Author: Robert Buderi

Bob is Xconomy's founder and chairman. He is one of the country's foremost journalists covering business and technology. As a noted author and magazine editor, he is a sought-after commentator on innovation and global competitiveness. Before taking his most recent position as a research fellow in MIT's Center for International Studies, Bob served as Editor in Chief of MIT's Technology Review, then a 10-times-a-year publication with a circulation of 315,000. Bob led the magazine to numerous editorial and design awards and oversaw its expansion into three foreign editions, electronic newsletters, and highly successful conferences. As BusinessWeek's technology editor, he shared in the 1992 National Magazine Award for The Quality Imperative. Bob is the author of four books about technology and innovation. Naval Innovation for the 21st Century (2013) is a post-Cold War account of the Office of Naval Research. Guanxi (2006) focuses on Microsoft's Beijing research lab as a metaphor for global competitiveness. Engines of Tomorrow (2000) describes the evolution of corporate research. The Invention That Changed the World (1996) covered a secret lab at MIT during WWII. Bob served on the Council on Competitiveness-sponsored National Innovation Initiative and is an advisor to the Draper Prize Nominating Committee. He has been a regular guest of CNBC's Strategy Session and has spoken about innovation at many venues, including the Business Council, Amazon, eBay, Google, IBM, and Microsoft.

Xconomy Launches in Seattle

Good morning Boston. Good morning Seattle. And good morning world. Today marks the public debut of the Xconomy network, as we launch both a Seattle website that will serve as a sister to our original Boston/Kendall Square site and a national overview site designed to be a gateway to both cities. (This means some changes … Continue reading “Xconomy Launches in Seattle”

Varolii Shelves IPO: Seattle Software Maker Founded by MIT Grads Has Boston Operations… and Shareholders

Seattle software maker Varolii, which makes tools that help businesses communicate over multiple channels—voice, SMS, Web, fax, pager, e-mail—said on Friday it would not proceed with its IPO plans “due to the difficult market conditions for initial public offerings.” The offering, which was expected to raise up to $86 million, affects both Seattle and the … Continue reading “Varolii Shelves IPO: Seattle Software Maker Founded by MIT Grads Has Boston Operations… and Shareholders”

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Cultivating Successful Businesses Around Universities in Boston

We all know the startup culture is rich around MIT and the Boston area. But what are the real reasons, and how can you successfully access and incorporate the innovation spawned in the great universities in the region? This panel, put on by the Office for Science and Technology of the French Embassy and the … Continue reading “Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Cultivating Successful Businesses Around Universities in Boston”

Will “Motley Crew” Band of Financiers Drive Celts to Banner 17?

I love hoops. Bill Aulet of the MIT Entrepreneurship Center, no slouch himself on the hardwood, calls me “Danger.” I like to think it’s because whenever I go up for the J, the other team is in danger—due to my dead-eye shooting. But some say, especially these days, it’s simply dangerous for other players when … Continue reading “Will “Motley Crew” Band of Financiers Drive Celts to Banner 17?”

Liberal VCs, (More) Conservative CEOs: A Who’s Who of Presidential Campaign Donors in the Boston Innovation Community

Leading partners from top Boston venture firms have given more than three times as much money to Democratic presidential candidates (3.3 times as much to be more precise) as they have to Republican candidates. That’s even more lopsided than the roughly 2.3-to-1 ratio for notoriously liberal Massachusetts residents as a whole, according to Federal Election … Continue reading “Liberal VCs, (More) Conservative CEOs: A Who’s Who of Presidential Campaign Donors in the Boston Innovation Community”

$9M Second Round for First Coverage

First Coverage, a Toronto provider of Web-based financial information management solutions with U.S. headquarters in Boston, has raised $9 million in Series B funding, the company announced today. Waltham, MA-based Commonwealth Capital Ventures led the round, joined by return investors GrandBanks Capital of Boston and Toronto-based JLA Ventures.

