Can workers who get a crash course in technology truly compete on the job front? New York may soon see. Last week, the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline—an initiative from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration—announced it chose the Flatiron School coding academy to run its new Mobile Dev Corps training program. This is yet another page … Continue reading “NYC Tech Talent Pipeline’s Mobile Dev Course Comes to Flatiron School”
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.
Can Banks Ride the Surge of Fintech, Or Has the Wave Gotten Too High?
The roar of startups clamoring to break into the financial world is starting to approach deafening levels. That also makes it harder to hear the worthwhile voices among the mob. Sorting out the cacophony was the subject of the “FinTech Barbarians at the Gates” MarketTech 2015 conference held on Wednesday in New York. The final … Continue reading “Can Banks Ride the Surge of Fintech, Or Has the Wave Gotten Too High?”
Dennis Crowley at Street Fight Summit: Foursquare Always About Data
The original plan for Foursquare was not about building a check-in app—it was about data. Furthermore, creating a recommendation engine and software for navigating unfamiliar cities, based on said data, was always part of the agenda, said co-founder and CEO Dennis Crowley. “The point was to build something that connects little bits of data every … Continue reading “Dennis Crowley at Street Fight Summit: Foursquare Always About Data”
Dining Payment App Reserve Tries to Book a Spot on More Phones
It is getting more crowded at the table for apps used to pay restaurant checks via mobile devices, but New York-based Reserve believes it provides a broader range of services than its rivals. I met up with Reserve’s CEO Greg Hong (pictured above) on Friday before he spoke at the tail end of the Techweek New … Continue reading “Dining Payment App Reserve Tries to Book a Spot on More Phones”
Taking a Peek Inside Facebook New York and Its Virtual Reality Future
Is there more to Facebook than status updates and likes? The short answer is yes, and not just because of acquisitions such as Oculus VR (though that does factor into its plans). This week, Facebook invited a group of reporters, including yours truly, to visit its New York office, where a sizeable chunk of its … Continue reading “Taking a Peek Inside Facebook New York and Its Virtual Reality Future”
Stash App Brings $5 Investments, and Advice, to Newcomers to Trading
The ebb and flow of the public markets gets a lot of attention these days, but to novices, understanding stock trading can be like picking up wet spaghetti barehanded. On Wednesday, the Stash app made its public debut, giving advice on trading and letting people invest for as little as $5. David Ronick (pictured above), … Continue reading “Stash App Brings $5 Investments, and Advice, to Newcomers to Trading”
Barclays Accelerator Graduates First NY Class, But Is Fintech Frothy?
Waves of startups keep rolling into the fintech scene, and on Tuesday, 11 companies (see slideshow) graduated from the Barclays Accelerator in New York, diving into this rapidly filling sea. The 13-week program is run by a partnership between British bank Barclays and startup accelerator Techstars. They have already conducted a version of the accelerator … Continue reading “Barclays Accelerator Graduates First NY Class, But Is Fintech Frothy?”
Tech Untangles the Brambles of Politics at the New York Tech Meetup
Seeing through the murky veil of politics gets harder and harder as rhetoric rather than results make headlines. At last week’s New York Tech Meetup (NYTM), there were a couple of examples of ways technology can help government be more efficient (see slideshow)—and one demo that could call out politicians for ignoring their constituents. Maria Yuan … Continue reading “Tech Untangles the Brambles of Politics at the New York Tech Meetup”
ERA Summer 2015 Class Graduates With Ideas in Fintech, Croissants
With its ninth class, which graduated at a demo day held Tuesday, the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator in New York saw the expected eclectic mix of ideas, which ranged from an online home design marketplace to a way for food distributors to automate ordering and other services. This time around the program also saw a pair … Continue reading “ERA Summer 2015 Class Graduates With Ideas in Fintech, Croissants”
Ex-MakerBot Crew Creates Voodoo Manufacturing to Go Beyond 3D Printing
Taking a few lessons learned before and during their time at MakerBot, the founders of Brooklyn-based Voodoo Manufacturing are trying to prove they can turn 3D printing and related services into a scalable business. On Tuesday, Voodoo unveiled its printing outflow service, which lets businesses and makers upload files and get an instant quote on producing … Continue reading “Ex-MakerBot Crew Creates Voodoo Manufacturing to Go Beyond 3D Printing”
