We live in a Golden Age of pet ownership, and venture-backed dog-care marketplaces are raking in tens of millions of dollars a year by connecting dog owners with trustworthy people to walk and care for their furkids. The alpha dog appears to be Seattle-based Rover.com, which announced $40 million in new funding on Monday from prior investors Foundry … Continue reading “Rover Raises $40M in Race to Control Dog Services Marketplace”
Category: National
Boston Tech Watch: Inclusive Tech, Drones, Layoffs, Alcohol, & More
[Updated 10/3/16, 9:53 am. See below.] It’s hard to believe October is upon us. Before fall gets into full swing, let’s take a look at some of the late September happenings in Boston’s tech sector: —Waltham, MA-based cybersecurity company Carbon Black has filed for an initial public offering, according to a report by The Wall … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Inclusive Tech, Drones, Layoffs, Alcohol, & More”
Cellular Dynamics Spinoff Aims to Develop Vision-Restoring Therapies
Cellular Dynamics International is following a split with a spinoff. The Madison, WI-based biotech, which earlier this month announced it divided the company into two business units, is now saying it has launched a new venture that will focus on developing medicines to treat diseases of the retina. The new company, known as Opsis Therapeutics, … Continue reading “Cellular Dynamics Spinoff Aims to Develop Vision-Restoring Therapies”
Seattle Week in Review: AI, Remitly, Spaceflight, Sound as UI, More
The leaves soak up the early fall sun and we wrap up another busy news week. We’re reviewing big artificial intelligence announcements from Microsoft and its chief competitors; more funding for Remitly; a conversational competition from Amazon; a milestone launch for Spaceflight; and more. Details: —Big news from Microsoft, which is devoting a 5,000-person division … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: AI, Remitly, Spaceflight, Sound as UI, More”
Boston Tech Deal Roundup: Akamai, Cengage, Mautic, Skedaddle, & More
[Updated 9/30/16, 3:34 pm. See below.] September was a busy month for tech startup funding and acquisition news in the Boston area. Here are a few of the latest deals that you might’ve missed: —Building Engines, a Waltham, MA-based seller of property management software, disclosed in an SEC filing that it raised $26.5 million from … Continue reading “Boston Tech Deal Roundup: Akamai, Cengage, Mautic, Skedaddle, & More”
Bio Roundup: CAR-T & Migraine Races, Intra-Cellular, Rockefeller & More
The presidential race captivated millions of TV viewers this week as the first debate took place in Hofstra. But biotech watchers had other races on their mind. Who will be first to market with a new type of cancer treatment known as CAR-T? Who will break free of the pack of companies developing drugs meant … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CAR-T & Migraine Races, Intra-Cellular, Rockefeller & More”
Aligned With Roche, SQZ Bio Gets $16M to Push Cell Therapies to Clinic
The first experimental cell-based cancer immunotherapy, known as CAR-T, could soon be submitted to the FDA for approval. But CAR-T therapies have limitations. One of many companies looking to improve them is tiny Boston startup SQZ Biotech, and it just pulled in more cash. The $16 million Series B round SQZ is announcing this morning … Continue reading “Aligned With Roche, SQZ Bio Gets $16M to Push Cell Therapies to Clinic”
Arrowhead Teams Up with Amgen to Develop Cardiovascular Drugs
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals and Amgen will together work to develop and commercialize two drugs designed to treat cardiovascular disease, the companies said Thursday. Under the terms of the agreements, Amgen will pay Arrowhead a combined $56.5 million—$35 million in cash, and the remainder as an equity investment for stock in Arrowhead. Arrowhead could reap an additional … Continue reading “Arrowhead Teams Up with Amgen to Develop Cardiovascular Drugs”
GE, Allied Minds to Invest in Startups Amid Evolving Funding Market
Startup creation firm Allied Minds announced a partnership Thursday with GE’s venture arm to jointly invest in promising technologies. The deal speaks to broader trends in how companies get formed and funded beyond traditional means like venture capital and the public markets, and where large enterprises fit into that equation. Boston-based Allied Minds is a … Continue reading “GE, Allied Minds to Invest in Startups Amid Evolving Funding Market”
Tech Giants’ Partnership To Explore Ethics, Societal Impacts of AI
With public interest in artificial intelligence technologies on the rise, five of the world’s largest corporations—vying against each other in so many spheres—are banding together to support research on the ethical and societal issues raised by machines with increasingly human-like capabilities. The Partnership on AI, formally unveiled Wednesday, includes Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, IBM, Google and … Continue reading “Tech Giants’ Partnership To Explore Ethics, Societal Impacts of AI”
Caribou CEO Touts Incubator’s Role Translating Science into Startup
San Antonio — [Corrected 10/3/16, 5 p.m.] For a researcher trying to turn their science into a business, sometimes the big issues—such as perfecting an intricate scientific process like gene editing—feels like a less daunting task than what might seem to be smaller stuff, like finding an attorney to help incorporate a business, says Rachel Haurwitz, the … Continue reading “Caribou CEO Touts Incubator’s Role Translating Science into Startup”
Gener8tor, University of Minnesota Tech Transfer Office to Team Up
Gener8tor, a startup accelerator whose programs have taken place exclusively in Wisconsin up to this point, took a key step forward in its expansion into Minnesota this week. The University of Minnesota’s technology transfer arm, known as the Office for Technology Commercialization (OTC), says it has formed a partnership with Gener8tor in an effort aimed … Continue reading “Gener8tor, University of Minnesota Tech Transfer Office to Team Up”
Will Programmable Immune “Cellbots” Be the Next Weapon Against Cancer?
