Kirkland, WA-based wireless Internet service company Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) said late Monday that it has raised an additional $290.8 million through a public market rights offering. The company said its shareholders exercised rights to purchase approximately 39.7 million shares of Class A common stock for the aggregate price. Back in November, Clearwire received a $1.5 … Continue reading “Clearwire Raises $290M More”
Tatara Gets $7M
Acton, MA-based Tatara Systems, a maker of mobile convergence servers, announced it had closed a $7 million financing, led by North Bridge Venture Partners. Highland Capital Partners also contributed to the funding for Tatara, which develops platforms for mobile network integration.
Nuance Acquires ShapeWriter, Ramps Up Pressure on Seattle Startup Swype
Memo to mobile-interface companies: Nuance is on the prowl. The speech-recognition and imaging software giant (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]), based in Burlington, MA, has acquired ShapeWriter, a Silicon Valley-based spinout from the IBM Almaden Research Center, for an undisclosed sum. Nuance has not spoken publicly about the acquisition, but a message on the ShapeWriter website as of … Continue reading “Nuance Acquires ShapeWriter, Ramps Up Pressure on Seattle Startup Swype”
Precision Polling Acquired by Survey Monkey
Seattle-based phone polling developer Precision Polling was snatched up by web-based survey giant Survey Monkey Monday, according to TechCrunch. The financial terms of the acquisition have not yet been disclosed, however according to TechCrunch, both Precision co-founders Gaurav Oberoi and Charles Groom will stay employed with the company out of Seattle. Survey Monkey was founded … Continue reading “Precision Polling Acquired by Survey Monkey”
Last Call! Share Hellos, Goodbyes, and Beers with Wade and Greg Tonight
Just a reminder to our readers around Boston that we’d love to see you at tonight’s Xconomy beer bash. We’re welcoming Greg Huang as the new Editor of Xconomy Boston and saying farewell to Wade Roush, who starts his journey to San Francisco this weekend. The festivities start at 5:00 p.m. at the Cambridge Brewing … Continue reading “Last Call! Share Hellos, Goodbyes, and Beers with Wade and Greg Tonight”
Three Medical Device Deals to Wrap Up: Voyage Medical, Incline Therapeutics, and Baxano
Here are three interesting medical device deals from around the Bay Area that crossed our desk in the past few days. —Voyage Medical, a Redwood City, CA-based developer of technology to help cardiologists better visualize heart tissue as they work, raised $20.6 million out of an equity financing round that could be worth as much … Continue reading “Three Medical Device Deals to Wrap Up: Voyage Medical, Incline Therapeutics, and Baxano”
From Pioneer in Internet Sales to a Giant Leap in Mass Adoption, SmartDraw Charts New Strategy in Graphics Software
Paul Stannard says communicating visually by using charts, graphs, and other information graphics is six times as effective as communicating by text alone. A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Yet even with the widespread availability of sophisticated software like Autodesk’s AutoCad, Adobe Illustrator, and CorelDraw to create diagrams and info-graphics, Stannard maintains that … Continue reading “From Pioneer in Internet Sales to a Giant Leap in Mass Adoption, SmartDraw Charts New Strategy in Graphics Software”
Michigan-Based Site Boocoo.com Thinks It’s Found a Way to Compete with Craigslist and eBay…and Save Your Local Newspaper
Since Monday, if you’ve paid close attention, you might have noticed a goofy-sounding phrase in your Boston Herald or San Diego Union-Tribune: “Boocoo Auctions.” It comes from a Royal Oak, MI, based company called Ranger Data Technologies and is part of an ambitious plan to take lost advertising revenue back from Craigslist and eBay. But, … Continue reading “Michigan-Based Site Boocoo.com Thinks It’s Found a Way to Compete with Craigslist and eBay…and Save Your Local Newspaper”
$8M for Acceleron
Acceleron Pharma, a Cambridge, MA-based maker of genetically engineered drugs for treating conditions such as anemia and bone loss, has pulled in $8.4 million of a planned $11.5 million offering of equity, options, and warrants, according to an SEC filing. Members of Advanced Technology Ventures, Venrock Associates, Flagship Ventures, OrbiMed Advisors, and Polaris Venture Partners … Continue reading “$8M for Acceleron”
Regulus Therapeutics, Spinoff of Isis and Alnylam, Forms $750M MicroRNA Deal With Sanofi
Regulus Therapeutics has found its second big ally from Big Pharma. The Carlsbad, CA-based company has forged what it calls its most lucrative partnership yet to discover, develop, and someday co-market microRNA drugs with Paris-based pharma giant Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]). Regulus, formed in 2008 by Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]]) and Carlsbad’s Isis Pharmaceuticals … Continue reading “Regulus Therapeutics, Spinoff of Isis and Alnylam, Forms $750M MicroRNA Deal With Sanofi”
John Glaser, Boston’s Top Hospital Geek, Talks About Obama’s Health IT Plan and Getting Booted from Catholic School
