It’s summer and that means intern season is in full swing. According to a recent Washington Post piece by Jeffrey Selingo, “More than 70 to 80 percent of new hires at big companies like Facebook, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and eBay come through their internship programs now, compared to about half or less just a decade ago.” … Continue reading “Intern Season is Here—But Companies Need A Better Hiring Strategy”
Category: Seattle
Helion Energy Secures $10,614,202 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=147b8024-b529-4e57-8265-9c3dfe6148e9 Date 7/7/2015 Company Name Helion Energy Mailing Address 8549 154th Avenue NE Redmond, WA 98052 USA Company Description We watched our big government fusion programs continue to spend billions of dollars pursuing commercially impractical solutions and thought, there must be a better way. Website http://www.helionenergy.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Helion Energy Secures $10,614,202 New Funding”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, UCSD v. USC, Natera, LSDF & More
It was a short work week leading up to the 4th of July, but it was long on news out West. There were plenty of fireworks of the legal, political, and financial variety, with an academic lawsuit in Southern California, a legislative defeat for the Washington state life sciences community, a big Bay Area IPO, … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, UCSD v. USC, Natera, LSDF & More”
Biopharmaceutical Haiku, Round Two
Ebola doctors Heroic efforts admired Angels of mercy! Genome sequencing Compare normal with patient Secrets revealed Next-gen sequencing One big issue still out there Interpretation Republicans rule Eye Affordable Care Act Newly covered screwed? 2.3 percent Medical devices tax Soon to disappear? Advertised widely Personalized medicine More substance, less hype … Continue reading “Biopharmaceutical Haiku, Round Two”
Seattle Roundup: State Budget, Unikrn, Skykick, & Korner
Heading into Independence Day weekend, Washington state still has a functioning government. The budget deal reached this week had implications for life sciences, the tech industry—including a tax increase specifically targeting Microsoft—cleantech, education, and much more. There were also a spate of smaller funding deals for Korner, Unikrn (not yet valued at “tres commas,” as … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: State Budget, Unikrn, Skykick, & Korner”
Dispatch from the Deep: Diving in a Developmental Submersible
ABOARD CYCLOPS 1, ELLIOTT BAY—I catch a last, harbor seal’s glimpse of the Seattle Aquarium and downtown skyline beyond through the dome-shaped hatch of the submersible. The pilot turns on the life support systems and opens a valve. Air releases from the ballast tank with a gasp. “OK, everybody, we’re going to go under,” says … Continue reading “Dispatch from the Deep: Diving in a Developmental Submersible”
Why I Killed Noncompetes at My Startup—And You Should, Too
There’s a battle brewing in Boston that every local startup founder and employee is closely watching, but the outcome will have implications far beyond Massachusetts. As our state legislature weighs several bills that would ban noncompete agreements, the New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA) and many entrepreneurs, including myself, are arguing that the time is … Continue reading “Why I Killed Noncompetes at My Startup—And You Should, Too”
WA Life Sciences Industry Faces Future of Diminished State Support
[Updated 7/1/15 4:58 pm with comments from Gov. Inslee. See below.] There was no last-minute veto by Gov. Jay Inslee this time, and so Washington state’s 10-year-old program to support early stage life sciences research and commercialization is coming to an end. The defunding of the Life Sciences Discovery Fund (LSDF) combined with the failure to … Continue reading “WA Life Sciences Industry Faces Future of Diminished State Support”
Unikrn Garners $7,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dff3dca9-7b1f-4ab2-b7f8-0d2d071aea2c Date 7/1/2015 Company Name Unikrn Mailing Address 500 Yale Avenue North Seattle, WA 98109 USA Company Description Founded by Rahul Sood and Karl Flores, Unikrn is an eSports betting website. We provide eSports fans and newcomers alike a safe and legal place to gather, game, and bet on eSports. Website http://www.unikrn.com … Continue reading “Unikrn Garners $7,000,000 New Round”
Korner Receives $1,500,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=15400093-7e2d-4beb-919a-a11e60b3a40e Date 7/1/2015 Company Name Korner Mailing Address 2800 Western Ave. Seattle, WA 98121 USA Company Description When Korner detects an intruder in your home, the Fob will let out a piercing screech to ward off the intruder and alert you if you are in your home (sleeping, for example). At the … Continue reading “Korner Receives $1,500,000 New Financing Round”
WA Tech Group Happy to Trade R&D Incentive for Education, for Now
