Category: Seattle

PhaseRx Receives $500,005 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8da54ae6-e76f-4d0d-9bab-d07ff3bf50a1 Date 7/12/2013 Company Name PhaseRx Mailing Address 410 West Harrison Street Seattle, WA 98119 Company Description PhaseRx is an RNAi delivery technology company developing a breakthrough polymer-based system that enables the systemic delivery of RNAi-based drugs and potentially other macromolecules as therapeutic products. Website http://www.phaserx.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $500,005 … Continue reading “PhaseRx Receives $500,005 New Funding Round”

X2 Biosystems Obtains $720,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=175dff2a-6cae-4d5d-b415-0cd9cf34040b Date 7/12/2013 Company Name X2 Biosystems Mailing Address 1927 Post Alley Seattle, WA 98101 Company Description The X2 system notifies athletic trainers, coaches, and team physicians in real time about impacts to players heads, and provides a suite of tools supporting athlete assessment in bench vs. play decisions, recovery and safe … Continue reading “X2 Biosystems Obtains $720,000 New Financing Round”

Seattle, Microsoft Target Energy Savings for Buildings in Pilot Project

The operators of four Seattle buildings hope new data-gathering and analysis software, based on Microsoft’s cloud computing platform and being tested in a city pilot project, will help identify significant energy savings opportunities. The city is running the High-Performance Buildings Pilot Project as part of a long-term effort to advance the cleantech industry locally. A … Continue reading “Seattle, Microsoft Target Energy Savings for Buildings in Pilot Project”

Microsoft’s Reboot: Rashid, DelBene, Mundie Reassigned or Retiring

[Updated 3:20 pm with detail] The world of Microsoft watchers knew it was coming: a major reorganization of the company around CEO Steve Ballmer’s vision of a more unified “devices and services” business. Today, we got the details from Ballmer himself, through his all-staff memo and a New York Times interview. It’s a dramatic makeover. … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Reboot: Rashid, DelBene, Mundie Reassigned or Retiring”

Seven Questions for the CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association

You may never have heard of the Consumer Electronics Association, but you’ve definitely heard of its most famous annual event: the huge Consumer Electronics Show, or International CES. The four-day extravaganza draws more than 150,000 attendees to Las Vegas each January to see keynote talks by top industry CEOs and exhibits from 3,000 companies. Interestingly, … Continue reading “Seven Questions for the CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association”

LSINW Roundup: Alder, Omeros, Adaptive and Women to Watch

The weather is great in Seattle, the tourists are here. It must be time to invite folks in for a biotech conference. The local biotech community came together yesterday at the Washington State Convention Center for its biggest annual gathering, Life Science Innovation Northwest. Steve Burrill came and gave his usual healthcare world overview talk … Continue reading “LSINW Roundup: Alder, Omeros, Adaptive and Women to Watch”

Is Crowdfunding The Future For Biomedical Research?

Microryza.com (not the catchiest of names) is a crowdfunding platform for research that raises money over the Internet from individuals who are willing to donate small amounts to fund a specific project. The average donation according to Microryza is $92. In return for a 5 percent cut of funds raised and a 3 percent credit … Continue reading “Is Crowdfunding The Future For Biomedical Research?”

Trusting Your Partners: A Chat With Celgene’s George Golumbeski

It’s no secret that biotech IPOs, for the first time in at least 10 years, are suddenly white hot. Companies with sparse evidence from clinical trials, or those with drugs that have failed such trials, are finding success raising cash from public investors. But take a look at some of the best performing biotech IPOs … Continue reading “Trusting Your Partners: A Chat With Celgene’s George Golumbeski”

Rep. DelBene Talks Immigration Reform, Electronic Privacy, Sales Tax

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene represents what has been described as one of the most evenly divided districts in the country. The redrawn First Congressional District of Washington state also contains several geographical and economic elements—from agricultural and high-tech businesses to a lengthy stretch of Canadian border—that have a major stake in the outcome of the immigration … Continue reading “Rep. DelBene Talks Immigration Reform, Electronic Privacy, Sales Tax”

OwnZones Media Network Secures $460,242 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=69c84f87-2499-4d1e-936c-9b92398e39c7 Date 7/10/2013 Company Name OwnZones Media Network Mailing Address PO Box 2937 Redmond, WA 98703 Company Description The company is creating a digital ecosystem that allows users to pay for content. Website http://www.ownzones.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $460,242 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “OwnZones Media Network Secures $460,242 New Funding”

Kymeta Raises $50M To Upend Satellite Antenna Business

Satellite antenna maker Kymeta may be only a year old, but with a $50 million financing round and the technology backing of Intellectual Ventures, the company can hardly be called a startup. The Redmond, WA, company—which uses patented metamaterials to make antennae that it says will beat existing technologies on size, weight, power requirements, and … Continue reading “Kymeta Raises $50M To Upend Satellite Antenna Business”

WTIA Golf Open

The Washington Technology Industry Association holds its annual 18-hole golf tournament Monday, July 22, at Glendale Country Club, in Bellevue, WA. To request an invitation to the event, contact Kelly Mayeda at [email protected]. The registration deadline is July 19. More information is available here. (Note: Xconomy is a media partner for the event.)

After Virtualization: VMware’s Valiant Plan to Co-opt the Cloud

VMware has outgrown its name. The “VM” stands for virtual machines, and the “ware” stands for the software needed to create them. The original idea, based on research in the 1990s by co-founder Mendel Rosenblum, the husband of founding CEO Diane Greene, was to help companies get more performance out of their computers by setting … Continue reading “After Virtualization: VMware’s Valiant Plan to Co-opt the Cloud”

Kymeta Receives $50,000,000 Series C Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=95f3f9af-609f-483e-b12d-0afb7ea40a0e Date 7/9/2013 Company Name Kymeta Mailing Address 12277 134th Court NE Redmond, WA 98052 Company Description Kymeta’s mTennaTM products will simplify the connection between mobile users and high capacity Ka-band communications satellites, allowing passengers on planes, trains, boats, automobiles and other vehicles to enjoy the same kind of broadband experience that … Continue reading “Kymeta Receives $50,000,000 Series C Funding”

Nine Observations on Leadership From North America’s Highest Peak

People are always striving to develop their leadership skills, or to find a leader worth following. But sometimes the trick is recognizing when you’re in the presence of strong leadership, and learning from it. Your normal BioBeat will return to this space next week, but lately I’ve been fixated on absorbing leadership lessons for business … Continue reading “Nine Observations on Leadership From North America’s Highest Peak”

The Denali Expedition: A Photo Essay

I’ve been dreaming about Denali since I started climbing mountains a decade ago with two best friends. This is the year we made it happen. As many Xconomy readers know, I just returned from a successful three-week expedition to climb Alaska’s Denali, the highest peak in North America. Many saw me grow a beard to … Continue reading “The Denali Expedition: A Photo Essay”

Apple, Amazon, Samsung Targeted in Boston University Patent Suits

Boston University has launched a series of patent lawsuits against Apple, Samsung, Amazon, and a long list of smaller electronics suppliers, a surprising show of legal aggression from the private university. The series of lawsuits, which date back to October, revolve around a pair of patents for semiconductor technology that can be used to make … Continue reading “Apple, Amazon, Samsung Targeted in Boston University Patent Suits”

Baseball and Biopharma: More Alike Than You Might Realize

This may seem like a surprising observation, but it’s true. Biopharma companies and baseball teams employ similar strategies that they hope will result in either a blockbuster drug or winning the World Series. The challenges each faces are significant. Did you realize that the percentage of drugs that are put into clinical trials and successfully … Continue reading “Baseball and Biopharma: More Alike Than You Might Realize”

While I Was Away on Denali: NanoString, Mirabilis, Seattle Genetics

This week, I flew home after a three-week expedition to summit the highest peak in North America—Alaska’s Denali (Mt. McKinley). Three weeks is a long time in the news business. So here’s a roundup of Seattle biotech highlights that I missed, many of which were covered by colleagues who held down the fort. —Jens Quistgaard … Continue reading “While I Was Away on Denali: NanoString, Mirabilis, Seattle Genetics”

Planetary Resources Secures $1,505,366 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9df115ea-3cf8-4c94-9043-0ff540f0cfb8&Preview=1 Date 7/3/2013 Company Name Planetary Resources Mailing Address 93 S Jackson St Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Planetary Resources is establishing a new paradigm for resource discovery and utilization that will bring the solar system into humanity’s sphere of influence. Our technical principals boast extensive experience in all phases of robotic … Continue reading “Planetary Resources Secures $1,505,366 New Financing Round”

