Any company that plays at the intersection of “big data” and “killing off Facebook” gets my attention. OK, the latter part isn’t really what Shareaholic is about, but the startup is trying to create a new kind of social graph that will rival Facebook in its reach and relevance for consumers, publishers, and advertisers. With … Continue reading “Shareaholic’s Jay Meattle on the Future of Content Discovery & the Social Graph”
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.
Xconomist of the Week: ATV’s Bob Hower on “A” Startups, IPOs, & the God of VC
The venture capital industry is in flux. A lot of firms and funds are contracting. Big guys are doing more later-stage investments (see GitHub). Little guys are trying to innovate with early stage companies. Fund investors are trying to figure out how to get more bang for their venture buck. In the midst of all … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: ATV’s Bob Hower on “A” Startups, IPOs, & the God of VC”
The Echo Nest Nabs $17M More for Smarter Music Tech
The Boston-area startup financing train keeps rolling this week. The Echo Nest, a Somerville, MA-based music tech company, has raised a $17.3 million Series C round led by new investor Norwest Venture Partners (also a recent investor in Boston-based Gemvara). Previous investors including Matrix Partners and Commonwealth Capital also participated. The company, which closed a … Continue reading “The Echo Nest Nabs $17M More for Smarter Music Tech”
Kinvey, Out to Kick Butt and Build Mobile Backends, Lands $5M in VC
Let’s just get the backend jokes out of the way, shall we? Kinvey is building big, beautiful backends for mobile developers. Kinvey puts the “BaaS” (backend as a service) in “Badass.” Kinvey will be doing a Sir Mix-a-Lot cover called “Baby Got BaaS.” (Can you believe that song is 20 years old? OK, I can.) … Continue reading “Kinvey, Out to Kick Butt and Build Mobile Backends, Lands $5M in VC”
Backupify Brings In $9M More from Symantec & VCs, Fends Off Acquirers
An old-school tech company in a new-school world. That’s what I’d call Backupify. The Cambridge, MA-based startup sits squarely at the intersection of cloud computing, data management, online backup, and now, security. Its big market opportunity is in the cloud—backing up data from business apps and social media— but its culture is firmly rooted in … Continue reading “Backupify Brings In $9M More from Symantec & VCs, Fends Off Acquirers”
Paydiant Picks Up $12M to Set Up Mobile Payments for Banks and Retailers
In a very busy week for startup financings, a few stand out in their respective fields. One would be Paydiant in mobile payments. The Wellesley, MA-based company has raised a $12 million Series B round from new investor Stage 1 Ventures, along with previous investors North Bridge Venture Partners and General Catalyst Partners. It sounds … Continue reading “Paydiant Picks Up $12M to Set Up Mobile Payments for Banks and Retailers”
Boom or Bust? 11 Big Bets on the Future of Boston Tech
Just past the midway point of 2012, let’s take stock of the Boston-area technology scene. Not just because we care about what’s happening in the local community (which we do), but because what’s happening in the local community could have a big impact on some of the most important sectors in technology and business—across the … Continue reading “Boom or Bust? 11 Big Bets on the Future of Boston Tech”
Xconomy Boston’s Top 20 Stories of Q2 2012: Editor’s Picks
You know the drill. Half of 2012 is in the books, and it’s time now to look back on our editor’s picks for top stories of Q2. Because I said so, that’s why. As usual, these aren’t always the highest-traffic stories (though in some cases they are). They are the stories that exemplify the reporting, … Continue reading “Xconomy Boston’s Top 20 Stories of Q2 2012: Editor’s Picks”
Jumptap Gets $27.5M More for Mobile Ads: IPO or Acquisition Coming?
Everything old is new again. At least in the world of mobile advertising. Jumptap, the stalwart mobile tech company based in Cambridge, MA, said today it has raised $27.5 million in a new financing round. Previous investors General Catalyst, Redpoint Ventures, Summerhill Venture Partners, Valhalla Partners, and WPP participated in the round, as well as … Continue reading “Jumptap Gets $27.5M More for Mobile Ads: IPO or Acquisition Coming?”
