One of the stalwarts of Boston’s technology scene is going private again. Lexington, MA-based Imprivata, a developer of health IT security software, is getting bought by a private equity firm two years after going public. Imprivata has agreed to be acquired by Thoma Bravo for about $544 million. The price per share ($19.25) represents a … Continue reading “No Profits, No Problem: Imprivata Bought by Private Equity for $544M”
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.
Xconomy’s Top Innovation Stories of the Half Year
Here we are at the midpoint of 2016 already. Time to look back on the past six months—and some of the top stories of the year so far. The following represent a cross-section of what Xconomy offers on a daily basis: in-depth reporting from the front lines of technology and business innovation; coverage from 11 … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Top Innovation Stories of the Half Year”
Afeyan Named to Carnegie’s Class of “Great Immigrants”
Flagship Ventures founder and CEO Noubar Afeyan is among 42 honorees named to the Carnegie Corporation’s 2016 class of “Great Immigrants.” Other members of the class include Fei-Fei Li of Stanford University, Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital, Thuan Pham from Uber, and Sundar Pichai from Google. Afeyan, a Lebanese native of Armenian heritage, serves as … Continue reading “Afeyan Named to Carnegie’s Class of “Great Immigrants””
CloudLock Bought by Cisco for $293M After Pivot to Cloud Security
The Boston-area cybersecurity scene is ripe with acquisition targets. IBM bought incident-response firm Resilient Systems earlier this year. Now, Cisco Systems says it is acquiring CloudLock, a Waltham, MA-based cloud security company, for $293 million in cash and stock, plus retention-based incentives for CloudLock employees who join Cisco. It’s one of the biggest exits of the … Continue reading “CloudLock Bought by Cisco for $293M After Pivot to Cloud Security”
HeartWare Acquired by Medtronic for $1.1B in Medical Device Consolidation
Just another billion-dollar exit for a Massachusetts company most people have never heard of. This one has an interesting backstory, in a field rife with consolidation and would-be deals. HeartWare International said Monday it is being acquired by medical device giant Medtronic for $1.1 billion in cash. At $58 a share, that’s a 93 percent … Continue reading “HeartWare Acquired by Medtronic for $1.1B in Medical Device Consolidation”
ObserveIT, Led by Ex-NHL Defender, Looks to Shut Down Cyber Threats
Some comparisons between business and sports are cliché. But when it comes to leadership in cybersecurity, having a CEO who knows how to play defense can be pretty relevant. That bodes well for ObserveIT, a Boston-based security tech company focused on stopping insider threats. In March, the firm brought on a new chief executive, Mike … Continue reading “ObserveIT, Led by Ex-NHL Defender, Looks to Shut Down Cyber Threats”
Boston’s Newest Innovators and Influencers Meet at INFLUX: The Photos
We had a grand old time at this week’s blowout Boston event, Influx. Leaders from Akamai, MIT, Harvard, and other venerable institutions met with top folks from GE Ventures, IBM Watson Health, Dell-EMC, and startups and investors, to talk about boosting their businesses—and the region’s innovation profile—for the future. The Museum of Science was a … Continue reading “Boston’s Newest Innovators and Influencers Meet at INFLUX: The Photos”
IBM Watson Health Launches Imaging Effort for Cancer, Other Diseases
So far, the story of IBM Watson Health has been mostly about growth and potential. Today, it’s more about action. The healthcare computing giant, now headquartered in Cambridge, MA, is unveiling a collaborative effort in medical imaging that includes partnerships with health systems, radiology providers, tech companies, and academic medical centers. Watson Health is pushing … Continue reading “IBM Watson Health Launches Imaging Effort for Cancer, Other Diseases”
Academia, Industry Scramble to Fill Cybersecurity Talent Pipeline
There’s a number that has been quoted a lot by the cybersecurity industry in the past year: 209,000. That’s the number of unfilled U.S. jobs in the field as of March 2015, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers. And the demand for cybersecurity workers is expected to increase 53 percent by … Continue reading “Academia, Industry Scramble to Fill Cybersecurity Talent Pipeline”
128 Technology Unveils Plan to Fix the Internet With Smart Routers
