One of the largest and most consequential data breaches in 2017 afflicted credit reporting agency Equifax, and it was hardly the only victim. Any year-end review of technology news must also include reports on Russian hacking of the 2016 election campaign, and the manipulation of social media channels to spread false and divisive political messages. These … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Firm Illumio’s Alan Cohen on the Tech Backlash of 2017”
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.
Family & Kids’ Advocate Shum Preston on the Tech Backlash of 2017
Much attention was focused this past year on the impact of social media on the 2016 presidential election, as reports emerged about the use of these platforms by entities linked with Russia to spread false, misleading, or inflammatory political messages. Aside from these revelations about “fake news,” the year brought reports on major data breaches … Continue reading “Family & Kids’ Advocate Shum Preston on the Tech Backlash of 2017”
Privacy Advocate Richard Holober on the Tech Backlash of 2017
We’ve just passed a year full of news about the role of technology companies in U.S. elections, democracy, free speech, fairness in hiring, sexual harassment, privacy, data security, and the future job market for humans in the age of robots and artificial intelligence. Speculation is rampant about a possible sea change in consumer attitudes toward … Continue reading “Privacy Advocate Richard Holober on the Tech Backlash of 2017 “
GV Tops Off $74.5M Haul for Paper Digitization Startup Ripcord
The co-founders of Hayward, CA-based startup Ripcord got together in 2015 to solve a mundane problem that plagues every office: big piles of paper records. To do that, they had to make use of the complete array of high-end tools in the advanced technology arsenal, from robotics and AI to computer vision and language processing. … Continue reading “GV Tops Off $74.5M Haul for Paper Digitization Startup Ripcord”
Financing Boosts for Silicon Valley AI Companies Maana, Digital Genius
Two Bay Area AI startups announced merry company news for the holiday season on Tuesday. Palo Alto, CA-based Maana, which bills itself as a productivity booster for big industrial companies such as Shell, Chevron, Saudi Aramco, and Airbus, says it has raised $28 million in a Series C fundraising round led by investment bank China … Continue reading “Financing Boosts for Silicon Valley AI Companies Maana, Digital Genius”
Andreessen Horowitz Floats Second Bio Fund with $450M
Andreessen Horowitz, the storied Silicon Valley venture capital firm best known for backing technology companies such as Facebook and Airbnb, is more than doubling the commitment it first made in 2015 to bring engineering to bear on the mysteries of biology and disease. Encouraged by results from the $200 million Bio Fund it created two … Continue reading “Andreessen Horowitz Floats Second Bio Fund with $450M”
Robots in the Real World: News on Savioke, Marble, Knightscope, Fetch
Silicon Valley robotics companies have been moving their inventions into real-world use, and it seemed like a good time to check in with a sampling of them to see how things are going. The take-away: Shifting from the technology development phase into managing the human-robot interface in the real world can bring some interesting results—both … Continue reading “Robots in the Real World: News on Savioke, Marble, Knightscope, Fetch”
Once Shunned, Regulated Industries Now a Lure for Some Investors
When Alex Niehenke started his business career at an investment bank in 2005 as an advisor to Internet companies, there was one strongly held consensus among investors. “You just didn’t touch regulated industries,” says Niehenke, who was recently promoted to partner at Silicon Valley venture capital firm Scale Venture Partners. Investors didn’t want the risks … Continue reading “Once Shunned, Regulated Industries Now a Lure for Some Investors”
Clora Reaps $3.3M to Speed Consultant Hunts by Life Sciences Companies
Rahul Chaturvedi worked for 16 years as a life sciences company executive, but he was also an avid consumer tech fan who chafed at the clunky enterprise apps used in his industry. Spoiled by speedy, user-friendly consumer apps, he also wondered why finding a biotech consultant to hire was so much harder than, say, lining … Continue reading “Clora Reaps $3.3M to Speed Consultant Hunts by Life Sciences Companies”
Stratim CEO Sees Future with Costly Driverless Cars, but Low Ride Fares
Like many tech entrepreneurs, Sean Behr had a young business that was popular with consumers, but was also losing money. So in February of 2016, he decided to refocus his San Francisco startup on the small, but unexpectedly profitable aspect of his service that could operate in the black. That pivot put Behr in a … Continue reading “Stratim CEO Sees Future with Costly Driverless Cars, but Low Ride Fares”
DFJ Co-Founder Jurvetson Exits Firm Amid Harassment Charges
