Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=160ce8eb-cc56-4929-be75-9b522cef6d4a Date 11/17/2016 Company Name Phononic Devices Mailing Address 800 Capitola Drive Durham, NC 27713 USA Company Description Phononic Devices is commercializing advanced thermoelectric materials and device concepts exclusively licensed from the University of Oklahoma designed to dramatically improve the efficiency of heat-to-electric energy conversion, and conversely, efficient use of electricity for … Continue reading “Phononic Devices Secures $40,000,000 Series E Funding”
Category: Raleigh-Durham
The New Crowdfunding Rules: Will They Really Help Startups?
Hailed as the true democratizer of private investment, crowdfunding has been attracting both headlines and a fast-growing pile of cash. In May of 2016, rules from the Securities and Exchange Commission went into effect that will democratize the process even further. These new rules will open the doors to more investors, but they also pose … Continue reading “The New Crowdfunding Rules: Will They Really Help Startups?”
Bio Roundup: Trump’s Triumph, Election Fallout, CRISPR Arguments & More
The presidential election ended with Donald Trump’s stunning victory and Republican retention of the House and Senate. Now, the U.S. healthcare sector will try to figure out what it all means. Drug company stocks got a boost with the defeat of Hillary Clinton, a vocal critic of drug prices. But Trump’s plans are unclear. Will … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump’s Triumph, Election Fallout, CRISPR Arguments & More”
Trump Team Outlines Healthcare Agenda—No Mention of Drug Prices
The incoming Trump administration has posted an outline of its healthcare agenda on its transition website. There is no mention of drug pricing or what the administration might do about frequent price increases, such as Mylan’s EpiPen practice, that critics say are unsubstantiated and unethical. During the campaign, Trump’s official platform called for a change … Continue reading “Trump Team Outlines Healthcare Agenda—No Mention of Drug Prices”
Quick, How Might the Alien Spacecraft Work?
[This post is about the movie “Arrival“; there are no movie spoilers here.] “It’s an interesting script,” said someone on our PR team. It’s pretty common for us to get requests from movie-makers about showing our graphics or posters or books in movies. But the request this time was different: could we urgently help make … Continue reading “Quick, How Might the Alien Spacecraft Work?”
New U.S. “Roadmap” Lays Out Routes to Accelerate Robotic Technologies
Robotics technology is progressing faster than expected for self-driving cars, and drones are becoming ubiquitous throughout the United States, according to a lead scientist overseeing a robotics technology roadmap released last week. But robotics is moving slower than expected in some key areas, such as the development of dexterous gripper technology, intuitive user interfaces, and … Continue reading “New U.S. “Roadmap” Lays Out Routes to Accelerate Robotic Technologies”
Has Technology Made Election Polls More Accurate? Not Yet
Statistical models, simulations, social media outreach, and the capacity to analyze big data sets—you’d think by now that technology would have delivered election forecasts that more reliably predicted Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential race. But most pollsters—and the people who relied on them—were gobsmacked by Trump’s upset wins, not only in battleground states … Continue reading “Has Technology Made Election Polls More Accurate? Not Yet”
Trump’s Election Stunner: Tech and Life Sciences Leaders React
Still processing what this will mean for technology, business, society, and humanity—I guess it’s going to take a while. In the meantime, here are 10 notable reactions from around the Xconomy network, mostly via Twitter. As you might guess, they are a mix of outrage, resiliency, hope, rationalizing, grandstanding, and some calls for calm and … Continue reading “Trump’s Election Stunner: Tech and Life Sciences Leaders React”
In Trump-GOP Tsunami, Blue-State Healthcare Ideas Swamped
[Updated, 11/9/16, 1:20 p.m. See below.] The 2016 U.S. election is over. The country has been rocked by the presidential race, with Donald Trump taking the White House. Every facet of American policy, our attitudes toward power and governance, even our national character will be topics of debate in coming months. Our healthcare system will … Continue reading “In Trump-GOP Tsunami, Blue-State Healthcare Ideas Swamped”
AquaBounty Charts Course to Market with $25M Intrexon Deal
Aquaculture company AquaBounty Technologies has scrapped plans to use a broad equity offering to raise the money it needs to bring its genetically engineered salmon to consumers. Instead, it has inked a deal to raise funds by selling securities to synthetic biology company Intrexon, its largest shareholder. The deal with Intrexon (NYSE: [[ticker:XON]]), announced Monday, … Continue reading “AquaBounty Charts Course to Market with $25M Intrexon Deal”
The Five Major Tech Trends of 2016
As we draw closer to the end of 2016, it is important that we take a moment to look back and reflect on all of the ways technology has inspired us, and transformed the way we live and do work. As technology becomes more pervasive in our lives, we increasingly look for simple but secure, … Continue reading “The Five Major Tech Trends of 2016”
What Should Be on the Next President’s Cybersecurity Agenda?
