San Antonio—A San Antonio tech startup that sells Internet-connected tags and other tools to monitor the health and whereabouts of herds of animals has raised $5 million in a new round of funding, according to a securities filing. HerdX says that farmers will be able to use the data gathered from the Internet-connected devices to … Continue reading “HerdX Adds $5M for IoT System To Help Farmers Track Livestock”
Author: David Holley
David is the national correspondent at Xconomy. He has spent most of his career covering business of every kind, from breweries in Oregon to investment banks in New York. A native of the Pacific Northwest, David started his career reporting at weekly and daily newspapers, covering murder trials, city council meetings, the expanding startup tech industry in the region, and everything between. He left the West Coast to pursue business journalism in New York, first writing about biotech and then private equity at The Deal. After a stint at Bloomberg News writing about high-yield bonds and leveraged loans, David relocated from New York to Austin, TX.
He graduated from Portland State University.
NeoGenomics Buys Ex-Novartis Cancer Lab Genoptix for $125M, Stock
Cancer testing laboratory Genoptix is being acquired by NeoGenomics, another cancer-focused genetic testing business, for $125 million in cash and 1 million NeoGenomics shares. The buyout comes almost two years after Carlsbad, CA-based Genoptix was bought from Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]) by a pair of private investment firms, Ampersand Capital Partners and 1315 Capital, and a … Continue reading “NeoGenomics Buys Ex-Novartis Cancer Lab Genoptix for $125M, Stock”
European Business Services Company May Open U.S. HQ in San Antonio
San Antonio—A Czech Republic company called Okin Business Process Services is planning to establish its U.S. headquarters in San Antonio, TX, if it gets some unspecified incentives from the city and county governments that may be voted on next month. Okin has already been offered a $6.6 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund, an … Continue reading “European Business Services Company May Open U.S. HQ in San Antonio”
RealSavvy Takes $2.5M to Bring Real Estate App to Three New States
Austin—RealSavvy, a customizable online service that enables real estate brokers and agents to communicate with potential clients, is taking a $2.5 million round of financing that the company will repay in payments based on its monthly revenue. Timia Capital is providing the revenue financing round. The Vancouver, Canada-based specialty finance firm makes these deals with … Continue reading “RealSavvy Takes $2.5M to Bring Real Estate App to Three New States”
Icon Snags $9M for Tech to Print 3D Homes in 24 Hours for $4,000
Austin—Icon Technology, a company that builds 3D-printed homes and was permitted to construct its first home in Austin, TX, earlier this year, has closed a $9 million seed round of funding. The company plans to use some of the money to continue building homes in the U.S. and in the developing world, where it is … Continue reading “Icon Snags $9M for Tech to Print 3D Homes in 24 Hours for $4,000”
CyberFortress Plans 2019 Launch as Cyber Insurance Industry Grows
San Antonio—[Updated 9/25/19, 1:22 p.m. See below.] Cybersecurity is a fast growing area of the insurance industry as insurers capitalize on the smattering of fear-inciting headlines, from the Equifax and Facebook breaches to the ever-present risk of ransomware. Large companies like Nationwide Mutual Insurance offer businesses liability coverage if their customers’ data is stolen. As … Continue reading “CyberFortress Plans 2019 Launch as Cyber Insurance Industry Grows”
San Antonio’s BioAffinity Signs Licensing Deal for Cancer Diagnostic
San Antonio — [Updated 10/11/18, 11 a.m. See below.] BioAffinity Technologies has signed a licensing agreement with San Antonio-based Precision Pathology Services for the continued development and commercial sale of a lung cancer diagnostic screening test. Since bioAffinity moved to San Antonio in 2014, it has been developing CyPath Lung, a noninvasive test that analyzes sputum—mucus … Continue reading “San Antonio’s BioAffinity Signs Licensing Deal for Cancer Diagnostic”
Passport Buys Austin Parking Enforcement Software Company NuPark
