A San Diego startup has joined the stampede of medical diagnostic startups that are offering to help consumers decode their own personal genome to determine their risk for disease. Pathway Genomics, which announced its debut yesterday, joins Complete Genomics and 23andMe, which are both based in Mountain View, CA, Navigenics of Foster City, CA, and … Continue reading “Pathway Genomics Has $250 DNA Test”
AboutUs Adds $1.2M from Voyager, Others
Portland, OR-based AboutUs, an Internet startup focused on information discovery and sharing, has closed $1.2 million in financing, according to an SEC filing. CEO Ray King confirmed the funding, saying it rounds out the company’s Series A. Back in January, AboutUs announced a $2.5 million commitment from Seattle-based Voyager Capital. The latest tranche closing includes … Continue reading “AboutUs Adds $1.2M from Voyager, Others”
Philips Buys Kamen’s Teletrol
Royal Philips Electronics of Amsterdam announced today that it has acquired Teletrol Systems, a Manchester, NH, company that specializes in providing software that automates the management of power and lighting systems in buildings. With 37 employees, Teletrol was founded in 1985 and was wholly owned by Dean Kamen, the famed inventor and founder of DEKA … Continue reading “Philips Buys Kamen’s Teletrol”
Qualcomm, Unable to Raise Capital, May Be Terminating LifeComm
Struggles to find third-party financial support has prompted San Diego’s Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) to stop supporting LifeComm, its startup healthcare mobile network, according to a report by Mobihealthnews, a Boston website covering the wireless health industry. Attributing the information to an anonymous source, Mobihealthnews reported yesterday that Qualcomm is pulling the plug on LifeComm. In response to a … Continue reading “Qualcomm, Unable to Raise Capital, May Be Terminating LifeComm”
Blue Marble Closes Series A Funding
Blue Marble Energy announced today that it had reached its Series A financing goal. The Seattle-based company is developing ways of turning organic material like algae and human waste into useful chemicals and renewable fuel. Financial details of the funding were not disclosed, but in April Blue Marble reported in an SEC filing that it … Continue reading “Blue Marble Closes Series A Funding”
More Than a Cherry on Top—Microsoft Search Honcho Harry Shum on Why Bing is Different from Other MS Products
A wise man once told me, “Engineers don’t lie.” So when I wanted to find out the real story behind Bing, Microsoft’s new search engine, I went to Harry Shum. Shum is Microsoft’s vice president of search product development. He runs the engineering team responsible for Bing, among other duties. He was formerly the managing … Continue reading “More Than a Cherry on Top—Microsoft Search Honcho Harry Shum on Why Bing is Different from Other MS Products”
Choicestream Nabs Yahoo, Sermo Execs
Choicestream, the Cambridge, MA, startup that helps companies create targeted, personalized online display ads, said today it has hired three new executives, including two formerly at Yahoo. The Internet portal’s former senior director of retail, Amy Vener, joins Choicestream as director of retail advertising solutions. A former Yahoo video advertising engineer, Rod Perkins, joins Choicestream … Continue reading “Choicestream Nabs Yahoo, Sermo Execs”
Biotech Pioneer Phillip Sharp Retires from Biogen Idec Board
Phillip Sharp, the MIT biologist and geneticist who co-founded Biogen Idec (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]) in 1978, has retired from the biotech powerhouse’s board of directors, according to a company statement issued this morning. Sharp, 65, has served as a director of Biogen since 1982. During his tenure on the Cambridge, MA-based company’s board, Biogen has evolved from … Continue reading “Biotech Pioneer Phillip Sharp Retires from Biogen Idec Board”
Sciele Pharma Cancels Victory Pharma Buyout, Life Science Startups Raise Capital, Sorrento Therapeutics Engineers Reverse Merger, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
We saw a couple of San Diego’s life sciences companies successfully raise capital in the past week. But a couple of others experienced problems that would have been difficult to anticipate. —Sciele Pharma, an Atlanta, GA, unit of Japan’s Shionogi & Co. left San Diego’s Victory Pharma at the altar last week, after announcing in … Continue reading “Sciele Pharma Cancels Victory Pharma Buyout, Life Science Startups Raise Capital, Sorrento Therapeutics Engineers Reverse Merger, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Behind Every Good Product Is a Story; The Daily Grommet Brings You One a Day
What the Sam Hill (as my grandpa used to say) is a Daily Grommet? The answer comes in two parts. “Grommet” is the word industrial designer and entrepreneur Jules Pieri has appropriated for the kind of bewitching product that you might discover in an upscale shop in Puerto Vallarta or Tuscany or Vermont—something that’s so … Continue reading “Behind Every Good Product Is a Story; The Daily Grommet Brings You One a Day”
Bio Architecture Lab Raises Cash, OVP Invests in Limerick, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
Raising money and making deals were the trends of our life sciences stories this past week. And sometimes more than just business executives benefit. —Greg reported that University of Washington spinoff company Bio Architecture Labs raised $3.4 million in equity funding this week. The company, which works to create synthetic biofuels and renewable chemicals, apparently … Continue reading “Bio Architecture Lab Raises Cash, OVP Invests in Limerick, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Biogen Idec, Trying to Go Beyond Rituxan, Assembles Cancer Drug Pipeline
Biogen Idec, as avid biotech readers know, is the world’s largest maker of multiple sclerosis drugs. Not the world’s largest maker of cancer drugs. Not even close. Yet the Cambridge, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) has its sights on carving out a bigger niche in the fiercely competitive field of cancer drug development. It’s a … Continue reading “Biogen Idec, Trying to Go Beyond Rituxan, Assembles Cancer Drug Pipeline”
MedVentive Garners $7,250,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7208af11-db65-43e0-a87b-cd1e7e48fb7f&Preview=1 Date 7/16/2009 Company Name MedVentive Mailing Address 400 Fifth Avenue Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description MedVentive delivers a fully-integrated suite of quality intervention, pharmacy management and point of care decision support tools, all built on a solid, risk-adjusted data foundation. Our solutions identify opportunities for care improvement; manage the intervention workflow … Continue reading “MedVentive Garners $7,250,000 New Funding Round”
America Stem Cell Receives $2,500,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=848ccc91-83e9-4f9f-8089-844f103f6c30&Preview=1 Date 7/16/2009 Company Name America Stem Cell Mailing Address 135 Chinquapin Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008 Company Description America Stem Cell, Inc. (ASC) is a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of enabling technologies to enhance and expand the therapeutic potential of stem cell transplants. The Company is … Continue reading “America Stem Cell Receives $2,500,000 New Financing”
Truviso Obtains $3,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c8694fde-b20f-465f-aa93-20e5ae38afc6&Preview=1 Date 7/16/2009 Company Name Truviso Mailing Address 1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd Foster City, CA 94404 Company Description The company’s software solution processes huge volumes of incoming data to enable continuous analysis, visibility and action across heterogeneous systems. Truviso’s product fundamentally changes the way enterprise data is processed, analyzed and acted upon. … Continue reading “Truviso Obtains $3,000,000 New Financing Round”
Aloqa Garners $1,500,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=42aa5657-8e27-4fc3-a728-916a95937557&Preview=1 Date 7/16/2009 Company Name Aloqa Mailing Address 855 El Camino Real Bldg 4 Palo Alto, CA 94043 Company Description Aloqa was founded in May 2007 in Munich by a group of computer science PhDs specializing in scalable multi-body position tracking and location based services. The founders built on know-how from commercial … Continue reading “Aloqa Garners $1,500,000 Series A Financing”
RealGames Gets New Distributor
RealGames, a developer of downloadable games and a division of Seattle-based RealNetworks, has made a deal with social entertainment website hi5, according to a press release. San Francisco-based hi5 now has a downloadable games section on its website that will feature 1,500 games from RealNetworks. Some of the games will have free trials, while others range … Continue reading “RealGames Gets New Distributor”
Philips Acquires InnerCool, San Diego Startup That’s Run Hot and Cold
Royal Philips (NYSE: [[ticker:PHG]]), the Dutch conglomerate, says today it has agreed to acquire the assets of InnerCool Therapies, a once-hot San Diego medical device startup, in a deal with an overall value of $12.75 million. InnerCool was founded in 1998 and raised about $50 million from Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Credit Suisse First … Continue reading “Philips Acquires InnerCool, San Diego Startup That’s Run Hot and Cold”
Bio Architecture Lab, a UW Spinout, Raises $3.4M for Renewable Chemicals and Biofuels
Seattle-based Bio Architecture Lab, a stealthy spinout from the University of Washington, has raised $3.4 million in equity funding out of a $6 million offering, according to a regulatory filing. Michael Borrus of Menlo Park, CA-based X/Seed Capital is listed on the form as a director, which suggests that X/Seed participated in the funding round. … Continue reading “Bio Architecture Lab, a UW Spinout, Raises $3.4M for Renewable Chemicals and Biofuels”
Of Phase Forward, MedVentive, and iMedX—Today’s New England Heath IT Deals Round-Up
[Updated at 5 pm ET on 7/16/09. Editor’s note appended] We came across a trio of healthcare IT deals this morning, which seems to be a bit more than usual even in New England, so we thought we’d provide a snapshot of each of the deals. This activity could be chalked up to the intense … Continue reading “Of Phase Forward, MedVentive, and iMedX—Today’s New England Heath IT Deals Round-Up”
