Category: Seattle

Oncothyreon Cancer Drug Fails in Final Trial; Shares Tank

Despite all the advances of modern medicine, pharmaceutical companies still sometimes take a drug all the way to the third and final phase of clinical trials before finding out it’s a failure. It’s a massive waste of time and money, and it happened today to Germany-based Merck KGaA, which was testing a cancer immunotherapy licensed … Continue reading “Oncothyreon Cancer Drug Fails in Final Trial; Shares Tank”

Five Tips for Building a Successful Relationship with the FDA

I recently led an initiative to communicate more proactively and frequently with the leaders of the FDA about issues specifically related to improving the agency’s focus on innovative biomedical and therapeutic technologies. At San Diego’s Biocom, where I am CEO, we believe that both industry and regulators can benefit from an atmosphere of open communication … Continue reading “Five Tips for Building a Successful Relationship with the FDA”

Roundup: Madrona Invests in LUMO; news from Glympse, Carena, Sandglaz

As the year wanes, Seattle investors and companies are still closing some interesting deals. Here are a few highlights from recent days: —Madrona Venture Group, continuing its busy fourth quarter, is making its first investment in a consumer hardware company. The Seattle firm is leading a $5 million Series A investment in LUMO BodyTech, a … Continue reading “Roundup: Madrona Invests in LUMO; news from Glympse, Carena, Sandglaz”

The Cloud in Healthcare Post-Election

At the Dec. 10 Xconomy forum on Healthcare in Transition, I participated in a panel discussion on post-election themes in the business of healthcare from the perspective of a cloud-based healthcare IT company. There was, naturally, difference of opinions among the group on government’s role in facilitating healthcare IT innovation, but there was also some … Continue reading “The Cloud in Healthcare Post-Election”

Water Mission to Israel (Day 2): Water Management Solutions at Scale

Monday in Israel started out quickly with the Massachusetts Water Delegation taking part in a global water market networking event with the CleanIsrael Meetup Group. CleanIsrael is a pan-Israel cleantech business network with over 1,000 members and is akin to the Clean Economy Network (now part of the Advanced Energy Economy). After charging up with … Continue reading “Water Mission to Israel (Day 2): Water Management Solutions at Scale”

Hope in Detroit: An Outsider on Motown’s Entrepreneurial Renaissance

Long written off by many, Detroit is becoming an interesting city to watch from an urban revitalization perspective. At the core of these developments is the emergence of a startup ecosystem where (for the most part) one did not previously exist. While still early, the progress made in this area over the last several years … Continue reading “Hope in Detroit: An Outsider on Motown’s Entrepreneurial Renaissance”

Mobile Madness Northwest: The Photos

It was great to see so many familiar faces—and so many new ones—at this year’s installment of Mobile Madness Northwest. It was Xconomy’s second year bringing its premier conference about all things mobile to the Northwest, and we really enjoyed getting to hear from so many leaders in the region and beyond. From our great … Continue reading “Mobile Madness Northwest: The Photos”

Sprint (Finally) Buys Clearwire for $2.2B

Clearwire and Sprint have been attached at the hip for years, but that doesn’t mean it’s been a lovefest. Today, we’re seeing the final chapter in that up-and-down relationship, as Sprint has agreed to pay some $2.2 billion to buy out Clearwire’s other shareholders and take the wireless network wholesaler off the market. The deal, … Continue reading “Sprint (Finally) Buys Clearwire for $2.2B”

Water Mission to Israel (Day 1): The Past and Present of the Israeli Water Story

I did say it was going to be a packed schedule, so here I am sitting down at 1am in Tel Aviv sharing the highlights of Day 1 of the Massachusetts-Israel Water Mission. The first 24 hours have been filled with a whirlwind of history, sights, and sounds, spending time with fellow delegates and lots … Continue reading “Water Mission to Israel (Day 1): The Past and Present of the Israeli Water Story”

The 5 Myths of Big Data Analytics

Everyone wants a glimpse into the future; the insights and information found there would be inherently lucrative for the individual (or business) that possessed them. And, while soothsayers haven’t yet proven themselves to be a reliable business asset, today’s predictive analytics software has. “Predictive analytics,” in whole, is data analysis that provides enterprises with predictions … Continue reading “The 5 Myths of Big Data Analytics”

