For kids sitting in a classroom, school can sometimes seem like a pointless form of torture—memorizing dull history facts or arcane math formulas. Almost all kids have groaned at some point, “What does this have to do with my life?” In past decades, the answer to that question often didn’t emerge until kids left high … Continue reading “PathSource Helps Set Career Goals, From Middle School And Beyond”
Category: National
Wantable Delivers Growth in Crowded Monthly Box Subscription Sector
It’s always tough to pinpoint the exact moment when an industry has grown too saturated, but we might already be there with the number of e-commerce companies that deliver boxes of goods to monthly subscribers. You’ve probably heard of Birchbox (beauty products), Trunk Club (clothing), and Dollar Shave Club (razors). There are hundreds of others, … Continue reading “Wantable Delivers Growth in Crowded Monthly Box Subscription Sector”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Otonomy, Oncothyreon, Gilead, & More
Life sciences news pummeled the West Coast last week like a series of storms barreling out of the North Pacific. Here’s our roundup: —Otonomy (NASDAQ [[ticker:OTIC]]), a San Diego biotech developing new treatments for diseases and disorders of the ear, said Friday the FDA approved its antibiotic gel for treating ear infections among children. It’s … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Otonomy, Oncothyreon, Gilead, & More”
Seattle Roundup: TINYpulse, Eventbase, MetricStory, Pogo, & More
A “drunken” rainstorm barraged the Northwest this week. Entrepreneurs made it rain, too. Read on for details of funding news from TINYpulse, Eventbase Technology, MetricStory, and Pogo, as well as results of surveys of software engineer salaries and the best companies to work for. —TINYpulse, the Seattle startup that makes anonymous survey and feedback tools … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: TINYpulse, Eventbase, MetricStory, Pogo, & More”
New MSU Business Accelerator Open to Startups Across the State
As if top-ranked basketball and football programs weren’t enough—forgive me, my blood runs green and white thanks to early indoctrination by my Michigan State University alumni parents—Spartans now have another cool thing to celebrate: the announcement of a new MSU-backed business accelerator. The Conquer Accelerator will offer to five startups a comprehensive, 10-week development program … Continue reading “New MSU Business Accelerator Open to Startups Across the State”
Capital Midwest Raises $30M of Possible $150M for Third Fund
Capital Midwest Fund, a venture capital fund based in the Milwaukee area, has raised nearly $30 million from 32 investors for its third fund, according to a document filed with the SEC on Thursday. The investor group plans to raise up to $150 million for its latest fund, according to the filing. That would make … Continue reading “Capital Midwest Raises $30M of Possible $150M for Third Fund”
Pure Vino Looks to Find Personalized Deals for Wine Aficionados
Jim Roberts likes New World wines, especially Carmenere from Chile or Malbecs from Argentina. His business partner, Mike Boyd, with whom he owns Setcom in Austin, TX, a supplier of communications devices for fire, police, and military needs, prefers storied vintages from Europe. Between the two of them, the pair were receiving a deluge of … Continue reading “Pure Vino Looks to Find Personalized Deals for Wine Aficionados”
Austin, Denver Score High in U.S. List of Software Engineer Pay
If you are a software engineer, you are in demand. This you know. What you may not know is how your salary stacks up to that of your peers around the country. For that, I present to you the State of U.S. Salaries Report, courtesy of a San Francisco company called Hired. To no one’s … Continue reading “Austin, Denver Score High in U.S. List of Software Engineer Pay”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: ASH, Kallyope, SQZ, Kyras & More
Boston and New York are known for their sports rivalries, particularly the century-old blood feud between the Yankees and Red Sox. As locals know, for most of that time, Yankees-Red Sox wasn’t much of a rivalry. The mythical “Curse of the Bambino” ensured the Yankees were the hammer, and the Red Sox the nail—until a … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: ASH, Kallyope, SQZ, Kyras & More”
After Gobbling $20M More, Harvest Power Still Hungry for Table Scraps
In recent years, the recycling of glass, paper, plastic, and metal has become second nature for most people. That’s thanks in part to cities and recycling companies making the process much easier by instituting things like single-stream recycling. Harvest Power is among the companies trying to make the recycling of organic waste—think table scraps, oil … Continue reading “After Gobbling $20M More, Harvest Power Still Hungry for Table Scraps”
HardTech Labs and Immunology Institute Form Startup Accelerator
The La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology has established a joint venture with San Diego’s HardTech Labs to operate an accelerator program for startups developing next-generation technologies in human health and well being. Derek Footer, who founded HardTech Labs almost two years ago to help early stage tech companies gain access to low-cost manufacturers … Continue reading “HardTech Labs and Immunology Institute Form Startup Accelerator”
Bill Clinton at Kiva’s National Launch of Small Biz Lending Platform
Wednesday night in New York, Kiva took the wraps off its nationwide platform for zero-percent-interest small business loans—with a little help from former President Bill Clinton and PayPal CEO Daniel Schulman. The launch means more small businesses can have a shot at obtaining such microloans, filling some of the gaps in the financing needed to get … Continue reading “Bill Clinton at Kiva’s National Launch of Small Biz Lending Platform”
With $5M for Open-Source Mapping Tools, Boundless to Make New Hires
The market for mapping tools like geographic information systems (GIS) is pretty well established and entrenched, especially when you consider that the largest company, Esri, controls more than 40 percent of it. Boundless Spatial, a New York-based startup that spun out of a nonprofit in 2013, has raised a Series B round of more than … Continue reading “With $5M for Open-Source Mapping Tools, Boundless to Make New Hires”
Seiva’s Smart Workout Duds Highlight Mini-Accelerator Pitch Event
[Updated 12/17/15, 5:09 p.m. See below.] One of the biggest storylines of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia was the disappointing performance of the U.S. speedskating team, which some blamed not on the athletes themselves but on the suit many of them wore during races. The so-called Mach 39 suit, touted as “the fastest … Continue reading “Seiva’s Smart Workout Duds Highlight Mini-Accelerator Pitch Event”
With Startup, Bio Pioneer Tom Maniatis Looks to Spark NY Scene Again
When molecular biology pioneer Tom Maniatis left Harvard University for New York six years ago, he set his sights on creating the same entrepreneurial foment that he’d come to know in Cambridge, MA. Many years before moving to New York, he helped found Genetics Institute, one of the biotech industry’s early trailblazing companies. It’s fair … Continue reading “With Startup, Bio Pioneer Tom Maniatis Looks to Spark NY Scene Again”
In New York and Montreal, Versant Seeds Two New Biotech Startups
Over the past few years, Versant Ventures has set up outposts in places like New York, Montreal, and Vancouver, with the goal of starting some new life sciences companies outside the biotech hotbeds of San Francisco and Boston. Two of those startups, known as Inception IBD and Kyras Therapeutics, are launching today with some financial … Continue reading “In New York and Montreal, Versant Seeds Two New Biotech Startups”
With $6M Funding, TINYpulse Developing Employee Review Product
Replacing employees is an expensive endeavor. To replace a high-level salaried worker, it can cost a company as much as 60 percent of the outgoing employee’s pay, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. TINYpulse, a Seattle-based startup that aims to help companies monitor and improve employee engagement, has received $6 million in Series … Continue reading “With $6M Funding, TINYpulse Developing Employee Review Product”
Somna Therapeutics Grabs Early Reza Band Sales, Eyes Big 2016
Medical device companies spend so much money, time, and energy convincing the FDA to allow them to sell their products that it’s easy to forget that’s only one step toward a successful business. The next step is getting customers. Somna Therapeutics, a three-year-old startup in Germantown, WI, passed the first hurdle in March. And it’s … Continue reading “Somna Therapeutics Grabs Early Reza Band Sales, Eyes Big 2016”
Cleantech, Robots, and Airbnb: Technologies to Watch in 2016
There comes a time when a “new” technology either changes the world or dies off—though it may be hard to know when it reaches such a threshold moment. If a trio of analysts with Bank of America Merrill Lynch is right, 2016 could be a turning point for a few segments of tech. It could … Continue reading “Cleantech, Robots, and Airbnb: Technologies to Watch in 2016”
Cyber Insecurity Grows for CEOs, IT Departments, and Devices
Everyone knows cybersecurity is one of the biggest problems of our time. The question is what to do about it. According to a new report, the problem starts at the top of most organizations—but it certainly doesn’t end there. Fifty-three percent of IT security professionals surveyed say CEOs make business decisions without regard to security. … Continue reading “Cyber Insecurity Grows for CEOs, IT Departments, and Devices”
Texas Roundup: Houston’s Biotech Ecosystem, RealSavvy, Q2, Stellarray
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Austin, TX app company RealSavvy wants to help real estate agents leverage technology rather than being replaced by it. The company’s mobile app uses a Pinterest-like approach, letting buyers search home websites and “pin” those selections to a personalized board. —In the last year, Houston’s … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Houston’s Biotech Ecosystem, RealSavvy, Q2, Stellarray”
Free Program Teaches Detroiters Skills Needed to Go After IT Jobs
Downtown Detroit tech training institute Grand Circus has successfully launched a free new apprenticeship program open to all Motor City residents. The Department of Labor Computer Programming Apprenticeship is a five-week, full-time Java bootcamp that aims to give participants the skills to claim one of Detroit’s many open IT jobs. “The ideal candidate for the … Continue reading “Free Program Teaches Detroiters Skills Needed to Go After IT Jobs”
With Drugs in Clinic, Constellation Nabs $55M For IPO Push
Cancer drug developer Constellation Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge, MA, has reeled in $55 million in what it describes as a mezzanine round of funding, typically a final financial push before a company tries to go public. The news jibes with what Constellation CEO Keith Dionne told Xconomy in August. Dionne was in a mood to celebrate … Continue reading “With Drugs in Clinic, Constellation Nabs $55M For IPO Push”
Your Startup Should Try a Switchback Strategy
When it comes to startup strategies, many entrepreneurs assume there is one optimal path. They may need to experiment or “pivot” initially among alternatives, but once they fix on an ideal strategy they simply need to execute. For example, a startup attempting to commercialize a new technology faces the strategic choice of whether to “go … Continue reading “Your Startup Should Try a Switchback Strategy”
As Criticism Mounts, Health Records Firms Chart Path to Data Sharing
The Great Recession devastated many industries, but health information technology was not one of them. The stimulus package Congress and President Obama approved in 2009 included $29 billion in incentives for U.S. hospitals and clinics to adopt electronic health records (EHR) systems. The legislation ignited a period of explosive growth for companies that develop software … Continue reading “As Criticism Mounts, Health Records Firms Chart Path to Data Sharing”
Rubius Aims To Turn Red Blood Cells Into Engineered Drug Carriers
Treating sick people with healthy blood is nothing new. But a new biotech company wants to treat disease by transforming red blood cells into tiny medicine delivery pods, using genetic engineering techniques that have helped turn other human cells into cutting-edge cancer therapies. The startup is called Rubius Therapeutics, and it’s announcing today a $25 … Continue reading “Rubius Aims To Turn Red Blood Cells Into Engineered Drug Carriers”
Andy Ory’s 128 Technology Scores $20M for Next-Gen Networking
When you’ve founded and run a company like Acme Packet—acquired by Oracle for $2 billion-plus in 2013—raising venture capital is not a problem. 128 Technology, a stealthy startup led by Andy Ory and other Acme Packet veterans, has closed $20 million in a new round of equity financing, according to an SEC filing. By our … Continue reading “Andy Ory’s 128 Technology Scores $20M for Next-Gen Networking”
How Code.org Is Charging Up Computer Science Education
Computer Science Education Week falls on the second week of December each year, coinciding with the birthday of Navy Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer in 1944. CS Ed Week was kind of a snoozer until Hadi Partovi founded Code.org, hatched the idea of the … Continue reading “How Code.org Is Charging Up Computer Science Education”
At Hematological Meeting, More Than Just Biotech Data Runs Blood Red
[Editor’s note: Deputy Biotechnology Editor Ben Fidler co-wrote this story.] The annual American Society for Hematology meeting, held this year in Orlando, FL, ends today. The meeting is a showcase for new data, drugs, and approaches to treat cancers like leukemia, rare genetic diseases, and other maladies that originate in or otherwise affect blood. But … Continue reading “At Hematological Meeting, More Than Just Biotech Data Runs Blood Red”
Pozen, Tribute Pharma Nix Ireland Move in Favor of Canada HQ
Pozen has formally selected Canada for its new headquarters after it merges with Canada-based Tribute Pharmaceuticals, abandoning plans for an Ireland base of operations that could give the combined company a lower tax rate but could also put it in the crosshairs of U.S. regulators trying to clamp down on corporate maneuvering to evade taxes. … Continue reading “Pozen, Tribute Pharma Nix Ireland Move in Favor of Canada HQ”
With Pinterest as Model, RealSavvy Builds Real Estate App For Agents
Apps and web tools for the real estate market abound, from basic ones like Trulia or Zillow mortgage calculators to tools that help buyers find more details about the home they may purchase. An Austin, TX-based company called RealSavvy is building a mobile tool that targets real estate agents rather than buyers, attempting to help … Continue reading “With Pinterest as Model, RealSavvy Builds Real Estate App For Agents”
Clammr Aims to Be an Instagram for Audio, Draw Listeners to Podcasts
Social media has made it incredibly easy to share short pieces of content in nearly every form. There’s Twitter and Facebook for text. Images have Instagram and Pinterest. Video has Vine. But what about audio? That’s what newcomer Clammr aspires to be—the go-to way to share bite-sized audio clips from your favorite podcasts and streaming … Continue reading “Clammr Aims to Be an Instagram for Audio, Draw Listeners to Podcasts”
Younity Raises $8M to Build Out “Personal Cloud” for Unifying Media
Younity, a San Diego media startup developing “personal cloud” technology, said it has raised $8 million in a Series A round of venture funding led by Marker, a New York-based venture capital and growth equity firm. Tim Draper’s Draper Associates and PROfounders Capital also participated in the round, which brought total funding for the company … Continue reading “Younity Raises $8M to Build Out “Personal Cloud” for Unifying Media”
One Medical Raises $65 Million to Expand “Concierge” Doctor Network
Does your health plan make you feel like a second class citizen, languishing in a doctor’s crowded waiting room? Technology startups are trying to cure such doldrums—not by competing with medical insurance companies, but by offering add-on services they claim will make health care more effective or convenient. One of the startups making that pitch, … Continue reading “One Medical Raises $65 Million to Expand “Concierge” Doctor Network”
Alums of Powermat and Fiverr Get $13M for Stealthy Insurance Startup
Lemonade plans to do something in the insurance scene—the founders, though, are not ready to publicly share what exactly they have cooked up. Some investors think it is a worthwhile idea, whatever it may be. On Tuesday, Daniel Schreiber and Shai Wininger, veterans of Powermat and Fiverr, announced they raised a $13 million seed round, … Continue reading “Alums of Powermat and Fiverr Get $13M for Stealthy Insurance Startup”
Boston Tech Watch: Keurig, Codeship, Twine, Ve Interactive, & More
This week, we’re following new funding rounds and acquisitions in industries ranging from drones to coffee, plus a look at technologies that are helping authorities respond to mass shootings. Read on for details. —Keurig Green Mountain (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GMCR]]) is getting scooped up by an investor group led by Germany-based JAB Holding Co. for $13.9 billion. … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Keurig, Codeship, Twine, Ve Interactive, & More”
Roundup: SPARK awards, Macomb Innovation Fund, Pro:Up, U-M & More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation ecosystem: —Macomb Community College’s Innovation Fund, supported by JPMorgan Chase, has awarded $300,000 to five metro Detroit startups. The Innovation Fund is part of a $2.7 million effort to stimulate growth in promising young startups. Companies supported by the Innovation Fund are required to provide internships … Continue reading “Roundup: SPARK awards, Macomb Innovation Fund, Pro:Up, U-M & More”
Key for Houston’s Biotech Ecosystem? Building a Bench of Executives
Life sciences leaders have lamented that one part missing from the biotech ecosystem in Texas is a robust community of executives who know how to turn good ideas into profitable businesses. In Houston, Fannin Innovation Studio has set out to fill that gap. “If you are in Boston, you already have a management team nearby … Continue reading “Key for Houston’s Biotech Ecosystem? Building a Bench of Executives”
San Diego’s EvoNexus Incubator Admits 13 to SoCal Franchise
EvoNexus, the startup incubator supported by the regional tech industry, said it has accepted 13 new companies from 182 applications for free office space in the latest round of its “no strings attached” program. Nine of the startups will be in San Diego. Six are moving into the EvoNexus space in downtown San Diego; three … Continue reading “San Diego’s EvoNexus Incubator Admits 13 to SoCal Franchise”
Dairyvative, Catalyze, & EnsoData: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List
An agriculture technology startup, a regulatory flip-flop, and a new investment fund are among the major recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Markesan-based Dairyvative Technologies, which is developing a unique technology for making concentrated milk, raised $2.5 million from four investors, according to an SEC filing. The technology removes water from pasteurized milk to form … Continue reading “Dairyvative, Catalyze, & EnsoData: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”
2016: The Year We Give Shoppers What They Want
This time of year, all eyes in e-commerce are heavily focused on 2016 strategies for growing sales, keeping customers happy, and expanding channels. Consumer shopping behaviors are shifting too, forcing brands and retailers to be even more agile, though they’re currently struggling just to keep up. There is a disconnect in the industry between how … Continue reading “2016: The Year We Give Shoppers What They Want”
With SQZ Deal, Roche Finally Dips Its Toes into Cell Therapy
Roche is the world’s biggest maker of cancer drugs, but it hasn’t moved into cellular immunotherapy, one of oncology’s most promising new treatments that turns our own immune cells into cancer killers. Today the Swiss company is taking the plunge by turning to tiny Boston startup SQZ Biotech and working on a form of immunotherapy … Continue reading “With SQZ Deal, Roche Finally Dips Its Toes into Cell Therapy”
Heart Drug Safety Concerns Prompt Shutdown at Laguna Pharmaceuticals
San Diego’s Laguna Pharmaceuticals has shut down, after early results from a late-stage trial of the company’s lone drug candidate revealed previously unseen safety concerns. “If you’re going to fail, you want to fail quickly, right?” Laguna CEO Bob Baltera told me last week. “We didn’t fail. The drug failed.” The drug was a 1,4-dialkylpiperazine … Continue reading “Heart Drug Safety Concerns Prompt Shutdown at Laguna Pharmaceuticals”
Figma, Soundtrap Score Funding for Arts Collaboration Tools
[Corrected 12/5/15, 2:56 pm. See below.] Many companies that provide online data storage services also offer tools that make it possible for business project teams to collaborate online. Common projects include jointly editing documents and logging sales activity so all can share the data. But creative teams also collaborate—and now tech companies are addressing the … Continue reading “Figma, Soundtrap Score Funding for Arts Collaboration Tools”
Bluecore Gets $21M for Big Data on Consumer Behavior for Marketers
Promising to crunch terabytes of behavioral data on consumers into something useful might sound like digital wizardry and rainmaking, but Bluecore is trying to do just that to help marketers. The New York-based company turns information about what customers look up when they visit brands’ websites into a way to target marketing messages. Bluecore CEO and co-founder … Continue reading “Bluecore Gets $21M for Big Data on Consumer Behavior for Marketers”
Praktio’s Digital Tools Help Students, Attorneys Navigate Legalese
Anyone who has ever tried to read a contract or service agreement dense with layers of legalese knows it can be a challenge. Turns out law students are often no less confused than lay people, said University of Michigan law professor Michael Bloom, and that’s why he decided to start a company called Praktio two … Continue reading “Praktio’s Digital Tools Help Students, Attorneys Navigate Legalese”
Introducing Xconomy’s New Fintech Channel
Whether you think Apple Pay or bitcoins, lending or mobile banking, not to mention new ways to protect our financial information, a revolution is underway when it comes to the technology behind finance. What’s more, this revolution is playing out all over the country—not just in the financial hubs of New York or Silicon Valley … Continue reading “Introducing Xconomy’s New Fintech Channel”
Enterprise Tech Strikes Back: Photos and Takeaways
Steve Papa said it takes having a different viewpoint and the persistence to turn a bad idea into a good idea. Andy Ory said it takes choosing the right market and problem to solve in the first place. Ash Ashutosh said that fast is the new big. The translation from these successful serial entrepreneurs: building … Continue reading “Enterprise Tech Strikes Back: Photos and Takeaways”
West Coast Bio Roundup: Gene Edit Talk, Not Poor ORIC, BioMarin Sags
[Corrected, 12/4/15, 5:10pm. See below.] In Washington, DC, this week, a three-day meeting brought together scientists, ethicists, and others to discuss the blistering advances in gene editing and the related legal, ethical, and medical implications. David Baltimore, a Nobel Prize winning biologist at the Pasadena-based California Institute of Technology, led the committee that planned the … Continue reading “West Coast Bio Roundup: Gene Edit Talk, Not Poor ORIC, BioMarin Sags”
San Diego’s GreatCall Buys Lively’s Assets
San Diego-based GreatCall, the mobile virtual network operator targeting the 65+ market, says today it has acquired the assets of Lively, a three-year-old San Francisco startup offering gadgets and services to “keep older adults living independently longer.” Financial terms were not disclosed in the statement issued today. GreatCall described the acquisition as a key step … Continue reading “San Diego’s GreatCall Buys Lively’s Assets”