Is “big data” starting to fade away as a tech-business theme? Hardly. A couple of Boston-area startups in the field just announced Series A funding rounds this week. Sqrrl, a Cambridge, MA-based company founded by former NSA scientists, raised $5.2 million from Atlas Venture and Matrix Partners. The startup has developed a new kind of … Continue reading “Nutonian CEO: Business and Science Face Same Big-Data Problem”
Category: National
Pharma Showing Interest in Open Systems for Drug Discovery
[Editor’s note: this post first appeared on the FasterCures blog.] Bringing the ideas of “open source” into the pharmaceutical process is far from simple. It requires a careful understanding both of the realities of open source as a software development process well as the realities of therapy research, development, and regulatory approval. The open source … Continue reading “Pharma Showing Interest in Open Systems for Drug Discovery”
WiTricity’s Wireless-Power Tech Attracts $25M from Intel, Foxconn
It’s been many years since Nikola Tesla’s heyday, and despite the mind-blowing advancements in many areas of technology, we’re still plugging things in with electric cords like a bunch of savages. Wireless power charging is technically possible. But it’s still not here in a widespread sense—one of those advancements that you check in on once … Continue reading “WiTricity’s Wireless-Power Tech Attracts $25M from Intel, Foxconn”
Alzheon Emerges From Stealth, Hunts for Alzheimer’s Castoffs
Clinical trial flops have become the norm for Alzheimer’s disease treatments, despite the billions put into research for the memory-robbing disorder. But a new Lexington, MA-based startup called Alzheon sees opportunity in all of those high-profile failures of the past. Its belief is that these failures have left behind a treasure trove of clinical data, … Continue reading “Alzheon Emerges From Stealth, Hunts for Alzheimer’s Castoffs”
Innovation’s Next Decade
While the world economy continues to look shaky, the technology industry has never looked stronger. Now is perhaps a good time to stop for a moment and reflect on what the next decade will be all about for the industry. My vision of what the technology industry needs to focus on is best described by … Continue reading “Innovation’s Next Decade”
Zen Planner Raises $10M to Develop Software for Gyms and Yoga Studios
Zen Planner, a Highlands Ranch, CO-based company that develops business management software for gyms, health clubs, and yoga studios, announced Tuesday it has raised $10 million in a growth equity round. The lone investor was Mainsail Partners, according to a media release. Mainsail is based in San Francisco. Mainsail is the first institutional investor to … Continue reading “Zen Planner Raises $10M to Develop Software for Gyms and Yoga Studios”
Ad-Tech Startup Integrate Raises $7M From Foundry, Cable Companies
Startups that make software for advertising and marketing remain appealing to investors, with the latest example coming from Integrate, which makes software that helps media buyers plan and manage campaigns across traditional and digital media channels. Integrate announced today it has raised $7 million in a follow-on to the $11 million Series B round that … Continue reading “Ad-Tech Startup Integrate Raises $7M From Foundry, Cable Companies”
Aereo CEO: Broadcasters “Profiteering” with a Doomed Business Model
Chet Kanojia wasn’t surprised when the multi-billion dollar broadcast industry sued him. In fact, he was planning on it. As the CEO of Aereo, a New York-based startup that streams broadcast TV over the Internet, Kanojia met with plenty of expensive lawyers before starting his brazen attempt to shake up the industry. Their verdict, he … Continue reading “Aereo CEO: Broadcasters “Profiteering” with a Doomed Business Model”
Tagged, Yelp, Bing, EasilyDo Talk Up “Small Data” at Glimpse NYC
The public is relatively comfortable sharing information across the social sphere, barring spying by government entities, and companies are finding new ways to figure out what people want through their status updates and tweets. At last week’s Glimpse NYC social discovery conference, a panel of executives from EasilyDo, Yelp, Tagged, and Microsoft, moderated by Cadie … Continue reading “Tagged, Yelp, Bing, EasilyDo Talk Up “Small Data” at Glimpse NYC”
Motozuma Snags $1 Million Investment, Relaunches as BoostUp
In August, we reported that Motozuma—an Illinois-based startup that allows users to set up free online savings accounts where they can put money towards a new car and invite friends and family to help contribute—had quietly established a Detroit office. It turns out Detroit is the company’s new headquarters as it relaunches today as BoostUp … Continue reading “Motozuma Snags $1 Million Investment, Relaunches as BoostUp”
NIH Awards $29M to Renew Scripps Translational Science Institute
