Most readers are probably aware that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has recently introduced a process to open up the domain system to a myriad of new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs). In this context “generic” may be somewhat of a misnomer, because a number of the domains applied for correspond … Continue reading “Fun and Games in ICANN’s new gTLD Process”
Category: Boulder/Denver
To ‘Lean In’ or Not to ‘Lean In:’ Is That the Real Question?
Steve Jobs famously said that you cannot “connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” For me, one of those moments of clarity in connecting the dots—looking back and seeing a logic and pattern in my life … Continue reading “To ‘Lean In’ or Not to ‘Lean In:’ Is That the Real Question?”
The VC Will See You Now at the “World’s Largest Office Hours”
The three laws of getting a meeting with a VC: 1) If you don’t know somebody who can provide a referral, don’t even try. 2) Start about four months in advance. 3) Once the meeting is on the books, assume that it will be rescheduled at least twice, and probably again on the day of … Continue reading “The VC Will See You Now at the “World’s Largest Office Hours””
Lessons For Drug Development From The Aveo Buzzsaw
Drug development is a tough business. Small companies that dare to try often end up in public train wrecks when they head to Washington to meet the FDA. It’s a shame, a colossal waste, every time a company gets that far and stumbles. And it doesn’t have to be that way. The folks at Cambridge, … Continue reading “Lessons For Drug Development From The Aveo Buzzsaw”
LinkSmart Secures $5,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0e3e49f4-1bec-4c0c-85fe-88d295a26f02&Preview=1 Date 5/6/2013 Company Name LinkSmart Mailing Address 1805 11th Street Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description LinkSmart provides text-linking optimization solutions for web publishers. Its cloud-based Total Link Management (TLM) solution analyzes, manages and dynamically optimizes text-linked keywords. Website http://www.linksmart.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “LinkSmart Secures $5,000,000 New Funding”
$95M Satellite Project at CU to Help Earthlings Cope with Space Weather
How’s the weather up there? No, seriously. Like way up in space and the upper atmosphere, where space weather can affect communications and GPS satellites—and knock a space station out of the sky. Or closer to home, where radiation makes it through the atmosphere and can interrupt electrical transmission grids and force airlines to reroute … Continue reading “$95M Satellite Project at CU to Help Earthlings Cope with Space Weather”
Do You Need an Extended Warranty? Do the Math, Says SquareTrade
Consumer Reports, the nation’s most respected source of product reviews and buying advice, does not mince words about extended warranties. It calls them a bad idea and money down the drain. The website Consumerist agrees, calling extended warranties useless and usually a bad deal. So why on earth would you consider shelling out an extra … Continue reading “Do You Need an Extended Warranty? Do the Math, Says SquareTrade”
Jake Jabs’ $10M Gift to ‘Transform’ CU-Denver Business School
Here’s a story that might make Colorado entrepreneurs chuckle, until they realize what it could mean for them. Zany furniture pitchman Jake Jabs—yes, that Jake Jabs—has donated a record $10 million to the University of Colorado-Denver’s business school, CU Denver announced Wednesday. Jabs is the founder and CEO of American Furniture Warehouse, a chain of … Continue reading “Jake Jabs’ $10M Gift to ‘Transform’ CU-Denver Business School”
Restaurants’ Hunger for Mobile Ordering Fueling Splick-it’s Growth
You’re hungry, and you’re in a hurry. Don’t you wish you could skip the long line ahead of you? Wouldn’t it be great if the restaurant knew what you wanted and had it waiting for you? Splick-it, a company that develops mobile and online ordering and payment systems for restaurant chains, thinks that it can … Continue reading “Restaurants’ Hunger for Mobile Ordering Fueling Splick-it’s Growth”
Xconomy Opens in Texas, Expanding Roundup of Innovation Across U.S.
I’ve been coming to Texas regularly for more than 20 years—first to meet my future in-laws, and ever since to visit a growing extended family network around the state. I didn’t envision opening a Texas business arm on that initial visit (I didn’t have a business), but ever since launching Xconomy in mid-2007, I’ve been … Continue reading “Xconomy Opens in Texas, Expanding Roundup of Innovation Across U.S.”
Xconomy, Welcome to Texas, Where Energy Will Be Solved!
