Editor’s note: This piece was originally posted on Textio’s company blog. “Hey Siri, how’s the weather today?” “OK Google, remind me to pay the power bill.” “Alexa, tell me a joke!” Bots are eating the world. Whether you are an enterprising app developer building the essential software to bring a virtual Taylor Swift into your … Continue reading “Why Bots Aren’t the Real AI Disruption: The Quiet Rise of Headless AI”
Category: Seattle
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Appeal, Bristol Deals, Stock Pumping & More
It may have been a short holiday week, but there was plenty of news on the CRISPR front. In the ongoing battle for rights to the landmark gene editing technology, the faction led by the University of California appealed the U.S. decision in favor of the Broad Institute. Elsewhere, Bristol-Myers Squibb flipped assets, a top … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Appeal, Bristol Deals, Stock Pumping & More”
New NW-Focused Tech VC Firm Flies Under the Radar
A group of Seattle-area angel investors is organizing a new tech-focused early stage venture capital fund. Flying Fish Partners is described on its co-founders’ LinkedIn pages as an “early stage software technology investment firm investing in the Pacific Northwest.” Those co-founders include Heather Redman, a technology executive already active as an angel investor and supporter … Continue reading “New NW-Focused Tech VC Firm Flies Under the Radar”
AVX Partners Makes Fourth Growth Investment, in Canada’s Tasktop
Austin—AVX Partners, the small growth-stage venture firm that sprouted from Austin Ventures in 2015, has made its fourth investment: in Tasktop, a Vancouver, BC-based software maker. Tasktop is getting $11.6 million in new funding in a round led by AVX, which contributed $8 million. Filling out the round were Austin Ventures and Vancouver-based Yaletown Partners, which … Continue reading “AVX Partners Makes Fourth Growth Investment, in Canada’s Tasktop”
FoodTechWrap: Robots Delivering Meals, Making Custom Salads in SF
Food—it’s messy. It spoils. We don’t have time to cook it. We can’t live without it. These problems are catnip for hopeful tech startups looking for a business niche. Here’s a fast wrap-up on food tech companies and what they’re serving up lately in the Bay Area. —Marble set loose its first fleet of restaurant … Continue reading “FoodTechWrap: Robots Delivering Meals, Making Custom Salads in SF”
MindMaze Projects Your Smiles, Frowns On Face Of Your VR Avatar
In virtual reality games you can choose an avatar, leave your couch potato body behind, and appear instead as a rugged explorer or a monster roaring to defend its turf. Pretty soon, you might be able to let your emotions show through, even as you transform outwardly into a fantasy character. One company trying to … Continue reading “MindMaze Projects Your Smiles, Frowns On Face Of Your VR Avatar”
The Otonomy Story and the Human Impact of Innovation
[Editor’s note: Jay Lichter will discuss his personal odyssey in drug development on April 19 at The Xconomy Forum on the Human Impact of Innovation. Online registration is here.] I am a pharmaceutical scientist and a biotech venture capitalist. I start companies that are focused on creating new drugs. So when my doctor told me … Continue reading “The Otonomy Story and the Human Impact of Innovation”
McAfee: Hackers Use Their Own Form of “Fake News” In Cyberattacks
Russian hackers reportedly used a barrage of “fake news” items to distract and confuse voters in the 2016 U.S. presidential election—crowding out genuine information that could better guide their decisions. Data security analysts are already familiar with a similar tactic used in cyberattacks against businesses. Hackers have been known to launch large-scale decoy attacks to … Continue reading “McAfee: Hackers Use Their Own Form of “Fake News” In Cyberattacks”
Bio Roundup: Gottlieb Talks Vax, Acorda’s Axe, Adams, 23andMe & More
In the nation’s capital, healthcare and life sciences were on center stage. Or stages, actually. On Capitol Hill, FDA commissioner nominee Scott Gottlieb, the drug industry’s favorite pick, told senators his extensive industry ties wouldn’t cloud his judgment or create conflicts. At a downtown convention center, Joe Biden slammed the Trump administration’s budget-cutting plans. And … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Gottlieb Talks Vax, Acorda’s Axe, Adams, 23andMe & More”
EOW Reading List: AI Diagnosticians, Musk’s Warnings, Mnuchin’s Radar
The flood of good reporting and writing on artificial intelligence, automation, and its implications continues. At Xconomy’s End of Work Reading List, we select and highlight some of the best of it. In this edition, we’re pointing to recent long-form pieces in The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, and the recent flap over Treasury Secretary … Continue reading “EOW Reading List: AI Diagnosticians, Musk’s Warnings, Mnuchin’s Radar”
