Announcing the Battle of the Tech Bands 2

Xconomy’s first Battle of the Tech Bands last January was such a huge success—with close to 350 people gathering to hear six local groups, from the pop/dub/electronica hipsters Deadbeat Darling to the sonically massive Souled Out Superband to the proudly cheesy indie pop rock band MacAlister Drive—that we’ve decided to do it again. Same place … Continue reading “Announcing the Battle of the Tech Bands 2”

The Resurrection of a Onetime Internet Incubator—Not!

Some folks might have felt like it was déjà vu all over again when San Diego-based IdeaEDGE announced the launch of its new online services product, called the “Socialwise Group Gifting Platform.” In its statement Monday, IdeaEDGE said it plans to launch its Web-based Socialwise platform on Nov. 10. The company says its technology makes … Continue reading “The Resurrection of a Onetime Internet Incubator—Not!”

Prescription Drugs for Half the Price: Wellpartner Smooths Way for Clinics to Buy Them

There’s a way to buy prescription drugs for 50 percent off that’s perfectly legal, but requires so much red tape that few people know how to take advantage of it, or even know about it. Except for Wellpartner. This company is a Portland, OR-based mail-order pharmacy that I learned about several weeks ago during a … Continue reading “Prescription Drugs for Half the Price: Wellpartner Smooths Way for Clinics to Buy Them”

Aires Pharmaceuticals Emerges from Stealth Mode With Drug for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Aires Pharmaceuticals may have a way to help patients with a rare, deadly lung disease get a little more oxygen, and maybe even live a little longer. The San Diego startup is developing an inhalable form of nitrite that could improve the lives of patients with high blood pressure in the vessels leading to the … Continue reading “Aires Pharmaceuticals Emerges from Stealth Mode With Drug for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension”

Xconomy’s Battle of the Tech Bands 2

A tech networking event that really rocks. Musicians from New England’s most innovative companies play their geeky hearts out—you pick the winners! Half of all ticket proceeds will be donated to Science Club for Girls and Community Music Center of Boston. Date: Thursday, January 22, 2009. Location: Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub, 472 Massachusetts Avenue, … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Battle of the Tech Bands 2”

Microsoft Research Asia Turns 10, Looks to Innovate in Multimedia, Cloud Computing, Ads

Updated Nov. 5 with comments from senior vice president Rick Rashid (see below): You did good, Bill Gates. When you decided to build a new computer-science research lab in Beijing in 1998, you probably saw it as a relatively low-risk venture with a high upside. It would be challenging and take a lot of work … Continue reading “Microsoft Research Asia Turns 10, Looks to Innovate in Multimedia, Cloud Computing, Ads”

Miles Electric Vehicles Receives $13,000,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=43ee284f-b09d-4c04-972c-b9359c2a90b8&Preview=1 Date 11/5/2008 Company Name Miles Electric Vehicles Mailing Address 3100 Airport Avenue Santa Monica, CA 90405 Company Description Miles Electric Vehicles is dedicated to changing the world one car at a time by building safe, comfortable and affordable all electric cars and trucks that make it easy for individuals and fleets … Continue reading “Miles Electric Vehicles Receives $13,000,000 Series B Round”

Allpartis Biotechnologies Secures $750,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d3198efc-7d89-4a94-84a3-44bcff818751&Preview=1 Date 11/5/2008 Company Name Allpartis Biotechnologies Mailing Address Undisclosed San Francisco, CA 94000 Company Description Allpartis Biotechnologies company is working on technology that can convert sustainable biomass products into clean-burning fuel sources. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $750,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “Allpartis Biotechnologies Secures $750,000 New Financing Round”

Ferrokin Biosciences Obtains $8,400,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=93b397da-bb10-40a4-ac49-be034f6288a5&Preview=1 Date 11/5/2008 Company Name Ferrokin Biosciences Mailing Address 2729 Debbie Court San Carlos, CA 94070 Company Description Ferrokin Biosciences company makes compounds to treat iron-overload in patients with anemia. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,400,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture … Continue reading “Ferrokin Biosciences Obtains $8,400,000 New Round”

