Category: Detroit

Biotech & Pharma Whining About Talent: That Makes Me Mad

Pharmaceutical and biotech companies axed something like 150,000 workers from 2009 through 2012. Now guess what? Those same companies are complaining, in a recent report from the consulting firm PwC, that they are unable to find enough qualified workers to fill key positions they need to grow. Sometimes, you come across a message in one of these … Continue reading “Biotech & Pharma Whining About Talent: That Makes Me Mad”

State Funds Collaborations Between Small Companies, MI Universities

The Michigan Corporate Relations Network has issued a request for proposals from tech entrepreneurs looking to speed up their commercialization efforts. Under the Small Company Innovation Program (SCIP), small- to medium-sized companies can receive matching funds for research projects at one of the organization’s participating universities: Wayne State University, the University of  Michigan, Michigan State … Continue reading “State Funds Collaborations Between Small Companies, MI Universities”

Prostate Cancer Drug Winners and Losers at ASCO GU

The latest clinical research in prostate cancer is being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitorinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU) in Orlando, FL. Presentations started yesterday, and run through tomorrow, but here’s some quick commentary on three of the early “winners” and “losers” in the oral presentations. Winners San Francisco-based Medivation (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MDVN]]): … Continue reading “Prostate Cancer Drug Winners and Losers at ASCO GU”

Informational Sessions on TechTown’s Venture Accelerator

TechTown is launching its new venture accelerator in April, but it’s accepting applications through March 15. Think your startup has what it takes? Attend a morning or evening informational session to find out. Morning session is from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.; evening session is from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. For registration, click here.

Free Lunch Friday

This new monthly initiative aims to feed hungry startups both literally and metaphorically. At this month’s installment, entrepreneurs Delane Parnell and Nevin Groce will be on hand to lead the event, and Mike McGee will discuss his work founding the Starter League. Click here for details.

Mailbox App Is Fun, But There’s Only One Real Fix for E-Mail

I have some difficult news to share. Your e-mail overload problem is here to stay. We’d all prefer to spend less time managing e-mail, and every so often a new app, service, or time-management system comes along promising to help. The latest one is called Mailbox, and it’s been generating a lot of buzz over … Continue reading “Mailbox App Is Fun, But There’s Only One Real Fix for E-Mail”

Corporate Compliance Programs: The Importance of Being Effective

Now more than ever, pharmaceutical companies must not only have an effective Corporate Compliance Program in place, but senior management and boards of directors at these companies must ensure that their Corporate Compliance departments evaluate the effectiveness of those Programs. The federal government has sent numerous signals of its intent to hold the highest levels … Continue reading “Corporate Compliance Programs: The Importance of Being Effective”

BidPal Network Garners $600,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6f964086-d44d-4dd1-9166-1ce8e3cc113a&Preview=1 Date 2/15/2013 Company Name BidPal Network Mailing Address 8425 Woodfield Crossing Indianapolis, IL 46240 Company Description BidPal Network has developed an innovative solution that wirelessly automates and accelerates the auction process. BidPal’s system enables guests to place bids on silent auction items at any time and from anywhere during the event. … Continue reading “BidPal Network Garners $600,000 New Funding Round”

TechTown Adds Bootcamp-Style Venture Accelerator

The Detroit-based business incubator TechTown announced last week that it’s launching the new Labs Venture Accelerator, which is set to accept applications online starting tomorrow for the first session, which will begin April 8. The goal of the program is to transform early stage startups into viable, sustainable businesses in a short amount of time. … Continue reading “TechTown Adds Bootcamp-Style Venture Accelerator”

Why Conveying a Clear Vision for Your Startup Is Important

Can you see the forest for the trees? If you can’t, and you’re an entrepreneur seeking out seed money for your business, it’s likely you won’t succeed. Recently, an investor friend of mine approached me and asked that I review a company slide deck for him. He said he was considering an investment in the … Continue reading “Why Conveying a Clear Vision for Your Startup Is Important”

The Holy Grail of Drug Development: Small Molecules with the Power of Biologics

FDA new drug approvals hit a 16-year high with 39 drugs approved in 2012; the highest number since 1996 when 53 drugs were approved. Of those, 18 or slightly less than half, were biologics up from 12 in 2011 but still surprisingly low when you consider an industry report citing that nearly 40 percent of … Continue reading “The Holy Grail of Drug Development: Small Molecules with the Power of Biologics”

Small Businesses Aren’t Too Small to Go Mobile

Shifts in technology often occur first in large organizations and trickle their way down to small businesses years later. During the Internet boom of the mid-to-late 1990s, most small businesses avoided having a Web presence. In the early-to-mid 2000s, while these companies finally ventured into the Web, the overwhelming majority didn’t offer e-commerce solutions to … Continue reading “Small Businesses Aren’t Too Small to Go Mobile”

Lycera Enters Into Second Collaboration Deal with Merck

Lycera, the biopharmaceutical company based in Plymouth, MI, announced today that it is entering into a second collaboration agreement with pharmaceutical giant Merck. This is the second collaboration deal between Lycera and Merck in two years. Merck will spearhead clinical development and will have worldwide marketing and commercialization rights to any products that are developed as … Continue reading “Lycera Enters Into Second Collaboration Deal with Merck”

Poll: Which of These 10 New Drugs Is Priced Too High?

