Cars can feel a little outdated given the plethora of technology available nowadays, especially if they’re a few years old. That’s where Vinli comes in, a Dallas-based company that has received $6.5 million of venture funding for its connected-car device that lets developers build apps for automobiles. Vinli sells a device that users plug into … Continue reading “With $6.5M Series A, Vinli Plans to Connect More Than Just Cars”
Category: National
Seiva, Argo Bus Share Win Inaugural Launch Milwaukee Hackathon
An online platform for booking buses to events and a startup developing wearable sensor technology to help with physical therapy won the top prizes at the inaugural Launch Milwaukee hackathon held over the weekend. Argo Bus Share won in the software category, while Seiva Technologies took first place in the hardware category. Each will receive … Continue reading “Seiva, Argo Bus Share Win Inaugural Launch Milwaukee Hackathon”
Boston 2035: Exploring the Future of New England
The Long Term Future of Boston. It’s a concept we don’t think about enough. On a daily basis, most of us are mired in the mundane details of life, too busy to ponder the issues that will affect us more than a few months down the road. And yet, at least part of our effort … Continue reading “Boston 2035: Exploring the Future of New England”
Houston’s Medical Informatics Gets FDA Nod for Alert System Software
[Corrected 6/22/15, 11:13 am. See below.] Medical Informatics, a Houston healthcare IT company, has received FDA clearance to sell the first version of its healthcare data alert system, a major milestone as it works to bring its product to market. The company is focusing on “alarm management,” with software that aggregates patient data in the … Continue reading “Houston’s Medical Informatics Gets FDA Nod for Alert System Software”
Why Facebook Wants an Early Look at Your Mobile App via FbStart
Even the head honchos at Facebook remember their days working at a scrappy, more nimble startup, and want to keep such spirit in their veins. That is an obvious reason why the company runs FbStart, a program now in its second year of reaching out to and cultivating mobile app startups around the world. But … Continue reading “Why Facebook Wants an Early Look at Your Mobile App via FbStart”
Ethernet Inventor Metcalfe Is MIT’s New Innovation Fellow
Robert Metcalfe, the Ethernet inventor, venture capitalist, and innovation-focused professor at the University of Texas at Austin, is going back to his roots. The founder of 3Com is spending the 2015-16 academic year as a visiting innovation fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the school he graduated from in 1969. In the position, most … Continue reading “Ethernet Inventor Metcalfe Is MIT’s New Innovation Fellow”
Facebook VP Looks Beyond Mobile to Next Interface: Virtual Reality
Jay Parikh is in charge of the back-end software and hardware that helps more than a billion people share photos and updates about their lives on Facebook. Sounds like a nightmare. Luckily, the vice president of infrastructure engineering seems to enjoy his work. He was in town last week to do some recruiting and spend … Continue reading “Facebook VP Looks Beyond Mobile to Next Interface: Virtual Reality”
Surgical Robot Maker TransEnterix to Raise $50M in Stock Offering
Wasting no time in preparing for commercialization of its surgical robot system, TransEnterix is pulling out plans to raise $50 million through a stock sale intended to finance sales and marketing of the technology. The plans come a week after Research Triangle Park, NC-based TransEnterix (NYSE: [[ticker:TRXC]]) applied to the FDA for regulatory clearance for … Continue reading “Surgical Robot Maker TransEnterix to Raise $50M in Stock Offering”
Seattle Genetics Pays $25M to Buy Into Unum’s Souped-Up T-Cell Therapy
Unum Therapeutics started up last year with its own twist on the increasingly crowded field of cellular immunotherapy. Today, that plan got a stamp of support from Seattle Genetics. SeaGen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) has agreed to team up with Cambridge, MA-based Unum in a broad deal to use the former’s antibodies with Unum’s cellular immunotherapy technology … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Pays $25M to Buy Into Unum’s Souped-Up T-Cell Therapy”
With $30M, Spero Broadens Fight Against Drug-Resistant Bugs
It’s no secret that there’s a huge need for more effective antibiotics. The number of bacteria evolving and evading current treatments continues to grow, and government agencies are trying to lend a helping hand. Spero Therapeutics has taken notice, and that’s why it’s thinking more broadly these days about the company it aims to become. … Continue reading “With $30M, Spero Broadens Fight Against Drug-Resistant Bugs”
