The Michigan Pre-Seed Fund 2.0 (MPSF), a $6.8 million statewide investment fund that backs early-stage technology companies, has announced its latest batch of capital deployments. The five companies receiving a total of $325,000 range from an Ann Arbor startup that has developed a smart skylight, to a new online tool for college students looking for … Continue reading “Michigan Pre-Seed Fund 2.0 Invests $325K in Five Startups”
Category: National
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Illumina, Veracyte, Otonomy, Kite & More
Out west this week, the news flow was breezy. There were a sprinkling of diagnostics showers led by Illumina, which is in a patent fight with a Roche subsidiary, and Veracyte, which presented promising data for its lung test. It also seemed to be a week for pharma collaborations. Two pairs of partners signed pacts, … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Illumina, Veracyte, Otonomy, Kite & More”
Wisconsin Roundup: Cellectar, Shine Medical, Concordia, & More
Before everyone checks out for the long weekend, here are a few recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation and technology community: —Madison-based Cellectar Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLRB]]) said in its latest quarterly earnings report that patient enrollment in its phase 2 clinical trial of one of its experimental cancer imaging agents is going slower than anticipated. The … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Cellectar, Shine Medical, Concordia, & More”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Bluebird, Sarepta, Synlogic & More
This week’s headlines are all about second chances and new beginnings. A gene therapy company that survived on bridge loans many years ago is now one of biotech’s biggest stars. A company developing a therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is starting to win back investor confidence after a tumultuous year. And a former Pfizer executive … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Bluebird, Sarepta, Synlogic & More”
EY Names Regional Finalists in 2015 Entrepreneur of Year Award
EY, the accounting and professional services firm formerly known as Ernst & Young, today named the founders and CEOs of 15 companies in San Diego and Imperial Counties for its 2015 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in this region. The awards are intended to honor entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such … Continue reading “EY Names Regional Finalists in 2015 Entrepreneur of Year Award”
Ignition Partners Plans to Stay the Course with $200M Sixth Fund
The headline on venture capital firm Ignition Partners‘ pitch deck to investors in its new $200 million fund was “No Change.” Ignition, based in based in Bellevue, WA, and Palo Alto, CA, has good reason to stay the course. In announcing Ignition Venture Partners VI, the firm touted 25 significant exits in the last three years, … Continue reading “Ignition Partners Plans to Stay the Course with $200M Sixth Fund”
CustomMade Will Continue After Wayfair Hires Staff, CEO Leaves
A quick update on a plucky startup we’ve covered over the past few years: CustomMade, an online marketplace that connects craft makers and consumers, has scaled back to eight employees but is continuing operations after the majority of its staff was hired by Wayfair, the Boston-based home goods retailer. The hiring news was first reported … Continue reading “CustomMade Will Continue After Wayfair Hires Staff, CEO Leaves”
Neuro Startup Challenge Winners Try To Commercialize NIH Inventions
The winning teams were announced today in the Neuro Startup Challenge, a two-year-old virtual accelerator that helps academic researchers and entrepreneurs build companies around promising technologies developed by NIH researchers. The 13 winners include a team from the Medical College of Wisconsin, which is launching a startup called Angio360 Diagnostics to commercialize a blood-based test … Continue reading “Neuro Startup Challenge Winners Try To Commercialize NIH Inventions”
Boston’s Innovation Future Hinges on People, Startups, Relationships
From time to time, we need to step back and think about the future. What will New England’s business and innovation community look like in 10 or 20 years? Where will it fit into the national and global picture? We can start by talking about the strengths of the region. Biotech, pharma, and healthcare have … Continue reading “Boston’s Innovation Future Hinges on People, Startups, Relationships”
SynShark’s Biochemical Technology Tops AgBio Showcase
The path of a tiny Texas startup to the multi-billion dollar chemicals market crosses through the tobacco fields of North Carolina. If it’s successful, the company’s technology could also save the lives of millions of sharks. That’s the circuitous course charted by College Station, TX-based SynShark, a spinout from Texas A&M University. SynShark has developed … Continue reading “SynShark’s Biochemical Technology Tops AgBio Showcase”
