There’s only one event in New York that will give you an up-close look at the most innovative companies bridging the digital and physical worlds: Xconomy’s latest half-day forum, “The Hardtech Revolution: Makers, Markets, & Mobile” happening Dec. 9 at AppNexus. And there’s just two days left to get the special Saver Rate, so make … Continue reading “Just Two Days Left to Save Big on “Hardtech Revolution” Tickets”
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.
The Big Agenda for Our “Hardtech Revolution” Event 12/9
We’re less than a month away from our latest tech event in New York, and it promises to be a good one. But you already knew that, right? Well, here’s a little more proof—the full agenda for “The Hardtech Revolution: Makers, Markets, and Mobile” on Dec. 9, hosted by our partners at AppNexus. This afternoon … Continue reading “The Big Agenda for Our “Hardtech Revolution” Event 12/9”
IT Appliance Startup SimpliVity Raises $58M to Expand Staff, Sales
SimpliVity, a Westborough, MA-based seller of IT appliances, has raised a $58 million Series C round to expand hiring and further compete with giants in the data storage and processing market, including EMC. SimpliVity’s business is built around a device called the OmniCube, which is pitched as an all-in-one box that replaces several other pieces … Continue reading “IT Appliance Startup SimpliVity Raises $58M to Expand Staff, Sales”
Ovuline Takes Geeky Approach to Pregnancy Tracking with Ovia App
For a lot of people who get pregnant, the freak-out-and-gather-information phase still looks a lot like it did decades ago: stockpiling thousands of pages of advice books, and trying to burn through them all without gagging on all the conflicting pointers. It’s not a terribly efficient way to gather information. But anyone who’s tried to … Continue reading “Ovuline Takes Geeky Approach to Pregnancy Tracking with Ovia App”
Early Bird Rate Ends Today: Xconomy’s Hardtech Event 12/9
We’ve assembled a killer lineup of entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators for our latest New York tech event, The Hardtech Revolution: Makers, Markets, and Mobile. And today is your last chance to save big on early bird tickets to this half-day forum, hosted by AppNexus. Just what is the Hardtech Revolution? We’re seeing it play out … Continue reading “Early Bird Rate Ends Today: Xconomy’s Hardtech Event 12/9”
FlightCar Opens in LA—Hear CEO at Xconomy’s Hardtech Event 12/9
[Updated 12:10 pm] Rujul Zaparde and his friends weren’t purposely looking to unlock a legendarily tough business challenge when they founded FlightCar, a venture-backed startup that offers cheap parking for travelers who rent their wheels to someone else. “We really thought this was a cool idea, and we really wanted to test this out,” Zaparde … Continue reading “FlightCar Opens in LA—Hear CEO at Xconomy’s Hardtech Event 12/9”
Boston Roundup: Formlabs, Yesware, Globoforce, Shuttersong
Catching up after the long weekend, here’s a bit of Boston-area tech business spanning lawsuits, acquisitions, IPOs, and small fundraising rounds: —It looks like Somerville, MA-based Formlabs, a 3D printing startup that recently raised $19 million, hasn’t quite shed a lingering patent lawsuit. South Carolina-based 3D Systems filed to dismiss its patent lawsuit against Formlabs … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Formlabs, Yesware, Globoforce, Shuttersong”
LevelUp’s Latest Fundraise Intended to Get It to “Break-Even”
We’ve got an answer about the latest fundraising round for LevelUp, the Boston-based mobile payments startup with a history of twists and turns–and big venture backing. In late September, LevelUp quietly filed SEC paperwork for a $7.5 million equity investment round. That came on top of the startup’s existing $41 million venture pot, but was … Continue reading “LevelUp’s Latest Fundraise Intended to Get It to “Break-Even””
Boston Roundup: Facebook, Sold, Rethink Robotics, RallyPoint
Hey look, a story that has nothing to do with the Twitter IPO! How unusual. Instead, we’ve got a few news tidbits about tech companies big and small opening offices, getting acquired, and raising money: —Facebook, infamously started in the Boston area before decamping to California, is finally publicly acknowledging that it’s set up an … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Facebook, Sold, Rethink Robotics, RallyPoint”
