There is a competitive niche in the innovation scene aimed at parents and families; last night I met a startup founder who wants to turn kids’ artwork into digital keepsakes. Think of the Keepy app as an interactive family album or a virtual refrigerator door. Parents using Keepy can capture images of their kids’ drawings … Continue reading “Making Kids’ Art Last As Digital & Real World Memories with Keepy”
Category: National
MassChallenge Takes Over Start Tank Incubator From PayPal
Two prominent names in Boston’s startup world are joining forces—and shacking up together. Startup accelerator MassChallenge has acquired Start Tank, a Boston-based incubator run by PayPal, which provided select startups with space at its downtown Boston office. MassChallenge and Start Tank announced the deal this week. They’ve called it an acquisition, but reportedly no cash … Continue reading “MassChallenge Takes Over Start Tank Incubator From PayPal”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, Tekmira, True North, aTyr & More
We’ll move in geographic fashion through the roundup this week, starting in the Pacific Northwest, where Juno Therapeutics won a patent fight and found a new headquarters. Further south, the Bay Area hosted an IPO and several other financings, and down San Diego way, aTyr Pharma joined the IPO queue. It’s Friday, and we’re roundup-ready. … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, Tekmira, True North, aTyr & More”
Women Rising Offers a More Intimate Approach to Tech Networking
Kate Catlin is a former Venture for America fellow and Grand Circus employee who has decided to stay in Detroit and make a go of it. Her first venture, Assemble, didn’t really pan out, so she’s onto the next project: an organization for women in business and tech called Women Rising. Though its goal is … Continue reading “Women Rising Offers a More Intimate Approach to Tech Networking”
Aircuity Sucks In $6.25M To Expand Air Quality Tracking Business
Our workplaces might be getting a little bit more energy efficient, not necessarily because of solar panels or new insulation, but because of the air we breathe inside them. At least, that’s what air quality monitoring company Aircuity and its investors believe. This week, Newton, MA-based Aircuity announced it raised $6.25 million in an expansion … Continue reading “Aircuity Sucks In $6.25M To Expand Air Quality Tracking Business”
Innovation Hub: Why Science Plays Small Ball
The scientific revolution has ended. Or, at least it’s on pause, according to Roberta Ness, vice president of innovation at the University of Texas Health Science Center. She believes that science’s most promising thinkers aren’t taking big enough risks. They’re not researching the next penicillin or investigating new theories of relativity; they’re playing it safe. … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Why Science Plays Small Ball”
Startups Strut on Stage at UNC Innovation Showcase
In an annual spring ritual at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, startup companies associated with the university get the opportunity for five minutes of stage time to present their technologies or products to a live audience. The UNC Innovation Showcase is a popular draw for the Research Triangle’s broader entrepreneurial community. Startups … Continue reading “Startups Strut on Stage at UNC Innovation Showcase”
Joi Ito Wants MIT to Be Neutral Place to Help Develop Bitcoin Standards
Bitcoins have an uncertain path forward with the seeming implosion of the Bitcoin Foundation last weekend. But PayPal merchants and even presidential candidate Rand Paul have started accepting them as payment. That means the race is on to establish technical standards for the virtual currency—and it looks like MIT could end up playing a role. … Continue reading “Joi Ito Wants MIT to Be Neutral Place to Help Develop Bitcoin Standards”
Mid-Size Cos to Battle in Startup-Style Games, for Charity
Foosball, beer pong, table tennis, giant Connect Four—not exactly what you’d call Olympic events, right? They are if you’re a startup in Austin, TX. The Startup Games hosted its fourth annual Olympic-style event for charity in January, in which small, early-stage businesses were pitted against one another to raise money for charities of their choice. … Continue reading “Mid-Size Cos to Battle in Startup-Style Games, for Charity”
Tax Time Alert: Key Things to Know About Founders Preferred Stock
As you gather and review tax papers for your return, be sure to inform your accountant if you hold founders’ preferred stock, or if you sold a block of it in 2014. Your CPA might not think to ask you about this because so few entrepreneurs hold this class of stock. As recently as 20 … Continue reading “Tax Time Alert: Key Things to Know About Founders Preferred Stock”
UW Updating IP Policies to Fit ’21st Century Research University’
The University of Washington is undertaking a wholesale review of its intellectual property (IP) policies, as part of a broader, ongoing reinvention of how the institution teaches, practices, and disseminates innovation in every discipline. Former UW President Michael Young had directed the Intellectual Property Management Advisory Committee to examine the university’s intellectual property policies. Now … Continue reading “UW Updating IP Policies to Fit ’21st Century Research University’”
Seven Takeaways From “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech”
Sure, things may look great now, but it wasn’t long ago that Kendall Square was a biotech ghost town—and the good times might come to an end if we’re not careful. Meanwhile, gene therapy, cell therapy, and microbiome research look poised to make an impact on healthcare—just don’t overlook the hurdles that remain, or underestimate … Continue reading “Seven Takeaways From “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech””
