The recent Xconomy piece on Noubar Afeyan’s ideas for a biotech ”innovation supply chain” got me thinking about how other industries strike a reasonable balance between their big distributors and smaller creative types. I don’t work in the biotech sector but, as a 37-year-old with cystic fibrosis, I am interested in the end-products. I live … Continue reading “Can Biotech Learn From the TV Production Market?”
Category: Seattle
New UW, PNNL Institute Attracts Supercomputing Expert Dunning
The Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing (NIAC) has landed supercomputing luminary Thom Dunning Jr., who will help lead the effort to tie together two of the region’s top centers of computing research. Dunning comes to the NIAC after a career that has included stints at several universities and national laboratories—including Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which … Continue reading “New UW, PNNL Institute Attracts Supercomputing Expert Dunning”
SkyKick Obtains $3,700,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bcd3261a-6f80-4a3f-898b-d6687c708c00&Preview=1 Date 4/25/2013 Company Name SkyKick Mailing Address 200 West Thomas Seattle, WA 98119 Company Description SkyKick is the Easiest Way to Office 365. We offer an integrated application suite consisting of three products that work together to make it fast, safe, and easy for partners to move their customers to the … Continue reading “SkyKick Obtains $3,700,000 New Funding”
NCrowd Acquires Tippr for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bb63b1be-d08d-41e8-bcea-3b2058683a50&Preview=1 Date 4/25/2013 Company Name Tippr Mailing Address 4300 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle, WA 98105 Company Description Tippr is the new wave in collective buying. Our Tippsters scout around town for the best deals for our members and serve them up to you daily. We have actually shopped at every merchant and … Continue reading “NCrowd Acquires Tippr for Undisclosed Sum”
MuleSoft Acquires ProgrammableWeb for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d661e229-c1dc-4e9b-b083-ed1d22abcf17&Preview=1 Date 4/25/2013 Company Name ProgrammableWeb Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98101 Company Description ProgrammableWeb is a Seattle–based community of API developers and consumers. Website http://www.programmableweb.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed by the parties.
Pivotal Seeks Better Enterprise Cloud, with EMC Roots and GE Cash
Can you think of the last time you heard about a startup that had 1,250 employees and a valuation of over $1 billion on the day it launched? I can’t. But then, Pivotal isn’t your typical startup. Unveiled today at a San Francisco press event led by its CEO Paul Maritz, Pivotal is an independent … Continue reading “Pivotal Seeks Better Enterprise Cloud, with EMC Roots and GE Cash”
Startup MovingWorlds Helps Professionals Volunteer In Developing World
Mark Horoszowski wants to make it easier for people with business expertise to help organizations in emerging economies, which he describes with the neologism “experteering.” He came upon the idea while trying to do exactly that on a year-long trip to countries including Nepal, Malaysia, and Indonesia in 2011. Horoszowski had fallen out of love … Continue reading “Startup MovingWorlds Helps Professionals Volunteer In Developing World”
The Devil is in the Details: What BioPharma Press Releases Don’t Say
While my primary focus is on the research side of the business, I have to admit that for many biotechs, their survival may be tied to the art of the deal. Kevin Kinsella of Avalon Ventures shared his thoughts with Xconomy readers awhile back on the increasingly hard bargains that Big Pharma is extracting from … Continue reading “The Devil is in the Details: What BioPharma Press Releases Don’t Say”
Online Resources Will Upend the Textbook Industry
Can a free tablet app render traditional textbooks and publishers obsolete? Will new software for grading papers and short essays replace teachers? Education has experienced a wave of progress in recent times thanks to open education resources, online colleges and mobile computing. Not only have students and teachers benefited from access to resources, but even … Continue reading “Online Resources Will Upend the Textbook Industry”
Brammo Obtains $4,500,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5a3417fa-0ab9-454a-8411-0f8c18807864&Preview=1 Date 4/24/2013 Company Name Brammo Mailing Address 550 Clover Lane Ashland, OR 97520 Company Description Brammo is in business for one simple reason – to drive change in the New Energy Economy. Our technically-advanced Enertia plug-in electric motorcycle – which gets up to 45 miles per charge – is the lightweight, … Continue reading “Brammo Obtains $4,500,000 New Funding Round”
