[Updated 2/1/18, 9:52 am. See below.] Techstars today announced the companies participating in the inaugural session of its new autonomous technology startup accelerator program in Boston, and, as advertised, there are a lot of drones involved. Six of the 10 participating companies are focused on unmanned aerial vehicles, including businesses focused on designing and making … Continue reading “Techstars, Air Force Reveal First Boston Accelerator Investments”
Category: Boulder/Denver
Look Out, Investors: Cryptocurrency Values Slide As Warnings Take Off
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have seen dramatic but volatile price surges during the past year. But this month their billions in estimated market value are eroding, amid widening suspicions against one trading platform, a half-billion-dollar heist from another exchange, and an awakened global regulatory community. Warnings are on the rise from regulators, researchers, banking executives—and … Continue reading “Look Out, Investors: Cryptocurrency Values Slide As Warnings Take Off”
Google Pulls Plug on Webpass in Boston Amid Growing Competition
In another setback for Google’s Internet business, the tech giant has decided to wind down the Boston-area operations of Webpass, a wireless Internet service provider Google Fiber acquired in June 2016. A statement e-mailed by a Google spokeswoman didn’t give a reason for the decision. “We’ll work with customers and partners to minimize disruption, and … Continue reading “Google Pulls Plug on Webpass in Boston Amid Growing Competition”
As A.I. Takes Off, We Need a Plan to Deal with Societal Disruption
As an Xconomist, I have been asked to predict what technology might really take off in 2018. My response is something of a “cheat” in that it relates to artificial intelligence (AI), a technology that has been poised to take off next year for the past several decades and a topic about which I have … Continue reading “As A.I. Takes Off, We Need a Plan to Deal with Societal Disruption”
Bio Buyout Spree Continues as SeaGen Bets $614M on Cascadian Cancer Drug
In the latest in a recent spate of biopharma buyouts, Seattle Genetics has struck a deal to acquire Cascadian Therapeutics, gambling on an experimental breast cancer drug in late-stage testing. SeaGen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]), of Bothell, WA, will pay $10 per share in cash, or $614 million, for Seattle’s Cascadian (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CASC]]) and its lead drug … Continue reading “Bio Buyout Spree Continues as SeaGen Bets $614M on Cascadian Cancer Drug”
Your Smart City Is Stupid
Cities have been called a repository of possibilities. What they haven’t been called, at least until recently, is smart. These days, however, the term “smart city” is everywhere, pimped by tech giants like IBM, Google, and Cisco, and embraced by various mayors, city managers, and chief innovation officers from Silicon Valley to Rio to Dubai. … Continue reading “Your Smart City Is Stupid”
After Paper Shakes Sector, Gene Therapy Leader Jim Wilson Talks Safety
[Updated, 1/31/18, see below] Gene therapy pioneer James Wilson and University of Pennsylvania colleagues sounded an alarm Tuesday morning about the use of gene therapy to treat severe diseases like spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, sending a chill across the sector. Shares of several companies inched downward as word spread about the UPenn … Continue reading “After Paper Shakes Sector, Gene Therapy Leader Jim Wilson Talks Safety”
Evicted from the Smart City: No Citizens Needed
Tech vendors know when they knock on the doors of local politicians to pitch smart cities technologies and promising billions in savings, they are going to find a receptive audience. Big Tech promises what politicians desperately want to hear: that we can address deep-seated, structural urban problems through business-led technological innovation and somehow sidestep the … Continue reading “Evicted from the Smart City: No Citizens Needed”
Building a Smart City Upon a Hill
In my Los Angeles neighborhood there is a gnarly 5-way stop. It’s all stop signs, and because of the number of accidents, the city is considering switching to traffic lights. I receive letters from the street department giving me updates and inviting me to comment. There have been multiple neighborhood meetings. Officials have gone a … Continue reading “Building a Smart City Upon a Hill”
Here’s What I Made (Finally) With My Glowforge Laser Cutter
When I lifted the lid on the Glowforge laser cutter to reveal the family portrait engraved on a wooden jigsaw puzzle, it brought a smile to my face like few other tech products I’ve used before. This simple project—enabled by a very complex machine—was a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. I … Continue reading “Here’s What I Made (Finally) With My Glowforge Laser Cutter”