[Updated 11/15/17, 11:10 am. See below.] One of Silicon Valley’s most prominent venture capital firm founders has joined the list of VCs who departed from their positions this year in the wake of sexual harassment allegations. Steve Jurvetson, co-founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), confirmed via a Twitter post Monday that he has left the … Continue reading “DFJ Co-Founder Jurvetson Exits Firm Amid Harassment Charges”
What Sean Parker Shares with Einstein and the Labradoodle’s Inventor
Sean Parker, Facebook’s first president, just joined a group that’s a favorite topic of history listicles: He’s an innovator who has become abashed by the breakthrough he helped to create. Parker, in an interview with Axios on Wednesday, said Facebook’s founders consciously exploited “a vulnerability in human psychology,” by luring users into an addictive engagement … Continue reading “What Sean Parker Shares with Einstein and the Labradoodle’s Inventor”
Enview Raises $6M Series A to Monitor Safety of Energy Infrastructure
Silicon Valley residents are unlikely to forget the deadly 2010 explosion and fireball in San Bruno, CA, which was caused by the breakdown of a gas pipeline that Pacific Gas & Electric Co. was later convicted of failing to identify as high-risk. Now, San Francisco startup Enview is using artificial intelligence and 3D computer vision … Continue reading “Enview Raises $6M Series A to Monitor Safety of Energy Infrastructure”
Waymo, Global Firms Start Their Engines For Self-Driving Future
In a pile-up of news about self-driving vehicles early this week, Alphabet unit Waymo led the pack by announcing that its autonomous fleet, operating in an area of Phoenix, is now without humans in the driver’s seat. Soon, Waymo will be testing a business model for its driverless cars, while it continues to test its … Continue reading “Waymo, Global Firms Start Their Engines For Self-Driving Future”
Congress Urges Tech Firms to Control Content—But With Qualms
At Congressional hearings this week on Russia’s use of social media to interfere with the 2016 U.S. election, lawmakers pressed Facebook, Twitter, and Google to take exhaustive measures to stop the same thing from happening again. Lawmakers urged the companies to scour their networks to root out foreign advertisers, trolls, and bots; to eliminate messages … Continue reading “Congress Urges Tech Firms to Control Content—But With Qualms”
As Russians Hacked U.S. Election, Did Big Tech Firms Break Any Laws?
News is constantly streaming out these days about the role of Facebook, Twitter, and Google in the 2016 presidential election; most disturbing to the public is the apparent use of social media, search, and video channels by Russian operatives seeking to influence U.S. voters. Critical lawmakers have blasted the big tech companies for failing to … Continue reading “As Russians Hacked U.S. Election, Did Big Tech Firms Break Any Laws?”
With $50M of His Fortune, AppDynamics Founder Creates a Startup Factory
Jyoti Bansal, who was raised in a small town in India, earned a computer science degree in 1999, worked for three successful Silicon Valley startups, founded his first company in 2008 while still in his 20’s, and led it through its acquisition by Cisco early this year for $3.7 billion. He clearly had a knack … Continue reading “With $50M of His Fortune, AppDynamics Founder Creates a Startup Factory”
Solvvy Raises $12M Series A for AI-Enhanced Customer Self-Service
[Corrected 10/23/17, 9:30 am. See below.] Customers who try to get straight answers from retail support desks or telecom companies often end up leaning on their phone’s “Operator” button after a robot voice comes on the line and says, “How can I help you? I can understand spoken questions.” Nope. And how many people have … Continue reading “Solvvy Raises $12M Series A for AI-Enhanced Customer Self-Service”
JPMorgan Chase to Buy WePay; Venmo Adds Merchant Payments
Banks and financial technology companies are scrambling for territory in the online payments arena, as they compete to offer the safest and most convenient digital transaction mechanisms for both consumers and merchants. This week, JPMorgan Chase announced an agreement to acquire WePay, a Redwood City, CA-based company that helps software makers build a payment function … Continue reading “JPMorgan Chase to Buy WePay; Venmo Adds Merchant Payments”
Mapbox, Bill.com, Standard Cognition, Empowered by New Cash
—Mapbox announced Tuesday it had raised a hefty $164 million in a Series C financing round led by the SoftBank Vision Fund, which was joined by Foundry Group, DFJ Growth, DBL, and Thrive. The new capital will speed up Mapbox’s progress in vehicle navigation and autonomous driving, enlarge its virtual reality and augmented reality gaming capabilities, and fund its … Continue reading “Mapbox, Bill.com, Standard Cognition, Empowered by New Cash”
Black Fellowship Students Headed From HBCUs to VC Boardrooms
