San Antonio — A biomedical product developer, Watershed Idea Foundry, has created a method of identifying medical devices that have been implanted in the body that uses 3-D printing and its own software. The technology, which Watershed calls structural encoding, prints 3-D codes onto small metal markers that are frequently included in medical devices, which help … Continue reading “Biomed Incubator Watershed Develops Tech for IDing Medical Devices”
Category: Texas
Palliative Care-Focused Austin Startup Iris Plans Raises $5.1M
Austin—Iris Plans, a telemedicine company that connects patients to palliative care, announced Wednesday that it has raised $5.1 million. The funding round was led by Activate Venture Partners in New York and Austin-based LiveOak Venture Partners. Oakland, CA-based Better Ventures also joined the round. Steve Wardle, Iris Plans’ co-founder and CEO, says the startup plans … Continue reading “Palliative Care-Focused Austin Startup Iris Plans Raises $5.1M”
Google, Apple Offer Salvation from the Horrors of Autoplay
Tech giants are under a lot of pressure these days to make the world a better place—to ferret out Russian hackers trying to fix elections; to combat gender bias in hiring; to stamp out sexual harassment; and to lend their voices to the protests over President Trump’s immigration policies. Despite efforts they’ve made on these … Continue reading “Google, Apple Offer Salvation from the Horrors of Autoplay”
The Winners of the 2017 Xconomy Awards Are…
We are excited to announce the recipients of the first-ever Xconomy Awards. Big Idea Bridge Project The Bridge Project was hatched by MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research in Cambridge and the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center in Boston to fund collaborative research between cancer researchers from MIT and Harvard-affiliated hospitals and schools. Its aim is … Continue reading “The Winners of the 2017 Xconomy Awards Are…”
Air Force Scouts Autonomous Tech in New Boston Techstars Program
From GPS to the Internet, some of the most impactful technologies of the last century were driven by U.S. military investments. Department of Defense leaders want to continue that tradition, but fear that the military could be missing out on the latest innovations inside of high-tech startups because it doesn’t work with them as closely … Continue reading “Air Force Scouts Autonomous Tech in New Boston Techstars Program”
Trump Orders Up $200M a Year for STEM, Coding Education
President Donald Trump, who has had a rocky relationship with tech companies during his short administration so far, announced an education initiative Monday that apparently met with their approval. In a White House ceremony, Trump directed his education secretary to allocate at least $200 million a year to fund student access to coursework in science, … Continue reading “Trump Orders Up $200M a Year for STEM, Coding Education”
San Antonio Spends $200,000 to Get New Biotech Pelican Therapeutics
San Antonio — [Updated 9/27/17, 12:02 p.m. See below.] Pelican Therapeutics, a biotech startup recently re-acquired by the company that founded it, is moving to San Antonio and receiving about $200,000 from the city’s government to do so. The San Antonio City Council approved a plan last week to give the grant to Pelican as long … Continue reading “San Antonio Spends $200,000 to Get New Biotech Pelican Therapeutics”
Xconomy Q&A: Todd Schulte of Tech Immigration Advocacy Org FWD.us
[Updated 9/25/17, 1:55 p.m. Clarified 9/27/17, 10:01 a.m. See below.] Immigration policy has always been important to the tech industry, but this year is different. Under a steady barrage of nationalist, anti-immigrant policies promulgated by the Trump administration, the tech industry has been forced to respond like never before, in the halls of Congress, the … Continue reading “Xconomy Q&A: Todd Schulte of Tech Immigration Advocacy Org FWD.us”
Low-Hanging Fruit Gone, Ag & Food Tech Investors Pay More for Deals
[Updated 9/25/17, 5:18 pm. See below.] Food delivery startups are catching on with more consumers, and that demand is whetting investor appetites. The $400 million that grocery delivery startup Instacart raised in March marked the largest deal for a U.S. food technology company in the first half of the year, according to new data from … Continue reading “Low-Hanging Fruit Gone, Ag & Food Tech Investors Pay More for Deals”
Five Questions For … Anousheh Ansari, Tech CEO & Space Traveler
Dallas—As a teenager in Iran in the 1970s, Anousheh Ansari looked to the night sky and dreamed of going to space. When she was a teenager, she moved with her family to the United States. She couldn’t speak English, but as she learned the language, she says she was able to communicate through her love … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Anousheh Ansari, Tech CEO & Space Traveler”
Bio Roundup: RNAi’s Big Day, CAR-T For Kids, Drugs From Fungi & More
It’s been a year of biomedical milestones in the U.S., including the first approval of a CAR-T cellular immunotherapy, the first smartphone app to treat substance abuse, and the first approval of a cancer drug based on genetic signature instead of the tumor’s organ of origin. Add to the list the first successful Phase 3 … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: RNAi’s Big Day, CAR-T For Kids, Drugs From Fungi & More”
Nathan Myhrvold: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview
Episode 3 of our new podcast, Xconomy Voices, features a conversation about nuclear power with Nathan Myhrvold, the founder and CEO of Intellectual Ventures. The former Microsoft chief technology officer is now vice chairman of TerraPower, a Bellevue, WA-based spinout of Intellectual Ventures that aims to revive commercial nuclear energy. The company is researching next-generation … Continue reading “Nathan Myhrvold: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview”
Xconomy Voices, Episode 3: Nathan Myhrvold and TerraPower
We’re pleased to bring you the third episode of Xconomy Voices, our new podcast featuring conversations with entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors from Xconomy’s home cities and regions. This week our guest is Nathan Myhrvold, the former Microsoft chief technology officer who, since 2000, has headed Intellectual Ventures, a Bellevue, WA-based firm that buys, develops, and … Continue reading “Xconomy Voices, Episode 3: Nathan Myhrvold and TerraPower”
Techstars Heads to Norway in Search of Energy Startups with Statoil
Global startup launcher Techstars plans to run a program next year in Oslo, with Norwegian state-owned energy giant Statoil, focused on startups working in the energy industry. Statoil (NYSE: [[ticker:STOS]]) is a 45-year-old vertically integrated oil and gas giant with deep expertise in offshore exploration and drilling, as well as a significant hydroelectric and wind energy … Continue reading “Techstars Heads to Norway in Search of Energy Startups with Statoil”
Austin Venture Firm AVX Partners Changes Name to Elsewhere Ventures
Austin—The founders of an Austin venture capital firm that invests in software companies have renamed the firm to Elsewhere Partners because its founders say it reflects the investors’ interest in companies located in cities that don’t traditionally have much access to venture capital. Previously known as AVX Partners, which was founded in 2015, the firm … Continue reading “Austin Venture Firm AVX Partners Changes Name to Elsewhere Ventures”
NVCA Sues Trump Administration for Delaying “Startup Visa” Program
Add another item to the list of tech industry beefs with the new crew in the White House. An organization representing venture capital firms filed a federal suit in Washington, DC, on Tuesday accusing Trump Administration officials of unlawfully delaying a program that would have allowed international entrepreneurs to work at companies they founded within … Continue reading “NVCA Sues Trump Administration for Delaying “Startup Visa” Program”
Fintech Startup Zebra Raises $40M, Seremedi, Alice & More Texas News
Austin—The Zebra founder Adam Lyons has described the insurance startup as the “Kayak of insurance.” Now, The Zebra’s got a new CEO: the former head of Kayak. Keith Melnick, who was Kayak’s president, takes the reins at five-year-old The Zebra, a website that allows consumers to enter basic information about their car’s make, model, and … Continue reading “Fintech Startup Zebra Raises $40M, Seremedi, Alice & More Texas News”
EPIcenter Developing Energy Incubator, Think Tank in San Antonio
San Antonio—[Corrected 2:28 p.m. See below.] On the south end of downtown San Antonio, in a 108-year-old power plant that was decommissioned in 2003, a nonprofit has plans to establish a think tank, incubator, and exhibit space that will advocate for innovation in clean energy. Called EPIcenter, the organization is redeveloping the power plant into … Continue reading “EPIcenter Developing Energy Incubator, Think Tank in San Antonio”
On CAR-T’s Edge, Seattle Researchers Plot to Bypass Novartis Therapy
[Corrected, 10/10/17, 2 p.m. ET. See below.] It’s not a stretch to say that Greta Oberhofer is alive thanks to the genetically modified cell therapy called CAR-T. At three and a half months old, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, an aggressive blood cancer. At 10 months old, she had a bone … Continue reading “On CAR-T’s Edge, Seattle Researchers Plot to Bypass Novartis Therapy”
Amazon Should Bypass States That Have Laws Pandering to Hate-Mongers
Instead of extolling the many virtues of southeast Michigan as a possible location for Amazon’s new headquarters, I will instead suggest why some of the other locations being considered are not advisable. Many of the cities being talked about, such as Boston; Toronto; Washington, DC; and Chicago, are strong contenders. They have the necessary infrastructure, … Continue reading “Amazon Should Bypass States That Have Laws Pandering to Hate-Mongers”
