For some, “pay it forward” is an old Kevin Spacey movie (and the last time Haley Joel Osment was recognizable). For others, it’s a mantra to live by. The latter camp would include Matt Lauzon and Jennifer Lum, co-organizers of the year’s first big tech party in Boston, set for next Tuesday, Feb. 21, at … Continue reading “Ruby Riot #2: Lauzon & Lum Urge Partiers to Pay It Forward”
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.
Nabeel Hyatt on the Next Consumer Startup Model: Metrics + Creative
The best interviews surprise you. You go in expecting to talk about one thing, but your subject makes you think about something else—in this case, an emerging trend that people are talking about, though it doesn’t have a name yet. Last week I spoke with Nabeel Hyatt, the Boston-area techie best known for starting Conduit … Continue reading “Nabeel Hyatt on the Next Consumer Startup Model: Metrics + Creative”
Yottaa Dives Into Akamai’s Business of Web Content Delivery—Sort Of
Last week, we reported that Akamai (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]) is getting into website optimization with its acquisition of Canadian startup Blaze Software. That move is a bit of a departure for Akamai, which is known for its technology on the content delivery and networking side. Well, now it turns out that one of Blaze’s Boston-area competitors … Continue reading “Yottaa Dives Into Akamai’s Business of Web Content Delivery—Sort Of”
Energy Points Harnesses $3M, Wants to Create Sustainability Standard
There’s a new cleantech company making noise in the Boston area today. Cambridge, MA-based Energy Points is releasing a new software product for businesses to measure sustainability across different industries and resources such as electricity, water, transportation, and waste. The idea is to convert different measures of environmental footprints and energy efficiency into a common … Continue reading “Energy Points Harnesses $3M, Wants to Create Sustainability Standard”
Constant Contact and HubSpot: Some Boston-Area Marketing Tech News
Time for an update on Boston’s marketing tech cluster. It’s one of the real strengths of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. And it looks like it’s getting stronger, with a couple of leaders making news this week. Here is a tale of two companies that have become competitors: —Constant Contact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTCT]]), the Waltham, MA-based online … Continue reading “Constant Contact and HubSpot: Some Boston-Area Marketing Tech News”
Smarterer, Senexx, & Take the Interview: Some Talent Management News
Today’s West Coast announcement that Oracle is buying human resources management firm Taleo for $1.9 billion—yes, billion—puts some Boston-area talent and recruiting startups in a new light. Unfortunately, one of them is no longer in Boston… —Take the Interview, the video-based recruiting startup and former Dogpatch Labs Cambridge resident, has relocated to New York City … Continue reading “Smarterer, Senexx, & Take the Interview: Some Talent Management News”
Akamai Buys Blaze as Web Optimization Heats Up in Boston
A young Canadian software startup with Boston investors is now part of a big Boston-area company. Ottawa-based Blaze Software has been acquired by Cambridge, MA-based Akamai (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]) for an undisclosed cash sum. What’s interesting here is that Akamai, the Web content delivery and networking giant, is making a move into Web performance optimization—basically tackling … Continue reading “Akamai Buys Blaze as Web Optimization Heats Up in Boston”
Rapid7’s Mike Tuchen on Cyber Espionage and Startup Lessons
How are companies spying on each other these days? One of the surprising ways I’ve heard about recently is through the webcam in boardrooms. That’s right, apparently it’s easy to hack into some companies’ video conference systems, because they lie outside typical security measures. Companies sometimes set up video conferences so they can be accessed … Continue reading “Rapid7’s Mike Tuchen on Cyber Espionage and Startup Lessons”
Founders of Harvard Experiment Fund Talk Goals, Strategy, & Zip Codes
Don’t know about you, but I’m less interested in Facebook’s IPO than I am in the efforts of people trying to find the next Facebook out of Boston/Cambridge. One such effort is the new Experiment Fund, based at Harvard University, which I wrote about earlier this week. Turns out there’s more to the latest seed-stage … Continue reading “Founders of Harvard Experiment Fund Talk Goals, Strategy, & Zip Codes”
Apperian, Fiksu, Mobiquity, & Paydiant Join Mobile Madness Lineup
Here’s a quick update on the agenda for Mobile Madness 2012: Total Mobility, the annual half-day mobile conference we are organizing here at Xconomy Boston. The event is taking place on the afternoon of March 14 at Microsoft NERD in Cambridge, MA. We are looking forward to a packed house and some outstanding talks, discussions, … Continue reading “Apperian, Fiksu, Mobiquity, & Paydiant Join Mobile Madness Lineup”
Harvard Experiment Fund, Backed by NEA, Joins Crowded Investor Field
There’s a new player in the seed-stage investment game in Boston. As of this week, the Experiment Fund is open for business at Harvard University, backed by the Silicon Valley venture firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA). The startup investment fund is being hosted by Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Cambridge, MA. The … Continue reading “Harvard Experiment Fund, Backed by NEA, Joins Crowded Investor Field”
Akamai to Zipcar: A Snapshot of 10 Public Tech Companies in Boston
As we wind down the first month of 2012, I thought I’d take the pulse of some of the bigger technology companies around town. In addition to tracking startups and entrepreneurship, this is an important measure of the health and well-being of the Boston tech community. So here’s a list of 10 well-known public companies, … Continue reading “Akamai to Zipcar: A Snapshot of 10 Public Tech Companies in Boston”
Assholicism: Do CEOs Need to Be Jerks to Be Successful?
