President Obama has nominated cardiologist Rob Califf to be the next head of the Food and Drug Administration, replacing the outgoing Margaret “Peggy” Hamburg. The nomination is no surprise. Speculation that Califf could be the next commissioner gained momentum in late January when the FDA named him a top deputy. Two weeks later, Hamburg said … Continue reading “Obama Nominates Duke Veteran Rob Califf To Lead FDA”
Category: National
LearnLaunch Accelerator Picks Startups in Games, Payments, & Books
The opportunities for new technology to improve education are much broader than assisting the core interactions between student, teacher, and subject matter. Edtech startups are trying to solve problems in everything from administrative operations to educational affordability. Boston’s LearnLaunch Accelerator is one example of the mix of ideas sprouting from the edtech industry. The organization … Continue reading “LearnLaunch Accelerator Picks Startups in Games, Payments, & Books”
GM Deal is a Milestone on Long Road for Maxwell Technologies
Shares of San Diego’s Maxwell Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MXWL]]) soared Tuesday by 18 percent, or 92 cents, to $6.03 a share, after Maxwell said General Motors is using its voltage stabilization system on many 2016 Cadillac models. Maxwell said General Motors is the first North American automaker to integrate its ultracapacitor technology as part of an … Continue reading “GM Deal is a Milestone on Long Road for Maxwell Technologies”
CED Report: NC Companies Raised $427M in First Half of 2015
Sprout Pharmaceuticals made recent headlines by securing the first FDA approval for a sexual-desire drug, then landing a deal days later to be acquired by Valeant Pharmaceuticals for $1 billion. But the Raleigh, NC-based company is also notable for the $50 million it raised from investors in June—the largest investment for any North Carolina company … Continue reading “CED Report: NC Companies Raised $427M in First Half of 2015”
INRIX Acquires ParkMe—and Its Reams of Data—for Undisclosed Sum
ParkMe, the Santa Monica, CA-based service that allows drivers to find and reserve parking spaces in busy urban centers, has been acquired by Kirkland, WA-based INRIX. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Alex Israel, ParkMe’s co-founder, says the entire 25-person ParkMe operation will join INRIX, but the company will maintain its “brand and … Continue reading “INRIX Acquires ParkMe—and Its Reams of Data—for Undisclosed Sum”
Collaboration Platform Authorea Helps Ebola Virus Researchers, Others
[Updated, 9/16/15. See below.] Sometimes it takes many brilliant minds working together to create a breakthrough—such as understanding one of the most insidious viruses on the planet. Collaboration is a cornerstone of scientific and medical discoveries; the same might be said of New York-based Authorea, a platform for sharing and working together on research. Co-founders Alberto … Continue reading “Collaboration Platform Authorea Helps Ebola Virus Researchers, Others”
Dallas Innovation Alliance Aims to Use Tech Innovation to Better Cities
The Dallas Entrepreneur Center is among a group of organizations that have partnered with the White House to boost smart cities. The DEC joins other Dallas area groups and businesses such as AT&T, IBM, and Microsoft to form the Dallas Innovation Alliance, an effort to use technological innovation to promote sustainable economic growth while improving … Continue reading “Dallas Innovation Alliance Aims to Use Tech Innovation to Better Cities”
American Copycats: Can Biosimilars Catch On And Cut Costs In U.S.?
Americans need to spend less on healthcare. Anyone disagree? No country spends like we do: 17 percent of our gross domestic product the past four years, in fact, according to the World Bank. No other country—rich, poor, big, small, frozen, tropical, whatever—comes close. (OK, except for the tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu. Really.) Now … Continue reading “American Copycats: Can Biosimilars Catch On And Cut Costs In U.S.?”
