In its quest to go global, Techstars is going back to its roots. The Techstars startup accelerator held its annual demo day Thursday in its hometown of Boulder, CO. Along with pitches from 10 startups, the presentation included a rare joint appearance by all four Techstars founders and the introduction—or possibly reintroduction—of its new president, … Continue reading “Techstars Names New President, Accelerates Plans for Worldwide Reach”
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.
Intuit Acquires Tax Planning Startup GoodApril Before Techstars Demo
GoodApril, we hardly knew you. The founders of the Techstars startup announced Thursday that Intuit has bought their company for an undisclosed price. GoodApril makes tax-planning software intended to help users reduce their annual tax bill, so the company seems like a logical fit with Intuit (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTU]]), which makes the TurboTax tax preparation and … Continue reading “Intuit Acquires Tax Planning Startup GoodApril Before Techstars Demo”
Array Biopharma Cuts Staff by 20%, Loses Development Deal with Amgen
Array Biopharma, a Boulder, CO-based drug development company, announced today it has laid off 20 percent of its staff and that Amgen has ended a drug development partnership with the company. The cuts leave Array (Nasdaq: [[ticker:ARRY]]) with about 200 employees. Array and Amgen (Nasdaq: [[ticker:AMGN]]) had been working on a treatment for type 2 … Continue reading “Array Biopharma Cuts Staff by 20%, Loses Development Deal with Amgen”
RoundPegg Uses Web-based Polls, Services to Build Stronger Cultures
Corporate culture is a tricky issue in the business world. Companies spend vast sums of money on consultants, surveys, and “Successories” motivational posters. Meanwhile, jaded employees roll their eyes when it comes time to take the annual survey or wisecrack their way through buzzword-filled HR meetings. Both points of view are justified. Studies show companies … Continue reading “RoundPegg Uses Web-based Polls, Services to Build Stronger Cultures”
NASA’s Next Mars Mission Leaves Colorado on Trip to the Red Planet
Next stop: Mars. NASA’s next mission to the Red Planet is the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft, or MAVEN, which on Friday arrived at the Kennedy Space Center. The satellite was designed and built outside Denver by Lockheed Martin Space Systems. MAVEN is scheduled to launch this November, following prelaunch setup and testing. The … Continue reading “NASA’s Next Mars Mission Leaves Colorado on Trip to the Red Planet”
Colorado Dominates List of Best Places to Work for Outdoorsy Types
Colorado-based companies dominated Outside Magazine’s annual list of best places to work Thursday, with companies based in Boulder, Denver, and the Denver suburbs taking three of the top five and five of the top 10 spots. The list includes some tech companies that are familiar names, like ninth-ranked Gnip and 24th-ranked Rally Software (NYSE: [[ticker:RALY]]). … Continue reading “Colorado Dominates List of Best Places to Work for Outdoorsy Types”
Startup Phenomenon Launches, Aims to Capture Essence of Startup Hubs
You could call the recent interest in startup communities and entrepreneurial hubs a movement, a trend, a revolution, or possibly just a fad. But whatever it is, entrepreneurs clustered in cities around the world are making something happen, and as with any natural, technological, or economic phenomenon, people are watching it and trying to learn. … Continue reading “Startup Phenomenon Launches, Aims to Capture Essence of Startup Hubs”
Clock Ticks Toward Last Call for Potential Denver Startup Crawl Hosts
Have a great startup you want to introduce people to? Want to show off the cool new office? Interested in recruiting new talent in a relaxed setting over a beer or two? Then Denver Startup Crawl might be the event for you. The Startup Crawl is back and looking for startups to be hosts. The … Continue reading “Clock Ticks Toward Last Call for Potential Denver Startup Crawl Hosts”
Array to Receive $11M From Celgene as Part of New Development Deal
Array BioPharma and Celgene have signed a drug development deal that will bring Array $11 million up front and could yield $376 million in milestone payments for Array if its experimental drugs reach certain goals, the companies announced Monday. The companies are collaborating on a preclinical development program that targets a novel inflammation pathway, which … Continue reading “Array to Receive $11M From Celgene as Part of New Development Deal”
Mile High Roundup: Winners Needed, TechStars, and $50K for Failures
Welcome to the Mile High Roundup, a look at some of the interesting things that have happened over the past two weeks in the tech scene in Boulder, Denver, and around Colorado. In this edition, Convercent’s CEO reminds Denver of a truth, TechStars’ Class of 2013 starts taking the stage, and the state finds four … Continue reading “Mile High Roundup: Winners Needed, TechStars, and $50K for Failures”
