Sometimes it’s easy to forget that some of the world’s most prominent techies live in Boston. One of those is Miguel de Icaza, who will be in the audience today at Mobile Madness 2013 at Microsoft NERD in Cambridge, MA. De Icaza (pictured) is the open-source software guru who started the GNOME project in the … Continue reading “Miguel de Icaza: From “Anti-Apple” to Xamarin, Helping Windows Devs Go iOS”
Author: Gregory T. Huang
Greg is a veteran journalist who has covered a wide range of science, technology, and business. As former editor in chief, he overaw daily news, features, and events across Xconomy's national network. Before joining Xconomy, he was a features editor at New Scientist magazine, where he edited and wrote articles on physics, technology, and neuroscience. Previously he was senior writer at Technology Review, where he reported on emerging technologies, R&D, and advances in computing, robotics, and applied physics. His writing has also appeared in Wired, Nature, and The Atlantic Monthly’s website. He was named a New York Times professional fellow in 2003.
Greg is the co-author of Guanxi (Simon & Schuster, 2006), about Microsoft in China and the global competition for talent and technology. Before becoming a journalist, he did research at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab. He has published 20 papers in scientific journals and conferences and spoken on innovation at Adobe, Amazon, eBay, Google, HP, Microsoft, Yahoo, and other organizations. He has a Master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
F5’s Terenzoni Takes CEO Helm at Big Data Startup Sqrrl
One of the Boston area’s most intriguing tech startups has hired a new CEO, and he’s from a big company. The startup is Cambridge, MA-based Sqrrl, and the CEO is Mark Terenzoni, formerly senior vice president of global manufacturing at Seattle-based F5 Networks (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FFIV]]). Terenzoni, a longtime Boston techie, came to F5 in the … Continue reading “F5’s Terenzoni Takes CEO Helm at Big Data Startup Sqrrl”
Mobile Madness Is Tomorrow: 8 Tickets Left
We are coming down the home stretch for Mobile Madness 2013: The Next Revolution. Xconomy’s fifth annual mobile tech conference is tomorrow, March 19, at Microsoft NERD in Kendall Square. The agenda runs from 1:30-5:30 pm, with plenty of time for networking (and a reception afterwards). There are 8 tickets left as of this writing…so … Continue reading “Mobile Madness Is Tomorrow: 8 Tickets Left”
AppNeta Adds $16M as IT Performance Management Heats Up
Some new venture money for a Boston business software company that’s been around the block—but might just be hitting its stride. Boston-based AppNeta, an IT performance management firm, has pulled in $16 million in new financing led by previous investors Bain Capital Ventures, Egan-Managed Capital, JMI Equity, and Business Development Bank of Canada. The company … Continue reading “AppNeta Adds $16M as IT Performance Management Heats Up”
Mobile Madness 2013: One Week to Go (Here Are Some Questions)
In case you aren’t conferenced out yet, Xconomy Boston is convening a pretty special group of tech leaders a week from today, on Tuesday, March 19. It’s our fifth annual Mobile Madness event in Boston, and it’s all going down at Microsoft NERD in Kendall Square. I’m told there are just a few tickets left; … Continue reading “Mobile Madness 2013: One Week to Go (Here Are Some Questions)”
CloudHealth, $4.5M in Tow, Looks to Run Networking Playbook on the Cloud
Let’s get the name question out of the way first. CloudHealth Technologies is not a health IT company. It is a cloud infrastructure and analytics startup, aimed at helping software companies manage their business. Not sure that’s much clearer, but we’ll explain why they chose that name in a minute. Boston-based CloudHealth, a young startup, … Continue reading “CloudHealth, $4.5M in Tow, Looks to Run Networking Playbook on the Cloud”
Nipendo CEO Talks $8M VC Round, Supply Chains, and Move to Boston
Nipendo is the latest Israeli startup to expand to the Boston area. The 50-person company, which makes software to connect large enterprises with suppliers, has just raised $8 million in Series B funding led by Horizons Ventures, and it is setting up new headquarters in Burlington, MA. Horizons is known for its investments in Facebook, … Continue reading “Nipendo CEO Talks $8M VC Round, Supply Chains, and Move to Boston”
Wanderu Heads to SXSW, Wants to Be Like Kayak for Buses & Trains
For those of you lamenting the end of an era—the Fung Wah bus era—fear not. For there is Wanderu to help you find another way to get where you’re going on the ground. Boston-based Wanderu is on a journey of its own this week, as it heads down to the South by Southwest festival in … Continue reading “Wanderu Heads to SXSW, Wants to Be Like Kayak for Buses & Trains”
Actifio CEO: We’re a “Sleeper Company” Worth $500M in Enterprise IT Market
Actifio might be the Boston tech scene’s greatest paradox. The Waltham, MA-based data management startup just raised $50 million in venture capital (it has raised $107.5 million total) at a valuation of around $500 million. It is one of the fastest-growing software companies in town, with just over 200 employees worldwide (80-plus in Waltham). Yet, … Continue reading “Actifio CEO: We’re a “Sleeper Company” Worth $500M in Enterprise IT Market”
Actifio Adds $50M, Goes Big in Noisy Data Management Market
Yes, the data management sector is pretty hot right now. You don’t even have to call it “big data” anymore. In one of the bigger tech financings we’ve seen in a while, Waltham, MA-based Actifio has raised $50 million in new funding led by Technology Crossover Ventures. Previous investors Andreessen Horowitz, Advanced Technology Ventures, Greylock … Continue reading “Actifio Adds $50M, Goes Big in Noisy Data Management Market”
Backupify Rolls Out Gmail Tool, Wants to Build Data Protection Layer for the Web
Three pearls of wisdom from Backupify CEO Rob May, right off the bat: 1. “Successful companies often look like bad ideas at the beginning.” 2. “The company that solves the ‘big data’ problem for businesses won’t have set out to do that.” 3. “We’re losing the ability to see patterns across history.” May (pictured above) … Continue reading “Backupify Rolls Out Gmail Tool, Wants to Build Data Protection Layer for the Web”
NuoDB, Morgenthaler Ventures Talk Disruption in Databases
The database startup that is closest to my office, if not my heart, has a compelling story. Roughly speaking, it’s one of these “if it really works, it is a game changer” types of companies. Which is fairly common in the tech world—but not as common as, say, “even if it works, who cares?” NuoDB, … Continue reading “NuoDB, Morgenthaler Ventures Talk Disruption in Databases”
Mobile Payment Platform Wars: LevelUp, Paydiant, PayPal, & More
Is 2013 the year I put all the cash under my mattress away, leave my credit card at home, and start paying for everything with my phone? Not bloody likely. At least not for a neo-Luddite like me. Yet some proponents of mobile payments are saying this is a crucial year for the sector to … Continue reading “Mobile Payment Platform Wars: LevelUp, Paydiant, PayPal, & More”
Agenda for Mobile Madness on March 19: Athenahealth, Timbre, Twitter, Verizon…
We are coming down the home stretch towards Mobile Madness 2013. It’s March tomorrow (eek…I mean, yay). Luckily the program is all set. We are going from 1:30-5:30 pm, March 19, at Microsoft NERD in Kendall Square, with networking in the middle and a reception afterwards. Here is the detailed agenda. Tickets have been going … Continue reading “Agenda for Mobile Madness on March 19: Athenahealth, Timbre, Twitter, Verizon…”
Active Endpoints Bought by Informatica in Cloud Workflow Deal
Chalk up another acquisition of a Boston tech company by a Silicon Valley giant. Waltham, MA-based Active Endpoints has been acquired by data-integration software maker Informatica (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INFA]]), of Redwood City, CA. The news was buried in a press release announcing Informatica’s latest cloud-based product. It’s not immediately clear when the acquisition happened, or what … Continue reading “Active Endpoints Bought by Informatica in Cloud Workflow Deal”
Dan Bricklin, Apperian, ByteLight Join Mobile Madness Lineup on March 19
Too many good people, too few slots. Such is the curse of Mobile Madness. Nevertheless we forge on. I’m pleased to announce a few more speakers for Mobile Madness 2013, our fifth annual mobile conference on March 19 at Microsoft NERD in Cambridge, MA. I hope to have the agenda finalized by next week. —Dan … Continue reading “Dan Bricklin, Apperian, ByteLight Join Mobile Madness Lineup on March 19”
Track180 Builds iPad App to Bring More Context, Balance to Online News
The best entrepreneurs are an elusive mix of tech-business expert, clear-headed thinker, contrarian, psychologist, and elevator repairman. Because, really, if you know how to fix elevators, you can pretty much do anything. That would apply to Drue Hontz, the founder and CEO of Track180, a startup in New Haven, CT, that’s trying to reinvent how … Continue reading “Track180 Builds iPad App to Bring More Context, Balance to Online News”
Bolt Emerges with $3.5M Fund to Support Hardware Startups in Boston
If hardware is the new black, then Bolt is the new “accelerator.” Actually, Bolt doesn’t much like the term. Instead, it fancies itself a “toolkit” for hardware startups. But the accelerator label gets some mileage, because Bolt has landed in Boston to nurture young companies and build a new business—and, perhaps, a new industry—around connected … Continue reading “Bolt Emerges with $3.5M Fund to Support Hardware Startups in Boston”
Cloze Goes Live with Mobile App to Combat E-mail and Social Overload
Got e-mail problems? Tired of trying to keep up with all the latest social-media updates? Then retire and move to Fiji. But if that’s not an option, well, keep reading. Yes, the race is on to help people better manage their inboxes and contacts, particularly on mobile devices. With this month’s release of Mailbox, the … Continue reading “Cloze Goes Live with Mobile App to Combat E-mail and Social Overload”
Angel Investor Semyon Dukach Stirs Up Trouble with New Award
If you’re a troublemaker in training, you could do worse than follow the lead of Semyon Dukach. The former MIT blackjack team leader has made his name beating casinos, leading unconventional startups, and selling companies for tens of millions—all with a strong anti-establishment undercurrent. Now Dukach is unveiling a new “Troublemaker award,” and its first … Continue reading “Angel Investor Semyon Dukach Stirs Up Trouble with New Award”
Twitter’s Crashlytics Goes Free—Part of Bigger Mobile Strategy?
I’ve been trying to get my head around Twitter’s recent acquisition of Crashlytics, the mobile app crash-reporting startup. It didn’t make immediate sense to everyone, which probably means there’s some real strategic thinking behind it. Now we have another clue in the ongoing mystery. As of today, it looks like Cambridge, MA-based Crashlytics is making … Continue reading “Twitter’s Crashlytics Goes Free—Part of Bigger Mobile Strategy?”
Albright, Paradise, Bolt, MC10, Verizon Join Mobile Madness on March 19
Llllllllet’s get ready to rummmmm-ble… For those of you interested in mobile technology and business—which means pretty much all of you—we have some notable additions to the speaker list for Mobile Madness 2013, coming up on Tuesday, March 19 at Microsoft NERD in Cambridge, MA. I can’t name everyone yet, but I can name: —Lars … Continue reading “Albright, Paradise, Bolt, MC10, Verizon Join Mobile Madness on March 19”
DataXu Scoops Up $27M More, Turns Corner on Big-Data Ad Software
It’s always good to catch up with Mike Baker. It’s not always good to wait a year or more between catch-ups, though. Baker is the CEO of Boston-based DataXu. And if you don’t watch closely, suddenly you realize his company has grown to 220 people, with offices in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, Brazil, … Continue reading “DataXu Scoops Up $27M More, Turns Corner on Big-Data Ad Software”
Twitter’s Boston Acquisitions: Crashlytics Tops $100M, Bluefin Labs Close Behind
People are talking about Twitter’s Boston-area acquisitions today. Some more than others. Unsubstantiated rumors and prices are flying around like so many careless tweets. Whom should you believe? Answer: Xconomy (and me). Hey, I’m sticking my neck out here. Independent of other media reports, I have it on good authority that Twitter is acquiring Bluefin … Continue reading “Twitter’s Boston Acquisitions: Crashlytics Tops $100M, Bluefin Labs Close Behind”
