Buyouts, Quantified Health, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

In the news since the Thanksgiving holiday, we’ve had a fascinating bit of biomedical research from Internet guru Larry Smarr, a criminal conviction, and an extended Q&A with Eli Lilly CEO John Lechleiter. Your life sciences briefing begins now. —Under fierce competition in the market for gene expression microarray tests, Santa Clara-based Affymetrix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AFFX]]) … Continue reading “Buyouts, Quantified Health, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

WorkForce Software Raises $17 Million in Series A, Mezzanine Funding

Livonia, MI-based WorkForce Software recently announced it has raised $17 million in Series A and mezzanine funding. The round of funding came from Los Angeles-based K1 Capital and Raleigh, NC-based Triangle Capital, and is a combination of Series A funding ($5 million) and mezzanine funding ($12 million). The company was founded in 1999 by three Michigan natives … Continue reading “WorkForce Software Raises $17 Million in Series A, Mezzanine Funding”

Seattle Genetics Sees Case of PML, Causing Market Twitch

Seattle Genetics has had a bit of a dust-up today in the stock market, as investors have been seeking to make sense of a second case of a dangerous adverse event seen in a patient on the company’s new lymphoma drug. Shares of the company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) dipped almost 6 percent early in the day, … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Sees Case of PML, Causing Market Twitch”

Jive, Solaria, Awe.sm: Bay Area Biztech News by the Numbers

It’s been a while since our last data-driven news roundup of Bay Area business and technology news. Here are some of the choicest tidbits from the last few days, from biggest to smallest: $134.6 million—The amount that San Francisco- and Portland, OR-based Jive Software hopes to raise in its upcoming IPO, according to a regulatory … Continue reading “Jive, Solaria, Awe.sm: Bay Area Biztech News by the Numbers”

Clearwire Gets $1.6B from Sprint, Makes Debt Payment

Financially troubled wireless provider Clearwire and majority shareholder Sprint are keeping their seemingly reluctant partnership alive today, announcing a new injection of up to $1.6 billion from Sprint for current and future network capacity, along with possible equity sales. The move allows Kirkland, WA-based Clearwire to make a $237 million debt payment due today—a bill … Continue reading “Clearwire Gets $1.6B from Sprint, Makes Debt Payment”

Qualcomm Picks Up Pixtronix

Pixtronix, an Andover, MA-based maker of low-power displays, has been acquired by San Diego tech giant Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]), according to Scott Kirsner’s Innovation Economy blog. Terms of the purchase weren’t disclosed, but the report cites a price range of $175-200 million, based on sources close to the deal. A source of mine confirmed the … Continue reading “Qualcomm Picks Up Pixtronix”

Xconomist of the Week: 5 Questions with Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle

November was a big month for news in the algae-based biofuels sector. On November 7, roughly four months after renewable fuels were approved for use in commercial aviation, United Airlines flew passengers from Houston to Chicago aboard a Boeing 737-800 powered by a mixture of algae-based jet fuel and conventional, petroleum-based fuel. Two days later, … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: 5 Questions with Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle”

Regeneron Debuts Eye Drug, as Rivals Race to Grab Share of Hot Market

The folks at Regeneron (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]) had plenty to be thankful for the Friday before Thanksgiving, when late in the day, the FDA approved aflibercept (Eylea), the Tarrytown, NY-based biotech company’s drug to treat age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in elderly people. It was a happy ending to a long and sometimes frustrating … Continue reading “Regeneron Debuts Eye Drug, as Rivals Race to Grab Share of Hot Market”

Genentech Looks to Turn the Page at Breast Cancer Confab

Genentech was at the center of controversy over the past year in the breast cancer world because of an argument about one of its top-selling antibody drugs. But now the biotech giant is hoping that a new antibody in the pipeline will get people talking again about clear-cut medical progress. The South San Francisco-based unit … Continue reading “Genentech Looks to Turn the Page at Breast Cancer Confab”

Xconomy’s 6X6 Big Tech Ideas Forum This Afternoon: 5 Tickets Left

A mini-invasion of tech companies hits Boston today. The clock is counting down for 6×6: Six Cities, Six Big Tech Ideas, Xconomy’s forum this afternoon that features one cool tech company from each of the six cities in our network. The legendary computer scientist Stephen Wolfram, creator of Mathematica and Wolfram|Alpha, kicks things off with … Continue reading “Xconomy’s 6X6 Big Tech Ideas Forum This Afternoon: 5 Tickets Left”

