the only headlines were about all the taxes the thieves were avoiding. Cybercrime has become so expected and normal that media coverage of the Panama Papers leak has barely mentioned law firm Mossack Fonseca’s failure to protect its most valuable and sensitive assets: the files … Continue reading “Panama Papers Leak: The New Normal?”
Remitly Secures $38,500,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6fa74095-abc5-4e76-906c-aabb5d80cf6b Date 4/26/2016 Company Name Remitly Mailing Address 1601 2nd Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description Remitly has changed the way to send money. We understand the pain of sending money abroad. We make things easier and faster, and work smarter so you can send more and pay less. Website http://www.remitly.com … Continue reading “Remitly Secures $38,500,000 Series C Financing”
AbSci Garners $5,100,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=28b23009-7ef1-4f78-ab77-d5ce2e703299 Date 4/26/2016 Company Name AbSci Mailing Address 4640 SW Macadam Ave. Portland, OR 97239 USA Company Description AbSci is a global leader in cutting-edge protein production technologies committed to reducing costs in the biopharmaceutical industry. Website http://www.abscibio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,100,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Funding … Continue reading “AbSci Garners $5,100,000 Series A Funding Round”
Immunotherapy, Global Health & More At Seattle’s Life Sci Disruptors
Our annual life sciences forum in Seattle is coming up on May 2 at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and we’re looking forward to an afternoon of discussions that tap into the city’s biotech and public health expertise. You can peruse the newly updated agenda here, but I’d like to share some of the … Continue reading “Immunotherapy, Global Health & More At Seattle’s Life Sci Disruptors”
Seattle Week in Review: Snow in April Edition
“And all good things, they say, never last / “Springtime was always my favorite time of year” – Prince Sometimes it’s sunny in April. Seattle had three days in a row of record hot temperatures. Then Prince, undisputed innovator, dies. Sometimes It Snows in April. Other good things that may not last: billion-dollar valuations of … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Snow in April Edition”
West Coast Bio Roundup: Prince, Theranos, Second Genome, CytomX & More
The biggest biomedical news on this coast, that coast, or any coast this week is the death of Prince Rogers Nelson, 57, a man who did more to promote cardiovascular fitness than any drug maker could ever hope to do. How much of your life have you spent dancing to his music, or, ahem, engaged … Continue reading “West Coast Bio Roundup: Prince, Theranos, Second Genome, CytomX & More”
NurseGrid Garners $2,500,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=558c4646-120a-45f3-ae37-c487227d2b8a Date 4/22/2016 Company Name NurseGrid Mailing Address 519 SW 3rd Ave. Portland, OR 97204 USA Company Description We create digital communication and collaboration tools for nurses and nurse leaders. We’re a passionate team of business leaders, engineers, designers, and nurses striving to create more workplace engagement and productivity in nursing departments … Continue reading “NurseGrid Garners $2,500,000 New Funding”
Sirqul Receives $3,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d513c7fc-c1f4-45d2-97ff-caef73c37f07 Date 4/22/2016 Company Name Sirqul Mailing Address 81 Vine Street Seattle, WA 98121 USA Company Description Sirqul was founded by Robert Frederick, one of the original technical founders of Amazon Anywhere (Amazon’s first foray into Secure Mobile Commerce) and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The Sirqul app suite includes games, utilities, social … Continue reading “Sirqul Receives $3,000,000 New Funding Round”
Announcing Xconomy Cybersecurity Channel
It doesn’t seem to matter where you live, what you do, or what industry your company is in—the likelihood of a cyber attack is growing, and protecting yourself is ever more front of mind. Xconomy’s editors around the United States have certainly encountered that reality, as they are increasingly covering more and more cybersecurity issues. … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Cybersecurity Channel”
Leslie Alexandre Is New CEO of Washington State’s Biotech Trade Group
Life Science Washington has named Leslie Alexandre as its new president and CEO. Her previous jobs include CEO of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Known until recently as the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association, the trade group works in a state where government has been unfriendly of late to its constituents. The legislature last year … Continue reading “Leslie Alexandre Is New CEO of Washington State’s Biotech Trade Group”
