Lionside Secures $1,595,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=83899e31-934a-422e-9718-f6a81e2b93b9&Preview=1 Date 11/19/2010 Company Name Lionside Mailing Address 500 3rd St. San Francisco, CA 94107 Company Description The company develops social sports games. Website http://www.lionside.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,595,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed

Individual Digital Lands $505,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8ffa375e-6fec-44fc-9a56-a9ed60178bca&Preview=1 Date 11/19/2010 Company Name Individual Digital Mailing Address 19 W. 44th St. 11th Floor New York, NY 10011 Company Description Individual Digital, Inc. is a digital media company focused on developing an online advertising platform to provide businesses with a means of delivering targeted messaging. Website http://www.individualdigital.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Individual Digital Lands $505,000 New Funding Round”

Gnip Obtains $1,999,997 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f02adab5-8828-4d09-b900-b2c8bd0781f6&Preview=1 Date 11/19/2010 Company Name Gnip Mailing Address 1050 Walnut St. Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description The company aggregate social data from a variety of social networking sites into one API. Website http://www.gnipcentral.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,999,997 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory … Continue reading “Gnip Obtains $1,999,997 New Funding”

Nearly Entire Staff Laid Off at Eons, Says Founder Jeff Taylor

[Updated with additional information, Nov. 18, 2010]–-Boston baby boomer and social networking site Eons, which has raised $32 million in two rounds of financing led by two venture capital giants—General Catalyst Partners and Sequoia Capital—yesterday laid off nearly its entire remaining staff, founder Jeff Taylor said tonight. Taylor, who previously founded Monster.com, revealed the layoff … Continue reading “Nearly Entire Staff Laid Off at Eons, Says Founder Jeff Taylor”

Amgen Wins FDA OK For Cancer Drug

Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]), the world’s largest biotech company, said today it has won clearance from the FDA to start marketing denosumab (Xgeva) to reduce fractures in cancer patients with solid tumors that have spread to the bones. This is the second major approved use of the drug, which was first cleared in June as a … Continue reading “Amgen Wins FDA OK For Cancer Drug”

Exelixis Shares Soar on Cancer Results

Exelixis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXEL]]), the South San Francisco-based developer of cancer drugs, saw its shares climb 32 percent to $6.23 today after reporting on clinical trial results for its lead product candidate against prostate cancer. The company reported that 19 out of 20 patients who got its experimental XL184 treatment had at least partial clearance of … Continue reading “Exelixis Shares Soar on Cancer Results”

Dendreon’s Commercial Point Man Exits In Year One of Provenge Launch

[Update: 4:15 pm Pacific] One of the key people at Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) who was hired to make its new prostate cancer drug a success is out of a job after less than a year. Seattle-based Dendreon said today in a regulatory filing that Varun Nanda has left the company effective immediately. Nanda, Dendreon’s senior … Continue reading “Dendreon’s Commercial Point Man Exits In Year One of Provenge Launch”

Ballmer Will Say Adios, IPOs Will Return, Amazon Will Crack $200: Predictions for 2011 From WTIA Panel

Microsoft, desperate to become a real player in mobile, will do something bold like acquire Finnish wireless giant Nokia. CEO Steve Ballmer will ride off into the sunset. Amazon’s stock could soar to over $200 a share. As the great Yogi Berra once said, it’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future. Yet, with … Continue reading “Ballmer Will Say Adios, IPOs Will Return, Amazon Will Crack $200: Predictions for 2011 From WTIA Panel”

Are You Ready for a Pre-Turkey Day Pizza Bash Tomorrow? C’mon Down to Xconomy HQ

Just a reminder for all you entrepreneurs, hackers, gene-splicers, and devotees of innovation, tomorrow is Xconomy’s second annual pre-Thanksgiving pizza party. We got some great special guests in Reed Sturtevant and Katie Rae of Project 11, an innovative early-stage venture startup; some great attendees already RSVP’d, and some great pizza courtesy of our friends and … Continue reading “Are You Ready for a Pre-Turkey Day Pizza Bash Tomorrow? C’mon Down to Xconomy HQ”

$19M for Altius Education

Waltham, MA-based Charles River Ventures and Boston-based Spark Capital are the lead investors in an $18.6 million Series B venture financing round announced today by San Francisco-based online education provider Altius Education. The company’s premier project is Ivy Bridge College, a collaboration with Tiffin, OH-based Tiffin University. Spark and Seattle-based Maveron coinvested in Altius’s $8 million … Continue reading “$19M for Altius Education”

