When Jon Carder talks about online consumer trends, he speaks with some experience. Beginning with eHeaven, an e-commerce website that he founded in 2000 as a student at San Diego’s Point Loma Nazarene University, Carder has ridden a series of enormous waves as consumers moved online to shop, search for home loans, and find businesses … Continue reading “Evolving Empyr Unveils Way to Link Online Ads with Offline Sales”
Category: National
“Smart City” Startup Soofa Nabs $2.5M, Led by Underscore and Pillar
Should a bench be more than just a place to sit? For Soofa and its customers, the answer is yes. The Cambridge, MA-based startup makes solar-powered, sensor-equipped benches that double as charging stations for phones and other devices. These “smart” benches can also help municipalities and other partners measure the amount of activity in parks, … Continue reading ““Smart City” Startup Soofa Nabs $2.5M, Led by Underscore and Pillar”
Analysts Expect Payer Pushback as PTC Sets $35K Price For Duchenne Drug
[Updated, 5/9/17, 9:11 am. See below.] When Marathon Pharmaceuticals priced deflazacort (Emflaza), a steroid for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, at $89,000 per year, the prohibitive cost sparked such outrage that Marathon never launched the drug, but instead sold its rights to PTC Therapeutics. Since that time, South Plainfield, NJ-based PTC (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PTCT]]) has been planning its … Continue reading “Analysts Expect Payer Pushback as PTC Sets $35K Price For Duchenne Drug”
Kite CAR-T Death: An Unwelcome Mystery as FDA Mulls Approval
In a lengthy interview in January, Kite Pharma CEO Arie Belldegrun was adamant that his company’s experimental cell therapy was different from one competitor, Juno Therapeutics, because unlike with Juno, no Kite patient had died from cerebral edema, or massive swelling in the brain. Belldegrun can no longer make that claim. Kite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KITE]]) reported … Continue reading “Kite CAR-T Death: An Unwelcome Mystery as FDA Mulls Approval”
Sonam Technologies Wants to Reduce Risk of Playground Brain Injuries
In the past few years, we’ve heard a lot about the dangers of traumatic brain injuries. While we usually hear about these injuries in the context of high-impact sports like football or boxing, traumatic brain injuries are also a risk for kids that fall off playground equipment. These kinds of accidents are more prevalent and … Continue reading “Sonam Technologies Wants to Reduce Risk of Playground Brain Injuries”
Dell Technologies Goes Public About $100M Venture Capital Arm
Austin—[Updated 5/9/17, 10:58 a.m. See below.] Dell Technologies is publicly unveiling a venture capital investment arm that has been quietly investing in startups since the operation was run by EMC, the data storage giant that Dell agreed to acquire for $67 billion in 2015. Called Dell Technologies Capital, the investment arm plans to provide funding to … Continue reading “Dell Technologies Goes Public About $100M Venture Capital Arm”
Nipple Replacement Startup NovoThelium Sweeps Pitch Competitions
San Antonio — For breast cancer and trauma patients who need surgery, reconstructing the nipple and areola is an important and difficult part of that procedure. From skin grafts and prosthetics to tattoos and 3-D cellular printing, the ways to rebuild that tissue are numerous, but they often come with drawbacks. The surgically repaired skin can … Continue reading “Nipple Replacement Startup NovoThelium Sweeps Pitch Competitions”
Audio Startup 60dB Upgrades Streaming App for Short Radio Stories
In the smartphone era, many music fans are abandoning downloads and even broadcast radio in favor of subscription-based streaming services. You can just press Play on Pandora, Spotify, or Apple Music and you’ll hear an endless stream of songs tailored to your interests. What’s strange, then, is that there’s no Pandora or Spotify for spoken-word … Continue reading “Audio Startup 60dB Upgrades Streaming App for Short Radio Stories”
With $145M Buyout, River Vision’s Plan For Stalled Roche Drug Pays Off
A bid by a group of investors to transform a stalled cancer drug into an eye disease treatment has paid off. Horizon Pharma this morning has acquired River Vision Development Corp., a New York entity formed to develop a therapy for an eye condition called Graves’ ophthalmopathy. Horizon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HZNP]]), an Ireland based firm, is … Continue reading “With $145M Buyout, River Vision’s Plan For Stalled Roche Drug Pays Off”
The Enterprise Bang! Moment
The increasing rate of technology advancement is decreasing the time enterprises have to react to competitive pressures brought about by those same advancements. A Bang! moment arrives when the incumbent can no longer react before they fail in the market. The specific timing is unknowable, but the outcome is assured. Carmen Reinhart and Ken Rogoff, … Continue reading “The Enterprise Bang! Moment”
New State Fund Helps Commercialize Early Tech from MI Universities
University technology transfer programs in Michigan now have a new pot of money to support their efforts, thanks to a fund supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The University Early Stage Proof of Concept Fund, also known as the Advance grant program, will help move research projects and technologies developed at Michigan universities from … Continue reading “New State Fund Helps Commercialize Early Tech from MI Universities”
Week in Review: Apple, Microsoft A.I. Investments, ‘Reality Caucus’
Some 2,500 lightning strikes were recorded across Western Washington Thursday as powerful thunderstorms marched up the state, getting everyone’s attention and lighting up social media with beautiful photographs, such as the one below. In tech news this week, we’re tracking a new state-by-state jobs report from Apple, Microsoft Ventures’ latest A.I. investments, Seattle’s new broadband … Continue reading “Week in Review: Apple, Microsoft A.I. Investments, ‘Reality Caucus’”
Maker of Keyboard for Lawyers Eyes Resale Agreement, Second Product
A 2010 study on computer ergonomics by researchers at DePaul University found that selecting menu items using keyboard shortcuts was more efficient than doing so with a mouse. However, many organizations routinely erase some of the short-term memory stored on their employees’ computers. For these workers, adding custom “hot key” shortcuts is essentially futile because they … Continue reading “Maker of Keyboard for Lawyers Eyes Resale Agreement, Second Product”
Silicon Valley’s Big Three Grapple With Responsibilities Of Growth
A common goal of tech startups is a Silicon Valley mantra: Change the world. Apple, Google, and Facebook have done so—possibly more than any other upstart companies in recent U.S. history. These now-mature businesses are grappling with how their world-changing ventures have broadly affected the economy and communications. And in the prevailing populist mood, the … Continue reading “Silicon Valley’s Big Three Grapple With Responsibilities Of Growth”
VenBio Settles Immunomedics Litigation, SeaGen Nixes Cancer Drug Deal
A venBio campaign against a drug licensing deal between Immunomedics and Seattle Genetics has unwound the pact altogether. Three months after dealing for rights to an experimental breast cancer therapy from Immunomedics, SeaGen is now walking away due to delays and litigation that venBio, a biotech investment firm, brought against both parties. Meanwhile, Immunomedics (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “VenBio Settles Immunomedics Litigation, SeaGen Nixes Cancer Drug Deal”
Five Questions For … Carolyn Rodz, Founder of the Circular Board
Houston—As a child, Carolyn Rodz couldn’t decide what she wanted to do when she grew up. Doctor, lawyer, teacher: they each appealed to her. Rodz finally figured out the common thread among all of her interests—a desire to help others. “I’m an idealist,” she says. “I truly believe there is a solution to everything, and … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Carolyn Rodz, Founder of the Circular Board”
Bio Roundup: NIH Precision Boost, AHCA to Senate, New Drugs & More
Two dramatic healthcare stories played out this week. First, to the jubilation of the nation’s science community, Congress proposed to boost National Institutes of Health funding, not slash it as the Trump administration had outlined. Then the patchwork revival of the GOP’s healthcare plan, despite being panned by nearly every major medical group in the … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: NIH Precision Boost, AHCA to Senate, New Drugs & More”
Announcing Xconomy Impact, June 22: Here’s What It’s About
This summer, we are convening some of the biggest names in technology and innovation to talk about how they plan to make a real impact on society. This is Xconomy Boston’s ninth annual tech conference in June, and it’s one of our top events of the year. This year’s conference is called Impact, and it’s … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Impact, June 22: Here’s What It’s About”
TechPoint’s Mira Awards: MOBI Wins Company of the Year
TechPoint, the organization dedicated to growing Indiana’s tech ecosystem, held its annual Mira Awards gala in front of a packed house on Saturday. Meant to recognize the success and innovation of the state’s tech companies, entrepreneurs, educators, and other leaders, the Miras have been awarded for the past 18 years. From the 180 nominating applications … Continue reading “TechPoint’s Mira Awards: MOBI Wins Company of the Year”
Boston Tech Watch: Polaris, NuTonomy, Techstars, The Engine & More
It’s time to catch up on the latest headlines from the Boston-area tech community: —Polaris Partners said it closed a $435 million fund, the firm’s eighth. Polaris invests in technology and healthcare ventures. —Delphi, Optimus Ride, and Navya have contacted Massachusetts officials about potentially testing autonomous vehicles on state roads, according to a report from … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Polaris, NuTonomy, Techstars, The Engine & More”
Keeping Focus on Cancer, Karyopharm Licenses Antiviral to Anivive
A compound that Karyopharm Therapeutics has tested as an antiviral for humans is getting a new home with Anivive Lifesciences, which plans to bring the drug to market as a cancer treatment for dogs. Anivive is paying $1 million up front to Newton, MA-based Karyopharm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KPTI]]) for rights to the drug, verdinexor. If Anivive, … Continue reading “Keeping Focus on Cancer, Karyopharm Licenses Antiviral to Anivive”
EOW Reading List: A.I. Friends and FWBs; Redefining Human Knowledge
One of the most interesting—or vexing—aspects of artificial intelligence is the way it causes us to examine virtually every aspect of what it means to be human. In this edition of Xconomy’s End of Work Reading List, we’re highlighting stories on sex robots, which raise a host of questions about human relationships, and the “black … Continue reading “EOW Reading List: A.I. Friends and FWBs; Redefining Human Knowledge”
With $75M Haul, Ovid Continues Flurry of Biotech IPOs
The recent biotech IPO surge continues. Ovid Therapeutics raised $75 million in an IPO late Thursday, becoming the fifth life sciences company to hit the Nasdaq in the past two weeks. Ovid (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OVID]]), a New York company developing drugs for rare brain diseases, sold 5 million shares at $15 apiece. Those numbers come in … Continue reading “With $75M Haul, Ovid Continues Flurry of Biotech IPOs”
Propeller CEO: Engagement, Environment Among Population Health Keys
Hospitals and other healthcare organizations are turning to high-tech tools to help them adapt to the shift to so-called value-based care, where providers are paid based on patient outcomes, rather than the quantity of patient visits and services delivered. Those tools include population health management software, a sector seeing increased competition as demand from healthcare … Continue reading “Propeller CEO: Engagement, Environment Among Population Health Keys”
Future At Stake, Zafgen Gives First Glimpse of New Obesity Drug Data
Zafgen took a big hit last year when two patient deaths forced it to abandon its most advanced drug, belaronib. The company is now looking to a new experimental weight loss drug for diabetics to turn its fortunes around, with the first glimpse at early data released this afternoon. Many caveats apply. The data are … Continue reading “Future At Stake, Zafgen Gives First Glimpse of New Obesity Drug Data”
ChromaCode Using $12M to Make Old-School PCR Tests More Powerful
The advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing has greatly accelerated biomedical research and discovery, and brought the cost of sequencing a whole human genome to roughly $1,000. But what if you don’t need the whole genome? Carlsbad, CA-based ChromaCode was founded in late 2012 with the idea of boosting old-school molecular diagnostics instruments used in clinical … Continue reading “ChromaCode Using $12M to Make Old-School PCR Tests More Powerful”
VC Confidence Holds Steady in Quarterly Survey, But Reasons Change
In a survey of 29 Silicon Valley venture capitalists in December, the VCs mulled whether President-elect Donald Trump would buoy up their investment prospects with lower corporate taxes and government regulations, or worsen conditions by heightening global political instability and raising the risk of a major military conflict or economic downturn. That Q4 2016 edition … Continue reading “VC Confidence Holds Steady in Quarterly Survey, But Reasons Change”
Fuze Grabs $30M More, Upping Stakes for Possible IPO
Investors’ appetite for Fuze seems unquenchable. The Cambridge, MA-based software firm just tacked another $30 million onto a recent equity funding round, bringing the round’s total to $134 million. The new money comes from an undisclosed public pension fund based in the U.S. Fuze’s total venture capital haul now stands at $334 million. A Fuze … Continue reading “Fuze Grabs $30M More, Upping Stakes for Possible IPO”
Cytori Reboots Azaya Facility After Buyout, Looks for European Deal
San Antonio — Cytori Therapeutics is in the process of restarting a San Antonio manufacturing facility it gained in February when it acquired Azaya Therapeutics, the maker of nanoparticle-encapsulated generic drugs. The San Diego-based company now plans to find a European distributor for a drug that facility makes. Cytori (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYTX]]) is working to bring the … Continue reading “Cytori Reboots Azaya Facility After Buyout, Looks for European Deal”
If Budget Holds, NIH Precision Study Could Be Flush As Volunteers Arrive
Until this week, many U.S. government science agencies and programs seemed destined for a big haircut, plus the loss of a limb or two. That included the Precision Medicine Initiative, an ambitious long-term study with the goal of recruiting 1 million Americans to volunteer health data. But in staving off a government shutdown, Congress pushed … Continue reading “If Budget Holds, NIH Precision Study Could Be Flush As Volunteers Arrive”
Hacking Health: What Does It Take to Build a Med Tech Ecosystem?
Regional healthcare organizations, IT experts, clinicians, and entrepreneurs will spend the weekend at TechTown Detroit for the third annual Hacking Health event, which is designed to break open silos and inspire new collaborations between med tech innovators on both sides of the Detroit River. Attendees of the weekend hackathon, hosted by TechTown and Ontario’s WEtech … Continue reading “Hacking Health: What Does It Take to Build a Med Tech Ecosystem?”
LevelTen Aims to Satisfy Surging Corporate Renewable Energy Demand
Large technology companies have driven demand for renewable energy in the U.S. over the last few years as they seek lower, more predictable electricity bills, and pursue climate goals. Companies are buying wind and solar power the traditional way—from utilities—but some of the richest, most sophisticated corporations, such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, are building … Continue reading “LevelTen Aims to Satisfy Surging Corporate Renewable Energy Demand”
Rackspace, Owned by Private Equity, Loses CEO to Cloud Tech Company
San Antonio—Rackspace’s CEO, Taylor Rhodes, is leaving his post for an unnamed, smaller tech company this month, the newest dramatic change for the cloud computing giant, which was sold to private equity investors for $4.3 billion in August. Rhodes had been at the helm of Rackspace since 2014 and led the company through rapid changes … Continue reading “Rackspace, Owned by Private Equity, Loses CEO to Cloud Tech Company”
Source: SmartBear Software Sold to Francisco Partners for $410M
SmartBear Software, a Somerville, MA-based provider of tools for software developers and testers, has sold a majority stake in the company to private equity firm Francisco Partners. The terms weren’t publicly disclosed, but a source with knowledge of the deal tells Xconomy the transaction has an enterprise value of $410 million. SmartBear Software was formed … Continue reading “Source: SmartBear Software Sold to Francisco Partners for $410M”
Some See Large EHR Vendors as Playing Catch-up in Population Health
Lawmakers may end up repealing the Affordable Care Act, but it has been the law of the land for enough time that some of the changes it has brought will likely leave a lasting mark on the healthcare industry. One of these changes is the shift away from fee-for-service payment models, where providers are paid … Continue reading “Some See Large EHR Vendors as Playing Catch-up in Population Health”
Austin Startups, EverlyWell and Bitfusion, Nab New Rounds of Funding
Austin—Two local tech startups—one in health IT and another in computing and machine learning software—have announced new rounds of funding. EverlyWell picked up $2 million from investors such as NextGen Venture Partners, SoGal Ventures, Full Tilt Capital, and others. The startup, founded about two years ago, makes what it calls “health and wellness tests”—at-home assays … Continue reading “Austin Startups, EverlyWell and Bitfusion, Nab New Rounds of Funding”
Cazalot to Lead Techstars Boston, Wants to Energize Local Community
The first thing to know about Clément Cazalot is that he is French. The second thing is that he co-owns a new French restaurant in Boston’s South End, called Frenchie. It has a killer wine list and excellent food, based on a recent visit. The tech startup community will also want to know that Cazalot … Continue reading “Cazalot to Lead Techstars Boston, Wants to Energize Local Community”
Pieris Adds Another Partner, Gets $45M in AstraZeneca Lung Drug Deal
A protein drug developer with roots in Germany continues to grow in Boston, MA, with the help of another partnership. Pieris Pharmaceuticals today cut a deal with AstraZeneca to develop a group of drugs for respiratory diseases, adding a new name to an already wide list of pharmaceutical partners. Pieris (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PIRS]]) gets $45 million … Continue reading “Pieris Adds Another Partner, Gets $45M in AstraZeneca Lung Drug Deal”
Friend & Flowers Return With Wasabi, Take on Amazon in “Hot Storage”
In the market for cloud storage and related tech services, there is Amazon—and then there’s everybody else. The Seattle-based company’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) Amazon Web Services business generated $12.2 billion in sales last year, and it controls an estimated 33 percent of the global market for cloud infrastructure services, according to a recent analysis by Synergy … Continue reading “Friend & Flowers Return With Wasabi, Take on Amazon in “Hot Storage””
New San Diego Biotech Looks to Open Way for Anti-Cancer Drugs
In early 2002, the Finnish-born scientist Erkki Ruoslahti stepped down as CEO of what is now San Diego’s Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. He moved to Santa Barbara, CA, where he established what he calls “a little subsidiary” of the SBP institute, and joined the faculty of UC Santa Barbara. He continued his research … Continue reading “New San Diego Biotech Looks to Open Way for Anti-Cancer Drugs”
Grab Your Ticket for What’s Hot in Boston Biotech on May 11th
Xconomy Boston— We are just a week away from “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech”—and we’re offering you a chance to save $80. Join us for an afternoon of spotlight talks, fireside chats, and panel discussions that will delve into a variety of the hot button topics affecting the life sciences industry. It all takes place … Continue reading “Grab Your Ticket for What’s Hot in Boston Biotech on May 11th”
Analysis: Trump’s First 100 Days Through the Tech Industry Lens
Donald Trump spent his 100th day in office in ways that would appeal to his working class base—holding a campaign-style rally in Harrisburg, PA, where he confirmed his campaign commitment to controlling immigration. Trump also signed an executive order to create a White House office of trade and manufacturing policy, which aims to protect American … Continue reading “Analysis: Trump’s First 100 Days Through the Tech Industry Lens”
Epic, Zuckerberg, Cellectar, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
[Updated 5/3/17 9:53 a.m. See below.] Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community, starting with these headlines: —The U.S. Coast Guard submitted a request for information to a government procurement website related to the purchase of electronic health records (EHR) software, Healthcare IT News reported. The Coast Guard had been installing EHR software … Continue reading “Epic, Zuckerberg, Cellectar, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Heymann and Bhowmik Launch Converge, Boston’s Latest Venture Firm
Boston’s tech investing landscape has changed a lot in the past couple of years, with a wave of new early-stage funds popping up. That activity continued this week with the unveiling of Converge, a new venture investing firm co-founded and led by Nilanjana Bhowmik and Maia Heymann. Bhowmik (pictured above, right) has been a general … Continue reading “Heymann and Bhowmik Launch Converge, Boston’s Latest Venture Firm”
CA Stem Cell Agency Chief Randy Mills to Leave After Three Years
[Updated 5/2/17, 7:30 p.m. ET. See below.] The head of California’s stem-cell agency is stepping down after three years on the job. C. Randall Mills, known as Randy, is leaving the agency to run a nonprofit bone marrow donor matching program as of July 1, according to CIRM. Mills joined CIRM, which stands for California … Continue reading “CA Stem Cell Agency Chief Randy Mills to Leave After Three Years”
Smarr, Others Talk Healthtech, AI at Xconomy’s Impact of Innovation
In the not-too-distant future, a “planetary” computer will be able to create a computational model of your body, with the ability to run simulations of your health and to anticipate chronic disease before you show any symptoms. This is the direction we’re headed, according to Larry Smarr, founding director of the California Institute of Telecommunications … Continue reading “Smarr, Others Talk Healthtech, AI at Xconomy’s Impact of Innovation”
Angie’s List, Grown in Indiana, Merging with Colorado’s HomeAdvisor
Two days after Angie Hicks, the co-founder and chief marketing officer of home services website Angie’s List, won an award for being a trailblazer in Indiana’s technology sector, her company announced it is heading down a new path. Angie’s List has agreed to be sold to Internet giant IAC, which will merge Hicks’s firm with … Continue reading “Angie’s List, Grown in Indiana, Merging with Colorado’s HomeAdvisor”
IRobot, With Stock at Record High, Continues Down Smart Home Path
IRobot today announced new features intended to make its Roomba vacuums “smarter,” continuing the company’s sharper focus on consumer robotics and its goal of enabling the connected home. The Bedford, MA-based firm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRBT]]) is adding Wi-Fi connectivity to its cheaper Roomba 600 and Roomba 800 series of autonomous vacuums, a capability that was previously … Continue reading “IRobot, With Stock at Record High, Continues Down Smart Home Path”
A.I.’s Role In Agriculture Comes Into Focus With Imaging Analysis
The imaging technologies scanning farms today trace their roots to the space race. In 1965, the U.S. Geological Survey proposed using satellites to observe the planet. Seven years later, NASA launched Landsat 1. Among that satellite’s accomplishments: an estimate of the corn and soybean acreage stretching from Iowa to Indiana. The eighth version of Landsat … Continue reading “A.I.’s Role In Agriculture Comes Into Focus With Imaging Analysis”
Magenta Nabs More Cash, Licenses Drug To Boost Transplant Pipeline
Magenta Therapeutics said today it has doubled its money with a $50 million Series B round led by GV, formerly Google Ventures. The Cambridge, MA-based startup spun out of Harvard University last year with nearly $50 million in launch money to develop improved bone marrow transplants. Magenta has also licensed a drug from Novartis that … Continue reading “Magenta Nabs More Cash, Licenses Drug To Boost Transplant Pipeline”