At a medical meeting today, Cambridge, MA-based Epizyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EPZM]]) is providing the latest look at the most significant trial in its nine-year history, a Phase 2 study of its cancer drug tazemetostat. Epizyme for some time has touted tazemetostat as a potential treatment for a wide array of cancers that could also be safe … Continue reading “Epizyme Touts Early Data From Key Trial Of Blood Cancer Drug”
Category: National
Seattle Week in Review: Mourning Orlando, While the News Goes On
This is a difficult, tragic week to review, one we will not soon forget. The flow of horrible words and images pouring relentlessly through our screens makes it hard to see the good in the world. I’m going to spend the weekend holding close to family and friends, being grateful for them. Technology and innovation … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Mourning Orlando, While the News Goes On”
Tax Credits, Remedy Analytics, & Fiserv: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Catch up on the latest news from the Badger State’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Wisconsin lawmakers voted to move $8 million in tax credits out of a pool of credits earmarked for early-stage companies and their investors, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The tax credits are “now part of a new business development … Continue reading “Tax Credits, Remedy Analytics, & Fiserv: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Veering Off Topic With Accion Systems CEO Natalya Brikner
Next up in my ongoing series of unusual interviews with local tech leaders is Natalya Brikner—space technology researcher, entrepreneur, aspiring pilot, ruthless scheduler, and lover of camping. Those are just a few of the traits I learned about Brikner in our wide-ranging conversation, which was probably the wackiest yet in the series. (I never thought … Continue reading “Veering Off Topic With Accion Systems CEO Natalya Brikner”
Biotech Roundup: Kadmon Debt, Hemo Data, Loose Lips & More
Familiar biotech names—not necessarily familiar for the right reasons—made news this week in biotech. Data from a hematology conference stoked dreams of approval, though still on a far horizon, for a couple drug makers. Long anticipated, Walgreens officially cut ties with Theranos, and the FDA both gave and denied approvals. You think a Game 7 … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Kadmon Debt, Hemo Data, Loose Lips & More”
All-Female Startup’s Online Stylists Help to Banish Bridesmaidzillas
I’m finally getting married this fall, at age 43. And the thought of planning the whole thing makes me want to lay in bed and pull the comforter over my head. I’m not the kind of woman who has been plotting a wedding and doodling fantasy dresses in the margins of notebooks since I was … Continue reading “All-Female Startup’s Online Stylists Help to Banish Bridesmaidzillas”
Apartment Rental Website Abodo Homes In On $3.3M In Funding
Abodo, a Madison, WI-based startup that has developed technology to help users search for apartments and contact property managers, has raised more than $3.3 million from 13 investors, according to a regulatory filing that was made public on Thursday. Alec Slocum, who co-founded Abodo in 2012 and serves as its CEO, confirmed the raise during … Continue reading “Apartment Rental Website Abodo Homes In On $3.3M In Funding”
Paratek Shares Climb After Antibiotic Clears First Phase 3 Hurdle
Paratek Pharmaceuticals has stuck with its antibiotic omadacycline over the years, even as three of the company’s pharmaceutical partners bailed on the drug. Today the Boston company has taken a key step closer to proving it made the right call. Paratek (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PRTK]]) said this afternoon that omadacycline hit all its main and secondary goals … Continue reading “Paratek Shares Climb After Antibiotic Clears First Phase 3 Hurdle”
Neighborly Data: Dato to Integrate Machine Learning Services with Tableau
Dato, a Seattle machine learning startup, will put its services in front of a large audience of potential customers through an integration with the next product release from its neighbor, Tableau Software. Tableau (NYSE: [[ticker:DATA]]), the data visualization and analytics company headquartered in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, is currently beta-testing Tableau 10, which is due out … Continue reading “Neighborly Data: Dato to Integrate Machine Learning Services with Tableau”
One Solstice Raises $450K to Match Musicians and Concert Venues
Among other things, Austin, TX, is famous for its live music scene and yearly festivals, including South by Southwest and Austin City Limits. A lesser-known annual gathering in Austin that has nonetheless gained traction since it was first held in 2014 is Solstice Festival, which will take place this weekend at venues throughout the city. Since … Continue reading “One Solstice Raises $450K to Match Musicians and Concert Venues”
Animated Dynamics Closes on $1.7M for Cancer Imaging Technology
[Corrected 6/17/16, 12:54 p.m. See below] Animated Dynamics has closed $1.7 million in venture funding for a medical imaging technology developed to help doctors get a better view of the cancers that they’re treating. Caravel Ventures led the Series A round, which included investments from Elevate Ventures, the Purdue Research Foundation, and Vestian. Indianapolis-based Animated … Continue reading “Animated Dynamics Closes on $1.7M for Cancer Imaging Technology”
“Stay Lean as Long as You Can,” and Other VC Wisdom from Mark Suster
What does it take to build a startup in today’s market? Put a half-dozen entry-level tech entrepreneurs together anywhere outside of the Bay Area, and it won’t take long before they start listing the local market deficiencies. In San Diego, the complaints often focus on the relative scarcity of venture capital and hometown VC firms. … Continue reading ““Stay Lean as Long as You Can,” and Other VC Wisdom from Mark Suster”
Visiting A “Legal Hacker” Who Finds Cracks In IoT Security
If you’ve been rambling around Second Street in San Francisco’s South of Market tech hub recently (shown here), you might have seen an unusual sight—-a tall young Australian walking along with an open laptop connected to a mysterious knobby white stick. That was Balint Seeber with an uber-antenna, and he was capturing wireless communications from … Continue reading “Visiting A “Legal Hacker” Who Finds Cracks In IoT Security”
Data Tracker and Analytics Provider Umbel Buys Lodestone
Austin — Data analytics is all but ubiquitous in most startup businesses—at that, most businesses in general at least try some sort of analytics in hopes of boosting revenues by tracking customers’ buying habits and interests. Umbel, a six-year-old Austin, TX-based startup, has built software that aims to integrate all of the various data points … Continue reading “Data Tracker and Analytics Provider Umbel Buys Lodestone”
Boston Tech Watch: DraftKings, Demandware, Startup Shutdown & More
This week in Boston tech, we’re tracking DraftKings merger rumors, the aftermath of the Salesforce-Demandware deal, a startup closure, new venture funding, money for cybersecurity education, and an expanding accelerator located outside the Boston area. Read on for details. —Rumors swirled this week that the two biggest online daily fantasy sports companies—Boston-based DraftKings and New … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: DraftKings, Demandware, Startup Shutdown & More”
Outlook Improves For Exact Sciences After Task Force Tweaks Ratings
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on Wednesday announced changes to how it classifies colorectal cancer screening methods, a shift that could have implications for Madison, WI-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) and its flagship product, a stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer. In October, the task force released draft guidelines that proposed identifying Exact’s test, … Continue reading “Outlook Improves For Exact Sciences After Task Force Tweaks Ratings”
FICO Buys QuadMetrics to Help Measure Corporate Cybersecurity Risk
FICO, the San Jose, CA, software analytics company, announced Tuesday it has acquired Ann Arbor, MI-based QuadMetrics, a University of Michigan cybersecurity spinout. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. FICO—known as an industry leader in measuring and understanding consumer credit risk—will soon offer “enterprise security scores” that assess a corporation’s exposure to hackers … Continue reading “FICO Buys QuadMetrics to Help Measure Corporate Cybersecurity Risk”
Balancing Risks and Opportunities: The Board’s Perspective
People start a business for many reasons. Some do it out of sheer passion, while others do it to create wealth and economic growth. Yet, underlying it all is a willingness to take risks. Entrepreneurs and established companies make risky decisions every day in the hope that those risks will translate into better opportunities, better … Continue reading “Balancing Risks and Opportunities: The Board’s Perspective”
Deathtech Startup Mylestoned Snaps Up Heirloom’s Photo-Capturing App
Mylestoned, a young Boston startup aiming to develop a more interactive and meaningful way of digitally memorializing the dead, has acquired the photo-scanning technology of Heirloom, a small San Francisco firm. Heirloom created an app for digitizing paper photos. The app uses a smartphone’s camera to quickly scan the photo, and then its software edits … Continue reading “Deathtech Startup Mylestoned Snaps Up Heirloom’s Photo-Capturing App”
With $8M Zaius Deal, Underscore.VC Makes Another Marketing Tech Bet
Underscore.VC, one of the new Boston investment firms trying to put a fresh spin on the typical venture capital model, is starting to make more noise with its debut $75 million fund. Underscore recently led an $8 million investment in Boston marketing technology startup Zaius, which marks the second investment publicly disclosed by Underscore. (The … Continue reading “With $8M Zaius Deal, Underscore.VC Makes Another Marketing Tech Bet”
