It’s notoriously difficult to develop drugs for pain, in part because the results from animal tests rarely hold up in human studies. Still, a new startup from Atlas Venture called Quartet Medicine will to try to navigate the minefield, buoyed by new insights it believes can help connect the dots between animals and humans. Cambridge, … Continue reading “New Atlas Startup Gets “Quartet” of Backers, $17M For Pain Drugs”
Category: National
Why Cleantech Investing Has Morphed Into Energy and Sustainability
Advocates of cleantech investing often make the case that there are enormous opportunities to make the world cleaner and more sustainable. But what if labeling yourself a cleantech investor or entrepreneur is actually limiting? That’s the question I walked away with after a panel of venture investors at the Energy Symposium at the Harvard Business … Continue reading “Why Cleantech Investing Has Morphed Into Energy and Sustainability”
J&J, GSK, Tekmira, And Others Take Next Steps To Fight Ebola
There’s been distressing Ebola-related news in recent days. The deadly virus continues to spread in West Africa, with more than 4,500 fatalities now reported, and efforts to halt its spread in the U.S. have been mired in controversy and confusion, forcing President Obama to appoint an Ebola “czar” to coordinate national response. But there’s good … Continue reading “J&J, GSK, Tekmira, And Others Take Next Steps To Fight Ebola”
Neothetics Files $63M IPO to Advance Drug That Melts “Love Handles”
A biotech company developing an injectable drug to shrink the excess fat that forms “love handles” says it plans to raise more than $63 million through an IPO. San Diego-based Neothetics, previously known as Lithera, has substantial backing from Domain Associates and its Russian investment partner, Rusnano MedInvest. San Francisco-based Alta Partners also holds a … Continue reading “Neothetics Files $63M IPO to Advance Drug That Melts “Love Handles””
Kindara Hopes Smart Thermometer for Women is Birth of Something Big
For women trying to conceive, getting pregnant might not get easier in the next few months—but tracking their fertility to find the likeliest time to conceive might. Kindara, a startup in Boulder, CO, recently announced the debut of Wink, a wireless smart thermometer the company has spent the past few years developing. Wink uses Bluetooth … Continue reading “Kindara Hopes Smart Thermometer for Women is Birth of Something Big”
Gener8tor Continues Momentum With Fifth Class of Startups
Alumni of Gener8tor’s startup accelerator have been on a roll lately, and last night the program officially released its newest class into the wild with a closing event featuring pitches from the five graduating companies. Now it’s up to the latest batch of Gener8tor startups to make good on their plans, which were shared with … Continue reading “Gener8tor Continues Momentum With Fifth Class of Startups”
Duo Security Rides Growing Interest in Two-Factor Authentication
Hardly a day goes by without a big headline announcing yet another consumer security breach; today’s version trumpets the possible theft of Staples customers’ credit card information. Keeping payment information safe from criminals is a priority for both businesses and consumers, and since Ann Arbor, MI-based Duo Security is at the forefront of a promising … Continue reading “Duo Security Rides Growing Interest in Two-Factor Authentication”
Orchard Platform Grabs $12M from Spark Capital and Canaan Partners
A developer of investment and analytics software for the online direct lending scene has raised some money of its own. New York-based Orchard Platform on Tuesday announced it brought in $12 million in a Series A round led by Spark Capital and Canaan Partners, with participation from others. Orchard created software that enables institutional investors and … Continue reading “Orchard Platform Grabs $12M from Spark Capital and Canaan Partners”
Brown University and the Future of Virtual Reality
While conceived in the 1960s, the heyday of virtual reality didn’t set in until the ‘80s and ‘90s with the appearance of popular movies like “Tron” and “Lawnmower Man,” and gaming innovations such as SEGA’s VR headset and “Virtuality” arcade games. There’s a chance that you don’t remember any of that, however, and nobody could … Continue reading “Brown University and the Future of Virtual Reality”
Actavis Nabs Option to Buy Rhythm Pharma’s GI Drug For Diabetics
[Updated, 10/23/14, 4:41 pm ET] Rhythm Pharmaceuticals hinted that a strategic move was coming when a drug it’s been developing for diabetic gastroparesis cleared a key clinical hurdle earlier this year. That came to fruition today, because Actavis has stepped and offered Rhythm a financial payday if that drug can make it to the finish … Continue reading “Actavis Nabs Option to Buy Rhythm Pharma’s GI Drug For Diabetics”
