Category: National

Inclusion in Tech Entrepreneurship: Meritocracy or Myth?

We’ve been hearing a lot about how the high-tech industry has been working to recruit more underrepresented minorities and women into its ranks, without much early success. Less than 2 percent of the employees at Facebook, Google, and Twitter are African-American, according to the companies’ Equal Employment Opportunity reports for 2014, released earlier this year. … Continue reading “Inclusion in Tech Entrepreneurship: Meritocracy or Myth?”

GSK Deepens Ties With Electro-Stim Startup SetPoint in $15M Funding

When GlaxoSmithKline started up a venture fund a few years to invest in electronic medicines—treatments that use electrical impulses, rather than manmade chemicals or protein drugs, to impact disease—a startup called SetPoint Medical was its first investment. A few years later, with SetPoint nearing a key clinical trial, the British drugmaker has deepened its ties … Continue reading “GSK Deepens Ties With Electro-Stim Startup SetPoint in $15M Funding”

San Diego Developer Offers Perks for Tech Elite, Lands GoPro Outpost

Can a sleek tech campus with “concierge” services reverse the gravitational pull that Silicon Valley seems to exert on San Diego tech startups? Maybe. GoPro (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GPRO]]), the digital camera maker based in San Mateo, CA, is expanding its suburban San Diego outpost—moving over 100 employees into a renovated and amenity-laden campus just 400 feet … Continue reading “San Diego Developer Offers Perks for Tech Elite, Lands GoPro Outpost”

Selecta, Eyeing IPO, Brings Sanofi, Crossovers Aboard For $38M Round

Crossover investors—institutions that back both public and private companies—have been piling money into biotechs over the past few years. Today you can add Selecta Biosciences to the list of crossover-cash recipients, and pencil the Watertown, MA-based company as a future IPO candidate to boot. Selecta, a developer of nanoparticle technology, has raised a $38 million … Continue reading “Selecta, Eyeing IPO, Brings Sanofi, Crossovers Aboard For $38M Round”

New Technique for Wearable Sensors Transmits Signal Through Body

Electrical engineers at UC San Diego have reported a new wireless communication technique that uses magnetic fields to transmit ultra low-power signals through the human body. At a time when forecasts of the global market for wearable wireless technologies range from $6 billion to $19 billion by 2018, a UC San Diego spokeswoman said the … Continue reading “New Technique for Wearable Sensors Transmits Signal Through Body”

9 Frothy Tech Sectors of 2015: Food Delivery, Fintech, Drones & More

There’s a point at which a technology market or sector feels overhyped and saturated. Sometimes it’s when the first $1 billion valuation is announced—or when venture capital starts flowing so freely that it seems due diligence is an afterthought. And it’s definitely when media start calling tech businesses “Uber for (fill in the blank).” In … Continue reading “9 Frothy Tech Sectors of 2015: Food Delivery, Fintech, Drones & More”

Harmonix Reloaded: Music Videogame Maker Raises $15M

[Updated, 9/8/15. See below] For a 20-year-old company, Harmonix Music Systems sure looks like a startup. Now the Boston-based videogame maker, best known for the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises, has raised $15 million in new equity funding, according to a regulatory filing. The company isn’t talking yet, but the presence of venture capitalists … Continue reading “Harmonix Reloaded: Music Videogame Maker Raises $15M”

Seattle Roundup: End of Summer M&A Flurry

Northwest tech deal-makers were busy this week, announcing several significant mergers and acquisitions before the unofficial end of summer. Amazon Web Services is buying Portland, OR-based Elemental Technologies. Microsoft is scooping up people analytics company VoloMetrix. And Zillow is spinning off Market Leader at a significant discount. Read on for more details: —Elemental Technologies’ pending … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: End of Summer M&A Flurry”

DTX Launch Teaches Young Grads Entrepreneurial Skills

TechTown Detroit—in partnership with Bizdom, Invest Detroit, the Detroit Creative Corridor Center, the Henry Ford Innovation Institute, NextEnergy, and Techstars Mobility—recently ran the 2015 DTX Launch Detroit program, a 10-week summer accelerator for college students and recent graduates aspiring to launch a technology startup. This year’s cohort comprised 11 teams, with 26 participants from 10 … Continue reading “DTX Launch Teaches Young Grads Entrepreneurial Skills”

Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, Epic, American Family & More