Acme Packet Sold to Oracle for $2B; Cue Silicon Valley Envy
Oracle owns the Boston tech scene. That’s all I can think of now. The Larry Ellison machine from Silicon Valley has spent increasing amounts of money to acquire Boston-area icons, including Phase Forward ($685 million), Endeca (about $1 billion), and now Acme Packet—the latter to the tune of $2.1 billion, a 22 percent premium on … Continue reading “Acme Packet Sold to Oracle for $2B; Cue Silicon Valley Envy”
New Accelerator LearnLaunchX Looks to Make Boston Ed-Tech Capital of the World
There’s a new startup accelerator in town. OK, there are a few—but this one specializes in technology and innovation in the field of education. LearnLaunchX, led by angel investor Jean Hammond and her team, is gearing up for its first group of startups this summer. Hammond spoke with me in conjunction with her nonprofit LearnLaunch’s … Continue reading “New Accelerator LearnLaunchX Looks to Make Boston Ed-Tech Capital of the World”
1366 Shakes Off Solar Industry Woes, Opens New Wafer Plant
Is this the only U.S. solar startup that’s actually doing well? That might be an overstatement. But after the much-publicized failings of Solyndra and Evergreen Solar, one might wonder what’s keeping Bedford, MA-based 1366 Technologies afloat. And, more to the point, what’s to keep 1366 from suffering a similar fate down the road? The answers … Continue reading “1366 Shakes Off Solar Industry Woes, Opens New Wafer Plant”
Boston Tech Tidbits: Apptopia, Linkwell, uTest, Travis McCready, & More
Too much going on in the Boston tech scene to keep track of at the moment—and much more coming soon. Here are just a few items that are swirling around my desk today. —Fast-growing mobile-app marketplace Apptopia says it has brokered a $200,000 acquisition of Bluecloud Solutions’ app portfolio by the fund AppBin. The deal … Continue reading “Boston Tech Tidbits: Apptopia, Linkwell, uTest, Travis McCready, & More”
DataGravity Pulls In $30M More to Go Big in Business Analytics
Gravity is at the core of the universe’s greatest mysteries. How Einstein’s general theory of relativity jibes with the Big Bang. How quantum theory might explain all forces at the smallest scales. And now: how a young company just might find the Holy Grail of “big data” analytics, by helping businesses extract insights from piles … Continue reading “DataGravity Pulls In $30M More to Go Big in Business Analytics”
Harvard i-lab Sprouts Startups: Nucleik, PollVaultr, Vaxess, & More
The Harvard Innovation Lab has been open for business just over a year. Led by managing director Gordon Jones and his team of startup hustlers, the Allston, MA-based community space for student entrepreneurs is just hitting its stride, with a number of current and former residents making noise in the local and national startup scene. … Continue reading “Harvard i-lab Sprouts Startups: Nucleik, PollVaultr, Vaxess, & More”
LenovoEMC Opens in Boston Area, Finds Niche in Networked Storage
There’s a new data-storage startup in town. This one has some pretty big parents and distributors—and it’s hitting the ground running. Specifically, its parents are EMC (NYSE: [[ticker:EMC]]), the largest tech company in the Boston area, and Lenovo (HKSE: [[ticker:LNVGY]]), the Chinese computer and server giant (now reputed to be the world’s biggest PC maker). … Continue reading “LenovoEMC Opens in Boston Area, Finds Niche in Networked Storage”
Intel Capital Jumps on Apperian Express, Now With $28M in Tow
Apperian continues to evolve in a complex, changing mobile world. Today the Boston-based app platform and management startup says it has raised new money from Intel Capital. The strategic investment—about $4 million, by my count—should help Apperian ramp up sales and marketing to more enterprises that are dealing with the IT onslaught of BYOD (bring … Continue reading “Intel Capital Jumps on Apperian Express, Now With $28M in Tow”
Coming March 19…Mobile Madness 2013: The Next Revolution
