StartingBlock Madison—the proposed co-working space and entrepreneurial center that supporters envision anchoring the tech community in Wisconsin’s capital—today announced $200,000 in new funding and named an executive director who will help bring the project to the finish line and oversee the center’s operations once it opens its doors. Scott Resnick, the 28-year-old former Madison city … Continue reading “StartingBlock Madison Taps Resnick to Bring Project to Finish Line”
Category: National
Houston Dares to Challenge the Bicoastal Model of Biotech Growth
World-class universities, prominent medical institutions, a talented workforce, access to capital and favorable geography are critical factors required to stimulate and support a dynamic regional bioscience industry. Some might believe that these factors only converge along the coasts of New England and California, and many new and growing biotech companies may feel that they are … Continue reading “Houston Dares to Challenge the Bicoastal Model of Biotech Growth”
Austin Makes Strides in Building a Robust Biotech Innovation Community
Austin, TX, has made its mark as a tech hub but lately the city’s life sciences community is gaining some critical mass. One of the primary factors? The installation of the new Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. “I think the medical school is going to definitely drive momentum in our … Continue reading “Austin Makes Strides in Building a Robust Biotech Innovation Community”
Welcome To The Sharing Economy. Cancer Researchers Are Next.
We’re sharing everything these days. Rides. Spare rooms. Pictures of things wrapped in bacon. Our thoughts, 24 hours a day. Next up: Cancer data? It can’t come soon enough for Charles Sawyers. Sawyers is one of the world’s most decorated cancer researchers, and his long resumé includes crucial work that helped make imatinib (Gleevec) one … Continue reading “Welcome To The Sharing Economy. Cancer Researchers Are Next.”
The Extraordinary Vision of Larry Bock
When Larry Bock gave the commencement speech for the University of California, Berkeley, College of Chemistry in 2007, he was introduced as “a very unusual man” who had founded, co-founded, or provided early stage financing for more than 48 startups, mostly in the life sciences. What went unsaid in the moment was that Bock started … Continue reading “The Extraordinary Vision of Larry Bock”
Video Chatting May Be the Future of Medicine, Just Not Yet
Doctors in the U.S. are more than willing to test out video chatting with their patients, even if very few do so today. Technology is rapidly developing that may help video and mobile devices replace or supplement traditional forms of care like phone calls or in-person visits. In a survey of 2,016 physicians by American Well, a Boston-based … Continue reading “Video Chatting May Be the Future of Medicine, Just Not Yet”
Roundup: MI Science Center, Phrixus, #hack4detroit, Quicken Loans
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —University of Michigan spin-out Phrixus Pharmaceuticals is taking another step toward clinical trials of its Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug, thanks to more support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s SMARTT program will provide services to produce … Continue reading “Roundup: MI Science Center, Phrixus, #hack4detroit, Quicken Loans”
Epizyme Shares Climb on New Data for Cancer Drug
Back in March, Epizyme regained most of the rights to a drug it’s been developing for a wide array of cancers. There’s still a long way to go, but the move appears prescient given some of the signs the Cambridge, MA-based company is seeing in early clinical trials. This past weekend, Epizyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EPZM]]) offered … Continue reading “Epizyme Shares Climb on New Data for Cancer Drug”
Where the Red Book Meets the Unicorn
Mike Stonebraker – my partner, friend, and winner of the 2014 A.M. Turing Award – has been on the cutting edge of modern database research, development, and deployment for over 40 years. The cutting edge … for 40 years. Mike was the main architect, starting in the 1970s through the 1990s, of many systems that … Continue reading “Where the Red Book Meets the Unicorn”
FDA Signs Off on Sales of Wicab’s BrainPort Device to Help Blind “See”
After more than five years of clinical evaluations and regulatory review, the FDA has given Wicab the green light to begin selling its “BrainPort” device in the U.S.—a product that helps blind people “see” through electronic impulses on their tongues. Middleton, WI-based Wicab’s device involves a small video camera mounted to sunglasses that are connected … Continue reading “FDA Signs Off on Sales of Wicab’s BrainPort Device to Help Blind “See””
25 Years in Biotech
