Leaders from the life sciences and technology industries are coming together for Xconomy’s special event on artificial intelligence in healthcare on Nov. 9 at Cambia Grove in Seattle. Act now to get the best price on tickets for what we expect will be a sold-out event. Join us to hear from experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, and … Continue reading “Grab the Early Bird Rate for Healthcare + A.I. NW on Nov. 9”
Category: National
Goldman Sachs Leads $38M Investment in Cloud Storage Firm Nasuni
Cloud data storage company Nasuni has padded its war chest with a $38 million growth equity investment led by a Goldman Sachs fund. The new funding brings the Boston-based company’s total venture capital haul to about $120 million since it was founded in 2009. Nasuni last raised money in December 2016, a $25 million combination … Continue reading “Goldman Sachs Leads $38M Investment in Cloud Storage Firm Nasuni”
Entrepreneurs For Houston Launch $10M Fund to Aid Civic Tech Efforts
Houston—As Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Harvey slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast, a corps of civic tech volunteers ginned up mapping and other tools to help rescue and provide relief to Houston-area residents. Now, the Entrepreneurs for Houston group, formed in response to the disaster, says it has launched a $10 million campaign to raise a fund … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs For Houston Launch $10M Fund to Aid Civic Tech Efforts”
UW-Madison Researcher, Teacher and Entrepreneur Mark Cook Dies at 61
Mark Cook, a professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s department of animal sciences, died Saturday from cancer complications, the school said. Research conducted by Cook, as well as other students and professors in his laboratory, has led to more than 40 U.S. patents and four spinout companies, according to UW-Madison. Cook came to UW-Madison in … Continue reading “UW-Madison Researcher, Teacher and Entrepreneur Mark Cook Dies at 61”
Rackspace Continues Acquisition Strategy, Buying Competitor Datapipe
San Antonio—Rackspace is continuing to pick up its competitors a year after becoming a private company. The cloud-computing firm has acquired Datapipe, a privately held company that manages servers and public and private cloud-computing systems for customers globally, much like Rackspace. Rackspace isn’t revealing terms of the deal, other than that it is the San … Continue reading “Rackspace Continues Acquisition Strategy, Buying Competitor Datapipe”
Balter Launches Cryptocurrency Investment Service, Flipside Crypto
The promise of cryptocurrencies has a lot of investors excited, but many don’t know how to go about putting money into the emerging, complex currencies. That’s part of the idea behind Flipside Crypto, a new Boston-based venture that helps a select group of wealthy individuals invest in digital currencies. Flipside is not a financial advisor. … Continue reading “Balter Launches Cryptocurrency Investment Service, Flipside Crypto”
Tech Tools for Harvey and Irma, New Funds in Austin, & More TX News
[Updated: 9/11/17, 3:25 pm. See below.] For nearly two weeks, much of the Houston innovation system has been focused on Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Harvey’s multiple landfalls on the Texas Gulf Coast. Anchored by Sketch City and active social media networks, civic tech hackers have created websites, APIs, and mapping tools that helped groups like the Cajun … Continue reading “Tech Tools for Harvey and Irma, New Funds in Austin, & More TX News”
Regeneron Touts Success in Big Asthma Drug Study, Plans FDA Filing
A new drug for patients who have a hard time controlling their asthma could be nearing an FDA review. Tarrytown, NY-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]) and partner Sanofi this morning are touting results this morning from a 1,902-patient Phase 3 study called Liberty Asthma Quest. In it, their injectable antibody drug dupilumab (Dupixent), already approved … Continue reading “Regeneron Touts Success in Big Asthma Drug Study, Plans FDA Filing”
Montage Raises $8M for Online Video Job-Interviewing Software
A 2016 report by the research firm Gallup found that millennials—people born between 1980 and 1996—are the “most likely generation to switch jobs.” Today’s young professionals’ proclivity for job-hopping is putting a strain on recruiters and human resources departments at large companies, says Kurt Heikkinen, president and CEO of Delafield, WI-based Montage Talent. “You’ve got … Continue reading “Montage Raises $8M for Online Video Job-Interviewing Software”
To Win Amazon’s HQ2, Incentives Are Nice, But Talent Is Required
Amazon lists one requirement in the stunning request for proposals it issued Thursday, which invites cities across North America to compete to host a second corporate headquarters for the tech and commerce giant. Economic development officials are justifiably salivating at the once-in-a-generation opportunity to attract what is arguably the 21st century’s most important company, and … Continue reading “To Win Amazon’s HQ2, Incentives Are Nice, But Talent Is Required”