Online Lawn Care Service Robin Launches in Texas With $1.2M
A Texas company that offers an online-based lawn care service is launching in Austin, Houston, and Dallas today with $1.2 million in seed funding. Robin is a Dallas-based Web service that lets users price, schedule, and pay for lawn care online. The company was founded by Bart Lomont and Justin Crandall, a former employee of … Continue reading “Online Lawn Care Service Robin Launches in Texas With $1.2M”
So Far, So Good in Bluebird’s First Glimpse of Sickle Cell Data
Sickle cell is a rare disease; a blood disorder with no effective treatments affecting around 300,000 new patients across the globe every year. While those numbers seem small compared to millions of folks with cardiovascular problems or cancer, they’re monstrous in the context of gene therapy—when, potentially, a single shot could not only wipe out … Continue reading “So Far, So Good in Bluebird’s First Glimpse of Sickle Cell Data”
Ex-Pfizer Exec Gutierrez-Ramos to Lead Synlogic’s “Smart Bug” Plan
Synlogic has already attracted some $35 million from investors on both coasts, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to pursue a science fiction-like idea to make customized disease-killing bacteria. Now, the Cambridge, MA-based startup has brought in a well-known former Pfizer executive to lead its first programs into clinical testing. Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos today is … Continue reading “Ex-Pfizer Exec Gutierrez-Ramos to Lead Synlogic’s “Smart Bug” Plan”
UW Recognized for Promoting Women in Computer Science
The University of Washington’s computer science program granted 30 percent of its undergraduate degrees last year to women, a mark that earned it recognition from the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). The UW received the grand prize in the first NCWIT Extension Services Transformation Awards, “based on the significant gains they have made … Continue reading “UW Recognized for Promoting Women in Computer Science”
NerdWallet’s Big Ambitions: Personal Finance App Aims for Dominance
Tim Chen was working at a long/short equity hedge fund in New York, and on Christmas Day he had no thoughts of a career change. But it was late 2008, in the middle of the nation’s worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, and Chen was one of those who lost his job. It might … Continue reading “NerdWallet’s Big Ambitions: Personal Finance App Aims for Dominance”
Life in Burlington: An Update From Andy Ory of 128 Technology
OK, you started a technology company, took it public, and sold it to Oracle for $2 billion-plus. What do you do for an encore? If you’re Andy Ory, you go back to where you started. Ory, 48, is the co-founder and former CEO of the aforementioned Acme Packet, a networking tech company that ranks as … Continue reading “Life in Burlington: An Update From Andy Ory of 128 Technology”
Companion Medical Raises $3M to Get Its Smart Insulin Pen to Market
Companion Medical, a San Diego medical device startup founded about 16 months ago, has raised $3 million in an ongoing Series B financing round led by an investment from Eli Lilly, according to a statement from the company yesterday. “We will use the capital to attempt to achieve FDA clearance of our device as well … Continue reading “Companion Medical Raises $3M to Get Its Smart Insulin Pen to Market”
Stealth Startup Liqid Announces $5.7M Seed Round, Not Much Else
It’s not much of a secret that data storage and networking are two areas where Colorado has created some very successful startups, such as SolidFire and, back in the day, Lefthand Networks and StorageTek. So it wouldn’t be unusual to see a new startup make its debut by announcing a large seed round. But for … Continue reading “Stealth Startup Liqid Announces $5.7M Seed Round, Not Much Else”
Building an Agnostic Cloud Infrastructure
Over the last two years I have often been asked: What is the best way to move out of Amazon Web Services (AWS) or other public cloud services? There are many reasons for making such a move, but cost, stability, and planned growth are the primary factors. Many companies that surpass $50,000 a month in … Continue reading “Building an Agnostic Cloud Infrastructure”
MassChallenge Announces Finalists for Boston, London Accelerators
MassChallenge, a nonprofit accelerator program, is getting bigger and covering more of the world. The Boston-based program on Wednesday announced 218 companies are global finalists for the 2015 accelerators in its home city and London, a branch of the operation that opened in February. Most of those startups—128, to be exact—are heading to Boston to … Continue reading “MassChallenge Announces Finalists for Boston, London Accelerators”
MGCS Highlights MI’s Strengths, Challenges, Need for More Capital
