Hoping to start a new legacy, the U.S. branch of venerable video game maker Atari filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday in New York with plans to restructure as a separate entity from its French parent company, Atari S.A. The domestic divisions of Atari, which has offices in Los Angeles and New York, … Continue reading “U.S.-Based Atari Wants a Reboot, Separation from Cash-Starved Parent”
Author: João-Pierre S. Ruth
After more than thirteen years as a business reporter in New Jersey, João-Pierre S. Ruth joined the ranks of Xconomy serving first as a correspondent and then as editor for its New York City branch. Earlier in his career he covered telecom players such as Verizon Wireless, device makers such as Samsung, and developers of organic LED technology such as Universal Display Corp.
João-Pierre earned his bachelor’s in English from Rutgers University.
Lumiode, Born from Columbia Technology Ventures, Shines at CES Eureka Park
It is getting harder to stand out—in a good way—among startups that exhibit at International CES, thanks to the growth of Eureka Park. Lumiode, a New York-based developer of technology to make electronic displays much brighter and more energy efficient, traveled to last week’s conference in Las Vegas as part of Columbia Technology Ventures. Though … Continue reading “Lumiode, Born from Columbia Technology Ventures, Shines at CES Eureka Park”
Flingo, Accedo Broadband, and Others Cram New Tricks into Smart TVs
Between the digital content being squeezed into televisions and the perpetual stream of new hardware, sitting down to watch a show is far from simple these days. Companies such as Flingo in San Francisco and Stockholm-based Accedo Broadband, which got a foothold in Brooklyn last fall, develop apps and platforms designed to enhance TV viewing. … Continue reading “Flingo, Accedo Broadband, and Others Cram New Tricks into Smart TVs”
Marvell Gives a Glimpse of the New OLPC Laptop, Bearing Its Tech Inside
Part of the fun during last week’s International CES in Las Vegas was coming across surprises, such as Marvell of Santa Clara, CA bringing along the yet-to-be released new computer from the One Laptop Per Child project. The nonprofit OLPC project, whose foundation is based in Cambridge, MA, develops rugged, inexpensive laptops for children in … Continue reading “Marvell Gives a Glimpse of the New OLPC Laptop, Bearing Its Tech Inside”
Livestream Reveals Updated Video Broadcaster Built with Verizon’s Help
New York’s Livestream this week showed off the fruits of its collaboration with the Verizon Innovation Center in Waltham, MA, unveiling an updated video broadcasting device at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Max Haot, Livestream’s CEO and co-founder, talked up the new broadcaster equipped with a Verizon 4G modem when he came by the wireless provider’s … Continue reading “Livestream Reveals Updated Video Broadcaster Built with Verizon’s Help”
Feld, Herron, and O’Driscoll Talk Startups and Investments at Eureka Park
Beyond the glitz of new big ticket electronics, startup innovations sparked chatter at this year’s International CES in Las Vegas—especially after a trio of high-profile VCs came to Eureka Park, the startup-focused exhibitor area at the show. Frank Gruber, founder of Las Vegas–based media company and events organizer Tech Cocktail, moderated the spirited chat that … Continue reading “Feld, Herron, and O’Driscoll Talk Startups and Investments at Eureka Park”
NJ Coworking Spaces Chase Momentum on the Other Side of the Hudson
Rather than let the New York innovation community have all the fun, patches of startups are sprouting up across the Hudson River in New Jersey. The Garden State’s innovation scene is more diffuse compared with the concentrated activity in Manhattan and Brooklyn. But New Jersey coworking spaces such as JuiceTank Innovation Lab and Cowerks are … Continue reading “NJ Coworking Spaces Chase Momentum on the Other Side of the Hudson”
CES Countdown: Startups Plant their Flags and Changes Coming to TV
Each January the makers of gadgets big and small bring an electronic carnival to Las Vegas as they tease the world with glimpses of devices they plan to unleash during the coming year. A few changes are in store for next week’s International CES, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center and nearby hotels. After … Continue reading “CES Countdown: Startups Plant their Flags and Changes Coming to TV”
New York Got Smarter, Dressed Sharper, and Faced Off with Failure in 2012
Adolescence can be a tough and fascinating period of discovery—even for New York’s innovation community. At the onset of 2012, education technology startups in the city trumpeted their platforms for sharing knowledge via the cloud and social networks. Other technology sectors, e-commerce especially, saw rapid evolution as once-hot daily deals faded further from the spotlight. … Continue reading “New York Got Smarter, Dressed Sharper, and Faced Off with Failure in 2012”