Today’s Internet is a hot mess. I’m not talking about the content of the Web. I’m talking about the networking infrastructure that runs much of our modern society—from apps to businesses to communications—and how precarious it all is. It’s safe to say the Internet was not originally designed for its current use. What started as … Continue reading “128 Technology Unveils Plan to Fix the Internet With Smart Routers”
Autodesk, EMC, Project 11 Join Influx Program on June 22
Xconomy is gearing up for a super fun afternoon at the Museum of Science in Boston on June 22. The theme of this year’s conference is Influx—welcoming prominent newcomers to the technology and innovation scene, and introducing them to longstanding leaders in the community who are also blazing new trails. The companies represented include GE, … Continue reading “Autodesk, EMC, Project 11 Join Influx Program on June 22”
Harvard Unveils $15M Life Lab to House Biotech and Medical Startups
The next Kendall Square just might be located in Allston. The gritty Boston neighborhood, across the Charles from Harvard University’s main campus, is the site of various construction projects aimed at building up an innovation epicenter over the next five to 10 years. Just don’t tell Jodi Goldstein about the Kendall comparison. Goldstein (pictured), the … Continue reading “Harvard Unveils $15M Life Lab to House Biotech and Medical Startups”
Underscore.VC Looks to Align Boston Tech Community With Startups
This has been the spring of new Boston tech venture funds. While most of the area’s traditional players are still going—along with more recent firms—a new crop of investors is trying to change how companies get funded and built in this town. Venture capitalists are all wrestling with similar issues: how to identify and get … Continue reading “Underscore.VC Looks to Align Boston Tech Community With Startups”
Romulus Revs Up $75M Fund: Drones, VR Startups Need Not Apply
If you want to know what’s hot in the startup world, talk to venture capitalist Krishna Gupta. But odds are, he’s not investing in those types of companies. And for good reason: they’re overhyped. Gupta (pictured) is the founder and general partner at Romulus Capital, a Boston-area venture firm that is announcing a new $75 … Continue reading “Romulus Revs Up $75M Fund: Drones, VR Startups Need Not Apply”
CoachUp Founder Backs New Startup to Connect Veterans and Sports
Coming off the Memorial Day holiday, here’s an interesting new company in town. It’s called Athletes of Valor, and it’s trying to provide support for U.S. servicemen and women who are transitioning back to civilian life and want to play college sports. It may sound like a niche market. But over the next four years, … Continue reading “CoachUp Founder Backs New Startup to Connect Veterans and Sports”
Advancing “Emotion A.I.” for Ads and Gaming: Affectiva Adds $14M
Computers can beat humans at games like chess and Go. They are obviously faster than us at calculations and numerical analysis. But they can’t read people’s emotions as well as we can, or do much of anything useful with that information. Not yet, anyway. But researchers and companies have been trying to close that gap. … Continue reading “Advancing “Emotion A.I.” for Ads and Gaming: Affectiva Adds $14M”
NuTonomy, Optimus Lead Pack of Self-Driving Vehicle Startups
Here comes the blind fury of autonomous vehicle startups. We knew it was coming, since everyone from Google and Uber to GM and Tesla is working on the technology. Boston-area startup NuTonomy, founded by a pair of MIT scientists in 2013, is the latest to make a splash. The company announced on Tuesday a Series … Continue reading “NuTonomy, Optimus Lead Pack of Self-Driving Vehicle Startups”
Join GE, Watson Health, Akamai, and More at INFLUX on June 22
Big companies and innovative startups call Boston home. That’s pretty much always been the case. But now we’re about to see a step change. With GE moving into the Seaport, IBM Watson Health moving into Kendall Square, Dell mega-merging with EMC, and other giants setting up R&D operations (or otherwise expanding their presence), Boston’s profile … Continue reading “Join GE, Watson Health, Akamai, and More at INFLUX on June 22”
Agenda for Robo Madness West: PARC, iRobot, Fetch & More
We’re a little over a month away from our fifth annual Bay Area robotics conference. This year’s Robo Madness West has a new spin: it’s happening as part of the 2016 Sensors Expo & Conference at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, CA, on the afternoon of June 22. Here’s the agenda for the … Continue reading “Agenda for Robo Madness West: PARC, iRobot, Fetch & More”
Expanding in Stomachs and in Europe, Allurion Adds $6M
Plenty of companies sell pills for weight loss or obesity treatment. None of them are quite like Allurion Technologies. The Wellesley, MA-based startup makes an ingestible “pill” containing a gastric balloon that a doctor fills with fluid through an attached tube to help a patient feel full. The tube is then removed via the patient’s … Continue reading “Expanding in Stomachs and in Europe, Allurion Adds $6M”
See the Future of Robotics and A.I. at Robo Madness West, 6/22
Calling all robot lovers: The time is now to book June 22 on your calendar. That’s the day of Robo Madness West, a celebration of (and critical look at) the exploding fields of robotics and artificial intelligence among startups and big companies alike. Our fifth annual Bay Area robotics event is being held in partnership … Continue reading “See the Future of Robotics and A.I. at Robo Madness West, 6/22”
Series A for Accion: Space Tech Startup Gets $7.5M
Accion Systems, a space-technology startup led by MIT graduates, has raised $7.5 million in Series A funding. The news was reported by TechCrunch. The lead investor is Shasta Ventures, with RRE Ventures, Founder Collective, and Slow Ventures also participating in the round, according to the report. Accion had previously raised seed money from investors including … Continue reading “Series A for Accion: Space Tech Startup Gets $7.5M”
Hitchcock Out, Baum In at Dyn After Private Equity Takeover
The big thing that Dyn CEO Jeremy Hitchcock didn’t tell me (or anyone in the press) at the time of his company’s $50 million funding announcement Tuesday is that he’s stepping down. The timing is not all that surprising, except for the PR omission. From the outside at least, the company’s growth round from Pamplona … Continue reading “Hitchcock Out, Baum In at Dyn After Private Equity Takeover”
Pwnie Express Rides Off With $12.9M to Hunt Rogue Devices
Warning: everything you thought you knew about corporate cybersecurity is about to change. That’s according to Paul Paget, the CEO of Pwnie Express, a Boston-based startup that makes software and hardware for detecting unauthorized devices in the vicinity of a corporate network. Paget came up through IBM and Lotus before heading up two previous companies, … Continue reading “Pwnie Express Rides Off With $12.9M to Hunt Rogue Devices”
Watching the Web: Dyn Goes Big With $50M Growth Round
In one of the year’s largest funding rounds for New England tech, Dyn said today it has raised $50 million in new growth financing. The deal says a lot about where the Manchester, NH-based company is heading, along with the world of Internet traffic and performance monitoring—particularly in an era of increasingly complex IT tools … Continue reading “Watching the Web: Dyn Goes Big With $50M Growth Round”
“Silicon Valley” Tech Actually Made by Massachusetts Companies
The Boston tech community thinks of itself as a net exporter of innovation—and that includes to places like Hollywood. Those of you watching this season’s “Silicon Valley” TV show will be interested to learn that “the box” product being made by the fictional startup Pied Piper is based on a Massachusetts company’s design. That would … Continue reading ““Silicon Valley” Tech Actually Made by Massachusetts Companies”
Scott McNealy’s Wayin Buys EngageSciences, Brings in New CEO
One of Denver’s most prominent tech startups is announcing big moves today. Wayin, a social-media marketing company co-founded by Scott McNealy, the former Sun Microsystems CEO, has acquired EngageSciences, a digital marketing firm based in the U.K. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Wayin is bringing on EngageSciences’ chief executive, Richard Jones, to be … Continue reading “Scott McNealy’s Wayin Buys EngageSciences, Brings in New CEO”
Formlabs Buys Pinshape, a 3D Design Marketplace
A bit of consolidation in the 3D-printing market today: Formlabs, a desktop 3D-printer company in Somerville, MA, says it has acquired Pinshape, an online marketplace for 3D designs, based in Vancouver, Canada. No terms of the deal were given, but it’s a fairly small acquisition. Pinshape has eight employees and got started in 2013. Its … Continue reading “Formlabs Buys Pinshape, a 3D Design Marketplace”
With Pillar and Other Newcomers, Boston’s Venture Scene Shifting
The venture capital industry is going through big changes, perhaps nowhere more so than in Boston, its birthplace. Today a new fund is coming out of stealth that speaks to recent trends in startups and VC—and it’s also trying to help unite the entrepreneurial community. The fund is called Pillar, and it has a familiar … Continue reading “With Pillar and Other Newcomers, Boston’s Venture Scene Shifting”
