Data switch-maker Hammerhead dead in the water

Telecom data-switching company Hammerhead Systems has folded due to the poor economy, reports VentureWire. Specifically, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company failed to recruit enough mobile carriers as customers for its Ethernet aggregation switches, which rout data from mobile users back to operator networks.

The company claims this functionality helped carriers adapt aging equipment to modern traffic demands — but to no avail. It just let go 50 of its 53 employees, and the several that remain… Continue Reading

Life-science briefing: Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Life-science briefing: Wednesday, April 9, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

Stemline Therapeutics, cancer stem-cell startup, gets $13M (release)
Eye-disease biotech Potentia Pharma raises $12M (release)
Sample-prep toolmaker Arcxis aims for $8M to $10M (VentureWire)
Synvascular names Drew Hoffman as CEO (VentureWire)
ArtusLabs gets $2.6M for life-science software and services (release)
Cancer-drug maker Inotek loses CEO, Genentech partnership (release)
GTESS, health-plan IT startup, names James Bradley CEO (release)
Antibiotic developer Tetraphase Pharma names Guy MacDonald CEO (release)

Stemline Therapeutics, cancer stem-cell startup, gets $13M – New York-based Stemline Therapeutics, a biotech focused on new… Continue Reading

Life sciences briefing: Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007

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

Hammerhead Systems raises $10M more for data communications equipment

Hammerhead Systems, a Mountain View, Calif. data communications equipment vendor, has secured $10 million of an expected $18 million fourth round of financing, according to a regulatory filing cited by PE Wire. Return backers include Enterprise Partners Venture Capital, Foundation Capital, Mayfield Fund, Pequot Capital Management. Since 2002, it has raised around $83 million.

Tibco to buy business intelligence software co., Spotfire, for $195M

Tibco, a Palo Alto, Calif. software company, said it has agreed to buy business intelligence software company Spotfire, of Somerville, Mass. for about $195 million in cash.

Tibco said its own software, which gives companies a way to manage their data infrastructure in “real time,” would be complimented by Spotfire’s business intelligence offering. It is the latest in a string of acquisitions of business intelligence companies.

See the Tibco’s statement about the acquisition and other info pages… Continue Reading