San Francisco-based social gaming giant Zynga announced today it has acquired the team from Waltham, MA-based game studio Floodgate Entertainment. Financial details weren’t given, but the deal is Zynga’s 10th announced acquisition in as many months (including Cambridge, MA-based Conduit Labs, which is now Zynga Boston). Floodgate is led by a number of employees from … Continue reading “Zynga Scoops Up Floodgate Team”
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.
HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan on M&A Strategy, Lessons from PTC and Groove, and Boston as the “Next Madison Avenue”
They are the “Mad Men” of the future—the guys (and gals here in the 21st century) at marketing-tech companies like HubSpot, Constant Contact, DataXu, BzzAgent, Demandware, and Performable. I’m not a big fan of the show, so I won’t take the analogy much further. But perhaps Brian Halligan, the co-founder and CEO of Cambridge, MA-based … Continue reading “HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan on M&A Strategy, Lessons from PTC and Groove, and Boston as the “Next Madison Avenue””
RSA Security Suffers Cyber Atttack
RSA Security, a Bedford, MA-based division of EMC (NYSE: [[ticker:EMC]]), said yesterday it was the target of an “extremely sophisticated cyberattack” that resulted in digital information being extracted from RSA’s systems. At least some of the data breach is related to RSA’s SecurID two-factor authentication products, which are used widely by companies and governments. RSA … Continue reading “RSA Security Suffers Cyber Atttack”
Illume Gets $2.4M to Stop Distracted Drivers
Needham, MA-based Illume Software, maker of the iZUP mobile app, announced it has raised $2.4 million in new financing from the Massachusetts Technology Development Corp. and individual investors. As we’ve previously reported, Illume’s software aims to stop people from talking or texting on their mobile phones while driving. The company started in 2009 and has … Continue reading “Illume Gets $2.4M to Stop Distracted Drivers”
EntropySoft Raises $3.5M to Up U.S. Presence
French software firm EntropySoft, which has U.S. headquarters in Cambridge, MA, said yesterday it has closed $3.5 million in new financing led by Alven Capital. EntropySoft, which makes business software for managing data and documents between different content management systems, said it will use the money to boost its technology, expand its sales team, and … Continue reading “EntropySoft Raises $3.5M to Up U.S. Presence”
Myomo Follows “Path of Perseverance,” Rolls Out Next-Gen Robotic Arm System for Stroke Patients
A rehab-robotics startup out of MIT is getting a second lease on life. And if the company succeeds in reaching the masses with its latest effort, a lot of stroke patients might just feel the same way. Myomo, a Cambridge, MA-based rehabilitation and medical tech firm, announced this week it has rolled out version 2.0 … Continue reading “Myomo Follows “Path of Perseverance,” Rolls Out Next-Gen Robotic Arm System for Stroke Patients”
Bluebird Bio Inks AFM Development Deal
Cambridge, MA-based Bluebird Bio, a gene therapy company, said today it has signed an agreement with the French Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM) to develop a treatment for beta-thalassemia (a genetic blood disorder) and sickle cell anemia. The deal is worth $1.4 million upfront, plus as much as $2.8 million in credit to manufacture clinical trial … Continue reading “Bluebird Bio Inks AFM Development Deal”
SustainX Scores $14.4M from GE, Others
West Lebanon, NH-based SustainX, an energy-storage startup out of Dartmouth College, said today it has received $14.4 million in financing from GE Energy Financial Services and other investors including Cadent Energy Partners, Polaris Venture Partners, and Rockport Capital. SustainX, which started in 2007, uses compressed air in above-ground vessels to store energy in an efficient … Continue reading “SustainX Scores $14.4M from GE, Others”
Harvest Power Hauls In $51.7M Led by Al Gore’s Investment Firm
This is one of the bigger cleantech deals we’ve seen around the country. Waltham, MA-based Harvest Power, a waste-to-energy startup that’s building a plant near Vancouver, BC, said today it has raised a $51.7 million Series B financing round led by Generation Investment Management, a London-based firm co-founded by Al Gore and David Blood. New … Continue reading “Harvest Power Hauls In $51.7M Led by Al Gore’s Investment Firm”
