Category: National

As Google Restructures to Alphabet, Innovation Remains in Focus

Most tech companies fear that growth could stifle innovation. At Google, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have historically suppressed that concern by using its billions of dollars in advertising and search engine revenues to invest in, build, and acquire creative technology. Now the Silicon Valley search giant is separating what The New York Times … Continue reading “As Google Restructures to Alphabet, Innovation Remains in Focus”

Clinical Trial Innovation Prize Backs Ideas Using Health Records, Apps

A system that uses electronic health records data to better match eligible patients with clinical trials took the top prize in the first round of the Clinical Trial Innovation Prize, an initiative that is crowdsourcing ideas from around the globe to try and boost clinical trial participation. The team behind “Match Point: Matching Patients and … Continue reading “Clinical Trial Innovation Prize Backs Ideas Using Health Records, Apps”

Life Sciences Fund Recast to Support Commercialization Ecosystem

With the $2 million it has remaining, Washington state’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund (LSDF) is planning grants to support organizations that help entrepreneurs bring ideas and innovations to market. Earlier this summer, the state Legislature defunded the LSDF, which had helped support early stage life sciences research and commercialization efforts for the last decade. After … Continue reading “Life Sciences Fund Recast to Support Commercialization Ecosystem”

DataGravity Rollout Shows Security Seeping Into New Layers of Tech

One of New England’s most heavily funded tech startups is positioning itself as a major piece of the cybersecurity puzzle. Among other things, it is trying to help companies and organizations protect their data from within their storage system. DataGravity, which is based in Nashua, NH, announced the second version of its data-storage product today. … Continue reading “DataGravity Rollout Shows Security Seeping Into New Layers of Tech”

San Diego Newcomer Airbitz Raises $450K for Bitcoin Technology

Airbitz, a downtown San Diego startup with a vision of bringing digital currency to the masses, said it recently raised $450,000 of what is expected to be an initial seed round of more than $1.2 million. In presentations over the past year, Airbitz co-founder and CEO Paul Puey has said the company’s vision is “to … Continue reading “San Diego Newcomer Airbitz Raises $450K for Bitcoin Technology”

FDA Approves Apollo Endosurgery’s Gastric Balloon for Obesity

The FDA has approved Apollo Endosurgery’s latest product: a minimally invasive gastrointestinal balloon to combat obesity. The Orbera device is inserted through a patient’s mouth into the stomach where it is inflated and filled with saline. Dennis McWilliams, Apollo’s founder, president and chief commercial officer, says the device is a sort of mid-point therapy to … Continue reading “FDA Approves Apollo Endosurgery’s Gastric Balloon for Obesity”

Online Retailer GovX Raises $11.5M to Expand Member-Only Services

San Diego-based GovX, an e-commerce retailer that operates like an online military base exchange for qualified U.S. Armed Forces, law enforcement, and public safety personnel, said it has raised $11.5 million from investors to expand its exclusive array of discounted products and services. Two existing shareholders, Alestra Ltd. and Arbor Group, led the round, which … Continue reading “Online Retailer GovX Raises $11.5M to Expand Member-Only Services”

Ex-Teva CEO’s Brain Disease Startup, Ovid, Bags $75M From Crossovers

Former Teva Pharmaceutical Industries CEO Jeremy Levin has been stealthily putting together startup Ovid Therapeutics over the past year, but today the company splashed onto the scene with a big round of financing from a broad range of investors. New York-based Ovid, a startup pursuing treatments for rare brain disorders like Angelman Syndrome, has raised … Continue reading “Ex-Teva CEO’s Brain Disease Startup, Ovid, Bags $75M From Crossovers”

How to Build a Smarter Water Cooler: The Bevi Story

This startup has a little of everything. Software, hardware, Internet of Things. Consumer tech, enterprise sales, even environmental impact. All in a neat package that looks like a high-tech vending machine. Boston-based Bevi (formerly called Refresh), makes an Internet-connected kiosk machine that dispenses customized drinks using tap water. On a touchscreen interface, you can select … Continue reading “How to Build a Smarter Water Cooler: The Bevi Story”

