Category: National

From Cow Chips to Fake Drugs, Panel Explores Blockchain’s Potential

If you keep hearing your tech-savvy colleagues and friends using the term “blockchain,” but still feel like you don’t quite understand what they’re referring to, you’re not the only one. Even top executives at large financial services firms are still getting a handle on the emerging technology and its potential impact. Blaise Beaulier is vice … Continue reading “From Cow Chips to Fake Drugs, Panel Explores Blockchain’s Potential”

Ionis Pharma Spins Out Lipid Disorder Unit Akcea with Plans for IPO

Akcea Therapeutics, an Ionis Pharmaceuticals subsidiary focused on rare lipid disorders, is spinning out of its parent with plans for an initial public stock offering as it prepares to file for FDA approval for its lead drug. The Akcea stock offering could reach as much as $100 million, according to paperwork filed with securities regulators. … Continue reading “Ionis Pharma Spins Out Lipid Disorder Unit Akcea with Plans for IPO”

Robo Madness on Tuesday: Demos From Boston Dynamics, Soft Robotics, Piaggio

Hard to believe, but we’re just a day away from Robo Madness 2017, our third annual Boston conference on robotics and artificial intelligence. It’s all happening at Google’s offices in Kendall Square tomorrow afternoon. The full agenda is here. In addition to talks and discussions, there will be three live demos in the program, each … Continue reading “Robo Madness on Tuesday: Demos From Boston Dynamics, Soft Robotics, Piaggio”

With $60M Fund, “Anti-VC” Scaleworks Looks to Buy Software Startups

San Antonio—[Corrected 4/10/17, 1:27 p.m. See Below.] For many entrepreneurs who leave their business, investing is an easy next step. That’s what Lew Moorman did after he left Rackspace in 2013. But he didn’t like it. “I found myself not enjoying my day. I was spending all my time hearing pitches, and then doing very high-level … Continue reading “With $60M Fund, “Anti-VC” Scaleworks Looks to Buy Software Startups”

Bullhorn CEO Talks Tech Unicorns, Voice Interfaces, & A.I. Hype

Last week, Xconomy published a story about how I jammed with Bullhorn CEO Art Papas in the music room at his software company’s downtown Boston headquarters. Hard-hitting journalism, I know. But our meeting wasn’t just about rocking out to a Foo Fighters song. We also chatted about his 18-year-old company’s ups and downs, why it … Continue reading “Bullhorn CEO Talks Tech Unicorns, Voice Interfaces, & A.I. Hype”

Former NASA Chief Sees Coming “Tidal Wave” in Machine Intelligence

Dan Goldin founded KnuEdge (initially known as Intellisis) in 2005 to realize his vision for neural-based computing—and to fundamentally transform the way humans interact with machines. As he puts it, “a tidal wave is coming. It’s going to be bigger than the Internet. It looks and feels like the early ‘90s—but better.” To get a … Continue reading “Former NASA Chief Sees Coming “Tidal Wave” in Machine Intelligence”

Intel Combines Global AI Work Under Former Nervana Systems CEO

Roughly seven months after Intel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTC]]) acquired San Diego-based Nervana Systems, the chipmaker is consolidating its portfolio of artificial intelligence businesses in one group, headed by former Nervana CEO Naveen Rao. Rao (pictured above right) will report directly to Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, spokesman Daniel Francisco said today. Rao plans to remain in San … Continue reading “Intel Combines Global AI Work Under Former Nervana Systems CEO”

Arrowhead, Research Cuts, JCI, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, which is based in Pasadena, CA, but houses its research and development operations in Madison, entered into a stockholder rights agreement. This type of agreement, known colloquially as a “poison pill,” is typically aimed at protecting a company’s shareholders in the … Continue reading “Arrowhead, Research Cuts, JCI, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Cibo Technologies Grabs $30M for Agricultural Data Analytics

Cibo Technologies, an agricultural technology startup incubated by Flagship Pioneering’s VentureLabs unit, has raised $30.25 million in equity funding from investors, according to a new SEC filing. The Cambridge, MA-based firm makes data analytics software that aims to improve decision-making in agriculture. Some of the uses include helping farmers maximize their crop yields while reducing … Continue reading “Cibo Technologies Grabs $30M for Agricultural Data Analytics”

Eli Lilly Reveals $850M Capital Spending Plan for Indiana and Beyond

Eli Lilly plans to pour more than more than $850 million into its research laboratories and manufacturing facilities across the country—a capital investment spree that includes a multi-million dollar expansion of a site that makes the delivery device for a top-selling diabetes drug. Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) unveiled the plans with government officials this … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Reveals $850M Capital Spending Plan for Indiana and Beyond”

