California employers who classify their workers as independent contractors will be consulting their lawyers today, says A. Mark Pope, an attorney who helped persuade the state’s highest court to establish sweeping new restrictions on hiring so-called “gig workers.” The California Supreme Court on Monday set new standards that will make it harder for companies in … Continue reading “California’s Top Court Sets Tougher New Rules on Hiring “Gig Workers””
Category: Boston
Ironwood Pharma to Split in Two, Forming New Rare Disease Biz
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRWD]]) is making the unusual move of splitting up into two separate, publicly traded companies. One, which will keep the Ironwood name, will focus on selling its three commercial drugs and developing two experimental ones. The other, yet to be named, will be a R&D firm working on a pipeline of earlier … Continue reading “Ironwood Pharma to Split in Two, Forming New Rare Disease Biz”
Toast Launches Restaurant Payments Device to Take on Samsung, Square
[Corrected 5/1/18, 9:59 am. See below.] Toast, one of the biggest venture-backed startup bets in Boston, is getting more ambitious with its restaurant technology products. The seven-year-old company sells cloud-based software that can handle a range of tasks for eateries, including executing payments, either through computers at the counter or right at the table with … Continue reading “Toast Launches Restaurant Payments Device to Take on Samsung, Square”
Three Lessons Punk Rock Teaches Us About Being a Business Leader
Inspiration comes in many forms, and as an entrepreneur, I found mine early on in an unusual place: punk rock. There are strong parallels between the business of punk rock and startups. When you’re starting a new business venture, you wear many hats—leader, innovator, developer, marketer, HR rep—with very little budget or certainty. You might … Continue reading “Three Lessons Punk Rock Teaches Us About Being a Business Leader”
Express Scripts Picks Regeneron Over Amgen, Cuts Heart Drug Price
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and partner Sanofi have cut an unusual deal with Express Scripts, the nation’s largest drug-buying middleman. The two drug makers will cut the price of their $14,000-a-year cholesterol-lowering therapy alirocumab (Praluent). In return, Express Scripts will quickly approve treatment requests. The deal also sidelines Amgen, whose rival heart drug evolocumab (Repatha) will no … Continue reading “Express Scripts Picks Regeneron Over Amgen, Cuts Heart Drug Price”
Why “Micro-Learning” is the New Diploma For Today’s Jobseekers
You’d be hard-pressed to find a workplace today where using technology isn’t an integral part of the job, whether it’s an AI-powered recruiting tool, special coding software for app development, or even just Google Sheets that help workers keep track of budgets. Whether you’re applying for a position in marketing or in the field of … Continue reading “Why “Micro-Learning” is the New Diploma For Today’s Jobseekers”
City Staffers Share Innovation Insights at Smart Cities Accelerator
In cities across the United States, the benefits of bike-sharing and electric scooters that can be easily rented with a smartphone app have often been overshadowed by controversy. In Dallas, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, for example, complaints flooded into city offices earlier this year about the proliferation of “dockless” bikes cluttering sidewalks, handicap parking, … Continue reading “City Staffers Share Innovation Insights at Smart Cities Accelerator”
With New Data, Karyopharm Says It Will Ask for Myeloma Approval
Karyopharm Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KPTI]]) reported this afternoon that its cancer drug selinexor has passed a big test in treating some of the most desperate multiple myeloma patients—those who have failed at least five other therapies. The Newton, MA-based company will ask U.S. and European drug regulators to consider selinexor for approval. Karyopharm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KPTI]]) reports … Continue reading “With New Data, Karyopharm Says It Will Ask for Myeloma Approval”
The Life Science Industry Shows the Power of Giving Back to the Community
Every day here in Cambridge, MA, the world’s leading biotech hub, there are families who don’t have enough to eat. Hunger is not a problem caused by lack of resources—it’s a problem of distribution. Getting the right food to the right people at the right time is the challenge. Enter Food For Free, a Cambridge-based … Continue reading “The Life Science Industry Shows the Power of Giving Back to the Community”
The Hive Closes $26.5M Third Fund to Create More A.I. Startups
Some people may be horrified by the awesome powers of artificial intelligence, fearing that even their own skilled jobs will be taken over by machines. Others, faced with a pile of work just to keep a business humming along smoothly, might secretly yearn for robotic reinforcements. For those people, help may be on the way … Continue reading “The Hive Closes $26.5M Third Fund to Create More A.I. Startups”
