With all the hoopla around social media and other newfangled marketing tools, people sometimes forget that Google is a $30 billion business—thanks mostly to paid search advertising. Not Larry Kim. His startup, Boston-based WordStream, specializes in search engine marketing software. That means helping businesses make their paid text ads appear high up on the page, … Continue reading “WordStream Tries to Tame a River of Search Marketing with Software for Small Businesses”
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.
Kinvey Closes $2M for Mobile Apps Backend
Kinvey, a mobile software startup (originally from Texas) that recently graduated from the TechStars Boston accelerator program, said today it has completed a $2 million seed financing round that was led by Atlas Venture. Avalon Ventures also participated in the round, along with Boston-area angel investors including Chris Lynch, Mike Baker, Jennifer Lum, Ty Danco, … Continue reading “Kinvey Closes $2M for Mobile Apps Backend”
GI Dynamics and Exa File for IPOs in Weight Loss Devices, Automotive Software
The IPO market seems to be heating up around the country, but will Boston get left behind? A couple of local companies are trying to do their part, joining the likes of Kayak, Carbonite, and others that have filed papers to go public. The latest ones are GI Dynamics, a medical device maker targeting obesity … Continue reading “GI Dynamics and Exa File for IPOs in Weight Loss Devices, Automotive Software”
Stéphane Bancel, Former bioMérieux CEO, Talks Future of Startups, Diagnostics, Pharma
Amid all the comings and goings and CEOs changing jobs in the past week—see Rick Reidy of Progress Software (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PRGS]]), Mara Aspinall of On-Q-ity, and others—one person flew under the radar in Boston. He is Stéphane Bancel, and until last month he was the CEO of bioMérieux, the microbiology and diagnostics firm based in … Continue reading “Stéphane Bancel, Former bioMérieux CEO, Talks Future of Startups, Diagnostics, Pharma”
Rue La La Opens San Francisco Deals Site
Boston-based Rue La La, the private sale and shopping site, said today it has opened a local deals site in San Francisco called Rue San Francisco. It’s part of a broader effort, called Rue Local, that has rolled out local deals sites for Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, and (earlier this summer) Washington DC, Los Angeles, and … Continue reading “Rue La La Opens San Francisco Deals Site”
On-Q-ity Founder and Genzyme Vet, Mara Aspinall, Moves to Roche’s Ventana Medical
Mara Aspinall, the founder and former CEO of Waltham, MA-based On-Q-ity, has moved on to become president of Ventana Medical Systems, an Arizona-based division of healthcare giant Roche that focuses on cancer diagnostics. The appointment was announced in a press release today and is effective next month. Aspinall is well known in the diagnostics world, … Continue reading “On-Q-ity Founder and Genzyme Vet, Mara Aspinall, Moves to Roche’s Ventana Medical”
Kendall Square Innovation Festival, t=0, to Feature Brad Feld, Mitch Kapor, and (Probably) Entrepreneurial Walk of Fame, September 16-18
What time is it? Time to start looking forward to September events in the Boston tech world. Xconomy has been hearing rumors about a big festival happening around Kendall Square next month. t=0, as it is being called, will kick off on the afternoon of September 16 and last through the 18th. We don’t have … Continue reading “Kendall Square Innovation Festival, t=0, to Feature Brad Feld, Mitch Kapor, and (Probably) Entrepreneurial Walk of Fame, September 16-18”
Beacon Endoscopic Raises $5M for Diagnostics
Newton, MA-based Beacon Endoscopic, a medical device startup, said yesterday it has closed $5 million in Series B financing from MVM Life Science Partners, based in London and Boston. The company also said it has received new capital from existing angel investors. Beacon has developed a fine needle aspiration system for endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic … Continue reading “Beacon Endoscopic Raises $5M for Diagnostics”
Scallop Imaging Leads Micro-Cluster of Boston Companies Trying to Reinvent Camera Tech
Here in the Boston area we like hard technologies. We like companies with weird names. We like companies that have vision. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Tenebraex, SiOnyx, and MC10. They are the micro-cluster of imaging tech companies. They are working on a mix of far-out stuff and closer-in products, with a multiple-focus … Continue reading “Scallop Imaging Leads Micro-Cluster of Boston Companies Trying to Reinvent Camera Tech”
Progress Software Chief Richard Reidy Stepping Down; Successor To Be Named
When Progress Software CEO Richard Reidy told me in December about a “major transition” and a “whole new strategy” for the company, he wasn’t kidding. The transition, it turns out, involves himself. Bedford, MA-based Progress (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PRGS]]) announced today that Reidy will leave the company once a successor is named; a search is under way. … Continue reading “Progress Software Chief Richard Reidy Stepping Down; Successor To Be Named”
Lucid Commerce Gets $8M More
Seattle-based Lucid Commerce, an advertising tech company focused on TV marketers, said today it has raised $8 million in Series C financing led by Rho Ventures. StarVest Partners, Positec USA, and previous investors OVP Venture Partners and Greycroft Partners also participated in the round. Lucid Commerce was founded in 2005 and is led by CEO … Continue reading “Lucid Commerce Gets $8M More”
Carbonite Proposes IPO Terms
Boston-based Carbonite, the online data backup firm, said yesterday in a regulatory filing that it expects to offer 6.25 million shares, plus 937,500 additional shares for underwriters (as an option), at $15 to $17 per share in its planned IPO. That bumps its maximum offering price to $122.2 million, up from the $100 million first … Continue reading “Carbonite Proposes IPO Terms”
Plexxi Pulls In $20M More for Mysterious Networking Tech
Plexxi, an aggravatingly stealthy networking startup in Nashua, NH, said today it has raised a $20 million Series B equity round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Previous investors Matrix Partners and North Bridge Venture Partners also participated in the financing. The company has raised a little over $28 million to date. According to its sparse … Continue reading “Plexxi Pulls In $20M More for Mysterious Networking Tech”
Imprivata Signs On Scottish Healthcare System
Lexington, MA-based Imprivata, a security tech company focused on health IT applications, said today it has landed a multimillion-dollar deal with NHS Scotland to provide secure access technology to that country’s healthcare workers. No further financial details were given in the release, but another report puts the price at 1.8 million pounds (just under U.S. … Continue reading “Imprivata Signs On Scottish Healthcare System”
PowerInbox Sees the Future of Social Software Platforms, and Its Name Is… E-mail
If you’re like most people, you do a lot of your personal communicating via Facebook and text messages, but you handle most of your business matters over e-mail. In fact, you probably spend far too much of your workday on e-mail (some estimates say 30 percent), and you wish you could be more efficient and … Continue reading “PowerInbox Sees the Future of Social Software Platforms, and Its Name Is… E-mail”
Interactions Gains $12M for Phone-Based Customer Service Tech
Franklin, MA-based Interactions, a speech and customer service technology company, said yesterday it has raised $12 million in new financing led by Sigma Partners. North Hill Ventures, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, and Updata Partners also participated in the round. The company says it will use the new money to support its growing customer base, expand … Continue reading “Interactions Gains $12M for Phone-Based Customer Service Tech”
A123, Joule Forge Ahead in Wind Energy Storage and Biofuels
Busy day for a couple of well-known cleantech companies around Boston. One public company has signed a big deal in China, while the other, an ambitious upstart, is carefully protecting its intellectual property as it heads toward large-scale commercialization. —A123 Systems (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AONE]]), the Waltham, MA-based maker of lithium ion batteries, said today it has … Continue reading “A123, Joule Forge Ahead in Wind Energy Storage and Biofuels”
CloudBees Closes $10.5M More, Opens Boston Office
Bring on the bees…or is it the B? CloudBees, a software startup setting up headquarters in Boston, said today it has received $10.5 million in Series B financing led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Previous investor Matrix Partners, which led the startup’s $4 million A round back in November, also participated in the new financing. CloudBees … Continue reading “CloudBees Closes $10.5M More, Opens Boston Office”
Athenahealth to Buy Proxsys for Up to $36M to Improve Hospital Efficiency, Patient Care
For a public company, Athenahealth has kept a fairly low profile. But that’s been changing over the past year—and the trend continues today. The Watertown, MA-based health IT company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ATHN]]) says it is acquiring Proxsys, a care coordination and admitting services firm based in Alabama. The price is $28 million in cash upfront plus … Continue reading “Athenahealth to Buy Proxsys for Up to $36M to Improve Hospital Efficiency, Patient Care”
Gazelle Runs Down $22M More for Electronics Recycling Service
Second Rotation, the Boston company that runs the electronics recycling site Gazelle.com, has been fairly quiet for the past year. No more. The startup said today it has raised a $22 million Series D financing round led by Craton Equity Partners. Existing investors Physic Ventures, Venrock Associates, and RockPort Capital also participated in the round. … Continue reading “Gazelle Runs Down $22M More for Electronics Recycling Service”