Rally Investors, Executives Cash In With $114M Follow-On Offering
Three Boulder-based venture capital firms are about to be rewarded for their stakes in Rally Software, as they will soon sell shares in company’s follow-on public offering. Rally (NYSE: [[ticker:RALY]]) announced last week it was conducting the offering, and on Thursday it priced the shares. They will be available to the public at a price … Continue reading “Rally Investors, Executives Cash In With $114M Follow-On Offering”
High-end SSD Developer SolidFire Closes $31M C Round Led by Samsung
SolidFire, a developer of solid-state drive data storage technology, announced today that it has closed a $31 million Series C round. The investment brings the total of venture capital raised by the Boulder, CO-based startup to $68 million. That’s not bad for a company that was formed in 2009 and only really began selling its … Continue reading “High-end SSD Developer SolidFire Closes $31M C Round Led by Samsung”
Startup Colorado Forms $200K Fund to Back Events for Entrepreneurs
Rounding up money to support your latest great idea is tough, whether it’s for funding your company or putting together an event that benefits local entrepreneurs. Well, the latter just got easier, following Startup Colorado’s announcement today that it has created a $200,000 fund to provide financial support for groups that are hosting speakers or … Continue reading “Startup Colorado Forms $200K Fund to Back Events for Entrepreneurs”
Array Shares Climb After Asthma Drug Shows Positive Phase 2 Results
Array Biopharma’s stock price jumped more than 15 percent this morning, following the company’s announcement that an oral treatment for asthma it is developing showed positive results in a Phase 2 trial. Boulder, CO-based Array (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARRY]]) is developing ARRY-502 as a treatment for mild-to-moderate persistent asthma. About 12 million patients in the U.S. suffer … Continue reading “Array Shares Climb After Asthma Drug Shows Positive Phase 2 Results”
Denver Startup Helps Employees Become “Convercent” in Values, Culture
Bosses don’t have many ways to measure the health of their companies’ corporate culture. Sure, they can take surveys or try to extrapolate from indirect measures—or they can suddenly call the entire staff together, offer everyone the chance to quit with two months pay, and see who leaves. Patrick Quinlan, CEO of Convercent, tried the … Continue reading “Denver Startup Helps Employees Become “Convercent” in Values, Culture”
VC Investment in Boulder-Denver Area Companies Climbs to $111M in Q2
Accera, a pharmaceutical developer based in Broomfield that’s developing an Alzheimer’s-fighting shake, led the pack of Colorado companies that received venture capital in the second quarter. Yes, you read that right. Well, actually Accera makes an FDA-approved food additive that patients take daily to slow the progression of Alzeheimer’s symptoms. The “medical food” product, known … Continue reading “VC Investment in Boulder-Denver Area Companies Climbs to $111M in Q2”
First Music Hack Day Builds Bridge Between Local Tech, Music Scenes
There might have been a time when the kids in bands and the kids who coded didn’t get along. But those days are in the past, and the upcoming Music Hack Day Denver is an example of that. Music Hack Day Denver is part of an international series of events that’s a few years old, … Continue reading “First Music Hack Day Builds Bridge Between Local Tech, Music Scenes”
Content Marketing Platform Helps Kapost Raise $5.6M Series C Round
First things first: it’s Kapost, pronounced like “kaboom.” The idea of blowing up—but only in the good way—seems apt, following Kapost’s announcement Thursday that it has raised a $5.6 million Series C round. Boulder-based Kapost has raised $8.2 million the past three years and develops content marketing software. Basically, it’s a robust content management system … Continue reading “Content Marketing Platform Helps Kapost Raise $5.6M Series C Round”
Ping Identity CEO Opens Up About $44M Series F Round, Potential IPO
Sign up Ping Identity in the race to become the preeminent company in identity access management. The Denver-based company announced Tuesday it has closed a $44 million Series F round that CEO Andre Durand said lays the groundwork for an IPO that could come next year, and helps Ping Identity stay in “pole position” in … Continue reading “Ping Identity CEO Opens Up About $44M Series F Round, Potential IPO”
Mile High Roundup: A Big Biofuel Moves In and New Energy for Wind
Welcome to the Mile High Roundup, a fortnightly review and recap of some of the interesting things that have happened over the past two weeks in the tech scene in Boulder, Denver, and around Colorado. It’s no secret tons of cool stuff is happening around the state, and this is a chance to catch up. … Continue reading “Mile High Roundup: A Big Biofuel Moves In and New Energy for Wind”
