Genzyme Thinks Small, and Big, With Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Mipomersen

Genzyme has built an empire by thinking small—treating diseases that affect tiny groups of patients. Now it’s seeking to capitalize on a cholesterol-lowering drug that requires it to think small and big at the same time. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GENZ]]) is starting to show how it intends to make mipomersen into a … Continue reading “Genzyme Thinks Small, and Big, With Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Mipomersen”

Voyager Capital Founders Discuss Investment Strategy, Connected Computing, and the Future of Venture Firms

Bill McAleer and Enrique Godreau remind me of an old couple. They’ve been through the ups and downs together. They’ve raised three children (OK, venture funds) in the past 10 years. They even sometimes finish each other’s sentences. And together they’ve built Voyager Capital into one of the most forward-looking venture firms in town. First, … Continue reading “Voyager Capital Founders Discuss Investment Strategy, Connected Computing, and the Future of Venture Firms”

From White Center to Stanford: Technology Access Foundation Helps Kids of Color Prepare for High-Tech Jobs

Something like 2.7 percent of the workforce at Microsoft is composed of African Americans. This under-representation is true of plenty of other technology companies, too. Lots of people complain about the disparities in education that lead to numbers like that, but Trish Millines Dziko and her colleagues at the Technology Access Foundation are doing something … Continue reading “From White Center to Stanford: Technology Access Foundation Helps Kids of Color Prepare for High-Tech Jobs”

Highland Digs Digg, Oak Investment Partners Charges Up Greenvolts, U.S. Genomics Befriends Becton Dickinson, & More Boston-Area Deals News

This last week was a good one for smaller-scale deal making among New England’s tech and life sciences firms. —Oak Investment Partners of Westport, CT, put $30 million into San Francisco cleantech startup Greenvolts, which is developing solar energy farms that use vast arrays of reflectors to concentrate the sun’s rays on high-efficiency photovoltaic cells. … Continue reading “Highland Digs Digg, Oak Investment Partners Charges Up Greenvolts, U.S. Genomics Befriends Becton Dickinson, & More Boston-Area Deals News”

Wind Power Holdings Inc. Obtains $37,000,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2cb07025-9709-4348-8a45-41e58278dd69&Preview=1 Date 9/29/2008 Company Name Wind Power Holdings Inc. Mailing Address Undisclosed Barre, VT 05630 Company Description Northern Power (owned by Wind Power Holdings) has been delivering innovative wind energy solutions in a changing landscape for over 34 years. The company’s commitment to performance, reliability and cutting-edge technology has made it a … Continue reading “Wind Power Holdings Inc. Obtains $37,000,000 Series A Funding Round”

Veramatrix Secures $20,000,000 Series C Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=79cb17ca-6b56-4e01-8faa-f351f31a5b86&Preview=1 Date 9/29/2008 Company Name Veramatrix Mailing Address 6825 Flanders Dr San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Verimatrix designed its Video Content Authority System (VCAS) from the ground up for two-way and hybrid networks, incorporating pioneering security features that provide the broadest security perimeter of any content security and revenue enhancement system. … Continue reading “Veramatrix Secures $20,000,000 Series C Financing Round”

Skydeck Receives $3,000,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=816285ec-bc0f-49d7-ac37-cdf99c3df5ac&Preview=1 Date 9/29/2008 Company Name Skydeck Mailing Address 122 2nd Ave San Mateo, CA 94404 Company Description Skydeck is a developer of software and services at the intersection of mobile phones, telephony, and the Web. Website http://www.skydeck.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The new … Continue reading “Skydeck Receives $3,000,000 Series A Financing”

NextWave Stops Go

NextWave Wireless (NASDAQ: [[ticker:WAVE]]), a San Diego company that makes embedded multimedia software for mobile devices, said this week that it’s shutting down Israeli Wi-Fi equipment subsidiary Go Networks as part of a global cost-cutting effort. Earlier in the month, NextWave arranged $100 million in new debt financing and announced a series of cash-conservation moves, … Continue reading “NextWave Stops Go”