Where Does Textaurant Fit Into the Future of Restaurant Tech? Founder Josh Bob Speaks
Maybe it’s because I’m hungry, but I’ve been thinking about the future of restaurants lately. Like a lot of people, I eat out far too often, and I have strong feelings about the way the experience should go—the food, the service, the ambience, and so on. So does Josh Bob. OK, it’s his job (though … Continue reading “Where Does Textaurant Fit Into the Future of Restaurant Tech? Founder Josh Bob Speaks”
VC Investments in Boston Companies Soar to 1999 Levels ($1B+); Here Are the Top 10 Deals from the 2nd Quarter
Boston-area venture investing is starting to look a lot like 1999. That’s my take from crunching the regional numbers in the latest MoneyTree Report, prepared by the National Venture Capital Association, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Thomson Reuters. The Boston stats are in rough agreement with the national trends reported by my colleague Bruce Bigelow, but they are … Continue reading “VC Investments in Boston Companies Soar to 1999 Levels ($1B+); Here Are the Top 10 Deals from the 2nd Quarter”
Highland Capital Announces 10 Startup Teams
Highland Capital Partners has announced the 10 college startup teams participating in its 10-week Summer@Highland mentorship program in Cambridge, MA, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The venture firm provides coaching, networking, office space, and a $15,000 stipend; the teams don’t give up any equity stake and are under no obligation to Highland afterwards, the … Continue reading “Highland Capital Announces 10 Startup Teams”
Acquia Scores $15M for Social Publishing
Woburn, MA-based Acquia, a social publishing software firm, has raised a $15 million Series D round from Tenaya Capital, North Bridge Venture Partners, and Sigma Partners, according to a report in All Things D. Acquia started in 2007 and, among other things, helps organizations build community sites using Drupal, an open-source content management system. Its … Continue reading “Acquia Scores $15M for Social Publishing”
Constant Contact Opens NY Office, Makes Big Shift in Tech for Creating Marketing Tools
If there is anything constant about Constant Contact, it is change. The online marketing company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTCT]]), based in the Boston area, is announcing today it has opened a new office in New York City. That by itself isn’t big news, but it’s part of a larger strategic shift in the firm’s technology approach—what is … Continue reading “Constant Contact Opens NY Office, Makes Big Shift in Tech for Creating Marketing Tools”
Affectiva Adds $5.7M to Recognize Emotions
Waltham, MA-based Affectiva, an MIT Media Lab spinout, said today it has raised $5.7 million in Series B financing led by Kantar (WPP) and Myrian Capital. The company says it will use the money to develop and market its various software products for emotion recognition. Its technology includes computer vision and machine learning algorithms that … Continue reading “Affectiva Adds $5.7M to Recognize Emotions”
From Dot Bomb to Great Recession to $30M Acquisition: The Eversave Story
By some counts, the Boston area is home to two of the top four local deals sites in the U.S. I’m talking about BuyWithMe (based in Boston and New York) and Eversave, which is based in Wakefield, MA. The big boys in the field, Groupon and LivingSocial, certainly have a strong presence in Boston, but … Continue reading “From Dot Bomb to Great Recession to $30M Acquisition: The Eversave Story”
Happy Cloud Hits the Mainstream, Tries to Make PC Video Games Faster to Download and Play
This morning was a busy one for Eric Gastfriend, but he made time to chat about his Cambridge, MA-based startup’s coming out of beta. Its goal: to make high-quality PC video games as fast and easy to access as the social-network and casual games that have swept the country over the past few years (think … Continue reading “Happy Cloud Hits the Mainstream, Tries to Make PC Video Games Faster to Download and Play”
BuyWithMe Buys Edhance for Loyalty Programs
Boston and New York-based BuyWithMe, a local deals startup, said today it has acquired Edhance, a Cambridge, MA, company that provides card-linked offers and customer loyalty programs (cash back and other deals). Terms of the acquisition weren’t given. Edhance founder Bjorn Larsen is now BuyWithMe’s vice president of loyalty and card-linked offers, so it sounds … Continue reading “BuyWithMe Buys Edhance for Loyalty Programs”
Demandware Files for IPO
Burlington, MA-based Demandware, a digital- and mobile-commerce software company, has filed paperwork for an IPO with a proposed maximum offering of $100 million. The offering is being underwritten by Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank. The company plans to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under “DWRE.” Demandware was founded in 2004 and … Continue reading “Demandware Files for IPO”
