1Life Healthcare Lands $8,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dd63fb8c-f029-45bc-a91a-258e3f831a75&Preview=1 Date 3/3/2009 Company Name 1Life Healthcare Mailing Address P.O. Box 26170 San Francisco, CA 94126 Company Description 1Life Healthcare is a network of boutique medical practices that are transforming primary care. We understand the needs of busy people and deliver an experience to match, offering service that is high-quality, convenient, personal, … Continue reading “1Life Healthcare Lands $8,000,000 Series B Financing”

Arresto Biosciences Receives Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1c921722-36d4-40ee-9cbd-5f18e2f17551&Preview=1 Date 3/3/2009 Company Name Arresto Biosciences Mailing Address 3183 Porter Drive Palo Alto, CA 94304 Company Description Arresto BiosciencesTM is a biotech company that develops medicines to treat cancer and fibrotic diseases by targeting extracellular matrix proteins. Website http://www.arresto.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Series C Proceeds … Continue reading “Arresto Biosciences Receives Series C Financing”

Twilio Raises Venture Funding, Looks to Expand Cloud-Based Phone Services

Seattle and San Francisco-based Twilio, a software startup focused on telephone applications, closed its first institutional round of funding today, according to co-founder Jeff Lawson. The investment was led by San Francisco-based venture firm Founders Fund (which includes founders of PayPal, Facebook, and Napster) and computer industry pioneer Mitchell Kapor, the creator of Lotus 1-2-3 … Continue reading “Twilio Raises Venture Funding, Looks to Expand Cloud-Based Phone Services”

What It Takes to Raise Capital Today

Financial companies are still investing and lending, but the mindset among capital providers has changed radically over the past six months. The San Diego Venture Group has organized an informative panel discussion for this breakfast session as a way to find out who is getting capital—and how. Register online here.

Genzyme Fails to Win FDA Approval for Large-Scale Production of Pompe Drug

Genzyme got some bad news today from the FDA. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech company said that U.S. regulators determined its drug for Pompe disease made in large-scale vats isn’t ready to be approved for the market. Plus, the FDA sent the company an additional warning letter after its inspectors spotted “deficiencies” at the company’s Allston … Continue reading “Genzyme Fails to Win FDA Approval for Large-Scale Production of Pompe Drug”

Sharing the Wealth in a Technology Startup: How Much Stock is Enough?

When I founded Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in 1969, I owned 100 percent of the company’s stock. However, I soon realized that to attract talented employees—and keep them—I would need to offer them real ownership in the business by allocating some of the stock I held. So, within a year after I founded the … Continue reading “Sharing the Wealth in a Technology Startup: How Much Stock is Enough?”

MITEF Venture Lab: Financing a Startup in a Downturn

Join MIT Enterprise Forum Venture Lab on March 5th for the second event of the MITEF’s “Startup in a Downturn” series, and learn how to overcome the challenge of financing your new business in today’s unique economic climate. Learn tips and tricks from our expert speakers as they share their knowledge, experience and perspective on … Continue reading “MITEF Venture Lab: Financing a Startup in a Downturn”

Ex-Microsoft Vets Gearing Up New Incubator, 8ninths, and New Social Startup, Lolligift

There’s a new tech-startup incubator in Seattle, and it’s called 8ninths. It doubles as an R&D lab, focused on social media and Web development software. The lab was established in September, and so far it’s still pretty stealthy. The principals aren’t talking to the press just yet, but their ideas and track record are intriguing … Continue reading “Ex-Microsoft Vets Gearing Up New Incubator, 8ninths, and New Social Startup, Lolligift”

VCentrix Scooped Up by Momentum

Bedford, MA-based vCentrix, which hosts voice-over-Internet services for businesses, is becoming part of Momentum, a provider of white-label digital voice services based in Birmingham, AL, according to an announcement from Momentum today. “In such a fragmented market, both companies feel that hosted voice applications are entering a period of consolidation, and Momentum is well-equipped to … Continue reading “VCentrix Scooped Up by Momentum”

Ignition Leads $10M Funding for Zenprise

Bellevue, WA-based Ignition Partners has led a $10 million funding round for Zenprise, a mobile-management software firm based in Fremont, CA. Existing investors Bay Partners, Mayfield, and Shasta Ventures also participated in the round. Zenprise makes automated software to help companies troubleshoot and fix IT problems with smartphones and mobile devices.