Placester Gets $50M from NEA to Expand Real Estate Software Tools

Investors are doubling down on Placester. On Friday, the fast-growing real estate software company announced a $50 million equity funding round from previous investor New Enterprise Associates (NEA). The Series D round brings Boston-based Placester’s total venture capital haul to $100 million. That makes the company one of the biggest venture-backed technology bets in New … Continue reading “Placester Gets $50M from NEA to Expand Real Estate Software Tools”

Seattle Week in Review: Mech Bezos, Bay Area Capital, Family Leave

Spring will get here eventually, and it will be more glorious for the wait. In the meantime, we’re looking back on a relatively quiet week in local tech, including: Amazon’s Jeff Bezos in the pilot seat of a giant robot; PitchBook data on investments in Seattle by Bay Area-based venture capitalists; a new Seattle proposal … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Mech Bezos, Bay Area Capital, Family Leave”

Michigan Might Hold Lessons for Improving Wisconsin’s VC Climate

Wisconsin and Michigan share a border, but there’s a significant gap between the two states in the amount of money investors are putting into startups based there each year. Following the recent decision to reboot the Wisconsin Venture Capital Association, which happened in part because a Madison, WI-based VC firm has a satellite office in … Continue reading “Michigan Might Hold Lessons for Improving Wisconsin’s VC Climate”

Rebooted and Refocused, Startup Cool Planet Eyes the Soil Market

When Cool Planet found a lukewarm market for its renewable fuel, the startup needed to change course. Now focused on agriculture, Greenwood, CO-based Cool Planet is aiming for the market again—this time with a soils supplement backed by $19.3 million in new capital. The Series A round was led by Agustín Coppel, a member of … Continue reading “Rebooted and Refocused, Startup Cool Planet Eyes the Soil Market”

Five Questions For … Seremedi CEO, Ex-Microsoft Executive Kim Bond Evans

Houston—When Kim Bond Evans was 15, her father was dying. One particular piece of advice that he gave her stood out: Focus on what can be done, he advised, not on the naysayers, who may stand in the way. “When the front door closes, go through the back door,” Evans says he told her. “If … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Seremedi CEO, Ex-Microsoft Executive Kim Bond Evans”

Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Wavers, Amgen Courts Payers, Critics Circle PTC

Who knew healthcare could be so complicated? This week, President Trump and the GOP saw first hand, as a feverish rally to get their healthcare bill through the House of Representatives on Thursday stalled before a vote. Elsewhere in Washington DC, drug pricing continued to be a political football. Two well known congressional drug pricing … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Wavers, Amgen Courts Payers, Critics Circle PTC”

Kayak Expands to New Platforms as A.I. Assistants Proliferate

[Corrected, 3/24/17, 2:37 p.m. See below.] As Kayak attempts to build a better virtual travel agent, the tech firm is expanding beyond its core website and mobile app, and establishing a presence on additional types of technology platforms. Since mid-2015, Stamford, CT-based Kayak has made its travel-search service available to consumers on Apple Watch, Slack, … Continue reading “Kayak Expands to New Platforms as A.I. Assistants Proliferate”

VC Blumberg Betting On Automation in Data Security

David Blumberg helped pioneering firewall company Check Point Software Technologies during its early days as a business in the 1990’s, and he has been observing the development of the cybersecurity industry as an investor since that time. His take on data security today, after more than 25 years? “The state of security is abysmal,” Blumberg … Continue reading “VC Blumberg Betting On Automation in Data Security”

As Travel Ban Looms, Remitly Helps Immigrants Send Money, Share Stories

In the face of stepped-up immigration enforcement and ongoing legal battles over the Trump administration’s attempts to ban travelers from several majority Muslim nations, many businesses are taking stronger public positions in support of immigrants. The tech industry, with many immigrants in its ranks, has been among the most vocal, providing both rhetorical and legal … Continue reading “As Travel Ban Looms, Remitly Helps Immigrants Send Money, Share Stories”

Ripcord Raises $9.5M To Digitize Paper Records With Robots

Alex Fielding says he started his records management software company, Ripcord, because he was astonished. It all began when the initial public offering of a friend’s tech company hit a snag over the retrieval of information for the IPO filing from paper records stored and managed by an outside company. “I had heard my whole … Continue reading “Ripcord Raises $9.5M To Digitize Paper Records With Robots”

