San Diego-based Jitterbug, the simple-to-use wireless phone and services provider, says today it has acquired MobiWatch, a startup in Waltham, MA, developing mobile personal emergency response services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Jitterbug says the deal will provide its users with personal safety services that are intuitive, reliable and deliverable through its Samsung-made … Continue reading “Keeping Details to a Minimum, San Diego’s Jitterbug Announces Acquisition of MobiWatch of Waltham, MA”
Movaya Bought by Digby
Seattle-based Movaya Wireless, a mobile software startup, has been acquired by Digby, a mobile commerce firm based in Austin, TX. Financial terms were not announced. Movaya was founded in 2006 by Phil Yerkes and Stanley Wang, and recently has been focused on making digital goods storefront applications for the iPhone, Android, and other mobile Web … Continue reading “Movaya Bought by Digby”
Microsoft Dumps Don Dodge
Don Dodge, admired by many technology entrepreneurs as Microsoft’s enthusiastic ambassador to the startup world, is one of those swept up in today’s big round of layoffs at the software giant. Dodge was director of business development for the Emerging Business Team, working from Microsoft’s offices in Cambridge, MA. Dodge revealed the news in a … Continue reading “Microsoft Dumps Don Dodge”
Xconomy Podcast Previews the Fifth Conference on Clean Energy
The Fifth Conference on Clean Energy, one of the biggest events of the year for New England energy and cleantech entrepreneurs, is coming up November 12 and 13 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. For the second year in a row, I worked with the organizers of the conference—the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center and … Continue reading “Xconomy Podcast Previews the Fifth Conference on Clean Energy”
An Entrepreneur’s Tale: Diego Borrego and the Twists and Turns Behind Networkfleet
To a large extent, the story of San Diego-based Networkfleet is also an intriguing tale about co-founder Diego Borrego. The privately held company, which currently has more than 100 employees, is one of the nation’s largest providers of technology and services for monitoring the location and status of company-owned vehicles. Borrego, a Mexican-American who says … Continue reading “An Entrepreneur’s Tale: Diego Borrego and the Twists and Turns Behind Networkfleet”
Microsoft Lays Off 800 More; Washington and Massachusetts Affected
Microsoft has confirmed it is cutting 800 positions across the company today, in its third round of layoffs this year. About a quarter of the jobs are in the Seattle area, and an unspecified number of employees in Massachusetts are impacted, among other regions. It is not yet clear which product groups and divisions will … Continue reading “Microsoft Lays Off 800 More; Washington and Massachusetts Affected”
Vertex and Ironwood Drugs Fare Well in Clinical Trials, Pulmatrix Breathes in $30.2M, IRobot Launches Healthcare Unit, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
A number of New England’s life sciences companies had good news to report this week. —Cambridge, MA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) reported results from clinical trials that indicate its experimental hepatitis C drug, telaprevir, could work well for patients who haven’t responded fully to standard treatments, and could be as effective taken twice a day … Continue reading “Vertex and Ironwood Drugs Fare Well in Clinical Trials, Pulmatrix Breathes in $30.2M, IRobot Launches Healthcare Unit, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
It Takes a Village to Raise an Entrepreneur: Cultivating the Emerging Seattle Talent Pool
It can be argued that among talent, cash and technology, no factor is more critical to a start up than talent. The talent drives innovation, attracts the venture capital and makes the critical life or death choices of the company. No matter how groundbreaking the technology or the amount of money invested, it is the … Continue reading “It Takes a Village to Raise an Entrepreneur: Cultivating the Emerging Seattle Talent Pool”
Student Dissertation Launches San Diego Life Sciences Tools Company, Sirigen
The work leading to Brent Gaylord’s dissertation on using light-emitting polymers to detect bits of DNA was more far more than an academic exercise. His initial paper, and the intellectual property that was subsequently generated, directly lead to the creation of San Diego’s Sirigen. Gaylord co-founded Sirigen six years ago to enter a business plan … Continue reading “Student Dissertation Launches San Diego Life Sciences Tools Company, Sirigen”
Microsoft’s Craig Mundie on Future Interfaces, Computer Science Education, and Life After Bill G
Craig Mundie is a geek, and I mean that in the best possible way. Microsoft’s chief research and strategy officer, the 17-year veteran of Redmond, WA, still talks like an engineer, throwing out terms like “heterogeneous machine architectures,” “GUIs” (graphical user interfaces), and “clouds and clients” like there’s no tomorrow. It’s kind of refreshing, given … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Craig Mundie on Future Interfaces, Computer Science Education, and Life After Bill G”
