Category: Detroit

Bio Roundup: Spark’s Road Ahead, Juno Rumors, Merck’s Big Day & More

The most overblown health story of the week was President Trump’s health exam. America learned Trump is in perfect health and has “great genes.” He takes Propecia. He doesn’t have heart problems, had a perfect cognitive test score, and is one pound shy of obese. This scintillating information led to a new social media phenomenon, the … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Spark’s Road Ahead, Juno Rumors, Merck’s Big Day & More”

Tougher “Immigration” Policies On Foreign Tech Crossing U.S. Border

It’s not only people from other countries that are struggling harder to get into the United States these days, it seems. Technology from foreign nations may also be subject to stricter “immigration” rules. The national origins of tech devices and services wasn’t a front-burner question—at least for the general public—until the issue came up at … Continue reading “Tougher “Immigration” Policies On Foreign Tech Crossing U.S. Border”

Absences, Surprises in Amazon’s Final List of 20 Cities for HQ2

And then there were 20. Amazon has winnowed down the field of 238 submissions from communities around North America vying to host a second headquarters (HQ2) of the Seattle-based tech giant. Most large cities with existing or emerging tech hubs appear on the list, from Austin, TX, and Boston, MA, to Washington, DC, and Toronto, … Continue reading “Absences, Surprises in Amazon’s Final List of 20 Cities for HQ2”

Detroit Auto Show Puts Big Focus on Mobility Technologies, Startups

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) kicked off this week in Detroit, allowing industry affiliates and media to get an early look before the show opens to the public this weekend. For the second year in a row, NAIAS highlighted the mobility sector’s potential business models and offered glimpses of how the trillion-dollar market … Continue reading “Detroit Auto Show Puts Big Focus on Mobility Technologies, Startups”

In “Age of Amazon,” All Retailers Are Tech Companies, Even Walmart

Technology took center stage this week as the nation’s retailers made their annual pilgrimage to New York. At the National Retail Federation’s three-day conference, which ended Tuesday, the discussion centered on both the disruptive effects and potential promise of e-commerce technologies. Kate Ancketill, the CEO of GDR Creative Intelligence, a retail trends consultancy, said retailers … Continue reading “In “Age of Amazon,” All Retailers Are Tech Companies, Even Walmart”

Three Takes on How Tech Can Rebuild Trust in 2018

Rounding out our series of perspectives and prognostications for the new year, we asked people in Xconomy’s network about trust in the tech industry. Specifically, if you think public perception about the tech industry took a turn for the worse in 2017, what should the industry do to rebuild trust in 2018? Here are responses … Continue reading “Three Takes on How Tech Can Rebuild Trust in 2018”

Google Launches a MOOC to Train Entry-Level IT Support Staffers

Big tech companies like Google are facing heat for developing disruptive technologies that can make traditional jobs obsolete. But at the same time, the tech industry is growing fast, and is eager to recruit workers outside the sector to fill entry-level jobs that often go begging, a Google executive says. Google is betting on online … Continue reading “Google Launches a MOOC to Train Entry-Level IT Support Staffers”

A.I. Could Be Double-Edged Sword for Cybersecurity Industry in 2018

It’s no secret that artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly influential in cybersecurity—on both sides of the battlefield. And while it’s no secret, it should also be no surprise. Although, in many ways, A.I. is still in its infancy, with nearly every industry investing in the space and many companies already benefiting from automation and business … Continue reading “A.I. Could Be Double-Edged Sword for Cybersecurity Industry in 2018”

Why Human Extinction Needs a Marketing Department

Experts at Oxford University and elsewhere have estimated that the risk of a global human extinction event this century—or at least of an event that wipes out 10 percent or more of the world’s population— is around 1 in 10. The most probable culprits sending us the way of the dinosaur are mostly anthropogenic risks, … Continue reading “Why Human Extinction Needs a Marketing Department”

SkySpecs Snags $8M to Expand Drone-Powered Turbine Inspection Service

Drone startup SkySpecs announced this week that it has raised an $8 million Series B funding round. The investment in the Ann Arbor, MI-based company was co-led by Germany’s Statkraft Ventures, the Capital Midwest Fund, and UL Ventures, and also included contributions from returning investors such as Huron River Ventures and Venture Investors. A lot … Continue reading “SkySpecs Snags $8M to Expand Drone-Powered Turbine Inspection Service”

Spark CEO Marrazzo on Gene Therapy Pricing & Paving the Way for the Field

[Updated, 1/13/17, 11:15 a.m. ET]  After decades of research and scientific ups and downs, the first U.S. gene therapy, a single, long-lasting treatment called voretigene neparvovec (Luxturna) for rare, inherited blindness, is now on the market. But the commercial challenge facing its developer, Spark Therapeutics, is daunting. Can Spark lead the way in showing that … Continue reading “Spark CEO Marrazzo on Gene Therapy Pricing & Paving the Way for the Field”

Bio Roundup: #JPM18, Axovant’s Fall, CRISPR Caveat, Impact M&A & More

Have you gotten your flu shot yet this year? This winter’s flu season is shaping up to be a particularly nasty one and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week upped its tally of states reporting widespread flu activity to 46. Flu awareness was top of mind at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: #JPM18, Axovant’s Fall, CRISPR Caveat, Impact M&A & More”

Cahoots Hires Manager, Partially Opens 24,000-Square-Foot Tech Hub

In 2015, Joe Malcoun and Guy Suter first told Xconomy about their plans to create a tech hub in downtown Ann Arbor, MI. “Guy and I are an explosive, dangerous mix, because we have a hard time saying no to cool ideas and we love risk,” Malcoun said during the interview, explaining why the two … Continue reading “Cahoots Hires Manager, Partially Opens 24,000-Square-Foot Tech Hub”

E-Commerce Firm Black Rifle Coffee Has Expansion in Its Sights

There wasn’t a lot that Evan Hafer could control on his half-dozen deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a Green Beret and CIA contractor. But the one thing he could do something about was the terrible coffee. “I started roasting my own coffee and taking it with me overseas,” he says. “I set up a … Continue reading “E-Commerce Firm Black Rifle Coffee Has Expansion in Its Sights”

Notes From the JPM ’18 Vortex: Gene Therapy’s Reckoning and Lonely Cabs

The annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference in San Francisco winds down today, meaning the remaining stragglers are either presenting to half-empty rooms or headed back to colder climes. Compared to a 2017 full of scientific milestones—FDA approvals of gene and cell therapies, a clinical victory for RNA interference, and more—the meeting itself was rather dull. … Continue reading “Notes From the JPM ’18 Vortex: Gene Therapy’s Reckoning and Lonely Cabs”

Toyota, Ford, Aptiv, Baidu Lead Crowd Pushing Mobility at CES

In the past, the tech conference CES has primarily highlighted consumer electronics and other cool gadgets, but as automakers continue their quest to be taken seriously by the tech industry, the Las Vegas show held every January has increasingly become the venue of choice for car companies that want to show off their latest autonomous … Continue reading “Toyota, Ford, Aptiv, Baidu Lead Crowd Pushing Mobility at CES”

Loving LTE or Tossing the Smartphone: Tech Leaders Share New Habits

We asked people around the Xconomy network whether their personal patterns of technology usage changed much in response to something that happened in 2017, as part of our series of perspectives and predictions marking the start of a new year. Here are answers from Ben Gilbert, co-founder of Pioneer Square Labs in Seattle and interim … Continue reading “Loving LTE or Tossing the Smartphone: Tech Leaders Share New Habits”

Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: ScaleVP Comments From the Sidelines

Just because an investor isn’t putting money into blockchain technologies or cryptocurrencies yet, it doesn’t mean they’re not watching these emerging phenomena with interest. Andy Vitus, a partner at Silicon Valley venture capital firm Scale Venture Partners, has been keeping his eye on the potential uses of the blockchain, which is best known as the … Continue reading “Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: ScaleVP Comments From the Sidelines”

Dentsu Aegis Buys HelloWorld, formerly ePrize, for an Undisclosed Sum

When we first visited the headquarters of HelloWorld in 2012, the company was still called ePrize and was swiftly outgrowing its Pleasant Ridge, MI, digs. After several years of exponential growth, HelloWorld announced last week that it has been acquired by Dentsu Aegis Network, based in the U.K. The financial terms of the deal were … Continue reading “Dentsu Aegis Buys HelloWorld, formerly ePrize, for an Undisclosed Sum”

Beyond the Demo: 2018 Could Be Year for Longer, Profitable VR Content

René Pinnell says he and his wife Selena Pinnell were “blown away” by the virtual reality projects their friends were creating in 2014, so they looked for an entrepreneurial niche that would allow them to support such artists. That year the couple, both trained in design, founded a startup in San Francisco, then called KaleidoscopeVR. … Continue reading “Beyond the Demo: 2018 Could Be Year for Longer, Profitable VR Content”

Pixo VR Aims to Virtually Train People Who Work in Dangerous Jobs

Imagine that you’ve just gotten hired for a job building skyscrapers. Would you rather complete your job training out on a narrow precipice hundreds of feet in the air, or in a virtual reality simulation of that work environment, where your feet could remain firmly planted on terra firma while you learn the tricks of … Continue reading “Pixo VR Aims to Virtually Train People Who Work in Dangerous Jobs”

Venture Activity Comes to (Unicorn) Point in 2017, and Top 10 Deals

[Updated 1/10/18 1:30 pm. See below.] In China, 2017 was the year of the rooster. But in the United States, it was the year of the unicorn—at least according to the Venture Monitor report released today by Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. A record number of unicorn financings—venture-backed companies valued at $1 … Continue reading “Venture Activity Comes to (Unicorn) Point in 2017, and Top 10 Deals”

Free IT Training Launch

Uplift Inc. is looking for 5,000 Detroit residents to attend this and other free Cisco Networking Academy classes offered in 2018. The course is available online anytime; those needing assistance with their assignments can find it at the Experiential Learning labs in seven Detroit Public Library locations. The Cisco classes help residents learn more about … Continue reading “Free IT Training Launch”

E-Commerce Innovations in the Mix at Consumer Tech Conference

Alexa is now mobile. Seattle-based e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) is expected to unveil its first augmented-reality glasses to pair with Alexa, its digital assistant, at the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, in Las Vegas this week. The glasses were developed for Amazon by Vuzix, a Rochester, NY -based wearable tech company, and can communicate … Continue reading “E-Commerce Innovations in the Mix at Consumer Tech Conference”

Jill Ford Scores New Tech Investing Gig with Toyota AI Ventures

Jill Ford, the city of Detroit’s former head of entrepreneurship and innovation, says she was already interested in the mobility field when she landed a new job last month with Toyota AI Ventures, the Silicon Valley-based investment arm of the Toyota Research Institute. “After hearing about Toyota AI Ventures and its mission, I was fascinated by … Continue reading “Jill Ford Scores New Tech Investing Gig with Toyota AI Ventures”

Xconomy Bookclub: “Troublemakers” Charts the Birth of Silicon Valley

In 1968, a little-read article in a soon-to-fail magazine prophesied an age of networked machines that could be more than passive, oversized calculators to become digital partners in solving problems alongside humans. “In a few years, men will be able to communicate more effectively through a machine than face to face,” wrote JCR “Lick” Licklider … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Troublemakers” Charts the Birth of Silicon Valley”

Bio Roundup: Trump, Gottlieb, Gene Therapy Prices, IPO Hopes & More

Welcome to the new year. What will it bring? Hopefully a lot less hatred, greed, stupidity, and angst than 2017. But we’re not holding our breath. We emerged from the winter break pondering several of the year’s burning biopharma questions, including the volatility of the U.S. president and what it means for the biopharmaceutical business, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump, Gottlieb, Gene Therapy Prices, IPO Hopes & More”

What Can Seattle Learn from Amazon’s HQ2 Search? 3 Takes

Perhaps the biggest story in Seattle last year was Amazon’s decision to seek a second headquarters elsewhere in North America. The tech and retail juggernaut has transformed this city and its economy over the last decade, for good and for ill. So, what lesson should Seattle take from Amazon’s move? We put that question to … Continue reading “What Can Seattle Learn from Amazon’s HQ2 Search? 3 Takes”

E-mail Pioneer Borenstein Sees Hope, Flaws in Chaotic Tech Industry

Nathaniel Borenstein, chief scientist at e-mail management company Mimecast, wears many hats: he’s a pioneer in the development of e-mail, a lay theologian, a grandfather who is married to his high school sweetheart, a vegetarian, a former “cyber banker,” and a pacifist. However, he is best known for successfully sending the world’s first e-mail attachment … Continue reading “E-mail Pioneer Borenstein Sees Hope, Flaws in Chaotic Tech Industry”

Barracuda Buys PhishLine, Maker of Cybersecurity Education Software

The proverb “a stitch in time saves nine” would seem especially apt in the cybersecurity world. Employers can in theory save time and money by training their workers to identify suspicious links and avoid clicking on them, rather than having to deal with the potentially costly fallout from a phishing attack. That’s the idea behind … Continue reading “Barracuda Buys PhishLine, Maker of Cybersecurity Education Software”

Six West Coast Tech Leaders Share Top Developments of 2017

Xconomy asked technology and innovation leaders around our network to reflect on the most important developments in their industries during 2017, and the answers were appropriately wide-ranging. Responses from individuals in Seattle and San Diego touch on the rapid advance of machine learning, tech’s full-scale invasion of digital health, dramatic growth in blockchain and cryptocurrency, … Continue reading “Six West Coast Tech Leaders Share Top Developments of 2017”

Clean Energy Entrepreneur Desai on Tech’s Pitfalls & Promise in 2017

A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Nisha … Continue reading “Clean Energy Entrepreneur Desai on Tech’s Pitfalls & Promise in 2017”

First U.S. Gene Therapy, Approved for Vision Loss, to Cost $850,000

The first gene therapy approved in the United States will cost $850,000, its developer Spark Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONCE]]) announced today. Spark hopes to reduce the sticker shock by offering refunds and other creative pricing ideas, but those carve-outs, at best, are limited, and some are unlikely to come to fruition, according to healthcare economists. The … Continue reading “First U.S. Gene Therapy, Approved for Vision Loss, to Cost $850,000”

Cybersecurity Firm Illumio’s Alan Cohen on the Tech Backlash of 2017

One of the largest and most consequential data breaches in 2017 afflicted credit reporting agency Equifax, and it was hardly the only victim. Any year-end review of technology news must also include reports on Russian hacking of the 2016 election campaign, and the manipulation of social media channels to spread false and divisive political messages. These … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Firm Illumio’s Alan Cohen on the Tech Backlash of 2017”

Trump v. Drug Makers? And 6 More Burning Biopharma Questions for 2018

Next week, a big slice of the biomedical industry is gathering in San Francisco for the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference and other life sciences events that have emerged like sprouts around the base of an old redwood tree. One year ago, the pharmaceutical folks—by far the largest delegation to this annual mosh pit of … Continue reading “Trump v. Drug Makers? And 6 More Burning Biopharma Questions for 2018”

Six Useful Things You Can Do With Your New Smart Speaker

TL;DR: It’s time to buy a smart speaker. They’re ridiculously cheap—$30 for the Amazon Echo Dot, and $29 for the Google Home Mini—and increasingly powerful. It will be a long time before they’re as empathetic as Samantha in Her or as industrious as Rosie in The Jetsons. But they can already make your life easier, … Continue reading “Six Useful Things You Can Do With Your New Smart Speaker”

Storage Trends for 2018: Cloud Storage 2.0 Players Poised to Ascend

In March 2006, Amazon launched Simple Storage Service (S3). Although few people paid much attention at the time, the announcement of S3 marked the beginning of a great migration of data from on-premises storage to the cloud. The first generation of cloud storage products—as represented by Amazon S3, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure—made the best … Continue reading “Storage Trends for 2018: Cloud Storage 2.0 Players Poised to Ascend”

Family & Kids’ Advocate Shum Preston on the Tech Backlash of 2017

Much attention was focused this past year on the impact of social media on the 2016 presidential election, as reports emerged about the use of these platforms by entities linked with Russia to spread false, misleading, or inflammatory political messages. Aside from these revelations about “fake news,” the year brought reports on major data breaches … Continue reading “Family & Kids’ Advocate Shum Preston on the Tech Backlash of 2017”

Houston Investor Murthy Reflects on Tech’s High & Low Points in 2017

A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Neal … Continue reading “Houston Investor Murthy Reflects on Tech’s High & Low Points in 2017”

Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe on the Tech Backlash of 2017

It’s time to ring out the old year. Or perhaps in the case of 2017, with its litany of data security breaches, social media manipulations, and allegations of sexual harassment, to just wring out the old. As the year drew to a close, Xconomy asked a variety of tech industry observers for their perspective on … Continue reading “Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe on the Tech Backlash of 2017”

Tech Industry Must Implement Old-School Corporate Best Practices

There is little doubt that Silicon Valley has taken a reputational hit in 2017, partly as a result of the media’s usual star-making and -breaking process, but mostly through self-inflicted wounds. However, while specific details in the press may be shocking, the problems were predictable: Bad behavior often follows when there is an imbalance in … Continue reading “Tech Industry Must Implement Old-School Corporate Best Practices”

UTD’s Guengerich on the Promise and Peril of Tech Innovation in 2017

A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Steve … Continue reading “UTD’s Guengerich on the Promise and Peril of Tech Innovation in 2017”

Tamr’s Andy Palmer on Diversity in Tech & A.I.’s Data Challenge

As 2017 comes to a close, we’re surveying business and technology leaders from around our network to get their perspectives on the year in tech—and what’s next. Below are the highlights from our e-mail exchange with entrepreneur and investor Andy Palmer, the co-founder and CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Tamr, a “data unification” software company. (Palmer … Continue reading “Tamr’s Andy Palmer on Diversity in Tech & A.I.’s Data Challenge”

WatchHerWork CEO Hamilton: “We Are All Ready for Tech to Grow Up”

A series of highly publicized events in 2017—from the Equifax data breach to the exposure of rampant sexual harassment in parts of the tech industry—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to cybersecurity and tech culture. In a bid to put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy … Continue reading “WatchHerWork CEO Hamilton: “We Are All Ready for Tech to Grow Up””

Privacy Advocate Richard Holober on the Tech Backlash of 2017 

We’ve just passed a year full of news about the role of technology companies in U.S. elections, democracy, free speech, fairness in hiring, sexual harassment, privacy, data security, and the future job market for humans in the age of robots and artificial intelligence. Speculation is rampant about a possible sea change in consumer attitudes toward … Continue reading “Privacy Advocate Richard Holober on the Tech Backlash of 2017 “

Roundup: NextChallenge Winners, Strata Oncology Trial, MCWT & More

What a long, strange year it’s been, with no shortage of news coming out of the technology sector. As we say goodbye to 2017, here’s a final roundup of innovation news from around the state: —Detroit cleantech incubator NextEnergy, in partnership with Denso, DTE Energy, and Wells Fargo, has named Ontario’s SmartCone as the winner of the … Continue reading “Roundup: NextChallenge Winners, Strata Oncology Trial, MCWT & More”

Despite Scandal-Filled Year, Mark Cuban Says “Tech Is Just Tech”

A series of highly publicized events this year—from the Equifax and Uber data breaches to foreign use of social media and Web services to influence the U.S. election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to cybersecurity and big tech companies. In a bid to put things in perspective … Continue reading “Despite Scandal-Filled Year, Mark Cuban Says “Tech Is Just Tech””

Flipside Crypto’s Balter Talks Uber, #MeToo, Cryptocurrencies

The past year was a turbulent one for the tech industry. There was a new controversy seemingly every week, whether it was Uber’s myriad scandals; more personal data breaches; Russia’s use of social media and other online platforms to try and influence U.S. voters; growing concerns over tech giants’ power; and a series of sexual … Continue reading “Flipside Crypto’s Balter Talks Uber, #MeToo, Cryptocurrencies”

Cybersecurity Expert Ash Mozano on the Tech Backlash of 2017

There may be nothing more subjective than trying to gauge public attitudes about technology. Yet a series of highly publicized events in 2017—from the massive exposure of personal data in the Equifax breach to the use of Twitter and Facebook to manipulate voters in the U.S. Presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Expert Ash Mozano on the Tech Backlash of 2017”