Austin—The Zebra founder Adam Lyons has described the insurance startup as the “Kayak of insurance.” Now, The Zebra’s got a new CEO: the former head of Kayak. Keith Melnick, who was Kayak’s president, takes the reins at five-year-old The Zebra, a website that allows consumers to enter basic information about their car’s make, model, and … Continue reading “Fintech Startup Zebra Raises $40M, Seremedi, Alice & More Texas News”
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.
Hyperloop Finalists, Wooing Amazon, MassChallenge & More Texas News
Imagine being able to go from Dallas to Austin—around 200 miles—in 19 minutes instead of the three hours it takes to travel between the cities by car today? That’s the promise of the Hyperloop, a still-to-be developed mode of travel that entails people riding in pods or containers that travel through an above-ground vacuum tube … Continue reading “Hyperloop Finalists, Wooing Amazon, MassChallenge & More Texas News”
Five Questions For … WatchHerWork Founder and CEO Denise Hamilton
Houston—Technological innovation is sometimes rightly criticized for how it automates work, creating uncertain economic futures for many people. Denise Hamilton has decided to focus on how, as she puts it, technology can instead “inject people” into processes, amplifying their efforts. That ethos underpins the work she’s done recently to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, for … Continue reading “Five Questions For … WatchHerWork Founder and CEO Denise Hamilton”
Rebuilding Houston: Tech Tools Connect a City to Shelter, Food, & More
Houston—The storm waters from Harvey have nearly receded. Now, the painstaking work of rebuilding lives is underway. As the storm made landfall, Houston’s tech community—anchored by civic tech group Sketch City and the Station Houston co-working space—jumped in quickly to build tech tools to help rescue people from flooded homes and connect them to shelter … Continue reading “Rebuilding Houston: Tech Tools Connect a City to Shelter, Food, & More”
Entrepreneurs For Houston Launch $10M Fund to Aid Civic Tech Efforts
Houston—As Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Harvey slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast, a corps of civic tech volunteers ginned up mapping and other tools to help rescue and provide relief to Houston-area residents. Now, the Entrepreneurs for Houston group, formed in response to the disaster, says it has launched a $10 million campaign to raise a fund … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs For Houston Launch $10M Fund to Aid Civic Tech Efforts”
Tech Tools for Harvey and Irma, New Funds in Austin, & More TX News
[Updated: 9/11/17, 3:25 pm. See below.] For nearly two weeks, much of the Houston innovation system has been focused on Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Harvey’s multiple landfalls on the Texas Gulf Coast. Anchored by Sketch City and active social media networks, civic tech hackers have created websites, APIs, and mapping tools that helped groups like the Cajun … Continue reading “Tech Tools for Harvey and Irma, New Funds in Austin, & More TX News”
Harvey Techies Pass Baton, And APIs, To Florida Peers as Irma Nears
Houston—As Tropical Storm Harvey made landfall in Houston, Florida resident Leah Halbina messaged friends in the city asking how she could help. That was how she found out about Sketch City and the various civic tech projects the group and others were developing to aid rescue efforts, help people find shelter, and tend to other … Continue reading “Harvey Techies Pass Baton, And APIs, To Florida Peers as Irma Nears”
Voices of Harvey: ‘It’s Waterworld Out Here’
Houston—Katie Walthall Mehnert, founder and CEO of Pink Petro, is still waiting to go home. She has yet to begin the smelly process of mucking out her home or ripping out sheetrock. The heartbreaking chore of evaluating which waterlogged personal item is not so soggy that it can’t be kept is still a week or … Continue reading “Voices of Harvey: ‘It’s Waterworld Out Here’”
Voices of Harvey: ‘The Water Is Just Coming Into Every Room’
Houston—A week ago, Tropical Storm Harvey deluged Houston after making landfall near Corpus Christi, TX, about 200 miles down the Gulf Coast. Over six days, 27 trillion gallons of water fell on Texas—nearly four times the rainfall of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The region is beginning what will be a years-long rebuilding of homes, stores, … Continue reading “Voices of Harvey: ‘The Water Is Just Coming Into Every Room’”
Harvey Roundup: JLabs, Silicon Labs, Co-Working Refuges, & More
[Updated: 9/1/17 1:59 pm. See below.] Houston—The waters are starting to recede from Tropical Storm Harvey, but the work to get Houston and southeast Texas back up to speed is only starting. To help with that, technology communities across Texas are offering aid in the form of free co-working space, discounted rides, a corps of volunteers, … Continue reading “Harvey Roundup: JLabs, Silicon Labs, Co-Working Refuges, & More”
‘We Can’t Lose Them’: Supporting Houston’s Tech Ecosystem Post-Harvey