Qualcomm Absorbs Digital Fountain’s Streaming Media Technologies

Qualcomm, with its abiding interest in streaming video technologies, has acquired key assets of Digital Fountain, a Freemont, CA, startup that has developed software to optimize digital media transmitted over any network. Qualcomm made no announcement about its purchase, which was reported by PE Hub and several blogs. The San Diego wireless technology giant did not … Continue reading “Qualcomm Absorbs Digital Fountain’s Streaming Media Technologies”

Principle Power Raising $20M to Build World’s First Floating Wind Farm

Seattle wind energy startup Principle Power is in the process of raising $20 million to develop wind farms in the deep waters off the coast of Oregon and other locations. The financing deal is expected to close in the second quarter of this year, according to Principle Power CEO Alla Weinstein. “We’re talking to a … Continue reading “Principle Power Raising $20M to Build World’s First Floating Wind Farm”

Targeted Genetics Hands Off Manufacturing

Targeted Genetics said today it has found a way to conserve its remaining cash reserves a few more months, through the first half of 2009. The Seattle-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TGEN]]) is transferring its manufacturing know-how of AAV viruses for delivering gene therapy drugs to contract manufacturers, and renegotiated its partnership with La Jolla, CA-based … Continue reading “Targeted Genetics Hands Off Manufacturing”

Oasys Water Aims to Make Desalination Cheap Enough to Crack Mainstream Market, Relieve Shortages

We hear a lot about the bioengineered enzymes, switch grass, and multiple feedstocks needed to provide the massive amounts of raw material for the clean energy era. Another key ingredient is water—and lots of it. So after launching clean energy firms in recent years, entrepreneur Aaron Mandell started Cambridge, MA-based Oasys Water last year. Oasys, … Continue reading “Oasys Water Aims to Make Desalination Cheap Enough to Crack Mainstream Market, Relieve Shortages”

Pacira and Histogen Disclose Layoffs, Optimer Advances Diarrhea Drug, Torrey Path Comes to Town, & More SD BizTech

Between President Obama’s speech to the joint session of Congress and California’s jobless data reported Friday, economics dominated the news last week. We saw the effects with a couple of layoffs here in San Diego’s innovation community, along with news about local startups, clinical trials, and new technologies. Read on! —The unemployment rate in California … Continue reading “Pacira and Histogen Disclose Layoffs, Optimer Advances Diarrhea Drug, Torrey Path Comes to Town, & More SD BizTech”

Harnessing the Crowd to Make Better Drugs: Merck’s Friend Nails Down $5M to Propel New Open Source Era

Biology has never really had a social-networking movement like open-source computing, where thousands of loosely-affiliated people around the world pool brainpower to make better software. If Merck’s Stephen Friend gets his way, about five years from now, he will have ushered in a new era in which biologists work together to make drugs that are … Continue reading “Harnessing the Crowd to Make Better Drugs: Merck’s Friend Nails Down $5M to Propel New Open Source Era”

The Summer Internship Shuffle

If you are a student enrolled in a MBA program these days, phrases like “Boy, your timing in going back to school has been perfect!” and/or “This is the best time to be a <fill in your standard business school career choices>” are serenaded quite often in your direction. Typical reactions to this would range … Continue reading “The Summer Internship Shuffle”

New Business Association Looks to the Future of Kendall Square, “The Product Cambridge Offers to the World”

Companies, merchants, and residents in the Kendall Square neighborhood of Cambridge banded together last week to form the Kendall Square Association, a non-profit group whose mission, according to its new president Tim Rowe, is to “improve, protect, and promote” the technology-saturated neighborhood. After several months of informal discussions, representatives from dozens of area organizations, including … Continue reading “New Business Association Looks to the Future of Kendall Square, “The Product Cambridge Offers to the World””

The Ozone Man Lands $5,000,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f6416479-b6c2-4caa-a561-083b062f5f35&Preview=1 Date 3/2/2009 Company Name The Ozone Man Mailing Address 9454 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Company Description The Ozone Man, Inc. was founded in 2007 by its President and CEO Dr. Halden S. Shane. Like many Los Angeles residents, Dr. Shane had always assumed that his long standing allergy problems … Continue reading “The Ozone Man Lands $5,000,000 Series B Funding Round”

