LinkedIn founder and CEO Reid Hoffman likes to say that in the world of social media, Facebook is the backyard barbeque, MySpace is the dark nightclub, and LinkedIn is the office. To continue the metaphor, Twitter is the corner soapbox—and Doximity, a new social networking tool for physicians, wants to be the hospital. Or so … Continue reading “Doximity: A Mobile Facebook for Doctors, but With Real Privacy Protections”
Category: National
Edward Jung on Innovation, Startup Weekend Branches Out, Nuance’s Innovation Hub, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup
I’m still re-adjusting to Pacific time after spending most of last week back in Boston for XSITE 2011, the latest installment of our annual conference that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and more for an all-day confab on innovation. Among the top-notch speakers and presenters was Edward Jung, a Microsoft veteran and co-founder of Bellevue, … Continue reading “Edward Jung on Innovation, Startup Weekend Branches Out, Nuance’s Innovation Hub, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup”
Massachusetts Startup Funding in May Stays Nearly Flat from April at $305.6M
Talk about consistent. Massachusetts startups inked $305.6 million in 36 equity-based deals in May, nearly identical to the $306 million they raised across 35 deals in April. That’s according to FundingFlash, a daily roundup of companies receiving venture capital, angel investment, and growth equity funding, provided by our data partner CB Insights. Startups in healthcare … Continue reading “Massachusetts Startup Funding in May Stays Nearly Flat from April at $305.6M”
InPore Switches Gears; Michigan State University Startup Now Targets Flame Retardants Instead of Wind Turbines
Plan B it is. When Xconomy first profiled InPore Technologies last year, the Michigan State University spinout was trying to woo wind turbine makers with a new nanomaterial they could use to build light-weight, scratch resistant blades. But faced with deteriorating turbine sales, the company, based in East Lansing, MI, has reversed course and is … Continue reading “InPore Switches Gears; Michigan State University Startup Now Targets Flame Retardants Instead of Wind Turbines”
Green Shoots of an Entrepreneurial Spring
[Editor’s note: Cross-posted from The Economist, 6/16/11] As the G8 last month pledged $10 billion to aid the Arab Spring to support the building of economic and political institutions, the May 24th NASDAQ debut of Russia’s $10 billion Yandex was but one of many green shoots of an equally significant Entrepreneurial Spring blossoming out from … Continue reading “Green Shoots of an Entrepreneurial Spring”
Genentech, Curis Pass Clinical Trial With Skin Cancer Drug, Look Ahead to FDA
Just when it looked like there was nothing much left to say about cancer drugs after the huge ASCO conference a couple weeks ago, here comes Genentech and Curis with another noteworthy result for skin cancer patients. South San Francisco-based Genentech, and Curis, its partner in Cambridge, MA, said that their experimental drug for a … Continue reading “Genentech, Curis Pass Clinical Trial With Skin Cancer Drug, Look Ahead to FDA”
Energy Event Seeks to Create a Greener NYC By Uniting VCs and Cleantech Startups
Tomorrow the New York Academy of Sciences will be home to New York’s first ever Energy Infotech Forum—a full-day event for entrepreneurs who are developing cleantech applications and the investors who want to support them. The day will feature expert speakers, as well as presentations from nine New York-based cleantech startups. For the event’s host, … Continue reading “Energy Event Seeks to Create a Greener NYC By Uniting VCs and Cleantech Startups”
Chumby Plugs Into Connected TV, San Diego Slowly Regaining Jobs, Ecotality Begins Rollout of Public Charging Stations, & More San Diego BizTech News
It was a slow week for tech news in San Diego, perhaps due to a post-Uplinq lull following Qualcomm’s annual conference for wireless app developers. We did find a spurt of cleantech news, however, so plug in, turn on, and tune in. Your Xconomy briefing begins now. —San Diego’s chumby industries, which has developed a … Continue reading “Chumby Plugs Into Connected TV, San Diego Slowly Regaining Jobs, Ecotality Begins Rollout of Public Charging Stations, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Greenstart, Pandora, Google-Admeld—The 1-Minute Version of Last Week’s Bay Area BizTech News
