Cyber threats are mounting, and so are the investments in Boston cybersecurity companies. Earlier this morning, Threat Stack announced it closed a $45 million funding round. Meanwhile, EiQ Networks announced today it raised $7 million in growth capital and changed its name to Cygilant. The investment was led by Arrowroot Capital, an earlier backer of … Continue reading “EiQ Networks Rebrands as Cygilant, Bags $7M to Fend Off Hackers”
Category: National
Cloud Security Firm Threat Stack Grabs $45M, Plans to Double Staff
Businesses big and small are increasingly storing their data and other IT assets on cloud servers, a move that can augment their operations, but also make them more exposed to cyber attacks. And that means opportunities for companies like Threat Stack, a Boston-based cybersecurity company that announced today it has raised $45 million in a … Continue reading “Cloud Security Firm Threat Stack Grabs $45M, Plans to Double Staff”
Disarm Launches With $30M From Atlas, AbbVie to Battle Neuro Disease
The available drugs for neurodegenerative conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS) can only treat symptoms, or at best slow the disease’s march forward. But recent research has uncovered a new approach that could potentially address what causes nerves to break down in the first place. Startup Disarm Therapeutics aims to turn that research into new drugs … Continue reading “Disarm Launches With $30M From Atlas, AbbVie to Battle Neuro Disease”
On CAR-T’s Edge, Seattle Researchers Plot to Bypass Novartis Therapy
[Corrected, 10/10/17, 2 p.m. ET. See below.] It’s not a stretch to say that Greta Oberhofer is alive thanks to the genetically modified cell therapy called CAR-T. At three and a half months old, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, an aggressive blood cancer. At 10 months old, she had a bone … Continue reading “On CAR-T’s Edge, Seattle Researchers Plot to Bypass Novartis Therapy”
Amazon Should Bypass States That Have Laws Pandering to Hate-Mongers
Instead of extolling the many virtues of southeast Michigan as a possible location for Amazon’s new headquarters, I will instead suggest why some of the other locations being considered are not advisable. Many of the cities being talked about, such as Boston; Toronto; Washington, DC; and Chicago, are strong contenders. They have the necessary infrastructure, … Continue reading “Amazon Should Bypass States That Have Laws Pandering to Hate-Mongers”
Qumulo Fulfills Cloud Promise of Its Name with AWS Integration
Enterprise data storage software company Qumulo is making its technology available in Amazon’s public cloud for the first time starting Tuesday, fulfilling the promise of its cloud-inspired name five years after it emerged from Seattle’s early-2000s data storage success story. The move to the cloud, and a related set of technology improvements that comprise the … Continue reading “Qumulo Fulfills Cloud Promise of Its Name with AWS Integration”
Amazon, EWPanel, Shine, RPRD & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Catch up on the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Municipal leaders in Milwaukee will attempt to persuade executives at the online retailing giant Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) that the city would make an ideal home for its second headquarters, or HQ2, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Earlier this month, the Seattle-based … Continue reading “Amazon, EWPanel, Shine, RPRD & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Ultragenyx Makes Competing Bid for Gene Therapy Biotech Dimension Tx
[Updated 9/19/17, 10:39 am. See below.] A bidding war has erupted for gene therapy developer Dimension Therapeutics. Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RARE]]) announced Monday that it is ready to pay $5.50 per share in cash, or approximately $136 million, to acquire Cambridge, MA-based Dimension (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DMTX]]). The non-binding proposal from Novato, CA-based Ultragenyx is a 358 … Continue reading “Ultragenyx Makes Competing Bid for Gene Therapy Biotech Dimension Tx”
Hyperloop Finalists, Wooing Amazon, MassChallenge & More Texas News
Imagine being able to go from Dallas to Austin—around 200 miles—in 19 minutes instead of the three hours it takes to travel between the cities by car today? That’s the promise of the Hyperloop, a still-to-be developed mode of travel that entails people riding in pods or containers that travel through an above-ground vacuum tube … Continue reading “Hyperloop Finalists, Wooing Amazon, MassChallenge & More Texas News”
After Staring Down Adversity, Detroit is Perfect Place for Amazon HQ2
Detroit. There’s no mid-sized American city as revered, as iconic, as talked about as Detroit. That’s because no other city has symbolized America quite like it, or played a bigger role in shaping what we are as a nation. And the intertwining of Detroit with the future of America will become even clearer when it … Continue reading “After Staring Down Adversity, Detroit is Perfect Place for Amazon HQ2”
How Bayer and Ginkgo Teamed Up in a $100M Synthetic Biology Bet
Nitrogen is essential for plant growth and photosynthesis, but plants can’t pull it directly from air. They rely on bacteria on their roots to convert the gas into a usable form. Many major food crops don’t have these bacteria but Bayer wants to change that. The multinational company is teaming up with Boston startup Ginkgo … Continue reading “How Bayer and Ginkgo Teamed Up in a $100M Synthetic Biology Bet”
Race to Mine Fungi for Drugs Revs up as Verdine’s LifeMine Gets $55M
Can the life sciences industry finally begin to efficiently and systematically exploit the potential treasure trove of drugs hidden in fungi? It seems promising, thanks to cheaper DNA sequencing technologies, artificial intelligence, new academic research, and now the largest funding yet for a startup trying to take on the task. This morning, LifeMine Therapeutics, a … Continue reading “Race to Mine Fungi for Drugs Revs up as Verdine’s LifeMine Gets $55M”
Ex-Cubist CEO Bonney Emerges at Kaleido, Flagship’s Latest Microbiome Startup
Flagship Pioneering has been as active as any venture firm at funneling its investment dollars into microbiome drug developers. It’s putting some more of that cash to work as of this morning, unveiling a startup, Kaleido Biosciences, that has been incubated within its walls for two years and is run by a prominent former Boston-area … Continue reading “Ex-Cubist CEO Bonney Emerges at Kaleido, Flagship’s Latest Microbiome Startup”
Pitch.me Allows Salespeople to Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is
Jackson, MI, is a city of roughly 35,000 people situated 40 miles west of Ann Arbor. It’s known for a few things: It was the birthplace of the Republican Party; a center of automotive manufacturing before Detroit became dominant; and the location of Michigan’s first Coney Island restaurant. What Jackson is not, usually, is a … Continue reading “Pitch.me Allows Salespeople to Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is”
Formlabs’ New 3D Printing System Enables Custom Xconomy Awards: Video
When it comes to trophies, plaques and gold cups are so 20th century. For Xconomy’s first-ever awards gala, we decided to make custom prizes for the winning Boston-area life sciences companies and individuals, using advanced design software and 3D printers. (See video below. There are blue lasers involved—you’re welcome.) Xconomy partnered with Formlabs, a 3D … Continue reading “Formlabs’ New 3D Printing System Enables Custom Xconomy Awards: Video”
Akili, Emulate, Ginkgo & More: The Innovation at the Intersection Award Finalists
Research that happens at the intersection of different fields can lead to new innovations that tackle pressing problems in the life sciences. This year’s finalists in the Innovation at the Intersection category show the value of bringing different disciplines—engineering and biology, IT and medicine—together. Here are brief introductions to the finalists. The winners of this … Continue reading “Akili, Emulate, Ginkgo & More: The Innovation at the Intersection Award Finalists”
After Biogen Deal Fizzles, Rodin Bags $27M And Heads To First Trial
An option-to-buy deal, when one company agrees to buy another on prearranged terms after a series of milestones are met, doesn’t always lead to an acquisition. Sometimes, as with a 2016 deal between Biogen and Rodin Therapeutics, the arrangement fizzles and the smaller company charts a new course. Rodin, a Cambridge, MA, startup trying to … Continue reading “After Biogen Deal Fizzles, Rodin Bags $27M And Heads To First Trial”
Formlabs 3D Prints Xconomy Awards With New Form Cell System: Photos
For Xconomy’s first-ever industry awards gala, we wanted to make trophies that stand out and represent the winning Boston life sciences innovators in a fun and creative way. These days, it doesn’t get much cooler than making stuff with 3D printers. We partnered with Formlabs, a 3D printing company located in nearby Somerville, MA, to … Continue reading “Formlabs 3D Prints Xconomy Awards With New Form Cell System: Photos”
Five Questions For … WatchHerWork Founder and CEO Denise Hamilton
Houston—Technological innovation is sometimes rightly criticized for how it automates work, creating uncertain economic futures for many people. Denise Hamilton has decided to focus on how, as she puts it, technology can instead “inject people” into processes, amplifying their efforts. That ethos underpins the work she’s done recently to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, for … Continue reading “Five Questions For … WatchHerWork Founder and CEO Denise Hamilton”
Boston Tech Watch: Techstars, DraftKings, Kaspersky, PTC
This week in Boston tech, we’re tracking a new Techstars program to support early-stage companies, the latest development in DraftKings’ regulatory battles, a new home for PTC, and more problems for Kaspersky Lab. Read on for details. —Techstars is launching a second startup accelerator program in Boston, this one focused on autonomous technologies, such as … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Techstars, DraftKings, Kaspersky, PTC”
Dealmaker, Thought Leader & More: The X of the Year Xconomy Award Finalists
Given the size and diversity of the life sciences community in the Boston area, we at Xconomy knew that many candidates would be so unique that they wouldn’t fit neatly into a category. So we gave them a category of their own. These finalists represent the wide range of talent—from investors to entrepreneurs and thought-leaders—that … Continue reading “Dealmaker, Thought Leader & More: The X of the Year Xconomy Award Finalists”
Bio Roundup: Phase 3 Fails, Shkreli Jailed, Moderna Flip-Flops & More
It was a week of realignments. President Trump, who used to be known as “The Donald” but now goes by “Amnesty Don,” kept up the parlay-voo with his new friends Chuck and Nancy. Martin Shkreli, who was once known—and still is!—as the “pharma bro,” will have a new perspective for a while, through the bars … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Phase 3 Fails, Shkreli Jailed, Moderna Flip-Flops & More”
After Equifax: Should Tech Entrepreneurs Design the Next-Gen Credit Agency?
Personal financial data for as many as 143 million Americans, inadequately guarded by credit bureau Equifax and stolen by hackers, can never be sheltered again under an umbrella of privacy. Those victims could face dire consequences, such as raids on their bank accounts and identity theft, for the rest of their lives. The losses for … Continue reading “After Equifax: Should Tech Entrepreneurs Design the Next-Gen Credit Agency?”
Washington Faces Outward with Opening of Global Innovation Exchange
A five-year effort launched by a top Microsoft executive to unite some of the Pacific Rim’s top educational institutions and businesses came to fruition Thursday with the grand opening of the Global Innovation Exchange in Bellevue, WA. The graduate education program aims to train a new generation of international innovators and entrepreneurs through project-based learning … Continue reading “Washington Faces Outward with Opening of Global Innovation Exchange”
Rebuilding Houston: Tech Tools Connect a City to Shelter, Food, & More
Houston—The storm waters from Harvey have nearly receded. Now, the painstaking work of rebuilding lives is underway. As the storm made landfall, Houston’s tech community—anchored by civic tech group Sketch City and the Station Houston co-working space—jumped in quickly to build tech tools to help rescue people from flooded homes and connect them to shelter … Continue reading “Rebuilding Houston: Tech Tools Connect a City to Shelter, Food, & More”
Khosla Backs Ori, BU Creates Fund, Mobee Merges & More Boston Deals
Here are some of the latest venture funding and acquisition headlines from the Boston innovation cluster, including a $100 million endowment for Boston University research, international expansion for Bullhorn’s recruiting software business, and an investment in a robotic furniture startup. Read on for details. —Boston University said it plans to create a $100 million endowment … Continue reading “Khosla Backs Ori, BU Creates Fund, Mobee Merges & More Boston Deals”
Check Out What’s Hot in Bay Area Biotech on December 6
Last December, Xconomy’s annual Bay Area biotech forum assessed the election aftermath for the life sciences. This year, What’s Hot in Bay Area Biotech, will dive into topics shaping the healthcare landscape, such as gene editing, the microbiome, immunotherapy, neuroscience, and more. Join us to hear how top researchers, executives, investors, and thought leaders are … Continue reading “Check Out What’s Hot in Bay Area Biotech on December 6”
With New Software, Epic Aims to Help Patients Share Health Records
Epic Systems has long used a slogan to describe its software, which hundreds of hospitals and clinics across the globe use to manage their patients’ health records: “with the patient at the heart.” Verona, WI-based Epic is backing up that credo with a new program that would allow the 190 million people who have a … Continue reading “With New Software, Epic Aims to Help Patients Share Health Records”
Online Portals Challenge WebMD as Patients’ Source for Health Info
Suppose you wake up with a mysterious rash. Or you’ve got back pain, or have come down with a cough unlike any you’ve experienced previously. What’s your first move? Maybe you run a Google search. Maybe you text a doctor or nurse you know. Or maybe you attempt to get through your normal morning routine, … Continue reading “Online Portals Challenge WebMD as Patients’ Source for Health Info”
Going Big or Against the Tide: Meet the Big Idea & Contrarian Award Finalists
[Corrected, 1:25pm ET, see below] All innovation and companies start off as an idea. Some will gain more traction than others over time, but we at Xconomy think that big ideas—and the people and companies in Boston’s life sciences community bold enough to try to implement them—are worth celebrating. Some of those ideas even go … Continue reading “Going Big or Against the Tide: Meet the Big Idea & Contrarian Award Finalists”
Halozyme Inks $105M Bristol-Myers Partnership, Expands Roche Deal
Halozyme Therapeutics has turned a method of delivering a drug more conveniently into partnerships with several large pharmaceutical companies that want to see their infusible drugs delivered via injections instead. The San Diego biotech company’s list of alliances is now getting longer. Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) announced Thursday that it will pay $105 million up … Continue reading “Halozyme Inks $105M Bristol-Myers Partnership, Expands Roche Deal”
Moderna Ends “Venture” Experiment, Dissolves Four Startups
Moderna Therapeutics, the high-flying private company with a $1 billion war chest, is reversing course. Three years ago, it decided to hatch startups as wholly-owned subsidiaries, all working on different aspects of its unproven biomedical technology called messenger RNA. Moderna announced today that it is ending the experiment. It is dissolving the four startups, or … Continue reading “Moderna Ends “Venture” Experiment, Dissolves Four Startups”
GM, Ford, BAE Systems Up the Self-Driving Ante with New Advances
Things are moving quickly in the mobility sector as the race to develop autonomous vehicle technologies revs up. This week brought a spate of mobility news from GM and Cruise, Ford, BAE, and even the federal government. Read on for details. —The Detroit News published a detailed report this week regarding Ford’s Silicon Valley lab, … Continue reading “GM, Ford, BAE Systems Up the Self-Driving Ante with New Advances”
Heptio Pilots Businesses Toward Hybrid Cloud with $25M Investment
The praise Heptio co-founder Joe Beda received after the Seattle startup company announced a $25 million funding round “seems a little strange,” he said in a tweet Wednesday, because the “real work” is still ahead. Thanks for all of the “congrats” but seems a little strange. We convinced VCs of good team and plan. Real … Continue reading “Heptio Pilots Businesses Toward Hybrid Cloud with $25M Investment”
BridgeBio Bags $135M For “Hub and Spoke” Rare Disease Drug R&D
Thousands of diseases have been traced to genetic origins, but the vast majority have no treatment at all. BridgeBio wants to reduce that unmet need with an unusual model for developing drugs to treat rare genetic diseases, and it now has $135 million in new funding. Palo Alto, CA-based BridgeBio says new investor Viking Global … Continue reading “BridgeBio Bags $135M For “Hub and Spoke” Rare Disease Drug R&D”
San Antonio Tech and Bioscience Group Plans New Innovation Center
San Antonio — [Updated 2:44 p.m. See Below.] A new organization that aims to be a “superhub” for entrepreneurs and startups is being launched in San Antonio by the Texas Research & Technology Foundation, a bioscience and technology economic development group. Called VelocityTX, the group plans to provide capital, mentorship, access to manufacturing facilities, and other … Continue reading “San Antonio Tech and Bioscience Group Plans New Innovation Center”
Amazon Primed: Everything’s Bigger in Texas, and at Its Best in Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys. JR Ewing. Oil and Gas. These are all part of the history and legacy of Dallas, and perhaps many people’s first thought of our part of the world. The region has grown and diversified, but what has remained is its pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit. There are many reasons on paper why Texas … Continue reading “Amazon Primed: Everything’s Bigger in Texas, and at Its Best in Dallas”
Education Is Unbundling—Three Key Trends to Watch
Technology in the classroom has come a long way since its advent in the 1920s, when teachers would air radio broadcasts about topics relevant to their lesson plans. Ten years later, in the 1930s, the overhead projector debuted to display material for the whole class to see all at once, followed by the launch of … Continue reading “Education Is Unbundling—Three Key Trends to Watch”
Redox Inks Contract with Boston Hospital to Integrate Patient Data
Since launching in 2014, Redox, a Madison, WI-based tech startup, has worked with other healthcare software companies to set up data feeds between their applications and the computerized patient records systems used in hospitals and clinics across the country. Redox has now begun selling its digital tools under a slightly different business model, where healthcare … Continue reading “Redox Inks Contract with Boston Hospital to Integrate Patient Data”
MIT Spinout Affectiva Adds Voice Analysis to Its Emotion-Sensing Tech
Machines are getting better at understanding human speech. Soon, they could also be able to perceive our emotions from the way we talk—and respond accordingly. The latest step toward that longstanding vision comes from Affectiva, an MIT Media Lab spinout that has been developing emotion-sensing technology and products since 2009. In recent years, Boston-based Affectiva … Continue reading “MIT Spinout Affectiva Adds Voice Analysis to Its Emotion-Sensing Tech”
Xconomy Award Finalists in the Eye of the National Drug Price Debate
[Corrected 12:20pm ET; see below.] The national debate over the high cost of healthcare, with prescription drugs at the center, resonates from the chambers of Congress to every American’s pocketbook. And it’s growing fiercer by the day. Last week, the first genetically modified cell therapy came to market with a price tag of $475,000. This … Continue reading “Xconomy Award Finalists in the Eye of the National Drug Price Debate”
