Microsoft has scored a bit of a coup in rival Google’s backyard: The Redmond, WA-based software giant has landed a contract to provide cloud-based email for San Francisco’s city and county government, winning out against options from Google (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOOG]]) and Lotus. San Francisco will pay Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) about $1.2 million per year for … Continue reading “Take That, Gmail: San Francisco Goes With Microsoft For Cloud-Based Email Upgrade”
Medtronic’s Hawkins and BSX’s Elliott Exit Stage Right As Medical Device Industry Shifts
It’s pretty tough to be a CEO at a major medical device company these days. Just ask Bill Hawkins, who was reportedly pushed out at Medtronic and Ray Elliott, who abruptly left Boston Scientific. I’m not sure if the two men ever knew each other but their departures have a weird type of symmetry. Both … Continue reading “Medtronic’s Hawkins and BSX’s Elliott Exit Stage Right As Medical Device Industry Shifts”
Boeing’s NW Biofuel Strategy, Kleiner Perkins’ Natural Gas Startup & More on Deck for Tomorrow’s Alternative Fuels Event
Gas is selling for more than $4 a gallon, and consumers are hopping mad. Even though we’ve all seen this movie before, nobody has yet made a serious impact with alternatives that power motor vehicles with something other than fossil fuels. Finding various clean, renewable, and cost-competitive sources of energy is one of the big … Continue reading “Boeing’s NW Biofuel Strategy, Kleiner Perkins’ Natural Gas Startup & More on Deck for Tomorrow’s Alternative Fuels Event”
Wherefore Art Thou Angels? Boston Startup Scene Gears Up for Angel Bootcamp on June 14 (and Wants a Little More Froth)
Yes, I’m well aware that “wherefore” means “for what reason.” In this case, the reasons for being an active angel investor in Boston have to do with being part of a bigger and collaborative ecosystem, giving back to the startup community, and helping create the future of technology. It’s exciting stuff—especially in this day and … Continue reading “Wherefore Art Thou Angels? Boston Startup Scene Gears Up for Angel Bootcamp on June 14 (and Wants a Little More Froth)”
SDG&E, Soitec Add 2 Local Solar Sites
San Diego Gas & Electric has added two more 25-year contracts with French-based Soitec, which will supply a total of 125 megawatts from solar energy sites using Soitec’s Concentrix CPV (Concentrating Photo-Voltaic solar panel modules. In a statement today, the two companies say Soitec Solar Development will manufacture the modules in a new factory to … Continue reading “SDG&E, Soitec Add 2 Local Solar Sites”
Clearwire Hands Network Management to Sprint Partner Ericsson, Continuing Rapid Makeover
Wireless network provider Clearwire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLWR]]) continues taking significant steps to remake itself. Today, the Kirkland, WA-based company announced it is handing over day-to-day management of its fourth-generation (4G) network to Ericsson (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ERIC]]). The move means that about 700 Clearwire employees will work for Ericsson, “in locations around the United States before mid-year 2011,” … Continue reading “Clearwire Hands Network Management to Sprint Partner Ericsson, Continuing Rapid Makeover”
$9.25M for Datameer
San Mateo, CA-based Datameer, which offers data analytics and business intelligence software for companies using the open source Hadoop distributed computing framework, said today it has raised $9.25 million in a Series B financing round led by new investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Existing investor Redpoint Ventures also chipped in. “We are impressed with … Continue reading “$9.25M for Datameer”
Parking App Expands to SF
Streetline Networks, a San Francisco startup profiled by Xconomy in December, said today that it has expanded Parker, its mobile parking spot finder for the Apple iPhone, beyond Hollywood to parts of the Marina District in San Francisco. The app can now guide drivers to blocks with open parking spots in Studio City, CA, as … Continue reading “Parking App Expands to SF”
Celldex Raises $31.5M, Stock Drops
Needham, MA-based Celldex Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLDX]]) said today it has raised $31.5 million through a stock offering. The company sold 10 million shares at $3.15 apiece, roughly a 19 percent discount to yesterday’s closing stock price of $3.88, before the deal was announced. Jefferies & Co, Wedbush Securities, Brean Murray, Carret & Co. and Roth … Continue reading “Celldex Raises $31.5M, Stock Drops”
SiGe Opts for $275M Acquisition Instead of IPO
Andover, MA-based SiGe Semiconductor, which first revealed its plans to go public last July, is instead set to be acquired by another Bay State semiconductor technology company, Skyworks (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SWKS]]). Woburn, MA-based Skyworks, whose analog and mixed signal semiconductors have applications in the military, medical, broadband, mobile, industrial, automotive, and energy management spaces, will pay as … Continue reading “SiGe Opts for $275M Acquisition Instead of IPO”
Energy Infotech Forum
This conference will explore how New York’s unique capabilities in information technology, internet applications, media, and finance position it to lead the melding of IT and cleantech. Participants include leading technologists, developers, entrepreneurs, and investors, such as Raphael Carty of Callida Energy, Seth Frader-Thompson of Energy Hub, and Michael Herzig of Locus Energy. Register here.