Despite failing to renew high-technology tax incentives for research and development, the $38.2 billion two-year budget passed by Washington lawmakers this week represents “an amazing compromise,” according to the head of the state’s tech trade group. “A lot of the things that need to be done are being addressed,” says Michael Schutzler, CEO of the … Continue reading “WA Tech Group Happy to Trade R&D Incentive for Education, for Now”
Austin’s RideScout Buys Ticketing App GlobeSherpa
RideScout, an Austin, TX-based transportation app, announced Tuesday that it has acquired GlobeSherpa, a ticketing app based in Portland, OR. GlobeSherpa operates a mobile book-and-pay service in three U.S. cities: Portland, San Francisco, and Chicago. RideScout was founded four years ago as a one-stop-shopping app to access transportation options, including bike-share services, taxis, buses, and … Continue reading “Austin’s RideScout Buys Ticketing App GlobeSherpa”
Washington Budget Would End Life Sciences Discovery Fund
Washington lawmakers have put the Life Sciences Discovery Fund on life support and unless Gov. Jay Inslee saves it again with his veto pen Tuesday afternoon, the plug will be pulled. An 11th-hour operating budget passed by the state Legislature overnight delivers a significant blow to the state’s life sciences industry, particularly at the very … Continue reading “Washington Budget Would End Life Sciences Discovery Fund”
Five Obstacles That Impede Startup Innovation
If you’re building a startup, chances are that you’re aspiring to innovate – to create something new or do something differently. In fact, innovation and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. However, many startups unwittingly create obstacles that hamper innovation in their organization. What are some of those obstacles and how can you avoid them? Fear … Continue reading “Five Obstacles That Impede Startup Innovation”
SkyKick Obtains $10,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7ad17888-e8b6-4b63-847f-bb0b4ae543d5 Date 6/30/2015 Company Name SkyKick Mailing Address 200 West Thomas Seattle, WA 98119 USA Company Description SkyKick is the Easiest Way to Office 365. We offer an integrated application suite consisting of three products that work together to make it fast, safe, and easy for partners to move their customers to … Continue reading “SkyKick Obtains $10,000,000 New Funding”
Celgene To Pay $1B For A Big Piece of Juno and T Cell Therapies
[Updated 6/29/15 7:00 pm. See below.] It seemed only a matter of time. One of biotech’s most aggressive deal makers, Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) has struck a wide-ranging, billion-dollar partnership with one of biotech’s highest-profile drug makers, Juno Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JUNO]]), whose T cell therapies are part of a wave of products that could transform the … Continue reading “Celgene To Pay $1B For A Big Piece of Juno and T Cell Therapies”
Milestones of Innovation 9: Early Bird On Station
Fifty years ago, on June 28, 1965, an exotic device named Early Bird made it possible to transmit an uninterrupted live television show across the Atlantic from Europe to America or vice versa. This event, a landmark on the way to today’s interconnected world, happened less than 40 years after the first radio-telephone conversations between … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 9: Early Bird On Station”
Out of the Digital Health Fog, More Investments Are Coming in 2015
Venture capitalists have been talking up the rewards of digital health for some time now, and we are certainly putting our money where our mouth is. Record-breaking dollars continue to flow into health care IT startups. According to Rock Health, digital health saw over $4B in funding in 2014, more than doubling funding from 2013 … Continue reading “Out of the Digital Health Fog, More Investments Are Coming in 2015”
Seattle Roundup: Indix, Auth0, Appuri, UW Health Innovation, & More
It’s a momentous day in U.S. history, and a beautiful start to a hot, prideful weekend in Seattle. It’s already been a hot week in terms of startup funding and innovation news. Read on for details on new funding for Indix, Auth0, and Appuri; the acquisition of Radiant Vision Systems; a new Health Innovation Challenge … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Indix, Auth0, Appuri, UW Health Innovation, & More”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Bock, Celladon, Arivale, Conkwest & More
It was a big week across the nation for Xconomy’s biotech coverage. We launched Exome, a redesigned site with more stories, livelier graphics, and other features to give readers a more comprehensive snapshot of the day’s health, biotech, and life sciences news. We’ve had great feedback from readers so far; please keep it coming. If … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Bock, Celladon, Arivale, Conkwest & More”
How Your Startup Can Run With Unicorns
