General Dynamics Acquires Fortress Technologies for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=113b4d96-88ed-49f5-a587-dfc53b48a50b&Preview=1 Date 6/14/2011 Company Name Fortress Technologies Mailing Address 1 Technology Park Drive Westford, MA 01886 Company Description Fortress Technologies offers a flexible security platform to address the risks and vulnerabilities of wireless networking. The Fortress Security System delivers privacy, access control and policy management through a highly scalable, centrally managed system. … Continue reading “General Dynamics Acquires Fortress Technologies for Undisclosed Sum”

Illumitex Secures $13,521,324 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=57f69f44-f829-4a53-87f1-66faf47230bf&Preview=1 Date 6/14/2011 Company Name Illumitex Mailing Address 5307 Industrial Oaks Blvd Austin, TX 78735 Company Description The company operates as an solid state lighting development company. Website http://www.illumitex.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $13,521,324 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms Venture … Continue reading “Illumitex Secures $13,521,324 New Financing”

Delphi Automotive Owes Its Current Success To….Medical Devices?

Somewhere lost in the Groupon/tech IPO bubble, er…I mean, resurgence, was Delphi Automotive Systems’ recent announcement that it is seeking to raise $100 million through its own IPO. A successful return to Wall Street would cap an impressive turnaround for the Troy, MI-based maker of auto parts, whose reliance on General Motors drove its previous … Continue reading “Delphi Automotive Owes Its Current Success To….Medical Devices?”

Somaxon Raises $5M

San Diego’s Somaxon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SOMX]]), said today it completed a private placement of nearly 2.2 million shares of its common stock to Paladin Labs, raising a total of $5 million. The company said the deal was part of its collaboration with Paladin, which has exclusive rights to commercialize Somaxon’s doxepin (Silenor) in Canada, South … Continue reading “Somaxon Raises $5M”

Termeer Joins Verastem Board

Henri Termeer, the former CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Genzyme, has joined the board of Verastem, a startup seeking to develop treatments against cancer stem cells. Verastem, co-founded by MIT biologists Robert Weinberg and Eric Lander, raised $16 million last November, in a round that included Longwood Founders Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners, Cardinal Partners, and MPM … Continue reading “Termeer Joins Verastem Board”

Who Owns the Relationship with Digital Subscribers—Publishers, or Apple?

The ascent of smartphones and tablets is causing a seismic shift in the way media companies reach consumers. As an iPad and iPhone owner, I now consume the bulk of my media online. Whether it’s the Kindle App, Netflix, HBO Go, or Hulu, media companies have rapidly realized that they can use the new platforms … Continue reading “Who Owns the Relationship with Digital Subscribers—Publishers, or Apple?”

Apple, Floodgate, VigLink: The 1-Minute Version of Last Week’s Bay Area BizTech News

It wasn’t quite all Apple news all the time last week—I decided to follow Apple’s WWDC meeting via the Web and spend most of the week reporting on, you know, all the other innovation around Silicon Valley and San Francisco. That said… —At its annual World Wide Developers conference, Apple previewed the next versions of … Continue reading “Apple, Floodgate, VigLink: The 1-Minute Version of Last Week’s Bay Area BizTech News”

Synageva to Merge With Trimeris

Lexington, MA-based Synageva BioPharma, a developer of drugs for rare diseases, announced today that it will be merging with Durham, NC-based viral disease drug developer Trimeris (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TRMS]]) in an all-stock deal.  The combined company will be called Synageva BioPharma and will be led by the Synageva management team. The new publicly traded company will … Continue reading “Synageva to Merge With Trimeris”

Cafepress to Go Public

San Mateo, CA-based Cafepress, one of the Web’s leading sellers of customized merchandise such as mugs and T-shirts, filed registration papers last week for an initial public offering. Cafepress hopes to raise $80 million in working capital in the offering. According to the filing, Cafepress’s largest shareholders include Sequoia Capital (20.4 percent), co-founder Fred Durham … Continue reading “Cafepress to Go Public”