It’s a question as old as human nature. You’ve heard the stories, you know all the famous examples. Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Michael Eisner, the list goes on. All difficult characters with strong personalities—and hugely successful companies. So, in today’s ultra-competitive tech and business world, does a CEO have to be an asshole to be … Continue reading “Assholicism: Do CEOs Need to Be Jerks to Be Successful?”
Monster Slashes 400 Jobs, Restructures for Profitability
Monster Worldwide (NYSE: [[ticker:MWW]]), the New York parent company of Maynard, MA-based Monster.com, the jobs and recruiting site, said in a regulatory filing that it has laid off about 400 employees, or 7 percent of its worldwide staff of 5,700. The layoffs include fewer than 100 job cuts in Massachusetts, according to the Boston Business … Continue reading “Monster Slashes 400 Jobs, Restructures for Profitability”
Hadoop Meetup Feb. 15 Looks to Connect Big Data Community in Boston
Sometimes the most interesting gatherings have the strangest names. What does “Boston Hadoop Meetup Group” say to you? To me, it says “future of big data in Boston.” Hadoop is an open source data-analysis platform that is gaining popularity for helping companies and IT departments crunch huge amounts of information. The Hadoop meetup group in … Continue reading “Hadoop Meetup Feb. 15 Looks to Connect Big Data Community in Boston”
Meet the 13 New TechStars Boston Startups
The cool thing about TechStars is that it is often surprising. The startup accelerator and seed-stage investment firm, which runs programs in four cities around the U.S., announced its newest class of Boston entrepreneurs (the fourth so far) last night. And while I’ve heard of a couple of the startups, most of them are brand … Continue reading “Meet the 13 New TechStars Boston Startups”
Burgess, Cormier, Kane, and Lynch Join Mobile Madness Lineup on March 14
The speaker list for Mobile Madness 2012 keeps getting better and better. I’m still plugging away at the agenda, but wanted to post a quick update here. Boston’s premier conference on mobile software and devices, if I do say so myself, takes place the afternoon of March 14 at Microsoft NERD in Kendall Square. The … Continue reading “Burgess, Cormier, Kane, and Lynch Join Mobile Madness Lineup on March 14”
Hewlett-Packard Expands to Cambridge via Vertica’s “Big Data” Center
There’s a new big tech company in town. In fact, it’s arguably the world’s biggest technology company (by revenue), and it’s joining the ranks of IBM, EMC, Microsoft, Google, and, most recently, Amazon, in expanding to the Boston-Cambridge area. Palo Alto, CA-based Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: [[ticker:HPQ]]) has set up a new office in Cambridge, MA. The … Continue reading “Hewlett-Packard Expands to Cambridge via Vertica’s “Big Data” Center”
Boston’s Top 10 VC Deals of Q4: Warp Drive, Rapid7, & More
We’ve recently reported on venture capital deal trends from last quarter—for example, Massachusetts regained its No. 2 ranking behind California and ahead of New York in dollars and deals—but let’s take a closer look at some of those deals. Of the Boston area’s 10 biggest venture investment deals from the fourth quarter of 2011, six … Continue reading “Boston’s Top 10 VC Deals of Q4: Warp Drive, Rapid7, & More”
Join Us on March 14 for Mobile Madness 2012: Total Mobility
Everyone knows mobile is everywhere, and everything is mobile. Smartphones, tablets, and mobile software are transforming how we all shop, connect, get around, and lead our daily lives. In the five years since Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone, the mobile industry—and the tech world, more broadly—has changed radically. So what are the emerging opportunities, … Continue reading “Join Us on March 14 for Mobile Madness 2012: Total Mobility”
Constant Contact Buys CardStar, Moves Into Mobile Loyalty Tech
The evolution of Constant Contact continues. The Waltham, MA-based online marketing firm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTCT]]) said today it has acquired Boston-based CardStar, a maker of a mobile app that lets people consolidate their loyalty and rewards cards. Terms of the acquisition weren’t given. The deal represents Constant Contact’s first foray into mobile rewards technology aimed at … Continue reading “Constant Contact Buys CardStar, Moves Into Mobile Loyalty Tech”
Five Companies Making Noise: ByteLight, HeyWire, Rapid7, Tap Lab, & Vivox