New Incentive Deal with Chinese City Brightens Ascent Solar’s Future
Maybe it’s an example of the old saying “if you can’t beat them, join them.” Ascent Solar Technologies, a Colorado-based designer and maker of thin-film photovoltaic technology, announced this week it has entered into an agreement with the Chinese city of Suqian that could lead to a total of $500 million in investments that would … Continue reading “New Incentive Deal with Chinese City Brightens Ascent Solar’s Future”
Mobile Game Developer Backflip Studios Scores $112M from Hasbro
Backflip Studios is joining forces with Hasbro, following a deal in which Hasbro paid $112 million in cash for a 70 percent stake in the Boulder, CO-based mobile game developer. Hasbro (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HAS]]) and Backflip Studios announced the deal Monday. The deal is a huge one for Backflip, which has emerged as a leading mobile … Continue reading “Mobile Game Developer Backflip Studios Scores $112M from Hasbro”
Exar Snaps Up Semiconductor Designer Cadeka Microcircuits for $29M
Semiconductor products designer and manufacturer Cadeka Microcircuits has been purchased by Exar for $29 million in a cash and stock deal, the companies announced Monday. The acquisition price could go up because the deal includes earn-out provisions based on the net revenue Cadeka products generate for Exar. Cadeka makes precision analog integrated circuits and is … Continue reading “Exar Snaps Up Semiconductor Designer Cadeka Microcircuits for $29M”
Colorado Cleantech Companies Raised a Combined $10.4M in 2nd Quarter
A handful of Colorado cleantech and energy services companies raised a combined $10.4 million from venture capital investors during the second quarter, bringing the 2013 total raised in cleantech to $45.2 million. Cleantech has long been something of a catch-all term for very diverse industries, and that can be seen in the latest numbers, which … Continue reading “Colorado Cleantech Companies Raised a Combined $10.4M in 2nd Quarter”
Array Starts First Phase 3 Trial, Shifts to Late-Stage Development
Array Biopharma said Tuesday it has received a $5 million milestone payment from Novartis for beginning Phase 3 testing of a drug it hopes can treat ovarian cancer. The milestone is just part of a larger transition for the Boulder, CO-based biopharmaceutical company. The event that triggered the payment was the beginning a multinational, randomized … Continue reading “Array Starts First Phase 3 Trial, Shifts to Late-Stage Development”
Rally’s $84M IPO, NexGen’s $119M Exit Made Quarter One to Remember
The Spring of 2013 will go down in the history of Colorado’s tech community as one to remember, with a breakthrough IPO, a nice exit for a leader in the historically vibrant data storage industry, major investment in two startups, and new life for one of the area’s leading biotechs. Here’s a quick recap of … Continue reading “Rally’s $84M IPO, NexGen’s $119M Exit Made Quarter One to Remember”
Mile High Roundup: Startup Visas, Jobs, and Entrepreneurs Take Bows
Welcome to the Mile High Roundup, a fortnightly review and recap of some of the interesting things that have happened over the past two weeks in the tech scene in Boulder, Denver, and around Colorado. It’s no secret tons of cool stuff is happening around the state, and this is a chance to catch up. … Continue reading “Mile High Roundup: Startup Visas, Jobs, and Entrepreneurs Take Bows”
Small Dams Could Pump Out Big Power, Says Boulder Startup
Think of a hydroelectric project, and what comes to mind? Probably the giant Hoover Dam, or the Three Gorges megaproject in China. They’re projects that generate a lot of cheap, clean electricity at a continuous rate, but come at the cost of major disruptions to ecosystems and communities. That’s part of the reason why environmentalists … Continue reading “Small Dams Could Pump Out Big Power, Says Boulder Startup”
Orbotix’s Sphero Gets the Ball Rolling for Augmented Reality Games
When I first learned about Orbotix and its plan to build the first robot you could control with a smartphone or tablet, my reaction could pretty much be summed up as this: Shut up and take my money!!! That was less than three years ago. Orbotix, which is based in Boulder, CO, had just graduated … Continue reading “Orbotix’s Sphero Gets the Ball Rolling for Augmented Reality Games”
Gnip’s Old, New Bosses Open Up About Recent Leadership Change
Gnip, one of Boulder’s top tech companies, has reshuffled its executive team, and in an interview Friday the company’s new and old CEOs explained why. Gnip co-founder Jud Valeski is stepping aside from the CEO job and will become the company’s chief technology officer. Chris Moody, who spent about two years as Gnip’s president and … Continue reading “Gnip’s Old, New Bosses Open Up About Recent Leadership Change”
Allergist, Vaccine Researchers Nothing to Sneeze At, UCD Judges Say
