Category: Boston

Tarveda Therapeutics Garners $38,000,000 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=313663e5-7a6f-4e69-b177-4282e59d0d90 Date 1/27/2016 Company Name Tarveda Therapeutics Mailing Address 134 Coolidge Avenue Watertown, MA 02472 USA Company Description Tarveda creates Pentarins that are targeted miniature drug conjugates that remain miniature by design to overcome the challenges that limit the efficacy of larger antibody drug conjugates in use and development today. Website http://www.tarveda.com … Continue reading “Tarveda Therapeutics Garners $38,000,000 Series C Funding Round”

Pressure BioSciences Receives $5,010,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dd8fb247-dd6a-4fc3-ac78-6689db176b87 Date 1/27/2016 Company Name Pressure BioSciences Mailing Address 14 Norfolk Avenue South Easton, MA 02375 USA Company Description We are a life sciences company focused on the development and commercialization of a novel, enabling, platform technology called pressure cycling technology (PCT). PCT uses cycles of hydrostatic pressure between ambient and ultra-high … Continue reading “Pressure BioSciences Receives $5,010,000 New Financing Round”

MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

Information and registration here. From the website: In one day… Engage and connect with global business and industry thought leaders. Acquire actionable insight through leading academic research. Explore the newest enterprise technological innovations. The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is a community of CEOs, CIOs and senior IT executives who connect with academic thought leaders, their … Continue reading “MIT Sloan CIO Symposium”

Remembering Computing Pioneer Marvin Minsky, Dead at 88

The science and technology community is mourning the loss of Marvin Minsky, the MIT-based artificial intelligence and computing giant, who passed away Sunday at the age of 88. Minsky is a transcendent figure who cut major swaths through the history of scientific research, education, philosophy, and technology. His ideas are credited with influencing everything from … Continue reading “Remembering Computing Pioneer Marvin Minsky, Dead at 88”

Safety Issues Spur Foundation-Backed Akashi to Suspend Duchenne Trial

It’s been a roller coaster few months for the community of caregivers and patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive and ultimately fatal genetic disease. One potential treatment from BioMarin Pharmaceutical was rejected by the FDA. Another from Sarepta Therapeutics sits in regulatory limbo after Winter Storm Jonas delayed an advisory panel. And now a … Continue reading “Safety Issues Spur Foundation-Backed Akashi to Suspend Duchenne Trial”

Ex-Biogen Exec’s New Startup Gets $61M More For Exosome Drugs

When former Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) research chief Doug Williams surfaced in November as the CEO of a new startup called Codiak Biosciences, the company said it had a commitment for “$80+ million” in venture cash to get going, rather than identifying a specific number. Now it’s clear exactly how much Codiak has in its wallet—$92 … Continue reading “Ex-Biogen Exec’s New Startup Gets $61M More For Exosome Drugs”

Codiak BioSciences Receives $61,000,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=028ca2ba-2f5c-457a-a114-556e39a22a3c Date 1/26/2016 Company Name Codiak BioSciences Mailing Address 19 Presidential Way Woburn, MA 081801 USA Company Description Codiak Biosciences is developing exosomes, natural vesicles that mediate inter-cellular communication, as both a powerful therapeutic modality and an advanced diagnostic system. Website http://www.codiakbio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $61,000,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “Codiak BioSciences Receives $61,000,000 Series B Financing Round”

ConsortiEX Obtains $625,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=008bd0ea-c85d-4d94-952c-c09485234dfc Date 1/26/2016 Company Name ConsortiEX Mailing Address 300 Brickstone Square Andover, MA 01810 USA Company Description ConsortiEX is a healthcare technology company that provides innovative IT systems and services to manage the ordering, distribution and tracking of sterile injectable compounds for hospitals and affiliated networks — From Pedigree to Patient. Website … Continue reading “ConsortiEX Obtains $625,000 New Funding”

As Markets and Controversies Swirl, Editas Aims For $100M CRISPR IPO

Editas Medicine is pushing ahead with plans to go public. An IPO for the Cambridge, MA-based company would make it the first among the handful of biotechs that are betting on the groundbreaking CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system to develop human therapeutics. In a regulatory filing posted today, Editas said it would aim to sell 5.9 … Continue reading “As Markets and Controversies Swirl, Editas Aims For $100M CRISPR IPO”