LevelUp, Mass. AG Coakley Take Aim at “Patent Trolls”
LevelUp, a Boston-based mobile payments startup bankrolled by Google Ventures, is joining with the attorney general of Massachusetts to scold the people behind frivolous patent lawsuits and join growing calls for changes to U.S. intellectual property laws. Seth Priebatsch, LevelUp’s CEO, noted that his young company has been sued over patents four times so far … Continue reading “LevelUp, Mass. AG Coakley Take Aim at “Patent Trolls””
Robots Rock: Kiva Founder Mick Mountz at Hardtech Revolution 12/9
If you want to revolutionize e-commerce and shipping, start from the ground up. That’s what Mick Mountz did at Kiva Systems, the Boston-area robotics company that turned rows of stationary warehouse shelves into a tightly choreographed dance of product delivery. It’s logistics made sexy, with a healthy assist from the new generation of intelligent, sensor-laden … Continue reading “Robots Rock: Kiva Founder Mick Mountz at Hardtech Revolution 12/9”
CyPhy Works Gets $7M More to Make Commercial Drone Program Fly
The race to get more drones into American skies is definitely on, and Boston-area entrepreneurs are jockeying to secure their spot. CyPhy Works, the drone startup headed by iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner, says it now has another $7 million to aid in that task. The new investment was led by Lux Capital, with General Catalyst, … Continue reading “CyPhy Works Gets $7M More to Make Commercial Drone Program Fly”
Google Ventures, Andreessen-Backed Openbay Aims to Fix Car Repair
It seems like there are a million little small-business headaches that haven’t been solved by the Internet quite yet. There’s a good reason for that—signing up small businesses can be a serious slog, even aside from the structural problems of building a two-sided marketplace where you bring together buyers and sellers. But eventually, you have … Continue reading “Google Ventures, Andreessen-Backed Openbay Aims to Fix Car Repair”
Boston Roundup: Sqrrl, Panorama, Superpedestrian, Threat Stack, & More
[Updated 11:25 am] We’ve got a flurry of fundraising news to round out the week, along with word of some venture partner departures: —Sqrrl, a secure database software company founded by former National Security Agency computer scientists, has raised $5.2 million in Series A financing. The investment was led by Atlas Venture and Matrix Partners, … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Sqrrl, Panorama, Superpedestrian, Threat Stack, & More”
Amid Lawsuit Settlement Talks, Formlabs Raises $19M
It looks like 3D printing startup Formlabs could be nearing the end of its time stuck in legal limbo. The Somerville, MA-based company—one of the more notable names in the latest wave of cheaper 3D printing—has significantly added to its bank account with a $19 million private investment. That infusion of cash comes amid a … Continue reading “Amid Lawsuit Settlement Talks, Formlabs Raises $19M”
North Bridge Gets $580M for Second Growth Equity Fund
[Corrected headline dollar figure] Waltham, MA-based North Bridge Growth Equity has raised a second fund, saying it has more than $580 million in committed cash to bankroll growing companies that have a technology focus. North Bridge’s growth equity arm got its start with a $545 million fund, which was raised in 2007. It lists 12 portfolio companies … Continue reading “North Bridge Gets $580M for Second Growth Equity Fund”
WiTricity’s Wireless-Power Tech Attracts $25M from Intel, Foxconn
It’s been many years since Nikola Tesla’s heyday, and despite the mind-blowing advancements in many areas of technology, we’re still plugging things in with electric cords like a bunch of savages. Wireless power charging is technically possible. But it’s still not here in a widespread sense—one of those advancements that you check in on once … Continue reading “WiTricity’s Wireless-Power Tech Attracts $25M from Intel, Foxconn”
Aereo CEO: Broadcasters “Profiteering” with a Doomed Business Model
Chet Kanojia wasn’t surprised when the multi-billion dollar broadcast industry sued him. In fact, he was planning on it. As the CEO of Aereo, a New York-based startup that streams broadcast TV over the Internet, Kanojia met with plenty of expensive lawyers before starting his brazen attempt to shake up the industry. Their verdict, he … Continue reading “Aereo CEO: Broadcasters “Profiteering” with a Doomed Business Model”
