Category: Boulder/Denver

Stealth Startup Liqid Announces $5.7M Seed Round, Not Much Else

It’s not much of a secret that data storage and networking are two areas where Colorado has created some very successful startups, such as SolidFire and, back in the day, Lefthand Networks and StorageTek. So it wouldn’t be unusual to see a new startup make its debut by announcing a large seed round. But for … Continue reading “Stealth Startup Liqid Announces $5.7M Seed Round, Not Much Else”

Building an Agnostic Cloud Infrastructure

Over the last two years I have often been asked: What is the best way to move out of Amazon Web Services (AWS) or other public cloud services? There are many reasons for making such a move, but cost, stability, and planned growth are the primary factors. Many companies that surpass $50,000 a month in … Continue reading “Building an Agnostic Cloud Infrastructure”

Glowforge Gets $9M From Foundry, MakerBot Vets for Consumer Laser Cutter

If there’s one Seattle-area startup making something I really want, Glowforge is it. The company just raised $9 million from Foundry Group, True Ventures, and leaders of 3D-printing company MakerBot to build a consumer-grade “3D laser printer”—more commonly known as a laser cutter and engraver. Co-founder and CEO Dan Shapiro said Glowforge aims to have … Continue reading “Glowforge Gets $9M From Foundry, MakerBot Vets for Consumer Laser Cutter”

Welltok Buys Predilytics to Improve Health Optimization Software

A health IT startup that wants to use IBM’s Watson supercomputer to make personalized recommendations might be getting a bit smarter about which customers to seek out and how to motivate them, following a deal that was announced Tuesday. Welltok, a Denver-based company, has acquired Predilytics, a Burlington, MA-based company, for an undisclosed amount. Welltok … Continue reading “Welltok Buys Predilytics to Improve Health Optimization Software”

Four Tough Questions Startup CEOs Need to Ask to Scale

Mark Organ thinks very differently about how to evolve as a founder-CEO now that he’s on his second company. A decade ago, Mark co-founded customer relations management software company Eloqua. “I held on too long to all the details of the business,” he says. Even though the company had reached several million dollars in revenue, … Continue reading “Four Tough Questions Startup CEOs Need to Ask to Scale”

RoundPegg Secures $486,250 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=49e1c8d0-f987-4be5-8fad-ed8ba6ec9991 Date 5/19/2015 Company Name RoundPegg Mailing Address 1433 Pearl 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 $486,250 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. Contact technology company … Continue reading “RoundPegg Secures $486,250 New Financing Round”

Battle to Regulate Uber, Lyft Moves From City Halls to State Capitols

[Updated 5/19/15, 10:40 a.m. See below.] The push to regulate increasingly popular ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft has shifted from city halls to state capitol buildings—with implications for the companies’ reputations and expansion plans, as well as the future of transportation systems worldwide. Last year saw passage of the first rules for ridesharing companies—or … Continue reading “Battle to Regulate Uber, Lyft Moves From City Halls to State Capitols”

Still Room For Great Guests at Napa Summit 2015—Request An Invite

“It’s like a mini-Davos.” That’s the way one leading venture capitalist describes Xconomy’s Napa Summit. And while he is perhaps a bit effusive, we do believe our annual retreat in wine country is something special. Maybe you can judge for yourself. We are just two weeks away from Napa Summit 2015, which will take place … Continue reading “Still Room For Great Guests at Napa Summit 2015—Request An Invite”

OrthoFi Garners $1,500,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=21b0b9d7-b356-4ed8-a8d7-3351b05f86c8 Date 5/18/2015 Company Name OrthoFi Mailing Address 1251 Bassett Street Denver, CO 80202 USA Company Description OrthoFi Inc., based in Denver, CO, is a startup technology and process company that is revolutionizing the way orthodontists acquire, finance, and manage new patients through rigorous analytical processes and cutting edge technology. OrthoFi helps … Continue reading “OrthoFi Garners $1,500,000 New Funding”

Photobucket Garners $2,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0e790867-8bfb-402e-b653-26566170367b Date 5/18/2015 Company Name Photobucket Mailing Address 2399 Blake St. Denver, CO 80205 USA Company Description Photobucket provides an online service that enables users to upload and share photos and videos. Website http://www.photobucket.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Photobucket Garners $2,000,000 New Round”

