Smartsheet, which makes spreadsheet-based online collaboration tools, is six years old but chief executive Mark Mader says “we’re operating as a two-year-old company.” And now, a very well-funded two-year-old thanks to a $26 million investment from Insight Venture Partners and Madrona Venture Group. Two years ago, Smartsheet pivoted not to a new business, but to … Continue reading “Smartsheet Lands $26m From Insight, Madrona For Online Collaboration”
Category: Seattle
Where’s the Can-Do Spirit in Biotech? It’s Alive, Deep Down
How many people in the biotech industry today really feel like they are part of something special, something bigger than themselves? How many people feel such camaraderie with their co-workers that they’d show up to meet them at a reunion five years from now? How many people in biotech feel the task in front of … Continue reading “Where’s the Can-Do Spirit in Biotech? It’s Alive, Deep Down”
NanoString Technologies Garners $15,300,000 Series E Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8776366a-1e7d-414e-8a32-b05ab0cf6472&Preview=1 Date 12/3/2012 Company Name NanoString Technologies Mailing Address 530 Fairview Ave N Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description NanoString Technologies 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 molecules in … Continue reading “NanoString Technologies Garners $15,300,000 Series E Financing Round”
SmartSheet Secures $26,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fc6a10cb-d62e-4e29-a5df-bbfca8e81a52&Preview=1 Date 12/3/2012 Company Name SmartSheet Mailing Address 10500 NE 8th St Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description Smartsheet is a privately-held Software as a Service (SaaS) provider based in Bellevue, Washington (USA). Incorporated in 2005, the company launched its Smartsheet.com service in August of 2006. Since that time, thousands of users throughout … Continue reading “SmartSheet Secures $26,000,000 New Financing”
AMRI Closes Bothell R&D Site, Sending Jobs to Singapore, NY
AMRI, the contract research firm also known as Albany Molecular Research, is closing its research and development center in Bothell, WA that employs 24 people. AMRI (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMRI]]) said today it is moving the Bothell site’s drug discovery capabilities to a company facility in Singapore, while certain analytical work will be consolidated at the company’s … Continue reading “AMRI Closes Bothell R&D Site, Sending Jobs to Singapore, NY”
Seattle Roundup: TechStars’ Bizible, Amazon, Conductiv, CENTRI, Avvo
A Seattle TechStars grad landed funding in what should be the first of several closed deals from the Fall 2012 class of the startup accelerator, while Amazon got the green light to more than double its Seattle headquarters footprint, and other local tech companies pulled in equity investments in recent days. —Bizible, a Seattle startup … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: TechStars’ Bizible, Amazon, Conductiv, CENTRI, Avvo”
Maximizing Value and Minimizing Risk with Remote Workers
For me, being able to work remotely is one of the greatest gifts of the information age. It allowed me to help raise my daughters in the ’80s and ’90s, live almost four hours from a major airport, and now I’m able to visit my granddaughters in Chicago at the drop of a hat, all … Continue reading “Maximizing Value and Minimizing Risk with Remote Workers”
Five Characteristics VCs Look For in a Marketing Exec
Venture capitalists are paying more attention to the structure of the marketing teams they invest in. Why? Because marketing plays an increasingly influential role in the success of their portfolio companies. To ensure that the marketing department can generate the kind of leads that drive sales, they want to see a particular profile in a … Continue reading “Five Characteristics VCs Look For in a Marketing Exec”
Photo Books from Blurb: A High-Tech Gift Idea with Low-Tech Charm
SPOILER ALERT: If your name is Paul or Patricia Roush and you live in Central Lake, MI, stop reading now or you’ll ruin one of the surprises under the Christmas tree this year. Really. You’ve been warned! Every year I put “Amazon gift certificate” on my holiday and birthday wish lists so that I can … Continue reading “Photo Books from Blurb: A High-Tech Gift Idea with Low-Tech Charm”
