Powerset, the hyped search engine company, sees shakeup
updated
Powerset, the “natural language” search engine company saying it wants to take on Google, has seen a shake up in its management.
The San Francisco company received substantial hype when it emerged last year saying it had found a way to understand the phrases you type into your search queries. However, it has been slow to deliver on the technology, instead dribbling it out in small doses in a “labs” portion of its site.
Steve Newcomb (left),… Continue Reading
An update on Powerset, the natural language search engine
Powerset is a quixotic search engine company here in San Francisco that has convinced itself it can take on Google.
While Powerset gears up to release its search engine publicly later this year, it hopes to nurture an army of 50,0000 early testers, or “Powerlabbers,” to bang on different parts of it beforehand — the idea being that the converts will not only improve the product, but will help push it at launch.
To lure those volunteers,… Continue Reading
Powerset raising more money
After raising a decent $12.5 million in cash last year, Powerset, the secretive search engine company that wants to take on Google by using “natural language” technology, is going to raise a larger round this year.
This and other gossip about Powerset spilled out Saturday evening during a lively party the company held at Frisson restaurant in San Francisco. Powerset investor, Charles Moldow, mentioned the funding plans to us, and asserted that this time, investors may… Continue Reading
The “FF class” of stock, for founders who want cash early
(Updated with more details on how FF works)
A form venture capital funding in Silicon Valley is getting increased interest from founders of start-ups.
It is called the “FF class” of stock, for founders who want to cash out a small percentage of their stake in a company so they don’t have to wait until the company is sold or goes public.
This practice is not entirely new. Many founders through the decades, including at Intuit years ago… Continue Reading
Portola Pharma gets $20M debt financing
Portola Pharmaceuticals, a South San Francisco biotech company developing cardiovascular and vascular disease therapies, has raised $20 million in debt financing from Hercules Technology Growth Capital.
Portola is already backed by venture firms Abingworth, Alta Partners, ATV, Frazier Healthcare Ventures, MPM Capital, Prospect Ventures and Sutter Hill Ventures.
The company said it has two drug candidates in clinical development: 1) an oral Factor Xa inhibitor in a Phase II trial for the prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis… Continue Reading
More on Powerset, the secretive search engine
(Update: See our subsequent funding story here)
We promised to bring you more on Powerset, that secretive company that wants to better Google with a new kind of search.
Powerset is going after the holy grail. It is called “natural language” search, or understanding language as it is actually spoken — and that is something that has defied everyone until now, even the Google guys.
Take, for example, if you type “Books by Children” into Google’s search box…. Continue Reading