Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d4d392f2-4383-431b-9b1b-c01aa70ee789 Date 4/13/2015 Company Name Finsphere Mailing Address 505 106th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98004 USA Company Description Finsphere is a well-funded, high tech, venture-backed start up founded in 2007 based in Bellevue, Washington and is currently operating in stealth mode. Website http://www.finsphere.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $587,476 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Finsphere Secures $587,476 New Funding Round”
Category: Seattle
Carena Lands $500,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=19e318ba-ae99-48e8-8a77-a7166973ffff Date 4/13/2015 Company Name Carena Mailing Address 999 3rd Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description Carena provides a new model of health care delivery for innovative, self-insured companies of all sizes. Through our care programs, our physicians provide in-person medical care and education 24 hours a day, seven days a … Continue reading “Carena Lands $500,000 New Funding”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, Tekmira, True North, aTyr & More
We’ll move in geographic fashion through the roundup this week, starting in the Pacific Northwest, where Juno Therapeutics won a patent fight and found a new headquarters. Further south, the Bay Area hosted an IPO and several other financings, and down San Diego way, aTyr Pharma joined the IPO queue. It’s Friday, and we’re roundup-ready. … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, Tekmira, True North, aTyr & More”
Innovation Hub: Why Science Plays Small Ball
The scientific revolution has ended. Or, at least it’s on pause, according to Roberta Ness, vice president of innovation at the University of Texas Health Science Center. She believes that science’s most promising thinkers aren’t taking big enough risks. They’re not researching the next penicillin or investigating new theories of relativity; they’re playing it safe. … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Why Science Plays Small Ball”
Tax Time Alert: Key Things to Know About Founders Preferred Stock
As you gather and review tax papers for your return, be sure to inform your accountant if you hold founders’ preferred stock, or if you sold a block of it in 2014. Your CPA might not think to ask you about this because so few entrepreneurs hold this class of stock. As recently as 20 … Continue reading “Tax Time Alert: Key Things to Know About Founders Preferred Stock”
UW Updating IP Policies to Fit ’21st Century Research University’
The University of Washington is undertaking a wholesale review of its intellectual property (IP) policies, as part of a broader, ongoing reinvention of how the institution teaches, practices, and disseminates innovation in every discipline. Former UW President Michael Young had directed the Intellectual Property Management Advisory Committee to examine the university’s intellectual property policies. Now … Continue reading “UW Updating IP Policies to Fit ’21st Century Research University’”
Cardeas Pharma Obtains $3,500,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4d2c8c8f-b683-467e-81d9-509ab50392c0 Date 4/10/2015 Company Name Cardeas Pharma Mailing Address 2025 First Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 USA Company Description Cardeas Pharma is developing a novel antibiotic formulation of two drugs with synergistic activity against all relevant, highly resistant Gram-negative bacilli, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Website http://www.cardeaspharma.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Cardeas Pharma Obtains $3,500,000 Series B Funding”
Cray Supercomputers Power Weather Forecasts Globally, and Now in the U.S.
Seattle supercomputer maker Cray, a quiet stalwart of the region’s technology industry, has been on a growth spurt lately, thanks in part to a spate of sales to government weather forecasting centers. Cray has long provided machines—made in Chippewa Falls, WI—that help scientists model the climate and predict storms. Recent deals with forecasters in the … Continue reading “Cray Supercomputers Power Weather Forecasts Globally, and Now in the U.S.”
