Quite a few players in the movement toward super-fast, super-cheap gene sequencing see a mix of arcane science, breathless hype, and modest results. Despite a decade of talk about personalized medicine, nobody walks into a doctors’ office today and gets a universal test that can predict their medical future or give advice on how to … Continue reading “Diagnostics Are Warming Up in Era of Fast, Cheap Sequencing, Says MDV’s Rowan Chapman”
Regulus, the MicroRNA Child of Alnylam and Isis, Offers Litmus Test for Biotech Hope in 2011
The notion that Regulus Therapeutics might go public in 2011 sounds like nonsense at first blush. The San Diego-based startup doesn’t have a shred of evidence that says its experimental drugs are safe, or even a little effective, in human beings. And it will be at least another year before the company enters the vital … Continue reading “Regulus, the MicroRNA Child of Alnylam and Isis, Offers Litmus Test for Biotech Hope in 2011”
It’s Fashionable to Be Early, and Other Startup Lessons from the Innovation Showcase
The point at which an exciting research project is poised to become the next great product or service can be fraught with peril. So, what’s an innovator to do? Make connections, seek advice, build a team of advisors and investors who can help navigate that rocky road and bridge the gap between research and results. … Continue reading “It’s Fashionable to Be Early, and Other Startup Lessons from the Innovation Showcase”
Stromedix Chief, After Reloading the Company Treasury, Sets Sight on Trial for Deadly Lung Disease
Cambridge, MA-based Stromedix is planning to begin a mid-stage trial of its lead drug in patients with a chronic lung disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis before the end of June, CEO Michael Gilman tells me. And the firm’s investors have committed as much as $15.5 million in debt to cover the costs the trial. Debt … Continue reading “Stromedix Chief, After Reloading the Company Treasury, Sets Sight on Trial for Deadly Lung Disease”
How Sanofi Could Start Off on the Right Foot in Cambridge
To: Chris Viehbacher, CEO, Sanofi Aventis From: The Boston Biotech Community Re: Making the Most of the Impending Merger Dear Mr. Viehbacher, In the heat of the discussions regarding an acquisition of Genzyme that now look like they are on track for rapid completion, you may not have had much time to think about exactly … Continue reading “How Sanofi Could Start Off on the Right Foot in Cambridge”
EnterpriseDB Lands $13,610,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3badfe68-bcd6-4871-91dd-b0e3ba094022&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name EnterpriseDB Mailing Address 235 Littleton Road Westford, MA 01886 Company Description EnterpriseDB provides and supports enterprise-class database products that are based on time-tested open source, that are broadly compatible with proprietary databases and that are robustly reliable and scalable. Website http://www.enterprisedb.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “EnterpriseDB Lands $13,610,000 New Round”
Antenna Software Acquires Volantis for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d2dc0c28-adaa-4907-93e1-efeb017fb168&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name Volantis Mailing Address 14205 SE 36th Street Bellevue, WA 98006 Company Description Volantis is the world’s leading supplier of Intelligent Content Adaptation solutions and services for the next generation Internet. Website http://www.volantis.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of … Continue reading “Antenna Software Acquires Volantis for Undisclosed Sum”
Vital Therapies Obtains $14,041,092 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b58bf6d2-52c3-47d0-a69d-f60a788447db&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name Vital Therapies Mailing Address 15222 Avenue of Science San Diego, CA 92128 Company Description Vital Therapies, Inc. (VTI) is a new company formed in 2003 to continue the development of the ELAD (Extracorporeal Liver Assist Device) System, which augments the metabolic functions of a patient’s liver, thereby … Continue reading “Vital Therapies Obtains $14,041,092 New Round”
Tencent Holdings Acquires Riot Games for $400,000,000
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e692f483-f17f-4cb4-8724-fea828571881&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name Riot Games Mailing Address P.O. Box: 10736 Jefferson Blvd. Culver City, CA 90230 Company Description Riot Games Inc., founded in 2006, is an independently funded video game development company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Website http://www.riotgames.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount $400,000,000 Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A … Continue reading “Tencent Holdings Acquires Riot Games for $400,000,000”
