Category: National

Jaitly Leaving Knight Foundation to Lead Twitter’s Efforts In India

Xconomist Rishi Jaitly, who has led the Knight Foundation‘s efforts in Detroit for nearly the past two years, announced yesterday in an email to local grantees that he’s leaving Knight to take a job leading Twitter‘s efforts in India. This represents a return to big tech companies—prior to taking the position at Knight, Jaitly worked … Continue reading “Jaitly Leaving Knight Foundation to Lead Twitter’s Efforts In India”

NuMedii Sifts Data to Teach Old Drugs New Tricks

Here’s a scenario that captivates medical researchers: A pharmaceutical company reluctantly shelves a drug candidate whose early promise didn’t pan out after extensive testing in a target disease. But new data in genomics and other fields later reveals that the failed compound could be a blockbuster drug in an entirely different illness. That vision has … Continue reading “NuMedii Sifts Data to Teach Old Drugs New Tricks”

Carbonite Buys Backup Firm Zmanda as Big Data Spending Skyrockets

Boston-based Carbonite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CARB]]), the online data backup company, says it is acquiring Zmanda, a Sunnyvale, CA-based open source and cloud backup company. The price tag is about $14.75 million, with some adjustments. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year. “Zmanda is a great strategic fit for Carbonite,” says … Continue reading “Carbonite Buys Backup Firm Zmanda as Big Data Spending Skyrockets”

Calling All Seattle Biotechies: The Icos Impact Is Coming Up Nov. 27

Ever wonder what the people inside Icos really thought about tadalafil (Cialis), way back in 1996? That was when GlaxoSmithKline bailed out of a partnership with the Bothell, WA-based biotech company, thinking this molecule was just another dud for cardiovascular disease. Two years later, it became obvious that GlaxoSmithKline truly didn’t know what it had. … Continue reading “Calling All Seattle Biotechies: The Icos Impact Is Coming Up Nov. 27”

San Diego’s Cebix Names CEO, Raises $30.9M to Advance Diabetes Drug

San Diego-based Cebix is moving ahead in its development of C-peptide replacement therapy for treating diabetes-related microvascular problems. Encouraging results from an early stage trial, reported earlier this month at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, have led the company to raise an additional $30.9 million and to recruit … Continue reading “San Diego’s Cebix Names CEO, Raises $30.9M to Advance Diabetes Drug”

U-M Announces Venture Shaping, Dare to Dream Grant Recipients

The University of Michigan’s Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies has awarded nearly $30,000 in grants to student startups as part of its Mayleben Venture Shaping and Dare to Dream programs. Each year, the programs award up to $100,000 to student companies semi-annually. This round’s funded entrepreneurs are working in a wide range of sectors, … Continue reading “U-M Announces Venture Shaping, Dare to Dream Grant Recipients”

ASML Buys San Diego’s Cymer in Leap to Next-Generation Chip Technology

ASML (Nasdaq: [[ticker:ASML]]), the Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer, said today it has agreed to acquire San Diego-based Cymer (Nasdaq: [[ticker:CYMI]]), the leading maker of ultraviolet lasers used in lithographic systems to make microcircuit patterns in silicon wafers. The cash-and-stock deal is valued at more than $2.5 billion. The companies say the deal represents a 61-percent … Continue reading “ASML Buys San Diego’s Cymer in Leap to Next-Generation Chip Technology”

Health Tech Hatch Widens Crowdfunding Choices for Health Startups

Dentistry student Alec Whitters had a new iPad and an iPhone, but the only “apps’’ available to help him study for his dental board exams were pricey stacks of paper flashcards, or hefty 500-page books costing more than $300. Seeing a need to fill, Whitters, 25, took a break from dental school to develop mobile, … Continue reading “Health Tech Hatch Widens Crowdfunding Choices for Health Startups”

ScaleBase Adds $10.5M and New CEO in Database Wars

Another day, another database company on my radar. This one’s a little different, though. ScaleBase, a Newton, MA, startup that is trying to enhance the capabilities of existing databases, has raised a $10.5 million Series B funding round led by Bain Capital Ventures and Ascent Venture Partners. Previous investor Cedar Fund also participated in the … Continue reading “ScaleBase Adds $10.5M and New CEO in Database Wars”

Medical Device Company Cibiem Launches with $10 Million Series A

Cibiem said today that it has raised $10 million in a Series A round of financing led by life sciences venture investors SV Life Sciences and Third Rock Ventures. The New York company is developing minimally invasive medical devices for the treatment of conditions like hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, and renal failure. The firm launched out of … Continue reading “Medical Device Company Cibiem Launches with $10 Million Series A”

The Enterprise Sales Game Has Changed. Have You?