John Glaser, chief information officer of Partners HealthCare, sits atop one of the largest health IT organizations in New England. Yet beneath his corporate shell lives a scorching wit and perhaps a somewhat reformed hell-raiser. He was kicked out of his Jesuit high school in the Bay Area during his junior year for his part … Continue reading “John Glaser, Boston’s Top Hospital Geek, Talks About Obama’s Health IT Plan and Getting Booted from Catholic School”
TaskRabbit Kicks Off Errand-Running Service in San Francisco, Boston ‘Burbs
TaskRabbit—known until this April as RunMyErrand—was one of the darlings of the Bay Area investing community when it emerged from the inaugural session of Facebook’s fbFund incubator program last summer. Founding CEO Leah Busque headed out to Facebook’s Palo Alto headquarters in June 2009, and by October her Boston-born startup had picked up checks totaling … Continue reading “TaskRabbit Kicks Off Errand-Running Service in San Francisco, Boston ‘Burbs”
Seattle Genetics’ Dark Horse Drug Candidate Approaches Home Stretch in Leukemia Study
[Correction: 10:05 am Pacific] The buzz around Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) has been about whether it will finally prove, after more than a decade, that an “empowered antibody” can be an effective treatment for cancer. But while fewer people are watching, the company is eagerly awaiting clinical results for a traditional antibody that also has … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics’ Dark Horse Drug Candidate Approaches Home Stretch in Leukemia Study”
Top 10 Things Michael Bishop Did as UCSF Chancellor
It is impossible for me in a couple minutes to articulate just what a great legacy Mike had in his 11 years as UCSF chancellor. So I’m going to give you a top 10 list in the style of David Letterman. Think of this as his legacy: 10. The initiation of a vigorous campus-wide program … Continue reading “Top 10 Things Michael Bishop Did as UCSF Chancellor”
Cleantech Open Names Semifinalists, Opscode Pulls in $11M, Greg’s Five Trends to Watch, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
This past week has been a slow one on the deals front, partly because of our own transition here at Xconomy Seattle. Greg has been over in Boston this past week setting up for his new post, and yesterday was my first day on the job as the new assistant editor here in Seattle. Still, … Continue reading “Cleantech Open Names Semifinalists, Opscode Pulls in $11M, Greg’s Five Trends to Watch, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
RelayRides, Out to Be the Community-Powered Zipcar, Hits the Ground With Pilot Rental Program
In 2007 Shelby Clark’s car died just as he crossed into San Francisco, ready to start work with micro-lending nonprofit Kiva.org. He discovered ZipCar once he got to the Bay Area and a year later still hadn’t bought a car of his own. Fast-forward to November 2008. Clark had moved to Boston to attend Harvard … Continue reading “RelayRides, Out to Be the Community-Powered Zipcar, Hits the Ground With Pilot Rental Program”
Pyxis Mobile Lands $2,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2c7bb72e-92c7-4d73-8bef-5b9ed7d49681&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name Pyxis Mobile Mailing Address 1601 Trapelo Road Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description Pyxis Mobile is the leading provider of innovative wireless software that meets the diverse needs of the financial services industry. Pyxis Mobile mPlatform® solutions are used by mobile financial professionals to extend critical business data … Continue reading “Pyxis Mobile Lands $2,000,000 New Round”
Tatara Systems Secures $7,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cbad3dc4-5598-420b-b174-7cd3b30ff0e2&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name Tatara Systems Mailing Address 35 Nagog Park Acton, MA 01720 Company Description Tatara invents, develops, and deploys solutions for communication service providers allowing them to offer converged mobile services to their subscribers. Website http://www.tatarasystems.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Tatara Systems Secures $7,000,000 New Funding Round”
uSamp Garners $10,000,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=912ecaa5-39e6-4b7b-a145-a0b66bdfc2c1&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name uSamp Mailing Address 16501 Ventura Blvd. Encino, CA 91436 Company Description At uSamp, we believe that any research project, no matter how specific, can be solved by recruiting, surveying and rewarding online. And we built a business by circling the globe and recruiting 2 million informed and … Continue reading “uSamp Garners $10,000,000 Series C Financing”
Baxano Obtains $30,000,000 Series C Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=32b38973-fb2b-4407-8400-0aad88289522&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name Baxano Mailing Address 655 River Oaks Parkway San Jose, CA 95134 Company Description The company is developing tools to restore spine function and preserve healthy tissue. Website http://www.baxano.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $30,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes Proceeds from the Series C round … Continue reading “Baxano Obtains $30,000,000 Series C Funding Round”
Apptera Secures $10,000,000 Series B Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eb891e1b-6863-47ed-9929-2add22ed17b8&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name Apptera Mailing Address 1150 Bayhill Drive San Bruno, CA 94066 Company Description Apptera provides technology for mobile advertising, search and commerce. Our services are provided “In-Call” while a consumer is interacting with a business over the phone. These solutions are sold to companies looking to monetize their … Continue reading “Apptera Secures $10,000,000 Series B Round”
Brand.net Garners $14,000,000 Series C Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3817d190-ed2e-46a1-8c49-36d028f4a63a&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name Brand.net Mailing Address 1400 Fashion Island Blvd San Mateo, CA 94404 Company Description Brand.net is the first online advertising network focused exclusively on Brand advertising. The Brand.net team has a combined 50+ years of online Brand advertising experience with leading online publishers. Our deep online display advertising … Continue reading “Brand.net Garners $14,000,000 Series C Financing Round”
D.light International Lands $5,500,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9bd402d0-8316-44af-9b75-3edf0eaa11f5&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name D.light International Mailing Address 360 Bryant St. Palo Alto, CA 94301 Company Description The company’s mission is to enable households without reliable electricity to attain the same quality of life as those with electricity. We will begin by replacing every kerosene lantern with clean, safe and bright … Continue reading “D.light International Lands $5,500,000 Series B Financing Round”
Quantalife Secures $7,500,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3c760e9c-0b8a-4081-97a4-4c32f2dd65f3&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name Quantalife Mailing Address 7068 Koll Center Parkway Pleasanton, CA 94566 Company Description QuantaLife, Inc. was formed to develop, manufacture and market a revolutionary nucleic acid testing concept for the Life Science Research, Clinical Molecular Diagnostics, Personalized Medical Care and Industrial markets. Our suite of products, which are … Continue reading “Quantalife Secures $7,500,000 New Financing”
Incline Therapeutics Secures $43,000,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3b75e752-b8ef-42da-93f4-bf1173162447&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name Incline Therapeutics Mailing Address Undisclosed Redwood City, CA 94063 Company Description Incline Therapeutics is a hospital-focused specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of IONSYS (fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system). Incline is financed by leading life science venture capital firms and led by a management team with significant … Continue reading “Incline Therapeutics Secures $43,000,000 Series A Round”
ReputationDefender Lands $15,000,000 Series C Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9877cf60-e601-4e37-9d98-3dcf57301560&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name ReputationDefender Mailing Address 2688 Middlefield Road Building C Redwood City, CA 94063 Company Description ReputationDefender was created in 2006 to defend your good name on the Internet. Today, ReputationDefender has grown to be the world’s first comprehensive online reputation management and privacy company. We’re the most experienced … Continue reading “ReputationDefender Lands $15,000,000 Series C Financing Round”
Playdom Receives $3,300,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bbc44e85-b370-44c1-bfb0-68bc80f23b82&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name Playdom Mailing Address 100 West Evelyn Avenue Mountain View, CA 94041 Company Description We boast the #1 game on MySpace—Mobsters—and three of the top four applications. But it doesn’t stop there. Fueled by explosive growth on Facebook and an expanding pipeline of new games and features, we … Continue reading “Playdom Receives $3,300,000 Series B Financing Round”
SiLEGO Technology Lands $5,750,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f4e86f50-592d-4e8a-80ca-908cf5f26680&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name SiLEGO Technology Mailing Address 1715 Wyatt Drive Santa Clara, CA 95054 Company Description SILEGO operates as a fabless semiconductor components company. Website http://www.silego.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,750,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed
Lijit Networks Garners $6,000,000 Series D Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=648a0eba-819f-47b8-9949-9d4cdbeaa8f1&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2010 Company Name Lijit Networks Mailing Address 1050 Walnut St. Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description The company operates a social networking and blog search service. Website http://www.lijit.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,000,000 Transaction Round Series D Proceeds Purposes The latest round of financing will be used to support … Continue reading “Lijit Networks Garners $6,000,000 Series D Financing”
