It seems like an appealing move–give the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, as well as our spy organizations, a back door—a “golden key”—to unlock encrypted communications to help catch criminals and terrorists and to protect Americans from harm. This notion of heightened protection is particularly compelling in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks … Continue reading “The Myth Of A Secure Back Door For Encryption”
Category: Boston
A Tipping Point in Robotics, and My Five Predictions for 2016
While scientists are making progress in understanding how the mind works, robotics has failed to live up to the expectations set in the 1950s and ‘60s for human-like robots, exemplified by the Jetson’s cartoon character, Rosie the robot maid. Since the rejuvenation of robotics began in the 1980s, we have discovered that engineering and building … Continue reading “A Tipping Point in Robotics, and My Five Predictions for 2016”
Tech Mogul, Patriots Owner Lavish $73M On Dana-Farber Startup
When physician-scientist Jay Bradner left the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute last year, he left behind some key scientific work that had already intrigued a group of investors. Bradner is now president of the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, but his Dana-Farber research continued in the hands of others. It’s now the basis of a new startup … Continue reading “Tech Mogul, Patriots Owner Lavish $73M On Dana-Farber Startup”
NextCure Receives $67,000,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=abc4af3b-1726-4fdd-a785-7a99d25ebe92 Date 1/7/2016 Company Name NextCure Mailing Address Undisclosed New Haven, CT 06501 USA Company Description NextCure, launched in 2015, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing next generation immuno-oncology-based drugs. The Company is applying its proprietary platforms and know-how to identify novel and biologically relevant targets and develop first-in-class … Continue reading “NextCure Receives $67,000,000 Series A Financing”
Zagster Secures $1,499,926 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=62e7bae9-2d12-4295-8826-cc5a1c851e6a Date 1/7/2016 Company Name Zagster Mailing Address 24 Thorndike Street Cambridge, MA 02141 USA Company Description We’re passionate cyclists who love fresh air, good exercise and emission-free transportation. We believe we’re creating the future of transportation through our easy to use bike sharing systems. We want to use our years of … Continue reading “Zagster Secures $1,499,926 New Round”
Exosome Diagnostics Garners $60,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3830b1ce-8276-444a-8c7e-d31d9c6ff7c7 Date 1/7/2016 Company Name Exosome Diagnostics Mailing Address 840 Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Company Description Exosome Diagnostics, Inc. is focused on commercializing minimally invasive molecular diagnostics using body fluids. Website http://www.exosomedx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $60,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Exosome Diagnostics expects to use … Continue reading “Exosome Diagnostics Garners $60,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
Boston Scientists Tweak CRISPR Scissors For More Precise DNA Cuts
[Corrected, 1/6/16, 8:05pm. See below.] Keith Joung, a scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and his colleagues say they have come up with a way to make the gene editing system known as CRISPR-Cas9 far more precise when it enters cells to snip DNA. But as Joung, who is also a founder of Cambridge, … Continue reading “Boston Scientists Tweak CRISPR Scissors For More Precise DNA Cuts”
Former Cubist, Biogen Execs Head to Editas
Cambridge, MA-based Editas Medicine has beefed up its executive ranks as it heads towards an IPO. The company hired former Cubist Pharmaceuticals executive Tim Hunt as its senior vice president of corporate affairs, and named Haiyan Jang, most recently of Biogen, its vice president of preclinical science.
OvaScience Names Harald Stock New CEO, Dipp to Step Down
Michelle Dipp will step down as the CEO of Waltham, MA-based OvaScience (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OVAS]]), the fertility company she helped found in 2011. On July 1, Dipp will become OvaScience’s executive chairman, while Harald Stock will take up her old position as CEO. She’ll help Stock “evolve the company’s corporate strategy and will focus on business … Continue reading “OvaScience Names Harald Stock New CEO, Dipp to Step Down”
Ever Fond of Options, Atlas Finds Potential Buyers For Rodin, Quartet
Biotech venture firms take a number of different approaches to lowering the risk of an inherently risky business. One of them is known as the option-to-buy deal, when one company agrees to buy another on prearranged terms, after certain milestones are met. And they’re clearly a preferred tool of Cambridge, MA-based Atlas Venture, which just … Continue reading “Ever Fond of Options, Atlas Finds Potential Buyers For Rodin, Quartet”
From Ambitions To Markets: Richard Kitney And More Synthetic Bio Views
Last week, Xconomy ran the first part of my conversation with Richard Kitney, a bioengineering professor at Imperial College London and a pioneer in the field of synthetic biology. We met in his campus office in November. Kitney has coauthored hundreds of papers and helped galvanize U.K. government support for synthetic biology. He is also … Continue reading “From Ambitions To Markets: Richard Kitney And More Synthetic Bio Views”
3 Boston VCs Share Investment Themes for 2016
The early results are in: 2016 will be a year of conversational interfaces (think actually having a back and forth with Siri), on-demand services, new tools for sticking to your healthcare goals (and meds)—and of bringing innovation to the underserved. And yes, there will still be a place for the “weird and wonderful.” Those, anyway, … Continue reading “3 Boston VCs Share Investment Themes for 2016”
Our Relationship With the Internet: Trust Is the Big Concern in 2016
There is no denying we all have a relationship with the Internet. It used to be just a data source, now it is a companion as we go to sleep at night. It informs, entertains, and excites us. And it engages, disappoints, and saddens us. Internet experts and visionaries say 2016 will get even more … Continue reading “Our Relationship With the Internet: Trust Is the Big Concern in 2016”
Artificial Intelligence Growing Slowly in Healthcare, And That’s OK
One of the most significant advances in 2015 was the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in a variety of fields, including healthcare. While work on AI has been going on for years and still has a long way to go, 2015 saw progress made on self-driving cars, a growing ecosystem of AI startups, and open-sourcing … Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence Growing Slowly in Healthcare, And That’s OK”
With $48M For Petra Pharma, Accelerator Places First NYC Bet
Seattle’s Accelerator Corp. has been largely silent since it opened up an office in New York a year and a half ago with a $50 million-plus bankroll and a plan to start up some new biotechs in Manhattan. But that’s changing today, because the first of those companies, Petra Pharma, is making its debut with … Continue reading “With $48M For Petra Pharma, Accelerator Places First NYC Bet”
One Medical Passport Obtains $4,000,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9992f926-cc45-42c8-bacc-0837a847f66c Date 1/6/2016 Company Name One Medical Passport Mailing Address 156 River Road Willington, CT 06279 USA Company Description One Medical Passport allows patients to create comprehensive, accurate medical histories on their own by taking a complex task and breaking it down into a series of small, easy steps. Website http://www.onemedicalpassportcompany.com Transaction … Continue reading “One Medical Passport Obtains $4,000,000 Series A Round”
Rodin Therapeutics Obtains $17,300,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=238519e8-7f5c-49ed-bcc8-1ae0351ad38c Date 1/6/2016 Company Name Rodin Therapeutics Mailing Address 400 Technology Square Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Company Description Rodin is harnessing the power of epigenetic regulation of neuronal function to treat diseases of the brain. We believe modulation of selective epigenetic regulatory processes can restore synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in degenerative … Continue reading “Rodin Therapeutics Obtains $17,300,000 New Financing”
Toast Secures $30,000,000 Series B Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bf8d0c91-3c0f-449f-a5a4-6c6f8634a8a4 Date 1/6/2016 Company Name Toast Mailing Address 401 Park Drive Boston, MA 02215 USA Company Description We’re the partially brown, partially golden, never totally finished piece of toast. Our software is never going to be perfect in our minds. There will always be new features we can offer our customers, and … Continue reading “Toast Secures $30,000,000 Series B Round”