Wichorus Receives $18,000,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c65a6714-eb0e-4553-8128-e2eedc83d32e&Preview=1 Date 11/5/2008 Company Name Wichorus Mailing Address 3590 N. 1st Street San Jose, CA 95134 Company Description WiChorus provides a new class of intelligent wireless core platform that enables service providers to deploy large scale, profitable WiMAX and LTE networks. Leveraging this platform, our Intelligent ASN Gateway solution provides content management, … Continue reading “Wichorus Receives $18,000,000 Series C Financing”

CombinatoRx Cuts 45 Percent of Staff After Arthritis Drug Failure

CombinatoRx said today is cutting 45 percent of its staff after its lead drug candidate failed in a clinical trial for arthritis patients, according to a regulatory filing. The company said it had about 160 employees when I profiled it in late September, so that means about 70 workers are likely getting pink slips between … Continue reading “CombinatoRx Cuts 45 Percent of Staff After Arthritis Drug Failure”

Safeguarding Cash & Investments in a Turbulent Economy

The election will be behind us, but change takes time, so we can use all the advice we can get on the economy. The Financial Management Association (FMA) of New Hampshire is presenting a panel of experts at its event to offer their views—Albert Romero, Bank of America (Business Banking), Matthew Finn, Bradford Networks, and … Continue reading “Safeguarding Cash & Investments in a Turbulent Economy”

Adobe Fixes Software Flaw Exposed by Core Security

Boston’s Core Security, a provider of automated penetration software and computer security consulting services, published details today of a flaw in some versions of the widely used program Adobe Reader that could leave users’ computers vulnerable to takeover by hackers. Shortly after the company published details of the vulnerability, Adobe announced a software update designed … Continue reading “Adobe Fixes Software Flaw Exposed by Core Security”

Obama Voters Text Support to LocaModa Display in Times Square

Okay, it’s an election-day stunt, but it’s one of the more imaginative ones we’ve seen. Cambridge, MA-based outdoor-communications startup LocaModa, working with a grassroots group of Barack Obama fundraisers called An Obama Minute, is providing the software behind a system that will display text messages in support of the Presidential candidates on a Times Square … Continue reading “Obama Voters Text Support to LocaModa Display in Times Square”

Vidoop Lays Off 9 Workers

Portland, OR-based Vidoop, a maker of Internet security and authentication technology, has laid off 9 of 37 employees, according to the Portland Business Journal. Vidoop’s company blog was less specific, saying it told “several members of the Vidoop family goodbye.” The company moved to Portland from Oklahoma in September.

Amylin, Alkermes Shares Plunge On Possible FDA Delays

San Diego-based Amylin Pharmaceuticals and its partner, Cambridge, MA-based Alkermes, both took a dive in the stock market today after they said they might face regulatory delays in developing a new diabetes drug. The companies said the FDA might ask them to run another clinical study before they can receive approval of a once-weekly form … Continue reading “Amylin, Alkermes Shares Plunge On Possible FDA Delays”

WildTangent Closes Studio, Changes CEO

Redmond, WA-based WildTangent, a developer and publisher of online games, has closed its development studio and laid off 20 employees, or one-fifth of its staff, as first reported by TechFlash. Co-founder Alex St. John has stepped down as chief executive but remains chairman, according to Gamasutra and others. Mike Peronto is the new CEO.

Brightcove Drops Free Service

Cambridge, MA-based Brightcove, which rolled out an overhauled version of its Internet video publishing platform last month, notified users in an e-mail and blog post yesterday that it will shut down the Brightcove Network, a free advertising-supported version the platform, on December 17. Launched in 2006, the Brightcove Network and its showcase site Brightcove.tv were … Continue reading “Brightcove Drops Free Service”

Acusphere raises $20M from Cephalon

Watertown, MA-based biotech firm Acusphere (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ACUS]]) reports it has received a $5 million initial fee and $15 million in loans from biotech company Cephalon (NASDAQ:[[ticker:CEPH]]), headquartered in Frazer, PA. The deal gives Cephalon an exclusive worldwide license to Acusphere’s injectable formulation of anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib, which is in preclinical development.

