In cities across the United States, the benefits of bike-sharing and electric scooters that can be easily rented with a smartphone app have often been overshadowed by controversy. In Dallas, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, for example, complaints flooded into city offices earlier this year about the proliferation of “dockless” bikes cluttering sidewalks, handicap parking, … Continue reading “City Staffers Share Innovation Insights at Smart Cities Accelerator”
Category: San Francisco
Bristol-Myers Latest to Drop IDO Studies in Wake of Incyte Failure
[Updated 5/1/18, 12:34 p.m. See below.] Drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb is the latest to feel the shockwave caused by the failure of a widely watched cancer immunotherapy nearly a month ago. Xconomy has learned that Bristol (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) is curtailing work on three late-stage studies testing an experimental cancer drug that it bought for $800 … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers Latest to Drop IDO Studies in Wake of Incyte Failure”
United Therapeutics Reaches $141M Deal for PAH Drug Firm SteadyMed
Drug developer SteadyMed has been building momentum to take on the established seller of a therapy for a rare lung disease. But the rivalry could be over before it even started. Instead of competing against the United Therapeutics line-up of therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension, SteadyMed’s lead drug is now in line to join them. … Continue reading “United Therapeutics Reaches $141M Deal for PAH Drug Firm SteadyMed”
Synthorx Raises $63M to Advance Suite of Enhanced Cytokine Drugs
After demonstrating in 2016 how its synthetic biology technology could produce new biologic drugs, San Diego’s Synthorx today revealed that its lead drug candidate is an improved version of interleukin-2, an anti-cancer drug of intense commercial interest in the 1980s. Synthorx said its improved version of interleukin-2, known as Synthorin IL-2, is at the vanguard … Continue reading “Synthorx Raises $63M to Advance Suite of Enhanced Cytokine Drugs”
The Hive Closes $26.5M Third Fund to Create More A.I. Startups
Some people may be horrified by the awesome powers of artificial intelligence, fearing that even their own skilled jobs will be taken over by machines. Others, faced with a pile of work just to keep a business humming along smoothly, might secretly yearn for robotic reinforcements. For those people, help may be on the way … Continue reading “The Hive Closes $26.5M Third Fund to Create More A.I. Startups”
Diagnostics Developer Nanopore Wins Agtech and Food Startup Showcase
In both humans and farm animals, time is crucial when diagnosing illness. An early diagnosis means treatment can be given before the disease worsens. In some forms of aquaculture, the diagnostic time line stretches out a little longer. Fish farmers need to take a boat to the offshore cages where salmon are raised. Samples are … Continue reading “Diagnostics Developer Nanopore Wins Agtech and Food Startup Showcase”
Bill Gates on Saving Babies, Educating Kids, and Picking a Major
On a sunny spring afternoon, William Henry Gates III strolled into the Harvard University science center. Several hundred students and invited guests were waiting for him in the auditorium. Security was tight, but not overly so (he’s used to it). Gates was there Thursday for a conversation with Frank Doyle, Harvard’s dean of engineering and … Continue reading “Bill Gates on Saving Babies, Educating Kids, and Picking a Major”
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Tests, Parkinson’s Questions, Opioid Bills & More
Politics is more partisan than ever these days, but the opioid crisis might be one of the few issues where elected officials find common ground. This week, members of Congress exercised a bipartisan effort in both chambers to advance dozens of measures proposing various approaches to fighting the opioid epidemic. A Senate committee voted unanimously … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Tests, Parkinson’s Questions, Opioid Bills & More”
Home Tests in Mind, Doudna Startup Races Rivals in CRISPR Diagnostics
[Updated 4/26/18, 2:20pm ET. See below.] The gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 has captured the world’s attention with the possibility of fixing tough diseases and altering human traits. While experimental medicine, ethical worries, and an epic patent battle have attracted most of the headlines, the field’s pioneers have advanced new types of CRISPR to detect and diagnose … Continue reading “Home Tests in Mind, Doudna Startup Races Rivals in CRISPR Diagnostics”
Boston Deal News: Digg, Bose, TripAdvisor, Vets First Choice, Examity
[Updated 4/26/18, 3:30 pm. See below.] Boston-area technology companies have played dealmaker lately, with notable mergers and acquisitions in augmented reality, online news curation, tourism tech, education, and veterinary software. Read on for details. —Boston-based advertising technology firm BuySellAds has acquired online news aggregator Digg for an undisclosed price, according to a report by Fast … Continue reading “Boston Deal News: Digg, Bose, TripAdvisor, Vets First Choice, Examity”
