Kirkland, WA-based OVP Venture Partners has participated in a $10 million second round of financing for Los Gatos, CA-based Tigo Energy, a solar-power efficiency company. Israel Cleantech Ventures (ICV) led the round, and was joined by existing investors OVP, Matrix Partners, and Clal Energy. Founded in 2007, Tigo previously raised $6 million in first-round funding … Continue reading “OVP Re-ups with Tigo Energy”
Sen. Maria Cantwell and Nathan Myhrvold Talk Statewide Innovation at Intellectual Ventures Lab Ceremony
It’s not every day you get to watch a U.S. senator swallow a swirling ball of liquid nitrogen-cooled foam (yuzu-flavored, no less). Talk about a palate cleanser. That was just one stop along a rather surreal press tour and ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning at the Intellectual Ventures Laboratory in Bellevue, WA, as Sen. Maria Cantwell … Continue reading “Sen. Maria Cantwell and Nathan Myhrvold Talk Statewide Innovation at Intellectual Ventures Lab Ceremony”
Loctronix Helps Japan Find Itself
Woodinville, WA-based Loctronix revealed a new alliance with Japanese company NEC Magnus Communications that will allow NEC to use the single-chip, multiple source GPS technology developed by the American company in its products. The new products will be part of the effort by the Japanese government to create a “ubiquitous society,” where all of Japan … Continue reading “Loctronix Helps Japan Find Itself”
NTN Buzztime Raises Capital
In a notice filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, NTN Buzztime (AMEX: [[ticker:NTN]]) of Carlsbad, CA, says it has raised $2.25 million in a private sale of stock and options. The deal was part of Buzztime’s recent acquisition of assets from Denver, CO-based Instant Access Media. Buzztime provides games distributed on cable TV, … Continue reading “NTN Buzztime Raises Capital”
Vical Raises $20M in Private Stock Placements
Vical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VICL]]), the San Diego biotech developing a vaccine for the H1N1 swine flu, says it has raised about $20 million in private stock sales arranged with several institutional investors. The overall deal includes a $4.6 million commitment announced today from Special Situations Funds, a New York institutional investor. The company says it is raising approximately $15.4 million … Continue reading “Vical Raises $20M in Private Stock Placements”
Ward Is New CEO at Luminus
Luminus Devices, a Billerica, MA-based maker of LED-based lighting equipment, announced today that Udi Meirav, CEO since 2003, has become executive vice-chairman of the company’s board of directors and will be replaced by Keith Ward, who also takes on the title of president. Ward is a veteran of EYE Lighting International and General Electric.
Carbon Design Systems Raised $7.5M
Amended documents filed with federal regulators last week show that a 2007 Series E financing round for Acton, MA-based Carbon Design Systems, which sells a software platform used by designers of combined hardware and software systems to build virtual prototypes, brought in $7.5 million rather than the $6 million reported in a filing that year. … Continue reading “Carbon Design Systems Raised $7.5M”
Icahn Wins Key Endorsement In Proxy Fight With Biogen Idec
Carl Icahn has gotten the support of a key outside voice in his proxy fight with Biogen Idec. The billionaire investor received an endorsement from RiskMetrics Group for two of the four candidates he has nominated to the 13-member board of the Cambridge,MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]). Riskmetrics, formerly known as ISS, recommended shareholders vote … Continue reading “Icahn Wins Key Endorsement In Proxy Fight With Biogen Idec”
Visible Raises $6M, Vulcan Goes Deep with BiPar, IdeaScale Serves White House, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
It was a relatively light week for deals in the Northwest, perhaps owing to the holiday weekend. But there was still action in biotech, marketing software, and alternative energy. —Kennewick, WA-based Infinia raised $14.1 million in debt financing out of a $50 million offering. The company, which is backed by Vulcan Capital, Khosla Ventures, and … Continue reading “Visible Raises $6M, Vulcan Goes Deep with BiPar, IdeaScale Serves White House, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Homegrown VCs a Vanishing Breed, Cardiologist Eric Topol Sees a Revolution in Wireless Health, Local Companies Raise Capital, & More San Diego BizTech News
It seems as though a number of San Diego tech companies saw the week before the Memorial Day weekend as a time to clear the decks, launch a few online products, and to raise some more capital. We also highlight the emergence of wireless healthcare and add some perspective to San Diego’s homegrown venture capital firms. —I … Continue reading “Homegrown VCs a Vanishing Breed, Cardiologist Eric Topol Sees a Revolution in Wireless Health, Local Companies Raise Capital, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Dog Patch Lab—An Entrepreneur’s Kennel