What’s Next for Skyhook Wireless? Location Tech for Games, E-Books, and, Yes, Android Phones
Skyhook Wireless may have won the audience favorite vote during the “location smackdown” at Xconomy’s Mobile Madness conference last week, but people in the tech-business community are still wondering: what’s next for the firm? Boston-based Skyhook, founded in 2003, is a pioneer in location-positioning technology for mobile devices. The company’s software determines the precise location … Continue reading “What’s Next for Skyhook Wireless? Location Tech for Games, E-Books, and, Yes, Android Phones”
Monster.com Touts New Image of Mobile Apps and Social Networking for Job Seekers at SXSW
There’s a new face at South by Southwest (SXSW) this week. It’s Monster.com, the Maynard, MA-based employment and job search site that’s making its first-ever appearance at the weeklong mega-gala in Austin, TX. Monster.com is powering the “SXSW Hiring Hub,” an online portal for job listings posted by companies and other organizations attending South by … Continue reading “Monster.com Touts New Image of Mobile Apps and Social Networking for Job Seekers at SXSW”
American Superconductor Buys Finnish Power Firm for $265M, Looks to Become $1B Company
A New England energy giant is making big strides overseas. Devens, MA-based American Superconductor (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMSC]]) said today it plans to acquire The Switch Engineering Oy, a power technologies firm based in Finland, for 190 million Euros (about $265 million) in cash and stock. The deal is expected to close by the end of August. … Continue reading “American Superconductor Buys Finnish Power Firm for $265M, Looks to Become $1B Company”
BuyWithMe Acquires LocalTwist, Goes Head-to-Head Vs. Tippr While Lawsuits Simmer
This is not just another consolidation of local-deal sites. This is a life-and-death struggle for third place behind Groupon and LivingSocial (for now anyway). This is BuyWithMe vs. Tippr, Round Two. New York- and Boston-based BuyWithMe said today it has acquired LocalTwist, a daily-deals site that is active in Seattle and San Diego, and soon … Continue reading “BuyWithMe Acquires LocalTwist, Goes Head-to-Head Vs. Tippr While Lawsuits Simmer”
WSJ Top 50 Startups List Leaves Much to Be Desired, Especially in Boston (NY Fares Better)
Everyone loves a Top 50 list. Everyone except me. Wall Street Journal, you can take your “Top 50 venture backed companies” list, published today, and…well, just take it. Not just because it counts a grand total of one—ONE—Boston-area company among its luminaries (Westborough, MA-based ExaGrid, at #42). Not just because the criteria for the list … Continue reading “WSJ Top 50 Startups List Leaves Much to Be Desired, Especially in Boston (NY Fares Better)”
SCVNGR Rolls Out Location-Based Deals Service in Boston, Philadelphia
“SCVNGR is kind of a weird company.” That’s what it says in its press release today, so you know it’s true. And not only because it needs to buy a vowel. The Cambridge, MA, location-based gaming startup’s latest “weird” move is a potentially lucrative one. It is entering the local deals sector to compete with … Continue reading “SCVNGR Rolls Out Location-Based Deals Service in Boston, Philadelphia”
See You at Mobile Madness at Microsoft NERD: Be Ready for Anything
Hope you all had a fine Mardi Gras. Now it’s time to get down to business. Mobile business. Yes, Mobile Madness 2011 is happening this afternoon, over at Microsoft NERD in Kendall Square (the program starts at 1:00 pm). We’ve helped assemble some of the top names in the mobile industry from New England and … Continue reading “See You at Mobile Madness at Microsoft NERD: Be Ready for Anything”
Retroficiency, Backed by World Energy and Angels, Looks to Cash In on Real Estate Market for Energy Software