In Wake of Dot-com Bust, Blueport Commerce Makes Furniture.com Work
[Updated at 3:10 with a correction to revenue numbers provided.] Carl Prindle’s mission during the dot-com boom was to disrupt furniture companies. Now, he’s trying to help them sell their goods online. As the CEO of Boston-based Blueport Commerce, Prindle has launched an e-commerce software company and revived the Furniture.com website by melding e-commerce with brick-and-mortar … Continue reading “In Wake of Dot-com Bust, Blueport Commerce Makes Furniture.com Work”
Social Site Pink Petro Aims to Raise the Energy Industry’s XX-Factor
Katie Mehnert wants to leverage social media to support women in the energy industry. An energy veteran who has worked for both BP (NYSE: [[ticker:BP]]) and Shell (NYSE: [[ticker:RSDA]]), she is now developing Pink Petro, a Facebook-like website that she says is the first to be customized around women working in the oil and gas … Continue reading “Social Site Pink Petro Aims to Raise the Energy Industry’s XX-Factor”
Proteon Cuts Price, Boosts Shares to Bag $61M in IPO
Proteon Therapeutics is about to successfully pivot from a potential portfolio company of Novartis to a publicly traded entity—just not with the valuation it was hoping for. Waltham, MA-based Proteon priced its IPO late Tuesday at $10 per share. The company sold 6,110,000 shares of stock to investors, raising $61.1 million before discounts due to … Continue reading “Proteon Cuts Price, Boosts Shares to Bag $61M in IPO”
Stamen Design and the “Hippie Geeks” of Data Visualization
Aziz Cami saw the immense potential of data visualization six years ago, when he became creative director for Kantar, an international consortium of companies that advise business clients on their strategic moves and brand identities. A hum-drum element of design that used to be called “charts and graphs” has now evolved into a powerful means … Continue reading “Stamen Design and the “Hippie Geeks” of Data Visualization”
As Atlas Splits, Is There A Case To Make In Venture For Specialists?
Readers of this column who are of a certain age might remember Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders in black eyeliner, dressed as a diner waitress singing, “I’m special, so special, and I gotta have some of your attention.” Swap “money” for “attention,” and it could be a refrain that venture capitalists are singing these days … Continue reading “As Atlas Splits, Is There A Case To Make In Venture For Specialists?”
Robots That Are Ready to Work, in Pictures
Even roboticists still debate exactly what a robot is. Is it a computer that moves, or a machine that can operate autonomously in reaction to its environment? What can be said for sure is that robotics is a set of technologies, often used for automation, and that humanoid robots are just one of many forms … Continue reading “Robots That Are Ready to Work, in Pictures”
Viamet Pulls IPO, Raises $60M, Spins Off Cancer Program
Viamet Pharmaceuticals has withdrawn plans for an initial public offering and has instead raised $60 million in private financing to pay for clinical trials of its lead antifungal drug candidate. Along with the Series D round of financing, the Durham, NC, company also said it would also spin out its prostate cancer program to existing … Continue reading “Viamet Pulls IPO, Raises $60M, Spins Off Cancer Program”
Connecture, WI Health Insurance Software Company, Plans $86M IPO
In a rare move for Wisconsin software companies, Brookfield-based Connecture plans to go public. The company intends to raise $86.25 million in an initial public offering on the Nasdaq stock exchange, according to documents filed with the SEC yesterday. While the IPO probably won’t turn heads nationally, Connecture’s filing comes at a time when tech … Continue reading “Connecture, WI Health Insurance Software Company, Plans $86M IPO”
Security Software Provider SilverSky Snapped Up by BAE Systems
SilverSky, a Milford, CT-based provider of cloud-based managed services and security software, said Tuesday it agreed to be acquired for $232.5 million by Britain’s BAE Systems and become part of the larger company’s applied intelligence division. SilverSky has offices in Boston, New York, Denver, Colorado Springs, CO, and Morrisville, NC, as well as in Florida … Continue reading “Security Software Provider SilverSky Snapped Up by BAE Systems”
Sanofi-Genzyme Joins $12M Round for T-Cell Therapy Startup, Unum
It’s no secret that cancer immunotherapy is exploding. The pharma and biotech world is abuzz trying to find the best ways to harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer. Startups are getting in on the act, too—like a new Cambridge, MA-based company, Unum Therapeutics, that just came out of the woodwork today … Continue reading “Sanofi-Genzyme Joins $12M Round for T-Cell Therapy Startup, Unum”
John Maeda on PopTech and VC Life: “Conferences Are the New College”