Nexamp Lands $2,143,541 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=786f1a84-8773-4a29-a80d-c3ca138287bf Date 1/6/2016 Company Name Nexamp Mailing Address 4 Liberty Square Boston, MA 02109 USA Company Description Nexamp is a full service clean energy solutions company. Nexamp analyzes, designs, finances, builds and maintains clean energy projects that reduce energy costs and carbon emissions for businesses, governments, and homeowners. Our solutions include renewable … Continue reading “Nexamp Lands $2,143,541 New Funding”
CallMiner Receives $5,999,999 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=02e93f77-0f1f-417e-9690-cc3b8418a01b Date 1/6/2016 Company Name CallMiner Mailing Address 200 West Street Waltham, MA 02451 USA Company Description CallMiner is the leading provider of speech analytics solutions that deliver near real-time customer intelligence from Call Center recordings. CallMiner’s advanced suite of applications enables managers and executives to gain insight into why customers call, … Continue reading “CallMiner Receives $5,999,999 New Funding”
ViralGains Obtains $7,683,110 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2f2d9bd5-a9ac-4578-b6e5-40752af722c1 Date 1/6/2016 Company Name ViralGains Mailing Address 290 Congress Street 7th Floor Boston, MA 02210 USA Company Description The ViralGains mission is to create authentic relationships between consumers and advertisers through the power of online video. ViralGains delivers Viral Marketing at scale through technology that measures how consumers watch, share, and … Continue reading “ViralGains Obtains $7,683,110 New Financing Round”
Boston Tech Watch: EMC, DraftKings, RapidMiner, NaviNet, & More
This week, we’re tracking new funds for Boston-area software companies, looming job cuts at the state’s biggest tech company, the latest on the clashes between daily fantasy sports companies and state governments, and more. Read on for details. —RapidMiner raised $16 million in a round led by Nokia Growth Partners, with participation by previous investors … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: EMC, DraftKings, RapidMiner, NaviNet, & More”
VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview
Before this week’s big reveals of new technology at CES, a few teaser events are offering glimpses of things to come. CES Unveiled Las Vegas, one such event held Monday evening, had a smattering of gadgets eager for their share of the spotlight (see slideshow). A number of the devices I spied, such as Somabar, … Continue reading “VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview”
Toast, From Endeca Vets, Orders Up $30M For Restaurant Software
Don’t underestimate seasoned software developers who come highly recommended—even when they’re building a product for an industry in which they have little experience. That’s the lesson that Bessemer Venture Partners’ Kent Bennett learned with Toast, the fast-growing Boston restaurant technology company that today announced a $30 million Series B round led by Bessemer. GV, formerly … Continue reading “Toast, From Endeca Vets, Orders Up $30M For Restaurant Software”
Making Time to Think in an Always-On World
I schedule thinking time as needed, like it’s a customer meeting or other commitment. Although I produce my work digitally, I think in analog. I’m most effective at brainstorming on paper or whiteboards where I can think in free-form. These mediums are inherently free of digital distractions like e-mail alerts and text messages, and they … Continue reading “Making Time to Think in an Always-On World”
With $2.25M More, Tara Bio Grows And Hunts For NYC Lab Space
Slowly, the ranks of New York biotechs are increasing, thanks in part to a growing group of early-stage venture capitalists dipping their toes in the local startup scene. Tara Biosystems is one of those startups, and today it’s brought a few new investors in as part of a plan to take root and grow in … Continue reading “With $2.25M More, Tara Bio Grows And Hunts For NYC Lab Space”
Oncology’s Future: Liquid Biopsies and the Heterogeneity of Cancer
We have known for some time that cancer is not a static, monolithic disease. Instead, we now think of cancer as heterogeneous. Each patient’s cancer may arise from widely dissimilar origins, even in patients with the same type of tumor. Several studies in the last year have spelled out the extent of this diversity, which … Continue reading “Oncology’s Future: Liquid Biopsies and the Heterogeneity of Cancer”
Lab Space on a Navy Ship, And Other Creative Solutions for NY Biotech
I was a management consultant in a former life, and was trained in that role to always have three arguments to support any conclusion. But having spent the last six months living and breathing biotech in New York City, I am convinced there are only two strategic challenges holding this city back from becoming a … Continue reading “Lab Space on a Navy Ship, And Other Creative Solutions for NY Biotech”
BionX Medical Technologies Receives $17,000,000 Series E Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bed58912-b610-475c-93c6-32905e83f591 Date 1/5/2016 Company Name BionX Medical Technologies Mailing Address 4 Crosby Drive Bedford, MA 01730 USA Company Description BionX Medical Technologies, Inc. is a leader in the field of prosthetic devices with the introduction of BiOM, the only lower-limb prosthesis with powered propulsion for enhanced mobility. Website http://www.bionxmed.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “BionX Medical Technologies Receives $17,000,000 Series E Financing Round”
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Secures $15,000,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6d9d6d91-dcb3-4b95-9d51-d24a2b44d0c4 Date 1/5/2016 Company Name Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 1601 Trapelo Road Waltham, MA 02451 USA Company Description Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, LLC was established in 2003 as a drug discovery and development company with the mission to design, optimize and introduce best-in-class small molecule switch inhibitors of protein kinases for human clinical trials … Continue reading “Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Secures $15,000,000 Series B Financing”
Eight Things You Might Not Have Known Until Editas Filed Its S-1
Here’s a CRISPR first: Editas Medicine of Cambridge, MA, has filed paperwork for an IPO. Its S-1 document became public today, marking the first one from a company working to turn the gene editing system CRISPR-Cas9 into human therapeutics. The reaction of the public markets to Editas, assuming it gets as far as an IPO, … Continue reading “Eight Things You Might Not Have Known Until Editas Filed Its S-1”
Historic CRISPR Patent Fight Primed To Become Head-To-Head Battle
The fight to determine who invented fundamental parts of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology appears to be headed into a long, arcane battle, the likes of which would never be seen again in the U.S. patent system. The move toward a so-called interference proceeding was signaled before the holidays by a slight change in the … Continue reading “Historic CRISPR Patent Fight Primed To Become Head-To-Head Battle”
Scholar Rock Rolls Up $36M To Move Muscle Drug To Clinical Trials
In recent years, a number of drug companies have zeroed in on a protein called myostatin, which can limit muscle growth and even cause them to waste away in certain diseases. A startup called Scholar Rock is now part of that group, and the Cambridge, MA-based company said today it has raised the cash needed … Continue reading “Scholar Rock Rolls Up $36M To Move Muscle Drug To Clinical Trials”
Machine Learning + Human Insights
In 2015, we saw the relationship between man and machine evolve into its most collaborative form yet—or at least pave the way for it. With intuitive technology such as IBM Watson and its ability to “learn” breaking ground on the machine front, and companies including Spare5 discovering ways to scale the power of human intelligence … Continue reading “Machine Learning + Human Insights”
A Potential Downturn Is On My Mind
Downturns are an exciting time for entrepreneurs and investors alike. Quality entrepreneurs who focus on the fundamentals of real growth will have less competition from startups fueled by venture capital dollars, me-too products and ego. Likewise, many of the “tourist” investors retreat, providing increased opportunities for longstanding investors, many of whom have been priced out … Continue reading “A Potential Downturn Is On My Mind”
BeON Home Secures $200,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=214731c1-d2f3-4d79-9244-076045d6300c Date 1/4/2016 Company Name BeON Home Mailing Address 125 Cambridge Park Drive Cambridge, MA 02140 USA Company Description BeON emerged during a conversation between friends Alexei Erchak and Arvind Baliga. Alexei had just purchased a new house and was disappointed with lack of simple technology options for managing his new home. … Continue reading “BeON Home Secures $200,000 New Financing Round”
Scholar Rock Lands $36,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7d99bcdd-cbb0-4d5e-84ec-b9387404f3ec Date 1/4/2016 Company Name Scholar Rock Mailing Address 620 Memorial Drive 2nd Floor Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Company Description Scholar Rock is discovering and developing a new class of biologic therapies to selectively target dysregulated growth factors in the disease microenvironment by modulating supracellular activation, resulting in therapeutic effects specifically at … Continue reading “Scholar Rock Lands $36,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
LTG Exam Prep Platform Secures $812,928 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c8466f6f-ef31-4f52-8cdd-6f7c0c473192 Date 1/4/2016 Company Name LTG Exam Prep Platform Mailing Address 745 Atlantic Ave. Boston, MA 021111 USA Company Description LTG Exam Prep Platform is a tech-education company developing a robust self-learning mobile platform to enable students and others to study for standardized tests. Website http://www.prep4gmat.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “LTG Exam Prep Platform Secures $812,928 New Financing Round”
If There Is One Major Issue the Innovation Scene Must Address…
It’s diversity. The world is being written and consumed in code now. But the teams writing the code aren’t reflective of their global customers. We often hear that major companies can’t find enough talent from different backgrounds because of a pipeline problem that starts in schools. At PowerToFly we disagree. We don’t want people to … Continue reading “If There Is One Major Issue the Innovation Scene Must Address…”
Xconomy’s Top 10 Innovation Stories of 2015
It was the year of drug pricing, fantasy-sports and Uber regulations, and countless cyber and terror attacks. It was a year when initial public offerings were few and far between for technology companies, and the biotech window may have closed as well. Yet there were plenty of commercial advances in fields like gene editing, immunotherapy, … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Top 10 Innovation Stories of 2015”
Synthetic Biology Primer: In Conversation With Richard Kitney, Part 1
“Synthetic biology” has always been a puzzling term to me. Prosthetic limbs are synthetic. Knee replacements are synthetic. Splicing the gene from one organism into another, a practice that began in the 1970s and gave rise to the biotechnology industry, is also a synthetic act. But those things are not “synthetic biology” in the way … Continue reading “Synthetic Biology Primer: In Conversation With Richard Kitney, Part 1”
Surprises in Tech from 2015, and What to Do If A Downturn Hits
Two tech trends gained surprising momentum this year, which positions them to be key drivers in 2016. Both take aim at the heart of the economy. Recently the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) gave crowd finance a shot in the arm. First it passed Regulation A which provides an exemption to the registration requirements mandated … Continue reading “Surprises in Tech from 2015, and What to Do If A Downturn Hits”
RapidMiner Garners $16,000,057 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0b9477c0-9a7b-4ab2-b147-f84b108f7817 Date 12/31/2015 Company Name RapidMiner Mailing Address 10 Fawcett St. 5th Floor Cambridge, MA 02138 USA Company Description RapidMiner provides software, solutions, and services in the fields of predictive analytics, data mining, and text mining. We automatically and intelligently analyze data – including databases and text – on a large scale. … Continue reading “RapidMiner Garners $16,000,057 New Financing Round”
DipJar Secures $2,400,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0d82aaa7-9fbd-46e2-a5c8-c4abaf0c1f2e Date 12/31/2015 Company Name DipJar Mailing Address Undisclosed Boston, MA 02115 USA Company Description For years, cash tip jars have been a staple of store counters. Customers drop in their dollar bills and loose change to show appreciation for the employees brewing their coffees or preparing their sandwiches. Website http://www.dipjar.com Transaction … Continue reading “DipJar Secures $2,400,000 Seed Funding”
RallyPoint Networks, a LinkedIn for Military Vets, Adds $5M
RallyPoint Networks, an online professional networking service for current and former members of the military, has raised $5 million from investors, a new SEC filing shows. The Watertown, MA-based startup has now raised just shy of $12 million since it was founded in 2012, according to SEC documents. Its investors include DBL Investors, an early … Continue reading “RallyPoint Networks, a LinkedIn for Military Vets, Adds $5M”
In 2016, Will We Finally Enter the Age of Imagination?
The biggest advance or most surprising development of 2015 was the private sector’s rapidly advancing and serious pursuit of commercial spacecraft development. This, coupled with the success of various missions like the Pluto fly-by; the dream of landing a craft on Jupiter’s moon Europa; the discussion of an outpost on the moon; the colonization of … Continue reading “In 2016, Will We Finally Enter the Age of Imagination?”
Thong Le: Biotech Thoughts On Pitches, Prices, Diversity, And Stress
Thong Le is the CEO of Accelerator, a Seattle biotech venture fund and incubator more than a decade old. Le took over in early 2014 and is overseeing a cross-country expansion. A second Accelerator facility opened with fanfare in New York City a year and a half ago. Le said at the time that Accelerator … Continue reading “Thong Le: Biotech Thoughts On Pitches, Prices, Diversity, And Stress”
Virtual Reality’s Turning Points In 2015
Among the most significant developments in VR this year have been the rate of change and improvement in mobile VR. Until recently, compelling VR experiences required a high-powered PC, considerable technical know-how, and were enjoyed only by enthusiasts and early adopters. Now there are mobile solutions that deliver a comparable level of quality, but are … Continue reading “Virtual Reality’s Turning Points In 2015”
Time to Bring Our Education System in Line with the 21st Century
The most pressing issue facing the innovation community is the lack of a robust tech talent pipeline to support emerging new enterprises and to help legacy industries adapt. While other countries are developing workers with skills to compete in the 21th century, our country’s education system remains stuck in the 20th. Not only do public education programs lack … Continue reading “Time to Bring Our Education System in Line with the 21st Century”
In the Face of Genomic Data Challenges, the Cloud Keeps Us Afloat
The data intensity of genomics is so intense that it’s difficult for most people to comprehend. According to estimates published in the journal PLOS Biology in July, as many as 2 billion human genomes could be sequenced by 2025, which would far exceed the data output expected of other “big data domains,” such as astronomy, … Continue reading “In the Face of Genomic Data Challenges, the Cloud Keeps Us Afloat”