When Neema Moraveji and Jonathan Palley first started working on Spire, a wearable device that tracks movement but also measures state of mind, there were no wearables on the market. A few years later, it seems like almost everyone is clipping on a tiny device to track movement and fitness. But to Palley, the device … Continue reading “Spire Takes Wearables Beyond Steps, Measuring Breaths to Track Mood”
Category: National
With $22M, True North Points Toward Rare-Disease Clinical Trials
True North Therapeutics has topped off a $22 million round of Series A funding, the company said Tuesday, and will push its lead drug candidate into clinical trials next year. The South San Francisco, CA-based startup is a sequel, of sorts. It started out as a second research program at iPierian, which, after a tumultuous … Continue reading “With $22M, True North Points Toward Rare-Disease Clinical Trials”
Gener8tor Grad Review Trackers Gets $2M From Wisconsin Investors
Fresh off its participation in Gener8tor’s startup accelerator program in Wisconsin, Chicago-based Review Trackers has raised $2 million in Series A funding, mostly from Badger State investors. Review Trackers, which built software to help businesses monitor and analyze what customers say about them online, previously raised $160,000 in seed money from angel investors, friends, and … Continue reading “Gener8tor Grad Review Trackers Gets $2M From Wisconsin Investors”
San Diego Startup Week: 4 Tips for Raising Seed-Stage Capital
In 2013, our team embarked on fundraising efforts for TapHunter, a San Diego-based Internet startup. Our Web-based software helps bars, restaurants, bottle shops, tasting rooms, and breweries operate more efficiently and our mobile app helps consumers find their favorite craft beer, spirits, and cocktails. After launching our business-to-business tools in 2012, we spent last summer … Continue reading “San Diego Startup Week: 4 Tips for Raising Seed-Stage Capital”
One More Thought From Boston 2034: Tech + Biotech + Cleantech = ?
When we assembled some of the top business leaders and thinkers across New England for Boston 2034 last week, I noticed a high-level theme: we were trying to break down barriers between innovation sectors. Like most communities, Boston is pretty segregated by industry. The tech people don’t know their Agios from their Acceleron (both public … Continue reading “One More Thought From Boston 2034: Tech + Biotech + Cleantech = ?”
Consolidation in CO: Level 3 to Acquire TW Telecom in $7.3B Deal
In a move sure to shake up the telecom industry—locally as well as globally—Level 3 Communications announced Monday that it will acquire TW Telecom for about $7.3 billion in a cash and stock deal. The companies are both based in Colorado and are among the leaders in the state’s tech industry, as well as the … Continue reading “Consolidation in CO: Level 3 to Acquire TW Telecom in $7.3B Deal”
The Future of Work, Plus or Minus E-mail
I. Too Much of a Good Thing I’ll begin by admitting my biases. I don’t like electronic mail. In the pre-Internet days of the 1970s, when e-mail as we know it was invented, it may have been a decent solution to a certain problem—namely, the need for users logged into a single mainframe, server, or … Continue reading “The Future of Work, Plus or Minus E-mail”
Wisconsin Roundup: Wellbe, Kiio, Cellectar, RideScout, & More
Two Madison startups are raising more capital. Madison-based biotech Cellectar Biosciences intends to trade on the Nasdaq stock exchange. RideScout has entered the Wisconsin market. And Milwaukee-area electric car drivers have new charging stations. Read on for a breakdown of last week’s Wisconsin innovation and tech news. —Madison-based Wellbe has raised $425,000 in a debt … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Wellbe, Kiio, Cellectar, RideScout, & More”
Emerging Startup Scene Sparks Hope for Tech Renaissance in Tijuana
In a large grey building that was once a supermarket, just south of Tijuana’s downtown, a group of some 50 of the city’s young aspiring entrepreneurs wait their turn to explain a business idea whose time, each feels, has surely come. It’s Friday night. Many of the participants are business managers or professionals. They represent … Continue reading “Emerging Startup Scene Sparks Hope for Tech Renaissance in Tijuana”
Bluebird’s Gene Therapy Quickly Halts Blood Disease in Small Study
As a gene therapy company, Bluebird Bio was a surprising IPO star in 2013. After all, it’s working in a field that was kicked to the curb in the previous decade. What’s more, it made its IPO pitch on the back of the slimmest amount of data. But details from a new study released this … Continue reading “Bluebird’s Gene Therapy Quickly Halts Blood Disease in Small Study”
Boston Tech Roundup: Boston-Power, Imprivata, CloudLock, & More
