What would “The Matrix” look like for businesses? Imagine a virtual-reality system that a company could jack its employees into in order to train them, evaluate their decision-making skills, or test out different management strategies. The technology might not be as far off as you think, thanks to a Seattle-area startup. This is the story … Continue reading “Novel, Backed by Vancouver VCs, Uses Gaming Tech to Make Business Simulations for Companies”
Category: National
XSITE’s Mobile Health Panel Rallies Heavyweights in Wireless and Healthcare
For entrepreneurs, launching health IT startups to commercialize mobile or wireless technologies can be daunting. While there are many opportunities to create companies around mobile innovations in healthcare, there aren’t really many successful business models to follow. Sometimes it takes lots of smart people from multiple disciplines to rally around an idea to transform it … Continue reading “XSITE’s Mobile Health Panel Rallies Heavyweights in Wireless and Healthcare”
Wings Replaces Kraemer With Cramer, Adding Elder Statesman of Northwest Life Sciences
Kirby Cramer probably has the most diversified track record of success in life sciences entrepreneurship of anybody in the Northwest. Now he’s putting some of his time and money into strengthening Wings, the budding angel investing network for medical device startups. “We are blessed in the Northwest to have hundreds of medical device entrepreneurs,” Cramer … Continue reading “Wings Replaces Kraemer With Cramer, Adding Elder Statesman of Northwest Life Sciences”
The Genomics Comeback
One of the things that fascinates me most about the slow-paced business of biotech is how utterly mismatched it is against the demands of Wall Street. Asking for quarterly earnings reports from companies that are in the red, and likely to remain so for years, while they test drug candidates in early-stage clinical trials (which … Continue reading “The Genomics Comeback”
“Arms Dealer” Martin Tobias Talks Tippr Strategy Vs. Groupon
Where the heck did all these group-buying websites come from? With the rise of Groupon, LivingSocial, BuyWithMe, and dozens of other smaller daily-deal sites, suddenly it seems like every Web entrepreneur and his brother are out to make a quick buck. So maybe the better question is, where is this all going? Tippr.com is the … Continue reading ““Arms Dealer” Martin Tobias Talks Tippr Strategy Vs. Groupon”
Illumina Slashes Cost of Individual Genome Sequencing Service
[Updated 6/11/10 12:05 am. See below.] The cost of getting your genome sequenced continues to drop. San Diego’s Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) has lowered the cost of its individual sequencing service to $19,500 from $48,000. The company is offering a discounted price of $9,500 for people with serious medical conditions who could potentially benefit from having … Continue reading “Illumina Slashes Cost of Individual Genome Sequencing Service”
Healthrageous Snags $6M to Combat Unhealthy Behaviors
We eat ice cream before bedtime. Sleep in rather than rising early to jog. And forget to take our medicine. Those are three of many unhealthy behaviors that cause millions of Americans to become obese, diabetic, and plain sick. Enter Healthrageous, which says it has scooped up $6 million in a Series A venture round … Continue reading “Healthrageous Snags $6M to Combat Unhealthy Behaviors”
Michigan Microloan Fund Awards Lifelines Worth $122,000 Combined to Four More Companies
Four Michigan companies have received a combined $122,000 through the Michigan Microloan Fund Program, managed by the Ann Arbor SPARK business incubator. The latest funding round brings the total amount invested through the program to more than $1.2 million among 35 companies since July 2009, according to a news release today. Microloans available through the … Continue reading “Michigan Microloan Fund Awards Lifelines Worth $122,000 Combined to Four More Companies”
Genzyme Cuts Deal With Carl Icahn on Eve of Shareholder Vote
Genzyme has forged a peace treaty with the billionaire shareholder Carl Icahn, after months of debate about the future of the embattled company. Cambridge, MA-based Genzyme (NASDAQ:[[ticker:GENZ]]) has agreed to appoint two of Icahn’s associates to its board in return for Icahn’s support for Genzyme’s nominees, the company reports this morning. Icahn, who controlled 4.9 … Continue reading “Genzyme Cuts Deal With Carl Icahn on Eve of Shareholder Vote”
