Over the next four days, the Second City will be the center of the biomedical world. The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago brings together thousands of researchers from across the globe to discuss the latest progress in the war against cancer. On tap this year: the crush of immunotherapy drug combinations, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: ASCO Combo Frenzy, Maine’s Free DNA Tests, Sema4 & More”
Category: Texas
Energy Leaders React to Trump’s Withdrawal From Paris Climate Accord
[Updated 6/2/17, 10:10 pm ET. See below.] President Donald Trump today announced the United States would withdraw from complying with what’s known as the Paris climate accord, a landmark international agreement to combat climate change. In December 2015, nearly all the countries in the world—195 of them—agreed to the pact, which aims to reduce emissions of … Continue reading “Energy Leaders React to Trump’s Withdrawal From Paris Climate Accord”
Austin Startup Everfest Raises $3.6M From Live Nation, ATX Seed
Austin—Everfest, a festival-focused startup based in Austin, TX, has raised a $3.6 million Series A round of funding from Live Nation Entertainment and ATX Seed Ventures. The company says it plans to use some of the money for product development, marketing, and new hires. Founded in 2014 by former uShip executives Paul Cross and Jay … Continue reading “Austin Startup Everfest Raises $3.6M From Live Nation, ATX Seed”
Internet-Connected Jewelry Maker WiseWear Joins XPRIZE Competition
San Antonio—WiseWear, a San Antonio tech company that makes an Internet-connected jewelry line, is one of 38 groups in the U.S. competing during the next year for a women’s safety-focused XPRIZE worth $1 million. WiseWear is seeking to design a system that costs less than $40 and can help women respond to potential threats. The … Continue reading “Internet-Connected Jewelry Maker WiseWear Joins XPRIZE Competition”
Dell Leads $12M Investment in Security Assessments Firm RiskRecon
It’s hard enough for businesses and organizations to secure their own networks against cyber attackers. But with the rise of cloud computing and increased outsourcing of business operations to third parties, companies must also worry about the cyber defenses of vendors and partners who have access to their sensitive data and other digital assets. Just … Continue reading “Dell Leads $12M Investment in Security Assessments Firm RiskRecon”
Countering Cybersecurity Turnover: 57 Companies That Do It Best
What does it take to keep highly skilled cybersecurity employees? Salary and benefits are table-stakes. Challenging work, ongoing training, an opportunity to advance without having to become a manager, and a talented peer group all help companies recruit and retain these sought-after “ninjas”—the individuals who can do what artificial intelligence security tools can’t. Research from … Continue reading “Countering Cybersecurity Turnover: 57 Companies That Do It Best”
Texas Cancer Agency Poised to Receive Two-Year Extension
Austin—The future of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) waits for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature. Texas lawmakers have passed legislation to expand the life of the agency, also known as CPRIT, which was created through a referendum a decade ago to issue $3 billion in bonds to fund cancer research and treatment … Continue reading “Texas Cancer Agency Poised to Receive Two-Year Extension”
With Gene Therapy for Diabetes, San Antonio Researcher Eyes Funding
San Antonio — Most diabetes treatments work by giving the body the insulin it needs to break down sugar. But that approach deals with the symptoms of diabetes. In recent years, scientists and companies have taken aim at the root cause of the condition by attempting to stimulate or replace the cells in the pancreas responsible … Continue reading “With Gene Therapy for Diabetes, San Antonio Researcher Eyes Funding”
In Maine, Making Cancer DNA Tests Free—And Asking Tough Questions
Has the era of genetic oncology arrived? Last week, the biomedical world took a notable step in that direction when the FDA said Merck’s drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda), already one of the world’s most successful cancer immunotherapies, could now treat any tumor with a particular genetic fingerprint. It was the first time a drug has been … Continue reading “In Maine, Making Cancer DNA Tests Free—And Asking Tough Questions”
Woodcock: New Approvals Show FDA Is Adapting to Precision Medicine
The randomized controlled trial has long been held up as the gold standard for testing new drugs. But the nation’s top drug evaluator, Janet Woodcock, believes they aren’t necessary for all new experimental treatments. Randomized trials are long, expensive to run, and ultimately produce limited answers, she said at a medical conference last week. The … Continue reading “Woodcock: New Approvals Show FDA Is Adapting to Precision Medicine”
With Governor’s Approval, Teladoc Expands Texas Telehealth Services
Dallas—Texas, a large healthcare market and the home state of Teladoc (NYSE: [[ticker:TDOC]]), has been a relatively small market for the telemedicine firm. But now with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature on a new law that makes operating in the state easier, Teladoc is poised to expand its business here. Lewisville, TX-based Teladoc had been … Continue reading “With Governor’s Approval, Teladoc Expands Texas Telehealth Services”
On ASCO’s Eve, Experts Fret Over Backlash to Cancer Combo Frenzy
When thousands of cancer researchers from around the world gather in Chicago this weekend for the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting, drugs that fight tumors by boosting a patient’s immune system will take center stage, as they have in previous years. But the stage is more crowded, as researchers have begun in earnest … Continue reading “On ASCO’s Eve, Experts Fret Over Backlash to Cancer Combo Frenzy”
Five Questions For … Houston Angel Network Chief Juliana Garaizar
Houston—Juliana Garaizar, managing director of the Houston Angel Network, is used to dealing with big egos and strong personalities in both the investing and tech worlds. “If it’s up to me, I try to work as little as possible with them and be very careful with them,” she says. “If it’s not up to me, … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Houston Angel Network Chief Juliana Garaizar”
Bio Roundup: Skinny Cuts, Genomic Approvals, Unfrozen FDA & More
Team Trump unveiled its 2018 federal spending proposal—the so-called “skinny budget”—with health and science in the crosshairs. The NIH is looking at a 22 percent cut and the FDA 31 percent, although the administration wants to backfill the FDA loss with a huge boost in user fees, which drug and device companies pay to have … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Skinny Cuts, Genomic Approvals, Unfrozen FDA & More”
Uber, Lyft Return to Austin With Tech Edge, But Upstarts Grew Roots
Austin—[Updated 5/25/17, 4:42 p.m. See below.] A year after Uber and Lyft had a bad breakup with Austin, the software companies are returning to town Monday. That’s thanks to Texas state law makers who last week approved legislation that wiped out the city-imposed restrictions that caused Uber and Lyft to leave in the first place. … Continue reading “Uber, Lyft Return to Austin With Tech Edge, But Upstarts Grew Roots”
Rackspace Buys Boston Area’s TriCore in Largest-Ever Acquisition
San Antonio—Rackspace has acquired a Norwell, MA-based company called TriCore Solutions that the cloud computing giant says is its largest acquisition ever, both financially and by the number of employees. The news comes less than a year after Rackspace itself was bought for $4.3 billion by Apollo Global Management, a New York-based private equity firm that … Continue reading “Rackspace Buys Boston Area’s TriCore in Largest-Ever Acquisition”
Constellation Reboots With Eye On Immuno-Oncology, Hires New CEO
[Updated 5/25/17, 12:44 p.m. See below.] Constellation Pharmaceuticals, a Cambridge, MA-based biotech that up until 2015 had a sprawling alliance with Genentech, has made sweeping changes this morning. The firm has replaced its president and CEO, will transition its chief scientific officer out of his position in July, and is now embarking on a new … Continue reading “Constellation Reboots With Eye On Immuno-Oncology, Hires New CEO”
Amid Budget Concerns, NIH Preps Beta Test for Precision Medicine Plan
An ambitious plan to recruit 1 million U.S. volunteers and amass a treasure trove of their health information will start next week with a “beta test” that health officials hope to eventually expand nationwide. National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins said Wednesday that the Precision Medicine Initiative will begin in Pittsburgh, where the agency … Continue reading “Amid Budget Concerns, NIH Preps Beta Test for Precision Medicine Plan”
New Rackspace CEO Joe Eazor Previously Held Roles at EarthLink, EMC
San Antonio—Cloud computing company Rackspace has a new CEO: Joe Eazor, who was most recently the CEO of EarthLink, the company best known for providing dial-up Internet since the 1990s. Eazor is replacing Taylor Rhodes, who left Rackspace this month to take the top job at Chicago-based software company SMS Assist. Rackspace President Jeff Cotten, … Continue reading “New Rackspace CEO Joe Eazor Previously Held Roles at EarthLink, EMC”
Around Texas: Joseph Kopser, Mark Cuban, REVtech, Founder Institute
—Mark Cuban has led a $1.5 million seed funding round in an Austin IT startup, along with investors such as data.world founder Brett Hurt and Barracuda Networks. Meta SaaS provides reports and alerts on abandoned, underutilized, or redundant software licenses before they are auto-renewed, the company says. “SaaS has solved numerous business problems, but it … Continue reading “Around Texas: Joseph Kopser, Mark Cuban, REVtech, Founder Institute”
Unconventional Partners, Like FDA, Can Drive Adoption of New Tech
We’ve heard it time and again. Drug development is too expensive, takes too long, and many drug candidates that show promise in preclinical trials end up failing because testing methods don’t predict how they will work in humans. Recently, new technologies have emerged that offer disruptive potential for steering the development of drugs in more … Continue reading “Unconventional Partners, Like FDA, Can Drive Adoption of New Tech”
Gottlieb Says FDA’s “Regulatory Tools” Can Help Fight Opioid Abuse
The FDA considers how safe and effective a new drug is before approving it. But for addictive opioid painkillers, which have triggered a massive public health crisis, should the agency also weigh the potential for the medication to be abused? That’s one of the questions that new FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is posing as he … Continue reading “Gottlieb Says FDA’s “Regulatory Tools” Can Help Fight Opioid Abuse”
