With PCSK9’s Origins In Mind, Sanofi Has UT Join Funding Program

International drug maker Sanofi has created a program to fund early drug discovery research at universities, and the Paris-based firm said today The University of Texas System is now on board, bringing the program’s total to seven institutions. Many successful or promising drugs stemmed from early work at universities, including a next-generation cholesterol-lowering treatment that … Continue reading “With PCSK9’s Origins In Mind, Sanofi Has UT Join Funding Program”

Epizyme Extends Celgene Cancer Deal for $10M Upfront

Only three years after Celgene and Epizyme last inked a research collaboration deal, the partners are back at it. Celgene has agreed to pay Epizyme $10 million upfront and as much as $610 million in milestones for the option to license three drug targets Epizyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EPZM]]) is developing, which use its method of inhibiting … Continue reading “Epizyme Extends Celgene Cancer Deal for $10M Upfront”

“Global Health” Must Mean Global Health

The research community and pharmaceutical industry have made many life-saving and life-improving advances in global health over the past 20 years, and that’s certainly life-affirming news. But the time has come to ask ourselves a very pointed, and perhaps uncomfortable, question: “Are we defining ‘global health’ the right way?” And, more specifically, “How do we … Continue reading ““Global Health” Must Mean Global Health”

Quire Talks Equity Crowdfunding & Title III at New York Tech Meetup

For the folks who want to invest in startups, Quire wants to be the way they get a piece of the action. Erin Glenn, CEO, demoed Quire at last night’s New York Tech Meetup (see slideshow), and also discussed how her startup’s plans relate to the continuing evolution of regulations on equity crowdfunding. “The mission … Continue reading “Quire Talks Equity Crowdfunding & Title III at New York Tech Meetup”

For Biotech Cowboys, It’s No Ride Into The Sunset

[Corrected 7/8/15, 3:48pm. See below.] Some people who’ve made it big in biotech drive fast cars. Some take outlandish vacations. Some don’t take any vacations at all. (I’m sure you know the type.) But for a few San Francisco Bay Area biotech veterans, the reward for a long, successful career is the chance to swap … Continue reading “For Biotech Cowboys, It’s No Ride Into The Sunset”

Costanoa Closes $135 M Second Fund To Back Cloud, Data Startups

Costanoa Venture Capital, an early stage investment firm founded in late 2012 with $100 million to manage, enjoyed a quick score by late 2014 when one of its first portfolio companies, Westminster, CO-based Datalogix, drew an acquisition bid from Oracle and shortly sold for a reported $1.2 billion. With that short track record, Palo Alto, … Continue reading “Costanoa Closes $135 M Second Fund To Back Cloud, Data Startups”

Babbel Secures $22,000,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=75965b4a-f75f-4dbe-8ec4-1ddc333044a7 Date 7/8/2015 Company Name Babbel Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10022 USA Company Description Babbel is a comprehensive system for learning languages. Offering fun, multi-media methods and the opportunity to exchange with a community, Babbel has been online since 2008 and boasts over ten million users on the web and … Continue reading “Babbel Secures $22,000,000 Series C Financing”

Likeable Local Garners $500,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b7d5db93-71da-453a-95d2-3f82a36174ff Date 7/8/2015 Company Name Likeable Local Mailing Address 240 W 37th Street New York, NY 10018 USA Company Description We built Likeable Hub with one goal in mind: to help businesses Build, Engage, and Grow through social media. The most comprehensive and truly success-focused suite of features make Likeable Hub the … Continue reading “Likeable Local Garners $500,000 New Funding Round”

BeneStream Obtains $4,263,826 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8bd04b9e-a3b4-489a-a016-5b315652b18b Date 7/8/2015 Company Name BeneStream Mailing Address 220 East 23rd Street New York, NY 10010 USA Company Description BeneStream uses a combination of technology and a multilingual call center to guide workers through the enrollment process and then report back to employers whether an employee has enrolled in Medicaid. Website http://www.benestream.com … Continue reading “BeneStream Obtains $4,263,826 New Round”

WeWork Garners $433,934,331 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1df21d5b-1969-4be2-a028-a6b1a62e78ac Date 7/8/2015 Company Name WeWork Mailing Address 222 Broadway 22nd Floor New York, NY 10038 USA Company Description WeWork members are incredibly diverse, ranging from the startup, freelancer, and artist to the small business and large multinational. One thing we all share is an entrepreneurial spirit and desire to be part … Continue reading “WeWork Garners $433,934,331 New Financing Round”

DigitalOcean Receives $83,000,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7ab88a67-5286-4777-9b1e-e6b8f495d152 Date 7/8/2015 Company Name DigitalOcean Mailing Address 101 Avenue of the Americas 10th Floor New York, NY 10013 USA Company Description DigitalOcean, Inc. is a cloud infrastructure provider focused on simplifying web infrastructure for software developers. The company is headquartered in New York City with data centers throughout the world. Website … Continue reading “DigitalOcean Receives $83,000,000 Series B Round”

Intern Season is Here—But Companies Need A Better Hiring Strategy

It’s summer and that means intern season is in full swing. According to a recent Washington Post piece by Jeffrey Selingo, “More than 70 to 80 percent of new hires at big companies like Facebook, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and eBay come through their internship programs now, compared to about half or less just a decade ago.” … Continue reading “Intern Season is Here—But Companies Need A Better Hiring Strategy”

WeWork Anchoring $380M Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Project

Known for its coworking spaces across country and overseas, New York–based WeWork on Monday said in an e-mail statement sent to Xconomy it had partnered up with developers and the city’s administration to occupy a large chunk of a 675,000-square-foot building to be constructed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There are already lots of coworking spaces … Continue reading “WeWork Anchoring $380M Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Project”

Exosome Diagnostics Secures $1,483,973 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=211ef71a-5f31-4018-a0c0-3fea8ef2ac6e Date 7/7/2015 Company Name Exosome Diagnostics Mailing Address 3960 Broadway New York, NY 10032 USA Company Description Exosome Diagnostics, Inc. is focused on commercializing minimally invasive molecular diagnostics using body fluids. Website http://www.exosomedx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,483,973 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “Exosome Diagnostics Secures $1,483,973 New Financing”

Harry’s Obtains $75,600,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9fca2043-26d9-492d-a91b-affe1c12cd6e Date 7/7/2015 Company Name Harry’s Mailing Address 13 East 16th Street 6th Floor New York, NY 10003 USA Company Description Our mission is to give you the best possible shaving experience – and always at a fair price. By buying our german factory we own the entire process, from grinding high-grade … Continue reading “Harry’s Obtains $75,600,000 New Financing”

mParticle Garners $4,305,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5a1c90be-9909-41cd-b668-dd03ddefb6de Date 7/7/2015 Company Name mParticle Mailing Address 381 Park Ave South New York, NY 10016 USA Company Description mParticle is a mobile technology company based in New York City. The company was founded by the core executive team including the founders of interclick, an advertising technology company acquired by Yahoo in … Continue reading “mParticle Garners $4,305,000 New Funding Round”

East Coast Biotech Roundup: Vertex, Biogen, Sarepta, Juno, & More

What a week it was for life sciences. Two deals worth more than $1 billion dollars each, FDA approval for a long-awaited potential cystic fibrosis drug, and plenty of other news from new and established biotech companies. And all this happened while Xconomy’s Deputy Biotech Editor Ben Fidler is out of the office. Here’s a … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Vertex, Biogen, Sarepta, Juno, & More”

Biopharmaceutical Haiku, Round Two

Ebola doctors Heroic efforts admired Angels of mercy!   Genome sequencing Compare normal with patient Secrets revealed   Next-gen sequencing One big issue still out there Interpretation   Republicans rule Eye Affordable Care Act Newly covered screwed?   2.3 percent Medical devices tax Soon to disappear?   Advertised widely Personalized medicine More substance, less hype … Continue reading “Biopharmaceutical Haiku, Round Two”

Evisors Receives $1,510,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f5af8953-3a64-49d4-9832-e34fb8ad155e Date 7/6/2015 Company Name Evisors Mailing Address 55 Broad St. New York, NY 10004 USA Company Description Evisors provides real and personal conversations over the phone or via email with qualified experts across a range of topics. Website http://www.evisors.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,510,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Evisors Receives $1,510,000 New Financing”

Why I Killed Noncompetes at My Startup—And You Should, Too

There’s a battle brewing in Boston that every local startup founder and employee is closely watching, but the outcome will have implications far beyond Massachusetts. As our state legislature weighs several bills that would ban noncompete agreements, the New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA) and many entrepreneurs, including myself, are arguing that the time is … Continue reading “Why I Killed Noncompetes at My Startup—And You Should, Too”

Cognotion Receives $200,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=859a8fc8-c303-4bba-b1e1-8effa04e0b8b Date 7/2/2015 Company Name Cognotion Mailing Address 1407 Broadway 24th Floor New York, NY 10018 USA Company Description Cognotion was founded on an age-old insight: human beings learn best through story. We craft Optimal Learning Experiences—emotionally and cognitively intense programs that combine interactive video narratives with gamified learning modules, augmented by … Continue reading “Cognotion Receives $200,000 New Round”

CE Week Report: Are Robots Limping Forward or Finding Their Stride?

Perhaps a love of science fiction has ingrained unrealistic expectations in me about the prospects for robots. At CE Week, an annual consumer electronics conference held last week in New York, a variety of robots skittered around among the other gadgets in the showroom area (see slideshow), under the command of their human operators. Whether … Continue reading “CE Week Report: Are Robots Limping Forward or Finding Their Stride?”

PowerToFly Garners $6,500,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9ede993f-f8ca-4839-ae26-6d1056e6c485 Date 7/1/2015 Company Name PowerToFly Mailing Address 560 Broadway New York, NY 10012 USA Company Description As long as your internet connection is strong enough for video chats you can work from anywhere – your home office, a coffee shop, a co-working space, wherever. If you’re self-driven and able to produce … Continue reading “PowerToFly Garners $6,500,000 Series A Financing Round”

One Month Obtains $1,900,000 Seed Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ac244d74-7233-4591-bcd8-ff239947bf7d Date 7/1/2015 Company Name One Month Mailing Address 38 Greene St. 5th Floor New York, NY 10013 USA Company Description One Month’s goal is simple – empower people to change their lives by learning real-world skills, in a short amount of time. The One Month team is comprised of education thought-leaders … Continue reading “One Month Obtains $1,900,000 Seed Round”

Shapeways Gets $30M More, Investing in R&D for 3D Printing Materials

The ramping up of the 3D printing sector continued Tuesday as New York-based Shapeways announced it raised $30 million in a round led by INKEF Capital, with Andreessen Horowitz, Lux Capital, Union Square Ventures, and Index Ventures participating. Corporate venture capitalists Hewlett Packard Ventures and Presidio Ventures, part of Sumitomo Corp., also invested in this funding … Continue reading “Shapeways Gets $30M More, Investing in R&D for 3D Printing Materials”

Corporate VCs Still Out to Prove They Belong At the Deal Table

Though corporate capital may be just a sliver of the overall funding scene, the money is nothing to sneeze it. Corporate venture groups in 2014 invested $5.4 billion in U.S. startups—making up 11 percent of venture dollars spent—across 775 deals. That was the word from a panel at last week’s New York Venture Summit, citing a … Continue reading “Corporate VCs Still Out to Prove They Belong At the Deal Table”

Five Obstacles That Impede Startup Innovation

If you’re building a startup, chances are that you’re aspiring to innovate – to create something new or do something differently. In fact, innovation and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. However, many startups unwittingly create obstacles that hamper innovation in their organization. What are some of those obstacles and how can you avoid them? Fear … Continue reading “Five Obstacles That Impede Startup Innovation”

Shapeways Secures $30,500,008 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4c3af1e5-f78f-4152-84c7-890263fdf4cc Date 6/30/2015 Company Name Shapeways Mailing Address 419 Park Ave South New York, NY 10016 USA Company Description Shapeways is the source for limitless personal production. With a growing online community and marketplace, we’re a NY start-up that harnesses 3D printing to help you make, buy and sell anything you want. … Continue reading “Shapeways Secures $30,500,008 New Financing”

Celgene To Pay $1B For A Big Piece of Juno and T Cell Therapies

[Updated 6/29/15 7:00 pm. See below.] It seemed only a matter of time. One of biotech’s most aggressive deal makers, Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) has struck a wide-ranging, billion-dollar partnership with one of biotech’s highest-profile drug makers, Juno Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JUNO]]), whose T cell therapies are part of a wave of products that could transform the … Continue reading “Celgene To Pay $1B For A Big Piece of Juno and T Cell Therapies”

Milestones of Innovation 9: Early Bird On Station

Fifty years ago, on June 28, 1965, an exotic device named Early Bird made it possible to transmit an uninterrupted live television show across the Atlantic from Europe to America or vice versa. This event, a landmark on the way to today’s interconnected world, happened less than 40 years after the first radio-telephone conversations between … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 9: Early Bird On Station”

Out of the Digital Health Fog, More Investments Are Coming in 2015

Venture capitalists have been talking up the rewards of digital health for some time now, and we are certainly putting our money where our mouth is. Record-breaking dollars continue to flow into health care IT startups. According to Rock Health, digital health saw over $4B in funding in 2014, more than doubling funding from 2013 … Continue reading “Out of the Digital Health Fog, More Investments Are Coming in 2015”

Honest Buildings Receives $5,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e9e86abe-bd4d-495d-b3a6-c09e3bc8ab99 Date 6/29/2015 Company Name Honest Buildings Mailing Address 222 Broadway New York, NY 10038 USA Company Description The Honest Buildings Network helps professionals across the entire real estate industry discover building information, uncover the best companies for your specific needs, highlight the most qualified service providers and organizations, plus much more. … Continue reading “Honest Buildings Receives $5,000,000 New Financing”

NY FinTech Lab Graduates Class, Says U.S. Fintech Investment Booming

According to a report, by Accenture and the Partnership Fund for New York City, $9.89 billion worth of investments went into fintech in 2014 across the U.S., up from $3.39 billion in 2013. That was the word on Thursday at the demo day for the 2015 class of the New York FinTech Innovation Lab. The five-year-old … Continue reading “NY FinTech Lab Graduates Class, Says U.S. Fintech Investment Booming”

How Your Startup Can Run With Unicorns

Have you noticed those unicorns outside your office? Recently, there’s been an uptick in the all-important $1 billion “unicorn” valuation for startups in the tech industry. In the VC-funded startup community, the young companies receiving such valuations are in the media daily. When an entrepreneur considers her unicorn counterparts, it’s not hard to see why … Continue reading “How Your Startup Can Run With Unicorns”

East Coast Biotech Roundup: Flagship, SQZ, Epizyme, IPOs & More

We’ve got a new site launch, local IPOs, and much more to dig through in this week’s roundup. But first, a programming note to you Xconomy readers: I’ll be away on a long break, returning in late July. In the meantime, stay tuned to Alex Lash and David Holley, who will take the lead on … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Flagship, SQZ, Epizyme, IPOs & More”

panOpen Obtains $1,500,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4e1df68e-e464-4891-8eeb-c57a8b2175f5 Date 6/26/2015 Company Name panOpen Mailing Address 111 Route 303 New York, NY 10983 USA Company Description With the panOpen platform, schools of all kinds can make the most of open source course materials. Website http://www.panopen.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company, which … Continue reading “panOpen Obtains $1,500,000 New Financing Round”

Library High: San Francisco Public Library Offers Online Diploma With Cengage

[Corrected 6/26/15, 9:32 am. See below.] Educational technology is often cast as a solution to the high cost of a college degree, which Americans see as the essential gateway to reasonable earnings. But in San Francisco, which has one of the most highly educated populations in the country, more than 30,000 people over 25 lack … Continue reading “Library High: San Francisco Public Library Offers Online Diploma With Cengage”

Tech Training Startup Andela Gets Series A Funds from Spark Capital

Hiring developers, engineers, and other professionals who are remotely located around the world is an emerging trend among some tech companies, but where can more of these workers be found? Andela—based in New York and Lagos, Nigeria—offers training to folks in Africa who have an interest in technology careers, but until now have had limited access … Continue reading “Tech Training Startup Andela Gets Series A Funds from Spark Capital”

Cureatr Receives $13,000,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a07ae0fc-0dc0-40d1-9ac2-10308c19dec2 Date 6/25/2015 Company Name Cureatr Mailing Address 285 W. Broadway New York, NY 10013 USA Company Description Cure­atr is work­ing to rad­i­cally improve how health­care providers com­mu­ni­cate and coor­di­nate care. We were founded in 2011 by physi­cians trained at Colum­bia Uni­ver­sity Col­lege of Physi­cians & Sur­geons and The Mount Sinai Med­ical … Continue reading “Cureatr Receives $13,000,000 Series B Round”

LittleBits Lands $44,200,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cd46a76a-08b4-4a31-80b9-6cdd3722f103 Date 6/25/2015 Company Name LittleBits Mailing Address 60 East 11th St 5th Floor New York, NY 10003 USA Company Description LittleBits is an opensource library of electronic modules that snap together with tiny magnets for prototyping and play. Website http://www.littlebits.cc Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $44,200,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “LittleBits Lands $44,200,000 New Financing”

QuarterSpot Secures $74,904,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=00445915-4eea-427d-84b6-9fc699da4443 Date 6/25/2015 Company Name QuarterSpot Mailing Address 82 Wall Street New York, NY 10005 USA Company Description QuarterSpot is an online lending platform that offers credit-starved small businesses working capital on attractive rates and terms. We accelerate access to capital using advanced technologies that enable instant underwriting and approval, same-day closings … Continue reading “QuarterSpot Secures $74,904,000 New Financing”

Andela Lands Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=87c6edf3-19b5-45de-8b50-cd15c79ecc6b Date 6/25/2015 Company Name Andela Mailing Address 147 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10016 USA Company Description Andela is a global talent accelerator that produces world-class developers and connects them with top employers. Andela finds the brightest young people in Africa and gives them the training and mentorship needed to thrive … Continue reading “Andela Lands Series A Financing Round”

ContraFect Secures $20,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9569dfe0-4bd9-4189-9e60-e7ca9b251233 Date 6/25/2015 Company Name ContraFect Mailing Address 28 Wells Avenue 3rd Floor Yonkers, NY 10701 USA Company Description ContraFect is a biotechnology company pioneering the use of monoclonal antibodies to treat life-threatening infectious diseases. Website http://www.contrafect.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $20,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “ContraFect Secures $20,000,000 New Round”

Introducing Exome, Xconomy’s New Home For Biotech and Health Coverage

By now you’ve had a day or two to meet Exome, Xconomy’s new place for all things life sciences, health, and biotech, which launched Monday. Let me amend that. Some things are new, which I’ll get to in a moment, but some things remain the same: the reporting and analysis you expect from me, Ben … Continue reading “Introducing Exome, Xconomy’s New Home For Biotech and Health Coverage”

Yotpo Receives $15,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c6a7b9a6-a22e-4882-b1da-a8864ad58ad8 Date 6/24/2015 Company Name Yotpo Mailing Address 27 W 24th Street New York, NY 10010 USA Company Description Yotpo is the smartest way to generate customer content, drive traffic and increase conversions. Website http://www.yotpo.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The funding will provide resources … Continue reading “Yotpo Receives $15,000,000 New Financing”

U.S. IPO Activity Loses Steam to PE Deals in First Half of 2015

In the strange times category of today’s innovation news, a preview of IPO activity through the first half of 2015 suggests that market bubbles don’t always rise. In fact, the total number of IPO deals and proceeds actually sank through the first half of 2015, with 101 IPOs raising total proceeds of $19.7 billion, according … Continue reading “U.S. IPO Activity Loses Steam to PE Deals in First Half of 2015”

Formlabs Takes a Step in Making Tough, Durable 3D-Printed Pieces

Can 3D-printed parts be tough enough for load-bearing, hands-on stress? The folks from Formlabs say they are moving, just a bit, in that direction with new material for their desktop printers. The Somerville, MA-based company is visiting New York now for CE Week, an annual conference for consumer electronics. On Tuesday, Formlabs announced the debut … Continue reading “Formlabs Takes a Step in Making Tough, Durable 3D-Printed Pieces”

Houston Dares to Challenge the Bicoastal Model of Biotech Growth

World-class universities, prominent medical institutions, a talented workforce, access to capital and favorable geography are critical factors required to stimulate and support a dynamic regional bioscience industry. Some might believe that these factors only converge along the coasts of New England and California, and many new and growing biotech companies may feel that they are … Continue reading “Houston Dares to Challenge the Bicoastal Model of Biotech Growth”

Welcome To The Sharing Economy. Cancer Researchers Are Next.

We’re sharing everything these days. Rides. Spare rooms. Pictures of things wrapped in bacon. Our thoughts, 24 hours a day. Next up: Cancer data? It can’t come soon enough for Charles Sawyers. Sawyers is one of the world’s most decorated cancer researchers, and his long resumé includes crucial work that helped make imatinib (Gleevec) one … Continue reading “Welcome To The Sharing Economy. Cancer Researchers Are Next.”