Of Boston’s Angel Tsunami and the Future of Venture—XSITE Dives Deep and Gets Personal
Boston’s ongoing flurry of angel investor activity and programs for seed-stage startups arguably started in January 2009, when that paragon of seed-stage incubators, Y Combinator, announced it was pulling out of town for good and ending its Cambridge, MA-based summer program. As I noted last fall, the void left by Y Combo seemed to attract … Continue reading “Of Boston’s Angel Tsunami and the Future of Venture—XSITE Dives Deep and Gets Personal”
Harvest Automation, With Dreams of Becoming the next iRobot, Sets Sight on Machines to Harvest Shrubs
Harvest Automation has a straightforward vision on how to target a market for its robotics technology, which comes from iRobot veterans. “Basically, it’s go where the labor is,” says CEO and co-founder Charles Grinnell. And it’s starting with agriculture. The Billerica, MA-based startup is developing fleets of robots designed to speed up the labor-intensive task … Continue reading “Harvest Automation, With Dreams of Becoming the next iRobot, Sets Sight on Machines to Harvest Shrubs”
At Michigan’s Wolverine Venture Fund, Students Learn Via Reality VC
Tom Kinnear says he is a great “theoretical golfer.” It is the implementation that is lacking. In the same way, business students who learn how venture capital works without ever investing real money in real companies may be at a disadvantage, Kinnear says. That’s why, 11 years ago, Kinnear and colleagues at the University of … Continue reading “At Michigan’s Wolverine Venture Fund, Students Learn Via Reality VC”
Gen-Probe Prostate Cancer Test Looks Promising
Gen-Probe (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GPRO]]) appears to be on the right track with its experimental prostate cancer test, judging from a raft of recent clinical studies in men being screened for prostate cancer. The research, presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association in San Francisco last week, provided additional evidence that Gen-Probe’s PCA3 urine … Continue reading “Gen-Probe Prostate Cancer Test Looks Promising”
Flagship Plans $300M New Fund, Boston TechStars Pitch to Area Investors, AutoVirt Raises $1.5M, & More Boston-Area Deals News
We’ve been lighter on news of New England financings in the last week, but we saw some headlines from investing firms and startup mentoring programs, alongside a few smaller deals for software and life sciences companies. —GlaxoSmithKline’s venture arm SR One led a $22 million Series B funding round for Cambridge, MA-based Constellation Pharmaceuticals, a … Continue reading “Flagship Plans $300M New Fund, Boston TechStars Pitch to Area Investors, AutoVirt Raises $1.5M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Livemocha’s New CEO, Michael Schutzler, on Company Challenges, Culture, and the Evolution of Social Networks
Michael Schutzler knows a few things about building online communities and profitable companies. The new CEO of Livemocha, the Bellevue, WA-based language-learning startup and online community, is perhaps best known for leading Classmates.com through its post-bubble growth phase to become a nationally recognized social-network brand, before its sale to United Online for $150 million in … Continue reading “Livemocha’s New CEO, Michael Schutzler, on Company Challenges, Culture, and the Evolution of Social Networks”
Qteros Finds Ways Around Funding Pitfalls for Biofuel Startups
If only funding for biofuel startups were as omnipresent as spilt oil in the Gulf. That’s not the case, of course, as biofuel firms have struggled to find cash. Yet Qteros, a Marlborough, MA-based developer of cellulosic ethanol, has a plan to remove some of the typical financial aches from its business. Qteros, which has … Continue reading “Qteros Finds Ways Around Funding Pitfalls for Biofuel Startups”
RevenueLoan Pushes New Funding Model, Tippr Expands in Group Buying, Microsoft and Google Lure Startups, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
OK, things have started to pick up in terms of deals news around the Northwest. This week was headlined by the activities of a trio of well-known characters in the Seattle tech scene. —Xconomy had an exclusive in-depth interview with entrepreneur Andy Sack about his new company, RevenueLoan, which has raised $6 million from Voyager … Continue reading “RevenueLoan Pushes New Funding Model, Tippr Expands in Group Buying, Microsoft and Google Lure Startups, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