Xconomy’s EXOME Presents: What’s Hot in Boston Biotech

After an unprecedented multi-year bull run, biotech is facing headwinds once again. Drug companies have become a target in an election year, putting pricing strategies under a microscope. Valuations have tumbled, drying up a fertile ground for IPOs. Yet biotech innovation continues apace, particularly in Boston. New ways of harnessing the immune system to battle … Continue reading “Xconomy’s EXOME Presents: What’s Hot in Boston Biotech”

DataXu Snaps Up $10M Strategic Investment From Sky

One of Boston’s most heavily funded private tech companies just got another injection of capital. Advertising software company DataXu received a $10 million investment from Sky, the European media and broadcasting giant. DataXu has now raised at least $65 million since it was founded in 2007, according to SEC filings. Previous backers include Thomvest Ventures, … Continue reading “DataXu Snaps Up $10M Strategic Investment From Sky”

Looking Back on Key Acquisitions of WI Companies in the Past 5 Years

It takes a while for mergers and acquisitions to play out. While immediate insights from investors and industry observers can help their audience understand why a deal happened and what implications it will have for the parties involved, some time must pass before a thorough assessment can be made. Five years later seems like an … Continue reading “Looking Back on Key Acquisitions of WI Companies in the Past 5 Years”

From Airbnb to Uber: An MIT Sloan Tour of Bay Area Tech

I’ve always been curious about the West Coast, especially San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Growing up in India and then working in the oil & gas industry in Latin America and Texas, I didn’t have much opportunity (or reason) to visit the Bay Area. Now that I’m an MBA student at MIT Sloan, I want … Continue reading “From Airbnb to Uber: An MIT Sloan Tour of Bay Area Tech”

Dorsata Lands $1,100,000 Seed Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=82c88a81-82bb-4f70-9bc3-b2bea5ec8f42 Date 1/25/2016 Company Name Dorsata Mailing Address 16 Cavendish Ct. Lebanon, NH 03766 USA Company Description Dorsata provides a software platform that allows clinicians to improve collaboration and review clinical care pathways. Over 1500 clinicians already use the software every day to reduce the amount of time spent doing tasks like … Continue reading “Dorsata Lands $1,100,000 Seed Financing Round”

Convergent Dental Secures $20,915,171 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4df283e7-c29f-4214-93bf-d92d72207851 Date 1/25/2016 Company Name Convergent Dental Mailing Address 2 Vision Drive Natick, MA 01760 USA Company Description Convergent Dental, Inc., is a privately owned dental equipment and technology company and developer of Solea™, the world’s first computer-aided, CO2 laser system to ever be cleared by the FDA for both hard and … Continue reading “Convergent Dental Secures $20,915,171 New Financing”

DataXu Receives $10,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=efd5210c-1b7e-48ed-a027-dde9f59f9267 Date 1/25/2016 Company Name DataXu Mailing Address 281 Summer St. 4th Floor Boston, MA 02210 USA Company Description DataXu is a cutting-edge Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company formed by MIT alums and professionals. Our proprietary technology is a high-performance real-time, automated, self-learning decision-support system that matches advertisers, publishers, and web users at a … Continue reading “DataXu Receives $10,000,000 New Financing Round”

Dorsata Receives $1,100,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=82c88a81-82bb-4f70-9bc3-b2bea5ec8f42 Date 1/25/2016 Company Name Dorsata Mailing Address 16 Cavendish Ct. Lebanon, NH 03766 USA Company Description Dorsata provides a software platform that allows clinicians to improve collaboration and review clinical care pathways. Over 1500 clinicians already use the software every day to reduce the amount of time spent doing tasks like … Continue reading “Dorsata Receives $1,100,000 Seed Funding Round”

Akili Interactive Secures $30,500,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=08a8084c-df09-453b-a781-780f179d3949 Date 1/23/2016 Company Name Akili Interactive Mailing Address 500 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116 USA Company Description At Akili, we’re in the process of building clinically-validated cognitive therapeutics, assessments, and diagnostics that look and feel like high-quality video games. Our aim is to develop a new type of Electronic Medicine™ that … Continue reading “Akili Interactive Secures $30,500,000 New Financing Round”

Malwarebytes, Once A Teen Vision, Raises $50M for Security Software

When Marcin Kleczynski was 12, he downloaded a pirated video game into his family’s shared computer, infecting it with malware. That would have landed most kids in big trouble. But in Kleczynski’s case, the mistake led to much different consequences. Now 26, Kleczynski heads the profitable company Malwarebytes, which announced Thursday it raised $50 million … Continue reading “Malwarebytes, Once A Teen Vision, Raises $50M for Security Software”

