Just because an investor isn’t putting money into blockchain technologies or cryptocurrencies yet, it doesn’t mean they’re not watching these emerging phenomena with interest. Andy Vitus, a partner at Silicon Valley venture capital firm Scale Venture Partners, has been keeping his eye on the potential uses of the blockchain, which is best known as the … Continue reading “Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: ScaleVP Comments From the Sidelines”
Category: Seattle
Dentsu Aegis Buys HelloWorld, formerly ePrize, for an Undisclosed Sum
When we first visited the headquarters of HelloWorld in 2012, the company was still called ePrize and was swiftly outgrowing its Pleasant Ridge, MI, digs. After several years of exponential growth, HelloWorld announced last week that it has been acquired by Dentsu Aegis Network, based in the U.K. The financial terms of the deal were … Continue reading “Dentsu Aegis Buys HelloWorld, formerly ePrize, for an Undisclosed Sum”
After Boom Years, Starburst and Podium May Signal Big Data’s Future
It seems like ancient history now, but “big data” was once a hot field with startups, investors, and big companies all buzzing with hype. Then the tech industry moved on, and marketers crowned data science and machine learning the Next Big Things (at least until blockchain takes over). Of course, big data never really went … Continue reading “After Boom Years, Starburst and Podium May Signal Big Data’s Future”
Beyond the Demo: 2018 Could Be Year for Longer, Profitable VR Content
René Pinnell says he and his wife Selena Pinnell were “blown away” by the virtual reality projects their friends were creating in 2014, so they looked for an entrepreneurial niche that would allow them to support such artists. That year the couple, both trained in design, founded a startup in San Francisco, then called KaleidoscopeVR. … Continue reading “Beyond the Demo: 2018 Could Be Year for Longer, Profitable VR Content”
Seattle Area Had a Middling 2017 for Venture Investment, Fundraising
The $1.73 billion in venture capital raised by Seattle-area companies in 2017 was the third-highest total of the last five years, according to the Venture Monitor report out Tuesday from PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. The 2017 investment total for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area was spread across 297 deals. The total for the year … Continue reading “Seattle Area Had a Middling 2017 for Venture Investment, Fundraising”
Venture Activity Comes to (Unicorn) Point in 2017, and Top 10 Deals
[Updated 1/10/18 1:30 pm. See below.] In China, 2017 was the year of the rooster. But in the United States, it was the year of the unicorn—at least according to the Venture Monitor report released today by Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. A record number of unicorn financings—venture-backed companies valued at $1 … Continue reading “Venture Activity Comes to (Unicorn) Point in 2017, and Top 10 Deals”
Facebook, Google, and Huawei Fund New AR, VR “Reality Lab” at UW
The University of Washington will host a new computer science laboratory focused on virtual and augmented reality technologies, having attracted $6 million for the effort from Facebook, Huawei, and Google. For Facebook and Huawei, the Chinese devices and telecom giant, the $2 million each will contribute represents the largest single gift they’ve made to the … Continue reading “Facebook, Google, and Huawei Fund New AR, VR “Reality Lab” at UW”
E-Commerce Innovations in the Mix at Consumer Tech Conference
Alexa is now mobile. Seattle-based e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) is expected to unveil its first augmented-reality glasses to pair with Alexa, its digital assistant, at the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, in Las Vegas this week. The glasses were developed for Amazon by Vuzix, a Rochester, NY -based wearable tech company, and can communicate … Continue reading “E-Commerce Innovations in the Mix at Consumer Tech Conference”
Alder Plans for FDA Filing After Migraine Drug Posts Strong Results
Alder Biopharmaceuticals’ migraine-prevention drug hit its main goal in a late-stage study, and the drug developer these early results keep it on track to file for FDA approval later this year. Bothell, WA-based Alder (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALDR]]) tested its drug, eptinezumab, in patients who have chronic migraine—more than 15 headaches per month. The company reported that … Continue reading “Alder Plans for FDA Filing After Migraine Drug Posts Strong Results”
Xconomy Survey: Seattle Angel Investors’ Perspective, Predictions
A majority of Seattle angel investors in a recent poll by Xconomy plan to make more investments this year than in 2017, and artificial intelligence tops the list of technologies they’re excited about. Those are just two of the takeaways from a survey of the Seattle-based Alliance of Angels, one of the Northwest’s most active … Continue reading “Xconomy Survey: Seattle Angel Investors’ Perspective, Predictions”
Xconomy Bookclub: “Troublemakers” Charts the Birth of Silicon Valley
In 1968, a little-read article in a soon-to-fail magazine prophesied an age of networked machines that could be more than passive, oversized calculators to become digital partners in solving problems alongside humans. “In a few years, men will be able to communicate more effectively through a machine than face to face,” wrote JCR “Lick” Licklider … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Troublemakers” Charts the Birth of Silicon Valley”
Bio Roundup: Trump, Gottlieb, Gene Therapy Prices, IPO Hopes & More
Welcome to the new year. What will it bring? Hopefully a lot less hatred, greed, stupidity, and angst than 2017. But we’re not holding our breath. We emerged from the winter break pondering several of the year’s burning biopharma questions, including the volatility of the U.S. president and what it means for the biopharmaceutical business, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump, Gottlieb, Gene Therapy Prices, IPO Hopes & More”
What Can Seattle Learn from Amazon’s HQ2 Search? 3 Takes
Perhaps the biggest story in Seattle last year was Amazon’s decision to seek a second headquarters elsewhere in North America. The tech and retail juggernaut has transformed this city and its economy over the last decade, for good and for ill. So, what lesson should Seattle take from Amazon’s move? We put that question to … Continue reading “What Can Seattle Learn from Amazon’s HQ2 Search? 3 Takes”
Six West Coast Tech Leaders Share Top Developments of 2017
Xconomy asked technology and innovation leaders around our network to reflect on the most important developments in their industries during 2017, and the answers were appropriately wide-ranging. Responses from individuals in Seattle and San Diego touch on the rapid advance of machine learning, tech’s full-scale invasion of digital health, dramatic growth in blockchain and cryptocurrency, … Continue reading “Six West Coast Tech Leaders Share Top Developments of 2017”
Clean Energy Entrepreneur Desai on Tech’s Pitfalls & Promise in 2017
A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Nisha … Continue reading “Clean Energy Entrepreneur Desai on Tech’s Pitfalls & Promise in 2017”
First U.S. Gene Therapy, Approved for Vision Loss, to Cost $850,000
The first gene therapy approved in the United States will cost $850,000, its developer Spark Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONCE]]) announced today. Spark hopes to reduce the sticker shock by offering refunds and other creative pricing ideas, but those carve-outs, at best, are limited, and some are unlikely to come to fruition, according to healthcare economists. The … Continue reading “First U.S. Gene Therapy, Approved for Vision Loss, to Cost $850,000”
Cybersecurity Firm Illumio’s Alan Cohen on the Tech Backlash of 2017
One of the largest and most consequential data breaches in 2017 afflicted credit reporting agency Equifax, and it was hardly the only victim. Any year-end review of technology news must also include reports on Russian hacking of the 2016 election campaign, and the manipulation of social media channels to spread false and divisive political messages. These … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Firm Illumio’s Alan Cohen on the Tech Backlash of 2017”
Trump v. Drug Makers? And 6 More Burning Biopharma Questions for 2018
Next week, a big slice of the biomedical industry is gathering in San Francisco for the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference and other life sciences events that have emerged like sprouts around the base of an old redwood tree. One year ago, the pharmaceutical folks—by far the largest delegation to this annual mosh pit of … Continue reading “Trump v. Drug Makers? And 6 More Burning Biopharma Questions for 2018”
Six Useful Things You Can Do With Your New Smart Speaker
TL;DR: It’s time to buy a smart speaker. They’re ridiculously cheap—$30 for the Amazon Echo Dot, and $29 for the Google Home Mini—and increasingly powerful. It will be a long time before they’re as empathetic as Samantha in Her or as industrious as Rosie in The Jetsons. But they can already make your life easier, … Continue reading “Six Useful Things You Can Do With Your New Smart Speaker”
Storage Trends for 2018: Cloud Storage 2.0 Players Poised to Ascend
In March 2006, Amazon launched Simple Storage Service (S3). Although few people paid much attention at the time, the announcement of S3 marked the beginning of a great migration of data from on-premises storage to the cloud. The first generation of cloud storage products—as represented by Amazon S3, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure—made the best … Continue reading “Storage Trends for 2018: Cloud Storage 2.0 Players Poised to Ascend”
Family & Kids’ Advocate Shum Preston on the Tech Backlash of 2017
Much attention was focused this past year on the impact of social media on the 2016 presidential election, as reports emerged about the use of these platforms by entities linked with Russia to spread false, misleading, or inflammatory political messages. Aside from these revelations about “fake news,” the year brought reports on major data breaches … Continue reading “Family & Kids’ Advocate Shum Preston on the Tech Backlash of 2017”
Houston Investor Murthy Reflects on Tech’s High & Low Points in 2017
A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Neal … Continue reading “Houston Investor Murthy Reflects on Tech’s High & Low Points in 2017”
Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe on the Tech Backlash of 2017
It’s time to ring out the old year. Or perhaps in the case of 2017, with its litany of data security breaches, social media manipulations, and allegations of sexual harassment, to just wring out the old. As the year drew to a close, Xconomy asked a variety of tech industry observers for their perspective on … Continue reading “Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe on the Tech Backlash of 2017”
Tech Industry Must Implement Old-School Corporate Best Practices
There is little doubt that Silicon Valley has taken a reputational hit in 2017, partly as a result of the media’s usual star-making and -breaking process, but mostly through self-inflicted wounds. However, while specific details in the press may be shocking, the problems were predictable: Bad behavior often follows when there is an imbalance in … Continue reading “Tech Industry Must Implement Old-School Corporate Best Practices”
UTD’s Guengerich on the Promise and Peril of Tech Innovation in 2017
A series of events this year—from the Equifax data breach to the foreign use of social media to influence the U.S. presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to Web companies and cybersecurity. To help put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy reached out to Steve … Continue reading “UTD’s Guengerich on the Promise and Peril of Tech Innovation in 2017”
Tamr’s Andy Palmer on Diversity in Tech & A.I.’s Data Challenge
As 2017 comes to a close, we’re surveying business and technology leaders from around our network to get their perspectives on the year in tech—and what’s next. Below are the highlights from our e-mail exchange with entrepreneur and investor Andy Palmer, the co-founder and CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Tamr, a “data unification” software company. (Palmer … Continue reading “Tamr’s Andy Palmer on Diversity in Tech & A.I.’s Data Challenge”
WatchHerWork CEO Hamilton: “We Are All Ready for Tech to Grow Up”
A series of highly publicized events in 2017—from the Equifax data breach to the exposure of rampant sexual harassment in parts of the tech industry—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to cybersecurity and tech culture. In a bid to put things in perspective at year’s end, Xconomy … Continue reading “WatchHerWork CEO Hamilton: “We Are All Ready for Tech to Grow Up””
Privacy Advocate Richard Holober on the Tech Backlash of 2017
We’ve just passed a year full of news about the role of technology companies in U.S. elections, democracy, free speech, fairness in hiring, sexual harassment, privacy, data security, and the future job market for humans in the age of robots and artificial intelligence. Speculation is rampant about a possible sea change in consumer attitudes toward … Continue reading “Privacy Advocate Richard Holober on the Tech Backlash of 2017 “
Despite Scandal-Filled Year, Mark Cuban Says “Tech Is Just Tech”
A series of highly publicized events this year—from the Equifax and Uber data breaches to foreign use of social media and Web services to influence the U.S. election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise of innovation, especially when it comes to cybersecurity and big tech companies. In a bid to put things in perspective … Continue reading “Despite Scandal-Filled Year, Mark Cuban Says “Tech Is Just Tech””
Flipside Crypto’s Balter Talks Uber, #MeToo, Cryptocurrencies
The past year was a turbulent one for the tech industry. There was a new controversy seemingly every week, whether it was Uber’s myriad scandals; more personal data breaches; Russia’s use of social media and other online platforms to try and influence U.S. voters; growing concerns over tech giants’ power; and a series of sexual … Continue reading “Flipside Crypto’s Balter Talks Uber, #MeToo, Cryptocurrencies”
Cybersecurity Expert Ash Mozano on the Tech Backlash of 2017
There may be nothing more subjective than trying to gauge public attitudes about technology. Yet a series of highly publicized events in 2017—from the massive exposure of personal data in the Equifax breach to the use of Twitter and Facebook to manipulate voters in the U.S. Presidential election—has prompted some to question the utopian promise … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Expert Ash Mozano on the Tech Backlash of 2017”
Can AI Startups Compete with Tech Giants?
If you happen to be a world-famous futurist, inventor, and entrepreneur, what would compel you to take a corporate job? That was one of the questions that I discussed with Ray Kurzweil recently at Synergy Global Forum in New York. Kurzweil was among a large group of luminaries who shared their ideas on innovation and … Continue reading “Can AI Startups Compete with Tech Giants?”
Maker of Blink Internet-Enabled Security Cameras Sold to Amazon
Immedia Semiconductor, a Boston area company that makes the Blink line of Internet-connected home security cameras, has been acquired by Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]), according to a post on the Blink website and a report in the Boston Globe. In its post, Blink told its customers “if you own one of our systems, nothing changes for now.” … Continue reading “Maker of Blink Internet-Enabled Security Cameras Sold to Amazon”
Bio Roundup: Tax Cuts, Drug Approval Record, New Flagship Cash & More
[Updated 12/22/17, 2:37 p.m. See below.] This year is wrapping up as one of the strongest on record for FDA drug approvals. As of this morning, the regulator has approved 46 novel drugs in 2017—a total that beats the mark set two years ago. With one week left in the year, the FDA could add … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Tax Cuts, Drug Approval Record, New Flagship Cash & More”
Oregon Tech Employers Look to Apprenticeships to Build Local Skills
Like tech employers everywhere, Sabrina Parsons is scrambling to find employees from all walks of life who have the skills her company needs, in this case to build online software tools for small businesses. Her company, Palo Alto Software, is based in Eugene, OR, a small city about 100 miles south of Portland. The southern … Continue reading “Oregon Tech Employers Look to Apprenticeships to Build Local Skills”
Making the Middle Matter
Call it the problem of the middle—the middle states and the middle class—two groups that have struggled with problems that, while they are inexorably linked, are different all the same. Historically, most of the venture capital in America has been active on the coasts, leaving a vast portion of the country without seed money for … Continue reading “Making the Middle Matter”
Fintech in 2018: Blockchain Apps, A.I. Interfaces, Crypto Rules
For the financial technology sector, the year’s headlines were dominated by breathless blockchain hype, cryptocurrency bubble talk, and a never-ending barrage of initial coin offerings. To help put things in perspective—and get a read on what might come next in fintech—Xconomy caught up with David Jegen (pictured), a Boston-based partner with F-Prime Capital, who invests … Continue reading “Fintech in 2018: Blockchain Apps, A.I. Interfaces, Crypto Rules”
Goods Unite Us Develops App to Shed Light on Money in Politics
Less than two weeks after last November’s presidential election, Penzeys Spices CEO Bill Penzey Jr. wrote a public Facebook (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FB]]) post excoriating Donald Trump and voters who supported him. “You just voted for an openly racist candidate for the presidency of the United States of America,” Penzey wrote in the post. Some left-leaning voters … Continue reading “Goods Unite Us Develops App to Shed Light on Money in Politics”
Social Media Cyber Threats: 3 Predictions for 2018
1. Ransomware: Social media will be the number one vehicle for ransomware distribution in 2018. Currently, there are nearly 1 million social media accounts compromised every day, and that number will continue to rise, thanks to the plethora of easily identifiable targets. And with new channels comes new costs: the average cost of a ransomware ticket will go up … Continue reading “Social Media Cyber Threats: 3 Predictions for 2018”
Net Neutrality Repeal Means The Battle Is Just Beginning
From businesses and consumers to politicians and tech industry leaders, the furor over last week’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision to repeal net neutrality can be felt across America. People everywhere are stepping up to show their support for a free and open Internet. In my view, the battle to preserve net neutrality is still … Continue reading “Net Neutrality Repeal Means The Battle Is Just Beginning”
Retailers’ Holiday Wishlist? More Sales Powered By New Technologies
From products designed by artificial intelligence to virtual reality systems that help shoppers picture merchandise in their homes, retailers are deploying technology like never before this holiday season, betting that they can win business back from the default of online shopping. These innovations run the gamut, including sensors and cameras that can monitor in-store movements, … Continue reading “Retailers’ Holiday Wishlist? More Sales Powered By New Technologies”
Financing Boosts for Silicon Valley AI Companies Maana, Digital Genius
Two Bay Area AI startups announced merry company news for the holiday season on Tuesday. Palo Alto, CA-based Maana, which bills itself as a productivity booster for big industrial companies such as Shell, Chevron, Saudi Aramco, and Airbus, says it has raised $28 million in a Series C fundraising round led by investment bank China … Continue reading “Financing Boosts for Silicon Valley AI Companies Maana, Digital Genius”
3 A.I. Predictions for 2018: Emotion, Data, Ethics
1. Emotion A.I. will increase our humanity and empathy for each other. In recent years, the smartphones, bots, and devices we spend so much of our time with could be accused of contributing to the desensitization of our society. When a fight breaks out, some teens’ first reaction is to pull out their phones and take … Continue reading “3 A.I. Predictions for 2018: Emotion, Data, Ethics”
Bio Roundup: Tax Cuts, a Funding Rush, Hemophilia Questions & More
In the penultimate week before the end-of-year recess, Congress raced to provide the drug industry—and the rest of corporate America—a massive tax cut, with breaks for investors, too. Racing to finish their own end-of-year budgets, perhaps, investors poured hundreds of millions into private biotechs, too. If that doesn’t get your blood racing, then how about … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Tax Cuts, a Funding Rush, Hemophilia Questions & More”
Chasing Amazon: Target Buys Shipt, Techstars Teams Up With Rakuten
Corporate America’s acquisition game in online retail and e-commerce is continuing, this time with Target buying Birmingham, AL-based startup Shipt for $550 million. The deal may not make the same sweeping waves as Amazon’s $13.7 billion acquisition of Austin, TX-based Whole Foods, but Shipt appears to have been waiting for a suitor since Seattle-based Amazon … Continue reading “Chasing Amazon: Target Buys Shipt, Techstars Teams Up With Rakuten”
Ginkgo Bioworks Pulls In $275M as Synthetic Biology Funding Soars
Companies sometimes raise big venture capital rounds to invest in equipment, people, and other tools for growth. Other times they do it to provide the business a cash cushion. And sometimes it’s about giving potential customers and partners more confidence in the fledgling company. For Ginkgo Bioworks, its latest venture funding round is about all … Continue reading “Ginkgo Bioworks Pulls In $275M as Synthetic Biology Funding Soars”
Amid Global Race for A.I. Talent, China’s Tencent Sets Up Seattle Lab
They’re still putting the finishing touches on the sixth-floor offices in Bellevue, WA, where Chinese Internet giant Tencent hopes to employ as many as 20 artificial intelligence researchers by next year. Like technology companies the world over, Tencent is scrambling to recruit as many of the computer scientists and engineers with skills necessary to advance … Continue reading “Amid Global Race for A.I. Talent, China’s Tencent Sets Up Seattle Lab”
Robots in the Real World: News on Savioke, Marble, Knightscope, Fetch
Silicon Valley robotics companies have been moving their inventions into real-world use, and it seemed like a good time to check in with a sampling of them to see how things are going. The take-away: Shifting from the technology development phase into managing the human-robot interface in the real world can bring some interesting results—both … Continue reading “Robots in the Real World: News on Savioke, Marble, Knightscope, Fetch”
Gateses Pledge $15M for UW Computer Science Building Named for Them
First their friends named the new University of Washington computer science building in their honor. Now Bill and Melinda Gates have contributed $15 million to complete the fund-raising drive for the project, which marks a construction milestone on Wednesday. The building, which is expected to more than double the number of computer science majors the … Continue reading “Gateses Pledge $15M for UW Computer Science Building Named for Them”
Gene Therapy Advances, But Hemophilia Is No Easy Target
Mark Skinner, the former longtime president of the World Federation of Hemophilia, has had the blood disease on his mind his entire life. He doesn’t have a choice. Skinner, 57, was born with a severe form of hemophilia A, meaning he has a tiny fraction of the necessary cellular machinery to clot blood. His disease … Continue reading “Gene Therapy Advances, But Hemophilia Is No Easy Target”