This story is part of an ongoing series on A.I. in healthcare. Artificial intelligence systems have become a trendy, but useful means of extracting meaning out of the troves of scientific research and clinical data that institutions produce every year. Startups from San Francisco to Boston have launched with the goal of helping pharmaceutical companies … Continue reading “Mayo Clinic and Boston Software Maker Add Qrativ to Busy A.I. Sector”
Category: Boston
DraftKings and FanDuel Abandon Merger After FTC Challenge
The DraftKings-FanDuel merger is dead. The two online fantasy sports companies said Thursday they have terminated their agreement to join forces. The decision comes a few weeks after the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint in federal district court attempting to block the deal over concerns that it would create a near-monopoly in the U.S. … Continue reading “DraftKings and FanDuel Abandon Merger After FTC Challenge”
ReDev B0st0n, MassTLC’s Annual Software Development Conference
From the event organizer: “ReDev brings together the entire product chain workforce, from senior level strategists to secure implementation experts and product leaders to the development teams that create the impossible from keystrokes. This is the event where you learn tools and strategies you can start implementing the next day and build a network of … Continue reading “ReDev B0st0n, MassTLC’s Annual Software Development Conference”
Bevi Slurps $16.5M to Bring “Smart Water Cooler” to More Offices
Add high-tech, healthy beverage dispensers to the list of trendy office perks. About three years ago, Boston-based startup Bevi launched its tech-enabled take on the traditional water cooler by installing an initial batch of about a dozen of its machines at local offices. Since then, the company says around 1,000 of the Internet-connected beverage kiosks … Continue reading “Bevi Slurps $16.5M to Bring “Smart Water Cooler” to More Offices”
Cargo Helps Rideshare Drivers Run Turnkey Mobile Convenience Stores
Last month, when Intel released its report detailing the emerging “passenger economy,” it estimated that the value of the associated goods and services would be a stunning $7 trillion by 2050. Intel defines the passenger economy as what will happen when self-driving vehicles and ridesharing services turn drivers into idle passengers. A captive audience with … Continue reading “Cargo Helps Rideshare Drivers Run Turnkey Mobile Convenience Stores”
Join Tesaro and Others at Boston’s Life Science Disruptors Sept. 28
For the fifth year in a row, Xconomy will hold our fall Boston life sciences event, “Boston’s Life Science Disruptors”, on Thursday September 28th at Pfizer in Kendall Square in Cambridge. Join us for this unique event featuring candid stories from some of New England’s most radical biotech company leaders, founders, and VC backers who … Continue reading “Join Tesaro and Others at Boston’s Life Science Disruptors Sept. 28”
Microsoft Paints Picture of Helpful A.I., Deployed to Benefit Humans
Microsoft laid out a higher purpose for its ongoing development of what could someday amount to a so-called general artificial intelligence: helping people and healing the planet. A flurry of announcements Wednesday touched on the business value of the suite of A.I. technologies the company is racing to develop alongside competitors including Google-parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Microsoft Paints Picture of Helpful A.I., Deployed to Benefit Humans”
NEA Leads $42M Round For AI-Enhanced Freight Booking Startup Transfix
Transfix, a New York tech startup with an online marketplace that organizes freight truck shipments, says it has scored $42 million in a Series C financing round led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Transfix, founded in 2013, relies on machine learning and other data analytics tools to distinguish itself in the crowded arena of freight … Continue reading “NEA Leads $42M Round For AI-Enhanced Freight Booking Startup Transfix”
Unanimous Advice To FDA: Approve Landmark CAR-T Cancer Therapy
The first ever approval of a new kind of cancer immunotherapy called CAR-T is one step closer. A 10-member panel of doctors and researchers who advise the Food and Drug Administration recommended with a rare unanimous vote that the agency approve a treatment for kids and young adults with a severe form of leukemia who … Continue reading “Unanimous Advice To FDA: Approve Landmark CAR-T Cancer Therapy”
BioPharm America
From the event organizer: “BioPharm America™ is a unique partnering event that forms the nexus of discovery and realization. Startup companies, established biotech and entrepreneurs from academia attend in search of finance, pharma and development partners. The event format highlights innovation and promotes new business relationships by bringing dealmakers from the life science ecosystem together … Continue reading “BioPharm America”
Edgewise, With $7M in Tow, Aims to Simplify Network Security With AI
[Updated 7/12/17, 11:37 am. See below.] A new cybersecurity startup from the Boston area is continuing the trend of using machine learning technologies to both fortify and reduce complexity in businesses’ cyber defenses. Edgewise Networks was founded in the spring of 2016 by Peter Smith, an IT expert and veteran of Endeca and Harvard Business … Continue reading “Edgewise, With $7M in Tow, Aims to Simplify Network Security With AI”
Toyota’s First Venture Arm Gets $100M for AI, Robotics, Mobility Startups
Toyota Research Institute, the Toyota R&D unit that has parked branches near Stanford and two other top U.S. research universities, is now spinning out a corporate venture capital arm that will finance and incubate startups in artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous mobility. The research institute, also known as TRI, is devoting at least $100 million … Continue reading “Toyota’s First Venture Arm Gets $100M for AI, Robotics, Mobility Startups”
Allurion Technologies Adds $27M for Nonsurgical Weight Loss Balloon
About 10 years ago, I ate a 72-ounce steak in one hour for an eating competition. Could I still eat that much if I had Allurion Technologies’ gastric balloon for weight loss inside me? “If you tried to eat the whole thing, your body would definitely let you know that it isn’t the best idea,” … Continue reading “Allurion Technologies Adds $27M for Nonsurgical Weight Loss Balloon”
DataGravity Snapped Up by HyTrust After Struggles and Layoffs
DataGravity, one of New England’s bigger tech bets, has been acquired by California cybersecurity firm HyTrust. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the financial outcome doesn’t seem to be a good one for DataGravity’s investors, who had pumped at least $92 million into the company. Mountain View, CA-based HyTrust also announced a $36 million … Continue reading “DataGravity Snapped Up by HyTrust After Struggles and Layoffs”
SocMetrics Scooped Up by Grapevine in Social Marketing Deal
[Corrected, 2:25pm. See below] ‘Tis the season for Boston tech startups founded in 2010—and their products—to get acquired. Kinvey and Intrepid were bought last month, and now it’s SocMetrics’ turn. The Cambridge, MA-based social marketing company’s original product—called SocMetrics Influencer Platform—has been snapped up by Grapevine, a Boston marketing tech firm. Terms of the deal … Continue reading “SocMetrics Scooped Up by Grapevine in Social Marketing Deal”
Evelo Bio Raises $50M Round to Bring Microbiome Drugs Into Trials
Bacteria have evolved with humans over many thousands of years, forming a delicate balance in the body that researchers are just now starting to understand. Evelo Biosciences believes it can tap into the workings of the human microbiome to treat immune disorders and cancer and it now has raised $50 million in financing to test … Continue reading “Evelo Bio Raises $50M Round to Bring Microbiome Drugs Into Trials”
Dell Wirelessly Charging PC Marks WiTricity’s First Consumer Device
A new Dell tablet/laptop hybrid computer that can be charged without a power cord hits shelves this week. The new device, called the Latitude 7285 (pictured above), signals the continued spread—albeit slowly—of consumer electronics that can be juiced up wirelessly. The wireless charging technology embedded in the “2-in-1 notebook computer” comes from Watertown, MA-based WiTricity, … Continue reading “Dell Wirelessly Charging PC Marks WiTricity’s First Consumer Device”
Under Silicon Valley’s Rough Turf, Tunnels of Women’s Networks Spread
[Corrected 7/11/17, 11:02 am. See below.] Revelations about gender bias and crude sexual harassment at Uber have been followed by similar claims by women against Silicon Valley venture capital investors, leaving a weary impression that the deck is almost hopelessly stacked against women in tech. But women aren’t facing these challenges alone, female entrepreneurs say—not … Continue reading “Under Silicon Valley’s Rough Turf, Tunnels of Women’s Networks Spread”
VC “Self-Correction” Continues in Second Quarter, and Top 10 Deals
[Updated 7/12/17, 8:38 am, to add MoneyTree data. See below.] U.S. venture capital investments are showing more signs of returning to steady levels. Investors pumped $21.78 billion into 1,958 companies in the second quarter, according to data from the quarterly Venture Monitor report from Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). The number … Continue reading “VC “Self-Correction” Continues in Second Quarter, and Top 10 Deals”
InVivo Therapeutics Names Richard Toselli Chief Medical Officer
InVivo Therapeutics has appointed Richard Toselli chief medical officer of the Cambridge, MA, biotech. Toselli, a spinal neurosurgeon, previously served as chief medical officer for Australia-based Cochlear Limited. His experience also includes posts at Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]), Covidien, DePuy, and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]). InVivo is developing treatments for spinal cord injuries.
Before Key Meeting, FDA Stresses Risks of Novartis CAR-T Cancer Therapy
Two days before a panel of the FDA’s outside advisors grill Novartis about its groundbreaking cell therapy under review, agency staffers released their own assessment of the product, which now goes by the name tisagenlecleucel. If approved for kids and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, it would likely be the first so-called … Continue reading “Before Key Meeting, FDA Stresses Risks of Novartis CAR-T Cancer Therapy”
Inotek Considers “Strategic Options” After Glaucoma Trial Failure
An Inotek Pharmaceuticals drug developed to treat glaucoma failed to beat a current treatment for the eye condition in a clinical trial, a second setback this year that puts the future of both the drug and the company in question. Lexington, MA-based Inotek (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ITEK]]) released the early results from the Phase 2 clinical trial … Continue reading “Inotek Considers “Strategic Options” After Glaucoma Trial Failure”
Bio Roundup: BCRA Fireworks, Shkreli Muzzled, Endo Pulls Drug & More
The Fourth of July was this week, but members of Congress didn’t need to crane their necks skyward to see fireworks. Senators returned to their districts, where local news offered blistering headlines about the potential impact of the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. Independence Day typically lets lawmakers mingle with constituents at … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: BCRA Fireworks, Shkreli Muzzled, Endo Pulls Drug & More”
Boston Tech Watch: TechSandBox, BitSight, Upserve, DBmaestro & More
Here are some of the latest headlines from the Boston-area tech sector: —TechSandBox, a high-tech startup incubator located about 30 miles west of Boston, announced that it will shut down at the end of July due to “lack of sustainable funding.” The nonprofit opened in 2013 and helped start more than 50 companies, it said … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: TechSandBox, BitSight, Upserve, DBmaestro & More”
With Triage System, Companies See Toehold for A.I. in Radiology
This story is part of an ongoing Xconomy series on A.I. in healthcare. Other stories cover big-company efforts, a genomics hackathon, the impact on doctors and patients, and business models of A.I. in healthcare. Years ago, radiology underwent a radical transformation with the shift from film to widespread use of digital image displays. That set … Continue reading “With Triage System, Companies See Toehold for A.I. in Radiology”
5 Privacy Worries on 4 Wheels: Staying Safe in the Connected Car Era
As modern vehicles are upgraded to include Internet-enabled technologies designed to access, store, and transmit data for entertainment and safety purposes, consumers are presented with a double-edged sword. On one hand, these connected systems provide important convenience benefits for consumers, but on the flip side, motor vehicles are being exposed to a growing number of … Continue reading “5 Privacy Worries on 4 Wheels: Staying Safe in the Connected Car Era”
Acer Therapeutics Announces Reverse Merger With Houston’s Opexa
[Updated 6/6/17, 8:04 am] Houston—Opexa Therapeutics is the target of a reverse merger with Acer Therapeutics, a privately held pharmaceutical company based in the Boston area. In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission Monday, the companies announced the arrangement and also said that Cambridge, MA-based Acer would receive $15.7 million in a financing … Continue reading “Acer Therapeutics Announces Reverse Merger With Houston’s Opexa”
Flying Car Company Terrafugia Sold to Chinese Automaker Geely
Terrafugia, a Boston-area company that has been working on flying cars since 2006, is being acquired by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, an automotive manufacturer based in Hangzhou, China. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. The news was first reported by the South China Morning Post, but Xconomy has independently been tracking rumors about … Continue reading “Flying Car Company Terrafugia Sold to Chinese Automaker Geely”
Xconomy Awards: Nomination Deadline Extended Until Friday, July 7
Venture funding in Boston and Massachusetts life sciences hit an all-time high in 2015, more than double the levels of 2006, and job numbers are projected to keep growing. Who is driving this phenomenal growth? We need your help in selecting the top innovators, startups, and organizations for the inaugural Xconomy Awards. The Awards will … Continue reading “Xconomy Awards: Nomination Deadline Extended Until Friday, July 7”
A.I., Uber & What’s Next in Tech: Q&A With Kayak Founder Paul English
Technology can’t solve every problem. Sometimes engineers overlook human-driven solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. That was one of the takeaways from my chat with Paul English at Xconomy’s recent business conference, IMPACT, held at the Museum of Science in Boston. The serial entrepreneur is best known as the co-founder and former chief technology officer … Continue reading “A.I., Uber & What’s Next in Tech: Q&A With Kayak Founder Paul English”
What’s the Business Model for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare?