That is a sobering headline to write. Twenty-five years ago at this time of year, I was graduating from college with no job, a pretty choppy economy, a bunch of student loans, a resume that included things like a summer research internship catching salamanders, and an aspiration to “get into biotech.” I look back and think … Continue reading “25 Years in Biotech”
Transforming Health Care for Those Who Need it Most
Like other engaged consumers, my family of athletes tries out many of the new healthcare related wearables and apps. From counting steps to counting calories, there is a site or app out there for everything we do. But it’s not my immediate family that can benefit most from these tools. Today, devices are bought and … Continue reading “Transforming Health Care for Those Who Need it Most”
Flagship CEO on Backing NY Biotech, Moderna, and Investing in a Boom
It’s been a jam-packed few months for Flagship Ventures, one of the Boston area’s most well-known biotech startup creators. The Cambridge, MA-based VC firm just raised a $537 million fund of its own, and recently became a founding investor in the eye-popping $217 million Series A for Denali Therapeutics, a startup led by a group … Continue reading “Flagship CEO on Backing NY Biotech, Moderna, and Investing in a Boom”
Lee Hood’s “100K” Long-Term Health Study Spins Out Startup
[UPDATED: 6/19/15, 3:53pm. See below.] There are several long-term studies taking place around the world to track the health of large groups of people. One in Seattle called the 100K Wellness Project is spinning out a new company called Arivale with a caffeinated jolt of local investment cash. The 100K is being run by the … Continue reading “Lee Hood’s “100K” Long-Term Health Study Spins Out Startup”
Seattle Roundup: M&A Swarm, Element 8, STEM Diversity, & More
When the history of Seattle’s 21st century innovation economy is written (by a machine, of course), June 18, 2015, might mark the beginning of an important new chapter about the Global Innovation Exchange. In other news, there were acquisition announcements in bunches, headlined by Techstars’ pickup of UP Global; a new satellite company unveiled; more … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: M&A Swarm, Element 8, STEM Diversity, & More”
Are You a Human Closes on $4.2M Series A, Plans Expansion of Human ‘Whitelist’
Are You a Human, the Detroit-based technology company focused on online identity verification, announced today that it has closed on a $4.2 million Series A round. Participating in the round were Detroit Venture Partners, which has invested in the company in the past; Boulder, CO-based Foundry Group Angels; MDC Dream Ventures, the investment arm of … Continue reading “Are You a Human Closes on $4.2M Series A, Plans Expansion of Human ‘Whitelist’”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Avalanche, CytomX, BioMarin, Dubs & More
We’re in a Golden State of mind this week, and we’ll splash down with several items from beyond the arc in Northern California, home of the new NBA champions. Gene therapy developer Avalanche Biotechnologies tried to take it to the rack with important Phase 2a data, but investors rejected the shot with emphasis. CytomX Therapeutics … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Avalanche, CytomX, BioMarin, Dubs & More”
Wearables for Kids and Handheld “3D Printing” at Digital Experience
Repetitive, uninspired ideas are the bane of innovation, so I walked the floor at Thursday night’s Digital Experience gadget show in New York to hunt for signs of new life. These events, hosted by Pepcom, make the rounds a few times each year offering teases of things to come, as well as some returning, familiar … Continue reading “Wearables for Kids and Handheld “3D Printing” at Digital Experience”
Boston 2035: The Photos
Creating the future: that was the big theme at Boston 2035, our special full-day conference looking at how the innovation landscape in New England and beyond will evolve over the next 20 years. The event was co-hosted by Babson College and Olin College on a picture-perfect June day. It was great to see so many … Continue reading “Boston 2035: The Photos”
Seattle Startup Tests Ways to Attract Under-Represented Applicants
If actions speak louder than words, Seattle startup Glowforge is becoming a leading voice on the tech industry’s diversity problem—and potential ways to address it. The company, which is building a consumer-grade laser cutter, announced this week a $5,000 bounty “for referrals that lead to us hiring under-represented minorities.” It also published the terms of … Continue reading “Seattle Startup Tests Ways to Attract Under-Represented Applicants”
Bay Area Funding Roundup: Fitbit, Cohesity, Doctor On Demand, Fetch
Fitbit’s mammoth initial public offering was the big Bay Area fundraising event of the week, roping in more than $700 million for the company and giving investors who paid the IPO price of $20 an immediate 50 percent bump in the first day of trading Thursday. But a few other companies in the region also … Continue reading “Bay Area Funding Roundup: Fitbit, Cohesity, Doctor On Demand, Fetch”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Emulate, Pulmatrix, Synergy & More