There’s fundraising news big and small, along with an acquisition, in this wrapup of the week’s Boston-area innovation headlines: —A Boston-bred cleantech company is rearing its head again, spurred on by competition with Elon Musk’s Tesla Motors. The Wall Street Journal reports that Boston-Power, a developer of advanced lithium ion battery technology, is raising $250 … Continue reading “Boston Tech Roundup: Boston-Power, Imprivata, CloudLock, & More”
Flashpoint Makes Return Visit to New York for a Demo Day
It can be worthwhile to look beyond one’s surrounding geography to discover new ideas. Eleven new graduates and two alumni of the Atlanta, GA-based Flashpoint accelerator hosted a demo day this week in New York. Flashpoint has come to town before, giving its teams a chance to connect with the local investor and innovation scene. But … Continue reading “Flashpoint Makes Return Visit to New York for a Demo Day”
Seattle (Location) Roundup: Dwellable, Buuteeq, Medio Systems
It’s all about location this week. Two Seattle-based companies doing interesting things with location, Placed and Glympse, raised eight-digit venture rounds this week. Meanwhile, we saw a couple of Seattle-based travel companies, Dwellable and Buuteeq, raising capital and being acquired, respectively. Also getting its M&A on was Medio Systems, which is being acquired by HERE, … Continue reading “Seattle (Location) Roundup: Dwellable, Buuteeq, Medio Systems”
Innovation Hub: Twitter’s Deb Roy Sees More Change Ahead for TV
It’s fair to say that Deb Roy is obsessed with Twitter. In 2008, he started Bluefin Labs to understand the power and influence of social media. He looked at how the public viewed political candidates, brands, and TV shows. And the data he gathered was so valuable that last year, Twitter gobbled up Bluefin, making … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Twitter’s Deb Roy Sees More Change Ahead for TV”
Houston’s ChaiOne Sees a Role for the Internet of Things in Industry
Much of the discussion around the “Internet of Things” has focused on how such connectedness will impact our everyday lives as consumers. ChaiOne’s Gaurav Khandelwal has been focusing on how IoT, as it’s known, can make businesses processes more efficient. Houston-based ChaiOne designs and develops mobile app platforms for large companies, and Khandelwal sees a … Continue reading “Houston’s ChaiOne Sees a Role for the Internet of Things in Industry”
Glympse Raises $12M to Forge More Location-Sharing Partnerships
[Updated, 8:45 am. See below.] Seattle-based Glympse, which allows people to temporarily share their location from mobile phones and a growing array of other devices, has raised $12 million from UMC Capital, Verizon Ventures, and other investors. The company is finding its greatest success through partnerships that have seen Glympse integrated directly into mobile handsets, … Continue reading “Glympse Raises $12M to Forge More Location-Sharing Partnerships”
How I Conquered My Reading List Using Pocket
If you’re a student, a researcher, a knowledge worker, or an entrepreneur, you probably swim in ideas all day long. Like it or not, replenishing those ideas through reading is a huge part of your job. After all, it’s hard to make new knowledge without old knowledge; it’s impossible to see new connections unless you … Continue reading “How I Conquered My Reading List Using Pocket”
Boston 2034: Photos From Our Look at the Next 20 Years
Predicting the next five years can seem like a pretty tall order these days. So why organize an all-day conference around the idea of sketching out the next two decades? Well, for starters, that’s how you get people thinking big. And the speakers at Boston 2034, our biggest and boldest conference yet, certainly didn’t disappoint. … Continue reading “Boston 2034: Photos From Our Look at the Next 20 Years”
Madworks Seed Accelerator Aims to Polish Startups For Gener8tor
A new mini-accelerator has joined the growing list of resources for entrepreneurs in Madison, WI. Madworks Coworking at UW Campus, a pilot seed accelerator, launches next week with a $90,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Out of about 70 applicants, a group of 11 startups were accepted into the inaugural class, says Anne … Continue reading “Madworks Seed Accelerator Aims to Polish Startups For Gener8tor”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Dendreon, Venter, Orexigen, & More
What did we learn out west the past seven days? Orexigen will have to wait at least three more months to learn if it can market its obesity drug. Four companies in our coverage cities inched closer to the public markets. Dendreon CEO John Johnson decided to step down, and Peter Thiel’s Breakout Labs decided … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Dendreon, Venter, Orexigen, & More”
Moderna, Changing Its Identity, Plots Army of mRNA Spinouts