Five years. My, how the time has flown by. I’m very pleased to announce Xconomy’s fifth annual spring mobile conference in Boston. “Mobile Madness 2013: The Next Revolution” will take place on the afternoon of March 19, at Microsoft NERD in Kendall Square, Cambridge. Here’s the overall theme. What most of us think of as … Continue reading “Coming March 19…Mobile Madness 2013: The Next Revolution”
Ed-Tech Tidbits: Launch Academy, LearnLaunch Step Out
Everyone talks about the technical talent crunch in Boston (and other hubs). Few do anything about it. But today is all about the “launch.” More specifically, Launch Academy. And, secondarily, LearnLaunch. Launch Academy is an interesting new 10-week program designed to train new Web developers and help them land jobs in Boston-area tech companies. The … Continue reading “Ed-Tech Tidbits: Launch Academy, LearnLaunch Step Out”
Enterasys, Boston Sports Teams Talk Future of Stadium Tech at Gillette
If you get invited to Gillette Stadium the week of the AFC championship game, you go, even if you’ve been homeless for three weeks (a story for another time). So it was last night that I found myself making the drive down I-95 and Route 1 into Foxborough, MA, past the parking lots that would … Continue reading “Enterasys, Boston Sports Teams Talk Future of Stadium Tech at Gillette”
TripAdvisor, Independent for a Year, Pushing Hard on Social, Mobile Apps
TripAdvisor is a big company. It’s huge in online travel, of course, but by some measures, it is the biggest consumer Web company of any kind based in Massachusetts. Its annual revenues are in the neighborhood of $800 million, and its market cap is north of $6 billion. Its websites get more than 60 million … Continue reading “TripAdvisor, Independent for a Year, Pushing Hard on Social, Mobile Apps”
Polaris’s Dogpatch Labs Evolving in Boston, Dublin, Closing in NY, Palo Alto
Big changes are afoot in Polaris Ventures’ network of startup incubators, known as Dogpatch Labs. The short story: Dogpatch in Cambridge, MA, is moving from its current office, subleased from Microsoft, to a nearby space in Kendall Square run by the Cambridge Innovation Center. Dogpatch in Dublin, Ireland, is ramping up. And the Dogpatch offices … Continue reading “Polaris’s Dogpatch Labs Evolving in Boston, Dublin, Closing in NY, Palo Alto”
Mok Oh, Ex-PayPal, Joins North Bridge to Build “Consumer Big Data” Startup
When last we heard from Mok Oh, he was done with being chief scientist at PayPal. That was October, and the Boston-bred entrepreneur and veteran of companies like EveryScape and Where was on the move. We speculated he would dive back into the early stage startup world. And we would be correct. I got a … Continue reading “Mok Oh, Ex-PayPal, Joins North Bridge to Build “Consumer Big Data” Startup”
Wayfair and the Future of E-Retail: CEO Niraj Shah Talks Transition Strategy
When you’ve raised $200 million in venture funding, that qualifies you as the top VC-backed technology bet in Boston. When you’ve been profitable for the better part of a decade, and all the outside investment has come in the past year and a half, there’s probably a deeper story there. And when you say no … Continue reading “Wayfair and the Future of E-Retail: CEO Niraj Shah Talks Transition Strategy”
Athenahealth Goes Mobile, Acquires Epocrates for $293M
Who says we can’t build big, independent tech companies in Boston? Consider Athenahealth (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ATHN]]), the Watertown, MA-based health IT firm that is becoming a larger anchor for talent and technology, thanks to today’s announcement that it is acquiring San Mateo, CA-based Epocrates (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EPOC]]), a mobile medical-app company. The deal is worth about $293 … Continue reading “Athenahealth Goes Mobile, Acquires Epocrates for $293M”
7 Reasons to Hate the Zipcar-Avis Deal
Some people make New Year’s resolutions. I make a list of reasons to hate the biggest Boston-area tech deal of the new year. I am a grump. Yes, Zipcar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZIP]]), the soon-to-be-Boston-based car-rental company, is being acquired by Avis Budget Group for about half a billion dollars. Yes, the venture capitalists who held onto … Continue reading “7 Reasons to Hate the Zipcar-Avis Deal”
5 Boston Tech Companies Not to Watch in 2013
Everyone, including me, has been talking about which innovative companies people should keep an eye on in the coming year. Zzzzzz … there are plenty of those companies, and too many of those articles. I’m here to tell you about something that might actually be more important: which companies not to watch. Maybe they’re not … Continue reading “5 Boston Tech Companies Not to Watch in 2013”
Xconomy Boston’s Top 20 Stories of the Year: Editor’s Picks
‘Tis the season to be jolly—and to recap the top stories of the year from Xconomy Boston. As always, these aren’t necessarily the highest-traffic stories, though in some cases they are. More importantly, they are stories that best represent what we as a staff try to deliver to our readers every day: real stories, features, … Continue reading “Xconomy Boston’s Top 20 Stories of the Year: Editor’s Picks”
Spreading Good Cheer, and Yankee Candle Scents, with Robot Add-Ons
If you’re still looking for that perfect holiday gift, the folks at Georgetown, MA-based Robot Add-Ons have some ideas. One of them is a charming accessory that lets a Roomba vacuum cleaner spread Yankee Candle fragrance around your home. I know what you’re thinking. It’s not a lit candle moving around on the back of … Continue reading “Spreading Good Cheer, and Yankee Candle Scents, with Robot Add-Ons”
MediaFriends, Maker of HeyWire and Bandwagon, Looks to Break Out in 2013
There’s a mobile-tech company in the Boston area that doesn’t get as much attention as it probably should. Maybe because it has too many names: MediaFriends, HeyWire, Bandwagon (and going back further, Integra5). Maybe because it has been quiet about its fundraising ($30 million to date, from investors including Lauder Partners and Benchmark Capital). Or … Continue reading “MediaFriends, Maker of HeyWire and Bandwagon, Looks to Break Out in 2013”
Directr and NEVCA Team Up on Boston Startup Holiday Videos
Coffee, computers, and young people working long hours. Maybe a little ping-pong or foosball for stress relief. You’ve seen one startup, you’ve seen them all. And maybe that’s the point. You’d be hard-pressed to tell this group of Boston-area startups, captured on video, apart from their peers in Silicon Valley—or any other entrepreneurial hub—except for … Continue reading “Directr and NEVCA Team Up on Boston Startup Holiday Videos”
CEO Angus Davis Ramps Up Swipely, Takes On Payment & Marketing Industries
Hello, Rhode Island. For the smallest state in the Union, you have a disproportionate share of interesting companies and entrepreneurs. One of them is Swipely, led by founder and CEO Angus Davis. The Providence, RI-based startup is releasing new software today that helps local restaurants and stores understand and manage customer relationships, as well as … Continue reading “CEO Angus Davis Ramps Up Swipely, Takes On Payment & Marketing Industries”
MC10 Banks $10M, Wends Its Way Into Digital Health, Consumer Tech
You know all those incremental, also-ran tech startups going after the same opportunities in social media, mobile apps, or what have you? This is not one of them. MC10, based in Cambridge, MA, is trying to commercialize some very big ideas around so-called “conformal electronics” that can bend and stretch around surfaces such as the … Continue reading “MC10 Banks $10M, Wends Its Way Into Digital Health, Consumer Tech”
Veracode CEO Bob Brennan on the Future of Software Security
One of the Boston area’s most intriguing tech companies operates in a danger zone. The software security danger zone, that is. To give a sense of what we’re talking about here, national security expert Richard Clarke is on its board of directors. Yes, the trajectory of Veracode could play a big role in the future … Continue reading “Veracode CEO Bob Brennan on the Future of Software Security”
ProfitBricks, Taking On Amazon, Offers Virtual Data Centers to Startups
It’s easy to say you compete with Amazon Web Services. It’s hard to actually do it. But that’s exactly what ProfitBricks is trying to do. The two-year-old German cloud-computing company, which has a fast-growing presence in Cambridge, MA, has been making some noise in the tech community. As part of its goal to appeal to … Continue reading “ProfitBricks, Taking On Amazon, Offers Virtual Data Centers to Startups”