T3Media Lands $2,500,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6a6953b6-12c8-4dc1-a785-520355bb5358 Date 5/15/2015 Company Name T3Media Mailing Address 1530 16th Street 6th Floor Denver, CO 80202 USA Company Description T3Media is the world’s largest supplier of online motion content, licensing and Professional representative services to the agency, entertaintment and corporate production industries. Website http://www.t3media.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,500,000 Transaction … Continue reading “T3Media Lands $2,500,000 New Funding”

Nivalis Bets on Potential Cystic Fibrosis Drug, Seeks $60M IPO

Nivalis Therapeutics, a Boulder, CO-based drug company working on a treatment for cystic fibrosis, will attempt to go public soon with a potential $60 million initial public offering. The filing on Wednesday came one day after Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) cleared a significant FDA hurdle for its latest CF drug, which Nivalis’s drug candidate relies … Continue reading “Nivalis Bets on Potential Cystic Fibrosis Drug, Seeks $60M IPO”

Angel Investors Still Awaiting the Impact from Equity Crowdfunding

After reading that angels would be the No. 1 losers due to the explosive growth of crowdfunding, angels like me have been keeping a wary eye on equity crowdfunding. Some reports in the press have suggested that crowdfunding could actually replace angels as a capital source. So far, the warnings have turned into a big … Continue reading “Angel Investors Still Awaiting the Impact from Equity Crowdfunding”

Digabit Secures $8,251,963 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ead83961-8cf0-4992-874d-6f2261270eb2 Date 5/14/2015 Company Name Digabit Mailing Address 215 Union Blvd. Lakewood, CO 80228 USA Company Description Technical documentation is part of the information explosion of this era. Companies understand that they will eventually drown in this data unless it is moved into web-accessible databases. Accordingly, Documoto represents an obvious application of … Continue reading “Digabit Secures $8,251,963 New Financing”

Kapost, VictorOps Raise Rounds to Keep Up Growth

Two different Boulder, CO software startups, two different ways to finance growth. Kapost raised $10.25 million in an equity round it announced Tuesday. Its neighbor a few blocks away, VictorOps, also disclosed it raised a $2.575 million round through convertible debt. Kapost makes software that companies use to manage business-to-business content marketing campaigns. It includes … Continue reading “Kapost, VictorOps Raise Rounds to Keep Up Growth”

An Open Standard for APIs Could Lead us to Better Health

[Updated, 12:05 pm ET] There’s a parable about the elephant and the rider that’s been used by Chip and Dan Heath, and that originated with Jonathan Haidt, to describe how humans make decisions. A person’s mind can be thought of as consisting of a rider, representing the rational part of human thinking, and the elephant … Continue reading “An Open Standard for APIs Could Lead us to Better Health”

Why Do Corporations Pay Billions Annually for Inefficient Hiring?

The hourly job market is the bedrock of the American workforce, 76 million members strong. While the growth in retail and hospitality positions, representing one third of these jobs, is pacing our economic recovery, the sector still spends an astonishing $1 billion annually on hiring. A thought provoking question: Can the industry create more than … Continue reading “Why Do Corporations Pay Billions Annually for Inefficient Hiring?”

Talking Cure? For Cancer Immunotherapy, Still Many Rivers to Cross

Cancer is a humbling thing: Our own cells gone bad, killing us from the inside, and so often able to rebound from attack or avoid it entirely. There has been progress fighting some types of cancers, but in no way equal to the resources (or rhetoric) the human race has aimed at the problem. On … Continue reading “Talking Cure? For Cancer Immunotherapy, Still Many Rivers to Cross”

The Future of Marketing Technology

The digital age has revolutionized marketing, increasing its complexity as well as creating the opportunity to dramatically improve customer experiences. As consumers, we live in an always-on and always-available world and we have come to expect our favorite brands to be one click or swipe away. As a consequence, the rapid advancements in technology that … Continue reading “The Future of Marketing Technology”

