The second floor of what used to be known only as Condon Hall—and the University of Washington’s ugliest building—holds seeds of a re-invented neighborhood where students, researchers, and entrepreneurs learn, work, and live; where tech startups and established companies build businesses with the technology and talent flowing from the university; and where professionals zip to … Continue reading “The Startup Hall Story—How it Could Transform Seattle’s U District”
Category: Seattle
Try Then Buy? Sutro Deal Could Be Celgene’s Biggest Antibody Bet Yet
Celgene, one of biopharma’s most aggressive and creative dealmakers, said Thursday it has forged a deep partnership with South San Francisco, CA-based Sutro Biopharma that could end up with an acquisition. If it does, it would dramatically expand Celgene’s footprint into the world of biologics, which the Summit, NJ-based company has mainly stayed away from … Continue reading “Try Then Buy? Sutro Deal Could Be Celgene’s Biggest Antibody Bet Yet”
Grid-Scale Energy Storage: Is the Price Finally Right?
The high cost of batteries has made them impractical for storing energy from wind and solar or providing back-up power on the electricity grid. Now, though, several battery startups are claiming price reductions that make energy storage on the grid look more feasible. Fremont, CA-based Imergy Power Systems today said it’s developed a shipping container-size … Continue reading “Grid-Scale Energy Storage: Is the Price Finally Right?”
Redfin Acquires Walk Score for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=31c36609-0685-4c84-a3bf-5f1baf75b251 Date 10/23/2014 Company Name Walk Score Mailing Address 1517 12th Ave. Seattle, WA 98122 USA Company Description Walk Score’s mission is to promote walkable neighborhoods. Walkable neighborhoods are one of the simplest and best solutions for the environment, our health, and our economy. Walk Score was inspired by the work of … Continue reading “Redfin Acquires Walk Score for Undisclosed Sum”
J&J, GSK, Tekmira, And Others Take Next Steps To Fight Ebola
There’s been distressing Ebola-related news in recent days. The deadly virus continues to spread in West Africa, with more than 4,500 fatalities now reported, and efforts to halt its spread in the U.S. have been mired in controversy and confusion, forcing President Obama to appoint an Ebola “czar” to coordinate national response. But there’s good … Continue reading “J&J, GSK, Tekmira, And Others Take Next Steps To Fight Ebola”
As Atlas Splits, Is There A Case To Make In Venture For Specialists?
Readers of this column who are of a certain age might remember Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders in black eyeliner, dressed as a diner waitress singing, “I’m special, so special, and I gotta have some of your attention.” Swap “money” for “attention,” and it could be a refrain that venture capitalists are singing these days … Continue reading “As Atlas Splits, Is There A Case To Make In Venture For Specialists?”
Acumatica Receives $13,300,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=821480a8-a520-4887-b3fb-62e94529b8db Date 10/22/2014 Company Name Acumatica Mailing Address 4030 Lake Washington Blvd NE Kirkland, WA 98033 USA Company Description Acumatica is an innovative company that develops an integrated set of web-based accounting, customer relationship management, content management, and business management software designed to improve the productivity of medium sized organizations. Website http://www.acumatica.com … Continue reading “Acumatica Receives $13,300,000 New Funding”
TableSafe Garners $2,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2c2e21ff-d494-495f-8290-929ff5325a55 Date 10/22/2014 Company Name TableSafe Mailing Address 12220 – 113th Ave. NE Kirkland, WA 98034 USA Company Description TableSafe provides solutions for secure payment transactions, while providing a marketing platform for communications between the hospitality industry and their guests. The Company partners with industry leading technology companies to ensure the highest … Continue reading “TableSafe Garners $2,000,000 New Round”
Lytics Secures $7,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e41c944b-443d-4b21-9732-a4ea5b02e3d0 Date 10/22/2014 Company Name Lytics Mailing Address 222 NE 5th Ave. Portland, OR 97209 USA Company Description Lytics offers an adaptive analytical platform for performing complex analytics on structured and unstructured data, all in one cloud-optimized system. We developed our platform to eliminate data silos and enable organizations to analyze massive … Continue reading “Lytics Secures $7,000,000 Series A Funding”
Sanofi-Genzyme Joins $12M Round for T-Cell Therapy Startup, Unum
It’s no secret that cancer immunotherapy is exploding. The pharma and biotech world is abuzz trying to find the best ways to harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer. Startups are getting in on the act, too—like a new Cambridge, MA-based company, Unum Therapeutics, that just came out of the woodwork today … Continue reading “Sanofi-Genzyme Joins $12M Round for T-Cell Therapy Startup, Unum”
Shanghai Report: Big Questions About China’s Growth Plans
It only took a few days after I returned from China for my eyes to stop burning, and maybe the slight cough was really due to the changing seasons in Boston and not the air pollution in Shanghai (now I better understand the amenity in my hotel room—see below). A small price to pay to … Continue reading “Shanghai Report: Big Questions About China’s Growth Plans”
Viableware Obtains $2,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b6afe2ee-6c7a-4cf6-8274-397aaec48dd1 Date 10/20/2014 Company Name Viableware Mailing Address 12220 – 113th Ave NE Kirkland, WA 98034 USA Company Description RAILs are designed to be programmable. This enables the Company to change the devices’ functionality to meet the demands of its customers and keep pace with other fast moving technologies such as wireless … Continue reading “Viableware Obtains $2,000,000 New Funding Round”
Sworl Lands $334,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=aafe3c13-4a82-44b5-afaf-e718a5bdb41b Date 10/18/2014 Company Name Sworl Mailing Address 1964 4th Ave S Seattle, WA 98134 USA Company Description Sworl started when Tom Riley and Steve Dodd, longtime picture framing colleagues, had a brainstorm: “How can we do framing from mobile devices?” What they had in mind—printing, framing and delivering iPhone photos—simply didn’t … Continue reading “Sworl Lands $334,000 New Funding”
Seattle Roundup: Costco, Sworl, GraphLab, AnswerDash, Tack, & More
In addition to significant funding rounds this week for employee behavior measurement company VoloMetrix, Amazon Web Services partner 2nd Watch, and solar energy developer OneEnergy Renewables, we’re noting developments from Seattle-area companies large (Costco and Alibaba) and small (picture framing startup Industrial Generosity). Read on for news from GraphLab, AnswerDash, Tack (nee Snap Skout), Moxi … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Costco, Sworl, GraphLab, AnswerDash, Tack, & More”
Innovation Hub: Introverts as Innovators
Entrepreneurs, bosses, and leaders are often highly social and extroverted—take Steve Jobs or Richard Branson. They can work a room. They derive energy from being around others. But what if being outgoing and extroverted isn’t actually the key to success in the workplace? Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Introverts as Innovators”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Illumina, Atara, Invitae, Canaan & More
From big venture firms to tiny genomics startups, we’ve got plenty to round up this week—beyond biotech, too, as the San Francisco Giants head east to the biggest baseball rodeo for the third time in five years, thanks to Seattle native Travis Ishikawa (pictured). Here’s the windup, and the pitch… —Canaan Partners of Westport, CT, … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Illumina, Atara, Invitae, Canaan & More”
VC Funding Still Robust as Year-to-Date Total Exceeds 2013
Venture capital activity is down from a 13-year high during the second quarter, but a new MoneyTree Report released today shows that venture funding was still going strong in the three months that ended Sept. 30, with $9.9 billion invested in 1,023 deals. That was almost a 27 percent drop from the $13.5 billion that … Continue reading “VC Funding Still Robust as Year-to-Date Total Exceeds 2013”
Solar Roundup: OneEnergy Funding, SolarCity Bonds, Mariners, Natural Gas
The business of solar power continues to attract more money as innovative companies refine ways to finance and connect solar projects to the electrical grid. OneEnergy Renewables, a Seattle company developing mid-sized solar power projects, has raised $5 million in Series B funding, as residential solar giant SolarCity announced plans to sell solar-backed bonds to … Continue reading “Solar Roundup: OneEnergy Funding, SolarCity Bonds, Mariners, Natural Gas”
Fledge5 Demo Day
Seven social-purpose startups will present their businesses, which range from cotton recycling to escargot to green building products in China, to investors and others during the Fledge5 Demo Day. More information and registration for the event, which costs $20 and runs from 6-9 pm, is here.
Governor’s Life Sciences Summit and Annual Meeting
ARCH Venture Partners managing director Steven Gillis is slated to give the keynote address to the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association’s annual meeting. Gillis, the co-founder of Immunex in 1981, will reflect on the industry’s past and future as the state trade group marks 25 years. Gov. Jay Inslee is also slated to speak at … Continue reading “Governor’s Life Sciences Summit and Annual Meeting”
Seattle Startup Week
From angel investing to Sir-Mix-A-Lot, success stories to education by failure, waffles to beer, Seattle Startup Week offers a smorgasbord of entrepreneurship, technology, investing, and resource events for five days in and around the Emerald City. Some events cost money. Others are free. UP Global, a key organizer, has the event schedule and links to … Continue reading “Seattle Startup Week”
2nd Watch Lands $10M More As Enterprise Cloud Transition Accelerates
2nd Watch, a Washington state company that helps businesses move their IT infrastructure to Amazon’s cloud service, has raised another $10 million in less than a year. The company also has appointed a new chief executive as it grows to accommodate increasing demand. “Really what’s pushed us this year has been continued enterprise adoption,” says … Continue reading “2nd Watch Lands $10M More As Enterprise Cloud Transition Accelerates”
R/GA Accelerator Grad Footmarks Lands Investor and New Team Member
Footmarks on Tuesday announced it closed a $1.85 million seed round that also brought an experienced entrepreneur to the team. Shawn Englund, founder of LearnLive Technologies, led the round and joined Footmarks as head of sales and operations. The company graduated in March in the inaugural class of the R/GA Techstars Accelerator in New York, … Continue reading “R/GA Accelerator Grad Footmarks Lands Investor and New Team Member”
Venture Firms Turn Down Funding Volume, but Still Rockin’ in Q3
Venture capital activity descended from the stratosphere during the third quarter, but it was still flying high, as venture firms invested nearly $9.8 billion in 879 deals across the United States, according to a report released today by the financial data firm CB Insights. The amount invested during the quarter was down 30 percent from … Continue reading “Venture Firms Turn Down Funding Volume, but Still Rockin’ in Q3”
Columbia Green Technologies Receives New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=56b32258-ddcd-42d4-b9ed-31e3f8cc449f Date 10/14/2014 Company Name Columbia Green Technologies Mailing Address 79 SE Taylor Street Portland, OR 97214 USA Company Description Columbia Green is an Eco-Technology Company. We are a diverse expert team of passionate and creative individuals who are committed to creating and selling products that better our world. Website http://www.columbiagreenroof.com Transaction … Continue reading “Columbia Green Technologies Receives New Financing Round”
2nd Watch Lands $10,000,000 Series C Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=92a1aae2-0fff-4827-83e5-b6842242bc90 Date 10/14/2014 Company Name 2nd Watch Mailing Address 603 Stewart Street Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description At 2ND Watch it is our mission to bring world-class, Cloud computing tools to companies of all sizes, including enterprise, at an affordable price. 2nd Watch provides customizable solutions that are built to fit … Continue reading “2nd Watch Lands $10,000,000 Series C Funding Round”
VoloMetrix Raises $12M to Market ‘People Analytics’ Software
Seattle startup VoloMetrix is helping large companies answer one of the most fundamental questions a business faces: How do the most effective employees spend their time? The company has raised $12 million from Split Rock Partners and prior investor Shasta Ventures to build a sales and marketing organization to get its “people analytics” software into … Continue reading “VoloMetrix Raises $12M to Market ‘People Analytics’ Software”
Former Dendreon CEO Gold Working on New Cancer Drug Startups
Fresh off a quick exit for his latest biotech startup, former Dendreon CEO Mitch Gold has a couple of new projects up his sleeve—but he’s not letting on much yet. Xconomy caught up with Gold on Wednesday after he gave a talk in Madison, WI, about the impact of low-cost genome sequencing and the scientific … Continue reading “Former Dendreon CEO Gold Working on New Cancer Drug Startups”
How Much Should I Work?
My son, a member of the optimization generation, where pretty much every aspect of his life will be tracked, measured, and ultimately ruled by the Alg, posed a fascinating question to me the other day. He simply asked, “How much should I work?” Now, the context for the question is that he’s undoubtedly a Type … Continue reading “How Much Should I Work?”
VoloMetrix Secures $12,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8e870c24-0186-406a-a865-60b04bbffac5 Date 10/13/2014 Company Name VoloMetrix Mailing Address 2101 Fourth Ave Seattle, WA 98121 USA Company Description VoloMetrix is an enterprise analytics start-up in Seattle focused on providing tools to improve organizational effectiveness and drive knowledge worker productivity in the enterprise. We are passionate about empowering business leaders to make better, more … Continue reading “VoloMetrix Secures $12,000,000 Series B Funding”
Learn From Leading Seattle Innovators at Xconomy Xchange Nov. 18
From the frontiers of modern multi-channel commerce to business intelligence deep inside networking infrastructure, another generation of Seattle innovators is pushing out boundaries to find new insights and opportunities. But what does it take to build an innovative company on those first key insights and ideas? That’s the central question we will answer through a … Continue reading “Learn From Leading Seattle Innovators at Xconomy Xchange Nov. 18”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: CareFusion, Sunesis, Second Genome, Etc.
After a week’s hiatus, the roundup is back. We’ve been busy. New Xconomy San Francisco editor Bernadette Tansey took a first look at a plan to build a local incubator for synthetic biology startups, while I covered an appearance by Tekmira Pharmaceuticals CEO Mark Murray, the first since his company’s drug was approved for emergency … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: CareFusion, Sunesis, Second Genome, Etc.”
Can Salesforce1 Push the Workforce into the Mobile Age?
Dreamforce 2014 is quickly approaching, and it has me thinking about the impact Salesforce (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CRM]]) has had on the way we work and more generally on the future of work itself. Dreamforce is the annual Salesforce user conference, and it has more or less become a must-attend event for anyone in the cloud computing … Continue reading “Can Salesforce1 Push the Workforce into the Mobile Age?”
Azuqua Raises $5M for Business Process Creation in the Cloud
With cloud services proliferating, Seattle startup Azuqua has raised $5 million from Ignition Partners to help businesses create processes that integrate multiple software-as-a-service applications. The company says its Web-based software allows integration among more than 40 cloud services, helping business users do things like track negative comments on Twitter and automatically send an alert to … Continue reading “Azuqua Raises $5M for Business Process Creation in the Cloud”
What Seattle Needs (Part 3): Working Together to Revitalize Biotech
These are incredibly exciting times in biomedical research. Though the biopharmaceutical industry is in flux, prospects for a greater understanding of the disease process, and the development of new treatments, has never been brighter. Gilead Sciences’s new hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) will actually cure most patients of their infections, and replaces treatments that were … Continue reading “What Seattle Needs (Part 3): Working Together to Revitalize Biotech”
Azuqua Secures $5,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=117d39c0-13a6-475e-8044-22d1c5e9d52e Date 10/8/2014 Company Name Azuqua Mailing Address 321 3rd Avenue S. Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description Azuqua helps companies build integrated cloud-based enterprise apps in ten minutes or less. Website http://www.flo.azuqua.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The company, based in Pioneer Square, … Continue reading “Azuqua Secures $5,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
As Virus Spreads to U.S., Tekmira CEO Answers Ebola Questions
Two weeks after Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TKMR]]) announced that its experimental drug was being used to treat Ebola patients, CEO Mark Murray said today that developing the drug has been like swimming in “shark infested waters” but gave no updates about the patients or about future use of the drug. It was the first of … Continue reading “As Virus Spreads to U.S., Tekmira CEO Answers Ebola Questions”
So Far, Little Proof That Digital Health Is Healthy. Does It Matter?
Digital health is popular among investors, there’s no doubt. But is it good for us? Products such as fitness wristbands and online wellness coaching are generating buzz, and as a techno-skeptic I often roll my eyes at the trendy accessories and general assumption that life is easier online. Meanwhile, the funding keeps rolling in. Through … Continue reading “So Far, Little Proof That Digital Health Is Healthy. Does It Matter?”
Smart-Bug Maker Synlogic Nabs $5M From Gates Foundation
Synlogic, one of the newer biotech startups to come out of Cambridge, MA, already strung together nearly $30 million when it announced its launch in July. Now it’s topping off that round with some financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help tackle some of the world’s bigger health problems. Synlogic says … Continue reading “Smart-Bug Maker Synlogic Nabs $5M From Gates Foundation”
What Seattle Needs (Part 2): Dealing With Amgen’s Upcoming Departure
Reality bites: Amgen’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) decision to leave Washington state is a serious blow to our local bioscience ecosystem. Those who think that all of those people who got laid off (or choose not to relocate) will be able to find biopharma jobs here in Seattle are kidding themselves. Our community is not large and … Continue reading “What Seattle Needs (Part 2): Dealing With Amgen’s Upcoming Departure”
Cardiac Dimensions Garners $8,500,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7cf1ceb7-9043-4cec-a0ae-b405c8f955bb Date 10/7/2014 Company Name Cardiac Dimensions Mailing Address 5540 Lake Washington Blvd. NE Kirkland, WA 98033 USA Company Description Cardiac Dimensions, Inc. is a medical device company developing novel interventional tools for the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) and related conditions. Website http://www.cardiacdimensions.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,500,000 … Continue reading “Cardiac Dimensions Garners $8,500,000 New Financing Round”
Companies Work to Make Virtual Reality Appealing Beyond Gamers
[Corrected 10/7/2014, 11:47 a.m. See below.] Virtual reality has enormous potential in gaming and beyond, but it has to be presented to wider audiences in an accessible way. I saw several examples of companies doing just that at a VR event in Seattle last week. The event at Paul Allen’s Living Computer Museum also highlighted … Continue reading “Companies Work to Make Virtual Reality Appealing Beyond Gamers”
Xconomy Xchange: Beauty and the Data Beast—Seattle Innovation Stories
How do you go from the spark of an idea to an innovative company that can upend old ways of doing business or an entire industry? There are big lessons to be learned from the journeys of Seattle entrepreneurs and investors doing everything from crowd-sourcing product development of beauty products to building tools for a … Continue reading “Xconomy Xchange: Beauty and the Data Beast—Seattle Innovation Stories”
Taking a Hachette to Amazon in the Market for Dead Trees
There’s a strange battle going on right now. Weird enough to fit into the science fiction and fantasy section of your local bookstore, but with enough intrigue to make for a good thriller. One of the big five traditional New York publishing houses, Hachette, is mired in a guerrilla campaign against mega online retailer Amazon. … Continue reading “Taking a Hachette to Amazon in the Market for Dead Trees”
What Seattle Needs (Part 1): “Semi-Successful” Biotech Companies
I know what you’re thinking: that’s a pretty strange headline. Why would a city want to attract or build companies that are only “semi-successful?” Wouldn’t it want companies that are flourishing or expanding rapidly? Actually, here in Seattle, we don’t. Semi-successful companies are exactly what we need here as the river of economic change washes … Continue reading “What Seattle Needs (Part 1): “Semi-Successful” Biotech Companies”
Innovation Hub: Niche Social Networks
When most people think of social networks, they think of Facebook. But apart from Mark Zuckerberg’s behemoth, which has 1.3 billion active users at last count, we’re seeing a rise in niche-based online communities, tailored to our personal or professional interests. Gina Bianchini is an expert on building custom social networks. She started Ning with … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Niche Social Networks”
Inside eBay, Decide.com Team Leads Seller Insights, Startup Outreach
I’m in the market for a new refrigerator. A little more than a year ago, I would have turned to Decide.com, the Seattle startup that crunched review and pricing data from the Web to help shoppers know what and when to buy. It was acquired by eBay in September of last year and this extremely … Continue reading “Inside eBay, Decide.com Team Leads Seller Insights, Startup Outreach”
Leveling Information Silos in the Workplace
Today’s mobile device technology has made it possible for both professionals and consumers to have nearly all of the information they need right at their fingertips. Moreover, the types of information now available to them are limitless—it could be work e-mail, travel itineraries, social media updates, or even the answer to that trivia question that’s … Continue reading “Leveling Information Silos in the Workplace”
Opal Labs Obtains $8,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d52ae54e-9f97-4f5e-89d5-2381e9cfc7ed Date 10/3/2014 Company Name Opal Labs Mailing Address 107 Southeast Washington Street Portland, OR 97214 USA Company Description Opal Brainstorms radically amplifies the innovation potential of your organization. Unlock insight sharing across geographies, business units and specialties. Surface new ideas, solve problems, tackle ignored opportunities. Watch your team discover just how … Continue reading “Opal Labs Obtains $8,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
“Downstream Solar” Heats up, Consolidates with Pure Energies Buy
Power company NRG Energy acquired startup Pure Energies today to accelerate its push into residential solar, a sign of how software is becoming increasingly important to the solar industry. Princeton, NJ-based NRG Energy today announced it bought Toronto-based Pure Energies for an undisclosed price to get access to its Web-based system for determining whether a … Continue reading ““Downstream Solar” Heats up, Consolidates with Pure Energies Buy”