Winners of this year’s Social Entrepreneurship Challenge will present their solutions to our state’s problems, and the audience will have an opportunity to vote on a $1,000 People’s Choice award. Other winners will also be announced, and the event includes panel discussions and networking opportunities. Click here for details.
Category: Detroit
“We Have to Find Our Way”: Eric Topol of Scripps on Connected Health
Eric Topol wears many hats. He is a practicing cardiologist, genomic researcher, chief academic officer of Scripps Health, and the head of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, one of more than 60 biomedical centers supported through an ambitious National Institutes of Health program created nearly 10 years ago to move basic medical research into the … Continue reading ““We Have to Find Our Way”: Eric Topol of Scripps on Connected Health”
The Future of Work, Plus or Minus E-mail
I. Too Much of a Good Thing I’ll begin by admitting my biases. I don’t like electronic mail. In the pre-Internet days of the 1970s, when e-mail as we know it was invented, it may have been a decent solution to a certain problem—namely, the need for users logged into a single mainframe, server, or … Continue reading “The Future of Work, Plus or Minus E-mail”
Innovation Hub: Twitter’s Deb Roy Sees More Change Ahead for TV
It’s fair to say that Deb Roy is obsessed with Twitter. In 2008, he started Bluefin Labs to understand the power and influence of social media. He looked at how the public viewed political candidates, brands, and TV shows. And the data he gathered was so valuable that last year, Twitter gobbled up Bluefin, making … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Twitter’s Deb Roy Sees More Change Ahead for TV”
Glympse Raises $12M to Forge More Location-Sharing Partnerships
[Updated, 8:45 am. See below.] Seattle-based Glympse, which allows people to temporarily share their location from mobile phones and a growing array of other devices, has raised $12 million from UMC Capital, Verizon Ventures, and other investors. The company is finding its greatest success through partnerships that have seen Glympse integrated directly into mobile handsets, … Continue reading “Glympse Raises $12M to Forge More Location-Sharing Partnerships”
How I Conquered My Reading List Using Pocket
If you’re a student, a researcher, a knowledge worker, or an entrepreneur, you probably swim in ideas all day long. Like it or not, replenishing those ideas through reading is a huge part of your job. After all, it’s hard to make new knowledge without old knowledge; it’s impossible to see new connections unless you … Continue reading “How I Conquered My Reading List Using Pocket”
Michigan Venture Capital Report Highlights 2013 Successes and Growth
On Tuesday night, the University of Michigan’s Office of Technology Transfer held its semi-annual Entrepreneurs Engage event, an “unconference” that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators for networking and small-group discussions. It’s always a fun and thought-provoking event, and this time around, discussion topics ranged from understanding the MILE Act and angel investing to bridging … Continue reading “Michigan Venture Capital Report Highlights 2013 Successes and Growth”
Lunch and Learn With Zev Siegl
Bizdom and Detroit Venture Partners host a lunch and learn session with Zev Siegl, co-founder of Starbucks. He’ll share stories from the incredible journey of launching Starbucks into one of the most well-known brands in the world. Space is limited and lunch is free; please RSVP. For details, click here.
Can the Auto Industry Make Silicon Valley Developers Feel Welcome?
It’s often said that today’s automobiles are close to being to computers on wheels, with more than 50 million lines of code—10 times more than what’s in a Boeing 777 jet—controlling everything from braking systems to navigation units to entertainment. Software development has never been more critical to a vehicle’s design and operation. But the … Continue reading “Can the Auto Industry Make Silicon Valley Developers Feel Welcome?”
Plex Systems Garners $50,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fe62525a-7db7-458a-958a-aec6d5d9cf17 Date 6/10/2014 Company Name Plex Systems Mailing Address 900 Tower Drive Troy, MI 48098 USA Company Description Plex Online Software as a Service (SaaS) ERP has a global reach. Plex Online manufacturing ERP software provides unparalleled coverage and access to operational intelligence. Website http://www.plex.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $50,000,000 … Continue reading “Plex Systems Garners $50,000,000 New Round”
A $15 Minimum Wage Doesn’t Have to Mean Price Increases
Last week, Seattle approved the nation’s highest minimum wage: $15 an hour, to be phased in over the next seven years. Other major cities, including San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City, are debating similar increases, and President Obama has called for an increase in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. … Continue reading “A $15 Minimum Wage Doesn’t Have to Mean Price Increases”
Axonia Medical Obtains $3,395,624 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6b629805-1d93-4850-ab4c-cc40f0bc8cb0 Date 6/9/2014 Company Name Axonia Medical Mailing Address 4321 Roxbury Lane Kalamazoo, MI 49008 USA Company Description The concept of Axonia’s technology, which is spun out of the University of Pennsylvania, hinges on the production of axons, the long thin parts of nerve cells that carry signals to distant target cells. … Continue reading “Axonia Medical Obtains $3,395,624 New Funding”
Post-IPO Biotechs Have News, But Big Pharma Drives the ASCO Boat
As often happens, industry news from the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, which ended Wednesday in Chicago, was dominated this year by Big Pharma. It’s not surprising—even with the advent of targeted cancer therapies that promise more precise treatment of smaller patient populations, clinical trials require big budgets. No drug giant had … Continue reading “Post-IPO Biotechs Have News, But Big Pharma Drives the ASCO Boat”
U-M Student Startup Seelio Acquired by PlattForm
Three years ago, the University of Michigan student startup Seelio began on a kitchen table in Ann Arbor as a prototype website to help students better tell the story of their academic achievements. This week, Seelio announced it has been acquired by PlattForm, a Kansas-based company specializing in academic program support, career preparation, marketing, and … Continue reading “U-M Student Startup Seelio Acquired by PlattForm”
Innovation Hub: Businesses Know You’re Biased
Who’s better at math? Women or men? Studies show that both men and women believe men are better at math, even when data indicates otherwise. To understand why we have these biases—and why businesses think that getting rid of them will help the bottom line—I sat down with Harvard professor Mahzarin Banaji (pictured), the co-author … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Businesses Know You’re Biased”
If Tesla Made Bike Lights, They’d Look Like This; The Story of Sparse
Hardware is Silicon Valley’s new religion. At maker spaces like TechShop, hardware startup accelerators like HAXLR8R and Lemnos Labs, and conferences like O’Reilly Media’s Solid, there’s one overriding article of faith: that bits and atoms aren’t so different after all. Just as the cost and complexity of starting a software company has drastically declined over … Continue reading “If Tesla Made Bike Lights, They’d Look Like This; The Story of Sparse”
Starting Unicorn Companies: Tableau Software
Last November, Ailene Lee wrote a post on TechCrunch entitled Welcome To The Unicorn Club: Learning From Billion-Dollar Startups. In it, she offered a list of companies that have had billion-dollar exits, and analyzed some of the common threads. I would like to look at some of the “unicorn” companies that she identified, as well … Continue reading “Starting Unicorn Companies: Tableau Software”
Banza Wins Project Startup Live’s Detroit Pitch Competition
The national spotlight was shining on Detroit’s entrepreneurial ecosystem yesterday as A&E and the crowdfunding website RocketHub were in town for Project Startup Live, a series of entrepreneurship forums held across the country in partnership with Comcast Business. The series began in Wasatch Front, UT, on May 20 before stopping in the Motor City this … Continue reading “Banza Wins Project Startup Live’s Detroit Pitch Competition”
Not All Entrepreneurs Are Young
Most of the famous entrepreneurs we hear about are fairly young. We tend to read in the popular press about the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world and assume that all successful entrepreneurs launch businesses in their 20s. However, this couldn’t be further from reality. Recent studies show that older entrepreneurs are increasing while the number … Continue reading “Not All Entrepreneurs Are Young”
RNA Therapeutics Are Here to Stay
Over the past year, we’ve witnessed the biotech bull market expand, deflate and expand again—specifically in relation to RNA-based therapeutic companies. The innovators in the space have increased and decreased their investment levels in the technology, leaving investors, the media, and some in the scientific community wondering which way the pendulum will ultimately swing. In … Continue reading “RNA Therapeutics Are Here to Stay”
Coming Soon to Detroit’s Blight Fight: People’s Property Dashboard
In January, Xconomy reported on the Motor City Mapping project to survey the city’s entire 139 square miles—nearly 400,000 parcels of land—and identify blighted properties in need of demolition. Back then, a team of about 200 surveyors hit the snowy streets and spent roughly two months crisscrossing the city, using an app to catalog each … Continue reading “Coming Soon to Detroit’s Blight Fight: People’s Property Dashboard”
Three Key Workplace Policies that Startups Can’t Afford to Ignore
Most startups are focused on getting their business off the ground. As a result, they usually delay policy development until a later date. But here’s why it’s important to draft and implement certain policies right at the start of your business: Policies pre-empt and prevent misunderstandings between employees and employers about obligations and behavior at … Continue reading “Three Key Workplace Policies that Startups Can’t Afford to Ignore”
Commerce Guys Obtains $7,300,000 Series B Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=08209ebf-65b4-466f-806c-a37b53a56b0d Date 6/3/2014 Company Name Commerce Guys Mailing Address 950 Victors Way Ann Arbor, MI 48108 USA Company Description Commerce Guys are the creators of and experts in Drupal Commerce, the eCommerce solution that capitalizes on the virtues and power of Drupal, the premier open-source content management system. Website http://www.commerceguys.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Commerce Guys Obtains $7,300,000 Series B Round”
The Real Meaning of “Minimum Viable Product”
[Editor’s Note: In today’s tech startup culture, it’s widely understood that it’s smarter to build a “minimum viable product” or MVP and get it to market quickly than to labor behind closed doors for years on an elaborate and feature-rich product that, in the end, nobody might really want. But what if the MVP turns … Continue reading “The Real Meaning of “Minimum Viable Product””
Detroit’s Locqus Gives Simple Mobile Tools to Contractors, Plumbers
There’s hardly a plumber, electrician, or contractor these days who doesn’t have a smartphone with them on service calls. But much of the software available for managing jobs and customers in the field is overly complicated and hopelessly outdated. That’s what gave serial entrepreneur Sandy Kronenberg the idea for his latest venture, Detroit-based Locqus, back … Continue reading “Detroit’s Locqus Gives Simple Mobile Tools to Contractors, Plumbers”
Startups and “The Future of Informing”: Q&A with Matter’s Corey Ford
Don’t let it be said that the media industry is anti-innovation. Journalism schools sponsor hard-hitting studies saying news organizations must reinvent themselves to survive. A leaked innovation report from the New York Times shows that the venerable paper is serious about doing exactly that, even if it’s still struggling to figure out how. And KQED, … Continue reading “Startups and “The Future of Informing”: Q&A with Matter’s Corey Ford”
MI Roundup: BANSEM’s Impact, Versicor, Hatch Detroit, Co-Lab Detroit
Here’s a look at recent news from Michigan’s innovation hubs: —Today, Ann Arbor SPARK, Automation Alley, Macomb-OU Incubator, and TechTown Detroit announced their collective impact on Michigan’s innovation economy: 7,725 technology jobs and 225 technology companies created. Those companies have gone on to garner $300 million in follow-on investment. After a $3 million grant from … Continue reading “MI Roundup: BANSEM’s Impact, Versicor, Hatch Detroit, Co-Lab Detroit”
Entrepreneurs Engage
Celebrate entrepreneurship in Michigan with entrepreneurs and investors, and share your vision to help create the next wave of success at an “unconference” hosted by the University of Michigan Office of Technology Transfer. To apply for an invitation before June 9, click here.
Prostate Cancer Screening: Seduction Of The Innocent
Many rare book collectors keep an eye out for an original copy of Seduction of the Innocent, a cause célèbre when it was published back in the 1950s by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham. The tome purported to show that the root cause of juvenile delinquency in the U.S. was comic books! Sensationalistic congressional hearings followed in … Continue reading “Prostate Cancer Screening: Seduction Of The Innocent”
Steve Case’s “Rise of the Rest” Startup Tour to Kick Off in Detroit
Investor and AOL co-founder Steve Case announced on Thursday he will embark on a bus tour in June to highlight emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems. Called “Rise of the Rest” and co-sponsored by UP Global, Revolution, and Google for Entrepreneurs, the tour kicks off in Detroit on June 24 and continues on to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Nashville. … Continue reading “Steve Case’s “Rise of the Rest” Startup Tour to Kick Off in Detroit”
Fifty Founders Detroit
Fifty Founders, which hosts monthly chats with entrepreneurs, inventors, and other interesting people, has invited Rich Sheridan, founder and CEO of Menlo Innovations, for a fireside chat. Registration is appreciated; click here for details.
