Fidelity Investments is cooking up more blockchain and cryptocurrency-related products and services, with a goal of rolling some of them out in the next few months, CEO Abigail Johnson said Friday morning. Johnson made the comments during an event held at the financial services giant’s downtown Boston headquarters—one of a series of events that were … Continue reading “Fidelity CEO Hints at Crypto Products as Sector Aims for Mainstream”
Category: Seattle
The Rise of Robocalls and Cell Scams—and How to Stop Them
[Updated 9:15 a.m., see below.] Jen King was in a hurry to get out the door of her Bay Area home on a recent morning, and she missed a call to her cell phone because of it. The phone number that called her, she later discovered, was startling. “It was my home phone calling me, … Continue reading “The Rise of Robocalls and Cell Scams—and How to Stop Them”
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Ruling, “America’s Nobels,” IPOs & More
The long-running patent feud over CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing appears to be over, just as U.S. biotech companies gear up for the first human tests of the landmark technology. This week, a federal appeals court upheld a previous ruling handing a CRISPR-Cas9 patent to the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The decision by the three-judge … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Ruling, “America’s Nobels,” IPOs & More”
With Cornershop, Walmart Expands On-Demand Delivery to Latin America
Walmart is taking the e-commerce delivery business south of the border. The Bentonville, AR, retailer announced Thursday it has acquired Cornershop, an on-demand online service that delivers products from supermarkets, pharmacies, and specialty shops in Mexico and Chile, for $225 million. “We are focused on making life easier for customers and associates by building strong … Continue reading “With Cornershop, Walmart Expands On-Demand Delivery to Latin America”
Software Startup Classy Adds Ex-Okta, Civitas Execs to C-Suite
Enterprise software startup Classy, which developed a platform through which it says nonprofit organizations have raised nearly $1 billion for their causes, has hired its first-ever chief revenue and chief product officers. Adam Aarons, the new chief revenue officer, was also named Classy’s president. The company, based in downtown San Diego, is headed by CEO … Continue reading “Software Startup Classy Adds Ex-Okta, Civitas Execs to C-Suite”
Cloud Storage Startup Wasabi Grabs $68M to Eat Amazon’s Lunch
Wasabi Technologies’ ambitious plan to challenge the giants in cloud data storage—Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and IBM—just got a $68 million boost. Wasabi announced Wednesday it closed its Series B round of venture funding. The Boston-based startup had previously raised at least $8.5 million from investors, who are betting that it can build a big business … Continue reading “Cloud Storage Startup Wasabi Grabs $68M to Eat Amazon’s Lunch”
Living on the Edge: Amazon, AT&T, Packet Pursue “Cloudlet” Computing
The word “cloud”—as in cloud computing, and cloud storage—has served as a handy shorthand term, but it has always been inherently vague and a little misleading. When businesses and consumers use a cloud service provider like Amazon Web Services or Apple’s iCloud, their data, photos, and music don’t get processed in the misty skies above … Continue reading “Living on the Edge: Amazon, AT&T, Packet Pursue “Cloudlet” Computing”
Amazon, Walmart Planning to Add Hundreds of Tech Jobs in San Diego
San Diego has found itself to be the latest front in the ongoing Amazon-Walmart battle. Walmart made its name with brick-and-mortar stores, but the company has been vocal in recent months about its intent to fight for dominance in the digital landscape, an arena in which Amazon is a native. Next month about 70 people … Continue reading “Amazon, Walmart Planning to Add Hundreds of Tech Jobs in San Diego”
OncoResponse Nabs $40M for Cancer Drugs Based On Survivors’ Antibodies
Houston—OncoResponse, a biotech startup formed jointly with the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, announced Tuesday it has raised a $40 million Series B round of funding. RiverVest Venture Partners led the round, which included new investors Redmile Group and the Qatar Investment Authority, as well as existing investors Alexandria Venture Investments, … Continue reading “OncoResponse Nabs $40M for Cancer Drugs Based On Survivors’ Antibodies”
Bio Roundup: A Gene Editing 1st, China Rises, Schenkein Steps Away
If you’re still recovering from a Labor Day hangover or busy searching for the identity of the anonymous writer of the anti-Trump op-ed for the New York Times, you may have missed a few biomedical firsts. This week brought the first sliver of human data from an in-body gene editing procedure, and the results were … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: A Gene Editing 1st, China Rises, Schenkein Steps Away”
Drift Snaps Up Siftrock to Power E-mail Marketing Tools
