Register here. This event is geared towards job seekers as well as anyone who wants to stay up to date with the most current job search techniques in the market today. Top Human Resource professionals will speak about techniques to embrace the changing job market, stand out from the crowd and market yourself successfully, as … Continue reading “WTIA Back to Work—Advice & Connections for Job Seekers”
Startup Weekend Redmond@BizSpark
54 hours of frenzy as Seattle-area entrepreneurs form teams to produce demos and startup ideas in a single weekend. Speakers include Mike Crill, Andy Sack, and Scott Guthrie. From the BizSpark/Startup Weekend site: “Get your TWEET on! This event is shaping up to be quite impressive! Bizspark is pulling all the stops on the level … Continue reading “Startup Weekend Redmond@BizSpark”
A Manifesto for Speed
My favorite limerick of all time came printed on the bottom of a coffee cup: All hail the goddess Caffeina! She hangs out by the coffee machina. We’re all on the run But we get more work done Since coffee came onto the scena! Yes, this anonymous ditty breaks the rules of limericks, principally by … Continue reading “A Manifesto for Speed”
iWalk Garners $20,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a6c62a6a-2527-4cb3-aeed-2efef7897a6f&Preview=1 Date 8/28/2009 Company Name iWalk Mailing Address 222 Third Street Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description iWalk’s Mission is to be the leader in wearable devices for human augmentation. Website http://www.iwalkpro.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $20,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor … Continue reading “iWalk Garners $20,000,000 New Financing”
MOG Receives $5,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ca364f3e-3b5a-4ccb-b0f9-8f2e509a5940&Preview=1 Date 8/28/2009 Company Name MOG Mailing Address 185 Los Altos Drive Kensington, CA 94708 Company Description The company operates an online social networking for music communities. Website http://www.mog.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Menlo Ventures … Continue reading “MOG Receives $5,000,000 New Financing”
Amylin and Biogen Idec Make Board Changes, Inovio Catches Wave of Investor ‘Swine Flu’ Fervor, Ligand Buys Neurogen, & Other San Diego Life Sciences News
Fallout from two of the proxy battles we followed earlier this year has become more apparent on the boards at San Diego’s Amylin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]) and Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]), which has operations in San Diego. We’ve got that and more life sciences news. —Diabetes drug maker Amylin Pharmaceuticals said its board … Continue reading “Amylin and Biogen Idec Make Board Changes, Inovio Catches Wave of Investor ‘Swine Flu’ Fervor, Ligand Buys Neurogen, & Other San Diego Life Sciences News”
Xconomy Had a Bad Internet Day—But We’re Up and Running Again
Fingers crossed—it looks like we finally have our site back up and running. Most stories reposted, most lost comments restored. It has been a long, not-so-fun day here at Xconomy. Our site crashed around 11:30 am EDT and we didn’t get things back up and running until some eight or nine hours later. We have … Continue reading “Xconomy Had a Bad Internet Day—But We’re Up and Running Again”
Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference
The Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference is being held Sept. 21-23 in Portland, OR to gather nanotechnology researchers, investors, and entrepreneurs. The annual event is expected to draw 350 attendees. For more information, click here.
