Cellular Dynamics International, an up-and-coming player in the stem cell field and one of Wisconsin’s more promising biotech companies, is being acquired by Fujifilm for $307 million in cash. At first glance, the Tokyo-based international conglomerate—which dates back to 1934 and is best known for selling camera film—might seem like an odd suitor for Madison-based … Continue reading “Fujifilm Snaps Up Cellular Dynamics To Grow Stem Cell Business”
Category: National
Detroit Hackathon: Tech Talent Pipeline Just Getting Started
At the hackathon in Detroit Friday sponsored by Ford and #YesWeCode, the excitement was palpable. MSNBC was broadcasting live, kids from Detroit-area middle schools armed with dry-erase pens and sticky notes were busy brainstorming app ideas, and local dignitaries were passing through, some observing fruits of their sponsorship. At one point just after lunch, United … Continue reading “Detroit Hackathon: Tech Talent Pipeline Just Getting Started”
Drifty Adds $2.6M To Build Ionic’s Popularity With App Developers
Drifty executives weren’t sure what they had on their hands in late 2013 when they released the first version of Ionic—an open-source software development kit intended to make it easier for Web developers to build mobile applications that work across iOS, Android, and Windows devices. Drifty co-founder and CEO Max Lynch built some initial buzz … Continue reading “Drifty Adds $2.6M To Build Ionic’s Popularity With App Developers”
Novan Therapeutics Lands $50M to Tackle Acne, HPV
Novan Therapeutics, which is researching applications of nitric oxide in treating skin conditions, has closed on $50 million in financing as the Durham, NC, moves its lead drug forward in clinical trials. New investor Malin Corporation (ISEQ: [[ticker:MLC]]), an Ireland-based life sciences investment company that went public last week, led the Novan deal, which included … Continue reading “Novan Therapeutics Lands $50M to Tackle Acne, HPV”
Teva Agrees to Buy San Diego’s Auspex Pharmaceuticals for $3B+
Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: [[ticker:TEVA]]) says today it has agreed to acquire San Diego-based Auspex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ASPX]]) in a cash deal valued between $3.2 billion and $3.5 billion. The acquisition strengthens Teva’s core franchise in drugs for the central nervous system. Auspex, which became a publicly traded company just over a year ago, … Continue reading “Teva Agrees to Buy San Diego’s Auspex Pharmaceuticals for $3B+”
Horizon Pays $1.1 Billion for Hyperion’s Rare Disease Drugs
For years, orphan drugs have attracted buyers and licensing deals in spite of small patient populations. High prices on the treatments more than make up for potential low sales numbers. Horizon Pharma (NASDAQ:[[ticker:HZNP]]) announced Monday it is purchasing Hyperion Therapeutics for $1.1 billion, or $46 per share. At heart of the deal is Brisbane, CA-based … Continue reading “Horizon Pays $1.1 Billion for Hyperion’s Rare Disease Drugs”
CoachUp Recruits NBA Star Stephen Curry as Part Owner, Looks to Grow
In today’s consumer startup world, celebrities can play a big role in getting companies noticed. Actors like Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Aniston, and Jessica Alba have given immediate buzz to their startup projects. Retired sports stars like Magic Johnson, Steve Nash, and Derek Jeter are involved in various new ventures. Now a Boston startup has signed … Continue reading “CoachUp Recruits NBA Star Stephen Curry as Part Owner, Looks to Grow”
Peter Thiel Brings Libertarian Standup Routine to Harvard
In staccato, stand-up comic style, Peter Thiel brought his version of libertarianism to Harvard, a notable cheering section for positive government. Last Wednesday, a packed lecture hall heard the investor and co-founder of PayPal and secretive data-analysis company Palantir Technologies say, “You can’t do it on a government scale. So I work on the business … Continue reading “Peter Thiel Brings Libertarian Standup Routine to Harvard”
Product Development Tools Maker Jama Software Raises $20M
Jama Software, the Portland, OR, company that makes a toolset for developing technology products including software, has raised $20 million in fresh funding from new investor Updata Partners and prior backers including Trinity Ventures and Madrona Venture Group. The company says it will use the funding to expand usage of its software beyond its customers’ … Continue reading “Product Development Tools Maker Jama Software Raises $20M”
EvoNexus Incubator Transforms CommNexus as SD Startup Scene Grows
After 16 EvoNexus startups made short presentations at a Demo Day in San Diego last week, the big news was perhaps not that the audience voted Sonic VR as “champion,” or that CEO Jason Riggs left afterward for an EvoNexus-hosted dinner with a dozen investors. What was arguably more impressive is how EvoNexus is becoming … Continue reading “EvoNexus Incubator Transforms CommNexus as SD Startup Scene Grows”
