Tetraphase Nails $45M Round to Test Pipeline of New Antibiotics

Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals is coming back to work with a bang after the holiday weekend. The Watertown, MA-based company has raised $45 million in a Series C venture round to support a trio of new antibiotics that are designed to be tougher for bugs to resist. A new investor, Excel Venture Management, is leading the deal. … Continue reading “Tetraphase Nails $45M Round to Test Pipeline of New Antibiotics”

Digital Video Experts React to Google’s WebM, Motorola Out Scouting for Spinoff Headquarters, BakBone Cuts ColdSpark, & More San Diego BizTech News

It might be hard to remember last week’s flood of local high-tech news after enjoying the three-day weekend that usually kicks off the summer vacation season. Lucky we’re here to remember it for you. —The digital video experts at Qualcomm, Sorenson Media, VMIX, and elsewhere provided their perspective on WebM, an Internet video technology standard … Continue reading “Digital Video Experts React to Google’s WebM, Motorola Out Scouting for Spinoff Headquarters, BakBone Cuts ColdSpark, & More San Diego BizTech News”

SonoSite’s New Frontier: High-Res Ultrasound to See a Mouse Heartbeat, the Inside of Your Blood Vessels, & More

SonoSite looked like it was out of ideas. Why, after all, would the maker of portable ultrasound machines spend $89 million of hard-earned cash to buy back shares a couple months ago? That’s one of those time-honored financial engineering tricks that companies often do when they don’t have any promising new products to boost sales, … Continue reading “SonoSite’s New Frontier: High-Res Ultrasound to See a Mouse Heartbeat, the Inside of Your Blood Vessels, & More”

Ending the Suspense, Celladon’s Gene Therapy Helps Heart Failure Patients in Small Study

Gene therapy has never lived up to two decades of hype, but some intriguing new evidence for the technology emerged over the weekend at a medical meeting in Berlin. That was where San Diego-based Celladon unveiled results from a clinical trial—albeit a small one—that offers the first sign that gene therapy might help people suffering … Continue reading “Ending the Suspense, Celladon’s Gene Therapy Helps Heart Failure Patients in Small Study”

Prysm, Maker of Laser Screens, Quietly Breeds a Large-Display Revolution in Concord

When you think of Concord, MA, you’re more likely to visualize Revolutionary War skirmishes or Thoreau’s cabin on Walden Pond than factories full of complex machinery. But in fact, Concord was once a major hub of the clockmaking industry—in 1800 there were at least seven well-known clockmakers in the city, along with a network of … Continue reading “Prysm, Maker of Laser Screens, Quietly Breeds a Large-Display Revolution in Concord”

SynapDx Receives $9,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5d7c21c4-1802-4ad9-8352-6561dad6c78c&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2010 Company Name SynapDx Mailing Address Undisclosed Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description SynapDx was formed to develop and commercialize blood-based diagnostic tests for the early detection of autism. Website http://www.synapdx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $9,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The company will use the proceeds to … Continue reading “SynapDx Receives $9,000,000 Series A Funding”

TetraPhase Pharmaceuticals Receives $45,000,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b69345a5-e380-4946-b772-75486e99dd38&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2010 Company Name TetraPhase Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 480 Arsenal Street Watertown, MA 02472 Company Description Tetraphase Pharmaceuticas is focused on the discovery and development of new tetracycline antibiotics to treat drug resistant bacterial infections. The company’s approach capitalizes on ground-breaking technology, licensed from Harvard University (Dr. Andrew Myers, Professor of … Continue reading “TetraPhase Pharmaceuticals Receives $45,000,000 Series C Financing”

Follica Lands $7,500,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=72d28983-2547-4033-84be-c8f50ca5584a&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2010 Company Name Follica Mailing Address 222 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 Company Description Follica Inc., a privately held medical device company, was co-founded by PureTech Ventures and a group of world renowned experts in hair follicle biology and medicine. In addition to hair loss, Follica has intellectual property and … Continue reading “Follica Lands $7,500,000 Series B Financing Round”

Giiv Secures $3,500,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f0c92920-9e7d-480d-9931-a7398656ecc8&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2010 Company Name Giiv Mailing Address 2020 N. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90031 Company Description Giiv.com is based on a simple idea: that giving a gift should be fun, fast, and easy. Now you can show appreciation, say thank you, cheer someone up or just let someone know you … Continue reading “Giiv Secures $3,500,000 Series A Funding”

Awareness Technologies Lands $6,500,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3451fcfa-4ad6-4108-9674-f17261197336&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2010 Company Name Awareness Technologies Mailing Address 4640 Admiralty Way Los Angeles, CA 90292 Company Description With InterGuard, there’s finally a single solution for the entire range of internal threats. And since the damages from internal threats are enacted at the endpoint, InterGuard is at the endpoint – making it … Continue reading “Awareness Technologies Lands $6,500,000 New Funding Round”

