Ten years ago, Harvard’s then-president, Larry Summers, wondered why women are so scarce in elite math and science departments. Is it because they’re less ambitious than men? Or, perhaps, they’re less inclined to be extremely smart? His comments caused a national furor, and Summers stepped down as president the following year. Now, Professor Eileen Pollack, … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: 10 Years After the Larry Summers Controversy”
Category: Boston
Fiksu Makes Move to Expand in Mobile Marketing
For the past few years Fiksu has been one of Boston’s fastest growing startups by helping mobile app and game developers stand out and get downloaded. Now Fiksu is getting more aggressive and is making a big play in mobile marketing with new software that companies, agencies, and marketers can use to target mobile device … Continue reading “Fiksu Makes Move to Expand in Mobile Marketing”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Yumanity, Biogen, Blizzards, & More
Funny thing happened on the East Coast this week. The so-called Blizzard of 2015 threw us New Yorkers into a panic before unexpectedly veering eastward in a post-Christmas miracle and giving the city little more than a dusting. We weren’t relieved; we were livid—at weathermen for scaring us, politicians for shutting the city down for … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Yumanity, Biogen, Blizzards, & More”
Obama Wants You (And 1 Million Others) For ‘Precision’ Health Data
[Updated 1/30/15 1:15 pm. See below.] President Obama’s precision medicine plan just got a bit more precise, and it has a $215 million price tag. Starting with that cash, his administration wants to build a massive national database to study long-term public health trends, gathering head-to-toe health data from a million or more volunteers over … Continue reading “Obama Wants You (And 1 Million Others) For ‘Precision’ Health Data”
Fashion Project Receives $7,200,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3f3212c9-bc6d-47dc-945c-000ae3517b2a Date 1/30/2015 Company Name Fashion Project Mailing Address 88 Black Falcon Ave. Boston, MA 02210 USA Company Description Fashion Project is the exclusive service where you donate & shop for designer labels — with a portion of every sale going to charity. Website http://www.fashionproject.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,200,000 … Continue reading “Fashion Project Receives $7,200,000 Series A Round”
Micronotes Garners $910,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=513a57a9-1814-43fa-8b86-ffeea1276603 Date 1/30/2015 Company Name Micronotes Mailing Address One Broadway 14th Floor Cambridge, MA 02142 USA Company Description The company has developed a survey technology that it targets to online banking customers who are offered rewards based on the amount of information they share about the brands they use. Website http://www.micronotes.com Transaction … Continue reading “Micronotes Garners $910,000 New Funding”
Data Storage Giant EMC Announces Restructuring Plan, Job Cuts
EMC, the Boston-area tech giant known for its acquisitive streak, has announced a restructuring plan that is expected to result in a steep charge and job cuts this year. The data storage provider expects to face charges of $130 million to $150 million because of a planned restructuring that EMC’s board approved Wednesday, the company … Continue reading “Data Storage Giant EMC Announces Restructuring Plan, Job Cuts”
RunKeeper Integrates With Spotify, Combines Music and Fitness
Running and music: two great pastimes that go great together. It’s no surprise that software is helping people connect those worlds. Boston-based RunKeeper has updated its iOS fitness-tracking app to integrate the streaming-music service Spotify. That means Spotify’s premium users can now access their playlists and listen to songs from within the RunKeeper app. Spotify … Continue reading “RunKeeper Integrates With Spotify, Combines Music and Fitness”
Biogen Places Gene Therapy Bet in Crowded Hemophilia Space
[Updated, 2:00 pm ET] Like most everyone else in biotech, Biogen Idec bailed out of gene therapy research over a decade ago when it looked like the tantalizing field would never deliver on the hype. But gene therapy’s renaissance is now well underway, catalyzed by better delivery technologies, and importantly, promising human clinical data. And … Continue reading “Biogen Places Gene Therapy Bet in Crowded Hemophilia Space”
Koru Raises $8M to Connect Tech Employers, Recent Grads
Seattle startup Koru has raised $8 million to continue growing its business at the intersection of recruiting for high-growth technology companies and training for recent college graduates. The Series A funding round was led by Seattle-based Maveron, with new investors City Light Capital and Trilogy Equity Partners and previous backers Battery Ventures and First Round … Continue reading “Koru Raises $8M to Connect Tech Employers, Recent Grads”
Parking Apps See Spike in Long-Term Rentals for Boston Blizzard
When the snow flies in Boston, just about anything within reach can be drafted into duty as an emergency space-saver for that freshly shoveled-out parking spot. Ironing boards, lawn chairs, and garbage cans are table stakes—heck, I’ve even seen a baby’s car seat dropped next to the curb. But there are also some slightly more … Continue reading “Parking Apps See Spike in Long-Term Rentals for Boston Blizzard”
Cloud Monitoring Service Datadog Raises $31M, Plans to Ramp Up Hiring
Looking to expand its ranks and deepen the development of its technology, Datadog, based in New York, raised $31 million in a Series C funding round led by Index Ventures, with RTP Ventures, OpenView Partners, and others participating. Datadog is a monitoring service used by IT teams and developers who work with cloud-based software. CEO … Continue reading “Cloud Monitoring Service Datadog Raises $31M, Plans to Ramp Up Hiring”
Venture Academy Obtains New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7c745b90-4de2-4112-97e7-87b235e22e92 Date 1/29/2015 Company Name Venture Academy Mailing Address 44 School St. Boston, MA 02108 USA Company Description Venture Academy was born from the idea that with the right information and guidance, any start-up can be successful. The path from business idea to business maturity can be long and difficult, with many … Continue reading “Venture Academy Obtains New Financing”
Investors Line up For Westphal as Muscle Cramp Startup Upsizes IPO
It seems Christoph Westphal had little trouble convincing public investors to back his plan to obliterate muscle cramps. The serial biotech executive’s latest startup, Boston-based Flex Pharma, priced its IPO on Wednesday, selling 5.4 million shares at $16 apiece. That’s an $86.4 million haul before discounts due to underwriters, and well above the 4,615,000 shares … Continue reading “Investors Line up For Westphal as Muscle Cramp Startup Upsizes IPO”
Xconomy Is Seeking Great Sales People in Boston and San Francisco
When it comes to writing in-depth, daily stories about the business of high technology—in tech, life sciences, and beyond—we at Xconomy believe there are few news organizations that can match our editorial team. We feature many of these stories—and the people behind them—at our events as well. Now, right here in Boston and also in … Continue reading “Xconomy Is Seeking Great Sales People in Boston and San Francisco”
Favor Seeks More Financing While Finding Role in Delivery Service Boom
Four years ago, when many New Yorkers felt left in the cold by a slow snowstorm response from Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Saturday Night Live roasted the bureaucrat by having his caricature casually suggest those trapped at home should pick up a phone to call a local restaurant for delivery. Pick up a phone? Call a … Continue reading “Favor Seeks More Financing While Finding Role in Delivery Service Boom”
Techstars Closes $150M Seed and Early Stage Fund
Techstars has closed a $150 million third fund to make seed and early stage investments, the Boulder, CO-based startup accelerator announced Wednesday. Techstars co-founder and CEO David Cohen said the fund will be focused on investing on startups that have graduated from the accelerator or have other ties to the program. According to its website, … Continue reading “Techstars Closes $150M Seed and Early Stage Fund”
Exosome Dx, Aiming to Commercialize “Liquid Biopsies,” Seeks $25M
It’s the moment of truth for any emerging diagnostics firm: the transition from startup to commercial-stage company. Time to convince insurers that you have something worth paying for, and doctors in major hospitals and community practices to change how they practice and incorporate your test. That critical point is where Cambridge, MA-based Exosome Diagnostics finds … Continue reading “Exosome Dx, Aiming to Commercialize “Liquid Biopsies,” Seeks $25M”
Mobile Health Adoption Growing Among Doctors, for Apps and Content
More than 80 percent of U.S. doctors surveyed use mobile apps or view professional content on mobile devices for work. That’s a significant increase over the numbers from around a year ago, according to a new survey. The main reasons for adoption? Improved patient care and communication, and time efficiency, doctors say. The survey was … Continue reading “Mobile Health Adoption Growing Among Doctors, for Apps and Content”
Claritas Genomics Secures $15,000,000 Series B Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ab2a6e8a-391c-4497-accb-27636b228235 Date 1/28/2015 Company Name Claritas Genomics Mailing Address 99 Erie Street Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Company Description Claritas is a full-service CLIA Genetic Diagnostic Laboratory, originally part of Boston Children’s Hospital. It was launched as a stand-alone entity in February 2013 and is designed to meet the genetic testing needs of … Continue reading “Claritas Genomics Secures $15,000,000 Series B Funding Round”
The Venture Funding Gap is Widening; What Does it Mean?
