Got a mobile app in the works that you’re just dying to demo? Unleash it at this happy hour mingle, hosted by Mobile Monday, MassMobile, and Drinks on Tap, groups that regularly bring together developers in the area. Registration is free, so sign up on this event page.
CrisisCamp Haiti Relief Hacker Session
Having trouble figuring out how to contribute to the Haiti aid effort from where you are? Look to CrisisCamp, an event that will bring together Boston-area volunteers to collaborate on technology projects targeted toward Haiti relief efforts in the earthquake aftermath. The projects aim to provide data, information, maps, and technical assistance to non-governmental organizations, relief agencies, … Continue reading “CrisisCamp Haiti Relief Hacker Session”
“CrisisCamp” Hacker Session Planned in Cambridge to Help Haiti
Crisis Commons, a non-governmental organization formed last year to apply information technology to disaster management and humanitarian relief efforts, will mount a “CrisisCamp” session for Boston-area developers this Saturday in Cambridge. It’s the second weekend in a row the group has organized such sessions; similar camps took place last weekend in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., … Continue reading ““CrisisCamp” Hacker Session Planned in Cambridge to Help Haiti”
BuyWithMe Raises $5.5M
BuyWithMe, a Boston-based “group buying” site, said today it has closed a $5.5 million Series A venture financing round led by Matrix Partners, which has offices in Waltham, MA, and Menlo Park, CA. At the BuyWithMe website, merchants promote group discounts on products or services, deliverable only if BuyWithMe can assemble enough customers to meet … Continue reading “BuyWithMe Raises $5.5M”
Amag Pharma to Sell 3M Shares
Amag Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:AMAG]]), a Lexington, MA-based firm with a lead product for patients with chronic kidney disease, announced yesterday that it plans to sell 3 million shares of common stock in a public offering. Additionally, the firm is allocating 450,000 shares for underwriters to cover potential over-allotments. The company’s stock traded at $49.03 per share … Continue reading “Amag Pharma to Sell 3M Shares”
Apperian Buys DS Media Labs
Apperian, a Boston-based developer of consumer and enterprise iPhone applications, announced today that it has acquired DS Media Labs, an 8-employee interactive design and development agency in West Palm Beach, FL. Apperian said the acquisition would give it the ability to develop applications for all major mobile platforms. “This team will also allow us to … Continue reading “Apperian Buys DS Media Labs”
Visible Gets $22M to Expand, Tantalus Tracks Down $14M for Smart Grid, Avnera Closes $10M for Audio Chips, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
The past week has been pretty busy in the Northwest, with a number of deals in software, Internet, electronics, and cleantech. And the activity wasn’t limited to Seattle—there’s a fair bit of news from Vancouver and Portland as well. —Tantalus, a Burnaby, BC-based company that develops wireless networks for smart-grid applications, raised $14 million in … Continue reading “Visible Gets $22M to Expand, Tantalus Tracks Down $14M for Smart Grid, Avnera Closes $10M for Audio Chips, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Cloudvox Bought by Ifbyphone
Seattle-based Cloudvox, an online service that bridges Web applications with phone services for developers, has been acquired by Ifbyphone, an Internet telephony company based in Chicago. Terms of the deal were not given. Cloudvox was developed by Seven Scale, a startup led by Troy Davis, a former Loudeye and RealNetworks employee.
First Friday Bioscience Luncheon Seminar
The North Shore Technology Council organizes this monthly meet-and-greet luncheon for local life sciences entrepreneurs. Industry members discuss the science behind their companies and executives talk about how they navigate business challenges. Visit the NSTC’s website for more information on this event, which meets alternately at the Woburn location and the Cummings Center in Beverly, MA.
