Seattle – Page 78

WBBA Life Sciences Day in Olympia

The WBBA is holding its annual life sciences day in Olympia on Jan. 14. For more information, click here.

Xconomy Launches in Wisconsin: Innovation Isn’t Something We Fly Over

There are no flyover zones in the United States. That’s the way Xconomy views the map, anyway, because we see innovation happening all over America. So it is with great pleasure that today we are launching Xconomy Wisconsin, the ninth hub in our growing national network. It is our third launch this year—after Boulder-Denver and … Continue reading “Xconomy Launches in Wisconsin: Innovation Isn’t Something We Fly Over”

What Was Hyped, and What Fell Out of Favor, This Year in Biotech

Every year, Science magazine profiles its “Breakthrough of the Year.” People get excited. But what many readers don’t fully appreciate is that these discoveries—at least in biomedicine—are almost always decades away from turning into useful new drugs, diagnostics, or other products that advance human health. There are, shall we say, kinks that need to be … Continue reading “What Was Hyped, and What Fell Out of Favor, This Year in Biotech”

How Nelson Mandela Inspired Me to Fight Infectious Disease

[Editor’s Note: Alan Aderem is a former political activist from South Africa who now serves as the President of Seattle BioMed, a research institute that focuses on global infectious diseases.] My first response to Nelson Mandela’s death was one of profound loss and sadness. This feeling was soon replaced by recognition of Mandela’s mammoth contributions … Continue reading “How Nelson Mandela Inspired Me to Fight Infectious Disease”

A Revolution is Taking Place in the Treatment of Blood Cancers

I try to avoid sensationalizing early clinical trial results presented at medical conferences, what’s commonly known as “hype over hope.” But at this year’s annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in New Orleans I was struck by the thought that I was a witness to the beginning of a revolution in the … Continue reading “A Revolution is Taking Place in the Treatment of Blood Cancers”

Viggle Acquires Wetpaint for $30,000,000

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eba85864-9ef4-4358-ae0c-7052e59a6011 Date 12/16/2013 Company Name Wetpaint Mailing Address 710 Second Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Wetpaint is changing the way people share and collaborate about passions and interests online through its consumer-friendly Wiki platform. For the first time, anyone who knows how to use Microsoft Word can use Wetpaint to click … Continue reading “Viggle Acquires Wetpaint for $30,000,000”

Former MIT President Charles Vest Dead of Cancer at 72

[Updated, Dec. 14, 2013–see below] Charles Vest, one of the leading contemporary figures of higher education, engineering, and science, and an early friend of Xconomy, has passed away. He was 72, and the cause was cancer, according to an announcement from MIT. Chuck, as most people called him, was the down home, congenial president of “the … Continue reading “Former MIT President Charles Vest Dead of Cancer at 72”

Inslee Opens UW Clean Energy Institute, Targets Carbon Regulation

Gov. Jay Inslee, inaugurating a new Clean Energy Institute at the University of Washington on Thursday, reaffirmed his calls for a price on carbon dioxide emissions in the state. Having secured $6 million from the state Legislature for the inter-disciplinary institute, a feat Inslee describes as “a dream come true for me,” he is turning … Continue reading “Inslee Opens UW Clean Energy Institute, Targets Carbon Regulation”

Houzz—the Alluring App for Home Remodelers and Wannabes

The first time you open the Houzz app on your Apple or Android tablet, you’ll take in the midcentury modern living rooms with their Eames sofas and Noguchi coffee tables, the gleaming neo-Craftsman bungalows surrounded by herb gardens, and the outdoor kitchens complete with wood-fired pizza ovens, and you’ll think you’ve landed inside the digital … Continue reading “Houzz—the Alluring App for Home Remodelers and Wannabes”

State Economic Rankings Don’t Measure Up

This post was co-written with Yasuyuki Motoyama and Jared Konczal. A few weeks ago, a new ranking was published measuring “opportunity” on a state-by-state basis. Vermont came out on top as the friendliest state for upward mobility, scoring well on both the Community and Education metrics. Someone from Vermont e-mailed us here at the Kauffman … Continue reading “State Economic Rankings Don’t Measure Up”