The National Venture Capital Association has just released the latest MoneyTree data on venture industry fund-raising, which always makes me sit up straight and take notice—it’s kind of an industry scorecard. In addition to being baffled by the fact that the amount the U.S. venture industry invests outstrips how much we raise (see below), I … Continue reading “The Venture Funding Gap is Widening; What Does it Mean?”
Alcohol, Grocery Deliveries Spike As Blizzard Batters Boston
Food, toilet paper … and booze? The list of essential items Bostonians and New Yorkers stocked up on in preparation for the first blizzard of 2015 has grown to include alcoholic beverages, at least according to Drizly, a Boston-based startup that enables users to order beer, wine, and liquor that is delivered to their doors. … Continue reading “Alcohol, Grocery Deliveries Spike As Blizzard Batters Boston”
San Antonio’s SeatSmart Builds Marketplace for Sports & Arts Tickets
Snowmageddon got you hankering for sunny Phoenix and last-minute Super Bowl tickets? San Antonio startup SeatSmart, an online marketplace for secondary tickets, is launching today. The site provides what co-founder and CEO Brett Cohen says are better values to consumers while also helping ticket brokers build personal relationships with those buyers. “The current system is … Continue reading “San Antonio’s SeatSmart Builds Marketplace for Sports & Arts Tickets”
CloudBees Gets $23.5M More, New CA Headquarters and Focus
CloudBees looks a little different every time it raises money. Which is a good thing, since it’s a startup playing in a field with some big competitors. The company has raised $23.5 million in a growth-equity round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, a previous investor. Matrix Partners, Verizon Ventures, and Blue Cloud Ventures also participated … Continue reading “CloudBees Gets $23.5M More, New CA Headquarters and Focus”
After 12 Years of Roomba, iRobot Eyes Startups for Sector Growth
It’s been a dozen years since the original Roomba hit the market, and the floor-hugging autonomous vacuum is still the biggest-selling product for its manufacturer, iRobot. That hasn’t come without some trying. Ever heard of the Scooba? How about the Looj? The Mirra? Those are all iRobot products that followed the Roomba, aimed respectively at … Continue reading “After 12 Years of Roomba, iRobot Eyes Startups for Sector Growth”
Xconomy Forum: What’s Hot in Boston Biotech
Life sciences innovation is moving fast these days, and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in Boston. Local companies, researchers, and entrepreneurs are pursuing some of the boldest ideas in the field—T-cell therapy, gene therapy, and microbiome analysis, among others. What’s more, they’re seeing real results, in human trials, that indicate these approaches might … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: What’s Hot in Boston Biotech”
$75M in Real Cash Helps Coinbase Launch First U.S. Bitcoin Exchange
Bitcoin took a potentially big step toward legitimacy in the U.S. today with the launch of the nation’s first licensed exchange for the virtual currency. Now, it’s up to San Francisco startup Coinbase to convince would-be traders that its platform is a safe and preferable place to put their money. Founded in 2012, Coinbase has … Continue reading “$75M in Real Cash Helps Coinbase Launch First U.S. Bitcoin Exchange”
Primary Care Provider Iora Health Takes In $28M to Fuel Growth
Iora Health has raised $28 million in a Series C funding round as the primary care provider plans to double the number of practices it operates in the next year. The new financing will help the company, founded in 2011 by CEO and physician Rushika Fernandopulle, build out the software platform it uses at its … Continue reading “Primary Care Provider Iora Health Takes In $28M to Fuel Growth”
Innovation Outlook for 2015: Tackling Big Data Variety
In 2015, look for the innovation community to be talking about Big Data Variety: the problem, how to fix it, how to make money off of it. Companies have invested roughly $3-4 trillion on enterprise software over the last 20 years, with Gartner forecasting $320 billion in 2014 alone. A lot of that investment has … Continue reading “Innovation Outlook for 2015: Tackling Big Data Variety”
Speaking LINGO, Biogen R&D Chief Wants to Push Nerve Repair Boundary
The biggest clinical trial news of 2015 so far, arguably, was a report from Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) about a drug meant to do something never done before: repair nerve damage in multiple sclerosis patients and possibly reverse the course of the disease. The news was also quite ambiguous. In a Jan. 8 release, the … Continue reading “Speaking LINGO, Biogen R&D Chief Wants to Push Nerve Repair Boundary”
From Yeast, Yumanity Looks to Give Rise to Critical Neuro Drugs
Two weeks ago, in a sixth-floor room in San Francisco’s Four Seasons Hotel overlooking Market Street, Tony Coles, Susan Lindquist, and Kenneth Rhodes met with one financier after another in a campaign to raise money for their new Cambridge, MA-based startup, Yumanity Therapeutics. Their pitch centered around yeast. “[Yeast] is where statins were first identified,” … Continue reading “From Yeast, Yumanity Looks to Give Rise to Critical Neuro Drugs”
Iora Health Garners $28,000,001 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9ee993ba-dfec-451a-9fbd-ab8613ac4512 Date 1/26/2015 Company Name Iora Health Mailing Address 222 Third Street Cambridge, MA 02142 USA Company Description The Iora model of care changes everything– payment, staffing, processes, IT systems, and culture. We have no status quo to defend, no arcane rules we must follow. Our only goal is to dramatically improve … Continue reading “Iora Health Garners $28,000,001 New Funding”
Fontinalis Invests in Cloud-Based Air Cargo Startup SmartKargo
Fontinalis Partners, the Detroit-based venture capital firm focused on next-generation mobility and transportation startups, announced this week that it has invested in SmartKargo, headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. SmartKargo was founded by MIT grads in 2013 to harness cloud computing, data analytics, and mobile devices in the management … Continue reading “Fontinalis Invests in Cloud-Based Air Cargo Startup SmartKargo”
As Box IPOs, a Competitor Previews the Market Share Battle
[Corrected 1/23/15, 10:20 am. See below] The Bay Area is ground zero for the hotly contested market in Web-based data storage and file sharing for businesses, and local competitors have been closely watching Los Altos, CA-based Box’s long run-up to its IPO. Box made its trading debut today on the New York Stock Exchange, where … Continue reading “As Box IPOs, a Competitor Previews the Market Share Battle”
Innovation Hub: Who Needs Talent?
How many articles have been written about the innate business acumen of Steve Jobs, the brilliant coding abilities of Mark Zuckerberg, the extraordinary gifts of Yo Yo Ma? And what if they were all wrong? Geoff Colvin has combed through the research, and he argues that, again and again, scholars have almost completely discounted the … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Who Needs Talent?”
Former Apple Speech Scientist Joins Secretive Mobile Startup
A key speech scientist working on Apple’s Siri application has left the biggest company in tech to join a secretive new startup stocked with talent from the speech-technology world. The startup, Semantic Machines, is headquartered in the Boston area and has an office in Berkeley, CA. One of its top employees is chief technology officer Larry … Continue reading “Former Apple Speech Scientist Joins Secretive Mobile Startup”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Alnylam, Stock Offerings, Curis, & More
The post-J.P. Morgan hangover set in this week. Biotech news slowed, largely aside from President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative and a parade of follow-on financings, which we’ll detail below. Indeed, as 2015 kicks off, optimism remains unbridled in the sector: the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IBB]]) is hitting record highs. Will we end the year … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Alnylam, Stock Offerings, Curis, & More”
Kaminario Receives $15,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=99b5353c-f2fd-4714-929f-5f815be42c62 Date 1/23/2015 Company Name Kaminario Mailing Address 275 Grove St. Newton, MA 02466 USA Company Description Kaminario boasts world-class system, storage and applications performance professionals, with an experienced management team. Combined, they pool their knowledge and expertise in storage systems, networking, operating systems, BI and data processing to provide cutting edge … Continue reading “Kaminario Receives $15,000,000 New Financing Round”
$68M Round Puts Kaminario Back in the Flash Data Storage Mix
It’s an exciting time to be in data storage, according to Kaminario founder and CEO Dani Golan. Flash memory is revolutionizing the industry, creating billion-dollar opportunities for companies like Kaminario, a Newton, MA-based company that builds all-solid-state data storage systems for enterprise customers. He also says it’s an exciting time to be at Kaminario, which … Continue reading “$68M Round Puts Kaminario Back in the Flash Data Storage Mix”
Local Motors Looks to Disrupt Manufacturing with 3D-Printed Car
At this year’s edition of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), going on right now in Detroit, I saw a few things I hadn’t seen in previous years. One was the presence of bomb-sniffing dogs, thanks to a suspicious package left across the street from the auto show that was later determined to be … Continue reading “Local Motors Looks to Disrupt Manufacturing with 3D-Printed Car”
Ministry of Supply Flight-Tests SF Store: Dress Clothes à la NASA
