So to bastardize an expression of one of my forefathers, Horace Greeley, everyone should at some point in the near future “go (to the) Far East.” I am traveling through the region as I write this and am constantly amazed by the vitality and energy in all of my meetings. This enthusiasm is present even … Continue reading “Go East, Young Man, Way East”
OwnerIQ Lands $6,000,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eb9b8830-c62b-4ece-8ae9-19451caee43e&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2008 Company Name OwnerIQ Mailing Address 337 Summer Street Boston, MA 02210 Company Description OwnerIQ operates a network of consumer self-support Web sites for common household product categories. The company is pioneering the concept of Ownership Targeting, providing brand advertisers with highly customized programs to precisely target consumers based on … Continue reading “OwnerIQ Lands $6,000,000 Series B Financing”
SeeSaw Networks Secures $3,500,000 Series B Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5e6fa9da-dccc-4ec8-8f06-0d9b18f32325&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2008 Company Name SeeSaw Networks Mailing Address 100 Bush St. San Francisco, CA 94104 Company Description SeeSaw is creating the out-of-home industry’s most innovative and effective media planning and buying solution. Website http://www.seesawnetworks.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,500,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “SeeSaw Networks Secures $3,500,000 Series B Funding Round”
Alter-G Obtains $2,500,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=56890af2-4862-4562-82bc-19bb1d8fc223&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2008 Company Name Alter-G Mailing Address 48438 Milmont Dr Fremont, CA 94538 Company Description Unlike other impact reducing products (underwater treadmills, harness systems, elliptical machines, stationary bikes, etc.), Alter-G’s products promote natural movement and comfort while controlling the amount of impact experienced. By harnessing the power of air pressure, Alter-G’s … Continue reading “Alter-G Obtains $2,500,000 Series A Financing”
Olympic Flame, You’re in Good Hands with Microsoft (We Hope)
As the Olympic torch wends its way towards Beijing for the start of the Summer Games, you’d be interested to know that it has ties to the local tech community. It turns out that 12 people from Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) were invited to be torchbearers. Among them are three guys that Bob and I know … Continue reading “Olympic Flame, You’re in Good Hands with Microsoft (We Hope)”
ATV Associate Becomes Samsung VP
Gavin Kim, the young Advanced Technology Ventures associate who last November helped launch VentureNetwork.VC, a members only, business-oriented social networking website focused on the venture capital/private equity world, will be leaving ATV next week to join Samsung as VP, Content and Services. Kim says in an e-mail that he will be “leading their content and … Continue reading “ATV Associate Becomes Samsung VP”
Daily TIPs: Electric Cars, Just Say No to MPG, Climate Plan for Business, DARPA A-OK, and More
Electrics Cars Coming to America Think, a Norwegian company that makes cars that run only on electricity, has opened a North American division and hopes to start-selling its autos in the U.S. in 2009, Business Week reports. The Think Ox is about the size of a Prius, runs for 125-155 miles per charge on rechargeable … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: Electric Cars, Just Say No to MPG, Climate Plan for Business, DARPA A-OK, and More”
Friday Funding Flurry: OwnerIQ, Sciformix, and Optaros Raise New Rounds
We usually get deluged with funding news on Mondays —but a small rash of venture capital rounds were announced (in one form or another) this morning, so we thought we’d wrap them up into one post. First up is OwnerIQ, which we have written about before. The two-year-old Newton, MA-based startup—which operates a network of … Continue reading “Friday Funding Flurry: OwnerIQ, Sciformix, and Optaros Raise New Rounds”
One Founder’s Opinion: Internet Entrepreneur Andy Sack Says Seattle Startups Need Less Money, More Mentoring
It’s going to be a busy summer for Andy Sack. The serial online entrepreneur and investor is getting deep into his latest venture, Founder’s Co-op, and he doesn’t have much time for chit-chat. I’m just able to catch him on his cell, while he’s rushing off to a meeting and getting ready to head out … Continue reading “One Founder’s Opinion: Internet Entrepreneur Andy Sack Says Seattle Startups Need Less Money, More Mentoring”