Marketo Pulls In $25M

Marketo, a San Mateo, CA-based maker of software that helps companies automate the management of e-mail marketing campaigns and other forms of lead generation, said this week it has raised $25 million in Series D funding. Institutional Venture Partners led the round, which was joined by existing investors InterWest Partners, Storm Ventures, and Mayfield Fund. … Continue reading “Marketo Pulls In $25M”

Skyhook Says A Preliminary Injunction Against Google Could Help Level The Playing Field in the Mobile Location-Finding Space

[Updated 11/18/10] After lawyers from Google and Skyhook Wireless convened in court yesterday, a Massachusetts’ Suffolk County Superior Court judge is deliberating whether to prevent the Mountain View, CA-based Internet giant from issuing compatibility standards for its Android mobile phone platform that could largely keep Boston-based startup Skyhook out of the location-finding space. The move … Continue reading “Skyhook Says A Preliminary Injunction Against Google Could Help Level The Playing Field in the Mobile Location-Finding Space”

Stipple Gets $2 Million to Help Web Publishers Bring Images Alive

A San Francisco startup called Stipple has raised $2 million from big-name investors to help make images on the Web more interactive. Specifically, the company wants to help publishers who puts lots of photos online to turn them into gateways to various kinds of interactions, including online purchases. When you think about it, images on … Continue reading “Stipple Gets $2 Million to Help Web Publishers Bring Images Alive”

Genzyme to Let Diagnostics Unit Loose for $265M

Genzyme’s sales of non-core businesses continues. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ:[[ticker:GENZ]]) said this morning that it has agreed to sell its diagnostic products business to Japan’s Sekisui Chemical for $265 million in cash. The deal takes Genzyme, the world’s largest provider of drugs for rare genetic diseases, a step further in sharpening its focus … Continue reading “Genzyme to Let Diagnostics Unit Loose for $265M”

Dendreon Survives Medicare Panel, Arch’s Ouch, RNAi Shock Wave Hits Tekmira, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

Seattle’s hot biotech company of the moment survived an unusual public hearing this week that could have put a serious crimp in its ability to sell its drug. —Seattle-based Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) dodged a bullet at a public hearing this week held by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The government-run health insurance plan … Continue reading “Dendreon Survives Medicare Panel, Arch’s Ouch, RNAi Shock Wave Hits Tekmira, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

EMC Shells Out $2.25B for Isilon, Cerulean Secures $24M, Kayak Files for IPO, & More Boston-Area Deals News

This week saw deals inked in all corners of New England’s innovation ecosystem, but the biggie was in IT. —Regulatory filings indicate that Kala Pharmaceuticals raised $3 million in an equity and debt financing. The Waltham, MA-based startup, which raised $2 million in December 2009, counts MIT inventor Bob Langer and representatives of Lux Capital, … Continue reading “EMC Shells Out $2.25B for Isilon, Cerulean Secures $24M, Kayak Files for IPO, & More Boston-Area Deals News”

U-M Investment Group TAMID Introduces Students to Entrepreneurship, Israeli Startups

[Corrected, 4:40pm. See below] Last month, Jon Medved, the founder of Jerusalem-based Israel Seed Partners, a multi-million dollar venture capital fund, came to the University of Michigan to give a lecture on high-tech development. But Medved wasn’t there to talk about Silicon Valley or another U.S. startup hub. Instead he was meeting with a group … Continue reading “U-M Investment Group TAMID Introduces Students to Entrepreneurship, Israeli Startups”

Paul Allen Donates $9M for Edgy Neuroscience, Biotech Projects at MIT, Stanford, UW

Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, has been investing in biotech companies and basic neuroscience for many years, and now he’s set up a new program to put more money to work for scientists pushing the boundaries in those fields. The Seattle-based Paul G. Allen Family Foundation is announcing today it is bankrolling seven … Continue reading “Paul Allen Donates $9M for Edgy Neuroscience, Biotech Projects at MIT, Stanford, UW”

Perlego Systems Secures $1,931,726 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=421296b5-a349-4179-8e16-a4fbf1b5aeed&Preview=1 Date 11/18/2010 Company Name Perlego Systems Mailing Address 600 108th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description Perlego Systems, Inc. is the only provider of end-to-end mobile device lifecycle management solutions that allow enterprises, resellers and device manufacturers to effectively manage deployed smart wireless devices, regardless of platform or carrier. The … Continue reading “Perlego Systems Secures $1,931,726 New Funding Round”

ImThera Medical Obtains $1,029,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=96864d05-1754-40df-924d-8088688585f3&Preview=1 Date 11/18/2010 Company Name ImThera Medical Mailing Address 11232 El Camino Real San Diego, CA 92130 Company Description ImThera Medical is a privately funded, early-stage company developing a novel, patent-pending, neurostimulation medical device for the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Website http://www.imtheramedical.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,029,000 Transaction … Continue reading “ImThera Medical Obtains $1,029,000 New Financing Round”

Altius Education Obtains $18,600,000 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=84e06a80-18ba-4823-9048-539aa4c088f2&Preview=1 Date 11/18/2010 Company Name Altius Education Mailing Address 2 Embarcadero Center San Francisco, CA 94111 Company Description Altius Education, Inc. partners with academic institutions to help them unlock the potential of their existing curricula. By establishing separate legal entities and providing them with the key financial and strategic resources, we are … Continue reading “Altius Education Obtains $18,600,000 Series B Funding”

Parallel Engines Lands $2,172,318 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e8b98c76-ea0a-439a-a9f1-740fb5f56d2d&Preview=1 Date 11/18/2010 Company Name Parallel Engines Mailing Address 10773 N. Wolfe Rd. Cupertino, CA 95014 Company Description Parallel Engines was founded in April 2008 with the goal of bringing together the EDA (Electronic Design Automation) and Semiconductor-IP (Intellectual Property) worlds for the benefit of designers. Website http://www.parallelengines.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Parallel Engines Lands $2,172,318 New Financing”

Stipple Obtains $2,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c94ffa8b-ac5d-461c-93aa-e36a66e2a37d&Preview=1 Date 11/18/2010 Company Name Stipple Mailing Address 360 Ritch St. San Francisco, CA 94107 Company Description The company has created a website that lets people label, share and monetize pictures on the web. Website http://www.stippleit.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “Stipple Obtains $2,000,000 New Financing Round”

Oodle Acquires Grouply for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=56c68b88-ab5a-4c0d-9413-15eb094c0e90&Preview=1 Date 11/18/2010 Company Name Grouply Mailing Address 495 Seaport Ct. Redwood City, CA 94063 Company Description With Grouply, you can create a new social group about anything you like or join a social group and connect with others who share your interests and passions. Website http://www.grouply.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Oodle Acquires Grouply for Undisclosed Sum”

Federated Media Publishing Acquires FoodBuzz for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=593db5a1-95ec-4899-b62c-c20a21674fb1&Preview=1 Date 11/18/2010 Company Name FoodBuzz Mailing Address 921 Front St. San Francisco, CA 94111 Company Description We love Food! In fact, we’re passionate about our adventures in all things edible. Be it dining out, cooking at home, discovering a new flavor, drooling over a food blog, or swapping recipes with friends, … Continue reading “Federated Media Publishing Acquires FoodBuzz for Undisclosed Sum”

Dendreon Passes Medicare Panel’s Questions About Provenge Effectiveness

Dendreon followers can breathe a sigh of relief. A panel of physicians and researchers who advise the federal Medicare agency expressed an intermediate amount of confidence that the Seattle biotech company’s immune-booster for prostate cancer extends lives. The vote, at a public hearing today held by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a … Continue reading “Dendreon Passes Medicare Panel’s Questions About Provenge Effectiveness”

The Real Choices Facing Startups: Talking with Michael Moritz On Stage November 30 in San Francisco

Time for a reality check. Is it really easier to start a tech company these days? That’s certainly the conventional wisdom in Silicon Valley—but Michael Moritz begs to differ. I’ll be chatting with the legendary Sequoia Capital partner at San Francisco’s Kicklabs on November 30 (register here), and the top item on the agenda will … Continue reading “The Real Choices Facing Startups: Talking with Michael Moritz On Stage November 30 in San Francisco”

Roche Cuts to Hit Hundreds of Genentech Workers; Scientific Staff is Spared

Roche made big news in the pharmaceutical business today when it said it is cutting 4,800 jobs as part of a major restructuring plan. And, no surprise, hundreds of those job cuts are coming from its biggest U.S. asset, South San Francisco-based Genentech. About 350 to 450 people in Genentech’s manufacturing group in South San … Continue reading “Roche Cuts to Hit Hundreds of Genentech Workers; Scientific Staff is Spared”

$4.6M for Minerva Biotechnologies

Minerva Biotechnologies, a Waltham, MA-based biotech firm that researches cancer, nanotechnology, and stem cells, has raised $4.6 million in equity and rights funding round, according to an SEC filing. Xconony tried this afternoon but was unable to reach Cythia Bamdad, a founder of the firm, to discuss the financing.

