I don’t know about you, Detroiters, but I feel like we’ve turned a corner on this revitalization thing. The energy around town is building, there are interesting little projects under way in every corner of the city, and people are moving here at a steady clip. The word of mouth has spread, and Detroit is … Continue reading “D:Hive Helps Detroit’s Newly Arrived Entrepreneurs Plug In”
Category: National
Report: GreatPoint Energy Grabs $420M from Chinese Investor
After last night’s stellar event with Amory Lovins and Jim Matheson, I’m thinking about our energy and cleantech future today. Luckily, so is a Boston-area company that apparently makes billion-dollar deals for breakfast. GreatPoint Energy, a coal-to-natural-gas company in Cambridge, MA, has formed a $1.25 billion partnership with China Wanxiang Holdings, in a deal that … Continue reading “Report: GreatPoint Energy Grabs $420M from Chinese Investor”
Signs of Resurgence in SD as EvoNexus Opens Tech Incubator
It could have been just another lame ribbon-cutting ceremony. There was a proclamation signed by the Mayor and the San Diego City Council that declared Feb. 16th as “EvoNexus Downtown Day.” There were speeches, and Mayor Jerry Sanders and the VIPs crowded together with a pair of oversized scissors to snip a ribbon. But something … Continue reading “Signs of Resurgence in SD as EvoNexus Opens Tech Incubator”
LinkedIn: The Missing Manual Worth Reading
I picked up The Start-up of You, the new book published this week by LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and journalist-entrepreneur Ben Casnocha, with some trepidation. I feared that the title was intended literally—that this would be one of those dreary business books that spends seven chapters twisting reality to fit its gimmicky metaphor. (I’ve got … Continue reading “LinkedIn: The Missing Manual Worth Reading”
Open Source May be the Answer for Pharma and Biotech
In his State of the Union Speech President Obama called for support for ‘the same kind of research that led to the computer chip and the Internet.’ He rightfully implies that for several decades now the innovation story has been primarily focused on computers, software and communication. As the power of science, technology, and free … Continue reading “Open Source May be the Answer for Pharma and Biotech”
Mnemosyne, Hydra, On-Q-ity, & More New England Life Sciences News
Clinical trial advances, new financing, and personnel moves made up the New England life sciences news this week. —Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]) scooped up Cambridge, MA-based drugmaker Stromedix for $75 million upfront and potentially $487.5 million more to come in milestone payments. Stromedix is developing drugs to treat fibrosis and was founded by former Biogen head … Continue reading “Mnemosyne, Hydra, On-Q-ity, & More New England Life Sciences News”
SD Life Sciences Roundup: Celladon, Gen-Probe, Organovo, and More
Here’s our wrap-up of news from San Diego’s life sciences sector since last week. —San Diego’s Celladon raised $43 million to recapitalize the company and to conduct a 200-patient study of a gene therapy intended to help people with advanced heart failure. Celladon had previously raised more than $73 million in venture capital, according to … Continue reading “SD Life Sciences Roundup: Celladon, Gen-Probe, Organovo, and More”
MicroCHIPS Shows Promise of Bone Drug Implant in First Human Trial
Waltham, MA-based MicroCHIPS announced today that its lead product—an implantable, wireless, chip-based device that delivers a drug to treat the bone disease osteoporosis—performed well in its first human trial. The study, published in the online edition of the journal Science Translational Medicine, showed that post-menopausal women who received daily doses of the popular drug teriparatide … Continue reading “MicroCHIPS Shows Promise of Bone Drug Implant in First Human Trial”
Boston Business Leaders Reflect on Susan Hockfield’s MIT Presidency
Susan Hockfield made waves when she became the 16th president of MIT in late 2004. She was the first female president of the Institute, and the first person from life sciences to hold that position. (Her faculty appointment is in neuroscience.) But today, after Hockfield announced she will be stepping down as president after MIT … Continue reading “Boston Business Leaders Reflect on Susan Hockfield’s MIT Presidency”
King of the Web: A Quirky Fame Contest Primed for the Young & Savvy
This week, if you were looking in the right corner of the Web, you could have stumbled across a curious thing—a fun little video-blogging contest had escalated into a full-blown international incident. A Swedish guy named Felix Kjellberg, who has amassed a following on YouTube for his freaked-out reactions to horror video games, was in … Continue reading “King of the Web: A Quirky Fame Contest Primed for the Young & Savvy”
Hope to See You Tonight for Chat with Amory Lovins-Few Tickets Left
