Perhaps a love of science fiction has ingrained unrealistic expectations in me about the prospects for robots. At CE Week, an annual consumer electronics conference held last week in New York, a variety of robots skittered around among the other gadgets in the showroom area (see slideshow), under the command of their human operators. Whether … Continue reading “CE Week Report: Are Robots Limping Forward or Finding Their Stride?”
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.
Shapeways Gets $30M More, Investing in R&D for 3D Printing Materials
The ramping up of the 3D printing sector continued Tuesday as New York-based Shapeways announced it raised $30 million in a round led by INKEF Capital, with Andreessen Horowitz, Lux Capital, Union Square Ventures, and Index Ventures participating. Corporate venture capitalists Hewlett Packard Ventures and Presidio Ventures, part of Sumitomo Corp., also invested in this funding … Continue reading “Shapeways Gets $30M More, Investing in R&D for 3D Printing Materials”
Corporate VCs Still Out to Prove They Belong At the Deal Table
Though corporate capital may be just a sliver of the overall funding scene, the money is nothing to sneeze it. Corporate venture groups in 2014 invested $5.4 billion in U.S. startups—making up 11 percent of venture dollars spent—across 775 deals. That was the word from a panel at last week’s New York Venture Summit, citing a … Continue reading “Corporate VCs Still Out to Prove They Belong At the Deal Table”
NY FinTech Lab Graduates Class, Says U.S. Fintech Investment Booming
According to a report, by Accenture and the Partnership Fund for New York City, $9.89 billion worth of investments went into fintech in 2014 across the U.S., up from $3.39 billion in 2013. That was the word on Thursday at the demo day for the 2015 class of the New York FinTech Innovation Lab. The five-year-old … Continue reading “NY FinTech Lab Graduates Class, Says U.S. Fintech Investment Booming”
Tech Training Startup Andela Gets Series A Funds from Spark Capital
Hiring developers, engineers, and other professionals who are remotely located around the world is an emerging trend among some tech companies, but where can more of these workers be found? Andela—based in New York and Lagos, Nigeria—offers training to folks in Africa who have an interest in technology careers, but until now have had limited access … Continue reading “Tech Training Startup Andela Gets Series A Funds from Spark Capital”
Formlabs Takes a Step in Making Tough, Durable 3D-Printed Pieces
Can 3D-printed parts be tough enough for load-bearing, hands-on stress? The folks from Formlabs say they are moving, just a bit, in that direction with new material for their desktop printers. The Somerville, MA-based company is visiting New York now for CE Week, an annual conference for consumer electronics. On Tuesday, Formlabs announced the debut … Continue reading “Formlabs Takes a Step in Making Tough, Durable 3D-Printed Pieces”
Wearables for Kids and Handheld “3D Printing” at Digital Experience
Repetitive, uninspired ideas are the bane of innovation, so I walked the floor at Thursday night’s Digital Experience gadget show in New York to hunt for signs of new life. These events, hosted by Pepcom, make the rounds a few times each year offering teases of things to come, as well as some returning, familiar … Continue reading “Wearables for Kids and Handheld “3D Printing” at Digital Experience”
De Blasio, Bloomberg, and a $100 Million “Baby Step” for Cornell Tech
At Roosevelt Island’s southern end, with the United Nations headquarters across the river, there are giant holes dug into the earth that do not seem like much now—but the project to create the Cornell Tech engineering campus there just got a $100 million boost. On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio led an entourage to the construction … Continue reading “De Blasio, Bloomberg, and a $100 Million “Baby Step” for Cornell Tech”
Lawrence, Gotsch, Tantoco & Others Talk Growing Startups in Cities
Everyone expects technology communities to spur growth, and seeing it happen outside of Silicon Valley is far from guaranteed—but it could be crucial for the economy. That was the crux of a discussion on strategies for encouraging startups to develop and scale up in various cities. “For us as a country, to have all of … Continue reading “Lawrence, Gotsch, Tantoco & Others Talk Growing Startups in Cities”
No Joke, New York Tech Meetup Matures with Techstars NYC, ERA Alumni
More and more the New York Tech Meetup is featuring sophisticated demos from graduates from local accelerators. At the June demo night, held this week, some recently-minted alumni of Techstars NYC and the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator presented their technology along with other fledgling idea makers—including a few actual comedians. This monthly gathering has always been … Continue reading “No Joke, New York Tech Meetup Matures with Techstars NYC, ERA Alumni”