VoloMetrix Receives $3,300,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5f945db9-eb5d-40ec-9824-5c217d3efbb4&Preview=1 Date 4/24/2013 Company Name VoloMetrix Mailing Address 2101 Fourth Ave Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description VoloMetrix is an enterprise analytics start-up in Seattle focused on providing tools to improve organizational effectiveness and drive knowledge worker productivity in the enterprise. We are passionate about empowering business leaders to make better, more data … Continue reading “VoloMetrix Receives $3,300,000 Series A Funding”
Google Acquires Wavii for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=548bc667-1cf9-40bb-bb11-acda9d48afeb&Preview=1 Date 4/24/2013 Company Name Wavii Mailing Address 2606 2nd Ave Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description Keep up with everything you care about in a personalized news feed. Wavii automatically creates status updates for your favorite politicians, celebrities, gadgets, and more. These updates highlight what’s happening, like a political victory, dramatic breakup, … Continue reading “Google Acquires Wavii for Undisclosed Sum”
Chirpify Obtains $2,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c2b1e09d-af83-4a64-abd3-54cb4780c382&Preview=1 Date 4/24/2013 Company Name Chirpify Mailing Address 500 NW 9th Ave Portland, OR 97209 Company Description Chirpify turns Tweets into transactions, enabling consumers and businesses to buy, sell, donate and transact on Twitter. These are social, device agnostic, frictionless, in-stream, one step payments. We do this in real time at scale. … Continue reading “Chirpify Obtains $2,000,000 New Round”
Report: Google Buying Seattle Startup Wavii to Augment Knowledge Graph
Wavii, a Seattle startup that makes a Facebook-style feed for whatever you’re interested in, has been scooped up by Google for “more than $30 million,” according to TechCrunch, citing “a legitimate source.” We’ve asked founder and CEO Adrian Aoun for comment and will update as appropriate. As part of the deal, Aoun and Wavii’s two … Continue reading “Report: Google Buying Seattle Startup Wavii to Augment Knowledge Graph”
Kendall Square’s New Rules
With the events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing last week, I have found it difficult to think about much else. Xconomy had previously invited me to write about the upcoming transformation MIT is bringing to Kendall Square. When it came time to sit down and write this piece, my first reaction was to pass. But … Continue reading “Kendall Square’s New Rules”
Biotech Execs Aren’t Ready to Prove Drugs Have Value, E&Y Says
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act last year as constitutional. President Obama won re-election. After years of runaway spending on healthcare, the well established policy on healthcare in this country is that access needs to go up, and costs need to come down. While many other groups are coming to terms with … Continue reading “Biotech Execs Aren’t Ready to Prove Drugs Have Value, E&Y Says”
Roundup: VC Investment, Tableau Q1, Greenest Building, Asteroids, & More
On Earth Day, the world’s “greenest office building” is opening in Seattle, providing a model for commercial developers weighing the costs and benefits of sustainability. Meanwhile, Northwest venture investment was down in the first quarter; Tableau Software updated its IPO registration statement with first-quarter results; Planetary Resources landed a big partner and investor in Bechtel; … Continue reading “Roundup: VC Investment, Tableau Q1, Greenest Building, Asteroids, & More”
From Assets to Zen: Building Successful Drug Hunting Relationships
[Editor’s Note: This post was co-authored by Jessica Yingling, founder of Little Dog Communications.] A wise person once said, “Select your partner wisely. Because that person will be either 90 percent of your happiness or 90 percent of your misery.” While she presumably was referring to partners in love, this could also easily apply to … Continue reading “From Assets to Zen: Building Successful Drug Hunting Relationships”
A Biotech Innovation Supply Chain: Reality or Fantasy?
Biotech has always been a bit like an open-air market bazaar. Now the industry needs to become a little more stable, more predictable. It ought to be part of something you could call an “innovation supply chain.” At least, that’s the view of Noubar Afeyan, the managing partner of Cambridge, MA-based Flagship Ventures. Biotech is … Continue reading “A Biotech Innovation Supply Chain: Reality or Fantasy?”
