Align, a healthcare software company based in Wausau, WI, has raised $2 million from investors, a new SEC filing shows. The news is significant because it’s a relatively large sum for a Wisconsin tech company to raise in its first major equity funding round, particularly one located in central Wisconsin, where there aren’t many software … Continue reading “Align Snags $2M to Grow Senior Care Software Business in Central WI”
Category: National
Datadog Acquires Big Data Analytics & App-Building Platform Mortar Data
Just weeks after raising new funding, New York-based Datadog went shopping. On Wednesday, cloud monitoring service Datadog announced it acquired Mortar Data, a startup also based in New York that provides analytics and developed a software platform used by companies to build their own big data applications. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. … Continue reading “Datadog Acquires Big Data Analytics & App-Building Platform Mortar Data”
Robo Madness Boston in One Month: iRobot, BiOM Join Program
While Greater Boston is reeling from the effects of one snowstorm after another, I’d like to paint a more hopeful picture for you. Imagine it is one month from today. Not quite spring, but close. Not getting warm yet, but at least the worst of the snow and cold should be behind us. And then … Continue reading “Robo Madness Boston in One Month: iRobot, BiOM Join Program”
Health Analytics Firm Bivarus Raises $1.9M for Patient Software
Hospitals often try to improve their services by getting direct feedback from customers—their patients. But even when patient surveys are electronic, many patients decline to respond to all of the questions, if they bother to respond at all. Bivarus is addressing that problem with a software platform that simplifies the patient’s experience while giving hospitals, … Continue reading “Health Analytics Firm Bivarus Raises $1.9M for Patient Software”
Hatch Pitch Unveils Tech Startup Lineup for Upcoming SXSW Demo Day
The buzz over this year’s South By Southwest’s Interactive festival is gathering momentum. A few weeks ago, we wrote that Mark Cuban would be making his debut at the annual tech mega-conference, emcee-ing a pitch day for startups specializing in pediatric health innovations. On Tuesday evening, the organizers of the Hatch pitch competition, which focuses … Continue reading “Hatch Pitch Unveils Tech Startup Lineup for Upcoming SXSW Demo Day”
Wisconsin Roundup: CDI, Exact, Centrose, ConjuGon, ConsortiEX, & More
Here are the latest headlines in Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Madison-based Centrose raised $1 million in convertible debt that will help fund the salary of CEO James Prudent through 2019, according to a new SEC filing. The company is also raising equity investments through this funding round, which could eventually reach $21 million. Centrose … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: CDI, Exact, Centrose, ConjuGon, ConsortiEX, & More”
Boston’s Top-Funded Kickstarter Tech Projects of the Past Year
Has traditional crowdfunding peaked? Maybe, maybe not. A lot of attention is now on equity crowdfunding, but the older model of consumers backing creative and technical projects is still going strong. The national stats for Kickstarter suggest the online platform continues to grow, though its growth may be slowing down. As my colleague Bruce Bigelow … Continue reading “Boston’s Top-Funded Kickstarter Tech Projects of the Past Year”
Cloud Commerce Service AppDirect Raises $50M for Global Expansion
San Francisco-based AppDirect, which helps companies buy and manage their subscriptions to Web-based software, has raised $50 million in a Series D round led by Mithril Capital Management, a global firm co-founded by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. The new financing round, AppDirect’s second in less than a year, brings the company’s total fundraising to $110 … Continue reading “Cloud Commerce Service AppDirect Raises $50M for Global Expansion”
Genzyme Buys into Neuro Gene Therapies With $845M Voyager Pact
[Updated, 1:15 pm ET] Few companies have stuck around in gene therapy as long as Genzyme. Despite the ups and downs—and never winning approval of a product—the Sanofi unit, unlike so many of its peers, never abandoned the field. So perhaps it’s no surprise that with the field in a full-on renaissance, it’s Genzyme that … Continue reading “Genzyme Buys into Neuro Gene Therapies With $845M Voyager Pact”
End of Dendreon: Valeant’s $400M is Sole Offer, Purchase is Next
There will be no auction for bankrupt biotech Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDNQ]]). Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: [[ticker:VRX]]) has made the only bid for the Seattle company, and with a bankruptcy judge’s approval the bid will become a $400 million acquisition. Dendreon entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy last fall after a long spiral downward. Valeant first bid $296 million … Continue reading “End of Dendreon: Valeant’s $400M is Sole Offer, Purchase is Next”
