Category: Seattle

Figuring It Out: Addressing Practices That Impact Women in Technology

The Women’s March, New Tech Northwest’s annual “Women in Tech” event, and International Women’s Day are just a few of the recent events prompting important conversations around inequality in the tech industry. These discussions, while breakthroughs in many regards, are still just the beginning of real change. I’ve gathered a number of ideas for what … Continue reading “Figuring It Out: Addressing Practices That Impact Women in Technology”

Riding Recent Biotech IPO Wave, G1 Snags $105M to Fund Cancer Work

Cancer drugmaker G1 Therapeutics raised $105 million in an IPO last night, the latest development in a recent uptick of biotech offerings. G1, of Research Triangle Park, NC, sold 7 million shares at $15 apiece. G1 had to sell more shares than it had intended (6.25 million) to hit its goal, but still priced within … Continue reading “Riding Recent Biotech IPO Wave, G1 Snags $105M to Fund Cancer Work”

Proofpoint Uncovers Second Cyberattack That Uses Stolen NSA Tools

Cybersecurity company Proofpoint, which helped slow the sweeping global ransomware attack WannaCry after it emerged Friday, has now discovered a much more insidious, profitable, and potentially widespread cyberattack called Adylkuzz. Adylkuzz doesn’t demand, as WannaCry does, that victims pay a ransom to retrieve their data. Adylkuzz makes no announcement when it quietly invades target computers. … Continue reading “Proofpoint Uncovers Second Cyberattack That Uses Stolen NSA Tools”

Partnership on AI Adds Corporate, NGO Members, Charts Initial Course

Artificial intelligence is a booming business in 2017, but one that also comes with significant baggage in the form of public misunderstanding, potential job losses, and fear. Last fall, A.I. competitors Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, IBM, and Google banded together to form the Partnership on AI to Benefit People and Society, an industry-led attempt to get … Continue reading “Partnership on AI Adds Corporate, NGO Members, Charts Initial Course”

5 Takeaways From the WannaCry Ransomware Attack

This may be the incident that finally pushes ransomware into the mainstream—and also forces both organizations and malicious hackers to adapt their approaches when it comes to this type of attack. The “WannaCry” virus, which first hit companies and healthcare services on Friday, has infected some 300,000 computer systems in 150-odd countries. By exploiting a … Continue reading “5 Takeaways From the WannaCry Ransomware Attack”

Week in Review: Microsoft’s Introspective CEO on Trust in Tech

There was a lot of interesting tech news to catch up on in Seattle this week, though it was easy to miss it amid the roar and rumble of astonishing political, nuclear waste, and seismic* developments near and far. Read on for highlights from Microsoft’s developer conference; a new Echo device from Amazon, and its … Continue reading “Week in Review: Microsoft’s Introspective CEO on Trust in Tech”

Eli Lilly Migraine Drug Hits Study Goals, Paves Way for FDA Filing

An Eli Lilly drug developed to stop migraine headaches before they can start hit its main goals in a late-stage clinical trial, the company said Friday. With those results now in hand, the Indianapolis-based drugmaker plans to file for FDA approval of the drug later this year. Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) tested its drug galcanezumab … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Migraine Drug Hits Study Goals, Paves Way for FDA Filing”

Amid Comey Furor, Companies React to Trump’s Cybersecurity Order

On a day dominated by news about President Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey, and its impact on the ongoing investigation of Russian hacking of the 2016 presidential election, two significant developments for the cybersecurity industry also emerged Thursday. First, President Trump signed an executive order laying out plans to shore up data security … Continue reading “Amid Comey Furor, Companies React to Trump’s Cybersecurity Order”

Bio Roundup: Big Apple Mo’, Checkpoint Yes and No, CAR-T Death & More

“New York, New York, it’s a hell of a town. The Bronx is up, but we’re Brooklyn down.” For all you old-school Brooklyn swingers out there, we’ll take a short break from the madness in the nation’s capital and start our roundup in the greatest city in the world. You might disagree if you’ve got … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Big Apple Mo’, Checkpoint Yes and No, CAR-T Death & More”

AppDirect, Amazon, And The Role Of The Middleman

[Updated 5/11/17 10:21 am. See below.] Daniel Saks, co-founder of a fast-growing San Francisco tech company, says he admires Amazon for taking the friction out of “finding stuff and buying stuff.” Worn-out sheets? No need to drive to Bed Bath & Beyond, he says. Saks likes to think his company AppDirect does the same thing … Continue reading “AppDirect, Amazon, And The Role Of The Middleman”