Today Only: Save $70 for Human Impact of Innovation on April 19th

Xconomy is convening life sciences and technology founders, executives, investors, and entrepreneurs for an afternoon of fireside chats and solo talks at Human Impact of Innovation. A few topics we’ll cover include: quantified health and scientific wellness, fighting cancer, self-driving vehicles, cybersecurity, precision medicine, and so much more. What are the emerging opportunities for investors … Continue reading “Today Only: Save $70 for Human Impact of Innovation on April 19th”

Amid Gender Gap Talk, Mentor Network Emerges For Women In Health, Bio

It’s been more than a year since an infamous party with hired models in cocktail dresses captured the biotech community’s attention at the 2016 J.P. Morgan conference. There has been plenty of talk since about closing biotech’s notable gender gap. At this year’s J.P Morgan conference, for example, a group of 100 life science executives … Continue reading “Amid Gender Gap Talk, Mentor Network Emerges For Women In Health, Bio”

DataRobot Downloads $54M Led by NEA to Automate Data Science Tasks

Jeremy Achin is embarrassed to admit it, but his decision to quit his job and start a company was inspired in part by seeing the movie “The Social Network,” the Hollywood take on Facebook’s origin story. It was several years ago, and the then-31-year-old was a director of research and modeling at Travelers Insurance in … Continue reading “DataRobot Downloads $54M Led by NEA to Automate Data Science Tasks”

Investors Reboot Wisconsin Venture Capital Association

The Wisconsin Venture Capital Association, a nonprofit trade group that was formed in 2002 but has been dormant since 2008, is springing back to life, according to key figures in the state’s venture industry. The revival, first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, was confirmed Wednesday by two Madison-based investors. Scott Button, managing director at Madison, … Continue reading “Investors Reboot Wisconsin Venture Capital Association”

Sanders, Cummings to PTC: Price Duchenne Steroid at Import Cost

[Updated, 5:30 pm E.T., see below] PTC Therapeutics inherited a drug pricing controversy last week when it paid $140 million for deflazacort (Emflaza), a steroid used to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy. So it’s no surprise that just six days after the deal, congressional drug price hawks Bernie Sanders and Elijah Cummings have come calling. Sen. … Continue reading “Sanders, Cummings to PTC: Price Duchenne Steroid at Import Cost”

Detroit Fintech Startup Autobooks Closes $5.5M Series A Round

Autobooks, the Detroit-based startup spun out of Billhighway in 2015, has closed on a $5.5 million Series A funding round. The investment was led by Pittsburgh-based Draper Triangle, with participation from CU Solutions Group, Baird Capital, Detroit Venture Partners, and Invest Michigan. Autobooks’s software is designed to be integrated with online banking platforms to serve … Continue reading “Detroit Fintech Startup Autobooks Closes $5.5M Series A Round”

Texas Roundup: SXSW Odds & Ends, Dosh, Mythic, Peloton, & More

[David Holley contributed to this report.] We’re not through with South By Southwest yet. (And, also, yes, there has been some other innovation news at Xconomy Texas.) Read on: —FBI Director James Comey is part of an intelligence symposium Thursday at the University of Texas at Austin. This engagement comes about a week after Comey … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: SXSW Odds & Ends, Dosh, Mythic, Peloton, & More”

Coffee Meets Bagel Starts Premium Model to Push In-App Currency

Dating app Coffee Meets Bagel is launching a premium service that gives subscribers information about their potential suitors’ activities and makes it easier for them to access and spend the in-app currency that makes the company money. The premium subscription costs $34.99. Coffee Meets Bagel doesn’t charge for its basic services, but it does let … Continue reading “Coffee Meets Bagel Starts Premium Model to Push In-App Currency”

Promising Cash for Consumers, Startup Dosh Plans Break Out of Beta

Austin—A new startup that claims it can get consumers cash back on their purchases—and bring its customers more business in the process—has raised $2 million in new seed funding and is preparing to launch out of beta testing. Called Dosh, the company has raised $6 million in total seed funding but isn’t yet naming its … Continue reading “Promising Cash for Consumers, Startup Dosh Plans Break Out of Beta”

BioClin Gets $30M to Back More Bladder Cancer Drug Trials

BioClin Therapeutics has raised $30 million in funding to move forward with more tests of its experimental treatment for bladder cancer. New investors Sofinnova Ventures and Ysios Capital led the Series B round of financing for San Ramon, CA-based BioClin. Earlier investors HealthCap, Life Sciences Partners, and Tekla Capital Management also participated in the investment. … Continue reading “BioClin Gets $30M to Back More Bladder Cancer Drug Trials”

