The cost of doing business is always on the mind of startup executives. Salaries, rent, and other expenses like software licenses can often make or break a company. Much of the math comes down to how much money you can raise for your business, and startups often look to San Francisco and Silicon Valley to … Continue reading “What $1M in Bay Area Startup Dollars Buys You in 12 Other Cities”
Category: San Diego
Bio Roundup: Bosley’s Editas Exit, Bridge Bucks, CRISPR Crime & More
In a week of big personnel moves, none was more surprising than Editas Medicine CEO Katrine Bosley’s departure. After guiding the CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing startup from scientific breakthrough toward the development of a potential cutting-edge medicine, slogging victoriously through a legendary patent fight, and reaching the cusp of an historic clinical trial, the well-traveled Bosley is … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Bosley’s Editas Exit, Bridge Bucks, CRISPR Crime & More”
San Diego’s DeskHub Snapped Up by Co-Working Company Cross Campus
Cross Campus, a shared office-space provider with five locations in the Los Angeles, CA, region, has snapped up DeskHub in the latest step in a plan to expand its West Coast presence. DeskHub, one of San Diego’s oldest co-working companies, has about 500 members across two locations: a 23,000-square-foot space in Little Italy and about … Continue reading “San Diego’s DeskHub Snapped Up by Co-Working Company Cross Campus”
Autonomic CEO Gavin Sherry on Mobility, China, and Data Privacy
In a tech culture that looks toward self-driving cars as the pinnacle of mobility innovation, we’re still debating whether fully autonomous vehicles are an imminent reality for our roads or an ever-receding Shangri-La. But looking back from the viewpoint of 2019, it’s worth considering whether the really pivotal, world-changing advances in transportation have not already … Continue reading “Autonomic CEO Gavin Sherry on Mobility, China, and Data Privacy”
Trust & Will Raises $2M to Advance Digitization of Estate Planning
[Updated 9:30 a.m., see below.] Roughly half of American adults have no legal document that details how their assets should be distributed when they die. The team at Trust & Will, a San Diego-based startup founded in October of 2017, is betting that a good chunk of those people would shell out some money to … Continue reading “Trust & Will Raises $2M to Advance Digitization of Estate Planning”
Nominations for Xconomy Awards San Diego Close Soon
San Diego is chock-full of companies and people doing innovative work in life science and digital health. From the many unsung heroes toiling in labs countywide, to paradigm-shifting startup founders working on the next life-altering medicine or digital health tool, to executives with multiple exits under their belts, Xconomy will recognize the region’s best this … Continue reading “Nominations for Xconomy Awards San Diego Close Soon”
2019 Will See Progress on Personalization’s Last Frontier: Education
Today, technology and data science have combined to create artificial intelligence—data-driven algorithms that seemingly provide us with options for a fully personalized life. Gone are the days of Henry Ford’s “You can have any color so long as it’s black.” There are way more than three major network TV channels. We live in an era … Continue reading “2019 Will See Progress on Personalization’s Last Frontier: Education”
LunaDNA Health Data Platform to Merge with Genetic Alliance Database
LunaDNA, a startup that is offering individuals company stock in exchange for personal genomic and health information in a bid to build a database that could help advance scientific research, is merging its research platform with the Genetic Alliance’s Platform for Engaging Everyone Responsibly (PEER). The Genetic Alliance is a longstanding nonprofit organization based in … Continue reading “LunaDNA Health Data Platform to Merge with Genetic Alliance Database”
Detroit Trends in 2018? More Traction, Diversity, and Collaboration
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of posts sharing thoughts from industry and technology leaders about 2018 trends. A few trends come to mind that continue to shape and define the startup ecosystem in Detroit: —Marketplaces continue to evolve and attract funding (initial and follow-on), and gain traction that has to be recognized and respected. … Continue reading “Detroit Trends in 2018? More Traction, Diversity, and Collaboration”
Bio Roundup: Aimmune Drama, Shutdown Blues, Perlmutter Talks Cancer
The partial government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, began to take a bite out of biotech this week, served with a hot side dish of confusion. On Tuesday, Aimmune Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AIMT]]) said the shutdown would delay the review—and potential approval—of its experimental treatment for peanut allergy. Aimmune said it received a letter … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Aimmune Drama, Shutdown Blues, Perlmutter Talks Cancer”