Software firm Drift has acquired a startup called Siftrock to help expand its marketing and sales automation offerings. The purchase price wasn’t disclosed in a Tuesday press release announcing the deal. Drift touted the acquisition of the Seattle-based startup during its annual “Hypergrowth” event in Boston, where Drift is headquartered. The company also announced partnerships … Continue reading “Drift Snaps Up Siftrock to Power E-mail Marketing Tools”
Bio Roundup: Pfizer’s Rare Results, U.K.’s CAR-T No, IPO Go-Go & More
Before you head out for the final summer getaway, catch up on the week’s headlines. Pfizer upped the ante in the field of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) treatment, where competition to treat the rare disease has grown increasingly complex. We’ll start with what was—and wasn’t—in Pfizer’s data release Monday, top up with more ATTR news, then … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Pfizer’s Rare Results, U.K.’s CAR-T No, IPO Go-Go & More”
Wireless Internet Firms Take On Big Telecoms in Cities and Suburbs
If you’re a city dweller, and unhappy with the big company that provides your Internet connection, chances are good there’s a scrappy little outfit that thinks it can do better for you. Metropolitan areas have become target territories for the wireless Internet service providers, or WISPs, that for a long time have been the only … Continue reading “Wireless Internet Firms Take On Big Telecoms in Cities and Suburbs”
Rivaling Google, Web-Mining Diffbot Opens Its Knowledge Graph to All
Diffbot, a tech startup that continuously scours the Web to assemble a “knowledge graph” of billions of facts in context, announced today that it’s opening up the searchable resource to the public—with starter rates as low as a cable TV bill. Mountain View, CA-based Diffbot gleans unstructured data scattered across websites, ads, blog posts, videos, … Continue reading “Rivaling Google, Web-Mining Diffbot Opens Its Knowledge Graph to All”
Puls Snags $50M to Grow On-Call Repair Service for Smartphones, IoT
Puls Technologies, whose on-demand technicians repair broken smartphones and install connected home devices, announced today it has raised $50 million to expand its reach as a unified source of device maintenance and consumer support. San Francisco-based Puls, founded in 2015, offers to dispatch technicians quickly to a customer’s home or office to replace malfunctioning parts, … Continue reading “Puls Snags $50M to Grow On-Call Repair Service for Smartphones, IoT”
SupplyKick Helps Brands Use Amazon’s Platform for Sales, Marketing
Amazon, the retail giant with tentacles into a number of other verticals, has changed life—or shopping, at least—as we know it. The Seattle-based company has also spawned new industries and consultancies that revolve around successfully maximizing the functionality of Amazon’s various platforms. Indianapolis-based SupplyKick is one such company helping retail brands to better understand and … Continue reading “SupplyKick Helps Brands Use Amazon’s Platform for Sales, Marketing”
Bio Roundup: EpiPen Shortage, Bluebird’s Bet, Biotech IPOs & More
It’s back-to-school season and that means it’s time to load up on school supplies. For many students and schools, one crucial item is in high demand but hard to come by: the EpiPen. Some schools stock the epinephrine autoinjectors so they can respond quickly to a student’s allergic reaction to food. Though the autoinjectors are … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: EpiPen Shortage, Bluebird’s Bet, Biotech IPOs & More”
Eventbrite Targets $200M IPO as Tech, Biotech Markets Remain Hot
Event tech service Eventbrite is hoping to raise $200 million in an initial public offering during what has already been a busy year for IPOs. San Francisco-based Eventbrite lets users list and sell tickets to any type of event, from fundraisers to music festivals—for a fee on each ticket. The company had $201.6 million in … Continue reading “Eventbrite Targets $200M IPO as Tech, Biotech Markets Remain Hot”
Sierra Oncology Acquires Gilead’s Stalled Myelofibrosis Drug
An experimental myelofibrosis drug that fell short of expectations for Gilead Sciences is getting another shot under Sierra Oncology. Vancouver, BC-based Sierra (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRRA]]) has acquired the drug, momelotinib, from Gilead (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]), for $3 million up front. The deal adds a late-stage drug candidate to Sierra’s pipeline of early-stage cancer drugs. Meanwhile, Foster City, … Continue reading “Sierra Oncology Acquires Gilead’s Stalled Myelofibrosis Drug”
New Funds for Multicoin, Infinite.io, Prism FM, Caringo & More
There has been a flurry of funding announcements from Austin startups. Here are some notable ones: —Caringo, a startup that makes software that can provide customers the ability to manage, organize, and search extremely large amounts of data, has raised nearly $3.4 million in new funding, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and … Continue reading “New Funds for Multicoin, Infinite.io, Prism FM, Caringo & More”
Would Uber’s IPO Be a Revival or a Reckoning?
