[Updated 1/30/15 1:15 pm. See below.] President Obama’s precision medicine plan just got a bit more precise, and it has a $215 million price tag. Starting with that cash, his administration wants to build a massive national database to study long-term public health trends, gathering head-to-toe health data from a million or more volunteers over … Continue reading “Obama Wants You (And 1 Million Others) For ‘Precision’ Health Data”
Category: National
Capital Midwest Eyes $150M for 3rd WI VC Fund
Capital Midwest Fund is courting investors as it tries to raise between $100 million and $150 million for its third fund, the Wisconsin venture capital firm told Xconomy. Capital Midwest, based in Mequon, WI, is one of a handful of venture capital funds with offices in the state. It’s currently investing from its second fund, … Continue reading “Capital Midwest Eyes $150M for 3rd WI VC Fund”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Qualcomm, Google X, Mapp, Onyx, & More
Most of California hasn’t had rain in a month, Seattle had a few days of “Juneuary” this past week, and West Coast tech titans warmed up the life-science news flow. Qualcomm, with its interest in digital health, is teaming with Roche to monitor patients in clinical trials. Google, with its interest in, well, everything, will … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Qualcomm, Google X, Mapp, Onyx, & More”
Venture Funding Looms Large for San Diego Biopharma Startups
Venture capital funding in the San Diego area has recovered from a three-year plunge that accompanied the U.S. financial crisis, according to a recent analysis of a decade’s worth of VC deals. But venture investments in San Diego remain heavily concentrated in new drug startups, according to David Coats, the San Diego-based co-founder and managing … Continue reading “Venture Funding Looms Large for San Diego Biopharma Startups”
Austin’s Volusion Raises $55M to Further Develop E-Retail Software
Volusion, an e-commerce software maker, has acquired $55 million in venture funding to boost development of its Mozu software aimed at mid-market to large companies. The Series A round of venture funds were raised from Main Street Capital Corporation, a Houston-based investment firm. Previously, Volusion had raised about $35 million in debt financings. “This funding … Continue reading “Austin’s Volusion Raises $55M to Further Develop E-Retail Software”
Data Storage Giant EMC Announces Restructuring Plan, Job Cuts
EMC, the Boston-area tech giant known for its acquisitive streak, has announced a restructuring plan that is expected to result in a steep charge and job cuts this year. The data storage provider expects to face charges of $130 million to $150 million because of a planned restructuring that EMC’s board approved Wednesday, the company … Continue reading “Data Storage Giant EMC Announces Restructuring Plan, Job Cuts”
MobCraft Sold on Virtues of Equity Crowdfunding Despite Missed Goal
The results are in for one of the first equity crowdfunding campaigns in Wisconsin—and likely the nation—and the entrepreneurs behind it are pretty happy with the results, despite coming up shy of their goal. MobCraft Beer, a craft beer startup based in Madison, WI, recently closed the fundraising campaign it was running through CraftFund. The … Continue reading “MobCraft Sold on Virtues of Equity Crowdfunding Despite Missed Goal”
FullContact Releases First iOS App, Raises $7M
FullContact announced today it has raised $7 million in a Series C round and is releasing new mobile apps it thinks will help everyone tame their address books and contact lists. The Denver-based company’s new app for iOS is available Thursday through the Apple App Store, and it plans to release apps for Android and … Continue reading “FullContact Releases First iOS App, Raises $7M”
Pet Monitor Whistle Buys GPS Tracking Service, Lands $15M
Pet-tech company Whistle is adding location tracking to its bag of tricks, announcing this morning the acquisition of Tagg, a pet GPS tracking system. No price was disclosed. Whistle simultaneously announced a $15 million Series B venture capital round led by Nokia Growth Partners, which the company plans to use to develop its product line … Continue reading “Pet Monitor Whistle Buys GPS Tracking Service, Lands $15M”
Wisconsin Roundup: TermSync, Mpirik, Epic, Kiva, VictorySpark, & More
