In the arms race between hackers and security companies, understanding exactly how to protect corporate data is key. Now one startup has more money—and a new product—to bring to bear on the problem. Sqrrl has raised a $7 million Series B round led by new investor Rally Ventures. Previous investors Atlas Venture and Matrix Partners … Continue reading “Sqrrl Scores $7M, Rolls Out New Software to Combat Security Breaches”
Category: National
Heat Biologics, OncoSec Collaborate on Cancer Immunotherapy
Heat Biologics and OncoSec Medical are joining forces to see how their different approaches to cancer immunotherapy might work together. Durham, NC-based Heat (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HTBX]]) and San Diego-based OncoSec (OTC: [[ticker:ONCS]]) announced the collaboration Wednesday. No financial terms were disclosed. Heat has developed a technology platform that introduces antigens that share characteristics of cancer cells. … Continue reading “Heat Biologics, OncoSec Collaborate on Cancer Immunotherapy”
Facebook Leasing Space for 2,000 Employees in Seattle
It won’t be the Guggenheim, but Facebook’s new Seattle offices will have room for up to 2,000 employees, working on virtually everything the social networking company does. And the interior spaces will be designed by Frank Gehry. Facebook confirmed reports by Bloomberg and others over the weekend that it is leasing 274,000 square feet of … Continue reading “Facebook Leasing Space for 2,000 Employees in Seattle”
In Quest for Robotics Startups, Qualcomm Accelerator Scouts for AI
At a time when companies like Google (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOOG]]), Facebook (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FB]]), Baidu, and Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) are engaged in an arms race in artificial intelligence, Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) is putting a premium on “deep learning” as it solicits startups for its new robotics accelerator. Qualcomm unveiled its plans to host the intensive, four-month program … Continue reading “In Quest for Robotics Startups, Qualcomm Accelerator Scouts for AI”
MI Roundup: U-M, Duo Security, MGCS, NVCA, Grand Circus
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: — After repeatedly hearing from business owners who need more employees with .NET expertise, software guru Bill Wagner is teaming with Grand Circus to offer a .NET bootcamp this spring. Having .NET skills is critical for developers working in the corporate world, Wagner says, and … Continue reading “MI Roundup: U-M, Duo Security, MGCS, NVCA, Grand Circus”
Roundup: UT’s Food Lab, Houston Angel Network, SecureNok, & More
Here is the latest innovation news from around Texas in the last couple of weeks. —The Houston Angel Network announced that it had invested a total of $15.3 million in 66 deals during 2014, the highest number of both investment dollars and transactions since its founding in 2001. In 2013, the angel group invested $9.3 … Continue reading “Roundup: UT’s Food Lab, Houston Angel Network, SecureNok, & More”
EatStreet Eyes Exit Amid More Online Food-Ordering Consolidation
The market for food-ordering and delivery apps has advanced this month, as big companies gobble up smaller players to grab a piece of the pie or grow their share of it. The latest examples come from GrubHub (NYSE: [[ticker:GRUB]]) and Yelp (NYSE: [[ticker:YELP]]). GrubHub, already a leader in online food-ordering, announced on Feb. 5 it’s … Continue reading “EatStreet Eyes Exit Amid More Online Food-Ordering Consolidation”
Dating App Coffee Meets Bagel Snags $7.8M Series A For New Hires
Coffee Meets Bagel, a dating app that gives customers one potential match every 24 hours, has received $7.8 million of Series A funding to pay for new hires and to expand the locations it serves, the company said in a statement. Existing investor DCM Ventures led the round, and was joined by Quest Ventures and … Continue reading “Dating App Coffee Meets Bagel Snags $7.8M Series A For New Hires”
Business Software Provider K2 Raising $100M+ From Francisco
K2, a 15-year-old business software company formed in South Africa and based in the Seattle area since 2004, said it is raising more than $100 million from private equity investor Francisco Partners. The company, a Microsoft partner that provides software and services to help businesses build and run a range of custom applications, will invest the capital “across … Continue reading “Business Software Provider K2 Raising $100M+ From Francisco”
Social Network for Pharma’s Supply Chain TraceLink Grabs $20M Series B
TraceLink, a company that sells cloud-based software for tracking pharmaceutical drugs, has raised a $20 million Series B funding round to develop its products and build a worldwide sales and marketing force, according to president and CEO Shabbir Dahod. Volition Capital led the round, and was joined by Fidelity Biosciences and existing investor FirstMark Capital. … Continue reading “Social Network for Pharma’s Supply Chain TraceLink Grabs $20M Series B”
RapidMiner Reloads With $15M From Boston Big-Data Investors
RapidMiner is getting settled in Boston’s tech community, and now it has some local cash to spend as well. The German-born analytics software company has raised a $15 million Series B financing round led by Boston-area investors Ascent Venture Partners and Longworth Venture Partners. Previous investors Earlybird Venture Capital and Open Ocean Capital, both based … Continue reading “RapidMiner Reloads With $15M From Boston Big-Data Investors”
Glaucoma Race Heats Up, But Inotek Cuts Back Its IPO to $40M
Inotek Pharmaceuticals is about to make its Nasdaq debut, but not at the price it was shooting for. The Lexington, MA-based company priced its IPO late Tuesday, selling 6.67 million shares at $6 apiece and raising about $40 million before discounts due to underwriters. The company had aimed to sell 4.6 million shares at $13 … Continue reading “Glaucoma Race Heats Up, But Inotek Cuts Back Its IPO to $40M”
As California Drought Lingers, Tule’s Sensors Guide Crop Irrigation
Californians have been using their garden hoses sparingly to help conserve water during one of the state’s driest years in history. But what if you’re a farmer with acres of crops that need irrigation to grow, and you learn that the state may curtail water supplies for agriculture? Tom Shapland has been thinking about the … Continue reading “As California Drought Lingers, Tule’s Sensors Guide Crop Irrigation”
Biotech M&A by Slow Simmer: An Inside Look at the Build to Buy Deal
Here’s a question for consideration: What does it mean to acquire a virtual, single asset biotech that was ‘built’ for the sole purpose of being bought? The answer is much more complex than you might think. In this post I’ll explain by peeking under the hood at The Medicines Co.’s recent acquisition of Annovation Biopharma, … Continue reading “Biotech M&A by Slow Simmer: An Inside Look at the Build to Buy Deal”
Gilt Groupe Grabs $50M More, No IPO Yet
Gilt Groupe has raised just under $50 million in new capital led by General Atlantic to “accelerate marketing” and for international expansion, according to company spokeswoman Jennifer Miller. The money brings Gilt’s total amount raised to north of $250 million. One other new “strategic partner” and other existing shareholders also contributed to the new funding round, … Continue reading “Gilt Groupe Grabs $50M More, No IPO Yet”
Syndax CEO Says an Immuno-Oncology Thing Happened on the Way to IPO
A bull market doesn’t guarantee a successful IPO. Syndax Pharmaceuticals of Waltham, MA, for instance, began preparing for an IPO back nearly a year ago, but it never made its Nasdaq debut. Instead, after 10 months as an IPO candidate, it cut a $100 million licensing deal with the Japanese drug firm Kyowa Hakko Kirin … Continue reading “Syndax CEO Says an Immuno-Oncology Thing Happened on the Way to IPO”
10.10.10 Debuts in Denver with Healthcare Startups in Mind
Ten entrepreneurs from around the country are getting the chance to use their ideas and skills to try to solve 10 “wicked problems” in health over the next 10 days—and create a successful startup in the process. 10.10.10 started Monday with an event in downtown Denver. Organizers estimate between 275 and 300 people attended. Together … Continue reading “10.10.10 Debuts in Denver with Healthcare Startups in Mind”
What Should Be on the Next UW President’s Commercialization Agenda?
The University of Washington hired Michael Young as president nearly four years ago in large part because of his reputation as a leader in university commercialization and innovation—and these issues gained unprecedented visibility during his tenure. With Young’s abrupt departure to lead Texas A&M University, the UW now faces the challenge of maintaining the momentum … Continue reading “What Should Be on the Next UW President’s Commercialization Agenda?”