Kendall Square has found its newest biotech incubator. Moderna Therapeutics just had no idea it’d be the one running it. Moderna, the high-flying, privately held startup that raised more than $400 million through a string of deals and financings over the few years without even having a drug in the clinic yet, is moving into … Continue reading “Moderna, Changing Its Identity, Plots Army of mRNA Spinouts”
Madison’s Tech Future: 5 Ways It Could Succeed, 5 Ways It Could Fail
Silicon Valley wasn’t built overnight. Neither were smaller, newer tech startup hubs like Austin, TX, and Boulder, CO. In the Midwest, Madison, WI, hasn’t yet reached that level, but the city is gradually and quietly positioning itself to at least join the conversation. Xconomy has been closely following Madison’s aspirations to be a healthtech startup … Continue reading “Madison’s Tech Future: 5 Ways It Could Succeed, 5 Ways It Could Fail”
FDA Delays Action on Orexigen’s Anti-Obesity Drug by 3 Months
The share price of San Diego’s Orexigen Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OREX]]), which had been riding a wave of investor anticipation, lost over a dollar, or more than 16 percent, after the FDA extended its review of the company’s weight-loss drug by three months. Investors had bet over the past two months or so that federal regulators … Continue reading “FDA Delays Action on Orexigen’s Anti-Obesity Drug by 3 Months”
Robots for Grandma: 3 Big Problems to Tackle as the Population Ages
A future of robotic assistants and self-driving cars isn’t so far away. Just look at some of the luxury cars on the market today, Rethink Robotics founder Rodney Brooks says. The Mercedes-Benz S Class, for example, is loaded with sensors that can detect the roadway and take over the car’s safety systems, from tightening the … Continue reading “Robots for Grandma: 3 Big Problems to Tackle as the Population Ages”
Ibotta Raises $20M for Mobile App that Delivers Rebates to Consumers
Ibotta, a Denver-based startup, specializes in helping users of its mobile savings app earn cash. The company itself has been pretty good at raising money since its founding in 2011, and it just closed a $20 million round, according to a recent SEC filing. Ibotta makes a free app for iOS and Android that, it … Continue reading “Ibotta Raises $20M for Mobile App that Delivers Rebates to Consumers”
10 Thoughts on the Future of Innovation From Boston 2034
Twenty years is a long time. Yet, to many of us, 1994 doesn’t feel all that long ago. So it seems like about the right amount to look forward as we think about the future of technology, society, and innovation. And look forward we did. At our Boston 2034 conference on Tuesday, we brought together … Continue reading “10 Thoughts on the Future of Innovation From Boston 2034”
Michigan Venture Capital Report Highlights 2013 Successes and Growth
On Tuesday night, the University of Michigan’s Office of Technology Transfer held its semi-annual Entrepreneurs Engage event, an “unconference” that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators for networking and small-group discussions. It’s always a fun and thought-provoking event, and this time around, discussion topics ranged from understanding the MILE Act and angel investing to bridging … Continue reading “Michigan Venture Capital Report Highlights 2013 Successes and Growth”
Israel’s MediSafe Gets Top Award in Qualcomm’s Global Contest
Qualcomm Ventures, the corporate investment arm of San Diego-based Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) selected an Israeli digital health startup, MediSafe, as the winner of its fourth global QPrize competition yesterday. It was the third time an Israeli startup claimed the top prize since the inaugural contest in 2009. MediSafe, based in Haifa, is a cloud-based mobile … Continue reading “Israel’s MediSafe Gets Top Award in Qualcomm’s Global Contest”
OTA: Most Top Websites Don’t Follow Best Security, Privacy Practices
Craig Spiezle, executive director of the Online Trust Alliance, sees online data breeches and privacy fumbles in much the same way an environmentalist might view chemical leaks or oil spills. There are the headline-grabbing catastrophes: last year’s theft of credit and debit card information from Target; this year’s Heartbleed vulnerability, for example. Then there are … Continue reading “OTA: Most Top Websites Don’t Follow Best Security, Privacy Practices”
Celebs Taking Charge of Their Social Media Personas through WhoSay
It is not a question of if, but how celebrities will be part of the social media landscape. Whether it is a sighting of a movie star on vacation or a singer dropping by a nightclub, photos and stories about celebs tend to flood social streams. While such content is often pushed by entertainment news, … Continue reading “Celebs Taking Charge of Their Social Media Personas through WhoSay”