What’s Your Emergency? Law Enforcement’s Increasing Interest in Tech
Fort Worth, TX—Data analytics and visual search technologies are increasingly being used by law enforcement agencies, growth that has captured the attention of tech giant Motorola. The Chicago-based tech company, which has long sold narrow-band radios to law enforcement, has been building its arsenal of software and camera technologies through a series of acquisitions. The … Continue reading “What’s Your Emergency? Law Enforcement’s Increasing Interest in Tech”
CommonGrounds Raises $100M to Open More New Flexible Office Spaces
Billions of dollars have already flowed to the purveyors of shared workspaces, and the investment spigot isn’t turning off yet. CommonGrounds Workspace, a San Diego, CA-based company that operates flexible office spaces in California and Colorado today, announced Wednesday that it had raised $100 million in a Series A financing to expand its lineup to … Continue reading “CommonGrounds Raises $100M to Open More New Flexible Office Spaces”
After 33 Exits in 5 Years, WI Seeks “More and Bigger” Startup Deals
[Updated 1/22/19, 3:10 pm CT. See below.] When Propeller Health’s founders initially tried to raise funding for their new healthcare technology venture, many of the investors they spoke with were hesitant to take the risk. It was the early part of this decade, and Propeller was navigating the FDA’s regulatory process for medical devices. The … Continue reading “After 33 Exits in 5 Years, WI Seeks “More and Bigger” Startup Deals”
Merck And The Future of Immuno-Oncology: A Chat With Roger Perlmutter
Cancer immunotherapy is, in a word, tantalizing. It might save the life of someone at death’s door and keep the cancer at bay for years. Or it might not work at all. There’s no telling what a patient will experience. “There’s a real poverty of understanding of how the machine that is us works,” says … Continue reading “Merck And The Future of Immuno-Oncology: A Chat With Roger Perlmutter”
AlwaysAI Adds $4M to Bring Deep Learning to Embedded ‘Edge’ Devices
Many of our devices, from wearables to medical instruments to drones, can capture reams of images. Using algorithms to analyze those images on the devices, in turn, generally takes loads of computing power and energy—sometimes more than is feasible. AlwaysAI says it is getting ready to sell its software for enterprise developers looking to make … Continue reading “AlwaysAI Adds $4M to Bring Deep Learning to Embedded ‘Edge’ Devices”
A VC’s Take: Global Volatility Hurts U.S. Venture Ecosystem
As Xconomy’s editors looked back at the year just passed, we asked technology leaders to comment on the trends they’d observed in 2018, and the developments they expected in 2019. Some leaders responded with their views on the business impact of the Trump era, pointing to specific policy positions such as tax code revisions, curbs … Continue reading “A VC’s Take: Global Volatility Hurts U.S. Venture Ecosystem”
Teradata Names Oliver Ratzesberger as New CEO
Teradata on Monday announced that Oliver Ratzesberger, its chief operating officer, has been tapped as president and CEO Victor Lund’s successor. The company, which last year relocated its headquarters from Dayton, OH, to San Diego, is in the midst of a concerted effort to transform itself from a legacy data storage provider to an innovative, … Continue reading “Teradata Names Oliver Ratzesberger as New CEO”
San Diego Life Science Companies See Stock Bumps, Slips in JPM Wake
The massive life sciences meeting now known as the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference started out as a clubby get-together hosted by investment bank Hambrecht & Quist. Back in the days of H&Q, bankers and entrepreneurs flocked to San Francisco to get information about biotech companies that was otherwise hard to come by. Investors, thrilled—or spooked—by … Continue reading “San Diego Life Science Companies See Stock Bumps, Slips in JPM Wake”
Pensa, AI-Enabled Drones Maker for Inventory Monitoring, Raises $5M
[Updated, 1/18/19, 1:10 pm CT] Austin—The grocery store shelf has yet to be plugged into the increasingly digital food supply chain. Instead, inventory is typically tallied by employees by hand in a slow and laborious process. “It’s one big black hole with groceries, not knowing what is exactly on the retail shelf and available for … Continue reading “Pensa, AI-Enabled Drones Maker for Inventory Monitoring, Raises $5M”
Kaleido Bio and Cirius Join an IPO Queue Stalled by Federal Shutdown
The partial government shutdown may have diminished staffing at the SEC, but it hasn’t dimmed the hopes of biotech firms hoping to go public. On Friday, Kaleido Biosciences and Cirius Therapeutics both filed paperwork for their respective initial public offerings with the securities regulator. While it’s operating with “very limited staff” due to the shutdown, … Continue reading “Kaleido Bio and Cirius Join an IPO Queue Stalled by Federal Shutdown”
E-Commerce Startups, Legacy Stores Grapple With Changing Retail Scene
The changing of the guard transforming retail is accelerating. Sears, the nation’s first “everything store,” is teetering toward bankruptcy after years of stagnation as industry leaders prepare to gather in New York at the National Retail Federation’s annual conference. Yet, new startups—aided with tech tools like artificial intelligence, chatbots, and the like—are trying to reinvent … Continue reading “E-Commerce Startups, Legacy Stores Grapple With Changing Retail Scene”
Tech Companies Share Shutdown Losses, With Little Chance of Back Pay
As federal agency employees miss their first paychecks today due to the partial government shutdown that began Dec. 22, federal contractors and their workers—including technology professionals—face a loss of income that they may never recover. Big technology companies such as Oracle (NYSE: [[ticker:ORCL]]), Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]), and Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]), as well as smaller tech … Continue reading “Tech Companies Share Shutdown Losses, With Little Chance of Back Pay”
Bio Roundup: #JPM19 Notes, Loxo Buyout, Black Diamond’s Cash & More
Diabetes drugs are Eli Lilly’s bread and butter, but the pharmaceutical giant hasn’t lost its appetite for cancer drugs. It grabbed hold of a few more this week by betting $8 billion on Loxo Oncology. Loxo (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LOXO]]) has made a name for itself by becoming one of just two companies ever to earn an … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: #JPM19 Notes, Loxo Buyout, Black Diamond’s Cash & More”
Notes from the JPM19 Vortex: Price Apocalypse, Celgene Fallout & More
[Editor’s note: Ben Fidler and Sarah de Crescenzo coauthored this report.] It is here, and then it is gone. But by the time everyone staggers to the airport or back home to sleep in their own beds, the annual few days of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference and everything that mushrooms around it seem just … Continue reading “Notes from the JPM19 Vortex: Price Apocalypse, Celgene Fallout & More”
Uncertainty Grows for Biotech as Government, FDA Shutdown Drags On
The partial government shutdown could soon become the longest shutdown in history, and biotech firms that have submitted regulatory filings are facing greater uncertainty about their future plans. More than 40 percent of FDA workers and thousands at the SEC are furloughed, and FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is resorting to Twitter to post updates about … Continue reading “Uncertainty Grows for Biotech as Government, FDA Shutdown Drags On”
FAANG, Public Trust, Valuations, in 2019: The Read from Menlo Ventures
The market caps of some of the most successful tech titans reach as high as $1 trillion. Yet in 2018, perceptions about these dominant companies often reflected uneasiness and doubt—and for some, so did their stock performance. Maybe the mood shift has to do with the fact that the public and government leaders no longer … Continue reading “FAANG, Public Trust, Valuations, in 2019: The Read from Menlo Ventures”
Apollo 8: Holding the Mirror Up to Our Planet—Milestones of Innovation 16
The fiftieth anniversary of Apollo 8’s orbital visit to the moon underlines the importance of emotion and changes of perception in the history of innovation. Then and later, commentators said that the technological marvel reversed some of the gloom from the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, the Chicago police beating of dissidents … Continue reading “Apollo 8: Holding the Mirror Up to Our Planet—Milestones of Innovation 16”
Big Deals, Life Sciences Push U.S. VC in 2018 to Dot-Com Boom Levels
[Updated 1/18/19, 3:27 pm. See below.] Venture capital investments rose in 2018 to levels not seen since the heady days of 2000, the last year U.S. startups collectively took in more than $100 billion. That’s according to PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association’s Venture Monitor report, released this week, which tallied nearly 9,000 deals … Continue reading “Big Deals, Life Sciences Push U.S. VC in 2018 to Dot-Com Boom Levels”
Beta Bionics Secures $63M as AI-Driven “Pancreas” Heads to Key Tests
Beta Bionics, a startup developing a medical device that monitors and manages blood sugar levels in diabetes patients, has closed $63 million to back late-stage clinical tests of its AI-powered technology. The cash tops off a Series B round of funding announced last year. The Boston company, which counts diabetes drug giants Eli Lilly (NYSE: … Continue reading “Beta Bionics Secures $63M as AI-Driven “Pancreas” Heads to Key Tests”
The Power Combo of A.I. Devices with Cloudlets Comes with Cyber Risks
When we have a chance to view it from a distance, the year 2018 may be seen as a period when innovations in a number of technological fields came together to transform not only the future of computing, but also the very structure of the Internet. First, entrepreneurs vying to invent self-driving vehicles, virtual assistants, … Continue reading “The Power Combo of A.I. Devices with Cloudlets Comes with Cyber Risks”