The Litl Computer That Could? Boston Startup Tries a New Take on the Home Internet Appliance
Somebody forgot to tell John Chuang that it’s impossible to create a new kind of home computer these days. Either that, or he didn’t listen. Because Chuang, a serial entrepreneur who made his first fortune in the staffing industry with Boston-based Aquent, has built a gadget that looks deceptively like a laptop but works nothing … Continue reading “The Litl Computer That Could? Boston Startup Tries a New Take on the Home Internet Appliance”
MicroMedia Filtration Garners $3,000,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ce575461-ce6d-46e6-b62b-b6ce5b6aefb7&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2009 Company Name MicroMedia Filtration Mailing Address 21076 Bake Pkwy Lake Forest, CA 92630 Company Description The MicroMedia Filtration Process is much more than just a filtration system. It is the future of wastewater management. Website http://www.mmfwater.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “MicroMedia Filtration Garners $3,000,000 Series A Round”
liveBooks Lands $5,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f7a8be02-a430-40da-8b5d-1423841cd4b2&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2009 Company Name liveBooks Mailing Address 3221 20th Street San Francisco, CA 94110 Company Description “The liveBooks solution made what I had thought would be a very complex process, a very simple one, letting me concentrate on creating, not hassling with my website.” Website http://www.livebooks.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “liveBooks Lands $5,000,000 New Round”
CubeTree Garners $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d98b12cc-9c29-4d4c-8f42-ed45ddf6d7a9&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2009 Company Name CubeTree Mailing Address 401 Warren St. Redwood City, CA 94063 Company Description With Adobe Flex as an RIA development tool, it is becoming popular day-by-day. And the good news is that CubeTree India has also entered into this spree of developing simple and complex applications using Flex. … Continue reading “CubeTree Garners $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
Funambol Acquires Zapatec for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b179c532-3b80-471c-abce-283a890d9142&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2009 Company Name Zapatec Mailing Address 1700 Martin Luther King Jr Way Berkeley, CA 94709-2114 Company Description Zapatec (www.zapatec.com) is a leading provider of AJAX Web 2.0 solutions. Starting with simple AJAX widgets, through a full AJAX Suite and now a full blown Web 2.0 Email Client and Calendar, Zapatec … Continue reading “Funambol Acquires Zapatec for Undisclosed Sum”
In Wondertouch Acquisition, GenArts Adds Fizz to its FX
GenArts, the Cambridge, MA-based visual special effects startup, has added sparkles to its glints. Which is to say, it has acquired a small St. Louis, MO-based company called Wondertouch that specializes in software that generates so-called “particle-based” special effects—think fireworks, explosions, smoke, clouds, comets, and pixie dust. Executives at GenArts say the technology nicely complements … Continue reading “In Wondertouch Acquisition, GenArts Adds Fizz to its FX”
MassTLC, MassNetComms To Merge
The leaders of two of the biggest associations representing the information technology industry in Massachusetts—the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, better known as MassTLC, and the Massachusetts Network Communications Council, or MassNetComms—said today that the organizations are joining forces under the banner of MassTLC, the larger and more well recognized of the two. “We can do … Continue reading “MassTLC, MassNetComms To Merge”
See You There Tomorrow at Pharma’s Bet on Boston Innovation
I’m dashing this message off right before I get on a plane for Xconomy’s big event tomorrow afternoon: “Pharma’s Bet on Boston Innovation.” Only a few tickets are left for this gathering at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, MA. I’m personally excited to fly in from Seattle for this event because it will bring together … Continue reading “See You There Tomorrow at Pharma’s Bet on Boston Innovation”
Arkeia Acquires Kadena Systems
San Diego’s Arkeia Software, which specializes in affordable network backup software, says today it has acquired Kadena Systems, a Santa Clara, CA-based developer of data de-duplication technologies. Financial terms were not disclosed. Arkeia, which shipped the industry’s first network backup solution for Linux in 1999, says it plans to integrate Kadena’s technology in its system. … Continue reading “Arkeia Acquires Kadena Systems”
Calypso Teams Up with Siemens
Seattle-based Calypso Medical Technologies announced today it has signed a strategic development agreement with Siemens Healthcare to jointly develop products for radiation therapy of pancreas and lung cancer, as well as prostate cancer. Financial details weren’t given. Calypso makes tracking technologies that help deliver pinpoint radiation to tumors. The company raised $50 million in September, … Continue reading “Calypso Teams Up with Siemens”
