Seattle-based Teranode, the maker of software to organize life sciences laboratories, has raised $900,000 in a debt financing, according to a regulatory filing. The document doesn’t say who invested, although Cameron Myhrvold of Bellevue, WA-based Ignition Partners is on the board. Teranode, a spinoff from the University of Washington, was founded in 2002, according to … Continue reading “Teranode Gets $900K Debt Deal”
The Boston Big Data Summit
Bob Zurek of Infobright sends word of a new local event for people interested in the data warehousing, storage, and management industries. From the event description: “The Boston area is home to a large number of companies involved in the collection, storage, analysis, data integration, data quality, master data management, and archival of ‘Big Data.’ … Continue reading “The Boston Big Data Summit”
On Verge of Omeros IPO, Former Finance Chief Accuses Company of Filing False Records with NIH
Seattle-based Omeros, the biotech company attempting to raise as much as $80 million in an initial public offering slated for next week, has been accused of submitting false timekeeping records to the National Institutes of Health for grant work, according to a federal lawsuit filed by the company’s former chief financial officer. Richard J. Klein … Continue reading “On Verge of Omeros IPO, Former Finance Chief Accuses Company of Filing False Records with NIH”
Omeros Teed Up for IPO Next Week, Seeking to Rake In More Than $80M
Seattle-based Omeros is on the docket to go public next week, and will attempt to become the first pure-play biotechnology company to take the plunge since February 2008, according to Renaissance Capital, an IPO analysis firm. Omeros, which is developing an anti-inflammatory treatment to help people recover from arthroscopic knee surgery, has set a goal … Continue reading “Omeros Teed Up for IPO Next Week, Seeking to Rake In More Than $80M”
Marval Biosciences, San Diego’s Latest Virtual Biomedical Startup, Raises $2.5M to Develop Next-Generation Contrast Agents for Medical Imaging
Marval Biosciences, which was established in Houston two years ago with medical imaging technology from the University of Texas, has raised $2.5 million in a secondary round of venture funding—and CEO Russell Lebovitz tells me he has moved to San Diego. The startup, which has a half-dozen key people, operates virtually, with some employees in … Continue reading “Marval Biosciences, San Diego’s Latest Virtual Biomedical Startup, Raises $2.5M to Develop Next-Generation Contrast Agents for Medical Imaging”
A123Systems IPO Could Bring $10M-Plus Windfall for Boston University, Sources Say. (MIT’s Stake Likely Not Too Shabby, Either.)
In early 2002, a little startup named A123Systems was looking for a place to, well, start up. Even though the company had been formed to commercialize technology invented at MIT, the lithium-ion battery developer found just the space it needed across the river at Boston University, inside what’s now called the Photonics Center Incubator. The … Continue reading “A123Systems IPO Could Bring $10M-Plus Windfall for Boston University, Sources Say. (MIT’s Stake Likely Not Too Shabby, Either.)”