Catalyze Snags $4M To Grow Cloud Computing Business For Healthcare
Catalyze, a Madison, WI-based provider of cloud hosting and other services for the healthcare industry, has raised $4 million from investors, a new SEC filing shows. Catalyze went through Gener8tor’s Milwaukee accelerator program in summer 2013 and raised a $2 million Series A round three months later. That round was led by Baird Capital’s venture … Continue reading “Catalyze Snags $4M To Grow Cloud Computing Business For Healthcare”
Clypd Raises $19.4M, Gets Boost From European Broadcaster and TiVo
Clypd, a Boston-area startup that wants to make TV advertising more like its digital cousin by incorporating programmatic ad selling, has raised a $19.4 million Series B round, the company announced Thursday. Leading the round is the RTL Group, a European media and broadcasting company. TiVo, the pioneer in digital video recording, joined the round, … Continue reading “Clypd Raises $19.4M, Gets Boost From European Broadcaster and TiVo”
With $1.5B Lynda.com Acquisition, LinkedIn Lets Users Add Skills
Showcasing your professional skills and making new work connections have always been the core tenets of LinkedIn. Now, with its $1.5 billion acquisition of Lynda.com, LinkedIn believes it is adding a tool that can help its 350 million users build on their resumes, too. The online video courses and tutorials that Lynda.com offers “make it … Continue reading “With $1.5B Lynda.com Acquisition, LinkedIn Lets Users Add Skills”
NextEnergy, U-M Gear Up for 2nd Energy and Transportation Bootcamp
When the Steve Blank-designed I-Corps program was started by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2012, its purpose was to teach university researchers to think like entrepreneurs and help them bring their inventions to market. The University of Michigan’s Center for Entrepreneurship heads the state’s I-Corps program, and now it has renewed a partnership with … Continue reading “NextEnergy, U-M Gear Up for 2nd Energy and Transportation Bootcamp”
Denver Startup ProtectWise Uses Cloud to Create Safety in Numbers
It’s a truism in the computer security world that the bad guys have gained the upper hand. Just think about all the major security breaches over the past few years for evidence. The black hats’ victories have led doomsayers like FBI director James Comey’s to say that “There are two kinds of big companies in … Continue reading “Denver Startup ProtectWise Uses Cloud to Create Safety in Numbers”
The Story Behind Cellular Dynamics’ Sale to Fujifilm
Last week, Cellular Dynamics International CEO Bob Palay described the $307 million acquisition of his company by Fujifilm as a union of two businesses that “share a common strategic vision for achieving leadership in the field of regenerative medicine.” In a March 30 press release announcing the deal, Palay predicted that combining their technologies—and tapping … Continue reading “The Story Behind Cellular Dynamics’ Sale to Fujifilm”
Event-Linking App Stanza Expands with $4.3M Seed Funding
Stanza, a tool that lets users sync calendar events and allows hosts to update the events in real time, has received a $4.3 million seed funding round to help it expand its target audience beyond professional sports events. The funding came from Metamorphic Ventures, Founder Collective, Tekton Ventures, Western Technology Investment, and Stanford-StartX Fund, as … Continue reading “Event-Linking App Stanza Expands with $4.3M Seed Funding”
Edge Brings in VC Backers, Gets $72.5M For Head Injury Drug
With former Celgene CEO Sol Barer and famed MIT professor Bob Langer among its advisors and directors, Edge Therapeutics has always had some star power behind it. Now the Berkeley Heights, NJ-based startup has a big investor syndicate too. Edge revealed today that it’s closed two different financing rounds together worth about $72.5 million: a … Continue reading “Edge Brings in VC Backers, Gets $72.5M For Head Injury Drug”
Robots Uncaged At Xconomy’s Robo Madness West
“Would you trust your life to a robotic technology?” Restoration Robotics CEO Jim McCollum asked a crowd full of engineers who have invested their careers in the fast-moving field of automating intelligent actions formerly done only by humans. McCollum himself recently entrusted his scalp and his coiffure, at least, to a robot hair transplantation suite … Continue reading “Robots Uncaged At Xconomy’s Robo Madness West”
Pitching Startups, Roxbury Style: Apps, Bodyguards & More
There’s a parking space, despite the rain, right outside Hibernian Hall the night of Pitch in the City, Roxbury’s first startup pitch event, in late March. “Some event,” I mutter to myself as I go inside. In fact, the big hall on the 3rd floor is jammed with people. Coats cram the coat rack, and … Continue reading “Pitching Startups, Roxbury Style: Apps, Bodyguards & More”
Dallas Video Aggregator ViewMarket Buys Houston’s CultureMap for $15M
Dallas-based ViewMarket, a video content network, has acquired Houston-based media website CultureMap in a $15 million deal. ViewMarket wanted CultureMap’s platform, says Alexander Muse, co-founder of the Dallas company. “They are already monetizing their content in a profitable way,” he told me in an interview Wednesday evening. “We’re going to take that existing sales organization … Continue reading “Dallas Video Aggregator ViewMarket Buys Houston’s CultureMap for $15M”
Cray Supercomputers Power Weather Forecasts Globally, and Now in the U.S.