Ceiling fans lolling high overhead, starfish in trawler nettings slung on one wall, funked-out wood floors, bar stools, round tables, comfy couches, a big bowl laden with fruit, huge windows overlooking the pier. No cubicles, just work areas with signs indicating where one company ends and another begins—and sometimes no signs at all. The whole … Continue reading “Dog Patch Lab—An Entrepreneur’s Kennel”
Who’s Driving Innovation in the Life Sciences Ecotope? Some Ideas for Keeping Early-Stage Venture Alive
New England is indeed a fertile ground for new technologies in healthcare and the life sciences, but the number of VCs doing the early and risky stuff is dwindling. We will probably see the number of start-ups in our space dive this year. Keeping to ol’ Darwin’s creed of adaptation, we simply have to find … Continue reading “Who’s Driving Innovation in the Life Sciences Ecotope? Some Ideas for Keeping Early-Stage Venture Alive”
Shareholder Showdown at Amylin Headquarters
A battle for control of Amylin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]) that began last year will come to a final showdown tomorrow at the company’s annual shareholder meeting. Challenging Amylin’s leadership in the proxy fight is Carl Icahn, the billionaire New York investor, who owns approximately 10.5 percent of Amylin’s stock, and Eastbourne Capital Management, a hedge … Continue reading “Shareholder Showdown at Amylin Headquarters”
Tekmira Tackles RNAi Delivery Challenge, With Alnylam, Roche Putting It to the Test
The people at Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals are widely recognized as leaders in the field of RNA interference, but they are quick to acknowledge they don’t do it all themselves. They lean on partners, including one important one in the Northwest, Vancouver, BC-based Tekmira (TSX: [[ticker:TKM]]). This Canadian company’s reputation as a key player in … Continue reading “Tekmira Tackles RNAi Delivery Challenge, With Alnylam, Roche Putting It to the Test”
What I Like About Innovation in New England
There is a lot of great stuff going on in Boston right now. Granted, there are still many signs of paralysis throughout the system, but there are also many high-quality entrepreneurs in the marketplace attempting to change the world with exciting, innovative solutions to some very large problems. June 2009 has been dubbed “Innovation Month … Continue reading “What I Like About Innovation in New England”
Making the Smart Grid Smarter Through Instant Messaging: A Talk with EnerNOC’s David Brewster
Late last month, Boston-based smart grid company EnerNOC (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ENOC]]) revealed that it’s looking to the consumer Internet for a new way of managing its “demand response” pools. These are the groups of companies and municipalities that, in return for cash payments from EnerNOC, sign up to have their electrical consumption dialed back remotely in … Continue reading “Making the Smart Grid Smarter Through Instant Messaging: A Talk with EnerNOC’s David Brewster”
Carbon Design Systems Secures $7,500,000 Series E Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f07fac67-5e82-44cb-8cd3-fee5ce71086d&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2009 Company Name Carbon Design Systems Mailing Address 125 Nagog Park Acton, MA 01720 Company Description Carbon is delivering software products that enable pre-silicon system validation, where thousands of users can simultaneously develop and test software on the ‘golden’ RTL hardware implementation model. Website http://www.carbondesignsystems.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “Carbon Design Systems Secures $7,500,000 Series E Financing Round”
OpenX Receives $10,000,000 Series C Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cd7baa33-3738-474c-a0ce-0f422a2e4964&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2009 Company Name OpenX Mailing Address 20 E. Del Mar Blvd Pasadena, CA 91105 Company Description In a market dominated by big advertisers and huge networks, life as a publisher can be tough. Well, OpenX is here to help. We’re an open source advertising community dedicated to helping publishers make … Continue reading “OpenX Receives $10,000,000 Series C Round”
Plastic Jungle, Inc Secures $4,800,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=825d1a64-0551-49c5-b811-eb9987fed520&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2009 Company Name Plastic Jungle, Inc Mailing Address 2491 Alluvial Ave Clovis, CA 93611 Company Description Plastic Jungle is the leading Web site for gift card exchanges — whether you want to buy gift cards at substantial savings, sell them for cash, or trade pre-owned gift cards with others, www.plasticjungle.com … Continue reading “Plastic Jungle, Inc Secures $4,800,000 Series A Round”
