Category: Boulder/Denver

Internal Threats: 10 Ways to Protect Your Business

The topic of cybercriminals can invoke the image of a scruffy-looking hacker glaring at a computer screen from a mysterious location. But the most serious threats to your business’s information security could be much closer than you think. A growing number of small and midsize businesses consider internal security breaches—accidental and malicious—from employees a bigger … Continue reading “Internal Threats: 10 Ways to Protect Your Business”

BiOptix Lands $800,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=98369b27-7822-4037-995a-cf2ac0be8d82 Date 5/16/2016 Company Name BiOptix Mailing Address 1775 38th St. Boulder, CO 80301 USA Company Description BiOptix offers an affordable and powerful solution for drug discovery scientists that require label-free, real-time detection of biomolecular interactions. Website http://www.bioptix.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $800,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes … Continue reading “BiOptix Lands $800,000 New Financing Round”

White House Wants to Spend $121M on National Microbiome Initiative

The Obama administration announced this morning a public-private initiative to study the collections of microorganisms that live on or in humans and practically everywhere else on Earth. More than 100 other institutions are joining the administration with funding and resources in what’s being billed as the National Microbiome Initiative. The microbiome has become a subject … Continue reading “White House Wants to Spend $121M on National Microbiome Initiative”

RoundPegg Secures $554,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=86aba967-4861-4e7a-8f99-c9ace448d738 Date 5/12/2016 Company Name RoundPegg Mailing Address 1215 Spruce St. Boulder, CO 80302 USA Company Description The company develops employment software solutions that help increase employee engagement. Website http://www.roundpegg.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $554,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. 27 investors participated in the offering. … Continue reading “RoundPegg Secures $554,000 New Round”

MGH Goes Epic: What I Learned in the Trenches

On April 2 at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the green charts went away. Every morning around 6:30 am since starting residency, my co-interns and I had frantically scrambled around the halls searching for these plastic binders, which contained the sole record of our patients’ vital signs. It was a ritual that blended equal parts anxiety, … Continue reading “MGH Goes Epic: What I Learned in the Trenches”

Across The Board: Ideas To Narrow Biotech’s Gender Gap

The evidence is piling up. Companies with more women in charge are better businesses. So why are so many biotechs still led mainly by men? Saira Ramasastry, a former Merrill Lynch analyst, is now a Bay Area consultant on the boards of three biotechs, including Sangamo Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGMO]]). Having benefited from female mentors such … Continue reading “Across The Board: Ideas To Narrow Biotech’s Gender Gap”

How a Mobile Device Can Reduce Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is a major problem. In 2014, more than 30,000 people were killed and more than 430,000 injured in car crashes involving distracted drivers. Ironically, it may just be that the root of the problem – a smartphone – could actually be the solution. People know they shouldn’t, but they do. In a survey … Continue reading “How a Mobile Device Can Reduce Distracted Driving”

More than a Matter of Appearances: Pharma’s Existential PR Problem

When President Obama forced Pfizer to scrap its proposed $160 billion merger with Allergan, the industry as well as the company emerged as losers in the eyes of the public, despite Pfizer’s credible and constructive position.  As Pfizer CEO Ian Read explained in a recent op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer has long … Continue reading “More than a Matter of Appearances: Pharma’s Existential PR Problem”

Wayin Obtains $753,404 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=52c353a8-5ce9-4f6b-bb39-26a270dbed6a Date 5/5/2016 Company Name Wayin Mailing Address 1623 Blake Street Denver, CO 80202 USA Company Description Wayin, based in Denver, is a leading mobile and web engagement platform that enables conversations between individuals, brands, and enterprises with their fans, customers and employees. Website http://www.wayin.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $753,404 … Continue reading “Wayin Obtains $753,404 New Funding”

P2Binvestor Garners $5,117,393 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9486014c-ed12-466a-a2f1-498f383a5678 Date 5/5/2016 Company Name P2Binvestor Mailing Address 899 Logan St. Denver, CO 80203 USA Company Description P2Bi is convinced that small and midsized businesses are the engines for job growth and the key to economic prosperity in the United States. However, these businesses face real problems obtaining the short-term working capital … Continue reading “P2Binvestor Garners $5,117,393 New Financing”

Down to Wire on Napa Summit—Get Your Invite to Our May 16-17 Event

It’s getting close to the last call for Xconomy’s invitation-only Napa Summit. We have a star-studded lineup. But there are only a few tickets and hotel rooms left, and the May 16-17 event is coming up fast. So request your invitation right away if you’d like to join us. It all starts with a dinner … Continue reading “Down to Wire on Napa Summit—Get Your Invite to Our May 16-17 Event”