IRobot, Bissell, & the Robot Vacuum Wars Come to Pepcom Gadget Show
Competition can be seen as an intense form of flattery—and in the world of consumer electronics, clones and copycats of popular products are almost inevitable. There was plenty to see at this week’s Pepcom Holiday Spectacular in New York, from Marvel’s Avengers fighting villains to a smartwatch with old-school style (see slideshow above). IRobot brought … Continue reading “IRobot, Bissell, & the Robot Vacuum Wars Come to Pepcom Gadget Show”
Zoe Saldana, Media Publishers Talk Strategies to Reach Millennials
In theory, it should be easy for Hollywood stars and media companies to connect with millennials by putting content on mobile devices. The reality is the media world is still looking for ways to get the attention of this elusive audience, which gets harder and harder to reach. Coming up with new strategies to make … Continue reading “Zoe Saldana, Media Publishers Talk Strategies to Reach Millennials”
Marissa Mayer Puts on Game Face, Talks Up Yahoo’s Next Plays
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer took part in a fireside chat on Monday in New York with Slate Group Chairman and Editor-in-chief Jacob Weisberg, laying out a bit of her strategy to make her company more competitive. The two sat down at the IAB MIXX conference, hosted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and one of many … Continue reading “Marissa Mayer Puts on Game Face, Talks Up Yahoo’s Next Plays”
Robots, 3D Printing on Mars, and LittleBits at Maker Faire New York
Show and tell is reaching out to the solar system. Over the weekend, the local edition of Maker Faire opened up shop at the New York Hall of Science in Queens. The annual event, born out of San Francisco and produced by Maker Media, is held simultaneously at cities around the world to give the public … Continue reading “Robots, 3D Printing on Mars, and LittleBits at Maker Faire New York”
Dextro Refines Its Video Discovery Strategy with Sight, Sound & Motion
Just a few months after unveiling its software to analyze live video in real-time, Dextro is trying to up its game in the somewhat frothy video discovery sector. CEO and co-founder David Luan says his New York-based company took the wraps off a new service Thursday that helps businesses with extensive video libraries make their content discoverable. “We … Continue reading “Dextro Refines Its Video Discovery Strategy with Sight, Sound & Motion”
Does Wall Street Combined With Silicon Alley Equal a “New” New York?
Where are we now, New York? Bracing for a tech bubble bursting? Blooming into maturity as a tech hub? Too busy working on code in the lobby of the Ace Hotel to really care? There are different views on where New York fits in the grander innovation landscape, from wannabe to the toast of the … Continue reading “Does Wall Street Combined With Silicon Alley Equal a “New” New York?”
Belly-Up in Bankruptcy, Quirky Trying to Sell All Assets Including Wink
Ten months ago, Ben Kaufman energetically proclaimed the demise of the thermostat as he talked up a device being rolled out by his New York-based invention platform Quirky, which he believed would trump the incumbents. Now it is Quirky that is fading out on life support. The company, known for turning inventions submitted by others into real products, … Continue reading “Belly-Up in Bankruptcy, Quirky Trying to Sell All Assets Including Wink”
TEDxFultonStreet: Ideas for Social Change, Tough Love for Startups
When a slate of outspoken thinkers get together in New York, there may be talk of time machines, clothing that dissolves, and ways to bring the technology revolution to underserved communities. Those were some of the themes brought up last weekend at TEDxFultonStreet, a local, independent event, licensed by the TED Conferences, which brings together … Continue reading “TEDxFultonStreet: Ideas for Social Change, Tough Love for Startups”
Tim Wu and NY Attorney General Schneiderman Talk Tech & Government
Can government and disruptive companies make nice-nice with each other? Last night at Civic Hall in New York, the local innovation community got to meet with the state’s chief legal eagle, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, and part of his team, which now includes Tim Wu, the Columbia Law professor credited with coining the … Continue reading “Tim Wu and NY Attorney General Schneiderman Talk Tech & Government”
Collaboration Platform Authorea Helps Ebola Virus Researchers, Others
[Updated, 9/16/15. See below.] Sometimes it takes many brilliant minds working together to create a breakthrough—such as understanding one of the most insidious viruses on the planet. Collaboration is a cornerstone of scientific and medical discoveries; the same might be said of New York-based Authorea, a platform for sharing and working together on research. Co-founders Alberto … Continue reading “Collaboration Platform Authorea Helps Ebola Virus Researchers, Others”