Dasient Garners New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=88543e1a-cc66-4d8c-89cc-18f58a097277&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name Dasient Mailing Address 1196 Borregas Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Company Description Dasient is an early-stage company that is solving next-generation security problems for the Internet. Our founding team comes from Google, Berkeley, Stanford, McKinsey, HP, and Bellcore. Website http://www.dasient.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round … Continue reading “Dasient Garners New Financing”
Cloudera Receives Series C Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cfe39b7c-1b37-4b80-9aec-698793665f69&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name Cloudera Mailing Address 210 Portage Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94306 Company Description Cloudera was founded to provide enterprise-level support to users of Apache Hadoop. Our founding team has deep expertise in commercial use of open source software and Hadoop. Website http://www.cloudera.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Cloudera Receives Series C Funding Round”
GoingOn Networks Lands $6,235,227 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2c27767e-3d0d-493f-a9dc-85c7b0f67a1e&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name GoingOn Networks Mailing Address 101 Townsend St. San Francisco, CA 94107 Company Description GoingOn Community Platform enables academic institutions to deliver new, more engaging models of knowledge management and social collaboration across their campuses, and to their broad network of constituents. Website http://www.goingon.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “GoingOn Networks Lands $6,235,227 New Funding Round”
SolFocus Obtains $3,849,436 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fd5afc97-7001-427d-ade0-a51903f263c1&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name SolFocus Mailing Address 510 Logue Avenue Mountain View, CA 94043 Company Description SolFocus develops and markets products that generate electricity using concentrator solar photovoltaics. Website http://www.solfocus.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,849,436 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. Amount includes options, warrants … Continue reading “SolFocus Obtains $3,849,436 New Funding”
Violin Memory Secures $35,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f7044439-1f73-4c03-bd17-a9b1339aa754&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name Violin Memory Mailing Address 2700 Garcia Avenue Mountain View, CA 94043 Company Description Violin Memory is the ultimate solution for the company who is looking to accelerate their business critical applications and virtualize their Data Center storage with a scalable flash memory array that delivers unprecedented sustainability … Continue reading “Violin Memory Secures $35,000,000 Series B Funding”
AirCell Garners $35,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b6fd05e8-4dec-4468-8786-cf758e3ae3ff&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name AirCell Mailing Address 303 South Technology Court Bldg. A Broomfield, CO 80021 Company Description AirCell, the leader in airborne telecommunications for business aviation, is now developing the first affordable, North America-wide airborne broadband solution. After winning the FCC’s recent air-to-ground spectrum licensing auction, AirCell is spearheading a … Continue reading “AirCell Garners $35,000,000 New Round”
Stella & Dot Lands $37,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=905f88c4-0f49-49e1-b92b-963b89acd7e0&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name Stella & Dot Mailing Address Undisclosed Round Rock, TX 78664 Company Description The company is an online jewelry and accessories retailer utilizing at-home stylists. Website http://home.stelladot.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $37,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor … Continue reading “Stella & Dot Lands $37,000,000 New Round”
BLiNQ Networks Garners $7,400,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f3d3a48f-bc34-4a3e-8dd1-ca6e83423723&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2011 Company Name BLiNQ Networks Mailing Address 5048 Tennyson Parkway Plano, TX 75024 Company Description BLiNQ is a pioneer in small cell wireless backhaul solutions that enable mobile operators to quickly and cost-effectively add capacity wherever they need it. Website http://www.blinqnetworks.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,400,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “BLiNQ Networks Garners $7,400,000 Series A Financing Round”
Plastyc Obtains $2,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5f2200b2-c10a-4f03-95a5-0be7aa13f82b&Preview=1 Date 2/6/2011 Company Name Plastyc Mailing Address 15 Broad Street New York, NY 10005 Company Description Plastyc Inc. is a privately held US corporation with a principal office in New York. Our mission is to collaborate with parents and merchants in offering teenagers state-of-the-art payment and commerce-assistance services that are adapted … Continue reading “Plastyc Obtains $2,000,000 New Funding Round”
Viximo Founder Brian Balfour Steps Back from Full-Time Role; Company Doing “Extremely Well”