Fisker Automotive, Inc. Lands $3,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e6197f84-f70e-4b7a-bad4-5ad2739730c8&Preview=1 Date 3/2/2009 Company Name Fisker Automotive, Inc. Mailing Address 2811 McGaw Ave Irvine, CA 92614 Company Description The concept was created between two independent companies who clearly wanted to make a difference in not only the automotive industry, but to the environment as well. Fisker Coachbuild, LLC and Quantum Technologies announced … Continue reading “Fisker Automotive, Inc. Lands $3,000,000 New Financing”

Zenprise Lands $10,000,000 Series D Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c0b1eed4-037d-4bde-a598-e0c8b442cb71&Preview=1 Date 3/2/2009 Company Name Zenprise Mailing Address 6120 Stevenson Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 Company Description Zenprise provides service-management software that delivers real-time, automated diagnosis and resolution of problems across the Microsoft Exchange environment. Website http://www.zenprise.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,000,000 Transaction Round Series D Proceeds Purposes The funds will … Continue reading “Zenprise Lands $10,000,000 Series D Financing”

Forging Partnerships With Big IT and Software Companies

A discussion of real-world strategies for senior executives at emerging companies on what it takes to form a winning partnership with large companies. The San Diego Software Industry Council has invited Irwin Rodrigues of Boatracs to moderate. Panelists are Dana Poirier of Qualcomm, Hieu Bui of WebAssist, and Bruce Aboudara of Hewlett-Packard’s Software & Solutions … Continue reading “Forging Partnerships With Big IT and Software Companies”

Evri, Ontier, Kutano to Present at DEMO

Northwest software startups Evri (Seattle), Ontier (Portland, OR), and Kutano (Burnaby, BC) will be presenting at the DEMO technology conference in Palm Desert, CA, March 1-3. They are among 39 companies that each will give six-minute stage demonstrations of their new products.

Enhancing Interface Design and User Experience

The San Diego Software Industry Council has organized this panel discussion to help companies understand how to use their existing resources to improve website user experiences in ways increase customer satisfaction, adoption, retention, and revenue. The session moderator is Sean Van Tyne of Fair Isaac, and the panelists are Teena Singh of Oracle, Mark Hall … Continue reading “Enhancing Interface Design and User Experience”

Is E Ink Working on Hearst’s New E-Reader?

According to a report today in Fortune, publishing giant Hearst Corp., owner of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and many other prominent newspapers and magazines, is developing an e-reading device similar to the Amazon Kindle 2 and the Sony PRS-700. Kenneth Bronfin, head of Hearst’s interactive media group, wouldn’t give Fortune details about … Continue reading “Is E Ink Working on Hearst’s New E-Reader?”

Look at Cloud Computing From Both Sides Now

Cloud computing represents a new wave of innovation that can enable business to drive down costs and provide potentially unlimited services for business partners and customers. The San Diego Software Industry Council has invited Woody Pewitt, a Microsoft technology evangelist, Ned Curic, a Microsoft platform strategy advisor, and Rodney Guzman of InterKnowlogy. Networking and registration … Continue reading “Look at Cloud Computing From Both Sides Now”

Alliance of Angels Releases 2008 Stats

Seattle-based Alliance of Angels, a network of individual investors focused on the Northwest, announced today it invested a total of $6.4 million in 36 companies in 2008—the second-highest amount in the organization’s 11-year history. Nineteen of the investments were new, in startups spanning Web 2.0, software and services, mobile, gaming, nanotech, and consumer/retail. Five portfolio … Continue reading “Alliance of Angels Releases 2008 Stats”

Seeing the Ocean Through Autonomous Eyes

Technology improvements now allow some autonomous underwater vehicles, or AUVs, to navigate the oceans for upwards of 1,000 miles. San Diego Connect has organized this luncheon presentation by Professor Russ Davis, director of the instrument development group at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. His lecture describes his recent work with AUVs, including their … Continue reading “Seeing the Ocean Through Autonomous Eyes”

A Seed-Stage Investment in the Next Generation of Innovation: San Diego’s Woodstock of Science

As we hurtle headlong toward the second decade of the millennium, the lines between traditional scientific disciplines become blurrier each day. The high school standards for chemistry, biology, physics and math have been refined by modern scientific theory and super-charged by advances in technology, spawning myriad sub-disciplines and off-shoots that are highly interrelated and interdependent. … Continue reading “A Seed-Stage Investment in the Next Generation of Innovation: San Diego’s Woodstock of Science”

