Upek raises $6.2M for fingerprinting software

Upek, a provider of software technology that authenticates fingerprints for various security applications, has brought in $6.2 million of a targeted $12.7 million round or equity, rights and securities, according to a filing with the SEC. The Emeryville, Calif. company is backed by Diamondhead Ventures,… Continue Reading

Alvine gobbles $21.5M to treat gastrointestinal disease

Alvine Pharmaceuticals, developer of drugs for autoimmune and gastrointestinal diseases, has raised $21.5 million more in first-round funding, bringing the total to $47.5 million. The San Carlos, Calif. received the expansion from Panorama Capital, InterWest Partners, Prospect Venture Partners, Sofinnova Ventures, Black River Asset Management… Continue Reading

Hyperion raises $60M to battle urea cycle disorders

Hyperion Therapeutics, developer of treatments for urea cycle disorders and illnesses, has brought in $60 million in a third round of financing from Bay City Capital, Panorama Capital, Highland Capital Partners, New Enterprise Associates and Sofinnova Ventures.

Based in South San Francisco, the company recently completed… Continue Reading

Hyperion brings in $13M for gastrointestinal relief

Hyperion Therapeutics, maker of pharmaceuticals to treat hepatology and gastrointenstinal conditions, has raised $13 million of an anticipated $15 million round of debt, according to VentureWire. Contributors have not been disclosed, but the South San Francisco, Calif. company had previously raked in $40 million in… Continue Reading

Investors give up on diabetes drug maker DiObex

After failing to raise a sustaining round of capital, DiObex has been effectively shut down by its investors. They have laid off the San Francisco company’s eight employees and are moving to quickly sell off its assets, including its lead drug candidate, a compound that… Continue Reading

KaloBios tacks on $12M more for engineered antibodies

South San Francisco, Calif.-based KaloBios, a biotech company that raised $20 million just five months ago, has added another $12 million in a second close of its fourth round of venture capital.

KaloBios has three antibody products in development, each of which targets a specific set… Continue Reading

Catalyst lands $40M to combat disease-causing proteins

Catalyst Biosciences has raked in $40.4 million in third-round funding to continue engineering an enzyme called protease to fight disease-causing proteins. The technology has the potential to affect many different diseases, including cancer and hemophilia. It has R&D agreements with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Centocor Research… Continue Reading

Phenomix cancels IPO, finds new lab partner

Biopharmaceuticals company Phenomix withdrew its filing to go public yesterday and right away announced a $340-million collaboration deal with Forest Laboratories. The IPO, intended to raise $86.3 million, had been pending since January.

Forest will aid the San Diego-based firm in the development of its diabetes… Continue Reading

Crocus snags $15.8M to develop magnetic memory chips

French semiconductor maker Crocus Technology has raised $15.8 million in second round financing, in addition to $4.1 million from OSEO, France’s public agency for funding innovation.

The company plans to use the round for continued development of its magnetic random access memory (MRAM) chips, which can… Continue Reading

Engineered antibody maker KaloBios takes on $20M for clinical trials

South San Francisco, Calif.-based KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, which develops non-human antibodies for use in human bodies, has taken $20 million in its fourth round of venture funding.

KaloBios is currently going through seven first- and second-phase clinical trials for two drugs and is working on a third,… Continue Reading

Anthera Pharmaceuticals raises $19M for anti-inflammatory drugs

Anthera Pharmaceuticals has raised $19 million in a second round of funding led by Caxton Advantage Life Sciences Fund and HBM BioCapital. Existing investors VantagePoint Venture Partners, Sofinnova Ventures, Pappas Ventures and Mitsubishi International Corporation also participated.

The San Mateo, Calif. company is developing treatments for… Continue Reading

InterKrin raises $18.5M for continued work on diabetes drug

Palo Alto, Calif.-based InterKrin is developing an anti-diabetes drug. It has raised an $18.5 million in a not-yet-closed third round of funding, according to VentureWire. The round was led by Amgen and Skyline Ventures and joined by existing backers Sofinnova Ventures, OrbiMed Advisors, Asset Management,… Continue Reading

Alvine Pharmaceuticals raises $26 million for disease research

San Carlos, Calif. company Alvine Pharmaceuticals recently added $5 million to its first venture round, bringing total funding to $26 million, according to VentureWire.

Alvine’s research focuses on treatment for autoimmune and gastrointestinal diseases, and it started clinical trials in February for its treatment of celiac… Continue Reading

Life-science briefing: Monday, March 24, 2008

Life-science briefing: Monday, March 24, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

Trius Therapeutics raises $30M for new antibiotics (release)
Genomas gets $1.2M grant for genomic side-effect tests (release)
Provasculon receives $500K, enters Biogen Idec incubator (VentureWire)
Animal diagnostics firm Quadraspec aims for $5M round (VentureWire)
MPM Capital names two executive partners (release)

Trius Therapeutics raises $30M for new antibiotics – Trius… Continue Reading

Laszlo Systems, developer of Ajax applications, raises $6.6M more

Laszlo Systems, the original developer of OpenLaszlo, an open source platform for building and deploying advanced Ajax applications, has raised $6.6 million more for its third round of financing.

This is apparently in addition to the$8 million in funding the company got more than a year… Continue Reading

Roundup: Google’s space-algae plans, Visto’s cries IPO, more

Roundup: Google’s space-algae plans, Visto’s cries IPO, more

Here’s the latest action:
1)Google’s hires astronaut, funds algae-in-space research
2) Google slowly but surely moves apps to work offline
3) AdaptiveBlue makes its “Smart Links” smarter
4) YieldBuild wants to improve the placement and color of text ads
5) Technology to let machines drive cars is six to eight… Continue Reading

Catalyst Mobile, mobile application supplier, raises $10M

Catalyst Mobile, mobile application supplier, raises $10M

Catalyst Mobile, a startup that delivers mobile music and entertainment for large partners like China Mobile, has raised $10 million in funding.

The Emeryville, Calif., company provides a panoply of mobile services, essentially trying to do everything mobile for big companies: Foremost, it offers music download… Continue Reading

Life sciences briefing: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007

Life sciences briefing: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007

Featured companies: Atritech, Avalon Partners, Ensemble Discovery, Hyperion Therapeutics, LifeBond, ReShape Medical, SafeStitch, Trophos, UltraShape

Hyperion Therapeutics raises $40M against GI and kidney disease — Hyperion Therapeutics, a South San Francisco, Calif., specialty pharmaceutical company, raised $40 million in a second funding round. Investors included Sofinnova Ventures,… Continue Reading

Life sciences briefing: Monday, Aug. 27, 2007

Life sciences briefing: Monday, Aug. 27, 2007

Featured companies: Bravo Health, InfraReDx, MedAssets, Prestwick Pharmaceuticals

Prestwick Pharma raises $20M for neuro drugs — Specialty pharma Prestwick Pharmaceuticals, a Washington, D.C., firm that acquires cast-off drug candidates to treat neurological conditions, raised $20 million from existing investors, VentureWire reports (subscription required). Among those participating in… Continue Reading

KaloBios draws in $20M for antibody drugs

KaloBios, a Palo Alto, Calif., biotech antibody-therapeutic company, raised $20 million in a third funding round. The company is developing new drugs based on monoclonal antibodies, which target specific cells or proteins in the body. Its lead candidate, an antibody against granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor,… Continue Reading