What are Opko Health (NYSE: [[ticker:OPK]]) and the founding partner of private equity firm TPG Capital doing circling a seven-year-old biotech startup that isn’t even close to owning a marketed product? Apparently buying into the idea that that startup, Flemington, NJ-based Arno Therapeutics, may potentially be on to something. This past week, Opko, its CEO … Continue reading “Arno, With Potential Suitor in Opko, Goes After Endometrial Cancer”
Category: National
Dallas Men’s E-Retailer Need Launches With “Curated” Collection
Dallas entrepreneur Matt Alexander wants to make it easier for men to shop better. So, he’s launched the e-retailer Need, which he says cuts through Web’s retail clutter and offers a “curated” selection of men’s clothing and accessories to appeal to a discerning customer. “There are hundreds of millions of dollars in the men’s wear … Continue reading “Dallas Men’s E-Retailer Need Launches With “Curated” Collection”
Plug and Play Offers San Diego Startups a Bridge to Silicon Valley
They departed. They saw. And then they came back. The inaugural class of startups from San Diego to be admitted to a 10-week “startup camp” established by the Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, CA, has returned home. Five of the eight companies chosen to participate in the first Plug and Play San Diego … Continue reading “Plug and Play Offers San Diego Startups a Bridge to Silicon Valley”
Karyopharm Prices Upsized IPO at $16 Per Share, Begins Trading Today
Karyopharm Therapeutics got a warm welcome from investors last night. The Natick, MA-based biotech said late Tuesday that it priced its IPO at $16 per share, at the high end of its projected $14 to $16 per share range. Karyopharm sold 6.8 million shares at the IPO price, up from the 5.7 million it initially … Continue reading “Karyopharm Prices Upsized IPO at $16 Per Share, Begins Trading Today”
Sqwiggle’s Webcam Eye Gives Remote Workers a Virtual Office
Sqwiggle co-founder Matt Boyd has an interesting challenge in convincing people to get on board with his company’s online workspace platform: making sure they’re comfortable being on camera. All the time. The idea behind the product is to help people who work remotely from their computers stay in constant communication, instead of, say, having to … Continue reading “Sqwiggle’s Webcam Eye Gives Remote Workers a Virtual Office”
Curis Shares Tumble As Cancer Drug Slapped With FDA Clinical Hold
When Curis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CRIS]]) licensed a cancer drug from Genentech last year, it was hoping for a repeat performance of the development deal that led to its first FDA approval. Given the troubling signs it’s just seen in an early-stage trial, however, that might be a tougher task this time around. Lexington, MA-based Curis said … Continue reading “Curis Shares Tumble As Cancer Drug Slapped With FDA Clinical Hold”
Rally, Noodles Execs to Share Lessons from IPOs with Aspiring Angels
If Colorado’s burgeoning tech industry has a weak link, it’s probably the relatively limited number of angel investors. Individuals and organizations are trying to change that, and many of them will gather this week for the 25th Annual Colorado Capital Conference. The Rockies Venture Club runs the event, which includes the conference Thursday in Golden … Continue reading “Rally, Noodles Execs to Share Lessons from IPOs with Aspiring Angels”
Robots Rock: Kiva Founder Mick Mountz at Hardtech Revolution 12/9
If you want to revolutionize e-commerce and shipping, start from the ground up. That’s what Mick Mountz did at Kiva Systems, the Boston-area robotics company that turned rows of stationary warehouse shelves into a tightly choreographed dance of product delivery. It’s logistics made sexy, with a healthy assist from the new generation of intelligent, sensor-laden … Continue reading “Robots Rock: Kiva Founder Mick Mountz at Hardtech Revolution 12/9”
eRecycling Corps Finds Niche as Broker of Used Cellphones
Think of it as “Sanford and Son” 2.0. Turns out, those outdated devices you have taking up space in the junk drawer are worth a great deal, a fact that eRecycling Corps is finding lucrative. The company, which is based in the Dallas suburb of Irving, TX, raised $105 million recently on a simple premise: … Continue reading “eRecycling Corps Finds Niche as Broker of Used Cellphones”
Denver’s Mobile Accord Raises $6.6M to Take Pulse of Developing World
When Colorado entrepreneur James Eberhard started developing content for cell phones in the early 2000s, the most advanced thing they could do was blast out tinny-sounding ringtones and send out text messages. Eberhard, founder and CEO of Denver-based Mobile Accord, turned those ringtones into a company worth about $40 million when he sold it in … Continue reading “Denver’s Mobile Accord Raises $6.6M to Take Pulse of Developing World”