HealthEdge Finds $975K

HealthEdge Software, a Burlington, MA-based provider of benefits administration software for healthcare payers, has raised $975,000 in an equity and rights financing, according to an SEC filing. Rob Gillette, the firm’s chief executive, wasn’t immediately available to comment on the funding round. Gillette told me for this August 26 story that his company had raised … Continue reading “HealthEdge Finds $975K”

Roche Dumps RNAi, Sends Shock Waves Through Alnylam, Tekmira

The world’s biggest spender on pharmaceutical R&D, Switzerland-based Roche, made news today with a sweeping series of cutbacks, and the ripple effect is extending to leading biotech companies in New England and the Pacific Northwest—including Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Vancouver, BC-based Tekmira Pharmaceuticals. Roche said today it is terminating its efforts to discover and … Continue reading “Roche Dumps RNAi, Sends Shock Waves Through Alnylam, Tekmira”

Kayak Files for $50M IPO, Reports Growing Revenues, Profitability

Well, this is an interesting move. Kayak, the online travel search company based in Norwalk, CT, has filed for an initial public offering underwritten by Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank Securities, Piper Jaffray, Stifel Nicolaus Weisel, and Pacific Crest Securities. The proposed maximum aggregate offering price is $50 million, a surprisingly small number for a company … Continue reading “Kayak Files for $50M IPO, Reports Growing Revenues, Profitability”

Sutro Biopharma Grabs $36.5M in Venture Deal to Make “Biobetters”

The buzzphrase “biobetter” is starting to catch on, and South San Francisco-based Sutro Biopharma is the latest to cash in on the trend, as one of the companies hoping to develop drugs with nifty new properties that were never seriously considered before. Sutro is announcing today it has raised $36.5 million in a Series C … Continue reading “Sutro Biopharma Grabs $36.5M in Venture Deal to Make “Biobetters””

Ardian Corrals Out-of-Control High Blood Pressure With First-of-its-Kind Device

There are plenty of cheap and effective drugs out there for lowering high blood pressure. But Ardian, a small device company in Mountain View, CA, is presenting some intriguing clinical trial results today that suggest it might have developed something that works when all else fails. Ardian’s treatment was tested in a study of 106 … Continue reading “Ardian Corrals Out-of-Control High Blood Pressure With First-of-its-Kind Device”

Springpad Overhauls Web App, Aims to Be Your Personal Assistant and Mobile Life Manager

Today is a pretty important day for Jeff Janer and his startup. Charlestown, MA-based Spring Partners is releasing a new version of Springpad, its online notebook service for organizing all the information in your life. (And who doesn’t need that?) What’s more, it could be the make-or-break moment for the startup as it strives to … Continue reading “Springpad Overhauls Web App, Aims to Be Your Personal Assistant and Mobile Life Manager”

C3 Jian Names Todd Patrick CEO

Todd Patrick, the former president of Vancouver, BC and Bothell, WA-based ID Biomedical, has been named the new CEO of Los Angeles-based C3 Jian. The company is developing selective antibacterial and antifungal treatments, as well as drugs for disorders of mineralization, and reversing hair loss. Patrick, the chairman of the board at the Seattle Biomedical … Continue reading “C3 Jian Names Todd Patrick CEO”

Sangart Looks to Fund More Human Trials of its Oxygen-Carrying Blood Adjunct

San Diego’s Sangart, whose $50 million fundraising round in 2009 ranked among the top 10 venture deals of the year in San Diego raised an additional $15 million last month in anticipation of additional clinical trials of its MP4OX, a blood adjunct and oxygen-carrying compound. When I got a chance to get an update from … Continue reading “Sangart Looks to Fund More Human Trials of its Oxygen-Carrying Blood Adjunct”

Dave Morin Says Path Photo App is About “Making the World a Happier Place”