Pivotal Makes First Investment in Solar, Bets Small and Strategic on Northwest Cleantech
On Tuesday, we reported that Pivotal Investments has led a $2 million financing round for Tuusso Energy, a solar power developer based in Seattle. Tuusso is an intriguing startup focused on developing and operating solar plants to supply renewable energy to utility companies; its first plant is slated to be built in the California desert … Continue reading “Pivotal Makes First Investment in Solar, Bets Small and Strategic on Northwest Cleantech”
Daktari Diagnostics and BL Healthcare Find Early Investors: More Signs of Life for Medtech Startups
Here are two reasons to believe that there are investors out there willing to make a bet on your young startup: BL Healthcare and Daktari Diagnostics, both of which reported in SEC documents over the past few days that they’ve raised private capital. Formed last year, Daktari appears to be the younger of the two … Continue reading “Daktari Diagnostics and BL Healthcare Find Early Investors: More Signs of Life for Medtech Startups”
Webloyalty Customers Eligible for Payments Under Class-Action Settlement
Back in 2007, Xconomy ran a story by freelance contributor Seth Shulman about a class-action lawsuit unfolding against Norwalk, CT-based Webloyalty, an online marketing company. The comment section of that story became something of a clearinghouse for ongoing complaints against Webloyalty, which runs many of the discount programs pitched to consumers as they are finishing … Continue reading “Webloyalty Customers Eligible for Payments Under Class-Action Settlement”
The Greater Boston Mobile Cluster Quiz
Note to readers, August 27, 10:20 pm: Since our site was down for virtually the entire day, we are leaving the quiz open over the weekend. Instead of posting the results on Friday, August 28 as planned, we will post them the following Monday. Boston is home to one of the country’s top clusters of … Continue reading “The Greater Boston Mobile Cluster Quiz”
ZymoGenetics Plays Hardball, Targeted Genetics’ Legacy, Omeros Preps for Fall IPO, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
We’re supposed to be oh-so-laid-back here in the Northwest, so the surprise of the week came when one of the local biotech mainstays showed it was willing to step up and punch a competitor in the nose. —Seattle-based ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) showed it was willing to ruffle some feathers in its quest to gain market … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Plays Hardball, Targeted Genetics’ Legacy, Omeros Preps for Fall IPO, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
All Green on the Western Front: San Diego Algae Pioneers Provide Glimpse of the Future of Biofuels
[Corrected 9/03/09, 7:20 am. See below.] It felt almost anti-climactic when retired Vice Adm. Dennis McGinn arrived in San Diego last week to meet with some of San Diego’s leading algae biofuels scientists and tour a local biofuel research facility. McGinn, a former commander of the Navy’s Third Fleet in San Diego, is a member … Continue reading “All Green on the Western Front: San Diego Algae Pioneers Provide Glimpse of the Future of Biofuels”
Should Cloud Computing Startups Beware Amazon’s Virtual Private Cloud? No, Says Cloudswitch
Sometimes I worry too much about the fortunes of local technology startups. It usually turns out that they can take care of themselves. When I saw Amazon’s announcement yesterday about its new “Virtual Private Cloud” service—which is intended to make it easier for enterprises with expensive, existing data centers to tap into Amazon’s own, less … Continue reading “Should Cloud Computing Startups Beware Amazon’s Virtual Private Cloud? No, Says Cloudswitch”
ValenTx Lands $20,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4ad487e7-ef4c-4869-864c-571025bb3a71&Preview=1 Date 8/27/2009 Company Name ValenTx Mailing Address 200 Homedale Rd Carpinteria, CA 93013 Company Description The company is developing less invasive treatments for morbid obesity. Website http://www.valentx.com/ Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $20,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed
MyShape Secures $10,560,000 Series C Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=45c9d94b-9f8a-439a-9b0d-896354e30729&Preview=1 Date 8/27/2009 Company Name MyShape Mailing Address 225 South Lake Avenue Pasadena, CA 91101 Company Description The company operates an online apparel retail shop. Website http://www.myshape.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,560,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Draper Fisher Jurvetson … Continue reading “MyShape Secures $10,560,000 Series C Round”
ClearEdge Power Garners $15,000,000 Series E Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=431c3942-3888-4502-9982-d0237bac75d5&Preview=1 Date 8/27/2009 Company Name ClearEdge Power Mailing Address 7205 NW Evergreen Parkway Hillsboro, OR 97124 Company Description ClearEdge Power is a pioneer and leading provider of ultra-clean and efficient on-site energy generation systems for homes and small businesses. With operations throughout the West Coast of the United States, our company is … Continue reading “ClearEdge Power Garners $15,000,000 Series E Round”
iSocket Lands $2,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=03349484-36db-4dd9-92a3-7505b1250eeb&Preview=1 Date 8/27/2009 Company Name iSocket Mailing Address 270 East Lane Burlingame, CA 94010 Company Description iSocket, a commission-free ad platform. isocket is a scrappy startup that was founded in the Midwest in late 2007. We began private Beta testing in the second half of 2008 before moving cross country to Silicon … Continue reading “iSocket Lands $2,000,000 Series A Funding”
Seeo Lands $8,600,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e26d7ebc-c29a-494e-838d-a6828e2de3ce&Preview=1 Date 8/27/2009 Company Name Seeo Mailing Address 626 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94710 Company Description The company develops battery technologies. Website http://www.seeo.com/ Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,600,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Khosla Ventures
Biogen Idec Research Boss Quits Board, Giving Icahn Shot at Pushing R&D Agenda
[Update: 8:20 pm Eastern time with Biogen comments] One of the Biogen Idec executives who was criticized earlier this year for displaying “failed leadership,” in the words of billionaire investor Carl Icahn, is resigning from the company’s board after an earlier pledge to keep the seat. Cecil Pickett, Biogen’s president of research and development, will … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Research Boss Quits Board, Giving Icahn Shot at Pushing R&D Agenda”
Another Biogen Director to Retire
Biogen Idec reports today that Cecil Pickett, the biotech firm’s president of R&D, will be leaving his position on the board of directors when he retires on Oct. 5. This is a change from the March 2009 announcement of Pickett’s retirement, when the Cambridge, MA-based firm (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]) said he would stay on the board after … Continue reading “Another Biogen Director to Retire”
Omeros Plans to Test Waters with First Washington IPO in Two Years, Sources Say
Omeros, the Seattle biotech company developing a treatment to help people recover faster from knee surgery, is preparing a renewed push for an initial public offering this fall, possibly as soon as next month, Xconomy has learned from people familiar with the matter. The company first showed an interest in going public back in January … Continue reading “Omeros Plans to Test Waters with First Washington IPO in Two Years, Sources Say”
Amazon Rolls Out Private Clouds
Amazon Web Services announced it has launched Amazon Virtual Private Cloud, a Web service that helps big companies extend their IT infrastructure into the Internet cloud while addressing isolation and security concerns. Companies can use existing firewalls and security to create an isolated network, and then access the Amazon cloud within that network.
A123Systems Wanted for Huge Grid Battery
Rosemead, CA-based utility Southern California Edison wants A123Systems to build the world’s largest lithium-ion grid storage battery for a substation in the Tehachapi Mountains of southern California to stabilize the flow wind power, Greentech Media reported today. The report says that the utility is asking for a $25 million grant from the Department of Energy … Continue reading “A123Systems Wanted for Huge Grid Battery”
Genocea, Attracting Merck and Wyeth Vaccine Gurus, Pushes New Immunizations to Clinic
Vaccines get the credit for some of the biggest public health gains of the past century, but they are notoriously tough to develop. The required clinical trials take years, cost many millions, and even the slightest safety warning will attract droves of litigators. That’s all for a product that can’t usually command monopoly prices, like, … Continue reading “Genocea, Attracting Merck and Wyeth Vaccine Gurus, Pushes New Immunizations to Clinic”
Biotechs Go Back to the Future by Re-Innovating Old Drugs
Biotechnology start-ups have long been seen as fearless innovators, embracing experimental technologies, like gene therapy, that big pharmaceutical companies won’t touch. But the news flow from San Diego this summer suggests the industry may have become a bit more cautious. More and more companies, it seems, are focused on reviving or repurposing older drugs – … Continue reading “Biotechs Go Back to the Future by Re-Innovating Old Drugs”
Marketfish Raises Cash from Alliance of Angels, Looks to Elbow List Brokers Out of Lead-Gen Space
[Updated Aug 27, 11pm PT, with clarification about the list marketing and lead-gen process (see below)] A stealthy Seattle startup in online marketing is starting to generate some buzz around town. Marketfish, which recently moved into new offices in Pioneer Square, has raised an undisclosed sum from private investors, led by Seattle-based Alliance of Angels … Continue reading “Marketfish Raises Cash from Alliance of Angels, Looks to Elbow List Brokers Out of Lead-Gen Space”
How a Nanotech Startup Could Change Your Life: The Modumetal Story
“What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?” “No, Neo. I’m trying to tell you that when you’re ready, you won’t have to.” It’s one of the many memorable exchanges from “The Matrix.” But next time, Keanu Reeves should just talk to Christina Lomasney about getting some Modumetal armor—so he truly … Continue reading “How a Nanotech Startup Could Change Your Life: The Modumetal Story”
Resolvyx Nails Dry Eye Trial, Gloucester Pulls in $29M, Shire Beefs Up Mass Presence, & Other Boston-Area Life Sciences News
News flow was light this week, so it was a good time for biotechies to rest up and get ready for the usual fall frenzy of investor conferences and medical meetings. But one local startup had a breakout moment in clinical trials, and another raised a pile of cash. —Bedford, MA-based Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals aimed high … Continue reading “Resolvyx Nails Dry Eye Trial, Gloucester Pulls in $29M, Shire Beefs Up Mass Presence, & Other Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Microvi Biotech Lands Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=972b1d0b-a06f-4f9f-8527-190e5607fa8a&Preview=1 Date 8/26/2009 Company Name Microvi Biotech Mailing Address 29411 Kohoutek Way Union City, CA 94587 Company Description Microvi Biotech is a privately-held company with significant funding and support from the United States government, including the National Institute of Health and other agencies. Our leadership team and Business & Scientific Advisory Board … Continue reading “Microvi Biotech Lands Series A Financing Round”
Zooppa, Fisher Host Video Contest
Seattle-based Zooppa and Fisher Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FSCI]]) announced today they have teamed up to host a user-generated video competition for Seattle-area neighborhoods. Community members will submit short videos to Zooppa.com, a user-generated advertising site, and Zooppa will post the videos on KOMO’s new network of 43 neighborhood websites.
