The Federal Communications Commission gave AT&T and T-Mobile USA a little kick on the way out the door today, releasing its staff report on the companies’ proposed $39 billion merger. AT&T and T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom pulled their merger application last week (on Thanksgiving!), choosing instead to focus their regulatory fight where it really matters—the … Continue reading “FCC Report on AT&T + T-Mo Deal: Sorry, We’re Not Buying It”
BarkBox, Led by Uber and Meetup Veterans, Bites Into Curated Gifts for Dogs
BarkBox in New York launched its website today ready to ship monthly boxes of new toys and treats to dog lovers who want to pamper their four-legged companions. Co-founder Carly Strife says subscribers will receive, for a fee, well-designed, curated products chosen by BarkBox. Though not affiliated with cosmetics sample service Birchbox, also in New … Continue reading “BarkBox, Led by Uber and Meetup Veterans, Bites Into Curated Gifts for Dogs”
Fresh Off Amira Success, Versant’s Bolzon and San Diego’s Prasit Begin Anew with Inception
Last year’s blockbuster film “Inception,” was about a dream within a dream within a dream, which made it a little hard to follow. Likewise with “Inception,” the San Diego life sciences startup that was founded earlier this year by Versant Ventures’ Brad Bolzon and Peppi Prasit, the former co-founder and chief scientific officer at San … Continue reading “Fresh Off Amira Success, Versant’s Bolzon and San Diego’s Prasit Begin Anew with Inception”
Get Satisfaction Makes Customer Support Less Robotic-And More Strategic
Get Satisfaction, the San Francisco-based builder of freemium online customer support communities, has one of those longest-overnight-success-ever stories. Founded in 2007 by Thor Muller, Amy Muller, and Lane Becker, the company has had at least a couple of brushes with death on its way to finding thousands of customers and $21 million in venture capital. … Continue reading “Get Satisfaction Makes Customer Support Less Robotic-And More Strategic”
MSU Bioeconomy Institute Snags State and Federal Funding For Proof of Concept Center
The Michigan State University Bioeconomy Institute in Holland, MI announced earlier this month that, in an effort to establish a cluster of biotech businesses, it is the recipient of more than $1 million in grants: $580,000 from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration and $500,000 from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The grants will … Continue reading “MSU Bioeconomy Institute Snags State and Federal Funding For Proof of Concept Center”
A Computer That Knows How You Feel? See Roz Picard’s Affectiva Demo at 6×6 Thursday
Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and behold…the eighth wonder of the world. No, not King Kong, I’m afraid. But how about a computer that can read and interpret human emotions and mental states? That would be from Affectiva, a Boston-area startup co-founded by Roz Picard, a 20-year veteran of the MIT Media Lab. Picard … Continue reading “A Computer That Knows How You Feel? See Roz Picard’s Affectiva Demo at 6×6 Thursday”
Clean Energy Principles and the Solar Value Chain
Even with a market capitalization of $4.5 billion (and growing), many modern solar projects fail because of a lack of industry know-how and bad choices. Why does this happen? Over the last 20 years, the solar industry has gone from simple to complex. It is now composed of innovative technologies, multifaceted strategies, elaborate financing models, … Continue reading “Clean Energy Principles and the Solar Value Chain”
Infinity Pharmaceuticals Snags $50M Extension From Mundipharma
Cambridge, MA-based Infinity Pharmaceuticals has found a way to secure more than $50 million for its R&D programs, through an extension of its partnership with Mundipharma. Infinity (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INFI]]) said today that Mundipharma has committed more than $50 million in 2013 to the development of drug candidates from Infinity’s pipeline, including IPI-145, a molecule designed … Continue reading “Infinity Pharmaceuticals Snags $50M Extension From Mundipharma”
VMTurbo Revs Up With $10M More from Bain, Highland
Waltham, MA-based VMTurbo, a maker of virtualization management software, said today it has closed $10 million in Series B financing led by previous investors Bain Capital Ventures and Highland Capital Partners. The company says it will use the new money to expand its product development, customer support, sales, and marketing. It has raised $17.5 million … Continue reading “VMTurbo Revs Up With $10M More from Bain, Highland”
NYeC Digital Health Conference
The New York eHealth Collaborative presents two days of educational sessions, technology showcases, and networking for private companies, health plans, hospital administrators and other stakeholders in health IT. The event will feature keynote speakers Todd Park, CTO, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and T.R. Reid, journalist and author from The Washington Post. Register … Continue reading “NYeC Digital Health Conference”
Skyhook and Symantec Team Up on Anti-Theft Service for Devices
Anti-theft technology for mobile devices just got smarter. Boston-based Skyhook Wireless announced today that its location-finding software has been deployed by Mountain View, CA-based Symantec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SYMC]]) in its new Norton Anti-Theft Web service. Financial details weren’t given, but the arrangement will put Skyhook’s software on more devices over a broader range of applications—namely, security. … Continue reading “Skyhook and Symantec Team Up on Anti-Theft Service for Devices”
Mobile Madness NW: the Big Agenda and Your Last Chance to Save on Tickets
From innovative games and e-commerce platforms to operating systems and cloud infrastructure—not to mention the networks that keep all that data flowing—innovators in the Pacific Northwest stand at the intersection of nearly every powerful force in mobile computing. That’s why we’re so excited for our next big Seattle tech event, Mobile Madness Northwest, coming up … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NW: the Big Agenda and Your Last Chance to Save on Tickets”
EZBZ in Talks for Seed Funding Less than One Month after Launch
Shana Schlossberg believes her startup, EZBZ in New York, can help small businesses reach customers at the moment they are needed most. With its Web portal that launched on Nov. 8, EZBZ lets consumers post requests for goods and professional services that rival businesses make competing bids on as potential providers. Thus far, EZBZ is … Continue reading “EZBZ in Talks for Seed Funding Less than One Month after Launch”
Alkermes Spinoff, Civitas, Gets Michael J. Fox Support for Inhalable Parkinson’s Drug
For decades, people with Parkinson’s disease have been taking L-dopa pills to keep symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease under control. But now the Michael J. Fox Foundation is betting that a new form of the drug can be inhaled into the lungs to provide fast relief when the old standby isn’t getting the job done. … Continue reading “Alkermes Spinoff, Civitas, Gets Michael J. Fox Support for Inhalable Parkinson’s Drug”
Some Notes on Immunex
I received a call from Steve Duzan in the spring of 1981 saying that he had been offered the position of CEO of a new company, Immunex. If he accepted, he wanted to know if I would be willing to be outside legal counsel. He briefly told me that Immunex was a biotech company being … Continue reading “Some Notes on Immunex”
Innovative Financing Models for Early Stage Companies
In one of history’s most difficult financial environments, early-stage companies must look at new ways to secure funding. Connect has invited two speakers for this event. Jeff Stein, president and CEO of Trius Therapeutics, will provide a special case study that examines the series of financing mechanisms used to build Trius from its inception 2007 … Continue reading “Innovative Financing Models for Early Stage Companies”
Nanigans Aims to Offer Up-to-Minute Insight for Facebook Ad Campaigns
Serial entrepreneur Ric Calvillo had planned to stay away from enterprise customers with his newest venture. He’s now CEO of Nanigans, a Boston-based startup that offers a Facebook advertising platform for enterprise customers with a couple thousand dollars to spend a day on online ads. Oops. “We’re scaling right now with large accounts,” he says. … Continue reading “Nanigans Aims to Offer Up-to-Minute Insight for Facebook Ad Campaigns”
ChoiceStream Lands $8,678,886 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d5121204-15f1-430a-a933-ca9d5e61e95b&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2011 Company Name ChoiceStream Mailing Address One Charles Park Sixth Floor Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description ChoiceStream develops personalization solutions for online consumer services, search services, e-retailers and iTV providers. Relied on by the world’s largest online services providers, including AOL, ChoiceStream’s patent-pending technology helps companies increase customer retention and … Continue reading “ChoiceStream Lands $8,678,886 New Funding Round”
MedicalRecords.com Garners $500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d4dbf4d3-826a-48c0-9f57-f00f62a6cab2&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2011 Company Name MedicalRecords.com Mailing Address 84 Hamilton Street Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description Medicalrecords.com is a private company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts helping to organize the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) market. The company was founded in early 2010 after the passing of The Health Information Technology for Economic and … Continue reading “MedicalRecords.com Garners $500,000 New Round”
