If you blinked, you probably missed something this week in biotech. The nation’s biggest annual cancer meeting took place in Chicago, while biotech’s trade group held its annual confab in San Francisco. In Boston, there were more twists for a closely watched Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug and a setback for a high-profile drug for multiple … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: ASCO, BIO, Drug Setbacks, Incubators & More”
Category: Raleigh-Durham
How to Make Healthcare Better? Make It Easy
There’s an “easy button” in the hospital that I press a hundred times every day. With each press, I make myself a better doctor. It’s not a button on a computer. It’s not electronic at all. It’s a hand sanitizer. A decade or two ago, hospital handwashing compliance rates were in the single digits because … Continue reading “How to Make Healthcare Better? Make It Easy”
nCino Secures $15,670,796 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5fcde945-a74a-4caa-b496-634ab04db028 Date 6/8/2016 Company Name nCino Mailing Address 6770 Parker Farm Drive Wilmington, NC 28405 USA Company Description Through its flagship Bank Operating System solution, nCino leverages the power of the Salesforce Platform to provide small- to mid-sized financial institutions with superior transparency and clarity into their existing loan production pipelines. Website … Continue reading “nCino Secures $15,670,796 New Round”
Vennli Draws Up $5M+ Round for Visualization Software
Analytics is a big buzzword in business circles these days. As companies in a growing number of industries snap up software to help them hone their marketing efforts, Indiana startup Vennli is arming itself with $5.3 million in fresh cash to support its analytics software. The new money for South Bend, IN-based Vennli is part … Continue reading “Vennli Draws Up $5M+ Round for Visualization Software”
Entegrion Garners $2,798,544 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7e658e51-9287-4985-bb45-76ffa33b1ef6 Date 6/7/2016 Company Name Entegrion Mailing Address Research Lane Research Triangle Park, NC 27713 USA Company Description Life science development company for licensing or partnering, manufacturing and commercialization, therapeutics, military healthcare Website http://www.entegrion.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,798,544 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. 49 … Continue reading “Entegrion Garners $2,798,544 New Funding”
Underscore.VC Looks to Align Boston Tech Community With Startups
This has been the spring of new Boston tech venture funds. While most of the area’s traditional players are still going—along with more recent firms—a new crop of investors is trying to change how companies get funded and built in this town. Venture capitalists are all wrestling with similar issues: how to identify and get … Continue reading “Underscore.VC Looks to Align Boston Tech Community With Startups”
Biotech Roundup: Deals Gone Wrong, Ethical Red Flags & Bay Goodbyes
It was fitting this week that, in the lead-up to two of biomedicine’s biggest self-celebrations, we were served ample reminder of the industry’s expensive decisions gone wrong. This weekend, much of academia and industry involved in cancer will gather in Chicago for the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology conference. Thousands of others will head … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Deals Gone Wrong, Ethical Red Flags & Bay Goodbyes”
7 Steps Online Companies Can Take to Manage Sales Tax Exposure
States have been fighting to collect sales taxes from online retailers since the dawn of the e-commerce age. But today, online companies that sell services rather than merchandise also need to be concerned about state sales taxes. Even though most services are usually not subject to sales tax, some states are now asserting that certain … Continue reading “7 Steps Online Companies Can Take to Manage Sales Tax Exposure”
Reveal Mobile Secures $500,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7c09ac8f-8781-44c3-9038-4c1ca92dab87 Date 6/3/2016 Company Name Reveal Mobile Mailing Address 2619 Western Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27606 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 $500,000 … Continue reading “Reveal Mobile Secures $500,000 New Financing”
A Startup CEO Visits Cuba in Transition
I just returned from several days visiting Cuba with several of my BFFs. No amount of pre-reading prepared me for the wonderful experience. Americans cannot go as “tourists,” but must go on an approved people-to-people exchange. As such, we visited schools, farms, a university, children’s programs, museums, churches, a factory and the like. I’m sharing … Continue reading “A Startup CEO Visits Cuba in Transition”
Is Technology Crucial for Innovation?
Technology is crucial for innovation—and innovation in technology is critical to innovation in just about every other arena. Why? Because it’s the forward march of technology that allows us to do more with less, improving our lives in the process. Just look at how we’re living right now. We communicate worldwide via email or Skype. … Continue reading “Is Technology Crucial for Innovation?”
SciQuest Set to go Private in $509M Deal with Accel-KKR
Software firm SciQuest is set to go private again in a cash deal that values the company at about $509 million. Private equity firm Accel-KKR is paying $17.75 per share to acquire all of the common stock of Morrisville, NC-based SciQuest (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQI]]). The offer represents a 33.7 percent premium over Friday’s closing stock price. … Continue reading “SciQuest Set to go Private in $509M Deal with Accel-KKR”
With Recruits Coming, Precision Med Effort Pledges $142M For Biobank
The Obama administration’s ambitious long-term health study, dubbed the Precision Medicine Initiative, has tapped the Mayo Clinic to build a repository for biological samples collected from the study’s participants. Through the National Institutes of Health, the administration has awarded $142 million over five years to the Rochester, MN-based Mayo Clinic for the so-called “biobank,” which … Continue reading “With Recruits Coming, Precision Med Effort Pledges $142M For Biobank”
117M LinkedIn Passwords for Sale: What You Should Do Now
Last week, a hack many of us had forgotten about shot right back into the headlines. First, the background: in 2012, LinkedIn acknowledged it had suffered a data breach that exposed the passwords of 6.5 million of its customers. What we discovered last week, however, was that the breach was actually much bigger than anyone … Continue reading “117M LinkedIn Passwords for Sale: What You Should Do Now”
TransEnterix Names Duke Doc Pappas to Surgical Officer Post
TransEnterix (NYSE MKT [[ticker:TRXC]]) has appointed Duke University surgeon Theodore Pappas to serve as the company’s senior surgical officer. After TransEnterix failed to secure FDA clearance for its surgical robot earlier this spring, CEO Todd Pope said the Research Triangle Park, NC-based medical device developer would hire a surgeon to help with clinical and regulatory … Continue reading “TransEnterix Names Duke Doc Pappas to Surgical Officer Post”
Biotech Roundup: Duchenne Delay, Forum’s Fate, Califf, Ionis & More
Memorial Day weekend may be fast approaching, but don’t fire up those grills yet: there’s plenty of headlines to dig into first in our biotech trip around the Xconomy network. In New York, the nation’s most prestigious science competition changed sponsors for just the second time in its 74-year history. In Boston, one company’s controversial … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Duchenne Delay, Forum’s Fate, Califf, Ionis & More”
InMotionNow Garners $3,100,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=046a1b83-b6ca-4c04-b60a-6f23f787e568 Date 5/27/2016 Company Name InMotionNow Mailing Address 215 Southport Drive Morrisville, NC 27560 USA Company Description inMotion Creative Work Management is an all-in-one solution designed to fit the unique project management needs and workflows of marketing & creative teams. Website http://www.inmotionnow.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,100,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “InMotionNow Garners $3,100,000 New Round”
Arrivo BioVentures Lands $49,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=88b07384-0310-418a-929e-e7cb4aadc141 Date 5/27/2016 Company Name Arrivo BioVentures Mailing Address 9001 Aerial Center Parkway Morrisville, NC 27560 USA Company Description Arrivo BioVentures, LLC is a privately held biopharmaceutical development company focused on identifying biologics and small molecules to improve patient care. Arrivo is based in Morrisville, N.C., on the edge of Research Triangle … Continue reading “Arrivo BioVentures Lands $49,000,000 New Funding Round”
FDA Commish Califf to Big Data Crowd: Flood Of New Treatments Coming
New FDA commissioner Robert Califf said Wednesday that the recent spike in drug approvals is no temporary phenomenon, thanks to a better understanding of biology and continued adoption of sophisticated technology throughout healthcare. “I predict we’ll see of a flood of effective treatments”—not just drugs but combinations of drugs and data-enabled devices—“and we’ll have to … Continue reading “FDA Commish Califf to Big Data Crowd: Flood Of New Treatments Coming”
Arrivo BioVentures Lands $49M to Fuel Hunt for New Drugs
Usually when a biotech company makes a large fundraising announcement, the cash is committed to taking a specific drug through clinical trials. Arrivo BioVentures has secured $49 million in capital to first find the drugs to develop. The approach is similar to what the Morrisville, NC-based company’s management team did with three previous biotech firms, … Continue reading “Arrivo BioVentures Lands $49M to Fuel Hunt for New Drugs”
Meet the Bad Guys After Your Data
Cyber attacks make news headlines virtually every day; businesses and organizations know the threats are out there and that they need to take action quickly because threats are growing in both number and scope of complexity. The reality is, however, that the “bad guys” are likely already on your network and endpoints, poised to steal … Continue reading “Meet the Bad Guys After Your Data”
Software Robots Are Transforming Old Guard Industries
Everyone’s talking about robots and automation. Do you imagine having a “Rosie” cleaning your home, or the next industrial revolution of automation putting millions out of work? Neither is quite reality, but there is a highly valuable virtual workforce of “software robots” working in today’s offices. They aren’t rolling around like BB-8 delivering the mail, … Continue reading “Software Robots Are Transforming Old Guard Industries”
Magnomics Mastitis Diagnostic Lands Prize, Finds Potential NC Partner
While the financial costs of mastitis are clear, the diagnostic options for this dairy cow infection are muddled. Laboratory tests take days to return to farmers any useful information, time that eats into a dairy farm’s milk production. Magnomics aims to improve mastitis detection with a diagnostic device designed for farm use. The Cantanhede, Portugal-based … Continue reading “Magnomics Mastitis Diagnostic Lands Prize, Finds Potential NC Partner”
Early Stage San Antonio Drug Trial Firm START Opens Taiwan Outpost
San Antonio — With the number of scientists, researchers, executives, and patients involved in any given drug approval process, it’s easy to gloss over the early work that goes into clinical testing, especially when most patient awareness about a drug comes after it gains FDA approval. For a company like South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics … Continue reading “Early Stage San Antonio Drug Trial Firm START Opens Taiwan Outpost”
Four Years After Neuronex Buyout, Acorda Dumps Epilepsy Drug
Back in 2012, Acorda Therapeutics bought a Morrisville, NC, company called Neuronex as part of a plan to branch out beyond its flagship multiple sclerosis drug dalfampridine (Ampyra). Unfortunately, the drug, a nasal spray form of the old seizure control drug diazepam, never lived up to expectations, leading Acorda today to shelve it altogether. Ardsley, … Continue reading “Four Years After Neuronex Buyout, Acorda Dumps Epilepsy Drug”
The Biotech Roundup: Immunotherapy Ups And Downs, Gene Deals & More
A quick housekeeping note: Starting this week, we are combining our East Coast and West Coast biotech roundups into a single weekly post that will also include highlights from our other cities and regions, including Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Xconomy’s latest bureau, Indiana. As with our bygone coastal roundups, this new national roundup is not … Continue reading “The Biotech Roundup: Immunotherapy Ups And Downs, Gene Deals & More”
BioMarck Pharmaceuticals Secures $7,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4038b77f-e3bc-454e-a2a2-2c0b43b65001 Date 5/19/2016 Company Name BioMarck Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 700 Spring Forest Road Durham, NC 27609 USA Company Description BioMarck Pharmaceuticals develops new drugs for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. Website http://www.biomarck.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. 7 investors participated … Continue reading “BioMarck Pharmaceuticals Secures $7,000,000 New Round”
Studies Tout Massachusetts Tech Scene, But Talent Issues Loom
Several days after one study ranked Boston as the U.S. city best positioned to capitalize on the transition to a digital economy, a new report bolsters Massachusetts’s tech credentials—but with some important caveats that could hinder the Bay State’s growth. Last week, a report titled “Innovation That Matters” drew national attention with its somewhat surprising … Continue reading “Studies Tout Massachusetts Tech Scene, But Talent Issues Loom”
Learn These Tech Skills & Get a Raise, PayScale Report Says
Want to make a few extra (thousand) bucks? For software developers, it’s possible if you add a few trending programming languages to your resume, according to Seattle-based PayScale, a crowdsourcing and data analytics company that seeks out and provides salary information. Developers and programmers who learn the Go or Scala computer programming languages will make … Continue reading “Learn These Tech Skills & Get a Raise, PayScale Report Says”
Chimerix, TransEnterix, BDSI, Duke Energy & More NC Innovation News
Here’s a recap of top headlines from the last week in North Carolina biotech, tech, and cleantech news. —Chimerix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CMRX]]) ran into another setback for its lead drug. The Durham company reported that its antiviral brincidofovir failed in a late-stage trial that studied the drug’s ability to fight adenovirus in transplant patients. The open-label … Continue reading “Chimerix, TransEnterix, BDSI, Duke Energy & More NC Innovation News”
Internal Threats: 10 Ways to Protect Your Business
The topic of cybercriminals can invoke the image of a scruffy-looking hacker glaring at a computer screen from a mysterious location. But the most serious threats to your business’s information security could be much closer than you think. A growing number of small and midsize businesses consider internal security breaches—accidental and malicious—from employees a bigger … Continue reading “Internal Threats: 10 Ways to Protect Your Business”
White House Wants to Spend $121M on National Microbiome Initiative
The Obama administration announced this morning a public-private initiative to study the collections of microorganisms that live on or in humans and practically everywhere else on Earth. More than 100 other institutions are joining the administration with funding and resources in what’s being billed as the National Microbiome Initiative. The microbiome has become a subject … Continue reading “White House Wants to Spend $121M on National Microbiome Initiative”
G1 Therapeutics Hauls in $47M for Lung, Breast Cancer Trials
[Updated, 5/12/16, 10:25 a.m. See below.] Buoyed by promising early clinical trial results and the market traction of a similar cancer drug, G1 Therapeutics has raised $47 million to advance its lead program and start clinical trial work on another. New investor Cormorant Asset Management led the Series C investment in Research Triangle Park, NC-based … Continue reading “G1 Therapeutics Hauls in $47M for Lung, Breast Cancer Trials”
TransEnterix Shifts Surgical Robot Focus After FDA Rejection
TransEnterix entered 2016 on the inside track as the likely challenger to surgical-robot giant Intuitive Surgical, marching forward with a pipeline that boasted two different robotic systems. But the FDA rejected TransEnterix’s first surgical robot, and the company is now conserving cash and trimming staff to keep its second robot in the race with other … Continue reading “TransEnterix Shifts Surgical Robot Focus After FDA Rejection”
G1 Therapeutics Obtains $46,999,999 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=caf320b2-5f5a-4f71-8c8c-b9ada90c314e Date 5/11/2016 Company Name G1 Therapeutics Mailing Address 4401 Research Commons Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 USA Company Description G1 Therapeutics is a clinical-stage company developing small-molecule therapies to address significant unmet needs in oncology. The company is leveraging its proprietary kinase drug discovery platform to advance a pipeline of first-in-class … Continue reading “G1 Therapeutics Obtains $46,999,999 New Financing”
Beroe Garners $10,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=04448942-7cbc-425e-b618-cbd716ed4df6 Date 5/11/2016 Company Name Beroe Mailing Address 338 Raleigh Street Holly Springs, NC 27540 USA Company Description Beroe acts as an extension of your procurement office, offering deep expertise and comprehensive resources within our primary industries. This allows us to provide robust, predictive, real time intelligence and insights. Website http://www.beroeinc.com Transaction … Continue reading “Beroe Garners $10,000,000 New Round”
MGH Goes Epic: What I Learned in the Trenches
On April 2 at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the green charts went away. Every morning around 6:30 am since starting residency, my co-interns and I had frantically scrambled around the halls searching for these plastic binders, which contained the sole record of our patients’ vital signs. It was a ritual that blended equal parts anxiety, … Continue reading “MGH Goes Epic: What I Learned in the Trenches”
Across The Board: Ideas To Narrow Biotech’s Gender Gap
The evidence is piling up. Companies with more women in charge are better businesses. So why are so many biotechs still led mainly by men? Saira Ramasastry, a former Merrill Lynch analyst, is now a Bay Area consultant on the boards of three biotechs, including Sangamo Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGMO]]). Having benefited from female mentors such … Continue reading “Across The Board: Ideas To Narrow Biotech’s Gender Gap”
LabCorp Launches Colorectal Cancer Test, But Key Hurdles Remain
The market for colorectal cancer tests that are less cumbersome than colonoscopies is getting more crowded. LabCorp announced the launch of a blood-based colorectal cancer test on Monday, which will pit it against other makers of non-invasive diagnostics for such diseases, including Madison, WI-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]). Burlington, NC-based LabCorp (NYSE: [[ticker:LH]]) has worked … Continue reading “LabCorp Launches Colorectal Cancer Test, But Key Hurdles Remain”
How a Mobile Device Can Reduce Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a major problem. In 2014, more than 30,000 people were killed and more than 430,000 injured in car crashes involving distracted drivers. Ironically, it may just be that the root of the problem – a smartphone – could actually be the solution. People know they shouldn’t, but they do. In a survey … Continue reading “How a Mobile Device Can Reduce Distracted Driving”
AgTech Accelerator Aims to Sway Agriculture Investment Trends
Agriculture and food-related companies make up a global industry, but when it comes to seeding startups in the sector, agricultural technologies face a relative funding famine. AgTech Accelerator, a new startup program launched Thursday in Research Triangle Park, NC, is trying to address funding issues facing agtech companies, while also providing some of the business … Continue reading “AgTech Accelerator Aims to Sway Agriculture Investment Trends”
Somnoware Receives $9,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=79804433-43a2-461a-9794-8e5ec6184a58 Date 5/6/2016 Company Name Somnoware Mailing Address 11325 North Community House Road Charlotte, NC 28277 USA Company Description Somnoware was founded in 2011 by a team lead by Subath Kamalasan, the company’s CEO. An experienced entrepreneur with a background in computer science, Subath was managing multiple sleep centers when he realized … Continue reading “Somnoware Receives $9,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
New AgTech Accelerator Takes Root in RTP with $11.5M Investment
AgTech Accelerator, a new program intended to foster entrepreneurialism in agriculture, has launched in Research Triangle Park, NC, boosted by $11.5 million in support from heavyweights in the agriculture and investment communities, and partnerships with leading academic centers throughout the country. Alexandria Venture Investments, the investment arm of Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE: [[ticker:ARE]]), is … Continue reading “New AgTech Accelerator Takes Root in RTP with $11.5M Investment”
Joint Biomedical Engineering Program Bridges Campuses on Tobacco Road
Some scientists wait years to see their research resonate with patients. The drug delivery research of Zhen Gu, a biomedical engineering professor at NC State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is still early but he sees diabetics express interest in his work every day. One of Gu’s projects is a … Continue reading “Joint Biomedical Engineering Program Bridges Campuses on Tobacco Road”
More than a Matter of Appearances: Pharma’s Existential PR Problem
When President Obama forced Pfizer to scrap its proposed $160 billion merger with Allergan, the industry as well as the company emerged as losers in the eyes of the public, despite Pfizer’s credible and constructive position. As Pfizer CEO Ian Read explained in a recent op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer has long … Continue reading “More than a Matter of Appearances: Pharma’s Existential PR Problem”
Xconomy Launches Robotics and A.I. Channel
At the end of March, Xconomy held a jam-packed event called Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion. If you were among the roughly 250 people who descended on the Googleplex in the heart of Cambridge’s Kendall Square for the event, you may have heard me note that robotics and artificial intelligence were clearly growing in importance … Continue reading “Xconomy Launches Robotics and A.I. Channel”
Down to Wire on Napa Summit—Get Your Invite to Our May 16-17 Event
It’s getting close to the last call for Xconomy’s invitation-only Napa Summit. We have a star-studded lineup. But there are only a few tickets and hotel rooms left, and the May 16-17 event is coming up fast. So request your invitation right away if you’d like to join us. It all starts with a dinner … Continue reading “Down to Wire on Napa Summit—Get Your Invite to Our May 16-17 Event”
A Vision for Boosting the Life Sciences in San Diego and Beyond
The life sciences industry represents a vital piece of San Diego’s innovation economy, contributing $31.8 billion each year in local economic impact—more than defense or even tourism, according to the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. Beyond our region, San Diego’s life sciences community is significant for a different reason: Our companies contribute novel healthcare … Continue reading “A Vision for Boosting the Life Sciences in San Diego and Beyond”
Passport Receives $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=52f38346-c8f3-4b29-92df-9340ff0beb5d Date 5/4/2016 Company Name Passport Mailing Address 1300 South Mint Street Charlotte, NC 28203 USA Company Description Our Passport digital platforms are now installed in cities and universities from coast to coast, designed to reduce operational complexity and deliver intelligent data to improve decision making. Website http://www.passportinc.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Passport Receives $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
Ransomware: Four Steps to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim
It’s no secret to anyone who’s been paying attention to global business news: over the last few months, ransomware attacks have been plaguing organizations across every vertical and nation. Recent examples include events in the healthcare and legal industries in particular, notably the widely reported attacks on the MedStar Health hospital chain. In the case … Continue reading “Ransomware: Four Steps to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim”