U.S. tech startups and investment firms have long been thought of as the domain of white men—because historically, they have been. Although that may be changing as more big tech corporations are pressured to release their diversity statistics and change hiring policies, one only needs to look at the statistics to confirm that women, members … Continue reading “Disrupt Indy: Can Data Forge the Path to Inclusive Tech Ecosystems?”
Category: Detroit
A.I. Chip Race Redraws Competitive Map Among Tech Firms, Chipmakers
It’s been a long time since tech’s biggest companies could be sorted into discrete buckets according to the products they pioneered—-Google, the search software giant; Apple, the computer and mobile device innovator; e-commerce leader Amazon; business software stalwart Microsoft; and social media engine Facebook. Since then, these major innovators have built on a common resource—increasingly … Continue reading “A.I. Chip Race Redraws Competitive Map Among Tech Firms, Chipmakers”
Eyeing Consumers Needing Car Repairs, CarCalmly Plans August Launch
San Antonio—People who drive spend about 50 minutes on the road per day, according to consulting firm McKinsey. And while laws discourage people from using a cell phone while driving, it’s no secret those drivers probably have smartphones nearby. Some tech startups are seeking opportunities in the auto industry, by using data they can get … Continue reading “Eyeing Consumers Needing Car Repairs, CarCalmly Plans August Launch”
Bio Roundup: GOP Drama, Immunotherapy Setbacks, Pharma Revamps
Two failed cancer studies this week provided a fresh reminder how little researchers and clinicians understand about immunotherapy’s vagaries: why it works for some people and not for others. The results, in lung cancer and head-and neck cancer, add to recent failures in multiple myeloma and bladder cancer and splash cold water on a sector … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: GOP Drama, Immunotherapy Setbacks, Pharma Revamps”
Michigan’s Biggest Startup Competition Now Accepting Applications
The annual Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition will return to Detroit in November, and event organizers are on the hunt for the state’s most promising tech startups to participate. At stake is more than $1 million in cash and prizes, including a whopping $500,000 grand prize. Accelerate Michigan is the state’s largest startup competition, and it … Continue reading “Michigan’s Biggest Startup Competition Now Accepting Applications”
Immunotherapy Shakeup: AstraZeneca Inks Merck Deal as Drug Combo Fails
Despite all the great progress made harnessing the immune system to fight cancer, there is still much work to be done to maximize its potential. The latest evidence: disappointing results today from a roughly 1,100-patient study called “Mystic,” a highly anticipated trial from AstraZeneca testing a combination of immunotherapies in newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. … Continue reading “Immunotherapy Shakeup: AstraZeneca Inks Merck Deal as Drug Combo Fails”
VentureWell Brings Med Tech Acceleration Program to TechTown Detroit
When TechTown Detroit co-hosted a med health summit earlier this year, it was intended to foster collaboration, highlight companies in the sector, and break down silos to advance the regional ecosystem. That work is starting to pay off. VentureWell , the Hadley, MA-based nonprofit med tech accelerator, was in Detroit earlier this summer to run … Continue reading “VentureWell Brings Med Tech Acceleration Program to TechTown Detroit”
Foxconn to Build Plant in WI, Giving Support to Trump’s Jobs Pledges
After weeks of hints, rumors, and speculation, it’s now official: Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer, said it will invest $10 billion over the next three years to build an enormous plant in Southeastern Wisconsin and make electronics displays there. President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and several Wisconsin politicians, including Gov. Scott Walker … Continue reading “Foxconn to Build Plant in WI, Giving Support to Trump’s Jobs Pledges”
Re:purpose Aims to Close Tech Talent Gap with Culture Fit, Curation
The gap between the number of open tech jobs and the number of qualified candidates to fill them is an ongoing challenge in many parts of the country. In Michigan, that problem is especially acute. Doing a keyword search for IT jobs on Pure Michigan Talent Connect, the state’s employment website, reveals more than 16,000 … Continue reading “Re:purpose Aims to Close Tech Talent Gap with Culture Fit, Curation”
Convoy Raises $62M From Gates, Y Combinator for Trucking Marketplace
Convoy, a startup trying to modernize the way truck drivers connect with customers, just got a $62 million boost from investors including the Y Combinator Continuity Fund and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. The Seattle startup, which makes technology that would automate the work of freight brokerages and dispatchers, announced the Series B funding round that … Continue reading “Convoy Raises $62M From Gates, Y Combinator for Trucking Marketplace”
U-M’s Desai Accelerator Picks Four Ann Arbor Startups for New Cohort
The University of Michigan’s Desai Accelerator, a collaboration between the school’s College of Engineering and the Ross School of Business, has chosen four startups for its summer 2017 cohort, the program’s second class this year. The accelerator, which is open to all applicants regardless of university affiliation, is hosting two cohorts during the same calendar year … Continue reading “U-M’s Desai Accelerator Picks Four Ann Arbor Startups for New Cohort”
Bio Roundup: Obamacare Persists, FDA Approves, Vertex Wows & More
The attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act took a major hit this week from Senate GOP holdouts who said the Better Care Reconciliation Act either tore down Medicaid too much or left too much of the ACA in place. A straight-up repeal, floated by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, was also shot … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Obamacare Persists, FDA Approves, Vertex Wows & More”
Iron Yard, Coding School With Three Texas Campuses, Shuts Down
The Iron Yard coding school, which has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Austin, TX, announced Thursday that it is shutting down operations. In a blog post on the school’s website, communications director Lelia King wrote that “the Iron Yard has made the difficult decision to cease operations at all campuses after teaching out remaining summer … Continue reading “Iron Yard, Coding School With Three Texas Campuses, Shuts Down”
New Frontier: Space Center Crowdfunds for Mission Control Facelift
[Updated 7/25/17 5:18 pm. See below.] Houston—Houston, Mission Control has a problem. The storied control room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston—recognizable to many of us from 1960s news clips of the dawn of the Space Age––is in need of a face-lift. And so, Space Center Houston, the visitor’s center for the JSC, has turned … Continue reading “New Frontier: Space Center Crowdfunds for Mission Control Facelift”
Christopher Ahlberg: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview
The second episode of Xconomy’s new podcast, Xconomy Voices, features Recorded Future co-founder and CEO Christopher Ahlberg. His Somerville, MA-based cybersecurity company monitors both the public, visible Web and the Internet’s darker corners for “threat intelligence” that can help its clients prepare for, and fend off, cyber attacks. Ahlberg’s background in data analytics and his … Continue reading “Christopher Ahlberg: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview”
Will Federal Regulations Nullify State Autonomous Driving Laws?
Although the development of self-driving vehicles is well under way, there are still a lot of questions about potential safety regulations and which segment of government will oversee them. Because the federal government has so far not drafted any rules governing the testing and operation of autonomous cars, it has been left up to state … Continue reading “Will Federal Regulations Nullify State Autonomous Driving Laws?”
A.I. Prizes, Coming to Healthcare, Hit $1M Mark in Cancer Contests
This story is part of an Xconomy series on artificial intelligence in healthcare. Some of the other stories cover a genomics hackathon, A.I. and radiology, and the impact on doctors and patients. In the classic 1967 film “The Graduate,” Dustin Hoffman’s just-out-of-college character gets one word of career advice from a family friend: plastics. In … Continue reading “A.I. Prizes, Coming to Healthcare, Hit $1M Mark in Cancer Contests”
Xconomy Voices, Episode 2: Christopher Ahlberg of Recorded Future
On our new Xconomy Voices podcast, we find the smartest, most successful entrepreneurs and innovators in Xconomy’s network of cities and regions, and we ask them to open up about what they’re working on, what they’re excited about, and why they think their company, product, or idea is going to take the world by storm. … Continue reading “Xconomy Voices, Episode 2: Christopher Ahlberg of Recorded Future”
Write About Offers K-12 Students a Safe Place to Share Writing
The fourth graders in Brad Wilson’s writing classes lit up after he added technology and multi-media content to his lesson plans. The former Stevensville, MI, teacher realized, too, how important it is for students who have caught the writing bug to have a safe place online to share their creative ideas, where trolls and creepy … Continue reading “Write About Offers K-12 Students a Safe Place to Share Writing”
Google Glass Upgrades to Business Class, With Enterprise Edition
When Ian Shakil co-founded a company in 2012 to deploy Google Glass in doctor’s offices, his team had never possessed a set of the computer-enhanced eyewear that Google debuted that year. Google wasn’t yet selling the augmented reality glasses, which were being touted as the next big thing in consumer electronics, not as business tools. … Continue reading “Google Glass Upgrades to Business Class, With Enterprise Edition”
What Internet Pioneer Vint Cerf Sees in San Diego (and Other Hubs)
The Internet pioneer Vinton Cerf came to San Diego recently on an unusual quest—to meet with dozens of local technology leaders and assess what the region has to offer in terms of innovation. It was Veni, Vidi, Vinti. He came. He saw. He Cerfed. The visit was unusual in part because of Cerf himself. As … Continue reading “What Internet Pioneer Vint Cerf Sees in San Diego (and Other Hubs)”
Y Combinator Mulls New Startup App—Rating VCs on Sexual Harassment
Y Combinator, a Silicon Valley hub that incubates and funds scores of tech startups every year, is entering the fray over sexual harassment in the venture capital industry. YC has opened an online reporting mechanism that women can use to identify venture capital firm partners or executives who have pressured them for sex or groped … Continue reading “Y Combinator Mulls New Startup App—Rating VCs on Sexual Harassment”
Techstars Mobility Announces 2017 Class, New Industry Partners
The Detroit-based Techstars Mobility program announces its third cohort today, and managing director Ted Serbinski says it’s the most international class yet with startups from five countries. There are also new corporate partners coming on board and additions to the accelerator’s in-house support staff, including two people who have relocated to the Motor City from … Continue reading “Techstars Mobility Announces 2017 Class, New Industry Partners”
How NEA Envisions the Future of Trucking, Transportation, and A.I.
The big Silicon Valley venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA) is investing in the workaday business of freight load hauling, which could hardly seem more different from the future-bending tech projects that have attracted VC money for decades. But NEA’s leading role in the $42 million Series C financing round announced this week by … Continue reading “How NEA Envisions the Future of Trucking, Transportation, and A.I.”
Bio Roundup: PDUFA Progress, BCRA Redux, CAR-T Thumbs Up, & More
Government and industry are rife with awkward acronyms. Take PDUFA, for example. First passed in 1992, the Prescription Drug User Fee Act allows the FDA to collect fees from biopharmaceutical companies when they apply for drug approval; those funds are designated for the regulator’s drug evaluation work. Congress must reauthorize the law every five years … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: PDUFA Progress, BCRA Redux, CAR-T Thumbs Up, & More”
Cargo Helps Rideshare Drivers Run Turnkey Mobile Convenience Stores
Last month, when Intel released its report detailing the emerging “passenger economy,” it estimated that the value of the associated goods and services would be a stunning $7 trillion by 2050. Intel defines the passenger economy as what will happen when self-driving vehicles and ridesharing services turn drivers into idle passengers. A captive audience with … Continue reading “Cargo Helps Rideshare Drivers Run Turnkey Mobile Convenience Stores”
Unanimous Advice To FDA: Approve Landmark CAR-T Cancer Therapy
The first ever approval of a new kind of cancer immunotherapy called CAR-T is one step closer. A 10-member panel of doctors and researchers who advise the Food and Drug Administration recommended with a rare unanimous vote that the agency approve a treatment for kids and young adults with a severe form of leukemia who … Continue reading “Unanimous Advice To FDA: Approve Landmark CAR-T Cancer Therapy”
All Things Marketplace Brings Detroit Hustle to Small Businesses
In 2012, when Jennyfer Crawford hosted her very first small-business showcase called All Things Detroit, it was held in a one-bedroom apartment and it highlighted a lone startup that belonged to a friend of hers. The Motor City’s entrepreneurial resurgence was still in the early stages five years ago, but since then, her event has taken … Continue reading “All Things Marketplace Brings Detroit Hustle to Small Businesses”
Toyota’s First Venture Arm Gets $100M for AI, Robotics, Mobility Startups
Toyota Research Institute, the Toyota R&D unit that has parked branches near Stanford and two other top U.S. research universities, is now spinning out a corporate venture capital arm that will finance and incubate startups in artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous mobility. The research institute, also known as TRI, is devoting at least $100 million … Continue reading “Toyota’s First Venture Arm Gets $100M for AI, Robotics, Mobility Startups”
Under Silicon Valley’s Rough Turf, Tunnels of Women’s Networks Spread
[Corrected 7/11/17, 11:02 am. See below.] Revelations about gender bias and crude sexual harassment at Uber have been followed by similar claims by women against Silicon Valley venture capital investors, leaving a weary impression that the deck is almost hopelessly stacked against women in tech. But women aren’t facing these challenges alone, female entrepreneurs say—not … Continue reading “Under Silicon Valley’s Rough Turf, Tunnels of Women’s Networks Spread”
VC “Self-Correction” Continues in Second Quarter, and Top 10 Deals
[Updated 7/12/17, 8:38 am, to add MoneyTree data. See below.] U.S. venture capital investments are showing more signs of returning to steady levels. Investors pumped $21.78 billion into 1,958 companies in the second quarter, according to data from the quarterly Venture Monitor report from Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). The number … Continue reading “VC “Self-Correction” Continues in Second Quarter, and Top 10 Deals”
Bio Roundup: BCRA Fireworks, Shkreli Muzzled, Endo Pulls Drug & More
The Fourth of July was this week, but members of Congress didn’t need to crane their necks skyward to see fireworks. Senators returned to their districts, where local news offered blistering headlines about the potential impact of the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. Independence Day typically lets lawmakers mingle with constituents at … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: BCRA Fireworks, Shkreli Muzzled, Endo Pulls Drug & More”
With MapAnything Live, GM Aims to Turn Car into Mobile Sales Office
GM was the first automaker to enter the realm of connected cars when it launched the OnStar navigation system more than 20 years ago. However, telematics has come a long way since then, as evidenced by GM’s announcement that it will partner with location analytics startup MapAnything to offer its fleet customers a way to … Continue reading “With MapAnything Live, GM Aims to Turn Car into Mobile Sales Office”
With Triage System, Companies See Toehold for A.I. in Radiology
This story is part of an ongoing Xconomy series on A.I. in healthcare. Other stories cover big-company efforts, a genomics hackathon, the impact on doctors and patients, and business models of A.I. in healthcare. Years ago, radiology underwent a radical transformation with the shift from film to widespread use of digital image displays. That set … Continue reading “With Triage System, Companies See Toehold for A.I. in Radiology”
5 Privacy Worries on 4 Wheels: Staying Safe in the Connected Car Era
As modern vehicles are upgraded to include Internet-enabled technologies designed to access, store, and transmit data for entertainment and safety purposes, consumers are presented with a double-edged sword. On one hand, these connected systems provide important convenience benefits for consumers, but on the flip side, motor vehicles are being exposed to a growing number of … Continue reading “5 Privacy Worries on 4 Wheels: Staying Safe in the Connected Car Era”
New U-M Grant Funding Will Advance Clinical Research, Train Teachers
Two new grant programs administered by the University of Michigan aim to improve health and education for residents of the Great Lakes State. One, in partnership with automotive supplier Bosch, helps teachers with hands-on learning projects in the areas of energy, science, engineering, technology, and the environment; the other helps U-M researchers and faculty get … Continue reading “New U-M Grant Funding Will Advance Clinical Research, Train Teachers”
Flying Car Company Terrafugia Sold to Chinese Automaker Geely
Terrafugia, a Boston-area company that has been working on flying cars since 2006, is being acquired by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, an automotive manufacturer based in Hangzhou, China. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. The news was first reported by the South China Morning Post, but Xconomy has independently been tracking rumors about … Continue reading “Flying Car Company Terrafugia Sold to Chinese Automaker Geely”
Renaissance VC’s Chris Rizik Wins EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Detroit/Ann Arbor Xconomist Chris Rizik is an interesting guy. He’s a venture capitalist who runs his own soul music website on the side; as a graduate of both Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, he roots for both teams despite a bitter rivalry between them; he’s a close friend of Governor Rick Snyder, … Continue reading “Renaissance VC’s Chris Rizik Wins EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award”
Grand Ventures’ First Investment is in Big Data Startup Astronomer
Grand Ventures, the West Michigan venture capital firm investing in early-stage tech startups, has closed its first deal. The firm contributed an undisclosed amount to Cincinnati-based big data startup Astronomer’s $3.5 million seed round. The funding was led by San Francisco’s Wireframe Ventures and Ohio’s CincyTech; other investors include Frontline Ventures, Drummond Road Capital, CoreNetwork … Continue reading “Grand Ventures’ First Investment is in Big Data Startup Astronomer”
Bio Roundup: Senate Drama, A.I. Stories, Data Dives, Shkreli & More
There is no Obamacare replacement, at least not as of this writing. The Senate Republicans are fractured, with a handful of conservatives and moderates each giving a cold shoulder to their chamber’s version of healthcare reform, the Better Care Reconciliation Act. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office report Monday put the bill’s potential effects in stark … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Senate Drama, A.I. Stories, Data Dives, Shkreli & More”
Buckle Up: Driverless Cars Going Full Speed Ahead at Mcity
From the outside, you wouldn’t expect the humble Ford Fusion to contain technology that could upend the global transportation paradigm—until you notice the LIDAR unit whirring on its roof. LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensor technology that uses pulses of light to produce a 3D picture of the surrounding … Continue reading “Buckle Up: Driverless Cars Going Full Speed Ahead at Mcity”
New Study: DNA Tests For Healthy People Have “Uncertain Value”
Genome sequencing is becoming more common for people diagnosed with cancer. Should it become part of a healthy person’s checkup, too? A new study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine questions the practicality of making DNA tests standard for people who don’t have a cancer diagnosis or aren’t trying to identify a mysterious … Continue reading “New Study: DNA Tests For Healthy People Have “Uncertain Value””
U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017
[Updated 6/27/17 5:00 pm. See below.] Improving economic fundamentals are stoking the IPO pipeline in the United States and elsewhere, according to a report issued Tuesday by the global consultant and accounting firm EY. Eighty companies raised a total of $22 billion on U.S. exchanges during the first half of 2017, according to the report … Continue reading “U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017”
Fixing Uber: An Open Letter to the Next CEO
For starters, trust that my motives come from a good place. To date I have given such advice to only three CEOs—Ivan Seidenberg when he was CEO of Verizon, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and most recently, your predecessor. Not sure they ever read any of it but I do this when I get deeply inspired, … Continue reading “Fixing Uber: An Open Letter to the Next CEO”
Programs Seek to Connect Women to Startup Funding, STEM Careers
It’s been an especially good month to be a female entrepreneur in Southeast Michigan. Over the past four weeks, a new STEM initiative was announced; young women pursuing tech careers were awarded scholarships to help propel them toward a diploma; and tomorrow, a conference designed to encourage women-led startups with a social mission is being … Continue reading “Programs Seek to Connect Women to Startup Funding, STEM Careers”
Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.
By the end of this year, for the first time, patients with certain deadly types of blood cancer might have a new option, CAR-T cell therapy, to prolong their life. Immunotherapy could further entrench itself as a mainstay of cancer treatment. Newer drugmaking methods—RNA interference and gene therapy—could get their first ever FDA reviews. Multiple … Continue reading “Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.”
Bio Roundup: Senate Trumpcare, FDA On Cancer, Alzheimer Review & More
All eyes are on the nation’s capital this week, where the Senate released its version of the American Health Care Act (now called the Better Care Reconciliation Act) and the White House worked on an executive order to address drug prices. No one knows how to pay for high-priced medicines that could bring long-term relief … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Senate Trumpcare, FDA On Cancer, Alzheimer Review & More”
Foxconn Founder Gives Details on Plan to Build Display Plant in U.S.
The founder and chairman of Foxconn, a Taiwanese multinational known as a key supplier for Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) and other digital device makers, said Thursday that Foxconn plans to invest more than $10 billion in an electronics display-making plant in the U.S., according to a Reuters report. Terry Gou, who has led Foxconn since founding … Continue reading “Foxconn Founder Gives Details on Plan to Build Display Plant in U.S.”
Introducing Xconomy Voices (Podcast), Episode 1: Mary Lou Jepsen
It’s always been Xconomy’s mission to reach audiences—both here on our website, and at our many live events around the country—with deep insights into the innovation process, divined from experts embedded in the world’s most important hubs of high-tech entrepreneurship. And now we’re doing that in one more medium: podcasting. I’m thrilled to be collaborating … Continue reading “Introducing Xconomy Voices (Podcast), Episode 1: Mary Lou Jepsen”
Madonna to Jeff Bezos: Invest Some of Your Billions in Detroit
You may have noticed that for the past couple of years, the Motor City has been busy mounting a comeback. Plenty of people are rooting for Detroit to get its groove back, including, it turns out, Madonna. Madonna is a native of metro Detroit, but her affection for the city has not been a lifelong phenomenon. … Continue reading “Madonna to Jeff Bezos: Invest Some of Your Billions in Detroit”