Here are a few of the latest headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation and technology community: —France-based Esker has acquired Fitchburg startup TermSync for an undisclosed amount. TermSync makes cloud-based accounts receivable software and previously raised $2.2 million from investors, SEC documents show. Esker’s U.S. headquarters are in Madison. —Milwaukee-based Mpirik snagged $1.75 million from investors to … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: TermSync, Mpirik, Epic, Kiva, VictorySpark, & More”
RunKeeper Integrates With Spotify, Combines Music and Fitness
Running and music: two great pastimes that go great together. It’s no surprise that software is helping people connect those worlds. Boston-based RunKeeper has updated its iOS fitness-tracking app to integrate the streaming-music service Spotify. That means Spotify’s premium users can now access their playlists and listen to songs from within the RunKeeper app. Spotify … Continue reading “RunKeeper Integrates With Spotify, Combines Music and Fitness”
Biogen Places Gene Therapy Bet in Crowded Hemophilia Space
[Updated, 2:00 pm ET] Like most everyone else in biotech, Biogen Idec bailed out of gene therapy research over a decade ago when it looked like the tantalizing field would never deliver on the hype. But gene therapy’s renaissance is now well underway, catalyzed by better delivery technologies, and importantly, promising human clinical data. And … Continue reading “Biogen Places Gene Therapy Bet in Crowded Hemophilia Space”
Invenra Advancing Its Cell-Free Antibody Tech With $2M in New Cash
Invenra has raised just over $2 million from investors that it will use to further develop its cell-free protein expression technology, a new SEC filing shows. The Madison, WI-based biotech startup has now raised $6.2 million total from investors since 2012, according to SEC documents. Invenra plans to put the new money toward research and … Continue reading “Invenra Advancing Its Cell-Free Antibody Tech With $2M in New Cash”
Koru Raises $8M to Connect Tech Employers, Recent Grads
Seattle startup Koru has raised $8 million to continue growing its business at the intersection of recruiting for high-growth technology companies and training for recent college graduates. The Series A funding round was led by Seattle-based Maveron, with new investors City Light Capital and Trilogy Equity Partners and previous backers Battery Ventures and First Round … Continue reading “Koru Raises $8M to Connect Tech Employers, Recent Grads”
Parking Apps See Spike in Long-Term Rentals for Boston Blizzard
When the snow flies in Boston, just about anything within reach can be drafted into duty as an emergency space-saver for that freshly shoveled-out parking spot. Ironing boards, lawn chairs, and garbage cans are table stakes—heck, I’ve even seen a baby’s car seat dropped next to the curb. But there are also some slightly more … Continue reading “Parking Apps See Spike in Long-Term Rentals for Boston Blizzard”
Cloud Monitoring Service Datadog Raises $31M, Plans to Ramp Up Hiring
Looking to expand its ranks and deepen the development of its technology, Datadog, based in New York, raised $31 million in a Series C funding round led by Index Ventures, with RTP Ventures, OpenView Partners, and others participating. Datadog is a monitoring service used by IT teams and developers who work with cloud-based software. CEO … Continue reading “Cloud Monitoring Service Datadog Raises $31M, Plans to Ramp Up Hiring”
Investors Line up For Westphal as Muscle Cramp Startup Upsizes IPO
It seems Christoph Westphal had little trouble convincing public investors to back his plan to obliterate muscle cramps. The serial biotech executive’s latest startup, Boston-based Flex Pharma, priced its IPO on Wednesday, selling 5.4 million shares at $16 apiece. That’s an $86.4 million haul before discounts due to underwriters, and well above the 4,615,000 shares … Continue reading “Investors Line up For Westphal as Muscle Cramp Startup Upsizes IPO”
Xconomy Is Seeking Great Sales People in Boston and San Francisco
When it comes to writing in-depth, daily stories about the business of high technology—in tech, life sciences, and beyond—we at Xconomy believe there are few news organizations that can match our editorial team. We feature many of these stories—and the people behind them—at our events as well. Now, right here in Boston and also in … Continue reading “Xconomy Is Seeking Great Sales People in Boston and San Francisco”
Favor Seeks More Financing While Finding Role in Delivery Service Boom
