JMI Equity Raises $875M for Seventh Fund, Sempra Completes Solar PV Plant, Awarepoint Raises $9M, & More San Diego BizTech News

It was a week for raising money, and software specialist JMI Equity led the way. The private equity firm had plenty of company, though, and we’ve got a rundown here. —JMI Equity, the software investment firm based in San Diego and Baltimore, said last week it has closed its seventh fund after raising $875 million. … Continue reading “JMI Equity Raises $875M for Seventh Fund, Sempra Completes Solar PV Plant, Awarepoint Raises $9M, & More San Diego BizTech News”

Laser Displays, Mobile Payments, Video Collaboration, Innovation Furniture, & More Demos Set for Wednesday’s 5X5 Forum

We’re really pleased to have a slew of disruption-minded companies from around the Xconomy network lined up for our 5X5: Five Cities, Five Big Tech Ideas conference this Wednesday afternoon in downtown Boston. But that’s just the main event—there’s a lot more going on after the speakers strut their stuff. For the first time, Xconomy … Continue reading “Laser Displays, Mobile Payments, Video Collaboration, Innovation Furniture, & More Demos Set for Wednesday’s 5X5 Forum”

Plex Plumps Up With $500K to Target New Customers in Food, Healthcare, Defense Industries

Plex Systems was started in 1995 to help those in the automotive space track every single detail of the manufacturing process, and has since grown to attract more than 500 companies as customers. But now the company has beefed up with some extra private equity funding and money from its management to target new industries. … Continue reading “Plex Plumps Up With $500K to Target New Customers in Food, Healthcare, Defense Industries”

How to Raise Money for an Honest-to-God Innovative Biotech Startup: Highlights from Convergence

[Update: 1:15 pm Eastern] Lots of people in biotech think they are doing innovative things, even when they are really doing something pretty conservative, like testing a proven drug for some new use, or crafting some new way to deliver a therapy with more efficiency or convenience. But how, especially in today’s sluggish economy, do … Continue reading “How to Raise Money for an Honest-to-God Innovative Biotech Startup: Highlights from Convergence”

Taulia Collects $3.2 Million to Ease Payment Delays for Suppliers

Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be another massive inefficiency in the economy waiting to be fixed by Internet entrepreneurs, along comes Taulia. This San Francisco startup has figured out an easy way for suppliers of goods and services to get paid faster, and for the buyers of their goods and services—at least, those … Continue reading “Taulia Collects $3.2 Million to Ease Payment Delays for Suppliers”

Alnylam CEO John Maraganore On Corporate Near-Termism, and Restoring Faith in RNAi

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, one of the bright lights on the Boston biotech scene, has suddenly found itself getting almost zero value for its technology on Wall Street. It’s a shocking thing to say about the Cambridge, MA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]), considered to be a leader in RNA interference technology. This, after all, is a hot field … Continue reading “Alnylam CEO John Maraganore On Corporate Near-Termism, and Restoring Faith in RNAi”

The WLSA Convergence Summit

The San Diego-based Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance will hold its annual summit with CEOs from the world’s most innovative wireless health companies and global leaders in healthcare and technology. The three-day meeting is intended to present new technologies, offer outstanding networking, and accelerate business opportunities. Alliance partnership and event participation is exclusively extended to senior executives … Continue reading “The WLSA Convergence Summit”

Understanding Global Market Access and Reimbursement

Biocom has organized this overview of global access and reimbursement requirements for the United States and key overseas markets. Speakers include Bruce Quinn, a senior health policy specialist with Foley Hoag, and Michael Pollock of Reynolds Pollock & Associates. More information and online registration is here.

