[Corrected 10/29/15, 12:52 am. See below.] Boom or not, there’s always a need for startup capital in biotech. A new source is about to emerge. The founders of LabCentral and Cambridge BioLabs, well-known biotech incubators in Cambridge, MA, are on the verge of closing what they hope to be a $150 million early-stage fund for … Continue reading “LabCentral Backers Planning $150M Venture Fund For Biotech Startups”
Category: Boston
SolarWinds Bought for $4.5B in Austin’s Second Megadeal
Austin, TX has attracted attention for its rapid population growth in recent years. But after SolarWinds (NYSE: [[ticker:SWI]]) announced the region’s second multibillion-dollar deal this month, megamergers may be turning into Austin’s calling card. Private equity firms Thoma Bravo and Silver Lake Partners are taking Austin-based SolarWinds private in a deal valued at $4.5 billion. … Continue reading “SolarWinds Bought for $4.5B in Austin’s Second Megadeal”
#HealthTechBOS: Health Tech Boston Meet-Up
From the event organizer: “Boston, while recognized internationally as a hub for healthcare, medical research, education, and innovation – currently has NO networking forum geared to the digital health professional, partner, influencer, or advocate. Let’s change that and get together to build community around one of the fastest growing and most significant industries in our … Continue reading “#HealthTechBOS: Health Tech Boston Meet-Up”
After EMC News, Michael Dell Plans Boston Home Purchase
A week after Round Rock, TX-based Dell announced it would buy EMC for $67 billion in the largest technology deal in history, founder and CEO Michael Dell says he is making another purchase: a new house in Massachusetts, where EMC is headquartered. Dell told Fortune at the annual Dell World event that he hopes to … Continue reading “After EMC News, Michael Dell Plans Boston Home Purchase”
Unum Taps Former Takeda Oncology Exec, Vasconcelles, as CMO
Michael Vasconcelles has been named the chief medical officer of Cambridge, MA-based cellular immunotherapy startup Unum Therapeutics. Vasconcelles was previously the head of oncology at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Unum, meanwhile, raised a $65 million Series B round in June to lay the foundation for a future IPO.
Biogen to Cut 400 Jobs in Massachusetts in Big Restructuring
Biogen’s rise and fall this year has been symbolic of the sector’s bull run and recent retreat, which is why all eyes were squarely on the Cambridge, MA-based company’s latest sales numbers this morning. Those numbers beat expectations, but they were overcast by some bigger news: Biogen has hunkered down, and cut a bunch of … Continue reading “Biogen to Cut 400 Jobs in Massachusetts in Big Restructuring”
VoltServer Garners $4,996,054 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=087de6ff-cffd-4e90-9f0a-65a0ad3fa3e2 Date 10/21/2015 Company Name VoltServer Mailing Address 42 Ladd Street East Greenwich, RI 02818 USA Company Description VoltServer is developing innovative power distribution products base on the company’s patented Packet Energy Transfer (PET) technology. Website http://www.voltserver.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,996,054 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “VoltServer Garners $4,996,054 New Financing”
Arvinas Obtains $41,600,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a4d13724-6b0a-4c8e-8d46-e1f11aef4cf2 Date 10/21/2015 Company Name Arvinas Mailing Address 395 Winchester Ave. New Haven, CT 06511 USA Company Description Arvinas is a pharmaceutical company focused on developing new small molecule strategies aimed at removing unwanted cellular proteins. We are translating these innovative protein degradation approaches into novel drugs for the treatment of cancer … Continue reading “Arvinas Obtains $41,600,000 Series B Funding”
Visible Measures Receives $1,722,443 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=db884e1a-fd60-4795-b5c1-ed6ff49b02d3 Date 10/21/2015 Company Name Visible Measures Mailing Address 143 South Street 5th Floor Boston, MA 02111 USA Company Description Visible Measures Corp. (VMC) is helping to revolutionize the way publishers, advertisers, and audiences engage with Internet delivered video. Website http://www.visiblemeasures.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,722,443 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “Visible Measures Receives $1,722,443 New Funding”
Redox Nabs East Coast Money to Develop Plug-and-play Healthcare API
Redox, a Madison, WI-based healthtech startup whose software helps other developers integrate with patient record-keeping systems used at hospitals and clinics, has raised $3.5 million in a Series A funding round from East Coast and local investors, the company announced Tuesday. The new financing brings the total amount Redox has raised to about $4 million. … Continue reading “Redox Nabs East Coast Money to Develop Plug-and-play Healthcare API”
This New England Company Runs the Internet—And Now You Can, Too
Steve Case, the AOL co-founder and venture capitalist, had high praise for a tech company based in the fair city of Manchester, NH. Your staff is basically running the Internet from New Hampshire, he told a crowd at a recent event at Dyn’s headquarters (I’m paraphrasing). Dyn is an Internet infrastructure firm born just after … Continue reading “This New England Company Runs the Internet—And Now You Can, Too”
Welltok Buys Children’s Health Tool Zamzee From HopeLab
Welltok has acquired a health tool for children and their families called Zamzee that it plans to incorporate into its health optimization software called CaféWell. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Zamzee attempts to engage children through games, allowing them to use an activity tracker as they attempt to complete challenges that require physical activity. … Continue reading “Welltok Buys Children’s Health Tool Zamzee From HopeLab”
Cancer Vaccines Back in Vogue as VCs Put $102M Into Gritstone Oncology
Not long ago making an effective cancer vaccine seemed like a dead-end proposition, but that sentiment is changing. The latest evidence: Gritstone Oncology, which makes its debut today with a massive Series A financing. Gritstone has raised a $102 million Series A round led by Versant Ventures and The Column Group. Others pitching in include … Continue reading “Cancer Vaccines Back in Vogue as VCs Put $102M Into Gritstone Oncology”
What’s Your DNA Worth? The Scramble To Cash In On the Genome
The consumer genome. You’ll hear that phrase enough the next couple years that it will gain both the weight and lightness of inevitability. It will feel inevitable because, as we’ve been hearing for years now, DNA is just another long string of crunchable, malleable, transportable code, so it’s just the next destination for the digital … Continue reading “What’s Your DNA Worth? The Scramble To Cash In On the Genome”
Mimecast Adds to (Slight) Tech IPO Momentum in Down Year
The tech IPO pipeline has a pulse after all. Last week, a burst of tech companies going public, or announcing plans to do so, brought a bit of excitement in a slow year for tech IPOs. The headline grabbers were Square filing for a $275 million initial public offering and First Data raising $2.6 billion … Continue reading “Mimecast Adds to (Slight) Tech IPO Momentum in Down Year”
Vittamed Lands $10,000,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=71b8ef89-62f2-4e53-b7e5-083bc14db804 Date 10/20/2015 Company Name Vittamed Mailing Address 1776 Massachusetts Avenue Lexington, MA 02420 USA Company Description Vittamed non-invasive two-depth Doppler ultrasound innovative technology is designed to measure the absolute value of ICP without the need for periodic calibration to the individual patient. It is the only solution for elimination of the … Continue reading “Vittamed Lands $10,000,000 Series A Round”
Vee24 Garners $8,883,389 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=edeeb9e9-11e7-4f9d-a001-8140ead15d10 Date 10/20/2015 Company Name Vee24 Mailing Address 700 Technology Square Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Company Description The evolution of eBusiness to VeeBusiness. Video Engaging Enterprise is fundamentally altering the way we search, navigate, present and transact information on the web. Website http://www.vee24.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,883,389 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Vee24 Garners $8,883,389 New Funding”
Portal Instruments Secures $25,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e7607708-cb5f-4090-a921-8ecb965ab9ab Date 10/20/2015 Company Name Portal Instruments Mailing Address 148 Sidney Street Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Company Description Portal Instruments is a development stage, venture-backed company that is developing a unique platform technology to transform the delivery of modern medicines and improve the patient experience. Website http://www.portalinstruments.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “Portal Instruments Secures $25,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
interlinkONE Acquires AwarenessHUB for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=46d3b991-b4a1-46d9-a684-070e8df0cd25 Date 10/20/2015 Company Name AwarenessHUB Mailing Address 25 Corporate Drive Burlington, MA 01803 USA Company Description Awareness provides an on-demand social media platform where enterprises deploy Web 2.0 technologies to achieve real business benefits. Awareness leverages the power of user-generated content – blogs, wikis, podcasts, RSS, social networking, photos, videos, forums, … Continue reading “interlinkONE Acquires AwarenessHUB for Undisclosed Sum”
As SEC Mulls Equity Crowdfunding, CA Entrepreneurs Test Other Options
California is one of the dominant U.S. producers of fruits, nuts, vegetables—and tech startups. In the Silicon Valley, the startups sprouting up each season are nurtured by a host of accelerators and incubators as well as VCs and angel investors providing seed funding. That still leaves some startups hungry for cash, but California is not … Continue reading “As SEC Mulls Equity Crowdfunding, CA Entrepreneurs Test Other Options”