[Corrected, 9/29/16, 4:24 p.m. See below.] Cancer immunotherapy has captured the medical world’s attention, knocking out a few types of cancer in a small portion of the most desperate patients. But it has bumped into many limitations. Researcher Wendell Lim (pictured) and his lab mates at the University of California, San Francisco, believe they can … Continue reading “Will Programmable Immune “Cellbots” Be the Next Weapon Against Cancer?”
Aging 2.0 Brings Its Focus on Technology and Elder Care to Houston
Houston—Aging 2.0 now has a perch in the home of one of the world’s largest medical centers. The San Francisco-based organization, focused on supporting innovation tailored to the needs of older adults, kicks off its Houston chapter today with a forum to discuss some of the needs in the aging healthcare market. “The mission with … Continue reading “Aging 2.0 Brings Its Focus on Technology and Elder Care to Houston”
Genocea Touts Early Look at Placebo-Controlled Herpes Vaccine Study
To date, the studies Genocea Biosciences has run have not made clear how much better its experimental genital herpes vaccine is than a placebo at treating patients with the infection. Genocea is touting new results today that bolster its case for the vaccine, but which still leave some questions for the company to answer going … Continue reading “Genocea Touts Early Look at Placebo-Controlled Herpes Vaccine Study”
Ginkgo Builds Out Robot Labs as Microbe Design Business Grows: Photos
If Ginkgo Bioworks has its way, robots and software will someday handle most of the genetic engineering work currently performed by scientists sitting at lab benches. Ginkgo is contributing to that shift. Today the synthetic biology company announced an expansion of its headquarters in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood, including a second, larger lab space for designing … Continue reading “Ginkgo Builds Out Robot Labs as Microbe Design Business Grows: Photos”
Cell Culture Agtech Offers Prospect of Meat and Milk Without the Moo
The idea of using laboratory techniques to create food sounds like something out of science fiction—think of the food replicators depicted on Star Trek. But the concept of lab-grown food is gaining traction as entrepreneurs and scientists look for ways to make more animal products while also diminishing the food industry’s impact on the environment. … Continue reading “Cell Culture Agtech Offers Prospect of Meat and Milk Without the Moo”
Lose It’s New Photo Tool Turns Your Food Porn Into Calorie Tracker
Success in the hyper-competitive mobile app industry takes endurance. App makers jockey for a coveted spot on our devices’ tiny screens, but few manage to keep our attention over the long haul. One of those rare app companies with staying power is Boston-based FitNow, parent company of the diet and exercise-tracking app Lose It. It … Continue reading “Lose It’s New Photo Tool Turns Your Food Porn Into Calorie Tracker”
Gene Editing, Precision Medicine & More at Disruptors on Oct. 20
Xconomy has brought together some of Boston’s top biotech founders, investors, and leaders for an evening of candid and interactive chats for our latest version of “Boston’s Life Science Disruptors.” On Oct. 20 at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, you’ll hear how these industry leaders are transforming drug development, tackling some … Continue reading “Gene Editing, Precision Medicine & More at Disruptors on Oct. 20”
Intra-Cellular Shares Sink As Schizophrenia Drug Flunks Final Test
[Updated 9/29/16, see below] Several promising antipsychotic drugs have made it to late-stage clinical trials only to come up short. Today, you can add an experimental treatment from Intra-Cellular Therapies to the list. Shares of New York-based Intra-Cellular (NASDAQ: [[ticker;ITCI]]) cratered late Wednesday, falling more than 67 percent in after-hours trading after the company disclosed … Continue reading “Intra-Cellular Shares Sink As Schizophrenia Drug Flunks Final Test”
Bio Execs Talk Patient Advocacy, Duchenne Approval at BioForward Panel
Janet Woodcock, the top drug evaluator at the FDA, was the driving force behind the FDA’s recent decision to approve eteplirsen (Exondys 51), a drug for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy from Cambridge, MA-based Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRPT]]). The decision was controversial: Many FDA scientists didn’t want to approve eteplirsen. They didn’t want to lower the … Continue reading “Bio Execs Talk Patient Advocacy, Duchenne Approval at BioForward Panel”
The Future of Innovation at Xconomy’s Upcoming Disruptors Event
Houston—From the zero-gravity environment of outer space to molecules deep within the body, Texas innovators are using technology to change the way we live, work, and play. Xconomy’s upcoming Disruptors conference in Houston will explore all of this and more. Today, we are releasing the full agenda for this daylong forum, taking place October 27 … Continue reading “The Future of Innovation at Xconomy’s Upcoming Disruptors Event”
An IoT Connected Doghouse and Other Ideas Surface at ERA Demo Day
Smart-home technology has gone to the dogs. New York-based Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) graduated 12 startups today, including Dog Parker—a connected doghouse that minds people’s pets while they shop at stores. That is one example of the broad array of ideas in this class, said Jonathan Axelrod, managing director with ERA, reflecting the many different … Continue reading “An IoT Connected Doghouse and Other Ideas Surface at ERA Demo Day”
Avecto Expands in Boston as Endpoint Security Gets More Crowded
Earlier this year, Xconomy compiled a list and map of cybersecurity organizations in the Boston area and found 60-plus companies. One that we missed was Avecto, a U.K.-based endpoint security software firm that opened a Massachusetts outpost in 2009, a year after the company was founded. Now Avecto is drawing more attention, both locally and … Continue reading “Avecto Expands in Boston as Endpoint Security Gets More Crowded”
MIT Accelerator STEX25 Launches With Five Boston-Area Startups
There’s a new startup accelerator program at MIT. This one is pretty different from what you might be expecting. The program, called STEX25, is being run by MIT’s Industrial Liaison Program as part of its Startup Exchange (STEX). The latter has been around for about two years, and its goal is to connect big companies … Continue reading “MIT Accelerator STEX25 Launches With Five Boston-Area Startups”
New Rockefeller Prez Takes Stock of “Wildly Underdeveloped” NY Bio Scene
As the child of a military physicist, Richard Lifton was forced to move around a lot, from Washington, DC, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Ankara, Turkey. As an adult he settled in Connecticut, where he became a renowned geneticist at Yale University. Now he’s on the move again, relocating to New York, where he faces … Continue reading “New Rockefeller Prez Takes Stock of “Wildly Underdeveloped” NY Bio Scene”
Liquid Web Eyes San Antonio for Tech Talent After Cloud Sites Deal
San Antonio—A Lansing, MI-based Web hosting and server management company has plans to make more hires in the Alamo City after an acquisition, in part because its CEO thinks he’ll have better luck finding employees here. Liquid Web, which was founded in 1997, bought a Web server business from Rackspace called Cloud Sites in August, … Continue reading “Liquid Web Eyes San Antonio for Tech Talent After Cloud Sites Deal”
Tend.ly Aims to Improve Communication Between Caregivers, Families
Caitlin Coffman’s two oldest children were in school by the time she figured out a way to avoid the frustration that plagued her during their day care years: The daily “activity reports” sent home with her kids didn’t provide a clear enough picture of what was happening while she was at work. “I wanted more … Continue reading “Tend.ly Aims to Improve Communication Between Caregivers, Families”
Avalon Leads $18M in Early Funding for Cancer Immunotherapy Startup
[Note: The headline has been corrected to better describe the company’s type of funding. 9/27/16, 2:09 p.m.] Fortis Therapeutics, a new San Diego biotech, has raised $18 million in initial funding to develop drugs for hard-to-treat prostate and bone marrow cancers. San Diego’s Avalon Ventures led the Series A round, and has established Fortis at … Continue reading “Avalon Leads $18M in Early Funding for Cancer Immunotherapy Startup”
Circulation, Uber Team Up to Get Patients to Doctor’s Appointments
Healthcare providers are starting to embrace consumer technologies, and Boston has emerged as one of the hubs of experimentation. The latest example is Circulation, a startup founded last year and partly incubated at Boston Children’s Hospital. The new venture makes software that manages non-emergency medical transportation for patients, primarily those who are elderly, disabled, or … Continue reading “Circulation, Uber Team Up to Get Patients to Doctor’s Appointments”
Roundup: WSU’s ITT Outreach, LIFT Prize, VNN & More
Here’s a look at tech and innovation news from around Michigan this month: —Wayne State University is offering free academic counseling to displaced ITT students. According to a press release, affected ITT students can schedule appointments with WSU counselors to discuss financial aid and credit transfers. The counselors will help the students determine if WSU … Continue reading “Roundup: WSU’s ITT Outreach, LIFT Prize, VNN & More”
Kite Unveils Anticipated CAR-T Cancer Data: Positive But Not Complete
Kite Pharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KITE]]) has dipped into a highly anticipated clinical trial of its cancer treatment, KTE-C19, to release a partial set of data. Although not complete, the data bolster the view that Kite could be the first among its peers, all developing cutting-edge cancer treatments from a patient’s own white blood cells, to win … Continue reading “Kite Unveils Anticipated CAR-T Cancer Data: Positive But Not Complete”
Startup Bill, Water Council, CDI, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Cooler autumn temperatures appear to be here to stay. Stay warm, and stay current with these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —The office of U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said she reintroduced a bill aimed at helping entrepreneurs and early-stage companies in the Badger State and around the country. Known as the Small Business Innovation Act, … Continue reading “Startup Bill, Water Council, CDI, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Minerva Tantoco, IBM, Microsoft, Foursquare & Others on Future of AI
Making the artificial feel more natural is one of the goals of computer scientists these days. Last week in New York, innovators from IBM, Foursquare, Microsoft, and other companies discussed what may lie ahead in the commercial development of artificial intelligence. From baby steps in machine learning to longer strides in interacting with humans, AI … Continue reading “Minerva Tantoco, IBM, Microsoft, Foursquare & Others on Future of AI”
Roundup: Aceable, Richards-Kortum Wins MacArthur, DivInc & More
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas: –Austin edtech startup Aceable has raised $4 million in a Series A round of funding to help it further expand its line of online testing products beyond driver’s education. The round was co-led by earlier investors Silverton Partners in Austin and Floodgate in Palo … Continue reading “Roundup: Aceable, Richards-Kortum Wins MacArthur, DivInc & More”
BrightFarms’ Indoor Farming System Lands $30M to Grow
Consumers can easily make garden salads year round because grocery stores get their greens from farms across the country where items like lettuce are always in season. But those leafy greens and tomatoes don’t necessarily have to travel hundreds of miles to reach salad plates. Agtech startup BrightFarms uses indoor farming to try to shorten … Continue reading “BrightFarms’ Indoor Farming System Lands $30M to Grow”
Tealium Adds $35M to Expand Technology, Sharpen Customer Focus
Tealium, a San-Diego startup that provides online advertising tag management and marketing services for enterprise customers, has raised $35 million in a growth financing deal intended to expand its technology and market reach. Georgian Partners and Bain Capital Ventures, the investment firms that anchored Tealium’s $30.7 million Series D round in early 2015, re-upped in … Continue reading “Tealium Adds $35M to Expand Technology, Sharpen Customer Focus”
Kenji App Looks to Match Small Businesses and Attorneys for Hire
Ken Minturn, the founder of Indianapolis-based Kenji, says one of the biggest challenges facing attorneys is finding new business that matches their expertise, and then getting paid on time for the work they do. Complicating matters is the legal industry’s resistance to digital innovation. Minturn says lawyers lag behind other professions when it comes to … Continue reading “Kenji App Looks to Match Small Businesses and Attorneys for Hire”
Catching Up with 2016 Techstars Mobility Class: What Did They Learn?
Detroit’s Techstars Mobility startup accelerator has wrapped another summer of innovating and iterating, and the 12 participating companies are now headed out into the marketplace to hustle. I caught up with managing director Ted Serbinski and the rest of the Techstars crew earlier this month—the day after they pitched investors and sang the praises of … Continue reading “Catching Up with 2016 Techstars Mobility Class: What Did They Learn?”
