You’ve made it to Friday—it’s time to take a step back, prepare for a relaxing weekend, and read a few stories about the endless ways in which your personal information can be stolen. OK, maybe it’s better to spin it like this: Here are some of the most interesting reads from this last week on … Continue reading “Best Reads for Casual Friday: Cybersecurity (And Some Amazon, Too)”
Category: Texas
Bio Roundup: Big Bucks For Calico, Data Dumps & The IPO Wave Rolls On
If you’re running a privately held biotech, the time to go public is now. Clinical data already in hand or not, biotechs have charged to Wall Street at a record pace over the past two weeks, raising more than $1 billion in offerings that all met or exceeded their projected valuations. And there are no … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Big Bucks For Calico, Data Dumps & The IPO Wave Rolls On”
The Key to A Clean Energy Economy? Incubators, Deals, & Attention
San Antonio—[Updated 6/29/18, 1:52 p.m. See below.] Businesses and individual consumers are increasingly tapping into solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources, in part thanks to the scientists and engineers who are developing new and more efficient ways of utilizing these energy sources. Renewables accounted for about 11 percent of overall energy consumption in the … Continue reading “The Key to A Clean Energy Economy? Incubators, Deals, & Attention”
IPO Wave Rolls On as Five Life Science Firms Haul In $651M
A week after seven biotechs went public, setting a new record for the Nasdaq, five more life sciences companies have joined the club. The latest crop continued the positive momentum for life sciences offerings, as the group either met or exceeded their projections and raised a total of $651 million. Neon Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NTGN]]) was … Continue reading “IPO Wave Rolls On as Five Life Science Firms Haul In $651M”
Senators Grill HHS’s Azar on Drug Price Cuts That Have Yet to Come
When President Trump signed legislation last month allowing seriously ill patients the “right to try” unapproved drugs without FDA oversight, he voiced a bold prediction: Within two weeks, he said, drug companies would announce “voluntary massive drops in prices.” Asked for further detail, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declined to elaborate on … Continue reading “Senators Grill HHS’s Azar on Drug Price Cuts That Have Yet to Come”
Air Force Innovation, Funds for Newchip & Convey, & More TX Tech
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Chevron Technology Ventures has launched a Future Energy Fund with an initial commitment of $100 million. The venture arm is a subsidiary of California-based Chevron (NYSE: [[ticker:CVX]]) and the new fund is designed to invest in “breakthrough technologies that enable the ongoing energy … Continue reading “Air Force Innovation, Funds for Newchip & Convey, & More TX Tech”
How the Rise of Beijing and Shanghai Tech May Impact Silicon Valley
When it comes to startup tech hubs, U.S. cities from San Francisco to Austin to Boston come first to mind. But that is starting to change, as Asian cities—particularly in China—are snapping up more tech venture capital funding and exits, according to a new report from CB Insights. Silicon Valley tech startups pulled in the … Continue reading “How the Rise of Beijing and Shanghai Tech May Impact Silicon Valley”
Stitch Fix CTO Polinsky Says Its Style Shuffle Game Makes Data Fun
When Cathy Polinsky became chief technology officer of Stitch Fix in late 2016, she knew one of the San Francisco-based company’s key challenges was continually refining its core software algorithm to make sure customers received the right tailored suggestions in their monthly wardrobe boxes. So, she made it into a game. Style Shuffle is a … Continue reading “Stitch Fix CTO Polinsky Says Its Style Shuffle Game Makes Data Fun”
With AppNexus Acquisition, AT&T Stakes Claim in Adtech, Analytics
[Updated 3:51 p.m. See Below.] AT&T is buying advertising tech company AppNexus in a deal reportedly worth around $1.6 billion. The telecom giant plans to add AppNexus to an advertising and analytics business that it created last year. The purchase shows AT&T’s (NYSE: [[ticker:T]]) interest in better utilizing its vast amounts of customer data so … Continue reading “With AppNexus Acquisition, AT&T Stakes Claim in Adtech, Analytics”
Lockheed Martin Opening Cybersecurity Office for DoD in San Antonio
San Antonio—Lockheed Martin, the largest U.S. government contractor, is announcing today it is moving into a 15,400-square foot cybersecurity facility at Port San Antonio in hopes of landing a large contract with the Department of Defense. The move by Lockheed (NYSE: [[ticker:LMT]]) is part of its effort to get its hands on a contract worth … Continue reading “Lockheed Martin Opening Cybersecurity Office for DoD in San Antonio”
Some of the Best Reads for Casual Friday: Artificial Intelligence
Fridays can be the most productive work day, as you look to shore up everything before the weekend starts. Or, maybe instead, it’s a day filled with long lunches and listless Internet surfing, as you seek out all the interesting articles you missed during the week. Fear not: Xconomy has done the work for you, … Continue reading “Some of the Best Reads for Casual Friday: Artificial Intelligence”
Bio Roundup: Duchenne Data, Roche Buys Foundation, IPO Wave & More
Biotech financing is a cyclical thing. Two years ago, the IPO window was unlatched but a number of companies ended up withdrawing their stock offerings. Others that pushed their IPOs through couldn’t sell shares at the price they wanted. This year, the IPO window is wide open. A total of 93 IPOs have priced as … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Duchenne Data, Roche Buys Foundation, IPO Wave & More”
Intel CEO Resigns After Board Learns of His Relationship With Employee
Intel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTC]]) announced Thursday that CEO Brian Krzanich has resigned in the wake of the company’s recent discovery that he had been involved in a past consensual relationship with an Intel employee. The relationship violated Intel’s non-fraternization policy—the finding of an ongoing investigation by internal and external counsel, the company said in a written … Continue reading “Intel CEO Resigns After Board Learns of His Relationship With Employee”
Latticework Launches Personal Hybrid Cloud for Private Data-Sharing
Were you aghast at revelations that third-party organizations were able to capture millions of Facebook profiles from users who were unaware of the company’s privacy policy terms? If so, a Silicon Valley startup is hoping to entice you with a new option for private data storage of your personal digital life, along with private channels … Continue reading “Latticework Launches Personal Hybrid Cloud for Private Data-Sharing”
Bio IPO Madness: Six Biotech Startups Raise $568M in 24 Hours
The window for biotech IPOs remains wide open and six more companies have charged through it, raising more than $568 million in the span of 24 hours. The first was Eidos Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EIDX]]), which raised $106 million in its stock market debut. The San Francisco company priced its IPO late Tuesday, selling 6.25 million … Continue reading “Bio IPO Madness: Six Biotech Startups Raise $568M in 24 Hours”
Same SaaS, New Acquisition Model: Q&A With Dura’s Paul Salisbury
San Antonio—Dura Holdings is trying to put a different spin on the model of acquiring and improving a business that has either underperformed or may have room to grow. San Antonio-based Dura buys software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies with recurring revenue and seeks to cut operating costs or improve simple things like marketing and sales processes, in … Continue reading “Same SaaS, New Acquisition Model: Q&A With Dura’s Paul Salisbury”
New Chapter: Publishing Executive Alston Becomes New CEO at DEC
Dallas—Alyce Alston, a veteran of the digital media and publishing industries, officially took over the reins of the Dallas Entrepreneur Center Wednesday. “I’ve always been an innovator within large organizations and then with startups after that,” she says. “I have a real empathy for startups, for entrepreneurs, people who are creating and doing things that … Continue reading “New Chapter: Publishing Executive Alston Becomes New CEO at DEC”
CrowdStrike Hauls In $200M, Reports Valuation Over $3 Billion
CrowdStrike, a Silicon Valley cybersecurity company that fends off hackers by patrolling the edge devices connected to a network, announced today it raised $200 million in a financing round that sets the company’s valuation at more than $3 billion. Sunnyvale, CA-based CrowdStrike, as an endpoint protection and response platform, uses next-generation antivirus software, scans for … Continue reading “CrowdStrike Hauls In $200M, Reports Valuation Over $3 Billion”
LoftSmart Adds $12.9M for Student Housing Review and Rental Software
LoftSmart, a website that helps college students find off-campus housing, has raised $12.9 million in an equity funding round, according to a securities filing. New York-based LoftSmart lets students search for and review properties typically rented by students, leaving feedback in each apartment building’s listing on amenities, problems, or other details that might help college … Continue reading “LoftSmart Adds $12.9M for Student Housing Review and Rental Software”
Biotech Beware, Your Culture Is Showing
In a recent survey of 220 scientists, 60 percent of the respondents reported having experienced harassment at a conference at some point in their careers. Even more astounding is the fact that 82 percent of those who reported harassment did not report it when it occurred. That’s why it’s easy to say, “How big of … Continue reading “Biotech Beware, Your Culture Is Showing”
CarePredict Set to Buy IP of San Antonio’s WiseWear From Bankruptcy
San Antonio—The intellectual property of WiseWear, the bankrupt company that sold fashionable wearable devices, may be sold to the new employer of WiseWear founder Jerry Wilmink. CarePredict, a Plantation, FL-based business that sells wearable devices and software to assisted living facilities for monitoring residents, bid $110,000 to buy the intellectual property assets of WiseWear, according … Continue reading “CarePredict Set to Buy IP of San Antonio’s WiseWear From Bankruptcy”
Bio Roundup: Not-BIO Party Foul, CRISPR Drama, Sickle Cell Updates
This week brought a sobering reminder of how far away we are from true gender equality in the life sciences. An industry party held during BIO’s annual meeting in Boston last week featured scantily clad women with company logos painted on their bodies—two years after the infamous party at the J.P. Morgan party in San … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Not-BIO Party Foul, CRISPR Drama, Sickle Cell Updates”
For Sickle Cell, a Complex Disease, New Drugs Could Bring Complex Costs
Cassandra Trimnell has sickle cell disease. She also loves to travel. For her 30th birthday last year, she and her husband planned a trip to Indonesia, and she figured she would be fine. Growing up in Iowa, she was sick all the time, in and out of hospitals with severe pain episodes, or “crises,” and … Continue reading “For Sickle Cell, a Complex Disease, New Drugs Could Bring Complex Costs”
Austin’s Ambiq Micro Adds $11M for Energy-Efficient Microcontrollers
Austin—Ambiq Micro, which makes energy-efficient chips and sells them internationally, has raised $11.4 million in an equity funding round, according to a securities filing. The company may raise up to $20 million, the filing says. Austin, TX-based Ambiq sells low-powered microcontrollers to companies such as Huawei Technologies and Fossil Group (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FOSL]]) for Internet of … Continue reading “Austin’s Ambiq Micro Adds $11M for Energy-Efficient Microcontrollers”
GE Plans a Sale as San Diego Smart City Project Nears Completion
In another month or two, a General Electric (NYSE: [[ticker:GE]]) subsidiary is expected to complete the installation of an intelligent lighting system in San Diego that’s been billed as “the world’s largest municipal Internet of Things.” The Boston-based subsidiary, Current by GE, began work earlier this year for the city of San Diego on a … Continue reading “GE Plans a Sale as San Diego Smart City Project Nears Completion”
San Antonio Considers $750K Package to Woo E-Commerce Firm THG
San Antonio—Cities across the country are offering Amazon billions of dollars in incentives to locate its second headquarters there, from Maryland’s $8.5 billion in tax breaks and credits to Atlanta’s reported offer of $1 billion and the title of mayor for Jeff Bezos for a nearby town. As for San Antonio? City leaders didn’t even … Continue reading “San Antonio Considers $750K Package to Woo E-Commerce Firm THG”
Strangeworks, TMCx, SeriesX, Unchained Capital, ALTR, & More TX Tech
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Strangeworks, an Austin, TX-based quantum computing startup, announced it has raised $4 million in a seed round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, according to a press release. Ecliptic Capital, GreatPoint Ventures, Lux Capital, BoxGroup, and Amplify Partners contributed to the funding. Strangeworks, which was … Continue reading “Strangeworks, TMCx, SeriesX, Unchained Capital, ALTR, & More TX Tech”
BuildGroup Raises $330M to Fund Startups for the Long Haul
Austin—BuildGroup, a firm dedicated to investing in young software startups, announced Tuesday that it has raised $330 million. The investors are individuals from Texas, Colorado, and Utah, said Lanham Napier, BuildGroup’s co-founder and CEO. Napier, former CEO of Rackspace Hosting in San Antonio, TX, said he contributed about $30 million of that total. When BuildGroup … Continue reading “BuildGroup Raises $330M to Fund Startups for the Long Haul”
New York Fashion Tech Lab Connects Retail to Crucial Innovations
Amazon is fundamentally disrupting how and where we shop, but in-store retail still has life in it. The Seattle e-commerce giant is “a hefty competitor, but that doesn’t mean brands and retailers don’t have the ability to fight back,” says Kay Koplovitz, co-founder and managing partner of Springboard Growth Capital in New York. In fact, … Continue reading “New York Fashion Tech Lab Connects Retail to Crucial Innovations”
Triumvira Immunologics Names Donna Rill Chief Technology Officer
Triumvira Immunologics, an Austin, TX-based biotech, appointed Donna Rill to serve as chief technology officer. Triumvera said Rill will use her technology development and manufacturing experience to help drive the company’s clinical development programs to develop a platform for engineering T cells to attack cancers. The company’s lead drug, an experimental treatment for liquid tumors, … Continue reading “Triumvira Immunologics Names Donna Rill Chief Technology Officer”
Data Centers on Wheels: How Intel Plans to Capitalize on Mobility
Intel sealed its commitment to become a player in the burgeoning autonomous vehicle industry when it bought computer vision company Mobileye for more than $15 billion in 2017. The venerable Santa Clara, CA-based chipmaker is betting that its data analytics and connectivity chops—as well as its semiconductors—combined with Mobileye’s computer vision and mapping functions, will … Continue reading “Data Centers on Wheels: How Intel Plans to Capitalize on Mobility”
Bio Roundup: Wrapping ASCO, Dreaming IPO, Rebooting Axovant & More
Most of the cancer news this week happened at the massive ASCO meeting in Chicago. But not all, as we’ll see in a moment. Also this week, Biogen and Eisai reported good news about an Alzheimer’s drug, but with plenty of caveats. Axovant Sciences, which hit the skids last year because of a massive Alzheimer’s … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Wrapping ASCO, Dreaming IPO, Rebooting Axovant & More”
As Lockheed Ups Its VC Fund to $200M, San Antonio Has an Opportunity
San Antonio—The venture capital arm of Bethesda, MD-based security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin is doubling the size of its venture capital arm to $200 million for investments in sensor technologies, autonomy, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity—news that is sure to attract pitches from cities and companies nationwide. It has certainly piqued interest in San Antonio, … Continue reading “As Lockheed Ups Its VC Fund to $200M, San Antonio Has an Opportunity”
Futures Command, HeatGenie, Techstars Impact, UH & More TX Tech
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Techstars Impact, an Austin-based accelerator focused on startups using technology to solve social and environmental problems, has announced its first class of startups. The companies come from around the United States, South Asia, Nigeria, and Mexico. Among the problems the startups are working … Continue reading “Futures Command, HeatGenie, Techstars Impact, UH & More TX Tech”
PhyzData Adds $2.5M for Specialty Pharma Data Analytics Software
San Antonio—PhyzData, a digital healthcare analytics company that provides physicians, patients, and pharmaceutical companies with information about biotech drug prescriptions, has raised another $2.5 million, according to a June 1 securities filing. Based in San Antonio, PhyzData has now raised about $4.5 million since the start of 2017, according to paperwork submitted to the SEC … Continue reading “PhyzData Adds $2.5M for Specialty Pharma Data Analytics Software”
ASCO Wrap: Cancer Combos, Precision Meds, Stock Movers & More
The American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, the world’s largest cancer conference, wraps up today in Chicago. Investors have dissected the data, picked winners and losers, and sent some biotech stocks soaring and others tumbling. In the days before ASCO, Xconomy previewed two major themes: the feverish and flawed race to develop cancer immunotherapy … Continue reading “ASCO Wrap: Cancer Combos, Precision Meds, Stock Movers & More”
Biotech’s Looming Talent Crisis: 5 Ways to Prepare for the Storm
Finding and keeping great talent has always been a limiting factor for building companies—and even more so in the life science industry, which requires highly specialized skills. As an executive recruiter focused solely on life sciences, I know firsthand the challenges of filling key executive roles, and I’m often the first to see signs of … Continue reading “Biotech’s Looming Talent Crisis: 5 Ways to Prepare for the Storm”
Online Insurance Marketplace EverQuote Plans IPO: 4 Takeaways
The tech IPO revival of 2018 continues. EverQuote, a Boston-area company that operates an online insurance marketplace, filed documents with the SEC on Friday indicating it intends to go public. EverQuote said it might raise up to $75 million in an initial public stock offering, although that number could shift if the Cambridge, MA-based company … Continue reading “Online Insurance Marketplace EverQuote Plans IPO: 4 Takeaways”
Aravive Seeks Nasdaq Perch Via Reverse Merger With Biotech Versartis
Houston biotech Aravive Biologics is going public through a reverse merger with Versartis, a Menlo Park, CA-based company whose lead drug failed a clinical trial last year. Under the deal, Versartis and Aravive shareholders will each own about 50 percent of the combined company, according to a press release. Aravive will get Versartis’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VSAR]]) … Continue reading “Aravive Seeks Nasdaq Perch Via Reverse Merger With Biotech Versartis”
Xconomy’s Napa Summit Is June 14-15: Last Call for Invites
Just 10 days to go—but it’s not too late to request your invitation to Xconomy’s most unique and thought-provoking event of the year: our annual Napa Summit: The Xconomy Retreat on Technology, Jobs, and Growth. We only have a few spots left open, so get your wine on and request your invitation today. You will … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Napa Summit Is June 14-15: Last Call for Invites”
Price Check on Aisle 3: Retailers Turn to Robots to Manage Inventory
Inventory management is crucial to operating a successful retail operation. And as hard as it may be to believe, retailers “don’t really know what’s on the shelves,” says Sarjoun Skaff, founder and CTO of Bossa Nova Robotics. A combination of the sheer number of products a retailer like Walmart has on offer and the pace … Continue reading “Price Check on Aisle 3: Retailers Turn to Robots to Manage Inventory”
Drug Price Watchdog ICER Deems Amgen Migraine Drug “Cost-Effective”
As Amgen approached an FDA decision last month for its migraine-prevention treatment, concern mounted that the drug would come at premium. In setting a price thousands of dollars less than expected, Amgen has won over one of the pharmaceutical industry’s fiercest drug price critics. The non-profit Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) assessed the … Continue reading “Drug Price Watchdog ICER Deems Amgen Migraine Drug “Cost-Effective””
Cannon Ventures, Pensa Systems, FloSports, Kopser Wins & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —The Cannon, a Houston-based venture studio, is creating an angel network that founder Lawson Gow hopes will “democratize” angel investing in startups. “We will have junior memberships and regular memberships,” Gow says. “We want to bring in 35-year-olds who want to invest $20,000. There are … Continue reading “Cannon Ventures, Pensa Systems, FloSports, Kopser Wins & More TX Tech”
Biotech Roundup: ASCO Ahead, CAMP4’s Cash, Ambien Tweeting & More
For the next five days, the oncology community’s attention will focus on Chicago. The Windy City is the home for the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting, and it kicks off today. Many ASCO attendees will zero in on potential cancer drug combinations. They’re seen as the key to expanding the reach of caner … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: ASCO Ahead, CAMP4’s Cash, Ambien Tweeting & More”
Drugs OK’d To Hit Tumor Genes Still a Basket of One. Are More Coming?
[Corrected 6/4/18, 1:53 a.m. ET. See below.] One year ago, the FDA made biomedical history. A cancer drug, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), was approved to treat tumors with a specific genetic fingerprint regardless of their location in the body. It was the first tissue-agnostic approval of a cancer drug, and it was a big shift for the … Continue reading “Drugs OK’d To Hit Tumor Genes Still a Basket of One. Are More Coming?”
With $5.75M Start, Neighborhood Goods to Create Stores Within a Store
Dallas—A not-yet-open retailer called Neighborhood Goods announced it has raised $5.75 million to help develop what co-founder Matt Alexander calls the next evolution of the department store. Neighborhood Goods combines the flexibility of pop-up shops with the presence of a traditional retail space, he says. “What we’re doing is creating an ecosystem, wherein these brands … Continue reading “With $5.75M Start, Neighborhood Goods to Create Stores Within a Store”
Rackspace Veterans Reunite Years Later for Pingboard Seed Round
San Antonio and Austin—Almost two decades after Bill Boebel and Pat Matthews began a startup career that led to founding e-mail service Webmail.us, which was sold to cloud computing giant Rackspace in 2007, the college friends are working together again. Matthews’s new venture capital firm, San Antonio-based Active Capital, is leading a $2.5 million investment … Continue reading “Rackspace Veterans Reunite Years Later for Pingboard Seed Round”
IDO Don’ts: After Immunotherapy Failure, Experts Say Slow Down
One year ago, on the eve of the yearly American Society of Clinical Oncology conference, a new class of drugs called IDO inhibitors seemed poised to become the next big thing in cancer care. They were a top choice to combine with the powerful but limited immunotherapies that have emerged this decade to fight many … Continue reading “IDO Don’ts: After Immunotherapy Failure, Experts Say Slow Down”
Eying Clinical Trials, Shattuck Labs Adds $46M for Immunotherapy R&D
Austin — [Updated 5/30/18, 11:08 a.m. See below.] Shattuck Labs, a biotech that licensed technology from cancer drug developer Heat Biologics, added a cash windfall right before the holiday weekend—a $46.6 million equity round of financing, according to a May 25 securities filing. Austin-based Shattuck has an experimental immunotherapy in preclinical development that it believes can … Continue reading “Eying Clinical Trials, Shattuck Labs Adds $46M for Immunotherapy R&D”
Smart-Kitchen Startups Give Cooks Digital Help Via Internet of Things
When it comes to connected homes, the hottest spot is located in your kitchen. The Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and related technologies are being used to connect ovens, refrigerators, and other kitchen appliances to the Web. Feeling unsure about cooking that fish dish? Smart ovens can more accurately calibrate temperatures to avoid over-cooking. There’s … Continue reading “Smart-Kitchen Startups Give Cooks Digital Help Via Internet of Things”