[Corrected 9/9/15, 10:16 am. See below.] Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Johnson Controls (NYSE: [[ticker:JCI]]) announced it sold one of its major divisions, Global Workforce Solutions, to the Los Angeles-based CBRE Group (NYSE: [[ticker:CBG]]) for $1.4 million. As part of the deal, Glendale-based JCI will provide … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, Epic, American Family & More”

East Coast Biotech Roundup: X4, Rgenix, Alnylam, Intellia & More

What summer doldrums? It’s still not even Labor Day, yet the deals are already coming fast and furious. So fire up the grill and read on for some Series A rounds, crossover investments, data readouts, option-to-buy deals and more. —As Xconomy reported this week, a stealthy Cambridge, MA-based startup called X4 Pharmaceuticals raised a $37.5 … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: X4, Rgenix, Alnylam, Intellia & More”

Boston Tech Roundup: Databox, Ascent, LogMeIn, & More

There have been so many big headlines coming out of Boston this week—OK, really just one, about Tom Brady—that it’s been easy to miss some of them. With that in mind, here’s a roundup of some technology news of import: —Databox, a Boston company that helps marketers and managers track data from services such as … Continue reading “Boston Tech Roundup: Databox, Ascent, LogMeIn, & More”

AWS Buys Video Software Maker Elemental Technologies for Reported $500M

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is bolstering its already substantial cloud-based video offerings with the acquisition of Portland, OR-based Elemental Technologies. Elemental makes software to enable multi-screen delivery of video content over the Internet—things like video encoding, decoding, and transcoding. It has been working with Amazon subsidiary AWS for four years to serve shared customers in … Continue reading “AWS Buys Video Software Maker Elemental Technologies for Reported $500M”

West Coast Biotech Roundup: Amgen, Grizzlies, Topol, Faraday & More

As biotech ended its worst market month since the recession, it was fitting that one of the week’s best stories was about bears. Grizzlies, to be precise. Grizzlies are oh-so-Western, so of course we were intrigued, and even better, the story involves a West Coast biotech company. The Wall Street Journal broke news this week … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Amgen, Grizzlies, Topol, Faraday & More”

Acadia, Under New CEO, Seeks Approval for Parkinson’s Drug

San Diego’s Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACAD]]) said today it has submitted its lead drug candidate for FDA approval. The company also said Steve Davis, who became interim CEO in March, will officially continue as the company’s president and CEO. The company now appears to be back on track after stumbling almost six months ago. Traders … Continue reading “Acadia, Under New CEO, Seeks Approval for Parkinson’s Drug”

Varsity News Network Snags $3.7 Million, Plans 2.0 Version Next Year

Varsity News Network (VNN), the Grand Rapids, MI-based startup that facilitates online communication between high school athletic departments, parents, and athletes, today announced that it has closed on a round of financing worth $3.7 million. Arsenal Ventures led the round, with participation from North Coast Technology Ventures, RSL Venture Partners, Start Garden, Nir Arkin, Detroit … Continue reading “Varsity News Network Snags $3.7 Million, Plans 2.0 Version Next Year”

What Bubble? Techstars Boston Keeps Trying to Build Real Businesses

If you cover the technology startup industry, two words you are getting sick of seeing are “bubble” and “unicorn.” In place of the former, you are hearing more about a coming “correction” in valuations and so forth. In place of the latter, you mostly get people shaking their heads at what the term even means. … Continue reading “What Bubble? Techstars Boston Keeps Trying to Build Real Businesses”

Scripps Enrolls 4,000+ in Scanadu Trial of Device for Vital Signs

In the five years since it was founded, Mountain View, CA-based Scanadu has been blessed with a groundswell of support from some pretty diverse groups—ordinary folks, elite investors, Web innovators, and even Trekkies. Now the company gets to bask in the reflected glow of San Diego’s prestigious Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI). In a statement … Continue reading “Scripps Enrolls 4,000+ in Scanadu Trial of Device for Vital Signs”

With New CEO, Seattle’s Faraday Pharma Aims to Exploit Ikaria Roots

[Updated 9/3/15, 11:30 am. See below.] Tiny Faraday Pharmaceuticals of Seattle launched last year to try what its predecessor Ikaria couldn’t do: Turn the cutting-edge research of founder Mark Roth, a MacArthur Foundation “genius” award winner, into a medical product. Now Faraday, which emerged from stealth and announced a round of funding last year but … Continue reading “With New CEO, Seattle’s Faraday Pharma Aims to Exploit Ikaria Roots”

Sage Points to Tremor Data to Back Up “De-Risked” Neuro Drug Plan

Companies are always looking to increase their odds of success, and Sage Therapeutics believes it’s come up with a clinical strategy to take some risk out of a risky business. Sage (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SAGE]]) today is reporting the results of a small, exploratory study of its lead drug, SAGE-547, in patients with essential tremor, a neurological … Continue reading “Sage Points to Tremor Data to Back Up “De-Risked” Neuro Drug Plan”

Microsoft, Ballmers Enable More STEM Students, But Shortages Remain

Aspiring computer scientists, engineers, and health care professionals of modest means in Washington state have a better shot at a college education thanks to $21 million donated to a state scholarship fund by Microsoft and its former CEO, Steve Ballmer, matched dollar-for-dollar by the state. But even as a computer science education—a sure path to … Continue reading “Microsoft, Ballmers Enable More STEM Students, But Shortages Remain”

Intellivisit Lands New Customers, Expects New Financing in October

Intellivisit, the Milwaukee-area virtual health startup that seeks to be the “digital front door” for sick patients wanting to report their symptoms, has signed three Midwestern customers, all of whom will start using the software in October, said founder and CEO Jay Mason. The company, which changed its name from Elli Health in April, was … Continue reading “Intellivisit Lands New Customers, Expects New Financing in October”

Topol Calls on Healthcare Industry to “Emancipate” Patient Data

Eric Topol has a long list of job titles. From a talk yesterday in San Diego, he might be aiming to add a new moniker, as “the great emancipator” of electronic medical records. Already a professor of genomics, director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, practicing cardiologist, and advocate for digital health innovation, Topol called … Continue reading “Topol Calls on Healthcare Industry to “Emancipate” Patient Data”

How To Pick Winning Startups in Crowded Tech Fields? Specialize, VC Says

In 2013, veteran investor and former Salesforce.com executive Matt Holleran quietly opened a specialized kind of venture firm that he suspects will become more common. Cloud Apps Capital Partners focuses on a single market—Web-based software applications for businesses. It aims to fill an early-stage startup funding niche that Holleran believes is not well-served by the … Continue reading “How To Pick Winning Startups in Crowded Tech Fields? Specialize, VC Says”

Censio, Led by Ex-Zipcar CEO, Brings Mobile Tech to Car Insurance

In the business of connected cars, at least one clear market has emerged: insurance. Today a Boston startup is taking a big step in that market. Censio, which has been growing quietly next to the Harvard Innovation Lab, said Wednesday it has formed a partnership with Progressive Insurance to develop a mobile app to monitor … Continue reading “Censio, Led by Ex-Zipcar CEO, Brings Mobile Tech to Car Insurance”

Content Marketing Software Dev NewsCred Gets $42M, Plans Hiring Surge

NewsCred announced Wednesday it raised $42 million, just about doubling its total funding, for its content marketing management software at a time when marketers continue a pell-mell frenzy to keep the audience’s attention. Frankly, it is getting harder to make content from brands stick with the increasingly jaded and disinterested masses who change their media … Continue reading “Content Marketing Software Dev NewsCred Gets $42M, Plans Hiring Surge”

Shire Sends Hemophilia Gene Editing Prospects Back to Sangamo

There is no single race in gene therapy, or gene editing for that matter, more competitive than the one between companies trying to create treatments for hemophilia. And if one of its entrants, Sangamo Biosciences, is going to come out on top, it’ll likely have to do it without the help of Shire. Sangamo Biosciences … Continue reading “Shire Sends Hemophilia Gene Editing Prospects Back to Sangamo”

AREA360 Lands $3.5M to Bring Location-Based Apps to Museums, Airports

A Seattle company, by way of New Zealand, has raised $3.5 million to advance technology that helps managers of places like the Smithsonian museum and Sea-Tac Airport create location-based content and services for visitors. Madrona Venture Group is leading the Series A round for AREA360, whose product, STQRY, is designed for large, high-traffic locales that … Continue reading “AREA360 Lands $3.5M to Bring Location-Based Apps to Museums, Airports”