LiquidText Wants to Be the Evernote of Reading Digital Documents
Taking notes in documents has not changed that much beyond marking up pages with a highlighter—even in digital form. Now, New York-based LiquidText says its app is a more malleable replacement for pen and paper, and for other software options on the market. Launched this month for the iPad, after a year of beta testing, … Continue reading “LiquidText Wants to Be the Evernote of Reading Digital Documents”
Fintech and Lessons in Investing Come to the New York Tech Meetup
The flurry of fintech startups hell-bent on modernizing the financial world may need a reminder that not everyone is savvy about the ins and outs of stock investing. This month’s New York Tech Meetup brought to the stage a startup trying to address this issue. GoldBean CEO Jane Barratt and chief technology officer Husani Oakley presented their … Continue reading “Fintech and Lessons in Investing Come to the New York Tech Meetup”
HookLogic Raises $15.5M Round to Grow, Sells Off AutoHook Division
New York-based HookLogic announced Thursday it raised $15.5 million in a Series C round with new and existing investors, and separately sold its AutoHook division to Urban Science, a Detroit-based developer of software for marketing in the automotive industry. HookLogic developed a performance marketing platform that brands can use to reach consumers on retail and … Continue reading “HookLogic Raises $15.5M Round to Grow, Sells Off AutoHook Division”
Student Loan Marketplace CommonBond Raises $35M, Plans New Hires
A bit more cash is going into the pockets of yet another New York-based fintech company. With $35 million more funding announced Tuesday, CommonBond plans to grow its staff, develop its technology, and to scale up its operations. “We are about 35 people right now; we’d like to be 60 people in the next six months,” … Continue reading “Student Loan Marketplace CommonBond Raises $35M, Plans New Hires”
Content Marketing Software Dev NewsCred Gets $42M, Plans Hiring Surge
NewsCred announced Wednesday it raised $42 million, just about doubling its total funding, for its content marketing management software at a time when marketers continue a pell-mell frenzy to keep the audience’s attention. Frankly, it is getting harder to make content from brands stick with the increasingly jaded and disinterested masses who change their media … Continue reading “Content Marketing Software Dev NewsCred Gets $42M, Plans Hiring Surge”
TransferWise, Backed by Branson and Others, Preps U.S. Expansion
Looking to take some of the fees out of sending money overseas, TransferWise is firing up its New York team for its U.S. expansion. The London-based company says it is a lower-cost option—compared with banks and other incumbent money transfer businesses—that uses a software platform to pair transactions that are going in opposite directions between … Continue reading “TransferWise, Backed by Branson and Others, Preps U.S. Expansion”
Recruitment Software Developer Greenhouse Grabs $35M
[Updated, 12:30 pm with comments from CEO Daniel Chait.] New York-based Greenhouse Software announced Friday it raised $35 million in a Series C round led by Thrive Capital, with returning investors Benchmark, Groupe Arnault, and The Social+Capital Partnership participating. Greenhouse developed a hiring software platform—which includes getting jobs listed across the Web and social media, scheduling interviews, and … Continue reading “Recruitment Software Developer Greenhouse Grabs $35M”
Yahoo Tries to Get NY App Developers Hyped About Its Push into Mobile
For the first time ever, Yahoo brought its Mobile Developer Conference to New York—talking up its plans to more firmly embrace mobile and trying to coax more app developers to work with its software and services. The two-day conference started with a hackathon and then wrapped Wednesday, bringing out some 500 attendees from New York’s … Continue reading “Yahoo Tries to Get NY App Developers Hyped About Its Push into Mobile”
Biz2Credit Preps for More Partnerships & Revenue in Small Biz Lending
The demand for small-business lending services is an ever-growing part of the financial world. New York-based Biz2Credit is positioning itself to keep riding this trend. Like others in this sector, co-founder and CEO Rohit Arora says Biz2Credit exists to address gaps in lending when businesses qualify for loans but have difficulty finding the right financing. Biz2Credit’s … Continue reading “Biz2Credit Preps for More Partnerships & Revenue in Small Biz Lending”
CB Insights Evolves with $1.15M from the National Science Foundation
[UPDATED 8/26/15. See below.] Taking in its first-ever outside funding, CB Insights is growing its ranks, working on its software, and kicking off a new service called CB Insights for Sales. New York-based venture data firm CB Insights launched in 2010, to be what co-founder and CEO Anand Sanwal called a “Bloomberg for private markets.” The … Continue reading “CB Insights Evolves with $1.15M from the National Science Foundation”
