As we close out the year, we at Xconomy have been asking our network of sources and informal advisors (the Xconomists) a series of questions. An obvious but telling one was to inquire about the biggest surprise of 2014, from their point of view. We’ve been posting their answers on a variety of topics as … Continue reading “What Was the Biggest Surprise of 2014?”
Category: Seattle
TinyPulse Receives $3,500,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5ab7cbe7-4221-431e-b49a-231a9771e5fb Date 12/31/2014 Company Name TinyPulse Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98119 USA Company Description Our mission at TINYpulse is to make employees happier. We believe when that happens- retention, customer service, and engagement all improve. Website http://www.tinypulse.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,500,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “TinyPulse Receives $3,500,000 Series A Financing”
Improve Education with Great Expectations for All Students
If I could change one thing about our K-12 education system, it would be to end the curse of low expectations in Washington’s public schools. Numerous studies have shown that teacher and principal expectations have a profound effect on school culture and student performance. A student treated as if she or he can accomplish anything … Continue reading “Improve Education with Great Expectations for All Students”
Attracting, Retaining Talent Key to Driving Economy Forward
A major issue continues to be how to attract and train the necessary talent to drive forward both individual businesses and the economy as a whole. This issue is being addressed in pockets (such as some nascent, innovative programs in Michigan), but not nearly at the scope that is needed. Among other things, it involves … Continue reading “Attracting, Retaining Talent Key to Driving Economy Forward”
5 Tips for Students to Get Ahead in Technology and Business
What advice would you give students interested in your field? That’s a question we posed to our network of Xconomists around the country. They range from academic leaders to startup founders to venture capitalists. What we found was that their answers were generally bigger than their particular field of expertise. Taken together, the tips provide … Continue reading “5 Tips for Students to Get Ahead in Technology and Business”
Ascentis Lands $7,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=26e7bc17-6cac-441f-85de-1b0294e1e335 Date 12/30/2014 Company Name Ascentis Mailing Address 11040 Main St Bellevue, WA 98004 USA Company Description Ascentis Payroll (formerly Instapay) was created in 1980 by EBS OnLine, a California payroll services company. The organization flourished through a focus on exceptional customer service and real-time payroll processing. Website http://www.ascentis.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Ascentis Lands $7,000,000 New Round”
Cerevast Therapeutics Obtains $10,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=db084ec8-6f6f-4b92-bcba-5c521df7f053 Date 12/30/2014 Company Name Cerevast Therapeutics Mailing Address 12277 134th Court NE Redmond, WA 98052 USA Company Description Cerevast Therapeutics, Inc. is a medical technology company with primary emphasis in the field of SonoLysis for the treatment acute ischemic stroke and other vascular disorders. Website http://www.cerevast.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “Cerevast Therapeutics Obtains $10,000,000 New Financing Round”
14 for ’14: Xconomy’s Top Innovation Stories of the Year
It has been quite a year for one-word headlines: Ebola, Sony, Uber, WhatsApp, to name a few. Behind those headlines are complex issues in business and technology that came to the fore in 2014. Things like impediments to vaccine development; mounting threats in cybersecurity and privacy; the regulatory and cultural struggles of high-flying startups; and … Continue reading “14 for ’14: Xconomy’s Top Innovation Stories of the Year”
To Diversify the Innovation Community, Jump-Start Female Entrepreneurship
Just about a year ago at this time, I read a report that made me ask myself whether I was doing enough—and the right kind of “enough”—to encourage diversity in our technology startup community and innovation ecosystem here in Boston/Cambridge. Fortunately, when I looked at the startups in my portfolio of seed investments, I found … Continue reading “To Diversify the Innovation Community, Jump-Start Female Entrepreneurship”
Expand Our Notion of Success from Wealth Creation to Value Creation
We have too narrow a view of success in the tech community, fueled by investors wanting big returns, business schools reinforcing these values, and universities trying to maximize financial returns on their research. Young people see this. Many children of immigrants want to help their parents’ homelands. Many young people want to build a more … Continue reading “Expand Our Notion of Success from Wealth Creation to Value Creation”
10 Bits of Advice for Students Interested in Drug Development
Here are my 10 crucial pieces of advice for students who aspire to a career in pharmaceutical labs: 1. You need a solid foundation in science. Master the basics, and learn how to apply that knowledge. 2. But, try to also take classes and build skills in complementary areas like business, legal topics (especially intellectual … Continue reading “10 Bits of Advice for Students Interested in Drug Development”
Kicking the Cyber Attack Can Down the Road
By far the most important issue where the can got “kicked down the road” is any kind of concerted effort to deter or dissuade cross-border cyber-crime, cyber-attacks, cyber-vandalism and other various forms of hacking mischief. As more and more people become reliant of digital devices and networks for their livelihoods and leisure, their vulnerability to … Continue reading “Kicking the Cyber Attack Can Down the Road”
From STEM to C-Suite, Steps to Improve Technology’s Gender Balance
Gender and diversity problems certainly aren’t new for either the technology community or for business in general. Over the past several decades, women and minorities have worked to gain access to higher levels within organizations, and many white males already in senior roles have also worked to address these issues. However, progress has been slow, … Continue reading “From STEM to C-Suite, Steps to Improve Technology’s Gender Balance”
Biggest Surprises in 2014: Apple After Steve Jobs
What was the biggest surprise of the year? The continued success of Apple. It’s been a quiet period after Jobs’s disappearance and it is very difficult to step into those shoes, I had not counted on the success. The iPhone 6 is a marvel even if it’s not a groundbreaking innovation. But the Apple Watch … Continue reading “Biggest Surprises in 2014: Apple After Steve Jobs”
Simple Steps Toward More Inclusive Entrepreneurship
At conferences, meetups, and events, my colleagues and I often lament the lack of diversity in the audience, particularly the lack of women. Organizations like the Doyenne Group here in Madison, WI, are doing great things to cultivate entrepreneurship among women. Some recent changes in my life, however, have given me a new perspective on … Continue reading “Simple Steps Toward More Inclusive Entrepreneurship”
What’s Missing From Education? Critical Thinking
There is too little emphasis on teaching critical thinking skills in schools. Many adults have little understanding of important science and technology issues, which leaves them open to poor decision making on matters that will affect both their families as well as society in general. A good example would be a failure to understand and … Continue reading “What’s Missing From Education? Critical Thinking”
What’s the Most Important Issue That Didn’t Get Addressed in 2014?
Immigration. Very sad and shows how deeply dysfunctional our system is. This is really hurting innovation—and other countries, like Canada, U.K., Chile and Spain, have moved way ahead of us. Very frustrating. [Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading … Continue reading “What’s the Most Important Issue That Didn’t Get Addressed in 2014?”
Finsphere Obtains $822,989 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8deb07a0-aa1f-4b6c-892b-03c6f4b53c03 Date 12/24/2014 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 $822,989 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Finsphere Obtains $822,989 New Financing”
Front Desk Obtains $4,000,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e8b78543-431b-4de9-a7da-39e93725ecba Date 12/24/2014 Company Name Front Desk Mailing Address 1212 E. Pike Street Seattle, WA 98122 USA Company Description Two years ago, we looked at the existing software used to manage the gyms we own and work out in. We wanted to improve and extend some of these popular solutions. Website http://www.frontdeskhq.com … Continue reading “Front Desk Obtains $4,000,000 Series A Round”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Gilead/AbbVie, Juno, Auspex, Bina & More
It was a very good year for the Bay Area’s Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]), which saw its new hepatitis C treatments— sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) and Harvoni (a combination of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir)—make big inroads and help cure patients, even as the price tag of the drugs raised ire. Hackles were up not just among longtime industry watchdogs like … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Gilead/AbbVie, Juno, Auspex, Bina & More”
Holiday Shopping Ride-Along: How Mobile Improves Large-Format Retail
Not everyone loves holiday shopping, but new mobile commerce services can make a trip to the big box retailer quicker and less painful. With nine shopping days left before Christmas, I met up with Josh Marti, the CEO of Point Inside, which makes indoor location technology, to see how he gets the job done. Point … Continue reading “Holiday Shopping Ride-Along: How Mobile Improves Large-Format Retail”
The Sony Wake-Up Call
[Corrected, see below] The Sony saga continues. Last week, the FBI said there is enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for the Sony cyberattack. Now some are beginning to wonder how the U.S. should retaliate. Surely, new developments will continue to unfold, but our focus remains on what this breach … Continue reading “The Sony Wake-Up Call”
Rethinking Venture Philanthropy After the Kalydeco Windfall
The Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation’s big win in venture philanthropy can fuel constructive competition among companies developing innovative CF drugs, benefiting both patients and the healthcare system by increasing future treatment options and reducing their cost. CF is a fatal genetic disease affecting around 30,000 people in the U.S. that is caused by mutations in … Continue reading “Rethinking Venture Philanthropy After the Kalydeco Windfall”
Elemental Technologies Lands $14,500,000 Series D Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a7c4af29-02d6-49c0-8bbb-f9de669800b1 Date 12/22/2014 Company Name Elemental Technologies Mailing Address 225 SW Broadway Portland, OR 97205 USA Company Description Elemental Technologies, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is the leading provider of massively parallel processing (MPP) solutions, initially targeting video applications. Website http://www.elementaltechnologies.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $14,500,000 Transaction Round Series D Proceeds … Continue reading “Elemental Technologies Lands $14,500,000 Series D Financing”
Juno Just Raised A Ton of Cash. Here Comes the Spending Part.
The IPO is just another round of financing. Forgive the biotech cliché, but with Juno Therapeutics, it’s never been more evident. Seattle-based Juno (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JUNO]]) ended its first day of trading Friday, and both investors and company should be happy. The stock price rose nearly 50 percent, from $24 at the opening bell to $35 … Continue reading “Juno Just Raised A Ton of Cash. Here Comes the Spending Part.”
Seattle Roundup: Skytap, Mercent, AnswerDash, FlowVella, Impinj
Seattle deal makers got busy in the last full work-week of the year, with a major funding round announced for Skytap, an acquisition for Mercent, a technology integration for AnswerDash, and more. That’s on top of $70.9 million raised by Redfin; Juno Therapeutics’ $264 million IPO, less expenses; and a $15 million investment from Bill … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Skytap, Mercent, AnswerDash, FlowVella, Impinj”
Metamaterials Moguls: Gates, Allen Back New Radar Startup Echodyne
Microsoft’s co-founders are backing a Seattle-area startup that wants to apply proprietary metamaterials technology to radar. Bill Gates is co-leader with Madrona Venture Group of a $15 million Series A funding round for Echodyne, which will seek to commercialize the metamaterials technology portfolio of Intellectual Ventures “for a wide range of new radar applications,” Gates … Continue reading “Metamaterials Moguls: Gates, Allen Back New Radar Startup Echodyne”
Juno Therapeutics Lands $265,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=03496fd4-c196-4c8e-a25c-48d8f00bfe59 Date 12/19/2014 Company Name Juno Therapeutics Mailing Address 307 Westlake Avenue North Seattle, WA 98109 USA Company Description Juno (NASDAQ: JUNO) is a clinical-stage company that brings together three of the world’s leading cancer centers – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Seattle Children’s Research Institute – … Continue reading “Juno Therapeutics Lands $265,000,000 New Financing Round”
Cody Garners $250,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e09ca479-b3b0-4a4a-82e2-57cf04ad6324 Date 12/19/2014 Company Name Cody Mailing Address 205 18th Ave E. Seattle, WA 98122 USA Company Description Our iPhone app connects you with other plan members and keeps track of your training progress. Website http://www.codyapp.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $250,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “Cody Garners $250,000 New Financing Round”
FolioMetrix Receives $5,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0dc12142-5c04-4082-b8ef-d6b99ba0a8d8 Date 12/19/2014 Company Name FolioMetrix Mailing Address 1000 SW Broadway Portland, OR 97205 USA Company Description FolioMetrix is an investment management research company and the creator of a diverse line of tactical asset management products and distribution programs for Portfolio Managers, Financial Advisors and Institutions across the United States. Website http://www.foliometrix.com … Continue reading “FolioMetrix Receives $5,000,000 New Funding”
Echodyne Secures $15,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0a509049-d773-4a44-a81d-3d48f738cc30 Date 12/19/2014 Company Name Echodyne Mailing Address 2380 116th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98004 USA Company Description Echodyne is bringing to market metamaterials-based radar products. The company is privately held and headquartered in Bellevue, WA. Website http://www.echodyne.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Echodyne Secures $15,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
CommerceHub Acquires Mercent for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=af452a11-512b-4915-8d23-18810775bae3 Date 12/19/2014 Company Name Mercent Mailing Address 1633 Westlake Ave N Seattle, WA 98109 USA Company Description Founded by veterans of Amazon.com, Mercent provides online marketing technology and services to help retail merchants optimize performance across online channels. Mercent’s on-demand platform, Mercent Retail, increases revenue and gross margins by promoting the … Continue reading “CommerceHub Acquires Mercent for Undisclosed Sum”
With $2B Market Cap and New Shareholder Rules, Juno Ready for Debut
Juno Therapeutics of Seattle set the price late Thursday for its initial public offering. It is selling 11 million shares at $24 each, which is where shares will start trading tomorrow morning on the Nasdaq. That puts $264 million into Juno’s bank account, minus fees to bankers and others, for Juno to use as it … Continue reading “With $2B Market Cap and New Shareholder Rules, Juno Ready for Debut”
Redfin Raises $70.9M to Accelerate National Expansion
Seattle-based online real estate broker Redfin has raised $70.9 million in one of the Northwest’s largest funding rounds this year. The investment was led by Wellington Management, at the head of a lengthy list of institutional investors. Additional investors in the round—which follows a $50 million funding in November 2013 and brings total capital raised … Continue reading “Redfin Raises $70.9M to Accelerate National Expansion”
Houston’s Bellicum Pharma Rides T-Cell Therapy Wave to $140M IPO
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals has made a little bit of Houston history. In becoming the latest in a new wave of cancer immunotherapy companies to go public, Bellicum has managed another feat—it’s the first Houston biotech to make it to the Nasdaq in nearly 15 years. Bellicum priced 7.35 million shares Wednesday night at $19 apiece, raising $139.65 million before … Continue reading “Houston’s Bellicum Pharma Rides T-Cell Therapy Wave to $140M IPO”
Yapta Obtains $500,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=336a15a1-2866-4473-9ef2-2c6c07a856e0 Date 12/18/2014 Company Name Yapta Mailing Address 159 Jackson Street Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description Our purpose is to make it easy for you to secure the best airfare deals available on the Web. We do this by giving you a tool to tag the trips you like while shopping … Continue reading “Yapta Obtains $500,000 New Funding”
CookBrite Garners $3,000,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7d2d3f60-b1b8-449e-a443-680fd935cbd7 Date 12/18/2014 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 $3,000,000 Seed Financing”
Skytap Obtains $35,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=288919a2-815a-45db-a7f5-8f5ea2929f2b Date 12/18/2014 Company Name Skytap Mailing Address 710 2nd Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description Skytap is the leading provider of cloud-based virtualization solutions available as on-demand services over the Web. Virtualization is poised to become the defining technology of the 21st century and Skytap’s goal is to make serving … Continue reading “Skytap Obtains $35,000,000 New Funding”
Utrip Receives $850,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=50d5e2ae-c517-4f94-b93f-9ffad4f695cb Date 12/17/2014 Company Name Utrip Mailing Address 530 4th Ave West Seattle, WA 98119 USA Company Description Utrip is a free travel planning site that brings together the best in artificial intelligence and human experience, making it easy for travelers to create their perfect trip quickly. Website http://www.utrip.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Utrip Receives $850,000 New Financing Round”
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Magnovision?
When the ads for Mars vacations came on the TV, Doug Quaid couldn’t turn away. He thought about Mars at work, dreamed about it at night, badgered his wife about going there. She reminded him that they couldn’t afford it—and anyway, Saturn is much nicer. But he could not get Mars out of his head. … Continue reading “Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Magnovision?”
Intrigue and Outdated Rules Complicate Big Biotech Patent Fight
How’s this for strange? What’s likely the most important biotech patent battle of the decade is now being fought under outmoded rules that the U.S. Congress, in a rare spasm of common purpose three years ago, agreed roundly were due for a once-in-a-lifetime overhaul. The fight is over CRISPR/Cas9, a potential Nobel-winning biotech discovery, and … Continue reading “Intrigue and Outdated Rules Complicate Big Biotech Patent Fight”
Oncothyreon Pays $20M for Array BioPharma’s Breast Cancer Drug
Oncothyreon and Array BioPharma announced today that they have updated their development agreement around a breast cancer drug invented by Array. Oncothyreon, based in Seattle, will pay Boulder, CO-based Array (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARRY]]) a $20 million upfront fee and take full responsibility for the development and commercialization of the drug, known as ONT-380. If it manages … Continue reading “Oncothyreon Pays $20M for Array BioPharma’s Breast Cancer Drug”
Dolly Receives $1,700,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1118ec0a-e503-48e8-8c00-7549385d19ee Date 12/12/2014 Company Name Dolly Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98103 USA Company Description Dolly is a marketplace that connects you with a reliable, background-checked Helper who has a truck, van, or large SUV. Browse with confidence knowing that you can get a large purchase home. Website http://www.getdolly.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Dolly Receives $1,700,000 Seed Funding”
Seattle’s QuestionPro Acquires RapidEngage (aka SlimSurveys)
QuestionPro, a Seattle Web-survey and market-research company, has acquired RapidEngage, a San Diego startup with micro survey technology that enables merchants and other businesses to gather customer feedback in less than 30 seconds. RapidEngage was co-founded in 2012 as SlimSurveys by Sean Callahan, Rodney Rumford, and Daniel Marashlian. They self-funded the startup, and Rumford said … Continue reading “Seattle’s QuestionPro Acquires RapidEngage (aka SlimSurveys)”
Microsoft Plans More Startup Accelerators in Seattle, Elsewhere
Microsoft feted the first batch of startups to go through its Seattle accelerator Wednesday with a demo day in the heart of Amazon’s neighborhood. And despite their competition for workers and customers, Amazon employees were invited inside, a gesture that the accelerator’s leader called a sign of Microsoft’s new openness, particularly in support of entrepreneurship. … Continue reading “Microsoft Plans More Startup Accelerators in Seattle, Elsewhere”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Versant, BayBio/CHI Merger, von Emster
A programming note: The American Society of Hematology’s annual meeting, which took place Friday through Tuesday in San Francisco, took up much of the week’s biopharma news. We’ve decided to post a separate roundup of our own reports and news we couldn’t cover. Overshadowed by ASH, there was nonetheless other news on the West Coast. … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Versant, BayBio/CHI Merger, von Emster”
How Big Data Improves Sales Management and Predicts Performance
Enterprises worth their salt typically use a set of standard key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate progress, but there are limits to the effectiveness of these measures in improving or predicting future performance. According to Harvard Business Review, the top KPIs in sales include average annual quota and quota attainment average. The former describes the … Continue reading “How Big Data Improves Sales Management and Predicts Performance”
ASH Roundup: Immunotherapy Stars, Gene Therapy Leaps Ahead
Cancer immunotherapy and gene therapy grabbed many of the headlines from this past weekend’s American Society of Hematology meeting in San Francisco, and a number of the companies those fields look primed to cash in with big offerings in the coming weeks. Two such companies are already prepping to do so: Juno Therapeutics of Seattle, … Continue reading “ASH Roundup: Immunotherapy Stars, Gene Therapy Leaps Ahead”
As VCs Move Upstream, Madrona Venture Labs Builds Its Own Startups
In recent years, venture capitalists have been investing earlier in promising entrepreneurs and startups, nurturing their ideas in incubators, and creating programs to select the best teams and accelerate their growth. Seattle-based Madrona Venture Group is going one step further with an effort to directly form and develop high-potential software startups—based on the ideas of … Continue reading “As VCs Move Upstream, Madrona Venture Labs Builds Its Own Startups”
Spare5 Secures $3,250,000 Seed Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=723603cb-7bc0-4475-8bec-708bd88de083 Date 12/9/2014 Company Name Spare5 Mailing Address 999 3rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description Spare5 is designed to be the default “do work now” app for every smartphone owner on the planet. A tremendous opportunity exists to better people’s lives by making time they spend on mobile devices more … Continue reading “Spare5 Secures $3,250,000 Seed Round”