Category: National

Merck Teams With Flagship to Bankroll Early Biotech Ventures

Cambridge, MA-based Flagship Ventures said today it has formed a partnership with Merck Research Ventures Fund—the $250 million fund the Whitehouse Station, NJ-based drug giant set up last year to foster biotech startups. The two companies will collaborate to find and back new companies that are developing drugs to address unmet medical needs. As part … Continue reading “Merck Teams With Flagship to Bankroll Early Biotech Ventures”

Oncothyreon Marches On With ‘Son of Stimuvax’ Cancer Vaccine

Many on Wall Street who follow Seattle-based Oncothyreon know it as the developer of Stimuvax, a product designed to stimulate the immune system to fight cancer cells. But what fewer realize is that Oncothyreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONTY]]) has long envisioned a product that could trump its original Stimuvax, and it has only recently gotten the money … Continue reading “Oncothyreon Marches On With ‘Son of Stimuvax’ Cancer Vaccine”

From Internet Plumbing to Tweeting With Zappos: The Dyn Story

If the Internet needs a plumber, Jeremy Hitchcock is your man. It’s not sexy, it’s not glamorous, but as they say, someone’s got to do it. And if that someone does it right, well, he can build a very profitable, 150-person company right here in the great Northeast. That company would be Dyn (pronounced “dine”), … Continue reading “From Internet Plumbing to Tweeting With Zappos: The Dyn Story”

Optimer Discloses Shakeup Prompted by Chairman’s Deal in Taiwan

A deal involving an affiliated Taiwanese company prompted the board at San Diego’s Optimer Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OPTR]]) to seek the ouster of the co-founder and chairman, Michael Chang, and to fire the company’s chief financial officer and a vice president. In a statement released before the market opened, Optimer also says it disclosed the deal … Continue reading “Optimer Discloses Shakeup Prompted by Chairman’s Deal in Taiwan”

Ludlow Ventures: A Family Venture “Without Ego”

Ludlow Ventures, the Detroit-based firm, has a motto: “VC without ego.” Managing partner Jonathon Triest certainly lives up to that ideal of selflessness when describing the influence his partners—his father, Brent Triest, and his great-uncle, Warren Coville—have had on his life. “They’re successful, humble, super smart, and philanthopic. They bring extraordinary talent to the table, … Continue reading “Ludlow Ventures: A Family Venture “Without Ego””

Betaworks-Backed News.me Puts a More Social Spin on News Medium

The ever-increasing use of social media to share stories can sometimes overwhelm users, but a New York-based startup has created a platform to curb such information overload. News.me, wholly funded by investor and business accelerator Betaworks, and born from a prototype created at The New York Times, curates news articles to help readers focus on … Continue reading “Betaworks-Backed News.me Puts a More Social Spin on News Medium”

Four Xconomists in the News this Weekend, Including Two XSITE Keynoters

It was a busy weekend in tech coverage, despite the holiday. Among other things, four Xconomists were in the news, making headlines, announcing key moves, or as part of national articles—three of them in the New York Times. Here is a quick pointer: –Stephen Wolfram was the focus of a New York Times article about … Continue reading “Four Xconomists in the News this Weekend, Including Two XSITE Keynoters”

Mobilisafe Study: Android Apps Show More Security Holes

Chalk up another one for those control freaks at Apple. In a recent study of small and medium-sized businesses, Seattle startup Mobilisafe found that security vulnerabilities on Apple’s mobile devices were largely tied to the company’s iOS platform. The apps that run on those devices, subject to Apple’s picky curation policies, barely registered as security … Continue reading “Mobilisafe Study: Android Apps Show More Security Holes”

Microsoft Research’s Jennifer Chayes: 5 Projects for the Future of Computing

When people talk about the future of technology, they tend to mention the same big players (what I might call the four horsemen of the consumer apocalypse): Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google. And if they want to get more cutting-edge, maybe they’ll throw in a viral newcomer or two like Dropbox or Pinterest. Who they … Continue reading “Microsoft Research’s Jennifer Chayes: 5 Projects for the Future of Computing”