Slacker Founder Mudd Out as CEO
Slacker, the San Diego-based online music streaming service, confirms today that founding CEO Dennis Mudd has stepped down, handing over his duties to Jim Cady, Slacker’s president and chief operating officer. Anders Steele, a spokesman for the three-year-old startup, says Mudd will stay on Slacker’s board and plans to remain involved at the company. “With … Continue reading “Slacker Founder Mudd Out as CEO”
Jeff Bezos Invests in Robots, MySpace Confirms iLike Purchase, Cell Therapeutics Sells Stock, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
It was a bit of a quiet week for Northwest deals, with some local venture dollars going to other parts of the country. Nevertheless, there was activity in gaming, music, robotics, biotech, and cleantech. —Seattle-based Tuusso Energy completed a $2 million financing round led by Pivotal Investments, based in Portland, OR. The deal was made … Continue reading “Jeff Bezos Invests in Robots, MySpace Confirms iLike Purchase, Cell Therapeutics Sells Stock, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Genzyme Rival Gets Another FDA Break
Protalix BioTherapeutics, the Israel-based biotech company, said today it has received “fast-track” status with the FDA for its experimental drug for Gaucher’s disease. The designation allows the company (AMEX: [[ticker:PLX]]) to submit pieces of information for its new drug application as they become available, rather than waiting for everything to be finalized, and gives the … Continue reading “Genzyme Rival Gets Another FDA Break”
CEO Says Sequoia’s Extinction Reflects Why Semiconductor Startups Are an Endangered Species
Sequoia Communications CEO Dave Shepard was out of town last week when the demise of the San Diego fabless semiconductor design company came to light. I was told he was furious over the shutdown, as Sequoia had finished its product, a chip for use in cellphones and wireless devices, had secured customers, and was roughly … Continue reading “CEO Says Sequoia’s Extinction Reflects Why Semiconductor Startups Are an Endangered Species”
Tuusso Energy Raises $2M Led by Pivotal
Seattle-based Tuusso Energy, a developer of solar power plants, announced today it has completed a $2 million financing round led by Pivotal Investments, based in Portland, OR. The investment was made in partnership with Akula Energy Ventures, which will be co-investing in Tuusso’s utility-scale projects. The company’s first project is a solar plant, slated for … Continue reading “Tuusso Energy Raises $2M Led by Pivotal”
Biopure Auctions Assets to OPK
Biopure, the financially distressed Cambridge, MA, developer of blood substitutes, said in an SEC filing yesterday that its assets were sold in a bankruptcy court auction as planned to OPK Biotech, a Delaware corporation, for $4 million. OPK also plans to buy Biopure’s real estate assets for $850,000. Biopure planned to work with OPK to … Continue reading “Biopure Auctions Assets to OPK”
Quick Hit Will Let Players Pit Football Skills Against Legendary NFL Coaches
Even if you were a coach in the National Football League, you’d never get a chance to test your tactics on the field against famous coaches like Brian Billick, Bill Cowher, Jimmy Johnson, Tom Landry, or Dan Reeves—because they’re all retired (and Landry is deceased). But that’s exactly what players will be able to do … Continue reading “Quick Hit Will Let Players Pit Football Skills Against Legendary NFL Coaches”
Making Connections, Managing Risk in Startup Deals: A Visit to Boston Law Firm Mintz Levin
If you’ve seen from the inside how technology startups get created and funded, you know that law firms are involved at every step in the process. But to outside observers, it might be surprising just how central a role the attorneys can play—not just by helping entrepreneurs with incorporation papers and the other legal rigmarole … Continue reading “Making Connections, Managing Risk in Startup Deals: A Visit to Boston Law Firm Mintz Levin”
Inovio, Fueled By Swine Flu Fear, Comes Back From Brink With ‘Universal’ Vaccines
Just three months ago, San Diego-based Inovio Biomedical looked like one of the many biotechs with big ambitions that were headed for the dustbin of history. The company has been burning cash for 15 years and it was down to its last $5 million in working capital. Inovio tried to merge with another little biotech … Continue reading “Inovio, Fueled By Swine Flu Fear, Comes Back From Brink With ‘Universal’ Vaccines”
