Category: Boston

Priceline Buys Kayak, Consolidating Online Travel Brands

A big deal today in online travel, with competitive implications for companies from coast to coast: Priceline.com, a stalwart of the industry, is buying up newer competitor Kayak in a cash-and-stock deal worth about $1.8 billion. It’s a pretty quick sale for Kayak, which just made its public-market debut this summer. Both Priceline (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PCLN]]) … Continue reading “Priceline Buys Kayak, Consolidating Online Travel Brands”

Big-Data Startup Hadapt Backed by $6.75M from Atlas

If you know Hadapt, Chris Lynch, and the world of big-data analytics, this is not a big surprise. Cambridge, MA-based Hadapt confirmed today that it has raised $6.75 million in additional funding from Atlas Venture. The deal was led by Lynch, a partner with Atlas who has been Hadapt’s chairman for six months or so. … Continue reading “Big-Data Startup Hadapt Backed by $6.75M from Atlas”

Tech Tidbits: Hadapt, Betaspring, Emo Labs, Shareaholic, Yottaa, & More

Here are a few items of note in the New England tech community, as we lament the start of winter weather: —Have you voted yet? I’m talking about Xconomy’s post-election innovation priorities poll (for President Obama and U.S. Congress). Make your voice heard as to whether our nation’s leaders should focus first on tax policy, … Continue reading “Tech Tidbits: Hadapt, Betaspring, Emo Labs, Shareaholic, Yottaa, & More”

Boston Scientific to Buy Vessix for Hypertension Technology

Boston Scientific  (NYSE: [[ticker:BSX]]) is continuing its acquisition binge with the announcement this morning that it has agreed to buy Vessix Vascular, a privately held company in Laguna Hills, CA, for as much as $425 million. Vessix makes a device that uses radio frequencies to treat drug-resistant hypertension, a method called renal denervation. The agreement … Continue reading “Boston Scientific to Buy Vessix for Hypertension Technology”

Xconomist of the Week: Lisa Suennen on Healthcare Reform Post-Election

It’s been a stress-inducing year for innovators in the healthcare arena. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which calls for the creation of state exchanges to extend health insurance to millions of people who currently lack coverage, passed Congress by a slim margin in 2010 and has been under assault by Republicans ever since. … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Lisa Suennen on Healthcare Reform Post-Election”

GNS to Use Big Data to Fight Multiple Myeloma

Big data is transforming all kinds of endeavors, as technology leaders highlighted at Xconomy’s packed event in Boston last month, “The Future of Big Data.” Now, thanks to advances in deciphering genomics, big data is also being enlisted in the war on cancer. Today, GNS Healthcare of Cambridge, MA, announced that it is collaborating with Dana-Farber … Continue reading “GNS to Use Big Data to Fight Multiple Myeloma”

Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll

[Updated, Nov. 9—The polls are closed. But you can see the results here–Eds] The election is over. But as we all know, the really hard part—finding ways for our newly elected and reelected leaders to work together to move the country forward—still remains. There is work to be done on a multitude of fronts, of … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll”

Hadapt Receives $6,750,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a9902282-1daa-4fbb-9faa-00abd4236563&Preview=1 Date 11/8/2012 Company Name Hadapt Mailing Address 196 Broadway New Haven , CT 06510 Company Description Hadapt offers an adaptive analytical platform for performing complex analytics on structured and unstructured data, all in one cloud-optimized system. Website http://www.hadapt.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,750,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Hadapt Receives $6,750,000 New Round”

VGo Communications Obtains $882,159 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7f52781f-f2a9-4fe6-ae83-85b3f113ea21&Preview=1 Date 11/8/2012 Company Name VGo Communications Mailing Address 100 Innovative Way Nashua, NH 03062 Company Description VGo Communications, Inc. develops and markets visual communications solutions for the workplace. Website http://www.vgocom.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $882,159 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms … Continue reading “VGo Communications Obtains $882,159 New Financing Round”

RunKeeper’s Marathon Plan for Startup Success: “We’re Not in a Rush”