As Security Booms, Onapsis Gets Cash to Stop Corporate Cyber Attacks
Another day, another cybersecurity company to have on your radar—especially if you are concerned about things like corporate espionage, financial fraud, and international hackers stealing your intellectual property. These are huge problems, and Onapsis is trying to do something about it. Now, the Boston startup says it has raised $17 million in Series B funding, … Continue reading “As Security Booms, Onapsis Gets Cash to Stop Corporate Cyber Attacks”
Qualcomm Buys Capsule to Unite Health Data Across Hospital & Home
Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) said its Qualcomm Life subsidiary has acquired Capsule Technologie, an Andover, MA-based healthtech systems company with more than 1,900 hospital customers in 38 countries. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Qualcomm bought Capsule from JMI Equity and Bulger Capital Partners, which together held a majority ownership stake in the company … Continue reading “Qualcomm Buys Capsule to Unite Health Data Across Hospital & Home”
PeerIQ Keeps Wall Street’s Interest with Expanded Seed Funding
PeerIQ, the Wall Street-backed startup that analyzes risk in the peer-to-peer lending market and sells data about it to debt investors, is tacking on an additional $2.5 million to the $6 million it raised in an April seed funding round. The funding gives the New York-based company a couple of new investors—Victory Park Capital and … Continue reading “PeerIQ Keeps Wall Street’s Interest with Expanded Seed Funding”
U-M Announces $100 Million Data Science Initiative
Last week, the University of Michigan announced a big, new public-private initiative similar to its Mobility Transformation Center—only this time, the focus is on big data and the ever-improving technologies to gather, store, search, and analyze large collections of information. The $100 million Data Science Initiative (DSI) will establish the Michigan Institute for Data Science … Continue reading “U-M Announces $100 Million Data Science Initiative”
Health IT Startups Make Their Pitch at TMCx’s Inaugural Demo Day
TMCx, the health IT accelerator hosted by Houston’s Texas Medical Center, held its first demo day last week, an important milestone for the Houston institution as it aims to help boost the city’s life sciences ecosystem. The class was composed of 21 startups that participated in the six-month program, pitching innovative projects such as absorbable … Continue reading “Health IT Startups Make Their Pitch at TMCx’s Inaugural Demo Day”
LiquidText Wants to Be the Evernote of Reading Digital Documents
Taking notes in documents has not changed that much beyond marking up pages with a highlighter—even in digital form. Now, New York-based LiquidText says its app is a more malleable replacement for pen and paper, and for other software options on the market. Launched this month for the iPad, after a year of beta testing, … Continue reading “LiquidText Wants to Be the Evernote of Reading Digital Documents”
Hear the Synlogic Story at Boston’s Life Science Disruptors Sept. 30
Jose-Carlos Gutierrez Ramos had one of biopharma’s plum jobs as a top Pfizer executive. So why did he give it up to take the risk of running a biotech startup in, of all things, the uncertain field of synthetic biology? You can ask Gutierrez-Ramos himself in a few weeks. He’s one of the stars of … Continue reading “Hear the Synlogic Story at Boston’s Life Science Disruptors Sept. 30”
Gene Therapy Startup Dimension Tx Takes Crossover Cash to IPO Queue
Time to add one more recipient of crossover investor cash to the list of official IPO candidates. Cambridge, MA-based Dimension Therapeutics just filed for an IPO this morning, aiming to raise cash from public investors to support a pipeline of potential gene therapies for hemophilia and rare diseases. Should the company go public, it’ll trade … Continue reading “Gene Therapy Startup Dimension Tx Takes Crossover Cash to IPO Queue”
Led by Unica Founder, Allego Tackles Video Training for Salespeople
It can be cool to be a salesperson. Not only do you have expense accounts and work directly with customers, but you are on the cutting edge of where new software models hit the mainstream. Think software-as-a-service from Salesforce, inbound marketing from HubSpot, e-mail tracking with Yesware—and any number of customer relationship management tools such … Continue reading “Led by Unica Founder, Allego Tackles Video Training for Salespeople”
Plexxi Nabs $35M to Build Enterprise Data Fast Lanes
In today’s business world, the flood of software applications and humongous data sets that accompany them have put pressure on enterprise companies to figure out better ways to effectively manage the flow of all that information. These new challenges in data networking have given rise to new players taking aim at a market that has … Continue reading “Plexxi Nabs $35M to Build Enterprise Data Fast Lanes”
Pharma Plays The “Value” Card: Drug Spending Then And Now
Dr. John Lechleiter, the CEO of Eli Lilly, recently attempted to debunk five “Big Myths” about Big Pharma. As he wrote, “Only about 10 cents of every U.S. healthcare dollar is spent on retail prescription medicines—which is the same share that was spent on prescriptions in 1960. While the overall use of medicines to treat … Continue reading “Pharma Plays The “Value” Card: Drug Spending Then And Now”
