I’ve been dreaming about Denali since I started climbing mountains a decade ago with two best friends. This is the year we made it happen. As many Xconomy readers know, I just returned from a successful three-week expedition to climb Alaska’s Denali, the highest peak in North America. Many saw me grow a beard to … Continue reading “The Denali Expedition: A Photo Essay”
Category: Detroit
Cachet Financial Solutions Garners $500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f1b670b6-f0d8-4cb2-bdd4-c10b2ce6dc37&Preview=1 Date 7/4/2013 Company Name Cachet Financial Solutions Mailing Address 18671 Lake Drive East Minneapolis, MN 55317 Company Description Cachet Financial Solutions is a leading provider of remote deposit capture (RDC) solutions for banks, credit unions and other financial institutions. Remote and mobile deposit technologies are changing business and personal banking forever. … Continue reading “Cachet Financial Solutions Garners $500,000 New Round”
Cachet Financial Solutions Secures $500,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f1b670b6-f0d8-4cb2-bdd4-c10b2ce6dc37&Preview=1 Date 7/4/2013 Company Name Cachet Financial Solutions Mailing Address 18671 Lake Drive East Minneapolis, MN 55317 Company Description Cachet Financial Solutions is a leading provider of remote deposit capture (RDC) solutions for banks, credit unions and other financial institutions. Remote and mobile deposit technologies are changing business and personal banking forever. … Continue reading “Cachet Financial Solutions Secures $500,000 New Funding”
A Detroit Entrepreneur Transforms Tragedy Into Life-Saving Inventions
Orlando Robinson has always been a tinkerer. Growing up near Schoolcraft and Greenfield on the west side of Detroit, he was the kind of kid who dismantled electronics just to reassemble them for fun. He graduated from high school early, enrolled at Wayne State University at age 16, and landed in Iraq with the U.S. … Continue reading “A Detroit Entrepreneur Transforms Tragedy Into Life-Saving Inventions”
Baseball and Biopharma: More Alike Than You Might Realize
This may seem like a surprising observation, but it’s true. Biopharma companies and baseball teams employ similar strategies that they hope will result in either a blockbuster drug or winning the World Series. The challenges each faces are significant. Did you realize that the percentage of drugs that are put into clinical trials and successfully … Continue reading “Baseball and Biopharma: More Alike Than You Might Realize”
Cympel Secures $125,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=36a92046-bba6-405a-bdf6-00c576922a1d&Preview=1 Date 7/3/2013 Company Name Cympel Mailing Address Undisclosed Minneapolis, MN 55431 Company Description Cympel is a compelling combination of advertising and commerce. It’s a user experience focused commerce platform that is thoughtful in its design. Cympel delivers stunning interactive advertisements and the ability for a customer to immediately purchase the product … Continue reading “Cympel Secures $125,000 New Funding Round”
Tastytrade Secures $7,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=59ea3369-e1d5-4993-ac8e-d539906e767f&Preview=1 Date 7/3/2013 Company Name Tastytrade Mailing Address 19 North Sangamon Street Chicago, IL 60607 Company Description Tastytrade is different. It’s something that even our parents can use to understand a Lil Wayne rap song and save money. Or where our 20-year-old niece can learn more about actionable finance than an internship … Continue reading “Tastytrade Secures $7,000,000 New Financing Round”
When You Are Facing a Tsunami of Barriers, Surf Like a Woman
All entrepreneurs face roadblocks when they are starting up. It’s part of the job. For Surbhi Sarna, who founded of nVision Medical in 2012, things are more intense. NVision Medical is an early stage women’s health business focused building medical devices that help detect ovarian cancer and infertility. It recently raised over $4 million in … Continue reading “When You Are Facing a Tsunami of Barriers, Surf Like a Woman”
BoxCast Secures $250,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8f2af2af-087d-4c22-8ff2-0a0da1c0a743&Preview=1 Date 7/2/2013 Company Name BoxCast Mailing Address 14538 Grapeland Ave Cleveland, OH 44111 Company Description The Broadcast Box is a purpose built device that captures, compresses and transmits video to the BoxCast secure servers for multiplying and reformatting the video to play on any number of devices. Provided that all cables … Continue reading “BoxCast Secures $250,000 New Funding”
Detroit’s Practice.Space Incubator Offers an Urban Redevelopment Trial Run