Metcalfe on Next Steps for GreenFuel: Series C and Partnership Deals Could Be Just Around Corner
With a new CEO (almost) in place, two potential term sheets on the way for a long-sought new round of financing, and another pair of partnership deals in the works, Cambridge, MA-based biofuels company GreenFuel Technologies could be on the threshold of a major new phase of its operations. That was the picture painted by … Continue reading “Metcalfe on Next Steps for GreenFuel: Series C and Partnership Deals Could Be Just Around Corner”
Space Needle Envy: A Bostonian’s Ode to Seattle
“Only one is a wanderer. Two, together, are always going somewhere.” It’s one of my favorite lines from my favorite movie—Hitchcock’s Vertigo—and now it’s true of Xconomy. By introducing our Seattle site this week, we’ve become a real network. Adding Seattle to our original Boston presence gives us the chance to show that the original … Continue reading “Space Needle Envy: A Bostonian’s Ode to Seattle”
Sciformix Corporation Obtains $3,300,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d7097406-8d4e-4abd-bb7c-316129dd4b50&Preview=1 Date 6/20/2008 Company Name Sciformix Corporation Mailing Address 1500 West Park Drive Westborough, MA 01581 Company Description The company intends to become a strategic partner to global life science companies by providing high quality knowledge based services for scientific data management, regulatory compliance and risk management, with the ultimate objective of … Continue reading “Sciformix Corporation Obtains $3,300,000 Series A Funding”
TextDigger Obtains $3,800,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5f319e35-9f23-4299-a97f-e92b9ac817b9&Preview=1 Date 6/20/2008 Company Name TextDigger Mailing Address 12 South 1st Street San Jose, CA 95113 Company Description TextDigger, Inc. is an artificial intelligence software developer focusing on advanced information retrieval services for the Web. Spun off of CNET, we are a San Jose-based start-up offering a unique semantic search service for … Continue reading “TextDigger Obtains $3,800,000 New Financing”
TIBCO Software Scoops Up Insightful for $25M
Insightful, a Seattle-based provider of statistical analysis and data-mining software, announced today that it has agreed to be acquired by TIBCO Software, a business-infrastructure software firm based in California. The deal is worth some $25 million, and Insightful will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of TIBCO.
Massachusetts #1, Washington #5 in State Tech and Science Rankings; New England Dominates List
As if its sports teams’ bragging rights weren’t enough, Massachusetts has now topped the state rankings in science and technology prowess. Meanwhile, Washington placed a respectable #5. That’s the word today from the California-based Milken Institute’s 2008 State Technology and Science Index. The rankings are based on 77 indicators across five broad categories: R&D inputs, … Continue reading “Massachusetts #1, Washington #5 in State Tech and Science Rankings; New England Dominates List”
$600M More for Evergreen Solar
Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ESLR]]) has signed two new long-term orders, valued at approximately $600 million, bringing the company’s total contractual backlog up to $1.7 billion. The new orders, combined with two similar multiyear contracts announced last month, represent more than 65 per cent of the capacity in Evergreen’s Devens, MA, plant.
Daily TIPs: Texting Privacy, Energy Spending, Electronic Medical Records, DARPA Cutbacks, & More
Court Finds Text Messages Are Private You can now text your BFF to your heart’s content and not worry about somebody reading the transcript, thanks to a federal court ruling. CNET News reports that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the government must get a user’s consent before getting a service provider … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: Texting Privacy, Energy Spending, Electronic Medical Records, DARPA Cutbacks, & More”
Vaccsys Raises $9M in Series A
Vaccsys, a vaccine maker based in Seattle, has called down $9 million of an $18 million Series A round, according to Private Equity Hub, which cites a regulatory filing. The investors include Alta Partners, The Column Group, and Versant Ventures (all based in California).