Cerevast Therapeutics Secures $1,479,154 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ea8aa905-bd1b-42f8-bf03-6b3652523266&Preview=1 Date 4/22/2013 Company Name Cerevast Therapeutics Mailing Address 12277 134th Court NE Redmond, WA 98052 Company Description Cerevast Therapeutics, Inc. is a medical technology company with primary emphasis in the field of SonoLysis for the treatment acute ischemic stroke and other vascular disorders. Website http://www.cerevast.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Cerevast Therapeutics Secures $1,479,154 New Round”
While Windows Slowly Shifts, Office Drives Forward
A good chunk of the technology industry spent the end of this week gorging on the performance of Microsoft’s Windows unit, which pulled off relatively flat growth despite some doomsday predictions of a collapse in PC sales. Another narrative was tucked into the background: Microsoft’s software applications, driven by its Office suite, continue to be … Continue reading “While Windows Slowly Shifts, Office Drives Forward”
When iMovie Isn’t Enough, Amateur Video Producers Can Go Pro
When you hear people in the tech world talking about “consumerization,” they’re usually referring to complex business software that’s been overhauled to look and feel more like personal technology. But consumerization is washing over other parts of the software market too. One of them is professional media creation and editing. Photoshop is a great example. … Continue reading “When iMovie Isn’t Enough, Amateur Video Producers Can Go Pro”
Venture Funding Slows as VC Industry Contracts, & Top 10 Deals List
Overall venture capital activity slowed in the U.S. during the first three months of 2013, with venture capitalists investing $5.9 billion in 863 deals nationwide, according to the MoneyTree Report released today. Compared with the previous quarter, VC funding was off nearly 12 percent and the deal count was down almost 15 percent. Venture firms … Continue reading “Venture Funding Slows as VC Industry Contracts, & Top 10 Deals List”
Mirabilis Medica Obtains $100,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b70e4f23-05a4-4570-b547-dcbda7349c0c&Preview=1 Date 4/19/2013 Company Name Mirabilis Medica Mailing Address 18706 North Creek Parkway Bothell, WA 98011 Company Description Develops and designs Ultrasound technology for medical imaging. Website http://www.mirabilismedica.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $100,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed
Flowboard App Is Platform For ‘Touch Publishing’ on iPad
The debate rages on: are tablets good for creating content, or just consuming it? The iPad and other touch-enabled tablets are undeniably awesome for browsing the Web, viewing photos and videos, shopping, playing games, reading (for some people), and consuming other digital media. But they are often knocked as clunky when it comes to creating … Continue reading “Flowboard App Is Platform For ‘Touch Publishing’ on iPad”
Bootstrapping With A Paycheck
Entrepreneurs looking to launch their startups are often faced with myriad difficult decisions, chief among them being the question of seed financing. If you’ve ever found yourself asking, “How can I fund this?” or “Can I fund this on my own, while I’m still holding my current job?” the answer is yes—you absolutely can. Vasu … Continue reading “Bootstrapping With A Paycheck”
UW Spinoff Impel Neuropharma Passes Key Nose-to-Brain Clinical Trial
Seattle-based Impel Neuropharma has been working for five years to show it can quickly deliver drugs through the nose, directly to the brain, for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. The animal data so far has been encouraging, but now the company has got key confirmation that it can do its thing in human … Continue reading “UW Spinoff Impel Neuropharma Passes Key Nose-to-Brain Clinical Trial”
When Hell Froze Over—in the Harvard Business Review
In my 21 years as an entrepreneur, I would come up for air once a month to religiously read the Harvard Business Review. It was not only my secret weapon in thinking about new startup strategies, it also gave me a view of the management issues my customers were dealing with. Through HBR I discovered … Continue reading “When Hell Froze Over—in the Harvard Business Review”
Welcome to Xperience, The New Consumer Section of Xconomy
It’s been a busy spring here at Xconomy. Last month we added a seventh city to our national network—Xconomy Boulder/Denver. And today we’re excited to announce Xperience, a new section designed to guide consumers to the best technologies for their lifestyles. You might have stumbled across Xperience already. We “soft-launched” the section on March 28 … Continue reading “Welcome to Xperience, The New Consumer Section of Xconomy”
