Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ea819afd-0fdf-4a8c-8cad-e73ca7d6bb6a&Preview=1 Date 3/30/2009 Company Name BioVex, Inc. Mailing Address 34 Commerce Way Woburn, MA 01801 Company Description The Company is developing a new class of potent biologics for the treatment of cancer and prevention of infectious disease. Website http://www.biovex.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $40,000,000 Transaction Round Series F Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “BioVex, Inc. Lands $40,000,000 Series F Financing Round”
Sutro Biopharma Receives $15,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fa4a4533-4f98-4a9a-8f8f-194ba6a71c2e&Preview=1 Date 3/30/2009 Company Name Sutro Biopharma Mailing Address 310 Utah Ave South San Francisco, CA 94080 Company Description Sutro Biopharma, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that uses its patented OCFS protein synthesis technology to develop next-generation protein therapeutics for the treatment of human disease. This commercially scalable technology overcomes important limitations … Continue reading “Sutro Biopharma Receives $15,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
Livescribe Garners $7,500,000 Series B Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=669757f7-8df5-467b-b721-2ce320440bf0&Preview=1 Date 3/30/2009 Company Name Livescribe Mailing Address 7677 Oakport St. 12th Floor Oakland, CA 94621 Company Description Livescribe has developed a new low-cost mobile computing platform that enhances productivity, learning, communication and self expression for anyone that uses pen and paper. The Pulse smartpen revolutionizes the act of writing by recording … Continue reading “Livescribe Garners $7,500,000 Series B Funding Round”
Pliant Technology Garners $15,000,000 Series C Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4006db12-8f57-4c08-a72c-d2463ff95b7b&Preview=1 Date 3/30/2009 Company Name Pliant Technology Mailing Address 630 Alder Drive Milpitas, CA 95035 Company Description Pliant Technology is developing Enterprise Flash Drives (EFD’s), a new class of solid state storage devices, that integrate seamlessly into enterprise information systems and dramatically improve performance, reliability, energy efficiency, and TCO. Website http://www.plianttechnology.com Transaction … Continue reading “Pliant Technology Garners $15,000,000 Series C Round”
Expedia, Impinj Cut Staff
Bellevue, WA-based Expedia and Seattle-based Impinj have had layoffs in the past week, according to reports in TechFlash here and here. Expedia isn’t saying how many positions were cut, but the news comes on the heels of another layoff last month. Impinj laid off 23 employees last week, or about 18 percent of its staff … Continue reading “Expedia, Impinj Cut Staff”
Ex-Microsoft Innovators: Raikes, Ranta, Howard, and Ferroni on the Startup Trail
We’re hearing about an increasing number of startups founded or backed by ex-Microsoft employees from many different backgrounds and levels of experience. The uptick seems to be a relatively recent trend, and it could be a good sign in otherwise tough times. Here’s a recap from the past couple of weeks. —Jeff Raikes, the former … Continue reading “Ex-Microsoft Innovators: Raikes, Ranta, Howard, and Ferroni on the Startup Trail”
Dyax Hit With FDA Drug Delay
Cambridge, MA-based Dyax (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DYAX]]) said today that its lead drug in development, DX-88, failed to win FDA approval on schedule. The company said it needs to answer more questions about the chemistry, manufacturing, and controls section of its application, and for a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy. The company doesn’t need to do more … Continue reading “Dyax Hit With FDA Drug Delay”
Venture Investors See A Few Opportunities Too Big To Ignore
A panel discussion about what’s happening on Wall Street sponsored yesterday morning by the San Diego Venture Group made it clear that venture investors are looking for pockets of light among the remains of last year’s market collapse. The general tenor of the conversation was that capital remains scarce and it’s going to take a … Continue reading “Venture Investors See A Few Opportunities Too Big To Ignore”
Flybridge Backs FirstBest, Six Startups Blast off With LaunchCapital’s Help, Visible Measures Gains a $10M View, & More Boston-Area Deals News
We’ve got lots of venture financings to report this week. New England’s software firms are particularly well represented. —Medical test maker Claros Diagnostics of Woburn, MA, reportedly completed a $4 million second round of financing. Oxford Bioscience Partners, Bioventures Investors, Accelerated Technologies Partners, and Commons Capital have all previously backed the startup. —Flybridge Capital Partners … Continue reading “Flybridge Backs FirstBest, Six Startups Blast off With LaunchCapital’s Help, Visible Measures Gains a $10M View, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
NW Bio-Educators Get $1.3.M From NSF
The Northwest Association for Biomedical Research, a Seattle-based nonprofit organization that supports science education, has been awarded a three-year grant for $1.3 million from the National Science Foundation. The grant, called Bio-ITEST, will be used to help secondary school teachers and students understand how IT is used in biomedical research. “This grant will help make … Continue reading “NW Bio-Educators Get $1.3.M From NSF”
iPhone Developer Drinks and Demos
An informal meetup for Boston-area iPhone developers. Have a beer, demo your projects and meet other locals doing the same. Information and (free) registration here.