Scott McNealy’s Wayin Buys EngageSciences, Brings in New CEO

One of Denver’s most prominent tech startups is announcing big moves today. Wayin, a social-media marketing company co-founded by Scott McNealy, the former Sun Microsystems CEO, has acquired EngageSciences, a digital marketing firm based in the U.K. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Wayin is bringing on EngageSciences’ chief executive, Richard Jones, to be … Continue reading “Scott McNealy’s Wayin Buys EngageSciences, Brings in New CEO”

A Vision for Boosting the Life Sciences in San Diego and Beyond

The life sciences industry represents a vital piece of San Diego’s innovation economy, contributing $31.8 billion each year in local economic impact—more than defense or even tourism, according to the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. Beyond our region, San Diego’s life sciences community is significant for a different reason: Our companies contribute novel healthcare … Continue reading “A Vision for Boosting the Life Sciences in San Diego and Beyond”

Ransomware: Four Steps to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim

It’s no secret to anyone who’s been paying attention to global business news: over the last few months, ransomware attacks have been plaguing organizations across every vertical and nation. Recent examples include events in the healthcare and legal industries in particular, notably the widely reported attacks on the MedStar Health hospital chain. In the case … Continue reading “Ransomware: Four Steps to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim”

From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary

Cybersecurity is a rapidly changing field. The arms race between hackers and organizations trying to defend themselves has given rise to a lexicon of epic proportions—and leaders from almost every industry are learning to speak the language. As concepts like antivirus and firewalls have grown old, security-tech companies are selling everything from “advanced threat detection” … Continue reading “From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary”

Sales Is Toxic to Innovation

Having had the good fortune to participate in business development and sales in both startups and large companies (Intel and Microsoft), I have arrived at the conclusion that sales is largely detrimental to successfully bringing innovative ideas to market. There is a critical transition from business development to sales, and if made prematurely it will … Continue reading “Sales Is Toxic to Innovation”

COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability

Last week’s signing of the Paris climate accord successfully returned international efforts on climate change to the media spotlight. As private investors in cleantech startups since 2006, Element 8 members have been following the developments since December very closely. We are notably encouraged about the future of clean technologies in the wake of not just … Continue reading “COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability”

Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite

Carving out time to really ponder the future of our technology landscape can be touch, but it can also be incredibly valuable. And if that time is spent with some of the world’s great innovators, technologists, and investors, all the better. That’s just the opportunity you’ll have at Xconomy’s invitation-only Napa Summit on May 16-17. … Continue reading “Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite”

CyberArk-Led Alliance Unites Security Around Privileged Accounts

A new nationwide cybersecurity industry partnership led by CyberArk Software underscores the sector’s increased emphasis on collaboration and unifying software security measures as threats mount around the world. CyberArk (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYBR]]) today announced the launch of the C3 Alliance, a group of cybersecurity, enterprise software, and other service providers who will integrate into their offerings … Continue reading “CyberArk-Led Alliance Unites Security Around Privileged Accounts”

West Coast Bio Roundup: Prince, Theranos, Second Genome, CytomX & More

The biggest biomedical news on this coast, that coast, or any coast this week is the death of Prince Rogers Nelson, 57, a man who did more to promote cardiovascular fitness than any drug maker could ever hope to do. How much of your life have you spent dancing to his music, or, ahem, engaged … Continue reading “West Coast Bio Roundup: Prince, Theranos, Second Genome, CytomX & More”

Announcing Xconomy Cybersecurity Channel

It doesn’t seem to matter where you live, what you do, or what industry your company is in—the likelihood of a cyber attack is growing, and protecting yourself is ever more front of mind. Xconomy’s editors around the United States have certainly encountered that reality, as they are increasingly covering more and more cybersecurity issues. … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Cybersecurity Channel”

Credential Stealing as Attack Vector

Traditional computer security concerns itself with vulnerabilities. We employ antivirus software to detect malware that exploits vulnerabilities. We have automatic patching systems to fix vulnerabilities. We debate whether the FBI should be permitted to introduce vulnerabilities in our software so it can get access to systems with a warrant. This is all important, but what’s … Continue reading “Credential Stealing as Attack Vector”

Ready Or Not: Next Alzheimer’s Drugs Might Strain Health Systems

By 2029, more than 20 percent of people in the United States will be over the age of 65. That’s why the race to find effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease feels urgent. A few drugs, approved well over a decade ago, can slow patients’ mental decline for some time. But everything else that has reached … Continue reading “Ready Or Not: Next Alzheimer’s Drugs Might Strain Health Systems”