You’re a Bay Area tech worker who thinks every problem can be solved by science. So why are you sitting in a sweaty shirt? Ministry of Supply, the menswear outfit founded in Boston by former MIT students, is betting you want your next shirt to have laser-drilled perforations in its armpits to, er…ventilate you. So … Continue reading “Ministry of Supply Flight-Tests SF Store: Dress Clothes à la NASA”
Ci Lands $400,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b33dd2bb-6b9b-4833-a4b2-b8c97fbf4597 Date 1/22/2015 Company Name Ci Mailing Address 166 Crescent Road Needham, MA 02494 USA Company Description We are revolutionizing the college choice for students, and the college admissions marketing & recruitment process with our unique and innovative mobile marketing technology architecture. Website http://www.collegeinteractive.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $400,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Ci Lands $400,000 New Round”
Verax Biomedical Receives $4,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7d98ea45-bbec-4995-8511-c5f89ffa2127 Date 1/22/2015 Company Name Verax Biomedical Mailing Address 148 Bartlett Street Marlborough, MA 01752 USA Company Description Verax Biomedical is a leader in the development of rapid tests designed to detect a broad range of bacterial contaminants based upon its proprietary Pan Genera Detection (PGD) technology. Website http://www.veraxbiomedical.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Verax Biomedical Receives $4,000,000 New Funding Round”
Two Generations of Geneticists, Two “Precision Medicine” Wish Lists
In late 2012, President Obama awarded Leroy “Lee” Hood the National Medal of Science for a lifetime of achievements, including the invention of machines that made the historic Human Genome Project possible. So when Obama announced yesterday a “precision medicine initiative”—something that would surely require ever-deeper knowledge about the personal genetic differences that influence health … Continue reading “Two Generations of Geneticists, Two “Precision Medicine” Wish Lists”
New Cash for VMTurbo, CloudHealth Highlights Big Disruption in IT
Software for cloud-computing infrastructure and data centers is evolving fast. Two financing deals announced Wednesday for Boston startups underscore an important trend: there’s still a huge opportunity to challenge enterprise IT giants in the cloud. VMTurbo has raised $50 million in a Series D round from Iconiq Capital and previous investors Bain Capital Ventures, Globespan … Continue reading “New Cash for VMTurbo, CloudHealth Highlights Big Disruption in IT”
Alnylam CEO: More Cash in Hand Is to Fuel Expansion From Within
Biotechs keep cashing in. The latest is Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]), which is entering the most critical juncture in its 13-year history as it tries to enter the rarified realm of biotechs with their own products on the market. The RNA interference firm said Monday it would tap the public markets for a … Continue reading “Alnylam CEO: More Cash in Hand Is to Fuel Expansion From Within”
“Social” Robot Maker Jibo Adds $25M, New CEO With Speech Chops
After colonizing millions of pockets and purses with smartphones, the tech industry is finally making serious inroads to the home with interactive speakers, smart thermostats, networked camera systems, and—maybe soon—helpful little robots. That last one is the specialty of Jibo, a Boston-area company started by MIT Media Lab professor Cynthia Breazeal. The company’s eponymous robot is still … Continue reading ““Social” Robot Maker Jibo Adds $25M, New CEO With Speech Chops”
Empire Robotics Takes On Jimmy Fallon in Beer Pong
It’s not exactly the pinnacle of robotic achievement, but it is progress. And one heck of a fun demo. If you watched “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon on Friday, you might have seen it: Fallon playing beer pong against a robot. The machine is made by Boston-based startup Empire Robotics. It uses a flexible, … Continue reading “Empire Robotics Takes On Jimmy Fallon in Beer Pong”
Petco Adds Online Delivery With Fast-Growing Startup Instacart
[Corrected 1/26] Dogs need groceries, too. Instacart, the grocery-delivery startup that recently raised $220 million from investors, is taking its quick-turnaround online delivery service beyond the supermarket for the first time in a partnership with national pet-goods retailer Petco. The partnership is hitting the Boston and San Francisco markets first, and could be expanded if Petco likes … Continue reading “Petco Adds Online Delivery With Fast-Growing Startup Instacart”
Crowdfunding is Banging on Biotech’s Door. Will We Let It In?
In the summer of 2013, the medical device startup Scanadu made headlines around the world when Scout, its handheld medical diagnostic tool for consumers, raked in an astounding $1.6 million on the popular crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. That’s all well and good for a medical device, but most biotech veterans remain skeptical that crowdfunding can make … Continue reading “Crowdfunding is Banging on Biotech’s Door. Will We Let It In?”