The 18th annual PopTech conference starts this Thursday in Camden, ME, and design luminary John Maeda is psyched. Maeda organized this year’s gathering of innovators, artists, and scientists. He’s a technologist and recovering academic who recently dived into the world of venture capital. Maeda joined VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers as “design partner” … Continue reading “John Maeda on PopTech and VC Life: “Conferences Are the New College””
Boston’s Life Science Disruptors: The Photos
How do you pull off a successful biotech IPO? With patience, preparation, and no fear of failure. Last week, I recapped our latest biotech event, “Boston’s Life Science Disruptors.” Attendees at the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research got a behind-the-scenes look at the ups and downs faced by three local biotechs—Zafgen, Epizyme, and Sage Therapeutics—on … Continue reading “Boston’s Life Science Disruptors: The Photos”
NYU Offers Guidance to Military Veterans Looking to Be Entrepreneurs
After serving our country, many veterans want to take on the challenge of creating opportunities for themselves. New York University has started some outreach to help former servicemen and women among its student body learn about becoming entrepreneurs. Last week, the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute brought together a panel to speak to veterans about using their … Continue reading “NYU Offers Guidance to Military Veterans Looking to Be Entrepreneurs”
StackIQ Raises $6M for Web-based IT Management Technology
San Diego-based StackIQ, which provides Web-based technology for managing highly distributed applications for “Big Data” and cloud computing, says today it has raised $6 million in a Series B round of funding. The capital infusion will be used to expand StackIQ’s operations, including sales and marketing for cluster management software that helps to automate the … Continue reading “StackIQ Raises $6M for Web-based IT Management Technology”
$25M Gift from Urban Science Founder to Spur Entrepreneurship at WSU
Earlier this month, Wayne State University’s College of Engineering announced a $25 million gift to boost the entrepreneurial efforts of faculty and students in order to help drive Detroit’s revitalization. The gift to the university was made by alum Jim Anderson, founder of Urban Science, and his wife, Patricia. The investment will create the James … Continue reading “$25M Gift from Urban Science Founder to Spur Entrepreneurship at WSU”
Texas Roundup: DNAtrix, Nanolinea, Wireless Seismic, Illumitex, TMCx
Today, Nantucket is more known as a bucolic summer retreat, an island of sun-dappled cobblestone streets and historic markers. But I realized during my travels there last week that the island is also an example of the ebb-and-flow of innovation. Before it became a tourist destination, Nantucket was, during the 18th and part of the … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: DNAtrix, Nanolinea, Wireless Seismic, Illumitex, TMCx”
Cubist CEO Bonney Steps Down After 12-Year Stint
Mike Bonney has seen Cubist Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CBST]]) build an unlikely narrative, rising from an antibiotics startup without a marketed product to a mid-cap biotech with the bank account to buy other nascent companies. Today, more than a decade into that work, Bonney is stepping aside. Bonney will officially step down from his post on … Continue reading “Cubist CEO Bonney Steps Down After 12-Year Stint”
San Diego’s Third-Quarter Venture Activity on Par, and Top 10 Deals
Venture capital funding for startups in the San Diego area ticked up slightly during the third quarter that ended Sept. 30, with $238.5 million invested in 27 deals, according to data from the MoneyTree Report. That was about a 7.2 percent increase over the $222.4 million that VCs invested in deals in the previous quarter, … Continue reading “San Diego’s Third-Quarter Venture Activity on Par, and Top 10 Deals”
BioPontis, Reborn as Nonprofit, Takes On Rare Disease Drugs
Of the more than 7,000 rare diseases that each affect just a sliver of the population, an estimated 95 percent of them have no treatment. The lack of treatments is an economic problem, not a scientific one, says Barbara Handelin, CEO of the BioPontis Alliance for Rare Diseases. Large pharmaceutical companies see little financial gain … Continue reading “BioPontis, Reborn as Nonprofit, Takes On Rare Disease Drugs”
With Invesco’s Support, PureTech Boosts Power to Back Startups
PureTech has always been tough to define. Though it was originally called PureTech Ventures, the Boston company isn’t a venture firm. Rather, it seeks out cost-efficient ways to create innovative life sciences startups in-house, instead of finding nascent companies and investing in them with others. It doesn’t raise the massive funds that a venture firm … Continue reading “With Invesco’s Support, PureTech Boosts Power to Back Startups”
