Tempe, Arizona-based Amtech Systems, a developer of equipment for the production of solar cells, semiconductors, and silicon wafers, reported that it received $37M in new solar orders. The firm said the order went to its solar equipment subsidiary, Tempress Systems. Names of the customers involved in the orders were not disclosed, however, the firm said the equipment was sold to several new and existing customers in Asia.Continue →

Thornton, Colorado-based Ascent Solar Technologies, a developer of thin-film, solar modules, said Wednesday that its Chairman, Dr. Mohan Misra, is planning to retire at the end of the year. The firm said Misra has decided to retire for family and other personal reasons, and will be replaced by Dr. Amit Kumar, also a director at the firm. Kumar was most recently CEO of Combimatrix, and also has worked at Oak Investment Partners and Acacia Research.
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Boulder-based Lijit, which develops search software for blogs, and also operates an advertising network, said Wednesday that it has rolled out a new, referral program for its publishers. According to Lijit, the program will provide monetary compensation, marketing support, and other incentives when publishers let others know about Lijit. No other details of the program were announced. Lijit is venture backed by Foundry Group, Boulder Ventures and High Country Venture.Continue →

Today's guest post comes from Mark Muro, Senior Fellow and Policy Director, Metropolitan Policy Program, and Sarah Rahman, Senior Policy Analyst, Metropolitan Policy Program at The Brookings Institution, which just released a report arguing that the report and policy brief calling for the funding of a network of major energy innovation centers across the Mountain West.

Over and over America has looked to the West to work out the future....Continue →

Search engine giant Google said Wednesday that it has released its newest version of Google Sketchup, the 3D modeling tool which the firm acquired when it bought Boulder's @Last Software. The firm said the SketchUp 8 is the tenth anniversary of its first version of the software....Continue →

A patent war has broken out between Quest Software and Centrify Corp., over patents held by Lindon, Utah-based Vintela, which was acquired by Quest in 2005. Late Friday, California-based Quest Software said it has filed a patent infringement suit against competitors Centrify Corp. and Likewise Software, over its U.S. Patent No. 7,617,501. According to Quest, the patent covers the extension of Windows Group Policy into Unix, Linux, Mac, and other non-Windows computer systems....Continue →

Boulder-based technology mentoring and incubation effort TechStars said this morning that it is expanding its efforts to New York. The effort, which has been in a multi-city expansion effort, said that Techstars CEO and founder David Cohen is temporarily relocating to New York City to start the program. The New York effort will be co-managed with david Tisch, a native New York entrepreneur and angel investor....Continue →

Kaysville, Utah-based Monnit Corporation said today that it has launched a new firm focused on low cost, reliable wireless sensors. The new firm is headed by Brad Walters, who is the former CEO and Chairman of Maxtream, and also the former Vice Chairman of the Utah Technology Council. According to the firm, it is targeting the commercial, industrial, and consumer wireless sensor market....Continue →

Draper, Utah-based StorageCraft, a developer of disk-based backup and disaster recovery products, said today that it has partnered with Symform, a provider of cloud-based backup and data protection services, to provide a cloud backup product for small-to-midsized businesses. StorageCraft said it is releasing a new Business Continuity Suite, which is powered by Symform's online backup services....Continue →

Salt Lake City-based venture capital firm EPIC Ventures has scored an exit with one of its portfolio firms, TriCipher, a developer of single-sign on software. According to virtualization giant VMware today, it acquired TriCipher, along with another firm, to bolster its vCenter management portfolio. Financial terms of the acquisitions were not disclosed. TriCipher received an investment from EPIC Ventures back in 2007, which also included an investment from the Zions SBIC, an affiliated fund....Continue →

Denver-based MapMyFitness, a developer of online and mobile fitness applications, said today that it has raised $5.0M in a Series A financing round. The round was led by Austin Ventures. According to MapMyFitness, it will use the funding to further develop its core offerings. MayMyFitness runs MapMyRUN.com, MapMyRIDE.com, MapMyWALK.com, MapMyHIKE.com, MapMyFITNESS.com, MapMyMOUNTAIN.com, and MapMyTRI.com, sites which allows users to upload their fitness data and workout information....Continue →