Five years is a long time. But in New York biotech it might as well be a century given how fast things are changing. Back in 2011, Xconomy held an event called New York Life Sciences 2031. In light of a major initiative by city, university, and industry leaders to spur the local life sciences … Continue reading “At NY Life Sci 2021, Yancopoulos, Dunn & More to Ponder NYC’s Bio Future”
Category: National
The Power of the Cloud for Life Science R&D
“In the new world, it is not the big fish which eats the small fish, it’s the fast fish which eats the slow fish…” — Klaus Schwab, Founder/Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum Over the past decade, the nature of innovation has changed—even as the pace has substantially increased. One of the reasons has been the ability … Continue reading “The Power of the Cloud for Life Science R&D”
Urban Entrepreneurship Event Looks at How Startups Can Revitalize Flint
The Urban Entrepreneurship Initiative’s (UEI) annual symposium kicks off today and brings together startup founders, academia, community organizers, government officials, and other interested parties to discuss how entrepreneurial solutions can improve economic opportunities and quality of life for city dwellers. Now in its third year, the event is being held in Flint for the first … Continue reading “Urban Entrepreneurship Event Looks at How Startups Can Revitalize Flint”
CRISPR Therapeutics Raises $56M In IPO, Half Its Rivals’ Haul
CRISPR Therapeutics has raised $56 million in an initial public offering, making it the third company developing human medicines with the gene editing system CRISPR-Cas9 to make the IPO leap in 2016. Split between Switzerland and Cambridge, MA, CRISPR Therapeutics sold 4 million shares at $14 apiece, raising about 25 percent less than the target … Continue reading “CRISPR Therapeutics Raises $56M In IPO, Half Its Rivals’ Haul”
New Company RPRD Seeking to Test DNA, Anticipate Reactions to Drugs
A faculty member at the Medical College of Wisconsin has spun out a new company, RPRD Diagnostics, which says it will help examine genetic profiles of its customers’ patients to determine how they are likely to react to particular drugs. Milwaukee-based RPRD, which stands for “Right Patient Right Drug,” was publicly unveiled on Monday. Founder … Continue reading “New Company RPRD Seeking to Test DNA, Anticipate Reactions to Drugs”
Led by iRobot, Mass. Robotics Cluster Growing, But Sales Still Small
When it comes to robotics companies in the Boston area, there’s iRobot—and then there’s everyone else. A new study found that there are 122 robotics firms in Massachusetts, which employ around 4,700 people in total. Last year, those companies generated $1.6 billion in revenue from robotics products and related services, according to the report. (Some … Continue reading “Led by iRobot, Mass. Robotics Cluster Growing, But Sales Still Small”
Eli Lilly Commits $15M More to Seattle Institute’s TB Drug Search
Eli Lilly unveiled plans today to expand its work treating disease in the developing world, pledging $90 million to improve access to healthcare for 30 million people worldwide by 2030. Nestled in Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) plan is $15 million earmarked for the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle. Though that sum is a … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Commits $15M More to Seattle Institute’s TB Drug Search”
J&J Opens Medical Device Center, Forms Partnerships With Hospitals
Houston—Johnson & Johnson Innovation is expanding at the Texas Medical Center with a newly open Center for Device Innovation being led by one of Houston’s most prominent surgeon-inventors. William “Billy” Cohn, a cardiac surgeon and serial medical device entrepreneur, is the center’s first director. He had been at Baylor College of Medicine and the Texas … Continue reading “J&J Opens Medical Device Center, Forms Partnerships With Hospitals”
Grab the Super Saver Rate for State of the Biotech Union on 12/6
Leaders from the life science and healthcare industries are coming together for this special event on December 6 at the Amgen Campus in South San Francisco, CA. Join us for a for a post-election exploration of the biggest health and biotechnology issues across the land. Check out our confirmed speakers—and keep an eye out for … Continue reading “Grab the Super Saver Rate for State of the Biotech Union on 12/6”
After “Hubris” and Its HCV Collapse, Can Vertex Avoid Same Mistakes?
Five years ago, in November 2011, a company from Princeton, NJ, called Pharmasset shared news that would have an impact on millions of people around the world with hepatitis C. Its experimental drug PSI-7977 had quickly cleared the virus from 40 patients, with minimal side effects, and they had stayed infection-free. If the data held … Continue reading “After “Hubris” and Its HCV Collapse, Can Vertex Avoid Same Mistakes?”
The Inevitability and Necessity of the New York Tech Community
Curiosity and opportunity led me to cover the New York startup scene for Xconomy, first as a correspondent and then for the past three and a half years as the local editor. Much like the companies I watched grow, evolve, and exit, I will be moving on. New York is a city of change—an ongoing … Continue reading “The Inevitability and Necessity of the New York Tech Community”
Veritas Genetics Lands $30M for $1,000 Genome Sequencing
Veritas Genetics, which sells genome sequencing and genetic screening tests, has received a $30 million Series B round of funding to add more products, build out its digital tools for consumers, and ink partnerships with hospitals and researchers around the world. The Boston-based company simultaneously hired three new executives to handle each of those endeavors: … Continue reading “Veritas Genetics Lands $30M for $1,000 Genome Sequencing”
GREE Is Good: How PerBlue Sold Its DragonSoul to Japanese Firm
Earlier this month, PerBlue, a Madison, WI-based developer of games that can be downloaded and played on mobile devices, said that it had sold the rights to one of its games, DragonSoul, for an undisclosed sum. The buyer, San Francisco-based GREE International Entertainment (GIE), is part of GREE, a Japan-based company listed on the Tokyo … Continue reading “GREE Is Good: How PerBlue Sold Its DragonSoul to Japanese Firm”
Chinese Firm Invests $27M in U-M’s Autonomous Tech Research
The Chinese investment firm Frontt Capital Management has invested $27 million to advance autonomous vehicle and robotics research at the University of Michigan, the school said in a press release. Mark Schlissel and S. Jack Hu, the university’s president and vice president for research, respectively, signed a memorandum of understanding with Shenzhen-based Frontt. The firm concentrates on developing China’s intelligent vehicle industry, … Continue reading “Chinese Firm Invests $27M in U-M’s Autonomous Tech Research”
$4M Grant Aims to Boost Minority Representation in Informatics
A new $4 million grant National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to the School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Ivy Tech Community College seeks to introduce the state’s economically disadvantaged and underrepresented minority students to informatics, a computer science field that involves information processing and the engineering of information systems. … Continue reading “$4M Grant Aims to Boost Minority Representation in Informatics”
Last Chance to Save on Boston’s Life Science Disruptors on 10/20
This Thursday, Oct. 20, join Xconomy at “Boston’s Life Science Disruptors” for an evening of candid and interactive chats about some of the most disruptive areas in the life sciences industry. Don’t wait to register—our Fall Special ends tomorrow and it’s your last chance to save some cash on a ticket. As always, we’ve convened … Continue reading “Last Chance to Save on Boston’s Life Science Disruptors on 10/20”
Early Data for Celgene’s Oral Crohn’s Drug Gets Mixed Reaction
Celgene late Sunday provided more details on one of the more important drugs in its pipeline, a pill the Summit, NJ, company is developing for inflammatory bowel disease. Analysts on Wall Street are mixed on the clinical results. The data, which Celgene is presenting at United European Gastroenterology Week in Vienna, Austria, are an early … Continue reading “Early Data for Celgene’s Oral Crohn’s Drug Gets Mixed Reaction”
Weeks After Deal, FDA Slaps Clinical Hold on Regeneron/Teva Pain Drug
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has seen its share of ups and downs over the years developing a drug for chronic pain that could represent an alternative to addictive opioids. And another roadblock just emerged this morning. Regeneron (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]) and partner Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: [[ticker:TEVA]]) said this morning that safety issues have prompted the FDA to … Continue reading “Weeks After Deal, FDA Slaps Clinical Hold on Regeneron/Teva Pain Drug”
AT&T’s Houston Foundry Chief Morris Talks Connecting Healthcare to Technology
Houston—Nadia Morris, the head of innovation for AT&T’s Connected Health Foundry at the Texas Medical Center, calls herself a “constant tinkerer.” That penchant came in handy recently when her father-in-law had a few falls and was subsequently diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. “I cobbled together some very basic devices that they can use, built up … Continue reading “AT&T’s Houston Foundry Chief Morris Talks Connecting Healthcare to Technology”
Ex-Celgene Dealmaker Tom Daniel Charts a New Course Advising Biotechs
For close to a decade, Tom Daniel and George Golumbeski comprised perhaps one of the best-known dealmaking duos in biopharma, striking a slew of alliances that established Summit, NJ-based Celgene as one of the more creative, nimble biotech partners in the business. “We think alike,” Daniel says. “We can pretty much finish each other’s sentences.” … Continue reading “Ex-Celgene Dealmaker Tom Daniel Charts a New Course Advising Biotechs”
With $30M Infusion, Certona Aims for Bigger Share of Digital Retail
After raising $30 million, San Diego-based Certona said it is moving to accelerate its product development, expand its sales and marketing team, and improve its client services as an e-commerce technology vendor. If online retailing is one of the most tumultuous and fast-changing corners of the Internet, the growth of marketing technologies that retailers use … Continue reading “With $30M Infusion, Certona Aims for Bigger Share of Digital Retail”
Seattle Week in Review: Read It While You Still Can
A hard rain’s a gonna fall, and the wind begins to howl. Quick, before Typhoon Songda goes through bombogenesis and knocks out the power, catch up on this week’s leaf-clogged, overflowing storm drain of Seattle-area tech news: —PitchBook, the Seattle-based venture capital data provider, will become a unit of investment research firm Morningstar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MORN]]) … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Read It While You Still Can”
San Antonio Software Event Combines Pizza, Learning, and Networking
San Antonio—For anyone considering learning how to write code for software, it can feel as intimidating as diving into a foreign language. That’s partly why David Daeschler, a San Antonio entrepreneur, started an event series called Dinner and Code. He wanted to offer free lessons to people who were interested in learning computer programming, but … Continue reading “San Antonio Software Event Combines Pizza, Learning, and Networking”
Xenex CEO Miller Starts Tectonic Ventures With Boston Investor
San Antonio—Texas entrepreneur Morris Miller has created a new venture capital firm, Tectonic Ventures, with a Boston-based financier who has invested in at least two of Miller’s companies. Newton, MA-based Tectonic was incorporated in 2016 of this year by Matthew Rhodes-Kropf, an associate professor of finance at MIT and venture capital investor, according to an SEC … Continue reading “Xenex CEO Miller Starts Tectonic Ventures With Boston Investor”
NEI Reports Find Detroit’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem is Growing
Last month, the New Economy Initiative (NEI), one of the nation’s largest philanthropic partnerships focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, unveiled the results of two reports it commissioned to measure the organization’s impact, and the data confirms that Detroit’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is growing. According to research done by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment … Continue reading “NEI Reports Find Detroit’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem is Growing”
As China Invests in Robotics, iRobot and Other Companies Eye Deals
China emerged as a manufacturing powerhouse over the past few decades, thanks in large part to a deep pool of cheap labor. Now, the country is investing heavily in factory automation, and Boston-area robotics companies and their allies smell opportunity. Executives from 11 New England robotics firms will travel to several cities in China later … Continue reading “As China Invests in Robotics, iRobot and Other Companies Eye Deals”
Bio Roundup: Bristol & Illumina Blues, Sickle Cell News & More
On Aug. 4, shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb closed at $75.32. Today, shares are worth just over $50. That means in three months, Bristol has lost a third of its value, equivalent to about $40 billion in market capitalization. The reason? One failed clinical trial has left rival Merck in the lead position to have what … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Bristol & Illumina Blues, Sickle Cell News & More”
Disruptors: Boosting Houston’s Healthcare Innovation Ecosystem
Houston—When we first opened Xconomy’s Texas bureau in May 2013, the consistent message I received from those in the biotech community was: Houston has so much potential. The city, home to the Texas Medical Center, had a solid healthcare innovation ecosystem, groundbreaking research being produced by award-winning scientists, business executives already attuned to taking risks … Continue reading “Disruptors: Boosting Houston’s Healthcare Innovation Ecosystem”
Iora Health Dials Up $75M to Expand Primary Care Clinics
[Updated 10/13/16, 5:33 pm, with CEO comments at end of story.] Investors just pumped $75 million into Iora Health in a fresh round aimed at helping the Boston-based startup expand its primary care practices to more locations and improve the software that helps run them. The Series D round announced today was led by Singapore-based … Continue reading “Iora Health Dials Up $75M to Expand Primary Care Clinics”
EatStreet Downloads Another $11M for Restaurant Ordering Software
EatStreet has raised nearly $11 million in equity financing, according to a regulatory filing that was made public on Thursday. The Madison, WI-based developer of online food-ordering software has now raised more than $40 million since launching in 2010, says Matt Howard, co-founder and CEO of EatStreet. Howard declined to provide specifics related to what … Continue reading “EatStreet Downloads Another $11M for Restaurant Ordering Software”
Qualcomm Rolls Out First Commercial Use of Wireless EV Charger
Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]), the San Diego wireless technology giant, announced in a blog item this week that its Halo wireless electric vehicle charging technology will be available commercially for the first time in 2017, with the mid-year introduction of the 2018 model of the Mercedes-Benz S550e. Daimler AG introduced its first plug-in hybrid model in … Continue reading “Qualcomm Rolls Out First Commercial Use of Wireless EV Charger”
Silicon Valley VCs, Software Experts Contribute $3.3M to Zylo
Zylo, an Indianapolis-based startup working on cloud optimization software, today announced that it has raised a $3.3 million seed round. Both institutional and individual investors contributed to the round. They include High Alpha Capital, GGV Capital, SV Angel, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry leaders such as Interactive Intelligence founder and CEO Don Brown, ExactTarget co-founder Peter … Continue reading “Silicon Valley VCs, Software Experts Contribute $3.3M to Zylo”
With Upgraded Tech, Bluebird Updates Regulatory Path For Gene Therapy
After flying high for a few years, Bluebird Bio has dealt with some adversity. Limitations emerged late last year for a gene therapy the company was developing for the blood diseases beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease, and shares took a beating. Ever since then, the Cambridge, MA, company has been working to improve its technology. … Continue reading “With Upgraded Tech, Bluebird Updates Regulatory Path For Gene Therapy”
Aquaculture Industry Casts Wider Net in Food and Consumer Markets
Water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, but the oceans’ capacity for meeting the growing consumer demand for seafood is limited—the seas are simply overfished. Some new business opportunities are emerging to produce more fish amid dwindling fish resources. Global seafood consumption reached 143 million metric tons in 2009, an increase of … Continue reading “Aquaculture Industry Casts Wider Net in Food and Consumer Markets”
Startups Predict the Future for Free Tickets to Disruptors 2016
Houston—Thanks to our generous sponsors, Xconomy is able to provide complimentary tickets to a number of startups for Disruptors 2016 on October 27 at Texas Medical Center Innovation Institute. In exchange for these tickets, we’re asking entrepreneurs to share their predictions for Texas’ future. To reserve your complimentary ticket, simply email [email protected] with the following … Continue reading “Startups Predict the Future for Free Tickets to Disruptors 2016”
Ocular Therapeutix Inks Licensing Deal With Regeneron For Wet AMD
Ocular Therapeutix announced a deal this morning with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to develop a sustained-release form of aflibercept (Eylea), Regeneron’s drug for the “wet” form of age-related macular degeneration. Tarrytown, NY-based Regeneron (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]) would pay $10 million to Ocular if it exercises an option to the experimental product. Ocular would be responsible for early stage development of … Continue reading “Ocular Therapeutix Inks Licensing Deal With Regeneron For Wet AMD”
Promentis, Kiio, EmOpti, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Take a break from raking leaves and putting up your Halloween decorations and catch up on the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Milwaukee-based Promentis Pharmaceuticals raised nearly $8.8 million in equity financing from eight investors, according to a document filed with federal securities regulators. Reached by phone, Promentis president and CEO Chad Beyer declined … Continue reading “Promentis, Kiio, EmOpti, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Bay Area Researchers Take A CRISPR Cut At Sickle Cell Disease
[Corrected 10/13/16, 1:00 p.m. See below.] Another academic group has published results of animal experiments that use the gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to treat sickle cell disease, adding to the hope that one day, the devastating genetic condition and others like it could be fixed by changing a patient’s DNA. The latest research, published today … Continue reading “Bay Area Researchers Take A CRISPR Cut At Sickle Cell Disease”
Inspyr Leaves San Antonio for California to Be Near Clinical Trials
San Antonio — Inspyr Therapeutics has moved out of San Antonio. The news comes a couple of months after the tumor-fighting biotech hired Chris Lowe to serve as president and CEO. Lowe replaced co-founder Craig Dionne, who left the company in March. The company, which changed its name to Inspyr from GenSpera in August, relocated … Continue reading “Inspyr Leaves San Antonio for California to Be Near Clinical Trials”
California Accelerators Enroll Startups Targeting Cannabis Industry
[Corrected 10/13/16, 9:10 am. See below.] When California voters go to the polls on November 8, among the many issues they are expected to decide is Proposition 64. If a majority of voters vote yes, the initiative would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the Golden State for adults aged 21 years or older. … Continue reading “California Accelerators Enroll Startups Targeting Cannabis Industry”
Houston IoT Software Startup Meshify Bought by Specialty Insurer HSB
Houston—Meshify, a startup that makes software for the Internet of Things, has been acquired by Hartford Steam Boiler, a subsidiary of global insurer Munich Re, the companies announced in a press release. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Meshify says its software, hardware, and services simplify the collection of data, manage device and data … Continue reading “Houston IoT Software Startup Meshify Bought by Specialty Insurer HSB”
Procrastinator’s Special Ends Thursday for Boston’s Life Science Disruptors
We’re only a week away from “Boston’s Life Science Disruptors,” and this Thursday is the last day to save $50 with our Procrastinator’s Special. Xconomy will bring together an outstanding lineup of scientific founders, executives, and investors on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. This … Continue reading “Procrastinator’s Special Ends Thursday for Boston’s Life Science Disruptors”
Life Science Leaders Who Feel the Right Kind of Fear
In the world of betting on the future, life sciences find themselves in a storm, with huge opportunities, like CRISPR gene editing, and immense obstacles, such as soaring drug prices, that call for leaders of extra intensity who are imbued with a sense of crisis. Most people agree that the life sciences today, more than … Continue reading “Life Science Leaders Who Feel the Right Kind of Fear”
Boston Tech Deals: Nokia, Altiostar, Gridco, Virtudent, & More
October has been a busy month for venture capital investments and acquisitions in the Boston area. The latest deals include an acquisition by Nokia, another big round for telecom technology startup Altiostar, and a seed round for a telehealth startup. Read on for details. —Nokia bought Cambridge, MA-based Eta Devices for an undisclosed price. The … Continue reading “Boston Tech Deals: Nokia, Altiostar, Gridco, Virtudent, & More”
Optimus Ride, Fueled by $5.25M, Advances Self-Driving Vehicle Tech
Optimus Ride has received a $5.25 million injection of cash to goose its development of autonomous electric-vehicle technology. The funding round was led by NextView Ventures and FirstMark Capital. The news was reported by TechCrunch and confirmed by NextView in a blog post. The race to deliver reliable self-driving cars is heating up, and the Boston … Continue reading “Optimus Ride, Fueled by $5.25M, Advances Self-Driving Vehicle Tech”
Announcing Xconomy Intersect: GGV, Accolade, OfferUp, Textio & More
The most interesting innovations are found where disciplines, industries, and cultures intersect—where intelligent machines edit human writers, drones plant trees, and cloud computing accelerates the transformation of healthcare, for example. Xconomy is excited to announce our upcoming Seattle event, an exploration of the crossroads from which the next world-changing ideas may emerge. Join us Thursday, … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Intersect: GGV, Accolade, OfferUp, Textio & More”
Automation Alley Drives Toward Autonomous Future with New Director
As Automation Alley prepares to host its annual awards gala this week, it’s a good time to look at what the organization is up to and what progress it has made since its founding nearly 20 years ago—and how the recent boom in autonomous technology has affected the organization’s long-term strategy. Automation Alley—a technology trade … Continue reading “Automation Alley Drives Toward Autonomous Future with New Director”
IT-Biotech Hybrid Zymergen Raises $130M Round Led By SoftBank
Zymergen, a biotechnology startup that harnesses robots and machine learning to produce bioengineered microbes for customers in manufacturing and healthcare, announced today it has raised $130 million in a Series B fundraising round. For years, companies have been tweaking the genes of microbes such as bacteria to turn them into biological factories that produce everything … Continue reading “IT-Biotech Hybrid Zymergen Raises $130M Round Led By SoftBank”
Progress Software, Amid Shift to Cloud, Names 4th CEO in Seven Years
Progress Software, one of the largest and oldest software firms in Massachusetts, has once again changed CEOs. The Bedford, MA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PRGS]]) said Monday that CEO Phil Pead will retire, and Yogesh Gupta will become chief executive and join the company’s board. Pead will remain a board member. Gupta previously was president and CEO … Continue reading “Progress Software, Amid Shift to Cloud, Names 4th CEO in Seven Years”
San Diego Startups Raise $287M in Third Quarter, and Top 10 Deals
Venture Capital investments in San Diego startups fell by roughly a third during the three months that ended September 30, according to data released recently by Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. VC firms invested $280.6 million in 49 startups in San Diego County during the third quarter, according to a breakout of … Continue reading “San Diego Startups Raise $287M in Third Quarter, and Top 10 Deals”