Recurly Raises Another $12M to Grow Subscription Billing Platform
San Francisco-based Recurly, which untangles problems that arise with subscription revenue streams for companies including DishDigital, Groupon, and Zillow, said today it has raised $12 million in a Series B round from new and existing investors. Recurly launched its service in 2010 to troubleshoot for the growing number of businesses that receive recurring payments by … Continue reading “Recurly Raises Another $12M to Grow Subscription Billing Platform”
RoboBusiness: Workhorse Robots, Starter Kits, and Internet of Bots
Roboticists who attend business conferences don’t always have kind words for humanoid robots. It’s not that walking, talking androids aren’t cool, particularly if one could take the trash out for you. But entrepreneurs and investors in robotics are looking for something far more practical—and profitable—in the near term. Commercial viability and pragmatism was one of the … Continue reading “RoboBusiness: Workhorse Robots, Starter Kits, and Internet of Bots”
Post-MassChallenge, Healthtech Startup ConsortiEX Growing in WI
Consolidation is the name of the game these days in the healthcare industry, as hospitals, clinics, and private physician groups across the country are increasingly teaming up. While healthcare officials and critics of such mergers and acquisitions might disagree over the real motives behind them, there’s no question that healthcare providers are taking a hard … Continue reading “Post-MassChallenge, Healthtech Startup ConsortiEX Growing in WI”
Shanghai Report: Big Questions About China’s Growth Plans
It only took a few days after I returned from China for my eyes to stop burning, and maybe the slight cough was really due to the changing seasons in Boston and not the air pollution in Shanghai (now I better understand the amenity in my hotel room—see below). A small price to pay to … Continue reading “Shanghai Report: Big Questions About China’s Growth Plans”
Seattle Roundup: Costco, Sworl, GraphLab, AnswerDash, Tack, & More
In addition to significant funding rounds this week for employee behavior measurement company VoloMetrix, Amazon Web Services partner 2nd Watch, and solar energy developer OneEnergy Renewables, we’re noting developments from Seattle-area companies large (Costco and Alibaba) and small (picture framing startup Industrial Generosity). Read on for news from GraphLab, AnswerDash, Tack (nee Snap Skout), Moxi … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Costco, Sworl, GraphLab, AnswerDash, Tack, & More”
Colorado’s Zayo Worth $5B Following $400M IPO
Colorado telecom Zayo Group Holdings is now a public, $5 billion company, thanks to a massive IPO the Boulder-based company pulled off on Friday morning. Zayo (NYSE: [[ticker:ZAYO]]) initially priced the deal below its expectations—it sold shares to investors at $19 apiece, well below the range of $21 to $24 the company projected last week. … Continue reading “Colorado’s Zayo Worth $5B Following $400M IPO”
Innovation Hub: Introverts as Innovators
Entrepreneurs, bosses, and leaders are often highly social and extroverted—take Steve Jobs or Richard Branson. They can work a room. They derive energy from being around others. But what if being outgoing and extroverted isn’t actually the key to success in the workplace? Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Introverts as Innovators”
Smart Youths Create “Spark” Smartwatch That Keeps People Awake
For folks who fear nodding off on the job or during class, the team at Blanc believes their smartwatch can solve the problem. At last night’s Getgeeked gadget show in New York, CEO Eddy Zhong, a 17-year-old high schooler, showed off his startup’s Spark watch, which detects if someone may be dozing and vibrates to … Continue reading “Smart Youths Create “Spark” Smartwatch That Keeps People Awake”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Illumina, Atara, Invitae, Canaan & More
From big venture firms to tiny genomics startups, we’ve got plenty to round up this week—beyond biotech, too, as the San Francisco Giants head east to the biggest baseball rodeo for the third time in five years, thanks to Seattle native Travis Ishikawa (pictured). Here’s the windup, and the pitch… —Canaan Partners of Westport, CT, … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Illumina, Atara, Invitae, Canaan & More”
VC Funding Still Robust as Year-to-Date Total Exceeds 2013
Venture capital activity is down from a 13-year high during the second quarter, but a new MoneyTree Report released today shows that venture funding was still going strong in the three months that ended Sept. 30, with $9.9 billion invested in 1,023 deals. That was almost a 27 percent drop from the $13.5 billion that … Continue reading “VC Funding Still Robust as Year-to-Date Total Exceeds 2013”
Minerva’s Virtual College Scores Backing to Grow
The Minerva Project, a San Francisco-based for-profit that aims to provide an Ivy League-caliber college degree for $10,000 a year, says it has closed on the bulk of a $70 million Series B round that will allow it to scale up its freshman class next year. While many online education companies are grafting themselves to … Continue reading “Minerva’s Virtual College Scores Backing to Grow”
Chimerix Antiviral to Start in Ebola Clinical Trial
Chimerix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CMRX]]) is cleared to start a clinical trial studying its antiviral drug brincidofovir in patients infected with Ebola. The Durham, NC, company announced today that the Food and Drug Administration gave the green light to test the compound in a Phase 2 trial. Chimerix gave no details on the size of the trial, … Continue reading “Chimerix Antiviral to Start in Ebola Clinical Trial”
Atara Bio Pays the Price for Delayed IPO, Sinks in Debut
Atara Biotherapeutics took a fairly unusual route to the Nasdaq. The Brisbane, CA-based company looked all set to price an IPO in July before abruptly yanking the offering, reportedly due to pending data on one of its drugs. After a small hiatus and a tiny deal with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to add to its … Continue reading “Atara Bio Pays the Price for Delayed IPO, Sinks in Debut”
MyHealthDirect Raises $8M, Mum About Plans For Milwaukee Operations
MyHealthDirect, a healthcare scheduling software company founded nine years ago in the Milwaukee area, has raised $8 million to help it expand—but it’s unclear how much of that will involve the local office. MyHealthDirect’s registered business address is still in Brookfield, WI, where it was born. But the location listed at the bottom of its … Continue reading “MyHealthDirect Raises $8M, Mum About Plans For Milwaukee Operations”
Canaan Closes $675M Fund, One Of Venture’s Ten Largest This Year
In a year of big venture capital numbers, Canaan Partners has provided one of the biggest. The Westport, CT-based firm announced Thursday a $675 million fund, its tenth. As with its previous general funds, Canaan, which also has a main office in Silicon Valley, will put the money into both tech and life sciences. Both … Continue reading “Canaan Closes $675M Fund, One Of Venture’s Ten Largest This Year”
U-M Spinout OcuSciences Is Medical Main Street Innovator of the Year
OcuSciences, an Ann Arbor, MI-based medical device startup spun out of technology developed at the University of Michigan, has been named the “innovator of the year” by Medical Main Street, an initiative to establish Oakland County as a center of innovation in medical research and development, education, and commercialization. The award honors the inventors of … Continue reading “U-M Spinout OcuSciences Is Medical Main Street Innovator of the Year”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Raze, Retrophin, Alnylam, & More
After a one-week hiatus, the roundup is back, and we’ve got plenty of news to take your mind off of Ebola, the plunging stock market, and the now-defunct AbbVie-Shire megamerger. Let’s get right to it: —A month after leaving Epizyme for a return to the venture capital world, Jason Rhodes took the helm of a … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Raze, Retrophin, Alnylam, & More”
Coalition Aims to Fortify MA Robotics Cluster, Turn Town into Test Bed
Massachusetts wants your robots. Local companies and universities are organizing an “innovation hub” that includes a startup incubator, educational programs, and potentially a whole town to test self-driving cars and drone package delivery in real-world conditions. Central to the effort is MassRobotics, a non-profit designed to grow the robotics industry by fostering collaboration between academia, … Continue reading “Coalition Aims to Fortify MA Robotics Cluster, Turn Town into Test Bed”
Boston Tech Tidbits: Digital Guardian, MassChallenge, Nara, Quantopian
Lots going on in the Boston tech startup scene this week: —Accelerator program MassChallenge announced its top 26 startups that are competing for prize money. The awards ceremony is Oct. 29, and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is keynoting. —Nara Logics has raised $6 million more from .406 Ventures and other investors. The Cambridge, MA, startup, … Continue reading “Boston Tech Tidbits: Digital Guardian, MassChallenge, Nara, Quantopian”
Joint Harvard-MIT Events to Showcase Innovation Across Energy Spectrum
Having grown up in a small town in eastern North Carolina, going to Harvard for college was more than a dream come true. I still remember from my campus visit feeling my jaw drop as I wandered into the freshman dining hall that looked like the Great Hall straight out of the Harry Potter books. … Continue reading “Joint Harvard-MIT Events to Showcase Innovation Across Energy Spectrum”