Occasionally, readers write in asking us to slow down a bit so they’ll have time catch up on all the startup news. Well, last week was a slow one around here, mainly because I was in Boston all week helping with Xconomy’s big annual XSITE conference. And this week will be quiet too, as I’m … Continue reading “Greenstart, Pandora, Google-Admeld—The 1-Minute Version of Last Week’s Bay Area BizTech News”
Concert Pharmaceuticals Hits $4 Million Milestone in GSK Alliance
Lexington, MA-based Concert Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has moved three novel drug candidates forward in its pipeline—one of which earned it a $4 million milestone payment from GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]). The European drug giant allied with Concert on an HIV program in 2009, and the molecule, called CTP-298, is now the lead compound in … Continue reading “Concert Pharmaceuticals Hits $4 Million Milestone in GSK Alliance”
Pfizer’s Idea to Fix the Drug Development Crisis, Which Probably Won’t Work (But Just Might)
Big companies love acronyms, and Pfizer is no exception. So when I heard the world’s biggest drugmaker talk about using its CTI network to validate POMs, it sounded like some Dilbert-style, soul-crushing initiative going nowhere. Writing off this latest initiative would be the safe bet, as many have tried and failed to revitalize the unproductive … Continue reading “Pfizer’s Idea to Fix the Drug Development Crisis, Which Probably Won’t Work (But Just Might)”
E&Y Names Six San Diego Execs as Local Entrepreneurs of Year
Ernst & Young, the global consulting and accounting firm, selected six San Diego executives for its 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year awards on the 25th anniversary of the program, which has expanded to recognize business leaders and entrepreneurs in more than 140 cities and more than 50 countries. The firm also bestowed its San Diego … Continue reading “E&Y Names Six San Diego Execs as Local Entrepreneurs of Year”
Rants, Raves, and Rap. Pre-Lunch Soundoff at XSITE Was a Hit.
When we asked readers two weeks ago to send their biggest gripes with or suggestions for the innovation community, we told them to not hold back. Well, we got we asked for at XSITE 2011: The Entrepreneurship Era. For example: “These laws don’t need to be tweaked, they need a shotgun murder and a burial … Continue reading “Rants, Raves, and Rap. Pre-Lunch Soundoff at XSITE Was a Hit.”
Greenbean Recycle, WaySavvy, Strohl Medical Take Home XSITE Xpo Prizes
The first time you do something, it’s a novelty. The second time, it’s a pattern. The third time, it’s a tradition. After yesterday, the “Xpo” lightning-presentation portion of Xconomy’s annual XSITE conference now qualifies as a Boston-area tradition—one that’s so fun we think we’ll keep it around for a while. A dozen early-stage startups joined … Continue reading “Greenbean Recycle, WaySavvy, Strohl Medical Take Home XSITE Xpo Prizes”
A Big Thank You to Our Great XSITE 2011 Speakers, Sponsors, Partners—and Attendees
The sun finally came out and heated up the day a bit yesterday—and at our XSITE 2011 conference at Babson College, things were smoking. We had a great crowd of close to 400 speakers and attendees, among them nearly 100 startups, for this year’s event, themed The Entrepreneurship Era. We had inspiring keynotes, insightful chats, … Continue reading “A Big Thank You to Our Great XSITE 2011 Speakers, Sponsors, Partners—and Attendees”
TechShop Detroit Facility (Finally) Will Debut In October
It took longer than expected but TechShop will finally open…uh, shop in Detroit this fall. The Menlo Park, CA-based company, a self-described “membership-based, do-it-yourself workshop and fabrication studio” will open a 12,000 square foot facility at Ford Motor facility in 800 Republic, Allen Park, MI in October, TechShop CEO Mark Hatch tells Xconomy in an … Continue reading “TechShop Detroit Facility (Finally) Will Debut In October”
Performable Picked Up by HubSpot
Cambridge, MA-based HubSpot, a marketing tech company, has acquired fellow Cambridge startup Performable, which focuses on marketing automation. Terms of the deal weren’t announced, but Performable’s 18-person team, including founder and CEO David Cancel, will join HubSpot (now more than 260 strong) at the latter company’s headquarters on First Street. Cancel will become HubSpot’s chief … Continue reading “Performable Picked Up by HubSpot”
In New York Ad Technology is All the Rage
New York City is home to many famed industries, from finance to theater. It’s also the longtime hub of the advertising industry, which for many years called Madison Avenue home. It’s no surprise, then, that NYC has sprouted dozens of advertising technology startups—companies that are developing new ways for advertisers to find their target audiences … Continue reading “In New York Ad Technology is All the Rage”
An Ode to Error: Entrepreneurship and the Importance of Being Wrong
Is your world view marked by a sense of hopelessness? Do you obsess about past errors? Do you tend to minimize or overlook positive news? If your answers are yes, you may not be clinically depressed. Maybe you’re just being realistic. Depressed people are often told they’re just not looking at things the right way. … Continue reading “An Ode to Error: Entrepreneurship and the Importance of Being Wrong”
Constellation Pharma Raises More Money and Further Defines Pipeline
When Xconomy last checked in on Cambridge, MA, epigenetics startup Constellation Pharmaceuticals, in the fall of 2009, CEO Mark Goldsmith declined to disclose details about the company’s pipeline. These days, he’s willing to be a little more forthcoming. On June 6, during the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago, Constellation announced it had … Continue reading “Constellation Pharma Raises More Money and Further Defines Pipeline”
Converting Gas Guzzlers To Hybrids; ALTe Targets Government And Commercial Fleets With Conversion Kits
ALTe Powertrain Technologies has a lot of room to grow. Both literally and figuratively. Inside the company’s mammoth 150,000 square foot headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI, pieces of white paper arranged on the floor neatly mark the location of soon-to-be assembled parts of its product: A powertrain kit that will convert ordinary gas-powered vehicles into … Continue reading “Converting Gas Guzzlers To Hybrids; ALTe Targets Government And Commercial Fleets With Conversion Kits”
Kinect Hacks Finally Legitimate – Is Skype Next? Microsoft Releases Developer Kit for Motion- and Sound-Sensing Controller
[Updated 2:10 pm with more details throughout] It’s not just for bootleggers anymore. Today, Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) is making good on its promises to officially open up the Xbox 360’s Kinect motion sensor, offering a software development kit download for non-commercial uses. That means it’s aimed at “enthusiasts and academics,” some of whom the company … Continue reading “Kinect Hacks Finally Legitimate – Is Skype Next? Microsoft Releases Developer Kit for Motion- and Sound-Sensing Controller”
UCSD Entrepreneur Challenge Awards Top Honors to NeuroMap
The concept for a life sciences startup put together by neuroscientists, a psychiatrist, and MBA student received the top prize—and $57,000 in cash and services—in UCSD’s fifth annual student-managed business plan competition. The proposal for NeuroMap, a seed-stage life sciences startup, was pulled together by Alexey Terskikh, a neuroscientist specializing in development and aging at … Continue reading “UCSD Entrepreneur Challenge Awards Top Honors to NeuroMap”
BioNanomatrix Moves HQ, Awarepoint CEO Talks Strategy, Ambit Raises $30 Million, & More San Diego Life Sciences News
There seemed to be a spate of financings among San Diego’s life sciences companies in recent weeks, and some local CEOs are telling me more deals are in the works. Your briefing begins now. —San Diego has added another startup to its growing cluster of companies developing next-generation genome sequencing and molecular diagnosis technologies. BioNanomatrix, … Continue reading “BioNanomatrix Moves HQ, Awarepoint CEO Talks Strategy, Ambit Raises $30 Million, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”
Aylus Grabs $16M To Better Enable Mobile Video Calling
Aylus Networks has brought in $16 million in equity financing for its technology that seeks to make video communication on the mobile as seamless and innate as voice communication. The deal, being announced today, was led by London-based m8 Capital, and included previous backers Matrix Partners and North Bridge Venture Partners. “We believe that video … Continue reading “Aylus Grabs $16M To Better Enable Mobile Video Calling”
Nuance’s Seattle Office: The ‘Other Guys’ from Tegic and Their Fellow Startup Vets Build A Mobile Innovation Hub