Austin’s HUVR Raises $2M to Deploy Drones to Industrial Sites

An Austin, TX, drone company has raised $2 million as it launches its service to help wind, solar, energy, and agriculture companies record and analyze data in industrial sites. The investment comes from angel investors, including the Central Texas Angel Network, the Houston Angel Network, and the Texas HALO Fund. So far, the company has … Continue reading “Austin’s HUVR Raises $2M to Deploy Drones to Industrial Sites”

Loxo Oncology Appoints Esperion’s Mayleben to Board of Directors

[Corrected 8/11/15, 9:57 am. See below.] Loxo Oncology, the Stamford, CT-based biopharmaceutical company developing targeted cancer therapies, announced last week that it has appointed veteran life sciences executive (and Detroit Xconomist) Tim Mayleben to its board of directors. Mayleben is president and CEO of Ann Arbor, MI’s Esperion Therapeutics, and he has a long history … Continue reading “Loxo Oncology Appoints Esperion’s Mayleben to Board of Directors”

Gener8tor’s Latest Milwaukee Accelerator Class Has Midwest Flavor

All but one of the five companies selected for Gener8tor’s 2015 Milwaukee class hail from the Midwest, and the lone exception—from Toronto—didn’t have to travel too far for the three-month startup accelerator program being held at Ward 4, a new downtown co-working space. It’s not the first time Gener8tor, which garnered national attention earlier this … Continue reading “Gener8tor’s Latest Milwaukee Accelerator Class Has Midwest Flavor”

Why San Diego Is Better than Silicon Valley for AI Startups

Xconomy recently gathered some of the region’s leading minds in brain research and artificial intelligence for a discussion about research on the brain, and emerging areas of neurotechnology innovation . It was a mix of investors, academics, and entrepreneurs. Leading our discussion was UC San Diego Professor Ralph Greenspan, who helped advise President Obama to … Continue reading “Why San Diego Is Better than Silicon Valley for AI Startups”

Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Merz, ChannelAdvisor, UNC, & More

Here are the headlines from the last week in North Carolina biotech, tech, and startup news. —Ulthera, a subsidiary of Raleigh skin products company Merz North America, received FDA clearance on a medical device for treating cellulite. Merz points to clinical trial results showing that the Cellfina System can reduce the appearance of cellulite for … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Merz, ChannelAdvisor, UNC, & More”

CRISPR Race Heats Up As Gates, Crossovers Put $120M Into Editas

To this point, the technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 has been a science project, a research tool with enormous potential—and significant questions to answer—on which venture capitalists have placed bets by forming a group of startups. The jackpot: CRISPR-Cas9, a method of performing precise genetic surgery, might yield treatments for a wide array of previously intractable … Continue reading “CRISPR Race Heats Up As Gates, Crossovers Put $120M Into Editas”

Coursera, UC San Diego Use MOOCs to Make Workers More Job-Ready

After establishing a new office of online education earlier this year, UC San Diego recently unveiled plans to develop massive open online courses—or MOOCs—to better prepare workers for jobs in two specialized tech sectors. Under a “global skills initiative” announced by Mountain View, CA-based Coursera, UC San Diego said it will be working on the … Continue reading “Coursera, UC San Diego Use MOOCs to Make Workers More Job-Ready”

Gov. Snyder Announces “We Run on Brainpower” Talent Initiative

At a Center for Automotive Research event in Traverse City, MI, this week, Gov. Rick Snyder announced a new statewide effort to publicize high-tech automotive jobs in Michigan in an effort to attract and retain talent. Called We Run on Brainpower, the marketing initiative will be directed by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and … Continue reading “Gov. Snyder Announces “We Run on Brainpower” Talent Initiative”

Startup Milwaukee Hands Off 96square Management Duties, Shifts Focus

Startup Milwaukee will hand off the responsibilities of running and marketing downtown co-working space 96square to the building’s owner—a notable shift for one of the city’s most well-known startup groups, and a move that continues the evolution of the area’s startup offices. 96square, located on the second floor of the Blatz Wash House at 1101 … Continue reading “Startup Milwaukee Hands Off 96square Management Duties, Shifts Focus”

East Coast Biotech Roundup: PrecisionFDA, Avitide, Foresight & More

It’s official: the mid-summer doldrums are here. Biotech news emerged in dribs and drabs on the East Coast this week, and investors gnashed their teeth as the greater indices took a nosedive. Nonetheless, we’ve got all your headlines below, starting with an ambitious government-backed project that could have a big impact on the U.S. healthcare … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: PrecisionFDA, Avitide, Foresight & More”