In its early years, Uber was a headstrong force knocking down preconceived ideas about transportation and, along with Lyft, sparking the imaginations of countless entrepreneurs who are now building a new industry called “mobility.” As it closes in on its first decade, Uber is a conundrum: A Silicon Valley unicorn with $7.3 billion in cash, … Continue reading “Would Uber’s IPO Be a Revival or a Reckoning?”
Bio Roundup: Big Approvals, ICER Influence, Drug-Price Pushback & More
[Updated 8/17/18, 10:21 a.m. See below.] We’ll start the roundup this week with two drug approvals that came late last Friday. Both were landmarks for the companies receiving the nod, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Amicus Therapeutics. We also saw a new biotech emerge in the muggy New York heat, a couple deals for new flu vaccines, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Big Approvals, ICER Influence, Drug-Price Pushback & More”
Sanofi’s Eckhard Leifke Named Omeros Chief Medical Officer
Omeros (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OMER]]) has appointed Eckhard Leifke to serve as the Seattle drug company’s chief medical officer and vice president of clinical development. Leifke comes to Omeros from Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]), where he was global project head/vice president of late-stage development in diabetes. His experience also includes posts at Bayer and Takeda Pharmaceutical. At Omeros, … Continue reading “Sanofi’s Eckhard Leifke Named Omeros Chief Medical Officer”
SF’s Full Harvest Bags $8.5M to Help Sell “Ugly and Surplus” Produce
Full Harvest, an online market for imperfect produce that previously would have been thrown out, announced it has raised $8.5 million in a Series A round of funding. The funding was led by Spark Capital and includes investors such as Cultivian Sandbox Ventures, Rent the Runway co-founder Jenny Fleiss, and John Scherr, head of strategic … Continue reading “SF’s Full Harvest Bags $8.5M to Help Sell “Ugly and Surplus” Produce”
To Avoid Trouble, Companies Must Support Harassed Employees First
When news breaks about sexual harassment at a company like Uber, the public is likely to believe that the entire business has a cultural problem. In contrast, the same isn’t true for other issues, such as financial misconduct, which the public tends to see as a “bad apple” situation. That’s according to a study released … Continue reading “To Avoid Trouble, Companies Must Support Harassed Employees First”
Marketer AdSwerve to Pay $24M for Analytics Pros’ Google Knowhow
Seattle-based Analytics Pros has sold to another Google-focused marketing company, Denver, CO-based AdSwerve, for $24 million in a private equity-backed deal, according to a company spokesman. Boston-based Abry Partners funded the acquisition, and Analytics Pros will “transition” into AdSwerve in January 2019, according to a news release. Founded in 2009, Analytics Pros sells Web and … Continue reading “Marketer AdSwerve to Pay $24M for Analytics Pros’ Google Knowhow”
Ford’s Autonomic Pairs With Alibaba Cloud On Mobility Hub for China
Ford—one of the automakers competing in China’s huge car market—is now making a bid to provide China’s leading software infrastructure hub dedicated to streamlining transportation by connecting cars and riders with mobility services. Ford’s recently acquired unit Autonomic, which co-created the automaker’s Transportation Mobility Cloud (TMC), inked a deal Tuesday to partner with Alibaba Cloud, … Continue reading “Ford’s Autonomic Pairs With Alibaba Cloud On Mobility Hub for China”
Bio Roundup: Medicare Drug Prices, FDA Moves, Gene Therapy News & More
Two imminent FDA rulings on two separate drugs aren’t just noteworthy for the patients they’ll help, but the long and winding road their developers have taken to get to this point. First is Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, which has spent 16 years and over $2 billion to try to bring an unproven form of medicine, RNA interference … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Medicare Drug Prices, FDA Moves, Gene Therapy News & More”
Austin Group Joins Other Tech Efforts to Promote Responsible AI Use
Artificial intelligence is poised to infiltrate nearly all aspects of human life. Given this development, technologists are focusing on how to ensure the technology usage is governed by ethics. “The general rule is that power begets responsibility,” says Michael Stewart, founder and CEO of Lucid AI, an AI startup in Austin. “If you’re bringing in a … Continue reading “Austin Group Joins Other Tech Efforts to Promote Responsible AI Use”
Lack of Diversity Isn’t a “Pipeline Problem,” It’s a Network Problem
Recently, I was in Chicago for Paradigm IQ’s D&I Lab: Data-Driven Strategies to Attract & Hire Diverse Talent, a one-day workshop designed to equip attendees with new strategies for designing an inclusive organization. In a room full of people with titles like chief people officer, director of diversity and inclusion, and director of leadership and organizational … Continue reading “Lack of Diversity Isn’t a “Pipeline Problem,” It’s a Network Problem”
