The fight over the online daily fantasy sports industry has entered the courthouse. On Friday, DraftKings and FanDuel filed separate lawsuits (see PDFs below) against New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman and the state of New York, challenging Tuesday’s cease-and-desist letter from Schneiderman’s office, which claims the two companies’ websites are illegal gambling operations under … Continue reading “Three Takeaways As DraftKings, FanDuel Sue New York Attorney General”
Category: National
Advancing Drugs at Roche, Sophiris, Coherus, and Other Bio News
An economic impact report released this week by the California Life Sciences Association found that life sciences companies in the Golden State currently have 1,235 new drugs in the development pipeline—and it seemed like this week there was news on each one. Here’s our wrap of the life sciences news from the West Coast —The … Continue reading “Advancing Drugs at Roche, Sophiris, Coherus, and Other Bio News”
Deliv Acquires Delivery Startup Zipments, Expands National Footprint
This week, Bay Area-based Deliv announced it has acquired Zipments, the same-day delivery and crowdsourced courier startup based in Grand Rapids, MI, and operating primarily in New York City. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. The entire six-person Zipments staff will join the Deliv team but remain in Michigan. Garrick Pohl, founder and … Continue reading “Deliv Acquires Delivery Startup Zipments, Expands National Footprint”
Pryor Medical’s Reboa Device Aims to Prevent Internal Bleeding Deaths
Nobody should bleed to death. That sums up the mission of San Antonio, TX-based Pryor Medical Devices, which has licensed technology from the San Antonio Military Medical Center that could prevent internal bleeding from causing death. “For the Army, the number one problem is truncal hemorrhage,” says Pryor co-founder and CEO David Spencer, referring to … Continue reading “Pryor Medical’s Reboa Device Aims to Prevent Internal Bleeding Deaths”
Here’s the Agenda for Enterprise Tech Strikes Back on Dec. 2
Like Liam Neeson, the Boston tech community has a very particular set of skills. It can do other things, but what it’s best known for, historically, is enterprise software and hardware. In other words, technology for big companies. And in the process of developing that technology and expertise, the region is also looking to build … Continue reading “Here’s the Agenda for Enterprise Tech Strikes Back on Dec. 2”
The Future of Apple & Enterprise IT: Q&A With JAMF Software Founder
Zach Halmstad was an Apple loyalist before it was cool. He founded JAMF Software in 2002 after developing enterprise tools for Mac computers as part of an IT job at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he was studying music. Today, JAMF—which is headquartered in Minneapolis but has significant operations in Eau Claire—has more than … Continue reading “The Future of Apple & Enterprise IT: Q&A With JAMF Software Founder”
Salesforce Offers Free Online Training On Its Software To Fill Hiring Pools
As online courses and programming boot camps add new options for jobseekers trying to upgrade their skills, employers are also starting to shape the educational landscape as they step into new roles. Some companies such as Intuit have helped to design the curriculum for edtech outfits like Udacity, while others such as Microsoft, Cisco and … Continue reading “Salesforce Offers Free Online Training On Its Software To Fill Hiring Pools”
Fossil Buys Misfit Wearables, Acqui-Hires New CTO And Engineering Team
Fitness tracking devices were nothing new when Misfit Wearables was founded in 2011 by Sonny Vu, Sridhar Iyengar, and former Apple CEO John Sculley. But Misfit’s sleek metal design helped it compete with the plastic bracelets offered by rivals such as Fitbit. The little round device, with its tiny lights, looked like an alien coin … Continue reading “Fossil Buys Misfit Wearables, Acqui-Hires New CTO And Engineering Team”
Join Xconomy Dec. 10 To Hear From Bay Area Life Science Disruptors
We’re one month away from our annual San Francisco Bay Area biotech forum on December 10, and we’re excited to share the lineup with you. This year, we’re focusing on the most disruptive biotechnologies to explore their future implications, not to mention the profound effects they’re triggering already in healthcare, business, and society. One highlight … Continue reading “Join Xconomy Dec. 10 To Hear From Bay Area Life Science Disruptors”
Amazon Funds Risky UW Projects & More Recent Seattle Tech News
The public research university is the source of so much that makes an innovation ecosystem run: talent, technology, fresh ideas, and a conduit for research funding. But where federal dollars fall short, Amazon is stepping in with a new program of small grants to back students, researchers, and others pursuing “bold, risky, globally impactful projects.” … Continue reading “Amazon Funds Risky UW Projects & More Recent Seattle Tech News”
