Acquia on Why Web Publishers Love Drupal—And How the Startup Balances Business With Belonging to an Open-Source Community

So you want to be a Web publisher? First you’ll need the modern equivalent of a printing press: a content management system (CMS). There are many to choose from, each with its own committed proponents. If you’re a big company, you might spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on an enterprise-class system like EMC’s Documentum. … Continue reading “Acquia on Why Web Publishers Love Drupal—And How the Startup Balances Business With Belonging to an Open-Source Community”

Cell Therapeutics Nabs $30M, Rick Klausner on Vaccines, Targeted Growth Tinkers With Algae Genes, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

Somebody forgot to tell the Northwest biotech community this is the height of vacation season. Our pages this week were packed with stories on financings, clinical trials, exclusive interviews and more. —Rick Klausner, the former leader of the National Cancer Institute and the global health wing of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, provided some … Continue reading “Cell Therapeutics Nabs $30M, Rick Klausner on Vaccines, Targeted Growth Tinkers With Algae Genes, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

MyWebGrocer, A Survivor of the Online Grocery World, Plots Growth Strategy with iPhone Apps

The online grocery business famously flamed out earlier this decade, after hundreds of millions of dollars were pumped into companies like HomeGrocer.com and Webvan. But online grocery sales and advertising have been making a comeback in recent years, and one of the industry survivors, MyWebGrocer, based in Colchester, VT, has raised a healthy $13 million … Continue reading “MyWebGrocer, A Survivor of the Online Grocery World, Plots Growth Strategy with iPhone Apps”

EnerNOC Lands $5,500,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2992cc67-5647-4cb0-a0e0-0ff7b869a000&Preview=1 Date 8/20/2009 Company Name EnerNOC Mailing Address 75 Federal Street Boston, MA 02110 Company Description EnerNOC (Nasdaq: ENOC) is the leading provider of full-service demand response and energy management solutions in the United States. We enable energy users, energy suppliers, system operators, and utilities to reduce demand for electricity during periods … Continue reading “EnerNOC Lands $5,500,000 Series B Financing Round”

29 Luxury Goods Garners $1,400,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=94d892e1-ab52-46a6-92b5-91a87e537abb&Preview=1 Date 8/20/2009 Company Name 29 Luxury Goods Mailing Address 1436 Second Street Napa, CA 94559 Company Description 29 is the first of its kind, an Age Protecting color cosmetic line utilizing the benefits of grape seeds. With over a decade of experience creating and formulating spa and beauty products for the … Continue reading “29 Luxury Goods Garners $1,400,000 New Round”

Brett Allsop, Co-Founder of Yapta, Dies at 38

Xconomy is saddened to note that Brett Allsop, the chairman and co-founder of Seattle-based Yapta, died last night in a car accident in Bellingham, WA. Allsop was 38. The news was reported by the Bellingham Herald. Allsop co-founded Yapta, an online travel site that tracks airfares and hotel prices, in 2006. The startup raised $2 … Continue reading “Brett Allsop, Co-Founder of Yapta, Dies at 38”

MySpace Confirms Purchase of iLike

MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta confirmed in a press conference call today that the social networking website has purchased Seattle-based music service company iLike. Financial details were not disclosed, but the rumors surrounding the deal point to about $20 million being spent by MySpace for the Seattle startup. According to Van Natta, the company will … Continue reading “MySpace Confirms Purchase of iLike”

San Diego Biotech Startups Raise New Cash to Treat Anemia, Heart Disease and More

Three life sciences companies in the San Diego region have raised venture capital lately, according to our scan of filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission. All three are concentrating on developing new drugs. Here’s a roundup: —Palkion, a San Diego developer of anemia drugs, has raised $2.5 million from investors, according to an SEC … Continue reading “San Diego Biotech Startups Raise New Cash to Treat Anemia, Heart Disease and More”

State of Venture Quiz 2: Answers and Commentary

Do you get the feeling deal flow is picking up a bit? Well, you might be right. But does that make things better for entrepreneurs? Not necessarily. As Boston lawyer John Hession sums up: “The market is improving. That doesn’t necessarily mean that deal terms are improving or valuations are improving. It means the number … Continue reading “State of Venture Quiz 2: Answers and Commentary”

iLike Courts MySpace, Microsoft and Nokia Tie the Knot, Madrona Funds Three Startups, & More Seattle-Area Deals News

It was a crazy busy week for deals in the Northwest. Just when we thought the flow might slow down before the end of summer, we saw tons of activity in software, Internet, mobile, gaming, and materials. —Bellevue, WA-based Apptio, the IT cost management startup led by CEO Sunny Gupta, raised $14 million in Series … Continue reading “iLike Courts MySpace, Microsoft and Nokia Tie the Knot, Madrona Funds Three Startups, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”

