[Updated 5/12/14 10:30 pm. See below.] It’s been known for a while: Patients with the rare Gaucher disease are at much higher risk for Parkinson’s disease, as well. But only recently have drug makers, like Lysosomal Therapeutics (LTI), set out to turn that knowledge into a Parkinson’s treatment. LTI said Monday it has secured a … Continue reading “LTI Corrals $5M to Exploit Link Between Gaucher, Parkinson’s”
Category: New York
NJ Tech Meetup
Speaker: Nihal Mehta, founder Local Response, founding partner Eniac Ventures Nihal Mehta is a Founding General Partner at Eniac Ventures. With 14+ years of experience in innovating marketing technologies through founding five startups to date and investing in over 70, Nihal is a noted expert in the emerging adoption of mobile technologies for media properties … Continue reading “NJ Tech Meetup”
Talkspace Raises $2.5M Seed Round for Therapist Texting Service
New York-based counseling startup Talkspace said Monday it raised a $2.5 million seed round from investors Spark Capital and Softbank. Talkspace connects people anonymously via mobile devices and the Web to licensed therapists for help with relationships, anxiety, and other problems. The service includes Unlimited Messaging Therapy that, for a fee, lets people text therapists without revealing their … Continue reading “Talkspace Raises $2.5M Seed Round for Therapist Texting Service”
innRoad Garners $3,665,904 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=91823ccd-c911-4a58-a206-fd95c38b666d Date 5/12/2014 Company Name innRoad Mailing Address 261 West 35th Street 12th Floor New York, NY 10001 USA Company Description innRoad is the only Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) hotel software solution that seamlessly integrates property management, global distribution, bookings and marketing–all on a single, easy-to-use platform designed exclusively for independent hoteliers, small hotel … Continue reading “innRoad Garners $3,665,904 New Financing Round”
Coferon Receives $1,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=af79cc8a-5173-4c21-a845-b774c736d607 Date 5/12/2014 Company Name Coferon Mailing Address 25 Health Sciences Drive Mail Box 123 Stony Brook, NY 11790 USA Company Description Coferon, Inc. is a privately owned company that was founded in 2009 to reduce to practice the concept of self-assembling “coferons” pioneered by the Company’s three academic founders – Dr. … Continue reading “Coferon Receives $1,000,000 New Round”
Innovation Hub: Joi Ito on Failing to the Top
Joi Ito may be a tech luminary, but he says that he has mostly learned by failing. Ito—an early investor in Twitter, Kickstarter, and Flickr—is now the head of the MIT Media Lab. And he believes that young people, entrepreneurs, and even those in established positions should be encouraged to try more and fail more. … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Joi Ito on Failing to the Top”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Mergers, Rhythm, Regeneron, & More
Pharma megadeals once again took center stage this week as more giant divisions were flipped, and the tension around a potential 12-figure, international buyout affecting thousands of workers across the globe escalated even higher. Those stories, and—oh yeah, biotech news—below. —Nothing is more closely watched in the life sciences world right now than the ongoing … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Mergers, Rhythm, Regeneron, & More”
Radio is the New Netflix. Here’s Your Binge Listening Guide.
“Binge watching” TV shows wasn’t possible until the advent of full-season DVD sets in the late 1990s. And while bingeing was common enough in the 2000s—I definitely remember a few weekends spent inhaling 24, BSG, and The Wire—it didn’t really leap into the mainstream until 2013, when Netflix began streaming whole seasons of shows like … Continue reading “Radio is the New Netflix. Here’s Your Binge Listening Guide.”
