The burgeoning big data cluster in Washington is getting a boost with a new partnership between the University of Washington and the federal government’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They are forming the Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing, based at the UW. Experts from the UW and PNNL will research system design, data-driven science, modeling, and … Continue reading “New Advanced Computing Institute Bolsters NW Big Data Cluster”
Category: Seattle
‘Small Ball’ Investing as an Alternative Model in Life Sciences
The phrase “the VC model is broken” has become cliché over the past few years. Many theories on why this is the case have been posed, including Sequoia Capital’s Douglas Leone, who told a VC conference at MIT last month, “Big is completely the enemy of great.” I agree with Leone; in fact, I have … Continue reading “‘Small Ball’ Investing as an Alternative Model in Life Sciences”
Bill Gates, Yuri Milner Join $13.5M Round For Foundation Medicine
Some prominent people with big money came together last fall to bet on Cambridge, MA-based Foundation Medicine and its vision for using genomic technology to improve cancer care. Now the company has attracted some even bigger pockets to the table. Foundation Medicine said today that Bill Gates has joined a $13.5 million expansion of its … Continue reading “Bill Gates, Yuri Milner Join $13.5M Round For Foundation Medicine”
New Finance Models For NW Cleantech, Sustainability As VC Wanes
Venture capital investment in cleantech was down locally and nationally for most of last year, as several firms retreated from a broad, ill-defined sector that may never have been well-suited to the typical VC model in the first place. The trend is expected to continue this year, which means young companies looking for funding from … Continue reading “New Finance Models For NW Cleantech, Sustainability As VC Wanes”
Programming Literacy Done Right: It’s About the Tools
Bonnie Nardi is an anthropologist who studies interactions between humans and computers. In 1993, she published her first book, A Small Matter of Programming. The book’s thesis is bold and simple: every human being can, and should, learn to program computers. The book didn’t get much attention outside of academia and is now long out … Continue reading “Programming Literacy Done Right: It’s About the Tools”
MicroGreen Polymers Secures $2,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=faed273d-b27e-46e5-896e-727bf11e29d9&Preview=1 Date 1/8/2013 Company Name MicroGreen Polymers Mailing Address 7220 201st Street NE Arlington, WA 98223 Company Description MicroGREEN Polymers is on a mission to give the plastics industry and the world environmentally sound plastics technologies with substantial economic advantages. Website http://www.microgreeninc.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “MicroGreen Polymers Secures $2,000,000 New Round”
Seattle Roundup: Qliance, Remitly, Yapta, Clipboard Attract Investment
A steady stream of technology investment in the Seattle area continued as 2013 dawned, with Qliance Medical Management, Remitly, Yapta, and Clipboard attracting follow-on funding. The details: —Qliance Medical Management—a flat-fee primary care provider backed by the likes of Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, and Drew Carey—raised $8.7 million out of a $10.1 million offering to … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Qliance, Remitly, Yapta, Clipboard Attract Investment”
Biotech CEOs See Insurers as the New Boogeymen, Not FDA
Most biotech executives would have said a few years ago that the FDA was the No. 1 barrier standing in the way of business success. It was the one thing they worried about most. But now biotech CEOs appear to be more concerned about a new kind of threat, coming from the people who pay … Continue reading “Biotech CEOs See Insurers as the New Boogeymen, Not FDA”
My Report Card for JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Picks
Forecasting trends in an industry that you cover every day, if you take time to think about it, is not that hard. Checking back a year later to see how right you were? That can be a little uncomfortable. Rather than add to the pile of predictions people have already made about biotech in 2013, … Continue reading “My Report Card for JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Picks”
Mobility and Big Data: Why They Need Each Other to Thrive