Kogeto Brings Panoramic Video to iPhones With Its Dot iCONIC Lenses

User-generated videos are getting a new perspective, thanks to Kogeto’s Dot, a lens attachment that lets the iPhone 4 family of smartphones shoot panoramic footage. Jeff Glasse, founder and CEO of New York-based Kogeto has been busy in his offices in the Soho neighborhood developing what he calls an “ecosystem” for users to share videos … Continue reading “Kogeto Brings Panoramic Video to iPhones With Its Dot iCONIC Lenses”

Game Lab, From Bocoup and Atlas, Looks to Fund Open Web Game Developers

Big video games studios are a bit old school, with everything from game design, production, execution, and financing done in house, says Boaz Sender, a JavaScript programmer at the Boston-based Web consulting firm Bocoup. But they’re about to go the way that the old Hollywood movie studios did, he says, by outsourcing many of the … Continue reading “Game Lab, From Bocoup and Atlas, Looks to Fund Open Web Game Developers”

Harvard Bioscience Tool Used in First Transplants of Synthetic Tracheae

How does a 110-year-old medical device company end up on the cutting edge of regenerative medicine? The answer: A little innovation and a lot of persistence. That formula paid off this week for Holliston, MA-based Harvard Bioscience (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HBIO]]). On Monday, the company announced that a product it makes called the InBreath Bioreactor was featured … Continue reading “Harvard Bioscience Tool Used in First Transplants of Synthetic Tracheae”

Qualcomm Acquires Pixtronix for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a2daeb0a-3a3d-4c3a-8a72-b0ddbf63f9ad&Preview=1 Date 12/1/2011 Company Name Pixtronix Mailing Address 100 Burtt Road Andover, MA 01810 Company Description Pixtronix is an emerging display company developing portable display technology optimized specifically for mobile multimedia devices. The Pixtronix mission is to develop, manufacture, and market the world’s highest optical performance, lowest power consumption display modules. Website … Continue reading “Qualcomm Acquires Pixtronix for Undisclosed Sum”

Burstly Lands $5,500,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=95bb42b7-7875-41ba-a5cf-78175c7d4fb0&Preview=1 Date 12/1/2011 Company Name Burstly Mailing Address Undisclosed Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 Company Description Burstly is commited to providing the best platform for mobile developers to maximize both their marketing and revenue opportunities. We believe the first step to achieving this goal is to empower developers with the tools and data … Continue reading “Burstly Lands $5,500,000 Series B Financing”

Academia.edu Secures $4,500,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0c99b267-a57c-4b12-a989-a026e3e6fb0e&Preview=1 Date 12/1/2011 Company Name Academia.edu Mailing Address 251 Kearny Street San Francisco, CA 94104 Company Description Academia.edu is a social sharing site for academic researchers. Website http://www.academia.edu Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,500,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Specific proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Spark … Continue reading “Academia.edu Secures $4,500,000 Series B Financing”

Inform Genomics Receives New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=15e52c03-cddb-42db-b005-153a33f1ac04&Preview=1 Date 12/1/2011 Company Name Inform Genomics Mailing Address 75 State Street 9th Floor Boston, MA 02110 Company Description Our vision is to transform individual patient care & drug development with our predictive pharmacogenomic platform of products. Website http://www.informgenomics.net Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Inform … Continue reading “Inform Genomics Receives New Round”

HealthRally Garners $400,000 Seed Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c880aee5-2b72-4835-bb2a-112176675046&Preview=1 Date 12/1/2011 Company Name HealthRally Mailing Address Undisclosed San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description HealthRally helps friends motivate one another to reach important goals with exciting rewards. Website http://www.healthrally.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $400,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed

Miso Secures $4,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=016159d0-574d-4d87-8994-1c380cecefed&Preview=1 Date 12/1/2011 Company Name Miso Mailing Address 580 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description Miso is a social TV platform that makes watching TV more fun. The Miso team is located in San Francisco at 580 Howard Street in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco. Website http://www.gomiso.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Miso Secures $4,000,000 New Funding”