Clocking In Next Year, Juno’s New HQ Keeps A Hand On Seattle History
Biotech folks in Seattle have real estate on their minds. Last week, the giant “Helix” campus in the Interbay neighborhood, once expected to be a local biotech anchor for decades, was nabbed by online travel site Expedia. This week, rising biotech star Juno Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JUNO]]) ended its quest for new headquarters, announcing a seven-year … Continue reading “Clocking In Next Year, Juno’s New HQ Keeps A Hand On Seattle History”
SkyWard Obtains $3,350,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=34291722-4395-4a75-b4c0-3ca27d9e52e6 Date 4/8/2015 Company Name SkyWard Mailing Address 233 SW Naito Pkwy Portland, OR 97204 USA Company Description The SkyWard platform is a system for managing aerial robotics (AR) flight operations around the world. Unique, portable identities for drones and people give managers real-time visibility on assets in the field; customer requests … Continue reading “SkyWard Obtains $3,350,000 New Financing”
Juno, Novartis End CAR-T Patent Fight, With Juno A Little Richer
Juno Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JUNO]]) and Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]) are cancer immunotherapy rivals, but Juno now has a rooting interest in Novartis’s success. The two companies said today they have avoided a trial and settled a patent dispute around a specific bit of genetic engineering shared by some of their products that use what’s known as … Continue reading “Juno, Novartis End CAR-T Patent Fight, With Juno A Little Richer”
Academia vs. BioPharma: Young Scientists Between A Rock and A Hard Place
I’ve reached the stage of my career where I’ve been invited to give “career retrospective talks” to grad students and post-docs at academic institutions. It’s been an interesting and enjoyable experience meeting a new generation of young scientists and hearing what’s on their minds. After delivering my seminar and sharing lots of stories and advice, … Continue reading “Academia vs. BioPharma: Young Scientists Between A Rock and A Hard Place”
Women in Engineering, and a Global Call for the Next MacGyver
Apparently, I’m pushy. I can’t help it. It’s my genes, and also all I’ve been through. When you’re a woman in engineering, there are a host of voices (some residing in your head, some not), telling you that you’re not good enough, not smart enough—that when you’re alone amid a sea of male faces at … Continue reading “Women in Engineering, and a Global Call for the Next MacGyver”
Seattle Roundup: Founders’ Co-op New Fund and Real Estate Moves
The big Seattle tech news this week was in real estate, as growing tech companies large and small continue the scramble for space. The early-stage startups will at least have another source of capital, thanks to a new fund raised by Founders’ Co-op. Read on for details of Expedia’s relocation, Porch’s new digs, Alibaba rumors, … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Founders’ Co-op New Fund and Real Estate Moves”
Robot Revolution: Disrupting the Workplace as We Know It
We’re on the brink of the Third Industrial Revolution, with robots moving off the factory floor and emerging in the white-collar office. These “software robots” are being leveraged by businesses across industries to tackle rules-based processes and improve overall operational agility. Operational roles are well-suited for automatons since they, by definition, automatically follow and execute … Continue reading “Robot Revolution: Disrupting the Workplace as We Know It”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Auspex, Hyperion, NuVasive, & More
Xconomy national biotech editor Alex Lash is out wandering in the desert this week, so I’m stepping in as drover, and as biotech herds go, the one I’m rounding up today covers a lot of territory. Down San Diego way, Auspex Pharmaceuticals said “Okey Dokey” to a buyout offer worth close to $3.5 billion. Up … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Auspex, Hyperion, NuVasive, & More”
Seattle’s Iconic Helix Biotech Campus to Be Expedia’s New Home
Expedia is moving its headquarters from Bellevue, WA, to the Amgen Helix campus in Seattle, a premier collection of biotech labs and office buildings along Elliott Bay that biotech industry backers had hoped would find a second life hosting another biotech company. Expedia, the online travel giant and one of Bellevue’s largest tech companies, is … Continue reading “Seattle’s Iconic Helix Biotech Campus to Be Expedia’s New Home”
Bigleaf Networks Obtains $1,500,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4a6a2be3-9ccf-42c0-a915-5054706e4805 Date 4/2/2015 Company Name Bigleaf Networks Mailing Address 2850 SW Cedar Hils Blvd. Beaverton, OR 97005 USA Company Description Bigleaf Networks improves Internet performance and enables peace of mind. We are telecommunications professionals who built our cloud-based optimization and redundancy service based on the natural architecture of leaves. Website http://www.bigleaf.net Transaction … Continue reading “Bigleaf Networks Obtains $1,500,000 Series A Financing”