PayPal Headlines Dosh’s $44M Payday for Advertising-Rebate Business
Austin—Dosh, a fintech and advertising startup that gets consumers cash back on certain purchases, has raised a $44 million Series A round of funding from some big-name investors, including PayPal. Dosh, founded in 2016, has had an active start to 2018, after launching last year. The Austin, TX-based company’s app has added 3 million new … Continue reading “PayPal Headlines Dosh’s $44M Payday for Advertising-Rebate Business”
DARPA Enlists Insects in R&D Effort to Protect the Food Supply
Farmers spend a lot of time and money trying to keep insects from damaging their crops. But the U.S. military sees some of these bugs as potential friends, not foes. A government-funded research project is studying how to use insects to deliver a targeted therapy to a crop following an outbreak of disease, a disaster, … Continue reading “DARPA Enlists Insects in R&D Effort to Protect the Food Supply”
As Telemedicine Use Booms, Doctor On Demand Raises $74M to Scale Up
Doctor On Demand, a startup that provides telemedicine services to patients who are unable or unwilling to see a doctor in person, says it has raised a $74 million round of outside financing. The new cash comes as the San Francisco-based company seeks to increase its market share in the telemedicine industry, which is projected … Continue reading “As Telemedicine Use Booms, Doctor On Demand Raises $74M to Scale Up”
After Facebook: Launch Seeks Social Startups With Focus on Privacy
The Facebook and Cambridge Analytica data scandal may be the most prominent controversy the social networking company has had, but Jason Calacanis appears to call Facebook the “dark side” of social media for more reasons than that. Calacanis is an angel investor and founder of San Francisco incubator Launch, which announced last Friday it has … Continue reading “After Facebook: Launch Seeks Social Startups With Focus on Privacy”
What President Trump Gets Wrong About Amazon’s Effect on the Economy
For the past week or so, President Trump has been deriding Amazon as a destroyer of jobs and the main reason many retail companies are failing. Unfortunately, this is a very one-sided and uninformed view of how Amazon is changing our economy. I run a retail operation that sells almost exclusively on Amazon. Since its … Continue reading “What President Trump Gets Wrong About Amazon’s Effect on the Economy”
Aspect Venture’s Jennifer Fonstad on Hot Areas of Tech, Diversity, & More
Jennifer Fonstad and Theresia Gouw launched Aspect Ventures with their own money in February 2014—and have hardly looked back. “We closed our first investment that first week,” Fonstad says. The pair went on to make a number of investments that first year before deciding to raise funds more formally from outsiders, like a conventional venture … Continue reading “Aspect Venture’s Jennifer Fonstad on Hot Areas of Tech, Diversity, & More”
SMA Day: AveXis Gene Therapy Creeps Forward as Biogen Drug’s Sales Slow
Just a few years ago, there were no drugs available for patients with the rare genetic disease spinal muscular atrophy. Now two cutting-edge therapies look headed for a commercial battle, with each data and revenue update a key moment in the race. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) was the first to bring an SMA drug to market, … Continue reading “SMA Day: AveXis Gene Therapy Creeps Forward as Biogen Drug’s Sales Slow”
Savari Raises $12M To Connect Cars To Stoplights, Phones, Each Other
Savari, whose technology is designed to create a shared communications web among cars, personal devices, and roadway signals, announced today it has raised $12 million in a Series B fundraising round. Santa Clara, CA-based Savari makes V2X technology—that is, software and hardware sensor units designed to connect vehicles to everything that moves, so they can … Continue reading “Savari Raises $12M To Connect Cars To Stoplights, Phones, Each Other”
Raising $56M, Revolution Medicines Drops Old Work and Turns to Cancer
Revolution Medicines emerged three years ago to develop drugs from products found in nature and said its lead prospect would be an antifungal compound. Redwood City, CA-based Revolution is now focused on cancer and has raised $56 million to bring a completely different drug into clinical studies. The firm is targeting an enzyme called SHP2, … Continue reading “Raising $56M, Revolution Medicines Drops Old Work and Turns to Cancer”
Techstars Alexa Firms Address Settings Where Voice Is ‘Most Natural’
Smart speakers are becoming increasingly common in our homes. Users can instruct these devices to order takeout, give the weather forecast, or turn on or off various Internet-connected devices. The Consumer Technology Association estimates that nearly 44 million voice-enabled assistants will be sold this year in the United States. Unit sales rose 279 percent from … Continue reading “Techstars Alexa Firms Address Settings Where Voice Is ‘Most Natural’”
