A couple years ago, when Alex Fair was tossing around ideas on how to raise money for his new healthcare marketplace, FairCareMD, he knew that putting the startup on the uber-popular crowdfunding platform Kickstarter would be out of the question. Kickstarter has collected $250 million for 24,000 projects since it was founded three years ago, … Continue reading “MedStartr Offers Crowdfunding for Health IT Firms, Including Itself”
Category: National
NuoDB, Dailybreak, Vsnap & (Much, Much) More from the Boston Deals Roundup
[Updated 7/12/12, 10:50 am. See below.] It’s been a booming week for deals in New England, and that’s not even counting today… —Morgenthaler Ventures led a $10 million Series B round for Cambridge, MA-based cloud database software company NuoDB. The round also included Hummer Winblad Venture Partners and Longworth Venture Partners and will be used for … Continue reading “NuoDB, Dailybreak, Vsnap & (Much, Much) More from the Boston Deals Roundup”
Energy Technology Ventures Invests in San Diego’s On-Ramp Wireless
Energy Technology Ventures—a joint fund established GE, NRG Energy, and ConocoPhillips—has agreed to participate in the Series C round of funding currently being raised by San Diego’s On-Ramp Wireless. Financial terms were not disclosed in a statement today. On-Ramp CEO Joaquin Silva told me in March he was preparing to raise from $20 million to … Continue reading “Energy Technology Ventures Invests in San Diego’s On-Ramp Wireless”
How Amazon Can Disrupt Smartphones and Take Apple & Google to School
The rumor mill is heating up on Amazon’s plans to enter the smartphone business—a fiercely competitive market currently dominated by Apple’s iPhone franchise and Google’s Android platform. Despite massive investments, Microsoft has so far failed to make inroads as a third platform, so Amazon will have to pull off some very impressive work on many … Continue reading “How Amazon Can Disrupt Smartphones and Take Apple & Google to School”
Oakland University Incubator Focuses on Cleantech, Outreach
Tucked amid the gorgeous rolling hills surrounding Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester Hills, MI, is the Oakland University Incubator. Despite being a sprawling space complete with a demonstration hall the size of a football field, it’s a four-person operation. Amy Butler runs the place, and she’s got a vision to not only attract more tenants and … Continue reading “Oakland University Incubator Focuses on Cleantech, Outreach”
Crossing Sand Hill Road: SLAC, X-Ray Lasers, and the Venture Industry
Sand Hill Road is a chasm. On one side: the lion’s share of prime Silicon Valley venture capital firms. On the other side, less than half a mile away: the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. If the chasm is crossed, it could bring new wealth to the venture industry, well-being to patients, new manufacturing industries, and … Continue reading “Crossing Sand Hill Road: SLAC, X-Ray Lasers, and the Venture Industry”
Ubi Interactive Bets on Kinect, Finds a New Home in Seattle
Last Christmas was not shaping up to be a banner holiday season for Anup Chathoth. Sick and cooped up at home, the young entrepreneur was contemplating how he could revive an idea that he’d been crunching for several months. Chathoth and his partner, Chao Zhang, were trying to make a new device that could turn … Continue reading “Ubi Interactive Bets on Kinect, Finds a New Home in Seattle”
For Stealth HD’s Video Software, A Panorama of Applications
In 2007, Bill Banta got discharged by the U.S. Navy’s fighter pilot training school because he failed an eye exam. Today, his Silicon Valley startup is building video software that could help pilots by giving them eyes in the back of their heads. You could call that irony, or serendipity. After all, if Banta had … Continue reading “For Stealth HD’s Video Software, A Panorama of Applications”
E-tailer Inubar, Founded by Lot18 Alums, Debuts in Pet Wares Sector
Pet owners who dote on their four-legged companions have a new e-tailer to peruse, now that New York startup Inubar has come out of stealth mode today. Inubar offers a selection of aesthetically designed products and is initially focusing on toys, bedding, and accessories for dogs. New items will be added each week. Websites that … Continue reading “E-tailer Inubar, Founded by Lot18 Alums, Debuts in Pet Wares Sector”
Halo Report: Angel Investing Holds Steady in First Quarter
[Updated 7/9/12 12:42 am. See below.] The average amount of capital that angels invested in early stage companies during the first three months of 2012 declined slightly from last year, according to a new report on U.S. angel activity. The average size of deals involving only angels and angel groups was $940,000 during the first … Continue reading “Halo Report: Angel Investing Holds Steady in First Quarter”
Sophiris Moves to Unlock Blockbuster Potential in New Prostate Drug
In the vintage tic-tac-toe TV game show, The Hollywood Squares, one of the classic funny moments occurred when host Peter Marshall asks the question: “True or false—a pea can last as long as 5,000 years.” Assuming an expression of middle-aged consternation, the late comedian George Gobel answers: “Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.” The … Continue reading “Sophiris Moves to Unlock Blockbuster Potential in New Prostate Drug”