Four years ago, when many New Yorkers felt left in the cold by a slow snowstorm response from Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Saturday Night Live roasted the bureaucrat by having his caricature casually suggest those trapped at home should pick up a phone to call a local restaurant for delivery. Pick up a phone? Call a … Continue reading “Favor Seeks More Financing While Finding Role in Delivery Service Boom”
Couleecap Continues Spread of Startup Accelerators to Small Towns
The startup accelerator programs that have become ubiquitous in big tech hubs around the country are beginning to spread to small cities. The latest example in Wisconsin is a newly announced program in La Crosse, a city of about 51,000 people that is located on the state’s western border. Organizers say the business accelerator, which … Continue reading “Couleecap Continues Spread of Startup Accelerators to Small Towns”
Scott McNealy to Preach Virtues of Colorado at Showcase for VCs
The Colorado Venture Summit will return for a second year, and this time the headline speaker will be Scott McNealy, the co-founder and former CEO of Sun Microsystems, who has become an outspoken advocate for Colorado despite being a Silicon Valley legend. The goal of the venture summit is to bring together the leaders of … Continue reading “Scott McNealy to Preach Virtues of Colorado at Showcase for VCs”
Portfolium Reinvents the Resumé, Rolls Out App for Job Seekers
San Diego-based Portfolium began as a solution to the problem that many students face as they near the end of their schooling and look to join the real-world workforce. How do you create a persuasive resumé or LinkedIn profile if you’ve been a full-time student and don’t have much professional work history? Founding CEO Adam … Continue reading “Portfolium Reinvents the Resumé, Rolls Out App for Job Seekers”
Techstars Closes $150M Seed and Early Stage Fund
Techstars has closed a $150 million third fund to make seed and early stage investments, the Boulder, CO-based startup accelerator announced Wednesday. Techstars co-founder and CEO David Cohen said the fund will be focused on investing on startups that have graduated from the accelerator or have other ties to the program. According to its website, … Continue reading “Techstars Closes $150M Seed and Early Stage Fund”
UserTesting Adds New Software After $45.5M Investment
UserTesting has $45.5 million more to work with after a Series C investment led by Accel Partners, as the startup adds more mobility to its website and app-testing service. The company, which has customers ranging from Google to The Home Depot, is launching new software that will let people who test and review its clients’ … Continue reading “UserTesting Adds New Software After $45.5M Investment”
Austin’s Localeur Gets Funds, Imprimatur from Ex-Facebook Execs
Localeur, an Austin, TX, travel website that relies on local residents, or “localeurs,” for tips has brought some heavy social media hitters into its stable of investors: former executives from Facebook. The investor group—which includes Mike Murphy, the social media giant’s former chief revenue officer, and Tom Arrix and Blake Chandlee, who led North American … Continue reading “Austin’s Localeur Gets Funds, Imprimatur from Ex-Facebook Execs “
Exosome Dx, Aiming to Commercialize “Liquid Biopsies,” Seeks $25M
It’s the moment of truth for any emerging diagnostics firm: the transition from startup to commercial-stage company. Time to convince insurers that you have something worth paying for, and doctors in major hospitals and community practices to change how they practice and incorporate your test. That critical point is where Cambridge, MA-based Exosome Diagnostics finds … Continue reading “Exosome Dx, Aiming to Commercialize “Liquid Biopsies,” Seeks $25M”
Mobile Health Adoption Growing Among Doctors, for Apps and Content
More than 80 percent of U.S. doctors surveyed use mobile apps or view professional content on mobile devices for work. That’s a significant increase over the numbers from around a year ago, according to a new survey. The main reasons for adoption? Improved patient care and communication, and time efficiency, doctors say. The survey was … Continue reading “Mobile Health Adoption Growing Among Doctors, for Apps and Content”
The Venture Funding Gap is Widening; What Does it Mean?
The National Venture Capital Association has just released the latest MoneyTree data on venture industry fund-raising, which always makes me sit up straight and take notice—it’s kind of an industry scorecard. In addition to being baffled by the fact that the amount the U.S. venture industry invests outstrips how much we raise (see below), I … Continue reading “The Venture Funding Gap is Widening; What Does it Mean?”
Xolve Adds $1.8M to Buttress Nanomaterials Business
Xolve, a Middleton, WI-based nanotechnology startup, has raised $1.8 million in an equity funding round that could reach nearly $2.8 million when it closes, according to a new SEC filing. Xolve CEO Joe Beatty didn’t respond to messages seeking comment today. At least some of the new money appears to come from returning investors, as … Continue reading “Xolve Adds $1.8M to Buttress Nanomaterials Business”
Genomic Search Engine One Codex Wins CDC Prize to Catch Bad E. Coli
San Francisco genomic data firm Reference Genomics says it has the tools to spot nasty microbes fast. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees. With its One Codex search platform, the startup has won a CDC-sponsored “no petri dish” contest to identify a toxic strain of the bacteria E. coli without the time-consuming … Continue reading “Genomic Search Engine One Codex Wins CDC Prize to Catch Bad E. Coli”
DFJ Grows Seattle Footprint With New Entrepreneur in Residence
Venture capital giant Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) has stationed its first entrepreneur in residence in Seattle. Seattle native Bryan Hale, 32, will work with Seattle-based partner Bill Bryant, advising the firm’s portfolio companies, evaluating new investments, and, most importantly, looking for a startup of his own. Hale spent the last five and a half years … Continue reading “DFJ Grows Seattle Footprint With New Entrepreneur in Residence”
Alcohol, Grocery Deliveries Spike As Blizzard Batters Boston
Food, toilet paper … and booze? The list of essential items Bostonians and New Yorkers stocked up on in preparation for the first blizzard of 2015 has grown to include alcoholic beverages, at least according to Drizly, a Boston-based startup that enables users to order beer, wine, and liquor that is delivered to their doors. … Continue reading “Alcohol, Grocery Deliveries Spike As Blizzard Batters Boston”
LevelEleven, AdAdapted, and Genomenon Win Google’s Detroit Demo Day
Three Detroit-area startups will vie for a spot in a pitch contest at Google’s California headquarters this spring, after winning the second annual Google Demo Day in downtown Detroit last Thursday. The winners, announced Monday, were LevelEleven, AdAdapted, and Genomenon. Of the three finalists, one company will be chosen in mid-February to head to Mountain … Continue reading “LevelEleven, AdAdapted, and Genomenon Win Google’s Detroit Demo Day”
San Antonio’s SeatSmart Builds Marketplace for Sports & Arts Tickets
Snowmageddon got you hankering for sunny Phoenix and last-minute Super Bowl tickets? San Antonio startup SeatSmart, an online marketplace for secondary tickets, is launching today. The site provides what co-founder and CEO Brett Cohen says are better values to consumers while also helping ticket brokers build personal relationships with those buyers. “The current system is … Continue reading “San Antonio’s SeatSmart Builds Marketplace for Sports & Arts Tickets”
Xenex Raises $25 Million to Develop More Bug-Fighting Robots
Xenex Disinfection Services, a San Antonio, TX, robotics company that specializes in cleaning hospitals by zapping microscopic pathogens, is using a new $25 million financing round to expand its U.S. sales force and fund product development. The company’s ultraviolet disinfection technology, which Xconomy’s Angela Shah detailed in 2013, destroys viruses, bacteria, mold, fungus, and bacterial … Continue reading “Xenex Raises $25 Million to Develop More Bug-Fighting Robots”
LG Display Inks New Deals to License OLED Tech from Universal Display
The details are somewhat vague, but Ewing, NJ-based Universal Display on Monday increased its ties to LG Display, one of the biggest makers of electronic displays in the world, with new agreements for materials and patent licensing. Universal Display develops technology and materials for the creation of organic LEDs (OLEDs), which are used for lighting … Continue reading “LG Display Inks New Deals to License OLED Tech from Universal Display”
FDA Nod in Hand, Health IT Software Maker Decisio Hits the Market
Houston’s Decisio Healthcare, a health IT company that makes software to create a critical care dashboard for ER and ICU staff, is now FDA approved. That distinction is notable, since seeking and obtaining regulatory approval is rare for medtech software companies. Most companies in the electronic health records industry are classified as medical device data … Continue reading “FDA Nod in Hand, Health IT Software Maker Decisio Hits the Market”
CloudBees Gets $23.5M More, New CA Headquarters and Focus
CloudBees looks a little different every time it raises money. Which is a good thing, since it’s a startup playing in a field with some big competitors. The company has raised $23.5 million in a growth-equity round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, a previous investor. Matrix Partners, Verizon Ventures, and Blue Cloud Ventures also participated … Continue reading “CloudBees Gets $23.5M More, New CA Headquarters and Focus”
Genius@Work Joins Crowded Milwaukee Co-working Space Market
Add Genius@Work to the growing list of Milwaukee co-working offices. An increased focus on startup formation and the broader shift toward more mobile workforces has given rise to these open, often collaborative office environments in cities across the country. That’s been the case in Wisconsin, too, as Xconomy chronicled last year. In Milwaukee, the options … Continue reading “Genius@Work Joins Crowded Milwaukee Co-working Space Market”
