In the past, the tech conference CES has primarily highlighted consumer electronics and other cool gadgets, but as automakers continue their quest to be taken seriously by the tech industry, the Las Vegas show held every January has increasingly become the venue of choice for car companies that want to show off their latest autonomous … Continue reading “Toyota, Ford, Aptiv, Baidu Lead Crowd Pushing Mobility at CES”
Category: Boston
Loving LTE or Tossing the Smartphone: Tech Leaders Share New Habits
We asked people around the Xconomy network whether their personal patterns of technology usage changed much in response to something that happened in 2017, as part of our series of perspectives and predictions marking the start of a new year. Here are answers from Ben Gilbert, co-founder of Pioneer Square Labs in Seattle and interim … Continue reading “Loving LTE or Tossing the Smartphone: Tech Leaders Share New Habits”
AOBiome Therapeutics Promotes Todd Krueger to CEO
Todd Krueger has been named CEO of AOBiome Therapeutics. In addition to serving as CEO, Krueger will keep his current role as president of the Cambridge, MA, company, a position he has held since 2016. Krueger joined AOBiome in 2015 as chief business officer. AOBiome is developing microbiome treatments for local and systemic inflammatory conditions.
As VC Moves Downstream, Spearhead Seeds New Angel Investors
The U.S. venture capital industry just capped off one of its biggest years ever. But look closer, and the current funding environment could spell trouble for the next wave of high-tech startups. The $84.2 billion invested in 2017 is a level of VC funding unseen since the dot-com era of the early 2000s, according to … Continue reading “As VC Moves Downstream, Spearhead Seeds New Angel Investors”
Robot, Hand Me a Scalpel! Diligent Robotics Adds $2.1M to Aid Nurses
Austin—Diligent Robotics is developing what it says is a new type of interactive robot that uses machine-learning algorithms to aid hospital workers with some of their busywork. The Austin, TX-based company, which was co-founded in 2016 by a University of Texas at Austin researcher and her industry-veteran graduate assistant, announced today it has raised $2.1 … Continue reading “Robot, Hand Me a Scalpel! Diligent Robotics Adds $2.1M to Aid Nurses”
Boston 2017 VC Total Highest in Over a Decade; Here Are Top 5 Deals
Venture capital investments soared in the Boston area last year, as vast sums of money continue to flow to a relatively small pool of companies. Venture investors poured $8.7 billion into Boston-area companies in 2017, a nearly 40 percent jump from the $6.3 billion in venture capital invested locally during the previous year, according to … Continue reading “Boston 2017 VC Total Highest in Over a Decade; Here Are Top 5 Deals”
Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: ScaleVP Comments From the Sidelines
Just because an investor isn’t putting money into blockchain technologies or cryptocurrencies yet, it doesn’t mean they’re not watching these emerging phenomena with interest. Andy Vitus, a partner at Silicon Valley venture capital firm Scale Venture Partners, has been keeping his eye on the potential uses of the blockchain, which is best known as the … Continue reading “Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: ScaleVP Comments From the Sidelines”
Ag Startup Inocucor Adds $9.5M for Microbes that Improve Yields, Soil
A growing number of agtech startups are researching biological products that work with the community of microorganisms in and around plants. Denver-based Inocucor has developed microbes intended to improve plant and soil health and it now has $9.5 million in additional financing to support its efforts to bring these products to crops. The latest investment … Continue reading “Ag Startup Inocucor Adds $9.5M for Microbes that Improve Yields, Soil”
After Boom Years, Starburst and Podium May Signal Big Data’s Future
It seems like ancient history now, but “big data” was once a hot field with startups, investors, and big companies all buzzing with hype. Then the tech industry moved on, and marketers crowned data science and machine learning the Next Big Things (at least until blockchain takes over). Of course, big data never really went … Continue reading “After Boom Years, Starburst and Podium May Signal Big Data’s Future”
Allergan’s David Melnick Joins Spero Tx as Chief Medical Officer
David Melnick has joined Spero Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SPRO]]) to become the Cambridge, MA, company’s chief medical officer. Melnick served as vice president of clinical development for anti-infectives at Allergan (NYSE: [[ticker:AGN]]) since 2015. Spero has two clinical-stage antibiotics that the company hopes can help address the growing problem of drug-resistant bacteria.