FDA Landmark Nod: Cancer Drug To Match Tumor Genes, Not Tissue Type
For many years, doctors and researchers have known that cancers in different parts of the body can share genetic abnormalities. For the first time, the FDA has approved a drug based on those abnormalities and not on the organ in which the cancer originated. It’s a moment that a lot of people in the cancer … Continue reading “FDA Landmark Nod: Cancer Drug To Match Tumor Genes, Not Tissue Type”
Rackspace’s Former CEO Rhodes Takes Top Job at Chicago’s SMS Assist
San Antonio—Taylor Rhodes, the former Rackspace CEO who resigned at the beginning of this month, is taking the helm of a Chicago-based company, SMS Assist, which has software that aims to help large business chains manage maintenance and property management services for their buildings. Rhodes had served as the CEO of San Antonio-based Rackspace since … Continue reading “Rackspace’s Former CEO Rhodes Takes Top Job at Chicago’s SMS Assist”
Trump’s Cybersecurity Czar Talks WannaCry, Industry Partnerships
The Trump administration’s plan for strengthening the nation’s cyber defenses is starting to come into focus. Rob Joyce, a special assistant to the president and the White House’s cybersecurity coordinator, spoke in Boston Monday at an event promoting the launch of CyberMA, a Massachusetts affiliate of the national CyberUSA initiative. CyberMA is a MassTLC-led group … Continue reading “Trump’s Cybersecurity Czar Talks WannaCry, Industry Partnerships”
Envision the Future: Request Your Invite to Our Napa Summit June 8-9
We are getting down to the wire—just two and a half weeks until Xconomy’s most unique, up close and personal event of the year: our sixth annual Napa Summit: The Xconomy Retreat on Technology, Jobs, and Growth. We have only about 20 spots left open, and a number of those will likely go fast. So … Continue reading “Envision the Future: Request Your Invite to Our Napa Summit June 8-9”
What’s Next for American Workers as Trade, Automation Roil Manufacturing?
When Donald Trump heralded Ford’s announcement earlier this year that it would invest $1.2 billion in its Michigan plants, it was seen by some as the fulfillment of campaign promises to “bring jobs back” and put America first. Last week, the other shoe dropped with reports that Ford will cut 10 percent of its global … Continue reading “What’s Next for American Workers as Trade, Automation Roil Manufacturing?”
Five Questions For … Austin Serial Entrepreneur Higinio “HO” Maycotte
Austin—Family lore holds that HO Maycotte’s great-grandfather shot off the leg of Pancho Villa, a Mexican revolutionary. Maycotte, a serial entrepreneur based in Austin, grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, in a military-turned-entrepreneurial family. His family established the first hotel there as well as arts schools and a golf course. “It was an … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Austin Serial Entrepreneur Higinio “HO” Maycotte”
Bio Roundup: Termeer Tribute, ASCO Peeks, Califf’s New Gigs & More
Exhausted by the nonstop drama in Washington, DC? Immerse yourself instead in this week’s biotech headlines. Let’s start with a tribute to a life sciences icon, then we’ll head around the Xconomy network with early news from the nation’s big yearly cancer meeting. There was also momentum onthe IPO front and new gigs for high-profile … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Termeer Tribute, ASCO Peeks, Califf’s New Gigs & More”
The Reconfigurable Future of Healthcare
Data plays a more central role in healthcare than ever before. It won’t be long before every person’s genome is sequenced at birth, with follow-up sequencing done at regular intervals throughout life. Each genomic check-up would produce roughly 180 gigabytes of data that will need to be processed, analyzed, and stored. The promise of using … Continue reading “The Reconfigurable Future of Healthcare”
Aira Raises $12M to Expand Services for Blind and Visually Impaired
After beta testing technology that provides remote assistant services for the blind, San Diego-based Aira has raised $12 million in a Series B round that it says will enable the company to expand its service to thousands of visually impaired users this year. Aira takes advantage of the gig economy by connecting online independent contractors … Continue reading “Aira Raises $12M to Expand Services for Blind and Visually Impaired”
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”
Xconomy Bookclub: “Startup” Offers a Pointed Look at Techie Culture
Doree Shafrir’s novel Startup is set in New York City’s tech scene, but given its theme, there is, of course, a detour to Austin to attend South By Southwest. She describes it as “the tech industry’s five-day Super Bowl, prom, Oscars, and Coachella all wrapped into one, with breakfast tacos.” At this annual techie pilgrimage, … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Startup” Offers a Pointed Look at Techie Culture”
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”
Austin’s MAP Health Teams Up With Watson For Better Data Analytics
Austin—MAP Health Management, an Austin health IT and telehealth company, is partnering with IBM Watson to use analytics to better treat patients with substance abuse problems. The partnership is designed to fill a gap in long-term care for recovering addicts. The companies will use data analytics to understand which patients are at greatest risk of … Continue reading “Austin’s MAP Health Teams Up With Watson For Better Data Analytics”
UT Health San Antonio Lands $9.1M Grant to Study Drug Resistance
San Antonio — A group of scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is starting research projects funded by the National Cancer Institute that use data collection and computational analysis to study why breast and prostate cancers can progress and why they resist anti-hormone therapies. The goal of the 5-year, … Continue reading “UT Health San Antonio Lands $9.1M Grant to Study Drug Resistance”
Synlogic and Its Modified Bacteria Take Over Dying Company, Go Public
Synlogic, which is developing modified bacteria to use as medicine, has gone public in an unconventional way. Instead of hiring Wall Street bankers to shop its shares to new investors, as most companies do for an initial public offering, Cambridge, MA-based Synlogic has merged with the shell of a former biotech company. The so-called reverse … Continue reading “Synlogic and Its Modified Bacteria Take Over Dying Company, Go Public”
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”
Brett Giroir, Ex-CEO of A&M Health Science Center, on Tap for HHS Post
Houston—Another Texan, and Aggie, could be joining President Trump’s administration. Brett Giroir, the former CEO of the Texas A&M University Health Science Center and current president and CEO of Houston biotech ViraCyte, could become assistant secretary for health for the US Department of Health and Human Services. The White House announced last month the intent … Continue reading “Brett Giroir, Ex-CEO of A&M Health Science Center, on Tap for HHS Post”
WiseWear, Maker of Iris Apfel Tech Jewelry, Still Testing Med Device
San Antonio—WiseWear has attracted plenty of international attention for its effort to sell a chic wearable device. Vogue, Slate, and InStyle, among other publications, wrote about the company’s Internet-connected jewelry in 2016 after WiseWear began working with a team of prominent designers, including documentary subject Iris Apfel, to bring a fashionable aesthetic to the tech … Continue reading “WiseWear, Maker of Iris Apfel Tech Jewelry, Still Testing Med Device”
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”
Five Questions For … Station Houston CEO John “JR” Reale
Houston— For John Reale, the CEO of startup co-working space Station Houston, family ties bind strongly. A little more than a week ago, his first child, a daughter named Juliana, was born. “I was telling her a story about my grandfather,” says Reale, who is known as JR. “It was a very emotional moment, to … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Station Houston CEO John “JR” Reale”
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”
Dell and Circular Board Advise Women Entrepreneurs: Go Ask Alice
Houston—Dell and Circular Board want women founders to meet Alice. Alice is a software platform that uses artificial intelligence-related tools designed to connect female entrepreneurs with resources needed to develop their companies regardless of where they are based, what industry they are in, or what language they speak. “The genesis for Alice is that we … Continue reading “Dell and Circular Board Advise Women Entrepreneurs: Go Ask Alice”
Google Picks Up Owlchemy Labs, Austin-Based VR Startup
Austin—Google has bought Owlchemy Labs, an Austin, TX, virtual reality startup best known for its “Job Simulator” game. Relja Marcovik, engineering director of virtual reality and augmented reality at Google, announced the news in a blog post Wednesday, saying Owlchemy “set a high bar for what engagement can be like in virtual worlds, and do … Continue reading “Google Picks Up Owlchemy Labs, Austin-Based VR Startup”
Newest Texas Angel Network Hosts Statewide Summit in San Antonio
San Antonio—Six months after the launch of San Antonio’s first angel network, the city is playing host to a statewide summit on angel investing Friday to help members of the network gain insight from other angel investors across Texas. The San Antonio Angel Network was officially launched by a group of local entrepreneurs and investors … Continue reading “Newest Texas Angel Network Hosts Statewide Summit in San Antonio”
Why You’re Wiser with an Adviser
Long before Silicon Valley and tech accelerators, the Beatles knew a thing or two about finding the right startup adviser. Their 1965 hit said it all: “Help! I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody. Help! You know I need someone. He-el-elp…” Every founder, no matter how sharp or motivated, needs some help, and a great … Continue reading “Why You’re Wiser with an Adviser”
Austin Real Estate Tech Startup Opcity Snags $27M in Funding
Austin—An Austin real estate startup is using technology to become a better matchmaker between buyers and sellers of properties, and has raised $27 million to expand its market. Opcity received the investment in a Series A round led by Palo Alto, CA-based Icon Ventures, with participation from Georgian Partners in Toronto, and Austin’s LiveOak Venture … Continue reading “Austin Real Estate Tech Startup Opcity Snags $27M in Funding”
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”