Brad Bargen knows a thing or two about being acquired—he’s actually been through it five times, dating back to General Motors’ 1985 deal for Hughes Aircraft. In the latest phase of his career, Bargen is a leader in Nuance Communications’ mobile R&D hub in Seattle, one of the nation’s most longstanding and vibrant innovation centers … Continue reading “Nuance’s Seattle Office: The ‘Other Guys’ from Tegic and Their Fellow Startup Vets Build A Mobile Innovation Hub”
Peer39 Wins Support From Venture Community for Non-Cookie-Based Ad Platform
Privacy advocates have long been up in arms about cookies—those data packets that store information about you in your browser, and that have become the basis of some technologies that allow companies to market directly to you. So a couple of years back, the venture community began looking for technology developers who had new approaches … Continue reading “Peer39 Wins Support From Venture Community for Non-Cookie-Based Ad Platform”
Biogen Idec CEO on Move Back to Cambridge: “We’re Working on It”
Biogen Idec, after weeks of speculation in the local real estate market, has confirmed it is considering options to move its headquarters back from the suburbs to Cambridge, MA, as CEO George Scangos seeks to foster a more close-knit culture between the company’s R&D and commercial operations. “We’re working on it. We’ll see if it’s … Continue reading “Biogen Idec CEO on Move Back to Cambridge: “We’re Working on It””
Nuance to Acquire Speech Software Firm SVOX
[Updated 6/17/11 with terms. See below] Some big news in the world of speech software today. Burlington, MA-based Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]) is acquiring Zurich-based embedded speech software firm SVOX, Xconomy has learned from a source with knowledge of the deal. The acquisition price wasn’t disclosed, but is said to be in the triple-digit millions … Continue reading “Nuance to Acquire Speech Software Firm SVOX”
Just Write Checks, Be Humble but Unstoppable, and Boston VCs Are Dinosaurs: 10 Highlights from Angel Bootcamp
The pace of tech startup events is a little out of control this week. You can thank (or curse) David Beisel, Jon Pierce, Coolio, TechStars, DartBoston, Xconomy, and many others for that. With some more time and distance, though, we might all look back at this week as a flashpoint in history when the tech … Continue reading “Just Write Checks, Be Humble but Unstoppable, and Boston VCs Are Dinosaurs: 10 Highlights from Angel Bootcamp”
BioNanomatrix Moves HQ and Nano-Scale Analysis Technology to San Diego
BioNanomatrix, a venture-backed molecular analysis startup founded in 2003 with technology licensed from Princeton University, says today it has established its new headquarters in San Diego. The move follows the appointment of R. Erik Holmlin as BioNanomatrix CEO six months ago. Holmlin was previously the CEO at Carlsbad, CA-based GenVault, which was acquired by Pleasanton, … Continue reading “BioNanomatrix Moves HQ and Nano-Scale Analysis Technology to San Diego”
Awarepoint’s New CEO Enacts Plans to Expand Wireless Health Business, Software Portfolio
It’s been a busy seven months since healthcare technology executive Jay Deady took over as the CEO at San Diego’s Awarepoint, which specializes in real time location systems (RTLS) technology for hospitals and other healthcare providers. The company raised about $9 million from its venture investors with Deady’s arrival, and Awarepoint acquired a Charlotte, N.C. … Continue reading “Awarepoint’s New CEO Enacts Plans to Expand Wireless Health Business, Software Portfolio”
Somnus Seeks Buyer For Insomnia Drug that Treats Midnight Awakenings
When Somnus Therapeutics was started up in Bedminster, NJ, in 2007, its founders had an unusual business model. They planned to develop just one drug—SKP-1041 for insomnia—through Phase 2 clinical trials, and then sell the company to a deep-pocketed investor that would fund the final pivotal Phase 3 trials required for FDA approval. Ask CEO … Continue reading “Somnus Seeks Buyer For Insomnia Drug that Treats Midnight Awakenings”
Behind Pandora, There’s Walden Venture Capital—A Little-Known “Sprout Stage” Investor with Music Mania
[Updated, 8:00 a.m. ET] If there’s a tune playing at Walden Venture Capital today, it’s probably “We’re In the Money.” The San Francisco venture firm is the second-largest shareholder in Pandora, the Oakland CA-based personalized Internet radio startup scheduled to go public on the New York Stock Exchange today under the ticker symbol “P.” Walden … Continue reading “Behind Pandora, There’s Walden Venture Capital—A Little-Known “Sprout Stage” Investor with Music Mania”