Navigating JOBS, Wrangling Investors: A Biotech CFO Roundtable
In biotech, the visionary scientists and serial entrepreneurs often—arguably too often—get described as “rock stars.” The financial guys… well, not so much. But in a business where cash is constantly burned at the altar of R&D, and financial engineering can be as prized a skill as drug hunting, the CFOs perhaps deserve more time in … Continue reading “Navigating JOBS, Wrangling Investors: A Biotech CFO Roundtable”
Cribspot Wins Techweek Detroit Startup Competition
Since Monday, Techweek Detroit has taken downtown by storm, hosting discussions and keynote speeches featuring tech titans, a show highlighting local fashion designers, a town hall meeting, a “food truck face-off,” and cocktail parties galore. Techweek’s two-day conference, held Thursday and today at the old federal building on Fort Street, was a fun atmosphere when … Continue reading “Cribspot Wins Techweek Detroit Startup Competition”
Cord Cutting: How to Get High-Speed Internet Service Without Cable
[Updated article for 2017 is here, 10/25/17.] Last fall I wrote a column called Please, Keep Paying $80 a Month for Cable So I Can Enjoy Cheap TV. The article was addressed to folks who complain about the exorbitant fees they’re paying to Comcast or AT&T for premium cable bundles. Adopting a cheeky, sarcastic tone—which … Continue reading “Cord Cutting: How to Get High-Speed Internet Service Without Cable”
TechTown, Bizdom to Use JPMorgan Chase Grants to Support Startups
Yesterday, JPMorgan Chase chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon joined Governor Rick Snyder and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan to announce the global financial services firm plans to invest $100 million in Detroit over the next five years—including some funding for local startup initiatives. Critics immediately pointed out that $100 million is a drop in the bucket … Continue reading “TechTown, Bizdom to Use JPMorgan Chase Grants to Support Startups”
Roundup: Ann Arbor SPARK, WSU, MCWT, Beringea, Start Garden, FarmLogs
Here’s a look at news from around Southeast Michigan’s innovation community: —Ann Arbor SPARK held its annual meeting yesterday at the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Complex, where the business development organization detailed the results of its work over the past year. According to SPARK, its efforts netted $148 million in new investments committed … Continue reading “Roundup: Ann Arbor SPARK, WSU, MCWT, Beringea, Start Garden, FarmLogs”
1Q VC Data: What Just Happened?
The National Venture Capital Association recently released data on first-quarter investment activity, which always makes for an interesting read, at least on long plane rides. Point of fact, this past quarter was exceptional in many ways—and arguably somewhat unexpected. The headlines read that $9.5 billion was invested in 951 companies, an amount we have not … Continue reading “1Q VC Data: What Just Happened?”
Just a Few Slots Left for Napa Summit June 3—Request An Invite
We are just under two weeks away from the Napa Summit 2014: The Xconomy Retreat on the Economy, Jobs, and Growth. It is one of our most special events of the year. Not only does it have an incredible speaker lineup, it is multidisciplinary, offering a rare chance to step out of your zone of … Continue reading “Just a Few Slots Left for Napa Summit June 3—Request An Invite”
Internet of Things Detroit
Brian Mulloy and Itai Ben-Gal are organizing this new quarterly meet-up group dedicated to exploring the intersection of connected devices, ubiquitous computing, distributed robotics, Web and app startups, and automation. To register, click here.
Project Startup Live
A&E, Comcast Business, and Rockethub are sponsoring this entrepreneur’s forum, which seeks to bring Detroit’s best and brightest startups together. Event includes a pitch competition, panel discussion, and networking. Admission is free, but seating is limited and requires registration; click here to reserve your spot.
Frustrated Student Artists Can Meet Amateur Art Buyers on Folyo
After Victoria Bujny spent last summer interning at Google, she wanted to celebrate the end of her tenure there by purchasing a piece of original artwork. “I went to a gallery, but I felt out of place and uncomfortable,” Bujny says. “I wondered if it’s not at a gallery, where do people get art?” Bujny … Continue reading “Frustrated Student Artists Can Meet Amateur Art Buyers on Folyo”
HistoSonics Garners $2,045,804 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0b29fdab-b5b6-4124-82d8-658ab09941a4 Date 5/19/2014 Company Name HistoSonics Mailing Address 3626 W. Liberty Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103 USA Company Description HistoSonics Inc which will develop a novel medical device that uses tightly focused ultrasound pulses to treat prostate disease. Website http://www.histosonics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,045,804 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “HistoSonics Garners $2,045,804 New Financing”
Check Out Our Napa Summit Agenda—Get Your Invite for June 2-3 Event
It’s one of the most special events Xconomy holds—an invitation-only confab in the Napa Valley for roughly 80-90 special guests and speakers. And the Napa Summit 2014, set for June 2-3, is shaping up to be our best ever. We have a power-packed array of speakers, from pioneers in their fields to some of the … Continue reading “Check Out Our Napa Summit Agenda—Get Your Invite for June 2-3 Event”
Welcome to the Seven-Year Technology Pause
What’s even harder to endure than the collapse of an economic or technology bubble? The long lull that follows. The current bubble hasn’t popped quite yet—and it might not, at least not in the sudden and messy way that the dot-com bubble did, in March 2000. What’s just as possible is that that we’ll see … Continue reading “Welcome to the Seven-Year Technology Pause”
Innovation Hub: David Pogue Does Some Trendspotting
David Pogue is a tastemaker. His reviews in The New York Times—and now on Yahoo—are widely followed. He has 1.5 million Twitter followers. And he’s always on the lookout for new trends. So, what is he intrigued by right now? And what does he think is overhyped? I put it to Pogue. [The following interview … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: David Pogue Does Some Trendspotting”
Essen BioScience Garners New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bba36c07-bfc8-4a96-91ee-719637762b6a Date 5/16/2014 Company Name Essen BioScience Mailing Address 300 West Morgan Road Ann Arbor, MI 48108 USA Company Description We have grown a lot in the past decade and today employ many more biologists than engineers. Along with our engineering group and instrumentation offerings, we offer a strong development team in … Continue reading “Essen BioScience Garners New Round”
NeuMoDx and Jeff Williams Capitalize on Lessons Learned at Handylab
Jeff Williams is one of Michigan’s most successful biotech entrepreneurs, with two of Michigan’s biggest exits—Accuri and Handylab—on his ledger. Now he’s hoping the third time’s a charm, too. Williams’ new molecular diagnostic startup, NeuMoDx, just closed a $21 million Series B round in April. Pfizer Ventures led the round, with participation from Baird Capital … Continue reading “NeuMoDx and Jeff Williams Capitalize on Lessons Learned at Handylab”
The Davis Dilemma: New Energy for Innovation, But Where to Grow?
Every economic development official in the country knows the story. In 1951, Frederick Terman, then the dean of engineering at Stanford University, decided to set aside 200 acres of Stanford-owned fruit orchards in Palo Alto for the new Stanford Industrial Park. The park was soon home to Varian Associates, Shockley Transistor, and Hewlett-Packard, as well … Continue reading “The Davis Dilemma: New Energy for Innovation, But Where to Grow?”
Xconomy Surveys Innovation in the Sacramento-Davis Corridor
As Xconomist Bob Metcalfe has said, “Invention is a flower. Innovation is a weed.” What better place for the weed of innovation to grow than in the fertile region around the California capital of Sacramento, and, especially, nearby University of California at Davis, one of the premier agricultural research institutions in the world? In fact, … Continue reading “Xconomy Surveys Innovation in the Sacramento-Davis Corridor”
Can Sacramento End Its Innovation Drought?
It’s raining, at last, in the Sacramento region. It’s just past noon on the last day of March. As I’d glided east on Interstate 80 that morning, the sky had been darkly pregnant, a wash of Payne’s Gray. Yet not a drop of rain had streaked my windshield. Now, as I’m leaving City Hall in … Continue reading “Can Sacramento End Its Innovation Drought?”