Pretty much everyone who has ever dialed into a conference call knows it’s a hassle to keep track of the numbers and to dial in, especially when away from the office. But they’d probably be surprised to learn just how costly conference calls are for their employers, especially if they work for a large multinational … Continue reading “MobileDay Raises $6.6M to Cut Enterprises’ Conference Call Bills”
Author: Michael Davidson
Michael Davidson is an award-winning journalist whose career as a business reporter has taken him from the garages of aspiring inventors to assembly centers for billion-dollar satellites. Most recently, Michael covered startups, venture capital, IT, cleantech, aerospace, and telecoms for Xconomy and, before that, for the Boulder County Business Report. Before switching to business journalism, Michael covered politics and the Colorado Legislature for the Colorado Springs Gazette and the government, police and crime beats for the Broomfield Enterprise, a paper in suburban Denver. He also worked for the Boulder Daily Camera, and his stories have appeared in the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. Career highlights include an award from the Colorado Press Association, doing barrel rolls in a vintage fighter jet and learning far more about public records than is healthy. Michael started his career as a copy editor for the Colorado Springs Gazette's sports desk. Michael has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan.
Colorado Tech Roundup: Gnip’s $134M Price Tag and a Satellite Launch
Here is a quick roundup of some news from Colorado startups, tech, and aerospace companies, featuring Gnip, a trio of Colorado’s aerospace leaders, and a few recent venture capital deals. Colorado’s Satellite Lifts Off: Wednesday was a big day for Colorado’s aerospace industry, with the launch of DigitalGlobe’s latest satellite, the WorldView-3 remote sensing satellite. … Continue reading “Colorado Tech Roundup: Gnip’s $134M Price Tag and a Satellite Launch”
Rapt Media Raises $3.1M to Drive Interactive Video Advertising
Online videos seem to be “the next big thing” in digital advertising, and companies that help clients create content stand to benefit. One example is Rapt Media, a Boulder, CO-based startup. The company recently raised a $3.1 million Series A round. Rapt Media makes cloud-based software that helps customers create interactive videos and integrate them … Continue reading “Rapt Media Raises $3.1M to Drive Interactive Video Advertising”
500 Startups’ Dave McClure to Kick Off 2014 Denver Startup Week
It’s unlikely that many people know more about tech startups than Dave McClure, so the well-known Silicon Valley angel investor is sure to have an attentive audience as he kicks off this year’s Denver Startup Week. McClure, who is the founder of the 500 Startups seed fund and accelerator, will speak Sept. 15 and is … Continue reading “500 Startups’ Dave McClure to Kick Off 2014 Denver Startup Week”
Denver-based Video Advertising Startup Altitude Digital Raises $7M
Climbing demand for online video ads continues to benefit Colorado startups. Altitude Digital announced this week it has secured a $7 million credit facility from Silicon Valley Bank. The Denver-based startup will use the money to double its headcount as it tries to increase the number of digital publishers using its ad sales software. Altitude … Continue reading “Denver-based Video Advertising Startup Altitude Digital Raises $7M”
BitGlass Raises $25M Round to Make Using Cloud Apps More Secure
We’re well into the era of cloud applications and “bring your own device,” and yet securing data on smartphones and tablets remains a major challenge for businesses, their IT teams, and their employees. While it’s a big headache for them, it’s also becoming clear just how big an opportunity it is if IT security companies … Continue reading “BitGlass Raises $25M Round to Make Using Cloud Apps More Secure”
Colorado Online Video Advertising Startup SpotXchange Sold for $144M
Companies like Facebook and AOL and advertisers are confident that video ads will be a big part of online advertising, and the latest startup to benefit with an outsized exit is SpotXchange, a startup based outside of Denver. RTL Group, a major European media company, announced Thursday it will buy a majority stake in online-ad … Continue reading “Colorado Online Video Advertising Startup SpotXchange Sold for $144M”
