Another Boston IT deal to report today: Atlassian says it has signed an agreement to acquire OpsGenie for an estimated $295 million, which includes $259 million in cash and the remainder in restricted shares of Atlassian (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TEAM]]). The planned acquisition seems to be a great return for Boston-based OpsGenie’s investors. The six-year-old startup appears … Continue reading “OpsGenie, Backed by Battery Ventures, Grants $295M Sale to Atlassian”
Category: National
Behind the Deal: Under VMware, CloudHealth Aims to Be Household Name
The excitement and sense of triumph were palpable Thursday at CloudHealth Technologies, as the company held a party celebrating its recent move to a new headquarters on the 20th floor of a downtown Boston skyscraper. The source of the heightened atmosphere was no mystery—the enterprise software startup was also reveling in its planned sale to … Continue reading “Behind the Deal: Under VMware, CloudHealth Aims to Be Household Name”
Roundup, Part II: CityLab Detroit, U-M, Small Business Murals, More
We’re back after the long Labor Day weekend with part two of a roundup of recent Michigan innovation news. To see part one, click here. —CityLab, a global summit organized by The Atlantic magazine, the Aspen Institute, and Bloomberg Philanthropies to address urgent urban issues, has chosen Detroit as the location of its 2018 conference. … Continue reading “Roundup, Part II: CityLab Detroit, U-M, Small Business Murals, More”
Phoenix Plans to Build New HQ After Inking $15M in New Contracts
Phoenix, which develops and sells particle accelerator-based neutron generators and other machines, says it plans to begin constructing new manufacturing and office buildings in Fitchburg, WI, a few miles south of the startup’s current Madison, WI, headquarters. The announcement does not come as a surprise. Phoenix president Evan Sengbusch said last fall that his company … Continue reading “Phoenix Plans to Build New HQ After Inking $15M in New Contracts”
Assembla Buys Belgian Startup MyGet for Code Management and Security
San Antonio—Assembla, a company that San Antonio investment firm Scaleworks acquired in 2016, has bought Belgium-based startup MyGet for an undisclosed price. MyGet offers a service that helps automate a process in software development known as package management. The company sells its service to thousands of customers globally, including Johnson Controls, Microsoft, and BMW, according … Continue reading “Assembla Buys Belgian Startup MyGet for Code Management and Security”
Bio Roundup: Pfizer’s Rare Results, U.K.’s CAR-T No, IPO Go-Go & More
Before you head out for the final summer getaway, catch up on the week’s headlines. Pfizer upped the ante in the field of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) treatment, where competition to treat the rare disease has grown increasingly complex. We’ll start with what was—and wasn’t—in Pfizer’s data release Monday, top up with more ATTR news, then … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Pfizer’s Rare Results, U.K.’s CAR-T No, IPO Go-Go & More”
Wireless Internet Firms Take On Big Telecoms in Cities and Suburbs
If you’re a city dweller, and unhappy with the big company that provides your Internet connection, chances are good there’s a scrappy little outfit that thinks it can do better for you. Metropolitan areas have become target territories for the wireless Internet service providers, or WISPs, that for a long time have been the only … Continue reading “Wireless Internet Firms Take On Big Telecoms in Cities and Suburbs”
Boston Tech Watch: Humana, SmartBear, Nexamp, Veritas & More
This week in Boston tech, we’re tracking a massive healthcare analytics acquisition, a new technology incubator from health insurer Humana, a Mitsubishi subsidiary’s latest investments in the local energy sector, and more deals. Read on for details. —Verscend Technologies said it completed its $4.9 billion acquisition of Atlanta-based Cotiviti (NYSE: [[ticker:COTV]]), a union of companies … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Humana, SmartBear, Nexamp, Veritas & More”
Epic Building Tools to Help Patients Guard Their Health Data
