Category: Boulder/Denver

Women in Engineering, and a Global Call for the Next MacGyver

Apparently, I’m pushy. I can’t help it. It’s my genes, and also all I’ve been through. When you’re a woman in engineering, there are a host of voices (some residing in your head, some not), telling you that you’re not good enough, not smart enough—that when you’re alone amid a sea of male faces at … Continue reading “Women in Engineering, and a Global Call for the Next MacGyver”

CU, Feld Create Residency to Lure Foreign Entrepreneurs to Boulder

Boulder is opening its arms to entrepreneurs from around the world with a new program created by venture capitalist Brad Feld and the University of Colorado’s Silicon Flatirons center for entrepreneurship. The university announced this week that it has launched a new entrepreneur in residence program that will give up to four entrepreneurs a year … Continue reading “CU, Feld Create Residency to Lure Foreign Entrepreneurs to Boulder”

Robot Revolution: Disrupting the Workplace as We Know It

We’re on the brink of the Third Industrial Revolution, with robots moving off the factory floor and emerging in the white-collar office. These “software robots” are being leveraged by businesses across industries to tackle rules-based processes and improve overall operational agility. Operational roles are well-suited for automatons since they, by definition, automatically follow and execute … Continue reading “Robot Revolution: Disrupting the Workplace as We Know It”

SpotRight Secures $4,262,500 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a8c46d64-41b3-43d0-8ee1-aa98d2e84154 Date 4/2/2015 Company Name SpotRight Mailing Address 1909 Broadway Boulder, CO 80302 USA Company Description SpotRight’s proprietary data asset unifies your customers to their social identities, discovers their social activity and connections, and analyzes it to give you entirely new insights into their interests, influence, and social relationships. Website http://www.spotright.com Transaction … Continue reading “SpotRight Secures $4,262,500 New Funding”

H-1Bs And How Changing The System Will Help Startups

In order for the American economy to thrive, we must rely on our ability to innovate. The U.S. government now estimates that job growth is almost three times faster in the innovation-rich fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics than the rest of the economy. Yet despite the explosion in demand, the steady supply of … Continue reading “H-1Bs And How Changing The System Will Help Startups”

Equity Crowdfunding Backers Clash Over Fundraising Limits in States

After five years of bootstrapping his startup, Instancy, Harvey Singh’s company has a finished education software product, revenue, and a growing roster of employees. As Singh looks overseas to expand Instancy’s sales reach, he says he is now ready for outside investors. He wants to raise that capital through crowdfunding. The federal Jumpstart Our Business … Continue reading “Equity Crowdfunding Backers Clash Over Fundraising Limits in States”

The Innovator’s Gender Dilemma and Venture Rites of Passage

After 40 years as a professional woman who by many standards has “made it,” I am struck by the extent to which young and highly educated—even Ivy-league educated—employees are challenged by the ambiguities and realities of the contemporary competitive workplace. Having always been exceptional, and having done what was expected of them, usually by their … Continue reading “The Innovator’s Gender Dilemma and Venture Rites of Passage”

From Iceland to White House, Precision Medicine’s Promises & Hurdles

[Updated and corrected, 4/5/15, 6:51 pm. See below.] There is talk, and there is action. In the drive toward healthcare tailored for smaller and smaller groups of people, there was both last week, and both illustrated not just the promise of precision medicine, but the long haul until that promise is fulfilled. First, Iceland’s deCODE … Continue reading “From Iceland to White House, Precision Medicine’s Promises & Hurdles”

VetDC Lands $2,100,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2f00f6e5-356d-4c40-933d-ec8c828927b9 Date 3/31/2015 Company Name VetDC Mailing Address 320 E. Vine Drive Fort Collins, CO 80524 USA Company Description VetDC’s access to resources and expertise atColorado State University’s world-renowned Animal Cancer Center and Veterinary Teaching Hospital avoids the expense and effort typically required by early-stage companies to build infrastructure, yet allows the … Continue reading “VetDC Lands $2,100,000 New Funding”

Peter Thiel Brings Libertarian Standup Routine to Harvard

In staccato, stand-up comic style, Peter Thiel brought his version of libertarianism to Harvard, a notable cheering section for positive government. Last Wednesday, a packed lecture hall heard the investor and co-founder of PayPal and secretive data-analysis company Palantir Technologies say, “You can’t do it on a government scale. So I work on the business … Continue reading “Peter Thiel Brings Libertarian Standup Routine to Harvard”

Red Canary Lands $2,500,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fab5ce56-d78e-498c-9247-8c39f4dbed3b Date 3/30/2015 Company Name Red Canary Mailing Address 2531 West 62nd Court Denver, CO 80221 USA Company Description Red Canary was founded to bring world-class endpoint threat detection and response to every business. We were using the Carbon Black endpoint data recorder for incident response. We realized that the data used … Continue reading “Red Canary Lands $2,500,000 Seed Funding Round”

Convercent Secures $10,524,998 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dfa4d861-fa10-4b3a-851b-ab26a2d0783b Date 3/30/2015 Company Name Convercent Mailing Address 929 Broadway Greenwood Village, CO 80203 USA Company Description Convercent brings culture and compliance together in the first integrated cloud application so that companies can promote the good and manage the bad in an intelligent and productive way. Website http://www.convercent.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Convercent Secures $10,524,998 New Financing Round”

Innovation Hub: XPRIZE Founder Tackles Entrepreneurship

Peter Diamandis is, I think it’s fair to say, an optimist. After all, how many other space-obsessed kids ended up founding an International Space University? Or inaugurated an XPRIZE, to inspire a new generation of passenger spacecrafts? But Diamandis’s current obsession is entrepreneurship, and the idea that the economy is radically shifting to accommodate a … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: XPRIZE Founder Tackles Entrepreneurship”

Colorado Roundup: Schoolrunner, FullContact, Red Canary

Three bits of funding news from Colorado-based startups: Impact fund backs Schoolrunner: Schoolrunner, a three-year-old edtech startup in Denver that claims its software delivers “moneyball for schools,” closed a $1.5 million seed round with an investment from the Colorado Impact Fund this week. The reference to the book and movie “Moneyball” emphasizes Schoolrunner’s focus on … Continue reading “Colorado Roundup: Schoolrunner, FullContact, Red Canary”

The Incredible Shrinking Seed Stage and Other Venture Trends of 2014

By now the 2014 data for venture capital investments from the most important regions of the world have been compiled and disseminated. When laid out next to each other, some fascinating themes emerge. It’s no surprise that the U.S. continues to set the pace with over $48 billion invested in 4,356 companies, compared to 2013, … Continue reading “The Incredible Shrinking Seed Stage and Other Venture Trends of 2014”

Amid Gene Editing Worry, A Return To Biotech’s 1st “Asilomar Moment”

Biotechnology leaders—and the rest of us—should “count to 10” as they read the March 19 call in Science to consider limits on using revolutionary new gene-editing techniques for germline gene therapy. The techniques are powerful and simple to use and key scientists, worried about misuse, want us to pause, confer, and set limits. But we … Continue reading “Amid Gene Editing Worry, A Return To Biotech’s 1st “Asilomar Moment””

Hi, I’m in Delaware… For the Fast Internet

Internet speeds are becoming increasingly important to consumer markets, as users of streaming content such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO multiply. Those people are expecting quality streaming, too, especially with the advent of 4K, or “ultra” high-definition, video. It may be no surprise that broadband Internet speeds vary from state to state, with Virginia, Delaware, … Continue reading “Hi, I’m in Delaware… For the Fast Internet”

ProtectWise Lands $17,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ee9c5e2c-ee40-4adc-8b5d-2193f8eee5ca Date 3/25/2015 Company Name ProtectWise Mailing Address 1555 Blake Street Denver, CO 80202 USA Company Description ProtectWise, Inc. offers cloud-based network security services. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is based in Denver, Colorado. Website http://www.protectwise.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $17,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The financing … Continue reading “ProtectWise Lands $17,000,000 New Funding Round”

FullContact Secures $10,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=992a8482-c56f-4ba0-909f-3d94f63a5386 Date 3/25/2015 Company Name FullContact Mailing Address 1755 Blake Street Denver, CO 80202 USA Company Description FullContact provides identity resolution for all of the disparate pieces of contact information out there on the web. We do this by aggregating billions of contact records, all with numerous attributes, including quality, freshness and … Continue reading “FullContact Secures $10,000,000 New Financing”

Schoolrunner Lands $1,500,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cfa3a272-d2d1-4782-83f8-695dc2efc416 Date 3/25/2015 Company Name Schoolrunner Mailing Address 3461 Ringsby Ct. Denver, CO 80216 USA Company Description Schoolrunner is a comprehensive student data system that gives teachers and schools one place to track everything they care about. Website http://www.schoolrunner.org Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The … Continue reading “Schoolrunner Lands $1,500,000 New Financing Round”

From FantasyHub to Self Lender, The Techstars Austin 2015 Class

[Updated 3/24/15, 5:17 pm. See below.] A business that connects hunters with landowners and a company that helps consumers establish a credit history are among the latest participants in Techstars’ accelerator in Austin, TX. Techstars posted the names of the 10 companies yesterday that will participate in its three-month intensive boot camp from now through … Continue reading “From FantasyHub to Self Lender, The Techstars Austin 2015 Class”

Fastest Turtle: Healthcare Investing and the U.S. Economy

Given the investment horizons for venture capitalists, we do not necessarily try to time public markets when making new investments—although they obviously influence pre-money valuations, particularly for later rounds. Greater concerns revolve around portfolio companies’ ability to access capital on reasonable terms, and that the general macroeconomic environment is conducive to strong revenue growth. Notwithstanding … Continue reading “Fastest Turtle: Healthcare Investing and the U.S. Economy”

Stop the Bleeding: Can Gene Therapy Finally Cure Hemophilia?

Ben Haugstad is 12 years old and loves Taekwondo. He’s been doing it for six years, and soon he’ll be a black belt. He also has a severe form of hemophilia. His body doesn’t produce the machinery needed to clot blood, and at any moment a bad tumble or a bruise could quickly turn into … Continue reading “Stop the Bleeding: Can Gene Therapy Finally Cure Hemophilia?”

Innovation Hub: Did a Computer Write This Story?

Forget Malcolm Gladwell and Tom Friedman. The next great journalist could be a computer program. Already, artificial intelligence has been put to work at Forbes, the Associated Press, Reuters, and The Big Ten Network. Coverage of NCAA basketball games, earnings reports, and dips in housing prices are regularly penned by this new breed of “journalist.” … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Did a Computer Write This Story?”

Lessons From Building a Global Engineering Team

It used to be that if you referenced a “global engineering team” you had contracted with a few freelance developers in a remote location to do a few hours of work per week. There’s a good reason for that: historically, recruiting, retaining, and growing global engineering teams has been a significant challenge. At HubSpot, we … Continue reading “Lessons From Building a Global Engineering Team”

Parkifi Obtains $1,375,706 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c852517d-00cc-481b-a2ca-3bd569a84d8a Date 3/20/2015 Company Name Parkifi Mailing Address Undisclosed Denver, CO 80207 USA Company Description Parkifi is making parking less of a hassle with our real time parking occupancy platform. Utilizing our sensor technology we provide real time data to parking lot operators, cities, and mobile applications to let them know where … Continue reading “Parkifi Obtains $1,375,706 New Financing”

Boston-Based Help Scout, Though Profitable, Takes $6M Series A

Help Scout, a Boston company whose software aids small and medium-sized businesses with e-mail customer support, is taking a $6 million Series A funding round four years after its founding, and after already achieving profitability. The company, profiled by Xconomy in 2011 after it graduated from Techstars Boston, plans to use the funding to invest … Continue reading “Boston-Based Help Scout, Though Profitable, Takes $6M Series A”

Mars Satellite Makes Unexpected Discoveries: Pretty Lights and Dust

A trip to Mars already is yielding surprises for NASA—no, not Martians, but two unexpected atmospheric phenomena that have been detected for the first time. The scientists running NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft announced Wednesday they’ve spotted an aurora like Earth’s Northern Lights and a high-altitude dust cloud that reaches deep … Continue reading “Mars Satellite Makes Unexpected Discoveries: Pretty Lights and Dust”

Consumption Rules, E-mail Thrives, Enterprise Agreements are Dead

Microsoft opened its Office suite to play with other cloud services, Box debuted on Wall Street, and Google reinvented the inbox. Not even three months into 2015, and we’ve already had several interesting developments in the online collaboration software market. Here’s how these announcements fit into trends we’re seeing at Smartsheet. Consumption-Based Pricing Eats Per-User … Continue reading “Consumption Rules, E-mail Thrives, Enterprise Agreements are Dead”

BetterIt Receives $3,000,000 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=724e4266-1ad5-43e0-9a14-211bbb86d22e Date 3/18/2015 Company Name BetterIt Mailing Address Undisclosed Denver, CO 80207 USA Company Description BetterIt Communications is the Denver-based company behind the mobile SAAS platform BetterIt. The company specializes in the creation of technology products that drive collaborative problem solving and value creation. Website http://www.betterit.io Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “BetterIt Receives $3,000,000 Seed Funding”

Red Rock Biofuels Lands New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=89296f3f-d0c4-47cf-93cc-79d0392c6f07 Date 3/18/2015 Company Name Red Rock Biofuels Mailing Address 736 Whalers Way Building G Fort Collins, CO 80525 USA Company Description Red Rock Biofuels LLC will refine waste biomass residues into high value, lower carbon renewable jet, diesel and naphtha fuels. Website http://www.redrockbio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction … Continue reading “Red Rock Biofuels Lands New Funding”

Red Rock Biofuels Raises Cash, Gets Ready for First Refinery

If you’re a biofuels startup that has breakthrough technology and a business strategy that could succeed, you probably have faced a few skeptical questions. Promising startups have come and gone as their new processes have proven to be economically unviable or unable to scale from the lab to commercial production. Investors have lost money, work … Continue reading “Red Rock Biofuels Raises Cash, Gets Ready for First Refinery”

In Mental Health Therapy, Cautious Steps Toward the Pharmacodigital

[Corrected 3/17/15, 7:55 pm. See below.] The phrase “better living through chemistry,” derived from an old DuPont corporate slogan, has accumulated all kinds of ironic and wink-wink connotations over the decades. But there’s a fascinating revival and upgrade underway. For people with debilitating mental health problems, many researchers, doctors, and businesspeople think the new phrase … Continue reading “In Mental Health Therapy, Cautious Steps Toward the Pharmacodigital”

Admetsys Wins Top Prize at SXSW Hatch Pitch, Astroprint and Plum Follow

Part of the value pitching in a competition at South by Southwest is getting to speak to a room packed with potential investors and users. But winning, and the prizes that come with it, never hurts. At the Hatch pitch competition Monday, five companies came away victorious, including a few big winners. Here they are, as … Continue reading “Admetsys Wins Top Prize at SXSW Hatch Pitch, Astroprint and Plum Follow”

Innovation Hub: Wadhwa’s Dystopian Future

Vivek Wadhwa is a big-picture guy. A guy whose vision of the future includes printing meat, banning humans from the road, and sidelining Wall Street. Wadhwa currently juggles appointments at Stanford, Duke, and Singularity Universities, and he says that massive technological advances will reroute our lives, a shift that may lead to massive dislocation, perhaps … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Wadhwa’s Dystopian Future”

Colorado Roundup: Amazon, 2lemetry, Photobucket, and Fort Collins

Amazon comes to Denver for a shopping trip and leaves with a startup, Photobucket lassoes a familiar face (and one of its co-founders), and plans are coming together in Fort Collins. Amazon Buys 2lemetry: Amazon has purchased 2lemetry, a Denver startup that develops software for the “Internet of things.” The companies did not announce the … Continue reading “Colorado Roundup: Amazon, 2lemetry, Photobucket, and Fort Collins”

Robo Madness Boston: The Photos and Takeaways

Our first-ever dedicated robotics event in Boston was a smash hit. Here’s hoping the local community can keep the momentum going and solidify its standing as a worldwide leader in the field. Huge thanks to our event sponsors who made the conference possible: Argosight, BDO, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, IDA Ireland, and iRobot. And … Continue reading “Robo Madness Boston: The Photos and Takeaways”

Amazon.com Acquires 2lemetry for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eda15d5d-62ed-45ad-a469-ff69cef0ca4e Date 3/13/2015 Company Name 2lemetry Mailing Address 1321 15th St. Denver, CO 80202 USA Company Description The company was co-founded by CEO Kyle Roche and CTO Chris Chiappone, both of whom have extensive backgrounds in system integration and large cloud deployments for companies such as JP Morgan Chase, Starbucks, Google and … Continue reading “Amazon.com Acquires 2lemetry for Undisclosed Sum”

TapInfluence Taps Into Silicon Valley to Find a New CEO

TapInfluence, a Boulder, CO-based marketing software startup, has hired a new chief executive from Silicon Valley. Promise Phelon, who previously worked at The Resumator and founded and was CEO of UpMo, is taking over the top spot, replacing co-founder and longtime CEO Rustin Banks. Banks will stay on as chief product officer and focus on … Continue reading “TapInfluence Taps Into Silicon Valley to Find a New CEO”

MuscleSound Obtains $4,300,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=334baeb9-fd17-4a12-9dd2-1523ffdf4827 Date 3/12/2015 Company Name MuscleSound Mailing Address 4500 Cherry Creek Dr. Denver, CO 80246 USA Company Description The MuscleSound patented software technology and methodology has made non-invasive, real-time measurement of muscle glycogen (energy) content levels a reality. Website http://www.musclesound.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,300,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “MuscleSound Obtains $4,300,000 Seed Funding Round”

Trackvia Receives $2,363,272 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f368b7cf-b244-4cf0-811d-95e554f29106 Date 3/12/2015 Company Name Trackvia Mailing Address 1675 Larimer Street Denver, CO 80202 USA Company Description Trackvia provides organizations with an easy and flexible way to manage data and improve their business. Website http://www.trackvia.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $2,363,272 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Trackvia Receives $2,363,272 New Funding”

Feds to Back Wearable Tech Startups With New Accelerator Program

The latest entrant into the startup accelerator and wearable-technologies games? It’s the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS announced Tuesday that it will launch its two accelerator programs in a pilot program. The Emerge accelerators will work with startups to create wearable technology that could be used by first responders such as firefighters, police, and … Continue reading “Feds to Back Wearable Tech Startups With New Accelerator Program”

Colorado Roundup: Curbstand App Hits Streets, Smarter LED Lights

Parking in Denver goes high-tech, provided you want to pay a valet, and a lighting company raises $11 million to make its energy-efficient LED systems smarter. Here are the details: —CurbStand Rolls Out: It’s not getting any easier to find parking in Denver, but it might be easier to find someone to park your car … Continue reading “Colorado Roundup: Curbstand App Hits Streets, Smarter LED Lights”

Study: Best Places For Women in Tech are Outside Silicon Valley

A new report suggests that the best opportunities for women in technology may be located outside of the industry’s hotbed in Silicon Valley. The analysis last week by SmartAsset, a New York-based financial technology and data analytics company, indicates that the best cities for women in computer-related jobs are found primarily on the East Coast … Continue reading “Study: Best Places For Women in Tech are Outside Silicon Valley”

My Best Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Tech Startups

What an incredible time to be a tech startup! The opportunities out there are just tremendous. Digital payments, wearable technology, mobile healthcare, virtual reality and gamification, predictive analytics, and green tech—these are just a few of the startup areas that are expected to be big this year, according to venture capitalists and industry experts. “Full … Continue reading “My Best Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Tech Startups”

NIH Director Hails “Stunning Case” as Example of Genomic Revolution

A pregnant mom who got a non-invasive prenatal test because she knew at age 40 that her baby was a higher risk for Down syndrome has become a case study in the potential power of precision medicine. The certified blood test, developed by San Diego-based Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]), is sensitive enough to identify bits of … Continue reading “NIH Director Hails “Stunning Case” as Example of Genomic Revolution”

TerraLUX Obtains $11,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=52539b8f-c5f7-4699-83e9-bba958eb81a7 Date 3/5/2015 Company Name TerraLUX Mailing Address 1830 Lefthand Circle Longmont, CO 80501 USA Company Description TerraLUX, Inc. designs, patents, manufactures, and distributes LED-based lighting solutions for a variety of markets and applications including Portable, Medical, Industrial, and General Illumination. Website http://www.terraluxcorp.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $11,000,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “TerraLUX Obtains $11,000,000 New Funding Round”

IBM Acquires AI Startup AlchemyAPI to Strengthen Watson

IBM’s Watson, already one of the world’s smartest supercomputers, might be getting smarter following IBM’s purchase of AlchemyAPI, a Denver-based artificial intelligence startup that specializes in deep learning, an area of machine learning focused on making sense of data. AlchemyAPI and IBM announced the deal Wednesday. They did not disclose the purchase price. The acquisition … Continue reading “IBM Acquires AI Startup AlchemyAPI to Strengthen Watson”