A startup that’s trying to promote a better way to treat allergy patients beat out a team of biotech researchers working on a way to protect vaccines from heat to take home the top prize Tuesday at the University of Colorado-Denver’s annual business plan competition. Allergy Solutions won the $10,000 prize for its proposal to … Continue reading “Allergist, Vaccine Researchers Nothing to Sneeze At, UCD Judges Say”
Craft Brewers and Hackers to Share Insights over Pints at CU Event
There’s a set of companies in Colorado that’s spinning off one innovative startup after another. Their products and unique style are having an impact across their industries, and some of the most influential people and organizations have roots in the area. Collectively, they’ve created an ecosystem that’s studied, admired, and even envied. No, we’re not … Continue reading “Craft Brewers and Hackers to Share Insights over Pints at CU Event”
Clovis Oncology Closes $275M Offering Following Two Pivotal Weeks
Clovis Oncology’s big two weeks came to an end Monday with the closing of a secondary public offering of $275 million for the Boulder, CO.-based biopharmaceuticals company’s $275 million public offering. Since the start of June, Clovis Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLVS]]) has watched its stock price more than double in value, following its announcement at the … Continue reading “Clovis Oncology Closes $275M Offering Following Two Pivotal Weeks”
Mile High Roundup: DSW Plans, Brains for Robots, and Schooling CFOs
Welcome to the Mile High Roundup, a fortnightly review and recap of some of the interesting things that have happened over the past two weeks in the tech scene in Boulder, Denver, and around Colorado. It’s no secret tons of cool stuff is happening around the state, and this is a chance to catch up. … Continue reading “Mile High Roundup: DSW Plans, Brains for Robots, and Schooling CFOs”
Denver Startup GutCheck Has Its Moment, Raises $4M Series B
Here’s an example of the rare “gut check moment” that’s a pleasant thing. GutCheck, a market-research startup based in Denver, has raised a $4 million Series B round. Everyone gets the idea of the gut check—when you have to face an unpleasant truth or hear what you don’t want to hear. GutCheck helps companies and … Continue reading “Denver Startup GutCheck Has Its Moment, Raises $4M Series B”
Satellite Imagery Provider DigitalGlobe to Expand, Stay in Colorado
DigitalGlobe, Colorado’s highest-flying tech company—literally—reportedly plans to add more than 500 jobs and is considering relocating its corporate headquarters within the Denver-Boulder area. DigitalGlobe (NYSE: [[ticker:DGI]]) is one of the world’s leading satellite imagery and geospatial information companies, with a market cap of $2.25 billion and 2012 profit of $39 million. The Longmont, CO-based company … Continue reading “Satellite Imagery Provider DigitalGlobe to Expand, Stay in Colorado”
Clovis Oncology Boosts Public Offering to $240M After Stock Booms
Clovis Oncology’s great start to June might be getting better, with the Boulder, CO-based biopharmaceutical company announcing late Tuesday it was upsizing its underwritten public offering to $240 million. Clovis Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLVS]]) announced the offering Monday, but set the target amount at $170 million. Clovis will offer 3,333,334 million shares of common stock at … Continue reading “Clovis Oncology Boosts Public Offering to $240M After Stock Booms”
Clovis Oncology to Raise $170M as Stock Price Booms Following ASCO
Clovis Oncology is riding high following last week’s American Society of Clinical Oncology conference, and today the Boulder, CO-based company announced it will try to raise $170 million in an underwritten public offering. Clovis Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLVS]]) emerged from ASCO as one of the breakout companies, with its stock price more than doubling and now … Continue reading “Clovis Oncology to Raise $170M as Stock Price Booms Following ASCO”
Tumblr, Foursquare Execs Map Out New Directions, Tools for Brands
Senior executives from Tumblr and Foursquare headlined the first day of Gnip’s Big Boulder Conference on “social data” on Thursday, and while they didn’t have much to say about the news that’s put their companies in the headlines in the past few months, they did lay out what products their companies are betting on for … Continue reading “Tumblr, Foursquare Execs Map Out New Directions, Tools for Brands”
StillSecure Executives: Sale, Pivot an Attempt to Capitalize on BYOD
StillSecure announced Wednesday that it has sold its managed security services division to Connecticut-based SilverSky for an undisclosed amount. That’s obviously significant news for the Superior, CO-based company, but in the long run it might be less important to StillSecure’s future than its announcement it will now focus exclusively on its network access control (NAC) … Continue reading “StillSecure Executives: Sale, Pivot an Attempt to Capitalize on BYOD”
