San Antonio — For early stage researchers at universities and other institutions, the idea of finding enough money to bring a drug or medical device to market can seem daunting, if not entirely hopeless. Grants and angel networks can cover some preclinical funding, and big venture capital firms are there to pour tens of millions … Continue reading “Life Sci Veteran Garabedian Talks Up Biotech Accelerator in Texas”
Category: National
Tocagen Reaches Exclusive Deal in China for Brain Cancer Therapy
Roughly a year and a half after Tocagen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TOCA]]) named Marty Duvall as CEO, the San Diego biotech said it has signed a deal that gives Beijing-based ApolloBio an exclusive license to its gene therapy treatment for a deadly type of brain cancer. Under terms of the deal, ApolloBio agreed to make a $16 … Continue reading “Tocagen Reaches Exclusive Deal in China for Brain Cancer Therapy”
Using Analytics, Fitcode Aims to Connect Shoppers to Jeans That Fit
There are few things more universal in wardrobes the world over than blue jeans. But they are also the number one item that is returned by online shoppers, says Rian Buckley, founder and CEO of Fitcode. “Fit is the number one purchase driver and reason to return,” she says. For many of us, the idea … Continue reading “Using Analytics, Fitcode Aims to Connect Shoppers to Jeans That Fit”
Here Are the Companies in Gener8tor’s Madison 2018 Accelerator Class
Two companies headquartered in Florida and two others based in Gener8tor’s home state of Wisconsin are among the six startups participating in the organization’s latest for-equity accelerator program. Gener8tor, which invests in startups and coaches the entrepreneurs who run them, has graduated a dozen classes of early-stage companies from its core program since 2012. The … Continue reading “Here Are the Companies in Gener8tor’s Madison 2018 Accelerator Class”
Cybersecurity Innovation Is Key as Nations Move to Digital Hostilities
As the under secretary responsible for U.S. cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security during the Obama administration, Suzanne Spaulding was watching out for signs of vote tampering or disruptions on Nov. 8, 2016, as citizens cast their ballots for the presidential candidate of their choice. On that Election Day, the agency was on heightened … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Innovation Is Key as Nations Move to Digital Hostilities”
Pivotal Notches $555M IPO to Boost Enterprise Software in the Cloud
Pivotal Software is the latest to jump into an improving public market for tech companies—the San Francisco-based software business is raising $555 million in its initial public offering today. Pivotal said it priced 37 million shares for $15 apiece in the offering, in the middle of its expected range. The IPO still leaves Dell Technologies … Continue reading “Pivotal Notches $555M IPO to Boost Enterprise Software in the Cloud”
Biogen Pays $1B to Broaden Ionis Pact, Betting More on RNA Drugs
Biogen will pay Ionis Pharmaceuticals $1 billion to expand their current partnership, doubling down on the RNA drugmaking technology that brought the spinal muscular atrophy drug nusinersen (Spinraza) to market. Ionis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IONS]]) gets $325 million in cash up front in the deal, while Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) will also buy 11,501,153 Ionis shares at $54.34 … Continue reading “Biogen Pays $1B to Broaden Ionis Pact, Betting More on RNA Drugs”
Bio Roundup: Hope for Lungs, Bradner’s Complaint, FDA Nods & More
The biggest news this week was in oncology, hands down. Merck showed that its immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) might become a common option for many patients newly diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, but the bigger picture is that the field is moving fast. While pembrolizumab notched the headline-grabbing data, others are also working to develop options … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Hope for Lungs, Bradner’s Complaint, FDA Nods & More”
Want to Find Stellar Software Engineers in the Midwest? Here’s How
It may seem obvious that companies in the Midwest face challenges attracting and retaining talent, given our weather and location far from the coasts. One need only to look at college football recruiting, after all, to see how the average annual snowfall on campus matters almost as much as last season’s win/loss record. To some … Continue reading “Want to Find Stellar Software Engineers in the Midwest? Here’s How”
Boston Tech Watch: Kyruus, Kolide, Nano-C, BookingBug
Time to catch up on the latest tech headlines from the Boston area: —Westwood, MA-based Nano-C said it closed an $11.5 million funding round that was capped off by a $3 million investment from Ray Stata, the co-founder of Norwood, MA-based semiconductor company Analog Devices (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ADI]]). Founded in 2001, Nano-C has developed “nanostructured” carbon … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Kyruus, Kolide, Nano-C, BookingBug”
Techstars Anywhere Inaugural Class Takes Virtual Graduation Walk
[Corrected 4/20/09, 5:35 am. See below.] From Adelaide to Toronto, the Techstars accelerator that began in Boulder, CO, runs 39 programs in 27 cities around the world—with the prerequisite that admitted startups must relocate, if necessary, to the city where their three-month program is based. Today, however, the inaugural class of the 40th program—Techstars Anywhere—is … Continue reading “Techstars Anywhere Inaugural Class Takes Virtual Graduation Walk”
Safety Concerns Linger for Lilly’s Arthritis Drug as FDA Panel Looms
FDA staffers have expressed significant concerns about the side effects tied to Eli Lilly’s experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib (Olumiant), which is once again up for review after the agency rejected it last year. Next week, a panel of independent experts will convene to evaluate the merits of baricitinib. The FDA looks to these advisory … Continue reading “Safety Concerns Linger for Lilly’s Arthritis Drug as FDA Panel Looms”
Baird: Exact Sciences Should Rebound After First-Quarter ‘Headwinds’
Cancer screening test company Exact Sciences may not be anticipating the release of its first-quarter earnings report next week as eagerly as it has past quarters’ earnings announcements. The Madison, WI-based company in February signaled to investors that sales of its flagship product Cologuard, a stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer screening, hit a bit … Continue reading “Baird: Exact Sciences Should Rebound After First-Quarter ‘Headwinds’”
Ford Offers Non-Emergency Medical Transport with New GoRide Service
Proponents of mobility and autonomous vehicle technologies say those innovations have a lot of humanity-improving potential. Self-driving cars will dramatically reduce congestion and accidents, they say, and will allow elderly and disabled people to get around more independently. One future scenario imagines residents of a retirement community requesting rides from a community-owned autonomous shuttle using … Continue reading “Ford Offers Non-Emergency Medical Transport with New GoRide Service”
Shapeways Adds $30M to Push “Mass Personalization” Via 3D Printing
Shapeways, a New York-based 3D printing company, has raised $30 million in new funding to help expand its services for product designers aspiring to build successful small businesses. Shapeways, which has raised more than $100 million to date, operates an online marketplace where designers and others with product ideas can sell their 3D-printed wares, such … Continue reading “Shapeways Adds $30M to Push “Mass Personalization” Via 3D Printing”
5 Takeaways From Robo Madness 2018 at iRobot
A who’s who of robotics and artificial intelligence experts gathered at iRobot’s headquarters in Bedford, MA, last week. The occasion was Xconomy’s fourth annual Robo Madness conference, and you can check out photos from the event here. Here are five things we learned from the discussions: 1. Watch your interns and office cleaners—they’ll go on … Continue reading “5 Takeaways From Robo Madness 2018 at iRobot”
Agenda Posted for Xconomy’s What’s Hot in Boston Biotech on May 16
Join Xconomy next month for our sixth installment of What’s Hot in Boston Biotech on May 16 at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. We’re convening an elite group of life sciences executives, researchers, investors from the Boston area and beyond to discuss a range of issues brought forth by cutting edge drug-making methods … Continue reading “Agenda Posted for Xconomy’s What’s Hot in Boston Biotech on May 16”
BenevolentAI Raises $115M For Drug Discovery, Pegs Valuation at $2.1 Billion
BenevolentAI, one of the companies vying to improve healthcare through artificial intelligence analysis, says it has raised $115 million to accelerate its drive to discover new drugs by studying disease processes at the molecular level. The London-based company, which has offices in New York and Belgium, says the new capital brings its current valuation to … Continue reading “BenevolentAI Raises $115M For Drug Discovery, Pegs Valuation at $2.1 Billion”
10xBio Raises $2.7M to Test Body Sculpting Drug in Clinical Trial
John Dobak, a life sciences serial entrepreneur in San Diego, said a new startup he’s leading has raised $2.66 million to advance a drug that is already approved to shrink varicose veins through early-stage clinical trials testing it in a new use —fat reduction body sculpting. The biotech, 10xBio, announced earlier this month that the … Continue reading “10xBio Raises $2.7M to Test Body Sculpting Drug in Clinical Trial”
Surface Oncology’s Upsized IPO Reels In $108M for Lead Cancer Drug
Surface Oncology has raised $108 million from an initial public offering to finance clinical testing of its lead cancer immunotherapy. Cambridge, MA-based Surface priced its offering of 7.2 million shares at $15 each. The company had previously planned to sell 6 million shares in the range of $13 to $15 per share. Those shares are … Continue reading “Surface Oncology’s Upsized IPO Reels In $108M for Lead Cancer Drug”