You’d expect the founder of a successful fitness-tracking startup to be a pretty healthy guy. So when RunKeeper boss Jason Jacobs reports that he rode his bike to work despite the first few days of wintry Boston temperatures creeping in, it’s not a big surprise. But it wasn’t always a foregone conclusion that Jacobs would … Continue reading “RunKeeper’s Marathon Plan for Startup Success: “We’re Not in a Rush””

Hack/Reduce to Open Thursday as Lynch Fires Back at Big Data “Knuckleheads”

If anyone likes a good fight, it’s Chris Lynch. The former CEO of Vertica Systems (now part of Hewlett-Packard) and current partner with Atlas Venture wears his emotions on his sleeve. And when it comes to big data, he’s dead serious. “I think this can be transformational for our community,” he says. “But we have … Continue reading “Hack/Reduce to Open Thursday as Lynch Fires Back at Big Data “Knuckleheads””

Shareaholic Report: StumbleUpon Still Sliding, Pinterest No. 4

Ah, the fickle world of Web traffic. While the big guys like Facebook and Google stay atop the list of important sources for publishers, there’s always a good knife fight going on down on the lower rungs. Today we’ve got a fresh look at the state of play from Shareaholic, the Cambridge, MA, startup that … Continue reading “Shareaholic Report: StumbleUpon Still Sliding, Pinterest No. 4”

WebInnoMobile

Web Innovators Group + Mobile Monday: Info and registration here. Rather than the “typical” WebInno program featuring a broad set of seed stage startups leveraging Web & mobile technologies, this Web Innovators Group + Mobile Monday event will feature early stage companies which are taking a “mobile first” approach. Register above to join us for … Continue reading “WebInnoMobile”

Mobile Madness NY Dec. 4 Preview: 3 Core Ideas From Roger Ehrenberg

What’s true about our mobile future—and what is overblown or missing the point? Amidst lots of predictions, gazillions of apps, and a fair bit of hype, sorting this out is key for thousands of startups, investors, and consumers. And we at Xconomy hope to unearth some real insights into this question at our Mobile Madness … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NY Dec. 4 Preview: 3 Core Ideas From Roger Ehrenberg”

Rescuing Patent-Less Proteins from the Drug Development Dustbin

“Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor.” The Greek poet Hesiod wasn’t referring to the drug development process when he wrote these words, but they certainly apply to that setting. Back in the early days of the biotechnology industry, a number of newly identified proteins were considered for … Continue reading “Rescuing Patent-Less Proteins from the Drug Development Dustbin”

Wiggio Lands $129,860 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c02252d4-6d6f-4dcd-97e7-1e33f344213e&Preview=1 Date 11/6/2012 Company Name Wiggio Mailing Address 77 Huron Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 Company Description On Wiggio, you can share and edit files, manage a group calendar, poll your group, post links, set up conference calls, chat online and send mass text, voice and email messages to your group members. Each … Continue reading “Wiggio Lands $129,860 New Financing Round”

HubSpot Garners $35,000,000 Series E Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=18f8233f-432f-4324-bdc0-7a62fe7442da&Preview=1 Date 11/6/2012 Company Name HubSpot Mailing Address 25 First Street, 2nd Floor Cambridge, MA 02141 Company Description HubSpot is an Internet marketing software platform that enables your company to get more leads from your website by driving more prospects to your website and converting more of them into leads. HubSpot software … Continue reading “HubSpot Garners $35,000,000 Series E Financing”

Your Car: The Future of Connected Health?

The car is entering an innovation renaissance. While Tesla Motors—the electric car company led by PayPal founder Elon Musk—has become the emblem of auto innovation, other manufacturers are following suit. For example, Ford recently launched their AppLink API in 1 million vehicles, allowing drivers to seamlessly integrate and navigate their mobile apps for things such … Continue reading “Your Car: The Future of Connected Health?”

LinkedIn: The Quiet Force Transforming Biotech & Pharma

Mark Levin’s business is biotechnology, so it’s no surprise he knew zilch about a tech company called LinkedIn as recently as two years ago. But these days Levin sounds like he can barely do his job without it. “I’m not the most social media savvy person. I haven’t used a lot of these tools at … Continue reading “LinkedIn: The Quiet Force Transforming Biotech & Pharma”

HubSpot Hits $100M Raised, Moves Closer to IPO (or Acquisition)

A well-known Boston tech startup has just joined the $100 million club. In total venture funding, that is. HubSpot, the Cambridge, MA-based Web marketing firm, has closed a $35 million growth round, with participation from new investors including Altimeter Capital, Cross Creek Capital, and a large undisclosed institutional investor, along with previous venture investors. HubSpot’s … Continue reading “HubSpot Hits $100M Raised, Moves Closer to IPO (or Acquisition)”

ITADSecurity Secures $355,119 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2e7fe850-9968-4dc4-9026-55e9e881146f&Preview=1 Date 11/5/2012 Company Name ITADSecurity Mailing Address 30 Wilsondale St Dover, MA 02030 Company Description ITADSecurity, Inc. is focused on the concept of mitigating the risk of an organizational data breach with an application called “The Watchdog”. This cutting-edge application reduces the number of data breaches associated with physical data-bearing devices. … Continue reading “ITADSecurity Secures $355,119 New Round”

Less Is Not Always More: The Argument for Apple-style Skeuomorphism

When an obscure archaeological term like “skeuomorphism” starts to show up in the pages of the country’s leading newspapers, you know people must be talking about Apple again. In technology circles, the biggest news this week wasn’t Superstorm Sandy, or the elections, or even the Disney-Lucasfilm deal and the prospect of another Star Wars trilogy. … Continue reading “Less Is Not Always More: The Argument for Apple-style Skeuomorphism”

Zagster CEO Tim Ericson on Tapping Into the Sharing Economy

If you want to be the “Zipcar for bikes,” Boston is not a bad place to be—and Zagster isn’t a bad name. I first saw Zagster co-founder and CEO Tim Ericson speak at a TechStars Boston demo day in May. The Cambridge, MA-based bicycle-sharing startup has been around since late 2007 (fka CityRyde, based in … Continue reading “Zagster CEO Tim Ericson on Tapping Into the Sharing Economy”

East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Vertex, Thermedical, More

There were signs of progress this week for a few East Coast life sciences company as they strived to develop new drugs and devices, except for Aveo, which is pulling back on R&D to throw most of its resources behind its lead product. —Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) scored some big-name development partners this week for its … Continue reading “East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Vertex, Thermedical, More”

Dayna Grayson Leaves North Bridge, Joins NEA as Partner in DC

[Updated 10:50 am. See below] There aren’t many prominent female VCs based in Boston. Now there are even fewer. Dayna Grayson, a former principal at North Bridge Venture Partners, has left the firm and joined New Enterprise Associates (NEA) as a partner. She will be based in the Washington, DC, area as part of NEA’s … Continue reading “Dayna Grayson Leaves North Bridge, Joins NEA as Partner in DC”

Ensemble Signs Pact with Boehringer Worth up to $186 million

Ensemble Therapeutics  of Cambridge, MA, said today that it may receive up to $186 million from a new collaboration with Germany-based Boehringer Ingelheim to develop drugs against a range of unnamed disease targets. Ensemble said it will receive an up-front payment and more money for research as it reaches successive milestones leading up to commercial success, … Continue reading “Ensemble Signs Pact with Boehringer Worth up to $186 million”

Polatis Obtains $4,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=70ecd329-9f3e-4114-9d53-5973b3dfb84f&Preview=1 Date 11/1/2012 Company Name Polatis Mailing Address One Tech Drive Andover, MA 01810 Company Description Polatis has set the benchmark in ultra-low loss optical switching. Its patented direct optical beam steering technology is powering the creation of highly reliable and compact photonic switching solutions. Website http://www.polatis.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Polatis Obtains $4,000,000 New Financing Round”

Scratch Wireless Lands $907,492 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f7ea2b30-74d4-4441-83df-d4abf38359b1&Preview=1 Date 11/1/2012 Company Name Scratch Wireless Mailing Address One Broadway 14th floor Cambridge, MA 02142 Company Description The company offers free, unlimited text messaging and internet and data usage, and up to 100 minutes per month of free domestic voice calls, via WiFi, according to the company’s website. The company offers … Continue reading “Scratch Wireless Lands $907,492 New Round”

Report: Isilon Co-Founder Sujal Patel Leaving EMC

Sujal Patel, co-founder of Isilon Systems, one of the Seattle area’s biggest recent VC success stories, is leaving data-storage giant EMC, which acquired Isilon for $2.25 billion in late 2010. The move, first reported by John Cook at GeekWire, raises the welcome prospect of a seasoned and successful Seattle tech entrepreneur again on the prowl. … Continue reading “Report: Isilon Co-Founder Sujal Patel Leaving EMC”

MITX Interactive Awards 2012

The MITX Interactive Awards is the largest and most prestigious awards competition in the country for interactive and web innovations and celebrates the best marketing and creative accomplishments emerging from New England. Join MITX to see What’s Next in the digital world. Information and registration here.

Mobile Consumers’ Effect on the Mobile Enterprise

Recently, we have seen a whole new wave of high-end smartphones announced. While Apple’s iPhone 5 was the undisputed star of the show, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola and RIM have all had big launches, each trying to grab market share in the phone industry’s most vibrant sector. Whether it’s bigger screens, better cameras or improved performance, … Continue reading “Mobile Consumers’ Effect on the Mobile Enterprise”

Aveo Cuts Staff, Announces 3rd Quarter Loss

AVEO Oncology  (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVEO]]), based in Cambridge, MA, said it is cutting 45 jobs—17 percent of its workforce—and eliminating another 30 open positions in an effort to save money while it waits for FDA approval of its tivozanib, its experimental treatment for kidney cancer submitted for approval in September. The company announced the staff reductions … Continue reading “Aveo Cuts Staff, Announces 3rd Quarter Loss”

Privy Gets Global Experience at 500 Startups Accelerator

Plenty of Boston-area tech startups want to learn from West Coast mentors. Few actually go out there and do it. And most that do, don’t come back. Privy is an exception—for now. The Boston startup, which helps restaurants and local businesses manage online marketing and promotions, is taking part in the 500 Startups Accelerator in … Continue reading “Privy Gets Global Experience at 500 Startups Accelerator”

Litle & Co. Sold for $361M in Payments Processing Consolidation

Helping money change hands has always been a good business. Smooth out the bumps in e-commerce payments, and you’re on another level altogether. That’s the driver behind today’s acquisition of Lowell, MA-based Litle & Co., a decade-old payments processing provider that counts some big names in e-commerce among its roster of clients. The company is … Continue reading “Litle & Co. Sold for $361M in Payments Processing Consolidation”

Seattle Genetics, Millennium Cancer Drug Cleared in EU

Seattle Genetics cashed a $60 million check three years ago from Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, as Millennium wanted a piece of a potent new cancer drug it could sell outside the U.S. Now regulators have given Millennium the go-ahead to start recouping that investment by selling the drug in the 27-member European Union, world’s … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics, Millennium Cancer Drug Cleared in EU”

Stanford Bests Harvard, MIT on Entrepreneurs, Report Finds

Harvard may be the No. 1 dream school for every over-achieving tiger parent, but if they want their babies to grow up to be wildly successful entrepreneurs, they might want to shift their focus west. A new study by New York-based research firm CB Insights tracked the money raised and deals closed by the entrepreneurial … Continue reading “Stanford Bests Harvard, MIT on Entrepreneurs, Report Finds”

Storage & Health IT Deals: EMC, Nasuni, Recombinant Data, QuantiaMD

Plenty of deals to watch around Boston this week. Here are the big ones: —EMC (NYSE: [[ticker:EMC]]), the Hopkinton, MA-based data storage giant, has acquired Silver Tail Systems of Menlo Park, CA. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but weren’t expected to have a material effect on EMC’s earnings if the acquisition closes as … Continue reading “Storage & Health IT Deals: EMC, Nasuni, Recombinant Data, QuantiaMD”

QuantiaMD Lands $12,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=407064de-2ced-4883-b027-802ca5ea485c&Preview=1 Date 10/31/2012 Company Name QuantiaMD Mailing Address 52 Second Avenue 4th Floor Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description We are a free online community where practicing physicians share practical medicine. The practice of medicine is becoming more complex every day and the amount of knowledge physicians need is rising at an unprecedented … Continue reading “QuantiaMD Lands $12,000,000 New Funding”

