g********n
发帖数: 2314 | 1 【 以下文字转载自 SanFrancisco 讨论区 】
发信人: goldenrain (金雨), 信区: SanFrancisco
标 题: 今年关门的startup 转载花街日报。
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Tue Jul 14 03:01:20 2009, 美东)
MetaRAM Inc., a semiconductor company that boasted some high-profile
executives and investors, is shutting down, VentureWire reported.
The San Jose-based company had raised an undisclosed amount of funding
from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Intel Capital, Khosla Ventures
and Storm Ventures.
MetaRAM
MetaRAM, which raised an $8 million Series A round in 2006, has ceased
operations, according to co-founder and Chief Executive Suresh Rajan.
“We’re in the process of shutting down the company,” he said. Rajan
declined to discuss the company or total funding. The company’s
investors could not immediately be reached for comment.
Founded in 2006, MetaRAM had hired as chief executive Fred Weber, who
was chief technology officer of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. from 1995 to
2005. Weber provided big-name credibility to the start-up as it sought
to compete against some larger competitors.
Weber is no longer with MetaRAM and Rajan has assumed the chief
executive role, Rajan said, declining to discuss when or why Weber left.
MetaRAM also had on its board of directors Bill Joy, former chief
scientist of Sun Microsystems Inc. and a partner at Kleiner Perkins.
The company’s technology was designed to reduce the costs of servers and
workstations by up to 90%. MetaRAM said it could use less expensive
memory to provide four times the number of one-gigabit DRAM temporary
memory chips in computers. MetaRAM was selling its accessory chips that
run alongside DRAMs as of February 2008, according to a Wall Street
Journal article at the time.
Below is a list of other venture capital-backed companies in
alphabetical order that have gone belly up this year, as reported by
VentureWire. If you know of any other such companies that have closed
their doors this year, please send us a tip at v********[email protected].
Allux Medical Inc., Menlo Park, Calif. - For the past four years, it had
been developing devices for treating upper airway and dermatological
inflammatory diseases. But the company shut down after raising at least
$13 million from Prospect Venture Partners, Three Arch Partners and
Venrock, according to our records.
Aspen Medtech Inc., Bellevue, Wash. - Unable to secure enough funds to
continue operations, venture-backed medical device incubator Aspen
Medtech Inc. shut down. Aspen Medtech was founded in mid-2007 with $1
million in funding from Prospect Venture Partners and Three Arch
Partners.
Autonomic Networks Inc., Mountain View, Calif. - The company decided to
shut its doors after failing to secure a new round of venture capital.
Formerly known as Vernier Networks, the company started out in 2001 as a
provider of network access control products that use computer equipment
to manage the people and programs that have access to corporate
networks. Under the new name the company made equipment that enables
organizations to remain compliant with network security protocols.
Investors included Allegis Capital, DCM, Foundation Capital, Masthead
Venture Partners, Utah Ventures (now UV Partners), Venrock and Weber
Capital.
BrightScale Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif. - The maker of chips used for video
processing shut down after it “came to the end of [its] rope,” according
to its main invesor, Adams Capital Management. In 2003, Adams Capital
joined individual backers to invest $6.2 million in BrightScale,
formerly known as Connex Technology.
Cogentus Pharmaceuticals Inc., Menlo Park, Calif. - The pharma filed for
Chapter 7 bankruptcy after raising more than $80 million, including a
$62.5 million round just over a year ago, from investors such as
Apothecary Capital, Keffi Group, Prospect Venture Partners, Pinnacle
Ventures and Ridgeback Capital. Cogent intended to conduct Phase III
trials for a pill designed to provide protective cardiovascular benefits
while reducing gastrointestinal side effects associated with anti-
platelet therapy.
Coghead Inc., Redwood City, Calif. - With dwindling financial resources
and an outstanding loan from Western Technology Investment, the Web
application company shut down its operations and sold its intellectual
property to one of its investors, SAP AG. American Capital Strategies
Ltd. and El Dorado Ventures had also invested in Coghead.
Cswitch Inc., Santa Clara, Calif. - The maker of communications
semiconductors failed to raise enough funding to bring its chips into
production and abandoned an effort to sell the company, so it shut down.
Cswitch raised $41 million over two rounds from investors including ATA
Ventures, Bay Partners, Charles River Ventures, GF Private Equity Group,
Harris & Harris Group, Masters Capital, Micron Ventures and Mitsubishi
UFJ Capital Co.
DiObex Inc., San Francisco - Its venture backers - which include Domain
Associates, Inventages Venture Capital, FirstMark Capital, Sofinnova
Ventures and others - cut the company’s headcount to zero and planned
to sell DiObex’s asset, a diabetes drug, after failing to raise capital
on acceptable terms.
Dynogen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Waltham, Mass. - A planned merger with a
special purpose acquisition company sputtered last year, and its lead
drug candidate later failed in clinical trials, leading to a Chapter 7
bankruptcy. Dynogen raised about $67 million from a group that included
Atlas Venture, Abingworth Management, HealthCare Ventures, Oxford
Bioscience Partners, Pappas Ventures and SV Life Sciences
Elephant Pharmacy Inc., Berkeley, Calif. - “Burdened with obligations”
too big for the company to carry on, the operator of health and wellness
stores shut its doors and is liquidating under Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The
company had raised at least $49 million from Tudor Investment’s Rapter
Global fund, JPMorgan Chase’s Bay Area Equity Fund., CVS Corp., David
Hadley of D.F. Hadley & Co., and Arthur Rubinfield, former executive
vice president of Starbucks Corp.
Hammerhead Systems Inc., Mountain View, Calif. - Big customers, a top-
flight engineering staff and $110 million in venture backing was not
enough to save Hammerhead, a data-switching company that closed its
doors. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in May. Investors
included Apex Venture Partners, Enterprise Partners Venture Capital,
Foundation Capital, Lighthouse Capital Partners, Mayfield Fund,
FirstMark Capital and Silver Creek Ventures.
