At least two-thirds of American doctors surveyed use mobile-health apps on the job. But about two-thirds also think a truly connected healthcare system in the U.S. is more than five years away—or won’t happen at all. That’s according to a new report by MedData Group, a healthcare marketing firm based in Topsfield, MA. The report … Continue reading “Doctors Going Mobile, But Still Skeptical of Connected Health”
Category: National
Adaptive Corrals $105M to Ramp up Immune System Diagnostics
Adaptive Biotechnologies was spun out of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center six years ago to capitalize on a platform that could give researchers a detailed look at a patient’s immune response. Today, the Seattle-based company just got a big vote of confidence from Viking Global Investors that it can turn that work into a successful … Continue reading “Adaptive Corrals $105M to Ramp up Immune System Diagnostics”
Wisconsin Restaurant Ordering Platform EatStreet Closes $6M Series B
EatStreet has closed a $6 million Series B funding round that it says will help the Madison, WI-based online restaurant ordering platform double its staff and expand to more than 15,000 restaurants in 150 cities by the end of the year. TechCrunch first reported the Series B raise. Xconomy reported in February that EatStreet had … Continue reading “Wisconsin Restaurant Ordering Platform EatStreet Closes $6M Series B”
Is Sentinl’s Biometric Trigger Lock the Future of Gun Safety?
When Detroit-based engineer Omer Kiyani was 16, he was shot in the mouth. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time—the crime happened in what he describes as “no different than an average American neighborhood.” Kiyani didn’t know the perpetrator, who has never been caught, but one of the few facts to emerge … Continue reading “Is Sentinl’s Biometric Trigger Lock the Future of Gun Safety?”
Zombies, Cowboys, & Aliens Dish Up for BioHouston Chili Cookoff
BioHouston hosted its 11th annual Chili Cookoff Friday, bringing together the city’s life science and biotech communities for some culinary innovation. Twenty-two teams set up tents at the Bayou City Events Center with decor that featured the 1970s, Alice in Wonderland, Margaritaville, and alien and zombie worlds. A DJ mixed tunes in between sets of the … Continue reading “Zombies, Cowboys, & Aliens Dish Up for BioHouston Chili Cookoff”
Wisconsin Roundup: Startup Weekend, Exact Sciences, 3D Printing
Last week was a busy one for Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community. Here are a few notable items you might have missed: —Madison, WI, held its third annual Startup Weekend, in which participants form teams and embark on a “54-hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation.” Startup Weekend Madison judge Troy … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Startup Weekend, Exact Sciences, 3D Printing”
Announcing Xconomy University’s First Class: The Mobile Roadmap, May 6
We’re all on the move these days. And one of our biggest fears, more than losing our wallets and purses, is leaving our phones behind. But the amazing amount of innovation we’ve experienced so far when it comes to phones and mobile computing is just the tip of the iceberg. And maybe what we should … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy University’s First Class: The Mobile Roadmap, May 6”
Bush, Draper Back Health IT Startup Wellframe as Sector Heats Up
The world of health IT apps just got more competitive. Boston-based startup Wellframe said today it has raised $1.5 million in seed funding from some big names: Jonathan Bush, CEO of Athenahealth; Tim Draper, founder and managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson; Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, president of the British Medical Association; Russ Nash, former global managing … Continue reading “Bush, Draper Back Health IT Startup Wellframe as Sector Heats Up”
Meet the Robots You’ll Hear About at Robo Madness on Thursday
If you’ve already bought your ticket for Xconomy’s Robo Madness half-day forum this Thursday, April 10, then you’ll enjoy a little appetizer, in the form of this slide show highlighting six of the participating organizations: iRobot, represented by chief technology officer Paolo Pirjanian The Open Source Robotics Foundation, represented by CEO Brian Gerkey Origami Robotics, represented … Continue reading “Meet the Robots You’ll Hear About at Robo Madness on Thursday”
Crowdfunding Startups: Opportunities and Bottlenecks
There has been a bit of action for a while now in the crowdfunding world, and certain startups have been able to get themselves off the ground using Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and similar sites. By and large, these types of financings have gone to companies that are building physical products, digital games, and the like. Fundings … Continue reading “Crowdfunding Startups: Opportunities and Bottlenecks”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Halozyme, NuVasive, Lumena, and More
[Corrected 4/8/14, 12:15 pm. See below.] It was a relatively quiet week for San Diego’s life sciences community. Here’s my wrap up of the latest developments over the past week. —The share price of San Diego’s Halozyme Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HALO]]) fell by $3.16, or 27 percent, in heavy trading Friday, after the company said it … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Halozyme, NuVasive, Lumena, and More”
Agios’s Blood Cancer Drug Shines in First Clinical Test
When David Schenkein left Genentech to lead Agios Pharmaceuticals in 2009, part of the draw was the fact that the Cambridge, MA-based startup was positioning itself as a trailblazer in a raw field of oncology—cancer metabolism. The idea, essentially, was to starve tumors by blocking the enzymes that help them gobble up nutrients. Five years … Continue reading “Agios’s Blood Cancer Drug Shines in First Clinical Test”
Life Sciences Fund Granted Reprieve, But “Future Is Precarious”
The Washington Life Sciences Discovery Fund (LSDF), an important source of early support for applied research and commercialization, will continue its current grant program and plan for others in the coming year thanks to a veto today from Gov. Jay Inslee. But the fund’s long-term future remains in question as it seeks to diversify its … Continue reading “Life Sciences Fund Granted Reprieve, But “Future Is Precarious””
Gener8tor Demos Latest Startups, Growth of Local Scene
Thursday night’s closing event for gener8tor’s winter startup accelerator program in Madison, WI, was an indication of the progress made since January by its five new graduates. It was also a microcosm of how Wisconsin’s overall startup community has grown in the past two years. More than 400 people packed Madison’s Barrymore Theatre to listen … Continue reading “Gener8tor Demos Latest Startups, Growth of Local Scene”
GoSpotCheck Returns From Google’s Inaugural Demo Day With $100K
GoSpotCheck co-founders Matt Talbot and Samantha Holloway hoped good things would come out of their trip to California for Google’s first demo day. And they did—in the form of a $100,000 check from former AOL chairman and CEO Steve Case. GoSpotCheck, which is based in Denver, was one of ten startups invited to Google’s Mountain … Continue reading “GoSpotCheck Returns From Google’s Inaugural Demo Day With $100K”
Boston Tech Roundup: Cue Ball, RBM, Alignable, Localytics, Timbre
We’ve got some investment, personnel, and acquisition news to wrap up the week in innovation around the Boston area: —Cue Ball Capital, an unconventional Boston venture fund, has added more cash to its “evergreen” investment pool. According to an SEC filing, Cue Ball has added nearly $25 million in capital, following a roughly $30 million … Continue reading “Boston Tech Roundup: Cue Ball, RBM, Alignable, Localytics, Timbre”
A Letter to the Year 2061 (If We Make It That Far)
Dear Citizens of 2061, If you’re reading this, congratulations. You’ve survived the first half of the 21st century, and you’ve evidently still got computers, libraries, virtual-reality visors, or some kind of communications system that enabled you to dig up these old scribbles. I have some questions for you. I know you can’t really write back, … Continue reading “A Letter to the Year 2061 (If We Make It That Far)”
Roundup: Capital Royalty, Buzz Points, Q1 Media, SCIenergy & More
The latest innovation news from around the Lone Star State includes new fundraising, the launch of a cloud software company in Dallas, and a Minneapolis medical device company’s move to Austin to tie up with the city’s growing healthtech community. Capital Royalty announced Friday a loan agreement with NanoString Technologies, a Seattle-based biotech. The company … Continue reading “Roundup: Capital Royalty, Buzz Points, Q1 Media, SCIenergy & More”
Michigan Startups Working to Bridge IT Talent Gap
[Corrected 4/4/14, 6:01 p.m. See below.] Detroit’s shortage of information technology talent is not a new problem, but it does seem to be getting more pronounced as the number of tech startups taking root in Michigan grows. In 2012, Dice.com designated Detroit as the fifth-fastest growing tech city in the nation. And in 2013, Michigan’s … Continue reading “Michigan Startups Working to Bridge IT Talent Gap”
Seattle Roundup: Tidal Turbine, IDRI, Tango Card, Codementor, TAGS
This week’s roundup includes a green-light from federal regulators for a Snohomish County PUD tidal turbine project in Puget Sound; more tuberculosis research funding for IDRI from the Gates Foundation; $3.3 million for Tango Card; $600,000 for Techstars Seattle company Codementor; a productive first year of investing for TiE Angels Group Seattle; and funding for … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Tidal Turbine, IDRI, Tango Card, Codementor, TAGS”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Berg, Forma/Celgene, Intarcia, & More
Big ambitions, and creative, risk-sharing deals—two concepts that often go hand in hand with biotech. They’re also the themes of two of the big stories on the East Coast this week. Those and plenty more below. —Drug discovery is expensive, time-consuming business. Framingham, MA-based Berg Pharma thinks it’s found a way to make it quicker … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Berg, Forma/Celgene, Intarcia, & More”
Patients Are Customers. Who Knew?
I was finally getting to my giant pile of reading this week when I saw an article in Health Care Information Week that included the following sentence: As consumer satisfaction begins to have a bigger impact on the bottom line, more hospitals are hiring a chief patient experience officer (CXO) to treat patients like valued … Continue reading “Patients Are Customers. Who Knew?”
San Diego’s Lumena Files for IPO to Fund Liver Drug Trials
Lumena Pharmaceuticals has filed for a $75 million IPO, just a few weeks after the San Diego biopharmaceutical company raised $45 million in venture funding. Lumena was founded in 2011 to develop oral drugs for treating a rare group of metabolic disorders that cause bile acid to build up in the liver. Bile acids facilitate … Continue reading “San Diego’s Lumena Files for IPO to Fund Liver Drug Trials”
Blueprint’s Newest Grads Take Healthtech to Hospitals, ERs
Last month, a startup called WellTrackOne—one of the most recent grads to come out of Blueprint Health, the New York healthtech accelerator—bagged a $1.5 million Series A round led by Easton Capital. That nascent company is now on track to generate about $2.5 million in revenue this year. No surprise, then, that its CEO, Peter … Continue reading “Blueprint’s Newest Grads Take Healthtech to Hospitals, ERs”
Will Robots Rule the World? Find Out at Robo Madness Next Thursday
An influential 1998 paper by Robin Hanson, an economics professor at George Mason University, asked what might happen to jobs and wages in a future with “mature machine intelligence”—computers and robots clever enough to take over most human jobs. The outlook is a little scary. Hanson calculated that a world where machines could truly substitute … Continue reading “Will Robots Rule the World? Find Out at Robo Madness Next Thursday”
AvidBiotics Taps Nature for Two Ways To Fight Lethal Microbes
The trillions of microbes that live inside the human gastrointestinal tract are suspected of playing a role in disorders as varied as obesity, asthma, and diabetes. Scores of scientists are studying such possibilities at biomedical research companies and in collaborations such as NIH’s Human Microbiome Project. But can these diseases be caused by a single … Continue reading “AvidBiotics Taps Nature for Two Ways To Fight Lethal Microbes”
Levels Beyond Raises $2.5M, Announces New Partnership with Sundance
Levels Beyond is leveling up. The Denver-based startup announced Thursday that it has raised $2.5 million, bringing the total it has raised to $7.5 million. That entire amount has come from TVC Capital, a small San Diego, CA-based growth equity firm that specializes in software deals. Levels Beyond also announced new partnerships with the Sundance … Continue reading “Levels Beyond Raises $2.5M, Announces New Partnership with Sundance”
Houston Startup Energy Funders Aims to Crowdfund the Oil Patch
The global energy business is dominated by multinational corporations and state-owned conglomerates. But the wildcatters of the oil age’s early days are still out there exploring holes and hoping for a big strike. Two Houston attorneys say they have developed a 21st-century way to help those smaller operators raise money. The pair has founded Energy … Continue reading “Houston Startup Energy Funders Aims to Crowdfund the Oil Patch”
With Tepid Growth in Software Startups, San Diego Turns to “Swarm”
San Diego’s software sector, struggling to gain some footing against a litany of setbacks, might be taking a step forward—but it will take a collective effort. A proposal to establish an investor forum that would draw dozens of local software and Internet investors to meet with selected Web entrepreneurs and tech founders is gaining momentum. … Continue reading “With Tepid Growth in Software Startups, San Diego Turns to “Swarm””
Startup Accelerator Gener8tor Gets $110K From Angel Group WIP
The graduates of gener8tor’s winter startup accelerator program will receive a funding boost thanks to a $110,000 investment in the program by Wisconsin Investment Partners. Wisconsin Investment Partners (WIP), a Madison, WI-based angel investment group, is committing $11,000 toward each startup coming out of gener8tor’s three-month business boot camps this year. That includes five startups … Continue reading “Startup Accelerator Gener8tor Gets $110K From Angel Group WIP”
The Big Patent Lawsuit Settlement Memo You’re Not Supposed to See
Boston University caused a stir last year with an explosion of patent-infringement lawsuits against the biggest names in electronics. At issue was blue LED technology that the school said was being used in a huge range of gadgets without permission from its inventor, a Boston University engineering professor. After several months of courtroom tussles, most … Continue reading “The Big Patent Lawsuit Settlement Memo You’re Not Supposed to See”
