Solar ink maker Innovalight shines with $15M
Innovalight, a Sunnyvale, Calif. company that has developed solar ink (made of liquid-like solar cells) capable of being printed onto conducting surfaces to generate power, has brought in $15 million of an anticipated $20 million round of equity and rights, according to a filing with… Continue Reading
Innovalight pushes solar ink to record efficiency
Innovalight, maker of liquid-like silicon cells that convert sunlight into energy, announced that its product has achieved 18 percent efficiency, a record for so-called solar inks. Given that typical solar panels are 12 percent efficient on average, this is quite the achievement — especially considering… Continue Reading
Sapphire Energy launches algae-powered hybrid
Sapphire Energy, maker of an algae-based replacement for gasoline and jet fuel, unveiled its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle today in front of San Francisco’s city hall — combining several promising technologies aimed at slashing carbon emissions.
The car, aptly dubbed the “Algaeus” — built into the… Continue Reading
Stealthy Adesto lands $14M for fabless semiconductors
Adesto Technologies, a fabless semiconductor company that’s so secretive that there’s no content on its web site, has raised $14 million in equity and warrants, according to a regulatory filing. Based in Sunnyvale, Calif., the three-year-old company has a pretty healthy funding history. It raised… Continue Reading
Spray-on solar ink is coming soon — to paint on roofs and generate energy
[Update: We've clarified this story to make clear that Innovalight is not involved with this project]
Technology to turn light-absorbing materials into nano-size particles to make so-called solar ink that can be sprayed on to roofs to generate energy, is apparently only three to five years… Continue Reading
Shocking Technologies raises $10 million in second round
San Jose-based Shocking Technologies Inc., which builds materials for preventing electrostatic discharge from cellphones and electronics, raised $10 million in a second round of funding today.
The round was led by Vista Ventures and had participation from ARCH Venture Partners, ATA Ventures, Balch Hill Partners and… Continue Reading
Semprius absorbs $6M for cheaper, printed solar cells
Semprius is one of a few companies focused on thin, printed solar modules — a relatively new technology that could save a tremendous amount of solar cell waste if widely implemented. The modules are considered “printed” because they consist only of a very thin layer… Continue Reading
Limerick BioPharma raises $1.5M to limit drug side effects
Limerick BioPharma, a South San Francisco firm specializing in drugs that curb the side effects of other drugs, has brought in $1.5 million in debt, rights and securities that it plans to use as working capital, according to VentureWire. Formerly called Limerick Neurosciences, the company… Continue Reading
Achaogen takes in $5.6M to fight bacterial infections
Pharmaceutical company Achaogen received a $5.6 million grant from the U.K.-based Wellcome Trust as part of its Seeding Drug Discovery Initiative. The money will go toward phase one clinical trials of the San Francisco company’s lead drug candidates, aimed at treating bacterial infections that are… Continue Reading
Innovalight rakes in $5M for solar cell ink
Investors Leader Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank have shined on solar cell company Innovalight, providing $5 million in new financing toward the development of silicon solar modules so small they can be painted onto surfaces like ink.
The Sunnyvale, Calif. company uses liquid processing of silicon… Continue Reading
Sapphire Energy getting the green for its algal biofuel
Well-known but still young biofuel company Sapphire Energy has more than doubled its funding to more than $100 million for its “green crude,” a fuel it says will mimic the best characteristics of the oil we drill for today.
Sapphire’s plan, which I covered in depth… Continue Reading
Limerick BioPharma raises $15.2M for drug bioavailability
A stealthy life sciences startup called Limerick BioPharma has raised $11 million in venture funding and $4.2 million in debt, according to VentureWire. The participants in the round are not clear, but Arch Venture Partners, Sevin Rosen Funds and Altitude Funds are all listed as… Continue Reading
Sapphire Energy gets “open checkbook” from investors for algae-based gasoline
Another algal biofuel company has emerged from stealth mode, and this one has the biggest story yet, at least according to the estimation of its investors.
Only a year old, Sapphire Energy is a San Diego startup that has lab-developed an algae that it says can… Continue Reading
Life-science briefing: Friday, March 14, 2008
TODAY’S HEADLINES
Cantimer takes in $2M for dehydration diagnostics (VentureWire)
Recodagen launches, takes aim at cancer (release)
Juniper Diagnostics spins out of ChemSensing (VentureWire)
Cantimer takes in $2M for dehydration diagnostics –The mystery of Menlo Park, Calif.-based Cantimer has resolved a bit. We wrote about this stealthy company back… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008
TODAY’S HEADLINES:
RNAi developer PhaseRx gets $4M of a pledged $19M (Seattle Times)
TyRx Pharma, drug-device combo maker, raises $25M (release)
Agennix aims at $40M for cancer drugs (VentureWire)
Starr Life Sciences goes after $1.6M for small-animal vital-signs scanner (VW)
CardioNet sets IPO terms, aims to raise $96M (IPOhome)
RNAi developer… Continue Reading
Shocking Technologies raises $4M venture debt for surge protection
Shocking Technologies is a San Jose, Calif. company that has developed a dielectric material that can be printed onto circuit boards and semiconductors to protect them from electrostatic discharges.
Electronic devices have historically been vulnerable to unexpected electrical discharges. The company says its thin polymer could… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Friday, Nov. 30, 2007
Featured companies: Fate Therapeutics, Medgenics, Satoris
UPDATED: Expanded items on Fate Therapeutics and Medgenics. The Satoris item is now a standalone post here.
Fate Therapeutics launches regenerative-medicine quest with $12M — In one of the splashiest launches in recent memory, Seattle’s Fate Therapeutics launched a new regenerative-medicine quest and… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Friday, Oct. 26, 2007
Featured companies: Allozyne, Arteriocyte Medical Systems, Arthrosurface, Bay City Capital, EnteroMedics, OncoVista, Novotech, Power Medical Interventions, Reliant Technologies
UPDATED: Expanded items on Allozyne, Reliant Tech, Power Medical and Bay City Capital.
UPDATE REDUX: Added item on EnteroMedics IPO.
Seattle’s Allozyne draws $30M for new interferon — Allozyne, a Seattle biotech… Continue Reading
Innovalight raises $28M for new ink-based solar cell
Innovalight, a Silicon Valley company that says it has come up with new solar cell with nano-particles of silicon, has raised a large $28 million round of capital and said it plans to open a 30,000 square foot manufacturing facility next year.Innovalight is still being… Continue Reading
Xtera raises $52M for optical technology for broadband providers
Xtera, an Allen, Texas company that supplies optical transport technology to broadband service providers, said it has raised $52 million in new financing.
The round was led by existing investors New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and ARCH Venture Partners and by new investor Wellcome Trust of London…. Continue Reading