From a hack of Democratic National Committee e-mails to fears that cyber attackers will attempt to interfere with tomorrow’s election, cybersecurity emerged as a crucial theme in this grueling presidential campaign. Neither candidate has said a lot about how he or she would address cybersecurity issues as president, although Hillary Clinton has offered more details … Continue reading “What Should Be on the Next President’s Cybersecurity Agenda?”
Reveal Mobile Receives $1,261,574 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1cf2a544-0b56-4f39-93b1-2a10d8a7bd6c Date 11/7/2016 Company Name Reveal Mobile Mailing Address 3344 Hillsborough St. Raleigh, NC 27607 USA Company Description Reveal Mobile builds mobile audience analytics from three distinct sources. We use traditional latitude & longitude, app behaviors, and the world’s first beacon-powered audience database. Website http://www.revealmobile.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,261,574 … Continue reading “Reveal Mobile Receives $1,261,574 New Round”
Sanofi’s Experience With Dengvaxia May Speed Development of Zika Vaccine
Dengvaxia, the first licensed vaccine for dengue virus, has now been approved in 11 countries where dengue is endemic. But sales of the vaccine, which were initially projected to reach €200 million this year, barely reached €20 million in the first half of the year, with little sign of picking up. Sanofi Pasteur, the group … Continue reading “Sanofi’s Experience With Dengvaxia May Speed Development of Zika Vaccine”
Bio Roundup: Clinical Shirkers, AMD Worriers, ASH Fallers & More
Our previous roundup came out last week before news broke that Susan Lindquist, a highly decorated and thoughtful researcher into the inner workings of proteins, passed away. She was 67. First at the University of Chicago and then MIT’s Whitehead Institute, Lindquist helped biologists see that all kinds of organisms—including ourselves—share errors of protein folding … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Clinical Shirkers, AMD Worriers, ASH Fallers & More”
Californians Still Hate Trump, But More Uncertain About Drug Companies
The polls are tightening. Millions of people are still making up their minds. National figures are making last-minute pitches. The decision could have huge implications for people across the U.S. We’re talking of course about next week’s vote on Proposition 61 in California, an attempt to control drug prices in the nation’s most populous state. … Continue reading “Californians Still Hate Trump, But More Uncertain About Drug Companies”
The Necessity of Innovation
Innovation is at the heart of wealth creation. Innovation is at the heart of job creation. Innovation is at the heart of building better lives for everyone. And innovation can be increased by conscious support. Innovation is enhanced by a culture of innovation, encouragement of talented inventors and entrepreneurs, collaboration between academics and business people, … Continue reading “The Necessity of Innovation”
Xconomy Announces Channel Focused on the Future of Education
Since its inception more than nine years ago, Xconomy has focused its coverage on the business of high technology—across information technology, life sciences, healthcare, energy, robotics, and much more. But underlying all that, in a sense, is education. We have long run stories about STEM education, educational technology, and more—and even put out a special … Continue reading “Xconomy Announces Channel Focused on the Future of Education”
Clinton and Trump Platform Analysis: Which Is Best for Education Companies?
With election day less than a week away, voters are trying to imagine what turns the country might take under each of the presidential hopefuls. Tech entrepreneurs are likely considering how hospitable the new leadership might be to their specific industry sectors. Educational technology is one field worth examining, even though education hasn’t been a … Continue reading “Clinton and Trump Platform Analysis: Which Is Best for Education Companies?”
Elanco Leads $8.5M Investment in RTP’s AgTech Accelerator
It’s fall harvest now, and AgTech Accelerator has something new to show from the summer growing season: $8.5 million in additional funding that positions the accelerator to start planting investments in promising agriculture technologies from around the country. The new funding brings the total financial backing for the Research Triangle Park, NC-based accelerator to $20 … Continue reading “Elanco Leads $8.5M Investment in RTP’s AgTech Accelerator”
On Front Lines Of Price Dispute, Eye Doctors Wary of New Drug Data
Drugs that treat a form of vision loss known as age related macular degeneration aren’t just big business. They’re also a controversial part of the national debate over high drug prices, and their increased use has put ophthalmologists in the crosshairs of insurers, the federal government, and the press. “Retina practices are under significantly increased … Continue reading “On Front Lines Of Price Dispute, Eye Doctors Wary of New Drug Data”
Advanced Animal Diagnostics Obtains $1,500,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1ee7a670-7578-4ca4-8ee9-1170d47d5d8d Date 10/31/2016 Company Name Advanced Animal Diagnostics Mailing Address 633 Davis Drive Morrisville, NC 27560 USA Company Description We provide the information that counts. Our rapid, on-farm diagnostics provide livestock producers with information they need to make informed management and treatment decisions. Through accurate, onsite disease detection, producers can provide more … Continue reading “Advanced Animal Diagnostics Obtains $1,500,000 New Financing”
Bio Roundup: Drug Pricing, Cystic Fibrosis Showdown, Myovant & More
The 2016 election is (thankfully) almost here, and as one biotech analyst noted this week, a possible Democratic victory is to blame for a big October sell-off in biotech stocks. Since Donald Trump’s infamous “Access Hollywood” tape was released on October 7, Leerink Partners analyst Geoffrey Porges wrote, biotech investors have lost $50 billion. The … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Drug Pricing, Cystic Fibrosis Showdown, Myovant & More”
Despite Low Crop Prices, Corporate and VC Agtech Investments Soar
Prices for agricultural commodities such as corn, soy, and wheat are at their lowest levels in years, but investment in agricultural technology has never been better. Venture capital firms have increased their agtech investments by 80 percent since 2012, bringing total VC investment in the sector to a total of $3 billion in 2015, according … Continue reading “Despite Low Crop Prices, Corporate and VC Agtech Investments Soar”
K4Connect Lands $8,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3a13b82b-0395-418c-aeaf-133a0d759c1d Date 10/26/2016 Company Name K4Connect Mailing Address 19 W Hargett St Raleigh, NC 27601 USA Company Description K4Connect is a systems integration company connecting any number of disparate devices, systems and applications into a single cohesive system – whether in your home, office, or anywhere in-between. Website http://www.k4connect.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “K4Connect Lands $8,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
AvidXchange Receives $3,500,035 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=efcb2568-1abc-4149-9dc7-4bc2d2d0a7d1 Date 10/26/2016 Company Name AvidXchange Mailing Address 1111 Metropolitan Avenue Charlotte, NC 28204 USA Company Description AvidXchange provides end-to-end automated bill payment solutions for your company. Website http://www.avidxchange.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,500,035 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. 2 investors participated in the offering. … Continue reading “AvidXchange Receives $3,500,035 New Funding”
Latest Data Show Venture Capital Industry on Pins and Needles
Given the obvious anxiety and frustration that surrounds us all, the U.S. venture industry is also exhibiting some fatigue as we finish the 88th month since the last recession. This is the fourth-longest period of economic growth in U.S. history (admittedly, at 2.1 percent, the growth over this period of time is the slowest since … Continue reading “Latest Data Show Venture Capital Industry on Pins and Needles”
FDA: Keytruda Now OK For Some Patients With Untreated Lung Cancer
The FDA has approved the use of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for some previously untreated patients with a certain type of lung cancer, the drug’s owner Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) announced late Monday. Pembrolizumab can now be used for patients who have never received treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of … Continue reading “FDA: Keytruda Now OK For Some Patients With Untreated Lung Cancer”
Why Friday’s Massive DDoS Attack Should Be Terrifying
Friday’s massive DDoS attack made a number of hugely popular websites unavailable for much of the country for large parts of the day. Our service wasn’t directly affected by this incident, but the nature and scope of this attack is tremendously worrisome. In a Denial of Service (DoS) attack, the perpetrator overwhelms a target company … Continue reading “Why Friday’s Massive DDoS Attack Should Be Terrifying”
Bio Roundup: Jenkins Gets Mad, Bernie Gets His Pen, CRISPR IPO & J-Lo
If you’re among those frustrated by the lack of talk about health and science in the three presidential debates, this week perhaps brought you a wee consolation prize. The steady drip of hacked Hillary Clinton-related emails showed her campaign team questioning then-candidate FDA commissioner Robert Califf’s ties to the pharma industry. The staff also crowed … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Jenkins Gets Mad, Bernie Gets His Pen, CRISPR IPO & J-Lo”
All In One Place: A New Immuno-Oncology Trial Resource
More than 100 years ago, New York bone surgeon William Coley began to suspect that bacterial infections might be improving the outlook for patients also suffering from cancer. The infections were turbo-charging the immune system. Coley (pictured) would be gratified to see that in 2016 a growing array of immune-boosting cancer treatments are helping some … Continue reading “All In One Place: A New Immuno-Oncology Trial Resource”
The Power of the Cloud for Life Science R&D
“In the new world, it is not the big fish which eats the small fish, it’s the fast fish which eats the slow fish…” — Klaus Schwab, Founder/Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum Over the past decade, the nature of innovation has changed—even as the pace has substantially increased. One of the reasons has been the ability … Continue reading “The Power of the Cloud for Life Science R&D”
After “Hubris” and Its HCV Collapse, Can Vertex Avoid Same Mistakes?
Five years ago, in November 2011, a company from Princeton, NJ, called Pharmasset shared news that would have an impact on millions of people around the world with hepatitis C. Its experimental drug PSI-7977 had quickly cleared the virus from 40 patients, with minimal side effects, and they had stayed infection-free. If the data held … Continue reading “After “Hubris” and Its HCV Collapse, Can Vertex Avoid Same Mistakes?”
Bio Roundup: Bristol & Illumina Blues, Sickle Cell News & More
On Aug. 4, shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb closed at $75.32. Today, shares are worth just over $50. That means in three months, Bristol has lost a third of its value, equivalent to about $40 billion in market capitalization. The reason? One failed clinical trial has left rival Merck in the lead position to have what … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Bristol & Illumina Blues, Sickle Cell News & More”
Aquaculture Industry Casts Wider Net in Food and Consumer Markets
Water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, but the oceans’ capacity for meeting the growing consumer demand for seafood is limited—the seas are simply overfished. Some new business opportunities are emerging to produce more fish amid dwindling fish resources. Global seafood consumption reached 143 million metric tons in 2009, an increase of … Continue reading “Aquaculture Industry Casts Wider Net in Food and Consumer Markets”
California Accelerators Enroll Startups Targeting Cannabis Industry
[Corrected 10/13/16, 9:10 am. See below.] When California voters go to the polls on November 8, among the many issues they are expected to decide is Proposition 64. If a majority of voters vote yes, the initiative would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the Golden State for adults aged 21 years or older. … Continue reading “California Accelerators Enroll Startups Targeting Cannabis Industry”
Life Science Leaders Who Feel the Right Kind of Fear
In the world of betting on the future, life sciences find themselves in a storm, with huge opportunities, like CRISPR gene editing, and immense obstacles, such as soaring drug prices, that call for leaders of extra intensity who are imbued with a sense of crisis. Most people agree that the life sciences today, more than … Continue reading “Life Science Leaders Who Feel the Right Kind of Fear”
How Doctors Think About Drug Prices
There are a lot of factors involved in drug pricing that don’t enter my head when I’m seeing a patient. The three letters “PBM,” for example (pharmacy benefit manager), have never crossed my mind when I’m writing a prescription. Nor has the word “rebate.” Or the phrase “pay for delay.” Or “marketing exclusivity.” Basically, I … Continue reading “How Doctors Think About Drug Prices”
Checkpoints In Lung Cancer, and Other Oncology News From Europe
The European Society for Medical Oncology’s annual conference wraps up in Copenhagen today. We’ve seen updates on heavyweight immunotherapy programs, potential options for patients with advanced breast cancer, and more. Here’s a quick roundup of the major news. LUNG CHECKS ESMO provided more evidence that the treatment of lung cancer is changing fast. Going into … Continue reading “Checkpoints In Lung Cancer, and Other Oncology News From Europe”
How Augmented Reality Is Transforming the Manufacturing Industry
For many Americans, the manufacturing industry brings to mind images of Industrial Revolution-era factories, World War II assembly lines, or perhaps even outsourced workshops overseas. But that picture is outdated. The truth is that the advanced technologies that are changing modern life are also revolutionizing the manufacturing industry in ways that are not yet widely … Continue reading “How Augmented Reality Is Transforming the Manufacturing Industry”
Bio Roundup: Theranos Cuts, Alnylam Stops, Nobel Eats Its Own & More
[Updated, 11:50 a.m. ET, see below] With the Caribbean and now the southeast U.S. coast bearing the brunt of Hurricane Matthew, we send our thoughts and more to those who have more pressing matters to worry about this week. But the show must go on. The biotech industry saw its own storms pass through, with … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Theranos Cuts, Alnylam Stops, Nobel Eats Its Own & More”
Third-Quarter Report Shows Slowdown in VC Activity, & Top 10 Deals
Venture capital activity is gradually easing from last year’s peak, according to a new quarterly report put together by Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. VC firms invested $14.99 billion in 1,810 U.S. deals (1,796 companies) during the third quarter that ended September 30, according to the inaugural “Venture Monitor” report released today. … Continue reading “Third-Quarter Report Shows Slowdown in VC Activity, & Top 10 Deals”
With New Program, DARPA To Encourage Safety “Brakes” For Gene Editing
[Updated 10/6/16, 12:17 p.m. See below.] Drugs that use molecular scissors to snip out or replace defective genes. Altered mosquitoes meant to sabotage entire disease-carrying populations. Both are potential uses of genome editing, which thanks to the CRISPR-Cas9 system has spread throughout the world’s biology labs and is now on the doorstep of the outside … Continue reading “With New Program, DARPA To Encourage Safety “Brakes” For Gene Editing”
Is Your Organization Ready to Become an Ecosystem Driver?
[This article is co-authored by Stephanie Woerner.] Dominating business-to-consumer sales, Amazon seems ready to take over the world of business-to-business too. In its first year, Amazon Business generated $1 billion in sales. However, there is still room for competition. It’s not yet an ecosystem driver in B2B, although the longer it takes for other business … Continue reading “Is Your Organization Ready to Become an Ecosystem Driver?”
Bio Roundup: CAR-T & Migraine Races, Intra-Cellular, Rockefeller & More
The presidential race captivated millions of TV viewers this week as the first debate took place in Hofstra. But biotech watchers had other races on their mind. Who will be first to market with a new type of cancer treatment known as CAR-T? Who will break free of the pack of companies developing drugs meant … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CAR-T & Migraine Races, Intra-Cellular, Rockefeller & More”
ShiftWizard Lands $3,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3a0d8af0-33e7-435f-8621-37d9cb3b0a9a Date 9/30/2016 Company Name ShiftWizard Mailing Address 991 Aviation Parkway Morrisville, NC 27560 USA Company Description At ShiftWizard, we know that workforce management can oftentimes keep you and your employees from doing what you love to do: caring for patients. That’s why we’ve created an intuitive healthcare workforce management software with … Continue reading “ShiftWizard Lands $3,000,000 New Round”
Payzer Obtains $4,250,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ced88068-c261-407c-9793-40ee05e5ba23 Date 9/30/2016 Company Name Payzer Mailing Address 8000 Corporate Center Drive Charlotte, NC 28226 USA Company Description Payzer is an exciting, financial services technology company, located in the heart of South Charlotte, North Carolina. We’re a fun loving, hard working, family-oriented team with an aim to be Charlotte’s next big success … Continue reading “Payzer Obtains $4,250,000 Series B Funding”
Tech Giants’ Partnership To Explore Ethics, Societal Impacts of AI
With public interest in artificial intelligence technologies on the rise, five of the world’s largest corporations—vying against each other in so many spheres—are banding together to support research on the ethical and societal issues raised by machines with increasingly human-like capabilities. The Partnership on AI, formally unveiled Wednesday, includes Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, IBM, Google and … Continue reading “Tech Giants’ Partnership To Explore Ethics, Societal Impacts of AI”
Cell Culture Agtech Offers Prospect of Meat and Milk Without the Moo
The idea of using laboratory techniques to create food sounds like something out of science fiction—think of the food replicators depicted on Star Trek. But the concept of lab-grown food is gaining traction as entrepreneurs and scientists look for ways to make more animal products while also diminishing the food industry’s impact on the environment. … Continue reading “Cell Culture Agtech Offers Prospect of Meat and Milk Without the Moo”
Viamet Pharmaceuticals Secures $12,000,014 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b7706a63-03cb-4774-9eee-eeac00bc0557 Date 9/29/2016 Company Name Viamet Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 4505 Emperor Blvd. Durham, NC 27703 USA Company Description Viamet Pharmaceuticals discovers and develops best-in-class inhibitors of validated metalloenzymes via an innovative and proprietary metal-binding approach, our Metallophile Technology. Website http://www.viamet.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $12,000,014 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Viamet Pharmaceuticals Secures $12,000,014 New Funding”