There’s been a lot of personnel movement in Boston-area venture firms lately. On Tuesday, Dan Primack at Fortune reported that Atlas Venture partner Fred Destin is leaving the firm and that Jon Karlen, formerly of Flybridge Capital Partners, is joining Atlas as a new partner on the tech side. This is notable because Destin is … Continue reading “Destin Out, Karlen In: What’s Next for Atlas Venture?”
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.
Doctors Going Mobile, But Still Skeptical of Connected Health
At least two-thirds of American doctors surveyed use mobile-health apps on the job. But about two-thirds also think a truly connected healthcare system in the U.S. is more than five years away—or won’t happen at all. That’s according to a new report by MedData Group, a healthcare marketing firm based in Topsfield, MA. The report … Continue reading “Doctors Going Mobile, But Still Skeptical of Connected Health”
Bush, Draper Back Health IT Startup Wellframe as Sector Heats Up
The world of health IT apps just got more competitive. Boston-based startup Wellframe said today it has raised $1.5 million in seed funding from some big names: Jonathan Bush, CEO of Athenahealth; Tim Draper, founder and managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson; Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, president of the British Medical Association; Russ Nash, former global managing … Continue reading “Bush, Draper Back Health IT Startup Wellframe as Sector Heats Up”
Imprivata Seeks $115M IPO, Growth in Health IT Security
It has been a long road for Imprivata, but the software company is finally showing its hand in its bid to go public. The Lexington, MA-based access-security firm has filed its S-1 paperwork for a proposed $115 million IPO. If all goes well, Imprivata will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker … Continue reading “Imprivata Seeks $115M IPO, Growth in Health IT Security”
Xconomy Boston’s Top Stories of Q1 2014: Editor’s Picks
A lot has happened in the first three months of 2014. Now that the first quarter is ending, and we’re all more than ready for spring, it’s time to look back on our top stories. As usual, these are my subjective picks. In many cases, but not all, they were high-traffic stories. Together they paint … Continue reading “Xconomy Boston’s Top Stories of Q1 2014: Editor’s Picks”
U.S. Deputy CTO Looking for a Few Good Data Fellows in Boston
Nick Sinai is coming back to Boston. The Harvard University grad and former Polaris Partners venture capitalist is in town Thursday for an evening event at hack/reduce, the big-data workspace in Cambridge, MA. Sinai is U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer at the White House, where he has served for the past three years. His specialties … Continue reading “U.S. Deputy CTO Looking for a Few Good Data Fellows in Boston”
Dyn Buys Nettica, Ninth Acquisition Since 2010
Some consolidation in the Web infrastructure market today. Dyn, a once-bootstrapped tech company from Manchester, NH, says it has acquired Nettica, a managed DNS (Domain Name System) provider in Atlanta. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but at least some of Nettica’s team will be joining Dyn at its headquarters. Dyn has been on an … Continue reading “Dyn Buys Nettica, Ninth Acquisition Since 2010”
Mobile Madness 2014: The Photos and Trends
In honor of our sixth annual Mobile Madness conference, here are six takeaways from Wednesday, to go along with photos from the event: 1. “Mobile” is redundant. Possibly no one under the age of 25 uses the word. 2. The rest of us should be more specific when we say “mobile.” Do we mean smartphones? … Continue reading “Mobile Madness 2014: The Photos and Trends”
Semyon Dukach Goes From VC Outsider to Techstars Boston Head
It’s a time of transition for Techstars Boston—and the local startup ecosystem. The Boston branch of the seed-stage fund and accelerator program is getting a new managing director. He is Semyon Dukach: a fast-rising angel investor, the former CEO and current chairman of e-mail marketing firm SMTP (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SMTP]]), and a former leader of the … Continue reading “Semyon Dukach Goes From VC Outsider to Techstars Boston Head”
What Four High-School Kids Taught Me About the Future of Mobile
“E-mail doesn’t really exist in our generation,” said Caitlin Cheng, a junior at Milton Academy. Oh, just you wait, I thought, as I listened to a panel of Boston-area high-school students talk about how they use mobile devices. We keep hearing that e-mail is going away—kids don’t use it except for school—yet whenever a new … Continue reading “What Four High-School Kids Taught Me About the Future of Mobile”
Harvard Business School Rolls Out Online Education Platform, HBX
The Harvard-MIT rivalry is heating up in online-learning land. The two institutions collaborate on the nonprofit edX, but each also has its own efforts in digital learning, including massive open online courses (MOOCs). Earlier this week we reported on an effort at MIT to blend online and offline features in an entrepreneurship class offered through … Continue reading “Harvard Business School Rolls Out Online Education Platform, HBX”
Coursolve and edX Blend Online, Offline in MIT Startup Course
Here’s a snapshot of something happening at the intersection of crowdsourcing, online education, and entrepreneurship. Boston-based edtech startup Coursolve is working with MIT and edX, the online education nonprofit, on a new Web class called “Entrepreneurship 101: Who is your customer?” The course is trying to connect students interested in entrepreneurship with companies and organizations … Continue reading “Coursolve and edX Blend Online, Offline in MIT Startup Course”
See You Wednesday at NERD for Mobile Madness 2014
How has the Boston mobile ecosystem grown up? Who will be the next big acquisition in town? How do high-school kids use smartphones and tablets? What do they expect from the technology in the future? What does the future of mobile health, retail, automotive, and payments look like? What’s actually hot, and what’s just hype? … Continue reading “See You Wednesday at NERD for Mobile Madness 2014”
Cracking K-12 Edtech: Lessons From TenMarks, Panorama, & Playrific
The state of the union in education technology is noisy and bewildering. Consider the many factions. There are online distance-learning efforts to reach students, such as MOOCs (massive open online courses); Web-based tools for teachers and administrators; content-publishing plays ranging from games and apps to e-textbooks; collaborative interfaces for students and teachers; skills-assessment software for … Continue reading “Cracking K-12 Edtech: Lessons From TenMarks, Panorama, & Playrific”
In “Marketization” of Consumer Apps, Springpad Aims for Mainstream
The line between content and advertising grows blurrier by the day. That might be good for some tech startups—but to gain mainstream adoption, and users’ trust, they have to ride the trend in just the right way. The newest data point comes from Springpad, a Charlestown, MA-based company known for its personal-organizer app and notebook … Continue reading “In “Marketization” of Consumer Apps, Springpad Aims for Mainstream”
One Week to Mobile Madness 2014: Boston Mobile Grows Up (and More)
We’re putting the finishing touches on a sparkling agenda for our sixth annual half-day conference on mobile tech. Yes, “Mobile Madness 2014: The Next Disruptors” is next Wednesday, March 19, at Microsoft NERD in Kendall Square, Cambridge. The full afternoon agenda is here. We’ll kick things off with a keynote panel on “Boston Mobile Grows … Continue reading “One Week to Mobile Madness 2014: Boston Mobile Grows Up (and More)”
Merrimack Valley Startups Pushing Local Innovation, Global Lessons
Thirty miles north of Boston, and a million miles from Silicon Valley, they have a different way of doing innovation. The city is Lawrence, MA. It’s an old mill town with the distinction of being one of the poorest cities in Massachusetts. It’s had the same problems that you’ll find in many towns around the … Continue reading “Merrimack Valley Startups Pushing Local Innovation, Global Lessons”
Music Startup Echo Nest, Born at MIT, Bought by Spotify
It’s a big day for The Echo Nest. Like so many Boston-area tech startups, the company is becoming part of a much bigger team through an acquisition. The Somerville, MA-based music company said today it has been acquired by Spotify, the Swedish streaming-music giant that has become prominent in the U.S. in recent years. The … Continue reading “Music Startup Echo Nest, Born at MIT, Bought by Spotify”
CloudBees Buzzes With $11M in New Cash as Verizon Cloud Rises
If you put your ear to the cloud, you just might hear a faint buzzing sound—the sound of a startup working with a telecom giant to disrupt an industry. CloudBees, a software startup based in Woburn, MA, said today it has raised $11.2 million in Series C funding led by Verizon Ventures, the VC arm … Continue reading “CloudBees Buzzes With $11M in New Cash as Verizon Cloud Rises”
Twitter, PayPal, & Fiksu at Mobile Madness 3/19: Here’s the Agenda
We are coming down the home stretch in preparation for Mobile Madness 2014: The Next Disruptors. It’s all happening in two weeks—Wednesday, March 19—at Microsoft NERD in Cambridge, MA. We are getting pumped. The full agenda is here. There have been some changes to the speaker lineup. In addition to keynote chats with Jason Jacobs, … Continue reading “Twitter, PayPal, & Fiksu at Mobile Madness 3/19: Here’s the Agenda”
Quanttus Dives Into Personal Health With $22M From Khosla, Matrix
Last summer, we were the first to report on a stealthy MIT startup that’s trying to become a big player in personal health and wellness. Well, that company is now one of the better-funded efforts in this emerging sector. Quanttus, a 25-person startup based in Cambridge, MA, announced today that it has raised a $19 … Continue reading “Quanttus Dives Into Personal Health With $22M From Khosla, Matrix”
One Month to Mobile Madness on 3/19: Who Are the Next Disruptors?
What does the next generation of mobile technology look like? Who will its users be, and what do they want from it? And what does “mobile” even mean anymore? We want answers, and we want them now. OK, soon. Yes, we’re one month away from Xconomy’s sixth annual Mobile Madness conference on Wednesday, March 19. … Continue reading “One Month to Mobile Madness on 3/19: Who Are the Next Disruptors?”
Bit9 Buys Carbon Black, Gets $38M to Try to Win Security Arms Race
2014 is shaping up to be the year of cybersecurity. Or lack thereof. It seems every week we hear about a new data breach or major hacking operation. And every week there seems to be a new tech company trying to solve these problems. Bit9 is not one of them. The Waltham, MA-based company has … Continue reading “Bit9 Buys Carbon Black, Gets $38M to Try to Win Security Arms Race”
Lovelines Looking to Create Mobile Platform for Interactive Stories
Love is in the air. Men are falling for their operating systems, Fifty Shades of Grey is on its way to the silver screen, and women are finding romantic escapes through texting. This Valentine’s Day tech story is brought to you by Pink Kiwi, the Boston-area makers of a new iOS app called Lovelines. It’s … Continue reading “Lovelines Looking to Create Mobile Platform for Interactive Stories”
Age of Cybereason: Security Startup Out to Stop Hackers in the Act
Another month, another startup helping to keep Boston on the map as an epicenter of cybersecurity expertise. From CounterTack to Cyber-Ark to Co3, many companies have been making news in recent months. This time it’s Cybereason, an Israeli-born startup that has set up headquarters in Cambridge, MA, with help from Charles River Ventures, which put … Continue reading “Age of Cybereason: Security Startup Out to Stop Hackers in the Act”
New York Leads Boston in Tech Job Growth; Google, Wayfair at Top
Where is all the technology talent flowing in the Northeast? If you look at Internet and digital media companies, New York City has the edge over Boston at the moment. New York registered a 3.2 percent increase in those tech jobs last quarter, while job growth in Boston fell to 1.3 percent—the lowest it’s been … Continue reading “New York Leads Boston in Tech Job Growth; Google, Wayfair at Top”
Ericsson Acquires Boston Startup Azuki in Internet TV Wars
The Boston tech scene’s first big acquisition of 2014 just happened. Telecom giant Ericsson said today it is acquiring Azuki Systems, an Acton, MA-based maker of video-delivery software. Terms of the deal were undisclosed, but it could be an important one for the New England tech community. Azuki chairman Chris Lynch, reached by phone, declined … Continue reading “Ericsson Acquires Boston Startup Azuki in Internet TV Wars”
Punchbowl CEO: It’s All About Phones and Tablets, Not “Mobile”
It’s nice to connect the dots and spot important trends in the tech industry. Sometimes you only need one dot, though. In this case, it’s a company called Punchbowl. Founded in 2006, the Framingham, MA-based consumer software firm is surfacing with a couple bits of news today. One is that it has formed an exclusive … Continue reading “Punchbowl CEO: It’s All About Phones and Tablets, Not “Mobile””
Localytics Lands $16M, Leads Way for Mobile Startups in the Middle
For all the talk about tech startups and big exits, there needs to be more discussion about companies in the middle. The ones that have been working away for five or six years, trying to break through and become real, sustainable businesses. Localytics is one of those. The Boston mobile-tech company got started in 2008. … Continue reading “Localytics Lands $16M, Leads Way for Mobile Startups in the Middle”
Will the Next Great Boston Tech Company Please Stand Up?
Here we are in early 2014, and it feels like a zeitgeist-y moment for the Boston tech scene. So I wanted to weigh in and connect a few dots around town—and get people thinking. Last Friday, Care.com became the first local tech company—a consumer-facing Web firm at that—to IPO since 2012. While nine Boston-area life … Continue reading “Will the Next Great Boston Tech Company Please Stand Up?”
Shareaholic’s New CTO Gillett Gives Lessons From 5 Big-Data Startups
Depending on whom you ask, “big data” is either (a) still the future of technology and business, or (b) the fastest way to kill a serious conversation. Christopher Gillett understands both ends of the spectrum. On the one hand, the newly hired CTO of Boston startup Shareaholic sees the buzzword as increasingly meaningless. “The term … Continue reading “Shareaholic’s New CTO Gillett Gives Lessons From 5 Big-Data Startups”
Scratch Wireless Rolls Out on Photon Q, Looks to Reinvent Carriers
Scratch Wireless has a dream. That one day people will talk, text, and use apps on their smartphones without having to pay $85 a month for wireless service. In fact, the Cambridge, MA-based startup believes it should be free—but good luck convincing the wireless carriers. So here’s the idea behind Scratch: build a new type … Continue reading “Scratch Wireless Rolls Out on Photon Q, Looks to Reinvent Carriers”
Announcing Mobile Madness 2014: The Next Disruptors, March 19
Mobile technology has completely changed the game for many industries. From telecom to photo sharing to hailing a cab, and from retail to healthcare, travel, and home automation, apps and devices have opened up worlds of opportunity for entrepreneurs, consumers, and businesses. In short, mobile is taking over. But which companies and investors are now … Continue reading “Announcing Mobile Madness 2014: The Next Disruptors, March 19”
UTest Adds $43M for App Testing, Gets Ready for Future as Applause
Some Boston-area tech startups are no longer startups. Take uTest, the Framingham, MA-based software company that just closed $43 million in Series E funding led by Goldman Sachs. The new money brings uTest’s total raised to about $80 million. Its previous investors include QuestMark Partners, Scale Venture Partners, Longworth Venture Partners, Mass Ventures, and Egan-Managed … Continue reading “UTest Adds $43M for App Testing, Gets Ready for Future as Applause”
Akili, Pfizer, and the Rise of Videogame Brain Therapies
The idea that playing video games can affect your brain has been around for a while. Now a startup and a big drug company are setting up a clinical trial to answer a specific question—namely, whether a video game can predict which players are at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Akili Interactive Labs, based in … Continue reading “Akili, Pfizer, and the Rise of Videogame Brain Therapies”
The Year in Innovation: Xconomy’s Top 13 Stories of 2013
If you only have time to read a few of our articles from the past year, these are the ones. These are editor’s picks (mine). They are not based on Web traffic, but rather on a subjective weighting of their impact, significance, and representation of our mission and geographies. Xconomy is now in 9 regions … Continue reading “The Year in Innovation: Xconomy’s Top 13 Stories of 2013”
Xconomy Boston’s Top 10 Stories of Q4: Editor’s Picks
As 2013 draws to a close, let’s not short-change the events of the most recent quarter in our retrospective. A lot has happened in the Boston innovation scene since early October, and most of it was not commodity news. Here are my picks for 10 of the most compelling and representative stories in Xconomy Boston … Continue reading “Xconomy Boston’s Top 10 Stories of Q4: Editor’s Picks”
Cisco Scoops Up Collaborate.com After Boston Startup Rebrands
Collaboration software for businesses is hot, so it helps to own the domain name Collaborate.com. That was one smart move in a series of many by CEO Matt Cutler and his team over at Boston-based Collaborate.com (formerly known as Kibits). Today, Cisco Systems said it is acquiring Collaborate to strengthen its offerings in document sharing, … Continue reading “Cisco Scoops Up Collaborate.com After Boston Startup Rebrands”
Healthcare Gets Personal: The Photos
Healthcare is a strange thing. We all need it, but we don’t necessarily do what’s in our best interest. Take genetic information. Sequencing technology is reaching a price point where many people could afford to learn a lot more about themselves—their risks, predispositions, and so forth. Yet most aren’t touching it, at least not yet. … Continue reading “Healthcare Gets Personal: The Photos”
See You at “Healthcare Gets Personal” on Thursday in Kendall Square
We are all set for another great event in Boston. “Healthcare Gets Personal” is about the convergence of genomics, analytics, and portable/wearable devices in driving healthcare, personal medicine, and behavior change. It’s all taking place at Google’s offices in Kendall Square (4th floor), from 4-6 pm on Thursday, Dec. 12, and it’s going to be … Continue reading “See You at “Healthcare Gets Personal” on Thursday in Kendall Square”
XL Hybrids Hauls In $3M From WindSail to Electrify Fleet Vehicles
[Updated 11:05 am] What does $10 million buy you in alternative energy and transportation? Not much, these days. But if you’re XL Hybrids, it gets you about halfway to profitability. At least if you believe co-founder and president Tod Hynes. The Boston company, which makes hybrid electric powertrains for commercial vehicles, has just raised $3 … Continue reading “XL Hybrids Hauls In $3M From WindSail to Electrify Fleet Vehicles”
TripAdvisor CEO Kaufer: Reinvent the Company in Good Times
Yes, TripAdvisor. You use it. I use it. But do you know the man behind this popular travel site? And why he is leading a major push to revitalize the company? Founder and CEO Steve Kaufer (pictured) keeps a relatively low profile around town. That’s the way he likes it, but he probably wouldn’t mind … Continue reading “TripAdvisor CEO Kaufer: Reinvent the Company in Good Times”
Healthcare Gets Personal on Dec. 12 at Google: Here’s the Agenda
I first met George Church in the Connecticut backyard of literary agent John Brockman. It was 2007, and Church, the genomics pioneer, was giving an informal talk on synthetic biology. Afterwards, he got stung by some sort of weird-looking bee. The event stuck in my mind. Here’s hoping next Thursday, Dec. 12, will be just … Continue reading “Healthcare Gets Personal on Dec. 12 at Google: Here’s the Agenda”
The Future of Data and Devices: The Photos
D2 is in the books. Our “Future of Data and Devices” tech conference on Thursday delivered on its promise to stir up discussion of where big data, the cloud, and connected devices are converging—and how entrepreneurs and innovators can stay ahead of the curve. What did we learn? Here are four of my broad takeaways: … Continue reading “The Future of Data and Devices: The Photos”
Raizlabs Turns 10: Lessons in Mobile, Bootstrapping, and Hiring
Greg Raiz is all about the slow burn. When he started Raizlabs back in 2003, his father (a software guy) asked whether the startup would be bootstrapped or venture-backed. The former he called “slow burn”—steady growth that could last a while and eventually grow into a big flame. As opposed to “fast burn”—pour gas on … Continue reading “Raizlabs Turns 10: Lessons in Mobile, Bootstrapping, and Hiring”
See You Thursday for “D2: The Future of Data and Devices” at FCAT
We are all set to talk about the future of big data and connected devices in Boston and beyond. I’m talking about our D2 conference, which is almost upon us. It’s all happening this Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology in Boston. We have just a few tickets remaining, which you … Continue reading “See You Thursday for “D2: The Future of Data and Devices” at FCAT”
Kayak’s Paul English Out to Reinforce Good Behavior With Driving App
“Can your phone be used to retrain you?” That’s Paul English, the co-founder and chief technology officer of travel search site Kayak. He’s talking about an emerging trend in mobile apps: software on smartphones increasingly is being designed to reinforce and reward good behaviors. Think nutrition, health, fitness, stress management, and sustainability. Now add driving … Continue reading “Kayak’s Paul English Out to Reinforce Good Behavior With Driving App”
Saxena, Hirschtick, Wolfram to Talk Big Data and Devices on 11/21
What can we learn about big data from the founders of Netezza, SolidWorks, and Wolfram Research? Quite a bit, I wager. And we will, one week from today, at our “D2: The Future of Data and Devices” conference. It’s all going down on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology in Boston, … Continue reading “Saxena, Hirschtick, Wolfram to Talk Big Data and Devices on 11/21”
Brian Shin Raises $4.5M for Mustbin, Looks to Mobilize Your Personal Data
Brian Shin has a good friend who lost everything in Hurricane Sandy. Unfortunately for him, Mustbin did not exist yet. If it did, Shin says, his friend could have at least made digital copies of his most precious papers such as passports, insurance forms, taxes, contracts, and photos. “His life would be so much better,” … Continue reading “Brian Shin Raises $4.5M for Mustbin, Looks to Mobilize Your Personal Data”
New Roomba Is Key to iRobot’s Home of the Future—and Its Business
The godfather of commercial robotics, Bedford, MA-based iRobot, has a brand new Roomba coming out today. What could possibly be exciting about a new robot vacuum cleaner? You probably know the Roomba has been around for many years (since 2002). You may also know that its parent, iRobot (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRBT]]), has sold 10 million home … Continue reading “New Roomba Is Key to iRobot’s Home of the Future—and Its Business”