Bio Roundup: Spark v. ICER, A Solid Revelation, T Cell Deals & More
The United States has a new Health and Human Services chief who is expected to weigh in on the country’s drug-pricing debate. But how Alex Azar, a former pharma executive at Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), plans to throw his weight around remains to be seen. One of the latest exhibits in the debate is an … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Spark v. ICER, A Solid Revelation, T Cell Deals & More”
Solid Discloses Duchenne Problems in IPO & Raises Rival’s Hackles
[Updated, 1/26/18, see below] Solid Biosciences was expected to ride gene therapy’s wave of recent momentum to an IPO this week. But new revelations have clouded the offering, as the company revealed just before going public that its most advanced drug candidate has been under FDA scrutiny since mid-November. The gene therapy, SGT-001, is being … Continue reading “Solid Discloses Duchenne Problems in IPO & Raises Rival’s Hackles”
Security Is Dead, Long Live Security
Roughly every three years, someone steps up and boldly claims the security software industry is going away, and they are probably right—much like there is a strong chance of the cold energy death of the universe. However, neither is likely tomorrow. With all due respect, such claims usually suffer from the recency bias or, put … Continue reading “Security Is Dead, Long Live Security”
SoftBank Continues Funding Spree, Leads $865M Round for Katerra
Katerra, a building construction startup inspired by the efficient practices of electronics manufacturing, announced today it has raised $865 million in a Series D fundraising round led by the SoftBank Vision Fund. The company was co-founded in 2015 by Michael Marks, the former CEO of contract electronics manufacturer Flextronics. Katerra has large-scale ambitions that match the … Continue reading “SoftBank Continues Funding Spree, Leads $865M Round for Katerra”
Should Startups Extend the Window to Exercise Options?
Pinterest did it. Square did it. And Coinbase did it, too. These unicorns have all given departing employees more than the standard 90 days to exercise their stock options. They’ve extended the window to exercise options for employees who have at least a minimum period of service. The tech recruiting site Triplebyte urged an even … Continue reading “Should Startups Extend the Window to Exercise Options?”
Facebook Touts Countermeasures to Election Hacking: Are They Enough?
Facebook expanded its mea culpa on Monday for failing to prevent “bad actors” such as Russian entities from using the social media platform to distort democratic processes—notably the U.S. presidential election in 2016. The company unveiled another series of measures it’s taking to prevent malefactors, who hide behind false names, from spreading fake and incendiary … Continue reading “Facebook Touts Countermeasures to Election Hacking: Are They Enough?”
Hey Alexa, What’s in a Name? Actually, Let’s Call You Amazon
With “Hey Google” and “Alexa” echoing from the expo halls of Las Vegas to millions of homes, the hype around voice-controlled computing is reaching a new peak in early 2018. Voice-controlled devices are permeating our world, and this new user interface is the future of computing—or so we are told by the companies purveying it. … Continue reading “Hey Alexa, What’s in a Name? Actually, Let’s Call You Amazon”
Why Spark and Watchdog ICER Don’t See Eye-to-Eye on $850K Gene Therapy
The first gene therapy approved in the U.S. costs $850,000. Announcing the price on Jan. 3, its owner Spark Therapeutics held out the possibility of some relief, such as installment payments, or slim rebates if the drug, a one-time shot into each eye to reduce or reverse inherited vision loss, doesn’t work or wears off. … Continue reading “Why Spark and Watchdog ICER Don’t See Eye-to-Eye on $850K Gene Therapy”
Democratization of Automation: The Next Generation of Industrial Robotics
In the coming years, artificial intelligence will have many transformative impacts, but the one perhaps most resembling science fiction will be the rise of autonomous physical systems: real-world systems that can make decisions for themselves. Of these autonomous systems, self-driving cars have captured the most attention. But the field of manufacturing, which represents one-sixth of … Continue reading “Democratization of Automation: The Next Generation of Industrial Robotics”
Q&A: Dell Med’s DeSalvo Talks Social Health Startups, Data Ownership
Karen DeSalvo has experience working in the public sector, but she’s hardly what you’d call a government bureaucrat. DeSalvo, who is trained as a physician, served as the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology from 2014 to 2016 under President Barack Obama. During some of the time she headed the ONC, as the office is … Continue reading “Q&A: Dell Med’s DeSalvo Talks Social Health Startups, Data Ownership”