There’s a new business incubator in town called Practice.Space, and it’s targeted to mid-career professionals, new graduates, and others who are interested in playing a part in Detroit’s revitalization but aren’t sure where to begin. “The people we have in mind are maybe architects, lawyers, or graphic designers who want to make a pivot in … Continue reading “Detroit’s Practice.Space Incubator Offers an Urban Redevelopment Trial Run”
Wall St. Loves Biotech, Leading Venture-Backed IPOs in Q2
[Updated 6:15 pm. NVCA now says historical IPO data in its report was misstated and will be revised later. This version removes earlier references to historical deal trends.] We knew that biotech companies were lighting up the stock market this year. Today, the National Venture Capital Association has fresh numbers illustrating Wall Street’s love affair … Continue reading “Wall St. Loves Biotech, Leading Venture-Backed IPOs in Q2”
Cloud as an Accelerant to Innovation in Healthcare
At the June 19 Xconomy event XSITE, at nearby Babson College, I took part in a panel discussion focused on emerging opportunities and trends in the healthcare tech space. One topic that came up again (and again) was the role of cloud computing in healthcare and how it’s creating a more open world for data … Continue reading “Cloud as an Accelerant to Innovation in Healthcare”
Inno-Vention 2013
Oakland County’s Medical Main Street presents this annual conference focusing on medical devices and how information technology is fueling change in health care. For details and registration, click here.
Hireology Obtains $300,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e2ca35c2-5af7-4ae3-b105-a1599e1ffaa1&Preview=1 Date 7/1/2013 Company Name Hireology Mailing Address 640 N Lasalle St. Chicago, IL 60654 Company Description Hireology was founded on a simple, powerful idea: by analyzing the behaviors of top-performing employees, you can create a highly accurate system that identifies the best person for the job. Website http://www.hireology.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Hireology Obtains $300,000 New Funding Round”
PasswordBox: Strong Passwords That You Don’t Have to Remember
Leave it to tech entrepreneurs to turn bad news into good news. For most of us, our passwords are the keys to our entire digital lives. The bad news is that we’re losing the race to keep these passwords safe from hacker attacks. Making up a secure yet memorable password used to be a matter … Continue reading “PasswordBox: Strong Passwords That You Don’t Have to Remember”
Civic Hackers Must Work With Governments, Not Just Disrupt Them
I recently helped organize the National Civic Day of Hacking activities in Detroit and I was very impressed with my city’s outpouring of problems, and the hackers that came out to show support. Right now is a great time to be a technologist because our tools have advanced by leaps and bounds over the years. … Continue reading “Civic Hackers Must Work With Governments, Not Just Disrupt Them”
Recombinetics Lands $2,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=284862c9-c8bf-4591-90da-40ebd9c7a38d&Preview=1 Date 6/28/2013 Company Name Recombinetics Mailing Address 1246 University Avenue W Saint Paul, MN 55104 Company Description At Recombinetics, we use unique precision genetics technologies to provide scientists who study persistent health risks — obesity, diabetes, cancer, and high heart disease –with the research tools they need to understand and combat … Continue reading “Recombinetics Lands $2,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
Michigan VC Roundup: Good News Abounds
—The Detroit-based Renaissance Venture Capital Fund (RVCF) announced its initial investment of $16.7 million in 20 Michigan companies has led to a return of nearly $300 million. Xconomist Chris Rizik, who is the fund-of-funds’ CEO, says it’s great when a plan works out. “We hoped ultimately that the money could be leveraged eight times, since … Continue reading “Michigan VC Roundup: Good News Abounds”
TechTown Open Office Hours
Are you working on a tech-based business idea and want some professional feedback? Charlie Moret, TechTown’s managing director of technology-based entrepreneurship, will be on hand to help during open office hours. For more information and registration, click here.
TechTown Open Office Hours
Are you working on a tech-based business idea and want some professional feedback? Charlie Moret, TechTown’s managing director of technology-based entrepreneurship, will be on hand to help during open office hours. For more information and registration, click here.
