The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation continues its strategy of financial support for biotech startups with an investment in Visterra, a four-year-old Cambridge, MA, company developing an antidote to pandemic flu. Visterra says today that the Gates Foundation is one of the investors in an additional $13 million raised to complete a $26 million Series A … Continue reading “Gates Foundation Invests in Flu Drug Developer Visterra”
Category: Seattle
10 Kickstarter Projects Every Geek Should Support
[Updated 6/5/2014] We’re living in a golden age for creators and entrepreneurs. If you don’t believe me, just look back about a decade and try to remember how hard it was to publish a book, make a movie, record an album, raise a seed round for your startup, get your software onto a mobile phone, … Continue reading “10 Kickstarter Projects Every Geek Should Support”
Priceline Buys Kayak, Consolidating Online Travel Brands
A big deal today in online travel, with competitive implications for companies from coast to coast: Priceline.com, a stalwart of the industry, is buying up newer competitor Kayak in a cash-and-stock deal worth about $1.8 billion. It’s a pretty quick sale for Kayak, which just made its public-market debut this summer. Both Priceline (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PCLN]]) … Continue reading “Priceline Buys Kayak, Consolidating Online Travel Brands”
Xconomist of the Week: Lisa Suennen on Healthcare Reform Post-Election
It’s been a stress-inducing year for innovators in the healthcare arena. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which calls for the creation of state exchanges to extend health insurance to millions of people who currently lack coverage, passed Congress by a slim margin in 2010 and has been under assault by Republicans ever since. … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Lisa Suennen on Healthcare Reform Post-Election”
Deals Roundup: Limeade’s $5M, Blue Box’s $3.5M, Zillow’s Acquisitions
As investors showered attention on the latest crop of Seattle TechStars companies last week, other more established Seattle-area tech companies were landing capital from far and near. Meanwhile, Zillow (NASDAQ: [[ticker:Z]]) bought a pair of companies–its fourth and fifth acquisitions in the last two years—to enhance its offerings for real estate and mortgage pros. —Bellevue-based … Continue reading “Deals Roundup: Limeade’s $5M, Blue Box’s $3.5M, Zillow’s Acquisitions”
Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll
[Updated, Nov. 9—The polls are closed. But you can see the results here–Eds] The election is over. But as we all know, the really hard part—finding ways for our newly elected and reelected leaders to work together to move the country forward—still remains. There is work to be done on a multitude of fronts, of … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll”
Talyst Lands $10,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9408927a-ad67-4c78-aefc-0de774ec3f96&Preview=1 Date 11/8/2012 Company Name Talyst Mailing Address 11100 NE 8th Street, Floor 6 Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description Talyst enables the intelligent pharmacy. The company provides automated systems to hospitals and other centralized pharmacies, to reduce costs and increase productivity, while improving accuracy and patient safety. Its equipment and software are … Continue reading “Talyst Lands $10,000,000 New Round”
Limeade Obtains $5,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cc30bdb5-7cde-4250-8695-66f2d028cd36&Preview=1 Date 11/8/2012 Company Name Limeade Mailing Address 10777 Main St. Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description Limeade provides health and wellness information services to employers and employees. Website http://www.limeade.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Limeade will use the funds to fuel customer-focused innovation and … Continue reading “Limeade Obtains $5,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
Atossa Genetics Secures $4,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ee1af8ac-d982-4628-a702-71df32f9fb6e&Preview=1 Date 11/8/2012 Company Name Atossa Genetics Mailing Address 4105 E Madison St Seattle, WA 98112 Company Description Atossa Genetics (NASDAQ: ATOS) is a healthcare company focused on the development and marketing of novel cellular and molecular diagnostic risk assessment products for breast cancer. Website http://www.atossagenetics.com Transaction Type IPO Transaction Amount $4,000,000 … Continue reading “Atossa Genetics Secures $4,000,000 New Financing Round”
The Icos Impact: A Few Photos From Memory Lane
Dig around in the old files from Icos, and a few things jump out. There were a lot of smart people who worked hard, and clearly enjoyed working together. A lot of sweat equity went into turning it from an R&D shop into a “fully integrated” company with a product to sell. Much of this … Continue reading “The Icos Impact: A Few Photos From Memory Lane”
Alike Decodes the DNA of Places: Hear More at Mobile Madness Dec. 12
I haven’t been there in far too long, but I know all the details of my favorite Seattle coffee shop: The low light and loud music, the quirks of the baristas, which snacks are worth buying, and the best tables for silently banging out some writing work. I’d love to find more places just like … Continue reading “Alike Decodes the DNA of Places: Hear More at Mobile Madness Dec. 12”
Rescuing Patent-Less Proteins from the Drug Development Dustbin
“Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor.” The Greek poet Hesiod wasn’t referring to the drug development process when he wrote these words, but they certainly apply to that setting. Back in the early days of the biotechnology industry, a number of newly identified proteins were considered for … Continue reading “Rescuing Patent-Less Proteins from the Drug Development Dustbin”
Omeros Passes 2nd Trial for Eye Drug, Preps for FDA Push
Seattle-based Omeros (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OMER]]) has spent 18 years as an R&D company, and now it can say that some of that biomedical research and development is being translated into what looks like a marketable product. The company said today it passed the second of two pivotal clinical trials with its experimental drug for use in … Continue reading “Omeros Passes 2nd Trial for Eye Drug, Preps for FDA Push”
Your Car: The Future of Connected Health?