Austin—Passport, a company with software that helps cities and other organizations manage operations, has acquired a business called NuPark that sells parking management services. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. NuPark, based in Cedar Park, TX, and makes video and software technology that helps customers like schools and governments manage parking. Passport sells mobile-based software … Continue reading “Passport Buys Austin Parking Enforcement Software Company NuPark”
Xenex Adds $4.8M for Hospital Trial Program of Germ-Zapping Robots
San Antonio — [Corrected 10/9/18, 4:19 p.m. See below.] Xenex Disinfection Systems has raised a $4.8 million round of debt funding to pay for a program that lets hospitals and other healthcare facilities use its germ-zapping robots on a trial basis. Xenex sells hospitals a technology that uses an inert gas, pulsed xenon, to create high-intensity … Continue reading “Xenex Adds $4.8M for Hospital Trial Program of Germ-Zapping Robots”
InCube, VelocityTX Join Work to Develop Pediatric Medical Devices
San Antonio—A group of San Antonio institutions are getting involved in an FDA program that seeks to distribute about $6.75 million worth of seed funding as well as business and product development advising to makers of pediatric medical devices. The program is called the Pediatric Device Consortia Grant Program. The FDA is handing out grants … Continue reading “InCube, VelocityTX Join Work to Develop Pediatric Medical Devices”
Austin’s Spanning Cloud Bought by Kaseya, Third Owner Since 2014
Austin—Spanning Cloud Apps, a software data backup service, has been sold to Kaseya, a Dublin-based IT infrastructure management company. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Austin, TX-based Spanning was sold by New York private equity firm Insight Venture Partners, which acquired the cloud backup and recovery company from Dell EMC in April 2017. Founded in … Continue reading “Austin’s Spanning Cloud Bought by Kaseya, Third Owner Since 2014”
VelocityTX Taps 8 South America Startups for San Antonio Accelerator
San Antonio—VelocityTX has selected eight startups from South America to join its Global Accelerator Program, which offers three months of training and information on building a business in the U.S. The program requires the companies to open a satellite office in San Antonio. VelocityTX picked the eight startups from 300 candidates with the help of … Continue reading “VelocityTX Taps 8 South America Startups for San Antonio Accelerator”
San Antonio Makes Pact to Commercialize Military, Academic Research
San Antonio — Life science groups, city officials, and research institutes in San Antonio are organizing an effort to commercialize more scientific developments coming out of the city’s military organizations. The goal of the project is to develop an alliance between researchers at San Antonio’s numerous military medical units, the two University of Texas institutions in … Continue reading “San Antonio Makes Pact to Commercialize Military, Academic Research”
Real Estate Startup Bungalo Launches with $225M, Could Land $1B More
Austin—An Austin real estate investment company has launched a buyer-focused, online residential home search business called Bungalo Technologies. Amherst, a business that uses data and analytics to invest billions of dollars into public securities and residential and commercial real estate, is launching Bungalo with $225 million in funding upfront, and says it will invest another … Continue reading “Real Estate Startup Bungalo Launches with $225M, Could Land $1B More”
San Antonio’s Filestack Buys SF-based Content Marketing Service Tint
San Antonio—Software-as-a-service business Filestack is acquiring one of its customers, Tint, which makes software that aggregates social media posts and other online content for large corporations and organizations to use in marketing. Tint is based in San Francisco, and has an application programming interface (API) that lets a brand or business display content, which has … Continue reading “San Antonio’s Filestack Buys SF-based Content Marketing Service Tint”
Alamo Angels Aims to Expand Investing Footprint as Dizon Takes Helm
San Antonio—[Corrected 9/19/18, 8:15 a.m. See below.] Cat Dizon recently met with the founders of a San Antonio startup focused on cancer research, a complicated area of healthcare that is more often than not a highly risky investment proposition. Dizon is experienced in the startup world: She is a partner at investment firm Active Capital … Continue reading “Alamo Angels Aims to Expand Investing Footprint as Dizon Takes Helm”