Microsoft President Qi Lu on Web Strategy in a Brave New Digital Society: The Video
Attention, techies. Want a deep dive into the future of the Web, search, and online services? Then sit down with Qi Lu, the president of Microsoft’s online services division, if you ever get an opportunity. In the meantime, you can check out this video from Lu’s talk at Microsoft New England Research & Development Center … Continue reading “Microsoft President Qi Lu on Web Strategy in a Brave New Digital Society: The Video”
SocMetrics Leads Growing Cluster of Boston Startups Trying to Cash In on Social Media Tech
Who are the most influential people on Twitter and Facebook? Who has the most friends and followers across the various social media platforms? Who cares? Advertisers and brands, that’s who—and an increasing number of businesses of all types. (Not to mention all the narcissists and self-promoters out there, but let’s forget about them while we … Continue reading “SocMetrics Leads Growing Cluster of Boston Startups Trying to Cash In on Social Media Tech”
Prospectiv Picked Up by Affinion for $30M
Affinion Group, a marketing and customer engagement company based in Stamford, CT, said today it is acquiring Wakefield, MA-based Prospectiv Direct, an online marketing firm that owns Eversave, a daily-deals website that’s active in 20 U.S. metro areas. The price of the acquisition is $30 million plus earn-outs over the next two years; the deal … Continue reading “Prospectiv Picked Up by Affinion for $30M”
Abine Lands $5.2M A Round
Cambridge, MA-based Abine, an online privacy startup, said today it has raised a $5.2 million Series A financing round co-led by Atlas Venture and General Catalyst Partners. Abine, founded in 2008, is led by CEO Bill Kerrigan. The company is developing online privacy and security software for consumers.
CyPhy Scores More Cash
CyPhy Works, the Boston-area robotics startup led by iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner, has raised an additional $1.2 million in equity financing, according to a regulatory filing. The investors in the round weren’t disclosed, but John Simon and Anita Jones are listed on the form as directors of the company, which was originally called The Droid … Continue reading “CyPhy Scores More Cash”
How’s That Stretchy, Bendy Stuff Working Out for Ya? MC10 Looks to Turn Flexible Sensors and Solar Cells Into a Growth Business
Marc Andreessen, the Silicon Valley entrepreneur-turned-venture-capitalist, said something interesting in last weekend’s New York Times magazine interview. It wasn’t his “there’s no tech bubble” spiel, or even his prediction that we’ll all be riding around in self-driving cars in 10 to 20 years, thanks to Google. No, it was that he singled out “wearable computing”—portable … Continue reading “How’s That Stretchy, Bendy Stuff Working Out for Ya? MC10 Looks to Turn Flexible Sensors and Solar Cells Into a Growth Business”
TripAdvisor Buys Where I’ve Been
Newton, MA-based online travel giant TripAdvisor said today it has acquired Where I’ve Been, a social travel software company based in Chicago. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the entire product team from Where I’ve Been will join TripAdvisor, according to the press release. Where I’ve Been is best known for its Facebook application … Continue reading “TripAdvisor Buys Where I’ve Been”
Gridco Gets $12.5M for Smart Grid
Cambridge, MA-based Gridco has raised $12.5 million in equity financing, according to a regulatory filing. The form lists venture capitalists Ric Fulop of North Bridge Venture Partners and Hemant Taneja of General Catalyst Partners as the company’s directors, along with Naimish Patel, formerly of Sycamore Networks. Back in May, the Boston Globe reported that North … Continue reading “Gridco Gets $12.5M for Smart Grid”
Anatomy of a $256M Acquisition: The Story of DynaTrace, Compuware, and Bain Ventures
Benjamin Nye has an eye for the Benjamins. That’s not quite a palindrome, but it does sum up Nye’s track record as a tech investor. Nye, a managing director with Bain Capital Ventures, has had a string of strong exits—including Network Intelligence (bought by EMC in 2006), SolarWinds (IPO in 2009), and LinkedIn (IPO this … Continue reading “Anatomy of a $256M Acquisition: The Story of DynaTrace, Compuware, and Bain Ventures”
Avedro Adds $25M for Microwave Vision Correction
Waltham, MA-based Avedro, a medical tech startup, said yesterday it has completed a $25 million Series C financing led by SCP Vitalife and Aperture Venture Partners. Existing investors Prism VentureWorks, De Novo Ventures, Flagship Ventures, Borealis Ventures and Echelon Ventures also participated in the round. Avedro said the money will be used to expand commercial … Continue reading “Avedro Adds $25M for Microwave Vision Correction”
Biz Stone to Advise Spark Capital
Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has signed up to assist Boston-based Spark Capital as a strategic advisor. Spark general partner Bijan Sabet announced the news on his blog today. Stone wrote in his blog last week that he is stepping back from his day-to-day role as creative director of San Francisco-based Twitter to “focus on new … Continue reading “Biz Stone to Advise Spark Capital”
Microsoft Research New England Turns 3: Jennifer Chayes Reveals Its First Product-and Collaborations With Bing, Facebook, and Twitter
Whether you’re part of the Boston-Cambridge technology community, or just an interested observer, you’ve probably been to the Microsoft New England Research and Development Center (known affectionately as NERD) at least a few times in the past year. But do you know what Microsoft is actually working on there? I didn’t. Until last week, that … Continue reading “Microsoft Research New England Turns 3: Jennifer Chayes Reveals Its First Product-and Collaborations With Bing, Facebook, and Twitter”
DynaTrace Acquired by Compuware for $256M to Make Business Software Run Better
Another Boston-area business software company exits the scene today via acquisition. Following in the footsteps of Gomez (and many others), Waltham, MA-based DynaTrace, which helps companies manage the performance of their software applications, has been bought by Detroit-based Compuware (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CPWR]]) for $256 million in cash. The deal closed on July 1. DynaTrace has 180 … Continue reading “DynaTrace Acquired by Compuware for $256M to Make Business Software Run Better”
TeraDiode, MIT Lincoln Lab Spinoff, Trying to Create the Future of Laser Weapons & Welding
If laser weapons and tools ever become mainstream, it might be because of a quiet little company called TeraDiode. Sure, there are lots of more imminent (and perhaps more practical) applications for the Littleton, MA-based laser firm—welding, cutting metal, illuminating targets, and so forth—but blowing stuff up is what a laser was meant to do. … Continue reading “TeraDiode, MIT Lincoln Lab Spinoff, Trying to Create the Future of Laser Weapons & Welding”
Brightcove Moving to Boston, Looks to Hire
Cambridge, MA-based Brightcove, the digital media and video hosting firm, said today it is planning to move from One Cambridge Center to Atlantic Wharf on the Boston waterfront in April 2012. The company, which was founded in 2004, has signed a 10-year lease for an 82,000-square-foot office space at 290 Congress Street. Brightcove has 280 … Continue reading “Brightcove Moving to Boston, Looks to Hire”
Editor’s Picks: Xconomy Boston’s Top 20 Stories of the Second Quarter
Hold on to your lighter fluid there, Mr. Barbecue. Not so fast, Ms. I’m-Leaving-Early-For-The-Cape. Yes, I’m talking to you, Fourth of July holiday slackers. Actually, go ahead and slack off—this should go down pretty easy. At the end of each quarter, we like to look back at some of Xconomy’s top stories. These are not … Continue reading “Editor’s Picks: Xconomy Boston’s Top 20 Stories of the Second Quarter”
Yottaa and SiteSpect Find Ways to Make Money by Making Websites Faster, More Targeted
These are two startups that aren’t household names in the Boston-area tech scene, but probably should be. One started in 2009, raised venture capital when it was tough to get in the downturn, and is currently adding new features and generating some buzz. The other started five years earlier, in 2004, bootstrapped itself to profitability, … Continue reading “Yottaa and SiteSpect Find Ways to Make Money by Making Websites Faster, More Targeted”
My Lunch with Andy Ory: Acme Packet CEO Talks Startup Lessons, Growing Pains, and Building the Next Great Boston Company
It’s not every day I get to dine with the CEO of a public company worth $5 billion. Last month I sat down with Andy Ory, founder and chief exec at Bedford, MA-based Acme Packet (NASDAQ: [[ticker:APKT]]), for an in-depth chat about his company’s strategy and outlook in the area of networking technology. The setting … Continue reading “My Lunch with Andy Ory: Acme Packet CEO Talks Startup Lessons, Growing Pains, and Building the Next Great Boston Company”
MC10 Stretches for $12.5M More
Cambridge, MA-based MC10, a startup focused on designing electronics that can bend and stretch with the natural world, said today it has raised $12.5 million in Series B financing led by new investor Braemar Energy Ventures. Previous investors North Bridge Venture Partners, Osage University Partners, and Terawatt Ventures also participated in the round. MC10 is … Continue reading “MC10 Stretches for $12.5M More”
How to Innovate in a Hypersocial World: Q&A with Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact
Constant Contact is a digital marketing company led by babes. I don’t mean women, though that is true, actually. And I don’t mean babies in the crying, needy, or naïve sense, but rather the youngest-in-the-family sense. Let me start over. As it turns out, many of the senior management team of Waltham, MA-based Constant Contact … Continue reading “How to Innovate in a Hypersocial World: Q&A with Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact”