Category: Boston

Let’s Abandon the Industrial-Decay Porn and Take a Closer Look at What’s Growing in Detroit

If you got all your information about Detroit from the blogosphere, the mainstream media, or the photography section of your local bookstore and never actually visited the Motor City, you could be forgiven for assuming that it’s one giant, bombed-out wasteland. That’s certainly the impression conveyed by many of the artists who have been criss-crossing … Continue reading “Let’s Abandon the Industrial-Decay Porn and Take a Closer Look at What’s Growing in Detroit”

Heartland Robotics Hires New CEO

Heartland Robotics, the Cambridge, MA, firm founded by Rodney Brooks and backed by Jeff Bezos and Charles River Ventures, said today it has hired Scott Eckert as its new chief executive. Eckert, a former Dell executive and co-founder and CEO of Motion Computing, succeeds Heartland’s outgoing president, Patrick Sobalvarro. Heartland Robotics, which raised $7 million … Continue reading “Heartland Robotics Hires New CEO”

Follica Grabs $7.5M, Glaxo’s SR One Leads $22M Round For Constellation, MoMelan Seeks to Improve Skin Grafts, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News

There were fewer life sciences headlines this week than we’ve seen lately, but the news covered an array of biotech companies fighting everything from baldness to skin disease to stubborn bacteria. —Watertown, MA-based Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals pulled in a $45 million Series C round that was led by new investor Excel Venture Management and also included … Continue reading “Follica Grabs $7.5M, Glaxo’s SR One Leads $22M Round For Constellation, MoMelan Seeks to Improve Skin Grafts, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”

What’s Next in New England? Just Take a Look at the MITX Technology Award Winners

Yesterday evening, it was time again for the MITX Technology Awards. This was the seventh time the yearly awards were handed out by the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange, an organization of 7,500 New England professionals in the Internet business and marketing field. Winners were announced in eleven categories, in addition to several “Best of” … Continue reading “What’s Next in New England? Just Take a Look at the MITX Technology Award Winners”

MoMelan, New Rox Anderson Startup, Gets Funds for Device Aimed at Skin Disorders

Skin disorders attack one of the most visible signs of our health. Take vitiligo, which causes skin to lose its color and form irregular white spots all over the body. MoMelan Technologies, a secretive startup in Cambridge, MA, is fighting back against such conditions with a device that could literally expand the impact of skin … Continue reading “MoMelan, New Rox Anderson Startup, Gets Funds for Device Aimed at Skin Disorders”

Ten Startups Share Their Wares at TechStars Demo Night

You can’t throw darts at a calendar this month without hitting at least a couple of technology events in Boston. Tuesday night it was Angel Boot Camp, and last night it was the MITX Technology Awards and the TechStars Demo Night. Maybe that’s why they’re calling June Innovation Month in New England. There was definitely … Continue reading “Ten Startups Share Their Wares at TechStars Demo Night”

Flagship Targets $300M New Fund

Cambridge, MA-based Flagship Ventures plans to raise $300 million for its next fund, VentureWire reported today. The Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board, a previous supporter of Flagship’s venture funds, has committed $20 million toward the new batch of capital the firm hopes to raise, a pension official told VentureWire. Flagship, which focuses on investments … Continue reading “Flagship Targets $300M New Fund”

Glaxo’s SR One Injects Pharma Bucks into $22M Round for Constellation Pharma

Scientists have been buzzing for years now about new drugs that can turn DNA on or off in ways that affect many diseases. Now more big pharmaceutical dollars are flowing to support this idea at a Cambridge, MA-based biotech that specializes in making drugs based this field of genetics research. SR One, the venture capital … Continue reading “Glaxo’s SR One Injects Pharma Bucks into $22M Round for Constellation Pharma”

Calling All Angels: Experienced, Aspiring Angel Investors Confer in Cambridge

If you Google “Angel Boot Camp,” the first seven results refer to a Victoria’s Secret competition to find the next “runway angel.” Well, there were no models or runways yesterday at the Microsoft NERD Center in Cambridge for Angel Boot Camp (the eighth result on Google)—but there were plenty of entrepreneurs vying for the attention … Continue reading “Calling All Angels: Experienced, Aspiring Angel Investors Confer in Cambridge”

Zipcar Files for $75M IPO, Tetraphase Gets $45M, Covidien Acquires ev3 for $2.6B, & More Boston-Area Deals News

Monday may have been a holiday, but New England’s tech and life sciences companies haven’t slowed down their deal making. We’ve had plenty of headlines of acquisitions, an IPO, and venture funding rounds for companies we’ve covered before and other not-so-familiar names. —Expressor Software, a Burlington, MA-based integration software provider, raised $4.5 million in expansion … Continue reading “Zipcar Files for $75M IPO, Tetraphase Gets $45M, Covidien Acquires ev3 for $2.6B, & More Boston-Area Deals News”

Constellation Pharmaceuticals Lands $22,000,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f00f10e9-b226-4d8e-9dc2-aa36a26b3b3f&Preview=1 Date 6/2/2010 Company Name Constellation Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 148 Sidney Street Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description Constellation Pharmaceuticals is the first biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel therapeutics in the emerging field of Epigenetics, a new field of science which is focused on selective regulators of epigenetic function, which … Continue reading “Constellation Pharmaceuticals Lands $22,000,000 Series B Funding Round”

Follica, the Biotech With Potential Drug Against Baldness, Nabs $7.5M Venture Financing

(Updated—6:15 pm ET, 6/01/10) Follica has raised more money for its quest against hair follicle disorders like male pattern baldness. The biotech startup, which is developing drugs that could spur the formation of new hair follicles, has raised $7.5 million in equity financing, according to an SEC filing. Daphne Zohar, a Follica co-founder and managing … Continue reading “Follica, the Biotech With Potential Drug Against Baldness, Nabs $7.5M Venture Financing”

Survey Says: Resources for Startups Are Hiding in Plain Sight

“I would love to start a company, but I can’t get financing, find affordable office space, or recruit capable talent.” If you are an entrepreneur, or someone with close ties to the entrepreneurial community, this statement may sound familiar. But it turns out that there are plenty of resources available, some of which are hiding … Continue reading “Survey Says: Resources for Startups Are Hiding in Plain Sight”

XSITE-ment Mounting—Agenda Posted for Xconomy Summit; Still Looking for a Few Great Startups

Just two weeks and two days to go until XSITE 2010—the Xconomy Summit on Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. The second annual iteration of one of New England’s biggest celebrations of entrepreneurship—with the theme “Building the Next Economy”—goes down on June 17 at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. We’ve got more than 40 speakers lined up … Continue reading “XSITE-ment Mounting—Agenda Posted for Xconomy Summit; Still Looking for a Few Great Startups”

Zipcar Files to Take $75M IPO Ride

Zipcar has set its sights on a new funding vehicle: An initial public offering. The Cambridge, MA-based car sharing service says it wants to raise $75 million in an IPO, according to an SEC filing. The company, founded in 2000, has changed the way many people think about renting cars. Its members can reserve cars … Continue reading “Zipcar Files to Take $75M IPO Ride”

$9M for SynapDx

Waltham, MA-based SynapDx,a developer of diagnostic technology for the early detection of autism, announced it has completed a $9 million Series A financing, with backing from Bain Capital, General Catalyst Partners, and North Bridge Venture Partners. The startup was founded by Stanley Lapidus, an entrepreneur known for starting life sciences companies such as Helicos BioSciences … Continue reading “$9M for SynapDx”

Tetraphase Nails $45M Round to Test Pipeline of New Antibiotics

Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals is coming back to work with a bang after the holiday weekend. The Watertown, MA-based company has raised $45 million in a Series C venture round to support a trio of new antibiotics that are designed to be tougher for bugs to resist. A new investor, Excel Venture Management, is leading the deal. … Continue reading “Tetraphase Nails $45M Round to Test Pipeline of New Antibiotics”

Prysm, Maker of Laser Screens, Quietly Breeds a Large-Display Revolution in Concord

When you think of Concord, MA, you’re more likely to visualize Revolutionary War skirmishes or Thoreau’s cabin on Walden Pond than factories full of complex machinery. But in fact, Concord was once a major hub of the clockmaking industry—in 1800 there were at least seven well-known clockmakers in the city, along with a network of … Continue reading “Prysm, Maker of Laser Screens, Quietly Breeds a Large-Display Revolution in Concord”

SynapDx Receives $9,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5d7c21c4-1802-4ad9-8352-6561dad6c78c&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2010 Company Name SynapDx Mailing Address Undisclosed Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description SynapDx was formed to develop and commercialize blood-based diagnostic tests for the early detection of autism. Website http://www.synapdx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $9,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The company will use the proceeds to … Continue reading “SynapDx Receives $9,000,000 Series A Funding”

TetraPhase Pharmaceuticals Receives $45,000,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b69345a5-e380-4946-b772-75486e99dd38&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2010 Company Name TetraPhase Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 480 Arsenal Street Watertown, MA 02472 Company Description Tetraphase Pharmaceuticas is focused on the discovery and development of new tetracycline antibiotics to treat drug resistant bacterial infections. The company’s approach capitalizes on ground-breaking technology, licensed from Harvard University (Dr. Andrew Myers, Professor of … Continue reading “TetraPhase Pharmaceuticals Receives $45,000,000 Series C Financing”

Follica Lands $7,500,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=72d28983-2547-4033-84be-c8f50ca5584a&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2010 Company Name Follica Mailing Address 222 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 Company Description Follica Inc., a privately held medical device company, was co-founded by PureTech Ventures and a group of world renowned experts in hair follicle biology and medicine. In addition to hair loss, Follica has intellectual property and … Continue reading “Follica Lands $7,500,000 Series B Financing Round”

One Tablet Per Child?

The Cambridge, MA-based One Laptop Per Child Foundation arguably launched an industry with its XO-1 Laptop, which first went into large-scale production in 2007. The worldwide buzz generated by the little green machine, which was intended mainly for classroom use in technologically underserved areas of the world, inspired computer makers to build an array of … Continue reading “One Tablet Per Child?”

Goby and TripAdvisor: Two Great Mobile Apps for Your Upcoming Travels

It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, when thoughts turn to vacation and summer road trips, so I thought I’d write briefly today about two cool travel-related mobile apps, both hailing from the Boston area. But first, I want to take a moment to remind you that June is Innovation Month in New England. Similar to the … Continue reading “Goby and TripAdvisor: Two Great Mobile Apps for Your Upcoming Travels”

FDA Approves Genzyme Pompe Drug, Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Trial Succeeds, Thermo Fisher Acquires Fermentas, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News

Life sciences news in the past week has run the gamut, from stealthy companies emerging with funding to big name drug makers scoring FDA approval and successful drug trial results, not to mention a few headlines of partnerships and acquisitions. —Logical Therapeutics, a Waltham, MA-based developer of anti-inflammatory drugs designed to be safer on the … Continue reading “FDA Approves Genzyme Pompe Drug, Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Trial Succeeds, Thermo Fisher Acquires Fermentas, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”

Quanterix Uses Fiber Optics to Find Cancer Protein, Nears New Funding Round

Both academics and industry have long sought ways to spot cancer in patients before it becomes deadly. This week, Cambridge, MA-based Quanterix said its single-molecule detection system could potentially find signs of prostate cancer recurrence lurking in the blood years before traditional lab tests. The study, published in Nature Biotechnology, showed that Quanterix’s technology detected … Continue reading “Quanterix Uses Fiber Optics to Find Cancer Protein, Nears New Funding Round”

QinetiQ, Thermo Scientific Collaborate to Equip Explosive-Sniffing Robots with Smart Sensors

Chemically fueled improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are one of the deadliest hazards to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and incidents like the Oklahoma City bombing and the Sarin gas attack in Tokyo have demonstrated that civilians, too, can be the targets of chemicals and explosives. Now two organizations with Massachusetts roots are collaborating to offer … Continue reading “QinetiQ, Thermo Scientific Collaborate to Equip Explosive-Sniffing Robots with Smart Sensors”

Logical Therapeutics Lands $16,900,000 Series C Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e844d621-62d7-47df-aa6b-00f7e871134d&Preview=1 Date 5/27/2010 Company Name Logical Therapeutics Mailing Address 300 Second Avenue Waltham, MA 02451 Company Description The Company is developing medicines to treat diseases that are associated with poorly controlled or excessive inflammation. Website http://www.logicaltherapeutics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $16,900,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes The Series C … Continue reading “Logical Therapeutics Lands $16,900,000 Series C Funding”

What Google’s WebM Looks Like to Video Digerati in San Diego and Boston

It’s been a week since Google announced a new open-source video project called WebM at its I/O Developers Conference in San Francisco, with the online media giant arguing that streaming video—like nearly everything else on the Internet—just wants to be free. So it seemed like a good time to see how some digital video technology … Continue reading “What Google’s WebM Looks Like to Video Digerati in San Diego and Boston”

Tesaro Nabs $20M Series A Financing for Cancer Drugs, $40M More in Reserve

A team of cancer drug veterans has formed a new company in Boston. The company, Tesaro, says today that it has raised $20 million in a Series A round of funding from the investment firm New Enterprise Associates and its founders. Tesaro says it plans to acquire and develop cancer drugs and other oncology products. … Continue reading “Tesaro Nabs $20M Series A Financing for Cancer Drugs, $40M More in Reserve”

OzVision Grabs $4.9M

Woburn, MA-based OzVision Global, a developer of remote video platform technology for surveillance and telecommunications companies, has pulled in $4.9 million out of a planned $6.7 million offering of convertible notes, according to an SEC filing. The company’s website lists its investors as Aviv Venture Capital and Kardan Communications, firms that are represented on the filing … Continue reading “OzVision Grabs $4.9M”

Enterprise 2.0 Conference Boston

The Enterprise 2.0 Conference explores the implications of enterprise technology, which allows businesses to communicate and collaborate beyond the more traditional modes such as email. It offers a series of workshops that aims to guide professionals through setting up enterprise 2.0 technology at their workplaces, and also examines the bumps along the way. Register here.

Founder Dialogues

KIVA Systems founder Mick Mountz will present at this edition of Founder Dialogues, a series of events put on by the seed-stage venture capital fund the Founder Collective. KIVA is developing technology that uses robotics to work warehouses and distribution centers.

Teradata Buys Xkoto

[Updated 1:00 p.m. May 26, 2010] Waltham, MA-based Xkoto, which makes database virtualization software for businesses, has been acquired by Teradata (NYSE: [[ticker:TDC]]), the Dayton, OH-based data warehousing and business intelligence giant, PE Hub first reported this morning. In an e-mail to Xconomy, Teradata public relations director Dan Conway confirmed the acquisition, and said the … Continue reading “Teradata Buys Xkoto”

4th Annual EurekaFest

Calling future inventors! This Lemelson-MIT event aims to inspire the future scientists and technology gurus with showcases of MIT inventions and design challenges for kids. You can register online for this one.

Expressor Software Secures $4.5M

Expressor Software, a provider of data-integration software, reported yesterday that it raised $4.5 million in expansion capital from three previous investors, Commonwealth Capital Ventures, Globespan Capital Partners, and Sigma Partners. According to PE Hub, the company, launched in May 2008, had previously brought in $15.6 million. The Burlington, MA-based firm’s semantic data integration software uses … Continue reading “Expressor Software Secures $4.5M”

Seattle Genetics, Growing Up in a Hurry With Millennium, Aims to Make Most of Cancer Drug

Seattle Genetics has spent more than a decade thinking about cutting-edge biology, chemistry, and clinical trials to prove its drug candidates work. Then last week, for the first time in nine years I’ve been reporting on CEO Clay Siegall, he talked with passion about things like manufacturing, inventory, quality assurance, quality control, and insurance reimbursement. … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics, Growing Up in a Hurry With Millennium, Aims to Make Most of Cancer Drug”

Yaddapalooza

Boston’s Pinyadda hosts an informal party for the local startup crowd. From the event listing: “Pinyadda is pleased to announce the first ever yaddapalooza at the brand new Whiskey Priests bar in Boston’s Innovation District! Come join top innovating minds in Boston for a little partying, free food, and startup talk from 5:30pm – 10pm before … Continue reading “Yaddapalooza”

Is it Time for the FDA to Chime in on Drug Company Tweets?

These days, when I least expect it, an e-mail pops into my inbox that I can’t ignore. It announces that someone is following me on Twitter. I’m still figuring out how it works (I have a measly 4 tweets to my name), which explains why, upon reading one of those e-mails, I usually succumb to … Continue reading “Is it Time for the FDA to Chime in on Drug Company Tweets?”

Logical and Arsenal Get $10M Apiece, Constant Contact Acquires NutshellMail, Avila Gets $209M From Clovis, & More Boston-Area Deals News

Biotech companies occupied the majority of the deals news in the last week, but we also saw headlines on smaller transactions and acquisitions for some transportation, Internet, and software companies. —Darien, CT-based Cytogel Pharma, a biopharmaceutical development firm, pulled in $2.2 million in equity and rights-based funding. The company, which aims to license drugs to … Continue reading “Logical and Arsenal Get $10M Apiece, Constant Contact Acquires NutshellMail, Avila Gets $209M From Clovis, & More Boston-Area Deals News”

The Clean Energy Choice—To Lead or Lag

This month a group of 50 clean energy CEOs, investors and executives from New England traveled to Washington D.C. to deliver a common message to our leaders in the nation’s capitol: comprehensive energy and climate legislation is critical for building the clean energy economy here in New England and across the United States. The Kerry-Lieberman … Continue reading “The Clean Energy Choice—To Lead or Lag”

Tesaro Secures $20,000,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4e8e265b-caa4-45a8-969c-484b40c9c974&Preview=1 Date 5/26/2010 Company Name Tesaro Mailing Address 135 Clarendon St. Boston, MA 02116 Company Description TESARO is a privately held oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company whose passionate associates are dedicated to improving the lives of cancer patients by developing and providing safer and more effective therapeutics and supportive care products. Website http://www.tesarobio.com Transaction … Continue reading “Tesaro Secures $20,000,000 Series A Funding”

Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Passes Pivotal Test, Cures Three Out of Every Four Patients

Vertex Pharmaceuticals has finally got the definitive proof it needs to say it has made a breakthrough for hepatitis C patients. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech company said today that its experimental drug for the chronic liver damaging disease was able to cure three-fourths of patients in the last stage of clinical testing required for FDA … Continue reading “Vertex Hepatitis C Drug Passes Pivotal Test, Cures Three Out of Every Four Patients”