There’s probably nary a Web entrepreneur who hasn’t had a forehead-slapping “Why didn’t I build Groupon?” moment at some point in 2010. Well, I had an experience like that this week, reading Devin Friedman’s superb article “The Viral Me” in the December issue of GQ. It’s all about the Y Combinator venture incubator in Mountain … Continue reading “For Startups, Is Friction Always Bad?”
Washington Startups Collect $24M in November, Med Devices Lead the Way
It looks like startup investors laid low during turkey month, when tech and life sciences companies collected a total of $24.4 million in equity-based funding across 19 deals. The November total shrunk from this summer and early fall, when the state’s startups pulled in anywhere from $50 million to $80 million per month in financing, … Continue reading “Washington Startups Collect $24M in November, Med Devices Lead the Way”
Genentech Loses Avastin Battle, Fluidigm’s Second Chance at an IPO, Ion Torrent’s Debut, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News
Genentech dominated the Bay Area life sciences headlines this week. Some of the news was good, some not so good. —The FDA said it plans to revoke its approval of South San Francisco-based Genentech‘s blockbuster antibody drug, bevacizumab (Avastin), for women with breast cancer. The drug, the first of its kind shown to cut off … Continue reading “Genentech Loses Avastin Battle, Fluidigm’s Second Chance at an IPO, Ion Torrent’s Debut, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News”
DARPA Backs Pulmatrix’s Lung Treatment, Adimab Scores More Pharma Partners, Semprus Secures $18M, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
New England’s life sciences companies headed into the holiday break with mostly good news. —Syndax Pharmaceuticals reported results from a mid-stage clinical trial which suggest that its lead drug, entinostat, might help lung certain cancer patients with a particular molecular marker live longer. The Waltham, MA-based startup, co-founded by researchers from the Salk Institute for … Continue reading “DARPA Backs Pulmatrix’s Lung Treatment, Adimab Scores More Pharma Partners, Semprus Secures $18M, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Odin Technologies Acquires Reva Systems for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d2544f45-a717-4554-96eb-1f0da0645698&Preview=1 Date 12/17/2010 Company Name Reva Systems Mailing Address 3 LAN Drive Westford, MA 01886 Company Description Reva Systems develops RFID Network Infrastructure products for the emerging radio-frequency identification (RFID) market. Website http://www.revasystems.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction were not … Continue reading “Odin Technologies Acquires Reva Systems for Undisclosed Sum”
Asteres Secures $750,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bf2973a2-ac06-49ae-84a7-d89c9c18ef89&Preview=1 Date 12/17/2010 Company Name Asteres Mailing Address 4110 Sorrento Valley Blvd. San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Asteres Inc., founded in 2003, was the first company to commercialize a system to store and deliver finished prescriptions to consumers in retail pharmacy. ScriptCenter, which works like an ATM, allows consumers to pickup … Continue reading “Asteres Secures $750,000 New Funding Round”
Neoconix Lands $8,652,984 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=17f238a1-35f4-47b2-8f1a-2a320f1a13cc&Preview=1 Date 12/17/2010 Company Name Neoconix Mailing Address 639 North Pastoria Ave Sunnyvale, CA 94085 Company Description Neoconix is dedicated to interconnect design, development, integration, manufacturing, and support. We dramatically improve the performance, reliability and cost across a broad range of electronic systems, from consumer products to high performance computing and networking … Continue reading “Neoconix Lands $8,652,984 New Funding”
Tribune Media Services Acquires CastTV for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6f492a20-4def-47e0-91ca-bc41ba045c89&Preview=1 Date 12/17/2010 Company Name CastTV Mailing Address 188 South Park San Francisco, CA 94107 Company Description CastTV is working to build the web’s best video search engine. CastTV lets users find all their favorite online videos, from TV shows to movies to the latest celebrity, sports, news, and viral videos. The … Continue reading “Tribune Media Services Acquires CastTV for Undisclosed Sum”
Miso Media Garners $600,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0082c694-9fe8-4d77-bae0-eaa7a9181420&Preview=1 Date 12/17/2010 Company Name Miso Media Mailing Address Undisclosed Undisclosed, CA 94000 Company Description The company develops musical instruction applications. Website http://www.misomedia.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $600,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company will use the funding to expand its library of supported songs and add employees. M&A … Continue reading “Miso Media Garners $600,000 New Financing”