Lessons in Stealth Communications: V-Vehicle Tries to Keep Technology Details Under Wraps
One problem with being a stealthy company is the difficulty in setting the record straight. The News-Star of Monroe, LA, reported yesterday that V-Vehicle, the San Diego-based startup automaker building a factory in Northeastern Louisiana, is “apparently testing prototypes of its mystery car,” but that may be overstating the matter. The newspaper quotes David Hitchcock, … Continue reading “Lessons in Stealth Communications: V-Vehicle Tries to Keep Technology Details Under Wraps”
5th Annual MIT Energy Conference
This student-run conference gathers executives, policy makers, industry experts, and scholars together under one roof to seek solutions to some of the globe’s major energy challenges. Panel topics include China’s role in leading energy technology, the future of electric vehicles, the commercialization of solar power, and unconventional natural gas. Friday’s events are free and open … Continue reading “5th Annual MIT Energy Conference”
Ironwood Sets IPO Price at $14-$16 Per Share
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, a Cambridge, MA-based firm with a lead product candidate for chronic constipation, said in an SEC filing that it has set the price of its proposed initial public offering at $14 to $16 per share. The firm is aiming to sell 16.7 million shares of common stock in the IPO, which would make … Continue reading “Ironwood Sets IPO Price at $14-$16 Per Share”
Knome Challenged to Keep in Step with Falling Genetic Sequencing Prices
Knome, the personal genomics startup co-founded by leading Harvard geneticist George Church, is navigating rapid change in its business. The Cambridge, MA-based launched in 2007 to make whole-genome sequencing and analysis a personal luxury item rather than just a marvel of modern science, but now it’s facing more competition on the sequencing side of its … Continue reading “Knome Challenged to Keep in Step with Falling Genetic Sequencing Prices”
Hardware vs. Software: The Defining Technology Battle of This Decade
History repeats itself, it seems, because the defining technology battle of this decade is going to come straight from the 80s: it’s hardware versus software. [tweet] Every decade brings substantial advancements to both software and hardware, but in certain decades the strategic importance of one versus the other shifts dramatically in many segments. I’m using … Continue reading “Hardware vs. Software: The Defining Technology Battle of This Decade”
Performable Wants to Take the Guesswork Out of Web Marketing
Being a large Web company has its benefits. If you have hordes of visitors to your website and hordes of programmers on staff, you can afford to study potential site changes using “multivariate testing”—a fancy term for presenting different pages to different visitors and measuring which ones induce the behaviors you want, be it clicking … Continue reading “Performable Wants to Take the Guesswork Out of Web Marketing”
Acucela Enters Fast-Growth Phase As Macular Degeneration Drug Advances to Key Trial
Brain teaser time: Name the Bothell, WA-based biotech company that has never raised a nickel from local VCs, has scored a partnership with a Big Pharma company, operates on a cash-flow positive basis, and plans to more than double in size from 40 employees to about 100 this year. Think it’s Alder Biopharmaceuticals? Guess again. … Continue reading “Acucela Enters Fast-Growth Phase As Macular Degeneration Drug Advances to Key Trial”
IkaSystems Raises $120M, New CEOs of Qteros, Bind, and Quanterix Dish the Dirt, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
This week Ryan and Luke had several great interviews with some of the newest CEOs in New England life sciences. Those and the rest of the week’s biotech, devices, and health IT news below. —Luke caught up with Steve Gullans, a managing director with Excel Venture Management, who reports that his Boston-based venture firm is … Continue reading “IkaSystems Raises $120M, New CEOs of Qteros, Bind, and Quanterix Dish the Dirt, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
BuyWithMe Secures $5,500,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dfcb0618-05cb-4b5f-98fb-d5ff77d1eb33&Preview=1 Date 1/20/2010 Company Name BuyWithMe Mailing Address PO Box 990749 Boston, MA 02199 Company Description We, the BuyWithMe team, are the most avid fans of the businesses featuring deals on this site. We take pride in working to handpick and help curate the promotions, partnering with businesses of all types to … Continue reading “BuyWithMe Secures $5,500,000 New Financing”
Kolltan Pharmaceuticals Obtains $10,000,000 Series B Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e03294f4-00a2-4dd3-8fa1-b8e405f5c81c&Preview=1 Date 1/20/2010 Company Name Kolltan Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 300 George St New Haven, CT 06511 Company Description Kolltan is a development-stage company advancing therapeutics that target well-defined and validated molecular mechanisms of disease in areas of critical clinical need. Website http://www.kolltan.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,000,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “Kolltan Pharmaceuticals Obtains $10,000,000 Series B Round”
