Here’s a look at innovation news from around Michigan: —Avomeen Analytical Services, a research and chemical testing lab based in Ann Arbor, was recently acquired by High Street Capital. The terms were not disclosed. The 22-person company, which launched in 2010, does R&D and chemical analysis for customers in a variety of sectors, including pharma, manufacturing, … Continue reading “Detroit Expansions, Tumor Sequencing, and More Local Innovation News”
Category: Detroit
Protecting America’s Tech Prowess Amid the Hostile Rhetoric of 2017
With the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on January 20th, the editors asked some of our Xconomists to offer their thoughts on “How could the incoming administration significantly affect your industry?” My biggest concern would be a failure to recognize and take full advantage of the fact that America’s biggest asset is its technological … Continue reading “Protecting America’s Tech Prowess Amid the Hostile Rhetoric of 2017”
Smart Voice Assistants Will Spread From Talking Devices To Apps in 2017
Millions of consumers who used to type their search questions on a laptop or the tiny keys of a smartphone are now simply telling a tabletop device what they want. Signs are that the Amazon Echo and Google Home—both equipped with smart voice assistants—will turn out to be blockbuster sellers of the holiday gift season … Continue reading “Smart Voice Assistants Will Spread From Talking Devices To Apps in 2017”
Bio Roundup: Biogen Price Fears, A Grail Billion, Hellos, Byes & More
Happy new year, everyone. Are you all strapped in? Tray tables in the locked and upright position? As Bette Davis once said, “It’s going to be a bumpy night.” The news from Washington is already coming fast and furious. The effort to repeal Obamacare is underway, spawning more perspectives and opinions than a postmodern Japanese … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Biogen Price Fears, A Grail Billion, Hellos, Byes & More”
Families Fret As Insurers Mull Biogen’s $750K Spine Disease Drug
This past Christmas weekend, Ana Memedovich had her best two days in more than a decade. Her 23-year-old son Mikhail has spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, a rare genetic disease that has slowly robbed him of the ability to walk and function independently. On Dec. 23, the FDA approved nusinersen (Spinraza), the first-ever drug for … Continue reading “Families Fret As Insurers Mull Biogen’s $750K Spine Disease Drug”
Biopharma Industry, Heal Thyself (Without Government Help)
With the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on January 20th, the editors asked some of our Xconomists to offer their thoughts on “How could the incoming administration significantly affect your industry?” The life sciences industry has one problem: Lack of productivity. When it figures out how to consistently make a profit discovering and developing drugs … Continue reading “Biopharma Industry, Heal Thyself (Without Government Help)”
Xconomy Bookclub: “Hidden Figures” and the Brains Behind Space Flight
Part of the difficulty in attracting a diverse set of people to technology jobs is a chicken-and-egg problem. Women and under-represented minorities don’t often see themselves in those positions, which makes it less likely they would pursue them. Sometimes examples exist in plain sight, but we don’t realize the importance of them until later. That … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Hidden Figures” and the Brains Behind Space Flight”
Bike-Sharing Firm Zagster Zooms Ahead With $10M Led by Edison
Bicycle-sharing startup Zagster has the wind at its back, thanks to a $10 million investment announced Thursday. Edison Partners led the Series B round of funding for Cambridge, MA-based Zagster. The company has now raised about $20 million total to date from investors, according to a spokesman. Zagster’s other backers include LaunchCapital, Fontinalis Partners, Clean … Continue reading “Bike-Sharing Firm Zagster Zooms Ahead With $10M Led by Edison”
Diversity in Experiences, Backgrounds Leads to Successful Businesses
As a Microsoft employee, I had the opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant minds in technology. The profile of my team members were similar to the United Nations. They were of every racial and religious mix. They contributed their unique genius shaped by their individual diverse experiences. I know the value of … Continue reading “Diversity in Experiences, Backgrounds Leads to Successful Businesses”
OPS Solutions Uses Augmented Reality to Boost Manufacturing Process
As the development of robots and other autonomous technologies continues to gather steam, you’ll be hearing a lot more about augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. In Rust Belt regions like Southeast Michigan, we’re beginning to see these nascent innovations intersect with the manufacturing sector, and the result is promising industrial tech. OPS Solutions, … Continue reading “OPS Solutions Uses Augmented Reality to Boost Manufacturing Process”
Trump Administration Needs To Set U.S. Cybersecurity Mandates
Cybersecurity is the penultimate existential risk to the United States—economically, militarily, socially, and as we have seen recently, politically. The nature of cyber is asymmetric, and given the size of the U.S. economy, our reliance on intellectual property, and the leadership role the U.S. plays in the Community of Nations, we have a lot more … Continue reading “Trump Administration Needs To Set U.S. Cybersecurity Mandates”
For 2017, Concerns on Immigration, Net Neutrality, & Cyber Warfare
I have many concerns about how the upcoming Trump administration will impact the overall tech economy. Some of my biggest worries are as follows: 1) More restrictive immigration laws will make it even harder for startups (as well as more established companies) to attract and retain the highly skilled workers that they need to be … Continue reading “For 2017, Concerns on Immigration, Net Neutrality, & Cyber Warfare”
Top Cybersecurity Lesson from 2016: Unchecked Insiders
An unmistakable lesson from 2016 is that there is an escalating arms race between hackers and the organizations they target—from the highest levels of national governments to corporations and private institutions. And while hackers have many advantages, there are two that are contributing to a rampant spike in cyber breaches right now: 1. Employees, contractors, … Continue reading “Top Cybersecurity Lesson from 2016: Unchecked Insiders”
Diverse Workforces Support the Growth of North Texas Innovation
We have made it a priority since the inception of the DEC to incorporate diversity into all that we do. We have hired a diverse workforce. We have created programs focused on diverse audiences including gender, age, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, and more. We have made all of this a priority not only because it … Continue reading “Diverse Workforces Support the Growth of North Texas Innovation”
Trump Administration Should Examine How Dodd-Frank Stifles Capital
A review by the new Trump administration and Congress of the 2010 Dodd-Frank legislation could address many of the stifling, unintended consequences of that law. Although designed to address abuses in the financial system that led to the 2008 recession, the far-reaching legislation had problems from the start. And while experts of all political stripes … Continue reading “Trump Administration Should Examine How Dodd-Frank Stifles Capital”
Watching for NIH Innovation in 2017—and Drug Pricing, Trade Deals
With the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on January 20th, the editors asked some of our Xconomists to offer their thoughts on “How could the incoming administration significantly affect your industry?” When I worked in the Reagan Administration, the “Gipper” used to handle questions like this by saying he couldn’t respond to hypothetical questions. … Continue reading “Watching for NIH Innovation in 2017—and Drug Pricing, Trade Deals”
Despite Political Rhetoric, Staff Diversity Remains a Top Priority
I don’t think the election of Donald Trump as president does much to bolster those in tech working on creating a more inclusive and diverse industry, but I will continue to be a champion for it nonetheless. Specifically, I’ve ended 2016 by doubling our team at Localeur and introducing an Advisory Board, both of which … Continue reading “Despite Political Rhetoric, Staff Diversity Remains a Top Priority”
Military Families, Seniors in MA and IN to Test Major Healthcare Reform
Seniors in Massachusetts, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, as well as military families across the nation, will soon get the opportunity to test a major healthcare reform developed by faculty at the University of Michigan. Called Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID), the new approach to insurance coverage departs from the current “one-size-fits-all” system, in which people pay standard … Continue reading “Military Families, Seniors in MA and IN to Test Major Healthcare Reform”
Political Focus on Rust Belt Could Help Boost VC Investment
Much has been written in the tech industry as a result of the Presidential election. Many coastal VCs and entrepreneurs believe that Trump’s America-first, anti-immigration platform could put the brakes on the venture industry’s core globalization strategies. While this may be true, regardless of which candidate you supported, most would agree that with chaos and … Continue reading “Political Focus on Rust Belt Could Help Boost VC Investment”
Karamba Aims to Prevent Autonomous Car Hacks Before They Happen
Not so many years ago, self-driving cars seemed like little more than science fiction—a cool idea, but too difficult to translate into practical, everyday use. But as autonomous vehicles come closer to becoming a reality, the question is not if, it’s when. However, there are still a few major challenges to overcome before driverless cars … Continue reading “Karamba Aims to Prevent Autonomous Car Hacks Before They Happen”
6 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2017: Ransomware, Skills Gap & More
In 2016, we saw cyber attacks increasingly shift from external breaches of confidential data to internal disruption of data and services, as attackers used distributed denial of service (DDoS) or encryption to hold businesses hostage. Attackers continue to focus more on exploiting users than technology. Users are often unaware and uneducated about the potential risks, … Continue reading “6 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2017: Ransomware, Skills Gap & More”
East Coast Silicon Valley
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” – R. Buckminster Fuller Reinvention A few months ago I was talking to executives in charge of innovation at a large U.S. bank. “Our biggest problem is that we look at all this new … Continue reading “East Coast Silicon Valley”
Immigration Restrictions, Lack of Healthcare Could Imperil Innovation
It’s hard to predict what effect the new administration will have, since we have very little information on any concrete policies they plan to enact. We do know a few things—namely, they are anti-Obamacare and anti-immigration. Decreasing the number of visas granted to highly skilled workers (a likely possibility given Steve Bannon’s comments on Silicon … Continue reading “Immigration Restrictions, Lack of Healthcare Could Imperil Innovation”
XG Sciences Receives $2,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=254262af-248d-40c6-ac9b-8bf5c380dfcb Date 12/26/2016 Company Name XG Sciences Mailing Address 3101 Grand Oak Drive Lansing, MI 48911 USA Company Description XG Sciences, Inc. is a privately held corporation serving customers around the world. Our headquarters are in East Lansing, Michigan Our base technologies were developed in large part at the Composite Materials and … Continue reading “XG Sciences Receives $2,000,000 New Funding Round”
Ann Arbor’s MySwimPro Named Apple Watch App of the Year
As we head into the holiday weekend, it’s always nice to share happy local startup news—especially during a year as tumultuous as 2016: Apple has chosen Ann Arbor, MI-based MySwimPro as the year’s top Apple Watch app. “We definitely weren’t expecting to win anything like that,” says CEO Fares Ksebati. “When you’re trying to build a … Continue reading “Ann Arbor’s MySwimPro Named Apple Watch App of the Year”
Bio Roundup: Crazy ’16, Trials of ’17, Senate on Drugs & More
You’ve probably seen the Internet memes. “When 2016 started, I looked like this. [Insert picture of young Leo DiCaprio.] Now I look like this. [Leo, with mountain beard, after mud-wrestling with a grizzly in The Revenant.]” In life science terms, let’s just say all our telomeres feel a lot shorter than 12 months ago. The … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Crazy ’16, Trials of ’17, Senate on Drugs & More”
Spatial Garners $2,100,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=53f9dccb-9c42-40d2-8d24-d1db0e35a836 Date 12/23/2016 Company Name Spatial Mailing Address 2000 Brush Street Detroit, MI 48226 USA Company Description We’re focused on changing how humans experience data on maps. Spatial is building a future that empowers people to navigate like a local anywhere on earth. To achieve this, we build interactive and dynamic social … Continue reading “Spatial Garners $2,100,000 Seed Financing”
The Price of Growth: Founders’ Dilution
Founders of a company considering the various available fundraising options often ask the challenging question: Why take venture capital money, which may significantly dilute the founders and might result in a loss of control of the company? Although the venture capital path is always a possibility, founders are often concerned about the consequences of such … Continue reading “The Price of Growth: Founders’ Dilution”
14 for ’17: Key Clinical Data To Watch For Next Year (Part 2)
We continue our look ahead to some of the clinical data due in 2017 that could shape healthcare practice and sway investor sentiment for years to come. Part one of our preview is here, with looks at key studies in lung cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and more. In part two, we examine studies in leukemia, … Continue reading “14 for ’17: Key Clinical Data To Watch For Next Year (Part 2)”
Amazon, Stryker to Expand and Add Over 1,000 Jobs Combined in Michigan
There was a time not so long ago in Michigan when economic development agencies began to move away from the grand corporate expansion press conferences that were a hallmark of Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s administration. Instead, smaller and more low-key announcements that didn’t appear to always favor big manufacturers or pet industries—a common criticism lobbed at … Continue reading “Amazon, Stryker to Expand and Add Over 1,000 Jobs Combined in Michigan”
14 For ’17: Key Clinical Data to Watch For Next Year (Part 1)
[Updated, 4:28 pm ET, see below] After years of research, frustration, hype, and millions (sometimes hundreds of millions) of dollars invested, a drug program boils down to the clinical data—usually from big, late-stage studies—that can sometimes make or break a company. There were high profile successes in 2016. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “14 For ’17: Key Clinical Data to Watch For Next Year (Part 1)”
Benson Hill Bio Brings Power of Big Data to Small Plant Breeders
When farmers want crops that have a better shot at resisting disease or taking up nutrients, they use breeding techniques to develop new varieties. Crossing plants to create these varieties is an agricultural practice that dates back thousands of years. Breeding has since become more sophisticated, incorporating sophisticated screening technologies to find desirable traits. But … Continue reading “Benson Hill Bio Brings Power of Big Data to Small Plant Breeders”
Industry Needs Common Security Standards to Thwart IoT Attacks
A silver lining has emerged in the wake of the massive and well-publicized denial-of-service attack launched less than two months ago by hackers using millions of IoT devices to cripple the websites of major companies like Amazon, Netflix and Twitter. This ambush has triggered a redoubling of efforts to focus on the need for industry-led … Continue reading “Industry Needs Common Security Standards to Thwart IoT Attacks”
Med Health Summit
This event brings together healthcare organizations and innovators to develop solutions and drive adoption of technologies that incorporate health IT, digital platforms, and medical devices to solve key healthcare challenges in Southeast Michigan and Southwest Ontario. For details and registration, click here.
Startup Drive: Detroit
This hackathon, where people form teams and spend the weekend creating viable startups, is geared toward entrepreneurs (and wannabe entrepreneurs) with ideas for startups in the mobility sector. For more information, click here.
Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship
The Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship celebrates and promotes entrepreneurship in the Great Lakes region by bringing together founders, service providers, investors, students, government agents, and other members of the business community. Startups will also compete to win $20,000 in prizes. To register, click here.
What Is Causing Startups to Go Bankrupt?
Many startups have a great product that’s viable, marketable, and ripe with potential. But if that was the only indicator of success, then nine out of 10 startups wouldn’t fail. The annals of startup history wouldn’t be littered with instances of companies like Friendster or Color that had fantastic products, but eventually sank. The truth … Continue reading “What Is Causing Startups to Go Bankrupt?”
7 Ways to Secure Your Connected Devices Against Hackers
’Tis the season for giving gifts. And increasingly, those shiny new toys and gadgets can be connected to the Internet—from TVs to watches, speakers to Barbie dolls. That Internet connection opens up a ton of possibilities for how we can use and enjoy our new devices. (“Alexa, play my Christmas playlist on Spotify, and also … Continue reading “7 Ways to Secure Your Connected Devices Against Hackers”
Nokia’s Acquisition of Deepfield a Big Win for Ann Arbor’s IT Industry
Finnish telecom giant Nokia today announced it has acquired Ann Arbor, MI-based Deepfield, an IP network performance management and security startup. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Deepfield was co-founded in 2011 by Craig Labovitz, formerly the chief scientist at Arbor Networks, a Burlington, MA-based company that grew from being a DARPA-funded research project at … Continue reading “Nokia’s Acquisition of Deepfield a Big Win for Ann Arbor’s IT Industry”
Bio Roundup: NY Rises, Prez Inks Cures, Ophthotech Crashes & More
The 21st Century Cures Act is now law. New York wants to play in the biotech big leagues. The FDA under Trump will have license to approve drugs faster and could have a former top official back on board as commissioner. An eye drug failed, an Alzheimer’s drug got scrutinized, and a new antibiotic passed … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: NY Rises, Prez Inks Cures, Ophthotech Crashes & More”
Callida Energy, RideHop Win NextEnergy’s Smart Cities Challenge
