A lot of the fun in our current Internet era comes from the ability to manipulate the “real” world with digital tools—arranging a ride, ordering some food, or changing the temperature in your house when nobody’s home. Lob, a San Francisco-based startup, is hoping to add an international network of print shops to that list. … Continue reading “Y Combinator Alum Lob Raises $7M to Expand APIs for Print Marketing”
Category: Seattle
John Maraganore: From “Prototypical Geek” To Canny Alnylam Chief
John Maraganore opened up an envelope in 1994 that changed his life. Inside were the results of the pivotal study of an anticoagulant drug Maraganore had created in the lab. It was the star prospect for Maraganore’s employer, Biogen. If the drug, bivalirudin, worked, Biogen might have its first product—and Maraganore, the glory of designing … Continue reading “John Maraganore: From “Prototypical Geek” To Canny Alnylam Chief”
Seattle Roundup: Mixpo, Hootsuite, Concur, Zillow, Smartsheet, & More
Lots of acquisition news to catch up on this week, including in Northwest digital marketing with Mixpo’s buy of ShopIgniter and Hootsuite’s buy of BrightKit. There were also rumors that Concur is looking for a buyer, and more scrutiny paid to the proposed Zillow-Trulia combination. Meanwhile, executives at a Pacific Crest Securities called Microsoft the … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Mixpo, Hootsuite, Concur, Zillow, Smartsheet, & More”
Innovation Hub: John Maeda on Why Tech Loves Design
John Maeda stands at the intersection of design and technology—and attracts a bit of a cult following. He’s the first Design Partner at Kleiner Perkins, the venture capital firm that has backed companies from Amazon to Genentech to WebMD. Previously, he served as President of The Rhode Island School of Design. Maeda insists that design … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: John Maeda on Why Tech Loves Design”
How the Fukushima Disaster Made a Name for Nuke Startup Kurion
Nuclear waste startup Kurion went from a tiny company betting heavily on government work to one that overnight became a key supplier to the crippled Fukushima power plant. Having gone through trial by fire in Japan, the company now hopes to sell its waste-removing technology to power plants around the world. The Irvine, CA-based company … Continue reading “How the Fukushima Disaster Made a Name for Nuke Startup Kurion”
Techstars to Offer “Equity Back Guarantee” to Skeptical Startups
Techstars is making a new pitch to entrepreneurs—satisfaction guaranteed, or your equity back. The startup accelerator, based in Boulder, CO, invests $18,000 in its startups in exchange for 6 percent of their equity. Techstars also offers each startup a $100,000 convertible note, which can increase its share of the company to 10 percent. But beginning … Continue reading “Techstars to Offer “Equity Back Guarantee” to Skeptical Startups”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Mapp Bio, Calico, Alder, VentiRx & More
The past seven days have seen breakthroughs and heartbreaks for West Coast biotech companies. Mapp Biopharmaceutical of San Diego got promising preclinical news about its Ebola drug, then almost immediately got millions of dollars of federal funding to push it quickly into human trials. Up the coast near San Francisco, though, Exelixis’s flagship product returned … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Mapp Bio, Calico, Alder, VentiRx & More”
Mixpo Acquires ShopIgniter for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=252ac178-a759-4b58-9861-cf6d54114b53 Date 9/4/2014 Company Name ShopIgniter Mailing Address 411 NW Park Ave. Portland, OR 97209 USA Company Description The goal of ShopIgniter is to bring human interaction to eCommerce with social media tools, bridging the offline and online shopping experience. Website http://www.shopigniter.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Mixpo Acquires ShopIgniter for Undisclosed Sum”
Tailwind Transportation Obtains $500,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2051fb1a-bae2-40ea-8ca2-8d24bf476681 Date 9/3/2014 Company Name Tailwind Transportation Mailing Address PO Box 960 Blaine, WA 98231 USA Company Description Tailwind is committed to providing industry-leading software solutions. Our team consists of highly skilled transportation and software experts who collectively have over 104 years of experience. Website http://www.tailwindtransportationsoftware.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Tailwind Transportation Obtains $500,000 New Financing Round”
Bristol-Myers Kicks Arthritis Drug Back to Alder, Shares Tumble
[Updated, 10:50 am ET] Alder Biopharmaceuticals rode a big deal with Bristol-Myers Squibb to the public markets earlier this year, where it’s seen its value climb by more than 30 percent. Starting today, however, the Bothell, WA-based company is going to move forward without that safety net. Alder (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALDR]]) said today that following a … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers Kicks Arthritis Drug Back to Alder, Shares Tumble”
Which Countries Excel in Creating New Drugs? It’s Complicated
A lot has been written lately about innovation, or the lack thereof, in the world of biopharma. One question that often gets asked: which countries lead the way in creating new medicines? Many people think that drugs originate in the nation where the companies that produce them are headquartered. The truth, however, is much more … Continue reading “Which Countries Excel in Creating New Drugs? It’s Complicated”
Clarity Health Garners $1,059,352 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6d9a69f3-7114-43b9-bde8-cda32d97177d Date 9/2/2014 Company Name Clarity Health Mailing Address 811 First Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description For four years Clarity Health has successfully handled hundreds of thousands of referrals between hundreds of physician practices and the ancillary services and hospital systems that receive and treat their patients. As a result … Continue reading “Clarity Health Garners $1,059,352 New Financing”
Centri Technology Secures $6,340,564 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1f515442-a3fe-4631-8b41-deefb62a04a4 Date 9/2/2014 Company Name Centri Technology Mailing Address 701 5th Ave. Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description Centri Technology develops a broad suite of solutions that make it possible for mobile phones to download files, access the Internet and send emails at speeds three times as fast as the current standard. … Continue reading “Centri Technology Secures $6,340,564 New Funding”
Twitch Buy Highlights Amazon’s $20B Bet on Technology & Content
Forget all the corporate intrigue about how Amazon outfoxed Google in its head-turning $970 million acquisition of video-game broadcasting site Twitch. If you want to be truly impressed by the Seattle retailer’s ever-increasing ambitions, just take a look at how much it’s sunk into digital infrastructure and media projects over the past few years. Amazon … Continue reading “Twitch Buy Highlights Amazon’s $20B Bet on Technology & Content”
Seattle Roundup: Bizible, Fledge, CleanTech Alliance, & More
On this end-of-summer week, we’re following fresh funding for Techstars Seattle company Bizible, seven startups selected for accelerator Fledge, a name change for the WCTA, a standout series on Amazon in Europe, and more: —Bizible, a Seattle startup helping companies better understand their marketing spending and its impact on sales, has raised an $8 million … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Bizible, Fledge, CleanTech Alliance, & More”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: ARCH, Ebola, ViaCyte, Calithera & More
Lots of news this week up and down the coast and up and down the biotech food chain. We’ve got a new twist (or fold, if you prefer) on academic Ebola research at the University of Washington, and new workspace for tiny startups in Palo Alto and San Diego. We’ve got fresh venture capital for … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: ARCH, Ebola, ViaCyte, Calithera & More”
New Ebola Vaccine Tests Could Provide Early Results End of 2014
The National Institutes of Health has the green light to begin testing a new Ebola vaccine in humans, and data showing the vaccine’s safety and ability to provoke an immune response should be available by the end of the year. Whether those data are enough to make health officials confident to give the vaccine to … Continue reading “New Ebola Vaccine Tests Could Provide Early Results End of 2014”
Home & Baby Companies Plan To Profit as Millennials Settle Down
Sure, he’s in love with artful neck tattoos and outlandish facial hair right now. But that hipster at your favorite coffee bar down the street is going to get older, and a growing group of businesses are betting that his search for domestic bliss will be a profitable one. A wave of e-commerce companies has … Continue reading “Home & Baby Companies Plan To Profit as Millennials Settle Down”
Data Meets Federer: How IBM and the US Open Mesh Tennis & Tech
Last night, while tennis star Roger Federer took Marinko Matosevic to school in Queens, IBM processed the data captured from the first serve to match point. It was one of many matches at the US Open tennis tournament being analyzed and visualized, for fans and the pros alike, through mobile apps and cloud-based technology. IBM … Continue reading “Data Meets Federer: How IBM and the US Open Mesh Tennis & Tech”
Mobile Development Startups Think Big, Rake in Big Rounds
The mobile app economy is thriving, but can startups make money—and IPO-style returns for investors—by supplying software to the developers who write those apps? A number of mobile upstarts are betting on it. San Francisco-based Xamarin last week pulled in $54 million in Series C financing, which it claims is the largest single round for … Continue reading “Mobile Development Startups Think Big, Rake in Big Rounds”
Open Data Can Help Government Be the Airbnb of Civic Services
Until recently, 99 percent of government data around the world was shrouded in darkness. It was trapped in a vault, gathering mold, and never saw the light of day. But the vibrant open data movement, which is taking hold on just about every continent, has begun to radically change this. Now, government data is being … Continue reading “Open Data Can Help Government Be the Airbnb of Civic Services”
ARCH Venture Exploits IPO Window To Raise $400M Fund, Its Eighth
Amid a boom in life science venture funding, ARCH Venture Partners has closed its eighth fund with more than $400 million in commitments, the firm announced Wednesday, and at least half of it is earmarked for one of the trickiest areas of innovation: emerging biomedical technology and therapeutics. The fund matches ARCH’s previous vehicle of … Continue reading “ARCH Venture Exploits IPO Window To Raise $400M Fund, Its Eighth”
Coelacanths And Other IPO Thoughts Before The Autumn Markets Return
Ah, the final week of summer. Would that it could go on forever. And thanks for reading this on your mobile device with your toes in the sand. Just don’t forget to take a dip or toss a Frisbee when you’re done. No doubt many would like the current biotech IPO climate to stretch on … Continue reading “Coelacanths And Other IPO Thoughts Before The Autumn Markets Return”
Bizible Receives $8,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b4325aff-a1e6-4510-99bc-4b94c8326182 Date 8/26/2014 Company Name Bizible Mailing Address 819 Virginia St. Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description Bizible is a software-as-a-service company offering local businesses accountability and transparency with their marketing efforts through their patent pending revenue attribution software. Bizible was founded in 2011 by Aaron Bird and Peter Thompson, former Microsoft … Continue reading “Bizible Receives $8,000,000 New Funding”
Footmarks Lands $1,570,780 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=93c7cb27-1172-4e38-8f33-ac961a9e87ea Date 8/26/2014 Company Name Footmarks Mailing Address 16541 Redmond Way Redmond, WA 98052 USA Company Description Our technology is like a door that automatically opens as you approach it. Sensors that detect your presence and perform an action aren’t exactly new. What is new and exciting is a sensor that can … Continue reading “Footmarks Lands $1,570,780 New Round”
“Plan” Versus “Vision” Entrepreneurs and How a VC Evaluates Startups
Since I first joined Mercury Fund in 2008, I’ve seen the ups (now) and downs (2009) of venture capital in just six years. Despite the wildly different environments, I’ve noticed that the types of pitches we get, and our responses to them, haven’t changed much. Although we have seen small changes to some of the … Continue reading ““Plan” Versus “Vision” Entrepreneurs and How a VC Evaluates Startups”
What I’ve Learned From 25 Years in the Tech Industry
Building and running a successful startup in America’s fiercely competitive tech industry is never easy. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution or manual for how to go about it. But as they say, experience is the best teacher. So it’s my pleasure to share with you some of my own experiences and observations in building and managing … Continue reading “What I’ve Learned From 25 Years in the Tech Industry”
Dynamic Signal Acquires PaperShare for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d1f1fcbc-766d-458a-a5d0-115a0955ff10 Date 8/25/2014 Company Name PaperShare Mailing Address 303 Parkplace Center Kirkland, WA 98033 USA Company Description PaperShare connects you with the best business & technical information, people and companies in your industry. Quickly find and share documents, presentations, articles, videos and apps related to your specific area of interest – and … Continue reading “Dynamic Signal Acquires PaperShare for Undisclosed Sum”
Innovation Hub: Rise of the Nerds
I was labeled one. You probably were too. And now that we’re grown up, lots of us believe that being a “nerd” is actually a badge of honor. But David Anderegg, author of Nerds: How Dorks, Dweebs, Techies and Trekkies Can Save America and Why They Might Be Our Last Hope, argues that the nerd … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Rise of the Nerds”
Seattle Roundup: Algorithmia, Array, Intellectual Ventures, & More
This week, we’re tracking investments in Algorithmia, which is building a marketplace for algorithms, and Array Health Solutions, which powers health insurance marketplaces. Also, staff reductions at Intellectual Ventures, new hires at University of Washington Computer Science and Engineering, an integration deal between Airbiquity and Inrix, and finally, a story illustrating why UW’s head football … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Algorithmia, Array, Intellectual Ventures, & More”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Ebola, Mapp, Tekmira, ViaCyte & More
Big news this morning: two Americans treated with an experimental Ebola treatment have recovered and are now out of the hospital. (A third person, a Spaniard, who received the treatment unfortunately did not recover.) Meanwhile, the Ebola epidemic continues—more than 1,300 people have died—and with it comes fear and rage. In the U.S., potential cases … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Ebola, Mapp, Tekmira, ViaCyte & More”
Tissue Regeneration Systems to Collaborate with J&J, DePuy Synthes
Earlier this summer, Johnson & Johnson Innovation and DePuy Synthes Products announced a new collaboration with Plymouth, MI-based Tissue Regeneration Systems (TRS) to help develop patient-specific, resorbable bone implants. (That means implants that can be broken down by the body after an interval of time passes.) Last week, TRS celebrated the opening of its new … Continue reading “Tissue Regeneration Systems to Collaborate with J&J, DePuy Synthes”
How to Fund an Atomic Startup
Within the course of two weeks, three nuclear power startups said they received funding from venture investors—a remarkable occurrence given the prevailing wisdom that capital-intensive energy companies are not a good fit for venture capital. Nuclear power startups Helion Energy and UPower Technologies said they received backing from Bay Area incubator Y Combinator, which funded … Continue reading “How to Fund an Atomic Startup”
What’s After Big Data? Niche Analytics, Data Wrangling, Smart Storage
Big data is a “hackneyed term,” said Michael Stonebraker. “I try hard not to use it.” It was wintertime when I sat down with a few database experts in Boston to talk shop. Stonebraker, an MIT professor and entrepreneur, is one of those graybeards who was working in big data long before it was called … Continue reading “What’s After Big Data? Niche Analytics, Data Wrangling, Smart Storage”
Hightower Lands $6,500,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=39ac8551-99a3-4e58-ae00-13d2c60be8fd Date 8/21/2014 Company Name Hightower Mailing Address 81 Vine Street Seattle, WA 98121 USA Company Description Hightower uses leasing activity data to instantly create analytical insights into commercial real estate portfolios. Owners can organize assets by fund, region, or asset manager, and use Hightower to monitor and diagnose leasing performance. Website … Continue reading “Hightower Lands $6,500,000 Series A Funding Round”
PetHub Lands $300,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6fbc66d7-4ef5-4f94-94f6-ef7a32538459 Date 8/21/2014 Company Name PetHub Mailing Address 700 NW Gilman Blvd Issaquah, WA 98027 USA Company Description The people at Pet Hub know that you’re all about your pet. Well, we’re all about that. We’re proud to be part of a community of people that make sure that come dinner time … Continue reading “PetHub Lands $300,000 New Financing Round”
PlayFab Garners $2,500,000 Seed Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1320b842-d1a0-4cec-a8e0-1499423d3b30 Date 8/20/2014 Company Name PlayFab Mailing Address 101 Yesler Way Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description Based in Seattle, WA, PlayFab provides the industry’s most comprehensive back-end service for building and managing online games. The company was founded by James Gwertzman, PlayFab CEO who previously served as vice president of PopCap, … Continue reading “PlayFab Garners $2,500,000 Seed Round”
Sonivate Medical Receives $415,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c220bf63-de03-4815-8dcf-53a49b4500d4 Date 8/19/2014 Company Name Sonivate Medical Mailing Address 8305 SW. Creekside Pl. Beaverton, OR 97008 USA Company Description Sonivate Medical designs, develops, and manufactures high-performance, miniaturized ultrasound probe solutions which combine ultrasound technology with an innovative physical probe design. Website http://www.sonivate.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $415,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “Sonivate Medical Receives $415,000 New Financing Round”
Algorithmia Garners $2,400,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3d8fc536-5f3f-4e2e-958c-6ff03baa6fa6 Date 8/19/2014 Company Name Algorithmia Mailing Address 701 Galer Street Seattle, WA 98109 USA Company Description Algorithmia was born in 2013 with the goal of advancing the art of algorithm development, discovery and use. As developers ourselves we believe that given the right tools the possibilities for innovation and discovery are … Continue reading “Algorithmia Garners $2,400,000 Seed Financing”
Helion Energy Obtains $120,000 Seed Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5ef85d8a-8440-4a26-a2a1-1fb80b5f5c3d Date 8/19/2014 Company Name Helion Energy Mailing Address 8549 154th Avenue NE Redmond, WA 98052 USA Company Description We watched our big government fusion programs continue to spend billions of dollars pursuing commercially impractical solutions and thought, there must be a better way. We came up with a new approach and, … Continue reading “Helion Energy Obtains $120,000 Seed Funding Round”
Neptune.io Lands $120,000 Seed Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bb4de090-4be3-4888-a4f7-4e21984c9ebd Date 8/19/2014 Company Name Neptune.io Mailing Address 2148 Waverly Place N Seattle, WA 98109 USA Company Description Our mission is to help engineers fix server alerts faster, thereby reducing IT downtime for their businesses. Website http://www.neptune.io Transaction Type Accelerator Transaction Amount $120,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes The company will use … Continue reading “Neptune.io Lands $120,000 Seed Financing Round”
New Deals Spur SMTP to Compete With HubSpot, Marketo, Act-On
There’s a battle brewing between tech companies in New England, the Bay Area, and the Pacific Northwest. What’s at stake? The future of technology for marketing. The latest entrant is SMTP, a small Boston-area company that began trading on the Nasdaq in January. SMTP (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SMTP]]), formerly called EMUmail, has a long and complicated history. … Continue reading “New Deals Spur SMTP to Compete With HubSpot, Marketo, Act-On”
Madison Startup Rides Immunotherapy Wave With Prostate Drug
Most men suffering from prostate cancer can be essentially cured if their tumors are caught early enough and their prostate glands are surgically removed or destroyed by radiation therapy before the disease spreads. But for some men, removing the prostate gland isn’t enough. Months or years after surgery or treatment, levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) … Continue reading “Madison Startup Rides Immunotherapy Wave With Prostate Drug”
Helion Energy Obtains $1,500,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=febc263f-0366-4a0e-90b6-2c725f29840a Date 8/18/2014 Company Name Helion Energy Mailing Address 8549 154th Avenue NE Redmond, WA 98052 USA Company Description We watched our big government fusion programs continue to spend billions of dollars pursuing commercially impractical solutions and thought, there must be a better way. We came up with a new approach and, … Continue reading “Helion Energy Obtains $1,500,000 Series A Funding Round”
Innovation Hub: Your Brilliant Other Half
We spend a lot of time celebrating one-in-a-million entrepreneurs: the Mark Zuckerbergs, the Steve Jobs, the Elon Musks. But what if most entrepreneurs are more like two in a million? People who couldn’t realize their vision without a brilliant partner. Joshua Wolf Shenk writes about this phenomenon in Powers of Two: Finding the Essence of … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Your Brilliant Other Half”
Seattle Roundup: Indow Windows, Helion, Startup Next, & More
This week’s roundup features high-tech window inserts at Alcatraz, funding for a fusion energy startup, and investment advice based on making a bunch of white guys uncomfortable. Also, expansion at Applause, contraction at RealNetworks, and new partnerships for Startup Next and Glympse: —Indow Windows, a Portland, OR, company backed by investors including Seattle-based cleantech angel group … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Indow Windows, Helion, Startup Next, & More”
Carless in Cambridge: Bike & Car Sharing and the Future of Traffic
Nine weeks ago, I lost my fancy hybrid street/trail bike to one of San Francisco’s plentiful bicycle thieves. Seven weeks ago, in preparation for a big move east, I sold my car. Now I’m settling into a new apartment in Cambridge, MA, and for the first time in my adult life, I don’t own a … Continue reading “Carless in Cambridge: Bike & Car Sharing and the Future of Traffic”
Carena Garners $1,995,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cd294c22-fc7f-41c6-befd-029cf856070c Date 8/15/2014 Company Name Carena Mailing Address 1525 4th Avenue Seattle, WA 98101 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 Garners $1,995,000 New Financing Round”
Vadio Receives $2,000,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1975d57b-34e1-4461-803d-30177f9a16ee Date 8/15/2014 Company Name Vadio Mailing Address 111 SW 5th Avenue Portland, OR 97204 USA Company Description Vadio takes your digital presence a step further by also offering the ability to easily create and curate additional video channels to compliment your main streams. Think summer playlists, countdowns, or custom channels to … Continue reading “Vadio Receives $2,000,000 Seed Funding”
ClipCard Lands $10,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=34df2cb3-cccd-420e-9df2-f0bb85e8691b Date 8/15/2014 Company Name ClipCard Mailing Address 720 Olive Way Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description ClipCard is dedicated to helping you access the information that matters most — your own. The ClipCard app helps you find, understand, and act on things from across your cloud accounts and apps from a … Continue reading “ClipCard Lands $10,000,000 New Funding Round”