Metamarkets Receives $2,500,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1a970726-b5ff-4787-a47b-2063439ca7ed&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2010 Company Name Metamarkets Mailing Address 350 Townsend St. San Francisco, CA 94107 Company Description Metamarkets provides price data and predictive analytics to large-scale global media companies. Website http://www.metamarketsgroup.com/index.html Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes from the financing were not disclosed. M&A … Continue reading “Metamarkets Receives $2,500,000 New Funding Round”

Snaptic Obtains $2,300,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f9abd44e-4bf5-4138-b7da-fbe108f545fc&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2010 Company Name Snaptic Mailing Address 2995 Woodside Road Woodside, CA 94062 Company Description The company creates notetaking and no sharing applications for mobile devices. Website http://www.snaptic.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,300,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Excel Venture … Continue reading “Snaptic Obtains $2,300,000 New Funding”

Digital Pharma West

ExL Pharma brings its digital pharma event to the West Coast. From the event website: “Digital Pharma has become the leading experimental forum for the industry to explore how technology, innovation and social media are changing the way we interact with patients and physicians. We assemble the most leading pharma marketers and create a setting … Continue reading “Digital Pharma West”

Venture Funding and Due Diligence: Financing a Biotechnology Company

The UC Berkeley Extension in downtown San Francisco hosts a two-day course for venture-funded startup entrepreneurs in the life sciences sector. From the course writeup: “Study contemporary start-up topics covering the history, culture, and evolution of biotech businesses and business models. You are introduced to the basics of starting a biotechnology or life science company … Continue reading “Venture Funding and Due Diligence: Financing a Biotechnology Company”

International Society for Stem Cell Research Annual Meeting

With sponsorship from California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the four-day annual meeting of the ISSCR comes to San Francisco this June. From the event website: “The ISSCR Annual Meeting has become the preeminent international stem cell meeting of the foremost stem cell professionals from public, private, academic and government settings. It provides a forum to … Continue reading “International Society for Stem Cell Research Annual Meeting”

The Water Crisis: An Update on Global Challenges and the Role of Technology

SD Forum presents a “Clean and Green Evening Series” event on how technology can help address the global shortage of fresh water. From the event listing: “The global water crisis continues to be a top priority for consumers, corporations, entrepreneurs, investors and the government. Our panelists will provide an update on what they feel to … Continue reading “The Water Crisis: An Update on Global Challenges and the Role of Technology”

Consumer Internet Venture Breakfast

The SD Forum’s Mobile SIG, with sponsorship from Pillsbury Winthrop and PricewaterhouseCoopers, presents its quarterly venture breakfast, with a focus this quarter on the prospects for consumer Internet plays for venture investors. To quote from the event listing: “Are there still big consumer plays or is the field already saturated? Who will be the winners … Continue reading “Consumer Internet Venture Breakfast”

Next Generation Batteries

The SD Forum hosts a Clean Tech Breakfast on “Next Generation Batteries: Challenges and Opportunities in Energy Storage.” Confirmed speakers include Dania Ghantous, Qnovo Corporation; Ashok Lahiri, Enovix; and Mark Platshon, VantagePoint. Jeffrey Selman of Nixon Peabody will moderate. Information here.

Winning with Big Data

The Business Intelligence SIG of SD Forum hosts a talk by Michael Driscoll, principal at Dataspora, on the opportunities and challenges created by “big data”—the massive flow of information generated by consumers clicking on Web links, swiping their credit cards, and checking in at various locations on their mobile devices. Information here.

Using Community Initiatives to Build Your Brand

SD Forum’s marketing SIG hosts a talk by Dylan Thomas, digital director at Rassak Experience, on the most appropriate and effective ways to use community initiatives to build your brand and drive business results. “This presentation will provide an overview of community initiatives types, present success stories, and provide tools to assess the role of … Continue reading “Using Community Initiatives to Build Your Brand”

Guy Kawasaki: Entrepreneurship 2.0

The Silicon Valley extension of UC Santa Cruz hosts a talk by famed investor and technology Guy Kawasaki, who will focus on the “new rules of the game” in technology entrepreneurship. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Information here.

