Category: Boston

InVivo Therapeutics Chooses Richard Toselli for CEO Post

Richard Toselli has been named president and CEO of InVivo Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NVIV]]). Toselli had been acting CEO of the Cambridge, MA, medical device developer since December. Toselli will also continue as the company’s chief medical officer, a role the neurosurgeon took on when he joined InVivo last July. InVivo’s technology was co-invented by MIT … Continue reading “InVivo Therapeutics Chooses Richard Toselli for CEO Post”

Bio Roundup: Lung Cancer Questions, Migraine Races, HIV Battle & More

The top biopharma story of the week involves the fast-moving field of lung cancer, which, as we’ve written previously, has several key trials reading out in 2018. A big domino fell this week: data from a two-drug immunotherapy combination developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb. But the results, touted as positive, left more questions than answers. First, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Lung Cancer Questions, Migraine Races, HIV Battle & More”

Instant Gratification: Whole Foods, Target Offer Same-Day Delivery

[Updated 2/8/18, 1:39 pm.] The race is on to sign up consumers seeking same-day delivery of groceries, household items, and personal goods. Late on Wednesday, Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) announced it has started free two-hour delivery of products from Whole Foods Market, the most significant example of the e-commerce giant using technology at the Austin, TX-based … Continue reading “Instant Gratification: Whole Foods, Target Offer Same-Day Delivery”

Intellia Exec Nessan Bermingham Rejoins Atlas as Venture Partner

Nessan Bermingham, the founding CEO of CRISPR drug maker Intellia Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NTLA]]), is returning to Atlas Venture as a venture partner. Bermingham led Intellia from its incubation in the Cambridge, MA, venture capital firm through its 2016 initial public stock offering. Bermingham first joined Atlas in 2002. In his new role, Atlas said Bermingham … Continue reading “Intellia Exec Nessan Bermingham Rejoins Atlas as Venture Partner”

LogMeIn to Buy Jive For $342M+, Boost Business Communications Tools

LogMeIn is getting more aggressive in the business communications market, inking a deal to acquire Jive Communications for at least $342 million in cash. Boston-based LogMeIn (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LOGM]]) said it could pay an additional $15 million in cash if Jive meets certain milestones during the two years following the deal’s closing, expected to happen in … Continue reading “LogMeIn to Buy Jive For $342M+, Boost Business Communications Tools”

Immelt Named Athenahealth Chairman as Firm’s Transition Rolls On

Former GE chief executive Jeff Immelt is keeping busy. Healthcare IT firm Athenahealth said Wednesday that Immelt (pictured on the left) has been appointed chairman of its board of directors, effective immediately. Watertown, MA-based Athenahealth (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ATHN]]) said Immelt will make a financial investment in the company (an undisclosed amount) and “plans to purchase approximately … Continue reading “Immelt Named Athenahealth Chairman as Firm’s Transition Rolls On”

Battery Startup Ionic Materials Gets $65M Jolt From Nissan & Others

[Updated 2/16/18, 5:27 pm. See below.] Big automakers are betting that solid-state battery technology from Massachusetts-based startup Ionic Materials could eventually challenge the standard lithium-ion batteries used in today’s electric vehicles. Woburn, MA-based Ionic announced Wednesday it secured $65 million in a Series C funding round. The investors include Alliance Ventures—a venture capital fund backed … Continue reading “Battery Startup Ionic Materials Gets $65M Jolt From Nissan & Others”

Akamai Lays Off 400, Scales Back R&D Projects Amid Investor Pressure

Akamai Technologies has laid off about 400 people, or 5 percent of its global staff, as it pares research and development initiatives—primarily in its video content delivery division—that haven’t translated into commercial success. The cuts were disclosed Tuesday in a press release and conference call with investor analysts about Cambridge, MA-based Akamai’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]) 2017 … Continue reading “Akamai Lays Off 400, Scales Back R&D Projects Amid Investor Pressure”

As Rackspace Battled and Befriended Amazon, San Antonio Tech Matured

San Antonio—The Alamo city has never received much credit for its work in technology. One local executive likes to say that San Antonio works on the plumbing of the Internet. Compared to Austin, a renowned tech capital about 90 miles to the north of San Antonio, that description seems pretty accurate. Austin holds hip tech … Continue reading “As Rackspace Battled and Befriended Amazon, San Antonio Tech Matured”

