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”
Category: San Diego
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”
Winc Garners $17,500,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4e730024-0e96-4bc2-896d-081b77d48ef5 Date 5/4/2016 Company Name Winc Mailing Address 5340 Alla Road Los Angeles, CA 90066 USA Company Description As a brand, Winc embodies our founding goal to make wine approachable and accessible. It also encompasses a broader desire to make great wines with passion and pride, and to bring transparency, honesty, innovation, … Continue reading “Winc Garners $17,500,000 Series B Funding”
Sixgill Garners $6,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=aa40a93b-d74d-483c-aa7c-ad5d449652d0 Date 5/4/2016 Company Name Sixgill Mailing Address 312 Arizona Avenue Santa Monica, CA 90401 USA Company Description Sixgill is the enterprise redirection of the proximity software and data technology originally developed by Zos Communications LLC for its sponsor-to-attendee communications and crowd management projects for large events. Website http://www.sixgill.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Sixgill Garners $6,000,000 New Financing Round”
Age of Learning Obtains $150,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8803f615-8b4b-4c78-ab7a-d8aa1dba9b31 Date 5/4/2016 Company Name Age of Learning Mailing Address 101 North Brand Blvd. 8th Floor Glendale, CA 91203 USA Company Description Age of Learning blends education best practices, innovative technology, and insightful creativity to bring learning to life for children across the U.S. and around the world. Website http://www.ageoflearning.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Age of Learning Obtains $150,000,000 New 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”
Metamason Garners $3,701,386 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0903aca2-3033-419c-86f6-4256b886518a Date 5/2/2016 Company Name Metamason Mailing Address 13 W Union Pasadena, CA 91107 USA Company Description Metamason’s flagship products are the Respere Secure CPAP Mask & the Respere Freedom CPAP Adapter, targeting the $17B sleep apnea treatment industry. Website http://www.metamason.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,701,386 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “Metamason Garners $3,701,386 New Funding”
TrackR Receives New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=76f16cc7-d110-4e8a-9755-5d47ed124250 Date 5/2/2016 Company Name TrackR Mailing Address 19 W Carrillo St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103 USA Company Description TrackR is a small, coin-sized device that easily attaches to your valuable items. With the TrackR app, locate any lost or misplaced item in seconds by ringing your missing keys, using TrackR’s Distance … Continue reading “TrackR Receives New Financing”
Sienna Biopharmaceuticals Secures $34,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=34b4b8aa-2dc8-48b6-9b66-3e335e894adb Date 4/30/2016 Company Name Sienna Biopharmaceuticals Mailing Address 30721 Russell Ranch Road Westlake Village, CA 91362 USA Company Description Sienna Biopharmaceuticals is a company focused on the discovery, clinical development and commercialization of products in aesthetics and dermatology based on scientific breakthroughs that dramatically improve patient outcomes and physicians’ practice of … Continue reading “Sienna Biopharmaceuticals Secures $34,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
One Year After Gaffe, Acadia Gains FDA Nod For Parkinson’s Drug
Last year’s shakeup and mea culpa at San Diego’s Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACAD]]) has paid off. The FDA said late today it has approved Acadia’s pimavanserin (Nuplazid), a treatment for psychosis associated with Parkinson’s disease. Acadia stumbled badly last year, as Xconomy reported here. The former CEO Uli Hacksell unexpectedly left the company, taking the … Continue reading “One Year After Gaffe, Acadia Gains FDA Nod For Parkinson’s Drug”
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”
Levyx Garners $5,400,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d91380d8-0830-456d-be2c-4876fc763993 Date 4/29/2016 Company Name Levyx Mailing Address 49 Discovery Irvine, CA 92618 USA Company Description Levyx was founded by Reza Sadri and Tony Givargis in Irvine, CA with the vision of bringing the benefits of high-speed data processing to the masses. This is accomplished by fundamentally disrupting the economics of how … Continue reading “Levyx Garners $5,400,000 Series A Financing”
Prisyna Lands $6,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4e057bee-176e-4a0b-9eef-f059ddb3f1bf Date 4/29/2016 Company Name Prisyna Mailing Address Undisclosed Claremont, CA 91711 USA Company Description Prisyna is an oral care business unit of Synedgen, focused on the development of consumer products that clean teeth and gums, freshen breath and moisten mouths without the burn or irritation of abrasive oral care products. Website … Continue reading “Prisyna Lands $6,000,000 New Funding Round”