Civionics Wins Cash, Aims to Help Manufacturers Increase Profits
A University of Michigan spinoff startup was the big winner at the 15th Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship (ACE) event held in Ann Arbor, MI. Ten startups pitched as part of the ACE Challenge, and Civionics walked away with the $5,000 grand prize thanks to its embedded wireless-sensor technology. “We’re not the typical startup,” says Civionics … Continue reading “Civionics Wins Cash, Aims to Help Manufacturers Increase Profits”
San Diego Web Tag Manager Tealium Expands With $30.7M Series D
Tealium, the San Diego company that helps corporations manage website metadata tags, has received $30.7 million in Series D funding. The round was led by Georgian Partners, a venture firm focused on enterprise software, Internet, and information companies, while Bain Capital Ventures also made a “major investment,” Tealium said in a statement. This is Tealium’s … Continue reading “San Diego Web Tag Manager Tealium Expands With $30.7M Series D”
YWeb Career Academy Tackles Tech Diversity, Madison Racial Disparity
It’s one thing to lament the tech industry’s lack of diversity, as many have done in recent months. It’s another thing to actually go out and do something about it. One group attempting to do its part to boost the number of women and minorities in software companies, at least on a local level, is … Continue reading “YWeb Career Academy Tackles Tech Diversity, Madison Racial Disparity”
R/GA Techstars Accelerator Charts New Path with Internet of Things
The tone has shifted at the R/GA Accelerator, with its latest class largely focused on enterprise and business uses for the Internet of Things. Initially built to nurture ideas in connected devices, largely related to consumer markets, the New York-based accelerator took a new approach with its second class of startups. This is part of an … Continue reading “R/GA Techstars Accelerator Charts New Path with Internet of Things”
Rechristened Laguna Pharmaceuticals Raises $30M, Moves To San Diego
Laguna Pharmaceuticals, founded in 2006 as a spinout of Cleveland, OH-based drug discovery and testing company ChanTest, has raised $30 million in a Series B round of venture funding and relocated in San Diego. The company, previously known as ChanRx, also recruited former Amira Pharmaceuticals CEO Bob Baltera as CEO. Versant Ventures and Frazier Healthcare … Continue reading “Rechristened Laguna Pharmaceuticals Raises $30M, Moves To San Diego”
Austin Chamber, UT Target Space Startups as the Next Frontier
Houston, you have a competitor. Or, at least, another Texas metro area that wants to get in on the space game. Houston, home to NASA’s fabled space program, remains the center-of-the-universe when it comes to space innovation in most people’s minds. But with the advent of a growing private-sector space industry, economic clusters like Austin … Continue reading “Austin Chamber, UT Target Space Startups as the Next Frontier”
Ready, Aim, CRISPR: Will Gene-Editing Tools Hit Their Targets?
Gene therapy is finally upon us. After more than two decades of work, one product is approved in Europe. Others are steadily advancing through clinical trials, and gene therapy companies are doing big deals and raising big sums of cash. Now here comes a more precise version of gene therapy—gene editing. Instead of trying to … Continue reading “Ready, Aim, CRISPR: Will Gene-Editing Tools Hit Their Targets?”
Bet the Jockey…and the Horse…and the Track
Earlier this month we announced a new investment in Iora Health, a fascinating company run by an extraordinary entrepreneur transforming an enormous sector of the healthcare economy: primary care. Rushika Fernandopulle (CEO and co-founder) is fundamentally re-architecting how many of us will buy and consume primary care—and in so doing, he has created a passionate, … Continue reading “Bet the Jockey…and the Horse…and the Track”
Seattle Roundup: Z2Live, Lighthouse, Element 8, Ada, Placed, ecoATM
This week, we’re catching up on a big acquisition in mobile games, as King Digital, the Candy Crush maker, is buying Z2Live and establishing its first U.S. studio in Seattle. Meanwhile, Lighthouse eDiscovery took on a new investor; Element 8 set a record for cleantech investments last year; Ada Developers Academy is going out on … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Z2Live, Lighthouse, Element 8, Ada, Placed, ecoATM”
Start Garden Expands to Keep Up with Changing Grand Rapids Ecosystem
In 2012, Amway scion Rick DeVos launched Start Garden, a $15 million seed fund based in Grand Rapids, MI, that would support early-stage startups in $5,000 increments. Those startups would then be invited back a few months later to update the investors on their progress. If Start Garden liked what it heard, it awarded the … Continue reading “Start Garden Expands to Keep Up with Changing Grand Rapids Ecosystem”
10.10.10, Entrepreneurs to Tackle “Wicked Problems” in Healthcare
If you’ve talked to Tom Higley lately, you know the Denver entrepreneur is passionate about his newest endeavor, 10.10.10. You know Higley has great hopes that the 10 entrepreneurs coming to Denver next week will, after 10 intense days studying 10 “wicked problems” related to health and healthcare, come up with ideas for companies that … Continue reading “10.10.10, Entrepreneurs to Tackle “Wicked Problems” in Healthcare”
Innovation Hub: The Data Behind Online Dating
Online dating is big business. As of last year, it’s worth over 2 billion dollars, having grown at a steady 3.5 percent rate since 2008. And that big business has transformed the way we find love. If you’re getting married this year, there’s a one in three chance that you’ve met your spouse online. That’s … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: The Data Behind Online Dating”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Genzyme, 21st Century Cures, Acorda, & More
After a January pilgrimage to sunny San Francisco, biotech execs stormed the Big Apple this week and got a dose of winter reality at the BIO CEO & Investor Conference in New York. Despite the gloomy weather, optimism still reigns in biotech: Market indices, for instance, rallied back during the confab from a rough week … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Genzyme, 21st Century Cures, Acorda, & More”
Any Given Cell: Can Biotech Pioneer Steve Fodor Do it Again?
[Corrected 2/13/15, 4:45 pm. See below.] Someday, we might have instruments that peer inside a human to record what each cell in the body is doing. That sounds like science fiction, but it’s no more outlandish than the notion, fifty years ago, that one day we would be able to analyze a tissue sample and … Continue reading “Any Given Cell: Can Biotech Pioneer Steve Fodor Do it Again?”
Disqus: Testing the Targeted Ad Market for Web Comments
Free e-mail accounts, conference calls, search engines, social media networks—companies offer these Web tools to us at no charge so they can build up a critical mass of users. Once that’s done, they try to figure out how to make their services pay. The trick is to do that without driving users away. Like many … Continue reading “Disqus: Testing the Targeted Ad Market for Web Comments”
What’s On Tap? PerBlue
It’s time for the second installment of our ongoing series exploring the beers on tap at the headquarters of Wisconsin startups. Next up is Madison-based PerBlue, a mobile game developer that has 25 full-time employees. Chief operating officer Forrest Woolworth (pictured above, right, with MobCraft Beer’s Henry Schwartz and Andrew Gierczak) describes playtime at the … Continue reading “What’s On Tap? PerBlue”
Unchained Labs Grabs $25M and New Device to Test Stability of Proteins
Unchained Labs can now say it has financial stability after raising $25 million in Series A funding from venture capital investors Novo Ventures, Canaan Partners, and TPG Biotech. What it still must prove is that its newly acquired first product, Optim, can provide its customers with stability, too. After securing the financing, Pleasanton, CA-based Unchained … Continue reading “Unchained Labs Grabs $25M and New Device to Test Stability of Proteins”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Dendreon, Invitae, Juno, Regulus & More
Seattle might be second in professional handegg, but it comes first in this week’s West Coast roundup. The big news is that former high flyer Dendreon is all but sold, with the ever-acquisitive Quebeckers at Valeant on the buying end. Moving down the coast to the Bay Area, we’ve got Invitae pulling off the year’s … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Dendreon, Invitae, Juno, Regulus & More”
Big Data Startup Automated Insights Acquired by Vista Equity
Automated Insights, a startup whose software turns “big data” into plain English, has been acquired by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. The deal will bring the Durham, NC, company under STATS, a Chicago sports-data company that Vista acquired last year. No financial terms were disclosed for the Automated Insights deal. The company had raised … Continue reading “Big Data Startup Automated Insights Acquired by Vista Equity”
Acquisition Extends Buildium’s Offerings for Real Estate Industry
Landlords, supers, and property managers might not seem like the most technologically savvy bunch, but Boston software company Buildium has carved out a niche catering to their needs. This week the company announced it acquired All Property Management, a Seattle-based tech company that also specializes in real estate. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. … Continue reading “Acquisition Extends Buildium’s Offerings for Real Estate Industry”
Expedia Buys Orbitz as Online Travel Consolidation Escalates
Online travel booker Expedia has agreed to buy competitor Orbitz Worldwide for about $1.3 billion, its second acquisition of a competitor in a month. The deal will give Bellevue, WA-based Expedia (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXPE]]) access to consumer brands such as CheapTickets and HotelClub, broadening Expedia’s international reach, the company said in a statement. The news comes … Continue reading “Expedia Buys Orbitz as Online Travel Consolidation Escalates”
MI’s Tech Industry Still Growing, Automation Alley Report Finds
Southeast Michigan’s tech industry continued to grow in 2014, and tech job creation in the region appears to remain on the rise. That’s according to Automation Alley, the Southeast Michigan business accelerator and association of technology professionals. The group announced the findings from its annual technology industry outlook today at a luncheon in downtown Detroit. The … Continue reading “MI’s Tech Industry Still Growing, Automation Alley Report Finds”
Healthentic: Take Your Meds or Face Increased Hospitalization, Costs
It’s well-known that people who don’t take their prescribed medications face increased health risks. A new analysis of nearly 100,000 people by Seattle-based Healthentic found that slacking on prescriptions carries a heavy financial burden, too. The company, which helps employers evaluate the health needs and costs of their workers, plumbed its database to determine prescription … Continue reading “Healthentic: Take Your Meds or Face Increased Hospitalization, Costs”
Promentis Turns to Montana Researchers to Boost Neuro Drug Tech
When Promentis Pharmaceuticals recently sought to beef up its intellectual property portfolio, the Milwaukee startup didn’t turn to a coastal research university, as one might expect. It looked to Montana. Promentis, which is developing drugs that modify brain chemistry to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders, inked an exclusive licensing deal this month with the … Continue reading “Promentis Turns to Montana Researchers to Boost Neuro Drug Tech”
Wireless Charging Gets a Boost in New WiTricity Licensing Deal
When MIT wireless-power spinout WiTricity appointed a new CEO last year, the company sent a pretty clear signal about its hopes for the future. New boss Alex Gruzen, a veteran of the PC world, brought years of experience integrating new technologies into consumer electronics. A few months after coming onboard, and after arranging a big … Continue reading “Wireless Charging Gets a Boost in New WiTricity Licensing Deal”
Wanderu, With New iOS App, Pays Richard Branson a Visit
You wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the folks at online-travel startup Wanderu managed to avoid the Northeast’s most recent snowstorm. The company pegs itself as “Kayak for buses,” but its own travel last weekend involved flying. To Richard Branson’s private island, to be exact. Boston-based Wanderu is one of three companies that won an … Continue reading “Wanderu, With New iOS App, Pays Richard Branson a Visit”
Aiming for One-Stop Diagnostic Tests, Invitae Raises $102M in IPO
Invitae, a diagnostics company in San Francisco, has scored the first big biotech IPO of the year. The firm priced 6.35 million shares of its stock at $16 per share to raise nearly $102 million. The firm is led by CEO Randy Scott (pictured), the former CEO of another Bay Area diagnostics firm, Genomic Health. … Continue reading “Aiming for One-Stop Diagnostic Tests, Invitae Raises $102M in IPO”
Fannin Spinout Acelerox Aims to Halt Immune Attacks With Nanotech
Houston’s Fannin Innovation Studio has spun out its latest company, a biotech called Acelerox that aims to use nanoparticle technology to treat a variety of autoimmune and other disorders. Acelerox has been formed out of a licensing deal with Rice University. It’s based on novel nanoparticles developed by James Tour, a synthetic chemist and a … Continue reading “Fannin Spinout Acelerox Aims to Halt Immune Attacks With Nanotech”
NIH Opens Discussion: How to Build a U.S. Health Research Database?
National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins kicked off a two-day meeting in Bethesda, MD, this morning to discuss how to turn President Obama’s call for a national health research database into reality. The database, which NIH officials are calling the National Research Cohort, is one of two main thrusts of the administration’s precision medicine … Continue reading “NIH Opens Discussion: How to Build a U.S. Health Research Database?”
No-Equity Accelerator MassChallenge Opens U.K. Branch, Its Third
[Updated 3:40 pm, see final paragraph.] MassChallenge, the startup accelerator program that gives entrepreneurs a head-start without taking a piece of their company, is getting bigger. The Boston-based program, which offers office space, mentorship, and prizes backed by public and private money, is now accepting applications for new classes at three locations with the official addition of a … Continue reading “No-Equity Accelerator MassChallenge Opens U.K. Branch, Its Third”
Needing Another Hit, iRobot Teases Lawnmower Bot
We may be in the 21st century, but selling robots to consumers is still not an easy business. Take it from iRobot, a pioneer in at-home robotic helpers. The Bedford, MA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRBT]]) is known for its Roomba robotic vacuums, which have become so widely available in 12 years on the market that they occasionally surface as the … Continue reading “Needing Another Hit, iRobot Teases Lawnmower Bot”
Cidara’s $42M Series B May Bring Fungal Therapy to Patients
Cidara Therapeutics grabbed $42 million in a Series B funding round Wednesday to continue developing its treatment for fungal infections, a therapy that it expects will hit the first stage of clinical trials later this year. The treatment, called biafungin, is attempting to infiltrate a $3.7 billion market worldwide that hasn’t seen a new class … Continue reading “Cidara’s $42M Series B May Bring Fungal Therapy to Patients”