As a venture firm that focuses exclusively on enterprise IT and has backed more than 100 companies, we have witnessed a wide variety of different sales models. Scaling a business rapidly requires the marketing, sales, and product design to all “fit” the target customer in just the right way, and “How are you going to … Continue reading “The Enterprise Sales Game Has Changed. Have You?”

Deal Count Rises, But Third Quarter VC Funding Lags Behind ’11 Pace

Venture capital activity continued apace during the third quarter, with $7.5 billion invested in 835 deals nationwide—the highest deals tally since the dot-com era. But the overall funding total for 2012 is expected to decline from the $30.7 billion invested in 2011, according to a report today from New York financial data firm CB Insights. … Continue reading “Deal Count Rises, But Third Quarter VC Funding Lags Behind ’11 Pace”

Chronic Disease Focus Helps Healthrageous Raise $15 Million

Healthrageous, a Boston-based startup that provides people suffering from chronic illnesses with tools to manage their health, said today that it raised $6.5 million in series B financing from North Bridge Venture Partners, Long River Ventures, Egan-Managed Capital and an unnamed investor. The two-year-old firm’s second round brings total investments to more than $15 million, and … Continue reading “Chronic Disease Focus Helps Healthrageous Raise $15 Million”

A123 Files for Bankruptcy, Sells Off Auto Business

[Updated 4:20pm ET. See below] It’s a dark day for A123 Systems and U.S. cleantech. The struggling Waltham, MA, lithium-ion battery maker (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AONE]]) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is selling its automotive business to industrial tech company Johnson Controls (NYSE: [[ticker:JCI]]) for $125 million. That means A123’s plants in Livonia and Romulus, MI, … Continue reading “A123 Files for Bankruptcy, Sells Off Auto Business”

Boston Deals: Attivio, Perfecto, GrabCAD, Healthrageous, & More

Investors have been pouring more cash into Boston-area startups in recent days, targeting companies that tackle big data, mobile development, medical rehab, and more: —Attivio, a five-year-old company that sells data analysis software, has raised $34 million in growth financing. The investment was led by Oak Investment Partners, which joined previous investors Per-Olof Söderberg and Tenth … Continue reading “Boston Deals: Attivio, Perfecto, GrabCAD, Healthrageous, & More”

Angel Investor Joanne Wilson Talks about Have to Have and the NY scene

It is hard to find a more New York savvy angel investor than Joanne Wilson. She has backed local startups such as DailyWorth, Nestio, and Lover.ly. Wilson also co-chairs the annual ITP Women Entrepreneurial Festival at New York University and blogs about women in technology and her other interests as Gotham Gal. One-year-old Have to … Continue reading “Angel Investor Joanne Wilson Talks about Have to Have and the NY scene”

See You Today at Onyx for ‘Reinventing Biotech’s Business Model’

The Xconomy team is getting ready to head over this afternoon to Onyx Pharmaceuticals for our big event titled “Reinventing Biotech’s Business Model.” More than 160 people have registered online in advance, and there is still a little room for folks who’d like to register at the door. For those of you who can’t make … Continue reading “See You Today at Onyx for ‘Reinventing Biotech’s Business Model’”

Charles Simonyi, David Allen Team Up To Get Things Done on Mobile

Getting Things Done author David Allen, inventor of a technique used by hundreds of thousands of professionals to manage their workloads, isn’t a big technology booster. Arguing that his method is mainly a habit of thought, he’s never released or endorsed an official “GTD” app or service. In fact, he’s often said that gadgets and … Continue reading “Charles Simonyi, David Allen Team Up To Get Things Done on Mobile”

Punching the “Clear Your Head” Button: The Xconomy Q&A with David Allen

David Allen was in San Francisco on September 7, 2012, to lead a paid seminar on the principles in Making It Work, the sequel to his 2001 bestseller Getting Things Done. I interviewed him after the seminar. Among other things, we talked about the nature of work and ways to think about e-mail overload. Allen … Continue reading “Punching the “Clear Your Head” Button: The Xconomy Q&A with David Allen”