Fred Wilson Calls Out Enterprise Tech Incumbents, Sees Room for NY Startups
When Fred Wilson, managing partner with Union Square Ventures, prefaces a statement as potentially controversial, most people in the room tend to lean forward for a listen. Last night’s New York Enterprise Technology Meetup was no exception. Wilson, an early backer of Twitter and current investor in Return Path and MongoDB’s developer 10gen, spoke to the … Continue reading “Fred Wilson Calls Out Enterprise Tech Incumbents, Sees Room for NY Startups”
Habib Kairouz Talks Totsy, Flash Sales, and Expectations for E-commerce
While some critics grumble about the future of e-commerce, Habib Kairouz sees prospects for prudent growth for companies that change with consumers’ tastes. Kairouz, a managing partner with Rho Capital Partners and Rho Ventures in New York, backs Totsy, a New York-based e-commerce site for deals and flash sales on wares for infants and parents, … Continue reading “Habib Kairouz Talks Totsy, Flash Sales, and Expectations for E-commerce”
Outbrain Snaps Up Scribit Adding Curated Content to Bag of Tricks
New York-based online content recommendation company Outbrain is busy sharpening its tools once again as competition mounts in its sector. Earlier this week Outbrain announced it acquired Scribit, an Atlanta-based developer of a platform for curating online content. This is the latest deal for Outbrain, which back in February 2011 acquired the technology and assets … Continue reading “Outbrain Snaps Up Scribit Adding Curated Content to Bag of Tricks”
FinTech Startup Weekend Pushes for Innovations That Work with Money
Few places in the world can match the concentration of financial institutions found in New York, so it is little surprise Startup Weekend chose this city for its first-ever FinTech event. Held this past weekend at co-working space Alley NYC, 13 teams toiled to come up with new ways to use technology to solve real-world … Continue reading “FinTech Startup Weekend Pushes for Innovations That Work with Money”
MPowerD Lights up the Night at New York Tech Meetup with Luci
Visit the monthly New York Tech Meetup enough times and you get your fill of apps, hacks, and Web-based platforms. So it is a welcome surprise when tangible, physical technology makes its way on stage at Skirball Center for Performing Arts at NYU. Amid last week’s demos for app creation, file sharing, and media wizardry, … Continue reading “MPowerD Lights up the Night at New York Tech Meetup with Luci”
Staples Plans to Enter 3-D Printing Scene, Shapeways Keeps Cool
There are two ways, generally speaking, for growing companies to react when big players take competitive interest in their market: scramble for new survival strategies or grin knowingly with a look that screams “let’s dance.” Office supply chain Staples (Nasdaq: [[ticker:SPLS]]) based in Framingham, MA announced plans to bring 3-D printing in the first quarter … Continue reading “Staples Plans to Enter 3-D Printing Scene, Shapeways Keeps Cool”
Mobile Madness NY Speakers Discuss Fresh Ideas and Kissing Frogs
Xconomy introduced the Big Apple to the Mobile Madness conference yesterday, bringing together some of New York’s most dynamic innovators in mobile and seasoned investors who back the sector. And the crowd who attended this half-day forum at the Microsoft Technology Center in Midtown, a stone’s throw away from Radio City Music Hall, got a … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NY Speakers Discuss Fresh Ideas and Kissing Frogs”
Seamless Sees Opportunity as LivingSocial Shrinks and Consolidates
Competition may be a form of flattery but in the end, someone limps away bruised. New York’s Seamless, which developed a Web and mobile platform for ordering meals for delivery and pickup from restaurants, is sounding rather confident of its place in the market. In late November, would-be rival LivingSocial, a daily deals company in Washington, … Continue reading “Seamless Sees Opportunity as LivingSocial Shrinks and Consolidates”
In-Game Ads Push Into Mobile Market, But Play It Safe
Considering the growing amount of time people spend using their smartphones, phablets, and tablets—especially to playing games—it’s no surprise that advertisers and marketers want to use mobile devices in new ways to get their messages in front of us. Last night in New York, executives from marketing companies such as Publicis and game developers Funtactix … Continue reading “In-Game Ads Push Into Mobile Market, But Play It Safe”
Is DealDown Winding Down after Brief Foray in Deals Badlands?
It is not clear what is happening at DealDown in Brooklyn. Co-founder Martin Mittelman said via e-mail he could not currently comment, but according to a candid blog by former content manager Jeremy Davis, the startup DealDown seems to be on the way out: “Yesterday, I walked into work to find out that DealDown was … Continue reading “Is DealDown Winding Down after Brief Foray in Deals Badlands?”