Struggling Aegerion, QLT to Merge, Change Name to Novelion
It wasn’t too long ago that Aegerion Pharmaceuticals seemed to be a successful biotech turnaround story with its first drug on the market and optimism ahead. But just a few short years, a plummeting stock price and a new executive team later, Aegerion is about to merge with a Canadian biotech to survive. Cambridge, MA-based … Continue reading “Struggling Aegerion, QLT to Merge, Change Name to Novelion”
Rgenix Raises $33M, Preps Cancer Trial For Drug Shelved By GSK
Rgenix, a biotech spun out of New York’s Rockefeller University by three brothers, has reeled in a $33 million Series B financing as it preps its top drug candidate, a cancer immunotherapy agent, to enter clinical trials. The drug, known as RGX-104, was once shelved at GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]) because of side effects. But Rgenix’s … Continue reading “Rgenix Raises $33M, Preps Cancer Trial For Drug Shelved By GSK”
Five Questions For … Surgeon, Inventor, Musician William Cohn
Houston—Innovators tend to be polymaths, standouts at a lot of different activities. Houston heart surgeon William “Billy” Cohn exceeds even that broad definition. By day, Cohn is a Texas Medical Center fixture, caring for patients or tinkering on his never-ending list of medical device ideas. He has more than 90 U.S. patents granted or pending … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Surgeon, Inventor, Musician William Cohn”
Barefoot Scores $130M for Programmable Switch To Make Networks Smart
We’re all always watching out for those new companies whose innovations turn out to be the gateway for systemic change across many tech sectors, as early mobile devices and cloud computing services did. Palo Alto, CA-based Barefoot Networks today laid claim to that earth-mover status, emerging from stealth after two years to announce it had … Continue reading “Barefoot Scores $130M for Programmable Switch To Make Networks Smart”
Companion App Allows Users to Keep a Digital Eye on Loved Ones
It took the University of Montana until 1994 to hire its first female campus safety escorts—a fact I know to be true because I was one of those escorts, along with my friend Taska. In those pre-Internet, pre-smartphone days, we circled campus once the sun went down armed with reflective vests and brick-like walkie-talkies, waiting … Continue reading “Companion App Allows Users to Keep a Digital Eye on Loved Ones”
128 Technology Unveils Plan to Fix the Internet With Smart Routers
Today’s Internet is a hot mess. I’m not talking about the content of the Web. I’m talking about the networking infrastructure that runs much of our modern society—from apps to businesses to communications—and how precarious it all is. It’s safe to say the Internet was not originally designed for its current use. What started as … Continue reading “128 Technology Unveils Plan to Fix the Internet With Smart Routers”
Purdue, Private Developer Aim to Build $1.2B “Innovation District”
Under a new proposal, about 450 acres on the west end of Purdue University’s West Lafayette, IN, campus are set to be transformed into the “Purdue Innovation District,” a potentially $1.2 billion hub of academic and economic activity. Project partners Purdue Research Foundation and Indianapolis-based Browning Investments unveiled plans for the mixed-use project on Monday. … Continue reading “Purdue, Private Developer Aim to Build $1.2B “Innovation District””
TripSafe Debuts Smartphone-Controlled Security for Travelers in Hotels
Developed by a squad of veterans from several branches of the military, New York-based TripSafe on Tuesday unveiled a smartphone-controlled security monitoring system that alerts travelers, and others if they desire, to any unauthorized entry to their hotel rooms. TripSafe is something like a travel version of other home monitoring systems, such as Canary, that are … Continue reading “TripSafe Debuts Smartphone-Controlled Security for Travelers in Hotels”
Talkspace Raises $15M Series B for Texting, Video Therapy Service
Talkspace, an online therapy service that lets users text and video message with real therapists, has raised a $15 million Series B round from Northwest Venture Partners and existing investors Spark Capital, Soft Bank, Metamorphic Ventures, and TheTime, according to a press release. The New York-based company plans to spend the money on adding more … Continue reading “Talkspace Raises $15M Series B for Texting, Video Therapy Service”
Impact Radius Acquires Online Ad Fraud Monitor Forensiq
A local advertising fraud detector got snapped up today by a West Coast adtech player. Santa Barbara, CA-based Impact Radius acquired New York-based Forensiq, whose software and data scientists work to catch bogus impressions in online ads, such as from click fraud and “cookie stuffing.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed. David Sendroff, CEO and … Continue reading “Impact Radius Acquires Online Ad Fraud Monitor Forensiq”
Infinity Closes Research Ops as Blood Cancer Drug Comes Up Short
Infinity Pharmaceuticals got a new lease on life in 2014 when pharma giant AbbVie plunked down $275 million to see if the company’s blood cancer drug, duvelisib, could stand out in a crowded field. The answer came back negative today, and Cambridge, MA-based Infinity has decided to gut its workforce as a result. Though duvelisib … Continue reading “Infinity Closes Research Ops as Blood Cancer Drug Comes Up Short”
Roundup: MI’s Bio Sector Ranked, Wayne State, StockX, and More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —According to a report released at the BIO International convention earlier this month, Michigan’s biosciences sector experienced significant growth from 2012-2014. The TEConomy/BIO report measured several indicators, including the number of employees and companies, average wages, academic research expenditures, venture capital investments, and number of … Continue reading “Roundup: MI’s Bio Sector Ranked, Wayne State, StockX, and More”
A Few Tickets Still Remain for Influx—Register Today for June 22
Time is almost up to grab a seat for Influx, Xconomy’s newest event that will convene Boston’s top innovators and influencers. Register today and save with our Innovation special while it lasts. Influx is an event you don’t want to miss this summer, and it’s all happening next week on June 22 at the Museum … Continue reading “A Few Tickets Still Remain for Influx—Register Today for June 22”
Kadmon Seeks IPO With Unusual Terms That Benefit Waksal, Debt Holders
After more than a year of not-very-subtle hints of IPO intentions, Kadmon Holdings, the biotech founded by former ImClone Systems CEO Sam Waksal, made it official Friday. Already in the spotlight in part because of Waksal’s previous criminal history—he was convicted of several felony charges related to insider trading in 2002 and 2003—the New York-based … Continue reading “Kadmon Seeks IPO With Unusual Terms That Benefit Waksal, Debt Holders”
Dallas’s Muse Sells Architel to Houston IT Firm, Launches Sumo Ventures
Dallas—Centre Technologies of Houston has bought Dallas-based Architel, and Architel co-founder Alexander Muse says he now is launching a new early stage investment fund called Sumo Ventures. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Centre Technologies, founded in 2006, is a privately owned company that provides IT infrastructure for businesses of all sizes in Texas … Continue reading “Dallas’s Muse Sells Architel to Houston IT Firm, Launches Sumo Ventures”
Microsoft Buys LinkedIn for $26.2B in Mega Social-Business Deal
Microsoft will acquire LinkedIn in a $26.2 billion cash deal that bolsters the tech giant’s offerings for professionals and shrinks the ranks of the major independent social networks. Over the past 14 years, LinkedIn (NYSE: [[ticker:LNKD]]) built the go-to online networking tool for professionals—it has more than 433 million members worldwide—and became one of the … Continue reading “Microsoft Buys LinkedIn for $26.2B in Mega Social-Business Deal”
Eleven Bio, Still Breathing, Sells Eye Drug to Roche
[Corrected, 6/14/16, see below] Eleven Biotherapeutics’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EBIO]]) may be in strategic limbo, but today it’s gotten some cash to help figure out its next steps. The Cambridge, MA-based company licensed EBI-031, an experimental, preclinical drug it’s been developing for eye diseases like diabetic macular edema and uveitis, to Swiss pharma giant Roche. Eleven got … Continue reading “Eleven Bio, Still Breathing, Sells Eye Drug to Roche”
Alpine Immune Sciences, Former Dendreon CEO’s Latest Startup, Gets $48M
Mitch Gold, the former CEO of Dendreon, has just gotten some big backing for his latest cancer drug startup. Alpine Immune Sciences, a Seattle company touting a next-gen method of harnessing our body’s defenses against cancer, has raised a whopping $48 million Series A round. The cash comes from a group of OrbiMed Advisors, Frazier … Continue reading “Alpine Immune Sciences, Former Dendreon CEO’s Latest Startup, Gets $48M”
Vennli’s Software Brings Consumer Decisions Into View
The best way for many businesses to get a sense of what their customers are thinking is to simply ask them. Customer surveys are a tried and true method of taking the market’s pulse. But they’re also stuck in time, says Gary Gigot. Gigot, co-founder and CEO of software startup Vennli, says survey information quickly … Continue reading “Vennli’s Software Brings Consumer Decisions Into View”
San Antonio’s Infocyte Takes Cybersecurity Threat Hunting to Linux
San Antonio — For any modern company, it’s always possible that some hacker has breached its security network, and is waiting to mine private information or steal other data. The fear is more prevalent today than ever as stories of security breaches range from Sony to Zuckerberg. That type of thinking has sparked a cybersecurity … Continue reading “San Antonio’s Infocyte Takes Cybersecurity Threat Hunting to Linux”
Perkins School for the Blind Pushes Into Apps, Driverless Cars
Perkins School for the Blind has a long history of breaking new ground, from becoming America’s first school for blind people in 1829, to creating a more effective and durable braille-writing machine in the mid-20th century. Now, under the leadership of Dave Power, the Boston-area school is exploring new ways of improving the lives of … Continue reading “Perkins School for the Blind Pushes Into Apps, Driverless Cars”
Anemia Ups and Downs: Agios Hit On One Drug, Touts Data For Another
Two days after news from one anemia drug program sent its stock down more than 20 percent, Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AGIO]]) is reporting promising data from a second anemia treatment. In an interview, CEO David Schenkein downplayed the information, which emerged Thursday, that a healthy volunteer developed thrombocytopenia, or low platelets, after taking the experimental … Continue reading “Anemia Ups and Downs: Agios Hit On One Drug, Touts Data For Another”
ImageMoverMD Helps Clinicians, Patients Transmit Photos Securely
[Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories on physicians at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics who have become full- or part-time entrepreneurs.] Software is eating the world, and solid-state storage will not be spared. In movies and television, streaming services like Netflix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NFLX]]) are rendering DVDs obsolete. In music, … Continue reading “ImageMoverMD Helps Clinicians, Patients Transmit Photos Securely”
Seattle Week in Review: AI Chickens of Silicon Valley
It was an historic week as Hillary Clinton secured enough delegates to be the first woman to become the presumptive nominee of a major political party for the highest office of the most powerful country on Earth. Meanwhile, we’re reviewing another debate about where Seattle’s startup ecosystem ranks nationally; new data on urban startup clusters; … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: AI Chickens of Silicon Valley”
Techstars Mobility Announces 2016 Class for Summer Accelerator
The Techstars Mobility accelerator, operating out of a 10,000-square-foot office in downtown Detroit, will welcome its 2016 class of startups on Monday. Twelve teams chosen from nearly 500 applicants will spend the summer developing “transportation solutions aligned with Ford Smart Mobility, the [automaker’s] plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, customer experience, … Continue reading “Techstars Mobility Announces 2016 Class for Summer Accelerator”
Xconomy Guide to Best Sessions at Startup Week San Diego
Startup Week San Diego, like a lot of other places that host similar events, has been billed as a weeklong celebration of entrepreneurship. Seattle’s UP Global, now part of Techstars, oversees the operation of Startup Week and other programs for tech entrepreneurs across the U.S. and abroad. But while Startup Week San Diego has always … Continue reading “Xconomy Guide to Best Sessions at Startup Week San Diego”
How to Drive a More Innovative, Creative Business Class in Houston
Houston—A truly innovative city takes its gifts and constantly looks to reinvent itself, fighting against complacency that can take hold of a community. That was the gist of a recent panel discussion that brought together an assortment of Houston innovators from technology to the culinary arts. “We have these opportunities and gifts,” said Kirk Coburn, founder … Continue reading “How to Drive a More Innovative, Creative Business Class in Houston”
Biotech Roundup: ASCO, BIO, Drug Setbacks, Incubators & More
If you blinked, you probably missed something this week in biotech. The nation’s biggest annual cancer meeting took place in Chicago, while biotech’s trade group held its annual confab in San Francisco. In Boston, there were more twists for a closely watched Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug and a setback for a high-profile drug for multiple … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: ASCO, BIO, Drug Setbacks, Incubators & More”
Qadium Reaps $20M Venture Round For IoT Device Search Engine
Tim Junio was a young security consultant for DARPA, the tech research division of the U.S. Department of Defense, when the agency called for responses to an interesting challenge. That was: Propose a way that a bad actor could cause catastrophic harm to the nation’s economy just by tapping into data that is generally available. … Continue reading “Qadium Reaps $20M Venture Round For IoT Device Search Engine”
Cheers, Groans, & Tunes: Boston Tech’s Week of Mixed Emotions
This week in Boston tech, we saw investors back software plays in eSports, real estate, and furniture for urban millennials; layoffs at a “sharing economy” pioneer; the return of a startup accelerator; and a first look at elegant connected speakers from serial entrepreneur Tom DeVesto’s new company. Read on for details. —Buildium said it received … Continue reading “Cheers, Groans, & Tunes: Boston Tech’s Week of Mixed Emotions”