Egenera Lays Off 87

Egenera, a Marlborough, MA-based, maker of data center management software, told employees yesterday that it will respond to a global sales slowdown by cutting 87 people from its staff, including 30 to 35 employees in Marlborough, according to a report in the Boston Globe. The company said its sales staff would shrink by 40 percent … Continue reading “Egenera Lays Off 87”

Genzyme Elects $1.38B Stem Cell Deal with Osiris

Making its own Election Day news, Cambridge, MA-based biotech powerhouse Genzyme (NASDAQ:[[ticker:GENZ]]) has struck a deal with Osiris Therapeutics (NASDAQ:[[ticker:OSIR]]), of Columbia, MD, to commercialize and develop two adult stem cell treatments in a variety of diseases. If all goes as planned, one of the two, called Prochymal, could become the first stem-cell therapy to … Continue reading “Genzyme Elects $1.38B Stem Cell Deal with Osiris”

ZymoGenetics Cash Gets Lean, Recothrom Sales Still Slow

(Update: This story has been updated to add material from ZymoGenetics’ conference call with analysts, starting with the fourth paragraph.) ZymoGenetics still hasn’t found a groove with its recombinant thrombin drug (Recothrom) for surgical bleeding. The Seattle biotech company said today it sold $1.8 million of the drug in the quarter ending Sept. 30. Things … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Cash Gets Lean, Recothrom Sales Still Slow”

Amylin Shareholder Floats Idea of Selling Company

Activist shareholders are circling Amylin Pharmaceuticals. Eastbourne Capital, which owns a 12.5 percent stake in the San Diego-based biotech company, said on Monday that it is looking at ways to boost the stock price, including possibly selling the company, according to this Reuters report. Much has been made about declining demand for exenatide (Byetta), the … Continue reading “Amylin Shareholder Floats Idea of Selling Company”

How Bad is the Biotech Climate? Think 4 on a Scale of 10

The climate for biotechnology companies in Massachusetts today is 33 percent worse than it was this time last year—rating a ‘4’ on a scale of 10, in contrast to the ‘6’ last fall. This was the definitive, near-unanimous view—four out of five—from panelists at a Massachusetts Biotechnology Council finance committee event I moderated recently on … Continue reading “How Bad is the Biotech Climate? Think 4 on a Scale of 10”

Tysabri: The Big Multiple Sclerosis Drug That Emerged From “The Hutch”

The most effective drug on the market today for patients with multiple sclerosis has roots in a dingy old lab in the 1980s on Seattle’s First Hill. It was there that a pair of young scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Bill Carter and Elizabeth Wayner, made key discoveries that paved the way … Continue reading “Tysabri: The Big Multiple Sclerosis Drug That Emerged From “The Hutch””

Kashless Cashes In, InEnTec Gets $150M, EnerG2 Energized by Venture Investment, & More Seattle-Area Deals News

Heading into Election Day (have you voted yet?), the deal flow has really picked up in the Northwest. Cleantech and energy were the big winners this week, followed by Web software and biomedical hardware. —Xconomy broke the news of Seattle-based EnerG2, a startup out of the University of Washington, raising an $8.5 million Series A … Continue reading “Kashless Cashes In, InEnTec Gets $150M, EnerG2 Energized by Venture Investment, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”

ZeeVee Launches Free, Browser-based Version of Zviewer Video Portal

There’s a new development in the saga of ZeeVee, the Littleton, MA, startup that makes a “localcasting” PC-to-HDTV appliance called the ZvBox. It’s taking the best part of its appliance—an elegant user interface that aggregates video from across the Internet—and making it available to all Windows computer users over the Web. The newly liberated “ZViewer” … Continue reading “ZeeVee Launches Free, Browser-based Version of Zviewer Video Portal”

Evolution Robotics Inc Receives $13,880,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4ce40f93-0d30-43ea-a0a9-2818167b4132&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2008 Company Name Evolution Robotics Inc Mailing Address 1055 E. Colorado Blvd Pasadena, CA 91106 Company Description Evolution Robotics, Inc. develops state-of-the-art robotics solutions, and partners with original equipment manufacturers to integrate those technologies into new and more intelligent products. Whether used within autonomous robots for commercial or consumer use, … Continue reading “Evolution Robotics Inc Receives $13,880,000 Series B Round”

Aeolus Pharmaceuticals Inc Receives $125,000 Series D Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7f5b0b7a-2b0e-4ed6-950b-c1d978c13ff7&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2008 Company Name Aeolus Pharmaceuticals Inc Mailing Address 23811 Iverness Place Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 Company Description Aeolous Pharmaceutical is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing a new class of catalytic antioxidant compunds, referred to as manganoporphyrins, for diseases and disorders of the central nervous system, respiratory system, autoimmune system, … Continue reading “Aeolus Pharmaceuticals Inc Receives $125,000 Series D Funding Round”