UX Intensive 2010

Adaptive Path hosts a four-day workshop series for user experience professionals who want to “take their practice to the next level,” in the words of the event listing. “We examine the key elements that contribute to a successful interactive experience: Design Strategy, Design Research, Interaction Design and Information Architecture. Each workshop is led by Adaptive … Continue reading “UX Intensive 2010”

Fisker Automotive Receives $35,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2b9a8fbd-9938-40da-8576-cb8b1febedfa&Preview=1 Date 5/30/2010 Company Name Fisker Automotive Mailing Address 19 Corporate Park Irvine, CA 92606 Company Description The concept was created between two independent companies who clearly wanted to make a difference in not only the automotive industry, but to the environment as well. Fisker Coachbuild, LLC and Quantum Technologies announced this … Continue reading “Fisker Automotive Receives $35,000,000 New Financing”

Feedjit, Survey Analytics, SEOmoz Climb Web Ranks

Seattle 2.0’s monthly startup index reports that Cheezburger Network and Zillow still lead the pack of local Internet startups in terms of traffic estimates. Feedjit, Survey Analytics, SEOmoz, and Smilebox moved up the ranks in the top 10, while Sporcle, Entertonement, AppStoreHQ, Evri, Zulily, and Onehub made strong upward moves in the top 50. Seattle … Continue reading “Feedjit, Survey Analytics, SEOmoz Climb Web Ranks”

One Tablet Per Child?

The Cambridge, MA-based One Laptop Per Child Foundation arguably launched an industry with its XO-1 Laptop, which first went into large-scale production in 2007. The worldwide buzz generated by the little green machine, which was intended mainly for classroom use in technologically underserved areas of the world, inspired computer makers to build an array of … Continue reading “One Tablet Per Child?”

Life Tech Buys Majority of Geneart

Life Technologies,  the Carlsbad, CA-based company that makes instruments and lab supplies for biologists, said today it has acquired a 74 percent ownership stake in Germany-based Geneart through a tender offer to the smaller company’s shareholders. Geneart is one of five small companies around the world  that specialize in synthesizing custom-ordered genes for use in … Continue reading “Life Tech Buys Majority of Geneart”

Wave vs. Wave: Breaking News in San Diego’s War Between the Surf Machines

Stand on any beach on any ocean, and one of the things you will eventually notice about waves is that they keep coming—which might turn out to be the case with legal disputes over wave-making technology as well. It certainly seemed that way last year, when I wrote about a startup in Solana Beach, CA, … Continue reading “Wave vs. Wave: Breaking News in San Diego’s War Between the Surf Machines”

Under the Radar Financings in the Northwest: Foodista, PhotoRocket, EnergySavvy, and More

OK, usually when we pull out our monthly “under the radar” deals, it’s companies we haven’t heard much about before. Not so this time. I’ve been lamenting the relative dearth of financing deals for early-stage software startups around Seattle lately. This month’s news won’t really change that, but at least there are a few intriguing … Continue reading “Under the Radar Financings in the Northwest: Foodista, PhotoRocket, EnergySavvy, and More”

Goby and TripAdvisor: Two Great Mobile Apps for Your Upcoming Travels

It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, when thoughts turn to vacation and summer road trips, so I thought I’d write briefly today about two cool travel-related mobile apps, both hailing from the Boston area. But first, I want to take a moment to remind you that June is Innovation Month in New England. Similar to the … Continue reading “Goby and TripAdvisor: Two Great Mobile Apps for Your Upcoming Travels”

The Mobile Internet: What is Real and What is Fiction?

CommNexus has asked Andrew Seybold, the wireless industry analyst, consultant, commentator, and author, to talk about the mobile Internet, and whether it will be just like the wired Internet—with browsing, searching, and streaming video. Seybold will explain just how different the mobile Internet will be, and what is needed to optimize and manage the wireless … Continue reading “The Mobile Internet: What is Real and What is Fiction?”

YongoPal Wins UW Biz Competition

YongoPal, a Web startup that enables English conversations between people in Korea and the U.S., won the grand prize of $25,000 at tonight’s University of Washington Business Plan Competition. Empowering Engineering Technologies, a company that seeks to help disabled people to walk again, won the $10,000 second place award, while Emergent Detection and Febris each … Continue reading “YongoPal Wins UW Biz Competition”

FDA Approves Genzyme Pompe Drug, Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Trial Succeeds, Thermo Fisher Acquires Fermentas, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News

Life sciences news in the past week has run the gamut, from stealthy companies emerging with funding to big name drug makers scoring FDA approval and successful drug trial results, not to mention a few headlines of partnerships and acquisitions. —Logical Therapeutics, a Waltham, MA-based developer of anti-inflammatory drugs designed to be safer on the … Continue reading “FDA Approves Genzyme Pompe Drug, Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Trial Succeeds, Thermo Fisher Acquires Fermentas, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”

INVIDI Technologies Lands New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=24619cb6-624f-4d64-9154-1192584c73ae&Preview=1 Date 5/28/2010 Company Name INVIDI Technologies Mailing Address 420 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10170-0038 Company Description INVIDI Technologies Corporation is the world’s only truly addressable targeted television advertising and marketing solution for cable, satellite and IPTV service providers at the headend, household and individual viewer level. Website http://www.invidi.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “INVIDI Technologies Lands New Financing”