Hyperloop Finalists, Wooing Amazon, MassChallenge & More Texas News
Imagine being able to go from Dallas to Austin—around 200 miles—in 19 minutes instead of the three hours it takes to travel between the cities by car today? That’s the promise of the Hyperloop, a still-to-be developed mode of travel that entails people riding in pods or containers that travel through an above-ground vacuum tube … Continue reading “Hyperloop Finalists, Wooing Amazon, MassChallenge & More Texas News”
Five Questions For … WatchHerWork Founder and CEO Denise Hamilton
Houston—Technological innovation is sometimes rightly criticized for how it automates work, creating uncertain economic futures for many people. Denise Hamilton has decided to focus on how, as she puts it, technology can instead “inject people” into processes, amplifying their efforts. That ethos underpins the work she’s done recently to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, for … Continue reading “Five Questions For … WatchHerWork Founder and CEO Denise Hamilton”
Bio Roundup: Phase 3 Fails, Shkreli Jailed, Moderna Flip-Flops & More
It was a week of realignments. President Trump, who used to be known as “The Donald” but now goes by “Amnesty Don,” kept up the parlay-voo with his new friends Chuck and Nancy. Martin Shkreli, who was once known—and still is!—as the “pharma bro,” will have a new perspective for a while, through the bars … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Phase 3 Fails, Shkreli Jailed, Moderna Flip-Flops & More”
After Equifax: Should Tech Entrepreneurs Design the Next-Gen Credit Agency?
Personal financial data for as many as 143 million Americans, inadequately guarded by credit bureau Equifax and stolen by hackers, can never be sheltered again under an umbrella of privacy. Those victims could face dire consequences, such as raids on their bank accounts and identity theft, for the rest of their lives. The losses for … Continue reading “After Equifax: Should Tech Entrepreneurs Design the Next-Gen Credit Agency?”
Rebuilding Houston: Tech Tools Connect a City to Shelter, Food, & More
Houston—The storm waters from Harvey have nearly receded. Now, the painstaking work of rebuilding lives is underway. As the storm made landfall, Houston’s tech community—anchored by civic tech group Sketch City and the Station Houston co-working space—jumped in quickly to build tech tools to help rescue people from flooded homes and connect them to shelter … Continue reading “Rebuilding Houston: Tech Tools Connect a City to Shelter, Food, & More”
Going Big or Against the Tide: Meet the Big Idea & Contrarian Award Finalists
[Corrected, 1:25pm ET, see below] All innovation and companies start off as an idea. Some will gain more traction than others over time, but we at Xconomy think that big ideas—and the people and companies in Boston’s life sciences community bold enough to try to implement them—are worth celebrating. Some of those ideas even go … Continue reading “Going Big or Against the Tide: Meet the Big Idea & Contrarian Award Finalists”
GM, Ford, BAE Systems Up the Self-Driving Ante with New Advances
Things are moving quickly in the mobility sector as the race to develop autonomous vehicle technologies revs up. This week brought a spate of mobility news from GM and Cruise, Ford, BAE, and even the federal government. Read on for details. —The Detroit News published a detailed report this week regarding Ford’s Silicon Valley lab, … Continue reading “GM, Ford, BAE Systems Up the Self-Driving Ante with New Advances”
San Antonio Tech and Bioscience Group Plans New Innovation Center
San Antonio — [Updated 2:44 p.m. See Below.] A new organization that aims to be a “superhub” for entrepreneurs and startups is being launched in San Antonio by the Texas Research & Technology Foundation, a bioscience and technology economic development group. Called VelocityTX, the group plans to provide capital, mentorship, access to manufacturing facilities, and other … Continue reading “San Antonio Tech and Bioscience Group Plans New Innovation Center”
Amazon Primed: Everything’s Bigger in Texas, and at Its Best in Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys. JR Ewing. Oil and Gas. These are all part of the history and legacy of Dallas, and perhaps many people’s first thought of our part of the world. The region has grown and diversified, but what has remained is its pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit. There are many reasons on paper why Texas … Continue reading “Amazon Primed: Everything’s Bigger in Texas, and at Its Best in Dallas”
Education Is Unbundling—Three Key Trends to Watch
Technology in the classroom has come a long way since its advent in the 1920s, when teachers would air radio broadcasts about topics relevant to their lesson plans. Ten years later, in the 1930s, the overhead projector debuted to display material for the whole class to see all at once, followed by the launch of … Continue reading “Education Is Unbundling—Three Key Trends to Watch”
Xconomy Award Finalists in the Eye of the National Drug Price Debate