Entre-SLAM
The storyteller competition for entrepreneurs finally makes its way to Detroit. Enjoy an evening of food, drink, and tales of triumph and failure. For details, click here.
Bizdom Community Office Hours
The Bizdom leadership team will be available to offer feedback to those with startup ideas or who want advice on how to scale their business. To sign up, click here.
6 Reasons Why the MIT Blackjack Team Became Entrepreneurs
Wow. Imagine being invited to moderate a free-form discussion with the people who lived out the book “Bringing Down the House” and the movie “21.” It doesn’t get any better than this. At Xconomy’s XSITE conference last week, I had the honor of moderating a reunion panel of the MIT Blackjack Team with two of … Continue reading “6 Reasons Why the MIT Blackjack Team Became Entrepreneurs”
Wire Labs Lands $150,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=456e4c7b-1090-4803-abd3-6bda1383303e&Preview=1 Date 6/27/2013 Company Name Wire Labs Mailing Address 15300 Industrial Parkway Cleveland, OH 44135 Company Description Wire Lab Company is the exclusive dealer of Cym Shotblasting Machinery in the North American market. Website http://www.wirelab.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $150,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “Wire Labs Lands $150,000 New Round”
Strangling Innovation: Tesla vs. “Rent Seekers”
The greatest number of jobs is created when startups create a new market—one where the product or service never existed before or is radically more convenient. Yet this is where startups will run into anti-innovation opponents they may not expect. These opponents have their own name—“rent seekers”—the landlords of the status-quo. Smart startups prepare to … Continue reading “Strangling Innovation: Tesla vs. “Rent Seekers””
Rockwell Medical Snags $20M in New Financing
In May, we wrote about the Wixom, MI-based company Rockwell Medical, which disrupted the dialysis industry by being the first to develop, patent, and bring to market a dry acid mixing system for hemodialysis concentrate. Last week, the company announced it had secured $20 million in debt financing from Hercules Technology Growth Capital, which is based … Continue reading “Rockwell Medical Snags $20M in New Financing”
General Motors Cruises into CE Week in a Spark EV, Talks Connected Cars
Tuesday night, at the onset of CE Week in New York, carmaker General Motors talked up some of the concepts it is bringing to autos, including new ways to control devices connected to vehicles. GM also opened the doors on its Chevy Spark EV all-electric city car, which went on sale this month in select … Continue reading “General Motors Cruises into CE Week in a Spark EV, Talks Connected Cars”
Constructing Innovation Supply Chains for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Competition via innovation has been recognized as essential for mid- to long-term success and even survival of science-based corporations such as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. As such, understanding how best to innovate, and how to do it more often and efficiently, is top of mind for executives at many large corporations. Traditionally, the approach for … Continue reading “Constructing Innovation Supply Chains for the Pharmaceutical Industry”
SAVO Group Obtains $10,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d2728f49-543a-4789-9392-476dc904ea6c&Preview=1 Date 6/26/2013 Company Name SAVO Group Mailing Address 155 N Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 Company Description The SAVO Group is the pioneer in sales enablement. SAVO’s solutions help companies achieve their revenue initiatives by harnessing the resources and knowledge of the entire company to support the selling process. Website http://www.savogroup.com … Continue reading “SAVO Group Obtains $10,000,000 New Funding”
Esperion Therapeutics Secures $70,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7707e52b-f53b-4f90-9dc8-49d51e5ef5c3&Preview=1 Date 6/26/2013 Company Name Esperion Therapeutics Mailing Address 46701 Commerce Center Drive Plymouth, MI 48170 Company Description Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESPR) discovers and develops pharmaceutical products for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Esperion intends to commercialize a novel class of drugs that focuses on a new treatment approach … Continue reading “Esperion Therapeutics Secures $70,000,000 New Funding Round”
VLinks Media Garners $10,000 Seed Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7ac81a10-afa5-4f9c-a81f-bf1853c723fe&Preview=1 Date 6/26/2013 Company Name VLinks Media Mailing Address 321 N. Clark St Chicago, IL 60654 Company Description We are part product and part agency which gives us the ability to configure solutions completely focused around your goals. We make sure you win in this space by guiding you before, during and … Continue reading “VLinks Media Garners $10,000 Seed Funding Round”
Can’t Get No Respect? Bio-venture Issues Are Deeper Than Paper Gains
In one of his recent blogs at Life Sci VC, Atlas Venture’s Bruce Booth makes the optimists’ case for venture capital investments in the life sciences. Booth’s message is that life sciences venture capital is healthy but misunderstood, but he misses the forest for the trees in important ways. Based on my 27 years in … Continue reading “Can’t Get No Respect? Bio-venture Issues Are Deeper Than Paper Gains”
LISNR Secures $520,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f401b1a3-bcfa-458d-8271-ad13cfe571e7&Preview=1 Date 6/25/2013 Company Name LISNR Mailing Address 299 E. Sixth St 1st Floor Cincinnati, OH 45202 Company Description Lisnr gives artists a new way to connect with their fans. By installing Lisnr on your mobile device, you’ll unlock exclusive content created by the artists you love, just by listening to your … Continue reading “LISNR Secures $520,000 Seed Financing”
Absolute Software Acquires Palisade Systems for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=884e8019-f2e8-48e9-ae59-f5d4ccb408e8&Preview=1 Date 6/25/2013 Company Name Palisade Systems Mailing Address 400 Locust Street Des Moines, IA 50309 Company Description Medical records, financial information, intellectual property and personal information – your data keeps growing at an accelerated rate. Trying to protect this data is paramount to business continuity and success. The loss of sensitive … Continue reading “Absolute Software Acquires Palisade Systems for Undisclosed Sum”
Wayne State Tech Transfer: New Leadership, New Programs, New Stability
In late May, the Wayne State University (WSU) announced Joan Dunbar would lead its technology commercialization efforts. She had already been serving in the position on an interim basis since the spring of 2012, when Harl Tolbert left the job after only a few months. Dunbar, the founding director of biotechnology development and biomedical innovation … Continue reading “Wayne State Tech Transfer: New Leadership, New Programs, New Stability”
Detroit Maker Faire
Calling all inventors, tinkers, and hackers: The Detroit Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly celebration of DIY culture featuring more than 400 makers. Expect “unconventional ingenuity, unbridled creativity, and a whole lot of forward thinking.” For more information and tickets, click here.
Battle of the Bluetooth Speakers: Big Sound in Small Packages
Back in 2009, Lief Storer realized he was putting his own safety in jeopardy every time he donned his big DJ headphones before biking to work. “I had a tough time picking up traffic coming at me from the rear,” he says. But he didn’t want to give up his music. So he jammed an … Continue reading “Battle of the Bluetooth Speakers: Big Sound in Small Packages”
Pure Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge Awards $93K to 10 Startups
On Monday, the winners of the Pure Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge were announced at the Entrepreneur Connect event in Lansing, MI. The statewide contest was hosted by Michigan Corps, the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and represents the nation’s first coordinated, public-private effort to advance social entrepreneurship. According to Elizabeth … Continue reading “Pure Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge Awards $93K to 10 Startups”
Are Apple, Google, and Facebook Done Innovating? Readers Speak
In the world of tech journalism, the fastest way to start an argument is to say something critical about Apple. When you throw in Google and Facebook, you really know there are going to be fireworks. That’s exactly what happened over the weekend after we published my column “Don’t Panic, But We’ve Passed Peak Apple. … Continue reading “Are Apple, Google, and Facebook Done Innovating? Readers Speak”
Nano-Meta Technologies Receives New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2539daf7-5c69-499c-a4ab-e8a45700daf8&Preview=1 Date 6/20/2013 Company Name Nano-Meta Technologies Mailing Address Undisclosed West Lafayette, IN 47906 Company Description NMTI is actively developing a suite of technologies that promises to disrupt a wide array of industries including computing, data storage, communications, biomedicine, imaging and alternative energy. Website http://www.nanometatech.com/home.php Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed … Continue reading “Nano-Meta Technologies Receives New Financing Round”
Techonomy Detroit
The second annual Techonomy Detroit conference will bring together policy, tech, business, and government leaders for a one-day discussion on the ways technology is changing the world. Confirmed speakers include Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Square and Twitter; Chad Dickerson, CEO of Etsy; Governor Rick Snyder; Carol Williams, executive vice president of the Dow Chemical Company; … Continue reading “Techonomy Detroit”
Tred Brings Cars To Test Drive, But Dealers Still Close the Deal
Buying a new car is a high-value transaction, one that is often time-consuming and stressful. Tred, a Seattle startup, is trying to ease at least part of the process by delivering cars for consumers to test drive from their homes. Unlike electric car maker Tesla, which is fighting car dealer associations in several states to … Continue reading “Tred Brings Cars To Test Drive, But Dealers Still Close the Deal”
WeMontage Lands $160,071 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=17b46bfd-40b2-4525-adc8-3b8dd4104c44&Preview=1 Date 6/19/2013 Company Name WeMontage Mailing Address 1009 Derby Ln Neenah, WI 54956 Company Description WeMontage is a website for creative professionals to make large, custom photo collages on removable wallpaper. Use WeMontage to create stunning wall art for your clients. Website http://www.wemontage.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $160,071 Transaction Round … Continue reading “WeMontage Lands $160,071 New Financing Round”
COMS Interactive Garners $21,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=13a81700-2520-4cbb-9a06-3de8be19a067&Preview=1 Date 6/19/2013 Company Name COMS Interactive Mailing Address 60 West Streetsboro Street Hudson, OH 44236 Company Description COMS Interactive, LLC focuses on processes and systems that stabilize and improve resident health, while increasing revenues for Skilled Nursing facilities and simultaneously reducing overall costs for the payor. This win-win scenario creates improvements … Continue reading “COMS Interactive Garners $21,000,000 New Funding Round”
Nextt Receives $700,000 Seed Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8a9a3e16-b7ea-4467-a598-e59bd718571f&Preview=1 Date 6/19/2013 Company Name Nextt Mailing Address Undisclosed Madison, WI 53562 Company Description Nextt is a private social network for friends to create future experiences together. Nextt will provide tools for people to discover shared interests and turn ideas into real world activities so they can get busy living richer lives … Continue reading “Nextt Receives $700,000 Seed Financing Round”
Roadtrippers Secures $500,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e2ef149a-4ba3-499a-9578-f3ff49327d1e&Preview=1 Date 6/19/2013 Company Name Roadtrippers Mailing Address Undisclosed Cincinnati, OH 45201 Company Description The first complete road travel planner. Roadtrippers goes beyond basic driving directions and inspires people on where to go and what to do along the way. Website http://www.roadtrippers.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Roadtrippers Secures $500,000 New Financing”
Zynga Game Network Acquires Spooky Cool Labs for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fe1dd25c-9bae-4216-92eb-038e04cd5122&Preview=1 Date 6/19/2013 Company Name Spooky Cool Labs Mailing Address 5515 N. Cumberland Ave Chicago, IL 60656 Company Description Spooky Cool Labs is committed to introducing the next generation of social games to be played and enjoyed by all generations. We are focused on creating cutting-edge social games built on great brands … Continue reading “Zynga Game Network Acquires Spooky Cool Labs for Undisclosed Sum”
Former Genzyme Exec Talks About His New Role as U-M Innovation Evangelist
Richard Douglas has long-standing ties to the University of Michigan. He went there for his undergrad degree in honors chemistry before getting his PhD at UC Berkeley and a job with the Boston-based life sciences company Genzyme, where he eventually rose to the position of senior vice president of corporate development. When Genzyme was purchased … Continue reading “Former Genzyme Exec Talks About His New Role as U-M Innovation Evangelist”
Trendspotting: Commerce on Facebook
Social media’s impact on global e-commerce is being felt everywhere. By promoting products via social media outlets, e-commerce companies have invited customers to spread interest and awareness of their brands through liking, reviewing, and sharing products with their network of friends. Commerce on social media has become a hot trend for many e-commerce firms to … Continue reading “Trendspotting: Commerce on Facebook”
The Lean LaunchPad Educators Class
The Lean LaunchPad entrepreneurship curriculum has caught fire. This week 100 educators from around the world will come to Stanford to learn how to teach it. Life is full of unintended consequences. Ten years ago I started thinking about why startups are different from existing companies. I wondered if business plans and 5-year forecasts were … Continue reading “The Lean LaunchPad Educators Class”