Instacart Extends Job Offers to Its CA Shoppers, But Labor Lawsuit Continues

Online grocery delivery service company Instacart said today it is expanding its offer of staff jobs—already made in nine other cities—to contract workers who now assemble food orders for its customers in San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles. San Francisco-based Instacart had previously invited its in-store shoppers to apply for part-time jobs rather than … Continue reading “Instacart Extends Job Offers to Its CA Shoppers, But Labor Lawsuit Continues”

Sakti3, NextEnergy Represent MI at First-Ever White House Demo Day

Xconomist Ann Marie Sastry, founder of the Ann Arbor, MI-based advanced battery startup Sakti3, has collected many accolades during her career. But this week might have been the first time she got an in-person “atta girl” from the leader of the free world. Sastry was in Washington, DC, Tuesday for the first-ever White House Demo … Continue reading “Sakti3, NextEnergy Represent MI at First-Ever White House Demo Day”

Aimmune Prices Upsized $160M IPO, Climbs Higher in Debut

Aimmune Therapeutics is capping a year of positive news with a larger-than-expected initial public offering. The company raised $160 million late Wednesday by selling 10 million shares at $16 each, pricing at the top of its projected $14 to $16 per share range and selling about 1.7 million more shares than it had anticipated. Aimmune … Continue reading “Aimmune Prices Upsized $160M IPO, Climbs Higher in Debut”

Avitide Gets $7.6M More to Purify Complex Biologics

Tillman Gerngross made his name selling one of his startups, GlycoFi, to Merck, and later building a second one, Adimab, into a privately held business now reportedly worth more than $1 billion. That success has helped launch a group of startups tied to the Dartmouth College professor and his investors, among them Lebanon, NH-based Avitide, … Continue reading “Avitide Gets $7.6M More to Purify Complex Biologics”

Dallas Startup Rise Aims to Pilot New Frontier in Private Air Travel

Door-to-door, the trip from Dallas to Houston took two hours. That’s quite a feat considering the two Texas cities are nearly 250 miles apart. But on a flight run by the Dallas startup Rise, there was no need to get through security 30 minutes in advance, parking was just yards from the plane, and a … Continue reading “Dallas Startup Rise Aims to Pilot New Frontier in Private Air Travel”

With $16M Series B, Antiva Hopes to Kill Cancer-Causing HPV

Antiva Biosciences may have a new name, but its mission is the same: to develop the first antiviral therapy meant to stop human papillomavirus infections from turning into cancer. The Menlo Park, CA-based company, founded in San Diego three years ago as Hera Therapeutics by Karl Hostetler, now has some funding to pursue its vision. … Continue reading “With $16M Series B, Antiva Hopes to Kill Cancer-Causing HPV”

Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Promega, White House Demo Day, & More

Here is a collection of the latest headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Verona-based Epic Systems lost a high-profile bid for a $4.3 billion, 10-year contract to modernize the electronic health records system for the U.S. Department of Defense. Epic submitted a joint bid with IBM, but the military ended up going with a … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Promega, White House Demo Day, & More”

Simply Hired Ranks Top Tech Regions In Mid-Summer Jobs Report Card

Simply Hired, an international job search engine based in Sunnyvale, CA, put out some sunny news for U.S. job hunters today—especially if you’re a tech-savvy worker. Positions for technology workers made up almost 10 percent of the millions of U.S. job listings tracked by the company in July. Nationwide, openings in all sectors rose for … Continue reading “Simply Hired Ranks Top Tech Regions In Mid-Summer Jobs Report Card”

Could Defining Milwaukee’s “Cool” Factor Entice Young Techies?

A lot of cities would kill to have an Epic Systems in their backyard—a giant software company and talent magnet that has lured skilled young people to the rural outskirts of Madison, WI, who would otherwise have gone to Silicon Valley or some other coastal tech hotbed. Milwaukee, Madison’s neighbor 80 miles to the east, … Continue reading “Could Defining Milwaukee’s “Cool” Factor Entice Young Techies?”