Mobile devices and apps will generate seven exabytes of data by 2015, a number that will continue to double and perhaps triple each year. Not only are huge volumes of data/content being communicated through mobile networks, but there has been unexpected growth in related communications and transactions, such as: —Salesforce.com getting 60 percent of its … Continue reading “Mobility and Big Data: Why They Need Each Other to Thrive”
Yapta Lands $1,150,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=66f0ef29-cf00-4d49-ac27-04304da15c74&Preview=1 Date 1/7/2013 Company Name Yapta Mailing Address 159 S. Jackson Street Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Our purpose is to make it easy for you to secure the best airfare deals available on the Web. We do this by giving you a tool to tag the trips you like while shopping … Continue reading “Yapta Lands $1,150,000 New Financing Round”
Union Bay Capital, Tola Capital, Unitus Raise Funds
Local investment funds focused on technology companies have raised money as the calendar flipped from 2012 to 2013—more than $90 million, in separate moves by Union Bay Capital, Tola Capital, and Unitus Seed Fund. —Seattle private investment firm Union Bay Capital Partners has raised $72.3 million from 71 investors, out of an $80 million offering … Continue reading “Union Bay Capital, Tola Capital, Unitus Raise Funds”
10 Apps That Will Make You Feel Smarter & More Cultured in 2013
Right before the holidays, I shared a list of 20 Must-Have Apps for That Tablet Under the Tree. That list focused on apps for the iPad and Android tablets, and it was intended as an introductory guide for new tablet owners eager to test-drive their gifts with apps that really showcase the capabilities of today’s … Continue reading “10 Apps That Will Make You Feel Smarter & More Cultured in 2013”
NexPlanar Secures $10,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d6bffbf7-5565-4812-b20d-8ea717d65c9e&Preview=1 Date 1/4/2013 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 Secures $10,000,000 New Funding”
RF Surgical Systems Obtains $120,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=659e5a1d-22bb-4240-9622-ff1701099c0b&Preview=1 Date 1/4/2013 Company Name RF Surgical Systems Mailing Address 3326 160th Avenue SE Bellevue, WA 98008 Company Description RF Surgical Systems, Inc. is a medical device company with headquarters in Bellevue, Washington and engineering R & D facilities in San Diego, California. The privately held company was founded by Chairman Jeffrey … Continue reading “RF Surgical Systems Obtains $120,000 New Round”
Remitly Obtains $2,600,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e435f7e2-2b77-42ad-8a54-435eadc72974&Preview=1 Date 1/4/2013 Company Name Remitly Mailing Address 1725 Westlake Ave. N Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description Remitly has changed the way to send money. We understand the pain of sending money abroad. We make things easier and faster, and work smarter so you can send more and pay less. Website http://www.remitly.com … Continue reading “Remitly Obtains $2,600,000 New Financing”
Qliance Medical Management Secures $8,652,781 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5bc922c3-d26a-44ff-af45-d0f12da888fe&Preview=1 Date 1/3/2013 Company Name Qliance Medical Management Mailing Address 999 Third Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Qliance’s unique approach to providing primary care has grown out of frustration with an unmanageable, expensive insurance system and a desire to put good, affordable, personalized primary healthcare back in the hands of patients … Continue reading “Qliance Medical Management Secures $8,652,781 New Financing Round”
CES Countdown: Startups Plant their Flags and Changes Coming to TV
Each January the makers of gadgets big and small bring an electronic carnival to Las Vegas as they tease the world with glimpses of devices they plan to unleash during the coming year. A few changes are in store for next week’s International CES, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center and nearby hotels. After … Continue reading “CES Countdown: Startups Plant their Flags and Changes Coming to TV”
New Seattle Accelerator 9Mile Labs Wants To Build On TechStars Model
Three startup devotees are launching a new accelerator program called 9Mile Labs in a bid to boost support for technology entrepreneurs in the Seattle area, testing demand in the burgeoning—some say bubbling—market for business incubators. Sandy Sharma, Sanjay Puri, and Kevin Croy are technology executives with experience founding or working at about a dozen startups … Continue reading “New Seattle Accelerator 9Mile Labs Wants To Build On TechStars Model”
Ending the Culture of Illness through Healthy Eating
[Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading into 2013: What makes you optimistic?] As a person who has worked in the healthcare field for over 25 years, I am extremely optimistic about the recent trend towards the democratization of healthful behavior and … Continue reading “Ending the Culture of Illness through Healthy Eating”
The Fiscal Cliff Is Forcing a Biomedical Day of Reckoning
Sarah Palin, the onetime candidate for the second-highest elected office in the U.S., once delivered a rant on the campaign trail about waste she perceived in federal support of fruit fly research. Scientists everywhere were appalled. Regardless of whether Palin knew about the historic importance of the drosophila to genetics, they were furious that a … Continue reading “The Fiscal Cliff Is Forcing a Biomedical Day of Reckoning”
The War on Success Will Rage On
[Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading into 2013: “What does your gut tell you will happen this year even though you don’t have data to prove it?”] The war on success will continue on and capital gains taxes will … Continue reading “The War on Success Will Rage On”
EnerG2 Obtains $9,396,405 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5741ffcc-ed71-416c-8b84-046e4079d145&Preview=1 Date 12/31/2012 Company Name EnerG2 Mailing Address 100 NE Northlake Way Seattle, WA 98105 Company Description Founded in 2003 in Seattle, Washington, EnerG2 pursues commercial opportunities in energy storage created by advanced material processing techniques. Website http://www.energ2.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $9,396,405 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes … Continue reading “EnerG2 Obtains $9,396,405 New Funding”
Agilyx Secures New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e8adc4fc-a6fa-483e-89c3-04d92f7c8623&Preview=1 Date 12/31/2012 Company Name Agilyx Mailing Address 9600 SW Nimbus Ave Beaverton, OR 97008 Company Description Agilyx is the first in the world to economically convert difficult-to-recycle waste plastics into crude oil through a patented system that is scalable, versatile, and environmentally beneficial. Website http://www.Agilyx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Agilyx Secures New Financing Round”
A Wake-Up Call for Angel Investors
[Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading into 2013: What does your gut tell you will happen in the coming year even though you don’t have data to prove it?] Mindless angel investing in unvalidated ideas will get a jolt. Over … Continue reading “A Wake-Up Call for Angel Investors”
My Best Mistake
[Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading into 2013: “What was your best mistake?”] Hmmm—I know what my worst one was. Best one was probably pushing Jascha Franklin-Hodge to go to MIT instead of keeping him full time at … Continue reading “My Best Mistake”
Cozi Group Garners $320,897 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6e4aed01-5e51-49e4-bc11-295556ccaf47&Preview=1 Date 12/28/2012 Company Name Cozi Group Mailing Address 506 Second Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Cozi delivers a new type of service called family-ready software services. These are created specifically with family dynamics in mind, with an emphasis on making life easier, less stressful and more fun for busy families. … Continue reading “Cozi Group Garners $320,897 New Funding”
Cheezburger Secures $4,999,999 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=89fe9423-ca55-45e0-9605-3b341cf559dd&Preview=1 Date 12/28/2012 Company Name Cheezburger Mailing Address 190 Queen Anne Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description The company operates a network of humor oriented websites. Website http://www. Cheezburger.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,999,999 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms … Continue reading “Cheezburger Secures $4,999,999 New Funding Round”
Editor’s Picks: Xconomy Seattle’s Best Stories of 2012
When you work on news at Internet speed, it’s sometimes hard to remember what you did last week. Maybe that’s why I enjoy this annual ritual of sifting through the best journalism of the year that appeared on Xconomy Seattle. This task reminds me that we’ve published a lot of interesting, important, and exclusive stories … Continue reading “Editor’s Picks: Xconomy Seattle’s Best Stories of 2012”
A Pivotal Year in Mobile, Energy, Automobiles, Education
[Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading into 2013: What does your gut tell you will happen in the coming year even though you don’t have data to prove it?] This is a pivotal year in mobile, we are seeing the … Continue reading “A Pivotal Year in Mobile, Energy, Automobiles, Education”