AACR Review: Biden Fired Up, Incyte Doubles Up, BMS Up And Down
The American Association for Cancer Research held its annual meeting this week in Washington, DC, a convenient venue for former Vice President Joe Biden to deliver a broadside against the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts in science funding. For Biden, it’s personal. In the final year of the Obama administration, he championed a push for … Continue reading “AACR Review: Biden Fired Up, Incyte Doubles Up, BMS Up And Down”
Some Cause for Optimism in Hired’s Research on Gender Wage Gap
Amid the ongoing conversation about gender discrimination in the tech industry, and recent sexual harassment claims against some of its biggest names, here’s some sort-of good news about women in tech: When companies make job offers to both men and women, women receive lower salary offers 63 percent of the time for the same job, … Continue reading “Some Cause for Optimism in Hired’s Research on Gender Wage Gap”
FDA Nominee Scott Gottlieb To Anti-Vaccine Crowd: Get Over It
In what passes for a short hearing these days in Washington, DC, the Trump White House’s pick to run the Food and Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb, spent less than three hours fielding questions from a Senate committee Wednesday morning. Amid predictable splits between Republican praise for his past industry experience and Democrat fire over potential … Continue reading “FDA Nominee Scott Gottlieb To Anti-Vaccine Crowd: Get Over It”
VCs Poured $300M into Seattle Area Companies in Q1, Up 33 Percent
Seattle-area companies collected some $300 million in investment during the first quarter, with biotech and medical devices companies claiming four of the 10 largest deals. The first-quarter investment total was up 33 percent from the first quarter of 2016, according to the National Venture Capital Association’s quarterly Venture Monitor report, prepared by Seattle-based PitchBook. Deal … Continue reading “VCs Poured $300M into Seattle Area Companies in Q1, Up 33 Percent”
Slowdown Continues in First-Quarter VC Funding—and Top 10 Deals
Is a caution flag flying? While U.S. venture firms refueled last year by raising a near-record $51.6 billion, they also eased off the throttle in terms of their investment activity during the first quarter of 2017, according to data released today by Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). According to the latest … Continue reading “Slowdown Continues in First-Quarter VC Funding—and Top 10 Deals”
Qumulo, Led by Isilon Execs, Raises $30M to Push Data Storage Sales
Qumulo’s founders, leadership team, and investors are all betting that the Seattle data storage technology provider can deliver a repeat of another local success story—and now they’ve got $30 million in fresh funding riding on it. The five-year-old company brings together many of the same people who built Isilon Systems, a data storage company that … Continue reading “Qumulo, Led by Isilon Execs, Raises $30M to Push Data Storage Sales”
Speaker Lineup Takes Shape for “What’s Hot in Cancer Immunotherapy 2017”
Three years ago, Xconomy assembled a lineup of experts to discuss the emerging treatments that use the immune system to fight cancer. Join us in Seattle this June as we take another look at cancer immunotherapy. We’ll review the progress made so far and highlight how new approaches to treatment could help patients. Confirmed speakers … Continue reading “Speaker Lineup Takes Shape for “What’s Hot in Cancer Immunotherapy 2017””
How Battling New Epidemics Helps Fight Age-Old Killers
Washington state has reported nearly 300 cases of mumps this winter and experts predict this may be the state’s worst flu season in years, a stark reminder of how dangerous even familiar viruses can be. While the Ebola and Zika outbreaks have dominated the headlines in recent years, they are part of a paradigm we … Continue reading “How Battling New Epidemics Helps Fight Age-Old Killers”
Trump’s Anti-Environment Policies Don’t Deter Northwest Innovators
There were local antidotes this week for those who see global catastrophe in the Trump administration’s attempts to reverse course on federal policies combatting climate change. On Thursday, scores of science, engineering, and business students from around the Pacific Northwest pitched their ideas for improving the performance of batteries, recycling food scraps, filtering and conserving … Continue reading “Trump’s Anti-Environment Policies Don’t Deter Northwest Innovators”
Bio Roundup: New Drug Bonanza, Vertex’s Triple Play, CAR-T Race & More
As far as singular weeks go for biotech, this was a big one. Three highly anticipated drugs were approved. One is the first injectable medication for eczema. Another might help fend off the recurrence of ovarian cancer. And a third offers hope for people with severe forms of multiple sclerosis. Another drug, a new combination … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: New Drug Bonanza, Vertex’s Triple Play, CAR-T Race & More”
