Category: Boston

Tel Aviv, L.A. Right Behind Silicon Valley in Startup Genome Rankings

Brace for some surprising news. As a place to build a startup, Tel Aviv, Israel, outranks every other major startup hub in the world except Silicon Valley. That’s according to a report set to be released today by Startup Genome, a San Francisco-based R&D project. All right, you say; surely the No. 3 spot after … Continue reading “Tel Aviv, L.A. Right Behind Silicon Valley in Startup Genome Rankings”

How To Build a Biotech Cluster That Isn’t Boston or SF

I live and work in Louisville, KY, a city that probably isn’t too different from a lot of communities in the U.S. that are not biotech hubs like San Francisco and Boston. Driven in part by economic development, many in my hometown would like to develop a biotech cluster. But building a biotech cluster is … Continue reading “How To Build a Biotech Cluster That Isn’t Boston or SF”

Xconomist of the Week: Q&A with General Assembly’s Brad Hargreaves

I hate New York sports teams. But I don’t mind New York startup incubators. Especially when they have a growing presence in Boston and other cities. General Assembly is much more than that, of course. The company runs a network of startup schools dedicated to entrepreneurship and education, primarily in the fields of technology, business, … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Q&A with General Assembly’s Brad Hargreaves”

Mobee Lands $1,100,000 Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=841821a5-7ce1-4f12-b072-cac389663f7f&Preview=1 Date 11/20/2012 Company Name Mobee Mailing Address 1 Cambridge Center Cambridge, MA 02138 Company Description The easiest way to earn cash & rewards by visiting business you already frequent. Website http://www.getmobee.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,100,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture … Continue reading “Mobee Lands $1,100,000 Seed Financing”

Zadspace Receives $1,216,190 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8618bbb8-ee6b-430e-9409-7303c7c761a9&Preview=1 Date 11/20/2012 Company Name Zadspace Mailing Address 40 Richards Ave., 6th Floor Norwalk, CT 06854 Company Description Zadspace Inc is a provider of targeted advertising and product placement solutions. Zadspace was founded in 2006 by Todd Outten and James Ho. A venture-backed company, we have filed two utility patents surrounding our … Continue reading “Zadspace Receives $1,216,190 New Funding”

Pfizer, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in $58 Million Pact

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation says it has agreed to invest up to $58 million over six years to expand its drug development partnership with New York-based Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]), in an attempt to speed up the development of drugs that will treat people with the most common mutation associated with the deadly lung disease. Pfizer … Continue reading “Pfizer, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in $58 Million Pact”

How Will You Manage the Cloud?

Are you considering a move to the cloud? Are you planning to use Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) as the backend for your new website or application? Do you depend on cloud services being fast, cost-effective, secure, and available 24×7? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, be forewarned: While the features and scalability of offerings … Continue reading “How Will You Manage the Cloud?”

Cambridge Officially the New Center of MA Venture Deals—the Data

Over the past few years, it’s no secret to Boston-area entrepreneurs that venture capitalists have been moving back into Cambridge and Boston from places like Waltham’s Winter Hill, Lexington, and Wellesley. Off the top of my head, I can name Atlas, Highland, Bessemer, Greylock … and that’s just a quick list. Firms like Polaris (through … Continue reading “Cambridge Officially the New Center of MA Venture Deals—the Data”

Stanford’s Mike Snyder is Showing the Way With Personalized Medicine

Say the words “personalized medicine” to people from various walks of life, and you’re likely to get one of about four different reactions. A. “Personalized medicine? What’s that?” (Usually spoken by 99 percent of patients.) B. “Personalized medicine will bankrupt the country with expensive new diagnostic tests, and overrated targeted drugs.” (Usually spoken by health … Continue reading “Stanford’s Mike Snyder is Showing the Way With Personalized Medicine”

Streetwise and BostInno Bought by American City Business Journals

Some big news in online journalism and local startups today. Streetwise Media, the Boston-based parent company of BostInno and InTheCapital, has been acquired by American City Business Journals, the publisher of weekly print business journals in 40 cities and 45 business-news websites. The deal price wasn’t announced. American City Business Journals, based in North Carolina, … Continue reading “Streetwise and BostInno Bought by American City Business Journals”

MoMelan Technologies Stealthily Acquired by Kinetic Concepts

MoMelan Technologies, a three-year-old Cambridge, MA, startup with an unusual skin graft technology invented by laser hair removal pioneer R. Rox Anderson, was secretly acquired by San Antonio, TX-based Kinetic Concepts recently, Xconomy has learned. A MoMelan investor who asked not to be named told Xconomy that he had received an e-mail from MoMelan co-founder and president … Continue reading “MoMelan Technologies Stealthily Acquired by Kinetic Concepts”

East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Bristol-Myers, Alnylam, Merck, & More

The East Coast produced some good news this week about treatments for hepatitis C, some big deals, and at long last, hope for victims of bedbugs. —Advances against deadly hepatitis C dominated biotech news at the beginning of the week as several very positive clinical trial results were reported for oral treatments at the annual … Continue reading “East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Bristol-Myers, Alnylam, Merck, & More”

Hack/Reduce Gets Down to Big-Data Business with First Hackathon

In a very busy week for tech events, you should know that this one is BYOD. No, not “bring your own device.” Bring your own dataset. But don’t fret if you don’t have one; there’s also plenty of data available to work on. The inaugural big-data hackathon at Cambridge, MA-based hack/reduce is happening tomorrow, Nov. … Continue reading “Hack/Reduce Gets Down to Big-Data Business with First Hackathon”

Intarcia Snags $210M to Push Implantable Device for Diabetes

Private biotech companies are fortunate if they can scrape together a few million bucks in this year’s venture financing drought, but didn’t stop Hayward, CA-based Intarcia Therapeutics from raking in a whopping $210 million to support its drug/device combo treatment for diabetes. Intarcia, a private company moving its commercial headquarters to the Boston area while keeping … Continue reading “Intarcia Snags $210M to Push Implantable Device for Diabetes”

TechStars Boston: 13 New Startups, from Super-Springs to Baby Makers

It’s no surprise to hear someone running a startup accelerator praise their latest flock for tackling a broad set of problems. But when TechStars Boston managing director Katie Rae praised the latest class of graduates for the diversity of their ideas, it turns out she wasn’t just reciting the standard speech. On Wednesday night, that … Continue reading “TechStars Boston: 13 New Startups, from Super-Springs to Baby Makers”

MassTLC unConference Session Ideas: The Results

We called, and you answered. A big thank you to everyone who sent in session ideas for our MassTLC Innovation unConference ticket giveaway. We received a number of great suggestions, but three of them stood out to us. Each of these ideas offers a unique framework for tackling perennial problems in the innovation community. Here … Continue reading “MassTLC unConference Session Ideas: The Results”

Janssen Forms “Investigator Databank” to Help Streamline Drug Trials

In a bid to ease the administrative burden on the scientists who run clinical trials, J&J’s Janssen Research & Development is today unveiling a global initiative to standardize and share key information that drug companies require to vet clinical trial sites and ensure they meet industry requirements. The effort is part of a broader attempt … Continue reading “Janssen Forms “Investigator Databank” to Help Streamline Drug Trials”

Text Any Business: 5 Questions with TalkTo CEO Stuart Levinson

In case you’ve ever wondered why you can’t text stores and businesses the way you text your friends, well, you can. TalkTo, a Cambridge, MA-based startup, has been working on the problem for a couple of years now. And this week the company rolled out a Web app that works similarly to its mobile apps, … Continue reading “Text Any Business: 5 Questions with TalkTo CEO Stuart Levinson”

CoachUp Obtains $2,200,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4fc4df24-f18b-4ffc-be67-3b615f19e11f&Preview=1 Date 11/15/2012 Company Name CoachUp Mailing Address One Marina Park Drive 14th Floor Boston, MA 02210 Company Description CoachUp helps athletes achieve their full potential by connecting them with great private coaches. The independent coaches who list their services on the CoachUp platform take advantage of CoachUp’s digital marketing, scheduling, payment … Continue reading “CoachUp Obtains $2,200,000 Series A Funding Round”

Boston Deals: Activate Networks, Spindle, Arcadia Solutions, Cignifi

A midweek run through the companies making financing and acquisition news across the region: —Activate Networks, a provider of analytic software for businesses, reports that it has raised a $10 million Series B round of financing. The investment was led by Reed Elsevier Ventures, with participation from previous investor Excel Venture Management and new investor Premier, … Continue reading “Boston Deals: Activate Networks, Spindle, Arcadia Solutions, Cignifi”