IlluminOss Medical Lands $4,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=059958b7-f819-418a-a682-f362d981ce53&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2011 Company Name IlluminOss Medical Mailing Address 993 Waterman Avenue East Providence, RI 02914 Company Description The company is a medical device startup developing technologies for orthopedic surgery applications. Website http://www.illuminossmedical.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $4,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. … Continue reading “IlluminOss Medical Lands $4,000,000 New Financing Round”
Puppet Labs Receives $8,500,000 Series C Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1628eb0b-4cbe-4697-b66a-6aa0a1351837&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2011 Company Name Puppet Labs Mailing Address Undisclosed Portland, OR 97201 Company Description Puppet Labs provides next-gen IT automation, enabling IT organizations to manage infrastructure as code so they can provide higher service levels with less staff. Reductive Lab’s flagship offering, Puppet, significantly improves the automation and management of IT … Continue reading “Puppet Labs Receives $8,500,000 Series C Funding Round”
Soasta Garners $7,999,996 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=797db228-31f5-4f09-860d-9ec88d357b76&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2011 Company Name Soasta Mailing Address 444 Castro St. Sixth Floor Mountain View, CA 94041 Company Description The world is changing. Everything in enterprise software is moving to the Web. The economic advantages of browser software delivery (no installs, instant availability everywhere, updates applied centrally) create great demand for this … Continue reading “Soasta Garners $7,999,996 New Financing Round”
Soraa Receives $88,601,011 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=68695b4d-38a0-4814-a8ee-bdd4e06b6787&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2011 Company Name Soraa Mailing Address 6500 Kaiser Dr. Fremont, CA 94555 Company Description Soraa is a rapidly expanding semiconductor CleanTech company. Leveraging fundamental materials advances, Soraa is commercializing energy saving products. Website http://www.soraa.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $88,601,011 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “Soraa Receives $88,601,011 Series B Financing Round”
Plastyc Garners $1,262,500 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ce14ad9e-56b2-4206-bb7c-c6a3f50b828f&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2011 Company Name Plastyc Mailing Address 55 Broad Street 23rd Floor New York, NY 10004 Company Description Plastyc Inc. is a privately held US corporation with a principal office in New York. Our mission is to collaborate with parents and merchants in offering teenagers state-of-the-art payment and commerce-assistance services that … Continue reading “Plastyc Garners $1,262,500 New Funding Round”
VMTurbo Lands $10,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b85aa11c-8143-4706-9c6a-12f19c902de1&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2011 Company Name VMTurbo Mailing Address 275 Wyman Street Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description VMTurbo is the only solution that enables the IT agility required to address the continuously fluctuating demands of today’s data centers. Website http://www.vmturbo.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “VMTurbo Lands $10,000,000 Series B Funding”
WorkForce Software Garners $17,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8c295bad-6d91-4008-8991-2d29c789945a&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2011 Company Name WorkForce Software Mailing Address 38705 Seven Mile Road Livonia, MI 48152 Company Description WorkForce Software, Inc. is a leader in workforce management software and time and attendance systems for mid-sized and large employers. Website http://www.workforcesoftware.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $17,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds … Continue reading “WorkForce Software Garners $17,000,000 Series A Funding”
Scripted.com Garners $700,000 Seed Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=638b15d6-60e1-4d52-be54-f62af6f90585&Preview=1 Date 11/29/2011 Company Name Scripted.com Mailing Address 90 Alhambra Street San Francisco, CA 94123 Company Description At Scripted.com, we hang our hat on imagination, and we believe that when it comes to grabbing the public’s attention and holding it, what you say is second only to how you say it. And … Continue reading “Scripted.com Garners $700,000 Seed Funding Round”