From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary
Cybersecurity is a rapidly changing field. The arms race between hackers and organizations trying to defend themselves has given rise to a lexicon of epic proportions—and leaders from almost every industry are learning to speak the language. As concepts like antivirus and firewalls have grown old, security-tech companies are selling everything from “advanced threat detection” … Continue reading “From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary”
Boston Startups Combat New Threats in Cybersecurity “War Zone”
Ed Davis doesn’t look like he would be fazed by anything. The former commissioner of the Boston Police Department has seen the kind of horrors he can’t erase from his mind—including the Boston Marathon bombing and its aftermath—but he has moved on. Now, a new type of threat has crept into his psyche. This one … Continue reading “Boston Startups Combat New Threats in Cybersecurity “War Zone””
WiredWest Needs State Help to Bring Broadband to Western MA: Report
Verizon’s plan to wire Boston with Fios, its high-speed fiber optic network, isn’t the only proposal for turbocharging the state’s Internet access speeds. In western Massachusetts, a startup effort formed by more than two dozen towns is planning a high-speed fiber optic network operated as a municipal cooperative company. The public startup organization is called … Continue reading “WiredWest Needs State Help to Bring Broadband to Western MA: Report”
PillPack Puts Pressure on Express Scripts in Pharmacy Dispute
[Updated, 10:30pm. See below] It’s a timeworn tale: a startup forms a key partnership with a big company, only to see said company change the terms or end the deal. Think Microsoft, Amazon, or any other giant throwing its weight around with smaller players. Now think healthcare—and a fight between one of the fastest-growing local … Continue reading “PillPack Puts Pressure on Express Scripts in Pharmacy Dispute”
Immelt Puts Human Face, and Dollar Amounts, on GE’s Move to Boston
On any other day, the State Room on the 33rd floor of 60 State Street would afford sweeping views of Boston’s financial district, state house, and waterfront. But on Monday, it was shrouded in a snow squall—a reminder that few things come easy in New England, least of all springtime. Inside the room, elite politicians … Continue reading “Immelt Puts Human Face, and Dollar Amounts, on GE’s Move to Boston”
Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion, in Pictures and Takeaways
Our second annual robotics event in Boston was a huge success—and a lot of fun. It covered a vast amount of ground: not just the latest advances in robot technologies and businesses, but also the rise of artificial intelligence in tech companies and the mainstream vernacular. Big thanks to Google, our hosts, for providing a fantastic space … Continue reading “Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion, in Pictures and Takeaways”
Quanterix Expands in Diagnostics With $46M in New Cash
A quick update on a life sciences company we’ve been watching for years. Lexington, MA-based Quanterix has secured $46 million in Series D financing, led by new investors Arch Overage Fund, Cormorant Asset Management, and Trinitas Capital. Some of the company’s previous investors—Arch Venture Partners, Bain Capital Ventures, Tufts University, and co-founder David Walt (a … Continue reading “Quanterix Expands in Diagnostics With $46M in New Cash”
Propel Buys ThriveHive as Digital Marketing Firms Consolidate
HubSpot, Marketo, and Eloqua—now part of Oracle—represent a previous generation of marketing-tech companies. Now there’s a new crop, and it’s starting to make some noise around Boston. Propel Marketing, based in Quincy, MA, says today it has acquired ThriveHive, a 25-person startup in Cambridge, MA, for $11.8 million in cash. Both companies focus on digital … Continue reading “Propel Buys ThriveHive as Digital Marketing Firms Consolidate”
Google and Boston Dynamics: Do Humanoid Robots Need an MVP?
Bloomberg reported Thursday that Google’s parent company has put Boston Dynamics, a prominent robotics division, up for sale. According to the report, which cited anonymous sources, Alphabet executives think “Boston Dynamics isn’t likely to produce a marketable product in the next few years.” Possible acquirers would include Toyota Research Institute and Amazon, the report said. … Continue reading “Google and Boston Dynamics: Do Humanoid Robots Need an MVP?”
