Warning: everything you thought you knew about corporate cybersecurity is about to change. That’s according to Paul Paget, the CEO of Pwnie Express, a Boston-based startup that makes software and hardware for detecting unauthorized devices in the vicinity of a corporate network. Paget came up through IBM and Lotus before heading up two previous companies, … Continue reading “Pwnie Express Rides Off With $12.9M to Hunt Rogue Devices”
Category: National
Collective Metrics Aims to Improve Data Collection on Economic Growth
Startup accelerators and incubators are all the rage, but figuring out how much they’re actually helping the innovation communities they serve has traditionally been a challenge. A Grand Rapids, MI-based startup called Collective Metrics is hoping to change that for Michigan’s economic developers and entrepreneurs. Collective Metrics was co-founded by Austin Dean, an analyst at … Continue reading “Collective Metrics Aims to Improve Data Collection on Economic Growth”
OBE Wants To Dress The Fashionable VR Gamer
Well before the debut of a slew of virtual reality headsets for consumers this year, game makers and other tech companies were getting ready to feed the expected demand for VR content. But they weren’t the only innovators preparing to ride along as VR emerged as a commercial product after years in headset developers’ workshops. … Continue reading “OBE Wants To Dress The Fashionable VR Gamer”
Investigation Finds Recyclers Ship E-Waste Overseas
Despite assurances otherwise, electronic waste dropped at collection sites around the U.S. is winding up in junkyards in Hong Kong, and elsewhere in Asia, where handling practices are imperiling workers and the surrounding environment, according to an investigation by the Seattle-based Basel Action Network. Recyclers tied to overseas shipments of e-waste include Total Reclaim, the largest e-waste handler serving the Pacific … Continue reading “Investigation Finds Recyclers Ship E-Waste Overseas”
Stemina Gives Update on Autism Study, Tweaks Business Structure
Stemina Biomarker Discovery, a Madison, WI-based startup that is developing a blood-based test for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), announced a trio of updates about its business on Tuesday: —More than 200 patients have enrolled in Stemina’s study of its experimental autism test that measures residues in the blood called metabolites. Early data from the … Continue reading “Stemina Gives Update on Autism Study, Tweaks Business Structure”
After ExactTarget: Salesforce Plans $40M Indy Expansion, 800 Hires
Salesforce is hiring more than 800 people in Indianapolis during the next five years as part of its plan to spend $40 million expanding its regional headquarters in the city over the next decade, the company said in a statement this month. The San Francisco-based company already employs about 1,000 people in Indianapolis, and more … Continue reading “After ExactTarget: Salesforce Plans $40M Indy Expansion, 800 Hires”
SmartUQ Raises $750K More to Develop Simulation Analytics Software
SmartUQ, a Madison, WI-based startup whose software allows users to test the performance of parts and products before manufacturing them on a large scale, has raised $750,000 in equity financing, according to an SEC filing. Peter Qian, SmartUQ’s founder and chief scientist, says some of the new funding will go toward research and development, as … Continue reading “SmartUQ Raises $750K More to Develop Simulation Analytics Software”
What Now: Austin Looks for Ways to Bring Back Ride-Hailing Services
Austin—Uber and Lyft both suspended service in Austin Monday morning following the defeat their bid to eliminate driver fingerprinting requirements, among other measurements. In a Saturday referendum, Austin voters opted to uphold the city’s rules on the ride-hailing companies’ employees with a 56 percent margin. Immediately after the votes were counted, Uber and Lyft announced … Continue reading “What Now: Austin Looks for Ways to Bring Back Ride-Hailing Services”
Finance Platform YieldStreet Trying to Democratize Asset-Based Lending
Everyone wants to see their money grow, but relying on the whims of the stock market is not the only way to build wealth these days. Milind Mehere says his company’s alternative lending marketplace and finance platform aims to create access to different types of investment opportunities. New York-based YieldStreet lets accredited investors, as defined by federal … Continue reading “Finance Platform YieldStreet Trying to Democratize Asset-Based Lending”
MGH Goes Epic: What I Learned in the Trenches
On April 2 at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the green charts went away. Every morning around 6:30 am since starting residency, my co-interns and I had frantically scrambled around the halls searching for these plastic binders, which contained the sole record of our patients’ vital signs. It was a ritual that blended equal parts anxiety, … Continue reading “MGH Goes Epic: What I Learned in the Trenches”
Watching the Web: Dyn Goes Big With $50M Growth Round
In one of the year’s largest funding rounds for New England tech, Dyn said today it has raised $50 million in new growth financing. The deal says a lot about where the Manchester, NH-based company is heading, along with the world of Internet traffic and performance monitoring—particularly in an era of increasingly complex IT tools … Continue reading “Watching the Web: Dyn Goes Big With $50M Growth Round”
Across The Board: Ideas To Narrow Biotech’s Gender Gap
The evidence is piling up. Companies with more women in charge are better businesses. So why are so many biotechs still led mainly by men? Saira Ramasastry, a former Merrill Lynch analyst, is now a Bay Area consultant on the boards of three biotechs, including Sangamo Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGMO]]). Having benefited from female mentors such … Continue reading “Across The Board: Ideas To Narrow Biotech’s Gender Gap”
As Costs Soar in Silicon Valley, San Diego Looks for Startup Gains
Venture capital continues to gush into Silicon Valley, but is the Bay Area’s decades-long startup boom sustainable? Talk in the valley has turned increasingly gloomy amid signs that its phenomenal tech boom—like Moore’s law itself—is bumping against its upper limits. One perspective in this conversation comes from Redpoint Ventures partner Tomasz Tunguz. In a post … Continue reading “As Costs Soar in Silicon Valley, San Diego Looks for Startup Gains”
PureTech’s Alivio Debuts With Drug-Delivery Gel for Inflammation
Biotech company creator PureTech Health is celebrating Mother’s Day with twins. Hours after announcing its newest spinout, a cell therapy-focused startup, the company says it is launching Alivio Therapeutics to develop a therapy for chronic and acute inflammation. Alivio has a hydrogel material that it said is designed to adhere to inflamed tissue and deliver … Continue reading “PureTech’s Alivio Debuts With Drug-Delivery Gel for Inflammation”
LabCorp Launches Colorectal Cancer Test, But Key Hurdles Remain
The market for colorectal cancer tests that are less cumbersome than colonoscopies is getting more crowded. LabCorp announced the launch of a blood-based colorectal cancer test on Monday, which will pit it against other makers of non-invasive diagnostics for such diseases, including Madison, WI-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]). Burlington, NC-based LabCorp (NYSE: [[ticker:LH]]) has worked … Continue reading “LabCorp Launches Colorectal Cancer Test, But Key Hurdles Remain”
With Jobs on Horizon, San Antonio Cybersecurity Firm Funds Nonprofit
San Antonio—While job prospects abound in IT, especially in subsets like cybersecurity, a pretty simple question remains: Is there enough training available to provide people the skills to fill those jobs? The rise of coding schools is helping take care of the demand for software developers, a position that’s projected to rise 17 percent by … Continue reading “With Jobs on Horizon, San Antonio Cybersecurity Firm Funds Nonprofit”
Roundup: MSU and U-M Startups, DEVELOP(her), Hatch Detroit & More
Here’s a look at startup and innovation news from around Michigan: —On April 13, three startup teams from Michigan State University hit Chicago for the National Automatic Merchandising Association OneShow event, a food service and vending trade show, to compete in the Swim with the Sharks pitch contest. Bringitt, a peer-to-peer shipping network; Ineed, an app … Continue reading “Roundup: MSU and U-M Startups, DEVELOP(her), Hatch Detroit & More”
From Appboy to VTS: A New York Funding Roundup
Springtime has brought to the city a batch of recent funding for local startups across industries from mobile to real estate. —New York-based commercial real estate technology developer VTS, which created an asset management and leasing platform, closed on a $55 million funding round led by Insight Venture Partners, with prior investors OpenView and Trinity Ventures … Continue reading “From Appboy to VTS: A New York Funding Roundup”
“Silicon Valley” Tech Actually Made by Massachusetts Companies
The Boston tech community thinks of itself as a net exporter of innovation—and that includes to places like Hollywood. Those of you watching this season’s “Silicon Valley” TV show will be interested to learn that “the box” product being made by the fictional startup Pied Piper is based on a Massachusetts company’s design. That would … Continue reading ““Silicon Valley” Tech Actually Made by Massachusetts Companies”
PureTech Gets into Cell Therapy With Vor Bio, But Keeps Details Close
PureTech Health tends to form companies at the nexus of a few different disciplines, like music as a therapy or video games to help diagnose neurological disease. But today it’s gone the more traditional biotech route and formed an oncology company—specifically, a startup called Vor BioPharma trying to stand out in the competitive, fast-moving field … Continue reading “PureTech Gets into Cell Therapy With Vor Bio, But Keeps Details Close”
Ariad Sells Off Europe Hub, Drug Rights in $140M Incyte Deal
Ariad Pharmaceuticals has been in the midst of a strategic overhaul under a new management regime, and today that effort has resulted in a big transaction. Incyte has just cut a deal to acquire all of Ariad’s assets in Europe, and some rights to the Cambridge, MA-based company’s flagship drug as well. Incyte (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INCY]]) … Continue reading “Ariad Sells Off Europe Hub, Drug Rights in $140M Incyte Deal”
Veering Off Topic With CloudLock CEO Gil Zimmermann
[Updated 5/10/16, 4:18 p.m. See below.] Next up in my series of meandering conversations with tech leaders: CloudLock CEO Gil Zimmermann. Zimmermann co-founded the cloud security software company in 2007 as Aprigo and shifted it to its current name and product focus in 2011. The firm, based in Waltham, MA, has raised some $35 million … Continue reading “Veering Off Topic With CloudLock CEO Gil Zimmermann”
Uber, Lyft Say They Will Leave Austin Following Defeat in Election
Austin—Uber and Lyft have said they will pull out of Austin following a Saturday referendum that approved regulations that called for the ride-hailing companies to fingerprint drivers. “Disappointment does not begin to describe how we feel about shutting down operations in Austin,” said Chris Nakutis, Uber’s Austin general manager, in a statement according to the … Continue reading “Uber, Lyft Say They Will Leave Austin Following Defeat in Election”
Seattle Week in Review: Facing Displacement from AI
When will the technology arrive that makes you obsolete in your current job? [Checks watch.] It’s no idle question, and one that none other than Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took up this week in remarks to hundreds of Seattle technology and business leaders. We’ll explore his comments, a new offering from Textio, the media’s failures … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Facing Displacement from AI”
Mary Lou Jepsen on Life Post-Facebook and New Startup, “Open Water”
I had long planned a phone call with Mary Lou Jepsen for this afternoon—a prep session for a chat I will be doing with her a week from Monday night at Xconomy’s Napa Summit, where she is the featured dinner speaker. It was to be a normal prep chat until I got to work this morning … Continue reading “Mary Lou Jepsen on Life Post-Facebook and New Startup, “Open Water””
Mary Lou Jepsen: A Timeline of Her Career in Advanced Display Tech
Mary Lou Jepsen’s plans for her new startup, Open Water, are quite ambitious. But if anyone can figure out a way to deliver powerful MRI technology via an affordable wearable device, it’s probably her. For over 20 years, Jepsen has been working on device displays and related technologies for some of the biggest names in tech. … Continue reading “Mary Lou Jepsen: A Timeline of Her Career in Advanced Display Tech”
Fund of Funds, ConsortiEX & Froedtert: This Week’s Wisconsin Roundup
Wrap up your week with these headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —The first recipient fund to launch under the Badger Fund of Funds will be The Idea Fund, based in LaCrosse, and managed by Jonathon Horne, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The Idea Fund, one of up to 12 funds that Badger Fund general partner Ken Johnson … Continue reading “Fund of Funds, ConsortiEX & Froedtert: This Week’s Wisconsin Roundup”
How a Mobile Device Can Reduce Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a major problem. In 2014, more than 30,000 people were killed and more than 430,000 injured in car crashes involving distracted drivers. Ironically, it may just be that the root of the problem – a smartphone – could actually be the solution. People know they shouldn’t, but they do. In a survey … Continue reading “How a Mobile Device Can Reduce Distracted Driving”
Ford Expands Mobility Play with $182.2M Pivotal Investment
[Updated, 11:56am. See below] When Pivotal launched in 2013 with 1,250 employees and a valuation of over $1 billion, my colleague Wade Roush wrote that the cloud computing infrastructure firm “isn’t your typical startup.” Further proof of that came yesterday when Ford announced it was plunking down more than $182 million to continue its collaboration with Pivotal. Alan … Continue reading “Ford Expands Mobility Play with $182.2M Pivotal Investment”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Acadia, Medivation, Verily, and More
Just a few weeks ago, the Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur and philanthropist Sean Parker committed $250 million of his Napster and Facebook fortune to a massive effort to accelerate ways to boost the body’s own immune system against cancer. Now he’s turning his attention to a different kind of biotech initiative, which you might describe … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Acadia, Medivation, Verily, and More”
AgTech Accelerator Aims to Sway Agriculture Investment Trends
Agriculture and food-related companies make up a global industry, but when it comes to seeding startups in the sector, agricultural technologies face a relative funding famine. AgTech Accelerator, a new startup program launched Thursday in Research Triangle Park, NC, is trying to address funding issues facing agtech companies, while also providing some of the business … Continue reading “AgTech Accelerator Aims to Sway Agriculture Investment Trends”
Robo Madness West on June 22: Early Bird Rate Ends Today
Grab your ticket to attend Xconomy’s fifth annual robotics event in the Bay Area, held in partnership with the 2016 Sensors Expo & Conference. Leaders in robotics and artificial intelligence will discuss the opportunities and pitfalls, emerging technologies, and new business models in the industry. Join us on June 22 at the McEnery Convention Center … Continue reading “Robo Madness West on June 22: Early Bird Rate Ends Today”
TX Roundup: Uber Election, OutboundEngine, Joah Spearman, “Windfall”
Let’s end the week with a recap of the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Voters in Austin will go to the polls on Saturday to decide whether they want to keep fingerprinting regulations in place that govern drivers for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. The companies say—and some leaders in the tech community agree—that … Continue reading “TX Roundup: Uber Election, OutboundEngine, Joah Spearman, “Windfall””
Rockefeller Taps Yale Genetics Chief Richard Lifton As New President
Rockefeller University has named a replacement for its outgoing president Marc Tessier-Lavigne. Will the newcomer, famed Yale University geneticist Richard Lifton, be a ringleader for New York biotech like his predecessor? Late yesterday, Rockefeller filled the void left by Tessier-Lavigne, who is heading west to run Palo Alto, CA-based Stanford University in September. Rockefeller, based … Continue reading “Rockefeller Taps Yale Genetics Chief Richard Lifton As New President”
Vetting Cloud Security Companies: Scale VC Sets The Scene
[Corrected 5/11/16, 12:59 pm. See below.] When Ariel Tseitlin joined Netflix in 2011 to help it transition from a movie DVD rental company to a Web-based streaming entertainment service, his team had to build Netflix’s cloud architecture. There was nothing out there to buy, Tseitlin says. The cybersecurity industry was also a fraction of its … Continue reading “Vetting Cloud Security Companies: Scale VC Sets The Scene”
Under Lisa Johnson, BioForward Embraces Health IT and Regional Unity
Drugs and medical devices have long been the strengths of Wisconsin’s high-tech healthcare businesses, but the rising star during the past few years has been the Badger State’s emerging digital health sector. Lisa Johnson recognizes that trend, and she made it a priority after she took over BioForward Wisconsin, the state’s flagship life sciences trade … Continue reading “Under Lisa Johnson, BioForward Embraces Health IT and Regional Unity”
Boston Tech Watch: Wayfair, EMC, PillPack, Adult Beverages, & More
This week in Boston tech, we’re tracking the latest venture capital deals, office relocations, the future of the EMC brand, and updates on local alcohol-related tech startups. Kick off your weekend the right way, by reading on: New venture funding —1366 Technologies, a Bedford, MA-based developer and manufacturer of solar power components, has tacked $10 … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Wayfair, EMC, PillPack, Adult Beverages, & More”
CRISPR Drug Maker Intellia Therapeutics Sells $108M In IPO Shares
The latest biopharmaceutical company testing Wall Street’s belief in the promise of gene modification has gone public. Intellia Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NTLA]]) of Cambridge, MA, which owns rights to an important but disputed piece of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, sold 6 million shares at $18 each this evening to raise $108 million. Its stock will … Continue reading “CRISPR Drug Maker Intellia Therapeutics Sells $108M In IPO Shares”
SPLT Competes at Google Demo Day, Gets Steve Case’s Attention
SPLT, the Techstars Mobility alum now based in Detroit, has spent the past few months crisscrossing the globe to take part in startup competitions and other events as it continues to rapidly grow. This week, the enterprise ridesharing startup that connects employees within organizations to share their commute is out in Mountain View, CA, as … Continue reading “SPLT Competes at Google Demo Day, Gets Steve Case’s Attention”
At Forward Health, Assessing Impact of Payment Changes Is Simple Math
[Corrected 5/5/16, 4:08 pm. See below] As a statistician trained in health economics, Michael Barbouche has over the years studied intricate payment models and other mathematical concepts. Still, when describing Forward Health Group—the Madison, WI-based company he founded and continues to lead—he goes back to basics. “We are a denominator-centric company,” Barbouche says. “We build … Continue reading “At Forward Health, Assessing Impact of Payment Changes Is Simple Math”
Humanyze Snags $4M to Push Wearable “Fitbit For Your Career”
Smartphones and wearable devices enable people to monitor health metrics like heart rate and how many steps they take in a day, information that can help them take charge of their physical well-being. Humanyze is trying to accomplish something similar with devices and software that track work habits and, in theory, boost job performance and … Continue reading “Humanyze Snags $4M to Push Wearable “Fitbit For Your Career””
Pfizer Invests in Wave, Inks Metabolic-Focused Drug Development Deal
Wave Life Sciences, the RNA-drug maker that went from Series A funding to initial public offering in less than a year, has received an equity investment from Pfizer as part of a deal to collaborate with the pharma giant on treating metabolic diseases. Pfizer will pay Wave $40 million up front, and the deal is … Continue reading “Pfizer Invests in Wave, Inks Metabolic-Focused Drug Development Deal”
New AgTech Accelerator Takes Root in RTP with $11.5M Investment
AgTech Accelerator, a new program intended to foster entrepreneurialism in agriculture, has launched in Research Triangle Park, NC, boosted by $11.5 million in support from heavyweights in the agriculture and investment communities, and partnerships with leading academic centers throughout the country. Alexandria Venture Investments, the investment arm of Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE: [[ticker:ARE]]), is … Continue reading “New AgTech Accelerator Takes Root in RTP with $11.5M Investment”
Uber, Lyft at Center of Innovation Debate in Austin and Houston
Austin—It’s not uncommon for controversy to follow the entrance of ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft into a new market. But right now, in two Texas cities—Austin and Houston—the rhetorical salvos have started again. In Austin, for example, voters will go to the polls Saturday for a referendum to decide whether to overturn that city’s … Continue reading “Uber, Lyft at Center of Innovation Debate in Austin and Houston”
Joint Biomedical Engineering Program Bridges Campuses on Tobacco Road
Some scientists wait years to see their research resonate with patients. The drug delivery research of Zhen Gu, a biomedical engineering professor at NC State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is still early but he sees diabetics express interest in his work every day. One of Gu’s projects is a … Continue reading “Joint Biomedical Engineering Program Bridges Campuses on Tobacco Road”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Homology, Biogen, Intellia & More
It’s not a stretch to say that the progress of a gene editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 will be one of the most closely watched biotech stories of this decade. And two important developments along that path are taking place over the next two years. 2016 is the year that the first crop of CRISPR … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Homology, Biogen, Intellia & More”
More than a Matter of Appearances: Pharma’s Existential PR Problem
When President Obama forced Pfizer to scrap its proposed $160 billion merger with Allergan, the industry as well as the company emerged as losers in the eyes of the public, despite Pfizer’s credible and constructive position. As Pfizer CEO Ian Read explained in a recent op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer has long … Continue reading “More than a Matter of Appearances: Pharma’s Existential PR Problem”
Wicab Looks to China, Readies Updated Wearable Vision Device
It took Wicab $26 million and 17 years of twists and turns in research, product development, and testing to get its headset device—which helps blind people, in a way, “see”—approved for sale in the U.S. The Middleton, WI, company achieved that goal last year, but now it’s setting its sights on a much bigger target: … Continue reading “Wicab Looks to China, Readies Updated Wearable Vision Device”
Textio’s Learning Machine Offers Opportunities to Improve HR Writing
Remember the English composition teacher who could always find a gentle way to improve that middling passage in your writing? The editor who elevated the lightning bug to lightning? That’s a computer now, sitting with you and offering suggestions as you type. Textio, a Seattle machine learning and natural language processing startup focused on improving … Continue reading “Textio’s Learning Machine Offers Opportunities to Improve HR Writing”
Xconomy Launches Robotics and A.I. Channel
At the end of March, Xconomy held a jam-packed event called Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion. If you were among the roughly 250 people who descended on the Googleplex in the heart of Cambridge’s Kendall Square for the event, you may have heard me note that robotics and artificial intelligence were clearly growing in importance … Continue reading “Xconomy Launches Robotics and A.I. Channel”