UTA Using Robots, Shakespeare to Study Ways to Address Loneliness
Dallas—In healthcare, robots are being created to help with tasks like disinfecting hospital rooms or alerting patients when it’s time to take medications. A study at the Emotional Robotics Living Lab at the University of Texas at Arlington is even exploring how human-robot connection can help fight depression. “We are looking at robots that would be … Continue reading “UTA Using Robots, Shakespeare to Study Ways to Address Loneliness”
Bio Roundup: Spark’s Road Ahead, Juno Rumors, Merck’s Big Day & More
The most overblown health story of the week was President Trump’s health exam. America learned Trump is in perfect health and has “great genes.” He takes Propecia. He doesn’t have heart problems, had a perfect cognitive test score, and is one pound shy of obese. This scintillating information led to a new social media phenomenon, the … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Spark’s Road Ahead, Juno Rumors, Merck’s Big Day & More”
Tougher “Immigration” Policies On Foreign Tech Crossing U.S. Border
It’s not only people from other countries that are struggling harder to get into the United States these days, it seems. Technology from foreign nations may also be subject to stricter “immigration” rules. The national origins of tech devices and services wasn’t a front-burner question—at least for the general public—until the issue came up at … Continue reading “Tougher “Immigration” Policies On Foreign Tech Crossing U.S. Border”
Absences, Surprises in Amazon’s Final List of 20 Cities for HQ2
And then there were 20. Amazon has winnowed down the field of 238 submissions from communities around North America vying to host a second headquarters (HQ2) of the Seattle-based tech giant. Most large cities with existing or emerging tech hubs appear on the list, from Austin, TX, and Boston, MA, to Washington, DC, and Toronto, … Continue reading “Absences, Surprises in Amazon’s Final List of 20 Cities for HQ2”
In “Age of Amazon,” All Retailers Are Tech Companies, Even Walmart
Technology took center stage this week as the nation’s retailers made their annual pilgrimage to New York. At the National Retail Federation’s three-day conference, which ended Tuesday, the discussion centered on both the disruptive effects and potential promise of e-commerce technologies. Kate Ancketill, the CEO of GDR Creative Intelligence, a retail trends consultancy, said retailers … Continue reading “In “Age of Amazon,” All Retailers Are Tech Companies, Even Walmart”
Three Takes on How Tech Can Rebuild Trust in 2018
Rounding out our series of perspectives and prognostications for the new year, we asked people in Xconomy’s network about trust in the tech industry. Specifically, if you think public perception about the tech industry took a turn for the worse in 2017, what should the industry do to rebuild trust in 2018? Here are responses … Continue reading “Three Takes on How Tech Can Rebuild Trust in 2018”
Google Launches a MOOC to Train Entry-Level IT Support Staffers
Big tech companies like Google are facing heat for developing disruptive technologies that can make traditional jobs obsolete. But at the same time, the tech industry is growing fast, and is eager to recruit workers outside the sector to fill entry-level jobs that often go begging, a Google executive says. Google is betting on online … Continue reading “Google Launches a MOOC to Train Entry-Level IT Support Staffers”
A.I. Could Be Double-Edged Sword for Cybersecurity Industry in 2018
It’s no secret that artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly influential in cybersecurity—on both sides of the battlefield. And while it’s no secret, it should also be no surprise. Although, in many ways, A.I. is still in its infancy, with nearly every industry investing in the space and many companies already benefiting from automation and business … Continue reading “A.I. Could Be Double-Edged Sword for Cybersecurity Industry in 2018”
Why Human Extinction Needs a Marketing Department
Experts at Oxford University and elsewhere have estimated that the risk of a global human extinction event this century—or at least of an event that wipes out 10 percent or more of the world’s population— is around 1 in 10. The most probable culprits sending us the way of the dinosaur are mostly anthropogenic risks, … Continue reading “Why Human Extinction Needs a Marketing Department”
Spark CEO Marrazzo on Gene Therapy Pricing & Paving the Way for the Field
[Updated, 1/13/17, 11:15 a.m. ET] After decades of research and scientific ups and downs, the first U.S. gene therapy, a single, long-lasting treatment called voretigene neparvovec (Luxturna) for rare, inherited blindness, is now on the market. But the commercial challenge facing its developer, Spark Therapeutics, is daunting. Can Spark lead the way in showing that … Continue reading “Spark CEO Marrazzo on Gene Therapy Pricing & Paving the Way for the Field”
Bio Roundup: #JPM18, Axovant’s Fall, CRISPR Caveat, Impact M&A & More
Have you gotten your flu shot yet this year? This winter’s flu season is shaping up to be a particularly nasty one and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week upped its tally of states reporting widespread flu activity to 46. Flu awareness was top of mind at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: #JPM18, Axovant’s Fall, CRISPR Caveat, Impact M&A & More”
E-Commerce Firm Black Rifle Coffee Has Expansion in Its Sights
There wasn’t a lot that Evan Hafer could control on his half-dozen deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a Green Beret and CIA contractor. But the one thing he could do something about was the terrible coffee. “I started roasting my own coffee and taking it with me overseas,” he says. “I set up a … Continue reading “E-Commerce Firm Black Rifle Coffee Has Expansion in Its Sights”
Notes From the JPM ’18 Vortex: Gene Therapy’s Reckoning and Lonely Cabs
The annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference in San Francisco winds down today, meaning the remaining stragglers are either presenting to half-empty rooms or headed back to colder climes. Compared to a 2017 full of scientific milestones—FDA approvals of gene and cell therapies, a clinical victory for RNA interference, and more—the meeting itself was rather dull. … Continue reading “Notes From the JPM ’18 Vortex: Gene Therapy’s Reckoning and Lonely Cabs”
Loving LTE or Tossing the Smartphone: Tech Leaders Share New Habits
We asked people around the Xconomy network whether their personal patterns of technology usage changed much in response to something that happened in 2017, as part of our series of perspectives and predictions marking the start of a new year. Here are answers from Ben Gilbert, co-founder of Pioneer Square Labs in Seattle and interim … Continue reading “Loving LTE or Tossing the Smartphone: Tech Leaders Share New Habits”
Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: ScaleVP Comments From the Sidelines
Just because an investor isn’t putting money into blockchain technologies or cryptocurrencies yet, it doesn’t mean they’re not watching these emerging phenomena with interest. Andy Vitus, a partner at Silicon Valley venture capital firm Scale Venture Partners, has been keeping his eye on the potential uses of the blockchain, which is best known as the … Continue reading “Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: ScaleVP Comments From the Sidelines”
Ag Startup Inocucor Adds $9.5M for Microbes that Improve Yields, Soil
A growing number of agtech startups are researching biological products that work with the community of microorganisms in and around plants. Denver-based Inocucor has developed microbes intended to improve plant and soil health and it now has $9.5 million in additional financing to support its efforts to bring these products to crops. The latest investment … Continue reading “Ag Startup Inocucor Adds $9.5M for Microbes that Improve Yields, Soil”
Beyond the Demo: 2018 Could Be Year for Longer, Profitable VR Content
René Pinnell says he and his wife Selena Pinnell were “blown away” by the virtual reality projects their friends were creating in 2014, so they looked for an entrepreneurial niche that would allow them to support such artists. That year the couple, both trained in design, founded a startup in San Francisco, then called KaleidoscopeVR. … Continue reading “Beyond the Demo: 2018 Could Be Year for Longer, Profitable VR Content”
Venture Activity Comes to (Unicorn) Point in 2017, and Top 10 Deals
[Updated 1/10/18 1:30 pm. See below.] In China, 2017 was the year of the rooster. But in the United States, it was the year of the unicorn—at least according to the Venture Monitor report released today by Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. A record number of unicorn financings—venture-backed companies valued at $1 … Continue reading “Venture Activity Comes to (Unicorn) Point in 2017, and Top 10 Deals”
E-Commerce Innovations in the Mix at Consumer Tech Conference
Alexa is now mobile. Seattle-based e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) is expected to unveil its first augmented-reality glasses to pair with Alexa, its digital assistant, at the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, in Las Vegas this week. The glasses were developed for Amazon by Vuzix, a Rochester, NY -based wearable tech company, and can communicate … Continue reading “E-Commerce Innovations in the Mix at Consumer Tech Conference”
Xconomy Bookclub: “Troublemakers” Charts the Birth of Silicon Valley
In 1968, a little-read article in a soon-to-fail magazine prophesied an age of networked machines that could be more than passive, oversized calculators to become digital partners in solving problems alongside humans. “In a few years, men will be able to communicate more effectively through a machine than face to face,” wrote JCR “Lick” Licklider … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Troublemakers” Charts the Birth of Silicon Valley”
