The latest cold front that’s swept through Texas doesn’t help the hump day blues, but distract yourself with another cup of something warm and catch up with the innovation news in Texas’s startup ecosystem. —Austin energy startup RigUp raised $15.8 million in a Series B round, according to a company press release. Investors include Quantum Energy … Continue reading “Texas Tech: RigUp Funds, TMCx Startups, SpaceX Launch & HQ2 Rumors”
Author: Angela Shah
Angela Shah was formerly the editor of Xconomy Texas. She has written about startups along a wide entrepreneurial spectrum, from Silicon Valley transplants to Austin transforming a once-sleepy university town in the '90s tech boom to 20-something women defying cultural norms as they seek to build vital IT infrastructure in a war-torn Afghanistan. As a foreign correspondent based in Dubai, her work appeared in The New York Times, TIME, Newsweek/Daily Beast and Forbes Asia.
Before moving overseas, Shah was a staff writer and columnist with The Dallas Morning News and the Austin American-Statesman. She has a Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and she is a 2007 Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan. With the launch of Xconomy Texas, she's returned to her hometown of Houston.
Walmart Brings Virtual Reality to Retail With Purchase of Spatialand
Walmart’s tech incubator in Silicon Valley, Store No 8, has acquired Spatialand, a virtual reality software firm, as its third portfolio company. While much of the focus in using VR has been on gaming and entertainment, “virtual reality has the potential to reinvent the consumer experience—with an experience we call contextual commerce,” according to a … Continue reading “Walmart Brings Virtual Reality to Retail With Purchase of Spatialand”
E-Commerce Firm Dearduck Uses A.I. in the Hunt for the Perfect Gift
Houston—Knowledge is power, but too much of a good thing can render data meaningless. That’s the struggle many retailers have in an age of data analytics. Think about the retailer e-mails we receive daily or the ads that appear on Google or our social media sites. Though based on our Web searches, those ads don’t … Continue reading “E-Commerce Firm Dearduck Uses A.I. in the Hunt for the Perfect Gift”
A Startup Ecosystem Pioneer, Houston Tech Center Closes After 19 Years
Houston—The Houston Technology Center, the city’s oldest organization dedicated to boosting local startups, has been shut down. HTC, founded as a non-profit in 1999, was last October brought under the umbrella of a new initiative called Houston Exponential. HX, as it is called, was unveiled as a comprehensive citywide approach to boosting Houston’s community for … Continue reading “A Startup Ecosystem Pioneer, Houston Tech Center Closes After 19 Years”
Xconomy Bookclub: “Inferior” Peruses Science’s Historic #MeToo Bias
In his now infamous memo, ex-Google engineer James Damore cited scientific evidence to illustrate why women may not be suited for jobs at some of today’s leading tech companies. Women, he argued, are biologically more attuned to “people” jobs rather than “thing” jobs, like those in technology. But what Damore was doing, others pointed out, … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Inferior” Peruses Science’s Historic #MeToo Bias”
Texas Tech Watch: Austin’s Impact Hub, Arundo Analytics & Procyrion
[Updated 1/31/18, 4:44 pm. See below.] One of the less pleasant innovations running around these days is strains of flu that seem to be hitting everyone. I, unfortunately, was not immune and out last week. Let’s get caught up on a few news items. Up first: Austin’s Impact Hub accelerator, which incubates companies with civic … Continue reading “Texas Tech Watch: Austin’s Impact Hub, Arundo Analytics & Procyrion”
UTA Using Robots, Shakespeare to Study Ways to Address Loneliness
Dallas—In healthcare, robots are being created to help with tasks like disinfecting hospital rooms or alerting patients when it’s time to take medications. A study at the Emotional Robotics Living Lab at the University of Texas at Arlington is even exploring how human-robot connection can help fight depression. “We are looking at robots that would be … Continue reading “UTA Using Robots, Shakespeare to Study Ways to Address Loneliness”
In “Age of Amazon,” All Retailers Are Tech Companies, Even Walmart
Technology took center stage this week as the nation’s retailers made their annual pilgrimage to New York. At the National Retail Federation’s three-day conference, which ended Tuesday, the discussion centered on both the disruptive effects and potential promise of e-commerce technologies. Kate Ancketill, the CEO of GDR Creative Intelligence, a retail trends consultancy, said retailers … Continue reading “In “Age of Amazon,” All Retailers Are Tech Companies, Even Walmart”
Boston E-Commerce Data Firm True Fit Snags $55M in New Funds
True Fit, a Boston-area startup that is creating “a genome for apparel and footwear,” announced this morning a Series C investment of $55 million. Georgian Partners led the funding round with participation from existing investors Jump Capital, Signal Peak Ventures, and Intel Capital, along with new investor Cross Creek Capital. “We’ve built a preference map … Continue reading “Boston E-Commerce Data Firm True Fit Snags $55M in New Funds”
Baylor’s Donoviel to Lead Space Health Innovation Institute