At Verastem, Infinity’s Former Blood Cancer Drug Heads to FDA

Verastem has filed for FDA approval of duvelisib, a blood cancer drug the Needham, MA, company took a shot on in a 2016 bargain deal with Infinity Pharmaceuticals. Verastem will seek approval of duvelisib as a treatment for patients who have one of three different blood cancers—chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma, or follicular … Continue reading “At Verastem, Infinity’s Former Blood Cancer Drug Heads to FDA”

With New Test, Schadt’s Sema4 Aims to Broaden Scope of Newborn Screening

Sema4, the company that computational geneticist Eric Schadt spun out of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai last year, is making a new bet this morning. The New York and Connecticut startup is launching a diagnostic, Sema4 Natalis, meant to go well beyond the typical tests hospitals run on newborn babies to check … Continue reading “With New Test, Schadt’s Sema4 Aims to Broaden Scope of Newborn Screening”

Medical and Patient Groups Warn Congress Against “Right to Try”

Dozens of medical organizations and patient advocacy groups are pushing back against so-called “right-to-try” legislation that passed the Senate in August and is now under consideration in the House. An open letter sent today to House leaders is the latest opposition to the Republican-led push to give desperate patients access to experimental drugs without FDA … Continue reading “Medical and Patient Groups Warn Congress Against “Right to Try””

Walmart Brings Virtual Reality to Retail With Purchase of Spatialand

Walmart’s tech incubator in Silicon Valley, Store No 8, has acquired Spatialand, a virtual reality software firm, as its third portfolio company. While much of the focus in using VR has been on gaming and entertainment, “virtual reality has the potential to reinvent the consumer experience—with an experience we call contextual commerce,” according to a … Continue reading “Walmart Brings Virtual Reality to Retail With Purchase of Spatialand”

CloudBees Buys Codeship to Boost Software Delivery Tools

[Updated 2/7/18, 4:04 pm. See below.] CloudBees is snapping up Codeship in a union of two software development toolmakers founded in the early 2010s. Terms of the acquisition weren’t disclosed in a press release. San Jose, CA-based CloudBees, which used to be headquartered in the Boston area, is bringing on Codeship’s team of around 30 … Continue reading “CloudBees Buys Codeship to Boost Software Delivery Tools”

A16Z Bio Fund’s Pande Sees A.I. as Way to Ride Bio Innovation

As Andreessen Horowitz begins to invest the $450 million the bellwether venture firm recently raised for its second bio fund, general partner Vijay Pande has been talking increasingly about the use of artificial intelligence in the life sciences. In a presentation a few months ago at the firm’s annual a16z Summit, Pande argued that many … Continue reading “A16Z Bio Fund’s Pande Sees A.I. as Way to Ride Bio Innovation”

Battery Ventures Recharges With $1.25B in Two New Funds

Battery Ventures, a 35-year-old global investment firm, has reeled in $1.25 billion to continue backing high-tech companies. Boston-based Battery announced two new funds on Tuesday: an $800 million fund, Battery Ventures XII; and a $450 million companion, Battery Ventures XII Side Fund, from which the firm will make larger growth and private-equity investments. Battery’s deals … Continue reading “Battery Ventures Recharges With $1.25B in Two New Funds”

Pay It Forward: Capital Drives Bio Innovation in San Diego & Beyond

After starting Organovo in 2007, I spent much of the next decade as CEO seeking financing to advance our bioprinting technology. Because I stepped out of an operational role early last year, I am now in a position of providing financing to aspiring life sciences entrepreneurs.  The change has caused me to reflect a bit … Continue reading “Pay It Forward: Capital Drives Bio Innovation in San Diego & Beyond”

Dragonfly Therapeutics Appoints Cuillerot Chief Medical Officer

Cancer drug developer Dragonfly Therapeutics has appointed Jean-Marie Cuillerot to become its chief medical officer. Cuillerot’s experience in immunotherapy includes posts at Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) and Merck Serono. Last year, Waltham, MA-based Dragonfly landed a partnership with Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) that paid the startup $33 million up front to develop up to four blood … Continue reading “Dragonfly Therapeutics Appoints Cuillerot Chief Medical Officer”

Out of MIT, a $21M Startup Battle Brews Over Next-Gen A.I. Chips

Here are the makings of an interesting tale. It involves two competing tech spinouts from MIT, and two rival CEOs who were co-authors on a key research paper. And now, each company has raised on the order of $10 million from venture capitalists to win what could become a major race. It’s Lightelligence versus Lightmatter, … Continue reading “Out of MIT, a $21M Startup Battle Brews Over Next-Gen A.I. Chips”