Fasetto Raises $5M, Will Start Selling 1TB Wearable In 2016
If you’ve ever dreamed of walking around wearing a terabyte of data storage—and being able to exchange data wirelessly, at breakneck speeds, to and from any Wi-Fi-enabled device, even with no Internet connection—you’ll only need to wait another six months. Superior, WI-based Fasetto has developed a solid state drive, called “Link,” that can be worn as … Continue reading “Fasetto Raises $5M, Will Start Selling 1TB Wearable In 2016”
Fintech and Lessons in Investing Come to the New York Tech Meetup
The flurry of fintech startups hell-bent on modernizing the financial world may need a reminder that not everyone is savvy about the ins and outs of stock investing. This month’s New York Tech Meetup brought to the stage a startup trying to address this issue. GoldBean CEO Jane Barratt and chief technology officer Husani Oakley presented their … Continue reading “Fintech and Lessons in Investing Come to the New York Tech Meetup”
Delphinus Closes $39.5 Million Series C, Plans SoftVue Trial
Delphinus Medical Technologies, the Plymouth, MI-based medical imaging startup, announced this week that it has raised $39.5 million in a Series C round. The investment was led by Venture Investors, with participation from Hopen Life Science Ventures, Waycross Ventures, Arboretum Ventures, Beringea, and North Coast Technology Investors. According to the company, the round represents the … Continue reading “Delphinus Closes $39.5 Million Series C, Plans SoftVue Trial”
Ten Startups at Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator Make Their Big Debut
Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) staged a pretty good sendoff in San Diego yesterday for the 10 startups that began the company’s robotics accelerator program 16 weeks ago. Techstars manages the startup-mentoring program in San Diego under a corporate partnership with Qualcomm. The wireless technology giant held its inaugural “Demo Day” for the Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator in … Continue reading “Ten Startups at Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator Make Their Big Debut”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Biogen, Watson, Data Dumps & More
Guess what? Though this may have been forgotten amidst the biotech boom, drug trials often fail. This week offered a reminder of that, as investors hammered a few Boston-area biotech stocks after disappointing data. The news wasn’t all bad, though. Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKBA]]) surged on some positive mid-stage results. Some deals were made. A … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Biogen, Watson, Data Dumps & More”
Seattle Roundup: More M&A from DocuSign, Inrix, Microsoft, Wave
The acquisitions by local tech companies continued this week. DocuSign grabbed a division of OpenTrust, Microsoft bought Adallom, Wave Broadband snapped up Layer42, and Inrix acquired ParkMe. Meanwhile, Chef pulled down a big funding round and the Washington Technology Industry Association launched a software developer apprenticeship. Read on for details: —Kirkland, WA-based INRIX has acquired … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: More M&A from DocuSign, Inrix, Microsoft, Wave”
MassChallenge Touts Gender Diversity Stats As Wider Dialogue Builds
Lalita Booth is the CEO of a six-person startup, Navitome, which includes two women and four men. But such is the state of the tech industry that sometimes when she walks into a room for a business meeting, she said, people on the other side of the table look at her male colleagues and ask … Continue reading “MassChallenge Touts Gender Diversity Stats As Wider Dialogue Builds”
Washington Tech Industry Plans Software Apprenticeship Program
Washington state’s tech industry is undertaking another novel effort to grow its local talent pipeline with an apprenticeship program for would-be software developers. The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) says a $3.5 million federal grant will help it create what it calls a first-of-its-kind registered apprenticeship program that aims to train 600 people over the … Continue reading “Washington Tech Industry Plans Software Apprenticeship Program”
Wisconsin Roundup: NorthStar, StartingBlock Madison, 5Nines & More
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Madison-based NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes has partnered with Westinghouse Electric to explore producing medical radioisotopes in commercial nuclear reactors, according to a press release issued by Westinghouse. The two companies aim to address the global shortage of molybdenum-99—which is used to … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: NorthStar, StartingBlock Madison, 5Nines & More”
IBM Watson Health Taps Ex-Philips CEO as GM, Touts New Partners
For a few months, we’ve been hearing about IBM Watson Health’s plan to open a new headquarters in the Boston area. On Thursday, the business unit held an event at its new office and announced some partnerships, as well as an important first hire in Cambridge, MA. First, the people news: Deborah DiSanzo (pictured) is … Continue reading “IBM Watson Health Taps Ex-Philips CEO as GM, Touts New Partners”