Alder BioPharma Exec Litton Jumps to Alpine Immune Sciences
Mark Litton has been appointed president and chief operating officer of Alpine Immune Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALPN]]). Litton comes to the Seattle drug developer from Bothell, WA-based Alder BioPharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALDR]]), where he had been chief business officer and treasurer since its founding in 2004. Jay Venkatesan, who was Alpine Immune Sciences’s president, will continue to … Continue reading “Alder BioPharma Exec Litton Jumps to Alpine Immune Sciences”
Salsify Grabs $43M to Help Brands Navigate Amazon & E-Commerce
In the online shopping age, it can be difficult for businesses to keep all of their product information updated and relevant to potential customers. Boston-based startup Salsify has spent several years helping brands manage their product content across Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]), Google (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOOGL]]) ads, the websites of brick-and-mortar retailers, and other digital marketplaces. Salsify … Continue reading “Salsify Grabs $43M to Help Brands Navigate Amazon & E-Commerce”
Nohla Names Noonberg Chief Medical Officer, Delaney Shifts to CSO
Nohla Therapeutics has hired Sarah Noonberg to serve as its chief medical officer. She takes the place of Nohla founder Colleen Delaney, who is now the Seattle biotech’s chief scientific officer. Noonberg most recently worked at Prothena (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PRTA]]), where she was chief medical officer. Her experience also includes positions at BioMarin Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BMRN]]) and … Continue reading “Nohla Names Noonberg Chief Medical Officer, Delaney Shifts to CSO”
Blockchain Tomatoes & Edible Peels: Startups Innovate to Fight Spoilage
As much as 40 percent of food in this country is never eaten, yet 41 million people don’t have enough to eat, including 13 million children, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Some of that food insecurity is due to food spoilage, rendering billions of dollars’ worth of … Continue reading “Blockchain Tomatoes & Edible Peels: Startups Innovate to Fight Spoilage”
The Technology Behind Fighting California’s Fires & Other Disasters
As wildfires continued to burn across the length of California this month, Gov. Jerry Brown urged residents to stay on the alert and warned that the cost of fighting the climate-driven blazes will continue to strain future state budgets. Residents of the three Northern California counties hardest hit by wildfires last year have already learned … Continue reading “The Technology Behind Fighting California’s Fires & Other Disasters”
Bio Roundup: Alnylam’s Moment, Read on Rebates, Skinny Plans & More
Millions of people might be on vacation as we hit the dog days, but drug makers and politicians aren’t taking a break from the gamesmanship over high drug prices. After two years of blowing smoke, the Trump administration is threatening action on a few fronts, including against the powerful middlemen known as PBMs that decide … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Alnylam’s Moment, Read on Rebates, Skinny Plans & More”
Vicis, With New Funding, Targets Tech for Safer Football Helmets
A new generation of football helmet technology, designed with the specific aim of limiting life-threatening brain trauma, appears to be seeping into mainstream use. One company, Seattle-based Vicis, appears to have added tens of millions of dollars to help propel it in this field. Vicis reported a $53.2 million equity funding round, some of which … Continue reading “Vicis, With New Funding, Targets Tech for Safer Football Helmets”
Boeing, Aurora to Move Into R&D Space in Kendall Square Via MIT Initiative
Aerospace giant Boeing has agreed to lease 100,000 square feet in an MIT-owned space in the heart of Kendall Square. The Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center, at 314 Main Street in Cambridge, MA, is slated to open by the end of 2020 and will focus on autonomous aircraft and related technologies. Financial terms of the … Continue reading “Boeing, Aurora to Move Into R&D Space in Kendall Square Via MIT Initiative”
DocuSign Agrees to Acquire Chicago Software Maker SpringCM for $220M
DocuSign plans to acquire Chicago-based contract software maker SpringCM for $220 million, the companies announced today, about three months after the San Francisco-based online document signature business raised $629 million in an initial public offering. With SpringCM, DocuSign (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DOCU]]) says it is adding new features to its current capabilities, such as preparing and generating … Continue reading “DocuSign Agrees to Acquire Chicago Software Maker SpringCM for $220M”
DreamBox, an Edtech Startup with High-Profile Backers, Snags $130M