Cleantech Angel Group NWEA On Pace to Break 2012 Investing Record

Let’s hold off on the wake for early-stage cleantech investing in the Northwest. With more than $1.8 million invested so far in 2013, Northwest Energy Angels (NWEA) is on pace to surpass its record 2012. The longest-tenured cleantech angel investing group in the country has bet on 10 companies through the first half of this … Continue reading “Cleantech Angel Group NWEA On Pace to Break 2012 Investing Record”

Outerwall, aka Coinstar, Pays $350 Million for San Diego’s EcoATM

Bellevue, WA-based Coinstar says today that it has agreed to pay $350 million in cash to acquire EcoATM, the San Diego cleantech startup that operates kiosks for recycling electronic mobile devices. The automated retailer, which already was a major investor in EcoATM, with a 23 percent stake, also has changed its name Outerwall, along with … Continue reading “Outerwall, aka Coinstar, Pays $350 Million for San Diego’s EcoATM”

When You Are Facing a Tsunami of Barriers, Surf Like a Woman

All entrepreneurs face roadblocks when they are starting up. It’s part of the job. For Surbhi Sarna, who founded of nVision Medical in 2012, things are more intense. NVision Medical is an early stage women’s health business focused building medical devices that help detect ovarian cancer and infertility. It recently raised over $4 million in … Continue reading “When You Are Facing a Tsunami of Barriers, Surf Like a Woman”

Wall St. Loves Biotech, Leading Venture-Backed IPOs in Q2

[Updated 6:15 pm. NVCA now says historical IPO data in its report was misstated and will be revised later. This version removes earlier references to historical deal trends.] We knew that biotech companies were lighting up the stock market this year. Today, the National Venture Capital Association has fresh numbers illustrating Wall Street’s love affair … Continue reading “Wall St. Loves Biotech, Leading Venture-Backed IPOs in Q2”

Happy Summer: Notable Second Quarter Stories from Xconomy Seattle

Summer arrives in earnest this week with warm weather and Independence Day. Before we get lost in a haze of barbecue and fireworks smoke, let’s take a look back at notable Seattle-area Xconomy stories from the second quarter. —Tableau Software’s successful May IPO underscored continued investor interest in big data companies, and Seattle’s leadership in … Continue reading “Happy Summer: Notable Second Quarter Stories from Xconomy Seattle”

Factor.io Obtains $95,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8bd8f02a-6a35-495f-92f1-c5f388f80c63&Preview=1 Date 7/1/2013 Company Name Factor.io Mailing Address 319 SW Washington St. Portland, OR 97204 Company Description Factor.io is a service which enables you to connect best-of-breed tools you already use in your development workflow with a simple if-this-then-that interface. Website http://www.factor.io Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $95,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “Factor.io Obtains $95,000 New Funding Round”

Reputation.com Acquires PaperKarma for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a5105db2-4643-4b29-b045-2b360183220e&Preview=1 Date 6/29/2013 Company Name PaperKarma Mailing Address 640 W Lake Samm Pkwy NE Bellevue, WA 98008 Company Description PaperKarma is a product of Readabl, Inc. The company was started by two guys in Seattle who detest unsolicited paper mail. Our mission is to help you take control of your home or … Continue reading “Reputation.com Acquires PaperKarma for Undisclosed Sum”

PasswordBox: Strong Passwords That You Don’t Have to Remember

Leave it to tech entrepreneurs to turn bad news into good news. For most of us, our passwords are the keys to our entire digital lives. The bad news is that we’re losing the race to keep these passwords safe from hacker attacks. Making up a secure yet memorable password used to be a matter … Continue reading “PasswordBox: Strong Passwords That You Don’t Have to Remember”

Civic Hackers Must Work With Governments, Not Just Disrupt Them

I recently helped organize the National Civic Day of Hacking activities in Detroit and I was very impressed with my city’s outpouring of problems, and the hackers that came out to show support. Right now is a great time to be a technologist because our tools have advanced by leaps and bounds over the years. … Continue reading “Civic Hackers Must Work With Governments, Not Just Disrupt Them”

Perlego Systems Secures $600,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8192814b-d06c-45ef-82a0-0d159a94fa27&Preview=1 Date 6/28/2013 Company Name Perlego Systems Mailing Address 371 NE Gilman Blvd Issaquah, WA 98027 Company Description Perlego Systems, Inc. is the only provider of end-to-end mobile device lifecycle management solutions that allow enterprises, resellers and device manufacturers to effectively manage deployed smart wireless devices, regardless of platform or carrier. Website … Continue reading “Perlego Systems Secures $600,000 New Financing”

Discuzz Lands $3,000,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=012b3401-50e3-46cd-b775-56cbd3d42923&Preview=1 Date 6/28/2013 Company Name Discuzz Mailing Address 12951 Bel-Red Road Bellevue, WA 98005 Company Description Discuzz is a pioneer in helping our customers better communicate with their customers and partners. We have many choices in how we communicate like email, telephone, web conferences, file sharing services and public social media. Website … Continue reading “Discuzz Lands $3,000,000 Series A Financing Round”

Blaze Bioscience Secures $8,080,400 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=58ce9555-aa52-440a-8cf1-5fa4e3b26c53&Preview=1 Date 6/28/2013 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 $8,080,400 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “Blaze Bioscience Secures $8,080,400 Series B Funding”

PaperKarma Lands $8,000,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d6c1e3e8-62a4-4a95-a4f3-f2e9ead5f354&Preview=1 Date 6/28/2013 Company Name PaperKarma Mailing Address 640 W Lake Samm Pkwy NE Bellevue, WA 98008 Company Description PaperKarma is a product of Readabl, Inc. The company was started by two guys in Seattle who detest unsolicited paper mail. Our mission is to help you take control of your home or … Continue reading “PaperKarma Lands $8,000,000 Series A Financing Round”

Seattle Roundup: NanoString IPOs, Socrata Scores $18M, and More

The second quarter is wrapping up with a less-than-stellar IPO for NanoString Technologies, a major raise by government data company Socrata, a DARPA grant for a UW team making a portable diagnostic device, good news/bad news about traffic congestion, and a first Startup Weekend event in Bellevue, WA. —NanoString Technologies, the Seattle gene expression diagnostics … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: NanoString IPOs, Socrata Scores $18M, and More”

6 Reasons Why the MIT Blackjack Team Became Entrepreneurs

Wow. Imagine being invited to moderate a free-form discussion with the people who lived out the book “Bringing Down the House” and the movie “21.” It doesn’t get any better than this. At Xconomy’s XSITE conference last week, I had the honor of moderating a reunion panel of the MIT Blackjack Team with two of … Continue reading “6 Reasons Why the MIT Blackjack Team Became Entrepreneurs”

Lifecom Garners $1,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9afde0f3-5f8c-47f7-a33e-0735066addcd&Preview=1 Date 6/27/2013 Company Name Lifecom Mailing Address 2828 Sw Corbett Portland, OR 97201 Company Description Lifecom has developed an entirely new form of artificial intelligence technology to provide knowledge, quality assurance and safety for medical practitioners of all skill levels at the point of care. Website http://www.lifecomhealth.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Lifecom Garners $1,000,000 Series A Funding”

NexPlanar Receives $5,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bb16b198-1439-4688-92b5-4a7fb7eeb782&Preview=1 Date 6/27/2013 Company Name NexPlanar Mailing Address 7175 NW Evergreen Parkway Hillsboro, OR 97124 Company Description NexPlanar builds the next generation of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pads for the semiconductor device industry. Our propriety nano-domain technology coupled with patented molded grooves and the unique ability to tune the pads results in … Continue reading “NexPlanar Receives $5,000,000 New Funding Round”

Planetary Resources Inks 3D Systems Deal, Plans Test Launch From ISS

Planetary Resources is adding a new investor and collaborator to help manufacture its planned asteroid-mining spacecraft, a test version of which could be launched into low-Earth orbit from the International Space Station in less than a year. The Bellevue, WA, company is taking an undisclosed investment from 3D Systems (NYSE: [[ticker:DDD]]) and will make use … Continue reading “Planetary Resources Inks 3D Systems Deal, Plans Test Launch From ISS”

GROW 2013

From the conference website: “We created the GROW conference to help entrepreneurs build the next billion dollar company. GROW is about the future of innovation, growth and entrepreneurship. It is a curated environment that brings together technology pioneers, founders, executives, influencers and investors who are passionate about identifying problems worth solving.” Information here; registration here.

Strangling Innovation: Tesla vs. “Rent Seekers”

The greatest number of jobs is created when startups create a new market—one where the product or service never existed before or is radically more convenient. Yet this is where startups will run into anti-innovation opponents they may not expect. These opponents have their own name—“rent seekers”—the landlords of the status-quo. Smart startups prepare to … Continue reading “Strangling Innovation: Tesla vs. “Rent Seekers””

NASA’s ‘Coolest Person’ Says It Takes All Kinds to Push Boundaries

Nearly a year later, it still sends tingles up your spine: The sounds and images of the spacecraft slamming into the Martian atmosphere, precisely depositing its payload—the car-sized Curiosity rover—on the surface using an untested “sky crane” maneuver, and then the cheers of rapt space fans from around the world. “I actually still get nervous … Continue reading “NASA’s ‘Coolest Person’ Says It Takes All Kinds to Push Boundaries”

Constructing Innovation Supply Chains for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Competition via innovation has been recognized as essential for mid- to long-term success and even survival of science-based corporations such as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. As such, understanding how best to innovate, and how to do it more often and efficiently, is top of mind for executives at many large corporations. Traditionally, the approach for … Continue reading “Constructing Innovation Supply Chains for the Pharmaceutical Industry”

NanoString Technologies Lands $54,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ef48a212-c4e6-445a-9f36-f38095437ab3&Preview=1 Date 6/26/2013 Company Name NanoString Technologies Mailing Address 530 Fairview Ave N Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description NanoString Technologies (NASDAQ: NSTG) is developing a patent pending platform for single molecule identification and digital quantification. The NanoString system uniquely barcodes individual target molecules, scans them, and delivers a literal inventory of target … Continue reading “NanoString Technologies Lands $54,000,000 New Funding”

SPARQCode Secures $651,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=631b7383-4007-4e0d-a0b3-f581999c03ed&Preview=1 Date 6/26/2013 Company Name SPARQCode Mailing Address 3305 115th Ave. NE. Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description Our mission is to create and develop the best tools and services for mobile sales lead generation. We focus on real-world needs where our offerings allow companies to hit-the-ground and get instant mobile engagement. Website … Continue reading “SPARQCode Secures $651,000 Series A Round”

Socrata Secures $18,000,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=41373513-399d-45f3-af33-5e728ed8a75e&Preview=1 Date 6/26/2013 Company Name Socrata Mailing Address 83 S. King St Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Socrata is an online community for producers, publishers, and consumers of data. Through a suite of innovative Web services, Socrata provides the world’s most comprehensive platform for social data discovery. Website http://www.socrata.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Socrata Secures $18,000,000 Series B Funding Round”

ActivelyLearn Garners $10,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ada4d7c7-0137-4746-8a5a-dc10819c5cdc&Preview=1 Date 6/26/2013 Company Name ActivelyLearn Mailing Address 220 S Second Ave Seattle, WA 98174 Company Description Actively Learn is really simple. In a few minutes, you can set up a Common Core-aligned assignment for your students. Website http://www.activelylearn.com Transaction Type Accelerator Transaction Amount $10,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes The company … Continue reading “ActivelyLearn Garners $10,000 Seed Funding Round”

Bayer Joins with Seattle Genetics in Antibody-Drug Conjugate Deal

Bayer HealthCare has signed a new deal with Bothell, WA-based Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) for access to its methods of creating cancer drugs that home in on tumors and then deliver a toxic dose to their cells. The two partners today announced a collaboration worth as much as $520 million to the Seattle company, which … Continue reading “Bayer Joins with Seattle Genetics in Antibody-Drug Conjugate Deal”

New Microsoft Ventures Blends Investing, Accelerator Projects

Microsoft is combining several of its startup-focused projects under a new name, with a more unified approach. The new project, Microsoft Ventures, is a mashup of things the Redmond, WA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) has already been doing: startup accelerator programs, early stage investing, and services and support for startups. It’s probably no coincidence that Microsoft … Continue reading “New Microsoft Ventures Blends Investing, Accelerator Projects”