ACTIV Financial Garners $23,500,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0a0f997e-2758-4236-8cba-6bb921fa9fa1&Preview=1 Date 1/20/2010 Company Name ACTIV Financial Mailing Address 125 South Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 Company Description ACTIV Financial Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of market data content and technologies to market makers, hedge funds, brokers and trading systems. The company provides managed low-latency and high-volume market data services to … Continue reading “ACTIV Financial Garners $23,500,000 New Funding Round”
Clean Filtration Garners $3,550,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a013e024-12cb-412d-8ee2-34ffc170d9f8&Preview=1 Date 1/20/2010 Company Name Clean Filtration Mailing Address 2653 Spring Street Redwood City, CA 94063 Company Description Clean Filtration Technologies, Inc. engineers efficient, next generation, water treatment technology. The CFT Turboclone™ is a high capacity filtration system for drinking, waste and process water applications. The CFT Turboclone™ uses a non-consumable, proprietary … Continue reading “Clean Filtration Garners $3,550,000 New Financing Round”
Sauce Labs Obtains $3,100,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6bf4d9b3-14a5-4f9c-ba69-41f421aadaac&Preview=1 Date 1/20/2010 Company Name Sauce Labs Mailing Address 500 Third Street San Francisco, CA 94107 Company Description Sauce Labs is the trusted source for Selenium-based software and services that accelerate the agile web development test process. Cofounded by the original creator of Selenium, Sauce Labs is a leader in the global … Continue reading “Sauce Labs Obtains $3,100,000 Series A Financing”
CrowdFlower Garners $5,000,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=23a4620b-ce56-4e50-9fb6-99055ae7a26e&Preview=1 Date 1/20/2010 Company Name CrowdFlower Mailing Address Undisclosed San Francisco, CA 94112 Company Description CrowdFlower makes it easy for companies to tap thousands of workers for short stretches—and get good quality work. Website http://www.crowdflower.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes This round of funding … Continue reading “CrowdFlower Garners $5,000,000 Series A Financing”
OpenX Acquires AdMarvel for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=61d8c0b3-eee4-4798-81ed-e5fed43ffe46&Preview=1 Date 1/20/2010 Company Name AdMarvel Mailing Address 1875 South Grant St San Mateo, CA 94407 Company Description AdMarvel works with a broad range of players in the ad ecosystem to improve the performance of mobile advertising. Work with us to accelerate your business. Website http://www.admarvel.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed … Continue reading “OpenX Acquires AdMarvel for Undisclosed Sum”
BuyWithMe Secures $5,500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dfcb0618-05cb-4b5f-98fb-d5ff77d1eb33&Preview=1 Date 1/20/2010 Company Name BuyWithMe Mailing Address 345 Hudson St., 13th Floor New York, NY 10014 Company Description We, the BuyWithMe team, are the most avid fans of the businesses featuring deals on this site. We take pride in working to handpick and help curate the promotions, partnering with businesses of … Continue reading “BuyWithMe Secures $5,500,000 New Round”
Google Ventures’ Joe Kraus Joins OpenCandy’s Board of Directors
I profiled San Diego-based OpenCandy just last week, and the Web-based distributor of open-source software already is providing an update. Excite founder Joe Kraus, who participated in OpenCandy’s Series A funding round as an angel investor, has joined the company’s board of directors. According to a statement issued by the company, Kraus will be joining … Continue reading “Google Ventures’ Joe Kraus Joins OpenCandy’s Board of Directors”
Ken Myer, Outgoing Head of WTIA, on the Challenges of Trade Associations and Nonprofits—and His Future
First Rob Glaser, then Ken Myer. Who’s next? (These things always seem to come in threes.) As a journalist, it can be hard to take off a holiday like MLK Day—you never know what juicy news you’re going to miss. Myer announced yesterday that he’s stepping down from his post as CEO and president of … Continue reading “Ken Myer, Outgoing Head of WTIA, on the Challenges of Trade Associations and Nonprofits—and His Future”
Tantalus Raises New Financing for Smart-Grid Wireless Technologies
[Updated 1/20/10, 10:10 am. See below.] Cleantech wireless networking firm Tantalus, based in Burnaby, BC, has raised about $13.5 million in new equity financing, according to a regulatory filing. The round was led by the Silicon Valley firm Redpoint Ventures, and other existing investors also participated, according to a press release issued by Tantalus after … Continue reading “Tantalus Raises New Financing for Smart-Grid Wireless Technologies”
Lumigent Closes $3M from North Bridge
Lumigent Technologies, an Acton, MA-based company that produces automated governance, risk and compliance software, announced that it has closed $3 million in funding from Waltham, MA-based North Bridge Venture Partners. The new Lumigent funding comes on top of a $6 million Series A funding round from North Bridge, secured in January 2009, a company spokeswoman said.
