Category: Seattle

Sendachi Receives $30,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=757fe186-2b6c-4ace-8e7a-8141a6d9db4d Date 1/22/2016 Company Name Sendachi Mailing Address 1501 4th Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description Sendachi pairs directly with our clients, bringing this holistic vision of DevOps to life through practical application. Website http://www.sendachi.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $30,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The firm will hire … Continue reading “Sendachi Receives $30,000,000 New Financing Round”

Computer Science for Every Student: Tapping Into Coding Bootcamps

Countries around the world are recognizing computer science education as a top national priority. In England, children are exposed to computer programming and coding fundamentals as early as age 5. Estonia, a small country with a population of 1.3 million people, is making waves in the tech world by launching a nationwide initiative to teach … Continue reading “Computer Science for Every Student: Tapping Into Coding Bootcamps”

Wider Venture Funding Gap Raises Troubling Questions

This week, Oxfam released its annual study of inequality around the world, which showed that there are actually 62 people who possess as much wealth as the 3.5 billion people in the bottom half of the world’s income scale. Five years ago, that number was 388 people. And all of this is against a backdrop … Continue reading “Wider Venture Funding Gap Raises Troubling Questions”

VICIS Lands $8,000,000 Seed Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ea706963-46bd-4916-a844-04d2b50370d8 Date 1/20/2016 Company Name VICIS Mailing Address 570 Mercer Street Seattle, WA 98109 USA Company Description We are a University of Washington spinout developing a revolutionary new football helmet that mitigates the forces likely to cause concussion. Website http://www.vicis.co Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,000,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “VICIS Lands $8,000,000 Seed Financing Round”

Puppet Labs Garners $22,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=47392931-3598-46fc-900c-f1dbf5ec5637 Date 1/20/2016 Company Name Puppet Labs Mailing Address 308 SW 2nd Ave 5th Floor Portland, OR 97204 USA Company Description Puppet Labs provides next-gen IT automation, enabling IT organizations to manage infrastructure as code so they can provide higher service levels with less staff. Website http://www.puppetlabs.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Puppet Labs Garners $22,000,000 New Round”

What Startups Need to Attract Talent: A Purposeful Mission

Success for startups is often elusive, but there are underlying characteristics that can give growing companies a leg up on the competition, especially when it comes to the most important factor—recruiting and retaining top-tier talent. At Norwest, I have found that companies that have a purposeful mission—one that hinges on giving back and making an impact … Continue reading “What Startups Need to Attract Talent: A Purposeful Mission”

Love ‘Em? Hate ‘Em? No Matter. The Drug Industry Gets What It Wants.

Anyone reading this column should be familiar with the fight over drug prices. Many of you would argue that drug makers are too easy a target in political debates and the media, getting little credit for developing lifesaving drugs. Others of you believe that prices have gotten out of hand, and that price gouger Martin … Continue reading “Love ‘Em? Hate ‘Em? No Matter. The Drug Industry Gets What It Wants.”

Cleantech Evolves, But Will Investors Follow?

Cleantech might be turning a corner. But one important question is whether the evolving sector, showing signs of resurgence, can recapture the attention of disillusioned investors. After vast sums of venture capital were poured into cleantech in the latter half of the 2000s—peaking at $4.3 billion in 2011—the flow of money slowed over the past … Continue reading “Cleantech Evolves, But Will Investors Follow?”

West Coast Bio Roundup: Illumina, 10X Genomics, Juno, and More

[Corrected 1/19/16, 10:10 am. See below.] Last week’s annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference put the biotech industry’s biggest event on display, as some 9,000 life sciences executives and investors descended upon San Francisco. Unfortunately, as Bloomberg News pointed out, the industry’s lack of gender diversity also was on display—most egregiously at a LifeSci Advisors party … Continue reading “West Coast Bio Roundup: Illumina, 10X Genomics, Juno, and More”

RIPL Obtains $2,458,913 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8cbad7dc-e623-452d-a301-295bcec55597 Date 1/18/2016 Company Name RIPL Mailing Address 5227 111th Lane NE Kirkland, WA 98033 USA Company Description The company operates a web site that facilitates ad-supported music and photo sharing services. Website http://www.ripl.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,458,913 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Total offering amount includes conversion of … Continue reading “RIPL Obtains $2,458,913 New Financing”

