For most patients—and for many drug developers—healthcare reimbursement policies can present a daunting maze of restrictions and uncertainties. But for some tech companies, those policies can be accelerants that boost the chances that new products will be adopted. That’s the case for Reflexion Health, which benefits from U.S. insurance coverage regulations that create openings for … Continue reading “Virtual Physical Therapy Firms Reflexion and MindMaze Probe Markets”
Author: Bernadette Tansey
Bernadette Tansey is a former editor of Xconomy San Francisco. She has covered information technology, biotechnology, business, law, environment, and government as a Bay area journalist. She has written about edtech, mobile apps, social media startups, and life sciences companies for Xconomy, and tracked the adoption of Web tools by small businesses for CNBC. She was a biotechnology reporter for the business section of the San Francisco Chronicle, where she also wrote about software developers and early commercial companies in nanotechnology and synthetic biology.
Largest Startup Class Yet Enters UC Berkeley’s Expanding Accelerator
More than a hundred startup teams are beginning a training and mentoring program this month at the Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator—the largest group ever accepted to the UC Berkeley program since it was founded in 2012. Aside from the funding, free office rent, and other resources offered by the startup accelerator located near the edge of … Continue reading “Largest Startup Class Yet Enters UC Berkeley’s Expanding Accelerator”
Intel CEO Resigns After Board Learns of His Relationship With Employee
Intel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTC]]) announced Thursday that CEO Brian Krzanich has resigned in the wake of the company’s recent discovery that he had been involved in a past consensual relationship with an Intel employee. The relationship violated Intel’s non-fraternization policy—the finding of an ongoing investigation by internal and external counsel, the company said in a written … Continue reading “Intel CEO Resigns After Board Learns of His Relationship With Employee”
Latticework Launches Personal Hybrid Cloud for Private Data-Sharing
Were you aghast at revelations that third-party organizations were able to capture millions of Facebook profiles from users who were unaware of the company’s privacy policy terms? If so, a Silicon Valley startup is hoping to entice you with a new option for private data storage of your personal digital life, along with private channels … Continue reading “Latticework Launches Personal Hybrid Cloud for Private Data-Sharing”
Goldman Sachs Leads $43M Funding for Website Platform NGINX
NGINX Inc., a Web application delivery platform company built on the open-source Web server NGINX, announced today it raised $43 million in a Series C fundraising to advance its system for helping clients modernize their websites. The funding round, which brings NGINX’s total venture capital haul to $103 million, was led by Goldman Sachs Growth … Continue reading “Goldman Sachs Leads $43M Funding for Website Platform NGINX”
CrowdStrike Hauls In $200M, Reports Valuation Over $3 Billion
CrowdStrike, a Silicon Valley cybersecurity company that fends off hackers by patrolling the edge devices connected to a network, announced today it raised $200 million in a financing round that sets the company’s valuation at more than $3 billion. Sunnyvale, CA-based CrowdStrike, as an endpoint protection and response platform, uses next-generation antivirus software, scans for … Continue reading “CrowdStrike Hauls In $200M, Reports Valuation Over $3 Billion”
Benchling Scores $14.5M to Grow Online Lab Notebook for Bio-Researchers
New immunotherapy approaches to cancer treatment, and the CRISPR technology for editing genetic material in cells, are among the most sophisticated research strategies scientists are using in their quest to defeat disease. But as researchers develop these techniques based on manipulating biological molecules, they may still be recording their experimental results by a method untouched … Continue reading “Benchling Scores $14.5M to Grow Online Lab Notebook for Bio-Researchers”
Data Centers on Wheels: How Intel Plans to Capitalize on Mobility
Intel sealed its commitment to become a player in the burgeoning autonomous vehicle industry when it bought computer vision company Mobileye for more than $15 billion in 2017. The venerable Santa Clara, CA-based chipmaker is betting that its data analytics and connectivity chops—as well as its semiconductors—combined with Mobileye’s computer vision and mapping functions, will … Continue reading “Data Centers on Wheels: How Intel Plans to Capitalize on Mobility”
Double-Digit Funding Rounds for Fintech Startups BlueVine, Chime, Marqeta
[Updated 6/11/18, 11:13 am. See below.] A trio of Bay Area fintech companies announced fundraising rounds in the double-digit millions over the past week to help build out their alternative services in small business lending, consumer banking, and payment cards. Silicon Valley venture capital firm Menlo Ventures led two of the funding rounds. —BlueVine, an … Continue reading “Double-Digit Funding Rounds for Fintech Startups BlueVine, Chime, Marqeta”
Arevo Adds $12.5M to Expand 3D Printing into Manufacturing
[Updated 5/17/18, 9:45 am. See below.] Silicon Valley company Arevo, which competes with a growing number of rivals to transform 3D printing into a tool for mass manufacturing, announced today it raised $12.5 million in a Series B financing round. Arevo’s technology mix—which combines automated printing equipment with Web-based software and customized raw materials—exemplifies the … Continue reading “Arevo Adds $12.5M to Expand 3D Printing into Manufacturing”
New CEO in Driver’s Seat as Autonomic Scales Up Mobility Cloud
Autonomic, the Silicon Valley startup acquired in February by Ford Smart Mobility, announced growth plans for its Web-based transportation app development platform today, and a reshuffling of its leadership team. The new CEO is Gavin Sherry, who will steer an expansion of the Ford subsidiary’s Transportation Mobility Cloud, a software development hub that will be … Continue reading “New CEO in Driver’s Seat as Autonomic Scales Up Mobility Cloud”
ThoughtSpot Nabs $145M To Democratize A.I.-Driven Data Analysis
ThoughtSpot, which enables its clients’ ordinary staffers to conduct advanced data analysis to inform their business decisions, announced today that it has raised $145 million in a Series D funding round. The big funding infusion will help ThoughtSpot expand its global customer base, and it’s also good news for the company’s R&D and commercialization centers … Continue reading “ThoughtSpot Nabs $145M To Democratize A.I.-Driven Data Analysis”
Fictiv Raises $15M To Connect Tech Innovators & Parts Manufacturers
Fictiv, a San Francisco software startup that links hardware developers with parts manufacturers in China, announced Tuesday that it has raised $15 million in a Series B funding round led by a China-based investment firm, alongside investments from well-known American tech backers such as Bill Gates and Intel. Fictiv’s goal is to speed up the … Continue reading “Fictiv Raises $15M To Connect Tech Innovators & Parts Manufacturers”
Mesosphere Raises $125M To Automate App Operations for Businesses
Mesosphere, which helps businesses deploy advanced apps and automate operations within their IT infrastructure, announced Monday that it has raised $125 million in a Series D funding round. San Francisco-based Mesosphere aims to make it easier even for non-tech companies, such as retailers and cruise ship lines, to develop new digital features, such as streaming … Continue reading “Mesosphere Raises $125M To Automate App Operations for Businesses”
Cord-Cutting for Kids: Video App Kanopy Adds Free Children’s Shows
If you’ve already liberated yourself from a cable subscription in favor of streaming video services over the Internet, you’re parcelling out your dollars to get the content you want most from services such as Netflix, Hulu, and N.B.A. League Pass. A lesser-known option, Kanopy, offers an unusual streaming subscription deal: Pay nothing, because your university … Continue reading “Cord-Cutting for Kids: Video App Kanopy Adds Free Children’s Shows”
California’s Top Court Sets Tougher New Rules on Hiring “Gig Workers”
California employers who classify their workers as independent contractors will be consulting their lawyers today, says A. Mark Pope, an attorney who helped persuade the state’s highest court to establish sweeping new restrictions on hiring so-called “gig workers.” The California Supreme Court on Monday set new standards that will make it harder for companies in … Continue reading “California’s Top Court Sets Tougher New Rules on Hiring “Gig Workers””
