[Updated 8/19/14 1:40 pm. See below.] The motivation for a Kickstarter campaign that San Diego-based Spark Aerial began last week is made almost comically manifest following a short introduction that includes some spectacular outdoor video shot from remotely operated drones. It is a compilation of out-of-control drones, careening and crashing into rooftops, trees, lakes, and chasing … Continue reading “Startup Has a Higher Purpose in Funding a Flight School for Drones”
Category: National
Rapt Media Raises $3.1M to Drive Interactive Video Advertising
Online videos seem to be “the next big thing” in digital advertising, and companies that help clients create content stand to benefit. One example is Rapt Media, a Boulder, CO-based startup. The company recently raised a $3.1 million Series A round. Rapt Media makes cloud-based software that helps customers create interactive videos and integrate them … Continue reading “Rapt Media Raises $3.1M to Drive Interactive Video Advertising”
LED Maker Xicato Plots Move into “Internet of Lights”
As an executive at Philips, Gerard Harbers developed technology that helped expand the use of LED lighting in TV monitors, streetlights, and outdoor signs. But when it came to the LEDs in his own home, he couldn’t stand the quality of light. Motivated by his own experience, he co-founded Xicato to create light from LEDs … Continue reading “LED Maker Xicato Plots Move into “Internet of Lights””
The Perfect Hacker Storm: CyberVor Was Lightning; Here Comes Thunder
A Russian “hacker gang” they’ve dubbed CyberVor accumulated more than 1.2 unique user credentials from more than 420,000 Web services, ranging from smaller sites to major household names. For scale – if the CyberVor hack were a box office return, it would be the total global gross of the final Harry Potter as compared to … Continue reading “The Perfect Hacker Storm: CyberVor Was Lightning; Here Comes Thunder”
Tokai, Chasing the Field in Prostate Cancer, Files For IPO
Tokai Pharmaceuticals has been chasing after the big players in the prostate cancer field with the idea of combining some of the best features of their drugs into a single pill. Now, with that lead drug candidate, galeterone, on the precipice of a late-stage trial, it’s taking that pitch to Wall Street. Cambridge, MA-based Tokai … Continue reading “Tokai, Chasing the Field in Prostate Cancer, Files For IPO”
While Protesters Rage Against Tech Giants, Biotech Drives Quietly By
Not long ago, biotech made a lot of people angry. Up until 2005 or so, the annual Biotechnology Industry Organization conference attracted large street protests, which in turn attracted cops in riot gear in some cases (see San Francisco, 2004) as well as the attention of the industry’s top brass. Here’s then-BIO president Carl Feldbaum … Continue reading “While Protesters Rage Against Tech Giants, Biotech Drives Quietly By”
Wisconsin Roundup: Midwest Angel Investors, Epic, Cellectar, & More
Midwest investors flex their muscles, while Epic Systems faces stiffer competition in the electronic health records software space. Read on for details about these and other stories from the Wisconsin innovation scene. —The Great Lakes region accounted for 17.1 percent of angel investments in the first quarter, according to the latest Halo Report from Silicon … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Midwest Angel Investors, Epic, Cellectar, & More”
Tumml Accelerator Evolving Formula For Urban Venture Financing
Call it social entrepreneurship, impact investing, or urban ventures—Clara Brenner and her friend Julie Lein were sold on the idea after they each did a summer stint with a community-based enterprise before earning their MBAs in 2012. “We were just really impressed by the ability of these startups to have a huge positive impact on … Continue reading “Tumml Accelerator Evolving Formula For Urban Venture Financing”
Techstars Seattle Picks 10 Startups for 3-Month Accelerator
It’s becoming a late-summer tradition in Seattle tech: The naming of the new startup companies selected for Techstars. The 10 selected for the 2014 class—which is the startup accelerator’s fifth in Seattle, and its first in new University District digs—have a broad range of target markets, from air conditioner controls to fashion to video for … Continue reading “Techstars Seattle Picks 10 Startups for 3-Month Accelerator”
Exact Sciences’ Cologuard Approved Simultaneously by FDA, CMS
[Updated, 8/12/14, 8:13 a.m ET] The FDA approved Exact Sciences’ Cologuard test today, signing off on the first non-invasive, stool-based DNA screening test for colorectal cancer. The announcement isn’t a surprise, given the unanimous endorsement of the test in March by an FDA advisory panel that reviewed data from the company’s 10,000-patient clinical study. But … Continue reading “Exact Sciences’ Cologuard Approved Simultaneously by FDA, CMS”