Test Driving the Tesla Roadster, and Glimpsing the Future of Electric Cars

The idea of electric vehicles is in the crisp Northwest air these days—and the vehicles are on the road. Earlier this week, we reported that Seattle-based V2Green, which makes software to manage the charging of plug-in electric vehicles, was acquired by Virginia-based GridPoint. V2Green is part of a pilot study being run by Seattle City … Continue reading “Test Driving the Tesla Roadster, and Glimpsing the Future of Electric Cars”

Daily TIPs: Obama’s Science Plan, Boeing’s Fuel Search, World’s Malaria Effort, & More

Boeing Begins Jet Biofuel Initiative Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has teamed up with 10 airlines, including Air France, Continental, and Virgin Atlantic, to form a Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group. Flightglobal reports that the group will look for ways to make renewable jet fuel, with the goal of at least partially replacing fossil fuel used in … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: Obama’s Science Plan, Boeing’s Fuel Search, World’s Malaria Effort, & More”

Monetizing Web Services with WidgetBucks (and Others) at the Westin

I’ve always thought “Web services” is a boring name for one of the most lucrative areas of tech-business innovation. The term encompasses many interactions on the Internet—everything from Web-based software to shopping to social networks. A big question these days is how to monetize these Web services, and how to get revenue from all the … Continue reading “Monetizing Web Services with WidgetBucks (and Others) at the Westin”

Boston Unblurred: Debunking the Google Maps Censorship Myth

Having written an appreciative column a few weeks ago about the endangered Pacific Northwest tree octopus, a tongue-in-cheek hoax site, I am not about to denounce the Internet as a cesspool of misinformation. But I’m still puzzled by the way certain salacious memes persist on the Internet, even though they’re easily disproved—for example, the myth … Continue reading “Boston Unblurred: Debunking the Google Maps Censorship Myth”

Hal Abelson’s Android Class at MIT Expands to Nokia and Windows Mobile Phones—But No iPhone

What do you do when the experimental class you offered in designing applications for Google’s Android mobile phone operating system brings your students $300,000 and unprecedented experience in creating real-world-ready applications? If you’re MIT professor Hal Abelson, you expand it to phones and other mobile devices made by Microsoft and Nokia. But not Apple’s iPhone … Continue reading “Hal Abelson’s Android Class at MIT Expands to Nokia and Windows Mobile Phones—But No iPhone”

GI Dynamics Device Helps Obese Patients Shed 30 Pounds

Promising results are continuing to trickle in from GI Dynamics. The Lexington, MA-based maker of a gut-lining sleeve that mimics the effect of gastric-bypass surgery without all the slicing and dicing, is reporting that its device helped obese patients drop an average of 30 pounds after three months in a clinical trial, compared with about … Continue reading “GI Dynamics Device Helps Obese Patients Shed 30 Pounds”

RockPort Flexes New Cleantech Fund to Back Sustainable Spaces in $6M Round

RockPort Capital Partners of Boston and Menlo Park, CA, has made an early bet with money from its new $450 million cleantech fund, co-leading a $6 million investment in San Francisco-based “home performance services” firm Sustainable Spaces. Sustainable Spaces provides energy audits and environmental tests such as carbon monoxide checks for the home market. The … Continue reading “RockPort Flexes New Cleantech Fund to Back Sustainable Spaces in $6M Round”

Leroy Hood’s Latest Big Idea: Integrated Diagnostics, a Startup that Will Spot Tiny Cancers in Blood

Leroy Hood has a big idea for a new company. The legendary scientific entrepreneur, who invented the high-speed DNA sequencer that made the Human Genome Project possible, wants to develop a new generation of screening tests that are so precise at examining a drop of blood that they will usher in the era of what … Continue reading “Leroy Hood’s Latest Big Idea: Integrated Diagnostics, a Startup that Will Spot Tiny Cancers in Blood”

With Backing From MPM and Kleiner Perkins, EpiZyme Aims to Turn Genes On and Off

MPM Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers see a big idea for medicine emerging from the science of epigenetics. The two venture firms are building a startup, called EpiZyme, to take advantage of research that looks at how genes can be turned on or off without any alteration to the underlying sequence. I got … Continue reading “With Backing From MPM and Kleiner Perkins, EpiZyme Aims to Turn Genes On and Off”