While Healthcare.gov Scrambles, Private Exchanges Are Off to the Races
All eyes are on the hullaballoo created by the challenges at Healthcare.gov and several of the states’ public insurance exchanges. Yet all the while, like in a magic show, attention has been diverted from the real action going on elsewhere. Quietly and in a relatively drama-free way, the private health insurance exchanges are busily taking … Continue reading “While Healthcare.gov Scrambles, Private Exchanges Are Off to the Races”
Tiggly Brings Edtech Apps and Shapes for Preschoolers to Apple Stores
The world of tablets may be flat, but Tiggly in New York is bringing new dimensions to iPads with physical shapes it says can teach motor skills to preschoolers and younger tikes. Starting Tuesday, Tiggly’s package of “appcessories” will be on shelves at Apple stores with the rollout planned to span locations in North America, … Continue reading “Tiggly Brings Edtech Apps and Shapes for Preschoolers to Apple Stores”
Immunogen Halts Study as Cancer Drug Flops, Shares Fall
Immunogen has been trying to prove that it can turn its “smart bomb” drug technology into a successful drug without the help of a big pharma partner. Those plans took a big hit today as its lead drug candidate flopped in a mid-stage clinical trial. Waltham, MA-based Immunogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IMGN]]) today stopped a Phase II … Continue reading “Immunogen Halts Study as Cancer Drug Flops, Shares Fall”
Seeq Raises $6M to Help Manufacturers With Big Data
Seeq, which is bringing big data analysis tools to manufacturers and industrial companies with lots of time-based process data, has filled out a $6 million Series A round led by Second Avenue Partners. Also participating in the round—which includes a $2 million close Xconomy reported on in May—are Madrona Venture Group, Clear Fir Partners, and … Continue reading “Seeq Raises $6M to Help Manufacturers With Big Data”
CyPhy Works Gets $7M More to Make Commercial Drone Program Fly
The race to get more drones into American skies is definitely on, and Boston-area entrepreneurs are jockeying to secure their spot. CyPhy Works, the drone startup headed by iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner, says it now has another $7 million to aid in that task. The new investment was led by Lux Capital, with General Catalyst, … Continue reading “CyPhy Works Gets $7M More to Make Commercial Drone Program Fly”
Using Tech to De-Stress Child Support
Unhappy couples often think their problems will be over as soon as their divorce decree is final, says Sheri Atwood, a child of divorce and a divorced parent herself. But when kids are involved, the ex-spouses may still be locked in a testy, ongoing dialogue about money—the issue that may have driven them apart in … Continue reading “Using Tech to De-Stress Child Support”
Uber Launches Lower-Priced UberX Service in Detroit
Uber, the on-demand, app-based car service that established operations in Detroit last March, has now launched its lower-priced offering, UberX, in the Motor City. UberX is based on more of a ride-share model than Uber’s black car service, which aims to make drivers feel as if they have their own personal chauffeur. Riders summon UberX … Continue reading “Uber Launches Lower-Priced UberX Service in Detroit”
San Diego’s Celladon Sets Price Range for IPO Shares
Another San Diego life sciences company is taxiing toward an IPO takeoff. Celladon, a biotechnology company targeting heart disease, disclosed plans to offer 5 million shares of its stock at a price range of $14 to $16 a share, according to a regulatory filing. At the mid-range price of $15 a share, Celladon would raise … Continue reading “San Diego’s Celladon Sets Price Range for IPO Shares”
San Diego’s Tandem Diabetes Sets IPO Terms
San Diego’s Tandem Diabetes Care set the terms for its IPO yesterday, offering more than 7.1 million shares of its stock at a price between $13 and $15 a share, according to an amended regulatory filing. The medical device maker was not among the companies expected to go public this week, according to a list … Continue reading “San Diego’s Tandem Diabetes Sets IPO Terms”
Lytx Name Change Reflects New Direction for San Diego’s DriveCam
San Diego-based DriveCam, which is 15 years old and has more than 240 employees, is heading in a new direction. The company says it is changing its name to Lytx—as in analytics—in anticipation of a new business initiative to broaden and diversify its core business, which uses dashboard video cameras and telematics technologies to analyze … Continue reading “Lytx Name Change Reflects New Direction for San Diego’s DriveCam”
Accelerator 9Mile Labs Raises Fund to Back Next Class at $35k Each
9Mile Labs, the Seattle-area business-to-business startup accelerator, has raised a $900,000 fund from local angel investors to back companies in its upcoming second class and pay for professional resources in areas such as design, marketing and finance. The nine companies chosen for 9Mile’s second cohort, which begins January 15, will each receive a $35,000 investment … Continue reading “Accelerator 9Mile Labs Raises Fund to Back Next Class at $35k Each”
Venture Spur’s Dallas Pitch Day Highlights North Texas Startup Scene
In the last year, entrepreneurial activities in Dallas have been going gangbusters. One illustration of this: In just a few short months, we went from having one accelerator focused on supporting startups to four of them today. Venture Spur, an Oklahoma City-based accelerator, held its first Dallas Pitch Day last week, after having opened a … Continue reading “Venture Spur’s Dallas Pitch Day Highlights North Texas Startup Scene”
Stephen Wolfram to Speak @ D2: Future of Data and Devices on Nov. 21
An amazing lineup just got even more amazing. Stephen Wolfram has been added to the marquee speaker list for D2: The Future of Data and Devices, Xconomy’s half-day forum set for the afternoon of November 21. Tickets have been going fast, but you definitely can still register here. The Saver rate ends on Thursday, so … Continue reading “Stephen Wolfram to Speak @ D2: Future of Data and Devices on Nov. 21″
RapidMiner Reels In $5M, Makes Big Push in Boston for Big Data
Just when the hype of big data is wearing off is when real businesses are getting built. Take a look at RapidMiner, a German analytics company that’s setting up U.S. headquarters in the Boston area as it looks to expand in North America. RapidMiner (formerly known as Rapid-I) has been around since 2006 but has … Continue reading “RapidMiner Reels In $5M, Makes Big Push in Boston for Big Data”
Which Regions Are Churning Out the Most Biotech IPOs?
If you’ve got ambitions to start and build a biotech company that may someday go public, where is the best place to make it happen? Which regional clusters provide the most fertile places where people, scientific ideas, technology, and money come together to build NASDAQ-worthy biotech companies? This is just one more way of looking … Continue reading “Which Regions Are Churning Out the Most Biotech IPOs?”
Apple’s iPad Melts Into Thin Air (in a Good Way)
Apple sent review units of its new iPad Air tablet to select journalists earlier this week. I was not one of them, perhaps because of stories like this one. But I was near the front of the line at the Apple Store in downtown San Francisco at 5:00 this morning, eager to plunk down my … Continue reading “Apple’s iPad Melts Into Thin Air (in a Good Way)”
Qualcomm in Talks to Fund Robotics Initiative at UC San Diego
San Diego-based Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) and Brain Corp., the Qualcomm-backed startup developing technology that emulates the human brain, are in talks to provide funding for a broadly based initiative in robotics at UC San Diego. “We are working on building a robotics institute, robotics lab, and (more importantly) a robotics incubator,” writes Eugene Izhikevich, Brain … Continue reading “Qualcomm in Talks to Fund Robotics Initiative at UC San Diego”
Seattle’s Next Billion-Dollar Tech Star: Zulily Aims for $16-$18 IPO
Zulily’s forthcoming initial public stock offering could raise as much as $238 million for the Seattle company and its insiders and investors. The daily deals site for moms and kids today said it estimates an IPO price of $16 to $18 per share. Investors will have a crack at 11.5 million shares when the Zulily … Continue reading “Seattle’s Next Billion-Dollar Tech Star: Zulily Aims for $16-$18 IPO”
Defrag Returns With Underwater “DIY” Robots, User-Friendly Skynet
Since its start in 2007, the Defrag conference has grown into one of the marquee events in Colorado, drawing technologists from global companies like Intel and Facebook as well as innovative startups. Defrag’s organizers consider the event a “forum for exploring information overload and building implicit tools for the Web,” and their ambition is to … Continue reading “Defrag Returns With Underwater “DIY” Robots, User-Friendly Skynet”
Atterocor Begins Phase 1 Trial for Adrenal Cancer Drug
The Ann Arbor, MI-based biotech startup Atterocor announced last week that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of ATR-101, a novel drug candidate to treat adrenal cancer. In pre-clinical studies, ATR-101 has shown selective effects on adrenal cortex cells, says Atterocor co-founder and CEO Julia Owens. ATR-101 has also received orphan drug designation … Continue reading “Atterocor Begins Phase 1 Trial for Adrenal Cancer Drug”
Genentech Does it Again, Wins FDA Approval for ‘Son of Rituxan’
Genentech is the “goose that keeps laying golden eggs” in the words of one biotech entrepreneur I spoke with last week, who worked there as a scientist in the ‘80s. Another golden egg just came out today. South San Francisco-based Genentech, a unit of Roche, said today it has won FDA approval of obinutuzumab (Gazyva), … Continue reading “Genentech Does it Again, Wins FDA Approval for ‘Son of Rituxan’”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Zogenix, Illumina, Sophiris, & More
It’s not all about the IPOs. Two San Diego biotechs took advantage of the continuing favorable market conditions to raise capital through secondary public offerings over the past week. I’ve got details, along with the rest of the local life sciences news. —Despite an independent panel’s recommendation against approval, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Zogenix, Illumina, Sophiris, & More”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Vertex, Dimension, Merrimack, & More
[Updated, 9:22 am ET] The city of Boston was in baseball euphoria this week as the Red Sox claimed their third championship in nine years—a sentence many New Englanders likely thought they’d never read in their lifetime (as much as it pains this Yankee fan to say, congrats to you Sawx fans out there). That … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Vertex, Dimension, Merrimack, & More”
6 Secrets to Slaying the E-Mail Monster
People have been complaining about the onslaught of e-mail almost since the day it was invented. We’ve all heard the statistics: Over 100 billion business e-mails are sent every day, with the average user sending and receiving about 100 messages per day. Reading and answering e-mail takes up 28 percent of the average worker’s day—about … Continue reading “6 Secrets to Slaying the E-Mail Monster”
NW Advanced Computing Partnership Looks to Tackle Big Challenges
The Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing (NIAC) is taking shape, with researchers and professors from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Washington brainstorming to identify a few large-scale strategic projects that could advance their budding partnership and the state of the art in computing. At a coming out event Wednesday at the UW, … Continue reading “NW Advanced Computing Partnership Looks to Tackle Big Challenges”
Gotham Gal & Eric Hippeau Talk Good Money, Bad Money at Springboard
Springboard Enterprises let the media have a closer look last week at what its accelerator for women-led companies has been up to. The annual forum, held in New York, gave 10 startups in digital media and technology the chance to demo their ideas. A pair of high-profile players from the New York investing scene also … Continue reading “Gotham Gal & Eric Hippeau Talk Good Money, Bad Money at Springboard”
Colorado Startups Push to Get Unmanned Aircraft Industry Airborne
The sky might be the limit for the unmanned aircraft industry, but before it takes flight, the engineers, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts trying to build an industry that they say could soon have a $13.6 billion economic impact will have to navigate a tricky route through the offices of regulators and lawmakers—and the court of public … Continue reading “Colorado Startups Push to Get Unmanned Aircraft Industry Airborne”
Dimension, Backed by Fidelity, Targets Hemophilia With Gene Therapy
It wasn’t too long ago that the words gene therapy would send VC investors running for cover. Clearly, times are changing, because today, a new startup named Dimension Therapeutics has become the second company in the space to come out of the woodwork with significant venture backing since July. Cambridge, MA-based Dimension was formed today … Continue reading “Dimension, Backed by Fidelity, Targets Hemophilia With Gene Therapy”
Austin Startup Gravitant Finds Market as “Expedia” of Cloud Services
Companies are increasingly turning to the cloud to manage IT systems, but executives don’t necessarily know which services work best for them. That’s where Gravitant comes in. Think of the Austin startup, which recently raised $10 million in venture capital, as the Expedia of IT, says its founder and CEO Mohammed Farooq. “What do you … Continue reading “Austin Startup Gravitant Finds Market as “Expedia” of Cloud Services”
Achates Power Signs Joint Development Deal with Fairbanks Morse
San Diego’s Achates Power, which has been advancing a cleaner, more fuel-efficient, and easier-to-manufacture design for opposed piston engines, says it has signed a joint development and licensing agreement with Fairbanks Morse Engine, the leading U.S. maker of opposed-piston engines. Fairbanks Morse, based in bucolic Beloit, WI, and operated by EnPro Industries (NYSE: [[ticker:NPO]]) makes … Continue reading “Achates Power Signs Joint Development Deal with Fairbanks Morse”
Tandem Applies Muscle to Mobile (Alternative Accelerators, Part 1)
“College” used to mean something pretty clear: a residential experience where you paid a certain amount for tuition, room, and board and, after about four years, you got a bachelor’s degree. These days, of course, there are just as many two-year community colleges as four-year institutions; you don’t have to live on campus; there are … Continue reading “Tandem Applies Muscle to Mobile (Alternative Accelerators, Part 1)”
Ariad Pulls Cancer Drug Off the Market as Trial Fallout Continues
The latest domino in the Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARIA]]) saga fell this morning, as the company yanked its troubled, flagship cancer drug ponatinib (Iclusig) from the market. Cambridge, MA-based Ariad said today that it has “temporarily” suspended the marketing and commercial distribution of ponatinib due to a request from the FDA yesterday afternoon. Ponatinib, Ariad’s … Continue reading “Ariad Pulls Cancer Drug Off the Market as Trial Fallout Continues”
Alector Goes After Alzheimer’s, With Cash from Polaris & OrbiMed
Alzheimer’s disease scares the bejesus out of millions of aging Baby Boomers, who fear they’ll lose their memories and everything that makes them who they are. The biology of the disease has stumped researchers and pharma companies for years. The field is crying out for fresh entrepreneurial thinking. Now a couple prominent biotech entrepreneurs are … Continue reading “Alector Goes After Alzheimer’s, With Cash from Polaris & OrbiMed”
As Tremor Sufferers Await Remedies, Lift Labs “Cures” Their Tools
The tremors that disable millions of people with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease might eventually be controlled through drugs and implantable brain stimulation devices. But while patients wait for a medical breakthrough, a young engineering PhD in the Bay Area is thinking, “Maybe what they need is a better spoon.” Anupam Pathak’s idea, first hatched … Continue reading “As Tremor Sufferers Await Remedies, Lift Labs “Cures” Their Tools”
Red (and Green) Flags To Look for With Biotech’s Buyside Investors
As Warren Buffett once pointed out, companies get the investors they deserve. Observations by the oracle-from-Omaha are hard to dispute, but how does that translate into practice if you’re a biotech company going through the IPO process and trying to read the signs in a whole new landscape of investors known as “the buyside”? Many … Continue reading “Red (and Green) Flags To Look for With Biotech’s Buyside Investors”
Accelerate Michigan Competition Unveils 2013 Finalists
More than 50 semi-finalists competing in the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, the annual business-plan competition targeting mid-to-late-stage startups located across the state, have been announced. At stake is more than $1 million in cash prizes, plus in-kind awards of services, staffing, and software. More than that, Accelerate Michigan winners are usually considered among Michigan’s most … Continue reading “Accelerate Michigan Competition Unveils 2013 Finalists”
SharePoint Users Get Live Data Feed from Seismic Integration
After raising $4.5 million in venture funding two months ago, Encinitas, CA-based Seismic says it is moving up the food chain in content management software. Seismic was founded three years ago, following a lean startup model. CEO Doug Winter tells me the company used much of that time to build out the basic infrastructure of … Continue reading “SharePoint Users Get Live Data Feed from Seismic Integration”
Lessons from the St. Louis Cardinals and ‘Building Biotechs to Last’
When I hit the couch tonight to watch Game 6 of the World Series, I won’t be rooting for anyone. I will just be another baseball fan hoping for a great game between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals. But I have been thinking about not just baseball, but organizational strategy lately, … Continue reading “Lessons from the St. Louis Cardinals and ‘Building Biotechs to Last’”
San Antonio Medtech Firm Vidacare Sold for $262M
Vidacare, a San Antonio medical device company, is being acquired by Teleflex (NYSE: TFX) in a $262.5 million, all-cash deal. The Texas company produces a driver-and-needle system to access spaces inside bones for diagnostic and therapeutic treatments in vascular and emergency medicine, as well as in cancer. “I believe that this merger represents a unique opportunity … Continue reading “San Antonio Medtech Firm Vidacare Sold for $262M”
QB3 Opens Life Sciences Incubator in San Francisco’s Dogpatch
If you ever pass through San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood, or if you attended the massive post-Burning Man “Decompression” street party a couple of weeks ago, you may have noticed the transformation underway in what used to be a sad old concrete building at 953 Indiana Street. The property was once home to a medical device … Continue reading “QB3 Opens Life Sciences Incubator in San Francisco’s Dogpatch”