[Corrected 12:20pm ET; see below.] The national debate over the high cost of healthcare, with prescription drugs at the center, resonates from the chambers of Congress to every American’s pocketbook. And it’s growing fiercer by the day. Last week, the first genetically modified cell therapy came to market with a price tag of $475,000. This … Continue reading “Xconomy Award Finalists in the Eye of the National Drug Price Debate”
Northrop Grumman Adds to Growing Cybersecurity Hub in San Antonio
San Antonio—Northrop Grumman, the military contractor that makes everything from cybersecurity systems to fighter planes, has signed a five-year lease on a new property at Port San Antonio, where officials are trying to entice more cybersecurity businesses to move. Northrop (NYSE: [[ticker:NOC]]) is going to occupy a 7,700 square-foot building at the Port, which was … Continue reading “Northrop Grumman Adds to Growing Cybersecurity Hub in San Antonio”
Prowess in Energy, Logistics, & Talent Gives Houston Edge for Amazon
Houston is the most diverse city in the country with a strong industrial base, well-run port, two airports, cheap real estate, several universities, and most importantly: a huge can-do attitude. Houston should be the home of HQ2 because: —Support: We have been working hard at establishing a third leg to our economy in tech, with … Continue reading “Prowess in Energy, Logistics, & Talent Gives Houston Edge for Amazon”
Entrepreneurs For Houston Launch $10M Fund to Aid Civic Tech Efforts
Houston—As Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Harvey slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast, a corps of civic tech volunteers ginned up mapping and other tools to help rescue and provide relief to Houston-area residents. Now, the Entrepreneurs for Houston group, formed in response to the disaster, says it has launched a $10 million campaign to raise a fund … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs For Houston Launch $10M Fund to Aid Civic Tech Efforts”
Rackspace Continues Acquisition Strategy, Buying Competitor Datapipe
San Antonio—Rackspace is continuing to pick up its competitors a year after becoming a private company. The cloud-computing firm has acquired Datapipe, a privately held company that manages servers and public and private cloud-computing systems for customers globally, much like Rackspace. Rackspace isn’t revealing terms of the deal, other than that it is the San … Continue reading “Rackspace Continues Acquisition Strategy, Buying Competitor Datapipe”
Tech Tools for Harvey and Irma, New Funds in Austin, & More TX News
[Updated: 9/11/17, 3:25 pm. See below.] For nearly two weeks, much of the Houston innovation system has been focused on Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Harvey’s multiple landfalls on the Texas Gulf Coast. Anchored by Sketch City and active social media networks, civic tech hackers have created websites, APIs, and mapping tools that helped groups like the Cajun … Continue reading “Tech Tools for Harvey and Irma, New Funds in Austin, & More TX News”
To Win Amazon’s HQ2, Incentives Are Nice, But Talent Is Required
Amazon lists one requirement in the stunning request for proposals it issued Thursday, which invites cities across North America to compete to host a second corporate headquarters for the tech and commerce giant. Economic development officials are justifiably salivating at the once-in-a-generation opportunity to attract what is arguably the 21st century’s most important company, and … Continue reading “To Win Amazon’s HQ2, Incentives Are Nice, But Talent Is Required”
Harvey Techies Pass Baton, And APIs, To Florida Peers as Irma Nears
Houston—As Tropical Storm Harvey made landfall in Houston, Florida resident Leah Halbina messaged friends in the city asking how she could help. That was how she found out about Sketch City and the various civic tech projects the group and others were developing to aid rescue efforts, help people find shelter, and tend to other … Continue reading “Harvey Techies Pass Baton, And APIs, To Florida Peers as Irma Nears”
Five Regions That Could Draw Amazon’s Next Headquarters
[Updated 4:26 p.m. See below.] Amazon sent cities across North America into a frenzy Thursday after announcing plans to build a second headquarters outside of Seattle, bringing with it tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic development benefits. The tech and commerce giant says it wants cities and states to apply … Continue reading “Five Regions That Could Draw Amazon’s Next Headquarters”
Levin, Holtzman, 183 Other Bio Leaders Urge White House to Preserve DACA
Biotech CEOs Jeremy Levin and Steve Holtzman are continuing their recent push to spur the life sciences industry to speak out against government policies it doesn’t agree with. Levin, CEO of Ovid Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OVID]]) and Holtzman, the head of Decibel Therapeutics, co-authored a letter to the Trump administration and congressional leaders asking them to … Continue reading “Levin, Holtzman, 183 Other Bio Leaders Urge White House to Preserve DACA”
Favor Adds $22M to Expand Again After Cutting Delivery Outside Texas
Austin—Favor, the delivery startup that shuttered all of its operations outside of Texas earlier this year, has raised a $22 million Series B round of funding to add more cities to the list of 15 in Texas where people can use its app. The startup, which connects people wanting a something delivered via its app … Continue reading “Favor Adds $22M to Expand Again After Cutting Delivery Outside Texas”
Lasker Award Goes to HPV Vaccine Developers Lowy, Schiller
A top prize in American biomedical science was awarded today to two scientists for their discoveries that led to the development of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer caused by the sexually transmitted virus. Douglas Lowy (pictured right), acting director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and John Schiller (left), also at … Continue reading “Lasker Award Goes to HPV Vaccine Developers Lowy, Schiller”
Hurricane Harvey: A Test-Bed For Internet Resilience
Amid the wreckage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey, south Texas is measuring the crisis in numbers of homes flattened or flooded, hospitals closed, refineries stalled, and storm refugees saved by brave neighbors with small boats. A significant part of the damage, however, can be hidden in the soggy underground—in the conduits that house the major trunk … Continue reading “Hurricane Harvey: A Test-Bed For Internet Resilience”
Geekdom, 80/20 Promote Execs to Prepare for Next 5 Years of Startups
San Antonio—[Corrected 9/6/17, 3:26 p.m. See below.] Geekdom, the co-working space that has helped revitalize the downtown San Antonio startup scene, has a new leader, as does the nonprofit The 80/20 Foundation, which invests in groups that promote topics like entrepreneurship and tech education. Alexandra Frey, who was the operations manager of The 80/20 Foundation, … Continue reading “Geekdom, 80/20 Promote Execs to Prepare for Next 5 Years of Startups”
Voices of Harvey: ‘It’s Waterworld Out Here’
Houston—Katie Walthall Mehnert, founder and CEO of Pink Petro, is still waiting to go home. She has yet to begin the smelly process of mucking out her home or ripping out sheetrock. The heartbreaking chore of evaluating which waterlogged personal item is not so soggy that it can’t be kept is still a week or … Continue reading “Voices of Harvey: ‘It’s Waterworld Out Here’”
Voices of Harvey: ‘The Water Is Just Coming Into Every Room’
Houston—A week ago, Tropical Storm Harvey deluged Houston after making landfall near Corpus Christi, TX, about 200 miles down the Gulf Coast. Over six days, 27 trillion gallons of water fell on Texas—nearly four times the rainfall of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The region is beginning what will be a years-long rebuilding of homes, stores, … Continue reading “Voices of Harvey: ‘The Water Is Just Coming Into Every Room’”
Booster Sees Membership Surge as Dallas Faces Fuel Shortage
On-demand fuel delivery startup Booster Fuels, which operates in Dallas-Fort Worth and the San Francisco Bay Area, says thousands of new users downloaded its app on Thursday. Long lines have formed at gas stations in Dallas and elsewhere as drivers fear fuel shortages in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which struck the heart of the … Continue reading “Booster Sees Membership Surge as Dallas Faces Fuel Shortage”
Harvey Roundup: JLabs, Silicon Labs, Co-Working Refuges, & More
[Updated: 9/1/17 1:59 pm. See below.] Houston—The waters are starting to recede from Tropical Storm Harvey, but the work to get Houston and southeast Texas back up to speed is only starting. To help with that, technology communities across Texas are offering aid in the form of free co-working space, discounted rides, a corps of volunteers, … Continue reading “Harvey Roundup: JLabs, Silicon Labs, Co-Working Refuges, & More”
Bio Roundup: CAR-T’s Huge Week, Merck’s ‘Pib Choice & More
[Corrected 9/5/17, 12:22 p.m. See below.] The far-out idea of reprogramming a patient’s immune cells to fight cancer, known as CAR-T, entered the mainstream this week, and two numbers highlight the tale. The first is $11.9 billion, the price Gilead Sciences is paying for Kite Pharma and its cancer-fighting cell therapy pipeline. It’s one of … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CAR-T’s Huge Week, Merck’s ‘Pib Choice & More”
Gregor Joins Texas Accelerator to Advance Prostate Cancer Test
When Tobias Zutz left his job as a senior research associate at Exact Sciences in 2015, he knew he wanted his next career stop to be at a smaller organization. Zutz worked at Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]), which has commercialized a stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer, for more than five years. During his … Continue reading “Gregor Joins Texas Accelerator to Advance Prostate Cancer Test”