How did Geoff Entress become Seattle’s go-to tech investor and startup guru? For those outside the local technology community, Entress is an angel investor who has put his own money to work in more than 35 startup companies, most of them software-based and in the Northwest. They range from firms that are now well-established like … Continue reading “Geoff Entress, the Go-To Startup Investor, Weaves Himself Deeper Into Seattle Tech Community With Founder’s Co-op”
Craig Venter’s Enabler, Seattle’s Blue Heron, Grows With Synthetic Genes Made to Order
When genomics pioneer J. Craig Venter stepped before the cameras last week and claimed that he engineered the first bacterial cell with an entirely synthetic genome, he actually had a lot of help. One of the key players he relied on behind the scenes was a privately held company in Bothell, WA, called Blue Heron … Continue reading “Craig Venter’s Enabler, Seattle’s Blue Heron, Grows With Synthetic Genes Made to Order”
Seattle Genetics Grows Up Fast, Valocor Seeks to Fight Acne, Cell Therapeutics Nabs $21M & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This week we had a few of the usual small deals to cover, but there were a few moments to take a deep breath and look at the big-picture trends underway in the Northwest biotech community. —Seattle Genetics is practically invisible compared to the drama queen across Lake Washington, otherwise known as Dendreon. But while … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Grows Up Fast, Valocor Seeks to Fight Acne, Cell Therapeutics Nabs $21M & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
QinetiQ, Thermo Scientific Collaborate to Equip Explosive-Sniffing Robots with Smart Sensors
Chemically fueled improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are one of the deadliest hazards to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and incidents like the Oklahoma City bombing and the Sarin gas attack in Tokyo have demonstrated that civilians, too, can be the targets of chemicals and explosives. Now two organizations with Massachusetts roots are collaborating to offer … Continue reading “QinetiQ, Thermo Scientific Collaborate to Equip Explosive-Sniffing Robots with Smart Sensors”
Logical Therapeutics Lands $16,900,000 Series C Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e844d621-62d7-47df-aa6b-00f7e871134d&Preview=1 Date 5/27/2010 Company Name Logical Therapeutics Mailing Address 300 Second Avenue Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description The Company is developing medicines to treat diseases that are associated with poorly controlled or excessive inflammation. Website http://www.logicaltherapeutics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $16,900,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes The Series C … Continue reading “Logical Therapeutics Lands $16,900,000 Series C Funding”
Teranetics Lands $7,800,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a9c9e5fd-694c-4c52-bb1f-4a2cf3527444&Preview=1 Date 5/27/2010 Company Name Teranetics Mailing Address 2665 North First Street San Jose, CA 95134 Company Description Teranetics specializes in silicon solutions that enable significantly higher data rates over structured copper cabling than are available in the Ethernet world today. Our products will enable data centers and enterprise networks to cost … Continue reading “Teranetics Lands $7,800,000 New Funding Round”
BOKU Receives New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8ef99d5b-15c2-4c1a-a046-7164fd58a21b&Preview=1 Date 5/27/2010 Company Name BOKU Mailing Address P O Box 190725 San Francisco, CA 94119 Company Description BOKU is creating the standard for online payments using your mobile phone, making it easy to pay for digital goods and social experiences across the web. With a strong focus on reliability and security, … Continue reading “BOKU Receives New Financing Round”
Mocana Receives New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5311f668-7c8d-461f-ac26-8f7ea8602b8d&Preview=1 Date 5/27/2010 Company Name Mocana Mailing Address 350 Sansome Street San Francisco, CA 94104 Company Description Mocana is a security software company focused on enabling next generation networks and services all the way to edge devices. Mocana’s industry-leading infrastructure software solutions ensure that wired and wireless devices, networks and services perform … Continue reading “Mocana Receives New Round”
BlockChalk Receives $1,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9bda8aa7-ecf3-40b6-aead-ac62bafa36cf&Preview=1 Date 5/27/2010 Company Name BlockChalk Mailing Address 818 Fremont St. Menlo Park, CA 94025 Company Description BlockChalk lets you use your mobile phone to leave messages in your neighborhood and see what your neighbors are saying. People are already using it to ask, answer, praise, gripe, report, prevent, borrow, trade, and … Continue reading “BlockChalk Receives $1,000,000 New Funding Round”