Nok Nok Working With Tech Giants to Secure Smartphones, Networks
[Corrected 8/1/14, 12:20 p.m. See below.] There’s a certain irony that in a time when smartphones can tell who we are by scanning our fingerprints or taking a picture of our face, we still rely on usernames and passwords—a strategy developed in the age of the mainframe—to keep everything secure. But for people like Nok Nok … Continue reading “Nok Nok Working With Tech Giants to Secure Smartphones, Networks”
Colorado Tech Roundup: News From PivotDesk, Sierra Nevada, Vestas
Here is a quick roundup of some news from Colorado startups and tech companies, featuring PivotDesk, Sierra Nevada Corp., and Vestas. —PivotDesk’s new partners: PivotDesk wants to shake up the commercial real estate industry. Now they’re trying to do it by reaching out to new, unexpected allies. PivotDesk, which is based in Boulder, CO, this … Continue reading “Colorado Tech Roundup: News From PivotDesk, Sierra Nevada, Vestas”
With New $40M Funding Round, LogRhythm Continues March to IPO
Another month, another Colorado tech company closing a big venture round that puts it on track for a potential IPO. LogRhythm said this week it closed a $40 million Series E round. The round brings the total investment raised by the Boulder, CO-based IT security firm, which was founded in 2003, to $71.5 million. LogRhythm … Continue reading “With New $40M Funding Round, LogRhythm Continues March to IPO”
Ping Identity Unveils Mobile App, Strategy for “Post-Password Era”
With new, increasingly dangerous computer and network security threats continuously emerging, it’s difficult to imagine life without that most basic, universal security measure—the password. But that’s exactly what Ping Identity, a Denver-based network security company, is trying to create. In the process, it wants to capture a piece of the $40 billion IT security market … Continue reading “Ping Identity Unveils Mobile App, Strategy for “Post-Password Era””
Colorado Startups Raise $151M in Q2 as National VC Investments Surge
The amount venture capitalists are betting on startups is approaching highs last seen during the dot-com era, and Colorado’s emerging companies continue to hold their own. Colorado companies raised $150.8 million from venture capital firms during the second quarter, according to the MoneyTree report that was released Friday. The amount is nearly a 34 percent … Continue reading “Colorado Startups Raise $151M in Q2 as National VC Investments Surge”
Number of Investments in Colorado Companies Reaches Five Year High
Last year was almost a billion-dollar year for Colorado’s venture-backed companies, and over the past five years investors have bet $4.2 billion on emerging companies in the state. That’s according to CB Insights, a New York City-based company that tracks venture capital and private equity investments. The firm released a report this week taking a … Continue reading “Number of Investments in Colorado Companies Reaches Five Year High”
Techstars Boulder Welcomes 13 Startups to Latest Accelerator Program
Techstars has announced the 13 startups that made the cut for selection to this year’s Boulder program. The startups begin work today and have three months to work on their products, meet with mentors, and refine their pitches to investors. Nicole Glaros, who is back in charge after helping to manage Techstars New York for … Continue reading “Techstars Boulder Welcomes 13 Startups to Latest Accelerator Program”
Galvanize Ventures Closes $10M Seed Fund With Eye to Change Venture
The vision behind Galvanize has always been, in the words of its co-founder and CEO Jim Deters, “f—ing audacious.” The latest evidence is the $10.2 million fund raised by Galvanize Ventures to make seed and early stage investments in startups around the country—and, in the eyes of Deters and company, put a new twist on … Continue reading “Galvanize Ventures Closes $10M Seed Fund With Eye to Change Venture”
Sun Continues to Shine for Denver Social Media Startup Wayin
It wasn’t a surprise when Wayin, the Denver-based social media startup co-founded by former Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy, announced Wednesday it just closed a $13.1 million Series C round. Wayin’s fundraising news has been out there since last month, when the company filed documents with the SEC after partially closing the round. But the … Continue reading “Sun Continues to Shine for Denver Social Media Startup Wayin”