Charles Simonyi, Software Giant Turned Space Tourist, Talks Technology and Exploration at UW
Do you ever sit down with a friend who wants to show you all their latest vacation pictures? (Maybe not as much since photo-sharing sites took off.) Well, yesterday’s kickoff of the Distinguished Lecturer Series at the University of Washington’s department of computer science and engineering was just like that—if your friend were Charles Simonyi, … Continue reading “Charles Simonyi, Software Giant Turned Space Tourist, Talks Technology and Exploration at UW”
How to Launch a Professional-Looking Blog on a Shoestring
Maybe you’d like to have a sleek, attractive blog or website for yourself or your business. Maybe you’ve looked around at some of the free blogging or lifestreaming platforms like Blogger, Posterous, Tumblr, TypePad, and WordPress.com and you’ve been underwhelmed by the cookie-cutter sameness of the sites you see there. If either of those things … Continue reading “How to Launch a Professional-Looking Blog on a Shoestring”
Silicon Valley Beats Boston in VC-Backed Flameouts, Too
As you might have noticed around Boston, a lot of people like to whine about how California and especially Silicon Valley are, well, just better at startups. Entrepreneurs flock to California, where venture capitalists take more risks. Why, oh why, can’t we be more like Silicon Valley? Well, it turns out VCs and entrepreneurs in … Continue reading “Silicon Valley Beats Boston in VC-Backed Flameouts, Too”
Variety of Investors Expected at Mass. Biotech Council Forum
How hard has it gotten for life sciences companies to raise capital? Will biotech startups eventually resort to collecting change in hats to raise money? Companies these days are ready to consider a number of different avenues to raise money and move their science toward commercialization—venture capital financings, corporate partnerships, government grants, awards from nonprofits. … Continue reading “Variety of Investors Expected at Mass. Biotech Council Forum”
How Much Do Biotech Workers Really Earn? Maybe Not as Much as Politicians Say
The biotech industry enjoys a lot of political clout in Washington D.C. and state capitals largely because it attracts highly educated people into high-paying jobs. But I spotted an intriguing bit of data this week that suggests biotech workers aren’t really taking home nearly as much money as some of the industry’s lobbyists and political … Continue reading “How Much Do Biotech Workers Really Earn? Maybe Not as Much as Politicians Say”
San Diego Agri-Biotech Startup Moves to Challenge Monsanto on its Own Turf
San Diego’s little Cibus Global is preparing to one day take on Monsanto, the Fortune 500 agri-industry colossus and leading producer of genetically engineered seed. The bioscience company last month formed a joint partnership with an agricultural products company based in Tel Aviv to spur development of new strains of crops. High on Cibus’ to-do … Continue reading “San Diego Agri-Biotech Startup Moves to Challenge Monsanto on its Own Turf”
Google Backs Adimab, PVI Sweetens E Ink Deal, Sanofi-Aventis Partners With Merrimack Pharma, & More Boston-Area Deals News
As has been the case in recent weeks, M&A news featured prominently in this week’s New England tech and life sciences deals. —Harvard spinoff Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals of Watertown, MA, raised $10 million out of a planned $29.6 million equity financing round, the company indicated in an SEC filing. Tetraphase is developing new antibiotics to treat … Continue reading “Google Backs Adimab, PVI Sweetens E Ink Deal, Sanofi-Aventis Partners With Merrimack Pharma, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
EnglishCentral Obtains New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5abb9c9a-a536-408c-bae4-69af1b853594&Preview=1 Date 10/2/2009 Company Name EnglishCentral Mailing Address 30 Hancock St. Lexington, MA 02420 Company Description EnglishCentral aims to become the premier, web-based conversational English language learning destination for desktop and mobile users. Website http://www.englishcentral.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “EnglishCentral Obtains New Financing”
ViaSat Pays $568M to Buy WildBlue and Connect Its Satellite With High-Speed Internet Customers
