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Tue. Aug. 07, 2012 Waltham-based Care.com raises $50 million in new round of venture capital funding Care.com Inc., a Waltham company that aims to connect families with caregivers, said Tuesday that it has raised $50 million in new funding, the largest amount it has generated since being founded in 2006. The company offers a suite of online tools that list and sort providers of childcare, senior care, pet care, housekeeping, tutoring, and other services. It has approximately 7 million users in more than 15 countries.	Advertisement
NeuroMetrix gets FDA approval to market its Sensus pain-management device in the US NeuroMetrix Inc., a medical device company based in Waltham, said its Sensus pain management device has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The company added that it now hopes that the device should reach the US market before the end of the year. The Sensus is a non-invasive electrical nerve stimulator that is designed to provide relief from chronic pain. People likely to benefit from the device are diabetics with nerve-related complications.
New Talbots owner announces the retailer’s new executive team Sycamore Partners, the New York private equity firm that just bought Talbots Inc., said Tuesday that Michael Archbold has been appointed chief executive of the Hingham-based retailer of clothing for middle-age career women. Lizanne Kindler, previously executive vice president of product development at Kohl’s Department Stores, has been named president of Talbots. Michele Mandell, a 26-year veteran of Talbots and formerly the executive vice president of stores at the company, has been appointed chief operating officer.
iRobot taps Frank Wilson to head its defense and security business unit Bedford’s iRobot Corp. said Tuesday that Frank Wilson has joined the company as senior vice president and general manager of its defense and security business unit. The company develops robots for military and civil defense agencies, for home use, and most recently, for health-care providers. Earlier this year, iRobot warned of possible losses as cuts in defense spending reduce demand for its military robots.
Affectiva raises $12m to extend emotion insight technology to online video and consumer devices Affectiva, a Waltham-based firm focused on emotion measurement technologies, said Tuesday that it has secured $12 million in Series C financing. The round was backed by Hong Kong businessman Li Ka-shing’s Horizons Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers Digital Growth Fund, with participation from existing investors. Affectiva, an MIT spin-off founded in 2009 by professor Rosalind W. Picard and research scientist Rana el Kaliouby said it commercialized emotion technologies, including Affdex, an automated facial coding platform and Q Sensor, a wearable biometric sensor.
AIM: Local business confidence index rose in July, but employers remain uncertain An index designed to measure business confidence in Massachusetts posted 52.2 reading in July, an increase of 3.9 points from June’s reading. Recent fluctuations in the index’s monthly readings suggest uncertainty in the state’s employer community. The monthly index is maintained by the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, or AIM, an employer association of Bay State businesses and institutions. The index uses a 100-point scale, and July’s reading moved the index back into positive territory --- a reading above 50 indicates a positive outlook.
Ameresco reports 2Q profit drop Ameresco Inc., a Framingham company that designs and installs systems to cut energy and maintenance cost, reported that second-quarter net income was $5.2 million, compared with $8.8 million for the same period a year ago, a drop of 41.5 percent. Total second-quarter revenue was $164.1 million, versus $165.5 million a year ago. “Ameresco delivered second quarter financial results in line with expectations,” company president and chief executive George P. Sakellaris said in a statement.
Forge Worldwide is developing social media marketing for the Rodman Ride For Kids Boston ad agency Forge Worldwide said it is working on a pro bono branding update assignment for the Rodman Ride For Kids, an umbrella matching gift charity raising funds for youth-focused social service agencies in Massachusetts. The Ride’s honorary chairman is New England Patriots star Tom Brady. This year’s Ride, a 25, 50, and 100-mile noncompetitive cycling tour, is scheduled for Sept. 29. Forge said it is developing a social media program, centered on a Facebook application, to spread the word and increase online donations.
Protonex to collaborate on underwater power systems Protonex Technology Corp., a Southborough company that specializes in lightweight power systems, said it is looking to develop oxygen generators for use in undersea power systems. “Current battery technologies are insufficient for the energy requirements of the next generation of underwater sensors and vehicles,” Protonex chief executive Paul Osenar said. The plan is to change that by combining Protonex’s fuel cell systems expertise along with patented sodium borohydride based hydrogen storage and hydrogen peroxide based oxygen storage technology.
Citigroup receives subpoena from Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley Citigroup Inc. has received a subpoena for information from Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, the New York banking giant disclosed Friday in a quarterly filing with securities regulators. Coakley served a civil investigative demand on a Citigroup affiliate on Aug. 1, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The subpoena followed one in June that was filed by New York’s attorney general, “seeking documents and information concerning MAT Finance Fund LLC, ASTA Finance Fund LLC, and Falcon Strategies LLC.” The bank said Coakley’s office was seeking similar documents and information on the funds, which were sold to wealthy customers as alternative fixed-income investments.
Deal to sell Salem power plant closes; new gas plant and development planned A New Jersey company said Monday that it has finalized its purchase of the aging Salem Harbor Power Station, which it plans to replace with a state-of-the-art gas-fired plant on a portion the site, potentially opening the rest of the waterfront property to commercial development. Footprint Power LLC said the deal to buy the decades-old plant from Virginia-based Dominion Energy Inc. for an undisclosed sum closed Saturday.
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