Uber isn’t just changing the way taxi and black-car companies operate. As the multibillion-dollar car-for-hire juggernaut expands across the country, businesses that serve the old-school, heavily regulated taxi industry are suddenly feeling the effects of new competition. A prime example is Carriage News, a 45-year-old trade paper focusing on the taxi industry around Boston. Late last month, publisher Bob Keeley … Continue reading “As Uber Becomes a Publisher, Boston Taxi Trade Paper Stops Printing”
Author: Curt Woodward
Curt covered technology and innovation in the Boston area for Xconomy. He previously worked in Xconomy’s Seattle bureau and continued some coverage of Seattle-area tech companies, including Amazon and Microsoft.
Curt joined Xconomy in February 2011 after nearly nine years with The Associated Press, the world's largest news organization. He worked in three states and covered a wide variety of beats for the AP, including business, law, politics, government, and general mayhem.
A native Washingtonian, Curt earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. As a past president of the state's Capitol Correspondents Association, he led efforts to expand statehouse press credentialing to online news outlets for the first time.
PayPal Buys Paydiant Amid Mobile Payments Shakeout
[Updated at 3 pm with comment from investor] After years of fits and starts, the mobile payments technology sector is finally getting serious about sifting through the winners and losers. One more startup in the win column: Paydiant, a Newton, MA-based provider of mobile-app technology for other companies, which is being acquired by PayPal. The companies … Continue reading “PayPal Buys Paydiant Amid Mobile Payments Shakeout”
RIP Leaf: Heartland Halts Payment-Tech Provider in Consolidation
Restaurant checkout-tech provider Leaf, which has been a unit of payments processing company Heartland Payment Systems since 2014, is being shuttered as Heartland looks for a new direction in the fast-changing world of retail payments. Heartland announced the shift as part of its quarterly earnings earlier this month. The Princeton, NJ-based company said it was acquiring two more point-of-sale … Continue reading “RIP Leaf: Heartland Halts Payment-Tech Provider in Consolidation”
Bridj’s Data-Driven Private Bus Fleet Heading to DC
Commuters in Washington, DC, could soon be testing one young company’s vision for a data-driven, private bus fleet with high-end flourishes. Bridj, a Boston-based startup, says it is targeting the nation’s capital for its first expansion. Although there are plenty of details to work out, Bridj says that it “will be available in Washington D.C. … Continue reading “Bridj’s Data-Driven Private Bus Fleet Heading to DC”
Website Software Seller Acquia Reports $100M in Sales
Acquia has been billing itself as a “pre-IPO” software company for a couple of years now, but the seller of website-publishing software and services remains private. That’s not terribly unusual these days, with a growing number of private tech companies stacking up investment valuations of $1 billion or more without touching the public markets. But … Continue reading “Website Software Seller Acquia Reports $100M in Sales”
Wireless Charging Gets a Boost in New WiTricity Licensing Deal
When MIT wireless-power spinout WiTricity appointed a new CEO last year, the company sent a pretty clear signal about its hopes for the future. New boss Alex Gruzen, a veteran of the PC world, brought years of experience integrating new technologies into consumer electronics. A few months after coming onboard, and after arranging a big … Continue reading “Wireless Charging Gets a Boost in New WiTricity Licensing Deal”
No-Equity Accelerator MassChallenge Opens U.K. Branch, Its Third
[Updated 3:40 pm, see final paragraph.] MassChallenge, the startup accelerator program that gives entrepreneurs a head-start without taking a piece of their company, is getting bigger. The Boston-based program, which offers office space, mentorship, and prizes backed by public and private money, is now accepting applications for new classes at three locations with the official addition of a … Continue reading “No-Equity Accelerator MassChallenge Opens U.K. Branch, Its Third”
Needing Another Hit, iRobot Teases Lawnmower Bot
We may be in the 21st century, but selling robots to consumers is still not an easy business. Take it from iRobot, a pioneer in at-home robotic helpers. The Bedford, MA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRBT]]) is known for its Roomba robotic vacuums, which have become so widely available in 12 years on the market that they occasionally surface as the … Continue reading “Needing Another Hit, iRobot Teases Lawnmower Bot”