[Updated 5:35 p.m. See below.] DreamBox Learning, an edtech company that makes programs that help kids learn math, has agreed to take a $130 million investment from a fund managed by private equity firm TPG Growth. The Rise Fund, which is deploying $2 billion in financing raised by TPG last year, is taking a majority … Continue reading “DreamBox, an Edtech Startup with High-Profile Backers, Snags $130M”
For Women Only: E-Retail Subscription Firm Athena Club Raises $3.8M
[Updated 7/31/18 7:46 am. The story and headline has been changed to reflect an updated amount.] Athena Club, a subscription program for feminine hygiene products, is the latest entrant into the direct-to-women e-commerce space and announced today that it has raised $3.8 million in funding. Co-founder Maria Markina says her New York-based startup gives women … Continue reading “For Women Only: E-Retail Subscription Firm Athena Club Raises $3.8M”
Bio Roundup: An Alzheimer’s Head-Scratcher, OUTBio, GSK & Gilead Shakeups
The devil is in the details, and key clinical trial results made that abundantly clear this week. Eisai and partner Biogen released the highly anticipated details of an Alzheimer’s disease study they had already deemed positive, after an initial failure. In one sense, the study was the success they have claimed. A high dose of … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: An Alzheimer’s Head-Scratcher, OUTBio, GSK & Gilead Shakeups “
Flywire Tracks Down $100M as Global Payments Race Heats Up
Investors continue to cut big checks to global payments startups. The latest to cash in is Flywire, which announced Thursday it raised a $100 million Series D funding round led by Singapore-based Temasek. Flywire has now hauled in a total of $144 million from investors, a spokeswoman said. Other investors in the Series D round … Continue reading “Flywire Tracks Down $100M as Global Payments Race Heats Up”
Former Zulily Employees Announce Digital Ad Platform New Engen
A group of Seattle entrepreneurs, who worked at flash sale site Zulily before it sold for $2.4 billion in 2015, are announcing a new company that has been developing a technology to help advertisers figure out where to efficiently buy digital ads. Called New Engen, the company was founded in 2016 by CEO David Atchison … Continue reading “Former Zulily Employees Announce Digital Ad Platform New Engen”
OUTBio, a Biopharma LGBTQ Group, Grows Fast & Ponders Its Future
In June, Jennifer Petter, the founder and chief scientific officer of biotech startup Arrakis Therapeutics, got an e-mail from a stranger. His name was Ramsey Johnson, a biotech veteran who works in clinical operations at Boston startup Phoenix Tissue Repair. Johnson was writing about OUTBio, a networking organization for LGBTQ members of the biopharma community. … Continue reading “OUTBio, a Biopharma LGBTQ Group, Grows Fast & Ponders Its Future”
SnappyScreen’s Booths Protect People While They Have Fun in the Sun
Applying sunscreen while outdoors is a long-accepted way to help keep our skin safe from sunburn and cancer. Yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says less than a third of women, and even fewer men, report using it when going outside for more than an hour. “You should put it on more frequently … Continue reading “SnappyScreen’s Booths Protect People While They Have Fun in the Sun”
Seattle Startups Land Cash for Machine Learning & Self-Storage Techs
New funding for startups continues to flow—this week it’s early stage Seattle tech companies that are grabbing money, including a machine learning business and a service that picks up and stores your extra junk. DefinedCrowd, which participated in the Microsoft Accelerator in 2016 before it raised a $1.1 million seed round, gathers data points from … Continue reading “Seattle Startups Land Cash for Machine Learning & Self-Storage Techs”
Announcing XCON 2018: A Conference on Technology and Transformation
This fall, we are convening exemplary business leaders, investors, and far-seeing technologists for an in-depth exploration of the innovation ecosystem and its impact on the future. Come join us at our newest interactive conference, XCON: The Xconomy Conference on Technology and Transformation. It spans three days, November 4-6, and three innovation venues in the Boston … Continue reading “Announcing XCON 2018: A Conference on Technology and Transformation”
Retailers Need to Get Real About Security
It seems a distant memory now. In December 2013 – light years ago in technology time – the retail giant Target disclosed a massive software security breach of its point of sale systems. The bad guys fled the virtual premises with the credit card information of 40 million customers. This astounding number would later rise … Continue reading “Retailers Need to Get Real About Security”
Bio Roundup: Drug Prices, CRISPR Caveats, Rubius IPO Pop & More
After nearly two years of all smoke, no fire around President Trump’s promise to curtail drug prices, there’s finally some glimmer of action. Pfizer said last week it would halt its price hikes, and Novartis and Merck took similar actions this week. But we still don’t know the details of the administration’s drug-pricing policy, if … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Drug Prices, CRISPR Caveats, Rubius IPO Pop & More”