High school and youth sports teams may lack the deep pockets of the pros, but they can still take advantage of technology for tracking game stats thanks to a New York startup. Angel investor-backed GameChanger Media offers coaches of young athletes a mobile platform that evolves record keeping from pen and paper to smartphones and … Continue reading “GameChanger Media Makes a Play to Broaden Sports Stats App in 2012”
Scientists Morph Into Entrepreneurs Through NSF I-Corps Program
In a grand test of whether the Silicon Valley startup accelerator model can help university scientists get promising new technologies to market faster, 21 teams hand-picked for the National Science Foundation’s new Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program converged on the Stanford University campus last week. The goal: to review the progress they’d made during an eight-week … Continue reading “Scientists Morph Into Entrepreneurs Through NSF I-Corps Program”
Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer’s Report Card: C
Kevin Sharer will not go down in history as one of biotech’s most successful, or beloved, CEOs. But how well did Sharer really perform during his decade running the industry’s biggest company? For those who missed it, Thousand Oaks, CA-based Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) said last week that Sharer, 63, will be retiring as CEO in … Continue reading “Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer’s Report Card: C”
What Can Attending a Football Game Teach Technology Companies?
Let me state this right off the top: I’m a huge New England Patriots fan. Even though I’m now based on the West Coast, I make it a point to watch every Patriots game and I attend several games each season, making the cross-country trek to cheer on my team. It was on one of … Continue reading “What Can Attending a Football Game Teach Technology Companies?”
Founder Showcase
The 9th Founder Showcase takes place at Microsoft Silicon Valley on January 19. Floodgate Fund managing partner Mike Maples will be on hand for a keynote interview. Information and registration here.
Expressor Software Lands $1,500,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=76185e6a-a98c-44db-b58f-01646eb8b598&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name Expressor Software Mailing Address 1 New England Executive Park Burlington, MA 01803 Company Description The company provides multi-platform, parallel, processing, data management software. Website http://www.expressor-software.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing-amended. M&A Terms Venture … Continue reading “Expressor Software Lands $1,500,000 New Financing”
Cloudant Secures $2,084,160 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6b2330aa-31c9-4f66-86fb-4c2c692ddcd0&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name Cloudant Mailing Address 580 Harrison Ave Boston, MA 02118 Company Description Cloudant offers an integrated database, analytics, and search, providing businesses with an easy to use, highly-scalable data platform based on Apache CouchDB. Website http://www.cloudant.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,084,160 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Cloudant Secures $2,084,160 New Funding”
Agilyx Obtains $25,000,000, Series C Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e1f2339b-33ca-4fe2-82b7-3a51008999af&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name Agilyx Mailing Address 9600 SW Nimbus Ave Beaverton, OR 97008 Company Description Agilyx is the first in the world to economically convert difficult-to-recycle waste plastics into crude oil through a patented system that is scalable, versatile, and environmentally beneficial. Website http://www.Agilyx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Agilyx Obtains $25,000,000, Series C Financing Round”
Novel Secures $1,607,282 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f5b3a289-0503-4777-b906-be44da503300&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name Novel Mailing Address 8383 158th Ave NE Redmond, WA 98052 Company Description Novel Games Limited is a Hong Kong based company. Our main focus is the production of Flash games. Website http://www.novelgames.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,607,282 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “Novel Secures $1,607,282 New Funding Round”
CardioInsight Technologies Lands $7,547,619 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d53d69c0-661e-4ee4-9c76-669d4ca13fe9&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name CardioInsight Technologies Mailing Address 11000 Cedar Avenue Cleveland, OH 44106 Company Description We are a medical device company in Cleveland, Ohio commercializing patented electrocardiographic imaging technology developed at Case Western Reserve University. Our technology noninvasively images electrical activity on the surface of the heart. Website http://www.cardioinsight.com Transaction … Continue reading “CardioInsight Technologies Lands $7,547,619 New Financing”