The 34th annual Michigan Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) continues today in Ypsilanti, attracting venture capitalists and hot startups from around the region for a two-day conference where companies have a chance to pitch their ideas and network with potential investors. The keynote speech yesterday was delivered by Brad Keywell, a former metro Detroiter and University … Continue reading “MGCS Highlights MI’s Strengths, Challenges, Need for More Capital”
Glowforge Gets $9M From Foundry, MakerBot Vets for Consumer Laser Cutter
If there’s one Seattle-area startup making something I really want, Glowforge is it. The company just raised $9 million from Foundry Group, True Ventures, and leaders of 3D-printing company MakerBot to build a consumer-grade “3D laser printer”—more commonly known as a laser cutter and engraver. Co-founder and CEO Dan Shapiro said Glowforge aims to have … Continue reading “Glowforge Gets $9M From Foundry, MakerBot Vets for Consumer Laser Cutter”
Complex’s Marc Ecko Talks Digital Media and Death of Demographics
Graffiti artist-turned-entrepreneur Marc Ecko shared some candid opinions about the evolution of media during his fireside chat at the Internet Week New York conference, currently running in the city. By his reckoning, the traditional ways of understanding and targeting audiences are outmoded. He even described demographics—the usual way marketers parse the public—as dead, except to … Continue reading “Complex’s Marc Ecko Talks Digital Media and Death of Demographics”
Celgene to Use Cypher Genomics’ Data Analytics in Drug Development
Under a collaboration announced today, San Diego-based Cypher Genomics said it would use its biomarker discovery service to help New Jersey’s Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) identify key genetic variants among patients who respond well to specific drugs. If successful, the use of Cypher’s proprietary technology to pinpoint such “functional variants” could enable a drug maker to … Continue reading “Celgene to Use Cypher Genomics’ Data Analytics in Drug Development”
Welltok Buys Predilytics to Improve Health Optimization Software
A health IT startup that wants to use IBM’s Watson supercomputer to make personalized recommendations might be getting a bit smarter about which customers to seek out and how to motivate them, following a deal that was announced Tuesday. Welltok, a Denver-based company, has acquired Predilytics, a Burlington, MA-based company, for an undisclosed amount. Welltok … Continue reading “Welltok Buys Predilytics to Improve Health Optimization Software”
Can Billy Sims Revolutionize the Way the U.S. Sells Food to China?
It’s not every day I get an e-mail pitch that begins, “Hello, my name is Billy Sims, I am the 1978/ Heisman Trophy Winner and former all pro running back for the Detroit Lions.” As a lifelong Lions fan and a beast on the fantasy football field (ahem), I didn’t need any further prompting. We … Continue reading “Can Billy Sims Revolutionize the Way the U.S. Sells Food to China?”
BookBub Snags $7M for Discounted Book Tool
[Corrected 5/19/15, 1:20 pm. See below] BookBub, an online service that helps users find new e-books for free or at a discounted rate, has received $7 million in debt and equity financing. The Cambridge, MA-based company plans to use the funding to continue its expansion, which has already brought it 5 million members since its … Continue reading “BookBub Snags $7M for Discounted Book Tool”
Video Predictions for Houston 2035: Register Now for Thurs. Event
The line between robot and human will be getting even more blurred. So says John Holcomb, director of the Center for Translational Injury Research and vice chair of the department of surgery at UT’s Health Science Center in Houston. Sensors embedded within us, he says, will sync in real time with the cloud, offering caregivers … Continue reading “Video Predictions for Houston 2035: Register Now for Thurs. Event”
Four Tough Questions Startup CEOs Need to Ask to Scale
Mark Organ thinks very differently about how to evolve as a founder-CEO now that he’s on his second company. A decade ago, Mark co-founded customer relations management software company Eloqua. “I held on too long to all the details of the business,” he says. Even though the company had reached several million dollars in revenue, … Continue reading “Four Tough Questions Startup CEOs Need to Ask to Scale”
Bluebird, Regulators Map Out Approval Plan For Gene Therapy
One of gene therapy’s major unanswered questions is just what it’ll take to convince U.S. regulators to approve one of these treatments. With a gene therapy that’s already produced promising results in a few patients in clinical trials, Bluebird Bio has a chance to pave the way. And today it’s cut a deal with the … Continue reading “Bluebird, Regulators Map Out Approval Plan For Gene Therapy”
Scratch Wireless Unveils New “Wi-Fi First” Smartphone for $99
