Summer is just around the corner, and as rainy April rolls into muggy May, here’s a look at the headlines from the last week in North Carolina tech, biotech, agtech, and cleantech news: —The North Carolina Biotechnology Center awarded $2.5 million in loans and grants for life sciences work at companies and universities during the … Continue reading “NC Biotech, Windsor Circle, Willow Hill, & More NC Innovation News”
Category: Raleigh-Durham
From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary
Cybersecurity is a rapidly changing field. The arms race between hackers and organizations trying to defend themselves has given rise to a lexicon of epic proportions—and leaders from almost every industry are learning to speak the language. As concepts like antivirus and firewalls have grown old, security-tech companies are selling everything from “advanced threat detection” … Continue reading “From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary”
Sales Is Toxic to Innovation
Having had the good fortune to participate in business development and sales in both startups and large companies (Intel and Microsoft), I have arrived at the conclusion that sales is largely detrimental to successfully bringing innovative ideas to market. There is a critical transition from business development to sales, and if made prematurely it will … Continue reading “Sales Is Toxic to Innovation”
COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability
Last week’s signing of the Paris climate accord successfully returned international efforts on climate change to the media spotlight. As private investors in cleantech startups since 2006, Element 8 members have been following the developments since December very closely. We are notably encouraged about the future of clean technologies in the wake of not just … Continue reading “COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability”
Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite
Carving out time to really ponder the future of our technology landscape can be touch, but it can also be incredibly valuable. And if that time is spent with some of the world’s great innovators, technologists, and investors, all the better. That’s just the opportunity you’ll have at Xconomy’s invitation-only Napa Summit on May 16-17. … Continue reading “Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite”
Affirm Acquires Sweep for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=842dc015-fff1-4a62-a4fc-3140a5858153 Date 4/27/2016 Company Name Sweep Mailing Address 133 1/2 E. Franklin St. Chapel Hill, NC 27514 USA Company Description We believe everyone should be able to live a financially independent and fulfilling life. We think we can help by building useful tools to help people plan for the future, manage their … Continue reading “Affirm Acquires Sweep for Undisclosed Sum”
Finistere, IFC Team Up on New Ag Fund Willow Hill Ventures
Agricultural technology startups face challenges finding the capital to scale their companies, but they also struggle to find the farmland to test their products. Two companies experienced in agricultural investments have come together to launch a new venture fund that they say can address both problems. Willow Hill Ventures combines the agtech investment experience of … Continue reading “Finistere, IFC Team Up on New Ag Fund Willow Hill Ventures”
Panama Papers Leak: The New Normal?
Imagine if robbing banks were so easy and common that the only headlines were about all the taxes the thieves were avoiding. Cybercrime has become so expected and normal that media coverage of the Panama Papers leak has barely mentioned law firm Mossack Fonseca’s failure to protect its most valuable and sensitive assets: the files … Continue reading “Panama Papers Leak: The New Normal?”
Energy Storage Tech Catches On, But Policy Is Still Catching Up
The electric grid we have today operates largely as it has for decades—electricity produced and dispatched across power lines is used by customers right away. But nearly 30 years ago, a tiny North Carolina electric cooperative did something no other electric utility had done before. It used a battery to store some of that grid … Continue reading “Energy Storage Tech Catches On, But Policy Is Still Catching Up”
Windsor Circle Garners $4,103,771 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1e336a21-7c0a-485c-b283-be266064e888 Date 4/25/2016 Company Name Windsor Circle Mailing Address 212 West Main St. Durham, NC 27701 USA Company Description Windsor Circle’s eCommerce Intelligence software helps online retailers increase email marketing revenue through better customer segmentation. Website http://www.windsorcircle.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,103,771 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “Windsor Circle Garners $4,103,771 New Funding Round”
Announcing Xconomy Cybersecurity Channel