Facebook Obtains $200,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=10e428de-0f30-4a16-b791-6c5291235a6b&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2009 Company Name Facebook Mailing Address 471 Emerson St Palo Alto, CA 94301-1605 Company Description Facebook is a social directory that enables people to share information. Facebook increases information flow between people by giving them access to the information that is most relevant to them. Website http://www.facebook.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Facebook Obtains $200,000,000 New Funding”
LogLogic Lands $8,800,000 Series D Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=154d16c8-eeeb-462b-b2c7-bffc93c474b2&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2009 Company Name LogLogic Mailing Address 110 Rose Orchard Way San Jose, CA 95134 Company Description Founded in 1999 and based in San Jose, CA, LogLogic is an innovator and market leader in Log Data Management and Intelligence (LMI). Website http://www.loglogic.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,800,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “LogLogic Lands $8,800,000 Series D Funding Round”
Bootstrapping Your Business Through the Great Recession
Join Javier Rojas, managing director of Silicon Valley’s Kennet Partners, to learn the dos and don’ts of bootstrapping – from managing growth and building the right team to choosing external partners and eventually investors. Additionally, learn when to raise capital, why it is essential to scaling a company for success, and how to prepare for … Continue reading “Bootstrapping Your Business Through the Great Recession”
Partnership and Distribution Relationships
How and why do problems arise when your small-to-medium business creates sales channels and distribution partnerships? Presenter Timothy Gendreau of The Gendreau Group, a revenue strategy company, offers concrete recommendations for what companies can do to avoid or address such problems. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., or register online here.
Author and Motivational Speaker Guy Kawasaki
Former Apple evangelist and startup guru Guy Kawasaki is a keynote headliner in a breakfast program sponsored by the San Diego Venture Group. In addition to publishing nine books, Kawasaki writes a bi-weekly, Q&A column for Forbes magazine called “The Art of the Start” to address the questions of entrepreneurs and wannabe entrepreneurs. Register online … Continue reading “Author and Motivational Speaker Guy Kawasaki”
Biocom Lunch with State Assembly Member Mary Salas, D-Chula Vista
Mary Salas represents California’s 79th District, an area that includes the cities of Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, Coronado, and portions of San Diego. She serves as chairwoman of the committee on Veterans Affairs. Register online with Biocom here.
Biocom Breakfast With Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield
Kevin McCarthy represents California’s 22nd Congressional District, which covers most of Kern and San Luis Obispo Counties, and northeastern Los Angeles County. The 22nd District is produces over $3 billion in crops such as cotton, citrus, grapes, stone fruits, and pistachios. Kern County annually produces more oil than the state of Oklahoma. Register online through … Continue reading “Biocom Breakfast With Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield”
All Day BioBriefing for Non-Scientists
The one-day seminar provides a concise overview of the key concepts of modern biology and an introduction to the technology and terminology used in the biotech and medical device industries. Classes are specifically geared toward the non-science professional who needs to better understand industry terminology, science, techniques and issues. Register through Biocom here.
Marketing in the New Age of Social Media.
Join Mashable Associate Editor Jenn Van Grove, Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. Marketing Manager Ginger Anderson, and Red Door Interactive President Reid Carr for this session on social media marketing. Register online through CommNexus here.
The Seven Deadly Sins of Landing Page Design
Learn how to avoid the seven deadly sins of landing page design in a “must-attend” session for anyone responsible for online marketing programs. The instructor is Tim Ash, president and CEO of SiteTuners and author of “Landing Page Optimization: The Definitive Guide To Testing and Tuning for Conversions.” Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. or register … Continue reading “The Seven Deadly Sins of Landing Page Design”
Become an Internet Power User
Internet entrepreneur Dmitry Shapiro provides a special one-hour presentation on becoming an Internet power user, which is part of the all-day course offered through WeekendU. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. or register online here.