Ironwood, Forest Labs Drug for Chronic Constipation Passes Two Pivotal Trials
Cambridge, MA-based Ironwood Pharmaceuticals has some new evidence out this morning that its lead drug candidate is an effective treatment for patients with chronic constipation. Ironwood and its partner, New York-based Forest Laboratories (NYSE: [[ticker:FRX]]) said last night that the drug, linaclotide, passed the test in a pair of pivotal clinical trials. A significant percentange … Continue reading “Ironwood, Forest Labs Drug for Chronic Constipation Passes Two Pivotal Trials”
New San Diego Incubator Adds Three More Startups on Opening Day
EvoNexus, San Diego’s free high-tech incubator, announced that it has enrolled three more startup companies during ceremonies yesterday that officially marked the opening of its new facility. CommNexus, the San Diego wireless industry group, announced five months ago that it was leading the creation of the free and “no strings attached” startup incubator, to be … Continue reading “New San Diego Incubator Adds Three More Startups on Opening Day”
Flybridge Leads 10gen B Round
10gen, a New York-based startup developing the open-source database MongoDB, has raised $3.4 million in Series B venture backing from Boston’s Flybridge Capital Partners and returning investor Union Square Ventures, Flybridge said yesterday. MongoDB is similar to Google’s BigTable and is considered one of the leading examples of non-relational or “NoSQL” database, designed to be … Continue reading “Flybridge Leads 10gen B Round”
On-Q-ity Raises $21M in A Round for Personalized Cancer Testing
Waltham, MA-based diagnostics firm On-Q-ity has found $21 million in a Series A round of venture capital, according to a story this morning in peHUB. The developer of cancer tests was formed through the combination of CELLective Diagnostics and The DNA Repair Company, both portfolio companies of Mohr Davidow Ventures that had been unable to … Continue reading “On-Q-ity Raises $21M in A Round for Personalized Cancer Testing”
EnvIO Releases iPhone App
Andover, MA-based envIO Networks has spent several years developing a recommendation technology called “Social Genome” that helps mobile phone owners find applications they’ll like based on the preferences of their friends and acquaintances. Today envIO introduced software called Chorus that applies the Social Genome technology to the 100,000-plus apps in the Apple iTunes App Store. … Continue reading “EnvIO Releases iPhone App”
Amazon Closes Zappos Deal, RF Arrays Raises Cash, 16 Under the Radar Financings, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
It was a quiet week for deals in the Northwest, but we dug up some important ones in business software, wireless, and biotech. —Seattle-based Amazon’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) acquisition of Zappos, the online apparel and shoe seller based in Las Vegas, has closed. The deal, first announced back in July, is valued at $1.2 billion in … Continue reading “Amazon Closes Zappos Deal, RF Arrays Raises Cash, 16 Under the Radar Financings, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
ProQuo, Which Raised $15M in Venture Capital, Quietly Shut Down—Founder Calls It “Truly A Painful Experience”
I met recently with Bob Nascenzi, the software industry executive who stepped in last May as the CEO of ProQuo, the San Diego startup that was created to help consumers control their personal information and reduce their junk mail. I didn’t realize, however, that ProQuo had shut down. The last I heard about the company’s … Continue reading “ProQuo, Which Raised $15M in Venture Capital, Quietly Shut Down—Founder Calls It “Truly A Painful Experience””
The Story of Google Friend Connect: Google Cambridge’s First Wholly Home-Grown Product
[Updated and corrected, see below—Also see end of story for news of Google announcement of Nov. 4] In May 2008, Google moved into colorful (hey, it’s Google) new offices in the heart of Kendall Square. Governor Deval Patrick played ping-pong at the grand opening with Google site director Steve Vinter. And since then, Google Cambridge … Continue reading “The Story of Google Friend Connect: Google Cambridge’s First Wholly Home-Grown Product”
Combination Drugs Are The Future for Hepatitis C
Combination therapy has been a central component of treatment for certain viral diseases for more than 15 years. The benefits of combination therapy can arise from activation of multiple host pathways, suppression of mutational variants that can lead to viral escape, or perhaps both. In HIV, the benefit of combination therapy is due to suppression … Continue reading “Combination Drugs Are The Future for Hepatitis C”
UW Scientists, Backed by Gates Foundation, Enter “Put Up or Shut Up” Phase with Portable Diagnostic
When somebody gets a fever in a poor country, there is no quick or easy way to tell whether it’s a symptom of flu, malaria, a bacterial invader, or some other bug. And if you don’t what it is, then it’s hard to treat. So it’s only natural that shrinking modern diagnostic tools into a … Continue reading “UW Scientists, Backed by Gates Foundation, Enter “Put Up or Shut Up” Phase with Portable Diagnostic”