Fintech Startup Fundbox Nabs $50M for Small Business Financing Option
Financial technology company Fundbox, which automates advance payments to small businesses based on their outstanding invoices, announced today it has raised $50 million in an equity funding round led by a new investor, Spark Capital Growth. San Francisco-based Fundbox bills its service as a solution for a common problem among small businesses—a cash flow crunch. … Continue reading “Fintech Startup Fundbox Nabs $50M for Small Business Financing Option”
Comfy’s Bill-Splitting App for Roommates Garners $1.25M Series A
Comfy, an Austin, TX-based free online service that helps college students locate new housing, has secured a $1.25 million Series A round from existing investor ATX Seed Ventures as the company begins shifting its focus to a newly launched bill-paying app that it hopes will earn it more money. In March, Comfy launched Unbill, an … Continue reading “Comfy’s Bill-Splitting App for Roommates Garners $1.25M Series A”
CureVac Opens up an mRNA Hub in Moderna’s Cambridge Backyard
There’s a messenger RNA battle brewing in Cambridge, MA. CureVac, a Germany-based mRNA company spun out of the University of Tubigen 15 years ago, said this morning that it’s opening up a U.S. hub in Cambridge. Karen Slobod, a former Novartis Vaccines executive, will head the new outpost, whose focus will be developing mRNA-based prophylactic … Continue reading “CureVac Opens up an mRNA Hub in Moderna’s Cambridge Backyard”
HookLogic Raises $15.5M Round to Grow, Sells Off AutoHook Division
New York-based HookLogic announced Thursday it raised $15.5 million in a Series C round with new and existing investors, and separately sold its AutoHook division to Urban Science, a Detroit-based developer of software for marketing in the automotive industry. HookLogic developed a performance marketing platform that brands can use to reach consumers on retail and … Continue reading “HookLogic Raises $15.5M Round to Grow, Sells Off AutoHook Division”
Nutshell’s CEO, Founder on Building Startups in Ann Arbor
When I first sat down last spring to talk with serial entrepreneurs Guy Suter and Joe Malcoun about the companies they’ve launched and their plans to boost Ann Arbor’s startup ecosystem as a whole, it was a fun, freewheeling conversation. Malcoun and Suter have their hands in a number of local companies and projects. They’re … Continue reading “Nutshell’s CEO, Founder on Building Startups in Ann Arbor”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Tandem, Pathway Genomics, Denali & More
Now that Labor Day is over, the innovation-driven life sciences editors at Xconomy can pass along the really important news—Billboard magazine’s final Songs of the Summer chart. As you may know, Billboard tracks the most popular ear candy from Memorial Day through Labor Day—and the official 2015 “Song of Summer” is…Jamaican singer OMI’s version of … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Tandem, Pathway Genomics, Denali & More”
Antibody Maker AnaptysBio Joins IPO Queue With $86M In Its Sights
San Diego-based AnaptysBio, a developer of antibody-based drugs, has placed a stake in the ground to go public, filing IPO paperwork Wednesday. The 10-year-old firm recently raised a $40 million Series D round of funding from crossover investors, setting itself up for a run at the public markets. Crossover investors have helped fuel the three-year … Continue reading “Antibody Maker AnaptysBio Joins IPO Queue With $86M In Its Sights”
Stealthy Boston-Area Startup DOTS Devices Raises $8M
DOTS Devices, a stealthy new startup based outside of Boston, has raised about $8 million in equity and other securities, according to a document filed with the SEC today. The company could raise another $500,000 in this funding round, as the SEC filing shows a total offering amount of $8.5 million. A Google search didn’t … Continue reading “Stealthy Boston-Area Startup DOTS Devices Raises $8M”
Madison’s 5Nines Launches Free 4G Network for Businesses
Businesses, non-profits, and community centers in parts of Madison, WI, can now get free, high-speed wireless Internet access by tapping into a 4G network built by 5Nines, a local Internet service provider (ISP) and technology firm. An organization must pay $150 for a pre-configured router—non-profits get half off—but there is no cost for the service … Continue reading “Madison’s 5Nines Launches Free 4G Network for Businesses”
From CustomMade to ButcherBox: A Serial Entrepreneur’s Journey
Mike Salguero’s story is a sign of the times. In the tech startup world, sometimes you go big. And sometimes you go home—and reinvent yourself with help from friends and industry experts. Salguero is the co-founder and former CEO of CustomMade, an online marketplace for crafts and home décor. The Boston-area company raised about $25 … Continue reading “From CustomMade to ButcherBox: A Serial Entrepreneur’s Journey”
Biogen Pays $60M to Take on Celgene With a Rival Autoimmune Drug
It’s unclear if Biogen was one of the unnamed bidders that lost out on Receptos a few months ago. But a deal the Cambridge-based company made this morning for a drug that would directly compete with Receptos sure makes it seem that way. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) this morning paid $60 million up front for worldwide … Continue reading “Biogen Pays $60M to Take on Celgene With a Rival Autoimmune Drug”
