After a few years of explosive hype and no shortage of controversy, the gene editing system known as CRISPR-Cas9 has finally made its way to the public markets. This evening, Editas Medicine, of Cambridge, MA, priced its IPO. When Editas debuts on the Nasdaq tomorrow, public investors will have their first chance to buy into … Continue reading “CRISPR Hits Wall Street as Editas Bags $94M in IPO”
Category: National
Houston HealthIT Company Decisio Raises $2.1M in Funds, Adds Lawson to Board
Houston’s Decisio Health has raised $2.1 million as part of a $5 million fundraising round and added local healthcare entrepreneur Larry Lawson to its board of directors. The healthIT company makes software to create a critical care dashboard for ER and ICU staff. Among the investors are Lawson, who will help to ramp up Decisio’s sales efforts, … Continue reading “Houston HealthIT Company Decisio Raises $2.1M in Funds, Adds Lawson to Board”
Starry Not Looking for a Fight, but Broadband Vision Draws Skeptics
Starry probably won’t suffer the same fate as its founders’ previous venture, Aereo, which lost a high-stakes legal battle with broadcast television titans that ended at the highest court in the land. But in trying to change the way people access broadband Internet, Starry’s path to success is perhaps equally daunting. The startup, based in … Continue reading “Starry Not Looking for a Fight, but Broadband Vision Draws Skeptics”
SprinkleBit Raises $10M, Relocates from San Diego to New York
SprinkleBit, a social networking platform for stock trades founded in San Diego at least five years ago, has raised $10 million in new funding from GTC, a newly formed private equity firm in Baku, Azerbaijan, according to founder Alexander Wallin. The deal will allow SprinkleBit “to exponentially grow our user base and generate some substantial … Continue reading “SprinkleBit Raises $10M, Relocates from San Diego to New York”
Cambridge Blockchain Wins First Santander Challenge for Fintech Startups
A team based out of the Cambridge Innovation Center came down to New York last week and snagged a bit of starting cash at the Santander InnoVentures Distributed Ledger Challenge fintech pitch competition. CEO Matthew Commons said his startup, Cambridge Blockchain, is an identity management platform for blockchain systems (the public ledgers for the Bitcoin network.) Blockchains … Continue reading “Cambridge Blockchain Wins First Santander Challenge for Fintech Startups”
Spero Eyes First Trial, Gets $30M More to Battle Drug-Resistant Bugs
With three different ways of attacking troublesome drug-resistant bacteria in its portfolio, Spero Therapeutics has begun to resemble something of an antibiotics roll-up. And now it’s got another $30 million to continue the work, with its first big clinical test coming later this year. Spero said today it has raised a $30 million Series B … Continue reading “Spero Eyes First Trial, Gets $30M More to Battle Drug-Resistant Bugs”
Early Bird Special Ends Today for New York’s Life Science Disruptors
Most early birds settle for worms, but we’re offering something much better: the chance to save $60. Join us on Tuesday, March 29, for New York’s Life Science Disruptors, where you’ll hear candid stories from some of the funders and founders who are trying to turn New York into the nation’s next great biotech cluster. … Continue reading “Early Bird Special Ends Today for New York’s Life Science Disruptors”
One of the Country’s Largest Coding Schools Opens Detroit Campus
The Iron Yard, one of the biggest coding schools in the nation, today announced that it’s opening a Detroit campus, probably in the vicinity of downtown. Starting next month, the Iron Yard will offer two 12-week programs—one devoted to teaching front-end coding skills, and one that covers back-end coding. Each course costs $12,000 per student, … Continue reading “One of the Country’s Largest Coding Schools Opens Detroit Campus”
BioHouston Honors Women Pioneers in Energy, Life Sciences, Space
There’s a lot of talk about ways to enlarge the ranks of women and girls who take an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). A number of organizations in Texas are attempting to tackle the issue by raising awareness, building STEM networks, and organizing events focused on investing, entrepreneurship, and team-building. For BioHouston leaders, … Continue reading “BioHouston Honors Women Pioneers in Energy, Life Sciences, Space”
Knight Foundation: Can Data Work for the People Without Selling Out?
More and more, data gets used to define our lives. But where does that leave the layperson who might not know what to make of this information era? And what can be done with data gleaned from the public beyond helping companies turn a profit? Is there a way to democratize the digital realm? Last … Continue reading “Knight Foundation: Can Data Work for the People Without Selling Out?”