Satellite Communications specialist ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VSAT]]) says it is buying WildBlue Communications, a suburban Denver company that provides high-speed Internet access to mostly rural areas in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $568 million. Until now, Carlsbad, CA-based ViaSat has specialized in developing satellite-based communications hardware and software, including modems, radios, and ground stations, for … Continue reading “ViaSat Pays $568M to Buy WildBlue and Connect Its Satellite With High-Speed Internet Customers”
Neurocrine Cuts Office Costs
One-time biotech darling Neurocrine Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NBIX]]) says it is vacating one of two buildings at its headquarters campus to save $27 million a year. The company paid an immediate $4 million release fee to the landlord, and agreed to make certain rent payments and rent differential payments. Neurocrine has been struggling to regain its … Continue reading “Neurocrine Cuts Office Costs”
The Web Has Feelings Too: How Seattle Startups Are Cashing In on Sentiment Analysis
Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Weep, and you weep alone (as the old saying goes). Or maybe not. Maybe no one weeps alone anymore, what with Twitter, Facebook, and the like. This week’s release of a “sentiment analysis” product from Seattle-based Appature made me think about what’s really going on at the intersection … Continue reading “The Web Has Feelings Too: How Seattle Startups Are Cashing In on Sentiment Analysis”
Vaccine Exec Named SBRI Chair
Todd Patrick, a longtime vaccine company executive, has been named the chairman of the board of trustees at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. Patrick is the former president of ID Biomedical, the Vancouver, BC and Bothell, WA-based vaccine developer that was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline for $1.5 billion in 2005. Patrick has served on the SBRI board … Continue reading “Vaccine Exec Named SBRI Chair”
Xconomy Channels Startups and Life Sciences
Notice anything new here? Over to the right a little… Little more… Next to the map? (Bear with me, loyal RSS and e-mail subscribers, this will all make sense in a minute.) Today marks the official launch of our new Startups and Life Sciences channels, whose homepages you can access via those handy new buttons … Continue reading “Xconomy Channels Startups and Life Sciences”
Merrimack Pharma Grabs $60M Upfront From Sanofi for Cancer Antibody
Cambridge, MA-based Merrimack Pharmaceuticals struck a big deal today with Paris-based pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis that will bring $60 million in upfront cash to the smaller company in exchange for rights to co-develop and co-market an experimental antibody drug for cancer. The deal calls for Sanofi to pay all developments costs, plus another $470 million in … Continue reading “Merrimack Pharma Grabs $60M Upfront From Sanofi for Cancer Antibody”
Calit2’s Larry Smarr (Part 2): Insights on the Path Ahead and 4 Big Ideas for the Future of Health, Energy, Environment, and Culture
When California Gov. Gray Davis created the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology in 2000, it was part of a broad state initiative that spawned four new centers for science and innovation with a shared mission “to invent the future.” The specific mission for the institute known as Calit2 (Cal IT2), which is based … Continue reading “Calit2’s Larry Smarr (Part 2): Insights on the Path Ahead and 4 Big Ideas for the Future of Health, Energy, Environment, and Culture”
Association of Independent Research Institutes Annual Meeting, Bill Gates Sr. Award
The Association of Independent Research Institutes, an organization that represents 91 independent research centers in the U.S., is holding its 48th annual meeting from Oct. 4-7 at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle. The group will present Bill Gates Sr., the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with its public service award … Continue reading “Association of Independent Research Institutes Annual Meeting, Bill Gates Sr. Award”
iRobot Alumni Build Robot-Vacuum Accessories To Promote “Successful Cleaning Missions”
Sometimes a robot just needs a little help from its friends. And now a pair of former iRobot engineers who lost their jobs in last year’s downsizing at the Bedford, MA, company have struck out on their own to help iRobot’s popular Roomba floor cleaning robots do their jobs better. Launched in January, Robot Add-Ons … Continue reading “iRobot Alumni Build Robot-Vacuum Accessories To Promote “Successful Cleaning Missions””
