Across Boundaries: How Can Edtech Scale Student Success? Information and registration here. Join entrepreneurs, educators, investors, students, and other industry experts to discuss the most challenging questions facing the edtech industry today. We’ll examine the potential of technology to improve K-20 education in the United States and the impact of digital learning, as well as … Continue reading “LearnLaunch 2014 Annual Conference”
Category: Boston
AARP Life@50+
The 2014 Life@50+ National Event & Expo in Boston will be three fun-filled days of volunteering, exhibits, world-class entertainment, and wide-ranging information sessions on topics including travel, health and wellness, personal finance, caregiving and more. Information and registration here.
Disrupting Unemployment
The global market for unemployment care is huge, waiting to be disrupted. The US alone spends ~$100 billion yearly on unemployment benefits. But the value of under-used resources is much bigger than that. Less than half of all Americans have paid work. Of those who have, many have jobs that don’t do justice to their … Continue reading “Disrupting Unemployment”
Localytics Lands $16M, Leads Way for Mobile Startups in the Middle
For all the talk about tech startups and big exits, there needs to be more discussion about companies in the middle. The ones that have been working away for five or six years, trying to break through and become real, sustainable businesses. Localytics is one of those. The Boston mobile-tech company got started in 2008. … Continue reading “Localytics Lands $16M, Leads Way for Mobile Startups in the Middle”
PillPack Starts Offering Online, Personalized Prescription Service
TJ Parker grew up in a pharmacy family. And when running a drug store is the family business, your first jobs include delivering medications to people’s homes—the kind of up-close view of the American healthcare system that many people never get. That’s where Parker first got familiar with the elaborate routines that some people have … Continue reading “PillPack Starts Offering Online, Personalized Prescription Service”
$2B Wayfair Valuation a Big Statement in Winner-Take-All E-Commerce
Snow flurries are flying in the Northeast, but the competition in home furnishings e-commerce seems to be getting hotter by the moment—and Boston-based Wayfair is making a pretty convincing case to be the leader, even if you have to read between the lines to see it. Last week, San Francisco-based home-goods seller One Kings Lane … Continue reading “$2B Wayfair Valuation a Big Statement in Winner-Take-All E-Commerce”
Biopharmaceutical Haiku
Patients ask doctors Can you sequence my genome? Enter brave new world One word description Newly approved cancer drugs Unaffordable Hot biotech trend Virtual drug companies Who will do research? Can’t be denied now Obamacare launch shaky Improvements needed Biosimilars Challenges remain ahead Gold mine, or fools gold? Hype is … Continue reading “Biopharmaceutical Haiku”
The $1K Genome? So What? Illumina Is On a Quest for World Domination
People can argue all day about whether Illumina has, at last, given us the $1,000 genome. The answer does matter, because the cheaper it gets to sequence a whole human genome, the easier it will be to gather lots of them. That will help us understand what makes people different, and shed light on what … Continue reading “The $1K Genome? So What? Illumina Is On a Quest for World Domination”
The Candidates Forum on Cleantech
To explore the role of government in maintaining this growth and advocating the use of clean energy, Next Step Living is hosting a forum for the gubernatorial candidates. Bob Buderi, founder, CEO and editor in chief of Xconomy, will moderate the event. Each candidate will make a three-to five-minute opening statement and field questions from … Continue reading “The Candidates Forum on Cleantech”
Romotive’s iPhone on Wheels Gets Kids Riled Up About Robotics
The little girl screamed and tried to run faster as the robot closed in behind her. It may sound like a scene from a cheap horror movie. And if I told you that the little girl in question was my 3-year-old niece, and that I provided the robot, you might think me a very bad … Continue reading “Romotive’s iPhone on Wheels Gets Kids Riled Up About Robotics”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Dicerna, J&J, Neurophage, & More
[Updated, 8:44 am ET] Local biotechs were out for cash this week. One company saw its share price triple in its first day on the Nasdaq. Three others lined up stock offerings. And one large healthcare conglomerate promised to open its data vault to a group of university researchers. Those stories and more below: —Watertown, … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Dicerna, J&J, Neurophage, & More”
Hunting For Brain Plaques, Neurophage Turns to a Virus
Scientists still have a lot to learn about what’s really going wrong, in the underlying biology, of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. That’s a big reason why it’s such a minefield for little biotech startups and big pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs in those areas. But it also provides room for some creative … Continue reading “Hunting For Brain Plaques, Neurophage Turns to a Virus”
Newlans Garners $12,527,282 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cced0e58-050d-44c6-b280-1f3694234dee Date 1/31/2014 Company Name Newlans Mailing Address 43 Nagog Park Acton, MA 01720 Company Description Newlans is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in reconfigurable broadband analog signal processing solutions. These innovative products break the inflexibility of today’s fixed frequency RF systems, expanding their capabilities while reducing cost, size and power consumption. … Continue reading “Newlans Garners $12,527,282 New Round”
Xtuit Pharmaceuticals Secures $1,508,513 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9b5a28a8-764f-48d0-bbcf-9372e9a023e1 Date 1/31/2014 Company Name Xtuit Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 1000 Winter Street Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description The company is pursuing a novel approach to improving existing drug therapy through technology that has the potential to dramatically improve the translation of cancer drugs from animal models to human studies. Website Undisclosed Transaction … Continue reading “Xtuit Pharmaceuticals Secures $1,508,513 New Financing Round”
Practically Green Lands $3,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=adb8a682-1f2d-4ae6-9f6a-ab55165774f1 Date 1/31/2014 Company Name Practically Green Mailing Address 125 Kingston St 6th Floor Cambridge, MA 02111 Company Description The company operates a website aimed at helping consumers lead eco-friendly lifestyles. Website http://www.practicallygreen.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The company will use the funds … Continue reading “Practically Green Lands $3,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=33026058-6ae2-4a79-9d47-ef8a56c28098 Date 1/31/2014 Company Name Bow & Drape Mailing Address 450 Harrison Ave. Boston, MA 02118 Company Description It all started with a belief about relationships. Historically, women had a bond with their seamstresses. Together dressmakers and their clientele created clothing that infused fashions of the day with personal tastes. Every garment … Continue reading “Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round”
Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=33026058-6ae2-4a79-9d47-ef8a56c28098 Date 1/31/2014 Company Name Bow & Drape Mailing Address 450 Harrison Ave. Boston, MA 02118 Company Description It all started with a belief about relationships. Historically, women had a bond with their seamstresses. Together dressmakers and their clientele created clothing that infused fashions of the day with personal tastes. Every garment … Continue reading “Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round”
Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=33026058-6ae2-4a79-9d47-ef8a56c28098 Date 1/31/2014 Company Name Bow & Drape Mailing Address 450 Harrison Ave. Boston, MA 02118 Company Description It all started with a belief about relationships. Historically, women had a bond with their seamstresses. Together dressmakers and their clientele created clothing that infused fashions of the day with personal tastes. Every garment … Continue reading “Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round”
Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=33026058-6ae2-4a79-9d47-ef8a56c28098 Date 1/31/2014 Company Name Bow & Drape Mailing Address 450 Harrison Ave. Boston, MA 02118 Company Description It all started with a belief about relationships. Historically, women had a bond with their seamstresses. Together dressmakers and their clientele created clothing that infused fashions of the day with personal tastes. Every garment … Continue reading “Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round”
Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=33026058-6ae2-4a79-9d47-ef8a56c28098 Date 1/31/2014 Company Name Bow & Drape Mailing Address 450 Harrison Ave. Boston, MA 02118 Company Description It all started with a belief about relationships. Historically, women had a bond with their seamstresses. Together dressmakers and their clientele created clothing that infused fashions of the day with personal tastes. Every garment … Continue reading “Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round”
Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=33026058-6ae2-4a79-9d47-ef8a56c28098 Date 1/31/2014 Company Name Bow & Drape Mailing Address 450 Harrison Ave. Boston, MA 02118 Company Description It all started with a belief about relationships. Historically, women had a bond with their seamstresses. Together dressmakers and their clientele created clothing that infused fashions of the day with personal tastes. Every garment … Continue reading “Bow & Drape Receives $1,200,000 New Round”
Dicerna Shares Triple on First Trading Day, Close at $46
Investors in Dicerna Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DRNA]]) are likely a very happy group today. Dicerna priced its IPO last night at $15 per share, already eclipsing the $11 to $13 per share range it had set coming into the offering. Shares then began trading at double that figure, $30 per share. By the time trading wrapped … Continue reading “Dicerna Shares Triple on First Trading Day, Close at $46”
Will the Next Great Boston Tech Company Please Stand Up?
Here we are in early 2014, and it feels like a zeitgeist-y moment for the Boston tech scene. So I wanted to weigh in and connect a few dots around town—and get people thinking. Last Friday, Care.com became the first local tech company—a consumer-facing Web firm at that—to IPO since 2012. While nine Boston-area life … Continue reading “Will the Next Great Boston Tech Company Please Stand Up?”
Eric Schadt, Acorda’s Cohen Join NY’s Life Science Disruptors Lineup
Over the past year, New York City has gone to great lengths to stamp itself as one of the nation’s big centers for genomics research. The New York Genome Center, for instance, came together because of a massive collaboration largest between Manhattan’s various medical institutions. Now, we’re happy to say that Eric Schadt, one of … Continue reading “Eric Schadt, Acorda’s Cohen Join NY’s Life Science Disruptors Lineup”
ZappRx Gets $1M From Atlas, SR One to E-Prescribe Specialty Meds
Getting specialty medications can be a big hassle. Dozens of pages of forms are required. Patients rely on call centers to find out the status of their prescriptions, and can go days wondering exactly when the next refill is coming. What if you could handle it all, instead, with just a few clicks on a … Continue reading “ZappRx Gets $1M From Atlas, SR One to E-Prescribe Specialty Meds”
Moontoast Receives $4,500,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=637e1b4d-59f7-45c5-9a25-5cf67b9aaca6 Date 1/30/2014 Company Name Moontoast Mailing Address 300 Brickstone Square Andover, MA 01810 Company Description Moontoast is the leading Distributed Social Commerce Platform for Retailers, Publishers, Musicians and Celebrities. The Moontoast platform enables brands to engage, share, analyze and drive revenue from your fans and consumers directly within any site fans … Continue reading “Moontoast Receives $4,500,000 Series B Funding”
ZappRx Obtains $1,000,000 Seed Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2a84e395-ec7c-4582-a720-a1db3c28c912 Date 1/30/2014 Company Name ZappRx Mailing Address Undisclosed Boston, MA 02210 Company Description ZappRx is a prescription management system that allows healthcare providers, patients, and pharmacists to more easily interact and communicate. When a provider writes an e-prescription using ZappRx, the patient instantly receives the prescription on their smartphone and can … Continue reading “ZappRx Obtains $1,000,000 Seed Round”
Dicerna Prices Upsized IPO at $15 Per Share, Starts Trading Thursday
Dicerna Pharmaceuticals had little trouble raising cash from Wall Street investors late Wednesday. The Watertown, MA-based company has priced its IPO at $15 per share, blowing past its projected range of $11 to $13 per share. It sold 6 million shares in the offering, up from the 5 million it initially planned to sell. All … Continue reading “Dicerna Prices Upsized IPO at $15 Per Share, Starts Trading Thursday”
Xconomy Forum: Mobile Madness 2014—The Next Disruptors
Mobile software and hardware have changed the game for many industries. From telecom to photo sharing to hailing a cab, and from traditional retail to health and fitness, online travel, and home automation, apps and devices have opened up worlds of opportunity for entrepreneurs, consumers, and businesses. In short, mobile is taking over. But which … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: Mobile Madness 2014—The Next Disruptors”
Shareaholic’s New CTO Gillett Gives Lessons From 5 Big-Data Startups
Depending on whom you ask, “big data” is either (a) still the future of technology and business, or (b) the fastest way to kill a serious conversation. Christopher Gillett understands both ends of the spectrum. On the one hand, the newly hired CTO of Boston startup Shareaholic sees the buzzword as increasingly meaningless. “The term … Continue reading “Shareaholic’s New CTO Gillett Gives Lessons From 5 Big-Data Startups”
Boston Roundup: CloudLock, HubSpot, Ministry of Supply, EMC
[Updated 9:40 a.m.] Some fundraising and annual financials to spice up your midweek: —CloudLock, a Waltham, MA-based seller of data security software for businesses, has raised a $16.5 million Series C round. The investment was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with previous backers Cedar Fund and Ascent Venture Partners also contributing. The company last raised … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: CloudLock, HubSpot, Ministry of Supply, EMC”