How Foreign-Born Workers Spark Employment and Innovation
The way critics tell it—including presidential hopefuls as varied as Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump—high-skilled foreign workers are job stealers. If these candidates have their way, living and working in the U.S. will become harder, not easier, for foreign talent. This protectionism, the theory goes, will positively impact the quantity and quality of American jobs: … Continue reading “How Foreign-Born Workers Spark Employment and Innovation”
This Week in Boston Tech: Seed Funds, Stealthy Startup Deal, & More
Startups are raising seed funds, Paul English’s stealthy travel startup is making acquisitions, and an Israeli startup is setting up headquarters in the Boston area. Read on for more highlights of the past week in local tech. —Boston-based Spiro announced the launch of its personal sales assistant app and $1.5 million in seed funding from … Continue reading “This Week in Boston Tech: Seed Funds, Stealthy Startup Deal, & More”
SkySpecs Takes Flight with $3 Million Series A, UpWind Partnership
SkySpecs, the Ann Arbor-based drone startup, announced this week that it raised $3 million in a Series A round. Venture Investors led the investment, with participation from Huron River Ventures, Amherst Fund II, the Michigan Angel Fund, and Invest Michigan. To date, the company has raised a total of $4.3 million, said SkySpecs CEO Danny … Continue reading “SkySpecs Takes Flight with $3 Million Series A, UpWind Partnership”
Houston’s Cricket Huddle Aims to Create Online Community of Fans
Some of sports’ biggest stars played at Houston’s Minute Maid Park Wednesday. Their names were Sachin and Shane; the game was cricket. Never heard of it, you say? “There are thousands of people who play in cricket leagues all over Houston,” says Rugved Damle, co-founder of Cricket Huddle, a Houston-based online community for fans of … Continue reading “Houston’s Cricket Huddle Aims to Create Online Community of Fans”
DraftKings, FanDuel Follow Uber’s Playbook As Legal Battles Loom
Like other immensely popular but controversial tech startups in recent years, DraftKings and FanDuel have reached the critical juncture where, having already won over millions of users, they must now do the same with regulators. The open question is which way the pendulum swings: Will fantasy-sports companies emerge mostly victorious, as sharing-economy stars Uber and … Continue reading “DraftKings, FanDuel Follow Uber’s Playbook As Legal Battles Loom”
Startupbootcamp Joins Fintech Surge in New York with New Accelerator
Another player has joined the rush to nurture fintech startups in New York. On Wednesday, Startupbootcamp, a network of accelerators, introduced its Startupbootcamp FinTech Accelerator in New York with the backing of Thomson Reuters, MasterCard, Santander, and Rabobank. Startupbootcamp, founded in 2010 and based in London with operations around the world, also runs fintech accelerators in London and … Continue reading “Startupbootcamp Joins Fintech Surge in New York with New Accelerator”
Perfecto Mobile Adds $35M to Test Apps Before They Reach Users
A buggy mobile app is one of the surest ways to turn off consumers. Perfecto Mobile helps businesses troubleshoot an app before it gets in the hands of users, then enables them to monitor and analyze performance after the app is released. And the Woburn, MA-based company just got a big boost from investors, to the tune … Continue reading “Perfecto Mobile Adds $35M to Test Apps Before They Reach Users”
WaVe, Voyager Get $170M Combined in Biotech’s Latest IPO Tests
Two privately held biotechs in the Boston area priced IPOs on Tuesday with similar estimates about their value. One of them hit its mark, thanks to some help from a few insiders, but the other fell a bit short. WaVe Life Sciences, of Cambridge, MA, priced 6,375,000 shares at $16 apiece, raising $102 million. That’s … Continue reading “WaVe, Voyager Get $170M Combined in Biotech’s Latest IPO Tests”
Big Changes Coming to Bizdom’s Detroit Accelerator
I was at a gathering last week when I first heard the rumors: Bizdom, Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert’s startup accelerator in downtown Detroit, was supposedly closing its doors. Details were scarce among partygoers, but more than one journalist I talked to said the incubator was going to wind down operations, a plan seemingly confirmed … Continue reading “Big Changes Coming to Bizdom’s Detroit Accelerator”
Amplyx Raises $40.5M to Advance Drug for Deadly Fungal Infections
Sometime after the Irish drug giant Shire acquired San Diego-based Lumena Pharmaceuticals last year, Lumena CEO Mike Grey went back to work on a new startup—but he wouldn’t say too much about what he was working on. He is now. Grey and a couple of other key executives from Lumena have joined Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, one … Continue reading “Amplyx Raises $40.5M to Advance Drug for Deadly Fungal Infections”