Skyword Bags $25M From Rho to Grow Content Marketing Business
Marketers are being forced to get more creative in their fight for consumers’ attention online, as people ignore advertisements or avoid many of them altogether with pop-up ad blockers. That has spurred an increased emphasis on marketing articles, videos, and other content aimed at attracting eyeballs. Skyword is one of the companies trying to aid … Continue reading “Skyword Bags $25M From Rho to Grow Content Marketing Business”
Beyond the Demo: 2018 Could Be Year for Longer, Profitable VR Content
René Pinnell says he and his wife Selena Pinnell were “blown away” by the virtual reality projects their friends were creating in 2014, so they looked for an entrepreneurial niche that would allow them to support such artists. That year the couple, both trained in design, founded a startup in San Francisco, then called KaleidoscopeVR. … Continue reading “Beyond the Demo: 2018 Could Be Year for Longer, Profitable VR Content”
Venture Activity Comes to (Unicorn) Point in 2017, and Top 10 Deals
[Updated 1/10/18 1:30 pm. See below.] In China, 2017 was the year of the rooster. But in the United States, it was the year of the unicorn—at least according to the Venture Monitor report released today by Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. A record number of unicorn financings—venture-backed companies valued at $1 … Continue reading “Venture Activity Comes to (Unicorn) Point in 2017, and Top 10 Deals”
Axovant Neuro Drug Stumbles and Falls in Phase 2, Shares Drop 50%
A drug intended to treat a form of dementia has failed in a pair of mid-stage clinical studies, and the company that developed it, Axovant, now says it will stop work on the compound altogether. Axovant (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AXON]]) was testing its drug intepirdine as a treatment for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), a progressive brain … Continue reading “Axovant Neuro Drug Stumbles and Falls in Phase 2, Shares Drop 50%”
E-Commerce Innovations in the Mix at Consumer Tech Conference
Alexa is now mobile. Seattle-based e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) is expected to unveil its first augmented-reality glasses to pair with Alexa, its digital assistant, at the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, in Las Vegas this week. The glasses were developed for Amazon by Vuzix, a Rochester, NY -based wearable tech company, and can communicate … Continue reading “E-Commerce Innovations in the Mix at Consumer Tech Conference”
Chet Kanojia Paints Vision of a New Kind of ISP at Starry Internet
[Updated, 10:10am. See below] When it comes to buying home broadband service, there hasn’t been an abundance of choices. If you have at least two decent options—say, Comcast and Verizon—you’re in the lucky half of the population. One-quarter of U.S. households have no choice at all. But that’s all starting to change, and the cable … Continue reading “Chet Kanojia Paints Vision of a New Kind of ISP at Starry Internet”
Wireless Expert Lowenstein on Net Neutrality, Industry Consolidation
One of the biggest tech stories in 2017 happened at the end of the year, when the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal so-called “net neutrality” rules. There are many heated opinions on the issue, although no one really knows how things will play out. To try to figure it out, Xconomy contacted wireless expert … Continue reading “Wireless Expert Lowenstein on Net Neutrality, Industry Consolidation”
Sigilon Brings on Eli Lilly’s Moller as Chief Scientific Officer
David Moller has joined Sigilon Therapeutics to become the company’s chief scientific officer. Moller comes to the Cambridge, MA, drug developer from Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), where he was vice president of business development for emerging technology and innovation. Last year, Sigilon raised $23.5 million in a Series A financing round to bring its technology … Continue reading “Sigilon Brings on Eli Lilly’s Moller as Chief Scientific Officer”
Xconomy Bookclub: “Troublemakers” Charts the Birth of Silicon Valley
In 1968, a little-read article in a soon-to-fail magazine prophesied an age of networked machines that could be more than passive, oversized calculators to become digital partners in solving problems alongside humans. “In a few years, men will be able to communicate more effectively through a machine than face to face,” wrote JCR “Lick” Licklider … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Troublemakers” Charts the Birth of Silicon Valley”
Bio Roundup: Trump, Gottlieb, Gene Therapy Prices, IPO Hopes & More
Welcome to the new year. What will it bring? Hopefully a lot less hatred, greed, stupidity, and angst than 2017. But we’re not holding our breath. We emerged from the winter break pondering several of the year’s burning biopharma questions, including the volatility of the U.S. president and what it means for the biopharmaceutical business, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump, Gottlieb, Gene Therapy Prices, IPO Hopes & More”
A VC’s Wish for 2018: More Efficient Entrepreneurs
Tech companies continued to rake in massive amounts of venture capital last year, while the exit market was underwhelming. Xconomy reached out to Boston-area investor Eric Paley to put 2017 in perspective and find out what might be in store for the coming year. Paley’s early-stage venture firm, Founder Collective, has backed companies such as … Continue reading “A VC’s Wish for 2018: More Efficient Entrepreneurs”
Boston Pharmaceuticals Appoints Peter Ho Chief Medical Officer
Peter Ho is joining Boston Pharmaceuticals as chief medical officer. He comes to the Cambridge, MA-based drug developer from Epizyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EPZM]]), where he also served as chief medical officer. His experience includes posts at Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]), the National Cancer Institute, Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]), and DuPont Pharmaceuticals.
What Can Seattle Learn from Amazon’s HQ2 Search? 3 Takes
Perhaps the biggest story in Seattle last year was Amazon’s decision to seek a second headquarters elsewhere in North America. The tech and retail juggernaut has transformed this city and its economy over the last decade, for good and for ill. So, what lesson should Seattle take from Amazon’s move? We put that question to … Continue reading “What Can Seattle Learn from Amazon’s HQ2 Search? 3 Takes”
E-mail Pioneer Borenstein Sees Hope, Flaws in Chaotic Tech Industry
Nathaniel Borenstein, chief scientist at e-mail management company Mimecast, wears many hats: he’s a pioneer in the development of e-mail, a lay theologian, a grandfather who is married to his high school sweetheart, a vegetarian, a former “cyber banker,” and a pacifist. However, he is best known for successfully sending the world’s first e-mail attachment … Continue reading “E-mail Pioneer Borenstein Sees Hope, Flaws in Chaotic Tech Industry”
Gene Therapy 2.0: New Startups Aim to Fine-Tune Gene Delivery and Control
This past month brought a major milestone for gene therapy, a cutting edge type of medicine meant to permanently alter a patient’s genes to treat disease. For the first time, a gene therapy is available in the U.S., adding to other treatments previously approved in Europe. More are likely on the way, ushering in a … Continue reading “Gene Therapy 2.0: New Startups Aim to Fine-Tune Gene Delivery and Control”
Selecta Biosciences CEO Werner Cautreels to Retire
Werner Cautreels, president and CEO of Selecta Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SELB]]), plans to retire at the end of the year. The Watertown, MA-based drug developer says it will hire an executive search firm to find a successor. As part of the succession process, Omid Farokhzad, a member of the company’s board of directors and a co-founder … Continue reading “Selecta Biosciences CEO Werner Cautreels to Retire”
Six West Coast Tech Leaders Share Top Developments of 2017
Xconomy asked technology and innovation leaders around our network to reflect on the most important developments in their industries during 2017, and the answers were appropriately wide-ranging. Responses from individuals in Seattle and San Diego touch on the rapid advance of machine learning, tech’s full-scale invasion of digital health, dramatic growth in blockchain and cryptocurrency, … Continue reading “Six West Coast Tech Leaders Share Top Developments of 2017”
Lovepop Unseals $12.5M to Grow 3D Pop-up Greeting Card Business
Investors are enamored with Lovepop, the technology-enabled, pop-up greeting card startup. The Boston-based company announced Wednesday it received a $12.5 million investment led by Highland Capital Partners. Greeting cards aren’t a traditional venture capital-backed business, but Lovepop’s backers say there’s an opportunity to shake up a large market that hasn’t seen much innovation over the … Continue reading “Lovepop Unseals $12.5M to Grow 3D Pop-up Greeting Card Business”
Clean Energy Entrepreneur Desai on Tech’s Pitfalls & Promise in 2017
A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Nisha … Continue reading “Clean Energy Entrepreneur Desai on Tech’s Pitfalls & Promise in 2017”
First U.S. Gene Therapy, Approved for Vision Loss, to Cost $850,000
The first gene therapy approved in the United States will cost $850,000, its developer Spark Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONCE]]) announced today. Spark hopes to reduce the sticker shock by offering refunds and other creative pricing ideas, but those carve-outs, at best, are limited, and some are unlikely to come to fruition, according to healthcare economists. The … Continue reading “First U.S. Gene Therapy, Approved for Vision Loss, to Cost $850,000”
In Quest to Drug RNA With Small Molecules, Expansion Pulls In $55M
Drug developers have long thought that targeting RNA with small molecule drugs was too difficult, but new insight into RNA biology is starting to change their minds. In the latest sign of this growing interest, a new startup, Expansion Therapeutics, today announced a $55.3 million Series A investment round. The financing will fund the development … Continue reading “In Quest to Drug RNA With Small Molecules, Expansion Pulls In $55M”
Cybersecurity Firm Illumio’s Alan Cohen on the Tech Backlash of 2017