Tumblr Garners $30,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=78b198ba-d138-45d2-b2a5-b2b2dc54fb34&Preview=1 Date 12/17/2010 Company Name Tumblr Mailing Address 419 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016 Company Description To make a simple analogy: If blogs are journals, tumblelogs are scrapbooks. You can also look at tumblelogs as slightly more structured blogs that make it easier, faster, and more fun to post and … Continue reading “Tumblr Garners $30,000,000 New Funding Round”
Buzzd Lands $1,500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=176a8916-08f9-4bdf-ad2e-e77296818afe&Preview=1 Date 12/17/2010 Company Name Buzzd Mailing Address 37 W. 28th St., Fifth Floor New York, NY 10001 Company Description buzzd is the premier mobile local search service, providing real-time information for bars, clubs and restaurants on your mobile device. Your city, in real-time, buzzd allows consumers to know what’s happening at … Continue reading “Buzzd Lands $1,500,000 New Round”
Mobisante, Striving to Put Ultrasound on Smartphones, Raises Cash from WRF Capital
Mobisante has a vision of taking the next step in miniaturization of ultrasound technology, and today it has raised some of the cash it needs to carry out the idea. The Redmond, WA-based company has raised an undisclosed amount of seed financing from Seattle-based WRF Capital. Mobisante plans to use the cash to finish some … Continue reading “Mobisante, Striving to Put Ultrasound on Smartphones, Raises Cash from WRF Capital”
Relume Names Lipsey CEO
Relume Technologies, an Oxford, MI, maker of LED products and smart grid control systems, said today that it has tapped Crawford Lipsey to be its new CEO. Lipsey was previously an executive for Acuity Brands, a major provider of lighting and control products. Former CEO Mike McClear is now serving as the Relume’s chief operating … Continue reading “Relume Names Lipsey CEO”
Cambridge Consultants Develops Hydration App
Cambridge Consultants, the product design and development firm in Cambridge, MA, and Cambridge, UK, says it has developed a bottle with wireless sensors and an associated smartphone app that reminds people when to drink fluids. The “i-dration” bottle is equipped with sensors that can detect external temperature, drinking frequency, and the amount of fluid in … Continue reading “Cambridge Consultants Develops Hydration App”
Gen-Probe Pays $53M for GTI Diagnostics
San Diego’s Gen-Probe (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GPRO]]), which specializes in molecular diagnostic products and services, says today it paid $53 million in cash to acquire GTI Diagnostics, a Waukesha, WI-based company focused on transplant diagnostics. In a statement this morning, Gen-Probe CEO Carl Hull says, “The acquisition gives us access to growing coagulation and transfusion-related blood bank … Continue reading “Gen-Probe Pays $53M for GTI Diagnostics”
Investors Pour $200M into Twitter
Twitter has collected another $200 million in financing, more than doubling its venture pot, according to a blog post yesterday from CEO Dick Costolo. New investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers led the large round, which was joined by existing investors. Costolo also said that Mike McCue, CEO of Kleiner Perkins portfolio company Flipboard, and … Continue reading “Investors Pour $200M into Twitter”
Court Dismisses Illumina Patent Suit
Affymetrix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AFFX]]), the diagnostics instrument maker based in Santa Clara, CA, won a favorable court ruling that dismissed a patent infringement lawsuit filed against the company by San Diego-based Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]). In a statement yesterday, Affymetrix says the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin granted the company’s request for a … Continue reading “Court Dismisses Illumina Patent Suit”
1366 Gets Another $6M
Lexington, MA-based 1366 Technologies, a developer of silicon wafer technology out to make solar energy cheaper, added $6 million to its Series B round of funding, bringing the financing’s total to $26 million, accorded to an amended SEC filing. In October the firm announced it had raised its second-round financing, thanks to investments from Korea-based … Continue reading “1366 Gets Another $6M”
HipLogic’s New Android Home Screen
Fremont, CA-based HipLogic, a group of former Sun engineers funded by Benchmark Capital, Bay Partners, Stage 1 Ventures, and Route 2 Digital, today released the full version of its Spark application, which is intended as a replacement home screen for owners of Android and Symbian OS smartphones. Available free from the Android Marketplace, the app … Continue reading “HipLogic’s New Android Home Screen”
Inside Project 11 Ventures: A Chat with Katie Rae and Reed Sturtevant
Does the world really need another seed-stage technology investment fund? Maybe not—but Boston entrepreneurs can use all the expertise they can get. That’s where Project 11 Ventures comes into play. In the increasingly crowded field of early-stage tech investing, Project 11, which is co-led by Reed Sturtevant and Katie Rae, is taking a very hands-on … Continue reading “Inside Project 11 Ventures: A Chat with Katie Rae and Reed Sturtevant”