On Sunday, San Francisco startup Path launched its photo-sharing app for the iPhone, and by Tuesday night it had already climbed to the number 5 spot in the Lifestyle section of the iTunes App Store. iPhone users seem to appreciate the new app, which is designed to let users share candid photos and a few … Continue reading “Dave Morin Says Path Photo App is About “Making the World a Happier Place””

New “Disruptive” Cloud Security Company Coming from Arbor Networks Co-Founder Dug Song

When I traveled to Michigan last month, my conversation with entrepreneur Dug Song left me with the impression that’s he very passionate about several things: startups, cyber security, and Ann Arbor. I met with Song at Tech Brewery, the Dogpatch Labs-esque startup incubator space he founded in an old brewery building right in the University … Continue reading “New “Disruptive” Cloud Security Company Coming from Arbor Networks Co-Founder Dug Song”

Managing a Crisis in the Age of Social Media

The way people find out about breaking news has changed significantly in the past few years. From real-time Twitter updates to eyewitness news to iReports, how media outlets source and broadcast stories has changed as well. First-hand accounts from everyday people involved in an incident are not just relayed through the media, they are posted … Continue reading “Managing a Crisis in the Age of Social Media”

Biocom’s 1st Annual Global Life Science Partnering Conference

BIOCOM’s Global Life Science Partnering Conference is an exclusive global partnering and networking forum that brings together senior executives and business development professionals from leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies. The conference includes case study presentations, individual company presentations, one-on-one meetings, and numerous networking opportunities. More information and registration is available online here.

Biocom Holiday Breakfast and Annual Meeting

Biocom has organized this year’s holiday breakfast meeting as an entertaining and interactive session entitled, “Dangerous Documents: Helping Your Company Avoid Land Mines in FDA Records and Emails.” Speakers Nancy Singer and Joleen Schultz will take a look at how high-profile individuals have fallen prey to misconstrued communications and demonstrate how to avoid a similar … Continue reading “Biocom Holiday Breakfast and Annual Meeting”

Bay State Startup Investing Rises to $199M in October; Industrial and Energy Sectors Help Plump Up the Total

The harvest came in during October, at least in terms of startup deals in Massachusetts. Bay State tech and life sciences companies brought in $199.1 million across 30 equity-based deals, an increase of more than one-third over the September total of $146.8 million, according to data from private company intelligence platform CB Insights. It was … Continue reading “Bay State Startup Investing Rises to $199M in October; Industrial and Energy Sectors Help Plump Up the Total”

Minerva Biotechnologies Receives $4,634,580 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=49823ffe-73f0-4f80-9373-02984194e877&Preview=1 Date 11/17/2010 Company Name Minerva Biotechnologies Mailing Address 40 Bear Hill Road Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description The company develops drugs and stem cell technology through nanotechnology. Website http://www.minervabio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,634,580 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms … Continue reading “Minerva Biotechnologies Receives $4,634,580 New Round”

CoolPlanetBioFuels Receives $8,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1c73fe94-4ee2-42a8-abc0-8dd7f8746a00&Preview=1 Date 11/17/2010 Company Name CoolPlanetBioFuels Mailing Address 543 Calle San Pablo Camarillo, CA 93012 Company Description CoolPlanetBioFuels, based in Camarillo, California, is developing a revolutionary thermal/mechanical processor that directly inputs raw biomass such as woodchips, crop residues and non-food fuel crops, and produces distinct gas streams for catalytic upgrading to conventional … Continue reading “CoolPlanetBioFuels Receives $8,000,000 New Financing”

Marketo Secures $25,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dbc3a25c-5f31-49c7-aabd-3b5fbcd66e9d&Preview=1 Date 11/17/2010 Company Name Marketo Mailing Address 901 Mariners Island Blvd. San Mateo, CA 94404 Company Description Marketo provides affordable, easy-to-use marketing automation software that helps B2B marketing professionals drive more revenue and improve marketing accountability. Our solutions automate lead generation and lead nurturing processes over multiple channels, beginning with pay-per-click … Continue reading “Marketo Secures $25,000,000 New Round”

meebo Receives $25,000,000 Series D Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=082091a0-c55a-4ace-8922-9a70d08190fe&Preview=1 Date 11/17/2010 Company Name meebo Mailing Address 215 Castro Street 3rd Floor Mountain View, CA 94041 Company Description meebo is the first all-in-one, Web browser-based instant messaging service. Website http://www.meebo.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $25,000,000 Transaction Round Series D Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed, however the company … Continue reading “meebo Receives $25,000,000 Series D Funding”