Forward Fest Panel: UW-Madison Could Do More to Support Tech Transfer

In the early 2000s, JoAnne Robbins was considering turning her research on swallowing disorders into a company. But Robbins was “not really encouraged” by her superiors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to commercialize her research. “There was an unspoken message that you don’t go into entrepreneurial activities until you have tenure,” she said. “It was … Continue reading “Forward Fest Panel: UW-Madison Could Do More to Support Tech Transfer”

Medfusion Lands $3M for Patient-Focused Software Push

There’s a lot of talk in the health IT space about getting patients actively engaged in health care, and a lot of companies are trying to do it through mobile apps. Medfusion, a health software company that already has a nationwide customer base of physicians, now wants to reach out to patients directly and the … Continue reading “Medfusion Lands $3M for Patient-Focused Software Push”

Renaissance, MVCA Program Lures Half-Dozen Investors to Michigan

Though Michigan’s startup community has experienced a ton of growth in the past 10 years, the state remains a place that is “underserved” when it comes to investment capital, says Chris Rizik, CEO and fund manager at Renaissance Venture Capital. With that in mind, Renaissance partnered with the Michigan Venture Capital Association for the past … Continue reading “Renaissance, MVCA Program Lures Half-Dozen Investors to Michigan”

Ragan Reunites Ex-Genzymers at X4 Pharma to Battle Cancer

Several years ago, Genzyme developed a drug called plerixafor (Mozobil) that’s used to help with bone marrow transplants. Now a group of folks that helped push that drug forward have reunited for a new effort—to use a similar type of therapy for solid tumors and rare diseases. As Xconomy reported earlier today, X4 Pharmaceuticals was … Continue reading “Ragan Reunites Ex-Genzymers at X4 Pharma to Battle Cancer”

Apttus Snags $108M for Web-Based B2B Sales Management System

Apttus, a San Mateo, CA-based sales support provider that had already raised $41 million in February, just topped that by closing a $108 million Series C financing, the company announced today. The new funding places Apttus’ valuation at more than $1 billion, a company spokesman says. Apttus operates a Web-based sales management system built on … Continue reading “Apttus Snags $108M for Web-Based B2B Sales Management System”

Cellular Dynamics Launches ‘World’s Largest’ Public Stem Cell Bank

[Updated 9/2/15 8:54 am. See below.] In 2013, Cellular Dynamics vowed to create induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines from the cells of 3,000 donors—some healthy, some diseased—as part of a $32 million initiative funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Today, the Madison, WI-based biotech is starting to make good on its pledge. Cellular … Continue reading “Cellular Dynamics Launches ‘World’s Largest’ Public Stem Cell Bank”

TransferWise, Backed by Branson and Others, Preps U.S. Expansion

Looking to take some of the fees out of sending money overseas, TransferWise is firing up its New York team for its U.S. expansion. The London-based company says it is a lower-cost option—compared with banks and other incumbent money transfer businesses—that uses a software platform to pair transactions that are going in opposite directions between … Continue reading “TransferWise, Backed by Branson and Others, Preps U.S. Expansion”

Stealthy X4 Pharma, Aided by Termeer, Other Ex-Genzymers, Nabs $37M+

Former Genzyme CEO Henri Termeer has been active as an advisor and investor in the Boston biotech scene the past few years, forming ties with companies like Moderna Therapeutics, Lysosomal Therapeutics, Aura Biosciences, and others. The latest startup to add to his list is X4 Pharmaceuticals, which apparently has raised $37.5 million, according to a … Continue reading “Stealthy X4 Pharma, Aided by Termeer, Other Ex-Genzymers, Nabs $37M+”

Malama Composites Gets USDA’s “Biobased” Product Certification

Addressing the needs of a climate-changing world seems like an important cause, but many cleantech startups that are developing sustainable products face an intractable challenge. Producing a “green” alternative for an industry already using petroleum-based raw materials usually requires selling a comparable product at a competitive price. But getting those costs down is often problematic, … Continue reading “Malama Composites Gets USDA’s “Biobased” Product Certification”

At Summer’s End, Can Crossover Winds Stay At Biotech’s Back?

For certain parts of the population, “summer” is a verb, and in the U.S., one does it until Labor Day. One more week, then, before sunburned financial types return to their desks and biotech IPO hopefuls hit the road to plead their cases. Whether August’s market volatility continues its stomach-churning ways or recedes in September’s … Continue reading “At Summer’s End, Can Crossover Winds Stay At Biotech’s Back?”