Drug pricing tends to drive people to extreme positions. Critics see the drug companies as evil, greedy bastards out to gouge grandma. Defenders say the industry improves patients’ lives, and merely charges what the free market will bear, and what it must to recoup its substantial R&D investments. Those positions have held firm for at … Continue reading “Poll: Which of These 10 New Drugs Is Priced Too High?”

Holaira Obtains $10,000,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=41f45fb2-6625-4e16-b3a4-7a9172955c53&Preview=1 Date 2/11/2013 Company Name Holaira Mailing Address 3750 Annapolis Ln. North Plymouth, MN 55447 Company Description Holaira, Inc. (formerly Innovative Pulmonary Solutions, Inc.) is a privately held lung denervation company developing minimally invasive products to make breathing easier for patients suffering from obstructive lung diseases. Website http://www.holaira.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Holaira Obtains $10,000,000 Series C Financing”

Groundhogs and Superstorms

Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see it coming, but this weekend’s New England blizzard is actually a triumph for modern weather forecasting. Specifically, it’s a triumph for numerical weather prediction models—the primary method used to forecast the weather one to two weeks in advance. These computer-generated simulations are run primarily by large governmental agencies. The National Center … Continue reading “Groundhogs and Superstorms”

Talking Ag Tech, Bridging the Ann Arbor-Detroit Gap at U-M Unconference

The premise of the Entrepreneurs Engage unconference held at the University of Michigan yesterday may sound a little hokey to the uninitiated: The audience suggests breakout-group topics, and then folks spend about 45 minutes in each discussion—or they don’t. “You vote with your feet,” said emcee (and Xconomist) Rich Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations. “Go … Continue reading “Talking Ag Tech, Bridging the Ann Arbor-Detroit Gap at U-M Unconference”

I’m Returning My iPad Mini. These Pictures Show Why.

[Important! Author’s Note, June 6, 2014: The article below refers to the first-generation iPad mini, released in November 2012. The second-generation iPad mini, released in the fall of 2013, features a 2048 x 1536-pixel Retina display that fixes all of the display-related problems I perceived with the original. Related to this, I wrote a review of … Continue reading “I’m Returning My iPad Mini. These Pictures Show Why.”

RNA Therapeutics Are Coming of Age

RNA therapeutics are new, innovative high-impact medicines. The combined efforts of pioneering biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical and academic institutions have helped these treatments, which act on ribonucleic acids in the cell, to evolve and come of age. For those unfamiliar, these medicines are designed to target RNA and can ultimately affect many cellular components. They can … Continue reading “RNA Therapeutics Are Coming of Age”

Batterii Receives $2,500,000 Seed Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=72c7f5f7-aa3a-46c7-a593-0304469c5cc3&Preview=1 Date 2/8/2013 Company Name Batterii Mailing Address 700 W. Pete Rose Way Cincinnati, OH 45203 Company Description Batterii is a collaborative platform that connects you, your coworkers and customers in a real-time experience to collect inspiration, build and execute big ideas. Website http://www.batterii.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,500,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Batterii Receives $2,500,000 Seed Financing Round”

Mu Sigma Obtains New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c6379f23-f181-4376-bbab-8a0bee97b2a7&Preview=1 Date 2/7/2013 Company Name Mu Sigma Mailing Address 3400 Dundee Rd Northbrook, IL 60062 Company Description Mu Sigma is a knowledge process outsourcing firm that provides high quality analytical decision support services to its clients in a cost effective manner. Website http://www.mu-sigma.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round … Continue reading “Mu Sigma Obtains New Funding Round”

Gilbert’s Rockbridge Growth Equity Adds to Tech Portfolio

Dan Gilbert’s Rockbridge Growth Equity, a Detroit-based private equity firm founded in 2007, announced last month that it has acquired Tampa, FL-based Triad Retail Media, which helps companies like Walmart and eBay monetize websites through advertising. Boston-based Falcon Investment Advisors partnered with Rockbridge on the transaction, the value of which was undisclosed. Kevin Prokop, who co-founded Rockbridge with Gilbert … Continue reading “Gilbert’s Rockbridge Growth Equity Adds to Tech Portfolio”

The Series A Crunch: Don’t Get Discouraged

Much is being said on a daily basis about the “Series A crunch.” Supposedly, there aren’t enough venture investors to support all the startups winning seed funding these days. I will give you my thoughts on how to deal with the issue. Please note that this advice is entirely for entrepreneurs, not investors. First and … Continue reading “The Series A Crunch: Don’t Get Discouraged”

Ultrasound Medical Devices Obtains $1,465,750 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dfcb1423-c671-4964-8a76-459ad5a28fb0&Preview=1 Date 2/6/2013 Company Name Ultrasound Medical Devices Mailing Address 3917 Research Park Dr Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Company Description The company develops SRI ultrasound for diagnosis of coronary heart disease. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Debt, Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,465,750 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Ultrasound Medical Devices Obtains $1,465,750 New Financing”

Ultrasound Medical Devices Garners $1,465,750 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=dfcb1423-c671-4964-8a76-459ad5a28fb0&Preview=1 Date 2/6/2013 Company Name Ultrasound Medical Devices Mailing Address 3917 Research Park Dr Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Company Description The company develops SRI ultrasound for diagnosis of coronary heart disease. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Debt, Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,465,750 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Ultrasound Medical Devices Garners $1,465,750 New Funding Round”

BuyMichLocal: A Business Directory With a Twist

Michael Sacha worked as a multimedia account rep for companies like Gannett and Yahoo, where he helped businesses place ad campaigns that went across print, mobile, social, and online platforms. Working with both national agencies and local companies, he grew frustrated with what he saw as a bloated, inefficient way of doing things. He wanted … Continue reading “BuyMichLocal: A Business Directory With a Twist”

3D Biomatrix Receives $740,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=22983bd8-3a5d-409c-be8a-1f2e09d88df0&Preview=1 Date 2/5/2013 Company Name 3D Biomatrix Mailing Address 1600 Huron Parkway Bldng 520 2nd Floor Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Company Description 3D Biomatrix provides three dimensional (3D) cell culture plates and 3D cell matrices (scaffolds). Our 3D cell culture solutions boost life sciences research and drug discovery/testing applications by providing life-like … Continue reading “3D Biomatrix Receives $740,000 New Financing”

Novian Health Secures $11,000,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1af0fa04-a889-4fda-aa05-910c5259eeb4&Preview=1 Date 2/5/2013 Company Name Novian Health Mailing Address 430 West Erie Street Chicago, IL 60654 Company Description Novian Health, located in Chicago and Evry, France, is a privately held company with proprietary technology for the treatment of tumors using Interstitial Laser Therapy (ILT). The company has developed, tested, and patented a … Continue reading “Novian Health Secures $11,000,000 Series A Funding Round”

MI Social Entrepreneurship Competition Offers $50K in Prizes

Detroit’s reputation as a one-of-a-kind proving ground for innovative approaches to solving social problems got a boost today with the announcement of the Pure Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge, a statewide competition offering $50,000 in cash prizes. Billed as the nation’s first coordinated, public-private effort to advance social entrepreneurship, the Pure Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge is … Continue reading “MI Social Entrepreneurship Competition Offers $50K in Prizes”

Qualcomm’s Corporate Entrepreneurship Program—Lessons Learned

I ran into Ricardo Dos Santos and his amazing Qualcomm Venture Fest a few years ago and was astonished with its breath and depth. From that day on, when I got asked about which corporate innovation program had the best process for idea selection, I started my list with Qualcomm. This is part 2 of … Continue reading “Qualcomm’s Corporate Entrepreneurship Program—Lessons Learned”

What’s in a Name? A Lot, When It Comes to ‘Precision Medicine’

Personalized medicine was supposed to be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It was going to be the payoff our society would see after investing in the Human Genome Project and so much other biomedical research. While most people on the street can’t say what it means, anybody can understand the … Continue reading “What’s in a Name? A Lot, When It Comes to ‘Precision Medicine’”

Plymouth Venture Partners Invests in InContext Solutions

Plymouth Venture Partners Fund II, the Ann Arbor, MI-based growth-stage investment fund, announced last month that it led a Series C round for the Chicago-based InContext Solutions. The total value of the investment was not disclosed. InContext Solutions is a market research firm that specializes in product simulations. Jeff Barry, a Plymouth Ventures partner, says … Continue reading “Plymouth Venture Partners Invests in InContext Solutions”

Cyber Attacks: A Growing Threat to the U.S. Economy

The cost of ubiquitous cyber attacks and cyber probes in the United States and the rest of the world is a staggering, ever-growing challenge. Antivirus firm Symantec estimated the 2011 global price tag of direct financial loss and the cost of remediating attacks at $338 billion, excluding the theft of intellectual property and damage from … Continue reading “Cyber Attacks: A Growing Threat to the U.S. Economy”

How Lytro is Shifting Our Perspective on Photography

The first time I got to play with a Lytro light-field camera was in March, 2012. If I had to sum up my reaction in eight words, it would be: “Concept: Mind-blowing. Execution: Not quite there yet.” It was clear that the technology inside the camera—which makes it possible to refocus a picture after it’s … Continue reading “How Lytro is Shifting Our Perspective on Photography”

The Post-Kickstarter Conundrum: Delivering Companies DOA?

Picture this: two guys in a garage coding The Next Big Thing. It’s an iconic and familiar image. Now imagine their ubiquitous computer keyboards being overtaken by a colony of 3-D foam models or CAD drawings. Now your mind’s eye sees these same guys (or gals) hacking away at something entirely different. This shift in … Continue reading “The Post-Kickstarter Conundrum: Delivering Companies DOA?”

Tech M&A: Report Finds Most Startups Didn’t Raise Outside Cash

Investors have been in a rush to finance early stage companies in the past few years, leading to angst among startup founders confronting a tougher time making it to the next stage of investment. But for companies that get successfully acquired, it turns out that outside financing isn’t a necessity. In fact, it’s a rarity. … Continue reading “Tech M&A: Report Finds Most Startups Didn’t Raise Outside Cash”

Purchasing Platform Garners $565,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f21059fa-aa70-4a72-9822-031424122fc5&Preview=1 Date 1/30/2013 Company Name Purchasing Platform Mailing Address 150 N Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 Company Description Our goal is simple: save your organization money. We are able to utilize our member network scale to deliver substantial savings for your organization. We have relationships with the best name vendors. We spent … Continue reading “Purchasing Platform Garners $565,000 New Financing Round”

ePrize Continues Its Mobile Growth With Mozes Acquisition

The Pleasant Ridge, MI-based interactive promotions company ePrize has announced its second major acquisition in 12 months, a move that represents the next big step in its plan to ramp up the mobile portion of its business. ePrize didn’t disclose the terms under which it acquired Palo Alto, CA-based Mozes, but did say it will … Continue reading “ePrize Continues Its Mobile Growth With Mozes Acquisition”

Defense Secretary Gates: Underfund Basic Research at America’s Peril

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates distills a critical challenge to America’s continued prosperity and global leadership: Deliver to his generation all promised entitlements, or invest in research and education—the foundations of the country’s success. “I think it’s fair to say America’s economic pre-eminence—and I would argue our national security, and national influence as well—is largely … Continue reading “Defense Secretary Gates: Underfund Basic Research at America’s Peril”

Designing Qualcomm’s Corporate Entrepreneurship Program

I ran into Ricardo Dos Santos and his amazing Qualcomm Venture Fest a few years ago and was astonished with its breath and depth. From that day on, when I got asked about which corporate innovation program had the best process for idea selection, I started my list with Qualcomm. This is Ricardo’s “post mortem” … Continue reading “Designing Qualcomm’s Corporate Entrepreneurship Program”

Ten Companies in Three Days: The MIT Sloan Tech Trek

[Editor’s note: The Technology Club at MIT’s Sloan School of Management organizes an annual student trip to Silicon Valley to tour top technology companies. Xconomy traditionally invites one Sloan student each year to blog about the experience.] I’ve always been interested in technology, but after working on reconstruction projects in Afghanistan, I decided to make … Continue reading “Ten Companies in Three Days: The MIT Sloan Tech Trek”

Crowdfunding Is Coming to Biotech, so Get Ready for a Wild Ride

Most biotech pros will shrug, or chuckle, if you ask whether crowdfunding will transform life sciences financing in the U.S. This, after all, is an industry where you often need to raise at least $50 million or $100 million to even have a chance at developing a new drug or medical device. Scraping together a … Continue reading “Crowdfunding Is Coming to Biotech, so Get Ready for a Wild Ride”

ChaCha Search Obtains $14,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8d6cd042-4398-4ff4-99a0-31604b402572&Preview=1 Date 1/28/2013 Company Name ChaCha Search Mailing Address 14550 Clay Terrace Blvd Carmel, IN 46032 Company Description ChaCha is available online and on your phone with information when you need it…any time, anywhere. Other services scan the Internet and return the thousands of pages that mathematically match your query. But, because … Continue reading “ChaCha Search Obtains $14,000,000 New Financing”

Crowdfunding Helps Bring Xconomy to Colorado; Now Writers Needed

If you’ve spent much time in the Colorado back country, you probably remember feeling a profound sense of elation that comes after hours of relentless upward hiking, when you finally reach the summit and a panorama of the Rocky Mountains opens around you. We’re feeling a little like that now, after learning a crowdfunding initiative … Continue reading “Crowdfunding Helps Bring Xconomy to Colorado; Now Writers Needed”