Hipcricket’s Ivan Braiker to Chat about Ads, Commerce at Mobile Madness NY
Innovation will only carry a business so far without a plan to grow—and that can mean seeking out a partner who brings different technology and expertise to the table. In late summer 2011, Hipcricket decided it was time to make such a move when it agreed to be acquired by New York-based Augme Technologies. More … Continue reading “Hipcricket’s Ivan Braiker to Chat about Ads, Commerce at Mobile Madness NY”
Sonar CEO Brett Martin to Speak at Mobile Madness NY
For all the power crammed into mobile devices, there are more ways we can use them to connect with the world immediately around us. Many people already turn to their smartphones to find retailers, restaurants, and driving directions. We also use these gadgets to update friends in our social networks on our day-to-day activities, regardless … Continue reading “Sonar CEO Brett Martin to Speak at Mobile Madness NY”
Outbrain Purges Customers Who Abused Platform, Takes Hit on Revenue
It can be easy to make a quick buck in this city, but New York’s rapidly growing Outbrain chose recently to turn down some business that it says cast a pall on its long-term plans. The six-year-old company, which developed a content recommendation engine, steers its users to online stories and videos from publishers that … Continue reading “Outbrain Purges Customers Who Abused Platform, Takes Hit on Revenue”
Winklevoss Twins Lead Investors in $1M Seed Round for Hukkster
Wrapping up an early holiday present, New York startup Hukkster closed on a $1 million seed round this week. Hukkster’s Web-based “bookmarklet” service alerts users when online prices drop on items they want to purchase. Internet entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss led a new $750,000 investment in Hukkster, with participation from angel investors who also … Continue reading “Winklevoss Twins Lead Investors in $1M Seed Round for Hukkster”
GramercyOne now Booker, Sharpens Strategy and Unveils Deals Service
Adopting the name of its chief product, New York’s GramercyOne became Booker Software on Tuesday, and in 2013 plans to take its automated deal-making service out of a pilot phase and make it available to more businesses. Companies such as hair salons, spas, fitness centers, chiropractors, and photographers use the two-year-old startup’s cloud-based platform to … Continue reading “GramercyOne now Booker, Sharpens Strategy and Unveils Deals Service”
Mobile Drives Year-End Hopes, 2013 Outlook for Consumer Electronics
Betting on ramped-up demand for tablets, phablets, and smartphones, the Consumer Electronics Association offered a somewhat prosperous outlook on Monday for holiday sales and beyond. Researchers from the organization shared their perspectives at a press event in New York talking about where consumer gadgets may be headed in advance of January’s International CES conference. The … Continue reading “Mobile Drives Year-End Hopes, 2013 Outlook for Consumer Electronics”
Mark Cuban, Others Talk Future of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, & Google
Closing out the two-day ad:tech NY digital marketing conference yesterday, Dallas Mavericks owner and technology investor Mark Cuban offered some strong opinions on basically everything. Cuban participated in a panel—moderated by CNET.com executive editor Molly Wood—that examined what technology power players Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon do right as well as possible trouble each company … Continue reading “Mark Cuban, Others Talk Future of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, & Google”
Fred Wilson Discusses Ads, Mobile, and Crowdfunding at Ad:Tech NY
No one has discovered a magic formula for the best way to leverage digital advertising. However, it never hurts to take a bit of advice from venture capitalist Fred Wilson, managing partner of Union Square Ventures in New York. He spoke Wednesday afternoon at the ad:tech New York digital marketing conference, discussing “Tomorrow’s Digital Landscape” … Continue reading “Fred Wilson Discusses Ads, Mobile, and Crowdfunding at Ad:Tech NY”
Conductor Helps Companies Compete for Prime Spots in Web Searches
Every company wants to be first, especially when it comes to marketing on the Web. Getting brand names and links at the top of search results may attract more customers, but figuring out how to grab and hold onto such prime spots can be confusing. That’s where Conductor, a New York-based search engine optimization technology … Continue reading “Conductor Helps Companies Compete for Prime Spots in Web Searches”
TechStars NYC-alum Moveline Weathers Sandy, Raises $1.5M Along the Way
Across the Northeast, people, businesses, and governments continue the long work of recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy—and startups in New York were not spared from disruption. Moveline, a graduate of the spring TechStars NYC class, was one of them. The startup designs software used to compare prices from moving companies, and help people … Continue reading “TechStars NYC-alum Moveline Weathers Sandy, Raises $1.5M Along the Way”
DealDown Thinks There’s Life Left in Beleaguered Daily Deals Sector