Creating a Strong and Sustainable Innovation Culture

Steve Jobs, one of the greatest innovators of our time, famously said, “Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have…It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” Jobs’ quote is one that I work to embody every day in my role as CEO of … Continue reading “Creating a Strong and Sustainable Innovation Culture”

Inside Verizon’s Innovation Center: Home Health, Virtual Retail, & More

A wireless telecom giant with a strong local presence is working on some surprising projects. If they pan out, those projects—and the various products they’re spawning—could potentially change the balance of power in the tech ecosystem. Verizon Wireless, headquartered in Basking Ridge, NJ, employs 75,000 people and brought in $70 billion in revenue last year. … Continue reading “Inside Verizon’s Innovation Center: Home Health, Virtual Retail, & More”

Alnylam, Tekmira Look Ahead After RNAi Divorce

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Tekmira Pharmaceuticals were married, more or less, for eight years. But now that their divorce is final, each side sounds like it is relieved to be going off in separate directions. And shareholders of the companies who watched this dispute from afar basically agreed yesterday. After news of a legal settlement broke … Continue reading “Alnylam, Tekmira Look Ahead After RNAi Divorce”

With Ex-Isilon Chief Patel, Elemental Looks To Enter New Industries

Elemental Technologies has grown to more than $20 million in revenue by supplying software and hardware that helps video speed its way down the digital stream. With the addition of Isilon Systems co-founder Sujal Patel to the board of directors, the company is looking for guidance in expanding into new businesses, such as helping the … Continue reading “With Ex-Isilon Chief Patel, Elemental Looks To Enter New Industries”

TechTown Hosts First “MITX Up Detroit” For Startups

The Boston-based Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (MITX), a trade organization representing the digital marketing and IT communities, will expand its programming outside of Boston for the first time with a MITX Up Detroit event that it’s hosting with Wayne State incubator TechTown tonight. “We wanted to go to a place that wasn’t getting all the headlines; … Continue reading “TechTown Hosts First “MITX Up Detroit” For Startups”

Angels in Life Science America

What happens when the FDA approval process slows down and imposes higher hurdles, when cost-reduction becomes central to the healthcare provider business model, when clinical trials and commercialization costs for medical devices and biotechnology products spiral through the roof, and when exit returns are compressed by general economic conditions and the decline of the IPO … Continue reading “Angels in Life Science America”

Akamai Acquires Verivue in Content Delivery Consolidation

One down, many to go. Verivue, one of the Boston area’s biggest venture-backed technology bets, is being bought by Akamai (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]), a locally based Internet icon. Terms of the cash deal were not given, but it is expected to close by the end of the year. Verivue, based in Westford, MA, has been around … Continue reading “Akamai Acquires Verivue in Content Delivery Consolidation”

Allied Minds: Boston Firm Details First Two Startups in Federal Deal

Boston investment firm Allied Minds made headlines recently for a new licensing agreement with the Defense Department—one that Allied Minds says is the first of its kind, allowing for far-reaching privatization of technology developed by the government. It’s hard to argue with the idea of trying to build more businesses on top of the many … Continue reading “Allied Minds: Boston Firm Details First Two Startups in Federal Deal”

Hepatitis C Treatments from Gilead, Abbott Wow Liver Meeting

This weekend demonstrated what a difference a year makes for Cambridge, MA-based Vertex  (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]). At the annual meeting of the American Associaton for the Study of Liver Diseases in Boston Nov 9-13, Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:[[ticker:ABT]]) and Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]), along with a few other companies, presented promising data on new paradigms for the treatment … Continue reading “Hepatitis C Treatments from Gilead, Abbott Wow Liver Meeting”

Rapid Micro Biosystems Receives $1,110,889 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7932c8a1-1277-49ca-80bd-50846a390d6e&Preview=1 Date 11/13/2012 Company Name Rapid Micro Biosystems Mailing Address One Oak Park Drive 2nd Floor Bedford, MA 01730 Company Description Rapid Micro Biosystems is providing innovative products for faster detection of microbial contamination in the manufacture of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and personal care products. Website http://www.rapidmicrobio.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,110,889 … Continue reading “Rapid Micro Biosystems Receives $1,110,889 New Funding Round”