BNDWGN and the Future of Social Tech: Q&A with Meredith Flynn-Ripley
The social-mobile app with no vowels is off and running. BNDWGN, from the Cambridge, MA-based makers of HeyWire, a texting and social messaging service, was released into the wild earlier this week. It’s available on Android devices, with an Apple iOS version expected soon. But what does it say about the future of social and … Continue reading “BNDWGN and the Future of Social Tech: Q&A with Meredith Flynn-Ripley”
Ed-Tech Startup K12 Kit Looks to Revamp Social Networks for Schools
In case you haven’t noticed, we have quite the education-tech cluster forming around Boston. May I direct your attention westward, out to Worcester, MA, and a new startup called K12 Kit, which is making its software broadly available today. The idea is to provide a cloud-based software platform for K-12 schools and their students to … Continue reading “Ed-Tech Startup K12 Kit Looks to Revamp Social Networks for Schools”
Demandware and the Future of Retail: A Post-IPO Snapshot
In the world of e-commerce, Amazon is going one way, and everyone else is going the other. Amazon has cornered the market on commodities and price-driven shopping, it seems, but what’s still up for grabs is the luxury market. One of the more interesting tech companies in that sector is Demandware (NYSE: [[ticker:DWRE]]), the Burlington, … Continue reading “Demandware and the Future of Retail: A Post-IPO Snapshot”
CoupFlip, Led by Ex-Googler, Opens in Boston to Go After Unused Groupons
A trio of Dartmouth MBAs are setting their sights on Boston as the starting point for their young Internet company. CoupFlip, whose Web service is open to the masses as of today, is creating a marketplace for consumers to buy and sell daily deals quickly and efficiently. Before you say, “Not another deals site,” well, … Continue reading “CoupFlip, Led by Ex-Googler, Opens in Boston to Go After Unused Groupons”
Juliet Marine’s “Ghost” Ship Emerges from Stealth Startup, Gears Up for War
About an hour north of Boston, in a city by the sea, there’s a project underway to reinvent the marine industry. More specifically, the marine defense industry. Imagine a boat that moves through the water differently from any other boat in existence. It uses “supercavitation”—the creation of a gaseous bubble layer around the hull to … Continue reading “Juliet Marine’s “Ghost” Ship Emerges from Stealth Startup, Gears Up for War”
Founders’ Stories: Backupify, BzzAgent, and Pixability CEOs Bare It All
OK, not literally. But some good stories were told. Last Thursday’s XSITE conference at Babson College, our fourth annual full-day innovation conference (see photos here), had plenty of highlights that didn’t make it into my previous recap. One of them was a session on “founders’ stories” in tech companies. Of particular note: mistakes made, how … Continue reading “Founders’ Stories: Backupify, BzzAgent, and Pixability CEOs Bare It All”
Snapshot of Boston Tech Deals: Heartland Rethink, Sand 9, & Sonus Networks
A trio of decent-size technology deals around Boston today…and not a frivolous social/mobile app company among them. In fact, there is something quintessentially “Boston tech” about these companies—think networking, robotics, and hardware. —Heartland Robotics, the stealthy Boston company working on a new kind of robot for manufacturing, has changed its name to Rethink Robotics and … Continue reading “Snapshot of Boston Tech Deals: Heartland Rethink, Sand 9, & Sonus Networks”
Plexxi, With $28M in Tow, Looks to Transform Networking for Data Centers
Plexxi sounds like it might be a materials company. It’s not. But its name evokes the notions of flexibility and transparency. Until today, Plexxi wasn’t saying anything about what it is or isn’t. The Nashua, NH-based startup, which also has an office in Cambridge, MA, took $28.5 million in funding from Matrix Partners, North Bridge … Continue reading “Plexxi, With $28M in Tow, Looks to Transform Networking for Data Centers”
Top 10 Quotes from XSITE 2012: Bill Warner, Andy Ory, Phil Libin, & More