NorthStar, Fiserv, CUNA & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, which is seeking to become the first U.S. company in decades to domestically produce a widely used medical radioisotope, broke ground on a new 20,000-square-foot production facility at its Beloit headquarters, the Janesville Gazette reported. NorthStar plans to produce and … Continue reading “NorthStar, Fiserv, CUNA & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Facebook: Lip Service to Privacy Is Over
As publicity-shy Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before both houses of Congress last week amid an avalanche of criticism about the dearth of user privacy on the world’s biggest social media network, it became crystal clear that the entire social media industry has entered a new and perilous phase. Trust in all social media … Continue reading “Facebook: Lip Service to Privacy Is Over”
Easy Expunctions Wins $100,000 San Antonio Investment Competition
San Antonio—Easy Expunctions, a Texas startup that moved its business for expunging criminal records to San Antonio from Austin in 2016, has won a local startup pitch competition hosted by Capital Factory and Geekdom and, along with it, a $100,000 investment. Easy Expunctions beat out five other San Antonio tech companies Tuesday for the 1 … Continue reading “Easy Expunctions Wins $100,000 San Antonio Investment Competition”
Detroit Tech School Trains Vets, Returning Citizens for Tech Careers
Tucked away in Southwest Detroit, not too far from the geodesic Buckminster Fuller domes built by Jack White’s brother, sits the Detroit School of Digital Technology (DSDT). Unlike many other tech schools, DSDT is a woman-owned organization that specializes in training veterans, residents returning home from being incarcerated, and other adults for a career in … Continue reading “Detroit Tech School Trains Vets, Returning Citizens for Tech Careers”
Cancer Wrap: Blueprint, Checkmate, More AACR News & Phase 3 Blues
The big headlines from the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Chicago were all about the battle over the latest lung cancer data, and for good reason. Lung cancer remains the deadliest cancer, but the Phase 3 data suggest that treatment options for some of the direst cases could soon rapidly expand. There were … Continue reading “Cancer Wrap: Blueprint, Checkmate, More AACR News & Phase 3 Blues”
Robo Madness 2018: Homecoming—The Photos
We had a blast at our fourth annual Robo Madness conference in the Boston area, and we hope you did, too. The theme this year was homecoming—the idea that robotics and artificial intelligence have started to seep into our lives and homes, and are poised to have big, transformative effects on business and society wherever … Continue reading “Robo Madness 2018: Homecoming—The Photos”
After FDA Approves Bone Disease Drug, Ultragenyx Sets $200K Price
Patients who have rickets experience a softening and weakening of their bones traced to a vitamin deficiency. In a rare, inherited form of the disease, vitamin D supplements don’t work. Ultragenyx (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RARE]]) has received FDA approval for a drug to treat patients who have this form of the disease, called X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH). The … Continue reading “After FDA Approves Bone Disease Drug, Ultragenyx Sets $200K Price”
Cyberwar Theme Resounds At RSA; Tech Giants Unveil Joint Strategy
The RSA Conference, one of the cybersecurity industry’s largest annual events, opened in San Francisco this week amid a barrage of unsettling news, as both nations and companies drew boundary lines and formed alliances in a cyber universe that seems increasingly combative. In the United States, a growing awareness of the weaponization of cyber skills, … Continue reading “Cyberwar Theme Resounds At RSA; Tech Giants Unveil Joint Strategy”
Healthfinch Seeks to Take Automation in Healthcare Up a Level
The late 19th century saw a number of advances in elevator equipment. For example, the first electric elevator was built in 1880, and manufacturers introduced safety bumpers and automatic stopping technology in subsequent decades. By 1900, many models of elevator had gone “driverless” and could be controlled by someone inside without any specialized knowledge. As … Continue reading “Healthfinch Seeks to Take Automation in Healthcare Up a Level”
Money, Money, Money: Funds for AI, Cryptocurrency & Other TX Startups
Welcome to part two of our roundup of innovation news from Xconomy Texas, featuring new investments in Lone Star State startups. (Click here for part one.) —PullRequest, an Austin, TX, startup that uses artificial intelligence technologies to help coders find bugs in software before its launch, has raised $8 million in funding. The Series A … Continue reading “Money, Money, Money: Funds for AI, Cryptocurrency & Other TX Startups”
Agtech Startup Inocucor Enters Plant Nutrition with ATP Acquisition
[Updated, 4/20/18, 4:49 pm ET. See below.] Inocucor, an agtech startup that develops and sells microbial products intended to improve plant and soil health, is now expanding its reach with a deal that gives it a market position in plant nutrition. Denver-based Inocucor announced Tuesday that it has acquired plant nutrition company ATP Nutrition. No … Continue reading “Agtech Startup Inocucor Enters Plant Nutrition with ATP Acquisition”
Nike Buys Invertex, Mark Cuban Backs Billshark, & More TX Tech News
I was out last week, exploring the rocky terrain of Big Bend National Park out in West Texas. Let’s catch up on the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas, part 1. (Part 2, chock full of startup funding news, is next.) —The first-ever Austin Cannabis Entrepreneur (or, ACE) conference is being held this Thursday and … Continue reading “Nike Buys Invertex, Mark Cuban Backs Billshark, & More TX Tech News”
Grab the Early Bird Rate for What’s Hot in Seattle Biotech on June 12
Leaders from the life sciences industry are coming together for Xconomy’s special event on Seattle biotech on June 12 at Cambia Grove. Act now to get the best price on tickets for what we expect will be a sold-out event! Join us to hear from the Emerald City’s top life science entrepreneurs, scientists, investors, and … Continue reading “Grab the Early Bird Rate for What’s Hot in Seattle Biotech on June 12”
Xconomy Forum Rides Wave of Big Data/Big Bio Startups in San Diego
As the Xconomy Forum on Big Data Meets Big Biology draws near, one of the best arguments for understanding the significance of the convergence of data science and the life sciences may lie in what came out of the 2013 sale of San Diego’s EcoATM. Founded by several veterans of the wireless semiconductor industry, EcoATM … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum Rides Wave of Big Data/Big Bio Startups in San Diego”
Marketing Chatbot Firm Drift Grabs $60M Led By Sequoia, Sans HubSpot
David Cancel and Elias Torres built their last startup, a marketing automation company called Performable, with just $3 million from venture capitalists. They raised that funding round in late 2009, and about 18 months later they sold the company to HubSpot (NYSE: [[ticker:HUBS]])—a larger sales and marketing tech firm based in Cambridge, MA—for a reported … Continue reading “Marketing Chatbot Firm Drift Grabs $60M Led By Sequoia, Sans HubSpot”
Livongo Health Grows with Purchase of Weight Loss Startup Retrofit
Livongo Health, a Bay Area-based developer of devices and software for managing chronic health conditions, has acquired Retrofit, a Chicago startup that develops programs designed to help people lose weight and prevent disease. Mountain View, CA-based Livongo, which last week raised a $105 million round of outside investment, says that its purchase of Retrofit will … Continue reading “Livongo Health Grows with Purchase of Weight Loss Startup Retrofit”
DemandJump Raises $6M for Marketing Tech Focused on Where, Not Who
DemandJump, the Indianapolis-based marketing software startup, has raised a $6 million Series A round of financing. Investing in the round were Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest Fund, Flyover Capital, Cultivation Capital, 4G Ventures, Sigma Prime Ventures’ managing director Bob Davoli, and Hyde Park Venture Partners. Since the company was founded in 2015, it has … Continue reading “DemandJump Raises $6M for Marketing Tech Focused on Where, Not Who”
U.S. Funding for Biomedical Research Takes Upturn
At the end of March, Congress passed a $1.3 trillion spending bill to fund federal agencies for the rest of the fiscal year and avert another government shutdown. The 2,232-page legislation included a $3 billion funding increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the second largest in the health agency’s history. Other research and … Continue reading “U.S. Funding for Biomedical Research Takes Upturn”
Adecco to Buy General Assembly for $412.5M to Grow Tech Workforce
The Adecco Group, the global staffing and worker training giant, has inked a $412.5 million agreement to acquire General Assembly, a tech training and career development company that offers courses online and at 20 campuses worldwide. The deal underscores the growing demand for software coding and other digital skills—and employers’ increased willingness to turn to … Continue reading “Adecco to Buy General Assembly for $412.5M to Grow Tech Workforce”
Alkermes Depression Drug Review Goes Ahead After FDA About-Face
Less than a month after the FDA refused to review Alkermes’ new drug application for the company’s depression drug, the agency has changed its mind, according to a statement from the company. After it “clarified certain aspects of the NDA submission”, Alkermes said Monday that the FDA will now accept the application without requiring additional … Continue reading “Alkermes Depression Drug Review Goes Ahead After FDA About-Face”
Seeking to Join Top Tech Hubs, Houston Plans an Innovation District