Aspyrian Therapeutics Raises $8.5M for New Tumor Immunotherapy
[Updated 2/4/15 12:15 pm. See below.] See below.San Diego-based Aspyrian Therapeutics, founded in 2010 to advance technology that uses near-infrared light to activate an immune response targeting certain types of tumors, has raised almost $8.5 million from investors, according to a recent SEC filing. The investors were not identified. The technology was developed at the … Continue reading “Aspyrian Therapeutics Raises $8.5M for New Tumor Immunotherapy”
After 12 Years of Roomba, iRobot Eyes Startups for Sector Growth
It’s been a dozen years since the original Roomba hit the market, and the floor-hugging autonomous vacuum is still the biggest-selling product for its manufacturer, iRobot. That hasn’t come without some trying. Ever heard of the Scooba? How about the Looj? The Mirra? Those are all iRobot products that followed the Roomba, aimed respectively at … Continue reading “After 12 Years of Roomba, iRobot Eyes Startups for Sector Growth”
Duke Cardiologist Califf Appointed FDA Deputy Commissioner
Duke University cardiologist Robert Califf is joining the FDA, an appointment that brings to the agency a doctor with deep experience in the development and testing of new drugs. The FDA on Monday named Califf deputy commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco, a position that reports to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. The appointment comes nearly … Continue reading “Duke Cardiologist Califf Appointed FDA Deputy Commissioner”
$75M in Real Cash Helps Coinbase Launch First U.S. Bitcoin Exchange
Bitcoin took a potentially big step toward legitimacy in the U.S. today with the launch of the nation’s first licensed exchange for the virtual currency. Now, it’s up to San Francisco startup Coinbase to convince would-be traders that its platform is a safe and preferable place to put their money. Founded in 2012, Coinbase has … Continue reading “$75M in Real Cash Helps Coinbase Launch First U.S. Bitcoin Exchange”
Primary Care Provider Iora Health Takes In $28M to Fuel Growth
Iora Health has raised $28 million in a Series C funding round as the primary care provider plans to double the number of practices it operates in the next year. The new financing will help the company, founded in 2011 by CEO and physician Rushika Fernandopulle, build out the software platform it uses at its … Continue reading “Primary Care Provider Iora Health Takes In $28M to Fuel Growth”
Ford’s Silicon Valley Center Looks to Hire 125, Catalyze Company
Ford officially opened its Research and Innovation Center in Palo Alto, CA, on Friday. Although the automaker first announced the center two years ago, its mission has since solidified. In addition to building relationships with Silicon Valley “thought leaders,” says Ken Washington, Ford’s vice president of research and advanced engineering, the company’s researchers in Palo … Continue reading “Ford’s Silicon Valley Center Looks to Hire 125, Catalyze Company”
Innovation Outlook for 2015: Tackling Big Data Variety
In 2015, look for the innovation community to be talking about Big Data Variety: the problem, how to fix it, how to make money off of it. Companies have invested roughly $3-4 trillion on enterprise software over the last 20 years, with Gartner forecasting $320 billion in 2014 alone. A lot of that investment has … Continue reading “Innovation Outlook for 2015: Tackling Big Data Variety”
Howard Lerman, CEO of Yext, Talks Location Data, Big Data, & Beacons
With more businesses trying to connect to customers through their mobile phones, via apps and the Web, company information must not only be up to date, it needs to be localized. That is where Howard Lerman, CEO and co-founder of New York-based Yext, sees his company continuing to grow—even as the race to capture localized … Continue reading “Howard Lerman, CEO of Yext, Talks Location Data, Big Data, & Beacons”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: LabCorp, SignalShare, UNC, & More
Here are the week’s headlines in North Carolina tech and biotech news: —LabCorp (NYSE: [[ticker:LH]]) priced a $2.9 billion offering of senior notes to raise money to cover some costs related to its $6.1 billion acquisition of contract research organization Covance (NYSE: [[ticker:CVD]]). Burlington, NC-based LabCorp, a laboratory testing and diagnostics company, announced its deal … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: LabCorp, SignalShare, UNC, & More”
Speaking LINGO, Biogen R&D Chief Wants to Push Nerve Repair Boundary
The biggest clinical trial news of 2015 so far, arguably, was a report from Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) about a drug meant to do something never done before: repair nerve damage in multiple sclerosis patients and possibly reverse the course of the disease. The news was also quite ambiguous. In a Jan. 8 release, the … Continue reading “Speaking LINGO, Biogen R&D Chief Wants to Push Nerve Repair Boundary”
From Yeast, Yumanity Looks to Give Rise to Critical Neuro Drugs
Two weeks ago, in a sixth-floor room in San Francisco’s Four Seasons Hotel overlooking Market Street, Tony Coles, Susan Lindquist, and Kenneth Rhodes met with one financier after another in a campaign to raise money for their new Cambridge, MA-based startup, Yumanity Therapeutics. Their pitch centered around yeast. “[Yeast] is where statins were first identified,” … Continue reading “From Yeast, Yumanity Looks to Give Rise to Critical Neuro Drugs”