What NBCUniversal’s Investment in BuzzFeed Says about Digital Media
With a pen stroke, media giant NBCUniversal dived deeper into new media’s digital waters—perhaps in a move to be more competitive—by investing $200 million in New York-based BuzzFeed. The deal shows how the industry is drastically changing. Rumors had been circulating of an equity deal before Tuesday’s joint announcement by BuzzFeed and NBCUniversal, also based … Continue reading “What NBCUniversal’s Investment in BuzzFeed Says about Digital Media”
Coalfire’s Larry Jones Talks Future Cyber Threats and Taking Charge
Waiting for the next big data breach to hit is probably not the best way to test how protected a company’s information is. With more businesses storing and using sensitive data, security is a top concern—especially when the government establishes rules on the matter that businesses must adhere to. Financial institutions, companies that handle medical … Continue reading “Coalfire’s Larry Jones Talks Future Cyber Threats and Taking Charge”
NYU-Poly School of Engineering Helping Veterans Become Entrepreneurs
In its latest effort to give military veterans guidance on joining the entrepreneurial scene, New York University graduated the first class of its Veteran Entrepreneur Training program this week. The ten-week series of free sessions and lectures took the group to the Varick Street, DUMBO, and Urban Future Lab incubators run in Manhattan and Brooklyn … Continue reading “NYU-Poly School of Engineering Helping Veterans Become Entrepreneurs”
Wibbitz Sets Up NY HQ to Help More Publishers Turn Text Into Video
With attention spans getting shorter and shorter, publishers are looking for new tricks to make their content more attractive. Wibbitz has created a platform that turns text-based news articles into narrated video summaries to do just that. The company got its start in Tel Aviv, then moved its headquarters to New York in May just … Continue reading “Wibbitz Sets Up NY HQ to Help More Publishers Turn Text Into Video”
Microsoft Accelerator Alum Openhour Makes Work Time Personal
New York-based Openhour is banking on the notion that people who feel swamped with work want to find more efficient ways to spend their days at the office. The startup will soon roll out data-capture software that lets folks assess for themselves where and how their time is eaten up—such as being caught in too … Continue reading “Microsoft Accelerator Alum Openhour Makes Work Time Personal”
Dynamite Labs Debuts at New York Tech Meetup, With $1.6M in Hand
At Tuesday night’s New York Tech Meetup, Dynamite Labs demoed its video app for sharing one’s true self—just as the company announced it closed on a $1.6 million seed round. This monthly gathering traditionally brings out early startups, and sometimes just barebones tech. The slideshow above has its fair share of raw ideas, but as noted … Continue reading “Dynamite Labs Debuts at New York Tech Meetup, With $1.6M in Hand”
Dreamit New York’s Demo Day Unveils New Ideas in Messaging and Media
Tuesday was a big day for tech demos. While President Barack Obama prepared to play host for the first ever demo day at the White House—which included representatives from the New York Tech Meetup and Techstars—the folks at Dreamit Ventures held their own demo day in New York for their latest class. Eleven startups graduated … Continue reading “Dreamit New York’s Demo Day Unveils New Ideas in Messaging and Media”
Arthena Paints an Equity Crowdfunding Plan for Collections of Art
There is a bit more culture in equity crowdfunding with New York-based Arthena on the scene. The online platform is a way for folks with deep enough pockets to invest in art collections. Original works of Vincent van Gogh obviously will not be up for grabs—CEO and founder Madelaine D’Angelo says Arthena focuses on contemporary, … Continue reading “Arthena Paints an Equity Crowdfunding Plan for Collections of Art”
Advocates for STEAM Gather at Tumblr, Talk Need to Reach More Kids
The prosperity of New York, and frankly the country, rests on the commitment to train more kids for careers yet to be invented. That was a key takeaway from Thursday night’s #STEAMFWD panel at Tumblr headquarters in New York. Advocates for education in science, technology, engineering, art, and math discussed the need for dedicated efforts … Continue reading “Advocates for STEAM Gather at Tumblr, Talk Need to Reach More Kids”
Vero Launches Social Media App to Mirror Real World Relationships
Another would-be rival to Facebook’s dominance in the social media world unveiled an iPhone app Tuesday, coming out of closed beta, and hinged its hopes on a promise to make digital connections behave more like real world relationships. Self-funded Vero, with offices in New York and overseas, developed an app that lets people put their … Continue reading “Vero Launches Social Media App to Mirror Real World Relationships”