Next Stop on Father’s Duchenne Quest: Wall Street? Solid Raises $50M
It wasn’t too long ago that Ilan Ganot was a J.P. Morgan banker. Then his son, Eytani, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and he ended up the head of a startup trying to find an array of treatments for the progressive, deadly genetic disease. Now it appears that journey might return Ganot to a … Continue reading “Next Stop on Father’s Duchenne Quest: Wall Street? Solid Raises $50M”
Running with the Pack: Rover.com Acquiring Rival DogVacay
In a dog-eat-dog deal, Seattle-based dog-care services marketplace Rover.com is acquiring its largest competitor, DogVacay, the companies announced Wednesday. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The combined company will be headquartered in Seattle and maintain the Rover brand. Aaron Easterly, CEO of Rover, will continue in that role while DogVacay CEO Aaron Hirschhorn will … Continue reading “Running with the Pack: Rover.com Acquiring Rival DogVacay”
Amazon Grows Middle East Footprint With Souq Acquisition
Spreading its empire to the Middle East, Amazon is buying Souq.com, a leading e-commerce marketplace in the region. The deal was disclosed Tuesday but reported by multiple sources last week. The companies did not announce terms. Reuters, citing unnamed sources, reported that Amazon paid less than an $800 million last-minute counteroffer made for Dubai-based Souq … Continue reading “Amazon Grows Middle East Footprint With Souq Acquisition”
RightHand Robotics Picks Up $8M to Automate Next-Gen Warehouses
A funny thing happened in the five years since Amazon acquired warehouse automation firm Kiva Systems for $775 million. The logistics robot market has taken off, with different competing systems shuttling inventory around to try to speed up order fulfillment. But tasks requiring manual dexterity are still hard to automate. Now, several companies and research … Continue reading “RightHand Robotics Picks Up $8M to Automate Next-Gen Warehouses”
Bullhorn CEO Talks Tech Unicorns, Voice Interfaces, & A.I. Hype
Last week, Xconomy published a story about how I jammed with Bullhorn CEO Art Papas in the music room at his software company’s downtown Boston headquarters. Hard-hitting journalism, I know. But our meeting wasn’t just about rocking out to a Foo Fighters song. We also chatted about his 18-year-old company’s ups and downs, why it … Continue reading “Bullhorn CEO Talks Tech Unicorns, Voice Interfaces, & A.I. Hype”
Seattle Week in Review: Mech Bezos, Bay Area Capital, Family Leave
Spring will get here eventually, and it will be more glorious for the wait. In the meantime, we’re looking back on a relatively quiet week in local tech, including: Amazon’s Jeff Bezos in the pilot seat of a giant robot; PitchBook data on investments in Seattle by Bay Area-based venture capitalists; a new Seattle proposal … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Mech Bezos, Bay Area Capital, Family Leave”
Five Questions For … Seremedi CEO, Ex-Microsoft Executive Kim Bond Evans
Houston—When Kim Bond Evans was 15, her father was dying. One particular piece of advice that he gave her stood out: Focus on what can be done, he advised, not on the naysayers, who may stand in the way. “When the front door closes, go through the back door,” Evans says he told her. “If … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Seremedi CEO, Ex-Microsoft Executive Kim Bond Evans”
Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Wavers, Amgen Courts Payers, Critics Circle PTC
Who knew healthcare could be so complicated? This week, President Trump and the GOP saw first hand, as a feverish rally to get their healthcare bill through the House of Representatives on Thursday stalled before a vote. Elsewhere in Washington DC, drug pricing continued to be a political football. Two well known congressional drug pricing … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Wavers, Amgen Courts Payers, Critics Circle PTC”
Kayak Expands to New Platforms as A.I. Assistants Proliferate
[Corrected, 3/24/17, 2:37 p.m. See below.] As Kayak attempts to build a better virtual travel agent, the tech firm is expanding beyond its core website and mobile app, and establishing a presence on additional types of technology platforms. Since mid-2015, Stamford, CT-based Kayak has made its travel-search service available to consumers on Apple Watch, Slack, … Continue reading “Kayak Expands to New Platforms as A.I. Assistants Proliferate”
As Travel Ban Looms, Remitly Helps Immigrants Send Money, Share Stories
In the face of stepped-up immigration enforcement and ongoing legal battles over the Trump administration’s attempts to ban travelers from several majority Muslim nations, many businesses are taking stronger public positions in support of immigrants. The tech industry, with many immigrants in its ranks, has been among the most vocal, providing both rhetorical and legal … Continue reading “As Travel Ban Looms, Remitly Helps Immigrants Send Money, Share Stories”