Stalled or Rising Momentum? New York Wrestles With Its Biotech Future

[Updated, 6:25 a.m. ET, see below] New York City and state governments have finally put big dollars behind local development of the life sciences industry. But lots of cash is no guarantee of success, as panelists kicking off the annual NewYorkBio conference made clear Tuesday. “The question is, where are we as an industry, and … Continue reading “Stalled or Rising Momentum? New York Wrestles With Its Biotech Future”

Amazon Devotes New Seattle Headquarters Space to Shelter Homeless

Amazon will create a permanent space to shelter homeless families in its growing downtown Seattle headquarters campus, the retail and technology giant announced Wednesday. The company is donating 47,000 square feet in a building set for construction this fall on Eighth Avenue to Mary’s Place, a shelter for homeless women, children, and families. There will … Continue reading “Amazon Devotes New Seattle Headquarters Space to Shelter Homeless”

Akamai Invests in Wind Farm as Tech’s Renewable Energy Demand Grows

Akamai Technologies, a content delivery network and cloud computing services provider, has invested in a Texas wind farm as it attempts to fulfill a promise to use renewable energy to power half of its global network operations by 2020. Akamai (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]) said it is making a 20-year investment in the planned Seymour Hills Wind … Continue reading “Akamai Invests in Wind Farm as Tech’s Renewable Energy Demand Grows”

Senate Vote Confirms Scott Gottlieb for FDA Commissioner

Scott Gottlieb will be the new FDA commissioner. The U.S. Senate voted 57 to 42 on Tuesday to confirm Gottlieb, a physician and venture capitalist, to lead the regulatory agency. He succeeds former FDA commissioner Robert Califf, who stepped down in January after President Donald Trump took office. Gottlieb is already familiar with the agency … Continue reading “Senate Vote Confirms Scott Gottlieb for FDA Commissioner”

Kite CAR-T Death: An Unwelcome Mystery as FDA Mulls Approval

In a lengthy interview in January, Kite Pharma CEO Arie Belldegrun was adamant that his company’s experimental cell therapy was different from one competitor, Juno Therapeutics, because unlike with Juno, no Kite patient had died from cerebral edema, or massive swelling in the brain. Belldegrun can no longer make that claim. Kite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KITE]]) reported … Continue reading “Kite CAR-T Death: An Unwelcome Mystery as FDA Mulls Approval”

Week in Review: Apple, Microsoft A.I. Investments, ‘Reality Caucus’

Some 2,500 lightning strikes were recorded across Western Washington Thursday as powerful thunderstorms marched up the state, getting everyone’s attention and lighting up social media with beautiful photographs, such as the one below. In tech news this week, we’re tracking a new state-by-state jobs report from Apple, Microsoft Ventures’ latest A.I. investments, Seattle’s new broadband … Continue reading “Week in Review: Apple, Microsoft A.I. Investments, ‘Reality Caucus’”

Silicon Valley’s Big Three Grapple With Responsibilities Of Growth

A common goal of tech startups is a Silicon Valley mantra: Change the world. Apple, Google, and Facebook have done so—possibly more than any other upstart companies in recent U.S. history. These now-mature businesses are grappling with how their world-changing ventures have broadly affected the economy and communications. And in the prevailing populist mood, the … Continue reading “Silicon Valley’s Big Three Grapple With Responsibilities Of Growth”

VenBio Settles Immunomedics Litigation, SeaGen Nixes Cancer Drug Deal

A venBio campaign against a drug licensing deal between Immunomedics and Seattle Genetics has unwound the pact altogether. Three months after dealing for rights to an experimental breast cancer therapy from Immunomedics, SeaGen is now walking away due to delays and litigation that venBio, a biotech investment firm, brought against both parties. Meanwhile, Immunomedics (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “VenBio Settles Immunomedics Litigation, SeaGen Nixes Cancer Drug Deal”

Bio Roundup: NIH Precision Boost, AHCA to Senate, New Drugs & More

Two dramatic healthcare stories played out this week. First, to the jubilation of the nation’s science community, Congress proposed to boost National Institutes of Health funding, not slash it as the Trump administration had outlined. Then the patchwork revival of the GOP’s healthcare plan, despite being panned by nearly every major medical group in the … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: NIH Precision Boost, AHCA to Senate, New Drugs & More”

EOW Reading List: A.I. Friends and FWBs; Redefining Human Knowledge

One of the most interesting—or vexing—aspects of artificial intelligence is the way it causes us to examine virtually every aspect of what it means to be human. In this edition of Xconomy’s End of Work Reading List, we’re highlighting stories on sex robots, which raise a host of questions about human relationships, and the “black … Continue reading “EOW Reading List: A.I. Friends and FWBs; Redefining Human Knowledge”

With $75M Haul, Ovid Continues Flurry of Biotech IPOs

The recent biotech IPO surge continues. Ovid Therapeutics raised $75 million in an IPO late Thursday, becoming the fifth life sciences company to hit the Nasdaq in the past two weeks. Ovid (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OVID]]), a New York company developing drugs for rare brain diseases, sold 5 million shares at $15 apiece. Those numbers come in … Continue reading “With $75M Haul, Ovid Continues Flurry of Biotech IPOs”

VC Confidence Holds Steady in Quarterly Survey, But Reasons Change

In a survey of 29 Silicon Valley venture capitalists in December, the VCs mulled whether President-elect Donald Trump would buoy up their investment prospects with lower corporate taxes and government regulations, or worsen conditions by heightening global political instability and raising the risk of a major military conflict or economic downturn. That Q4 2016 edition … Continue reading “VC Confidence Holds Steady in Quarterly Survey, But Reasons Change”

If Budget Holds, NIH Precision Study Could Be Flush As Volunteers Arrive

Until this week, many U.S. government science agencies and programs seemed destined for a big haircut, plus the loss of a limb or two. That included the Precision Medicine Initiative, an ambitious long-term study with the goal of recruiting 1 million Americans to volunteer health data. But in staving off a government shutdown, Congress pushed … Continue reading “If Budget Holds, NIH Precision Study Could Be Flush As Volunteers Arrive”

LevelTen Aims to Satisfy Surging Corporate Renewable Energy Demand

Large technology companies have driven demand for renewable energy in the U.S. over the last few years as they seek lower, more predictable electricity bills, and pursue climate goals. Companies are buying wind and solar power the traditional way—from utilities—but some of the richest, most sophisticated corporations, such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, are building … Continue reading “LevelTen Aims to Satisfy Surging Corporate Renewable Energy Demand”

Friend & Flowers Return With Wasabi, Take on Amazon in “Hot Storage”

In the market for cloud storage and related tech services, there is Amazon—and then there’s everybody else. The Seattle-based company’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) Amazon Web Services business generated $12.2 billion in sales last year, and it controls an estimated 33 percent of the global market for cloud infrastructure services, according to a recent analysis by Synergy … Continue reading “Friend & Flowers Return With Wasabi, Take on Amazon in “Hot Storage””

Analysis: Trump’s First 100 Days Through the Tech Industry Lens

Donald Trump spent his 100th day in office in ways that would appeal to his working class base—holding a campaign-style rally in Harrisburg, PA, where he confirmed his campaign commitment to controlling immigration. Trump also signed an executive order to create a White House office of trade and manufacturing policy, which aims to protect American … Continue reading “Analysis: Trump’s First 100 Days Through the Tech Industry Lens”

A.I.’s Role In Agriculture Comes Into Focus With Imaging Analysis

The imaging technologies scanning farms today trace their roots to the space race. In 1965, the U.S. Geological Survey proposed using satellites to observe the planet. Seven years later, NASA launched Landsat 1. Among that satellite’s accomplishments: an estimate of the corn and soybean acreage stretching from Iowa to Indiana. The eighth version of Landsat … Continue reading “A.I.’s Role In Agriculture Comes Into Focus With Imaging Analysis”

The State of Cybersecurity Insurance Today

Cyber incidents are considered the No. 1 emerging risk for enterprises long-term. No surprise, then, that cybersecurity insurance policy premiums are approaching $2.75 billion a year. Some experts believe this figure will grow to roughly $20 billion by 2025. For scores of insurance companies cashing in on the booming corporate cybersecurity insurance market, it’s a … Continue reading “The State of Cybersecurity Insurance Today”