MI Roundup: Gilbert vs. Lacob, TierConnect, Detroit Materials & More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —Ann Arbor’s Plymouth Ventures announced this week that it has made a follow-on investment in 365 Retail Markets, a Troy-based startup that provides hardware and software to vending machine owners who are looking to cash in on a wave of the future: unmanned, miniature convenience … Continue reading “MI Roundup: Gilbert vs. Lacob, TierConnect, Detroit Materials & More”
Seattle Roundup: Carena Funding, Avalara Acquisition, Alaska Biofuel
So far this year, three venture capital firms based in the Seattle area that invest heavily in Northwest startup companies have raised $520 million in new funding. Madrona Venture Group, with its $300 million sixth fund announced Thursday, is the biggest among them. Here are a few other stories we’re following this week: —Private cloud services … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Carena Funding, Avalara Acquisition, Alaska Biofuel”
So This Is What a Rocket Ship Startup Looks Like in 2015
DraftKings may or may not have raised $250 million from Disney at a “unicorn” valuation. I do not care. The company runs daily online fantasy sports games that pay out real money ($1B this year). I do not care. It has flown in 12 regional winners from around the country to Boston to compete for … Continue reading “So This Is What a Rocket Ship Startup Looks Like in 2015”
Austin’s Curb Monitors Energy Use, Aims to Be the Smart Home’s Brain
There’s a lot of talk about smart homes, but Erik Norwood, founder of Curb, says our residences are a long way from true intelligence. Look, for example, at our cars, “which are packed full of technology,” he says. Warning lights remind us to put on seat belts, check engine fluids, or if our gas tanks … Continue reading “Austin’s Curb Monitors Energy Use, Aims to Be the Smart Home’s Brain”
Startups: Predict the Future of Boston and Receive a Ticket to Boston 2035
We are less than two weeks away from Boston 2035, and we’re excited to announce that we have a block of 25 complimentary startup tickets to give away to entrepreneurs looking to attend the event. The theme of Boston 2035 is to explore ways Boston can position itself as a world leader of the future. We … Continue reading “Startups: Predict the Future of Boston and Receive a Ticket to Boston 2035”
Thiel Foundation Names New Class of College Dropout-Entrepreneurs
[Updated 6/17/15, 1:15 pm. See below.] When PayPal founder and tech investor Peter Thiel first beckoned young people to drop out of college and become entrepreneurs, the alternative he offered was pretty controversial, Thiel Foundation CEO Alana Ackerson says. In 2011, 430 college-age people applied to join the first group of 20 awarded the Thiel-led … Continue reading “Thiel Foundation Names New Class of College Dropout-Entrepreneurs”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Sprout Pharma, DARA Bio, Viamet, & More
Here are the headlines in North Carolina tech, biotech, and cleantech news. —The Sprout Pharmaceuticals female sexual desire drug that twice failed to secure FDA approval can now claim the backing of an FDA advisory panel—with conditions. The panel voted 18-6 on Thursday to support flibanserin’s (Addyi) approval as long as the Raleigh, NC, company’s … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Sprout Pharma, DARA Bio, Viamet, & More”
Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Washington by the Numbers
Whatever your view of Washington’s relative strengths and weaknesses as a place for innovation and entrepreneurship, there’s a new report out to help underpin your argument with data. Washington came in at a surprisingly low 38th in the Kauffman Foundation’s 2015 index of startup activity nationally, released Thursday. That’s down from 32nd last year. The … Continue reading “Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Washington by the Numbers”
Apple Watch: The First Wearable Device Worth Wearing
It’s just a watch. I’ve had my Apple Watch for three weeks now, and I have no qualms about telling you that the device’s killer app is telling time. That’s what I was expecting. After all, it looks like a wristwatch, you wear it in the same place as a wristwatch, and the first thing … Continue reading “Apple Watch: The First Wearable Device Worth Wearing”
Vertex Teams up With Durham’s Parion in $80M Lung Drug Deal
Vertex Pharmaceuticals has reshaped itself into a cystic fibrosis powerhouse the past few years. Today, it’s trying to add to that position by teaming up with a biotech out of Durham, NC, on some experimental drugs for the devastating disorder—and perhaps for other lung diseases as well. Boston-based Vertex (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) said this afternoon it’ll … Continue reading “Vertex Teams up With Durham’s Parion in $80M Lung Drug Deal”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Regulus, Ardelyx, Juno, Sangamo & More
While a big slice of the oncology world was packed into a Chicago conference center earlier this week for the American Society for Clinical Oncology conference, other news happened, too. In San Diego, Regulus lost a CEO, and in the Bay Area, Ardelyx said goodbye to a big partner. In Seattle, Juno kept churning out … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Regulus, Ardelyx, Juno, Sangamo & More”
How Will Boston’s Innovation Cluster Look in 2035? Three More Predictions
Robots, big data, and biotech. That’s the innovation landscape of Boston in a nutshell. But how will things evolve over the next 20 years? We’ve been asking top leaders in the startup and business community to think about that question, and the opportunities and challenges it presents for innovators across sectors. The answers they give … Continue reading “How Will Boston’s Innovation Cluster Look in 2035? Three More Predictions”
SPARK Nabs Federal Funds for Willow Run Plant Redevelopment Plan
Ann Arbor SPARK announced late last month that it has been awarded a 2014 Regional Innovation Strategies Program Science and Research Park Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The $247,170 grant will support SPARK’s ongoing efforts to create a connected vehicle development center at the former Willow Run plant in … Continue reading “SPARK Nabs Federal Funds for Willow Run Plant Redevelopment Plan”
Austin’s TabbedOut Nabs $21.5M for Mobile Payments App
TabbedOut, a mobile payments system for bars and restaurants based in Austin, TX, announced today it has raised $21.5 million in Series C funding. The investment round was led by Wellington Management Company and included participation from previous investors such as NEA and Morgan Creek Capital Management. In total, TabbedOut has raised $39 million since … Continue reading “Austin’s TabbedOut Nabs $21.5M for Mobile Payments App”
Experfy Expands Data Science For Hire With $1.5M Seed Round
In today’s outsourcing tech marketplace, you can find freelancers for almost anything, from mobile marketers on Elance to algorithms on Algorithmia. Boston-based Experfy is building on the fact that companies, especially larger ones with more than $50 million in revenue, have heaps of data that they sometimes don’t know how to use. Experfy lists engineers … Continue reading “Experfy Expands Data Science For Hire With $1.5M Seed Round”
Diffbot Challenges Google Supremacy With Rival Knowledge Graph
When you do a Google search at your desktop for a common health condition, you’ll get links to tons of webpages you can sift through in hopes of finding the specific facts you want. But if you’ve searched Google from a mobile device recently, you may have been rewarded with a summary of important facts … Continue reading “Diffbot Challenges Google Supremacy With Rival Knowledge Graph”
BluDiagnostics’ Fertility Device Wins WI Business Plan Contest
For the third year in a row, a life sciences startup took home the top prize at the Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. On Wednesday, Madison-based BluDiagnostics was named the competition’s overall winner and top life sciences company, beating 12 other finalists. All 13 teams presented Tuesday at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference held at Madison’s … Continue reading “BluDiagnostics’ Fertility Device Wins WI Business Plan Contest”
Exact Sciences, MD Anderson Developing Blood Tests For Lung Cancer
Less than a year after Exact Sciences secured FDA approval and Medicare coverage for a colon cancer diagnostic, Cologuard, the company has set its sights on its next challenge: early detection of lung cancer. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) this morning announced a partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, MD Anderson Developing Blood Tests For Lung Cancer”
Madrona Raises $300M Sixth Fund to Back More Northwest Startups
The biggest backer of Pacific Northwest technology startup companies, Madrona Venture Group, has raised a $300 million sixth fund, which it plans to invest in about 30 local startups during the next three to four years. Madrona follows Ignition Partners and Founders’ Co-op in announcing fresh investment funds in the last two months, giving local … Continue reading “Madrona Raises $300M Sixth Fund to Back More Northwest Startups”
6 Startups and Edtech Themes From LearnLaunch Demo Day
Education is one of the anchor industries of New England. And education technology is one of the region’s key growth areas for the future. That was all on display at Wednesday’s demo day event for the graduating companies of Boston-based LearnLaunch’s third accelerator program. Each education-related company’s strategy touches on broader technology and business themes, … Continue reading “6 Startups and Edtech Themes From LearnLaunch Demo Day”
Celgene, Bluebird Streamline CAR-T Partnership To Fight Myeloma