The first question that came to mind when DealDown in Brooklyn took its website public was, why dive into the daily deals market at this stage? Bigger names such as Groupon and LivingSocial have lost their early glamour, and the investor community—especially Joanne Wilson—has chilled to this type of business. Regardless, DealDown unveiled its public … Continue reading “DealDown Thinks There’s Life Left in Beleaguered Daily Deals Sector”
Travora Wants First Class Seat to Consolidation in Online Travel
Between William Shatner playing pitchman for Priceline and those quirky ads from Kayak, competition is intensifying in the online travel market. In fact the Web is getting rather crowded with search engines for lodging and portals for discovering new places to visit. Travora.com in New York launched this month with its eye on bringing such … Continue reading “Travora Wants First Class Seat to Consolidation in Online Travel”
Enterprise Tech Panel Discusses Hiring Challenges for NY B2B Startups
Startups aimed at serving consumers attract a large share of attention from would-be hires. Who wouldn’t want to work for a company their friends and family immediately know? Startups in the business-to-business sector might not have the same name recognition but they face similar challenges picking the right talent as business-to-consumer companies. Last night, the … Continue reading “Enterprise Tech Panel Discusses Hiring Challenges for NY B2B Startups”
IAC Makes OkCupid Co-Founder Boss of its Entire Online Dating Segment
Internet and media company IAC (Nasdaq: [[ticker:IACI]]) in New York is shaking up the management in its online dating segment. The company says that Sam Yagan, CEO and co-founder of OkCupid, has been appointed CEO of Match Inc. overseeing all of IAC’s online dating operations, which includes Match.com, the largest dating site on the planet, … Continue reading “IAC Makes OkCupid Co-Founder Boss of its Entire Online Dating Segment”
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff: End Coming for Windows in Enterprise
If you ask cloud computing evangelist Marc Benioff about the future of Windows and PCs in the enterprise world it comes as no surprise that he sees this era rapidly coming to an end. That change, he believes, may be closer than ever if this week’s release of Windows 8 gives chief information officers the … Continue reading “Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff: End Coming for Windows in Enterprise”
Angel Investor Joanne Wilson Talks about Have to Have and the NY scene
It is hard to find a more New York savvy angel investor than Joanne Wilson. She has backed local startups such as DailyWorth, Nestio, and Lover.ly. Wilson also co-chairs the annual ITP Women Entrepreneurial Festival at New York University and blogs about women in technology and her other interests as Gotham Gal. One-year-old Have to … Continue reading “Angel Investor Joanne Wilson Talks about Have to Have and the NY scene”
Future Cornell NYC Tech Campus Makes Space for Technology Companies
A new set of renderings issued Monday offer a more detailed glimpse of what is in the works for Cornell NYC Tech as the public review process begins for the plan to create this applied science and engineering school. The $2 billion campus to be built on Roosevelt Island—based on a plan by Cornell University … Continue reading “Future Cornell NYC Tech Campus Makes Space for Technology Companies”
A Night with IncubateNYC Entrepreneurs at Google’s NY Office
On Thursday night at Google’s New York offices in Chelsea, IncubateNYC co-founders Brian Shields and Marcus Mayo held a coming-out party for some of the entrepreneurs they work with. It has been quite the evolution for IncubateNYC, which is an independent program that Google lends some support to. What began as an effort to create … Continue reading “A Night with IncubateNYC Entrepreneurs at Google’s NY Office”
CrowdHut Emerges from Beta, Brings Aggregation Services to Crowdfunding
Chocolate-covered wasabi peas and electric bikes are just some of the first items for sale through CrowdHut, a New York–based e-commerce site that markets products and services from crowdfunded companies. Emerging from private beta last week, five-month-old CrowdHut aims to become a central portal for companies that raise cash through platforms such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, … Continue reading “CrowdHut Emerges from Beta, Brings Aggregation Services to Crowdfunding”
Blueprint Health’s Latest Class Tackles Drug Adherence, Other Issues
Graduating its second batch of startups to bring more innovation to healthcare, Blueprint Health in New York is rapidly cementing its place among the city’s accelerators. Nine healthcare technology companies from Blueprint’s summer session held a demo day last Thursday to impress investors and potential collaborators. By specializing in health, which frankly affects everyone, these … Continue reading “Blueprint Health’s Latest Class Tackles Drug Adherence, Other Issues”
Watchitoo Opens Video Chat Playground to Take on Google+ Hangouts
