When is a bicycle bell more than a bicycle bell? Combine it with technology from New York’s MyBell, and it can blast with the force of a truck horn. Last night, as part of the CE Week festivities in the city, MyBell founder Peter Pottier pitched his idea for an electronic bicycle bell before a … Continue reading “New York’s Next Top Makers Finalist MyBell Wins Slot to Demo at CES”
Category: National
GrabCAD and Autodesk Team Up on Product Design in the Cloud
The world of computer-aided design, known as CAD, can seem esoteric. Until you realize almost every gadget or device you use, from your car to your phone, starts out as a draft in someone’s computer. Increasingly those designs are moving to the Internet, where they can be shared and worked on more efficiently by teams … Continue reading “GrabCAD and Autodesk Team Up on Product Design in the Cloud”
Glam Reinvents Blogging and Brand Advertising for a Fragmented Web
When the logo on your building is visible from 101, the freeway that snakes between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, you know you’ve arrived. And Glam Media has arrived in a big way. A collection of independent lifestyle blogs tied together by a premium-brand advertising operation, Glam is, from a certain point of view, the … Continue reading “Glam Reinvents Blogging and Brand Advertising for a Fragmented Web”
6 Reasons Why the MIT Blackjack Team Became Entrepreneurs
Wow. Imagine being invited to moderate a free-form discussion with the people who lived out the book “Bringing Down the House” and the movie “21.” It doesn’t get any better than this. At Xconomy’s XSITE conference last week, I had the honor of moderating a reunion panel of the MIT Blackjack Team with two of … Continue reading “6 Reasons Why the MIT Blackjack Team Became Entrepreneurs”
New Entrepreneur Center Aims to Connect, Brand Startups in Dallas
Blame it on J.R. The traits displayed by the fictional oilman—enterprising, hyper-competitive, a win-at-all-costs mentality—have helped to make real-life Dallas into one of America’s top business cities and home to an impressive list of Fortune 500 corporations. But that hasn’t necessarily been the best boost to the city’s startup scene. “Historically we are a very … Continue reading “New Entrepreneur Center Aims to Connect, Brand Startups in Dallas”
J&J Cuts Ribbon on Boston Innovation Center, Touts Startup Deals
Johnson & Johnson has officially set up shop in Kendall Square. Today is the day that Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]) cuts the ribbon on its Boston Innovation Center, the latest step in a broad initiative by the New Brunswick, NJ-based drug giant to help drive biotech innovation in certain life sciences hotspots around the … Continue reading “J&J Cuts Ribbon on Boston Innovation Center, Touts Startup Deals”
Uber Still Fighting Two Federal Lawsuits in Boston
Car-booking startup Uber has claimed one victory in court, recently defeating Boston-area officials who were seeking to slow the company’s expansion. But the well-financed startup still has two more federal lawsuits on the docket in Massachusetts. That pair of court battles has pitted San Francisco-based Uber, which has raised nearly $50 million in venture investment, … Continue reading “Uber Still Fighting Two Federal Lawsuits in Boston”
Planetary Resources Inks 3D Systems Deal, Plans Test Launch From ISS
Planetary Resources is adding a new investor and collaborator to help manufacture its planned asteroid-mining spacecraft, a test version of which could be launched into low-Earth orbit from the International Space Station in less than a year. The Bellevue, WA, company is taking an undisclosed investment from 3D Systems (NYSE: [[ticker:DDD]]) and will make use … Continue reading “Planetary Resources Inks 3D Systems Deal, Plans Test Launch From ISS”
Strangling Innovation: Tesla vs. “Rent Seekers”
The greatest number of jobs is created when startups create a new market—one where the product or service never existed before or is radically more convenient. Yet this is where startups will run into anti-innovation opponents they may not expect. These opponents have their own name—“rent seekers”—the landlords of the status-quo. Smart startups prepare to … Continue reading “Strangling Innovation: Tesla vs. “Rent Seekers””
Rockwell Medical Snags $20M in New Financing
In May, we wrote about the Wixom, MI-based company Rockwell Medical, which disrupted the dialysis industry by being the first to develop, patent, and bring to market a dry acid mixing system for hemodialysis concentrate. Last week, the company announced it had secured $20 million in debt financing from Hercules Technology Growth Capital, which is based … Continue reading “Rockwell Medical Snags $20M in New Financing”
Orbotix’s Sphero Gets the Ball Rolling for Augmented Reality Games
When I first learned about Orbotix and its plan to build the first robot you could control with a smartphone or tablet, my reaction could pretty much be summed up as this: Shut up and take my money!!! That was less than three years ago. Orbotix, which is based in Boulder, CO, had just graduated … Continue reading “Orbotix’s Sphero Gets the Ball Rolling for Augmented Reality Games”
General Motors Cruises into CE Week in a Spark EV, Talks Connected Cars
Tuesday night, at the onset of CE Week in New York, carmaker General Motors talked up some of the concepts it is bringing to autos, including new ways to control devices connected to vehicles. GM also opened the doors on its Chevy Spark EV all-electric city car, which went on sale this month in select … Continue reading “General Motors Cruises into CE Week in a Spark EV, Talks Connected Cars”
MD Revolution Offers Blueprint for “Health Management” Practice
On the seventh floor of a medical office building near Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, Dr. Samir Damani has established a prototype medical practice of the future. The suite looks more like a spa than a doctor’s office, with modern art mounted on chalk white walls and white-washed wooden floors that bespeak understated elegance and … Continue reading “MD Revolution Offers Blueprint for “Health Management” Practice”
Boston Roundup: Rapid Micro Bio, Athenahealth, RunKeeper, & More
[Updated 2:30 pm] A dose of deals, legal, and hiring news to liven up the week: —Rapid Micro Biosystems, a supplier of quality-control testing equipment for the pharmaceutical industry, has raised a $32.6 million Series B investment round. The Bedford, MA-based company has developed technology that can quickly identify tiny microbes, which are serious contaminants … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Rapid Micro Bio, Athenahealth, RunKeeper, & More”
NASA’s ‘Coolest Person’ Says It Takes All Kinds to Push Boundaries
Nearly a year later, it still sends tingles up your spine: The sounds and images of the spacecraft slamming into the Martian atmosphere, precisely depositing its payload—the car-sized Curiosity rover—on the surface using an untested “sky crane” maneuver, and then the cheers of rapt space fans from around the world. “I actually still get nervous … Continue reading “NASA’s ‘Coolest Person’ Says It Takes All Kinds to Push Boundaries”
Flexion’s Long-Lasting Steroid Injection Hits Mark in Phase 2 Trial
[Updated 12 pm with correction] Flexion Therapeutics’ transformation into an osteoarthritis specialist continued gaining traction today, as the Burlington, MA-based company moved its most advanced drug within earshot of a late-stage clinical trial. Flexion says a drug it calls FX006, a long-lasting form of the steroid triamcinolone, hit its main goals in a 12-week, mid-stage … Continue reading “Flexion’s Long-Lasting Steroid Injection Hits Mark in Phase 2 Trial”
Constructing Innovation Supply Chains for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Competition via innovation has been recognized as essential for mid- to long-term success and even survival of science-based corporations such as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. As such, understanding how best to innovate, and how to do it more often and efficiently, is top of mind for executives at many large corporations. Traditionally, the approach for … Continue reading “Constructing Innovation Supply Chains for the Pharmaceutical Industry”
Bayer Joins with Seattle Genetics in Antibody-Drug Conjugate Deal
Bayer HealthCare has signed a new deal with Bothell, WA-based Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) for access to its methods of creating cancer drugs that home in on tumors and then deliver a toxic dose to their cells. The two partners today announced a collaboration worth as much as $520 million to the Seattle company, which … Continue reading “Bayer Joins with Seattle Genetics in Antibody-Drug Conjugate Deal”
Fatskunk Pioneers Security Innovation as Mobile Cybercrime Looms
In the “Spy vs. Spy” world of cyber security and malicious software, Mark Grandcolas says the bad guys usually have an advantage with the element of surprise. The traditional approach of anti-virus software compares programs being downloaded against the known universe of malware, and determines if a snippet of code matches anything on the blacklist … Continue reading “Fatskunk Pioneers Security Innovation as Mobile Cybercrime Looms”