Google Ventures Backs Adimab in Antibody Discovery Business
[Updated 10/01/09 10:45 am. See below] Adimab has added Google Ventures to the roster of venture investors that are backing the Lebanon, NH-based biotech startup in its development of a fast and powerful antibody discovery platform, the company reports this morning. Google Ventures, the corporate venture arm of the Internet giant Google (NASDAQ:[[ticker:GOOG]]), led a … Continue reading “Google Ventures Backs Adimab in Antibody Discovery Business”
MIT Energy Night
The MIT Energy Club and the MIT Sloan Energy and Environment Club sponsor an evening gathering at the MIT Museum. From the event description: “The third annual MIT Energy Night will showcase the most interesting energy research coming out of MIT. MIT research groups, educational programs, and spin-off companies will present their latest offerings in … Continue reading “MIT Energy Night”
Facet Board Recommends Rejecting Biogen Bid
[Clarified Oct. 1—see below] Directors of Facet Biotech (NASDAQ:[[ticker:FACT]]) have unanimously recommended that its shareholders reject Biogen Idec’s $14.50 per share takeover bid, an all cash deal worth some $355 million, the California company announced today. Biogen (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]) had proposed acquiring Facet, its partner in developing an antibody drug for multiple sclerosis, in early September. … Continue reading “Facet Board Recommends Rejecting Biogen Bid”
AVI Settles In, ZymoGenetics MS Drug Fails, Dendreon’s FDA Filing Set for Mid-November & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
Dendreon watchers got all hyped up in anticipation of the company’s analyst day in New York, but there really wasn’t much in the way of news. So I dug up some other stuff for your reading enjoyment. —The biggest piece of news out of Seattle-based Dendreon‘s analyst day was that the company says it plans … Continue reading “AVI Settles In, ZymoGenetics MS Drug Fails, Dendreon’s FDA Filing Set for Mid-November & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Sequenom Starts Over After Purge, Patent Lawsuits Flying Over Gene Sequencing Technologies, Zogenix Prepares for Needle-Free Injections, & More San Diego Biotech News
Sequenom had the big story for San Diego’s life sciences community this week. We have the latest developments about that, as well as other biotech news. —Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]) now faces a long rebuilding process after the San Diego medical diagnostic company ousted president and CEO Harry Stylli and a senior vice president of research … Continue reading “Sequenom Starts Over After Purge, Patent Lawsuits Flying Over Gene Sequencing Technologies, Zogenix Prepares for Needle-Free Injections, & More San Diego Biotech News”
Top 5 Latest and Greatest iPhone Apps from Seattle
It’s been just over a year since we first catalogued the iPhone apps originating from our fair city (and environs). Back then, mobile applications like Urbanspoon, Whrrl (from Pelago), and Jott were relatively new and just starting to take off, letting iPhone users do things like discover restaurants and events and dictate e-mails and text … Continue reading “Top 5 Latest and Greatest iPhone Apps from Seattle”
Recruit Rock Star Scientists To Make Seattle Thrive as an Innovation Hub
I am quite often asked, in some form or another, “What can [STATE][LOCAL] government do to spur on an innovation-based economy in [SEATTLE][WASHINGTON]?” Well, as I said on a panel at the Technology Alliance meeting in Leavenworth yesterday, the single biggest correlate to the strength of an innovative biotechnology industry in any geography is the … Continue reading “Recruit Rock Star Scientists To Make Seattle Thrive as an Innovation Hub”
Former Harvard Official Tapped to Expand Tech Transfer at Brown U.
Brown University says it has hired Katherine Gordon, a veteran of Harvard University’s technology transfer office, to help the Providence, RI-based university commercialize more of its research. Brown’s tech transfer efforts have lagged some of its Ivy League counterparts in the past, but Gordon says she has the industry experience and contacts to expand commercial … Continue reading “Former Harvard Official Tapped to Expand Tech Transfer at Brown U.”