Koru Receives $4,350,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cb582a96-facc-4308-8635-b06b72344609 Date 12/13/2013 Company Name Koru Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98520 Company Description At Koru, you jump right in. On day one of our program, you’ll start working on a real world challenge from an actively hiring company. We teach relevant skills and surround you with coaches and mentors whose sole … Continue reading “Koru Receives $4,350,000 New Funding Round”

There May Be More to the FDA/23andMe Story Than Meets the Eye

Consumers and life science startup companies alike are reacting strongly to the recent decision by the FDA to restrict the genetic testing company, 23andMe, from marketing its genetic testing service. In our day-to-day work, we are frequently approached with a gamut of regulatory questions from both large and small life science companies navigating the intersection … Continue reading “There May Be More to the FDA/23andMe Story Than Meets the Eye”

Shippable Secures $2,500,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cf65c6ce-ea00-44ce-b7b2-ed1dbd2b8869 Date 12/12/2013 Company Name Shippable Mailing Address 788 110th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description Shippable setup takes less than a couple of minutes. You sign in with your GitHub credentials, set up your build environment with one click, and then set up a job for every repository you want … Continue reading “Shippable Secures $2,500,000 Seed Funding Round”

Everpath Secures $370,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4291778b-9e87-4c2e-a9cd-6cc1bb7b9184 Date 12/12/2013 Company Name Everpath Mailing Address 1828 B 27th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122 Company Description Everpath Inc. provides an online platform to search and study online educational courses. The site offers courses in technology, business, and design. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Seattle, Washington. Website … Continue reading “Everpath Secures $370,000 New Funding”

Everpath Garners $370,000 New Round

Roundup: UIEvolution, Shippable Score Funds; Outerwall Layoffs & More

Following the big $32 million funding round for Chef, another Seattle-area company working on automating software development—Shippable—has scored funding. Also in this week’s roundup: More investment for UIEvolution; cost- and job-cuts at kiosk operator Outerwall; a changing landscape in Seattle’s broadband market; and a development partnership for Optimum Energy. Read on for details: —Kirkland, WA-based … Continue reading “Roundup: UIEvolution, Shippable Score Funds; Outerwall Layoffs & More”

U.S. IPO Activity in 2013 on Track for Highest Level in 9 Years

As the IPO counter continues to roll, the EY accounting firm says it estimates 2013 will ring up a total of 222 U.S. IPOs (or maybe 223), with cumulative proceeds generating a total of about $59.7 billion. EY has counted 211 IPOs as of yesterday, and 10 more IPOs are on the calendar for this … Continue reading “U.S. IPO Activity in 2013 on Track for Highest Level in 9 Years”

UIEvolution Secures $8,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7bf10e5b-5441-44f9-8f64-ee3ff0a4e10b Date 12/11/2013 Company Name UIEvolution Mailing Address 11332 NE 122nd Way Kirkland, WA 98034 Company Description At UIEvolution we see a future where our software technology and solutions power dynamic application experiences for any device, platform or network enabling consumers to access their content anytime, anywhere. Website http://www.uievolution.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “UIEvolution Secures $8,000,000 New Funding Round”

UIEvolution Secures $8,000,000 New Financing Round

Novartis, Gilead, Genentech & More: An ASH 2013 Wrap-Up

Advances in the treatment of blood cancer were in the news this week. If you missed some of the signal while seeing a lot of noise from press releases, tweets, and analyst reports coming from the American Society of Hematology conference, don’t feel bad. There weren’t a whole lot of major new revelations that I … Continue reading “Novartis, Gilead, Genentech & More: An ASH 2013 Wrap-Up”

How Do You Want to Spend the Next Four Years of Your Life?

As our Lean LaunchPad for Life Sciences class winds down, a good number of the 26 teams are trying to figure out whether they should go forward to turn their class project into a business. Given that we’ve been emphasizing evidence-based entrepreneurship and the Investment Readiness Level, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when … Continue reading “How Do You Want to Spend the Next Four Years of Your Life?”

The Problem with Bitcoin

One purpose of writing this piece is a vague hope of being proven wrong by some economist who knows better than me. That would be nice. Because what I have come to think about Bitcoin is not nice. Before writing this piece, I presented my common-sense critique to Bitcoin proponents, and so far nobody has … Continue reading “The Problem with Bitcoin”

With $32M, Opscode Becomes ‘Chef’ and Serves ‘New IT’ Platform

The fast-growing Seattle software maker formerly known as Opscode is building a broad platform to serve up a new model of enterprise IT, not just a tool for automating cloud computing deployments. That’s part of the reason the company is adopting Chef as its new name. And the opportunity inherent in a platform that serves … Continue reading “With $32M, Opscode Becomes ‘Chef’ and Serves ‘New IT’ Platform”

12 Things the Pharma Industry Can Do to Rebuild Real Public Trust

Remember when Merck was the most admired company in America? When pharmaceutical companies ranked among the most respected of all industries, because of their achievements for human health and well-being? I don’t. I was born in 1975, putting me smack in Generation X. I started paying attention to the business of biomedical innovation, as a … Continue reading “12 Things the Pharma Industry Can Do to Rebuild Real Public Trust”

Chef Garners $32,000,000 Series D Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8e7b07f2-bf40-4193-8134-5b46b2430873 Date 12/9/2013 Company Name Chef Mailing Address 119 1st Ave South Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description We are Chef. We are IT automation for speed and awesomeness. We give you a model for automating IT infrastructure and applications that drive self-reliance across your development and operations teams. We are the Chef … Continue reading “Chef Garners $32,000,000 Series D Funding”

Roundup: Clarity Health Services, Nurego, Concurix Score Funds, & More

The jaw-dropping $120 million Series A for Juno Therapeutics earlier this week will rank among the biggest Seattle stories of the year. In its shadow, a handful of other notable deals emerged this week, including funding for Clarity Health Services, Nurego, and Concurix, and the acquisition of MeritShare. Meanwhile, 3Tier is opening some of its … Continue reading “Roundup: Clarity Health Services, Nurego, Concurix Score Funds, & More”

High-Tech Holidays: The Xperience Gift Guide, 2013 Edition

Wait, what? Cyber Monday was four days ago, and you still haven’t finished your holiday gift buying? Don’t worry, we haven’t either. But we thought we’d take some time away from our busy shopping schedules to help you find the best presents for the gadget geeks in your life. In the slideshow above, we’ve collected … Continue reading “High-Tech Holidays: The Xperience Gift Guide, 2013 Edition”

Finsphere Obtains $500,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=53bd865e-aa9e-4f08-a68d-ec197cc757eb Date 12/6/2013 Company Name Finsphere Mailing Address 505 106th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98004 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 Venture Equity Transaction Amount $500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Finsphere Obtains $500,000 New Financing Round”

FDA’s Culture Is Genetically Dominant Over 23andMe’s Business Model

I’ve been following the 23andMe saga with dread and fascination and frustration since it hit in late November. If you’re not up to date, David Dobbs has the canonical collection of stories to get you there. This is a post about business models and culture clashes. It’s long. I should also start by disclosing that my former … Continue reading “FDA’s Culture Is Genetically Dominant Over 23andMe’s Business Model”

An Innovative Cleantech Strategy: Invest in Solar PV for Nonprofits

For decades we’ve been led to believe that donating money is the only way to financially support a nonprofit organization committed to a mission we care about. However, what if there was a different way to support nonprofits that could also provide a modest financial return? Perhaps the biggest challenge for nonprofits that want to … Continue reading “An Innovative Cleantech Strategy: Invest in Solar PV for Nonprofits”

A Tablet App from Invention Labs Helps Kids with Speech Disabilities

The field of educational technologies is going through an exciting period. From massively open online courses (MOOCs) like MIT’s OCW or edX and Khan Academy to a range of tablet and smartphone applications, the field is rife with exciting innovations that have dramatically changed the face of education. There is a higher degree of self-learning … Continue reading “A Tablet App from Invention Labs Helps Kids with Speech Disabilities”

Juno Therapeutics Receives $120,000,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bced5a33-c225-48e4-b386-259ef8d8950a Date 12/5/2013 Company Name Juno Therapeutics Mailing Address 307 Westlake Avenue North Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description 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 – in unique partnership … Continue reading “Juno Therapeutics Receives $120,000,000 Series A Financing Round”

Clarity Health Obtains $6,600,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=256c5856-5abb-481d-9f7b-c004e42bd8e5 Date 12/5/2013 Company Name Clarity Health Mailing Address 808 Howell Street Seattle, WA 98101 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 these … Continue reading “Clarity Health Obtains $6,600,000 New Round”

NWEN Breakfast Buzz: Jaech and Lazowska on the Internet of Things

Seattle serial entrepreneur and CEO of SNUPI Technologies Jeremy Jaech and UW computer science professor Ed Lazowska will explore the Internet of Things at a Northwest Entrepreneur Network Breakfast Buzz event Dec. 13 in Bellevue. This lively, experienced pair of technology leaders should not be missed. More information and registration details are available here.

Adapx Lands $2,499,999 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8cf32e2a-07d5-4c7d-8a07-943c3e134272 Date 12/4/2013 Company Name Adapx Mailing Address 2200 Alaskan Way Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description Adapx has developed field information capture technology that digitizes field personnel handwritten information. Website http://www.adapx.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $2,499,999 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. Contact technology … Continue reading “Adapx Lands $2,499,999 New Financing”

Footmarks Receives Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b4d6d8da-137f-4259-947d-12d821ebc9cb Date 12/4/2013 Company Name Footmarks Mailing Address 16541 Redmond Way Redmond, WA 98052 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 be … Continue reading “Footmarks Receives Seed Funding”

Juno Therapeutics Grabs $120M to Coax Immune System to Fight Cancer

Scientists have tried for decades to coax the body’s immune system to hunt down and kill cancer cells, much in the same way it fights viruses and bacteria. The idea has always been to create a standard treatment against tumors that’s more effective and more tolerable than traditional chemo, radiation, or targeted therapy. Today, after … Continue reading “Juno Therapeutics Grabs $120M to Coax Immune System to Fight Cancer”

Roundup: Founder’s Co-op, Wire, Inside Social, Indow Windows, & More

Tired of turkey? Have some Thanksgiving leftovers from Seattle tech: Rudy Gadre is joining Founder’s Co-op as a partner; 2013 Techstars companies Wire and Inside Social got investors’ attention; Indow Windows also raised new capital; Point Inside launched an interesting new mobile app for Lowe’s; and Ed Lazowska argues for the value of computer science … Continue reading “Roundup: Founder’s Co-op, Wire, Inside Social, Indow Windows, & More”

Blaze Bioscience Snags $9M More to Take “Tumor Paint” to the Clinic

Seattle-based Blaze Bioscience, the company making “tumor paint” so surgeons can tell the difference between healthy tissue and tumors that should be removed, just raised another $9 million to see if its technology is legit. The company pulled in the Series B financing from its existing investor network of about 70 high net-worth individuals, and … Continue reading “Blaze Bioscience Snags $9M More to Take “Tumor Paint” to the Clinic”

Modern Day Scrooges Are Ruining Our Health Care System

More than a 150 years ago Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol introduced the character Ebenezer Scrooge, who was the embodiment of greed, “tight-fisted…. a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire.” If Dickens were alive today he’d recognize that … Continue reading “Modern Day Scrooges Are Ruining Our Health Care System”

Blaze Bioscience Lands $9,000,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0baac2e7-9aef-413b-9b3a-1aaf925cfffb Date 12/3/2013 Company Name Blaze Bioscience Mailing Address 530 Fairview Avenue North Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description Blaze Bioscience was founded in 2010 to develop and commercialize Tumor Paint technology, which has the potential to fundamentally transform surgical oncology. Website http://www.blazebioscience.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $9,000,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “Blaze Bioscience Lands $9,000,000 Series B Round”

PharmAthene Backs Out of Theraclone Sciences Merger

Theraclone Sciences tried to merge with PharmAthene for a couple of months, but the deal is off. Annapolis, MD-based PharmAthene (NYSE MKT: [[ticker:PIP]]) chose to pull the plug on a pending merger with Seattle-based Theraclone on the day before a special meeting of shareholders, and Theraclone said today it has agreed. PharmAthene will now pay … Continue reading “PharmAthene Backs Out of Theraclone Sciences Merger”

Financial Apps Will Make People Smarter and More Open About Money

Socially acceptable topics of conversation are always evolving. It’s no longer uncommon to hear discussions about religion and politics at the dinner table. However, there’s still one incredibly important issue that most people would just as soon sweep under the rug: finances. When was the last time you had a detailed conversation with your spouse, … Continue reading “Financial Apps Will Make People Smarter and More Open About Money”

3 Life Sciences Companies That Are Built to Last

Lots of biotech companies today say they want to be great for a long, long time. But which of today’s companies are actually doing it? Which ones are truly visionary, and built to last? These questions have been on my mind since I re-read “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies” in preparation for … Continue reading “3 Life Sciences Companies That Are Built to Last”

Wildfang International Lands $1,975,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e66b8906-530f-41f6-bbfd-dc672e46a136 Date 12/2/2013 Company Name Wildfang International Mailing Address 1230 SE Grand Ave. Portland, OR 97214 Company Description The Wildfang family is currently comprised of 20+ part-timers, full-timers and double-timers, who eat, sleep and breathe tomboy fashion and culture. And what we lack in old age, we make up for in talent, … Continue reading “Wildfang International Lands $1,975,000 New Financing Round”

It’s Time to Play Moneyball: The Investment Readiness Level

Investors sitting through Incubator or Accelerator demo days have three metrics to judge fledgling startups – 1) great looking product demos, 2) compelling PowerPoint slides, and 3) a world-class team. We think we can do better. We now have the tools, technology and data to take incubators and accelerators to the next level. Teams can … Continue reading “It’s Time to Play Moneyball: The Investment Readiness Level”

WTIA: Cloud Security Event

The Washington Technology Industry Association turns its attention to security in the cloud with an afternoon panel discussion moderated by Ed Kimm of WowRack Technologies, featuring Alan Murphy of F5 Networks, Joshua Schmidt of Vertafore, and David Uhler of Slalom Consulting. More information and registration details are here.

Seattle Startup Hydrobee Would Bring USB Power Anywhere Water Flows

After studying innovative ways to make electricity from water for the last seven years, Burt Hamner’s latest venture aims to turn the typical hydroelectric model on its head. Instead of making lots of power in one place—say from a massive dam, an array of tidal energy devices at the bottom of Puget Sound, or even … Continue reading “Seattle Startup Hydrobee Would Bring USB Power Anywhere Water Flows”

Is This the End of Premium Pricing in Drug and Device Innovation?

Healthcare costs in the United States today account for approximately 18 percent of our gross domestic product—far more than any other developed country. Americans’ average life expectancy and the efficiency of our healthcare system are ranked near the bottom of countries with advanced economies. It’s not just a healthcare problem, either. It’s an economic problem. … Continue reading “Is This the End of Premium Pricing in Drug and Device Innovation?”

23andMe: Victim of an Overboard FDA Crackdown, or Provocateur?

Last Friday, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to the direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23andMe ordering it to stop marketing its Personal Genome Service. According to the FDA, the 23andMe genetic test is a medical device, and subject to intense regulation before it can be marketed, because “it is intended for use … Continue reading “23andMe: Victim of an Overboard FDA Crackdown, or Provocateur?”