Hexcel Lands $4-5B Airbus Contract

Stamford, CT-based Hexcel (NYSE: [[ticker:HXL]]) announced today that it has landed a multi-year contract to supply carbon fiber composite materials for Airbus’s planned A350 XWB long-range planes. The award, which spans all A350 XWB aircraft produced through 2025, is expected to generate revenues of between $4 billion and $5 billion, Hexcel said.

MIT Thinkers Weigh in on the Most Important Advances About to Change the World

Think helper robots anyone can afford. Or garden and household waste that powers your home, personalized digital fabrication, and well, not living forever, but for a lot longer, thanks to tissue-regeneration technology and other disease prevention advances. MIT has polled a group of top researchers about the most important economy-boosting, life-changing technologies and advances they … Continue reading “MIT Thinkers Weigh in on the Most Important Advances About to Change the World”

ZoomInfo Ad Targeting Spinoff Launches in SF

A few months ago, when we zoomed in on ZoomInfo, the Waltham, MA-based business database company was beta testing an ad-targeting service designed to quickly identify website visitors and serve up ads customized for people in their specific job categories. It’s all about business demographics, or “bizographics.” As Wade wrote, “In a way, ZoomInfo’s service … Continue reading “ZoomInfo Ad Targeting Spinoff Launches in SF”

Wilson TurboPower Boosted by 500K

Wilson TurboPower has received $500,000 from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to develop its MIT-invented industrial heat exchanger, which is expected to lower the cost of electricity generation from biomass and fuel cells, the Woburn, MA-based firm announced today. The funding was provided through the collaborative’s Sustainable Energy Economic Development Initiative, which supports commercialization of renewable … Continue reading “Wilson TurboPower Boosted by 500K”

CBS Buys CNET—A Nice Spark for Spark

The news wires were ablaze last Thursday with word that CBS was moving to extend its online reach by acquiring CNET Networks for a cool $1.8 billion—a 45 percent premium over CNET’s trading price the day before. That wasn’t a local story, and we were just following along because we like big online media buys. … Continue reading “CBS Buys CNET—A Nice Spark for Spark”

Ars Technica Reportedly Bought By Condé Nast for $25 Million

Ars Technica, the widely read Malden, MA, tech blog for the computer set, has been acquired by media giant Condé Nast and will effectively become part of Wired and its growing digital assets, TechCrunch is reporting this afternoon. The purchase price is in the neighborhood of $25 million, about the same as what Condé Nast … Continue reading “Ars Technica Reportedly Bought By Condé Nast for $25 Million”

HubSpot Optimizes With $12 Million Financing Round

Search engine optimization and online marketing software provider and consultancy HubSpot has raised $12 million in a Series B round led by Matrix Partners, the Cambridge, MA-based company announced. Wade wrote about HubSpot in August, around the time it received $5 million from Cambridge’s General Catalyst Partners. As he described the firm, “the company’s Web-based … Continue reading “HubSpot Optimizes With $12 Million Financing Round”

Diagnostics-For-All Wins it All in 100K Competition

Diagnostics-For-All, a non-profit venture aiming to provide low-cost diagnostic tools to global health workers, won the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition last night. It’s been a week of business plan and entrepreneurship prizes, as we have chronicled in a series of articles. But the 19-year-old 100K competition is the granddaddy of them all. Organizers say the … Continue reading “Diagnostics-For-All Wins it All in 100K Competition”

The Next Great Internet Company—Who Cares? A Few Observations from Inside the 100K Contest

What will be the next great Internet company? Will it be a firm developing technology for online video guides, or one with a new way to assess and manage Web security risks? Maybe it will be a company mining customer data for small and medium-sized businesses, one building an online ad management system for Chinese … Continue reading “The Next Great Internet Company—Who Cares? A Few Observations from Inside the 100K Contest”

FloDesign Wins 200K Energy Prize

Updated—There was a lot of energy in the room. And why not? It was the finals of the MIT Clean Energy Entrepreneurship Prize competition—and five finalists were vying for the $200,000 cash grand prize. Some 150 folks attended the event last night at Le Meridien Hotel in Cambridge, MA. And when it was over, the … Continue reading “FloDesign Wins 200K Energy Prize”