Trade War Looming, 3D Printing Startup Formlabs Ups China Investment
Formlabs sees China as one of the keys to expanding 3D printing technology’s role in manufacturing, and the Massachusetts-based startup plans to grow its business there with the help of a recent $30 million venture funding round and some new investors located in China. Xconomy reported Formlabs’ latest investment in early April after spotting a … Continue reading “Trade War Looming, 3D Printing Startup Formlabs Ups China Investment”
Natera Names Paul Billings Chief Medical Officer
Paul Billings has been named chief medical officer and senior vice president of medical affairs of Natera (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NTRA]]). Billings’ experience includes serving as chief medical officer of Life Technologies and as consulting chief medical officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s (NYSE: [[ticker:TMO]]) genetic sciences division. San Carlos, CA-based Natera markets genetic assays, including prenatal tests … Continue reading “Natera Names Paul Billings Chief Medical Officer”
Using Analytics, Fitcode Aims to Connect Shoppers to Jeans That Fit
There are few things more universal in wardrobes the world over than blue jeans. But they are also the number one item that is returned by online shoppers, says Rian Buckley, founder and CEO of Fitcode. “Fit is the number one purchase driver and reason to return,” she says. For many of us, the idea … Continue reading “Using Analytics, Fitcode Aims to Connect Shoppers to Jeans That Fit”
Cybersecurity Innovation Is Key as Nations Move to Digital Hostilities
As the under secretary responsible for U.S. cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security during the Obama administration, Suzanne Spaulding was watching out for signs of vote tampering or disruptions on Nov. 8, 2016, as citizens cast their ballots for the presidential candidate of their choice. On that Election Day, the agency was on heightened … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Innovation Is Key as Nations Move to Digital Hostilities”
Pivotal Notches $555M IPO to Boost Enterprise Software in the Cloud
Pivotal Software is the latest to jump into an improving public market for tech companies—the San Francisco-based software business is raising $555 million in its initial public offering today. Pivotal said it priced 37 million shares for $15 apiece in the offering, in the middle of its expected range. The IPO still leaves Dell Technologies … Continue reading “Pivotal Notches $555M IPO to Boost Enterprise Software in the Cloud”
Bio Roundup: Hope for Lungs, Bradner’s Complaint, FDA Nods & More
The biggest news this week was in oncology, hands down. Merck showed that its immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) might become a common option for many patients newly diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, but the bigger picture is that the field is moving fast. While pembrolizumab notched the headline-grabbing data, others are also working to develop options … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Hope for Lungs, Bradner’s Complaint, FDA Nods & More”
Want to Find Stellar Software Engineers in the Midwest? Here’s How
It may seem obvious that companies in the Midwest face challenges attracting and retaining talent, given our weather and location far from the coasts. One need only to look at college football recruiting, after all, to see how the average annual snowfall on campus matters almost as much as last season’s win/loss record. To some … Continue reading “Want to Find Stellar Software Engineers in the Midwest? Here’s How”
Techstars Anywhere Inaugural Class Takes Virtual Graduation Walk
[Corrected 4/20/09, 5:35 am. See below.] From Adelaide to Toronto, the Techstars accelerator that began in Boulder, CO, runs 39 programs in 27 cities around the world—with the prerequisite that admitted startups must relocate, if necessary, to the city where their three-month program is based. Today, however, the inaugural class of the 40th program—Techstars Anywhere—is … Continue reading “Techstars Anywhere Inaugural Class Takes Virtual Graduation Walk”
Safety Concerns Linger for Lilly’s Arthritis Drug as FDA Panel Looms
FDA staffers have expressed significant concerns about the side effects tied to Eli Lilly’s experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib (Olumiant), which is once again up for review after the agency rejected it last year. Next week, a panel of independent experts will convene to evaluate the merits of baricitinib. The FDA looks to these advisory … Continue reading “Safety Concerns Linger for Lilly’s Arthritis Drug as FDA Panel Looms”
Shapeways Adds $30M to Push “Mass Personalization” Via 3D Printing
Shapeways, a New York-based 3D printing company, has raised $30 million in new funding to help expand its services for product designers aspiring to build successful small businesses. Shapeways, which has raised more than $100 million to date, operates an online marketplace where designers and others with product ideas can sell their 3D-printed wares, such … Continue reading “Shapeways Adds $30M to Push “Mass Personalization” Via 3D Printing”