Have you noticed those unicorns outside your office? Recently, there’s been an uptick in the all-important $1 billion “unicorn” valuation for startups in the tech industry. In the VC-funded startup community, the young companies receiving such valuations are in the media daily. When an entrepreneur considers her unicorn counterparts, it’s not hard to see why … Continue reading “How Your Startup Can Run With Unicorns”
New Amazon Fund Invests in Boston Hardware Firm Dragon Innovation
Dragon Innovation has been helping startups build their hardware products and raise funding since the Boston-based consultancy was founded in 2009. Now Dragon is adding a new focus when working with customers: voice. Dragon has received an undisclosed investment from a new fund created by Amazon, called the Alexa Fund, that invests in developer and … Continue reading “New Amazon Fund Invests in Boston Hardware Firm Dragon Innovation”
Second Life Creator Linden Lab Prepares To Test Parallel VR Universe
[Corrected 6/26/15, 10:02 am. See below.] San Francisco-based Linden Lab, the granddaddy of virtual reality companies, is celebrating the 12th birthday of its cyberworld Second Life this week with a digital fairground full of fanciful constructions, including a concert stage shaped like a birthday cake. But Linden, founded in 1999, is also getting ready to … Continue reading “Second Life Creator Linden Lab Prepares To Test Parallel VR Universe”
The Decade Of The Brain: 25 Years Later
My phone rang late in the day on a pleasant fall afternoon. It was a close friend and business associate of mine and, because we talk often enough about a whole variety of things, I didn’t think for a moment about not answering. I rarely talk about my days as a practicing physician, and it’s … Continue reading “The Decade Of The Brain: 25 Years Later”
PayRange Lands $12,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f9c865cf-e720-4fd4-9760-5d0aab087285 Date 6/25/2015 Company Name PayRange Mailing Address 700 NE Multnomah Street Portland, OR 97232 USA Company Description PayRange was founded by Paresh Patel, a veteran of the automated retail industry having previously founded companies on both the customer-side and the technology-side. Website http://www.payrange.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $12,000,000 Transaction … Continue reading “PayRange Lands $12,000,000 Series A Funding”
Ravenna Solutions Garners $1,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7a7d863c-98ff-40ca-9835-89cfde4b2481 Date 6/25/2015 Company Name Ravenna Solutions Mailing Address 16301 NE 8th St. Bellevue, WA 98008 USA Company Description Ravenna Solutions is ushering in private school admissions to the modern Web era and delighting parents and admissions officers alike. Website http://www.ravennasolutions.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Ravenna Solutions Garners $1,000,000 New Financing Round”
Putting Waste to Profitable Use: Carbon Fiber and Food Scraps
More than two dozen Washington companies and organizations presented solutions to save water, energy, and wasted material during the CleanTech Showcase, presented by the CleanTech Alliance on Monday. Two that caught my eye are focused on putting waste material to beneficial use, and doing so locally. The Composite Recycling Technology Center in Port Angeles is … Continue reading “Putting Waste to Profitable Use: Carbon Fiber and Food Scraps”
Duke Long-Term Health Study Aims To Join Obama’s Precision Med Plan
The small North Carolina mill town of Kannapolis left its mark on the U.S. economy and history by becoming the nation’s largest center for textiles manufacturing. In its next chapter, Kannapolis could become part of medical history. Duke University wants the medical research already underway at Kannapolis to become part of the federal Precision Medicine … Continue reading “Duke Long-Term Health Study Aims To Join Obama’s Precision Med Plan”
Introducing Exome, Xconomy’s New Home For Biotech and Health Coverage
By now you’ve had a day or two to meet Exome, Xconomy’s new place for all things life sciences, health, and biotech, which launched Monday. Let me amend that. Some things are new, which I’ll get to in a moment, but some things remain the same: the reporting and analysis you expect from me, Ben … Continue reading “Introducing Exome, Xconomy’s New Home For Biotech and Health Coverage”
Nativis Secures $725,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9924b67d-ec01-47d3-aa64-40e8d0f6ccf5 Date 6/24/2015 Company Name Nativis Mailing Address 219 Terry Avenue North Seattle, WA 98109 USA Company Description Natvis Voyager is a medical device that replaces standard chemotherapy with specific low level radio frequency energy (REF). Website http://www.nativis.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $725,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes … Continue reading “Nativis Secures $725,000 New Financing Round”