Seattle Roundup: Venture Stats, Elevate Capital, VR, UIEvolution, & More

Lots to catch up on this week in the Northwest including Washington’s 2015 venture investment tally; a new Portland, OR-based venture fund forming with an explicit focus on under-represented entrepreneurs and parts of the region; new funding for EnvelopVR and UIEvolution; the growing regional and global footprint of Tableau Software; and a new round of … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Venture Stats, Elevate Capital, VR, UIEvolution, & More”

Grail’s Discount, Pfizergan & Pricing Plans: Notes from the JPM Vortex

[Editor’s note: Deputy Biotechnology Editor Ben Fidler co-wrote this story] The week of the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco kicked off with a rousing, sleeves-rolled-up defense of the drug industry’s pricing policies by Ron Cohen, CEO of the multiple sclerosis drug maker Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) and new chair of the industry’s … Continue reading “Grail’s Discount, Pfizergan & Pricing Plans: Notes from the JPM Vortex”

Tech Startups Succeed With Top Talent, But Where Will They Park?

While companies are in the process of refining prototypes, hiring key employees, and nailing down investment, one overlooked area is where the business will be housed and, more specifically, where everyone will park. In Austin, it’s not just the new companies that are struggling with finding enough parking for their employees downtown. Established firms are … Continue reading “Tech Startups Succeed With Top Talent, But Where Will They Park?”

OurCrowd-Xconomy Study Documents Growth in Equity Crowdfunding

In a short few months, the number of people who can invest in equity crowdfunding will dramatically increase. In October, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced a framework for allowing individual investors to participate in the new form of financing, which had previously been restricted to wealthy accredited investors. Those new rules go into … Continue reading “OurCrowd-Xconomy Study Documents Growth in Equity Crowdfunding”

Mega Deals Push 2015 VC to 15-Year High, But Slowdown Looming?

U.S. venture capitalists poured more money into private companies last year than they had since the height of the dot-com boom, but an investing drop off late in 2015 could signal that the VC gravy train is slowing down. New data out today show that VCs invested $58.8 billion across 4,380 deals in 2015. The … Continue reading “Mega Deals Push 2015 VC to 15-Year High, But Slowdown Looming?”

Medical Test Validity Will Be Debated In 2016: 5 Storylines To Watch

Despite lots of headlines, an underappreciated storyline this year was the undercurrent surrounding the validity of medical tests: —The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a long Watchdog Report focused primarily on quality issues with waived lab tests, which don’t require FDA approval. —The headline of a shorter version in the Wall Street Journal asked whether lab … Continue reading “Medical Test Validity Will Be Debated In 2016: 5 Storylines To Watch”

Top 5 Strategies to Increase Student Engagement Online

Good teachers often say that “95 percent of good teaching is just getting students motivated.” Online learning presents a new opportunity to both measure engagement and create learning methods that increase it. Facebook sets the high bar for online engagement—65 percent of its billion-plus users are on the platform for an average of 40 minutes … Continue reading “Top 5 Strategies to Increase Student Engagement Online”

Socedo Secures $1,500,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cd809736-d767-43f7-9915-08eb1767fb33 Date 1/13/2016 Company Name Socedo Mailing Address 119 Pine Street Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description Socedo helps B2B marketers fill their funnel with automated social media lead generation. Our web solution makes it easy to find a target audience on social networks then engage them at scale while syncing directly … Continue reading “Socedo Secures $1,500,000 New Round”

Envelop VR Lands $1,500,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ba6fbeb9-a46e-47c0-8fdd-36a67c2ebea3 Date 1/13/2016 Company Name Envelop VR Mailing Address 411 – 108th Avenue NE Bellevue, WA 98004 USA Company Description Envelop VR builds software that enables people to create, work and play in virtual reality. Founded in 2014, Envelop VR is creating productivity and enterprise software that enables businesses and consumers to … Continue reading “Envelop VR Lands $1,500,000 Series A Funding”