Fate Therapeutics Chooses CEO—Will Be Based in San Diego

After a months-long hunt, Fate Therapeutics, the superstar-laden, bi-coastal stem cell startup backed chiefly by Waltham, MA-based Polaris Venture Partners and Arch Venture Partners of Seattle, has named its CEO, the Seattle Times reported and company sources confirmed today. The CEO choice is Paul Grayson, previously of the San Diego arm of California-based Sanderling Ventures, … Continue reading “Fate Therapeutics Chooses CEO—Will Be Based in San Diego”

MIT Clean Energy Entrepreneurship Prize—Awards Show

The five finalists have been announced. Now it’s time for the showdown. Come see which team will take home the $200,000 grand prize. The evening starts with a reception celebrating all 20 semi-finalists, followed by live presentations of the five remaining contenders. There’ll be live audience voting for the fan favorite, and the overall winner … Continue reading “MIT Clean Energy Entrepreneurship Prize—Awards Show”

TiECON East 2008

The annual conference of TiE, The Indus Entrepeneurs, is back with its extreme look at entrepreneurship, innovation, and global opportunity. There’s a special entrepreneur’s forum on the opening night, followed by a big day of conferencing, networking, and more. Speakers include Craig Newmark of Craigslist fame, Sycamore Networks founder Desh Deshpande, Daniel Palestrant, CEO of … Continue reading “TiECON East 2008”

Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation Day

The challenge is bringing ideas to industry. And the Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation Day is the Bay State’s annual celebration and showcase of innovations in Massachusetts research institutions that are advacing the local life sciences industry and global healthcare. “What technologies,” the program asks, “are currently emerging which have the potential to change the industry? … Continue reading “Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation Day”

Biogen Idec Sets Date for Showdown With Icahn, Proxy Battle Begins

The meeting date has been set, the battle lines drawn, proxy salvos lobbed. And one famous Biogen Idec board member goes unnamed. That’s the latest in the struggle between Biogen Idec and Carl Icahn. Yesterday, at long last, Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) set June 19 as the date for its annual meeting—where shareholders will chose between … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Sets Date for Showdown With Icahn, Proxy Battle Begins”

Eons Creates New Chief Product Officer Position, Looks to the Cloud for Some Services

After losing its second chief technology officer in seven months, Eons is looking to revamp the position by creating a new chief product officer job that combines technology and product development responsibilities, according to CEO Jeff Taylor. On a related front, Taylor says the company is eyeing moving some of its storage—so far done on … Continue reading “Eons Creates New Chief Product Officer Position, Looks to the Cloud for Some Services”

Who Knew? Take 2: More Strange-But-True Details of Boston’s Innovation Leaders

Personal insights. Conversation starters. Gossip. Whatever the excuse, it’s high time for the second installment in Xconomy’s Who Knew? series, our wildly popular roundup of little-known, offbeat facts about the New England innovation community (and a few outside innovators with ties to the local scene). In this installment, you’ll learn who runs his own indoor … Continue reading “Who Knew? Take 2: More Strange-But-True Details of Boston’s Innovation Leaders”

Leostream Channels $3M Series A Funding

Waltham, MA-based desktop virtualization software company Leostream, which lets users sign on to personalized desktop environments remotely, has completed a $3 million Series A funding round led by Meakem Becker Venture Capital, according to PE Hub, which cites a regulatory filing.

As Y Combinator Prepares to Open Summer Camp, Paul Graham Speaks

Y Combinator bills itself as “a new kind of venture firm specializing in funding early stage startups.” The company also has a different kind of headquarters, one that alternates between Cambridge, MA, during the summer and Mountain View, CA, during the winter. And, as Wade noted a few weeks ago, Y Combinator’s summer camp for … Continue reading “As Y Combinator Prepares to Open Summer Camp, Paul Graham Speaks”

Moldflow Bought for $297M

Framingham, MA-based Moldflow (NASDAQ:[[ticker:MFLO]]), a maker of software to aid in the design and manufacturing of plastic components, will be acquired by California’s Autodesk for $22 a share, or approximately $297 million, Autodesk announced yesterday.

