You’ve heard of the smart home. You probably haven’t heard of the smart lab. Until now, that is. The idea is analogous to a connected home: you hook up a science lab with sensors and software to track things like temperature, humidity, and which piece of equipment was used when. Why? If you’ve ever spent … Continue reading “Misfit Vets Out to Debug Science Experiments With Elemental Machines”
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.
Draper Spinout Lexumo Looks to Secure IoT With $4.9M From Boston VCs
Get ready for an onslaught of companies peddling security software for the Internet of Things. It’s not for lack of substance: security experts say the spread of Internet-connected devices exposes major vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. One of the more serious efforts to combat these threats is called Lexumo. It’s a spinout company … Continue reading “Draper Spinout Lexumo Looks to Secure IoT With $4.9M From Boston VCs”
Remembering Computing Pioneer Marvin Minsky, Dead at 88
The science and technology community is mourning the loss of Marvin Minsky, the MIT-based artificial intelligence and computing giant, who passed away Sunday at the age of 88. Minsky is a transcendent figure who cut major swaths through the history of scientific research, education, philosophy, and technology. His ideas are credited with influencing everything from … Continue reading “Remembering Computing Pioneer Marvin Minsky, Dead at 88”
Talla Sells Virtual Assistants for the Workplace as A.I. Startups Focus
Slowly but surely, artificial intelligence is creeping into everyday life. Think of all the questions Siri and Cortana can answer; or e-mail programs that schedule appointments; or Facebook’s M service that aims to do things like make purchases and book travel arrangements on your behalf. After decades of research on A.I. technologies, companies of all … Continue reading “Talla Sells Virtual Assistants for the Workplace as A.I. Startups Focus”
EiQ Networks Nets $9.5M for Mid-Market Security Software
In a town full of cybersecurity companies, EiQ Networks has stayed pretty quiet for years. Now it’s making a bit of noise as it ramps up its security software for a targeted customer base. EiQ has just raised a $9.55 million Series C funding round led by Arrowroot Capital. Founders Vijay Basani and Jay Reddy … Continue reading “EiQ Networks Nets $9.5M for Mid-Market Security Software”
Boston Tech Scene Gains Big Anchor Tenant in General Electric
EMC, schmee-MC. We’ve got GE now. General Electric, one of the world’s biggest companies, will relocate its global headquarters from Fairfield, CT, to Boston, as first reported by the Boston Globe. The move was prompted by a change in corporate-tax policies in Connecticut last year. Boston ended up beating out New York and other cities … Continue reading “Boston Tech Scene Gains Big Anchor Tenant in General Electric”
Announcing Robo Madness: The AI Explosion, March 31 at Google
After decades of research, artificial intelligence has hit the big time. So has robotics. Now companies of all sizes are using A.I. and robotics technologies from deep learning to computer vision to natural language processing to build their businesses—and impact our daily lives. Think Google, Facebook, Amazon, iRobot, Toyota, and a whole new generation of … Continue reading “Announcing Robo Madness: The AI Explosion, March 31 at Google”
Clear Ballot Out to Reinvent Voting Tech, One Oval at a Time
Here we are in 2016, a big U.S. election year, and yet voting technology is effectively still stuck in Bush v. Gore territory. In the early 2000s, there was a push to update decrepit systems used at the polls, but since then—basically nada. A number of tech companies are trying to do something about that. … Continue reading “Clear Ballot Out to Reinvent Voting Tech, One Oval at a Time”
AI Rising: Boston Tech Dives Into Robot Cars With New Toyota Lab
By now, almost everyone has heard about self-driving cars. When a New Yorker cartoon uses the technology as a premise, you know it has gone mainstream—at least in concept. The reality is that a huge amount of work lies ahead before robot cars will be accepted by society. Now it looks like the Boston area … Continue reading “AI Rising: Boston Tech Dives Into Robot Cars With New Toyota Lab”
Xconomy’s Top 10 Innovation Stories of 2015
It was the year of drug pricing, fantasy-sports and Uber regulations, and countless cyber and terror attacks. It was a year when initial public offerings were few and far between for technology companies, and the biotech window may have closed as well. Yet there were plenty of commercial advances in fields like gene editing, immunotherapy, … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Top 10 Innovation Stories of 2015”
New Cash for Boston-Area Speech and Robotics Startups