Betaworks Talks Traction, When to Dig In, and When to Kill an Idea
Somewhere between gut instinct and customer reception is the answer to a question most every startup faces. Pull the plug, or keep building a product in the hopes it becomes a hit? That was one of the key topics during a panel discussion comprised of some folks from New York-based Betaworks, who came out to … Continue reading “Betaworks Talks Traction, When to Dig In, and When to Kill an Idea”
Why Facebook Wants an Early Look at Your Mobile App via FbStart
Even the head honchos at Facebook remember their days working at a scrappy, more nimble startup, and want to keep such spirit in their veins. That is an obvious reason why the company runs FbStart, a program now in its second year of reaching out to and cultivating mobile app startups around the world. But … Continue reading “Why Facebook Wants an Early Look at Your Mobile App via FbStart”
Purch to Go Shopping for M&A Opportunities After Raising $135M
Expect some new titles to be added to Purch’s portfolio in the months ahead. On Tuesday, the digital publisher announced it raised $135 million in a Series C round, which CEO Greg Mason says will go towards growing the company, including the pursuit of more acquisitions. Canso Investment Counsel led the round. So far Purch, … Continue reading “Purch to Go Shopping for M&A Opportunities After Raising $135M”
How Button Pushed Its Way Into the Midst of Uber and Foursquare
“There should be more connectivity in the app world,” says Button CEO and co-founder Michael Jaconi. “We’re trying to solve that.” On Monday, his New York-based startup announced its software was being used in a partnership that gives people the ability to book Uber cars through Foursquare. Just about a year old, Button’s software is … Continue reading “How Button Pushed Its Way Into the Midst of Uber and Foursquare”
Viggle Trying to Find Its Way in the Rapidly Changing Media Scene
There is a tyranny of choice when it comes to entertainment, says Viggle president and COO Greg Consiglio, and that compelled his company to think about working with much more than television. New York-based Viggle (Nasdaq: [[ticker:VGGL]]) developed an app and software for giving audience rewards from advertisers and broadcasters for showing their interest in various … Continue reading “Viggle Trying to Find Its Way in the Rapidly Changing Media Scene”
Investment Banks Put Money, Data Analysis Into Visible Alpha’s Launch
When five investment banks collaborate to create a startup, it is a fair bet it will have the backing to scale up quickly. Visible Alpha, based in New York, is working its way out of beta—though it still has a ways to go—with commitments for $30 million in financing in its pocket from a consortium of Bank … Continue reading “Investment Banks Put Money, Data Analysis Into Visible Alpha’s Launch”
Trustpilot Grabs $73.5M More, Plans to Double NY Staff This Year
Consumer review site Trustpilot on Thursday said it raised $73.5 million in a Series D round to further fuel its North American expansion. Last summer, Danish-born Trustpilot set up offices in New York, and it currently has a staff of 100 here. The reviews collected on Trustpilot cover such brands as Rosetta Stone, B&H Photo, … Continue reading “Trustpilot Grabs $73.5M More, Plans to Double NY Staff This Year”
Entrepreneurs Share How and Why to Increase Diversity in Tech
Change seems inevitable for the technology scene as more voices take up the cause of gender and ethnic diversity—but numerous hurdles persist. Predicting what New York’s tech scene will look like in 2020 was the focus of a panel chat during the Internet Week New York conference last week. Much of the conversation though centered … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs Share How and Why to Increase Diversity in Tech”
Chelsea Clinton Shares 20-Year Data on Women’s Progress, Problems
Putting a number on gender inequality issues can bring attention to the scale of such matters. During Internet Week New York, Chelsea Clinton presented data and findings from a report by the No Ceilings project, which gave a snapshot of progress made in support of women around the world. The report also identified key problems that … Continue reading “Chelsea Clinton Shares 20-Year Data on Women’s Progress, Problems”
Complex’s Marc Ecko Talks Digital Media and Death of Demographics
Graffiti artist-turned-entrepreneur Marc Ecko shared some candid opinions about the evolution of media during his fireside chat at the Internet Week New York conference, currently running in the city. By his reckoning, the traditional ways of understanding and targeting audiences are outmoded. He even described demographics—the usual way marketers parse the public—as dead, except to … Continue reading “Complex’s Marc Ecko Talks Digital Media and Death of Demographics”