Kymeta Raises $62M, Demonstrates Satellite Antenna on Toyota Car Roof

Investors in Kymeta, including Bill Gates, have plowed another $62 million into the Seattle-area technology company as it aims to bring lower cost, high-speed satellite communications to automobiles and other vehicles. Kymeta’s metamaterials-based satellite antenna technology is on display this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where Toyota is showing a … Continue reading “Kymeta Raises $62M, Demonstrates Satellite Antenna on Toyota Car Roof”

Catching Up with Captureproof, Hitlist, Glowforge, & Others at Eureka Park

A few years ago, it might have been outrageous to think of CES as an essential event to meet startups from across country. Given the explosive growth of this part of the annual technology conference, it makes one wonder if Eureka Park is now big enough to be its own show. Last week some 500 … Continue reading “Catching Up with Captureproof, Hitlist, Glowforge, & Others at Eureka Park”

Spiral Genetics Secures $50,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f39217dc-622b-4a3e-8858-bf09b77d6303 Date 1/12/2016 Company Name Spiral Genetics Mailing Address 1507 Western Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description Spiral makes sophisticated DNA sequence data analysis simple. Spiral’s bioinformatics platform is easy to use, powerful, fast and affordable. We offer two editions of our software, a cloud edition and a cluster edition. We … Continue reading “Spiral Genetics Secures $50,000 New Funding”

Amazon, Founders’ Co-op Fund AI2 Natural Language Spinout KITT.AI

Add KITT.AI to the growing cluster of startups and established technology companies pushing the boundaries of machine intelligence in Seattle. A spinout of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2), KITT.AI received an investment from Founders’ Co-op and the $100 million Amazon Alexa Fund, which points to the technology KITT.AI is working on: natural language … Continue reading “Amazon, Founders’ Co-op Fund AI2 Natural Language Spinout KITT.AI”

Preparing For A Downturn—A Fintech CEO’s Take

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle How should entrepreneurs and investors prepare for a future downturn? The economy always operates with opposing forces. It’s expected that there will be downturns and upturns. Entrepreneurs and investors can find opportunities to prepare, possibly flourish, and possibly fall apart, if not ready to deal … Continue reading “Preparing For A Downturn—A Fintech CEO’s Take”

Demand for Broadband Gets Ahead of Expected Norms in Tech Development

The most notable and surprising trend I noticed in 2015 was that broadband bandwidth consumption appears to be outpacing Moore’s Law, by a long shot. The increase of our own customers’ usage was immense: Their bandwidth consumption more or less doubled for New York City in 2015, and that follows a doubling in 2014. I have not seen this … Continue reading “Demand for Broadband Gets Ahead of Expected Norms in Tech Development”

Kymeta Obtains $62,000,000 Series D Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8f9ad9a5-0acc-46d0-8830-3f8db475291c Date 1/11/2016 Company Name Kymeta Mailing Address 12277 134th Ct NE Redmond, WA 98052 USA Company Description Kymeta’s mTenna products will simplify the connection between mobile users and high capacity Ka-band communications satellites, allowing passengers on planes, trains, boats, automobiles and other vehicles to enjoy the same kind of broadband experience … Continue reading “Kymeta Obtains $62,000,000 Series D Financing”

Illumina Forms Grail in Quest for Ultimate Cancer Diagnostic

Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]), the San Diego-based pioneer in gene-sequencing technology, says it has formed a new company called Grail to advance the sensitivity of technology already being used to detect infinitesimal pieces of DNA shed by cancerous tumors into the bloodstream. In a conference call with analysts Sunday evening, Illumina CEO Jay Flatley laid out … Continue reading “Illumina Forms Grail in Quest for Ultimate Cancer Diagnostic”

Accelerator, Gates Team Up in NY to Put $17M Into Rockefeller Startup

Seattle’s Accelerator Corp. made its long-awaited splash in New York last week with its first Manhattan biotech startup, Petra Pharma. Now here comes Lodo Therapeutics, Accelerator’s second startup, right in Petra’s wake. Lodo didn’t get the big $48 million round that Petra did last week. But the startup, built around the work of Rockefeller University … Continue reading “Accelerator, Gates Team Up in NY to Put $17M Into Rockefeller Startup”