Microsoft, Kroger Advance Grocery Tech to Fend Off Amazon
From the cloud on down to the floors of supermarkets, the rivalry between Microsoft and Amazon spans many sectors in software, gadgets, and increasingly, retail. The Seattle-area tech giants are battling—both with one another, and other competitors—to further digitize grocery shopping. The latest salvo came on Monday from Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]), which announced new details … Continue reading “Microsoft, Kroger Advance Grocery Tech to Fend Off Amazon”
Bio-JPM Roundup: Lilly Buys Loxo, Sage’s Stock Soars, ALS Cash & More
The flow of biotech news is particularly heavy today, and for good reason. The annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, one of the biggest gatherings for the biopharmaceutical industry, kicked off today in San Francisco, and many companies, whether they’re speaking at the event or not, use this time to get their news out. Xconomy is … Continue reading “Bio-JPM Roundup: Lilly Buys Loxo, Sage’s Stock Soars, ALS Cash & More”
Tech Leaders Weigh In on Tim Berners-Lee’s “Contract for the Web”
Looking back over the past two years, it seems that public perceptions of tech companies have shifted, compared with the eager acceptance that often prevailed as innovations from these businesses transformed social interactions, transportation, and other aspects of life. In early 2017, a more critical mood began to take hold as Uber’s allegedly biased employment … Continue reading “Tech Leaders Weigh In on Tim Berners-Lee’s “Contract for the Web””
Poseida Therapeutics Prepares for IPO to Advance CAR-T Treatments
Poseida Therapeutics, which is testing CAR-T cell therapies for blood-borne and solid tumor cancers, has laid the groundwork for an initial public offering. In documents filed with securities regulators Friday, the San Diego company set a preliminary IPO target of $115 million. The company has applied for a listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange under … Continue reading “Poseida Therapeutics Prepares for IPO to Advance CAR-T Treatments”
Bio Roundup: $74B for Celgene, Two CAR-T Tales, Ready for SF & More
In 2018, my Exome colleagues and I published hundreds of stories about health, medicine, the biopharma industry, government policy, and more. You’ll find a few of our favorite stories in this review of some of the year’s best from across the Xconomy network. Topics ranged from the worries over CRISPR genome editing and Wild West … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: $74B for Celgene, Two CAR-T Tales, Ready for SF & More”
From Immigration to Taxes, Execs Talk Trump Effect on Innovation
When it comes to developing and promoting innovation, external factors beyond the control of company founders, investors, and other business leaders can also determine whether a startup succeeds or fails. In 2018, geopolitical events—in particular, President Donald Trump’s hard-line stances on trade and immigration, and the repeal of net neutrality rules—were top of mind for … Continue reading “From Immigration to Taxes, Execs Talk Trump Effect on Innovation”
Forge Therapeutics Gets up to $11.1M to Advance “Superbug” Drugs
[Updated 1/4/19, 9:10 p.m. PT. See below.] As strains of bacteria evolve to fight back against common antibiotics, a slew of biotechnology companies are working to develop ways to combat these “superbugs.” San Diego’s Forge Therapeutics is among those targeting gram-negative bacteria, a type of bacteria that has a protective outer membrane that makes it … Continue reading “Forge Therapeutics Gets up to $11.1M to Advance “Superbug” Drugs”
For CAR-T Cancer Fighters in the Real World, Two Roads Diverge
[Corrected, 1/4/19, 3:55pm ET. See below.] A generation ago, cancer treatments made from a patient’s own living immune cells would have been science fiction. Now they’re here. The first two products, approved in 2017 and known in shorthand as CAR-T, have brought some people with otherwise untreatable blood cancers back from the brink of death. … Continue reading “For CAR-T Cancer Fighters in the Real World, Two Roads Diverge”
In a Huge Biopharma Shakeup, Bristol-Myers to Buy Celgene For $74B
Bristol-Myers Squibb has agreed to acquire Celgene in a deal that would create one of the largest biopharma organizations in the world and send ripples throughout the life sciences sector. Bristol (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) on Thursday morning inked a deal to buy Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) in a deal that values the Summit, NJ, drugmaker at $74 … Continue reading “In a Huge Biopharma Shakeup, Bristol-Myers to Buy Celgene For $74B”
4 San Diego Startups Ring in New Year With New Venture Dollars
Heads of some local tech startups—or at least their lawyers—stayed busy over the winter holiday. Four reported raising $10 million or more within days of the New Year, according to recent filings with securities regulators. While the softening stock market may have ruined a few holiday breaks, these San Diego software companies were undoubtedly raising … Continue reading “4 San Diego Startups Ring in New Year With New Venture Dollars”