5 Takeaways From Robo Madness 2018 at iRobot
A who’s who of robotics and artificial intelligence experts gathered at iRobot’s headquarters in Bedford, MA, last week. The occasion was Xconomy’s fourth annual Robo Madness conference, and you can check out photos from the event here. Here are five things we learned from the discussions: 1. Watch your interns and office cleaners—they’ll go on … Continue reading “5 Takeaways From Robo Madness 2018 at iRobot”
BenevolentAI Raises $115M For Drug Discovery, Pegs Valuation at $2.1 Billion
BenevolentAI, one of the companies vying to improve healthcare through artificial intelligence analysis, says it has raised $115 million to accelerate its drive to discover new drugs by studying disease processes at the molecular level. The London-based company, which has offices in New York and Belgium, says the new capital brings its current valuation to … Continue reading “BenevolentAI Raises $115M For Drug Discovery, Pegs Valuation at $2.1 Billion”
Facebook: Lip Service to Privacy Is Over
As publicity-shy Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before both houses of Congress last week amid an avalanche of criticism about the dearth of user privacy on the world’s biggest social media network, it became crystal clear that the entire social media industry has entered a new and perilous phase. Trust in all social media … Continue reading “Facebook: Lip Service to Privacy Is Over”
Cancer Wrap: Blueprint, Checkmate, More AACR News & Phase 3 Blues
The big headlines from the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Chicago were all about the battle over the latest lung cancer data, and for good reason. Lung cancer remains the deadliest cancer, but the Phase 3 data suggest that treatment options for some of the direst cases could soon rapidly expand. There were … Continue reading “Cancer Wrap: Blueprint, Checkmate, More AACR News & Phase 3 Blues”
After FDA Approves Bone Disease Drug, Ultragenyx Sets $200K Price
Patients who have rickets experience a softening and weakening of their bones traced to a vitamin deficiency. In a rare, inherited form of the disease, vitamin D supplements don’t work. Ultragenyx (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RARE]]) has received FDA approval for a drug to treat patients who have this form of the disease, called X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH). The … Continue reading “After FDA Approves Bone Disease Drug, Ultragenyx Sets $200K Price”
Cyberwar Theme Resounds At RSA; Tech Giants Unveil Joint Strategy
The RSA Conference, one of the cybersecurity industry’s largest annual events, opened in San Francisco this week amid a barrage of unsettling news, as both nations and companies drew boundary lines and formed alliances in a cyber universe that seems increasingly combative. In the United States, a growing awareness of the weaponization of cyber skills, … Continue reading “Cyberwar Theme Resounds At RSA; Tech Giants Unveil Joint Strategy”
Marketing Chatbot Firm Drift Grabs $60M Led By Sequoia, Sans HubSpot
David Cancel and Elias Torres built their last startup, a marketing automation company called Performable, with just $3 million from venture capitalists. They raised that funding round in late 2009, and about 18 months later they sold the company to HubSpot (NYSE: [[ticker:HUBS]])—a larger sales and marketing tech firm based in Cambridge, MA—for a reported … Continue reading “Marketing Chatbot Firm Drift Grabs $60M Led By Sequoia, Sans HubSpot”
Livongo Health Grows with Purchase of Weight Loss Startup Retrofit
Livongo Health, a Bay Area-based developer of devices and software for managing chronic health conditions, has acquired Retrofit, a Chicago startup that develops programs designed to help people lose weight and prevent disease. Mountain View, CA-based Livongo, which last week raised a $105 million round of outside investment, says that its purchase of Retrofit will … Continue reading “Livongo Health Grows with Purchase of Weight Loss Startup Retrofit”
U.S. Funding for Biomedical Research Takes Upturn
At the end of March, Congress passed a $1.3 trillion spending bill to fund federal agencies for the rest of the fiscal year and avert another government shutdown. The 2,232-page legislation included a $3 billion funding increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the second largest in the health agency’s history. Other research and … Continue reading “U.S. Funding for Biomedical Research Takes Upturn”
Adecco to Buy General Assembly for $412.5M to Grow Tech Workforce
The Adecco Group, the global staffing and worker training giant, has inked a $412.5 million agreement to acquire General Assembly, a tech training and career development company that offers courses online and at 20 campuses worldwide. The deal underscores the growing demand for software coding and other digital skills—and employers’ increased willingness to turn to … Continue reading “Adecco to Buy General Assembly for $412.5M to Grow Tech Workforce”