Houston—Like many living in the Houston area, Blair Garrou and his fellow partners at venture firm Mercury Fund were receiving a deluge of calls and texts asking how they could help people coping with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey. The result is an effort announced late Wednesday called “Entrepreneurs for Houston,” a group put … Continue reading “‘We Can’t Lose Them’: Supporting Houston’s Tech Ecosystem Post-Harvey”
Apps, Textbots, & Web Maps: Tech Ecosystem Aids Harvey Relief Effort
[Updated 9/1/17 3:10 pm] Houston—A Slack channel called #harvey has become a virtual command center for the city’s tech community during one of the most destructive natural disasters to hit Texas. A group of software programmers, website developers, and others meet around-the-clock on the online messaging system, exchanging code and advice to build a nearly … Continue reading “Apps, Textbots, & Web Maps: Tech Ecosystem Aids Harvey Relief Effort”
Social Media, Interactive Maps Tapped to Aid Harvey Rescue Efforts
Houston—Houston tech entrepreneur Shailendra Sinhasane spent the weekend reading desperate social media posts from people asking to be rescued from the rising floodwaters caused by Hurricane Harvey. “There were people on Facebook saying they are ready with their trucks to help, saying we have boats, but with social media posts, we had no idea who … Continue reading “Social Media, Interactive Maps Tapped to Aid Harvey Rescue Efforts”
Five Questions For … Dallas Entrepreneur & Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban
Dallas—Among the outsized personalities of Texas innovators, Mark Cuban stands out. The billionaire entrepreneur and investor owns the Dallas Mavericks professional basketball team, appears on the “Shark Tank” TV show, and now, perhaps, is mulling adding the Oval Office to his resume? Cuban, who made his fortune in 1999 when he sold his company Broadcast.com … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Dallas Entrepreneur & Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban”
UT Nominates MD Anderson Alum Peter Pisters to Replace DePinho
Austin—The University of Texas System Board of Regents Friday afternoon announced that Peter W.T. Pisters from the University Health Network in Toronto as the sole finalist to lead UT’s MD Anderson Cancer Center. The regents approved his nomination unanimously in a specially called board meeting in which board chairman Paul Foster said several candidates were … Continue reading “UT Nominates MD Anderson Alum Peter Pisters to Replace DePinho”
Regional Innovators Start Work to Promote Texas Ecosystem as a Whole
In building thriving startup ecosystems, experts say density is key. The idea is to have a critical mass of founders, investors, mentors, and executives mixing and mingling together. That sort of serendipity allows ideas to fully blossom. Think of Kendall Square or Sand Hill Road. But, for communities not on the East or West Coasts, … Continue reading “Regional Innovators Start Work to Promote Texas Ecosystem as a Whole”
Liftoff: Kickstarter-Backed Overhaul of NASA Mission Control Is A Go
Houston—NASA’s Mission Control is on its way to getting a major facelift, thanks to the help of a few thousand friends. A 30-day Kickstarter campaign that ended on Saturday raised $506,905 from 4,251 backers—an amount that is more than double the campaign’s goal of $250,000. The project is aimed at helping to pay for a … Continue reading “Liftoff: Kickstarter-Backed Overhaul of NASA Mission Control Is A Go”
Austin’s Apollo Endosurgery Responds to FDA Note After Patient Deaths
Austin—Two years after gaining FDA approval to market a minimally invasive gastrointestinal balloon to combat obesity, Apollo Endosurgery (NASDAQ: [[ticker:APEN]]) is now dealing with fallout from patient deaths following implantations of the device. In a letter to healthcare providers dated Aug. 10, the FDA stated that seven deaths occurred in patients with liquid-filled intragastric balloon … Continue reading “Austin’s Apollo Endosurgery Responds to FDA Note After Patient Deaths”
Five Questions For … Geekdom Fund Co-Founder Michael Girdley
San Antonio—Michael Girdley grew up as a self-described “techie kid,” who whiled away the hours trying to take apart his Apple II computer. “I was always attracted to tech,” he says. That interest led him to pursue a computer science degree at Lafayette College and, eventually, land in ground zero of the Internet age in … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Geekdom Fund Co-Founder Michael Girdley”
Alzeca Receives $11M for Early Alzheimer’s Detection Technology
Houston—Alzeca, which is developing an imaging agent to help doctors detect Alzheimer’s disease at its earliest stages, announced Thursday it has raised $11 million in a Series A round of funding. The Houston-based company has developed an imaging agent that it says can, when used with an MRI, detect the presence of abnormal brain proteins … Continue reading “Alzeca Receives $11M for Early Alzheimer’s Detection Technology”
WatchHerWork Uses Crowdsourced Videos to Empower Professional Women
