It is always interesting how events find ways of connecting themselves together even when they seem so unrelated. I was at my sister Alexis’ graduation from law school on Friday, where I had gone directly from leaving a several day event organized by Health Evolution Partners. At the event I had occasion to meet with … Continue reading “The Star Thrower, or How Healthcare Looks to Consumers”
Category: National
Swipely Swipes $12M More to Advance “Operating System for Local Commerce”
Don’t look now, but Swipely is becoming a big player. The Providence, RI-based startup led by Angus Davis (of Tellme Networks fame) has just raised $12 million in Series B funding led by Shasta Ventures. Previous investors First Round Capital, Greylock Partners, and Index Ventures also participated in the round, which is one of the … Continue reading “Swipely Swipes $12M More to Advance “Operating System for Local Commerce””
Juan Enriquez on the Forces Shaping Innovation: A Napa Summit Preview
What are the most powerful forces affecting innovation and the economy? That is one of the key questions facing the nation as we inch our way out of the economic mire. Juan Enriquez may not have all the answers, but he has some deep insights into the path forward, and a way of framing the … Continue reading “Juan Enriquez on the Forces Shaping Innovation: A Napa Summit Preview”
Navigant: Consumers’ Knowledge of Smart Grids Continues to Lag
Utility companies and the nation’s power grid might be getting smarter, but consumers don’t seem particularly interested. That’s according to a national survey tracking consumer opinions about smart meters, renewable energy, and demand management technologies. Navigant Research, the Boulder, CO-based energy market analysis division of Navigant Consulting (NYSE: [[ticker:NCI]]), authored the report. The company was … Continue reading “Navigant: Consumers’ Knowledge of Smart Grids Continues to Lag”
Venture Debt as Growth Capital? You Bet.
It’s easy to understand why most discussions about the state of venture capital investing paint a pessimistic view. Access to institutional equity dollars is increasingly limited for new entrepreneurs and early stage companies, and an anemic fundraising environment for VC firms is contributing to the long-anticipated “VC shakeout.” We’re also at a cyclical low in … Continue reading “Venture Debt as Growth Capital? You Bet.”
ViaSat Plans to Boost Fast Growth with Second Internet Satellite
After 27 years as an unobtrusive specialist in satellite-based communications, Carlsbad, CA-based ViaSat (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VSAT]]) is acquiring a much bigger footprint. While ViaSat has experienced plenty of success over the years, the company’s business has been focused mostly on its low-profile military and intelligence-agency customers. But that began to change in 2011 with the successful … Continue reading “ViaSat Plans to Boost Fast Growth with Second Internet Satellite”
Tableau on the Run: IPO Underscores Seattle Big Data Leadership
Tableau Software continued producing visually stunning stock charts during its second day of trading, shining a favorable light on both the Seattle tech industry, and on big data companies. Shares of the company (NYSE: [[ticker:DATA]]) were nearing $60 at one point in Monday afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, up more than 90 … Continue reading “Tableau on the Run: IPO Underscores Seattle Big Data Leadership”
Houston’s Hackers Gather to Help City Solve Problems
In groups of twos and threes, the constituents lined up to take potshots at the assembled city officials. “Just about any fifth-grader could do it better,” said Yan Digilov, speaking of the city’s request for proposals process. “We just hope to retire a lot of fax machines.” In the audience, Houston Mayor Annise Parker gamely … Continue reading “Houston’s Hackers Gather to Help City Solve Problems”
Karyopharm Grabs $48.2M Series B to Advance Cancer Drugs
Karyopharm Therapeutics believes it can build a platform of cancer drugs off of the idea of keeping the body’s tumor-suppressing proteins in the nucleus of cells, where they can do their jobs properly. With the help of a new $48.2 million round of funding, now it has enough cash to test that thesis in two … Continue reading “Karyopharm Grabs $48.2M Series B to Advance Cancer Drugs”
NanoString Technologies Maneuvers In Line for $86M IPO
NanoString Technologies just started selling its first diagnostic test after 10 years in business, and now it’s getting ready for another milestone—an initial public offering. The Seattle-based company said today that it is seeking to raise as much as $86.3 million in an IPO, according to a prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. … Continue reading “NanoString Technologies Maneuvers In Line for $86M IPO”