Armed With $30M, Akili Plans Bigger Trial of Therapeutic Video Game

Akili Interactive Labs has worked for five years to develop mobile video games that can help assess and treat cognitive disorders—and with that work, to accumulate enough clinical evidence to convince the FDA of the games’ benefits. Akili purposefully set the bar high for commercializing its technology, and the finish line may be almost in … Continue reading “Armed With $30M, Akili Plans Bigger Trial of Therapeutic Video Game”

Aereo Vets Working on Wireless Internet Tech at Project Decibel

Chet Kanojia certainly is persistent. His last startup, streaming television service Aereo, took on the broadcasting industry and lost. Now, Kanojia appears poised to take on big incumbents again with a new venture, Project Decibel. The Boston-based startup isn’t saying much about what it’s been working on since it formed in late 2014, but it … Continue reading “Aereo Vets Working on Wireless Internet Tech at Project Decibel”

East Coast Biotech Roundup: Alkermes, Zafgen, Snowmaggedon & More

Winter Storm Jonas is headed for the East Coast, and the panicked grocery shopping and traffic nightmares have already begun. It’s impacted biotech too, postponing what would have been one of the most closely watched FDA advisory panels in recent memory. So hurry up and grab your bread and milk before you get snowed in—but … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Alkermes, Zafgen, Snowmaggedon & More”

LearnLaunch Panel Predicts A.I.’s Future in the Classroom

The slow rise of artificial intelligence technologies in education seems to be playing out in much the same way that it has in other industries. A.I. is starting to demonstrate usefulness for specific applications, like helping teachers grade assignments and students sharpen their writing skills. But some technologies are still years away from reality, let … Continue reading “LearnLaunch Panel Predicts A.I.’s Future in the Classroom”

Always-on Health Care, Always-on Data

Thanks to major shifts to modernize traditional medicine over the last few decades, many more key stake holders across health care are better connected. These new connections—among patients, physicians, hospitals, research organizations, and more—will continue to help drive efficiencies, improve collaboration, and provide a clearer path to optimal care. Technological advancements will help us better … Continue reading “Always-on Health Care, Always-on Data”

Sentenai Receives $1,800,000 Seed Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0c4b7640-2583-475b-8169-207840c300e2 Date 1/22/2016 Company Name Sentenai Mailing Address Undisclosed Boston, MA 02110 USA Company Description Sentenai is a cloud-based platform for automating data engineering for machine learning and predictive applications, primarily in IoT and logistics. Website http://www.sentenai.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,800,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes The company will … Continue reading “Sentenai Receives $1,800,000 Seed Financing Round”

Confirm.io Receives $4,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6f6ab99e-c7b2-4d08-a0e6-a7da1dcdeaac Date 1/22/2016 Company Name Confirm.io Mailing Address 60 Canal Street 6th Floor Boston, MA 02114 USA Company Description Confirm.io makes authenticating a government issued ID easy, fast, and secure. Our simple API lets you integrate in minutes, and confirm a person’s identity for any transaction that requires or benefits from proof … Continue reading “Confirm.io Receives $4,000,000 New Funding Round”

Soundtrap Adapts Music App as Edtech Offering, With Google Tools

Most app and digital tool makers try to make their products as easy to use as possible for consumers who may lack technical savvy or the time to muddle through training manuals. Those developers who succeed might want to think about building a second life for their products in the educational technology market, as Stockholm-based … Continue reading “Soundtrap Adapts Music App as Edtech Offering, With Google Tools”

Talla Sells Virtual Assistants for the Workplace as A.I. Startups Focus

Slowly but surely, artificial intelligence is creeping into everyday life. Think of all the questions Siri and Cortana can answer; or e-mail programs that schedule appointments; or Facebook’s M service that aims to do things like make purchases and book travel arrangements on your behalf. After decades of research on A.I. technologies, companies of all … Continue reading “Talla Sells Virtual Assistants for the Workplace as A.I. Startups Focus”

NYC’s Disruptive Biotech Startups take the Stage on March 29

There’s something going on in New York biotech. The Big Apple has long been an afterthought in life sciences. Glitzy new biotech startups form seemingly every week in Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area, not New York with its sky high rents and lack of lab space. But for a multitude of reasons, things … Continue reading “NYC’s Disruptive Biotech Startups take the Stage on March 29”

Depression Trials Fail, Alkermes Sees Silver Lining. Investors Don’t.

Depression is a notoriously difficult disease to test new drugs against for a multitude of reasons. One reason is that a pervasive placebo effect tends to cloud the clinical trial data. Alkermes hoped it had the answer. It has been testing an experimental drug in an unusual kind of trial designed specifically to set aside … Continue reading “Depression Trials Fail, Alkermes Sees Silver Lining. Investors Don’t.”

Computer Science for Every Student: Tapping Into Coding Bootcamps

Countries around the world are recognizing computer science education as a top national priority. In England, children are exposed to computer programming and coding fundamentals as early as age 5. Estonia, a small country with a population of 1.3 million people, is making waves in the tech world by launching a nationwide initiative to teach … Continue reading “Computer Science for Every Student: Tapping Into Coding Bootcamps”

Boxever Obtains $12,000,000 Series B Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=44d59f85-b46d-48b3-9b05-d641ffb22778 Date 1/21/2016 Company Name Boxever Mailing Address 34 Farnsworth St. Boston, MA 02110 USA Company Description Boxever is a cloud-based solution that combines master data management, CRM, decisioning and analytics into a tightly integrated, travel-centric marketing platform that enables retailers to capture, analyze and act on large volumes of customer data … Continue reading “Boxever Obtains $12,000,000 Series B Funding”

Boston Tech Watch: DraftKings, Plexxi, Flywire, MassCEC, & More

This week in Boston, we’re tracking new funds for tech companies and incubator programs, a pair of acquisitions, the latest challenger to the daily fantasy sports industry, and this year’s participants in a local accelerator for startups trying to improve society. —Nashua, NH-based Plexxi announced it raised an undisclosed amount of funding from GV, formerly … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: DraftKings, Plexxi, Flywire, MassCEC, & More”

Wider Venture Funding Gap Raises Troubling Questions

This week, Oxfam released its annual study of inequality around the world, which showed that there are actually 62 people who possess as much wealth as the 3.5 billion people in the bottom half of the world’s income scale. Five years ago, that number was 388 people. And all of this is against a backdrop … Continue reading “Wider Venture Funding Gap Raises Troubling Questions”

Some Good News, Finally, for Zafgen’s Obesity Drug

It’s been a turbulent year for Zafgen, to say the least. Two patients died in a Phase 3 clinical trial of its leading drug candidate and, in December, the FDA halted all studies of the drug. Zafgen’s stock tumbled, and shareholders filed lawsuits against the company. The future of the company’s drug, a potential treatment … Continue reading “Some Good News, Finally, for Zafgen’s Obesity Drug”

Plexxi Secures New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c3340e2b-a840-4cea-ba43-25c688ff9240 Date 1/20/2016 Company Name Plexxi Mailing Address 100 Innovative Way Nashua, NH 03062 USA Company Description The network must evolve. Connecting what you want, where you want, and how you want – without the complexity, rigidity, and fragility of traditional hierarchical networks – is just the beginning of a whole new … Continue reading “Plexxi Secures New Funding Round”

Podimetrics Receives $3,789,933 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ae13d5cb-470c-47f0-9fc7-5bffa9ab9cb5 Date 1/20/2016 Company Name Podimetrics Mailing Address 205 Walden Street Cambridge, MA 02140 USA Company Description Of the 26 million diabetics in the U.S., more than a million will develop foot ulcers each year due to reduced feeling from peripheral neuropathy. Many of these patients will acquire intractable infections and 92,000 … Continue reading “Podimetrics Receives $3,789,933 New Funding Round”

Theracos Obtains $25,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=027d9d2f-b930-478c-a9ba-99c1a5770155 Date 1/20/2016 Company Name Theracos Mailing Address 225 Cedar Hill Street Marlborough, MA 01752 USA Company Description Theracos, Inc. is a privately held pharmaceutical research and development company located in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The company was founded with the mission to develop novel therapeutic agents for diseases with significant societal impact. Website … Continue reading “Theracos Obtains $25,000,000 New Financing Round”

Boxever Receives New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=16521769-1090-4b65-b625-f3d119d3ebc2 Date 1/20/2016 Company Name Boxever Mailing Address 34 Farnsworth St. Boston, MA 02110 USA Company Description Boxever is a cloud-based solution that combines master data management, CRM, decisioning and analytics into a tightly integrated, travel-centric marketing platform that enables retailers to capture, analyze and act on large volumes of customer data … Continue reading “Boxever Receives New Funding Round”

Same Twist, New Funding: Gene Synthesizer Raises $61M Series D

Twist Bioscience is reeling in millions more in funding as the company, which has developed a process of manufacturing synthetic DNA, plans to expand in the U.S. and internationally. Based in San Francisco, Twist announced a $61 million Series D round of funding alongside a piece of debt financing for as much as $20 million. … Continue reading “Same Twist, New Funding: Gene Synthesizer Raises $61M Series D”

What Startups Need to Attract Talent: A Purposeful Mission

Success for startups is often elusive, but there are underlying characteristics that can give growing companies a leg up on the competition, especially when it comes to the most important factor—recruiting and retaining top-tier talent. At Norwest, I have found that companies that have a purposeful mission—one that hinges on giving back and making an impact … Continue reading “What Startups Need to Attract Talent: A Purposeful Mission”

With Second Eye Drug Flop, Eleven Heads Back to Drawing Board

Eleven Biotherapeutics started out with a plan to make a portfolio of custom-designed protein drugs for a range of diseases before it changed course and started focusing exclusively on eye drugs. The strategy initially paid off, too: The Cambridge, MA-based company went public in February 2014 on the strength of some early data for a … Continue reading “With Second Eye Drug Flop, Eleven Heads Back to Drawing Board”

Acorda Doubles Down on Parkinson, Buys Biotie For $363M

A few years ago Acorda Therapeutics bought Civitas Therapeutics, a biotech about to go public, in a bid to branch out into Parkinson’s. Clearly, that wasn’t a one-off move; this morning, Acorda added two more potential treatments for the disorder by acquiring Finland’s Biotie Therapies. Acorda (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]), of Ardsley, NY, is paying $363 million … Continue reading “Acorda Doubles Down on Parkinson, Buys Biotie For $363M”

EiQ Networks Nets $9.5M for Mid-Market Security Software

In a town full of cybersecurity companies, EiQ Networks has stayed pretty quiet for years. Now it’s making a bit of noise as it ramps up its security software for a targeted customer base. EiQ has just raised a $9.55 million Series C funding round led by Arrowroot Capital. Founders Vijay Basani and Jay Reddy … Continue reading “EiQ Networks Nets $9.5M for Mid-Market Security Software”

Love ‘Em? Hate ‘Em? No Matter. The Drug Industry Gets What It Wants.

Anyone reading this column should be familiar with the fight over drug prices. Many of you would argue that drug makers are too easy a target in political debates and the media, getting little credit for developing lifesaving drugs. Others of you believe that prices have gotten out of hand, and that price gouger Martin … Continue reading “Love ‘Em? Hate ‘Em? No Matter. The Drug Industry Gets What It Wants.”

Cleantech Evolves, But Will Investors Follow?

Cleantech might be turning a corner. But one important question is whether the evolving sector, showing signs of resurgence, can recapture the attention of disillusioned investors. After vast sums of venture capital were poured into cleantech in the latter half of the 2000s—peaking at $4.3 billion in 2011—the flow of money slowed over the past … Continue reading “Cleantech Evolves, But Will Investors Follow?”

EiQ Networks Receives $9,550,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c089c6a8-90ac-4afe-81b0-40101187cddd Date 1/19/2016 Company Name EiQ Networks Mailing Address 12 Post Office Square Boston, MA 02109 USA Company Description EiQ, a pioneer in hybrid SaaS security services, is transforming how mid-market organizations build enterprise-class security programs. Acting as an extension of our customers’ IT teams, EiQ provides continuous security operations based on … Continue reading “EiQ Networks Receives $9,550,000 Series C Financing”

Gather Garners $2,500,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=318905d4-2b24-42e4-91cf-f2a029952ffb Date 1/19/2016 Company Name Gather Mailing Address 234 Congress Street 4th Floor Boston, MA 02110 USA Company Description To grow audience for ourselves and our partners, we forecast consumer demand for content, create content that meets those demand curves cost effectively, and deliver that content in ways that achieves top placement … Continue reading “Gather Garners $2,500,000 New Financing Round”

NXT-ID Garners $2,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=79ed5f65-7a2f-4012-839e-ae1b9be30959 Date 1/18/2016 Company Name NXT-ID Mailing Address 288 Christian Street Oxford, CT 06478 USA Company Description The founders of NXT-ID were an integral part of the senior management teams at Technest Holdings, Inc., and its subsidiary Genex Technologies. Genex Technologies was founded in 1995 to develop and commercialize the unique Rainbow … Continue reading “NXT-ID Garners $2,000,000 New Financing Round”