In mid-October, eleven college students will be flying to California for an opportunity that would be the envy of any Ivy League MBA candidate—they’ll meet the venture capital firm partners who will personally mentor them throughout the school year. The students—all but one are undergraduates—come from campuses in Prairie View, Texas; Tallahassee, Florida; and Nashville, … Continue reading “Black Fellowship Students Headed From HBCUs to VC Boardrooms”
AltspaceVR Finds New Home in Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Ecosystem
AltspaceVR, one of the forerunners of shared social experiences in virtual reality spaces, has been saved from extinction by Microsoft, which announced Tuesday that it is acquiring the four-year-old company. The Redwood City, CA-based startup had sounded its own death knell on July 28, announcing that it planned to shut down Aug. 3 due to the … Continue reading “AltspaceVR Finds New Home in Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Ecosystem”
Twitter Joins Facebook in Political Hot Seat Over Election Hacking
Ordinarily, Twitter’s announcement that some of its users can now send tweets twice as long as its signature 140-character limit, and that this freedom could be broadened to others, would have been the company’s top news of the week. But instead, Twitter, like Facebook before it, is under the national microscope as government investigations of … Continue reading “Twitter Joins Facebook in Political Hot Seat Over Election Hacking”
Google, Apple Offer Salvation from the Horrors of Autoplay
Tech giants are under a lot of pressure these days to make the world a better place—to ferret out Russian hackers trying to fix elections; to combat gender bias in hiring; to stamp out sexual harassment; and to lend their voices to the protests over President Trump’s immigration policies. Despite efforts they’ve made on these … Continue reading “Google, Apple Offer Salvation from the Horrors of Autoplay”
Trump Orders Up $200M a Year for STEM, Coding Education
President Donald Trump, who has had a rocky relationship with tech companies during his short administration so far, announced an education initiative Monday that apparently met with their approval. In a White House ceremony, Trump directed his education secretary to allocate at least $200 million a year to fund student access to coursework in science, … Continue reading “Trump Orders Up $200M a Year for STEM, Coding Education”
Big Fundraising Week for Slack, Patreon, TigerGraph, Others in Bay Area
[Updated 9/25/17, 1:38 pm. See below.] Silicon Valley companies, from big ones with millions of users to infant startups, rolled up some money from investors this week. —San Francisco-based Slack, which offers shared messaging channels for workplace teams, raised $250 million to pad out its cash cushion from the $591 million the company had already raised, … Continue reading “Big Fundraising Week for Slack, Patreon, TigerGraph, Others in Bay Area”
NVCA Sues Trump Administration for Delaying “Startup Visa” Program
Add another item to the list of tech industry beefs with the new crew in the White House. An organization representing venture capital firms filed a federal suit in Washington, DC, on Tuesday accusing Trump Administration officials of unlawfully delaying a program that would have allowed international entrepreneurs to work at companies they founded within … Continue reading “NVCA Sues Trump Administration for Delaying “Startup Visa” Program”
After Equifax: Should Tech Entrepreneurs Design the Next-Gen Credit Agency?
Personal financial data for as many as 143 million Americans, inadequately guarded by credit bureau Equifax and stolen by hackers, can never be sheltered again under an umbrella of privacy. Those victims could face dire consequences, such as raids on their bank accounts and identity theft, for the rest of their lives. The losses for … Continue reading “After Equifax: Should Tech Entrepreneurs Design the Next-Gen Credit Agency?”
Silicon Valley’s Big Week in Politics: Facebook, Google, DACA, More
Silicon Valley’s public role in politics has intensified this year, and this week brought a particularly rapid flurry of news developments that continued the trend. The biggest headlines came from Facebook, which disclosed that entities linked to Russia bought thousands of political messaging ads on its social media network during the 2016 presidential campaign, making … Continue reading “Silicon Valley’s Big Week in Politics: Facebook, Google, DACA, More”
Hurricane Harvey: A Test-Bed For Internet Resilience
Amid the wreckage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey, south Texas is measuring the crisis in numbers of homes flattened or flooded, hospitals closed, refineries stalled, and storm refugees saved by brave neighbors with small boats. A significant part of the damage, however, can be hidden in the soggy underground—in the conduits that house the major trunk … Continue reading “Hurricane Harvey: A Test-Bed For Internet Resilience”
As Uber Confirms CEO Pick, A Real Change of Control?