It’s great that Xconomy is finally getting to Texas. Which is not to say that I’m rooting for Austin over “Baustin.” Innovation is not a zero-sum game. Or, as they say around these parts, we know you’re not from Texas, but we’re glad you’re here. On the other hand, I spent 10 years trying to … Continue reading “Xconomy, Welcome to Texas, Where Energy Will Be Solved!”
Supply Chains Are Orderly. Biotech Innovation Is Messy
I was intrigued by the concept of an “innovation supply chain” for biotech raised in last week’s Xconomy discussion with Noubar Afeyan of Flagship Ventures. The basic idea is that if there’s agreement about certain experiments, results, and value with a pharma company, then a biotech company can focus on delivering those results, the pharma … Continue reading “Supply Chains Are Orderly. Biotech Innovation Is Messy”
Startup Booster Erik Mitisek Takes Lead at State Tech Association
A familiar face from Denver’s startup scene is now leading the largest advocacy group for Colorado’s tech industry. Erik Mitisek started as the Colorado Technology Association’s CEO today. Mitisek is one of the driving forces behind Denver Startup Week and the BuiltInDenver website, and he is a co-chair of Startup Colorado. Mitisek also is a … Continue reading “Startup Booster Erik Mitisek Takes Lead at State Tech Association”
Announcing Xconomy Napa Summit 2013: New Rules for Growth
Finally, the economy seems to be heading in the right direction, but frustratingly slowly—and peril lurks around every sequester corner. Is that the new normal in this age of rising healthcare costs, venture capital belt-tightening, and a nearly broken Congressional system that can’t see fit to invest properly in vital areas such as research and … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Napa Summit 2013: New Rules for Growth”
Man vs. Machine: Can Software Trump Editors in the Newsfeed Wars?
Suddenly, digital newsfeeds are the hottest thing in consumer tech. Big tech companies have been frantically opening their wallets in recent weeks to buy out small startups making mobile-friendly applications that use software to pull together news from innumerable sources around the Web. Last week, it was Google paying a reported $30 million or more … Continue reading “Man vs. Machine: Can Software Trump Editors in the Newsfeed Wars?”
The Napa Summit 2013: New Rules for Growth
How can entrepreneurs today build big new global companies—what ideas are paying off, and what previously successful strategies no longer work? Which fields or geographies likely hold the keys to future success? This year’s Napa Summit will bring together leading high-tech innovators, executives, and investors with unique perspectives on the U.S. and global innovation landscapes … Continue reading “The Napa Summit 2013: New Rules for Growth”
Six Reasons Why Illumina Has Nothing to Fear from Thermo/Life
Illumina doesn’t need luck. But the San Diego-based company just caught a break this month, which will make it easier to continue crushing all who dare challenge its supremacy in genomics. The gift I’m referring to was the mega-merger a couple weeks ago between Waltham, MA-based Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: [[ticker:TMO]]) and Carlsbad, CA-based Life … Continue reading “Six Reasons Why Illumina Has Nothing to Fear from Thermo/Life”
Kickstart, a Utah-Based Seed Investor, Adds $26M to Regional Pot
There’s more money for entrepreneurs and startups in the Rocky Mountain West, following Kickstart Seed Fund’s announcement this week that it has raised $26 million to make seed-stage investments. Kickstart is based in Salt Lake City and invests in companies in Utah, Colorado, and the rest of the region, managing director Gavin Christensen said. This … Continue reading “Kickstart, a Utah-Based Seed Investor, Adds $26M to Regional Pot”
Automatic’s App Puts Your Smartphone in Charge of Your Car
My car is probably the dumbest machine I own. It’s a 2000 Honda Accord, meaning it’s got none of the cool in-dash electronics found in today’s latest models, like the MyFord Touch entertainment system from Ford, the OnStar safety and navigation system from GM, or the iDrive computer system from BMW. But what I do … Continue reading “Automatic’s App Puts Your Smartphone in Charge of Your Car”
Can Biotech Learn From the TV Production Market?
The recent Xconomy piece on Noubar Afeyan’s ideas for a biotech ”innovation supply chain” got me thinking about how other industries strike a reasonable balance between their big distributors and smaller creative types. I don’t work in the biotech sector but, as a 37-year-old with cystic fibrosis, I am interested in the end-products. I live … Continue reading “Can Biotech Learn From the TV Production Market?”
Big Database, Big Deal: Datalogix Raises $25M Series B Round
For all the attention given to online advertising and shopping, one could forget the vast majority of purchases are made in ‘the real world.’ Datalogix understands that, and the company’s deep knowledge of how to use transaction data is why it closed the $25 million Series B round announced today. Institutional Venture Partners of Menlo … Continue reading “Big Database, Big Deal: Datalogix Raises $25M Series B Round”
Datalogix Obtains $25,000,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1db012b2-7111-430e-8713-59ac928e2331&Preview=1 Date 4/25/2013 Company Name Datalogix Mailing Address 10075 Westmoor Dr. Westminster, CO 80021 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 in … Continue reading “Datalogix Obtains $25,000,000 Series B Financing”
SSD Developer Fusion-io Buys CO-based NexGen Storage for $119M
NexGen Storage, a developer of data storage technology based in Louisville, CO, has been acquired by Fusion-io in a $119 million deal, the companies announced today. The acquisition is a sizable sale for a Colorado tech company and believed to be one of the largest exits in the past decade. Fusion-io (NYSE: [[ticker:FIO]]) is paying … Continue reading “SSD Developer Fusion-io Buys CO-based NexGen Storage for $119M”
Pivotal Seeks Better Enterprise Cloud, with EMC Roots and GE Cash
Can you think of the last time you heard about a startup that had 1,250 employees and a valuation of over $1 billion on the day it launched? I can’t. But then, Pivotal isn’t your typical startup. Unveiled today at a San Francisco press event led by its CEO Paul Maritz, Pivotal is an independent … Continue reading “Pivotal Seeks Better Enterprise Cloud, with EMC Roots and GE Cash”
The Devil is in the Details: What BioPharma Press Releases Don’t Say
While my primary focus is on the research side of the business, I have to admit that for many biotechs, their survival may be tied to the art of the deal. Kevin Kinsella of Avalon Ventures shared his thoughts with Xconomy readers awhile back on the increasingly hard bargains that Big Pharma is extracting from … Continue reading “The Devil is in the Details: What BioPharma Press Releases Don’t Say”
Online Resources Will Upend the Textbook Industry
Can a free tablet app render traditional textbooks and publishers obsolete? Will new software for grading papers and short essays replace teachers? Education has experienced a wave of progress in recent times thanks to open education resources, online colleges and mobile computing. Not only have students and teachers benefited from access to resources, but even … Continue reading “Online Resources Will Upend the Textbook Industry”
Fusion-io Acquires NexGen Storage for $119,000,000
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c58ad1e6-ec29-49f1-837e-db857682149e&Preview=1 Date 4/24/2013 Company Name NexGen Storage Mailing Address 361 Centennial Parkway Louisville, CO 80027 Company Description NexGen Storage delivers the industry’s first SAN solutions with configurable, deterministic performance and Quality of Service (QoS) for virtual server environments. Website http://www.nexgenstorage.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount $119,000,000 Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms … Continue reading “Fusion-io Acquires NexGen Storage for $119,000,000”
An Entrepreneurship Competition Turns 5: Lessons Learned at CU-Boulder
The New Venture Challenge Championships at the University of Colorado, which wrapped up last week (see Xconomy’s coverage here), were magic. An April snowstorm did not deter more than 200 individuals from the community from packing the finals. Few things inspire like seeing entrepreneurs—especially students—solve problems by creating new companies. And the teams were great. … Continue reading “An Entrepreneurship Competition Turns 5: Lessons Learned at CU-Boulder”
Kendall Square’s New Rules
With the events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing last week, I have found it difficult to think about much else. Xconomy had previously invited me to write about the upcoming transformation MIT is bringing to Kendall Square. When it came time to sit down and write this piece, my first reaction was to pass. But … Continue reading “Kendall Square’s New Rules”
Biotech Execs Aren’t Ready to Prove Drugs Have Value, E&Y Says
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act last year as constitutional. President Obama won re-election. After years of runaway spending on healthcare, the well established policy on healthcare in this country is that access needs to go up, and costs need to come down. While many other groups are coming to terms with … Continue reading “Biotech Execs Aren’t Ready to Prove Drugs Have Value, E&Y Says”
PivotDesk Expands to Help NYC, SF Startups Solve Real Estate Needs
When building a company, entrepreneurs have enough challenges, like perfecting their product and finding customers. Playing the guessing game about how much office space they need shouldn’t have to be one of them. That’s what David Mandell, co-founder and CEO of PivotDesk, thinks. The Boulder, CO.-based company and TechStars Boulder 2012 alum has created an … Continue reading “PivotDesk Expands to Help NYC, SF Startups Solve Real Estate Needs”
From Assets to Zen: Building Successful Drug Hunting Relationships
[Editor’s Note: This post was co-authored by Jessica Yingling, founder of Little Dog Communications.] A wise person once said, “Select your partner wisely. Because that person will be either 90 percent of your happiness or 90 percent of your misery.” While she presumably was referring to partners in love, this could also easily apply to … Continue reading “From Assets to Zen: Building Successful Drug Hunting Relationships”
A Biotech Innovation Supply Chain: Reality or Fantasy?
Biotech has always been a bit like an open-air market bazaar. Now the industry needs to become a little more stable, more predictable. It ought to be part of something you could call an “innovation supply chain.” At least, that’s the view of Noubar Afeyan, the managing partner of Cambridge, MA-based Flagship Ventures. Biotech is … Continue reading “A Biotech Innovation Supply Chain: Reality or Fantasy?”
VC Investment in Boulder/Denver Companies Declines in First Quarter
[Updated 4/23/13 2:30 pm. See below.] The year is off to a slow start in terms of venture capital investing, both for companies in the Boulder/Denver area and around the country, according to the MoneyTree Report released today. Sixteen companies in the Boulder/Denver region raised $77 million in the first quarter, which is the lowest quarterly … Continue reading “VC Investment in Boulder/Denver Companies Declines in First Quarter”
When iMovie Isn’t Enough, Amateur Video Producers Can Go Pro
When you hear people in the tech world talking about “consumerization,” they’re usually referring to complex business software that’s been overhauled to look and feel more like personal technology. But consumerization is washing over other parts of the software market too. One of them is professional media creation and editing. Photoshop is a great example. … Continue reading “When iMovie Isn’t Enough, Amateur Video Producers Can Go Pro”
Venture Funding Slows as VC Industry Contracts, & Top 10 Deals List
Overall venture capital activity slowed in the U.S. during the first three months of 2013, with venture capitalists investing $5.9 billion in 863 deals nationwide, according to the MoneyTree Report released today. Compared with the previous quarter, VC funding was off nearly 12 percent and the deal count was down almost 15 percent. Venture firms … Continue reading “Venture Funding Slows as VC Industry Contracts, & Top 10 Deals List”
Lanx Garners $6,397,359 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=15f6dd99-746a-4e66-aa2a-2b9daa388ce3&Preview=1 Date 4/19/2013 Company Name Lanx Mailing Address 310 Interlocken Crescent Broomfield, CO 80021 Company Description Lanx, LLC is a medical device company developing and marketing surgical implants and biological products for spinal surgery. The Company currently markets 15 product lines of implants and associated instrumentation for spinal fusion surgery. Website http://www.lanx.us … Continue reading “Lanx Garners $6,397,359 New Financing Round”
Algae Harvesters, Online Market for Teachers Share CU Biz Plan Title
Converting the carbon dioxide gas produced by craft breweries into expensive dietary supplements might seem like a far-fetched idea. But a startup with just such a business plan was named a co-champion of the University of Colorado’s New Venture Challenge. The company, Superior EcoTech, shared top honors yesterday with TeacherMaps, an education tech company creating … Continue reading “Algae Harvesters, Online Market for Teachers Share CU Biz Plan Title”
Boulder Startup Tries to Relieve the Pain of Mobile Salesforce Users
Tracking contacts with customers and managing conference-call invitations is never going to be fun, but it could be less of a chore, especially for the increasing number of people whose smartphones are their lifeline to clients and the home office. The goal of MobileDay is to build the tools smartphone users need to take some … Continue reading “Boulder Startup Tries to Relieve the Pain of Mobile Salesforce Users”
Bootstrapping With A Paycheck
Entrepreneurs looking to launch their startups are often faced with myriad difficult decisions, chief among them being the question of seed financing. If you’ve ever found yourself asking, “How can I fund this?” or “Can I fund this on my own, while I’m still holding my current job?” the answer is yes—you absolutely can. Vasu … Continue reading “Bootstrapping With A Paycheck”
Lagrange Systems Receives $2,839,998 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=714053ec-c769-442a-8d0f-a7ac1442064e&Preview=1 Date 4/18/2013 Company Name Lagrange Systems Mailing Address 1426 Pearl St Boulder, CO 80302 Company Description The Lagrange Balancer is a decentralized load balancing service that simplifies the creation and scaling of highly available web sites, web application and API deployments. Website http://www.lagrangesystems.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,839,998 Transaction … Continue reading “Lagrange Systems Receives $2,839,998 New Financing Round”