With a name like Retroficiency, you pretty much know what you’re getting. That’s saying a lot, given the obscurity of most startup names these days. You might gather that this company has to do with retrofitting and energy efficiency—and you’d be right. Boston-based Retroficiency provides software-as-a-service to help energy service companies, facility management firms, and … Continue reading “Retroficiency, Backed by World Energy and Angels, Looks to Cash In on Real Estate Market for Energy Software”
Netezza Chief Talks About “Formative” PTC Days, IBM Deal History, and the Future of Big Data
The name’s Baum. James Baum. OK, he might not be a dead ringer for 007, but I get the feeling Baum could handle himself in a firefight, high-stakes poker game, or dinner with the Queen, all with equal aplomb. He is a highly skilled pilot. He’s also pretty good with business intelligence, data warehouse appliances, … Continue reading “Netezza Chief Talks About “Formative” PTC Days, IBM Deal History, and the Future of Big Data”
WaySavvy, With Expedia Partnership, Joins New Wave of Online Travel Sites
A collaboration between New England and Northwest techies is aiming to radically improve the way people book flights and hotels on the Web. If all goes well, it will become part of a broader movement of tech companies looking to reshape the online travel landscape. I’m not talking about the alliance between Microsoft’s Bing Travel … Continue reading “WaySavvy, With Expedia Partnership, Joins New Wave of Online Travel Sites”
Stephen Wolfram’s Gadgets, The Future of Windows Phones, and Other Mobile Madness Themes: Tune In Next Week
Mobile Madness 2011 is happening next Wednesday, March 9, at Microsoft NERD in Cambridge, MA. Be there or be square. A couple of quick updates, before I return to the raging news-osphere. You can see the updated, detailed agenda for the conference here. —We’ve added Microsoft enterprise mobile specialist Anthony Kinney to the program. Here’s … Continue reading “Stephen Wolfram’s Gadgets, The Future of Windows Phones, and Other Mobile Madness Themes: Tune In Next Week”
Bing and Kayak Team Up Against Google
Kayak and Microsoft’s Bing Travel, once competitors in online travel meta-search, are now strategic partners. The companies announced today that in the coming weeks, Kayak will provide flight search results in the U.S. for Bing Travel. Financial terms were not given. Connecticut-based Kayak and Microsoft’s Bing were already allied against Google’s acquisition of Cambridge, MA-based … Continue reading “Bing and Kayak Team Up Against Google”
Three Kings: Bessemer, Greylock, Summit Raising Big New Funds
The big guys are getting bigger: Three prominent venture and private equity firms with Boston representation are in the news this week about raising big new funds. How does this affect startups and innovation? Probably not all that much, other than being part of the natural cycle of money flow. But it’s interesting, and possibly … Continue reading “Three Kings: Bessemer, Greylock, Summit Raising Big New Funds”
Skyhook Scores Sony Deal
Boston-based Skyhook Wireless announced this week that its location-finding technology will be embedded in Sony Computer Entertainment’s forthcoming “NGP” handheld gaming system, which will roll out in late 2011. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but the news comes on the heels of some other recent customer wins for Skyhook, including Intel and … Continue reading “Skyhook Scores Sony Deal”
Report: Bain Capital Ventures Opening Bay Area Office
Boston-based Bain Capital Ventures is planning to open an office in Palo Alto, CA, according to a report in PE Hub. Managing director Ajay Agarwal and several associates will be relocating to Silicon Valley, and the firm plans to hire several senior executives in the area, the report says. BCV has not confirmed the news. … Continue reading “Report: Bain Capital Ventures Opening Bay Area Office”
You Snooze, You Lose: 10 Boring Boston-Area Tech Companies That Are Actually Interesting
A friend recently complained that my tweets are often along the lines of, “Boring company raises X million dollars.” And this is a guy who works in the tech startup community. But, au contraire mon frère, they are only boring if you don’t know the stories behind the companies and their deals. The tales of … Continue reading “You Snooze, You Lose: 10 Boring Boston-Area Tech Companies That Are Actually Interesting”
NeuroPhage Nets $12.4M to Tackle Alzheimer’s and Other Brain Disorders