Kapost Obtains $10,250,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5ef91f12-4e27-4f09-9fa5-66ee3f2d9c25 Date 5/12/2015 Company Name Kapost Mailing Address 1800 Broadway Boulder, CO 80302 USA Company Description Kapost provides virtual newsrooms that enable publishers to manage and generate content from large networks of contributors. Website http://www.kapost.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,250,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed … Continue reading “Kapost Obtains $10,250,000 New Financing”

Agenda Posted For Xconomy Napa Summit on June 2—Request Your Invite

We are just three weeks away from the Napa Summit 2015: The Xconomy Retreat on the Economy, Jobs, and Growth. Quite simply, it is my favorite event of the year. Beyond the incredible setting, this exclusive, invitation-only conference features some of the world’s leading innovators and investors in a uniquely intimate format—offering an unprecedented view … Continue reading “Agenda Posted For Xconomy Napa Summit on June 2—Request Your Invite”

Boulder Rolls Out Welcome Mat as Startup Week Returns

Next week sees the return of Boulder Startup Week, bringing with it dozens of panels, hundreds of entrepreneurs, developers, and job seekers—and a seemingly endless supply of craft beer and free t-shirts. The event always has had a healthy dose of panels with a “news you can use” focus, as well as parties and other … Continue reading “Boulder Rolls Out Welcome Mat as Startup Week Returns”

Epic, IBM Unleash Watson Supercomputer on Electronic Health Records

In yet another high-profile partnership for Epic Systems, the healthcare software giant is teaming up with IBM to bring the supercomputing prowess of Watson to the medical records at the Mayo Clinic and beyond. Epic, based in the Madison, WI, suburb of Verona, has grown into a powerhouse in the electronic health records software industry … Continue reading “Epic, IBM Unleash Watson Supercomputer on Electronic Health Records”

Milestones Of Innovation 6: The Driving Force Of Moore’s ‘Law’

Few phrases have rung louder in the history of innovation than “Moore’s Law,” the amazingly potent guess, published 50 years ago on April 19, that the capacity of electronic circuits would double every couple of years. Since the 1968 founding of Intel, the world’s leading semiconductor-maker, that prediction has formed the basic doctrine of the … Continue reading “Milestones Of Innovation 6: The Driving Force Of Moore’s ‘Law’”

Readying the Distributed Grid for the Big Energy Challenges of 2035

Predicting the future in the energy business is difficult for five years, let alone 20 years. That said, we feel the “better bet” is a future energy system that will be a lot more distributed as compared to the largely centralized grid of today. There will be much more generation and storage at the individual … Continue reading “Readying the Distributed Grid for the Big Energy Challenges of 2035”

The Innovation Challenge: Assessing BioPharma Startups

Developing new medicines is really difficult and very expensive. A recent report, “Decline In Economic Returns From New Drugs Raises Questions About Sustaining Innovations,” suggests that the newest medicines are generating a negative rate of return across the industry. A viewpoint commonly found on the Web opines that Big Pharma has lost the ability to … Continue reading “The Innovation Challenge: Assessing BioPharma Startups”

Believe It or Not, the Government Is Driving Healthcare Innovation

Editor’s note: Jay Sultan, principal strategy advisor at Edifecs, a global health information technology solutions company, has another take on what’s driving innovation in healthcare, following our earlier Xconomist Forum post by former Providence Health and Services CEO John Koster arguing that healthcare is transforming regardless of the Affordable Care Act.  Largely missing from the … Continue reading “Believe It or Not, the Government Is Driving Healthcare Innovation”

Photobucket Obtains $4,939,569 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=82bd17d0-7593-43b0-b827-ca6420667bed Date 5/1/2015 Company Name Photobucket Mailing Address 2399 Blake St. Denver, CO 80205 USA Company Description Photobucket provides an online service that enables users to upload and share photos and videos. Website http://www.photobucket.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,939,569 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Photobucket Obtains $4,939,569 New Funding Round”

Reflections on the “Build to Buy,” Part 2: The Applicability Problem

In a prior Xconomy post, I explored the unwritten and often hidden challenges of successfully navigating and completing a ‘build to buy’ acquisition. The fundamental issue that underlies those challenges is that the acquirers in these deals are not in the business of developing a single asset in a disciplined, focused manner. These buyers are … Continue reading “Reflections on the “Build to Buy,” Part 2: The Applicability Problem”

In Venture Reinvention, Versant Sees Gains Amid Biotech Boom Times

There’s not much ice in San Francisco, where I grew up, so hockey metaphors often go right over my head. But I can’t resist noting that Versant Ventures, led by a former hockey player, has made big line changes this decade to be able to skate another day, while many of its biotech venture peers … Continue reading “In Venture Reinvention, Versant Sees Gains Amid Biotech Boom Times”

Napa Summit 2015: Request Your Invite to Xconomy’s Most Elite Event

What are the forces shaping our innovation future—and who are the leaders who will build it? We can’t promise all the answers, but we can promise an unusually intimate and inspiring discussion of such questions at Xconomy’s most unique and exclusive event. It’s called the Napa Summit: The Xconomy Retreat on Technology, Jobs, and Growth—and … Continue reading “Napa Summit 2015: Request Your Invite to Xconomy’s Most Elite Event”

Pathar Garners $6,500,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e348c5d2-c540-47b4-b5d4-262fca6a5dde Date 4/21/2015 Company Name Pathar Mailing Address 1777 Aviation Way Colorado Springs, CO 80916 USA Company Description PATHAR’S advanced proprietary mathematics analyze social media networks topic by topic to accurately identify groups of people and organize them into channels. Website http://www.pathar.net Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,500,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “Pathar Garners $6,500,000 Series A Financing”

Milestones of Innovation 5: Stephanie Kwolek and Kevlar

Let’s hear it for Stephanie Kwolek, a determined, observant, and playful chemist who died last year at the age of 90. She is the inventor-heroine of an artificial fiber stronger than steel called kevlar, which has saved thousands of soldiers and policemen from fatal bullet wounds and is used in everything from cellphones to skis. … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 5: Stephanie Kwolek and Kevlar”

Why Etsy’s IPO Could Silence Haters of the New York Tech Scene

Over and over, it seems technology startups in New York have to validate their existence to outsiders. Whether it is comparisons to the legacy of Silicon Valley or the depth of research in Boston, this city never measures up for some folks. Hecklers in the peanut gallery want to see big exits or companies go … Continue reading “Why Etsy’s IPO Could Silence Haters of the New York Tech Scene”

Innovation Hub: Which Companies Care About the Environment?

Transforming big businesses into green businesses might seem like a thorny process. But older, established companies like Ford have the potential to ignite a new generation of environmentally friendly products, according to Andrew Winston, author of The Big Pivot. By shifting their manufacturing process—like substituting aluminum for steel, as Ford has done—such companies are able … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Which Companies Care About the Environment?”

Dip, But No Slowdown in First-Quarter VC Funding, & Top 10 Deals

A new MoneyTree Report being released today shows that U.S. venture capital activity eased off during the first three months of 2015. Yet it still marked the fifth consecutive quarter in which U.S. venture funding remained above $10 billion. VCs invested $13.4 billion in 1,020 deals throughout the U.S. during the first quarter of 2015, … Continue reading “Dip, But No Slowdown in First-Quarter VC Funding, & Top 10 Deals”

Altitude Digital Secures $30,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2dc0f18d-48ba-4c81-a6c6-dad82fb68edd Date 4/17/2015 Company Name Altitude Digital Mailing Address 1037 Broadway Denver, CO 80203 USA Company Description Altitude Digital is a leader in online display and video advertising technology. The company and its video division, Visualtising, empower online publishers to maximize their revenue by optimizing their ad space and eliminating unnecessary ad … Continue reading “Altitude Digital Secures $30,000,000 New Funding”

3 Things Startups Need to Know to Move to the Cloud

Despite concerns around data security, businesses are optimistic about the cloud. In fact, software-as-a-service adoption has more than quintupled from 13 percent in 2011 to 72 percent in 2014, according to a cloud computing survey conducted by North Bridge Venture Partners and Gigaom Research. For startups, the cloud has always been a great equalizer, enabling … Continue reading “3 Things Startups Need to Know to Move to the Cloud”