The Hive Closes $26.5M Third Fund to Create More A.I. Startups
Some people may be horrified by the awesome powers of artificial intelligence, fearing that even their own skilled jobs will be taken over by machines. Others, faced with a pile of work just to keep a business humming along smoothly, might secretly yearn for robotic reinforcements. For those people, help may be on the way … Continue reading “The Hive Closes $26.5M Third Fund to Create More A.I. Startups”
Savari Raises $12M To Connect Cars To Stoplights, Phones, Each Other
Savari, whose technology is designed to create a shared communications web among cars, personal devices, and roadway signals, announced today it has raised $12 million in a Series B fundraising round. Santa Clara, CA-based Savari makes V2X technology—that is, software and hardware sensor units designed to connect vehicles to everything that moves, so they can … Continue reading “Savari Raises $12M To Connect Cars To Stoplights, Phones, Each Other”
Cybersecurity Innovation Is Key as Nations Move to Digital Hostilities
As the under secretary responsible for U.S. cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security during the Obama administration, Suzanne Spaulding was watching out for signs of vote tampering or disruptions on Nov. 8, 2016, as citizens cast their ballots for the presidential candidate of their choice. On that Election Day, the agency was on heightened … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Innovation Is Key as Nations Move to Digital Hostilities”
BenevolentAI Raises $115M For Drug Discovery, Pegs Valuation at $2.1 Billion
BenevolentAI, one of the companies vying to improve healthcare through artificial intelligence analysis, says it has raised $115 million to accelerate its drive to discover new drugs by studying disease processes at the molecular level. The London-based company, which has offices in New York and Belgium, says the new capital brings its current valuation to … Continue reading “BenevolentAI Raises $115M For Drug Discovery, Pegs Valuation at $2.1 Billion”
Cyberwar Theme Resounds At RSA; Tech Giants Unveil Joint Strategy
The RSA Conference, one of the cybersecurity industry’s largest annual events, opened in San Francisco this week amid a barrage of unsettling news, as both nations and companies drew boundary lines and formed alliances in a cyber universe that seems increasingly combative. In the United States, a growing awareness of the weaponization of cyber skills, … Continue reading “Cyberwar Theme Resounds At RSA; Tech Giants Unveil Joint Strategy”
On Eve of RSA, Fortanix and Cybereason Talk Encryption, Cyberwar
Ambuj Kumar says he’ll face a higher hurdle than the other nine finalists in the RSAC Innovation Sandbox Contest on Monday, when he’ll have three minutes to convince judges that his startup, Fortanix, deserves to win the prestigious competition. The Sandbox contest is one of the kick-off events at RSA Security’s huge annual conference in … Continue reading “On Eve of RSA, Fortanix and Cybereason Talk Encryption, Cyberwar”
Zuckerberg Fields Senate Queries On Data Privacy, Russia, Mueller
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, sitting alone at a small table, weathered hours of questioning Tuesday at a Senate committee hearing where lawmakers accused his company of everything from deceiving users and hosting hate speech to political “censorship.” Zuckerberg, sipping water, responded calmly as 44 senators peppered him with questions about political data firm Cambridge Analytica’s … Continue reading “Zuckerberg Fields Senate Queries On Data Privacy, Russia, Mueller”
Zuckerberg Faces Congress On Privacy “Mistakes,” While FTC Probe Looms
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s trial by fire has already begun in Washington, DC, this week as he prepares to testify before two committees of Congress about the company’s failure to prevent the profiles of at least 87 million users from falling into the hands of political data firm Cambridge Analytica. Zuckerberg was already meeting in … Continue reading “Zuckerberg Faces Congress On Privacy “Mistakes,” While FTC Probe Looms”
RSA Security Agrees to Buy Behavioral Analytics Startup Fortscale