With Roche Deal, Cellular Dynamics Wades Deeper Into Drug Discovery
Cellular Dynamics International has long touted the potential for its manufactured human stem cells to help researchers identify and formulate new drugs. It got a strong endorsement from Swiss pharma giant Roche on Tuesday with a deal worth up to $83 million that Cellular Dynamics says is its largest partnership to date. The Madison, WI-based … Continue reading “With Roche Deal, Cellular Dynamics Wades Deeper Into Drug Discovery”
Idea Behind Warp Drive’s New Cancer Attack Was Hiding In Plain Sight
[Corrected, 11/12/15, 4:17pm. See below.] The way pharmaceuticals work is often described as keys fitting locks. A drug goes into the body and finds its target because it matches up with a small stretch of biological material within cells or on their surface. But there are all kinds of biological doors which have no locks—no … Continue reading “Idea Behind Warp Drive’s New Cancer Attack Was Hiding In Plain Sight”
MiRagen Lands $41M for MicroRNA Drugs in Cancer, Fibrosis
MiRagen Therapeutics is now ready to move into clinical development, backed by a $41 million financing round that will support trials of a pair of drug candidates for fibrosis and hematological cancers. MRL Ventures and JAFCO led the Series C investment for the Boulder, CO-based company. MiRagen has developed therapies that use microRNAs—single-stranded RNA molecules … Continue reading “MiRagen Lands $41M for MicroRNA Drugs in Cancer, Fibrosis”
Houston’s Fannin Launches New Biotech, Exotect, to Treat Asthma
Asthma treatments have typically focused on treating inflammation and constricted airways. Houston’s Fannin Innovation Studio has launched a company that tackles the disease’s third symptom: reducing overproduction of mucus. The company, called Exotect, is still in the early stages. Stemming from research led by Burton Dickey, chair of the pulmonary department at the University of … Continue reading “Houston’s Fannin Launches New Biotech, Exotect, to Treat Asthma”
In Significant Reversal, Prostate Drug Met Primary Goal After All
After getting something worse than a lump of coal for Christmas last year, Sophiris Bio got an early present for the 2015 holidays— its experimental prostrate drug met the primary goal of a late-stage study. Shares of Sophiris Bio (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SPHS]]) more than quadrupled overnight—opening today at $3.28 from yesterday’s close of 86 cents a … Continue reading “In Significant Reversal, Prostate Drug Met Primary Goal After All”
Australia, Ranked 81st In Innovation, Seeks Lessons From Silicon Valley
People are always swarming in from other countries to set up outposts in Silicon Valley, and that’s what Larry Marshall has been doing on a trip this month. But for Marshall, who flew in from his native Australia, the visit is also a homecoming. Marshall spent 26 years here watching entrepreneurs transform technology breakthroughs into … Continue reading “Australia, Ranked 81st In Innovation, Seeks Lessons From Silicon Valley”
GE, Gilt Groupe, Others Want to Advise NY Lawmakers on Tech Policies
An all-too-familiar refrain rings among certain politicians, who say they are not scientists or that they are neophytes when it comes to technology. The problem is the economy and future job growth are becoming inexorably tied to innovation—so if politicos don’t “get” tech, we may all be collectively screwed. Last week, business advocacy organization the … Continue reading “GE, Gilt Groupe, Others Want to Advise NY Lawmakers on Tech Policies”
VC Panel, New Fund, Pitch Contests Highlight WI Early Stage Symposium
Wisconsin has a ways to go if it wishes to be seen as a hotbed for entrepreneurship nationally. The Badger State finished dead last in the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s state rankings for startup activity. While there are some positive data points, such as Gener8tor being ranked the 14th-best U.S. seed accelerator last year, funds … Continue reading “VC Panel, New Fund, Pitch Contests Highlight WI Early Stage Symposium”
With $379M Deal For Ocata, Astellas Buys Stem Cells For Eye Diseases
Japanese drug firm Astellas Pharma announced late Monday it has agreed to buy Ocata Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OCAT]]), which is developing regenerative medicines for eye diseases. It’s an all-cash deal worth $379 million, with the Astellas offer of $8.50 a share representing a 79 percent premium to Ocata’s share price at the end of November 6. … Continue reading “With $379M Deal For Ocata, Astellas Buys Stem Cells For Eye Diseases”
Videolicious’ Amanda Eilian on Healthy Pessimism in Entrepreneurship
Should more founders listen to their inner pessimist? Amanda Eilian, co-founder and president of New York-based Videolicious, said this trait is critical to success. “Pessimism is actually a positive thing as an entrepreneur,” she said. She spoke Friday at the Cornell Entrepreneurship Summit in New York, a daylong event that included Hampton Creek CEO Josh … Continue reading “Videolicious’ Amanda Eilian on Healthy Pessimism in Entrepreneurship”