Gnip, Twitter, Datalogix, and VC Rounds Top Colorado Stories for 2Q
It was a good spring for Colorado’s startups and tech companies, with Twitter’s acquisition of Gnip and big venture rounds earning headlines. Here’s recap of some of the second quarter’s biggest stories. -Twitter Buys Gnip Gnip, a Boulder-based startup founded in 2008, and Twitter have been partners for years. This April, that relationship got closer … Continue reading “Gnip, Twitter, Datalogix, and VC Rounds Top Colorado Stories for 2Q”
New Partnership Will Ease Startup Accelerator Application Process
Surviving the intense months it takes to go through a startup accelerator is hard. But getting in might be harder. A new partnership between UP Global, a Seattle-based nonprofit, and the Boulder, CO-based Global Accelerator Network might make the latter a bit easier. The duo announced today they are creating new events that will give … Continue reading “New Partnership Will Ease Startup Accelerator Application Process”
Boomtown Accelerator Graduates First Class, Announces Device Lab
Startups in Boulder, CO, might be getting a little more connected. The Boomtown Accelerator hosted its first demo day Friday. Six startups showed off their work and pitched investors at the Boulder Theater, and Boomtown announced it will open up a new “connected device lab” in the city. The accelerator hopes to make Boulder a … Continue reading “Boomtown Accelerator Graduates First Class, Announces Device Lab”
Colorado Company Gets $2.9M Grant to Develop Test for Ebola Virus
A Colorado-based developer of diagnostic medical tests is continuing the fight against the Ebola virus. Corgenix Medical (OTC: [[ticker:CONX]]) announced Thursday the National Institutes of Health has awarded the company a three-year, $2.9 million grant to further development of the its test for the Ebola virus. Corgenix’s goal is to create a test that will … Continue reading “Colorado Company Gets $2.9M Grant to Develop Test for Ebola Virus”
MiRagen Therapeutics Raises $7M, Extends Deal with France’s Servier
MiRagen Therapeutics, a Boulder, CO-based drug discovery company focused on developing microRNA-targeting therapies for cardiovascular and muscle diseases, has extended its collaboration with French pharmaceutical company Servier through October 2016, the company announced Wednesday. The biotech also has raised $7 million, according to an SEC filing submitted Wednesday. Servier and MiRagen are collaborating on pre-clinical … Continue reading “MiRagen Therapeutics Raises $7M, Extends Deal with France’s Servier”
CEOs on Colorado’s Advantages, Challenges, and Boulder vs. Denver
Life is good in Colorado, both for tech startups and the people who run and work for them. At least that’s the opinion of five of Colorado’s leading entrepreneurs who sounded off about running tech companies in the state. They spoke last week at the Colorado Venture Summit in Denver. The summit brought together CEOs … Continue reading “CEOs on Colorado’s Advantages, Challenges, and Boulder vs. Denver”
Colorado Venture Summit Pairs Top Entrepreneurs, Out-of-State VCs
Last Thursday, the Colorado Venture Summit brought together the CEOs from some of Colorado’s top startups and tech companies and the partners of venture capital firms from across the country. The goal was to help connect promising or thriving companies with investors who are not familiar with Colorado, according to David Gold, chair of the … Continue reading “Colorado Venture Summit Pairs Top Entrepreneurs, Out-of-State VCs”
Galvanize CEO Opens Up About $18M Round, Plan to Create Ed Startup
Ever since Jim Deters and his co-founders launched Galvanize in Denver in October 2012, they’ve emphasized what they call the three C’s: community, capital, and curriculum. But, given Galvanize’s impressive co-working spaces in Denver, San Francisco, and Boulder, CO—as well as the Galvanize Ventures seed fund expected to total $7 million that it has quietly … Continue reading “Galvanize CEO Opens Up About $18M Round, Plan to Create Ed Startup”
Scott McNealy’s Social Media Startup Wayin Tees Up $12.1M Round
