It is pretty much a given that more and more people choose messaging apps as their primary means to talk to each other these days. But so far, companies have been sluggish in using this medium as a way to talk to their customers. Sure, there is e-mail and the occasional exchange across social media with companies, … Continue reading “Pypestream’s CEO Talks Messaging Between Businesses and Consumers”
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.
Hexagon Geospatial Starts Yearlong Hackathon in New York for Map Apps
On Thursday, a Norcross, GA-based developer came to New York to kick off a hackathon that looks to inspire new ideas and uses for its geospatial mapping platform. Hexagon Geospatial’s Smart M.Apps is a cloud-based platform that visualizes data in real time on digital maps, such as displaying reported crime patterns or transportation in a city. The … Continue reading “Hexagon Geospatial Starts Yearlong Hackathon in New York for Map Apps”
Alcohol Delivery App Thirstie Pours Itself a Double, Acquires DrinkFly
The race to be the top app that people use to order alcohol for delivery took a new turn on Wednesday. New York-based Thirstie has acquired DrinkFly, a Chicago-based company also in the alcohol delivery business. With this deal, Thirstie gets into four new markets, bringing its coverage to more than 22 cities, says CEO Devaraj Southworth. The … Continue reading “Alcohol Delivery App Thirstie Pours Itself a Double, Acquires DrinkFly”
NYTM Recap: Digital Drawings, Dinosaurs, & an App That Fines Tardiness
Judging by the audience’s reaction, people who visit the New York Tech Meetup want to draw in new dimensions, talk to dinosaurs, and make their friends pay money if they are chronically late to events. Those were a few of the extremely varied demos (see slideshow) presented this week at the monthly gathering for new … Continue reading “NYTM Recap: Digital Drawings, Dinosaurs, & an App That Fines Tardiness”
SOLS Takes a New Step to Find Its Stride in 3D-Customized Products
Will ExoSOLS give a maker of 3D-printed foot care products a boost in scaling up? On Thursday, New York-based SOLS introduced a new app, revised website, and ExoSOLS, the chief product in its new “science of comfort” line. When we first got introduced to SOLS, its focus was on 3D-printed medical orthotics and custom insoles … Continue reading “SOLS Takes a New Step to Find Its Stride in 3D-Customized Products”
Founder Nathan Smith on What Comes Next for Wink, Smart Homes, & IoT
To say the least, the past year was “colorful” for Wink, the New York-based developer of a hub and app that control smart home devices. Back in the fall, the company that Wink spun out from and shared a headquarters building with, Quirky, went bankrupt in spectacular fashion. However, in that time of seeming uncertainty, … Continue reading “Founder Nathan Smith on What Comes Next for Wink, Smart Homes, & IoT”
Stash Raises $3M Seed Round for App for Stock Investing Novices
The stock market might be cruel and unforgiving these days, but a New York-based startup with an app for investing is on the rise. In a deal announced Tuesday, Stash got $3 million in a seed round led by Goodwater Capital, with Entrée Capital and Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures participating. Previously, Stash raised $1.5 million … Continue reading “Stash Raises $3M Seed Round for App for Stock Investing Novices”
Canary Finds Its CMO in Marketing Vet From Yahoo & Virgin Mobile USA
[Updated 2/8/16 11:50 am. See below.] The executive team at Canary just got more seasoned, with the addition of Bob Stohrer as its chief marketing officer. This particular hire, announced last week, is interesting because Stohrer has been chief marketing officer for such companies as Virgin Mobile USA and iHeartRadio. His latest gig was as … Continue reading “Canary Finds Its CMO in Marketing Vet From Yahoo & Virgin Mobile USA”
CommonBond, The Muse, Common, and Gimlet Media Get Real on Startup Life
What is the best way to build a startup? Naturally there are lots of different answers, but a few misconceptions and wrongheaded ideas should get put to rest while chasing unicorn dreams. Thursday morning in New York, David Klein, CEO of student loan marketplace CommonBond; Brad Hargreaves, CEO of Common and co-founder of General Assembly; … Continue reading “CommonBond, The Muse, Common, and Gimlet Media Get Real on Startup Life”
Cambridge Blockchain Wins First Santander Challenge for Fintech Startups
A team based out of the Cambridge Innovation Center came down to New York last week and snagged a bit of starting cash at the Santander InnoVentures Distributed Ledger Challenge fintech pitch competition. CEO Matthew Commons said his startup, Cambridge Blockchain, is an identity management platform for blockchain systems (the public ledgers for the Bitcoin network.) Blockchains … Continue reading “Cambridge Blockchain Wins First Santander Challenge for Fintech Startups”
Knight Foundation: Can Data Work for the People Without Selling Out?