Bio Roundup: Trump, Gottlieb, Gene Therapy Prices, IPO Hopes & More
Welcome to the new year. What will it bring? Hopefully a lot less hatred, greed, stupidity, and angst than 2017. But we’re not holding our breath. We emerged from the winter break pondering several of the year’s burning biopharma questions, including the volatility of the U.S. president and what it means for the biopharmaceutical business, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump, Gottlieb, Gene Therapy Prices, IPO Hopes & More”
What Can Seattle Learn from Amazon’s HQ2 Search? 3 Takes
Perhaps the biggest story in Seattle last year was Amazon’s decision to seek a second headquarters elsewhere in North America. The tech and retail juggernaut has transformed this city and its economy over the last decade, for good and for ill. So, what lesson should Seattle take from Amazon’s move? We put that question to … Continue reading “What Can Seattle Learn from Amazon’s HQ2 Search? 3 Takes”
CertaDose, Preparing to Sell First Product, Adds $5M and J&J Grant
San Antonio — CertaDose, a medical device maker with a syringe that is meant to cut down errors when giving doses of drugs to children, has raised about $5 million in early stage funding and hopes to begin selling its first product this year. CertaDose also announced in December a grant from Johnson & Johnson Innovation, … Continue reading “CertaDose, Preparing to Sell First Product, Adds $5M and J&J Grant”
Six West Coast Tech Leaders Share Top Developments of 2017
Xconomy asked technology and innovation leaders around our network to reflect on the most important developments in their industries during 2017, and the answers were appropriately wide-ranging. Responses from individuals in Seattle and San Diego touch on the rapid advance of machine learning, tech’s full-scale invasion of digital health, dramatic growth in blockchain and cryptocurrency, … Continue reading “Six West Coast Tech Leaders Share Top Developments of 2017”
Clean Energy Entrepreneur Desai on Tech’s Pitfalls & Promise in 2017
A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Nisha … Continue reading “Clean Energy Entrepreneur Desai on Tech’s Pitfalls & Promise in 2017”
First U.S. Gene Therapy, Approved for Vision Loss, to Cost $850,000
The first gene therapy approved in the United States will cost $850,000, its developer Spark Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONCE]]) announced today. Spark hopes to reduce the sticker shock by offering refunds and other creative pricing ideas, but those carve-outs, at best, are limited, and some are unlikely to come to fruition, according to healthcare economists. The … Continue reading “First U.S. Gene Therapy, Approved for Vision Loss, to Cost $850,000”
Cybersecurity Firm Illumio’s Alan Cohen on the Tech Backlash of 2017
One of the largest and most consequential data breaches in 2017 afflicted credit reporting agency Equifax, and it was hardly the only victim. Any year-end review of technology news must also include reports on Russian hacking of the 2016 election campaign, and the manipulation of social media channels to spread false and divisive political messages. These … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Firm Illumio’s Alan Cohen on the Tech Backlash of 2017”
Trump v. Drug Makers? And 6 More Burning Biopharma Questions for 2018
Next week, a big slice of the biomedical industry is gathering in San Francisco for the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference and other life sciences events that have emerged like sprouts around the base of an old redwood tree. One year ago, the pharmaceutical folks—by far the largest delegation to this annual mosh pit of … Continue reading “Trump v. Drug Makers? And 6 More Burning Biopharma Questions for 2018”
Six Useful Things You Can Do With Your New Smart Speaker
TL;DR: It’s time to buy a smart speaker. They’re ridiculously cheap—$30 for the Amazon Echo Dot, and $29 for the Google Home Mini—and increasingly powerful. It will be a long time before they’re as empathetic as Samantha in Her or as industrious as Rosie in The Jetsons. But they can already make your life easier, … Continue reading “Six Useful Things You Can Do With Your New Smart Speaker”
Storage Trends for 2018: Cloud Storage 2.0 Players Poised to Ascend
In March 2006, Amazon launched Simple Storage Service (S3). Although few people paid much attention at the time, the announcement of S3 marked the beginning of a great migration of data from on-premises storage to the cloud. The first generation of cloud storage products—as represented by Amazon S3, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure—made the best … Continue reading “Storage Trends for 2018: Cloud Storage 2.0 Players Poised to Ascend”