Bristol-Myers Immune Drug Combo Hits Early Mark in Lung Cancer Study

[Updated 2/5/18, 2:36 p.m. See below.] A combination of two Bristol-Myers Squibb immunotherapies has achieved the main goal of a late-stage study in lung cancer, according to preliminary results the company released on Monday. But even though Bristol says the trial supports a new way of identifying patients who could best respond to its treatment, … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers Immune Drug Combo Hits Early Mark in Lung Cancer Study”

E-Commerce Firm Dearduck Uses A.I. in the Hunt for the Perfect Gift

Houston—Knowledge is power, but too much of a good thing can render data meaningless. That’s the struggle many retailers have in an age of data analytics. Think about the retailer e-mails we receive daily or the ads that appear on Google or our social media sites. Though based on our Web searches, those ads don’t … Continue reading “E-Commerce Firm Dearduck Uses A.I. in the Hunt for the Perfect Gift”

Entrepreneurs Look to Angels and Micro-VCs for Cash

You don’t need me to tell you it’s a rough world out there for startups. Venture capitalists have been unusually stingy lately, hanging on to billions of dollars they’d typically be channeling into promising young companies. When those investors do open their wallets, they’re shunning risky investments in favor of what the Wall Street Journal … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs Look to Angels and Micro-VCs for Cash”

Bio Roundup: Wilson’s Warning, Amazon’s Health Biz, Moderna Cash & More

The State of the Union address was…. long. At one hour and 20 minutes, President Trump fell about 9 minutes shy of the high mark. But those who stayed tuned in heard comments about several health policy matters. The president credited the FDA for a record number of generic drug approvals in 2017, which PwC … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Wilson’s Warning, Amazon’s Health Biz, Moderna Cash & More”

Boston Tech Watch: Immelt, VirZoom, Salsify, ClickSoftware & More

It’s time to catch up on some of the latest Boston-area tech headlines: —There were two notable venture capital hires this week with Boston ties. General Catalyst Partners named departing American Express CEO Ken Chenault as chairman and a managing director. Chenault will be based in the venture capital firm’s New York office, the New … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Immelt, VirZoom, Salsify, ClickSoftware & More”

Moderna, Still Private, Scoops Up Yet Another $500M

Moderna Therapeutics, the secretive messenger RNA drugmaker known in part for its preponderance of massive funding raises, has struck once again. The Cambridge, MA, company has closed yet another huge round, a $500 million haul from a wide group of domestic and international investors. New backers include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, BB Biotech, and … Continue reading “Moderna, Still Private, Scoops Up Yet Another $500M”

Ex-GE CEO Immelt Joins NEA as Execs Move Into Venture Investing

[Updated 2/1/18, 2:54 pm. See below.] Former General Electric chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt has joined New Enterprise Associates, the latest high-profile business executive to cross over to venture capital. Immelt has signed on as a venture partner at NEA, according to a press release. NEA has offices in the Bay Area; Washington, DC, area; … Continue reading “Ex-GE CEO Immelt Joins NEA as Execs Move Into Venture Investing”

Xconomy Bookclub: “Inferior” Peruses Science’s Historic #MeToo Bias

In his now infamous memo, ex-Google engineer James Damore cited scientific evidence to illustrate why women may not be suited for jobs at some of today’s leading tech companies. Women, he argued, are biologically more attuned to “people” jobs rather than “thing” jobs, like those in technology. But what Damore was doing, others pointed out, … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Inferior” Peruses Science’s Historic #MeToo Bias”

Voyager Plans Executive Succession as CEO Paul Moves to New Role

Steven Paul, a founder of Voyager Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VYGR]]) and its current president and CEO, plans to move on to a new role as executive science advisor. Paul will remain CEO while the Cambridge, MA-gene therapy developer searches for his successor. Paul’s first position at Voyager was president of R&D. He became president and CEO … Continue reading “Voyager Plans Executive Succession as CEO Paul Moves to New Role”

With Pellini on Board, Maris Sets Course at Section 32

It’s not easy to catch up with Bill Maris at Section 32, the venture firm he founded last year near San Diego. It took a while to arrange a call to discuss how Foundation Medicine’s Michael Pellini had joined Section 32 as Maris’s first investing partner, and what they plan to do together. Maris acknowledged … Continue reading “With Pellini on Board, Maris Sets Course at Section 32”

Flagship Brings in New Partners Rosiello, Pontin

Cambridge, MA, venture firm Flagship Pioneering has hired Rob Rosiello and Jason Pontin as new partners. Rosiello, a former McKinsey & Co. executive, was named an executive partner and Flagship’s chief operating officer. Pontin, the longtime editor-in-chief of MIT Technology Review, is now Flagship’s chief editor and a senior partner.

