Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=afba2057-4d2b-4704-965d-e06b8a75c503&Preview=1 Date 5/3/2013 Company Name CardioFocus Mailing Address 500 Nickerson Road Marlborough, MA 01752 Company Description CardioFocus, Inc. is a privately held medical device company based in Maynard, Massachusetts. The company is developing, manufacturing and marketing proprietary, disposable fiber optic catheters for the visualization of the cardiac anatomy and the treatment of … Continue reading “CardioFocus Garners $11,000,000 New Financing”
Category: Boston
Aveo Shares Plummet as FDA Advisory Panel Votes Down Cancer Drug
A doomsday scenario played out for Aveo Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVEO]]) today. The Cambridge, MA-based company saw 13 of 14 members of an FDA advisory panel vote against its kidney cancer drug, tivozanib, saying it shouldn’t be cleared for sale in the U.S. because of questions about clinical trial design and the drug’s overall benefits to … Continue reading “Aveo Shares Plummet as FDA Advisory Panel Votes Down Cancer Drug”
Boston Roundup: NEVYs, VMTurbo, Stackdriver, Cue Ball
Some awards, financing, and product launches to cover in this collection of Boston-area news items: —The New England Venture Capital Association hosted its first-ever “Nevy” awards last night, at the hip Sinclair in Cambridge. The full list of winners is available here, but some of the standouts include Spark Capital as tech-sector VC firm of the … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: NEVYs, VMTurbo, Stackdriver, Cue Ball”
Opexa Tries a Personalized Cell Therapy Against Last, Worst Stage of MS
Pharmaceutical companies have been fielding a slate of new drugs for multiple sclerosis in the past few years—most recently the new oral pill diethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) that analysts see as a potential multibillion-dollar revenue source for Weston, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]). For the most part, however, the new MS drugs treat the progressive disease … Continue reading “Opexa Tries a Personalized Cell Therapy Against Last, Worst Stage of MS”
Pixability Obtains $4,100,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4f1a69b5-032f-4521-8522-5aaf7febc54e&Preview=1 Date 5/2/2013 Company Name Pixability Mailing Address One Broadway 14th Floor Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description We offer the easiest, quickest, most economical way to create quality video to help you market your company or organization. Now anyone, from company president to cashier, can be part of the web video revolution. … Continue reading “Pixability Obtains $4,100,000 New Funding Round”
Karyopharm Therapeutics Secures $20,500,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=69fcbbd5-bf9b-41da-bfea-67467530b0e3&Preview=1 Date 5/2/2013 Company Name Karyopharm Therapeutics Mailing Address 2 Mercer Road Natick, MA 01760 Company Description Karyopharm Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development of novel drugs for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and diseases related to cell proliferation. Website http://www.karyopharm.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $20,500,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Karyopharm Therapeutics Secures $20,500,000 New Financing”
Atlas Venture Raises $265M Fund, Touts Turnaround from Bloated Years
[Updated 1:15 pm, see below] Atlas Venture, a Cambridge, MA-based venture capital firm that focuses on early stage tech and biotech companies, has raised a new $265 million fund after several years of reinventing itself into a leaner, more nimble operation. The news comes on the heels of Boston-area VC firms closing new funds—$650 million … Continue reading “Atlas Venture Raises $265M Fund, Touts Turnaround from Bloated Years”
Google Fiber Spurs Telcos to Action, but Monopoly Fears Linger
Google’s foray into offering super-fast Internet and TV service sure looks like the kind of thing that could grow into a vertical monopoly. But the reactions of established service providers are proving the company’s point—that there’s not enough competition in the telecommunications industry. This week, we saw evidence that Google Fiber—which offers TV service and … Continue reading “Google Fiber Spurs Telcos to Action, but Monopoly Fears Linger”
VMTurbo Lands $7,500,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f8c75866-3e04-43f0-9cdf-7c4649de4ae4&Preview=1 Date 5/1/2013 Company Name VMTurbo Mailing Address 1 Burlington Woods Dr Burlington, MA 01803 Company Description VMTurbo is the only solution that enables the IT agility required to address the continuously fluctuating demands of today’s data centers. Website http://www.vmturbo.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,500,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds … Continue reading “VMTurbo Lands $7,500,000 Series C Financing”
Aveo’s Stock Plunges As Day of Reckoning Nears For Cancer Drug
Aveo Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVEO]]) has seen its share of ups and downs over the past year as it has fought to prove the worth of its kidney cancer drug, tivozanib. Now the moment of truth is at hand, with an independent advisory panel choosing whether to recommend the drug to the FDA. On Thursday, the … Continue reading “Aveo’s Stock Plunges As Day of Reckoning Nears For Cancer Drug”
Three Schools, Three Startups: Boston Buzzing with Business Plan Finalists
If you try to keep up with all the business-plan contests and student startup competitions in the Boston area, you will go mad. I’m making the rounds this spring, but I won’t be able to write about everything I see (or even most things). Instead, here’s a snapshot of three companies/teams that happened to grab … Continue reading “Three Schools, Three Startups: Boston Buzzing with Business Plan Finalists”
Siri Co-Creator Questions Texas A&M Texting-and-Driving Study
The co-inventor of Siri has a bone to pick with the media. A rash of stories last week—reporting on a study released by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) in College Station, TX—implied that using voice-to-text mobile applications such as Siri and Vlingo while you drive is no safer than texting while driving. But Adam … Continue reading “Siri Co-Creator Questions Texas A&M Texting-and-Driving Study”
Xconomy Opens in Texas, Expanding Roundup of Innovation Across U.S.