RSA Security, a Bedford, MA-based business division of Dell Technologies (NYSE: [[ticker:DVMT]]) announced on Thursday a pending deal to acquire Fortscale, a cybersecurity startup that uses behavioral analysis to detect network intrusions. RSA Security, a global cybersecurity provider for businesses, said it plans to incorporate Fortscale’s technology into a new version of its service, the … Continue reading “RSA Security Agrees to Buy Behavioral Analytics Startup Fortscale”
How Next-Gen Chipmakers Are Raising Money, Taking On Tech Giants
The advent of big fundraising rounds for startup chip innovators—a class shunned by most venture capital firms only a few years ago—seems to mark a turnaround in recent VC attitudes about semiconductor investments. But it turns out VCs weren’t the only driving force behind the change in fundraising prospects for the young companies now inventing … Continue reading “How Next-Gen Chipmakers Are Raising Money, Taking On Tech Giants”
Among Facebook’s Woes, EU’s Strict Privacy Laws May Loom Largest
In a continuing effort to regain the trust of its disillusioned users, Facebook on Wednesday announced new privacy controls where settings can be made from a central menu, rather than by tunneling through as many as 20 screens. As Facebook unveiled the sweeping revisions, though, it also made a striking admission: The company knew it … Continue reading “Among Facebook’s Woes, EU’s Strict Privacy Laws May Loom Largest”
FTC Opens New Probe: Revisits Its Old Charges On Facebook Privacy Practices
Among the host of legal woes Facebook is now confronting amid news about the misuse of its member profiles in election politics: The Federal Trade Commission revealed Monday that it is investigating the social media giant’s privacy practices. The FTC decision comes in the wake of recent reports about the ease with which political consulting … Continue reading “FTC Opens New Probe: Revisits Its Old Charges On Facebook Privacy Practices”
YouTube Limits Firearms Videos; Gun Rights Group Cries Censorship
YouTube has broadened its restrictions on gun-related videos, while thousands of Americans are mobilizing to demand stricter gun controls Saturday in a mass march spurred by young survivors of a deadly armed attack on a Florida high school last month. Google’s popular video-hosting site will bar videos that facilitate direct sales of firearms or accessories, … Continue reading “YouTube Limits Firearms Videos; Gun Rights Group Cries Censorship”
Don’t Want Your Facebook Profile Scraped? A Do-It Yourself Fix
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg tried to reassure users Wednesday that its new and old modifications will prevent the wholesale capture of millions of personal profiles, like the 50 million that fell into the hands of political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica by 2015. But an MIT team says canny software developers could still amass these profiles … Continue reading “Don’t Want Your Facebook Profile Scraped? A Do-It Yourself Fix”
Zuckerberg Says Facebook Correcting Its “Mistakes” To Protect User Profiles
Breaking his silence after a firestorm of revelations about Facebook’s links to a shadowy political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced this afternoon that the company is taking further steps to prevent unauthorized access to users’ personal information. The Facebook CEO was responding to news that data research firm Cambridge Analytica had … Continue reading “Zuckerberg Says Facebook Correcting Its “Mistakes” To Protect User Profiles”
MIT Team Says Facebook Profiles Could Still Be Stolen, At Scale
If your personal Facebook profile isn’t among the 50 million allegedly pilfered by the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, could another company still scrape it up, along with many others? A policy research team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) says yes. In a blog post published today, three MIT graduate students … Continue reading “MIT Team Says Facebook Profiles Could Still Be Stolen, At Scale”
AI Chip Startup Mythic Reaps $40M from SoftBank, Lockheed Venture Arms
Mythic, which last year unveiled its novel computer chip designed for artificial intelligence, announced today that it has raised $40 million in a Series B fundraising round led by the venture capital arm of Japanese telecom and tech giant SoftBank. Mythic, based in both Redwood City, CA, and Austin, TX, is one of the upstart … Continue reading “AI Chip Startup Mythic Reaps $40M from SoftBank, Lockheed Venture Arms”