Techstars, Air Force Reveal First Boston Accelerator Investments

[Updated 2/1/18, 9:52 am. See below.] Techstars today announced the companies participating in the inaugural session of its new autonomous technology startup accelerator program in Boston, and, as advertised, there are a lot of drones involved. Six of the 10 participating companies are focused on unmanned aerial vehicles, including businesses focused on designing and making … Continue reading “Techstars, Air Force Reveal First Boston Accelerator Investments”

Ex-Merrimack, Seragon Execs’ New Startup Gets $60M, Buys Sanofi Drug

Partner Therapeutics, a Boston startup launched last week by a pair of former Merrimack Pharmaceuticals and Seragon Pharmaceuticals executives, has raised $60 million and acquired an immune system-boosting drug from Sanofi for an undisclosed sum. Partner bought Sanofi’s (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]) sargramostim (Leukine), a drug used to help acute myeloid leukemia patients fight infections after undergoing bone … Continue reading “Ex-Merrimack, Seragon Execs’ New Startup Gets $60M, Buys Sanofi Drug”

Avrobio Raises $60M for Fabry Disease Gene Therapy, Rest of Pipeline

Avrobio has had encouraging early results testing its experimental gene therapy to treat Fabry disease, an inherited enzyme deficiency that leads to a dangerous fatty buildup in the body. As the biotech startup gears up for more tests, it now has $60 million more in financing to support those studies and the rest of its … Continue reading “Avrobio Raises $60M for Fabry Disease Gene Therapy, Rest of Pipeline”

MIT Raising Big Bucks From Corporations to Fund A.I. “Moonshots”

MIT plans to raise “hundreds of millions of dollars” from companies and philanthropic donors for a long-term, wide-ranging research initiative bringing together faculty, students, staff, and industry to attempt to better understand human intelligence—and use that knowledge to deliver breakthroughs in artificial intelligence that might have a broad impact on society. The initiative—called MIT Intelligence … Continue reading “MIT Raising Big Bucks From Corporations to Fund A.I. “Moonshots””

Look Out, Investors: Cryptocurrency Values Slide As Warnings Take Off

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have seen dramatic but volatile price surges during the past year. But this month their billions in estimated market value are eroding, amid widening suspicions against one trading platform, a half-billion-dollar heist from another exchange, and an awakened global regulatory community. Warnings are on the rise from regulators, researchers, banking executives—and … Continue reading “Look Out, Investors: Cryptocurrency Values Slide As Warnings Take Off”

Google Pulls Plug on Webpass in Boston Amid Growing Competition

In another setback for Google’s Internet business, the tech giant has decided to wind down the Boston-area operations of Webpass, a wireless Internet service provider Google Fiber acquired in June 2016. A statement e-mailed by a Google spokeswoman didn’t give a reason for the decision. “We’ll work with customers and partners to minimize disruption, and … Continue reading “Google Pulls Plug on Webpass in Boston Amid Growing Competition”

As A.I. Takes Off, We Need a Plan to Deal with Societal Disruption

As an Xconomist, I have been asked to predict what technology might really take off in 2018. My response is something of a “cheat” in that it relates to artificial intelligence (AI), a technology that has been poised to take off next year for the past several decades and a topic about which I have … Continue reading “As A.I. Takes Off, We Need a Plan to Deal with Societal Disruption”

After Paper Shakes Sector, Gene Therapy Leader Jim Wilson Talks Safety

[Updated, 1/31/18, see below] Gene therapy pioneer James Wilson and University of Pennsylvania colleagues sounded an alarm Tuesday morning about the use of gene therapy to treat severe diseases like spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, sending a chill across the sector. Shares of several companies inched downward as word spread about the UPenn … Continue reading “After Paper Shakes Sector, Gene Therapy Leader Jim Wilson Talks Safety”