Yahoo Locks in $1.1B Deal for Tumblr, Promises Not to Screw Up
David Karp’s wallet just got a lot fatter. After a flurry of speculation over the weekend, Tumblr in New York is being acquired by Sunnyvale, CA-based Yahoo, in a deal announced early Monday at the previously reported price of $1.1 billion, mostly in cash. Yahoo put out a statement on the acquisition with a pledge to … Continue reading “Yahoo Locks in $1.1B Deal for Tumblr, Promises Not to Screw Up”
Andy Miller on Leap Motion as the New Apple, & Sacramento Kings Deal
I’m on the phone with Andy Miller, and I don’t know where to begin. Ask him about working with Steve Jobs at Apple? About how Leap Motion may or may not be the next Apple? Or what about how that $348 million deal to buy the Sacramento Kings went down? Miller is driving in his … Continue reading “Andy Miller on Leap Motion as the New Apple, & Sacramento Kings Deal”
Appconomy Aims for Share of China’s Mobile Shopping Market
We’ve all been there, standing in a superstore, shopping list in hand. We stare at the dozens and dozens of rows of consumer products before us and don’t have a clue where to find anything. But if you’re in China, Appconomy has something that might help. The company, which is based in both Austin, TX, … Continue reading “Appconomy Aims for Share of China’s Mobile Shopping Market”
Accelerate LI’s Lofty Goal: Create the Next U.S. Innovation Cluster
When Astellas Pharma shuttered the labs of OSI Pharmaceuticals last week, no one felt that loss as acutely as the residents of Long Island, NY. OSI, famed for its lung cancer drug erlotinib (Tarceva), had shown that it was possible to create a large pharmaceutical company on Long Island. Not only was it the anchor … Continue reading “Accelerate LI’s Lofty Goal: Create the Next U.S. Innovation Cluster”
The Top Five Traits to Look For in Prospective Startup Employees
Most successful entrepreneurs will tell you that the fastest way to kill a startup is to hire the wrong people. It’s true. As someone who has helped build multiple startups, I cannot overstate the importance of assembling a stellar core team. They are the ones who will transform your ideas into reality, and help you … Continue reading “The Top Five Traits to Look For in Prospective Startup Employees”
Zillions of Biotech Conferences Want You. Which Should You Attend?
Biotech industry conferences are happening, somewhere on this green Earth, every day. If you’ve been around a while, and you’ve attended a few, chances are you get invitations, or marketing pitches, that ask you to attend a different meeting every day. If you’re new to the business, you may not be on all the lists. … Continue reading “Zillions of Biotech Conferences Want You. Which Should You Attend?”
Boston Roundup: Skyword, SimpleTuition, Jelly, Pebble, MIT
A smattering of fundraising announcements involving Boston-area companies and investors, along with a student entrepreneurship program in this collection of local news tidbits: —Skyword, a Boston-based marketing company that links freelance copywriters with advertisers and other clients, has raised $6.7 million. The investment was led by Cox Media Group, which Skyword says will help hire … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Skyword, SimpleTuition, Jelly, Pebble, MIT”
Going Beyond Early Promises, NY Works On Its Follow-Through (Part 2)
For cities to truly thrive in this economy, fresh ideas must be cross-pollinated from beyond their borders—and New York offers its share of honey to lure in startups. This international gateway can be the place for companies to break into the U.S. market, meet new collaborators, and tap the resources of well-heeled investors. A panel … Continue reading “Going Beyond Early Promises, NY Works On Its Follow-Through (Part 2)”
Tableau Shares Jump More Than 50% in IPO
No question, traders in the stock market knew there was going to be an appetite for shares of data visualization provider Tableau Software. But that hunger for business-tech IPO stocks is even deeper than Tableau guessed. Shares of the Seattle-based company (NYSE: [[ticker:DATA]]) were up more than 50 percent in midday trading after its initial public … Continue reading “Tableau Shares Jump More Than 50% in IPO”
Nine Lessons for Innovators from a Nobel Prize-Winning Psychologist
I was pretty slow about getting around to reading Thinking, Fast and Slow. The career-capping book by Princeton psychologist Daniel Kahneman, one of the founders of behavioral economics, spent months on all the bestseller lists back in 2011. I finally picked up a paperback copy a couple of weeks ago. The book is mainly about … Continue reading “Nine Lessons for Innovators from a Nobel Prize-Winning Psychologist”
XBiotech Takes Aim at Inflammation That Weakens Cancer Patients