Houston—Denise Hamilton, founder and CEO of WatchHerWork, says that when it comes to achieving a better gender balance in the workplace, “If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.” That mantra has provided the motivation for her startup—a website that features women offering testimonials of their experiences navigating a variety of workplace issues. “I … Continue reading “WatchHerWork Uses Crowdsourced Videos to Empower Professional Women”
Five Questions For … Rice Entrepreneurship Professor Yael Hochberg
Houston—Most tech entrepreneurs are intently focused on their startups, their innovation and potential customers. Yael Hochberg focuses on how and why those founders succeed—and, more importantly, how and why they might fail. As the head of Rice University’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, Hochberg is currently working with a $1.5 million grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Rice Entrepreneurship Professor Yael Hochberg”
Your Call Is Important: AI-Based Analytics Come to the Call Center
Houston and Dallas—Call centers proliferated as the Internet age took hold of the global economy. But, despite that connection, in many ways, call centers themselves haven’t kept up with innovations to make their operations as efficient as possible. That’s the view, at least, of two bootstrapped Texas software companies—AmplifAI and EthosIQ—that aim to bring new … Continue reading “Your Call Is Important: AI-Based Analytics Come to the Call Center”
Houston Biotech Oncolix Announces Reverse Merger, Goes Public
[Updated 8/7/17, 10:25 am. See below.] Houston—Oncolix, which is developing a treatment for ovarian cancer, announced Monday it has completed a reverse merger with Advanced Environmental Petroleum Producers ([[ticker:AEPP]]), making it a public company. The Houston-based Oncolix currently has ongoing a Phase I clinical trial in ovarian cancer patients for its prospective therapy, G129R (Prolanta). … Continue reading “Houston Biotech Oncolix Announces Reverse Merger, Goes Public”
Rice, UH Startups Pitch: Bedsores, Erectile Dysfunction & More
Houston—Not all of the startups that participate in a pitch day are actually viable companies. But, usually, each startup founder will take a place on stage extolling the virtues of their technologies, the unaddressed markets, and ask for mentors, industry connections, and money. Samantha Lewis, co-founder of SpecMobile, took a different tack. The Rice University … Continue reading “Rice, UH Startups Pitch: Bedsores, Erectile Dysfunction & More”
Oil and Gas Networking Website Oilpro Says It’s Shutting Down
Houston—Oilpro, a networking and social media website geared to the oil and gas industry, said Monday it is shutting down operations. No reason was given for the closure. In an e-mail to members, Oilpro told them they could download any content on their profiles until Wednesday, Aug. 2, after which the site will be taken … Continue reading “Oil and Gas Networking Website Oilpro Says It’s Shutting Down”
Hackathon Aims to Unearth Natural Resources Tech in Houston
Houston—An Australian group trying to spur innovation in the natural resources sector is headed to Houston to host a hackathon in partnership with BHP Petroleum. Unearthed, which is based in Perth, Australia, has hosted similar hackathons all over the world and will be bringing its “Digital Tribes” series to Texas for the first time in … Continue reading “Hackathon Aims to Unearth Natural Resources Tech in Houston”
Five Questions For … Tom Luby, Head of JLabs @ TMC in Houston
Houston—The business of healthcare is in Tom Luby’s blood. It started during a childhood often spent in a family room in the back of his parents’ pharmacy listening to them interact with patients and their caregivers. Those experiences led him to a biology degree at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh and … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Tom Luby, Head of JLabs @ TMC in Houston”
Houston’s Zenus Brings Facial Recognition Software to Event Check-Ins
Houston—For all the technological innovation on display at the annual South By Southwest Interactive festival, registration and check-in is still largely done the old-fashioned way. Similar to other large conventions, an attendee waits in line, hands over an ID to a registrar, gets a picture taken for a badge, and then receives the usual conference … Continue reading “Houston’s Zenus Brings Facial Recognition Software to Event Check-Ins”
Dallas IoT Software Maker Prodea Acquires California Rival Arrayent
Dallas—Prodea Systems, a suburban Dallas maker of Internet-connected software, has acquired a California-based competitor, Arrayent. “There are more and more services and systems and devices that would become smart and try to deliver information,” Anousheh Ansari, Prodea’s co-founder and CEO, said in an interview. “For example, we have connected dishwashers and refrigerators, but none of … Continue reading “Dallas IoT Software Maker Prodea Acquires California Rival Arrayent”
Five Questions for … Factom Co-Founder and CEO Peter Kirby