UNDERGROUND 2008

This open-invitation conference is designed for student entrepreneurs, by student entrepreneurs—including Xconomist Forum contributor Albert Park—and Xconomy is proud to be a sponsor. As the event material states, “It’s time that we students improve support and collaboration amongst our community. Come represent your school and meet future teammates and friends from MIT, Harvard, Babson, BU, … Continue reading “UNDERGROUND 2008”

Workshop Tackles the $64M Question: Is Boston’s Venture Ecosystem Losing More Ground to Silicon Valley?

Is the Boston venture capital community losing some of its edge? Vinit Nijhawan is concerned it might be. Starting at noon today, a select group of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, venture fund investors, and others will join the Xconomist for an invitation-only workshop at Boston University’s School of Management to take a critical look at the … Continue reading “Workshop Tackles the $64M Question: Is Boston’s Venture Ecosystem Losing More Ground to Silicon Valley?”

Venture Performance Strong in 2007—Questions Raised About New Year

The data are in on fourth quarter 2007 venture capital returns, and it was a very good year for venture funds. They returned 19.5 percent for the year, far outstripping the stock market. That’s the good news in figures released today by Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association. But the picture is more … Continue reading “Venture Performance Strong in 2007—Questions Raised About New Year”

Cambridge Science Festival

The Cambridge Science Festival, nine days of celebrating Cambridge’s science and technology leadership, is out to make science “accessible, interactive and fun” via a pot-pourri of activities that include lectures, debates, exhibitions, concerts, plays, workshops, and more. Here’s the schedule of events.

Are You, Were You, Will You Be Ready for IPO?

Late last January, on the heels of BG Medicine and Elixir Pharmaceuticals pulling their planned initial public offerings, I moderated a panel at MIT’s Kresge Auditorium examining the IPO climate and separating myth from reality (IPOs, for instance, are NOT exit events). The panel was offered by the MIT Enterprise Forum. My knowledgeable, and entertaining … Continue reading “Are You, Were You, Will You Be Ready for IPO?”

Top First Quarter New England Venture Investments

Updated: It wasn’t a pretty quarter—Q1 2008, that is—for venture deals, particularly in New England. But the 11 area firms listed below didn’t seem to be complaining, as all received venture investments of $10 million or more. Topping the diverse list is Boston’s Mascoma, which is researching genetically engineered bacteria that speed up the conversion … Continue reading “Top First Quarter New England Venture Investments”

Collaboration and Competition in a Globalised World

In case you hadn’t heard, the world is flat, and innovation is the steamroller. This event, put on by Boston University School of Management, features The Right Honorable John Denham, Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills. Denham will be speaking on Innovation Nation, a white paper “establishing a comprehensive roadmap to … Continue reading “Collaboration and Competition in a Globalised World”

Aurora, Draper Labs, and BAE Team, IBM’s Merger Machine Steams, Lonelygirl15 Beams, & More Deals News

New England firms had a dismal first quarter in terms of securing venture capital investment, but the past week saw a few of them make stabs at turning around Q2, in much the same way the Sox came back to beat the Rangers. —Stromedix of Cambridge, MA closed a $25 million Series B financing led … Continue reading “Aurora, Draper Labs, and BAE Team, IBM’s Merger Machine Steams, Lonelygirl15 Beams, & More Deals News”

New England Venture Investment Falls Sharply in Q1—But Exactly How Far Is the Question

Venture investments in New England firms were down in the first quarter of 2008. Way down. But just how far they tumbled is a matter of debate—as regional numbers from the two leading venture-data sources, just released, differ far more than usual. New England remained in second place nationwide in one study, but fell from … Continue reading “New England Venture Investment Falls Sharply in Q1—But Exactly How Far Is the Question”

VisEn Medical Sees $5M in Expanded Series B Round

Woburn, MA-based VisEn Medical, which develops fluorescence technology for non-invasive in vivo imaging, today announced it has raised $5 million in an expanded Series B financing round led by Merck Capital Ventures and Flagship Ventures. The initial Series B round, closed last November, took in $7 million.

