Between the digital content being squeezed into televisions and the perpetual stream of new hardware, sitting down to watch a show is far from simple these days. Companies such as Flingo in San Francisco and Stockholm-based Accedo Broadband, which got a foothold in Brooklyn last fall, develop apps and platforms designed to enhance TV viewing. … Continue reading “Flingo, Accedo Broadband, and Others Cram New Tricks into Smart TVs”
Category: New York
The Problem With Kickstarter
Kickstarter helped pioneer crowdfunding for creative projects. It has been enormously successful. The Kickstarter model is to set a fundraising goal. If the project meets its goal, the money is transferred to the creators to fund the development of the project. Kickstarter collects a 5 percent fee, the creator gets funding, and the backers get … Continue reading “The Problem With Kickstarter”
How the TCA is Making 2013 The Year of the Angel Investor
A number of pundits have been claiming that angel investment is waning, and that such funding opportunities will remain few and far between for deserving startups seeking to take their innovations to market. I beg to differ. In fact, 2013 could very well be the year of the angel investor. Case in point: Southern California’s … Continue reading “How the TCA is Making 2013 The Year of the Angel Investor”
Thuzio Lands $2,265,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0f8b1233-2872-4172-96f1-55bdc27c9212&Preview=1 Date 1/17/2013 Company Name Thuzio Mailing Address 211 East 48th Street New York, NY 10017 Company Description Thuzio is an online marketplace to connect enthusiasts with professional talent for experiences, live instruction and events. Website http://www.thuzio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,265,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “Thuzio Lands $2,265,000 New Financing Round”
Early Stage Deals, Cleantech Collapse Drive 2012 VC Trends
They were two of the major storylines in startup investing this past year: The collapse of cleantech and the march of venture capitalists into earlier stages. Now, we’ve got some fresh numbers to help illustrate those trends. A new report out today by CB Insights, a New York-based VC research firm, shows that venture investors … Continue reading “Early Stage Deals, Cleantech Collapse Drive 2012 VC Trends”
Flatiron Health Lands $8,000,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e9f0a150-de2a-4c61-8c83-2e1d56b163cb&Preview=1 Date 1/16/2013 Company Name Flatiron Health Mailing Address 200 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10003 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 … Continue reading “Flatiron Health Lands $8,000,000 Series A Round”
California To Hit Startup Founders with Big Retroactive Tax Bills
California is a great place to live and work, but it is not a particularly friendly place to start and run a small business. In 1999, I co-founded Sagient Research Systems, an enterprise-focused data company in San Diego. Over the ensuing 13 years we tinkered, triumphed, failed, and even tempted bankruptcy. But through it all, … Continue reading “California To Hit Startup Founders with Big Retroactive Tax Bills”
Pontiflex Receives $6,231,879 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=60543aa3-cacc-468c-a181-238c5e246e6c&Preview=1 Date 1/15/2013 Company Name Pontiflex Mailing Address 45 Main St. Brooklyn, NY 11201 Company Description Pontiflex powers a new kind of mobile advertising platform: Signup Ads. Signup Ads are a simple and 100% opt-in way for people to hear more from brands they like. People can sign up without leaving the … Continue reading “Pontiflex Receives $6,231,879 New Financing Round”
Marvell Gives a Glimpse of the New OLPC Laptop, Bearing Its Tech Inside
Part of the fun during last week’s International CES in Las Vegas was coming across surprises, such as Marvell of Santa Clara, CA bringing along the yet-to-be released new computer from the One Laptop Per Child project. The nonprofit OLPC project, whose foundation is based in Cambridge, MA, develops rugged, inexpensive laptops for children in … Continue reading “Marvell Gives a Glimpse of the New OLPC Laptop, Bearing Its Tech Inside”