Tipjoy Lands $1,000,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5a699972-2811-4113-9c74-eb07e11767c4&Preview=1 Date 9/26/2008 Company Name Tipjoy Mailing Address Undisclosed Cambridge, MA 02138 Company Description Tipjoy makes it easy for people to leave tips for things they love online, and easy for content owners to be rewarded for making the stuff people love. Website http://www.tipjoy.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,000,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Tipjoy Lands $1,000,000 Series A Round”

Aspire Medical Secures $12,500,000 Series C Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b75b712e-f433-41f5-8939-3df87be20d48&Preview=1 Date 9/26/2008 Company Name Aspire Medical Mailing Address 610 Palomar Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94085 Company Description Aspire Medical is a privately held, venture capital financed medical device company developing minimally invasive surgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The procedure is conducted by ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists, who are … Continue reading “Aspire Medical Secures $12,500,000 Series C Funding”

MOD Systems Scores $35M Equity Investment from Toshiba, NCR, Others

Why is it still such a hassle to download movies, TV shows, and other digital content to your computer or mobile device? A local company has been trying to solve one aspect of this problem—how to do it in retail stores—and now it has scored some big partners who could make a difference. Seattle-based MOD … Continue reading “MOD Systems Scores $35M Equity Investment from Toshiba, NCR, Others”

Daily TIPs: Cash for Ideas, Hydrogen for Cars, Internet for Everything, & More

Obama Addresses Questions About Science The British science journal Nature posed 18 questions related to science and policy to the two presidential candidates, but received written answers only from Democrat Barack Obama. Nature prints his answers, along with statements on the topics from Republican John McCain when they could be found from other sources. Among … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: Cash for Ideas, Hydrogen for Cars, Internet for Everything, & More”

Concert Pharmaceuticals Enters Clinical Trials with Drug for Hot Flashes

Concert Pharmaceuticals is moving ahead with a drug that it hopes will be the first of its kind to treat the hot flashes women get during menopause, without exposing them to the well-documented risks of hormone-replacement therapy. The Lexington, MA-based company said today it has begun its first clinical trial with a drug candidate called … Continue reading “Concert Pharmaceuticals Enters Clinical Trials with Drug for Hot Flashes”

Omeros, Developer of Knee-Surgery Enhancer, Raises $20 Million in Debt Financing

Maybe the credit markets aren’t as tight as so many people think. Omeros, the Seattle company that’s developing a treatment to boost the effectiveness of arthroscopic knee surgery, said it has borrowed as much as $20 million to finance its clinical trials and earlier-stage animal tests. Omeros, which has no marketed products, filed to go … Continue reading “Omeros, Developer of Knee-Surgery Enhancer, Raises $20 Million in Debt Financing”

Boston Scientific Wins FDA Approval of Stent for Smaller Blood Vessels

Boston Scientific said today it has won clearance from the FDA to market the Taxus Express2 Atom Stent System. The new device, which props open clogged heart arteries, emits a small dose of a chemotherapy drug designed to minimize scarring around the implant. It is the only device approved for vessels as small as 2.25 … Continue reading “Boston Scientific Wins FDA Approval of Stent for Smaller Blood Vessels”

New Biotech Biz Models (and the Tested Bob Langer-Terry McGuire Approach) Emerge at Xconomy Forum

We could have called it the “New Biotech Business Model Expo.” Xconomy’s forum—How to Build a Life Sciences Company—attracted venture capitalists and entrepreneurs from around the Boston area (and a few from across the country) to the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research in Cambridge on Tuesday morning to showcase the strategies they’ve used to form … Continue reading “New Biotech Biz Models (and the Tested Bob Langer-Terry McGuire Approach) Emerge at Xconomy Forum”

HealthPort Acquires ChartOne

Burlington, MA-based ChartOne, which makes software used by hospitals to manage the distribution of confidential paper and electronic medical records, was acquired by Alpharetta, GA-based HealthPort in a deal that closed on Monday, HealthPort said in an announcement. ChartOne was HealthPort’s closest competitor, according to the statement, which did not reveal the terms of the … Continue reading “HealthPort Acquires ChartOne”

IRobot To Deliver 165 More PackBots, Spare Parts to U.S. Army

The orders keep rolling in for iRobot. The Bedford, MA-based robot maker announced today that it has received two more orders from the U.S. Army involving its PackBot 510. The first is a $5.8 million order for spare parts and accessories for the robot, which soldiers use to detect roadside bombs and other hazards. The … Continue reading “IRobot To Deliver 165 More PackBots, Spare Parts to U.S. Army”