One of the largest and most consequential data breaches in 2017 afflicted credit reporting agency Equifax, and it was hardly the only victim. Any year-end review of technology news must also include reports on Russian hacking of the 2016 election campaign, and the manipulation of social media channels to spread false and divisive political messages. These … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Firm Illumio’s Alan Cohen on the Tech Backlash of 2017”
After Strong 2017, Biotechs & Medtechs Start ’18 with Venture, IPO News
Life science companies are continuing to raise cash, keeping pace with the financing trends of recent years. Fourth quarter figures are still being tallied but in the third quarter, 171 companies raised $3.2 billion, according to the Healthcare Moneytree report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and CB Insights. Those totals compare to 166 companies that raised $3.3 billion … Continue reading “After Strong 2017, Biotechs & Medtechs Start ’18 with Venture, IPO News”
Boston Tech Watch: Starry, Boston Millennia Partners, Voatz & More
[Updated 1/3/18, 9:17 am. See below.] Welcome to 2018, Boston tech watchers. Here are some of the deal headlines you might have missed over the holidays: —Boston Millennia Partners pulled in $150 million for a new venture fund, according to an SEC filing. The growth equity investor has backed the likes of Parexel, WebCT, Avhana … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Starry, Boston Millennia Partners, Voatz & More”
Trump v. Drug Makers? And 6 More Burning Biopharma Questions for 2018
Next week, a big slice of the biomedical industry is gathering in San Francisco for the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference and other life sciences events that have emerged like sprouts around the base of an old redwood tree. One year ago, the pharmaceutical folks—by far the largest delegation to this annual mosh pit of … Continue reading “Trump v. Drug Makers? And 6 More Burning Biopharma Questions for 2018”
Six Useful Things You Can Do With Your New Smart Speaker
TL;DR: It’s time to buy a smart speaker. They’re ridiculously cheap—$30 for the Amazon Echo Dot, and $29 for the Google Home Mini—and increasingly powerful. It will be a long time before they’re as empathetic as Samantha in Her or as industrious as Rosie in The Jetsons. But they can already make your life easier, … Continue reading “Six Useful Things You Can Do With Your New Smart Speaker”
Storage Trends for 2018: Cloud Storage 2.0 Players Poised to Ascend
In March 2006, Amazon launched Simple Storage Service (S3). Although few people paid much attention at the time, the announcement of S3 marked the beginning of a great migration of data from on-premises storage to the cloud. The first generation of cloud storage products—as represented by Amazon S3, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure—made the best … Continue reading “Storage Trends for 2018: Cloud Storage 2.0 Players Poised to Ascend”
Family & Kids’ Advocate Shum Preston on the Tech Backlash of 2017
Much attention was focused this past year on the impact of social media on the 2016 presidential election, as reports emerged about the use of these platforms by entities linked with Russia to spread false, misleading, or inflammatory political messages. Aside from these revelations about “fake news,” the year brought reports on major data breaches … Continue reading “Family & Kids’ Advocate Shum Preston on the Tech Backlash of 2017”
Houston Investor Murthy Reflects on Tech’s High & Low Points in 2017
A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Neal … Continue reading “Houston Investor Murthy Reflects on Tech’s High & Low Points in 2017”
Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe on the Tech Backlash of 2017
It’s time to ring out the old year. Or perhaps in the case of 2017, with its litany of data security breaches, social media manipulations, and allegations of sexual harassment, to just wring out the old. As the year drew to a close, Xconomy asked a variety of tech industry observers for their perspective on … Continue reading “Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe on the Tech Backlash of 2017”
Tech Industry Must Implement Old-School Corporate Best Practices
There is little doubt that Silicon Valley has taken a reputational hit in 2017, partly as a result of the media’s usual star-making and -breaking process, but mostly through self-inflicted wounds. However, while specific details in the press may be shocking, the problems were predictable: Bad behavior often follows when there is an imbalance in … Continue reading “Tech Industry Must Implement Old-School Corporate Best Practices”
UTD’s Guengerich on the Promise and Peril of Tech Innovation in 2017
A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Steve … Continue reading “UTD’s Guengerich on the Promise and Peril of Tech Innovation in 2017”
Tamr’s Andy Palmer on Diversity in Tech & A.I.’s Data Challenge
As 2017 comes to a close, we’re surveying business and technology leaders from around our network to get their perspectives on the year in tech—and what’s next. Below are the highlights from our e-mail exchange with entrepreneur and investor Andy Palmer, the co-founder and CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Tamr, a “data unification” software company. (Palmer … Continue reading “Tamr’s Andy Palmer on Diversity in Tech & A.I.’s Data Challenge”
WatchHerWork CEO Hamilton: “We Are All Ready for Tech to Grow Up”
A series of highly publicized events in 2017—from the Equifax data breach to the exposure of rampant sexual harassment in parts of the tech industry—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to cybersecurity and tech culture. In a bid to put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy … Continue reading “WatchHerWork CEO Hamilton: “We Are All Ready for Tech to Grow Up””
Privacy Advocate Richard Holober on the Tech Backlash of 2017
We’ve just passed a year full of news about the role of technology companies in U.S. elections, democracy, free speech, fairness in hiring, sexual harassment, privacy, data security, and the future job market for humans in the age of robots and artificial intelligence. Speculation is rampant about a possible sea change in consumer attitudes toward … Continue reading “Privacy Advocate Richard Holober on the Tech Backlash of 2017 “
Despite Scandal-Filled Year, Mark Cuban Says “Tech Is Just Tech”
A series of highly publicized events this year—from the Equifax and Uber data breaches to foreign use of social media and Web services to influence the U.S. election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to cybersecurity and big tech companies. In a bid to put things in perspective … Continue reading “Despite Scandal-Filled Year, Mark Cuban Says “Tech Is Just Tech””
Flipside Crypto’s Balter Talks Uber, #MeToo, Cryptocurrencies
The past year was a turbulent one for the tech industry. There was a new controversy seemingly every week, whether it was Uber’s myriad scandals; more personal data breaches; Russia’s use of social media and other online platforms to try and influence U.S. voters; growing concerns over tech giants’ power; and a series of sexual … Continue reading “Flipside Crypto’s Balter Talks Uber, #MeToo, Cryptocurrencies”
Cybersecurity Expert Ash Mozano on the Tech Backlash of 2017
There may be nothing more subjective than trying to gauge public attitudes about technology. Yet a series of highly publicized events in 2017—from the massive exposure of personal data in the Equifax breach to the use of Twitter and Facebook to manipulate voters in the U.S. Presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Expert Ash Mozano on the Tech Backlash of 2017”
Can AI Startups Compete with Tech Giants?
If you happen to be a world-famous futurist, inventor, and entrepreneur, what would compel you to take a corporate job? That was one of the questions that I discussed with Ray Kurzweil recently at Synergy Global Forum in New York. Kurzweil was among a large group of luminaries who shared their ideas on innovation and … Continue reading “Can AI Startups Compete with Tech Giants?”
Ocular Therapeutix Hit by Subpoena, SEC Seeks Eye Pain Drug Documents
Federal securities regulators are asking questions about an Ocular Therapeutix eye pain product that was rejected by the FDA in July. Ocular (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OCUL]]) received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission dated Dec. 15, the Bedford, MA, company said Friday after the markets closed. The subpoena seeks documents and information regarding the company’s … Continue reading “Ocular Therapeutix Hit by Subpoena, SEC Seeks Eye Pain Drug Documents”