Score one for neurodegenerative disease therapies. Cambridge, MA-based NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals said today it has closed $12.4 million in Series B financing led by Mérieux Développement, the healthcare investment arm of French firm Institut Mérieux. Irish biopharma Shire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SHPGY]]) also participated in the round as a new investor. This is the first round of institutional … Continue reading “NeuroPhage Nets $12.4M to Tackle Alzheimer’s and Other Brain Disorders”
Mzinga Nabs New CEO, Alan Nugent, to Raise Its Game in Social Business Software
Some more activity is bubbling up in social software for businesses. Mzinga, a social software firm based in Waltham, MA, is announcing today it has hired a prominent techie, Alan Nugent, as its new CEO. He succeeds former chief executive Barry Libert, Mzinga’s co-founder and chairman. (Former co-CEO Rick Faulk left the company in 2009 … Continue reading “Mzinga Nabs New CEO, Alan Nugent, to Raise Its Game in Social Business Software”
CriticalMass, a Venture-Backed Co-Working Space for Startups, to Open at CIC
Boston has MassChallenge. Now Cambridge has CriticalMass. If nothing else, this will help fan the flames of the budding Boston-Cambridge startup incubator/real estate rivalry. (OK, we’ll keep an eye on New York and Silicon Valley, too.) The New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA) and five Boston-area VC firms have banded together to organize what they … Continue reading “CriticalMass, a Venture-Backed Co-Working Space for Startups, to Open at CIC”
CHiL Semiconductor Acquired for $75M by International Rectifier
OK, this deal wins the award for clunkiest company names—but it’s an important exit for a Boston-area startup in a tough market. CHiL Semiconductor, based in Tewksbury, MA, confirmed today it is being acquired by International Rectifier (NYSE: [[ticker:IRF]]), based in the Los Angeles area, for $75 million in cash. The deal is expected to … Continue reading “CHiL Semiconductor Acquired for $75M by International Rectifier”
Gearing Up for Mobile Madness on March 9: Top Themes to Watch
Mobile is becoming redundant: in technology, everything is mobile. It’s not just location-based services, or devices, or advertising—it’s networks, consumer Web apps, business software, social commerce, human-computer interfaces, you name it. Every company and every tech entrepreneur is touched by this revolution. That’s part of why the future of mobile is so exciting—and so very … Continue reading “Gearing Up for Mobile Madness on March 9: Top Themes to Watch”
Open Mile Scores $6M
Open Mile, an online shipping startup based in Boston and Chicago, announced today it has raised $6 million in Series B financing led by Globespan Capital Partners. Existing investor Charles River Ventures also participated in the round. Open Mile, led by Evan Schumacher (the former CEO of Going.com), uses Web and mobile technologies to match … Continue reading “Open Mile Scores $6M”
The Changing Face of Boston VC: A Chat With NextView Ventures’ David Beisel
I have glimpsed the future of Boston venture capital—one possible future, anyway—and it looks a bit like David Beisel. He’s kind of an unassuming guy, but those are the ones you have to watch because they can make big things happen. Traditional VCs might scoff at the notion that so-called micro-VCs or “super angels”—earlier-stage, smaller … Continue reading “The Changing Face of Boston VC: A Chat With NextView Ventures’ David Beisel”
iAMscientist, Backed by George Whitesides, Tries to Help Firms and Institutes Find Top Talent
If your name is Borya Shakhnovich, people tend to make assumptions about you. One, they don’t want to play you in competitive chess. Two, they wouldn’t be terribly surprised if you introduced yourself by saying something like, “I am scientist.” OK, I’m stereotyping here (a real time-saver, I know), but at least one of those … Continue reading “iAMscientist, Backed by George Whitesides, Tries to Help Firms and Institutes Find Top Talent”
Paydiant Gets $7.6M for Mobile Payments