With Funding from OVP, Novomer Works to Make Diapers and Other Plastic Goodies from Carbon Gases

Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide get a bad rap. Sure, the first is a silent killer that binds to hemoglobin and suffocates people in burning buildings, and the second is poisoning our atmosphere and driving global temperatures out of control. But did you know that they can also be used to make plastic? Back in … Continue reading “With Funding from OVP, Novomer Works to Make Diapers and Other Plastic Goodies from Carbon Gases”

VC Rick Klausner on the Future of Vaccines, and Why Dendreon is Only Scratching the Surface

Vaccines produced some of the biggest advances in medicine over the past two centuries, but for most of that time, scientists couldn’t say for sure how they worked to rev up the immune defenses. “You would close your eyes and hope,” says Rick Klausner. That era is coming to a close, says Klausner, a former … Continue reading “VC Rick Klausner on the Future of Vaccines, and Why Dendreon is Only Scratching the Surface”

Anadys, Biotech’s Roller Coaster Story, Gears Up for Next Big Step with Hepatitis C Drug

If there were a prize for the whiplash-inducing roller coaster story of the year in San Diego biotech, Anadys Pharmaceuticals would have to be a contender. But if CEO Steve Worland has his way, some of that stomach-turning drama of the past eight months will soon just be a memory. “You might say we’ve been … Continue reading “Anadys, Biotech’s Roller Coaster Story, Gears Up for Next Big Step with Hepatitis C Drug”

Why Big Pharma Wants To Be Like Big Biotech

Why would a Big Pharma company want to remake itself as a biotech? In a recent Xconomy piece, I discussed the changes in Roche’s corporate culture brought on by their recent acquisition of Genentech, along with recommendations for creating an innovative biotech research culture. What I didn’t have the space to dive into was a … Continue reading “Why Big Pharma Wants To Be Like Big Biotech”

Navinet and Vitality use Internet for Health, Constellation Gets to Series A, and Other Boston-Area Life Sciences News

It was a mixed week of business and science, with a couple of stories on health IT companies to round things out. —Luke reported on Thursday that Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) is pushing forward with its Vancouver, BC-based partner Tekmira to create RNA interference drugs to treat cancer. The partnership is focusing on ways … Continue reading “Navinet and Vitality use Internet for Health, Constellation Gets to Series A, and Other Boston-Area Life Sciences News”

Adamas Pharmaceuticals Lands $40,000,000 Series D Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3d9141be-c298-4353-b1c6-78023be6b583&Preview=1 Date 8/19/2009 Company Name Adamas Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 1900 Powell Street Emeryville, CA 94608 Company Description Adamas is an emerging pharmaceutical company focused on developing small molecule, Advantaged Therapeutics™ to treat neurological and infectious diseases, including influenza A, the cause of the current flu pandemic. Adamas’ approach to pharmaceutical development is … Continue reading “Adamas Pharmaceuticals Lands $40,000,000 Series D Round”

3VR Security Receives $12,000,000 Series D Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d0eb6cf1-2797-4559-b012-8b8f85efa5e2&Preview=1 Date 8/19/2009 Company Name 3VR Security Mailing Address 475 Brannan Street San Francisco, CA 94107 Company Description 3VR Security, Inc. was founded to address the most pressing issue in the security industry today: overwhelming data stores. Website http://www.3vr.com/ Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $12,000,000 Transaction Round Series D Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “3VR Security Receives $12,000,000 Series D Financing Round”

PaymentOne Lands $7,000,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d6baf52e-c50e-4ac3-9fad-dd58c57ad46d&Preview=1 Date 8/19/2009 Company Name PaymentOne Mailing Address 5883 Rue Ferrari San Jose, CA 95138 Company Description PaymentOne Corporation is one of the world’s fastest growing online Payment Services Providers (PSPs). Founded in July 2000, PaymentOne has pioneered payment and marketing services that connect digital merchants and network operators and accelerate the … Continue reading “PaymentOne Lands $7,000,000 Series B Round”

Wanova Receives $13,000,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=36517cc2-e28a-4081-91fc-ecf3f7ab5dbd&Preview=1 Date 8/19/2009 Company Name Wanova Mailing Address 560 S. Winchester Ave San Jose, CA 95128 Company Description Wanova provides Distributed Desktop Virtualization solutions that transform how companies manage, support and protect their desktops and laptops. Wanova’s Distributed Desktop Virtualization centralizes control of the desktop infrastructure while optimizing the user experience and … Continue reading “Wanova Receives $13,000,000 Series A Financing”

The Qpass Mafia, Part Two: An Updated Family Tree of Digital Commerce Execs

I’ve gotten quite a few responses and additions to yesterday’s list of “Qpass mafia,” an influential group of former Qpass employees from the Seattle area. So far, nobody has sent me a Sicilian message (like a dead fish through my window), so I must be on the right track. But feel free to comment on … Continue reading “The Qpass Mafia, Part Two: An Updated Family Tree of Digital Commerce Execs”