Zeebo Raises $8M
San Diego-based Zeebo, the game console maker backed by wireless giant Qualcomm and Brazilian video-game developer Tectoy S.A., has raised $8 million in a combination of equity, debt, and loans convertible to stock, according to a recent regulatory filing. The Zeebo consoles are available throughout Brazil and Mexico in a plan that Zeebo laid out … Continue reading “Zeebo Raises $8M”
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Revives With $6M Financing
Like a scene from a Monty Python skit, a San Diego biotech left for dead has announced plans for a new financing—and says it has revived interest in its experimental drug for treating Lupus of the kidneys. La Jolla Pharmaceutical halted work on the drug in early 2009. In a statement yesterday, La Jolla Pharmaceutical … Continue reading “La Jolla Pharmaceutical Revives With $6M Financing”
What Google’s WebM Looks Like to Video Digerati in San Diego and Boston
It’s been a week since Google announced a new open-source video project called WebM at its I/O Developers Conference in San Francisco, with the online media giant arguing that streaming video—like nearly everything else on the Internet—just wants to be free. So it seemed like a good time to see how some digital video technology … Continue reading “What Google’s WebM Looks Like to Video Digerati in San Diego and Boston”
Mendlein Joins aTyr as Chairman
aTyr Pharma, the San Diego-based developer of a new class of protein drugs, said yesterday that John Mendlein has joined the company as executive chairman of the board. Mendlein is currently the chairman of Fate Therapeutics and Alevium Pharmaceuticals. He was previously the CEO of Adnexus Therapeutics before that company was sold to Bristol-Myers Squibb … Continue reading “Mendlein Joins aTyr as Chairman”
TCA Names Quick Pitch Winners
Lucine Biotechnology founder Chandler Marrs won the “Best Overall” and “People’s Choice” awards at last night’s Tech Coast Angels’ Quick Pitch event in Irvine, CA. Most of the 12 finalists making 90-second presentations were entrepreneurs from Orange County and nearby communities. Lucine is developing low-cost salivary tests for horomone-related Obstetrics-Gynecology conditions. FlexCell Systems, a startup … Continue reading “TCA Names Quick Pitch Winners”
Rob Glaser, RealNetworks Founder, Joins Accel Partners, Looks to Connect VC Firm with Seattle Entrepreneurs
Rob Glaser, the founder, chairman, and former CEO of Seattle-based RealNetworks (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]), announced yesterday that he has joined Accel Partners, the Silicon Valley-based VC firm, as a part-time venture partner. Glaser will focus on digital media, social media, and mobile service investments—and he’ll do it from the Seattle area. Accel invested in RealNetworks back … Continue reading “Rob Glaser, RealNetworks Founder, Joins Accel Partners, Looks to Connect VC Firm with Seattle Entrepreneurs”
Tesaro Nabs $20M Series A Financing for Cancer Drugs, $40M More in Reserve
A team of cancer drug veterans has formed a new company in Boston. The company, Tesaro, says today that it has raised $20 million in a Series A round of funding from the investment firm New Enterprise Associates and its founders. Tesaro says it plans to acquire and develop cancer drugs and other oncology products. … Continue reading “Tesaro Nabs $20M Series A Financing for Cancer Drugs, $40M More in Reserve”
OzVision Grabs $4.9M
Woburn, MA-based OzVision Global, a developer of remote video platform technology for surveillance and telecommunications companies, has pulled in $4.9 million out of a planned $6.7 million offering of convertible notes, according to an SEC filing. The company’s website lists its investors as Aviv Venture Capital and Kardan Communications, firms that are represented on the filing … Continue reading “OzVision Grabs $4.9M”
Want Secure Data Anywhere, Anytime?: See How Pros Manage Global Information with the Latest Data Access Tools
You’re invited to a free seminar on how to best manage information across your enterprise. Attendees will discuss the challenges of data access and best practices. This event is sponsored by HTSQL by Prometheus Research. Seating is limited, so register online for the day you prefer or call (203) 928-0102 today to secure your place.
Enterprise 2.0 Conference Boston
The Enterprise 2.0 Conference explores the implications of enterprise technology, which allows businesses to communicate and collaborate beyond the more traditional modes such as email. It offers a series of workshops that aims to guide professionals through setting up enterprise 2.0 technology at their workplaces, and also examines the bumps along the way. Register here.