The car is entering an innovation renaissance. While Tesla Motors—the electric car company led by PayPal founder Elon Musk—has become the emblem of auto innovation, other manufacturers are following suit. For example, Ford recently launched their AppLink API in 1 million vehicles, allowing drivers to seamlessly integrate and navigate their mobile apps for things such … Continue reading “Your Car: The Future of Connected Health?”
LinkedIn: The Quiet Force Transforming Biotech & Pharma
Mark Levin’s business is biotechnology, so it’s no surprise he knew zilch about a tech company called LinkedIn as recently as two years ago. But these days Levin sounds like he can barely do his job without it. “I’m not the most social media savvy person. I haven’t used a lot of these tools at … Continue reading “LinkedIn: The Quiet Force Transforming Biotech & Pharma”
No Ha Muerto: Rinearson’s Intersect Nearing Launch of New Service
Not exactly new, but still an appropriately macabre afternoon distraction on Dia de los Muertos, Dead.AtYourAge.com — built “a couple of years ago as a lark” by Peter Rinearson’s Seattle startup Intersect PTP — takes your birth date and tells you who you’ve outlived. After a friend pointed me toward it today, I got to … Continue reading “No Ha Muerto: Rinearson’s Intersect Nearing Launch of New Service”
Allen Institute Moving to South Lake Union as Growth Continues
The Allen Institute for Brain Science is in the midst of an audacious $300 million expansion, as it plans to grow to 350 employees, and recruit neuroscientists from around the world to tackle some of the toughest questions in biology. Those people need someplace to work together, and no surprise, that place is going to … Continue reading “Allen Institute Moving to South Lake Union as Growth Continues”
Less Is Not Always More: The Argument for Apple-style Skeuomorphism
When an obscure archaeological term like “skeuomorphism” starts to show up in the pages of the country’s leading newspapers, you know people must be talking about Apple again. In technology circles, the biggest news this week wasn’t Superstorm Sandy, or the elections, or even the Disney-Lucasfilm deal and the prospect of another Star Wars trilogy. … Continue reading “Less Is Not Always More: The Argument for Apple-style Skeuomorphism”
Omeros Settles Wrongful Termination Suit With Former CFO for $3.9M
Omeros, the Seattle-based drug developer, has ended a long-running dispute with former chief financial officer Richard Klein by agreeing to pay him $3.94 million to settle a wrongful termination case he brought against the company three years ago. Omeros (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OMER]]) said today in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it … Continue reading “Omeros Settles Wrongful Termination Suit With Former CFO for $3.9M”
TechStars Seattle Demo Day: Have You Invested Yet?
[Updates at 3:45 p.m. PT Nov. 1 and 10:33 a.m. PT Nov. 2, See below] There are a number of ways to measure the success of TechStars Seattle as its third class comes to a close with Demo Day this afternoon. But let’s follow the money. I think we’ll see that this year’s class has … Continue reading “TechStars Seattle Demo Day: Have You Invested Yet?”
Hoist a Pint With Xconomy’s New Team Member: Benjamin Romano
Once in a while at Xconomy Seattle we like to crawl out of our little writer dens, and meet the readers we serve in person. The time has come to do it again this Friday afternoon. Benjamin Romano, the new tech and cleantech writer here on staff, is the guest of honor at this little … Continue reading “Hoist a Pint With Xconomy’s New Team Member: Benjamin Romano”
Sapphire Energy & Institute for Systems Biology Partner on Biofuels
San Diego’s Sapphire Energy and Seattle’s Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) have established a strategic partnership that is intended to significantly expand and diversify the genetic resources that Sapphire needs to commercialize algae-based biofuels. Financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed. In the five years since it was founded, Sapphire Energy has demonstrated how … Continue reading “Sapphire Energy & Institute for Systems Biology Partner on Biofuels”
UW Spinoff Resolve Therapeutics Snags $5.8M for Lupus Drug
Resolve Therapeutics, the University of Washington spinoff with a new strategy for the treatment of lupus, has nailed down $5.8 million in its second round of venture financing, Xconomy has learned. The company has secured the additional cash from its existing investors New Science Ventures and Easton Capital, as well as a new backer, Seattle-based … Continue reading “UW Spinoff Resolve Therapeutics Snags $5.8M for Lupus Drug”
Resolve Therapeutics Obtains $5,800,000 Series B Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ecbc5abc-bd5d-498f-8ae7-67cb2fce6796&Preview=1 Date 11/1/2012 Company Name Resolve Therapeutics Mailing Address 5400 Carillon Point Kirkland, WA 98033 Company Description Resolve Therapeutics is a privately held biotechnology company based in Seattle that is dedicated to helping patients with lupus through the development of RSLV-125, its novel targeted biologic therapy. Website http://www.resolvebio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Resolve Therapeutics Obtains $5,800,000 Series B Round”
Blue Box Secures $3,500,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dddbb0f9-2db4-4358-b0d4-a85e15655cd2&Preview=1 Date 11/1/2012 Company Name Blue Box Mailing Address 119 Pine Street Seattle, WA 98101 Company Description Founded in 2003, we focus on the needs of our customers instead of the whims of the market. We are immersed in the operations and systems world and focus on running the most streamlined setups … Continue reading “Blue Box Secures $3,500,000 Series A Financing”
Report: Isilon Co-Founder Sujal Patel Leaving EMC
Sujal Patel, co-founder of Isilon Systems, one of the Seattle area’s biggest recent VC success stories, is leaving data-storage giant EMC, which acquired Isilon for $2.25 billion in late 2010. The move, first reported by John Cook at GeekWire, raises the welcome prospect of a seasoned and successful Seattle tech entrepreneur again on the prowl. … Continue reading “Report: Isilon Co-Founder Sujal Patel Leaving EMC”
Seattle Genetics, Millennium Cancer Drug Cleared in EU
Seattle Genetics cashed a $60 million check three years ago from Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, as Millennium wanted a piece of a potent new cancer drug it could sell outside the U.S. Now regulators have given Millennium the go-ahead to start recouping that investment by selling the drug in the 27-member European Union, world’s … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics, Millennium Cancer Drug Cleared in EU”
NWEN Entrepreneur University
The latest installment of Northwest Entrepreneur Network’s Entrepreneur University features keynotes from an interesting spectrum of Seattle-area businesspeople: Cranium CEO Richard Tait, Molly Moon’s Ice Cream owner Molly Moon Neitzel, and Jawfish Games CEO Phil Gordon. The program also includes tracks of presentations on launching and running businesses, along with the latest trends in entrepreneurship, … Continue reading “NWEN Entrepreneur University”
A New Online “Pre-Accelerator” from Steve Blank and Startup Weekend
In the past, most early-stage startups went down one of three well-worn paths. They either rented office space from a business incubator, in the hope of running into investors and business partners; applied to an accelerator program like TechStars or Y Combinator, which provide mentorship and networking over a set period of several months in … Continue reading “A New Online “Pre-Accelerator” from Steve Blank and Startup Weekend”
Reflexion Health Raises $4.5M to Advance Idea for ‘Prescribed Software’