Zymeworks Bags $58M in IPO to Bankroll Cancer Drug Trials

Zymeworks is the latest biotech to go public, raising $58.5 million through a stock offering that the company says will finance early stage clinical trials for its two lead cancer drug candidates. Vancouver, BC-based Zymeworks sold 4.5 million shares at $13 apiece, coming in at the low end of the $13 to $16 per range … Continue reading “Zymeworks Bags $58M in IPO to Bankroll Cancer Drug Trials”

After Sarepta’s Surprising FDA Nod, CEO Kaye Plans to Resign

Ed Kaye was the chief medical officer of Sarepta Therapeutics for nearly six years before being thrust into the spotlight. In April 2015, CEO Chris Garabedian resigned, and Kaye took up the job of trying to notch the first-ever approval for a Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug, eteplirsen (Exondys 51)—with the slimmest of data, no less. … Continue reading “After Sarepta’s Surprising FDA Nod, CEO Kaye Plans to Resign”

Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Flails, Spinraza Sales, Batten OK & More

To judge the first 100 days of a new administration is, as many pundits have pointed out, an odd vestige of history, more convenient than significant. Which is why we’ll start this week’s roundup with our 99-day evaluation of the Trump administration—at least when it comes to healthcare and the life sciences. In healthcare, nothing … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Flails, Spinraza Sales, Batten OK & More”

Seattle Week in Review: Amazon, Indy Bookstores, and Serendipity

Amazon, the behemoth of digital and physical commerce, started out as an independent bookseller, albeit an online one, based in a home in Bellevue, WA. Now that it’s doing everything else—this week it deployed artificial intelligence to judge your fashion choices—how’s that online bookstore business shaping up? It’s something to contemplate on Independent Bookstore Day, … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Amazon, Indy Bookstores, and Serendipity”

Allen Pledges $30M to House Homeless Families Amid Funding Debate

Paul Allen has pledged $30 million to help house homeless families in Seattle, as the city grapples with an ongoing crisis and debates how to pay for it. With an additional $5 million in capital from city coffers, the funding from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation would enable nonprofit housing developer Mercy Housing Northwest … Continue reading “Allen Pledges $30M to House Homeless Families Amid Funding Debate”

Gates Foundation Leads $45.5M Round for Gerngross’s Biotech Arsanis

[Corrected 4/27/17, 11:57 p.m. See Below.] Arsanis, a Waltham, MA-based biotech co-founded by scientist and entrepreneur Tillman Gerngross to develop treatments for bacterial and viral infections, has raised a $45.5 million investment led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to finance a mid-stage clinical trial for its lead drug program. The Series D round of … Continue reading “Gates Foundation Leads $45.5M Round for Gerngross’s Biotech Arsanis”

Amid Automation Debate, A.I. Backers Tout Job Creation Potential

Rapid advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence technologies over the past decade have stoked concern that machines could eventually take over most, if not virtually all, human jobs. But there is another, more optimistic view of how the advance of A.I. and automation will impact the economy—one articulated by people like Mark Gorenberg (pictured right). … Continue reading “Amid Automation Debate, A.I. Backers Tout Job Creation Potential”

Seattle Week in Review: March for Science, MSFT Acquisition, CoMotion

This week, we’re looking forward to Saturday’s March for Science and back at Microsoft’s acquisition of Charles Simonyi’s Intentional Software; former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s new effort to inject facts into debate about government; potential changes to the high-skilled visa program and a new startup aimed at helping immigrants; a strong showing for the University … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: March for Science, MSFT Acquisition, CoMotion”

Bio Roundup: Spinraza Woes, Science March, Baseline Launch & More

Rumblings of a new Obamacare replacement surfaced this week, while scientists and their supporters prepared for Saturday’s—a.k.a. Earth Day’s—nationwide Marches for Science. Our own reporting focused this week on the fallout from high drug prices, with a look at the frustration of families whose children have had trouble gaining access to the first drug ever … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Spinraza Woes, Science March, Baseline Launch & More”

Request Your Invitation to Xconomy’s Elite Napa Summit June 8-9

  Nobel Laureate David Baltimore. Microbiome AND supercomputer pioneer Larry Smarr. Intellectual Ventures’ Nathan Myhrvold. Nicole Glaros of Techstars. These are just a few of the visionary speakers who will be headlining Xconomy’s sixth annual Napa Summit. And if you act fast to request your invitation to this special event, you can join them and … Continue reading “Request Your Invitation to Xconomy’s Elite Napa Summit June 8-9”

Techstars Seattle Fetes Latest Class, Now Counts 100 Startups

Since opening its doors in Seattle in 2010, Techstars has polished up more than 100 startup companies through its 12-week accelerator program here. Those nascent technology companies have gone on to raise more than $400 million, said Techstars Seattle managing director Chris DeVore, introducing the latest batch of startups Wednesday night at the Museum of … Continue reading “Techstars Seattle Fetes Latest Class, Now Counts 100 Startups”

“Our Son’s Fate”: Parents Fighting for Kids’ Spine Drug Eye New Data

Melissa Marotta pulled no punches to get her three-year-old son C.J., who has the genetic disease spinal muscular atrophy, access to nusinersen (Spinraza), the first approved drug for his condition. For months, she couldn’t schedule a treatment date at Columbia University Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, and for much of that time, she … Continue reading ““Our Son’s Fate”: Parents Fighting for Kids’ Spine Drug Eye New Data”

Trump Executive Order Adds Uncertainty to Tech Visa Program

Is the U.S. high-skilled visa program, known as H-1B, an essential contributor to the innovation economy or a way for companies to replace American IT workers with immigrants at lower salaries? It’s a debate as old as the program itself, which began in 1990. The Trump administration on Tuesday joined the fray with a long-anticipated … Continue reading “Trump Executive Order Adds Uncertainty to Tech Visa Program”

The Xconomy Roadmap: Top 15 Innovation Areas to Watch (and Disrupt)

It is a time of great transitions in the technology and business world. Key advances in areas like machine intelligence, agriculture, and healthcare seem poised to transform society—and everyday life. But it can be hard to keep up with the latest news in fields as disparate as cybersecurity, food tech, and cancer therapeutics—let alone understand … Continue reading “The Xconomy Roadmap: Top 15 Innovation Areas to Watch (and Disrupt)”

Want to Communicate Your Science? First, Step Back

Think for a moment about the words and phrases that life science researchers and executives use on a daily basis. I’m talking about the seemingly simple phrases like “investigational drug,” “novel target,” “immunotherapy,” “clinical trial,” “in vitro,” and “therapeutic window.” There are hundreds more. Those of us who work in life sciences are comfortable with … Continue reading “Want to Communicate Your Science? First, Step Back”

Approved Opens for Business with $1M and Digital Mortgage Platform

Following a six-month trial of its digital mortgage platform, San Diego-based Approved has officially launched its Web-based software for home loan applications. In a recent statement, the 20-month-old startup also said it has raised $1 million in what co-founder and CEO Andy Taylor calls a “pre-seed round.” “Our goal is to create a platform [for … Continue reading “Approved Opens for Business with $1M and Digital Mortgage Platform”

Ex-Dendreon CEO, Gold, Returns to Wall Street as Alpine, Nivalis Merge

Mitch Gold, the controversial executive who oversaw the rise of now-defunct cancer immunotherapy pioneer Dendreon, is about to head back to Wall Street. Gold’s latest startup, Seattle cancer and autoimmune drug developer Alpine Immune Sciences, has struck a deal to go public by reverse merging with struggling Nivalis Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NVLS]]). Nivalis, of Boulder, CO, … Continue reading “Ex-Dendreon CEO, Gold, Returns to Wall Street as Alpine, Nivalis Merge”

Juno Therapeutics Appoints Sunil Agarwal President of R&D

Sunil Agarwal has been appointed president of research and development for Seattle-based cancer immunotherapy company Juno Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JUNO]]), which has fallen behind its rivals in the race to produce the first commercial T cell therapy known as CAR-T. Before joining Juno, Agarwal was chief medical officer of Novato, CA-based Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RARE]]). His … Continue reading “Juno Therapeutics Appoints Sunil Agarwal President of R&D”

Seattle Week in Review: ShakeAlert, Rattle, Easter Egg Roll

Easter Sunday looks to be one of the nicest weather days in Seattle since I’m not sure when. The water year that began in October now ranks as the fourth-wettest in recorded Seattle history, with nearly 43 inches of rain as of Thursday. Enjoy the sun. But first, check out our review of local tech … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: ShakeAlert, Rattle, Easter Egg Roll”