The board of embattled ride-hailing giant Uber late Tuesday confirmed its decision to hire Expedia chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi as its new CEO. The vote was unanimous, the board wrote in an upbeat letter to Uber employees. “We’re really fortunate to gain a leader with Dara’s experience, talent and vision,” the note said. “The Board … Continue reading “As Uber Confirms CEO Pick, A Real Change of Control?”
Uber Picks Expedia Leader As CEO Over Immelt, Whitman: Reports
In a last-minute shuffle Sunday night, Uber’s strife-ridden board chose Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi as the new chief executive for the troubled ride-hailing giant, Recode reported. Khosrowshahi, whose name hadn’t been rumored as a CEO prospect for Uber, was waiting in the wings after the exits over the weekend of two other finalists for the … Continue reading “Uber Picks Expedia Leader As CEO Over Immelt, Whitman: Reports”
In a CEO Search Like Uber’s, Is There Haggling Room for Contenders?
Landing the top executive’s job at a prominent company is usually considered a career coup. But a CEO search can also be a troubled company’s hunt for a savior. A leader facing a turnaround challenge may well ask, “What am I getting myself into?” Current case in point: Uber, which ticks many boxes on the … Continue reading “In a CEO Search Like Uber’s, Is There Haggling Room for Contenders?”
Ripcord Raises Another $40M To Digitize Mounds of Paper Records
Ripcord, which raised $9.5 million in March, says it has landed another $40 million to expand the ranks of its robotic “workcells” that convert piles of paper documents into searchable digital records. The Hayward, CA-based startup uses automation, high-resolution cameras, and optical character recognition software to try to speed up the digitization process and reduce … Continue reading “Ripcord Raises Another $40M To Digitize Mounds of Paper Records”
Letter To Uber Staff: Benchmark Says It Should Have Sued Ex-CEO Sooner
Silicon Valley venture capital firm Benchmark, one of the Uber investors that pressured Uber CEO Travis Kalanick to step down as CEO in June due to company leadership failures, issued an open letter to the company’s employees today explaining why it sued Kalanick last week. Benchmark says Kalanick failed to honor his written promise, made … Continue reading “Letter To Uber Staff: Benchmark Says It Should Have Sued Ex-CEO Sooner”
Kauffman Fellows Take On VC Sexual Harassment, Bench Mentor McClure
If you’re looking for a counterpoint to the recent flurry of news stories about sexual harassment and gender bias in the tech sector, the Kauffman Fellows program isn’t a bad place to start. The Palo Alto, CA-based program, a spinoff of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, has been a gateway into the venture capital industry … Continue reading “Kauffman Fellows Take On VC Sexual Harassment, Bench Mentor McClure”
The Fired Google Engineer, the First Amendment, and the Alt-Right
Google software engineer James Damore confirmed to Bloomberg on Monday that Google fired him for circulating a lengthy memo on his views that women are biologically less suited to tech work than men. His “manifesto” was spread through Google’s internal communication channels over the weekend, and obtained by Gizmodo and other tech publications. Damore expressed … Continue reading “The Fired Google Engineer, the First Amendment, and the Alt-Right”
Presence Capital Takes the Temperature of VR/AR at Mid-Year
This week we checked in with Presence Capital, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that specializes in virtual reality and augmented reality startups. Presence, which made its first investment in July 2015, has now invested in 33 companies, including VR animation studio Baobab; Strivr, a creator of VR training systems; Meta, the developer of a … Continue reading “Presence Capital Takes the Temperature of VR/AR at Mid-Year”
A.I. Chip Race Redraws Competitive Map Among Tech Firms, Chipmakers
It’s been a long time since tech’s biggest companies could be sorted into discrete buckets according to the products they pioneered—-Google, the search software giant; Apple, the computer and mobile device innovator; e-commerce leader Amazon; business software stalwart Microsoft; and social media engine Facebook. Since then, these major innovators have built on a common resource—increasingly … Continue reading “A.I. Chip Race Redraws Competitive Map Among Tech Firms, Chipmakers”
VR Startup Visbit Adds Support for Game Site Unity, and a Web Player
For filmmakers and game designers, virtual reality technology has created a quirky playground of the imagination where characters can actually run into themselves at a bar, and where viewers’ eyebrows can be made invisible to widen their views of the sky. Meanwhile, more practical folk are creating the technical tools that make it easier for … Continue reading “VR Startup Visbit Adds Support for Game Site Unity, and a Web Player”
Google Glass Upgrades to Business Class, With Enterprise Edition
When Ian Shakil co-founded a company in 2012 to deploy Google Glass in doctor’s offices, his team had never possessed a set of the computer-enhanced eyewear that Google debuted that year. Google wasn’t yet selling the augmented reality glasses, which were being touted as the next big thing in consumer electronics, not as business tools. … Continue reading “Google Glass Upgrades to Business Class, With Enterprise Edition”
Y Combinator Mulls New Startup App—Rating VCs on Sexual Harassment
Y Combinator, a Silicon Valley hub that incubates and funds scores of tech startups every year, is entering the fray over sexual harassment in the venture capital industry. YC has opened an online reporting mechanism that women can use to identify venture capital firm partners or executives who have pressured them for sex or groped … Continue reading “Y Combinator Mulls New Startup App—Rating VCs on Sexual Harassment”
How NEA Envisions the Future of Trucking, Transportation, and A.I.