Novartis Bets $250M-Plus on Aduro’s Immuno-Oncology Work
How bullish are big drugmakers on cancer immunotherapy these days? Take a read from the deal Novartis announced today with Berkeley, CA-based Aduro Biotech, which is getting a nine-figure check from the Swiss drug giant for an immunotherapy approach that hasn’t yet been tested in humans. Novartis will pay Aduro $200 million in cash, make … Continue reading “Novartis Bets $250M-Plus on Aduro’s Immuno-Oncology Work”
EyeQ Raises $1.2M for Personalized Shopping
[Updated 3/30/15, 12:25 p.m. See below.] The ease and prevalence of online shopping can make it hard for many consumers to see physical stores as anything other than show rooms. One Austin, TX, company, eyeQ, is attempting to bring consumers back to physical retail stores by using data about the shoppers themselves. The company’s technology … Continue reading “EyeQ Raises $1.2M for Personalized Shopping”
Food Delivery App DoorDash Pushes Forward With $40M Series B
Given the bevy of food delivery apps available on the market, including DoorDash and the $40 million Series B it announced yesterday, it begs a question: Who’s going to make the app to help you decide which delivery service to choose? The two-year-old DoorDash, which touts itself as a technology business with an on-demand delivery … Continue reading “Food Delivery App DoorDash Pushes Forward With $40M Series B”
Innovation Hub: XPRIZE Founder Tackles Entrepreneurship
Peter Diamandis is, I think it’s fair to say, an optimist. After all, how many other space-obsessed kids ended up founding an International Space University? Or inaugurated an XPRIZE, to inspire a new generation of passenger spacecrafts? But Diamandis’s current obsession is entrepreneurship, and the idea that the economy is radically shifting to accommodate a … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: XPRIZE Founder Tackles Entrepreneurship”
Seattle Roundup: Ignition Fund, Lighter Capital, WISErg, HBO, and More
The big news this week is that Ignition Partners, an active investor in business-focused startups, is gearing up for another venture fund that could come in at $200 million. We’re also tracking a new investment in Lighter Capital, WISErg’s Series B, HBO’s Seattle expansion, and a healthcare IT partnership for Caradigm. Earlier in the week … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Ignition Fund, Lighter Capital, WISErg, HBO, and More”
In New Gene-Editing World, Doudna Applies Both Brake and Gas Pedal
Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley, led the group of 18 scientists who published a letter last week in Science magazine calling for urgent discussions on efforts to change the DNA of sperm, eggs, and embryos—known collectively as the human germline. Through the work of Doudna and others, what once seemed like science … Continue reading “In New Gene-Editing World, Doudna Applies Both Brake and Gas Pedal”
Colorado Roundup: Schoolrunner, FullContact, Red Canary
Three bits of funding news from Colorado-based startups: Impact fund backs Schoolrunner: Schoolrunner, a three-year-old edtech startup in Denver that claims its software delivers “moneyball for schools,” closed a $1.5 million seed round with an investment from the Colorado Impact Fund this week. The reference to the book and movie “Moneyball” emphasizes Schoolrunner’s focus on … Continue reading “Colorado Roundup: Schoolrunner, FullContact, Red Canary”
MI Angel Fund Invests $1.7M in Arborlight to Speed Commercialization
I hear and see a lot of startup ideas, but few have impressed me like Arborlight’s LightWell indoor lighting product. Imagine very real-seeming daylight illuminating the center of a windowless office building, as if a skylight and clear weather were conspiring to improve your mood. The company’s potential was instantly clear. It seems the Michigan … Continue reading “MI Angel Fund Invests $1.7M in Arborlight to Speed Commercialization”
The Incredible Shrinking Seed Stage and Other Venture Trends of 2014
By now the 2014 data for venture capital investments from the most important regions of the world have been compiled and disseminated. When laid out next to each other, some fascinating themes emerge. It’s no surprise that the U.S. continues to set the pace with over $48 billion invested in 4,356 companies, compared to 2013, … Continue reading “The Incredible Shrinking Seed Stage and Other Venture Trends of 2014”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Hemophilia, Levin, Vertex, Semma & More
[Updated, 3/30/15, 8:20 am ET, see below] For those looking to get away from the broader biotech indices’ plummet this week (the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IBB]]) fell 7 percent), we’ve got your comfort food here: a feature about gene therapy’s long quest to cure hemophilia, a scientific journey that began in the 1980s. We’ve … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Hemophilia, Levin, Vertex, Semma & More”
BetterCloud Gets $25M, Doubles Down on Cloud Office IT Management
The evolution of New York-based BetterCloud continues with its latest raise of $25 million. Accel led the round, announced Thursday, with Greycroft Partners, Flybridge Capital Partners, Tribeca Venture Partners, Millennium Technology Value Partners, and New Amsterdam Growth Capital participating. This brings BetterCloud’s total funding to $47 million since its founding in 2011, and it also … Continue reading “BetterCloud Gets $25M, Doubles Down on Cloud Office IT Management”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Amgen/deCODE, Calico, Orexigen & More
For sheer volume, San Diego carries the week’s West Coast biotech news, with everything from trial failures (Lpath, MEI Pharma) to stock sales and deals (Retrophin, Vical, Mast) to good product news (Orexigen, Conatus). For scientific impact, however, Amgen tips the scales with the big publication of Icelandic genomic data from its subsidiary DeCode Genetics. … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Amgen/deCODE, Calico, Orexigen & More”
As Pharma Collaborations Gain Importance, GSK Opens Second Outpost
After establishing a “first-of-its-kind collaboration” with San Diego’s Avalon Ventures in 2013, the British pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has opened a small office in San Diego to manage its R&D partnerships and to prospect for more deals on the West Coast. The move reflects an effort by GSK to get closer to the scientific innovators … Continue reading “As Pharma Collaborations Gain Importance, GSK Opens Second Outpost”
Facebook Looks to Double Boston Headcount, Bring Talent From Outside
V-shaped drones that beam Internet signals to the world? Virtual-reality experiences for social networking? Facebook may be working on such far-out projects, but the social media giant’s Boston-area office remains focused on grittier areas like data storage, compilers, networking, and security. Those are traditional strengths of the region, after all—though so is robotics. What’s new … Continue reading “Facebook Looks to Double Boston Headcount, Bring Talent From Outside”
Donuts Builds Domain-Name Business Amid New Land Grab on the Web
In late February, a Google subsidiary won control of the top-level domain name .app with a $25 million bid, the highest price paid so far in an online land rush for new words or phrases that appear to the right of the last dot in a Web address. Amazon subsidiaries scooped up .buy and .spot … Continue reading “Donuts Builds Domain-Name Business Amid New Land Grab on the Web”
Seattle’s Gilliland, Nelsen, Hood, Franklin & More to Gather May 6
Last May, real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle’s report on Seattle’s life science economy had mixed news. The number of businesses was up, but jobs were down. Lake Union, Seattle’s “life sciences epicenter,” was getting more crowded and rents were quickly on the rise. It’s been quite a year since then. Biotech has had an … Continue reading “Seattle’s Gilliland, Nelsen, Hood, Franklin & More to Gather May 6”
Northwestern Mutual Scoops Up Fintech Startup LearnVest
Consumer demand for quicker, simpler, and more affordable money management advice is increasingly pushing the financial industry’s big incumbents to adapt and evolve, oftentimes by snapping up startups that have already built sought-after technology. The latest example is yesterday’s announcement that Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual is buying New York-based financial technology startup LearnVest. “There’s been a … Continue reading “Northwestern Mutual Scoops Up Fintech Startup LearnVest”
What’s Hot in Boston Biotech? Here’s the Agenda
There’s just a few weeks left before our annual biotech extravaganza in Boston. On April 8, we’ll be hosting “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech” at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge. We’ve put together a big lineup of executives, scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors across some of the hottest fields of life sciences … Continue reading “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech? Here’s the Agenda”
Convenience, Not Cleantech Drives Internet of Things Opportunity
Energy savings that come from using networked devices make the concept of the “Internet of Things” an obvious cleantech play. But getting people to adopt these new systems might come down to the technology’s ability to adapt to, and perhaps improve upon, familiar patterns of human behavior—such as checking the refrigerator. Tony Atti, CEO of … Continue reading “Convenience, Not Cleantech Drives Internet of Things Opportunity”
Gelesis Bags $22M More, Ramps Up Trials for Weight-Loss Pill
Over the past year, Gelesis has made the turn from concept to clinic, building up the first data for an anti-obesity pill made out of little particles that swell in the stomach, making a person feel full. With more trials looming, and a second product on the way, the bills are growing—and the Boston startup … Continue reading “Gelesis Bags $22M More, Ramps Up Trials for Weight-Loss Pill”
Amid Gene Editing Worry, A Return To Biotech’s 1st “Asilomar Moment”
Biotechnology leaders—and the rest of us—should “count to 10” as they read the March 19 call in Science to consider limits on using revolutionary new gene-editing techniques for germline gene therapy. The techniques are powerful and simple to use and key scientists, worried about misuse, want us to pause, confer, and set limits. But we … Continue reading “Amid Gene Editing Worry, A Return To Biotech’s 1st “Asilomar Moment””
Flagship Ventures Raises Sails for $537M Fund, Its Largest to Date
Flagship Ventures of Cambridge, MA, a major early-stage biotech investor, said today it has closed a $537 million fund, the largest in the firm’s 15-year history. Flagship initially set out to match the $269 million of its previous fund, Flagship senior managing partner and CEO Noubar Afeyan (pictured) said, but biotech momentum changed those plans. … Continue reading “Flagship Ventures Raises Sails for $537M Fund, Its Largest to Date”
Back Office Cloud App Provider FinancialForce.com Raises $110M
FinancialForce.com, whose applications for back office business functions like billing and hiring are based on the Salesforce1 cloud infrastructure, announced late Wednesday it has raised $110 million to fund its continued growth. San Francisco-based FinancialForce reported revenue growth late last year that, if maintained, would put the company on pace to bring in $50 million … Continue reading “Back Office Cloud App Provider FinancialForce.com Raises $110M”
Hi, I’m in Delaware… For the Fast Internet
Internet speeds are becoming increasingly important to consumer markets, as users of streaming content such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO multiply. Those people are expecting quality streaming, too, especially with the advent of 4K, or “ultra” high-definition, video. It may be no surprise that broadband Internet speeds vary from state to state, with Virginia, Delaware, … Continue reading “Hi, I’m in Delaware… For the Fast Internet”
Ex-Teva CEO Levin Is Back With Startup Aimed at Rare Neuro Disorders
Jeremy Levin is best known for helping reshape Bristol-Myers Squibb, turning it from a lumbering conglomerate to a leaner oncology drugmaker. Levin parlayed that job into the head seat at Teva Pharmaceutical; there he launched a turnaround attempt that abruptly ended when he bowed out amidst some controversy less than two years later. Now, Levin … Continue reading “Ex-Teva CEO Levin Is Back With Startup Aimed at Rare Neuro Disorders”
Smart-Lock Maker August Keys Into $38 Million Series B For Expansion
August, the maker of a hardware and software program that lets users control a home’s lock from a smartphone, received $38 million in Series B backing from investors whose focus ranges from entertainment to technology-enabled products. Co-founded by entrepreneur Jason Johnson and designer Yves Béhar, the company started selling the August Smart Lock in October. … Continue reading “Smart-Lock Maker August Keys Into $38 Million Series B For Expansion”
Nanigans Nabs $24M to Expand Beyond Facebook, Into Asia
Investors like adtech. The latest example is Boston-based Nanigans, which announced Wednesday it has raised a $24 million Series B round. Cheetah Mobile (NYSE: [[ticker:CMCM]]), a Chinese Internet company, led the round, which included the Wellington Management Company as a new investor. Prior investor Avalon Ventures also participated. Nanigans makes digital advertising automation software for … Continue reading “Nanigans Nabs $24M to Expand Beyond Facebook, Into Asia”
Wisconsin Roundup: Fetch Rewards, Scale Up Milwaukee, MobCraft, & More
Here’s a collection of recent headlines in Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Microscopy Innovations, a Marshfield-based company that makes tools for microscopy labs, has raised about $750,000 from investors, increasing the size of a funding round reported last year by about $340,000, according to SEC documents. —Madison-based Fetch Rewards received a $500,000 loan from the … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Fetch Rewards, Scale Up Milwaukee, MobCraft, & More”
Ford STEAM Lab, #YesWeCode Collaborate on Hackathon in Detroit
A few weeks ago, I was talking with the team behind Growth Strats, a Detroit-based consultancy that aims to create a nationwide model for incubating new ventures from urban entrepreneurs. All of the Growth Strats co-founders happen to be men of color. I asked the Growth Strats partners about access to capital and resources, and … Continue reading “Ford STEAM Lab, #YesWeCode Collaborate on Hackathon in Detroit”
Gearing Up for Robo Madness West on April 7: Here’s the Agenda
Robots and jobs. Robots and Steve Jobs. Robots and Steve Cousins. The cousins of all your favorite robots. Please forgive the word association frenzy. But all will be on display (or be discussed) on Tuesday, April 7, at SRI International in Menlo Park, CA. That afternoon, Xconomy is organizing its fourth annual Robo Madness West … Continue reading “Gearing Up for Robo Madness West on April 7: Here’s the Agenda”
Code for the Kingdom’s Hackathon Tackles Human Trafficking, Food Deserts
Hackers from last weekend’s Christian-oriented Code for the Kingdom in Dallas were called from as far as Toronto and Washington state. The assembled group of 100 programmers spent the weekend working on 22 projects, such as developing apps to better connect adults and kids with the Bible. For Chris Armas, who has organized the Code … Continue reading “Code for the Kingdom’s Hackathon Tackles Human Trafficking, Food Deserts”
Canary Gets Mainstream Retail Debut at Home Depot, Amazon, & Others
It is time to see if Canary can actually fly. The little home-monitoring device, developed by a New York-based startup that raked in a surprising crowdfunding windfall two years ago, made its U.S. retail debut on Wednesday at Amazon, The Home Depot, Best Buy, and Verizon Wireless, Canary CEO Adam Sager announced. Canary’s sensors and video cameras connect with users’ smartphones … Continue reading “Canary Gets Mainstream Retail Debut at Home Depot, Amazon, & Others”
Database Pioneer Stonebraker Wins Turing Award, Including $1 Million
Michael Stonebraker, the MIT computer scientist who created multiple companies based on his foundational work in database management systems, has won the A.M. Turing Award from the Association for Computing Machinery. The award, now funded by Google, includes a $1 million prize, up from $250,000 in recent years. The association selected Stonebraker, who is a researcher … Continue reading “Database Pioneer Stonebraker Wins Turing Award, Including $1 Million”
San Diego’s Huntington Capital Raises $91.7M for Impact Fund
San Diego-based Huntington Capital, which provides debt and equity financing to private, small-to-mid-size companies, said it has raised $91.7 million in capital commitments for its third fund. The firm raised $78 million for its previous fund in 2008, and Huntington says it has raised more than $210 million in total capital commitments for its three … Continue reading “San Diego’s Huntington Capital Raises $91.7M for Impact Fund”
EchoPixel’s Virtual Anatomy Models FDA-Cleared for Diagnosis, Surgical Planning
Imagine you’re a surgeon steeling yourself to operate on a child’s defective heart. In the future, doctors like you might be able to do a fail-safe trial run by snipping through a 3D image of the patient’s faulty cardiac anatomy while it floats in mid-air above a desktop. That’s the ultimate goal for Mountain View, … Continue reading “EchoPixel’s Virtual Anatomy Models FDA-Cleared for Diagnosis, Surgical Planning”
T-Mobile’s Disruption Plans Come Down to Data, Spectrum, and Auctions
Taking the stage at a company event with the showmanship of a vaudevillian, John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile US, came to New York last week, firing off fighting words aimed at AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint. Though much of his focus was hyping the company to analysts, journalists, and business folks about pricing and services—there … Continue reading “T-Mobile’s Disruption Plans Come Down to Data, Spectrum, and Auctions”
ArborMetrix Joins Michigan Consortium to Help Analyze Genetic Tests
ArborMetrix, the Ann Arbor company using private, cloud-based analytics to help healthcare providers improve care, has experienced a lot of growth since Xconomy first profiled it in 2012. Back then, the company was in an office out on Plymouth Road with 21 employees; today, it has more than doubled its staff and it has a … Continue reading “ArborMetrix Joins Michigan Consortium to Help Analyze Genetic Tests”
Semma Secures $44M to Develop Diabetes Stem Cell Therapy
A Harvard professor’s cell therapy for Type 1 diabetes that caused fanfare when he detailed its potential in October has received $44 million of Series A funding. Semma Therapeutics announced today the money will help it bring the potential drug through proof-of-concept in humans. The therapy may be able to generate an unlimited amount of … Continue reading “Semma Secures $44M to Develop Diabetes Stem Cell Therapy”
LogMeIn’s New Rescue Lens App Opens the Eyes of Tech Support
Raise your hand if you’ve ever used FaceTime to help a friend or relative fix a computer, TV, or anything else. Now, have you ever completely ripped up your schedule so you could be there when a repair technician came to your home, only to find when the person showed up—late, of course—the problem was … Continue reading “LogMeIn’s New Rescue Lens App Opens the Eyes of Tech Support”
From FantasyHub to Self Lender, The Techstars Austin 2015 Class
[Updated 3/24/15, 5:17 pm. See below.] A business that connects hunters with landowners and a company that helps consumers establish a credit history are among the latest participants in Techstars’ accelerator in Austin, TX. Techstars posted the names of the 10 companies yesterday that will participate in its three-month intensive boot camp from now through … Continue reading “From FantasyHub to Self Lender, The Techstars Austin 2015 Class”