This week in Boston’s technology scene, we’re tracking new capital for startups, executives on the move, a local fintech company’s foray across the pond, and Staples’ unexpected move to bring more people into its stores. Read on for details. —LevelUp, a Boston-based mobile payments software company, raised $5 million from investors, according to a new … Continue reading “From Funding to Fabrics, This Week’s Boston Tech Highlights”
Category: National
How Startups Can Run Better Landing Page Tests
In today’s fast-changing world, new product teams are constantly pushed to do more faster. They need to run fast to keep up with rapidly changing market conditions. Oftentimes it means making decisions about what to invest in with very little information. How can teams validate hypotheses without over-investing on speculative engineering projects, and potentially losing … Continue reading “How Startups Can Run Better Landing Page Tests”
Nest Founder Envisions Bigger Tech Community in Downtown San Diego
First came the Cyberhive, a tech incubator in San Diego’s Bankers Hill neighborhood that opened three years ago to help local cybersecurity startups refine their business plans, identify investors, and advance their technologies. In 2014, Cyberhive founder Darin Andersen added iHive, making space in the same building for startups that are focused on the Internet … Continue reading “Nest Founder Envisions Bigger Tech Community in Downtown San Diego”
Tour of Texas: Cancer Moonshot, Lumos, Robyn Metcalfe, & Esperance
It’s time to hit the road and catch up with the latest innovation news in the state. Austin: —Part of the mission of the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas is to both bring leading scientists to the state and support the research of those already here. This week it said that some of … Continue reading “Tour of Texas: Cancer Moonshot, Lumos, Robyn Metcalfe, & Esperance”
As Demand For Developers Rises, Denim Group Founders Stress Security
San Antonio—Dan Cornell and Sheridan Chambers had barely graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio—Chambers in 1997, and Cornell a year later—when they sold their first company, Atension, in 1999 to then-publicly traded Rare Medium Group. Their stint at Rare, which suffered the same fate as many dot-com-era software businesses when the bubble burst in … Continue reading “As Demand For Developers Rises, Denim Group Founders Stress Security”
Roundup: Hacker Fellows, WSU, Rebrand Detroit, Sapa Technology
[Corrected, 10:20am. See below] Here’s a look at startup and innovation news from around Michigan: —Hacker Fellows, the Detroit-based training program that places computer science graduates in developer roles at high-growth tech startups across the state, will hold an interview day on April 8 to introduce its fellows to potential employers. Now in its second … Continue reading “Roundup: Hacker Fellows, WSU, Rebrand Detroit, Sapa Technology”
West Coast Bio Roundup: Pfizer’s BBC Ghosts, Gilead’s NASH, HLI’s Cash
The roundup was on hiatus last week for a little R&R in the California desert, which is an endless panorama of reminders that even the biggest slabs of rock eventually turn to sand. We returned this week to find the mountain otherwise known as the Pfizer-Allergan merger crumbling before our eyes under pressure, not from … Continue reading “West Coast Bio Roundup: Pfizer’s BBC Ghosts, Gilead’s NASH, HLI’s Cash”
Urban Farm Incubator Aims to Grow Agricultural Movement in Indy
[Corrected, 10:10am. See below] Tysha Ahmed grew up on a small farm in rural Georgia, where her family raised chickens and ducks and planted enough produce for their own needs. Now the 40-year-old is planning her first commercial crops—likely some combination of lettuce, tomatoes, and other salad fixings that she’ll sell in the urban Indianapolis … Continue reading “Urban Farm Incubator Aims to Grow Agricultural Movement in Indy”
RiverVest Opens San Diego Office That’s Been 10 Years in the Making
RiverVest Venture Partners has stayed mostly under the radar as a small-but-active investor in San Diego life sciences startups for the past 10 years or so. After making investments in San Diego’s Cabrellis Pharmaceuticals and Conforma Therapeutics, the St. Louis, MO-based firm recruited Niall O’Donnell in 2006 to oversee the firm’s deals in San Diego. … Continue reading “RiverVest Opens San Diego Office That’s Been 10 Years in the Making”
Latest gBETA Class Unveiled, Suggests Ties With WARF Are Solidifying
In November, the startup accelerator Gener8tor announced a partnership with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which manages patents and licensing of intellectual property for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Under the agreement, WARF became a sponsor of gBETA, a no-strings-attached accelerator run by Gener8tor for early-stage companies affiliated with colleges and universities in Wisconsin. Additional ties … Continue reading “Latest gBETA Class Unveiled, Suggests Ties With WARF Are Solidifying”
Local Minds, Global Impact At Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors May 2
We’re a month away from our annual life sciences forum in Seattle, the agenda is posted, and it’s time to fill in some color on our speakers and topics. Seattle is remarkable for having a lot of varied expertise packed into a small footprint. People from private biopharma, public global health, academic discovery, and many … Continue reading “Local Minds, Global Impact At Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors May 2”
Allergan, Pfizer Cancel $160B Merger, Citing U.S. Treasury Actions
The speculation turned out to be true: Pfizer and Allergan announced today that they are canceling a proposed $160 billion merger, in large part due to steps the U.S. Treasury Department is planning to prevent tax avoidance. Their stock prices started swinging late Monday as the companies began reviewing the new rules released that day by … Continue reading “Allergan, Pfizer Cancel $160B Merger, Citing U.S. Treasury Actions”
Lumos Pharma Raises $34M to Fund Clinical Trials for CTD Drug
Austin — Lumos Pharma has raised $34 million in a Series B round to help pay for clinical trials this summer for a potential therapy for creatine transporter deficiency (CTD). The Austin, TX-based biotech company believes its drug candidate, LUM-001, can turn the debilitating disease into a more manageable condition. About 42,000 Americans were born with and … Continue reading “Lumos Pharma Raises $34M to Fund Clinical Trials for CTD Drug”
Bind Therapeutics Sheds Employees, Considers New Capital or Deals
Bind Therapeutics, the Cambridge, MA-based biotech that hired a Bristol-Myers Squibb oncology researcher as its chief scientific officer in December, is laying off 38 percent of its workforce this month to limit the amount of cash it burns through, the company said in a prepared statement. Bind (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIND]]) expects it will have 61 employees … Continue reading “Bind Therapeutics Sheds Employees, Considers New Capital or Deals”
There’s Never Been a Better Time for Female Tech Entrepreneurs
When I was a young girl, I knew that I wanted to run my own business someday. In fact, I would end up leading almost every club or team that I got involved in at school. However, by the time I actually began my career, I was well aware that the odds were not entirely … Continue reading “There’s Never Been a Better Time for Female Tech Entrepreneurs”
Announcing Xconomy Indiana—11th Region in Our Network
Just over two years ago, when we launched Xconomy Wisconsin as the ninth region in our network, I wrote: “There are no flyover zones in the United States. That’s the way Xconomy views the map, anyway, because we see innovation happening all over America.” Since that time, we expanded again, to Raleigh-Durham. And I am … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Indiana—11th Region in Our Network”
ExactTarget Alums Aim Big With Indianapolis Startup Studio High Alpha
ExactTarget helped put Indianapolis on the map as a good place to build a cloud software company that serves business customers. Now, High Alpha—a startup studio/venture fund whose founders include three former ExactTarget executives—aims to cement the city’s status as an enterprise software hub. High Alpha was formed a year ago and launched publicly in … Continue reading “ExactTarget Alums Aim Big With Indianapolis Startup Studio High Alpha”
As Rivals Make News, Intercept Heads To Daylong Hearing For Liver Drug
Tuesday morning, FDA scientists published a thick document describing their view of the drug obeticholic acid as a treatment for a rare form of liver disease called primary biliary cirrhosis. With that document in mind, a panel of outside advisors will spend Thursday grilling the drug’s maker, New York-based Intercept Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ICPT]]), and recommend … Continue reading “As Rivals Make News, Intercept Heads To Daylong Hearing For Liver Drug”
Pegasus Sustainability Nabs $2M to Develop Cleanup-facilitating Tools
Mark Hope understands the power of auctions. Hope is the founder and CEO of Pegasus Sustainability Solutions, whose software helps connect organizations or individuals that generate waste with groups that can come take it away. One mechanism behind this matchmaking is the reverse auction, where a waste-removal contract goes to the bidder willing to accept … Continue reading “Pegasus Sustainability Nabs $2M to Develop Cleanup-facilitating Tools”
Five Questions For: Robyn Metcalfe, Director of Food+City at UT-Austin
Austin — Cities are planned in a number of ways, from roads to utilities to parks. Robyn Metcalfe wants that focus to apply to the way our food is distributed. As director of Food+City, a multi-departmental effort at the University of Texas at Austin, Metcalfe is exploring how to create a better food system. “We’re … Continue reading “Five Questions For: Robyn Metcalfe, Director of Food+City at UT-Austin”
Paul English’s Lola Nabs $20M For “Conversational Commerce” Play
Paul English is more convinced than ever that something he calls “conversational commerce” is the way of the future. He’s talking about consumers ordering stuff via text messages with a software bot or, if you’d believe it, an actual human being. The Kayak co-founder’s new travel technology startup, Boston-based Lola, is part of this emerging … Continue reading “Paul English’s Lola Nabs $20M For “Conversational Commerce” Play”
Immelt Puts Human Face, and Dollar Amounts, on GE’s Move to Boston
On any other day, the State Room on the 33rd floor of 60 State Street would afford sweeping views of Boston’s financial district, state house, and waterfront. But on Monday, it was shrouded in a snow squall—a reminder that few things come easy in New England, least of all springtime. Inside the room, elite politicians … Continue reading “Immelt Puts Human Face, and Dollar Amounts, on GE’s Move to Boston”
NIH Awards $3.6M to Expand WSU Program for Minority Science Students
A Wayne State University program to help nurture budding scientists has been so successful, the National Institutes of Health has given it an additional $3.6 million in funding, which will enable it to grow and run at least another five years. The Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) is designed to support underrepresented students and … Continue reading “NIH Awards $3.6M to Expand WSU Program for Minority Science Students”
Software Study Ranks San Diego #7, Cites Prowess in Scientific R&D
A study to assess the strength of San Diego’s software sector has determined that it ranks seventh among the top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas, according to a “software power index” that weighs a variety of economic factors. The study, released last week by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., is the first comprehensive analysis … Continue reading “Software Study Ranks San Diego #7, Cites Prowess in Scientific R&D”
Making the Price Right: Ideas To Change Drug Costs Gain Momentum
If the U.S. presidential primaries continue their current trajectories, the two contenders come autumn will have at least one thing in common: a stated desire to do something about high drug prices. Maybe you believe them, and maybe you think they’re blowing smoke up our nether regions. But momentum is momentum. With consumers, doctors, and … Continue reading “Making the Price Right: Ideas To Change Drug Costs Gain Momentum”
New York’s Life Science Disruptors: The Photos
Last week, we held our yearly Big Apple biotech event, “New York’s Life Science Disruptors,” which provides an inside look at the people and companies that are shaping the emerging life sciences scene in the city. As per usual, today I’m circling back with the photos. Just wanted to say thanks again to all the folks … Continue reading “New York’s Life Science Disruptors: The Photos”
$220M Richer, Human Longevity Ups Ante In Genomics Business Race
Human Longevity, the private San Diego startup aiming to turn DNA from tens of thousands of people into a range of new businesses, said this afternoon it has reeled in $220 million in venture cash. The Series B money brings Human Longevity’s fundraising to $300 million, a stunning sum for a biotech with an unproven … Continue reading “$220M Richer, Human Longevity Ups Ante In Genomics Business Race”
Verizon, Cornell Tech, and CUNY Form NY Women in Tech Initiative
Bringing together public and private support, a tech education program has taken shape in New York to encourage more women to get trained to pursue careers in the industry. Verizon Communications, alongside Cornell Tech and the City University of New York, recently announced the Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship in New York Initiative (WiTNY)—which aims … Continue reading “Verizon, Cornell Tech, and CUNY Form NY Women in Tech Initiative”
Old Dog, New Tests: Embark Uses DNA Kit to Promote Canine Health
Austin — Human genetic testing is an increasingly popular way to gain bio-intelligence about ourselves and potentially ward off illness. Now, some startups want to enable us to do the same for man’s best friend. Embark Veterinary is an Austin, TX, startup that is offering what it says is the first canine DNA test to … Continue reading “Old Dog, New Tests: Embark Uses DNA Kit to Promote Canine Health”
AstraZeneca Spinout Entasis Snags $50M For Anti-Infective Treatments
Entasis Therapeutics, the AstraZeneca spinout developing novel antibiotics, has raised a $50 million Series B round to push forward the creation of a portfolio of treatments for drug-resistant bacterial infections. AstraZeneca announced it was creating Entasis in July, having funded the company with a $40 million Series A. This newest round was led by Clarus … Continue reading “AstraZeneca Spinout Entasis Snags $50M For Anti-Infective Treatments”
Napa Summit 2016: Request Your Invite to Our Most Special Event
There are all sorts of reasons for requesting an invitation to Xconomy’s Napa Summit, which will take place in just six weeks—on May 16-17. One is the fantastic array of speakers: John Maeda, design partner at Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers; virtual reality virtuoso Mary Lou Jepsen of Facebook/Oculus; tech investor Esther Dyson; computing visionary … Continue reading “Napa Summit 2016: Request Your Invite to Our Most Special Event”
Nimbus’s LLC Origins Pay off As Gilead Shells Out $400M For Liver Drug
When Nimbus Therapeutics started out as a company called Nimbus “Discovery,” it was structured in a way that would allow it to easily sell one of its assets to an acquirer. Though the company has since changed its name, that original decision paid off today: Gilead Sciences is paying as much as $1.2 billion for … Continue reading “Nimbus’s LLC Origins Pay off As Gilead Shells Out $400M For Liver Drug”
Novo Nordisk, TransLoc, Duke Energy, & More NC Innovation News
Here are some of the top headlines from the last week in North Carolina tech, biotech, cleantech, and fintech news: —Novo Nordisk (NYSE: [[ticker:NVO]]) broke ground on a $1.8 billion production facility in Clayton that the Denmark-based company says will produce active pharmaceutical ingredients for products across its diabetes portfolio. Novo Nordisk expects the 833,000 … Continue reading “Novo Nordisk, TransLoc, Duke Energy, & More NC Innovation News”
Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion, in Pictures and Takeaways
Our second annual robotics event in Boston was a huge success—and a lot of fun. It covered a vast amount of ground: not just the latest advances in robot technologies and businesses, but also the rise of artificial intelligence in tech companies and the mainstream vernacular. Big thanks to Google, our hosts, for providing a fantastic space … Continue reading “Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion, in Pictures and Takeaways”
Veering Off Topic With VoltDB CEO Bruce Reading
Next up in my series of conversations with executives that take a bit of a left turn: Bruce Reading, chief executive of VoltDB. The Bedford, MA-based startup makes database technology geared toward speed. It was founded in 2009 by Mike Stonebraker, the MIT computer scientist and prolific entrepreneur, and Scott Jarr, a former vice president … Continue reading “Veering Off Topic With VoltDB CEO Bruce Reading”
At Long Last, First Drug Approval in Sight for Amicus
It’s an understatement to call Amicus Therapeutics’ quest to get its first drug approved a roller coaster ride. But it looks like the twists and turns might soon be over for the Cranbury, NJ-based company—at least in Europe. The committee of medicinal products for human use (CHMP) on Friday recommended approval of Amicus’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FOLD]]) … Continue reading “At Long Last, First Drug Approval in Sight for Amicus”
When Data Meets Genomics, Where Does Computing Power Come From?
San Antonio—Even as genome sequencing has risen in prevalence and declined in cost during the last decade, it still has many scientists perplexed from a data standpoint. As it becomes more common for pharmaceutical and biotech companies to use data from sequenced genomes for drug testing, the question of how will they effectively process that … Continue reading “When Data Meets Genomics, Where Does Computing Power Come From?”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: NY Disruptors, Commense, Regeneron, & More
Our East Coast drive started in New York this week, where we took a close look at the state of the city’s biotech ecosystem and the road ahead through the eyes of some of the area’s scientific entrepreneurs and investors. Over in the suburbs, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ partnership with Sanofi continued to pay dividends, with some … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: NY Disruptors, Commense, Regeneron, & More”
Genomenon, SPLT, Entrocim Compete to Pitch at Google Demo Day in CA
Three Detroit-area startups are vying for a spot in a national pitch contest at Google’s California headquarters, after winning the third annual Google Demo Day held in downtown Detroit on Tuesday. The winners were SPLT, Entrocim, and Genomenon. Over the next few weeks, Google will choose one of those finalists to head to Mountain View, … Continue reading “Genomenon, SPLT, Entrocim Compete to Pitch at Google Demo Day in CA”
Trading Quality for Ease: Confessions of an Earbud Junkie
This is the story of a reawakening. I’ve come home to the world of real home stereo sound, after too many years hooked on music trickling through smartphone earbuds and devices with small, crappy speakers. Don’t worry, I haven’t turned into an audiophile. I’m not going to preach to you about some $40,000 turntable with … Continue reading “Trading Quality for Ease: Confessions of an Earbud Junkie”
What’s Ahead for Biotech in 2016: Q&A With BIO Chair Ron Cohen
Biotechnology is a tricky business. We all know the trials and tribulations—and costs—of bringing novel drugs to market. In the past six months or so, a new round of drug pricing upheaval (think Martin Shkreli) and corporate tax “inversions” (think Pfizer-Allergan merger with new headquarters in Ireland) have ignited public debate. Ron Cohen has been … Continue reading “What’s Ahead for Biotech in 2016: Q&A With BIO Chair Ron Cohen”
Don’t Miss Your Chance to Save on Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors
You’re already planning on attending Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors, so why wait any longer to buy your tickets? We’re lining up some of the most forward-thinking entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators disrupting the life science industry. Join us for an afternoon of spotlight talks, fireside chats, and panel discussions on topics such as global initiatives, better … Continue reading “Don’t Miss Your Chance to Save on Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors”
TransLoc Steps on the Gas With $8M for Mass Transit Software
For commuters and transit system operators, travel planning is a headache. Many commuters use a hodge-podge of transit modes to get around cities. Meanwhile, mass transit operators have a hard time gathering accurate and timely data about how their systems are used—data crucial to planning expensive and necessary upgrades. TransLoc, a transportation technology startup based … Continue reading “TransLoc Steps on the Gas With $8M for Mass Transit Software”
New PureTech Startup Commense Aims to Protect Babies From Disease
[Updated, 12:15 pm ET, see below] Boston company creator PureTech Health already has one microbiome startup in its portfolio, Vedanta Biosciences. Today it’s unveiled a second one, Commense, with a different plan to harness the power of the trillions of microbes in and on our bodies. Vedanta is developing a mix of bacteria to be … Continue reading “New PureTech Startup Commense Aims to Protect Babies From Disease”
Boston Tech Watch: Akamai HQ, HubSpot Book, DraftKings, More
This week, we’re tracking the latest news about Akamai’s headquarters, Massachusetts daily fantasy sports regulations, a controversial book about HubSpot, a new robotics startup from former Kiva Systems executives, and an acquisition of a local cloud software startup. Read on for details. —Massachusetts attorney general Maura Healey released rules regulating the daily fantasy sports industry … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Akamai HQ, HubSpot Book, DraftKings, More”
Houston Biotech Esperance Eyes $40M Raise to Fund Cancer Drug Push
Houston — Brett Giroir, the former head of Texas A&M University’s Health Science Center, has a new biotech venture in Houston, and has brought along innovation from his home state of Louisiana. Giroir has joined the board of Esperance Pharmaceuticals, a biotech developing drugs for a variety of cancers. Esperance was founded ten years ago … Continue reading “Houston Biotech Esperance Eyes $40M Raise to Fund Cancer Drug Push”
“Raw Potential” And Three Other Takeaways from NY’s Life Science Disruptors
The Alexandria Center for Life Science currently houses some of the most ambitious biotech startups in New York, not to mention some outposts for pharma companies like Roche and Pfizer. Not bad for something that, as Alexandria Real Estate Equities CEO Joel Marcus said, “was a contaminated laundry site” just a short time ago. The … Continue reading ““Raw Potential” And Three Other Takeaways from NY’s Life Science Disruptors”
IBM Data Chief on Strategy: Training Engineers for Cognitive Systems
San Antonio—In this post-Moneyball world of data analytics, it’s an easy stretch to imagine that IBM might use data analytics to help the Orlando Magic win two consecutive games of an NBA playoff series. But what if I tell you that it happened in 1997? Indeed, the Magic used data mining software created by IBM … Continue reading “IBM Data Chief on Strategy: Training Engineers for Cognitive Systems”
With New Execs, Sanofi Backing, ImmuneXcite Begins Clinical Push
It’s not unusual for the team that founds a biotech startup to hand the reins to someone else once it’s time to take the next step. That’s where ImmuneXcite is, now that the Lexington, MA-based startup has gotten the support of some big-name investors. The VC arm of Sanofi (Sanofi-Genzyme BioVentures), Cormorant Asset Management, and … Continue reading “With New Execs, Sanofi Backing, ImmuneXcite Begins Clinical Push”
The Xconversation: Vaccine Developer Meets Energy Innovator, Part II
There’s no such thing as failure, as long as you view it in the proper light. That’s the philosophy of scientist-entrepreneurs Darrick Carter, vice president of adjuvant technology at Seattle-based IDRI (Infectious Disease Research Institute) and biotech company founder, and Aaron Feaver, co-founder and chief technology officer of energy-storage materials company EnerG2, who shared their … Continue reading “The Xconversation: Vaccine Developer Meets Energy Innovator, Part II”