Draper Spinout Lexumo Looks to Secure IoT With $4.9M From Boston VCs
Get ready for an onslaught of companies peddling security software for the Internet of Things. It’s not for lack of substance: security experts say the spread of Internet-connected devices exposes major vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. One of the more serious efforts to combat these threats is called Lexumo. It’s a spinout company … Continue reading “Draper Spinout Lexumo Looks to Secure IoT With $4.9M From Boston VCs”
Seeking A Fresh Start in Gene Therapy, Avalanche Merges With Annapurna
Avalanche Biotechnologies went public during a renaissance for gene therapy, but it’s been searching for a way forward ever since a disappointing trial led to an executive overhaul. The Menlo Park, CA, company has turned to a privately held startup with roots at Weill Cornell Medical College to turn things around. This morning, Avalanche (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Seeking A Fresh Start in Gene Therapy, Avalanche Merges With Annapurna”
Texas Roundup: Datical, CPRIT, Pivot3, SonarMed, TMCx, & CareAline
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Datical, an Austin, TX-based startup that says it makes updating apps easier, has raised $8 million in a Series B round from investors such as S3 Ventures, Austin Ventures and Houston-based Mercury Fund. The company’s customers include GE Transportation and Fidelity Investments. —A University … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Datical, CPRIT, Pivot3, SonarMed, TMCx, & CareAline”
Machine Learning Advances Cybersecurity: Battery Ventures’ View
An office worker who usually spends time in programs like PowerPoint suddenly logs into the company expense records system. Data-sifting computers are on the alert for unusual behavior like this across the globe, and Dharmesh Thakker thinks they’ll help thwart criminal hackers who pose a growing threat to companies. Thakker, a general partner at Battery … Continue reading “Machine Learning Advances Cybersecurity: Battery Ventures’ View”
Atlas5D Snags $3M For Sensor Devices That Balance Data & Privacy
For all the hype and investments in wearable devices, they have yet to deliver widespread, meaningful impact on healthcare, outside of narrow applications like measuring blood pressure and the number of steps a person walks in a day. Count Zeb Kimmel among the skeptics, at least when it comes to solving harder problems for patients … Continue reading “Atlas5D Snags $3M For Sensor Devices That Balance Data & Privacy”
Seattle Roundup: Moz, PitchBook, Cedexis, Corbis, Getty, Nimia
A pair of Seattle companies, Moz and PitchBook, announced $10 million funding rounds this week and were both refreshingly forthcoming about things that private tech companies typically keep close to the vest: revenue and valuations. Meanwhile, Portland-based Cedexis raised $22 million, and some big deals went down involving Seattle-based digital image licensing giants Corbis and … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Moz, PitchBook, Cedexis, Corbis, Getty, Nimia”
Nothing Gross About It: Mopec Innovates Autopsy Stations
Back in the early aughts, I never missed an episode of the HBO series “Six Feet Under,” which followed the trials and travails of a funeral home-owning California family. I tuned in for the morbid storylines and superior acting, but there was also a fair amount of the show dedicated to the fascinating ins and … Continue reading “Nothing Gross About It: Mopec Innovates Autopsy Stations”
Shareablee, Others Pitch for Diversity in Tech at NYTM Women’s Demo Night
It has been an admittedly personal mission for Jessica Lawrence, executive director of the New York Tech Meetup, to encourage more gender diversity in the city’s tech scene. She said when she first started working with New York Tech Meetup, women were scarce among the tech founders who sought to demo at the monthly gathering, … Continue reading “Shareablee, Others Pitch for Diversity in Tech at NYTM Women’s Demo Night”
PTC Sketches Vision of Augmented Reality for Big Companies
Augmented reality, like its sister technology, virtual reality, is still in its infancy and has yet to live up to the hype. For many consumers, the most salient example of AR to date was a high-profile flop: Google Glass. AR boosts a person’s experience of the surrounding environment through computer-generated elements, like images superimposed on … Continue reading “PTC Sketches Vision of Augmented Reality for Big Companies”
EatStreet, Uber Partner To Serve Chicago Diners Starting Next Month
There’s a host of startups striving to be the “Uber of (insert activity or service here).” Meanwhile, some businesses are teaming up with the ascendant San Francisco-based company—which is most widely known for its ride-hailing app, but has expanded into other areas—to tap into its huge user base and recognizable brand. According to Uber’s website, … Continue reading “EatStreet, Uber Partner To Serve Chicago Diners Starting Next Month”
Texas Cancer Agency Names James Willson Top Science Officer
