San Diego-based applicants from non-publicly traded companies, research organizations, or academic institutions with a high-tech focus can apply for this Connect event. After review by a screening committee, 10 applicants will be selected to give a dry-run presentation, then six finalists will present to a group of up to 35 capital providers. Contact Dea Simon, … Continue reading “2008 High Tech Venture Roundtable”
Failure IS an Option: An evening of candor and compassion
Okay, you hope you’ll never need this advice yourself, but the presenters at this MIT Enterprise Forum/San Diego event promise insights you can use even if you’re not closing up shop. CEO presenters with “war stories” will talk about their experiences and lessons from companies that didn’t survive. Networking reception at 5 pm followed by … Continue reading “Failure IS an Option: An evening of candor and compassion”
Green Gas: How Biofuels Can Bring Energy Independence
It’s a busy couple of days for biotech and Sapphire Energy. (I wonder what they’re using for gas to get to all these events?) At this Biocom breakfast meeting, Sapphire is joined by Verenium. It’s all about biotech and the energy crisis.
California Biotech Execs Fear Ban on Same-Sex Marriages Could Give Edge to Bay State
Opponents of a state ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriages in California have found new allies: local biotech executives, who fear that passage of Proposition 8 could send workers in their industry to Massachusetts, according to a story in today’s San Diego Union-Tribune. This perhaps makes Proposition 8 the latest front in the battle between … Continue reading “California Biotech Execs Fear Ban on Same-Sex Marriages Could Give Edge to Bay State”
InEnTec Gets $150M For “Gasification” Plant To Turn Chemical Waste Into Fuel
InEnTec, the Bend, OR-based company that uses a high-heat process to turn chemical waste into renewable fuels, has gotten a $150 million equity commitment from Lakeside Energy to build a commercial plant in Michigan. Lakeside, a Chicago investment firm, is providing the cash along with American Securities, a New York-based private equity company. The money … Continue reading “InEnTec Gets $150M For “Gasification” Plant To Turn Chemical Waste Into Fuel”
Vertex Gears up for Big Liver Disease Conference
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is preparing to unveil some long-awaited data that will show just how well its drug is performing for some of toughest-to-treat hepatitis C patients. I spoke with Vertex’s chief commercial officer, Kurt Graves, to do some pre-game reporting for the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease’s annual meeting October 31 through … Continue reading “Vertex Gears up for Big Liver Disease Conference”
Roam the Web with Your Weblin Avatar
Allegedly, surfing the Web is a leisure activity for a growing number of people. I wouldn’t know—my job as a technology blogger obliges me to surf the Web all day at work, so if I have to use the Web from home, it’s usually because I’m taking care of some task like paying bills, uploading … Continue reading “Roam the Web with Your Weblin Avatar”
Genomatica Brewing a Green Revolution for the Petrochemical Industry
It is hard to decide what to say first about San Diego’s Genomatica. Is it more amazing that Genomatica has genetically engineered microbes to produce mass quantities of butanediol, a hydrocarbon widely used by the petrochemical industry to make plastics, solvents, pharmaceuticals, textiles and automotive components? Or is it more impressive that the laboratory researchers … Continue reading “Genomatica Brewing a Green Revolution for the Petrochemical Industry”
Amgen Scientist, After 13-Year Push, Sees Bone Cancer Work Paying Dividends
Amgen had the worst year in its history in 2007, according to CEO Kevin Sharer. If you’re wondering why the world’s largest biotech company has mounted a comeback this year, one good place to look is in the lab of Bill Dougall, an Amgen scientist in Seattle. He’s been pursuing a bone cancer program for … Continue reading “Amgen Scientist, After 13-Year Push, Sees Bone Cancer Work Paying Dividends”
Sirtris Shifts Focus From Resveratrol, Merck Shifts People From Seattle to Boston, Epix Shifts Into Cost-Saving Mode, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
Boston-area life sciences firms were awfully busy last week, particularly the public ones—and it wasn’t even all bad news. —New York-based Antigenics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AGEN]]), whose operations are based mainly in Lexington, MA, announced that it’s seeking European approval for its vaccine-based treatment for kidney cancer, vitespen (Oncophage). The treatment is so far only approved in … Continue reading “Sirtris Shifts Focus From Resveratrol, Merck Shifts People From Seattle to Boston, Epix Shifts Into Cost-Saving Mode, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Salient Surgical Lands $17,900,000 Series F Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5d691c02-1cf6-46bf-ba09-22782dede6a3&Preview=1 Date 10/29/2008 Company Name Salient Surgical Mailing Address One Washington Center Dover, NH 03820 Company Description TissueLink Medical provides devices that reduce surgical blood loss. Utilizing TissueLink’s saline-enhanced radio-frequency technology allows surgeons to control bleeding and improve patient outcomes. Website http://www.salientsurgical.com/index.htm Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $17,900,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “Salient Surgical Lands $17,900,000 Series F Financing”