Scott McNealy’s Denver-based social media startup Wayin has raised at least $12.1 million in a Series C round, according to a recent SEC filing. McNealy, the co-founder and longtime CEO of Sun Microsystems, and other Sun alumni launched Wayin in 2011, and McNealy is its chairman. The startup’s software collects social media postings from sites … Continue reading “Scott McNealy’s Social Media Startup Wayin Tees Up $12.1M Round”
Cloud Elements Closes $3.1M A Round to Make App Integration Easier
Cloud Elements, a Denver-based startup that makes software that developers can use to integrate their custom applications with cloud services like Dropbox and Salesforce, has closed a $3.1 million Series A round. Grotech Ventures and Icon Venture Partners led the round. Denver-based Galvanize Ventures also invested. Cloud Elements co-founder and CEO Mark Geene said his … Continue reading “Cloud Elements Closes $3.1M A Round to Make App Integration Easier”
Consolidation in CO: Level 3 to Acquire TW Telecom in $7.3B Deal
In a move sure to shake up the telecom industry—locally as well as globally—Level 3 Communications announced Monday that it will acquire TW Telecom for about $7.3 billion in a cash and stock deal. The companies are both based in Colorado and are among the leaders in the state’s tech industry, as well as the … Continue reading “Consolidation in CO: Level 3 to Acquire TW Telecom in $7.3B Deal”
Ibotta Raises $20M for Mobile App that Delivers Rebates to Consumers
Ibotta, a Denver-based startup, specializes in helping users of its mobile savings app earn cash. The company itself has been pretty good at raising money since its founding in 2011, and it just closed a $20 million round, according to a recent SEC filing. Ibotta makes a free app for iOS and Android that, it … Continue reading “Ibotta Raises $20M for Mobile App that Delivers Rebates to Consumers”
Stealthy Cloud-Based Security Startup ProtectWise Raises $14.1M
A Denver-based network security startup launched by a serial entrepreneur in the industry has big news, although it’s trying to keep it under wraps. ProtectWise, which is currently in stealth mode, just raised $14.1 million, according to an SEC filing submitted Tuesday. That follows a $3.1 million round the startup raised last year. The startup … Continue reading “Stealthy Cloud-Based Security Startup ProtectWise Raises $14.1M”
Galvanize Raises $13M, Looking for More Amid Major Expansion Push
Galvanize, the Denver-based startup incubator/co-working space, has raised $13.1 million in a recent funding round, according to documents filed with the SEC. The filing indicates the company is attempting to raise $18 million and has 23 investors so far, so that amount could grow. Galvanize representatives declined to comment about the news Friday morning. But … Continue reading “Galvanize Raises $13M, Looking for More Amid Major Expansion Push”
Cash-Strapped Ascent Solar Raises $6M to Continue Operations
Ascent Solar Technologies, a Thornton, CO-based manufacturer of thin-film photovoltaic modules, recently raised $6 million that will help the cash-strapped company continue operations, according to recent SEC filings. Ascent Solar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ASTI]]) was founded in 2005 and manufactures copper-indium-gallium-selenium (CIGS) photovoltaic modules on flexible and lightweight plastic films. The company believes the modules could succeed … Continue reading “Cash-Strapped Ascent Solar Raises $6M to Continue Operations”
Clovis Shares Tumble as Analysts Give Edge to Lung-Cancer Rival
It was an American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting to remember for Clovis Oncology, but not in a good way. The sudden fall of the Boulder-based drug company’s stock price was one of the most prominent stories to emerge from the conference, which was held in Chicago over the weekend. Clovis’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLVS]]) share price … Continue reading “Clovis Shares Tumble as Analysts Give Edge to Lung-Cancer Rival”
HappyGov, MoveMyMusic Take Top Prizes at Hack4Colorado Competition
Startups that want to make it easier for Denver residents to track requests for city services and for music teachers to evaluate students took home the top prizes from the annual Hack4Colorado hackathon last weekend. HappyGov and MoveMyMusic won the Open Pitch and the Nonprofit categories, respectively. Each team took home $1,000. Twenty teams competed … Continue reading “HappyGov, MoveMyMusic Take Top Prizes at Hack4Colorado Competition”