Seattle supercomputer maker Cray, a quiet stalwart of the region’s technology industry, has been on a growth spurt lately, thanks in part to a spate of sales to government weather forecasting centers. Cray has long provided machines—made in Chippewa Falls, WI—that help scientists model the climate and predict storms. Recent deals with forecasters in the … Continue reading “Cray Supercomputers Power Weather Forecasts Globally, and Now in the U.S.”
Clocking In Next Year, Juno’s New HQ Keeps A Hand On Seattle History
Biotech folks in Seattle have real estate on their minds. Last week, the giant “Helix” campus in the Interbay neighborhood, once expected to be a local biotech anchor for decades, was nabbed by online travel site Expedia. This week, rising biotech star Juno Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JUNO]]) ended its quest for new headquarters, announcing a seven-year … Continue reading “Clocking In Next Year, Juno’s New HQ Keeps A Hand On Seattle History”
Techstars NYC Alum Dash Brings Connected Cars to NY Tech Meetup
Tuesday night was a chance to catch up with a few familiar faces from New York’s innovation scene—and to bid adieu to a longtime fixture of New York Tech Meetup. Before the demos from Dash and others got rolling, Jessica Lawrence, NYTM’s executive director, brought Nate Westheimer back to the stage one more time via … Continue reading “Techstars NYC Alum Dash Brings Connected Cars to NY Tech Meetup”
Payment Scholar Wants to Take the Pain Out of K-12 School Paperwork
Parents: When was the last time you spent the evening filling out forms for your kid’s classes or activities? Chances are, it was a one-off form with no opportunity to save the basic information to be used again in the future. Payment Scholar, a Detroit-based startup, is on a mission to save parents time by … Continue reading “Payment Scholar Wants to Take the Pain Out of K-12 School Paperwork”
Financier Ernest Rady Commits $100M to UC San Diego Business School
Ernest Rady is the San Diego gift who just keeps on giving. After donating $30 million to UC San Diego in 2004 to support the university’s newly established School of Management, with another $5 million for campus expansion, the billionaire philanthropist and his wife Evelyn have agreed to donate an additional $100 million to recruit … Continue reading “Financier Ernest Rady Commits $100M to UC San Diego Business School”
FirstFuel Refuels with $23M to Develop Software for Utilities
Some people tend to think of smart meters, solar panels, and energy audits in the same way they think about home improvements. But the owners of commercial property such as office buildings, shopping centers, and warehouses are taking a growing interest in renewable technology as a way to cut their electric bills. Utilities know that, … Continue reading “FirstFuel Refuels with $23M to Develop Software for Utilities”
Lender Dealstruck Plans Expansion With $58M Equity, Credit Funding
Dealstruck, the San Diego-based lender to small- and medium-sized businesses, announced it has raised an $8.3 million round of equity funding led by Trinity Ventures and a new $50 million credit facility led by Brevet Capital Management. The new financing brings Dealstruck’s lending capacity to more than $100 million, the company said, and will be used … Continue reading “Lender Dealstruck Plans Expansion With $58M Equity, Credit Funding”
Pixability Pumps Up in Video Marketing With $18M More
It’s been a long, interesting ride for Boston-based Pixability, a video marketing startup led by founder and CEO Bettina Hein (pictured). Now the market may finally be ready for the startup’s technology. The company has just raised an $18 million Series C round led by Jump Capital and Edison Partners. The new money brings Pixability’s … Continue reading “Pixability Pumps Up in Video Marketing With $18M More”
Texas Roundup: New funds, Salesforce Buys Toopher, Chin Heads to UT
The post-South By Southwest haze revealed a lot of Austin innovation news, including several startups with new fundraises, an accelerator with a new name, and San Francisco’s Salesforce acquiring Toopher. Here is the latest news from Xconomy Texas, with stories from myself and my colleague, David Holley. —MD Anderson’s Lynda Chin departs the Texas Medical … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: New funds, Salesforce Buys Toopher, Chin Heads to UT”
Alzheon Gets $10M to Take Castoff Alzheimer’s Drug Into Pivotal Test