My West Coast counterpart is crowing this week about an NBA championship for his beloved Golden State Warriors, who ended a 40-year title drought this week by toppling LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Meanwhile, the dry spell continues for my sorry New York Knicks, who last hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy when current president … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Emulate, Pulmatrix, Synergy & More”
Tamr Takes in $25M and West Coast Turing Award Tour
There’s a lot happening in the field of data management for enterprise companies. Now a Boston-area startup led by some prominent entrepreneurs is getting more cash to go big. Tamr has just raised $25.2 million in Series B funding from Hewlett Packard Ventures, Thomson Reuters, MassMutual Ventures, and previous investors NEA and Google Ventures. The … Continue reading “Tamr Takes in $25M and West Coast Turing Award Tour”
Tsinghua, UW, Microsoft Partner for Global Innovation Exchange
Seattle is getting a major new asset in the form of the Global Innovation Exchange, a partnership between University of Washington and Tsinghua University, one of China’s top research institutions, backed by $40 million from Microsoft. The GIX looks like a modern, graduate-level university with deep ties to industry and a focus on real-world problems … Continue reading “Tsinghua, UW, Microsoft Partner for Global Innovation Exchange”
Fitbit Races Across IPO Finish Line, Makes Day for Investors, News Punsters
Newly public San Francisco fitness wearables company Fitbit (NYSE: [[ticker:FIT]]) made skeptical Wall Street observers believe in unicorns on its first day of trading today, as its shares sold for 50 percent more than the $20 price set for its initial public offering. Fitbit’s line of business—tech-enabled wristbands and other wearable items that track jogging … Continue reading “Fitbit Races Across IPO Finish Line, Makes Day for Investors, News Punsters”
Hunting, Millennial Marketing, and Credit Building: Austin Techstars 2015
Techstars events across the nation draw plenty of fanfare, from venture capitalists searching for emerging businesses to engineers looking for a job and maybe a free drink, too. In Austin, TX, on Wednesday, the local chapter of Techstars held a demo day for the 10 companies who recently completed its accelerator program. The program, which lasts for … Continue reading “Hunting, Millennial Marketing, and Credit Building: Austin Techstars 2015”
Wallet, Watch, and What We Learned from Google I/O and Apple’s WWDC
The two leading platform owners in the smartphone industry, Apple and Google, are going in very different directions—particularly in their philosophies about privacy, and approaches to the “next billion” smartphone users—with major implications for app developers and consumers. Team Apptentive attended both companies’ annual developer conferences, held in late May and early June, in San … Continue reading “Wallet, Watch, and What We Learned from Google I/O and Apple’s WWDC”
Disrupting Credit Cards: A Q&A with LoanHero’s Kristin Slink
San Diego-based LoanHero recently disclosed that it has raised $1.7 million in seed funding to expand its software-based service for merchants. The technology offers consumers a variety of financing options when they are purchasing big-ticket items like furniture and home improvements. The year-old fintech company said it also has secured a $20 million debt facility … Continue reading “Disrupting Credit Cards: A Q&A with LoanHero’s Kristin Slink”
Houston Health Ventures Invests in InRFood, NC-Based Food App
Not all calories are created equal, and Keval Mehta, founder and CEO of INRfood, says his app can help us sort the good from the bad. INRfood is an app with a database of about 500,000 products and 650 restaurants nationwide. The technology analyzes ingredients—read off the nutrition label on food packaging—and gives users a … Continue reading “Houston Health Ventures Invests in InRFood, NC-Based Food App”
With J&J Deal, Emulate Nabs First Partner For Organ on Chip Tech
If microchip systems that act like organs are ever going to really change preclinical drug development, it’s going to happen one experiment—and Big Pharma adopter—at a time. Emulate is trying to take on that challenge, and today it’s gotten its first supporter, Johnson & Johnson. Cambridge, MA-based Emulate, the “organ-on-a-chip” startup spun out of Harvard … Continue reading “With J&J Deal, Emulate Nabs First Partner For Organ on Chip Tech”
Doctors’ Discontent Helps Madison Startup Healthfinch Grow
Health technology startup Healthfinch has grown from four employees to 21 since January 2014. How? By selling software that saves doctors time, letting them spend more of their day with patients. The Madison, WI-based company—which streamlines routine hospital tasks through integrated software apps—would not be able to do what it does without electronic health record … Continue reading “Doctors’ Discontent Helps Madison Startup Healthfinch Grow”
