From the event site: “Geo-Loco will dive into brand, advertiser and the location convergence in the context of the Social, Local and Mobile (SoLoMo) marketplace – and explore what it means for big brands, consumers, SMBs and the location industry. Learn from real-world successes in mobile-loco advertising, location platforms and more. Executives from Starbucks, Google, … Continue reading “Geo-Loco: The Future of Brands, Advertising, and Tech in the Location Revolution”
Sequenom Inaugurates New Diagnostic Test for Down Syndrome
San Diego-based Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]) says today it’s making a prenatal test for fetal Down syndrome available in 20 U.S. cities, 2 1/2 years after the company shelved the debut of an earlier Down syndrome test due to “mishandled” research data. The proprietary test announced today is a laboratory-developed test (LDT) that detects an abnormal … Continue reading “Sequenom Inaugurates New Diagnostic Test for Down Syndrome”
Mobile Madness NW: Xconomy and WTIA Join Forces for an All-Star Forum Dec. 6
The region that pioneered national wireless networks is at a turning point. Carriers are heading toward more consolidation, piling up tons of user data, and scrambling to build their next-generation networks. Microsoft is battling to be the vital third competitor in mobile operating systems, while Amazon stakes out its own device and cloud services ecosystem … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NW: Xconomy and WTIA Join Forces for an All-Star Forum Dec. 6”
Khosla, Sunpreme, Grockit: Bay Area BizTech News by the Numbers
Time for our periodic data-driven roundup of company news from the San Francisco and Silicon Valley tech world. $1.05 billion—The size of Khosla Ventures IV, the new investment fund closed last week by Khosla Ventures, the Menlo Park, CA-based investing firm founded by Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla. As with its first three funds, the firm … Continue reading “Khosla, Sunpreme, Grockit: Bay Area BizTech News by the Numbers”
The Latest Xconomy Report for WGBH: OvaScience, MassChallenge, and Care.com
Xconomy continues to team up with WGBH radio every Friday morning to bring you the Xconomy report, a weekly roundup of business, technology, and life science innovation news and how it’s impacting the local economy. Last week’s report highlighted new technology developed by OvaScience, as well as an update on the MassChallenge competition and a … Continue reading “The Latest Xconomy Report for WGBH: OvaScience, MassChallenge, and Care.com”
Video: Microsoft Research, CMU Take Covers off “OmniTouch” Touchscreen Projector
We got a look at one of Microsoft Research’s latest advanced-interface projects a few weeks back, during festivities for MSR’s 20th anniversary. The company actually prohibited anyone from taking images of one demo in particular, for a projected-touchscreen system called OmniTouch, just because the team was going to present it at an upcoming conference. Well, … Continue reading “Video: Microsoft Research, CMU Take Covers off “OmniTouch” Touchscreen Projector”
Chris Henney, the Immunex and Dendreon Mover/Shaker, Makes Biotech Hall of Fame
Christopher Henney, the immunologist who co-founded three of Seattle’s most successful biotech companies from the past 30 years, has made it into the industry’s Hall of Fame. Henney, 70, was given the Hall of Fame award for outstanding individual contributions to biotech at the annual Biotech CEO Meeting in Laguna Beach, CA. He’s currently the chairman … Continue reading “Chris Henney, the Immunex and Dendreon Mover/Shaker, Makes Biotech Hall of Fame”
Get Bigger! with Vinod Khosla
From the event website: “Microsoft and 106 Miles welcome Vinod Khosla to the Microsoft stage, where he’ll be holding a Q&A session with a few select start-ups. There is no charge for this event. Please arrive early so you can be accommodated in the auditorium which seats about 250. Late arrivals may be seated in … Continue reading “Get Bigger! with Vinod Khosla”
Crashlytics, Led by Chang and Seibert, Looks to Win the Wild West of Mobile Bug Reporting
Wayne Chang is a man of mystery. Everyone knows him, yet no one knows him. Even his LinkedIn picture is mysterious. He’s a big-time hacker but not a big talker. He has a handful of secret tech projects and investments going at any time. He’s also been involved in a major lawsuit with the Winklevoss … Continue reading “Crashlytics, Led by Chang and Seibert, Looks to Win the Wild West of Mobile Bug Reporting”
Consumers Still Reluctant to Plug In to Electric Vehicles, Expert Says
Last week, the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) hosted its third annual conference on electric plug-in vehicles, titled “The Business of Plugging In.” The event drew global leaders from the realms of automotives, technology, finance, government, and policy. This year’s conference was different, says Brett Smith, Co-Director of Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology for CAR, in … Continue reading “Consumers Still Reluctant to Plug In to Electric Vehicles, Expert Says”
Wireless Devices to Double by 2020, Overland Set for Turnaround, Ford Demos Wireless Health, & More San Diego BizTech News
Mobile technologies were the topic of the week as the wireless industry’s big enterprise & applications conference came to town. But we also had some interesting economic new, and our Xconomy week in review begins now. —The number of wireless-connected devices around the world will double by 2010, from roughly 12 billion to about 24 … Continue reading “Wireless Devices to Double by 2020, Overland Set for Turnaround, Ford Demos Wireless Health, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Marina Biotech Finds $15M From Investor to Keep Pursuing RNAi Drugs
Marina Biotech has found a way to extend its runway a little longer, by finding a single investor willing to pump in another $15 million. The Bothell, WA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]), the developer of RNA interference drugs, said today in a regulatory filing that Lincoln Park Capital Fund has agreed to invest as much as … Continue reading “Marina Biotech Finds $15M From Investor to Keep Pursuing RNAi Drugs”
Anadys Pharmaceuticals Surprises the Street, Gets Acquired by Roche for $230M
San Diego-based Anadys Pharmaceuticals was only valued at about $60 million yesterday by Wall Street, but it’s worth $230 million today. The developer of hepatitis C drugs (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ANDS]]) said today it has agreed to be acquired by pharmaceutical giant Roche for $3.70 a share, a 256 percent premium over its closing price of $1.04 … Continue reading “Anadys Pharmaceuticals Surprises the Street, Gets Acquired by Roche for $230M”
Putting Consumer Reviews to Work: PowerReviews Takes on Amazon, Looks to “Social Navigation” for E-Retailers
If you’re like me, you do a lot of research online before you make a big buying decision, and sometimes even before a small one. And you lean heavily on the reviews left by other shoppers. My favorite trick, when I’m zeroing in on a specific product, is to read all of the “1 star” … Continue reading “Putting Consumer Reviews to Work: PowerReviews Takes on Amazon, Looks to “Social Navigation” for E-Retailers”
World Energy Buys Northeast Energy, Moves Deeper Into Efficiency
Worcester, MA-based World Energy Solutions (NASDAQ: [[ticker:XWES]]) said today it has acquired Northeast Energy Solutions, an energy efficiency firm based in Cromwell, CT. The purchase price is about $4.75 million in cash, stock, a promissory note, and potential earn-outs. This is the second acquisition in as many months for World Energy, which has been moving … Continue reading “World Energy Buys Northeast Energy, Moves Deeper Into Efficiency”
Entrepreneurs Roundtable Joins Clan of NYC Tech Incubators, Graduates First Class of Startups
When Entrepreneurs Roundtable started up in New York four years ago, its mission was to offer networking opportunities and monthly pitch events, where startup execs could describe their ideas to potential financiers. A couple of years later, the tech scene exploded in New York, and entrepreneurs were hungering for more, says Jonathan Axelrod, a serial … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs Roundtable Joins Clan of NYC Tech Incubators, Graduates First Class of Startups”
Mobisante Sees Early Demand for Ultrasound on a Smartphone, Before It’s Really Ready to Roll
The folks at Redmond, WA-based Mobisante have what entrepreneurs sometimes call a “high-class problem.” The startup is getting more attention for its ultrasound-on-a-smartphone product than it really wants in its infancy. Mobisante, a startup founded in 2007, started turning heads back in February, after Xconomy reported that it was the first company to win FDA … Continue reading “Mobisante Sees Early Demand for Ultrasound on a Smartphone, Before It’s Really Ready to Roll”
Genomics 2.0: Ten Years After the Bubble, it’s Getting Really Interesting Again
What do 10,000 people with autism, 50,000 people in some remote islands in the North Atlantic, and 1,000 healthy old folks in southern California have in common? They are on the front edge of one of the most exciting stories in science today, and their contributions will have a huge impact on our long-term understanding … Continue reading “Genomics 2.0: Ten Years After the Bubble, it’s Getting Really Interesting Again”
Sofinnova Ventures Defies the Grim Mood, Raises $440M For Biotech-Only VC Fund
Talk to biotech VCs, and you’ll hear a lot of moaning about how tough the FDA has become, how grim the IPO markets are, and how hard it is get insurers to pay for new products. Nobody in this club can brag about backing investment supernovas like Facebook or Zynga. But none of that has … Continue reading “Sofinnova Ventures Defies the Grim Mood, Raises $440M For Biotech-Only VC Fund”
Bozuko Is Betting on Its Platform for Mobile Consumer Games to Drive Loyalty at Local Businesses
New Boston-area startup Bozuko is working at the intersection of a lot of big trends. Mobile. Gaming. Location-awareness. Software-as-a-service. Marketing promotions. Sound crowded? Company co-founder Jake Epstein says that people would rather play for a smaller chance to win something big than a guaranteed slim discount, and that’s what makes his business different from what’s … Continue reading “Bozuko Is Betting on Its Platform for Mobile Consumer Games to Drive Loyalty at Local Businesses”
NanoSteel Company Receives $16,993,001 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=60256ef1-c184-457b-b55a-83134d68abbd&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name NanoSteel Company Mailing Address 272 West Exchange Street Providence, RI 02903 Company Description The NanoSteel Company is an advanced materials company which has created a unique and proprietary portfolio of nanotechnology based and environmentally friendly steel alloys that greatly increase the value of steel in most of … Continue reading “NanoSteel Company Receives $16,993,001 New Funding Round”
Eclipse Therapeutics Garners $2,775,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e91012e4-7a5c-44c1-97f5-6e7ceacd033d&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name Eclipse Therapeutics Mailing Address Undisclosed San Diego , CA 92102 Company Description Eclipse Therapeutics, Inc. is a private biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of therapeutics that target cancer stem cells and other forms of innovative cancer treatment. Cancer stem cells are a subset of … Continue reading “Eclipse Therapeutics Garners $2,775,000 New Funding”
AnaptysBio Lands $8,024,394 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b5785a2d-8447-437d-a8e4-d5df9f7ddee2&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name AnaptysBio Mailing Address 10835 Road To The Cure San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description The company develops biotherapeutics to rapidly evolve protein structure. Website http://www.anaptysbio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,024,394 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms … Continue reading “AnaptysBio Lands $8,024,394 New Round”
Grockit Obtains $7,000,000 Series D Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=51d9e2e3-6e1d-4a21-b238-775d4ef829a9&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name Grockit Mailing Address 777 Florida St. San Francisco, CA 94110 Company Description Grockit’s mission is to abolish Education and replace it with Learning. To this end, we aim to utilize the awesome power of the internet to help the world learn. Our first step is leveraging the … Continue reading “Grockit Obtains $7,000,000 Series D Funding Round”
Polycom Acquires ViVu for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0e973c6e-7607-43ad-9166-4555a959e6b3&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name ViVu Mailing Address 20833 Stevens Creek Blvd Cupertino, CA 95014 Company Description Founded by startup veterans from Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent and a team of IIT graduates, ViVu developed first-of-its-kind Participative Event Platform that enables live video participation from a PC, Macintosh or smart phone without any proprietary downloads … Continue reading “Polycom Acquires ViVu for Undisclosed Sum”
Clickable Lands $12,000,000 Series C Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c42ef2a6-b34f-473d-83d7-436164f2492f&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name Clickable Mailing Address 7 West 22nd Street 7th Floor New York, NY 10010 Company Description Clickable is an online solution that makes creating and managing online advertising simple and effective. Clickable provides an intuitive interface to view performance across all major search advertising networks. Website http://www.clickable.com Transaction … Continue reading “Clickable Lands $12,000,000 Series C Round”
HALL.com Secures $580,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c172cfca-8301-4dbd-81fb-d17d2ec121a3&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name HALL.com Mailing Address Undisclosed Mountain View, CA 94043 Company Description Conversate around topic apps including polls, ranked lists, schedules and more! Website http://www.hall.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $580,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Founder Collective Venture … Continue reading “HALL.com Secures $580,000 Seed Financing”
SideTour Lands $1,500,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a1034723-b1ef-4b5a-a9dc-8aa434c7e99f&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name SideTour Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10002 Company Description SideTour is your place to discover and book new experiences offered by interesting and talented people around the world. Website http://www.sidetour.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “SideTour Lands $1,500,000 New Financing Round”