Reflexion Health, a San Diego startup developing a system that uses Microsoft’s Kinect motion sensing system to help physical therapy patients with their rehab, has raised $4.25 million in seed funding from the West Health Investment Fund. Reflexion CEO and co-founder Spencer Hutchins tells me the company plans to use the funding to advance development … Continue reading “Reflexion Health Raises $4.5M to Advance Idea for ‘Prescribed Software’”
Digging in the Closet for Halloween? Get Out Your Icos Mementos
Somewhere, buried deep in the closets of many biotech professionals in the Northwest, there are old T-shirts, coffee mugs, or little squeezy stress balls with a logo that says “Icos.” Even though many of these things probably have been stuck in boxes for years, it’s time to dig them out for a big party coming … Continue reading “Digging in the Closet for Halloween? Get Out Your Icos Mementos”
The New Power Players in Drug R&D Are Wearing Bright T-Shirts
See all those people signing up for the 10K charity run/walk in your hometown this weekend? Those folks in your Facebook photo album, decked out with colorful T-shirts and uplifting messages about fighting some disease? You could easily have written off many of these nonprofit fundraisers a few years ago as well-intended, but ultimately ineffective, … Continue reading “The New Power Players in Drug R&D Are Wearing Bright T-Shirts”
With SIC, Seattle’s Digital Marketing Ecosystem Finally Gets Its Due
Despite more than a decade leading digital advertising in Seattle, Razorfish chairman Clark Kokich is giving his first speech in his home town tomorrow. That’s an odd oversight for a 21st century Mad Man who’s sought after in advertising hotspots around the world. But Kokich’s newfound recognition close to home says something about what has … Continue reading “With SIC, Seattle’s Digital Marketing Ecosystem Finally Gets Its Due”
Meteor Entertainment Lands $18,000,000 Series B Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=29f2e4be-323b-4e7c-8162-19a52b3c0232&Preview=1 Date 10/29/2012 Company Name Meteor Entertainment Mailing Address 114 Prefontaine Pl S Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description The company is a game publishing company. Website http://www.meteor-ent.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $18,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes The company is preparing to launch its flagship software. M&A Terms Venture … Continue reading “Meteor Entertainment Lands $18,000,000 Series B Funding Round”
Xconomy Forum: Mobile Madness Northwest
How will the next few years play out as devices and applications are seamlessly integrated into everything we do—whether at home, work, or play? Join us for this half-day forum of interactive talks and chats that will showcase top investors, entrepreneurs, and executives tackling the next big ideas in mobile computing—from big data and commerce … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: Mobile Madness Northwest”
How the Larklife Wristband Could Turn Us All Into Quantified-Selfers
If you’re willing to to walk around all day wearing sensors that record your activity and compile the data into fancy reports and graphs, you must be either a pretty big geek, or a fanatical athlete training for an ultramarathon-style event, or both. At least, that’s been the conventional wisdom. And there’s some truth in … Continue reading “How the Larklife Wristband Could Turn Us All Into Quantified-Selfers”
Hear From Siri Co-Founder Adam Cheyer & More at Mobile Madness NW
We’re really excited to invite you to our next big Xconomy event in Seattle, Mobile Madness Northwest, happening the afternoon of Dec. 12. And we’ve got a big name in the technology world to help us kick things off. Adam Cheyer is one of three co-founders of Siri, the company behind the eponymous virtual personal … Continue reading “Hear From Siri Co-Founder Adam Cheyer & More at Mobile Madness NW”
Xconomist of the Week: NPS’s Francois Nader Shares Lessons Learned
NPS Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NPSP]]) is gearing up for its first FDA approval, a mere 26 years after the company was founded. It is also six years since CEO Francois Nader joined the Bedminster, NJ, firm to engineer a dramatic structural overhaul, turning a fully integrated pharmaceutical company, which had spent decades developing drugs for osteoporosis, … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: NPS’s Francois Nader Shares Lessons Learned”
Microsoft’s Brad Smith on ‘Creating an Environment for Innovation’
Brad Smith, the executive vice president and general counsel at Microsoft, will be the guest speaker on Oct. 30 at the University of Washington Computer Science and Engineering Distinguished Lecture Series. His talk, co-sponsored by the UW School of Law, will focus on creating an environment for innovation. For more information, click here.
