Do it yourself biology
When Time Magazine named You as the person of the year, they did it based on your ability to write encyclopedias, publish newspapers and create virtual world avatars. But you are capable of so much more. I doubt, that even in their wildest stretch of imagination, Time could not give you credit for your ability to isolate human epithelial amniotic stem cells from your placenta, all in the comfort of your own home. Surely I must be… Continue Reading
Roundup: YouTube, Intel’s breakthrough, sex toys and Bloggingheads.TV
Roundup of the latest in Silicon Valley:
YouTube is moving toward sharing revenue with video creators — See video at left of YouTube Chief Executive Chad Hurley’s statement at the Davos World Economic Forum. (Via Jeff Jarvis)
Silicon Valley jobs are back — And household income is climbing too, for first time since the dot-com wreck. See story here. The NYT writes a similar, and points to one economic driver: green technology investments. Unfortunately, the story calls solar power… Continue Reading
Showdown between VCs and oil industry
Silicon Valley venture capital firms like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and lone ranger investors like Vinod Khosla, continue to push for legislation that irks the oil industry.
The New York Times has the latest, citing Kleiner Perkins’ partner John Denniston (pictured here) arguing that renewable biofuel companies like Altra should get some of the subsidy for gas alternatives, and that it shouldn’t all go to the oil industry.
Mr. Denniston also wants to see a change… Continue Reading
Xcellerex, bio manufacturing co., raises $11M more
Xcellerex, a Marlborough, Mass. company that makes a manufacturing technology for vaccines and biotherapeutics, said it has raised $11 million more in its second round of funding.
That brings the total second round amount to $20 million.
SCG Group and Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers led the round. Kleiner Perkins’ Thomas Monath, M.D., has joined the Xcellerex board of directors.
From the company’s announcement:
Xcellerex is commercializing a highly innovative, modular and scalable manufacturing platform, FlexFactoryâ„¢, which combines single… Continue Reading
VC and private equity performance remains steady
Private equity performance held relatively steady for the quarter ending September 30, 2006, according to a survey by Thomson Financial and the National Venture Capital Association.
See graphic below. What is stands out is how tough it is to be an seed-stage investor. Basically, you’ll have lost your shirt if you have only been in this business five years or less. However, if you have been investing for ten years, you’ll have done better than… Continue Reading
InnerPulse, abnormal heart rhythms treatment co., raises $50M
InnerPulse, a North Carolina company developing treatments for abnormal heart rhythms, said it has raised $50 million in new equity financing.
The syndicate of investors included Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, Medtronic, Inc., Synergy Life Science Partners, Ascent Biomedical Ventures, Delphi Ventures and Frazier Heathcare Ventures. Additonally, Boston Scientific and Greatbatch, Inc. remain significant stockholders of InnerPulse, the company said.
From the statement:
The Company’s products employ an innovative technology to simplify the implant utilizing a minimally… Continue Reading
Boston-Power raises $15.6M for lithium-ion technology
Westborough, Mass.’s Boston-Power, a lithium-ion battery technology developer, has raised $15.6 million in its latest round of funding.
PE Week first reported the news (sorry, can’t find link). New investor Granite Global Ventures led the round, which also included previous investors Venrock Associates and Gabriel Venture Partners.
Granite’s Thomas Ng joins company’s board.
Philotic, a secretive politics social networking site, raises about $1.2M
More details are leaking out about Sean Parker’s first investment on behalf of The Founders Fund. We mentioned the Berkeley company, called Philotic, here.
Today, Dan Primack writes that it appears “to be an evolution of a politically-focused social networking site launched last fall called Predict06.com (site has since been disabled). The founder is a fellow ex-Facebooker named Joseph Green, and a regulatory filing indicates that it has secured around $1.2 million of a $2.75 million… Continue Reading
Mayfield announces $200M China fund
See our story here, along with news about Garnett & Helfrich, In-Q-Tel, Leafrog and Alsop-Louie.
(Originally posted 1/26)
Music recognition service Midomi raises “multiple millions”
See our story here.
(Originally posted 1/26)
Oculus, which treats wound infections, prices IPO at $8, at low end
Petaluma, Calif.’s Oculus Innovative Sciences, which makes wound care and infection prevention products, priced its initial public offering of 3 million shares at $8 per share, the low end of its planned range of $8 to $10.
The company will be traded under the ticker “OCLS” on the Nasdaq.
(Originally posted 1/25)