Qualcomm Buys Aerial Drone Startup with Advanced Control Technology
In a small-but-significant addition to its budding interest in robotics, San Diego-based Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) has acquired KMel Robotics, a Philadelphia, PA-based startup that specializes in multi-rotor drones capable of coordinated, high-performance operations. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. In response to an Xconomy e-mail query, a Qualcomm spokesman said, “At this … Continue reading “Qualcomm Buys Aerial Drone Startup with Advanced Control Technology”
Colorado Stereo Gear Makers, Accelerator Grads Kickstart Growth
Colorado tech companies old and new have turned to Kickstarter to raise money, attract attention, and build their user base. But while hot startups might attract the most attention, it’s a pair of stereo equipment makers that perhaps unexpectedly made the most money in 2014. Xconomy is looking at Kickstarter funding trends across our 10-region network … Continue reading “Colorado Stereo Gear Makers, Accelerator Grads Kickstart Growth”
Gilead Exec: More Value in Quick Hep C Cure than Cancer Treatments
Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]) is deep into a campaign to defend its hepatitis C drug franchise from price attacks, and its executives are fighting back with tough questions. Take this one, for example, that Gilead president and COO John Milligan asked today on stage at the BIO CEO & Investor Conference in New York: Is … Continue reading “Gilead Exec: More Value in Quick Hep C Cure than Cancer Treatments”
Need a Lawyer? Legal Marketplace UpCounsel Launches in Texas
Texas startups looking for a deal on a corporate lawyer can now access UpCounsel, an online marketplace of attorneys that officially launched in the state today. UpCounsel lets small- and medium-sized businesses request bids for legal services, ranging from contract-specific projects to hourly retainer services. Attorneys on UpCounsel will be most readily available in Austin, … Continue reading “Need a Lawyer? Legal Marketplace UpCounsel Launches in Texas”
Paper Airplanes and Retro Cameras Led NY Kickstarter Campaigns in 2014
There is plenty of ambition to be found on Kickstarter. The Brooklyn-based crowdfunding platform is used around the country to help new ideas get off the ground. But how do New York-based innovators fare when trying to raise cash? In recent years, top New York-launched campaigns have raised large amounts of funding for a horror-themed board … Continue reading “Paper Airplanes and Retro Cameras Led NY Kickstarter Campaigns in 2014”
LearnLaunch Picks Six Edtech Startups for Upcoming Accelerator
The LearnLaunch edtech startup accelerator today named the six startups that will be part of its Winter 2015 program. The companies will receive a seed investment, mentoring, and workspace in LearnLaunch’s Boston headquarters during the four-month program. LearnLaunch Demo Day is scheduled for June 3. LearnLaunch combines an accelerator, formerly known as LearnLaunchX, co-working space, … Continue reading “LearnLaunch Picks Six Edtech Startups for Upcoming Accelerator”
MI Kickstarter Report: Hardware Rules List of Top 5 Projects in 2014
Last week, I wrote about a Michigan-based company’s struggle to complete a 2013 Kickstarter project that raised more than $500,000 toward the development of Bluetooth headphones. Today, let’s focus on the best-funded tech-based Kickstarter projects across the state in 2014. Perhaps not surprisingly in a state that has given birth to so many world-changing machines, … Continue reading “MI Kickstarter Report: Hardware Rules List of Top 5 Projects in 2014”
Game Studio Proletariat Raises $6M, Eyes “World Zombination”
Most startups are in a near-constant battle to stay alive, stretching out their operating cash just long enough to do something worth remembering. So it’s a little poetic that Proletariat, an independent game studio based in the Boston area, is building a massive multiplayer game where zombies and humans fight each other for control of … Continue reading “Game Studio Proletariat Raises $6M, Eyes “World Zombination””
Two Healthcare Startups Land Venture Funding For Growth
Healthcare startups have for years built businesses on the principle of ridding the system of inefficiencies and extra costs for years. Two more gained venture backing today. DigiSight Technologies is using a $7.8 million Series B round to further develop a mobile technology that lets physicians monitor patients between appointments. The Portola Valley, CA, company … Continue reading “Two Healthcare Startups Land Venture Funding For Growth”
Wearables, Gaming, IoT Device Among Top Texas Crowdfunding Projects
Oil prices might be sliding down, but the party’s still strong in Texas. How else can we explain that Kickstarter’s most-funded project from the Lone Star State last year was the “Bunch O Balloons,” a water-hose attachment that fills and ties 100 balloons in one go. The Plano, TX, project took in nearly $930,000—blowing away … Continue reading “Wearables, Gaming, IoT Device Among Top Texas Crowdfunding Projects”
Nuclear Waste Reactor Startup Transatomic Power Adds $2.5M
One of the cool things about running a nuclear energy startup is that, eventually, you get to start testing your designs with real-life uranium. Sure, it’s depleted uranium at first. But hey, you’ve to got to start somewhere. “Getting the licenses necessary for running things with depleted uranium is trivial for what you need to go through … Continue reading “Nuclear Waste Reactor Startup Transatomic Power Adds $2.5M”
Breakout Labs Funds Lab Screening Startups and Stress Tracker System
[Corrected 2/11/15, 10:50 am. See below.] “The Art of Detection” could be the theme for the three new companies just awarded funding by Breakout Labs, the San Francisco seed-stage investing unit supported by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. Two of the new recipients announced today are Bay area companies that have developed lab methods to detect … Continue reading “Breakout Labs Funds Lab Screening Startups and Stress Tracker System”
Kickstarter Tech Projects in Washington: Top 5 in 2014
Space telescopes, high-tech decanters, smartphone photography equipment, augmented-reality glasses, high-visibility bike lights, and games of all kinds. These were some of the top-drawing Kickstarter projects in Washington state over the last three years, and they tell a concise story about what excites the imaginations of the innovators who call this place home. Xconomy is looking … Continue reading “Kickstarter Tech Projects in Washington: Top 5 in 2014”
Wisconsin Far From the Crowd in Top-Funded Kickstarter Tech Projects
Wisconsin inventors, like many of their brethren around the country, have turned to crowdfunding site Kickstarter in recent years to help make their ideas a reality. Mixed among Wisconsin Kickstarter projects raising money for small-town theater renovations, board game creations, and indie films and music albums, are inventions ranging from advanced insulation materials for outdoor … Continue reading “Wisconsin Far From the Crowd in Top-Funded Kickstarter Tech Projects”
San Diego’s 10 Top-Funded Kickstarter Tech Projects of 2014
Securing venture funding for tech startups has never been easy in San Diego, especially after the great recession came to town in 2008. But in recent years, crowdfunding has opened a new outlet for technology innovation in San Diego and other regional hubs. (Our list of San Diego’s 10 top-funded tech projects on Kickstarter is … Continue reading “San Diego’s 10 Top-Funded Kickstarter Tech Projects of 2014”
Vaxxas Gets $20M Injection to Test Needle-Free Vaccines in Humans
What’s the worst part of getting vaccinated? Most folks, outside of the anti-vaccination crowd, would probably say the needle prick. A startup named Vaxxas is one of a group of companies trying to get rid of the ouch factor, and today it just got a big round of cash to see if its approach works … Continue reading “Vaxxas Gets $20M Injection to Test Needle-Free Vaccines in Humans”
“21st Century Cures” By Year’s End? Its Backers Want More Ideas
If you have an idea to include in the bipartisan initiative known as 21st Century Cures, Fred Upton (R-MI) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) say they are all ears. But speak up quickly: They want to present a bill to the House of Representatives by Memorial Day. That was the message the two members of Congress … Continue reading ““21st Century Cures” By Year’s End? Its Backers Want More Ideas”
Aventura Adds $14M to Help Doctors Navigate Electronic Records
Whether or not doctors, nurses, or patients like it, electronic health records are here to stay, and computers are becoming ubiquitous in exam rooms. While the healthcare world adjusts, some software companies are taking the next step—making applications that improve the performance and usability of the first wave of digital systems. One such company is … Continue reading “Aventura Adds $14M to Help Doctors Navigate Electronic Records”
Qualia, formerly LocalResponse, Out to Prove Legitimacy of Its AdTech
The game keeps changing for marketers who use technology to reach customers. A few years ago, New York-based LocalResponse used its software to help businesses direct ads to consumers according to their location-based check-ins—the technology du jour. Let’s be frank: There are a lot of companies, especially in New York, pushing software for targeting consumers … Continue reading “Qualia, formerly LocalResponse, Out to Prove Legitimacy of Its AdTech”
Wicab’s Wearable Vision Device Nears U.S. Market, Thanks to Google
[Updated 2/10/15, 8:07 a.m. See below.] Paul Bach-y-Rita believed technology could help blind people to, in a way, “see” the world around them by substituting touch for sight. After 17 years and nearly $26 million in total funding, the late scientist’s company, Wicab, is closer than ever to turning his idea into reality. Wicab has … Continue reading “Wicab’s Wearable Vision Device Nears U.S. Market, Thanks to Google”
Metasurvey Says: Fewer Biopharmas Capturing More Venture Dollars
In biotech, young companies have been raising money from public and private investors alike at an astounding rate. But all the rain isn’t letting a thousand flowers bloom. In other words, there’s more money going into new biopharma companies, but the cash is not being spread widely. That’s according to a new survey released today … Continue reading “Metasurvey Says: Fewer Biopharmas Capturing More Venture Dollars”
With FDA Hold Lifted, Esperion Cholesterol Drug Heads to Phase 3
In 1998, Xconomist Roger Newton co-founded a company called Esperion Therapeutics and drove the development of atorvastatin (Lipitor), a blockbuster cholesterol-lowering statin drug that is reportedly the most widely prescribed medicine in the world. After ushering in the age of statins, Newton eventually sold Esperion to Pfizer for $1.3 billion in 2008. The deal represented … Continue reading “With FDA Hold Lifted, Esperion Cholesterol Drug Heads to Phase 3”
Who’s Beck? This Company Turns Grammy Curiosity Into Album Sales
The Grammy awards are a fun way to unwind, whether you’re into music, fashion, or just good old American spectacle. For some people, though, the annual awards show is a long night of pretty intense work. That’s certainly the case at Gupta Media, a Boston-based digital marketing company that works for major music labels. While … Continue reading “Who’s Beck? This Company Turns Grammy Curiosity Into Album Sales”
Cardio Study Gives Life To Armetheon’s Blood-Thinning Drug
Running a large, expensive cardiovascular study is no easy feat for a small biotech. That’s why the $24.3 million Armetheon raised in a Series B round last week is likely a harbinger of things to come. Armetheon may seek $30 million to $40 million more to run the 3,000-patient Phase 3 trial it’s kicking off … Continue reading “Cardio Study Gives Life To Armetheon’s Blood-Thinning Drug”
Why Boston Biotech Should Look to London
Look at online forums for U.K. ex-pats working in the Boston-Cambridge biotech sector and you’ll find some very British obsessions—where to find a decent curry and where to get a cricket game. But korma and cricket aside, what would it take to lure these seasoned entrepreneurs back home? It’s a question that London has to … Continue reading “Why Boston Biotech Should Look to London”
With Early Data, Alkermes Plots Quick Jump to Pivotal Study For MS Drug
Alkermes’ transformation from a drug-delivery specialist to a pharma company with its own pipeline has been well-documented. Shares are now worth more than triple what they were a few years ago as the Dublin, and Waltham, MA-based company has advanced in-house drugs for depression and schizophrenia. Now you can add a prospective multiple sclerosis treatment—one … Continue reading “With Early Data, Alkermes Plots Quick Jump to Pivotal Study For MS Drug”
Kickstarter Report: Top Crowdfunded Tech Projects in North Carolina
The top Kickstarter-backed North Carolina technology projects in 2014 tilted toward consumer convenience. Tired of fumbling with how to plug in the charging cord for your electronic devices? A company called BelayCords developed a cord that solves that problem. Want to keep beverages hot or find an easier way to channel-surf television channels? Those are … Continue reading “Kickstarter Report: Top Crowdfunded Tech Projects in North Carolina”
Top Bay Area Kickstarter Campaigns: Inkblot Tests for Local Culture
Entrepreneurs probably scan the top Kickstarter campaigns to gauge how much their own tech projects might raise on the selective crowdfunding site. But an anthropologist might look at the top fundraisers in each region to get a bead on the local culture. Guess which metropolitan area’s top Kickstarter projects were all about high-fidelity digital music, … Continue reading “Top Bay Area Kickstarter Campaigns: Inkblot Tests for Local Culture”
Resistance Is Futile: Why That’s A Good Thing In Biomedicine
Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation are very familiar with the Borg, a society of cybernetic individuals linked together in a collective mindset. The Borg navigate the universe in cube-shaped spacecraft actively seeking members of other races to absorb into their collective. Whenever others oppose their efforts, the Borg let them know, in no … Continue reading “Resistance Is Futile: Why That’s A Good Thing In Biomedicine”
Therapy Startup Tunes Into Music as Rehab for Brain Injuries
A stroke or traumatic brain injury starts a race against the clock. Neurosurgeons, emergency room doctors, and paramedics have to take action to limit the damage as quickly as possible before it spreads and devastates portions of the patient’s brain, taking functions such as speech, movement, and memory with it. After that desperate sprint comes … Continue reading “Therapy Startup Tunes Into Music as Rehab for Brain Injuries”