With LonoCloud Acquisition, ViaSat Gets Head Start on New Technology
There weren’t many details in the statement that ViaSat (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VSAT]]) issued last week, after the Carlsbad, CA-based specialist in satellite-based communications technologies acquired LonoCloud, a San Diego startup founded two years ago. ViaSat said it would integrate core components of LonoCloud’s Platform as a Service (PaaS) technology with its broadband network, which includes its … Continue reading “With LonoCloud Acquisition, ViaSat Gets Head Start on New Technology”
When Hell Froze Over—in the Harvard Business Review
In my 21 years as an entrepreneur, I would come up for air once a month to religiously read the Harvard Business Review. It was not only my secret weapon in thinking about new startup strategies, it also gave me a view of the management issues my customers were dealing with. Through HBR I discovered … Continue reading “When Hell Froze Over—in the Harvard Business Review”
Welcome to Xperience, The New Consumer Section of Xconomy
It’s been a busy spring here at Xconomy. Last month we added a seventh city to our national network—Xconomy Boulder/Denver. And today we’re excited to announce Xperience, a new section designed to guide consumers to the best technologies for their lifestyles. You might have stumbled across Xperience already. We “soft-launched” the section on March 28 … Continue reading “Welcome to Xperience, The New Consumer Section of Xconomy”
Hungrier Investors, Loosened Regulations Could Spur More Local IPOs
Not every startup’s path to Wall Street will take it through the White House Rose Garden, but the journey could be made shorter, easier, and cheaper thanks to legislation signed there last year, as the CEOs of two startups based in Colorado have learned. On April 5, 2012, President Barack Obama signed the Jumpstart Our … Continue reading “Hungrier Investors, Loosened Regulations Could Spur More Local IPOs”
Re-thinking Clinical Trials for the World of Crowdsourcing
Disruption isn’t a word normally associated with clinical drug development, but nevertheless it is coming. We can feel the rumblings of it. New technologies and technology-enabled techniques for productivity in mainstream business applications are slowly making their way into the clinic. There are signals that drug development is starting to catch up with the general … Continue reading “Re-thinking Clinical Trials for the World of Crowdsourcing”
Dish Network Launches $25.5B Unsolicited Takeover of Sprint Nextel
Dish Network announced Monday it has launched an unsolicited $25.5 billion bid to acquire Sprint Nextel in an attempt to create a new leader in the video, data, voice, and broadband markets. Dish (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DISH]]), a satellite television company based in Englewood, CO, is the nation’s third largest pay TV provider, behind Comcast and DirecTV. … Continue reading “Dish Network Launches $25.5B Unsolicited Takeover of Sprint Nextel”
Rewarding High-Risk Innovation: The Case for Carried Interest
As Washington grapples with the deficit, nothing generates more emotion than tax “loopholes.” A priority “loophole” target in the budget that President Obama sent to Congress last week is the treatment of managers’ carried interest in private equity funds as capital gains, which he characterizes as “unfair” and the key reason for the low tax … Continue reading “Rewarding High-Risk Innovation: The Case for Carried Interest”
Strategies for Navigating the Life Sciences Capital Crunch
The need for innovation in healthcare has arguably never been greater. A range of factors, from aging world populations to rising standards of living in developing countries, are poised to drive long-run demand for innovative drugs, devices and medical technologies that can improve outcomes and reduce costs. Ironically, however, funding for healthcare innovation remains in … Continue reading “Strategies for Navigating the Life Sciences Capital Crunch”
Big Data Is BS in Healthcare. When Will It Become Real?
Tech entrepreneurs have been raving for a while now about big data changing the world, and it’s mostly bullshit. Venture capitalist Brad Feld made this point, more or less, when he was being purposely provocative at an Xconomy event last fall. As a biotech journalist, I wanted to cheer “Preach On, Brother Feld!” Doctors are … Continue reading “Big Data Is BS in Healthcare. When Will It Become Real?”