The Icos Impact: Some Great Memories & Photos
At Icos, there was an on-site day care center to make it easier for working parents to pull long hours in the lab. There was a tolerance for different personal styles, even when that meant a certain scientist could roam the labs with no shirt on. And nobody ever strangled anybody, at least as far … Continue reading “The Icos Impact: Some Great Memories & Photos”
Wavii Builds a Facebook-Style Feed for All the World’s News
After talking with the guys behind Wavii, a Seattle startup that has built a Facebook-style feed for all the world’s events, I had two somewhat conflicting impressions: Wavii is potentially good medicine for information overload, and at the same time another sign that this modern affliction has us tightly in its grasp. Wavii delivers a … Continue reading “Wavii Builds a Facebook-Style Feed for All the World’s News”
Meet VeeMe: The Virtual Agent Programmed to Think Like Me
Meet VeeMe, my “virtual me” that acts like me and reacts like me. I’ve written about him/me before (here and here). If you think VeeMe sounds creepy, I agree! But I think it will happen. I both fear it and hope for it. So far, the information revolution has consistently performed beyond our imaginations. Twenty … Continue reading “Meet VeeMe: The Virtual Agent Programmed to Think Like Me”
Big Pharma’s Role in Supporting the Life Science Innovation Ecosystem
The life sciences industry has been challenged over the last several years with an economic environment that is not conducive to breeding new innovation. While things are slowly improving, reports abound of fewer investments in life science start-ups and fewer active investors in the sector. Many new ideas aren’t being developed—because the financial climate can’t … Continue reading “Big Pharma’s Role in Supporting the Life Science Innovation Ecosystem”
Mobile Madness NW: Save Big on Tickets to See Siri’s Inventor & More
Great news for all you post-Thanksgiving bargain hunters: This is your last chance to save nearly 30 percent on tickets for Mobile Madness Northwest, our premier year-end conference bringing together some of the region’s top innovators. Our special saver rate expires after today, so be sure to pick up your tickets now for this afternoon … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NW: Save Big on Tickets to See Siri’s Inventor & More”
Open Source Entrepreneurship
One of the great things about being a retired entrepreneur is that I get to give back to the community that helped me. I assembled this collection of free and almost free tools, class syllabi, presentations, books, lectures, videos in the hope that it can make your path as an entrepreneur or educator easier. Free: … Continue reading “Open Source Entrepreneurship”
And the Global Capital of Robotics Is…Everywhere
Here at Xconomy we’ve spilled considerable ink over the question of why Silicon Valley robotics companies seem to lag behind their peers in big centers of robotics like Boston and Pittsburgh. But if you look at the locations of robot makers worldwide, it’s clear that no single region really dominates this emerging industry. Makers of … Continue reading “And the Global Capital of Robotics Is…Everywhere”
See You Tonight at ‘The Icos Impact’
The big event in Seattle biotech is on for tonight. We’re expecting more than 190 people tonight to come together for “The Icos Impact.” This is all for a special gathering of some of the smart and driven people who made a mark at Icos in the 1990s and early 2000s, and have since moved … Continue reading “See You Tonight at ‘The Icos Impact’”
Does Jerusalem Have What It Takes to Build A Life Sciences Cluster?
Dark news was coming out of Israel on the morning of November 15. But in a talk that morning at MIT, Nir Barkat, mayor of Jerusalem, painted a bright picture of the city’s future. Barkat—whose name, incidentally, means “light”—argues that Jerusalem’s “brand name” has been building for over 3,000 years. As a panelist at the … Continue reading “Does Jerusalem Have What It Takes to Build A Life Sciences Cluster?”