Early View of Second Quarter Shows VC Investing Activity at $5.3B, Up 61 Percent
We got an early peek at second-quarter VC investing today from ChubbyBrain, a New York-based information service (and new Xconomy partner) that uses a “structured wiki” to collect data on startups, and monitors venture capital investments nationwide. ChubbyBrain says venture activity bounced back, with more than $5.3 billion invested during the three months that ended in … Continue reading “Early View of Second Quarter Shows VC Investing Activity at $5.3B, Up 61 Percent”
Reserve a Rally Fighter
Local Motors, the Wareham, MA startup building crowd-sourced cars, has announced that starting at noon Wednesday, customers can go online to get in line to buy a Rally Fighter, the company’s first production vehicle. The $50,000 car, which we’ve described in the past as “half muscle car, half dune buggy,” contains a 265-horsepower, 3.0-liter, clean … Continue reading “Reserve a Rally Fighter”
Location-Aware Apps On The Rise, But Many Are Cookie-Cutter ‘Bulk Apps,’ Report Finds
Not surprisingly, given the rush among handset makers and software developers to cash in on the mobile-software explosion, there’s a been a big uptick in the availability of mobile apps that make use of location information, according to a report published today by Boston’s Skyhook Wireless. That’s true not just for the Apple iPhone, but … Continue reading “Location-Aware Apps On The Rise, But Many Are Cookie-Cutter ‘Bulk Apps,’ Report Finds”
Designers Compete to Rethink Zink’s Pocket Printers
Today Bedford, MA-based Zink unveiled the winning designs in a $25,000 contest called “Zero Boundaries,” launched to elicit creative ideas about how Zink’s inkless printing technology might be built into devices that young people and future mobile consumers could use to capture, modify, and share digital photos. We’ve told you the story of Zink, the … Continue reading “Designers Compete to Rethink Zink’s Pocket Printers”
GreenRay Sees Green in $2M A Round
Westford, MA-based startup GreenRay has raised $2 million in a Series A round of venture capital to advance its plans to commercialize its plug-and-play solar panels, according to an announcement this morning. Venture firm Quercus Trust, of Newport Beach, CA, led the first-round financing, which included co-investor 21Ventures, based in New York. GreenRay, which has … Continue reading “GreenRay Sees Green in $2M A Round”
Tragedy of the Commons: It’s (Really) Time to Ban Non-Compete Agreements
On snowy days in certain neighborhoods of our great city it is not unusual for someone to put an old trash can in an on-street parking space that they have recently cleared. We all know there is threat implied: if you take the spot, you will regret it. Given the effort expended to clear the … Continue reading “Tragedy of the Commons: It’s (Really) Time to Ban Non-Compete Agreements”
Quasar Unveils Innovative Sensors for Detecting Subsea Oil and Gas Deposits
In its quest to discover new offshore oil and gas deposits, the petroleum industry has achieved some extraordinary technology innovations. Seismic surveys, which collect data about subsea rock formations by bouncing sound waves off the ocean bottom, have become increasingly sophisticated. With advances in sensors, software algorithms, and high-performance computer processing, such surveys have enabled … Continue reading “Quasar Unveils Innovative Sensors for Detecting Subsea Oil and Gas Deposits”
OVP Leads $15M Series C Round for Limerick BioPharma
Kirkland, WA-based OVP Venture Partners has led a new $15 million investment round in Limerick Biopharma, a drug development company based in South San Francisco. Existing investors Arch Venture Partners, Sevin Rosen Funds, and Altitude Funds also participated in the Series C round. Limerick is a new portfolio company for OVP, and OVP managing director … Continue reading “OVP Leads $15M Series C Round for Limerick BioPharma”
Canceled Buyout Snatches Victory From Victory Pharma’s Investors
Victory is not yet in sight for San Diego’s Victory Pharma, a specialty drug company focused on pain relievers. A Japanese drug marketer backed out of a $150-million deal to acquire Victory this week, leaving the San Diego pain specialist in need of solace and a new game plan. Sciele Pharma said in a press release that … Continue reading “Canceled Buyout Snatches Victory From Victory Pharma’s Investors”
Covario Service Ranks Websites’ SEO
San Diego-based Covario, the software analytics startup that specializes in search engine optimization, or SEO, is introducing new software-as-a-service that poses a direct challenge to web development agencies. The company says their program automates the process of analyzing web traffic at a customer’s corporate website, a time-consuming job often performed by agencies. Covario’s program scores a … Continue reading “Covario Service Ranks Websites’ SEO”
ConforMIS Corrals $50M, Oscient Files for Bankruptcy, Vertex Peddles Rights to Milestone Payments, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
New England’s life sciences companies produced a couple of sizeable venture deals this past week, but they also faced some significant challenges. —Rapid Micro Biosystems closed a Series A financing round worth $18.6 million. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, TVM Capital, Quaker BioVentures, and VIMAC Milestone Medica Fund provided the backing for the Bedford, MA-based … Continue reading “ConforMIS Corrals $50M, Oscient Files for Bankruptcy, Vertex Peddles Rights to Milestone Payments, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Blackbox Republic, Led by Ex-Jive Exec, Gets Seed Funding for Sex-Positive Social Network
First of all, Blackbox Republic is not a hook-up site. Let’s just get that out of the way. It’s also not a porn site, sex site, or dating site. It’s a niche social network, looking to fill the void between Facebook, Match.com, and Amazon, and it’s starting out by targeting members of an emerging community … Continue reading “Blackbox Republic, Led by Ex-Jive Exec, Gets Seed Funding for Sex-Positive Social Network”
GreenRay Lands $2,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eebd97bc-13f9-4b64-b9ab-5d2f424bb9af&Preview=1 Date 7/15/2009 Company Name GreenRay Mailing Address 7 Littleton Road Westford, MA 01886 Company Description GreenRay is developing a solar appliance for residential homes. While today’s PV systems use discrete components and require specialized expertise to design and install, our plug and play system is fully integrated. The modular AC solar … Continue reading “GreenRay Lands $2,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
Pathway Genomics Secures Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3e4ee528-3e63-42e2-aa4a-8c6639975848&Preview=1 Date 7/15/2009 Company Name Pathway Genomics Mailing Address 4045 Sorrento Valley Blvd. San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Pathway Genomics is a privately-held, venture-backed company that offers affordable, personal DNA genotyping tests for less than $250. As the only U.S. based direct-to-consumer genetic testing company to receive both California and federal … Continue reading “Pathway Genomics Secures Series A Funding Round”
Bio Architecture Lab Secures $3,400,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9c10e9a6-28b6-4ac6-a84d-3ba4ceed92f2&Preview=1 Date 7/15/2009 Company Name Bio Architecture Lab Mailing Address 454 North 34th Street Seattle, WA 98103 Company Description The company develops clean technology products. Website http://www.ba-lab.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,400,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor X/Seed Capital Venture Investor … Continue reading “Bio Architecture Lab Secures $3,400,000 New Financing”
Limerick BioPharma Secures $15,000,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=86b2c6ca-fdd7-4d04-a990-12c50d53e9f4&Preview=1 Date 7/15/2009 Company Name Limerick BioPharma Mailing Address 601 Gateway Blvd. South San Francisco, CA 94080 Company Description Limerick BioPharma is dedicated to developing compounds that, when used adjunctively with both marketed and investigational drugs, significantly improve the quality of patients’ lives. Our compounds minimize toxic side effects at non-targeted vulnerable … Continue reading “Limerick BioPharma Secures $15,000,000 Series C Financing”
Constructive Secures New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a78094b5-65a8-4946-aeb9-3543a35a0ba5&Preview=1 Date 7/15/2009 Company Name Constructive Mailing Address 685-A Jarvis Drive Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Company Description Constructive is the leading provider of online partner community solutions through its flagship offering, Partnerpedia. As a family of web-based collaborative platforms, Partnerpedia leverages the power of social networking and online media to maximize business … Continue reading “Constructive Secures New Funding”
Bio Architecture Lab Receives $3,400,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9c10e9a6-28b6-4ac6-a84d-3ba4ceed92f2&Preview=1 Date 7/15/2009 Company Name Bio Architecture Lab Mailing Address 604 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94710 Company Description The company develops clean technology products. Website http://www.ba-lab.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,400,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor X/Seed Capital Venture Investor Undisclosed
Synthetic Genomics to Build Algae Biofuels Facility in San Diego
The $600 million that ExxonMobil is investing to develop algae-based biofuels, including at least $300 million through its partnership with San Diego’s Synthetic Genomics, represents the largest single investment in the emerging technology, according to J. Craig Venter, Synthetic Genomics’ founding CEO. Venter and Emil Jacobs, a vice president at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering, discussed … Continue reading “Synthetic Genomics to Build Algae Biofuels Facility in San Diego”
Zillow Still Tops Startup Website List
The monthly startup index created by Seattle 2.0 went up today with the highest number of new startups, 23, since March. Zillow and Pet Holdings maintain their traffic lead from last month, and Seattle 2.0 is now on the list for the first time. Moving up the list is Survey Analytics, breaking the top ten … Continue reading “Zillow Still Tops Startup Website List”
WhitePages Gets $2.5M Overhaul
Seattle-based WhitePages, the Web and mobile online directory, announced today it has redesigned its website for $2.5 million. The site is meant to help customers across the U.S. connect with each other by phone, text, e-mail, or snail mail. It includes new privacy controls and a user interface intended to improve services for customers and … Continue reading “WhitePages Gets $2.5M Overhaul”
Nexage Nabs $4M, Heading to Boston
Nexage, a provider of advertising software for mobile devices, raised $4 million in a Series A round of venture capital and plans to relocate its headquarters from Fremont, CA, to Boston, according to a press release. Investors in the financing include GrandBanks Capital, of Wellesley, MA, and BlackBerry Partners Fund, a Toronto-based venture unit of … Continue reading “Nexage Nabs $4M, Heading to Boston”
Oscient Pharma Seeks Bankruptcy, Finds Buyer for No. 2 Product
Oscient Pharmaceuticals has apparently run short on options to keep its struggling drug business afloat. The Waltham, MA-based biotech firm (NASDAQ:[[ticker:OSCI]]) and its subsidiary Guardian II Acquisition Corporation have each filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and Oscient has landed a buyer for one of its two marketed products, Oscient announced late yesterday. The company … Continue reading “Oscient Pharma Seeks Bankruptcy, Finds Buyer for No. 2 Product”
Nuance Acquires Jott
Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]), the Burlington, MA-based voice technology juggernaut that has already absorbed most of its East Coast competitors, reached west today, announcing that it has acquired Seattle-based Jott. Jott, founded in 2006 by ex-Microsoft employees, started out as a free voice-to-text service that allowed users to record messages via telephone that were then … Continue reading “Nuance Acquires Jott”
The Medium is the Message as VoxOx Unifies, Updates Communications Services
San Diego’s TelCentris is announcing an upgrade to its VoxOx universal communicator service that includes a personal assistant feature, a virtual service that can answer your phone calls and route them according to your personal preferences. With the technology, you can direct phone calls from a family phone to reach you on your cell phone, … Continue reading “The Medium is the Message as VoxOx Unifies, Updates Communications Services”
Data Domain Founder Talks EMC Deal, Arzeda Teams Up With Dupont, EndoGastric Takes In $7.5M, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
It was a fairly quiet week for deals in the Northwest, with some activity in biotech, software, materials, and devices. —Seattle-based Arzeda, a developer of artificial enzymes, formed a partnership with DuPont to create new crop seeds that incorporate Arzeda’s technology, which should increase the productivity of the plants for food, as Eric reported. Financial … Continue reading “Data Domain Founder Talks EMC Deal, Arzeda Teams Up With Dupont, EndoGastric Takes In $7.5M, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
The Big Idea at Springpad
Quite a few tasks in life require investigation and planning. Cooking dinner tonight? First you need to find a recipe, then you need to make a shopping list. Going on vacation? Before you can even begin to finalize your itinerary, you’ll probably collect reams of information on plane fares, local attractions, and places to stay. … Continue reading “The Big Idea at Springpad”
Clean Water, Little Fuss: PATH and Cascade Designs Bring Purifiers to Africa
Taking a sip from a kitchen faucet rarely causes someone’s heart to pound or adrenaline to flow, but for millions around the world, drinking the local water is just another version of Russian roulette. With every mouthful of water, people in developing countries imbibe bacteria and viruses that can and often do cause lethal diseases, … Continue reading “Clean Water, Little Fuss: PATH and Cascade Designs Bring Purifiers to Africa”
ExxonMobil Makes $600 Million Bet on Biofuels—And Synthetic Genomics
J. Craig Venter, the maverick co-founder of San Diego’s Synthetic Genomics, has been hinting that the company had a huge funding announcement in the works—and tonight The New York Times has the story on its website. The newspaper says ExxonMobil has laid plans to invest $600 million or more in the development of renewable, algae-derived … Continue reading “ExxonMobil Makes $600 Million Bet on Biofuels—And Synthetic Genomics”
Are You Who You Say You Are? Delfigo Security Can Tell From Your Typing
The idea that a computer authentication system might be watching not just for the content of your username and password, but to the way you type them—that is, the exact amount of time your fingers linger on each key, measured to the millisecond—may sound a little spooky. But that’s the premise of Delfigo Security‘s new … Continue reading “Are You Who You Say You Are? Delfigo Security Can Tell From Your Typing”