Heading into the holiday weekend, I thought I’d pull out a few highlights from recent discussions I’ve had with some Boston-area tech companies that are generating buzz. None of them will be taking the holiday off, I’m guessing. So here’s a snapshot of five companies in different fields, and at different stages (with some common … Continue reading “Five Companies Making Noise: ByteLight, HeyWire, Rapid7, Tap Lab, & Vivox”
Microsoft, PayPal, Ford, & Facebook: Boston Tech Tidbits
Some big-company-related news to report in the Boston area. Let’s get right to it. —Microsoft Research New England has made three new hires in its social media research group, joining danah boyd. They are professors Nancy Baym from the University of Kansas (specializing in personal connections and online communities); Kate Crawford from the University of … Continue reading “Microsoft, PayPal, Ford, & Facebook: Boston Tech Tidbits”
Extreme Reach Expands with Acquisition, $9M Credit Line
Some interesting developments in ad distribution and video this week. Needham, MA-based Extreme Reach, the maker of a video-ad platform for TV and Web, has secured more money for its growth and has made an important acquisition. Extreme Reach said today it has closed a $9 million credit facility with TD Bank. The company also … Continue reading “Extreme Reach Expands with Acquisition, $9M Credit Line”
Jerome Rubin of E Ink and LexisNexis Dead at 86
A dark day in Boston is a little darker now. Jerome Rubin, the publishing executive and inventor who co-founded the display company E Ink and helped commercialize the online database that became LexisNexis, died from a stroke on Monday in New York City, according to a report by the Associated Press. He was 86. Rubin … Continue reading “Jerome Rubin of E Ink and LexisNexis Dead at 86”
Mobile News: From Apperian to Zmags, Jumptap to Mitt Romney
Some interesting news tidbits in Boston-area mobile and marketing/ad tech today. —Zmags, the Boston-based mobile and social commerce company, has raised $7 million from Square 1 Bank and existing investors OpenView Venture Partners and Northcap Partners. Zmags makes a software platform to help brands and retailers design marketing and merchandising campaigns across mobile devices, tablets, … Continue reading “Mobile News: From Apperian to Zmags, Jumptap to Mitt Romney”
Neolane, DataXu, ClickSquared Ink Deals in Digital Marketing
[Updated 12:20 pm] Here are a couple of notable Boston-area deals in digital advertising and marketing, each with a certain je-ne-sais-quoi European flair. Plus one more local company worth watching… —Neolane, a social marketing tech company based in Paris with North American headquarters in Newton, MA, has closed a $27 million financing round led by … Continue reading “Neolane, DataXu, ClickSquared Ink Deals in Digital Marketing”
LogMeIn Buys Bold Software for $16.5M, Expands in Customer Care
Some business software news this morning. LogMeIn (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LOGM]]), the Woburn, MA-based remote access and customer support tech company, said it has acquired Kansas-based Bold Software for $16.5 million, including retention-based bonuses over time. Bold makes software for live-chat systems and click-to-call customer service. The move is intended to strengthen and expand LogMeIn’s offerings in … Continue reading “LogMeIn Buys Bold Software for $16.5M, Expands in Customer Care”
Safari Books Buys Threepress, Forges Ahead In Digital Publishing Jungle
What is the future of electronic books and digital publishing in Boston? We might be getting a glimpse of it today. The news is that Safari Books Online, a joint venture between O’Reilly Media and Pearson Education, is acquiring Threepress, a Boston-area software and consulting shop specializing in tools for digital publishing. Terms of the … Continue reading “Safari Books Buys Threepress, Forges Ahead In Digital Publishing Jungle”
Tech Startup Deals: GrabCAD, Krush, Moontoast, & More
It’s probably a good sign for the Boston tech startup community that we have to round up all these decent-sized financings just to keep up with the news. On the other hand, it’s just money raised in pursuit of bigger goals. —GrabCAD, based in Cambridge, MA, raised $4 million more from existing investors, bringing its … Continue reading “Tech Startup Deals: GrabCAD, Krush, Moontoast, & More”
Ray Ozzie’s Next Big Thing: Cocomo
Since when is naming your startup and posting a job ad news? When your name is Ray Ozzie, that’s when. The former Microsoft chief software architect and Lotus veteran has surfaced after a year of working behind the scenes. Ozzie reached out to the Boston Globe‘s Scott Kirsner with a teaser about his new project: … Continue reading “Ray Ozzie’s Next Big Thing: Cocomo”