Lumen Learning Obtains $2,500,000 Seed Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3c5511b2-5677-4e6d-ad40-5cea3e9a2c42 Date 4/2/2015 Company Name Lumen Learning Mailing Address 3459 NW 115th Ave. Portland, OR 97229 USA Company Description Lumen Learning provides high quality open courseware and support for educational institutions to help them eliminate textbook costs, broaden access to educational materials and improve student success through the effective use of open-educational … Continue reading “Lumen Learning Obtains $2,500,000 Seed Round”
Northwest Smart Grid Demo Shows Promise, Need for Better Data
The largest smart grid demonstration project in the U.S., covering about a dozen utilities in five Northwest states, has shown how adding more information at all levels of the electricity system can improve efficiency and potentially lower costs. But the project, which wrapped up data collection last summer and is now sharing results, also highlighted … Continue reading “Northwest Smart Grid Demo Shows Promise, Need for Better Data”
H-1Bs And How Changing The System Will Help Startups
In order for the American economy to thrive, we must rely on our ability to innovate. The U.S. government now estimates that job growth is almost three times faster in the innovation-rich fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics than the rest of the economy. Yet despite the explosion in demand, the steady supply of … Continue reading “H-1Bs And How Changing The System Will Help Startups”
Equity Crowdfunding Backers Clash Over Fundraising Limits in States
After five years of bootstrapping his startup, Instancy, Harvey Singh’s company has a finished education software product, revenue, and a growing roster of employees. As Singh looks overseas to expand Instancy’s sales reach, he says he is now ready for outside investors. He wants to raise that capital through crowdfunding. The federal Jumpstart Our Business … Continue reading “Equity Crowdfunding Backers Clash Over Fundraising Limits in States”
Garabedian’s Rocky Road at Sarepta Ends With Abrupt Resignation
[Updated, 8:55 am ET] It’s been a strange journey for Chris Garabedian. As the CEO of Sarepta Therapeutics, he steered the company from a biotech afterthought to one of Wall Street’s darlings, earning the support of a Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patient community desperate for an effective treatment. Yet there’s been another, more controversial side to … Continue reading “Garabedian’s Rocky Road at Sarepta Ends With Abrupt Resignation”
The Innovator’s Gender Dilemma and Venture Rites of Passage
After 40 years as a professional woman who by many standards has “made it,” I am struck by the extent to which young and highly educated—even Ivy-league educated—employees are challenged by the ambiguities and realities of the contemporary competitive workplace. Having always been exceptional, and having done what was expected of them, usually by their … Continue reading “The Innovator’s Gender Dilemma and Venture Rites of Passage”
From Iceland to White House, Precision Medicine’s Promises & Hurdles
[Updated and corrected, 4/5/15, 6:51 pm. See below.] There is talk, and there is action. In the drive toward healthcare tailored for smaller and smaller groups of people, there was both last week, and both illustrated not just the promise of precision medicine, but the long haul until that promise is fulfilled. First, Iceland’s deCODE … Continue reading “From Iceland to White House, Precision Medicine’s Promises & Hurdles”
ReadyPulse Receives $5,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0cbc7b97-7700-45d8-a7ce-5cf0dc4be1b1 Date 3/31/2015 Company Name ReadyPulse Mailing Address 15 Lake Bellevue Dr Bellevue, WA 98005 USA Company Description ReadyPulse is the leader in testimonial marketing, and is bringing the power of sponsored stories to e-commerce and social/display ads. ReadyPulse grows, curates, and showcases a brand’s most effective testimonials across channels; social, mobile, … Continue reading “ReadyPulse Receives $5,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
LearnBIG Garners $2,200,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=88f601f2-c941-42a0-993a-b8782e64a51b Date 3/31/2015 Company Name LearnBIG Mailing Address 2401 4th Ave. Seattle, WA 98121 USA Company Description LearnBig stands out from the rest of the market by offering an interactive video platform that lets the user engage with content inside a video during a lesson. Website http://www.learnbig.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “LearnBIG Garners $2,200,000 New Financing”
Peter Thiel Brings Libertarian Standup Routine to Harvard
In staccato, stand-up comic style, Peter Thiel brought his version of libertarianism to Harvard, a notable cheering section for positive government. Last Wednesday, a packed lecture hall heard the investor and co-founder of PayPal and secretive data-analysis company Palantir Technologies say, “You can’t do it on a government scale. So I work on the business … Continue reading “Peter Thiel Brings Libertarian Standup Routine to Harvard”
Product Development Tools Maker Jama Software Raises $20M
Jama Software, the Portland, OR, company that makes a toolset for developing technology products including software, has raised $20 million in fresh funding from new investor Updata Partners and prior backers including Trinity Ventures and Madrona Venture Group. The company says it will use the funding to expand usage of its software beyond its customers’ … Continue reading “Product Development Tools Maker Jama Software Raises $20M”