New Microsoft Ventures Blends Investing, Accelerator Projects
Microsoft is combining several of its startup-focused projects under a new name, with a more unified approach. The new project, Microsoft Ventures, is a mashup of things the Redmond, WA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) has already been doing: startup accelerator programs, early stage investing, and services and support for startups. It’s probably no coincidence that Microsoft … Continue reading “New Microsoft Ventures Blends Investing, Accelerator Projects”
XSITE 2013 (Boston’s Tech Revival): The Photos
They came, they saw, they got their money’s worth. XSITE 2013, our fifth annual flagship innovation conference, did not disappoint. The theme was Boston’s Tech Revival. And between laying out the Boston tech scene’s strengths and weaknesses, lessons from the MIT Blackjack team applied to building companies, and hearing pitches from 10 emerging startups and … Continue reading “XSITE 2013 (Boston’s Tech Revival): The Photos”
NGM, Partners Seek Next Diabetes Drug Targets Among GI Tract Hormones
NGM Biopharmaceuticals, led by veteran biotech innovators from Amgen, Genentech and Tularik, made a big bet five years ago that it could plumb the human digestive tract for new hormones and other agents that might help control metabolic disorders such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Private backers have put more than $76 million behind … Continue reading “NGM, Partners Seek Next Diabetes Drug Targets Among GI Tract Hormones”
Whistle Trots out Dog Activity Tracker in a Night Full of Gadgets
In an anime-inspired night in New York full of gadgets and characters from “Sailor Moon,” San Francisco startup Whistle showed off its activity tracking device for dogs alongside Samsung’s hot new Galaxy NX camera. For Whistle, it was a chance to reveal some of its plans two weeks after announcing it had raised $6 million … Continue reading “Whistle Trots out Dog Activity Tracker in a Night Full of Gadgets”
Get Employees Engaged, Then You Can Talk About Wellness, Says Keas
Just five chronic conditions—heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and obesity—account for more than 75 percent of all healthcare costs in the U.S., according to the CDC. All are to some extent preventable. So if employers could just keep their workers a little healthier, they’d stand to save a ton of money on medical coverage. That’s … Continue reading “Get Employees Engaged, Then You Can Talk About Wellness, Says Keas”
PeerTransfer Racks Up $6.4M More as Global Tuition Payments Grow
Iker Marcaide always sounds like he’s having a good time. Maybe it’s because he’s often talking to me from Spain, his native country. Marcaide is the founder and CEO of peerTransfer, a Boston-based education finance startup. The 40-person company, which makes software for handling international tuition payments, has just raised $6.4 million from new backers … Continue reading “PeerTransfer Racks Up $6.4M More as Global Tuition Payments Grow”
Can’t Get No Respect? Bio-venture Issues Are Deeper Than Paper Gains
In one of his recent blogs at Life Sci VC, Atlas Venture’s Bruce Booth makes the optimists’ case for venture capital investments in the life sciences. Booth’s message is that life sciences venture capital is healthy but misunderstood, but he misses the forest for the trees in important ways. Based on my 27 years in … Continue reading “Can’t Get No Respect? Bio-venture Issues Are Deeper Than Paper Gains”
Wayne State Tech Transfer: New Leadership, New Programs, New Stability
In late May, the Wayne State University (WSU) announced Joan Dunbar would lead its technology commercialization efforts. She had already been serving in the position on an interim basis since the spring of 2012, when Harl Tolbert left the job after only a few months. Dunbar, the founding director of biotechnology development and biomedical innovation … Continue reading “Wayne State Tech Transfer: New Leadership, New Programs, New Stability”
New York Coaxes eFaqts and Plot to Expand from Netherlands to the U.S.
Startups from Portugal, the Netherlands, and other countries recently made the rounds in New York, looking for potential collaborators, investors, and new ways to set up shop in the United States. These individual efforts—run by organizations such as VentureOutNY and the Dutch consulate—may seem small but could slowly swell into an innovation front when viewed … Continue reading “New York Coaxes eFaqts and Plot to Expand from Netherlands to the U.S.”
Formlabs, 3D Systems in Settlement Talks over 3D Printing Patent
Formlabs, one of the most notable startups in the suddenly frenzied market for consumer 3D printers, is in settlement talks with the publicly traded company that sued it for patent infringement after a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign last winter. There aren’t many details available about the possible settlement, and neither company would comment on the … Continue reading “Formlabs, 3D Systems in Settlement Talks over 3D Printing Patent”
Study: Advanced Sensors Promise Major Energy Savings in Buildings
The cafeteria is freezing as a solitary worker finishes a late lunch in the cavernous space. The problem of overly air-conditioned rooms in office buildings is not just one of comfort. It’s a huge waste of energy in commercial buildings, which consume about 36 percent of U.S. electricity. And it’s often caused by heating, ventilating, … Continue reading “Study: Advanced Sensors Promise Major Energy Savings in Buildings”
Red Labs Boosts New Startup Culture at University of Houston
Hesam Panahi has spent nearly all his academic life at the University of Houston. As both an undergrad and graduate management and information systems student, he attended classes in the same building that housed the school’s entrepreneurship program—and still never knew it existed. “We’ve had this program since ’94 and I just found out about … Continue reading “Red Labs Boosts New Startup Culture at University of Houston”
Zafgen’s Obesity Drug Continues to Cut The Fat in Phase 2 Trial
Zafgen raised eyebrows two years ago when it showed that its injectable drug, which changes the way the body metabolizes fat, helped severely obese people in a small clinical trial lose a lot of weight in the span of a month. Today, the Cambridge, MA-based company is giving a sneak peek into its next study—and, … Continue reading “Zafgen’s Obesity Drug Continues to Cut The Fat in Phase 2 Trial”
Gnip’s Old, New Bosses Open Up About Recent Leadership Change
Gnip, one of Boulder’s top tech companies, has reshuffled its executive team, and in an interview Friday the company’s new and old CEOs explained why. Gnip co-founder Jud Valeski is stepping aside from the CEO job and will become the company’s chief technology officer. Chris Moody, who spent about two years as Gnip’s president and … Continue reading “Gnip’s Old, New Bosses Open Up About Recent Leadership Change”
Texas Roundup: CPRIT Renewed, Cancer Biomarker Test, Austin MedTech
Here are the updates this week from Xconomy Texas. —The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas is one step closer to resuming grant funding. Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Monday signed into law a number of reforms to CPRIT, a major funder of cancer research whose grant-giving activities were placed on hold by Perry … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: CPRIT Renewed, Cancer Biomarker Test, Austin MedTech”
East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: IPO Madness, Amicus, & More
The white-hot biotech sector kept humming along this week— particularly on the East Coast, where companies tripped over one another on their way to the Nasdaq. We’ve got that and a whole lot more below: —Cambridge, MA-based Bluebird Bio (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BLUE]]) soared onto the stock market on Wednesday and saw its share price immediately take … Continue reading “East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: IPO Madness, Amicus, & More”
Battle of the Bluetooth Speakers: Big Sound in Small Packages
Back in 2009, Lief Storer realized he was putting his own safety in jeopardy every time he donned his big DJ headphones before biking to work. “I had a tough time picking up traffic coming at me from the rear,” he says. But he didn’t want to give up his music. So he jammed an … Continue reading “Battle of the Bluetooth Speakers: Big Sound in Small Packages”
San Diego’s Salka Looks to Develop Renewable Energy Throughout U.S.
There’s a new renewable energy development firm in town. Jiddu Tapia, who previously oversaw wind farm development for the U.S. subsidiary of the Spanish wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa Technology, plans to pursue similar deals in wind and solar energy for Salka, a business he’s recently established in San Diego to arrange financing, develop, build, and … Continue reading “San Diego’s Salka Looks to Develop Renewable Energy Throughout U.S.”
Boston Roundup: EMC, TripAdvisor, PatientsLikeMe, Skillz, Bricklin
A mini-flurry of tech industry news happening this week: —It looks like EMC may be acquiring an Israel-based startup as it continues to grow in cloud computing. The report comes from the Israeli tech site Geektime, which says the price for Scale IO could be $200-$300 million. TechCrunch confirmed the report, saying that the deal … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: EMC, TripAdvisor, PatientsLikeMe, Skillz, Bricklin”
Boston Tech’s Inferiority Complex: “It’s a F***ing Waste of Time”
With the federal trial of mobster Whitey Bulger lighting up the headlines, Scott Savitz drew more than a few chuckles Wednesday when he pointed out that the Boston area has “some really good mafias.” But he wasn’t joking. Savitz, the founder of Shoebuy and Data Point Capital, was making the case that veterans of some … Continue reading “Boston Tech’s Inferiority Complex: “It’s a F***ing Waste of Time””
Pure Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge Awards $93K to 10 Startups
On Monday, the winners of the Pure Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge were announced at the Entrepreneur Connect event in Lansing, MI. The statewide contest was hosted by Michigan Corps, the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and represents the nation’s first coordinated, public-private effort to advance social entrepreneurship. According to Elizabeth … Continue reading “Pure Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge Awards $93K to 10 Startups”
10 Highlights From XSITE 2013: Akamai, Blackjack, Crashlytics, & More
Digging out from our fifth annual XSITE innovation conference at Babson College yesterday…huge thanks to all of our speakers, sponsors, attendees, and hosts for an inspiring day indeed. I saw at least part of every session, and wanted to highlight a few things that stood out to me. Let’s start from the end of the … Continue reading “10 Highlights From XSITE 2013: Akamai, Blackjack, Crashlytics, & More”
Are Apple, Google, and Facebook Done Innovating? Readers Speak
In the world of tech journalism, the fastest way to start an argument is to say something critical about Apple. When you throw in Google and Facebook, you really know there are going to be fireworks. That’s exactly what happened over the weekend after we published my column “Don’t Panic, But We’ve Passed Peak Apple. … Continue reading “Are Apple, Google, and Facebook Done Innovating? Readers Speak”
PTC Therapeutics IPO Raises $125M Despite Checkered Past
How strong is the appetite for biotech IPOs? PTC Therapeutics, whose lead drug, ataluren, has already failed two big clinical trials, has priced an offering near the high end of its projected range. South Plainfield, NJ-based PTC sold nearly 8.4 million shares this morning at $15 apiece, for a total of about $125 million. PTC … Continue reading “PTC Therapeutics IPO Raises $125M Despite Checkered Past”
With $10M, SpaceCurve Readies ‘Third Generation’ Big Data Platform
SpaceCurve says its big data platform removes the barriers to real-time analysis of enormous, multi-dimensional datasets inherent in current technologies. The Seattle startup has raised $10 million to begin marketing its platform, as investors continue to bet on locally based big data companies. Triage Ventures led the Series B funding, with earlier SpaceCurve investors Reed … Continue reading “With $10M, SpaceCurve Readies ‘Third Generation’ Big Data Platform”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Aragon, Santarus, Tocagen, and More
The $1 billion buyout of San Diego’s Aragon Pharmaceuticals is expected to greatly expand Johnson & Johnson’s drug pipeline for treating prostate cancer. We have that at the top of San Diego’s life sciences news, along with other developments over the past week. —Moving to capitalize on the success of its prostate cancer drug, abiraterone … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Aragon, Santarus, Tocagen, and More”
MakerBot and Stratasys Make it Official and Ink $403M Merger Deal
After more than a week of merger rumors, desktop 3-D printer developer MakerBot Industries in Brooklyn today announced it agreed to be acquired by Stratasys (Nasdaq: [[ticker:SSYS]]) in Minneapolis, MN, in a stock-for-stock deal valued at $403 million. The news is the latest major deal for a New York-based startup after Yahoo acquired Tumblr one … Continue reading “MakerBot and Stratasys Make it Official and Ink $403M Merger Deal”
Twitter Buys Boston-Based Spindle, Team Heading to S.F.
Twitter’s gone shopping in Boston again. Spindle, a Boston-based startup that culls social-media messages to give consumers a view of what’s happening nearby, announced today that it has been acquired by Twitter. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. It appears to be a “talent acquisition,” since the Spindle service is shutting down and its … Continue reading “Twitter Buys Boston-Based Spindle, Team Heading to S.F.”
Allergist, Vaccine Researchers Nothing to Sneeze At, UCD Judges Say
A startup that’s trying to promote a better way to treat allergy patients beat out a team of biotech researchers working on a way to protect vaccines from heat to take home the top prize Tuesday at the University of Colorado-Denver’s annual business plan competition. Allergy Solutions won the $10,000 prize for its proposal to … Continue reading “Allergist, Vaccine Researchers Nothing to Sneeze At, UCD Judges Say”
Venture Arms of Samsung, Verizon, & Others Hungry for Deals with Hot Ideas
If startups want to seek funding from venture capitalists linked to major companies, they face a few different considerations compared with making deals with other types of backers. So on Tuesday, venture capitalists from Verizon, Shell, Samsung, Applied Materials, and other companies at the annual New York Venture Summit discussed the mojo they want to … Continue reading “Venture Arms of Samsung, Verizon, & Others Hungry for Deals with Hot Ideas”
Bluebird Prices Ahead of Range, Takes Flight on Nasdaq Today
[Updated: 10:45 am ET] When Third Rock Ventures and Genzyme joined a group of investors in 2010 pooling $35 million into a nearly two-decade old gene therapy company known as Genetix Pharmaceuticals, this turnaround was likely what they had in mind. Less than three years after that investment, that Cambridge, MA-based company, now known as … Continue reading “Bluebird Prices Ahead of Range, Takes Flight on Nasdaq Today”