Scratch Wireless is trying to make bills from wireless companies a relic of the past. It’s an ambitious dream, and the Cambridge, MA, startup has taken a step forward by partnering with a Chinese manufacturer to release an inexpensive smartphone that could move it a little closer to its goal. The new Coolpad Arise is … Continue reading “Scratch Wireless Unveils New “Wi-Fi First” Smartphone for $99”
iSpot.tv Lands $22M to Measure TV Ads and Their Online Impact
Many modern advertising campaigns still start with a prime time TV commercial, but any Mad Man worth his salt follows that up with social and digital media strategies, measuring everything along the way. Except the kind of detailed, real-time analytics advertisers expect online are still tough to come by for TV spots. That’s where iSpot.tv comes … Continue reading “iSpot.tv Lands $22M to Measure TV Ads and Their Online Impact”
To Harlem and Beyond: Coaxing Tech to See Opportunity in Diversity
It is safe to say the conversation on diversity in tech needs to move beyond citing ratios on ethnicity and gender to discussions on tangible action. Late last month, one such effort took form with the arrival of the first class of cofound/harlem, which is billed as the first tech accelerator for this New York neighborhood. … Continue reading “To Harlem and Beyond: Coaxing Tech to See Opportunity in Diversity”
Battle to Regulate Uber, Lyft Moves From City Halls to State Capitols
[Updated 5/19/15, 10:40 a.m. See below.] The push to regulate increasingly popular ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft has shifted from city halls to state capitol buildings—with implications for the companies’ reputations and expansion plans, as well as the future of transportation systems worldwide. Last year saw passage of the first rules for ridesharing companies—or … Continue reading “Battle to Regulate Uber, Lyft Moves From City Halls to State Capitols”
Cree Sheds Light on IPO Plans for Power & RF Business
Cree, the LED lighting and semiconductor technologies company, is laying the groundwork to spin off one of its business units as a separate company, supported by an initial public stock offering. Durham, NC-based Cree (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CREE]]) disclosed Monday that it has confidentially filed documents with securities regulators for an IPO for the company’s Power & … Continue reading “Cree Sheds Light on IPO Plans for Power & RF Business”
Drizly Digs Up $13M to Fuel Expansion of Alcohol-Delivery App
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking. Boston alcohol-delivery startup Drizly has raised $13 million in Series A financing from investors including Polaris Partners, First Beverage Group, Suffolk Equity Partners, and the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. Drizly makes a mobile app that lets users order beer, wine, and liquor from … Continue reading “Drizly Digs Up $13M to Fuel Expansion of Alcohol-Delivery App”
Still Room For Great Guests at Napa Summit 2015—Request An Invite
“It’s like a mini-Davos.” That’s the way one leading venture capitalist describes Xconomy’s Napa Summit. And while he is perhaps a bit effusive, we do believe our annual retreat in wine country is something special. Maybe you can judge for yourself. We are just two weeks away from Napa Summit 2015, which will take place … Continue reading “Still Room For Great Guests at Napa Summit 2015—Request An Invite”
AltspaceVR Launches Social Media-Virtual Reality Combo
Virtual reality has been pegged as the province of 18-35-year-old males eager to enhance their gamer experiences, AltspaceVR CEO Eric Romo says. But it won’t stay that way for long, if Romo’s entrepreneurial vision comes true. Romo’s Redwood City, CA-based startup today launched its free software designed to appeal to a user base as broad … Continue reading “AltspaceVR Launches Social Media-Virtual Reality Combo”
Eleven Bio’s Shares Routed as Dry Eye Drug Flunks Phase 3 Test
Eleven Biotherapeutics has been trying to show that it’s got a prospective rival to Allergan’s blockbuster dry eye disease drug, Restasis, in the works. The results that have come back from the Cambridge, MA-based company’s first big test, however, indicate otherwise. Eleven (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EBIO]]) said this morning that its lead drug, EBI-005, failed both primary … Continue reading “Eleven Bio’s Shares Routed as Dry Eye Drug Flunks Phase 3 Test”
That First Move Can Be a Doozy: Why Peach Expanded to San Diego
Seattle-based Peach makes its debut in San Diego today, and therein lies a tale. The question, “Where do we expand first?” can be one of the hardest decisions confronting an early stage tech company looking to rapidly scale its business beyond the hometown market. Peach, founded in early 2014 by three ex-Amazon software engineers, began … Continue reading “That First Move Can Be a Doozy: Why Peach Expanded to San Diego”