The immuno-oncology field is moving fast these days, but the tough-to-treat blood cancer multiple myeloma has not been one of its early targets. Biotech partners Bluebird Bio and Celgene would like to change that. The partners said today they would narrow the focus of their ongoing collaboration and go after multiple myeloma. Specifically, they want … Continue reading “Celgene, Bluebird Streamline CAR-T Partnership To Fight Myeloma”
Blue Box to Big Blue: IBM Acquires Seattle Private Cloud Provider
Seattle-based private cloud provider Blue Box has been scooped up by IBM, as the tech giant looks to bolster its OpenStack-based cloud computing offerings. Blue Box, founded in 2003 by Jesse Proudman, has 65 employees in Seattle. A representative for IBM says the company plans to integrate Blue Box’s employees into its business, and they … Continue reading “Blue Box to Big Blue: IBM Acquires Seattle Private Cloud Provider”
Force is Strong With Sphero: $45M in Funding from Mercato, Disney
Sphero, maker of a line of robotics products that can be controlled with a mobile phone app, gained fame beyond its toy-like devices after news broke last month that the company was helping make a droid for the new Star Wars movie. Now Sphero, which has one namesake device and a second called Ollie, has received more … Continue reading “Force is Strong With Sphero: $45M in Funding from Mercato, Disney”
Pushing Past Preclinical, Arsenal and 480 Biomedical Land $26.5M
[Updated 6/18/15, 9:30 a.m. See below.] Arsenal Medical and 480 Biomedical, a pair of Watertown, MA-based companies founded by famed scientists Robert Langer and George Whitesides, are taking $26.5 million in combined venture funding as the businesses seek to bring a group of medical products to the clinical stage. 480 Biomedical has developed two dissolvable, bioreabsorbable … Continue reading “Pushing Past Preclinical, Arsenal and 480 Biomedical Land $26.5M”
PillPack Picks Up Pace in Health IT With $50M Deal Led by CRV
It’s no surprise that the latest tech startup to go big in Boston is in health IT. The sector has been burgeoning locally and will probably see more big funding deals this year. PillPack, an online pharmacy and medication management company, said Wednesday that it has raised $50 million in a financing round led by … Continue reading “PillPack Picks Up Pace in Health IT With $50M Deal Led by CRV”
Chicago, Northern Wisconsin Investors Raising $30M For New VC Funds
Investors from Chicago and northern Wisconsin detailed plans on Tuesday for two proposed venture funds that would pump about $30 million into startups in Wisconsin and around the Midwest, if all goes according to plan. John Philosophos, a Chicago-based partner with New York-based Great Oaks Venture Capital, said he is trying to raise $20 million … Continue reading “Chicago, Northern Wisconsin Investors Raising $30M For New VC Funds”
Purch to Go Shopping for M&A Opportunities After Raising $135M
Expect some new titles to be added to Purch’s portfolio in the months ahead. On Tuesday, the digital publisher announced it raised $135 million in a Series C round, which CEO Greg Mason says will go towards growing the company, including the pursuit of more acquisitions. Canso Investment Counsel led the round. So far Purch, … Continue reading “Purch to Go Shopping for M&A Opportunities After Raising $135M”
Google Quietly Operating Sensor Startup Following Stealthy Buyout
Google (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOOG]]) has acquired a San Diego startup that invented new sensor technology for precisely tracking changes in direction, according to two industry experts who would only discuss the deal anonymously. The Mountain View, CA-based technology giant agreed to buy Lumedyne Technologies in November for about $85 million, one expert said, just months after … Continue reading “Google Quietly Operating Sensor Startup Following Stealthy Buyout”
Nantero Announces $31.5M For Faster, Better Computer Memory
A 14-year-old nanotechnology company building a new type of computer memory with a material that is stronger than steel and less dense than aluminum has raised $31.5 million in a Series E round of funding. Nantero, based in Woburn, MA, has raised $78 million since it was founded in 2001 by a trio of Harvard … Continue reading “Nantero Announces $31.5M For Faster, Better Computer Memory”
ASCO Roundup: Checkpoints, Pushback Against Prices, CAR-T & More
As has been the case the past few years, the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, which just wrapped up in Chicago, was the latest referendum on immunotherapy. But this year, not only did the meeting feature scientific developments for these new types of cancer fighters that rev up patients’ immune systems, but it … Continue reading “ASCO Roundup: Checkpoints, Pushback Against Prices, CAR-T & More”
Galvanize Pairs Up With Google to Start Offering Classes in London