Assemble Aims to Create Disruptive, Online Chamber of Commerce
When Kate Catlin, a Venture for America fellow based in Detroit, biked across the country the summer before her freshman year of college, she was struck by how many mom and pop businesses had been closed and boarded up in the towns she passed through. “We’d ask people where the businesses went, and they would … Continue reading “Assemble Aims to Create Disruptive, Online Chamber of Commerce”
Consumer Review Site Trustpilot Expands Its New York Footprint
Online review site Trustpilot is ramping up its New York staff. The Danish company opened new offices here in late July as it expands operations around the world. Trustpilot lets people review their experiences with e-commerce companies in such industries as travel, retail, and online services. The site also lets the reviewed businesses interact with those … Continue reading “Consumer Review Site Trustpilot Expands Its New York Footprint”
Austin’s Besomebody Finds Market in Individuals’ Passions
Kash Shaikh wants to help people make money by pursuing their passions. His vehicle for that mission is a startup called Besomebody. Shaikh spent 10 years at Procter & Gamble, working on social media campaigns for everyday household products sold by the multinational giant. But it was doing the same for GoPro where he says … Continue reading “Austin’s Besomebody Finds Market in Individuals’ Passions”
3 Startup Myths Debunked by Recent Eau Claire Tech News
Wisconsin economic development officials and startup advocates like to say that innovation happens in all parts of the state, not just in its two biggest cities, Milwaukee and Madison. That mantra isn’t always evident, given the lower level of startup activity outside the state’s two hubs. But there certainly are pockets of innovation statewide. I’ll … Continue reading “3 Startup Myths Debunked by Recent Eau Claire Tech News”
Moneyball Meets Sales and Marketing: Tips from Two Masters
Moneyball has come to sales and marketing. I’m trusting you know about the revolution that hit baseball due to the arrival of sophisticated data and analytics—and if you don’t, well, read Moneyball by Michael Lewis. It shouldn’t be a surprise, in any case, to hear that the same type of data-mining and number-crunching that turned … Continue reading “Moneyball Meets Sales and Marketing: Tips from Two Masters”
Standing on a Ledge Once Again, Amicus Holds Breath for Latest Study
When a biotech’s lead drug candidate fails in a clinical trial, it’s often the death knell for the company. But Cranbury, NJ-based Amicus Therapeutics has eluded the biotech version of the Grim Reaper not just once, but twice, with two different drugs. With each failure, Amicus had to keep things together, downsize, conserve cash, and … Continue reading “Standing on a Ledge Once Again, Amicus Holds Breath for Latest Study”
Boston Tech Roundup: RedPoint, Verdasys, Directr
Here’s a few deals to catch up on as we wrap up another summer week around the Boston-area technology sector: —RedPoint Global, a Wellesley Hills, MA-based software company, has raised $5.2 million in venture investment. The round was led by Grotech Ventures and joined by Sagamore Ventures. RedPoint offers products aimed at digital marketing and data … Continue reading “Boston Tech Roundup: RedPoint, Verdasys, Directr”
Innovation Hub: Forget Big Bets—Success Means Thinking Small
If you want to reap big rewards, you’ve got to take big risks. Right? Not according to Peter Sims, author of Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries, who argues that companies from Google to Hewlett-Packard have cashed in by thinking small, floating trial balloons, and understanding that micro failures are inevitable. I … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Forget Big Bets—Success Means Thinking Small”
DreamIt NY Demo Day Spotlights Fashion Tech, Mobile Payments, Others
The DreamIt Ventures accelerator brought its show to Times Square this week, hosting a demo day for eleven startups from its latest New York class. A highly mixed bag of companies took the stage, including fashion and e-commerce startup Browsy and Acorn, whose app triggers reminders and messages based on the user’s location (Read about the … Continue reading “DreamIt NY Demo Day Spotlights Fashion Tech, Mobile Payments, Others”
Good News for Detroit: American Axle Plans New $20M Tech Center
More good news for Michigan’s auto industry came this week when, at the annual Center for Automotive Research conference, auto supplier American Axle announced it would spend approximately $20 million to open a new technology development center in Detroit. “We’re pleased to be growing here in Detroit again,” says Chris Son, American Axle’s director of … Continue reading “Good News for Detroit: American Axle Plans New $20M Tech Center”
Seattle Roundup: Rover, Tune, Rhapsody, Rightside, Zillow, Ada
