A New Age in Patent Liquidity: New Opportunities for Entrepreneurs

When Google bought Motorola Mobility for $12 billion, citing the value of its smartphone patents, it was clear that a new age of intellectual property is well underway. This evening panel discussion, sponsored by MIT Enterprise Forum, will address the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of patent transactions. Speakers include Kevin Barhydt, head of acquisitions for … Continue reading “A New Age in Patent Liquidity: New Opportunities for Entrepreneurs”

Leaders of Entrepreneurial Programs From MI Universities Gather

Last Thursday and Friday, leaders of entrepreneurial studies programs from seven Michigan universities met in Lansing for the Michigan Entrepreneurship Leaders Forum, where they discussed what’s working in their individual programs, how they might be able to collaborate in the future, and how all of their efforts might help boost the state’s economy. “I’ve been … Continue reading “Leaders of Entrepreneurial Programs From MI Universities Gather”

With New Post-Production 3D Initiative, Legend3D Secures $19 Million

San Diego-based Legend3D, a private digital media and visual effects company, says it has closed on a $19 million Series E preferred stock offering. The company, which ranks as the largest studio providing 3D conversion services in the United States, says proceeds from the offering will be used to further research and development, and to … Continue reading “With New Post-Production 3D Initiative, Legend3D Secures $19 Million”

ImmusanT, Developing Celiac Disease Treatments, Closes $20M Series A

Cambridge, MA-based ImmusanT, a new biotech working on therapies targeting celiac disease, announced today that it has wrapped up $20 million in Series A financing from New York-based Vatera Healthcare Partners. The money will go to development of ImmusanT’s vaccine and diagnostic and monitoring tool for patients with celiac disease, a condition that is normally … Continue reading “ImmusanT, Developing Celiac Disease Treatments, Closes $20M Series A”

Cloud-Device Startup Nebula Takes Aim at Seattle Engineers

It’s not just the Silicon Valley giants of technology who are moving into the Seattle area to raid technical talent from Microsoft, Amazon, and others. These days, you’re just as likely to see some well-financed startups wooing the big-company guys with promises of changing the world. A prime example is Nebula, a cloud computing startup … Continue reading “Cloud-Device Startup Nebula Takes Aim at Seattle Engineers”

Zipmark Grabs $2M to Develop Mobile Payment System

New York-based startup Zipmark has raised $2 million in seed funding, according to a press release. Village Ventures and Contour Venture Partners led the funding round, which also included NYC Seed, High Peaks Venture Partners, and several angel investors. One of the other investors in this round was the New York City Investment Fund, which … Continue reading “Zipmark Grabs $2M to Develop Mobile Payment System”

How Mindflash Disrupted Itself by Taking Training Software to the Web

If you’re a technology company, it’s painful to bury an obsolete product before it’s well and truly dead. Most established companies can’t bring themselves to do it, choosing instead to keep limping down the comfortable old path—which is why they so often lose out to newcomers (can anyone say Nokia or Siebel?). By 2008, the … Continue reading “How Mindflash Disrupted Itself by Taking Training Software to the Web”

Fiksu Releases Service to Make Paid Mobile Apps Free for Consumers

Boston-based Fiksu, a startup focused on mobile app marketing, is introducing a new service today that it says will get consumers paid mobile apps for free, while still bringing mobile app developers revenue and traffic. The service, FreeMyApps, allows consumers to rack up credits by trying free, mostly advertising-supported apps from select sponsors, and then … Continue reading “Fiksu Releases Service to Make Paid Mobile Apps Free for Consumers”

Alnylam Racing to Prove RNAi Works, For a Disease You’ve Never Heard Of

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has been in the doghouse for a while now, as its technology of choice has fallen out of favor in the industry. But while many people have written it off, the Cambridge, MA-based company has started to show hints that it might—just might—be onto something that works against a rare and deadly disease. … Continue reading “Alnylam Racing to Prove RNAi Works, For a Disease You’ve Never Heard Of”

Jason Baptiste of OnSwipe Talks Tablets, TV, & Taking On Google

Beware of CEOs who dress like their company logo. Beware of Jason Baptiste. Just kidding. Baptiste is one of the most intensely likable startup founders around (emphasis on intense). His company, New York-based OnSwipe, is trying to take the tablet publishing world by storm. And not just with its aggressively stylish magenta-and-black color scheme. OnSwipe … Continue reading “Jason Baptiste of OnSwipe Talks Tablets, TV, & Taking On Google”

Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Garners $8,000,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a6ddbabb-9301-4008-8ee8-b5045f9d550d&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address One Kendall Square Bldg. 1400E Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description At Catabasis we are dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative, effective and safe medicines to treat inflammatory and metabolic diseases. We have assembled a team of highly motivated and experienced scientists … Continue reading “Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Garners $8,000,000 Series A Round”

Cerevast Therapeutics Garners $6,564,658 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dd01217d-1404-4cdd-95f3-10c25ed238c9&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name Cerevast Therapeutics Mailing Address 12277 134th Court NE Redmond, WA 98052 Company Description Cerevast Therapeutics, Inc. is a medical technology company with primary emphasis in the field of SonoLysis for the treatment acute ischemic stroke and other vascular disorders. Website http://www.cerevast.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Cerevast Therapeutics Garners $6,564,658 Series C Financing”

Sotera Wireless Obtains $9,191,025 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9dfbf1fc-60c6-47b2-be08-211cc95ab95d&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name Sotera Wireless Mailing Address 9444 Waples Street San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Our vision is to revolutionize patient safety by enabling the early detection of deterioration in patients who are mobile and free to move about in the hospital or the home. With adequate warning of … Continue reading “Sotera Wireless Obtains $9,191,025 New Financing”

Ifbyphone Secures $2,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=df7601c4-33ee-4b4d-a3e9-47f92b98dfe3&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name Ifbyphone Mailing Address 8800 Bronx Skokie, IL 60077 Company Description Ifbyphone is a hosted voice application and platform company with a simplified approach to the deployment of stand-alone and web-integrated voice services for small and medium sized businesses (SMB). Combining advanced telephony and web services, ifbyphone’s web-integrated … Continue reading “Ifbyphone Secures $2,000,000 New Financing Round”

xAD Receives $9,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=24961696-35bd-4ae1-a9ba-27bea8a48e6b&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name xAD Mailing Address 101 Spear Street San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description xAD publishers and advertisers benefit from the scale and reach of the LocalAdXchange platform. The LocalAdXchange manages billions of search and ad requests with the largest combined network of local and national performance-based advertisers. Website … Continue reading “xAD Receives $9,000,000 New Financing”

Life360 Obtains $3,500,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=aa6d37ca-08b5-43b0-a47c-2aafe3f10372&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name Life360 Mailing Address 78 First St 3rd Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description Life360 uses advanced technology to bring the best safety and security services under one roof so you can keep your family safe with just a single website. Sign up for an account and … Continue reading “Life360 Obtains $3,500,000 Series A Round”

IntegenX Garners $40,000,000 Series C Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6c06f6c1-a3e2-4e27-9c92-67b9b12f0ebc&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name IntegenX Mailing Address 5720 Stoneridge Drive Pleasanton, CA 94588 Company Description IntegenX designs, manufactures and markets automation systems enabling reliable microsample preparation and analysis for the life sciences. Website http://www.integenx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $40,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes The funding will be … Continue reading “IntegenX Garners $40,000,000 Series C Financing Round”

WellnessFX Obtains Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7f901a71-801d-4b34-88e6-b0219c4f3b47&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name WellnessFX Mailing Address 1550 Bryant Street San Francisco, CA 94103 Company Description WellnessFX was created to help people to take charge of their health. As the medical science frontier expands exponentially, consumers and wellness practitioners are faced with a dizzying amount of health information as well as … Continue reading “WellnessFX Obtains Series B Financing”

Google Acquires Clever Sense for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ce0ef899-7daf-429c-9b77-1149962b7be2&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name Clever Sense Mailing Address 825 E. Middlefield Rd. Mountain View, CA 94043 Company Description The company is developing a personalized recommendation engine in real-time for mobile phones. Website http://www.thecleversense.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction were … Continue reading “Google Acquires Clever Sense for Undisclosed Sum”

Style for Hire Secures $1,075,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c3dba52b-3d7e-4790-91fa-d648811e0713&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name Style for Hire Mailing Address 560 3rd St. Brooklyn, NY 11215 Company Description Style for Hire is a national network of top-tier, trained and certified personal stylists, co-founded by fashion executive Cindy McLaughlin and celebrity stylist Stacy London, who serves as the Company’s spokesperson and Stylist-in-Chief. Website … Continue reading “Style for Hire Secures $1,075,000 New Financing Round”

ImmusanT Secures $20,000,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=125496fc-974b-40d2-ad62-39328ba3a460&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name ImmusanT Mailing Address One Broadway 14th Floor Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description ImmusanT is an early stage biotechnology company focused on developing a treatment, and a set of diagnostic and monitoring tools to manage patients with celiac disease. Website http://www.immusant.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $20,000,000 … Continue reading “ImmusanT Secures $20,000,000 Series A Round”

RichRelevance Acquires Searchandise Commerce for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=49e7caa2-8bea-456a-800a-9d366ed2ae44&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name Searchandise Commerce Mailing Address 100 Cummings Center Beverly, MA 01915 Company Description Searchandise Commerce, is the leading provider of Internet decision-making systems and a next-generation paid search company. Website http://www.searchandise.net Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction … Continue reading “RichRelevance Acquires Searchandise Commerce for Undisclosed Sum”

Party Earth Garners $4,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ed061e85-9d86-4b2c-856f-3d59ee7bbc2e&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name Party Earth Mailing Address Undisclosed Los Angeles, CA 90049 Company Description Party Earth is a global media and entertainment company whose mission is to enable its community of users to maximize their social experiences worldwide. Website http://www.partyearth.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Party Earth Garners $4,000,000 New Financing”

Legend3D Secures $19,000,000 Series E Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ba936479-8638-4f84-8025-dcc7580d91d9&Preview=1 Date 12/13/2011 Company Name Legend3D Mailing Address 3721 Valley Centre Drive 5th Floor San Diego, CA 92130 Company Description Legend3D, Inc., is a leading digital media technology company that specializes in using its proprietary image processing technology and artistry to create greater value from entertainment assets for its clients. Legend3D’s technology … Continue reading “Legend3D Secures $19,000,000 Series E Financing Round”

Cerevast Therapeutics Nails Down $6.6M for Ultrasound Stroke Device

[Update: 4:15 pm] Redmond, WA-based Cerevast Therapeutics has raised $6.6 million in venture capital to develop a new ultrasound technology to treat stroke patients. The company, led by Icos veteran Bradford Zakes, said today that that it raised the money from seven investors in a Series C preferred stock offering. The round could be worth … Continue reading “Cerevast Therapeutics Nails Down $6.6M for Ultrasound Stroke Device”

AT&T, T-Mobile Postpone Lawsuit to Rework Deal

AT&T’s $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile is on hold in the federal courts as the parties look for a new way to structure a deal that could get approval from regulators. The merger is currently tied to a federal antitrust lawsuit, which was postponed today. AT&T and Deutsche Telekom, the parent company of Bellevue, WA-based T-Mobile … Continue reading “AT&T, T-Mobile Postpone Lawsuit to Rework Deal”

Lakeside Software Opens New Location in Downtown Ann Arbor

Lakeside Software, the Bloomfield Hills, MI-based developer of business-intelligence solutions for IT professionals, recently announced it will open a new 3,800-square-foot R&D center above Vinology, on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. The move caps a decade of growth and is meant to take advantage of Ann Arbor’s proximity to the young professionals graduating from … Continue reading “Lakeside Software Opens New Location in Downtown Ann Arbor”