As we head into the final week of 2015, venture investment is pouring into some traditional areas of strength in New England tech. Namely, speech recognition, artificial intelligence, and robotics: —Stealthy speech-recognition startup Semantic Machines, based in Newton, MA, has raised about $12.4 million in equity funding, according to an SEC filing. The document lists … Continue reading “New Cash for Boston-Area Speech and Robotics Startups”
Bought by NetApp for $870M, Here’s Where SolidFire Came From
One of the year’s biggest tech acquisitions has a pretty interesting—and short—history. Boulder, CO-based SolidFire, a maker of data-storage systems, was acquired this week by Silicon Valley giant NetApp (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NTAP]]) for $870 million in cash. SolidFire was formed in 2009 and only began selling its flash-storage drives in 2012, according to a report in … Continue reading “Bought by NetApp for $870M, Here’s Where SolidFire Came From”
Carbonite Buys EVault, Gains 200 Employees in Data Recovery
[Corrected, 1:40 pm. See below] One of the Boston area’s technology pillars just got stronger. Carbonite, a cloud backup and data protection company, says it is acquiring San Francisco-based EVault for $14 million in cash. The acquisition is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2016. More important, Carbonite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CARB]]) is gaining … Continue reading “Carbonite Buys EVault, Gains 200 Employees in Data Recovery”
Digital Guardian Grabs $66M, Looks to Prevent Data Loss
The story of the year in Boston tech might be the growth of the cybersecurity sector. Today, an established player in data protection says it’s adding a big funding round to keep up with market demand. Digital Guardian, based in Waltham, MA, has raised $66 million in financing from a mix of new investors—LLR Partners, … Continue reading “Digital Guardian Grabs $66M, Looks to Prevent Data Loss”
Aila Adds $4.5M, Continues Surge of Retail Tech Startups
Every year seems to be the year when brick-and-mortar stores will catch up to their online peers in terms of technology. Now there’s another tech startup on our radar trying to make that happen. Aila Technologies, formerly known as Padloc, says today it has raised $4.5 million from Romulus Capital, a Boston-based venture firm. That’s … Continue reading “Aila Adds $4.5M, Continues Surge of Retail Tech Startups”
As Whoop Whips Up More Cash, A Look at the Wearables Market
The hype over wearables may be in decline—which means it’s time for some real companies to get built. On Monday, Indian tech giant Infosys said it invested $3 million in Whoop, a Boston-based wearables startup that’s targeting elite athletes. The new money comes on the heels of a $12 million Series B round the performance-monitoring … Continue reading “As Whoop Whips Up More Cash, A Look at the Wearables Market”
Austin, Denver Score High in U.S. List of Software Engineer Pay
If you are a software engineer, you are in demand. This you know. What you may not know is how your salary stacks up to that of your peers around the country. For that, I present to you the State of U.S. Salaries Report, courtesy of a San Francisco company called Hired. To no one’s … Continue reading “Austin, Denver Score High in U.S. List of Software Engineer Pay”
Cyber Insecurity Grows for CEOs, IT Departments, and Devices
Everyone knows cybersecurity is one of the biggest problems of our time. The question is what to do about it. According to a new report, the problem starts at the top of most organizations—but it certainly doesn’t end there. Fifty-three percent of IT security professionals surveyed say CEOs make business decisions without regard to security. … Continue reading “Cyber Insecurity Grows for CEOs, IT Departments, and Devices”
Andy Ory’s 128 Technology Scores $20M for Next-Gen Networking
When you’ve founded and run a company like Acme Packet—acquired by Oracle for $2 billion-plus in 2013—raising venture capital is not a problem. 128 Technology, a stealthy startup led by Andy Ory and other Acme Packet veterans, has closed $20 million in a new round of equity financing, according to an SEC filing. By our … Continue reading “Andy Ory’s 128 Technology Scores $20M for Next-Gen Networking”
Enterprise Tech Strikes Back: Photos and Takeaways
Steve Papa said it takes having a different viewpoint and the persistence to turn a bad idea into a good idea. Andy Ory said it takes choosing the right market and problem to solve in the first place. Ash Ashutosh said that fast is the new big. The translation from these successful serial entrepreneurs: building … Continue reading “Enterprise Tech Strikes Back: Photos and Takeaways”
With $42M Deal, Evariant Goes Big in Health Marketing, Analytics