FDA To Yank Avastin Breast Cancer Approval
The FDA said today it is planning to rescind its approval of Genentech’s bevacizumab (Avastin) as a treatment for breast cancer. The drug, a targeted antibody drug that chokes off blood flow to tumors, is also approved for colon and lung cancer, and will remain so. The benefits of using the treatment for breast cancer … Continue reading “FDA To Yank Avastin Breast Cancer Approval”
TechShop’s “Innovation Cathedral” Comes to San Francisco—Serving Craftsmen and Entrepreneurs on the Gold’s Gym Model
As a Web journalist, I don’t need many tools. Give me a laptop, a smartphone, and an Internet connection, and I’m basically a roving newsroom. But don’t ask me to make anything other than words: in my loft, the closest thing to a power tool is the kitchen blender. To build, say, a robot dog, … Continue reading “TechShop’s “Innovation Cathedral” Comes to San Francisco—Serving Craftsmen and Entrepreneurs on the Gold’s Gym Model”
GlobalScholar Bought By Scantron
Bellevue, WA-based GlobalScholar, the maker of technology for K-12 education, has agreed to be acquired by Scantron, a unit of San Antonio, TX-based Harland Clarke Holdings. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. GlobalScholar’s programs, which are used for tracking student and teacher performance, are used to support 5 million students, Harland Clarke said in … Continue reading “GlobalScholar Bought By Scantron”
Avalon Sees Two Portfolio Exits
Christmas came early this year for San Diego’s Avalon Ventures, with news that two of its portfolio companies have been acquired. Rackspace Hosting announced today that it has acquired San Francisco-based Cloudkick, which was graduated from Y Combinator’s winter class of 2009 with Web tools that help manage cloud computing environments. On the other side … Continue reading “Avalon Sees Two Portfolio Exits”
Launched in November, Drop Down Deals Already at Profitability
A new San Diego startup, Drop Down Deals, is launching a website today that is intended to complement the free downloadable Web browser plug-in the company officially unveiled last month. The company has developed a clever approach to help online shoppers quickly identify and apply valid discount coupons to their purchases. In an interview a … Continue reading “Launched in November, Drop Down Deals Already at Profitability”
Blue Spark Attracts Another $5M
Blue Spark Technologies, a Westlake, OH-based company that makes printed batteries for flexible electronics, among other applications, has raised an additional $5 million in B-round funds from non-institutional investors, VentureWire reports this morning. The company had raised $2.5 million in two earlier closes of the B round. Those previous investors were Early Stage Partners, which … Continue reading “Blue Spark Attracts Another $5M”
Ramius Buys Cypress Bio, Genoptix Reportedly Exploring Possible Sale, Anaphore Gets Japanese Partner, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
It’s less than 10 days before Christmas, but San Diego’s life sciences community doesn’t seem to be ready for vacation. The business news wires have been crackling with reports of buyouts, rumored buyouts, deals, and major product launches. Fortunately, we’re here to sort it all out for you. —As corporate courtships go, the unsolicited offer … Continue reading “Ramius Buys Cypress Bio, Genoptix Reportedly Exploring Possible Sale, Anaphore Gets Japanese Partner, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Ann Arbor’s Shepherd Intelligent Systems Hopes to Move to the Front of the Bus in GPS Fleet-Tracking Biz
If you’ve ever taken a bus … anywhere … then you know all about an unwritten Law of Motion that goes something like this: A body that arrives at a bus stop tends to stay at rest. A long time. A Second Law might state that the velocity of the bus’s arrival is in inverse … Continue reading “Ann Arbor’s Shepherd Intelligent Systems Hopes to Move to the Front of the Bus in GPS Fleet-Tracking Biz”
Microsoft and Sentillion: A Progress Report on a Crucial Health IT Acquisition
It was a big day last February when Sentillion, the Andover, MA-based provider of healthcare software, announced its acquisition by Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) was complete and that the company and its 110 employees (most of whom are in Massachusetts) would be folded into the technology giant’s Health Solutions Group. The deal (exact terms of which … Continue reading “Microsoft and Sentillion: A Progress Report on a Crucial Health IT Acquisition”
Adaptive TCR Seeks to Dominate New Industry, Ultrasound on an iPhone, AVI Names CEO, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