Helium Receives $17,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b997f90d-7d9a-4859-afb3-350b30717bfe&Preview=1 Date 10/29/2008 Company Name Helium Mailing Address 300 Brickstone Square Andover, MA 01810 Company Description Helium is the online destination to learn what you need and share what you know. Helium goes beyond search, bringing together real advice from real people on a wide variety of topics. Helium combines citizen journalism … Continue reading “Helium Receives $17,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
Access 360 Media Secures $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c96f0bcb-04fe-438c-8939-c234ed76d726&Preview=1 Date 10/29/2008 Company Name Access 360 Media Mailing Address 1225 Electric Avenue Venice, CA 90291 Company Description ACCESS 360 Media is a media network that connects to over 30 million young adult consumers (P12-34) each month, in the places and through the communication platforms that matter most to them – Retail, … Continue reading “Access 360 Media Secures $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
Kashless Lands $5,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d642ffcc-3a7d-4762-8653-0ab6696264c4&Preview=1 Date 10/29/2008 Company Name Kashless Mailing Address 417 West Prospect St Seattle, WA 98119 Company Description Kashless is in a private alpha. We’re hard at work helping you reduce, reuse, and save. Watch this space as we evolve. Website http://kashless.org/ Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Series A … Continue reading “Kashless Lands $5,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
Washington Venture Capitalists Brace for the Worst Between Now and Year’s End
OK, this isn’t all that surprising. In the early days of the fourth quarter of 2008, the majority of Washington state’s venture capitalists see the national economy as the top issue facing their portfolio companies, and they’re predicting lower revenue growth and lower valuations for all companies—and no exits. That’s according to the latest quarterly … Continue reading “Washington Venture Capitalists Brace for the Worst Between Now and Year’s End”
Judy’s Book Relaunched Under “New” Ownership, with Focus on Customer Reviews
When TechCrunch served up a headline yesterday saying Seattle startup Judy’s Book was “Back from the Dead,” I thought there might actually be some news. The same day, John Cook at TechFlash posted a much more informative story about the current state of the online reviews-and-shopping company, which was founded by Andy Sack and Chris … Continue reading “Judy’s Book Relaunched Under “New” Ownership, with Focus on Customer Reviews”
WSU Innovators Series: The Animal-Human Health Connection
Effective vaccines against diseases that have plagued animals and humans for thousands of years-particularly infections transmitted by ticks, mosquitoes, and other insects-will revolutionize life for millions of people some day. The new vaccines will deliver significant health benefits and economic opportunities, improving lives and livelihoods worldwide, especially in developing countries. Wendy Brown, a professor of … Continue reading “WSU Innovators Series: The Animal-Human Health Connection”
WSU Innovators Series: Renewable Fuels
Poplar trees, western red cedar, flax, creosote bushes, and canola are all plants that can grow readily in Washington State, and all hold tremendous promise for generating new sources of power. Norman Lewis, director of the Institute of Biological Chemistry at Washington State University, has a goal of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels by … Continue reading “WSU Innovators Series: Renewable Fuels”
Sequenom Starts 10,000-Patient Study To Diagnose Down Syndrome
Sequenom, the San Diego-based developer of a prenatal genetic test for Down Syndrome, said today it has started a clinical trial of 10,000 pregnant women to compare its DNA blood test to the standard, more invasive tests of amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, in which doctors extract cells from the placenta. Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]) stock … Continue reading “Sequenom Starts 10,000-Patient Study To Diagnose Down Syndrome”
Top 10 Takeaways from the VC Panel at Seattle’s Renewable Energy Finance Forum
This morning, I stopped by the panel on venture capital in cleantech, at the Renewable Energy Finance Forum-West conference at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Seattle. It was moderated by Nancy Floyd of Nth Power and Michael Butler of Seattle-based Cascadia Capital (who’s an Xconomist). The panelists were Raj Atluru of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Anup … Continue reading “Top 10 Takeaways from the VC Panel at Seattle’s Renewable Energy Finance Forum”
Yaletown Raises $65M Venture Fund
Yaletown Venture Partners, a Vancouver, BC-based venture firm, said today it has raised $65 million in the initial closing of its second fund, which it estimates will grow into a $100 million fund over the next 12 months. The new pot of money will be used for cleantech and information technology investing in Western Canada, … Continue reading “Yaletown Raises $65M Venture Fund”
Gov. Gregoire Urges Biotechies to “Stay Focused”; UW Makes its Biotech Business Case, And A Host of Startups Debut
The last time Gov. Chris Gregoire spoke at the Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association’s annual meeting, she had to share the stage with Republican challenger Dino Rossi during the election campaign of 2004. This morning, she had the podium to herself, and Gregoire used it tout the region’s expertise in biotech and its potential to … Continue reading “Gov. Gregoire Urges Biotechies to “Stay Focused”; UW Makes its Biotech Business Case, And A Host of Startups Debut”
RockPort Capital Adds General Partner
RockPort Capital Partners, a cleantech-focused venture firm with offices in Boston and Menlo Park, CA, reports that Victor Westerlind has joined the firm as a general partner. Westerlind, who will be based in the firm’s Menlo Park office, was most recently a partner at InterWest Partners, which also has an office in Menlo Park.
