TechFlash

Cooking up new recipe mashups with BigOven's open platform

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:05:19 GMT

It is going to get a heck of a lot easier to cook up online recipe services thanks to a decision from BigOven. The Seattle startup has opened up its platform to outside developers, the first online cooking site to do so, said founder Steve Murch. As part of the offering, developers can now incorporate BigOven's 170,000 recipes and tens of thousands of reviews and photos into their own services.

Sounders boss Adrian Hanauer on startups, success, soccer

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:47:06 GMT

Sounders FC boss Adrian Hanauer -- who has dabbled in startup investing and whose family made a bundle when Microsoft acquired aQuantive for $6 billion -- is now at the helm of what has to be one of the biggest startup success stories of the year. As the general manager and co-owner of the Seattle Sounders FC soccer club, Hanauer has masterfully guided the team to unprecedented heights in its first year.

Study: More than 77,000 jobs tied to state's biotech industry

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:04:19 GMT

It has been a rough year for the Seattle biotech industry with layoffs, losses and one poorly performing initial public offering. But a new report released today by the Washington Research Council indicates that the industry plays an important role in the state's economy. The report found that 22,349 people work directly in the life sciences industry, with another 55,000 jobs indirectly supported by the industry.

Lenders protest Zillow.com's new fees for mortgage leads

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:37:50 GMT

Earlier this week, an interesting debate broke out on TechFlash after we reported on a dispute between a Seattle plumber and the online directory service HelpHive. The crux of the issue centered on whether HelpHive's system of creating a separate phone number for the businesses listed in its online directory -- including the plumber's -- was a valid business tactic.

Redfin's real estate Web site crashes after massive overhaul

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:19:38 GMT

Continuing in its goal to open the vault on as much real estate information as possible, Seattle-based Redfin today unveiled new features to its Web site which include automatic links to blog discussions as well as the addition of 9.6 million property photos and 1.4 million recent property sale listings. It is a huge upgrade, with Redfin saying that it increased the amount of data and photos on the site by 340 percent.

Light Sciences Oncology raising up to $35 million in funding

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:58:56 GMT

Light Sciences Oncology, a Bellevue biotechnology company working on treatments for cancer, said today in a SEC filing that it has raised $35 million. The money comes in the form of a $23.3 credit facility, as well as $11.5 million in warrants.

Let's really look at how Seattle venture firms are holding up

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:55:49 GMT

I often take a line from General Douglas MacArthur when describing what happens to venture capital firms at the end of their life cycles. They never really die, they just kind of fade away.

Estorian taps former exec at CapitalStream as new CEO

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:57:19 GMT

Estorian, a Bellevue company which provides email archiving, compliance and management services to corporations in highly-regulated industries, has tapped Kevin Riegelsberger as its new president and CEO. Riegelsberger is the former CEO of CapitalStream, a Seattle financial and banking software company that was sold to HCL Technologies in 2008. After the sale, Riegelsberger served as senior vice president of financial services at HCL.

Classmates confirms layoffs

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:07:07 GMT

I still haven't received direct comment on the layoffs at United Online's Classmates.com unit, but I did finally get a chance to listen to the company's earnings call which occurred Wednesday afternoon. During the call, United Online Chief Financial Officer Scott Ray finally confirmed that the layoffs occurred on Tuesday.

Frazier Technology winding down; Madrona hires Jordan

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:05 GMT

The tough climate for venture fundraising has claimed one of Seattle's better known venture capital firms. Frazier Technology Ventures will slowly wind down operations after nearly a decade in business, a decision that was made as the firm struggled to raise a new fund.

Venture capitalists: Startup failure as a badge of honor

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:37:58 GMT

"I don't think failure is a huge negative. There are certain types of failures, like failure of integrity, that's hard to recover from. But failure of a startup ... that's not a negative and we talk about that as a learning experience," said Gottesman.

Is Classmates.com cutting staff?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:52:26 GMT

We've heard from two sources today that Classmates.com -- the Seattle-based social networking service -- has cut its staff. One source put the layoff number at as much as 25 percent of the workforce, but we have not been able to confirm that. Both sources said the layoffs occurred yesterday.

Startup guru Don Dodge among those let go in Microsoft cuts

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:30:45 GMT

Don Dodge, who served as director of business development for Microsoft's Emerging Business Team, is among those losing a job in the software giant's layoff announcement of 800 employees today. In a blog post, Dodge writes that the layoff came as a total surprise and the management didn't offer an explanation.

Plumber vs. Programmer: A face-off over an online directory

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:04:07 GMT

For more than 30 years, Evan Conklin has practiced plumbing in the Seattle area fixing broken water heaters, leaky faucets and malfunctioning toilets. And during those three decades, Conklin has seen a lot of crap in the business world. But there's been at least one constant in Conklin's ever-changing profession: his phone number.

Digby buys Movaya

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:03:59 GMT

Movaya, a three-year-old mobile software company founded by Phil Yerkes and Stanley Wang, has been sold to Austin, Texas-based mobile commerce startup Digby. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Digby appears to be especially interested in the company's Asian operations center in Chengdu, China.

How do you say meatballs in Italian? PicTranslator knows

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:31:23 GMT

Have you ever been stuck in a foreign country, unable to decipher a street sign, map or menu item? Well, world travelers can now rejoice because an enterprising 28-year-old entrepreneur and his mom have created an iPhone app to solve that pressing problem.

Intelligent Effects expands with business productivity apps team

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:59:44 GMT

Bellevue-based Intelligent Effects (formerly Data Ready Group) announced today the formation of a new business applications unit headed by three software industry veterans.

Paul Allen's Digeo files for Ch. 11

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:49:12 GMT

Digeo, the Paul Allen-backed company which developed the Moxi digital video recording device, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing comes just over a month after Digeo sold off some of its assets to ARRIS Group in a deal valued at $20 million.

The top 75 media sites in Seattle

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:10:57 GMT

Everyone knows that the media landscape is undergoing a radical transformation. And, as part of that upheaval, new media brands are arising.

The art of re-gifting: Kashless partners with RecycleBank

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:55:59 GMT

Here's a twist on the holiday gift buying process. Instead of hitting the stores, why not "re-gift" something from your closet, basement or garage?