Next 3 to Buy XSITE 2011 Tickets Get These 3 Great Prizes—Think High Speed and High Fashion
We try to avoid the obvious pun around here,* but we are excited about XSITE 2011, our big full-day conference, which takes place tomorrow at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. We have had an outstanding response to this year’s event, with more than 400 people signed up—including around 100 startups (you can see the lineup … Continue reading “Next 3 to Buy XSITE 2011 Tickets Get These 3 Great Prizes—Think High Speed and High Fashion”
iPierian Shakeup Continues, as Chairman Corey Goodman, Scientist Doug Melton Exit Stem Cell Startup
Two of the leaders at iPierian, the high-profile stem cell startup in South San Francisco co-founded by scientists at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, have left the company in the wake of its strategic shift this spring, Xconomy has learned. Corey Goodman, the prominent neuroscientist and biotech executive, has resigned his position as chairman of … Continue reading “iPierian Shakeup Continues, as Chairman Corey Goodman, Scientist Doug Melton Exit Stem Cell Startup”
Startup Weekend, Looking to Strengthen Communities for Entrepreneurs, Builds New Startup Foundation in Seven Cities
Startup Weekend, the create-a-company cram session that has spread worldwide in just a few years, is branching out in a big way. The Seattle-based nonprofit tells Xconomy it is creating a sister organization called the Startup Foundation, aimed at establishing a permanent hub for local entrepreneurial communities around the globe. The new project has backing … Continue reading “Startup Weekend, Looking to Strengthen Communities for Entrepreneurs, Builds New Startup Foundation in Seven Cities”
Vertex Pays $60M for Alios Drugs, PKE Acquires Dexela, AisleBuyer Grabs $7.5M, & More Boston-Area Deals News
New England software and drug developers inked partnerships, financings, and acquisitions deals this week. —Admantx, a Hartford, CT-based provider of semantic-based online advertising technology, pulled in $2.8 million from Atlante Ventures Mezzogiorno, the venture capital fund of the Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo. Admantx, which was spun off last year from the semantic software firm Expert … Continue reading “Vertex Pays $60M for Alios Drugs, PKE Acquires Dexela, AisleBuyer Grabs $7.5M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Despite Early “Victories,” Medical Device Industry Continues To Face Uphill Slog in Washington DC
From a $20 billion industry tax to pay for healthcare reform to the Food and Drug Administration’s plans to toughen the 510(k) approval program, the medical device industry hasn’t had much to cheer about of late. However, things were starting to look up this year. After a slow start, the industry began to mobilize its … Continue reading “Despite Early “Victories,” Medical Device Industry Continues To Face Uphill Slog in Washington DC”
Startup Attendees and Speakers Flock To XSITE for Full-Day Summit on The Entrepreneurship Era
[Updated 6/15/11, 5:55 pm]. See below Earlier this year, it seems that Washington, DC (and much of the rest of the country) started to identify something that we here at Xconomy have known since our inception: that entrepreneurship will be a major force in driving technology breakthroughs and economic growth. So what better time to … Continue reading “Startup Attendees and Speakers Flock To XSITE for Full-Day Summit on The Entrepreneurship Era”
ConsumerBell Aims to Make Product Recalls Less Painful for Manufacturers and Consumers
After Ellie Chachette’s father was infected with HIV from a product that he was taking in the 1980s to treat his hemophilia, he joined a class-action lawsuit that took 10 years for his lawyers to fight. They ultimately won, but “the lawyers got most of the money,” Cachette recalls. “That always bothered me.” So in May … Continue reading “ConsumerBell Aims to Make Product Recalls Less Painful for Manufacturers and Consumers”
60 Seconds with Smarterer CEO Jennifer Fremont-Smith
Smarterer, a Boston-based tech startup, is generating some buzz this week, having demoed its product at the WebInno meeting last night. The company started in the fall of 2010, founded by Dave Balter, Jennifer Fremont-Smith, and Michael Kowalchik. It provides crowdsourced skills tests on digital, social, and other techie tools—think Twitter, Ruby, Matlab, Photoshop. Job … Continue reading “60 Seconds with Smarterer CEO Jennifer Fremont-Smith”