Game Studio Proletariat Raises $6M, Eyes “World Zombination”
Most startups are in a near-constant battle to stay alive, stretching out their operating cash just long enough to do something worth remembering. So it’s a little poetic that Proletariat, an independent game studio based in the Boston area, is building a massive multiplayer game where zombies and humans fight each other for control of … Continue reading “Game Studio Proletariat Raises $6M, Eyes “World Zombination””
Nuclear Waste Reactor Startup Transatomic Power Adds $2.5M
One of the cool things about running a nuclear energy startup is that, eventually, you get to start testing your designs with real-life uranium. Sure, it’s depleted uranium at first. But hey, you’ve to got to start somewhere. “Getting the licenses necessary for running things with depleted uranium is trivial for what you need to go through … Continue reading “Nuclear Waste Reactor Startup Transatomic Power Adds $2.5M”
Who’s Beck? This Company Turns Grammy Curiosity Into Album Sales
The Grammy awards are a fun way to unwind, whether you’re into music, fashion, or just good old American spectacle. For some people, though, the annual awards show is a long night of pretty intense work. That’s certainly the case at Gupta Media, a Boston-based digital marketing company that works for major music labels. While … Continue reading “Who’s Beck? This Company Turns Grammy Curiosity Into Album Sales”
Analysis: Microsoft Missed Mobile, So It’s Buying Its Way In
For most of Steve Ballmer’s long tenure as Microsoft CEO, the company’s cash-cow applications for white-collar workers were a very effective way to keep people using its PC operating system. But Microsoft whiffed badly on the mobile revolution, letting Google and Apple control the next major computing platform. In mid-2013, after years of speculation, Microsoft finally relented … Continue reading “Analysis: Microsoft Missed Mobile, So It’s Buying Its Way In”
Eero Aims to Bring Elegant Mesh Networks to Home Wi-Fi
As a kid, Nick Weaver was obsessed with Wi-Fi. His home was one of the first on the block in his Chicago-area neighborhood to get a high-speed Internet connection, and the young Weaver was soon turning that speedy digital pipe into a wireless network that blanketed his home. “I’ve been thinking about this problem for … Continue reading “Eero Aims to Bring Elegant Mesh Networks to Home Wi-Fi”
What Are We Watching on YouTube? Super Bowl Leftovers, Of Course
Super Bowl Sunday is a singularly American gathering where, despite our fragmenting popular culture, millions of people still turn their attention to a shared spectacle of sports, entertainment, and commerce. Even after all that gluttony, however, it appears the year’s biggest media onslaught isn’t enough for most consumers. The day after the biggest NFL game of the year, millions of … Continue reading “What Are We Watching on YouTube? Super Bowl Leftovers, Of Course”
Parking Apps See Spike in Long-Term Rentals for Boston Blizzard
When the snow flies in Boston, just about anything within reach can be drafted into duty as an emergency space-saver for that freshly shoveled-out parking spot. Ironing boards, lawn chairs, and garbage cans are table stakes—heck, I’ve even seen a baby’s car seat dropped next to the curb. But there are also some slightly more … Continue reading “Parking Apps See Spike in Long-Term Rentals for Boston Blizzard”
After 12 Years of Roomba, iRobot Eyes Startups for Sector Growth
It’s been a dozen years since the original Roomba hit the market, and the floor-hugging autonomous vacuum is still the biggest-selling product for its manufacturer, iRobot. That hasn’t come without some trying. Ever heard of the Scooba? How about the Looj? The Mirra? Those are all iRobot products that followed the Roomba, aimed respectively at … Continue reading “After 12 Years of Roomba, iRobot Eyes Startups for Sector Growth”
Former Apple Speech Scientist Joins Secretive Mobile Startup
A key speech scientist working on Apple’s Siri application has left the biggest company in tech to join a secretive new startup stocked with talent from the speech-technology world. The startup, Semantic Machines, is headquartered in the Boston area and has an office in Berkeley, CA. One of its top employees is chief technology officer Larry … Continue reading “Former Apple Speech Scientist Joins Secretive Mobile Startup”
“Social” Robot Maker Jibo Adds $25M, New CEO With Speech Chops
After colonizing millions of pockets and purses with smartphones, the tech industry is finally making serious inroads to the home with interactive speakers, smart thermostats, networked camera systems, and—maybe soon—helpful little robots. That last one is the specialty of Jibo, a Boston-area company started by MIT Media Lab professor Cynthia Breazeal. The company’s eponymous robot is still … Continue reading ““Social” Robot Maker Jibo Adds $25M, New CEO With Speech Chops”