Few could accuse XBiotech CEO John Simard of failing to think big. The Austin, TX-based startup he founded in 2005 is testing a novel biological drug candidate that is aiming to treat the persistent inflammation that makes cancer patients feel so weak in their final months and years. XBiotech also created a new method to … Continue reading “XBiotech Takes Aim at Inflammation That Weakens Cancer Patients”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Optimer, Ambit, AnaptysBio, & More
[Clarification 5/17/13, 2:05 pm. See below.] Antibody drugs seemed to be the topic of the week for San Diego’s life sciences community. We have the latest updates from RuiYi, AnaptysBio, and Optimer Pharmaceuticals, along with other developments. —Ambit Biosciences’ (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMBI]]) stock price fell by 61 cents, or almost 8 percent, in its first day … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Optimer, Ambit, AnaptysBio, & More”
Tableau Software to Reap $155M from IPO at $31 per Share
Wall Street’s hunger for business-tech companies is on display again with the initial public offering of Seattle-based Tableau Software. Tableau, a provider of data-visualization software, begins trading today (NYSE: [[ticker:DATA]]) at $31 per share. That’s a higher price than Tableau had projected for its shares, even after revising the target twice—a signal of strong demand … Continue reading “Tableau Software to Reap $155M from IPO at $31 per Share”
East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Termeer, Atlas, OSI Pharma & More
All eyes in the biotech world will soon turn to the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago, but for now, the industry keeps humming along. This week’s news was highlighted by partnerships, product launches and big name hirings—and lowlighted by the closure of the long time anchor of Long Island’s biotech scene. … Continue reading “East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Termeer, Atlas, OSI Pharma & More”
Check KUOW’s “Weekday” for Science News
Science news often falls into the trap of becoming “infotainment” designed to generate ratings, and little else. As one essayist in The Guardian recently put it, “freaky copulation techniques in the animal kingdom,” heart-warming tales of miracle cures for kids, or creepy sci-fi robots are often what pass for science news when so many media … Continue reading “Check KUOW’s “Weekday” for Science News”
Cambridge Innovation Center Strikes Deal for St. Louis Expansion
The Boston area’s best-known startup hub is taking another big step in its national expansion plans. The Cambridge Innovation Center, an all-in-one office space and services provider that houses some 500 companies near the MIT campus, is opening a branch in St. Louis. CIC officials announced the expansion Thursday along with Wexford Science & Technology, … Continue reading “Cambridge Innovation Center Strikes Deal for St. Louis Expansion”
San Diego’s AnaptysBio Gets BioDefense Contract for Ricin Antibodies
AnaptysBio says today the U.S. government has asked the San Diego biotech to produce antibodies that counter the deadly effects of ricin and would not require refrigeration, so batches of anti-ricin antibodies could be stored at room temperatures. Under a contract funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), AnaptysBio says it is obligated to … Continue reading “San Diego’s AnaptysBio Gets BioDefense Contract for Ricin Antibodies”
Third Rock’s Ninepoint Medical Grows Up, Plans $35M Series B
Ninepoint Medical earned the distinction of becoming the first—and to date, the only—medical device maker seeded by startup creation specialist Third Rock Ventures when it set up shop in 2009. Some four years and $33 million later, Ninepoint’s vision, a product that can make cancer diagnosis more efficient, is becoming a reality. “It’s a pretty … Continue reading “Third Rock’s Ninepoint Medical Grows Up, Plans $35M Series B”
Ambit Slices Price of IPO, Increases Number of Shares Offered
San Diego’s Ambit Biosciences cut the share price of its planned IPO by nearly half yesterday, but still managed to raise about $65 million by increasing the number of shares in its debut offering. Shares of the biopharmaceutical company began trading this morning on the Nasdaq under the symbol AMBI. The company, with a lead … Continue reading “Ambit Slices Price of IPO, Increases Number of Shares Offered”
The Daily Grommet Leads Wave of “Anti-Amazon” E-Commerce in Boston
First of all, the company is no longer called the Daily Grommet. Now it’s just The Grommet. “We still execute daily,” says CEO Jules Pieri, “but we dropped the word because it seemed to be superfluous.” She adds, “We love what ‘grommet’ represents, a humble piece of hardware that makes things better.” The company’s mission? … Continue reading “The Daily Grommet Leads Wave of “Anti-Amazon” E-Commerce in Boston”
