Craig Spiezle, executive director of the Online Trust Alliance, sees online data breeches and privacy fumbles in much the same way an environmentalist might view chemical leaks or oil spills. There are the headline-grabbing catastrophes: last year’s theft of credit and debit card information from Target; this year’s Heartbleed vulnerability, for example. Then there are … Continue reading “OTA: Most Top Websites Don’t Follow Best Security, Privacy Practices”
Category: Boulder/Denver
Stealthy Cloud-Based Security Startup ProtectWise Raises $14.1M
A Denver-based network security startup launched by a serial entrepreneur in the industry has big news, although it’s trying to keep it under wraps. ProtectWise, which is currently in stealth mode, just raised $14.1 million, according to an SEC filing submitted Tuesday. That follows a $3.1 million round the startup raised last year. The startup … Continue reading “Stealthy Cloud-Based Security Startup ProtectWise Raises $14.1M”
A $15 Minimum Wage Doesn’t Have to Mean Price Increases
Last week, Seattle approved the nation’s highest minimum wage: $15 an hour, to be phased in over the next seven years. Other major cities, including San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City, are debating similar increases, and President Obama has called for an increase in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. … Continue reading “A $15 Minimum Wage Doesn’t Have to Mean Price Increases”
Post-IPO Biotechs Have News, But Big Pharma Drives the ASCO Boat
As often happens, industry news from the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, which ended Wednesday in Chicago, was dominated this year by Big Pharma. It’s not surprising—even with the advent of targeted cancer therapies that promise more precise treatment of smaller patient populations, clinical trials require big budgets. No drug giant had … Continue reading “Post-IPO Biotechs Have News, But Big Pharma Drives the ASCO Boat”
Galvanize Raises $13M, Looking for More Amid Major Expansion Push
Galvanize, the Denver-based startup incubator/co-working space, has raised $13.1 million in a recent funding round, according to documents filed with the SEC. The filing indicates the company is attempting to raise $18 million and has 23 investors so far, so that amount could grow. Galvanize representatives declined to comment about the news Friday morning. But … Continue reading “Galvanize Raises $13M, Looking for More Amid Major Expansion Push”
Innovation Hub: Businesses Know You’re Biased
Who’s better at math? Women or men? Studies show that both men and women believe men are better at math, even when data indicates otherwise. To understand why we have these biases—and why businesses think that getting rid of them will help the bottom line—I sat down with Harvard professor Mahzarin Banaji (pictured), the co-author … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Businesses Know You’re Biased”
If Tesla Made Bike Lights, They’d Look Like This; The Story of Sparse
Hardware is Silicon Valley’s new religion. At maker spaces like TechShop, hardware startup accelerators like HAXLR8R and Lemnos Labs, and conferences like O’Reilly Media’s Solid, there’s one overriding article of faith: that bits and atoms aren’t so different after all. Just as the cost and complexity of starting a software company has drastically declined over … Continue reading “If Tesla Made Bike Lights, They’d Look Like This; The Story of Sparse”
Starting Unicorn Companies: Tableau Software
Last November, Ailene Lee wrote a post on TechCrunch entitled Welcome To The Unicorn Club: Learning From Billion-Dollar Startups. In it, she offered a list of companies that have had billion-dollar exits, and analyzed some of the common threads. I would like to look at some of the “unicorn” companies that she identified, as well … Continue reading “Starting Unicorn Companies: Tableau Software”
Not All Entrepreneurs Are Young
Most of the famous entrepreneurs we hear about are fairly young. We tend to read in the popular press about the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world and assume that all successful entrepreneurs launch businesses in their 20s. However, this couldn’t be further from reality. Recent studies show that older entrepreneurs are increasing while the number … Continue reading “Not All Entrepreneurs Are Young”
RNA Therapeutics Are Here to Stay
Over the past year, we’ve witnessed the biotech bull market expand, deflate and expand again—specifically in relation to RNA-based therapeutic companies. The innovators in the space have increased and decreased their investment levels in the technology, leaving investors, the media, and some in the scientific community wondering which way the pendulum will ultimately swing. In … Continue reading “RNA Therapeutics Are Here to Stay”
Cash-Strapped Ascent Solar Raises $6M to Continue Operations
Ascent Solar Technologies, a Thornton, CO-based manufacturer of thin-film photovoltaic modules, recently raised $6 million that will help the cash-strapped company continue operations, according to recent SEC filings. Ascent Solar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ASTI]]) was founded in 2005 and manufactures copper-indium-gallium-selenium (CIGS) photovoltaic modules on flexible and lightweight plastic films. The company believes the modules could succeed … Continue reading “Cash-Strapped Ascent Solar Raises $6M to Continue Operations”
Clovis Shares Tumble as Analysts Give Edge to Lung-Cancer Rival
It was an American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting to remember for Clovis Oncology, but not in a good way. The sudden fall of the Boulder-based drug company’s stock price was one of the most prominent stories to emerge from the conference, which was held in Chicago over the weekend. Clovis’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLVS]]) share price … Continue reading “Clovis Shares Tumble as Analysts Give Edge to Lung-Cancer Rival”
Loopster Garners $125,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c481f437-2450-4595-92d6-5c7626f5a8f2 Date 6/4/2014 Company Name Loopster Mailing Address Undisclosed Grand Junction, CO 81501 USA Company Description Loopster, Inc. is a technology startup based in Grand Junction, CO that is creating the world’s easiest to use, cloud-based video editing software solution. Website http://www.loopster.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $125,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Loopster Garners $125,000 New Funding Round”
Patheos Receives $1,850,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d63af6b8-ea69-4481-9b42-c2e527a0b35f Date 6/4/2014 Company Name Patheos Mailing Address 383 Inverness Parkway Englewood, CO 80112 USA Company Description Patheos, Inc. was germinated in the summer of 2008 with the founding ethos of trying to provide “something different, something better.” Patheos explicitly recognized that while there were hundreds of religion websites, none of them … Continue reading “Patheos Receives $1,850,000 New Funding”
HappyGov, MoveMyMusic Take Top Prizes at Hack4Colorado Competition
Startups that want to make it easier for Denver residents to track requests for city services and for music teachers to evaluate students took home the top prizes from the annual Hack4Colorado hackathon last weekend. HappyGov and MoveMyMusic won the Open Pitch and the Nonprofit categories, respectively. Each team took home $1,000. Twenty teams competed … Continue reading “HappyGov, MoveMyMusic Take Top Prizes at Hack4Colorado Competition”
Three Key Workplace Policies that Startups Can’t Afford to Ignore
Most startups are focused on getting their business off the ground. As a result, they usually delay policy development until a later date. But here’s why it’s important to draft and implement certain policies right at the start of your business: Policies pre-empt and prevent misunderstandings between employees and employers about obligations and behavior at … Continue reading “Three Key Workplace Policies that Startups Can’t Afford to Ignore”
The Real Meaning of “Minimum Viable Product”
[Editor’s Note: In today’s tech startup culture, it’s widely understood that it’s smarter to build a “minimum viable product” or MVP and get it to market quickly than to labor behind closed doors for years on an elaborate and feature-rich product that, in the end, nobody might really want. But what if the MVP turns … Continue reading “The Real Meaning of “Minimum Viable Product””
Startups and “The Future of Informing”: Q&A with Matter’s Corey Ford
Don’t let it be said that the media industry is anti-innovation. Journalism schools sponsor hard-hitting studies saying news organizations must reinvent themselves to survive. A leaked innovation report from the New York Times shows that the venerable paper is serious about doing exactly that, even if it’s still struggling to figure out how. And KQED, … Continue reading “Startups and “The Future of Informing”: Q&A with Matter’s Corey Ford”
Datalogix Closes $45M Round, Reportedly Considering IPO This Year
Datalogix announced today it has closed a $45 million equity financing round. The announcement comes a few days after a media report that Datalogix is working with investment banks to prepare for an upcoming initial public offering. The Westminster, CO-based company collects information about real-world retail sales and other customer data and sells that information … Continue reading “Datalogix Closes $45M Round, Reportedly Considering IPO This Year”
Prostate Cancer Screening: Seduction Of The Innocent
Many rare book collectors keep an eye out for an original copy of Seduction of the Innocent, a cause célèbre when it was published back in the 1950s by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham. The tome purported to show that the root cause of juvenile delinquency in the U.S. was comic books! Sensationalistic congressional hearings followed in … Continue reading “Prostate Cancer Screening: Seduction Of The Innocent”
Datalogix Lands $45,000,000 Series C Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=83604ca9-4a10-4046-96ef-bd25f220d415 Date 5/28/2014 Company Name Datalogix Mailing Address 10075 Westmoor Dr. Westminster, CO 80021 USA Company Description As a company, we made it our mission to leverage the power of purchase-based audience targeting to drive measurable online and offline sales. Our data includes almost every U.S. household and more than $1 trillion … Continue reading “Datalogix Lands $45,000,000 Series C Financing Round”
Campuscene Garners $18,000 Seed Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b58e1823-f044-4b23-adbb-be5023ce9ecd Date 5/28/2014 Company Name Campuscene Mailing Address 1068 Delaware St. Denver, CO 80204 USA Company Description Campuscene – a modern and engaging college search platform that serves both applicants and admissions offices. Website http://www.campuscene.com Transaction Type Accelerator Transaction Amount $18,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes The company will use the proceeds … Continue reading “Campuscene Garners $18,000 Seed Financing Round”
Decibullz Bests 16 Startups to Win $250K Prize at Pitch Competition
Decibullz, a startup that sells earphones and earpieces that buyers can custom mold for a unique fit, took home $250,000 Saturday after winning the inaugural CSU Blue Ocean Enterprises Challenge. Decibullz, which is based in Loveland, CO, beat out 16 other startups to win the pitch competition. The event, which was in Fort Collins, CO, … Continue reading “Decibullz Bests 16 Startups to Win $250K Prize at Pitch Competition”
Navigating JOBS, Wrangling Investors: A Biotech CFO Roundtable
In biotech, the visionary scientists and serial entrepreneurs often—arguably too often—get described as “rock stars.” The financial guys… well, not so much. But in a business where cash is constantly burned at the altar of R&D, and financial engineering can be as prized a skill as drug hunting, the CFOs perhaps deserve more time in … Continue reading “Navigating JOBS, Wrangling Investors: A Biotech CFO Roundtable”
Blurb Acquires Graphic.ly for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fa061d29-56a0-4dd5-97fe-78597119e0b7 Date 5/27/2014 Company Name Graphic.ly Mailing Address Undisclosed Boulder, CO 80501 USA Company Description Graphic.ly is a place for all people that, like us, love the art and story telling that lives within the pages of a comic book or graphic novel, and enjoy nothing more than sharing that enthusiasm with … Continue reading “Blurb Acquires Graphic.ly for Undisclosed Sum”
Cord Cutting: How to Get High-Speed Internet Service Without Cable
[Updated article for 2017 is here, 10/25/17.] Last fall I wrote a column called Please, Keep Paying $80 a Month for Cable So I Can Enjoy Cheap TV. The article was addressed to folks who complain about the exorbitant fees they’re paying to Comcast or AT&T for premium cable bundles. Adopting a cheeky, sarcastic tone—which … Continue reading “Cord Cutting: How to Get High-Speed Internet Service Without Cable”
GlobeImmune Cuts Size of Pending IPO by 29 Percent
History might be repeating itself for GlobeImmune, a Colorado-based drug development company that once again appears to be having trouble finding investors for its IPO. GlobeImmune is planning an IPO that is expected to price soon. It is the second time the Louisville, CO-based company, which is developing drugs for pancreatic cancer and hepatitis, has … Continue reading “GlobeImmune Cuts Size of Pending IPO by 29 Percent”
SoftTech’s Hudson Talks Strategy, Key Factors in Out-of-Town Deals
When SoftTech VC partner Charles Hudson came through San Diego last month, he explained why his firm is increasingly taking bigger stakes—and bigger risks—in funding early stage tech companies. He also explained what SoftTech is looking for when it invests in startups outside Silicon Valley. As one of the first “micro VCs” in the Bay … Continue reading “SoftTech’s Hudson Talks Strategy, Key Factors in Out-of-Town Deals”
Ascent Solar Technologies Helps Create Sun-Powered Drone
Ascent Solar Technologies is taking to the skies. The Thornton, CO-based manufacturer of thin-film photovoltaic modules announced this week that an unmanned aerial vehicle—also commonly known as a drone or unmanned aircraft system—using Ascent’s photovoltaic film recently made its first successful test flights. The drone was developed by Silent Falcon UAS Technologies, which is based … Continue reading “Ascent Solar Technologies Helps Create Sun-Powered Drone”
1Q VC Data: What Just Happened?
The National Venture Capital Association recently released data on first-quarter investment activity, which always makes for an interesting read, at least on long plane rides. Point of fact, this past quarter was exceptional in many ways—and arguably somewhat unexpected. The headlines read that $9.5 billion was invested in 951 companies, an amount we have not … Continue reading “1Q VC Data: What Just Happened?”