Harvey Techies Pass Baton, And APIs, To Florida Peers as Irma Nears
Houston—As Tropical Storm Harvey made landfall in Houston, Florida resident Leah Halbina messaged friends in the city asking how she could help. That was how she found out about Sketch City and the various civic tech projects the group and others were developing to aid rescue efforts, help people find shelter, and tend to other … Continue reading “Harvey Techies Pass Baton, And APIs, To Florida Peers as Irma Nears”
Bio Roundup: RNAi Drama, Immunotherapy Data, Lasker Winners & More
The summer doldrums are over. Biotech news came at a breakneck pace this week both before and after Labor Day, starting with the surprise resignation of Novartis’s top executive just days after the Swiss company notched an historic FDA approval. From there, the week featured big headlines, both good and bad, from several trials in … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: RNAi Drama, Immunotherapy Data, Lasker Winners & More”
Silicon Valley’s Big Week in Politics: Facebook, Google, DACA, More
Silicon Valley’s public role in politics has intensified this year, and this week brought a particularly rapid flurry of news developments that continued the trend. The biggest headlines came from Facebook, which disclosed that entities linked to Russia bought thousands of political messaging ads on its social media network during the 2016 presidential campaign, making … Continue reading “Silicon Valley’s Big Week in Politics: Facebook, Google, DACA, More”
Venture Group’s Krenn Sees Improving VC Deals for SD Tech Startups
Call him an optimist if you must, but San Diego Venture Group president Mike Krenn says venture financings for San Diego’s early stage tech startups are on a tear. “I haven’t seen it this good since 2007,” he says. As head of the non-profit organization supporting local startups, Krenn says the venture group will help … Continue reading “Venture Group’s Krenn Sees Improving VC Deals for SD Tech Startups”
Five Regions That Could Draw Amazon’s Next Headquarters
[Updated 4:26 p.m. See below.] Amazon sent cities across North America into a frenzy Thursday after announcing plans to build a second headquarters outside of Seattle, bringing with it tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic development benefits. The tech and commerce giant says it wants cities and states to apply … Continue reading “Five Regions That Could Draw Amazon’s Next Headquarters”
Levin, Holtzman, 183 Other Bio Leaders Urge White House to Preserve DACA
Biotech CEOs Jeremy Levin and Steve Holtzman are continuing their recent push to spur the life sciences industry to speak out against government policies it doesn’t agree with. Levin, CEO of Ovid Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OVID]]) and Holtzman, the head of Decibel Therapeutics, co-authored a letter to the Trump administration and congressional leaders asking them to … Continue reading “Levin, Holtzman, 183 Other Bio Leaders Urge White House to Preserve DACA”
Immunotherapy Safety Worries Halt Celgene Myeloma Study, Slow 5 Others
Amid growing concerns about the safety of a new class of cancer immunotherapy drugs when combined with other therapies to treat blood cancers, the FDA has put the brakes on another batch of clinical studies, this time run by the publicly traded biotech Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]). Celgene said this morning that the nation’s drug regulator … Continue reading “Immunotherapy Safety Worries Halt Celgene Myeloma Study, Slow 5 Others”
Fetch Rewards Raises $9.6M, Adds New App to Let Users Scan Receipts
[Updated 9/7/17 7:57 p.m. See below.] Fetch Rewards, a Madison, WI-based startup whose two mobile apps are aimed at providing discounts and rewards for buying food, beverages, and other items, has raised more than $9.6 million in equity funding. Loeb Enterprises, a New York-based investment group that focuses on the marketing and media industries, led the … Continue reading “Fetch Rewards Raises $9.6M, Adds New App to Let Users Scan Receipts”
IBM Puts $240M Into Joint A.I. Research Lab With MIT
IBM has bet much of its future on the promise of artificial intelligence. It’s still unclear whether that strategy will pay off, but the company continues to make significant investments in the technology area. The latest move: IBM will pour $240 million over 10 years into a joint A.I. research lab in partnership with MIT. … Continue reading “IBM Puts $240M Into Joint A.I. Research Lab With MIT”
Favor Adds $22M to Expand Again After Cutting Delivery Outside Texas
Austin—Favor, the delivery startup that shuttered all of its operations outside of Texas earlier this year, has raised a $22 million Series B round of funding to add more cities to the list of 15 in Texas where people can use its app. The startup, which connects people wanting a something delivered via its app … Continue reading “Favor Adds $22M to Expand Again After Cutting Delivery Outside Texas”
On Eve of Big Data Reveal, Patient Death Stalls Alnylam Hemophilia Drug
After years of ups and downs, RNA interference is as close as it’s ever been to producing its first drug. But the field’s roller coaster ride hit another bump this morning: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals is suspending development of an experimental hemophilia drug after a patient in a clinical trial died from brain swelling. It’s a setback … Continue reading “On Eve of Big Data Reveal, Patient Death Stalls Alnylam Hemophilia Drug”
NextCODE Reloads With $240M, Eyes IPO, As Genomic Data Demand Grows
Is the time finally right for companies trying to manage and store vast amounts of genomic data? The story of Wuxi NextCODE appears to make that case. The successor to an Icelandic genomics company that struggled through a bankruptcy, NextCODE was sold to China’s Wuxi Pharmatech for $65 million in 2015, and has now closed … Continue reading “NextCODE Reloads With $240M, Eyes IPO, As Genomic Data Demand Grows”
Esther Dyson Joins Healthcare + A.I. on 11/2: Early Bird Ends Today
Grab your ticket to attend Xconomy’s newest event in the Boston area, Healthcare + A.I. Leaders in healthcare and artificial intelligence will discuss the challenges and opportunities around business models, regulations, data access, patient privacy, and much more. Join us on November 2 at Pfizer’s offices in Cambridge, MA, to take a look at how … Continue reading “Esther Dyson Joins Healthcare + A.I. on 11/2: Early Bird Ends Today”
Time Zones Matter: Why Kronos Opened an Indy Tech Center
[Correction, 9/7/17, 11:45 a.m. See below.] Kronos, a Lowell, MA-based company focused on workforce management software and services, has operations across the world. It serves customers in more than 100 countries, raking in over a billion dollars in revenue annually. So it might be surprising that, according to chief services officer and senior vice president … Continue reading “Time Zones Matter: Why Kronos Opened an Indy Tech Center”
Zipwhip Continues Business Texting Push With $22.5M in New Funding
How many texts did you send today? And how many did you send to a business? Whatever the number, Zipwhip and the investors who just poured another $22.5 million into the Seattle company are betting you’ll be sending more—and they’re not alone. Zipwhip makes software that allows businesses to better communicate with customers via text … Continue reading “Zipwhip Continues Business Texting Push With $22.5M in New Funding”
HubSpot Buys Dating App, Joule Winds Down, & More Boston Tech News
It’s time to catch up on the latest happenings in the Boston-area tech scene: —Joule Unlimited, a decade-old biofuels company that raised at least $200 million in venture capital, is reportedly calling it quits. The Bedford, MA-based company laid off nearly all of its 120 employees, sold its New Mexico manufacturing facility, and is trying … Continue reading “HubSpot Buys Dating App, Joule Winds Down, & More Boston Tech News”
Lasker Award Goes to HPV Vaccine Developers Lowy, Schiller
A top prize in American biomedical science was awarded today to two scientists for their discoveries that led to the development of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer caused by the sexually transmitted virus. Douglas Lowy (pictured right), acting director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and John Schiller (left), also at … Continue reading “Lasker Award Goes to HPV Vaccine Developers Lowy, Schiller”
Aras Downloads $40M to Help GE, Microsoft & Others Design Products
As more hardware and devices get connected to the Internet, their increasing complexity is requiring more advanced software to coordinate how they get designed, manufactured, and repaired. That’s helping drive demand for companies like Aras, a 17-year-old business that sells “product lifecycle management” software to large enterprises like Airbus, General Motors, and Microsoft. And today, … Continue reading “Aras Downloads $40M to Help GE, Microsoft & Others Design Products”
Smartphone Medicine: Detecting Concussions With Machine Learning
If you’re rolled into the emergency room of Harborview Medical Center with a head injury, doctors there might use an $8,000 infrared camera to track how your pupils respond to light. The digital pupilometer can measure the pupillary light reflex with more precision than even an expert clinician can, using a pen light and his … Continue reading “Smartphone Medicine: Detecting Concussions With Machine Learning”
From Robotic Chefs to Broadband Tech, Here Are 5 New Boston VC Deals
It’s time to catch up on some of the latest venture funding news from the Boston area. We’re tracking new money for companies whose products span software, telecommunications equipment, lab devices, robots, and food. Read on for details. —EverTrue scooped up $6 million in funding led by University Ventures, according to a press release e-mailed … Continue reading “From Robotic Chefs to Broadband Tech, Here Are 5 New Boston VC Deals”
Seeking to Cash in For Investors Again, Rhythm Pharma Files For IPO
Most biotechs pursue either a sale or an IPO to reward their investors. Rhythm Pharmaceuticals is now trying to accomplish both. A year after Rhythm funneled a stomach drug into a subsidiary and sold it to Allergan for $200 million, the Boston-based company—developing a different drug for rare forms of obesity—has filed for an IPO. … Continue reading “Seeking to Cash in For Investors Again, Rhythm Pharma Files For IPO”
As Key Data Loom, Nobel Winner Mello Reflects on RNAi “Sci-Fi” Story
The story feels like a Hollywood flick, not reality—at least to University of Massachusetts Medical School molecular medicine professor and Nobel Prize winner Craig Mello. Nearly 20 years ago, Mello, Stanford University pathologist Andrew Fire, and their colleagues co-discovered RNA interference, a method of switching off or “silencing” genes before they can make potentially damaging … Continue reading “As Key Data Loom, Nobel Winner Mello Reflects on RNAi “Sci-Fi” Story”
Sahi Cosmetics Offers Science-Backed Products for Olive Skin Tones
Shelly Sahi, founder and CEO of Sahi Cosmetics, thought she wanted to be a doctor. It wasn’t until she finished her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan that she realized how burnt out she was—and that a career in the medical field was actually her parents’ dream, not hers. “I discovered entrepreneurship later because … Continue reading “Sahi Cosmetics Offers Science-Backed Products for Olive Skin Tones”
Finistere Plants Investment Seed in Ireland With $24M Agtech Fund
Ireland’s top agricultural exports are beef and dairy products. Arama Kukutai believes that in coming years, Ireland will send the United States and the rest of the world something different: innovative agricultural technologies that help make farms more productive and profitable. To that end, Kukutai’s venture capital firm, Finistere Ventures, is joining with the Ireland … Continue reading “Finistere Plants Investment Seed in Ireland With $24M Agtech Fund”
Under New CEO, Ebullient Seeks to Put Its Cooling Tech into Vehicles
Just as the cell phones people walk around with all day have become de facto computers, automobiles too can now be seen as roving computing devices—ones that might be vulnerable to hackers, even. As cars become more high-tech—a trend that’s almost certain to accelerate with the continued development of electric and driverless vehicles—automakers will need to … Continue reading “Under New CEO, Ebullient Seeks to Put Its Cooling Tech into Vehicles”
Presage Bio Licenses Anti-Cancer Drug to San Diego’s MEI Pharma
San Diego’s MEI Pharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MEIP]]) has agreed to pay $2.9 million upfront to Seattle-based Presage Biosciences for exclusive worldwide rights for the anti-cancer drug candidate voruciclib, which has shown some promise in a small, early stage study of patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Additional payments could eventually add another $181 million if MEI … Continue reading “Presage Bio Licenses Anti-Cancer Drug to San Diego’s MEI Pharma”
Hurricane Harvey: A Test-Bed For Internet Resilience
Amid the wreckage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey, south Texas is measuring the crisis in numbers of homes flattened or flooded, hospitals closed, refineries stalled, and storm refugees saved by brave neighbors with small boats. A significant part of the damage, however, can be hidden in the soggy underground—in the conduits that house the major trunk … Continue reading “Hurricane Harvey: A Test-Bed For Internet Resilience”
Geekdom, 80/20 Promote Execs to Prepare for Next 5 Years of Startups
San Antonio—[Corrected 9/6/17, 3:26 p.m. See below.] Geekdom, the co-working space that has helped revitalize the downtown San Antonio startup scene, has a new leader, as does the nonprofit The 80/20 Foundation, which invests in groups that promote topics like entrepreneurship and tech education. Alexandra Frey, who was the operations manager of The 80/20 Foundation, … Continue reading “Geekdom, 80/20 Promote Execs to Prepare for Next 5 Years of Startups”
Voices of Harvey: ‘It’s Waterworld Out Here’
Houston—Katie Walthall Mehnert, founder and CEO of Pink Petro, is still waiting to go home. She has yet to begin the smelly process of mucking out her home or ripping out sheetrock. The heartbreaking chore of evaluating which waterlogged personal item is not so soggy that it can’t be kept is still a week or … Continue reading “Voices of Harvey: ‘It’s Waterworld Out Here’”
Voices of Harvey: ‘The Water Is Just Coming Into Every Room’
Houston—A week ago, Tropical Storm Harvey deluged Houston after making landfall near Corpus Christi, TX, about 200 miles down the Gulf Coast. Over six days, 27 trillion gallons of water fell on Texas—nearly four times the rainfall of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The region is beginning what will be a years-long rebuilding of homes, stores, … Continue reading “Voices of Harvey: ‘The Water Is Just Coming Into Every Room’”
Catch Dragonfly, IFM, Tesaro at “Disruptors” on Sept. 28
How do you succeed not once, but twice in biotech? How do you push a scientific idea forward without any venture capital? And how does one even begin trying to scour the globe for a diamond–in-the-rough cancer drug that has slipped through the cracks? These questions underlie the three stories Xconomy has lined up for … Continue reading “Catch Dragonfly, IFM, Tesaro at “Disruptors” on Sept. 28″
Coming to Boston Was a “No-Brainer”: Xconomy’s Newcomer Award Finalists
Building a biotech business comes down to a lot of meetings and networking with potential new partners, hires, investors and others. Having all of these folks, along with top academics, highly concentrated in an urban center (that also has a lot of nice restaurants and coffee shops to meet in) was a key factor in … Continue reading “Coming to Boston Was a “No-Brainer”: Xconomy’s Newcomer Award Finalists”
Patient Death Triggers FDA Hold For Cellectis’s “Off the Shelf” CAR-T
[Corrected, 9/18/17, see below] The FDA has forced Cellectis to shut down two Phase 1 trials it has been running to test an “off the shelf” type of cell therapy—a stinging setback to the France- and New York-based company’s aspirations to leapfrog other developers of CAR-T, a type of cancer immunotherapy that the FDA just … Continue reading “Patient Death Triggers FDA Hold For Cellectis’s “Off the Shelf” CAR-T”
As Architects Adopt VR, Acentech Adds Sound Simulations to the Mix
Architects are starting to embrace virtual reality as a tool for showing clients what their future buildings could look like. Now, Acentech wants to integrate audio simulations so they can hear what the spaces would sound like, too. The Cambridge, MA-based consulting business spun out of the renowned BBN Technologies (now owned by Raytheon) more … Continue reading “As Architects Adopt VR, Acentech Adds Sound Simulations to the Mix”
U-M Life Sci Institute Looks Ahead with $150M Initiative, Symposium
The University of Michigan’s Life Sciences Institute (LSI) is hosting its 16th annual Saltiel Life Sciences Symposium later this month, and for the first time, rather than focusing on a narrow segment of the industry, the lineup of speakers will discuss the technologies behind some of the sector’s most exciting recent innovations. “Alan [Saltiel] started … Continue reading “U-M Life Sci Institute Looks Ahead with $150M Initiative, Symposium”
Seiva, EatStreet, Isomark, WARF, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Keep up with news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Seiva Technologies, a Milwaukee-based company that developed sensor-equipped athletic apparel, is no longer operating, co-founder Andrew Hampel said in an e-mail. Seiva had developed high-tech garments for speedskaters, hockey players, and other athletes. The products were designed to provide real-time information, such as … Continue reading “Seiva, EatStreet, Isomark, WARF, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Seattle Week in Review: Dreamers, Uber, Harvey, Satellites, & More
Heading into Labor Day weekend, mourning for Houston, here’s a look at this week’s tech news from Seattle and beyond, with updates on several big stories: —President Donald Trump is reportedly set to decide next week the fate of the Dreamers—young, undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children and registered with the government … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Dreamers, Uber, Harvey, Satellites, & More”
With New Funding in Hand, ImageMoverMD Eyes International Markets
[Corrected 9/1/17 6:04 p.m. See below.] A Middleton, WI-based startup that has built a mobile app allowing healthcare providers and patients to securely send images from their smartphones says it’s on the verge of making its first sales outside the U.S. ImageMoverMD’s software lets doctors and other clinicians photograph patients’ wounds, rashes, and other conditions … Continue reading “With New Funding in Hand, ImageMoverMD Eyes International Markets”
Booster Sees Membership Surge as Dallas Faces Fuel Shortage
On-demand fuel delivery startup Booster Fuels, which operates in Dallas-Fort Worth and the San Francisco Bay Area, says thousands of new users downloaded its app on Thursday. Long lines have formed at gas stations in Dallas and elsewhere as drivers fear fuel shortages in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which struck the heart of the … Continue reading “Booster Sees Membership Surge as Dallas Faces Fuel Shortage”
Harvey Roundup: JLabs, Silicon Labs, Co-Working Refuges, & More
[Updated: 9/1/17 1:59 pm. See below.] Houston—The waters are starting to recede from Tropical Storm Harvey, but the work to get Houston and southeast Texas back up to speed is only starting. To help with that, technology communities across Texas are offering aid in the form of free co-working space, discounted rides, a corps of volunteers, … Continue reading “Harvey Roundup: JLabs, Silicon Labs, Co-Working Refuges, & More”