Houston—Houston’s tech renaissance could spring from the former location of one of the country’s top business innovators. A shuttered Sears store, located in the city’s Midtown area, has been designated as ground zero of a new tech-focused innovation district, a project that officials hope will help place Houston among the nation’s top tech hubs. “We … Continue reading “Seeking to Join Top Tech Hubs, Houston Plans an Innovation District”
Shire is Selling Cancer Business for $2.4B to Focus on Rare Disease
Shire plans to exit cancer drug development through a deal to sell its oncology unit to a French company, Servier, for $2.4 billion cash. Dublin, Ireland-based Shire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SHPG]]), which operates a U.S. headquarters in Lexington, MA, says the deal helps it tighten its rare disease drug focus. Meanwhile, privately held Servier says adding Shire’s … Continue reading “Shire is Selling Cancer Business for $2.4B to Focus on Rare Disease”
For More Lung Cancer Patients, the Promise of No Chemo Looms Larger
[Editor’s note: Ben Fidler co-authored this report.] A decade from now, it’s possible that immunotherapy will have made a big dent in lung cancer, which is by far the deadliest type of the disease. Drugs from several companies have worked their way forward, initially for patients who have failed chemotherapy, and now, in some cases, … Continue reading “For More Lung Cancer Patients, the Promise of No Chemo Looms Larger”
Livongo, Led By Ex-Allscripts CEO, Gets $105M for Health Tech Tools
Livongo Health, a startup that develops connected devices and software for patients with diabetes and other chronic conditions, said earlier this week it had raised $105 million from investors to support further development of its technology. Livongo’s latest financing round was led by Kinnevik and General Catalyst Partners, which reportedly helped incubate the startup and … Continue reading “Livongo, Led By Ex-Allscripts CEO, Gets $105M for Health Tech Tools”
Sonodontics, Locker Lifestyle Win Big at GreenLight Competition
We have a smaller startup ecosystem in Michigan, and that sometimes makes it seem like the same companies are always pitching at startup competitions. That was not the case with this year’s installment of the GreenLight Business Competition, which featured 20 startups from around the state presenting their business plans to a panel of expert … Continue reading “Sonodontics, Locker Lifestyle Win Big at GreenLight Competition”
Boston Tech Watch: Terrafugia, Akamai, Brightcove, Zaius & More
It’s time to catch up on some of the latest Boston tech news: —Zaius, a Boston-based marketing technology startup, said it pulled in a $30 million investment, bringing its venture capital haul to $50.8 million. Insight Venture Partners led the Series B funding round, and earlier Zaius backers Matrix Partners, Underscore VC, and Leaders Fund … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Terrafugia, Akamai, Brightcove, Zaius & More”
On Eve of RSA, Fortanix and Cybereason Talk Encryption, Cyberwar
Ambuj Kumar says he’ll face a higher hurdle than the other nine finalists in the RSAC Innovation Sandbox Contest on Monday, when he’ll have three minutes to convince judges that his startup, Fortanix, deserves to win the prestigious competition. The Sandbox contest is one of the kick-off events at RSA Security’s huge annual conference in … Continue reading “On Eve of RSA, Fortanix and Cybereason Talk Encryption, Cyberwar”
Onapsis Bags $31M as U.S. Cybersecurity Funding Slows
The U.S. cybersecurity industry has seen a decline in venture capital investments recently, but Boston-area security startups are having a good week. On Tuesday, Boston-based ObserveIT said it recently pulled in a Series B investment led by Bain Capital Ventures. The Boston Business Journal reported the initial amount was $16 million, but that number could … Continue reading “Onapsis Bags $31M as U.S. Cybersecurity Funding Slows”
Bio Roundup: Lung Cancer Showdown, Gene Therapy Deals, IPO Busts
This weekend, cancer immunotherapy will once again take biopharma’s center stage. At one of the year’s big cancer meetings, investors, researchers, and many others will have a close eye on a group of presentations touting new lung cancer regimens that combine immunotherapies with other treatments. The presentations could shift the dynamics of the fast-moving landscape, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Lung Cancer Showdown, Gene Therapy Deals, IPO Busts”
Karamba Security Snags $10M from WTI, Contemplates Acquisition Targets
Karamba Security, an automotive cybersecurity startup based in Hod Hasharon, Israel, and Bloomfield Hills, MI, announced this week that it has closed on $10 million in financing from Silicon Valley’s Western Technology Investment. That brings the total amount raised to $27 million since the company’s 2016 inception. David Barzilai, Karamba’s co-founder and executive chairman, says … Continue reading “Karamba Security Snags $10M from WTI, Contemplates Acquisition Targets”