Houston—Dorit Donoviel, a veteran space health scientist, has officially been named director of the Translational Research Institute for Space Health at Baylor College of Medicine. Donoviel has been with the institute since its founding in 2016, and had been acting director since last April when Graham Scott, another Baylor scientist, left the position. Donoviel had … Continue reading “Baylor’s Donoviel to Lead Space Health Innovation Institute”
E-Commerce Firm Black Rifle Coffee Has Expansion in Its Sights
There wasn’t a lot that Evan Hafer could control on his half-dozen deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a Green Beret and CIA contractor. But the one thing he could do something about was the terrible coffee. “I started roasting my own coffee and taking it with me overseas,” he says. “I set up a … Continue reading “E-Commerce Firm Black Rifle Coffee Has Expansion in Its Sights”
E-Commerce Innovations in the Mix at Consumer Tech Conference
Alexa is now mobile. Seattle-based e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) is expected to unveil its first augmented-reality glasses to pair with Alexa, its digital assistant, at the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, in Las Vegas this week. The glasses were developed for Amazon by Vuzix, a Rochester, NY -based wearable tech company, and can communicate … Continue reading “E-Commerce Innovations in the Mix at Consumer Tech Conference”
Xconomy Bookclub: “Troublemakers” Charts the Birth of Silicon Valley
In 1968, a little-read article in a soon-to-fail magazine prophesied an age of networked machines that could be more than passive, oversized calculators to become digital partners in solving problems alongside humans. “In a few years, men will be able to communicate more effectively through a machine than face to face,” wrote JCR “Lick” Licklider … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Troublemakers” Charts the Birth of Silicon Valley”
Clean Energy Entrepreneur Desai on Tech’s Pitfalls & Promise in 2017
A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Nisha … Continue reading “Clean Energy Entrepreneur Desai on Tech’s Pitfalls & Promise in 2017”
Houston Investor Murthy Reflects on Tech’s High & Low Points in 2017
A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Neal … Continue reading “Houston Investor Murthy Reflects on Tech’s High & Low Points in 2017”
UTD’s Guengerich on the Promise and Peril of Tech Innovation in 2017
A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Steve … Continue reading “UTD’s Guengerich on the Promise and Peril of Tech Innovation in 2017”
WatchHerWork CEO Hamilton: “We Are All Ready for Tech to Grow Up”
A series of highly publicized events in 2017—from the Equifax data breach to the exposure of rampant sexual harassment in parts of the tech industry—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to cybersecurity and tech culture. In a bid to put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy … Continue reading “WatchHerWork CEO Hamilton: “We Are All Ready for Tech to Grow Up””
Despite Scandal-Filled Year, Mark Cuban Says “Tech Is Just Tech”
A series of highly publicized events this year—from the Equifax and Uber data breaches to foreign use of social media and Web services to influence the U.S. election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to cybersecurity and big tech companies. In a bid to put things in perspective … Continue reading “Despite Scandal-Filled Year, Mark Cuban Says “Tech Is Just Tech””
Maker of Blink Internet-Enabled Security Cameras Sold to Amazon
Immedia Semiconductor, a Boston area company that makes the Blink line of Internet-connected home security cameras, has been acquired by Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]), according to a post on the Blink website and a report in the Boston Globe. In its post, Blink told its customers “if you own one of our systems, nothing changes for now.” … Continue reading “Maker of Blink Internet-Enabled Security Cameras Sold to Amazon”
Retailers’ Holiday Wishlist? More Sales Powered By New Technologies
From products designed by artificial intelligence to virtual reality systems that help shoppers picture merchandise in their homes, retailers are deploying technology like never before this holiday season, betting that they can win business back from the default of online shopping. These innovations run the gamut, including sensors and cameras that can monitor in-store movements, … Continue reading “Retailers’ Holiday Wishlist? More Sales Powered By New Technologies”
Propose With a Lab-Made Diamond? Diamond Tech Retailers Say, “Yes”
How do you disrupt an industry that markets itself as the embodiment of “forever?” You bring it back to basics, says Lindsay Reinsmith, co-founder of Ada Diamonds, an online retailer of jewelry with lab-made gemstones in San Francisco. “Science is on our side,” she says. “We confront them with facts.” Machine-made gemstones are created in exactly … Continue reading “Propose With a Lab-Made Diamond? Diamond Tech Retailers Say, “Yes””
Hoppy Holidays: HopDrop to Begin Delivering Craft Beer to Doorsteps
Houston—Joining the swelling ranks of booze delivery companies nationwide is HopDrop, which begins a beta launch Friday. The Houston-based startup’s focus is connecting customers with local craft breweries, delivering suds to certain Houston zip codes upon request, within an hour. “Our niche is that the beer we have, you can’t get in a supermarket,” says … Continue reading “Hoppy Holidays: HopDrop to Begin Delivering Craft Beer to Doorsteps”