Run by a veteran of drug R&D for Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheon is betting that a smart trial design and a little chemistry work could turn a failed drug for the memory-robbing disorder into a success. The company now has its first round of financing to test that theory on a revamped version of tramiprosate, which … Continue reading “Alzheon Gets $10M to Take Castoff Alzheimer’s Drug Into Pivotal Test”
After Crowdfunding Campaign, MobCraft Eyes Milwaukee For First Brewery
MobCraft Beer, the Wisconsin startup that brews a different beer each month based on online voting, moved closer this week to opening its own production facility. Fresh off completing one of the state’s first equity crowdfunding campaigns, the Madison-based brewer has proposed leasing a 13,000-square-foot building in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood that would significantly increase … Continue reading “After Crowdfunding Campaign, MobCraft Eyes Milwaukee For First Brewery”
Inforum Aims to Give Women in Tech the Confidence and Skills to Grow
Like most women involved with the tech industry, I cringed when I read about Ellen Pao’s discrimination suit against Kleiner Perkins, perhaps the most storied venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. I have experienced what they call “soft sexism” throughout my career, and in different sectors—not just tech—and many of Pao’s allegations rang true for … Continue reading “Inforum Aims to Give Women in Tech the Confidence and Skills to Grow”
After raising $76M in Series E Round, aTyr Pharma Files for IPO
San Diego’s aTyr Pharma, which raised $76 million last week from a group of venture and institutional crossover investors, intends to raise an additional $86.2 million through an IPO, according to a regulatory filing yesterday. The company was founded in 2005 by two scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, Paul Schimmel and Xiang-Lei Yang, to … Continue reading “After raising $76M in Series E Round, aTyr Pharma Files for IPO”
Placester Adds $15M to Expand in Real Estate Marketing
One of the Boston area’s fast-growing software startups is making progress in real estate marketing. Placester says today it has raised a $15 million Series B round, which brings its total funding to about $23 million. The round was led by New Enterprise Associates (a new investor), and previous investor Romulus Capital also participated. Placester … Continue reading “Placester Adds $15M to Expand in Real Estate Marketing”
With $35M Infusion, True North Moves Rare Disease Drug Into Clinic
True North Therapeutics has raised a $35 million Series B venture round to push its top product, a potential treatment for several rare diseases, through a series of early clinical tests, the company said today. The South San Francisco, CA-based biotech is developing a treatment for autoimmune diseases, which occur when the body’s own defense … Continue reading “With $35M Infusion, True North Moves Rare Disease Drug Into Clinic”
Tasso, GenTegra Push Ahead With DARPA-Backed Home Blood-Draw Device
[Corrected 4/7/15, 1:00 p.m. See below.] Collecting a blood sample for lab testing can be a hassle and, for patients who fear needles, a scary proposition. That’s something the leaders of Madison, WI-based startup Tasso want to help change with HemoLink, a small, cylindrical device that is designed to adhere to a patient’s arm or … Continue reading “Tasso, GenTegra Push Ahead With DARPA-Backed Home Blood-Draw Device”
ZenPayroll CEO: It’s Not the Money ($60M), It’s the Investor (Google)
Sometimes landing the right investor is more important than getting a higher valuation. Just ask ZenPayroll CEO and co-founder Joshua Reeves. San Francisco-based ZenPayroll may have been able to get more favorable terms than a $560 million post-money valuation, according to Reeves. But the startup raised a $60 million Series B round Monday at that … Continue reading “ZenPayroll CEO: It’s Not the Money ($60M), It’s the Investor (Google)”
Automotive Innovation Not Just About Connected Cars and Apps
It is not every day that an all-electric car breaks 300 mph. This year’s New York International Auto Show is underway, and amid the high performance roadsters and SUVs are a few ideas trying to shake up the status quo in cars. Typically the big automakers at such events talk up the ways their cars … Continue reading “Automotive Innovation Not Just About Connected Cars and Apps”
Juno, Novartis End CAR-T Patent Fight, With Juno A Little Richer
Juno Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JUNO]]) and Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]) are cancer immunotherapy rivals, but Juno now has a rooting interest in Novartis’s success. The two companies said today they have avoided a trial and settled a patent dispute around a specific bit of genetic engineering shared by some of their products that use what’s known as … Continue reading “Juno, Novartis End CAR-T Patent Fight, With Juno A Little Richer”
Prenatal Screener Natera Grabs $55M, Considers Cancer Test
[Updated 4/7/15, 5:13 pm. See below.] In the increasingly active genetic testing space, Natera is trying to lead the pack by harnessing its testing capabilities. And it has plenty of money to do so, after announcing a $55.5 million round of funding led today by Sofinnova Ventures and a group of crossover investors, including Capital … Continue reading “Prenatal Screener Natera Grabs $55M, Considers Cancer Test”
MI Roundup: LevelEleven, A2Tech Job Fair, MTAM, MSU & More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: — Detroit-based LevelEleven, a sales performance platform that employs gamification to stoke competition, headed to Mountain View, CA, last week to compete in Google’s national demo day on April 2. The company was selected to pitch (out of 60 applicants) at Google’s Detroit demo day … Continue reading “MI Roundup: LevelEleven, A2Tech Job Fair, MTAM, MSU & More”
Boston’s Chef Nightly Helps Pick Dinner, and Delivers It Too
It’s easier than ever to have premade food delivered to your doorstep, with any number of apps from Seamless to Favor to Instacart offering to bring customers almost anything they want. But what about those of us who have a tough time deciding what you want to eat? Every Labs has made an app, Chef … Continue reading “Boston’s Chef Nightly Helps Pick Dinner, and Delivers It Too”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Quintiles, BDSI, BioCryst, & More
Here are the headlines from the last week in North Carolina biotech news. —Pharmaceutical services provider Quintiles (NYSE: [[ticker:Q]]) is teaming up with lab testing company Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: [[ticker:DGX]]) to provide clinical trial laboratory services around the world. Durham, NC-based Quintiles will own 60 percent of the joint venture while Quest will own the … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Quintiles, BDSI, BioCryst, & More”
Is Disney-DraftKings a Done Deal? $250M Reasons to Say “No Comment”
Disney appears to be making a bet with DraftKings, the Boston startup that lets users make fantasy sports bets on a daily, per-game basis. The entertainment conglomerate’s wager is a little more substantial than a guess about a basketball or football player’s performance; Disney is investing $250 million in DraftKings and its digital media tool, … Continue reading “Is Disney-DraftKings a Done Deal? $250M Reasons to Say “No Comment””
Gene Therapy’s Rebirth Continues With Bristol, UniQure Cardio Deal
There’s no doubt at this point that gene therapy research, after a decade proceeding in relative obscurity, is back. A host of companies are racing to find the best way to harness the science to treat hemophilia, for instance. But a deal this morning between Bristol-Myers Squibb and UniQure focuses on a wider set of … Continue reading “Gene Therapy’s Rebirth Continues With Bristol, UniQure Cardio Deal”
ScoreStream Adds $2M to Build Out Its Web Technology Interface
ScoreStream, a San Diego sports media startup, has raised $2 million in an early stage round led by Sinclair Digital Ventures, a division of the Baltimore, MD-based Sinclair Broadcast Group (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SBGI]]). Existing investors Avalon Ventures and New Enterprise Associates also participated, according to Derrick Oien, ScoreStream’s founding CEO. A number of angel investors in … Continue reading “ScoreStream Adds $2M to Build Out Its Web Technology Interface”
Valore Acquires Boundless: The Netflix of Education Publishing?
A deal at the intersection of e-commerce and education technology is shining a light on some big trends in the publishing world. Those trends could help determine what higher-ed tools will look like years down the road. Valore, a Boston tech company formerly known as SimpleTuition, has acquired online-education startup Boundless for an undisclosed sum. … Continue reading “Valore Acquires Boundless: The Netflix of Education Publishing?”