The Rise of Robocalls and Cell Scams—and How to Stop Them
[Updated 9:15 a.m., see below.] Jen King was in a hurry to get out the door of her Bay Area home on a recent morning, and she missed a call to her cell phone because of it. The phone number that called her, she later discovered, was startling. “It was my home phone calling me, … Continue reading “The Rise of Robocalls and Cell Scams—and How to Stop Them”
San Antonio Startup Making Noise-Reducing Tech for Babies Adds $1.3M
San Antonio—Invictus Medical, which develops products for newborn babies, and says it added almost $1.3 million in new funding to continue developing a device that aims to help create a quiet, peaceful environment for infants in neonatal intensive care units. Invictus plans to use the new funding to bring the technology to the point of … Continue reading “San Antonio Startup Making Noise-Reducing Tech for Babies Adds $1.3M”
Assembla Buys Belgian Startup MyGet for Code Management and Security
San Antonio—Assembla, a company that San Antonio investment firm Scaleworks acquired in 2016, has bought Belgium-based startup MyGet for an undisclosed price. MyGet offers a service that helps automate a process in software development known as package management. The company sells its service to thousands of customers globally, including Johnson Controls, Microsoft, and BMW, according … Continue reading “Assembla Buys Belgian Startup MyGet for Code Management and Security”
VMware Acquiring Cloud Analytics and Management Startup CloudHealth
[Updated and corrected, 5:13 p.m. See below.] VMware has agreed to acquire CloudHealth Technologies, a Boston-based company that VMware wants for its service that lets businesses analyze and manage the cost, usage, security, and performance of private and public cloud computing options. Palo Alto, CA-based VMware (NYSE: [[ticker:VMW]]) didn’t disclose the terms of the deal. A … Continue reading “VMware Acquiring Cloud Analytics and Management Startup CloudHealth”
San Antonio’s Spinal Stabilization Technologies Snags $11M Funding
San Antonio—Spinal Stabilization Technologies, a company developing a medical device for degenerating spinal cord discs, has added almost $11.2 million in new financing, according to a securities filing. Founded in 2010, San Antonio-based SST is developing a lumbar implant that can replace the nucleus of a deteriorating spinal disc. People’s discs deteriorate as they age, … Continue reading “San Antonio’s Spinal Stabilization Technologies Snags $11M Funding”
Eventbrite Targets $200M IPO as Tech, Biotech Markets Remain Hot
Event tech service Eventbrite is hoping to raise $200 million in an initial public offering during what has already been a busy year for IPOs. San Francisco-based Eventbrite lets users list and sell tickets to any type of event, from fundraisers to music festivals—for a fee on each ticket. The company had $201.6 million in … Continue reading “Eventbrite Targets $200M IPO as Tech, Biotech Markets Remain Hot”
San Antonio’s Brokerage Engine Plans Funding Round After First Sales
San Antonio—Brokerage Engine, a tech company building software that helps real estate brokerages manage operations, says it should soon close on its first round of funding since its launch a year ago. The founders of the software-as-a-service businesses aren’t revealing yet who the investors are or how much in funding they will raise, but say … Continue reading “San Antonio’s Brokerage Engine Plans Funding Round After First Sales”
San Antonio’s Earth Class Mail Buys Digital Receipt Maker Shoeboxed
San Antonio—Earth Class Mail is acquiring Durham, NC-based Shoeboxed, which digitizes physical receipts, for an undisclosed price, the companies planned to announce this morning. Earth Class Mail, which is focused on turning traditional paper mail into digital records, is adding to its product offering by buying Shoeboxed. The 14-year-old San Antonio-based business recently made upgrades to … Continue reading “San Antonio’s Earth Class Mail Buys Digital Receipt Maker Shoeboxed”
Facebook, NYU Pin Hope of Faster MRIs on Artificial Intelligence
The long, sometimes painful wait to complete an MRI may soon be cut down dramatically—and we might have Facebook and its artificial intelligence unit to thank for it. The social media giant announced Monday that it is working with the radiology department at New York University’s School of Medicine to potentially use artificial intelligence software … Continue reading “Facebook, NYU Pin Hope of Faster MRIs on Artificial Intelligence”
VelocityTX Lands $50K Grant for Work with Brazilian Entrepreneurs
San Antonio—VelocityTX, an organization established last year as a resource center for entrepreneurs and startups, and a Brazilian organization are being given a grant worth about $50,000 to support young companies in the South American country. VelocityTX and the Brazilian Institute for Quality and Productivity (IBQP) announced Monday they received the grant from the Small … Continue reading “VelocityTX Lands $50K Grant for Work with Brazilian Entrepreneurs”
DoorDash Valued at $4 Billion After Adding $250M in New Funding
DoorDash has upped its valuation to $4 billion with a new $250 million financing round, five months after it raised $535 million to gain its “unicorn” status. The new $250 million funding round was co-led by Coatue Management and DST Global. CEO Tony Xu told Axios’s Dan Primack that the company hadn’t been actively seeking … Continue reading “DoorDash Valued at $4 Billion After Adding $250M in New Funding”
MassChallenge Awards $510K to Eight Startups in Texas Accelerator
Austin—[Updated 2:11 p.m. See below.] MassChallenge gave out $510,000 in cash to eight startups Wednesday, including to six early stage companies from Texas. During an award ceremony in Austin, two hometown companies won $100,000 each, the top awards of the night. Environmental Quality Operations, or EQO, has developed a bioengineered diagnostic technology to “detect, monitor, … Continue reading “MassChallenge Awards $510K to Eight Startups in Texas Accelerator”
Best Buy Acquires GTCR’s GreatCall for $800M, Eyeing Aging Boomers
Best Buy is paying $800 million in cash for GreatCall, a San Diego-based healthtech company which private equity firm GTCR bought early last year. GreatCall operates a virtual mobile telecommunications network for a customer base of more than 900,000 elderly consumers. The company also sells gadgets, such as mobile devices with large screens and big … Continue reading “Best Buy Acquires GTCR’s GreatCall for $800M, Eyeing Aging Boomers”
Dating App Bumble Creates Fund to Invest in Diverse Female Founders
Austin—Bumble, the dating app maker that has expanded into other areas of social networking, has launched an investment fund focused on startups founded by women. The Bumble Fund plans to make early stage investments that focus on diverse female founders “who have been largely ignored by the established venture capital world,” according to news release … Continue reading “Dating App Bumble Creates Fund to Invest in Diverse Female Founders”
Marketer AdSwerve to Pay $24M for Analytics Pros’ Google Knowhow
Seattle-based Analytics Pros has sold to another Google-focused marketing company, Denver, CO-based AdSwerve, for $24 million in a private equity-backed deal, according to a company spokesman. Boston-based Abry Partners funded the acquisition, and Analytics Pros will “transition” into AdSwerve in January 2019, according to a news release. Founded in 2009, Analytics Pros sells Web and … Continue reading “Marketer AdSwerve to Pay $24M for Analytics Pros’ Google Knowhow”
You’ve Got Mail: Earth Class Mail Revamps After New Execs Take Over
San Antonio—Earth Class Mail, a 14-year-old company that digitizes snail mail for businesses, has announced a few upgrades to its product, including search features, the ability to share content over e-mail, and custom tags, among others. The new look and features are a reflection of a new CEO, Jess Garza, who took the helm of … Continue reading “You’ve Got Mail: Earth Class Mail Revamps After New Execs Take Over”
Millendo Therapeutics Goes Public With OvaScience Reverse Merger
[Corrected 2:30 p.m. See below.] Millendo Therapeutics, an Ann Arbor, MI-based biotech company developing drugs to treat endocrine diseases, is now a public company and has $30 million of new cash to continue work on its treatments for rare disorders. Millendo announced this morning that it plans to merge with OvaScience (Nasdaq: [[ticker:OVAS]]), which was … Continue reading “Millendo Therapeutics Goes Public With OvaScience Reverse Merger”
SQZ Biotech Adds $72M as Cell Therapy Investment Keeps Burning Hot
SQZ Biotechnologies has landed its largest venture capital round yet: a $72 million Series C financing that the Watertown, MA-based company hopes can bring some of its experimental cell therapies into the clinic. SQZ has a technology that is able to squeeze cells (hence the company’s name) without killing them, enough to allow their membranes … Continue reading “SQZ Biotech Adds $72M as Cell Therapy Investment Keeps Burning Hot”
Austin’s Factom Eyes Series B After $6M SAFE Deal With LSE Investor
Austin—Blockchain record-tracking company Factom is taking a $6 million investment from an investment company that’s traded on a submarket of the London Stock Exchange. FastForward Innovations announced it created what’s known as a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (sometimes called a SAFE note) to invest the $6 million in Factom, which was founded in Austin … Continue reading “Austin’s Factom Eyes Series B After $6M SAFE Deal With LSE Investor”
Another $100M Boosts Valuation of Boston’s Actifio to $1.3B
[Updated 8/21/18, 2:13 pm. See below.] Actifio, a Waltham, MA-based data management startup that for years downplayed its development despite being worth hundreds of millions of dollars, has added another $100 million round of funding that brings its valuation to more than $1.3 billion, the company announced today. The investment included nearly $59 million in … Continue reading “Another $100M Boosts Valuation of Boston’s Actifio to $1.3B”
Digital Alloys Adds $12.9M From VCs, Boeing for Metal 3D Printing
Metal-making 3D printer company Digital Alloys has raised a $12.9 million Series B round of funding from venture investors and businesses that hope to benefit from the company’s manufacturing technology. The new investment was led by G20 Ventures, while Boeing HorizonX Ventures, Lincoln Electric, and Khosla Ventures also participated. (Khosla led Digital Alloys’ $5 million … Continue reading “Digital Alloys Adds $12.9M From VCs, Boeing for Metal 3D Printing”
Vicis, With New Funding, Targets Tech for Safer Football Helmets
A new generation of football helmet technology, designed with the specific aim of limiting life-threatening brain trauma, appears to be seeping into mainstream use. One company, Seattle-based Vicis, appears to have added tens of millions of dollars to help propel it in this field. Vicis reported a $53.2 million equity funding round, some of which … Continue reading “Vicis, With New Funding, Targets Tech for Safer Football Helmets”
Cisco Plans to Buy Michigan Unicorn Duo Security for $2.35 Billion
Duo Security is set to be acquired by Cisco in a blockbuster deal worth about $2.35 billion. The purchase will bring San Jose, CA-based Cisco (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CSCO]])—which sells a variety of IT hardware, digital products, and services—a software-as-a-service security tool used to authenticate a user’s access to things like software, networks, and devices. The company … Continue reading “Cisco Plans to Buy Michigan Unicorn Duo Security for $2.35 Billion”
DocuSign Agrees to Acquire Chicago Software Maker SpringCM for $220M
DocuSign plans to acquire Chicago-based contract software maker SpringCM for $220 million, the companies announced today, about three months after the San Francisco-based online document signature business raised $629 million in an initial public offering. With SpringCM, DocuSign (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DOCU]]) says it is adding new features to its current capabilities, such as preparing and generating … Continue reading “DocuSign Agrees to Acquire Chicago Software Maker SpringCM for $220M”
DreamBox, an Edtech Startup with High-Profile Backers, Snags $130M
[Updated 5:35 p.m. See below.] DreamBox Learning, an edtech company that makes programs that help kids learn math, has agreed to take a $130 million investment from a fund managed by private equity firm TPG Growth. The Rise Fund, which is deploying $2 billion in financing raised by TPG last year, is taking a majority … Continue reading “DreamBox, an Edtech Startup with High-Profile Backers, Snags $130M”
San Antonio Military Researchers to Receive Life Science Group Award
San Antonio — Two former military healthcare researchers in San Antonio will receive awards for their work from a life sciences group that promotes the local industry. Alan Peterson, who is developing methods of preventing, detecting, and treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is receiving the BioMed SA Award for Innovation in Healthcare and Bioscience. BioMed SA … Continue reading “San Antonio Military Researchers to Receive Life Science Group Award”
10 Must-Read Stories From Xconomy (and Elsewhere) This Week
Ah, Friday: The gateway to a relaxing weekend. If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’re starting your Friday off the right way with some casual reading. Here’s a peek at some of the fine work Xconomy editors have put out in the last week—and a few from other publications, too, that are very interesting reads. … Continue reading “10 Must-Read Stories From Xconomy (and Elsewhere) This Week”
Qualcomm’s Ends Two-Year, $44B Bid for NXP After No Word from China
Qualcomm finally ended its almost two-year bid to acquire Dutch semiconductor maker NXP for as much as $44 billion last night, after it didn’t receive word from Chinese regulators about whether the deal, which was subject to global regulations, would gain approval. Instead, San Diego-based Qualcomm said it plans to repurchase $30 billion of shareholder … Continue reading “Qualcomm’s Ends Two-Year, $44B Bid for NXP After No Word from China”
Former Zulily Employees Announce Digital Ad Platform New Engen
A group of Seattle entrepreneurs, who worked at flash sale site Zulily before it sold for $2.4 billion in 2015, are announcing a new company that has been developing a technology to help advertisers figure out where to efficiently buy digital ads. Called New Engen, the company was founded in 2016 by CEO David Atchison … Continue reading “Former Zulily Employees Announce Digital Ad Platform New Engen”
VelocityTX, EPIcenter Complete First San Antonio Pre-Incubator Group
San Antonio—[Corrected 7/26/18, 2:06 p.m. See below.] A “pre-incubator” program launched earlier this year by two organizations seeking to stimulate startup activity in San Antonio has graduated its first group of companies. The program aims to help the early stage businesses test out the viability of their ideas for new products and services, and determine … Continue reading “VelocityTX, EPIcenter Complete First San Antonio Pre-Incubator Group”
Austin’s ScaleFactor Gets $10M for Small Business Financial Software
Austin—ScaleFactor, a company that sells machine learning-based financial and bookkeeping software to small- and medium-sized businesses, has snagged a $10 million Series A funding in a round that was led by Canaan Partners. ScaleFactor plans to use the funding for marketing, business development, and to further develop its product. The company participated in the Austin … Continue reading “Austin’s ScaleFactor Gets $10M for Small Business Financial Software”
Seattle Startups Land Cash for Machine Learning & Self-Storage Techs
New funding for startups continues to flow—this week it’s early stage Seattle tech companies that are grabbing money, including a machine learning business and a service that picks up and stores your extra junk. DefinedCrowd, which participated in the Microsoft Accelerator in 2016 before it raised a $1.1 million seed round, gathers data points from … Continue reading “Seattle Startups Land Cash for Machine Learning & Self-Storage Techs”
Best Reads for Casual Friday: Big Tech Businesses Gets Political
You’ve made it to Friday. Time to curl up in your cubicle, pop open one of these in-depth, entertaining reads, and catch up on some of what you missed during a busy week. This week we’re taking a look at all the political stories that are coming out of the tech world. And given the … Continue reading “Best Reads for Casual Friday: Big Tech Businesses Gets Political”
San Antonio Sticks to Growth Playbook, Despite Turndowns by Startups
San Antonio—There’s plenty of scrutiny of whether it’s worthwhile for governments to offer incentive packages that aim to attract businesses and the jobs they bring. Still, city and state leaders across the nation continue to do it, among other efforts to bolster their business communities. Most arrangements aren’t gargantuan billion-dollar deals, like the tributes offered … Continue reading “San Antonio Sticks to Growth Playbook, Despite Turndowns by Startups”