West Coast Bio Roundup: Big Waves, Big Cash & a Deep Pre-JPM16 Breath

I’d say this week was the calm before the J.P. Morgan storm, except that we on the West Coast have had plenty of storms this week. Perhaps not tornadoes, but weather big enough to churn up 50 foot waves yesterday. (Not to be confused with 50 Foot Wave.) Seeing those surf pictures from Mavericks, just … Continue reading “West Coast Bio Roundup: Big Waves, Big Cash & a Deep Pre-JPM16 Breath”

Seattle Roundup: CES News from Satellites to Connected Cars, & More

With CES sucking up all the early 2016 air, we’ve cherry picked a few announcements from the big technology show from Seattle-area companies including Planetary Resources, Kymeta, and UIEvolution. (Our correspondent João-Pierre S. Ruth is on the scene, covering all the droids you’re looking for and more.) We’re also tracking a merger between TalentWise and … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: CES News from Satellites to Connected Cars, & More”

Predictions for 2016: Self-Driving Cars, AI, and Brain Monitoring

Whether we have been in a tech bubble or not is frankly not that interesting. What is interesting is that the foundation for innovation is as strong as we’ve ever seen and entrepreneurs are bringing the future to reality at an amazing pace. Here are a few of my predictions for what we’ll see in … Continue reading “Predictions for 2016: Self-Driving Cars, AI, and Brain Monitoring”

Ringing in the Years (and Ears): What I’d Like to Hear in 2016

For the last 30 years, the tech revolution in PCs, Macs, and Smartphones has been largely connected with our eyes, not our ears. 2016 will mark the beginning of the commercialization of virtual and augmented reality, and although our visual experience will continue to be the main focus for these radical changes, it’s time our … Continue reading “Ringing in the Years (and Ears): What I’d Like to Hear in 2016”

UW Lab Links Healthcare Innovators with Primary Care Doctors

There is no shortage of innovation in healthcare, but startups and even large companies face challenges in getting their new technologies in the hands of the front-line doctors who would implement them. Enter the University of Washington’s new Primary Care Innovations Lab, which aims to connect private companies with doctors and other experts to assist … Continue reading “UW Lab Links Healthcare Innovators with Primary Care Doctors”

The Myth Of A Secure Back Door For Encryption

It seems like an appealing move–give the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, as well as our spy organizations, a back door—a “golden key”—to unlock encrypted communications to help catch criminals and terrorists and to protect Americans from harm. This notion of heightened protection is particularly compelling in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks … Continue reading “The Myth Of A Secure Back Door For Encryption”

A Tipping Point in Robotics, and My Five Predictions for 2016

While scientists are making progress in understanding how the mind works, robotics has failed to live up to the expectations set in the 1950s and ‘60s for human-like robots, exemplified by the Jetson’s cartoon character, Rosie the robot maid. Since the rejuvenation of robotics began in the 1980s, we have discovered that engineering and building … Continue reading “A Tipping Point in Robotics, and My Five Predictions for 2016”

UIEvolution Secures $5,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=378ea7ef-e0cf-4dcc-b62f-6d3e6aeb426d Date 1/7/2016 Company Name UIEvolution Mailing Address 11332 NE 122nd Way Kirkland, WA 98034 USA Company Description At UIEvolution we see a future where our software technology and solutions power dynamic application experiences for any device, platform or network enabling consumers to access their content anytime, anywhere. Website http://www.uievolution.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “UIEvolution Secures $5,000,000 New Funding”

From Ambitions To Markets: Richard Kitney And More Synthetic Bio Views

Last week, Xconomy ran the first part of my conversation with Richard Kitney, a bioengineering professor at Imperial College London and a pioneer in the field of synthetic biology. We met in his campus office in November. Kitney has coauthored hundreds of papers and helped galvanize U.K. government support for synthetic biology. He is also … Continue reading “From Ambitions To Markets: Richard Kitney And More Synthetic Bio Views”

Our Relationship With the Internet: Trust Is the Big Concern in 2016

There is no denying we all have a relationship with the Internet. It used to be just a data source, now it is a companion as we go to sleep at night. It informs, entertains, and excites us. And it engages, disappoints, and saddens us. Internet experts and visionaries say 2016 will get even more … Continue reading “Our Relationship With the Internet: Trust Is the Big Concern in 2016”