Marlin Equity Partners to Acquire Austin-based Bazaarvoice for $521M
Austin—Software maker Bazaarvoice (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BV]]) is being sold to Marlin Equity Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, in a deal valued at more than $500 million. As part of the acquisition, Austin, TX-based Bazaarvoice, which makes software for online and social media marketing, will go back to being a private company. The transaction is … Continue reading “Marlin Equity Partners to Acquire Austin-based Bazaarvoice for $521M”
Health IT Firm Cariloop Expands to Include Wider Group of Caregivers
Dallas—A little over a year ago, Michael Walsh rethought his assumptions in using technology to disrupt the eldercare market. He switched the objective of his company, Cariloop, from connecting seniors to appropriate care centers—using analytics software to make the match—to focusing on the family members around them who were navigating a new process figuring out … Continue reading “Health IT Firm Cariloop Expands to Include Wider Group of Caregivers”
Five Questions For … Barbary Brunner, Austin Technology Council CEO
Austin—Barbary Brunner says Austin has always felt like home. She has made career stops in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver, but says the Texas capital was a lodestar. “Every time I’d come visit, it felt like Austin was calling out to me,” Brunner says. “When I lived in Seattle, it’s the place I’d come to … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Barbary Brunner, Austin Technology Council CEO”
C is for Cash: Cookie Deliverer Tiff’s Treats Good Enough for $25M
Austin—The product is warm cookies, and the service is delivering those made-to-order sweets within 90 minutes. That can only happen with customized proprietary software, says Tiff’s Treats co-founder Leon Chen. “The technology is the brains behind each of our locations,” says Chen, who founded the cookie maker and delivery company with his now wife, Tiffany … Continue reading “C is for Cash: Cookie Deliverer Tiff’s Treats Good Enough for $25M”
Poshmark Picks Up $87.5M to Power the Social, Digital Wardrobe
Poshmark, a social media e-retail company, has raised $87.5 million in a Series D investment round led by Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek. That brings the total funding raised by the Redwood City, CA-based company to $160 million. Other investors in the firm include Mayfield, Menlo Ventures, GGV Capital, Inventus Capital, SoftTech VC, Union Grove … Continue reading “Poshmark Picks Up $87.5M to Power the Social, Digital Wardrobe”
JNJ’s First-Ever Center for Device Innovation Opens at Houston’s TMC
Houston—Christmas has come early for Billy Cohn this year. Cohn, the renowned Houston heart surgeon and inventor, doesn’t bother to contain his excitement as he shows me around the Center for Device Innovation. The center opens today at the Texas Medical Center’s innovation campus, located in an old Nabisco cookie factory. The center is a … Continue reading “JNJ’s First-Ever Center for Device Innovation Opens at Houston’s TMC”
Texas Medical Center Steps Into the Venture Arena with $25M Fund
Houston—The Texas Medical Center announced Wednesday it has created the TMC Venture Fund, a $25 million fund to support early stage biotech and life sciences companies. The companies don’t need to have been part of the medical device or health IT cohorts in TMCx, the medical center’s accelerator, but do need to have some sort … Continue reading “Texas Medical Center Steps Into the Venture Arena with $25M Fund”
OncoResponse Buys Paganini Biopharma to Add Cancer Drug to Pipeline
Houston—OncoResponse has acquired biotech startup Paganini Biopharma in a move that brings a clinical trial-ready compound to the Houston cancer drug developer. No financial terms were disclosed for the deal, which was announced Tuesday. But the acquisition complements the pipeline of OncoResponse, whose research focuses on antibody cancer drugs. Los Angeles-based Paganini’s lead drug, ONCR-201, … Continue reading “OncoResponse Buys Paganini Biopharma to Add Cancer Drug to Pipeline”
Spawned by Harvey, Entrepreneurs For Houston Hires Inaugural Leader
Houston—Born out of the destruction and dislocation caused by Hurricane Harvey, the Entrepreneurs for Houston group has taken a step to codify itself as it plans its mission for the long term. Elena White, a former management consultant and native Houstonian, has been appointed executive director of E4H, as the philanthropic group calls itself. “The … Continue reading “Spawned by Harvey, Entrepreneurs For Houston Hires Inaugural Leader”
Austin Digerati “Awaken” To Opportunities in Civic Tech Innovation
Austin—Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Austin earlier this year were a wake-up call for Dan Webb. Webb is director of strategic partnerships at edtech startup Civitas Learning, and his wife is an immigrant who had just become a U.S. citizen in February. “We were getting calls from friends of ours asking, ‘If my wife … Continue reading “Austin Digerati “Awaken” To Opportunities in Civic Tech Innovation”
SailPoint & WatchGuard IPO, HX, Technium, ResMan, & More Texas News