Galvanize is going global—and Google is giving it a hand. The Denver-based education startup/co-working chain/early stage venture fund announced this morning it will begin offering classes in London. Galvanize is working with Google on the project, and the classes will be offered at Google’s Campus London startup hub in East London. Galvanize was founded in … Continue reading “Galvanize Pairs Up With Google to Start Offering Classes in London”
Houston’s Saranas Raises $2.35M for Device to Detect Blood Leaks
Saranas, a Houston medical device company, expects to announce this week that it has raised $2.35 million to further develop a souped-up sheath that can detect blood leaks caused by catheters in real time. The funding came from existing investors, including members of the GOOSE Society, such as Vanguard Ventures co-founder Jack Gill, and Houston Angel … Continue reading “Houston’s Saranas Raises $2.35M for Device to Detect Blood Leaks”
Leica Microsystems To Acquire Duke Eye-Imaging Spinoff Bioptigen
Bioptigen, a medical device firm that developed and commercialized a non-invasive scanning technology for ophthalmic procedures, has caught the eye of a German diagnostics company now set to buy the startup. Leica Microsystems has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Morrisville, NC-based Bioptigen. The companies disclosed no financial terms for the deal. Bioptigen was founded … Continue reading “Leica Microsystems To Acquire Duke Eye-Imaging Spinoff Bioptigen”
Regulus Therapeutics CEO Xanthopoulos Quits Unexpectedly
Kleanthis Xanthopoulos, who has served more than seven years at the helm of San Diego microRNA drug developer Regulus Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RGLS]]) unexpectedly resigned as CEO and from the company’s board, according to a statement from the company. The company named Paul Grint, who previously served as chief medical officer at Regulus, as CEO and … Continue reading “Regulus Therapeutics CEO Xanthopoulos Quits Unexpectedly”
How Button Pushed Its Way Into the Midst of Uber and Foursquare
“There should be more connectivity in the app world,” says Button CEO and co-founder Michael Jaconi. “We’re trying to solve that.” On Monday, his New York-based startup announced its software was being used in a partnership that gives people the ability to book Uber cars through Foursquare. Just about a year old, Button’s software is … Continue reading “How Button Pushed Its Way Into the Midst of Uber and Foursquare”
Viggle Trying to Find Its Way in the Rapidly Changing Media Scene
There is a tyranny of choice when it comes to entertainment, says Viggle president and COO Greg Consiglio, and that compelled his company to think about working with much more than television. New York-based Viggle (Nasdaq: [[ticker:VGGL]]) developed an app and software for giving audience rewards from advertisers and broadcasters for showing their interest in various … Continue reading “Viggle Trying to Find Its Way in the Rapidly Changing Media Scene”
Udemy Reaps $65M To Grow Global Online Ed Smorgasbord
Udemy, the San Francisco-based online education marketplace, said today it has raised $65 million to expand its international course offerings in subjects ranging from Web development to writing and other skills that can lead to higher earnings. Udemy CEO Dennis Yang says the company will continue to build its global community of seven million students … Continue reading “Udemy Reaps $65M To Grow Global Online Ed Smorgasbord”
Big M Event Looks at Future of Manufacturing, Industrial Security
The Big M conference returns to Detroit today to take a deep dive into the future of manufacturing and how it intersects with new technologies—the cloud, 3D printing, the Internet of Things, and wearable devices, for instance—to shape what’s to come. Michigan, of course, has long been a manufacturing powerhouse. According to the Big M’s … Continue reading “Big M Event Looks at Future of Manufacturing, Industrial Security”
Ward 4 Aims to be “Lighthouse” for Milwaukee Startup Community
Ward 4—the Milwaukee co-working space inspired by the likes of 1871 in Chicago, CoCo in Minneapolis, and T-Rex in St. Louis—opened this week. Now, it’s up to organizers to ensure Ward 4 turns into the catalyst they envision for the local startup community. Ward 4 appears to be off to a good start. Nearly all … Continue reading “Ward 4 Aims to be “Lighthouse” for Milwaukee Startup Community”
VerbalizeIt Translates Blue Ocean Challenge Entry Into $250K
How do you say “big winner” in Portuguese? Or Mandarin? VerbalizeIt, a startup that connects businesses with translators from around the world, was the big winner at the Colorado State University Blue Ocean Enterprises Challenge on Saturday. The Boulder, CO-based startup took home the top prize of $250,000, along with access to mentoring and other … Continue reading “VerbalizeIt Translates Blue Ocean Challenge Entry Into $250K”