Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas.
—Dallas accelerator Tech Wildcatters announced Tuesday the first startup to reach its top milestone in its new “Gauntlet” program. Selery Fulfillment will receive a $100,000 investment, the largest in the accelerator’s history. The startup provides integrated storage and shipping management for small to mid-sized companies.
—FloSports, an Austin, TX-based subscription media company that specializes in live broadcasts of alternative sports, said it has raised $21.2 million in a Series B financing. Investors include DCM Ventures, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) FloSports currently streams 14 sports, including track and field and mixed martial arts.
—Xbiotech, the Austin-based drug developer with an experimental cancer treatment, announced its chief financial officer resigned on Thursday for health reasons, according to a quarterly regulatory filing. May also want to do a POTM item for this]]. Scott Whitehurst, who was previously the vice president of finance and operations for Amgen, started with Xbiotech (NASDAQ: [[ticker:XBIT]]) in May. The company most recently made headlines in July after it received criticism for an update it gave on Phase 3 results for its drug, Xilonix.
—Being a startup is already tough, but being a young energy company during a massive industry downturn really tests an entrepreneur’s mettle. That’s why Lauren Thompson Miller, CEO of Houston’s Aidant Brands, says her startup made a major shift in the last year to sell to consumers, who now account for about 40 percent of sales. The Rice University-born startup had originally targeted oil and gas companies for Rust Patrol, a coating designed to remove and resist corrosion.
—Student (and a few faculty) entrepreneurs from Rice University and the University of Houston held their third joint demo day last week. At the event, dubbed the Bayou Startup Showcase, teams launched startups in sectors including health IT, agtech, edtech, and wearables.
—What had you accomplished by high school? Taylor Wilson, the subject of a book by journalist Tom Clynes, had mastered rocket propulsion science and built a nuclear fusion reactor in his garage. “The Boy Who Played With Fusion: Extreme Parenting and How to Make a Star” is a lively read about an extraordinary young genius and our latest installment of “Xconomy Bookclub.”
Xconomy National Correspondent David Holley contributed to this report.