It’s usually noteworthy when a founder leaves a startup. I heard this week that Brian Balfour, the founder of Cambridge, MA-based Viximo, has stepped back from his full-time role at the virtual-goods technology company where he served as vice president of product marketing. Balfour has been a fixture in the Boston-area tech startup scene for … Continue reading “Viximo Founder Brian Balfour Steps Back from Full-Time Role; Company Doing “Extremely Well””
Incubators ‘R’ Us: Kauffman Labs, Highland Capital, Betaspring, & Other Startup Accelerators Round Out Busy Week
I don’t know about you, but I’m incubatored out. With all the news and PR this week about Startup America, MassChallenge, TechStars Network, Y Combinator, and other programs across the nation, startup incubators/accelerators have suddenly gone mainstream. Which, just like when alternative rock became mainstream in the early ‘90s (always a key analogy), makes me … Continue reading “Incubators ‘R’ Us: Kauffman Labs, Highland Capital, Betaspring, & Other Startup Accelerators Round Out Busy Week”
BG Medicine Goes Public at $7 Per Share
Waltham, MA-based BG Medicine (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BGMD]]) started trading publicly today at $7 per share. After indicating earlier in the week that it had planned to offer 4.75 million shares in its initial public offering, the diagnostics company sold 5 million shares. Lazard Capital Markets acted as sole book-running manager for the deal, and underwriters will have … Continue reading “BG Medicine Goes Public at $7 Per Share”
IntegenX Adds $16M, Buys GenVault
Pleasanton, CA-based IntegenX, formerly known as Microchip Biotechnologies, has acquired Carlsbad, CA-based GenVault and raised $15.6 million in new capital in a round led by existing investor Domain Associates, according to a report today in Dow Jones VentureWire. IntegenX makes automated sample preparation systems for genetics laboratories, and GenVault produces bio-sample storage systems that do … Continue reading “IntegenX Adds $16M, Buys GenVault”
In the Beginning, Storify Raised $2M
San Francisco-based Storify, which is helping publishers such as Washington, DC-based TBD assemble social media updates into narrative news stories, has raised $2 million in new venture funding, according to a regulatory filing. The company, whose service is still in a private beta testing phase, identified Khosla Ventures as an investor in a blog post … Continue reading “In the Beginning, Storify Raised $2M”
Loc-Aid Locates $13M
San Francisco-based Loc-Aid, which helps enable location-based services and transactions on mobile devices using gateway software that mediates between wireless carrier infrastructures and application developers, has collected $13 million in new funding, according to a regulatory filing. The filing doesn’t name the investors in the round, but lists partners from Intersouth Partners in North Carolina, … Continue reading “Loc-Aid Locates $13M”
$17.6M Debt Round for Spine Wave
Shelton, CT-based spinal device developer Spine Wave has raised $17.6 million in debt financing, according to an SEC filing. The company said in a press release that previous investor New Enterprise Associates led the financing, which also included Morgenthaler Ventures, Compass Global Fund, New Leaf Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, Foundation Medical Partners, and Memphis Implant … Continue reading “$17.6M Debt Round for Spine Wave”
Bliss Healthcare, Founded by MIT Sloan Grad, Starts New Web-Savvy Home Care Service
Pankaj Khare says he has devoted the past several years of his life and his 401K savings to a startup that he thinks will improve the way home care is delivered to patients. Now, with some help from Boston-area angel investors, this company, Bliss Healthcare, is finally ready to introduce a Web-supported home care service … Continue reading “Bliss Healthcare, Founded by MIT Sloan Grad, Starts New Web-Savvy Home Care Service”
California Biotech To Add Jobs, Merck’s Bet on Biotech Drugs in Palo Alto, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News
We had a number of national stories with local angles in Bay Area biotech this week. —California biotech CEOs have a lot to complain about with high taxes and a lousy state budget predicament making it hard to do business. But despite the headwinds, the California Healthcare Institute, BayBio, and PwC said this week that … Continue reading “California Biotech To Add Jobs, Merck’s Bet on Biotech Drugs in Palo Alto, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News”
Tablet Journalism: Can Rupert Murdoch’s iPad Adventure Save the News Business?
Sorry for the sensational headline. I couldn’t help myself. Talking about the future of journalism just gets me fired up, I guess. Anyway, the answer, of course, is no. Rupert Murdoch’s new initiative, called The Daily, can’t save journalism in an Internet era when advertising rates have declined and everyone wants to get their content … Continue reading “Tablet Journalism: Can Rupert Murdoch’s iPad Adventure Save the News Business?”