A New Online “Pre-Accelerator” from Steve Blank and Startup Weekend

In the past, most early-stage startups went down one of three well-worn paths. They either rented office space from a business incubator, in the hope of running into investors and business partners; applied to an accelerator program like TechStars or Y Combinator, which provide mentorship and networking over a set period of several months in … Continue reading “A New Online “Pre-Accelerator” from Steve Blank and Startup Weekend”

Wolfram, Sivak to Headline Our Healthcare in Transition Forum Dec. 10

It’s no surprise that healthcare has been a huge issue this election cycle. But while the ballots will (hopefully) all be counted in a week from now, healthcare will remain front and center for years to come—and everyone agrees it will have to be dealt with in new and innovative ways. We at Xconomy are … Continue reading “Wolfram, Sivak to Headline Our Healthcare in Transition Forum Dec. 10”

Nasuni Snags $20M More for “Storage as a Service”

Where else but the Boston area would you find a startup looking to disrupt traditional enterprise data-storage companies like IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, NetApp, and, yes, EMC? The company in question is making progress in a crowded field. Natick, MA-based Nasuni has raised a $20 million Series C financing round led by an undisclosed new investor … Continue reading “Nasuni Snags $20M More for “Storage as a Service””

Nasuni Receives $20,000,000 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f9ddff0c-dd0d-46eb-b235-463c6101c3f9&Preview=1 Date 10/30/2012 Company Name Nasuni Mailing Address 313 Speen Street Natick, MA 01760 Company Description Nasuni was founded in 2009 by seasoned executives to deliver a gateway to cloud storage that makes it feasible for more business users. Website http://www.nasuni.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $20,000,000 Transaction Round Series C … Continue reading “Nasuni Receives $20,000,000 Series C Funding Round”

WordStream Garners $210,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f8536d99-d0ab-4f55-8636-d5229e98330a&Preview=1 Date 10/30/2012 Company Name WordStream Mailing Address 177 Huntington Ave 16th Floor Boston, MA 02115 Company Description The company is provider of search engine marketing and optimization solutions. Website http://www.wordstream.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $210,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. M&A Terms … Continue reading “WordStream Garners $210,000 New Financing”

Startups Progress with Novel Drugs for Parkinson’s Disease

In the world of Parkinson’s disease drug development, one promising candidate after another has succumbed to what scientists like to call the “Valley of Death”—the period between the discovery of a promising compound and success in human trials. Nevertheless, more than 30 drugs for the disease are in development and a number of startups are beginning … Continue reading “Startups Progress with Novel Drugs for Parkinson’s Disease”

Shire Hunts More Deals Amid Reawakening Interest in Stem Cell R&D

[Updated 10/29/09 12:20 pm. See below.] As the Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa convenes its second annual investor and partnering forum in San Diego this morning, Dean Tozer says the last 18 to 24 months have seen a rejuvenation of interest in the commercial prospects for biomedical products arising from stem cell research and … Continue reading “Shire Hunts More Deals Amid Reawakening Interest in Stem Cell R&D”

The New Power Players in Drug R&D Are Wearing Bright T-Shirts

See all those people signing up for the 10K charity run/walk in your hometown this weekend? Those folks in your Facebook photo album, decked out with colorful T-shirts and uplifting messages about fighting some disease? You could easily have written off many of these nonprofit fundraisers a few years ago as well-intended, but ultimately ineffective, … Continue reading “The New Power Players in Drug R&D Are Wearing Bright T-Shirts”

Aquto Receives $8,000,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c854b312-6b35-4470-a089-28f7bc1c8a3e&Preview=1 Date 10/29/2012 Company Name Aquto Mailing Address 320 Congress St. 3rd Floor Boston, MA 02210 Company Description The mission of Aquto is to change the mobile industry when it comes to how mobile internet services are bought and packaged. With the explosion of mobile internet usage (mobile devices already consume 20% … Continue reading “Aquto Receives $8,000,000 Series A Financing Round”