Inspirato Obtains $17,500,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ac456032-ba15-44e8-85e1-431b0f3020cf&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name Inspirato Mailing Address 1637 Wazee Street Denver, CO 80202 Company Description The company operates a website that enables users to find expensive vacations at lower prices. Website http://www.inspirato.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $17,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes It plans to use the capital to … Continue reading “Inspirato Obtains $17,500,000 New Financing Round”
Treehouse Receives $600,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=774ebd9a-c776-4b70-9cbb-cbb53cfa7f1f&Preview=1 Date 10/17/2011 Company Name Treehouse Mailing Address 745 East Mulberry Ave San Antonio, TX 78212 Company Description Our goal is to help millions of people around the world, who can’t afford formal education, get trained in web design, development and iOS. Website http://www.teamtreehouse.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $600,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Treehouse Receives $600,000 New Financing”
Author Rebecca Skloot and “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”
Due to overwhelming demand, the Center for Ethics in Science and Technology is holding a lottery for tickets to the third installment in its “Ethics in Science and Technology Series,” a presentation by Rebecca Skloot, author of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” All tickets are free, but registering for the lottery is now the … Continue reading “Author Rebecca Skloot and “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks””
Third Annual Maritime Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony
In conjunction with the 3rd annual Maritime Business & Technology Summit, the annual showcase of innovation in maritime technology dedicated to promoting maritime business and technologies, San Diego’s Maritime Alliance has organized a gala dinner and awards ceremony. Oceanographer Sylvia Earle will be the guest speaker for the evening. She is the former chief scientist … Continue reading “Third Annual Maritime Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony”
Brand Camp 2.0 Conference
Brand Camp is a gathering of thought leaders, technologists, geeks, and creatives to foster a discussion on branding, entrepreneurial thinking, social media, and the use of technology. Josh Linkner, CEO/Managing Partner of Detroit Venture Partners, will deliver the keynote address. For registration and details, click here.
Where Big DNA Meets Big IT: Computing in the Age of the $1,000 Genome
It takes a lot of revenue to move the needle for multi-billion organizations. That’s partly why you haven’t seen them pay much attention to a field devoted to open-source technologies, like computing for genomics. But that’s changing in a hurry, as one market research firm said it expects bioinformatics to grow at a 25 percent … Continue reading “Where Big DNA Meets Big IT: Computing in the Age of the $1,000 Genome”
Cleantech Open
From the event website: “It’s the “Academy Awards of Cleantech.” Two days packed with keynotes, 100+ exhibits, networking, on-stage demos from innovative entrepreneurs, live judging of the Final 21, evening receptions—all culminating in awarding the winners of the Global Ideas Competition and the $250,000 US National Grand Prize.” Information and registration here.
Web 2.0 Summit
Federated Media, O’Reilly Media, and UBM TechWeb present the latest version of their annual Internet executive summit. From the conference site: “Once each year, the Web 2.0 Summit brings together 1,000 senior executives from the worlds of technology, media, finance, telecommunications, entertainment, and the Internet. For 2011, our theme is “The Data Frame” – focusing … Continue reading “Web 2.0 Summit”
2012 North American International Auto Show
Experience the next generation of transportation, with more than 500 vehicles on display representing the most innovative designs in the world, at North America’s largest automotive showcase. For tickets and other information, click here.
iCal or iHAL? Apple and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Dear Mom: You asked me to write to let you know if I arrived safely in iCloud-land. Well, I’m here and I’m in one piece, although unfortunately some of my things didn’t make it here with me, such as my calendar. It was a pretty hellish journey, I’ll tell you. There were a couple of … Continue reading “iCal or iHAL? Apple and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”
Michigan Get Your Business Online
Pure Michigan Business Connect and Google partner to help businesses get online free, fast, and easy. At this event, businesses will get a free website and Google Places listing, as well as one-on-one advice about online marketing. Space is limited, so click here to register.
7th Annual MichBio Expo and Conference
The largest gathering of bioscience professionals in the state includes roundtables, displays, track sessions, and speakers, including keynote speaker Kim Popovits, President and CEO of Genomic Health. For more information, click here.
Computers vs. Humans: A Recap of Xconomy’s New York Life Sciences 2031
In front of a full house at Xconomy’s first public Big Apple event—New York Life Sciences 2031—biotech entrepreneurs Sam Waksal and Eric Schadt wagered on the likelihood that computers would overtake human scientists in the quest to develop drugs. Schadt pointed to IBM’s Watson as an example of a computer performing better than humans at … Continue reading “Computers vs. Humans: A Recap of Xconomy’s New York Life Sciences 2031”
Xconomist of the Week: Appature’s Kabir Shahani Eyes Culture as Company Expands
When it’s time for a scrappy tech startup with a bootstrapped culture to expand its footprint, the conventional thinking might go something like this: Hire young, hungry people who won’t blow through too much of your coin, and hold onto that staff until you absolutely have to take the plunge into grown-up salaries and benefits. … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Appature’s Kabir Shahani Eyes Culture as Company Expands”
Ford Developing Wireless Health Apps for Motorists on the Go
K. Venkatesh Prasad has been working in Detroit for the past five years on an innovation that could be described as the next big crazy idea that might just work. As the senior technical leader in vehicle design and infotronics at Ford Research & Innovation, Prasad oversees development of voice-activated apps and wireless services that … Continue reading “Ford Developing Wireless Health Apps for Motorists on the Go”
Tolerx Shutters, Courtagen Gets $8M, OvaScience Emerges, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
We saw stories about New England life sciences companies in a range of stages this week: kicking off, shutting down, and growing. —Cambridge, MA-based biotech Tolerx will be shutting down its operations, after raising a total of more than $150 million from backers like HealthCare Ventures, Skyline Ventures, and Sprout Group. The company’s diabetes drug … Continue reading “Tolerx Shutters, Courtagen Gets $8M, OvaScience Emerges, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Linkable Networks Obtains New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=986bfbd1-8346-4f57-9936-2eb40140060c&Preview=1 Date 10/14/2011 Company Name Linkable Networks Mailing Address 225 Franklin St. 26th Floor Boston, MA 02110 Company Description Linkable Networks is the bridge between advertisers, consumers, and financial Institutions, delivering to advertisers unprecedented accountability from online, mobile, email, print, TV, and radio advertising through online and in-store purchasing. Consumers receive one-click … Continue reading “Linkable Networks Obtains New Funding”
AlloCure Lands $1,501,500 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=08b682ef-3456-4b4a-bfb3-c7c98018548a&Preview=1 Date 10/14/2011 Company Name AlloCure Mailing Address 25 Corporate Dr. Burlington, MA 01803 Company Description Allocure is poised to be the first company to develop viable cell therapies for the effective treatment of many serious and debilitating medical conditions. AlloCure’s cell therapies represent a novel and proprietary class of biological therapeutics … Continue reading “AlloCure Lands $1,501,500 New Round”
Demandforce Secures $10,119,801 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1e905cb4-9f27-4aea-a6a1-4a4ac694992f&Preview=1 Date 10/14/2011 Company Name Demandforce Mailing Address 22 4th St. 12th floor San Francisco, CA 94103 Company Description Demandforce was founded in 2003 to deliver unparalleled value to service businesses with the initial focus on dental practices and automotive repair facilities. Demandforce founders have over a decade of experience developing and … Continue reading “Demandforce Secures $10,119,801 New Funding Round”
Tagstand Lands $1,100,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=443ddc82-99b3-4667-a0cd-2afc8eb0423a&Preview=1 Date 10/14/2011 Company Name Tagstand Mailing Address Undisclosed San Francisco, CA 94123 Company Description Tagstand Manager allows you to program and manage your stickers from the web. Forward to urls, display messages, host virtual walls, track analytics and much more. Functionality like this is what makes our NFC tags smarter than … Continue reading “Tagstand Lands $1,100,000 New Financing”
TechAmerica’s 18th Annual High Tech Awards
TechAmerica San Diego (previously known as the San Diego chapter of the AeA) is holding its annual High Tech Awards luncheon, a premier technology networking event that brings more than 500 technology executives together to celebrate the achievements of tech companies’ in the greater San Diego area. Networking and registration begins at 11 am. More … Continue reading “TechAmerica’s 18th Annual High Tech Awards”
Greenpeace and Michele Bachmann’s Joint Campaign to Stop Science
I took the family to Boston on vacation in September. During the time away, I read Patrick Moore’s book “Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout: The Making of a Sensible Environmentalist.“ Dr. Moore was one of the original founders of Greenpeace in the 1970s. I heard him speak recently. While he remains a passionate advocate for … Continue reading “Greenpeace and Michele Bachmann’s Joint Campaign to Stop Science”