Careers in Bioinformatics
This event will focus on opportunities in bioinformatics and its applications to healthcare, energy, and agriculture. It will include information on local graduate programs, as well as lunch and a reception. Featured speakers include experts from Celmatix, Polytechnic Institute, and Merck. Register here.
Internet Week New York
This week-long festival highlights New York’s thriving Internet industry. There will be about 150 events, ranging from parties and meet-ups, to executive breakfasts and conferences, hosted throughout Manhattan. Register here ($15 if you tweet about your purchase, $25 if you do not.)
Innovation as King Is Dead. The Day of the Innovator Has Arrived
[This post was co-authored by Joseph Steig of VentureWell—Eds.] The United States needs new, bold science innovation to address the challenges facing people and the planet—and to create jobs and a strong economy. Yet what is glamorous in popular business culture is not science innovation, but rather bold pitches, business innovations, fast and big exits. … Continue reading “Innovation as King Is Dead. The Day of the Innovator Has Arrived”
Finding a Solution To Our Biotech Malaise Together
We have many problems in biotechnology but I think Seattle is well positioned to overcome those barriers. Bear with me as I work to one possible approach. I think there are two problems weighing on the biotechnology industry producing the current melancholy – lack of sustainable employment over a career and the inability to change … Continue reading “Finding a Solution To Our Biotech Malaise Together”
Should Biology Go Open Source? Join the Debate June 16 With Phil Sharp and Stephen Friend
Biology has long been based on a model in which scientists think up a dynamite experiment, gather data, keep it all close to the vest, and publish the (hoped-for) blockbuster results in a top peer-reviewed journal. Like many biologists, MIT’s Phil Sharp made his name following this time-honored method for discovering and disseminating knowledge. Now … Continue reading “Should Biology Go Open Source? Join the Debate June 16 With Phil Sharp and Stephen Friend”
Amyris Sees Reward in Putting One Foot in Front of the Other in Biofuels
The renewable fuels business has been long on talk and short on action for a few years now. That helps explain how Emeryville, CA-based Amyris could achieve impressive financial results simply by fulfilling its promises—even if that means hitting some fairly incremental goals. The company has seen its stock climb 72 percent, from $16 to … Continue reading “Amyris Sees Reward in Putting One Foot in Front of the Other in Biofuels”
MarketSharing Bets Small Businesses in New York and Beyond Will Clamor for Daily Deals
John Amato was working as president at New York ad agency Show Media when Groupon and other daily-deals sites started to take off a couple of years ago. Amato’s small agency rang up about $1 million a month in expenses, he says, which included buying iPods and other incentives for top-performing employees, and placing frequent … Continue reading “MarketSharing Bets Small Businesses in New York and Beyond Will Clamor for Daily Deals”
Carbonite Files for IPO, Autonomy Pays $380M for Iron Mountain Businesses, PerkinElmer Buys Labtronics, & More Boston-Area Deals News
We saw a mix of funding and acquisition news for New England’s tech and life sciences startups this week. —Carbonite, a Boston-based online data backup firm, revealed it was planning to go public. The company, which has raised more than $67 million in venture capital, didn’t yet say how many shares it will be offering … Continue reading “Carbonite Files for IPO, Autonomy Pays $380M for Iron Mountain Businesses, PerkinElmer Buys Labtronics, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
TurningArt Obtains $750,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=030afc7c-0150-437c-9dbd-3b5713dd992f&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name TurningArt Mailing Address 359 Green Street Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description The company operates a website that allows users to rent by your exchange artworks. Website http://www.turningart.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $750,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes This new round of funding will be used … Continue reading “TurningArt Obtains $750,000 New Round”
Tepha Lands $4,970,273 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e90a6393-4d61-4213-b399-d08b14b7cce9&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name Tepha Mailing Address 99 Hayden Avenue East Wing Lexington, MA 02421 Company Description Tepha is a medical device firm engaged in the development of a new range of absorbable devices for therapeutic applications. Website http://www.tepha.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,970,273 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Tepha Lands $4,970,273 New Round”
Chumby Industries Lands $1,500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c960d545-c209-4f99-abd5-04de41934852&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name Chumby Industries Mailing Address 12264 El Camino Real San Diego, CA 92130 Company Description Introducing the chumby, a compact device that can act like a clock radio, but is way more flexible and fun. It uses the wireless internet connection you already have to fetch cool stuff … Continue reading “Chumby Industries Lands $1,500,000 New Round”
Cameron Health Garners $107,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=63081c86-a20b-4e65-9339-0ab5731932cd&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name Cameron Health Mailing Address 905 Calle Amanecer San Clemente, CA 92673 Company Description Cameron Health, Inc., a development stage medical device company, is creating the next generation of implantable electronic device utilizing state-of-the-art technologies. We are a team of specialized, high technology, creative individuals with decades of … Continue reading “Cameron Health Garners $107,000,000 New Round”
MongoLab Garners $3,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e0b95753-6e2e-47b6-bd0f-62b3017a2abd&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name MongoLab Mailing Address Undisclosed San Francisco, CA 94123 Company Description We want to help revolutionize the database world by providing developers with the absolute best tools and platforms for successfully using MongoDB. Website http://www.mongolab.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “MongoLab Garners $3,000,000 Series A Funding”
GreenRoad Obtains $13,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=543b6cbc-9e29-4433-bba8-dc876815b8e5&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name GreenRoad Mailing Address 3 Twin Dolphin Drive Redwood Shores, CA 94065 Company Description GreenRoad develops driver safety and risk management technologies that reduce accident rates and lower costs. Our solutions empower drivers to manage their own safety by giving instantaneous, in-vehicle feedback—without privacy invasions. As a result, … Continue reading “GreenRoad Obtains $13,000,000 New Funding Round”
Eventbrite Receives $50,000,000 Series E Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=470a0855-4b37-4d69-9daf-fc0576206bcc&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name Eventbrite Mailing Address 410 Townsend St San Francisco, CA 94107 Company Description Eventbrite is the leading provider of online event management and ticketing services. Eventbrite makes it easy for anyone to hold a successful event of any type and size. Eventbrite is free if your event is … Continue reading “Eventbrite Receives $50,000,000 Series E Financing”
Zynga Game Network Acquires DNA Games for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=40e14c5b-55a1-4ca4-9142-a2e70bc90b20&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name DNA Games Mailing Address 71 Stevenson Blvd San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description DNA Games is a technology-driven, casual gaming platform based in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are addressing the biggest problem in a traditionally hits-driven business: a system to repeatedly create hits. Website http://www.dnagamesinc.com … Continue reading “Zynga Game Network Acquires DNA Games for Undisclosed Sum”
Cognitive Match Garners $6,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0242c85f-5485-4134-aa78-783dd9dfbca8&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name Cognitive Match Mailing Address 475 Park Ave. S. Fourth Floor New York, NY 10016 Company Description Cognitive Match was founded to connect targeting across display ads and onsite content. Website http://www.cognitivematch.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “Cognitive Match Garners $6,000,000 New Financing”
Yahoo! Acquires 5to1 for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=846af3de-ebff-45cd-b370-7c8b4b38a52d&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name 5to1 Mailing Address 5048 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle, WA 98105 Company Description The 5to1 platform empowers content owners to ensure ads are placed in the appropriate context, at the appropriate time and for the right audience, so advertisers can achieve maximum value and branding for their clients. … Continue reading “Yahoo! Acquires 5to1 for Undisclosed Sum”
WaterSmart Software Lands $900,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=13b871aa-37ec-4477-b238-6efa91a2bd5c&Preview=1 Date 5/18/2011 Company Name WaterSmart Software Mailing Address 1550 G Tiburon Blvd. Tiburon, CA 94920 Company Description The mission of WaterSmart Software is to help water utilities make it easier for their customers to save water and save money. Using our software and services, our utility partners make sure each consumer … Continue reading “WaterSmart Software Lands $900,000 New Round”
WPP Digital Puts $5M into nPario
WPP Digital, the Dublin, Ireland-based communication services company, said today it has has purchased a minority stake in Redmond, WA- and Palo Alto, CA-based nPario for $5 million. As we explained in a September 2010 profile, nPario has developed cross-platform tracking software that can identify unique individuals as they move from PCs to tablet devices, … Continue reading “WPP Digital Puts $5M into nPario”
Jobvite Picks Up $15M
Jobvite, a Burlingame, CA-based maker of “social recruiting” software for companies looking to hire new workers, said today that it has raised $15 million in Series C financing. New investor Trident Capital led the round, which was joined by existing investors CMEA Capital and ATA Ventures. Jobvite said the funding would go to support continued … Continue reading “Jobvite Picks Up $15M”
$25M for Hara Software
San Mateo, CA-based Hara Software, which offers Web-based software to help businesses monitor energy use, has raised $25 million in Series C funding, according to a report today in Dow Jones VentureWire. Focus Ventures led the round, with a range of other investor joining, including Itochu Technology Ventures, Jafco Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, … Continue reading “$25M for Hara Software”
Shire Buys Advanced BioHealing for $750 Million
Irish drug giant Shire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SHPGY]]) is making a big push into regenerative medicine by shelling out $750 million in cash for Advanced BioHealing, according to a press release. Advanced BioHealing–which is based in Westport, CT, and has manufacturing and lab space in La Jolla, CA—makes Duragraft, a bio-engineered skin substitute used to treat diabetic foot … Continue reading “Shire Buys Advanced BioHealing for $750 Million”
Healthcare Needs Real Entrepreneurs Before It Can Have Real Innovation
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending an event put together by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a branch of the US Department Of Health and Human Services whose mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. AHRQ has established an Innovation Exchange … Continue reading “Healthcare Needs Real Entrepreneurs Before It Can Have Real Innovation”
PATH VP Takes CEO Gig at Global Impact
Scott Jackson, the vice president of external relations at Seattle-based PATH, is leaving to become the CEO of Global Impact, an Alexandria, VA-based humanitarian organization. Jackson, who oversaw PATH’s advocacy, visibility and fundraising efforts the past five years, will now oversee an organization that has raised more than $1.3 billion for 58 U.S.-based charities, according … Continue reading “PATH VP Takes CEO Gig at Global Impact”
From Kendall Square to Kenya: What’s Hot in Mobile
All my peers in tech seem to be talking about wireless these days. So this past Friday, I stepped outside my world of the data biz to attend the MassTLC tech event on “The Global Impact of Mobility” at the Kendall Square Marriott next to MIT. The event included panelists from industry (Groupon, BT, Cisco, … Continue reading “From Kendall Square to Kenya: What’s Hot in Mobile”
Hunting HiPPOs: Optimizely’s Testing Tools Bring Data-Driven Web Design to the Masses
Optimizely doesn’t put its most effective sales pitch on its website; it doesn’t have to. It boils down to this: If it was good enough for Barack Obama, it’s good enough for you. “It,” in this case, is online A/B testing: the practice of altering live websites in small, controlled ways to see whether the … Continue reading “Hunting HiPPOs: Optimizely’s Testing Tools Bring Data-Driven Web Design to the Masses”
Merck, Genentech Team Up on Hepatitis C Drugs, Raising Ante in Vertex Rivalry
Merck isn’t messing around with its new hepatitis C drug. It has now enlisted a powerhouse partner in its bid to fight for market share against Cambridge, MA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]). The Whitehouse Station, NJ-based pharma giant (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) said today that it has formed a non-exclusive alliance with Roche’s Genentech unit to help … Continue reading “Merck, Genentech Team Up on Hepatitis C Drugs, Raising Ante in Vertex Rivalry”
GM Recieves $10M Credit For IT Center
The Michigan Economic Development Corp. awarded a $10 million to General Motors for the possible redevelopment and expansion of the company’s Cadillac Building in Warren, MI. Under the plan, GM would spend $130 million to house its information technology laboratory and operations and consolidated data centers in the facility.
German Wind Turbine Maker Kenersys To Establish Hemisphere Headquarters In Michigan
Kenersys, a German manufacturer of wind turbines, will base its North and South America operations in Michigan, a potential big boost for the state’s nascent cleantech industry. The company will spend $10.2 million to establish its headquarters in Troy, MI and build a manufacturing facility at a yet-to-be-determined site, according to the Michigan Economic Development … Continue reading “German Wind Turbine Maker Kenersys To Establish Hemisphere Headquarters In Michigan”
SciFluor Kicks Off With $5M
SciFluor Life Sciences, a Boston-based developer of technology for adding fluorine to organic molecules such as pharmaceutical drugs and commercial chemicals, launched today with $5 million in funding from Allied Minds. The technology, which helps make molecules more stable, potent, and better able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, comes from Harvard University’s professor Tobias Ritter … Continue reading “SciFluor Kicks Off With $5M”
Microsoft’s Qi Lu Talks Future of the Web: Look Out, Facebook, Groupon, Apple, and (Oh Yeah) Google
If Microsoft has its way, you’ll soon be Skyping on your Windows Phone with 500 of your closest Facebook friends about the latest daily deals in your city. Then you’ll find those local businesses through Bing, which will help you decide which ones to pursue—and will help both merchants and consumers cash in on those … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Qi Lu Talks Future of the Web: Look Out, Facebook, Groupon, Apple, and (Oh Yeah) Google”
Red Hot: The Computer Science Job Market
It’s no secret that there’s extraordinary competition right now for computer scientists. Both nationally and regionally, new graduates from strong programs at all degree levels are receiving extraordinary offers. This year’s UW Computer Science & Engineering seniors have reported starting salaries as high as $105,000 (that’s the highest I’ve heard – there may be higher) … Continue reading “Red Hot: The Computer Science Job Market”
Resolve Nabs $2M For Lupus Drug, First Step on the Road to Returns With No IPO, No M&A
Seattle-based Resolve Therapeutics raised its first $2 million to execute on a plan that challenges about 30 years of conventional wisdom of how you make money in biotech. And it took some creative thinking from a couple of New York-based venture firms to pull it together. The plan, crafted by Resolve CEO Jim Posada, is … Continue reading “Resolve Nabs $2M For Lupus Drug, First Step on the Road to Returns With No IPO, No M&A”
Marina Biotech Adds $6.9M
Bothell, WA-based Marina Biotech (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]), the developer of RNA interference treatments, said today it has raised gross proceeds of $6.9 million through a stock offering. The company sold 22.3 million securities units, made up of one share of common stock and one warrant to buy a share of common stock. Marina has said it … Continue reading “Marina Biotech Adds $6.9M”
NYC Rolls Out New Digital Media Plan
New York City will soon roll out partnerships with Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Tumblr, according to the city’s chief digital officer, Rachel Sterne. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office unveiled a report called “Road Map for the Digital City,” which outlines a number of initiatives designed to make NYC a more technologically savvy place. Among the plans: … Continue reading “NYC Rolls Out New Digital Media Plan”
Pfizer Lung Cancer Drug to Get Priority Review
New York-based Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) announced that it has simultaneously applied for approval of its lung cancer drug, crizotinib, in the U.S. and Japan, and that the FDA granted it priority review. Crizotinib is the first in a new class of drugs called anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors, and it is being developed for a subset … Continue reading “Pfizer Lung Cancer Drug to Get Priority Review”
Foundation Medicine Teams With Celgene in Quest to Develop Targeted Cancer Treatments
Boston-based Foundation Medicine has only been around for about two years, but it’s already making friends in big places. Today the company—which is developing advanced cancer diagnostics—announced a collaboration with Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]), based in Summit, NJ. Celgene plans to use Foundation Medicine’s genomics testing technology in trials of cancer drugs, in the hopes of … Continue reading “Foundation Medicine Teams With Celgene in Quest to Develop Targeted Cancer Treatments”
InterDigital Opens San Diego Outpost in Quest to Ease “Bandwidth Crunch”
InterDigital (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IDCC]]), a company that invents new wireless technologies and counts Samsung, Research in Motion, and HTC among its biggest customers, has opened a satellite R&D lab in San Diego. The new facility is initially focused on developing technologies to improve the capacity of wireless networks, according to Bill Merritt, the company’s CEO. Merritt, … Continue reading “InterDigital Opens San Diego Outpost in Quest to Ease “Bandwidth Crunch””