The Hardtech Revolution: Makers, Markets, & Mobile on Dec. 9
The Internet revolution is falling in love with the offline world. Robots, connected sensors, and gadgets of all types are getting cheaper and faster, and obscure startups are riding crowdfunding campaigns to national prominence. Always-on smartphone users are opening up new avenues for marshaling assets in the real world, making everything from grabbing a ride … Continue reading “The Hardtech Revolution: Makers, Markets, & Mobile on Dec. 9”
Akamai: Indonesia Top Source of Internet Attacks; DDoS Reports Jump
Malicious hackers have a new favorite country. Indonesia was the source of the most Internet attack traffic in the second quarter of 2013, pushing China out of the top spot in the quarterly “State of the Internet” report from Akamai (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]). The Cambridge, MA-based company, which handles about a third of global Internet traffic, … Continue reading “Akamai: Indonesia Top Source of Internet Attacks; DDoS Reports Jump”
CounterTack Adds $12M Series B to Stop IT Attacks at the Front Door
It’s an immutable law of the Internet: if you’ve got a valuable network, someone’s going to attack. The tricky part is how to defend yourself. The way Neal Creighton sees it, the IT industry has not spent nearly enough time watching the “endpoints”—servers and individual computers—that can serve as a front door for malicious hackers. … Continue reading “CounterTack Adds $12M Series B to Stop IT Attacks at the Front Door”
LaunchAngels Hopes to Consolidate Crowdfunding for Startup Investors
Crowdfunding for startups is starting to attract more professional investment managers. LaunchAngels, a Boston-based fund for individual investors, is seeking its first $1 million pool of cash to invest in early stage and growing companies. The company is a spinoff of Big Idea Group, a Bedford, NH-based business consulting firm. It’s being headed by CEO … Continue reading “LaunchAngels Hopes to Consolidate Crowdfunding for Startup Investors”
1366 Technologies Raises $15M for New Solar-Power Wafer Factory
The future is looking brighter for one Massachusetts cleantech startup. 1366 Technologies, which makes silicon wafers used in solar-power cells, has raised $15 million to help build a full-size factory with output starting at about 60 million wafers per year. That’s enough to generate about 250 megawatts of solar electricity, which 1366 says is adequate … Continue reading “1366 Technologies Raises $15M for New Solar-Power Wafer Factory”
Boston Roundup: NextView, Sample6, Nuance, Intelligent.ly, Aereo
A fine selection of venture capitalists and startups raising money, acquisitions, new offices, and court victories in this end-of-the-week collection of news from around the Boston-area innovation scene: —NextView Ventures, an early stage VC firm, is raising its second fund. Paperwork filed with the SEC offers no clues about the fund’s size or investors, but … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: NextView, Sample6, Nuance, Intelligent.ly, Aereo”
Google X Display Head: Smartphones, Tablets, Apps are “Mind-Numbing”
Millions of consumers may be drooling over the latest versions of their favorite smartphones and tablets, amazed by the sharp displays, powerful cameras, and panoply of applications. But deep inside Google’s experimental hardware unit, where people work on crazy-sounding ideas like driverless cars and balloon-lofted wireless networks, all of that electronics-store stuff is starting to … Continue reading “Google X Display Head: Smartphones, Tablets, Apps are “Mind-Numbing””
Myomo Continues Comeback, Adds $2M to Boost Robotic Arm Brace
Myomo, a medical-device startup whose robotic braces act like “power steering for your arm,” has buttoned up a venture round as it continues an intriguing corporate comeback story. The newest round of financing—$2 million from individual angels and venture firm Mountain Group Capital—is the final piece of a $7 million investment the company started collecting … Continue reading “Myomo Continues Comeback, Adds $2M to Boost Robotic Arm Brace”
Zulily Files for $100M IPO to Fuel Mom-Focused Flash Sales