Petco Adds Online Delivery With Fast-Growing Startup Instacart
[Corrected 1/26] Dogs need groceries, too. Instacart, the grocery-delivery startup that recently raised $220 million from investors, is taking its quick-turnaround online delivery service beyond the supermarket for the first time in a partnership with national pet-goods retailer Petco. The partnership is hitting the Boston and San Francisco markets first, and could be expanded if Petco likes … Continue reading “Petco Adds Online Delivery With Fast-Growing Startup Instacart”
With New State Rules, WeFunder to Offer Equity Crowdfunding in MA
Massachusetts has joined the growing list of states that are opening up private company investing to people who aren’t already rich, and one online investing startup is already planning to take advantage. Under new state rules issued this week, private Massachusetts companies can begin selling stock to just anybody who wants to purchase it—provided they’re … Continue reading “With New State Rules, WeFunder to Offer Equity Crowdfunding in MA”
Uber’s Data-Sharing Welcomed, But City Regulators Still Want More
Uber has become an intensely admired, sometimes reviled, and fabulously wealthy company in just a few short years by sticking to an uncompromising playbook. When it wants to expand into a new city, the next-generation taxi company tends to move first and deal with regulatory and legal concerns second. Competitors and government officials who object can find themselves … Continue reading “Uber’s Data-Sharing Welcomed, But City Regulators Still Want More”
Apple’s Boston-Area Lease Carves Out Room for About 65
We know that the most important company in tech has been growing its office in the Boston area as it continues to build a speech-recognition engineering team on MIT’s doorstep. Now, we have a few more numbers to fill in the blanks. Documents filed with the local government show that Apple has leased about 11,500 square … Continue reading “Apple’s Boston-Area Lease Carves Out Room for About 65”
Boston Tech Roundup: Kanojia, NetProspex, Jana, Erecruit, & More
A new year means a bunch of new deals to catch up on around the Boston-area innovation sector, including secretive new companies from notable executives, an acquisition, and fundraising for several private companies: —Chet Kanojia, the founder and CEO of defunct video-streaming startup Aereo, is apparently looking for his next gig. News comes via Re/code, which reports … Continue reading “Boston Tech Roundup: Kanojia, NetProspex, Jana, Erecruit, & More”
State of the Internet: U.S. Connection Speeds Rank 17th in World
If you think Internet speeds could be faster in the U.S., you’re not imagining things. The latest rankings of global Internet speeds by digital traffic company Akamai have the U.S. once again absent from the top 10 list of countries with the speediest networks. The U.S. has fared better in previous editions of these quarterly rankings, which are part of … Continue reading “State of the Internet: U.S. Connection Speeds Rank 17th in World”
Mobile Survey: Startups Leading the Way as New Devices Gain Steam
Now that the old standby debates in mobile have been largely sorted out—iOS vs. Android, apps vs. the Web—it’s time to find new areas for rapid growth and change in this era’s dominant computing story. A fresh survey of mobile-industry insiders shows that leaders in the sector are looking at new kinds of devices and … Continue reading “Mobile Survey: Startups Leading the Way as New Devices Gain Steam”
With New Apps, Bridj Gets Closer to Vision of Private Bus Network
Anyone who’s driven around Boston quickly confronts its twisting, colliding, narrow streets, an unapologetically old-world system that somehow embodies the city’s charmingly abrasive style. How people got around before GPS, I’ll never know. Transportation startup Bridj is hoping to tap into this generation’s biggest technology platform—mobile smartphone networks—to make commutes in the region a bit easier. … Continue reading “With New Apps, Bridj Gets Closer to Vision of Private Bus Network”
A Bad Week for North Korea’s Rickety Internet, But Who’s to Blame?
It’s not clear how it happened. But following a massive leak of stolen Sony information—blamed on North Korea after the company filmed a movie about assassinating Kim Jong Un—the reclusive communist nation’s fragile Internet connections have spent a few days getting hammered by outages. Thanks to a company based in Manchester, NH, we can get an idea of … Continue reading “A Bad Week for North Korea’s Rickety Internet, But Who’s to Blame?”