Archus Orthopedics Angles For a Deal, Alder Takes on Roche, Cocrystal Raises $10 Million, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

There wasn’t a lot of headline news in Seattle biotech in the last week, but we found several interesting features that offer previews of what’s coming in the worlds of new drugs and devices. –I learned about a small nonprofit in the Tri-Cities that has come up with a simple, elegant way to fix broken … Continue reading “Archus Orthopedics Angles For a Deal, Alder Takes on Roche, Cocrystal Raises $10 Million, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

As Facebook Redefines the Social Web, Platform Manager Dave Morin Talks About the Coolest Facebook Apps From Boston and Seattle

It’s September in Boston, and that can only mean one thing—conferences, conferences, conferences. Xconomy’s own life sciences event was on Tuesday, and I spent most of the day yesterday at EmTech 08, the big annual tech-fest put on by MIT’s Technology Review magazine. One highlight was a lively panel led by Robert Scoble, renowned technology … Continue reading “As Facebook Redefines the Social Web, Platform Manager Dave Morin Talks About the Coolest Facebook Apps From Boston and Seattle”

RescueTime Obtains $900,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f4690114-262c-4292-904b-5c299d1435ea&Preview=1 Date 9/25/2008 Company Name RescueTime Mailing Address Undisclosed Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description RescueTime is a web-based time-management tool that allows you to easily understand how you spend your time online. Website http://www.rescuetime.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $900,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “RescueTime Obtains $900,000 Series A Funding”

Transaction Wireless, Inc. Receives $2,250,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b4574f26-81b8-41f8-8bd2-a1ce1001ba08&Preview=1 Date 9/25/2008 Company Name Transaction Wireless, Inc. Mailing Address 9645 Scranton Road San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Transaction Wireless is dedicated to providing cutting-edge wireless payment solutions. As in many other sectors, the payment industry is increasingly turning to wireless technologies as a means of offering new advantages to financial … Continue reading “Transaction Wireless, Inc. Receives $2,250,000 Series A Financing Round”

MOD Systems Receives $35,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9dfc3646-e974-4f74-a16e-287ea0a7e180&Preview=1 Date 9/25/2008 Company Name MOD Systems Mailing Address 720 Third Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description MOD Systems’ media-on-demand solution enables retailers to transform stores into digital destinations. With MOD Systems’ sophisticated software solution and interactive touchscreen kiosks, retailers can create an engaging experience for consumers to quickly and easily search … Continue reading “MOD Systems Receives $35,000,000 New Round”

Cramster.com Obtains $3,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c2b04106-4122-4365-8a61-87a43e00cda6&Preview=1 Date 9/25/2008 Company Name Cramster.com Mailing Address 65 N. Raymond Ave Pasadena, CA 91103 Company Description Cramster is a global study community comprised of students and teachers helping each other understand how to solve problems for mathematically-based subjects (e.g. Physics, Calculus, Stats, Chemistry, ME, EE, CS, etc). Cramster provides access to … Continue reading “Cramster.com Obtains $3,000,000 Series A Funding”

Digg Receives $28,700,000 Series C Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=562a0e0e-f2ae-4e85-96d0-61b08be105b3&Preview=1 Date 9/25/2008 Company Name Digg Mailing Address 1576 12th Ave San Francisco, CA 94122 Company Description Digg is a user driven social content website. Ok, so what the heck does that mean? Well, everything on Digg is submitted by our community (that would be you). After you submit content, other people … Continue reading “Digg Receives $28,700,000 Series C Round”

Pressplane Raises $1.7 Million, Stays Stealthy

Kelly Smith is at it again. The co-founder of Seattle-based Curious Office Partners and Imagekind (which was sold to CafePress in July) announced today that his latest startup, Pressplane, has closed a Series A financing round worth $1.7 million. The round was led by Second Avenue Partners and includes a who’s who of investors with … Continue reading “Pressplane Raises $1.7 Million, Stays Stealthy”