Slantrange Lands $5,000,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a021d00f-1891-4576-8f6f-fffca62aeae1 Date 4/29/2016 Company Name Slantrange Mailing Address 4901 Morena Boulevard San Diego, CA 92117 USA Company Description SLANTRANGE has pioneered a smarter approach to agricultural intelligence by delivering new layers of information for more control and predictability over your land and more efficient use of your resources. Website http://www.slantrange.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Slantrange Lands $5,000,000 Series A Round”
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”
Stem Media Obtains $4,500,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9242a572-0a5d-4fb9-af91-dcd822b0e2fe Date 4/28/2016 Company Name Stem Media Mailing Address 717 North Highland Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90038 USA Company Description We’re building something new to make it easy for everyone involved in the creative process to receive their fair share of earnings and information in a clear and timely manner. Website http://www.stem.is … Continue reading “Stem Media Obtains $4,500,000 New Funding Round”
Lindzon Sees Place for SparkFin in Constellation of Mobile Fintechs
As a broker, trader, and hedge fund manager, Howard Lindzon has long been fascinated by the potential use of social media for collecting and sharing stock tips and related information. He co-founded StockTwits in 2008 as an online social media network to share Wall Street market insights and ideas, and as a way to track … Continue reading “Lindzon Sees Place for SparkFin in Constellation of Mobile Fintechs”
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”
West Coast Bio Roundup: Prince, Theranos, Second Genome, CytomX & More
The biggest biomedical news on this coast, that coast, or any coast this week is the death of Prince Rogers Nelson, 57, a man who did more to promote cardiovascular fitness than any drug maker could ever hope to do. How much of your life have you spent dancing to his music, or, ahem, engaged … Continue reading “West Coast Bio Roundup: Prince, Theranos, Second Genome, CytomX & More”
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”
Amid Coding School Boom, Eleven Fifty Aims to Meet a Local Need
A little over a year ago, John Qualls, a veteran entrepreneur and leader in the Indianapolis area’s business community, decided to try something slightly different for his next career move. At the time Qualls was working as an executive at BlueLock, a company he started in 2006 that develops software to help clients manage data … Continue reading “Amid Coding School Boom, Eleven Fifty Aims to Meet a Local Need”
Acorns Garners $30,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6a32ec37-27f8-4ad4-97bd-1a04cb6f2e96 Date 4/21/2016 Company Name Acorns Mailing Address 19510 Jamboree Road Newport Beach, CA 92612 USA Company Description Acorns automatically invests your spare change. Our mobile-first investment platform enables commission free investing, portfolio management with automatic rebalancing and dividend reinvestment, and real-time account monitoring. Website http://www.acorns.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Acorns Garners $30,000,000 New Round”
SkySafe Obtains $3,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=255b688c-cd23-4c21-bab9-2eec46eb79e3 Date 4/21/2016 Company Name SkySafe Mailing Address Undisclosed San Diego, CA 92121 USA Company Description The SkySafe system can take control of a rogue drone over the air and safely land it. With detailed event history and real-time notifications, SkySafe offers an unprecedented level of airspace security. Website http://www.skysafe.io Transaction Type … Continue reading “SkySafe Obtains $3,000,000 New Financing”
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”
Brighter Lands $21,000,000 Series D Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=84d7a817-0863-4186-92be-0e0fa562366c Date 4/20/2016 Company Name Brighter Mailing Address 501 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401 USA Company Description Brighter has reinvented dental benefits by giving members access to comprehensive quality and pricing information to help them find a great dentist and save money. Website http://www.brighter.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Brighter Lands $21,000,000 Series D Financing”
MedMen Lands $15,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=16512c3a-8f22-41f6-9226-73b909696e80 Date 4/20/2016 Company Name MedMen Mailing Address 8441 Warner Drive Culver City, CA 90232 USA Company Description MedMen is the premier management firm leading the marijuana industry. Since 2007, MedMen has helped more than 100 businesses navigate the complexities of entering and succeeding in the legal marijuana market. MedMen brings together … Continue reading “MedMen Lands $15,000,000 New Funding”
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”
San Diego Venture Funding Drops in QI—But Here are Top 10 Deals