Decide Rejects Ads, Rolls Out Memberships for Smart Shopping Service
Shopping recommendation service Decide is pulling the trigger on a very big change today, one that says a lot about the perils online startups can face when it’s time to turn their product into actual businesses. Decide, stocked with veterans of price-tracking service Farecast, offers a shopping recommendation service for consumers through its website and … Continue reading “Decide Rejects Ads, Rolls Out Memberships for Smart Shopping Service”
Meet Benjamin Romano, Our New Tech and Cleantech Writer in Seattle
Xconomy Seattle just added a heavy hitter to our lineup. I’m thrilled to announce that Benjamin Romano is the newest member of our editorial team, starting today as a senior editor in Seattle focused on the tech and cleantech industries. Ben brings a load of relevant experience to this job. He spent four years at … Continue reading “Meet Benjamin Romano, Our New Tech and Cleantech Writer in Seattle”
Washington Innovation Summit
The Washington Innovation Summit is an annual day-long conference that brings together business, research, and economic development leaders to examine timely topics in technology and identify effective strategies to grow our state’s innovation economy. The 2012 Summit will feature a keynote presentation by Robert Atkinson, president of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) and … Continue reading “Washington Innovation Summit”
Time Kills All Deals
On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. —Narrator, Fight Club No matter how compelling your product or service is, no matter how great the terms you are proposing, no matter how appealing you are as a promoter or salesperson, given enough time, your deal will fall apart. It won’t … Continue reading “Time Kills All Deals”
Seattle Genetics Gets $25M in Broader Abbott Deal
The world has been beating a path to Seattle Genetics’s door the past couple years as it has proven it can make a “smart bomb” cancer drug work. And it’s translating into a series of more and more lucrative partnerships. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) said today that Abbott Laboratories has agreed to pay $25 million … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Gets $25M in Broader Abbott Deal”
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff: End Coming for Windows in Enterprise
If you ask cloud computing evangelist Marc Benioff about the future of Windows and PCs in the enterprise world it comes as no surprise that he sees this era rapidly coming to an end. That change, he believes, may be closer than ever if this week’s release of Windows 8 gives chief information officers the … Continue reading “Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff: End Coming for Windows in Enterprise”
Who Will Survive the Biotech VC Downturn? The Young and the Proven
[Updated: 10:10 am PT, 12/10/12] Most people, if they’re being honest, don’t have a clear plan for what they’ll be doing in their careers five years from now. But career planning is serious, high-stakes business for biotech venture capitalists. When a firm raises a new fund to invest in biotechnology, the partners have to personally … Continue reading “Who Will Survive the Biotech VC Downturn? The Young and the Proven”
Job Growth Malarkey: Avoid the Mermaid Strategy
Last week’s presidential debate once again focused on the need to create new jobs in the United States. And yet with barely two weeks to go until the election, neither candidate presented a convincing or nuanced understanding of the dynamics of job creation. Together the two candidates referred to “small business” 21 times during the … Continue reading “Job Growth Malarkey: Avoid the Mermaid Strategy”
E. Donnall Thomas, Bone Marrow Transplant Pioneer at the Hutch, Dies at 92
E. Donnall Thomas, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who helped put the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center on the map with his pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation, died on Saturday. He was 92. Thomas had been suffering from cardiovascular disease, according to his obituary in The Seattle Times. Thomas was a legend at the Seattle-based … Continue reading “E. Donnall Thomas, Bone Marrow Transplant Pioneer at the Hutch, Dies at 92”
Wetpaint Starts Licensing its Facebook-Based Media Distribution Tech
Turns out all that celebrity gossip-mongering had a point. Wetpaint, the well-funded Seattle digital media startup headed by Blue Nile co-founder Ben Elowitz, is now licensing its Facebook-focused content distribution system to outside publishers. The first deal is with Hubert Burda Media, a German publisher that owns Web and traditional magazine titles. Terms weren’t disclosed, … Continue reading “Wetpaint Starts Licensing its Facebook-Based Media Distribution Tech”
Moleskine Goes Digital: The Story Behind Evernote’s Smart Notebook
Certain pairings make the world a better place. Peanut butter and jelly. Fred and Ginger. Pinot Noir and chocolate. Evernote and Moleskine. That last one might not be familiar to you, yet. But a few weeks ago, the Milan, Italy-based publisher Moleskine introduced a new line of “Smart Notebooks” designed to be used in conjunction … Continue reading “Moleskine Goes Digital: The Story Behind Evernote’s Smart Notebook”