GM Savors A123Systems and Coskata Deals Amid Dreams of Clean Vehicles That Can’t Crash

When General Motors unveiled its lavish 330-acre, Eero Saarinen-designed technical center in 1956, company president Harlow Curtice cruised to the podium in a shark-finned, bubble-domed Firebird II gas turbine experimental car. “We must put more emphasis on basic research, pure research,” Curtice declared, later adding, “I hope you will come to regard the General Motors … Continue reading “GM Savors A123Systems and Coskata Deals Amid Dreams of Clean Vehicles That Can’t Crash”

Biogen Idec Announces Its Own Director Slate—Digs in Against Icahn

Biogen Idec’s battle with Carl Icahn is heating up in advance of the firm’s upcoming annual meeting—for which a date has yet to be announced. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech giant today revealed its slate for the four director seats up for election. They will be contending against three candidates Icahn put forth in January. Biogen … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Announces Its Own Director Slate—Digs in Against Icahn”

BSX Snares CryoCor for $17.6 Million

Boston Scientific will acquire San Diego-based CryoCor, with which it has an existing agreement to develop treatments for cardiac arrhythmia, for approximately $17.6 million, the company announced today. Under the cash deal, Natick, MA-based Boston Scientific (NYSE: [[ticker:BSX]]) will pay $1.35 per share for CryoCor (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CRYO]]), which represents a roughly 20 percent premium over … Continue reading “BSX Snares CryoCor for $17.6 Million”

Aileron Raises $10 Million

Cambridge-based biopharmaceutical company Aileron Therapeutics, which is developing peptide drugs for the treatment of cancer and other diseases, has raised $10 million in a private placement of preferred stock, the company announced today. Apple Tree Partners and the Novartis Venture Fund led the round.

MIT Sloan Sales Conference

“The science and strategies of champion rainmakers.” That’s the title of the 2008 MIT Sloan Sales Conference, which brings together top industry experts, leading academics, and business students for a day of learning, networking, and rainmaking. Bob will be moderating the morning’s Sales Automation and Management panel.

The Funded Opens Individual VC Ratings to Public View

Gossip and the inside dope are hard to resist—especially when they pertain to people who might hold your company’s fate in the palm of their hands. So, when you think about it, it was only a matter of time before the controversial website TheFunded opened up its venture capitalist ratings to more widespread view. The … Continue reading “The Funded Opens Individual VC Ratings to Public View”

Life Sciences 2028—Three Snapshots of the Future

A genetic disease probability chart for each person. Drugs prescribed, based on genetic profiles, for those most likely to respond well. The integration of molecular and cellular biology with engineering to not only produce better medicines and “nutraceuticals,” but to enhance agricultural output and the availability of biofuels. This is just a snapshot of what … Continue reading “Life Sciences 2028—Three Snapshots of the Future”

China, India and Russia—Our Partners in the New Global Economy

Remember the old New Economy—back in the bubble days? This event, put on by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, looks at the New, New Economy, whereby competition and opportunities for cooperation abound globally. It’s focused on networking and business opportunities in three of the largest emerging markets—China, Russia, and India. The opening keynote is by … Continue reading “China, India and Russia—Our Partners in the New Global Economy”

Twist of Fate—How A Band of VCs Recruited a Scientific Dream Team to Control Our Cells’ Destinies

“Like all VCs,” Amir Nashat is saying, “we come late to the story.” Nashat is talking about the formation of Fate Therapeutics, and in one sense what he’s saying is true. Venture capitalists bankroll, advise, strengthen, and help grow companies built around other people’s innovations—and so the story of even a very early stage startup … Continue reading “Twist of Fate—How A Band of VCs Recruited a Scientific Dream Team to Control Our Cells’ Destinies”

Icahn Turns Up Heat, Files Suit to Force Biogen Idec to Turn Over Records of Failed Sale

Activist investor Carl Icahn launched another salvo in his battle to force a sale of Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]), filing a suit yesterday in a Delaware court demanding that the Cambridge biotech turn over documents related to its unsuccessful effort to sell itself last year. Icahn has previously charged that the sale process, which was … Continue reading “Icahn Turns Up Heat, Files Suit to Force Biogen Idec to Turn Over Records of Failed Sale”