Amid Gender Gap Talk, Mentor Network Emerges For Women In Health, Bio
It’s been more than a year since an infamous party with hired models in cocktail dresses captured the biotech community’s attention at the 2016 J.P. Morgan conference. There has been plenty of talk since about closing biotech’s notable gender gap. At this year’s J.P Morgan conference, for example, a group of 100 life science executives … Continue reading “Amid Gender Gap Talk, Mentor Network Emerges For Women In Health, Bio”
Building a Local Innovation Ecosystem
Co-authored with Rudy Gadre, general partner at Founders’ Co-op. Western Washington is already home to some of the most innovative people, companies, and academic programs in the world. And yet we should be doing much more to connect and support our local innovators, to attract more agents of change to the region, and to help them … Continue reading “Building a Local Innovation Ecosystem”
Promising Cash for Consumers, Startup Dosh Plans Break Out of Beta
Austin—A new startup that claims it can get consumers cash back on their purchases—and bring its customers more business in the process—has raised $2 million in new seed funding and is preparing to launch out of beta testing. Called Dosh, the company has raised $6 million in total seed funding but isn’t yet naming its … Continue reading “Promising Cash for Consumers, Startup Dosh Plans Break Out of Beta”
Early Bird Rate Ending for What’s Hot in Cancer Immunotherapy 2017 on 6/14
Three years ago, Xconomy gathered some of the field’s experts to talk about the promises of harnessing the immune system to fight cancer. Now, it’s time to gather again in Seattle to look back at the last three years and look ahead to the future. Join us on June 14 at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer … Continue reading “Early Bird Rate Ending for What’s Hot in Cancer Immunotherapy 2017 on 6/14”
Join David Baltimore, Nicole Glaros, Nathan Myhrvold, & More at Our Napa Summit
Year after year, Xconomy has gathered exemplary business leaders, investors, and far-seeing technologists to our most prestigious event—The Napa Summit. This year is no different. Come join us in the heart of wine country on June 8 and 9 to listen to visionary speakers and connect with fellow innovators. The Napa Summit is by invitation-only, … Continue reading “Join David Baltimore, Nicole Glaros, Nathan Myhrvold, & More at Our Napa Summit”
Mythic Reveals Novel Chip to Empower Devices With AI, Raises $9M
With ever-smaller smartphones now flaunting the computing powers of yesteryear’s hefty business machines, it might look like Moore’s Law has yet to be repealed. In 1965, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore saw computer chips doubling in processing power every year, and predicted the exponential rise of smaller, cheaper, and faster devices. But Michael Henry, co-founder of … Continue reading “Mythic Reveals Novel Chip to Empower Devices With AI, Raises $9M”
SutroVax Lands $64M From Roche, Others to Back Vaccine Studies
Vaccines may be available for pneumococcal infections, but none of them, including the widely used Prevnar 13, can cover all strains. SutroVax is one of the startups trying to solve that problem, and today raised $64 million to test its approach in humans. New investors Frazier Healthcare Partners and Pivotal bioVenture Partners led the Series … Continue reading “SutroVax Lands $64M From Roche, Others to Back Vaccine Studies”
Seattle Week in Review: Budget Cuts, Health IT, Alexa on iOS & More
It was a full week with Pi Day, the Ides of March, and St. Patrick’s Day. Tech was busy, too. We’re reviewing the potential impact of the Trump administration’s proposed budget; a Boeing executive tapped for deputy defense secretary; healthcare IT doings at Accolade and Limeade; PACCAR’s work on self-driving trucks with Nvidia; Alexa’s move … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Budget Cuts, Health IT, Alexa on iOS & More”
Talking Driverless Cars, March Madness on Stocks and Jocks Radio
I hit the airwaves Friday morning to talk venture capital, startups, self-driving cars, and March Madness. Stocks and Jocks, a Chicago-based weekday business and sports talk radio program, invited me on the show to share my thoughts on some of the latest trends in the startup world. Hosts Tom Haugh and Kathy Dervin bantered with … Continue reading “Talking Driverless Cars, March Madness on Stocks and Jocks Radio”
Bio Roundup: Trump Budget, FDA Chief, CAR-T Qs, CRISPR Cash, & More
If it wasn’t clear that the Trump administration disdained most types of scientific inquiry and practice, the White House’s proposed budget drove the point home. The top-line figures: a nearly 20 percent cut in the National Institutes of Health, and a 30 percent cut in the Environmental Protection Agency. These and other cuts to programs … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump Budget, FDA Chief, CAR-T Qs, CRISPR Cash, & More”
