It’s tempting to believe a battery breakthrough is just around the corner, enabling electric cars that drive hundreds of miles on a charge and `round-the-clock solar power. But some of the most tangible advances in energy storage on the grid are coming from digital technologies, rather than material science. Greensmith, an Emeryville, CA-based company that … Continue reading “Software, More than New Batteries, Unlocks Energy Storage on Grid”
Category: Seattle
Q3 In Review: Microsoft, Life Sciences Roller Coaster, UW Startups
Before the summer sun becomes a memory, here’s a look back at Xconomy Seattle’s top stories from the third quarter: Nathan Myhrvold’s May 1997 vision for expanding Microsoft Research helped set the foundation for “what has arguably become the world’s leading corporate research organization in software and computing—signaling its move from a one-off lab into … Continue reading “Q3 In Review: Microsoft, Life Sciences Roller Coaster, UW Startups”
Seattle Roundup: Pro.com, Array Health, Ghostruck, DocuSign, & More
Fall in Seattle began this week with a flurry of investment deals. In addition to new capital for Apptentive and Context Relevant, which we covered earlier this week, Pro.com, Array Health, Ghostruck, DocuSign, and POW announced new investments. Read on for details: —Pro.com, a new online service for estimating home remodeling costs and connecting with … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Pro.com, Array Health, Ghostruck, DocuSign, & More”
Innovation Hub: Techies Fix Government
No one had heard of Mike Krieger when he responded to a call to organize San Francisco’s crime data. He was in his early 20s, working on his coding, and he created an app to help visitors and city-dwellers alike know when they had entered a high-crime area. A few years later, Krieger and a … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Techies Fix Government”
A Quick Stroll Through the Microsoft Technology Center at Times Square
Eager for the world to see its digs in Times Square, Microsoft recently invited me over for a visit to its New York technology center. Equal parts showroom, demo ground, and cloud services hub, this is one of several locations the company maintains around the world to let enterprise clientele check out its technology. Keith … Continue reading “A Quick Stroll Through the Microsoft Technology Center at Times Square”
The Tech Industry’s Changing of the Guard: New CEOs, New Challenges
Silicon Valley is having a moment. A generational shift moment, that is. A new crop of CEOs has taken the helm of tech industry giants who, starting in the 1970s, achieved dominant positions in software, devices, Web services, and mobile technology. Some of these powerhouse companies, which set the tech agenda for decades, have slipped … Continue reading “The Tech Industry’s Changing of the Guard: New CEOs, New Challenges”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Ebola, Immunotherapy, Avalon & More
[Updated with Novo Nordisk obesity news, 9/26/14, 12:38pm. See below.] Out west this week, there was Ebola-related pharmaceutical news large and small. Vancouver biotech Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TKMR]]) got emergency clearance from the U.S. and Canada to administer its unproven Ebola drug to people with the infection, and the company announced a few people had … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Ebola, Immunotherapy, Avalon & More”
POW Obtains $2,500,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d46a7006-8ea6-4999-aa95-5c77f5069215 Date 9/26/2014 Company Name POW Mailing Address 1118 NW Ballard Way Seattle, WA 98107 USA Company Description POW Inc., a provider of outdoor wear, is the parent company to POW Gloves, Holden Outerwear and Spacecraft serving the outdoor gear and clothing needs of customers around the globe. POW Inc. is comprised … Continue reading “POW Obtains $2,500,000 New Financing Round”
Array Health Secures $13,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=db9dcc8c-2afc-4a20-8c71-a4a00971164d Date 9/26/2014 Company Name Array Health Mailing Address 200 W Mercer St. Seattle, WA 98119 USA Company Description Long before health care reform, we had a vision—to humanize the process of buying health insurance. We realized that the one size fits all approach to employer-sponsored benefits wasn’t working well for either … Continue reading “Array Health Secures $13,000,000 New Funding Round”
Context Relevant Secures $13,500,000 Series B Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4b74cd72-48b1-49a5-aae4-edaca7bf1db3 Date 9/26/2014 Company Name Context Relevant Mailing Address 1301 5th Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description At Context Relevant, we’ve developed revolutionary software that enables you to analyze Big Data faster and more thoroughly than ever before. Website http://www.contextrelevant.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $13,500,000 Transaction Round Series B … Continue reading “Context Relevant Secures $13,500,000 Series B Round”
Goldman Sachs, BofA Back Context Relevant, Use Its Analytics Tools
Context Relevant CEO Stephen Purpura is spending so much time with financial services customers in New York City that he got a condo there. The attention is paying off: Purpura’s Seattle-based company is raising $13.5 million from some of the biggest names on Wall Street—Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, New York Life, Bloomberg … Continue reading “Goldman Sachs, BofA Back Context Relevant, Use Its Analytics Tools”
The Risks and Opportunities in a Startup: Age 0-2 Years
It’s a great time to start a tech company. The economy is recovering. The business opportunities are immense. And thanks to the boom in seed investments and crowd-funding it’s easier than ever to raise money for the business. Meanwhile, cloud computing has leveled the playing field by minimizing upfront costs, while social media has made … Continue reading “The Risks and Opportunities in a Startup: Age 0-2 Years”
Apptentive Obtains $5,300,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a2e8870e-22a5-419a-9906-5b4a4465a8f3 Date 9/25/2014 Company Name Apptentive Mailing Address 24 Roy St. Seattle, WA 98109 USA Company Description We believe that you should stop losing customers. You make apps. You publish them. Some people download your app. Fewer of them use you. You keep fighting to get new customers. You focus on growing … Continue reading “Apptentive Obtains $5,300,000 Series A Round”
In-App Tools Maker Apptentive Raises $5.3M from SurveyMonkey, Others
Apptentive, which makes tools to help companies communicate with customers within mobile apps, has raised $5.3 million in a Series A funding round led by online surveys company SurveyMonkey and Origin Ventures. It marks another substantial investment attracted by a Techstars Seattle 2012 company, following the $8 million Series B round raised this summer by … Continue reading “In-App Tools Maker Apptentive Raises $5.3M from SurveyMonkey, Others”
Ada Developers Academy Offers Women a Way into Tech Boom
As technology companies like Google scramble to address the lack of gender diversity in their ranks, a Seattle nonprofit is demonstrating a sustainable model for training women in software development. The 15 students in the first class of the year-long Ada Developers Academy (ADA) are wrapping up their internships now, and two-thirds of the local … Continue reading “Ada Developers Academy Offers Women a Way into Tech Boom”
Pro.com Lands $14,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=05cee1fb-bf5e-4814-afe7-ed64367448ae Date 9/24/2014 Company Name Pro.com Mailing Address 2118 Westlake Ave. Seattle, WA 98121 USA Company Description At Pro.com we’ve made it our mission to simplify home services—especially the up-front research before a project even starts. Website http://www.pro.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $14,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Pro.com … Continue reading “Pro.com Lands $14,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
Aimee Mullins, L’Oréal Talk Progress for Women in Innovation
If you ask Aimee Mullins how to drive innovation, she responds with an athlete’s point of view. Exploring new ideas should be part of a routine, like training for a sport, not just done in a crisis, the athlete and model told me in an interview at L’Oréal USA’s NEXT Generation Awards in New York. … Continue reading “Aimee Mullins, L’Oréal Talk Progress for Women in Innovation”
How the Google X Moonshot Idea Factory Works
It’s not often that a company actively seeks out new problems. But that’s exactly the purpose of Google X, the secretive lab that’s hatched Google Glass, package-delivering drones, and high-altitude balloons that beam Internet service to people not yet online. Astro Teller, the captain of moonshots at Google X, says the company created the research … Continue reading “How the Google X Moonshot Idea Factory Works”
“100K” Marathon: A Decades-Long Health Study Makes Its Business Case
For the past several months, 108 people, most of them in the Seattle area, have been under constant biomedical surveillance. And they like it. They’ve agreed to submit to a battery of medical tests that began this year but could stretch for 25 years or more in a landmark study organized by Seattle’s Institute for … Continue reading ““100K” Marathon: A Decades-Long Health Study Makes Its Business Case”
VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Secures $19,352,414 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=af62708f-b9b1-4a55-bbfa-5a96d79044ad Date 9/23/2014 Company Name VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 1191 Second Avenue Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the development of novel medicines for the treatment of cancer, infectious, respiratory, and autoimmune diseases. Website http://www.ventirx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $19,352,414 Transaction … Continue reading “VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Secures $19,352,414 New Financing Round”
Startup Policy Discussion with Congressman Adam Smith
Rep. Adam Smith, a Democrat representing Washington’s 9th congressional district, including much of Bellevue, Southeast Seattle, and Tacoma, will talk startup policy at a Meetup organized by Joe Wallin, startup attorney with Davis Wright Tremaine. More information on the event is here.
SAP to Buy Travel and Expense Software Maker Concur for $8.3B
Concur Technologies, the Bellevue, WA-based maker of software for managing corporate travel and expenses, will become part of German enterprise software giant SAP in a deal that values the 21-year-old company at about $8.3 billion, the companies said. SAP, through subsidiary SAP America, has agreed to buy Concur at a price of $129 per share, … Continue reading “SAP to Buy Travel and Expense Software Maker Concur for $8.3B”
How To Respond When the Media Calls
Startups and emerging companies raising money almost always have to confront this question: How to respond when the media calls? Media coverage can be great for a startup—especially one that is trying to get traction on the use of its product. However, when companies are raising money, they have to understand the “rules of the … Continue reading “How To Respond When the Media Calls”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Halozyme, Nektar, Allozyne, Novo & More
We’ll kick off this week’s roundup with two more FDA approvals of drugs brought to market by Big Pharma companies but originated in biotech labs. Biotechs have come to represent a big part of medicines that come to market, especially when innovation and medical need come into play most clearly. According to this Nature study … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Halozyme, Nektar, Allozyne, Novo & More”
Sold For Parts, Accelerator Grad Allozyne Reaches End of the Line
With barely a whisper, Seattle biotech Allozyne has been broken up for parts, with most of its assets sold off earlier this summer to a previous licensing partner, Xconomy has learned. The buyer was MedImmune, the biotech division of the multinational drug company AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]), and the deal effectively ends the nine-year run of … Continue reading “Sold For Parts, Accelerator Grad Allozyne Reaches End of the Line”
Code Fellows Plans to Open Detroit Office, Help Fill Talent Pipeline
As part of Detroit Homecoming, three days of events devoted to luring expats back to the Motor City, more than 150 former residents were invited back to learn more about how they can participate in the city’s revitalization. (Allow us to digress: One of the announcements made as part of Detroit Homecoming was that Austin, … Continue reading “Code Fellows Plans to Open Detroit Office, Help Fill Talent Pipeline”
A Prescription for the Achilles Heel of Healthcare IT
What keeps doctors from sleeping at night? Electronic Health Records (EHRs). More specifically, the “homework” these essential-but-sometimes-inefficient systems generate is enough to cause nightmares. In a recent study that observed physician behavior, primary care providers spent 40 percent of their patient visit time focused on their computer screens, clicking and scrolling through the patient’s EHR. … Continue reading “A Prescription for the Achilles Heel of Healthcare IT”
Auth0 Obtains $2,400,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=068393fe-d7c7-4606-8802-01195e2327e4 Date 9/18/2014 Company Name Auth0 Mailing Address 601 108th Ave NE 19th Floor 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 … Continue reading “Auth0 Obtains $2,400,000 Seed Funding”
(Another) Brick in the Seattle Startup Ecosystem
Last night at the grand opening of Startup Hall in the “innovation district” emerging near the University of Washington campus, the crowd witnessed a new key component being added to the Seattle startup ecosystem. It’s an innovation tried in few other cities around the world. This new center of entrepreneurship is not just another coworking … Continue reading “(Another) Brick in the Seattle Startup Ecosystem”
GTCR Acquires Visible Technologies for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5817d42f-f52c-4ca6-9d42-85dd4556254c Date 9/17/2014 Company Name Visible Technologies Mailing Address 3535 Factoria Blvd SE Bellevue, WA 98006 USA Company Description Visible Technologies empowers companies to track, analyze and participate in consumer-generated media to drive their business forward. Their innovative TruCast platform is the industry’s first complete solution for social media analysis and participation. … Continue reading “GTCR Acquires Visible Technologies for Undisclosed Sum”
New Seattle Angel Fund Forming to Back Northwest Startups
Seattle Angel, which over the last three years has focused on introducing more qualified people to angel investing, plans a Northwest-focused investment fund set to begin early next year. The investments will made through the Seattle Angel Fund, a separate legal entity managed by Susan Preston, who is also general partner of the CalCEF Clean … Continue reading “New Seattle Angel Fund Forming to Back Northwest Startups”
McClure Delivers Harsh Truths, Advice to Begin Denver Startup Week
Dave McClure isn’t interested in being a cheerleader. If you were at his speech that kicked off Denver Startup Week on Monday, you didn’t get a pat on the back, but rather a kick in the ass—and maybe other parts of the anatomy. “There’s a lot of rainbows and unicorns bullshit that goes on, and … Continue reading “McClure Delivers Harsh Truths, Advice to Begin Denver Startup Week”
The Rhythm of Management: What Jazz Can Teach Startup Executives
“Jazz stands for freedom. It’s supposed to be the voice of freedom: Get out there and improvise, and take chances, and don’t be a perfectionist – leave that to the classical musicians.” — Jazz great Dave Brubeck Playing in a jazz ensemble and leading a business are very, very similar. And my experiences both as … Continue reading “The Rhythm of Management: What Jazz Can Teach Startup Executives”
Scholar Rock’s Local Approach to Immune Disease Nabs $20M
With a pharma partnership already in hand and big biotech names on board, the Cambridge, MA-based startup Scholar Rock today announced a $20 million Series A round of funding. With the cash, the company will continue its pursuit of antibody therapies that exploit a relatively new biological understanding of the way crucial proteins called growth … Continue reading “Scholar Rock’s Local Approach to Immune Disease Nabs $20M”
Inrix Obtains $55,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=df760be4-9ec9-4bb4-bcd9-4a8ff52cb0d0 Date 9/15/2014 Company Name Inrix Mailing Address 10210 NE Points Dr. Kirkland, WA 98033 USA Company Description Inrix delivers highly accurate real-time and predictive traffic services nationwide, providing businesses and individuals with personalized, actionable information that has the power to transform daily commutes and routes. Website http://www.inrix.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Inrix Obtains $55,000,000 New Round”
Innovation Hub: Why Tech’s Women Problem Is Bigger Than You Think
You’ve seen the numbers. And they’re not good. At Apple, Twitter, Google, and Facebook, women are vastly outnumbered by men. When it comes to technical positions like coders, men occupy 80 to 90 percent of the positions. Which isn’t a great sign if these represent the jobs—and skill sets—of the future. The startup scene is … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Why Tech’s Women Problem Is Bigger Than You Think”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Gates, Orexigen, Medivation & More
The West Coast news of the past seven days was dominated by approvals. The FDA was responsible for two of them. In San Diego, Orexigen Therapeutics traveled a long, long road with its weight-loss drug Contrave, and finally saw the FDA’s green light. But apparently investors didn’t approve; they threw the company’s stock price into … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Gates, Orexigen, Medivation & More”
UW President Young Talks Commercialization, Startups, Criticism
University of Washington President Michael Young, beginning his fourth year as leader of one of the foremost public research universities in the country, talked with Xconomy about university startups, technology licensing, and other ways the university can transfer knowledge into society. The interview, conducted in August in Young’s Gerberding Hall office, informed Xconomy’s broader look … Continue reading “UW President Young Talks Commercialization, Startups, Criticism”
How to Attract Smart People, Smart Ideas, and Smart Money
North Carolina entrepreneurs are attracting attention all over the nation—and all over the world—across the tech, life science, and advanced materials sectors. The proof is in the numbers. Last year, more than 220 entrepreneurial companies in North Carolina raised nearly half a billion dollars through equity investments, grants, and awards from 108 unique funders, according … Continue reading “How to Attract Smart People, Smart Ideas, and Smart Money”
MobilePaks Garners $1,716,406 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=66578ff4-97bc-4021-90b4-30d09b5c5e7b Date 9/12/2014 Company Name MobilePaks Mailing Address 700 SW Taylor St. Portland, OR 97205 USA Company Description MobilePaks employees are building a company that fundamentally changes how people develop, access and share knowledge in business today. We make inspiring, easy-to-use products that help people achieve their full potential. Website http://www.mobilepaks.com Transaction … Continue reading “MobilePaks Garners $1,716,406 New Financing Round”
UW’s Blank on Tech Transfer, Bridging the Milwaukee-Madison Divide
For decades, it has felt like Milwaukee and Madison are separated by much more than 80 miles of highway and fields. The divide between Wisconsin’s two biggest cities—economically, culturally, and psychologically—has at times felt impossible to bridge. It’s a dynamic that’s not unique to Wisconsin (the relationship between Colorado’s Denver and Boulder comes to mind): … Continue reading “UW’s Blank on Tech Transfer, Bridging the Milwaukee-Madison Divide”
Central District Startup Weekend: Hack the CD
A Startup Weekend event in Seattle’s Central District will address the question of how to expand the opportunities of Seattle’s tech boom to the African American community. It will follow the standard Startup Weekend format, with teams working over the course of the weekend on new business ideas. “We aim to help spur new and unique … Continue reading “Central District Startup Weekend: Hack the CD”
Startups, Jobs, Economic Impact: An Analysis of Commercialization at UW
Ever since a landmark law passed in 1980, universities have been able to reap financial rewards from federally funded technologies they develop by patenting them and selling licenses to companies large and small. Some universities have hit pay dirt, such as the University of Wisconsin with its anti-clotting drug warfarin and the University of Florida … Continue reading “Startups, Jobs, Economic Impact: An Analysis of Commercialization at UW”
CrowdStreet Receives $675,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4cd2482c-ca77-425f-901e-2a7c7967100c Date 9/11/2014 Company Name CrowdStreet Mailing Address 308 NW 11th Avenue Portland, OR 97209 USA Company Description In the past, only the wealthiest investors and fund managers had access to institutional quality, professionally managed commercial real estate investments. But with CrowdStreet, we make investing easy. Website http://www.crowdstreet.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction … Continue reading “CrowdStreet Receives $675,000 New Round”
Global Yodel Secures $50,000 Seed Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4b1c991b-45cb-4a59-b251-39cac07e7b39 Date 9/11/2014 Company Name Global Yodel Mailing Address P.O. BOX 231 Anacortes, WA 98221 USA Company Description Global Yodel is a community of citizens from all over the world who inspire one another. We differ in geography and culture but share an appreciation for creativity and the arts, a passion for … Continue reading “Global Yodel Secures $50,000 Seed Funding Round”
An Intriguing Program Takes on Tropical Diseases—But Not Ebola
[Updated and corrected 9/10/14, 10:05 am. See below.] On August 28, Anthony Fauci, the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s top infectious disease specialist, announced a major trial in concert with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]) to test new Ebola vaccines in humans. Fauci called it an “all-hands-on-deck response” to the growing global health emergency in which more … Continue reading “An Intriguing Program Takes on Tropical Diseases—But Not Ebola”
SNUPI Technologies Receives $2,226,844 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7da0ab83-54b5-4612-8057-dab0eb4b5ca5 Date 9/10/2014 Company Name SNUPI Technologies Mailing Address 1415 NE 45th St. Seattle, WA 98105 USA Company Description SNUPI Technologies — for Sensor Network Utilizing Powerline Infrastructure — is building a communications platform that can support a wide variety of environmental sensors capable of detecting water leaks, carbon monoxide, smoke, mold, … Continue reading “SNUPI Technologies Receives $2,226,844 New Financing Round”
Booyami Lands $1,258,385 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0a7c46b4-2798-4197-a6a8-fdb66cdfdb63 Date 9/10/2014 Company Name Booyami Mailing Address 6530 Preston Fall City Rd SE Fall City, WA 98024 USA Company Description Booyami is passionate about streamlining the relationship between banks and their clients. We’ve experienced both the banking side and the small business side of borrowing base certificates. There is a better … Continue reading “Booyami Lands $1,258,385 New Financing”
Xconomy Q&A: Intellectual Ventures Co-founder and CTO Edward Jung
Edward Jung, co-founder and chief technology officer, of Intellectual Ventures, has been out talking about how his company—which was recently described as among Silicon Valley’s most hated—is playing a long game to attack the big problems confronting the world today. On the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia in Seattle last week, Jung sat … Continue reading “Xconomy Q&A: Intellectual Ventures Co-founder and CTO Edward Jung”
RunKeeper Sees Apple Health Moves as “Both Scary and Exciting”
If you’re an independent mobile developer, big Apple product announcements are more than just a passing curiosity—entire companies can be dramatically boosted or quickly crippled by the huge company’s decisions. One of those watching the developments closely was Jason Jacobs, the CEO of fitness-tracking startup RunKeeper. And he had plenty to digest. Jacobs’ Boston-based company, … Continue reading “RunKeeper Sees Apple Health Moves as “Both Scary and Exciting””