Funambol raises $12.5 million, scores deal with AOL
Funambol has raised $12.5 million in venture funding to fuel its open-source mobile messaging software business. On top of that, the company is announcing today that it’s landed AOL as a customer for its mobile synchronization software.
Funambol raised its second round from Nexit Ventures (which led), Castile Ventures, Walden International, and HIG Ventures. The new financing brings the total raised by the company to $25 million. The new funds will help the company expand in… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Friday, Feb. 15, 2008
TODAY’S HEADLINES:
Q Thera takes in $15M for neural stem-cell treatments (release)
Stroke clotbuster Concentric Medical withdraws IPO (IPOhome)
Avera recaps with $9M to relaunch human tests of GI drug (VentureWire)
Tissue repairer Nerites raises $5.7M (release)
Semafore Pharma aims for $7.5M to launch new cancer-drug trials (VentureWire)
Triage Wireless gets $6.7M for “cuffless” blood-pressure monitors (peHUB)
MAKO Surgicals prices IPO, falls in first day of trading (WSJ)
ImmunoCellular acquires assets of Molecular Antibody Technology (release)
Q Thera takes in $15M for neural stem-cell… Continue Reading
Suniva, a solar photovoltaic maker, readies for production with $50M
A stealthy Georgia-based startup with plans to manufacture silicon-based solar cells unveiled itself this morning, announcing a hefty $50 million financing that will help it start production.
The company, called Suniva, says its cells operate at about 18 percent efficiency, near 50 percent better than the average cell produced today. CEO John Baumstark told us that there is a “clear roadmap” to boosting their efficiency over 20 percent within a year or two. Just as importantly,… Continue Reading
Alder Bio and its yeast-produced antibodies take in $40M
Alder Biopharmaceuticals, a Bothell, Wash., developer of antibody drugs, raised $40 million in a third funding round. Investors included Delphi Ventures, TPG Biotech, Sevin Rosen Funds, Ventures West, H.I.G. Ventures, and WRF Capital.
Alder develops antibody-based drugs for inflammation and autoimmune disease. The company’s lead candidate, ALD518, is currently in clinical trials as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and cancer, although neither Alder’s Web site nor its statement disclose when the drug began human tests.
Alder’s work… Continue Reading
REVShare, raises $20M for cost-per-action TV ad network
REVShare, a Temecula, Calif.’ company that lets advertisers to bid for television time on a cost-per-action basis, has raised $20 million in a first round of funding.
The private equity firm Carlyle Group and H.I.G. Ventures co-led the round.
The auction/exchange model contrasts with the traditional method of charging based on projected audience size.
Founded in 1989, REVShare’s exchange allows advertisers to specify a price they are willing to pay per response (i.e. when someone is prompted to… Continue Reading
Inovys, structural testing for semiconductors, acquired by Verigy
Inovys, a Pleasanton, Calif. company that makes software and hardware for structural testing of semiconductors, was founded in 1999.
The company picked up nearly $40 million in funding over the years, from venture investors including Storm Ventures, CMEA Ventures, Palomar Ventures, Techfarm, HIG Ventures and Hotung Ventures. Two corporations, Advantest and Synopsys, also put money into Inovys.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed, although a company representative told VentureWire (subscription required) that virtually all Inovys… Continue Reading
NorthStar Systems takes a further $18M for wealth management
NorthStar Systems International is a San Francisco, Calif. company that makes wealth management software for the financial services industry.
The $18 million financing wasn’t broken down by investor, but members of three firms did join the company’s board: Ropart Asset Management, TL Ventures and Trinad Capital.
The funding is its fourth. The last round, $11.5 million in 2004, was co-led by Benchmark Capital and HIG Ventures. The company’s other listed venture backer is Chess Ventures, and there… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007
Featured companies: Asteres, HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals, Nanosphere, Novalar Pharmaceuticals, Tranzyme Pharma
(UPDATED: Expanded items for Nanosphere, HemaQuest and Transzyme. Moved Novalar to a separate item here.)
Diagnostic maker Nanosphere prices IPO at low end of range, raises up to $113M — Nanosphere, a Northbrook, Ill., biotech focused on nanotech-derived diagnostics, priced its IPO at $14 a share, at the low end of its estimated range. The company, which could sell as many as eight million shares, stands to raise up… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2007
Featured companies: AngioScore, Forsight Labs, Genoptix, Metastatix, Optherion, QLT
UPDATED: See below.
Artery opener AngioScore pulls in $30M — AngioScore, a Fremont, Calif., maker of balloon catheters used to open up clogged arteries, raised $30 million in a fifth funding round. Investors included Telegraph Hill Partners, Psilos Group Management, QuestMark Partners, L.P., UV Partners, California Technology Ventures and Innomed Ventures.
AngioScore’s balloon catheters, which inflate inside blocked blood vessels to restore blood flow, are designed to overcome problems that sometimes… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Monday, Oct. 8, 2007
Featured companies: AirInSpace, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Apollo Endosurgery, Ascension Health Partners, BG Medicine, CeraPedics, GlaxoSmithKline, Simplex Diabetic Supply, Zars Pharma
UPDATED: Last entry added at 2am PT on 10/8/07.
Anacor Pharma pulls in $22M from Glaxo, with hundreds of millions more on the line –Palo Alto, Calif.-based Anacor Pharmaceuticals, a biotech developing new anti-infective and anti-inflammatory drugs using boron chemistry, struck a wide-ranging partnership with GlaxoSmithKline worth up to $605 million. Anacor will receive a $12 million cash payment and… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Monday, Aug. 20, 2007
(UPDATED at 7:10pm PT: See below.)
Featured companies: NeurAxon, VytronUS, Avila Therapeutics, CardioNet, Ventana Medical Systems, CytoLogix, PlaCor
NeurAxon raises $32M for pain drugs — You have to hand it to Waltham, Mass.-based NeurAxon — the company certainly knows how to keep itself in the news. Today, it announced it has raised $32 million in a second funding round, a week after it reported a positive early-stage trial result for its experimental migraine treatment.
Investors included Delphi Ventures, OrbiMed Advisors,… Continue Reading
Open-source mobile app server co., Funambol, raises $5.35M
Funambol, a Redwood City, Calif. developer of open-source mobile application servers, has secured $5.35 million of a $10 million Series B round, according to a regulatory filing cited by PE Week. Return backers include HIG Ventures and Walden Ventures.
(First posted 1/18)