This story is part of an ongoing Xconomy series on A.I. in healthcare. Other stories cover big-company efforts, a genomics hackathon, and the impact on doctors and patients. These are heady times for using artificial intelligence to extract insights from healthcare data—in particular, from the tidal wave of information coming out of fields like genomics … Continue reading “What’s the Business Model for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare?”
BlueRock Therapeutics Appoints Emile Nuwaysir President and CEO
Emile Nuwaysir has been named president and CEO of BlueRock Therapeutics. BlueRock, which spreads its operations across sites in Boston, New York, and Toronto, is developing a way to repair heart muscle by using stem cells. Nuwaysir was previously president and chief operating officer of Cellular Dynamics International, where his responsibilities included managing the company’s … Continue reading “BlueRock Therapeutics Appoints Emile Nuwaysir President and CEO”
Bio Roundup: Senate Drama, A.I. Stories, Data Dives, Shkreli & More
There is no Obamacare replacement, at least not as of this writing. The Senate Republicans are fractured, with a handful of conservatives and moderates each giving a cold shoulder to their chamber’s version of healthcare reform, the Better Care Reconciliation Act. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office report Monday put the bill’s potential effects in stark … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Senate Drama, A.I. Stories, Data Dives, Shkreli & More”
After Sale to Accenture, Intrepid Eyes Next Chapter in Mobile Tech
When Mark Kasdorf started his software design and development shop, Intrepid Pursuits, in 2010, mobile apps were basically a box for businesses to check off on their corporate to-do list. “It kind of felt like everyone needed an app, and no one knew why,” Kasdorf recalls. “These people within larger companies vaguely remembered messing up” … Continue reading “After Sale to Accenture, Intrepid Eyes Next Chapter in Mobile Tech”
Side Effect Weighs on Early Results for Alkermes’ Schizophrenia Drug
The early results are in for a Phase 3 clinical trial testing Alkermes’ schizophrenia drug, and the company’s drug worked just as well as a medication already used to treat the psychiatric condition. But so far, it hasn’t distinguished itself on the side effect profile. Weight gain is a common side effect of psychiatric medications, … Continue reading “Side Effect Weighs on Early Results for Alkermes’ Schizophrenia Drug”
Atlas Venture Unveils New $350M Fund for Seed Biotech Investments
Life sciences venture capital firm Atlas Venture now has $350 million in fresh capital to invest in the early stage biotech companies in the U.S. and around the world. The new fund is Cambridge, MA-based Atlas’ eleventh. Atlas partner Bruce Booth says in a blog post that the firm began raising funds in April, bringing … Continue reading “Atlas Venture Unveils New $350M Fund for Seed Biotech Investments”
Propel Marketing Rebrands as ThriveHive to Stand Out in Noisy Field
ThriveHive is back. The name, that is. Quincy, MA-based Propel Marketing announced this week it will now go by ThriveHive. That’s the name of the local marketing-tech startup Propel acquired last year for $11.8 million in cash. Propel continued to use the ThriveHive name in marketing its products and services, but the full rebranding is … Continue reading “Propel Marketing Rebrands as ThriveHive to Stand Out in Noisy Field”
Progress Buys Mobile Backend Company Kinvey for $49M
[Updated 6/29/17, 8:33 am. See below.] Kinvey, one of the early players in mobile backend services, has been acquired by Progress for $49 million in cash. Progress, a 36-year-old software firm, has for years offered products and services for building, deploying, and managing business applications. Lately, it’s been focusing on making those tools more robust and sophisticated—a … Continue reading “Progress Buys Mobile Backend Company Kinvey for $49M”
Dragonfly Tx Names Nicolai Wagtmann Chief Scientific Officer
Nicolai Wagtmann is joining Dragonfly Therapeutics to become the Cambridge, MA, biotech’s chief scientific officer. Wagtmann comes to Dragonfly from France-based Innate Pharma, where he was executive vice president and chief scientific officer. Before working at Innate, Wagtmann was vice president and head of cancer and immunobiology at Novo Nordisk. Earlier this month, Celgene (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Dragonfly Tx Names Nicolai Wagtmann Chief Scientific Officer”
Regenacy Promotes Simon Jones to CEO, Walter Ogier Stays on Board
Regenacy Pharmaceuticals has promoted Simon Jones to president and CEO of the clinical-stage drug developer. Jones had served as chief operating officer and senior vice president of preclinical development since the Boston company spun out of Acetylon Pharmaceuticals last year in a deal that gives Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) partial rights to two drugs. Before Regenacy, … Continue reading “Regenacy Promotes Simon Jones to CEO, Walter Ogier Stays on Board”
LogicBio Lands $45M for Gene Therapies in Rare Pediatric Diseases
Gene therapy offers the potential for a long-lasting, if not permanent, treatment for an inherited disease, but cells that divide rapidly, such as those in the liver, present a thorny problem. Because of how they insert themselves in the cells, some forms of gene therapy get “diluted” as the cells divide. It’s a particular problem … Continue reading “LogicBio Lands $45M for Gene Therapies in Rare Pediatric Diseases”
New Study: DNA Tests For Healthy People Have “Uncertain Value”
Genome sequencing is becoming more common for people diagnosed with cancer. Should it become part of a healthy person’s checkup, too? A new study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine questions the practicality of making DNA tests standard for people who don’t have a cancer diagnosis or aren’t trying to identify a mysterious … Continue reading “New Study: DNA Tests For Healthy People Have “Uncertain Value””
U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017
[Updated 6/27/17 5:00 pm. See below.] Improving economic fundamentals are stoking the IPO pipeline in the United States and elsewhere, according to a report issued Tuesday by the global consultant and accounting firm EY. Eighty companies raised a total of $22 billion on U.S. exchanges during the first half of 2017, according to the report … Continue reading “U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017”
Fighting Harassment, Raising Funds, & More Boston Tech News
Summer is here, but news from the Boston-area tech community hasn’t slowed down. Here are some of the recent headlines: —In a Medium blog post, the New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA) pledged more action to fight discrimination and sexual harassment. The initiatives are partly a response to sexual harassment allegations against venture capitalist Justin … Continue reading “Fighting Harassment, Raising Funds, & More Boston Tech News”
Catalant Scoops Up $41M to Boost Business Consulting Marketplace
It’s officially summer in Boston—the mercury is rising, and the venture capital is flowing. The latest local startup to cash in is Catalant Technologies, which on Tuesday morning announced it received a $41 million investment. Catalant joins CloudHealth Technologies, which announced a $46 million Series D funding round on Tuesday. And last week, Rubius Therapeutics … Continue reading “Catalant Scoops Up $41M to Boost Business Consulting Marketplace”
CloudHealth Gets $46M as IT Management Sector Heats Up
CloudHealth Technologies says today it has snapped up $46 million in funding, continuing a surge of investments in companies that help businesses manage their cloud storage. The Series D funding round was led by new backer Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, with contributions from Meritech Capital Partners, .406 Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, and Scale Venture Partners. … Continue reading “CloudHealth Gets $46M as IT Management Sector Heats Up”
Fixing Uber: An Open Letter to the Next CEO
For starters, trust that my motives come from a good place. To date I have given such advice to only three CEOs—Ivan Seidenberg when he was CEO of Verizon, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and most recently, your predecessor. Not sure they ever read any of it but I do this when I get deeply inspired, … Continue reading “Fixing Uber: An Open Letter to the Next CEO”
Xconomy IMPACT Highlights Innovation That Matters: The Photos
Last week’s Xconomy IMPACT event at the Museum of Science in Boston tackled a big theme—“innovation that matters”—but our speakers did not disappoint. The program explored a broad mix of ambitious ideas and advanced technologies—brain-computer interfaces, self-driving cars, collaborative robots, interactive entertainment, and much more. Speakers also offered solutions to some of the most pressing … Continue reading “Xconomy IMPACT Highlights Innovation That Matters: The Photos”
Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.
By the end of this year, for the first time, patients with certain deadly types of blood cancer might have a new option, CAR-T cell therapy, to prolong their life. Immunotherapy could further entrench itself as a mainstay of cancer treatment. Newer drugmaking methods—RNA interference and gene therapy—could get their first ever FDA reviews. Multiple … Continue reading “Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.”
GE, IBM Race to Deliver on A.I. Hype in Healthcare
This story is part of an ongoing series on A.I. in healthcare. A companion piece today looks at the question of when A.I. might replace doctors. Artificial intelligence has a long road ahead to reach the front lines of healthcare—but it’s coming. Big companies and startup investors are pouring billions of dollars into A.I. technologies for … Continue reading “GE, IBM Race to Deliver on A.I. Hype in Healthcare”