Tweets from the Edge: The Ins and Outs (and Ups and Downs) of Twitter
If you already know all about Twitter—if you spent mid-March in Austin tweeting away with your pals at South by Southwest, if you can explain the differences between Twhirl and Twitterrific and Tweetdeck, and if you’ve already mastered thinking in 140-character fragments—this week’s column is not for you. It’s for all the other people, the … Continue reading “Tweets from the Edge: The Ins and Outs (and Ups and Downs) of Twitter”
Biogen Idec, Extending Life of its Top-Selling Drug, Eyes Longer-Lasting Shot for MS
Biogen Idec is the world’s biggest maker of drugs for multiple sclerosis, and it wants to keep things that way. But every drug that’s born eventually dies, and the last remaining patents on Biogen’s biggest-selling drug, interferon-beta1a (Avonex), run out in 2011 and 2013. To protect this $2.2 billion-a-year MS franchise—which generates more than half … Continue reading “Biogen Idec, Extending Life of its Top-Selling Drug, Eyes Longer-Lasting Shot for MS”
Calypso Gets Florida Medicare Unit to Pay for “GPS for the Body” for Prostate Cancer
Calypso Medical Technologies has an expensive new technology for targeting radiation beams to cancerous prostate glands, so it shouldn’t be any surprise when insurers balk before they pay up. But Calypso got some good news this week as it persuaded an important customer, the regional Medicare unit that serves a lot of elderly men with … Continue reading “Calypso Gets Florida Medicare Unit to Pay for “GPS for the Body” for Prostate Cancer”
Dimdim: A Clear Future for Multimedia Web Conferencing for the Masses
One sign that Xconomy is in the right business is that there are many more companies building innovative products in our home cities than we have time to cover. Unfortunately, though, our decisions about which companies to cover sometimes come down to little more than intuitive guesses. Back in December 2007, I interviewed the founders … Continue reading “Dimdim: A Clear Future for Multimedia Web Conferencing for the Masses”
MassNetComms Annual Awards Ceremony
It’s Oscar night for the New England communications industry. Honorees include Google’s Rich Miner, as Industry Player of the Year, and Dean Kamen, Workforce Development Award. Other awards will be given for CEO of the Year, Company of the Year, Mobile Product of the Year, and more. A complete list of nominees and registration details … Continue reading “MassNetComms Annual Awards Ceremony”
Healthcare Summit: Technology Driving the Patient-Centered Revolution
What is Patient Centered Care? Who is driving it, and why? What technologies will help or hinder it? And who will pay for it? The national debate on healthcare reform is gaining momentum, and patient centered care—organized around the patient as a “whole person” rather than putting institutional bureaucracies at the center of the healthcare … Continue reading “Healthcare Summit: Technology Driving the Patient-Centered Revolution”
Building the Smart Grid: Barriers and Opportunities
Building a Smart Grid may be better than being off the grid—Smart Grid technologies are expected to result in significant reduction in electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. According to Lux research, the Smart Grid market is expected to reach $65 billion in 2013. This interactive program brings together leading experts to look at the … Continue reading “Building the Smart Grid: Barriers and Opportunities”
Tech Tuesday: Gadgets & Gathering
Tech Tuesdays are moving to Microsoft’s brand-new R&D space at One Memorial Drive (the venue for Xconomy’s Mobile Innovation Forum). Come by to hang with fellow geeks and enjoy ad hoc the show-and-tell—LCD projector and WiFi are available. This event is free. Tech Tuesday registration.