Innovation on Kickstarter: The 10 Top-Funded Tech Ideas of 2014
A lot of ink has been spilled about the Coolest Cooler, a re-imagined picnic cooler equipped with a built-in blender, waterproof Bluetooth speaker, and UBS charger (among other things). To fund the project, inventor Ryan Grepper of Portland, OR, raised a record $13.3 million from 62,642 backers last summer on Kickstarter. The $13.3 million Grepper … Continue reading “Innovation on Kickstarter: The 10 Top-Funded Tech Ideas of 2014”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Hamburg, Merck, Annovation, WaVe & More
Between a battery of snowstorms, there was a parade this past week in Boston, as New Englanders lined the streets to celebrate Pete Carroll’s horrific goal-line call—I mean, a Patriots Super Bowl victory (congrats, Pats fans). In biotech, the theme of the week was volatility. Indices like the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NBI]]) vastly underperformed … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Hamburg, Merck, Annovation, WaVe & More”
Milestones of Innovation 2: Gregor Mendel on Heredity, 1865
Today, as 150 years ago, for an innovation to happen, the idea it rests on must be understood by the people who hear it. On the 8th of February and the 8th of March 1865, the Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel told his local natural science society about a decade of results from thousands of cross-breeding … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 2: Gregor Mendel on Heredity, 1865”
Gener8tor’s Winter Program Draws Startups From Miami, Boston, Detroit
Gener8tor co-founder Troy Vosseller describes the Wisconsin startup accelerator’s latest group of companies as its most diverse class to date. When Gener8tor launched its program three years ago, the first couple of sessions featured only Wisconsin-based software and device companies. But its next few sessions attracted startups from around the Midwest and as far away … Continue reading “Gener8tor’s Winter Program Draws Startups From Miami, Boston, Detroit”
Innovation Hub: Meet Amy, Your AI Assistant
Amy Ingram is the most well-liked personal assistant in New York City. She was created by Dennis Mortensen to do a real job: schedule business meetings. And, given the fact that she’s artificially intelligent, she’s very good at it. But Mortensen, CEO and founder of x.ai, envisions more. His AI trainers are researching ways to … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Meet Amy, Your AI Assistant”
Vidyo Promotes New CEO and Hires New Chief Technology Officer
Video conference technology company Vidyo said this week it promoted Eran Westman to be its CEO. Co-founder Ofer Shapiro shifted into a vice chairman role, the Hackensack, NJ, company also said. Westman joined Vidyo last February as its chief revenue officer. Prior to joining the company, Westman was an executive vice president with Israel-based Ceragon Networks. … Continue reading “Vidyo Promotes New CEO and Hires New Chief Technology Officer”
Software Maker Graylog Raises $2.5M, Moves to Houston from Germany
Graylog, a maker of open-source data analytics software, announced it has raised $2.5 million and will move to Houston. The company, which began as an open-source project in Hamburg, Germany, will use the funds for marketing and to further develop its software. The financing round was led by the Houston-based Mercury Fund, with participation from … Continue reading “Software Maker Graylog Raises $2.5M, Moves to Houston from Germany”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Tracon, Mirati, Third Rock, & Dendreon
This week, we’ll take our roundup on a West Coast roadtrip from south to north. First, down San Diego way, the news the past seven days was mostly financial, led by Tracon Pharmceuticals’ IPO. In San Francisco, Genentech had breakthrough news, while KaloBios had more bad news. And in Seattle, bankrupt Dendreon found a potential … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Tracon, Mirati, Third Rock, & Dendreon”
The Clean Energy Promise of Student Entrepreneurs
[This article was co-authored by MBA candidates Molly Bales and Eric Kirchblum at the MIT Sloan School of Management.] Cleantech investing has taken quite a hit in recent years. Last year, CBS News highlighted the “cleantech crash” on U.S. primetime television, and Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a Bloomberg-owned energy data firm, has tracked the multi-year … Continue reading “The Clean Energy Promise of Student Entrepreneurs”
FDA’s Hamburg Stepping Down With Biopharma Turnaround as Her Legacy
[Corrected 2/6/15, 2:40 pm. See below.] FDA Commissioner Margaret “Peggy” Hamburg will step down in March after nearly six eventful years, transforming the agency from one of the life science industry’s biggest bete noirs into, arguably, a fairly reliable arbiter for innovators. She announced her decision this morning in an open letter to FDA employees. … Continue reading “FDA’s Hamburg Stepping Down With Biopharma Turnaround as Her Legacy”