Ex-Blueprint Med CEO Resurfaces With $7.5M to Fight Genetic Blindness
People lose their vision most often because, simply speaking, they grow old. But in rare cases, a genetic defect leads to a blindness in children and teenagers called Stargardt disease. As with many rare diseases, there are no effective treatments for Stargardt. The Boston startup Vision Medicines hopes to change that. There’s a long way … Continue reading “Ex-Blueprint Med CEO Resurfaces With $7.5M to Fight Genetic Blindness”
U-M Program Takes Transportation Innovations from Lab to Marketplace
University of Michigan researchers and faculty developing innovations that address transportation and mobility challenges have a path from the lab to the marketplace thanks to the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Transportation program, which received $1 million to advance university startups in 2015, the program’s second year. MTRAC is a statewide program to move … Continue reading “U-M Program Takes Transportation Innovations from Lab to Marketplace”
AI, Accelerators, & Awards: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) announced it won’t move into a new headquarters in the city’s downtown, dropping its previous plans. Instead, the company will expand its presence at University Research Park on Madison’s west side. Last month, shares in … Continue reading “AI, Accelerators, & Awards: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”
Big Deals in Texas (ZS Pharma, HomeAway, Gravitant) & Other News
Let’s get caught up on the latest innovation news in Texas. —AstraZeneca scoops up Texas-born biotech ZS Pharma in a $2.7 billion deal. The British drug maker announced the purchase Friday, saying that ZS Pharma’s key therapy, ZS-9, which is being developed to fight chronic kidney disease, will boost its pipeline of drugs that fight cardiovascular … Continue reading “Big Deals in Texas (ZS Pharma, HomeAway, Gravitant) & Other News”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Bluebird, Solid GT, Evelo, Dyax & More
Congrats to the Kansas City Royals, which used a series of dramatic late-inning comebacks to break the hearts of New York Met fans from Bayside to Astoria and claim their first championship in 30 years. That left the city in a somber mood this past week, although the news wasn’t all bad for Met fans … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Bluebird, Solid GT, Evelo, Dyax & More”
Veterans Day Special Ending For Our Nov. 17 Health Summit: Save $75
We are getting down to the wire for the third annual Xconomy Healthcare Summit. This unique event, offering a comprehensive view across the healthcare spectrum from some of the country’s leading innovators and healthcare companies, takes place a week from tomorrow, on Tuesday, November 17, at the renowned Broad Institute in Kendall Square. And we’re … Continue reading “Veterans Day Special Ending For Our Nov. 17 Health Summit: Save $75”
CB Insights Raises $10M, Expands Private Market Data Capabilities
During the years he led strategic planning and corporate venture investments at American Express, Anand Sanwal says much of the available information about venture funding deals and private company valuations was spotty at best. If he could find an online source for the information he needed, Sanwal says the user interface and user experience “were … Continue reading “CB Insights Raises $10M, Expands Private Market Data Capabilities”
Milestones of Innovation 11: Blackouts and the Safety of the Grid
While we party upstairs in our micro-age of whirling electrons and dancing apps, there’s some rumbling down in the basement. In a new book called Lights Out, the television journalist Ted Koppel has been reminding us to be very worried about the reliability of one of the central innovations of modernity. He’s talking about our … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 11: Blackouts and the Safety of the Grid”
Avalon, GSK Extend Collaboration with Startup Focused on ALS
[Corrected 11/12/15, 9:30 am. See below.] San Diego’s Avalon Ventures has started a new biotech focused on Lou Gehrig’s disease, the neuro-degenerative disease that claimed the life of the Hall of Fame New York Yankees first baseman, whose endurance gave rise to his nickname as “the Iron Horse.” With the launch of the aptly named … Continue reading “Avalon, GSK Extend Collaboration with Startup Focused on ALS”
Inside Bolt’s Boston Paradise For Hardware Engineers: Slideshow
Walk through the door of Bolt’s downtown Boston office, and at first glance it looks like any other startup hub these days. Small teams from several companies are seated at desks in the middle of an open room, typing away on their laptops or huddled in quiet discussion. Light floods in from tall windows and … Continue reading “Inside Bolt’s Boston Paradise For Hardware Engineers: Slideshow”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: KaloBios, Atreca, Acadia, Twist & More