Xconomy Forum: San Diego’s Fight Against Diabesity

An estimated two-thirds of all Americans are currently overweight, and U.S. health agencies estimate that 25 million people have Type 2 diabetes—and an estimated one-third of the U.S. population could have diabetes by the year 2050. It’s becoming an epidemic of diabetes and obesity—or diabesity. San Diego’s biotech cluster happens to have core strength in … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: San Diego’s Fight Against Diabesity”

dijipop Secures $2,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e4c13a5e-a0e0-4d4e-8bfb-0505b60c3f53&Preview=1 Date 12/6/2010 Company Name dijipop Mailing Address 206 Waterman St. Providence, RI 02906 Company Description We are a platform and sales solution that targets shoppers at the point-of-purchase. We connect brand marketing dollars with digital shelf space resulting in new revenue for retailers and higher sales for brands. Website http://www.dijipop.com Transaction … Continue reading “dijipop Secures $2,000,000 New Financing”

OnShift Garners $2,300,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=60285054-96bc-40d7-9bbf-1a92401c87c5&Preview=1 Date 12/6/2010 Company Name OnShift Mailing Address Undisclosed Cleveland, OH 44101 Company Description OnShift provides web-based staff scheduling and shift management software for the healthcare industry. Website http://www.onshift.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,300,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes This investment will be used to accelerate OnShift’s sales and marketing … Continue reading “OnShift Garners $2,300,000 New Funding”

Shoutlet Receives $6,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a26f8a69-e352-4aa8-a1a4-53bc0143c4b7&Preview=1 Date 12/6/2010 Company Name Shoutlet Mailing Address 1 Erdman Place Madison, WI 53717 Company Description Shoutlet provides a centralized platform that helps companies manage and monetize their social media communication. Website http://www.shoutlet.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Shoutlet will use the funding to … Continue reading “Shoutlet Receives $6,000,000 Series B Financing”

Calisolar Receives $3,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=55eaaaaf-22d8-4958-a73b-4bd6bcb05213&Preview=1 Date 12/6/2010 Company Name Calisolar Mailing Address 985 Almanor Ave Sunnyvale, CA 94085 Company Description CaliSolar is a photovoltaic (PV) company that designs, patents, manufactures and markets solar cells in high volumes for the largest segments of the PV industry. Website http://www.calisolar.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $3,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Calisolar Receives $3,000,000 New Funding Round”

Taulia Garners $3,200,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=be6ac6bf-b4de-4590-9517-c62d9ae2d3c2&Preview=1 Date 12/6/2010 Company Name Taulia Mailing Address 465 California St. San Francisco, CA 94104 Company Description Taulia gives AP Managers and Treasurers the opportunity to save millions by offering to pay suppliers early if they discount their invoices. Website http://www.taulia.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,200,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “Taulia Garners $3,200,000 New Funding”

MoPub Garners New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4149da52-7bda-4f7b-af19-a869d92ac990&Preview=1 Date 12/6/2010 Company Name MoPub Mailing Address Undisclosed San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description Control your ad inventory, monetize effectively and understand user engagement on your iPhone and Android apps. Website http://www.mopub.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company service is still in private … Continue reading “MoPub Garners New Round”

Calistoga Rolls Out More Evidence For Blood Cancer Drug, Sizes Up Pivotal Trial

Calistoga Pharmaceuticals has been stirring up buzz at medical meetings for more than a year about how its experimental treatment is shrinking tumors for patients with certain blood cancers that resist other therapies. And today the Seattle-based company is showing still more evidence that strengthens the medical case for its drug, as the tumor shrinkage … Continue reading “Calistoga Rolls Out More Evidence For Blood Cancer Drug, Sizes Up Pivotal Trial”

Seattle Genetics, Millennium Report Groundbreaking Results With Drug for Hodgkin’s

Seattle Genetics is reporting today on a batch of clinical trial results that represent a watershed moment for the company, its technology for creating “empowered antibodies” against cancer, and which could provide a new source of hope for patients with Hodgkin’s disease. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) and its partner, Cambridge, MA-based Millennium: The Takeda Oncology … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics, Millennium Report Groundbreaking Results With Drug for Hodgkin’s”

Widevine Bought by Google as Streaming Video Heats Up

You heard it here first—the rumor, I mean. Now it’s confirmed. Seattle-based Widevine Technologies is being acquired by Google in a deal of undisclosed size. The Mountain View, CA-based search giant (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOOG]]) said today in a blog post that “Widevine has made on demand services more efficient and secure for media companies, and ultimately … Continue reading “Widevine Bought by Google as Streaming Video Heats Up”

