A San Diego Sampler from the War on Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association begins its 71st annual scientific conference today at the San Diego Convention Center, drawing more than 13,500 endocrinologists, scientists, and others involved in diabetes research and health care. You could argue that in the comfort of the modern world, the twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity have replaced famine among the … Continue reading “A San Diego Sampler from the War on Diabetes”

PopCap’s Big Moment: Acquisition or IPO, with Pitfalls and Promise Either Way

Whether it forges ahead with previous hopes for an IPO, or jumps at an acquisition, it’s clear that Seattle-based PopCap Games is unlikely to leave 2011 without being transformed. The question is, which outcome is better for PopCap? Just a few days ago, the storyline seemed pretty clear. Profitable for years and with few investors … Continue reading “PopCap’s Big Moment: Acquisition or IPO, with Pitfalls and Promise Either Way”

Merck’s Julie Gerberding, Former CDC Director, on the Future of Vaccines

Not many pharmaceutical executives can say with a straight face that if they are successful, they will really help millions of people live significantly longer and healthier lives around the world. Julie Gerberding, the former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been in one of those rare positions for about … Continue reading “Merck’s Julie Gerberding, Former CDC Director, on the Future of Vaccines”

Biogen Eyes Cambridge Move, Vertex Licenses Alios Drugs, Concert Nabs GSK Payment, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News

We didn’t bring you a life sciences roundup last Friday due to some time constraints, but some of the weeks’ headlines were too important to skip altogether. So here are two weeks worth of biotech profiles, partnership announcements, personnel moves, financing news, and more. —The American Chemical Society awarded its highest honor, the Priestley Medal, to … Continue reading “Biogen Eyes Cambridge Move, Vertex Licenses Alios Drugs, Concert Nabs GSK Payment, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”

NormOxys Obtains $1,556,353 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=78347d0d-3454-441b-b8f3-884b85a90a47&Preview=1 Date 6/24/2011 Company Name NormOxys Mailing Address 16 Laurel Ave. Wellesley, MA 02481 Company Description NormOxys is developing a novel class of small molecule drugs, oxyrens, which enhance the body’s ability to deliver oxygen more efficiently to diseased tissues with oxygen deficiency. This new class of drugs can be potentially developed … Continue reading “NormOxys Obtains $1,556,353 New Round”

Enphase Energy Secures $13,999,993 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=63425b9b-8c00-4a04-87f9-72b59b036750&Preview=1 Date 6/24/2011 Company Name Enphase Energy Mailing Address 201 1st Street Petaluma, CA 94952 Company Description At Enphase Energy we believe that by combining the power of solar energy and the proven advantages of communications technology, we can change the green energy landscape. Website http://www.enphaseenergy.com Transaction Type Debt, Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “Enphase Energy Secures $13,999,993 New Round”

OneLogin Lands $1,500,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=65576766-571e-452a-8b78-06b0442cca5a&Preview=1 Date 6/24/2011 Company Name OneLogin Mailing Address 1861 S Bundy Drive Los Angeles, CA 90064 Company Description OneLogin’s mission is to democratize identity management; making it available to any organization, regardless of size. Historically, identity management has been available only to large enterprises who had the means to purchase expensive software … Continue reading “OneLogin Lands $1,500,000 New Financing”

Mimeo Garners $10,720,225 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1ba16a7f-d8d4-4305-ba02-b73d4d9e3c88&Preview=1 Date 6/24/2011 Company Name Mimeo Mailing Address 460 Park Ave South New York, NY 10016 Company Description Mimeo allows customers to print directly to Mimeo’s color and black-and-white high-speed digital printers from the most commonly used software applications. Mimeo’s proprietary system is built on three key components: technology, the Internet and … Continue reading “Mimeo Garners $10,720,225 New Funding”

Amazon Brings its Deals Site to Seattle Area, Still Backed by LivingSocial for Now

Amazon.com’s attempt to cash in on the online-coupon craze, AmazonLocal, is spreading to a bigger market: The online retailer’s hometown of Seattle. Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) kicked off its deals offering earlier this month, starting out in Boise, ID. Today, Amazon is announcing its first discounts in the Seattle area, including a half-off coupon for food … Continue reading “Amazon Brings its Deals Site to Seattle Area, Still Backed by LivingSocial for Now”

Wind Turbine Supplier Danotek Closes In on $20M Series B Financing

Danotek Motion Technologies is finalizing a deal to secure $20 million in new financing, company officials told Xconomy. The startup, based in Canton Township, MI, will use the money to scale up production of its permanent magnet generators for wind turbines. The company’s existing investors, which include Khosla Ventures, CMEA Capital, GE Energy Financial Services, … Continue reading “Wind Turbine Supplier Danotek Closes In on $20M Series B Financing”

Vigix Raises $1.5M More, Looks to Reinvent Vending with Networked Kiosks

News flash: This company actually makes physical stuff for businesses. Not social software, not a mobile app or backend system, not a retail website or aggregator. And it has been able to raise some new money to expand its product. Its goal: to provide automated kiosks (see image, right) for dispensing everything from loyalty cards … Continue reading “Vigix Raises $1.5M More, Looks to Reinvent Vending with Networked Kiosks”

Neurologix Forges Ahead on Gene Therapy Treatment for Parkinson’s

On June 8, Neurologix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NRGX]]) released positive data from a trial of its experimental gene therapy treatment in patients with Parkinson’s Disease. It was the latest in a string of impressive announcements from the Fort Lee, NJ-based company, which has been on a roll since March, when the journal Lancet Neurology published six-month results from … Continue reading “Neurologix Forges Ahead on Gene Therapy Treatment for Parkinson’s”

GE and VCs Invest $63M in 10 Cleantechs Through “Ecoimagination Challenge”

Fairfield, CT-based GE (NYSE: GE) and four venture capital partners said today they plan to invest a total of $63 million in 10 cleantech companies developing energy-related concepts in solar, communications and software, and building efficiency. The funding represents the second phase of a crowd-sourcing challenge, this time focused on “Powering Your Home,” that GE … Continue reading “GE and VCs Invest $63M in 10 Cleantechs Through “Ecoimagination Challenge””

BioMarin Grabs Plant From Pfizer

BioMarin Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BMRN]]) of Novato, CA plans to buy a biotech manufacturing facility in Ireland that’s owned by New York-based Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]), according to a press release. BioMarin will purchase the plant for $48.5 million—roughly a fifth of what it would have paid to build a facility like it from scratch. BioMarin will use … Continue reading “BioMarin Grabs Plant From Pfizer”

Bristol and Pfizer Get Boost from Apixaban Data

The experimental drug apixaban (Eliquis), which is being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) and Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]), met key endpoints in a pivotal Phase 3 trial, according to a press release. The companies plan to apply for approval to market the drug in patients with atrial fibrillation, both in the U.S. and Europe, by the … Continue reading “Bristol and Pfizer Get Boost from Apixaban Data”

Inception 1 Raises $5M, VCs Pessimistic About U.S. Biotech Funding, EU Approves Amylin’s Once-a-Week Diabetes Drug, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

It was not a week for a lot of life sciences news, but what we’ve got is pretty interesting. Judge for yourselves; our roundup begins now. —A global survey of venture capitalists released this week reveals substantial pessimism among VCs about venture investment levels in U.S. life sciences startups over the next five years. The … Continue reading “Inception 1 Raises $5M, VCs Pessimistic About U.S. Biotech Funding, EU Approves Amylin’s Once-a-Week Diabetes Drug, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

Chirply Brings Crowdsourcing—and Good Art—to Greeting Cards

In this era of Kindles and iPads and cloud-based data storage, the idea of an Internet startup that’s actually focused on paper is more than an anachronism—it’s almost a contradiction in terms. But that’s Chirply, a Y Combinator-backed company in San Francisco that sells high-end greeting cards—and soon notebooks and wrapping paper—printed with designs from … Continue reading “Chirply Brings Crowdsourcing—and Good Art—to Greeting Cards”

Allozyne’s Backdoor IPO, Sound Pharma Fights iPod Deafness, Mirina Vs. Marina Ends, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

Seattle biotech hasn’t had an IPO in a long time, but this week one biotech startup found a way to get onto the NASDAQ without doing the usual road show to entice investors. —One of Seattle’s top private biotech companies, Allozyne, essentially agreed to acquire a shell of a public company, San Francisco-based Poniard Pharmaceuticals … Continue reading “Allozyne’s Backdoor IPO, Sound Pharma Fights iPod Deafness, Mirina Vs. Marina Ends, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

Tagify Plans to Mature Before Seeking Investors After Win at Startup Weekend NYC

Amid the ideas brewed in the carnival atmosphere at Startup Weekend New York City earlier this month was another attempt at tackling the rapidly growing issue of contact management. The team that created Tagify.us, an app that crowdsources information about users’ personal contacts, won first place at the end of the 54-hour event (June 10-12). … Continue reading “Tagify Plans to Mature Before Seeking Investors After Win at Startup Weekend NYC”

XSITE 2011: The Entrepreneurship Era. First We Brought You Pictures, Now We Have A Video.

Xconomy editor Gregory Huang declared official recess for the heavy events season in Boston’s technology and startup communities. After a week that included WebInno, TechStars Demo Day, Angel Bootcamp, and an awesome all-day innovation forum, I’m not objecting. But we don’t want you to forget about this year’s installment of XSITE: The Xconomy Summit on … Continue reading “XSITE 2011: The Entrepreneurship Era. First We Brought You Pictures, Now We Have A Video.”

Link Between Cardiovascular And Metabolic Diseases? That’s What Esperion Therapeutics Founder Has Been Trying To Tell You

Last month, I wrote about Roger Newton, the former Pfizer executive who co-discovered the blockbuster cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin (Lipitor). Newton, now the CEO at a reborn version of his original company, Esperion Therapeutics in Plymouth, MI, said in the interview he thought doctors overprescribe statins like Lipitor to treat heart disease at the expense of … Continue reading “Link Between Cardiovascular And Metabolic Diseases? That’s What Esperion Therapeutics Founder Has Been Trying To Tell You”

WiSpry Secures $3,500,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dcf484a3-a81f-47ff-b482-e29559de3e0e&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2011 Company Name WiSpry Mailing Address 20 Fairbanks Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description WiSpry is a fabless, radio frequency (RF) semiconductor company headquartered in Irvine, California and was formed in October 2002 through a spin-off of the RF/Wireless business unit of Coventor, Inc., the market-leading MEMS software company. Website http://www.wispry.com … Continue reading “WiSpry Secures $3,500,000 New Financing Round”

StorSimple Receives $10,500,000 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c46c8491-28cf-40c7-9947-153fe79f2205&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2011 Company Name StorSimple Mailing Address 2350 Mission College Blvd Santa Clara, CA 95054 Company Description StorSimple is a venture-backed company based in Santa Clara, CA, in the heart of Silicon Valley. StorSimple’s vision is to solve application-specific challenges that are directly related to storage, and provide customers with the … Continue reading “StorSimple Receives $10,500,000 Series C Funding Round”

Vigix Lands $1,500,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=38870396-4a33-498f-b7e9-279a54276f15&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2011 Company Name Vigix Mailing Address 485 Massachusetts Avenue Waltham, MA 02139 Company Description VIGIX, Inc. provides turnkey kiosk networks to companies that want to create a highly efficient and direct channel to consumers. Website http://www.vigix.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Vigix Lands $1,500,000 Series A Financing Round”

Ringleadr Garners $500,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=41aa276f-e3f7-4f82-83c8-8b6edd99378e&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2011 Company Name Ringleadr Mailing Address 1 Faneuil Hall Market Pl Boston, MA 02109 Company Description Ringleadr is the first and only website that lets its users create the deals they want from the business that matter to them. Ringleadr is what daily deal websites were supposed to be; a … Continue reading “Ringleadr Garners $500,000 New Round”

Pixtronix Receives $4,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=be333f0f-1a57-4550-97bc-98d738f7e51f&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2011 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 “Pixtronix Receives $4,000,000 New Funding”

Touchstone Semiconductor Obtains $12,000,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2833b489-606f-40dd-b9f2-3797acc83e15&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2011 Company Name Touchstone Semiconductor Mailing Address 630 Alder Drive Milpitas, CA 95035 Company Description Touchstone Semiconductor Inc. creates high-performance analog integrated circuit (IC) solutions that solve critical issues for electronics companies. Website http://www.touchstonesemi.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $12,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The investment is … Continue reading “Touchstone Semiconductor Obtains $12,000,000 Series A Round”

Encore Career Institute Secures $15,000,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8f8325ab-3aba-4d89-856e-b0b637071aff&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2011 Company Name Encore Career Institute Mailing Address 720 University Ave Los Gatos, CA 95030 Company Description Encore Career Institute will offer students professional certificates and career counseling designed specifically for those transitioning to new careers or seeking to remain viable in today’s job market. Website http://www.encoreci.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Encore Career Institute Secures $15,000,000 Series A Financing”

Inception 1 Obtains $5,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=31b0880f-7ca5-4920-9102-14531c00d173&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2011 Company Name Inception 1 Mailing Address 9393 Towne Centre Drive San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description The company is developing as yet unspecified biotechnologies. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC revelatory filing. M&A Terms Venture … Continue reading “Inception 1 Obtains $5,000,000 New Funding”

Kior Secures $150,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a28c0695-0bd0-4dd7-8929-2dbfaf442c60&Preview=1 Date 6/23/2011 Company Name Kior Mailing Address 13001 Bay Park Road Pasadena, TX 77507 Company Description KiOR (NASDAQ: KIOR) is a next generation biofuels company which produces a renewable crude oil substitute. KiOR’s production process creates this Re-Crude from biomass by enhancing nature’s method of making oil, reducing the process from … Continue reading “Kior Secures $150,000,000 New Round”

PopCap Games, Previously Talking Plenty About an IPO, Now Subject of $1B Buyout Report

Seattle’s PopCap Games, which makes well-known casual game titles like Bejeweled and Plants vs. Zombies, has been making lots of noise about its plans to possibly seek an IPO later this year. Of course, one result of a lot of IPO talk is sometimes an acquisition, and that may also be in the cards. This … Continue reading “PopCap Games, Previously Talking Plenty About an IPO, Now Subject of $1B Buyout Report”

Allozyne Acquires Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Finds Backdoor Route to NASDAQ

Sometimes biotech startups can find a backdoor route to going public without going to all the trouble of doing an IPO, and that’s what Seattle-based Allozyne just did today. Allozyne, the developer of a long-lasting protein drug for multiple sclerosis, said today it has agreed to a merger with San Francisco-based Poniard Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PARD]]) … Continue reading “Allozyne Acquires Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Finds Backdoor Route to NASDAQ”

Yipit Raises $6 Million More to Aggregate Daily Deals

New York’s Yipit, an aggregator of daily deals, said it raised $6 million in a Series B funding round led by Highland Capital Partners, based in the Boston area. The news was first reported by TechCrunch. Vinicius Vacanti, co-founder of Yipit, said existing investors RRE Ventures, DFJ Gotham Ventures, and IA Ventures also participated in … Continue reading “Yipit Raises $6 Million More to Aggregate Daily Deals”

OneMedForum NY 2011

This two-day conference, sponsored by OneMedPlace, features presentations by over 70 emerging medical technology companies, as well as networking opportunities with venture capitalists, panel discussions, and a keynote addresses from Paul H. Keckley, PhD, executive director, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Register here.

Drupal Design Camp Boston

This third annual event is bringing together designers focused on the open source Drupal system. The two days will feature workshops and sessions on design, technology, and usability. Sign up here.

Case Closed on Mirina vs. Marina, as Accelerator Startup Changes Name

There won’t be any more Mirina vs. Marina stories to kick around here anymore. Seattle-based Mirina, the privately-held developer of microRNA therapies, has dropped its trademark infringement lawsuit against Bothell, WA-based Marina Biotech (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]). Mirina, a startup at Accelerator, has changed its name to Groove Biopharma, according to Accelerator CEO Carl Weissman. “Every single … Continue reading “Case Closed on Mirina vs. Marina, as Accelerator Startup Changes Name”

Braemar Energy Ventures Finds Value in Energy Technology, Both Clean and Conventional

During a panel discussion with three cleantech investors at the Energy Infotech Forum in New York City yesterday, an audience member posed a provocative question: “What won’t you invest in?” he asked. Scott DePasquale, a partner at Braemar Energy Ventures, responded “consumer space travel.” DePasquale was only half kidding. Ever since Braemar was founded in … Continue reading “Braemar Energy Ventures Finds Value in Energy Technology, Both Clean and Conventional”

XSITE 2011, TechStars Demo Day, the Bruins, and Coolio: 25 Things to Remember From Boston’s Hell Week

Ladies and gentlemen, after last week I hereby declare the end of high season for tech events in Boston. We’ve had our celebrations, drunk our grain, and talked our heads off. Now, before we start getting some things done around here, let’s reflect just a little more. The following took place during a 24-hour period … Continue reading “XSITE 2011, TechStars Demo Day, the Bruins, and Coolio: 25 Things to Remember From Boston’s Hell Week”

Nuance Buys SVOX, Aveo Sells $100M in Stock, CSN Grabs $165M, & More Boston-Area Deals News

New England biotechs and IT startups don’t seem to indicate a summer slowdown. They’ve been inking some pretty massive financing deals this week, as well as an acquisition or two. —Cambridge, MA-based drug developer Aveo Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVEO]]) raised $100 million, selling 5.75 million shares of stock at $17.50 apiece in an underwritten public offering. … Continue reading “Nuance Buys SVOX, Aveo Sells $100M in Stock, CSN Grabs $165M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”

Cyterix Develops New Twist on an Old Idea, With ‘Smart Bomb’ Cancer Drugs

The folks at The Column Group like to back some of the edgiest ideas in biomedicine, and their counterparts at SV Life Sciences tend to avoid some of the risky early steps in cancer drug R&D. So I had to wonder what these two venture firms were thinking earlier this month when they poured $9.2 … Continue reading “Cyterix Develops New Twist on an Old Idea, With ‘Smart Bomb’ Cancer Drugs”

Fighting iPod Deafness, Sound Pharma Focuses on Teens Cranking up the Volume

The iPod made tiny earbuds supercool. But the digital music revolution has created some damaging consequences, as millions of young people listen to songs for hours every day at sometimes deafening volumes. Most of them won’t turn down the noise anytime soon, and as millions develop early forms of hearing loss, it is creating a … Continue reading “Fighting iPod Deafness, Sound Pharma Focuses on Teens Cranking up the Volume”

Lilliputian Systems Receives $11,120,658 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f2a39ffd-c1f4-4ee6-a0b1-7f9d3083f27d&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2011 Company Name Lilliputian Systems Mailing Address 36 Jonspin Road Wilmington, MA 01887 Company Description Lilliputian has been rumored since 2001 to be developing a new kind of battery for electronic handheld devices and other applications. According to published reports, the company’s product is a combination of fuel cell and … Continue reading “Lilliputian Systems Receives $11,120,658 Series B Financing”

Kyruus Obtains $5,500,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ccf91279-46f7-4e9c-822d-d96c31dbdebb&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2011 Company Name Kyruus Mailing Address 374 Congress St. Boston, MA 02210 Company Description Kyruus has developed a software platform that includes professional profiles of doctors and “big data” analytics. Website http://www.kyruus.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,500,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “Kyruus Obtains $5,500,000 Series A Funding Round”

Contour Energy Systems Garners Series C Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8e91fbb6-9e2a-47e3-8354-0cc1d94662e0&Preview=1 Date 6/22/2011 Company Name Contour Energy Systems Mailing Address 1300 W. Optical Drive Azusa, CA 91702 Company Description Founded in 2007 out of the collaboration of Caltech and CNRS, the French National Center of Scientific Research, Contour Energy Systems is a next-generation battery company reshaping the portable power industry. The company … Continue reading “Contour Energy Systems Garners Series C Round”