What the Public Should Know About Clinical Trials
Georgia Robins Sadler, Associate Director for Community Outreach at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center and Clinical Professor in the UCSD Department of Surgery, will discuss how community awareness of clinical trials plays a role in advancing medical discoveries. Sadler will talk cover what every person needs to know about research methods, participation in research studies, … Continue reading “What the Public Should Know About Clinical Trials”
San Diego Biotechnology Network’s Third Anniversary Party
The San Diego Biotechnology Network (SDBN), which held its first networking event for local biotech professionals in November, 2008, is holding its third anniversary party and networking event at the Green Flash tasting room in Mira Mesa. Beer is biochemistry, and two of the craft brewery’s founders worked at Invitrogen back in the day. Some … Continue reading “San Diego Biotechnology Network’s Third Anniversary Party”
Business Briefing: Big Changes Coming to the U.S. Patent System
Fish & Richardson principals Todd Garcia, Teresa Lavoie, and Gwilym Attwell will explore the implications of the America Invents Act (AIA) on patent validity challenges and patent portfolio management strategies. The AIA is a U.S. law that was passed by Congress and was signed into law by President Obama on Sept. 16. The law represents … Continue reading “Business Briefing: Big Changes Coming to the U.S. Patent System”
After Thanksgiving Flareup, AT&T and T-Mobile Endgame Unchanged
While most of us were sleeping off the effects off too much turkey and pumpkin pie, AT&T and federal regulators were engaging in a very public spat over Ma Bell’s $39 billion bid for T-Mobile USA. But now that things have simmered down a bit, it actually looks like the prospects for this deal haven’t changed … Continue reading “After Thanksgiving Flareup, AT&T and T-Mobile Endgame Unchanged”
Ruling Ends Core Patent Dispute Between Cross-Town Rivals, SkinMedica and Histogen
A federal court ruling issued before the Thanksgiving holiday appears likely to end nearly three years of patent litigation between Histogen, a San Diego regenerative medicine startup, and Carlsbad, CA-based SkinMedica, which provides cosmetics and skin-care products. “We are happy to now have this matter officially behind us,” Histogen founder and CEO Gail Naughton says … Continue reading “Ruling Ends Core Patent Dispute Between Cross-Town Rivals, SkinMedica and Histogen”
The Xconomy Report on WGBH: $10M for RunKeeper, Wolfram at Thursday’s 6×6 Event, & More
Xconomy continues its partnership with WGBH to bring you the latest and greatest in news from Boston’s innovation community. Have a listen to find out about software that may help you work off that Thanksgiving feast, investments in companies that make high-power lasers and plant-harvesting robots, and the Xconomy quote of the week. Plus, get … Continue reading “The Xconomy Report on WGBH: $10M for RunKeeper, Wolfram at Thursday’s 6×6 Event, & More”
CALBIO2012
From the event site: “Successful life sciences companies integrate patient needs into all aspects of their company strategy. From their business plan and funding, to their research and development, to clinical trials and reimbursement models, the patient-driven approach accelerates the advancement of innovative treatments. CALBIO2012 is a statewide conference produced by BayBio and BIOCOM that … Continue reading “CALBIO2012”
Autodesk Labs Builds Tools for Capturing Reality—And Improving On It
If you had to boil down Autodesk‘s business to a few simple words, it might be “helping people create new realities”—whether that means constructing new objects or structures first envisioned on the company’s computer-aided design (CAD) programs or generating new Avatar-like movie worlds using its modeling and animation software. But increasingly, the first step in … Continue reading “Autodesk Labs Builds Tools for Capturing Reality—And Improving On It”
CEED Microloan Orientation
In today’s economic climate, many companies face a shortage of capital. Come to this meeting to learn more about microlending, an alternative funding strategy. Click here for details and registration.
BioArbor: Pitching to Venture Capitalists
A group of investors and Accuri Cryometers officials will re-enact the pitch presentation they gave in 2007 . The audience will have the opportunity to interrupt the pitch at any time to ask questions. To register, click here.
Breakfast Seminar: Sustainability: Don’t Market to Key Audiences- Motivate Them!
Speakers from Philips Electronics, Practically Green, Partners Healthcare, and Raytheon will make up the panel at this event. They’ll talk about how companies can use sustainability to improve their standing with customers and employees. Register here.