Cystic Fibrosis Drug Maker Nivalis Therapeutics Has $77M IPO
Nivalis Therapeutics, a Boulder, CO-based drug company developing a treatment for cystic fibrosis, made its debut on the Nasdaq on Wednesday with a $77 million public offering. Formerly N30 Pharmaceuticals, Nivalis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NVLS]]) sold 5.5 million shares, more than it had previously planned, at $14 each. Shares opened the day at $16.50 and climbed to … Continue reading “Cystic Fibrosis Drug Maker Nivalis Therapeutics Has $77M IPO”
In the Age of Uber, Lawn Guru Takes Yard Care Services Digital
The Uber-fication of modern life continues as service providers of all stripes realize they can capitalize on the peer-to-peer service model that has worked so well for the ride-sharing startup. Just in time for summer, there’s a new, locally based app called Lawn Guru that allows users to connect with lawn care professionals and order … Continue reading “In the Age of Uber, Lawn Guru Takes Yard Care Services Digital”
BioCryst Licenses Flu Drug to CSL, Gains Cash For Rare Disease Work
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals has licensed the rights to its influenza drug to CSL Limited, a $45 million deal that allows BioCryst to focus entirely on developing rare disease drugs. In signing away the rights to peramivir (Rapivab)—the Durham, NC, company’s only FDA-approved drug so far—BioCryst (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BCRX]]) gets $33.7 million up front, and stands to gain … Continue reading “BioCryst Licenses Flu Drug to CSL, Gains Cash For Rare Disease Work”
Wisconsin Roundup: Illumina, Kohl’s, Arrowhead, TAI Diagnostics, & More
Here’s a collection of recent announcements by Wisconsin’s technology and innovation community: —Wauwatosa-based TAI Diagnostics raised north of $6 million from investors in a seed funding round that could reach $8 million, according to an SEC filing. The company was a finalist in last year’s Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. It’s developing a non-invasive test … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Illumina, Kohl’s, Arrowhead, TAI Diagnostics, & More”
A123 Systems, Apple Reach Settlement and Dismiss Lawsuit
A123 Systems has agreed to dismiss a lawsuit it filed against Apple for allegedly “poaching” the electric-car battery maker’s employees. The companies have reached a confidential settlement agreement, according to a document filed Monday in Massachusetts district court. No terms of the settlement were released in the court documents. A123’s attorney Michael Rosen of Foley … Continue reading “A123 Systems, Apple Reach Settlement and Dismiss Lawsuit”
De Blasio, Bloomberg, and a $100 Million “Baby Step” for Cornell Tech
At Roosevelt Island’s southern end, with the United Nations headquarters across the river, there are giant holes dug into the earth that do not seem like much now—but the project to create the Cornell Tech engineering campus there just got a $100 million boost. On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio led an entourage to the construction … Continue reading “De Blasio, Bloomberg, and a $100 Million “Baby Step” for Cornell Tech”
Dynatrace and Keynote Merge to Dominate in App Performance
Quick: name a Boston-based software company with 1,700 employees, $450 million in annual revenue, and plenty of room to grow. Oh, and it’s also currently running a 26 percent pre-tax profit, according to its CEO. That would be Dynatrace, which was spun out of Detroit tech giant Compuware last December after the latter was bought … Continue reading “Dynatrace and Keynote Merge to Dominate in App Performance”
Top Legal Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Launching Startups
High-impact entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Most venture-backed businesses don’t achieve the levels of success their founders and investors hoped for. Indeed, a significant number will fail. Having worked as legal counsel for dozens of venture-backed startups over the years, what frustrates me most is the number of companies that fail not … Continue reading “Top Legal Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Launching Startups”
Shifting to Cancer Immunotherapy, CytomX Bags $70M In Crossover Cash
[Corrected 6/17/15, 12:30pm. See below.] CytomX Therapeutics is crossing over in more ways than one. With the help of investors who typically make bets on the public side of the market, the private biotech has reeled in a $70 million Series D financing. These so-called “crossover” investors are often a sign that a biotech is … Continue reading “Shifting to Cancer Immunotherapy, CytomX Bags $70M In Crossover Cash”
A GitHub for Tech-Friendly Artists? Kadenze Debuts As Arts Edtech Site