Ingenu Plans Nationwide Wireless Network for Internet of Things
San Diego’s On-Ramp Wireless has shed its skin. The startup that was founded in 2008 and raised $77 million to advance its low-power, wireless networking technology for utility power grids and other industrial applications has a new identity, new CEO, and a bigger, more ambitious strategic focus on the Internet of Things (IoT). As the … Continue reading “Ingenu Plans Nationwide Wireless Network for Internet of Things”
Apperian Raises $12M to Continue Momentum in Enterprise Mobility
Sometimes tech companies must raise venture capital out of necessity, in order to keep the business afloat until they get enough cash flowing in from customers to survive. Other times, companies have the luxury of choosing to raise money from investors to accelerate already-strong sales growth. The latter is the position Boston-based Apperian says it … Continue reading “Apperian Raises $12M to Continue Momentum in Enterprise Mobility”
Chef Orders Up $40M Series E for DevOps Automation Software
As software eats the world, every company must become a software company. You’ve heard that before. But it’s easier said than done. Seattle-based Chef, the IT automation software maker that has just raised a $40 million Series E financing, is growing in large part because of its ability to help companies—including traditional large enterprises—transform themselves … Continue reading “Chef Orders Up $40M Series E for DevOps Automation Software”
With New Data, Highs and Lows For Akebia, Flexion, Tetraphase
Want to invest in biotech? Data released this afternoon from three Boston-area biotechs—Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Flexion Therapeutics, and Akebia Therapeutics—show just how big the risks and rewards can be. First, the bad news. Tetraphase (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TTPH]]) and Flexion (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FLXN]]) both reported that their experimental drugs failed clinical trials, and both were punished by public investors. … Continue reading “With New Data, Highs and Lows For Akebia, Flexion, Tetraphase”
How to Succeed in the Second Digital Era
Blockbuster. Borders. The U.S. Postal Service. These once-dominant entities, and many more, have all been victims of disruptive tech. Although it’s too early to sound the death knell for taxis, it’s also too late to say that ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft are a flash in the pan. The disruptive change they represent is … Continue reading “How to Succeed in the Second Digital Era”
Dallas’s Motive Accelerator Debuts First Set of Real Estate Tech Startups
Motive, the Dallas accelerator dedicated to boosting real estate tech startups, announced its first cohort of companies Tuesday. The startups, which were chosen from about 80 applicants, largely focus on the commercial real estate market. Each of the companies is already in the marketplace and serving customers. Motive will invest $40,000 in each startup in … Continue reading “Dallas’s Motive Accelerator Debuts First Set of Real Estate Tech Startups”
NFL Lab Report: Detroit’s Xenith Makes Top-Rated Football Helmet
The topic of football-related brain injuries has captured national attention as doctors and researchers learn more about the kind of long-term damage sustained by players in the rough-and-tumble sport. There’s even a movie scheduled to hit theaters later this year called “Concussion,” which stars Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu, the real-life forensic neuropathologist who … Continue reading “NFL Lab Report: Detroit’s Xenith Makes Top-Rated Football Helmet”
Omni Water Rides Out Energy Price Drop Focusing on Other Industries
The downturn in the oil and gas market has sent Austin, TX’s Omni Water Solutions back to its roots in developing drinking water. “Low prices have begat low activity,” says Warren Sumner, the company’s CEO. “That’s been a challenge.” To adapt, the company has expanded into other industrial applications where water treatment is needed. This … Continue reading “Omni Water Rides Out Energy Price Drop Focusing on Other Industries”
CommScope Adds Airvana to Boost Indoor Wireless Offerings
CommScope, a company that provides telecommunications equipment for wired and wireless networks, has reached an agreement to acquire Airvana to beef up its capabilities supporting indoor wireless coverage. Hickory, NC-based CommScope (NASDAQ: [[ticker:COMM]]) says it will finance the acquisition with cash, but disclosed no terms other than to say it aims to close the deal … Continue reading “CommScope Adds Airvana to Boost Indoor Wireless Offerings”
Student Loan Marketplace CommonBond Raises $35M, Plans New Hires
A bit more cash is going into the pockets of yet another New York-based fintech company. With $35 million more funding announced Tuesday, CommonBond plans to grow its staff, develop its technology, and to scale up its operations. “We are about 35 people right now; we’d like to be 60 people in the next six months,” … Continue reading “Student Loan Marketplace CommonBond Raises $35M, Plans New Hires”