VCs Back Jeremy Hitchcock’s New Security Startup, Minim, With $2.5M
Here’s what Jeremy Hitchcock is doing for an encore: trying to secure all your home and office devices and networks. Sounds like a nightmare. But if there’s anyone who should try, it’s Hitchcock (pictured). He is the co-founder and former CEO of Dyn, the longstanding New Hampshire-based Web infrastructure firm that was sold to Oracle … Continue reading “VCs Back Jeremy Hitchcock’s New Security Startup, Minim, With $2.5M”
Diagnostics Developer Nanopore Wins Agtech and Food Startup Showcase
In both humans and farm animals, time is crucial when diagnosing illness. An early diagnosis means treatment can be given before the disease worsens. In some forms of aquaculture, the diagnostic time line stretches out a little longer. Fish farmers need to take a boat to the offshore cages where salmon are raised. Samples are … Continue reading “Diagnostics Developer Nanopore Wins Agtech and Food Startup Showcase”
New CRISPR Startup from Feng Zhang Revealed
[Updated 4/28/18, 11:30 a.m. See below.] With all the buzz this week about the new CRISPR diagnostic startup from the University of California, Berkeley lab of Jennifer Doudna, perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that news of another CRISPR startup—this one associated with another CRISPR pioneer, Feng Zhang—is now coming out. The Boston Business Journal … Continue reading “New CRISPR Startup from Feng Zhang Revealed”
Techstars Boston Demo Day: VC Gets More Selective, Plus 3 Takeaways
[Corrected 4/28/18, 5:14 pm. See below.] It’s getting tougher out there for early-stage startups, but Techstars Boston keeps plugging away. In the age of “unicorns” and “mega-rounds” of venture capital, investors are placing bigger bets on fewer, often later-stage, companies. At the early stages, deal sizes are also growing, but the number of investments continues … Continue reading “Techstars Boston Demo Day: VC Gets More Selective, Plus 3 Takeaways”
Bill Gates on Saving Babies, Educating Kids, and Picking a Major
On a sunny spring afternoon, William Henry Gates III strolled into the Harvard University science center. Several hundred students and invited guests were waiting for him in the auditorium. Security was tight, but not overly so (he’s used to it). Gates was there Thursday for a conversation with Frank Doyle, Harvard’s dean of engineering and … Continue reading “Bill Gates on Saving Babies, Educating Kids, and Picking a Major”
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Tests, Parkinson’s Questions, Opioid Bills & More
Politics is more partisan than ever these days, but the opioid crisis might be one of the few issues where elected officials find common ground. This week, members of Congress exercised a bipartisan effort in both chambers to advance dozens of measures proposing various approaches to fighting the opioid epidemic. A Senate committee voted unanimously … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Tests, Parkinson’s Questions, Opioid Bills & More”
Boston Tech Watch: SidelineSwap, Cogito, Nebulous, Billshark & More
It’s time to catch up on the latest venture funding news in the Boston area, from blockchain tech to data analytics, to selling sports gear online. Read on for details. —SidelineSwap, the Boston-based operator of an online sports gear marketplace, said it closed a $5 million Series A funding round led by Global Founders Capital. … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: SidelineSwap, Cogito, Nebulous, Billshark & More”
Home Tests in Mind, Doudna Startup Races Rivals in CRISPR Diagnostics
[Updated 4/26/18, 2:20pm ET. See below.] The gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 has captured the world’s attention with the possibility of fixing tough diseases and altering human traits. While experimental medicine, ethical worries, and an epic patent battle have attracted most of the headlines, the field’s pioneers have advanced new types of CRISPR to detect and diagnose … Continue reading “Home Tests in Mind, Doudna Startup Races Rivals in CRISPR Diagnostics”
Boston Deal News: Digg, Bose, TripAdvisor, Vets First Choice, Examity
[Updated 4/26/18, 3:30 pm. See below.] Boston-area technology companies have played dealmaker lately, with notable mergers and acquisitions in augmented reality, online news curation, tourism tech, education, and veterinary software. Read on for details. —Boston-based advertising technology firm BuySellAds has acquired online news aggregator Digg for an undisclosed price, according to a report by Fast … Continue reading “Boston Deal News: Digg, Bose, TripAdvisor, Vets First Choice, Examity”
What President Trump Gets Wrong About Amazon’s Effect on the Economy
For the past week or so, President Trump has been deriding Amazon as a destroyer of jobs and the main reason many retail companies are failing. Unfortunately, this is a very one-sided and uninformed view of how Amazon is changing our economy. I run a retail operation that sells almost exclusively on Amazon. Since its … Continue reading “What President Trump Gets Wrong About Amazon’s Effect on the Economy”
Aspect Venture’s Jennifer Fonstad on Hot Areas of Tech, Diversity, & More
Jennifer Fonstad and Theresia Gouw launched Aspect Ventures with their own money in February 2014—and have hardly looked back. “We closed our first investment that first week,” Fonstad says. The pair went on to make a number of investments that first year before deciding to raise funds more formally from outsiders, like a conventional venture … Continue reading “Aspect Venture’s Jennifer Fonstad on Hot Areas of Tech, Diversity, & More”
SMA Day: AveXis Gene Therapy Creeps Forward as Biogen Drug’s Sales Slow
Just a few years ago, there were no drugs available for patients with the rare genetic disease spinal muscular atrophy. Now two cutting-edge therapies look headed for a commercial battle, with each data and revenue update a key moment in the race. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) was the first to bring an SMA drug to market, … Continue reading “SMA Day: AveXis Gene Therapy Creeps Forward as Biogen Drug’s Sales Slow”
With Acorda Data, Experts Weigh the Benefits of New Parkinson’s Drugs
Levodopa, the gold-standard medicine for Parkinson’s disease, has helped millions of patients since the 1970s manage the neurodegenerative disease. But there’s a caveat. Nothing is available that can slow or reverse the loss of brain cells, and what’s more, levodopa’s effects wane over time. So-called “off” episodes, when the drug isn’t working, can become more … Continue reading “With Acorda Data, Experts Weigh the Benefits of New Parkinson’s Drugs”
Blockchain Gets Real? IBM Advances Projects With Walmart & Others
For all the hype surrounding the potential for blockchain systems to transform many industries, the technology has yet to have much of an impact on businesses. But 2018 is shaping up to be a critical year for the budding sector: more companies are increasing their investments in blockchains and expanding test programs, says Ramesh Gopinath, … Continue reading “Blockchain Gets Real? IBM Advances Projects With Walmart & Others”
Savari Raises $12M To Connect Cars To Stoplights, Phones, Each Other
Savari, whose technology is designed to create a shared communications web among cars, personal devices, and roadway signals, announced today it has raised $12 million in a Series B fundraising round. Santa Clara, CA-based Savari makes V2X technology—that is, software and hardware sensor units designed to connect vehicles to everything that moves, so they can … Continue reading “Savari Raises $12M To Connect Cars To Stoplights, Phones, Each Other”
Third Rock’s Cedilla Launches with $56M for Protein Stability Drugs
As new technologies give drug developers greater insight into protein biology, more biotech and pharma companies are now emboldened to pursue what have long been dismissed as undruggable targets—the 75-85 percent of all human proteins that are beyond the reach of today’s medicines. One more startup is joining the quest to find small molecule drugs … Continue reading “Third Rock’s Cedilla Launches with $56M for Protein Stability Drugs”
Raising $56M, Revolution Medicines Drops Old Work and Turns to Cancer
Revolution Medicines emerged three years ago to develop drugs from products found in nature and said its lead prospect would be an antifungal compound. Redwood City, CA-based Revolution is now focused on cancer and has raised $56 million to bring a completely different drug into clinical studies. The firm is targeting an enzyme called SHP2, … Continue reading “Raising $56M, Revolution Medicines Drops Old Work and Turns to Cancer”
FDA Pumps the Brakes on Epizyme’s Top Cancer Drug Tazemetostat
Epizyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EPZM]]) said Monday that a pediatric patient taking its experimental cancer drug tazemetostat developed a new cancer, different than the one tazemetostat had been treating. The secondary cancer, a lymphoma, spurred the Food and Drug Administration to halt all new enrollment in tazemetostat trials. The drug is being tested in Phase 1 and … Continue reading “FDA Pumps the Brakes on Epizyme’s Top Cancer Drug Tazemetostat”
Techstars Alexa Firms Address Settings Where Voice Is ‘Most Natural’
Smart speakers are becoming increasingly common in our homes. Users can instruct these devices to order takeout, give the weather forecast, or turn on or off various Internet-connected devices. The Consumer Technology Association estimates that nearly 44 million voice-enabled assistants will be sold this year in the United States. Unit sales rose 279 percent from … Continue reading “Techstars Alexa Firms Address Settings Where Voice Is ‘Most Natural’”
Trade War Looming, 3D Printing Startup Formlabs Ups China Investment
Formlabs sees China as one of the keys to expanding 3D printing technology’s role in manufacturing, and the Massachusetts-based startup plans to grow its business there with the help of a recent $30 million venture funding round and some new investors located in China. Xconomy reported Formlabs’ latest investment in early April after spotting a … Continue reading “Trade War Looming, 3D Printing Startup Formlabs Ups China Investment”
Sage Postpartum Depression Drug Heads to FDA Review
A new treatment for postpartum depression has inched closer to market. Sage Therapeutics this morning filed for FDA approval of brexanolone, which could become the company’s first marketed product as well as the first-ever drug approved specifically for PPD, which affects some 10 to 20 percent of women giving birth every year in the U.S. … Continue reading “Sage Postpartum Depression Drug Heads to FDA Review”
Life Sci Veteran Garabedian Talks Up Biotech Accelerator in Texas
San Antonio — For early stage researchers at universities and other institutions, the idea of finding enough money to bring a drug or medical device to market can seem daunting, if not entirely hopeless. Grants and angel networks can cover some preclinical funding, and big venture capital firms are there to pour tens of millions … Continue reading “Life Sci Veteran Garabedian Talks Up Biotech Accelerator in Texas”
Torque Taps Thomas Andresen for Chief Scientific Officer
Thomas Andresen has been appointed chief scientific officer of immune-oncology therapies developer Torque. Andresen comes to the Cambridge, MA-based company from the Technical University of Denmark, where he was a professor in the department of micro-and nanotechnology. Andresen is also a Torque co-founder. Torque, which raised $25 million in a Series A round of financing … Continue reading “Torque Taps Thomas Andresen for Chief Scientific Officer”
Using Analytics, Fitcode Aims to Connect Shoppers to Jeans That Fit
There are few things more universal in wardrobes the world over than blue jeans. But they are also the number one item that is returned by online shoppers, says Rian Buckley, founder and CEO of Fitcode. “Fit is the number one purchase driver and reason to return,” she says. For many of us, the idea … Continue reading “Using Analytics, Fitcode Aims to Connect Shoppers to Jeans That Fit”
Cybersecurity Innovation Is Key as Nations Move to Digital Hostilities
As the under secretary responsible for U.S. cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security during the Obama administration, Suzanne Spaulding was watching out for signs of vote tampering or disruptions on Nov. 8, 2016, as citizens cast their ballots for the presidential candidate of their choice. On that Election Day, the agency was on heightened … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Innovation Is Key as Nations Move to Digital Hostilities”
Pivotal Notches $555M IPO to Boost Enterprise Software in the Cloud
Pivotal Software is the latest to jump into an improving public market for tech companies—the San Francisco-based software business is raising $555 million in its initial public offering today. Pivotal said it priced 37 million shares for $15 apiece in the offering, in the middle of its expected range. The IPO still leaves Dell Technologies … Continue reading “Pivotal Notches $555M IPO to Boost Enterprise Software in the Cloud”
Biogen Pays $1B to Broaden Ionis Pact, Betting More on RNA Drugs
Biogen will pay Ionis Pharmaceuticals $1 billion to expand their current partnership, doubling down on the RNA drugmaking technology that brought the spinal muscular atrophy drug nusinersen (Spinraza) to market. Ionis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IONS]]) gets $325 million in cash up front in the deal, while Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) will also buy 11,501,153 Ionis shares at $54.34 … Continue reading “Biogen Pays $1B to Broaden Ionis Pact, Betting More on RNA Drugs”
Bio Roundup: Hope for Lungs, Bradner’s Complaint, FDA Nods & More
The biggest news this week was in oncology, hands down. Merck showed that its immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) might become a common option for many patients newly diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, but the bigger picture is that the field is moving fast. While pembrolizumab notched the headline-grabbing data, others are also working to develop options … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Hope for Lungs, Bradner’s Complaint, FDA Nods & More”
Want to Find Stellar Software Engineers in the Midwest? Here’s How
It may seem obvious that companies in the Midwest face challenges attracting and retaining talent, given our weather and location far from the coasts. One need only to look at college football recruiting, after all, to see how the average annual snowfall on campus matters almost as much as last season’s win/loss record. To some … Continue reading “Want to Find Stellar Software Engineers in the Midwest? Here’s How”
Boston Tech Watch: Kyruus, Kolide, Nano-C, BookingBug
Time to catch up on the latest tech headlines from the Boston area: —Westwood, MA-based Nano-C said it closed an $11.5 million funding round that was capped off by a $3 million investment from Ray Stata, the co-founder of Norwood, MA-based semiconductor company Analog Devices (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ADI]]). Founded in 2001, Nano-C has developed “nanostructured” carbon … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Kyruus, Kolide, Nano-C, BookingBug”
Techstars Anywhere Inaugural Class Takes Virtual Graduation Walk
[Corrected 4/20/09, 5:35 am. See below.] From Adelaide to Toronto, the Techstars accelerator that began in Boulder, CO, runs 39 programs in 27 cities around the world—with the prerequisite that admitted startups must relocate, if necessary, to the city where their three-month program is based. Today, however, the inaugural class of the 40th program—Techstars Anywhere—is … Continue reading “Techstars Anywhere Inaugural Class Takes Virtual Graduation Walk”
Shapeways Adds $30M to Push “Mass Personalization” Via 3D Printing
Shapeways, a New York-based 3D printing company, has raised $30 million in new funding to help expand its services for product designers aspiring to build successful small businesses. Shapeways, which has raised more than $100 million to date, operates an online marketplace where designers and others with product ideas can sell their 3D-printed wares, such … Continue reading “Shapeways Adds $30M to Push “Mass Personalization” Via 3D Printing”
5 Takeaways From Robo Madness 2018 at iRobot
A who’s who of robotics and artificial intelligence experts gathered at iRobot’s headquarters in Bedford, MA, last week. The occasion was Xconomy’s fourth annual Robo Madness conference, and you can check out photos from the event here. Here are five things we learned from the discussions: 1. Watch your interns and office cleaners—they’ll go on … Continue reading “5 Takeaways From Robo Madness 2018 at iRobot”
Agenda Posted for Xconomy’s What’s Hot in Boston Biotech on May 16
Join Xconomy next month for our sixth installment of What’s Hot in Boston Biotech on May 16 at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. We’re convening an elite group of life sciences executives, researchers, investors from the Boston area and beyond to discuss a range of issues brought forth by cutting edge drug-making methods … Continue reading “Agenda Posted for Xconomy’s What’s Hot in Boston Biotech on May 16”
BenevolentAI Raises $115M For Drug Discovery, Pegs Valuation at $2.1 Billion
BenevolentAI, one of the companies vying to improve healthcare through artificial intelligence analysis, says it has raised $115 million to accelerate its drive to discover new drugs by studying disease processes at the molecular level. The London-based company, which has offices in New York and Belgium, says the new capital brings its current valuation to … Continue reading “BenevolentAI Raises $115M For Drug Discovery, Pegs Valuation at $2.1 Billion”
Surface Oncology’s Upsized IPO Reels In $108M for Lead Cancer Drug
Surface Oncology has raised $108 million from an initial public offering to finance clinical testing of its lead cancer immunotherapy. Cambridge, MA-based Surface priced its offering of 7.2 million shares at $15 each. The company had previously planned to sell 6 million shares in the range of $13 to $15 per share. Those shares are … Continue reading “Surface Oncology’s Upsized IPO Reels In $108M for Lead Cancer Drug”
Facebook: Lip Service to Privacy Is Over
As publicity-shy Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before both houses of Congress last week amid an avalanche of criticism about the dearth of user privacy on the world’s biggest social media network, it became crystal clear that the entire social media industry has entered a new and perilous phase. Trust in all social media … Continue reading “Facebook: Lip Service to Privacy Is Over”
Frequency Therapeutics Names William Chin Chief Medical Officer
Frequency Therapeutics has appointed William Chin to serve as the Woburn, MA, company’s chief medical officer. Chin’s previous experience includes posts at Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), where he was senior vice president, drug discovery and clinical investigation, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, where he was executive vice president of scientific and regulatory … Continue reading “Frequency Therapeutics Names William Chin Chief Medical Officer”
Cancer Wrap: Blueprint, Checkmate, More AACR News & Phase 3 Blues
The big headlines from the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Chicago were all about the battle over the latest lung cancer data, and for good reason. Lung cancer remains the deadliest cancer, but the Phase 3 data suggest that treatment options for some of the direst cases could soon rapidly expand. There were … Continue reading “Cancer Wrap: Blueprint, Checkmate, More AACR News & Phase 3 Blues”
Robo Madness 2018: Homecoming—The Photos
We had a blast at our fourth annual Robo Madness conference in the Boston area, and we hope you did, too. The theme this year was homecoming—the idea that robotics and artificial intelligence have started to seep into our lives and homes, and are poised to have big, transformative effects on business and society wherever … Continue reading “Robo Madness 2018: Homecoming—The Photos”