One of Seattle’s biggest startup success stories is headed for Wall Street. Zulily, the fast-growing moms-and-kids apparel e-commerce company, has publicly filed for an initial public offering that could be worth up to $100 million. Founded in 2009 by Blue Nile veterans Mark Vadon and Darrell Cavens, the company specializes in selling merchandise to moms … Continue reading “Zulily Files for $100M IPO to Fuel Mom-Focused Flash Sales”
Swirl Finds $8M from Hearst for Bluetooth Beacons and Mobile Ads
With millions of shoppers carrying around ever more powerful smartphones, it’s probably inevitable that savvy retailers will start pumping coupons, deals, and other enticements directly to the screens in our pockets and purses. But truly intelligent in-store digital ads, especially ones tied to your location in the aisles, aren’t quite here yet—even though plenty of … Continue reading “Swirl Finds $8M from Hearst for Bluetooth Beacons and Mobile Ads”
Boston Roundup: Pursway, Logentries, Paydiant, Healthrageous
Updated 4 pm Some fundraising, customer announcement, and shutdown news from Boston-area startups in several different sectors: —Pursway, a marketing software company, has raised $7.2 million in new investment to expand its product and sales teams. The company moved from Israel to the Boston area in 2010, raising a $6 million Series A investment from … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Pursway, Logentries, Paydiant, Healthrageous”
Leaf Adds $20M as Payments Sector Heats Up
Deals are starting to fly in the battle over small-business payment processing. Cambridge, MA-based Leaf, a startup that sells point-of-sale systems built around Android-based tablets, says it has raised a $20 million investment round. The investor is Heartland Payment Systems, a national merchant payments provider. The investment is significant for Leaf, which had previously raised … Continue reading “Leaf Adds $20M as Payments Sector Heats Up”
Boston Deals: LevelUp, Ministry of Supply, Predilytics, CO Everywhere
Lots of startup funding news around town: —LevelUp, the Boston-based startup that has gone through several changes in direction as it tries to figure out a mobile payments business, has raised more investment cash—and it’s significantly less than last time. An SEC filing shows that LevelUp (through its parent company, SCVNGR) has raised $7.5 million … Continue reading “Boston Deals: LevelUp, Ministry of Supply, Predilytics, CO Everywhere”
Sales Software Startup Yesware Adds $13.5M Led by Battery Ventures
Boston-based Yesware, which makes e-mail software for salespeople, has raised $13.5 million in a bid to accelerate its growth. Battery Ventures led the investment, which also featured Yesware’s existing backers: Google Ventures, Foundry Group, Golden Venture Partners, and IDG Ventures. With the new cash, Yesware has raised a total of $18.5 million in venture investments. … Continue reading “Sales Software Startup Yesware Adds $13.5M Led by Battery Ventures”
How Did Newspapers Blow It? Not Enough Engineers, NYT Publisher Says
It would be hard to single out just one mistake from the news industry’s fumbled transition to the Internet era. But the most important newspaper publisher in America—Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. of the New York Times—says one stumble sticks out among the rest. “Engineers. That’s what we didn’t focus on fast enough,” Sulzberger says. “The need … Continue reading “How Did Newspapers Blow It? Not Enough Engineers, NYT Publisher Says”
“Tech Tax” Repeal Coming, Lawmakers Say, After Last-Minute Lobbying
The Massachusetts technology sector saw its hastily flexed political muscle pay off this week, as legislative leaders pledged to repeal a new sales tax on certain kinds of software development. The “tech tax,” as it became known, was passed earlier this year as part of a major state transportation financing package. It extended the state’s … Continue reading ““Tech Tax” Repeal Coming, Lawmakers Say, After Last-Minute Lobbying”
Boston Roundup: Gov. Patrick, Benu, iZotope, Dorm Room Fund, edX
We’ve got some significant tech-industry political news this week, along with fundraising announcements, VC expansions, and a new online education product: —Gov. Deval Patrick is suddenly championing the causes of many in the Massachusetts tech sector. In separate announcements yesterday, Patrick said he wants to make non-compete agreements unenforceable in the state and also wants … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Gov. Patrick, Benu, iZotope, Dorm Room Fund, edX”
EBay Buys Price-Predicting Startup Decide, Adds to Seattle Office
Updated 11:35 am Pacific One of Seattle’s best-pedigreed tech startups is joining a big name in the industry. Decide, a price-forecasting service formed by veterans of the Farecast team, has been acquired by online shopping giant eBay for an undisclosed sum. Decide’s team “will be making the move to eBay’s new Seattle-area offices,” CEO Mike … Continue reading “EBay Buys Price-Predicting Startup Decide, Adds to Seattle Office”
Dragon Innovation Kicks Off Crowdfunding, 2 Projects Rocket Ahead
Dragon Innovation, one of the key players in Boston’s new wave of hardware entrepreneurship, is showing off some early success with its new crowdfunding website. The site went live today, and two of the initial projects—which range from high-tech to basic tools—are hits with customers after just a few hours. Tessel, a microcontroller with add-on … Continue reading “Dragon Innovation Kicks Off Crowdfunding, 2 Projects Rocket Ahead”
Boston Roundup: RunKeeper, Arbor Networks, Datto, General Catalyst, Baker
Updated 4:50 pm Startup partnerships, acquisition deals, fundraising, and little bit of innovation-sector politics to catch up on: —RunKeeper is popping up on another smartwatch. The Boston-based fitness-tracking app, which has built its brand primarily on smartphones, is one of the first apps being made available on Samsung’s new Galaxy Gear device. The smartwatch communicates … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: RunKeeper, Arbor Networks, Datto, General Catalyst, Baker”
Microsoft Buys Nokia Smartphone Unit, Elop Returns as Executive
Turns out the Steve Ballmer retirement was just one of the big changes at Microsoft. Now, the software giant is making a bigger bet on producing its own hardware by buying the smartphone business of Finnish handset manufacturer Nokia for about $7.2 billion. Microsoft is paying for the deal with cash it has stowed overseas. … Continue reading “Microsoft Buys Nokia Smartphone Unit, Elop Returns as Executive”
Boston Roundup: Acquia, 908 Devices, StarStreet
We’ve got one company shopping itself for a stock sale, and two more who have raised new money in this end-of-summer collection of innovation headlines: —Acquia, a website services firm, has hired a new chief financial officer as it prepares for a possible IPO: Dennis Morgan, formerly of Salesforce.com acquisition Buddy Media. The Burlington, MA-based … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Acquia, 908 Devices, StarStreet”
Bill Gates Invests in Boston’s Evolv, an Intellectual Ventures Spinout
When Boston startup Evolv Technologies surfaced earlier this month with an $11.8 million fundraising round, nobody tied to the company would talk about what it’s doing. Today, the secrecy is lifting. Evolv is developing advanced imaging products—think airport security scanners—that could be much smaller and more efficient thanks to the wave-bending properties of a technology … Continue reading “Bill Gates Invests in Boston’s Evolv, an Intellectual Ventures Spinout”
Uber Sued Again Over Tip-Skimming Claims, Case Could Go National
Car-hailing startup Uber, which just raised an enormous amount of money from Google Ventures and other investors, will have to earmark some of that new cash for legal bills. The San Francisco-based company is being sued again in federal court, this time over claims that it’s stiffing drivers on tips. A similar case was previously … Continue reading “Uber Sued Again Over Tip-Skimming Claims, Case Could Go National”
CO Everywhere App Traces a New Way to View Neighborhoods
Boston startup Block Avenue formed around the idea of helping people unearth information about their neighborhoods. But eventually, the young company found the real stars of the show: the people living in those places. Equipped with super-smart devices and ever-faster broadband connections, those everyday folks are now publishing an exponentially growing array of content through … Continue reading “CO Everywhere App Traces a New Way to View Neighborhoods”
Ballmer Out: Amid Microsoft’s Big Shift, Will it Satisfy Wall St.?