CloudLock Secures $16,500,000 Series C Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=67e02238-3d7e-4365-9ddf-63313095e2eb Date 1/29/2014 Company Name CloudLock Mailing Address 203 Crescent Street Waltham, MA 02453 Company Description Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, CloudLock is the cloud data protection company that enables control of data while gaining the collaboration and cost savings benefits of the cloud. Website http://www.cloudlock.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $16,500,000 … Continue reading “CloudLock Secures $16,500,000 Series C Funding Round”
In California, Walgreens & Walmart Are Rethinking Retail Health
On January 1, 2014, a bill signed by Governor Jerry Brown fundamentally transformed how pharmacists operate in California. The new law allows pharmacists in the most populous state in the nation to independently prescribe vaccinations, hormonal contraception, smoking cessation medications, and travel medicine without physician oversight or supervision. Importantly, the bill declares that “pharmacists are … Continue reading “In California, Walgreens & Walmart Are Rethinking Retail Health”
Time for Founders School
Having a film crew in your living room for two days is something you want to put on your bucket list. With a ~$2 billion endowment the Kauffman Foundation is the largest non-profit focused on entrepreneurship in the world. Giving away $75 -100 million to entrepreneurial causes every year makes Kauffman the dominant player in … Continue reading “Time for Founders School”
Internet Attacks via Indonesia Drop Off After Big Spike
A few months ago, Internet traffic routing company Akamai noticed something interesting: a significant rise in the amount of attack traffic coming from Indonesia, making that country the world’s top launching pad for malicious hackers. It didn’t last. Attacks originating from Indonesian IP addresses have dropped back into their previous No. 2 spot in Akamai’s … Continue reading “Internet Attacks via Indonesia Drop Off After Big Spike”
Ministry of Supply Receives $3,812,271 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2b0d81cd-81ff-4356-b300-f3da615764b7 Date 1/28/2014 Company Name Ministry of Supply Mailing Address 105 South Street Boston, MA 02111 Company Description Ministry of Supply creates high performance business wear. The company, out of MIT, has come up with proprietary fabric using advanced material science to create shirts that respond to your active workday. Ministry of … Continue reading “Ministry of Supply Receives $3,812,271 New Round”
What the World Needs Now Is (Probably Not) a Pill for Perfect Pitch
I remember seeing an episode of Desperate Housewives during the show’s first season called Running to Stand Still. In the episode, Lynette, working mom of many, takes her kid’s ADD medicine in order to be supermom and create costumes for the school play while balancing all of her other tasks. It was a classic self-prescribed … Continue reading “What the World Needs Now Is (Probably Not) a Pill for Perfect Pitch”
Epizyme Heads Back to Wall Street, Plans $140M Raise
Epizyme saw its stock jump up a few weeks ago after hitting a milestone in its big partnership with Celgene. Now it plans to use some of that momentum to raise some more cash from public investors. On Monday morning, Cambridge, MA-based Epizyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EPZM]]) filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission showing it … Continue reading “Epizyme Heads Back to Wall Street, Plans $140M Raise”
Dragon Innovation Offers $100K Investment for $1M Crowdfunding Wins
Crowdfunding campaigns have made it much easier for small companies to corral a bunch of pre-orders from an online fanbase. But it’s not always smooth sailing once the money starts piling up—especially for companies that make electronic gadgets. Startups like Pebble and Lockitron, each of which raised millions of dollars in early orders, have struggled … Continue reading “Dragon Innovation Offers $100K Investment for $1M Crowdfunding Wins”
Gene Therapy Lurches Ahead, Sees Thorny Future Questions on Price
Imagine for a minute you’re a teenager with a rare genetic muscle disease nobody has ever heard of. No treatment exists. Your doctor says you might die if you ever eat pepperoni pizza. The medical literature says you’ll never get to be an athlete, get a real job, start a family. You’ll probably die in … Continue reading “Gene Therapy Lurches Ahead, Sees Thorny Future Questions on Price”
Matter.io Obtains $400,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=65ba9ed7-64ff-49ef-858c-bd2bde2cf9f9 Date 1/27/2014 Company Name Matter.io Mailing Address 66 Church St 2nd Floor Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description We’re building a whole new way to design, share and 3D print models, right in your browser. The fastest way to remix 3D models, as simple as applying a photo-filter. Website http://www.matter.io Transaction Type … Continue reading “Matter.io Obtains $400,000 New Financing Round”
Using Cutting-Edge Science and Technology Against an Age-Old Disease
When I started working on the research and science of leprosy more than a decade ago, people thought this chronic infectious disease would eliminate itself and burn out over time. We didn’t have time for that. Why? Nearly 250,000 new cases of leprosy are diagnosed every year, and many more go undetected. Approximately 10 percent … Continue reading “Using Cutting-Edge Science and Technology Against an Age-Old Disease”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Enanta, NY Disruptors, Repligen, & More
Perhaps expectedly, it was a slow week for East Coast biotech as many took a deep breath following the JP Morgan madness. But if the crowding IPO queue is any indication, things are about to heat up in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here’s a roundup of all the local headlines, including some Xconomy … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Enanta, NY Disruptors, Repligen, & More”
Hockney’s iPad: How Technology Illuminates the Way We See
The best painters don’t just make pretty, eye-catching pictures. They make us think about what it means to see. On the canvas, they must reduce the three dimensions of the living world to two—but if they’re good at it, they add a different kind of depth in the process. David Hockney is very, very good … Continue reading “Hockney’s iPad: How Technology Illuminates the Way We See”
Enanta, No Longer Obscure, Seeks Slice of Big Hepatitis C Market
When Jay Luly took the reins at a privately-held biotech startup called Enanta Pharmaceuticals in 2003, he thought he was in for a quick fix. A floundering biotech based on a peptide-morphing technology, Enanta needed a new direction. He was an entrepreneur-in-residence at a venture firm at the time, which is a sort of gig … Continue reading “Enanta, No Longer Obscure, Seeks Slice of Big Hepatitis C Market”
Next Step Living Obtains $2,788,720 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eac8e7f2-5fbe-49a9-b4ff-ab4215f06d91 Date 1/24/2014 Company Name Next Step Living Mailing Address 21 Drydock Ave 2nd Floor Boston, MA 02210 Company Description Next Step Living is a residential energy efficiency company, providing home energy diagnostics and improvements to the greater New England area. We are a socially-conscious, environmentally focused, results-driven organization dedicated to helping … Continue reading “Next Step Living Obtains $2,788,720 New Round”
The Gores Group Acquires Zmags for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0c787885-a62e-40e1-8f17-ba6873f68f06 Date 1/24/2014 Company Name Zmags Mailing Address 321 Summer Street Boston, MA 02210 Company Description Zmags has developed a number of unique solutions for online publishing. Today Zmags stands at the forefront of the market and has delivered more than 700 solutions to a variety of businesses in Europe and North … Continue reading “The Gores Group Acquires Zmags for Undisclosed Sum”
Care.com Raising $91M in IPO
Online caregiver marketplace Care.com is raising about $91 million in its initial public stock offering, topping its previously projected price in the Boston area’s first venture-backed technology IPO in more than a year. The Waltham, MA-based company sold its shares Friday night at $17 each, slightly higher than an earlier estimated price range of $14-$16. … Continue reading “Care.com Raising $91M in IPO”
Join Us, And New York’s “Life Science Disruptors,” On March 6
There’s something brewing in New York biotech. Call it a grass roots movement. No longer are the region’s scientists, non-profits, and entrepreneurs simply pounding the tables. They’re taking action. Institutions are banding together, forming initiatives hell bent on commercializing local research. Government-backed funds are teaming with local venture firms to put funds together to spur … Continue reading “Join Us, And New York’s “Life Science Disruptors,” On March 6″
Venture Highlights of 2013: Early Stage Deals, Mobile, and New York
More venture data is coming out today, and it confirms some of the big-picture trends for 2013—namely, a modest increase in the amount of venture investing nationwide. New York’s CB Insights, a venture capital database, says in its end-of-year report that the $29.2 billion that VCs invested throughout the United States in 2013 amounted to … Continue reading “Venture Highlights of 2013: Early Stage Deals, Mobile, and New York”