FDA Taps DNAnexus to Build Platform for Crowdsourcing Diagnostics

There is an FDA project underway that could help change the way molecular diagnostics are developed, evaluated, and regulated in the U.S. one day, should things go the way the agency intends. And Mountain View, CA-based DNAnexus is getting the first crack at building the platform at the plan’s heart. DNAnexus, the genomics analytics startup … Continue reading “FDA Taps DNAnexus to Build Platform for Crowdsourcing Diagnostics”

Dynamite Labs Debuts at New York Tech Meetup, With $1.6M in Hand

At Tuesday night’s New York Tech Meetup, Dynamite Labs demoed its video app for sharing one’s true self—just as the company announced it closed on a $1.6 million seed round. This monthly gathering traditionally brings out early startups, and sometimes just barebones tech. The slideshow above has its fair share of raw ideas, but as noted … Continue reading “Dynamite Labs Debuts at New York Tech Meetup, With $1.6M in Hand”

Metacrine Raises $36M in VC Funding, Focuses on Metabolic Diseases

Metacrine, a new San Diego biotech, says today it has raised $36 million in Series A financing to advance two new classes of drugs that could be used to help control chronic liver disease and related metabolic diseases and disorders. Metacrine was founded with technology licensed from the Salk Institute, where discoveries by Ron Evans, … Continue reading “Metacrine Raises $36M in VC Funding, Focuses on Metabolic Diseases”

Illumina Announces Three New Companies for Genomics Accelerator

Illumina, the bioinformatics company that created an accelerator program last year focused on genomics companies, announced this morning it has picked a new group of companies to be the second class its accelerator program. In exchange for an equity stake in each company, the Illumina Accelerator gives the startups a seed investment, business advice, and … Continue reading “Illumina Announces Three New Companies for Genomics Accelerator”

Zoetis Gets Conditional License for Antibody Treatment of Itchy Dogs

Zoetis (NYSE: [[ticker:ZTS]]), a maker of animal health medicines and vaccines, announced this week that it has received a conditional license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its immunotherapeutic to treat canine atopic dermatitis, an allergic skin condition in dogs. The company, which bases its research and development operations in Kalamazoo, MI, says its … Continue reading “Zoetis Gets Conditional License for Antibody Treatment of Itchy Dogs”

Judge Orders USC to Restore Control of Alzheimer’s Study to UCSD

[Updated, 8:25 am PT, with court document] A San Diego judge yesterday ordered the University of Southern California and a prominent Alzheimer’s disease researcher to restore control over a nationwide Alzheimer’s research program to UC San Diego “with all deliberate speed.” The five-page preliminary injunction (posted below), signed by Superior Court Judge Judith Hayes, is … Continue reading “Judge Orders USC to Restore Control of Alzheimer’s Study to UCSD”

Astia Expanding Its Booster Network for Women Entrepreneurs

Sharon Vosmek, the CEO of a Silicon Valley non-profit that has been working for 15 years to boost access to financing for women tech entrepreneurs, says she sees no encouraging statistics on that score as yet. What has changed, though, is the number of people and organizations engaged in the dialog about gender diversity in … Continue reading “Astia Expanding Its Booster Network for Women Entrepreneurs”

Dreamit New York’s Demo Day Unveils New Ideas in Messaging and Media

Tuesday was a big day for tech demos. While President Barack Obama prepared to play host for the first ever demo day at the White House—which included representatives from the New York Tech Meetup and Techstars—the folks at Dreamit Ventures held their own demo day in New York for their latest class. Eleven startups graduated … Continue reading “Dreamit New York’s Demo Day Unveils New Ideas in Messaging and Media”

As White House Hosts Demo Day, Techstars and Others Push Diversity

It’s no secret that the tech industry has diversity problems. Xconomy has covered the topic extensively, highlighting various allegations of misogyny, sexism, and harassment that occur at startups, as well as folks who are trying to change it for the better. That includes individuals like Robin Hauser Reynolds, who described the work of her documentary, … Continue reading “As White House Hosts Demo Day, Techstars and Others Push Diversity”

