It’s no secret that venture capital has struggled since the dot-com implosion. The latest dispatch from the industry’s U.S. trade group, however, says there might be some promising signs of better performance. In a new report wrapping up the 2012 performance for VCs, the National Venture Capital Association says the broad industry finally returned to the … Continue reading “NVCA: Venture Capital Finally Returned More Than It Took in 2012”
Author: Curt Woodward
Twitter Shows Off Bluefin Labs Buy with New TV Ad Targeting
When Twitter landed in Boston earlier this year it didn’t mess around, spending around $200 million for two startups. And we’re starting to see more of the payoff for that expensive shopping trip. Today, as part of its efforts to get a piece of the TV advertising action, Twitter pitched a new program that lets … Continue reading “Twitter Shows Off Bluefin Labs Buy with New TV Ad Targeting”
TechStars Boston Demo Day: Four Startups Taking Innovation Offline
TechStars Boston has officially unleashed its latest group of early stage companies, 14 startups with well-practiced pitches and big hopes. And this time around, several companies stood out for their focus on tackling real-world problems with software and online tools. That shouldn’t be a big surprise for a couple of reasons. First of all, we … Continue reading “TechStars Boston Demo Day: Four Startups Taking Innovation Offline”
Boston Roundup: Adelphic, SoundBite, MIT $100K, Acquia, & More
[Updated 12:55 pm] A CEO swap, some corporate M&A, student entrepreneurship, increased sales numbers, fundraising, and general deal-making in this quick trip through some Boston-area innovation headlines: —Mobile advertising startup Adelphic is getting a new leader. The company says Michael Collins, formerly of mobile marketing agency Joule, has replaced co-founder Changfeng Wang as CEO. Wang … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Adelphic, SoundBite, MIT $100K, Acquia, & More”
Boston Roundup: Skyword, SimpleTuition, Jelly, Pebble, MIT
A smattering of fundraising announcements involving Boston-area companies and investors, along with a student entrepreneurship program in this collection of local news tidbits: —Skyword, a Boston-based marketing company that links freelance copywriters with advertisers and other clients, has raised $6.7 million. The investment was led by Cox Media Group, which Skyword says will help hire … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Skyword, SimpleTuition, Jelly, Pebble, MIT”
Tableau Shares Jump More Than 50% in IPO
No question, traders in the stock market knew there was going to be an appetite for shares of data visualization provider Tableau Software. But that hunger for business-tech IPO stocks is even deeper than Tableau guessed. Shares of the Seattle-based company (NYSE: [[ticker:DATA]]) were up more than 50 percent in midday trading after its initial public … Continue reading “Tableau Shares Jump More Than 50% in IPO”
Tableau Software to Reap $155M from IPO at $31 per Share
Wall Street’s hunger for business-tech companies is on display again with the initial public offering of Seattle-based Tableau Software. Tableau, a provider of data-visualization software, begins trading today (NYSE: [[ticker:DATA]]) at $31 per share. That’s a higher price than Tableau had projected for its shares, even after revising the target twice—a signal of strong demand … Continue reading “Tableau Software to Reap $155M from IPO at $31 per Share”
Cambridge Innovation Center Strikes Deal for St. Louis Expansion
The Boston area’s best-known startup hub is taking another big step in its national expansion plans. The Cambridge Innovation Center, an all-in-one office space and services provider that houses some 500 companies near the MIT campus, is opening a branch in St. Louis. CIC officials announced the expansion Thursday along with Wexford Science & Technology, … Continue reading “Cambridge Innovation Center Strikes Deal for St. Louis Expansion”
Boston Roundup: Matrix, Grommet & Rakuten, Ambient, Summer@Highland
Updated 10 a.m. with new item Some news on VC fundraising, startup investment, corporate layoffs, and student entrepreneurship in this midweek rundown of items to catch up on: —Matrix Partners, based in Waltham, MA, has confirmed that it’s raised $450 million for its 10th venture fund. The news first surfaced in mid-April, courtesy of Fortune’s Dan Primack. … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Matrix, Grommet & Rakuten, Ambient, Summer@Highland”
Cloudant Raises $12M from Rackspace and Others, Opens SF Office
There’s some more fuel for the online database arms race today: Boston-based Cloudant has secured a new $12 million investment round. The money will bankroll Cloudant’s general growth, which includes a new office in San Francisco, complementing Cloudant’s previous footprint in Boston, Seattle, and Bristol, England. New investors in the new Series B round are Devonshire Investors, … Continue reading “Cloudant Raises $12M from Rackspace and Others, Opens SF Office”
LogMeIn’s Xively: An Amazon Web Services for the Internet of Things?
A couple of years back, business software company LogMeIn bought a little startup called Pachube. This happens all the time, of course—a public company snapping up a small fry, hoping to bring some scrappier DNA or a promising product into the fold. But this acquisition, more than many others, seemed to hint at an intriguing … Continue reading “LogMeIn’s Xively: An Amazon Web Services for the Internet of Things?”
Amid Ridesharing Wars, Hailo Sticks to Cabs (and Loves It)
In the rush to revolutionize taxicabs, the hot new property isn’t a fancy black sedan or a network of hustling cabbies. Instead, digital entrepreneurs are suddenly racing toward the 21st century version of hitchhiking. So-called “ridesharing” services, which enlist everyday people to make some money by picking up other folks, have been spreading from the … Continue reading “Amid Ridesharing Wars, Hailo Sticks to Cabs (and Loves It)”
ExtremeReach Adds $50M from Spectrum to Expand Video Ad-Tech
Digital advertising hasn’t cracked the TV industry’s dominant market share yet. But some players are signaling a push for online ads, particularly video, to take a bigger slice of the pie. That brings us to ExtremeReach, a Needham, MA-based company that provides online video ad distribution systems. ExtremeReach, which has been profitable for some time … Continue reading “ExtremeReach Adds $50M from Spectrum to Expand Video Ad-Tech”
Boston Roundup: EMC, MyEnergy, Nuance, Balter, ‘Midas’ VCs
Downsizing, buyouts, deals, and investors galore dot this run-through of recent news around the Boston area innovation sector: —EMC is laying off about 1,000 people. The restructuring had been previously announced, but Hopkinton, MA-based EMC—which sells digital storage services—specified the number of job cuts in its latest quarterly report. The company (NYSE: [[ticker:EMC]]) says the jobs will … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: EMC, MyEnergy, Nuance, Balter, ‘Midas’ VCs”
As HubSpot Eyes IPO, Here’s How It Stacks Up Against Competitors
There’s no more obvious IPO candidate among Boston-area technology companies than HubSpot—especially if you ask HubSpot. The marketing software company, founded in 2006, has been keen to discuss its hopes of going public. And it’s not alone in those ambitions: HubSpot is one of the bigger technology bets in the Boston region, having raised about … Continue reading “As HubSpot Eyes IPO, Here’s How It Stacks Up Against Competitors”
Pebble, RunKeeper Team Up as Wearable Computing Gains Steam
Way back in 2012, when the folks behind the Pebble smartwatch were still trying to get their dream gadget built, a hunt began for applications that would show off the miniature wearable computer’s best features. It would be waterproof, with an e-paper screen that wearers could read in outdoor light. Its Bluetooth connection would bring … Continue reading “Pebble, RunKeeper Team Up as Wearable Computing Gains Steam”
Fantasy Sports, Real Money: Atlas Re-Ups with $7M in DraftKings
We’re in the middle of a frenzied period in major American sports: the NBA playoffs, the NHL playoffs, and regular-season Major League Baseball all competing for attention, along with the draft and offseason reshuffling in the NFL. All in all, not a bad time to reload with more investment cash if you’re a fantasy-sports startup. … Continue reading “Fantasy Sports, Real Money: Atlas Re-Ups with $7M in DraftKings”
Boston Roundup: NEVYs, VMTurbo, Stackdriver, Cue Ball
Some awards, financing, and product launches to cover in this collection of Boston-area news items: —The New England Venture Capital Association hosted its first-ever “Nevy” awards last night, at the hip Sinclair in Cambridge. The full list of winners is available here, but some of the standouts include Spark Capital as tech-sector VC firm of the … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: NEVYs, VMTurbo, Stackdriver, Cue Ball”
Atlas Venture Raises $265M Fund, Touts Turnaround from Bloated Years
[Updated 1:15 pm, see below] Atlas Venture, a Cambridge, MA-based venture capital firm that focuses on early stage tech and biotech companies, has raised a new $265 million fund after several years of reinventing itself into a leaner, more nimble operation. The news comes on the heels of Boston-area VC firms closing new funds—$650 million … Continue reading “Atlas Venture Raises $265M Fund, Touts Turnaround from Bloated Years”
Google Fiber Spurs Telcos to Action, but Monopoly Fears Linger
Google’s foray into offering super-fast Internet and TV service sure looks like the kind of thing that could grow into a vertical monopoly. But the reactions of established service providers are proving the company’s point—that there’s not enough competition in the telecommunications industry. This week, we saw evidence that Google Fiber—which offers TV service and … Continue reading “Google Fiber Spurs Telcos to Action, but Monopoly Fears Linger”