Robot Tidbits: Toyota, Amazon, Humatics, Franklin, 6 River, More
As we gear up for our Robo Madness conference at the end of the month, it’s worth noting a slew of recent developments at robotics companies around town: —Toyota Research Institute in Cambridge, MA, has hired the 16-person software engineering team from Jaybridge Robotics, an autonomous-vehicle company also based in Cambridge. TRI is building up … Continue reading “Robot Tidbits: Toyota, Amazon, Humatics, Franklin, 6 River, More”
BU Spinout Constant Therapy Gets $2M for Speech and Brain Rehab App
The Boston area has become a hotbed for companies testing new ways to merge software with fields like healthcare, rehabilitation, and education. One of the more interesting areas of activity is assessing and treating brain health and cognitive disorders. Those elements have come together in a startup called Constant Therapy, which today announced it raised … Continue reading “BU Spinout Constant Therapy Gets $2M for Speech and Brain Rehab App”
Robo Madness, The AI Explosion: Here’s the Agenda for March 31
What is this world coming to? Computers are beating human experts at Go. Humanoid robots are standing up to bullies with hockey sticks, or at least trying to. Drones patrol our airspace, for better or worse. What’s next—an A.I. for president? (One can only hope.) One thing’s for sure: robotics and artificial intelligence are poised … Continue reading “Robo Madness, The AI Explosion: Here’s the Agenda for March 31”
IBM Confirms Resilient Systems Acquisition; No Terms Yet
In a deal that Xconomy was first to report on last week, IBM Security confirmed it plans to acquire Resilient Systems, a Cambridge, MA-based cybersecurity startup with about 100 employees. The financial terms and structure weren’t disclosed, but one source with knowledge of the deal previously told me the price is north of $100 million. … Continue reading “IBM Confirms Resilient Systems Acquisition; No Terms Yet”
Mobile Development Startup Xamarin Bought by Microsoft
File this under least-surprising acquisition of 2016: Microsoft said today it is buying Xamarin, a San Francisco- and Boston-based company that builds tools for mobile-app development. Terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed; it’s expected to close in the next month. Rumors of an acquisition by Redmond, WA-based Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) previously surfaced in 2014. … Continue reading “Mobile Development Startup Xamarin Bought by Microsoft”
Source: IBM Security to Acquire Resilient Systems for $100M+
[Updated, 2/24/16, 12:45pm] IBM is adding to its arsenal of acquisitions in cybersecurity. Resilient Systems, a Cambridge, MA-based company that helps organizations respond to cyber attacks, is being bought by IBM Security, according to two sources with knowledge of the deal. One source puts the acquisition price at more than $100 million. The deal’s financial … Continue reading “Source: IBM Security to Acquire Resilient Systems for $100M+”
Watson Health Buying Truven in $2.6B Megadeal for Data
IBM Watson Health is growing through a major acquisition that consolidates the worlds of clinical data and employer and insurance data. The healthcare-computing division of Big Blue is announcing today its plan to acquire Truven Health Analytics for $2.6 billion. For now, IBM declined to specify the financial structure of the deal. A spokeswoman said … Continue reading “Watson Health Buying Truven in $2.6B Megadeal for Data”
Drones, Bots & More at Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion, 3/31
If you follow emerging technologies and startups, you’ll notice that “machine learning” seems to be everywhere. So are natural language processing and computer vision. So are drones and connected devices. We’re putting all those things together for a business audience at a very special event on March 31, called Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion. It’s … Continue reading “Drones, Bots & More at Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion, 3/31”
A.I. Startup Talla Tracks Down $4M From Avalon, Others
The funding deals keep coming for startups developing businesses around artificial-intelligence technologies. The latest is Talla, which is working on a text-based virtual assistant for corporate functions such as recruiting and human resources. We first reported that Cambridge, MA-based Talla was raising a seed round. That deal appears to have closed, as a regulatory filing … Continue reading “A.I. Startup Talla Tracks Down $4M From Avalon, Others”
DataRobot Downloads $33M as Machine Learning Eats the World
Machine learning is the new big data. Combine the two fields, and you really have something. Boston-area startup DataRobot has raised a $33 million Series B round, led by New Enterprise Associates. Other participating investors included Accomplice, Intel Capital, and IA Ventures. The new money brings the company’s total raised to more than $57 million. … Continue reading “DataRobot Downloads $33M as Machine Learning Eats the World”
What’s New in Boston VC Land: Assemble, Hyperplane, Pillar
As the snow falls in our fair city, let’s take a tour of the winter wonderland that is New England tech venture capital. It should prove useful as a snapshot of what’s new and different in 2016 (plus some national context at the bottom): —General Catalyst Partners has raised $845 million for its eighth fund. … Continue reading “What’s New in Boston VC Land: Assemble, Hyperplane, Pillar”
IRobot Sells Defense Business to Focus on Connected Home Robots
Over the past few years, iRobot’s business has been shifting away from military applications and towards home robots and other areas. Today the company is making a clean break. The Bedford, MA-based robotics giant (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRBT]]) says it’s selling off its defense and security business to private equity firm Arlington Capital Partners. The deal, expected … Continue reading “IRobot Sells Defense Business to Focus on Connected Home Robots”