Esperion Reaches Deal With TransGenRx
Esperion Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company based in Ann Arbor, MI, has announced that TransGenRx, a Baton Rouge, LA, company, will produce protein-based therapeutics to be used in Esperion’s research. Esperion is developing therapies to treat cardio-metabolic disease including therapies based on HDL, the body’s “good” cholesterol, which has been shown to play an important role … Continue reading “Esperion Reaches Deal With TransGenRx”
Opscode Nabs $11M From Battery Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson for Software Automation
Seattle-based automation software developer Opscode said today it has raised $11 million in a Series B financing led by Battery Ventures. This latest round of funding includes a follow-on investment from Draper Fisher Jurvetson, which led the company’s $2.5 million Series A round back in April 2009. Opscode plans to use the money to hire … Continue reading “Opscode Nabs $11M From Battery Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson for Software Automation”
Cadence Gets Option to Buy Incline
Cadence Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CADX]]), the San Diego-based developer of an intravenous form of acetaminophen for pain relief in hospitals, said today it has obtained an exclusive option to acquire Redwood City, CA-based Incline Therapeutics. Separately, Incline announced it has raised $43 million in Series A venture financing to develop its fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system (Ionsys), … Continue reading “Cadence Gets Option to Buy Incline”
LS9 Gets Presidential Award
LS9, the South San Francisco-based developer of renewable petroleum, said today it has received the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, the highest honor given by the Environmental Protection Agency. Winners are selected by a panel of experts pulled together by the American Chemical Society. LS9 co-founder and director Noubar Afeyan of Flagship Ventures traveled to … Continue reading “LS9 Gets Presidential Award”
Hackers and Founders
An informal meetup for…well, hackers and founders. From the event website: “OK. So our San Francisco June meetup is happening on July 1. You’re not going to hold one little day against us, are you? Welcome to the summer of Hackers and Founders San Francisco! From June-ish to August we will meet once a month … Continue reading “Hackers and Founders”
Social Developer Summit
MediaBistro produces a full-day event focused on building applications for the social Web. From the event website: “Social news, social games, social discovery, social search, and other social solutions are charging developers with building instantly scalable products. As new technologies continue to emerge to address these challenges, it’s increasingly important to come together as a … Continue reading “Social Developer Summit”
iPad Game Summit
From the event website: “The iPad Summit is the only event of its type, providing you with the detailed insight you need to create not just your iPad strategy, but your entire Apple mobile device strategy (iPad, iPhone and iTouch). The Summit will bring iPad opportunities into focus with exclusive market research, business strategies and … Continue reading “iPad Game Summit”
Major Michigan Business Incubators Get $3M Incentive to Get Their Act Together
Southeast Michigan’s four major business incubators are, at last, discovering how to work together, with $3 million worth of prodding from the New Economy Initiative, a philanthropic organization aimed at transitioning the region to an innovation-based economy. The leaders of Ann Arbor SPARK, Techtown in Detroit, Automation Alley in Troy, MI, and the Macomb-OU INCubator … Continue reading “Major Michigan Business Incubators Get $3M Incentive to Get Their Act Together”
Fallbrook Moves Ahead With Chinese Bus Deal
In a move foreshadowed last month in its amended IPO filing, San Diego’s Fallbrook Technologies says today it has inked a deal with China’s Chengdu Bus Co. to put its accessory drive technology into buses made for use in the Chinese market by Chengdu. Bill Klehm, Fallbrook’s chairman and CEO, calls the memorandum of understanding … Continue reading “Fallbrook Moves Ahead With Chinese Bus Deal”
MIT Startup peerTransfer Wins Global Entrepreneurship Competition in Barcelona
[Updated 2:30 pm 6/21/10 (see bottom).] Score one for Boston innovation—and MIT startups in particular. Cambridge, MA-based peerTransfer, an online money transfer and global payments company spun out of MIT, has won the 20,000-Euro prize for the most promising early-stage startup in the HIT Global Entrepreneurship Competition. The award was given late last week as … Continue reading “MIT Startup peerTransfer Wins Global Entrepreneurship Competition in Barcelona”
Mass Innovation Night
Mass Innovation Nights are out to connect entrepreneurs with the market, through free monthly parties. July’s installment has a slew of tech startups, with a special focus on the energy and cleantech cluster. RSVP online.