GM, Ford Announce Plans To Beam Google Maps Directions Directly To Autos
If you drive a General Motors or Ford vehicle and subscribe to proper services, you’ll be able to avoid printing maps and schlepping them to the car before the end of the month. That’s because both auto companies today announced new partnerships with Google that enable users to beam turn-by-turn directions from Google Maps directly … Continue reading “GM, Ford Announce Plans To Beam Google Maps Directions Directly To Autos”
See You This Afternoon at the Xconomy Forum: The Rise of Smart Energy
We’ll be turning on the lights soon for our big afternoon event, the Xconomy Forum on smart energy. On the other hand, we might not need the lights inside Atkinson Hall, where we’re gathering at Calit2, because we’ve recruited some of the brightest minds from San Diego and beyond to discuss energy and innovation. After … Continue reading “See You This Afternoon at the Xconomy Forum: The Rise of Smart Energy”
XSITE 2010: The Xconomy Summit on Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship
XSITE 2010 is a full day of learning, stimulation, debate, networking, and inspiration of the kind only Xconomy can provide. Attendees will hear keynote presentations from some of the country’s leading CEOs, entrepreneurs, inventors, and investors as we celebrate the high-tech startups and anchor companies who are inventing the products and services defining the new … Continue reading “XSITE 2010: The Xconomy Summit on Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship”
BigDoor Raises $5M Led by Foundry Group, Looks to Bring Game Mechanics to All the Web
Score another one for the “gamification” of websites. Seattle-based BigDoor Media said today it has raised $5 million in Series B funding led by new investor Foundry Group, the Boulder, CO-based venture firm co-founded by Brad Feld. Feld led his firm’s investment in this financing round, and is joining BigDoor’s board of directors. What do … Continue reading “BigDoor Raises $5M Led by Foundry Group, Looks to Bring Game Mechanics to All the Web”
Asemblon, Hydrogen Fuel Startup, Finds Ally in Schwarzenegger’s Favorite Big Rig Maker
Hydrogen-powered cars and trucks are supposed to be cheaper and greener to run than anything today. It’s one of those big cleantech ideas that always seems to be five years away from the market. Yet Asemblon, a little Redmond, WA-based company on a quest to make this dream practical, took a small step forward recently … Continue reading “Asemblon, Hydrogen Fuel Startup, Finds Ally in Schwarzenegger’s Favorite Big Rig Maker”
Syndax Pharma Seeks to Reprogram Tumor Cells to Treat Breast Cancer
Women lose a valuable weapon against their breast tumors when the potency of hormone therapy fades. But what if there was a way to “reprogram” breast tumor cells to be receptive to hormone therapy? Waltham, MA-based Syndax Pharmaceuticals might have such a way. Syndax has shown in a 26-patient clinical trial that its drug, entinostat, … Continue reading “Syndax Pharma Seeks to Reprogram Tumor Cells to Treat Breast Cancer”
San Diego Chargers: Region Serves as a Testbed for new EVs and Their Charging Stations
San Diego County, which is bounded to the South by the U.S. border with Mexico, along the West by the Pacific Ocean and in the East by the parched deserts of Imperial Valley, has often served as a test market for everything from light beer to broadband wireless plans. And over the next year or … Continue reading “San Diego Chargers: Region Serves as a Testbed for new EVs and Their Charging Stations”
Revolutionary Angels Closes Down, Shelves Business-Plan Contest
Revolutionary Angels, a Cambridge, MA company that planned to give away as much as $300,000 in a private business plan competition, has mothballed its contest after failing to attract enough participants to pay for the prizes. The contest, which was presented as a financing alternative for startups traditionally excluded from the venture and angel investing … Continue reading “Revolutionary Angels Closes Down, Shelves Business-Plan Contest”
Biogen’s CEO Retires Tomorrow, COO to Follow
Biogen Idec will officially be CEO-less starting tomorrow. James Mullen, Biogen’s chief executive, retires on June 8 after a decade on the job and the Cambridge, MA-based company hasn’t named his successor. The company (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]), which also has significant operations in San Diego, said this afternoon that its in the final stages of selecting the … Continue reading “Biogen’s CEO Retires Tomorrow, COO to Follow”