Founder Dialogues
KIVA Systems founder Mick Mountz will present at this edition of Founder Dialogues, a series of events put on by the seed-stage venture capital fund the Founder Collective. KIVA is developing technology that uses robotics to work warehouses and distribution centers.
Teradata Buys Xkoto
[Updated 1:00 p.m. May 26, 2010] Waltham, MA-based Xkoto, which makes database virtualization software for businesses, has been acquired by Teradata (NYSE: [[ticker:TDC]]), the Dayton, OH-based data warehousing and business intelligence giant, PE Hub first reported this morning. In an e-mail to Xconomy, Teradata public relations director Dan Conway confirmed the acquisition, and said the … Continue reading “Teradata Buys Xkoto”
4th Annual EurekaFest
Calling future inventors! This Lemelson-MIT event aims to inspire the future scientists and technology gurus with showcases of MIT inventions and design challenges for kids. You can register online for this one.
Expressor Software Secures $4.5M
Expressor Software, a provider of data-integration software, reported yesterday that it raised $4.5 million in expansion capital from three previous investors, Commonwealth Capital Ventures, Globespan Capital Partners, and Sigma Partners. According to PE Hub, the company, launched in May 2008, had previously brought in $15.6 million. The Burlington, MA-based firm’s semantic data integration software uses … Continue reading “Expressor Software Secures $4.5M”
Anadys Raises $12.5M, Hires Banker
Anadys Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ANDS]]), the San Diego-based developer of a treatment for hepatitis C, said today it has raised $12.5 million through a registered stock offering with certain institutional investors. The company has agreed to sell about 5.8 million shares at $2.15 apiece, about a 3.5 percent discount from yesterday’s closing stock price of $2.23. … Continue reading “Anadys Raises $12.5M, Hires Banker”
Seattle Genetics, Growing Up in a Hurry With Millennium, Aims to Make Most of Cancer Drug
Seattle Genetics has spent more than a decade thinking about cutting-edge biology, chemistry, and clinical trials to prove its drug candidates work. Then last week, for the first time in nine years I’ve been reporting on CEO Clay Siegall, he talked with passion about things like manufacturing, inventory, quality assurance, quality control, and insurance reimbursement. … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics, Growing Up in a Hurry With Millennium, Aims to Make Most of Cancer Drug”
Yaddapalooza
Boston’s Pinyadda hosts an informal party for the local startup crowd. From the event listing: “Pinyadda is pleased to announce the first ever yaddapalooza at the brand new Whiskey Priests bar in Boston’s Innovation District! Come join top innovating minds in Boston for a little partying, free food, and startup talk from 5:30pm – 10pm before … Continue reading “Yaddapalooza”
Is it Time for the FDA to Chime in on Drug Company Tweets?
These days, when I least expect it, an e-mail pops into my inbox that I can’t ignore. It announces that someone is following me on Twitter. I’m still figuring out how it works (I have a measly 4 tweets to my name), which explains why, upon reading one of those e-mails, I usually succumb to … Continue reading “Is it Time for the FDA to Chime in on Drug Company Tweets?”
WTIA Energy Series: Smart Fuels
Info and registration here. Session 3: Smart Fuels The list is growing of new ways to produce alternate fuels for transportation, consumer, and commercial purposes. From BioMass and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to plastic, waste oils, agricultural products and algae…the list continues to grow of innovative new fuels. Come here the state of the alternative … Continue reading “WTIA Energy Series: Smart Fuels”
Valocor Therapeutics, a QLT Spinoff, Envisions Safe Anti-Acne Drug and More
One of Vancouver, BC’s big biotech success stories, QLT, was clobbered by Genentech a few years ago in the market for treating age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness among elderly people. But during its heyday, QLT spawned a few cool R&D projects, and now some of them are being packaged into a new … Continue reading “Valocor Therapeutics, a QLT Spinoff, Envisions Safe Anti-Acne Drug and More”
Logical and Arsenal Get $10M Apiece, Constant Contact Acquires NutshellMail, Avila Gets $209M From Clovis, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Biotech companies occupied the majority of the deals news in the last week, but we also saw headlines on smaller transactions and acquisitions for some transportation, Internet, and software companies. —Darien, CT-based Cytogel Pharma, a biopharmaceutical development firm, pulled in $2.2 million in equity and rights-based funding. The company, which aims to license drugs to … Continue reading “Logical and Arsenal Get $10M Apiece, Constant Contact Acquires NutshellMail, Avila Gets $209M From Clovis, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
The Clean Energy Choice—To Lead or Lag
This month a group of 50 clean energy CEOs, investors and executives from New England traveled to Washington D.C. to deliver a common message to our leaders in the nation’s capitol: comprehensive energy and climate legislation is critical for building the clean energy economy here in New England and across the United States. The Kerry-Lieberman … Continue reading “The Clean Energy Choice—To Lead or Lag”
Tesaro Secures $20,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4e8e265b-caa4-45a8-969c-484b40c9c974&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2010 Company Name Tesaro Mailing Address 135 Clarendon St. Boston, MA 02116 Company Description TESARO is a privately held oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company whose passionate associates are dedicated to improving the lives of cancer patients by developing and providing safer and more effective therapeutics and supportive care products. Website http://www.tesarobio.com Transaction … Continue reading “Tesaro Secures $20,000,000 Series A Funding”
RF Surgical Systems Receives $2,500,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9877b9d8-6a85-476c-b159-a01b4affcd58&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2010 Company Name RF Surgical Systems Mailing Address 2700 Richards Road Bellevue, WA 98005 Company Description RF Surgical Systems, Inc. is a medical device company with headquarters in Bellevue, Washington and engineering R & D facilities in San Diego, California. The privately held company was founded by Chairman Jeffrey Port, … Continue reading “RF Surgical Systems Receives $2,500,000 Series A Financing Round”
ClariPhy Communications Receives $24,000,000 Series C Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d95a16e8-7a6b-44e1-ad70-002ebd3e86ac&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2010 Company Name ClariPhy Communications Mailing Address 7585 Irvine Center Drive Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description ClariPhy Communications, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company that designs and markets complex physical-layer products (ICs) for high-speed communications. ClariPhy’s initial products, which target 10-Gbit/s optical networks in the enterprise market, significantly lower the … Continue reading “ClariPhy Communications Receives $24,000,000 Series C Funding”
Alvine Pharmaceuticals Obtains Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9a2aaf8b-6c64-474e-855b-00b2df7666e0&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2010 Company Name Alvine Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 75 Shoreway Rd. San Carlos, CA 94070 Company Description Alvine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing therapeutics for the treatment of Celiac sprue. Website http://www.alvinepharma.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Alvine Pharmaceuticals Obtains Series A Funding”
Facebook Acquires ShareGrove for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e18b1453-3663-4804-957a-6f2f22101444&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2010 Company Name ShareGrove Mailing Address 4 West Fourth Ave San Mateo, CA 94402 Company Description Sharegrove makes it easy to engage online friends in private conversations through the web. Sharegrove conversations are rich and expressive—with seamless, inline sharing of web pages, pictures and media, including audio and video. And … Continue reading “Facebook Acquires ShareGrove for Undisclosed Sum”
TRA Obtains $18,200,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=beef759c-992f-48bc-9bf8-811d3a6bfb5d&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2010 Company Name TRA Mailing Address 230 Park Avenue New York, NY 10169 Company Description Advertisers demand more accountability and measurement of their media spend. Industries such as television are seeing an erosion of advertising dollars while Internet advertising is growing fast, in large part because of the perception of … Continue reading “TRA Obtains $18,200,000 Series C Financing”