The Momentum Summit
Investors and entrepreneurs will dish on how to translate great ideas into viable businesses, at this event. Hear from founders and execs at Zipcar, TripAdvisor, Retail Convergence, VistaPrint, and Akamai. Sign up here.
MITEF Start-up Clinic
Learn lessons in retail innovation at this MIT Enterprise Forum event. Aisle Buyer is out to eliminate lines for shoppers, and DiJiPOP is working on an ad platform for e-commerce sites. Register online for this one.
MITEF Digital Media Smackdown & Debate
Complaints are encouraged at this MIT Enterprise Forum event. The organization is accepting complaints on the biggest challenges in the digital media industry, and the gripes that receive the most attendee votes at the event will score prizes. They’ll also be discussing top headlines in digital media over the last year. Register here.
Apptera Obtains $10M
Sunnyvale, CA-based Apptera, maker of a platform for hybrid in-call and text-message-based advertising targeted at mobile phone users, has raised $10 million in equity financing from a group of 14 investors, according to regulatory documents published June 17. Apptera’s previous investors include Alloy Partners, Efficient Frontier, Lightspeed Venture Partners, New World Ventures, and Walden International … Continue reading “Apptera Obtains $10M”
MITEF Innovation Series: “From Disruption to Innovation”
Hear from three entrepreneurs who are living out the “innovate or die” ethos, at this MIT Enterprise Forum event. Learn how these innovators are shaking things up in e-commerce, communications, and healthcare. Register here.
Sacca Closes $8.5M Fund
Chris Sacca, the former head of special initiatives at Google who has been active as a Silicon Valley “super angel,” has announced the kickoff of a new $8.5 million startup investing fund at his firm Lowercase Capital. Sacca’s previous investments have included Bit.ly, Gowalla, Photobucket, Poll Everywhere, Posterous, and Twitter. Sacca told VentureWire that the … Continue reading “Sacca Closes $8.5M Fund”
A Consensus of Three: Venture Capital Still Looking to Grab Rebound
Have we turned the corner on the recession? That was the big question for the out-of-town venture capital partners—including two from the San Francisco Bay Area—who came to San Diego last week to offer their perspective on the post-collapse generation of venture capital and technology innovation. “One thing that’s clear is that the other side … Continue reading “A Consensus of Three: Venture Capital Still Looking to Grab Rebound”
Jackpot Rewards Scores $14M
Newton, MA-based Jackpot Rewards, a provider of online sweepstakes and rewards programs, has raised $14.1 million in a convertible debt financing, according to an SEC filing. The startup pulled in $12 million in debt-based funding back in October. Wade profiled Jackpot in February 2008 when it announced plans for weekly $1 million sweepstakes with guaranteed … Continue reading “Jackpot Rewards Scores $14M”
Bristol-Myers Dumps Exelixis Drug
Bristol-Myers Squibb is backing out of a collaboration with Exelixis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXEL]]) to develop XL184 for cancer. The two companies “were not able to align on the scope, breadth and pace of the ongoing clinical development of XL184” because of progress in Bristol’s internal cancer drug pipeline, according to an Exelixis statement. Bristol will pay … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers Dumps Exelixis Drug”
Affymax Tanks on Anemia Results
Affymax (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AFFY]]), the Palo Alto, CA-based developer of an experimental anemia drug, released some bad news today from clinical trials conducted with partner, Takeda Pharmaceuticals. While four pivotal studies of a combined 2,609 patients showed that peginesatide (Hematide) wasn’t inferior to competing products from Amgen in terms of boosting hemoglobin to carry oxygen in … Continue reading “Affymax Tanks on Anemia Results”