There were drips and drabs of news out west this week, but compared to recent weeks with former Silicon Valley darling Theranos taking a beating, or 23andMe revving its engines, it’s been sleepy. The big exceptions come in the form of two Bay Area companies going in opposite directions. The big green blinking arrow pointing … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: KaloBios, Atreca, Acadia, Twist & More”
Seven Major Cancer Centers To Pool Patients’ Gene, Health Data
Here and there, the genetic information of a cancer patient has helped a doctor find that person the right drug or steer her away from the wrong one. But the use of genetic knowledge to improve people’s health is in its infancy. That’s why seven major cancer treatment centers in North America and Europe are … Continue reading “Seven Major Cancer Centers To Pool Patients’ Gene, Health Data”
AstraZeneca Buys Texas-Born Biotech ZS Pharma in $2.7B Deal
British drugmaker AstraZeneca said Friday it is acquiring ZS Pharma for $2.7 billion. ZS Pharma was founded in the Fort Worth suburb of Coppell, TX, and relocated to San Mateo, CA following the company’s $107 million IPO last year. The biotech’s primary drug, ZS-9, aims to reduce levels of potassium levels in patients who have … Continue reading “AstraZeneca Buys Texas-Born Biotech ZS Pharma in $2.7B Deal”
Banza’s Chickpea Pasta Wins Top $500K Prize at Accelerate Michigan
The last time we wrote about Banza, the Detroit-based startup producing protein-heavy pasta made from chickpeas, the company was so new it didn’t have a website yet. What a difference 18 months makes. Last night, Banza took home the $500,000 grand prize in the annual Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition. As a first-of-its-kind product, Banza, the … Continue reading “Banza’s Chickpea Pasta Wins Top $500K Prize at Accelerate Michigan”
Four Strategies for Startups to Finish the Year Strong
It’s that time of the year again. While many are looking forward to the holiday season and counting down to the end of the year, businesses are engaged in the planning process for next year. No matter the size of your business, now is a great time to reflect on the past year, evaluate what … Continue reading “Four Strategies for Startups to Finish the Year Strong”
Fighting Noncompetes, Boosting Diversity on New NEVCA Head’s Agenda
The incoming leader of Massachusetts’s venture capital trade group has big shoes to fill, and she must quickly find her footing at a time when the local investor and tech communities stand at a crossroads. This week, Jody Rose took over as executive director of the New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA). The New York … Continue reading “Fighting Noncompetes, Boosting Diversity on New NEVCA Head’s Agenda”
Biogen Helps Put $42.5M Into a Father’s Duchenne Gene Therapy Quest
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a progressive muscle wasting disease that affects about 300,000 people, primarily boys, around the world. Patients with the disease lose ability to walk by their teens, and often die from one of a number of complications—like respiratory or heart failure—at a young age. There is no cure and no effective treatment. … Continue reading “Biogen Helps Put $42.5M Into a Father’s Duchenne Gene Therapy Quest”
To Be or Not To Be An Equity Crowdfunding Portal?
After the pioneering crowdfunding sites Indiegogo and Kickstarter set up shop roughly seven years ago, other entrepreneurs were saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Those fundraising platforms quickly scaled up, offering inventors, artists, and others an online meeting place where they could appeal for contributions to get their projects off the ground. The fundraising … Continue reading “To Be or Not To Be An Equity Crowdfunding Portal?”
Artificial Intelligence, Today and in 2035, Still Not Human-Level Smart
Computers are a long way from possessing human-level smarts, but they are doing increasingly useful things with technologies that form the building blocks of artificial intelligence, and by 2035, they’ll be driving our cars, at least sometimes. So says Oren Etzioni, CEO of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2).”My contention is that human-level intelligence … Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence, Today and in 2035, Still Not Human-Level Smart”
Tap Lab Taps Into Virtual Reality, Real Distribution for New Game
Attention, video game aficionados: the Boston-area gaming cluster has life. It’s been a pretty quiet year, but now companies are working on new games that make use of mobile devices and virtual reality—as well as new approaches for acquiring users. We’re seeing virtual-reality approaches from veteran studios like Harmonix, but also from smaller outfits like … Continue reading “Tap Lab Taps Into Virtual Reality, Real Distribution for New Game”