NY Mobile Entertainment Summit

This two-day conference—co-produced by Variety, The Bob Dowling Group, and UNICOMM—features in-depth discussions focusing on the top business issues impacting mobile entertainment. Participants will learn what content is being created for mobile platforms, how advertisers and marketers are using mobile for brand campaigns, how mobile content is measured, and how people in the industry are … Continue reading “NY Mobile Entertainment Summit”

Qualcomm Buying Rapid Bridge Assets, Two Local Companies Get DOE Grants, Daily Deals Fuel Growth at Analog Analytics, & More San Diego BizTech News

The wireless news out of San Diego seems to have picked up in recent weeks, with Qualcomm playing a central role in most of the developments. Our briefing is ready for you now. —The world’s largest wireless chipmaker agreed to buy San Diego-based Rapid Bridge’s LiquidCell technology, used to accelerate chip design, but Qualcomm (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Qualcomm Buying Rapid Bridge Assets, Two Local Companies Get DOE Grants, Daily Deals Fuel Growth at Analog Analytics, & More San Diego BizTech News”

$6.5M for Bunchball

San Jose, CA-based Bunchball, which offers gamification and loyalty features for the websites of large organizations such as NBC, Hearst, and Hasbro, said today that has raised $6.5 million in new financing. Triangle Peak Partners led the round, which was joined by Correlation Ventures, Northport Investments, and existing backers Adobe Ventures and Granite Ventures. “We’ve watched … Continue reading “$6.5M for Bunchball”

PureTech Ventures Launches Tal Medical To Develop Magnetic-Field Treatment for Depression

Today a company called Tal Medical is starting up in Boston with the goal of developing an entirely new approach to treating depression, inspired by a specific type of magnetic field found in some MRI imaging machines. The research is still very early, but the treatment—developed at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA—was promising enough to … Continue reading “PureTech Ventures Launches Tal Medical To Develop Magnetic-Field Treatment for Depression”

Vertex Adds New HepC Drugs for $60M

Cambridge, MA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) said today it has agreed to pay $60 million upfront, as much as $715 million in development milestone payments over time, and potentially $750 million in sales milestones, to obtain a worldwide license to a couple new hepatitis C drug candidates from South San Francisco-based Alios Biopharma. The two … Continue reading “Vertex Adds New HepC Drugs for $60M”

Mike Maples and Ann Miura-Ko on The Limits of Incubators, the Right Fund Size, and the True Meaning of “Pivot”

Last week we published the first half of an extended interview with Mike Maples Jr. and Ann Miura-Ko, the co-founding partners at Palo Alto, CA-based seed stage investing firm Floodgate. The focus in that part was on big issues like how Internet technologies are accelerating startup innovation, how investors have to adapt in response, and … Continue reading “Mike Maples and Ann Miura-Ko on The Limits of Incubators, the Right Fund Size, and the True Meaning of “Pivot””

Send the Trend, Looking To Transform the Way Women Shop, Comes From Reluctant Entrepreneur

Divya Gugnani grew up in a family of entrepreneurs and told herself she’d never do that. Now, she’s CEO of two startups. One of which, she says, is out to transform the way women shop. That would be Send The Trend, a website that sells personalized accessories like jewelry and scarves. It’s one of the … Continue reading “Send the Trend, Looking To Transform the Way Women Shop, Comes From Reluctant Entrepreneur”

Gilt Groupe’s Alexandra Wilkis Wilson at XSITE This Thursday: We’ll Talk Company Culture, Challenges, Growth Strategy

It’s not often I get a chance to chat about men’s fashion in a public forum. Well, it ain’t gonna happen this time either. That’s because I know next to nothing about fashion (just ask my colleagues)—but I do know something about the technology industry, and the fascinating stories of the people behind today’s leading … Continue reading “Gilt Groupe’s Alexandra Wilkis Wilson at XSITE This Thursday: We’ll Talk Company Culture, Challenges, Growth Strategy”

Why Twitter Matters Now in Biotech, and Why Executives Can’t Ignore it Anymore

Two years ago, I caved in to the pressure and signed up for a Twitter account. I had been resisting for months. Millions of people were flocking to the 140-character microblogging service, but from what I could see then, it looked like a time-wasting fad. Hardly anybody in the business I write about, biotechnology, was … Continue reading “Why Twitter Matters Now in Biotech, and Why Executives Can’t Ignore it Anymore”

MIT’s Bob Langer Strikes Again, Wins Priestley Medal

You know you’ve accomplished something in life when somebody gives you an award named after the guy who discovered oxygen. That was the position MIT bioengineering professor Bob Langer found himself in last week, when he took home another biggie—the Priestley Medal. This prize, the highest honor given by the American Chemical Society, usually doesn’t … Continue reading “MIT’s Bob Langer Strikes Again, Wins Priestley Medal”

Front End Integration in the Era of the Smart Phone

CommNexus and its semiconductor special interest group have organized a panel to discuss how the surge in mobile data traffic is prompting operators to expand capacity, and how that affects the RF section of the cellular handset. The RF section is seeing both a large increase in component count and an increase in component performance … Continue reading “Front End Integration in the Era of the Smart Phone”

Free Workshop: How to Become an Angel Investor

The North San Diego County Small Business Development Center, The Business & Entrepreneur Center, ActSeed, Startup Circle, and the Venture Counsel Law Group have joined forces to offer a free workshop on angel investing. The idea is to cultivate a new generation of well-informed small business investors and help establish new sources of capital for … Continue reading “Free Workshop: How to Become an Angel Investor”

SDBN Presents: aTyr Pharma on Reaching Beyond In Vitro Drug Discovery

The San Diego Biotechnology Network hosts aTyr Pharma, with CEO Jeffry Watkins giving a talk on “Innovation: Where is our Biology?” aTyr is developing therapeutics based on physiocrines, small proteins involved in signaling pathways for areas such hematology, immunology, and metabolism disorders. More information and online registration can be found here.

Tendril Networks Receives New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=43d0346e-e554-4d86-8cd0-08f867c49acc&Preview=1 Date 6/13/2011 Company Name Tendril Networks Mailing Address 2560 55th Street Boulder, CO 80301 Company Description Tendril Networks bridges the gap between wireless sensor and control networks and programmers by providing system-wide smart grid development tools, deployment engines, and professional services. Website http://www.tendrilinc.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction … Continue reading “Tendril Networks Receives New Funding Round”

Agrivida Lands $2,000,157 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=66e080ba-9895-49f5-a4e3-4fee15449ea3&Preview=1 Date 6/13/2011 Company Name Agrivida Mailing Address 411 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description Agrivida is an agricultural biotechnology company focused on creating renewable, biomass-based alternative fuels and raw materials. We are developing corn varieties that are optimized for producing ethanol from corn stover, otherwise known as cellulosic ethanol. Corn … Continue reading “Agrivida Lands $2,000,157 New Funding Round”

Light Sciences Oncology Secures $6,256,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1c7d2dca-52c4-4c4a-8ecf-d868a503c3dc&Preview=1 Date 6/13/2011 Company Name Light Sciences Oncology Mailing Address 15405 SE 37th Street Bellevue, WA 98006 Company Description Light Sciences Oncology is developing Light Infusion Therapy (Litx), an innovative light-activated treatment for solid tumors. LSO is currently developing Litx for the treatment of patients with cancers such as hepatoma, metastatic colorectal … Continue reading “Light Sciences Oncology Secures $6,256,000 New Funding Round”

SiliconBlue Technologies Garners $11,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1ad76f42-0f57-46b8-a39a-09bd3090bfd7&Preview=1 Date 6/13/2011 Company Name SiliconBlue Technologies Mailing Address 3255 Scott Blvd. Bld. 7 Santa Clara, CA 95054 Company Description SiliconBlue has built from ground up, the first single-chip, reprogrammable, ultra-low power FPGA optimized for handheld, mobile applications. Website http://www.siliconbluetech.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $11,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “SiliconBlue Technologies Garners $11,000,000 New Round”

