Xtalic, a Marlborough, MA-based maker of nanostructured alloy coatings for electronics components, has raised $8 million in equity-based funding, according to an SEC filing. The funding comes from eight investors, according to the document. In 2008 Xtalic raised $10 million in Series B funding, with investments from North Bridge Venture Partners and Matrix Partners.
$11M for Auditude
Palo Alto, CA-based Auditude, which makes tools to help track and manage Internet video advertising campaigns, said today (PDF) that it has collected $11 million in Series B venture financing. The round was led by new investors Granite Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank, and included existing backers Greylock Partners and Redpoint Ventures. Granite Ventures managing … Continue reading “$11M for Auditude”
Fluidigm Raises $5M
South San Francisco, CA-based Fluidigm, which makes instruments for measuring gene expression in single cells such as tumor cells, has raised $5 million in an offering of debt, options, and securities, according to a January 20 regulatory filing. The firm may have needed the funds to tide it over on its way to a planned … Continue reading “Fluidigm Raises $5M”
Top 10 List of Boston-Area VC Deals for Q4 2010: NinePoint, 1366, Rive, and More
The venture financing stats from the fourth quarter of 2010 continue to trickle in. Here are the 10 biggest equity financing deals of the quarter in the Boston area, according to the MoneyTree Report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association based on data from Thomson Reuters. (You can also check out today’s national … Continue reading “Top 10 List of Boston-Area VC Deals for Q4 2010: NinePoint, 1366, Rive, and More”
Genoptix Agrees to $470M Takeover by Novartis
Genoptix has found itself a buyer after spending more than a month on the auction block. The Carlsbad, CA-based company, which runs a centralized lab to test help doctors manage blood cancer patients, has agreed to be acquired by Switzerland-based pharmaceutical giant Novartis for $470 million. Carlsbad, CA-based Genoptix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GXDX]]) said it has agreed … Continue reading “Genoptix Agrees to $470M Takeover by Novartis”
Patent Firm RPX Files for IPO
San Francisco-based RPX, a patent risk management firm with a presence in Seattle, filed an S-1 document with the SEC on Friday that says it intends to sell up to $100 million worth of shares in an initial public offering. Goldman Sachs, Barclays Capital, and others are underwriting the IPO. RPX says it has 70 … Continue reading “Patent Firm RPX Files for IPO”
Clinical Data Stock Surging on FDA Approval of Anti-Depression Drug
Clinical Data’s stock price has been mounting this morning as news spreads that the Newton, MA-based drug developer’s treatment for depression has gained FDA approval. The company’s (NASDAQ:[[ticker:CLDA]]) shares were trading at $24.05 as of 9:42 am Eastern time today, a 60-percent jump from its closing price on Friday. This is a huge win for … Continue reading “Clinical Data Stock Surging on FDA Approval of Anti-Depression Drug”
MoneyTree Reports Drop in San Diego Venture Funding, Verve Wireless Hires New CEO, Fallbrook Aligns Transmission Deal, & More San Diego BizTech News
It was a short week for news with the Martin Luther King holiday, and it showed. Here’s a short and (we hope) sweet wrapup of San Diego’s tech sector. —Venture capital investing in San Diego startups plunged during the fourth quarter that ended December 31st, with $193.1 million invested in 26 companies, according to the … Continue reading “MoneyTree Reports Drop in San Diego Venture Funding, Verve Wireless Hires New CEO, Fallbrook Aligns Transmission Deal, & More San Diego BizTech News”
EcoMotors Founder Peter Hofbauer Says Company Is Inking Customer Deals, Eyeing Production Facility in Michigan for Its “Opoc” Engine
Peter Hofbauer spent nearly a decade in advanced propulsion system research and nearly another decade in power train development at Volkswagen. After creating and developing the automaker’s first diesel engine, he was ready to relax. “In 1997, I moved to Santa Barbara, CA, and my main idea was to retire—and that did not work,” says … Continue reading “EcoMotors Founder Peter Hofbauer Says Company Is Inking Customer Deals, Eyeing Production Facility in Michigan for Its “Opoc” Engine”
Calibra, Inspired by Inventor With Diabetes, Homes in on Cheap, Easy Way to Deliver Insulin
Clif Alferness has made a long and decorated career out of inventing medical devices. But until about five years ago, he never thought seriously about a practical invention for his own illness—Type 1 diabetes. Now, after years in stealth mode, the latest startup he helped launch is on the verge of creating a new category … Continue reading “Calibra, Inspired by Inventor With Diabetes, Homes in on Cheap, Easy Way to Deliver Insulin”
Coffee, Spam, and What the Web Is Doing to Our Minds, From Mimecast’s Nathaniel Borenstein
I learned at least three things over coffee last week with Nathaniel Borenstein, one of the fathers of modern e-mail systems. Sadly, none of them keep me from wanting to set fire to my inbox, which surpassed 30,000 unread messages this weekend. Borenstein is chief scientist at Mimecast, a U.K.-based e-mail management firm with a … Continue reading “Coffee, Spam, and What the Web Is Doing to Our Minds, From Mimecast’s Nathaniel Borenstein”
Nine Startup Scaling Secrets from Eventbrite