Genia Sold: Roche To Incubate Another Novel DNA Sequencing System
Swiss drug giant Roche is reviving efforts to become a key player in the DNA sequencing business, two years after being frustrated in a bid for instant market dominance through a $6.7 billion buyout bid for San Diego, CA-based Illumina. A leader in molecular diagnostics, Roche announced recently it is buying Genia Technologies of Mountain … Continue reading “Genia Sold: Roche To Incubate Another Novel DNA Sequencing System”
From Crowd to Factory, Inventalator Aims to Simplify Product Creation
The process of taking an idea from a scribble on a napkin to a product on store shelves can be protracted, grueling, and expensive. Milwaukee-based Inventalator aims to make product development quicker, simpler, and cheaper with a Web platform that will combine crowdsourcing, crowdfunding, and connections to all the resources necessary to get a business … Continue reading “From Crowd to Factory, Inventalator Aims to Simplify Product Creation”
Stealthy Cloud-Based Security Startup ProtectWise Raises $14.1M
A Denver-based network security startup launched by a serial entrepreneur in the industry has big news, although it’s trying to keep it under wraps. ProtectWise, which is currently in stealth mode, just raised $14.1 million, according to an SEC filing submitted Tuesday. That follows a $3.1 million round the startup raised last year. The startup … Continue reading “Stealthy Cloud-Based Security Startup ProtectWise Raises $14.1M”
Austin Firms, Dallas’ Health Wildcatters Startups Raise Funds
School’s out for summer, and the temperatures around Texas are rising. Instead of taking that as a cue to slow down, the state’s startups continue on a brisk pace with several new funding announcements. —TurnKey Vacation Rentals announced Tuesday it has raised $3 million in seed funding from Silverton Partners, an Austin, TX, venture capital … Continue reading “Austin Firms, Dallas’ Health Wildcatters Startups Raise Funds”
Seattle’s Placed Raises $10M to Measure Mobile Ad Effectiveness
If you’re a retailer trying to drive consumers into your stores with mobile ads, the number of clicks your ad gets doesn’t matter. What matters is how many people come into your stores after seeing the ads. Seattle startup Placed is raising $10 million to continue its bid to measure the real-world effects of mobile … Continue reading “Seattle’s Placed Raises $10M to Measure Mobile Ad Effectiveness”
Techstars Austin Debuts Second Class of Startups for 3-Month Program
A beer robot, an online portal to manage lawn care, and an app to deploy Ruby apps on any cloud. Yep, with startups like that, it has to be Austin. Those companies, along with eight others, comprise the latest class of Techstars Austin. The startups aim to use software and mobile apps to innovate in … Continue reading “Techstars Austin Debuts Second Class of Startups for 3-Month Program”
HouseTab Stakes Out a Social Spot in Mobile Payments
Ever want to buy a drink for a pal at a bar? What if that friend is across town? HouseTab, based in New York, has developed a mobile app that makes that all possible at participating restaurants and other establishments. Released in late May for Apple’s iOS, HouseTab is not the first mobile payments app … Continue reading “HouseTab Stakes Out a Social Spot in Mobile Payments”
As Its Investors Reap Returns, venBio Aims for a Bigger Second Fund
San Francisco life sciences venture firm venBio is making news these days with entrances and exits. Since its $180 million inaugural fund closed in 2011, two of its portfolio companies have become splashy acquisitions, including one last week. Thanks to those exits, venBio’s investors have more than broken even, and the group is now eyeing … Continue reading “As Its Investors Reap Returns, venBio Aims for a Bigger Second Fund”
3 Takeaways From Wisconsin’s Recent Burst of VC Deals
Wisconsin entrepreneurs often lament the state’s relative lack of venture capital, but lately they’ve had plenty to smile about. In the past two weeks, there have been five major funding announcements by Badger State startups: $8.5 million for Green Bay-based Aver Informatics, $6 million for Delafield-based Montage Talent, $3.4 million for Madison-based FluGen, $3 million … Continue reading “3 Takeaways From Wisconsin’s Recent Burst of VC Deals”
Can the Auto Industry Make Silicon Valley Developers Feel Welcome?
It’s often said that today’s automobiles are close to being to computers on wheels, with more than 50 million lines of code—10 times more than what’s in a Boeing 777 jet—controlling everything from braking systems to navigation units to entertainment. Software development has never been more critical to a vehicle’s design and operation. But the … Continue reading “Can the Auto Industry Make Silicon Valley Developers Feel Welcome?”