Highland Leads $28.7M Digg Round

Lexington, MA-based Highland Capital Partners led a $28.7 million Series C funding round in Digg, the San Francisco-based social news site announced today. Existing Digg investors Greylock Partners, SVB Capital, and Omidyar Network joined the round, which will be used to finance an ambitious expansion that includes doubling Digg’s staff to 150 by the end … Continue reading “Highland Leads $28.7M Digg Round”

Daily TIPs, Online Egotists, Cloud Collaboration, Gaming the Future, & More

Narcissists Easy to Spot on Facebook Psychologists at the University of Georgia wondered if they could use online profiles to identify the personality traits of the people who posted them and found that, for narcissism at least, it wasn’t hard to do. As Ars Technica explains, the researchers had students take a personality test to … Continue reading “Daily TIPs, Online Egotists, Cloud Collaboration, Gaming the Future, & More”

V2Green Bought by GridPoint

GridPoint, an Arlington, VA-based cleantech firm, announced it has acquired Seattle-based V2Green as the first step in its acquisition strategy. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. V2Green makes software and other technologies for integrating plug-in vehicles with the electric grid.

LaughNetwork Joins Pangea

Pangea Media, a Watertown, MA company that operates a network of casual gaming sites including QuizRocket.com and Quibblo.com, said yesterday that it has acquired LaughNetwork, a Kentucky startup whose network of entertainment sites attracts more than 1 million page views per day. Pangea didn’t say how much it paid in the deal.

Sirtris Settles in at GSK, Alnylam Raises IP Questions on Bio Bill, Targanta Takes on Cubist’s Market, & More Life Sciences News

We were lucky enough to have both Luke and Ryan in town for a couple of days this week, so there was a bumper crop of up-close, in depth stories on local life sciences firms. Enjoy! —Luke caught a glance of Lexington, MA-based Pulmatrix as the startup emerged from stealth mode. Drawing on the expertise … Continue reading “Sirtris Settles in at GSK, Alnylam Raises IP Questions on Bio Bill, Targanta Takes on Cubist’s Market, & More Life Sciences News”

Xconomy Forum: A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors, Speakers, and Guests

Xconomy held its first half-day life sciences forum yesterday—How to Build A Life Sciences Company—and it was a rousing success. All told, nearly 200 people attended the event, which featured, among other things, case studies on five startups with different funding strategies that illustrate the innovative approaches needed to launch and sustain life sciences companies … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors, Speakers, and Guests”

In Google’s Phone, a Major Clash Between Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft Heats Up

Updated Sep. 24 (see below): OK, this is getting good. Yesterday’s announcement that Amazon’s MP3 music store will be pre-loaded onto the G1—the first mobile phone to be powered by Google’s Android operating system—makes the future of music and other mobile services you can get on your phone delectably messy. The deal also drives home … Continue reading “In Google’s Phone, a Major Clash Between Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft Heats Up”

Don’t Put That DVD In the Mail: Wistia Helps Companies Share Video Over the Internet

We’re always on the lookout for companies to add to our periodic “industry cluster” overviews, which so far include the Boston Music and Technology Cluster, the Boston Internet Video Cluster, the Greater Boston Robotics Cluster, the Boston Health 2.0 Cluster, and the Greater Seattle Gaming Cluster. And recently I came across a new addition for … Continue reading “Don’t Put That DVD In the Mail: Wistia Helps Companies Share Video Over the Internet”

Fixing Broken Bones in the Developing World: Tri-Cities Nonprofit Develops Simple Technique To Help Healing

A tiny nonprofit organization in Richland, WA, has developed a simple, elegant fix for one of the big health problems in the developing world. A group that calls itself Sign has found a way to properly treat broken bones that people suffer in car accidents—like how it’s done in the U.S.—but without any of the … Continue reading “Fixing Broken Bones in the Developing World: Tri-Cities Nonprofit Develops Simple Technique To Help Healing”

Governor’s Life Sciences Agency Makes Key Hire with MIT and Pharma Connections

The agency charged with running Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick’s $1 billion life sciences initiative has tapped an executive with venture capital experience to help form relationships with key industry players. Luis Barros, an MIT Sloan School alum and veteran of the VC arm at drug giant Eli Lilly (NYSE:[[ticker:LLY]]), Lilly Ventures, has accepted the newly … Continue reading “Governor’s Life Sciences Agency Makes Key Hire with MIT and Pharma Connections”