HC Ventures Leads $28M Round for InfaCare
HealthCare Ventures, a Cambridge, MA-based venture firm, has led a $28 million Series B round of financing for InfaCare Pharmaceueticals, of Trevose, PA, which is developing an experimental drug intended to prevent newborns from developing a blood condition linked to neurological problems, the company announced. Other backers in the round included repeat investor Atlas Venture, … Continue reading “HC Ventures Leads $28M Round for InfaCare”
$6.5M for Rich Barton’s Glassdoor
Glassdoor.com, the Sausalito, CA-based online workplace community and job site co-founded by Zillow CEO Rich Barton, announced it has raised $6.5 million in Series B funding from Sutter Hill Ventures and Benchmark Capital. Barton is Glassdoor’s non-executive chairman of the board and a venture partner at Benchmark.
San Diego’s Startups Benefit From Aerie of Angels
After seeing two San Diego startups get crucial, early stage funding this month from members of Southern California’s Tech Coast Angels, I arranged to have coffee with their archangel, Michael Elconin. Elconin, who is about halfway through his two-year term as president, was among the 30 or 40 members of San Diego’s erstwhile “Band of … Continue reading “San Diego’s Startups Benefit From Aerie of Angels”
Microsoft, Akamai Partner on “Smooth HD” Video; Alternative to Brightcove
So, are Akamai and Brightcove—digital media companies located just a block apart in Cambridge’s Kendall Square—partners, rivals, or both? The confusion grew today as Akamai said in a joint announcement with Microsoft that it will supply the network infrastructure behind a new “adaptive” system that streams high-definition video over the Internet at varying resolutions depending … Continue reading “Microsoft, Akamai Partner on “Smooth HD” Video; Alternative to Brightcove”
PopCap Launches Casual Game With a Twist, Wants To Make Everyone a Gamer
I’m not really a Frank Gehry fan, but I have to say the Gehry-designed Experience Music Project at Seattle Center was the perfect venue for PopCap’s gala last night. The Seattle-based casual game maker was celebrating its new release in its bestselling “Bejeweled” series—Bejeweled Twist—and it pulled out all the stops. If the quality of … Continue reading “PopCap Launches Casual Game With a Twist, Wants To Make Everyone a Gamer”
Brightcove Snags AOL, NYT
Cambridge, MA-based Brightcove, which rolled out a massively overhauled version of its video hosting service just two weeks ago, announced today that AOL will manage all of its online video using the new Brightcove 3 platform starting in early 2009. It was the second big customer win in as many weeks—last week the New York … Continue reading “Brightcove Snags AOL, NYT”
Clinical Data Buys Avalon Pharma for $10M
Clinical Data (NASDAQ:[[ticker:CLDA]]), a Newton, MA-based biotech firm, announced today that it has acquired Avalon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:AVRX]]), headquartered in Germantown, MD, in an all-stock deal valued at $10 million. Avalon provides Clinical Data with its pipeline of cancer biomarkers and therapeutics as well as its discovery technology to rapidly identify biomarkers for the development of … Continue reading “Clinical Data Buys Avalon Pharma for $10M”
Matchmine CEO Comments on Shutdown—Company Was “Collateral Damage” of Financial Crisis
After publishing my report last night about the death of Needham, MA-based Matchmine, I wrote to CEO Mike Troiano, whom I’ve interviewed a couple of times over the past year, seeking his comments about the sudden shutdown, which he announced yesterday in the company’s blog. Troiano wrote back this morning. He explains that Matchmine—which had … Continue reading “Matchmine CEO Comments on Shutdown—Company Was “Collateral Damage” of Financial Crisis”
Fairhaven Capital Raises $250 Million for Early-Stage Technologies and Theme-Driven Investing Philosophy
Fairhaven Capital Partners announced today that it has closed its second investing fund—and its first since TD Capital spun out the firm in June 2007. Known for their earlier investments in companies with successful exits, including Third Screen Media, Softricity, and EqualLogic, the seven partners at Cambridge, MA-based Fairhaven say they’ll use the $250 million … Continue reading “Fairhaven Capital Raises $250 Million for Early-Stage Technologies and Theme-Driven Investing Philosophy”
Biosphere Medical Gains Momentum With Fibroid Treatment After Years of Wait-and-See
More than a half-million women every year get a treatment for uterine fibroids, or benign tumors in the uterus. Most of the time they get the same thing they would have gotten in the 1970s—a hysterectomy to remove the whole uterus, or a myomectomy to surgically remove the fibroid growth. Biosphere Medical, a Rockland, MA-based … Continue reading “Biosphere Medical Gains Momentum With Fibroid Treatment After Years of Wait-and-See”
Amazon Gets Into Games, Getty Grabs Jupiterimages, ZymoGenetics Settles a Suit, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
The leaves have changed, the World Series is winding down (hang in there, Tampa Bay), and the deals continue to flow in the Northwest. Digital media, software, and biotech were well represented in the last week. —Seattle-based HyperQuality, which makes software to improve call centers and customer experience, secured $7.6 million of a $12.1 million … Continue reading “Amazon Gets Into Games, Getty Grabs Jupiterimages, ZymoGenetics Settles a Suit, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
WorldMate Lands $8,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=051c2eb0-3d12-4100-a980-e37f72a3eb60&Preview=1 Date 10/28/2008 Company Name WorldMate Mailing Address 353 N Azusa Ave. West Covina, CA 91791 Company Description WorldMate exists for only one reason – to make your on-the-go lifestyle easier. Plan and manage your trips at home and on the road, with instant access to valuable tools and resources, making your … Continue reading “WorldMate Lands $8,000,000 New Round”
VBrick Systems, Inc. Secures $11,900,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=53214a2a-5b8b-4ccd-9eaf-e8055020cbd3&Preview=1 Date 10/28/2008 Company Name VBrick Systems, Inc. Mailing Address 12 Beaumont Road Wallingford, CT 06492 Company Description Since our founding, VBrick has been setting the standard for quality, performance, and innovation in the delivery of live and stored video over IP networks – LANs, WANs, and the Internet. With over 20,000 … Continue reading “VBrick Systems, Inc. Secures $11,900,000 New Financing Round”
Zuora Obtains $15,000,000 Series B Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6a2f90b8-d955-402f-b036-328d26a99144&Preview=1 Date 10/28/2008 Company Name Zuora Mailing Address 1400 Bridge Pkwy Redwood City, CA 94065 Company Description Zuora has created an on demand platform designed to simplify the way online subscription services are purchased, billed, and provisioned. Website http://www.zuora.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Zuora Obtains $15,000,000 Series B Funding Round”
Arcadia Biosciences Receives $15,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=88ae48da-5741-4ca0-a2a0-356c327711ea&Preview=1 Date 10/28/2008 Company Name Arcadia Biosciences Mailing Address 202 Cousteau Place Davis, CA 95618 Company Description Arcadia Biosciences develops and commercializes agriculture-based technologies that create value for growers and consumers while benefiting the environment and enhancing human health. Website http://www.arcadiabio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “Arcadia Biosciences Receives $15,000,000 New Funding”
WideOrbit Lands $10,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b45d1b1e-36b4-492e-8226-3b4051ae6e92&Preview=1 Date 10/28/2008 Company Name WideOrbit Mailing Address 2 Harrison Street San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description WIDEORBIT provides advertising infrastructure software, primarily Traffic, Sales and Billing systems, to Television and Radio broadcasters, Cable and Digital Display networks and Handheld Video. Website http://www.wideorbit.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,000,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “WideOrbit Lands $10,000,000 New Funding Round”
Glassdoor Receives $6,500,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3f2d5a0f-8834-494e-943f-4fdd946d7761&Preview=1 Date 10/28/2008 Company Name Glassdoor Mailing Address 3 Harbor Drive Sausalito, CA 94965 Company Description The company is developing an online social network focused on employment conditions in the workplace. Website http://www.glassdoor.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,500,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A … Continue reading “Glassdoor Receives $6,500,000 Series B Funding”
Playfish Garners $17,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=16b36396-f687-459e-a17b-8eb55551eeb8&Preview=1 Date 10/28/2008 Company Name Playfish Mailing Address 116 New Montgomery St. San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description Playfish is a social games company that develops and publishes video games on social networks like Facebook. Website http://www.playfish.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $17,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes The investment … Continue reading “Playfish Garners $17,000,000 Series B Funding”