AVI Biopharma Axes 28% of Workforce, After Missing Out on Flu Contract

AVI Biopharma has made some significant job cuts in Washington and Oregon after missing out on a potentially huge federal contract to make an RNA-based treatment against pandemic flu. The Bothell, WA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]]) is cutting the jobs of about 35 of its 125 employees—28 percent of the workforce—according to CEO Chris Garabedian. The … Continue reading “AVI Biopharma Axes 28% of Workforce, After Missing Out on Flu Contract”

San Diego BizTech Roundup: News from Mingle, Qualcomm, & More

Some of San Diego’s biggest tech news last week came out of the mHealth Summit near Washington, D.C. But we’ve rounded up all the other tech news too. —San Diego-based Mingle, an Internet holding company operating Climber.com and several affiliated businesses, said it acquired Sunnyvale, CA-based Affinity Circles to expand its job hunting and recruiting … Continue reading “San Diego BizTech Roundup: News from Mingle, Qualcomm, & More”

DVP-Backed Marxent Labs Wants to Augment Your Shopping Experience

Thanks to a $700,000 investment from Detroit Venture Partners, Detroit-based Marxent Labs launched its ShopWith.It app two weeks ago, right in time for the holidays. ShopWith.It allows consumers to scan product barcodes or take photos, then share and discuss those products with friends. “Most of us have a network of friends and family who are … Continue reading “DVP-Backed Marxent Labs Wants to Augment Your Shopping Experience”

Avila Shows Progress in Covalent Cancer Drugs at Prominent ASH Confab

Boston-based Avila Therapeutics announced data today from early human trials of its lead cancer drug, AVL-292, which the company is presenting at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting in San Diego. The results support the company’s plans to move the drug into more extensive Phase 2 trials next year, says CEO Katrine Bosley. … Continue reading “Avila Shows Progress in Covalent Cancer Drugs at Prominent ASH Confab”

TV Stylist Stacy London’s Style for Hire Raises $1M in Series A Round

Three-year-old Style for Hire in Brooklyn raised more than $1 million in a Series A round led by Golden Seeds in New York according to a press release issued Monday. Co-founded by Stacy London, co-host of television show What Not to Wear on TLC, Style for Hire is a network of trained and certified personal … Continue reading “TV Stylist Stacy London’s Style for Hire Raises $1M in Series A Round”

Tigo, FanSnap, Soasta: Bay Area Biztech by the Numbers

Start your week off right with our data-driven roundup of deals and M&A news from San Francisco and Silicon Valley. $18 million—New venture funding for solar photovoltaic module manufacturer Tigo Energy of Los Gatos, CA. New investor Bessemer Venture Partners joined all of Tigo’s existing backers in the round, including Generation Investment Management, Inventec Appliances Corp., … Continue reading “Tigo, FanSnap, Soasta: Bay Area Biztech by the Numbers”

Optimer Wins EU Approval for New Antibiotic

Optimer Pharmaceuticals got approval in the U.S. for its new antibiotic just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, and now it has closed out the year by getting clearance for the drug in Europe. The San Diego-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OPTR]]) said today it has gotten clearance from the European Commission to start selling … Continue reading “Optimer Wins EU Approval for New Antibiotic”

Bill Walton Hails Spirit of Entrepreneurship at San Diego Awards

Connect, the non-profit group that supports innovation and entrepreneurship, named San Diego’s eight most-innovative products of 2011—and bestowed its highest honor on Gen-Probe (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GPRO]]) for its nucleic acid test for screening donated blood. Connect gave Gen-Probe its William W. Otterson Award for its Procleix test, which won FDA approval in 2002, saying Procleix has … Continue reading “Bill Walton Hails Spirit of Entrepreneurship at San Diego Awards”

KinectStars: Why Microsoft Drafted TechStars to Target Startups

The offices have been laid out. The applications are flowing in. And come next spring, 10 proto-companies will meet in Seattle for a three-month bootcamp focused on new uses for the Kinect, Microsoft’s breakthrough motion- and sound-sensing system. For Redmond-watchers, that may not seem like such a big deal. Microsoft already cultivates startups through its … Continue reading “KinectStars: Why Microsoft Drafted TechStars to Target Startups”

Angel-Funded GoldRun Helps Nike Augment Its Reality

Shoppers with iPhones will be able to discover Nike products in a virtual way at Finish Line stores today, thanks to technology from GoldRun in New York. GoldRun raised $1.2 million in a seed round in April with a plan to conquer an emerging field: augmented reality, which is technology that adds images, sounds, or … Continue reading “Angel-Funded GoldRun Helps Nike Augment Its Reality”

The Hepatitis C Market: Biotech’s Version of the Daytona 500

Biotech rivalries are sometimes a bit like boxing matches, where you have two lone fighters vying for the prize. But the hepatitis C market is turning into a battle royal that’s more wide open and unpredictable, with all the competitive maneuvering, surprise crashes, and comebacks you might expect from the Daytona 500. The medical advances … Continue reading “The Hepatitis C Market: Biotech’s Version of the Daytona 500”

Onyx Drug Effective in New Myeloma Patients, Taking Aim at Millennium

[Updated: 8:45 am PT] Onyx Pharmaceuticals has set its sights on shaking up the standard of care for a deadly cancer of the bone marrow, and now results from at least one small study suggest it has a shot. Researchers are reporting today that when the experimental treatment from South San Francisco-based Onyx (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONXX]]) … Continue reading “Onyx Drug Effective in New Myeloma Patients, Taking Aim at Millennium”

Groove Biopharma Snags $6M to Push the Frontiers With MicroRNA Drugs

Seattle-based Groove Biopharma has nailed down another $6 million in venture capital to continue its quest to create a class of drugs that work unlike anything else on the market today. Groove, the microRNA drug developer founded at the Seattle-based Accelerator in 2008, has secured its Series B financing from the same investors who put … Continue reading “Groove Biopharma Snags $6M to Push the Frontiers With MicroRNA Drugs”

Curisma Beckons Consumers to Find Cool Tech, Go Gadget Shopping

Gadget girl walks in carrying a red umbrella. It’s not just any red umbrella, though. This one is a “blunt” umbrella. It has round tips, instead of pointy ones, so you don’t poke people in the eye as you walk down a crowded street. It also has what looks like a special tensioning system along … Continue reading “Curisma Beckons Consumers to Find Cool Tech, Go Gadget Shopping”

LiveWire Mobile Receives $1,465,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cb29d475-743a-4cb9-a2ae-f9ab44e0bd25&Preview=1 Date 12/12/2011 Company Name LiveWire Mobile Mailing Address One Monarch Drive Littleton, MA 01460 Company Description LiveWire Mobile, a division of NMS Communications, is redefining mobile personalization with a suite of caller, message and subscriber services designed to empower your customers and fuel the success of your business. Our breakthrough services … Continue reading “LiveWire Mobile Receives $1,465,000 New Financing”

Groove Biopharma Receives $8,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2f58b2c1-ec86-4ba7-bcd8-1a4a7a0b03ab&Preview=1 Date 12/12/2011 Company Name Groove Biopharma Mailing Address 161 Eastlake Avenue E. Seattle, WA 98102 Company Description Groove Biopharma focuses on the generation of novel microRNA (miRNA) therapeutics with improved properties, including higher potency and enhanced pharmacodynamic activity. Endogenous microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in extensive regulatory networks for many target genes … Continue reading “Groove Biopharma Receives $8,000,000 Series B Financing”

Tigo Energy Secures $18,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=720f5412-49e1-4bd5-b1e2-1db5e0bc2249&Preview=1 Date 12/12/2011 Company Name Tigo Energy Mailing Address 420 Blossom Hill Road Los Gatos, CA 95032 Company Description Tigo Energy increases output power, up-time, and reliability on existing and new solar installations, resulting in a faster return on investment and lower cost of ownership. Working with energy service providers, panel manufacturers … Continue reading “Tigo Energy Secures $18,000,000 New Funding”