Houston and the rest of the Texas Gulf Coast are largely back to business following Hurricane Harvey. Among the more notable news is Houston tech and civic leaders unveiling a new fund of funds aimed at better connecting the city’s large corporations and startups to venture capital across the country. —Houston Exponential is planned to … Continue reading “SailPoint & WatchGuard IPO, HX, Technium, ResMan, & More Texas News”
Corinnova Nets $6.1M from Wellcome for Heart Failure Medical Device
Houston—More than 12 million people in the United States and European Union have congestive heart failure, but there are only about 4,500 hearts available each year for transplant. LVADs—left ventricular assist devices—have been used to help some of these patients, but installing them means cracking open patients’ chests in expensive open-heart surgery and a month-long … Continue reading “Corinnova Nets $6.1M from Wellcome for Heart Failure Medical Device”
Five Questions For … Jeff Reichman, Of Civic Tech Skunkworks Sketch City
Houston—For Sketch City founder Jeff Reichman, a guiding philosophy is love to learn. “If you follow that, you’re going to learn all sorts of cool stuff,” he says. “You can get a unique mix of skills and position yourself for really interesting stuff in your career.” The Philadelphia native came to Houston in 2009 to … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Jeff Reichman, Of Civic Tech Skunkworks Sketch City”
Gilt Groupe & Glam Squad’s Wilson Zeroes In On Your Closet With Fitz
Fitz wants to get in the closet with you. The New York-based company will send stylists to your clothes closet, help analyze what you wear and why, and reorganize the clothing and accessories that make the cut. “It’s really kind of cathartic,” says Fitz co-founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson. “We help clients manage their wardrobes and … Continue reading “Gilt Groupe & Glam Squad’s Wilson Zeroes In On Your Closet With Fitz”
After Harvey’s Chaos, Tech Tools Provide Key Connection to Schools
Houston—Hurricane Harvey has faded from front-page newspaper headlines and the top of cable news, but for thousands of families, the chaos and dislocation are still very much top of mind. Luckily, some of them have been able to use technology to fill some basic needs in education and communication. Uma Dama, whose Sugarland, TX, home … Continue reading “After Harvey’s Chaos, Tech Tools Provide Key Connection to Schools”
Houston Exponential Aims to Bring Venture Investment, Boost Startups
Houston—Houston leaders will officially launch a venture capital fund of funds later this morning, aimed at jumpstarting the city’s innovation ecosystem and elevating Houston into the top tier of startup hubs. The HX Venture Fund, which will be in the $40 million to $50 million range, will be made up of corporate investments which, in … Continue reading “Houston Exponential Aims to Bring Venture Investment, Boost Startups”
Five Questions For … Chelsea Collier, Smart Cities Advocate in Austin
Austin—Call her the accidental innovator. Chelsea Collier didn’t set out to be part of Austin’s innovation ecosystem, she says, adding that “it just sort of evolved over time through a sense of curiosity.” After working in a variety of marketing roles, including a job with the Office of the Governor for the State of Texas, … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Chelsea Collier, Smart Cities Advocate in Austin”
Level Playing Field? How Big Company Dominance May Hinder Innovation
The conventional wisdom about Silicon Valley is that it’s a playground for the underdogs, a fertile ground for young entrepreneurs building startups that are going to “change the world.” Instead, the Bay Area—while, yes, still home to thirsty young entrepreneurs—is increasingly the stomping grounds of a few major tech companies that have come to dominate … Continue reading “Level Playing Field? How Big Company Dominance May Hinder Innovation”
Xconomy Bookclub: Village Capital CEO Tackles Innovation’s “Blind Spot”
Silicon Valley has written the playbook for building innovative companies that have transformed the global economy. But it doesn’t hold the exclusive patent on the only path to innovation. That’s the view of Ross Baird, the co-founder and CEO of Village Capital, a Washington, DC-based social impact venture firm, and author of the new book … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: Village Capital CEO Tackles Innovation’s “Blind Spot””
Five Questions For … Michael Webber, UT Professor and Energy Expert
Austin—As a freshman member of the University of Texas Longhorn Band, Michael Webber tried out for drum major. “They were all, ‘Who the hell is this guy?’” Webber recalls. “I didn’t get it but I was sending a signal: I’m on my way.” Webber tried out for the position each year and by his senior … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Michael Webber, UT Professor and Energy Expert”
Fueling Startups: New Firms Emerge on Texas Venture Capital Landscape
A perceived weakness in Texas’s startup communities is a lack of early stage investment capital available for budding tech entrepreneurs. Texas tech entrepreneurs share anecdotes about the difficulty they can have in securing funding. And data compiled by industry organizations show that venture capital activity in the state is a fraction of what is seen … Continue reading “Fueling Startups: New Firms Emerge on Texas Venture Capital Landscape”
Voices of Harvey: “Can We Develop a Disaster Platform For The World?”
Houston—During Hurricane Harvey, ChaiOne founder and CEO Gaurav Khandelwal and his wife, Seema, hosted volunteer nurses who had come in from out of town to help provide medical care to storm victims. “For over three nights they keep going to NRG Park,” the Houston Texans stadium that served as a shelter after Harvey hit, he … Continue reading “Voices of Harvey: “Can We Develop a Disaster Platform For The World?””
As Relief Moves to Recovery, Questions About FEMA’s Tech Corps
[Updated 10/6/17, 8:09 am. See below.] Houston—As Hurricane Harvey whirled toward the Texas Gulf Coast, a volunteer group of techies in Texas and other parts of the country gathered in a Slack channel to develop tools that could help with rescue, recovery, and relief efforts. Nearly six weeks later, that group of volunteers—with some coming … Continue reading “As Relief Moves to Recovery, Questions About FEMA’s Tech Corps”
After Buyout, Grommet CEO Pieri Says: “Ace Wants Us to Be Ourselves”
For Jules Pieri, the purchase of a majority stake in her company, The Grommet, by Ace Hardware was perhaps preordained. “How fitting is it that our company is named after a humble piece of hardware?” she asks. “There is some destiny at work here.” Also at work was a year-long partnership with the national cooperative … Continue reading “After Buyout, Grommet CEO Pieri Says: “Ace Wants Us to Be Ourselves””
Visualize Harvey, Startup Funding, TMC Medtech Firm Updates, & More
—Hurricane Harvey’s landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast was catastrophic, causing damage to communities from Corpus Christi, TX, to Beaumont on the border of Texas and Louisiana. The storm also disabled Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city. Rice University’s Kinder Institute created a “story map” with storm-related data to illustrate the economic cost of the … Continue reading “Visualize Harvey, Startup Funding, TMC Medtech Firm Updates, & More”
Five Questions For … Austin Biotech Entrepreneur Paul Lammers
Austin—Two years ago, Paul Lammers was riding the cancer immunotherapy wave in biotech. His firm, Mirna Therapeutics, hit the Nasdaq after raising $80.5 million in an IPO. Two years and one unsuccessful early stage clinical trial later, Mirna is history. In May, the company was absorbed in a reverse merger with Cambridge, MA-based Synologic, whose shareholders … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Austin Biotech Entrepreneur Paul Lammers”
Palliative Care-Focused Austin Startup Iris Plans Raises $5.1M
Austin—Iris Plans, a telemedicine company that connects patients to palliative care, announced Wednesday that it has raised $5.1 million. The funding round was led by Activate Venture Partners in New York and Austin-based LiveOak Venture Partners. Oakland, CA-based Better Ventures also joined the round. Steve Wardle, Iris Plans’ co-founder and CEO, says the startup plans … Continue reading “Palliative Care-Focused Austin Startup Iris Plans Raises $5.1M”
Five Questions For … Anousheh Ansari, Tech CEO & Space Traveler
Dallas—As a teenager in Iran in the 1970s, Anousheh Ansari looked to the night sky and dreamed of going to space. When she was a teenager, she moved with her family to the United States. She couldn’t speak English, but as she learned the language, she says she was able to communicate through her love … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Anousheh Ansari, Tech CEO & Space Traveler”