Datalogix Closes $45M Round, Reportedly Considering IPO This Year
Datalogix announced today it has closed a $45 million equity financing round. The announcement comes a few days after a media report that Datalogix is working with investment banks to prepare for an upcoming initial public offering. The Westminster, CO-based company collects information about real-world retail sales and other customer data and sells that information … Continue reading “Datalogix Closes $45M Round, Reportedly Considering IPO This Year”
Decibullz Bests 16 Startups to Win $250K Prize at Pitch Competition
Decibullz, a startup that sells earphones and earpieces that buyers can custom mold for a unique fit, took home $250,000 Saturday after winning the inaugural CSU Blue Ocean Enterprises Challenge. Decibullz, which is based in Loveland, CO, beat out 16 other startups to win the pitch competition. The event, which was in Fort Collins, CO, … Continue reading “Decibullz Bests 16 Startups to Win $250K Prize at Pitch Competition”
GlobeImmune Cuts Size of Pending IPO by 29 Percent
History might be repeating itself for GlobeImmune, a Colorado-based drug development company that once again appears to be having trouble finding investors for its IPO. GlobeImmune is planning an IPO that is expected to price soon. It is the second time the Louisville, CO-based company, which is developing drugs for pancreatic cancer and hepatitis, has … Continue reading “GlobeImmune Cuts Size of Pending IPO by 29 Percent”
Ascent Solar Technologies Helps Create Sun-Powered Drone
Ascent Solar Technologies is taking to the skies. The Thornton, CO-based manufacturer of thin-film photovoltaic modules announced this week that an unmanned aerial vehicle—also commonly known as a drone or unmanned aircraft system—using Ascent’s photovoltaic film recently made its first successful test flights. The drone was developed by Silent Falcon UAS Technologies, which is based … Continue reading “Ascent Solar Technologies Helps Create Sun-Powered Drone”
Uvize Determined to Help Veterans Make Transition to College Life
Stepping off the military base—or battlefield—and on to a college campus can be a surprisingly difficult transition, but Uvize, a Boulder, CO-based startup, is looking to change that. Uvize is a software startup that develops what co-founder and CEO Dave Cass calls virtual veterans centers. Veterans can use its online community features to connect with … Continue reading “Uvize Determined to Help Veterans Make Transition to College Life”
Concept 3D Raises $1.25M to Advance Its Mapping and Energy Software
After years of working with universities to develop interactive maps and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to develop energy assessment software, Concept 3D is setting off to explore new territory. The Boulder, CO-based software and services company has closed a $1.25 million funding round, according to SEC documents. Concept 3D co-founder and CEO Oliver Davis … Continue reading “Concept 3D Raises $1.25M to Advance Its Mapping and Energy Software”
Polis: Startups Can’t Ignore Politics, Must Make Voices Heard
Entrepreneur-turned-Congressman Jared Polis has a brutal truth for entrepreneurs who don’t pay attention to politics. “Wouldn’t it be nice if you could safely ignore politics?” asked Polis, the Democrat who represents Boulder, CO, in the U.S. House of Representatives. “But that’s not the case. The biggest principle to remember is if you’re not at the … Continue reading “Polis: Startups Can’t Ignore Politics, Must Make Voices Heard”
Fort Collins-based Beagle Fetches Go Code Colorado’s Top Prize
A team from Fort Collins took home the top prize last week at the inaugural Go Code Colorado challenge. The event is a competition sponsored by the state of Colorado to encourage startups to use public data collected by state agencies to create apps that can solve problems for businesses. Beagle earned a $25,000 contract … Continue reading “Fort Collins-based Beagle Fetches Go Code Colorado’s Top Prize”
Boulder Startup Week Kicks Off With Look at Angel Investing Pitfalls
Angel investing isn’t for the faint of heart. Doing it right takes patience, acceptance of risk, and the knack for spotting entrepreneurs who can work together as a team. Those were the major themes at a panel discussion Monday that was part of the first day of Boulder Startup Week. The panel, titled “Trouble in … Continue reading “Boulder Startup Week Kicks Off With Look at Angel Investing Pitfalls”
Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network’s Leaders Learning Early Lessons
Two weeks ago, Blackstone announced it was putting up $4 million to create the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network in Colorado. As this longer article describes, BEN Colorado’s goal is to help Colorado companies successfully “scale up” to become leaders in their industries while also deepening connections across various high-growth industries. How’s that effort going so far? … Continue reading “Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network’s Leaders Learning Early Lessons”
10 Things to Know About BEN, Blackstone, and Colorado’s Gazelles
It was a big win for Colorado’s entrepreneurial ecosystem when the Blackstone Charitable Foundation announced it was putting up $4 million to create the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network in Colorado. BEN Colorado’s twofold mission is to help the next wave of companies with high-growth potential scale up and become leaders in their industries while also helping … Continue reading “10 Things to Know About BEN, Blackstone, and Colorado’s Gazelles”
Orbotix Raises $15.5M to Develop Next Generation of Toys
Orbotix remains on a roll, announcing today that it has closed a $15.5 million funding round that the company will use to continue developing the next generation of high-tech toys that bridge the physical and the digital worlds. Orbotix is best known as the maker of Sphero, the robotic ball that can be controlled with … Continue reading “Orbotix Raises $15.5M to Develop Next Generation of Toys”
Colorado Tech Roundup: News From SendGrid, Zayo Group, and JumpCloud
Here is a quick roundup of some news from Colorado startups and tech companies, featuring SendGrid, Zayo Group, and JumpCloud. SendGrid’s New Partners: One of Colorado’s fastest-growing startups recently formed a new partnership to help other startups step on the accelerator. SendGrid announced this week it is partnering with startup accelerators Techstars, 500 Startups, and … Continue reading “Colorado Tech Roundup: News From SendGrid, Zayo Group, and JumpCloud”
PivotDesk Launches in 23 New Markets in Rapid Nationwide Expansion
Fresh off raising a $3.8 million Series B round, PivotDesk is expanding its footprint dramatically, announcing today it is launching its service in 23 new markets. The move nearly quintuples the startup’s number of markets and puts it in hubs such as Chicago, Seattle, and Austin, TX. PivotDesk is a Boulder CO-based startup that has … Continue reading “PivotDesk Launches in 23 New Markets in Rapid Nationwide Expansion”
New Colorado Conference to Connect Top Startups with National VCs
Some of Colorado’s heaviest hitters in the tech industry and in venture capital will be at Coors Field this summer, but they won’t be there to watch the Rockies. Instead, they’ll be there for the first Colorado Venture Summit, where they’ll celebrate recent successes, discuss future opportunities, and maybe make connections that will lead to … Continue reading “New Colorado Conference to Connect Top Startups with National VCs”
GlobeImmune Sets $15 to $17 Price Range in Second IPO Attempt
GlobeImmune has taken a big step forward in its second attempt to go public. Now the question is whether the Louisville, CO-based biotech will get to the finish line this time around. According to a regulatory filing posted by the company on Tuesday, GlobeImmune intends to price its shares between $15 and $17 apiece and … Continue reading “GlobeImmune Sets $15 to $17 Price Range in Second IPO Attempt”
CommercialTribe Lands $3.2M Series A Round from Colorado Syndicate
While some classic sales techniques have stood the test of time, the way sales teams train hasn’t, at least in the eyes of Paul Ironside, co-founder and CEO of CommercialTribe. Improve on the inefficient old standbys such as classroom training and sales conferences, he believes, and you could make a fortune. Ironside isn’t alone in … Continue reading “CommercialTribe Lands $3.2M Series A Round from Colorado Syndicate”