Agricultural technology startups face challenges finding the capital to scale their companies, but they also struggle to find the farmland to test their products. Two companies experienced in agricultural investments have come together to launch a new venture fund that they say can address both problems. Willow Hill Ventures combines the agtech investment experience of … Continue reading “Finistere, IFC Team Up on New Ag Fund Willow Hill Ventures”
Category: National
Sanford Weill Gives $185M To Expand Neuroscience Research at UCSF
With the largest philanthropic gift ever to the University of California, San Francisco, controversial Wall Street titan Sanford “Sandy” Weill and his wife Joan will put their stamp on neurosciences work at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus. The $185 million gift from the Weill Family Foundation will help build a 270,000 square-foot research center, which has … Continue reading “Sanford Weill Gives $185M To Expand Neuroscience Research at UCSF”
A New Coat Makes The Difference in Rapamycin’s Disease Prevention
San Antonio — Drugs that can cure a disease inevitably draw the most attention. But San Antonio, TX-based Rapamycin Holdings is hoping that its drug’s potential to prevent the recurrence of diseases like cancer, among others, will at least draw the interest of a Big Pharma company with money to spend. By 2017, Rapamycin Holdings … Continue reading “A New Coat Makes The Difference in Rapamycin’s Disease Prevention”
Saver Rate Ends Today for Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors
We’re just a week away from Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors—and we’re offering you the chance to save $80. It all takes place next Monday, May 2, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA. Join us to for fireside chats, spotlight talks, keynotes, and more with some of Seattle’s top entrepreneurs, investors, and … Continue reading “Saver Rate Ends Today for Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors”
Money Transfer Service Remitly Raises $38.5M to Expand to New Markets
Already serving three of the largest destination countries for money sent home by foreign workers in the U.S., Seattle-based Remitly has raised $38.5 million from investors to expand further and claim a greater share of the estimated $601 billion in annual global remittances. Remitly says it is helping immigrant workers living in the U.S. send … Continue reading “Money Transfer Service Remitly Raises $38.5M to Expand to New Markets”
Austin’s SparkCognition Raises $6M for Predictive Cybersecurity
Austin—[Updated 6/26/17, 10 a.m. See below.] Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity company SparkCognition has closed a $6 million Series B funding round from investors that include Verizon Ventures and CME Ventures. The startup plans to spend the new money on gaining customers for its machine-learning technology that aims to predict when a company’s systems might fail … Continue reading “Austin’s SparkCognition Raises $6M for Predictive Cybersecurity”
Freshly Expands Its Reach, Looks to Challenge Sprig in Meal Delivery
In an expansion effort that brings its service to 28 states, New York-based meal delivery startup Freshly says it is also stepping into competitor Sprig’s turf—at a time when this sector is ripe for consolidation. On Monday, Freshly announced it scaled up its coverage area, including in states, such as Illinois, where San Francisco-based Sprig … Continue reading “Freshly Expands Its Reach, Looks to Challenge Sprig in Meal Delivery”
Panama Papers Leak: The New Normal?
Imagine if robbing banks were so easy and common that the only headlines were about all the taxes the thieves were avoiding. Cybercrime has become so expected and normal that media coverage of the Panama Papers leak has barely mentioned law firm Mossack Fonseca’s failure to protect its most valuable and sensitive assets: the files … Continue reading “Panama Papers Leak: The New Normal?”
Veering Off Topic With Salsify CEO Jason Purcell
Jason Purcell is the next victim in my ongoing series of quirky conversations with local tech leaders. Purcell heads up Salsify, which makes cloud-based product-content management software for brands and retailers. He co-founded the company in 2012 with Rob Gonzalez and Jeremy Redburn. The trio previously worked together at Cambridge, MA-based Endeca, the enterprise search … Continue reading “Veering Off Topic With Salsify CEO Jason Purcell”
Near-Term FDA Nod Unlikely For Duchenne Drug After Negative Vote
In a close 7-6 vote, a committee of medical experts said today that eteplirsen, a drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, has not met the bar set by the FDA for approval, which could make the drug the third Duchenne treatment in recent months to face FDA rejection, adding to the frustration of a tight-knit … Continue reading “Near-Term FDA Nod Unlikely For Duchenne Drug After Negative Vote”
Apester Raised $17M in Series A Round Led by Blumberg Capital
Last week, New York-based Apester, a platform brands and publishers can use to tell stories with digital content, announced it closed a $17 million Series A round led by Blumberg Capital. Finding new ways to hold the audience’s attention with digital content is a problem other startups such as Contextly, an alum of the Matter accelerator, have also been … Continue reading “Apester Raised $17M in Series A Round Led by Blumberg Capital”
Houston’s MolecularMatch Expands Cancer Patient Treatment Service
Houston — Since MolecularMatch launched its web-based service to connect patients to clinical trials two years ago, the startup has received more than 250,000 searches by people seeking cancer treatment. “We don’t know if each of those people successfully ended up in a clinical trial,” says CEO Kevin Coker, citing privacy rules that patients agree to once … Continue reading “Houston’s MolecularMatch Expands Cancer Patient Treatment Service”
Energy Storage Tech Catches On, But Policy Is Still Catching Up
The electric grid we have today operates largely as it has for decades—electricity produced and dispatched across power lines is used by customers right away. But nearly 30 years ago, a tiny North Carolina electric cooperative did something no other electric utility had done before. It used a battery to store some of that grid … Continue reading “Energy Storage Tech Catches On, But Policy Is Still Catching Up”
Launch Fishers Founder on Growing a Startup Cluster in a Suburb
Launch Fishers wasn’t the first co-working space to open in Indiana, but in less than four years it has become a model of success that others hope to emulate. Established in 2012 as a way for the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers to keep its entrepreneurs close to home, Launch Fishers now has about 575 members … Continue reading “Launch Fishers Founder on Growing a Startup Cluster in a Suburb”
Threat Stack Founder’s New Startup, Komand, Pushes Security Automation
Threat Stack co-founder Jen Andre, who left the company last year, is back with another Boston-area cybersecurity startup called Komand. The Cambridge, MA-based company formed late last year and has received funding from Accomplice, according to Komand’s website. Accomplice’s Chris Lynch and Cort Johnson sit on Komand’s board, along with Andre, the website shows. The … Continue reading “Threat Stack Founder’s New Startup, Komand, Pushes Security Automation”
AkitaBox Raises $1.1M to Develop Software for Storing Building Data
In today’s society, 8.5 by 11—the dimensions, in inches, of a typical sheet of paper— is giving way to 1’s and 0’s. Book pages have become pixels on the screens of e-readers like Amazon’s Kindle. Medical charts detailing patients’ health histories have migrated from file cabinets to racks of computer servers. Building management and maintenance … Continue reading “AkitaBox Raises $1.1M to Develop Software for Storing Building Data”
C-STEM Midwest Challenge Designed to Bolster Tech Talent Pipeline
Detroit’s Cobo Center will host the C-STEM Midwest Challenge tomorrow, a competition for PreK-12 students meant to engage them in communications, science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on projects. C-STEM‘s founder, Reagan Flowers, said exposing kids to STEM early is key to bolstering the tech talent pipeline. Flowers is a Detroit native. She spent her … Continue reading “C-STEM Midwest Challenge Designed to Bolster Tech Talent Pipeline”
With New Partner, Rackspace Builds Out Support for Rivals’ Clouds
San Antonio — [Updated 4/27/16, 3:32 p.m. See below.] Cloud-computing giant Rackspace has made a deal to work with a Boston company that helps large businesses transfer their IT services to cloud-based infrastructures like Amazon Web Services. It’s a move that comes as Rackspace is increasingly finding ways to make money along with the public … Continue reading “With New Partner, Rackspace Builds Out Support for Rivals’ Clouds”
Immunotherapy, Global Health & More At Seattle’s Life Sci Disruptors
Our annual life sciences forum in Seattle is coming up on May 2 at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and we’re looking forward to an afternoon of discussions that tap into the city’s biotech and public health expertise. You can peruse the newly updated agenda here, but I’d like to share some of the … Continue reading “Immunotherapy, Global Health & More At Seattle’s Life Sci Disruptors”
Purdue’s Fintech Experiment: An Alternative to Pricy Student Loans
Purdue University, which prides itself on teaching innovation, is joining with a financial technology startup in an unusual partnership that may pave the way for lower-cost tuition payment options for students at other higher education institutions some day. Starting May 2, juniors and seniors at West Lafayette, IN-based Purdue can apply for a novel source … Continue reading “Purdue’s Fintech Experiment: An Alternative to Pricy Student Loans”
Boston Tech Watchlist: PillPack, Onshape, Placester, Meta, Northeastern
This week in Boston tech, we’re tracking the latest on PillPack, Placester’s first acquisitions, more money for Onshape, a Boston-area hire by Silicon Valley augmented reality startup Meta, and a nanotech manufacturing program at Northeastern University. Read on for details. —Onshape appears to have tacked on $25 million to an earlier $80 million equity funding … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watchlist: PillPack, Onshape, Placester, Meta, Northeastern”
Uber’s $100M Settlement Doesn’t End On-Demand Economy Worker Debate
Uber has agreed to pay up to $100 million to settle two class-action lawsuits brought by drivers in California and Massachusetts, a move that keeps its low-cost business model intact and could have ripple effects throughout the app-enabled, on-demand services industry. Uber’s settlement allows it to continue classifying its drivers in those two states as … Continue reading “Uber’s $100M Settlement Doesn’t End On-Demand Economy Worker Debate”
Seattle Week in Review: Snow in April Edition
“And all good things, they say, never last / “Springtime was always my favorite time of year” – Prince Sometimes it’s sunny in April. Seattle had three days in a row of record hot temperatures. Then Prince, undisputed innovator, dies. Sometimes It Snows in April. Other good things that may not last: billion-dollar valuations of … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Snow in April Edition”
West Coast Bio Roundup: Prince, Theranos, Second Genome, CytomX & More
The biggest biomedical news on this coast, that coast, or any coast this week is the death of Prince Rogers Nelson, 57, a man who did more to promote cardiovascular fitness than any drug maker could ever hope to do. How much of your life have you spent dancing to his music, or, ahem, engaged … Continue reading “West Coast Bio Roundup: Prince, Theranos, Second Genome, CytomX & More”
Boston Startups Combat New Threats in Cybersecurity “War Zone”
Ed Davis doesn’t look like he would be fazed by anything. The former commissioner of the Boston Police Department has seen the kind of horrors he can’t erase from his mind—including the Boston Marathon bombing and its aftermath—but he has moved on. Now, a new type of threat has crept into his psyche. This one … Continue reading “Boston Startups Combat New Threats in Cybersecurity “War Zone””
Announcing Xconomy Cybersecurity Channel
It doesn’t seem to matter where you live, what you do, or what industry your company is in—the likelihood of a cyber attack is growing, and protecting yourself is ever more front of mind. Xconomy’s editors around the United States have certainly encountered that reality, as they are increasingly covering more and more cybersecurity issues. … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Cybersecurity Channel”
San Antonio Startup Merge VR Expands Retail Reach In GameStop Deal
San Antonio — San Antonio-based Merge VR, a virtual reality headset maker with a device that can be used with most new Android or iOS phones, announced this week that it has signed a deal with gaming giant GameStop and lowered the price of its headset to $80. The deal is just one of “several more” … Continue reading “San Antonio Startup Merge VR Expands Retail Reach In GameStop Deal”
Amid Coding School Boom, Eleven Fifty Aims to Meet a Local Need
A little over a year ago, John Qualls, a veteran entrepreneur and leader in the Indianapolis area’s business community, decided to try something slightly different for his next career move. At the time Qualls was working as an executive at BlueLock, a company he started in 2006 that develops software to help clients manage data … Continue reading “Amid Coding School Boom, Eleven Fifty Aims to Meet a Local Need”
MVCA Report Reveals Strengths, Weaknesses of MI’s Capital Community
The Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) hosted a town hall meeting in downtown Detroit Tuesday to discuss the contents of its annual report, which takes a deep dive into the state’s venture investing ecosystem to get a sense of the current landscape and how it compares not only to past years, but the rest of … Continue reading “MVCA Report Reveals Strengths, Weaknesses of MI’s Capital Community”
With BioMarin Data, Gene Therapy Finally Shows Impact on Hemophilia A
It’s too early to call it a breakthrough, but for the first time, a gene therapy has been shown to have a real impact on patients with hemophilia A, the most common form of the chronic blood disease. The early data, which come with plenty of caveats, were reported today by BioMarin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BMRN]]), of … Continue reading “With BioMarin Data, Gene Therapy Finally Shows Impact on Hemophilia A”
TriFusion Takes Top Prize in Rice Business Plan Competition
Houston — A Texas A&M University-based medical device company aiming to build a better prosthetic now has some new capital to support the effort. TriFusion Devices got a big boost over the weekend as the big winner in this year’s Rice Business Plan Competition, namely winning at least $300,000 in investment from Houston’s Goose Society. “It’s going … Continue reading “TriFusion Takes Top Prize in Rice Business Plan Competition”
Argos Lays Off 18 and Executive Resigns, But Phase 3 Still on Track
Argos Therapeutics has already secured financing expected to carry the company far enough to report late-stage clinical trial results for its experimental kidney cancer treatment, but that hasn’t stopped the company from taking additional cost-cutting measures. Durham, NC-based Argos (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARGS]]) is laying off 18 workers, representing 13 percent of its workforce, according to a … Continue reading “Argos Lays Off 18 and Executive Resigns, But Phase 3 Still on Track”
WiredWest Needs State Help to Bring Broadband to Western MA: Report
Verizon’s plan to wire Boston with Fios, its high-speed fiber optic network, isn’t the only proposal for turbocharging the state’s Internet access speeds. In western Massachusetts, a startup effort formed by more than two dozen towns is planning a high-speed fiber optic network operated as a municipal cooperative company. The public startup organization is called … Continue reading “WiredWest Needs State Help to Bring Broadband to Western MA: Report”
Credential Stealing as Attack Vector
Traditional computer security concerns itself with vulnerabilities. We employ antivirus software to detect malware that exploits vulnerabilities. We have automatic patching systems to fix vulnerabilities. We debate whether the FBI should be permitted to introduce vulnerabilities in our software so it can get access to systems with a warrant. This is all important, but what’s … Continue reading “Credential Stealing as Attack Vector”
Bluebird’s Gene Therapy Shows Promise in Rare Brain Disease
Cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy is a rare, crippling neurological disease that leaves its patients, typically boys, severely disabled and ultimately dead in a matter of years. Only painful, dangerous bone marrow transplants can stop the progression of CALD. But while the transplants are effective in many cases, they can also be deadly for the patients who get … Continue reading “Bluebird’s Gene Therapy Shows Promise in Rare Brain Disease”
Probing Gut Microbiome, Second Genome Nabs $43M To Push Colitis Drug
[Corrected, 4/20/16, 2pm. See below.] Second Genome, a South San Francisco, CA-based biotech using microbiome research to develop traditional small-molecule drugs, has tapped an unusual group of private investors for nearly $43 million in a Series B round of financing. The cash should take Second Genome through a Phase 2 trial for its lead drug, … Continue reading “Probing Gut Microbiome, Second Genome Nabs $43M To Push Colitis Drug”
Laser-Cutter Maker Glowforge Delays Pre-Order Shipments 6 Months
[Updated 4/19/16 8:32 p.m. See below.] The power supply for the forthcoming Glowforge laser cutter and engraver has to cycle on and off hundreds of times a second. The bespoke component is not available at RadioShack. As a result of delays in procuring a power supply that meets its standards, Glowforge is delaying shipment of the devices … Continue reading “Laser-Cutter Maker Glowforge Delays Pre-Order Shipments 6 Months”
Roundup: Ford, SPLT, Digital Divas, Invest Michigan, & More
Here’s a look at startup and innovation news from around Michigan: —Ford recently began a 10-year transformation of its Dearborn headquarters with the goal of creating a “modern, green, and high-tech campus to foster innovation and help drive the company’s transition to an auto and a mobility company,” according to a press release. The 60-year-old … Continue reading “Roundup: Ford, SPLT, Digital Divas, Invest Michigan, & More”
Threat Stack Downloads $15.4M to Protect Data in the Cloud
An up-and-coming Boston cybersecurity company just picked up a big chunk of cash to help companies fight off software attacks—an increasingly complex task in the cloud era. Threat Stack today announced a $15.4 million Series B funding round led by Scale Venture Partners, with contributions from previous backers, including Accomplice and .406 Ventures. Ariel Tseitlin, … Continue reading “Threat Stack Downloads $15.4M to Protect Data in the Cloud”
Ready Or Not: Next Alzheimer’s Drugs Might Strain Health Systems
By 2029, more than 20 percent of people in the United States will be over the age of 65. That’s why the race to find effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease feels urgent. A few drugs, approved well over a decade ago, can slow patients’ mental decline for some time. But everything else that has reached … Continue reading “Ready Or Not: Next Alzheimer’s Drugs Might Strain Health Systems”
Nanosys, QD Vision Patent Fight Could Shake Up Nanotech Sector
As consumer device makers keep upping the ante with high-definition displays, a patent lawsuit between two well-funded, competing developers of “quantum dot” display technology could have ramifications for an emerging business sector. Milpitas, CA-based nanotechnology company Nanosys is suing Lexington, MA-based QD Vision for allegedly infringing upon 13 patents that Nanosys says it exclusively licensed … Continue reading “Nanosys, QD Vision Patent Fight Could Shake Up Nanotech Sector”
MSU Highlights New Campus-Born Technologies, Names Conquer Cohort
Michigan State University hosted an event last Thursday highlighting its most promising innovations, inventors, and spin-out startups, as well as the first cohort for its new Conquer Accelerator. Charlie Hasemann, the university’s assistant vice president for innovation and economic development and director of MSU’s Innovation Center, emphasized the highlighted technologies’ impact on the community at … Continue reading “MSU Highlights New Campus-Born Technologies, Names Conquer Cohort”
Tour of Texas: Surge Ventures, Dell, Fannin Innovation, CellRight
Let’s take a moment to pause in the building of our ark to deal with the torrents of rain and floodwaters here at Xconomy Texas’ Houston headquarters, and reflect on the last week’s innovation news: Austin: —Dell Computer purchased EMC hoping to benefit by being able to offer its hardware along with the Massachusetts company’s … Continue reading “Tour of Texas: Surge Ventures, Dell, Fannin Innovation, CellRight”
Agenda Posted For Napa Summit: Request Invite to Star-Studded Event
It’s four weeks until Napa Summit 2016: The Xconomy Retreat on the Economy, Jobs, and Growth. We have now posted the agenda, and we’d love to see you there. So request your invitation today to Xconomy’s most prestigious event. The dates are May 16 and 17, starting with a wine reception and dinner at Silver … Continue reading “Agenda Posted For Napa Summit: Request Invite to Star-Studded Event”
AOL and Cornell Tech’s Connected Experiences Lab Births First Idea
A bit of new technology has emerged from a partnership between AOL and New York-based Cornell Tech. Last week, AOL and the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech announced in a press statement they had come up with something called immersive recommendations technology. This would let users opt in to use their personal digital information from one platform to … Continue reading “AOL and Cornell Tech’s Connected Experiences Lab Births First Idea”
ShopAdvisor Buys Retailigence to Marry Mobile With In-Store Shopping
ShopAdvisor has acquired Retailigence in a tie-up of two marketing technology startups that highlights a push by brands and retailers to get smarthphone-wielding shoppers to make purchases in stores. The deal price wasn’t disclosed. ShopAdvisor was founded in 2011 as Evoqu and initially launched with an app that allows shoppers to scan barcodes of items and … Continue reading “ShopAdvisor Buys Retailigence to Marry Mobile With In-Store Shopping”
$1B Lumina Foundation Backs New Education Credentials Framework
Advocates of online education say it can provide learning opportunities as good as college coursework, but at a much lower cost. The broad offerings of edtech companies now range from foreign language instruction to history lessons to computer programming. What non-traditional education providers have always needed, though, is the ability to award their students a … Continue reading “$1B Lumina Foundation Backs New Education Credentials Framework”
Chiasma Shares Crater as FDA Rejects Hormone Drug, Asks For More Data
Chiasma was on the doorstep of possible of approval of its first drug, a potential treatment for a rare hormonal disorder called acromegaly. Now the Waltham, MA-based company is going to stay there for awhile, because the FDA believes it has a lot more data to accrue before approval is granted. Late Friday, Chiasma (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Chiasma Shares Crater as FDA Rejects Hormone Drug, Asks For More Data”
San Diego Venture Funding Drops in QI—But Here are Top 10 Deals
The pace of venture capital funding slowed substantially in San Diego during the first quarter, with venture firms investing $253.5 million in 21 startups, according to data from the MoneyTree Report. The amount of capital invested in San Diego was down by almost a third from the same quarter in 2015, when VCs provided over … Continue reading “San Diego Venture Funding Drops in QI—But Here are Top 10 Deals”
An LP Becomes Owner of Silicon Valley VC Firm Northgate
Venture capital firms are usually owned by their founders and other firm executives who actively decide how to invest the money entrusted to them by wealthy individuals and institutions, such as pension funds. The suppliers of capital are called limited partners, and their usual role is to sit back while the VC firm chooses how … Continue reading “An LP Becomes Owner of Silicon Valley VC Firm Northgate”