I’m getting excited for tonight’s chat featuring two great energy—and clean energy—experts. Coming in from out of town as the star of the show is Amory Lovins, the visionary cofounder, chairman, and chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. He will be chatting with Jim Matheson, general partner of Flagship Ventures, and one of New … Continue reading “Hope to See You Tonight for Chat with Amory Lovins-Few Tickets Left”
Mobile Madness 2012 on March 14: Here’s the Agenda
Wow, just under a month to go before we convene a truly amazing group of Boston-area leaders and upstarts in the ubiquitous field of mobile technology. Mobile Madness 2012: Total Mobility is taking place March 14 at Microsoft NERD in Cambridge, MA, from 1:00–5:30 pm, with plenty of time for networking and catching up with … Continue reading “Mobile Madness 2012 on March 14: Here’s the Agenda”
House Party Leverages On and Offline Strategy to Compete in Viral Marketing
Brand marketers often work themselves into a lather to generate buzz about their products on social networks, but tweets and “likes” may not be enough to drive sales. Social media company House Party in Irvington, NY, uses a different strategy that combines offline gatherings with online tools to get the word out to consumers. House … Continue reading “House Party Leverages On and Offline Strategy to Compete in Viral Marketing”
Amp Orthopedics Takes Aim at Boomers’ Achy Knees and Shoulders
Westlake Center is the place in Seattle to shop, people watch, or protest. It’s not exactly ground zero for hotshot medical device startups. But to Amp Orthopedics, the town’s downtown retail core was as good a place as any to pursue its dream of making a fortune by soothing the ailing knees and shoulders of … Continue reading “Amp Orthopedics Takes Aim at Boomers’ Achy Knees and Shoulders”
Xconomist of the Week: Peter Kuhn on Detecting Circulating Tumor Cells
Worrying whether a solid tissue tumor might spread elsewhere in the body represents one of the biggest unknowns for many cancer patients, according to Peter Kuhn, an associate professor of cell biology at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego. “As long as the disease is confined to the primary tumor, the oncologists can deal … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Peter Kuhn on Detecting Circulating Tumor Cells”
Will New Business Models Enhance or Endanger Drug Discovery?
The most successful biotechs of the past quarter century have been companies that established relatively large, cutting edge research programs, such as Biogen, Immunex, and Genentech. I’ll refer to this as the B.I.G. model. These companies were able to hire young, innovative scientists by promising them a certain degree of intellectual freedom to pursue research … Continue reading “Will New Business Models Enhance or Endanger Drug Discovery?”
Celladon Raises $43M, Wins Fast-Track Status for Heart Treatment
It’s been more than a year and a half since San Diego’s Celladon revealed that its gene therapy treatment might help people suffering from heart failure, a period of quietude that left some folks wondering if the life sciences startup still had a heartbeat. But Celladon sprang to life today with some major news. The … Continue reading “Celladon Raises $43M, Wins Fast-Track Status for Heart Treatment”
EPA Expands Innovative Compound-Testing Collaboration With BioSeek
The Detroit-based life sciences company Asterand (LSE: ATD) recently announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has expanded its collaboration with BioSeek, a wholly owned Asterand subsidiary, on the ToxCast environmental compound testing program. The EPA first began working with BioSeek, which is based in South San Francisco, in 2007. The new agreement includes an additional … Continue reading “EPA Expands Innovative Compound-Testing Collaboration With BioSeek”
OnSwipe Looks to Ride Third Wave of the Web with New Content Network
“This is the new network for the Internet, and it’s focused on tablets and touch devices,” says Jason Baptiste. In other words, this is no run-of-the-mill product announcement. Or so it seems. OnSwipe, a tech startup based in New York (with lead investors in Boston), is rolling out a content distribution network for publishers who … Continue reading “OnSwipe Looks to Ride Third Wave of the Web with New Content Network”
AirHop and InterDigital Working to Combine “Network of Networks”
San Diego-based AirHop Communications and InterDigital (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IDCC]]) have been collaborating to integrate AirHop’s technology for self-organizing networks with InterDigital’s bandwidth management technology, according to a statement today. The companies plan to demonstrate their new capability at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of this month. The joint effort to optimize bandwidth … Continue reading “AirHop and InterDigital Working to Combine “Network of Networks””
On-Q-ity Raises $5M, Names GSK Vet as CEO