Just a Few Slots Left for Napa Summit June 3—Request An Invite
We are just under two weeks away from the Napa Summit 2014: The Xconomy Retreat on the Economy, Jobs, and Growth. It is one of our most special events of the year. Not only does it have an incredible speaker lineup, it is multidisciplinary, offering a rare chance to step out of your zone of … Continue reading “Just a Few Slots Left for Napa Summit June 3—Request An Invite”
My Dealer Service Secures $25,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=959737e8-6d6f-443f-a1b9-1dd6c6fa10ce Date 5/21/2014 Company Name My Dealer Service Mailing Address Undisclosed Denver, CO 80002 USA Company Description My Dealer Service is a start up in the works by a bunch of semi-nerdy but very handsome characters in Denver, CO. Website http://www.mydealerservice.com Transaction Type Accelerator Transaction Amount $25,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “My Dealer Service Secures $25,000 Seed Financing”
Clear Creek Networks Secures $30,000 Seed Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a5efec2e-b93a-43a2-86d2-42270d83bd78 Date 5/21/2014 Company Name Clear Creek Networks Mailing Address Undisclosed Boulder, CO 80001 USA Company Description Clear Creek Networks is a software company that delivers a unique technology for electric utilities. As the first company to provide a fully-automated data network management solution Clear Creek Networks addresses the technical challenges and … Continue reading “Clear Creek Networks Secures $30,000 Seed Round”
RuMe Secures $3,401,486 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c944e69e-1470-4501-972e-699f93c257b3 Date 5/20/2014 Company Name RuMe Mailing Address 7022 S. Revere Pkwy. Centennial, CO 80012 USA Company Description Colorado-based RuMe was launched on Earth Day 2008 to meet the growing need of environmentally conscious consumers who don’t want to sacrifice style and functionality. Website http://www.myrume.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,401,486 … Continue reading “RuMe Secures $3,401,486 Series C Financing”
Uvize Determined to Help Veterans Make Transition to College Life
Stepping off the military base—or battlefield—and on to a college campus can be a surprisingly difficult transition, but Uvize, a Boulder, CO-based startup, is looking to change that. Uvize is a software startup that develops what co-founder and CEO Dave Cass calls virtual veterans centers. Veterans can use its online community features to connect with … Continue reading “Uvize Determined to Help Veterans Make Transition to College Life”
concept3D Lands $1,250,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1d3fbffe-284e-4a09-ba8a-fd73ee861775 Date 5/17/2014 Company Name concept3D Mailing Address 1100 Spruce St. Boulder, CO 80302 USA Company Description concept3D is a software studio and media services company offering professional media and web services, a map management platform including CampusBird, the leading interactive maps platform for the education market, and a suite of mobile … Continue reading “concept3D Lands $1,250,000 New Financing”
Concept 3D Raises $1.25M to Advance Its Mapping and Energy Software
After years of working with universities to develop interactive maps and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to develop energy assessment software, Concept 3D is setting off to explore new territory. The Boulder, CO-based software and services company has closed a $1.25 million funding round, according to SEC documents. Concept 3D co-founder and CEO Oliver Davis … Continue reading “Concept 3D Raises $1.25M to Advance Its Mapping and Energy Software”
Check Out Our Napa Summit Agenda—Get Your Invite for June 2-3 Event
It’s one of the most special events Xconomy holds—an invitation-only confab in the Napa Valley for roughly 80-90 special guests and speakers. And the Napa Summit 2014, set for June 2-3, is shaping up to be our best ever. We have a power-packed array of speakers, from pioneers in their fields to some of the … Continue reading “Check Out Our Napa Summit Agenda—Get Your Invite for June 2-3 Event”
Welcome to the Seven-Year Technology Pause
What’s even harder to endure than the collapse of an economic or technology bubble? The long lull that follows. The current bubble hasn’t popped quite yet—and it might not, at least not in the sudden and messy way that the dot-com bubble did, in March 2000. What’s just as possible is that that we’ll see … Continue reading “Welcome to the Seven-Year Technology Pause”
Innovation Hub: David Pogue Does Some Trendspotting
David Pogue is a tastemaker. His reviews in The New York Times—and now on Yahoo—are widely followed. He has 1.5 million Twitter followers. And he’s always on the lookout for new trends. So, what is he intrigued by right now? And what does he think is overhyped? I put it to Pogue. [The following interview … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: David Pogue Does Some Trendspotting”
Zerista Secures $324,998 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4cbd9a7d-3914-48a7-992c-418c2e5adeec Date 5/16/2014 Company Name Zerista Mailing Address 1700 Platte St. Denver, CO 80202 USA Company Description Our vision is to be the leading mobile community platform by letting you easily turn your group, team or organization into a thriving mobile community. Until Zerista, community managers have had to use a wide … Continue reading “Zerista Secures $324,998 New Funding”
The Davis Dilemma: New Energy for Innovation, But Where to Grow?
Every economic development official in the country knows the story. In 1951, Frederick Terman, then the dean of engineering at Stanford University, decided to set aside 200 acres of Stanford-owned fruit orchards in Palo Alto for the new Stanford Industrial Park. The park was soon home to Varian Associates, Shockley Transistor, and Hewlett-Packard, as well … Continue reading “The Davis Dilemma: New Energy for Innovation, But Where to Grow?”
Polis: Startups Can’t Ignore Politics, Must Make Voices Heard
Entrepreneur-turned-Congressman Jared Polis has a brutal truth for entrepreneurs who don’t pay attention to politics. “Wouldn’t it be nice if you could safely ignore politics?” asked Polis, the Democrat who represents Boulder, CO, in the U.S. House of Representatives. “But that’s not the case. The biggest principle to remember is if you’re not at the … Continue reading “Polis: Startups Can’t Ignore Politics, Must Make Voices Heard”
Fort Collins-based Beagle Fetches Go Code Colorado’s Top Prize
A team from Fort Collins took home the top prize last week at the inaugural Go Code Colorado challenge. The event is a competition sponsored by the state of Colorado to encourage startups to use public data collected by state agencies to create apps that can solve problems for businesses. Beagle earned a $25,000 contract … Continue reading “Fort Collins-based Beagle Fetches Go Code Colorado’s Top Prize”
Xconomy Surveys Innovation in the Sacramento-Davis Corridor
As Xconomist Bob Metcalfe has said, “Invention is a flower. Innovation is a weed.” What better place for the weed of innovation to grow than in the fertile region around the California capital of Sacramento, and, especially, nearby University of California at Davis, one of the premier agricultural research institutions in the world? In fact, … Continue reading “Xconomy Surveys Innovation in the Sacramento-Davis Corridor”
Can Sacramento End Its Innovation Drought?
It’s raining, at last, in the Sacramento region. It’s just past noon on the last day of March. As I’d glided east on Interstate 80 that morning, the sky had been darkly pregnant, a wash of Payne’s Gray. Yet not a drop of rain had streaked my windshield. Now, as I’m leaving City Hall in … Continue reading “Can Sacramento End Its Innovation Drought?”
Boulder Startup Week Kicks Off With Look at Angel Investing Pitfalls
Angel investing isn’t for the faint of heart. Doing it right takes patience, acceptance of risk, and the knack for spotting entrepreneurs who can work together as a team. Those were the major themes at a panel discussion Monday that was part of the first day of Boulder Startup Week. The panel, titled “Trouble in … Continue reading “Boulder Startup Week Kicks Off With Look at Angel Investing Pitfalls”
Entrepreneurship Inside Corporations
There is a real trend developing right now of large corporations becoming crucibles of innovation and entrepreneurship in a systematic way. In this post, I will discuss four specific sub-categories of this trend that we’re seeing, and for all practical purposes, participating in. Intrapreneurship Incubation Corporations have come to realize that there are numerous great … Continue reading “Entrepreneurship Inside Corporations”
Innovation Hub: Joi Ito on Failing to the Top
Joi Ito may be a tech luminary, but he says that he has mostly learned by failing. Ito—an early investor in Twitter, Kickstarter, and Flickr—is now the head of the MIT Media Lab. And he believes that young people, entrepreneurs, and even those in established positions should be encouraged to try more and fail more. … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Joi Ito on Failing to the Top”
Radio is the New Netflix. Here’s Your Binge Listening Guide.
“Binge watching” TV shows wasn’t possible until the advent of full-season DVD sets in the late 1990s. And while bingeing was common enough in the 2000s—I definitely remember a few weekends spent inhaling 24, BSG, and The Wire—it didn’t really leap into the mainstream until 2013, when Netflix began streaming whole seasons of shows like … Continue reading “Radio is the New Netflix. Here’s Your Binge Listening Guide.”