Localytics may be hitting its stride. In the ever-difficult tightrope walk of increasing revenues while also growing a company, the Boston-based mobile marketing company is doing both. It passed the $10 million mark for revenue run rate in 2014, 2.5 times greater than the prior year, according to CEO Raj Aggarwal. And it has a … Continue reading “Localytics Pushes Mobile Marketing with $35M Series D”
Category: National
Alexion Deal in Hand, Blueprint Readies IPO Pitch
[Corrected, 3/24/15, 1 pm ET, see below] Three weeks ago, Blueprint Medicines inked its first major pharma partnership. Now it wants to woo public investors, too. The Cambridge, MA-based company filed papers on Monday outlining plans for an initial public offering. Should Blueprint complete the IPO, it’ll trade on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker … Continue reading “Alexion Deal in Hand, Blueprint Readies IPO Pitch”
Topcon Scoops Up Digi-Star To Grow ‘Precision Agriculture’ Business
Japan’s Topcon scooped up Wisconsin agriculture technology company Digi-Star today in a move that underscores the growing excitement over connected devices in seemingly every industry, including farming. Topcon Positioning Group, a division of Tokyo-based Topcon Corp., acquired Digi-Star for an undisclosed price from the private equity arm of Baird Capital. Digi-Star’s products and services will … Continue reading “Topcon Scoops Up Digi-Star To Grow ‘Precision Agriculture’ Business”
TernPro Plans to Perfect New Software in Microsoft Ventures Program
The latest cohort at the Microsoft Ventures accelerator in Seattle is dedicated to innovating in the business enterprise space, and, after a competitive application process, a Detroit startup has been selected to participate—a first for Motor City entrepreneurs. Slope is a new software offering from the TernPro team, and Brian Bosche said it’s meant to … Continue reading “TernPro Plans to Perfect New Software in Microsoft Ventures Program”
Why L’Oréal Got Into the NY Accelerator Scene with Grand Central Tech
We have seen beauty and personal care products maker L’Oréal USA put its support towards women in technology before; now the company is lending yet another hand in helping to nurture startups. Early this month, L’Oréal entered into a partnership to work with the Grand Central Tech accelerator based in New York. The company has not sponsored … Continue reading “Why L’Oréal Got Into the NY Accelerator Scene with Grand Central Tech”
Austin’s Aeglea Biotherapeutics Raises $44M for Cancer Drug
Aeglea Biotherapeutics closed a $44 million Series B financing Monday. The Austin, TX-based biotech company is developing drug therapies to exploit what my colleague Bernadette Tansey has called the “Achilles’ heel” of cancer, exploiting a vulnerability in which cancer cells can import arginine from the bloodstream to keep growing after tumors no longer produce the … Continue reading “Austin’s Aeglea Biotherapeutics Raises $44M for Cancer Drug”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Heat Biologics, nCino, Scioderm, & More
Here are the week’s top stories in North Carolina tech and biotech (not college basketball) news: —Cancer immunotherapy company Heat Biologics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HTBX]]) closed a stock offering that raised $12.2 million, which the Durham, NC, company plans to use for research and development, clinical trials, and other corporate expenses. Heat is currently in mid-stage clinical … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Heat Biologics, nCino, Scioderm, & More”
ImmunoGen Surges on $440M Takeda Deal For “Smart Bomb” Cancer Drugs
ImmunoGen’s claim to fame has been its role in making a “smart bomb” cancer drug that Roche subsidiary Genentech sells for breast cancer. Now it’s hoping for a repeat performance with a new partner, Takeda. Waltham, MA-based ImmunoGen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IMGN]]) cut a deal with Japan’s Takeda this morning that gives the Japanese firm exclusive rights … Continue reading “ImmunoGen Surges on $440M Takeda Deal For “Smart Bomb” Cancer Drugs”
Pediatric Pitch Day Highlights Kids’ Health Innovation at SXSW
For many entrepreneurs, there is a moment when all the work, planning, hope, and praying comes together to set the business’s growth to warp speed. For Kezia Fitzgerald, who founded CareAline, a Boston maker of a cloth sleeve that securely hides intravenous lines and prevents kids from tugging or pulling them off, that moment could … Continue reading “Pediatric Pitch Day Highlights Kids’ Health Innovation at SXSW”
UW Moves Toward ‘Innovation Transfer’—Not Just Tech Transfer
From a maker space to novel, streamlined intellectual property licensing terms to a forthcoming Web app for connecting students with mentors in the innovation community, several new initiatives are making good on plans to broaden the scope of University of Washington’s erstwhile technology commercialization arm. These efforts, in various stages of development, reflect a mission … Continue reading “UW Moves Toward ‘Innovation Transfer’—Not Just Tech Transfer”
Fastest Turtle: Healthcare Investing and the U.S. Economy
Given the investment horizons for venture capitalists, we do not necessarily try to time public markets when making new investments—although they obviously influence pre-money valuations, particularly for later rounds. Greater concerns revolve around portfolio companies’ ability to access capital on reasonable terms, and that the general macroeconomic environment is conducive to strong revenue growth. Notwithstanding … Continue reading “Fastest Turtle: Healthcare Investing and the U.S. Economy”
Stop the Bleeding: Can Gene Therapy Finally Cure Hemophilia?
Ben Haugstad is 12 years old and loves Taekwondo. He’s been doing it for six years, and soon he’ll be a black belt. He also has a severe form of hemophilia. His body doesn’t produce the machinery needed to clot blood, and at any moment a bad tumble or a bruise could quickly turn into … Continue reading “Stop the Bleeding: Can Gene Therapy Finally Cure Hemophilia?”
His Attacker Found Guilty, UCSD’s Steve Dowdy “Not Looking Back”
Former biotech executive Hans Petersen was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder Wednesday in San Diego. One of his targets, the University of California, San Diego scientist Steve Dowdy, says it’s time to move on. “[It’s the] end of a tragic story for us, but we’re not looking back anymore, only forward,” he … Continue reading “His Attacker Found Guilty, UCSD’s Steve Dowdy “Not Looking Back””
U-M Research Spending Tops $1.3 Billion, More Collaborations Planned
The University of Michigan today announced that it spent more than $1.3 billion on research last fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2014. That amount was slightly less than the nearly $1.4 billion in research spending the previous year, but it keeps U-M among the top-spending public universities in the nation when it comes to … Continue reading “U-M Research Spending Tops $1.3 Billion, More Collaborations Planned”
Innovation Hub: Did a Computer Write This Story?
Forget Malcolm Gladwell and Tom Friedman. The next great journalist could be a computer program. Already, artificial intelligence has been put to work at Forbes, the Associated Press, Reuters, and The Big Ten Network. Coverage of NCAA basketball games, earnings reports, and dips in housing prices are regularly penned by this new breed of “journalist.” … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Did a Computer Write This Story?”
Seattle Roundup: Remitly, Healthentic, Microsoft Accelerator Startups
In addition to the major funding rounds announced this week by FiftyThree ($30 million) and Rover ($25 million), smaller deals went down at Remitly and Healthentic. Meanwhile, Pro.com joined an accelerator program and Microsoft named 14 companies to its next startup accelerator in Seattle. Read on for details: —Remitly, a Seattle startup taking a modern, … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Remitly, Healthentic, Microsoft Accelerator Startups”
Dog-Sitting Site Rover.com Snags $25M for Expansion
For parents of dogs who still want to spend a night out or take a vacation without their pups, Rover.com is a website that takes an Airbnb approach to finding a dog sitter. The Seattle-based company connects pet owners with dog lovers who, for one night or many, will watch a family’s dog for a fee. … Continue reading “Dog-Sitting Site Rover.com Snags $25M for Expansion”
What Would Jesus Hack? Code for the Kingdom Hackathon Comes to Big D
This weekend, Dallas will be the latest outpost for a Christian-inspired hackathon, an event that is expected to draw about 100 hackers from around the region. Chris Armas, who has organized the effort since its launch in 2013, says the idea is to leverage technology’s ability to shape culture within a Christian context. “The world … Continue reading “What Would Jesus Hack? Code for the Kingdom Hackathon Comes to Big D”
Tech Pup of the Day: Jobvite’s Pancake
Many workers in Silicon Valley have overcome enormous obstacles to achieve brilliant success in technology fields. But it’s always inspiring to read another story that shows what leaps are possible for those willing to put in the effort. No one would have expected this relatively new staff member at San Mateo, CA-based Jobvite to move … Continue reading “Tech Pup of the Day: Jobvite’s Pancake”
Biogen Drug Shows Early Promise in Slowing Alzheimer’s Decline
Drug maker Biogen Idec is one step closer to a breakthrough in the Alzheimer’s disease field. For the first time, an experimental treatment seems to both clear out the telltale clumps of protein called beta amyloid from the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and—more important—slow down those patients’ cognitive decline. At a medical conference in Nice, … Continue reading “Biogen Drug Shows Early Promise in Slowing Alzheimer’s Decline”
Lessons From Building a Global Engineering Team
It used to be that if you referenced a “global engineering team” you had contracted with a few freelance developers in a remote location to do a few hours of work per week. There’s a good reason for that: historically, recruiting, retaining, and growing global engineering teams has been a significant challenge. At HubSpot, we … Continue reading “Lessons From Building a Global Engineering Team”
WaitTime Evolves to Give Stadiums Tools For a Better Fan Experience
Last year, as the orange, white, and blue-clad masses celebrated the Detroit Tigers home opener, Xconomy reported on a local startup called WaitTime that aimed to provide up-to-the-minute information on the length of beer and bathroom lines for attendees of concerts and sporting events. We checked in with WaitTime’s founder, Zachary Klima, to find out … Continue reading “WaitTime Evolves to Give Stadiums Tools For a Better Fan Experience”
Somna Makes Case for Simple Device Before Drugs, Surgery for Reflux
Somna Therapeutics has just completed a three-year push to bring its medical device from prototype to marketable product, culminating this month with the FDA clearing it for sale. That’s got Somna’s small team in Germantown, WI, feeling good, but they’re not pausing to celebrate for long. Now, they must quickly turn their attention to the … Continue reading “Somna Makes Case for Simple Device Before Drugs, Surgery for Reflux”
Fundbox Clinches $40M Series B for Short-Term Lending Product
[Updated 3/19/15, 6:20 pm. See below.] Fundbox, a short-term lender for small businesses that charges a fee during repayment, is focused on an issue businesses of every size have: cash flow. The San Francisco-based company helps business owners manage finances, like bills and invoices that customers haven’t yet paid. An owner can sign up for … Continue reading “Fundbox Clinches $40M Series B for Short-Term Lending Product”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, Nektar, Kite, Glooko & More
Out west this week, Bay Area clinical data carried the day. Nektar got bad news from a Phase 3 breast cancer trial, but Pharmacyclics, about to become (a very expensive) part of AbbVie, kept rolling with lymphoma/leukemia data so good that reviewers voted to release it early. Vancouver was also abuzz, as Bill Gates spoke … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, Nektar, Kite, Glooko & More”
Clinical Ink, CentrosHealth Merge in Paperless Drug Trials Push
Clinical trials software company Clinical Ink is adding new mobile capabilities through a merger with CentrosHealth, in a deal that also comes with a capital infusion into the combined company. Winston-Salem, NC-based Clinical Ink disclosed no financial terms for either the merger or for the new investment, which was led by MPM Capital, the Boston-based … Continue reading “Clinical Ink, CentrosHealth Merge in Paperless Drug Trials Push”
RealMassive Pitches Data Analysis Tool For Commercial Real Estate
To RealMassive, an Austin, TX-based data provider for the commercial real estate industry, the sector has its eyes on the wrong prize. Data in commercial real estate largely breaks down into two types, the company says: relatively public information, like the rent or square footage of an office space that any broker might have, and private information, such … Continue reading “RealMassive Pitches Data Analysis Tool For Commercial Real Estate”
With New Robot, Rodney Brooks and Rethink Are Thinking International
Is there sibling rivalry among robots? There is now. Rethink Robotics has unveiled its new robot, called Sawyer, as a complement to its first robot, Baxter. There is a family resemblance—screen face, long arm, red color—but the new machine is smaller, more precise, and holds the keys to the company’s expansion into global markets and … Continue reading “With New Robot, Rodney Brooks and Rethink Are Thinking International”
Rethink Unveils a New Manufacturing Robot Called Sawyer
There’s a new robot in town. His name is Sawyer. He has one arm and a gripper, a reach of 1 meter, and he weighs 42 pounds. He’s designed to work in manufacturing settings, doing things like testing circuit boards and other precise tasks. He’s apparently more agile and compact than his brother, Baxter, who was … Continue reading “Rethink Unveils a New Manufacturing Robot Called Sawyer”
With Data in Hand, Amicus Preps For Drug Filings in U.S., Europe
Back in 2013, Amicus Therapeutics was down in the dumps. It shelved an FDA application for its lead drug, a pill for a rare condition called Fabry Disease, and faced a long road—two trials to finish, and a lot of data to accrue. Two years later, Amicus has made it just about all the way … Continue reading “With Data in Hand, Amicus Preps For Drug Filings in U.S., Europe”
Milestones of Innovation 4: The Letter That Led to the Atomic Bomb
Crisp statements of a case to a prepared, if skeptical, mind have often changed the history of innovation. Perhaps the most critical example of this in the 20th Century is the memorandum that reached Sir Henry Tizard, chief scientific advisor to Britain’s Air Ministry, 75 years ago today, on the 19th of March, 1940. This … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 4: The Letter That Led to the Atomic Bomb”
Kyoto Prize Winner Robert Langer on Innovations to Come
The Kyoto Prize Symposium is now in full flower in San Diego, highlighting Japan’s highest international award for honoring the people who have made significant contributions to the scientific, cultural, and spiritual betterment of mankind. The Kyoto Prize was first awarded in 1985, and for many it has become the most prestigious award available in … Continue reading “Kyoto Prize Winner Robert Langer on Innovations to Come”
Boston-Based Help Scout, Though Profitable, Takes $6M Series A
Help Scout, a Boston company whose software aids small and medium-sized businesses with e-mail customer support, is taking a $6 million Series A funding round four years after its founding, and after already achieving profitability. The company, profiled by Xconomy in 2011 after it graduated from Techstars Boston, plans to use the funding to invest … Continue reading “Boston-Based Help Scout, Though Profitable, Takes $6M Series A”
U-M Spinout Imbio Uses Big Data to Improve COPD Diagnostics
Cynthia Maier, CEO of the University of Michigan spinout startup Imbio, is fond of saying her company bridges the gap between bench and bedside when it comes to biomarker imaging and how it can be used to map disease. “In the healthcare space, you have all of these images coming off scanners, and a radiologist … Continue reading “U-M Spinout Imbio Uses Big Data to Improve COPD Diagnostics”
Mars Satellite Makes Unexpected Discoveries: Pretty Lights and Dust
A trip to Mars already is yielding surprises for NASA—no, not Martians, but two unexpected atmospheric phenomena that have been detected for the first time. The scientists running NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft announced Wednesday they’ve spotted an aurora like Earth’s Northern Lights and a high-altitude dust cloud that reaches deep … Continue reading “Mars Satellite Makes Unexpected Discoveries: Pretty Lights and Dust”
Ginkgo Bioworks Grabs $9M Series A For Building Organisms
Ginkgo Bioworks, a synthetic biology company that designs and builds organisms, has received $9 million in Series A funding and is opening an 18,000-square foot “foundry” to make its organism engineering scalable, the company said Wednesday. The company engineers microbes for customers to produce anything from probiotics to cultured ingredients, such as flavors, fragrances, cosmetics, … Continue reading “Ginkgo Bioworks Grabs $9M Series A For Building Organisms”
Wisconsin Roundup: Gener8tor, Epic, Lucigen, 3D Printing, & More
Here are some of the latest headlines in Wisconsin’s technology and innovation community: —Gener8tor, the startup accelerator with locations in Milwaukee and Madison, came in at number 14 in a ranking of the best-performing accelerators nationwide. It was the first time Gener8tor submitted data to the Seed Accelerator Rankings Project, an annual study conducted by … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Gener8tor, Epic, Lucigen, 3D Printing, & More”
Meerkat and the Live Streaming Phenomenon at SXSW: A Tech Timestamp
[Updated, 2:59 p.m.] What better place than South by Southwest to encounter technology that distracts you from the world around you? At Capital Factory’s A-List pitch event on March 13, a young woman in the middle of the audience seemed engrossed—not in what the speaker was saying, but in what her phone was recording and the … Continue reading “Meerkat and the Live Streaming Phenomenon at SXSW: A Tech Timestamp”
Healthfinch Snags $1.5M, Swoops In To Automate Mundane Hospital Tasks
Investors in Wisconsin and around the country are increasingly paying attention to the budding healthtech cluster in the state capital of Madison, placing bets on the startups they view as most promising. Count Healthfinch among the latest winners. The company, which makes software to automate routine hospital tasks, has just raised $1.5 million from investors, … Continue reading “Healthfinch Snags $1.5M, Swoops In To Automate Mundane Hospital Tasks”
How to Build a Men’s Health Startup: MHB Labs Gets Romulus Cash
If you watch your share of bad TV, you know how big the market is for erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, and urination problems. In other words, men’s health issues—and the drugs that supposedly treat them. What might surprise you is that a tech investor has just made an interesting deal in the sector. Boston-area venture … Continue reading “How to Build a Men’s Health Startup: MHB Labs Gets Romulus Cash”
With Asklepion Deal, Retrophin Gets a New Drug—And a Voucher
It was a rough 2014 for Retrophin, which was busy moving on from its former CEO’s ouster. But things brightened up a bit this morning, as the company not only added a new drug to the fold, but also get ahold of an asset that’s been making waves in biotech over the past year—a so-called … Continue reading “With Asklepion Deal, Retrophin Gets a New Drug—And a Voucher”
New York’s Life Science Disruptors: The Photos
On Monday, I recapped our latest Big Apple biotech event, “New York’s Life Science Disruptors.” Today I’ve come back with the slideshow look at the action. In case you missed it, the event was a candid series of chats with key figures in different spectrums of New York biotech—startups, academics, established companies, and investors. As you … Continue reading “New York’s Life Science Disruptors: The Photos”
With $43M, Nimbus Sheds “Discovery” Tag, Heads to First Clinical Test
It’s always a big moment when a biotech makes the turn from lab experiments to real clinical testing. A startup from Cambridge, MA, is celebrating that turn with a name change, a shift in strategy, and a $43 million round of financing from three pharmaceutical companies. That startup is Nimbus Discovery, formed to use computer … Continue reading “With $43M, Nimbus Sheds “Discovery” Tag, Heads to First Clinical Test”
Consumption Rules, E-mail Thrives, Enterprise Agreements are Dead
Microsoft opened its Office suite to play with other cloud services, Box debuted on Wall Street, and Google reinvented the inbox. Not even three months into 2015, and we’ve already had several interesting developments in the online collaboration software market. Here’s how these announcements fit into trends we’re seeing at Smartsheet. Consumption-Based Pricing Eats Per-User … Continue reading “Consumption Rules, E-mail Thrives, Enterprise Agreements are Dead”
As FAA OKs Commercial Drones, 3D Robotics Aims for Blue Sky Market
The largest U.S. maker of lightweight, multi-rotor drones and unmanned aerial systems is looking to substantially expand its commercial business—targeting companies that want to use drones to inspect railways, monitor construction sites, and for all sorts of other things. After raising $50 million late last month, 3D Robotics is at a watershed moment made possible … Continue reading “As FAA OKs Commercial Drones, 3D Robotics Aims for Blue Sky Market”
Swallow Solutions Gulps $1.1M To Push Oral Muscle Rehab Device Sales
[Updated 8/7/2015, 6:16 p.m. See below.] Swallow Solutions has raised $1.1 million from investors to make a stronger push into the market with its device intended to boost the rehabilitation regimen of patients trying to overcome swallowing disorders by strengthening their mouth and throat muscles. The funding round was led by the Wisconsin Super Angel … Continue reading “Swallow Solutions Gulps $1.1M To Push Oral Muscle Rehab Device Sales”
Glooko Gets $16M Injection to Upgrade Digital Diabetes Product
Digital health firm Glooko has a new round of cash to expand its diabetes management product, but it’s not ready to say how much the product is actually helping diabetics. The Palo Alto, CA-based company has raised a $16.5 million Series B round, led by Canaan Partners. With the cash, Glooko will add more ways … Continue reading “Glooko Gets $16M Injection to Upgrade Digital Diabetes Product”
FiftyThree Draws $30M Series B to Launch Think Kit in April
FiftyThree, the company known for creating sketching app Paper and the stylus Pencil, is taking $30 million of venture capital from New Enterprise Associates and its other major investors as it prepares to bring a new product to market focused on business and education. The company is launching a product called Think Kit that is … Continue reading “FiftyThree Draws $30M Series B to Launch Think Kit in April”
Business Analytics Firm Birst Brings In $65M Series F
Birst, a San Francisco-based business analytics company, has received $65 million from Wellington Management and existing investors including Sequoia Capital, Hummer Winblad, DAG Ventures, and Northgate Capital. Birst, which touts the speed of its cloud-based software, plans to use the funding to add new international customers in Asia, Europe, and North America, as well as to … Continue reading “Business Analytics Firm Birst Brings In $65M Series F”
Red Rock Biofuels Raises Cash, Gets Ready for First Refinery
If you’re a biofuels startup that has breakthrough technology and a business strategy that could succeed, you probably have faced a few skeptical questions. Promising startups have come and gone as their new processes have proven to be economically unviable or unable to scale from the lab to commercial production. Investors have lost money, work … Continue reading “Red Rock Biofuels Raises Cash, Gets Ready for First Refinery”