[Corrected 10/21/13, 3:45 pm to show Topol sought grant after arriving in San Diego.] Federal funding for the Scripps Translational Science Institute, which cardiologist Eric Topol won after he came to San Diego seven years ago as the chief academic officer of Scripps Health and a professor of genomics at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), … Continue reading “NIH Awards $29M to Renew Scripps Translational Science Institute”
Astia, Google Expand Effort to Match Women-Led Startups with VCs
In social media circles, the story of the month isn’t Twitter’s impending IPO, but rather its feud with outside critics over the tiny number of women executives and board members at the San Francisco company. Twitter CEO Dick Costolo says he’s had difficulty finding a qualified woman to serve on Twitter’s board. Outsider Vivek Wadhwa, … Continue reading “Astia, Google Expand Effort to Match Women-Led Startups with VCs”
An Insider’s Antidote for Dangerous Stem Cell Hype
UC Davis professor Paul Knoepfler’s new book about stem cells may never break into the New York Times best-seller ranks, but he still might make some publishing history. Knoepfler could be the only biology researcher ever to write a comprehensive consumer guide about the health care treatments being developed in his own field—complete with safety … Continue reading “An Insider’s Antidote for Dangerous Stem Cell Hype”
Flagship’s Pronutria Emerges to Make Medicines and Medical Foods
Sometimes there may be good protein drugs lurking in your lunch and you just don’t know it. There may be a business in there, too. That’s one way to look at the latest concept being cooked up at Flagship VentureLabs in Cambridge, MA. The young company, Pronutria, is emerging from stealth mode today after more … Continue reading “Flagship’s Pronutria Emerges to Make Medicines and Medical Foods”
Gazelle, Apple, and Amazon: The Future of “Recommerce”
At some point, most successful startups run into this problem: a tech giant moves into their sector and threatens to wipe them out. It’s a sign that the startup is on to something big—but it’s also a major existential challenge. Meet Gazelle, a Boston-based company that has built a business around buying used smartphones and … Continue reading “Gazelle, Apple, and Amazon: The Future of “Recommerce””
San Diego’s Arcturus Raises $5M for “Best-in-Class” RNAi Technology
San Diego’s Arcturus Therapeutics, founded earlier this year to advance RNA interference (RNAi) technology, says it has secured $5 million in a Series A round raised entirely from individual investors in the United States and abroad. Pad Chivukula, a co-founder, COO, and chief scientific officer, writes in an e-mail that raising that much from private … Continue reading “San Diego’s Arcturus Raises $5M for “Best-in-Class” RNAi Technology”
OtterBox Founder Splashes $250K on Colorado Business Plan Challenge
What could get entrepreneurs interested in another business plan competition? How about $250,000 cash in prizes, along with the potential for further investment and mentoring and professional services? And maybe some lessons from the founder and chairman of OtterBox about how to build a $500 million-plus company. That’s what’s available in the inaugural Blue Ocean … Continue reading “OtterBox Founder Splashes $250K on Colorado Business Plan Challenge”
Kona Medical Gets $10M to Take Ultrasound to China
Bellevue, WA-based Kona Medical has raised another $10 million to take its big idea for ultrasound to China. Kona said today it has secured that eight-figure sum from a single investor, Morningside Group, which aims to help Kona expand in China. The company predicts a market will emerge there for its ultrasound technology that is … Continue reading “Kona Medical Gets $10M to Take Ultrasound to China”
IROA Forms Florida Partnership, Pushes Metabolomics Forward
Metabolomics, which is the study of the unique chemical imprints that specific cellular processes leave behind, in is an up-and-coming field in biotech, says Felice de Jong, co-founder and CEO of IROA Technologies. Sure, she argues, genomics can tell patients what may happen—what they’re predisposed to—but an accurate measurement of the body’s metabolites can tell … Continue reading “IROA Forms Florida Partnership, Pushes Metabolomics Forward”
Xconomy Healthcare Summit: The Photos
It was a beautiful fall day in Lincoln, MA. The leaves were turning, panels were churning, ideas were burning in our brains. Which is to say our inaugural Healthcare Summit was a smash hit. From Bill Sahlman’s apocalyptic view of the industry to Mark Levin’s notion of a big-data knowledge network across disease states, from … Continue reading “Xconomy Healthcare Summit: The Photos”
Artful.ly Business Management Platform for the Arts Gets Wide Release