Today Waltham, MA-based diagnostics maker On-Q-ity announced it has raised $5 million in a Series B funding round and named Michael Stocum president and CEO. Stocum, who is replacing On-Q-ity founder Mara Aspinall, is the president and founder of consulting firm Personalized Medicine Partners, based in Research Triangle Park, NC, and previously worked in research and … Continue reading “On-Q-ity Raises $5M, Names GSK Vet as CEO”
Ruby Riot #2: Lauzon & Lum Urge Partiers to Pay It Forward
For some, “pay it forward” is an old Kevin Spacey movie (and the last time Haley Joel Osment was recognizable). For others, it’s a mantra to live by. The latter camp would include Matt Lauzon and Jennifer Lum, co-organizers of the year’s first big tech party in Boston, set for next Tuesday, Feb. 21, at … Continue reading “Ruby Riot #2: Lauzon & Lum Urge Partiers to Pay It Forward”
FDA Approves New Gen-Probe Test for Men at Risk of Prostate Cancer
The FDA has approved a new diagnostic assay for prostate cancer gene 3 (PCA3), according to San Diego’s Gen-Probe (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GPRO]]), which says the test gives doctors a new diagnostic tool for men who are at higher risk for developing prostate cancer. The company says the test can help determine if additional prostate biopsies are … Continue reading “FDA Approves New Gen-Probe Test for Men at Risk of Prostate Cancer”
Barry Diller and IAC Back Aereo to Bring Live TV to Mobile Devices
In a world increasingly distracted by mobile devices, television broadcasters are searching for new ways to keep their shows in front of the audience. Rather than fight the mobile trend, TV station owners such as Hearst Television plan to bring their content to handheld devices in the somewhat near future. However, New York-based IAC (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Barry Diller and IAC Back Aereo to Bring Live TV to Mobile Devices”
Hydra Makes Progress in Pain With First Trial and New Partnership
Two years ago, Cambridge, MA-based Hydra Biosciences generated some buzz when a Series D funding round brought its total venture haul to $69 million and it formed a pact with Cubist Pharmaceuticals to develop its non-narcotic pain drugs. Now the company’s efforts are starting to bear fruit, with two milestones reached since the start of … Continue reading “Hydra Makes Progress in Pain With First Trial and New Partnership”
Energy Points, Biogen, Navinet, & More Boston Dealmakers
Acquisitions are in the air in New England. Here’s what happened in the past week. —Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]), the Web content and delivery giant of Cambridge, MA, made a move to tackle Web performance at the browser level, with the acquisition of Ottawa-based Blaze Software. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. —Boston-based … Continue reading “Energy Points, Biogen, Navinet, & More Boston Dealmakers”
Former Sun CEO’s New Venture: A Healthcare Locker for Families
Jonathan Schwartz, the former Sun Microsystems CEO who sold the server-and-software maker to Oracle for $7.4 billion in 2009, was in the hospital for surgery a couple of months ago. When he went to get an MRI, he noticed that the imaging machine was hooked up to a Sun workstation. Sun’s most famous tag line … Continue reading “Former Sun CEO’s New Venture: A Healthcare Locker for Families”
Biogen Idec Lets Stromedix Do The Hard Part
For anyone wondering about the value that can be added by entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to the drug discovery and development process, look no further than Stromedix. This venture-backed company in Cambridge, MA, was acquired today by Biogen Idec for $75 million up-front and up to $487.5 million based on the achievement of certain development … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Lets Stromedix Do The Hard Part”
No Jobs in Detroit? Bizdom U Startup Begs to Differ
It’s an oft-repeated Detroit lament: There are no jobs in this city and even if there were, the undereducated masses wouldn’t qualify for them. Not so fast, says Antonella Solomon, chief operating officer of Launch Learning Group (LLG), a Bizdom U start-up launched in 2010. Her company has created a training course which utilizes innovative, … Continue reading “No Jobs in Detroit? Bizdom U Startup Begs to Differ”
Couple Fire Opens Lovey-Dovey Social Site (Yes, for Valentine’s Day)
Even with a ton of digital tools at your disposal, it’s still a little difficult to get all mushy online. Texts, instant messenger conversations, and e-mails are private, but pretty fleeting, while more lasting things—tweets, Facebook posts—tend to be out in the open. Google Plus has made limited sharing a bit easier with its concept … Continue reading “Couple Fire Opens Lovey-Dovey Social Site (Yes, for Valentine’s Day)”
Fashion Tech Startups Emerging From Harvard B-School Runway in Droves
When Harvard and startups are mentioned in the same sentence, it’s usually to talk about the undergrad dropouts who went on to start tech empires (think Bill and Mark). But Harvard Business School has its own set of graduates making waves, and it’s not just the finance industry tycoons you’re probably thinking of. Gilt Groupe. … Continue reading “Fashion Tech Startups Emerging From Harvard B-School Runway in Droves”
Biogen Buys Stromedix for $75M, Regaining Fibrosis Drug
Before Michael Gilman founded Cambridge, MA-based Stromedix in 2007, he headed up Biogen Idec’s research organization for five years. So today marks a reunion of sorts, with Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) announcing that it will buy Stromedix—which is working on treatments for fibrosis and organ failure—for $75 million. The deal also includes potential milestone payments of up … Continue reading “Biogen Buys Stromedix for $75M, Regaining Fibrosis Drug”
Intellect Embraces Wide-Ranging Approach to Fighting Brain Diseases
Researchers hunting for treatments for Alzheimer’s disease often jokingly refer to themselves as either “Baptists” or “Tauists.” The Baptists believe a protein called beta amyloid, or BAP is the main culprit because it forms the brain plaques thought to contribute to loss of memory and other hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. Tauists say the tau protein is … Continue reading “Intellect Embraces Wide-Ranging Approach to Fighting Brain Diseases”
Organovo Raises $6.5M, Lists on OTC, in Alternative Public Offering
Shares of San Diego-based “bio-printing” company Organovo are set to begin trading over the counter today, following a reverse merger and $6.5 million in private placement financing, which Organovo CEO Keith Murphy collectively describes as an alternative public offering. Events leading up to the announcement were fairly complex, based on recent filings with the Securities … Continue reading “Organovo Raises $6.5M, Lists on OTC, in Alternative Public Offering”
Venture Capital Is the Essence of Everything Good in Capitalism
I was heartened this month to see that the Private Equity Growth Capital Council launched a multi-million-dollar education and public affairs campaign on the Internet highlighting the basics of private equity. Hopefully, this will address a general lack of understanding about private equity, which, among other things, is too often confused with venture capital. This … Continue reading “Venture Capital Is the Essence of Everything Good in Capitalism”
33Across Taps More User Data Than Facebook or Google for Marketers
In the race to make mountains of social Web data useful, social targeting technology company 33Across says it is getting ahead of the competition by gathering anonymous information from more users than even Facebook has access to. That might sound surprising. But thanks to its recent acquisition of Tynt Multimedia, New York-based 33Across has the … Continue reading “33Across Taps More User Data Than Facebook or Google for Marketers”
Nabeel Hyatt on the Next Consumer Startup Model: Metrics + Creative
The best interviews surprise you. You go in expecting to talk about one thing, but your subject makes you think about something else—in this case, an emerging trend that people are talking about, though it doesn’t have a name yet. Last week I spoke with Nabeel Hyatt, the Boston-area techie best known for starting Conduit … Continue reading “Nabeel Hyatt on the Next Consumer Startup Model: Metrics + Creative”
nFluence Rounds up $3M to Create Avatars of Advertising
Most consumers have made a bargain with the digital tools and services in their life: give me something useful, and I’ll give up some of my information. Sure, there are overreaches and controversies that cause companies to pull back. But overall, we’re firmly on the path of giving up more and more of our personal … Continue reading “nFluence Rounds up $3M to Create Avatars of Advertising”
Greenstart Targets Cleantech Software Startups in Second Round
The founders of Greenstart, the San Francisco-based venture incubator for cleantech startups, believe a new chapter is opening in the energy business—and they’re changing their program to keep up. The second class of Greenstart companies arrives today for its 12-week session of product iteration and intensive mentorship. Conspicuously missing from this group are any companies … Continue reading “Greenstart Targets Cleantech Software Startups in Second Round”
RetroSense Therapeutics’ Blindness Therapy Lands Investment
On Friday, the Maryland-based Foundation for Fighting Blindness announced it has invested $250,000 in a vision-restoring therapy developed by Ann Arbor, MI-based startup RetroSense Therapeutics. The technology RetroSense uses was licensed from Wayne State University, where it was pioneered by anatomy and cell biology professor Zhuo-Hua Pan. RetroSense works with a photosensitivy gene called Channelrhodopsin-2 … Continue reading “RetroSense Therapeutics’ Blindness Therapy Lands Investment”
San Diego Tech Roundup: Ecor, Qualcomm Life, Applied Proteomics