Indix Lands $15,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d4894a3d-486f-42ab-b78d-ba839352d27a Date 6/24/2015 Company Name Indix Mailing Address 818 Stewart St. Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description Indix is building the world’s broadest and deepest product database, and APIs to enable every app to become product aware. Indix’s SaaS and Big Data product intelligence platform enables brands and merchants to explore. Website … Continue reading “Indix Lands $15,000,000 New Round”
Auth0 Lands $9,300,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=11edf48c-b4e1-4958-9d20-bbdd7a8f3414 Date 6/24/2015 Company Name Auth0 Mailing Address 10777 Main Street Bellevue, WA 98004 USA Company Description We’re a team of developers that got tired of the friction caused by complex identity environments. So we built a zero-friction, infinitely extensible, enterprise-class web-scale cloud solution that makes identity easy. Website http://www.auth0.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Auth0 Lands $9,300,000 New Funding Round”
U.S. IPO Activity Loses Steam to PE Deals in First Half of 2015
In the strange times category of today’s innovation news, a preview of IPO activity through the first half of 2015 suggests that market bubbles don’t always rise. In fact, the total number of IPO deals and proceeds actually sank through the first half of 2015, with 101 IPOs raising total proceeds of $19.7 billion, according … Continue reading “U.S. IPO Activity Loses Steam to PE Deals in First Half of 2015”
Houston Dares to Challenge the Bicoastal Model of Biotech Growth
World-class universities, prominent medical institutions, a talented workforce, access to capital and favorable geography are critical factors required to stimulate and support a dynamic regional bioscience industry. Some might believe that these factors only converge along the coasts of New England and California, and many new and growing biotech companies may feel that they are … Continue reading “Houston Dares to Challenge the Bicoastal Model of Biotech Growth”
Welcome To The Sharing Economy. Cancer Researchers Are Next.
We’re sharing everything these days. Rides. Spare rooms. Pictures of things wrapped in bacon. Our thoughts, 24 hours a day. Next up: Cancer data? It can’t come soon enough for Charles Sawyers. Sawyers is one of the world’s most decorated cancer researchers, and his long resumé includes crucial work that helped make imatinib (Gleevec) one … Continue reading “Welcome To The Sharing Economy. Cancer Researchers Are Next.”
Qliance Medical Management Lands $520,753 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=128c49f0-4dbb-4c6d-b805-141647d369a2 Date 6/23/2015 Company Name Qliance Medical Management Mailing Address 2101 Fourth Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 USA Company Description Qliance’s unique approach to providing primary care has grown out of frustration with an unmanageable, expensive insurance system and a desire to put good, affordable, personalized primary healthcare back in the hands of … Continue reading “Qliance Medical Management Lands $520,753 New Round”
Kitchenbowl Garners $1,300,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5fb58653-54a2-471b-b4cf-b42f48575e75 Date 6/23/2015 Company Name Kitchenbowl Mailing Address 500 Yale Ave N Seattle, WA 98109 USA Company Description Kitchenbowl is a place to showcase your kitchen creations and inspire one another. It’s a collaborative photo cookbook, authored by people you trust. As an early adopter, you’ll have the chance to be featured, … Continue reading “Kitchenbowl Garners $1,300,000 New Funding”
Appuri Secures $2,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4bea7566-3f62-4b33-9ce5-be57df201711 Date 6/23/2015 Company Name Appuri Mailing Address 119 Pine St. Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description Transform your business by creating measurable goals, tracking and testing changes throughout your infrastructure, and continuous delivery of value to customers. Website http://www.appuri.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Appuri Secures $2,000,000 New Funding Round”
Video Chatting May Be the Future of Medicine, Just Not Yet
Doctors in the U.S. are more than willing to test out video chatting with their patients, even if very few do so today. Technology is rapidly developing that may help video and mobile devices replace or supplement traditional forms of care like phone calls or in-person visits. In a survey of 2,016 physicians by American Well, a Boston-based … Continue reading “Video Chatting May Be the Future of Medicine, Just Not Yet”
Where the Red Book Meets the Unicorn
Mike Stonebraker – my partner, friend, and winner of the 2014 A.M. Turing Award – has been on the cutting edge of modern database research, development, and deployment for over 40 years. The cutting edge … for 40 years. Mike was the main architect, starting in the 1970s through the 1990s, of many systems that … Continue reading “Where the Red Book Meets the Unicorn”