Yesterday was our fourth annual XSITE conference, and our biggest to date, with 500+ registered. It was a glorious day out at Babson College. Thanks to our hosts and all of our sponsors for making it happen. We tried to bring together a mix of big companies and small startups, first-time entrepreneurs and public company … Continue reading “Top 10 Quotes from XSITE 2012: Bill Warner, Andy Ory, Phil Libin, & More”
Constant Contact Buys SinglePlatform for $65M+, Continues NY (& Web) Expansion
Constant Contact keeps on expanding in the world of digital marketing. Today the Waltham, MA-based marketing tech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTCT]]) announced it has acquired New York City startup SinglePlatform for $65 million in cash, plus earnouts and retention fees that could bring the total price to around $100 million. SinglePlatform started in 2010, and its … Continue reading “Constant Contact Buys SinglePlatform for $65M+, Continues NY (& Web) Expansion”
Here Are the 10 XSITE Xpo Startups: See You Thursday
Here at Xconomy, we are going a little startup crazy. That’s because this Thursday, June 14, we will play host to one of the region’s largest gatherings of startups and entrepreneurs at XSITE 2012, our annual Xconomy Summit on Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship conference at Babson College, co-hosted by Olin College. It won’t be exclusively … Continue reading “Here Are the 10 XSITE Xpo Startups: See You Thursday”
Nabeel Hyatt and Mok Oh to Talk Consumer Tech at XSITE 2012
Five words: Nabeel Hyatt and Mok Oh. Five questions: What’s hot in consumer tech? What comes after the lean startup model? How does Nabeel like the VC life? How does Mok like Silicon Valley compared to Boston? What else should we talk about? So many questions, so little time. I’ll be moderating a chat with … Continue reading “Nabeel Hyatt and Mok Oh to Talk Consumer Tech at XSITE 2012”
What’s Actually Interesting About LevelUp: Seth Priebatsch on Money & Merchants
“That’s honestly the least interesting thing we’re up to at the moment,” says Seth Priebatsch of Boston-based startup SCVNGR. And I believe him, mostly. He’s talking about the $12 million financing his company announced today. The money, the first installment of what Priebatsch says will be a larger financing round, comes from a couple of … Continue reading “What’s Actually Interesting About LevelUp: Seth Priebatsch on Money & Merchants”
AmberWave Rises Again as Solar Startup: Insights from Investor Russ Wilcox
Has the sun set on the U.S. solar industry? Not in New Hampshire it hasn’t. AmberWave of Salem, NH, has risen from the ashes of AmberWave Systems, a semiconductor company that started in 1998 and shut its doors in 2010 after raising some $91 million to develop “strained silicon” technology for faster and more energy-efficient … Continue reading “AmberWave Rises Again as Solar Startup: Insights from Investor Russ Wilcox”
Crashlytics Buys FireTower, Gears Up for WWDC Bash as Post-PC Era Dawns
It’s not always the terms of an acquisition that make it interesting. Sometimes it’s the stuff going on around it. That’s usually the case for young, fast-moving fields of technology and business that have yet to coalesce into something stable. And that’s a good thing, because I can’t tell you all that much about the … Continue reading “Crashlytics Buys FireTower, Gears Up for WWDC Bash as Post-PC Era Dawns”
Join Us for a Twitter Chat with Atlas Venture’s Fred Destin Today at 3pm ET
If you’ve been wanting to ask Fred Destin something, here’s your chance. I’ll be hosting a 30-minute Twitter chat with the esteemed VC from Atlas Venture today, starting at 3 pm ET. What’s the occasion? Well, Destin will be speaking on a venture panel at XSITE 2012, Xconomy’s biggest conference of the year, on June … Continue reading “Join Us for a Twitter Chat with Atlas Venture’s Fred Destin Today at 3pm ET”
Smarterer Scores Series A, Looks to Replace Resumés with Skill Matching