Almost anyone can start a video conference nowadays, thanks to the ubiquity of computer webcams and mobile devices equipped with cameras. No longer the province of elite corporate meetings, video chat services are accessible through social networks and telecom providers. Now New York’s Watchitoo believes its new service can challenge Google+ Hangouts for its share … Continue reading “Watchitoo Opens Video Chat Playground to Take on Google+ Hangouts”
Square Goes All in for Design Studio 80/20, Gains New York Presence
New York-based design studio 80/20 said on its website it was joining San Francisco’s Square, the developer of electronic payments software and a card reader used with smartphones and tablets. 80/20’s team is led by veteran user-interface and product designers from Apple and Adobe. Prior to the acquisition by Square, 80/20 designed the look and feel … Continue reading “Square Goes All in for Design Studio 80/20, Gains New York Presence”
MoviePass Emerges from Beta, Goes it Alone in Movie Ticketing
Weekends mean huge business for the movie industry, but weekdays are another story. Now a New York startup believes its platform can help fill those empty seats during weekday screenings. The team behind MoviePass is graduating its subscription service from its beta phase today with new technology for purchasing movie tickets. This two-year-old startup tried … Continue reading “MoviePass Emerges from Beta, Goes it Alone in Movie Ticketing”
Accedo Acquires CloverLeaf, Makes Good on Promise to Expand into NY
Accedo Broadband, a Stockholm-based developer of technology for smart televisions and IPTVs, says it has fulfilled its plans to establish a New York branch. Wednesday morning the company announced it acquired Brooklyn’s CloverLeaf Digital for undisclosed terms. The deal gives Accedo an immediate New York presence, and CloverLeaf, according to its founder Lawrence Brickman, gains … Continue reading “Accedo Acquires CloverLeaf, Makes Good on Promise to Expand into NY”
Streamworks and Others Say Live Video on Mobile Devices Is Changing News
Everyone knows video is a huge driver of Web traffic, but thus far the bulk of that content has been prerecorded, even on news sites. Now change is underway, according to a gathering of media professionals in New York who spoke Tuesday morning about the spread of live video to more mobile devices around the … Continue reading “Streamworks and Others Say Live Video on Mobile Devices Is Changing News”
New Cash for New York Big Data Companies Dataminr and eXelate
A pair of New York big data companies separately announced funding news this morning. Dataminr, a three-year-old real-time social media analytics company, said it raised $13 million in a Series B round with GSV Capital, Deep Fork Capital, Viceroy Capital, Wharton Equity Partners, and others. Founded in 2009, Dataminr uses its access to Twitter’s firehose … Continue reading “New Cash for New York Big Data Companies Dataminr and eXelate”
From Yoga to Political Funding: ERA Summer Startups Demo Their Ideas
It is getting rather hectic these days in New York trying to keep track of each batch of startups getting a boost from an accelerator. TechStars New York naturally attracts plenty of attention but the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) program is busy making its own noise in town. The latest round of fledglings to emerge … Continue reading “From Yoga to Political Funding: ERA Summer Startups Demo Their Ideas”
Grishin Robotics Puts $250K into Y Combinator-Grad Double Robotics
Investment fund Grishin Robotics in New York announced Friday it invested $250,000 in Double Robotics, a Mountain View, CA-based maker of mobile, robotic stands for Apple iPads. This is Grishin’s first investment after being founded in June by Mail.ru’s CEO Dmitry Grishin, who plans to back new innovations in robotics across the U.S. Double Robotics, … Continue reading “Grishin Robotics Puts $250K into Y Combinator-Grad Double Robotics”
Paul Arena Out, Robert Hussey In as CEO of Augme Technologies
With the end of summer comes a change in leadership at Augme Technologies (OTCBB: [[ticker:AUGT]]) in New York. The company announced that Robert F. Hussey, who served as its interim chief operating officer from June until the beginning of September, was appointed interim CEO, replacing Paul Arena. Augme is the parent company of Hipcricket, a … Continue reading “Paul Arena Out, Robert Hussey In as CEO of Augme Technologies”
Philip Kiracofe and Others Talk About Healthy Failure at Ignite NYC
There’s no shortage of ways that a startup can fail. Money runs out, a rival wins over the customer base, or the company just does not deliver on its expectations. But while failure may wound pride, it also creates room for new ideas to flourish in the innovation scene. Philip Kiracofe, entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder … Continue reading “Philip Kiracofe and Others Talk About Healthy Failure at Ignite NYC”
Kapitall Appoints Jarrett Lilien, Former E-Trade COO, as Its New CEO
Sometimes using a simple layout to explain a complex task such as investing can make it easier to comprehend. Kapitall in New York developed an online investing platform that uses a game-like interface to help its users better understand the stock trading world. Now the three-year-old company is eager to scale up and expand its … Continue reading “Kapitall Appoints Jarrett Lilien, Former E-Trade COO, as Its New CEO”