TellApart Lands $13,000,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c1d59e2b-83a7-4109-ae42-175c69d13b74&Preview=1 Date 6/13/2011 Company Name TellApart Mailing Address 1409 Chapin Ave Third Floor Burlingame, CA 94010 Company Description The TellApart data platform helps you unify & unlock the potential of your own customer data. Website http://www.tellapart.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $13,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes The new financing … Continue reading “TellApart Lands $13,000,000 Series B Funding Round”

Bunchball Secures $6,500,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4fa8f779-d28a-4dc6-b8a6-a6bf54147ed5&Preview=1 Date 6/13/2011 Company Name Bunchball Mailing Address 355 Santana Row San Jose, CA 95128 Company Description Bunchball is the industry leader in gamification, an innovative way of optimizing online user engagement through the application of game mechanics to websites, portals and online communities. Website http://www.bunchball.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Bunchball Secures $6,500,000 New Funding Round”

Group Commerce Lands $10,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bca6e4f4-1c55-4c39-8680-59e2bc3dd2f1&Preview=1 Date 6/13/2011 Company Name Group Commerce Mailing Address 628 Broadway New York, NY 10012 Company Description The company has developed a white label, full-service group buying platform for publishers and merchants. Website http://www.groupcommerce.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Group Commerce Lands $10,000,000 New Funding Round”

Google Acquires Admeld for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=75191011-c181-411d-afb4-d01ce256385e&Preview=1 Date 6/13/2011 Company Name Admeld Mailing Address 230 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10003 Company Description The company provides advertising operation solutions and software development. Website http://www.admeld.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Group Commerce Receives $10,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bca6e4f4-1c55-4c39-8680-59e2bc3dd2f1&Preview=1 Date 6/13/2011 Company Name Group Commerce Mailing Address 628 Broadway New York, NY 10012 Company Description The company has developed a white label, full-service group buying platform for publishers and merchants. Website http://www.groupcommerce.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Group Commerce Receives $10,000,000 New Round”

How Intuit Fosters Innovation

As part of its “Innovation Catalysts” series, Intuit has invited Robert Torres, a senior interaction designer for Intuit’s accounting professionals division, to give a presentation on the company’s approach to fostering innovation. Get inspired by learning great techniques from one of Intuit’s own gurus. Intuit founder Scott Cook helped start the Innovation Catalysts initiative in … Continue reading “How Intuit Fosters Innovation”

Annual Biocom Open House and Purchasing Group Supplier Showcase

Biocom has turned its courtyard into the winners’ circle for this year’s open house, providing an opportunity for all the thoroughbreds of San Diego’s life sciences community to network and horse around. The Derby is a chance for everyone to make a fashion statement, so ladies, feel free to flaunt your inner “Southern Belle” with … Continue reading “Annual Biocom Open House and Purchasing Group Supplier Showcase”

UC San Diego Economics Roundtable: Making the Transition from SUVs to EVs

UC San Diego Assistant Professor of Economics Mark Jacobsen will speak on “From SUVs to Electric Cars: Shaping Consumer Choice to Save Gasoline.” Jacobsen’s research examines the broad impact of regulations to reduce gasoline use, including the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Jacobsen’s work addresses the distributional effects of these policies, both among auto … Continue reading “UC San Diego Economics Roundtable: Making the Transition from SUVs to EVs”

Game Hack Day

Build the future of gaming at this weekend event at the General Assembly incubator. The conference will feature game hacking, and lots of tips on software, hardware, art, and the Web. Register here.

WBBA/LSDF Open House

The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association and the Life Sciences Discovery Fund are holding an open house on August 11. For more information, click here.

Pacific Health Summit

The Pacific Health Summit will be held this year in Seattle from June 21-23, with a focus on vaccine development. For more information, click here.

GreenBiz Verge 11 Webcast

Verge 2011, an invitation-only conference for cleantech entrepreneurs, is offering a free live webcast of its proceedings. From the event description: “VERGE describes a convergence of energy, information, building, and vehicle technologies. This convergence is leading to a new wave of innovation along with radical new efficiencies and leapfrog advances in sustainability for business and … Continue reading “GreenBiz Verge 11 Webcast”