Matterport Isn’t Playing Games with Kinect-Style 3D Camera
When Tel Aviv, Israel-based PrimeSense came out with its first depth-sensitive, near-infrared camera-on-a-chip in 2010, nobody could have predicted how many uses hardware makers would dream up for the technology within a few short years. The first and most famous was Microsoft’s Kinect sensor, which lets gamers move their bodies to interact with video games. … Continue reading “Matterport Isn’t Playing Games with Kinect-Style 3D Camera”
Going Beyond Early Promises, NY Works On Its Follow-Through (Part 1)
After much clamor about becoming a sanctuary for startups, New York faces the “now what?” stage of its growth as a tech hub. Plans have been laid down to fill the streets with engineers—in another decade or two. But that does not mean this community is waiting around for the Cornell NYC Tech campus to … Continue reading “Going Beyond Early Promises, NY Works On Its Follow-Through (Part 1)”
Matrix Genetics Emerges from Algae Biofuel Wilderness With a Partner
Matrix Genetics is one of those startups that never really got off the ground in its early days, but never died, either. While the Seattle-based company lived on fumes at various points over the past four years, it saw other contenders in the algae biofuel business rise, and fall. Now Matrix has stayed in the … Continue reading “Matrix Genetics Emerges from Algae Biofuel Wilderness With a Partner”
Bellicum in Trials with Cancer Vaccine, Cell-Suicide Switches
Less than a decade after being hatched out of a Texas university, Houston-based Bellicum Pharmaceuticals is in the midst of clinical trials on two innovative cancer therapies that, if successful, could result in new ways of attacking and killing off harmful cells. The company uses a platform technology called chemical induction of dimerization, and is … Continue reading “Bellicum in Trials with Cancer Vaccine, Cell-Suicide Switches”
San Diego’s RuiYi (aka Anaphore) Focuses Anew on Antibodies & China
It’s been almost two years since Paul Grayson was named as CEO of San Diego’s Anaphore—more than enough time for the former Fate Therapeutics CEO to put a new strategy in place. The company unveiled the first element of its new plan in October—shifting the focus to developing new biologic drugs in China, changing its … Continue reading “San Diego’s RuiYi (aka Anaphore) Focuses Anew on Antibodies & China”
Kiva’s Domestic Microlending Initiative Expands to Flint
Kiva Detroit, Kiva’s first domestic microlending initiative—and the country’s first community-led microlending program—spent its first year focused on expanding the social network of lenders and community volunteers on the ground actively recruiting small businesses in need of a loan. Now, Michigan Corps has replicated that model for the first time and launched it in a … Continue reading “Kiva’s Domestic Microlending Initiative Expands to Flint”
Atlas Leans on Amgen, Novartis to Build New Startups
[Corrected on 5/16/13, 9:11 a.m., see below] Fresh off raising $265 million to bankroll its ninth fund, Atlas Venture has forged strategic partnerships with Amgen and Novartis to help supply the bigger companies with innovative new drug candidates. The deals represent the latest in a string of alliances that is bringing venture firms and Big … Continue reading “Atlas Leans on Amgen, Novartis to Build New Startups”
In Pursuit of Big Opportunity, Software Maker Apptio Raises $45M More
Apptio, which makes software to help corporate CIO’s manage IT operations, has filled up its coffers for a push into what it sees as a major untapped market. The Bellevue, WA, company has raised $45 million in a Series E round led by new investors including Janus Capital and The Hillman Company, and returning backers … Continue reading “In Pursuit of Big Opportunity, Software Maker Apptio Raises $45M More”
Genentech Follows Fast at ASCO as Cancer Immunotherapy Picks Up
Genentech made its name in cancer by creating targeted antibody drugs that zero in on tumor cells while mostly sparing healthy tissue. Now it’s seeking to compete in the next wave of cancer immunotherapies, which are designed to spark the immune system to attack tumors like a virus. South San Francisco-based Genentech, a unit of … Continue reading “Genentech Follows Fast at ASCO as Cancer Immunotherapy Picks Up”
Genentech Cancer Antibody, Son of Rituxan, Nails Pivotal Study
Genentech has been searching for years to find a way to improve upon rituximab (Rituxan), which set a gold standard 15 years ago as part of the first generation of targeted antibody cancer drugs. Now it looks like Genentech has finally nailed a new and patented version to keep the franchise going for many more … Continue reading “Genentech Cancer Antibody, Son of Rituxan, Nails Pivotal Study”