CRISPR Cash: Intellia The Latest Gene-Editing Firm To Nab Big Money

As top scientists head toward a summit later this year to hammer out rules governing the use of gene editing, companies developing one form of the technology, known as CRISPR-Cas9, for human medicine continue to raise cash hand over fist. The latest is Intellia Therapeutics, of Cambridge, MA, which announced today a $70 million round … Continue reading “CRISPR Cash: Intellia The Latest Gene-Editing Firm To Nab Big Money”

Building Community, VC Funds, and $1B Businesses at Forward Festival

“We’re not here for the weather, obviously, but for the community.” That was Andrew Foxwell speaking at last week’s Forward Festival in Madison, WI, about why the Wisconsin native and his wife, Gracie—after stints in Washington, DC, Chicago, and driving 30,000 miles exploring cities nationwide—decided to put down roots in Wisconsin’s capital and build their … Continue reading “Building Community, VC Funds, and $1B Businesses at Forward Festival”

Emerge Demo Day Spotlights Tech Innovations Aimed at First-Responders

Innovation to help first responders stay safe and do their jobs better is the focus of the Emerge accelerator, which spent three months working out of Tech Wildcatters in Dallas this summer. The program, which recently held its demo day, featured apps, software, and devices that could, for example, help EMTs quickly communicate with injured … Continue reading “Emerge Demo Day Spotlights Tech Innovations Aimed at First-Responders”

5 Questions to Ask Before Investing in People or Technology

Congratulations. Your startup made it through its first challenging years, and you’re seeing positive returns. But, there’s always room to grow. Is it time to hire more salespeople, or should you invest in customer relationship management (CRM), productivity software, or another technology that can improve your business? The choice between putting money into technology or … Continue reading “5 Questions to Ask Before Investing in People or Technology”

Bristol-Myers Makes $150M Bet on Promedior, Fibrosis Drug

New drugs for fibrosis, an internal, often deadly type of scarring, have become the centerpiece of a number of biotech deals over the past few years. The latest just crossed the wires this morning, as Bristol-Myers Squibb has just nabbed an option to buy Promedior, of Lexington, MA. Bristol-Myers (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) is paying $150 million … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers Makes $150M Bet on Promedior, Fibrosis Drug”

Detroit’s First Youth Maker Faire Draws a Lively Crowd

Event organizers estimate about 1,000 people attended the city’s first-ever Detroit Youth Maker Faire, held last Thursday at Eastern Market. Hosted by the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, TechTown Detroit, General Motors, and the Detroit Parent Network, the maker faire gave local kids the chance to show off their creativity and learn more … Continue reading “Detroit’s First Youth Maker Faire Draws a Lively Crowd”

With $229M Deal, Amicus Gets a New Drug And Perhaps a Voucher

Just how far has Amicus Therapeutics come in two years? In 2013, the Cranbury, NJ-based company was reeling from a trial failure and restructuring to conserve cash. Now, it’s eyeing its first drug approval and buying a startup in a nine-figure deal. Amicus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FOLD]]) this morning is announcing the acquisition of Durham, NC-based Scioderm. … Continue reading “With $229M Deal, Amicus Gets a New Drug And Perhaps a Voucher”

In New York, Rgenix Rises From Rockefeller and Takes Aim at Cancer

If you tried to count on one hand the number of New York City biotech startups to get a substantial funding round this year, you’d probably have a few fingers left over. A stealthy startup out of Rockefeller University named Rgenix is one of the lucky few to score a significant haul, and today it’s … Continue reading “In New York, Rgenix Rises From Rockefeller and Takes Aim at Cancer”

FlexTech Alliance To Manage $75M Defense Institute for Tech Manufacturing

California research consortium FlexTech Alliance announced today it has landed a $75 million U.S. Department of Defense contract that makes it the organizational hub for a sweeping government effort to advance American manufacturing capabilities for flexible products like clothing that are enhanced with electronic sensors and processing power. The Defense Department will funnel research contracts … Continue reading “FlexTech Alliance To Manage $75M Defense Institute for Tech Manufacturing”

WERCBench Out to Make Milwaukee “Machine Shop” For The 21st Century

Milwaukee has long been known as a community that makes things, from the beer of Miller and Pabst to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The leaders of the Mid-West Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC) want the city—which has been trying to adapt to global changes in business that have threatened its manufacturing-heavy economy—to “be once again the machine shop … Continue reading “WERCBench Out to Make Milwaukee “Machine Shop” For The 21st Century”