Evicted from the Smart City: No Citizens Needed

Tech vendors know when they knock on the doors of local politicians to pitch smart cities technologies and promising billions in savings, they are going to find a receptive audience. Big Tech promises what politicians desperately want to hear: that we can address deep-seated, structural urban problems through business-led technological innovation and somehow sidestep the … Continue reading “Evicted from the Smart City: No Citizens Needed”

Sunovion Parkinson’s Drug Heads to FDA, Setting Up Battle With Acorda

Another drug that may help alleviate some of the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is on its way to an FDA review, setting up a possible commercial battle between two drug developers, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals and Acorda Therapeutics. Sunovion, of Marlborough, MA, said late Monday that its experimental Parkinson’s drug, APL-130277, succeeded in a 109-patient Phase … Continue reading “Sunovion Parkinson’s Drug Heads to FDA, Setting Up Battle With Acorda”

Evergage Scoops Up MyBuys to Make Shopping More Personal

Evergage has acquired MyBuys in a deal that underscores the increasing importance of personalization in marketing products to consumers. Somerville, MA-based Evergage declined to share the price it paid to purchase the MyBuys merchandising products business from New York-based Magnetic, an advertising technology firm that merged with MyBuys in 2015. An undisclosed number of MyBuys … Continue reading “Evergage Scoops Up MyBuys to Make Shopping More Personal”

Dell Reportedly Mulling a VMware Reverse Merger: What Could It Mean?

Austin—Dell may be considering a reverse merger with VMware. Why? Dell has a load of debt and a group of private owners that bought the business off of the public markets in 2013, who may now be ready to get a return on their investment. News organizations reported during the last week that the Round … Continue reading “Dell Reportedly Mulling a VMware Reverse Merger: What Could It Mean?”

Hospitals Back New LRVHealth Fund to Forge Alliances With Startups

The healthcare industry has a reputation for being slow and resistant to adopting new technologies. But more hospitals are starting to collaborate with—and even invest in—high-tech startups. The latest example is a new Boston-based venture capital fund announced Monday. LRVHealth, formerly known as Long River Ventures, said it’s planning to raise $100 million for its … Continue reading “Hospitals Back New LRVHealth Fund to Forge Alliances With Startups”

Here’s What I Made (Finally) With My Glowforge Laser Cutter

When I lifted the lid on the Glowforge laser cutter to reveal the family portrait engraved on a wooden jigsaw puzzle, it brought a smile to my face like few other tech products I’ve used before. This simple project—enabled by a very complex machine—was a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. I … Continue reading “Here’s What I Made (Finally) With My Glowforge Laser Cutter”

Cybereason Hiring, Nuance CEO Retiring & More New England Tech News

[Corrected 1/26/18, 2:18 pm. See below.] Here are some of the latest technology industry headlines from the Boston area and across New England: —Cybereason plans to hire 300 people over the next two to three years, bringing the Boston-based cybersecurity company’s total number of employees to about 700, according to a spokesman. Cybereason—which also has offices … Continue reading “Cybereason Hiring, Nuance CEO Retiring & More New England Tech News”

Bio Roundup: Spark v. ICER, A Solid Revelation, T Cell Deals & More

The United States has a new Health and Human Services chief who is expected to weigh in on the country’s drug-pricing debate. But how Alex Azar, a former pharma executive at Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), plans to throw his weight around remains to be seen. One of the latest exhibits in the debate is an … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Spark v. ICER, A Solid Revelation, T Cell Deals & More”

Former Merrimack Exec Mulroy Surfaces as Partner Therapeutics CEO

Robert Mulroy is now CEO of Partner Therapeutics, a Boston cancer drug developer. Mulroy was co-founder and CEO of Cambridge-based Merrimack Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MACK]]). Partner also named Debasish Roychowdhury its chief medical officer. Roychowdhury was most recently chief medical officer of San Diego-based Seragon Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Genentech. His experience includes senior management … Continue reading “Former Merrimack Exec Mulroy Surfaces as Partner Therapeutics CEO”

Acceleron Pharma Chief Medical Officer Sherman Plans Retirement

Matthew Sherman, chief medical officer of Acceleron Pharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:XLRN]]), plans to retire from the Cambridge, MA-based drug developer. Acceleron says Sherman won’t step away until after the company releases initial data from the Phase 3 study for luspatercept, a drug it is testing in partnership with Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) as a treatment for a rare … Continue reading “Acceleron Pharma Chief Medical Officer Sherman Plans Retirement”