PATH Wins $1.5M Hilton Prize, World’s Biggest Award for Humanitarian Work

PATH, the Seattle-based nonprofit that works to improve health in poor countries, said today it has won the closest thing the humanitarian field has to the Nobel Prize—the $1.5 million cash award known as the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. The news was delivered at an exuberant press conference this morning with PATH president Christopher … Continue reading “PATH Wins $1.5M Hilton Prize, World’s Biggest Award for Humanitarian Work”

Impinj Teams Up with Coca-Cola

Seattle-based Impinj, the radio frequency identification (RFID) company, said today it has formed a partnership with Coca-Cola to provide RFID tags and readers for Coke’s new Freestyle drink dispensers. This contraption will give customers a choice of more than 100 flavors of sodas and other drinks, and will track and monitor dispenser operations, as well … Continue reading “Impinj Teams Up with Coca-Cola”

AISI Raises $11M in Series B

Advanced Inquiry Systems, Inc. (AISI) closed Series B financing with $11 million, according to a press release sent out today. The Hillsboro, OR-based company developed a data sensing system for semiconductor memory manufacturing, that allows memory devices to be tested for performance both earlier and for less cost than standard technology allows. Investors in the … Continue reading “AISI Raises $11M in Series B”

Light Sciences Starts BPH Trial

Light Sciences Oncology, the Bellevue, WA-based developer of cancer treatments, said today it has started enrolling patients in a mid-stage clinical trial of its light-activated drug for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The condition, sometimes known as enlarged prostate, is characterized by frequent urination, urgency to urinate, and getting up at night to go. … Continue reading “Light Sciences Starts BPH Trial”

Jake Shapiro on PRX and the iPhone App That Could Change Public Radio’s Future

At first, the mission of the Public Radio Exchange was simple enough: Create an online clearinghouse for news-and-culture radio programming where public radio stations would have an easier time shopping for shows and independent producers would have a better shot at getting their stuff on the air. PRX launched that system in 2003, and it’s … Continue reading “Jake Shapiro on PRX and the iPhone App That Could Change Public Radio’s Future”

Apptio Raises $14M to Expand, “Crush the Competition” in IT Financial Management

Want to know how to raise a big round of venture funding in a recession? If you’re in the software business, talk to Sunny Gupta. Gupta’s company, Bellevue, WA-based Apptio, is announcing a $14 million Series B financing round today. The round includes existing investors Madrona Venture Group and Greylock Partners, and also new investors … Continue reading “Apptio Raises $14M to Expand, “Crush the Competition” in IT Financial Management”

Xconomy Goes Mobile at m.xconomy.com

We’re happy to announce that there’s now an easier to way to read Xconomy on your mobile phone. Go to http://m.xconomy.com for the new mobile-friendly version of our site, which we’ve simplified for easy navigation on small screens. All the usual content is there: our Boston, San Diego, and Seattle news stories, along with Xconomist … Continue reading “Xconomy Goes Mobile at m.xconomy.com”

Intellikine, Stocked With Cash, Pushes Portfolio of Drugs Against Biology’s Hot Targets

Intellikine has the kind of story you rarely see in 2009. Few biotech companies can rustle up $28 million in venture capital in this year of the Great Recession, especially when they don’t have a single drug candidate in human clinical trials. Either investors are having a bout of 1999-style insanity, or the company has … Continue reading “Intellikine, Stocked With Cash, Pushes Portfolio of Drugs Against Biology’s Hot Targets”

ClearAccess Raises $6M in Series B Financing

Vancouver, WA-based ClearAccess, a broadband device management and data services company, is announcing today that it has closed a Series B financing, raising a little over $6 million. The financing was led by Blade Ventures, Buerk Dale Victor, and DFJ Frontier. ClearAccess developed the ClearVision management system, allowing service providers to remotely manage residential and … Continue reading “ClearAccess Raises $6M in Series B Financing”

State of Venture Quiz No. 2: Deal Terms

A couple weeks ago, I colluded with Michael Greeley, general partner at Flybridge Capital Partners and chairman of the New England Venture Capital Association, to round up some statistics about venture capital here in the Boston area. I then tested readers’ knowledge of the trends with the inaugural State of New England Venture Quiz. The … Continue reading “State of Venture Quiz No. 2: Deal Terms”

AdvanDx Lands $8,000,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=50ba92b4-15d1-4704-901f-20d8b4d674a0&Preview=1 Date 8/18/2009 Company Name AdvanDx Mailing Address 10A Roessler Road Woburn, MA 01801 Company Description AdvanDx develops and markets molecular-based, in vitro diagnostic tests that aid in the diagnosis and prevention of infectious diseases. The rapid test results are available in hours instead of days and allow healthcare providers to make … Continue reading “AdvanDx Lands $8,000,000 Series C Financing”