Alnylam Inks $93M Japanese Deal
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) announced it has forged an alliance with Japan’s Kyowa Hakko Kogyo to commercialize the Cambridge, MA-based firm’s RNAi-based treatment for respiratory syncytial virus in Japan and other major Asian markets. The deal calls for Kyowa Hakko to pay Alnylam $15 million upfront, with as much as $78 million in development and … Continue reading “Alnylam Inks $93M Japanese Deal”
Google, Microsoft, Akamai Join Powerhouse Speaker Lineup For Xconomy’s June 24 Cloud Computing Forum: Time’s Running Out to Register
In just a few days, Xconomy will hold its first public event of the summer, our forum on “The Promise and Reality of Cloud Computing.” Tickets for the June 24 event, which runs from 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm at Akamai headquarters at Eight Cambridge Center in Kendall Square, are going fast. But you can … Continue reading “Google, Microsoft, Akamai Join Powerhouse Speaker Lineup For Xconomy’s June 24 Cloud Computing Forum: Time’s Running Out to Register”
Icahn Nominee Concedes Defeat at Biogen Idec Annual Meeting
[Updated below.] In a major vote of confidence for current management under CEO James Mullen, shareholders at Biogen Idec’s annual meeting this morning have evidently rejected the slate of board nominees put forth by investor Carl Icahn and approved the company’s choices instead. “We think we didn’t succeed in getting onto the board of Biogen, … Continue reading “Icahn Nominee Concedes Defeat at Biogen Idec Annual Meeting”
Genzyme Seeks Dual Approval, Google Health Picks Another Massachusetts Partner, Biogen Shareholders To Provide Closure (Maybe), & More Life Science News
Seems like most of the Massachusetts life sciences industry is out in San Diego at BIO this week—along with Governor Patrick—plugging the newly signed $1 billion funding bill. But those left in town had a few bits of interesting news to share as well. —Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts became the first health insurer … Continue reading “Genzyme Seeks Dual Approval, Google Health Picks Another Massachusetts Partner, Biogen Shareholders To Provide Closure (Maybe), & More Life Science News”
Man on a Cleantech Mission: A VC Visits the U.K. (Final Day)
Manchester & Newcastle: Thursday, June 12 Final day on the trip for me—the remainder of the group will spend the final day in Newcastle tomorrow, which I am sorry to miss as it will include a tour of NaREC (New and Renewable Energy Center) and a boat trip out to an off-shore wind farm. Perhaps … Continue reading “Man on a Cleantech Mission: A VC Visits the U.K. (Final Day)”
University of Washington Tech Transfer Group, LaunchPad, Is Looking for the Next Big Startup
The University of Washington’s commencement ceremony may have been last weekend, but Jim Roberts and his team at UW TechTransfer aren’t winding things down—they’re gearing up for the high season. “During the summer it doesn’t drop off,” Roberts says. Roberts is the head business development officer at LaunchPad, a two-year-old initiative within the university’s tech … Continue reading “University of Washington Tech Transfer Group, LaunchPad, Is Looking for the Next Big Startup”
Vlingo’s CEO Fires Back at Nuance Over Patent Lawsuit—Says “When they Couldn’t Win Yahoo’s Business, This Was Their Reaction”
As soon as news broke Tuesday that Burlington, MA-based Nuance Communications was suing Harvard Square startup Vlingo for allegedly infringing one of Nuance’s speech-recognition patents, I requested an interview with Dave Grannan, Vlingo’s CEO. Grannan, who came to Vlingo from Nokia last year, has spent quite a bit of time with Xconomy in the past, … Continue reading “Vlingo’s CEO Fires Back at Nuance Over Patent Lawsuit—Says “When they Couldn’t Win Yahoo’s Business, This Was Their Reaction””
American Well Partners with Microsoft, Lands Hawaii Health Plan as First Major Customer
When I wrote my post yesterday about the launch of American Well, the Boston-based startup that plans to let patients visit with doctors via a multimedia Web interface, I couldn’t tell you the whole story. That post was tied to the company’s formal debut at the AHIP Institute 2008 meeting in San Francisco Wednesday morning–which, … Continue reading “American Well Partners with Microsoft, Lands Hawaii Health Plan as First Major Customer”
Optaros Inc. Secures $12,000,000 Series C Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d1693b82-67f6-44ec-aba8-c8d2a74b110c&Preview=1 Date 6/19/2008 Company Name Optaros Inc. Mailing Address 10 Milk St, 11th Floor Boston, MA 02108 Company Description Optaros, Inc. is a venture capital-funded consulting and systems integration firm that helps large enterprises use open source software to reduce the cost of commercial software and rapidly build high-quality, cost-effective and more … Continue reading “Optaros Inc. Secures $12,000,000 Series C Funding”
Mochi Media Lands $10,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cf3a6cd0-339b-41dd-91ff-c3592eff5e10&Preview=1 Date 6/19/2008 Company Name Mochi Media Mailing Address 611 Mission St. 5th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description Our goal is to develop a network of properties that makes building web content fun and prosperous for our community of developers. Creativity, passion, and innovation are what drive us. Seeing the … Continue reading “Mochi Media Lands $10,000,000 New Financing Round”
Geospiza Lands New Customer, New Board Member
Geospiza, a Seattle company that develops software to manage genetic analysis, announced that it has been selected to provide its analysis package to the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research in Toronto. This follows the appointment last week of Leroy Hood, cofounder and president of Seattle’s Institute for Systems Biology (and an Xconomist), to the company’s … Continue reading “Geospiza Lands New Customer, New Board Member”
Daily TIPs: Genomic Testing, Entertainment Tech Growth, Virtual Companies, VoIP 911, & More
Should the Law Limit Gene Tests? Personal genomic testing is all the rage among people seeking to trace their ancestry or identify their risk of certain diseases, but last week the California Department of Public Health sent cease-and-desist letters to 13 gene-testing companies, ordering them to halt the practice because it violates state rules. The … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: Genomic Testing, Entertainment Tech Growth, Virtual Companies, VoIP 911, & More”
Battery Ventures Invests in “Endpoint Virtualization” Company Neocleus
Battery Ventures of Waltham, MA, together with Gemini Israel Funds, has invested $11.4 million in Neocleus, a software company based in New Jersey. Neocleus makes software for PC networks that sets up virtual machines on individual Windows desktops and laptops, so that corporate applications can run in an environment that’s more secure than Windows itself.
Zango to Jettison a Third of Staff
Zango, the Bellevue, WA-based adware maker that has also been known at various times as ePIPO, 180solutions, and Hotbar, plans to lay off 68 employees, or about one-third of its staff, according to reports in Online Media Daily and other publications. Frequently criticized for distributing software that causes unwanted pop-up ads to appear on PC … Continue reading “Zango to Jettison a Third of Staff”
Microsoft Buys Navic Networks, Deliverer of Targeted TV Ads
Microsoft said yesterday that it’s buying Waltham, MA-based Navic Networks for an undisclosed sum. Navic, founded in 2001, makes software for set-top boxes that TV advertisers can use to target ads at specific digital cable subscribers and measure their responses. Its software can also be used to add interactive features such as voting and polls—for … Continue reading “Microsoft Buys Navic Networks, Deliverer of Targeted TV Ads”
Icahn Nominee to Biogen Idec Board Pledges to Work With Current Management to Restore Research Operations to Past Greatness
With a potentially momentous shareholder vote at hand, a top Carl Icahn strategist says he and others nominated by the investor for Biogen Idec’s board would not try to oust CEO James Mullen. What’s more, he says, they would work to restore the company’s research operations to the greatness he admired when a young MIT … Continue reading “Icahn Nominee to Biogen Idec Board Pledges to Work With Current Management to Restore Research Operations to Past Greatness”
The Doctor Will See You Online: American Well Launches Web-Based Medical Consultations
Boston startup American Well lifted the veil on its ambitious and long-awaited online health care marketplace today. With its 24/7 online network—where people with medical concerns can log on and be matched within minutes with a physician who will provide a live medical consultation—the company hopes to disrupt business-as-usual in the healthcare industry, and potentially … Continue reading “The Doctor Will See You Online: American Well Launches Web-Based Medical Consultations”
Will CombinatoRx Be the Next Cambridge Biotech Put on the Block?
Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. Maybe Biogen Idec (or maybe not). Will CombinatoRx (NASDAQ:[[ticker:CRXX]]) be next on the list of Cambridge, MA, biotech firms scooped up by a Big Pharma buyer? That’s the question raised by Bloomberg’s Kelly Riddell, who noted on Monday that several fund managers recently boosted their holdings in the eight-year-old firm. Riddell … Continue reading “Will CombinatoRx Be the Next Cambridge Biotech Put on the Block?”
Blue Heron Strives to Replace Gene-Making Grunt Work with Custom Manufacturing
It used to take weeks of labor for a drug company to make a batch of genes for an experiment. Those days are fading, as Blue Heron Biotechnology of Bothell, WA, and an emerging group of competitors have found ways to pump out industrial quantities of custom-manufactured genes, cheaper and faster than before. The market … Continue reading “Blue Heron Strives to Replace Gene-Making Grunt Work with Custom Manufacturing”
Open-Source Startup Pushes Mail to Millions of Phones
Castile Ventures of Waltham, MA, together with Nexit Ventures, Walden International, and HIG Ventures, have invested $12.5 million in Funambol, a firm based Redwood City, CA, that develops open source e-mail software for mobile phones. There are billions of cell phone users in the world, but only a tiny slice of us use our handsets … Continue reading “Open-Source Startup Pushes Mail to Millions of Phones”
Vaccsys Inc. Receives $9,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f1509c7f-0512-4401-8c21-22b2a42afac7&Preview=1 Date 6/18/2008 Company Name Vaccsys Inc. Mailing Address 1124 Columbia St Seattle, WA 98104 Company Description The company is developing vaccines that “regulate immune responses by targeting dendritic cell biology with combinations of proprietary vectors and adjuvants.” Website http://www.vaccsys.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $9,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds … Continue reading “Vaccsys Inc. Receives $9,000,000 Series A Funding”
ParaScale Lands $11,370,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fee3398e-3f16-498e-bb62-700f69c2cacc&Preview=1 Date 6/18/2008 Company Name ParaScale Mailing Address 10450 Bubb Road Cupertino, CA 95014 Company Description The Parascale Cloud Storage (PCS) software aggregates disk storage on multiple standard Linux servers to provide one highly scalable storage cloud, accessible via standard file-access protocols (NFS, HTTP, FTP). Parascale delivers massive storage capacity and parallel … Continue reading “ParaScale Lands $11,370,000 Series A Financing Round”
Biomimedica Lands $2,400,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eb273192-c8b4-440e-abd2-bcc26e3451b9&Preview=1 Date 6/18/2008 Company Name Biomimedica Mailing Address 2600 Cortez Drive Santa Clara, CA 95051 Company Description The company is developing a synthetic cartilage called Cartigel for joint repair. Website http://www.biomimedica.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,400,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture … Continue reading “Biomimedica Lands $2,400,000 Series A Financing Round”
Open Coffee at Louisa’s: Internet Startups, Investors, and One Notable No-Show
This morning I had the pleasure of attending my first Open Coffee Club at Louisa’s Bakery & Cafe up on Eastlake Avenue in Seattle. Every Tuesday morning from 8:30 to 10 (note to self: bus schedules mean nothing here, just like in Boston), it’s where local tech entrepreneurs gather to network and talk ideas over … Continue reading “Open Coffee at Louisa’s: Internet Startups, Investors, and One Notable No-Show”
Intel Spins Off $50M Solar Company: SpectraWatt To Open Facility in Oregon
Looks like Intel is officially entering the renewable-energy space. The Santa Clara, CA-based chipmaker, which has major operations in the Northwest, has announced that it is spinning out an independent solar-energy company called SpectraWatt (an awful name, can we all agree). Intel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTC]]) said in a statement that the company was formed “to spur … Continue reading “Intel Spins Off $50M Solar Company: SpectraWatt To Open Facility in Oregon”
$8 Million for JazzD Markets
Stealthy online directory firm JazzD Markets of Brookline, MA, completed a $8 million in Series A financing round from investors including Commonwealth Capital Ventures and Pilot House Ventures, according to PE Hub, which cites a regulatory filing.
Nuance Suit Against Vlingo Could Shut Down Yahoo’s Voice-Driven Mobile Search Service
[Story Updated 4:40 p.m. 6/18/06; see below] If a Texas district court grants an injunction sought by Burlington, MA-based Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]), it could force Yahoo to shut down the voice-enabled version of its mobile search platform. The search tool is powered by software from Vlingo, a Cambridge, MA-based startup Nuance sued yesterday for … Continue reading “Nuance Suit Against Vlingo Could Shut Down Yahoo’s Voice-Driven Mobile Search Service”
GreenFuel Announces CEO: One Step Left in Metcalfe’s Seven-Step Recovery Plan—Money
GreenFuel Technologies, the algae farming startup headed by Polaris Venture Partners (a major investor in the company) general partner Bob Metcalfe on an interim basis since last June, finally got its CEO, the Cambridge, MA-based company announced today. The new top executive, who won’t start until mid-July and was not available for direct comment, is … Continue reading “GreenFuel Announces CEO: One Step Left in Metcalfe’s Seven-Step Recovery Plan—Money”
Genzyme Applies for Approval of Stem-Cell Harvesting Drug
Cambridge, MA-based Genzyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GENZ]]) announced today that it has applied for approval in the United States and the European Union of a new drug, Mozobil, that would aid the treatment of lymphoma and other cancers. The company plans to launch the drug in 2009 and expects it to eventually bring in $400 million per … Continue reading “Genzyme Applies for Approval of Stem-Cell Harvesting Drug”
AT&T Offers Buzzwire’s Streaming Media Content on Mobile Phones
It’s a big week for Boston-area mobile software companies looking to leverage the reach of national telecommunications firms. Yesterday Waltham, MA-based Quattro Wireless announced that Cox Newspapers has hired it to produce mobile-friendly versions of the websites for 19 Cox newspapers. Today, AT&T announced that its wireless subscribers can access a library of video, audio, … Continue reading “AT&T Offers Buzzwire’s Streaming Media Content on Mobile Phones”
IRobot Wins $3.3M ChemBot Contract
Burlington, MA-based iRobot (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRBT]]) announced today that it has received a $3.3 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Army Research Office to develop a soft, pliable robot that can “maneuver through openings smaller than its actual structural dimensions” to perform reconnaissance and urban search and rescue operations. IRobot … Continue reading “IRobot Wins $3.3M ChemBot Contract”
Calling Any and All Late-Stage Investors: An OVP Partner’s Take on Seattle’s VC Scene
Yesterday I had a nice chat with Lucinda Stewart, a managing director at Kirkland-based OVP Venture Partners. A fast-rising star, Stewart focuses on investments in software, digital media, and security, and she serves on the board of directors of several area companies including Talyst, Vantos, and most recently Lucid Commerce, which announced a Series A … Continue reading “Calling Any and All Late-Stage Investors: An OVP Partner’s Take on Seattle’s VC Scene”