With IPO Pending, Tableau Ups Targeted Share Price Again to Max of $30
Tableau Software has again increased the price range of shares in its impending initial public offering, putting the top range at $30 in a sign of strong interest among investors in the Seattle data visualization software maker. Tableau is expected to begin trading later this week on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker … Continue reading “With IPO Pending, Tableau Ups Targeted Share Price Again to Max of $30”
VC Meets AC/DC: Video from the NVCA Live Concert
For a minute I thought I was back in 2008, when Xconomy organized Boston’s first Battle of the Tech Bands. But no, this was 2013, and I was in San Francisco, at the Great American Music Hall (where the Grateful Dead recorded One From the Vault). And I was at “NVCA Live!”—a private concert organized … Continue reading “VC Meets AC/DC: Video from the NVCA Live Concert”
Dyn, FitnessKeeper, HeyWire CEOs Join XSITE June 19: Here’s the Agenda
Just a little over a month to go before our fifth annual flagship conference, XSITE 2013 (Xconomy Summit on Innovation, Technology, & Entrepreneurship) at Babson College. The date is June 19, the theme is “Boston’s Tech Revival,” and the agenda is here. You can still register for the event (be sure to note our student … Continue reading “Dyn, FitnessKeeper, HeyWire CEOs Join XSITE June 19: Here’s the Agenda”
Gradalis’s Fang Bares Its Teeth in Fighting Ovarian Cancer
Gradalis today revealed early details of a study indicating that its personalized cancer vaccine could delay recurrences of ovarian cancer in advanced stage patients by at least a year. The Dallas-based startup, founded in 2005, presented results of a phase II clinical trial of the vaccine at the annual meeting of the American Society of … Continue reading “Gradalis’s Fang Bares Its Teeth in Fighting Ovarian Cancer”
Sorenson CEO Peter Csathy Goes Hollywood to Lead Manatt Venture Fund
Carlsbad, CA-based Sorenson Media CEO Peter Csathy tells me he’s left Sorenson to become CEO of Manatt Digital Media Ventures, a venture fund and digital media business created by the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips law firm in Los Angeles. The venture will operate as part of Manatt Digital Media, making the California law firm a … Continue reading “Sorenson CEO Peter Csathy Goes Hollywood to Lead Manatt Venture Fund”
Real Estate Move: DocuSign Buys Cartavi, Strengthens Ties with zipLogix
Electronic signatures company DocuSign is beefing up its real estate line with the acquisition of Cartavi and a tighter partnership with zipLogix, meant to enable transactions using any device. DocuSign—founded in Seattle in 2004, but with its headquarters now in San Francisco—has had a partnership with Cartavi, based in Naperville, IL, for the last year … Continue reading “Real Estate Move: DocuSign Buys Cartavi, Strengthens Ties with zipLogix”
NY’s Tech Evolution Viewed by the Master of the Webutante Ball
In a city where people know people who know people, Richard Blakeley sits at the heart of a web that connects New York’s tech community. That enviable position stems in part from his annual Webutante Ball. While preparing for next Thursday’s big gala, he spoke to Xconomy about the city’s evolution into a place not … Continue reading “NY’s Tech Evolution Viewed by the Master of the Webutante Ball”
TechStars Accelerator Plants Flag in People’s Republic of Austin
We don’t know if the people at TechStars like live music, barbecue, SXSW, and bats—but we definitely know they like startups, and that’s why they’re launching a new program in Austin, TX. TechStars CEO David Cohen announced this morning that Austin will be the home of the newest TechStars accelerator. The program offers about a … Continue reading “TechStars Accelerator Plants Flag in People’s Republic of Austin”
Hollywood Celebrates Breast Cancer Genetics Pioneer Mary-Claire King
[Corrected: 11 am 5/16] A sort of perfect storm of celebrity and media has hit the world of breast-cancer genetics. Actress and international celebrity Angelina Jolie wrote yesterday in The New York Times of her own genetic status—knowing that she carried a mutation of the BRCA1 gene. Jolie chose to have a prophylactic mastectomy, surgery … Continue reading “Hollywood Celebrates Breast Cancer Genetics Pioneer Mary-Claire King”
Boston Roundup: Matrix, Grommet & Rakuten, Ambient, Summer@Highland
Updated 10 a.m. with new item Some news on VC fundraising, startup investment, corporate layoffs, and student entrepreneurship in this midweek rundown of items to catch up on: —Matrix Partners, based in Waltham, MA, has confirmed that it’s raised $450 million for its 10th venture fund. The news first surfaced in mid-April, courtesy of Fortune’s Dan Primack. … Continue reading “Boston Roundup: Matrix, Grommet & Rakuten, Ambient, Summer@Highland”