Boston-area mobile payments startup Paydiant has raised $7.6 million in Series A financing led by North Bridge Venture Partners and General Catalyst Partners. The news was first reported in a blog post by Scott Kirsner. Paydiant was founded by former edocs veterans Chris Gardner (also from m-Qube and ExtendMedia), Kevin Laracey (Siebel and Sigma Partners), … Continue reading “Paydiant Gets $7.6M for Mobile Payments”
Pixability Picks Up $1M from Angels
Cambridge, MA-based Pixability, a video marketing startup, has raised a little over $1 million in angel financing, according to founder and CEO Bettina Hein. The round was led by Launchpad Venture Group, with participation from members of several other New England angel groups including Beacon Angels, Boston Harbor Angels, Maine Angels, North Country Angels, and … Continue reading “Pixability Picks Up $1M from Angels”
Cleantech VC Hemant Taneja Moves to Bay Area, Talks Investment Strategy at General Catalyst
A proverbial giant has left the cleantech stage here in Boston—though he probably wouldn’t admit any part of that statement. Hemant Taneja, a managing director at General Catalyst Partners in Cambridge, MA, has moved to the San Francisco Bay Area this week. Taneja is one of the top venture capitalists in the energy sector. Beyond … Continue reading “Cleantech VC Hemant Taneja Moves to Bay Area, Talks Investment Strategy at General Catalyst”
Boston’s Quiet Startups About to Make Noise: Take the Interview, Open Mile, Locately, and More
I generally hate cocktail parties, but the one at Cambridge, MA-based Performable on Tuesday night was pretty good (you can see some photos here). Not that many VCs were there, which was just as well, because I got to meet tons of entrepreneurs from Boston and beyond, all working on interesting startups. Plus, who knew … Continue reading “Boston’s Quiet Startups About to Make Noise: Take the Interview, Open Mile, Locately, and More”
Mass Customization, Mystery Developers, and Men’s Shirts: Blank Label Returns to Boston
Think you know what a virtual company is? Try having never seen your chief technology officer’s face. Now that’s a virtual company. It’s just one of the quirky things about Blank Label, a “mass customization” startup focused on letting consumers design their own dress shirts from a variety of fabrics and styles. In December 2009, … Continue reading “Mass Customization, Mystery Developers, and Men’s Shirts: Blank Label Returns to Boston”
Skyhook Signs Up Intel, Citysearch
Boston-based Skyhook, a wireless technology firm, said today that Intel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTC]]) has licensed its location-finding software and will make the technology available on Intel chip-based devices. Skyhook also announced that Citysearch, the online local guide, has integrated Skyhook’s technology into its mobile and deals apps for Android devices. Financial details of the two agreements … Continue reading “Skyhook Signs Up Intel, Citysearch”
Mok Oh, Founder of EveryScape, Joins Where in New Innovation Role
The one thing Mok Oh was afraid of getting last month was an offer he couldn’t refuse. As it turns out, that’s exactly what happened. Oh, the founder and former chief technology officer of Newton, MA-based EveryScape, had just left the company and was looking at his options for what to do next. He wanted … Continue reading “Mok Oh, Founder of EveryScape, Joins Where in New Innovation Role”
Vertica Acquisition by HP Signals a Business Intelligence Battle in the Bay State
Don’t look now, but there’s a “big data” war brewing in our backyard—one that involves several technology giants. Vertica, a database management and analytics software company based in Billerica, MA, confirmed today it is being acquired by Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: [[ticker:HPQ]]). Financial terms of the deal haven’t been released, but I’m hearing that the price could … Continue reading “Vertica Acquisition by HP Signals a Business Intelligence Battle in the Bay State”
Hologic Gets FDA Nod for 3-D Mammography
Bedford, MA-based Hologic said on Friday it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its 3-D imaging system for doing breast cancer screening and diagnosis. The company’s X-ray mammography device, called the Selenia Dimensions System, is the first of its kind to provide 3-D images of the breast, according to the … Continue reading “Hologic Gets FDA Nod for 3-D Mammography”