Bizible Garners $1,700,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=88787d21-3828-466d-81c0-ad22c89c77d0&Preview=1 Date 11/27/2012 Company Name Bizible Mailing Address 270 S. Hanford St Seattle, WA 98134 Company Description Bizible is a software-as-a-service company offering local businesses accountability and transparency with their marketing efforts through their patent pending revenue attribution software. Bizible was founded in 2011 by Aaron Bird and Peter Thompson, former Microsoft … Continue reading “Bizible Garners $1,700,000 Series A Round”
Y Combinator Alters Investment Package to Avoid “Contested Divorces”
Startups admitted the Winter 2013 class at Y Combinator, the prestigious startup accelerator in Mountain View, CA, will be greeted by a smaller investment package. Under a new program outlined in a blog post today, startups will get $80,000 each from a group of four outside venture investors, in addition to Y Combinator’s investment of … Continue reading “Y Combinator Alters Investment Package to Avoid “Contested Divorces””
The Art of Bootstrapping
With the entrepreneur population at an all-time high, venture capital is flowing faster than at any time since the dot-com boom In fact, in the second quarter of 2012, VCs participated in more than $2 billion in financing, which is the highest amount in the last five quarters. Yet, many startups fail despite VC funding … Continue reading “The Art of Bootstrapping”
The Few and the Proud: The Biotech Startup Class of 2012
[Updated: 3:35 pm PT, 12/3/12] Quick: Can you name three exciting biotech companies that got started, in your city, in 2012? I can’t, as a citizen of Seattle. Chances are, no matter where you live in the U.S., and no matter how plugged-in you are into the industry, you can’t either. This wasn’t supposed to … Continue reading “The Few and the Proud: The Biotech Startup Class of 2012”
WISErg Receives $975,388 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=92e63243-e83d-4c2b-bba4-c13a0f8fed04&Preview=1 Date 11/26/2012 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 $975,388 New Round”
Hydrovolts Prepares For 2013 Commercialization With New Leadership
The first half of November was busy for Seattle micro hydropower technology developer Hydrovolts with a leadership change, an important new federal funding opportunity, and an international award. Burt Hamner, co-founder of the 5-year-old company, is stepping down as chief executive, though he will remain on the board of directors. Mike Layton, chief operating officer … Continue reading “Hydrovolts Prepares For 2013 Commercialization With New Leadership”
Qumulo Receives $24,500,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ee95df4e-bba4-42ab-8dee-e77b2f8999b6&Preview=1 Date 11/21/2012 Company Name Qumulo Mailing Address 1111 3rd. Ave Seattle, WA 98101 Company Description Qumulo is a Seattle-based enterprise data storage startup. We believe that storage should be simple, scalable, and efficient. Formed in 2012 by leaders from Isilon Systems, Adobe, and Wily Technology, Qumulo is reimagining enterprise storage. Website … Continue reading “Qumulo Receives $24,500,000 Series A Financing Round”
Data-Storage Startup Qumulo, Founded by Isilon Vets, Lands $24.5M
Some key participants in one of the Seattle area’s biggest tech company success stories of recent years are back with a new company. And as of today, they’ve got sizable backing from venture investors to attack the data storage market. The startup is Qumulo, a Seattle-based company that is announcing today a $24.5 million Series … Continue reading “Data-Storage Startup Qumulo, Founded by Isilon Vets, Lands $24.5M”
The Icos Impact: What to Expect Next Week
We’re one week away from our next big life sciences gathering in Seattle, called “The Icos Impact.” We’re expecting more than 150 people at this event who either worked at this important local biotech company or crossed paths with many of the smart and hard-working people who worked there in the ‘90s and 2000s. As … Continue reading “The Icos Impact: What to Expect Next Week”
Tel Aviv, L.A. Right Behind Silicon Valley in Startup Genome Rankings
Brace for some surprising news. As a place to build a startup, Tel Aviv, Israel, outranks every other major startup hub in the world except Silicon Valley. That’s according to a report set to be released today by Startup Genome, a San Francisco-based R&D project. All right, you say; surely the No. 3 spot after … Continue reading “Tel Aviv, L.A. Right Behind Silicon Valley in Startup Genome Rankings”
How To Build a Biotech Cluster That Isn’t Boston or SF
I live and work in Louisville, KY, a city that probably isn’t too different from a lot of communities in the U.S. that are not biotech hubs like San Francisco and Boston. Driven in part by economic development, many in my hometown would like to develop a biotech cluster. But building a biotech cluster is … Continue reading “How To Build a Biotech Cluster That Isn’t Boston or SF”
Xconomist of the Week: Q&A with General Assembly’s Brad Hargreaves
I hate New York sports teams. But I don’t mind New York startup incubators. Especially when they have a growing presence in Boston and other cities. General Assembly is much more than that, of course. The company runs a network of startup schools dedicated to entrepreneurship and education, primarily in the fields of technology, business, … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Q&A with General Assembly’s Brad Hargreaves”
Centri Technology Lands $3,827,796 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3aa69349-48cb-4b71-a602-4b87b6288957&Preview=1 Date 11/20/2012 Company Name Centri Technology Mailing Address 411 First Avenue South North Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Centri Technology develops a broad suite of solutions that make it possible for mobile phones to download files, access the Internet and send emails at speeds three times as fast as the current … Continue reading “Centri Technology Lands $3,827,796 New Round”
Itron Names Mezey as CEO, Lands Hong Kong Smart Grid Pilot Project
More news from Itron today: The maker of utility meters and smart grid technology has appointed Philip Mezey chief executive officer, taking over from LeRoy Nosbaum on Jan. 1. Itron also announced another smart grid win in Asia. Mezey joined Itron (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ITRI]]) in 2003 through the acquisition of Silicon Energy. He has held several senior … Continue reading “Itron Names Mezey as CEO, Lands Hong Kong Smart Grid Pilot Project”
Seattle Biomed, Emerald Bio and Peers Get Big NIH Contract Extension
Seattle Biomedical Research Institute and its scientific partners set out five years ago to better understand, in fine-grain detail, the 3-D structures of proteins on infectious bugs that sicken and kill people in developing countries. Nobody in the pharmaceutical industry had reason to look very hard before. But the scientists figured that if you could … Continue reading “Seattle Biomed, Emerald Bio and Peers Get Big NIH Contract Extension”
Stanford’s Mike Snyder is Showing the Way With Personalized Medicine
Say the words “personalized medicine” to people from various walks of life, and you’re likely to get one of about four different reactions. A. “Personalized medicine? What’s that?” (Usually spoken by 99 percent of patients.) B. “Personalized medicine will bankrupt the country with expensive new diagnostic tests, and overrated targeted drugs.” (Usually spoken by health … Continue reading “Stanford’s Mike Snyder is Showing the Way With Personalized Medicine”
Itron In Deal With Panasonic For Huge Japanese Smart Meter Market
Over the next 10 years, Japan will install some 80 million smart electric meters. Itron, the 35-year-old Washington utility metering technology provider, just landed a big deal with Panasonic that should help it get a slice of that market. Itron (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ITRI]])—based in Liberty Lake, WA, just east of Spokane near the Idaho border—said Friday … Continue reading “Itron In Deal With Panasonic For Huge Japanese Smart Meter Market”
The Strange Glamor of the Zombie Apocalypse
The zombie hordes are gaining strength. Or at least, there’s no sign that the supply of movies, TV shows, comic books, video games, and novels about zombie pandemics is waning. And with the pallid heroes of the Twilight saga sighing their last in theaters this weekend, it looks like the zombies will outlast even the … Continue reading “The Strange Glamor of the Zombie Apocalypse”
Is Seed Investing Here to Stay?
Seed stage investing has been growing tremendously and continues to accelerate. Just in the past year, according to CB Insights, it has grown from 15 percent of total U.S. VC investment volume in Q3 2011 to 31 percent of deal volume in Q3 2012. While it’s still a small allocation in total dollars invested, currently … Continue reading “Is Seed Investing Here to Stay?”