SD Supercomputer Center Takes Lead in Commercializing Analytics

A broad initiative in predictive analytics that began at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) earlier this year is taking another step today, with a two-day “boot camp” in data mining for local companies. The event is intended to help San Diego companies that specialize in healthcare, drug development, genomics, telecommunications, and other technologies learn … Continue reading “SD Supercomputer Center Takes Lead in Commercializing Analytics”

ByteLight Flips Switch, Raises Cash for Indoor Positioning Using LEDs

File this one under “game-changing, if it works.” And if it gets widely adopted. ByteLight, a stealthy startup in Cambridge, MA, has raised $1.25 million in seed funding led by VantagePoint Capital Partners to pursue its vision of an indoor positioning system based on LEDs (light-emitting diodes). Here’s the basic premise. Your GPS-enabled phone knows … Continue reading “ByteLight Flips Switch, Raises Cash for Indoor Positioning Using LEDs”

FDA Staff Issues Positive Report for Aegerion’s Lomatapide

FDA staff members issued a report  today that brings the experimental drug lomitapide from Aegerion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AEGR]]) one step closer to a likely approval by year end. The report concluded that lomitapide is an appropriate and effective treatment for people with a rare genetic condition that causes their cholesterol levels to soar, with the caveat … Continue reading “FDA Staff Issues Positive Report for Aegerion’s Lomatapide”

Amid Layoff Rumors, PayPal’s Mok Oh Out as Chief Scientist

[Updated 5:55pm ET] Since late last week, we’ve been hearing about impending layoffs at PayPal, the payments division of San Jose, CA-based eBay (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EBAY]]). But one high-level executive is already out—and he has strong ties to both the Bay Area and Boston. Mok Oh has left his post as chief scientist of PayPal as … Continue reading “Amid Layoff Rumors, PayPal’s Mok Oh Out as Chief Scientist”

Course Hack Lets Students Automatically Organize Assignments

When Course Hack co- founder and CEO Chris Roszell was attending Michigan State University, he spent a lot of time transcribing what was on his syllabi into iCal, the native calendar app on iPhones. “It took a lot of time,” he explains. “I knew if I could come up with some kind of script [to … Continue reading “Course Hack Lets Students Automatically Organize Assignments”

Rare Disease Science Challenge Offers $400,000 in Cash & Services

San Diego’s Assay Depot, which operates an online marketplace for the life sciences industry, and the nonprofit Rare Genomics Institute say they have joined with 19 life sciences companies in creating a “Rare Disease Science Challenge.” The sponsoring organizations are offering as much as $400,000 in laboratory services, technology, and other resources—along with a $10,000 … Continue reading “Rare Disease Science Challenge Offers $400,000 in Cash & Services”

Future Cornell NYC Tech Campus Makes Space for Technology Companies

A new set of renderings issued Monday offer a more detailed glimpse of what is in the works for Cornell NYC Tech as the public review process begins for the plan to create this applied science and engineering school. The $2 billion campus to be built on Roosevelt Island—based on a plan by Cornell University … Continue reading “Future Cornell NYC Tech Campus Makes Space for Technology Companies”

Inventory Data from Retailigence Helps Mobile Users Buy Locally

You’re standing on a hot street, feeling thirsty, and a bus goes buy with an electronic sign advertising your favorite sports drink. Normally, that would just make you even thirstier. But this sign contains some actionable information: the drink is in stock at the 7-Eleven one block away. The chances that the store will soon … Continue reading “Inventory Data from Retailigence Helps Mobile Users Buy Locally”

Biotech Racking Up Successes Against Ultra-Orphan Diseases

There are two U.S. Food & Drug Administration hearings coming up this week that highlight the reasons why the biotech industry is increasingly focused on developing drugs for very rare diseases. Tomorrow, an advisory committee of independent experts will hear evidence about NPS Pharmaceutical’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NPSP]]) experimental drug for short bowel syndrome, a debilitating condition that … Continue reading “Biotech Racking Up Successes Against Ultra-Orphan Diseases”

GrabCAD Grabs $8M from Charles River Ventures, Yammer’s David Sacks

GrabCAD is looking more and more like the quintessential Boston tech company—and maybe, just maybe, a big part of the future of the whole tech ecosystem. First of all, the company has CAD (computer aided design) in its name; Boston, of course, is the cradle of CAD, with SolidWorks/Dassault, PTC, an Autodesk presence, and many … Continue reading “GrabCAD Grabs $8M from Charles River Ventures, Yammer’s David Sacks”

Which VCs Are Poised to Cash In On the Biotech IPOs of 2012?