Smith & Tinker Raises Total of $29M, Looks to Merge Online Games with Collectible Toys
In one of the Seattle area’s biggest tech financings this year, Bellevue, WA-based Smith & Tinker has raised a total of $29 million in venture funding to deliver and market a hybrid game for kids that bridges the online and offline worlds. The latest funding round was led by new investor DCM, based in Silicon … Continue reading “Smith & Tinker Raises Total of $29M, Looks to Merge Online Games with Collectible Toys”
Targeted Genetics’ Legacy: No Cures, But a Generation of Seattle Biotechies
[Updated: 10 am, 3/24/10] Targeted Genetics never cured anything. The Seattle biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TGEN]]) didn’t prove the concept that gene therapy could usher in a new era of more effective medicines. It was never profitable. It burned through more than $315 million in investor capital during its 17-year history. Those are cold facts that … Continue reading “Targeted Genetics’ Legacy: No Cures, But a Generation of Seattle Biotechies”
Former Novartis CEO Elected as Amylin Chairman
Amylin Pharmaceuticals’ board of directors has unanimously elected former Novartis CEO Paulo Costa as chairman, an appointment that was supported by Eastbourne Capital Management of San Rafael, CA, an institutional investor that had voiced concerns about the vacancy in the chairman’s role. An Eastbourne spokesman says the firm supported Costa’s election to Amylin’s board and … Continue reading “Former Novartis CEO Elected as Amylin Chairman”
Massachusetts Battery Firms A123Systems and Boston-Power Taking Different Roads to Auto Market
The automotive segment of the battery market is expected to skyrocket in the coming years, as eco-friendly vehicles that rely heavily on battery power hit the road in greater numbers than ever before. And Massachusetts advanced battery developers A123Systems and Boston-Power are among many firms eying this lucrative market. But the two companies are at … Continue reading “Massachusetts Battery Firms A123Systems and Boston-Power Taking Different Roads to Auto Market”
Connect With CleanTech San Diego
Get an opportunity to meet hundreds of San Diego’s cleantech business leaders, political advocates, innovators, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs at this annual networking event, sponsored by Connect and CleanTech San Diego. More information and online registration is here.
A Vision for Wireless Healthcare
Gary West, founder and chairman of San Diego’s West Wireless Health Institute, Dr. Eric J. Topol, the institute’s chief medical officer, and Donald Jones, Qualcomm vice president of health and life sciences, will discuss their vision for moving wireless health technologies quickly into the hands of doctors, healthcare organizations and consumers. By bringing together the … Continue reading “A Vision for Wireless Healthcare”
Three CEOs, Three More Words on Seattle Startup Cultures
On Friday, I wrote about the corporate culture of six Northwest tech startups, boiled down to one word each. From “paranoid” to “easy,” from “humble” to “obsessed,” these companies—which spanned business software, mobile, gaming, and other areas—clearly follow the lead of their CEOs and founders. Here are three more, from the tech worlds of Internet, … Continue reading “Three CEOs, Three More Words on Seattle Startup Cultures”
MindTouch: A Case Study in Open Source Collaboration
San Diego’s MIT Enterprise Forum is sponsoring a presentation by Aaron Fulkerson, the founder and CEO of MindTouch, a company which has grown from a small open-source project into a financially sound and successful leader in open-source, enterprise-scale collaboration—with 20 million users and 1,000 customers. Networking and registration begin at 5 p.m., or you can register … Continue reading “MindTouch: A Case Study in Open Source Collaboration”
Emerging Company Showcase: Starting, Sustaining, & Succeeding in Today’s Economy
The San Diego section of the American Chemical Socienty is sponsoring an evening that focuses on new views of the biotech startup business model, with presentations by Richard Heyman of Aragon Pharmaceuticals, Peppi Prasit of Amira Pharmaceuticals, and Jeffrey Stein of Trius Therapeutics. The event is free and open to the public. Information and registration … Continue reading “Emerging Company Showcase: Starting, Sustaining, & Succeeding in Today’s Economy”