2012: The Year When Genomic Medicine Started Paying Off

Remember a couple of years ago when people commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the first draft human genome sequencing? The storyline then, in 2010, was that we all went off to genome camp and only came home with a lousy T-shirt. Society, we were told, invested huge scientific resources in deciphering the code of life, … Continue reading “2012: The Year When Genomic Medicine Started Paying Off”

Water Mission to Israel: Heading Over

It always plays out this way—a kernel of an idea starts the ball rolling, followed by months of increasingly refined planning, a flurry of activity in the endgame, and then it’s GO time. I recall this operating rhythm well from my military days, and it’s been the same over the past dozen-plus years working with … Continue reading “Water Mission to Israel: Heading Over”

Amazon’s Huge Appetite for Workers to Take a Bite Out of Boston

When Amazon.com purchased Kiva Systems this spring, a lot of people wondered whether the deal might signal an even bigger commitment to the tech scene in Massachusetts. As of this week, we can say the answer is yes. But it came in kind of a roundabout way. On Tuesday, Gov. Deval Patrick and Amazon announced … Continue reading “Amazon’s Huge Appetite for Workers to Take a Bite Out of Boston”

NW Energy Angels Eye Record Year With Investment in Ethical Electric

The Northwest Energy Angels are closing 2012 with a bang, leading a $2.4 million investment in Ethical Electric, a startup clean energy retailer. It’s a deal that exemplifies some trends for the longest-tenured cleantech angel group in the country, which touted a record year at its annual holiday showcase Thursday night in Seattle. Updates from … Continue reading “NW Energy Angels Eye Record Year With Investment in Ethical Electric”

Developing a 21st Century Entrepreneurship Curriculum

In 2012, in partnership with Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley and NCIIA, Jerry Engel and I first offered the Lean LaunchPad Educators Class. The class was designed to teach educators (and the entrepreneurs that support them) the Lean LaunchPad approach (Business Model Design, Customer Development and Agile Engineering) for teaching entrepreneurship. In addition the class offers … Continue reading “Developing a 21st Century Entrepreneurship Curriculum”

Build It In The Back Yard: Why We Need American Manufacturing

[Editor’s Note: This post was co-authored by Brian Patrick Quinn, Patrick Connelly, Patricia Hurter, John Condon, Peter Mueller & Joshua Boger of Vertex Pharmaceuticals.] American companies, in recent years, have developed a massive appetite for foreign labor. The shirt you’re wearing, the cell phone you’re using, and even the medicine you’re taking might have been … Continue reading “Build It In The Back Yard: Why We Need American Manufacturing”

Mobile Madness Northwest: Highlights, Predictions, and Takeaways

A great crowd of enthusiastic mobile professionals, VCs, and other future-dwellers slid into the comfy pews of Town Hall Seattle for the second Xconomy Mobile Madness Northwest forum Wednesday. Chris DeVore, who moderated a provocative panel on location-based services, noted at one point that “everyone in this room lives in the future.” We’ve held the … Continue reading “Mobile Madness Northwest: Highlights, Predictions, and Takeaways”

Seattle Broadband Upgrade: Gigabit Speeds Coming to 12 Neighborhoods

To maintain its position as a world-class technology hub, Seattle needs faster broadband, city leaders say. To that end, broadband developer Gigabit Squared, in partnership with the city of Seattle and the University of Washington, is starting an ultra-fast broadband pilot project, with speeds promised up to 1 Gigabit per second. Gigabit Seattle would lease … Continue reading “Seattle Broadband Upgrade: Gigabit Speeds Coming to 12 Neighborhoods”

ProfitBricks, Taking On Amazon, Offers Virtual Data Centers to Startups

It’s easy to say you compete with Amazon Web Services. It’s hard to actually do it. But that’s exactly what ProfitBricks is trying to do. The two-year-old German cloud-computing company, which has a fast-growing presence in Cambridge, MA, has been making some noise in the tech community. As part of its goal to appeal to … Continue reading “ProfitBricks, Taking On Amazon, Offers Virtual Data Centers to Startups”