Steve Ballmer’s surprising retirement as Microsoft CEO comes at a very turbulent time for the company, in almost every possible sense. After becoming legendary in corporate circles for its warring internal factions, Microsoft has just embarked on a huge reorganization, championed by Ballmer, that attempts to unify control of the company. That follows a seismic … Continue reading “Ballmer Out: Amid Microsoft’s Big Shift, Will it Satisfy Wall St.?”
Boston Roundup: Locu, Second Wind, Benu Networks, HubSpot
Acquisitions, product releases, and some stealthy fundraising make up this quick trip through tech-industry headlines around the Boston area: —Locu, a San Francisco-based startup that was hatched out of MIT, has been acquired by online hosting company GoDaddy. The price wasn’t disclosed, but AllThingsD reports the deal was worth about $70 million. The startup was … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Locu, Second Wind, Benu Networks, HubSpot”
Apple, Samsung, or BlackBerry? A Smartphone Model for VC Strategy
[Updated 9:20pm] After many years as a boutique investment class dominated by well-known names, the venture capital business is hitting some turbulence. Average returns for the past decade-plus have been lackluster, and there have been consequences—notable investors pulling back their checkbooks, and firms that can’t make the grade shrinking or disappearing entirely. At the same … Continue reading “Apple, Samsung, or BlackBerry? A Smartphone Model for VC Strategy”
Mobile Shopping Startup Snapette Snapped Up by PriceGrabber
After ping-ponging around the country on a thoroughly contemporary startup journey, mobile shopping startup Snapette has been acquired by veteran e-commerce company PriceGrabber, giving the Los Angeles-based parent company a shot of mobile-tech DNA. Terms of the deal between the two private companies were not disclosed, but it sounds like a happy enough ending for … Continue reading “Mobile Shopping Startup Snapette Snapped Up by PriceGrabber”
Boston Deals: ShopAdvisor, Evolv, Christensen, CareCloud
A few startups—some more secretive than others—and a notable business professor’s private investment fund are in this roundup of deal news to round out your week: —ShopAdvisor, which adds e-commerce functions to publishers’ digital ads, has raised about $5 million in venture funding. The Maynard, MA-based company, which had previously raised about $2 million, said last year … Continue reading “Boston Deals: ShopAdvisor, Evolv, Christensen, CareCloud”
Survey: VCs Less Confident in Global Markets, Look to Home Turf
Private-market investors tend to be an optimistic bunch, at least in public—it comes with the territory when you’re betting on unknown or unproven companies and their founders. But a new survey of market confidence from the National Venture Capital Association shows a pretty dour outlook in several cases from VC, private equity, and growth equity … Continue reading “Survey: VCs Less Confident in Global Markets, Look to Home Turf”
Boston Roundup: PerkStreet, Extreme Reach, DraftKings, Aquaback
[Updated 9:55 am with last item] A startup shutdown, an ad-tech merger, and some fundraising news to catch up on around the Boston area: —PerkStreet Financial, a banking startup that gave customers cash back and shopping discounts for using debit cards, is shutting down. In a message posted on the company’s website, PerkStreet says it … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: PerkStreet, Extreme Reach, DraftKings, Aquaback”