Andy Sack, Flush With $6M, Builds Revenue Based Financing Company That Could Disrupt Venture Capital, Startup Ecosystem
Andy Sack has been working behind the scenes for more than a year. Yes, we know he’s been busy bringing the first session of TechStars, the startup bootcamp, to Seattle this fall. He’s also been co-leading Founder’s Co-op, the seed-stage investment fund, for the past couple of years. But just when you think the Seattle … Continue reading “Andy Sack, Flush With $6M, Builds Revenue Based Financing Company That Could Disrupt Venture Capital, Startup Ecosystem”
Smart Grid Innovations in Energy and Analytics Take Root in San Diego—Previewing Xconomy’s Smart Energy Event
Over the next decade, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and other public utilities in California must undergo a massive transformation in the ways they generate and transmit electricity to meet aggressive regulatory requirements for renewable energy. We’re starting to see some of those changes today. In less than two years, SDG&E is expected to … Continue reading “Smart Grid Innovations in Energy and Analytics Take Root in San Diego—Previewing Xconomy’s Smart Energy Event”
Michigan, Ohio Firms Partner to Launch 2nd VC Fund For Great Lakes Regional Investments
Amid a tough fund-raising climate in the Great Lakes region, a pair of firms in Michigan and Ohio are nevertheless optimistic enough to for a second go-around in a venture capital fund. Ann Arbor, MI-based Plymouth Management is working with Toledo-based Rocket Ventures to establish a $40 million fund called Plymouth Venture Partners Fund II … Continue reading “Michigan, Ohio Firms Partner to Launch 2nd VC Fund For Great Lakes Regional Investments”
Microsoft, EveryScape Team Up to Provide 3-D Views of Restaurants Online
The next time you’re trying to pick a place to go out to eat, you might have more information at your fingertips than just reviews, photos, and menus. A Boston-area company called EveryScape has teamed up with Microsoft’s Bing Maps to deliver 3-D panoramic views of restaurants—both interiors and exteriors—on the Web. EveryScape, based in … Continue reading “Microsoft, EveryScape Team Up to Provide 3-D Views of Restaurants Online”
XSITE’s Biotech Gurus to Cover the State of New England Biotech, the Return of Platforms
Boston is probably the best place in the world to start a biotech company today, and, yes, I’ve been studying the San Francisco Bay Area a lot lately, as the Globe’s Scott Kirsner reported last week. Strong as Boston may be, the biotech industry still has a lot of systemic issues to deal with, like … Continue reading “XSITE’s Biotech Gurus to Cover the State of New England Biotech, the Return of Platforms”
Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail, and Other John Wooden Advice for the Innovation Community (and Everyone Else)
If you know me, or have followed some of my increasingly sporadic posts or tweets, you know I love sports. Few people know, though, that I was a physical education major in college—part of a double major with psychology, it being the mind-and-body ’70s. I was either going to be a basketball coach or a … Continue reading “Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail, and Other John Wooden Advice for the Innovation Community (and Everyone Else)”
The Greater Boston 3D Design Cluster
In the movie 21, three MIT students who know their math go to Las Vegas and play blackjack. Eventually they get thrown out, after nearly breaking the bank at the casinos’ card tables. Well, as we’ve reported before, it’s a true story. And one of the three MIT geniuses was Jon Hirschtick, who invested his … Continue reading “The Greater Boston 3D Design Cluster”
DivX Buyout Anticipates Boom in Internet TV, ViaSat Sees Big Bet Paying Off, Solekai Leads Charge in Smart Grid Software Development, & More San Diego BizTech News
It was a short week, but we saw a spate of deals involving San Diego companies, beginning with the $323 million buyout of DivX, which could be the prelude to a coming boom in Internet TV. Tune in now for our high-def view of the big picture. —Novato, CA-based Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SNIC]]) agreed to … Continue reading “DivX Buyout Anticipates Boom in Internet TV, ViaSat Sees Big Bet Paying Off, Solekai Leads Charge in Smart Grid Software Development, & More San Diego BizTech News”