RealDirect Lands New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=65e71e2f-12dd-470a-8015-60f59db1c282&Preview=1 Date 5/28/2010 Company Name RealDirect Mailing Address 22 W. 21st St. 10th Floor New York, NY 10010 Company Description At RealDirect, our mission is to help sellers more efficiently price, advertise and ultimately sell their homes. Whether sellers want to sell themselves or get help from an agent, we provide the … Continue reading “RealDirect Lands New Round”

Ogmento Receives $3,500,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=aea1aea8-f40f-4f2b-945f-a6f286d75cbc&Preview=1 Date 5/28/2010 Company Name Ogmento Mailing Address 176 Broadway, Ph-C New York, NY 10038 Company Description Ogmento was founded in 2009 by industry veterans committed to developing Augmented Reality Games. By fusing real and virtual worlds Ogmento is spearheading the next generation of video games that are played in the real … Continue reading “Ogmento Receives $3,500,000 Series A Funding”

A Cooler Case Study: Making CoolerEmail Hot Again

CoolerEmail was a trailblazer in the e-mail marketing space with a solution that was the most affordable, technologically advanced, and easiest to use. But as the market has matured, the gap between CoolerEmail and the competition has narrowed significantly. The company realizes the need to respond with a robust, next-generation solution. CoolerEmail is on the … Continue reading “A Cooler Case Study: Making CoolerEmail Hot Again”

Getting Ahead of the Curve: San Diego Bio-Pharma Conference 2010

The Sino-American Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Professionals Association and San Diego Chinese American Association have organized the 9th Annual Symposium on Biopharmaceuticals, also known as San Diego Bio-Pharma Conference 2010. While a major reorganization in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries has completely changed Pharma landscape, these also are the perfect times for forging ahead. Keeping the … Continue reading “Getting Ahead of the Curve: San Diego Bio-Pharma Conference 2010”

Venture Mechanics, Led by Ron Wiener, Opens “Berkubator” for Tech Startups, Introduces Three New Companies

Looking to start a technology company in this era of small teams, lean cost structures, and fast times to market? You might want to check out Venture Mechanics in Seattle. It’s basically an outfit of four experienced startup executives who are trying to reinvent the process of launching tech companies. They held an open-house launch … Continue reading “Venture Mechanics, Led by Ron Wiener, Opens “Berkubator” for Tech Startups, Introduces Three New Companies”

32 Pivotal Leaders Selected in Cleantech

Pivotal Leaders, a new Portland, OR-based network of cleantech business leaders, announced this week its 32 top leaders for 2010. They were nominated by the community and selected by their peers, from a pool of more than 600 nominations, as people most likely to lead successful Northwest clean technology companies in the next three to … Continue reading “32 Pivotal Leaders Selected in Cleantech”

Vertex Gets Strong Results From Hepatitis C Trial, Anadys Explores Alternatives, Funding Helps to Revive La Jolla Pharmaceutical, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

We saw mostly funding news for San Diego’s life sciences community over the past week, and it was light fare. Get our latest roundup here, and enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. —Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which is based in Cambridge, MA, and operates a research facility in San Diego, said its experimental drug for hepatitis C cured … Continue reading “Vertex Gets Strong Results From Hepatitis C Trial, Anadys Explores Alternatives, Funding Helps to Revive La Jolla Pharmaceutical, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

SonoSite Acquires Visualsonics

SonoSite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SONO]]), the Bothell, WA-based maker of portable ultrasound machines, said today it has agreed to acquire Toronto-based Visualsonics for $71 million, net of cash and debt. Visualsonics is the leader in ultra high frequency micro-ultrasound that uses five times the frequency center range of conventional technologies, SonoSite says. This has enabled biologists to … Continue reading “SonoSite Acquires Visualsonics”

TechTown, Unity Studios Will Partner to Produce Michigan-Based Film Crews

OK. You’re a Hollywood director, and you’ve come to the Detroit area to film your movie and take advantage of Michigan’s highest-in-the-nation 42 percent tax credit. You’ve set up your home base in a local hotel and your star—let’s say, oh, Meryl Streep—she’s costing you $100,000 a day. You need to find a local crew … Continue reading “TechTown, Unity Studios Will Partner to Produce Michigan-Based Film Crews”

Quanterix Uses Fiber Optics to Find Cancer Protein, Nears New Funding Round

Both academics and industry have long sought ways to spot cancer in patients before it becomes deadly. This week, Cambridge, MA-based Quanterix said its single-molecule detection system could potentially find signs of prostate cancer recurrence lurking in the blood years before traditional lab tests. The study, published in Nature Biotechnology, showed that Quanterix’s technology detected … Continue reading “Quanterix Uses Fiber Optics to Find Cancer Protein, Nears New Funding Round”