Premier Boosts Health IT Capabilities with $400M CECity Acquisition

Healthcare technologies company Premier hasn’t been shy about using acquisitions to build a portfolio that can offer more services to hospitals. Now the Charlotte, NC-based company is bolstering its capabilities to measure and improve hospital care with a $400 million deal to acquire CECity, marking the company’s sixth—and biggest—acquisition since going public in 2013. Under … Continue reading “Premier Boosts Health IT Capabilities with $400M CECity Acquisition”

Panorama Pulls In $12M to Make Push Into Education Analytics

One of the hottest edtech startups in town has some new cash to play with. And it will probably need every cent, if it wants to realize its vision of transforming K-12 education with data and analytics. Boston-based Panorama Education has raised a $12 million Series A venture round, most of it from new investors … Continue reading “Panorama Pulls In $12M to Make Push Into Education Analytics”

In Tough Diagnostics World, Will Ruling Out Cancer Be Good Business?

The high cost of cancer treatments is a huge topic of conversation these days. One way to trim those costs is to not give treatments to people who don’t need them. That sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s a knotty problem, and it’s at the heart of the current debate over the nationwide practice of … Continue reading “In Tough Diagnostics World, Will Ruling Out Cancer Be Good Business?”

Arthena Paints an Equity Crowdfunding Plan for Collections of Art

There is a bit more culture in equity crowdfunding with New York-based Arthena on the scene. The online platform is a way for folks with deep enough pockets to invest in art collections. Original works of Vincent van Gogh obviously will not be up for grabs—CEO and founder Madelaine D’Angelo says Arthena focuses on contemporary, … Continue reading “Arthena Paints an Equity Crowdfunding Plan for Collections of Art”

Microsoft Buys Austin-Based FantasySalesTeam

Austin, TX, is known for semiconductors and startups, for breakfast tacos and music festivals. It may also now be a hub for the gamification of business. Microsoft said Monday it is buying Austin-based Incent Games, a company that sells a fantasy sports-style tool called FantasySalesTeam that aims to help customers boost sales by treating its salespeople like fantasy … Continue reading “Microsoft Buys Austin-Based FantasySalesTeam”

USC Countersues UCSD as Fight Over Alzheimer’s Study Intensifies

[Updated 8/3/15 1:25 pm. See below.] The short path to a resolution in the dispute between UC San Diego and the University of Southern California over a nationwide Alzheimer’s research program has taken a sharp detour into the thorny underbrush. While both sides were awaiting a formal court order granting UC San Diego’s request for a … Continue reading “USC Countersues UCSD as Fight Over Alzheimer’s Study Intensifies”

Roundup: YFS Automotive, Automation Alley, Ann Arbor SPARK, NextEnergy

Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem: —The New York Times reported two years ago that Chinese automakers were quietly building a presence in Michigan. The latest company to set up shop in Michigan is supplier YFS Automotive Systems, a China-based company with a U.S. headquarters in Gallatin, TN. Last week, YFS … Continue reading “Roundup: YFS Automotive, Automation Alley, Ann Arbor SPARK, NextEnergy”

Roundup: New Money for FlexGen, Neos, MacroFab, Castle & Other News

Here is the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas: —Houston-based FlexGen Power Systems announced Monday it has raised a $25.5 million Series A round of financing to further market and install its hybrid energy storage software in oilfield and power generation sites. The round was led by Denver-based Altira Group and includes investors such as … Continue reading “Roundup: New Money for FlexGen, Neos, MacroFab, Castle & Other News”

Led by Vela Founder, Smartvid.io Gets $3.4M to Manage Industrial Video

This is the new era of video sharing and management. Now one local startup is going after what could be a big opportunity in the architecture, engineering, and construction markets. Smartvid.io, based in Cambridge, MA, has raised $3.4 million in seed funding led by CommonAngels Ventures. Launchpad Venture Group and other angel investors also participated … Continue reading “Led by Vela Founder, Smartvid.io Gets $3.4M to Manage Industrial Video”

Shire Snaps up New York’s Foresight Bio in $300M Pink Eye Deal

How much is a new treatment for pink eye worth? For one on the verge of Phase 3 testing, about $300 million. That’s the figure Shire, the Ireland and Lexington, MA-based based rare disease specialist, has agreed to pay for a small New York-based biotech called Foresight Biotherapeutics, Shire announced this morning. Few details about … Continue reading “Shire Snaps up New York’s Foresight Bio in $300M Pink Eye Deal”