There’s a story going on in biotech venture capital, and it’s about a slow and painful death. Four years after the start of the Great Recession, and after a decade of too much promising and too little delivering, the majority of biotech VCs are struggling to stay afloat. Firms are shutting their doors, forcing partners … Continue reading “Which VCs Are Poised to Cash In On the Biotech IPOs of 2012?”

Accelerate Michigan Announces 2012 Semi-Finalists

The 53 semi-finalists competing in Accelerate Michigan, the busi­ness-plan com­pe­ti­tion tar­geting mid-to-late-stage startups located in 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 promising startps and companies to watch. Winners … Continue reading “Accelerate Michigan Announces 2012 Semi-Finalists”

A Night with IncubateNYC Entrepreneurs at Google’s NY Office

On Thursday night at Google’s New York offices in Chelsea, IncubateNYC co-founders Brian Shields and Marcus Mayo held a coming-out party for some of the entrepreneurs they work with. It has been quite the evolution for IncubateNYC, which is an independent program that Google lends some support to. What began as an effort to create … Continue reading “A Night with IncubateNYC Entrepreneurs at Google’s NY Office”

East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Biotech Hubs, Vertex, More

Here’s our latest roundup of news from Boston and New York’s life sciences communities. —Move over, San Francisco. Boston may be ready to take your place as the leading hub for biotech. In his Biobeat column , Xconomy’s Luke Timmerman, who has been covering biotech for 11 years, says that even though San Francisco has … Continue reading “East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Biotech Hubs, Vertex, More”

I Won’t Buy an iPad Mini—But Parents and Schools Will

Until recently, I was an iPad Mini denier. A tablet with a 7- or 8-inch screen feels like the worst of both worlds to me—too big for simple e-reading, too small for serious Web browsing, games, and photos. And Apple has historically been a creator, not a joiner, so the idea that the company would … Continue reading “I Won’t Buy an iPad Mini—But Parents and Schools Will”

Can New York Take on Boston, California as a Biotech Hub?

When you think of biotech hubs in the U.S. you think of South San Francisco, Boston, San Diego and…Brooklyn? Well, maybe not yet for Brooklyn, but a core group of investors, entrepreneurs, and scientists, with the support of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, are working to turn the Borough of Kings, along with two sites in Manhattan, … Continue reading “Can New York Take on Boston, California as a Biotech Hub?”

San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Optimer, CareFusion, Senomyx & More

Here’s our latest roundup of news from San Diego’s life sciences community. —It took awhile, but San Diego’s Pathway Genomics appears to have recovered from the ill effects of a 2010 letter from the FDA that more or less brought its business to a halt. Under a revised strategy, the company has been forming partnerships … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Optimer, CareFusion, Senomyx & More”

Hygieia’s Insulin Guidance System Approved for European Use

Ann Arbor, MI-based Hygieia announced this week that its d-Nav Diabetes Insulin Guidance System (DIGS) has received a CE Mark, which is the European equivalent of FDA approval. This fall, two diabetes treatment centers in England and Ireland plan to start using the d-Nav DIGS, which was developed with technology from the University of Michigan. … Continue reading “Hygieia’s Insulin Guidance System Approved for European Use”

BetterDoctor’s Ad-Free Physician Search Tool Goes Nationwide

Every year, 70 million people in the United States set out to find a new doctor. It may be because they’ve moved or switched jobs (and hence insurers), or because they’ve gotten married or divorced or had a new child, or because they have a health problem requiring a specialist. But whatever the impetus, a … Continue reading “BetterDoctor’s Ad-Free Physician Search Tool Goes Nationwide”

Boston Life Sciences 2032: The Photos

Four and a half years ago, we organized a special Xconomy biotech forum: an evening focused on what the Boston life sciences scene would look like 20 years down the road. Fast forward through a major recession, a new presidency, and further increases in healthcare costs, and the life sciences world looks much different already. So we … Continue reading “Boston Life Sciences 2032: The Photos”

In the Microsoft Accelerator with SD’s Embarke: ‘This is Not Easy!’