Genocea Announces New CEO, Pfizer to Add Jobs In MA, Ocular Raises $14M, and More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
We saw a mix of meaty pieces on company strategies and outlooks, as well as breaking news on funding for Boston’s life sciences companies. —Ryan took a look at Cambridge, MA-based drug developer Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals (and neighbor to Xconomy) as it navigates Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which it filed for in December. The firm, … Continue reading “Genocea Announces New CEO, Pfizer to Add Jobs In MA, Ocular Raises $14M, and More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
IntegenX Acquires Genvault for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4f4c90cc-b31a-4ae1-8877-90c76b20d066&Preview=1 Date 2/4/2011 Company Name Genvault Mailing Address 6190 Corte Del Cedro Carlsbad, CA 92011-1515 Company Description GenVault is dedicated to stabilizing biosamples and to the integration of biosample transport, storage and retrieval, in a way that meshes seamlessly with day-to-day lab operations: thus simplifying sample sharing for customers in genomic medicine, … Continue reading “IntegenX Acquires Genvault for Undisclosed Sum”
Endocyte Receives $75,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=958d0136-34a8-425b-8f57-15dc2c65b8c1&Preview=1 Date 2/4/2011 Company Name Endocyte Mailing Address 3000 Kent Avenue West Lafayette, IN 47906 Company Description Endocyte, Inc, (NASDAQ: ECYT) located in West Lafayette, Indiana, is developing a new generation of receptor-targeted therapeutics or smart drugs for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Website http://www.endocyte.com Transaction Type IPO Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Endocyte Receives $75,000,000 New Funding”
Nanostim Lands $1,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=72d4546e-f689-45ff-8b0a-78b88e3fafa2&Preview=1 Date 2/4/2011 Company Name Nanostim Mailing Address 830 Hillview Court Milpitas, CA 95035 Company Description Nanostim Inc is a developer of miniaturized, leadless cardiac pacemakers. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms Venture Investor … Continue reading “Nanostim Lands $1,000,000 New Round”
Reply Garners $10,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=092b1507-354f-4da6-ae84-9ec205260281&Preview=1 Date 2/4/2011 Company Name Reply Mailing Address 12667 Alcosta Blvd San Ramon, CA 94583 Company Description Reply.com is the leading online marketing platform for the acquisition of locally-targeted and category-specific consumers on a cost-per-click or cost-per-lead basis. By eliminating the need for complex and expensive online marketing infrastructures and large teams … Continue reading “Reply Garners $10,000,000 New Round”
AgraQuest Secures $10,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fb4dd9ff-21dd-49db-be88-a3d6a0195564&Preview=1 Date 2/4/2011 Company Name AgraQuest Mailing Address 1540 Drew Avenue Davis, CA 95618 Company Description AgraQuest is a biotechnology company that focuses on discovering, developing, manufacturing and marketing effective, safe and environmentally friendly natural pest management products for the agricultural and institutional and home markets. Website http://www.agraquest.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “AgraQuest Secures $10,000,000 New Financing Round”
Calypto Design Systems Receives $2,000,986 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b7eebebd-02fa-4756-9eb0-b5054bed62b1&Preview=1 Date 2/4/2011 Company Name Calypto Design Systems Mailing Address 2933 Bunker Hill Lane Santa Clara, CA 95054 Company Description Calypto Design Systems empowers designers to create the highest quality and lowest power electronic systems by providing best-in-class power optimization and functional verification products. Website http://www.calypto.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Calypto Design Systems Receives $2,000,986 New Financing Round”
IntegenX Garners $15,600,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e2fde96c-7ae7-4cff-8b22-c15591dee22f&Preview=1 Date 2/4/2011 Company Name IntegenX Mailing Address 5720 Stoneridge Dr. Pleasanton, CA 94588 Company Description IntegenX designs, manufactures and markets automation systems enabling reliable microsample preparation and analysis for the life sciences. Website http://www.integenx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,600,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The capital will fund the … Continue reading “IntegenX Garners $15,600,000 New Round”
NeoTract Lands $25,999,999 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fbd3a174-5de6-49a3-9dac-f2ebd9dd5742&Preview=1 Date 2/4/2011 Company Name NeoTract Mailing Address 4473 Willow Rd Mountain View, CA 94040 Company Description The company develops and manufactures medical devices that treat urological and gynecological disorders. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $25,999,999 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. … Continue reading “NeoTract Lands $25,999,999 New Financing”
HoneyApps Receives $1,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=85451ba6-8cee-45f6-8b3a-9abeeb7d0a65&Preview=1 Date 2/4/2011 Company Name HoneyApps Mailing Address 200 S. Wacker Dr. 15 Floor Chicago, IL 60606 Company Description Centralize your organization’s vulnerability data across applications, networks, servers, and databases. Conduit’s correlation engine tracks each vulnerability throughout its lifecycle, whether it is identified by an automated scanner, manual testing, or a third … Continue reading “HoneyApps Receives $1,000,000 New Financing”
SocialEyes Lands $4,300,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cb21b50a-ecd9-414f-8e85-68bd96c7c9e9&Preview=1 Date 2/4/2011 Company Name SocialEyes Mailing Address Undisclosed San Francisco, CA 94114 Company Description The company is developing online social video conversation technology. Website http://www.Socialeyes.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,300,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed
e2e Materials Receives $650,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8224934f-3e6d-4489-9819-69ef3cee821b&Preview=1 Date 2/4/2011 Company Name e2e Materials Mailing Address 239 Cherry Street Ithaca, NY 14850 Company Description e2e Materials is a clean technology company in Ithaca, New York that produces petroleum-free, biodegradable composites that are stronger, lighter and cheaper than composites filling landfills today. Our composite material platform can be tuned to … Continue reading “e2e Materials Receives $650,000 New Financing”
Mobisante Wins FDA Approval for “Ultrasound on a Smartphone” Technology
Seattle is the global capital of ultrasound technology, and now it can lay its claim as the place that developed the first FDA-cleared system that puts ultrasound on a smartphone. Redmond, WA-based Mobisante said today it has won FDA clearance to start selling its MobiUS system to healthcare professionals in the U.S. The startup, which … Continue reading “Mobisante Wins FDA Approval for “Ultrasound on a Smartphone” Technology”
Mobile Monday & Mobile {Dev} Sync Networking Event
Come have a conversation with Mobile {Dev}Sync, a thought leadership program, that will share how it brings together the mobile application value chain – carriers, device makers, developers, service providers and brands – to connect and do business in the mobile application marketplace. For more information on how to register, click here.