Hospitals worry about patient care, but they also worry about making money. Now one health IT company has more money of its own to bring to bear on the problem. Evariant, a Farmington, CT-based maker of healthcare marketing and analytics software, says today it has raised a $42.3 million Series C round. The deal was … Continue reading “With $42M Deal, Evariant Goes Big in Health Marketing, Analytics”
Grab Your Cyber Monday Ticket to Enterprise Tech Strikes Back
Xconomy has a deal for you. In honor of Cyber Monday, we are running a one-day sale on our remaining tickets to this week’s big tech event in Boston. For today—and today only—all new tickets to Wednesday’s Enterprise Tech Strikes Back conference are 30 percent off if you register with the promo code CYBER. It’s … Continue reading “Grab Your Cyber Monday Ticket to Enterprise Tech Strikes Back”
Will Startups or Big Companies Rule Tech? Find Out on Dec. 2
When we gather next week to talk about the future of technology, Actifio CEO Ash Ashutosh will kick things off by addressing what he calls the elephant in the room: that IT infrastructure is dead, and applications rule. A corollary to that is that the big tech companies that have dominated for decades could be … Continue reading “Will Startups or Big Companies Rule Tech? Find Out on Dec. 2”
One Year In, Carbonite CEO Aims Higher in Data Protection Market
Carbonite is one of those stalwarts of the Boston tech scene that doesn’t get a lot of attention—unless it’s about to get bought, say, or its stock price sees a big change. But the company’s story holds lessons for where the digital world is headed—specifically, in technology areas like data protection, disaster recovery, cloud infrastructure, … Continue reading “One Year In, Carbonite CEO Aims Higher in Data Protection Market”
5 Life Tips From Xconomy’s Healthcare Summit 2015
You can learn a lot about doing great science, building big companies, and even living a healthy life, by listening to the right group of people. Of course you also have to do stuff yourself—not just listen—but getting exposed to the right ideas can’t hurt. And those ideas (and people) were in abundance at Tuesday’s … Continue reading “5 Life Tips From Xconomy’s Healthcare Summit 2015”
Datto Drums Up $75M for Data Protection and Networking
In case you had any doubt that enterprise infrastructure is a hot area of tech, especially in New England, consider Datto. The Norwalk, CT-based company, which has about 80 of its 500-plus employees in Boston, just closed a big financing round to fuel its expansion. Datto says today it raised $75 million in Series B … Continue reading “Datto Drums Up $75M for Data Protection and Networking”
Here’s the Agenda for Enterprise Tech Strikes Back on Dec. 2
Like Liam Neeson, the Boston tech community has a very particular set of skills. It can do other things, but what it’s best known for, historically, is enterprise software and hardware. In other words, technology for big companies. And in the process of developing that technology and expertise, the region is also looking to build … Continue reading “Here’s the Agenda for Enterprise Tech Strikes Back on Dec. 2”
Tap Lab Taps Into Virtual Reality, Real Distribution for New Game
Attention, video game aficionados: the Boston-area gaming cluster has life. It’s been a pretty quiet year, but now companies are working on new games that make use of mobile devices and virtual reality—as well as new approaches for acquiring users. We’re seeing virtual-reality approaches from veteran studios like Harmonix, but also from smaller outfits like … Continue reading “Tap Lab Taps Into Virtual Reality, Real Distribution for New Game”
Learn the Future of Enterprise Tech, and Billion-Dollar Exits, on Dec. 2
Unicorns, schmunicorns. A billion-dollar valuation ain’t what it used to be. Just ask veterans of the Boston-area tech scene. Andy Ory, Steve Papa, and Paula Long each have co-founded companies that were acquired for more than $1 billion. If you know anything about the history of New England tech, their company names are very familiar: … Continue reading “Learn the Future of Enterprise Tech, and Billion-Dollar Exits, on Dec. 2”
The Network Is the VC: CommonAngels Is Now Converge Venture Partners
Silicon Valley legend John Gage is said to have coined the phrase, “The network is the computer.” He was talking about combining connected systems into one computing resource, and the line would become Sun Microsystems’ slogan. Fast forward 30 years and the idea still holds true—think cloud computing, the Internet, and social media. What’s more, … Continue reading “The Network Is the VC: CommonAngels Is Now Converge Venture Partners”
ClearSky Captures $27M as Enterprise Tech Investments Soar
Here’s the tech infrastructure landscape in one deal. It’s got everything: a hot startup, venture firms and a big company clamoring to invest, and a technical approach that combines data storage and networking. Boston-based ClearSky Data has raised $27 million in Series B funding, led by Polaris Partners. The round includes a strategic investment from … Continue reading “ClearSky Captures $27M as Enterprise Tech Investments Soar”
In Good Times, Tech Talent Flows From Big to Small Companies
Every so often, the need for talent in tech startups seems to reach a critical point. Competition for good developers and business people is always fierce, but now is prime time for a snapshot of where things stand—and one of the big trends is executives moving from established companies to younger upstarts. It’s not a … Continue reading “In Good Times, Tech Talent Flows From Big to Small Companies”
Chinese Investors Looking at Boston Startups in Robotics, Biotech
It’s not as prevalent as in Silicon Valley, but venture capitalists from China are increasingly looking to invest in New England companies. Several factors come into play locally: the presence of strong research universities, experienced technical talent, a vibrant community of startups, and often lower company valuations as compared to the West Coast. The recently … Continue reading “Chinese Investors Looking at Boston Startups in Robotics, Biotech”
Enterprise Tech Strikes Back on Dec. 2 in Boston
Dell, Schmell. You may think you can come in here, drop $67 billion, and leave with our state’s biggest technology company, EMC. Well, OK, I guess you can. But see how much our innovation community cares, really. There are dozens of companies around town that are looking to become the next EMC—whether it’s in data … Continue reading “Enterprise Tech Strikes Back on Dec. 2 in Boston”
This New England Company Runs the Internet—And Now You Can, Too
Steve Case, the AOL co-founder and venture capitalist, had high praise for a tech company based in the fair city of Manchester, NH. Your staff is basically running the Internet from New Hampshire, he told a crowd at a recent event at Dyn’s headquarters (I’m paraphrasing). Dyn is an Internet infrastructure firm born just after … Continue reading “This New England Company Runs the Internet—And Now You Can, Too”
Retroficiency Acquired by Ecova in Energy Efficiency Software Deal
It’s a quieter sector than cybersecurity or enterprise software, but energy efficiency seems to be making real progress. Today a New England startup says it got picked up by a giant on the other side of the country. Boston-based Retroficiency has been acquired by Ecova, a utility and energy management company based in Spokane, WA, … Continue reading “Retroficiency Acquired by Ecova in Energy Efficiency Software Deal”
With $100M in New Cash, Boston Tech Firms Out to Unify Cybersecurity
In terms of interest and investment, cybersecurity has exploded. Just this week, a pair of local security-tech companies have raised a total of more than $100 million. But the broader story is much more interesting—and crucial to the field. First, the new money. Waltham, MA-based Bit9—which officially goes by Bit9 + Carbon Black—has raised $54.5 … Continue reading “With $100M in New Cash, Boston Tech Firms Out to Unify Cybersecurity”
For $67B, Dell-EMC Deal May Have Little Impact on Tech Industry
OK, so this really happened. For $67 billion, the biggest technology deal in history. What’s surprising is how little impact people seem to think it will have on the industry. Texas computer giant Dell has agreed to acquire Hopkinton, MA-based EMC (NYSE: [[ticker:EMC]]) for roughly $67 billion in cash and stock in VMware (NYSE: [[ticker:VMW]]), … Continue reading “For $67B, Dell-EMC Deal May Have Little Impact on Tech Industry”
Dell Acquisition in the Air, EMC Gets No Love From Entrepreneurs
As the biggest tech company in Massachusetts, EMC is both highly influential and much maligned. Tech startups in data storage and cloud services are gunning for its business. Entrepreneurs and venture investors say the company’s policies hurt the flow of talent in the innovation community. And despite its size and influence—think $50 billion market cap—most … Continue reading “Dell Acquisition in the Air, EMC Gets No Love From Entrepreneurs”
RightHand Is Latest Robotics Startup to Grab Venture Capital
Another Boston-area robotics company has raised venture capital. But this one isn’t saying much about what it’s building yet. RightHand Robotics, a Harvard University spinout based at the Harvard Innovation Lab, has raised $3.3 million, according to a regulatory filing. Co-founder Yaro Tenzer confirmed the amount but declined to say who the company’s investors are, … Continue reading “RightHand Is Latest Robotics Startup to Grab Venture Capital”
Zipcar and LogMeIn Veterans Out to Reshape Car Insurance With Censio