VC Fundraising Scorecard: General Catalyst, Excel, OpenView, & More
[Updated 1/5/12] The first week of the new year is a good time to take stock of where venture capital firms are in their fundraising progress. No question that unless you’re a top-tier firm—and even then, in some cases—raising a sizeable new fund has been very challenging. Back in August, I ran a summary of … Continue reading “VC Fundraising Scorecard: General Catalyst, Excel, OpenView, & More”
The Boston Tech Year in Review: Endeca, RSA, and More
A lot has happened in the technology world in the past year. So let’s take a minute to reflect on the defining moments of 2011 and where we stand now, as a local tech community with increasingly global impact. This is by no means comprehensive, or even a summary of the most important stories of … Continue reading “The Boston Tech Year in Review: Endeca, RSA, and More”
VelQuest Bought by Accelrys for $35M
‘Tis the season for end-of-year acquisitions to be announced, now that everyone’s back at work. Hopkinton, MA-based VelQuest, a maker of pharmaceutical and medical device-related software, has been acquired by San Diego-based Accelrys (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACCL]]), the scientific R&D software firm, for $35 million in cash. VelQuest started in 1999 and is led by CEO and … Continue reading “VelQuest Bought by Accelrys for $35M”
Editor’s Picks: Xconomy Boston’s Top 20ish Stories of 2011
‘Tis the season to reflect on the past year and take a look at some of Xconomy Boston’s top stories. As usual, these aren’t necessarily the highest-traffic stories (though in some cases they are). They are stories that exemplify what we are trying to deliver to our readers every day—narratives about the people, companies, and … Continue reading “Editor’s Picks: Xconomy Boston’s Top 20ish Stories of 2011”
TripAdvisor Post-IPO: Five Things We Learned From CEO Stephen Kaufer
Merry Christmas, Boston. You asked for it, and you got it. A big, publicly traded consumer tech company to put us on the map alongside the Silicon Valley bad boys and uppity New Yorkers. I present to you: TripAdvisor (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TRIP]]). Sure, we already have Zipcar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZIP]]), Carbonite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CARB]]), iRobot (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRBT]]), and … Continue reading “TripAdvisor Post-IPO: Five Things We Learned From CEO Stephen Kaufer”
Report: Amazon Opening Boston-Area Office
I guess Werner Vogels changed his mind. Amazon.com’s chief technology officer told me a couple years ago that his company had no intention of opening a Boston office. MIT engineers, he said, had no problem moving out west to Seattle to join the e-retail technology giant. I thought that was kind of strange, but Amazon … Continue reading “Report: Amazon Opening Boston-Area Office”
Akamai to Buy Cotendo for $268M
Some big acquisition news before the holidays here. Cambridge, MA-based Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]), the Web delivery and networking giant, said today it is acquiring a competitor, Sunnyvale, CA-based Cotendo, for $268 million in cash. The deal, which has been rumored for the past month, is expected to close in the first half of 2012. … Continue reading “Akamai to Buy Cotendo for $268M”
How Not to Name a Startup: The Curse of the Camel Case
What’s in a tech startup name? More specifically, is there a correlation between the type of name a company has and its success? That’s a question every startup founder and investor should be interested in. Because if there is a correlation, then using a name-based strategy for picking winners would be, well, about as good … Continue reading “How Not to Name a Startup: The Curse of the Camel Case”
Cyber-Ark Closes $40M, Looks to Go Big in Security
Strange name. Big money. Newton, MA-based Cyber-Ark Software said today it has raised $40 million in investment led by Goldman Sachs and Jerusalem Venture Partners. The deal includes the purchase of stock from existing shareholders as well as growth capital. Cyber-Ark had previously raised $25 million in venture and angel capital. Cyber-Ark works in the … Continue reading “Cyber-Ark Closes $40M, Looks to Go Big in Security”
TripAdvisor Going Public and Independent; Boston Tech Scene Yawns