Y Combinator, AngelList, Techstars Shake Up VC World With Big Funds
[Updated 10/19/15, 2:26 pm, with comments from Y Combinator.] Y Combinator, the 10-year-old pioneer of the now-ubiquitous startup seed accelerator model, is evolving to invest in later-stage companies that have graduated its program. The question is what happens when early-stage accelerators enter the space normally occupied by traditional venture capital firms. Clearly, it opens up … Continue reading “Y Combinator, AngelList, Techstars Shake Up VC World With Big Funds”
Genocea Ditches Pneumococcus Vaccine After Phase 2 Flop, Shares Fall
Genocea Biosciences may develop a successful vaccine someday, but given results the Cambridge, MA-based company revealed this morning, it will likely be for something other than pneumococcus. Genocea’s (NASDAQ: [[GNCA]]) experimental vaccine for pneumococcus, a treatment called GEN-004, failed a mid-stage trial. Though Genocea claimed the vaccine reduced the “rate and density” of the colonization … Continue reading “Genocea Ditches Pneumococcus Vaccine After Phase 2 Flop, Shares Fall”
To Curb Brain Damage, Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals Energizes Cells
One of the most devastating things about stroke and head trauma is that the damage to the brain often doesn’t end when the initial injury does. Though time really does heal many wounds, brain injuries can get progressively worse in the hours and days after a trauma, as changes in blood flow and other processes … Continue reading “To Curb Brain Damage, Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals Energizes Cells”
Discovery Over Dogma at Today’s Innovative University
There’s a rich and often controversial conversation going on right now about the role that colleges and universities should play in preparing students—and our society—for the future. One of the most provocative voices in this discussion belongs to David Brooks, the always-thoughtful and always sensitive columnist for The New York Times. Recently, Brooks advanced the … Continue reading “Discovery Over Dogma at Today’s Innovative University”
3 Reasons App Startup Amino Planted Roots in Boston & China
Running a company that has employees located on opposite sides of the globe can be a daunting endeavor fraught with logistical challenges and the occasional cultural disconnect. Those potential pitfalls didn’t faze Amino, the mobile app startup that has firmly planted one foot in Boston and the other in Shanghai, China. It helps that co-founder … Continue reading “3 Reasons App Startup Amino Planted Roots in Boston & China”
Harvest Power Secures $4,999,997 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ec4a73df-ab06-4d72-ac10-a2bc350de3fe Date 10/19/2015 Company Name Harvest Power Mailing Address 221 Crescent St. Waltham, MA 02453 USA Company Description Harvest’s superpowered products and capabilities give us the opportunity to create a new life-cycle for organics. We assist communities with source separation programs, build renewable energy facilities and utilize our best-in-class technologies to produce … Continue reading “Harvest Power Secures $4,999,997 New Funding Round”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Zafgen, Decibel, Voyager & More
Biotech investing isn’t for the faint of heart. Just ask those who put money into Zafgen this week. The company lost 60 percent of its value in two days without reporting any news, gained some of it back, and then plummeted again. How about investors of PTC Therapeutics? On a failed trial, shares initially fell … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Zafgen, Decibel, Voyager & More”
FDA Puts a Hold on Zafgen’s Obesity Drug, Shares Slide
[Updated, 9:17 am ET] Zafgen confirmed this morning that the patient who died in its Phase 3 trial was indeed on its obesity drug, beloranib. While Zafgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZFGN]]) still doesn’t know what caused the death of the Prader-Willi Syndrome patient who took beloranib in the trial, the FDA has stepped in nonetheless. The agency … Continue reading “FDA Puts a Hold on Zafgen’s Obesity Drug, Shares Slide”
Retaking Control of the Hotel Digital Experience
The digital entertainment landscape is constantly changing and the rapid adoption of mobile devices coupled with cloud-based platforms has revolutionized how people consume TV. This has led to significant challenges, particularly in the hospitality industry where companies are struggling to adapt to the changing demands of their consumers. But with change comes opportunity. The ability … Continue reading “Retaking Control of the Hotel Digital Experience”
Aquto CEO Talks Parenting, Tech Bubble, Mobile Engagement
Susie Kim Riley likes to compare entrepreneurship with childbirth. “When you’re in the throes of it, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, I’m never doing it again,” the mother of two says. “Then you have the kid, things are wonderful, and you’re like, ‘Hey, let’s do it again.’” Just as Riley and her husband decided to … Continue reading “Aquto CEO Talks Parenting, Tech Bubble, Mobile Engagement”
Q3 Venture Funding Surges Near Record Levels, and Top 10 Deals
Buoyed by some giant deals, venture capital continues to flow at near-record levels in 2015, according to just-released data from two nationwide surveys that track quarterly VC activity. While the $16.3 billion that venture firms put into 1,070 deals in the third quarter was down a notch from the previous quarter, according to the MoneyTree … Continue reading “Q3 Venture Funding Surges Near Record Levels, and Top 10 Deals”
Decibel Therapeutics Secures $52,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b934f742-132e-4b03-9b1f-c6e3daef9878 Date 10/16/2015 Company Name Decibel Therapeutics Mailing Address Undisclosed Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Company Description Hearing is one of the five classic Aristotelian senses. Auditory perception plays an important role in the understanding of our environment – the sound of a songbird chirping, a teacher lecturing, or a friend’s familiar laugh. … Continue reading “Decibel Therapeutics Secures $52,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
PTC Unveils Mixed Duchenne Results, But Plots an FDA Filing
It’s a three-way race to produce the first drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the U.S., and none of the competitors is sprinting to the finish. PTC Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PTCT]]) of South Plainfield, NJ, said today that its drug ataluren (Translarna) failed to meet its primary goal in a 228-person Phase 3 trial. Yet PTC … Continue reading “PTC Unveils Mixed Duchenne Results, But Plots an FDA Filing”
Fresh Off of Dell Deal, VMware Buys Austin E-Mail Startup Boxer
Computing giant VMware has bought e-mail management software developer Boxer. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Picking up the Austin, TX-based company will help VMware to offer services that are “consumer simple, enterprise secure,” writes VMware CTO Noah Wasmer on the company’s blog. Palo Alto, CA-based VMware (NYSE: [[ticker:VMW]]) plans to pair Boxer’s services … Continue reading “Fresh Off of Dell Deal, VMware Buys Austin E-Mail Startup Boxer”
Pronutria Adds Ex-Sanofi CEO Viehbacher to Board
Cambridge, MA-based Pronutria Biosciences said today that Christopher Viehbacher, the former CEO of Sanofi, has become the newest member of its board. As part of the move, Pronutria also got an unspecified equity investment from Gurnet Point Capital, the fund Viehbacher runs. The investment, Gurnet Point’s first, closes out the $39 million Series C round … Continue reading “Pronutria Adds Ex-Sanofi CEO Viehbacher to Board”
Is the Hit TV Series “Mr. Robot” an Accurate Portrayal of Hackers?
This summer, USA Network premiered the series Mr. Robot, a drama/thriller that uses computer security and hacking as plot devices. Elliot Alderson, the protagonist, is a reclusive computer security professional who suffers from social anxiety disorder and delusions. When someone triggers his curiosity, he hacks their online accounts, from social media to bank accounts, in … Continue reading “Is the Hit TV Series “Mr. Robot” an Accurate Portrayal of Hackers?”
Agenda Live for Our Healthcare Summit Nov. 17 at the Broad Institute
It’s fall, and when it comes to healthcare, you may be thinking it’s flu shot season. But here at Xconomy, besides getting our shots, we are excited that it’s almost time for our annual Healthcare Summit in Boston. The third iteration of this great event is coming up on November 17 at the Broad Institute … Continue reading “Agenda Live for Our Healthcare Summit Nov. 17 at the Broad Institute”
Selling Your Company? Don’t Make These Five Common Mistakes
You always believed your startup would be a success. Now others are realizing it, too, and you’re fielding offers for an acquisition of your company. Before you ink any agreements, protect your company, your employees, and yourself by avoiding these five common mistakes. Rushing to sell. Take the case of a biotech startup CEO, who found himself literally … Continue reading “Selling Your Company? Don’t Make These Five Common Mistakes”
More Mergers After Dell-EMC? Maybe Not Best Option for Competitors
Buyouts like Dell’s $67 billion blockbuster purchase of EMC may not be the best, or the most likely, way for competitors to keep pace with the new IT behemoth. Rajiv Garg, an assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin’s information, risk, and operations management department, discussed the deal and its potential fallout with … Continue reading “More Mergers After Dell-EMC? Maybe Not Best Option for Competitors”
Third Rock, SR One Put $52M Into Decibel to Battle Hearing Loss
People can lose their hearing for a variety of reasons, from age to loud noises, but there’s one thing they all have in common. There are no drugs to help them. Several companies have formed in recent years to address this gap, and now there’s another coming to the party a bit late, but with … Continue reading “Third Rock, SR One Put $52M Into Decibel to Battle Hearing Loss”