Kolltan Pharmaceuticals Receives $5,000,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e03294f4-00a2-4dd3-8fa1-b8e405f5c81c&Preview=1 Date 8/18/2009 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 $5,000,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “Kolltan Pharmaceuticals Receives $5,000,000 Series A Round”

Advanced Inquiry Systems Obtains $11,000,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eccac56a-e175-4d0d-afda-241652162da3&Preview=1 Date 8/18/2009 Company Name Advanced Inquiry Systems Mailing Address 20520 NW Evergreen Parkway Hillsboro, OR 97124 Company Description Advanced Inquiry Systems, Inc. (AISI) is revolutionizing semiconductor test, helping our customers combat rising costs in the midst of falling product prices. Our unique solutions enhance flexibility for device design, greatly reduce test … Continue reading “Advanced Inquiry Systems Obtains $11,000,000 Series B Financing Round”

Apptio Lands $14,000,000 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9d271b1a-2480-4ed1-a2b2-ae2174cf86eb&Preview=1 Date 8/18/2009 Company Name Apptio Mailing Address 10900 NE 4th Street Bellevue, WA 98104 Company Description Apptio is an early stage software-as-a-service (SaaS) company focused on enabling IT organizations to optimize their services and operations. Website http://www.apptio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $14,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Apptio Lands $14,000,000 Series B Funding”

Clear Access Garners $6,000,000 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d66c6f26-aaf3-48a4-b9c0-c34322f478e0&Preview=1 Date 8/18/2009 Company Name Clear Access Mailing Address 1301 NE 144th St Vancouver, WA 98685 Company Description ClearAccess has a clear vision to become the easiest company to work with in the broadband solution business. Our wireline and wireless solutions address the growing need for robust internet, telephony, video and other … Continue reading “Clear Access Garners $6,000,000 Series B Funding”

Polyvore Receives $5,600,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=07478248-9677-42de-83c3-36f7040b1abe&Preview=1 Date 8/18/2009 Company Name Polyvore Mailing Address 100 View St Mountain View, CA 94041 Company Description Polyvore is a unique, easy-to-use web-based application for mixing and matching products from any online store. Items are pulled together into a visual set of products that can be shared with anyone. Each product within … Continue reading “Polyvore Receives $5,600,000 Series B Funding Round”

Jambool Receives $5,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=71766576-b66e-4952-8d46-3a2561fd2374&Preview=1 Date 8/18/2009 Company Name Jambool Mailing Address Pier 38 The Embarcadero San Francisco, CA 94107 Company Description Social Gold is a full feature virtual economy platform that developers can use to create their currency systems, monetize it using in-game payments by Social Gold, and manage and grow their economy using Social … Continue reading “Jambool Receives $5,000,000 Series B Financing”

OpSource Garners $4,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3f23bb7d-c641-4799-a396-d59757a6d4f2&Preview=1 Date 8/18/2009 Company Name OpSource Mailing Address 5201 Great America Parkway Santa Clara, CA 95054 Company Description OpSource™ delivers Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Web applications for on-demand companies, with hundreds of applications, millions of users and billions of transactions supported daily. OpSource On-Demand™, the leading Web operations solution, is defining how Web-based … Continue reading “OpSource Garners $4,000,000 New Funding Round”

Amgen Trial Shows Mixed Result

Amgen, the world’s largest biotech company, which has operations in Seattle and Cambridge, MA, said today that its drug for colorectal cancer slowed the spread of tumors for patients with a certain genetic profile, in a clinical trial of 1,186 patients. Despite slowing down tumors, the drug failed to show that translated into helping patients … Continue reading “Amgen Trial Shows Mixed Result”

Genzyme Rival Gets FDA Nod

Protalix BioTherapeutics, an Israel-based biotech company, said today it has received FDA approval for a treatment protocol of its experimental drug for Gaucher’s disease, which will allow patients to get expanded access to the drug during a shortage of the leading therapy, Genzyme’s imiglucerase (Cerezyme). Shares of Protalix (AMEX: [[ticker:PLX]]) climbed 10 percent in mid-day … Continue reading “Genzyme Rival Gets FDA Nod”

The Qpass Mafia: Digital Commerce Execs Wield Influence at Firms from Amazon to Zipwhip

Here’s an interesting “people” trend to start out the week. I always like hearing about Seattle-area tech companies that spawn huge amounts of entrepreneurial activity. Besides the obvious giants—Microsoft, Amazon, RealNetworks—there are a few notable smaller companies whose employees go on to influence an inordinate number of other firms. These connections don’t get covered in … Continue reading “The Qpass Mafia: Digital Commerce Execs Wield Influence at Firms from Amazon to Zipwhip”