Remember when drivers talking on cell phones were annoying? OK, they still are—but at least that usually means they aren’t looking down at their screen as they plow into a bike, pedestrian, or your car. Distracted drivers are the worst. Now they’re the target of a Boston startup that’s using—guess what—smartphones and apps to monitor … Continue reading “Zipcar and LogMeIn Veterans Out to Reshape Car Insurance With Censio”
Digital Guardian Buys Code Green as Security Industry Consolidates
A local cybersecurity company is on the move amid larger market forces: Waltham, MA-based Digital Guardian has acquired Code Green Networks, a data-protection firm headquartered in Silicon Valley, for an undisclosed sum. This is Digital Guardian’s third acquisition in the past year, following deals with Armor5 and Savant Protection. The company now has 275 employees, … Continue reading “Digital Guardian Buys Code Green as Security Industry Consolidates”
EMC Veteran Heiser Joins ClickSoftware as CEO
Here’s a big name to follow in the tech world: Tom Heiser. The longtime EMC executive has joined ClickSoftware Technologies, an Israel- and Burlington, MA-based software company, as its chief executive, effective Oct. 1. Heiser (pictured) replaces interim CEO Paul Ilse, who’s an operating partner with Francisco Partners. That’s the private equity firm that acquired … Continue reading “EMC Veteran Heiser Joins ClickSoftware as CEO”
Acquia Adds $55M as World Goes Online
Let the good times roll in enterprise tech. One of Boston’s fast-rising Internet startups has some more cash to throw around. Acquia, a Web content management software company, says it has raised $55 million in equity financing, led by new investor Centerview Capital Technology. Its previous investors, including New Enterprise Associates and Split Rock Partners, … Continue reading “Acquia Adds $55M as World Goes Online”
As Industry Leaders Falter, Formlabs and Others Push New 3D Printers
[Updated with video, 5:50pm. See below] Where is the 3D-printing market heading? If you consider leaders like 3D Systems and Stratasys, the picture doesn’t look so good. 3D Systems’ stock (NYSE: [[ticker:DDD]]) has plummeted by 74 percent over the past year, while Stratasys (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SSYS]]) is down by a similar percentage. Their market caps are … Continue reading “As Industry Leaders Falter, Formlabs and Others Push New 3D Printers”
Kyruus Gets $25M More for “Moneyball” Approach to Doctors and Patients
[Updated, 1:40pm. See below] One of Boston’s most intriguing health IT startups just got a little richer. Kyruus, which makes analytics software for hospitals and health systems, has raised $25 million in new funding. By our count, that’s $56 million in total funding for Kyruus, which has 110 employees. [Updated figures from company representative—Eds.] The … Continue reading “Kyruus Gets $25M More for “Moneyball” Approach to Doctors and Patients”
Don’t Get Lost, Use Mapkin: Navigation App Taps Boston-Driver Wisdom
[Updated, 9/17/15. See below] Back-to-school traffic driving you crazy? Uber and taxi drivers going in circles? There’s a new mobile app that might help solve those problems (in the street, not the State House). It’s called Mapkin, and it’s basically trying to be a smarter, more personal GPS navigator. It also fits with the tech … Continue reading “Don’t Get Lost, Use Mapkin: Navigation App Taps Boston-Driver Wisdom”
As Security Booms, Onapsis Gets Cash to Stop Corporate Cyber Attacks
Another day, another cybersecurity company to have on your radar—especially if you are concerned about things like corporate espionage, financial fraud, and international hackers stealing your intellectual property. These are huge problems, and Onapsis is trying to do something about it. Now, the Boston startup says it has raised $17 million in Series B funding, … Continue reading “As Security Booms, Onapsis Gets Cash to Stop Corporate Cyber Attacks”
Led by Unica Founder, Allego Tackles Video Training for Salespeople
It can be cool to be a salesperson. Not only do you have expense accounts and work directly with customers, but you are on the cutting edge of where new software models hit the mainstream. Think software-as-a-service from Salesforce, inbound marketing from HubSpot, e-mail tracking with Yesware—and any number of customer relationship management tools such … Continue reading “Led by Unica Founder, Allego Tackles Video Training for Salespeople”
IBM Watson Health Taps Ex-Philips CEO as GM, Touts New Partners
For a few months, we’ve been hearing about IBM Watson Health’s plan to open a new headquarters in the Boston area. On Thursday, the business unit held an event at its new office and announced some partnerships, as well as an important first hire in Cambridge, MA. First, the people news: Deborah DiSanzo (pictured) is … Continue reading “IBM Watson Health Taps Ex-Philips CEO as GM, Touts New Partners”