It’s probably the quietest Boston-area public offering of the year. But why? Maybe because it’s a spinoff from an already public company, and the deal was announced back in April. Or maybe because New England doesn’t go wild for its consumer-focused tech companies the way some other regions do. Or maybe everyone is just sick … Continue reading “TripAdvisor Going Public and Independent; Boston Tech Scene Yawns”
Skyword Scores $6M to Blend Media and Marketing
Boston-based Skyword is moving up in the world. The startup, which makes a software platform for brands to create Web content, said today it has closed $6 million in financing from Cox Media Group. The company says it helps publishers—which is marketing-speak for retail and industry brands, as well as media companies—create online content “for … Continue reading “Skyword Scores $6M to Blend Media and Marketing”
Biofuels Firm Coskata, Backed by Boston VCs, Files for IPO
Here’s another data point for New England cleantech investors. Coskata, a Warrenville, IL-based developer of cellulosic ethanol, has filed paperwork for an initial public offering. The proposed maximum offering is $100 million, but as usual, that doesn’t mean much at this point. Coskata is backed by a couple of Boston-area venture firms—Advanced Technology Ventures and … Continue reading “Biofuels Firm Coskata, Backed by Boston VCs, Files for IPO”
Hacker’s Putty, Soggy Doggy, & Other Gift Ideas from Daily Grommet
Holiday shopping season is a fun time of year for a company like Daily Grommet. The Lexington, MA-based Web startup finds unusual consumer products and tells a story about one such “grommet” each day through videos and text. This week I touched base with founder and CEO Jules Pieri, who shared some info with me … Continue reading “Hacker’s Putty, Soggy Doggy, & Other Gift Ideas from Daily Grommet”
IBM Eats Up Emptoris, 20th Acquisition in MA Since 2003
News flash: Another Massachusetts software company is joining Big Blue. Armonk, NY-based IBM (NYSE: [[ticker:IBM]]) said today it is acquiring Emptoris, a Burlington, MA-based maker of supply and contract management software. Terms of the deal weren’t given, but it is expected to close in the first quarter of next year. This will be the 20th … Continue reading “IBM Eats Up Emptoris, 20th Acquisition in MA Since 2003”
Hipmunk Homecoming: CEO Adam Goldstein Talks Travel Site Usability
Into the lair of beasts strode Adam Goldstein. Armed only with his wits and a mean set of slides, he descended on the Boston area on a warm, early winter day. He was no stranger to the premises. Goldstein had been an MIT undergrad before moving to San Francisco to participate in the Y Combinator … Continue reading “Hipmunk Homecoming: CEO Adam Goldstein Talks Travel Site Usability”
TaskRabbit Runs Down $17.8M More for Expansion
TaskRabbit, a San Francisco service-networking startup with roots in Boston, said it has closed $17.8 million in Series B financing led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Previous investors Baseline Ventures, First Round Capital, Floodgate Fund, Collaborative Fund, and Shasta Ventures, as well as other new investors, participated in the round. TaskRabbit announced a $5 million Series … Continue reading “TaskRabbit Runs Down $17.8M More for Expansion”
Jason Baptiste of OnSwipe Talks Tablets, TV, & Taking On Google
Beware of CEOs who dress like their company logo. Beware of Jason Baptiste. Just kidding. Baptiste is one of the most intensely likable startup founders around (emphasis on intense). His company, New York-based OnSwipe, is trying to take the tablet publishing world by storm. And not just with its aggressively stylish magenta-and-black color scheme. OnSwipe … Continue reading “Jason Baptiste of OnSwipe Talks Tablets, TV, & Taking On Google”
Curisma Beckons Consumers to Find Cool Tech, Go Gadget Shopping
Gadget girl walks in carrying a red umbrella. It’s not just any red umbrella, though. This one is a “blunt” umbrella. It has round tips, instead of pointy ones, so you don’t poke people in the eye as you walk down a crowded street. It also has what looks like a special tensioning system along … Continue reading “Curisma Beckons Consumers to Find Cool Tech, Go Gadget Shopping”
Mobile Startups Kinvey and Urban Airship Team Up, Share Stories
This is a tale of two CEOs whose reputations precede them. It is a short tale. The news today is that Cambridge, MA-based Kinvey and Portland, OR-based Urban Airship have formed a technology partnership involving mobile applications. Basically, Kinvey will handle the data back-end for mobile app developers whose apps reach end users through “push … Continue reading “Mobile Startups Kinvey and Urban Airship Team Up, Share Stories”