Hold on to your lighter fluid there, Mr. Barbecue. Not so fast, Ms. I’m-Leaving-Early-For-The-Cape. Yes, I’m talking to you, Fourth of July holiday slackers.
Actually, go ahead and slack off—this should go down pretty easy. At the end of each quarter, we like to look back at some of Xconomy’s top stories. These are not necessarily the ones that got the most traffic (though in some cases they are). But they exemplify what we try to deliver day in and day out—real news and stories behind the companies, people, ideas, and trends that are shaping the future of innovation in our network of cities. Basically, they are stories we liked that will stand the test of time.
For the second quarter (April through June), our Boston editor’s picks cut across a wide variety of tech, life sciences, and energy. The topics range from scrappy startups (PerkStreet, Skyhook, SMTP) and midsize successes (Acme Packet, CSN Stores) to giants (Microsoft, Google, Biogen Idec, Genentech/Roche); from venture capitalists (Polaris, Charles River, Braemar) to entrepreneurs (Greentown Labs, Semyon Dukach); from profiles (Harvest Power, Tal Medical) and deals (Forma) to clusters and trends (m-Qube mafia, future of the Web); and from big industry developments (Vertex’s FDA approval) to individual scoops (Robin Chase’s new startup, iPierian shakeout).
Without further ado, here are Xconomy Boston’s top 20 stories of the second quarter, sorted by sector:
Top 10 Tech Stories:
Nuance Slaps Vlingo With False Advertising Lawsuit As Latest Move In Legal Battle
With California Deals Heating Up, Polaris Venture Partners to Open Palo Alto Office
Debit Cards Aren’t For Stupid People: Q&A with PerkStreet CEO on Flying Into the Startup Abyss
Microsoft’s Qi Lu Talks Future of the Web: Look Out, Facebook, Groupon, Apple, and (Oh Yeah) Google
Zipcar Cofounder Robin Chase Bids Adieu to U.S., Launches Car Sharing Startup in France
Semyon Dukach, the MIT Blackjack King, Takes SMTP Public in Latest Effort to Fight the Power
The m-Qube Mafia: Mobile Execs Lead Efforts at BuyWithMe, Clovr Media, Paydiant, and More
CSN Stores, Amid Rebranding and Financing Rumors, Looks to Become “Amazon for the Home”
Top 10 Life Sciences and Energy Stories:
Curis and Genentech Unleash the Hedgehog to Fight a Deadly Skin Cancer
Genentech Scoops Up Tumor-Starving Drug Program From Forma Therapeutics In Rare Deal
Braemar Energy Ventures Finds Value in Energy Technology, Both Clean and Conventional
Biogen Idec CEO on Move Back to Cambridge: “We’re Working on It”
PureTech Ventures Launches Tal Medical To Develop Magnetic-Field Treatment for Depression
Vertex, On Deadline, Wins FDA Approval for Hepatitis C Drug
Medtronic’s Hawkins and BSX’s Elliott Exit Stage Right As Medical Device Industry Shifts
iPierian, Stem Cell Startup With Big Science & Big Bucks, Axes Group of Top Executives
KEW, Led by Millennium Co-Founder, Seeks to Bring Big-Time Cancer Care to Community Clinics
“Ready or Not,” Greentown Labs Startups to Move In This Week, With $75K for Retooling Boston Space