Deals Roundup: Cray Buys Appro, Avanade + Azaleos, Meteor and more
While this was Zulily’s week, with an $85 million Series D, there were several other more modest deals done in recent days, headlined by Seattle supercomputer maker Cray. —Cray (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CRAY]]) announced plans to acquire Appro International, a maker of high performance computing (HPC) cluster systems, for $25 million. Appro focuses on medium to large … Continue reading “Deals Roundup: Cray Buys Appro, Avanade + Azaleos, Meteor and more”
Zulily Adds $85 Million, Sees Sales on a $500M Annual Pace
It sounds pretty simple: Package big sales of sought-after goods for moms and kids and start selling each day at 6 am. But that little bit of e-commerce wizardry might be a lot bigger than it sounds—and it’s turned Zulily into one of the fastest-growing startups in the Seattle region, with monthly revenue now on … Continue reading “Zulily Adds $85 Million, Sees Sales on a $500M Annual Pace”
WaveDivision Aims to Continue Growth With $1B Recapitalization
Independent cable and broadband services provider WaveDivision Holdings has completed a $1.052 billion recapitalization, swapping out old investors for some fresh new ones. Launched in late 2001 to acquire and upgrade cable and fiber-optic network assets in the Pacific Northwest, Kirkland, WA-based WaveDivision took on Sandler Capital in 2002 as its equity partner. Ten years … Continue reading “WaveDivision Aims to Continue Growth With $1B Recapitalization”
Context Relevant Receives $1,500,000 Seed Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bf359bd2-45b7-42e8-8942-ddb6caa18cce&Preview=1 Date 11/15/2012 Company Name Context Relevant Mailing Address 2101 4th Ave Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description At Context Relevant, we’ve developed revolutionary software that enables you to analyze Big Data faster and more thoroughly than ever before. Website http://www.contextrelevant.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Context Relevant Receives $1,500,000 Seed Funding Round”
Creating a Strong and Sustainable Innovation Culture
Steve Jobs, one of the greatest innovators of our time, famously said, “Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have…It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” Jobs’ quote is one that I work to embody every day in my role as CEO of … Continue reading “Creating a Strong and Sustainable Innovation Culture”
Alnylam, Tekmira Look Ahead After RNAi Divorce
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Tekmira Pharmaceuticals were married, more or less, for eight years. But now that their divorce is final, each side sounds like it is relieved to be going off in separate directions. And shareholders of the companies who watched this dispute from afar basically agreed yesterday. After news of a legal settlement broke … Continue reading “Alnylam, Tekmira Look Ahead After RNAi Divorce”
With Ex-Isilon Chief Patel, Elemental Looks To Enter New Industries
Elemental Technologies has grown to more than $20 million in revenue by supplying software and hardware that helps video speed its way down the digital stream. With the addition of Isilon Systems co-founder Sujal Patel to the board of directors, the company is looking for guidance in expanding into new businesses, such as helping the … Continue reading “With Ex-Isilon Chief Patel, Elemental Looks To Enter New Industries”
Angels in Life Science America
What happens when the FDA approval process slows down and imposes higher hurdles, when cost-reduction becomes central to the healthcare provider business model, when clinical trials and commercialization costs for medical devices and biotechnology products spiral through the roof, and when exit returns are compressed by general economic conditions and the decline of the IPO … Continue reading “Angels in Life Science America”
How 3Tier Wind Forecasts Enable the Northwest Smart Grid
The Northwest is undertaking a grand project that could unlock a future of efficient energy use and smooth integration of renewables—two necessary pieces of a solution to the immense challenge of climate change. The beating heart of the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project, one of the largest in the world, is an incentive signal … Continue reading “How 3Tier Wind Forecasts Enable the Northwest Smart Grid”
Site9 Lands $500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7f5c3bdb-fe47-466b-9086-1983927031a5&Preview=1 Date 11/13/2012 Company Name Site9 Mailing Address 610 SW Alder Portland, OR 97205 Company Description Our mission: to provider superior tools which enable our customers to manage the creative design process. Website http://www.protoshare.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company intends to use the … Continue reading “Site9 Lands $500,000 New Round”
Alnylam to Pay Tekmira $65M to Settle RNAi Delivery Dispute
[Updated: 11:27 pm ET] Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay Vancouver, BC-based Tekmira Pharmaceuticals $65 million upfront, and potentially another $10 million next year, to settle a legal dispute over technology that enables Alnylam’s RNA interference drugs to be delivered where they are supposed to go inside cells. Alnylam (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) and Tekmira … Continue reading “Alnylam to Pay Tekmira $65M to Settle RNAi Delivery Dispute”
Who Are Biotech’s New Go-To Investment Bankers?
[Updated: 2:40 pm PT] Not that long ago, biotech executives weren’t sure who to call on Wall Street, or whether anyone would answer the phone. In late 2008 and early 2009, nobody could say for sure who would still be around in a couple years to supply capital to aspiring drugmakers. Partly inspired by all … Continue reading “Who Are Biotech’s New Go-To Investment Bankers?”
Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll—The Results
Mr. President, the country’s innovation leaders have spoken. Yesterday, just to keep the election fun going, we asked our readers—entrepreneurs, investors, technologists, executives, or just anyone interested in the business of technology—to weigh in on the things they thought were most important for you and the new Congress to focus on when it comes to … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll—The Results”