Amicus’s Scioderm Deal Flops as Skin Drug Fails in Phase 3
Epidermolysis bullosa is a rare, debilitating skin disease with no approved treatments, and unfortunately, that isn’t going to change anytime soon. Amicus Therapeutics reports this morning that an experimental drug it has been developing for the condition failed a Phase 3 trial. The Cranbury, NJ, company won’t invest in future studies. Amicus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FOLD]]) said … Continue reading “Amicus’s Scioderm Deal Flops as Skin Drug Fails in Phase 3”
Akadeum Scores $1.5M to Advance Microbubble Cell-Sorting Technology
Akadeum Life Sciences, a cell-sorting startup based in Ann Arbor, MI, has raised nearly $1.5 million in new capital from a mix of Midwestern and Silicon Valley investors. The round was led by Belmont, CA’s BioInfleXion Point Partners, with contributions from 5 Prime Ventures, the University of Michigan’s MINTS program, Invest Detroit, eLab Ventures, and … Continue reading “Akadeum Scores $1.5M to Advance Microbubble Cell-Sorting Technology”
Uniting Cascadia: Cross-Border Efforts on Accelerators, Investment
Startups in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia can look forward to more regional networking and, perhaps, an increased pool of investment capital under a pair of initiatives announced Tuesday. The Cascadia Innovation Network, spearheaded by the Canadian Consulate General in Seattle, would unite startup incubators and accelerators from across the region in an effort to … Continue reading “Uniting Cascadia: Cross-Border Efforts on Accelerators, Investment”
Northrop Grumman Adds to Growing Cybersecurity Hub in San Antonio
San Antonio—Northrop Grumman, the military contractor that makes everything from cybersecurity systems to fighter planes, has signed a five-year lease on a new property at Port San Antonio, where officials are trying to entice more cybersecurity businesses to move. Northrop (NYSE: [[ticker:NOC]]) is going to occupy a 7,700 square-foot building at the Port, which was … Continue reading “Northrop Grumman Adds to Growing Cybersecurity Hub in San Antonio”
Stealthy NY Startup Rocket Pharma Merges With Inotek, Heads to Nasdaq
Rocket Pharmaceuticals, a stealthy gene therapy startup in New York City, has made its first splash. Through a merger with struggling Inotek Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ITEK]]), Rocket, a company developing treatments for a variety of rare blood diseases, has taken itself public. Rocket shareholders are expected to own 81 percent of the combined company, with Inotek … Continue reading “Stealthy NY Startup Rocket Pharma Merges With Inotek, Heads to Nasdaq”
23andMe Raises $250M For Consumer Disease-Risk Tests, Drug R&D
Once barred from giving consumers disease-related information about their DNA, 23andMe recently received approval to market such genetic tests directly to consumers—and it now has reeled in a boatload of cash to ramp up those efforts, and more. The Mountain View, CA-based genetic testing company said Tuesday it has raised a new $250 million round … Continue reading “23andMe Raises $250M For Consumer Disease-Risk Tests, Drug R&D”
The Winners of the Xconomy Lifetime Achievement Award Are…
The editors at Xconomy have been working hard the last few weeks putting together the program for the Xconomy Awards Gala. We are really excited to announce the two winners of the Xconomy Lifetime Achievement Award. Lita Nelsen, MIT (retired) Lita Nelsen (pictured left) played a pivotal role in transforming Kendall Square and Boston into … Continue reading “The Winners of the Xconomy Lifetime Achievement Award Are…”
All Eyes on Depression Trials as Sage Neuro Drug Flunks Epilepsy Test
Sage Therapeutics this morning reported that its most advanced clinical prospect, a neurological drug known as brexanolone, failed its first big test. Sage (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SAGE]]), of Cambridge MA, said the drug didn’t do much better than a placebo in a Phase 3 trial of patients with a rare, life-threatening form of epilepsy called super refractory … Continue reading “All Eyes on Depression Trials as Sage Neuro Drug Flunks Epilepsy Test”
Prowess in Energy, Logistics, & Talent Gives Houston Edge for Amazon
Houston is the most diverse city in the country with a strong industrial base, well-run port, two airports, cheap real estate, several universities, and most importantly: a huge can-do attitude. Houston should be the home of HQ2 because: —Support: We have been working hard at establishing a third leg to our economy in tech, with … Continue reading “Prowess in Energy, Logistics, & Talent Gives Houston Edge for Amazon”