Startup BevyUp Rolls Out Platform to Make Shopping Social
Seattle startup BevyUp is introducing a social shopping service for online retailers that allows groups of people to browse, chat, and tag items together. The company, founded in 2011 by Microsoft veterans including CEO Mauricio Cuevas and backed by unnamed angel investors to the tune of nearly $1 million, charges retailers for each shopping session … Continue reading “Startup BevyUp Rolls Out Platform to Make Shopping Social”
BEATBio Lands $2,500,000 Seed Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=29c1c206-b73a-4e02-b3a0-05c5187e634b&Preview=1 Date 4/17/2013 Company Name BEATBio Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98101 Company Description BEAT BioTherapeutics Corp. (BEATBio) is a Seattle, WA based biotechnology company founded to develop novel therapies for heart disease. BEAT Bio’s first product is based on a fundamental discovery in cardiac muscle contraction and the development of a … Continue reading “BEATBio Lands $2,500,000 Seed Financing Round”
UIEvolution Garners $2,999,998 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6fa3114f-c0d4-4e27-a7c4-1be25427d41b&Preview=1 Date 4/17/2013 Company Name UIEvolution Mailing Address 11335 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 Garners $2,999,998 New Financing Round”
UW Spinout, Beat Bio, Gets $2.5M to Treat Heart Failure
[Updated: 3:15 pm PT 4/17] Beat Biotherapeutics looked like it was in trouble after its co-founder and CEO died suddenly in June 2009. But the University of Washington spinout is definitely back in business, after recruiting a veteran CEO and raising another $2.5 million to advance an experimental treatment for heart failure. The Seattle-based company said … Continue reading “UW Spinout, Beat Bio, Gets $2.5M to Treat Heart Failure”
University Grants Could Aid Data Science Push in New York, Seattle
The New York Times turned its attention last weekend toward education of data scientists, highlighting a budding “rivalry” between New York City and Seattle. The paper’s Education Life section focused on the relative merits of the two cities as big data hubs, and efforts to build curricula in this field at universities around the country. … Continue reading “University Grants Could Aid Data Science Push in New York, Seattle”
Re-thinking Clinical Trials for the World of Crowdsourcing
Disruption isn’t a word normally associated with clinical drug development, but nevertheless it is coming. We can feel the rumblings of it. New technologies and technology-enabled techniques for productivity in mainstream business applications are slowly making their way into the clinic. There are signals that drug development is starting to catch up with the general … Continue reading “Re-thinking Clinical Trials for the World of Crowdsourcing”
Rewarding High-Risk Innovation: The Case for Carried Interest
As Washington grapples with the deficit, nothing generates more emotion than tax “loopholes.” A priority “loophole” target in the budget that President Obama sent to Congress last week is the treatment of managers’ carried interest in private equity funds as capital gains, which he characterizes as “unfair” and the key reason for the low tax … Continue reading “Rewarding High-Risk Innovation: The Case for Carried Interest”
Strategies for Navigating the Life Sciences Capital Crunch
The need for innovation in healthcare has arguably never been greater. A range of factors, from aging world populations to rising standards of living in developing countries, are poised to drive long-run demand for innovative drugs, devices and medical technologies that can improve outcomes and reduce costs. Ironically, however, funding for healthcare innovation remains in … Continue reading “Strategies for Navigating the Life Sciences Capital Crunch”
A Billion Prices and Counting: Big Data Ambition at Startup Indix
Indix, a startup straddling two continents with an enormous business data problem in its sights, is gradually coming out of stealth. After announcing a $4.5 million financing round last week, founder and CEO Sanjay Parthasarathy explained how he ended up back in Bellevue, WA, and offered a few details on the big data application Indix … Continue reading “A Billion Prices and Counting: Big Data Ambition at Startup Indix”
Big Data Is BS in Healthcare. When Will It Become Real?
Tech entrepreneurs have been raving for a while now about big data changing the world, and it’s mostly bullshit. Venture capitalist Brad Feld made this point, more or less, when he was being purposely provocative at an Xconomy event last fall. As a biotech journalist, I wanted to cheer “Preach On, Brother Feld!” Doctors are … Continue reading “Big Data Is BS in Healthcare. When Will It Become Real?”
15 Appetizing Apps for People Who Love to Cook and Eat
Phones and food are a match cooked up in heaven. Sometimes it seems as if our mobile gadgets were specifically designed to mesh with our cooking and eating habits. After all, you don’t lug your desktop or laptop computer with you when you’re going out to a restaurant. When you want to find a great … Continue reading “15 Appetizing Apps for People Who Love to Cook and Eat”
Foursquare’s New Cash, New Focus: Why Local is So Damn Hard
Back in 2009, with the smartphone revolution just taking off, savvy app-makers started playing around with ways to use the iPhone’s GPS features, tracking where users are in real time. The sharpest among them, it turned out, wound up building little games that encouraged people to “check in” at places they visited in the real … Continue reading “Foursquare’s New Cash, New Focus: Why Local is So Damn Hard”
Biotech in the Belt-Tightening Era: The Photos
Healthcare costs can’t keep going up faster than inflation forever. Biotech companies aren’t going to have unlimited pricing power for new drugs and diagnostics forever. Innovators will have to adjust. But how? This was the theme of our big Xconomy Seattle event this week, “Biotech in the Belt-Tightening Era.” We had a great crowd from … Continue reading “Biotech in the Belt-Tightening Era: The Photos”
Roundup: AudienceScience, Treehouse, Donuts, EveryMove and More
Northwest companies AudienceScience, Treehouse, Donuts, and EveryMove were among those raising significant capital in early April, while business travel companies Egencia and Concur paired up for a new offering, Zipwhip introduced texting for business landlines, and new groups formed for Seattle-area women entrepreneurs and location-based marketers. Read on for details: —Digital marketing technology provider AudienceScience … Continue reading “Roundup: AudienceScience, Treehouse, Donuts, EveryMove and More”
Stop Managing Your Career and Start a Company
First, a full confession. I have not read Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In.” I do have her book on my Kobo e-reader. I will read it this weekend. My fellow tech CEO friends highly recommend it. I know I am going to love it too. But my unintentional avoidance of “Lean In” (my “leaning out”?) goes … Continue reading “Stop Managing Your Career and Start a Company”
Venture Deals Neared $7B in First Quarter, Up From 2012
We recently looked at which venture capitalists were raising money last quarter. Now we’ve got some insight into how they spent it. Research firm CB Insights says it tracked $6.9 billion in VC investments nationwide in the first quarter of this year, spread across 841 deals. Those totals represented a steady pace compared with the … Continue reading “Venture Deals Neared $7B in First Quarter, Up From 2012”
Adapx Receives $1,500,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d2a2a23e-14d4-42ba-a6fd-4629a23620d0&Preview=1 Date 4/11/2013 Company Name Adapx Mailing Address 2127 Fifth Avenue 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 $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms … Continue reading “Adapx Receives $1,500,000 New Funding”
The Ultimate “Lean In”: Starting Your Own Company
Sheryl Sandberg brings a much-needed voice to the table on female leadership. She speaks from the vantage point of a strong executive who has made her way to the top. Her concept of leaning in and not leaving before you leave is important, but all this comes from an employee’s view. About four years ago, … Continue reading “The Ultimate “Lean In”: Starting Your Own Company”
Lighting the Way to Better Understanding of the Brain
We are enamored by our brains. Arguably the most complex system in the universe that is made up of over 80 billion neurons, the brain is a complex organ that can be a source of marvel and devastation, from human consciousness to neurodegenerative disease. The triumph of overcoming brain disease and injury is captivating: Neuroscientist … Continue reading “Lighting the Way to Better Understanding of the Brain”
See Clay Siegall, Kim Popovits, Mitch Gold This Afternoon
We’re getting ready to head over to Northeastern University’s new South Lake Union office later this afternoon for our big spring life sciences event, “Biotech in the Belt-Tightening Era.” Registration starts at 1 pm, and while more than 170 people are signed up, there is still some room to get tickets at the door. There … Continue reading “See Clay Siegall, Kim Popovits, Mitch Gold This Afternoon”
Donuts Receives Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7af47486-ad40-4efa-bad8-555f13f15969&Preview=1 Date 4/9/2013 Company Name Donuts Mailing Address 155 108th Avenue NE Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description It’s getting very hard to find a good identity in the namespace limited to .COM, .NET, .INFO and other “top-level domains,” or TLDs. However, thanks to TLD expansion, Donuts is bringing hundreds of new TLD … Continue reading “Donuts Receives Series B Funding”