Acme Packet Vets Raise $12M for Stealthy Startup, 128 Technology
The entrepreneurs behind one of the biggest corporate buyouts in Boston’s technology sector are getting their team back together with a new startup whose name hints at the region’s critical role in an earlier computing revolution. Andy Ory and Patrick MeLampy, co-founders of the former IP communication tech company Acme Packet, are listed respectively as … Continue reading “Acme Packet Vets Raise $12M for Stealthy Startup, 128 Technology”
Boston Tech Roundup: Freight Farms, Autodesk, Mavrck, Atlas
Startups are raising money, a small developer shop has been acquired, and the split-up of a venture capital firm motors along in this collection of recent deals around the Boston-area tech sector: —Freight Farms, a Boston-based startup that sells hydroponic vegetable-growing systems housed in shipping containers, has raised $3.7 million in new investment led by Spark Capital. … Continue reading “Boston Tech Roundup: Freight Farms, Autodesk, Mavrck, Atlas”
App Quality Study Shows No-Names Beating Some Big Brands in Mobile
Ask any app developer about their most soul-crushing experience, and you’re likely to get a story about user reviews. No matter how powerful or elegant you think the product is, a few minutes in the hands of real-life users are enough to turn even small flaws into major headaches. Once the bad reviews start to … Continue reading “App Quality Study Shows No-Names Beating Some Big Brands in Mobile”
Boston Tech Roundup: Predilytics, Altaeros, Threat Stack, Next Step Living
An interesting cross-section of companies have reported new private investment in recent days around the Boston area, including startups that deal with digital security, clean energy, and medical data: —Predilytics, a Burlington, MA-based seller of predictive data analytics for healthcare, has raised another $8.9 million in investment, according to an SEC filing. The paperwork also indicates … Continue reading “Boston Tech Roundup: Predilytics, Altaeros, Threat Stack, Next Step Living”
Tech Agenda 2015: Our Big Year-End Conference in Photos
Our latest innovation conference, Tech Agenda 2015, was a ton of fun. Some of the brightest people we’ve ever assembled delivered the latest insights from a wide range of innovative industries, including e-commerce, digital security, early stage investing, and more. The day’s final panel, a look ahead to the year to come with predictions for big changes in business, … Continue reading “Tech Agenda 2015: Our Big Year-End Conference in Photos”
Formlabs to Pay 8 Percent of Net Sales in Patent Lawsuit Settlement
Formlabs, a 3D printer startup that makes high-end devices targeted at professional designers, has agreed to pay 8 percent of its net sales to much larger competitor 3D Systems in order to settle a patent lawsuit. Details of the two companies’ financial deal were not revealed in the court filings dismissing the patent lawsuit earlier this week. But a new 3D Systems filing … Continue reading “Formlabs to Pay 8 Percent of Net Sales in Patent Lawsuit Settlement”
Boston City Council Looks for Fees, Numbers from Uber & Lyft
Mobile-tech startups Uber and Lyft have been operating “ridesharing” services illegally in Boston since 2013. City officials say they’re ready to end that run, but they’re hoping to incorporate the popular car-for-hire apps into existing taxi regulations instead of simply shutting them down. It will probably come with a price, and more transparency about the … Continue reading “Boston City Council Looks for Fees, Numbers from Uber & Lyft”
Analysis: After a Boom-and-Bust Era, More Modest Growth at Polaris
Polaris Partners’ latest venture fund, announced last week at $450 million, looks like a solid reward from its investors after a string of initial public offerings for its portfolio companies. But that reward is noticeably smaller than it might have been a generation ago, when Polaris had early success and was supplied with a huge … Continue reading “Analysis: After a Boom-and-Bust Era, More Modest Growth at Polaris”
Polaris Partners Adds $450M for Seventh Fund
Polaris Partners, a Boston-based venture capital firm with heavy historical ties to MIT’s biotech research labs, has raised $450 million for a seventh fund. The new fund is slightly larger than the $400 million targeted in initial SEC filings earlier this year, likely buoyed by a string of recent portfolio company IPOs in the healthcare … Continue reading “Polaris Partners Adds $450M for Seventh Fund”
What We Haven’t Told You About Tech Agenda 2015, and Why
When we started recruiting speakers for Xconomy’s Tech Agenda 2015, we had a few major goals: Assemble a group of top-notch leaders that represents a healthy cross-section of innovation happening today. Make sure they’re all women. Make the program about tech, not “women in tech.” That third part is why, in marketing Tech Agenda, we’ve … Continue reading “What We Haven’t Told You About Tech Agenda 2015, and Why”
Smarterer Sold to Utah-Based Pluralsight for $75M
One of the Boston area’s most active entrepreneurs has found a buyer for one of his startups. Dave Balter’s Smarterer, an online job-skills testing service, has been acquired by Utah-based online training company Pluralsight for $75 million. The roughly 18-person Smarterer team will continue working on the company in Boston with a strong budget behind it, … Continue reading “Smarterer Sold to Utah-Based Pluralsight for $75M”
Saver Rate Ends Today for The Tech Agenda 2015—Save $100