This week’s Seattle tech news roundup features an acquisitions by Rover, Tune, and Rhapsody; the emergence of Rightside Group as a publicly-traded player in Internet domain names; a new mobile mortgage pre-approval feature from Zillow; and a new class of students at the Ada Developers Academy. Details: —Seattle-based Rover.com, fresh off of a $12 million … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Rover, Tune, Rhapsody, Rightside, Zillow, Ada”
Linda Stone’s Antidote to Quantified Self: The Essential Self
The Quantified Self movement emerged in the late 2000s in response to an absence: the lack of useful data about our bodies as we move through the day. Before the QS era, an EKG could show you your heart rhythms; a lab analysis could show you your cholesterol levels; a treadmill stress test could measure … Continue reading “Linda Stone’s Antidote to Quantified Self: The Essential Self”
500 Startups’ Dave McClure to Kick Off 2014 Denver Startup Week
It’s unlikely that many people know more about tech startups than Dave McClure, so the well-known Silicon Valley angel investor is sure to have an attentive audience as he kicks off this year’s Denver Startup Week. McClure, who is the founder of the 500 Startups seed fund and accelerator, will speak Sept. 15 and is … Continue reading “500 Startups’ Dave McClure to Kick Off 2014 Denver Startup Week”
Stealthy Device Startup Invisible Connect Gets $2.5M From WI Investor
Invisible Connect, a stealthy hardware startup based in Eau Claire, WI, has raised $2.5 million in seed money from an unnamed Wisconsin investor, according to the founder and an SEC document. Founder and president Scott Strangstalien is mum on details about what Invisible Connect is working on, but he says it’s developing a dozen devices … Continue reading “Stealthy Device Startup Invisible Connect Gets $2.5M From WI Investor”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: MappBio, Juno, Zosano, and More
The IPO window is still open, sort of, but life sciences companies are not getting through unscathed. San Francisco-based Tobira Therapeutics and New York’s Microlin Bio postponed their offerings after Lexington, MA-based T2 Biosystems and Switzerland’s Auris Medical slashed the terms of their Nasdaq IPOs this week. Now all eyes are on San Diego-based Otonomy, … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: MappBio, Juno, Zosano, and More”
T2 Biosystems Sputters Through IPO Queue, Raises $57M
If the question was how a diagnostics company would fare in a sputtering IPO market, the answer for T2 Biosystems was: not too well. The Lexington, MA-based company priced well below its projected range, raising about $57.2 million before paying its underwriters. T2 aimed to raise as much as $68 million by selling 4 million … Continue reading “T2 Biosystems Sputters Through IPO Queue, Raises $57M”
Proof of the Seattle Freeze? People Take Fewer In-Person Meetings via App
Here’s some possible evidence of the Seattle Freeze, that social ill that gives Seattleites a reputation for being superficially friendly but non-committal to newcomers: People in Seattle using a new app for business networking agreed to take half as many in-person meetings with other users, compared to people in San Francisco. The app is called … Continue reading “Proof of the Seattle Freeze? People Take Fewer In-Person Meetings via App”
From DDR to VC, First 1 Million Cups Milwaukee Event Sparks Fun Talk
Milwaukee is considered a mid-tier city with a relatively tiny tech startup scene that has started to pick up some momentum over the last three or four years. But despite the small scale, the local startup community still seems isolated at times. That’s something Brian Taffora would like to help turn around with the creation … Continue reading “From DDR to VC, First 1 Million Cups Milwaukee Event Sparks Fun Talk”
Startups from China, Argentina, & Mexico Come to Dallas’s VentureSpur
Dallas accelerator VentureSpur announced Wednesday that it has selected seven startups as part of its second class beginning Aug. 18. The startups, which feature mobile and e-commerce companies, hail from home in Texas to China, Mexico, and Argentina. The accelerator started three years ago in Oklahoma City and last year ran a program there as … Continue reading “Startups from China, Argentina, & Mexico Come to Dallas’s VentureSpur”
Hardware and Software Converge at the August New York Tech Meetup
The digital and real worlds came together at this month’s New York Tech Meetup. Monday night’s gathering featured demos by the likes of Ringly, a type of “smart jewelry” which alerts the wearer to incoming messages; MongoDB talking up its new server management tools; and online library MyMiniFactory, which features 3D printing designs people can … Continue reading “Hardware and Software Converge at the August New York Tech Meetup”
CrowdRise is On a Mission to Make Crowdfunding Fun and Easy
In 2009, the actor Ed Norton, Moosejaw founder Robert Wolfe, and a small team of their friends launched a fundraising campaign to raise money for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust during the New York City Marathon. In less than eight weeks, the group raised $1.2 million, much of it from small donors who gave more … Continue reading “CrowdRise is On a Mission to Make Crowdfunding Fun and Easy”
Novozymes’ BioAg R&D Turns to Microbials to Boost Crop Yields
Before Colin Bletsky’s work took him around the world to talk about agricultural microbials, he was using them himself in the fertile region often called Canada’s breadbasket. Bletsky, now global bioag strategic alliance director for Novozymes, still farms at his Saskatchewan home. It’s too far north for corn or soy, but he uses microbials—beneficial microorganisms … Continue reading “Novozymes’ BioAg R&D Turns to Microbials to Boost Crop Yields”
JAMF Software Exec Talks Apple’s Evolution, Investing With Bon Iver
Zach Halmstad can thank a shuttered sandwich shop for his tech career. While studying music at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire around the turn of the millennium, Halmstad was helping to pay the bills by working at the sandwich place. When the business closed down, he took a job at the university providing tech support … Continue reading “JAMF Software Exec Talks Apple’s Evolution, Investing With Bon Iver”
Audit Finds Business, Government Fails at E-mail Authentication
As e-mail users, we’ve gone from being spammed to phished to precision-targeting spear phished, and the biggest companies on the Internet aren’t doing enough about it. That’s the takeaway from a report out today by the Online Trust Alliance (OTA), a member-funded nonprofit group that has worked for the last decade on cleaning up the … Continue reading “Audit Finds Business, Government Fails at E-mail Authentication”
Denver-based Video Advertising Startup Altitude Digital Raises $7M
Climbing demand for online video ads continues to benefit Colorado startups. Altitude Digital announced this week it has secured a $7 million credit facility from Silicon Valley Bank. The Denver-based startup will use the money to double its headcount as it tries to increase the number of digital publishers using its ad sales software. Altitude … Continue reading “Denver-based Video Advertising Startup Altitude Digital Raises $7M”
How Google, Microsoft, and Amazon’s Boston-Area Offices Stack Up
The biggest names in technology have very few boundaries when it comes to competing with each other. Take the smartphone market, where Amazon, Google, Apple, and Microsoft—four companies with very different core business models—have all made huge investments. At the core of that competition is a race to hire the engineers, designers, developers, and other … Continue reading “How Google, Microsoft, and Amazon’s Boston-Area Offices Stack Up”
Navdy Aims to Keep Phone Users’ Eyes on the Road
The idea behind Navdy, a heads-up device that sits on car dashboards and allows drivers to answer calls and get navigation help without ever touching their phones, came about the obvious way. “It really started with one too many ‘oh shit’ moments in the car,” says company CEO Doug Simpson. “Fumbling around with my phone … Continue reading “Navdy Aims to Keep Phone Users’ Eyes on the Road”
Funding Options Shrink for Early-Stage Cleantech Ventures
The term “cleantech” has gone through a rebranding. However it’s defined, though, investment in energy and natural resource-related startups continues. Just don’t expect venture capitalists to be writing all the checks. As a reporter, I chronicled the rush of venture capital in cleantech in the mid-to-late 2000s and the subsequent financial bust and politicization of … Continue reading “Funding Options Shrink for Early-Stage Cleantech Ventures”
Nuclear Startup Transatomic Power Lands $2M From Founders Fund
Transatomic Power wants to build a new type of nuclear reactor, an endeavor that could take many years and hundreds of millions of dollars. Today, the startup is announcing that it’s landed a venture investor—Founders Fund—willing to bankroll one early step in the journey. Cambridge, MA-based Transatomic has raised $2 million from FF Science, a … Continue reading “Nuclear Startup Transatomic Power Lands $2M From Founders Fund”
BitGlass Raises $25M Round to Make Using Cloud Apps More Secure
We’re well into the era of cloud applications and “bring your own device,” and yet securing data on smartphones and tablets remains a major challenge for businesses, their IT teams, and their employees. While it’s a big headache for them, it’s also becoming clear just how big an opportunity it is if IT security companies … Continue reading “BitGlass Raises $25M Round to Make Using Cloud Apps More Secure”
With $310M and Public Investors Aboard, Is a Juno IPO Next?
We won’t know for some time whether the cancer immunotherapies under development at high-powered Seattle startup Juno Therapeutics are the real deal. But there are plenty of investors willing to bet on them. Juno announced today that it has raised a $134 million Series B round from all of its “major” prior investors—the company didn’t … Continue reading “With $310M and Public Investors Aboard, Is a Juno IPO Next?”
Wisconsin Roundup: Uber, Lovell, BrightStar, Energy Incubator & More
Here are a few notable recent happenings in Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Controversial startups Uber and Lyft have gone legit in Milwaukee, after Mayor Tom Barrett signed legislation last week that legalizes the on-demand transportation apps and lifts the cap on city taxi permits, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported. Uber and Lyft, which have … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Uber, Lovell, BrightStar, Energy Incubator & More”
Canceling Washington R&D Incentives Will Erase Success
This post was co-authored by Ranken and Eric Viola, the Washington Clean Technology Alliance’s public policy analyst. Washington state’s principal high tech innovation tax incentives are set to expire on January 1. Adopted in 1994, the programs removed large tax barriers to performing new research and development activities in Washington. They have been counted on … Continue reading “Canceling Washington R&D Incentives Will Erase Success”
ComScore Buys Software Startup MdotLabs, Keeps Madison Office
MdotLabs has been acquired by ComScore for an undisclosed price, just 14 months after the Madison, WI, startup was formed. MdotLabs created software, AdSecure, to help digital publishers and online advertisers verify Web traffic by sifting out bogus visits by click farms and other fraudsters. The company raised $1.25 million in November from Chicago Ventures, … Continue reading “ComScore Buys Software Startup MdotLabs, Keeps Madison Office”
Texas Roundup: Funding, Relocations, & Techstars Cloud Returns
[Updated 8/5/14 8:47 am. See below.] It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the Texas innovation community. Here are some of the highlights: —Bluegrass Vascular Technologies might have to change its name. The three-year-old Kentucky medtech firm announced last week that it had closed on $4.5 million in funding from Targeted Technology, a San Antonio, TX-based … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Funding, Relocations, & Techstars Cloud Returns”
Roundup: JEMS, MSU Bootcamp, FordDirect, Start Garden, U-M Solar Car
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —War Memorial Hospital in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, is now using technology from Orion, MI-based healthtech startup JEMS to connect patients to specialist health care providers remotely. JEMS’ telehealth platform allows War Memorial staff to send live, streaming videos through iPhones, iPads, or Android devices … Continue reading “Roundup: JEMS, MSU Bootcamp, FordDirect, Start Garden, U-M Solar Car”
As Book Prices Drop, Big Publishers Push Into Software and Edtech
Don’t look now, but textbook publishers are trying to become software companies. And tech startups are trying to outmaneuver these giants to win the future of educational content and tools. It’s one of the big trends in edtech and digital media. Indeed, digital publishing has “fundamentally changed every aspect of what we are doing with … Continue reading “As Book Prices Drop, Big Publishers Push Into Software and Edtech”
Jenny Fielding Talks Plans for Next R/GA Techstars Accelerator Class
A few things have changed at the R/GA Accelerator in New York. When it was created last summer through a partnership between Techstars and New York-based digital marketing agency R/GA, the focus was on new ideas in connected devices. But for the forthcoming class, the scope has broadened a bit to include the Internet of … Continue reading “Jenny Fielding Talks Plans for Next R/GA Techstars Accelerator Class”
Enumeral Raises $21.5M, Heads to the OTC Via Reverse Merger
(Updated, 8/5/14, 9:10 am ET) Enumeral Biomedical started up a few years ago around a new way to help scientists measure how the body responds to infection and disease. Today, with a few partnerships and in-house drug candidates under its belt, the Cambridge, MA, and New York-based startup is heading into the public markets to … Continue reading “Enumeral Raises $21.5M, Heads to the OTC Via Reverse Merger”
Axial Exchange Aims to Keep Patients Healthy Outside the Hospital
The United States has some of the best hospitals in the world. That’s why 800,000 international patients come here every year seeking specialty care, according to data from Chapel Hill, NC-based Patients Beyond Borders. If only the great care most patients receive while they’re inside the hospital could continue after they’ve left. Too often, patients are … Continue reading “Axial Exchange Aims to Keep Patients Healthy Outside the Hospital”