FloDesign Wind Turbine Gets $35 Million and a Danish CEO
Wilbraham, MA-based FloDesign Wind Turbine, whose radical jet-engine-like design for a new form of wind turbine has whisked it from the world of student business plan competitions to national prominence in under three years, says it has raised a big chunk of new cash and installed a new chief executive. In an announcement today, FloDesign … Continue reading “FloDesign Wind Turbine Gets $35 Million and a Danish CEO”
MP3.com Founder Michael Robertson Explains Apple’s Cloud Music Strategy
San Diego’s Michael Robertson, who founded several startups since he sold MP3.com in 1997, offered some observations about online music providers and other aspects of the digital music business when we talked in late November. Today he offers more insights in a post for TechCrunch that explains why Lala, the Palo Alto, CA, digital music … Continue reading “MP3.com Founder Michael Robertson Explains Apple’s Cloud Music Strategy”
Avnera Closes $10M Series D
Beaverton, OR-based Avnera, which makes chips for wireless audio and other consumer electronics applications, announced today it has closed a $10 million Series D financing. The money was raised from new investor Onkyo, as well as existing investors. This is part of the same funding round we reported on in November, when the company had … Continue reading “Avnera Closes $10M Series D”
Cheezburger, Zillow Top Startup List
Seattle-based Cheezburger Network, a collection of humor websites, retained its top position in Seattle 2.0’s monthly rankings of local startups’ Web traffic for December. It was followed by Zillow, Picnik, and BuddyTV, whose rankings didn’t change from the previous month. Redmond, WA-based Smilebox, a maker of electronic greeting cards, moved up seven spots to #5. … Continue reading “Cheezburger, Zillow Top Startup List”
Thermo Fisher’s $145M Buyout of Ahura Scientific Good News for Arch, Castile, and Other Venture Backers
Waltham, MA-based research products giant Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:[[ticker:TMO]]) has agreed to pay $145 million in cash to acquire venture-backed Ahura Scientific, according to a press release. The proposed deal is expected to close later this quarter, and it’s big a potential payday for Wilmington, MA-based Ahura’s venture backers such as Arch Venture Partners, which … Continue reading “Thermo Fisher’s $145M Buyout of Ahura Scientific Good News for Arch, Castile, and Other Venture Backers”
Final Entry Deadline for 29th Annual NEDMA Awards for Creative Excellence
Did your blog draw a crowd worth bragging about? Does your Twitter campaign have everyone tweeting? Show those innovative marketing strategies off by entering the New England Direct Marketing Association’s Awards for Creative Excellence. The 29th annual contest has added two new award categories, Interactive and Technique. The organization will also give out a “Best … Continue reading “Final Entry Deadline for 29th Annual NEDMA Awards for Creative Excellence”
Atlas Venture’s Fagnan Describes Consolidation as Tactical, Not Strategic
Atlas Venture, an early stage venture investing firm with offices in Waltham, MA, and London, announced today that it will consolidate its operations, downsize its UK office, and bring almost all of its active investment professionals together under one roof in the Boston area. That roof likely won’t be Atlas’s current office 890 Winter Street … Continue reading “Atlas Venture’s Fagnan Describes Consolidation as Tactical, Not Strategic”
Breakfast Seminar: Measuring Social Media campaigns with Katie Paine
Learn how to quantify the effectiveness of social media, public relations campaigns, and blogs at this breakfast seminar put on by the Mass. Technology Leadership Council. Katie Paine, dubbed “the queen of measurement,” will discuss the tools and techniques for measuring these marketing strategies and how to set objectives for social media programs. Event details … Continue reading “Breakfast Seminar: Measuring Social Media campaigns with Katie Paine”
HLM Venture Partners Closes $65M Round for Third Fund
Boston-based HLM Venture Partners has closed a $65 million first fundraising round for its third fund, Dow Jones VentureWire reported today. The firm, which focuses on investments in medical-device firms and healthcare information technology and services, hopes to raise a total of $200 million for its HLM Venture Partners III LP fund. The first round, … Continue reading “HLM Venture Partners Closes $65M Round for Third Fund”
Cardiorobotics Finds $5M
Cardiorobotics, a Middletown, RI-based developer of robotic devices for medical and non-medial uses, has raised $5 million in equity investments, according to an SEC filing. The startup, which was founded by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, announced in summer that it closed a $11.6 million Series A round of venture … Continue reading “Cardiorobotics Finds $5M”
Nexamp Raises $6.5M for Clean Energy Consulting
Nexamp, a North Andover, MA, company that helps clients design, finance, build, and analyze clean energy projects, has raised $6.5 million in equity-based financing, a regulatory filing revealed today. The four-year-old company, formerly known as NexGen Energy Solutions, originally focused on solar panel installation projects, but has grown to offer other services such as feasibility … Continue reading “Nexamp Raises $6.5M for Clean Energy Consulting”