Our big year-end innovation conference, Tech Agenda 2015, is coming up fast—the afternoon of Dec. 2, at the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology in downtown Boston. So consider this your fair warning that today is the final chance to save $100 by cashing in our Saver Rate tickets for this blockbuster event, which features some of … Continue reading “Saver Rate Ends Today for The Tech Agenda 2015—Save $100”
Home-Assistant Startup Alfred Launches, Paying—Gasp!—Real Wages
What do you do for an encore after your big public debut is widely mocked in the press? For local home-service startup Alfred, the answer is apparently to keep plugging along with your launch plans. A sense of humor helps, too. After all, Alfred is a subscription service that lets people pay $99 month to … Continue reading “Home-Assistant Startup Alfred Launches, Paying—Gasp!—Real Wages”
Tech Agenda 2015: The Details on Our 12/2 Innovation Conference
We’ve been hard at work recruiting speakers and putting together a power-packed program for our latest tech event in Boston, and we’re finally ready to show it off—just in time for you to save $100 off the regular ticket price. We’re calling this conference The Tech Agenda 2015 because we believe the experts we’ve assembled will give … Continue reading “Tech Agenda 2015: The Details on Our 12/2 Innovation Conference”
Who Needs a Mega-Hit? 12-Year-Old Big Fish Games Sold for $885M
The video game business is notoriously boom-or-bust. Develop a hit franchise, and you can make a ton of money—but the novelty eventually wears off for players, and the clock is always ticking for your next hit. Seattle-based Big Fish Games has never really found that headline-grabbing mega-hit game, despite being in business for about 12 years. That means it … Continue reading “Who Needs a Mega-Hit? 12-Year-Old Big Fish Games Sold for $885M”
New and Old Models in Grocery Delivery, and Guilt About Good Jobs
I’m not really the kind of person who wants to use a grocery-delivery service. I’m glad they’re available, especially for people who might have trouble navigating the aisles of their local supermarket. But while I’m able-bodied, I figure I should really be able to drag myself to the store and buy my own groceries. Then … Continue reading “New and Old Models in Grocery Delivery, and Guilt About Good Jobs”
Sales-Tax Software Seller Avalara Adds $100M from Warburg Pincus
Tax compliance doesn’t sound like the kind of sexy business that makes headlines and gets deep-pocketed investors excited. It’s a different story when you’re talking about software that can sift through thousands of overlapping government sales-tax districts around the world. When the idea of paying sales taxes on most online purchases in the U.S. seems like it could become a reality, that story … Continue reading “Sales-Tax Software Seller Avalara Adds $100M from Warburg Pincus”
Formlabs Grows, Counts Millions in Sales Despite Patent Lawsuit
Patent lawsuits from a deep-pocketed competitor can crush a young company before it really gets going. But at the bustling headquarters of 3D printer startup Formlabs, you’d never know the past two years have been spent fighting accusations that its flagship product is a brazenly illegal knock-off. The company now employs about 90 people, and … Continue reading “Formlabs Grows, Counts Millions in Sales Despite Patent Lawsuit”
Tax Scrutiny Highlights Need to Boost Ireland’s Homegrown Tech Scene
Ireland has spent years wooing international tech companies to its shores, offering famously friendly tax rates and an able workforce for anyone looking to open an office across the Atlantic. That recipe has worked wonders. Today, Ireland boasts that it’s host to nine of the technology industry’s top 10 companies. An industry study last year … Continue reading “Tax Scrutiny Highlights Need to Boost Ireland’s Homegrown Tech Scene”
Boston Tech Roundup: Harvest Power, North Bridge, Visible Measures
We’ve got some companies in software and clean energy raising money, and a big VC firm shedding more partners in this quick catch-up on innovation news around the Boston area: —Harvest Power, a Waltham, MA-based company that converts yard waste and food scraps into energy and soil products, has raised another $20 million. The money was … Continue reading “Boston Tech Roundup: Harvest Power, North Bridge, Visible Measures”
More Speakers for Tech Agenda 2015: Rae, Andre, Seseri
We’re adding more amazing speakers to The Tech Agenda 2015, our year-end conference that offers an insider’s debriefing on the biggest issues facing some of our most innovative industries. They make an already strong group even more impressive, and their resumes shine a spotlight on the diversity of topics that our experts will dive into once … Continue reading “More Speakers for Tech Agenda 2015: Rae, Andre, Seseri”
Uber CEO Kalanick Takes a Victory Lap in Boston
Two years ago, smartphone car-hailing startup Uber ran into the kind of bruising regulatory battle in Boston that it seems to start just about everywhere. Faced with a statewide shutdown for using an unapproved taxi meter, the company rallied fans and media boosters to its cause and won a swift reprieve from Gov. Deval Patrick. … Continue reading “Uber CEO Kalanick Takes a Victory Lap in Boston”
Online Pharmacy Startup PillPack Lands $8.75M, Led By Accel
A lot of technology startups get rightly criticized for not bothering to tackle a problem that will make anyone’s life better. PillPack is not one of those startups. The Manchester, NH-based company offers a new twist on the concept of a mail-order pharmacy. Instead of sending long-term supplies of drugs in conventional pill bottles, PillPack … Continue reading “Online Pharmacy Startup PillPack Lands $8.75M, Led By Accel”