Awe.sm Receives $4,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1a28ceca-8e34-4821-9ce3-9654de121dcc&Preview=1 Date 12/1/2011 Company Name Awe.sm Mailing Address 2601 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94110 Company Description awe.sm is the leading platform for companies to harness social data. We measure how social marketing, like Facebook posts and Twitter updates, lead to meaningful outcomes, like signups, purchases, and other business goals. Website http://www.totally.awe.sm … Continue reading “Awe.sm Receives $4,000,000 Series A Funding”

Sociocast Lands $1,500,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8da4d770-eae7-4fe0-82fe-d84bd92f16e2&Preview=1 Date 12/1/2011 Company Name Sociocast Mailing Address 49 West 27th St 6th Floor New York, NY 10001 Company Description Sociocast delivers the most predictive real-time audience data available on the market today. We help content companies better define and become more relevant to their audiences – and enable them to quickly … Continue reading “Sociocast Lands $1,500,000 New Round”

So That’s What Wavii is Up To: “Making Facebook out of Google”

Seattle startup Wavii, previously seen taking the concept of “stealth mode” to extreme lengths, is letting slip more details about the product it’s been building for these many quiet months. In a pair of blog posts today, the startup says it’s using machine learning to sort content from across the Web into feeds—as they say … Continue reading “So That’s What Wavii is Up To: “Making Facebook out of Google””

A123 Lays Off 125 Staff at Michigan Plants

Waltham, MA-based A123 Systems (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AONE]]), the lithium-ion battery maker, has laid off about 125 employees at its manufacturing facilities in Livonia and Romulus, MI. The news originally broke the week of Thanksgiving and was reported by media outlets including the Observer & Eccentric and Crain’s Detroit Business. The layoffs are apparently the result of … Continue reading “A123 Lays Off 125 Staff at Michigan Plants”

Amazon Admits it: Collecting Sales Taxes Not So Hard Anymore

In the long-running debate over online sales tax laws, one of the most laughable ideas has been that calculating sales tax rates all over the country is somehow a difficult job for big e-commerce companies like Amazon.com. You know, the same company that adds enough servers every single weekday to run a circa-2000 version of … Continue reading “Amazon Admits it: Collecting Sales Taxes Not So Hard Anymore”

Healthline Battles WebMD with Personalized Medical Search Tools, Body Maps

“Marcus Welby is dead.” So says West Shell, the CEO of San Francisco-based Healthline. Not that Dr. Welby was ever actually alive—the fictional physician, played by Robert Young, made house calls for ABC TV from 1969 to 1976. But Shell’s point is that few people these days have a family physician like Welby to whom … Continue reading “Healthline Battles WebMD with Personalized Medical Search Tools, Body Maps”

enterpriseSeattle’s 40th Annual Economic Forecast Conference

enterpriseSeattle will host its 40th annual Economic Forecast Conference on January 12. Dick Conway of the Puget Sound Economic Forecaster, Ken Goldstein of the Conference Board, and Michael Dueker, the head of North American investments for Russell Investments, will be the featured speakers. For more information, click here.

Cheers and Jeers: National Surveys Find Southeast Michigan Sad, Booming, Smart

Another day, another (wholly unscientific) survey from Men’s Health indicating Detroit is a crappy place to live. This time, they’ve named the Motor City the second saddest city in the United States; in August, the lad mag skewered residents of our fair city for not buying iPads fast enough. This time around, they’ve created their … Continue reading “Cheers and Jeers: National Surveys Find Southeast Michigan Sad, Booming, Smart”

Investor Feedback Forum and Pitch Showdown

Ultra Light Startups presents and evening of pitches and networking. Featured companies include Taap.it, Resoomay, and Brainscape. Panelists include Greg Cangialosi, CEO at Nucleus Ventures, Owen Davis, managing director at NYC Seed, Nihal Mehta, general partner at ENIAC Ventures, and Marc Michel, managing partner at Metamophic Ventures. Register here.

Spiral Genetics, Started by UW Classmates, Looks to Crunch DNA Data in New Way

DNA data is piling up on servers and hard drives near you, and scientists are struggling to sort through it all as genome sequencing keeps getting faster and cheaper. Seattle-based Spiral Genetics is the latest startup in town with ambitions to help relieve some of the IT pain that biomedical scientists are feeling. Spiral was … Continue reading “Spiral Genetics, Started by UW Classmates, Looks to Crunch DNA Data in New Way”

You’ll Be Dead Soon-Carpe Diem

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. —Steve Jobs Watching an … Continue reading “You’ll Be Dead Soon-Carpe Diem”

Startups and VCs to Gather for Xconomy’s New York Venture Emergence Forum

Silicon Valley may get the lion’s share of attention when it comes to tech and biotech startups, but as has been clear since well before we launched Xconomy New York in April, the Big Apple has plenty to brag about, too. Take, for example, Gilt Groupe, the fashion e-commerce site that has raised more than … Continue reading “Startups and VCs to Gather for Xconomy’s New York Venture Emergence Forum”

Affymetrix Pushes Into Diagnostics, Acquiring eBioscience for $330M

Gene chip pioneer Affymetrix is continuing its push into becoming more of a diagnostics player, through a sizable acquisition announced today. Santa Clara-based Affymetrix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AFFX]]) said today it has agreed to acquire San Diego-based eBioscience for $330 million in cash. Through this deal, Affymetrix is getting eBioscience’s flow cytometer instruments (which count cells in … Continue reading “Affymetrix Pushes Into Diagnostics, Acquiring eBioscience for $330M”

Roche Embraces Three-Way Rare-Disease Play With PTC and Patient Group

Yesterday, European drug giant Roche and South Plainfield, NJ-based PTC Therapeutics announced they had entered into a drug-development pact that could be worth as much as $490 million to PTC. Such alliances are nothing new, especially these days, when Big Pharma companies are increasingly looking towards their smaller rivals for innovations. But this deal is … Continue reading “Roche Embraces Three-Way Rare-Disease Play With PTC and Patient Group”

CircuLite Pulls in $30M for Heart Device

Saddle Brook, NJ-based CircuLite announced today that it has raised $30 million in an oversubscribed Series D financing round. The company said in a statement that it will use the proceeds to support the anticipated 2012 European launch of a device it dubs “the world’s smallest surgically implanted blood pump,” which is used to treat … Continue reading “CircuLite Pulls in $30M for Heart Device”

Retroficiency Reels In $3.3M, Buys Nexamp’s Energy Efficiency Division

A Boston cleantech-software startup is making some noise today in a burgeoning market. Retroficiency announced it has raised $3.32 million in new financing led by Point Judith Capital. As part of the deal, the startup has acquired the energy efficiency division of Nexamp, a North Andover, MA-based solar power producer that is also backed by … Continue reading “Retroficiency Reels In $3.3M, Buys Nexamp’s Energy Efficiency Division”

Rhapsody at 10 Years: Surviving Long Enough to Face a Herd of New Competitors

Being too early with a concept is one of the more frustrating ways that an entrepreneur can wind up going bust. But a decade after emerging as one of the original subscription music services in the U.S., Seattle’s Rhapsody is still around. That survivor story includes a pretty twisted ownership history, as Rhapsody evolved from … Continue reading “Rhapsody at 10 Years: Surviving Long Enough to Face a Herd of New Competitors”

Verdezyne Claims Milestone in Renewable Replacement of Petrochemical

When Verdezyne said last year it had made adipic acid in the laboratory, the Carlsbad, CA, industrial biotech said its eco-friendly fermentation process could make the valuable chemical for 20 percent less than it would cost a conventional petrochemical plant. Today, Verdezyne says it is now operating a pilot plant in Carlsbad that can make … Continue reading “Verdezyne Claims Milestone in Renewable Replacement of Petrochemical”

Rib-X, Skyhook, Michael J. Fox Foundation & More Boston-Area Deals News

The holiday weekend didn’t seem to slow New England deals making down. —MedicalRecords, a Cambridge, MA-based startup connecting doctors with sellers of health record software, is working on raising its first outside funding round. It’s got about 60 percent of a targeted $500,000 round committed, from investors like Ty Danco and Peter Bordes. —New Haven, … Continue reading “Rib-X, Skyhook, Michael J. Fox Foundation & More Boston-Area Deals News”

The Immunex Impact: What to Expect Tomorrow Night

We here at Xconomy are eagerly anticipating our biggest Seattle biotech event of the year: “The Immunex Impact.” We expect to pack the house tomorrow night at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, as more than 230 people have registered. There is still a little bit more room to squeeze a few more folks … Continue reading “The Immunex Impact: What to Expect Tomorrow Night”

Objective Logistics Moves to Cambridge, Gets $1.5M from Atlas and Google Ventures for Restaurant Tech

Phil Beauregard is hungry. His scrappy startup, Objective Logistics, is hungry, too. Good thing they are in the restaurant business. Actually, the truth is they want to turn the restaurant business upside down. But in a good way (if you believe them). OK, I’ve avoided the G-word for as long as possible. Beauregard and company … Continue reading “Objective Logistics Moves to Cambridge, Gets $1.5M from Atlas and Google Ventures for Restaurant Tech”

SepSensor Secures $1,005,123 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=989cb026-7dab-46a9-91fe-019dccdb4a03&Preview=1 Date 11/30/2011 Company Name SepSensor Mailing Address 257 Simarano Drive Northborough, MA 01752 Company Description SepSensor Inc. is a startup company employing low cost, patented sensing technologies for determining the depths of stratified liquid and solid layers in tanks. SepSensor probes are wireless and can be installed in both new and … Continue reading “SepSensor Secures $1,005,123 New Financing”

AcuFocus Lands $65,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b045fc46-7be2-48d2-8441-00a3f74de5ce&Preview=1 Date 11/30/2011 Company Name AcuFocus Mailing Address 32 Discovery Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description The company is developing a treatment for Presbyopia. The AcuFocus ACI 7000 is placed in your cornea (the eye’s outer layer). There, it sits securely without the use of sutures. All that is required for your comfort … Continue reading “AcuFocus Lands $65,000,000 New Funding Round”

Astute Networks Obtains $660,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f200943f-59d2-4ad8-a648-8c3f33dfc2a5&Preview=1 Date 11/30/2011 Company Name Astute Networks Mailing Address 16516 Via Esprillo San Diego, CA 92127 Company Description Astute Networks designs and markets intelligent silicon-based protocol acceleration technologies to OEM partners worldwide. Website http://www.astutenetworks.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $660,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory … Continue reading “Astute Networks Obtains $660,000 New Financing”

100Plus Obtains $750,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=959f0528-30e9-429a-a8c1-1aa3ef6a58f3&Preview=1 Date 11/30/2011 Company Name 100Plus Mailing Address Undisclosed San Francisco, CA 94123 Company Description 100Plus is a personalized health prediction startup using data analytics and game mechanics to show how small changes in behavior can lead to a longer and better life. Website http://www.100plus.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $750,000 … Continue reading “100Plus Obtains $750,000 Seed Funding Round”

Adobe Systems Acquires Efficient Frontier for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2f83f6e6-35fa-4fe6-bf1d-59da7e9fabdb&Preview=1 Date 11/30/2011 Company Name Efficient Frontier Mailing Address 809 Eleventh Avenue – Bldg 4 Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Company Description Efficient Frontier is the leading provider of paid search engine marketing (SEM) solutions. By combining technology based on Wall Street analytics with expert client services, Efficient Frontier reduces the complexity inherent in … Continue reading “Adobe Systems Acquires Efficient Frontier for Undisclosed Sum”

Objective Logistics Garners $1,500,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cdbf65bb-2155-4af2-82d6-1b06f6675032&Preview=1 Date 11/30/2011 Company Name Objective Logistics Mailing Address 195 Binney St Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description Objective Logistics is gamifying the workplace. We are a retail/restaurant-focused software company that provides an artificially-intelligent, web-accessible labor management platform (MUSE) scientifically proven to increase sales and save managers countless hours of precious time. Website … Continue reading “Objective Logistics Garners $1,500,000 New Financing”

Retroficiency Lands $3,300,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=196f7150-c37c-463b-83bb-c49748a7da65&Preview=1 Date 11/30/2011 Company Name Retroficiency Mailing Address 580 Harrison Ave Boston, MA 02118 Company Description Retroficiency reduces time and expense for ESCOs, facilities managers and other professionals in evaluating energy efficiency measures throughout the audit process. Website http://www.retroficiency.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,300,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Retroficiency Lands $3,300,000 New Round”

NewsCred Lands $4,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0e10629f-4f92-448b-8f8a-3ad9cee3dce4&Preview=1 Date 11/30/2011 Company Name NewsCred Mailing Address 27 W 24th Street New York, NY 10010 Company Description NewsCred is a New York based media company focused on creating a single platform for the world’s news. Website http://www.newscred.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “NewsCred Lands $4,000,000 Series A Funding”