The pace of venture capital funding slowed substantially in San Diego during the first quarter, with venture firms investing $253.5 million in 21 startups, according to data from the MoneyTree Report. The amount of capital invested in San Diego was down by almost a third from the same quarter in 2015, when VCs provided over … Continue reading “San Diego Venture Funding Drops in QI—But Here are Top 10 Deals”
Adtile Secures $2,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b05a22d3-e331-4095-9c8a-04ceabdd127c Date 4/18/2016 Company Name Adtile Mailing Address 11750 Sorrento Valley Road San Diego, CA 92121 USA Company Description All-new mobile ad experience for a world on the move. With Adtile, we are redefining people’s broken relationship with mobile advertising by re-imagining the entire medium. Website http://www.adtile.me Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “Adtile Secures $2,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Theranos, Medivation, Juno, and More
Sean Parker, who made billions of dollars investing in Napster and Facebook, hosted a big party this week with Lady Gaga, John Legend, and a lot of movie stars. Oh, and Parker pledged $250 million to create a cancer immunotherapy center in his own name that will coordinate research between six academic centers spread across … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Theranos, Medivation, Juno, and More”
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”
Cydan, NEA’s Orphan Drug Accelerator, Targets Sickle Cell With Startup Imara
Cydan Development, New Enterprise Associates’s orphan drug startup accelerator, has taken a look at around 600 assets since it was formed some three years ago. Sifting through all these potential drugs for diamonds in the rough has been an exhaustive process, perhaps even more so than the firm’s executives expected. “It takes longer to de-risk … Continue reading “Cydan, NEA’s Orphan Drug Accelerator, Targets Sickle Cell With Startup Imara”
ImaginAb Secures $5,341,245 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a4369b66-3a30-428e-9f6a-d021fe24b867 Date 4/14/2016 Company Name ImaginAb Mailing Address 419 Hindry Avenue Inglewood, CA 90301 USA Company Description ImaginAb clinically manages cancer and autoimmune diseases via molecular imaging by re-engineering antibodies into small proteins. Website http://www.imaginab.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,341,245 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “ImaginAb Secures $5,341,245 New Funding Round”
EnsoData Raises $550K to Develop Software That Analyzes Sleep Data
At an event last August featuring pitches from startups, EnsoData co-founder Chris Fernandez told audience members that his company was hoping to raise $300,000 in a seed funding round. EnsoData, whose software uses machine learning algorithms to help clinicians score sleep data and diagnose patients with sleep apnea and other disorders, has now realized that … Continue reading “EnsoData Raises $550K to Develop Software That Analyzes Sleep Data”
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”
With Latest Startup, Harvard’s Verdine Again Aims at Elusive Targets
Harvard University chemical biologist and serial entrepreneur Greg Verdine has spent more than a decade trying to come up with different solutions for one critical problem in biotech: The majority of would-be drug targets are out of reach of existing technologies. That drive has already led to several different companies—among them Aileron Therapeutics, Warp Drive … Continue reading “With Latest Startup, Harvard’s Verdine Again Aims at Elusive Targets”
Takeaways and Photos from Big Data Meets Big Biology in San Diego
In his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University, Steve Jobs talked about the path we follow in life, saying, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards.” The same could be said about innovation. We cannot know that a particular innovationis the right path to follow as we move … Continue reading “Takeaways and Photos from Big Data Meets Big Biology in San Diego”
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”
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””
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”
FAA Authorizes Qualcomm to Test Its New Technologies for Drones
Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) said Thursday the Federal Aviation Administration has authorized the big maker of wireless chips and technologies to operate drones outside its San Diego headquarters, which is within five miles of a Marine Corps air base. Officially known as a certificate of authorization, the permit allows Qualcomm to operate a particular type of … Continue reading “FAA Authorizes Qualcomm to Test Its New Technologies for Drones”
GrandPAD Obtains $8,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=03961377-3979-4c79-a44a-9d85c8fca499 Date 4/8/2016 Company Name GrandPAD Mailing Address 850 E. Chapman Ave. Orange, CA 92866 USA Company Description grandPad is a simple & secure tablet for seniors. grandPad senior tablet easily connects loved-ones ages 75+ with family & friends. Order grandPad today! Website http://www.grandpad.net Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,000,000 Transaction … Continue reading “GrandPAD Obtains $8,000,000 New Funding”