Adimab Lands New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3bee0b16-f12d-42f3-aa1d-cbed19dc16c5&Preview=1 Date 10/1/2009 Company Name Adimab Mailing Address 16 Cavendish Court Lebanon, NH 03766 Company Description Adimab–which stands for Antibody Discovery Maturation Biomanufacturing–is developing a platform that’s deliberately engineered to minimize and potentially eliminate third party royalties, offering a one-stop-service-shop to a select few Big Pharma partners. Website http://www.adimab.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Adimab Lands New Round”
Amyris Biotechnologies Obtains $41,750,000 Series C Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=87a5f266-29ca-4da6-9cf6-f1b49a40e2cb&Preview=1 Date 10/1/2009 Company Name Amyris Biotechnologies Mailing Address 5885 Hollis Street Emeryville, CA 94608 Company Description Amyris Biotechnologies is leveraging breakthroughs in synthetic biology to provide a consistent, cost-effective supply of high-value natural compounds for large and diverse markets, including pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, nutraceuticals, vitamins, and flavors. Applying advances in molecular … Continue reading “Amyris Biotechnologies Obtains $41,750,000 Series C Funding”
Nexus Dx, Stealthy San Diego Company with Kleiner Perkins and Bay City Ties, Raises $15M
Nexus Dx, a stealthy San Diego biotechnology company that appears to be an emerging diagnostics maker, has raised $9 million in new equity funding and $6 million in debt and options, according to a pair of regulatory filings. The documents don’t say who is providing the money, but they list Risa Stack, a partner with … Continue reading “Nexus Dx, Stealthy San Diego Company with Kleiner Perkins and Bay City Ties, Raises $15M”
Appature Offers Sentiment Analysis
Seattle-based Appature announced late yesterday that it now provides “sentiment analysis” that lets healthcare marketers understand people’s feelings (positive or negative) about their brand, or other topics in their industry, from blogs and social media. Together with the rest of Appature’s marketing software, companies can do things like search against information in their Appature database … Continue reading “Appature Offers Sentiment Analysis”
Vertex Raises $155M Through Debt Financing for Hepatitis C Drug in Europe
Vertex Pharmaceuticals said today it will bring in $155 million in cash through a pair of deals related to the potential commercialization of its lead hepatitis C drug in Europe, the company said this afternoon. In both transactions, investors are betting on telaprevir, a projected multibillion-dollar seller, to win European approval. The Cambridge, MA-based drug … Continue reading “Vertex Raises $155M Through Debt Financing for Hepatitis C Drug in Europe”
SD News Network Expanding to OC
Neil Senturia, the entrepreneur and investor who launched the San Diego News Network in March (and a Riverside news site in August), plans to debut a similar website in Orange County before the end of the year, according to a report on SDNN. Senturia tells Forbes he also plans to raise $40 million over the next two years … Continue reading “SD News Network Expanding to OC”
Gateways to Tomorrow Conference: Boston-North West Ireland Conference
Current and future connections and opportunities between Boston and Northern Ireland are the focus of this 2-day meeting. Speakers include business and government representatives from both sides of the pond. For full agenda and registration details, visit the conference web site.
Leadership for Drug Development Teams: Cross-Functional Leadership Skills for Pharma and Biotech R&D
This three-day course is presented by Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development. The program addresses challenges and strategies for leadership in drug development. Limited to 35 participants. Registration information and agenda available at the conference web site.
Spiration Pulls in $7M Debt Financing For Device to Treat Lung Diseases
[Update: 1:55 pm, 09/30/09. See below] Spiration, the Redmond, WA-based maker of a device to treat deadly lung diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis, has raised $7 million in debt out of a $10 million financing, according to a regulatory filing. The financing is coming entirely from Spiration’s partner in Europe and Japan, Olympus Medical … Continue reading “Spiration Pulls in $7M Debt Financing For Device to Treat Lung Diseases”
Founder’s Co-op Funds Nearlyweds and BigDoor Media, and Is Exploring New Investment Model
[Updated 9/30/09 2:15 pm. See below.] Seattle-based Founder’s Co-op, the seed-stage fund run by Andy Sack and Chris DeVore, has been busy as of late. The peer-to-peer angel group has made two startup investments that have come to light this month. The financial details of the deals haven’t been announced, but something interesting may be … Continue reading “Founder’s Co-op Funds Nearlyweds and BigDoor Media, and Is Exploring New Investment Model”
Earth Class Mail Gets New CEO
Seattle-based Earth Class Mail, which helps companies access and manage their postal mail online, announced today it has promoted Sarah Carr to chief executive. Carr succeeds Ron Wiener, the company’s founding CEO who stepped down in June and is now chairman of the board. Carr joined Earth Class Mail in September 2008 as chief operating … Continue reading “Earth Class Mail Gets New CEO”
E Ink Buyer Amends Merger Offer After Shareholder Unrest
After some E Ink shareholders said they would block a merger between the Cambridge, MA-based firm and Taiwan’s Prime View International (PVI), an amended merger agreement has gained enough shareholder support for the deal to reach fruition, both companies report. E Ink shareholders had complained PVI’s initial offer of $215 million in cash, made in … Continue reading “E Ink Buyer Amends Merger Offer After Shareholder Unrest”
Calit2’s Larry Smarr on the Origins of the Internet, Innovations in IT, and Insights on the Path Ahead (Part I)
After establishing himself as a leading expert on computing and information technology, including the Internet and World Wide Web, Larry Smarr left the comfort of a job that was tailored for him at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, for a position in San Diego that offered an even better fit. In 2000, Smarr was hired … Continue reading “Calit2’s Larry Smarr on the Origins of the Internet, Innovations in IT, and Insights on the Path Ahead (Part I)”
Hearings on Non-Compete Restrictions Set for Next Week
A bill proposing restrictions on non-compete agreements in employment contracts in Massachusetts will have its first hearing on Beacon Hill next week, after nine months of discussion, revision, and compromise. The state legislature’s Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development will hear comments on the bill, introduced by State Representatives Lori Ehrlich and Will Brownsberger, … Continue reading “Hearings on Non-Compete Restrictions Set for Next Week”
Blackwave Captures $3.5M Financing
Blackwave, an Acton, MA-based provider of servers that store video content and deliver it to users over the Internet, has raised $3.5 million of a planned $9.1 million round of equity financing, according to an SEC filing. The document did not identify the investors in the round, and Blackwave CEO Bob Rizika could not be … Continue reading “Blackwave Captures $3.5M Financing”
Fate Therapeutics Growing Fast on “Industrialized” Stem Cell Technology
Want to know how fast Fate Therapeutics is growing? When I toured the La Jolla, CA, company’s labs to get an update last week, one young scientist stood up from his desk, looked me in the eye, offered a firm handshake, and said “Welcome aboard.” I understood why a visiting journalist in a button-down shirt … Continue reading “Fate Therapeutics Growing Fast on “Industrialized” Stem Cell Technology”
Microsoft Buys Interactive Supercomputing, Digeo Acquired for $20M, Ignition’s Cloud Portfolio, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
The Northwest deal flow in the past week tended toward small partnerships and acquisitions. But there was still some significant activity in software, Internet, and entertainment. —As ghostbuster Bill Murray once said, “Dogs and cats living together…mass hysteria!” Seattle-based Pet Holdings, operators of I Can Has Cheezburger (Lolcats) and other humor websites, formed an advertising … Continue reading “Microsoft Buys Interactive Supercomputing, Digeo Acquired for $20M, Ignition’s Cloud Portfolio, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Genzyme Faces More Setbacks, Humedica Creating a Healthcare “Census,” Pops Back as Alkermes CEO, & More Boston-Area Life Science News
There were a wide variety of developments in the Boston-area life sciences sector over the past week. Companies in the headlines included big ones like Genzyme and Covidien as well as smaller startups such as Humedica and Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals. Here are some highlights: —We got an early look at Cambridge, MA-based Humedica’s strategy for developing … Continue reading “Genzyme Faces More Setbacks, Humedica Creating a Healthcare “Census,” Pops Back as Alkermes CEO, & More Boston-Area Life Science News”
Blackwave Garners $3,500,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4c612884-0513-4d15-94bf-664cfc7c73ef&Preview=1 Date 9/30/2009 Company Name Blackwave Mailing Address 289 Great Road LL2 Acton, MA 01720 Company Description Blackwave, a venture backed company, is taking the guesswork out of providing cost effective systems for storing and delivering Internet Video – providing industry leading performance and scalability designed to meet the growing needs of … Continue reading “Blackwave Garners $3,500,000 New Funding”