Jama Software Receives $20,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1a2a859a-cac0-4308-a07e-1d9929a645f1 Date 3/30/2015 Company Name Jama Software Mailing Address 135 SW Taylor Portland, OR 97204 USA Company Description We’ve designed Jama’s products for every organization seeking to be more agile, achieve real efficiencies and create measurable business value for their customers, employees and partners. Website http://www.jamasoftware.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Jama Software Receives $20,000,000 New Funding”
Innovation Hub: XPRIZE Founder Tackles Entrepreneurship
Peter Diamandis is, I think it’s fair to say, an optimist. After all, how many other space-obsessed kids ended up founding an International Space University? Or inaugurated an XPRIZE, to inspire a new generation of passenger spacecrafts? But Diamandis’s current obsession is entrepreneurship, and the idea that the economy is radically shifting to accommodate a … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: XPRIZE Founder Tackles Entrepreneurship”
Seattle Roundup: Ignition Fund, Lighter Capital, WISErg, HBO, and More
The big news this week is that Ignition Partners, an active investor in business-focused startups, is gearing up for another venture fund that could come in at $200 million. We’re also tracking a new investment in Lighter Capital, WISErg’s Series B, HBO’s Seattle expansion, and a healthcare IT partnership for Caradigm. Earlier in the week … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Ignition Fund, Lighter Capital, WISErg, HBO, and More”
The Incredible Shrinking Seed Stage and Other Venture Trends of 2014
By now the 2014 data for venture capital investments from the most important regions of the world have been compiled and disseminated. When laid out next to each other, some fascinating themes emerge. It’s no surprise that the U.S. continues to set the pace with over $48 billion invested in 4,356 companies, compared to 2013, … Continue reading “The Incredible Shrinking Seed Stage and Other Venture Trends of 2014”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Amgen/deCODE, Calico, Orexigen & More
For sheer volume, San Diego carries the week’s West Coast biotech news, with everything from trial failures (Lpath, MEI Pharma) to stock sales and deals (Retrophin, Vical, Mast) to good product news (Orexigen, Conatus). For scientific impact, however, Amgen tips the scales with the big publication of Icelandic genomic data from its subsidiary DeCode Genetics. … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Amgen/deCODE, Calico, Orexigen & More”
Kitchenbowl Garners $1,000,000 Seed Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=187f1bb2-d41c-4fb8-b882-bac116c51ac3 Date 3/27/2015 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 $1,000,000 Seed Round”
Donuts Builds Domain-Name Business Amid New Land Grab on the Web
In late February, a Google subsidiary won control of the top-level domain name .app with a $25 million bid, the highest price paid so far in an online land rush for new words or phrases that appear to the right of the last dot in a Web address. Amazon subsidiaries scooped up .buy and .spot … Continue reading “Donuts Builds Domain-Name Business Amid New Land Grab on the Web”
Seattle’s Gilliland, Nelsen, Hood, Franklin & More to Gather May 6
Last May, real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle’s report on Seattle’s life science economy had mixed news. The number of businesses was up, but jobs were down. Lake Union, Seattle’s “life sciences epicenter,” was getting more crowded and rents were quickly on the rise. It’s been quite a year since then. Biotech has had an … Continue reading “Seattle’s Gilliland, Nelsen, Hood, Franklin & More to Gather May 6”
Amid Gene Editing Worry, A Return To Biotech’s 1st “Asilomar Moment”
Biotechnology leaders—and the rest of us—should “count to 10” as they read the March 19 call in Science to consider limits on using revolutionary new gene-editing techniques for germline gene therapy. The techniques are powerful and simple to use and key scientists, worried about misuse, want us to pause, confer, and set limits. But we … Continue reading “Amid Gene Editing Worry, A Return To Biotech’s 1st “Asilomar Moment””
CookBrite Garners $384,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=be86a6b7-a83f-4ac0-bc4a-8c9b5f8de241 Date 3/26/2015 Company Name CookBrite Mailing Address 4719 86th Avenue SE Mercer Island, WA 98040 USA Company Description Cookbrite is a startup that is being built to last, founded and led by a team of successful entrepreneurs, brilliant technologists and world-class designers from the tech, mobile, and food industries. With experience … Continue reading “CookBrite Garners $384,000 New Financing Round”
Run An Early Stage Tech or Life Sciences Company? Heads Up
I don’t know how many Xconomy followers still read print newspapers. But did you see this headline—Health Coverage in Limbo for Many Small-Business Employees—on The Seattle Times’ front page? It’s a storm warning the state’s innovation industries can’t ignore. If you’re a leader of a tech or life science company, your existing insurance plan could … Continue reading “Run An Early Stage Tech or Life Sciences Company? Heads Up”