The medical meeting season has passed, and pretty soon Seattle biotechs will go into hibernation for the holidays. But here are a few headlines to catch up on you may have missed in the last week. —Washington’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund had never invested in a corporation until October, when it agreed to pump $5 … Continue reading “Adaptive TCR Seeks to Dominate New Industry, Ultrasound on an iPhone, AVI Names CEO, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Massachusetts Startups Snag $175M In November, Money Raised For Drugs, Robots, Ice Cream, Bras
Last month, the total dollars Bay State startups brought in slimmed down from October, but there was a harvest of smaller deals. Nearly a third of the month’s equity deals (12 of 37) rang in at under $1 million each. All told, startups in the tech and life sciences raised $174.7 million in equity-based funding, … Continue reading “Massachusetts Startups Snag $175M In November, Money Raised For Drugs, Robots, Ice Cream, Bras”
1366 Technologies Lands $6,000,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=966befc3-9678-404c-9b50-5e41e554a74f&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2010 Company Name 1366 Technologies Mailing Address 45 Hartwell Avenue North Lexington, MA 02421 Company Description 1366 Technologies is making silicon solar cells competitive with coal. Our goal is to build on the success of multi-crystalline solar cells and manufacturing capacity to accelerate the transition to solar. Our products and … Continue reading “1366 Technologies Lands $6,000,000 Series B Financing”
Blue Spark Technologies Secures $7,500,000 Series B Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=42f05d10-8ce3-4319-bdcd-45380c339d81&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2010 Company Name Blue Spark Technologies Mailing Address 806 Sharon Drive Westlake, OH 44145 Company Description Blue Spark Technologies, Inc. is the leader in developing flexible, printed, “green,” proprietary power source solutions for battery-powered printed electronic systems. The company was founded as Thin Battery Technologies in 2002 with patented technology … Continue reading “Blue Spark Technologies Secures $7,500,000 Series B Funding Round”
Rackspace Acquires Cloudkick for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9cbae5f9-e3fd-4191-a0df-bc0feaf62316&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2010 Company Name Cloudkick Mailing Address 1499 Potrero Ave Unit 2 San Francisco, CA 94110 Company Description We are a small startup located in San Jose, CA. Our goal is to make the cloud easy to use and accessible to anyone. We’re proudly funded by Y Combinator. Website http://www.cloudkick.com Transaction … Continue reading “Rackspace Acquires Cloudkick for Undisclosed Sum”
iCAD Acquires Xoft for $73,100,000
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=71ba0d77-b561-4ae4-bfa6-aa80e00f77e6&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2010 Company Name Xoft Mailing Address 345 Potrero Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94085 Company Description Xoft is an innovative technological leader revolutionizing the practice of radiation oncology through electronic brachytherapy with proprietary miniaturized x-ray tube technology. Xoft is dedicated to providing the most intelligent, efficacious, and cost-effective therapy for patients, health-care … Continue reading “iCAD Acquires Xoft for $73,100,000”
Bonobos Obtains $18,500,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5656f01d-d435-4563-8825-2bcd5a541b24&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2010 Company Name Bonobos Mailing Address 59 W. 19th St. New York, NY 10011 Company Description The company operates a men’s clothing website. Website http://www.bonobos.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $18,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company will use the financing proceeds to expand its operations. M&A Terms … Continue reading “Bonobos Obtains $18,500,000 New Financing Round”
eXelate Obtains $5,000,000 Series B Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d24543e3-f486-4c08-857c-edfe7dcef8bc&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2010 Company Name eXelate Mailing Address 7 W. 22nd St. Ninth Floor New York, NY 10010 Company Description eXelate was created to address the deficiency in targeted data, which we believe delays the progress of web-based advertising as a whole. Unlike the other major targeting-related players, eXelate believes in sharing … Continue reading “eXelate Obtains $5,000,000 Series B Funding Round”
AOL Acquires Pictela for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f7d60d19-ec1a-4f40-be3d-234ca689bab5&Preview=1 Date 12/16/2010 Company Name Pictela Mailing Address 1133 Broadway New York, NY 10010 Company Description Pictela is a global platform for distributing high definition brand content. The platform reaches over 120 million consumers worldwide and supports 1 billion impressions per day. With Pictela, brands can deliver high definition video, photos, text … Continue reading “AOL Acquires Pictela for Undisclosed Sum”
So You Have an Idea, Now What? NWEN Breakfast Buzz