It doesn’t seem to matter where you live, what you do, or what industry your company is in—the likelihood of a cyber attack is growing, and protecting yourself is ever more front of mind. Xconomy’s editors around the United States have certainly encountered that reality, as they are increasingly covering more and more cybersecurity issues. … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Cybersecurity Channel”
Argos Lays Off 18 and Executive Resigns, But Phase 3 Still on Track
Argos Therapeutics has already secured financing expected to carry the company far enough to report late-stage clinical trial results for its experimental kidney cancer treatment, but that hasn’t stopped the company from taking additional cost-cutting measures. Durham, NC-based Argos (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARGS]]) is laying off 18 workers, representing 13 percent of its workforce, according to a … Continue reading “Argos Lays Off 18 and Executive Resigns, But Phase 3 Still on Track”
Credential Stealing as Attack Vector
Traditional computer security concerns itself with vulnerabilities. We employ antivirus software to detect malware that exploits vulnerabilities. We have automatic patching systems to fix vulnerabilities. We debate whether the FBI should be permitted to introduce vulnerabilities in our software so it can get access to systems with a warrant. This is all important, but what’s … Continue reading “Credential Stealing as Attack Vector”
Ready Or Not: Next Alzheimer’s Drugs Might Strain Health Systems
By 2029, more than 20 percent of people in the United States will be over the age of 65. That’s why the race to find effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease feels urgent. A few drugs, approved well over a decade ago, can slow patients’ mental decline for some time. But everything else that has reached … Continue reading “Ready Or Not: Next Alzheimer’s Drugs Might Strain Health Systems”
Agenda Posted For Napa Summit: Request Invite to Star-Studded Event
It’s four weeks until Napa Summit 2016: The Xconomy Retreat on the Economy, Jobs, and Growth. We have now posted the agenda, and we’d love to see you there. So request your invitation today to Xconomy’s most prestigious event. The dates are May 16 and 17, starting with a wine reception and dinner at Silver … Continue reading “Agenda Posted For Napa Summit: Request Invite to Star-Studded Event”
First-Quarter VC Activity Buoyant at $12.1 Billion, & Top 10 Deals
Venture capital firms invested $12.1 billion in 969 startup deals nationwide during the first three months of 2016, marking the ninth consecutive quarter when VCs invested at least $10 billion in new companies, according to the MoneyTree Report. The top 10 deals accounted for 25 percent of all capital deployed during the quarter, and was … Continue reading “First-Quarter VC Activity Buoyant at $12.1 Billion, & Top 10 Deals”
Frictionless or Frictionmore? Sales Tips for Vendors
Many articles are written on sales and marketing: how to generate leads, how to qualify prospects, how to improve sales, how to engage customers, how to turn leads into a gazillion dollars, how to do this, how to do that, and so on. I am fresh off two recent experiences as a potential customer that … Continue reading “Frictionless or Frictionmore? Sales Tips for Vendors”
Elanco Gets FDA Nod on Biological Drug for Dairy Cows
A mastitis diagnosis in a cow spells trouble for a dairy farmer, who faces certain loss in milk production and possible loss of the cow. Antibiotics can treat this infection of the udder, but these drugs have fallen out of favor due to growing drug resistance. Soon, though, U.S. farmers will have a biological alternative … Continue reading “Elanco Gets FDA Nod on Biological Drug for Dairy Cows”
Viamet Revisits IPO Plans, This Time With More Data
Viamet Pharmaceuticals is taking another swing at the public markets, filing plans for an initial public offering intended to finance the work needed to bring its lead antifungal drug to the brink of late-stage clinical studies in two types of infections. Durham, NC-based Viamet could raise up to $100 million in the stock offering, according … Continue reading “Viamet Revisits IPO Plans, This Time With More Data”
Watching a Race Through the Alaskan Wilderness in Real Time
As afternoon slowly slipped into night, Kyle Amstadter pedaled and pushed his fat-tire bike across the vast, frozen expanse of Norton Bay, on Alaska’s Seward Peninsula. He was making about 3.5 miles an hour against a stiff headwind. From Seattle, I watched his progress, unfolding in real time as a trail of blue squares appearing … Continue reading “Watching a Race Through the Alaskan Wilderness in Real Time”
A Pivotal Factor In M&A Deals: Cyber Risk