Ebullient Nears Boiling Point in Path to Computer Cooling Market
[Updated 4/3/14, 7:57 am, to include a photo of Ebullient’s process.] For decades, air-based cooling has been the go-to method for avoiding computer chip meltdowns. Now a group of liquid cooling technologies are vying to become the industry standard for data center operators, despite what at first sounds like a potentially disastrous combination of fluid … Continue reading “Ebullient Nears Boiling Point in Path to Computer Cooling Market”
Xconomy Seattle’s Top Stories of Q1 2014: Editor’s Picks
In case you missed them, check out these 11 stories of Seattle innovation that appeared on Xconomy in the first three months of 2014. This subjective list includes stories that attracted large audiences, and others that we think should have. They represent the breadth of the region’s innovation efforts, from the competition for the cloud … Continue reading “Xconomy Seattle’s Top Stories of Q1 2014: Editor’s Picks”
New Michigan State Medical Society-Backed Fund to Help Startups Grow
Late last month, the Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) announced the launch of Quantum Medical Concepts, a first-of-its-kind fund for early-stage medical startups based in Michigan. Companies funded by Quantum will also have the opportunity to get business support and coaching through a partnership with Common Wealth Enterprises, a startup management firm that runs the … Continue reading “New Michigan State Medical Society-Backed Fund to Help Startups Grow”
Austin Social Media Marketers Spredfast, Mass Relevance Merge
[Updated 04/02/14, 12:42 pm. See below.] Two Austin social-media software companies—Spredfast and Mass Relevance—announced today they are merging. Rod Favaron, Spredfast’s CEO, says the combining of the firms gives them “unparalleled ability” to stay on top of market trends to enable clients to build relationships with customers through social media. [Story updated to include quotes from … Continue reading “Austin Social Media Marketers Spredfast, Mass Relevance Merge”
Note to Government: Mandate Cybersecurity, Then Get Out of the Way
The digital economy stands on uncertain ground. From Target to Adobe, cybercriminals have infiltrated the networks of some of the largest businesses in the United States, turning 2013 into a record-setting year for data breaches. Companies lost more than 800 million records in nearly 2,200 incidents, doubling the loss of the previous highest year, 2011, … Continue reading “Note to Government: Mandate Cybersecurity, Then Get Out of the Way”
Backed By a Billionaire, Berg Pharma Aims to Speed Drugmaking
Even in the brazen world of biotech, Berg Pharma stands out for its grand ambitions. Co-founder Carl Berg, the Silicon Valley real estate billionaire, says his namesake Framingham, MA-based startup is capable of “revolutionizing” healthcare. President and chief technology officer Niven Narain says that Berg can cut the time, and expense, of drug development “in … Continue reading “Backed By a Billionaire, Berg Pharma Aims to Speed Drugmaking”
BomBoard to Millennials: Get Your (Jet Ski) Motor Running
On the surface, John West doesn’t seem like a man who’d design a small, cheap jet ski for urban millennials. The 68-year-old has no formal engineering education, lives in rural Wisconsin, and comes from a generation known to hanker for “big” everything—from cars to motorcycles, houses to boats. But West has, in fact, developed a … Continue reading “BomBoard to Millennials: Get Your (Jet Ski) Motor Running”
In California Pilot Trial, AirPooler Offers Ride-Sharing in the Sky
How long are you willing to drive for a weekend getaway? Steve Lewis figures most folks are willing to drive two or three hours each way. If you live in the Bay Area, that means you might get as far as Mendocino. If you live in San Diego, sandwiched between the ocean and the desert, … Continue reading “In California Pilot Trial, AirPooler Offers Ride-Sharing in the Sky”
PARC Partners With Seattle B2B Startup Accelerator 9Mile Labs
Nine Seattle-based startup companies will have access to mentoring, technology, intellectual property, and other assistance from the storied Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in Silicon Valley through a partnership between the Xerox subsidiary and business-to-business startup accelerator 9Mile Labs. 9Mile began early last year, and is currently halfway through its second 16-week program. The Seattle … Continue reading “PARC Partners With Seattle B2B Startup Accelerator 9Mile Labs”
ZappyLab Creates Social Apps for Biologists
As a young MIT post-doctoral student, Lenny Teytelman marveled at the things that can be done in the lab these days, like sequencing all the DNA in a single cell. “It’s mind-blowing,” Teytelman says. Yet despite all the parallel advances in the computer world, biological scientists don’t make use of digital devices when they log … Continue reading “ZappyLab Creates Social Apps for Biologists”
Big Data Analytics and Cloud Computing Brought FinTech Jobs to NY
On Tuesday, the Partnership for New York City said technology has played a significant role in job growth in the city. According to a blog post from the partnership’s NYC Jobs Blueprint initiative, the city’s technology sector saw employment grow by 21 percent from 2006 to 2012. That outpaced the national rate of 12 percent in … Continue reading “Big Data Analytics and Cloud Computing Brought FinTech Jobs to NY”
Playing the CEO Card
When I was starting my second company, Sparkbuy, I was fortunate to meet a host of terrific technologists while shopping for a CTO. One of them was a brilliant guy named Adam Doppelt, one of the three co-founders of Urbanspoon. Adam told me that Urbanspoon never had a traditional CEO. They hadn’t raised money and … Continue reading “Playing the CEO Card”
Valid Evaluation Seeks to Improve Feedback for Entrepreneurs
Adam Rentschler has a problem with business plan competitions. While the events can help entrepreneurs raise money and their profile, teams that don’t make the final stage might not get a lot in return—other than a form letter thanking them for entering and wishing them well, that is. Rentschler would like to change that, and … Continue reading “Valid Evaluation Seeks to Improve Feedback for Entrepreneurs”
Dairyland Innovation: Xconomy Wisconsin’s Top Stories Since December Launch
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been just over three months since Xconomy launched in Wisconsin. Although it still doesn’t quite feel like spring in the Midwest, in the spirit of the (technically) new season, I thought it would be a good time to take a look back at the important stories Xconomy Wisconsin has … Continue reading “Dairyland Innovation: Xconomy Wisconsin’s Top Stories Since December Launch”
NY Genomics, Health Tech, Get $160M in State Support
Who said there’s no cash lying around for New York biotech? Over the past few days, the New York Legislature has thrown $160 million in support behind life sciences growth in the Big Apple with two budget measures that’ll help advance genomic medicine and the establishment of the nation’s first statewide, centralized system of electronic … Continue reading “NY Genomics, Health Tech, Get $160M in State Support”
Silicon Valley Dynasties: The Conways and Drapers Speak
During the Global Technology Symposium in San Mateo, CA, last week, moderator Heidi Roizen referred to a panel that included Ron Conway, founder of SV Angel; Ronny Conway, founder of A Capital; Adam Draper, CEO of Boost VC accelerator; and Tim Draper, founder of DFJ and Draper University of Heroes as the “first multifamily, multigenerational … Continue reading “Silicon Valley Dynasties: The Conways and Drapers Speak”
Imprivata Seeks $115M IPO, Growth in Health IT Security
It has been a long road for Imprivata, but the software company is finally showing its hand in its bid to go public. The Lexington, MA-based access-security firm has filed its S-1 paperwork for a proposed $115 million IPO. If all goes well, Imprivata will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker … Continue reading “Imprivata Seeks $115M IPO, Growth in Health IT Security”
Foresite Capital Reloads With New $300M Late-Stage Biotech Fund
Just a year after plunging $100 million into a plan to back established biotechs and other healthcare companies, rather than bet on risker, nascent ones, Foresite Capital Management is back for seconds, announcing today that it’s closed a new $300 million fund to continue the same investment plan. The San Francisco, CA and New York-based … Continue reading “Foresite Capital Reloads With New $300M Late-Stage Biotech Fund”
Come See AllSee, UW’s New Low-Power Gesture Control System
The chorus of Hotel California sings out from the mobile phone in Bryce Kellogg’s pocket. He waves his hand to turn down the volume. He flicks his fingers a couple of times and Stairway to Heaven plays. The phone never leaves his pocket. It looks like a parlor trick, but the underlying technology, developed by … Continue reading “Come See AllSee, UW’s New Low-Power Gesture Control System”