For More Lung Cancer Patients, the Promise of No Chemo Looms Larger
[Editor’s note: Ben Fidler co-authored this report.] A decade from now, it’s possible that immunotherapy will have made a big dent in lung cancer, which is by far the deadliest type of the disease. Drugs from several companies have worked their way forward, initially for patients who have failed chemotherapy, and now, in some cases, … Continue reading “For More Lung Cancer Patients, the Promise of No Chemo Looms Larger”
Livongo, Led By Ex-Allscripts CEO, Gets $105M for Health Tech Tools
Livongo Health, a startup that develops connected devices and software for patients with diabetes and other chronic conditions, said earlier this week it had raised $105 million from investors to support further development of its technology. Livongo’s latest financing round was led by Kinnevik and General Catalyst Partners, which reportedly helped incubate the startup and … Continue reading “Livongo, Led By Ex-Allscripts CEO, Gets $105M for Health Tech Tools”
On Eve of RSA, Fortanix and Cybereason Talk Encryption, Cyberwar
Ambuj Kumar says he’ll face a higher hurdle than the other nine finalists in the RSAC Innovation Sandbox Contest on Monday, when he’ll have three minutes to convince judges that his startup, Fortanix, deserves to win the prestigious competition. The Sandbox contest is one of the kick-off events at RSA Security’s huge annual conference in … Continue reading “On Eve of RSA, Fortanix and Cybereason Talk Encryption, Cyberwar”
Onapsis Bags $31M as U.S. Cybersecurity Funding Slows
The U.S. cybersecurity industry has seen a decline in venture capital investments recently, but Boston-area security startups are having a good week. On Tuesday, Boston-based ObserveIT said it recently pulled in a Series B investment led by Bain Capital Ventures. The Boston Business Journal reported the initial amount was $16 million, but that number could … Continue reading “Onapsis Bags $31M as U.S. Cybersecurity Funding Slows”
Bio Roundup: Lung Cancer Showdown, Gene Therapy Deals, IPO Busts
This weekend, cancer immunotherapy will once again take biopharma’s center stage. At one of the year’s big cancer meetings, investors, researchers, and many others will have a close eye on a group of presentations touting new lung cancer regimens that combine immunotherapies with other treatments. The presentations could shift the dynamics of the fast-moving landscape, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Lung Cancer Showdown, Gene Therapy Deals, IPO Busts”
Karamba Security Snags $10M from WTI, Contemplates Acquisition Targets
Karamba Security, an automotive cybersecurity startup based in Hod Hasharon, Israel, and Bloomfield Hills, MI, announced this week that it has closed on $10 million in financing from Silicon Valley’s Western Technology Investment. That brings the total amount raised to $27 million since the company’s 2016 inception. David Barzilai, Karamba’s co-founder and executive chairman, says … Continue reading “Karamba Security Snags $10M from WTI, Contemplates Acquisition Targets”
Despite Pain Drug’s Mid-Stage Miss, Adynxx Plans a Larger Phase 3 Test
An Adynxx pain drug has failed to meet the main goal of a mid-stage study, but the company instead points to results in a subset of patients that it says are strong enough to justify advancing the treatment into a larger Phase 3 clinical trial. Adynxx develops drugs to block proteins that control genes that … Continue reading “Despite Pain Drug’s Mid-Stage Miss, Adynxx Plans a Larger Phase 3 Test”
As Novartis Buys In to Gene Therapy, GSK Bows Out with Orchard Deal
Novartis just bet close to $9 billion on the future of gene therapy, a boost for a field that hasn’t yet seen commercial success. In the same week, GlaxoSmithKline, which has one of the few gene therapies on the market but has struggled to sell it, is asking out. The British pharma giant will send … Continue reading “As Novartis Buys In to Gene Therapy, GSK Bows Out with Orchard Deal”
No “Pink Tax”: Billie, a Shave Club for Women, Raises $6M
[Corrected, 4/11/18, 4:48 p.m. ET. See below.] Billie, a direct-to-consumer seller of monthly shaving and body care products subscriptions, has raised $6 million in new funding. The New York-based startup, which launched in November, previously raised $2.5 million. This latest round of funding was led by Silverton Partners in Austin and included existing investors Female … Continue reading “No “Pink Tax”: Billie, a Shave Club for Women, Raises $6M”
RubrYc Therapeutics Spins Out of HealthTell and Closes $10M Financing
RubrYc Therapeutics announced the closing of $10 million in financing as the startup presses ahead in its efforts to discover new antibody drugs. With the financing, San Ramon, CA-based RubrYc says it has completed its spinoff from HealthTell, a company that has developed tests for analyzing the immune system’s response to disease. RubrYc was founded … Continue reading “RubrYc Therapeutics Spins Out of HealthTell and Closes $10M Financing”