Ousted Uber CEO Travis Kalanick Re-Emerges With New Investment Fund
When you’re trying to put the past behind you and make a fresh start, it doesn’t hurt to have $1.4 billion in your pocket. Travis Kalanick, the Uber co-founder who was pressed to resign as CEO during a year of turmoil for the ride-hailing giant, became a billionaire when he sold nearly 30 percent of … Continue reading “Ousted Uber CEO Travis Kalanick Re-Emerges With New Investment Fund”
Atomwise Raises $45M To Grow AI-Driven Drug Discovery Business
Atomwise, a San Francisco startup that’s using artificial intelligence to hunt for compounds that could make effective new drugs, announced today that it raised a $45 million Series A round. The small company, founded in 2012, mines the accumulated data about biochemical interactions to search for molecules with the properties needed to block faulty processes … Continue reading “Atomwise Raises $45M To Grow AI-Driven Drug Discovery Business”
Degreed Scores $42M to Grow Worker Training and Skills Platform
Degreed, a portal to online education and training resources for employers who want their workers to keep learning, announced today that it raised $42 million in a Series C fundraising round. The new capital, which brings Degreed’s fundraising total to $75 million, will fund a salesforce expansion that could make the company profitable within a … Continue reading “Degreed Scores $42M to Grow Worker Training and Skills Platform”
Japan’s TDK Scoops Up Berkeley’s Chirp, Maker of Sonar Micro-Chip
Tokyo-based electronics giant TDK today announced its agreement to acquire startup Chirp Microsystems, whose miniaturized ultrasonic sensors are being tested in drones, robots, virtual reality systems, and smart home devices. David Horsley, co-founder and CTO of Berkeley, CA-based Chirp, says the company’s sonar chips have been drawing interest from companies in a range of emerging … Continue reading “Japan’s TDK Scoops Up Berkeley’s Chirp, Maker of Sonar Micro-Chip”
Credtech Report Card: HackerRank, CodeFights, Credly, ACT, More
Educational technology companies are augmenting the traditional educational system with their online coursework offerings, but they’re also creating a competing universe where students can find alternate learning experiences that may qualify them for a job, even if they don’t have an academic degree. A core element in this universe is the invention of new kinds … Continue reading “Credtech Report Card: HackerRank, CodeFights, Credly, ACT, More”
Vectra Scores $36M for AI-Enhanced Cyberattack Detection
Vectra, one of the cybersecurity companies vying to beef up threat detection using artificial intelligence, announced Wednesday it raised $36 million in a Series D funding round led by new investor Atlantic Bridge. San Jose, CA-based Vectra scans the patterns of data flowing through a client’s network in a continuous, automated hunt for suspicious activity, … Continue reading “Vectra Scores $36M for AI-Enhanced Cyberattack Detection”
Europe’s New Data Privacy Rules Nourish U.S. Privacy Tech Sector
Take a look at this blurb for a session about data privacy at the upcoming RSA conference on cybersecurity. It sounds a polite warning: “The importance of privacy is often alluded to in generalized, value-laden terms that, while sincere, don’t necessarily help privacy be taken seriously in the enterprise risk management process.” That situation is … Continue reading “Europe’s New Data Privacy Rules Nourish U.S. Privacy Tech Sector”
Big Car-Auction Firm KAR Buys SF Mobility Support Startup Stratim
With an eye toward a greater role in the future of mobility services, the big Indiana used-car auction company KAR announced Wednesday it acquired Stratim, a software startup that organizes maintenance and repairs for car-sharing fleets. Carmel, IN-based KAR (NYSE: [[ticker:KAR]]) says Stratim not only augments its core auction business, but also bolsters its advances … Continue reading “Big Car-Auction Firm KAR Buys SF Mobility Support Startup Stratim”
College Testing Firm ACT Invests in Edtech Startup Smart Sparrow
ACT, the big college admissions testing organization whose CEO aims to make it an educational venture as well, is investing $7.5 million in interactive online learning startup Smart Sparrow. Smart Sparrow specializes in online courses that teach students how to master skills that have a physical component, such as biological laboratory techniques and drawing for … Continue reading “College Testing Firm ACT Invests in Edtech Startup Smart Sparrow”