A Laser Focus: Three Questions With nLight CEO Scott Keeney

If anyone can ever build a real lightsaber like the ones from “Star Wars,” it will be Scott Keeney. The co-founder and CEO of Vancouver, WA-based nLight has expertise in high-powered semiconductor lasers, and he has shown some serious business chops by leading his company from early uncertainty to profitability in the past few years. … Continue reading “A Laser Focus: Three Questions With nLight CEO Scott Keeney”

Nuance Ending Pursuit of Zi with $35M Deal

Burlington, MA-based Nuance Communications is wrapping up its long and sometimes contentious crusade to acquire Zi, a Canadian competitor in the market for text messaging software, which has agreed to Nuance’s $35 million buyout offer. The deal, announced today, provides shareholders of Calgary-based Zi (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ZICA]]) with 34 cents in cash and 0.4 shares of Nuance … Continue reading “Nuance Ending Pursuit of Zi with $35M Deal”

Cell Therapeutics Closing Italian Branch, Cutting 62 Jobs

Seattle-based Cell Therapeutics is shutting down its drug research center in Italy to try to hold onto what little cash it has left. The company is starting a collective dismissal procedure under Italian law, and negotiations with trade unions, at its facility in Bresso, outside of Milan, where it has 62 employees. Cell Therapeutics has … Continue reading “Cell Therapeutics Closing Italian Branch, Cutting 62 Jobs”

San Diego Celebrates Its Breakout Companies of 2008

The San Diego Venture Group hailed three local companies for their breakout year in 2008, then put an executive from each company on stage yesterday with a newspaper reporter asking them to explain how they did it. It could have made for a hesitant and stilted panel discussion, but the format actually was informative and … Continue reading “San Diego Celebrates Its Breakout Companies of 2008”

Ariad Arranges for Another $24.3M, Dismal Economy Doesn’t Stop Aveksa and Apparent Networks, Selecta Biosciences Chooses to Reveal Itself, & More Boston-Area Deals News

It was a mixed week for New England’s tech and life sciences firms, with several sizeable venture deals closed and a few less happy transactions as well. —Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ARIA]]) cut a $24.3 million deal with new and existing institutional investors, who bought 14.37 million shares of the Cambridge, MA-based firm’s common stock. Ariad’s lead … Continue reading “Ariad Arranges for Another $24.3M, Dismal Economy Doesn’t Stop Aveksa and Apparent Networks, Selecta Biosciences Chooses to Reveal Itself, & More Boston-Area Deals News”

Arzeda, Maker of Designer Enzymes, Prepares to Leave UW Roots with New Leader and VC Bucks

One of the biggest startup ideas at the University of Washington is getting ready to leave the academic nest. Arzeda, which designs custom-built enzymes on computers that can do things Mother Nature never could, has recruited Michael Martino as its CEO and secured commitments from OVP Venture Partners and WRF Capital to anchor its founding … Continue reading “Arzeda, Maker of Designer Enzymes, Prepares to Leave UW Roots with New Leader and VC Bucks”

Massachusetts Technology Industry Needs a New Deal, Not a New Brand

If Silicon Valley didn’t exist, Boston would have to invent it in order to have someplace to feel inferior to. That’s the thought that occurred to me when I read an article in the Boston Globe last week about the Information Technology Collaborative. This new posse of industry, government, and academic leaders met in Cambridge … Continue reading “Massachusetts Technology Industry Needs a New Deal, Not a New Brand”

Here’s An Idea to Stimulate Massachusetts Innovation: Focus on Substance, Not Image

Unless you’ve been on an innovation vacation in recent months, it’s been hard to miss all the talk here in Massachusetts about finding a new “brand” for the state’s IT community—you know, as a way to compete with those who’ve gone to (or were already on) the Dark Side, aka Silicon Valley. I’ve got lots … Continue reading “Here’s An Idea to Stimulate Massachusetts Innovation: Focus on Substance, Not Image”

Innovation Index: Bay State Leads on Some R&D Scores, But Fed Grants Decline

Massachusetts bested many of its rival states in research and development funding and maintaining a healthy supply of college graduates, but the Bay State is falling behind in several key areas of its innovation economy, according to a new index released today by the quasi-public nonprofit Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC). The annual report, dubbed the … Continue reading “Innovation Index: Bay State Leads on Some R&D Scores, But Fed Grants Decline”

