Part of the difficulty in attracting a diverse set of people to technology jobs is a chicken-and-egg problem. Women and under-represented minorities don’t often see themselves in those positions, which makes it less likely they would pursue them. Sometimes examples exist in plain sight, but we don’t realize the importance of them until later. That … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Hidden Figures” and the Brains Behind Space Flight”
Category: National
Cancer Diagnostic Startup Capio Moves to Wisconsin, Raises $2.9M
In certain patients who are being treated for cancer, it’s possible for cells to detach from the tumors inside their bodies and begin moving through the bloodstream. These circulating tumor cells, or CTCs, can help oncologists and other clinicians determine how a disease is progressing, and how effective treatments given to that patient have been. … Continue reading “Cancer Diagnostic Startup Capio Moves to Wisconsin, Raises $2.9M”
Bike-Sharing Firm Zagster Zooms Ahead With $10M Led by Edison
Bicycle-sharing startup Zagster has the wind at its back, thanks to a $10 million investment announced Thursday. Edison Partners led the Series B round of funding for Cambridge, MA-based Zagster. The company has now raised about $20 million total to date from investors, according to a spokesman. Zagster’s other backers include LaunchCapital, Fontinalis Partners, Clean … Continue reading “Bike-Sharing Firm Zagster Zooms Ahead With $10M Led by Edison”
Jet.com Grabs ShoeBuy for $70M as Walmart Expands E-Commerce Arsenal
Walmart is snapping up another company to build out its online shopping offerings, as the low-cost retail giant adapts to shifting consumer habits and duels with Amazon. Walmart (NYSE: [[ticker:WMT]]) and its prized e-commerce subsidiary Jet.com have acquired Boston-based ShoeBuy for about $70 million from IAC. The deal was announced Thursday, but closed on December … Continue reading “Jet.com Grabs ShoeBuy for $70M as Walmart Expands E-Commerce Arsenal”
Frequency, Led by MIT’s Langer, Aims to Fight Hearing Loss With Drugs
Concerts, power tools, screeching subway trains—they are among the many loud noises that can cause hearing loss by killing off the hair cells in our inner ear that pick up sounds. A new Cambridge, MA-based biotech, founded by famed MIT researcher Bob Langer and Harvard Medical School’s Jeff Karp, believes it has drugs that can … Continue reading “Frequency, Led by MIT’s Langer, Aims to Fight Hearing Loss With Drugs”
PvP Biologics Raises $35M in a Lab-to-Pharma Deal with Takeda
[Corrected 1/5/17, 8:07 am to show company was spun out of UW two months ago.] A San Diego-based startup spun out from the University of Washington just two months ago is today announcing a $35 million deal with Takeda, Japan’s biggest pharmaceutical. PvP Biologics was founded to advance KumaMax, a synthetic enzyme (depicted in the … Continue reading “PvP Biologics Raises $35M in a Lab-to-Pharma Deal with Takeda”
Diversity in Experiences, Backgrounds Leads to Successful Businesses
As a Microsoft employee, I had the opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant minds in technology. The profile of my team members were similar to the United Nations. They were of every racial and religious mix. They contributed their unique genius shaped by their individual diverse experiences. I know the value of … Continue reading “Diversity in Experiences, Backgrounds Leads to Successful Businesses”
Neon Therapeutics Hauls in $70M for Personalized Cancer Vaccines
One of the challenges of enlisting the body’s immune system to fight cancer is the constant mutation of the disease. If the body’s immune cells don’t recognize the cancer, they can’t target tumors effectively. Neon Therapeutics believes it has developed a way to make cancer vaccines that recognize and respond to these tumor changes. Now … Continue reading “Neon Therapeutics Hauls in $70M for Personalized Cancer Vaccines”
Amazon’s Alexa Echoes Across Tech and Beyond
For the second CES in a row, Amazon’s Alexa is grabbing headlines as the tech world’s annual Las Vegas bacchanalia gets rolling. Alexa is fast becoming the cloud-based, voice-activated personal assistant and remote control for everything from your television to your home security to your washing machine. But some analysts see it as something more: an operating … Continue reading “Amazon’s Alexa Echoes Across Tech and Beyond”
HLI Adds Cynthia Collins as CEO, Venter Moves to Executive Chairman
Human genome pioneer J. Craig Venter, who disclosed last month he’s being treated for prostate cancer, is moving into a new role as executive chairman at Human Longevity (HLI), the San Diego genomics startup he co-founded in 2013. Cynthia Collins, who previously led GE Healthcare’s cell therapy and purification and analysis businesses, is replacing Venter … Continue reading “HLI Adds Cynthia Collins as CEO, Venter Moves to Executive Chairman”
OPS Solutions Uses Augmented Reality to Boost Manufacturing Process