To Harlem and Beyond: Coaxing Tech to See Opportunity in Diversity
It is safe to say the conversation on diversity in tech needs to move beyond citing ratios on ethnicity and gender to discussions on tangible action. Late last month, one such effort took form with the arrival of the first class of cofound/harlem, which is billed as the first tech accelerator for this New York neighborhood. … Continue reading “To Harlem and Beyond: Coaxing Tech to See Opportunity in Diversity”
Percolate Raises $40M in Series C Round, Plans San Francisco Expansion
In a Series C funding round announced Thursday, Percolate raised $40 million to back new hires and the development of its enterprise software platform for marketing management. Headquartered in New York, Percolate plans to use some of the funding to ramp up its ranks at its San Francisco office, says Noah Brier, CEO and co-founder. … Continue reading “Percolate Raises $40M in Series C Round, Plans San Francisco Expansion”
A $350M Acquisition and a Glimpse of the Future at a Robot Carnival
Despite what movies such as “Avengers: Age of Ultron” depict, robots are not taking over the planet—but they are on the rise. On Wednesday, Universal Robots agreed to be acquired by Teradyne (NYSE: [[ticker:TER]]), based in North Reading, MA, in a deal worth up to $350 million. Universal Robots is based in Denmark and has … Continue reading “A $350M Acquisition and a Glimpse of the Future at a Robot Carnival”
FinTech Could Be the Core NYC Needs to Differentiate Its Startup Scene
Consumer-driven startups tend to spread like wildfire in this town, from shopping for pet products to apps for finding hip nightspots—but tech ideas born from New York’s financial heritage have been something of a slow burn. It is about time that changed. This summer, the Barclays Accelerator, in partnership with Techstars, will host its first New … Continue reading “FinTech Could Be the Core NYC Needs to Differentiate Its Startup Scene”
Somabar’s Robot Bartender Trying to Be the “Keurig of Cocktails”
For aficionados of cocktails: a startup is developing a smartphone app-controlled machine that can create a vast array of drinks at home. Down at Startup Alley during this week’s TechCrunch Disrupt New York event, I caught up with familiar faces from New York such as LumiFi and Dash—and then I came across the Somabar team … Continue reading “Somabar’s Robot Bartender Trying to Be the “Keurig of Cocktails””
Dextro Rolls Out Way to Make Periscope Video Streams Discoverable
With smartphones now capturing the moment with live video streams, a New York-based startup wants to make it easier to find something to watch. The team at Dextro unveiled software on Tuesday that helps discover publicly shared content from Twitter-owned Periscope, an app that lets people stream live video from their phones’ cameras. Dextro’s CEO … Continue reading “Dextro Rolls Out Way to Make Periscope Video Streams Discoverable”
Cloud Host Atlantic.Net Opens Data Center Aimed at NY Startup Scene
Switching on a data center near New York, Atlantic.Net is chasing the growing developer community here. This is the fifth data center for the company, which is based in Orlando, FL, says CEO Marty Puranik. He is already setting the bar high for its outlook. “We’re expecting it to become our biggest site,” he says. … Continue reading “Cloud Host Atlantic.Net Opens Data Center Aimed at NY Startup Scene”
Sprinklr Packed April with Another Acquisition, Expands to Brazil
So that’s what Sprinklr was planning. The New York-based social media monitoring company this week wrapped its second acquisition in one month and third this year, snatching up Scup in Brazil. Terms were not disclosed, but the deal broadens Sprinklr’s presence into South America. Scup is also a social media monitoring and management company. Earlier in … Continue reading “Sprinklr Packed April with Another Acquisition, Expands to Brazil”
ERA Demo Day and Growing Signs of New York’s Startup Hub Maturity
The latest demo day for New York’s Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator was a step forward, but more work lies ahead for the program and the city. “A lot has changed since 2011 for all of New York tech,” said Jonathan Axelrod, a managing director with ERA. He shared a few thoughts Tuesday at the start of … Continue reading “ERA Demo Day and Growing Signs of New York’s Startup Hub Maturity”
Peloton Pedals Ahead with $30M More, Plans to Double Engineering Team
It looks like the team at Peloton is working up a sweat, having bagged another $30 million for its exercise bikes that stream video classes. Earlier this month, Peloton closed on the Series C round led by True Ventures and Tiger Global Management. John Foley, CEO and founder of Peloton, says the new funding will … Continue reading “Peloton Pedals Ahead with $30M More, Plans to Double Engineering Team”