That Boston tech startup with too many vowels is at it again. Smarterer, a creator of crowdsourced skills tests online, is announcing today a $1.75 million Series A round from previous investors True Ventures and Google Ventures. The deal, which also includes about a dozen angel investors (some of them are new to the company), … Continue reading “Smarterer Scores Series A, Looks to Replace Resumés with Skill Matching”
Brightcove, Surviving the Recession, Seeks New Fortune in Cloud Content
Whatever happened to Brightcove? You know, the Jeremy Allaire company known for developing a Web video-hosting platform and raising lots of money in the mid-to-late 2000s? Well, for starters, it went public in February with a $55 million IPO. That didn’t begin to match the $103 million it had raised from prominent venture investors, including … Continue reading “Brightcove, Surviving the Recession, Seeks New Fortune in Cloud Content”
Gemvara Gets $25M More, Goes Big in Online Jewelry
Gemvara continues to raise more venture capital in its quest to become the world’s preeminent jeweler. The Boston-based Web company said today it has raised a $25 million Series D round led by Norwest Venture Partners. Previous investors Highland Capital Partners, Canaan Partners, and Balderton Capital also participated in the round, which brings Gemvara’s total … Continue reading “Gemvara Gets $25M More, Goes Big in Online Jewelry”
Bill Warner, Dharmesh Shah Join XSITE 2012 Lineup: Here’s the Agenda
You’ve been waiting for it. We’ve been waiting for it. Here it is: the full agenda for XSITE 2012 on June 14 at Babson College. We’re exactly two weeks out from Xconomy’s biggest innovation conference of the year. We’re really excited to announce that Bill Warner, the angel investor, entrepreneur evangelist, and founder of Avid … Continue reading “Bill Warner, Dharmesh Shah Join XSITE 2012 Lineup: Here’s the Agenda”
Massachusetts’ New Big-Data Initiative to Include MIT, Intel, and HackReduce
Who will own the emerging tech-business field of “big data”? Answer: probably no one entity or geographical region. But the state of Massachusetts is putting its best foot forward this week, with an assist from Intel, MIT, and some local big-data leaders. Wednesday afternoon, at 2 pm, Governor Deval Patrick will announce a new big-data … Continue reading “Massachusetts’ New Big-Data Initiative to Include MIT, Intel, and HackReduce”
GreenBytes Gets $12M More, Led by Al Gore’s Venture Firm
Not all the tech news coming out of Rhode Island is bad. GreenBytes, an Ashaway, RI-based data storage company, said today it has raised $12 million in Series B financing led by Generation Investment Management, a firm co-founded by Al Gore. Battery Ventures and GreenBytes management also participated in the funding. GreenBytes started in 2007 … Continue reading “GreenBytes Gets $12M More, Led by Al Gore’s Venture Firm”
Recorded Future, With New VC Round, Seeks Fortune in Defense and Finance
Wish you could use the Web to make reliable predictions about the future? Not just the performance of the stock market, say, but things like, what are my business competitors planning to do in a particular field? Where in the world will there be civil unrest in the coming weeks? What military maneuvers can we … Continue reading “Recorded Future, With New VC Round, Seeks Fortune in Defense and Finance”
Recorded Future, Liquid Metal Battery Raise VC Rounds
Two Boston-area companies that don’t do a lot of talking in the media are making some noise today. They don’t have much in common, except that each is working on a really big technological problem in society with a pretty novel approach (and they’re getting some funding news out before the holiday weekend). As usual, … Continue reading “Recorded Future, Liquid Metal Battery Raise VC Rounds”
EMC, Ember, Spindle, Yottaa, & More Boston-Area Deals
A bunch of small-ish deals (and some not so small) to catch up on from the past week… —Hopkinton, MA-based EMC (NYSE: [[ticker:EMC]]) has acquired Syncplicity for an undisclosed price. The cloud-based file management startup, based in Silicon Valley, will be integrated into EMC’s Information Intelligence Group. The move is viewed as helping EMC compete … Continue reading “EMC, Ember, Spindle, Yottaa, & More Boston-Area Deals”
