Operating Segments (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Active Partner Companies by Segment

The Company’s active partner companies by segment were as follows as of September 30, 2013:

Healthcare
Partner Company	Safeguard Primary Ownership as of September 30, 2013	Accounting Method
AdvantEdge Healthcare Solutions, Inc.	40.2%	Equity
Alverix, Inc.	49.2%	Equity
Crescendo Bioscience, Inc.	12.6%	Cost
Good Start Genetics, Inc.	30.0%	Equity
Medivo, Inc.	34.5%	Equity
NovaSom, Inc.	30.3%	Equity
NuPathe Inc.	16.5%	Fair value (1)
PixelOptics, Inc.	24.6%	Equity
Putney, Inc.	27.6%	Equity
Quantia, Inc.	34.4%	Equity
Sotera Wireless, Inc.	7.4%	Cost

Technology
Partner Company	Safeguard Primary Ownership as of September 30, 2013	Accounting Method
AppFirst, Inc.	34.5%	Equity
Beyond.com, Inc.	38.2%	Equity
Bridgevine, Inc.	22.7%	Equity
Clutch Holdings, Inc.	24.0%	Equity
DriveFactor, Inc.	40.6%	Equity
Hoopla Software, Inc.	25.3%	Equity
Lumesis, Inc.	44.2%	Equity
MediaMath, Inc.	22.5%	Equity
Pneuron Corporation	27.6%	Equity
Spongecell, Inc.	23.0%	Equity
ThingWorx, Inc.	39.8%	Equity

(1) The Company’s ownership interest in NuPathe was accounted for as available-for-sale securities following NuPathe’s completion of an initial public offering in August 2010. In October 2012, the Company participated in a private placement of NuPathe preferred stock units, and in conjunction with this financing, the Company placed two persons on NuPathe’s board of directors. As a result, the Company determined that it exercised significant influence over NuPathe which made the equity method of accounting applicable to its ownership interests. Instead, the Company elected the fair value option beginning in October 2012. Prior to August 2010, the Company accounted for NuPathe under the equity method.

Segment Data from Operations

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2013
	Healthcare			Technology			Penn Mezzanine			Total Segments			Other Items			Total
	(In thousands) (Unaudited)
Operating loss	$	—		$	—		$	(4	)	$	(4	)	$	(4,831	)	$	(4,835	)
Interest income	—			—			394			394			178			572
Equity income (loss)	(6,553		)	(3,490		)	(92		)	(10,135		)	269			(9,866		)
Net income (loss)	(11,325		)	(3,490		)	845			(13,970		)	(5,460		)	(19,430		)
Segment Assets:
September 30, 2013	72,563			64,393			12,873			149,829			171,914			321,743
December 31, 2012	83,500			58,753			12,153			154,406			219,738			374,144

	Three months ended September 30, 2012
	Healthcare			Technology		Penn Mezzanine			Total Segments			Other Items			Total
	(In thousands) (Unaudited)
Operating loss	$	—		$	—	$	(2	)	$	(2	)	$	(4,788	)	$	(4,790	)
Interest income	—			—		322			322			374			696
Equity income (loss)	(5,727		)	2,508		(72		)	(3,291		)	(2		)	(3,293		)
Net income (loss)	(5,811		)	2,508		423			(2,880		)	(5,877		)	(8,757		)

	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013
	Healthcare			Technology			Penn Mezzanine			Total Segments			Other Items			Total
	(In thousands) (Unaudited)
Operating loss	$	—		$	—		$	(13	)	$	(13	)	$	(16,911	)	$	(16,924	)
Interest income	—			—			1,118			1,118			978			2,096
Equity income (loss)	(27,303		)	(7,990		)	(256		)	(35,549		)	296			(35,253		)
Net income (loss)	(33,665		)	(7,990		)	1,173			(40,482		)	(19,010		)	(59,492		)

	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012
	Healthcare			Technology		Penn Mezzanine			Total Segments			Other Items			Total
	(In thousands) (Unaudited)
Operating loss	$	—		$	—	$	(6	)	$	(6	)	$	(14,675	)	$	(14,681	)
Interest income	—			—		1,170			1,170			1,020			2,190
Equity income (loss)	(20,886		)	1,463		(260		)	(19,683		)	(5		)	(19,688		)
Net income (loss)	(11,991		)	1,463		340			(10,188		)	(18,366		)	(28,554		)