Top 10 Seattle Tech Stories of 2012
The big not-so-secret in Web publishing is that it’s easy to get sucked into an obsession with getting the most eyeballs possible. With people constantly scanning for interesting things to read, and more outlets than ever, the competition for a good chunk of attention can quickly become tiresome. We try to avoid chasing that ghost … Continue reading “Top 10 Seattle Tech Stories of 2012”
A Banner Year for New Drugs
[Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading into 2013: “What does your gut tell you will happen this year even though you don’t have data to prove it?”] I think there will be even more FDA approvals for New Molecular … Continue reading “A Banner Year for New Drugs”
PhaseRx Receives $1,500,016 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0fa1ed73-f044-45d7-a973-634a3bd71aed&Preview=1 Date 12/26/2012 Company Name PhaseRx Mailing Address 410 West Harrison Street Seattle, WA 98119 Company Description The company is developing therapies via sIRNA technologies. Website http://www.phaserx.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,500,016 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed
WISErg Receives $250,013 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=48a321fd-f8df-4c5e-8cb7-ab4e00de473b&Preview=1 Date 12/26/2012 Company Name WISErg Mailing Address 93 S. Jackson Street Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description WISErg Corporation is a Pacific Northwest bio resource company based in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 2010, WISErg’s primary focus is on deriving valuable renewable resources from compostable feedstock. Website http://www.wiserg.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “WISErg Receives $250,013 New Funding”
Paper and Airplanes: The Long Road to Obsolescence
As the years go by, I increasingly find the history of the future as interesting as the future itself. We’ve all seen lists of incredibly bad technological predictions, and of course it’s always fun to smugly reflect on how wrong a smart person can be. Grandiose predictions of the future of technology often lead to … Continue reading “Paper and Airplanes: The Long Road to Obsolescence”
Amazon’s Boston Expansion: Cloud, Kiva, Digital Product Jobs
The news that Amazon would finally bring its huge appetite for technical talent to the Boston area was a welcome year-end revelation for the local tech scene. But it also left plenty of room for speculation—namely, just what are they working on over there? I didn’t get any comment from Amazon headquarters in Seattle, which … Continue reading “Amazon’s Boston Expansion: Cloud, Kiva, Digital Product Jobs”
What Makes You Optimistic? Xconomists Chime In.
One of the great pleasures of helping to grow Xconomy over the last five-plus years has been getting to know the diverse and fascinating group of people we call the Xconomists, and getting to hang out with them at our various events around the country. And these last few months it has seemed that many … Continue reading “What Makes You Optimistic? Xconomists Chime In.”
Tough B Rounds and Valuations, New Business Models in 2013
[Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading into 2013: “What does your gut tell you will happen this year even though you don’t have data to prove it?”] I expect many companies looking for their Series B rounds to … Continue reading “Tough B Rounds and Valuations, New Business Models in 2013”
Water Mission to Israel (Day 4): Bringing It All Back Home
Wednesday, December 19th, marked the last day the full delegation was together in Israel. Several members headed for the airport to catch late-night flights after the final dinner, while a number of smaller groups are remaining behind to pursue additional meetings and touring activities over the coming days. The morning sessions were dedicated to open … Continue reading “Water Mission to Israel (Day 4): Bringing It All Back Home”
MobileDevHQ Lands $650,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e3fb3a33-c9b3-4fb2-bd66-b42b19f22934&Preview=1 Date 12/22/2012 Company Name MobileDevHQ Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description MobileDevHQ, a Seattle-based startup providing tools for App Store Optimization (ASO) and additional insights for mobile developers. Website http://www.mobiledevhq.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $650,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The funding will allow the Seattle company … Continue reading “MobileDevHQ Lands $650,000 New Financing”
