Canesta scores its 37th U.S. patent for gesture-control technology
Maybe I’m paranoid, but I can smell a legal battle coming in gesture control for TVs, computers, game consoles and other gadgets.
Maybe it’s because Canesta is soon to announce its 37th patent. Normally, that wouldn’t be a big deal, but innovations in user-interfaces are hot right now. Also, user interfaces for smartphones have already sparked legal disputes between Apple and Palm. Basically, Palm is using multi-touch screens — which Apple says it patented — for… Continue Reading
Panasas expanding market for parallel storage systems
Enterprise storage is a market dominated by big companies. But Panasas has found a niche providing parallel storage systems for the biggest supercomputers. The company has raised $25 million in a fifth round of funding, VentureBeat has learned.
The Fremont, Calif.-based company declined to comment on the funding. The round was led by Focus Ventures of Palo Alto, Calif. Other investors included Mohr Davidow Ventures, Carlyle Venture Partners, Centennial Ventures, and Northgate Capital Partners.
The company’s web… Continue Reading
Daytrip company Viator raises $7.6M
Viator, a travel website that specializes in daytime tours, has raised $6.7 million in a third round of funding, according to VentureWire.
The San Francisco startup was founded in 1995 and makes money by purchasing tours at bulk rates than selling them to individuals. It offers 5,500 tours to more than 400 destinations.
The funding was led by Carlyle Venture Partners and Technology Venture Partners, and it follows $10 million raised in 2005 and 2006. The new… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Monday, Sept. 10, 2007
Featured companies: BioVascular, Carefx, ClinResearch, Healthcare Management Directions, NanoCor, OxyPlus, Revitus, Spotlight Surgical, United BioSource
UPDATED: See below.
Healthcare IT provider Carefx pulls in $17.9M — Carefx, a Scottsdale, Ariz., provider of hardware and software that “aggregates” patient records, has raised $17.85 million in a third funding round, Private Equity Hub reports, citing a regulatory filing. Investors included Carlyle Venture Partners and UV Partners.
Carefx’s pitch is basically the same as that from any system integrator — a term guaranteed… Continue Reading
Zafu, the rise of woman-focused sites & Glam
Zafu, a website is designed to help women find jeans or bras that fit their specific body type — to excruciating detail, as we’ve reported — has raised $4.1 million in a second round of funding.
What’s striking is that this is considered worthy of investment by venture capitalists. Numerous large fashion and retail companies could easily recreate this sort of site with minimal investment. Can Zafu really become a large company of the type that… Continue Reading
Funding roundup: Announcements that got away
Although I try to stay on top of events in the life sciences, announcements do sometimes manage to slip through the cracks. Some days, in fact, I end up triaging. Because the roots of this site — not to mention many of its readers — are in Silicon Valley, Bay Area events are a priority. Then come announcements from the rest of the U.S., then Asia, then Europe. Also, smaller or partial fundings tend to… Continue Reading
Ads, ads everywhere: SpotRunner, Rhythm get big $ infusions
Updated
The advertising revolution continues, in both the Internet and wireless worlds.
Spot Runner, the internet start-up that gives advertisers an easier, cheaper way to insert their ads into local TV programming, has raised $40 million more in backing.
And Rhythm NewMedia, meanwhile, has soaked up $18 million more in venture capital, to claim a stake in the other sexy ad area right now: inserting ads in wireless video clips.
This is a lot of money for… Continue Reading