Thomas Massie, SensAble Founder and MIT Grad, Wins GOP Primary in KY
The votes have been tallied, and the winner of the Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th congressional district is…Thomas Massie. With 45 percent of the popular vote, Massie, a Tea Party constitutional conservative, fended off a couple of establishment-backed competitors in the race. That means he will be the heavy favorite (in the red state) to … Continue reading “Thomas Massie, SensAble Founder and MIT Grad, Wins GOP Primary in KY”
TripAdvisor Q&A: The Future of Travel and the Social Web
TripAdvisor has been thinking about social technologies for a while now. Back in 2006, the Newton, MA-based Web company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TRIP]]) rolled out a new social network, called Traveler Network, to help its users connect and share travel reviews with each other. The firm’s CEO and co-founder, Steve Kaufer, helped lead the project from beginning … Continue reading “TripAdvisor Q&A: The Future of Travel and the Social Web”
7 Xpo Startups at XSITE on June 14 (and Looking for a Few More)
Here at Xconomy we are coming down the home stretch of preparations for our biggest annual event: XSITE 2012, on June 14 at Babson College. That’s (gasp) just over three weeks away. XSITE 2012 is our fourth annual full-day conference and celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship—involving not just startups, but also big companies, universities, and … Continue reading “7 Xpo Startups at XSITE on June 14 (and Looking for a Few More)”
Yottaa, Looking More Like Akamai, Gets $9M for “Anti-Lean” Approach
Coach Wei has been busy lately. The founder and CEO of Boston-based Yottaa is busy running a tech company on two continents. Not only that, but he’s trying to pioneer a new approach to building an enterprise software and Web infrastructure company—one that can iterate and release products almost as fast as a consumer Web … Continue reading “Yottaa, Looking More Like Akamai, Gets $9M for “Anti-Lean” Approach”
Ember CEO: Silicon Labs Acquisition for $72M Is “Right Thing for the Company”
It seems like it takes most tech companies about 10 years to run their course—if they survive the first few years, that is. Boston-based Ember is no exception. The wireless-networking firm said today it is being acquired by Silicon Laboratories (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SLAB]]) of Austin, TX, for an initial price of $72 million plus earnouts. Silicon … Continue reading “Ember CEO: Silicon Labs Acquisition for $72M Is “Right Thing for the Company””
Misery Loves Company: 38 Studios, AEB, and WFNX
OK, listening to Morphine’s “Cure for Pain” on Julie Kramer’s very last Leftover Lunch show on WFNX pushed me over the edge. In case you missed the news amid all the Facebook hoopla, Boston alternative music station WFNX is being bought by Clear Channel, and most of the staff is being laid off. The old … Continue reading “Misery Loves Company: 38 Studios, AEB, and WFNX”
From MIT Entrepreneur to Tea Party Leader: The Thomas Massie Story
Buried in the news of the past month, which was admittedly a busy one, was a press release headlined: “Geomagic Acquires Sensable 3D Design and Haptics Businesses.” As far as I can tell, no media outlets besides Xconomy picked up on this deal or its historical—and now, political—significance. Woe is them. That’s because “Sensable” would … Continue reading “From MIT Entrepreneur to Tea Party Leader: The Thomas Massie Story”
InsightSquared Scores $4.5M, Looks to Bring Business Intelligence to the Masses
Finally, a tech company that’s not all about big data. In fact, this one is about lots of little bits of “idiosyncratic, messy data,” says its founder. And it puts those bits together to help small businesses make better decisions and, ultimately, more money. InsightSquared, based in Cambridge, MA, has been fairly quiet in the … Continue reading “InsightSquared Scores $4.5M, Looks to Bring Business Intelligence to the Masses”