Activate Networks Garners $10,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d060f521-a675-4476-87ab-85848c5b6042&Preview=1 Date 11/13/2012 Company Name Activate Networks Mailing Address 2221 Washington St. Newton, MA 02462 Company Description Activate Networks, Inc., is a network analytics company that identifies and understands the key social connections that drive commercial, organizational, and health results. Activate Networks’ suite of analytics products and software enables organizations to unlock … Continue reading “Activate Networks Garners $10,000,000 Series B Financing”

Akamai Acquires VeriVue for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ddd69ba4-e4cd-4829-8a17-8af396c202ed&Preview=1 Date 11/13/2012 Company Name VeriVue Mailing Address 3 Carlisle Road Westford, MA 01886 Company Description The growth and popularity of digital media has created a whole new set of challenges for network operators. Delivering large files at high bit rates from ever-expanding content libraries drives rapid and unpredictable growth in video … Continue reading “Akamai Acquires VeriVue for Undisclosed Sum”

Alnylam to Pay Tekmira $65M to Settle RNAi Delivery Dispute

[Updated: 11:27 pm ET] Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay Vancouver, BC-based Tekmira Pharmaceuticals $65 million upfront, and potentially another $10 million next year, to settle a legal dispute over technology that enables Alnylam’s RNA interference drugs to be delivered where they are supposed to go inside cells. Alnylam (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) and Tekmira … Continue reading “Alnylam to Pay Tekmira $65M to Settle RNAi Delivery Dispute”

Who Are Biotech’s New Go-To Investment Bankers?

[Updated: 2:40 pm PT] Not that long ago, biotech executives weren’t sure who to call on Wall Street, or whether anyone would answer the phone. In late 2008 and early 2009, nobody could say for sure who would still be around in a couple years to supply capital to aspiring drugmakers. Partly inspired by all … Continue reading “Who Are Biotech’s New Go-To Investment Bankers?”

Affirmed Networks Receives $52,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=121afb51-c035-425a-8e51-02b972d49eec&Preview=1 Date 11/12/2012 Company Name Affirmed Networks Mailing Address 35 Nagog Park 1st Floor Acton, MA 01720 Company Description Affirmed Networks is an exciting new company located in the Boston area developing new technologies for the wireless industry. Website http://www.affirmednetworks.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $52,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Affirmed Networks Receives $52,000,000 New Funding”

Lilliputian Systems Secures $4,099,065 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ed9a45a5-42c6-46b3-8fe4-19a792ba0def&Preview=1 Date 11/12/2012 Company Name Lilliputian Systems Mailing Address 36 Jonspin Road Wilmington, MA 01887 Company Description Lilliputian has been rumored since 2001 to be developing a new kind of battery for electronic handheld devices and other applications. According to published reports, the company’s product is a combination of fuel cell and … Continue reading “Lilliputian Systems Secures $4,099,065 New Round”

EarlySense Obtains $15,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=915461de-c56d-477f-906c-1fd07954dabe&Preview=1 Date 11/12/2012 Company Name EarlySense Mailing Address 135 Beaver Street Waltham, MA 02452 Company Description EarlySense was founded in 2004 by an experienced medical device entrepreneurial team. EarlySense is a multi-disciplinary group of professionals working together to provide a breakthrough solution for the care of chronic patients. Website http://www.ealrysense.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “EarlySense Obtains $15,000,000 New Financing Round”

HapYak Secures $850,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c59ac33a-e991-4b76-8db2-40f94f5445ac&Preview=1 Date 11/12/2012 Company Name HapYak Mailing Address Undisclosed Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description HapYak’s mission is to set the standard for social video sharing by empowering people to experience videos on the web more like they do together in person: with remarks, insights, opinions and personality. Website http://www.hapyak.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “HapYak Secures $850,000 Seed Funding Round”

Thoma Bravo Acquires Crossbeam Systems for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=95f16797-d385-463c-a4c4-4edb0bb13a42&Preview=1 Date 11/12/2012 Company Name Crossbeam Systems Mailing Address 80 Central Street Boxborough, MA 01719 Company Description Crossbeam Systems is leading a revolution in the network security equipment field, one that lowers risk and exposure, reduces infrastructure costs and increases flexibility to respond to new threats. By radically simplifying security architectures the … Continue reading “Thoma Bravo Acquires Crossbeam Systems for Undisclosed Sum”

Session Ideas Wanted: Snag a Ticket to MassTLC’s unConference

Uncover, unwrap, unlock. Those are all ways to gain new knowledge. Here’s another: unConference. MassTLC will be hosting its ever-popular Innovation unConference in Boston on November 16. At this unique learning and networking event, the agenda is set by the attendees when they arrive, ensuring that you’ll have an opportunity to connect with people who share … Continue reading “Session Ideas Wanted: Snag a Ticket to MassTLC’s unConference”

Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll—The Results

Mr. President, the country’s innovation leaders have spoken. Yesterday, just to keep the election fun going, we asked our readers—entrepreneurs, investors, technologists, executives, or just anyone interested in the business of technology—to weigh in on the things they thought were most important for you and the new Congress to focus on when it comes to … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll—The Results”

Gates Foundation Invests in Flu Drug Developer Visterra

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation continues its strategy of financial support for biotech startups with an investment in Visterra, a four-year-old Cambridge, MA, company developing an antidote to pandemic flu. Visterra says today that the Gates Foundation is one of the investors in an additional $13 million raised to complete a $26 million Series A … Continue reading “Gates Foundation Invests in Flu Drug Developer Visterra”

10 Kickstarter Projects Every Geek Should Support

[Updated 6/5/2014] We’re living in a golden age for creators and entrepreneurs. If you don’t believe me, just look back about a decade and try to remember how hard it was to publish a book, make a movie, record an album, raise a seed round for your startup, get your software onto a mobile phone, … Continue reading “10 Kickstarter Projects Every Geek Should Support”

East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: EpiCept, Boston Scientific, & More

It was a big week for mergers and clinical trial advances for life sciences companies on the East Coast, with one company buying, another merging into an Israeli firm, and two others advancing against cardiovascular disease and obesity. —On Thursday EpiCept  (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EPCT]]), based in Tarrytown, NY, announced that it will merge with Immune Pharmaceuticals, a … Continue reading “East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: EpiCept, Boston Scientific, & More”

Variation Biotechnologies Secures $1,200,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=82e70c27-33a3-45b8-b071-167ea9d8a7e1&Preview=1 Date 11/9/2012 Company Name Variation Biotechnologies Mailing Address 245 First St. Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description Variation Biotechnologies, Inc. (VBI) creates intelligent vaccines that learn from nature. Our management and scientific team consists of industry-leading experts that have increased our product pipeline and partnerships. Website http://www.variationbiotech.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Variation Biotechnologies Secures $1,200,000 New Funding”

Intronis Technologies Obtains $12,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=592c3dfd-8000-4c07-ac96-1ea9d091b845&Preview=1 Date 11/9/2012 Company Name Intronis Technologies Mailing Address 332 Congress Street Fourth Floor Boston, MA 02210 Company Description eSureIT was created to satisfy the broad need for an easy to use, automatic and secure method of backing up data offsite. The goal of eSureIT was to design a cost-effective backup service … Continue reading “Intronis Technologies Obtains $12,000,000 New Funding”

Visterra Obtains $13,000,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=58edd337-16d6-488f-8ec9-29ff59ab00db&Preview=1 Date 11/9/2012 Company Name Visterra Mailing Address One Kendall Square Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description Visterra, Inc. is dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative products for the prevention, treatment and diagnosis of infectious diseases. The Company focuses on technologies that can interrogate how pathogens interact with human cells, a … Continue reading “Visterra Obtains $13,000,000 Series A Financing”

Intrinsic Therapeutics Garners $11,662,297 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=28a88302-4e9a-4063-92e2-2ce5468b3f10&Preview=1 Date 11/9/2012 Company Name Intrinsic Therapeutics Mailing Address 30 Commerce Way Woburn, MA 01801 Company Description The company is developing surgical equipment for use in spinal tissue repair. Website http://www.in-or.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $11,662,297 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A … Continue reading “Intrinsic Therapeutics Garners $11,662,297 New Financing”