25 Years in Biotech
That is a sobering headline to write. Twenty-five years ago at this time of year, I was graduating from college with no job, a pretty choppy economy, a bunch of student loans, a resume that included things like a summer research internship catching salamanders, and an aspiration to “get into biotech.” I look back and think … Continue reading “25 Years in Biotech”
Transforming Health Care for Those Who Need it Most
Like other engaged consumers, my family of athletes tries out many of the new healthcare related wearables and apps. From counting steps to counting calories, there is a site or app out there for everything we do. But it’s not my immediate family that can benefit most from these tools. Today, devices are bought and … Continue reading “Transforming Health Care for Those Who Need it Most”
Flagship CEO on Backing NY Biotech, Moderna, and Investing in a Boom
It’s been a jam-packed few months for Flagship Ventures, one of the Boston area’s most well-known biotech startup creators. The Cambridge, MA-based VC firm just raised a $537 million fund of its own, and recently became a founding investor in the eye-popping $217 million Series A for Denali Therapeutics, a startup led by a group … Continue reading “Flagship CEO on Backing NY Biotech, Moderna, and Investing in a Boom”
gatheredtable Garners $643,334 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4135d34b-89b6-4a0d-9799-ae55ee77e0b8 Date 6/22/2015 Company Name gatheredtable Mailing Address 506 Second Ave. Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description we gather your recipes into weekly menus, and we can also gather your groceries- so you can spend more time gathered around your dinner table. Website http://www.gatheredtable.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $643,334 Transaction … Continue reading “gatheredtable Garners $643,334 New Financing Round”
Lee Hood’s “100K” Long-Term Health Study Spins Out Startup
[UPDATED: 6/19/15, 3:53pm. See below.] There are several long-term studies taking place around the world to track the health of large groups of people. One in Seattle called the 100K Wellness Project is spinning out a new company called Arivale with a caffeinated jolt of local investment cash. The 100K is being run by the … Continue reading “Lee Hood’s “100K” Long-Term Health Study Spins Out Startup”
Seattle Roundup: M&A Swarm, Element 8, STEM Diversity, & More
When the history of Seattle’s 21st century innovation economy is written (by a machine, of course), June 18, 2015, might mark the beginning of an important new chapter about the Global Innovation Exchange. In other news, there were acquisition announcements in bunches, headlined by Techstars’ pickup of UP Global; a new satellite company unveiled; more … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: M&A Swarm, Element 8, STEM Diversity, & More”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Avalanche, CytomX, BioMarin, Dubs & More
We’re in a Golden State of mind this week, and we’ll splash down with several items from beyond the arc in Northern California, home of the new NBA champions. Gene therapy developer Avalanche Biotechnologies tried to take it to the rack with important Phase 2a data, but investors rejected the shot with emphasis. CytomX Therapeutics … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Avalanche, CytomX, BioMarin, Dubs & More”
Seattle Startup Tests Ways to Attract Under-Represented Applicants
If actions speak louder than words, Seattle startup Glowforge is becoming a leading voice on the tech industry’s diversity problem—and potential ways to address it. The company, which is building a consumer-grade laser cutter, announced this week a $5,000 bounty “for referrals that lead to us hiring under-represented minorities.” It also published the terms of … Continue reading “Seattle Startup Tests Ways to Attract Under-Represented Applicants”
Tsinghua, UW, Microsoft Partner for Global Innovation Exchange
Seattle is getting a major new asset in the form of the Global Innovation Exchange, a partnership between University of Washington and Tsinghua University, one of China’s top research institutions, backed by $40 million from Microsoft. The GIX looks like a modern, graduate-level university with deep ties to industry and a focus on real-world problems … Continue reading “Tsinghua, UW, Microsoft Partner for Global Innovation Exchange”
Wallet, Watch, and What We Learned from Google I/O and Apple’s WWDC
The two leading platform owners in the smartphone industry, Apple and Google, are going in very different directions—particularly in their philosophies about privacy, and approaches to the “next billion” smartphone users—with major implications for app developers and consumers. Team Apptentive attended both companies’ annual developer conferences, held in late May and early June, in San … Continue reading “Wallet, Watch, and What We Learned from Google I/O and Apple’s WWDC”