The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas has a new chief scientific officer: James Willson. Willson comes from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and had also spent a decade as the director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center in Cleveland. I spoke with him this week as he prepares to move to … Continue reading “Texas Cancer Agency Names James Willson Top Science Officer”
AgBio Edges Pharma and Other Takeaways on the RTP Biotech Scene
When North Carolina State University crop science professor Wesley Everman was in graduate school more than a decade ago, aerial images of crops were available intermittently. Planes didn’t fly often and when they did, the images they provided were just a snapshot in time. These days, Everman gets crop image data as needed and in … Continue reading “AgBio Edges Pharma and Other Takeaways on the RTP Biotech Scene”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Editas, Hep C, Akashi, Tarveda & More
January is just about over, and for biotech investors, that’s a good thing. The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IBB]]) has plummeted more than 22 percent in January. Thursday alone the index fell more than 3.6 percent without any clear negative catalyst (see this Fortune article), prompting a series of notes from sell-side analysts trying to … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Editas, Hep C, Akashi, Tarveda & More”
CRISPR: The Path to Clinical Trials
If you have read a newspaper lately, there is a good chance you have heard about CRISPR-Cas9, the versatile gene editing technology. Over the past several months, legal battles over intellectual property, ethical concerns over editing of the human germline, jaw-dropping partnerships with pharma, and talk of IPOs have crescendoed to a steady roar, reaching … Continue reading “CRISPR: The Path to Clinical Trials”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Gilead, Adicet, Otonomy, Fate & More
The only major Republican presidential candidate who didn’t show up for last night’s debate was front-runner Donald Trump. He also made national news this week by announcing his intent to let Medicare negotiate drug prices—a distinctly un-GOP-like position. The drug-price debate reverberated on the West Coast, too, as the Massachusetts attorney general threatened California’s Gilead … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Gilead, Adicet, Otonomy, Fate & More”
Austin’s Datical Gets VC Cash to Manage Databases for App Updates
Would you ever guess that making changes to a software application is difficult for the app maker? Updates are so common, that doesn’t seem likely. Yet the process that allows a software developer to update an app remains arduous, difficult, and time consuming, even as software development has progressed in the last 15 years, according … Continue reading “Austin’s Datical Gets VC Cash to Manage Databases for App Updates”
Kanojia Returns With a Starry Plan for Wireless Internet & Smart Homes
Making a fast return to the innovation scene on Wednesday—or rather, he never truly left—CEO Chet Kanojia unveiled Starry, his latest startup, in New York. As we previously reported, Kanojia and other expatriates from Aereo have been developing this project in stealth under the codename Project Decibel. With Starry, Kanojia dives into wireless broadband while … Continue reading “Kanojia Returns With a Starry Plan for Wireless Internet & Smart Homes”
Nextech Adds San Diego’s Supramed to its Medical Practice Business
Nextech, a company in Palm Beach, FL, that develops software used to manage physicians’ medical practices, has acquired San Diego-based Supramed, which specializes in medical practice management software for plastic surgeons. Financial terms were not disclosed. Supramed CEO Bob Nascenzi was upbeat about the deal yesterday, saying Nextech plans to expand Supramed’s development team in … Continue reading “Nextech Adds San Diego’s Supramed to its Medical Practice Business”
Insurify Races Into Car Insurance Search With Online & Texting Tools
The process of booking a vacation looks a lot different today than it did 20 years ago. Since then, the traditional method of calling a travel agent to book a trip has been largely replaced by websites like Kayak, Expedia, and others that allow users to quickly compare prices and purchase flights, hotels, rental cars, … Continue reading “Insurify Races Into Car Insurance Search With Online & Texting Tools”
Three Things To Know About Doing Business in California
Since the 1849 gold rush, California has had a reputation as a great place to seek—and find—your fortune. The Golden State is home to the Golden Gate Bridge, the Golden State Warriors and, in Silicon Valley, golden opportunities. But, as you might suspect, California sometimes operates like its own country, with laws that aren’t like … Continue reading “Three Things To Know About Doing Business in California”
Next Buyer Up: Pivot3 Buys Colorado-Based SanDisk Spinout, NexGen