Phreesia Lands $16,000,000 Series D Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=af778463-d666-4f41-9c41-e6a7ee1b55ad&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2010 Company Name Phreesia Mailing Address 110 East 23rd Street New York, NY 10010 Company Description The company markets a patient education system for use in physician waiting rooms. Website http://www.phreesia.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $16,000,000 Transaction Round Series D Proceeds Purposes This investment will enable Phreesia to … Continue reading “Phreesia Lands $16,000,000 Series D Round”
PublicEarth Receives $1,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ec4fe79d-6634-41ce-9c85-0d87c28d35fc&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2010 Company Name PublicEarth Mailing Address 1731 15th Street Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description The company is developing a database of location-specific content. Website http://www.publicearth.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed
Twiistup Startup Sessions: Marketing Your Internet Company
Info and registration here. Are you trying to get more search engine traffic to your website? Neil Patel will break down every aspect of SEO so that you won’t just rank on page 1 of Google, but you’ll rank at the top of page 1. Through these SEO tactics, Neil has been able to help … Continue reading “Twiistup Startup Sessions: Marketing Your Internet Company”
RF Surgical Scores $2.5M More
Medical device maker RF Surgical Systems, which is based in Bellevue, WA, and has R&D operations in San Diego, has raised $2.5 million in equity financing out of a total offering of $5 million, according to a regulatory filing. The company confirmed the funding today. It says it had raised approximately $21 million before this … Continue reading “RF Surgical Scores $2.5M More”
After Decade of Development, Cymer Moves Into OLED Display Manufacturing
When San Diego-based Cymer (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYMI]]) announced its first-quarter financial results last month, the company noted almost parenthetically that it’s just beginning to roll out technology to manufacture OLED display screens. In the 24 years since it was founded, Cymer’s business has been focused almost entirely on making advanced lasers that serve as the light … Continue reading “After Decade of Development, Cymer Moves Into OLED Display Manufacturing”
pii2010: Privacy, Identity, Innovation
Information and registration here. Taking place August 17-19 in Seattle, pii2010 will explore the future of digital privacy, identity and innovation, and how to strike a balance between protecting sensitive information and enabling new technologies and business models. It’s an all-hands-on-deck conference where industry executives, technologists, consumer advocates, policy experts and other stakeholders will come … Continue reading “pii2010: Privacy, Identity, Innovation”
Mobile Breakfast Series: Startup Nation
This breakfast highlights the startup side of the mobile industry. CEOs from companies in the advertising, healthcare, location-based messaging, and crowdsourcing segments of the mobile industry will present across two, one-hour panels on this morning. Register here.
Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Passes Pivotal Test, Cures Three Out of Every Four Patients
Vertex Pharmaceuticals has finally got the definitive proof it needs to say it has made a breakthrough for hepatitis C patients. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech company said today that its experimental drug for the chronic liver damaging disease was able to cure three-fourths of patients in the last stage of clinical testing required for FDA … Continue reading “Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Passes Pivotal Test, Cures Three Out of Every Four Patients”
Venture Fast Track: One Day Boot Camp for VC & Angel Success
This interactive, all-day seminar aims to give entrepreneurs and investors a rundown on raising early stage financing. The event, run by The Capital Network, includes panels, roundtables, and a lunch designed to match entrepreneurs with investing professionals. Register here.
Mobile Monday: Evening of Mobile Startups at the MIT Museum
There’s a new exhibit hitting the MIT Musuem for a night: the area’s mobile companies. This event is part of the series of get-togethers known as Mobile Monday, and will feature booths showcasing mobile startups—not to mention food and two cash bars. Registration is free.
Google Touts Its Role, State by State, in U.S. Economic Growth
Google unveiled the results of its first state-by-state analysis of the company’s impact on regional economies at press events in 10 cities on Tuesday, including Cambridge, MA, Detroit, and Seattle. For the most part, Google measured the value it generates when local advertisers and Web publishers use its AdWords and AdSense platforms for Web advertising. … Continue reading “Google Touts Its Role, State by State, in U.S. Economic Growth”
Creative Forces Robbie Bach, J Allard Leave Microsoft as Part of Exec Shakeup
Two longtime technology leaders are heading for the exits at Microsoft today. The Redmond, WA, company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) announced this morning, amid swirling rumors, that Entertainment and Devices president Robbie Bach is leaving the company this fall. Senior vice president of design and development J Allard is also stepping down from his role, and will … Continue reading “Creative Forces Robbie Bach, J Allard Leave Microsoft as Part of Exec Shakeup”
Hutch Nabs $10M Computing Grant
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center said today it has received two grants worth a total of $10.1 million to set up a high-performance computing cluster and center to safeguard research data. The money comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, aka “the stimulus,” via the National Institutes of Health. The plan is to … Continue reading “Hutch Nabs $10M Computing Grant”