Exploring Mountains of Innovation in Northern New England
It’s not that I thought Vermont and New Hampshire were technological backwaters, because I knew from my years of working in Boston that the local venture capitalists were pumping millions of dollars into startups in the two northern New England states. But what I’ve found over the past year or so of living in both … Continue reading “Exploring Mountains of Innovation in Northern New England”
On-Q-ity Lands $21,000,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f9b90e4b-0177-4852-8d34-469dd7f70fa7&Preview=1 Date 11/3/2009 Company Name On-Q-ity Mailing Address 610 Lincoln Street Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description Informed decisions will improve the way cancer is treated. On-Q-ity is an innovative diagnostic company that is focused on providing physicians with the tools they need to make the best decision when treating individual cancer patients. … Continue reading “On-Q-ity Lands $21,000,000 Series A Financing”
EmSense Corporation Garners $9,000,000 Series C Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=78f2a922-545c-4847-8e19-7b3fcbd1f34a&Preview=1 Date 11/3/2009 Company Name EmSense Corporation Mailing Address 2600 Garden Rd. Monterey, CA 93940 Company Description The company provides scalable physiological and brainware measurement technology. Website http://www.emsense.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $9,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes This funding will allow EmSense to continue its global expansion in … Continue reading “EmSense Corporation Garners $9,000,000 Series C Funding”
Cambrios Technologies Corporation Obtains $14,500,000 Series D Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=928e0125-5bc2-434d-a7ec-60a960644ca9&Preview=1 Date 11/3/2009 Company Name Cambrios Technologies Corporation Mailing Address 930 East Arques Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94085 Company Description Cambrios’ mission is to use biological technology to transform the way commercial electronic products are made, expand their impact, and reduce their environmental cost. Website http://www.cambrios.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $14,500,000 … Continue reading “Cambrios Technologies Corporation Obtains $14,500,000 Series D Financing”
M86 Security Acquires Finjan Software for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f6e1f87b-11e6-4ec6-ade7-d7a4840f39cb&Preview=1 Date 11/3/2009 Company Name Finjan Software Mailing Address 2025 Gateway Place San Jose, CA 95110 Company Description Finjan is a global provider of best-of-breed web security solutions for businesses and organizations. Website http://www.finjan.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Under the terms of the agreement, … Continue reading “M86 Security Acquires Finjan Software for Undisclosed Sum”
Harvard to Buy Wind Power
Boston, MA-based First Wind said today that Harvard University has contracted to purchase half of the power generated by its Stetson II wind project in Maine. First Wind is expected to break ground on the project, an extension of its existing wind farm in Stetson Hill near Danforth, ME, this month. The 15-year contract could … Continue reading “Harvard to Buy Wind Power”
$1.2B Amazon-Zappos Deal Closes
Seattle-based Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) said today its acquisition of online apparel and shoe seller Zappos, based in Las Vegas, has closed. The Zappos management team will remain intact, the company said. In a blog post, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh said his board of directors has been “switched out,” and that the deal, worth about 10 … Continue reading “$1.2B Amazon-Zappos Deal Closes”
E Ink, Marvell Create a Chip for Cheaper E-Book Devices
If you thought the e-reader market was already confusing—with Sony, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble all offering their own unique versions of e-book devices based on the same underlying electronic paper display technology from Cambridge, MA-based E Ink—get ready for a new level of chaos. Companies like Interead in England and Irex in the Netherlands … Continue reading “E Ink, Marvell Create a Chip for Cheaper E-Book Devices”
Nascenzi Steps Into Extrabux
San Diego software industry executive Bob Nascenzi has joined Extrabux a just-launched San Diego retailing website that combines cash back and rebate offers with comparison shopping capabilities. Nascenzi tells me he’s joining Extrabux as both a board member and CEO. He previously was the interim CEO and a board member at San Diego-based ProQuo, former … Continue reading “Nascenzi Steps Into Extrabux”
Tasktop Finds Path to Profits, Via a More Efficient Interface Inspired by Brain Science
For Mik Kersten, it all started when he saw Maria Klawe speak at the University of British Columbia. It was the mid-1990s, and Klawe, a distinguished mathematician and computer scientist—now the president of Harvey Mudd College and recently appointed to Microsoft’s board of directors—was giving a lecture to students and faculty. “She talked about her … Continue reading “Tasktop Finds Path to Profits, Via a More Efficient Interface Inspired by Brain Science”