Podium Data Downloads $9.5M to Help Businesses Manage, Crunch Data
Software companies have talked for years about making tools for deep data analysis simple enough for most business users, not just seasoned programmers. There are signs those capabilities are materializing—or at least evolving. The latest example is Podium Data, a Lowell, MA-based startup that today announced it raised a $9.5 million Series A round led … Continue reading “Podium Data Downloads $9.5M to Help Businesses Manage, Crunch Data”
Debates, Tours, & Beer: New Milwaukee Startup Week Unveils Schedule
What do yoga, a happy hour office crawl, an all-day hackathon, and a 70-mile bus ride have in common? All are part of the recently released schedule for Milwaukee Startup Week. More than 20 events will take place Nov. 1-6 at various sites in southeastern Wisconsin, says Matt Cordio, a co-organizer of Milwaukee Startup Week. Cordio … Continue reading “Debates, Tours, & Beer: New Milwaukee Startup Week Unveils Schedule”
Investors Bid Up Apptio Shares in Market Debut
Apptio priced its shares at $16, raising $96 million in an initial public offering. The Bellevue, WA-based IT company’s shares, trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol APTI, were up about 42 percent in early afternoon trading Friday. The IPO price was above the $13 to $15 anticipated range the company disclosed last week. … Continue reading “Investors Bid Up Apptio Shares in Market Debut”
In the Driver’s Seat: Austin Edtech Startup Aceable Brings in $4M
Austin—Aceable has raised $4 million in a Series A round of funding to help it further expand its line of online testing products beyond driver’s education. The round was co-led by earlier investors Silverton Partners in Austin and Floodgate in Palo Alto, CA. In total, the startup has raised $8.7 million, including a $3 million … Continue reading “In the Driver’s Seat: Austin Edtech Startup Aceable Brings in $4M”
Bio Roundup: Mylan Grilled, Duchenne Kids Thrilled, Zuck-Chan & More
Another biopharma executive went before Congress to explain drug price hikes. Unlike Martin Shkreli, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch actually answered questions. Taking heat over the EpiPen scandal, she tried to stick to her script, getting testy when legislators brought up a USA Today story about her mother helping market the life-saving anti-allergy injection to schools. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Mylan Grilled, Duchenne Kids Thrilled, Zuck-Chan & More”
Tech Transforms the Election Experience, From VR to Voter Registration
My friend Eileen and I are planning to “phone-watch” the first presidential debate together on Monday. Just by calling her number in Louisiana from my couch in the Bay Area, I’ll hear hilarious commentary on the Clinton-Trump exchange from Eileen, a terrific reporter who’s wittier than most standup comics. I found another name for this … Continue reading “Tech Transforms the Election Experience, From VR to Voter Registration”
In Turnaround Saga, Ignyta Nears Crucial Phase in Cancer Drug Trial
Biotech CEO Jonathan Lim co-founded Ignyta in 2011 to commercialize a new approach to diagnosing and treating rheumatoid arthritis, based on discoveries that showed how changes in methyl group molecules associated with the human genome could change the way genes function. Instead, Lim may end up showing how to breathe new life into a life … Continue reading “In Turnaround Saga, Ignyta Nears Crucial Phase in Cancer Drug Trial”
Indiana Roundup: IU Patents, eText, Conexus Interns
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Indiana: —Conexus Indiana, the state’s advanced manufacturing and logistics initiative, said in a press release that its internship program experienced major growth last year. Now in its second year, the Conexus Interns Program reached 230 Indiana high school students interning at 79 Indiana companies, a 170 percent increase … Continue reading “Indiana Roundup: IU Patents, eText, Conexus Interns”
Richards-Kortum Named MacArthur Fellow For Work in Global Health
Houston—Rice University’s Rebecca Richards-Kortum is among this year’s recipients of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, known as the “genius grants.” A bioengineering professor at Rice, Richards-Kortum became the first woman and youngest faculty member to earn Rice’s highest academic rank of university professor. She directs the Rice Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering and she also leads … Continue reading “Richards-Kortum Named MacArthur Fellow For Work in Global Health”
Shine Medical Technologies to Move to Janesville Later This Year
Shine Medical Technologies has for years planned to build a manufacturing facility in Janesville, WI, where it would produce a crucial medical isotope. Now the company says it will move its headquarters to that city later this year, as it prepares to make the plant a reality. Shine is currently based in Monona, WI, about … Continue reading “Shine Medical Technologies to Move to Janesville Later This Year”
Progenerative Plans Bone, Business Growth From Revived Acelity Tech
San Antonio — After any acquisition, jobs can be lost, programs are cut, and the business changes its focus. That was true in the years after Kinetic Concepts was acquired by a private equity group led by Apax Partners for more than $6 billion. The business changed its outward-facing name to Acelity. It turned its … Continue reading “Progenerative Plans Bone, Business Growth From Revived Acelity Tech”