Qlik CEO Lars Björk Discusses Big Data and Artificial “Stupidity”
Big data has been a hot topic for awhile now, putting companies such as Qlik in an in-demand market—that also gets noisier and noisier by the hour. Startups and larger software developers trip over each other trying be the service that sorts out mountains of digital information. Microsoft has teams of researchers here constantly creating … Continue reading “Qlik CEO Lars Björk Discusses Big Data and Artificial “Stupidity””
Canary Edging Forward with its Plan to Democratize Home Security
Everyone wants to be more secure, at least that is the sentiment that Adam Sager, CEO and co-founder of Canary, is using to fuel his company’s momentum with. At an event Wednesday night for the New York-based startup, Sager gave a tiny glimpse of what Canary has been up to lately. Canary’s wireless smart home … Continue reading “Canary Edging Forward with its Plan to Democratize Home Security”
Collective Labs Incubating, Sharing Space with Up-and-Comers in NY
Inside what once was The New York Times Building on West 43rd Street, ad tech company Collective has given startups some room to find their footing—while also pursuing its own growth plans. Collective develops software and services that let brands, publishers, and marketers send advertising messages across devices from desktop computers to smartphones. For example, the … Continue reading “Collective Labs Incubating, Sharing Space with Up-and-Comers in NY”
Why Vook Became Pronoun to Keep Chasing a Share of E-Publishing
With a new name and a few changes in strategy, a New York-based e-publishing company is still trying to become a central character in the next chapter of digital books. In June, Avalon Ventures invested $3.5 million into Pronoun, previously known as Vook. Pronoun’s CEO Josh Brody likens the evolution of digital publishing to the … Continue reading “Why Vook Became Pronoun to Keep Chasing a Share of E-Publishing”
OkCupid Co-Founders Raise $10.8M for Crypto Service Keybase
Cryptography service startup Keybase has raised $10.8 million in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz, according to a blog post by founders Max Krohn and Chris Coyne. Coyne and Krohn were two of the co-founders behind New York-based dating app and website OkCupid, which is now owned by Barry Diller’s IAC. The duo met fellow … Continue reading “OkCupid Co-Founders Raise $10.8M for Crypto Service Keybase”
Techstars Alum DigitalOcean to Double Staff, Office Space with $83M
Next week, the team at DigitalOcean will move into a 30,000-square-foot office, in the same building but twice the size of its current digs, as it ramps up with more funding in hand. The New York-based company hosts cloud infrastructure, largely used by developers to build websites and apps. Along with the extra elbow room, … Continue reading “Techstars Alum DigitalOcean to Double Staff, Office Space with $83M”
With $21M More Funding, AnyClip Media Reopens New York Office
Israel’s AnyClip Media announced Tuesday it has raised $21 million and is reestablishing its New York office. The company has developed an online marketing platform for distributing branded videos. This is the same company co-founded by CEO Aaron Cohen and Nate Westheimer, former executive director of the New York Tech Meetup. Both Cohen and Westheimer left … Continue reading “With $21M More Funding, AnyClip Media Reopens New York Office”
Astro Twists in Its Smart Light Bulbs in Connected Apartments
For all their promise of transforming homes into something out of Star Trek, connected devices are still trying to find a place in the mainstream. New York-based Astro, a graduate of the R/GA Accelerator, is building hardware and software that CEO Shaun Springer says could cast “smart homes” in a new light. His company’s platform … Continue reading “Astro Twists in Its Smart Light Bulbs in Connected Apartments”
Quire Talks Equity Crowdfunding & Title III at New York Tech Meetup
For the folks who want to invest in startups, Quire wants to be the way they get a piece of the action. Erin Glenn, CEO, demoed Quire at last night’s New York Tech Meetup (see slideshow), and also discussed how her startup’s plans relate to the continuing evolution of regulations on equity crowdfunding. “The mission … Continue reading “Quire Talks Equity Crowdfunding & Title III at New York Tech Meetup”
WeWork Anchoring $380M Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Project
Known for its coworking spaces across country and overseas, New York–based WeWork on Monday said in an e-mail statement sent to Xconomy it had partnered up with developers and the city’s administration to occupy a large chunk of a 675,000-square-foot building to be constructed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There are already lots of coworking spaces … Continue reading “WeWork Anchoring $380M Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Project”