As autonomous technologies, the Internet of Things, and big data begin to shape the way we interact with the world around us, we’ll have more technological tools to tackle challenges related to safety, mobility, emissions, accessibility, and congestion. Last week, those tools were on display as part of Detroit nonprofit NextEnergy‘s 2016 Smart Cities competition … Continue reading “Callida Energy, RideHop Win NextEnergy’s Smart Cities Challenge”
50 Podcasts You Should Be Listening To—and 5 New Ways to Find Them
If you’re not much of a podcast listener and you have a sense that you’re missing out on a lot of great content, you’re absolutely right. But now is a good time to fix that, thanks to a new profusion of listening options. And to get you started, I have a few shows to suggest. … Continue reading “50 Podcasts You Should Be Listening To—and 5 New Ways to Find Them”
Vesper’s Waterproof Microphones Draw Interest from Amazon, Others
As we move toward a world where many (if not most) devices can be controlled by our voices, the ability to reliably capture those sounds becomes paramount. That spells opportunity for Vesper, a Boston-based startup that makes advanced microphone technology that could be used in smartphones, voice-controlled speakers, connected cars, and more. Investors like what … Continue reading “Vesper’s Waterproof Microphones Draw Interest from Amazon, Others”
U-M Unveils Autonomous Shuttle as Snyder Signs Driverless Car Bills
Today, Michigan took another step toward its goal of being a global hub for the development of autonomous vehicles when the University of Michigan unveiled a 15-passenger driverless shuttle. Separately, Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation easing regulations for testing autonomous technologies down the road at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn. U-M’s electric shuttle, … Continue reading “U-M Unveils Autonomous Shuttle as Snyder Signs Driverless Car Bills”
Bio Roundup: Fast “Cures,” Trump In Time, CRISPR In Court & More
What a week. The 21st Century Cures Act is now waiting President Obama’s promised signature after easy passage through Congress. President-elect Donald Trump re-stirred the drug-pricing pot with comments in Time Magazine and a reported FDA commissioner candidate who doesn’t seem to think much of the regulatory process. And a trio of judges met to … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Fast “Cures,” Trump In Time, CRISPR In Court & More”
Wake Up, Pharma—Trump Is Not Your Savior
Since the election, leaders in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals are acting like they got away with robbery. The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index went up 9 percent overnight on November 8th. With Donald Trump coming into office, the whole industry seems to have breathed a sigh of relief that the status quo—a continuous race toward higher prices—will last … Continue reading “Wake Up, Pharma—Trump Is Not Your Savior”
Senate Approves 21st Century Cures Act, Sending Bill to Obama
The U.S. Senate has voted overwhelmingly to approve the 21st Century Cures Act, a wide-ranging healthcare spending and reform bill that aims to infuse medical research with new funding and also speed up the regulatory approval process for new drugs and medical devices. With the Senate’s 94-5 vote on Wednesday, the bill now advances to … Continue reading “Senate Approves 21st Century Cures Act, Sending Bill to Obama”
MI Roundup: BlueWater Angels, Hygieia, FastTrack Awards, Grand Circus & More
Here’s a look at innovation news across Michigan: —Thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan‘s Detroit Auto Dealer’s Association Fund, Grand Circus is teaching after-school coding classes to local kids as part of the Detroit Boxing Gym Youth Program. The twice-weekly classes began in November, will teach a range of … Continue reading “MI Roundup: BlueWater Angels, Hygieia, FastTrack Awards, Grand Circus & More”
ASH Roundup: CAR-T Shuffle, Hemophilia Updates, Checkpoint Progress & More
Two years ago at the American Society of Hematology conference, excitement, not blood, was running in the streets of San Francisco. The cancer immunotherapy known as CAR-T was the star of the show, thanks to dazzling early data that showed more patients than not saw their leukemias and lymphomas knocked into remission by the living, … Continue reading “ASH Roundup: CAR-T Shuffle, Hemophilia Updates, Checkpoint Progress & More”
With Nod To Biden, Senate To Say Yes To “Cures” Spending, Reform Bill
The U.S. Senate cleared the way for the 21st Century Cures Act, an omnibus healthcare spending and reform bill, by voting 85-13 to end debate this evening. It passed the House with 392 votes last week. After a final Senate vote as early as tomorrow, it will head to President Obama’s desk. The president used … Continue reading “With Nod To Biden, Senate To Say Yes To “Cures” Spending, Reform Bill”