The big Silicon Valley venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA) is investing in the workaday business of freight load hauling, which could hardly seem more different from the future-bending tech projects that have attracted VC money for decades. But NEA’s leading role in the $42 million Series C financing round announced this week by … Continue reading “How NEA Envisions the Future of Trucking, Transportation, and A.I.”
Silicon Valley Edtech Companies AcademixDirect and PathSource Merge
AcademixDirect, which helps state and community colleges enroll students, has merged with PathSource, which operates a career exploration app that helps adults and kids figure out what jobs they’d like to do. PathSource CEO Aaron Michel, who co-founded the Burlingame, CA, company in 2011, says the merger creates an end-to-end process from career search through … Continue reading “Silicon Valley Edtech Companies AcademixDirect and PathSource Merge”
NEA Leads $42M Round For AI-Enhanced Freight Booking Startup Transfix
Transfix, a New York tech startup with an online marketplace that organizes freight truck shipments, says it has scored $42 million in a Series C financing round led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Transfix, founded in 2013, relies on machine learning and other data analytics tools to distinguish itself in the crowded arena of freight … Continue reading “NEA Leads $42M Round For AI-Enhanced Freight Booking Startup Transfix”
Toyota’s First Venture Arm Gets $100M for AI, Robotics, Mobility Startups
Toyota Research Institute, the Toyota R&D unit that has parked branches near Stanford and two other top U.S. research universities, is now spinning out a corporate venture capital arm that will finance and incubate startups in artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous mobility. The research institute, also known as TRI, is devoting at least $100 million … Continue reading “Toyota’s First Venture Arm Gets $100M for AI, Robotics, Mobility Startups”
Under Silicon Valley’s Rough Turf, Tunnels of Women’s Networks Spread
[Corrected 7/11/17, 11:02 am. See below.] Revelations about gender bias and crude sexual harassment at Uber have been followed by similar claims by women against Silicon Valley venture capital investors, leaving a weary impression that the deck is almost hopelessly stacked against women in tech. But women aren’t facing these challenges alone, female entrepreneurs say—not … Continue reading “Under Silicon Valley’s Rough Turf, Tunnels of Women’s Networks Spread”
As Big Pharma Flocks to Science Exchange, Norwest Leads $28M Funding
Some biology PhD’s become entrepreneurs because there are only so many posts around for university professors. But Elizabeth Iorns had scored one of those coveted entry-level academic jobs, so there was a lot at stake in 2011, when she was deciding whether to give it up to launch a startup. Six years later, Iorns says … Continue reading “As Big Pharma Flocks to Science Exchange, Norwest Leads $28M Funding”
Salesforce, Cloudflare Entice A.I. App Developers To Build On Their Platforms
Two big San Francisco tech companies put out the welcome mat for third party developers this week, hoping to enrich their platforms with new apps that make use of artificial intelligence tools and other novel capabilities. Both Salesforce and Cloudflare are offering developers a large ready-made user base, tech support, and a shot at pools … Continue reading “Salesforce, Cloudflare Entice A.I. App Developers To Build On Their Platforms”
Startup Founder’s Quest for Cure Leads to Genomics Hackathon at Google
This story is part of a series on A.I. in healthcare. Onno Faber was a member of Silicon Valley’s happy breed of tech startup founders when he was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition that can come with dire health damage, but few treatments. Faber responded with entrepreneurial zeal, exploring whether Silicon Valley’s mastery of algorithms … Continue reading “Startup Founder’s Quest for Cure Leads to Genomics Hackathon at Google”