EMC’s Acquisition of XtremIO Is Flashpoint in New Storage Wars
Why did one of Massachusetts’ biggest companies just spend more than $400 million on an Israeli tech firm with no products and no revenue? It’s all about the flash. EMC, the Hopkinton, MA-based data storage giant (NYSE:[[ticker:EMC]]), confirmed it has acquired Israeli flash-storage startup XtremIO in an all-cash transaction. Media reports put the price of … Continue reading “EMC’s Acquisition of XtremIO Is Flashpoint in New Storage Wars”
Modo Labs, One Year Into Kurogo, Talks Mobile and Education Tech Trends
Lately there has been a lot of talk about education technology in these parts. For example, MIT and Harvard are about to put more classes online with their new, $60 million edX partnership. But are universities really taking advantage of the latest tech trends? Though they were early adopters of the Web, they seem to … Continue reading “Modo Labs, One Year Into Kurogo, Talks Mobile and Education Tech Trends”
Acme Packet, Constant Contact, & Terrafugia CEOs Join XSITE on June 14
Here at Xconomy we are gearing up for our biggest event of the year: XSITE (the Xconomy Summit on Innovation, Technology, & Entrepreneurship) on June 14 at Babson College. Tickets have been going fast, but you can still register here. The theme for this year’s event, our fourth annual summertime summit, is Accelerating Innovation. And … Continue reading “Acme Packet, Constant Contact, & Terrafugia CEOs Join XSITE on June 14”
SessionM, Sequoia, Braemar, and Charles River Ventures: A VC Roundup
Catching up on some venture capital news on a rainy Tuesday… —SessionM, a Boston-based mobile advertising startup, has raised $20 million in Series B funding led by Charles River Ventures, according to a report in Dow Jones VentureWire, which put the company’s valuation at around $100 million. The startup’s previous investors include Highland Capital Partners … Continue reading “SessionM, Sequoia, Braemar, and Charles River Ventures: A VC Roundup”
CustomMade Looks to Expand, Drive New Model for E-Commerce and Retail
Whether you call it e-commerce, digital marketing, or what not, the Boston area has a lot of companies trying to create the future of how people buy stuff online. There are established e-retailers like Wayfair (fka CSN Stores) for home goods; newer companies like Gemvara for buying jewelry and Zmags for doing tablet-based browsing and … Continue reading “CustomMade Looks to Expand, Drive New Model for E-Commerce and Retail”
What TechStars’ Progress in Boston Really Means for Innovation
As I walked out of the latest TechStars Demo Day spectacle in Boston yesterday, I was struck by one question: what does it all mean? Yes, 13 young startups made highly refined pitches to a theater full of angel investors, venture capitalists, and fellow entrepreneurs, to mark the end of the accelerator program. Yes, some … Continue reading “What TechStars’ Progress in Boston Really Means for Innovation”
Geeks on a Train Coming to NY, Boston on May 24 to Foster Intercity Innovation
While a good chunk of the startup community is celebrating TechStars Boston demo day with various pre- and post-parties, I thought I’d take the opportunity to think outside the local box for a moment. I’m talking about Geeks on a Train, and it’s headed our way on May 24. If you’ve heard of Geeks on … Continue reading “Geeks on a Train Coming to NY, Boston on May 24 to Foster Intercity Innovation”
Bursting the Education Bubble: MIT and Harvard’s edX Is Just the Beginning
If the higher-education bubble bursts, it may well start in Boston. That would be fitting, given how many universities, students, and education-focused tech innovators we have here in the Northeast. Yes, I know the premise of such a bubble is controversial. But anyone dealing with the skyrocketing costs of college tuition, coupled with the high … Continue reading “Bursting the Education Bubble: MIT and Harvard’s edX Is Just the Beginning”