Lee Hood, Bob Langer Win National Medals
[Updated: 8:40 pm ET/5:40 pm PT] Leroy Hood, the man who transformed biology by leading the team that invented automated DNA sequencers, has picked up one of the highest honors a scientist can get in the United States—the National Medal of Science. Hood, the co-founder and president of the Seattle-based Institute for Systems Biology, was named … Continue reading “Lee Hood, Bob Langer Win National Medals”
Water Mission to Israel (Day 3): Startup Day in Startup Nation
Tuesday, December 18th, was the midpoint of the Mission agenda and the centerpiece event of the trip. The Massachusetts Delegation hosted the W.E.T. Revolution at Tel Aviv University in the lovely and historic Green House, which was apparently originally built as part of a Palestinian Village, and at various times since has been part of … Continue reading “Water Mission to Israel (Day 3): Startup Day in Startup Nation”
An Xconomy Experiment in Crowdfunding, Colorado Style
Back in 2007, when Bob Buderi tapped out the first news story for the Xconomy Boston website, he wrote, “Ours is a grassroots endeavor, supported by some of the world’s great innovators and business leaders.” Our founding CEO and editor-in-chief took their lessons of entrepreneurship to heart—assembling a team of extraordinarily talented journalists who have … Continue reading “An Xconomy Experiment in Crowdfunding, Colorado Style”
20 Must-Have Apps for That Tablet Under the Tree
It’s time for the third annual version of “iStocking Stuffers,” the holiday apps edition of my weekly column World Wide Wade. The slide show above covers 20 of my favorite apps from 2012, which makes it my longest list yet: the 2010 edition of this guide had just 10 apps, and the 2011 version had 15. … Continue reading “20 Must-Have Apps for That Tablet Under the Tree”
Madrona Invests $4.2m in 2nd Watch; TechStars’ MobileDevHQ Funded
It’s time to squeeze in a couple more local deals before Christmas. Madrona Venture Group is investing in a cloud services provider, and MobileDevHQ, a graduate of TechStars Seattle, has secured some new angel investment. The details: —Madrona is leading a $4.2 million investment in 2nd Watch, which helps companies use public clouds, such as … Continue reading “Madrona Invests $4.2m in 2nd Watch; TechStars’ MobileDevHQ Funded”
enterpriseSeattle’s 41st Annual Economic Forecast Conference
enterpriseSeattle is hosting its 41st annual Economic Forecast Conference on Jan. 10 in Seattle. Governor-elect Jay Inslee will be on hand to speak. For more information on how to register, click here.
Can (Should?) A Young Biotech Company Still Go Long?
It used to be that every young biotech company’s goal was to “go long,” to become a FIPCO (fully integrated pharmaceutical company…remember when that phrase was in vogue?), selling its own product and running a sustainable business. These days, that’s rarely in anyone’s business plan. And yet at the same time, I’ve heard public market … Continue reading “Can (Should?) A Young Biotech Company Still Go Long?”
Xconomist of the Week: Alexis Borisy Still Likes Early Stage Biotechs
The trending topic among biotech people and the people who fund them these days is that it is almost impossible to scrounge up financing for startups in the earliest stages of drug development. As Xconomy’s Luke Timmermanwrote in July, the amount of money invested in first-round biotech financings fell by 60 percent in the first … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Alexis Borisy Still Likes Early Stage Biotechs”
Clinicient Lands $999,999 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=08d0f4d6-668b-4236-b2c5-c779b999aacc&Preview=1 Date 12/20/2012 Company Name Clinicient Mailing Address 1515 SW Fifth Ave. Portland, OR 97201 Company Description We focus exclusively on providing software solutions to outpatient rehabilitation providers. With our on-demand ASP infrastructure, we offer a high-end clinical management system previously only available to the privileged few with huge IT budgets and … Continue reading “Clinicient Lands $999,999 New Financing Round”
UW Spinoff PhysioSonics Gets FDA OK For Monitoring Brain Blood Flow
PhysioSonics, the Bellevue, WA-based developer of ultrasound for automated monitoring of stroke symptoms, is graduating from R&D mode and moving into the commercial world. The company has won clearance from the FDA to start selling its Presto 1000 Flow Monitor system in the U.S., according to CEO Brad Harlow. The company has also raised a … Continue reading “UW Spinoff PhysioSonics Gets FDA OK For Monitoring Brain Blood Flow”