The Northwest Entrepreneur Network seeks to begin 2011 with a simple concept – “So you have an idea, now what?” So much more than a new year’s resolution, you have an idea for a consumer good, a technology, or perhaps something in the green space, but where do you start and who do you kick … Continue reading “So You Have an Idea, Now What? NWEN Breakfast Buzz”
eIQ: Branding Strategies for Startups
Creating a brand for your business is an important differentiator for cutting through, and establishing yourself in a crowd of like-minded companies and/or other startups. Does it mean slapping a logo on everything you touch from your attire to your laptop cover? Not exactly. Knowing some of the key elements of good branding and then … Continue reading “eIQ: Branding Strategies for Startups”
Boomers, Technology & Health: Consumers Taking Charge! MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest
Today, 112 million Americans are over the age of 45, representing the fastest-growing, highest-spending segment of any single demographic in history. They want to age in place, and make connecting with family and friends easier – both online and off. As an affluent group who adopts technology with enthusiasm, and is willing to try new … Continue reading “Boomers, Technology & Health: Consumers Taking Charge! MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest”
Hutch Award Luncheon: Honoring Atlanta Braves Pitcher Tim Hudson
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is holding its 46th Hutch Award luncheon on January 26th at Safeco Field in Seattle. Atlanta Braves pitcher Tim Hudson will receive the Hutch Award this year. For more information on how to register, click here.
Angel Capital Association Meeting: Northwest
The Alliance of Angels is hosting the Angel Capital Association’s Northwest Regional Meeting in Seattle on February 3rd & 4th, 2011. This two-day event provides accredited investors with an opportunity to keep up with the latest trends in angel investing, share best practices, and expand their network. For more information on how to register, click … Continue reading “Angel Capital Association Meeting: Northwest”
Northwest Biofuel Efforts: Science & Technology Discovery Series
Washington State University’s John Gardner will be the guest speaker on January 14th at the Technology Alliance’s Science & Technology Discovery Series. Gardner will talk about regional biofuel efforts. For more information on how to register, click here.
Alliance of Angels 10-Minute Pitch Clinic
The Alliance of Angels is hosting a 10-minute pitch clinic to coach entrepreneurs on how to best describe their business to angel investors. For more information on how to register, click here.
39th Annual Economic Forecast
Enterprise Seattle and the Washington Global Health Alliance have teamed up to organize the 39th annual Economic Forecast Conference in the Pacific Northwest. Martha Choe of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gov. Chris Gregoire, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and economist Dick Conway are among the featured speakers this year. For more information on … Continue reading “39th Annual Economic Forecast”
Italy’s Silicon Bio Establishes San Diego Beachhead
An Italian medical diagnostics company, Silicon Biosystems of Bologna, has established the headquarters for a new U.S. subsidiary in San Diego, according to a statement from the company. Bob Proulx, a local life sciences executive who was previously the director of marketing and business development at CryoPort, will head the newly formed business. Silicon Bio … Continue reading “Italy’s Silicon Bio Establishes San Diego Beachhead”
HeartWare Gets $143.8M in Debt Offering
HeartWare International (NASDAQ:[[ticker:HTWR]]), a Framingham, MA, maker of heart pump implants, said today it has raised $143.8 million in a public offering of convertible notes due in 2017. The firm plans to use the proceeds of the financing for general corporate purposes, including research and development and expansion of its manufacturing capabilities.
EveryScape and Bing Ramp Up 3-D Virtual Tours in Local Search Results
Here’s an interesting snapshot of a small startup working with a tech giant to change how people check out local establishments on the Web—and also how those establishments advertise online. The startup is Newton, MA-based EveryScape, which creates 3-D panoramic tours of restaurants and other businesses from photos of their interiors. The tech giant is … Continue reading “EveryScape and Bing Ramp Up 3-D Virtual Tours in Local Search Results”
iConference 2011
The iConference is an international showcase for emerging work in areas like health informatics, user experience design/HCI, information management, information security, collaboration, and e-government. In addition to keynotes from information science visionaries Colin B. Burke and Susan Dumais, the conference features industry panels on “Privacy in the Cloud” and “Big Data.” The event is being … Continue reading “iConference 2011”