As the development of robots and other autonomous technologies continues to gather steam, you’ll be hearing a lot more about augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. In Rust Belt regions like Southeast Michigan, we’re beginning to see these nascent innovations intersect with the manufacturing sector, and the result is promising industrial tech. OPS Solutions, … Continue reading “OPS Solutions Uses Augmented Reality to Boost Manufacturing Process”
Finally Gets $15M Jolt For New Take on Nikola Tesla Lightbulb Tech
Entrepreneurs are still trying to perfect the lightbulb, 138 years after Thomas Edison patented the incandescent lamp. One of the latest efforts comes from The Finally Light Bulb Company, a Boston-area startup commercializing an energy-efficient bulb partly based on technologies first developed by Edison’s rival, Nikola Tesla. And investors like the idea: Finally announced a … Continue reading “Finally Gets $15M Jolt For New Take on Nikola Tesla Lightbulb Tech”
Infinity Pharma R&D Chief Adams Retires Amid Restructuring, Job Cuts
Julian Adams, renowned for inventing bortezomib (Velcade), a drug that revolutionized multiple myeloma treatment years ago, is retiring from his role as president of research and development at Cambridge, MA-based Infinity Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INFI]]). Adams (pictured above, right) has worked at Infinity since 2003 and will step down this week amid a sweeping restructuring at … Continue reading “Infinity Pharma R&D Chief Adams Retires Amid Restructuring, Job Cuts”
Trump Administration Needs To Set U.S. Cybersecurity Mandates
Cybersecurity is the penultimate existential risk to the United States—economically, militarily, socially, and as we have seen recently, politically. The nature of cyber is asymmetric, and given the size of the U.S. economy, our reliance on intellectual property, and the leadership role the U.S. plays in the Community of Nations, we have a lot more … Continue reading “Trump Administration Needs To Set U.S. Cybersecurity Mandates”
Digitalis Launches $100M Health Fund, With Emphasis On Data
Information technology has wound itself so deeply into healthcare, this might be the year that the term “digital health”—used roughly to distinguish health-related hardware and software from drugs and medical devices—becomes quaint. One example of the ever-blurrier lines between health and technology is a new venture fund, Digitalis Ventures. The firm has already made three … Continue reading “Digitalis Launches $100M Health Fund, With Emphasis On Data”
RaNA Expands, Joins Messenger RNA Drug Race With Shire Deal
RaNA Therapeutics is branching out. Today, the Cambridge, MA, startup is acquiring some assets from pharmaceutical giant Shire that immediately make it a player in an emerging, yet unproven field of drugmaking—messenger RNA therapeutics. Cambridge, MA-based RaNA has acquired a small, recently shuttered unit of Shire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SHPG]]) devoted to making drugs with synthetic mRNA. … Continue reading “RaNA Expands, Joins Messenger RNA Drug Race With Shire Deal”
For 2017, Concerns on Immigration, Net Neutrality, & Cyber Warfare
I have many concerns about how the upcoming Trump administration will impact the overall tech economy. Some of my biggest worries are as follows: 1) More restrictive immigration laws will make it even harder for startups (as well as more established companies) to attract and retain the highly skilled workers that they need to be … Continue reading “For 2017, Concerns on Immigration, Net Neutrality, & Cyber Warfare”
Boston Tech Agenda 2017: 5 Things to Watch For This Year
For Boston’s technology scene, 2016 was the year of GE, a new crop of local venture funds, ambitious initiatives to spark startups, another failed attempt to reform Massachusetts noncompete rules, a few billion-dollar-plus deals, and a pair of IPOs. On a personal note, 2016 marked my first full year covering Boston tech for Xconomy. It … Continue reading “Boston Tech Agenda 2017: 5 Things to Watch For This Year”
Beyond Success: Failure’s Importance in Building Viable Startups
Houston—Entrepreneurs are a mobile bunch, quickly moving from one startup to another as opportunities play themselves out and others emerge. So in speaking to Houston entrepreneur Rakshak Talwar, I was struck by his answer to my question about what he’s doing with a new artificial intelligence startup he’s joined. “I can show them what not … Continue reading “Beyond Success: Failure’s Importance in Building Viable Startups”
ParqEx Raises $1.2M to Connect Private Parking Owners, Seekers
[Updated 1/4/17, 10:42 am. See below.] ParqEx, a Chicago-based company with several Wisconsin ties whose technology allows users to find or rent out private parking spots, has raised $1.2 million from investors, according to multiple media reports. Two Madison, WI-based venture capital groups, Venture Management and Wisconsin Investment Partners, were among the participants in the seed financing … Continue reading “ParqEx Raises $1.2M to Connect Private Parking Owners, Seekers”
Versant Closes on $400M Fund, Eyes More Biotech Deals in Europe
Versant Ventures now has $400 million in its coffers to fuel its pursuit of early-stage healthcare technologies and startups, and it has a particular goal of expanding its investment approach in Europe. With the closing of its sixth fund announced Tuesday, San Francisco-based Versant now aims to invest in as many as 25 companies in … Continue reading “Versant Closes on $400M Fund, Eyes More Biotech Deals in Europe”
Spensa’s Cloud-Based Technology Helps Farmers Automate Pest Control
Although agriculture is an ancient endeavor requiring little more than seeds, sunlight, and water, new technologies are helping commercial growers to be more efficient and prolific than ever. Spensa Technologies, a Purdue University spinout startup, is aiming to change the way pests are managed with an automated, connected device called Z-Trap 1. Commercially available for … Continue reading “Spensa’s Cloud-Based Technology Helps Farmers Automate Pest Control”
Subscription-Based Startups Size Up Amazon, Brick-And-Mortar Stores
Amazon said it shipped more than one billion items worldwide this holiday season, marking another record-setting year for the Seattle-based online retailer. Sales figures tell part of the story, while Amazon’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) steadily expanding geographic footprint tells another. The upshot is that for a new company looking to break into e-commerce, Amazon is likely … Continue reading “Subscription-Based Startups Size Up Amazon, Brick-And-Mortar Stores”
Top Cybersecurity Lesson from 2016: Unchecked Insiders
An unmistakable lesson from 2016 is that there is an escalating arms race between hackers and the organizations they target—from the highest levels of national governments to corporations and private institutions. And while hackers have many advantages, there are two that are contributing to a rampant spike in cyber breaches right now: 1. Employees, contractors, … Continue reading “Top Cybersecurity Lesson from 2016: Unchecked Insiders”
Inotek’s Glaucoma Drug Flunks in First Phase 3 Test, Shares Crumble
Inotek Pharmaceuticals has started 2017 with a big setback. The company’s first big Phase 3 test of an experimental glaucoma drug fell far short this morning, leaving the fate of the drug, known as trabodenoson, unclear. Lexington, MA-based Inotek (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ITEK]]) said that trabodenoson failed MATrX-1, the first of three Phase 3 trials in glaucoma … Continue reading “Inotek’s Glaucoma Drug Flunks in First Phase 3 Test, Shares Crumble”
Diverse Workforces Support the Growth of North Texas Innovation
We have made it a priority since the inception of the DEC to incorporate diversity into all that we do. We have hired a diverse workforce. We have created programs focused on diverse audiences including gender, age, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, and more. We have made all of this a priority not only because it … Continue reading “Diverse Workforces Support the Growth of North Texas Innovation”
First Trial Underway, Jounce Preps IPO To Fund Immuno-Oncology Work
Even though Jounce Therapeutics has no human clinical data to report yet, a partnership with Celgene and support from a broad group of investors have made the Cambridge, MA, cancer drug developer a likely IPO candidate for some time now. Jounce made those intentions clear Friday, filing papers to try for an IPO that would … Continue reading “First Trial Underway, Jounce Preps IPO To Fund Immuno-Oncology Work”
Trump Administration Should Examine How Dodd-Frank Stifles Capital
A review by the new Trump administration and Congress of the 2010 Dodd-Frank legislation could address many of the stifling, unintended consequences of that law. Although designed to address abuses in the financial system that led to the 2008 recession, the far-reaching legislation had problems from the start. And while experts of all political stripes … Continue reading “Trump Administration Should Examine How Dodd-Frank Stifles Capital”
Watching for NIH Innovation in 2017—and Drug Pricing, Trade Deals
With the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on January 20th, the editors asked some of our Xconomists to offer their thoughts on “How could the incoming administration significantly affect your industry?” When I worked in the Reagan Administration, the “Gipper” used to handle questions like this by saying he couldn’t respond to hypothetical questions. … Continue reading “Watching for NIH Innovation in 2017—and Drug Pricing, Trade Deals”
Titan Spine, Alfred, IoT, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
The year 2016 will soon be in the rear-view mirror. Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community, and take a look ahead to 2017, with these recent headlines: —The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profiled Titan Spine, a Mequon-based company that makes titanium cages of various shapes and sizes designed for spinal surgeons to use when … Continue reading “Titan Spine, Alfred, IoT, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Varmus, Sato on Steering De Blasio’s $500M Plan to Grow NY Biotech
The idea that New York City could become a biotech powerhouse dates back to the late 1990s. It’s been a slow, tedious process, and it’s nowhere near complete, but from near and far, Harold Varmus and Vicki Sato have been watching the gears begin to turn. Varmus, who earned a Nobel prize for his work … Continue reading “Varmus, Sato on Steering De Blasio’s $500M Plan to Grow NY Biotech”
Top of Texas 2016: Big Exits, Ride-Sharing Leaves Austin, & More
As 2016 comes to an end, let’s take a look at some of the more notable stories from Xconomy Texas over the past year. What follows is my highly subjective list of news that we covered in 2016. Notable exits and fundraises: —San Antonio cloud computing company Rackspace was bought by New York private equity … Continue reading “Top of Texas 2016: Big Exits, Ride-Sharing Leaves Austin, & More”
Xconomy Seattle Year in Review: Top Stories of 2016
Ready for a new year? We are, too. But first, we’re taking a look back at some of the stories we covered at Xconomy Seattle in 2016. IPO Drought Ends The Seattle area saw two tech companies go public this year, Impinj and Apptio. Biopharma company PhaseRx also went public in 2016. The previous year … Continue reading “Xconomy Seattle Year in Review: Top Stories of 2016”
‘Creepy Bird’ Anyone? Meet San Antonio’s Retro Video Game Developer
San Antonio—Video games are big business, and highly dynamic. From the Xbox to virtual reality, how players play has changed quite a bit since the Atari and the NES brought home gaming to the masses. One San Antonio video game developer is riding a wave of renewed interest in older gaming systems, starting a business … Continue reading “‘Creepy Bird’ Anyone? Meet San Antonio’s Retro Video Game Developer”
SD Venture Group Opens Bay Area Office as Part of “Cheeky” Campaign
The San Diego Venture Group has established a beachhead in San Francisco, and it’s opening for business Tuesday. After years of trying to persuade Silicon Valley venture capital firms to establish more of a presence in San Diego, or to at least hear more startup pitches here, the venture group has decided to open an … Continue reading “SD Venture Group Opens Bay Area Office as Part of “Cheeky” Campaign”
Despite Political Rhetoric, Staff Diversity Remains a Top Priority
I don’t think the election of Donald Trump as president does much to bolster those in tech working on creating a more inclusive and diverse industry, but I will continue to be a champion for it nonetheless. Specifically, I’ve ended 2016 by doubling our team at Localeur and introducing an Advisory Board, both of which … Continue reading “Despite Political Rhetoric, Staff Diversity Remains a Top Priority”
2016’s Last Boston Tech Watch: Akamai, Neurable, Facebook, GM & More
[Updated 12/30/16, 2:30 pm. See below.] As we wave goodbye to 2016, let’s take a look at some of the year’s final moves in the Boston-area tech scene: —Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]) acquired Cyberfend in a small cash deal. The price wasn’t disclosed, but Akamai said it’s not material to its financials. Based in Santa … Continue reading “2016’s Last Boston Tech Watch: Akamai, Neurable, Facebook, GM & More”
Xemex Raises $250K For Adhesive-Mixing Nozzle
Xemex Static Mixer, a Madison, WI-based startup that’s developing a nozzle for mixing two-part adhesives, raised $250,000 in equity financing from a single investor, according to a federal securities filing. Potential users of the disposable device, which contains no moving parts, include groups in the construction industry and manufacturers that sell to medical and dental care … Continue reading “Xemex Raises $250K For Adhesive-Mixing Nozzle”
Gates Foundation Sends $140M to Intarcia for HIV Version of Pump
Intarcia Therapeutics, a Boston biotech that’s developing a tiny, implantable drug-delivery pump for type 2 diabetes, is now broadening its focus to HIV backed by as much as $140 million in grant and equity funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. About $90 million of the money is non-dilutive and is being used to … Continue reading “Gates Foundation Sends $140M to Intarcia for HIV Version of Pump”
In Search of a State-of-the-Art Transcription App
Since reporting on the world’s most capable machine transcription system earlier this year, I’ve been pining for one that would help me with the tedious work of transcribing recorded journalistic interviews. Not long after I wrote about Microsoft’s speech transcription milestone—researchers at the company built a system that matches the human error rate in transcribing spontaneous … Continue reading “In Search of a State-of-the-Art Transcription App”
Military Families, Seniors in MA and IN to Test Major Healthcare Reform
Seniors in Massachusetts, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, as well as military families across the nation, will soon get the opportunity to test a major healthcare reform developed by faculty at the University of Michigan. Called Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID), the new approach to insurance coverage departs from the current “one-size-fits-all” system, in which people pay standard … Continue reading “Military Families, Seniors in MA and IN to Test Major Healthcare Reform”
Cellular Dynamics Plans to Relocate, Build New Manufacturing Center
Cellular Dynamics International intends to construct a new, 100,000-square-foot headquarters in Verona, WI, and move its operations there, according to a company proposal posted on the city’s website. Verona is a suburb of Madison, WI, where the company, known as CDI, is currently based. The facility would be both a research and cell-manufacturing center, and … Continue reading “Cellular Dynamics Plans to Relocate, Build New Manufacturing Center”
FDA Rejects Cempra Antibiotic, Asks for Another Clinical Trial
[Updated 12/29/16, 2:50 pm. See below.] The FDA has rejected a Cempra antibiotic drug for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia citing the same safety issues that came to light when an independent advisory panel to the regulator evaluated the drug in November. Chapel Hill, NC-based Cempra (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CEMP]]) said Thursday that the FDA’s rejection letter stated the … Continue reading “FDA Rejects Cempra Antibiotic, Asks for Another Clinical Trial”
Political Focus on Rust Belt Could Help Boost VC Investment
Much has been written in the tech industry as a result of the Presidential election. Many coastal VCs and entrepreneurs believe that Trump’s America-first, anti-immigration platform could put the brakes on the venture industry’s core globalization strategies. While this may be true, regardless of which candidate you supported, most would agree that with chaos and … Continue reading “Political Focus on Rust Belt Could Help Boost VC Investment”
Karamba Aims to Prevent Autonomous Car Hacks Before They Happen
Not so many years ago, self-driving cars seemed like little more than science fiction—a cool idea, but too difficult to translate into practical, everyday use. But as autonomous vehicles come closer to becoming a reality, the question is not if, it’s when. However, there are still a few major challenges to overcome before driverless cars … Continue reading “Karamba Aims to Prevent Autonomous Car Hacks Before They Happen”
Artificial Intelligence Startup Neurala Lands $13.7M in Funding
Neurala, the Boston artificial intelligence startup aimed at helping machines like robots learn and interact with the world, has raised about $13.7 million in a new round of funding, according to a regulatory filing. The filing didn’t specify who the investors in the new round are, though the company has previously received about $2 million, including … Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence Startup Neurala Lands $13.7M in Funding”
Biogen Sets $750,000 Initial Price For First-Ever Spinal Atrophy Drug
[Updated, 12/29/16, see below] Patients with spinal muscular atrophy got some good news last week when the FDA approved nusinersen (Spinraza), making it the first marketed drug ever for the rare and potentially deadly genetic disease. But as expected, the drug, from Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, is a costly one, priced at the high end … Continue reading “Biogen Sets $750,000 Initial Price For First-Ever Spinal Atrophy Drug”
Anthera’s Shares Tumble After Cystic Fibrosis Drug Fails in Phase 3
Anthera Pharmaceuticals had been hoping to offer patients with cystic fibrosis a new option to help with some of the severe stomach problems they can face as part of their disease. But its experimental drug fell short in late-stage testing, sending shares of the Hayward, CA, company hurtling downward. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease … Continue reading “Anthera’s Shares Tumble After Cystic Fibrosis Drug Fails in Phase 3”
6 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2017: Ransomware, Skills Gap & More
In 2016, we saw cyber attacks increasingly shift from external breaches of confidential data to internal disruption of data and services, as attackers used distributed denial of service (DDoS) or encryption to hold businesses hostage. Attackers continue to focus more on exploiting users than technology. Users are often unaware and uneducated about the potential risks, … Continue reading “6 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2017: Ransomware, Skills Gap & More”
Diabetes Study, Hiring News, Growth Mileposts, & More Local Tech News
Here’s a look at innovation news from around the state: —The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) last week announced a new partnership with Eli Lilly, Roche Diagnostics, the Regenstrief Institute, and Indiana University’s School of Medicine aiming to better understand how type 2 diabetes varies in different patients—which is the first step in finding new targets … Continue reading “Diabetes Study, Hiring News, Growth Mileposts, & More Local Tech News”