New, Internet-connected devices—everything from watches that measure our steps and sleep to sensor-equipped inhalers able to track medication use—are starting to deliver on their promise of giving healthcare providers a fuller picture of what, and how, their patients are doing when they’re not in for a check-up. But the more gadgets and software applications patients … Continue reading “Epic Building Tools to Help Patients Guard Their Health Data”
Sutro Biopharma, Arvinas Are Latest to Tee Up Biotech IPOs
The biotech IPO train is rolling on without slowing as we head into a holiday weekend. The latest to lay the groundwork to go public are Sutro Biopharma and Arvinas, which both want Wall Street’s help to back human trials of experimental cancer drugs. South San Francisco, CA-based Sutro set a preliminary $75 million target … Continue reading “Sutro Biopharma, Arvinas Are Latest to Tee Up Biotech IPOs”
Vecna Robotics Grabs $13.5M as Logistics Robots Stay Hot
Vecna Technologies’ logistics robotics business has raised $13.5 million in venture capital, according to a filing with the SEC. The funding for Vecna Robotics marks the first outside equity investment in any of 20-year-old Vecna’s businesses. Last year, Vecna completed a reorganization in which it split its various products and services into separate businesses operating … Continue reading “Vecna Robotics Grabs $13.5M as Logistics Robots Stay Hot”
Rivaling Google, Web-Mining Diffbot Opens Its Knowledge Graph to All
Diffbot, a tech startup that continuously scours the Web to assemble a “knowledge graph” of billions of facts in context, announced today that it’s opening up the searchable resource to the public—with starter rates as low as a cable TV bill. Mountain View, CA-based Diffbot gleans unstructured data scattered across websites, ads, blog posts, videos, … Continue reading “Rivaling Google, Web-Mining Diffbot Opens Its Knowledge Graph to All”
RootPath Raises $7M to Bring Cancer Cell Therapy to Solid Tumors
The concept of turning a patient’s own immune cells into a cancer therapy has made strides, with the past year seeing FDA approvals of two such treatments for blood cancers. But these cell therapies don’t work for everyone, and they can cause dangerous side effects. They also haven’t yet worked on solid tumors. RootPath wants … Continue reading “RootPath Raises $7M to Bring Cancer Cell Therapy to Solid Tumors”
RNAi Hits Europe as EMA Follows FDA, Approves Alnylam Drug
The first medicine that uses RNA interference, a method cells employ to mute a gene before it can make a harmful protein, has made its way to Europe. Three weeks after the FDA approved patisiran (Onpattro), from Alnylam Pharmaceuticeuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]), for a rare and deadly disease called hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR), the European Medicines … Continue reading “RNAi Hits Europe as EMA Follows FDA, Approves Alnylam Drug”
Roundup, Part I: TechHire Bootcamp, Genomenon, Leading2Lean, Cengage
Time flies when you’re working hard. Although summer is nearly over, Michigan’s startup clusters keep humming along. In fact, so much is happening, we’ve divided this roundup into two parts. Part two will run Sept. 4. Read on for recent innovation news from around the state. —Detroiters age 18 and older have until Friday to … Continue reading “Roundup, Part I: TechHire Bootcamp, Genomenon, Leading2Lean, Cengage”
Austin’s Infinite.io, Maker of Data Storage Software, Raises $10M
Austin—Infinite.io announced Wednesday it has raised an additional $7.3 million in financing, bringing the data storage startup’s total financial haul to $10.3 million. The new funding comes on top of $3 million raised two weeks ago, says Mark Cree, Infinite.io’s president and CEO. The round was led by former Motorola CEO and Cleversafe chairman Chris … Continue reading “Austin’s Infinite.io, Maker of Data Storage Software, Raises $10M”
Epic, CEO Faulkner Confront Life as a Big Tech Company in 2018
Almost all of Epic Systems’ growth during the nearly four decades the healthcare software powerhouse has been in business has come from selling products and services developed internally, which founder and CEO Judy Faulkner has argued is preferable to expanding through mergers and acquisitions. “We’re a software factory. We build our own software. We do … Continue reading “Epic, CEO Faulkner Confront Life as a Big Tech Company in 2018”
Foxconn Creates $100M Venture Fund With Three Top WI Businesses
Foxconn Technology Group continues to make its presence felt in the Wisconsin business community. The latest move: The Taiwanese contract manufacturer is forming a $100 million early-stage venture capital fund with three of the Badger State’s leading companies and organizations. Advocate Aurora Health, Northwestern Mutual, Johnson Controls, and Foxconn will each contribute $25 million to … Continue reading “Foxconn Creates $100M Venture Fund With Three Top WI Businesses”
With $500M Toyota Deal, Uber Sheds Go-It-Alone Driverless Car Goal
When an autonomous Uber car being tested in Arizona collided with a pedestrian last March, it resulted in the first known fatality caused by a driverless vehicle. The accident had a jarring effect on the entire mobility industry, but Toyota was one of the few players that took direct action in the wake of the … Continue reading “With $500M Toyota Deal, Uber Sheds Go-It-Alone Driverless Car Goal”
CPRIT Grants, TMC & Baird, Shipt & Drive.ai Expand, & More TX Tech
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Forbius, an Austin biotech company (also known as Formation Biologics) has been awarded an $18.75 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The funds will be used to support operations and Phase 2a development of AVID100, the company’s anti-EGFR antibody-drug conjugate … Continue reading “CPRIT Grants, TMC & Baird, Shipt & Drive.ai Expand, & More TX Tech”
SoftBank Taps Affectiva to Boost Pepper Robot’s Emotional IQ
Teaching robots to recognize human emotions and react appropriately is one of the grandest ambitions in robotics. Companies have made progress on this front in recent years, thanks in part to advances in machine learning, computer vision, speech recognition, and related technologies. But there is a long way to go. Now, one of the big … Continue reading “SoftBank Taps Affectiva to Boost Pepper Robot’s Emotional IQ”
Puls Snags $50M to Grow On-Call Repair Service for Smartphones, IoT
Puls Technologies, whose on-demand technicians repair broken smartphones and install connected home devices, announced today it has raised $50 million to expand its reach as a unified source of device maintenance and consumer support. San Francisco-based Puls, founded in 2015, offers to dispatch technicians quickly to a customer’s home or office to replace malfunctioning parts, … Continue reading “Puls Snags $50M to Grow On-Call Repair Service for Smartphones, IoT”
Tetraphase Pharma’s Antibiotic Wins FDA Approval for Gut Infections
A Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals antibiotic has earned FDA approval, adding a new treatment to the effort to address drug-resistant infections. The FDA decision for the Tetraphase (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TTPH]]) drug, eravacycline (Xerava), covers complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) in adults. It’s the first drug approval for the Watertown, MA-based drug developer, and shares of the company rose 5.5 … Continue reading “Tetraphase Pharma’s Antibiotic Wins FDA Approval for Gut Infections”
FDA Gives Thumbs-Down to Rare Disease Drug from Ionis, Akcea
The FDA has rejected the rare-disease drug volanesorsen (Waylivra), which is being developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IONS]]) and its subsidiary Akcea Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKCA]]). Ionis, based in San Diego, and Akcea, in Cambridge, MA, had high hopes for approval after a committee of outside experts in May recommended the drug by a 12-8 vote. … Continue reading “FDA Gives Thumbs-Down to Rare Disease Drug from Ionis, Akcea”
Y-mAbs Plans IPO to Advance Two Pediatric Cancer Drugs to the FDA
Neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer, has no FDA-approved treatments for patients who relapse after the first line of therapies. Y-mAbs Therapeutics has developed two experimental antibody drugs for the disease and it is lining now lining up an IPO to as it readies both therapies for submission to the FDA for approval. Y-mAbs set a … Continue reading “Y-mAbs Plans IPO to Advance Two Pediatric Cancer Drugs to the FDA”
UW-Madison to Upgrade Engineering Campus With $100M Foxconn Gift
Foxconn, a leading Taiwanese contract manufacturer constructing a huge electronic display assembly plant in Southeastern Wisconsin, announced a $100 million gift to the state’s flagship public university Monday. The company’s gift to the University of Wisconsin-Madison will support research and development of new technologies statewide, Foxconn said. The nine-figure gift from Foxconn is one of … Continue reading “UW-Madison to Upgrade Engineering Campus With $100M Foxconn Gift”
Eyeing Approval, Pfizer Touts Tafamidis Study, but Details Lacking
[Updated, 8/28/18, 1:30pm ET. See end of story.] Drug giant Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) could soon join a budding U.S. competition to treat the rare disease transthyretin amyloidosis, in which a common protein goes haywire and builds up into dangerous deposits in the heart and nerves. Pfizer today presented results from a late-stage study of its … Continue reading “Eyeing Approval, Pfizer Touts Tafamidis Study, but Details Lacking”
VMware Acquiring Cloud Analytics and Management Startup CloudHealth
[Updated and corrected, 5:13 p.m. See below.] VMware has agreed to acquire CloudHealth Technologies, a Boston-based company that VMware wants for its service that lets businesses analyze and manage the cost, usage, security, and performance of private and public cloud computing options. Palo Alto, CA-based VMware (NYSE: [[ticker:VMW]]) didn’t disclose the terms of the deal. A … Continue reading “VMware Acquiring Cloud Analytics and Management Startup CloudHealth”
San Antonio’s Spinal Stabilization Technologies Snags $11M Funding
San Antonio—Spinal Stabilization Technologies, a company developing a medical device for degenerating spinal cord discs, has added almost $11.2 million in new financing, according to a securities filing. Founded in 2010, San Antonio-based SST is developing a lumbar implant that can replace the nucleus of a deteriorating spinal disc. People’s discs deteriorate as they age, … Continue reading “San Antonio’s Spinal Stabilization Technologies Snags $11M Funding”
New Houston Biotech Magnolia Tejas Plans Trials with $20M CPRIT Grant
Houston—Magnolia Tejas, a new biotech company formed to develop drugs to treat neurological side effects from chemotherapy, has received a grant of nearly $20 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Magnolia Tejas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Magnolia Neurosciences, which launched earlier this month with $31 million from investors to … Continue reading “New Houston Biotech Magnolia Tejas Plans Trials with $20M CPRIT Grant”
After iRobot Split, Endeavor Rides Growth in Military Robot Spending
[Corrected 8/27/18, 10:45 am. See below.] United we stand, divided we fall. But sometimes, the opposite is true. That’s the way things seem to be playing out for iRobot (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRBT]]) and Endeavor Robotics, iRobot’s former defense and security business, which was carved out and sold to private equity firm Arlington Capital Partners two years … Continue reading “After iRobot Split, Endeavor Rides Growth in Military Robot Spending”
Beam, Celsius & Arrakis at Boston’s Life Science Disruptors Oct. 17
For the sixth year in a row, Xconomy will hold our fall Boston life sciences event, “Boston’s Life Science Disruptors”, on Wednesday October 17 at MIT’s Koch Institute in Kendall Square. Join us for this unique event featuring candid stories from some of New England’s most radical biotech company leaders, founders, and VC backers who … Continue reading “Beam, Celsius & Arrakis at Boston’s Life Science Disruptors Oct. 17”
Grand Angels Kicks Off Third Fund Targeting $25M to Seed Startups
Grand Angels, the West Michigan angel investing collective, is raising a third venture fund, called Grand Angels Venture Fund III. Paul D’Amato, a member of the group and the manager of GA Fund III, says the goal is to raise $25 million. As in previous Grand Angels funds, it will focus on advancing startups working … Continue reading “Grand Angels Kicks Off Third Fund Targeting $25M to Seed Startups”
Foxconn, Doyenne, Socialeads & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Madison, WI, and suburbs west of the city have received record rainfall this week, and more storms appear to be headed for the capital city this weekend. Those forecasts have created fears of further flooding and road closures downtown, which sits on an isthmus between two lakes. Your correspondent retreated to his home office after … Continue reading “Foxconn, Doyenne, Socialeads & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Get Physical: Houston’s Kanthaka Offers Personal Trainers in an Hour
Houston—The excuses can come easy when it comes to exercising regularly. Kanthaka founder and CEO Sylvie Kampshoff wants to eliminate one of the most common: people can’t commit to a schedule. Kanthaka is an Uber-style service for finding personal trainers: users can book a session (nearly) on-demand, giving just one hour of notice. The app … Continue reading “Get Physical: Houston’s Kanthaka Offers Personal Trainers in an Hour”
Bio Roundup: EpiPen Shortage, Bluebird’s Bet, Biotech IPOs & More
It’s back-to-school season and that means it’s time to load up on school supplies. For many students and schools, one crucial item is in high demand but hard to come by: the EpiPen. Some schools stock the epinephrine autoinjectors so they can respond quickly to a student’s allergic reaction to food. Though the autoinjectors are … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: EpiPen Shortage, Bluebird’s Bet, Biotech IPOs & More”
Meet the Startups Participating in Techstars Mobility’s Class of 2018
Detroit’s Techstars Mobility accelerator has announced its new cohort of startups working to advance technologies related to the movement of people and goods. Eleven companies are participating in the program this year, and, in a Medium post, program director Ted Serbinski said all of them have “diverse founding teams in regards to gender, ethnicity, or … Continue reading “Meet the Startups Participating in Techstars Mobility’s Class of 2018”
Eventbrite Targets $200M IPO as Tech, Biotech Markets Remain Hot
Event tech service Eventbrite is hoping to raise $200 million in an initial public offering during what has already been a busy year for IPOs. San Francisco-based Eventbrite lets users list and sell tickets to any type of event, from fundraisers to music festivals—for a fee on each ticket. The company had $201.6 million in … Continue reading “Eventbrite Targets $200M IPO as Tech, Biotech Markets Remain Hot”
FDA Approves Kala Pharmaceuticals Drug for Post-Surgery Eye Pain
Kala Pharmaceuticals has won FDA approval for a drug developed to treat pain and inflammation following eye surgery. While the approval is new, the drug, loteprednol etabonate (Inveltys), is not. Kala’s drug is a new formulation of a Bausch Health (NYSE: [[ticker:BHC]]) topical steroid that is approved to treat pain and inflammation after eye surgeries. … Continue reading “FDA Approves Kala Pharmaceuticals Drug for Post-Surgery Eye Pain”
Bluebird Bio Turns to Gritstone’s A.I. to Find TCR Cancer Targets
Bluebird Bio is betting that artificial intelligence technology from Gritstone Oncology can find new targets for cancer drugs, and the companies have struck a partnership to develop multiple cell therapies. Cambridge, MA-based Bluebird (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BLUE]]) develops gene and cell therapies. In cancer, the company focuses on a type of cell therapy called T-cell receptor therapy … Continue reading “Bluebird Bio Turns to Gritstone’s A.I. to Find TCR Cancer Targets”
Google, Dell EMC, Esther Dyson Join XCON 2018 Lineup
While the weather’s on the cool side, get ready for November. We at Xconomy are cooking up a special treat in Boston this fall: a three-day conference on technology and transformation called XCON 2018. It’s happening November 4, 5, and 6 at three different venues: Café ArtScience, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and Google’s Kendall … Continue reading “Google, Dell EMC, Esther Dyson Join XCON 2018 Lineup”
San Antonio’s Brokerage Engine Plans Funding Round After First Sales
San Antonio—Brokerage Engine, a tech company building software that helps real estate brokerages manage operations, says it should soon close on its first round of funding since its launch a year ago. The founders of the software-as-a-service businesses aren’t revealing yet who the investors are or how much in funding they will raise, but say … Continue reading “San Antonio’s Brokerage Engine Plans Funding Round After First Sales”
Vestigo Raises $58.9M Debut Fintech Fund as Early-Stage Deals Drop
Vestigo Ventures, a Boston-area venture firm that backs early-stage financial technology companies, said Thursday it has raised $58.9 million for its debut investment fund. That’s a small amount, but it’s still likely welcome news for young fintech startups. Global venture capital investments in the sector reached a record $16.6 billion last year, but the number … Continue reading “Vestigo Raises $58.9M Debut Fintech Fund as Early-Stage Deals Drop”
MIT’s Susan Hockfield Talks Impact of Merging Biology and Engineering
When Susan Hockfield (pictured) became president of MIT in 2004, she soon made her mark as the first life scientist to lead the university. She championed the convergence of biology, engineering, and physical sciences research to bring about the next breakthroughs not just in medicine, but also in energy and other areas. During her tenure … Continue reading “MIT’s Susan Hockfield Talks Impact of Merging Biology and Engineering”
Gener8tor Creates Los Angeles Accelerator for Music Tech Startups
Gener8tor has its sights set on Hollywood. The organization, which since 2012 has held training and mentorship programs for entrepreneurs in its home state of Wisconsin and other parts of the Midwest, said Wednesday that it has teamed up with Capitol Music Group to launch a new music technology accelerator program in Los Angeles. The … Continue reading “Gener8tor Creates Los Angeles Accelerator for Music Tech Startups”
After Launching Women’s Mentor Network, Lisa Suennen Sets Sail from GE
Lisa Suennen, a high-profile life-sciences investor, is leaving a top post at GE Ventures after two years. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Suennen is widely known for her investment work as well as her writing—her blog is called “Venture Valkyrie“—and podcasting about people, companies, and industry trends, notably the gender equity gap among … Continue reading “After Launching Women’s Mentor Network, Lisa Suennen Sets Sail from GE”
Exact Sciences Shares Rise After Company Unveils Pfizer Partnership
[Updated 8/22/18 3:22 p.m. See below.] Exact Sciences has recently been ramping up its efforts to market Cologuard, the company’s flagship diagnostic test that screens patients for colorectal cancer. Since the start of 2017, Madison, WI-based Exact has brought on recording artist Harry Connick Jr. and pro golfer Jerry Kelly as spokesmen, and announced a … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Rise After Company Unveils Pfizer Partnership”
Sierra Oncology Acquires Gilead’s Stalled Myelofibrosis Drug
An experimental myelofibrosis drug that fell short of expectations for Gilead Sciences is getting another shot under Sierra Oncology. Vancouver, BC-based Sierra (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRRA]]) has acquired the drug, momelotinib, from Gilead (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]), for $3 million up front. The deal adds a late-stage drug candidate to Sierra’s pipeline of early-stage cancer drugs. Meanwhile, Foster City, … Continue reading “Sierra Oncology Acquires Gilead’s Stalled Myelofibrosis Drug”
San Antonio’s Earth Class Mail Buys Digital Receipt Maker Shoeboxed
San Antonio—Earth Class Mail is acquiring Durham, NC-based Shoeboxed, which digitizes physical receipts, for an undisclosed price, the companies planned to announce this morning. Earth Class Mail, which is focused on turning traditional paper mail into digital records, is adding to its product offering by buying Shoeboxed. The 14-year-old San Antonio-based business recently made upgrades to … Continue reading “San Antonio’s Earth Class Mail Buys Digital Receipt Maker Shoeboxed”
Anchors and Diversity: Lessons From Philly at Madison’s Forward Fest
Archna Sahay was hired as the city of Philadelphia’s director of entrepreneurial investment in early 2015, after she had spent more than a decade working in investment banking. During her term, Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter and other city employees worked to make the city a place where more entrepreneurs would want to start and grow … Continue reading “Anchors and Diversity: Lessons From Philly at Madison’s Forward Fest”