A wild ride for Louisville, CO-based NexGen Storage, a computer data storage company, is continuing. NexGen is being acquired by Pivot3, another data storage operator based in Austin, TX. The companies didn’t release terms of the acquisition, and the deal is expected to close in February. But it comes only a year after NexGen was … Continue reading “Next Buyer Up: Pivot3 Buys Colorado-Based SanDisk Spinout, NexGen”
Li Takes Over at Qualcomm Ventures as Kashyap Joins Microsoft
Nagraj Kashyap, who led Qualcomm’s corporate venture arm for the last 12 years, has left the wireless technology giant and the temperate climate of San Diego for Seattle, where light rain and drizzle averages close to 39 inches a year. Kashyap, who was a senior vice president of ventures and innovation for Qualcomm Technologies and … Continue reading “Li Takes Over at Qualcomm Ventures as Kashyap Joins Microsoft”
FDA Gives Nod to SonarMed Device For Monitoring Newborns
Houston-area biotech SonarMed has received FDA clearance to sell its non-invasive medical device that can monitor, in real-time, endotracheal tube position in newborn babies—and help guard against suffocation. The company previously received regulatory approval for a version of the device used on adult patients since 2012. Executives didn’t disclose details on sales. “We wanted to … Continue reading “FDA Gives Nod to SonarMed Device For Monitoring Newborns”
Dan Gilbert’s Courtside Ventures Bets $35M on eSports, VR, Wearables
Earlier this month, it was announced that Dan Gilbert, Quicken Loans founder and owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has partnered with Bruin Sports Capital and WPP on a new $35 million investment fund. Based in New York City and Detroit, Courtside Ventures will invest in early-stage tech and media startups with a focus on sports. … Continue reading “Dan Gilbert’s Courtside Ventures Bets $35M on eSports, VR, Wearables”
UW Researchers Work on Financial Services for the Developing World
In Kenya, sending money to anyone with a mobile phone is easy, fast, and just a normal part of life for everyone from fishermen and rural farmers to wealthy business owners in the cities. But for all the good that Kenya’s M-Pesa system has done in spreading access to the country’s formal financial system, duplicating … Continue reading “UW Researchers Work on Financial Services for the Developing World”
Fiserv, Wellbe, Epic, & Best STEM Cities: This Week’s WI Watchlist
A nine-figure fintech deal, several new funding rounds, and a look at one of the state’s tech powerhouses are among these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Brookfield-based Fiserv (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FISV]]) announced it paid $200 million in cash to acquire the Community Financial Services business of Naples, FL-based ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACIW]]). According to a press … Continue reading “Fiserv, Wellbe, Epic, & Best STEM Cities: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
UnLtd USA’s Third Social Venture Class Targets Education, Healthcare
Entrepreneurs in the Austin, TX-based UnLtd USA accelerator’s third startup class seek to have an impact around the globe. The five ventures aim to address underemployment in Haiti and Nepal, women’s economic empowerment in Mexico, and other issues that take their social enterprises far beyond the Texas state capital. Each project will receive $5,000 of … Continue reading “UnLtd USA’s Third Social Venture Class Targets Education, Healthcare”
The Right Resources Are Key to Growing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
One of the more pressing issues for communities that have built emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems is how they can better support growth stage companies. There are many cities and regional hubs around the U.S. that are producing some great companies, with smart founders and talented employees, but without the right resources (outside capital, peer-to-peer mentoring, a … Continue reading “The Right Resources Are Key to Growing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems”
AppDirect Buys Radialpoint, Adds IT Support To Its App Marketplaces
AppDirect, which operates marketplaces for the sale of subscriptions to Web-based software, is acquiring technical support provider Radialpoint, which helps businesses work out the bugs once they’ve purchased new apps. San Francisco-based AppDirect is flush with cash from two fundraising rounds last year totaling $190 million, and acquisitions are part of its strategy to build … Continue reading “AppDirect Buys Radialpoint, Adds IT Support To Its App Marketplaces”
Blend Rebrands as Tarveda, Raises $38M, and Spins Out Cancer Drug
2015 was a year of change for Blend Therapeutics, led by a new CEO, Drew Fromkin, who was hired in April to lead a different strategy for the Watertown, MA-based startup. And the trend is continuing in 2016 as well: The company has changed its name, raised some cash, and found a new home for … Continue reading “Blend Rebrands as Tarveda, Raises $38M, and Spins Out Cancer Drug”
Adicet Joins the Immunotherapy Fray With $51M and Mystery Cells
Adicet Bio is launching today with $51 million in Series A cash to make immunotherapies derived from human cells as a treatment for cancer and other diseases. Unlike experimental, personalized products using a patient’s own engineered T cells, which have had early success in blood cancer trials, Adicet wants to make “off the shelf” products, … Continue reading “Adicet Joins the Immunotherapy Fray With $51M and Mystery Cells”
Roundup: URC Report, Harman, Global Detroit, TechShop & More
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Michigan: —This week, Harman, maker of speakers popular with musicians and audiophiles—Harman Kardon is one of the brands associated with the company—celebrated the official opening of its North American headquarters in Novi. The 188,000-square-foot building will house 1,000 employees focused on engineering and developing advanced technology for … Continue reading “Roundup: URC Report, Harman, Global Detroit, TechShop & More”
Grovo and Authorea Reap Latest Rounds of Funding in New York
On Tuesday, a pair of funding announcements—for online learning and a research platform—came out of New York as the city continued to dig out of the snow. Authorea, a startup that developed a platform for scientific, academic, and medical collaboration, announced it raised $1.5 million in a round led by Lux Capital, with the Knight … Continue reading “Grovo and Authorea Reap Latest Rounds of Funding in New York”
Remembering Computing Pioneer Marvin Minsky, Dead at 88
The science and technology community is mourning the loss of Marvin Minsky, the MIT-based artificial intelligence and computing giant, who passed away Sunday at the age of 88. Minsky is a transcendent figure who cut major swaths through the history of scientific research, education, philosophy, and technology. His ideas are credited with influencing everything from … Continue reading “Remembering Computing Pioneer Marvin Minsky, Dead at 88”
Safety Issues Spur Foundation-Backed Akashi to Suspend Duchenne Trial
It’s been a roller coaster few months for the community of caregivers and patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive and ultimately fatal genetic disease. One potential treatment from BioMarin Pharmaceutical was rejected by the FDA. Another from Sarepta Therapeutics sits in regulatory limbo after Winter Storm Jonas delayed an advisory panel. And now a … Continue reading “Safety Issues Spur Foundation-Backed Akashi to Suspend Duchenne Trial”
Ex-Biogen Exec’s New Startup Gets $61M More For Exosome Drugs
When former Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) research chief Doug Williams surfaced in November as the CEO of a new startup called Codiak Biosciences, the company said it had a commitment for “$80+ million” in venture cash to get going, rather than identifying a specific number. Now it’s clear exactly how much Codiak has in its wallet—$92 … Continue reading “Ex-Biogen Exec’s New Startup Gets $61M More For Exosome Drugs”
Top Trends in Online Lending for 2016
Though online lending has been around for over a decade, the past year was a big one for the sector. There was at least one notable IPO in late 2014, a groundbreaking partnership with one of the largest banks in the U.S., and several young online lenders crossed the billion-dollar mark in valuations. Momentum is … Continue reading “Top Trends in Online Lending for 2016”
Lucky 13: TMCx Accelerator Debuts Class of Digital Health Startups
The Texas Medical Center’s accelerator, TMCx, has announced its second group of startups, with 13 companies specializing in digital health. The cohort is the first of two classes TMCx plans to host this year. The health IT companies will be in the five-month program until June, and a second group of companies focusing on medical devices … Continue reading “Lucky 13: TMCx Accelerator Debuts Class of Digital Health Startups”
Johnson Controls-Tyco Merger Brings Companies Scale, Tax Savings
Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls announced it has merged with Tyco, in a deal that the two said will deliver cost and tax savings to the combined company, which like Tyco will be headquartered in Cork, Ireland. Johnson Controls’ (NYSE: [[ticker:JCI]]) product line includes heating and cooling equipment for buildings. CEO Alex Molinaroli said Tyco’s (NYSE: [[ticker:TYC]]) … Continue reading “Johnson Controls-Tyco Merger Brings Companies Scale, Tax Savings”
The Hottest Trend at This Year’s Detroit Auto Show? Not Cars
There is never an official theme at the annual North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), held last week in Detroit, but one usually emerges as automakers showcase their latest innovations, hoping to one-up each other while garnering consumer and media interest. One year it was electrification; another year, it was infotainment. This year, the buzzword … Continue reading “The Hottest Trend at This Year’s Detroit Auto Show? Not Cars”