In today’s Bulldog wrapup of technology and life science news:

  • Triangle Capital prices $75M offering
  • Cree enters Korea market
  • GSK reportedly hires banks to sell HIV company
  • Lenovo has another big flash sale in India
  • The “Silk Road” trial nears its end
  • Uber launches a research effort with Carnegie Mellon

The details:

  • Triangle Capital prices offering

Triangle Capital (NYSE: TCAP) is looking to raise $75 million in new capital through a public offering that was priced effective Wednesday morning.

Underwriters also can purchase another $11.25 million.

“The Company intends to invest the net proceeds of this public offering in lower middle market companies in accordance with its investment objective and strategies, and for working capital and general corporate purposes, Triangle Capital said in a statement. It invests $5 million or more in established companies.

  • Cree enters Korea market

Durham-based Cree (Nasdaq: CREE) is expanding its global LED market with a launch in South Korea.

“Cree is aiming to put focus on building rapport with Korean businesses and local governments to have its LED lighting products installed in a wide range of places including streets, factory lines and buildings,” Cree said in a statement issued in South Korea.

The Korea Herald has the details at: http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20150204000643

  • Report: GSK hires banks for ViiV sale

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) has retained Citi, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to help it explore the sale of its ViiV Healthcare joint venture. ViiV focuses on HIV.

Reuters reported the news. More details at:  http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/02/04/uk-gsk-viiv-ipo-idUKKBN0L80ZQ20150204

  • ​Another big flash sale for Lenovo

Lenovo’s second “flash” sale of low-cost smartphones in India was twice as big as last weeks – and took an entire second longer.

Lenovo says it sold 20,000 phones in 3 seconds.

Read the details at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/20000-lenovo-a6000-units-sold-out-in-seconds-on-flipkart/1/416884.html

  • NY jury preparing to decide fate of Silk Road creator 

Prosecutors say a San Francisco man enabled drug dealers worldwide to reach customers they would never find on the street through the underground website Silk Road, but a defense lawyer says the 30-year-old was set up by manipulated evidence.

A jury is expected to begin deciding the fate of Ross William Ulbricht on Wednesday. Federal Judge Katherine Forrest says she’ll spend a little more than an hour reading legal rules to the jury before deliberations start.

Closing arguments were completed Tuesday. Defense lawyer Joshua Dratel (dray-TEHL’) says investigators arrested his client on insufficient evidence in 2013 because they were pressured to make an arrest and shut down Silk Road.

Prosecutor Timothy Howard says overwhelming evidence proves Ulbricht was the digital kingpin of an illegal online drug dealing empire.

  • ​Uber, Carnegie Mellon partnering on Pittsburgh research lab 

Ride-hailing service Uber is partnering with Carnegie Mellon University on a Pittsburgh research lab both hope could lead to the development of driverless cars.

Carnegie Mellon and its Robotics Institute have been working on driverless vehicles for years, and its work is part of the reason the city has successfully segued from an industry-driven economy to one based on technology and medicine in the last 20 years, with the nearby University of Pittsburgh Medical Center pioneering transplant medicine and other breakthroughs.

The Uber-Carnegie Mellon deal is “another case where collaboration between the city and its universities is creating opportunities for job growth and community development,” Mayor Bill Peduto said.

The partnership announced Monday includes Uber funding for faculty chairs and graduate fellowships at the private research university.

San Francisco-based Uber said the Uber Advanced Technologies Center will also focus on mapping and safety technologies in support of its ride-hailing mission.