Category: National

CorvisaCloud Gets $30M Investment From Parent Novation

Milwaukee-based cloud communications provider CorvisaCloud has received a $30 million capital infusion from parent company Novation Companies that it says will boost sales, marketing, and product development, as well as spur potential acquisitions. CorvisaCloud, founded in 2011, develops cloud-based software for customers’ contact centers. The funding announcement follows CorvisaCloud’s April 15 release of its new … Continue reading “CorvisaCloud Gets $30M Investment From Parent Novation”

As Websense Leaves Town, Iboss Network Security Takes Center Stage

When fraternal twins Paul and Peter Martini founded a startup now known as iboss Network Security in San Diego in 2003, another local company was already becoming one of the dominant providers of Web gateway security technology. For the next decade or so, iboss operated in the background while San Diego’s Websense rose into the … Continue reading “As Websense Leaves Town, Iboss Network Security Takes Center Stage”

U.S. 10th in Average Internet Speed Rankings, S. Korea Still No. 1

Internet connection speeds generally improved in the U.S. last year, and the country’s broadband capacity should keep getting better with new ultrafast initiatives being rolled out by network operators and local governments alike. But the average U.S. connection speed is still just 10th worldwide, and greatly lags global leader South Korea—which is creeping closer to … Continue reading “U.S. 10th in Average Internet Speed Rankings, S. Korea Still No. 1”

Techstars’ Cohen Opens Up About Attracting Investors, Raising Money

What can a cute puppy in a pet shop window, couples therapy, and dating teach entrepreneurs trying to raise money from investors for the first time? Plenty, according to Techstars founder and CEO David Cohen. Cohen—who also is an investor with more than 400 deals to his credit—gave a talk Monday night about finding funding … Continue reading “Techstars’ Cohen Opens Up About Attracting Investors, Raising Money”

The Good Jobs Snags $350K To Help Companies Promote Culture

[Updated 4/22/14, 1:13 p.m., to include executives’ full titles.] Milwaukee startup The Good Jobs has secured $350,000 in funding that will allow it to expand staff and step up marketing for its Web tools that help companies showcase their office culture to jobseekers. The funding includes $180,000 from investors, led by Oshkosh, WI-based Angels on … Continue reading “The Good Jobs Snags $350K To Help Companies Promote Culture”

Recyclebank Curates Earth-Friendly Wares for New E-Shop One Twine

Recyclebank has spent the past 10 years helping people set up community recycling programs all across the U.S. and United Kingdom. Now, on Earth Day, it is taking the plunge into e-commerce with One Twine, an online shop dedicated to eco-friendly products. The new initiative, which launched Tuesday, was prompted by Recyclebank members, who wanted … Continue reading “Recyclebank Curates Earth-Friendly Wares for New E-Shop One Twine”

ProNAi Therapeutics Closes on $59.5M to Advance Cancer Drug

ProNAi Therapeutics, a Plymouth, MI-based developer of novel nucleic acid treatments targeting cancer and other genetic diseases, said this week that it has closed a Series D financing round worth $59.5 million. The round was led by Vivo Capital of Palo Alto, CA, and included new investors Frazier Healthcare Ventures, OrbiMed Advisors, Adams Street Partners, … Continue reading “ProNAi Therapeutics Closes on $59.5M to Advance Cancer Drug”

Decisive, Born From Texting.ly, Brings Real-Time Info to Mobile Ads

Tuesday morning, another local player in mobile advertising technology had its public launch—and its DNA may look a bit familiar. The problem it is trying to solve in adtech looks familiar, too. Decisive has developed a platform that lets businesses, usually small to midsize, set up mobile ad campaigns and see the results in real-time. … Continue reading “Decisive, Born From Texting.ly, Brings Real-Time Info to Mobile Ads”

MolecularMatch Uses Health IT Software for Better Clinical Trials

Connecting cancer patients to clinical trials that could help them is an expensive and inefficient process. Houston’s MolecularMatch says they have a better way, an approach that combines Google search with Match.com. “What we do is take publicly available information and package it so that it’s actionable,” says MolecularMatch CEO Kevin Coker. “We distill the … Continue reading “MolecularMatch Uses Health IT Software for Better Clinical Trials”

Zillow, Trulia, Placester? Boston Startup Moves Into Real Estate Ads

Get through the Series A crunch? Check. Move into online advertising? Check, check. Sign up big publisher? Check-plus. Boston-based Placester is moving up in the world of real estate startups. The company said today it has raised a $5.5 million Series A funding round led by previous investor Romulus Capital. Angel investors also participated in … Continue reading “Zillow, Trulia, Placester? Boston Startup Moves Into Real Estate Ads”

7 Takeaways From “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech”

Sometimes it takes a contrarian viewpoint, and a little guts, to get a scientific idea off the ground. Other times an idea can be so enthralling that venture firms will fight one another—or join forces— just to get a piece of it. Little surprise that these things describe some of the upstarts coming out of … Continue reading “7 Takeaways From “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech””

A Changing of the Guard at Xconomy San Francisco

After four years as Xconomy San Francisco editor, Wade Roush, our new editor-at-large, is handing me the reins, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve worked as a freelancer for Xconomy for the past four years, writing stories about everything from a food subscription service to educational robots to start-ups going after the Internet of … Continue reading “A Changing of the Guard at Xconomy San Francisco”

UrbanSitter: An Uber Convenient Babysitters’ Club

CEO Lynn Perkins took UrbanSitter, a service that connects parents and babysitters, from concept to company in about three weeks. Three and a half years ago, she was taking time off from her previous job working for Joie de Vivre Hospitality—essentially buying hotels—and the mother of twins found herself constantly introducing friends to care providers. … Continue reading “UrbanSitter: An Uber Convenient Babysitters’ Club”

Four Ways to Build a Better Ecosystem for Tech Startups in San Diego

Through all the ups and downs of building TakeLessons over the past eight years, I can say with certainty that San Diego’s ecosystem for tech startups is better now than I’ve ever seen it. That said, we have reached a crucial juncture. Our entrepreneurial community can either take San Diego to the next level by … Continue reading “Four Ways to Build a Better Ecosystem for Tech Startups in San Diego”

Digital Health Event Highlights Innovation, Wireless Clinical Trials

Last summer, a team of researchers at San Diego’s Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) began a clinical study called “Wired for Health” to assess whether wireless sensors and related technologies could “bend the curve” on health care spending. At the time, institute director Eric Topol said it would be “one of the first robust, cross-industry … Continue reading “Digital Health Event Highlights Innovation, Wireless Clinical Trials”

MSU Event Showcases Homegrown Biology, Biometrics & Blueberries

Michigan State University held its fourth annual Innovation Showcase last Wednesday. It was a chance to show the world some of the innovative technology and startups coming out of the university. The MSU Innovation Center also recognized the MSU Inventor of the Year, Innovator of the Year, and Tech Transfer Achievement Award winners. A few … Continue reading “MSU Event Showcases Homegrown Biology, Biometrics & Blueberries”

Birchbox Gets $60M For Expansion, New Hires, and Marketing Push

Beauty startup Birchbox said Monday it raised $60 million in a Series B round led by Viking Global Investors, with a raft of others participating. The New York company made its initial splash shipping monthly shipments of beauty and grooming product samples to subscribers. Of late, though, Birchbox has trumpeted the growth of its e-commerce … Continue reading “Birchbox Gets $60M For Expansion, New Hires, and Marketing Push”

A Big Day for Xconomy: Introducing Elise Craig and Alex Lash

At a growing media startup like Xconomy, there’s no task more thrilling than welcoming new editors and writers on board. Today is especially exciting, because I’ve got not one but two additions to tell you about. First, I’m extremely pleased to announce that Elise Craig has joined us as the new Editor of Xconomy San … Continue reading “A Big Day for Xconomy: Introducing Elise Craig and Alex Lash”

Sarepta to Submit Application for Duchenne Drug, Shares Boom

[Updated, 12:47 pm ET] The Sarepta Therapeutics rollercoaster ride is back on the upswing. Today, the Cambridge, MA-based company revealed that it’s reached an agreement with the FDA on a clinical plan that will give it a shot to win early approval for its Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy drug, eteplirsen, before it completes a larger, Phase … Continue reading “Sarepta to Submit Application for Duchenne Drug, Shares Boom”

Just 7 Tickets Left for Our What’s Hot in Cancer Event April 22

We are down to the wire for Tuesday’s (April 22) What’s Hot in Cancer Immunotherapy event. The star-studded lineup features leading executives, scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors—from Seattle and beyond, and from both biotechs and pharma. They all convene starting at 2:45 pm tomorrow, Tuesday, April 22, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. It is … Continue reading “Just 7 Tickets Left for Our What’s Hot in Cancer Event April 22”