Cheezburger Lays Off 24, Restructures to Focus on Mobile
Cheezburger Network, which publishes well-known humor sites such as I Can Has Cheezburger and FAIL Blog, is laying off two dozen employees as it prepares to restructure for mobile-focused publishing. Perhaps more significantly, the Seattle-based company is hoping to swap its current Web advertising model for a new focus on longer-term, integrated sponsorships. In an … Continue reading “Cheezburger Lays Off 24, Restructures to Focus on Mobile”
Rue La La’s Fischman Out as CEO—Joining Other Flash-Sales Execs
If you’re the CEO of a flash-sales fashion site, you might want to make sure your resume is in order. The career prospects are looking a little rocky right now. Today, Boston-based Rue La La abruptly announced that founder Ben Fischman was being replaced as CEO. Steve Davis, an e-commerce veteran who has been the … Continue reading “Rue La La’s Fischman Out as CEO—Joining Other Flash-Sales Execs”
Man vs. Machine: Can Software Trump Editors in the Newsfeed Wars?
Suddenly, digital newsfeeds are the hottest thing in consumer tech. Big tech companies have been frantically opening their wallets in recent weeks to buy out small startups making mobile-friendly applications that use software to pull together news from innumerable sources around the Web. Last week, it was Google paying a reported $30 million or more … Continue reading “Man vs. Machine: Can Software Trump Editors in the Newsfeed Wars?”
Schmidt: Google Glass Critics “Afraid of Change,” Society Will Adapt
Google Glass is just getting into the hands of developers, and you’re still many months away from seeing consumers walking around with the voice-activated computer display/camera devices on their faces. So just take a breath, Google chairman Eric Schmidt says, before you jump to the worst conclusions about how Glass will ruin privacy or human … Continue reading “Schmidt: Google Glass Critics “Afraid of Change,” Society Will Adapt”
Hate Facebook Ads? Nanigans Says Numbers Don’t Lie
As a garden-variety user, you might hate the increasing number of advertisements popping up on your Facebook feed. You may complain about them, perhaps quite loudly—even though that’s the price of an otherwise free service. But that doesn’t mean those ads aren’t working. Just ask Nanigans, a Boston-based ad technology startup. The company, which helps … Continue reading “Hate Facebook Ads? Nanigans Says Numbers Don’t Lie”
Spark Capital: Startups Shouldn’t Have to Pay Our Legal Bills
Don’t let it be said that venture capitalists are a greedy bunch. Well, not all of them, anyway. Bijan Sabet, a general partner at Boston-based Spark Capital, says the firm will now start paying its own legal costs when it invests “at the earliest days of the company.” Why’s that notable? As Sabet explains on … Continue reading “Spark Capital: Startups Shouldn’t Have to Pay Our Legal Bills”
Here’s What It Looks Like When an Entire Country Loses the Internet
When you deliver nearly a third of global Web traffic, you get to see a lot of crazy stuff happen. Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]), the global Internet traffic provider, is giving us a glimpse at some of those wild scenarios today in its latest “State of the Internet” report. The company, based in Cambridge, MA, … Continue reading “Here’s What It Looks Like When an Entire Country Loses the Internet”
Boston-Area Deals: Life Image, MC10, Gizmox, Nanigans, Verivo
Updated 3:45 p.m. Several private companies around Massachusetts are making fundraising news: —Newton-based Life Image has raised $15 million in fresh capital. The company says the Series C round includes previous investors Galen Partners, Cardinal Partners, and Long River Ventures. Life Image provides a network for securely sharing medical images like X-ray and MRI scans. (The … Continue reading “Boston-Area Deals: Life Image, MC10, Gizmox, Nanigans, Verivo”
While Windows Slowly Shifts, Office Drives Forward
A good chunk of the technology industry spent the end of this week gorging on the performance of Microsoft’s Windows unit, which pulled off relatively flat growth despite some doomsday predictions of a collapse in PC sales. Another narrative was tucked into the background: Microsoft’s software applications, driven by its Office suite, continue to be … Continue reading “While Windows Slowly Shifts, Office Drives Forward”
Boston Briefs: Wayfair, Proletariat, Iora Health, Pixability
[Updated 5:10 pm to correct dollar figure to orders in first item.] Private companies big and small are making fundraising headlines this week: —Online home furnishings retailer Wayfair reported that its first-quarter sales grew by 40 percent since last year. The company also tells the Boston Globe that orders for its goods reached nearly $200 million during … Continue reading “Boston Briefs: Wayfair, Proletariat, Iora Health, Pixability”
Cue Ball Capital Adds $30M to “Evergreen,” Unconventional VC Fund
Cue Ball Capital, an unconventional Boston venture fund that counts some well-known business and media names among its investors, has added another $30 million to its ongoing investment fund. The new fundraising follows a significant deal for Cue Ball’s portfolio: scientific publisher Reed Elsevier’s acquisition of Knovel, a provider of online engineering software. The Knovel … Continue reading “Cue Ball Capital Adds $30M to “Evergreen,” Unconventional VC Fund”
Highland Capital Partners Seeking $400M New Fund
Boston-area venture capitalists have been busy raising money in recent months, and here’s one more to add to the list. Highland Capital Partners, based in Cambridge, MA, has filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission that outlines its plan to raise a $400 million ninth fund. The SEC filing says Highland is seeking that much, but … Continue reading “Highland Capital Partners Seeking $400M New Fund”
Report: Matrix Partners Raises $450M Fund
Another Massachusetts venture capital firm is apparently rounding up a new batch of investment dollars. Fortune is reporting that Matrix Partners, headquartered in Waltham, MA, has raised $450 million for its 10th VC fund. As reporter Dan Primack notes, it’s smaller than the firm’s $600 million fund dating from 2009, and in line with the $450 … Continue reading “Report: Matrix Partners Raises $450M Fund”
Get Help, Give Help: Boston Tech Responds to Marathon Bombings
Nonprofits, companies, and service providers of all sizes across the technology scene are banding together in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, offering ways to show support, donate money, and get things done. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most notable efforts so far, but please e-mail me if you see other … Continue reading “Get Help, Give Help: Boston Tech Responds to Marathon Bombings”
Foursquare’s New Cash, New Focus: Why Local is So Damn Hard
Back in 2009, with the smartphone revolution just taking off, savvy app-makers started playing around with ways to use the iPhone’s GPS features, tracking where users are in real time. The sharpest among them, it turned out, wound up building little games that encouraged people to “check in” at places they visited in the real … Continue reading “Foursquare’s New Cash, New Focus: Why Local is So Damn Hard”
Venture Deals Neared $7B in First Quarter, Up From 2012
We recently looked at which venture capitalists were raising money last quarter. Now we’ve got some insight into how they spent it. Research firm CB Insights says it tracked $6.9 billion in VC investments nationwide in the first quarter of this year, spread across 841 deals. Those totals represented a steady pace compared with the … Continue reading “Venture Deals Neared $7B in First Quarter, Up From 2012”
Boston Roundup: Care.com, Kendall Square, SavingStar
Some hiring, regulation, and investing news around the Boston area in the past few days: —Care.com, the heavily-financed operator of online caregiver search services, is stoking more speculation of an upcoming IPO. This time, it’s because the company has hired former iRobot financial chief John Leahy as its new CFO. Care.com has raised more than … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Care.com, Kendall Square, SavingStar”
TripAdvisor Picks Up Jetsetter from Gilt
A little bit of property changing hands in the online travel sector: Newton, MA-based TripAdvisor is buying travel-deals site Jetsetter from Gilt, a New York e-commerce startup. No terms were given for the deal, but BetaBeat reported last fall that Gilt had been shopping Jetsetter for $30 million-$50 million. The sale to TripAdvisor was also … Continue reading “TripAdvisor Picks Up Jetsetter from Gilt”
More Fuel for the New Database Wars: ParElastic Raises $5.7M
Online, on-demand computing power has transformed the way businesses and everyday people use software and data storage. Just ask techies who had to buy racks of servers just to start their dot-com-era companies, or one of us poor suckers who remembers shelling out for those cardboard-boxed PC applications. But the formula of seamlessly delivered, constantly … Continue reading “More Fuel for the New Database Wars: ParElastic Raises $5.7M”
MA Venture Firms Lead the Way in Slow Q1 Fundraising
Three Boston-area venture capital firms led the nation in VC fundraising during the first quarter of this year, a slow period that reflects continued retraction and consolidation in the venture industry. In their latest quarterly report on VC fundraising, Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association say that some 35 venture funds raised nearly … Continue reading “MA Venture Firms Lead the Way in Slow Q1 Fundraising”
One of the Lucky Few: HighFive Kicks Off Nike+ Accelerator
Brent Gilmore was just looking for a Web domain. He wound up with a co-founder, a new company, and a trip across the country. Gilmore’s startup, HighFive, is part of the new Nike+ Accelerator program, a three-month product bootcamp run by prominent national startup accelerator TechStars. The program kicked off last month and runs through … Continue reading “One of the Lucky Few: HighFive Kicks Off Nike+ Accelerator”
A123 Changes Name to B456 After Sale
[Updated 3/29, see below] An interesting footnote to a big, bad bankruptcy case in the cleantech world: The former A123 Systems, which fell into bankruptcy after huge stumbles in its business, has officially changed its name to B456 Systems. The change was noted in a filing with the SEC. In it, the company notes that … Continue reading “A123 Changes Name to B456 After Sale”
HubSpot Goes Shopping Again, Buys Two Small Startups
HubSpot said it would spend some of its new $35 million in investment cash on acquisitions, and today it’s making good on that pledge. The Cambridge, MA-based marketing software company says it has purchased Toronto-based Chime and New Haven, CT-based PrepWork. Chime made a browser plug-in that pulls together social media feeds, while PrepWork’s product … Continue reading “HubSpot Goes Shopping Again, Buys Two Small Startups”
Boston Roundup: Harmonix, Medrobotics, High Street Partners, & More
Some fundraising, acquisition, and board-member news from Boston-area tech companies big and small, old and new, from video games to surgical robots and beyond: —Harmonix, the video game developer behind Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Dance Central, is adding Foundry Group VC Brad Feld to its board. Feld notes he was an angel investor in … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Harmonix, Medrobotics, High Street Partners, & More”
Kleiner & Sequoia’s Fund Returns Could be Exposed in CA Lawsuit
As venture capital firms feel the squeeze from new competitors, unsatisfied investors, and stagnant markets, two of the industry’s biggest names could finally have their performance data revealed to the public. A California lawsuit from the news organization Reuters is threatening to expose the performance records of Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers—Silicon … Continue reading “Kleiner & Sequoia’s Fund Returns Could be Exposed in CA Lawsuit”
Second Boundless Co-Founder Leaves E-Textbook Startup
Another co-founder is leaving Boundless, a Boston-based e-textbook startup that has been battling a federal lawsuit from big textbook publishers. Aaron White, one of three Boundless co-founders, says in a blog post today that he’s stepping down from his job as chief technology officer. He will remain on the board, but says he has no … Continue reading “Second Boundless Co-Founder Leaves E-Textbook Startup”
What’s Going on at Avid? Nothing Good, It Seems
Avid Technology, the Burlington, MA-based maker of video and audio editing software, is trying to dig itself out of a pretty big hole. And right now, there are more questions than answers. Avid’s stock (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVID]]) has fallen steeply since late February, when the company announced that it wouldn’t be able to make the quarterly … Continue reading “What’s Going on at Avid? Nothing Good, It Seems”
TripAdvisor Buys Photo-Sharing App Tiny Post
TripAdvisor, a big name in the original online travel game, is once again buying a smaller company as it tries to keep pace with changing consumer behavior. Today, the Newton, MA-based online travel review site says it has purchased Tiny Post, a smartphone app that lets users write messages on photos and share them with … Continue reading “TripAdvisor Buys Photo-Sharing App Tiny Post”
Athenahealth, iTriage Link More Patients, Docs on Mobile
A couple of companies trying to make mobile applications more useful for doctors and patients are linking up. Watertown, MA-based Athenahealth (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ATHN]]) says today that it’s partnering with iTriage, a consumer healthcare app company based in Denver. The deal essentially puts the Athenahealth roster of some 40,000 healthcare professionals in front of what iTriage … Continue reading “Athenahealth, iTriage Link More Patients, Docs on Mobile”
Boston Roundup: Zipcar, HubSpot, Hack/Reduce, QPID, Billaway
People getting new jobs leads this roundup of news bits from around the Boston-area innovation sector, with a few small fundraising deals thrown in for good measure: —Scott Griffith quit as CEO of Zipcar, coinciding with Avis Budget Group formally completing its acquisition of the rent-by-the-hour car company headquartered in Cambridge. There wasn’t any mention … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Zipcar, HubSpot, Hack/Reduce, QPID, Billaway”