Big merger and acquisition proposals trigger intense examinations of the benefits and risks of the deal from both sides—valuations, assets, legal liabilities, operational risk exposures, and compatibility, among others. However, it is also critical that companies elevate another factor to the top of the priority list: their cyber risk exposure. The pending acquisition of Starwood … Continue reading “A Pivotal Factor In M&A Deals: Cyber Risk”
A Charge of Bots
I had a sharp moment of clarity in the summer of 2007. After standing in line for four hours at an Apple Store outside of Boston on the day the first iPhone came out, I finally had one in my hand. It felt like a stereotypical Hollywood dream sequence; a long road stretching to the … Continue reading “A Charge of Bots”
Steve Case’s Rules for Building Startups in Internet’s “Third Wave”
Software could be poised to truly transform entrenched sectors like healthcare, education, financial services, and more. But the next wave of software companies will take longer to build than some entrepreneurs have grown accustomed to in the smartphone era, and success will require more patience and willingness to work closely with policymakers and industry stakeholders. … Continue reading “Steve Case’s Rules for Building Startups in Internet’s “Third Wave””
For San Antonio’s Consideration: A Biotech Incubator and Accelerator
San Antonio — [Updated, 1:55 p.m. See below.] Most research institutions or universities have at least one success story, a medicine or therapy developed there that made a big impact. Some have many. For the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, a 70-year-old nonprofit biomedical-focused institute with 56 researchers on staff based in Oklahoma City, OK, what first … Continue reading “For San Antonio’s Consideration: A Biotech Incubator and Accelerator”
The Case For An Internet Franchise Model
Internet service in America is not what it should be. Most consumers have two choices for access: the phone company or the cable company. By a quirk of fate, networks built with cables designed for television service can deliver more Internet bandwidth than networks built with cables designed for telephone service. So, the cable company … Continue reading “The Case For An Internet Franchise Model”
TearScience Receives Series D Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d9ea1e9a-7d09-42a7-aba8-2a9602108b72 Date 4/8/2016 Company Name TearScience Mailing Address 5151 McCrimmon Parkway Morrisville, NC 27560 USA Company Description TearScience has pioneered diagnostic and treatment devices for evaporative dry eye, providing significant clinical improvement. Website http://www.tearscience.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Series D Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed … Continue reading “TearScience Receives Series D Financing”
How Startups Can Run Better Landing Page Tests
In today’s fast-changing world, new product teams are constantly pushed to do more faster. They need to run fast to keep up with rapidly changing market conditions. Oftentimes it means making decisions about what to invest in with very little information. How can teams validate hypotheses without over-investing on speculative engineering projects, and potentially losing … Continue reading “How Startups Can Run Better Landing Page Tests”
There’s Never Been a Better Time for Female Tech Entrepreneurs
When I was a young girl, I knew that I wanted to run my own business someday. In fact, I would end up leading almost every club or team that I got involved in at school. However, by the time I actually began my career, I was well aware that the odds were not entirely … Continue reading “There’s Never Been a Better Time for Female Tech Entrepreneurs”
Announcing Xconomy Indiana—11th Region in Our Network
Just over two years ago, when we launched Xconomy Wisconsin as the ninth region in our network, I wrote: “There are no flyover zones in the United States. That’s the way Xconomy views the map, anyway, because we see innovation happening all over America.” Since that time, we expanded again, to Raleigh-Durham. And I am … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Indiana—11th Region in Our Network”
CivaTech Oncology Obtains $1,630,001 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=04730ddc-639c-444e-9c2a-37e19f3ac3d0 Date 4/6/2016 Company Name CivaTech Oncology Mailing Address 104 TW Alexander Drive Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 USA Company Description CivaTech Oncology designs innovative products that bring meaningful improvements to low dose rate brachytherapy. Website http://www.civatechoncology.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,630,001 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “CivaTech Oncology Obtains $1,630,001 New Funding”
Software Study Ranks San Diego #7, Cites Prowess in Scientific R&D