Mobilengine Receives $5,000,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=121a0924-5535-4fbd-93be-0fecce8f1e66 Date 10/15/2015 Company Name Mobilengine Mailing Address 745 Atlantic Avenue Boston, MA 02111 USA Company Description Sure, thousands of companies build mobile apps. But only Mobilengine provides a complete end to end mobility solution for your enterprise. Only Mobilengine combines all of the disciplines necessary for true enterprise mobility. Website http://www.mobilengine.com … Continue reading “Mobilengine Receives $5,000,000 Series A Financing”
Ecova Acquires Retroficiency for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c076c69a-baea-4b7e-ade3-4317f8a71144 Date 10/15/2015 Company Name Retroficiency Mailing Address 180 Canal Street Boston, MA 02114 USA Company Description Retroficiency reduces time and expense for ESCOs, facilities managers and other professionals in evaluating energy efficiency measures throughout the audit process. Website http://www.retroficiency.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms … Continue reading “Ecova Acquires Retroficiency for Undisclosed Sum”
Breaking Silence, Zafgen Reveals Patient Died During Obesity Trial
[Updated, 1:30 pm ET] Two days after it was reported that obesity drug maker Zafgen pulled out of upcoming events without explanation, the company revealed today that a patient in a Phase 3 study of its obesity drug, beloranib, died. Zafgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZFGN]]) said the cause of death “remains unknown at this time,” and reported … Continue reading “Breaking Silence, Zafgen Reveals Patient Died During Obesity Trial”
Retroficiency Acquired by Ecova in Energy Efficiency Software Deal
It’s a quieter sector than cybersecurity or enterprise software, but energy efficiency seems to be making real progress. Today a New England startup says it got picked up by a giant on the other side of the country. Boston-based Retroficiency has been acquired by Ecova, a utility and energy management company based in Spokane, WA, … Continue reading “Retroficiency Acquired by Ecova in Energy Efficiency Software Deal”
MassChallenge Boston Awards Ceremony
From the event organizer: “Join Innovation A-Listers to celebrate entrepreneurship and the Boston startup community. Entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, politicians, and philanthropists will witness the unveiling of MassChallenge winners and over $1 million in cash awards.”
MassTLC Innovation unConference 2015
From the event organizer: “It’s a one-day conference where hundreds of folks throughout the tech ecosystem—CEOs, founders, investors, developers, marketers, strategists, and more—come together to exchange ideas and get advice to take them—and their business—to the next level. It’s about giving help and getting help, in an open and collaborative environment.”
With $100M in New Cash, Boston Tech Firms Out to Unify Cybersecurity
In terms of interest and investment, cybersecurity has exploded. Just this week, a pair of local security-tech companies have raised a total of more than $100 million. But the broader story is much more interesting—and crucial to the field. First, the new money. Waltham, MA-based Bit9—which officially goes by Bit9 + Carbon Black—has raised $54.5 … Continue reading “With $100M in New Cash, Boston Tech Firms Out to Unify Cybersecurity”
Driven by Big Deals, VC Funding So Far Already Has Eclipsed 2014
U.S. venture firms invested $19.8 billion in 1,035 companies during the third quarter that ended September 30, putting VC funding on track to reach a five-year high, according to a quarterly Venture Pulse Report being released today by CB Insights and KPMG. While the deal count was lower than the 1,276 companies that got venture … Continue reading “Driven by Big Deals, VC Funding So Far Already Has Eclipsed 2014”
How Coworking Hub RocketSpace Took Off, And Changed Course
Ever since the spectacular dot-com bust of 2000, any new tech boom is eventually clouded by prophesies that another collapse is close at hand. A splashy Vanity Fair cover story this month, entitled “Is Silicon Valley In Another Tech Bubble?”, is just one recent speculation about the possible frailty of the current expansion. What’s certainly … Continue reading “How Coworking Hub RocketSpace Took Off, And Changed Course”
Bit9 + Carbon Black Lands $54,500,000 Series F Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3a0120d7-da22-4efd-8903-20f9cbcfa19f Date 10/14/2015 Company Name Bit9 + Carbon Black Mailing Address 266 Second Ave Waltham, MA 02451 USA Company Description Only the Bit9 + Carbon Black solution provides integrated coverage for every aspect of endpoint threat protection: continuous monitoring and recording for real-time visibility into every endpoint, multiple forms of signature-less threat … Continue reading “Bit9 + Carbon Black Lands $54,500,000 Series F Funding Round”