David Cancel: I Want Performable to Be the Salesforce.com of Online Marketing
Performable is one of those startups that sounds cool, but who really understands what it does? Until recently, not that many people outside the Cambridge, MA-based marketing technology company. To learn more, I met with David Cancel, Performable’s founder and CEO, at the startup’s cavernous new digs near Central Square. As he admits, marketing technology … Continue reading “David Cancel: I Want Performable to Be the Salesforce.com of Online Marketing”
Oneforty Moves Beyond Twitter App Store Into Big, Bad World of Social Business
You might think that someone with 75,000 Twitter followers would be just plain annoying. But Laura Fitton (@pistachio) has some very useful things to share—on Twitter and elsewhere. What she’s saying today is that oneforty, the Cambridge, MA-based tech startup she founded in 2009, has expanded beyond its original focus on building a Twitter app … Continue reading “Oneforty Moves Beyond Twitter App Store Into Big, Bad World of Social Business”
Stephen Wolfram Joins Xconomy’s Mobile Madness Lineup on March 9: Here’s the Agenda
We’re coming off a fantastic health IT event last night at Microsoft New England Research & Development Center (more on that soon), but I wanted to take a minute to give our readers an update on Mobile Madness 2011, our next forum, which is just under a month away. It’s Xconomy’s third annual mobile event, … Continue reading “Stephen Wolfram Joins Xconomy’s Mobile Madness Lineup on March 9: Here’s the Agenda”
Harmonix Lays Off 12-15 Percent of Staff
Cambridge, MA-based music gaming firm Harmonix has laid off 12 to 15 percent of its full-time staff of about 240, according to a report in the gaming blog Joystiq. Harmonix, the developer of the Rock Band, Dance Central, and original Guitar Hero franchises, was sold by Viacom (NYSE: [[ticker:VIA]]) to private equity firm Columbus Nova … Continue reading “Harmonix Lays Off 12-15 Percent of Staff”
Ken Olsen, Founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, Leaves Behind Route 128 Legacy
[Updated 5:15 pm. See below] Ken Olsen, the co-founder and former CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), died on Sunday. He was 84. The news was confirmed yesterday by Gordon College in Wenham, MA, where Olsen was a longtime trustee. There has been an outpouring of commentary about Olsen’s career and the impact of DEC … Continue reading “Ken Olsen, Founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, Leaves Behind Route 128 Legacy”
What’s With All the Mass Customization Startups in Boston? One Investor’s Opinion
The Boston-area technology scene is known for several mini-clusters: companies in mobile software, music software, robotics, online video, data storage, e-commerce, and Internet marketing, to name a few. But “mass customization” might be the most broadly interesting sector in town. The term refers to online companies that offer consumers personalized, custom-made goods—everything from clothing and … Continue reading “What’s With All the Mass Customization Startups in Boston? One Investor’s Opinion”
Viximo Founder Brian Balfour Steps Back from Full-Time Role; Company Doing “Extremely Well”
It’s usually noteworthy when a founder leaves a startup. I heard this week that Brian Balfour, the founder of Cambridge, MA-based Viximo, has stepped back from his full-time role at the virtual-goods technology company where he served as vice president of product marketing. Balfour has been a fixture in the Boston-area tech startup scene for … Continue reading “Viximo Founder Brian Balfour Steps Back from Full-Time Role; Company Doing “Extremely Well””
Incubators ‘R’ Us: Kauffman Labs, Highland Capital, Betaspring, & Other Startup Accelerators Round Out Busy Week
I don’t know about you, but I’m incubatored out. With all the news and PR this week about Startup America, MassChallenge, TechStars Network, Y Combinator, and other programs across the nation, startup incubators/accelerators have suddenly gone mainstream. Which, just like when alternative rock became mainstream in the early ‘90s (always a key analogy), makes me … Continue reading “Incubators ‘R’ Us: Kauffman Labs, Highland Capital, Betaspring, & Other Startup Accelerators Round Out Busy Week”