Salk Forms Stem Cell Partnership With Sanofi-Aventis
The Salk Institute says it has formed a new stem cell research partnership with Sanofi-Aventis, the international pharmaceutical giant based in Paris. Financial terms of the five-year alliance were not disclosed, and some details of the deal remain to be worked out, Salk spokesman Mauricio Minotta told me this afternoon. The Sanofi-Aventis regenerative medicine program … Continue reading “Salk Forms Stem Cell Partnership With Sanofi-Aventis”
Somaxon Gets Delisting Notice
San Diego-based Somaxon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SOMX]]) says it has received a warning that its shares could be delisted by Nasdaq for failing to maintain a minimum total equity valuation of $10 million. Somaxon’s market valuation was less than $7 million today. In a statement, Somaxon says it has until April 13th to address the situation … Continue reading “Somaxon Gets Delisting Notice”
A Venture Investor’s Contrarian View on Nanotechnology
Lux Capital co-founder and managing partner Josh Wolfe separates the grain from the chaff in a presentation on nanotechnology, and what manufacturing at atomic-level precision means in a variety of industries. A reception and networking begins at 5:30 pm, and online registration is here.
Cleantech as an Upside Driver in an Economic Downturn
Does the cleantech sector represent the next big thing, or merely the next bubble to be inflated by venture capital and the federal government’s stimulus package? The San Diego Venture Group has organized a panel discussion on the subject. Registration begins at 7 a.m., or you can register online here.
Pathway Medical Raises $40M for Device to Clear Out Blocked Leg Arteries
Pathway Medical Technologies, the Kirkland, WA-based maker of a device that clears out blockages in clogged leg arteries, has raised $40 million in new venture capital, Xconomy has learned. The investing group was led by Amsterdam-based Forbion Capital Partners, and joined by HLM Venture Partners, Oxford Bioscience Partners, Latterell Capital Management, Cooperative AAC, and Giza … Continue reading “Pathway Medical Raises $40M for Device to Clear Out Blocked Leg Arteries”
Bsquare Brings Flash to Google Android
Bellevue, WA-based Bsquare (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BSQR]]), a maker of software for embedded devices, has announced it will port Adobe’s Flash technology onto Google’s Android operating system for a top-tier wireless carrier. More specifics and financial terms were not disclosed. The news is significant because, with Bsquare’s work, Android may get Flash before the iPhone does.
Google’s World View of Cloud Computing
In Part 3 of the Washington Technology Industry Association’s cloud computing series, we’ll hear from Google in Seattle. Google’s App Engine allows you to build and run applications on the same highly scalable web infrastructure that Google uses to run its own applications. This allows you to build an application once, and then never have … Continue reading “Google’s World View of Cloud Computing”
Xconomy Forum Tonight: The Rise of Cleantech in the Northwest
We’re putting on a cleantech show tonight at K&L Gates in downtown Seattle, starting at 6 pm. The event is sold out, but we may still have a few standing-room tickets available if you contact me. Our panel, moderated by Michael Butler of Cascadia Capital, is made up of Mark Aggar from Microsoft, Jesse Berst … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum Tonight: The Rise of Cleantech in the Northwest”
LaunchCapital Announces Investments in Six Startups
Massachusetts venture investors have long taken heat for the perception, at least, that they shy away from very early-stage (read, risky but potentially game-changing) investments—and many folks have pointed to a relative dearth of venture firms that specialize in seed-stage plays. In recent months, though, there seems to be a definite uptick in interest in … Continue reading “LaunchCapital Announces Investments in Six Startups”
Biotech CEOs Discuss the Virtues of Going Virtual
San Diego serial entrepreneur John Dobak got the best quip off right out of the starting gate yesterday when Biocom, the local life sciences trade association, held a panel discussion on the “virtual company” as a new model business model for startups. Dobak, a featured speaker who was late for the breakfast meeting, told the … Continue reading “Biotech CEOs Discuss the Virtues of Going Virtual”
Millennium, After Takeda Takeover, Shows Off Cancer Drug Pipeline
About 11 months ago, Cambridge, MA-based Millennium Pharmaceuticals agreed to be acquired by Tokyo-based Takeda Pharmaceuticals for $8.8 billion. We’ve already written some about how this deal presented Millennium’s CEO, Deborah Dunsire, some special challenges in terms of language barriers, cultural barriers, taking control of Takeda’s entire cancer drug portfolio, and trying to fit her … Continue reading “Millennium, After Takeda Takeover, Shows Off Cancer Drug Pipeline”
New DriveCam CEO Is Focused on the Road Ahead