I’ve been coming to Texas regularly for more than 20 years—first to meet my future in-laws, and ever since to visit a growing extended family network around the state. I didn’t envision opening a Texas business arm on that initial visit (I didn’t have a business), but ever since launching Xconomy in mid-2007, I’ve been … Continue reading “Xconomy Opens in Texas, Expanding Roundup of Innovation Across U.S.”
Xconomy, Welcome to Texas, Where Energy Will Be Solved!
It’s great that Xconomy is finally getting to Texas. Which is not to say that I’m rooting for Austin over “Baustin.” Innovation is not a zero-sum game. Or, as they say around these parts, we know you’re not from Texas, but we’re glad you’re here. On the other hand, I spent 10 years trying to … Continue reading “Xconomy, Welcome to Texas, Where Energy Will Be Solved!”
Stealthy No More, Skillz Brings Cash Tournaments to Mobile Games
Andrew Paradise is at it again. Scarcely a year after confirming he’d sold his last company, AisleBuyer, to Intuit, the Boston-area entrepreneur and angel investor is taking his latest company out of stealth mode. Skillz (fka Lookout Gaming), which has offices in Boston and San Francisco, is trying to make a splash in the mobile … Continue reading “Stealthy No More, Skillz Brings Cash Tournaments to Mobile Games”
Supply Chains Are Orderly. Biotech Innovation Is Messy
I was intrigued by the concept of an “innovation supply chain” for biotech raised in last week’s Xconomy discussion with Noubar Afeyan of Flagship Ventures. The basic idea is that if there’s agreement about certain experiments, results, and value with a pharma company, then a biotech company can focus on delivering those results, the pharma … Continue reading “Supply Chains Are Orderly. Biotech Innovation Is Messy”
How Learning Chinese and Attending HBS Helped Me Found a Company
When I was in high school, I never thought I was very good at languages. Just ask my Spanish teacher. In college, it took a bet with my sister to make me start studying Mandarin. Based on my previous track record, she thought there was no way I could master one of the world’s most … Continue reading “How Learning Chinese and Attending HBS Helped Me Found a Company”
Placester Garners $2,500,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=93980d68-24a4-4306-8b17-5bb38e3195e1&Preview=1 Date 4/30/2013 Company Name Placester Mailing Address 101 Main Street 15th Floor Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description We focus primarily on providing massive distribution, premium listing services, and deep analytics to help real estate companies advertise and generate business. We care deeply about improving the real estate industry through the use … Continue reading “Placester Garners $2,500,000 New Funding Round”
Rue La La’s Fischman Out as CEO—Joining Other Flash-Sales Execs
If you’re the CEO of a flash-sales fashion site, you might want to make sure your resume is in order. The career prospects are looking a little rocky right now. Today, Boston-based Rue La La abruptly announced that founder Ben Fischman was being replaced as CEO. Steve Davis, an e-commerce veteran who has been the … Continue reading “Rue La La’s Fischman Out as CEO—Joining Other Flash-Sales Execs”
Blavatnik Gives Harvard $50M for Life Sciences Initiatives
Businessman and philanthropist Len Blavatnik has donated $50 million to Harvard University to help spur the creation of new, innovative drugs. Harvard will form two related initiatives with the gift from the Blavatnik Family Foundation, hoping to turn university research into viable business projects that don’t stall because they run out of money. The first … Continue reading “Blavatnik Gives Harvard $50M for Life Sciences Initiatives”
Announcing Xconomy Napa Summit 2013: New Rules for Growth
Finally, the economy seems to be heading in the right direction, but frustratingly slowly—and peril lurks around every sequester corner. Is that the new normal in this age of rising healthcare costs, venture capital belt-tightening, and a nearly broken Congressional system that can’t see fit to invest properly in vital areas such as research and … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Napa Summit 2013: New Rules for Growth”
Placester Picks Up $2.5M to Push Real Estate Publishing Market
Here’s another snapshot of a tech startup making its way through the Series A crunch. This one hasn’t officially “made it” yet, but it seems to be doing just fine. The startup is Placester, a real-estate Web publishing company based in Cambridge, MA, and it is announcing a seed financing round of $2.5 million from … Continue reading “Placester Picks Up $2.5M to Push Real Estate Publishing Market”
Man vs. Machine: Can Software Trump Editors in the Newsfeed Wars?
Suddenly, digital newsfeeds are the hottest thing in consumer tech. Big tech companies have been frantically opening their wallets in recent weeks to buy out small startups making mobile-friendly applications that use software to pull together news from innumerable sources around the Web. Last week, it was Google paying a reported $30 million or more … Continue reading “Man vs. Machine: Can Software Trump Editors in the Newsfeed Wars?”
The Napa Summit 2013: New Rules for Growth
How can entrepreneurs today build big new global companies—what ideas are paying off, and what previously successful strategies no longer work? Which fields or geographies likely hold the keys to future success? This year’s Napa Summit will bring together leading high-tech innovators, executives, and investors with unique perspectives on the U.S. and global innovation landscapes … Continue reading “The Napa Summit 2013: New Rules for Growth”
RainDance Secures $20M, and a Believer in Myriad Genetics
RainDance Technologies always thought its droplet technology platform had the potential to attract the powerhouses of the world of genomic research. Three years after introducing its first commercial product, it has now found the big-name ally with a big sales force to support that thesis—Myriad Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MYGN]]). The Lexington, MA-based company today not only … Continue reading “RainDance Secures $20M, and a Believer in Myriad Genetics”
Six Reasons Why Illumina Has Nothing to Fear from Thermo/Life
Illumina doesn’t need luck. But the San Diego-based company just caught a break this month, which will make it easier to continue crushing all who dare challenge its supremacy in genomics. The gift I’m referring to was the mega-merger a couple weeks ago between Waltham, MA-based Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: [[ticker:TMO]]) and Carlsbad, CA-based Life … Continue reading “Six Reasons Why Illumina Has Nothing to Fear from Thermo/Life”
Forma Strikes $200M Deal With Celgene to Discover Cancer Drugs
Forma Therapeutics has never had trouble finding partners who want access to its early-stage drug discovery team, when most companies are cutting back there. But the Watertown, MA-based company is entering into a different kind of deal with Celgene that could turn Forma into a bigger enterprise that discovers, develops, to someday markets its own … Continue reading “Forma Strikes $200M Deal With Celgene to Discover Cancer Drugs”
RainDance Technologies Lands $20,000,000 Series E Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4c7488fa-0bd4-4272-a11e-a25e311f5385&Preview=1 Date 4/29/2013 Company Name RainDance Technologies Mailing Address 44 Hartwell Avenue Lexington, MA 02421 Company Description RainDance Technologies, Inc. (RDT) is a nanotechnology company devoted to developing, and commercializing the Personal Laboratory System, a platform for droplet-based microfluidics. Website http://www.raindancetech.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $20,000,000 Transaction Round Series E … Continue reading “RainDance Technologies Lands $20,000,000 Series E Financing Round”
Schmidt: Google Glass Critics “Afraid of Change,” Society Will Adapt
Google Glass is just getting into the hands of developers, and you’re still many months away from seeing consumers walking around with the voice-activated computer display/camera devices on their faces. So just take a breath, Google chairman Eric Schmidt says, before you jump to the worst conclusions about how Glass will ruin privacy or human … Continue reading “Schmidt: Google Glass Critics “Afraid of Change,” Society Will Adapt”
LearnLaunch On the Move as Ed-Tech Market Heats Up in Boston
The school year may be heading down the home stretch, but tech companies in the education sector are finding things are just starting to pick up—particularly in New England. That’s according to Eileen Rudden, the co-founder of LearnLaunch, a local nonprofit focused on bringing the education and business communities together. Rudden also helps run LearnLaunchX, … Continue reading “LearnLaunch On the Move as Ed-Tech Market Heats Up in Boston”
Boston: Reclaiming Its Place as a Technology Hub
The battle for bragging rights as the United States’ epicenter for technology innovation has been waging between Boston and Silicon Valley since the 1980s. Remember Route 128 proudly proclaiming itself back in the ‘90s as “America’s Information Highway”? Against a backdrop of the recession, however, it may have been hard for either region to celebrate … Continue reading “Boston: Reclaiming Its Place as a Technology Hub”
Automatic’s App Puts Your Smartphone in Charge of Your Car
My car is probably the dumbest machine I own. It’s a 2000 Honda Accord, meaning it’s got none of the cool in-dash electronics found in today’s latest models, like the MyFord Touch entertainment system from Ford, the OnStar safety and navigation system from GM, or the iDrive computer system from BMW. But what I do … Continue reading “Automatic’s App Puts Your Smartphone in Charge of Your Car”
Can Biotech Learn From the TV Production Market?
The recent Xconomy piece on Noubar Afeyan’s ideas for a biotech ”innovation supply chain” got me thinking about how other industries strike a reasonable balance between their big distributors and smaller creative types. I don’t work in the biotech sector but, as a 37-year-old with cystic fibrosis, I am interested in the end-products. I live … Continue reading “Can Biotech Learn From the TV Production Market?”
East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Bind, Gen9, Radius, Cydan
Hello, Xconomy readers! I figured I’d formally introduce myself here, as I’ve grabbed the reins on these East Coast Life Sciences roundups and will be compiling them moving forward. I’ve been an avid Xconomy reader for several years while working as a healthcare writer for The Deal, and have always admired the quality of the … Continue reading “East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Bind, Gen9, Radius, Cydan”
Radius Health Receives $43,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c7f2cac0-3c5b-4e86-881e-d056e554fae3&Preview=1 Date 4/26/2013 Company Name Radius Health Mailing Address 201 Broadway 6th Floor Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description Radius is a leading company in the discovery and development of a new generation of drug therapies for osteoporosis and women’s health. Website http://www.radiuspharm.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $43,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Radius Health Receives $43,000,000 New Round”
Radius Health, Still Private, Raises Another $43M
Radius Health has been lukewarm about diving into the public markets over the past year. But since its inception in 2003, the Cambridge, MA-based biotech has been sure about one thing: it has no problem whatsoever raising cash from private financiers for its osteoporosis drug, as it proved once again on Thursday by lining up … Continue reading “Radius Health, Still Private, Raises Another $43M”
Cydan, the NEA Startup Machine, Scours the Globe for Orphan Drugs
What if you could create a biotech startup focused on treating a rare disease, with a drug candidate already in hand, and high odds of success in clinical trials? That’s the concept that crystallized in former MedImmune executive David Mott’s mind through decades of experience in the life sciences sector. The idea ultimately led him … Continue reading “Cydan, the NEA Startup Machine, Scours the Globe for Orphan Drugs”
Hate Facebook Ads? Nanigans Says Numbers Don’t Lie
As a garden-variety user, you might hate the increasing number of advertisements popping up on your Facebook feed. You may complain about them, perhaps quite loudly—even though that’s the price of an otherwise free service. But that doesn’t mean those ads aren’t working. Just ask Nanigans, a Boston-based ad technology startup. The company, which helps … Continue reading “Hate Facebook Ads? Nanigans Says Numbers Don’t Lie”
Gen9 Obtains $21,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f681e682-48ea-4c1f-a05e-5042ab3f5b2c&Preview=1 Date 4/25/2013 Company Name Gen9 Mailing Address 500 Technology Square 1st Floor Cambridge, MA 01239 Company Description Synthetic Biology is poised to modernize trillion dollar industries by introducing genes that program microorganisms to produce pharmaceuticals, biofuels and chemicals. A small number of Gen9’s current production tools generate sufficient DNA content to, … Continue reading “Gen9 Obtains $21,000,000 New Funding”
SchoolChapters Receives $2,482,018 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4fe24932-06a6-49b5-9173-fdb274b47b04&Preview=1 Date 4/25/2013 Company Name SchoolChapters Mailing Address 45 South Main Street West Hartford, CT 06107 Company Description SchoolChapters, Inc. was started by entrepreneurs focused on delivering innovative technology solutions for educators. Educators are the key to building a quality learning experience for our children. Website http://www.schoolchapters.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “SchoolChapters Receives $2,482,018 New Funding Round”
Pivotal Seeks Better Enterprise Cloud, with EMC Roots and GE Cash
Can you think of the last time you heard about a startup that had 1,250 employees and a valuation of over $1 billion on the day it launched? I can’t. But then, Pivotal isn’t your typical startup. Unveiled today at a San Francisco press event led by its CEO Paul Maritz, Pivotal is an independent … Continue reading “Pivotal Seeks Better Enterprise Cloud, with EMC Roots and GE Cash”
Spark Capital: Startups Shouldn’t Have to Pay Our Legal Bills
Don’t let it be said that venture capitalists are a greedy bunch. Well, not all of them, anyway. Bijan Sabet, a general partner at Boston-based Spark Capital, says the firm will now start paying its own legal costs when it invests “at the earliest days of the company.” Why’s that notable? As Sabet explains on … Continue reading “Spark Capital: Startups Shouldn’t Have to Pay Our Legal Bills”
Gen9, Synthetic Biology Startup, Snags $21M from Agilent
[Updated: 1:15 pm ET] Scientists have been able to order up custom-synthesized genes on demand for quite a few years now. But if synthetic biology is going to move beyond small lab experiments and disrupt whole industries like its proponents say, it needs to get faster, cheaper, and larger-scale. One startup in the field, Gen9, … Continue reading “Gen9, Synthetic Biology Startup, Snags $21M from Agilent”
The Devil is in the Details: What BioPharma Press Releases Don’t Say
While my primary focus is on the research side of the business, I have to admit that for many biotechs, their survival may be tied to the art of the deal. Kevin Kinsella of Avalon Ventures shared his thoughts with Xconomy readers awhile back on the increasingly hard bargains that Big Pharma is extracting from … Continue reading “The Devil is in the Details: What BioPharma Press Releases Don’t Say”
Online Resources Will Upend the Textbook Industry
Can a free tablet app render traditional textbooks and publishers obsolete? Will new software for grading papers and short essays replace teachers? Education has experienced a wave of progress in recent times thanks to open education resources, online colleges and mobile computing. Not only have students and teachers benefited from access to resources, but even … Continue reading “Online Resources Will Upend the Textbook Industry”
Bluetrain Mobile Garners $1,530,000 Seed Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=58cc586e-50ae-4bfd-b700-2b690ad7409c&Preview=1 Date 4/24/2013 Company Name Bluetrain Mobile Mailing Address 29 Camp St Cambridge, MA 02140 Company Description At Bluetrain Mobile, we enable marketers and their agencies to create brilliant and compelling multi-screen experiences resulting in measurable engagement and action. Website http://www.bluetrainmobile.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,530,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds … Continue reading “Bluetrain Mobile Garners $1,530,000 Seed Financing Round”
Here’s What It Looks Like When an Entire Country Loses the Internet
When you deliver nearly a third of global Web traffic, you get to see a lot of crazy stuff happen. Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]), the global Internet traffic provider, is giving us a glimpse at some of those wild scenarios today in its latest “State of the Internet” report. The company, based in Cambridge, MA, … Continue reading “Here’s What It Looks Like When an Entire Country Loses the Internet”
Azuki, Led by Wu-Lynch Clan, Looks to Go Big in Mobile TV Market
Television is in the air these days—quite literally, as more people are watching video on mobile devices via wireless networks. The Boston area is also abuzz with the news that Aereo, the IAC-backed Internet TV startup, is bringing its streaming service to the area in May. But another video-tech company that starts with “A” is … Continue reading “Azuki, Led by Wu-Lynch Clan, Looks to Go Big in Mobile TV Market”
Kendall Square’s New Rules
With the events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing last week, I have found it difficult to think about much else. Xconomy had previously invited me to write about the upcoming transformation MIT is bringing to Kendall Square. When it came time to sit down and write this piece, my first reaction was to pass. But … Continue reading “Kendall Square’s New Rules”
Biotech Execs Aren’t Ready to Prove Drugs Have Value, E&Y Says
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act last year as constitutional. President Obama won re-election. After years of runaway spending on healthcare, the well established policy on healthcare in this country is that access needs to go up, and costs need to come down. While many other groups are coming to terms with … Continue reading “Biotech Execs Aren’t Ready to Prove Drugs Have Value, E&Y Says”