Bike-Sharing Firm Zagster Zooms Ahead With $10M Led by Edison

Bicycle-sharing startup Zagster has the wind at its back, thanks to a $10 million investment announced Thursday. Edison Partners led the Series B round of funding for Cambridge, MA-based Zagster. The company has now raised about $20 million total to date from investors, according to a spokesman. Zagster’s other backers include LaunchCapital, Fontinalis Partners, Clean … Continue reading “Bike-Sharing Firm Zagster Zooms Ahead With $10M Led by Edison”

Jet.com Grabs ShoeBuy for $70M as Walmart Expands E-Commerce Arsenal

Walmart is snapping up another company to build out its online shopping offerings, as the low-cost retail giant adapts to shifting consumer habits and duels with Amazon. Walmart (NYSE: [[ticker:WMT]]) and its prized e-commerce subsidiary Jet.com have acquired Boston-based ShoeBuy for about $70 million from IAC. The deal was announced Thursday, but closed on December … Continue reading “Jet.com Grabs ShoeBuy for $70M as Walmart Expands E-Commerce Arsenal”

Frequency, Led by MIT’s Langer, Aims to Fight Hearing Loss With Drugs

Concerts, power tools, screeching subway trains—they are among the many loud noises that can cause hearing loss by killing off the hair cells in our inner ear that pick up sounds. A new Cambridge, MA-based biotech, founded by famed MIT researcher Bob Langer and Harvard Medical School’s Jeff Karp, believes it has drugs that can … Continue reading “Frequency, Led by MIT’s Langer, Aims to Fight Hearing Loss With Drugs”

Diversity in Experiences, Backgrounds Leads to Successful Businesses

As a Microsoft employee, I had the opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant minds in technology. The profile of my team members were similar to the United Nations. They were of every racial and religious mix. They contributed their unique genius shaped by their individual diverse experiences. I know the value of … Continue reading “Diversity in Experiences, Backgrounds Leads to Successful Businesses”

Neon Therapeutics Hauls in $70M for Personalized Cancer Vaccines

One of the challenges of enlisting the body’s immune system to fight cancer is the constant mutation of the disease. If the body’s immune cells don’t recognize the cancer, they can’t target tumors effectively. Neon Therapeutics believes it has developed a way to make cancer vaccines that recognize and respond to these tumor changes. Now … Continue reading “Neon Therapeutics Hauls in $70M for Personalized Cancer Vaccines”

scPharmaceuticals Obtains $45,600,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1b84ca97-8e6a-44ff-b6d0-0b3d848a35ae Date 1/5/2017 Company Name scPharmaceuticals Mailing Address 131 Hartwell Avenue Lexington, MA 02421 USA Company Description scPharmaceticals is creating innovative and important new therapeutic options by administering drugs subcutaneously using a convenient two component delivery system suitable for patient self-administration. Website http://www.scpharma.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $45,600,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “scPharmaceuticals Obtains $45,600,000 Series B Financing Round”

The Finally Light Bulb Receives $15,000,000 Series C Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c4d1d7af-d191-4ce0-ba1a-17b3fcc4be23 Date 1/5/2017 Company Name The Finally Light Bulb Mailing Address 56 Roland St. Boston, MA 02129 USA Company Description Light sets the tone for every experience from your morning routine to Broadway openings. The funny thing about light is how much we’ve taken the standard Edison light bulb for granted. We’ve … Continue reading “The Finally Light Bulb Receives $15,000,000 Series C Round”

Smartvid.io Obtains $1,290,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8c59f3de-9e4a-4c4b-8415-5ed6d907e90c Date 1/5/2017 Company Name Smartvid.io Mailing Address Undisclosed Cambridge, MA 02140 USA Company Description Smartvid.io is building an enterprise -­- class SaaS platform for managing, collaborating , and analyzing industri al videos and photos wh erever they come from -­- mobile devices, GoPro cameras or drones (UAVs). Website http://www.smartvid.io Transaction Type … Continue reading “Smartvid.io Obtains $1,290,000 New Financing Round”

Finally Gets $15M Jolt For New Take on Nikola Tesla Lightbulb Tech

Entrepreneurs are still trying to perfect the lightbulb, 138 years after Thomas Edison patented the incandescent lamp. One of the latest efforts comes from The Finally Light Bulb Company, a Boston-area startup commercializing an energy-efficient bulb partly based on technologies first developed by Edison’s rival, Nikola Tesla. And investors like the idea: Finally announced a … Continue reading “Finally Gets $15M Jolt For New Take on Nikola Tesla Lightbulb Tech”

Infinity Pharma R&D Chief Adams Retires Amid Restructuring, Job Cuts

Julian Adams, renowned for inventing bortezomib (Velcade), a drug that revolutionized multiple myeloma treatment years ago, is retiring from his role as president of research and development at Cambridge, MA-based Infinity Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INFI]]). Adams (pictured above, right) has worked at Infinity since 2003 and will step down this week amid a sweeping restructuring at … Continue reading “Infinity Pharma R&D Chief Adams Retires Amid Restructuring, Job Cuts”

Edico Genome’s Deal with Dell EMC Fits Partnership Strategy

San Diego’s Edico Genome is now in its fourth year as a startup, and well into the hard slog of striking partnership deals, generating revenue, and building a business. Founding CEO Pieter van Rooyen started Edico with the idea of developing a specialized processor to accelerate the way genome sequencing data gets processed. Today Edico … Continue reading “Edico Genome’s Deal with Dell EMC Fits Partnership Strategy”

Alnylam Promotes Garg to CMO, CBO Gros Heads to West Coast

David-Alexandre Gros will resign from his post as the senior vice president and chief business officer of Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) for personal reasons, to “return to the West Coast in a broader operating role,” according to a statement. Alnylam will also promote head of clinical development Pushkal Garg to chief medical officer. … Continue reading “Alnylam Promotes Garg to CMO, CBO Gros Heads to West Coast”

Trump Administration Needs To Set U.S. Cybersecurity Mandates

Cybersecurity is the penultimate existential risk to the United States—economically, militarily, socially, and as we have seen recently, politically. The nature of cyber is asymmetric, and given the size of the U.S. economy, our reliance on intellectual property, and the leadership role the U.S. plays in the Community of Nations, we have a lot more … Continue reading “Trump Administration Needs To Set U.S. Cybersecurity Mandates”

RaNA Expands, Joins Messenger RNA Drug Race With Shire Deal

RaNA Therapeutics is branching out. Today, the Cambridge, MA, startup is acquiring some assets from pharmaceutical giant Shire that immediately make it a player in an emerging, yet unproven field of drugmaking—messenger RNA therapeutics. Cambridge, MA-based RaNA has acquired a small, recently shuttered unit of Shire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SHPG]]) devoted to making drugs with synthetic mRNA. … Continue reading “RaNA Expands, Joins Messenger RNA Drug Race With Shire Deal”

For 2017, Concerns on Immigration, Net Neutrality, & Cyber Warfare

I have many concerns about how the upcoming Trump administration will impact the overall tech economy. Some of my biggest worries are as follows: 1) More restrictive immigration laws will make it even harder for startups (as well as more established companies) to attract and retain the highly skilled workers that they need to be … Continue reading “For 2017, Concerns on Immigration, Net Neutrality, & Cyber Warfare”

Boston Tech Agenda 2017: 5 Things to Watch For This Year

For Boston’s technology scene, 2016 was the year of GE, a new crop of local venture funds, ambitious initiatives to spark startups, another failed attempt to reform Massachusetts noncompete rules, a few billion-dollar-plus deals, and a pair of IPOs. On a personal note, 2016 marked my first full year covering Boston tech for Xconomy. It … Continue reading “Boston Tech Agenda 2017: 5 Things to Watch For This Year”

Top Cybersecurity Lesson from 2016: Unchecked Insiders

An unmistakable lesson from 2016 is that there is an escalating arms race between hackers and the organizations they target—from the highest levels of national governments to corporations and private institutions. And while hackers have many advantages, there are two that are contributing to a rampant spike in cyber breaches right now: 1. Employees, contractors, … Continue reading “Top Cybersecurity Lesson from 2016: Unchecked Insiders”

Inotek’s Glaucoma Drug Flunks in First Phase 3 Test, Shares Crumble

Inotek Pharmaceuticals has started 2017 with a big setback. The company’s first big Phase 3 test of an experimental glaucoma drug fell far short this morning, leaving the fate of the drug, known as trabodenoson, unclear. Lexington, MA-based Inotek (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ITEK]]) said that trabodenoson failed MATrX-1, the first of three Phase 3 trials in glaucoma … Continue reading “Inotek’s Glaucoma Drug Flunks in First Phase 3 Test, Shares Crumble”

Diverse Workforces Support the Growth of North Texas Innovation

We have made it a priority since the inception of the DEC to incorporate diversity into all that we do. We have hired a diverse workforce. We have created programs focused on diverse audiences including gender, age, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, and more. We have made all of this a priority not only because it … Continue reading “Diverse Workforces Support the Growth of North Texas Innovation”

First Trial Underway, Jounce Preps IPO To Fund Immuno-Oncology Work

Even though Jounce Therapeutics has no human clinical data to report yet, a partnership with Celgene and support from a broad group of investors have made the Cambridge, MA, cancer drug developer a likely IPO candidate for some time now. Jounce made those intentions clear Friday, filing papers to try for an IPO that would … Continue reading “First Trial Underway, Jounce Preps IPO To Fund Immuno-Oncology Work”

SHYFT Analytics Lands $20,000,001 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=57b6a7b2-653d-4a80-936c-4b4184bb3000 Date 1/3/2017 Company Name SHYFT Analytics Mailing Address 203 Crescent Street Waltham, MA 02453 USA Company Description SHYFT Analytics is the leader in cloud analytic solutions for global life sciences. The company delivers smarter, timelier access to novel insights in the cloud that provide new ways to look at the healthcare … Continue reading “SHYFT Analytics Lands $20,000,001 New Funding”

AdmitHub Secures $2,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b3fa863c-5794-43c9-9085-5793ca7ca83c Date 1/3/2017 Company Name AdmitHub Mailing Address 411 Shawmut Ave. Boston, MA 02118 USA Company Description AdmitHub, a Techstars ’15 company, provides students with free expert college admissions advising via a text message-based chatbot, known as Oli. By combining machine learning with human experts, we’ve essentially created Siri for college admissions. … Continue reading “AdmitHub Secures $2,000,000 New Round”

Watching for NIH Innovation in 2017—and Drug Pricing, Trade Deals

With the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on January 20th, the editors asked some of our Xconomists to offer their thoughts on “How could the incoming administration significantly affect your industry?” When I worked in the Reagan Administration, the “Gipper” used to handle questions like this by saying he couldn’t respond to hypothetical questions. … Continue reading “Watching for NIH Innovation in 2017—and Drug Pricing, Trade Deals”

Intarcia Therapeutics Secures $206,000,000 Series E Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=72c974e4-7029-49ab-9cde-459986976dbe Date 12/31/2016 Company Name Intarcia Therapeutics Mailing Address 155 Seaport Boulevard 11th Floor Boston, MA 02210 USA Company Description Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc., is a rapidly emerging biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative therapies that merge medicine with technology, and have the potential to transform therapeutic categories. Website http://www.intarcia.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Intarcia Therapeutics Secures $206,000,000 Series E Financing Round”

Clinical Research IO Secures $1,600,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cf9d6ccc-b942-4fed-9025-65f70e200d40 Date 12/31/2016 Company Name Clinical Research IO Mailing Address Undisclosed Cambridge, MA 02138 USA Company Description Our story begins in Boston with co-founders Raymond Nomizu and Phuc Truong. Raymond had spent years struggling with the inefficiency of error-prone paper binders while managing a clinical research site. Phuc was a serial entrepreneur … Continue reading “Clinical Research IO Secures $1,600,000 New Financing Round”

Varmus, Sato on Steering De Blasio’s $500M Plan to Grow NY Biotech

The idea that New York City could become a biotech powerhouse dates back to the late 1990s. It’s been a slow, tedious process, and it’s nowhere near complete, but from near and far, Harold Varmus and Vicki Sato have been watching the gears begin to turn. Varmus, who earned a Nobel prize for his work … Continue reading “Varmus, Sato on Steering De Blasio’s $500M Plan to Grow NY Biotech”

Despite Political Rhetoric, Staff Diversity Remains a Top Priority

I don’t think the election of Donald Trump as president does much to bolster those in tech working on creating a more inclusive and diverse industry, but I will continue to be a champion for it nonetheless. Specifically, I’ve ended 2016 by doubling our team at Localeur and introducing an Advisory Board, both of which … Continue reading “Despite Political Rhetoric, Staff Diversity Remains a Top Priority”

2016’s Last Boston Tech Watch: Akamai, Neurable, Facebook, GM & More

[Updated 12/30/16, 2:30 pm. See below.] As we wave goodbye to 2016, let’s take a look at some of the year’s final moves in the Boston-area tech scene: —Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]) acquired Cyberfend in a small cash deal. The price wasn’t disclosed, but Akamai said it’s not material to its financials. Based in Santa … Continue reading “2016’s Last Boston Tech Watch: Akamai, Neurable, Facebook, GM & More”

Gates Foundation Sends $140M to Intarcia for HIV Version of Pump

Intarcia Therapeutics, a Boston biotech that’s developing a tiny, implantable drug-delivery pump for type 2 diabetes, is now broadening its focus to HIV backed by as much as $140 million in grant and equity funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. About $90 million of the money is non-dilutive and is being used to … Continue reading “Gates Foundation Sends $140M to Intarcia for HIV Version of Pump”

Military Families, Seniors in MA and IN to Test Major Healthcare Reform

Seniors in Massachusetts, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, as well as military families across the nation, will soon get the opportunity to test a major healthcare reform developed by faculty at the University of Michigan. Called Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID), the new approach to insurance coverage departs from the current “one-size-fits-all” system, in which people pay standard … Continue reading “Military Families, Seniors in MA and IN to Test Major Healthcare Reform”

Political Focus on Rust Belt Could Help Boost VC Investment

Much has been written in the tech industry as a result of the Presidential election. Many coastal VCs and entrepreneurs believe that Trump’s America-first, anti-immigration platform could put the brakes on the venture industry’s core globalization strategies. While this may be true, regardless of which candidate you supported, most would agree that with chaos and … Continue reading “Political Focus on Rust Belt Could Help Boost VC Investment”

Artificial Intelligence Startup Neurala Lands $13.7M in Funding

Neurala, the Boston artificial intelligence startup aimed at helping machines like robots learn and interact with the world, has raised about $13.7 million in a new round of funding, according to a regulatory filing. The filing didn’t specify who the investors in the new round are, though the company has previously received about $2 million, including … Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence Startup Neurala Lands $13.7M in Funding”

Biogen Sets $750,000 Initial Price For First-Ever Spinal Atrophy Drug

[Updated, 12/29/16, see below] Patients with spinal muscular atrophy got some good news last week when the FDA approved nusinersen (Spinraza), making it the first marketed drug ever for the rare and potentially deadly genetic disease. But as expected, the drug, from Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, is a costly one, priced at the high end … Continue reading “Biogen Sets $750,000 Initial Price For First-Ever Spinal Atrophy Drug”

6 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2017: Ransomware, Skills Gap & More

In 2016, we saw cyber attacks increasingly shift from external breaches of confidential data to internal disruption of data and services, as attackers used distributed denial of service (DDoS) or encryption to hold businesses hostage. Attackers continue to focus more on exploiting users than technology. Users are often unaware and uneducated about the potential risks, … Continue reading “6 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2017: Ransomware, Skills Gap & More”

Immigration Restrictions, Lack of Healthcare Could Imperil Innovation

It’s hard to predict what effect the new administration will have, since we have very little information on any concrete policies they plan to enact. We do know a few things—namely, they are anti-Obamacare and anti-immigration. Decreasing the number of visas granted to highly skilled workers (a likely possibility given Steve Bannon’s comments on Silicon … Continue reading “Immigration Restrictions, Lack of Healthcare Could Imperil Innovation”

Top Stories of 2016 for Xconomy Boston: Editor’s Picks

You heard me. Here are my picks for our local stories of the year in technology, life sciences, and business innovation: 1. Xerox CTO Sophie Vandebroek Steps Down, With Eyes on Boston 2. Smack Might Be the Future of Social Apps, But I’m Not Cool Enough 3. In Year of CAR-T Trouble, Can Bluebird, Penn … Continue reading “Top Stories of 2016 for Xconomy Boston: Editor’s Picks”

Ionis, Biogen Make History With FDA Nod for Spine Disease Drug

Patients with spinal muscular atrophy got an early Christmas present on Friday. The FDA approved nusinersen (Spinraza), making the drug the first-ever marketed treatment for the rare, potentially deadly genetic disorder. Nusinersen is an injectable drug developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IONS]]) and partner Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]), and is meant to slow the progression of … Continue reading “Ionis, Biogen Make History With FDA Nod for Spine Disease Drug”

Bio Roundup: Crazy ’16, Trials of ’17, Senate on Drugs & More

You’ve probably seen the Internet memes. “When 2016 started, I looked like this. [Insert picture of young Leo DiCaprio.] Now I look like this. [Leo, with mountain beard, after mud-wrestling with a grizzly in The Revenant.]” In life science terms, let’s just say all our telomeres feel a lot shorter than 12 months ago. The … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Crazy ’16, Trials of ’17, Senate on Drugs & More”

VC Sizes Up Google As Consumer Electronics Challenger To Apple Et Al.

It’s the end of the year, and everyone’s getting out their crystal balls. At the Silicon Valley venture capital firm NEA, partner Greg Papadopoulos has a prediction about Google. But it’s so positive that he makes a joking disclaimer at the beginning of our conversation. “I’m not a Google fan boy,” Papadopoulos insists. A veteran … Continue reading “VC Sizes Up Google As Consumer Electronics Challenger To Apple Et Al.”

Neurable Receives $2,000,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5621369c-843f-4f1d-ab7a-01672ecf81b4 Date 12/23/2016 Company Name Neurable Mailing Address Undisclosed Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Company Description Neurable’s vision is to create a world where people live without limitations. Our revolutionary brain-computer interface allows people to control software and devices using only their brain activity. Website http://www.neurable.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,000,000 … Continue reading “Neurable Receives $2,000,000 Seed Funding Round”

Gameface Media Obtains $2,068,530 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bba772aa-f7ec-4f3e-8ae7-9e2dc4bc9099 Date 12/23/2016 Company Name Gameface Media Mailing Address 109 Kingston Street Boston, MA 02111 USA Company Description Gameface Media provides professional event photography of athletes competing in their favorite sporting events. Free event photographs. Website http://www.gamefacemedia.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,068,530 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “Gameface Media Obtains $2,068,530 New Funding Round”

The Price of Growth: Founders’ Dilution

Founders of a company considering the various available fundraising options often ask the challenging question: Why take venture capital money, which may significantly dilute the founders and might result in a loss of control of the company? Although the venture capital path is always a possibility, founders are often concerned about the consequences of such … Continue reading “The Price of Growth: Founders’ Dilution”

14 for ’17: Key Clinical Data To Watch For Next Year (Part 2)

We continue our look ahead to some of the clinical data due in 2017 that could shape healthcare practice and sway investor sentiment for years to come. Part one of our preview is here, with looks at key studies in lung cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and more. In part two, we examine studies in leukemia, … Continue reading “14 for ’17: Key Clinical Data To Watch For Next Year (Part 2)”

Ditto Labs Obtains Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c64fab0a-5308-4ae0-a7c2-1edd7e770d92 Date 12/22/2016 Company Name Ditto Labs Mailing Address State Street Cambridge, MA 02109 USA Company Description Using computer vision, Ditto Labs analyzes millions of social photos for the presence of brands, patterns and faces to help marketers catch UGC text misses. Website http://www.ditto.us.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction … Continue reading “Ditto Labs Obtains Series C Funding Round”

Despite FDA Delay, Advocates Hopeful for New Genentech MS Drug

Of the 15 FDA-approved therapies for multiple sclerosis, none work on a rare form of the disorder that leads to a steady and sometimes rapid decline. Genentech is awaiting FDA action on its experimental drug for this “primary progressive” form of the disease, and a new study published today may strengthen its case for approval. … Continue reading “Despite FDA Delay, Advocates Hopeful for New Genentech MS Drug”

14 For ’17: Key Clinical Data to Watch For Next Year (Part 1)

[Updated, 4:28 pm ET, see below] After years of research, frustration, hype, and millions (sometimes hundreds of millions) of dollars invested, a drug program boils down to the clinical data—usually from big, late-stage studies—that can sometimes make or break a company. There were high profile successes in 2016. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “14 For ’17: Key Clinical Data to Watch For Next Year (Part 1)”

Industry Needs Common Security Standards to Thwart IoT Attacks

A silver lining has emerged in the wake of the massive and well-publicized denial-of-service attack launched less than two months ago by hackers using millions of IoT devices to cripple the websites of major companies like Amazon, Netflix and Twitter. This ambush has triggered a redoubling of efforts to focus on the need for industry-led … Continue reading “Industry Needs Common Security Standards to Thwart IoT Attacks”

Oncorus Lands $4,000,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1074631f-0940-4b7c-97ff-c161c3d47540 Date 12/21/2016 Company Name Oncorus Mailing Address 450 Kendall St. 4th Floor Cambridge, MA 02142 USA Company Description Oncorus, Inc. is an early-stage biotechnology company developing a next-generation immunotherapy platform of oncolytic viruses to treat several types of cancer, including highly malignant and aggressive cancers. Website http://www.oncorus.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Oncorus Lands $4,000,000 Series A Round”

Akebia Gets $265M From Otsuka to Bankroll Anemia Drug Push

Akebia Therapeutics is in a high-stakes race with rival Fibrogen to treat anemia with a pill, not an injectable biologic. And it just got a bunch of cash to try to get to the clinical finish line. In a deal announced this morning, Japan’s Otsuka Pharmaceutical will commit $265 million to Cambridge, MA-based Akebia (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Akebia Gets $265M From Otsuka to Bankroll Anemia Drug Push”