Copps: Key Ingredient As A.I. Permeates Daily Life is Building Trust
The promise, and pitfalls, of artificial intelligence became more apparent in the last year, and for Dave Copps, founder of A.I. companies such as Brainspace and Hypergiant Sensory Sciences, the pace of adoption will only accelerate in 2019. What can help to smooth the transition to our new machine learning-enabled future is an effort on … Continue reading “Copps: Key Ingredient As A.I. Permeates Daily Life is Building Trust”
Three Ways 5G Is More Than Just Fast Video Streaming
In 2019, we will finally see commercial deployment of the much-anticipated 5G (fifth-generation) wireless network. 5G brings us closer to the possibility and promise of ubiquitous, un-tethered connection between every device and every entity. The projected exponential increase in bandwidth, low latency, ultra-reliable connections, and highly configurable network solutions enabled by 5G will go beyond … Continue reading “Three Ways 5G Is More Than Just Fast Video Streaming”
New Year to Bring New Data Security Threats, Cyber Investor Warns
Bob Ackerman is one of the venture capitalists whose funding has long fed the growth of the burgeoning cybersecurity industry. So, you might imagine that his outlook on data protection for 2019 would be more optimistic than in past years, because businesses now take advantage of a broad choice of security services to protect themselves. … Continue reading “New Year to Bring New Data Security Threats, Cyber Investor Warns”
NY’s Research Institutions Must Keep Working Together in ‘19
[Corrected, 1/7/19, 5:15 pm. See below.] [Editor’s Note: Euan Robertson, the Director of Strategic Planning & Special Projects at Columbia Technology Ventures, co-wrote this article.] It is a commonly held belief that academic research institutions, including those in New York City, are fierce competitors. In some ways, that may be true: Universities battle with each … Continue reading “NY’s Research Institutions Must Keep Working Together in ‘19”
In 2019, the Dam Will Break: Student Debt Predictions and Solutions
With the density of colleges and universities in the Boston area, we don’t often recognize how inaccessible higher education has become for the majority of the country. In fact, seven out of 10 college graduates today have outstanding student loans. And while many of us believe that education is a “must-have,” it’s alarming how structurally … Continue reading “In 2019, the Dam Will Break: Student Debt Predictions and Solutions”
From Alnylam to Zayner: Xconomy’s Top Innovation Stories of 2018
2018 was a year of ups and downs for the business and technology community. It was a year of big exits—both IPOs and acquisitions—for tech and life sciences companies. Venture funding remained strong, but more money went to fewer (and later-stage) companies overall. As the year winds down, we’re reflecting on the big innovation trends … Continue reading “From Alnylam to Zayner: Xconomy’s Top Innovation Stories of 2018”
Saxena: More Than a Tool, A.I. Must Be Used With Society in Mind
[Updated 12/27/18, 9:54 am] Manoj Saxena is bullish on artificial intelligence. As chairman of Austin, TX-based A.I. startup CognitiveScale and managing director of The Entrepreneur Fund, which makes investments in early-stage machine learning companies, Saxena believes A.I. can transform how we work and play—creating opportunities for business. But he’s also aware that the technology, if … Continue reading “Saxena: More Than a Tool, A.I. Must Be Used With Society in Mind”
CFOs: Prepare To Become Your Company’s Data Czar This Year
In mid-2018, Tom Bogan was the leader of business planning software company Adaptive Insights as it planned its own next steps. The Palo Alto, CA-based company was on the point of raising about $115 million in a June IPO that would have set its market value at around $705 million, according to PitchBook. But like … Continue reading “CFOs: Prepare To Become Your Company’s Data Czar This Year”
Boston A.I. Leaders Call for Focus on Diversity, Global Mindset in 2019
It was an eventful year for the artificial intelligence industry. The sector saw more big venture capital deals and acquisitions, while researchers kept plugging away on technology advances. Meanwhile, A.I. developers continued to grapple with issues around transparency, trust, and ethics. As part of Xconomy’s series of year-end posts, we asked a pair of CEOs … Continue reading “Boston A.I. Leaders Call for Focus on Diversity, Global Mindset in 2019”
Gossamer Bio Files for IPO at End of Year in Which It Raised $330M
Gossamer Bio, headed by former Receptos executives, made its debut in January with $100 million in financing. Seven months later, it tacked on another $230 million. Now, the San Diego-based startup is looking to Wall Street for additional funds. The company last Friday outlined plans for an initial public offering to advance its development of … Continue reading “Gossamer Bio Files for IPO at End of Year in Which It Raised $330M”