Fisker trumps Tesla with $528M loan from Energy Dept.
In a somewhat unexpected move, the U.S. Department of Energy has granted luxury plug-in hybrid-electric car maker Fisker Automotive a $528.7 million conditional loan to finance the development of two different car models. As part of the stimulus package, the money — announced today by Energy Secretary Steven Chu — could help Fisker create up to 5,000 jobs — it also beats out $465 million in loans the DOE gave to the company’s primary competitor,… Continue Reading
Electric car maker Fisker nails down plans for 2011 profitability
Fisker Automotive, prime Tesla Motors competitor and maker of the luxury plug-in hybrid vehicle known as the Karma, has announced plans to sell 15,000 cars and apply for government funds in order to hit profitability by 2011. The Southern California company plans to launch production later this year.
In order to turn a profit in such a short time frame, Fisker says it will need to be selling at least 15,000 cars — each with a… Continue Reading
Trilliant buys SkyPilot to extend its smart grid reach
Trilliant, provider of devices and networks that allow smart meters to beam energy data directly to utilities, has extended its reach with the acquisition of SkyPilot Networks, provider of mesh broadband coverage. No financial terms have been disclosed. Both companies had previously raised a substantial amount of capital.
Based in Santa Clara, Calif., SkyPilot specialized in broadband networks for surveillance data and other municipal applications. It served more than 500 customers in 50 countries. The deal… Continue Reading
Fisker ekes out $3M to put finishing touches on its swanky electric car
Fisker Automotive, maker of a luxury plug-in hybrid vehicle called the Karma, has squeezed an additional $3 million out of its private investors, bringing its total capital raised to more than $100 million — a staggering feat considering the state of the credit market. The Irvine, Calif. company raked in $65 million in September but says the recent addition to its third round is just the right amount to put finishing touches on the Karma… Continue Reading
Revance absorbs $8M for topical Botox
Aesthetic drug developer Revance Therapeutics has landed $8 million in venture debt financing from Leader Ventures and Horizon Technology Finance. The money will be used to push its lead compound, a topical form of botulinum toxin type A (popularly known as Botox), through clinical stage trials.
While the injected form of the chemical has gained notoriety in the media, in reality, only about 10 percent of the targeted market (about 25 million women) has used it…. Continue Reading
High-end electric car company Fisker gets a $65M boost
Tesla Motors may have significant competition in the high-end electric vehicle space soon, if Fisker Automotive continues on its current path. The Irvine, Calif. sports car company just announced another $65 million in funding, led by a Middle Eastern firm, the Qatar Investment Authority.
Design work is well underway on Fisker’s first car, the Karma. Unlike Tesla’s model, the Roadster, Fisker is planning on making the Karma a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which should make… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007
TODAY’S HEADLINES:
Topical Botox maker Revance gets $43M, option to be acquired by Medicis (release)
Reva Medical draws $42M for resorbable stents (release)
AccentCare raises $8M for senior home-care services (VentureWire, sub req’d)
Light Dimensions aims for $6M for light-based skin treatment (VW)
Carigent pulls in $2M for nanoparticle drugs (release)
Celtic Pharma shoots for $1.5B in two drug-investment funds (VW)
Topical Botox developer Revance gets $43M, option to be acquired by Medicis — Mountain View, Calif.-based Revance Therapeutics, a developer of… Continue Reading
LightFull Foods raises $1M more for health beverages
San Francisco-based health beverage company LightFull Foods raised an extra $1 million in addition, adding to the $6.1 million second round of financing it recently raised last year.
Burrill & Co. led the latest investment, which included Prolog Ventures, Palo Alto Investors, Great Spirit Ventures, Unilever NV and angel investors, according to VentureWire (subscription required).
Paracor raises $44M for heart-failure device that restrains the heart
(UPDATED: See below.) Paracor Medical, a Sunnyvale, Calif., startup developing a mesh restraint designed to support failing hearts, raised $44.35 million in a fourth round of funding. The company is vying with another device startup, Acorn Cardiovascular, to prove that this sort of device works and to bring it to market.
The idea behind Paracor’s device, which it calls HeartNet, is simple. In heart failure, a general term for a variety of similar conditions with different causes, the… Continue Reading