Blurb Garners $5,000,000 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=54abddd8-df02-41e4-9c70-182fe427facd&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2008 Company Name Blurb Mailing Address 66 Sea view Dr. San Francisco, CA 94901 Company Description Blurb is a company and a community that believes passionately in the joy of books – reading them, making them, sharing them, and selling them. Website http://www.blurb.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 … Continue reading “Blurb Garners $5,000,000 Series C Funding Round”

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Lands $154,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fb6fdcaf-dc73-4f41-8d70-643278a2c1fb&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2008 Company Name OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 800 Chesapeake Drive Redwood City, CA 94063 Company Description OncoMed Pharmaceuticals is discovering and developing monoclonal antibodies and small molecules capable of destroying “cancer stem cells”, a recently discovered type of cell believed to seed the growth of cancers and underlie cancer’s ability … Continue reading “OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Lands $154,000,000 New Funding Round”

ServiceMax Obtains $2,000,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f6d0bd03-ef49-4a1c-b888-bc771dad7424&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2008 Company Name ServiceMax Mailing Address 2560 Mission College Blvd Santa Clara, CA 95054 Company Description Maxplore is the emerging leader in on-demand service management solutions. Maxplore’s ServiceMax is the leading SaaS Service Chain Management & Field Service solution on Force.com platform. Best-in-class companies across the globe use ServiceMax to … Continue reading “ServiceMax Obtains $2,000,000 Series A Funding Round”

ZymoGenetics Drug For Hepatitis C Kills Virus with Minimal Side Effects

ZymoGenetics may have a sleeper in its pipeline about to wake up. The Seattle biotech company is reporting today that its experimental drug, called peg-interferon lambda, was able to kill the hepatitis C virus at all three doses tested in a small clinical trial without the flu-like symptoms associated with standard interferon alpha drugs used … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Drug For Hepatitis C Kills Virus with Minimal Side Effects”

Xconomy Forum: Vaccines 2.0

Vaccines have long been a neglected stepchild of the pharmaceutical industry, regarded by many as a high-risk, high-liability, low-profit backwater. Even the massive influx of world-class research and worldwide attention prompted by the search for an HIV vaccine failed to breathe life into the industry. So why do many venture capitalists and philanthropists consider now … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: Vaccines 2.0”

EnerG2, a University of Washington Startup, Raises $8.5M for Energy Storage, Led by OVP

Xconomy has learned that EnerG2, an advanced materials company in Seattle, has closed an $8.5 million round of Series A financing, led by Kirkland, WA-based OVP Venture Partners and Palo Alto, CA-based Firelake Capital Management, according to multiple sources familiar with the deal. The news suggests that energy venture deals could be hot, even in … Continue reading “EnerG2, a University of Washington Startup, Raises $8.5M for Energy Storage, Led by OVP”

Tatara Sells Mobile Broadband Assets

Acton, MA-based Tatara Systems, a mobile communications software company, said last week that it has sold its broadband mobile product line to Smith Micro Software for an undisclosed sum. The company said the sale would allow it to focus on systems that let corporate users to access voice-over-Internet telephony services on their cell phones.

Ascentium Adds Cash

Bellevue, WA-based Ascentium, a Web design and marketing firm, announced today it has raised additional funds from Kirkland, WA-based WestRiver Capital. The amount was not disclosed. Ascentium said it will continue to invest in talent and business expansion worldwide.

Youth Marketing Mashup East

YPulse hosts a two-day conference on From the conference website: “Teens, college students and early twenty-somethings use technology in every aspect of their lives, from studying, to socializing, to entering the workforce, to consuming media…Today’s youth marketers not only have to stay current with youth culture, but they also have to leverage technology to engage … Continue reading “Youth Marketing Mashup East”

Metabasis Updates Findings on Diabetes Drug

San Diego’s Metabasis Therapeutics said in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday that a diabetes drug it has under development was found to be safe and well-tolerated in a phase 2a clinical trial. The findings reported by the company at the World Congress on Controversies to Consensus in Diabetes, Obesity and Hypertension follow its initial proof-of-concept trial for MB07803, which … Continue reading “Metabasis Updates Findings on Diabetes Drug”