Why Women Tech Execs Can and Must Thrive on Risk
The stereotypical image of women as risk avoiders is changing fast. More women are occupying the boardroom, making important strategic decisions, and taking on high-risk responsibilities as CEOs, CFOs, and even chief risk officers. As a woman who worked her way up to various executive roles, and now as the CEO of a governance, risk, … Continue reading “Why Women Tech Execs Can and Must Thrive on Risk”
If You’ve Got a Real Breakthrough, the FDA Wants To Talk
If you ever want to have an interesting chat with a healthcare journalist, ask about use of the word “breakthrough.” Like many reporters, I generally avoid it. The word may be good for generating eyeballs/pageviews/ratings, but it’s usually an exaggeration that serves the financial interest of drugmakers and gives patients false hope. Sometimes, though, breakthroughs … Continue reading “If You’ve Got a Real Breakthrough, the FDA Wants To Talk”
eHealth Global Technologies Receives $4,800,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e301eaae-da7f-43ce-a8d1-564f3aadae1f&Preview=1 Date 1/14/2013 Company Name eHealth Global Technologies Mailing Address 140 Allens Creek Rd . Rochester, NY 14618 Company Description eHealth Global utilizes pioneering information technology to retrieve external medical records and images, and securely deliver them electronically to healthcare providers. This technology is also utilized to provide automated access to all … Continue reading “eHealth Global Technologies Receives $4,800,000 New Funding”
Women ARE Running Startups
There has been tremendous sensationalizing of the women and entrepreneurship issue. Self-proclaimed (male) pundits pontificate on how women entrepreneurs face tremendous obstacles, huge prejudice. I disagree. A blog post that I wrote on the subject in October 2010 still garners readership and discussions. Meanwhile, our 1M/1M virtual incubator continues to work with women entrepreneurs actively, … Continue reading “Women ARE Running Startups”
Livestream Reveals Updated Video Broadcaster Built with Verizon’s Help
New York’s Livestream this week showed off the fruits of its collaboration with the Verizon Innovation Center in Waltham, MA, unveiling an updated video broadcasting device at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Max Haot, Livestream’s CEO and co-founder, talked up the new broadcaster equipped with a Verizon 4G modem when he came by the wireless provider’s … Continue reading “Livestream Reveals Updated Video Broadcaster Built with Verizon’s Help”
Polaris’s Dogpatch Labs Evolving in Boston, Dublin, Closing in NY, Palo Alto
Big changes are afoot in Polaris Ventures’ network of startup incubators, known as Dogpatch Labs. The short story: Dogpatch in Cambridge, MA, is moving from its current office, subleased from Microsoft, to a nearby space in Kendall Square run by the Cambridge Innovation Center. Dogpatch in Dublin, Ireland, is ramping up. And the Dogpatch offices … Continue reading “Polaris’s Dogpatch Labs Evolving in Boston, Dublin, Closing in NY, Palo Alto”
Turning On to Live Internet Radio with TuneIn
Radio. It’s my periodic obsession, my news lifeline, my aural ecosystem. It’s the most antique of electronic media, yet at the same time, it’s evolving as fast as the Internet, perhaps faster. Where is radio going? How will it thrive? What will it look like (or sound like) in an era when every phone, tablet, … Continue reading “Turning On to Live Internet Radio with TuneIn”
8th Annual Stem Cell Summit
More than 30 world leaders in the stem cell industry will convene to make presentations, answer questions, and network. Discussions will focus on investment opportunities, products already in use and the growing market potential. Further information and registration materials can be found here.
East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Bind, Boston Children’s, J&J, More
The life sciences industry was focused on the west coast, not the east, this week. Virtually all of the industry’s movers, shakers, and wannabes were at the 31st Annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco Jan 7-9. My colleague Luke Timmerman will be combing his notebooks for features from this premier industry meeting for … Continue reading “East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Bind, Boston Children’s, J&J, More”
SR Labs Secures $53,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e58f72dd-f604-4d3a-854a-1078ae82a9f3&Preview=1 Date 1/11/2013 Company Name SR Labs Mailing Address 11 Broadway New York, NY 10004 Company Description Street Response Laboratories (SR Labs) provides complete electronic trading solutions for the Financial Industry, enabling them to meet the challenges of rapid change, business efficiency and performance. The focus of SR Labs is to combine … Continue reading “SR Labs Secures $53,000,000 New Financing Round”
Refinery29 Receives $3,525,004 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=aac4c7f6-5f68-4baf-afb6-79e0405b356b&Preview=1 Date 1/11/2013 Company Name Refinery29 Mailing Address 30 Cooper Square 4th Floor New York, NY 10003 Company Description Refinery29 is the cornerstone of fashion, beauty, and shopping for a new generation. Combining daily local newsletter editions and a website that serves as a global style hub, Refinery29 offers the only 360-degree … Continue reading “Refinery29 Receives $3,525,004 New Round”
BetterCloud Garners $5,000,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e1a94c0f-9532-4f56-b1b2-cecad9d0f7f8&Preview=1 Date 1/11/2013 Company Name BetterCloud Mailing Address 86 Chambers St New York, NY 10007 Company Description BetterCloud is a leading provider of Software-as-a-Service solutions for organizations of all sizes operating on the Google Apps platform. Website http://www.bettercloud.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Funding … Continue reading “BetterCloud Garners $5,000,000 Series A Funding”
Binary Event Network Receives New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=777e0a77-41a0-4b04-8fe3-f883b0e21c73&Preview=1 Date 1/11/2013 Company Name Binary Event Network Mailing Address 265 Canal Street New York, NY 10013 Company Description Founded in January 2011 by a group of financial and media industry veterans, BEN combines a global financial exchange platform with proprietary real-time content to create a new interactive experience for live events. … Continue reading “Binary Event Network Receives New Financing”
Feld, Herron, and O’Driscoll Talk Startups and Investments at Eureka Park
Beyond the glitz of new big ticket electronics, startup innovations sparked chatter at this year’s International CES in Las Vegas—especially after a trio of high-profile VCs came to Eureka Park, the startup-focused exhibitor area at the show. Frank Gruber, founder of Las Vegas–based media company and events organizer Tech Cocktail, moderated the spirited chat that … Continue reading “Feld, Herron, and O’Driscoll Talk Startups and Investments at Eureka Park”
Innovation or Litigation?
The story of the year in the technology industry has to be HP’s claims that it was deceived by Autonomy in the $11 billion purchase of the software company. The questions of who knew what, and who did (or didn’t) do what, will be discussed and debated for years. And as many business and technology … Continue reading “Innovation or Litigation?”
Got Cancer? Sorry, There’s No App for That
That’s right. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are no apps for treating Parkinson’s either. Or ALS. Or Alzheimer’s, or one of a large number of other diseases I could name and you don’t want to have. Numerous pharma and biotech companies have created more than a hundred different apps, … Continue reading “Got Cancer? Sorry, There’s No App for That”
GlobalServe Receives $3,284,102 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2c798a99-5925-450c-a5b6-1acbb979bbad&Preview=1 Date 1/10/2013 Company Name GlobalServe Mailing Address 200 Summit Lake Drive Second Floor Valhalla, NY 10595 Company Description A brief overview of our company, our vision, mission and values. Further information on the solutions we provide or the services we offer can be found in the corresponding sections of the site. … Continue reading “GlobalServe Receives $3,284,102 New Financing”
Access 360 Media Obtains $2,250,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=acc45d90-683e-4947-aaba-2712ce906840&Preview=1 Date 1/10/2013 Company Name Access 360 Media Mailing Address 44 East 39th Street 9th Floor New York, NY 10016 Company Description ACCESS 360 Media is a media network that connects to over 30 million young adult consumers (P12-34) each month, in the places and through the communication platforms that matter most … Continue reading “Access 360 Media Obtains $2,250,000 New Financing Round”
15th Annual Bio CEO & Investor Conference
Sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the CEO & Investor Conference is the largest investor conference focused on established and emerging publicly traded biotech companies. This year for the first time there will also be a presentation track for selected private biotech companies. More information and registration forms can be found here.
‘Small Ball’ Investing as an Alternative Model in Life Sciences
The phrase “the VC model is broken” has become cliché over the past few years. Many theories on why this is the case have been posed, including Sequoia Capital’s Douglas Leone, who told a VC conference at MIT last month, “Big is completely the enemy of great.” I agree with Leone; in fact, I have … Continue reading “‘Small Ball’ Investing as an Alternative Model in Life Sciences”
Aereo Lands $38,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c693b38e-b45d-4bf7-95de-da929f0fb878&Preview=1 Date 1/9/2013 Company Name Aereo Mailing Address 37-18 Northern Blvd Long Island City, NY 11101 Company Description Aereo is a bold new technology that revolutionizes the way consumers watch broadcast TV. Based in New York, NY, Bamboom provides the only true infrastructure platform that enables consumers to access live, over-the-air television … Continue reading “Aereo Lands $38,000,000 Series B Funding”
Programming Literacy Done Right: It’s About the Tools
Bonnie Nardi is an anthropologist who studies interactions between humans and computers. In 1993, she published her first book, A Small Matter of Programming. The book’s thesis is bold and simple: every human being can, and should, learn to program computers. The book didn’t get much attention outside of academia and is now long out … Continue reading “Programming Literacy Done Right: It’s About the Tools”
Krossover Obtains $300,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6157940f-393d-4afd-b1a6-6e79d6c0d122&Preview=1 Date 1/8/2013 Company Name Krossover Mailing Address 100 Riverside Blvd Unit 5J New York, NY 10069 Company Description Krossover Intelligence is a New York City based technology company with a focus on the online video search industry. The company’s first vertical of choice is the sports world, with the aim of … Continue reading “Krossover Obtains $300,000 New Round”
NJ Coworking Spaces Chase Momentum on the Other Side of the Hudson
Rather than let the New York innovation community have all the fun, patches of startups are sprouting up across the Hudson River in New Jersey. The Garden State’s innovation scene is more diffuse compared with the concentrated activity in Manhattan and Brooklyn. But New Jersey coworking spaces such as JuiceTank Innovation Lab and Cowerks are … Continue reading “NJ Coworking Spaces Chase Momentum on the Other Side of the Hudson”
Biotech CEOs See Insurers as the New Boogeymen, Not FDA
Most biotech executives would have said a few years ago that the FDA was the No. 1 barrier standing in the way of business success. It was the one thing they worried about most. But now biotech CEOs appear to be more concerned about a new kind of threat, coming from the people who pay … Continue reading “Biotech CEOs See Insurers as the New Boogeymen, Not FDA”
My Report Card for JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Picks
Forecasting trends in an industry that you cover every day, if you take time to think about it, is not that hard. Checking back a year later to see how right you were? That can be a little uncomfortable. Rather than add to the pile of predictions people have already made about biotech in 2013, … Continue reading “My Report Card for JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Picks”
Mobility and Big Data: Why They Need Each Other to Thrive
Mobile devices and apps will generate seven exabytes of data by 2015, a number that will continue to double and perhaps triple each year. Not only are huge volumes of data/content being communicated through mobile networks, but there has been unexpected growth in related communications and transactions, such as: —Salesforce.com getting 60 percent of its … Continue reading “Mobility and Big Data: Why They Need Each Other to Thrive”
Return Path Garners $4,246,098 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=75da9a21-27e3-4c6f-bcfb-70b33f570396&Preview=1 Date 1/7/2013 Company Name Return Path Mailing Address 304 Park Avenue South 7th floor New York, NY 10010 Company Description Return Path has helped top marketers build relevant relationships with their customers, generating higher response rates and achieving significant returns on investment with their email program. Website http://www.returnpath.net Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Return Path Garners $4,246,098 New Financing”
IAC Acquires Tutor.com for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5bc7ed40-2896-4d30-9130-18d093bb2f94&Preview=1 Date 1/7/2013 Company Name Tutor.com Mailing Address 40 Fulton Street 4th Floor New York, NY 10038 Company Description Tutor.com is the leading provider of one-to-one learning and information solutions. Founded in 1998, Tutor.com has come to leverage the power of the Internet to connect people for personal instruction in any subject, … Continue reading “IAC Acquires Tutor.com for Undisclosed Sum”
Repligen in Drug Development Licensing Deal with Pfizer
In a boost to the drug discovery side of its business, Repligen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RGEN]]) said it has found a very big pharma partner for its spinal muscular atrophy program—New York-based Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]). Pfizer has agreed to pay up to $70 million to Waltham, MA-based Repligen for the licensing rights to any drugs that come out of … Continue reading “Repligen in Drug Development Licensing Deal with Pfizer”
East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Pfizer, J&J, Alkermes, More
Xconomy took Christmas week off, but the FDA didn’t—the agency issued a flurry of new drug approvals in the last two weeks of the year, bringing its total number of approvals for 2012 to 39, the highest yearly total in 16 years. Some of those last minute approvals benefited East Coast companies. (Drumroll, please): —- … Continue reading “East Coast Life Sciences Roundup: Pfizer, J&J, Alkermes, More”
10 Apps That Will Make You Feel Smarter & More Cultured in 2013
Right before the holidays, I shared a list of 20 Must-Have Apps for That Tablet Under the Tree. That list focused on apps for the iPad and Android tablets, and it was intended as an introductory guide for new tablet owners eager to test-drive their gifts with apps that really showcase the capabilities of today’s … Continue reading “10 Apps That Will Make You Feel Smarter & More Cultured in 2013”
Docracy Receives $200,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=53454514-1163-4da8-87d7-351af22b0513&Preview=1 Date 1/4/2013 Company Name Docracy Mailing Address 307 7th Ave Brooklyn, NY 11215 Company Description Docracy’s mission is to help take the mystery and fear out of legal agreements. Website http://www.docracy.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $200,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. … Continue reading “Docracy Receives $200,000 New Funding”
BuzzFeed Lands $19,300,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d1379dc7-7ca3-4d7f-a117-fff6b13bed9b&Preview=1 Date 1/3/2013 Company Name BuzzFeed Mailing Address 54 W. 21st St. 11th Floor New York, NY 10010 Company Description The web is a 24/7 popularity contest. We help the good stuff win.We feature the kind of things you’d want to pass along to your friends: an outrageous video that’s about to … Continue reading “BuzzFeed Lands $19,300,000 New Financing Round”
7 Reasons to Hate the Zipcar-Avis Deal
Some people make New Year’s resolutions. I make a list of reasons to hate the biggest Boston-area tech deal of the new year. I am a grump. Yes, Zipcar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZIP]]), the soon-to-be-Boston-based car-rental company, is being acquired by Avis Budget Group for about half a billion dollars. Yes, the venture capitalists who held onto … Continue reading “7 Reasons to Hate the Zipcar-Avis Deal”
Ultralight Startups—Investor Feedback Forum
Panelists from Brad Harrison Ventures, Lerer Ventures, iNovia Capital, and Paladin Capital Group will discuss financing and startup strategies and pitches from eight innovative startups will be showcased. Registration and more information can be found here.
Zipcar Snatched Up by Avis After Poor Stock Performance
Zipcar’s modern take on rental cars always seemed like it could give the established industry some headaches. Now, the Cambridge, MA-based company will have to tackle that mission from within the establishment. The Avis Budget group announced today that it’s buying Zipcar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZIP]]) for around $500 million. That works out to $12.25 per share, a … Continue reading “Zipcar Snatched Up by Avis After Poor Stock Performance”
CES Countdown: Startups Plant their Flags and Changes Coming to TV
Each January the makers of gadgets big and small bring an electronic carnival to Las Vegas as they tease the world with glimpses of devices they plan to unleash during the coming year. A few changes are in store for next week’s International CES, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center and nearby hotels. After … Continue reading “CES Countdown: Startups Plant their Flags and Changes Coming to TV”
Ending the Culture of Illness through Healthy Eating
[Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading into 2013: What makes you optimistic?] As a person who has worked in the healthcare field for over 25 years, I am extremely optimistic about the recent trend towards the democratization of healthful behavior and … Continue reading “Ending the Culture of Illness through Healthy Eating”
The Fancy Receives $6,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=46cc49d2-ebb0-4f77-8d72-b9321cde4abb&Preview=1 Date 1/1/2013 Company Name The Fancy Mailing Address 401 West 14th Street 4th Floor New York, NY 10014 Company Description Fancy is part store, blog, magazine and wishlist. It’s a place to discover great stuff, to curate a collection of things you love, to get updates on your favorite brands and … Continue reading “The Fancy Receives $6,000,000 New Financing”
FDA Approves J&J Drug for Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis
The Food & Drug Administration today approved the first drug to treat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]) bedaquiline (Sirturo), an important breakthrough in the global fight against one of the world’s deadliest diseases. Made by J&J’s Janssen Therapeutics division, based in Titusville, NJ, bedaquiline is meant for patients who have failed to … Continue reading “FDA Approves J&J Drug for Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis”