The window for life science IPOs is still open, and five biotechs and one medical device company chose the last week of the third quarter to make their stock market debuts. Gritstone Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GRTS]]) closed out the week by raising $100 million in an upsized IPO. On Thursday night, Emeryville, CA-based Gritstone priced its … Continue reading “Six Life Science Firms Close Q3 with an IPO, More Are on the Way”
Category: Boston
Boston Tech Watch: MIT, GoDaddy, Lionano, HqO, Centage & More
Lots of Boston-area tech news to cover this week, so let’s jump right in. —Lionano, a Woburn, MA-based developer and maker of advanced battery energy storage products for vehicles and consumer electronics, said it closed a $22 million Series B funding round led by WAVE Equity Partners, Helios Capital Ventures, and NXT Ventures. Lionano spun … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: MIT, GoDaddy, Lionano, HqO, Centage & More”
Where Can Influential Companies Go to Meet Exceptional Black VCs?
Culture Shifting Weekend—a November 1-3 invitation-only summit, presented by Culture Shift Labs (CSL)—will offer a rare opportunity for leading companies and investors to meet, vet, and fund the fast-growing ecosystem of Black venture capitalists and VC firms. Hosted at Infor in New York City, Culture Shift Lab’s annual three-day event will enable institutional investors, social … Continue reading “Where Can Influential Companies Go to Meet Exceptional Black VCs?”
With New Data, Alnylam Could Seek Speedy OK For Second RNAi Drug
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals was just cleared to market the first-ever RNA interference medicine. The second one may not be that far behind. Alnylam (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]), of Cambridge, MA, said this morning that it could soon file for accelerated approval of an RNAi drug, givosiran, that the company is developing for acute hepatic porphyria, a rare genetic … Continue reading “With New Data, Alnylam Could Seek Speedy OK For Second RNAi Drug”
Akrevia Launches with $30M for Next-Gen Cancer Immunotherapy
What does the second generation of cancer immunotherapy look like? For Tim Clackson, president of a new biotech launching today, it will hopefully include protein-based drugs that stimulate the immune system to attack tumors in a more targeted way—by only powering up at the site of the tumor, and not throughout the body. Akrevia Therapeutics … Continue reading “Akrevia Launches with $30M for Next-Gen Cancer Immunotherapy”
Blink Health Ramps Up in Boston as Amazon Eyes Prescription Drugs
A few months after Amazon announced a deal to acquire Boston-area online pharmacy startup PillPack, another healthcare technology venture is growing its presence here as it attempts to shake up the retail pharmacy industry. The newcomer is New York-based Blink Health, a four-year-old startup that enables people to buy low-cost prescription drugs online and pick … Continue reading “Blink Health Ramps Up in Boston as Amazon Eyes Prescription Drugs”
Big Pharma Seeks More Partnerships, Evidence in Digital Therapeutics
“Digital therapeutics” startups are starting to win more respect—and investment dollars—from pharmaceutical giants. But the two sides are still figuring out how to work together to capitalize on the potential for apps, devices, and other software-enabled technologies to impact patients’ health. That’s what stood out to me the most as I listened to leaders from … Continue reading “Big Pharma Seeks More Partnerships, Evidence in Digital Therapeutics”
LogicBio Jumps on the Gene Therapy 2.0 Wave and Lines Up an IPO
Another gene therapy company is on its way to the public markets. But this one, LogicBio Therapeutics, is part of a newer crop of gene therapy developers that aim to overcome the potential shortcomings of the treatments on the market or in human trials. LogicBio’s technology is still preclinical, but the company aims to start … Continue reading “LogicBio Jumps on the Gene Therapy 2.0 Wave and Lines Up an IPO”
Syntimmune Turns Drug For Rare Anemia Into $400M Alexion Buyout
Syntimmune, a biotech startup formed by the veteran founders of the hemophilia drug developer Syntonix, has been acquired by Alexion Pharmaceuticals for $400 million in cash up front. Syntimmune is right in Alexion’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALXN]]) wheelhouse. The Boston-based firm is best known for eculizumab (Soliris), a drug for ultra-rare blood diseases. In buying Syntimmune, Alexion … Continue reading “Syntimmune Turns Drug For Rare Anemia Into $400M Alexion Buyout”
Catch CRISPR 2.0, RNA-Targeting Drugs & More At “Disruptors” on Oct. 17
These days biotechs are raising cash and going public at a record pace. But before the Wall Street buzz and the big raises, they all started somewhere—with an idea, a pitch, and perhaps a little luck. Xconomy dives into these company creation stories at “Boston’s Life Science Disruptors,” our yearly look under the hood at … Continue reading “Catch CRISPR 2.0, RNA-Targeting Drugs & More At “Disruptors” on Oct. 17”
Former Alnylam Exec Jared Gollob Named Kymera Chief Medical Officer
Jared Gollob has been appointed chief medical officer of Cambridge, MA-based Kymera Therapeutics. Gollob most recently worked at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) where he was vice president of clinical development and global vice president of medical affairs. Kymera is developing drugs based on protein degradation, the process cells use to rid themselves of harmful proteins.