It’s been a little over six months since Brandon Nixon moved into the driver’s seat as CEO at San Diego-based DriveCam, a venture-backed company that uses a combination of technologies to help reduce risky driving behaviors. That seems like enough time for a new boss to get up to speed, so I stopped in recently to … Continue reading “New DriveCam CEO Is Focused on the Road Ahead”
Vecna’s “Nerds” Ready BEAR Robot for First Field Test at Georgia Army Base
Imagine a soldier is wounded in the middle of a violent firefight in the streets of Mosul, Iraq. With bullets whizzing in every direction, it’s almost guaranteed that a medic would be shot in a rescue attempt. Enter the BEAR robot, which rolls up to the wounded soldier, scoops her up in its arms, and … Continue reading “Vecna’s “Nerds” Ready BEAR Robot for First Field Test at Georgia Army Base”
Visible Measures Sees $10M C Round
Boston-based Visible Measures, the Web video audience tracking firm we profiled in January 2008 shortly after it closed its $13.5 million Series B round, said today that it has raised a $10 million C round. Participants in the round included new investor Northgate Capital and existing investors General Catalyst Partners and MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures. “This … Continue reading “Visible Measures Sees $10M C Round”
Kaspersky Lab Launches Malware News Site Threatpost
Randy Drawas, chief marketing officer at Moscow, Russia-based antivirus company Kaspersky Lab, shared some disturbing statistics with me earlier this week. In 2007, he said, Kaspersky’s researchers detected as much malicious software activity on the Internet as they had in the previous 11 years combined. In 2008, malware volume doubled yet again. And in 2009, … Continue reading “Kaspersky Lab Launches Malware News Site Threatpost”
Obama Stimulates UW, Public Biotechs Run Low on Cash, Healionics Ships Glaucoma Product & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
Biomedical research funded by Uncle Sam is hot, but publicly traded biotech companies that seek to develop those discoveries in the Northwest are cold. Here’s a recap of the week’s ups and downs in the local life sciences scene: —President Obama is proposing a whopping $10 billion addition to the National Institutes of Health’s budget … Continue reading “Obama Stimulates UW, Public Biotechs Run Low on Cash, Healionics Ships Glaucoma Product & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Ontela, Visible, Wetpaint Win WTIA Awards
The 14th annual WTIA Industry Achievement Awards were announced last night at the Paramount Theater in downtown Seattle. The winning companies, as determined by online community voting, were AdReady (service provider), Ontela (breakthrough startup), Wetpaint (consumer product), and Visible Technologies (commercial product). Best use of technology in government, nonprofit, or education went to Snohomish County … Continue reading “Ontela, Visible, Wetpaint Win WTIA Awards”
Molecular Insight Preps for Pivotal Trial of Heart Attack Warning Sign Detector
Cambridge, MA-based Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals is gearing up for a pivotal clinical trial of a new type of diagnostic tool for spotting early signs of blockages in the heart that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Molecular Insight (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MIPI]]) is making this strategic move after reviewing detailed results from a 510-patient mid-stage … Continue reading “Molecular Insight Preps for Pivotal Trial of Heart Attack Warning Sign Detector”
Vioguard CEO Larry Ranta Takes Germ-Zapping Keyboard Into Growing Hospital Market
The concept is simple: a computer keyboard that self-sanitizes by zapping potentially deadly germs with ultraviolet light. The technology could help prevent the spread of nasty bacterial invaders like MRSA in hospitals and other institutions with shared computer facilities. That’s the idea behind Vioguard, a Bothell, WA, company co-founded by startup specialist Larry Ranta and … Continue reading “Vioguard CEO Larry Ranta Takes Germ-Zapping Keyboard Into Growing Hospital Market”
Venture Industry and Government Together Will Grow the Economy
With the financial crisis as a backdrop, venture capitalists and policy makers are today finding themselves on common ground more than ever. Our economy has some serious structural problems. And the way past these problems will be through innovation and job creation. Venture capital has been the engine for America’s new, innovative companies for over … Continue reading “Venture Industry and Government Together Will Grow the Economy”
Aushon Biosystems Obtains $6,500,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6a94888f-35ff-4d10-9840-a7a4be55062b&Preview=1 Date 3/26/2009 Company Name Aushon Biosystems Mailing Address 43 Manning Rd. Billerica, MA 01821 Company Description Aushon BioSystems Inc. is a small, privately owned corporation applying advanced engineering and systems-engineering approaches to the challenges of developing life science markets. Aushon is leveraging its advanced engineering capabilities to develop a set of … Continue reading “Aushon Biosystems Obtains $6,500,000 Series B Financing”
Visible Measures Corp. Secures $10,000,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=669881db-eca0-4f95-92a4-eef7f39ca4a2&Preview=1 Date 3/26/2009 Company Name Visible Measures Corp. Mailing Address 25 Kingston St, 5th Fl Boston, MA 02111 Company Description Visible Measures Corp. (VMC) is helping to revolutionize the way publishers, advertisers, and audiences engage with Internet delivered video. Our Video Experience Measurement (VXM) suite of products provides objective 3rd party audience … Continue reading “Visible Measures Corp. Secures $10,000,000 Series C Financing”
Ripple Obtains $4,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=be537e22-512c-48bd-a390-d35defcb11e0&Preview=1 Date 3/26/2009 Company Name Ripple Mailing Address 2101 Rosecrans Avenue El Segundo, CA 90245 Company Description Ripple (formerly called ActiveMaps, Inc.) provides digital entertainment and news content in over 400 locations throughout California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii. Headquartered in El Segundo, CA, Ripple’s rapidly expanding network currently reaches nearly 10 million … Continue reading “Ripple Obtains $4,000,000 New Funding”
Pathway Medical Technologies Obtains $40,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ad36cedc-0603-490b-afbd-e8ff5905ec13&Preview=1 Date 3/26/2009 Company Name Pathway Medical Technologies Mailing Address 10801 120th Ave NE Kirkland, WA 98033 Company Description Pathway Medical Technologies, Inc. (Pathway), located in Redmond, Washington was founded in 1998 to design, develop and manufacture innovative medical devices intended for the treatment of arterial disease. The company’s initial focus is … Continue reading “Pathway Medical Technologies Obtains $40,000,000 New Financing”
Lifefactory Garners $750,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2d5ad97f-0e4e-43a5-87aa-9fc1251d1eb9&Preview=1 Date 3/26/2009 Company Name Lifefactory Mailing Address 480 Gate 5 Road, Studio 300E Sausalito, CA 94965 Company Description Lifefactory was created to provide a new generation of babies and their parents a choice in safe, developmentally-appropriate, and eco-friendly baby products. Website http://www.lifefactory.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $750,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Lifefactory Garners $750,000 New Funding”
Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals Receives $17,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=309205c8-9d2a-4931-a10a-d8cb9f3620f6&Preview=1 Date 3/26/2009 Company Name Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address Undisclosed Menlo Park, CA 94025 Company Description Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Website http://www.neuraltus.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $17,000,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals Receives $17,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
Carousel Acquires Daycom
Two private telecommunications providers that keep businesses talking and using the Internet are combining forces. Carousel Industries of Exeter, RI, said today it has acquired San Diego’s Daycom Systems. Daycom was founded 1992 by Richard Day, has approximately 50 employees, and annual revenue of approximately $20 million. “Through this acquisition, we are able to …offer … Continue reading “Carousel Acquires Daycom”
Trubion Starts Lupus Trial
Trubion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TRBN]]), said today it has started a clinical trial of a drug for lupus, an autoimmune disease. The drug, SBI-087, is made to hit a target called CD20, that’s currently blocked by Genentech and Biogen Idec’s rituximab (Rituxan) for patients with a different form of autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis. The Trubion drug-which … Continue reading “Trubion Starts Lupus Trial”
Vulcan Re-ups with Audience
Audience, a Mountain View, CA-based company that makes voice-processing software to reduce noise in cell phones, announced it has closed a $15 million Series D round of financing from existing investors, including Seattle-based Vulcan Capital. Other investors in the round were New Enterprise Associates, Tallwood Venture Capital, and VentureTech Alliance.
Entropic Exits Israel and France
San Diego-based home entertainment semiconductor manufacturer Entropic Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ENTR]]) has cut approximately 55 employees, or 18 percent of its workforce. In a filing with the SEC today, Entropic says its board approved a restructuring plan that closes offices in Nice, France, and Kfar Saba, Israel, “to better position the Company to operate in current … Continue reading “Entropic Exits Israel and France”
NWEN Investor Forum Yields Five Startup Finalists and a Winner, Hydrovolts
I stopped by The Big Picture, a cozy movie theater and lounge in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, to catch the end of the Northwest Entrepreneur Network’s First Look Forum yesterday. The concept of the retooled event was to showcase only companies that had not yet pitched to an organized angel group or VCs. These are startups … Continue reading “NWEN Investor Forum Yields Five Startup Finalists and a Winner, Hydrovolts”