End of the Road for Torrey Path as Founder Starts New Trail with Sequencethree
When I profiled Torrey Path in 2009, CEO Peter Dresslar was in the process of moving his software analytics startup from Ann Arbor, MI, to San Diego. The company was focused on providing information services to life sciences companies, and had developed the capability to provide a scientist or research group with all the data … Continue reading “End of the Road for Torrey Path as Founder Starts New Trail with Sequencethree”
Will the Internet Venture Incubator Model Work in Cleantech? Greenstart Is About to Find Out
If you’re an entrepreneur with an idea for an Internet startup, there’s a growing collection of venture incubators around the country ready to help you launch it—Y Combinator, TechStars, and 500Startups are a few of the best known ones. There’s even a new incubator for health technology companies: Rock Health, which we covered here a … Continue reading “Will the Internet Venture Incubator Model Work in Cleantech? Greenstart Is About to Find Out”
Innovation at Large Scale: A Glimpse of this Thursday’s XSITE Keynote by Intellectual Ventures’ Edward Jung
Every day in the world’s great science and technology clusters, brilliant people go to work thinking about innovation—how to innovate in research, how to build and grow startups, how to keep innovating at public companies so the startups don’t eat their lunch. Edward Jung admires all that work, but believes it can only go so … Continue reading “Innovation at Large Scale: A Glimpse of this Thursday’s XSITE Keynote by Intellectual Ventures’ Edward Jung”
Amazon’s Expanding Cloud, Concur’s Acquisition, Biofuel Exploration, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup
Back in 2000, Amazon.com (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) was a roughly was a $2.7 billion company that packed a pretty hefty load of data to process its online retail empire. Today, one of Amazon’s newer businesses, Amazon Web Services, adds enough computing capacity to bring a turn-of-the-century Amazon online every single day. That was one of the … Continue reading “Amazon’s Expanding Cloud, Concur’s Acquisition, Biofuel Exploration, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup”
Hero’s Journey: A Look Inside This Year’s Class of TechStars Boston Startups
Incubator, schmincubator. The innovation community has had its fill of incubators and accelerators, hasn’t it? Well, this one is a little different. As echoes of Commencement speeches die down around town, it’s fitting that the 12-week startup bootcamp known as TechStars Boston is graduating its newest class of companies tomorrow. What’s interesting about this group—compared … Continue reading “Hero’s Journey: A Look Inside This Year’s Class of TechStars Boston Startups”
Delphi Automotive Owes Its Current Success To….Medical Devices?
Somewhere lost in the Groupon/tech IPO bubble, er…I mean, resurgence, was Delphi Automotive Systems’ recent announcement that it is seeking to raise $100 million through its own IPO. A successful return to Wall Street would cap an impressive turnaround for the Troy, MI-based maker of auto parts, whose reliance on General Motors drove its previous … Continue reading “Delphi Automotive Owes Its Current Success To….Medical Devices?”
Who Owns the Relationship with Digital Subscribers—Publishers, or Apple?
The ascent of smartphones and tablets is causing a seismic shift in the way media companies reach consumers. As an iPad and iPhone owner, I now consume the bulk of my media online. Whether it’s the Kindle App, Netflix, HBO Go, or Hulu, media companies have rapidly realized that they can use the new platforms … Continue reading “Who Owns the Relationship with Digital Subscribers—Publishers, or Apple?”
Apple, Floodgate, VigLink: The 1-Minute Version of Last Week’s Bay Area BizTech News
It wasn’t quite all Apple news all the time last week—I decided to follow Apple’s WWDC meeting via the Web and spend most of the week reporting on, you know, all the other innovation around Silicon Valley and San Francisco. That said… —At its annual World Wide Developers conference, Apple previewed the next versions of … Continue reading “Apple, Floodgate, VigLink: The 1-Minute Version of Last Week’s Bay Area BizTech News”