Get your week started with our San Diego technology news briefing. —The Qualcomm Life Fund made a strategic investment in San Antonio, TX-based AirStrip Technologies, solidifying their alliance to develop technology for wireless home monitoring of patients with congestive heart failure. AirStrip did not disclose the size of Qualcomm’s investment. AirStrip already has an FDA-approved … Continue reading “San Diego Tech Roundup: Ecor, Qualcomm Life, Applied Proteomics”
Big Players and Big Deals Needed to Help Solidify New York’s Tech Scene
Although New York basks in the Giants’ second Super Bowl victory in four years over the New England Patriots, the city’s startup scene still has hard work ahead if it expects to seriously compete with the more mature tech hubs such as Boston. With Facebook due to open engineering offices in New York this year … Continue reading “Big Players and Big Deals Needed to Help Solidify New York’s Tech Scene”
A 2.6X Economy with No Oil, Coal, or Nukes: Amory Lovins Explains on 2/16
What if you could “do” fire completely differently? Well, Reinventing Fire is the provocative title of a new book co-authored by energy visionary Amory Lovins, the cofounder, chairman, and chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. What it’s really about, of course, is our energy future. And Lovins is bullish—at least about what can be … Continue reading “A 2.6X Economy with No Oil, Coal, or Nukes: Amory Lovins Explains on 2/16”
Yottaa Dives Into Akamai’s Business of Web Content Delivery—Sort Of
Last week, we reported that Akamai (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]) is getting into website optimization with its acquisition of Canadian startup Blaze Software. That move is a bit of a departure for Akamai, which is known for its technology on the content delivery and networking side. Well, now it turns out that one of Blaze’s Boston-area competitors … Continue reading “Yottaa Dives Into Akamai’s Business of Web Content Delivery—Sort Of”
Option to Buy: The New Face of Biotech Funding?
When Cambridge, MA-based Warp Drive Bio launched on January 10, the startup was as notable for its financing structure as it was for its technology—maybe more. That’s because part of the $125 million in funding that Warp Drive received came from French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]) , which received in return the chance to … Continue reading “Option to Buy: The New Face of Biotech Funding?”
Energy Points Harnesses $3M, Wants to Create Sustainability Standard
There’s a new cleantech company making noise in the Boston area today. Cambridge, MA-based Energy Points is releasing a new software product for businesses to measure sustainability across different industries and resources such as electricity, water, transportation, and waste. The idea is to convert different measures of environmental footprints and energy efficiency into a common … Continue reading “Energy Points Harnesses $3M, Wants to Create Sustainability Standard”
Voyager Capital Co-Founder Enrique Godreau Leaves Firm
A big change at Seattle’s Voyager Capital: co-founder Enrique Godreau has resigned after nearly 15 years, as the VC firm seeks to raise a $125 million fourth fund. Co-founder Bill McAleer says the decision was Godreau’s. “He’s making a personal transition. He wants to go pursue some entrepreneurial and philanthropic interests that he has,” McAleer … Continue reading “Voyager Capital Co-Founder Enrique Godreau Leaves Firm”
Synchroneuron, Radius, Acetylon, & More Boston Life Sciences News
New England drug developers made headlines this week with funding news. —My San Diego colleague Bruce took a look at Applied Proteomics, the five-year-old biotech startup co-founded by MIT-trained computer scientist Danny Hillis. The startup, which raised $22.5 million in funding in June, is developing technology that provides a 40-gigabyte snapshot of all the proteins circulating … Continue reading “Synchroneuron, Radius, Acetylon, & More Boston Life Sciences News”
Stanford StartX Graduates Tackle Cell Therapy, Mental Health, Batteries
Nine startups graduating from the Fall 2011 session of StartX, the startup accelerator for Stanford students and affiliates, shared their wares with investors and journalists last night at AOL West in Palo Alto. Below are some quick summaries pulled from my notes, as well as videos from the live-stream webcast of the event. All of … Continue reading “Stanford StartX Graduates Tackle Cell Therapy, Mental Health, Batteries”
AllTrails and National Geographic Team Up to Get Hikers Oriented
The United States is essentially an unpopulated wilderness. If you scattered the citizenry evenly across the country, we’d each have a luxurious eight acres to ourselves. But here’s the weird thing: In a country where the outdoors is so vast, people rarely go there. Even folks who think of themselves as outdoorsy types don’t leave … Continue reading “AllTrails and National Geographic Team Up to Get Hikers Oriented”