Months Before CEO Shakeup, Leaf Investor Took Control of Startup
[Updated 11:30 am, see note below.] Boston-area startup Leaf gave us another glimpse at how rough the retail payments sector can be with this week’s sudden departure of its founding CEO. Such CEO swaps happen pretty frequently in the startup world, where companies are moving at a breakneck pace to either grow their business or … Continue reading “Months Before CEO Shakeup, Leaf Investor Took Control of Startup”
Hopscotch Secures $1,200,000 Seed Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e6302a79-e0bd-4dff-af81-c2194c730327 Date 5/19/2014 Company Name Hopscotch Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10017 USA Company Description We founded Hopscotch so we could build the toys that we wish existed when we were kids. Website http://www.gethopschotch.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,200,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes Funding will be used to … Continue reading “Hopscotch Secures $1,200,000 Seed Round”
Biotech IPO Slump Deepens as Alder Prices Below Range
As Alder Biopharmaceuticals can attest to today, the biotech IPO train has hit the skids. The Bothell, WA-based company has priced its IPO at $10 per share, well below its projected $13 to $15 per share range, according to IPO research firm Renaissance Capital. Alder upsized its offering to 8 million shares from 7.2 million … Continue reading “Biotech IPO Slump Deepens as Alder Prices Below Range”
Three Months in Berlin: One Tech Entrepreneur’s Journey
San Francisco is the center of the tech world. But after three months in Europe, my conclusion is that there’s a major new contender as a great place to start startups: Berlin. In this article I’ll tell you about the companies and investors I got the chance to work with, and then talk about the … Continue reading “Three Months in Berlin: One Tech Entrepreneur’s Journey”
NPS Pharma’s Francois Nader on the Megadeal Fallout for Biotechs
Sometime soon, it’s entirely possible that Pfizer will buy AstraZeneca for a price that would exceed the gross national product of all but about 50 countries worldwide. Should that happen, a long, complicated process will unfold. Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) will talk about bringing together two titans with franchises in big fields like oncology, inflammation, and … Continue reading “NPS Pharma’s Francois Nader on the Megadeal Fallout for Biotechs”
Dubset Media Holdings Lands Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ea318dd0-d9aa-4ea0-84ab-9eae69ddb020 Date 5/8/2014 Company Name Dubset Media Holdings Mailing Address 440 9th Avenue 11th Floor New York, NY 10001 USA Company Description Dubset Media Holdings, Inc., doing business as Thefuture.fm, provides DJ curated Internet radio. The company offers music channels powered by its MixSCAN technology providing a fully compliant way to identify … Continue reading “Dubset Media Holdings Lands Series B Funding”
FieldLens Secures $8,000,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=066afa78-30d1-4566-837e-ac9b6b68e7f0 Date 5/8/2014 Company Name FieldLens Mailing Address 36 East 20th Street 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003 USA Company Description Avoid mistakes before they happen. FieldLens enables everyone on a project to create, communicate and resolve issues instantly from anywhere. No training sessions, no annoying setup and no crazy pricing plans. … Continue reading “FieldLens Secures $8,000,000 Series A Financing”
Flatiron Health Garners $130,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7ab526d8-77e6-401b-9818-b36c847f6d6d Date 5/8/2014 Company Name Flatiron Health Mailing Address 291 Broadway New York, NY 10007 USA Company Description Flatiron is a business and clinical intelligence platform for cancer care providers. Our web-based platform seamlessly integrates and structures disparate information systems to produce a truly longitudinal and comprehensive view of the patient population. … Continue reading “Flatiron Health Garners $130,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
EndlessTV App Launches, Brings Television-style Experience to Mobile
Watching video on smartphones just got a bit more like flipping through channels on TV. On Wednesday, EndlessTV released its flagship app, offering personalized video viewing on mobile devices. There are many apps for streaming YouTube-style videos on mobile devices, but EndlessTV thinks its simplified approach sets it apart. New York-based EndlessTV already offers a collection … Continue reading “EndlessTV App Launches, Brings Television-style Experience to Mobile”
Enumeral Biomedical Receives $2,016,250 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7e5ef4c0-5f04-4988-bc48-371dc6f63256 Date 5/7/2014 Company Name Enumeral Biomedical Mailing Address 1450 Broadway 24th Floor New York, NY 10018 USA Company Description Enumeral Biomedical Corp. engages in the discovery and development of native human monoclonal antibodies for use in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases, and cancers. Website http://www.enumeral.com Transaction … Continue reading “Enumeral Biomedical Receives $2,016,250 New Financing”
Mashwork Lands $1,500,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=67e791ce-c7ba-4337-97a0-68c3980f91db Date 5/7/2014 Company Name Mashwork Mailing Address 11 W. 25th St. 7th Floor New York, NY 10010 USA Company Description Since 2010, Mashwork analysts have been delivering reports to the world’s top brands. Our observations led us to creating Canvs and assure us it’s a compelling tool. Website http://www.canvs.tv Transaction Type … Continue reading “Mashwork Lands $1,500,000 New Financing”
A Little Look at Big Data: Microsoft Research NYC Opens Up for a Visit
Monday night, in New York’s Flatiron District, Microsoft Research opened its doors to give the world a glimpse of what its data scientists are up to. Jennifer Chayes, co-founder of the New York lab and managing director at Microsoft Research New England in Cambridge, MA, cut the ribbon last evening for the latest home of … Continue reading “A Little Look at Big Data: Microsoft Research NYC Opens Up for a Visit”
Burnt Out? Try a ‘Careercation’
You’re CRAZY! I was getting used to hearing that when I told family and friends that I was selling everything I owned and buying one-way tickets to New Zealand to travel around the world with my wife and 10-month-old daughter. After being a serial entrepreneur for over a decade, I was flat burnt out. I … Continue reading “Burnt Out? Try a ‘Careercation’”
Segterra Scores $2.5M to Shed Some Blood in Personal Health Tracking
Personal health and wellness continues to climb the tech-investment charts. Now a Boston-area startup is getting in on the action, thanks to a prominent New York investor. Segterra, the maker of Web-based health platform InsideTracker, has quietly raised a $2.5 million Series A funding round from New York bigwig Henry Kauftheil. The new money brings … Continue reading “Segterra Scores $2.5M to Shed Some Blood in Personal Health Tracking”
Adcade Garners $5,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=061ff0ba-6a39-4e10-b4d1-cd816c0c6963 Date 5/6/2014 Company Name Adcade Mailing Address 110 5th Ave Fifth Floor New York, NY 10011 USA Company Description The Next Generation of Mobile Advertising. Providing advertisers, publishers and developers with the resources and capabilities to achieve their marketing or monetization goals. Website http://www.adcade.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 … Continue reading “Adcade Garners $5,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
First Class of Startups Chosen for New York Fashion Tech Lab
Fashion has always been huge in New York, and now a local lab created to nurture tech startups in this industry is welcoming its inaugural class. The New York Fashion Tech Lab is a collaborative effort by Springboard Enterprises, the Partnership Fund for New York City, and others. The eight chosen startups will go through a … Continue reading “First Class of Startups Chosen for New York Fashion Tech Lab”
4 Weeks Until Our Napa Summit on June 2-3–Request Your Invitation
We all know it’s important to get out of our boxes at times. By taking in new ideas from leaders outside of our own fields, we can return to face day-to-day challenges with fresh perspective and energy. Sometimes getting out of the box also means getting out of our comfort zones. But sometimes it’s better … Continue reading “4 Weeks Until Our Napa Summit on June 2-3–Request Your Invitation”
Organizing For Aging—An Investment Imperative
Starting now, venture capitalists should reflect on an opportunity that probably occupies them very little. They know they are in the medical progress business, having financed numerous hard-won successes in developing drugs and diagnostics for rare diseases. Along with general material progress, the application of DNA science and genomics in biotechnology is giving millions of … Continue reading “Organizing For Aging—An Investment Imperative”
Cultivating Accountability in the Workplace
Accountability is one of the most important aspects of any business. A company that holds its employees accountable for the choices they make and the tasks they perform witnesses high levels of productivity and efficiency. In a startup too, a shared sense of accountability among employees makes all the difference in how they approach their … Continue reading “Cultivating Accountability in the Workplace”
Equity Crowdfunding Platform Return on Change Has Million-Dollar Baby
It may happen in careful, tiptoeing steps, but a local equity crowdfunding platform is maturing. On Wednesday, New York-based Return on Change revealed that a cleantech startup, Geostellar, used its website to close a $1 million round. It is the first company using Return on Change to break seven figures in one campaign, giving some … Continue reading “Equity Crowdfunding Platform Return on Change Has Million-Dollar Baby”
Soft Spots: Five Places Where Silicon Valley’s Bubble Could Pop
The main premise of J.J. Abrams’ Fringe—unquestionably one of the three best sci-fi shows made for television in this century, alongside Battlestar Galactica and Doctor Who—is that there’s a second, nearly identical universe coterminous with ours. The wall between the parallel worlds remains impenetrable until a grief-stricken scientist, Walter Bishop, figures out how to cross … Continue reading “Soft Spots: Five Places Where Silicon Valley’s Bubble Could Pop”
Innovation Hub: Jason Fried on the End of the Workplace
Jason Fried wants us to forget about meetings, stop talking to our managers, and avoid coming into the office. Mostly. Fried, the co-founder and CEO of the software company Basecamp, believes many workplaces are dysfunctional and should be reinvented. Why? And what’s Fried’s vision of the new office? I sat down to talk with him … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Jason Fried on the End of the Workplace”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Concert, Merrimack, Vertex, & More
A near-death experience for an IPO, new life for a cancer drug company, and plenty of clinical trial results dot the roundup this week. Those stories and more below. —Lexington, MA-based Concert Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNCE]]) may have priced its IPO at the top of its range earlier this year, but not without a fair bit … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Concert, Merrimack, Vertex, & More”
REDEF Lands $2,250,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9c930a04-f1e1-4330-a693-41cfc46a6c76 Date 5/2/2014 Company Name REDEF Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10017 USA Company Description REDEF is a website that curates news and opinion. Website http://www.mediaredefined.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,250,000 Transaction Round Seed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Venture Investor Venture Investor
Electric Objects Lands $1,700,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3ddb140d-a159-421b-bf78-e834c7545015 Date 5/2/2014 Company Name Electric Objects Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10017 USA Company Description The Internet is full of beautiful objects, and we’re building a screen that lives up to them. We’re going to put the Internet on your wall. Website http://www.electricobjects.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,700,000 … Continue reading “Electric Objects Lands $1,700,000 Seed Funding”
At Two-Year Mark, JOBS Act Is Regulation Even A Biotech Can Love
It’s been two years since President Obama signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act into law and revamped the rules that govern private companies trying to raise money from all types of investors. The biotech crowd, usually hard pressed to find good things to say about federal regulation, couldn’t be more pleased with the … Continue reading “At Two-Year Mark, JOBS Act Is Regulation Even A Biotech Can Love”
Halo Neuroscience Receives $1,500,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c86ac722-7408-4b7c-860e-0af1d6ed8a45 Date 5/1/2014 Company Name Halo Neuroscience Mailing Address 33 W. 17th Street 4th Floor New York, NY 10011 USA Company Description Neuromodulation technology that elevates cognitive performance. Halo is developing a novel, simple, and powerful neuroscience-based technology for enhancing performance on cognitive tasks, for the healthy and impaired. Website http://www.haloneuro.com Transaction … Continue reading “Halo Neuroscience Receives $1,500,000 New Funding Round”
VGTel Secures $2,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3827dcec-e7e1-4dd4-8c44-67beca364f40 Date 5/1/2014 Company Name VGTel Mailing Address 400 Rella Blvd. Montebello, NY 10901 USA Company Description Through acquisitions and organic growth, VGTel is striving to become a major player in the charitable and internet sweepstakes gaming industries. This is an explosive growth area revolving around the distribution of sweepstakes gaming machines … Continue reading “VGTel Secures $2,000,000 New Funding”
MakeSpace Garners $8,100,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=081e4fcf-6c6c-4d3c-b9e5-f19001c259ad Date 5/1/2014 Company Name MakeSpace Mailing Address 120 Walker St. New York, NY 10013 USA Company Description A MakeSpace professional hand-delivers our high quality plastic bins to your home or office for free. We can also pick up other items. Our driver will wait while you pack your bins, or pack … Continue reading “MakeSpace Garners $8,100,000 Series A Round”
Data, Dinner Parties, and . . . a Monkey Take Over ERA Demo Day
Everyone relax; it was not a real monkey lurking around the presenters’ stage at demo day. On Tuesday, 10 startups graduated from the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) in New York. A diverse array of themes were on display. Part of the class presented ideas for helping businesses understand and use data; other startups had a … Continue reading “Data, Dinner Parties, and . . . a Monkey Take Over ERA Demo Day”
New Napa Speakers: Kawasaki on Startups, Ashenfelter on Wine
McLuhan said that the medium is the message. Here at Xconomy, we agree, and we think it even goes for the venues we pick for our events. When we hold a big conference in a university lecture hall, the message we’re sending is: deep thoughts and nuanced arguments coming. If we gather at the campus … Continue reading “New Napa Speakers: Kawasaki on Startups, Ashenfelter on Wine”
BioPharma Learns From Marvel, Begins Real Life Search For “X-Men”
Biopharma employees read, as you might expect, a wide spectrum of scientific journals and trade publications. What might be surprising is that their reading lists appear to have expanded recently to include classic Marvel comics. What’s led me to this conclusion? The Belgian pharmaceutical company UCB has sponsored an Innovation Challenge on the InnoCentive Website … Continue reading “BioPharma Learns From Marvel, Begins Real Life Search For “X-Men””
Blue Apron Garners $50,000,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1a79064b-1cc5-482e-830f-9336107ce62b Date 4/30/2014 Company Name Blue Apron Mailing Address 324 Maujer Street Brooklyn, NY 11206 USA Company Description Blue Apron is a new concept in grocery delivery, built around incredible cooking experiences. We offer a once-a-week subscription service where we deliver all the fresh ingredients you need to make 3 meals, in … Continue reading “Blue Apron Garners $50,000,000 Series C Financing”
Seeking Tau: BMS Buys iPierian and Brain-Disease Program for $175M
Born five years ago from the merger of two cutting-edge stem cell companies, iPierian has agreed to an acquisition. Bristol-Myers Squibb is buying the South San Francisco-based biotech firm for $175 million upfront, with potentially $550 million more based on the progress of iPierian’s pipeline of antibodies to treat tau-mediated neurodegenerative disease. Details of those … Continue reading “Seeking Tau: BMS Buys iPierian and Brain-Disease Program for $175M”
Mobile App Hitlist Aims to Be a Travel Agent with Social Connections
Why choose a trip destination alone when friends can help? That is the central pitch behind the Hitlist app developed by TripCommon in New York. This recent entry in digital travel booking helps users consult friends while figuring out where they want to go on vacation. Getting the input of people who have already been … Continue reading “Mobile App Hitlist Aims to Be a Travel Agent with Social Connections”
What’s Hot in Boston Biotech: The Photos
Biogen Idec’s executive vice president of Research & Development, Douglas Williams said it best: “What’s hot in biotech? I’d say damn near everything.” Williams, of course, was kicking off the festivities at Xconomy Boston’s latest life sciences event, “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech,” on April 16. Attendees then got a taste of the big ideas … Continue reading “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech: The Photos”
Milwaukee Has Startup Ecosystem Elements, Awaits Chain Reaction
Obviously the startup communities on the coasts are different than those in “flyover country” (as it is often referred to). I’d like to comment on some of the differences between two startup communities I am familiar with: Boston and Milwaukee. While I grew up in Milwaukee, I left after high school to go to MIT … Continue reading “Milwaukee Has Startup Ecosystem Elements, Awaits Chain Reaction”
WorkFusion Lands $15,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=94b262fa-3ea8-46b2-920c-495f4322a38c Date 4/29/2014 Company Name WorkFusion Mailing Address 885 Third Avenue New York, NY 10022 USA Company Description WorkFusion is a software-as-a-service crowd computing platform that turns enterprise knowledge processes into online workflows, automates repetitive work, crowdsources judgment work, and focuses subject matter experts on high-value work. Website http://www.workfusion.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “WorkFusion Lands $15,000,000 Series B Funding”
SOLS Lands $6,400,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1e6fe3b8-1e28-4276-a05c-8b875682fc23 Date 4/29/2014 Company Name SOLS Mailing Address 1201 Broadway New York, NY 11000 USA Company Description Throw out everything you know about orthotics, and enter SOLS. An easier way to do it with fast, repeatable results. Spring into action sooner. Website http://www.sols.co Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $6,400,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “SOLS Lands $6,400,000 Series A Financing Round”
Sprinklr Obtains $40,000,000 Series D Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=67ded2f7-997a-4e27-bad5-605fe954b6f5 Date 4/29/2014 Company Name Sprinklr Mailing Address 29 West 35th Street 8th Floor New York, NY 10001 USA Company Description Sprinklr was founded on the core idea that it is not only possible for large enterprises to successfully adapt to the realities of a world dominated by mobile, social, and network-empowered … Continue reading “Sprinklr Obtains $40,000,000 Series D Funding”
“Top of Rockies” Honors Xconomy’s Davidson with 2 First Place Awards
We’re proud to report this morning that one of our own has added his name to the summit log in the “Top of the Rockies” journalism competition awards, a program organized by the Colorado Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Michael Davidson, who joined Xconomy just over a year ago as editor of … Continue reading ““Top of Rockies” Honors Xconomy’s Davidson with 2 First Place Awards”
Get a Room: HotelTonight Helps Travelers Plan Spontaneous Trips
Big travel sites like Expedia and Priceline have been around since the dawn of the Internet age, but a local startup with a lot of venture backing is offering something different. HotelTonight allows users to snag unsold, discounted hotel rooms at the last minute, starting at 9 am the day they want to book. Instead … Continue reading “Get a Room: HotelTonight Helps Travelers Plan Spontaneous Trips”