Machine Learning 201: Exploring the Market for New Business
2016 will be remembered for many things, not least as the year that AI and machine learning stepped into the technological and cultural spotlight. Advances in applied machine learning fueled our enthusiasm for smarter, more talkative devices. It impacted how we learned about and processed the news—and fake news—of the national elections. Automation grew in … Continue reading “Machine Learning 201: Exploring the Market for New Business”
Detroit’s HAAS Alert Links Motorists to 911 Responders, Smart Cities
HAAS Alert, the Techstars Mobility alum with offices in Detroit and Chicago, is one of three startups spending the first six months of 2017 at the Jaguar Land Rover Tech Incubator in Portland, OR. HAAS Alert has been working on a mobile platform for connected cars and smart cities that allows first responders and other … Continue reading “Detroit’s HAAS Alert Links Motorists to 911 Responders, Smart Cities”
Tax Reform and Choice of Business Entity
Choice of entity—how an entrepreneur decides to conduct the business—is a key decision with critical tax and non-tax implications. In the coming months, the White House is expected to release a detailed tax reform plan which, among other things, may include a significant reduction in corporate tax rates. If the anticipated changes are adopted, should … Continue reading “Tax Reform and Choice of Business Entity”
Former Gates Investor, Advisor Unveil $200M Biomatics Health Fund
After years of investing Bill Gates’s money and giving him scientific advice, two of the software billionaire’s associates have launched their own $200 million healthcare fund. Some of biotech’s highest-profile bets are already in their portfolio. Based in Seattle, Biomatics Capital Partners has been an open secret for some time thanks to its own regulatory … Continue reading “Former Gates Investor, Advisor Unveil $200M Biomatics Health Fund”
Visit the Titanic in OceanGate’s Carbon Fiber Sub: Only $105,129
OceanGate’s deep-diving carbon fiber submersible, now under construction, is designed to carry the company’s intrepid, well-heeled clientele to a one-of-a-kind destination beginning next spring: the Titanic. Stockton Rush, CEO of Everett, WA-based OceanGate, announced the expedition Tuesday, and said the 2018 dives—which would be the first manned expedition to the Titanic since 2005—have already sold … Continue reading “Visit the Titanic in OceanGate’s Carbon Fiber Sub: Only $105,129”
Airlines Must Improve IT Infrastructure Now or Pay Later
At the tail end of this past holiday season—on one of the busiest travel days of the year—thousands of arriving international passengers found themselves stuck for hours in the line at customs, waiting to be processed. It wasn’t a terror alert, mechanical failure, or nefarious cyberattack that caused long lines and huge delays for travelers … Continue reading “Airlines Must Improve IT Infrastructure Now or Pay Later “
Possible Cures. Mystery Deaths. Daunting Costs. Can CAR-T Be Tamed?
It’s a struggle that comic-book fans know well. Ordinary people, bestowed with super powers from a spider bite or gamma rays, struggle to harness their own abilities. T cells, key soldiers of the immune system, are wrestling with new-found super powers, too. Certain T cells hunt down invasive viruses, bacteria, and the body’s own bad … Continue reading “Possible Cures. Mystery Deaths. Daunting Costs. Can CAR-T Be Tamed?”
Seattle Week in Review: A Renaissance Man for Computing’s Golden Age
The Stranger called Paul Allen “Our Modern Medici,” which is a pretty apt description of the billionaire philanthropist-entrepreneur. Allen’s beneficence has helped the University of Washington grow a world-class computer science department—and now it has become a school named in his honor. Read on for a dispatch from the UW celebration Thursday, as well as a … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: A Renaissance Man for Computing’s Golden Age”
Scott Gottlieb On Tap to Lead FDA, and Biopharma Exhales
[Updated 3/12/17 with more comments, see below] The Trump administration has nominated Scott Gottlieb to be the new commissioner of the FDA, a selection that had the life sciences industry breathing a sigh of relief Friday afternoon. The 44-year-old Gottlieb is a physician, a venture partner at New Enterprise Associates, and was also the deputy … Continue reading “Scott Gottlieb On Tap to Lead FDA, and Biopharma Exhales”
Biotech Roundup: Obamacare Lite, DePinho Out, Dunsire In & More
We’ll start the roundup in Washington DC. The repeal of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, began on the first day of the Trump administration. This week, the “replace” phase began with a Republican plan championed by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI). President Trump backed it, too, but a lot of Republicans have … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Obamacare Lite, DePinho Out, Dunsire In & More”