More and more, data gets used to define our lives. But where does that leave the layperson who might not know what to make of this information era? And what can be done with data gleaned from the public beyond helping companies turn a profit? Is there a way to democratize the digital realm? Last … Continue reading “Knight Foundation: Can Data Work for the People Without Selling Out?”
Shareablee, Others Pitch for Diversity in Tech at NYTM Women’s Demo Night
It has been an admittedly personal mission for Jessica Lawrence, executive director of the New York Tech Meetup, to encourage more gender diversity in the city’s tech scene. She said when she first started working with New York Tech Meetup, women were scarce among the tech founders who sought to demo at the monthly gathering, … Continue reading “Shareablee, Others Pitch for Diversity in Tech at NYTM Women’s Demo Night”
Kanojia Returns With a Starry Plan for Wireless Internet & Smart Homes
Making a fast return to the innovation scene on Wednesday—or rather, he never truly left—CEO Chet Kanojia unveiled Starry, his latest startup, in New York. As we previously reported, Kanojia and other expatriates from Aereo have been developing this project in stealth under the codename Project Decibel. With Starry, Kanojia dives into wireless broadband while … Continue reading “Kanojia Returns With a Starry Plan for Wireless Internet & Smart Homes”
Grovo and Authorea Reap Latest Rounds of Funding in New York
On Tuesday, a pair of funding announcements—for online learning and a research platform—came out of New York as the city continued to dig out of the snow. Authorea, a startup that developed a platform for scientific, academic, and medical collaboration, announced it raised $1.5 million in a round led by Lux Capital, with the Knight … Continue reading “Grovo and Authorea Reap Latest Rounds of Funding in New York”
LiveIntent Hires New Prez to Make E-Mail “Next Big Thing” in Adtech
With a new president onboard, e-mail advertising technology company LiveIntent may have some aggressive growth plans in store. On Monday, the company announced it hired Jason Kelly, who previously was CEO at Sociomantic, president at Millennial Media, and chief revenue officer at Admeld. Those companies were acquired by Dunnhumby, AOL, and Google, respectively. That track record of … Continue reading “LiveIntent Hires New Prez to Make E-Mail “Next Big Thing” in Adtech”
Canvs Raises $5.6M for Platform to Map Emotions via Social Media
Claiming to know how people, especially millennials, feel based on what they say through social media sounds a bit like a myth marketers might whisper about. It is easy to see when someone says they like a television show for instance, but what in particular did the audience react to? What was the funniest line … Continue reading “Canvs Raises $5.6M for Platform to Map Emotions via Social Media”
ALICE Gets $9.5M From Expedia, Others for Hospitality Ops Platform
Room service can save time when you’re staying at a hotel, but what if the food never arrives? That is the kind of problem New York-based ALICE wants to help hoteliers tackle with a software platform that manages their operations. On Tuesday, the company said it raised $9.5 million in a Series A round led … Continue reading “ALICE Gets $9.5M From Expedia, Others for Hospitality Ops Platform”
Aprenita Rolls Out Algorithmic Lending Platform for App Developers
Unlike approaching a bank, the proof of creditworthiness is in the analytics when it comes to seeking a loan through Aprenita. The New York-based lender introduced a platform Tuesday that assesses small businesses, specifically mobile app developers, by the traction their apps have accrued to determine if they are fit for a loan. That flies … Continue reading “Aprenita Rolls Out Algorithmic Lending Platform for App Developers”
The Next Phase of the TV Tech Battle: Quantum Dot vs. OLED Display
“This will be the year of the . . .” Such claims get repeated seemingly every January at CES when new televisions roll out, with promises of tremendous, blazing new visuals to come. But this protracted war to create the sexiest television in the world may be getting a little hard on the eyes. It is … Continue reading “The Next Phase of the TV Tech Battle: Quantum Dot vs. OLED Display”
Mcor Technologies Dives Into Desktop Niche of 3D Printing