TapInfluence Lands $14,000,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f242d5cb-cd53-4e0b-8718-1928a0d039ac Date 4/19/2016 Company Name TapInfluence Mailing Address 2100 Central Ave. Boulder, CO 80301 USA Company Description TapInfluence is a software company headquartered in beautiful Boulder, Colorado with an additional office in New York City. The TapInfluence platform is used by brands to rapidly scale their social presence, amplify online conversations, and … Continue reading “TapInfluence Lands $14,000,000 Series B Financing Round”

Agenda Posted For Napa Summit: Request Invite to Star-Studded Event

It’s four weeks until Napa Summit 2016: The Xconomy Retreat on the Economy, Jobs, and Growth. We have now posted the agenda, and we’d love to see you there. So request your invitation today to Xconomy’s most prestigious event. The dates are May 16 and 17, starting with a wine reception and dinner at Silver … Continue reading “Agenda Posted For Napa Summit: Request Invite to Star-Studded Event”

Prieto Battery Garners $1,039,904 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=80fa9887-47a6-4938-83bf-e227e7ad130a Date 4/18/2016 Company Name Prieto Battery Mailing Address 4227 Lookout Lane Fort Collins, CO 80526 USA Company Description Life and technology move so quickly these days that current battery technology can hardly keep up. While the electronic devices that power our lives get exponentially smarter, the batteries that power them improve … Continue reading “Prieto Battery Garners $1,039,904 New Financing Round”

First-Quarter VC Activity Buoyant at $12.1 Billion, & Top 10 Deals

Venture capital firms invested $12.1 billion in 969 startup deals nationwide during the first three months of 2016, marking the ninth consecutive quarter when VCs invested at least $10 billion in new companies, according to the MoneyTree Report. The top 10 deals accounted for 25 percent of all capital deployed during the quarter, and was … Continue reading “First-Quarter VC Activity Buoyant at $12.1 Billion, & Top 10 Deals”

Shopventory Obtains $400,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ef01b5d9-674e-4120-9ebc-4ee7efcc21cd Date 4/15/2016 Company Name Shopventory Mailing Address P.O. Box 6197 Denver, CO 80206 USA Company Description Shopventory integrates with Square to give you in-depth information about your business. Website http://www.shopventory.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $400,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. 7 investors participated in the … Continue reading “Shopventory Obtains $400,000 New Round”

Covalent Data Secures $1,200,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4ecccfc9-c872-42e0-88ce-c0456dad2b2b Date 4/15/2016 Company Name Covalent Data Mailing Address 1719 Emerson St. Denver, CO 80218 USA Company Description Covalent Data supports a network of stakeholders throughout the innovation lifecycle, from discovery through commercialization. Learn more about how we support your role. Website http://www.covalentdata.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,200,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Covalent Data Secures $1,200,000 Series A Round”

Closetbox Receives $5,002,367 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a3a0d7fe-0cf9-4779-9f4f-c1ab286a759d Date 4/14/2016 Company Name Closetbox Mailing Address 6888 South Clinton St. Greenwood Village, CO 80112 USA Company Description Closetbox was founded to free you from the hassle of loading, hauling, and moving into storage. We provide full-service, concierge storage with a free pickup at your door and on-demand return delivery for … Continue reading “Closetbox Receives $5,002,367 Seed Funding”

After EMC, Dell Buyouts, Spanning Focused on Data Backup, Ransomware

Austin — The broad-stroke reasoning behind the Dell and EMC merger has been discussed for months: Dell is hoping to benefit from being able to simultaneously offer its computers, servers, and other hardware alongside EMC’s data storage, virtualization, security, and various other computing and data-focused services. But there are other parts of Hopkinton, MA-based EMC (NYSE: … Continue reading “After EMC, Dell Buyouts, Spanning Focused on Data Backup, Ransomware”

Altitude Digital Garners $17,500,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2f84abe6-d0cd-4952-ad88-a55ee28c17b7 Date 4/12/2016 Company Name Altitude Digital Mailing Address 1037 Broadway Denver, CO 80203 USA Company Description Altitude Digital delivers leading Video SSP advertising technology, enabling premium publishers to enhance monetization programmatically on mobile & desktop Website http://www.altitudedigital.com Transaction Type Venture Equity, Debt Transaction Amount $17,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Altitude Digital Garners $17,500,000 New Round”

Techstars Gets Industrial With Launch of IoT Accelerator in New York

Trying a different strategy to nurture startups in the Internet of Things niche, Techstars announced on Monday the formation of another accelerator that will be based in New York. Ten spots are up for grabs for startups in the new program, which is another effort by Boulder, CO-based Techstars to foster companies working on ideas that connect … Continue reading “Techstars Gets Industrial With Launch of IoT Accelerator in New York”