Investing in Biotech Isn’t Just for Investors Anymore

There hasn’t been much to crow about for years in the world of biotech financing. There’s no getting around the fact that new drugs still take a long time and a lot of money to develop, and they usually fail. It doesn’t fly in an instant-gratification economy, where people take extraordinary technical achievements—like, say, streaming … Continue reading “Investing in Biotech Isn’t Just for Investors Anymore”

New England’s Emerging Biotech Stars: An Xconomy Forum In Pictures

Hollywood may be famous for its movie stars, but the Boston area has its own crop of celebrities… in biotech, that is. We showcased which companies and entrepreneurs are the ones to watch this past Wednesday at our Xconomy Forum: New England’s Emerging Biotech Stars. Biogen Idec was a gracious event host—and provided some insightful … Continue reading “New England’s Emerging Biotech Stars: An Xconomy Forum In Pictures”

Cymfony Snapped Up by Visible Technologies in Social Analytics

Some consolidation in the field of social media analytics and monitoring today. Boston-based Cymfony is being acquired by Visible Technologies, a Bellevue, WA-based company, for an undisclosed sum. Terms of the deal weren’t given, but communications firm WPP Group, which owns about 24 percent of Visible and all of Cymfony, will own 49 percent of … Continue reading “Cymfony Snapped Up by Visible Technologies in Social Analytics”

Notepaper App Showdown: Bamboo, FiftyThree, and Noteshelf

Most geeks like me suffer from a condition called Amazing New Tech Syndrome. The chief symptom of ANTS is a happy delirium over the latest gadget you’ve acquired, followed by resentful disillusionment toward that same gadget as soon as a newer one comes out. You can only assuage the resentment by buying the new gadget, … Continue reading “Notepaper App Showdown: Bamboo, FiftyThree, and Noteshelf”

Apple and the Cloud: A Cautionary Tale

The consumer’s electronic world as we know it today is shared between Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and a handful of other popular brands. Most offerings must ride on these platforms and play by their rules. Yet I believe our current interest in—and use of—this ecosystem will peak in 3-6 years, and what awaits each of … Continue reading “Apple and the Cloud: A Cautionary Tale”

Presage Looks to Help Millennium Pick Cancer Drug Winners Early

Seattle-based Presage Biosciences, a spinoff from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, is looking to help cancer drugmakers separate the winning compounds from the losers early in development, and now it’s found a major partner to put this idea to the test. Cambridge, MA-based Millennium, a unit of Takeda Pharmaceuticals, said today it has struck … Continue reading “Presage Looks to Help Millennium Pick Cancer Drug Winners Early”

AVI Biopharma Mulls Deal After Mixed Data With Muscular Dystrophy Drug

AVI Biopharma’s CEO, Chris Garabedian, said when he took the job a year ago that he wanted to build an independent biotech company for the long haul. Key to the plan was the idea that the Bothell, WA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]]) would retain full ownership of its drug candidate for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and drive … Continue reading “AVI Biopharma Mulls Deal After Mixed Data With Muscular Dystrophy Drug”

Adimab, ImmunoGen, OvaScience, & More Boston Life Sciences News

Funding for drug development and a diagnostics firms dominated the deals news. —A souped up breast cancer drug from Genentech and Waltham, MA-based ImmunoGen called T-DM1 passed its biggest clinical trial yet, by keeping tumors from spreading for a significantly longer time than the drugs in a control group. Immunogen supplied the technology that links a toxin … Continue reading “Adimab, ImmunoGen, OvaScience, & More Boston Life Sciences News”

The Internet Election of 2012? Votizen, Politix, Politify Work to Wake Up Voters

The Tea Party and the Occupy movement have each had their shot at disrupting the U.S. political process. Now Silicon Valley wants a turn. It was bound to happen eventually. As industries from consumer goods to travel to healthcare have begun to yield to the power of Valley-birthed Internet technologies like social media, targeted advertising, … Continue reading “The Internet Election of 2012? Votizen, Politix, Politify Work to Wake Up Voters”

SD Life Sciences Roundup: Illumina, Sophiris Bio, & New Funding Deals

The clock is ticking down on the shareholder vote for Roche’s unsolicited offer to buy San Diego-based Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]). We also saw a bunch of new funding deals for local life sciences companies, so get your briefing now. —In a letter sent ahead of Illumina’s showdown shareholder meeting—set for April 18—CEO Jay Flatley and … Continue reading “SD Life Sciences Roundup: Illumina, Sophiris Bio, & New Funding Deals”

TechTown Report Sheds Light on Its Economic Impact

TechTown, the business incubator and entrepreneur training program located just north of Wayne State University in Detroit, recently released a report with some hard numbers to shed light on the economic impact it has had since it first opened in 2007. According to the report, which took seven months to prepare, TechTown has provided support … Continue reading “TechTown Report Sheds Light on Its Economic Impact”

Innovation in Startup Business Models

In our industry, it’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to become so mono-focused on the novelty of product innovation that they forget to innovate equally around their business model. In my estimation, a disruptive business model is at least as important as disruptive technology. As an investor, the perfect scenario for me is a disruptive technology … Continue reading “Innovation in Startup Business Models”

Boundless Learning, $8M in Tow, Raises Ire of Textbook Publishers

A Boston-based edtech startup is getting an education of its own: if you mess with an entrenched industry, the major players are going to mess with you. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The startup just might have the resources and wherewithal to fight back. Boundless Learning, which serves up free, open educational content … Continue reading “Boundless Learning, $8M in Tow, Raises Ire of Textbook Publishers”

Xconomist of the Week: Roger Ehrenberg Plans for Deeper Investments

Innovative use of data will change our world when you peer through the lens of Roger Ehrenberg, founder and managing partner of two-year-old IA Ventures in New York. From financial services to education and beyond, he sees opportunities to mine, harvest, cleanse, and analyze data in competitive ways. Armed with a $105 million fund that … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Roger Ehrenberg Plans for Deeper Investments”

Reinventing Biotech’s Business Model: The Photo Gallery

Science is a risky business, and when money is tight, the margin for error gets narrower for those who dare to build biotech companies. Part of what that means is the CEO, or the head of R&D, sometimes ends up being a visionary as well as the chief cook and bottle washer. “When you’re building … Continue reading “Reinventing Biotech’s Business Model: The Photo Gallery”

Twitter’s Downtown Detroit Office to Chase “Big Three” Ad Dollars

Social media giant Twitter announced today that it’s opening an office in downtown Detroit, hoping to tap into the region’s pool of digital marketing dollars with a small staff focused on advertising sales. Twitter’s decision to set up shop in the Rock Ventures-owned Madison Building adds to Dan Gilbert’s quest to make the whiteboard-and-Nerf gun-heavy … Continue reading “Twitter’s Downtown Detroit Office to Chase “Big Three” Ad Dollars”

SD Tech Roundup: ServiceNow Files IPO, On-Ramp Wireless, SwoopThat

Here are some news tidbits from the front lines of San Diego’s tech scene: —San Diego Venture Group President David Titus could hardly contain his enthusiasm at last week’s Rock Stars of Innovation Summit. His jubilance was prompted by a spate of venture-backed IPOs that came through in the waning days of March. Indeed, there’s … Continue reading “SD Tech Roundup: ServiceNow Files IPO, On-Ramp Wireless, SwoopThat”

See You Today at New England’s Emerging Biotech Stars***SOLD OUT***

We’re about to get going on this afternoon’s Xconomy Forum: New England’s Emerging Biotech Stars. But you still have a few hours to get your tickets. We have 8 left as of early this morning, which you can grab by clicking here. We have a stellar lineup of speakers planned, including Biogen Idec CEO George … Continue reading “See You Today at New England’s Emerging Biotech Stars***SOLD OUT***”

OvaScience Adds $37M for Fertility Treatments

Boston-based OvaScience announced today that it has raised $37 million in a Series B financing, the proceeds of which it will pour into the development of infertility treatments based on stem cell science. The funding round was led by General Catalyst, with participation from BBT Capital Management Advisors, Cycad Group, Hunt BioVentures, RA Capital and … Continue reading “OvaScience Adds $37M for Fertility Treatments”

MK Capital-Backed DramaFever Brings International TV Shows to the Web

While some cable television channels such as BBC America offer entertainment from overseas, there are even more shows on the global stage looking for new audiences. DramaFever in New York provides access, via the Web and mobile devices, to those hard-to-find shows from countries such as Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Seung Bak, co-founder of DramaFever, … Continue reading “MK Capital-Backed DramaFever Brings International TV Shows to the Web”

Boston Startups Join New NY Incubator With Women, Mobile Niche

A New York startup incubator program is underway with a new class, and before you call me Captain Obvious, let me say I’m not talking about TechStars. This particular program may be navigating its way through the oft-reported incubator bubble with a very specific niche that should be obvious in its name: Women Innovate Mobile. … Continue reading “Boston Startups Join New NY Incubator With Women, Mobile Niche”

Knight Foundation Initiative Funds Innovative Civic Engagement

The Knight Foundation announced it has teamed with CEOs for Cities to fund nine projects designed to encourage civic engagement, for a total grant amount of $65,000. Xconomist Rishi Jaitly, Knight’s program director in Detroit, says the awards build on the existing momentum in the city. “We see a lot of people here leading enterprises that … Continue reading “Knight Foundation Initiative Funds Innovative Civic Engagement”

Nathan Myhrvold: Patent Wars “Vindication” for Intellectual Ventures

The mobile computing revolution and the latest waves of big consumer Web companies have put more muscle behind the patent wars in technology—from Steve Jobs declaring he would spend Apple dry to kill Android, to Yahoo reprising its role as IPO-eve litigant by hitting Facebook with a lawsuit. It’s surely made money for lots of … Continue reading “Nathan Myhrvold: Patent Wars “Vindication” for Intellectual Ventures”

Urban Airship Beefs Up Location Service Following Acquisition

Last fall, mobile app service startup Urban Airship scooped up location-services partner SimpleGeo for a bargain price. The two companies already had been working together, but now we’re seeing the real fruits of this consolidation as Urban Airship details its plans for new location services. By adding SimpleGeo’s location data to its services, Portland, OR-based … Continue reading “Urban Airship Beefs Up Location Service Following Acquisition”

Cleantech Innovation and ‘Reinventing Fire’ with Amory Lovins

It’s easy to forget that before Thomas Edison came along that the world was lit only by fire. The dawn of the 20th Century came from the glow of electric lamps. Over time electricity became a commodity, and it got easier and easier to take energy for granted. But now, a little over 100 years … Continue reading “Cleantech Innovation and ‘Reinventing Fire’ with Amory Lovins”

The Tap Lab, Backed by Harmonix Trio, Pushes Mobile Gaming Into Real World

You can’t box in Dave Bisceglia. Just when you think you know what location-based games are, or what mobile check-ins are, he goes and tries to upend the whole sector. Bisceglia and his fellow co-founder Ralph Shao (see photo, right) don’t know any better. They’re a couple of young guns—recent grads of Boston University and … Continue reading “The Tap Lab, Backed by Harmonix Trio, Pushes Mobile Gaming Into Real World”

Mobile Game Maker Storm8 Competes With Goliaths of the Industry

Unlike a lot of revenue-poor startups with freemium business models, mobile game maker Storm8 is rolling in cash. The fully bootstrapped producer of 25 Android and iOS games like iMobsters, World War, and Pets LIVE brought in $1 million dollars in a single day last year, and hit more than 200 million downloads in June … Continue reading “Mobile Game Maker Storm8 Competes With Goliaths of the Industry”

See You This Afternoon at ‘Reinventing Biotech’s Business Model’

We’re getting ready to head over to PATH later today for our big event, “Reinventing Biotech’s Business Model.” More than 245 people have registered, so this is shaping up to be the biggest conference we’ve done so far at Xconomy Seattle. For those of you want to follow some of the highlights in real-time, the … Continue reading “See You This Afternoon at ‘Reinventing Biotech’s Business Model’”

Hard-Nosed Hedge Fund Chief Has Soft Spot for Rare-Disease Startup

On March 19, Martin Shkreli posted an article on the investing blog Seeking Alpha urging readers to “short” shares of San Diego-based Cytori (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYTX]])—essentially telling them they should bet that the company would falter and its share price would drop. Cytori is developing so-called regenerative treatments, using stem cells from fat, for example, to … Continue reading “Hard-Nosed Hedge Fund Chief Has Soft Spot for Rare-Disease Startup”

Boston Deals: Funding for FRX, Allocure, Good Start, & FirstBest

[Updated 4/4/12 at 10:05 am. See below.] New England saw a wave of Series B financings for innovative software, materials, and life sciences companies early this week. —FRX Polymers expanded the $15.7 million Series B financing it closed last summer to $26.7 million, with a new tranche led by DB Masdar Fund and  BASF Venture … Continue reading “Boston Deals: Funding for FRX, Allocure, Good Start, & FirstBest”

Privy Puts New Spin on Old Marketing Problem for Local Businesses

Daily deals are dead. Long live daily deals. But out of the ashes of all the Groupon clones—and a few niche deals sites notwithstanding—who will rise up and actually solve the online marketing problem for small businesses? “That’s our goal,” says Ben Jabbawy, the founder and CEO of Boston-based Privy (and formerly with GreatPoint Ventures … Continue reading “Privy Puts New Spin on Old Marketing Problem for Local Businesses”

Microsoft’s Kinect Accelerator: The Real Scoop on the Lucky Few

Microsoft is building on the momentum of its one surefire consumer hit, the Xbox video-game system, by expanding its motion- and sound-sensing Kinect controller into fields far beyond gaming. That’s where the Kinect Accelerator comes into play—it’s a hybrid program that gives startups access to Microsoft technology and top-flight mentors, while running entrepreneurs through a … Continue reading “Microsoft’s Kinect Accelerator: The Real Scoop on the Lucky Few”

HiredMyWay Offers a New Approach to Online Jobseeking

HiredMyWay, the Detroit Venture Partners-backed startup with offices in Detroit and Chicago, saw an opportunity in the dismal job market after the U.S. economy tumbled. Matt Mosher, a twentysomething serial entrepreneur, and Erinn O’Conner, a job recruiter with 20 years of experience, teamed up to start a company with the goal of building a better … Continue reading “HiredMyWay Offers a New Approach to Online Jobseeking”

San Diego’s Sapphire Energy Raises $144M for “Green Crude Farm”

San Diego biofuel developer Sapphire Energy says today it has secured the final installment of $144 million in a Series C round of venture funding that includes Arrowpoint Partners, Monsanto, and other undisclosed investors. Sapphire says the funding is being used to directly support its development of an algae-based biofuels demonstration facility that remains “active … Continue reading “San Diego’s Sapphire Energy Raises $144M for “Green Crude Farm””

Xconomy Boston’s Top 20 Stories of Q1: Editor’s Picks

The first quarter of 2012 is in the books, and it looks like Boston is settling into some typical spring weather. Time to look back on our editor’s picks for top stories of Q1. As usual, these are not necessarily the highest-traffic stories, though in some cases they are. They are the stories that exemplify … Continue reading “Xconomy Boston’s Top 20 Stories of Q1: Editor’s Picks”

AVI Biopharma Passes Small Study in Muscular Dystrophy

AVI Biopharma hit the main goal of its most important clinical trial yet for boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and it’s bound to raise a whole set of new questions this year about what it really means for the treatment of this disabling genetic disease. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]]) said today that … Continue reading “AVI Biopharma Passes Small Study in Muscular Dystrophy”

Biotech Can’t Sidestep Cost-Effectiveness Anymore

Back in the old days of biotech, the business was pretty straightforward. You’d craft your scientific idea, aim a new drug at patients in need, charm investors to give you some money, run bang-up clinical trials, win FDA approval. Do all that, and you’re good as gold. Charge insurers whatever the market will bear, and … Continue reading “Biotech Can’t Sidestep Cost-Effectiveness Anymore”

Xconomist of the Week: Andy Ory on the Real Opportunity for Acme Packet

Acme Packet is not the easiest technology company to write about. If you’re not careful, you end up bogging down in things like SIP trunking, IMS deployments, session delivery solutions, and other Internet Protocol networking lingo. Fortunately, Acme Packet’s co-founder and CEO, Andy Ory, makes things easy. Ory has led the Bedford, MA-based company (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Andy Ory on the Real Opportunity for Acme Packet”

Coming Soon to Detroit: Live Bus Arrival Times Via Text Message?

The horrors of Detroit’s bus system and the hour-plus wait times riders regularly experience are well documented. In a city where so many people are carless, it’s a particularly galling problem. But if all goes according to plan, Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) bus riders may soon be able to have live route information sent … Continue reading “Coming Soon to Detroit: Live Bus Arrival Times Via Text Message?”