Martini Media Network Obtains Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b10ccb59-a367-4e94-90a8-e2697f78ecb5&Preview=1 Date 10/28/2008 Company Name Martini Media Network Mailing Address 880 Harrison St. San Francisco, CA 94107 Company Description Martini Media Network Lets You Reach the Affluent Online Martini connects premium advertisers with high net-worth individuals online. We host a flagship site at MartiniLife.com that anchors our network. Here we feature content … Continue reading “Martini Media Network Obtains Series A Round”
Xconomy Forum: Energy Innovation **SOLD OUT**
Energy innovation and entrepreneurship have traditionally been hampered by everything from the field’s complexity to its huge infrastructure costs. Today’s groundswell of attention and investment-from both private and government sources-may be changing the odds of success for energy innovation. But is it enough to bring us closer to the ultimate goal of energy independence and … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: Energy Innovation **SOLD OUT**”
Helium Raises $17M, Fires 18
Helium, the Andover, MA-based online marketplace for writers, recently finished raising a $17 million Series A financing round and almost simultaneously cut its staff by 18 people, or about 30 percent, according to a story today in TechCrunch. The company, where freelance writers can submit articles, vote for the best material uploaded by other writers, … Continue reading “Helium Raises $17M, Fires 18”
Matchmine Flames Out Suddenly
[10:00 a.m. 10/28/08: Update and clarification included below.] In an entry cross-posted on the company blog and his personal blog this afternoon, Mike Troiano, CEO of Needham, MA-based recommendation technology startup Matchmine, said the company is shutting down, effective immediately. The failure of the company, which raised $10 million in venture financing just last year, … Continue reading “Matchmine Flames Out Suddenly”
Rep. Jay Inslee’s Fire Lights Up Renewable Energy Conference
U.S. Representative Jay Inslee walked into a room today full of VCs and portfolio managers who have seen a bloodbath in their cleantech portfolios. But he delivered a message that certainly got the crowd to take its anxious eyes off their Blackberries, to think a few months ahead to a new opportunity. “The cavalry is … Continue reading “Rep. Jay Inslee’s Fire Lights Up Renewable Energy Conference”
Microsoft Launches Cloud Computing Product, Goes Head-to-Head with Amazon
It looks like Microsoft is getting with the program. The cloud computing program, that is. Ray Ozzie, Microsoft’s chief software architect, has just announced “Windows Azure,” a cloud-based Web service that is hosted on Microsoft servers and lets developers build and run software applications via the Internet. Ozzie spoke about the new product in his … Continue reading “Microsoft Launches Cloud Computing Product, Goes Head-to-Head with Amazon”
Venture Returns Beat the Markets Through Q2—But Got Nowhere to Go But Down
The National Venture Capital Association usually prefers to track VC performance over a decade-long period, or possibly a five-year span. That’s because measuring performance over a one-year period, say, usually isn’t as useful since investment returns gyrate all over the place in the short term, according to Emily Mendell, the NVCA’s vice president for strategic … Continue reading “Venture Returns Beat the Markets Through Q2—But Got Nowhere to Go But Down”
Neuroscience Drug Discovery and Development: The Route to Disease-Modifying Therapies
The MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge hosts a discussion on drug discovery in neuropharmacology. From the event website: “Disorders of the brain, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia and depression, pose some of the hardest challenges for the biopharmaceutical industry. The disease burden from brain disorders … Continue reading “Neuroscience Drug Discovery and Development: The Route to Disease-Modifying Therapies”
The Rise of Advertising Networks: Aggregating & Selling Audiences
The MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge sponsors a panel discussion on Web-based advertising. From the event site: “The Web is becoming increasingly distributed across proliferating publishers, leaving advertisers with the challenge of reaching a fragmented audience. Enter the advertising networks, which have recently re-emerged to take a growing portion of these online ad dollars. Join … Continue reading “The Rise of Advertising Networks: Aggregating & Selling Audiences”