AppStoreHQ Appoints Blanksteen CEO

Seattle-based AppStoreHQ, a mobile software startup, said today it has named Scott Blanksteen the company’s new CEO. Blanksteen, a wireless tech executive who was previously with IceBreaker (and is a member of the Qpass mafia), succeeds co-founder Chris DeVore from Founder’s Co-op in the chief executive role. AppStoreHQ helps consumers discover mobile apps for the … Continue reading “AppStoreHQ Appoints Blanksteen CEO”

Bill Allowing 25% Tax Credits For Angel Investors Heads For Michigan Governor’s Signature

Michigan’s angel, venture capital and entrepreneur communities are hailing this week’s passage by the state Legislature of tax breaks for angel investors. The bill, passed by both houses and expected to be signed into law by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, gives angel investors a 25 percent tax credit over two years, with a maximum of $250,000 … Continue reading “Bill Allowing 25% Tax Credits For Angel Investors Heads For Michigan Governor’s Signature”

Get Radical, Practically—And Before Almost Everybody Else, With Special Ticket Offer for Xconomy’s 5X5 Forum

How do successful innovators define new industries and transform existing ones? How do successful companies maintain their dominance when conditions get tougher? The key, argues Fast Company co-founder William C. Taylor, is change. Of course, mastering change is no small feat. “The work of deep-seated, sustainable change remains the hardest work there is,” writes Taylor. … Continue reading “Get Radical, Practically—And Before Almost Everybody Else, With Special Ticket Offer for Xconomy’s 5X5 Forum”

San Diego’s Fight Against Diabesity: Can Investors Make Money, and Can Startups Still Thrive?

San Diego might be the world’s leading center for “diabesity” R&D, and since this represents two of the most common public health threats today (diabetes and obesity), logic would say this ought to be a great thing for the local biotech cluster. Yet anyone who follows healthcare headlines knows that times have never been tougher … Continue reading “San Diego’s Fight Against Diabesity: Can Investors Make Money, and Can Startups Still Thrive?”

Punchbowl Throws a Punch, Checking In Is Out, TechStars Boston Changes Guard—Some Tech Tidbits

Another busy week in Boston-area tech news. Here are a few items I didn’t have a chance to properly digest yet: —Startup wars: Punchbowl founder and CEO Matt Douglas stirred the pot a little with a blog post calling out SCVNGR founder Seth Priebatsch for what Douglas considers his self-promotional bravado and unhealthy work-life balance, … Continue reading “Punchbowl Throws a Punch, Checking In Is Out, TechStars Boston Changes Guard—Some Tech Tidbits”

San Diego’s Cleantech Cluster Looks to Canada & Other International Partners for Collaboration

In June, 2007, a study commissioned by the City of San Diego and the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. found 148 cleantech companies in San Diego County. The study encouraged San Diego business leaders in establishing Cleantech San Diego as a way to help stimulate the emerging cluster (and to encourage adoption of renewable … Continue reading “San Diego’s Cleantech Cluster Looks to Canada & Other International Partners for Collaboration”

Pearl Therapeutics Beats $3B Lung Drug, Anacor’s Flat IPO, Medtronic Buys Ardian for $800M, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News

Thanksgiving got in the way of last week’s biotech roundup, so this week I’m reaching a little further back in the archive for stories you may have missed. —Redwood City, CA-based Pearl Therapeutics raised $69 million in venture capital last month, and now we can see why. The company showed, in a small clinical trial, … Continue reading “Pearl Therapeutics Beats $3B Lung Drug, Anacor’s Flat IPO, Medtronic Buys Ardian for $800M, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News”

SmartCells CEO Reflects on Strategy Leading to $500M Exit with Merck

Beverly, MA-based SmartCells has kept a relatively low profile since it was founded seven years ago, quietly working on a potential blockbuster drug for diabetes with technology from MIT. But yesterday the drug giant Merck (NASDAQ:[[ticker:MRK]]) made headlines with its plans to buy the biotech startup for upfront and potential milestone payments of more than … Continue reading “SmartCells CEO Reflects on Strategy Leading to $500M Exit with Merck”

Protect Patent Settlements for Washington’s Biotech Future

In America’s health care system, patients benefit from the balance between availability of innovative, life-saving medicines and access to lower-cost generic medicines; in fact, generic medicines account for 74 percent of prescriptions written in the U.S. This balance is based on a variety of factors. Unfortunately, one of those factors is currently under attack in … Continue reading “Protect Patent Settlements for Washington’s Biotech Future”

Aveo Gets Money from OSI, Merck Buys SmartCells, Glaxo Cancels Resveratrol Drug Trial, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News

This week we took an in-depth look at several New England area biotechs, and saw some interesting developments from bigger drugmakers. —I checked in with Holden, MA-based Hygeia Therapeutics, a startup developing topically delivered synthetic hormone treatments, using technology licensed from Yale University. The biotech has gathered pre-clinical data on a synthetic estrogen product for … Continue reading “Aveo Gets Money from OSI, Merck Buys SmartCells, Glaxo Cancels Resveratrol Drug Trial, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”

GnuBio Garners $3,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=02dc69f5-54e9-4871-a97b-522204843ba3&Preview=1 Date 12/3/2010 Company Name GnuBio Mailing Address 35 Twin Diamond Dr. Bridgewater, MA 02324 Company Description The company is a spin out from Harvard University and aims to become the eBay of biomarkers. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “GnuBio Garners $3,000,000 New Financing”

PacketMotion Garners $2,700,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=64d765b8-6d32-4123-adaa-a4579d2ccb15&Preview=1 Date 12/3/2010 Company Name PacketMotion Mailing Address 110 Baytech Drive 2nd Floor San Jose, CA 95134 Company Description PacketMotion is the developer of the industry’s first security appliance that gives businesses the ability to see user activity inside their networks as it happens, allowing them to identify improper actions in real … Continue reading “PacketMotion Garners $2,700,000 Series C Financing”

Google Acquires Widevine Technologies for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1a20a0c8-9327-40a8-9385-26f5041dba1a&Preview=1 Date 12/3/2010 Company Name Widevine Technologies Mailing Address 901 5th Avenue Seattle, WA 98164 Company Description Widevine is the most widely deployed provider of content security solutions for IP video operators worldwide. Widevine enables telco, cable, fiber, satellite, internet and wireless service operators to generate new revenue opportunities through the secure … Continue reading “Google Acquires Widevine Technologies for Undisclosed Sum”

BaubleBar Garners $1,100,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=048e8132-3c67-4f97-b68c-07f8f9baeff9&Preview=1 Date 12/3/2010 Company Name BaubleBar Mailing Address 740 Broadway New York, NY 10003 Company Description The company operates a website that offers fashion jewelry at deep discounts for limited periods of time. Website http://www.baublebar.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,100,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “BaubleBar Garners $1,100,000 Series A Round”

10gen Obtains $6,500,000 Series C Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a308124f-ef3b-47af-a717-eb55f05177ab&Preview=1 Date 12/3/2010 Company Name 10gen Mailing Address 17 W 18th Street 8th Floor New York, NY 10011 Company Description 10gen is a new platform-as-a-service technology designed to help developers quickly and easily build dynamic, scalable, mission critical web sites and applications. Website http://www.10gen.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,500,000 Transaction … Continue reading “10gen Obtains $6,500,000 Series C Funding”

BMC Software Acquires GridApp Systems for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2f6e7b22-8298-4115-9acc-641623f32f76&Preview=1 Date 12/3/2010 Company Name GridApp Systems Mailing Address 14 East 47th Street New York, NY 10017 Company Description GridApp Systems is a leading provider of database automation solutions to help businesses gain control of their heterogeneous database infrastructures. Currently supporting hundreds of customer installations worldwide, across multiple industries such as financial … Continue reading “BMC Software Acquires GridApp Systems for Undisclosed Sum”

MicroPower Raises $2.2M

MicroPower Technologies, a two-year-old startup incubating in San Diego’s EvoNexus program, says it has raised $2.2 million from a variety of investors that complets its Series B round of venture funding. The company is developing power-efficient wireless video surveillance cameras for use by public safety, government, commercial, and small-to-medium business customers. Founder and CEO Jon … Continue reading “MicroPower Raises $2.2M”

Terrafugia, Aurora Flight Sciences, Metis Design Take Wing in $65M DARPA Program to Design Flying Humvee

OK, a flying Humvee doesn’t sound like a very green vehicle—but the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency isn’t interested in green. DARPA is interested in improving the safety and lethality of U.S. troops in dangerous environments. And it is willing to pay handsomely for it—to the tune of a five-year, $65 million research program … Continue reading “Terrafugia, Aurora Flight Sciences, Metis Design Take Wing in $65M DARPA Program to Design Flying Humvee”

Sage Science Gets $2M

Sage Science, a Beverly, MA-based provider of genetic research tools, has raised $2 million in an equity funding round, according to an SEC filing. The filing does not name the investors in the financing. The firm’s systems are used for DNA sample preparation with next-generation sequencing platforms. Last month, the company announced its agreement to … Continue reading “Sage Science Gets $2M”

Azuki Rings in $4M

Acton, MA-based mobile software provider Azuki Systems has brought in $4 million of an equity and rights offering that could total $8 million, according to a SEC filing. The firm raised $12 million in equity-based funding earlier this year, and is backed by Kepha Partners and Sigma Partners. In August, cloud computing exec John Clancy … Continue reading “Azuki Rings in $4M”

4Home Destined 4 Motorola

Sunnyvale, CA-based 4Home, a maker of “connected home” software for security, health, energy, and media management, has been acquired by Motorola Mobility, a Libertyville, IL-based subsidiary of Motorola, the companies announced yesterday. “The addition of the 4Home portfolio helps expand our vision of converged experiences in the home and beyond,” Motorola Mobility president Dan Moloney … Continue reading “4Home Destined 4 Motorola”

Merck Buyout of SmartCells Could Exceed $500M

Beverly, MA-based biotech startup SmartCells has found a big corporate buyer. Merck & Co. (NYSE:[[ticker:MRK]]), the Whitehouse Station, NJ-based drug giant, said today it has agreed to buy the developer of diabetes treatments in a deal that could be worth more than $500 million to the startup’s shareholders. Merck, which announced the deal this morning, … Continue reading “Merck Buyout of SmartCells Could Exceed $500M”

Receptos Hires New CEO, Former Facet Leader, as Rastetter Moves Upstairs

Receptos, the San Diego-based startup with an eye toward capturing super high-res images of an important class of new drug targets, has found itself a new CEO from the Bay Area who happened to sell his last company to Abbott Laboratories for $722 million. Faheem Hasnain, the former chief executive of Redwood City, CA-based Facet … Continue reading “Receptos Hires New CEO, Former Facet Leader, as Rastetter Moves Upstairs”

Millennium, Banking on Velcade and More, Gears Up for Eagerly Anticipated Blood Cancer Meeting

Each spring, everybody and their brother in biotech goes to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting to check out the hot new stuff in cancer drug development. But for Cambridge, MA-based Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, the bigger medical meeting is coming up this weekend, where a whole string of clinical trials … Continue reading “Millennium, Banking on Velcade and More, Gears Up for Eagerly Anticipated Blood Cancer Meeting”

The Essay Exchange Aims to Democratize Pricey College Admissions Advice

Application fees and standardized test prep courses aren’t the only big expenses when it comes to getting into college. For the tens of thousands of students who hire admissions counselors and coaches every year, the process of crafting the perfect essay to get into a top name school can also carry a hefty price tag, … Continue reading “The Essay Exchange Aims to Democratize Pricey College Admissions Advice”

Accelerator’s East Coast Foray, Gates Foundation Bets on RSV Vaccine, UW Sues GE, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

Two of the key players in Seattle life sciences formed interesting new connections to the Eastern time zone this week. —Accelerator, the venture-backed biotech startup nurturer in Seattle, made its first new investment in a company with East Coast roots. The company, Acylin Therapeutics, is built on the vision of a Boston biotech entrepreneur, and … Continue reading “Accelerator’s East Coast Foray, Gates Foundation Bets on RSV Vaccine, UW Sues GE, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”