Following up on its January debut at CES, the newly minted Syfy Labs is working again with MakerBot Industries in Brooklyn to use 3D printing as a way to connect audiences with its lineup of television shows. As much as this is a possible windfall for MakerBot, it speaks more broadly to an effort to … Continue reading “MakerBot Deepens Ties to Syfy Labs for 3D Models Based on TV Shows”
Category: National
Deathtech Rising: Mylestoned Unveils Interactive Memorial Software
A startup industry around “deathtech” seems to be emerging. Last fall, Xconomy was among the first to explore new business approaches to death in the digital age. At the time, Boston serial entrepreneur Dave Balter was mum about what he was developing with one of the companies we featured, Mylestoned. That changes today with the … Continue reading “Deathtech Rising: Mylestoned Unveils Interactive Memorial Software”
BioMarin Heads to FDA With Mixed Data For Rare Disease Drug
BioMarin Pharmaceutical had a setback in January when a gamble it had made on a Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug failed. The company has been rallying around data from other drugs in its pipeline, however, and one of its most important tests was a Phase 3 study that produced results this morning. Those data are mixed. … Continue reading “BioMarin Heads to FDA With Mixed Data For Rare Disease Drug”
Maxwell Health Gets $22M More to Simplify Health Benefits
Veer Gidwaney admits that he and his brother were probably a “little bit naïve” about the complexity of the healthcare industry when they started up Maxwell Health in 2012. Their startup provides Web-based software for buying and managing health insurance plans and other benefits, and runs an online marketplace for other human resources and health-related … Continue reading “Maxwell Health Gets $22M More to Simplify Health Benefits”
Tour of Texas: SXSW Recap, Houston Tech Center, M-Files, Grok, U of H
A cool front has blown into the state with warm, sunny days and brisk evenings. Let’s roll down the top and take a scenic drive through Texas’ innovation communities. Austin —The 30th annual South By Southwest Interactive festival is on the books, drawing tens of thousands to downtown Austin. This year’s spotlight was on the leader … Continue reading “Tour of Texas: SXSW Recap, Houston Tech Center, M-Files, Grok, U of H”
Tech Megatransfer: Merck Pays Harvard $20M For “Accelerated” Cancer Drugs
Some universities are more aggressive than others in looking for ways to move life science projects out of the academic lab and into companies, what’s often known as “tech transfer.” For Harvard University, the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator is one such tool, and today it’s brought in a rather large chunk of change. Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) … Continue reading “Tech Megatransfer: Merck Pays Harvard $20M For “Accelerated” Cancer Drugs”
Beware the Potential Downside of Venture Capital Relationships
Conventional wisdom has it that entrepreneurs benefit from wide networks and strong ties with other organizations. Venture capital (VC) firms, in particular, are seen as a valuable source of funding, social status, technical knowledge, and expert advice for fledgling new businesses. But what if these same relationships can also create new liabilities for entrepreneurs? As … Continue reading “Beware the Potential Downside of Venture Capital Relationships”
Is Your Smartphone Spying On Your TV Habits? FTC Warns App Developers
You’re ready to kick back for the weekend and do something mindless. No one will ever know if you watch five episodes of “Zombie House Flipping” instead of the PBS NewsHour, right? Maybe for now. Could be, there’s already an app on your smartphone or tablet capable of finding out what you’re watching by picking … Continue reading “Is Your Smartphone Spying On Your TV Habits? FTC Warns App Developers”
Seattle Week in Review: Young, Rich, and Stuck in Traffic Edition
Raise a glass of bubbly, rent a boat, get out there and enjoy spring, especially if you’re young, rich, and tech-fabulous! In this edition of Xconomy Seattle’s Week in Review, we’ll grip the wheel for 66 wasted hours stuck in traffic; gauge optimism of a sample of local companies, as expressed by hiring plan for … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Young, Rich, and Stuck in Traffic Edition”
Next Step Living, Once a Promising Energy Startup, Shuts Down
Next Step Living, one of Boston’s biggest bets in energy efficiency, has shut down. Greentech Media first reported the news Thursday, and Next Step Living confirmed on its website that it is ending operations, effective today. “After eight years, and tens of thousands of customers served, we are incredibly grateful to all of our team … Continue reading “Next Step Living, Once a Promising Energy Startup, Shuts Down”
OneEvent Raises $700K To Make Building-Monitoring Devices Smarter
[Updated 3/22/16 9:47 am. See below.] Kurt Wedig spotted a business opportunity in a 2008 episode of NBC’s “Today Show.” He says that inspiration struck during a segment about evacuation procedures at hotels. Anchor Natalie Morales, wearing a blindfold, tried to crawl out of her smoke-filled room and down the hall to a stairwell. “It … Continue reading “OneEvent Raises $700K To Make Building-Monitoring Devices Smarter”
Heat Biologics Prices $6.8M Stock Sale to Continue Cancer Trials
Heat Biologics is pressing forward with a stock offering expected to raise about $6.8 million—a little more than half of the target the cancer immunotherapy developer set in January but enough to advance its clinical programs to a point where they can report data. Durham, NC-based Heat (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HTBX]]) priced the offering of 9.1 million … Continue reading “Heat Biologics Prices $6.8M Stock Sale to Continue Cancer Trials”
Grok Interactive Stays Small to Build Apps For Startups Everywhere
San Antonio — Jason Straughan and Jason Ellis, who co-founded San Antonio, TX-based Web and mobile app development company Grok Interactive in April 2013, faced a unique problem when they were ready to grow their small business and hire new software developers: they couldn’t find many, at least locally. Only a few months later, Straughan and two … Continue reading “Grok Interactive Stays Small to Build Apps For Startups Everywhere”
Only a Few Tix and Demo Tables Left for Robo Madness—Get Yours Now
Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion is still almost two weeks away. But time to get tickets and demo tables is running out—as we are almost sold out of both. Not only will this year’s robotics forum feature fireside chats, panel discussions, and engaging keynotes with some of Boston’s top leaders in the field, we are … Continue reading “Only a Few Tix and Demo Tables Left for Robo Madness—Get Yours Now”
SXSW Recap: Harassment Summit Fizzles, Houston Biotech Booms, & More
Austin — Another South By Southwest Interactive has come and gone. This year brought an Obama two-fer with both the president and first lady headlining keynote addresses for both the Interactive and Music programming. Austin entrepreneur William Hurley had brought President Obama to town and then, three days later, announced he’d sold his fintech startup … Continue reading “SXSW Recap: Harassment Summit Fizzles, Houston Biotech Booms, & More”
West Coast Bio Roundup: Gilead Onco Woes, Adaptive Expansion & More
DiCE Molecules of Redwood City, CA, revealed itself this week with a new drug discovery scheme and a business model straight out of 2010. DiCE CEO Kevin Judice, a veteran of California biotechs that have produced anti-infective drugs, told Xconomy that DiCE would initially fund itself through two big pharma partnerships; the first, a five-year … Continue reading “West Coast Bio Roundup: Gilead Onco Woes, Adaptive Expansion & More”
Houston Tech Center’s Ulrich Reflects on City’s Growing Ecosystem
Houston — Walter Ulrich, CEO of the Houston Technology Center, is returning to his professional roots. Ulrich is stepping down from his HTC post next year, after a decade at the helm of the Houston-based tech startup incubator. Now, he’s seeking to work with other nonprofits or medium-sized companies that might need some help in … Continue reading “Houston Tech Center’s Ulrich Reflects on City’s Growing Ecosystem”
Google and Boston Dynamics: Do Humanoid Robots Need an MVP?
Bloomberg reported Thursday that Google’s parent company has put Boston Dynamics, a prominent robotics division, up for sale. According to the report, which cited anonymous sources, Alphabet executives think “Boston Dynamics isn’t likely to produce a marketable product in the next few years.” Possible acquirers would include Toyota Research Institute and Amazon, the report said. … Continue reading “Google and Boston Dynamics: Do Humanoid Robots Need an MVP?”
Roundup: Weyn, Detroit R&B, Swift Biosciences, STEMinistas, & More
Here’s a look at startup and innovation news from around Michigan: —The Michigan Science Center has launched a new program designed to support and cultivate interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) among middle school girls. The STEMinista Project has several goals: to spark and maintain an interest in STEM among female students, broaden the … Continue reading “Roundup: Weyn, Detroit R&B, Swift Biosciences, STEMinistas, & More”
Seattle’s Adaptive Bio to Base New Drug-Hunting Team in San Diego
Diego Miralles, an immunologist and leader in HIV therapeutics, has joined Seattle’s Adaptive Biotechnologies to lead a new business initiative focused on developing new drugs for cancer, autoimmune, and infectious diseases. The new business, Adaptive Therapeutics, eventually will be based in San Diego, Miralles said by phone yesterday from Seattle. He is joining Adaptive after … Continue reading “Seattle’s Adaptive Bio to Base New Drug-Hunting Team in San Diego”
Can You Land an IT Job If You’re Self-Taught?
The path to a successful career used to be so straightforward. You’d graduate high school, go to college, earn your undergraduate and maybe even your graduate degree, then hit the job market for a full-time job. Employers knew exactly what they were looking for: candidates with degrees from reputable colleges who could demonstrate a significant … Continue reading “Can You Land an IT Job If You’re Self-Taught?”
Don’t Miss Your Chance to Save on Big Data Meets Big Biology
Our Big Data Meets Big Biology forum is only two weeks away, and today is your last chance to snag our Saver rate for the event. At this half-day event, we’ll be exploring a variety of topics at the intersection of tech and life sciences, including how the tech world is shaping the genomics revolution, … Continue reading “Don’t Miss Your Chance to Save on Big Data Meets Big Biology”
East Coast Bio Roundup: PCSK9 Battle, NYU Startups, Blueprint & More
Much of the East Coast is green today for St. Patrick’s Day, but overall it’s been another red week for biotech. Indexes continued to slump despite some good data from the likes of Celator Pharmaceuticals of Ewing, NJ. More on that and the rest of your East Coast news below. —The battle between rival developers … Continue reading “East Coast Bio Roundup: PCSK9 Battle, NYU Startups, Blueprint & More”
Denver Proposal Calls for Smarter Electric and Autonomous Vehicles
Denver was named one of seven finalists in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge last week, inching the city closer toward receiving up to $50 million in tech-centric transportation funding. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx formally announced the finalists during a transportation conference at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX, on … Continue reading “Denver Proposal Calls for Smarter Electric and Autonomous Vehicles”
Texas Roundup: HTC, Pivot3, Honest Dollar, Mend, Virtuix
South By Southwest Interactive has closed the books on 2016, and we’re still rolling out coverage of this year’s events. But let’s pause and review Texas innovation news from the past 10 days. —Walter Ulrich, president and CEO of the Houston Technology Center, announced today that he is leaving his post in February 2017. When … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: HTC, Pivot3, Honest Dollar, Mend, Virtuix”
Handshake Raises $14M Series B Round for E-Commerce Platform
In a Series B financing deal led by Sozo Ventures, New York-based Handshake raised $14 million, the company announced Thursday. Handshake developed a mobile sales and business-to-business e-commerce platform and works with distributors and manufacturers of various consumer goods. The company basically wants to offer for business-to-business what Shopify and Square do for retailers who sell … Continue reading “Handshake Raises $14M Series B Round for E-Commerce Platform”
Startups Begin to Emerge From NYU’s “Virtual” Biotech Factory
The gap between basic biomedical research and drug development is often called the “valley of death,” where promising projects are stymied by a lack of funding. In New York, with a strong research community but sparse biotech venture presence, the problem has been more dire than in other urban biotech clusters. But a NYU Langone … Continue reading “Startups Begin to Emerge From NYU’s “Virtual” Biotech Factory”
Saver Rate Ends Today for What’s Hot in Boston Biotech
We’re just a few weeks away from What’s Hot in Boston Biotech—and we’re offering you the chance to save $75. It all takes place on Wednesday, April 6, at Biogen in Cambridge, MA. Join us for fireside chats, spotlight talks, interactive discussions, and more with some of Boston’s top entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders in the … Continue reading “Saver Rate Ends Today for What’s Hot in Boston Biotech”
Cars, Virtual Reality, Blockchain (& Grumpy Cat) Lead Pack at SXSW
Austin — Since Twitter made a name for itself at South by Southwest in 2007, attendees have tried in vain to predict the next big tech breakout. Facebook made headlines in 2008, and Foursquare followed a year later. But nothing seemed to be the same as Twitter. By 2013, Grumpy Cat was dubbed winner of … Continue reading “Cars, Virtual Reality, Blockchain (& Grumpy Cat) Lead Pack at SXSW”
Chef Nightly Shuts Down, Citing Crowded Food-Delivery App Market
Boston-based Chef Nightly has closed down after struggling to stand out in the jam-packed food-delivery app industry. CEO and co-founder Michael Sheeley announced the closure in a blog post Wednesday. Sheeley explained: “In any marketplace, you either tap into a unique supply (in our case it was existing restaurant food) and do it years before … Continue reading “Chef Nightly Shuts Down, Citing Crowded Food-Delivery App Market”
Amgen Bests Sanofi-Regeneron In PCSK9 Patent Case, Losers Vow Appeal
After battling to be first to market with their next-generation cholesterol-fighting drugs, Amgen is fighting rival Sanofi and its partner Regeneron Pharmaceuticals over the patents behind the drugs. Round one just went to Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]). A jury in a U.S. district court in Delaware has ruled that alirocumab (Praluent), from Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]) and … Continue reading “Amgen Bests Sanofi-Regeneron In PCSK9 Patent Case, Losers Vow Appeal”
As Detroit Transforms, Foley’s Book Teaches Jackasses How to Behave
On Friday night, while delivering late-night fast food to my fiancé at work, I drove around the outer reaches of my Midtown Detroit neighborhood for the first time since I put my bike up for the winter. I felt a bit like a stranger in a strange land as I passed gaggles of young professional … Continue reading “As Detroit Transforms, Foley’s Book Teaches Jackasses How to Behave”
Robot Tidbits: Toyota, Amazon, Humatics, Franklin, 6 River, More
As we gear up for our Robo Madness conference at the end of the month, it’s worth noting a slew of recent developments at robotics companies around town: —Toyota Research Institute in Cambridge, MA, has hired the 16-person software engineering team from Jaybridge Robotics, an autonomous-vehicle company also based in Cambridge. TRI is building up … Continue reading “Robot Tidbits: Toyota, Amazon, Humatics, Franklin, 6 River, More”
Usermind Raises $14.5M to Push “BizOps” Vision for Sales, Marketing
The Northwest is already home to some of the top technology providers in the DevOps movement. Now comes Seattle-based Usermind, which just raised $14.5 million to advance its vision of “BizOps”—a tighter integration of front-office functions such as marketing, sales, and customer support. Menlo Ventures led the Series B funding round. Other participants included Andreessen … Continue reading “Usermind Raises $14.5M to Push “BizOps” Vision for Sales, Marketing”
Bird Rock Bio Nears Pivotal Trial of New Biologic Drug for RA
San Diego’s Bird Rock Bio says it is within a few months of submitting its plans in Brazil for a pivotal trial of gerilimzumab, a biologic drug for inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). If the drug can win regulatory approval, Bird Rock Bio said gerilimzumab is expected to be priced at just a fraction … Continue reading “Bird Rock Bio Nears Pivotal Trial of New Biologic Drug for RA”
Edtech Startup Credly Raises $2.5M Seed Round From VCs, Lumina Foundation
Credly, a New York edtech company that manages digital credentials for learned skills, said today it raised $2.5 million in a seed financing round led by venture firms University Ventures and New Markets Venture Partners. Credly allows universities, employers, licensing agencies, and other organizations to create electronic badges that represent anything from an earned college … Continue reading “Edtech Startup Credly Raises $2.5M Seed Round From VCs, Lumina Foundation”
Its Stock Price Still Flagging, Connecture Raises $52M From Investors
Connecture, a company that develops Web-based software designed to aid consumers shopping for health insurance, said that it has raised $52 million from investors in an effort to bolster its financial position. In a news release, Brookfield, WI-based Connecture (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNXR]]) said it will use the money “to strengthen its financial profile through reduced leverage and … Continue reading “Its Stock Price Still Flagging, Connecture Raises $52M From Investors”
Post NexGen Purchase, Austin Software Firm Pivot3 Raises $55M
Austin — Software company Pivot3 today closed on $54.6 million in equity and bank financing. Pivot3 sells software for computing, memory, and storage on a “commodity priced” hardware server— inexpensive Web-based storage as well as computing power to businesses ranging from casinos to correctional departments and aviation authorities. . Investors included Argonaut Private Equity in … Continue reading “Post NexGen Purchase, Austin Software Firm Pivot3 Raises $55M”
I Think, Therefore I Am: Startup Experts Talk A.I. at SXSW
Even executives of companies that develop the world’s leading artificial intelligence software have time to catch a few movies. True to form, it seems the flicks they pick are typically about artificial intelligence. “‘Her’ was particularly interesting, because this machine, this operating system… She was able to empathize with him, able to get him out … Continue reading “I Think, Therefore I Am: Startup Experts Talk A.I. at SXSW”
Payoneer Acquires Armor Payments in Fintech Tie-Up
New York-based business-to-business online payments service Payoneer on Tuesday announced it acquired Armor Payments, a Silicon Valley-based, escrow-as-a-service payment company. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Armor’s software will be integrated into Payoneer’s platform to offer a service that lets business-to-business buyers and suppliers conduct escrow payments to accounts around the world. Under the combined service, … Continue reading “Payoneer Acquires Armor Payments in Fintech Tie-Up”
Blueprint, Roche Ink Milestone Deal for Cancer Immunotherapy
Blueprint Medicines has another deal on its plate that could net it hundreds of millions of dollars. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech raised $147 million in an initial public offering last year, two months before it received FDA approval to begin clinical trials on its two lead drug candidates in July. Now Blueprint has signed a deal … Continue reading “Blueprint, Roche Ink Milestone Deal for Cancer Immunotherapy”
Procrastinator’s Special Ends Today for NY’s Life Science Disruptors
We’re only two weeks away from New York’s Life Science Disruptors, and today is the last day to save with our Procrastinator’s Special. Join us on Tuesday, March 29, for an evening of insightful stories from life sciences executives and venture capitalists who are trying to build New York into the next big biotech hub. … Continue reading “Procrastinator’s Special Ends Today for NY’s Life Science Disruptors”
Racing Zika: For Every Short Cut, There’s An Open Question
[Updated 3/15/16, 7:16pm; corrected 3/16/16, 7:00pm. See below.] In the Luganda language, zika means “overgrown.” It’s also the name of the Ugandan forest where, in the mid-20th century, researchers discovered the now-notorious virus. Dense forest is an appropriate and vivid image for the latest global health threat. So much about the virus and its effects … Continue reading “Racing Zika: For Every Short Cut, There’s An Open Question”
Raffling Roombas at Robo Madness; Saver Bot Ends Tonight
There’s no doubt robotics and artificial intelligence will be an even bigger part of our daily lives in the next few years. Look how far we’ve come with Siri, Amazon’s Echo, and iRobot’s Roomba. In a couple of weeks, Xconomy is bringing together Boston’s top entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators to discuss future opportunities in these … Continue reading “Raffling Roombas at Robo Madness; Saver Bot Ends Tonight”
Boston Tech Watch: Accelerators, Acquisitions, Hiring & Firing, More
This week in Boston tech, we’re tracking the latest news about local accelerators, company acquisitions, office expansions, and more. Read on for details. Accelerators rise and fall —A new accelerator program serving digital health startups and run by MassChallenge will soon open in the Hatch Fenway startup co-working space in Boston, located in the Landmark … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Accelerators, Acquisitions, Hiring & Firing, More”
Wantable, Gener8tor, and Arrowhead: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
A new biotech laboratory, another lofty national ranking for an accelerator, and changes to a coding school’s expansion plans are among these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Milwaukee-based Wantable raised more than $2 million from investors, according to a regulatory filing. The startup ships curated boxes containing clothing, makeup, accessories, and other items to a … Continue reading “Wantable, Gener8tor, and Arrowhead: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Goldman Sachs Snags Austin Fintech Startup Honest Dollar
Austin — Honest Dollar, an Austin, TX-based fintech company that provides retirement tools for small businesses, has been acquired by Goldman Sachs. The acquisition was made by the investment management arm of Goldman Sachs, which invests $1 trillion for institutions and wealthy individuals Terms of the deal, which was announced Monday and is expected to close … Continue reading “Goldman Sachs Snags Austin Fintech Startup Honest Dollar”
Equinox Gym Founder Funds Scholarships for U-M Student-Entrepreneurs
Earlier this month, the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies announced that a fitness mogul made a “sizable” donation to establish the Spevak Fund for Entrepreneurial Studies. The fund will grant scholarships for students focused on entrepreneurship. Donor Harvey Spevak is the CEO of Equinox Holdings, a … Continue reading “Equinox Gym Founder Funds Scholarships for U-M Student-Entrepreneurs”
Institute for Systems Biology, Providence Team Up for Preventive Care
The principles and practices of scientific wellness and personalized medicine developed over the last 15 years at genomics pioneer Leroy Hood’s Institute for Systems Biology will get what Hood says is a first application in a large patient population, through an affiliation with Providence Health & Services. The 3.3 million Providence patients—in Alaska, California, Montana, … Continue reading “Institute for Systems Biology, Providence Team Up for Preventive Care”
What Connect NC Means for AgBio Research, & More Innovation News
[Corrected, 1:15pm. See below] North Carolina will hold its primary election on Tuesday, and while most political observers are watching to see which candidates voters pick for the presidential election, voters will also have an opportunity to weigh in on a financing issue that’s key to a major agricultural biotechnology research initiative in the state. … Continue reading “What Connect NC Means for AgBio Research, & More Innovation News”