[Corrected 6/17/15, 1:04 pm. See below.] Stanford University and two California art schools are part of an international consortium of 16 academic institutions partnering with edtech startup Kadenze, which today launched an online creative arts education site that offers both free and fee-based courses that span visual art, music, and technology. Art and music have … Continue reading “A GitHub for Tech-Friendly Artists? Kadenze Debuts As Arts Edtech Site”
Techstars Acquires Nonprofit UP Global, As Startup Industry Matures
Techstars, one of the nation’s foremost startup accelerator programs, has acquired the nonprofit entrepreneurship education outfit UP Global in a bid to cover the full spectrum “from idea to IPO.” The Seattle-based nonprofit may be best known as the umbrella group overseeing Startup Weekend events, 54-hour sprints held in cities around the world in which … Continue reading “Techstars Acquires Nonprofit UP Global, As Startup Industry Matures”
Cellectar Biosciences Appoints New CEO Amid Recent Turmoil
Cellectar Biosciences today appointed a new president and CEO, the latest in a series of unexpected moves in recent weeks by the Madison, WI-based biotech company. Seasoned drug and device industry executive Jim Caruso is taking over for Simon Pedder, who resigned his positions as Cellectar CEO, president, and board director. The 54-year-old Pedder, who led the company since October … Continue reading “Cellectar Biosciences Appoints New CEO Amid Recent Turmoil”
Austin Biotech Aeglea BioTherapeutics Files for IPO for Cancer Therapies
Aeglea BioTherapeutics, an Austin, TX-based biotech company that is developing drugs to essentially starve certain cancers to death, has filed for an initial public offering. The company will trade under the ticker AGLE on the Nasdaq, according to a document filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In March, Aeglea raised $44 million from investors Lilly … Continue reading “Austin Biotech Aeglea BioTherapeutics Files for IPO for Cancer Therapies”
Restaurant App Flavour Bought by New York-Based Tasting Table
In our Yelp-ified Top 10 list society, Emily Keeton is convinced diners are still hungry for restaurant information. That’s why she has led Flavour, a restaurant-finding app founded last year that aims to cut through the foodie clutter and present users with a more curated list of eateries. And today, Tasting Table, a New York-based … Continue reading “Restaurant App Flavour Bought by New York-Based Tasting Table”
Techstars’ David Cohen at Boston 2035 Wednesday: Less Chat, More Q&A
It’s all about the audience and the entrepreneurs. That’s the message from David Cohen, co-founder and managing partner of Techstars. Cohen is based in Boulder, CO, but will be in town Wednesday in part to deliver the closing keynote chat at Xconomy’s Boston 2035 event, our full-day conference at Babson College. I connected with Cohen … Continue reading “Techstars’ David Cohen at Boston 2035 Wednesday: Less Chat, More Q&A”
Joining The “Big Data Party,” Fred Hutch Hires Broad’s Top Techie
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle said today it has hired a new chief information officer, Matthew Trunnell, as the biomedical institution moves into an era of deep genomic sequencing and other information-heavy approaches to help find new, targeted treatments for cancer and other diseases. A new president and director, D. Gary Gilliland, … Continue reading “Joining The “Big Data Party,” Fred Hutch Hires Broad’s Top Techie”
Zymergen Grabs $44M For “Designer” Microbes Tested by Robots
Zymergen, an Emeryville, CA-based biotechnology startup, announced $44 million of venture funding this morning for its effort to build better “designer” microbes to make chemicals and various industrial materials for manufacturing. Zymergen says its microbes can be used in everything from pharmaceuticals to foods, potentially making plants more resistant to pests or helping adhesives stay … Continue reading “Zymergen Grabs $44M For “Designer” Microbes Tested by Robots”
Your Commute and Improving People’s Lives: More Boston 2035 Predictions
When you ask business leaders to step back and imagine the world in 20 years, an interesting thing happens. They think outside their immediate sector. They talk about solving the bigger problems of society. And, if they’re from New England, they place the region’s contributions in the context of global concerns. None of this is … Continue reading “Your Commute and Improving People’s Lives: More Boston 2035 Predictions”
Aerie Surges As FDA Agrees to New Goals for Glaucoma Trial
Aerie Pharmaceuticals took a big step back earlier this year when its glaucoma drug came up short in the first of a few Phase 3 trials. But the Bedminster, NJ-based company still has a shot to bounce back, and got some needed news from the FDA that could help. Aerie (NASDSAQ: [[ticker:AERI]]) said late Monday … Continue reading “Aerie Surges As FDA Agrees to New Goals for Glaucoma Trial”