UW Business Plan Competition Kick-Starts Companies to Action
The University of Washington Business Plan Competition hosted by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) came to a close Thursday night, handing out $60,000 in prize money to an impressive field of technologies. It brought a bittersweet end for my team’s company, Shockmetrics. We did not take the $25K grand prize award that we … Continue reading “UW Business Plan Competition Kick-Starts Companies to Action”
Infinia Raises $14.1M for Solar Power
Kennewick, WA-based Infinia, a maker of solar power generation technology which uses free-piston Stirling engines, has raised $14.1 million in debt financing, according to a regulatory filing. The financing looks to be part of a $50 million offering. Infinia is backed by Vulcan Capital, Khosla Ventures, and others.
Croaking Frogs, Swiss Cheese, and Close Calls—A $25K Winner’s Tale
The 2009 University of Washington Business Plan Competition has come and gone. It started with something like 90 business plan submissions that were paired down to 33 set to compete in an investment round. That round can best be described as a Las Vegas-style trade show with 33 booths, over two hundred judges, team shirts, … Continue reading “Croaking Frogs, Swiss Cheese, and Close Calls—A $25K Winner’s Tale”
Commemorative Day, Innovative Month
Barring any earth-shattering late-breaking news, my Xconomy colleagues and I will knock off a little early today and be back online next Tuesday after the Memorial Day holiday. We’re looking forward to a little R&R as we gear up for next month, which is so chock full of innovation-related events—including our own Xconomy Summit on … Continue reading “Commemorative Day, Innovative Month”
Breach Security Raises $2.2M
Carlsbad, CA-based Breach Security, a five-year-old startup developing network security technology, has raised $2 million of a $2.2 million convertible debt offering, according to documents filed earlier this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission. When Breach was launched in 2004, the company said it had raised $7.5 million in a Series A venture round … Continue reading “Breach Security Raises $2.2M”
The New Vulcan Capital: Steve Hall and Chris Temple on Working with Paul Allen, Investing with Partners, and Banking On Seattle Innovation
It feels like the dawn of a new era at Vulcan Capital. The private investment group, which manages billionaire Paul Allen’s personal and professional holdings, has been very private—until now, it seems. Coming off a series of high-profile successes (like BiPar Sciences, a $100 million-plus return on $13 million investment) and failures (like the Charter … Continue reading “The New Vulcan Capital: Steve Hall and Chris Temple on Working with Paul Allen, Investing with Partners, and Banking On Seattle Innovation”
Pure Bioscience Gets $3M
San Diego-based Pure Bioscience (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PURE]]) says it has raised up to $3 million by selling its stock and warrants to institutional investors in a direct offering. The net proceeds will be used for working capital. Pure, which has a line of antimicrobial products based on its proprietary silver dihydrogen citrate formula, announced plans in … Continue reading “Pure Bioscience Gets $3M”
To Tweet or Not To Tweet
MITX, the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange, sends this word: “Everybody’s talking about Twitter today—even Oprah. But is it all hype? Will Twitter last? We think Twitter will last if businesses can understand the mix of using Twitter as an engagement, distribution and monitoring tool and thus effectively communicate through this new communication channel. Don’t … Continue reading “To Tweet or Not To Tweet”
Why Medical Devices Fail
The Medical Development Group sponsors a talk by Paul Nickelsberg, president and chief technology officer at Orchid Technologies Engineering & Consulting, on “Why Devices Fail and What You Need to Prevent It From Happening.” Information and registration here.
UW Business Plan Competition Yields $25K Awardee, Nanocel, and Many Other Winners
From an initial field of 90 teams last month, down to 33 presenters, and the sweet 16 and finals yesterday, the business plan competition at the University of Washington has captivated us with the spirit and determination of these student innovators and their veteran advisors. Some 30 judges from the Seattle-area innovation community participated in … Continue reading “UW Business Plan Competition Yields $25K Awardee, Nanocel, and Many Other Winners”
$6.3M Financing Deal Shines Light on Startup Digital Lumens
[Updated: See editor’s note below] It has come to light that Digital Lumens, a Salem, MA-based developer of energy-efficient lighting products, has raised $6.3 million in a round of equity financing, according to an SEC filing. The filing doesn’t specifically list investors in the round, but it does say that board members include Jon Karlen … Continue reading “$6.3M Financing Deal Shines Light on Startup Digital Lumens”
X Prize Founder Peter Diamandis Targets Breakthroughs With More Incentive Prizes
It has been almost five years since a team of aerospace entrepreneurs funded by a software billionaire claimed the Ansari X Prize, the $10 million prize competition to develop the first reusable private spacecraft. Since then, the frustrated space enthusiast who established the X Prize as a way to re-ignite astronautical innovation, Peter Diamandis, has … Continue reading “X Prize Founder Peter Diamandis Targets Breakthroughs With More Incentive Prizes”
People Doing Strange Things With Soldering Irons: A Visit to Hackerspace
You might think that all of the engineering brainpower in cities like Boston, San Diego, and Seattle is sucked up by high-voltage startups or by giant employers in the software, server, or semiconductor businesses. But proof that there’s plenty of surplus technological creativity in these regions is popping up in odd places like Willoughby & … Continue reading “People Doing Strange Things With Soldering Irons: A Visit to Hackerspace”
Brad Feld’s Latest Investment: Students
Yet another Boston-area innovation institution has been hit by the recession: the summer internship. Jackie Wilbur, the director of the Career Development Office at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, says that in this year’s tight job market, many local startups that would ordinarily take on Sloan students as summer interns simply can’t afford it. Enter … Continue reading “Brad Feld’s Latest Investment: Students”
Biomatrica Wants to Make Labs Greener by Unplugging the Freezer
Walk into any biology lab, and you’ll see freezers full of precious biological samples that researchers typically use to gain insights on cancer, heart disease or some other ailment. The freezers run around the clock for years, sucking up lots of electricity. But what if scientists could store their samples at room temperature by just … Continue reading “Biomatrica Wants to Make Labs Greener by Unplugging the Freezer”
Vulcan’s Biotech Windfall, BiPar Sciences, Sparks “Fundamental” Cancer Advance
Vulcan Capital, the investment group that controls billionaire Paul Allen’s fortune, generates lots of headlines for its big losses in Charter Communications. But few people have made much of the fact that Seattle-based Vulcan generated one of the biggest venture returns in the country this year from a cancer drug developer it founded four years … Continue reading “Vulcan’s Biotech Windfall, BiPar Sciences, Sparks “Fundamental” Cancer Advance”
Elixir Sips $12M, Might Eventually Guzzle $500M; Evergreen Solar Offers $60M in Stock; BigBelly Bags $3.2M; & More Boston-Area Deals News
This week saw a variety of small-to-medium deals—and one potentially huge one. —Avila Therapeutics of Waltham, MA raised $5 million from existing investors in a debt and options financing that could reach up to $20 million, according to an SEC fling. Avila is developing drugs that form strong, covalent bonds with target proteins. —Ashaway, RI-based … Continue reading “Elixir Sips $12M, Might Eventually Guzzle $500M; Evergreen Solar Offers $60M in Stock; BigBelly Bags $3.2M; & More Boston-Area Deals News”
BigBelly Lands $3,200,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3264da5a-aee4-4003-8544-5c6b7c12e359&Preview=1 Date 5/22/2009 Company Name BigBelly Mailing Address 50 Brook Road Needham, MA 02494 Company Description Seahorse Power Company was founded in 2003 with a mission to reduce fossil fuel consumption through innovative cost-saving approaches to inefficient, everyday problems. Our BigBelly product was so successful, we changed our name to BigBelly Solar … Continue reading “BigBelly Lands $3,200,000 New Financing Round”
Breach Security Inc. Receives $2,200,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7aff2d0e-bf29-44a2-b503-f713475e7502&Preview=1 Date 5/22/2009 Company Name Breach Security Inc. Mailing Address 2075 Las Palmas Drive Carlsbad, CA 92011 Company Description Breach Security, Inc. provides next-generation web application security to protect privileged information. Breach, a leader in the emerging market for Intelligent Web Application Security, addresses todays security needs by delivering solutions for enterprises … Continue reading “Breach Security Inc. Receives $2,200,000 New Funding Round”
Medem Obtains $1,700,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=12ec56ea-e2d8-4b77-a5cf-0cfe0d8dc0f8&Preview=1 Date 5/22/2009 Company Name Medem Mailing Address 100 Pine Street 3rd Floor San Francisco, CA 94111 Company Description Based in San Francisco and incorporated in 1999, Medem was founded by the AMA and several national medical specialty societies to develop and provide secure, online communications services for use by physicians and … Continue reading “Medem Obtains $1,700,000 New Funding”