Biogen Pays $31.5M to Genentech to Co-Develop Anti-CD20 Drug

Biogen Idec has agreed to pay $31.5 million upfront to Genentech co-develop a next-generation antibody drug against the CD20 protein on cells, the same target on cells of Rituxan. Cambridge, MA-based Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) said Thursday it agreed to participate in the development of GA101, a humanized antibody that’s designed to increase the direct cell-killing … Continue reading “Biogen Pays $31.5M to Genentech to Co-Develop Anti-CD20 Drug”

Xtalic Shines With 10M Series B Funding

Marlborough, MA-based Xtalic, which develops nanostructured alloys as decorative coatings, as well as to protect against corrosion and wear resistance in everything from tools to sporting goods to electronics, has garnered roughly $10 million in Series B funding, according to PE Hub, which cites a regulatory filing. Investors include North Bridge Venture Partners and Matrix … Continue reading “Xtalic Shines With 10M Series B Funding”

They’re Mad as Hell, And You’re Not Paying Attention Anymore

It seems only fitting that on this Monday, the day before an important Presidential election, that we should turn our attention to the important issue of property taxes. Don’t you think our property taxes are too high? Don’t you agree with those campaign ads urging you to VOTE NO! on propositions that would hike our … Continue reading “They’re Mad as Hell, And You’re Not Paying Attention Anymore”

Where’s the Money for Energy Entrepreneurs? Our Podcast Previewing the Conference on Clean Energy Has Some Hints

Last week the organizers of the Fourth Conference on Clean Energy, coming up November 18 and 19 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, asked me to host a panel discussion on the funding climate for new clean-energy ventures. In a teleconference recorded October 28, I asked four leaders from the local venture capital and … Continue reading “Where’s the Money for Energy Entrepreneurs? Our Podcast Previewing the Conference on Clean Energy Has Some Hints”

Vertex Co-Founder’s Hedge Fund RA Capital Makes Waves in Biotech Industry with Former Harvard Grad Student at Helm

RA Capital Management, like most hedge funds, doesn’t make much noise publicly about its investment activities outside of its regulatory filings. But the word among insiders in the biotech industry is that the Boston hedge fund is piling up more wins than losses with its portfolio of life sciences stocks. As of late last month, … Continue reading “Vertex Co-Founder’s Hedge Fund RA Capital Makes Waves in Biotech Industry with Former Harvard Grad Student at Helm”

Look Inside This Body: The Greater Seattle Ultrasound Cluster

When you see doctors scrambling to save someone in a TV melodrama like “ER” or “Grey’s Anatomy,” there’s a good chance one of their key gadgets came from a real-life crew of engineers in the Seattle area. This region has played a central role in making ultrasound technology one of medicine’s most fundamental tools for … Continue reading “Look Inside This Body: The Greater Seattle Ultrasound Cluster”

Brightcove Bonds With AOL, Faces Competition With Akamai; Fidelity Backs EnVivo; Dyax to Sell Up To $50M in Stock; & More Boston-Area Deals News

If you’re like me, you’re to the point where you can’t focus for more than two sentences without pausing to check FiveThirtyEight.com and Intrade, so I kept the roundup of Boston-area deals short this week. —Battery Ventures of Waltham, MA, led a $17 million Series B round for Sunnyvale, CA-based ZeroG Wireless, a developer of … Continue reading “Brightcove Bonds With AOL, Faces Competition With Akamai; Fidelity Backs EnVivo; Dyax to Sell Up To $50M in Stock; & More Boston-Area Deals News”

CultureMob, Expanding Across the U.S., Says Get Out and Vote, Then Party

Want to find out where the best election parties will be on Tuesday night? Check out CultureMob’s top 10 list for Seattle here. The list includes a big drinkfest, the Stranger’s Election Party at Showbox at the Market downtown, as well as the more serious Election Night Special at Town Hall Seattle, complete with political … Continue reading “CultureMob, Expanding Across the U.S., Says Get Out and Vote, Then Party”

EnerG2 Secures $8,500,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ef8bdda6-430c-4cd9-bed2-238a5a1f8e86&Preview=1 Date 11/3/2008 Company Name EnerG2 Mailing Address 810 3rd Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description Founded in 2003 in Seattle, Washington, EnerG2 pursues commercial opportunities in energy storage created by advanced material processing techniques. Working closely with the University of Washington’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering, EnerG2 has produced a … Continue reading “EnerG2 Secures $8,500,000 Series A Financing Round”