Innovative Spinal Technologies Inc., Mansfield, Mass. - The spinal-
surgery device maker reportedly shut its doors and filed for bankruptcy
after seven years in operation. It had raised nearly $75 million in
funding from investors including GE Healthcare, JPMorgan Partners, MPM
Capital, OrbiMed Advisors and Oxford Finance.
Kadoink Inc., San Francisco - After failing to secure a second round of
financing, the provider of a mobile content delivery and advertising
platform discontinued its service. It raised a $7 million Series A round
in November 2007 from Sutter Hill Ventures and angel investors. It also
had a $2 million loan from Hercules Technology Growth Capital.
NebuAd Inc., Redwood City, Calif. - The online behavorial tracking
start-up, which drew Congressional scrutiny over its privacy policy,
revealed in court filings that it is shutting down. The shutdown is a
blow to Menlo Ventures and Sierra Ventures, which bet more than $30
million on NebuAd.
Nevis Networks Inc., Mountain View, Calif. - The company, which made a
range of products that protect local-area networks (LANs) from
unauthorized users, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Nevis had 165
employees in its heyday, and more than $32 million in backing from some
of the venture industry’s top firms: BlueRun Ventures, New Enterprise
Associates and NewPath Ventures.
nTag Interactive Corp., Boston - After seven years of trying to
modernize the corporate conference industry with digital name tags that
can communicate with each other wirelessly, nTag filed for Chapter 7
bankruptcy. Pilot House Ventures and Sevin Rosen Funds had invested more
than $20 million in the company starting in 2004.
OmniSonics Medical Technologies Inc., Wilmington, Mass. - The developer
of an ultrasound technology that breaks up blood clots filed to
liquidate under Chapter 7 bankruptcy in March. Its investors included
Domain Associates, General Electric Pension Trust, Nomura Phase4
Ventures and Prism VentureWorks.
Ortega InfoSystems Inc., Fremont, Calif. - The security software company
filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Previous investors included Harbinger
Venture Management and Sycamore Ventures.
Pegasus Biologics Inc., St. Paul, Minn. - In May, the company ceased
operations after unsuccessful fund-raising efforts and went into a
sealed bid auction process for its assets. In July, it agreed to sell
the assets to Synovis Life Science Technologies Inc. for $12.1 million
in cash. The purchase price is less than the roughly $38 million in
equity and debt raised by Pegasus. Previous investors in the company
included Affinity Capital Management, Frazier Healthcare Ventures, Life
Science Angels, Onset Ventures and Three Arch Partners.
SafePage Corp., Menlo Park, Calif. - Backed by Canaan Partners and
founded in early 2008, SafePage was looking to build a “secure personal
portal” that would give people quick access to their private Web sites.
It went straight from stealth mode to the start-up graveyard.
Silicon Navigator Corp., Cupertino, Calif. - Venture investors decided
to pull the plug on this company, founded in 2003 as a provider of
electronic design automation software for chipmakers. Investors included
Cadence Design Systems Inc., Intel Capital and ITU Ventures.
Sotto Wireless Inc., Bellevue, Wash. - The stealthy wireless service
provider, whose executives and investors are linked to pioneering
telecom company McCaw Cellular Communications Inc., failed to make
enough traction and shut down operations. It raised roughly $14 million
from Ignition Partners and VantagePoint Venture Partners.
TallyGenicom LP, Chantilly, Va. - Printing products company Printronix
Inc. tapped its owner Vector Capital for about $10 million in additional
equity as part of a deal to buy competitor TallyGenicom assets out of
bankruptcy. TallyGenicom, which was backed by Arsenal Capital Partners
and founded in 2003, filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware.
TeachFirst Inc., Seattle - After a promising beginning, the educational
training company fell on hard times and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy,
effectively putting an end to an eight-year-old company backed by
several small funds and angel investors.
Trusera Inc., Seattle - The operator of a health Web site that had
teetered on the brink of closure since March, tipped over the edge in
May. Trusera was backed with $2 million in funding from investors
including Benaroya Capital; Erik Blachford, former CEO of Expedia Inc.;
Christopher Ackerley, partner at Ackerley Partners; Kim Rachmeler, vice
president at Amazon.com Inc.; and Craig Tall, vice chair of corporate
development at Washington Mutual Inc.
Ugobe Inc., Eagle, Idaho - The maker of the Pleo robotic dinosaur - a
lifelike, interactive toy that drew generous media coverage and many
fans - filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in April. Ugobe’s investors
included First Round Capital, Frontier Management Group, Hyield Venture
Capital, and Maxima Capital.
Ultreo Inc., Redmond, Wash. - The company, which made a battery-powered
toothbrush that used ultrasound waveguide and sonic bristles, has shut
down after failing to find an interested investor or buyer. Ultreo
raised a total of $28.1 million in venture capital, including an $11.3
million round in May 2007, VentureWire records show. Its venture
investors included Polaris Venture Partners.
Verified Pass Identity Inc., New York - The provider of faster airport
security lines for approved travelers, which did business as Clear, has
closed its doors less than a year after raising $44.4 million in venture
capital. Spark Capital led a $44 million Series F in the company last
summer. Prior to that, the company had raised $38.7 million. Its other
investors include Baker Capital, GE Security, Lehman Brothers, Lockheed
Martin, Syncom Venture Partners and Steven Brill, the company’s founder
and former chief executive.
Yoomba Inc., Menlo Park, Calif. - The latest VoIP technology maker to
shut down. Yoomba, originally from Israel, was backed by Global Catalyst
Partners and U.S. Venture Partners |
|