Media Roundtable: Xconomy on GeekWire Radio
I had a great time on the latest edition of the GeekWire podcast and radio show, the regular program produced by KIRO-FM featuring longtime Seattle technology journalists Todd Bishop and John Cook. We talked about the local tech beat, and what I’ve noticed as a reporter making the transition from my previous gig covering politics … Continue reading “Media Roundtable: Xconomy on GeekWire Radio”
Rib-X Pharma Files for IPO
New Haven, CT-based Rib-X Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has filed a registration statement with the SEC for an initial public offering. The company, which is developing antibiotics, has yet to determine the number of shares it will offer or the price range. Deutsche Bank Securities will manage the offering, with assistance from William Blair … Continue reading “Rib-X Pharma Files for IPO”
Mellmo Expands, Larry Smarr Talks Health, & More San Diego BizTech News
Contrary to what you might expect, the pace of tech news out of San Diego didn’t slow down much before the Thanksgiving Holiday. We still managed to round it all up, though, and our briefing begins here. —As director of the UC system’s California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (CalIT2), Larry Smarr is an … Continue reading “Mellmo Expands, Larry Smarr Talks Health, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Social Passport Goes After Retailers and Consumers with Its Own Take on Loyalty Cards and Deals
New York’s Social Passport wants to appeal to retailers and restaurateurs who are not quite sold on the other check-in deal programs on the market. CEO David Merel founded the startup last December and brought his company’s technology out of beta this October. Thus far Social Passport has raised some $350,000 from angel investors, and … Continue reading “Social Passport Goes After Retailers and Consumers with Its Own Take on Loyalty Cards and Deals”
MedicalRecords.com Looks to Cash In on Health Software “Gold Rush”
What exactly is MedicalRecords.com? A health database? A doctors’ community? An encyclopedia site? Not exactly. It’s a lead generation startup for the electronic medical records sector. Sound boring or cryptic? Here’s why it’s not. The U.S. government set aside about $27 billion through 2009’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to incentivize doctors to move patient … Continue reading “MedicalRecords.com Looks to Cash In on Health Software “Gold Rush””
Cracking the Entrepreneur Code
[Editor’s Note: This article is a lightly edited transcript of a talk delivered by Ryan Howard, founder and CEO of Practice Fusion, at Morgenthaler Ventures’ DC to VC Healthcare IT Showcase on September 22, 2011.] At Practice Fusion, it took us three years to get to our first million dollars in revenue. Electronic health records … Continue reading “Cracking the Entrepreneur Code”
Five Lessons Immunex Taught Me
What happens when a biotech company disappears? We think that the Web remembers everything. Do a search on Wikipedia for Immunex and you get Amgen, with little mention of Immunex at all. The results of over 500 publications and several thousand employees over 20 years are pretty much invisible on the largest collection of facts … Continue reading “Five Lessons Immunex Taught Me”
Versant Ventures’ Partner Cuts Back on Biotech Work to Spend Time With Family. For Real
You learn early in journalism that when a business leader says he or she is resigning to “spend more time with family,” it’s usually baloney. Maybe they clashed with colleagues, got a better job somewhere else, or are bailing out from a sinking ship. The shades of gray are rarely discussed publicly. Yet Versant Ventures’ … Continue reading “Versant Ventures’ Partner Cuts Back on Biotech Work to Spend Time With Family. For Real”
AppBoy Secures $1,000,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a93e0d83-03a8-4840-b281-52e4accf890f&Preview=1 Date 11/28/2011 Company Name AppBoy Mailing Address One Little West 12th New York, NY 10014 Company Description Appboy is an SDK and web offering that enhances mobile apps to help developers expand, engage and understand their user base. Website http://www.appboy.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,000,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds … Continue reading “AppBoy Secures $1,000,000 Seed Funding”
Sweety High Lands $4,500,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c9e86050-da27-45ba-aa98-ce349e6d556d&Preview=1 Date 11/28/2011 Company Name Sweety High Mailing Address Undisclosed Los Angeles, CA 90049 Company Description Sweety High is the next generation of social game for girls. We reward our users creativity with virtual currency that can be used to win exclusive real world prizes and one-of-a-kind opportunities. Website http://www.sweetyhigh.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Sweety High Lands $4,500,000 New Financing”
StyleCaster Lands $1,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=75228b3f-e67c-458c-a64c-19c5cf2d186c&Preview=1 Date 11/28/2011 Company Name StyleCaster Mailing Address 49 West 27th Street Studio A New York, NY 10003 Company Description The StyleCaster experience is uniquely tailored to each individual’s style DNA. With every click, StyleCaster learns about the products, news, and events that its members like. Website http://www.stylecaster.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “StyleCaster Lands $1,000,000 New Funding”
Radius Health Lands $27,650,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6030860e-ad1b-4da4-b26f-44cad1ea04b1&Preview=1 Date 11/25/2011 Company Name Radius Health Mailing Address 201 Broadway 6th floor Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description Radius is a leading company in the discovery and development of a new generation of drug therapies for osteoporosis and women’s health. Website http://www.radiuspharm.com Transaction Type Debt, Venture Equity Transaction Amount $27,650,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Radius Health Lands $27,650,000 New Round”