Austin—Peter Kirby describes his foray into entrepreneurship as “following threads of curiosity.” “That’s always led me to interesting places,” he says. “In this case, my curiosity was around Bitcoin.” That led him to Factom, a blockchain startup in Austin for which he is co-founder and CEO. Factom is a 3-year-old blockchain company that counts healthcare … Continue reading “Five Questions for … Factom Co-Founder and CEO Peter Kirby”
Aeglea CEO David Lowe Resigns, Anthony Quinn to be Interim Chief
Aeglea BioTherapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AGLE]]), an Austin biotech company, announced late Thursday that David Lowe has resigned as the company’s president, CEO and director, effective immediately, according to a press release. Anthony Quinn has been appointed to serve as interim chief executive officer while the company conducts a comprehensive search for a permanent chief executive officer. … Continue reading “Aeglea CEO David Lowe Resigns, Anthony Quinn to be Interim Chief”
Self Lender Raises More Cash to Help Consumers Build Credit
Austin—Self Lender, a credit-building loan app, reports that it has raised $5 million in funding. Investors include Deep Space Ventures in Dallas, Silverton Partners in Austin, Acumen Venture Partners, and Accion Venture Lab, says James Garvey, Self Lender’s founder and CEO. The company previously raised $2 million in 2015, SEC filings show. The two-year-old startup, … Continue reading “Self Lender Raises More Cash to Help Consumers Build Credit”
Iron Yard, Coding School With Three Texas Campuses, Shuts Down
The Iron Yard coding school, which has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Austin, TX, announced Thursday that it is shutting down operations. In a blog post on the school’s website, communications director Lelia King wrote that “the Iron Yard has made the difficult decision to cease operations at all campuses after teaching out remaining summer … Continue reading “Iron Yard, Coding School With Three Texas Campuses, Shuts Down”
New Frontier: Space Center Crowdfunds for Mission Control Facelift
[Updated 7/25/17 5:18 pm. See below.] Houston—Houston, Mission Control has a problem. The storied control room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston—recognizable to many of us from 1960s news clips of the dawn of the Space Age––is in need of a face-lift. And so, Space Center Houston, the visitor’s center for the JSC, has turned … Continue reading “New Frontier: Space Center Crowdfunds for Mission Control Facelift”
BioAffinity Raises $4M to Continue Tests on Lung Cancer Diagnostic
San Antonio—BioAffinity Technologies, the maker of a diagnostic test that is currently focused on lung cancer, announced it has raised $4 million in a Series A funding. Investors in the round include family offices and high net worth individuals on the East and West coasts, says Maria Zannes, bioAffinity’s CEO. With the new investment, the … Continue reading “BioAffinity Raises $4M to Continue Tests on Lung Cancer Diagnostic”
Laing Tapped to Lead New Capital City Innovation District in Austin
Austin—The Texas capital is already known as a hub for young innovative tech companies. Now, Austin is working on expanding its entrepreneurial portfolio with a new innovation zone targeting biotech. Austin leaders recently announced that Christopher Laing will be the first executive director of the Capital City Innovation District, a 14-acre zone in downtown Austin … Continue reading “Laing Tapped to Lead New Capital City Innovation District in Austin”
Tech Leaders Decry “Bathroom Bills” Aimed at Transgender People
Austin—The Texas Legislature convened today in a special session and among the issues lawmakers will debate include controversial “bathroom bills,” legislation that would require transgender people to use restrooms that match the sex of their birth. Prominent tech leaders—from IBM, Google, Facebook, Dell, and other companies—have come out against these types of bills. These leaders … Continue reading “Tech Leaders Decry “Bathroom Bills” Aimed at Transgender People”
Roundup: Nomad Health & Blinker Arrive in Texas, SourceDay, & More
Let’s get caught up on the latest news from Xconomy Texas. In the last week, two startups announced they’re now offering their services in the Lone Star State. —Nomad Health, an online market for healthcare jobs, has started offering placements for short-term nurse vacancies in Texas, and plans to roll that service out nationwide, according … Continue reading “Roundup: Nomad Health & Blinker Arrive in Texas, SourceDay, & More”
Five Questions for … Austin Biotech Entrepreneur Laura Bosworth
Austin—A few minutes of conversation have made up many of the pivot points in Laura Bosworth’s professional life. Bosworth is the founder and CEO of TeVido BioDevices, an Austin regenerative medicine company aiming to use 3D printing technology to construct a more natural nipple in breast reconstruction. Her path to entrepreneurship came, she says, from … Continue reading “Five Questions for … Austin Biotech Entrepreneur Laura Bosworth”
Accenture Acquires Austin Data Analytics Company Clearhead