Jalem Getz’s Latest Retail Startup Wantable Targets Women, Fast Growth

Milwaukee serial entrepreneur Jalem Getz swore he was done with companies that sell widgets back in 2010, after he left BuySeasons, the online retailer and distributor of costumes and party supplies that he co-founded in 1999 and helped grow to $170 million in annual revenue. But he has returned to the ecommerce startup world with … Continue reading “Jalem Getz’s Latest Retail Startup Wantable Targets Women, Fast Growth”

Zafgen Lines Up $86M IPO to Bankroll Obesity Drug Push

Zafgen signaled an IPO was likely on the way last year when it added firms like RA Capital, which typically back public companies, to its pool of investors. So perhaps it’s no surprise that the Cambridge, MA-based company has become the latest biotech to join the crowded IPO queue. Zafgen is planning to raise up … Continue reading “Zafgen Lines Up $86M IPO to Bankroll Obesity Drug Push”

Boston Roundup: Consumer United, StarWind, ezCater, Threat Stack

A flurry of recent technology financing deals: —Consumer United, an online consumer insurance marketplace, has raised another $14 million in venture capital. BetaBoston reports the round was led by Spark Capital and Thayer Street Partners. The Boston-based company was listed last year on the Inc. 5000, with reported 2012 revenue of $10.2 million. —StarWind Software, … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Consumer United, StarWind, ezCater, Threat Stack”

Boulder and Denver Firms Raise $112M From VCs During First Quarter

[Updated 4/25/14. See below.] Venture capital firms invested nearly $112 million into the Boulder/Denver region during the first quarter, an increase of 12 percent from the previous quarter, according to the MoneyTree report of venture investments that was released Friday. MoneyTree reported a total of 20 deals in the area, which includes Boulder and the Denver … Continue reading “Boulder and Denver Firms Raise $112M From VCs During First Quarter”

Minerva’s Plan to Disrupt Universities: A Talk with CEO Ben Nelson

[Updated, see below] Traditional four-year universities have always had to compete for students. They’re vying not only against each other, but against community colleges, the military, online institutions like University of Phoenix, and, in an age of increasing economic pressure on the middle class, the work world. (Some 34 percent of U.S. high school graduates … Continue reading “Minerva’s Plan to Disrupt Universities: A Talk with CEO Ben Nelson”

MoneyTree Reports $35.6M in MI Venture Deals Last Quarter

Venture capital funding surged nationwide during the first quarter of 2014, driven mainly by substantial investments in expansion-stage IT and software companies, according to the MoneyTree Report being released today. That trend extended to Michigan, where MoneyTree reported that 14 companies snagged $35.6 million in venture capital investment during the first quarter of 2014. Though … Continue reading “MoneyTree Reports $35.6M in MI Venture Deals Last Quarter”

Vidyo’s Technology Tapped to Bring Video Calls to Swiss Companies

Swiss businesses are using a bit of U.S. know-how for their videoconferencing needs. Vidyo, based in Hackensack, NJ, said Thursday that Swisscom drew upon its software for a service for multi-person video calls. Swisscom, based in Ittigen, Switzerland, is a provider of information and communications technology. The company said it created a service called Vidia … Continue reading “Vidyo’s Technology Tapped to Bring Video Calls to Swiss Companies”

Pacific Northwest Venture Activity ‘Healthy’ in First Quarter

While venture capital investment in the first quarter nationally hit levels not seen since spring 2001, the Pacific Northwest started the year with a fairly typical level of funding and deals. Investors backed 30 companies in Washington and Oregon with more than $186 million in the first quarter, according to the newest MoneyTree Report. That’s … Continue reading “Pacific Northwest Venture Activity ‘Healthy’ in First Quarter”

Vyrix Files for $29M IPO to Develop Anti-Premature Ejaculation Drug

Vyrix Pharmaceuticals, a privately held Colorado-based drug development company attempting to develop a treatment for premature ejaculation, is going public and seeks to raise $28.75 million, according to SEC filings. The company did not announce a share price or say when its initial public offering would take place. Vyrix would be listed on the New … Continue reading “Vyrix Files for $29M IPO to Develop Anti-Premature Ejaculation Drug”

Texas Roundup: Funds for FireHost, Silvercar; UTSA Joins Microsoft

Here is the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas this week: —Cloud security company FireHost raised $25 million Wednesday in a Series E funding round, in order to pay for sales and marketing support as well as technology advances. The Richardson, TX-based company has now raised a total of $59 million in the last four … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Funds for FireHost, Silvercar; UTSA Joins Microsoft”

From Pirates to Basketball, Aulet’s Entrepreneurship Lessons for WI

[Updated 4/18/14, 12:01 p.m., to include a link to Aulet’s PowerPoint presentation.] What do pirates, Navy SEALs, rabbits, and street basketball have in common? Entrepreneurship, it turns out. Those were some of the analogies made by Boston-area entrepreneur Bill Aulet in speeches Thursday to groups of more than 50 people in Madison and Milwaukee. Aulet … Continue reading “From Pirates to Basketball, Aulet’s Entrepreneurship Lessons for WI”

Alkermes CEO Richard Pops on Building Big, Playing Well with Pharma

How do you build a biotech? Ask ten CEOs and you’ll likely get a hundred answers, but for Richard Pops, CEO of Waltham, MA- and Dublin, Ireland-based Alkermes, it arguably boils down to this: deliberately. Pops took over Alkermes (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALKS]]) in 1991 when he was just 28. At the time, the company had been … Continue reading “Alkermes CEO Richard Pops on Building Big, Playing Well with Pharma”

VCs Invest $243M in San Diego Startups in Q1, Tech Drought Continues

[Corrected 4/18/14, 7:40 am See below.] Venture capital firms invested $243 million in 23 deals in the San Diego area during the first quarter that ended in March, according to data from the MoneyTree Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the National Venture Capital Association, and Thomson Reuters. It was a strong upturn in the amount of capital … Continue reading “VCs Invest $243M in San Diego Startups in Q1, Tech Drought Continues”

First-Quarter Venture Funding at $9.6B in U.S., Highest Since 2001

Right out of the gate, venture capital funding surged nationwide during the first three months of 2014—driven largely by substantial investments in expansion-stage IT and software companies, according to the MoneyTree Report being released today. Eight of the ten biggest deals involved IT, software, or Web companies based in Northern California. (The top 10 deal … Continue reading “First-Quarter Venture Funding at $9.6B in U.S., Highest Since 2001”

Roundup: Inrix, EnerG2, Front Desk, Gates Patent, Boeing Engineers

It’s already been a busy week, with four major venture financing rounds for Pacific Northwest companies. Meanwhile, Inrix, the traffic information company, appears to be in the midst of a large financing itself. We’re also following interesting partnerships for EnerG2 and Front Desk; a patent filing from a group of inventors including Bill Gates that … Continue reading “Roundup: Inrix, EnerG2, Front Desk, Gates Patent, Boeing Engineers”

U-M Spinout H3D Unveils “Game-Changing” Nuclear Detection Tech

Detecting nuclear radiation is easy. All you need is a simple, inexpensive Geiger counter. But to be able to precisely identify both the type of radiation and where it is coming from is much more challenging. That’s crucial for everything from searching for possible nuclear weapons in shipping containers to performing routine maintenance or emergency … Continue reading “U-M Spinout H3D Unveils “Game-Changing” Nuclear Detection Tech”

With IPO Expectations Reset (Again), Vital Therapies Begins Trading

Shares of San Diego’s Vital Therapies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VTL]]) traded slightly above its IPO price this morning, in the company’s first day of trading. The biotherapeutic company raised $54 million in its initial public offering, after pricing 4.5 million shares last night at $12 per share, for an initial market cap of approximately $253 million. That … Continue reading “With IPO Expectations Reset (Again), Vital Therapies Begins Trading”

Breeze, RunKeeper’s New Step-Tracking App, Aims to Bridge Workouts

RunKeeper has been helping people master their fitness routines since the very early days of the smartphone revolution. Along the way it’s collected about 30 million users who have tracked hundreds of millions of miles and burned billions of calories.  But when your product is designed to get people off their butts and work out, … Continue reading “Breeze, RunKeeper’s New Step-Tracking App, Aims to Bridge Workouts”

Robo Madness 2014: The Story in Pictures

SRI International in Menlo Park was the birthplace of the da Vinci surgical robot, which made it a natural location for Robo Madness 2014, Xconomy’s third annual Silicon Valley robotics event. Held (as always) during National Robotics Week, the forum was a celebration and exploration of entrepreneurship and technology in robotics, here in the Bay Area … Continue reading “Robo Madness 2014: The Story in Pictures”

Edico Genome Aims at Data Bottleneck in Genome Sequencing

With the arrival of next-generation gene sequencing machines like the Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) HiSeq X Ten, medicine has been moving to develop new ways of using genomic data to treat patients. Last month, for example, J. Craig Venter unveiled plans to sequence the entire genome of every patient entering the UC San Diego Moores Cancer … Continue reading “Edico Genome Aims at Data Bottleneck in Genome Sequencing”

Rain in Seattle: Major Funding for Julep, Avvo, Cardiac Dimensions

Three Seattle-area companies—Julep Beauty, Avvo, and Cardiac Dimensions—have announced significant new later-stage investments this week, totaling $87.5 million. Add that to the $42 million funding round Beaverton, OR-based Act-On Software announced on Monday, and it’s been a pretty active run here in early spring, particularly compared to a typically slow start to the year for … Continue reading “Rain in Seattle: Major Funding for Julep, Avvo, Cardiac Dimensions”

Lasers for Regrowing Hair and Robots That Learn March on NY

If you needed more evidence that hardware is a “thing” again, a peek into last week’s DigitalFocus show in New York might convince you. Digital showcase organizer Pepcom hosts such technology events every season, giving electronics makers a chance to impress analysts and the media. Gadgets that have already been around the block turn up … Continue reading “Lasers for Regrowing Hair and Robots That Learn March on NY”

Overstreet, Winner in Startup Tax Battle, Gets $2M for AdverseEvents

When patients have bad reactions to prescription drugs, doctors can voluntarily submit reports about such “adverse events” to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA gets at least 500,000 such reports a year, meaning it has lots of data that could be useful to pharmaceutical companies hoping to spot early warning signs of dangerous drugs—and … Continue reading “Overstreet, Winner in Startup Tax Battle, Gets $2M for AdverseEvents”

Retroficiency: Thermostat Tweaks in Big Buildings Can Save Millions

The next time you’re fighting with someone at work about the office temperature, you might have a holier-than-thou trump card. A new analysis from Retroficiency, a developer of energy efficiency software, predicts that changes in building temperature as small as one degree could save millions of dollars in urban energy costs per year. That insight … Continue reading “Retroficiency: Thermostat Tweaks in Big Buildings Can Save Millions”

HardTech Labs Enrolls 4 in Cross-Border Manufacturing Accelerator

HardTech Labs, a San Diego accelerator program that gives startups access to low-cost manufacturing in Tijuana, has selected four companies to serve as a beta class. The idea is to help the co-founders and mentors identify the skills that are most important to entrepreneurs and to iron out problems. The cross-border program, announced last month, … Continue reading “HardTech Labs Enrolls 4 in Cross-Border Manufacturing Accelerator”

Myriad RBM Test Helping to Mine Secrets of Normal Immune System

Scientists have long known that an abnormal immune system can help cause diseases such as asthma and Type 1 diabetes. But to understand what makes an immune system abnormal, it’s important to know exactly what a normal immune system looks like. Oddly enough, few large-scale studies have been done to explore the immune systems of … Continue reading “Myriad RBM Test Helping to Mine Secrets of Normal Immune System”

Guy Kawasaki Aims to Democratize Design Through Aussie Startup Canva

Guy Kawasaki was once chief evangelist at Apple, the firm that redefined personal computing in the 1980s and 1990s and went on to become the world’s most valuable company. More recently, he went to work for Google, helping to promote the company’s Motorola hardware division (which has since been sold to Lenovo). So what’s the … Continue reading “Guy Kawasaki Aims to Democratize Design Through Aussie Startup Canva”

How I Raised Seed Capital from a Sand Hill Road VC in 24 Hours

Much to many entrepreneurs’ chagrin, having an idea is not enough to start a company. Being able to fundraise is just as important as the big idea. I’ve been very frank in sharing how one of my startup companies failed because I did not have sufficient funding to compete, so I know how long and … Continue reading “How I Raised Seed Capital from a Sand Hill Road VC in 24 Hours”