In their first 10 days at the Microsoft Accelerator program, Embarke CEO Al Bsharah says he and co-founder Bryan Hall have worked 16- to 20-hour days every day—“and we’re behind!” Of more than 600 startups that applied, Embarke was the only San Diego startup admitted to the intensive business-mentoring program. The accelerator, which began Oct. … Continue reading “In the Microsoft Accelerator with SD’s Embarke: ‘This is Not Easy!’”

Xconomist of the Week: Bill Warner’s Rules for Angel Investing

First, a word to the wise. These investment rules may work for Bill Warner, but they’re not for everyone. Because Warner is one of a kind. The renowned Boston-area techie founded Avid Technology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVID]]) in video production and Wildfire Communications in voice-based systems, back in the day. In recent years he has dedicated his … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Bill Warner’s Rules for Angel Investing”

CrowdHut Emerges from Beta, Brings Aggregation Services to Crowdfunding

Chocolate-covered wasabi peas and electric bikes are just some of the first items for sale through CrowdHut, a New York–based e-commerce site that markets products and services from crowdfunded companies. Emerging from private beta last week, five-month-old CrowdHut aims to become a central portal for companies that raise cash through platforms such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, … Continue reading “CrowdHut Emerges from Beta, Brings Aggregation Services to Crowdfunding”

Exclusive: OVP Venture Partners, NW’s Oldest VC Firm, To Shut Down

OVP Venture Partners, the Kirkland, WA-based venture firm that has invested $750 million in more than 125 high tech, biotech and clean energy companies in its history, won’t raise any new funds and is gradually winding down operations after almost 30 years in business, Xconomy has learned. Three of OVP’s six managing directors—Mark Ashida, Lucinda … Continue reading “Exclusive: OVP Venture Partners, NW’s Oldest VC Firm, To Shut Down”

The Future of Big Data on Oct. 24: Here’s the Agenda

Two weeks to go. Then it’s Armageddon for Big Data. I’m talking about “The Future of Big Data,” Xconomy’s half-day conference on Oct. 24, at the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology in Boston. We are tackling the tough questions. We are pulling no punches. We are going to get to the bottom of what all … Continue reading “The Future of Big Data on Oct. 24: Here’s the Agenda”

Why a Microsoft Smartphone Just Can’t Happen—Not Yet, Anyway

As Microsoft gears up to show off the newest generation of its smartphone software, there are growing questions about whether the software pioneer might start cranking out its own handsets, too. Microsoft’s certainly helping to stoke that idea by recasting itself as a “devices and services” company, as CEO Steve Ballmer just wrote in his … Continue reading “Why a Microsoft Smartphone Just Can’t Happen—Not Yet, Anyway”

Ginzametrics Helps Huge Sites Get More Search & Social Attention

Ray Grieselhuber, the founder of search optimization startup Ginzametrics, deserves a prize for patience. My first meeting with him was more than two years ago, on September 27, 2010 (I remember that it was a windy but bright afternoon outside Caffe La Stazione in the Dogpatch). I said I’d likely write a story based on … Continue reading “Ginzametrics Helps Huge Sites Get More Search & Social Attention”

Changes at Active Network Put Emphasis on Sales, Social Networks

After San Diego’s Active Network (NYSE: [[ticker:ACTV]]) disclosed last month that longtime chairman and CEO Dave Alberga would be assuming a new role as “executive chairman,” Alberga says, “The first question from Wall Street was, ‘Are you backing away from the business?’” Alberga says his answer is “No.” The changes are intended to strengthen the … Continue reading “Changes at Active Network Put Emphasis on Sales, Social Networks”

Genocea Snags $30M from Gates Foundation, VCs for New Vaccines

Genocea Biosciences, one of the big ideas for new vaccines in Boston biotech, just got another $30 million boost from a group of investors that includes the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Cambridge, MA-based Genocea said today it raised its Series C investment round from the Gates Foundation, CVF, and all of its existing … Continue reading “Genocea Snags $30M from Gates Foundation, VCs for New Vaccines”