Independent arts organizations everywhere on Monday got the chance to sign up for Fractured Atlas’s Artful.ly, a Web-based business management platform for the arts that had been in beta for three years. After lots of practice, practice, practice (the best way to get to Carnegie Hall), Fractured Atlas announced the platform’s wide release to help … Continue reading “Artful.ly Business Management Platform for the Arts Gets Wide Release”
INRIX CEO, Globys Data Science SVP Join Packed Nov. 19 Big Insight Event
INRIX, the Kirkland, WA-based traffic intelligence company, has a quintessential big-data-centric business and highlights the Northwest’s strengths in this field. That’s why we’re thrilled to have the company’s co-founder and CEO, Bryan Mistele, join our Nov. 19 Xconomy Forum: Big Insight—Making Sense of Big Data in Seattle. He joins two other great new additions to … Continue reading “INRIX CEO, Globys Data Science SVP Join Packed Nov. 19 Big Insight Event”
San Diego’s Top Angel Investors and the Network Effect: A Slideshow
It is a truth almost universally acknowledged that an entrepreneur in possession of innovative technology must be in want of an angel investor. Yet the process of finding an angel who is willing to invest more than just capital—a person who possesses the proper character as well as expertise, experience, interest, and passion—is a complicated … Continue reading “San Diego’s Top Angel Investors and the Network Effect: A Slideshow”
21 Red Flags to Watch for in a Biotech Company
Nutty things are happening in biotech. Irrational exuberance has returned. Generalist investors with lots of money are suddenly buying these stocks first and asking questions later. Companies can fire off meaningless press releases, and be rewarded. I heard a big-time money manager talk the other day about a recent biotech IPO being one of the … Continue reading “21 Red Flags to Watch for in a Biotech Company”
Mile High Roundup: Occipital Kicks Ass, HD Glasses, and New Energy
Welcome to the Mile High Roundup, a look at some of the interesting things that have happened over the past two weeks in the tech scene in Boulder, Denver, and around Colorado. In this edition, Occipital clears a Kickstarter milestone, Pivothead joins Colorado’s startup scene, and Colorado State University gets serious about energy. Occipital’s $1 … Continue reading “Mile High Roundup: Occipital Kicks Ass, HD Glasses, and New Energy”
PSivida, Alimera Shares Fall as FDA Rejects Eye Drug for Third Time
It looks like pSivida’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PSDV]]) and Alimera Sciences’ (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALIM]]) drug for an eye disorder related to diabetes will never see the light of day in the U.S. Watertown, MA-based pSivida reported today that the FDA has rejected the drug—a treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME) sold in Europe as Iluvien that it co-developed … Continue reading “PSivida, Alimera Shares Fall as FDA Rejects Eye Drug for Third Time”
Dijit/NextGuide Gives TV Networks a Reminder Widget
In TV land, there’s a big gap between seeing, saying, and doing. You see an ad, a Web page, or a Facebook post about a new show that looks cool. You say to yourself you’re interested and you want to watch the premiere. But you don’t know when it’s scheduled to air, or you forget … Continue reading “Dijit/NextGuide Gives TV Networks a Reminder Widget”
VC Firms Bet $131M on Companies in Boulder, Denver Areas During Q3
Companies in the Denver and Boulder area raised $130.8 million in venture capital during the third quarter, with rounds closed by SolidFire and Ping Identity leading the way, according to the latest quarterly MoneyTree Report. Overall, 19 companies closed rounds in the quarter, which ended Sept. 30. The third quarter has been the best of … Continue reading “VC Firms Bet $131M on Companies in Boulder, Denver Areas During Q3”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Schenkein, PureTech/JDRF, Sage, & More
(Updated, 7:42 a.m. ET) This week’s East Coast biotech news runs the gamut. A career profile, and disappointing (and encouraging) clinical trial results. A new partnership structure, a new financing round, and a big FDA panel setback—even a Chapter 11 case to boot. Those stories and more below: —You might know that David Schenkein is … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Schenkein, PureTech/JDRF, Sage, & More”
Please, Keep Paying $80 a Month for Cable So I Can Enjoy Cheap TV
Dear Cable TV Subscriber, I don’t think I’ve ever told you how grateful I am. I haven’t paid a cent for cable television since 2009. Yet I have on-demand access via the Internet to a growing cornucopia of great shows like Game of Thrones, Homeland, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad, at reasonable à la carte … Continue reading “Please, Keep Paying $80 a Month for Cable So I Can Enjoy Cheap TV”
San Diego Bucks U.S. Trend in VC Funding, & Top 20 Area Deals
In contrast to the trend nationwide, more than two-thirds of the venture capital deployed in San Diego during the third quarter went into life sciences startups, according to data released today as part of the MoneyTree Report. Venture funding for life sciences startups has been shrinking nationally, while software is booming. VC firms invested almost … Continue reading “San Diego Bucks U.S. Trend in VC Funding, & Top 20 Area Deals”
Profiles in Perseverance: Building Biotechs to Last. Coming Dec. 9
What does it take to build an independent biotech with legs? When should a company hold on through tough times? When is it a better idea to make a quick run for the exit? These are some of the tough questions that biotech leaders wrestle with all the time, and which we are planning to … Continue reading “Profiles in Perseverance: Building Biotechs to Last. Coming Dec. 9”
VC Funding for Software Jumps in MoneyTree Report, and Top 10 Deals
Venture capital firms invested $7.8 billion in 1,005 deals throughout the United States during the three months that ended September 30, according to the MoneyTree Report being released today. It was a 12 percent increase in dollars and a 5 percent rise in deals compared to the second quarter of 2013, when VCs invested close … Continue reading “VC Funding for Software Jumps in MoneyTree Report, and Top 10 Deals”
Northwest Venture Investment Falls 19% in Third Quarter
Pacific Northwest companies raised $141.7 million from venture capitalists in the third quarter, a decrease of almost 19 percent from the year earlier period, while the number of deals remained essentially flat at 36. That contrasts to a 17 percent year-over-year increase in venture investment nationally to nearly $7.8 billion, according to the latest PwC/NVCA … Continue reading “Northwest Venture Investment Falls 19% in Third Quarter”
Clovis Oncology CEO Mahaffy Opens Up About Company’s Turbulent Year
Seeing your cornerstone product “fail spectacularly” and then your stock price climb more than 300 percent within eight months makes for an interesting year. But it’s nothing to get overly worked up about, according to Clovis Oncology CEO Patrick Mahaffy. Clovis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLVS]]) is a biotech company based in Boulder, CO. The four-year-old company specializes … Continue reading “Clovis Oncology CEO Mahaffy Opens Up About Company’s Turbulent Year”
App Annie Delivers Tailored Analysis of the App Marketplace
[Corrected 10/18/13, see below] As the online universe has expanded and apps have taken over—and digital content of all kinds, from e-books to movies, has exploded—simple Web analytics just don’t tell companies everything they need to know about their products and the marketplace. While app stores share basics like the number of times an app … Continue reading “App Annie Delivers Tailored Analysis of the App Marketplace”
The Hardtech Revolution: Makers, Markets, & Mobile on Dec. 9
The Internet revolution is falling in love with the offline world. Robots, connected sensors, and gadgets of all types are getting cheaper and faster, and obscure startups are riding crowdfunding campaigns to national prominence. Always-on smartphone users are opening up new avenues for marshaling assets in the real world, making everything from grabbing a ride … Continue reading “The Hardtech Revolution: Makers, Markets, & Mobile on Dec. 9”
Kapitall Puts Up Cash Prize to Get the Young Dabbling in Virtual Stocks
Playing the stock scene can be tricky, but New York-based Kapitall thinks it can use a bit of gamification—and real prize money—to get younger folks interested in investing. This month the online investment platform introduced a monthly competition to encourage young investors to try their hands at overseeing virtual stock portfolios. There is a shot … Continue reading “Kapitall Puts Up Cash Prize to Get the Young Dabbling in Virtual Stocks”
SideDraft: A New Fantasy Sports Betting App for iOS, From U-M Grads
Count me among those who are officially obsessed with fantasy football. I play in at least two leagues every year. I watch “The League.” I pay attention to what the talking heads are saying every Sunday morning on “Fantasy Football Now.” I field text messages on the weekends from friends asking for sit or start … Continue reading “SideDraft: A New Fantasy Sports Betting App for iOS, From U-M Grads”
Austin Startup Savara Wins Research Award for CF Therapy
Savara Pharmaceuticals, an Austin, TX-based startup, said today it has received a $1.7 million research award from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, a subsidiary of the nonprofit Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The award is the latest in a total of $6 million granted to Savara by the cystic fibrosis group and the National Institutes of Health in … Continue reading “Austin Startup Savara Wins Research Award for CF Therapy”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: IPOs, Illumina, KFx Medical, & More
The surge in U.S. initial public offerings has continued. According to the IPO experts at Renaissance Capital, there have been 44 healthcare IPOs across the country so far this year—the most in any sector. By my tally, at least 10 San Diego companies have filed for IPOs. Details on the latest filings are here, along … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: IPOs, Illumina, KFx Medical, & More”
New D2 Speakers: Sandy Pentland, Wayne Chang, Katie Rae on Nov. 21
November 21 is shaping up to be special. We are convening top experts from Boston and beyond for a half-day technology conference called “D2: The Future of Data and Devices.” It’s all happening at the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology in Boston, near South Station. Tickets have been going fast, but you can still register … Continue reading “New D2 Speakers: Sandy Pentland, Wayne Chang, Katie Rae on Nov. 21″
Big Name VCs Back Seattle Enterprise Software Startup usermind
The founders of usermind, a Seattle startup raising $7.6 million from three top venture firms, see a new de facto IT department emerging in companies that use multiple software-as-a-service (Saas) platforms to run customer-facing sales, marketing, and support functions. Co-founder and CEO Michel Feaster says usermind is making software that helps the operations professionals in … Continue reading “Big Name VCs Back Seattle Enterprise Software Startup usermind”
Colorado Biotech Searches for a Few More Investors, Anchor Tenants
How healthy—and how significant—is Colorado’s biotech cluster? Just where does it stack up when compared to other clusters in the U.S.? And what will it take to sustain or (better yet) expand it? The challenges of creating and sustaining a cluster are often on the minds of local biotech leaders. The topic came up again … Continue reading “Colorado Biotech Searches for a Few More Investors, Anchor Tenants”
Seattle Serial Entrepreneurs: Advice They Wish They’d Heard Earlier
What does it take to make it as a startup entrepreneur? Persistence and a great team. Those themes came up repeatedly when we asked 26 serial entrepreneurs in the Seattle technology industry for the entrepreneurship advice they wish they’d heard earlier in their careers. We’ve collected their words of wisdom—as well as pictures of the … Continue reading “Seattle Serial Entrepreneurs: Advice They Wish They’d Heard Earlier”
Regeneron, Sanofi Pass First Key Test With Cholesterol-Lowering Drug
Scientists who study cardiovascular disease have been buzzing about the promise of a target called PCSK9 for years. The target is also part of a high-stakes race that pits Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]) and its development partner Sanofi, against Amgen, Pfizer, and several others who are all in pursuit. While there’s still many laps ahead, … Continue reading “Regeneron, Sanofi Pass First Key Test With Cholesterol-Lowering Drug”
Bootstrapped F# Emerges With Music Streaming Platform for Ads
[Updated 10/17/13 9:34 am. See below.] Eager to become the Buddy Media of digital music, F# in New York came out of stealth mode Wednesday with a platform that pairs a music player with digital ads. Co-founder and COO Pete Jimison says his bootstrapped company (pronounced “F Sharp”) is already working with music streaming providers … Continue reading “Bootstrapped F# Emerges With Music Streaming Platform for Ads”
Indix Brings Big Data, Analytics, & Visualizations to Product Managers
[Updated 10/17/13 11:31 am. See below.] Big data startup Indix does not lack ambition as it unveils the “product intelligence platform” it has been working on quietly for the last 18 months. “One of our goals is to organize everything on the Internet that is related to products,” says co-founder and CEO Sanjay Parthasarathy. The … Continue reading “Indix Brings Big Data, Analytics, & Visualizations to Product Managers”
Sage Therapeutics Nabs $20M Series B From Third Rock, Arch
(Corrected, 10/17/13, 1:21 pm ET) It’s been a busy 2013 for Sage Therapeutics. First, it fine-tuned its strategy. Then it got a $10 million grant and hired its first, full-time management team. Now, the Cambridge, MA-based startup has landed a big $20 million Series B round and a new investor to help drive its first … Continue reading “Sage Therapeutics Nabs $20M Series B From Third Rock, Arch”
Genia Aims to Build the iPhone of Gene Sequencing
Stefan Roever, CEO of the bleeding-edge gene sequencing company Genia Technologies, first made his name as a software entrepreneur. When he talks about the future growth of Mountain View, CA-based Genia, he envisions a dynasty similar to the one founded by the tech giant Apple of Cupertino, CA. Roever’s ideal dynasty, like Apple’s, would be … Continue reading “Genia Aims to Build the iPhone of Gene Sequencing”