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Builds Stronger Case for Blood Cancer Drug
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals has come a long way in one year. The Seattle-based biotech company made its first ripple on the national scene last year at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), when it showed its novel drug for blood cancers caused tumor shrinkage in half of the first dozen patients tested. This year at … Continue reading “Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Builds Stronger Case for Blood Cancer Drug”
Hacker with Former Slashdot Ties and Tech Entrepreneur Tackle Home Health Hurdles With Web-Based Eldersync
David Bernick saw his mom’s struggles in coordinating care for his elderly grandmother. His mom relied on spreadsheets and Post-It notes to organize his grandmother’s visits with doctors, home health workers, and physical therapists. “This is a lot of stuff to keep track of,” Bernick says. “This is a real problem and it’s only going … Continue reading “Hacker with Former Slashdot Ties and Tech Entrepreneur Tackle Home Health Hurdles With Web-Based Eldersync”
Of Cuban Missiles and Chinese Wind Turbines
Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a series of meetings in Washington, DC, together with an impressive array of business leaders and investors. The group that held the meetings is called the Progressive Business Leaders Network, and it focuses on a select set of issues that are critical to driving U.S. competitiveness. PBLN’s … Continue reading “Of Cuban Missiles and Chinese Wind Turbines”
ZymoGenetics Melanoma Drug Passes Small Study, Gets Overshadowed by Bristol-Myers
[Updated: 2:30 pm Pacific] ZymoGenetics just can’t seem to catch a break. The Seattle-based biotech company has some positive, albeit preliminary, data out today on its experimental treatment for melanoma that has spread throughout the body—one of the toughest forms of cancer to treat. But ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) had the misfortune to be upstaged big-time … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Melanoma Drug Passes Small Study, Gets Overshadowed by Bristol-Myers”
My Journey from Microsoft to the Cleantech Industry
[This post first appeared on the EnergySavvy blog—Eds.] In May 2008, I left my corporate software job in search of my next challenge. I had spent 10 years developing software in various product roles mostly at Microsoft. When I left, I had heard of the hyped-up cleantech space and said to myself, “I don’t know … Continue reading “My Journey from Microsoft to the Cleantech Industry”
Tolera Therapeutics, Cleveland Clinic Spinoff Focused on Immune Disorders, Raises $4M
Tolera Therapeutics was named one of Michigan’s top 50 companies to watch this spring, and now it has raised more capital to pursue its idea for making effective new drugs against immune system disorders. The company, based in Kalamazoo, MI, has nailed down about $4.1 million out of an equity financing round that could be … Continue reading “Tolera Therapeutics, Cleveland Clinic Spinoff Focused on Immune Disorders, Raises $4M”
Counterfeit Medicine Fighter Sproxil Declared Winner at IBM SmartCamp Event Spotlighting Technology that Improves the Physical World
IBM predicts the next big set of opportunities in technology will be in the “intersection of the physical and digital world,” says Deborah Magid, a director in the company’s Venture Capital Group. “It used to be where IT was never a part of our lives,” she said at an event Thursday celebrating the use of … Continue reading “Counterfeit Medicine Fighter Sproxil Declared Winner at IBM SmartCamp Event Spotlighting Technology that Improves the Physical World”
300-Plus Sloanies Graduating Today—Forming 34 Companies (and Counting)
[Updated, June 4, 2010—see below]—A small whiteboard set up in the offices of the MIT Entrepreneurship Center is covered with a hand-scrawled list of names—so many that E-Center acting managing director and Xconomist Bill Aulet says they had to pick up the list on the other side of the board. The long list is a … Continue reading “300-Plus Sloanies Graduating Today—Forming 34 Companies (and Counting)”
General Motors Launches VC Subsidiary to Develop New Automotive Technologies