A study to assess the strength of San Diego’s software sector has determined that it ranks seventh among the top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas, according to a “software power index” that weighs a variety of economic factors. The study, released last week by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., is the first comprehensive analysis … Continue reading “Software Study Ranks San Diego #7, Cites Prowess in Scientific R&D”
Making the Price Right: Ideas To Change Drug Costs Gain Momentum
If the U.S. presidential primaries continue their current trajectories, the two contenders come autumn will have at least one thing in common: a stated desire to do something about high drug prices. Maybe you believe them, and maybe you think they’re blowing smoke up our nether regions. But momentum is momentum. With consumers, doctors, and … Continue reading “Making the Price Right: Ideas To Change Drug Costs Gain Momentum”
Napa Summit 2016: Request Your Invite to Our Most Special Event
There are all sorts of reasons for requesting an invitation to Xconomy’s Napa Summit, which will take place in just six weeks—on May 16-17. One is the fantastic array of speakers: John Maeda, design partner at Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers; virtual reality virtuoso Mary Lou Jepsen of Facebook/Oculus; tech investor Esther Dyson; computing visionary … Continue reading “Napa Summit 2016: Request Your Invite to Our Most Special Event”
Novo Nordisk, TransLoc, Duke Energy, & More NC Innovation News
Here are some of the top headlines from the last week in North Carolina tech, biotech, cleantech, and fintech news: —Novo Nordisk (NYSE: [[ticker:NVO]]) broke ground on a $1.8 billion production facility in Clayton that the Denmark-based company says will produce active pharmaceutical ingredients for products across its diabetes portfolio. Novo Nordisk expects the 833,000 … Continue reading “Novo Nordisk, TransLoc, Duke Energy, & More NC Innovation News”
At Long Last, First Drug Approval in Sight for Amicus
It’s an understatement to call Amicus Therapeutics’ quest to get its first drug approved a roller coaster ride. But it looks like the twists and turns might soon be over for the Cranbury, NJ-based company—at least in Europe. The committee of medicinal products for human use (CHMP) on Friday recommended approval of Amicus’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FOLD]]) … Continue reading “At Long Last, First Drug Approval in Sight for Amicus”
Trading Quality for Ease: Confessions of an Earbud Junkie
This is the story of a reawakening. I’ve come home to the world of real home stereo sound, after too many years hooked on music trickling through smartphone earbuds and devices with small, crappy speakers. Don’t worry, I haven’t turned into an audiophile. I’m not going to preach to you about some $40,000 turntable with … Continue reading “Trading Quality for Ease: Confessions of an Earbud Junkie”
TransLoc Garners $8,000,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f11674b4-3b50-4e46-802a-0c378a6e57e4 Date 4/1/2016 Company Name TransLoc Mailing Address 4505 Emperor Blvd. Durham, NC 27703 USA Company Description Our mission is to take public transit from last resort for some, to first choice for all. As a technologist and a mass transit rider, I couldn’t let go of the idea that mass transit … Continue reading “TransLoc Garners $8,000,000 Series A Round”
What’s Ahead for Biotech in 2016: Q&A With BIO Chair Ron Cohen
Biotechnology is a tricky business. We all know the trials and tribulations—and costs—of bringing novel drugs to market. In the past six months or so, a new round of drug pricing upheaval (think Martin Shkreli) and corporate tax “inversions” (think Pfizer-Allergan merger with new headquarters in Ireland) have ignited public debate. Ron Cohen has been … Continue reading “What’s Ahead for Biotech in 2016: Q&A With BIO Chair Ron Cohen”
TransLoc Steps on the Gas With $8M for Mass Transit Software
For commuters and transit system operators, travel planning is a headache. Many commuters use a hodge-podge of transit modes to get around cities. Meanwhile, mass transit operators have a hard time gathering accurate and timely data about how their systems are used—data crucial to planning expensive and necessary upgrades. TransLoc, a transportation technology startup based … Continue reading “TransLoc Steps on the Gas With $8M for Mass Transit Software”
The Xconversation: Vaccine Developer Meets Energy Innovator, Part II
There’s no such thing as failure, as long as you view it in the proper light. That’s the philosophy of scientist-entrepreneurs Darrick Carter, vice president of adjuvant technology at Seattle-based IDRI (Infectious Disease Research Institute) and biotech company founder, and Aaron Feaver, co-founder and chief technology officer of energy-storage materials company EnerG2, who shared their … Continue reading “The Xconversation: Vaccine Developer Meets Energy Innovator, Part II”
The Xconversation: Vaccine Developer Meets Energy Innovator, Part I
What do vaccines have to do with batteries? Let your mind’s eye travel to the cellular membrane, where a ligand is enveloped by a receptor, spurring a subtle change in the cell. (Bear with me.) In some respects, it’s similar to what’s happening inside a battery when electrolytes interact with engineered materials to cause a … Continue reading “The Xconversation: Vaccine Developer Meets Energy Innovator, Part I”
Is Money Everything? Behind the Scenes of Tech Hiring
Have you tried to hire a software developer recently? The current job market is bananas! It’s crazy in Boston. New York City is booming with tech startups. In Silicon Valley and the Bay Area, the cost of living is exploding as salaries in the tech sector grow. It’s getting more expensive every year to hire … Continue reading “Is Money Everything? Behind the Scenes of Tech Hiring”
Emulate Gets $28M to Roll Out “Plug and Play” Organ-on-Chip Tech
One step at a time, Emulate has been trying to use microchip systems to simulate organs and diseases for testing—a lung with asthma or dangerous fluid buildup, and perhaps someday a brain with Alzheimer’s. It’s part of an ambitious goal of helping to change preclinical drug development and improve the efficiency of drug-making. Now Emulate … Continue reading “Emulate Gets $28M to Roll Out “Plug and Play” Organ-on-Chip Tech”
How VR, AR Innovation Can Finally Fulfill Its Potential
This post was co-authored by Matt McIlwain, managing director, Madrona Venture Group, and Steve Seitz, professor of computer science and engineering at University of Washington and “teleportation lead” at Google. Virtual reality (VR), which immerses the user in the virtual world, and augmented reality (AR), which overlays digital information onto the physical world, are being … Continue reading “How VR, AR Innovation Can Finally Fulfill Its Potential”
6fusion Obtains $6,556,982 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e9964371-3268-4b09-8f00-356bd8551b3d Date 3/28/2016 Company Name 6fusion Mailing Address 1730 Varsity Dr. Raleigh, NC 27606 USA Company Description 6fusion leverages the unprecedented insights gained from IT infrastructure metering to help you understand what the data is telling you and how you can use the data to improve your cost structure, infrastructure efficiency and … Continue reading “6fusion Obtains $6,556,982 New Round”
As Equity Crowdfunding Debuts in U.S., Will More Regulations Follow?
Ready or not, equity crowdfunding is coming to the U.S. this spring. The funding mechanism allows companies to sell shares of their firms to the general public (not just accredited investors) through online portals. The practice has already gained traction in places like the U.K. in recent years, but it has taken a while to … Continue reading “As Equity Crowdfunding Debuts in U.S., Will More Regulations Follow?”
Envisia Gets $16.5M More to Back Extended-Release Eye Drugs
Investors in Envisia Therapeutics are pumping $16.5 million more into the eye drug developer to carry the company’s lead candidate, a potential glaucoma treatment, through mid-stage clinical trials. Envisia’s new financing adds to the $25 million Series A round the Research Triangle Park, NC-based company initially raised in 2013. At that time, Envisia was spun … Continue reading “Envisia Gets $16.5M More to Back Extended-Release Eye Drugs”
Dear Biopharma: Give Us Better Therapies for Pain
The CDC released on March 15th new guidelines that advise strict limits on the prescription of opioids for pain. These guidelines respond to a stunning increase in deaths and addiction related to the prescription of opioids like OxyContin and Percocet. The CDC recommended against providing patients more than a seven-day supply of opioids for acute … Continue reading “Dear Biopharma: Give Us Better Therapies for Pain”
Bivarus Obtains $2,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=036f7cba-dfa9-43c9-bc00-900b9363e7d4 Date 3/23/2016 Company Name Bivarus Mailing Address 318 Blackwell Street Durham, NC 27701 USA Company Description Bivarus is at the forefront of providing a software platform for transforming patient-centered data into actionable insights for improved care delivery. Website http://www.bivarus.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Bivarus Obtains $2,000,000 New Financing”
Beware the Potential Downside of Venture Capital Relationships
Conventional wisdom has it that entrepreneurs benefit from wide networks and strong ties with other organizations. Venture capital (VC) firms, in particular, are seen as a valuable source of funding, social status, technical knowledge, and expert advice for fledgling new businesses. But what if these same relationships can also create new liabilities for entrepreneurs? As … Continue reading “Beware the Potential Downside of Venture Capital Relationships”