Spreecast Lands $2,323,500 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b0cf5c6f-4c6a-4cbe-8679-7b8b38594089&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name Spreecast Mailing Address 604 Mission St Third Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description Spreecast is a social video platform that lets people broadcast together, creating shared experiences that inform and entertain. Website http://www.spreecast.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,323,500 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Spreecast Lands $2,323,500 New Funding”
Bitzio Receives $250,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0c9e1c0f-dd71-4ebe-adb5-98914c240d76&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name Bitzio Mailing Address 548 Market Street San Francisco, CA 94104 Company Description We provide an applications network for developers and consumers of mobile applications, and we work with those developers to dramatically improve their marketing reach, sales conversions, revenues and bottom line profits. Website http://www.bitzio.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Bitzio Receives $250,000 New Round”
BlueSprig Garners $10,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4775fd67-a49e-4052-8d1f-d247bb84b0d2&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name BlueSprig Mailing Address Undisclosed San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description BlueSprig puts the ‘personal’ back in personal computing. With powerful, lightweight, easy-to-use utility apps, BlueSprig is the fresh alternative to software, at home or on the go – your one-stop shop for security, privacy, performance and efficiency … Continue reading “BlueSprig Garners $10,000,000 Series A Funding”
VerticalResponse Acquires Roost for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fcdc0d1a-5643-4fef-8012-c8fde2a1c0d4&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name Roost Mailing Address One Post Street San Francisco, CA 94104 Company Description Roost offers two services in parallel – a consumer search engine for places to live and a technology platform for REALTORS. Website http://www.roost.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms … Continue reading “VerticalResponse Acquires Roost for Undisclosed Sum”
BestVendor Secures $3,000,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=51f4c839-da62-4d09-a7a0-a82b7f65f198&Preview=1 Date 12/19/2011 Company Name BestVendor Mailing Address 160 Varick St. 12th Floor New York, NY 10013 Company Description BestVendor helps people at startups and small businesses make faster, smarter purchasing decisions through social recommendations. Our vision is to become the first place you go whenever you need to figure out what … Continue reading “BestVendor Secures $3,000,000 Series A Financing”
AppNation Enterprise Summit
From the event website: Are you ready for the next revolution? The “Consumerization of IT” is hitting the enterprise as more and more CIOs are responding to calls from an empowered workforce seeking lighter, thinner, more easily accessible business software that can be downloaded and deployed on any device, anywhere, anytime. Just in time, the … Continue reading “AppNation Enterprise Summit”
Water Solutions from Australia and Singapore
Ecotopics, a clean technology networking group, has organized an evening focused on the increasing demands and diminishing supplies of water. California has a long history of water conflicts, and it is not getting easier. Two countries, Singapore and Australia, have implemented some policies and projects that have enabled them to evolve out of their own … Continue reading “Water Solutions from Australia and Singapore”
Venture Outlook for 2012
The San Diego Venture Group is hosting Mark Heesen, president of the National Venture Capital Association, who will join an expert panel of venture capital fortune tellers for a preview of what to look for in 2012. Registration at the door begins at 7 am, or register online here.
Fighting Crime with Technology: A Detroit Success Story
In Forbes magazine’s annual piece about America’s most dangerous cities, published in October, the article leads with an anecdote from Detroit. Detroit has been a mainstay on such lists for decades, and last year, it led the nation in violent crimes with with 345 murders and 1,111 violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents. According to … Continue reading “Fighting Crime with Technology: A Detroit Success Story”
Lot18 Uncorks European Wine Market with Vinobest Acquisition
Members of online wine and gourmet food club Lot18 can expect to see more offerings of European vintages in the future, thanks to the New York-based company’s expansion into France and Britain. Backed by proceeds from a $30 million Series C round in November led by Accel Partners, Lot18 on Dec. 9 purchased wine e-commerce … Continue reading “Lot18 Uncorks European Wine Market with Vinobest Acquisition”
Paul Allen, AT&T-Mo, Clearwire: Seattle’s Weekly Rewind
Billionaires in space! This week started out with a big announcement from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who is bankrolling a new company that aims to make private spaceflight more routine by launching rockets from the belly of an airplane—the biggest one ever built. Allen said it’ll probably cost him 10 times the nearly $30 million … Continue reading “Paul Allen, AT&T-Mo, Clearwire: Seattle’s Weekly Rewind”
Hacker’s Putty, Soggy Doggy, & Other Gift Ideas from Daily Grommet
Holiday shopping season is a fun time of year for a company like Daily Grommet. The Lexington, MA-based Web startup finds unusual consumer products and tells a story about one such “grommet” each day through videos and text. This week I touched base with founder and CEO Jules Pieri, who shared some info with me … Continue reading “Hacker’s Putty, Soggy Doggy, & Other Gift Ideas from Daily Grommet”
How To Build a “Lifestyle Business” with 30M Visitors Per Month
In Silicon Valley, there is no more pejorative term than “lifestyle business.” It’s usually applied to companies that do well enough to earn their founders and employees a living—sometimes a very good living—but that will never make anyone mega-rich. Venture capital partners, who have to weed out all but the fastest-growing companies if they’re to … Continue reading “How To Build a “Lifestyle Business” with 30M Visitors Per Month”
A Look at Modern India
A decade ago, scooters and mopeds made up the bulk of motorized transport in India. Today, motorcycles and cars of all makes are a common sight, from Harley Davidson and French carmaker Renault to Suzukis. India is undergoing important socio-economic shifts that are resulting in the segmentation of existing markets and the opening of previously … Continue reading “A Look at Modern India”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: BeneChill, Sotera, Imthera, & More
—After naming former Boston Scientific executive Fred Colen as CEO last month, San Diego’s BeneChill raised nearly $15 million in a round that’s targeting a total of $25.6 million, according to a recent regulatory filing. BeneChill, founded in 2004, has been developing therapeutic hypothermia medical products. The company’s European headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland, and … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: BeneChill, Sotera, Imthera, & More”
Vertex, Ariad, Alnylam, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences Newsmakers
New England saw a flurry of life sciences news this week, from venture firms, new startups, and established biotechs. —Boston-based Avila Therapeutics presented data at the American Society of Hematology from early human trials of its lead cancer drug, AVL-292, which is on track to enter more extensive Phase 2 trials next year. This compound, … Continue reading “Vertex, Ariad, Alnylam, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences Newsmakers”
Pirq Secures $1,950,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5a483770-ca5b-4965-8eb0-d15c4aa4a98d&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2011 Company Name Pirq Mailing Address 811 Kirkland Ave Kirkland, WA 98033 Company Description Pirq is a dynamic new company, with a proven, sustainable business model, created to solve the problems, for both businesses and consumers, brought on by the “one-time daily deal” maze and craze. Website http://www.pirq.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Pirq Secures $1,950,000 New Funding Round”
Salesforce Acquires Rypple for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=820f5227-afa8-457a-bed2-8ffe4b0169e2&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2011 Company Name Rypple Mailing Address 577 Howard St 3rd Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description We started Rypple because people kept telling us how much they disliked their performance reviews. Everything else we do these days is immediate and social. But work – and particularly performance management – … Continue reading “Salesforce Acquires Rypple for Undisclosed Sum”
Double Fusion Acquires NeoEdge Networks for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=da8d901d-e28c-4771-bab7-e20a870cb0bc&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2011 Company Name NeoEdge Networks Mailing Address 215 Castro Street 2nd Floor Mountain View, CA 94041 Company Description In the beginning, our company’s core value was its technology: the ability to seamlessly integrate media into other online programs and platforms. Website http://www.neoedge.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round … Continue reading “Double Fusion Acquires NeoEdge Networks for Undisclosed Sum”
BinOptics Lands $13,300,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3de3545f-a182-4d05-9db9-1f8d1257b040&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2011 Company Name BinOptics Mailing Address 9 Brown Road Ithaca, NY 14850 Company Description BinOptics Corporation designs, develops, and manufactures monolithically integrated optoelectronic components based on indium phosphide and other semiconductor materials. Website http://www.binoptics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $13,300,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The Ithaca-based manufacturer of … Continue reading “BinOptics Lands $13,300,000 New Round”
MediaBrix Lands $4,000,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2b0c95be-660f-4555-89e1-b2451ddd6d67&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2011 Company Name MediaBrix Mailing Address 36 West 25th Street 7th Floor New York, NY 10010 Company Description MediaBrix offers a broad platform of social content and tools, providing brands access to an audience of over 500 million users both on PC and Mobile devices. Website http://www.mediabrix.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “MediaBrix Lands $4,000,000 Series B Financing”
Desktone Obtains $1,630,794 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a2615def-faf0-4fa7-ac45-1235fe4cf864&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2011 Company Name Desktone Mailing Address 100 Apollo Drive Chelmsford, MA 01824 Company Description The company was founded in 2006 to address market demands for easy-to-implement, low-maintenance enterprise desktops. Website http://www.desktone.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,630,794 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. … Continue reading “Desktone Obtains $1,630,794 New Financing Round”
Ford Plugs Focus Electric in SD Stop of Fuel-Efficiency Road Trip
There are about 25 million cars registered in California, and probably about 2 million of those are motoring around the roads of San Diego County. So it was statistically insignificant when I stepped out of the San Diego Automotive Museum today and counted at least six all-electric vehicles bathed in Southern California sunshine at the … Continue reading “Ford Plugs Focus Electric in SD Stop of Fuel-Efficiency Road Trip”
Pirq Adds $1.9M from Rally Capital
Kirkland, WA-based digital discounts startup Pirq has raised $1.95 million from Rally Capital, the venture firm headed by former Nextel CEO Dennis Weibling. Pirq is led by CEO James Sun, an entrepreneur best known for appearing on the NBC program “The Apprentice” with Donald Trump. Sun says the money will be used to expand Pirq’s … Continue reading “Pirq Adds $1.9M from Rally Capital”
The Genetics Institute Impact: Some Great Memories and Photos
Genetics Institute, one person told me last night, “was like college, only more fun.” When’s the last time you heard anybody describe a corporate workplace that way? There was something special about the culture and people who made up Genetics Institute, one of Boston’s original biotech highfliers from the ’80s and ’90s. We felt the … Continue reading “The Genetics Institute Impact: Some Great Memories and Photos”
Livemocha Loves AWS in Brazil: Speeds Go from 1999 to 2011
One Seattle-area company is more than a little happy about Amazon Web Services opening a new South American computing region: Livemocha, an online language-learning service that counts about a quarter of its more than 11 million members in Brazil alone. Livemocha runs its Web-based software on AWS, but previously, the closest region for South American … Continue reading “Livemocha Loves AWS in Brazil: Speeds Go from 1999 to 2011”
Updated Flud Platform Combines News Aggregation and Social Networking
According to Bobby Ghoshal, the future of news consumption is in finding new ways for users to interact with content and influence other users’ reading habits, and the development of online “news personalities.” Ghoshal is the co-founder and CEO of Flud, a news aggregation app that unveiled its updated platform for the iPhone and iPad earlier … Continue reading “Updated Flud Platform Combines News Aggregation and Social Networking”
VMIX Extends Video Streaming Technology with Invitation-Only Service
San Diego-based VMIX has been revising its strategy, which was originally focused on providing a technology platform that enables TV stations and other media companies to stream online video. Earlier this year, VMIX began rolling out technology that allowed consumers to use the company’s video streaming technology on social media sites like Facebook. Now the … Continue reading “VMIX Extends Video Streaming Technology with Invitation-Only Service”
Proofpoint, GreenVolts, Prezi: Bay Area BizTech by the Numbers
Time for our irregular, data-driven roundup of recent deals news from around San Francisco Bay. From biggest to smallest: $50 million—The amount that Sunnyvale, CA-based Proofpoint hopes to raise in an upcoming initial public offering, according to S-1 registration papers filed with the SEC yesterday. The cloud security company’s leading venture investors include Mohr Davidow … Continue reading “Proofpoint, GreenVolts, Prezi: Bay Area BizTech by the Numbers”
Badgeville’s Radical Idea: Tell Customers What They Should Do
For about six months now, I’ve been trying to get Kris Duggan to change the name of his company. To me, “Badgeville” manages to be both faddish and inaccurate: it tries to snag a little of Zynga’s (fading) Farmville glory, while also suggesting that the Menlo Park startup’s business is all about gamification and virtual … Continue reading “Badgeville’s Radical Idea: Tell Customers What They Should Do”
Xconomy’s NY Venture Forum to Feature Insights From Gilt
Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, co-founder and chief merchandising officer of Gilt Groupe, knows a thing or two about attracting venture capital. Gilt—which holds limited time, online “flash” sales of clothing, accessories, and travel offerings—was founded in 2007 and raised $80 million in several rounds of financing. Then, in May of this year, Gilt raised an incredible … Continue reading “Xconomy’s NY Venture Forum to Feature Insights From Gilt”
SonoSite Sold to FujiFilm for Nearly $1B
Portable ultrasound maker SonoSite is being acquired by Japan’s Fujifilm for just under $1 billion. SonoSite will remain based in Bothell, WA, under its current leadership team, the companies said in a joint announcement. The $995 million price represents a cash offer to purchase all SonoSite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SONO]]) shares for $54 each, a 50 percent … Continue reading “SonoSite Sold to FujiFilm for Nearly $1B”
Xconomist of the Week: Stefan Savage on Computer Security
The evolution of computer security is not merely some dark mirror, passively reflecting advances in technology. While technology provides new opportunities for threats, these become true dangers only when there is a motivation to exploit them and a means to do so. Stefan Savage, writing in The New York Times, Dec. 5, 2011. By his … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Stefan Savage on Computer Security”
LocalResponse Expands to Chicago, Plans to Double Staff in 2012
With eyes pointed westward, New York-based LocalResponse announced today it opened a new office in Chicago and is considering plans for an office in California. LocalResponse, backed by Cava Capital and others, puts a business-to-business spin on the “check-in” market. The startup created a platform that lets brands and other marketers respond with relevant ads … Continue reading “LocalResponse Expands to Chicago, Plans to Double Staff in 2012”
Ariad Loads Up With $200M Stock Deal, After Big Medical Meeting
Cambridge, MA-based Ariad Pharmaceuticals was one of the stars of the show at a recent blood cancer meeting, and now it’s striking while the iron is hot to raise more than $200 million in new cash. Ariad (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARIA]]) said today it has agreed to sell 21.5 million new shares of common stock at $10.42 … Continue reading “Ariad Loads Up With $200M Stock Deal, After Big Medical Meeting”
Atlas Venture, Shire to Create Startups to Tackle Rare Diseases
Atlas Venture has been spending a lot of time lately figuring out how to create new drugs, and new companies, in untraditional ways—and it is showing the results of its strategizing again today through a new partnership with Shire Human Genetic Therapies. Cambridge,MA-based Atlas said it has formed a multi-year collaboration with Shire to look … Continue reading “Atlas Venture, Shire to Create Startups to Tackle Rare Diseases”
Cerulean Pharma Adds $15M to Further Nano-Drug Platform
Cambridge, MA-based Cerulean Pharma announced today that it has raised $15 million in a Series D financing round, which included one new investor: CVF, an affiliate of Henry Crown and Company. Also participating in this round were existing investors Polaris Venture Partners, Venrock, Lilly Ventures, Lux Capital, and Bessemer Venture Partners. Cerulean’s lead drug candidate, … Continue reading “Cerulean Pharma Adds $15M to Further Nano-Drug Platform”
IBM Eats Up Emptoris, 20th Acquisition in MA Since 2003
News flash: Another Massachusetts software company is joining Big Blue. Armonk, NY-based IBM (NYSE: [[ticker:IBM]]) said today it is acquiring Emptoris, a Burlington, MA-based maker of supply and contract management software. Terms of the deal weren’t given, but it is expected to close in the first quarter of next year. This will be the 20th … Continue reading “IBM Eats Up Emptoris, 20th Acquisition in MA Since 2003”
Vertex Names Jeff Leiden as New CEO, Staring Down Tough Competition
[Update: 10:40 am ET] Vertex Pharmaceuticals is getting a new CEO, as it faces tough new competition with its flagship hepatitis C drug and prepares to roll out a second new medicine for cystic fibrosis. Cambridge, MA-based Vertex (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) said today that Jeff Leiden, a member of the company’s board and a managing director … Continue reading “Vertex Names Jeff Leiden as New CEO, Staring Down Tough Competition”
Hutch Spinoff Presage Biosciences Shuffles Management
Seattle-based Presage Biosciences, a spinoff from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, is making some leadership changes. CEO Caitlin Cameron has resigned, and is being replaced on an interim basis by Jim Towne, an investor in the company who was briefly president of Microsoft in its early days. Nathan Caffo, Presage’s vice president of business … Continue reading “Hutch Spinoff Presage Biosciences Shuffles Management”