After a Clinical Trial Death, FDA OKs New Tests of Akashi’s Duchenne Drug

Akashi Therapeutics has been cleared by the FDA to resume testing an experimental Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug roughly a year after a patient taking the treatment died in a clinical trial. Now the question is whether the Cambridge, MA, company can get the funding to support a new study. Akashi plans to start a new … Continue reading “After a Clinical Trial Death, FDA OKs New Tests of Akashi’s Duchenne Drug”

Early Bird Rate Ending for What’s Hot in Cancer Immunotherapy 2017 on 6/14

Three years ago, Xconomy gathered some of the field’s experts to talk about the promises of harnessing the immune system to fight cancer. Now, it’s time to gather again in Seattle to look back at the last three years and look ahead to the future. Join us on June 14 at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer … Continue reading “Early Bird Rate Ending for What’s Hot in Cancer Immunotherapy 2017 on 6/14”

Join David Baltimore, Nicole Glaros, Nathan Myhrvold, & More at Our Napa Summit

Year after year, Xconomy has gathered exemplary business leaders, investors, and far-seeing technologists to our most prestigious event—The Napa Summit. This year is no different. Come join us in the heart of wine country on June 8 and 9 to listen to visionary speakers and connect with fellow innovators. The Napa Summit is by invitation-only, … Continue reading “Join David Baltimore, Nicole Glaros, Nathan Myhrvold, & More at Our Napa Summit”

The Time I Jammed to Foo Fighters With Bullhorn CEO Art Papas

After a frustrating day at work, we’ve all probably felt the urge to blow off steam by belting out our favorite song or banging on the drums. Employees at Bullhorn can do that without leaving the office. The business software company’s downtown Boston headquarters has a sound-proof music room (see above) tricked out with several … Continue reading “The Time I Jammed to Foo Fighters With Bullhorn CEO Art Papas”

Mythic Reveals Novel Chip to Empower Devices With AI, Raises $9M

With ever-smaller smartphones now flaunting the computing powers of yesteryear’s hefty business machines, it might look like Moore’s Law has yet to be repealed. In 1965, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore saw computer chips doubling in processing power every year, and predicted the exponential rise of smaller, cheaper, and faster devices. But Michael Henry, co-founder of … Continue reading “Mythic Reveals Novel Chip to Empower Devices With AI, Raises $9M”

Amid Focus On Value, Forward Health Group’s Software Gets Qualified

With the healthcare industry navigating the transition from fee-for-service payment models to value-based care, startups and mature healthcare IT companies are building tools to enable this massive business change. In many cases, the federal agency driving this transition must certify those tools, ensuring that they hew to new reporting requirements designed to link the quality … Continue reading “Amid Focus On Value, Forward Health Group’s Software Gets Qualified”

Roundup: UIndy, Aprimo, STEM initiatives, IBRI at Notre Dame & More

Here’s a look at tech and innovation news from around Indiana: —The University of Indianapolis today announced the biggest grant in its history, and it’s designed to close STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) workforce gaps. This week, UIndy announced that it will launch the R.B. Annis School of Engineering thanks to a $5 million … Continue reading “Roundup: UIndy, Aprimo, STEM initiatives, IBRI at Notre Dame & More”

Esports Startup Cayke Wins Audience Vote at EvoNexus Demo Day

Cayke, a San Diego startup that has developed video editing software to automate the process of creating GIFs and highlight clips from long-running video game streams, was the top vote-getter of seven startups that presented at the EvoNexus Spring Demo Day. Karan Wadhera, Cayke co-founder and CEO, told several hundred attendees at the event last … Continue reading “Esports Startup Cayke Wins Audience Vote at EvoNexus Demo Day”

SutroVax Lands $64M From Roche, Others to Back Vaccine Studies

Vaccines may be available for pneumococcal infections, but none of them, including the widely used Prevnar 13, can cover all strains. SutroVax is one of the startups trying to solve that problem, and today raised $64 million to test its approach in humans. New investors Frazier Healthcare Partners and Pivotal bioVenture Partners led the Series … Continue reading “SutroVax Lands $64M From Roche, Others to Back Vaccine Studies”

Join Varmus, Foley & More at NY Biotech Seizes the Momentum on May 31

It’s not an understatement to say 2017 is a crucial year for the growth of the life sciences industry in New York. This past year, city and state governments agreed to put $1.15 billion into the sector in the Empire State. It was part of a sprawling plan to bring lab space online, nurture local … Continue reading “Join Varmus, Foley & More at NY Biotech Seizes the Momentum on May 31”