Trumpit Unlocks New Way to Share Photos on Mobile Phones
You might not think there’s room in the market—or on your smartphone—for another photo-sharing app, but Bill Gianoukos thinks you’re wrong. He also thinks he’s got the app that will trump them all—which is fittingly named Trumpit. Gianoukos is a Boston-area entrepreneur and former chief product officer of HeyWire, a messaging app. He is back … Continue reading “Trumpit Unlocks New Way to Share Photos on Mobile Phones”
Gener8tor Strikes Up the UW Band to Send Off Latest Startup Class
A year ago, Wisconsin startup accelerator Gener8tor kicked off the closing pitch event for its winter session in Madison with a laser light show and smoke machines. This year, attendees were treated to a mini-pep rally by members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison band. A small group of trumpet players, trombone players, percussionists, and a … Continue reading “Gener8tor Strikes Up the UW Band to Send Off Latest Startup Class”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Orexigen, Denali, Nant, ASCO & More
This week’s roundup has an elevation change. In San Diego, Orexigen Therapeutics, maker of a weight-loss drug, dug itself deep into a hole with the FDA, its clinical collaborators, and its business partners. In San Francisco, Denali Therapeutics debuted with a mountain of cash to tackle neurodegenerative diseases. L.A. billionaire and partial Laker owner Patrick … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Orexigen, Denali, Nant, ASCO & More”
Austin Chamber Awards A-List Startups: Slideshow
It can be tough to keep track of the hundreds of new startups popping up in Austin, TX, more of which seemingly appear every day. That’s why the Austin Chamber of Commerce began creating an A-List of 12 startups annually. South by Southwest Interactive co-hosted an event last night in downtown Austin with the chamber to announce the … Continue reading “Austin Chamber Awards A-List Startups: Slideshow”
Do or Die: Rockets Playoff Special Extended
To celebrate the Rocket’s come-from-behind victory in last night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, we’ve decided to extend our Rockets Playoff Special for Houston 2035 until midnight on Monday. With a star line-up of speakers from Houston and beyond, this event is not to be missed. Our speakers include experts in healthcare, life sciences, … Continue reading “Do or Die: Rockets Playoff Special Extended “
TechU Angels Looking for a Few Good MIT Startups, Not Just in Boston
You still hear it a lot around town: it’s hard to raise money for early-stage startups. The truth is it’s hard to raise money for anything. But there are an increasing number of options for entrepreneurs coming out of places like MIT and Harvard. One of the most recent is TechU Angels, a seed-stage angel … Continue reading “TechU Angels Looking for a Few Good MIT Startups, Not Just in Boston”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Vertex, Moderna, Sage, ASCO & More
Memorial Day is just around the corner, and in biotech that doesn’t just mean barbecues; it means the year’s big cancer meeting, the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) annual bash in Chicago, is on tap. There’s still some time before the festivities, however, so don’t fire up those grills just yet. We’re looking back … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Vertex, Moderna, Sage, ASCO & More”
9Mile Labs Startups Tackle Out-Dated Business Processes
If there was a common theme among several of the nine business-to-business companies finishing Seattle startup accelerator 9Mile Labs this week, it was modernization. From booking a campground to verifying employees’ credentials to managing suppliers, these startups aim to take cumbersome or out-dated business processes in a range of industries and give them a technology … Continue reading “9Mile Labs Startups Tackle Out-Dated Business Processes”
Data Provider RealMassive Grabs About $3M for Series A
RealMassive, a commercial real estate data provider, has landed a Series A funding round of about $3 million that gives it a $20 million valuation as the company seeks to launch a subscription service on top of its existing free commercial real estate listings. Since its founding in 2013, the Austin, TX-based company has received … Continue reading “Data Provider RealMassive Grabs About $3M for Series A”
On Big Brain Day, Allen Institute Debuts Neuron “Periodic Table”
The biotech world has brains on their mind today with the launch of Denali Therapeutics, a mega-startup with lofty goals of developing drugs for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. A big problem in finding treatments for those diseases is how little we know about the brain itself. One group making those explorations and sharing them … Continue reading “On Big Brain Day, Allen Institute Debuts Neuron “Periodic Table””