Hi, I’m in Delaware… For the Fast Internet
Internet speeds are becoming increasingly important to consumer markets, as users of streaming content such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO multiply. Those people are expecting quality streaming, too, especially with the advent of 4K, or “ultra” high-definition, video. It may be no surprise that broadband Internet speeds vary from state to state, with Virginia, Delaware, … Continue reading “Hi, I’m in Delaware… For the Fast Internet”
Cadence Biomedical Obtains $959,578 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0f7d4d61-0d70-4029-8b9f-77c9e010ca3d Date 3/25/2015 Company Name Cadence Biomedical Mailing Address 3534 Bagley Ave N Seattle, WA 98103 USA Company Description Cadence Biomedical, headquartered in Seattle, WA, is an early stage medical device company that is committed to helping the 2.3 million Americans who suffer severe mobility impairments to gain a more mobile and … Continue reading “Cadence Biomedical Obtains $959,578 New Financing Round”
Novinium Secures $19,731,296 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=12c7979e-83bd-4df3-a3c2-c9e1a9115e91 Date 3/25/2015 Company Name Novinium Mailing Address 34110 9th Avenue S Federal Way, WA 98003 USA Company Description Novinium delivers the most advanced underground cable rehabilitation technologies throughout the world. Rehabilitation encompasses replacement and rejuvenation and so does Novinium. Website http://www.novinium.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $19,731,296 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Novinium Secures $19,731,296 New Financing Round”
T-Mobile’s Disruption Plans Come Down to Data, Spectrum, and Auctions
Taking the stage at a company event with the showmanship of a vaudevillian, John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile US, came to New York last week, firing off fighting words aimed at AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint. Though much of his focus was hyping the company to analysts, journalists, and business folks about pricing and services—there … Continue reading “T-Mobile’s Disruption Plans Come Down to Data, Spectrum, and Auctions”
WISErg Secures $11,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=580d6b21-d635-4e1f-862b-dde064f0606f Date 3/24/2015 Company Name WISErg Mailing Address 15340 NE 92nd St. Redmond, WA 98052 USA Company Description WISErg Corporation is a Pacific Northwest bio resource company. Founded in 2010, WISErg’s primary focus is on deriving valuable renewable resources from compostable feedstock. WISErg is a hybrid technology company of innovators who have … Continue reading “WISErg Secures $11,000,000 Series B Funding”
Smartphone Operating System Maker Cyanogen Lands $80M Series C
Cyanogen, the mobile operating system developer attempting to rival Google and Apple, is planning to make new hires and further develop its open platform after receiving $80 million of Series C funding. Its new investors are a mix of high-profile individuals, as well as A-list companies and venture firms. Premji Invest, the venture arm of … Continue reading “Smartphone Operating System Maker Cyanogen Lands $80M Series C”
TernPro Plans to Perfect New Software in Microsoft Ventures Program
The latest cohort at the Microsoft Ventures accelerator in Seattle is dedicated to innovating in the business enterprise space, and, after a competitive application process, a Detroit startup has been selected to participate—a first for Motor City entrepreneurs. Slope is a new software offering from the TernPro team, and Brian Bosche said it’s meant to … Continue reading “TernPro Plans to Perfect New Software in Microsoft Ventures Program”
UW Moves Toward ‘Innovation Transfer’—Not Just Tech Transfer
From a maker space to novel, streamlined intellectual property licensing terms to a forthcoming Web app for connecting students with mentors in the innovation community, several new initiatives are making good on plans to broaden the scope of University of Washington’s erstwhile technology commercialization arm. These efforts, in various stages of development, reflect a mission … Continue reading “UW Moves Toward ‘Innovation Transfer’—Not Just Tech Transfer”
Fastest Turtle: Healthcare Investing and the U.S. Economy
Given the investment horizons for venture capitalists, we do not necessarily try to time public markets when making new investments—although they obviously influence pre-money valuations, particularly for later rounds. Greater concerns revolve around portfolio companies’ ability to access capital on reasonable terms, and that the general macroeconomic environment is conducive to strong revenue growth. Notwithstanding … Continue reading “Fastest Turtle: Healthcare Investing and the U.S. Economy”
Stop the Bleeding: Can Gene Therapy Finally Cure Hemophilia?
Ben Haugstad is 12 years old and loves Taekwondo. He’s been doing it for six years, and soon he’ll be a black belt. He also has a severe form of hemophilia. His body doesn’t produce the machinery needed to clot blood, and at any moment a bad tumble or a bruise could quickly turn into … Continue reading “Stop the Bleeding: Can Gene Therapy Finally Cure Hemophilia?”