Austin—Clearhead, which helps companies “personalize” digital tools used by their customers, has been acquired by Accenture (NYSE: [[ticker:ACN]]). The Austin, TX-based company has developed data analytics software that helps its customers, who are companies such as USAA and CVS Pharmacy, improve and personalize their digital tools aimed at end users, such as online shoppers. Clearhead … Continue reading “Accenture Acquires Austin Data Analytics Company Clearhead”
AngelMD Aims to Harness Houston Physician Braintrust for Investments
Houston—In the last few years, Houston’s biotech community has made big strides in assembling the ingredients needed to build a robust innovation ecosystem. But one factor, capital, remains in short supply, says Dan Parsley of angelMD. That’s partly why the Seattle-based investment platform opened a Houston office last September. The idea is to help bridge … Continue reading “AngelMD Aims to Harness Houston Physician Braintrust for Investments”
Roundup: LiveOak, Memorial Hermann, AT&T, March Capital, & DigniCap
Let’s catch up on the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —LiveOak Venture Partners announced today it has led a $4.7 million funding round for Telestax, which makes a technology that combines traditional telecommunications with new business apps in order to provide real-time communications tools that can scale. Telestax supports 900 million calls and 200 … Continue reading “Roundup: LiveOak, Memorial Hermann, AT&T, March Capital, & DigniCap”
Five Questions For … Fannin Innovation Studio’s Atul Varadhachary
Houston—Blame it on Bollywood, maybe, but growing up, Atul Varadhachary had his head in the stars. Like many Indians, he considered what he calls the “straightforward path” of pursuing a career in engineering or medicine. “But I really wanted to be an astrophysicist,” he says. Varadhachary got admission to both engineering and medical schools and … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Fannin Innovation Studio’s Atul Varadhachary”
Building Bridges: IATA Aims to Foster Innovation Across the Americas
Houston—In recent weeks, about 50 students from five Latin American universities have been exploring ways to promote innovative technologies related to connected cars and automotive production. The group has spent the last two weeks in the central Mexican city of Puebla, which is home to manufacturing plants for many multinational car companies such as Volkswagen … Continue reading “Building Bridges: IATA Aims to Foster Innovation Across the Americas”
Acer Therapeutics Announces Reverse Merger With Houston’s Opexa
[Updated 6/6/17, 8:04 am] Houston—Opexa Therapeutics is the target of a reverse merger with Acer Therapeutics, a privately held pharmaceutical company based in the Boston area. In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission Monday, the companies announced the arrangement and also said that Cambridge, MA-based Acer would receive $15.7 million in a financing … Continue reading “Acer Therapeutics Announces Reverse Merger With Houston’s Opexa”
Texas Medical Center Leadership Turmoil: Here are the Latest Moves
Houston—The Texas Medical Center’s leadership upheaval continued this week with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announcing that it eliminated executive vice president roles as part of a new leadership structure. As a result, executive vice presidents Ethan Dmitrovsky, Thomas Buchholz, and Dan Fontaine have been relieved of those duties. Buchholz will continue … Continue reading “Texas Medical Center Leadership Turmoil: Here are the Latest Moves”
Mission (To Be) Accomplished: Building Houston’s Innovation Ecosystem
Houston—Houston has all the ingredients to be an economic powerhouse, but the city won’t be able to become one unless civic and business leaders support the city’s fledgling tech community. That finding, and other recommendations on how to support an “innovation strategy” for the city, were presented today to the Houston City Council task force members … Continue reading “Mission (To Be) Accomplished: Building Houston’s Innovation Ecosystem”
New Blood: Zielke Transfers Reins of Tech Wildcatters Accelerator
[Corrected 6/30/17, 12:40 pm, and updated 7/3/17, 11:44 am. See below.] Dallas—After a year of presiding over management shuffles, Tech Wildcatters co-founder Gabriella Draney Zielke is announcing an executive change that hits close to home. Zielke is handing over day-to-day duties of the Dallas-based accelerator program to Ricky Tejapaibul, a relative newcomer to North Texas with a … Continue reading “New Blood: Zielke Transfers Reins of Tech Wildcatters Accelerator”
A Sign of Success? Startup Co-Working Space Start Houston Closes
Houston—Five years ago this month, Gaurav Khandelwal and Apurva Sanghavi opened the doors of Start Houston, a co-working space in the shadow of Houston’s downtown that hosted a monthly demo day for tech startups. “There was a tremendous need,” Khandelwal says. “The meetups we were attending were at restaurants, bars, or in people’s homes all … Continue reading “A Sign of Success? Startup Co-Working Space Start Houston Closes”