StillSecure Sells Off Managed Services Division, Promotes New CEO
Big changes appear to be happening at StillSecure, which announced today it has sold its managed security services division to a Connecticut-based company for an undisclosed price and has named a new CEO. StillSecure is a network security company based in Superior, CO. StillSecure struck the deal with SilverSky, which develops cloud-based security software and … Continue reading “StillSecure Sells Off Managed Services Division, Promotes New CEO”
Cyber Security Firm LogRhythm Setting Tempo for March to an IPO
Logging in to a network, whether for work, to check your bank balance, or to play video games, has become one of life’s routine hassles. But if you think logging in is a hassle, try running a network that must track thousands or millions of people trying to get access—and instantly predicting who has bad … Continue reading “Cyber Security Firm LogRhythm Setting Tempo for March to an IPO”
DeVice Wins the Hack4Colorado Pot for App that Helps Feed ‘Vices’
What do you get when you put 100 Denver-area hackers together for about 48 hours and give them access to loads of data about hiking trails, where city dwellers can plant urban farms—and where you can buy marijuana legally? You get 18 apps that can help rescuers find injured hikers, connect urban farmers to buyers, … Continue reading “DeVice Wins the Hack4Colorado Pot for App that Helps Feed ‘Vices’”
Biodesix’s VeriStrat Test for Cancer Treatment Passes Phase 3 Trial
Biodesix, a Boulder, CO-based company that develops molecular diagnostic tests, said today that it has passed a key clinical trial that shows its VeriStrat test can give physicians a better idea of what to do next after the first round of treatment for non-small cell lung cancer has failed. The result of the trial, from … Continue reading “Biodesix’s VeriStrat Test for Cancer Treatment Passes Phase 3 Trial”
Galvanize, Denver Startup Week Win Plaudits from Denver’s Old Guard
Denver’s old-school business establishment tipped its hat this week to the leaders of the city’s burgeoning entrepreneurial scene. Galvanize, the coworking space that’s quickly become the hub for Denver’s top tech startups, and Denver Startup Week both received awards from the Downtown Denver Partnership, one of Colorado’s largest economic vitality groups. The annual awards historically … Continue reading “Galvanize, Denver Startup Week Win Plaudits from Denver’s Old Guard”
Ailing ARCA Biopharma Seeks $20M to Fund Trials, Stay in Business
ARCA biopharma announced today it will try to raise $20 million in an equity offering to stay afloat while it continues Phase 2 and 3 trials of its treatment for atrial fibrillation. The Broomfield, CO-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ABIO]]) is small pharmaceutical developer focused on genetically targeted therapies for cardiovascular diseases. Its lead product is bucindolol … Continue reading “Ailing ARCA Biopharma Seeks $20M to Fund Trials, Stay in Business”
Hackers Challenged to Tackle Social Problems in Upcoming Hackathons
The government knows an awful lot about you, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, at least in the eyes of the organizers of the National Day of Civic Hacking. The day is an attempt to bring entrepreneurs, software developers, and activists together with government agencies to take on close-to-home problems like pollution monitoring or … Continue reading “Hackers Challenged to Tackle Social Problems in Upcoming Hackathons”
Colorado Looks to Reward Entrepreneurs who Risk “Glorious Failures”
Entrepreneurs know embracing risk brings with it the possibility of failure. It’s a fact of life, but it’s usually the last thing government officials acknowledge when touting job creation programs backed with state support. But the state of Colorado is taking a different approach with its new “Glorious Failure” innovation challenge. The program will give … Continue reading “Colorado Looks to Reward Entrepreneurs who Risk “Glorious Failures””
Scheduling App Maker TeamSnap Grabs Rival Weplay’s Users, Content
A lot of professional sports teams try to steal away each other’s superstars. But what if one franchise tried to snatch its biggest rival’s entire fan base and all their ticket holders? TeamSnap, a Boulder-based startup, recently accomplished something very much like that. TeamSnap develops applications to help manage groups such as recreational sports teams. … Continue reading “Scheduling App Maker TeamSnap Grabs Rival Weplay’s Users, Content”
Dream Chaser Reaches Edwards AFB to Prove It Has “The Right Stuff”
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The journey into space for a potentially breakthrough vehicle begins with a nearly 1,000-mile trip to Edwards Air Force Base—on the back of a flatbed truck, wrapped in plastic. At least that’s the case for the Dream Chaser, the space vehicle Sierra Nevada Corp. … Continue reading “Dream Chaser Reaches Edwards AFB to Prove It Has “The Right Stuff””