Lou Tartaglia Leaves Third Rock to Run High-Drama RNAi Startup
[Updated 6/9/14, 3:55 pm. See below.] Solstice Biologics is announcing a new CEO today, and it’s a testament to the San Diego startup’s rollercoaster ride to say the news is one of the least dramatic events in Solstice’s short 18-month existence. New CEO and president Lou Tartaglia (pictured) has left Boston’s Third Rock Ventures, one … Continue reading “Lou Tartaglia Leaves Third Rock to Run High-Drama RNAi Startup”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Accelerate LI, ASCO, Akebia, & More
Fresh off Memorial Day barbecues, the life sciences world descended on Chicago last week for the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting. But it was quickly back to the grind afterward, with deals, IPO news, and much more filling up the headlines on the East Coast. —After a few years fine-tuning its investment strategy, … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Accelerate LI, ASCO, Akebia, & More”
Maker Movement and Laptops for Kids in Techstars NYC Latest Class
There is a bit of real world thinking happening at Techstars NYC. Last Thursday, the latest class of startups from the accelerator held a demo day. A nonprofit determined to get laptops to more kids and the influence of the so-called “Maker Movement” surfaced amid the software-focused startups. Techstars runs a separate program with R/GA … Continue reading “Maker Movement and Laptops for Kids in Techstars NYC Latest Class”
Merck Scoops Up Idenix in $3.85B Buyout
Idenix Pharmaceuticals nearly became a footnote in the hepatitis C drug race a few years ago when Bristol-Myers Squibb’s buyout of Inhibitex imploded, kickstarting a series of events that led the FDA to slap clinical holds on two of the Cambridge, MA-based company’s drug prospects. Those who stayed with Idenix through the tough times are … Continue reading “Merck Scoops Up Idenix in $3.85B Buyout”
Wisconsin Roundup: Apple, Epic, Gener8tor, MobCraft, & More
Last week was an especially busy one for Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community, thanks to the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference and a flurry of funding announcements. Here’s a few additional news items that might have flown under the radar: —Apple recently announced its iOS 8 software system, and a Wisconsin company will play a prominent role … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Apple, Epic, Gener8tor, MobCraft, & More”
A $15 Minimum Wage Doesn’t Have to Mean Price Increases
Last week, Seattle approved the nation’s highest minimum wage: $15 an hour, to be phased in over the next seven years. Other major cities, including San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City, are debating similar increases, and President Obama has called for an increase in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. … Continue reading “A $15 Minimum Wage Doesn’t Have to Mean Price Increases”
Akebia, Trading M&A For an IPO, Follows Fast in Anemia Drug Race
Akebia Therapeutics and its investors had hit a crossroads familiar to many startup biotechs last year. Its lead drug, AKB-6548, a pill for the anemia people get when their kidneys are failing, had just produced good enough data to move it into a Phase 2b study. If that went well too, the company would need … Continue reading “Akebia, Trading M&A For an IPO, Follows Fast in Anemia Drug Race”
Post-IPO Biotechs Have News, But Big Pharma Drives the ASCO Boat
As often happens, industry news from the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, which ended Wednesday in Chicago, was dominated this year by Big Pharma. It’s not surprising—even with the advent of targeted cancer therapies that promise more precise treatment of smaller patient populations, clinical trials require big budgets. No drug giant had … Continue reading “Post-IPO Biotechs Have News, But Big Pharma Drives the ASCO Boat”
Galvanize Raises $13M, Looking for More Amid Major Expansion Push
Galvanize, the Denver-based startup incubator/co-working space, has raised $13.1 million in a recent funding round, according to documents filed with the SEC. The filing indicates the company is attempting to raise $18 million and has 23 investors so far, so that amount could grow. Galvanize representatives declined to comment about the news Friday morning. But … Continue reading “Galvanize Raises $13M, Looking for More Amid Major Expansion Push”
Roundup: InDemand Interpreting, Cozi, Ada Developers, Accelerators & More
This week, we’re catching up on a funding round for medical interpreting service provider InDemand Interpreting, the acquisition by Time of Cozi, expansion at the Ada Developers Academy, upcoming deadlines to apply for two Seattle-area startup accelerators, Smartsheet’s new app gallery, and a key licensing deal for Airbiquity. The details: —InDemand Interpreting, which uses PC-based … Continue reading “Roundup: InDemand Interpreting, Cozi, Ada Developers, Accelerators & More”