General Motors today announced another measure aimed at showing the world that it can learn new tricks. Suffering from some severe image problems as a result of its recent government bailout, GM has launched a new venture capital subsidiary aimed at identifying and developing innovative automotive technologies. Add this development to the soon-to-be released electric … Continue reading “General Motors Launches VC Subsidiary to Develop New Automotive Technologies”
San Diego’s Solekai Moves to Catch Wave of Smart Grid Software Development
Solekai Systems was founded in 2002, and quickly became one of San Diego’s fastest-growing privately held companies. By specializing in digital video software development and engineering services (set-top boxes and related hardware) for customers like Sony Electronics, TiVo, Pioneer, and DirectTV, Solekai’s revenue soared by 1,536 percent from 2003 to 2006—to $18.2 million. That was … Continue reading “San Diego’s Solekai Moves to Catch Wave of Smart Grid Software Development”
Stop By Today’s Pre-XSITE Pizza Party, Meet MassChallenge CEO John Harthorne, Michael Greeley, and Your Fellow Innovators
The day-long Xconomy Summit on Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship is just 13 days from today. To help build some buzz around the event, we’re inviting local entrepreneurs and other members of the Boston innovation community to our office for free pizza today (Friday) at high noon. The pizza will be compliments of Za, a hip … Continue reading “Stop By Today’s Pre-XSITE Pizza Party, Meet MassChallenge CEO John Harthorne, Michael Greeley, and Your Fellow Innovators”
Let’s Abandon the Industrial-Decay Porn and Take a Closer Look at What’s Growing in Detroit
If you got all your information about Detroit from the blogosphere, the mainstream media, or the photography section of your local bookstore and never actually visited the Motor City, you could be forgiven for assuming that it’s one giant, bombed-out wasteland. That’s certainly the impression conveyed by many of the artists who have been criss-crossing … Continue reading “Let’s Abandon the Industrial-Decay Porn and Take a Closer Look at What’s Growing in Detroit”
Follica Grabs $7.5M, Glaxo’s SR One Leads $22M Round For Constellation, MoMelan Seeks to Improve Skin Grafts, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
There were fewer life sciences headlines this week than we’ve seen lately, but the news covered an array of biotech companies fighting everything from baldness to skin disease to stubborn bacteria. —Watertown, MA-based Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals pulled in a $45 million Series C round that was led by new investor Excel Venture Management and also included … Continue reading “Follica Grabs $7.5M, Glaxo’s SR One Leads $22M Round For Constellation, MoMelan Seeks to Improve Skin Grafts, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Ballmer Says iPad Is a PC, Bill Gates Praises Steve Jobs and Apple—A Few Microsoft Highlights
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Microsoft. Amid all the product news about Windows Live, Windows and Google, Office Web Apps, Kin phones, Bing Maps, and the like, the media has been buzzing about Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) passing the Redmond, WA, software firm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) in terms of market capitalization for the first … Continue reading “Ballmer Says iPad Is a PC, Bill Gates Praises Steve Jobs and Apple—A Few Microsoft Highlights”
Twitter Is Killing the Blogosphere, and More Insights from Internet Marketing Whiz Neil Patel
Neil Patel claims he doesn’t know much about the world. “There’s only one thing I’m good at,” he says, “and that is getting traffic from Yahoo and Google.” It’s a peculiar skill, but it has definitely paid off. Patel taught himself the art of search engine optimization about nine years ago, after he had started … Continue reading “Twitter Is Killing the Blogosphere, and More Insights from Internet Marketing Whiz Neil Patel”
What’s Next in New England? Just Take a Look at the MITX Technology Award Winners
Yesterday evening, it was time again for the MITX Technology Awards. This was the seventh time the yearly awards were handed out by the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange, an organization of 7,500 New England professionals in the Internet business and marketing field. Winners were announced in eleven categories, in addition to several “Best of” … Continue reading “What’s Next in New England? Just Take a Look at the MITX Technology Award Winners”