Look Out, Investors: Cryptocurrency Values Slide As Warnings Take Off
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have seen dramatic but volatile price surges during the past year. But this month their billions in estimated market value are eroding, amid widening suspicions against one trading platform, a half-billion-dollar heist from another exchange, and an awakened global regulatory community. Warnings are on the rise from regulators, researchers, banking executives—and … Continue reading “Look Out, Investors: Cryptocurrency Values Slide As Warnings Take Off”
SoftBank Continues Funding Spree, Leads $865M Round for Katerra
Katerra, a building construction startup inspired by the efficient practices of electronics manufacturing, announced today it has raised $865 million in a Series D fundraising round led by the SoftBank Vision Fund. The company was co-founded in 2015 by Michael Marks, the former CEO of contract electronics manufacturer Flextronics. Katerra has large-scale ambitions that match the … Continue reading “SoftBank Continues Funding Spree, Leads $865M Round for Katerra”
Facebook Touts Countermeasures to Election Hacking: Are They Enough?
Facebook expanded its mea culpa on Monday for failing to prevent “bad actors” such as Russian entities from using the social media platform to distort democratic processes—notably the U.S. presidential election in 2016. The company unveiled another series of measures it’s taking to prevent malefactors, who hide behind false names, from spreading fake and incendiary … Continue reading “Facebook Touts Countermeasures to Election Hacking: Are They Enough?”
Tougher “Immigration” Policies On Foreign Tech Crossing U.S. Border
It’s not only people from other countries that are struggling harder to get into the United States these days, it seems. Technology from foreign nations may also be subject to stricter “immigration” rules. The national origins of tech devices and services wasn’t a front-burner question—at least for the general public—until the issue came up at … Continue reading “Tougher “Immigration” Policies On Foreign Tech Crossing U.S. Border”
CircleCI Nabs $31M to Enhance DevOps Platform With Automation Tools
CircleCI, which offers tools for companies seeking to speed up the process of developing their own software, announced today that it has raised $31 million in a Series C fundraising round. The San Francisco-based company, founded in 2011, offers one of the software development platforms that provide frequent, automated tests of the interim versions of … Continue reading “CircleCI Nabs $31M to Enhance DevOps Platform With Automation Tools”
Google Launches a MOOC to Train Entry-Level IT Support Staffers
Big tech companies like Google are facing heat for developing disruptive technologies that can make traditional jobs obsolete. But at the same time, the tech industry is growing fast, and is eager to recruit workers outside the sector to fill entry-level jobs that often go begging, a Google executive says. Google is betting on online … Continue reading “Google Launches a MOOC to Train Entry-Level IT Support Staffers”
Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: ScaleVP Comments From the Sidelines
Just because an investor isn’t putting money into blockchain technologies or cryptocurrencies yet, it doesn’t mean they’re not watching these emerging phenomena with interest. Andy Vitus, a partner at Silicon Valley venture capital firm Scale Venture Partners, has been keeping his eye on the potential uses of the blockchain, which is best known as the … Continue reading “Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: ScaleVP Comments From the Sidelines”
Beyond the Demo: 2018 Could Be Year for Longer, Profitable VR Content
René Pinnell says he and his wife Selena Pinnell were “blown away” by the virtual reality projects their friends were creating in 2014, so they looked for an entrepreneurial niche that would allow them to support such artists. That year the couple, both trained in design, founded a startup in San Francisco, then called KaleidoscopeVR. … Continue reading “Beyond the Demo: 2018 Could Be Year for Longer, Profitable VR Content”