Healthcare Is Transforming Regardless of What Happens to the ACA

Powerful arguments and emotions continue to challenge the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Supreme Court, partisan ideology, presidential elections, and deeply held convictions about the role of government will all make their mark. Most healthcare leaders, however, share a fundamental belief that healthcare transformation is happening now—driven by some of the same … Continue reading “Healthcare Is Transforming Regardless of What Happens to the ACA”

Pop That Bubble: 5 Reasons Biotech Needs A Different Metaphor

Back in April 2011, at a biotech conference in San Francisco, a panel convened to discuss how hard it was to build biotech companies that could push through long, costly clinical trials before a drug comes to market. One panelist hedged to say, well, at least the financial reticence had a silver lining: there was … Continue reading “Pop That Bubble: 5 Reasons Biotech Needs A Different Metaphor”

VC Funding Slows as Big Funds Crowd into Late-Stage Venture Deals

Following a December surge, when U.S. venture firms invested $7.2 billion in 342 deals nationwide, VC activity reset at a lower pace during the first quarter of 2015, according to data being released today by CB Insights. The New York venture capital tracker says VCs invested $11.3 billion in 805 startups over the three months … Continue reading “VC Funding Slows as Big Funds Crowd into Late-Stage Venture Deals”

Peer-to-Peer Lending Grows Up, and Gets Wall Street’s Attention

[Corrected 4/14/15, 11:31 am. See below] Borrowing money, or refinancing borrowed money, is easier now than it’s ever been as new online lenders put credit lines just a few clicks away. And now the traditional titans of Wall Street are jumping on board. In the last decade, a handful of online lending companies have chipped away … Continue reading “Peer-to-Peer Lending Grows Up, and Gets Wall Street’s Attention”

JumpCloud Secures $3,199,999 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=05521c1a-fccc-4c05-bc35-c789a4a72fbd Date 4/13/2015 Company Name JumpCloud Mailing Address 2040 14th St. Boulder, CO 80302 USA Company Description DevOps is transforming the IT landscape. With key drivers such as cloud/virtualization, software-defined networking, and Agile, DevOps is a methodology that integrates cross-functional teams to deliver higher quality, more efficient, and innovative software and applications. … Continue reading “JumpCloud Secures $3,199,999 New Funding”

Innovation Hub: Why Science Plays Small Ball

The scientific revolution has ended. Or, at least it’s on pause, according to Roberta Ness, vice president of innovation at the University of Texas Health Science Center. She believes that science’s most promising thinkers aren’t taking big enough risks. They’re not researching the next penicillin or investigating new theories of relativity; they’re playing it safe. … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Why Science Plays Small Ball”

Tax Time Alert: Key Things to Know About Founders Preferred Stock

As you gather and review tax papers for your return, be sure to inform your accountant if you hold founders’ preferred stock, or if you sold a block of it in 2014. Your CPA might not think to ask you about this because so few entrepreneurs hold this class of stock. As recently as 20 … Continue reading “Tax Time Alert: Key Things to Know About Founders Preferred Stock”

Denver Startup ProtectWise Uses Cloud to Create Safety in Numbers

It’s a truism in the computer security world that the bad guys have gained the upper hand. Just think about all the major security breaches over the past few years for evidence. The black hats’ victories have led doomsayers like FBI director James Comey’s to say that “There are two kinds of big companies in … Continue reading “Denver Startup ProtectWise Uses Cloud to Create Safety in Numbers”

IssuWorks Obtains $646,500 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9486eef7-5eed-4d17-80e6-25ebc25893b6 Date 4/7/2015 Company Name IssuWorks Mailing Address 777 29th St. Boulder, CO 80303 USA Company Description We founded IssuWorks to develop the products, services and policy that we see are necessary to bring U.S. stock markets back to the levels where they will once again be the envy of markets across … Continue reading “IssuWorks Obtains $646,500 New Funding Round”

Academia vs. BioPharma: Young Scientists Between A Rock and A Hard Place

I’ve reached the stage of my career where I’ve been invited to give “career retrospective talks” to grad students and post-docs at academic institutions. It’s been an interesting and enjoyable experience meeting a new generation of young scientists and hearing what’s on their minds. After delivering my seminar and sharing lots of stories and advice, … Continue reading “Academia vs. BioPharma: Young Scientists Between A Rock and A Hard Place”