Like a proud parent taking a child to their first day of school, Conor MacCormack, CEO of Mcor Technologies, last week at CES showed off his company’s latest entry in the 3D printing market: a full-color desktop model. MacCormack revealed some of the inner workings of the Mcor ARKe to me at the annual technology … Continue reading “Mcor Technologies Dives Into Desktop Niche of 3D Printing”
Catching Up with Captureproof, Hitlist, Glowforge, & Others at Eureka Park
A few years ago, it might have been outrageous to think of CES as an essential event to meet startups from across country. Given the explosive growth of this part of the annual technology conference, it makes one wonder if Eureka Park is now big enough to be its own show. Last week some 500 … Continue reading “Catching Up with Captureproof, Hitlist, Glowforge, & Others at Eureka Park”
General Assembly Expands to Denver, Classes to Start in February
Opening in its 15th city, General Assembly is coming to Denver. The New York-headquartered tech training and career education institution announced its latest expansion on Monday, with courses at the new location to begin next month. When the doors officially open in Colorado, General Assembly will offer quick classes such as Coding for Beginners and … Continue reading “General Assembly Expands to Denver, Classes to Start in February”
Car Wars: Mary Barra Talks GM’s Future, Nvidia Takes the Wheel at CES
Make way for autonomous cars on the highways ahead. That was a common theme from the auto industry at the CES technology trade show this week in Las Vegas. In years prior, carmakers tried almost too hard at CES to make their vehicles seem more hip by talking up connectivity and putting apps in cars … Continue reading “Car Wars: Mary Barra Talks GM’s Future, Nvidia Takes the Wheel at CES”
Syfy Labs Brings “The Expanse” to MakerBot 3D Printers at CES
Syfy really wants tech lovers and hobbyists to get onboard with one of its latest TV programs—and the timing might even help 3D-printer company MakerBot Industries. Viewers of science-fiction series The Expanse can now 3D-print replica spaceships from the show through a collaboration between the Syfy cable network and Brooklyn-based MakerBot. Introduced on Wednesday at CES … Continue reading “Syfy Labs Brings “The Expanse” to MakerBot 3D Printers at CES”
VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview
Before this week’s big reveals of new technology at CES, a few teaser events are offering glimpses of things to come. CES Unveiled Las Vegas, one such event held Monday evening, had a smattering of gadgets eager for their share of the spotlight (see slideshow). A number of the devices I spied, such as Somabar, … Continue reading “VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview”
Peloton Streams Its Exercise Cycling Classes to Smartphones
A few weeks ago, CEO John Foley told me Peloton would become more than “a stationary bike company” for video exercise classes. Now it is a bit clearer what the next leg of development will look like. New York-based Peloton recently released an app—Peloton Anywhere—that brings its video streams of indoor cycling classes to Apple iPhones. The … Continue reading “Peloton Streams Its Exercise Cycling Classes to Smartphones”
Techstars NYC Sees Baptiste’s Return, Rise of Chipps, Visit by Wilson
When the latest class of Techstars NYC took the stage last week, the startups were not the only ones looking ahead—the city had its eye on the future as well. Among the 14 teams that graduated from the fall session (see slideshow), familiar faces Sara Chipps and Jason Baptiste turned up with their latest forays … Continue reading “Techstars NYC Sees Baptiste’s Return, Rise of Chipps, Visit by Wilson”
Arts, Crafts, and Techstars Turn Up at New York Tech Meetup
In a city known for its love of the arts, software and hardware are being transformed into a digital canvas for creative folks. Tuesday night’s New York Tech Meetup (NYTM) felt a bit like a tour through a studio populated with musicians and artisans who use technology as their chosen medium. The monthly gathering for … Continue reading “Arts, Crafts, and Techstars Turn Up at New York Tech Meetup”
SocialRank Evolving Its Software and Mission in Audience Analytics
There is no simple, magical answer for what brands should do with their social media followers, but New York-based SocialRank thinks it can help companies better understand who the audience is—and then take action. On Monday, the company introduced SocialRank for Teams, which lets groups use the SocialRank and Market Intelligence software collaboratively for their marketing efforts. From … Continue reading “SocialRank Evolving Its Software and Mission in Audience Analytics”
Matter Brings More Media Startups and Expansion Plans to New York
Last Friday, the Matter Five class visited New York, showcasing another round of startups with aspirations of bringing change to the media world. As accelerators go, Matter tends to have smaller classes of graduates, though they are all focused on some aspect of the media industry. There was an overarching theme among the latest graduates, centered … Continue reading “Matter Brings More Media Startups and Expansion Plans to New York”
Bill Clinton at Kiva’s National Launch of Small Biz Lending Platform
Wednesday night in New York, Kiva took the wraps off its nationwide platform for zero-percent-interest small business loans—with a little help from former President Bill Clinton and PayPal CEO Daniel Schulman. The launch means more small businesses can have a shot at obtaining such microloans, filling some of the gaps in the financing needed to get … Continue reading “Bill Clinton at Kiva’s National Launch of Small Biz Lending Platform”
Cleantech, Robots, and Airbnb: Technologies to Watch in 2016
There comes a time when a “new” technology either changes the world or dies off—though it may be hard to know when it reaches such a threshold moment. If a trio of analysts with Bank of America Merrill Lynch is right, 2016 could be a turning point for a few segments of tech. It could … Continue reading “Cleantech, Robots, and Airbnb: Technologies to Watch in 2016”
Alums of Powermat and Fiverr Get $13M for Stealthy Insurance Startup
Lemonade plans to do something in the insurance scene—the founders, though, are not ready to publicly share what exactly they have cooked up. Some investors think it is a worthwhile idea, whatever it may be. On Tuesday, Daniel Schreiber and Shai Wininger, veterans of Powermat and Fiverr, announced they raised a $13 million seed round, … Continue reading “Alums of Powermat and Fiverr Get $13M for Stealthy Insurance Startup”
Bluecore Gets $21M for Big Data on Consumer Behavior for Marketers
Promising to crunch terabytes of behavioral data on consumers into something useful might sound like digital wizardry and rainmaking, but Bluecore is trying to do just that to help marketers. The New York-based company turns information about what customers look up when they visit brands’ websites into a way to target marketing messages. Bluecore CEO and co-founder … Continue reading “Bluecore Gets $21M for Big Data on Consumer Behavior for Marketers”
Peloton Gets $75M More, Will Hire More Engineers & Develop New Tech
An even bigger engineering team, more showrooms, and a plan to expand beyond exercise bikes are on the way for New York-based Peloton. The company, which developed a stationary exercise bike with a built-in screen for streaming video classes, announced on Wednesday it got a $75 million investment from private equity firm Catterton to support its … Continue reading “Peloton Gets $75M More, Will Hire More Engineers & Develop New Tech”
One Month Tries Boot Camp Approach to Teach Founders How to Launch
An online school for entrepreneurs is starting a competition that seems to fall somewhere between a hackathon and full throttle accelerator. New York-based One Month already offers lessons in coding and app development, along with business courses on product management. This sounds akin to, say, Khan Academy or General Assembly, but with a special emphasis … Continue reading “One Month Tries Boot Camp Approach to Teach Founders How to Launch”
Mobile Projectors, Pet Trackers, & 3D Printers Chase Mainstream Appeal
It is that time of year again when gadget shops go into high gear, cranking out shiny new devices in anticipation of the big day. A major event looms on the horizon that works the consumer electronics world into a lather—however, it is not Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or even Festivus. No, this is the run-up season … Continue reading “Mobile Projectors, Pet Trackers, & 3D Printers Chase Mainstream Appeal”
Can Linking Money to the Internet of Things Make It a Real “Thing?”
With a few exceptions, the long-promised revolution of gadgets that know stuff about you and use that data to do stuff for you has been running nowhere on a hamster wheel. Yes, there are sexy, smart thermostats—for those who can afford them—that will automatically make homes toasty warm this winter before you leave work. Despite … Continue reading “Can Linking Money to the Internet of Things Make It a Real “Thing?””
Getting Down to Business with L’Oréal USA’s Women in Digital Winners
There comes a point when every “new” campaign to nurture startups either matures itself or fades away. L’Oréal USA’s Women in Digital looks like it plans to stick around. Now in its fourth year, the annual program continues to provide mentorship to three woman-led startups, who also get a shot at running pilots with the … Continue reading “Getting Down to Business with L’Oréal USA’s Women in Digital Winners”
Schwartz Talks Diversity in Tech & General Assembly’s Growing Clout
The more the innovation community grows, the more diversity will become intrinsic to startups’ development. That was one of the messages from The Next Web (TNW) Conference USA held this week in New York, where General Assembly CEO and co-founder Jake Schwartz did a fireside chat with TNW editor Natt Garun. Schwartz said General Assembly, … Continue reading “Schwartz Talks Diversity in Tech & General Assembly’s Growing Clout”
More Folks Take Sides in Quarrel Over Ridesharing, Taxis, & NY Law
A group called the New Yorkers for Ridesharing coalition announced its presence to the world this week to advocate for companies such as Uber, and help them operate in upstate New York. The coalition spoke Monday on a conference call with the media—just as more opposition to Uber cruising the streets of Manhattan bubbled to the … Continue reading “More Folks Take Sides in Quarrel Over Ridesharing, Taxis, & NY Law”
With An Influx of Startups, CES Trying to Not Be the Same Old Show
Change is underway in the consumer gadget scene, thanks to new blood—and a rallying cry for support—from startups, as the organization that stumps for this industry gets a bit of a makeover. At last week’s CES Unveiled in New York, a preview hosted for the press of things to come at the January conference, Gary … Continue reading “With An Influx of Startups, CES Trying to Not Be the Same Old Show”
Startupbootcamp Joins Fintech Surge in New York with New Accelerator
Another player has joined the rush to nurture fintech startups in New York. On Wednesday, Startupbootcamp, a network of accelerators, introduced its Startupbootcamp FinTech Accelerator in New York with the backing of Thomson Reuters, MasterCard, Santander, and Rabobank. Startupbootcamp, founded in 2010 and based in London with operations around the world, also runs fintech accelerators in London and … Continue reading “Startupbootcamp Joins Fintech Surge in New York with New Accelerator”
GE, Gilt Groupe, Others Want to Advise NY Lawmakers on Tech Policies
An all-too-familiar refrain rings among certain politicians, who say they are not scientists or that they are neophytes when it comes to technology. The problem is the economy and future job growth are becoming inexorably tied to innovation—so if politicos don’t “get” tech, we may all be collectively screwed. Last week, business advocacy organization the … Continue reading “GE, Gilt Groupe, Others Want to Advise NY Lawmakers on Tech Policies”
Videolicious’ Amanda Eilian on Healthy Pessimism in Entrepreneurship
Should more founders listen to their inner pessimist? Amanda Eilian, co-founder and president of New York-based Videolicious, said this trait is critical to success. “Pessimism is actually a positive thing as an entrepreneur,” she said. She spoke Friday at the Cornell Entrepreneurship Summit in New York, a daylong event that included Hampton Creek CEO Josh … Continue reading “Videolicious’ Amanda Eilian on Healthy Pessimism in Entrepreneurship”
NYTM Recap: Callisto Offers Empathetic Way to Report Sexual Assaults
Alerting authorities to sexual assaults can frequently stir new distress in survivors; a bit of technology from the nonprofit Sexual Health Innovations (SHI) may help ease the process of reporting these crimes. The organization developed Callisto, a Web-based system for bringing attention to such assaults on college campuses, and last night demoed it in front … Continue reading “NYTM Recap: Callisto Offers Empathetic Way to Report Sexual Assaults”
Marketing Platform Zeta Interactive Snaps Up Piece of EBay Enterprise
Sometimes it takes more than one dance partner to get a big deal done. New York-based Zeta Interactive, a player in big data and analytics, has acquired the customer relationship management division of eBay Enterprise. This is part of a multiway transaction that saw the eBay company split up and sold largely to London’s Permira … Continue reading “Marketing Platform Zeta Interactive Snaps Up Piece of EBay Enterprise”
Cornell Tech to Train Lawyers to Tackle Startups’ Legal Kinks
The trouble with introducing new technology and ideas is they frequently can lead to lawsuits and other headaches. Whether it is fighting patent trolls, testing the boundaries of old laws, or just coping with new regulatory rules, tech companies may have to cross many legal minefields as they scale up. Expecting the landscape to continue … Continue reading “Cornell Tech to Train Lawyers to Tackle Startups’ Legal Kinks”
Fred Wilson, Others Discuss On-Demand Economy Growing Beyond Uber
Has the world irrevocably been changed by the on-demand and gig economy? Wednesday night at Work Market’s headquarters in New York, venture capitalist Fred Wilson, co-founder of Union Square Ventures, Bradley Tusk, founder of Tusk Holdings, and André Dua, director at McKinsey & Co., discussed how the workforce, business models, and drivers of the economy … Continue reading “Fred Wilson, Others Discuss On-Demand Economy Growing Beyond Uber”
Paddle8 Raises $34M Series C Round for Digital Auctions for Art
For art lovers looking to bid on an Andy Warhol painting, as well as pieces from some lesser-known artists, the team at Paddle8 will soon scale up its digital auction, thanks to new funding. The New York-based marketplace for art and collectibles announced Wednesday it raised $34 million in a Series C round. The funding round’s backers—who come … Continue reading “Paddle8 Raises $34M Series C Round for Digital Auctions for Art”