IkaSystems Gets Capital Infusions from Essex Woodlands Health Ventures and Providence Equity Partners
IkaSystems, a Southborough, MA-based provider of software for the healthcare payer market, said it has finalized an investment from New York City and Palo Alto, CA, private equity fund Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, a month after reeling in capital from Providence Equity Partners. The terms of both deals were undisclosed, but Venture Wire reports that … Continue reading “IkaSystems Gets Capital Infusions from Essex Woodlands Health Ventures and Providence Equity Partners”
San Diego Biotechs Seem Poised to Start Hiring, But Chemists Will Face a Tough Time
Indications are that employment in San Diego’s life sciences industry appears to be stabilizing, good news after a tumultuous year in which hundreds of experienced scientists and business professionals lost their jobs. Recruiter Meredith Dow says layoffs appear to have slowed and some startups, for the first time in months, are beginning to talk about … Continue reading “San Diego Biotechs Seem Poised to Start Hiring, But Chemists Will Face a Tough Time”
Quanterix CEO Sets Sight on Early Detection of Cancer, Neurological Diseases in the Blood
The new CEO of Quanterix isn’t afraid to dream big, and say it out loud. “We participate in an $8 billion market,” says CEO Dave Okrongly, referring to the business of antibody-based diagnostics. “Quanterix can be a platform for that whole $8 billion market.” Okrongly was named CEO of the Cambridge, MA-based company in September, … Continue reading “Quanterix CEO Sets Sight on Early Detection of Cancer, Neurological Diseases in the Blood”
Early Results In for Venture Fund-Raising, OpenCandy Sees Sweet Growth, UCSD B-School Launches Venture Fund, & More San Diego BizTech News
It’s that time of year when young analysts turn to thoughts of venture investments won and lost. We’ve got the early returns, and more details will shake out in coming weeks, so get a head start now. —It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Venture investments in cleantech startups nationwide … Continue reading “Early Results In for Venture Fund-Raising, OpenCandy Sees Sweet Growth, UCSD B-School Launches Venture Fund, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Dendreon’s New Operations Man, Hans Bishop, Aims to Keep Provenge Trains Running on Time
Dendreon has a new man on the spot, and his name is Hans Bishop. The Seattle biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) settled the raging debate last year about whether its immune booster can help men with prostate cancer live longer without serious side effects. Now the company has graduated to a less glamorous, but equally important … Continue reading “Dendreon’s New Operations Man, Hans Bishop, Aims to Keep Provenge Trains Running on Time”
CDG’s LaForge Joins AirHop’s Advisory Board
San Diego’s AirHop Communications, a 2007 startup that specializes in SON, or self-organizing networking technology, says CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) industry leader Perry LaForge joined AirHop’s advisory board. LaForge is founder and executive director of CDG, the Costa Mesa, CA-based CDMA Development Group, a trade association comprised of more than 100 of the world’s … Continue reading “CDG’s LaForge Joins AirHop’s Advisory Board”
Washington Startups Raised $21.7M in December, Down from $44.4M in Previous Month
Just a quick recap of the venture deals in Washington state from the last month of 2009. Things really slowed down heading into the dead of winter, with just four venture financings, all in software and Internet, worth a total of $21.7 million (see table below). That’s less than half the money invested in November, … Continue reading “Washington Startups Raised $21.7M in December, Down from $44.4M in Previous Month”
Top Five Trends in the Future of Work
We are increasingly a knowledge-based economy in the U.S., and work can be delivered digitally from anywhere. Take NightHawk Radiology in Coeur d’Alene, ID, for example—they are providing radiologists to any hospital that needs real-time availability and lower costs. They work online from Switzerland and Australia, but it could just as easily be Wenatchee or … Continue reading “Top Five Trends in the Future of Work”
Kiva’s Robots Go to Work Sorting Medical Devices at Boston Scientific
Robotics startup Kiva Systems of Woburn, MA, and medical device giant Boston Scientific (NYSE: [[ticker:BSX]]) said today that Kiva’s robots will be used to automate order fulfillment in two Boston Scientific warehouses, one in New England and one in the Netherlands. It’s a big win for Kiva, whose shelf-toting robots are increasingly common in the … Continue reading “Kiva’s Robots Go to Work Sorting Medical Devices at Boston Scientific”
FloDesign Wind Turbine Obtains $34,500,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=92c53182-7bb8-41db-8389-70cdbdc74f78&Preview=1 Date 1/19/2010 Company Name FloDesign Wind Turbine Mailing Address 380 Main Street Wilbraham, MA 01095 Company Description The company develops wind turbine for electrical power production. Website http://www.flodesignwindturbine.org Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $34,500,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Kleiner … Continue reading “FloDesign Wind Turbine Obtains $34,500,000 Series B Funding”