Artificial Intelligence Growing Slowly in Healthcare, And That’s OK

One of the most significant advances in 2015 was the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in a variety of fields, including healthcare. While work on AI has been going on for years and still has a long way to go, 2015 saw progress made on self-driving cars, a growing ecosystem of AI startups, and open-sourcing … Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence Growing Slowly in Healthcare, And That’s OK”

With $48M For Petra Pharma, Accelerator Places First NYC Bet

Seattle’s Accelerator Corp. has been largely silent since it opened up an office in New York a year and a half ago with a $50 million-plus bankroll and a plan to start up some new biotechs in Manhattan. But that’s changing today, because the first of those companies, Petra Pharma, is making its debut with … Continue reading “With $48M For Petra Pharma, Accelerator Places First NYC Bet”

VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview

Before this week’s big reveals of new technology at CES, a few teaser events are offering glimpses of things to come. CES Unveiled Las Vegas, one such event held Monday evening, had a smattering of gadgets eager for their share of the spotlight (see slideshow). A number of the devices I spied, such as Somabar, … Continue reading “VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview”

Making Time to Think in an Always-On World

I schedule thinking time as needed, like it’s a customer meeting or other commitment. Although I produce my work digitally, I think in analog. I’m most effective at brainstorming on paper or whiteboards where I can think in free-form. These mediums are inherently free of digital distractions like e-mail alerts and text messages, and they … Continue reading “Making Time to Think in an Always-On World”

Formerly Atterocor, Millendo Changes Name, Strategy—And Nabs $62M

When a biotech company with one product in development misses its milestones, investors typically don’t throw more money at it. Not so with the newly renamed Millendo Therapeutics. The Ann Arbor, MI-based drug firm has reeled in a $62 million Series B round to shift from a one-product company seeking a buyer to a pipeline … Continue reading “Formerly Atterocor, Millendo Changes Name, Strategy—And Nabs $62M”

Oncology’s Future: Liquid Biopsies and the Heterogeneity of Cancer

We have known for some time that cancer is not a static, monolithic disease. Instead, we now think of cancer as heterogeneous. Each patient’s cancer may arise from widely dissimilar origins, even in patients with the same type of tumor. Several studies in the last year have spelled out the extent of this diversity, which … Continue reading “Oncology’s Future: Liquid Biopsies and the Heterogeneity of Cancer”

Lab Space on a Navy Ship, And Other Creative Solutions for NY Biotech

I was a management consultant in a former life, and was trained in that role to always have three arguments to support any conclusion. But having spent the last six months living and breathing biotech in New York City, I am convinced there are only two strategic challenges holding this city back from becoming a … Continue reading “Lab Space on a Navy Ship, And Other Creative Solutions for NY Biotech”

Cloudability Secures $3,474,994 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e8142d30-182c-48cb-8988-fe3176d6ffca Date 1/5/2016 Company Name Cloudability Mailing Address 718 SW Alder St. Portland, OR 97205 USA Company Description Our flagship product aggregates our customers’ cloud costs into accessible and comprehensive reports to help manage spending, reduce waste, and identify opportunities for cost savings. Website http://www.cloudability.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,474,994 … Continue reading “Cloudability Secures $3,474,994 New Funding Round”

A Potential Downturn Is On My Mind

Downturns are an exciting time for entrepreneurs and investors alike. Quality entrepreneurs who focus on the fundamentals of real growth will have less competition from startups fueled by venture capital dollars, me-too products and ego. Likewise, many of the “tourist” investors retreat, providing increased opportunities for longstanding investors, many of whom have been priced out … Continue reading “A Potential Downturn Is On My Mind”

Front Desk Lands $2,500,218 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=42836cc0-1d28-4c08-9322-62574b5263df Date 1/4/2016 Company Name Front Desk Mailing Address 1212 E. Pike Street Seattle, WA 98122 USA Company Description We make mobile client management software that frees business owners from behind their desk, gives them back time, and powers them do what they really love—run and grow their business. Website http://www.frontdeskhq.com Transaction … Continue reading “Front Desk Lands $2,500,218 New Financing”