Gates Foundation’s Jeff Raikes To Start Off Seattle Biotech Event
[Updated 3:30 pm] It may not seem right as the weather has turned so beautiful, but it’s time to leave the T-shirt and jeans in the closet and break out the sportcoat for the biggest annual event in Seattle biotech. About 1,000 people are expected to come together at the Washington State Convention Center tomorrow … Continue reading “Gates Foundation’s Jeff Raikes To Start Off Seattle Biotech Event”
Paydiant Picks Up $12M to Set Up Mobile Payments for Banks and Retailers
In a very busy week for startup financings, a few stand out in their respective fields. One would be Paydiant in mobile payments. The Wellesley, MA-based company has raised a $12 million Series B round from new investor Stage 1 Ventures, along with previous investors North Bridge Venture Partners and General Catalyst Partners. It sounds … Continue reading “Paydiant Picks Up $12M to Set Up Mobile Payments for Banks and Retailers”
Greenlancer: Clean Tech Engineering From the Cloud
Bizdom-backed, Detroit-based startup Greenlancer has been receiving a lot of local attention lately. Earlier this year, co-founder and CEO Patrick McCabe was named one of metro Detroit’s rising stars in Crain’s “20 in their 20s” list. In June, Greenlancer won a $10,000 prize in the advanced energy sector in the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest. Now the … Continue reading “Greenlancer: Clean Tech Engineering From the Cloud”
UW’s Computer Science Hiring Spree Nets More Kudos
It’s been a rough few years for state-supported entities in Washington, as tax collections still haven’t rebounded from the Great Recession. Among the most visible victims has been the University of Washington, which has seen its state tax funding drop by about half over the past several years. But recently, the UW has been making … Continue reading “UW’s Computer Science Hiring Spree Nets More Kudos”
Boom or Bust? 11 Big Bets on the Future of Boston Tech
Just past the midway point of 2012, let’s take stock of the Boston-area technology scene. Not just because we care about what’s happening in the local community (which we do), but because what’s happening in the local community could have a big impact on some of the most important sectors in technology and business—across the … Continue reading “Boom or Bust? 11 Big Bets on the Future of Boston Tech”
Lux Bio Resurfaces With Defined Path for Pill for Rare Eye Disease
After Lux Biosciences announced in August 2010 that the FDA declined to approve its experimental drug to treat an inflammatory disorder of the eye called uveitis, the company pretty much went silent. No more press releases, few scientific publications, very little visibility beyond some presentations at medical meetings by outside investigators. Under the tutelage of … Continue reading “Lux Bio Resurfaces With Defined Path for Pill for Rare Eye Disease”
The Best Boring Companies in Biotech
Sometimes great companies have really boring stories. Maybe the company makes great products, or generates big profits and returns, but just doesn’t have the sizzle to get on the TV news, or even keep folks away from the veggie dip at your neighborhood barbecue. It almost takes work to be boring in biotech, since this … Continue reading “The Best Boring Companies in Biotech”
U-M Tech Transfer Office, MVCA Announce Partnership
The University of Michigan’s Tech Transfer office and the Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) have announced that they will partner on a new, collaborative office inside Tech Transfer’s Venture Accelerator. The partnership, the first of its kind for the MVCA, will give the organization’s members direct access to the startups and technology spun out of university research. … Continue reading “U-M Tech Transfer Office, MVCA Announce Partnership”
What the Higgs Boson Owes to the World Wide Web
Quick: Name the greatest thing ever to come out of CERN, the European Center for Nuclear Research. If your answer is the Higgs boson, the existence of which was more or less confirmed this week by two teams working on parallel experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), I respectfully disagree. The greatest thing to … Continue reading “What the Higgs Boson Owes to the World Wide Web”
Hybrid Vs. Native: Viggle, New York Times Talk Mobile App Strategy
A potentially more versatile breed of mobile app is catching the attention of startups and more established companies alike, but the technology has not won over everyone. Hybrid apps seek to blend the flexibility found in HTML5-based Web apps with traditional, native mobile apps into one platform. That serves the needs of Viggle, (OTCBB: [[ticker:FNCX]]), … Continue reading “Hybrid Vs. Native: Viggle, New York Times Talk Mobile App Strategy”
Novo Nordisk Weaves Itself Into Seattle Biotech, With Diabetes R&D
Novo Nordisk’s CEO once said his company put down roots in Seattle because of a historic blunder. But now the Denmark-based drugmaker, the world’s largest maker of insulin for diabetes, is moving ahead with purpose on a long-term plan to weave itself into the Seattle biotech community, and hopefully come up with some useful new … Continue reading “Novo Nordisk Weaves Itself Into Seattle Biotech, With Diabetes R&D”
CityPockets, Reborn as Reclip.it, Puts a Pinteresting Spin on Saving
If you blinked during the second week of May, you might have missed the fact that a Silicon Alley daily-deals-resale company called CityPockets had disappeared from the New York startup scene, only turn up in Silicon Valley a week later with a new name, Reclip.it, and a new focus, as a sort of Pinterest for … Continue reading “CityPockets, Reborn as Reclip.it, Puts a Pinteresting Spin on Saving”
TechTown Hosts North African Entrepreneurs as Part of State Dept. Program
What brings a group of entrepreneurs from the Mahgreb region of Africa to Detroit’s TechTown? It’s an interesting story that started in Egypt three years ago. On June 4, 2009, President Obama delivered a speech in Cairo that was aimed promoting harmony between the United States and the Muslim world. Tensions were high after eight … Continue reading “TechTown Hosts North African Entrepreneurs as Part of State Dept. Program”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Amylin Buyout, PDUFA, & More
Amylin’s acquisition topped the news out of San Diego’s life sciences sector in the week before the July 4 holiday. But there were plenty of other developments as well. Here’s my rundown: —What a long, strange trip it’s been. San Diego’s Amylin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]) spent 18 years developing exenatide (Byetta), an injection that helps diabetics … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: Amylin Buyout, PDUFA, & More”
Plexxi, iWalk, DynamicOps, and More from the Boston Deals Roundup
This week’s New England deals news came from IT, mobile software, and medical prosthetic startups. —Plexxi, the recently de-stealthed startup that’s looking to more efficiently connect applications in data centers with the right networks, announced on its blog that it had pulled in $20.1 million in new funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Matrix Partners, and Northbridge … Continue reading “Plexxi, iWalk, DynamicOps, and More from the Boston Deals Roundup”
PetFlow Paws its Way to the Top of Facebook, Sniffs Out Growth Path
In February 2011, the website Business Insider quoted PetFlow.com co-founder Alex Zhardanovsky criticizing the pioneer of the online pet-supply business—Pets.com, which famously blasted onto the Web in the early 2000s and then shut its doors when it couldn’t find a path to profitability. In the article, Zhardanovsky contended that Pets.com got in trouble by selling … Continue reading “PetFlow Paws its Way to the Top of Facebook, Sniffs Out Growth Path”
CraveLabs Sees Local Media as Huge Boon for Mobile Ad Tech
“Most of mobile right now is focused on trying to figure out where the whales are—the big dollar advertising,” says Jeffrey Peden. Seems to be an accurate statement, considering the big deal activity Boston has seen lately with major mobile advertising startups. Not the case with his Cambridge, MA-based startup CraveLabs, whose technology helps not-so-tech-savvy … Continue reading “CraveLabs Sees Local Media as Huge Boon for Mobile Ad Tech”
A Computer Guy’s Dream, Immusoft, Turns Cells Into Drug Factories
Matthew Scholz has been told many times that his idea for reprogramming the body’s immune cells to create drugs was impossible. Maybe dangerous. Maybe just dumb. Scholz, a computer scientist with no formal biology training, could easily have been written off as a quixotic dreamer until this spring, when he got his breakout moment. The … Continue reading “A Computer Guy’s Dream, Immusoft, Turns Cells Into Drug Factories”
Frazier Makes It Official: Seeking to Raise New $400M Fund
Frazier Healthcare Ventures is officially out raising a new $400 million fund, according to a regulatory filing. The Seattle-based venture firm, which has an office in Menlo Park, CA, said today in the filing that it is seeking to raise as much as $400 million in a new venture fund, the seventh in its history … Continue reading “Frazier Makes It Official: Seeking to Raise New $400M Fund”
RealNetworks CEO Nielsen Out, Glaser Back as Interim Chief
The latest makeover at RealNetworks is over before it really got started. This afternoon—just before a holiday, of course—the Seattle-based company reported that president and CEO Thomas Nielsen had resigned, and would be replaced on an interim basis by founder Rob Glaser. There’s a particular emphasis on the “interim,” with Glaser reporting in the company’s … Continue reading “RealNetworks CEO Nielsen Out, Glaser Back as Interim Chief”
Life Sciences Discovery Fund Gets New Leader, A Familiar Face
The state’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund has a new boss, but he’s not a new face to people familiar with the state-supported biotech fund. John Des Rosier, who has been the director of programs for the LSDF since 2006, is moving up to be the executive director following Lee Huntsman’s retirement on June 30. While … Continue reading “Life Sciences Discovery Fund Gets New Leader, A Familiar Face”
Boston Mobile, Ad Tech Startups Inking Deals This Week
It’s been a big week for deals on the mobile and advertising (and combination thereof) tech fronts. Cambridge, MA-based mobile ad network Jumptap announced a $27.5 million funding round on Monday as it prepares for an initial public offering, and we’ve spotted a few more since then. —Boston-based OwnerIQ, a developer of targeted advertising technology, … Continue reading “Boston Mobile, Ad Tech Startups Inking Deals This Week”
ShopKeep Leverages iPad to Disrupt Point-of-Sale System Incumbents
The way retailers handle purchases is changing rapidly because of electronic payments, New York-based ShopKeep is betting it can help push this evolution even further. The so-called point of sale is no longer limited to traditional cash registers built around PC-based hardware and software. Companies such as startup Own Point of Sale in San Francisco … Continue reading “ShopKeep Leverages iPad to Disrupt Point-of-Sale System Incumbents”
Cater2me, ZeroCater Bring Food-Truck Lunch To Startups
Free catered lunches for employees aren’t just for tech giants like Google anymore, thanks to Bay Area startups that are bringing food to even the smallest tech companies. San Francisco-based Cater2.me and ZeroCater are two startups that make it possible for tech outfits to outsource their lunches to mom-and-pop food shops, from taco trucks to … Continue reading “Cater2me, ZeroCater Bring Food-Truck Lunch To Startups”
Ventrus Struggles to Reassure Street After Loss of Hemorrhoid Drug
When New York-based Ventrus Biosciences went public in December 2010, the promise that the company might have the first FDA-approved prescription drug to treat hemorrhoids sent the stock from $6 to as high as $21 a share, before it settled into a trading range of $10 to $12. So when Ventrus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VTUS]]) announced on … Continue reading “Ventrus Struggles to Reassure Street After Loss of Hemorrhoid Drug”
Trendspotting with Ford: How the Auto Industry Prepares for the Future
Sheryl Connelly, whose title at Ford is “Global Trends and Futuring Expert,” doesn’t spend much time thinking about cars. Her mind is on big-picture global trends: what’s going on socially, technologically, economically, environmentally, and politically. “My approach is, what are the things we have no control over?” Connelly says when reached by phone. “What is … Continue reading “Trendspotting with Ford: How the Auto Industry Prepares for the Future”
Northeastern Looks Northwest, Aims to Fill Voids in Tech Job Market
Seattle imports high-tech talent, and Boston exports. So it makes sense that one of the big players in Boston’s competitive higher education market, Northeastern University, would see a new niche opening up across the country, where it can help feed a fast-growing high-tech cluster with more brainpower. Northeastern, a 114-year-old private institution with 20,500 full-time … Continue reading “Northeastern Looks Northwest, Aims to Fill Voids in Tech Job Market”
Xconomy Boston’s Top 20 Stories of Q2 2012: Editor’s Picks
You know the drill. Half of 2012 is in the books, and it’s time now to look back on our editor’s picks for top stories of Q2. Because I said so, that’s why. As usual, these aren’t always the highest-traffic stories (though in some cases they are). They are the stories that exemplify the reporting, … Continue reading “Xconomy Boston’s Top 20 Stories of Q2 2012: Editor’s Picks”
San Diego’s Qualcomm Embraces Experiment in Incentive Prizes
It’s probably still too early to know if incentive prize competitions will prove to be a sustainable method for advancing technology innovation, but Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) has embraced the idea—at least as an experimental hypothesis. The San Diego wireless technology giant has been testing the concept in various ways, beginning about three years ago with … Continue reading “San Diego’s Qualcomm Embraces Experiment in Incentive Prizes”
CircleUp Brings Crowdfunding, Of a Sort, to Non-Tech Firms
A common complaint among technology entrepreneurs back in the mid-2000s was that there weren’t enough angel investors willing to help small startups get off the ground. Bootstrapping and “friends-and-family” funding would only take you so far, and if you didn’t already have a couple million in annual revenue, the venture funds just weren’t interested, creating … Continue reading “CircleUp Brings Crowdfunding, Of a Sort, to Non-Tech Firms”
NPS Rejiggers Amgen Deal, Sees $75M Extra Cash
Bedminster,NJ-based NPS Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NPSP]]) said today it had amended its licensing agreement with biotech giant Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) for sales of cinacalcet HCl (Sensipar), a drug used to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism. NPS originally licensed the drug to Thousand Oaks, CA-based Amgen in 1996 and gets a 10 percent royalty on sales, which totaled $894 million in 2011. … Continue reading “NPS Rejiggers Amgen Deal, Sees $75M Extra Cash”
Jumptap Gets $27.5M More for Mobile Ads: IPO or Acquisition Coming?
Everything old is new again. At least in the world of mobile advertising. Jumptap, the stalwart mobile tech company based in Cambridge, MA, said today it has raised $27.5 million in a new financing round. Previous investors General Catalyst, Redpoint Ventures, Summerhill Venture Partners, Valhalla Partners, and WPP participated in the round, as well as … Continue reading “Jumptap Gets $27.5M More for Mobile Ads: IPO or Acquisition Coming?”
David Tisch and Others See Opportunities, Caveats with Kickstarter
The federal JOBS Act will make it easier for novice investors to use crowdfunding platforms to make actual equity investments in startups, rather than just donating money, as they can now through sites like Kickstarter. But with any crowdfunded project, there are some concerns to watch out for, according to David Tisch, managing director of … Continue reading “David Tisch and Others See Opportunities, Caveats with Kickstarter”
Bridesmaid No More: It is Time For Diagnostics To Shine
A 41 year old HIV patient sits down with his physician to discuss his options. After a year of diagnostic tests that indicate stable CD4 cell counts, viral load, and creatinine levels, there has been a change. Over the past few months, the patient’s creatinine has crept up to 1.5 milligrams per deciliter of blood, … Continue reading “Bridesmaid No More: It is Time For Diagnostics To Shine”
Who’s Still Active Among the Early-Stage Biotech VCs?
Imagine for a moment you’re a hotshot biomedical scientist at a university. You have invented a technology in your lab that you think has potential to make a big difference for the world of medicine. Despite all the accolades you might be getting in Nature, you are savvy enough to know you still have a … Continue reading “Who’s Still Active Among the Early-Stage Biotech VCs?”
Bristol-Myers Buys Amylin for $5.3B, Getting Diabetes Drugs
[Updated: 9:40 pm] Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) has pulled the trigger on a $5.3 billion acquisition of San Diego-based Amylin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]). The deal, announced late Friday, calls for New York-based Bristol to pay $31 a share for Amylin, or about 10 percent more than its closing price today. By taking on some of … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers Buys Amylin for $5.3B, Getting Diabetes Drugs”
Startups Burst into Motion at Kinect Accelerator Demo Day
Thursday was the climactic final day for the first class of TechStars’ Kinect Accelerator, concluding not only with the standard on-stage pitches expected at a Demo Day, but also with a room full of actual, live, working demos. I was a mentor with the accelerator, and looking back across the full 13 weeks of the … Continue reading “Startups Burst into Motion at Kinect Accelerator Demo Day”
BNDWGN and the Future of Social Tech: Q&A with Meredith Flynn-Ripley
The social-mobile app with no vowels is off and running. BNDWGN, from the Cambridge, MA-based makers of HeyWire, a texting and social messaging service, was released into the wild earlier this week. It’s available on Android devices, with an Apple iOS version expected soon. But what does it say about the future of social and … Continue reading “BNDWGN and the Future of Social Tech: Q&A with Meredith Flynn-Ripley”
Credit Suisse on Supporting (And Increasing) MI’s Capital Continuum
In 2005, as Michigan continued limping along in an economic slump that had begun early in the decade, the state government decided to try something different. It passed legislation that allocated $1 billion from Michigan’s share of the settlement from a national lawsuit against tobacco companies and established the 21st Century Jobs Fund, a 10-year … Continue reading “Credit Suisse on Supporting (And Increasing) MI’s Capital Continuum”