WaveSense Uses Ground-Penetrating Radar to Help Driverless Cars See
Those of us keeping tabs on the mobility industry have heard a lot about the development of sensors and other computer vision technologies to help autonomous vehicles “see” and interpret the landscape around them. WaveSense, a startup spun out of MIT, is adding ground-penetrating radar to the mix, which the company says could increase navigation … Continue reading “WaveSense Uses Ground-Penetrating Radar to Help Driverless Cars See”
Morphic Nets Another $80M For Integrin Drugs & First Human Tests
Morphic Therapeutic, a startup from Harvard scientist-entrepreneur Tim Springer, has reloaded with an $80 million Series B round that should get the company to its first human tests. The round includes a number of crossover investors (including Invus and EcoR1; Novo Holdings and Omega Funds co-led the financing), which back both private and publicly traded … Continue reading “Morphic Nets Another $80M For Integrin Drugs & First Human Tests”
Alexion Hits Study Goals, Could Expand Blockbuster Drug to CNS
Alexion Pharmaceuticals’ flagship drug has made a strong case it can treat yet another rare disease, and the company is now mapping out plans to file for approval in the U.S. and other regions. The Boston company released preliminary Phase 3 data for eculizumab (Soliris) as a treatment for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a … Continue reading “Alexion Hits Study Goals, Could Expand Blockbuster Drug to CNS”
Human Augmentation, Throwable Robots & More at X·CON, Nov. 4-6
With fall officially here, it’s time to ask some big questions about the coming year—and decade. What will be the most transformative technology areas for society and business? What should students and innovators be doing to prepare for five to 10 years from now? Who are the leaders and companies that will shape this future? … Continue reading “Human Augmentation, Throwable Robots & More at X·CON, Nov. 4-6”
Another Precision Step for Roche as Ignyta Drug Heads to Regulators
There was more news this morning in the advancement of precision cancer drugs, which target a tumor’s genetic signature. Roche plans to file for approval of entrectinib, a drug the Swiss firm acquired when it bought San Diego, CA-based Ignyta for $1.7 billion last year. Roche’s Genentech unit provided updated data pooled from three early … Continue reading “Another Precision Step for Roche as Ignyta Drug Heads to Regulators”
Amarin Soars as Fish Oil Pill Cuts Risk of Strokes in Long-Awaited Study
Can fish oil help prevent, or reduce the risk of heart disease? Several studies have failed to show that it can. But Amarin this morning is releasing data from a massive study showing that its prescription-grade fish oil pill, Vascepa, has done that—at least for some patients. Amarin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMRN]]), of Bedminster, NJ, and Dublin, … Continue reading “Amarin Soars as Fish Oil Pill Cuts Risk of Strokes in Long-Awaited Study”
How Groups Are Closing the Security Skills Gap, Boosting Diversity
Today, there is a massive shortage of cybersecurity talent across the globe. According to a 2015 study from Frost & Sullivan and the (ISC)² Foundation, there could be more than 1.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions globally by 2020. As cybersecurity attacks and data breaches, unfortunately, become a matter of not if but when, security talent … Continue reading “How Groups Are Closing the Security Skills Gap, Boosting Diversity”
Adobe-Marketo Deal Could Spur Marketing Tech Tie-Ups, New Strategies
Marketo almost didn’t get off the ground. It was 2006, and Jon Miller and his Marketo co-founders were struggling to raise money from investors for their marketing technology startup. Their pitch was to use software to help businesses automate much of the process of tracking and managing the online sales leads they were getting from … Continue reading “Adobe-Marketo Deal Could Spur Marketing Tech Tie-Ups, New Strategies”
Equillium Plans IPO to Fund Clinical Trials for Transplant Drug
Equillium, a biotech startup developing treatments for immune system disorders—including an immune response that affects some transplant recipients—is preparing for an IPO to finance tests of its lead drug. The company set a preliminary IPO target of $86 million, according to documents filed this week with securities regulators, and has applied to be listed on … Continue reading “Equillium Plans IPO to Fund Clinical Trials for Transplant Drug”
Sigstr Snags $4M Funding Round as Marketing Tech Sector Gets Hotter
Sigstr, the Indianapolis-based marketing tech startup, announced this week that it has raised $4 million in new venture funding. The round was led by Edison Partners, with participation from past investors, including Hyde Park Venture Partners, HubSpot Ventures, High Alpha Capital, Battery Ventures, and 4G Ventures. Bryan Wade, Sigstr’s CEO, says the company plans to … Continue reading “Sigstr Snags $4M Funding Round as Marketing Tech Sector Gets Hotter”
SR One’s Brian Gallagher Jumps to Abingworth for Partner Post
Brian Gallagher is joining London-based Abingworth as a partner based in the life sciences investment firm’s Boston office. Gallagher comes to Abingworth from SR One, the venture capital arm of GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]), where was a partner. Before SR One, Gallagher was senior director of corporate development at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by GSK … Continue reading “SR One’s Brian Gallagher Jumps to Abingworth for Partner Post”
In Adobe’s $4.75B Acquisition of Marketo, a Signal for Marketing Tech
Tech giant Adobe announced Thursday it is buying marketing-software firm Marketo for $4.75 billion. The move may have a ripple effect on the realm of enterprise sales and marketing. Marketo, based in San Mateo, CA, was founded in 2006 and built its business on marketing automation—using software to track and manage potential customers’ interactions with … Continue reading “In Adobe’s $4.75B Acquisition of Marketo, a Signal for Marketing Tech”
Europe Advisory Panel Rejects Sarepta’s Duchenne Drug Once Again
Sarepta Therapeutics won one of the most controversial drug approvals in recent memory, when the FDA in September 2016 approved the Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug eteplirsen (Exondys 51) off a slim set of data. The Cambridge, MA, company isn’t having the same luck in Europe. Sarepta (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRPT]]) said today that the Committee for Medicinal … Continue reading “Europe Advisory Panel Rejects Sarepta’s Duchenne Drug Once Again”
Microbiome Startup uBiome Expands into Drug Research with $83M
Biotech company uBiome started as a “citizen science” project that collected and studied microbiome samples in order to learn how the trillions of bacteria living in and on people’s bodies affect human health. Six years and 250,000 samples later, uBiome is now moving beyond simply helping people understand their microbiomes. The San Francisco company has … Continue reading “Microbiome Startup uBiome Expands into Drug Research with $83M”
Bio Roundup: Little Rhody, More for Migraine, Opioid Bills & More
The U.S. Senate had a rare moment of agreement, overwhelmingly passing a package of opioid-related bills. Up the East Coast, life-science players in Rhode Island are working to bring different local factions together and boost the state’s economy. Across the country, a similar effort is underway in Los Angeles. There were also plenty of headlines … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Little Rhody, More for Migraine, Opioid Bills & More”
Convoy Reloads With $185M For Its Freight Shipment Marketplace
Convoy, an online marketplace that connects shippers with freight truck fleets and independent drivers, announced today it raised $185 million in a Series C fundraising round led by CapitalG, the growth equity investment fund of Alphabet, Google’s parent company. With its new funding, Seattle-based Convoy plans to continue expanding its network of customers and truckers … Continue reading “Convoy Reloads With $185M For Its Freight Shipment Marketplace”
MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge to Honor Winners at Detroit Event
Technology has been transforming the way we work for decades, and MIT believes figuring out how to leverage it to rethink jobs and community prosperity is a grand technological challenge of our time. To respond to what the university calls an “economic and moral imperative,” it created the Inclusive Innovation Challenge (IIC), which lands in … Continue reading “MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge to Honor Winners at Detroit Event”
Rapid7 Launches Security Automation Tools to Take On IBM, FireEye
[Updated 9/20/18, 1:04 pm. See below.] Cybersecurity software firm Rapid7 is rolling out new and updated products geared toward helping customers automate more of their security processes and tie together the patchwork of defense mechanisms many of them have purchased from various vendors. The announcement fits into two big trends in security of the past … Continue reading “Rapid7 Launches Security Automation Tools to Take On IBM, FireEye”
Amicus Shells Out $100M For Celenex And Dives Into Gene Therapy
Fresh off finally winning an FDA nod for its first product, Amicus Therapeutics is getting in on the gene therapy renaissance. This morning, Cranbury, NJ-based Amicus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FOLD]]) agreed to pay $100 million up front to buy a privately held company, Celenex, spun out of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio. The acquisition gives Amicus a … Continue reading “Amicus Shells Out $100M For Celenex And Dives Into Gene Therapy”
Aegerion’s Jeffrey Bloss Joins Tarveda as Chief Medical Officer
Jeffrey Bloss has been appointed chief medical officer of Tarveda Therapeutics. Bloss comes to Watertown, MA-based Tarveda from Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, where he was chief medical officer and senior vice president, medical affairs. His experience includes senior roles at Astellas Pharma (OTCMKTS: [[ticker:ALPMY]]), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]), Genentech, and Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]). Last year, Tarveda raised … Continue reading “Aegerion’s Jeffrey Bloss Joins Tarveda as Chief Medical Officer”
In Boston’s Shadow, Rhode Island Fights for Life Science Jobs, Respect
[Updated 9/19/18, 3:40 p.m. See below.] Tiny Rhode Island and its capital city Providence have always punched above their weight, for better or for worse. Better: Little Rhody’s founder Roger Williams, fleeing religious persecution in 17th-century puritanical Massachusetts, was one of America’s first abolitionists and created the concept of the separation of church and state. … Continue reading “In Boston’s Shadow, Rhode Island Fights for Life Science Jobs, Respect”
Boston Tech Watch: Akili, Smartsheet, Tamr, Takeoff, Nanoramic & More
[Updated 9/19/18, 2:08 pm. See below.] It’s time to catch up on some recent Boston-area tech happenings: —Takeoff Technologies, a Waltham, MA-based developer of robotic systems for grocery order fulfillment, recently raised $24 million from investors, the company said in an e-mail to Xconomy. The Series B funding round was led by Forrestal Capital and brings … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Akili, Smartsheet, Tamr, Takeoff, Nanoramic & More”
UiPath Snags $225M To Expand Robotic Workforce for Businesses
Top venture capital firms continue to pour money into software robotics companies that promise to automate monotonous business operations, like processing mortgage applications, that are often performed by humans. New York-based UiPath is the latest such company to score a haul, announcing Tuesday it raised $225 million in a Series C funding round co-led by … Continue reading “UiPath Snags $225M To Expand Robotic Workforce for Businesses”
Viking Liver Drug Shows Promise for NASH, Shares Soar on Study Data
[Updated, 2:45 pm ET, see below] There is another update today in the competitive race to treat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an increasingly common liver disease with no FDA-approved therapies. Viking Therapeutics released preliminary results from a Phase 2 study suggesting its experimental drug might impact some of the disease’s many dangerous effects on the liver. … Continue reading “Viking Liver Drug Shows Promise for NASH, Shares Soar on Study Data”
Indigo Adds $250M as It Expands Reach Into Agricultural Supply Chain
Indigo Ag started as a company focused on microbial agriculture—finding microorganisms to develop into seed coatings intended to boost crop yields. While microbiology remains a focus, CEO David Perry says the startup is positioning itself to take on additional aspects of the agriculture business. Boston-based Indigo is revealing one of the ways it aims to … Continue reading “Indigo Adds $250M as It Expands Reach Into Agricultural Supply Chain”
Google Leads Mabl’s $20M Series B as Software Testing Deals Heat Up
Dan Belcher and Izzy Azeri sold their last startup, Stackdriver, to Google. Now, Google’s venture capital arm has backed the entrepreneurial duo’s latest company, Mabl. Boston-based Mabl said Tuesday it has pulled in $20 million in a Series B funding round led by GV (formerly Google Ventures). CRV and Amplify Partners also contributed to the … Continue reading “Google Leads Mabl’s $20M Series B as Software Testing Deals Heat Up”
CRISPR, ViaCyte Team Up to Develop Stem Cell-Based Diabetes Therapy
ViaCyte’s attempts to develop a stem cell therapy for diabetes have been stymied by the immune system, which recognizes the implanted cells as foreign. Meanwhile, CRISPR Therapeutics has found success in gene-editing cells so that the cells avoid such immune responses. Now the two companies are combining their respective technologies to develop a stem cell-based … Continue reading “CRISPR, ViaCyte Team Up to Develop Stem Cell-Based Diabetes Therapy”
FDA Clears Mersana to Restart Cancer Drug Trial With New Safeguards
The FDA has cleared Mersana Therapeutics to resume enrolling patients in a study of an experimental cancer drug now that the Cambridge, MA, company is taking new precautions to protect patients from potential harm. The company says the FDA lifted a “partial clinical hold” on the Mersana (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRSN]]) drug XMT-1522, a move that had … Continue reading “FDA Clears Mersana to Restart Cancer Drug Trial With New Safeguards”
Zapata Teaming With IBM, Google to Push Quantum Tech Into Next Phase
Christopher Savoie says he was skeptical when former Harvard researcher Alán Aspuru-Guzik pitched Savoie last year on joining the quantum computing software venture he was planning to form. Quantum computing technology is at least a decade away from commercial feasibility, responded Savoie, a tech developer and attorney who previously founded startups in machine learning, pharmaceuticals, … Continue reading “Zapata Teaming With IBM, Google to Push Quantum Tech Into Next Phase”
Zapata Computing CEO on A.I., Automation & Breakthroughs in Quantum
Quantum computing is one of the most intriguing—and complex—areas of technology right now. For years, it seemed like the field wouldn’t deliver practical applications any time soon. But that thinking has changed, and efforts at big companies, startups, and university research labs seem to be picking up steam—with use cases in finance, artificial intelligence, and … Continue reading “Zapata Computing CEO on A.I., Automation & Breakthroughs in Quantum”
Suono Bio Names Lisa Ricciardi CEO, Carl Schoellhammer Becomes COO
Lisa Ricciardi has been appointed CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Suono Bio. Founding CEO Carl Schoellhammer will shift to chief operating officer and board member. Ricciardi’s experience includes various roles at companies such as Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]), Medco, and Foundation Medicine. Suono, an MIT spinout, is developing technology that uses ultrasound to improve drug delivery.
Fidelity CEO Hints at Crypto Products as Sector Aims for Mainstream
Fidelity Investments is cooking up more blockchain and cryptocurrency-related products and services, with a goal of rolling some of them out in the next few months, CEO Abigail Johnson said Friday morning. Johnson made the comments during an event held at the financial services giant’s downtown Boston headquarters—one of a series of events that were … Continue reading “Fidelity CEO Hints at Crypto Products as Sector Aims for Mainstream”
The Rise of Robocalls and Cell Scams—and How to Stop Them
[Updated 9:15 a.m., see below.] Jen King was in a hurry to get out the door of her Bay Area home on a recent morning, and she missed a call to her cell phone because of it. The phone number that called her, she later discovered, was startling. “It was my home phone calling me, … Continue reading “The Rise of Robocalls and Cell Scams—and How to Stop Them”
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Ruling, “America’s Nobels,” IPOs & More
The long-running patent feud over CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing appears to be over, just as U.S. biotech companies gear up for the first human tests of the landmark technology. This week, a federal appeals court upheld a previous ruling handing a CRISPR-Cas9 patent to the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The decision by the three-judge … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Ruling, “America’s Nobels,” IPOs & More”
With Cornershop, Walmart Expands On-Demand Delivery to Latin America
Walmart is taking the e-commerce delivery business south of the border. The Bentonville, AR, retailer announced Thursday it has acquired Cornershop, an on-demand online service that delivers products from supermarkets, pharmacies, and specialty shops in Mexico and Chile, for $225 million. “We are focused on making life easier for customers and associates by building strong … Continue reading “With Cornershop, Walmart Expands On-Demand Delivery to Latin America”
Detroit’s StockX Raises $44M Funding Round, Plans to Hire 1,000
StockX, the online “stock market of things” focused on sneakers and other high-demand, limited-edition products, has closed one of the largest investment rounds raised by a Detroit startup and announced yesterday that it now plans to go on a major hiring spree. The news came from StockX CEO Josh Luber during a keynote speech at the … Continue reading “Detroit’s StockX Raises $44M Funding Round, Plans to Hire 1,000”
Cloud Storage Startup Wasabi Grabs $68M to Eat Amazon’s Lunch
Wasabi Technologies’ ambitious plan to challenge the giants in cloud data storage—Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and IBM—just got a $68 million boost. Wasabi announced Wednesday it closed its Series B round of venture funding. The Boston-based startup had previously raised at least $8.5 million from investors, who are betting that it can build a big business … Continue reading “Cloud Storage Startup Wasabi Grabs $68M to Eat Amazon’s Lunch”
Living on the Edge: Amazon, AT&T, Packet Pursue “Cloudlet” Computing
The word “cloud”—as in cloud computing, and cloud storage—has served as a handy shorthand term, but it has always been inherently vague and a little misleading. When businesses and consumers use a cloud service provider like Amazon Web Services or Apple’s iCloud, their data, photos, and music don’t get processed in the misty skies above … Continue reading “Living on the Edge: Amazon, AT&T, Packet Pursue “Cloudlet” Computing”
Coinbase, Circle & Others Form Blockchain Lobbying Group in DC
Amid intensifying regulatory scrutiny of cryptocurrencies and blockchain ventures, some of the sector’s leading startups and investors have formed the Blockchain Association, a lobbying group that will try to amplify their influence in Capitol Hill and around the country. The nonprofit trade association’s initial members include San Francisco-based Coinbase and its competitor, Boston-based Circle Internet … Continue reading “Coinbase, Circle & Others Form Blockchain Lobbying Group in DC”