3D Printing Tries on New Colors: A Chat with MakerBot CEO Jaglom
We are witnessing a shift towards more desktop 3D printing, at least from Jonathan Jaglom’s perspective. “What we see is a transition from the higher end to the desktop 3D printing space,” he said. “The paradigm of 3D printing is shifting from the professional platform to the personal platform.” The newly minted CEO of Brooklyn-based … Continue reading “3D Printing Tries on New Colors: A Chat with MakerBot CEO Jaglom”
Techstars NYC Firms Up Its Technology Muscles in Latest Class
Brad Feld, a Techstars co-founder, did not mince words when he grabbed the microphone at demo day. “I think this Techstars class is the most technically deep Techstars class that I’ve seen,” he said. “It’s pretty incredible to see it here in New York City.” That was his assessment of the winter 2015 class of … Continue reading “Techstars NYC Firms Up Its Technology Muscles in Latest Class”
Why Etsy’s IPO Could Silence Haters of the New York Tech Scene
Over and over, it seems technology startups in New York have to validate their existence to outsiders. Whether it is comparisons to the legacy of Silicon Valley or the depth of research in Boston, this city never measures up for some folks. Hecklers in the peanut gallery want to see big exits or companies go … Continue reading “Why Etsy’s IPO Could Silence Haters of the New York Tech Scene”
Citymaps Trying to Be a More Personalized Alternative to Google Maps
Hop in a cab in New York and chances are you will see Citymaps at work. The company’s digital maps showing points of interest in the area appear on video screens in many of the taxis that crisscross the city. Lately though, Citymaps has broadened its borders to serve the rest of the globe. The … Continue reading “Citymaps Trying to Be a More Personalized Alternative to Google Maps”
NEA Closes on $3.1 Billion for Its Latest Fund, Sticks to Its Strategy
In a way, it will be more of the same for New Enterprise Associates (NEA)—just with a hefty addition to its war chest to work with. Early Wednesday morning, the venture capital firm announced it closed on $2.8 billion in committed capital for its fifteenth fund, plus $350 million more for its NEA Opportunity Fund—a … Continue reading “NEA Closes on $3.1 Billion for Its Latest Fund, Sticks to Its Strategy”
NASA’s Space Apps Challenge Tries to Coax More Women to Data Science
Space exploration could launch more diversity in the technology scene. Over the weekend, NASA held its annual International Space Apps Challenge, a hackathon that encourages the development of new ideas that relate to the space agency’s mission. Once again, New York was the global headquarters and epicenter of the hackathon, with Space Apps NYC serving … Continue reading “NASA’s Space Apps Challenge Tries to Coax More Women to Data Science”
Making Kids’ Art Last As Digital & Real World Memories with Keepy
There is a competitive niche in the innovation scene aimed at parents and families; last night I met a startup founder who wants to turn kids’ artwork into digital keepsakes. Think of the Keepy app as an interactive family album or a virtual refrigerator door. Parents using Keepy can capture images of their kids’ drawings … Continue reading “Making Kids’ Art Last As Digital & Real World Memories with Keepy”
Techstars NYC Alum Dash Brings Connected Cars to NY Tech Meetup
Tuesday night was a chance to catch up with a few familiar faces from New York’s innovation scene—and to bid adieu to a longtime fixture of New York Tech Meetup. Before the demos from Dash and others got rolling, Jessica Lawrence, NYTM’s executive director, brought Nate Westheimer back to the stage one more time via … Continue reading “Techstars NYC Alum Dash Brings Connected Cars to NY Tech Meetup”
Automotive Innovation Not Just About Connected Cars and Apps
It is not every day that an all-electric car breaks 300 mph. This year’s New York International Auto Show is underway, and amid the high performance roadsters and SUVs are a few ideas trying to shake up the status quo in cars. Typically the big automakers at such events talk up the ways their cars … Continue reading “Automotive Innovation Not Just About Connected Cars and Apps”
Vaynerchuk at NJTC Conference Warns of Flood of Fake Entrepreneurs
It is the best of times to be an entrepreneur now, with easy money to be had, but gloom lurks on the horizon, according to Gary Vaynerchuk. “This is not going to last,” he said. On Tuesday, the investor and entrepreneur had a few choice words about the startup and funding scene in his keynote … Continue reading “Vaynerchuk at NJTC Conference Warns of Flood of Fake Entrepreneurs”
Sprinklr Gets $46M, Flexes Its Muscles in Social Media Monitoring