ZetaRx Biosciences Garners $2,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d0b00914-06eb-4897-b48e-3c91ab930c6c&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2012 Company Name ZetaRx Biosciences Mailing Address 307 Westlake Avenue North Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description The company operates as a biotechnology company. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. Not a solicitation. M&A Terms … Continue reading “ZetaRx Biosciences Garners $2,000,000 New Financing”

When VCs Run Out of Energy: The New Era of Cleantech Investing

The hasty promotion of cleantech to the high expectations of high-tech and biotech led to well-documented investment disasters. Capital intensity, time to exit—as we all know by now, energy simply isn’t IT (with all due respect to the plucky, if likely short-lived, promotion of “clean Web”). The apparent decline of the word cleantech may be … Continue reading “When VCs Run Out of Energy: The New Era of Cleantech Investing”

See You This Afternoon at Mobile Madness Northwest

We’re gearing up for Mobile Madness Northwest, Xconomy’s premier year-end conference examining the big changes and big ideas being driven by the mobile computing revolution. We’re really excited to see lots of old friends and plenty of new faces at this year’s event, which builds on the half-day conference’s debut in Seattle last year. We’ve … Continue reading “See You This Afternoon at Mobile Madness Northwest”

SNUPI Technologies Garners $1,500,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4b75485f-d7ee-459d-b50f-eb0f1a40aa54&Preview=1 Date 12/12/2012 Company Name SNUPI Technologies Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description SNUPI Technologies—for Sensor Network Utilizing Powerline Infrastructure—is building a communications platform that can support a wide variety of environmental sensors capable of detecting water leaks, carbon monoxide, smoke, mold, methane, argon, and other hazards. Website Undisclosed Transaction … Continue reading “SNUPI Technologies Garners $1,500,000 New Round”

UW Spinout Funded by Madrona To Build Cheap Home Sensor Networks

A team including a “genius” University of Washington professor and one of Seattle’s top serial entrepreneurs just landed $1.5 million from Madrona Venture Group and others to build a small, inexpensive, long-lasting wireless sensor network that could revolutionize home hazards detection. Led by Jeremy Jaech, SNUPI Technologies—for Sensor Network Utilizing Powerline Infrastructure—is building a communications … Continue reading “UW Spinout Funded by Madrona To Build Cheap Home Sensor Networks”

What’s Hot in Digital Health? The Venture Capital Perspective

The U.S. healthcare market is ripe for technical disruption. Costs are spiraling out of control while quality of service and customer satisfaction continue to go down. The system is opaque, complex and fragmented. Regulation is required but imposes heavy costs. As in other industries before it, the healthcare sector can benefit from technology-enabled efficiency gains … Continue reading “What’s Hot in Digital Health? The Venture Capital Perspective”

Apptentive Secures $1,200,000 Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4a0b43a2-631a-4f6e-b947-dd708d4ee29c&Preview=1 Date 12/11/2012 Company Name Apptentive Mailing Address 1205 1205 Queen Anne Blvd N Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description We believe that you should stop losing customers. You make apps. You publish them. Some people download your app. Fewer of them use you. You keep fighting to get new customers. You focus … Continue reading “Apptentive Secures $1,200,000 Seed Financing”

Nike + TechStars: Another Licensing Deal for Top Startup Accelerator

TechStars, the top-tier startup accelerator program with branches across the country, is finding a bigger corporate appetite for its three-month startup “bootcamp” sessions. Nike has announced that it will partner with Boulder, CO-based TechStars for a version of the accelerator focused on using the sports apparel company’s Nike+ technology, which incorporates sensors and software to … Continue reading “Nike + TechStars: Another Licensing Deal for Top Startup Accelerator”

Fred Hutch Strikes Deal With GSK on Form of Muscular Dystrophy

[Updated: 12:55 pm PT] The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has spun out more than a few ideas for startup companies over the years, but it doesn’t have a history of forming big collaborations with Big Pharma. Now the Seattle-based research center is taking a step in that direction through a partnership with London-based GlaxoSmithKline. … Continue reading “Fred Hutch Strikes Deal With GSK on Form of Muscular Dystrophy”

The Road to Predictable Innovation: Genomics in Drug R&D

There is a great need by large biotechs and pharma companies to show true and more predictable innovation. In an industry report issued just last week by Deloitte and Thomson Reuters, analysis of the top 12 pharmaceutical companies globally shows that the risk in new drug discovery have grown worse. The report notes an increasing … Continue reading “The Road to Predictable Innovation: Genomics in Drug R&D”

Amgen Acquires DeCode Genetics, the Once-Fallen Star, for $415M

Biotech companies rarely ever recover after falling into bankruptcy, but Iceland-based deCode Genetics just pulled off that rare feat. And it apparently has made some significant returns for its two recent venture backers—Polaris Venture Partners and Arch Venture Partners. Iceland-based deCode agreed to be acquired by Thousand Oaks, CA-based Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) for $415 million … Continue reading “Amgen Acquires DeCode Genetics, the Once-Fallen Star, for $415M”

TechStars’ Apptentive Gets $1.2m to Improve Customer Service in Apps

If this is indeed the Christmas of the tablet, application publishers will have a huge new group of customers to serve in 2013. Lucky for them, Seattle startup Apptentive—which has closed a $1.2 million seed round from Founder’s Co-Op, Google Ventures, and others—is releasing a tool to help app developers do customer service better. A … Continue reading “TechStars’ Apptentive Gets $1.2m to Improve Customer Service in Apps”

SEC’s Action Against Hastings a Step Backwards

Last night, Netflix disclosed that the Securities and Exchange Commission, @sec_news if you want to follow them on Twitter, intends to institute a cease and desist proceeding and/or bring a civil injunction against Netflix and its CEO Reed Hastings for a posting he made on the social media website Facebook this summer. As an individual … Continue reading “SEC’s Action Against Hastings a Step Backwards”

Pearl Harbor: A Day That Should Live in Innovation

Almost everyone raised in America knows the story of Pearl Harbor. On the morning of December 7, 1941—71 years ago today—the Japanese Imperial Navy launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, claiming eight battleships and other vessels, and 2,403 military and civilian lives, nearly as many as on … Continue reading “Pearl Harbor: A Day That Should Live in Innovation”

How to Crowdfund Your Dream: Checking In on Our Kickstarter Fund

Back on Nov. 9, I published a list of 10 Kickstarter projects every geek should support, and put my money where my mouth was by creating the World Wide Wade Kickstarter Fund. I pledged $10 to each project on the list (eventually there were 13 in all), and promised that I’d return in a few weeks … Continue reading “How to Crowdfund Your Dream: Checking In on Our Kickstarter Fund”

Datacastle Lands $300,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ba940e57-c04e-4f91-af7f-75e2c319c57c&Preview=1 Date 12/6/2012 Company Name Datacastle Mailing Address 701 North 36th Street Seattle, WA 98103 Company Description Datacastle Corporation has a singular mission – to help organizations simply and cost effectively protect data against loss and laptop theft. We set out in 2005 to address the data protection challenges that expose organizations … Continue reading “Datacastle Lands $300,000 New Financing Round”

Seattle Roundup: Powerit nabs $5.5m, SEOmoz’s Portland buy, more

Holiday deal doldrums? Not yet. In addition to Smartsheet’s $26 million raise announced on Monday, a handful of other smaller financing and acquisition deals have emerged in recent days. Here are a few that caught our attention: —Powerit Solutions, which makes energy demand management technology for industrial customers, plans to use a $5.5 million Series … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Powerit nabs $5.5m, SEOmoz’s Portland buy, more”

Three Big Themes from the Personalized Medicine Conference

Hello from Boston, and from the 2012 Partners Personalized Medicine Conference, which last week brought together life science thought leaders from business, research and technology. Several themes that emerged from this year’s program: Genomes, genomes, genomes. Previous personalized medicine conferences had tended to focus on commercialization of and reimbursement for traditional molecular diagnostics. This year, … Continue reading “Three Big Themes from the Personalized Medicine Conference”

