Category: New York

Localytics Acquires Splitforce to Personalize Mobile Marketing

Localytics continues its roll. The Boston-based mobile marketing and analytics company announced today it has snapped up Splitforce, a New York startup that Localytics CEO Raj Aggarwal said will help the company advance its vision of bringing a more sophisticated form of marketing to apps. Localytics did not say what it paid for Splitforce. The … Continue reading “Localytics Acquires Splitforce to Personalize Mobile Marketing”

Pop That Bubble: 5 Reasons Biotech Needs A Different Metaphor

Back in April 2011, at a biotech conference in San Francisco, a panel convened to discuss how hard it was to build biotech companies that could push through long, costly clinical trials before a drug comes to market. One panelist hedged to say, well, at least the financial reticence had a silver lining: there was … Continue reading “Pop That Bubble: 5 Reasons Biotech Needs A Different Metaphor”

VC Funding Slows as Big Funds Crowd into Late-Stage Venture Deals

Following a December surge, when U.S. venture firms invested $7.2 billion in 342 deals nationwide, VC activity reset at a lower pace during the first quarter of 2015, according to data being released today by CB Insights. The New York venture capital tracker says VCs invested $11.3 billion in 805 startups over the three months … Continue reading “VC Funding Slows as Big Funds Crowd into Late-Stage Venture Deals”

Alfred Garners $10,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b94a31eb-236a-4198-8f53-09e65351787f Date 4/14/2015 Company Name Alfred Mailing Address 55 W 19th St 4th Floor New York, NY 10011 USA Company Description We’re Alfred, the smart way to take care of weekly errands without actually doing them yourself. Alfred pairs busy individuals (aka you) with organized, knowledgeable, intuitive people who handle all of … Continue reading “Alfred Garners $10,000,000 New Funding”

Estimize Lands $3,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=822eb060-8d47-4c98-9974-42e5451e47ed Date 4/14/2015 Company Name Estimize Mailing Address 175 Varick Street 4th Floor New York, NY 10013 USA Company Description Estimize is the first open source financial estimates platform. A diverse community of members from the top hedge funds and asset management firms, to independent analysts and investors, corporate finance professionals and … Continue reading “Estimize Lands $3,000,000 Series B Financing”

Localytics Acquires Splitforce for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=34e281f2-a5b7-42f1-85b9-79a02f913013 Date 4/14/2015 Company Name Splitforce Mailing Address 1845 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd. New York, NY 10026 USA Company Description Splitforce provides easy A/B testing for iOS, Android and Unity apps. Website http://www.splitforce.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction were … Continue reading “Localytics Acquires Splitforce for Undisclosed Sum”

NASA’s Space Apps Challenge Tries to Coax More Women to Data Science

Space exploration could launch more diversity in the technology scene. Over the weekend, NASA held its annual International Space Apps Challenge, a hackathon that encourages the development of new ideas that relate to the space agency’s mission. Once again, New York was the global headquarters and epicenter of the hackathon, with Space Apps NYC serving … Continue reading “NASA’s Space Apps Challenge Tries to Coax More Women to Data Science”

Peer-to-Peer Lending Grows Up, and Gets Wall Street’s Attention

[Corrected 4/14/15, 11:31 am. See below] Borrowing money, or refinancing borrowed money, is easier now than it’s ever been as new online lenders put credit lines just a few clicks away. And now the traditional titans of Wall Street are jumping on board. In the last decade, a handful of online lending companies have chipped away … Continue reading “Peer-to-Peer Lending Grows Up, and Gets Wall Street’s Attention”

East Coast Biotech Roundup: Cellectis, Bristol, What’s Hot & More

We’re going on a biotech road trip this week, from the Garden State to Beantown. Just after finding the venture backers for a $150 million life sciences fund, New York biotech got another jolt with the arrival of a high-profile French company. A startup in New Jersey grabbed over $70 million and looks poised for … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Cellectis, Bristol, What’s Hot & More”

Making Kids’ Art Last As Digital & Real World Memories with Keepy

There is a competitive niche in the innovation scene aimed at parents and families; last night I met a startup founder who wants to turn kids’ artwork into digital keepsakes. Think of the Keepy app as an interactive family album or a virtual refrigerator door. Parents using Keepy can capture images of their kids’ drawings … Continue reading “Making Kids’ Art Last As Digital & Real World Memories with Keepy”