Environmental Operating Solutions Garners $5,850,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9b6270f5-f836-44d9-a334-794b88dc6746&Preview=1 Date 2/27/2009 Company Name Environmental Operating Solutions Mailing Address 4A Colonel Drive Bourne, MA 02532 Company Description Environmental Operating Solutions, Inc. (EOS) creates agriculturally-derived products to remove the pollutant nitrogen from wastewater. Our proprietary MicroC™ technology was designed to safely and cost effectively reduce nitrogen by converting it to water and … Continue reading “Environmental Operating Solutions Garners $5,850,000 New Funding”

Atrua Technologies Garners Series E Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=39117aee-9799-4436-bea6-2110e7de9e2f&Preview=1 Date 2/27/2009 Company Name Atrua Technologies Mailing Address 1696 Dell Avenue Campbell, CA 95008 Company Description Atrua Technologies defined and leads a new category of control solutions known as intelligent touch controls, which bring a more responsive, intuitive, rich, and personal user experience to the advanced applications and services found on … Continue reading “Atrua Technologies Garners Series E Financing Round”

FDA Rejects Somaxon’s Application for Insomnia Drug

San Diego specialty drugmaker Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SOMX]] said today the FDA turned down its application to market a new drug for insomnia. Somaxon says the FDA raised a number of issues related to the interpretation of the efficacy data in its new drug application. The company says the FDA did not specifically ask it … Continue reading “FDA Rejects Somaxon’s Application for Insomnia Drug”

Propel Fuels Gets New CEO and HQ

Propel Fuels, a clean fuel company with operations in Washington and California, announced today it has named Matt Horton chief executive officer. Horton, who has worked on cleantech with the venture funds @Venture and Garage Technology Ventures, succeeds Propel founder Rob Elam, who is staying on as president and director. The company recently moved its … Continue reading “Propel Fuels Gets New CEO and HQ”

Synta Melanoma Drug Fails Disastrously in Clinical Trial, As Patients Show Higher Death Rate

Synta Pharmaceuticals reported some disastrous news this afternoon. The Lexington, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SNTA]]) said it has halted a clinical trial involving more than 630 cancer patients because a greater number of people died after taking the company’s experimental drug along with traditional chemotherapy, compared with those who got the chemo alone. The trial, … Continue reading “Synta Melanoma Drug Fails Disastrously in Clinical Trial, As Patients Show Higher Death Rate”

VC Model Is Not Broken: Insights from Brad Feld of TechStars and Foundry Group

It’s always good to hear an outside perspective. Last night, Boulder, CO-based entrepreneur and investor Brad Feld, the co-founder of Foundry Group, Mobius Venture Capital, and TechStars, gave a talk at the Palace Ballroom in Seattle. The event was organized by Dave Schappell of TeachStreet and T.A. McCann of Gist. The crowd amounted to well … Continue reading “VC Model Is Not Broken: Insights from Brad Feld of TechStars and Foundry Group”

BIO Boss Plays Defense as Member Companies Struggle to Survive, Political Heat Cranks Up

Lobbying for the biotech industry in Washington DC doesn’t sound like fun now. The industry is being left for dead by Wall Street, the IPO market has closed down, and about half of the 370 public companies are reporting they have run down to less than a year’s worth of cash on hand. Many of … Continue reading “BIO Boss Plays Defense as Member Companies Struggle to Survive, Political Heat Cranks Up”

Pogo Jet Withdraws IPO

Eleven months after delaying its planned IPO, Chicopee, MA-based Pogo Jet has officially withdrawn the deal. The charter jet service provider, what has yet to launch its fleet of VLJs, or very light jets, had hoped to sell 7 million shares of its common stock at between $12.50 and $16.50 per share.

Genzyme Nabs Two Key Regulatory Approvals, Expected to Trigger Revenue Growth

Genzyme has picked up a pair of long-awaited regulatory approvals for two products that are key to the firm’s growth. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech powerhouse (NASDAQ:[[ticker:GENZ]]) says that the European Commission has approved its Belgium plant to produce Pompe disease drug alglucosidase alfa (Myozyme) in 4,000-liter batches. Separately, the firm garnered FDA approval of its … Continue reading “Genzyme Nabs Two Key Regulatory Approvals, Expected to Trigger Revenue Growth”