As I mentioned just yesterday, competition is pretty crowded in the social media monitoring sector. Tuesday morning, one of the players in this scene bulked up its war chest even more. Sprinklr, a New York-based developer of social media management software, raised $46 million in a round led by Battery Ventures, Intel Capital, and Iconiq … Continue reading “Sprinklr Gets $46M, Flexes Its Muscles in Social Media Monitoring”
Denmark’s Falcon Social Gets $16M More and Plans Further NY Expansion
With its U.S. beachhead already in place in New York, Denmark’s Falcon Social is looking to grow its presence stateside. The Copenhagen-based software-as-a-service company last week raised $16 million in a Series B round led by Dutch firm Prime Ventures, with Germany’s Target Partners and Denmark’s Northcap participating. Falcon Social so far has raised $25.33 … Continue reading “Denmark’s Falcon Social Gets $16M More and Plans Further NY Expansion”
BetterCloud Gets $25M, Doubles Down on Cloud Office IT Management
The evolution of New York-based BetterCloud continues with its latest raise of $25 million. Accel led the round, announced Thursday, with Greycroft Partners, Flybridge Capital Partners, Tribeca Venture Partners, Millennium Technology Value Partners, and New Amsterdam Growth Capital participating. This brings BetterCloud’s total funding to $47 million since its founding in 2011, and it also … Continue reading “BetterCloud Gets $25M, Doubles Down on Cloud Office IT Management”
Canary Gets Mainstream Retail Debut at Home Depot, Amazon, & Others
It is time to see if Canary can actually fly. The little home-monitoring device, developed by a New York-based startup that raked in a surprising crowdfunding windfall two years ago, made its U.S. retail debut on Wednesday at Amazon, The Home Depot, Best Buy, and Verizon Wireless, Canary CEO Adam Sager announced. Canary’s sensors and video cameras connect with users’ smartphones … Continue reading “Canary Gets Mainstream Retail Debut at Home Depot, Amazon, & Others”
T-Mobile’s Disruption Plans Come Down to Data, Spectrum, and Auctions
Taking the stage at a company event with the showmanship of a vaudevillian, John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile US, came to New York last week, firing off fighting words aimed at AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint. Though much of his focus was hyping the company to analysts, journalists, and business folks about pricing and services—there … Continue reading “T-Mobile’s Disruption Plans Come Down to Data, Spectrum, and Auctions”
Why L’Oréal Got Into the NY Accelerator Scene with Grand Central Tech
We have seen beauty and personal care products maker L’Oréal USA put its support towards women in technology before; now the company is lending yet another hand in helping to nurture startups. Early this month, L’Oréal entered into a partnership to work with the Grand Central Tech accelerator based in New York. The company has not sponsored … Continue reading “Why L’Oréal Got Into the NY Accelerator Scene with Grand Central Tech”
A Season of Spirit and Steel at the NYC FIRST Robotics Regionals
Down in the crew pits, Team 354—the G-House Pirates—made their last checks and tweaks on their robot. Whining gears and the hum of motors filled the air and everyone was sporting safety glasses. Some of the robots were strictly business, built to get the job done with no-nonsense looks. Other teams had constructed machines that … Continue reading “A Season of Spirit and Steel at the NYC FIRST Robotics Regionals”
Cuff Flashes Smart Jewelry, BMW Gets Electric in a Night of Luxury Tech
A plug-in hybrid BMW sports coupe, gold-plated encrypted iPhones, and another player in smart jewelry vied for the attention of the well-to-do last week at The Luxury Technology Show, hosted by New York-based events company Rand Luxury. These gatherings bring out typically pricier examples of consumer technology, aimed at folks who might be interested in … Continue reading “Cuff Flashes Smart Jewelry, BMW Gets Electric in a Night of Luxury Tech”
EVEN Financial Comes Out of Stealth with $2.8M from Canaan, Others
Stepping from the shadows, EVEN Financial—based in New York—is putting money it raised towards becoming a fixture in the fast growing peer-to-peer lending market. The startup came out of stealth today with $2.8 million in a round led by Canaan Partners, with Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, Conversion Capital, Social Leverage, 555 Capital, and Lerer Hippeau Ventures … Continue reading “EVEN Financial Comes Out of Stealth with $2.8M from Canaan, Others”
White House’s $100M TechHire Initiative Echoes with General Assembly
One of the criticisms often leveled at New York’s innovation scene, particularly from out-of-towners, is a need for more local people with skills in technology to help fill positions from entry-level jobs to rock-star developer opportunities. A new federal program could help change that for people in different parts of the job market. On Monday, … Continue reading “White House’s $100M TechHire Initiative Echoes with General Assembly”