Greylock Adds Reid Hoffman as Partner
Greylock Partners, a Silicon Valley venture firm formerly based in the Boston area, announced today it has hired Reid Hoffman, the co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, as a partner. Hoffman, who has also been an angel investor, will focus on early-stage consumer Internet and software investments, as well as advise entrepreneurs from Greylock’s portfolio … Continue reading “Greylock Adds Reid Hoffman as Partner”
ISB Cuts Deal to Sequence 100 Genomes
The Seattle-based Institute for Systems Biology and Mountain View, CA-based Complete Genomics said today they are planning to gather full human genome sequences from 100 individuals to study Huntington’s disease. The experiment, the largest complete human genome disease association study ever conducted, will examine samples from patients with Huntington’s, family members, and matched controls to … Continue reading “ISB Cuts Deal to Sequence 100 Genomes”
Negroponte Outlines the Future of OLPC—Hints at Paperlike Design for Third Generation Laptop
[Updated 11/2/09 with additional details about 3rd-generation laptop design, see page 2] After the October 24 announcement that the Internet Archive is about to make 1.6 million e-books available free to children with XO Laptops from the One Laptop Per Child Foundation, we decided it was time to catch up with OLPC’s founder and chairman, … Continue reading “Negroponte Outlines the Future of OLPC—Hints at Paperlike Design for Third Generation Laptop”
GTC Raises $10M from LFB Biotech
Framingham, MA-based GTC Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:[[ticker:GTCB]]) said it has raised $10 million through the sale of its shares to French biotech drug maker LFB Biotechnologies, a major shareholder in GTC. GTC chief executive Christian Béchon also revealed in a statement that the company planned to reduce expenses by $5 million to $6 million in 2010, focusing … Continue reading “GTC Raises $10M from LFB Biotech”
Dendreon Files Provenge Application to FDA Ahead of Schedule, Now It’s Time to Wait
Seattle-based Dendreon said today it has completed all the necessary paperwork for its lead drug candidate, and handed over the amended application for approval to the FDA. The company had told investors to expect this milestone by “mid-November,” so this application came in a few days or even a few weeks ahead of schedule. Investors … Continue reading “Dendreon Files Provenge Application to FDA Ahead of Schedule, Now It’s Time to Wait”
Pulmatrix Scores $30M To Block All Sorts of Bugs That Make People Sick in the Lungs
Pulmatrix, the Lexington, MA-based company working to stop infectious bugs from being absorbed into the lungs, has raised $30.2 million in a Series B venture round to advance its unorthodox method for treating and preventing respiratory diseases like flu, the company is announcing today. Arch Venture Partners and Novartis Bioventures Fund co-led the new financing, … Continue reading “Pulmatrix Scores $30M To Block All Sorts of Bugs That Make People Sick in the Lungs”
The Changing Face of Venture Capital
[This post also appears on OVP’s blog—Eds.] The University of Washington’s Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department’s Affiliates day is one of the most fun and rewarding days of the year for me as venture investor and geek. It involves a showcase of projects and research areas by professors and students and is a festival … Continue reading “The Changing Face of Venture Capital”
Homeland Security Backs Cell Phone Sensors to “Crowdsource” Detection of Deadly Chemicals
[Updated at 4:45 pm 11/2/09 to clarify size of NASA Ames sensing device] The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has taken the wraps off a program to develop miniaturized sensor technologies for detecting deadly chemicals—sensors tiny enough to be installed inside ordinary cell phones. DHS officials meeting in San Diego last week say they have … Continue reading “Homeland Security Backs Cell Phone Sensors to “Crowdsource” Detection of Deadly Chemicals”
Qualcomm Creates Open-Source Subsidiary, SDG&E Gets $28M for Smart Grid & More San Diego BizTech News
San Diego’s tech sector got some money and glory during a week that was overshadowed by news from two life science conferences: TEDMED and the annual Biocom Investor Conference. Get your tech news now while it’s still hot. —To stay connected with open-source development for smart phones, San Diego’s Qualcomm created a subsidiary, the Qualcomm … Continue reading “Qualcomm Creates Open-Source Subsidiary, SDG&E Gets $28M for Smart Grid & More San Diego BizTech News”
QuantumCor Sees Future of Heart Failure Treatment in No Device Left Behind
The leading edge of innovation in medical devices is often concentrated on nifty implantable tools that a doctor can insert without a scalpel, as a less-invasive alternative to surgery. But now we’re seeing more startups, like Bothell, WA-based QuantumCor, designing devices to fix what’s broken in the body without even leaving any sort of implant … Continue reading “QuantumCor Sees Future of Heart Failure Treatment in No Device Left Behind”