It’s getting close to the last call for Xconomy’s invitation-only Napa Summit. We have a star-studded lineup. But there are only a few tickets and hotel rooms left, and the May 16-17 event is coming up fast. So request your invitation right away if you’d like to join us. It all starts with a dinner … Continue reading “Down to Wire on Napa Summit—Get Your Invite to Our May 16-17 Event”
Category: National
Scott McNealy’s Wayin Buys EngageSciences, Brings in New CEO
One of Denver’s most prominent tech startups is announcing big moves today. Wayin, a social-media marketing company co-founded by Scott McNealy, the former Sun Microsystems CEO, has acquired EngageSciences, a digital marketing firm based in the U.K. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Wayin is bringing on EngageSciences’ chief executive, Richard Jones, to be … Continue reading “Scott McNealy’s Wayin Buys EngageSciences, Brings in New CEO”
OutboundEngine Gets $16M for Marketing Software for Small Businesses
Austin—OutboundEngine, an Austin, TX-based company that makes business development software, has raised $16 million in Series C funding. The round was led by S3 Ventures, with participation from Silverton Partners, Noro-Moseley, Harmony Partners, Altos Ventures, and Capital Factory. The company says it will use the money to hire additional software developers, as well as marketing … Continue reading “OutboundEngine Gets $16M for Marketing Software for Small Businesses”
Led By Kayak Vets, GetHuman Will Fight Your Customer Service Battles
The phrase “customer service” sometimes seems like a joke, given all the barriers consumers must overcome to get their questions or problems resolved by big companies. We’ve all been there: Trying to navigate convoluted phone systems to reach an actual human being; twiddling your thumbs while listening to lame hold music; getting bounced from department … Continue reading “Led By Kayak Vets, GetHuman Will Fight Your Customer Service Battles”
A Vision for Boosting the Life Sciences in San Diego and Beyond
The life sciences industry represents a vital piece of San Diego’s innovation economy, contributing $31.8 billion each year in local economic impact—more than defense or even tourism, according to the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. Beyond our region, San Diego’s life sciences community is significant for a different reason: Our companies contribute novel healthcare … Continue reading “A Vision for Boosting the Life Sciences in San Diego and Beyond”
Dynamis Reels in $529K to Develop Tools for Sizing Up Health Plans
Dynamis Software, whose technology allows insurance brokers to design and evaluate health plans for the organizations they sell to, has raised more than $529,000 in equity financing, according to a regulatory document filed Tuesday. Dynamis will use the money to help fuel the West Allis, WI-based company’s growth, says co-founder and CEO Andy Nunemaker. “We’ve … Continue reading “Dynamis Reels in $529K to Develop Tools for Sizing Up Health Plans”
Duo Security Snags $2.5M Grant, Will Hire Up to 300
Ann Arbor, MI-based startup Duo Security announced that it has received a $2.5 million grant from the state’s Michigan Strategic Fund and, as a condition of the grant, plans to hire up to 300 new employees over the coming months. Economic development group Ann Arbor SPARK has pledged to assist Duo in its employee recruitment … Continue reading “Duo Security Snags $2.5M Grant, Will Hire Up to 300”
Formlabs Buys Pinshape, a 3D Design Marketplace
A bit of consolidation in the 3D-printing market today: Formlabs, a desktop 3D-printer company in Somerville, MA, says it has acquired Pinshape, an online marketplace for 3D designs, based in Vancouver, Canada. No terms of the deal were given, but it’s a fairly small acquisition. Pinshape has eight employees and got started in 2013. Its … Continue reading “Formlabs Buys Pinshape, a 3D Design Marketplace”
Five Questions For: Joah Spearman, Founder of Austin’s Localeur
Austin—The tech community in Austin, TX, takes great pride in its reputation as an innovation hub. So when Joah Spearman, co-founder and CEO of online city guides Localeur, called into question local venture capitalists’ dedication to supporting young tech companies, the allegation swirled around social media. “Despite this being an industry about first-movers and early … Continue reading “Five Questions For: Joah Spearman, Founder of Austin’s Localeur”
Exact Sciences Makes National TV Ad Push to Boost Cologuard Sales
[Updated 5/3/16, 11:08 a.m. See below.] Exact Sciences plans to launch a national TV advertising campaign in an important test of the appeal of Cologuard, its diagnostic product for colorectal cancer that requires patients to ship samples of their stool to a lab for testing. It’s not the first time Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) has made … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Makes National TV Ad Push to Boost Cologuard Sales”
Sharpening Neuro Focus, Biogen to Spin Out Hemophilia Biz
Biogen CEO George Scangos has spent the last several years focusing the company’s research efforts on drugs for tough-to-treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. That made the Cambridge, MA-based company’s hemophilia drugs outliers, which is why perhaps it’s no surprise that today the company has announced plans to funnel those drugs into a separate, … Continue reading “Sharpening Neuro Focus, Biogen to Spin Out Hemophilia Biz”
CloudHealth Scoops Up $20M to Expand in IT Management
The shift to cloud computing has created plenty of openings for businesses big and small to help manage cloud infrastructures and analyze the vast amounts of data that companies and organizations are accumulating. One such startup, Boston-based CloudHealth Technologies, has been rising fast. And it’s about to build on its recent momentum, thanks to a … Continue reading “CloudHealth Scoops Up $20M to Expand in IT Management”
Flatiron School Tapped to Offer Web Dev Training to Immigrants in NYC
In yet another collaboration with the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, a New York-based coding academy called the Flatiron School is inviting more folks to its classrooms. The Flatiron School announced a new fellowship program Tuesday created specifically to help low-income, legal immigrants in New York get the skills they … Continue reading “Flatiron School Tapped to Offer Web Dev Training to Immigrants in NYC”
With Devices Everywhere, CloudOne Rises as Private Cloud Service
Companies in almost every industry are targeting the market for “connected” devices, from doorbells and thermostats sold by Nest Labs to something as advanced as automobile hardware and software that monitors your driving habits. One Indiana-based company has steadily been building an infrastructure service that it hopes will help that market grow. CloudOne, located just … Continue reading “With Devices Everywhere, CloudOne Rises as Private Cloud Service”
HealthLX Raises $405K to Help Clients’ Systems Exchange Health Data
From a cardholder’s perspective, paying with plastic is really simple: swipe your card, enter a PIN if necessary, wait a couple seconds for the transaction to be approved, and be on your way. But during that momentary pause, there’s quite a bit happening behind the scenes. The point-of-sale terminal needs to send a query with … Continue reading “HealthLX Raises $405K to Help Clients’ Systems Exchange Health Data”
Toyota Opens New $1B Autonomous Vehicle Research Hub in Ann Arbor
All anyone in the automotive industry seems to be talking about these days is the race to develop autonomous cars and new mobility applications. The announcement last month of a new $1 billion Toyota vehicle research operation in Ann Arbor, MI, is another significant milestone in Michigan’s quest to lead the nation in the development … Continue reading “Toyota Opens New $1B Autonomous Vehicle Research Hub in Ann Arbor”
Emerging Medtech Companies to Pitch at San Antonio Symposium May 10
San Antonio — A few medtech companies will be pitching their products in a “rapid-fire” pitch competition next week at the Emerging Medical Technology Symposium in San Antonio. The organizers of the symposium, a group of medtech executives and others involved in the local industry, expect five companies to participate in the event, which awards … Continue reading “Emerging Medtech Companies to Pitch at San Antonio Symposium May 10”
Xconomy Bookclub: “Windfall” Looks at the Business of Climate Change
Summer is around the corner and with it the seasonal hot-and-sticky climate, favored stomping grounds for mosquitoes. This year, health officials have warned Houston and other coastal communities along the Gulf coast that Zika virus-bearing mosquitoes could add a very unpleasant twist to the summer season. Over a decade ago, it was dengue fever, which … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Windfall” Looks at the Business of Climate Change”
Pressured by a Lender, Bind Files for Bankruptcy
Bind Therapeutics was one of the many biotechs to go public amidst the sector’s recent bull run. But while a number of companies have charged forward since, Bind has stumbled, and today, after a lender forced its hand, the company is seeking bankruptcy protection. Cambridge, MA-based Bind (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIND]]) filed for Chapter 11 protection today, … Continue reading “Pressured by a Lender, Bind Files for Bankruptcy”
With Pillar and Other Newcomers, Boston’s Venture Scene Shifting
The venture capital industry is going through big changes, perhaps nowhere more so than in Boston, its birthplace. Today a new fund is coming out of stealth that speaks to recent trends in startups and VC—and it’s also trying to help unite the entrepreneurial community. The fund is called Pillar, and it has a familiar … Continue reading “With Pillar and Other Newcomers, Boston’s Venture Scene Shifting”
Echodyne Readies Lightweight Radar for Small Drones, Other Uses
As aviation regulators and the drone industry work out rules for the quadcopters and other small unmanned aircraft systems that may someday deliver packages—among scores of other commercial missions—one thing is clear: For the drones to reach the potential their backers envision, they will need to fly beyond the pilot’s line of sight. Radar is … Continue reading “Echodyne Readies Lightweight Radar for Small Drones, Other Uses”
Ransomware: Four Steps to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim
It’s no secret to anyone who’s been paying attention to global business news: over the last few months, ransomware attacks have been plaguing organizations across every vertical and nation. Recent examples include events in the healthcare and legal industries in particular, notably the widely reported attacks on the MedStar Health hospital chain. In the case … Continue reading “Ransomware: Four Steps to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim”
NC Biotech, Windsor Circle, Willow Hill, & More NC Innovation News
Summer is just around the corner, and as rainy April rolls into muggy May, here’s a look at the headlines from the last week in North Carolina tech, biotech, agtech, and cleantech news: —The North Carolina Biotechnology Center awarded $2.5 million in loans and grants for life sciences work at companies and universities during the … Continue reading “NC Biotech, Windsor Circle, Willow Hill, & More NC Innovation News”
With $43.5M Startup Cash, Homology Med Chases New Gene Editing Twist
A group of biotech veterans have debuted today a new company, Homology Medicines, with a bold claim that their underlying science is a better version of the gene editing methods, such as CRISPR-Cas9, that have captured the attention of patients, doctors, and scientists looking to treat desperate diseases. The claim is, for now, untested, as … Continue reading “With $43.5M Startup Cash, Homology Med Chases New Gene Editing Twist”
One Year After Gaffe, Acadia Gains FDA Nod For Parkinson’s Drug
Last year’s shakeup and mea culpa at San Diego’s Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACAD]]) has paid off. The FDA said late today it has approved Acadia’s pimavanserin (Nuplazid), a treatment for psychosis associated with Parkinson’s disease. Acadia stumbled badly last year, as Xconomy reported here. The former CEO Uli Hacksell unexpectedly left the company, taking the … Continue reading “One Year After Gaffe, Acadia Gains FDA Nod For Parkinson’s Drug”
Seattle Week in Review: Mariners Win World Series (of New Ownership)
Another accomplished technology leader will control a Seattle sports franchise, but don’t try taking the Alaskan Way Viaduct to see John Stanton in the Mariners owners’ box at Safeco Field over the next two weeks. This week, we’re reviewing a big funding round for Remitly, a spinout company from Whitepages, a minimum-wage pledge from Vacasa, … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Mariners Win World Series (of New Ownership)”
After Two Years Apart, Startups STEMhero and MeterHero Reunite
It’s rare that a spinoff company ends up buying its parent. But that’s what happened with STEMhero and MeterHero, two software startups born in Milwaukee and recently rejoined. In 2011, McGee Young, then a professor at Marquette University, taught an environmental politics class in which students brainstormed ideas to help people better understand how much … Continue reading “After Two Years Apart, Startups STEMhero and MeterHero Reunite”
Front Door Program Helps Startups Access WSU’s Business Resources
Tucked inside the building that houses TechTown Detroit is the office of Wayne State University’s Front Door for Business Engagement program, which connects local companies to WSU’s various resources—research assistance, access to cutting-edge or highly specialized equipment, student interns, and more. Established in 2012, the Front Door program is supported by WSU, the New Economy … Continue reading “Front Door Program Helps Startups Access WSU’s Business Resources”
6 Boston Tech Deals You Might’ve Missed This Week
Desktop Metal’s $34 million round and Gemvara’s sale to a business owned by Warren Buffett’s company turned heads this past week. Here are several other Boston-area tech deals that flew somewhat under the radar: —Verisk Health, the Waltham, MA-based healthcare data services division of Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRSK]]), is being acquired for $820 million by … Continue reading “6 Boston Tech Deals You Might’ve Missed This Week”
Millennial-Focused Media Firm Odyssey Rakes In $25M for Growth
An Indianapolis-based online media company called Odyssey raised $25 million from institutional investors in its first such funding round, the firm announced Thursday. Serial entrepreneur Michael Lazerow and Columbus Nova managing partner Jason Epstein led the round and will join Odyssey’s board of directors. Odyssey is billed as a social content platform for the up-and-coming … Continue reading “Millennial-Focused Media Firm Odyssey Rakes In $25M for Growth”
With CRISPR in Humans On The Horizon, Will the Public Back Intellia?
An icy March wind was blowing across the Charles River, but in the laboratory of Intellia Therapeutics, the 1970s soft-rock hit “Summer Breeze” was blasting. Chief scientific officer Tom Barnes apologized. “Usually it’s heavy metal,” he said. He pointed out a window to a local tower, visible over the Cambridge, MA rooftops, rising from a … Continue reading “With CRISPR in Humans On The Horizon, Will the Public Back Intellia?”
From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary
Cybersecurity is a rapidly changing field. The arms race between hackers and organizations trying to defend themselves has given rise to a lexicon of epic proportions—and leaders from almost every industry are learning to speak the language. As concepts like antivirus and firewalls have grown old, security-tech companies are selling everything from “advanced threat detection” … Continue reading “From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary”
Sales Is Toxic to Innovation
Having had the good fortune to participate in business development and sales in both startups and large companies (Intel and Microsoft), I have arrived at the conclusion that sales is largely detrimental to successfully bringing innovative ideas to market. There is a critical transition from business development to sales, and if made prematurely it will … Continue reading “Sales Is Toxic to Innovation”
Ionic Downloads $8.5M to Rev Up Business Around Open-Source Software
When trying to build a business on top of free software, step one is attracting a ton of users. Step two is figuring out how to make money. Ionic has successfully checked the first box. Since launching its free, open-source software more than two years ago, more than 4 million developers worldwide have used it … Continue reading “Ionic Downloads $8.5M to Rev Up Business Around Open-Source Software”
Augmedix Plans To Expand Google Glass-Based System For Healthcare
A year ago, a flurry of news stories declared the failure of Google’s Web-connected eyewear Google Glass after the company halted sales of the novel item whose debut it had trumpeted in 2012. Critics said consumers could never figure out a compelling use for the $1,500 smart glasses, which are equipped with a video camera, … Continue reading “Augmedix Plans To Expand Google Glass-Based System For Healthcare”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Sarepta, Nico, Ironwood & More
In biotech this Monday, all eyes were on an FDA advisory panel in Hyattsville, MD, where a throng of patient advocates some 800 strong gathered in support of approval for an experimental drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a fatal genetic disease with no cure. The results of the hearing didn’t go the way the crowd … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Sarepta, Nico, Ironwood & More”
COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability
Last week’s signing of the Paris climate accord successfully returned international efforts on climate change to the media spotlight. As private investors in cleantech startups since 2006, Element 8 members have been following the developments since December very closely. We are notably encouraged about the future of clean technologies in the wake of not just … Continue reading “COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability”
Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite
Carving out time to really ponder the future of our technology landscape can be touch, but it can also be incredibly valuable. And if that time is spent with some of the world’s great innovators, technologists, and investors, all the better. That’s just the opportunity you’ll have at Xconomy’s invitation-only Napa Summit on May 16-17. … Continue reading “Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite”
In M&A Bonanza, AbbVie, Sanofi Throw Billions at Stemcentrx, Medivation
It’s been a rocky 2016 for biotech, but so far lower valuations haven’t translated into large acquisitions. At least until this morning, when two of the world’s biggest pharma companies took out their wallets and threw billions of dollars at two biotechs from the San Francisco Bay Area. First, Sanofi, the French pharma giant, went … Continue reading “In M&A Bonanza, AbbVie, Sanofi Throw Billions at Stemcentrx, Medivation”
Gemvara, Once a Boston Tech Crown Jewel, Bought by Richline Group
Gemvara, which several years ago was one of Boston’s high-flying consumer tech startups, has been acquired by Richline Group, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary. Terms weren’t disclosed in a press release announcing the deal. The news was first reported by BostInno. Gemvara got started in 2006 as Paragon Lake, and its original business enabled shoppers to … Continue reading “Gemvara, Once a Boston Tech Crown Jewel, Bought by Richline Group”
Locating Veins, Smart Crossbows Headline Student Startup Competition
San Antonio — A team of University of Texas at San Antonio students who created an infrared device that helps medical workers more easily find veins won first place in the $100k Student Technology Venture Competition, hosted by the university’s Center for Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (CITE). The students’ product, called InfraVein, reflects infrared light, … Continue reading “Locating Veins, Smart Crossbows Headline Student Startup Competition”
Lufthansa Cargo Backs RocketSpace’s New Logistics Accelerator
RocketSpace, the big San Francisco co-working space that’s evolving into a matchmaker between corporations and innovative startups, said today it has signed up air freight giant Lufthansa Cargo as a partner in its first industry accelerator program. RocketSpace will choose about six startups to participate in its Logistics Tech Accelerator, where they’ll work on new … Continue reading “Lufthansa Cargo Backs RocketSpace’s New Logistics Accelerator”
Lindzon Sees Place for SparkFin in Constellation of Mobile Fintechs
As a broker, trader, and hedge fund manager, Howard Lindzon has long been fascinated by the potential use of social media for collecting and sharing stock tips and related information. He co-founded StockTwits in 2008 as an online social media network to share Wall Street market insights and ideas, and as a way to track … Continue reading “Lindzon Sees Place for SparkFin in Constellation of Mobile Fintechs”
Desktop Metal Grabs $34M to Move Prototype 3D Printers to Market
The stakes just got even higher for Desktop Metal. The Boston-area 3D printing startup burst onto the scene last fall with a nearly $14 million initial funding round from high-profile investors NEA, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, Lux Capital, 3D printing giant Stratasys, and others. Investors poured in the money largely based on faith in the … Continue reading “Desktop Metal Grabs $34M to Move Prototype 3D Printers to Market”
Hybra’s Kickstarter Backers File Complaints, Allege Fraud—And Wait
When we last caught up with Hybra Advance Technology in July 2015, co-founder Joe Thiel told us the company’s legion of disgruntled Kickstarter backers, who forked over nearly $550,000 in 2013 to help Hybra develop wireless headphones called the Sound Band, would soon be made whole. Beta test units of the headphones—which transmit sound through … Continue reading “Hybra’s Kickstarter Backers File Complaints, Allege Fraud—And Wait”
Texas Roundup: Rapamycin, SparkCognition, MolecularMatch, Rackspace
Let’s take a pause midweek and review the latest innovation news in the Lone Star State. —A San Antonio, TX-based biotech is placing a bet that an old drug can have new effects—with the help of a proprietary coating. Rapamycin Holdings hopes to begin testing in clinical trials a new formulation of the decades-old drug … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Rapamycin, SparkCognition, MolecularMatch, Rackspace”
CyberArk-Led Alliance Unites Security Around Privileged Accounts
A new nationwide cybersecurity industry partnership led by CyberArk Software underscores the sector’s increased emphasis on collaboration and unifying software security measures as threats mount around the world. CyberArk (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYBR]]) today announced the launch of the C3 Alliance, a group of cybersecurity, enterprise software, and other service providers who will integrate into their offerings … Continue reading “CyberArk-Led Alliance Unites Security Around Privileged Accounts”
Led by Ex-Suros Execs, Nico is Out To Change Brain Surgery
Imagine that, heaven forbid, a blood vessel bursts inside your brain, spilling blood and causing pressure to build inside delicate tissues. You’ve just suffered the deadliest kind of stroke, what’s known as an intracerebral hemorrhage. You might think that surgeons would want to try to repair the damage as soon as you get to the … Continue reading “Led by Ex-Suros Execs, Nico is Out To Change Brain Surgery”
Epic, OnKöl, Wicab, & ConjuGon: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
An up-and-down week for Verona, WI-based healthtech giant Epic Systems highlights these recent headlines from the state’s innovation community: —The U.S. Coast Guard has pulled out of an agreement to install Epic’s electronic health records software, Politico reported. “The decision was driven by concerns about the project’s ability to deliver a viable product in a … Continue reading “Epic, OnKöl, Wicab, & ConjuGon: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Woodside Distributors Crowned Champion of U-M Startup Competition
The University of Michigan concluded its spring business competition, called The Startup, last week, and, after a four-month pitching process, Woodside Distributors was crowned the champion. Hosted by U-M’s Center for Entrepreneurship, the competition began in January with 21 teams. From that initial field, a panel of local investors—the Mercury Fund’s Adrian Fortino, Jake Cohen … Continue reading “Woodside Distributors Crowned Champion of U-M Startup Competition”