Innovation Hub: Why Science Plays Small Ball

The scientific revolution has ended. Or, at least it’s on pause, according to Roberta Ness, vice president of innovation at the University of Texas Health Science Center. She believes that science’s most promising thinkers aren’t taking big enough risks. They’re not researching the next penicillin or investigating new theories of relativity; they’re playing it safe. … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Why Science Plays Small Ball”

Tax Time Alert: Key Things to Know About Founders Preferred Stock

As you gather and review tax papers for your return, be sure to inform your accountant if you hold founders’ preferred stock, or if you sold a block of it in 2014. Your CPA might not think to ask you about this because so few entrepreneurs hold this class of stock. As recently as 20 … Continue reading “Tax Time Alert: Key Things to Know About Founders Preferred Stock”

Seven Takeaways From “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech”

Sure, things may look great now, but it wasn’t long ago that Kendall Square was a biotech ghost town—and the good times might come to an end if we’re not careful. Meanwhile, gene therapy, cell therapy, and microbiome research look poised to make an impact on healthcare—just don’t overlook the hurdles that remain, or underestimate … Continue reading “Seven Takeaways From “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech””

PeerIQ Obtains $6,000,000 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5dd9af0d-d1d6-493e-aa41-6630aa7166f1 Date 4/10/2015 Company Name PeerIQ Mailing Address 205 East 42nd St. New York, NY 10017 USA Company Description We are a financial information services company that creates tools to analyze, access and manage risk in the peer-to-peer lending sector. We aim to strengthen the P2P sector by increasing transparency, improving investment … Continue reading “PeerIQ Obtains $6,000,000 Seed Funding”

Edge Brings in VC Backers, Gets $72.5M For Head Injury Drug

With former Celgene CEO Sol Barer and famed MIT professor Bob Langer among its advisors and directors, Edge Therapeutics has always had some star power behind it. Now the Berkeley Heights, NJ-based startup has a big investor syndicate too. Edge revealed today that it’s closed two different financing rounds together worth about $72.5 million: a … Continue reading “Edge Brings in VC Backers, Gets $72.5M For Head Injury Drug”

Techstars NYC Alum Dash Brings Connected Cars to NY Tech Meetup

Tuesday night was a chance to catch up with a few familiar faces from New York’s innovation scene—and to bid adieu to a longtime fixture of New York Tech Meetup. Before the demos from Dash and others got rolling, Jessica Lawrence, NYTM’s executive director, brought Nate Westheimer back to the stage one more time via … Continue reading “Techstars NYC Alum Dash Brings Connected Cars to NY Tech Meetup”

Lender Dealstruck Plans Expansion With $58M Equity, Credit Funding

Dealstruck, the San Diego-based lender to small- and medium-sized businesses, announced it has raised an $8.3 million round of equity funding led by Trinity Ventures and a new $50 million credit facility led by Brevet Capital Management. The new financing brings Dealstruck’s lending capacity to more than $100 million, the company said, and will be used … Continue reading “Lender Dealstruck Plans Expansion With $58M Equity, Credit Funding”

Astro Lands $2,523,550 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=90fdeb8a-8344-47a9-ba7e-56d027a09e3d Date 4/8/2015 Company Name Astro Mailing Address 350 W 39th Street New York, NY 10018 USA Company Description Astro is focused on redefining the smart home experience by creating easy-to-use, plug-and-play devices. Our products require no installation, no new infrastructure, and no new wireless networks. We are truly the next generation … Continue reading “Astro Lands $2,523,550 New Funding”

NSONE Secures $5,350,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3143e5eb-9555-4dc4-9182-8418976e4a91 Date 4/8/2015 Company Name NSONE Mailing Address 225 Broadway New York, NY 10007 USA Company Description If you’re here, chances are you care about the deep, underlying technologies that power the internet. Well, you’re in good company. Our team has a long history in building global content delivery networks, public cloud … Continue reading “NSONE Secures $5,350,000 Series A Round”

Amberjack Secures $500,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7d621c0b-8990-46d5-be89-a63b0f6be3f9 Date 4/8/2015 Company Name Amberjack Mailing Address 228 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10003 USA Company Description Amberjack was founded by two anglers from Maine and Montana who want to help people spend less time in front of computers and more time out on the water with family and friends. … Continue reading “Amberjack Secures $500,000 Seed Funding Round”

TriPlay Obtains $11,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0831007a-4b9f-4546-b273-6341a6e4843c Date 4/7/2015 Company Name TriPlay Mailing Address 902 Broadway New York, NY 10010 USA Company Description TriPlay is all about using innovative technologiesthat keep people connectedIn today’s digital world, more than ever, people rely upon digital media to compliment their everyday activities – listening to music, looking at photos, watching videos … Continue reading “TriPlay Obtains $11,000,000 New Funding”

Spongecell Receives $4,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=26d72ee7-9313-45f5-8940-885a6e6e0a48 Date 4/7/2015 Company Name Spongecell Mailing Address 261 Madison Avenue 12th Floor New York, NY 10016 USA Company Description Spongecell transforms standard banner ads into dynamic flash ads with rich media-like functionality. The multi-media ads engage audiences longer, use no more real estate than a standard banner ad, and keep users … Continue reading “Spongecell Receives $4,000,000 New Funding Round”

Automotive Innovation Not Just About Connected Cars and Apps

It is not every day that an all-electric car breaks 300 mph. This year’s New York International Auto Show is underway, and amid the high performance roadsters and SUVs are a few ideas trying to shake up the status quo in cars. Typically the big automakers at such events talk up the ways their cars … Continue reading “Automotive Innovation Not Just About Connected Cars and Apps”

Gene Therapy’s Rebirth Continues With Bristol, UniQure Cardio Deal

There’s no doubt at this point that gene therapy research, after a decade proceeding in relative obscurity, is back. A host of companies are racing to find the best way to harness the science to treat hemophilia, for instance. But a deal this morning between Bristol-Myers Squibb and UniQure focuses on a wider set of … Continue reading “Gene Therapy’s Rebirth Continues With Bristol, UniQure Cardio Deal”

Academia vs. BioPharma: Young Scientists Between A Rock and A Hard Place

I’ve reached the stage of my career where I’ve been invited to give “career retrospective talks” to grad students and post-docs at academic institutions. It’s been an interesting and enjoyable experience meeting a new generation of young scientists and hearing what’s on their minds. After delivering my seminar and sharing lots of stories and advice, … Continue reading “Academia vs. BioPharma: Young Scientists Between A Rock and A Hard Place”

Women in Engineering, and a Global Call for the Next MacGyver

Apparently, I’m pushy. I can’t help it. It’s my genes, and also all I’ve been through. When you’re a woman in engineering, there are a host of voices (some residing in your head, some not), telling you that you’re not good enough, not smart enough—that when you’re alone amid a sea of male faces at … Continue reading “Women in Engineering, and a Global Call for the Next MacGyver”

RebelMouse Garners $5,900,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ab9d7ef4-bd82-4950-a858-346298edb530 Date 4/6/2015 Company Name RebelMouse Mailing Address 568 Broadway New York, NY 10012 USA Company Description RebelMouse is a social media aggregation service. Website http://www.rebelmouse.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,900,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing – amended. Contact technology company for … Continue reading “RebelMouse Garners $5,900,000 New Funding Round”

Bankrate Acquires Detroit-Based Credit Monitoring Company Quizzle

Bankrate, the New York-based aggregator and publisher of online content about personal finance, announced yesterday that it acquired the Detroit credit-monitoring company Quizzle. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Quizzle was part of the “family of companies” under the Quicken Loans umbrella, created in 2008 as a special project by the marketing team … Continue reading “Bankrate Acquires Detroit-Based Credit Monitoring Company Quizzle”

Robot Revolution: Disrupting the Workplace as We Know It

We’re on the brink of the Third Industrial Revolution, with robots moving off the factory floor and emerging in the white-collar office. These “software robots” are being leveraged by businesses across industries to tackle rules-based processes and improve overall operational agility. Operational roles are well-suited for automatons since they, by definition, automatically follow and execute … Continue reading “Robot Revolution: Disrupting the Workplace as We Know It”

East Coast Biotech Roundup: NY Bio Fund, Sarepta, ZappRx, & More

Biotech clusters don’t happen overnight. Entrepreneurs, government agencies, academics, and others have to build them from the ground up. It takes years, a committed, collaborative effort, and an awful lot of money. That’s the kind of thing that’s going on in New York right now. There’s a long, long way to go, of course—Boston and … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: NY Bio Fund, Sarepta, ZappRx, & More”

SeatGeek Receives $62,000,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e3383b3d-0226-4696-b55b-02c88bff0da8 Date 4/3/2015 Company Name SeatGeek Mailing Address 57 E. 11th Street 8A Floor New York, NY 10003 USA Company Description SeatGeek forecasts the price of sports or concert tickets. So before buying tickets to an event, you can check SeatGeek for a price forecast. If the price is going up, you’ll … Continue reading “SeatGeek Receives $62,000,000 Series C Financing”

Reformation Receives $12,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=72339651-17ec-4f78-aa40-2df19b6a8b69 Date 4/3/2015 Company Name Reformation Mailing Address 23 Howard Street New York, NY 10013 USA Company Description Reformation is a revolution in fashion. Traditional fashion brands concept collections a year in advance of launch at prices inflated by middlemen and staggering costs to the environment. Website http://www.thereformation.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Reformation Receives $12,000,000 New Funding”

Via Obtains $27,000,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b0516647-2a13-4ada-b6e8-a864d665d5f6 Date 4/3/2015 Company Name Via Mailing Address 226 5th Avenue 3rd Floor New York, NY 10001 USA Company Description Via. Shared rides in premium vehicles. Smarter than the subway. Better than the bus. Cheaper than a taxi. Website http://www.ridewithvia.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $27,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds … Continue reading “Via Obtains $27,000,000 Series B Funding Round”

Kayak Joins Growing Field of Tech Giants Hiring in Cambridge

The competition for technical talent in Kendall Square just got a little stiffer. Kayak, the online travel-search company, has recently moved into the neighborhood, and chief technology officer Giorgos Zacharia is spearheading an effort to build out the new office. Zacharia (pictured) leads a team of about 300 people spread out among four offices worldwide. … Continue reading “Kayak Joins Growing Field of Tech Giants Hiring in Cambridge”

Ex-NYT Editor’s Startup Takes Shape, Raises Business Questions

Former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson filled in some more details about a journalism venture she’s starting with Steven Brill, saying it had hired writers and was “very close” to announcing an investor. Abramson, ousted from the Times in May 2014, and Brill, the serial entrepreneur best known for founding American Lawyer and … Continue reading “Ex-NYT Editor’s Startup Takes Shape, Raises Business Questions”

ZappRx Nabs $5.6M, Inks Zafgen Deal to E-Prescribe Obesity Meds

One of the many challenges startups face is finding the right niche for a business. After a few years of navigating choppy waters, ZappRx may be on its way to smoother sailing—as evidenced by some news the Boston startup is disclosing today. ZappRx is making two announcements. First, the company—which is developing a way to … Continue reading “ZappRx Nabs $5.6M, Inks Zafgen Deal to E-Prescribe Obesity Meds”

Behavioral-Health Focused Quartet Plans Hires With $7M Series A

The preventive care movement has been conquering the medical world, with the goal of simultaneously making patients healthier and saving the healthcare system money by rooting out the causes of an illness. Quartet Health, a New York technology business that announced a $7 million Series A funding today, is applying the idea to behavioral health. … Continue reading “Behavioral-Health Focused Quartet Plans Hires With $7M Series A”

Vaynerchuk at NJTC Conference Warns of Flood of Fake Entrepreneurs

It is the best of times to be an entrepreneur now, with easy money to be had, but gloom lurks on the horizon, according to Gary Vaynerchuk. “This is not going to last,” he said. On Tuesday, the investor and entrepreneur had a few choice words about the startup and funding scene in his keynote … Continue reading “Vaynerchuk at NJTC Conference Warns of Flood of Fake Entrepreneurs”

H-1Bs And How Changing The System Will Help Startups

In order for the American economy to thrive, we must rely on our ability to innovate. The U.S. government now estimates that job growth is almost three times faster in the innovation-rich fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics than the rest of the economy. Yet despite the explosion in demand, the steady supply of … Continue reading “H-1Bs And How Changing The System Will Help Startups”

Equity Crowdfunding Backers Clash Over Fundraising Limits in States

After five years of bootstrapping his startup, Instancy, Harvey Singh’s company has a finished education software product, revenue, and a growing roster of employees. As Singh looks overseas to expand Instancy’s sales reach, he says he is now ready for outside investors. He wants to raise that capital through crowdfunding. The federal Jumpstart Our Business … Continue reading “Equity Crowdfunding Backers Clash Over Fundraising Limits in States”

Openbay CEO: Diagnosis Software for Connected Cars Is a Big Market

Just as GPS navigation and power windows eventually became standard in vehicles, being connected to the Internet is the next automotive luxury upgrade that will become commonplace, according to Rob Infantino. He’s the CEO and founder of Openbay, an online marketplace for finding quotes on auto repairs. Openbay, a Boston company backed by Google Ventures … Continue reading “Openbay CEO: Diagnosis Software for Connected Cars Is a Big Market”

Scutify Lands $1,500,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2d91b81e-83a4-462f-93c0-6d5f2427ecd6 Date 4/1/2015 Company Name Scutify Mailing Address Undisclosed New York, NY 10001 USA Company Description Scutify is the leading social network for the finance community. An aggregator of news, social chatter and finance content, Scutify is a hub for all the ‘scuttlebutt’ around stocks, commodities and Forex. Website http://www.scutify.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Scutify Lands $1,500,000 New Funding”

Noom Obtains $16,150,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a3c97de0-fd9c-4934-9546-fc4784eb115f Date 4/1/2015 Company Name Noom Mailing Address 530 W 25th St. New York, NY 10001 USA Company Description Our mission is to make healthy living a seamless part of everyday life.We believe the best way to attract people to a healthier lifestyle is to develop products that make it enjoyable. Website … Continue reading “Noom Obtains $16,150,000 Series B Financing Round”

Sprinklr Gets $46M, Flexes Its Muscles in Social Media Monitoring

As I mentioned just yesterday, competition is pretty crowded in the social media monitoring sector. Tuesday morning, one of the players in this scene bulked up its war chest even more. Sprinklr, a New York-based developer of social media management software, raised $46 million in a round led by Battery Ventures, Intel Capital, and Iconiq … Continue reading “Sprinklr Gets $46M, Flexes Its Muscles in Social Media Monitoring”

The Innovator’s Gender Dilemma and Venture Rites of Passage

After 40 years as a professional woman who by many standards has “made it,” I am struck by the extent to which young and highly educated—even Ivy-league educated—employees are challenged by the ambiguities and realities of the contemporary competitive workplace. Having always been exceptional, and having done what was expected of them, usually by their … Continue reading “The Innovator’s Gender Dilemma and Venture Rites of Passage”

Pivoting From IPO, Syndax Inks Combo Trial Deal With Merck

Syndax Pharmaceuticals sidestepped an IPO a few months back when it found its cancer drug, entinostat, might have a benefit it didn’t originally anticipate. Now the Waltham, MA-based company is putting that thesis to the test through a deal with Merck. The two companies announced this morning that they’ll run a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial … Continue reading “Pivoting From IPO, Syndax Inks Combo Trial Deal With Merck”

From Iceland to White House, Precision Medicine’s Promises & Hurdles

[Updated and corrected, 4/5/15, 6:51 pm. See below.] There is talk, and there is action. In the drive toward healthcare tailored for smaller and smaller groups of people, there was both last week, and both illustrated not just the promise of precision medicine, but the long haul until that promise is fulfilled. First, Iceland’s deCODE … Continue reading “From Iceland to White House, Precision Medicine’s Promises & Hurdles”

Sprinklr Receives $46,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=19ef1ac6-33b5-4b00-90d3-c74783214372 Date 3/31/2015 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 Receives $46,000,000 New Round”