Isis Spinoff Altair Therapeutics Shut Down, After Mid-Stage Asthma Study Fails
San Diego-based Altair Therapeutics, a spinoff from Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ISIS]]), has shut down operations after the startup’s only drug candidate failed in a mid-stage clinical trial against asthma, Xconomy has learned. Carlsbad, CA-based Isis told investors back in November on its quarterly conference call that Altair’s lead drug candidate, AIR645, failed to show enough … Continue reading “Isis Spinoff Altair Therapeutics Shut Down, After Mid-Stage Asthma Study Fails”
Jeff Bocan is Not Crazy: Beringea’s Ex-Californian Seeks Gold Rush in Michigan
More than a few people thought Jeff Bocan was crazy when he left the sunny beaches of San Monica, CA two years ago for the snow-clogged driveways of Ann Arbor, MI. Beringea, the Detroit-based private equity and venture capital firm, wanted Bocan to move to Michigan to help find and finance promising local startups. Bocan … Continue reading “Jeff Bocan is Not Crazy: Beringea’s Ex-Californian Seeks Gold Rush in Michigan”
Ignition, Barton Bet on Hipmunk
Bellevue, WA-based Ignition Partners, along with Rich Barton, the former CEO of Expedia and Zillow, and former RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser are among the investors who have joined a financing worth more than $4 million for San Francisco-based Hipmunk, according to a report in VentureBeat. We reported on the financing of Hipmunk last week, when … Continue reading “Ignition, Barton Bet on Hipmunk”
The Super Bowl of Marketing: Quantifying the Impact and Online Afterlife of TV Ads
San Diego’s Covario, a five-year-old startup that provides analytics and services for digital marketing, convened its annual users conference in downtown San Diego yesterday. The event draws top marketing executives from companies like Intel, Procter & Gamble, and Research In Motion (RIM), which led Covario to develop a movie theme around the “Top Guns” of … Continue reading “The Super Bowl of Marketing: Quantifying the Impact and Online Afterlife of TV Ads”
EveryTrail Was “Unappreciated Gem,” Says TripAdvisor Exec: A Look Inside Today’s Acquisition
As we reported earlier today, Palo Alto mobile travel publishing startup EveryTrail is now part of TripAdvisor, the giant travel review site based in Newton, MA and owned by Bellevue, WA-based Expedia (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXPE]]). EveryTrail’s iPhone and Android apps allow users to document their travels by uploading geotagged photos and voice memos, which are arrayed … Continue reading “EveryTrail Was “Unappreciated Gem,” Says TripAdvisor Exec: A Look Inside Today’s Acquisition”
Business Journal Live on the Eastside With Nick Hanauer
Nick Hanauer of Second Avenue Partners will be the featured speaker on February 16 at an event in Bellevue organized by the Puget Sound Business Journal. For more information on how to register, click here.
Epocrates Prices IPO
San Mateo, CA-based mobile medical reference company Epocrates priced its initial public offering and began trading on the Nasdaq exchange yesterday under the ticker symbol [[ticker:EPOC]]. Shares began trading at $16, bringing in about $57 million in working capital for the company and $29 million for selling shareholders. Xconomy profiled Epocrates and its push into … Continue reading “Epocrates Prices IPO”
VCs Are Not Your Friends
One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is not understanding the relationship they have with their investors. At times they confuse VCs with their friends. Let’s Go to Lunch At Rocket Science our video game company was struggling. Hubris, bad CEO decisions (mine) and a fundamental lack of understanding that we were in a “hits-based” … Continue reading “VCs Are Not Your Friends”