Grab Your Ticket for Robo Madness 2017— A.I. Gets Real on March 28th

There’s no doubt robotics and artificial intelligence will become an even bigger part of our daily lives in the next few years. In one week, Xconomy is bringing together Boston’s top entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators to discuss future opportunities in these industries. Join us next Tuesday, March 28, at Google in Cambridge, MA, to take … Continue reading “Grab Your Ticket for Robo Madness 2017— A.I. Gets Real on March 28th”

Murata Pays $68M for Arctic Sand, to Combine with Peregrine Semi

Japan’s Murata Manufacturing has acquired Arctic Sand Technologies of Burlington, MA, and plans to combine Arctic Sand’s low-power semiconductor technology with its San Diego-based subsidiary, Peregrine Semiconductor. The purchase price was $68 million, according to a Peregrine spokeswoman. Arctic Sand, an MIT spinout founded in 2010, has developed semiconductor technology that consolidates a number of … Continue reading “Murata Pays $68M for Arctic Sand, to Combine with Peregrine Semi”

Why Austin Tech Entrepreneur Joseph Kopser Might Run For Congress

Austin—Republicans have controlled Texas politics for so long that “we no longer have the good competition of ideas,” says Austin entrepreneur Joseph Kopser. That’s why he says he’s considering becoming a Democratic challenger to incumbent Texas Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, in the 2018 elections. Kopser, who founded and sold his startup, RideScout, to Mercedes-Benz maker … Continue reading “Why Austin Tech Entrepreneur Joseph Kopser Might Run For Congress”

Tech Exec Ahmed Rubaie on Trump’s Travel Ban and Silicon Valley

In late January, when President Donald Trump’s first executive order banning all refugees and travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries was announced, Ahmed Rubaie’s mother-in-law was out of the country visiting Jordan. Although his mother-in-law is a green card holder, and Jordan wasn’t included in the ban, Rubaie’s wife was beside herself. She began making frantic … Continue reading “Tech Exec Ahmed Rubaie on Trump’s Travel Ban and Silicon Valley”

Boston Tech Watch: DraftKings, Nantero, WordStream, Tinyhood & More

[Updated 3/20/17, 5:45 p.m. See below.] If you’re sick of staring at the sea of red in your March Madness bracket, take a break with the latest headlines in Boston-area tech. This week, we’ve got a lot of funding news—including an update on the recent mega-round from DraftKings—plus a few other notable tidbits. Read on … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: DraftKings, Nantero, WordStream, Tinyhood & More”

Waving White Flag, Cerulean Merges With Dare Bio, Sells Cancer Drugs

Cerulean Pharma may have been able to survive one brush with death, but the second has proven fatal. Today, the Waltham, MA, company announced plans to merge with a privately held women’s health company, Dare Bioscience, and sell off, for a pittance, the cancer drugs that were once its prized assets. Under the terms of … Continue reading “Waving White Flag, Cerulean Merges With Dare Bio, Sells Cancer Drugs”

No Pain, No High: Nektar’s Opioid Drug Hits Trial Goals, Lifts Shares

An experimental opioid drug from Nektar Therapeutics now has clinical trial results showing that it can relieve pain without causing a high. The news may offer a potential alternative to the addictive qualities of prescription painkillers that are fueling a nationwide opioid epidemic. Nektar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NKTR]]) released the Phase 3 clinical trial results today and … Continue reading “No Pain, No High: Nektar’s Opioid Drug Hits Trial Goals, Lifts Shares”

Aetion’s Medical Evidence Software Scores $11M in Funding

As healthcare payment models change in ways that link the reimbursement of care to patient outcome, clinicians, drug companies, and medical device makers are all looking for ways to quantify those outcomes. Health IT startup Aetion has developed software that it says can provide this insight, and the company now has $11 million in capital … Continue reading “Aetion’s Medical Evidence Software Scores $11M in Funding”

First Trial Underway, CytomX Gets $200M More In Expanded Bristol Pact

It’s tough to stand out in the cancer immunotherapy crowd, where a slew of companies are testing a variety of drug combinations and new methods to help boost responses to existing treatments. But CytomX Therapeutics has clearly gotten the attention of one of the field’s major players, Bristol-Myers Squibb, which has just re-upped and expanded … Continue reading “First Trial Underway, CytomX Gets $200M More In Expanded Bristol Pact”