Amid Coding School Boom, Eleven Fifty Aims to Meet a Local Need
A little over a year ago, John Qualls, a veteran entrepreneur and leader in the Indianapolis area’s business community, decided to try something slightly different for his next career move. At the time Qualls was working as an executive at BlueLock, a company he started in 2006 that develops software to help clients manage data … Continue reading “Amid Coding School Boom, Eleven Fifty Aims to Meet a Local Need”
Credential Stealing as Attack Vector
Traditional computer security concerns itself with vulnerabilities. We employ antivirus software to detect malware that exploits vulnerabilities. We have automatic patching systems to fix vulnerabilities. We debate whether the FBI should be permitted to introduce vulnerabilities in our software so it can get access to systems with a warrant. This is all important, but what’s … Continue reading “Credential Stealing as Attack Vector”
Bluebird’s Gene Therapy Shows Promise in Rare Brain Disease
Cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy is a rare, crippling neurological disease that leaves its patients, typically boys, severely disabled and ultimately dead in a matter of years. Only painful, dangerous bone marrow transplants can stop the progression of CALD. But while the transplants are effective in many cases, they can also be deadly for the patients who get … Continue reading “Bluebird’s Gene Therapy Shows Promise in Rare Brain Disease”
Discuss.io Receives $1,400,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=11df2b41-02a4-4178-8032-9f6d8b93e59d Date 4/20/2016 Company Name Discuss.io Mailing Address 1914 North 34th St. Seattle, WA 98103 USA Company Description Discuss.io makes conducting consumer interviews incredibly easy. Online focus groups and IDIs delivers real-time qualitative insights for brands and agencies of all sizes and budgets. Website http://www.discuss.io Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,400,000 … Continue reading “Discuss.io Receives $1,400,000 New Round”
Laser-Cutter Maker Glowforge Delays Pre-Order Shipments 6 Months
[Updated 4/19/16 8:32 p.m. See below.] The power supply for the forthcoming Glowforge laser cutter and engraver has to cycle on and off hundreds of times a second. The bespoke component is not available at RadioShack. As a result of delays in procuring a power supply that meets its standards, Glowforge is delaying shipment of the devices … Continue reading “Laser-Cutter Maker Glowforge Delays Pre-Order Shipments 6 Months”
Ready Or Not: Next Alzheimer’s Drugs Might Strain Health Systems
By 2029, more than 20 percent of people in the United States will be over the age of 65. That’s why the race to find effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease feels urgent. A few drugs, approved well over a decade ago, can slow patients’ mental decline for some time. But everything else that has reached … Continue reading “Ready Or Not: Next Alzheimer’s Drugs Might Strain Health Systems”
Human Obtains $1,925,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=97c3ea8d-655b-4e75-834a-0515a3474716 Date 4/19/2016 Company Name Human Mailing Address 3100 Airport Way Seattle, WA 98134 USA Company Description Human is a group of Pacific Northwest designers and thinkers bridging the gap between hardware and software. Next summer, Human will introduce an innovation that fundamentally transforms the way people experience their world through sound. … Continue reading “Human Obtains $1,925,000 New Round”
Agenda Posted For Napa Summit: Request Invite to Star-Studded Event
It’s four weeks until Napa Summit 2016: The Xconomy Retreat on the Economy, Jobs, and Growth. We have now posted the agenda, and we’d love to see you there. So request your invitation today to Xconomy’s most prestigious event. The dates are May 16 and 17, starting with a wine reception and dinner at Silver … Continue reading “Agenda Posted For Napa Summit: Request Invite to Star-Studded Event”
Seattle Week in Review: Tax Day Edition
We’ll pay what we owe Uncle Sam and hold our noses at the breadth and depth of tax evasion efforts by corporations and the super-rich revealed in the Panama Papers. This week, we’re reviewing first-quarter venture investments and filings indicating that Maveron is raising a new venture fund; several new funding rounds, including a big … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Tax Day Edition”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Theranos, Medivation, Juno, and More
Sean Parker, who made billions of dollars investing in Napster and Facebook, hosted a big party this week with Lady Gaga, John Legend, and a lot of movie stars. Oh, and Parker pledged $250 million to create a cancer immunotherapy center in his own name that will coordinate research between six academic centers spread across … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Theranos, Medivation, Juno, and More”
First-Quarter VC Activity Buoyant at $12.1 Billion, & Top 10 Deals
Venture capital firms invested $12.1 billion in 969 startup deals nationwide during the first three months of 2016, marking the ninth consecutive quarter when VCs invested at least $10 billion in new companies, according to the MoneyTree Report. The top 10 deals accounted for 25 percent of all capital deployed during the quarter, and was … Continue reading “First-Quarter VC Activity Buoyant at $12.1 Billion, & Top 10 Deals”
Brandlive Obtains $2,615,245 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=af833eac-ca02-43d9-8fad-286fa0893e66 Date 4/15/2016 Company Name Brandlive Mailing Address 2100 SE Water Ave. Portland, OR 97214 USA Company Description Brandlive enables you to reach your audience with live interactive video. Website http://www.yourbrandlive.com Transaction Type Venture Equity, Debt Transaction Amount $2,615,245 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. 11 investors participated … Continue reading “Brandlive Obtains $2,615,245 New Funding Round”
Seattle Startup Group14 Technologies Targets Big Boost in Batteries
A new Seattle materials company is developing a technology that could boost lithium ion battery energy density by up to 30 percent, it claims, while also reducing costs. Group14 Technologies is a new spin-out from EnerG2, the 13-year-old Seattle materials company that has a growing business providing engineered carbon materials for other energy storage technologies, … Continue reading “Seattle Startup Group14 Technologies Targets Big Boost in Batteries”
PitchBook Data Receives $698,739 Seed Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=daac488c-516b-4d76-a1a2-05211b7c20bb Date 4/14/2016 Company Name PitchBook Data Mailing Address 901 Fifth Avenue Seattle, WA 98164 USA Company Description We help our clients build the great companies of tomorrow by providing them with the world’s meaningful business information and resources to understand it. Website http://www.pitchbook.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $698,739 Transaction … Continue reading “PitchBook Data Receives $698,739 Seed Funding Round”
After a Year on the Market, Qumulo Counts 50+ Customers, 40 Petabytes
In the year since it began selling its enterprise data storage software, Seattle-based Qumulo has amassed more than 50 customers storing upwards of 40 petabytes of data in aggregate. Qumulo distinguishes itself in a crowded field in several ways, but one is its emphasis on continuous delivery of software updates, rolling out new features and … Continue reading “After a Year on the Market, Qumulo Counts 50+ Customers, 40 Petabytes”
After EMC, Dell Buyouts, Spanning Focused on Data Backup, Ransomware
Austin — The broad-stroke reasoning behind the Dell and EMC merger has been discussed for months: Dell is hoping to benefit from being able to simultaneously offer its computers, servers, and other hardware alongside EMC’s data storage, virtualization, security, and various other computing and data-focused services. But there are other parts of Hopkinton, MA-based EMC (NYSE: … Continue reading “After EMC, Dell Buyouts, Spanning Focused on Data Backup, Ransomware”
Frictionless or Frictionmore? Sales Tips for Vendors
Many articles are written on sales and marketing: how to generate leads, how to qualify prospects, how to improve sales, how to engage customers, how to turn leads into a gazillion dollars, how to do this, how to do that, and so on. I am fresh off two recent experiences as a potential customer that … Continue reading “Frictionless or Frictionmore? Sales Tips for Vendors”
Vacasa Receives $35,000,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=834651fa-cc7e-44de-88b7-4bb80eec3ccd Date 4/13/2016 Company Name Vacasa Mailing Address 3934 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Portland, OR 97212 USA Company Description The team at Vacasa has made it our top priority to make the world of vacation rentals a simple, stress-free experience for both owners and guests. Website http://www.vacasa.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Vacasa Receives $35,000,000 Series A Round”
Amazon Alexa Adds Health Advice With Boston Children’s Hospital App
Owners of Amazon’s voice-controlled, Internet-connected Echo speaker can ask it to play that catchy new song or find out whether they need to wear a rain coat today. And now, thanks to new software developed by Boston Children’s Hospital, users will be able to inquire if their child’s fever is serious enough that they should … Continue reading “Amazon Alexa Adds Health Advice With Boston Children’s Hospital App”
Vacasa Raises $35M to Expand in Fragmented Vacation Rentals Market
[Updated, 4/12/16, 10:21 a.m. See below.] If you’ve had the good fortune to rent a vacation home recently, you know there’s room for improvement in the process. Portland, OR, company Vacasa announced a $35 million funding round to expand its new approach to a large sector that’s still up for grabs. Level Equity led the … Continue reading “Vacasa Raises $35M to Expand in Fragmented Vacation Rentals Market”
CRISPR Developer Intellia Deals With Regeneron, Jumps Into IPO Queue
Intellia Therapeutics, a developer of human medicines based on the gene editing technology CRISPR-Cas9, has thrown its hat in the IPO ring. It’s also shooting directly at the liver. The Cambridge, MA-based company filed paperwork to go public today. It also announced a deal with Tarrytown, NY-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]) to develop a therapy … Continue reading “CRISPR Developer Intellia Deals With Regeneron, Jumps Into IPO Queue”
Watching a Race Through the Alaskan Wilderness in Real Time
As afternoon slowly slipped into night, Kyle Amstadter pedaled and pushed his fat-tire bike across the vast, frozen expanse of Norton Bay, on Alaska’s Seward Peninsula. He was making about 3.5 miles an hour against a stiff headwind. From Seattle, I watched his progress, unfolding in real time as a trail of blue squares appearing … Continue reading “Watching a Race Through the Alaskan Wilderness in Real Time”
A Pivotal Factor In M&A Deals: Cyber Risk
Big merger and acquisition proposals trigger intense examinations of the benefits and risks of the deal from both sides—valuations, assets, legal liabilities, operational risk exposures, and compatibility, among others. However, it is also critical that companies elevate another factor to the top of the priority list: their cyber risk exposure. The pending acquisition of Starwood … Continue reading “A Pivotal Factor In M&A Deals: Cyber Risk”
A Charge of Bots
I had a sharp moment of clarity in the summer of 2007. After standing in line for four hours at an Apple Store outside of Boston on the day the first iPhone came out, I finally had one in my hand. It felt like a stereotypical Hollywood dream sequence; a long road stretching to the … Continue reading “A Charge of Bots”
Seattle Week in Review: Good Day Sunshine Edition
You should really be outside, enjoying a beautiful spring (summer?) Friday, so we’ll keep this edition of Xconomy Seattle’s Week in Review brief. We’re running through news of a flexible electronics alliance the University of Washington has joined; Tesla’s staggering Model 3 pre-orders; Jeff Bezos’s outlook on failure; a new unmanned submarine hunter the Navy … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Good Day Sunshine Edition”
Steve Case’s Rules for Building Startups in Internet’s “Third Wave”
Software could be poised to truly transform entrenched sectors like healthcare, education, financial services, and more. But the next wave of software companies will take longer to build than some entrepreneurs have grown accustomed to in the smartphone era, and success will require more patience and willingness to work closely with policymakers and industry stakeholders. … Continue reading “Steve Case’s Rules for Building Startups in Internet’s “Third Wave””
For San Antonio’s Consideration: A Biotech Incubator and Accelerator
San Antonio — [Updated, 1:55 p.m. See below.] Most research institutions or universities have at least one success story, a medicine or therapy developed there that made a big impact. Some have many. For the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, a 70-year-old nonprofit biomedical-focused institute with 56 researchers on staff based in Oklahoma City, OK, what first … Continue reading “For San Antonio’s Consideration: A Biotech Incubator and Accelerator”
The Case For An Internet Franchise Model
Internet service in America is not what it should be. Most consumers have two choices for access: the phone company or the cable company. By a quirk of fate, networks built with cables designed for television service can deliver more Internet bandwidth than networks built with cables designed for telephone service. So, the cable company … Continue reading “The Case For An Internet Franchise Model”
How Startups Can Run Better Landing Page Tests
In today’s fast-changing world, new product teams are constantly pushed to do more faster. They need to run fast to keep up with rapidly changing market conditions. Oftentimes it means making decisions about what to invest in with very little information. How can teams validate hypotheses without over-investing on speculative engineering projects, and potentially losing … Continue reading “How Startups Can Run Better Landing Page Tests”