University of Denver Program Looks to Bridge Cybersecurity Skills Gap

As far as JB Holston is concerned, there are only two types of businesses: those that know they’ve been hacked, and those that are oblivious. “Those are the only two states of the world out there right now,” said Holston (pictured), dean of the Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of … Continue reading “University of Denver Program Looks to Bridge Cybersecurity Skills Gap”

A Pivotal Factor In M&A Deals: Cyber Risk

Big merger and acquisition proposals trigger intense examinations of the benefits and risks of the deal from both sides—valuations, assets, legal liabilities, operational risk exposures, and compatibility, among others. However, it is also critical that companies elevate another factor to the top of the priority list: their cyber risk exposure. The pending acquisition of Starwood … Continue reading “A Pivotal Factor In M&A Deals: Cyber Risk”

Galvanize Secures $3,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0eb4969a-550f-4599-a777-cf2ad75e0197 Date 4/11/2016 Company Name Galvanize Mailing Address 1062 Delaware Street Denver, CO 80204 USA Company Description Galvanize is where you can become a developer, data scientist, data engineer, or build your tech startup. Website http://www.galvanize.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $3,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “Galvanize Secures $3,000,000 New Round”

Steve Case’s Rules for Building Startups in Internet’s “Third Wave”

Software could be poised to truly transform entrenched sectors like healthcare, education, financial services, and more. But the next wave of software companies will take longer to build than some entrepreneurs have grown accustomed to in the smartphone era, and success will require more patience and willingness to work closely with policymakers and industry stakeholders. … Continue reading “Steve Case’s Rules for Building Startups in Internet’s “Third Wave””

The Case For An Internet Franchise Model

Internet service in America is not what it should be. Most consumers have two choices for access: the phone company or the cable company. By a quirk of fate, networks built with cables designed for television service can deliver more Internet bandwidth than networks built with cables designed for telephone service. So, the cable company … Continue reading “The Case For An Internet Franchise Model”

How Startups Can Run Better Landing Page Tests

In today’s fast-changing world, new product teams are constantly pushed to do more faster. They need to run fast to keep up with rapidly changing market conditions. Oftentimes it means making decisions about what to invest in with very little information. How can teams validate hypotheses without over-investing on speculative engineering projects, and potentially losing … Continue reading “How Startups Can Run Better Landing Page Tests”

Announcing Xconomy Indiana—11th Region in Our Network

Just over two years ago, when we launched Xconomy Wisconsin as the ninth region in our network, I wrote: “There are no flyover zones in the United States. That’s the way Xconomy views the map, anyway, because we see innovation happening all over America.” Since that time, we expanded again, to Raleigh-Durham. And I am … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Indiana—11th Region in Our Network”

Software Study Ranks San Diego #7, Cites Prowess in Scientific R&D

A study to assess the strength of San Diego’s software sector has determined that it ranks seventh among the top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas, according to a “software power index” that weighs a variety of economic factors. The study, released last week by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., is the first comprehensive analysis … Continue reading “Software Study Ranks San Diego #7, Cites Prowess in Scientific R&D”

Making the Price Right: Ideas To Change Drug Costs Gain Momentum

If the U.S. presidential primaries continue their current trajectories, the two contenders come autumn will have at least one thing in common: a stated desire to do something about high drug prices. Maybe you believe them, and maybe you think they’re blowing smoke up our nether regions. But momentum is momentum. With consumers, doctors, and … Continue reading “Making the Price Right: Ideas To Change Drug Costs Gain Momentum”

Napa Summit 2016: Request Your Invite to Our Most Special Event

There are all sorts of reasons for requesting an invitation to Xconomy’s Napa Summit, which will take place in just six weeks—on May 16-17.  One is the fantastic array of speakers: John Maeda, design partner at Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers; virtual reality virtuoso Mary Lou Jepsen of Facebook/Oculus; tech investor Esther Dyson; computing visionary … Continue reading “Napa Summit 2016: Request Your Invite to Our Most Special Event”

Trading Quality for Ease: Confessions of an Earbud Junkie

This is the story of a reawakening. I’ve come home to the world of real home stereo sound, after too many years hooked on music trickling through smartphone earbuds and devices with small, crappy speakers. Don’t worry, I haven’t turned into an audiophile. I’m not going to preach to you about some $40,000 turntable with … Continue reading “Trading Quality for Ease: Confessions of an Earbud Junkie”

PanTheryx Lands $53,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4ed8a2f1-aa55-44e6-8958-00ef76986346 Date 4/1/2016 Company Name PanTheryx Mailing Address 5480 Valmont Road Boulder, CO 80301 USA Company Description Founded in 2007, PanTheryx is a medical nutrition company based in Boulder, Colorado USA, and is dedicated to improving global health and quality of life through innovative life science. Website http://www.pantheryx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “PanTheryx Lands $53,000,000 New Round”