On anyone’s list of the fastest-growing and most interesting social-commerce startups in San Francisco/Silicon Valley, Eventbrite has to rank near the top. Since collecting $6.5 million in Series C financing from Sequoia Capital in late 2009, followed rapidly by another $20 million infusion from DAG, Tenaya, and Sequoia less than a year later, the online … Continue reading “Nine Startup Scaling Secrets from Eventbrite”
Fourth Quarter Venture Results—Shrinkage Comes in All Forms
The Q4 2010 VC funding data were released late last week—and the headline was quite upbeat. VCs invested $5 billion in 765 deals in this past quarter, which while essentially flat quarter-over-quarter, brought the full year totals to $21.8 billion invested in 3,277 companies. In 2009, VCs put $18.3 billion into 2,927 companies. It’s easy … Continue reading “Fourth Quarter Venture Results—Shrinkage Comes in All Forms”
New Dossia CEO Hunts for Cash to Expand Reach of Personal Digital Health Records
[Clarified. 2 pm Eastern time, 1/25/11. See below.] Dossia’s new chief executive, Michael Critelli, has plans to push personal electronic health records closer to mainstream use. He needs money, though. And that might mean tapping the capital markets. Cambridge, MA-based Dossia is best known as a nonprofit consortium—with founding members such as BP America, Intel, … Continue reading “New Dossia CEO Hunts for Cash to Expand Reach of Personal Digital Health Records”
Xtalic Garners $8,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ebb25930-3051-46dc-b57c-2028bb56b483&Preview=1 Date 1/24/2011 Company Name Xtalic Mailing Address 260 Cedar Hill Street Marlborough, MA 01752 Company Description Xtalic is focused on providing new nanostructured alloys for use in the hard metal coatings industry. Our new technology allows us to precisely tailor the properties of metallic coatings by controlling their structure at the … Continue reading “Xtalic Garners $8,000,000 New Financing”
SpineAlign Medical Secures $7,136,403 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1d0258b1-0514-4f65-b9e5-4905a2b13d0b&Preview=1 Date 1/24/2011 Company Name SpineAlign Medical Mailing Address 1735 1st St. San Jose, CA 95112 Company Description SpineAlign Medical Inc. is an early-stage medical device company dedicated to improving patient outcomes through the development of innovative, minimally-invasive products to treat disorders of the spine. Website http://www.spinealignmedical.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount … Continue reading “SpineAlign Medical Secures $7,136,403 New Financing Round”
VChatter Obtains $600,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=64289aa0-3107-47ce-8109-9561de284dd2&Preview=1 Date 1/24/2011 Company Name VChatter Mailing Address 181 2nd Ave. San Mateo, CA 94401 Company Description The company operates an online service that allows users to randomly chat with others through Facebook and other social networks. Website http://www.vchatter.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $600,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “VChatter Obtains $600,000 New Funding”
Auditude Garners $11,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7129bcb0-dd32-4d87-b952-be6de669235b&Preview=1 Date 1/24/2011 Company Name Auditude Mailing Address 420 Florence Street Palo Alto, CA 94301 Company Description The company provides digital content monitoring and management services. Website http://www.auditude.com Transaction Type Debt, Venture Equity Transaction Amount $11,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes This new capital will support the continued growth of Auditude’s … Continue reading “Auditude Garners $11,000,000 Series B Funding”
Facebook Garners $1,500,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9841e406-acd7-4d51-b5d5-e6f4c8095349&Preview=1 Date 1/24/2011 Company Name Facebook Mailing Address 471 Emerson St Palo Alto, CA 94301-1605 Company Description Facebook is a social directory that enables people to share information. Facebook increases information flow between people by giving them access to the information that is most relevant to them. Website http://www.facebook.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Facebook Garners $1,500,000,000 New Financing”
Fluidigm Obtains $5,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9fbfe590-f4a8-4bd0-b267-f560f7cfd0cb&Preview=1 Date 1/24/2011 Company Name Fluidigm Mailing Address 7000 Shoreline Court South San Francisco, CA 94080 Company Description Fluidigm is making that vision a reality through the introduction of integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs). Our mission is to develop, manufacture, and distribute systems composed of IFCs, instrumentation, and consumables, enabling new efficiencies in … Continue reading “Fluidigm Obtains $5,000,000 New Financing Round”
Parse.ly Lands $800,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=757c1afe-a00e-4a0f-991f-3319d028136e&Preview=1 Date 1/24/2011 Company Name Parse.ly Mailing Address 989 Sixth Ave., 17th Floor New York, NY 10018 Company Description Parse.ly connects you with content you’ll love through personalization. Our technology understand a user’s unique interests to personalize their experience on content sites across the web. Website http://www.parsely.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “Parse.ly Lands $800,000 New Funding Round”
Northwest Energy Angels Power of Angel Investing Workshop – Due Diligence & Valuation of Early Stage Companies
The NW Energy Angels, in cooperation with other regional angel organizations, is organizing a full-day workshop focused on educating current angel investors and potential new investors on due diligence and valuation of early stage companies. For more information, click here.
SEC Accuses Seattle Genetics Employee of Insider Trading
Seattle Genetics had some great news for shareholders and cancer patients last September, and now federal securities regulators say it was too good for one of the company’s managers and a member of his family. The Securities and Exchange Commission has accused Zizhong (James) Fan, an employee of Seattle Genetics, of tipping off his family … Continue reading “SEC Accuses Seattle Genetics Employee of Insider Trading”
Between a Rock and a Hard Place—JP Morgan Afterthoughts
Yes, the mood has undoubtedly improved in comparison to last year’s gathering of the healthcare investment community around the “old clock” at Union Square in San Francisco. But given the overall depression of last year this was perhaps not all that difficult to achieve. I have mulled over all the conversations I had during the … Continue reading “Between a Rock and a Hard Place—JP Morgan Afterthoughts”
AcelRx Prices IPO
Redwood City, CA-based AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, which filed paperwork last November for an initial public offering on the Nasdaq exchange, set its IPO terms in an updated regulatory filing yesterday. The company, which is developing oral pain-control medications as a replacement for patient-controlled intravenous pain treatments in hospitals, said it hopes to sell 5.77 million shares of … Continue reading “AcelRx Prices IPO”
Box.net Revamps Doc Sharing System
Palo Alto, CA, startup Box.net, which we profiled in September, yesterday unveiled an extensive set of changes to its Web-based document sharing system for businesses. The new features—described in a blog post by director of product management David Lee—include a simplified user interface, real-time updates when colleagues modify documents, and an “app marketplace” collecting third-party … Continue reading “Box.net Revamps Doc Sharing System”
$2M Credit Line for Sungevity
Sungevity, the Oakland, CA-based residential solar installation company that aims to become “the Amazon of solar electricity,” has received a $2 million line of credit from Bridge Bank, a subsidiary of San Jose, CA-based Bridge Capital Holdings, according to an announcement today. The financing will be used “to support and expand the company’s operations,” the … Continue reading “$2M Credit Line for Sungevity”
European Panel Rejects Biogen MS Drug
Weston, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]) said today that a European Medicines Agency committee has advised against approval of the company’s drug fampridine (Fampyra) for improving multiple sclerosis patients’ ability to walk. Biogen said it planned to appeal the committee’s opinion. The company, a major provider of MS drugs, in summer 2009 bought rights to fampridine … Continue reading “European Panel Rejects Biogen MS Drug”
The Age of iPad Superbooks? Not Yet
Jadedness: it’s an occupational hazard in tech journalism. Other people look at new software or gadgets and say “Wow.” I look at them and say “Hmm, needs work.” Last weekend’s New York Times Magazine provided a case in point. Writer Virginia Heffernan reviewed 15-Minute Everyday Pilates, a video e-book from Alameda, CA-based Vook, a publishing … Continue reading “The Age of iPad Superbooks? Not Yet”
Calypso Pulls in $6.4M
Calypso Medical Technologies, the Seattle-based maker of a system to pinpoint radiation therapy for prostate cancer patients, has taken in another $6.4 million through an offering of debt, options, and other securities, according to a regulatory filing. The company last raised $50 million in venture capital in September 2009. Xconomy last wrote about Calypso in … Continue reading “Calypso Pulls in $6.4M”
Vivus Faces New Safety Issue
Vivus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VVUS]]), the Mountain View, CA-based developer of an obesity drug, said today that U.S. regulators have asked the company about whether it could look for any connection between one of the key ingredients in its new drug and oral clefts in newborns. Vivus is seeking approval of a combination of phentermine and topiramate … Continue reading “Vivus Faces New Safety Issue”
ArQule Raising $41M in Stock Sale
Woburn, MA-based ArQule (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ARQL]]), a developer of cancer drugs, said yesterday that it priced a public offering of 7 million shares of common stock at $6.15 per share, expecting to bring in net proceeds of $40.5 million from the stock sale. The company gave underwriters of the offering the option to buy up to 1.05 … Continue reading “ArQule Raising $41M in Stock Sale”
Dana-Farber Scientists Leave Board of Startup in Legal Battle with Cancer Center
Boston-area researchers have resigned from the board of a West Coast biotech startup, Gatekeeper Pharmaceuticals, which is at odds over technology rights with major players in the biotech community. Gatekeeper, based in Millbrae, CA, is in a legal battle with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research in Cambridge, MA, over … Continue reading “Dana-Farber Scientists Leave Board of Startup in Legal Battle with Cancer Center”
Plexxikon Cancer Drug Extends Lives, Med Devices Lose Swagger, Amgen Sells Fremont Facility, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News
One of the Bay Area’s emerging biotech companies built up some suspense this week when it said its lead drug helped extend the lives of patients with a deadly skin cancer. —Berkeley, CA-based Plexxikon, along with its partners at the Genentech unit of Roche, said this week that an experimental drug for metastatic melanoma was … Continue reading “Plexxikon Cancer Drug Extends Lives, Med Devices Lose Swagger, Amgen Sells Fremont Facility, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News”
Vertex Drug Gets Speedy FDA Review, BSX Buys Atritech, Ironwood Strikes Another Deal, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
We saw some meaty stories on FDA drug approval processes, new collaborations, acquisitions, and hires for Boston’s life sciences firms. —Pfizer’s former chief of licensing Ed Harrigan started a new gig as CEO of stealthy Boston biotech Karuna Pharmaceuticals, a PureTech Ventures-incubated startup that is quietly working on schizophrenia drugs. —Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) of … Continue reading “Vertex Drug Gets Speedy FDA Review, BSX Buys Atritech, Ironwood Strikes Another Deal, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Amylin Keeps Its Chin Up After A Rough 2010 With New Diabetes Drug
Amylin Pharmaceuticals CEO Dan Bradbury was brimming with enthusiasm at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference one year ago. San Diego-based Amylin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]) was psyched about what many analysts thought was a slam-dunk FDA approval for the first diabetes drug that can be injected just once a week. Last week at the same conference, Bradbury … Continue reading “Amylin Keeps Its Chin Up After A Rough 2010 With New Diabetes Drug”
Unitask Is Out to Cut Consulting Costs With Apps for Oracle Business Software
The founders of Unitask aren’t afraid of change. They started a consulting company in Israel, and have since moved to Cleveland, OH, and most recently Bloomfield Hills, MI. And they’ve transitioned their business from a services operation to a software developer. Israeli Navy veterans Michael Segev, Alex Protas, and Yechiel Tushia started their consulting firm … Continue reading “Unitask Is Out to Cut Consulting Costs With Apps for Oracle Business Software”
Venture Capital in the Northwest Still Struggling to Rebound From Downturn
More than a few commentators have referred to the 2000s as a “lost decade” for venture capital. Now that we have closed the book on the past 10 years of venture investments, the numbers show it’s still a pretty discouraging scene out there for venture-backed companies. Venture capitalists invested about $806 million in companies in … Continue reading “Venture Capital in the Northwest Still Struggling to Rebound From Downturn”
Calypso Medical Technologies Receives $6,406,337 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e7052d84-c3fd-4271-ad9c-689a9da230c5&Preview=1 Date 1/21/2011 Company Name Calypso Medical Technologies Mailing Address 4th & Blanchard Building 2101 Fourth Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 Company Description Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc., was founded in 1999 and is a privately held medical device company located in Seattle, Washington. The Company and its employees are dedicated to enabling physicians … Continue reading “Calypso Medical Technologies Receives $6,406,337 New Round”
Sungevity Receives $2,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=186ff1f3-5eee-414a-82b9-7fc3cf390e44&Preview=1 Date 1/21/2011 Company Name Sungevity Mailing Address 816 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94710 Company Description Sungevity is a solar sales company, with a mission to take solar to the mainstream market. Our company has a strong team that brings together successful start-up experience, environmental leadership and solar industry knowledge. Sungevity has … Continue reading “Sungevity Receives $2,000,000 New Funding Round”
Horizon Pharma Secures $35,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e166574b-3b7e-49a5-bf62-22afc98baac9&Preview=1 Date 1/21/2011 Company Name Horizon Pharma Mailing Address 1033 Skokie Boulevard Northbrook, IL 60062 Company Description Horizon Pharma, Inc. is a late stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the rapid development and commercialization of therapeutic treatments for mild-to-moderate pain management. The Company is building a novel portfolio of therapies through innovative combinations … Continue reading “Horizon Pharma Secures $35,000,000 New Funding”
A Return to Normalcy: MoneyTree Tracks Venture Funding Gains in 2010
Another report on venture investing is being released today, this time showing a decline in fourth-quarter deal activity compared with the same quarter in 2009—albeit a slight uptick from the previous quarter—and a significant overall gain for the entire year. Venture funding during the fourth quarter of 2010 amounted to $5 billion in 765 deals … Continue reading “A Return to Normalcy: MoneyTree Tracks Venture Funding Gains in 2010”
Searching for Meaning in Google’s Leadership Changes
There’s been an almost comically wide range of reactions on the Web to the word today from Google CEO Eric Schmidt that he’ll become executive chairman effective April 4, handing the reins of the search and advertising giant back to co-founder and former CEO Larry Page, 38. Over at Mashable, they were “reeling” from the … Continue reading “Searching for Meaning in Google’s Leadership Changes”
Say Hello to My Avatar: Bob Metcalfe Gives First UT Innovation Lecture Using Avaya Web Interface
Internet tycoon Bob Metcalfe, who recently moved from Boston, is giving his first lecture as professor of innovation at the University of Texas at Austin this afternoon. I don’t know exactly what he plans to say, but what’s particularly interesting is how he’s delivering the talk—to more than just the people in the room, through … Continue reading “Say Hello to My Avatar: Bob Metcalfe Gives First UT Innovation Lecture Using Avaya Web Interface”
CloudTalk Raises $3.8M
In a Series A funding round expected to close by the end of this month, San Francisco-based CloudTalk, formerly known as Pana.ma, has raised at least $3.76 million in equity-based financing, according to a regulatory filing. A total of 37 as-yet-unidentified investors contributed to the round, according to the filing. Led my Magellan search engine co-founder … Continue reading “CloudTalk Raises $3.8M”
Amazon Buys Lovefilm
Seattle-based Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) said today it has reached an agreement to acquire Lovefilm International, a European company that sends movies to customers through the mail and through streaming media. Amazon already has a minority ownership stake in the company, which operates in the U.K., Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Terms of the acquisition weren’t … Continue reading “Amazon Buys Lovefilm”
Kabam Wins $30M
Kabam, a Redwood City, CA-based maker of massively multiplayer social games that has been called the “anti-Zynga,” said today that it has raised $30 million in new venture financing. New investors Redpoint Ventures and Intel Capital led the round, which was joined by Kabam’s initial funder, Canaan Partners. “Kabam has pursued a distinctly different strategy … Continue reading “Kabam Wins $30M”
$100M for Bloom Energy
Sunnyvale, CA-based Bloom Energy, a maker of solid-oxide fuel cells powered by natural gas, today introduced a power purchase agreement option called Bloom Electrons under which large organizations can install the company’s so-called “Bloom Box” fuel cells and lock in electricity rates over a 10-year period. At the same time, Dow Jones VentureWire is reporting … Continue reading “$100M for Bloom Energy”
MIT Innovation in Healthcare Symposium
This day-long event will feature healthcare experts from across the globe to discuss ways to drive innovation in the different facets of healthcare. Panels will take a look at the healthcare delivery system, the translation of medical research to the market, and healthcare lessons from other industries. Register here.
Ex-Pfizer Exec Ed Harrigan Takes Top Job at Secretive Karuna Pharmaceuticals
The former chief of licensing for the drug giant Pfizer has stepped in as CEO of Karuna Pharmaceuticals, a stealthy Boston startup focused on new treatments for schizophrenia. Ed Harrigan tells me that he started the job at Karuna this month. Karuna has two novel programs in development for the treatment of schizophrenia, Harrigan says. … Continue reading “Ex-Pfizer Exec Ed Harrigan Takes Top Job at Secretive Karuna Pharmaceuticals”