Powerit Holdings Secures $5,586,275 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ce497726-6b8f-4763-bf9c-387c3a8b42ba&Preview=1 Date 12/5/2012 Company Name Powerit Holdings Mailing Address 568 First Ave South Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Powerit Solutions provides comprehensive energy demand response and demand control solutions for industrial and commercial applications. We are committed to helping customers in a wide variety of industries manage their energy usage, reduce their … Continue reading “Powerit Holdings Secures $5,586,275 New Financing”

Rallee Garners $1,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=126d9b22-d2bc-4698-a1bd-bfee0263c915&Preview=1 Date 12/5/2012 Company Name Rallee Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Stay connected to your Facebook friends throughout the day. With the group channels, you can hangout, chat about topics interesting to you, or just meet new people. Rallee is the easiest way to connect on the go with … Continue reading “Rallee Garners $1,000,000 New Funding Round”

Under Seattle’s Cloud, a Big Data Cluster Grows

It’s a good time to be doing big data in Seattle. So says Ed Lazowska, the University of Washington computer science professor who played host and tour guide to the region’s big data lineup during the Washington Innovation Summit last week. He points to the region’s strengths in cloud computing, and a steady stream of … Continue reading “Under Seattle’s Cloud, a Big Data Cluster Grows”

Mobile Madness NW: Big Ticket Sale Ends Today

Want to hear from some of the best minds from around the Northwest—and beyond—as we prepare for another year of big change in mobile computing? You’re in luck: We’ve got a big sale on tickets to Mobile Madness Northwest, Xconomy’s premier year-end event. But you’ll have to hurry, because our special sale price expires after … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NW: Big Ticket Sale Ends Today”

NanoString Pockets $15.3M For Diagnostic Rollout

Seattle-based NanoString Technologies has pulled in another $15.3 million in investment cash to help build momentum for its new foray into the molecular diagnostic business. NanoString said Monday it took in $15.3 million in a Series E sale of preferred stock. Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital and AllianceBernstein Alternative Investment Management Group led the new investment. … Continue reading “NanoString Pockets $15.3M For Diagnostic Rollout”

HHS CTO Bryan Sivak on How Government Can Spur Healthcare Innovation

It’s not every entrepreneur who even entertains the notion of moving from business to government. Bryan Sivak, though, has made the shift three times over. Sivak left his job at the company he helped create for a position in city government (as Chief Technology Officer for Washington, DC), then became Maryland’s Chief Innovation Officer, and … Continue reading “HHS CTO Bryan Sivak on How Government Can Spur Healthcare Innovation”

The Enduring Success of a Healthcare Radical

I’ve spent some time over the past few months reading about an American political figure’s transformative role in our health care system. His crusade began when his staff surveyed drug prices in 77 countries and found “of these, 28 allowed product patents and the prices of drugs in those countries were 18 to 255 times … Continue reading “The Enduring Success of a Healthcare Radical”

Xconomist of the Week: Helen Greiner’s CyPhy Works Unveils Drones

After roughly three years in development and some $3 million in venture investment, iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner is showing off her newest robotic creations. But don’t be fooled by the cool things this new pair of aerial drones can do—the real advancement is the cable that connects them to the ground. Greiner’s robotics startup, CyPhy … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Helen Greiner’s CyPhy Works Unveils Drones”

Mobile Madness Northwest: The Big Agenda for our Dec. 12 Forum

We’re getting pretty excited here at Xconomy for Mobile Madness Northwest, next week’s power-packed afternoon conference featuring some of the best and brightest minds tackling the mobile revolution around the Seattle region—and beyond. You can still get tickets for this special event, which runs from 2 pm to 5:30 pm at Town Hall in Seattle. … Continue reading “Mobile Madness Northwest: The Big Agenda for our Dec. 12 Forum”

How Ed-Tech Companies Will Make (and Lose) a Few Fortunes

It’s bubble time in education technology. Over the past few years, investment dollars have started to flow in larger amounts. MBAs (like me and one of my co-founders) are starting to get interested, and I know of at least two separate groups in Boston alone trying to develop ed-tech incubation spaces. But for all the … Continue reading “How Ed-Tech Companies Will Make (and Lose) a Few Fortunes”