The Texas innovation landscape is dotted with young tech companies. Here are a couple that have recently cropped up: Pilosa, software to enable real-time data analytics of really big data, based in Austin, TX. The problem: Data sets that are larger than 500 gigabytes are difficult to query. They typically have to be broken down … Continue reading “Startup Spotlight: Texas Innovations in Health IT, Big Data Analytics”
Category: Texas
Edico Genome Raises $22M to Expand Data Processing and Web Services
San Diego’s Edico Genome, highlighted in Monday’s media debut of Dell Technologies Capital, said today it has raised $22 million in Series B financing led by the Dell investment arm. All existing investors, including Qualcomm Ventures, Axon Ventures, and biotech industry executive Greg Lucier, participated in the round. The new cash, which brings Edico’s total … Continue reading “Edico Genome Raises $22M to Expand Data Processing and Web Services”
TX Roundup: New Funding, MD Anderson, Carolyn Rodz, 1PlanetSol, Dell
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —An Austin social venture company, 1PlanetSol, is among a group of ventures competing in the US Department of Energy’s Solar in Your Community challenge, which aims to bring solar energy to underserved communities. 1PlanetSol is partnering with Austin Habitat for Humanity and the Texas … Continue reading “TX Roundup: New Funding, MD Anderson, Carolyn Rodz, 1PlanetSol, Dell”
Kite CAR-T Death: An Unwelcome Mystery as FDA Mulls Approval
In a lengthy interview in January, Kite Pharma CEO Arie Belldegrun was adamant that his company’s experimental cell therapy was different from one competitor, Juno Therapeutics, because unlike with Juno, no Kite patient had died from cerebral edema, or massive swelling in the brain. Belldegrun can no longer make that claim. Kite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KITE]]) reported … Continue reading “Kite CAR-T Death: An Unwelcome Mystery as FDA Mulls Approval”
Dell Technologies Goes Public About $100M Venture Capital Arm
Austin—[Updated 5/9/17, 10:58 a.m. See below.] Dell Technologies is publicly unveiling a venture capital investment arm that has been quietly investing in startups since the operation was run by EMC, the data storage giant that Dell agreed to acquire for $67 billion in 2015. Called Dell Technologies Capital, the investment arm plans to provide funding to … Continue reading “Dell Technologies Goes Public About $100M Venture Capital Arm”
Nipple Replacement Startup NovoThelium Sweeps Pitch Competitions
San Antonio — For breast cancer and trauma patients who need surgery, reconstructing the nipple and areola is an important and difficult part of that procedure. From skin grafts and prosthetics to tattoos and 3-D cellular printing, the ways to rebuild that tissue are numerous, but they often come with drawbacks. The surgically repaired skin can … Continue reading “Nipple Replacement Startup NovoThelium Sweeps Pitch Competitions”
The Enterprise Bang! Moment
The increasing rate of technology advancement is decreasing the time enterprises have to react to competitive pressures brought about by those same advancements. A Bang! moment arrives when the incumbent can no longer react before they fail in the market. The specific timing is unknowable, but the outcome is assured. Carmen Reinhart and Ken Rogoff, … Continue reading “The Enterprise Bang! Moment”
Silicon Valley’s Big Three Grapple With Responsibilities Of Growth
A common goal of tech startups is a Silicon Valley mantra: Change the world. Apple, Google, and Facebook have done so—possibly more than any other upstart companies in recent U.S. history. These now-mature businesses are grappling with how their world-changing ventures have broadly affected the economy and communications. And in the prevailing populist mood, the … Continue reading “Silicon Valley’s Big Three Grapple With Responsibilities Of Growth”
Five Questions For … Carolyn Rodz, Founder of the Circular Board
Houston—As a child, Carolyn Rodz couldn’t decide what she wanted to do when she grew up. Doctor, lawyer, teacher: they each appealed to her. Rodz finally figured out the common thread among all of her interests—a desire to help others. “I’m an idealist,” she says. “I truly believe there is a solution to everything, and … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Carolyn Rodz, Founder of the Circular Board”
Bio Roundup: NIH Precision Boost, AHCA to Senate, New Drugs & More
Two dramatic healthcare stories played out this week. First, to the jubilation of the nation’s science community, Congress proposed to boost National Institutes of Health funding, not slash it as the Trump administration had outlined. Then the patchwork revival of the GOP’s healthcare plan, despite being panned by nearly every major medical group in the … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: NIH Precision Boost, AHCA to Senate, New Drugs & More”
VC Confidence Holds Steady in Quarterly Survey, But Reasons Change
In a survey of 29 Silicon Valley venture capitalists in December, the VCs mulled whether President-elect Donald Trump would buoy up their investment prospects with lower corporate taxes and government regulations, or worsen conditions by heightening global political instability and raising the risk of a major military conflict or economic downturn. That Q4 2016 edition … Continue reading “VC Confidence Holds Steady in Quarterly Survey, But Reasons Change”
Cytori Reboots Azaya Facility After Buyout, Looks for European Deal
San Antonio — Cytori Therapeutics is in the process of restarting a San Antonio manufacturing facility it gained in February when it acquired Azaya Therapeutics, the maker of nanoparticle-encapsulated generic drugs. The San Diego-based company now plans to find a European distributor for a drug that facility makes. Cytori (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYTX]]) is working to bring the … Continue reading “Cytori Reboots Azaya Facility After Buyout, Looks for European Deal”
If Budget Holds, NIH Precision Study Could Be Flush As Volunteers Arrive
Until this week, many U.S. government science agencies and programs seemed destined for a big haircut, plus the loss of a limb or two. That included the Precision Medicine Initiative, an ambitious long-term study with the goal of recruiting 1 million Americans to volunteer health data. But in staving off a government shutdown, Congress pushed … Continue reading “If Budget Holds, NIH Precision Study Could Be Flush As Volunteers Arrive”
Rackspace, Owned by Private Equity, Loses CEO to Cloud Tech Company
San Antonio—Rackspace’s CEO, Taylor Rhodes, is leaving his post for an unnamed, smaller tech company this month, the newest dramatic change for the cloud computing giant, which was sold to private equity investors for $4.3 billion in August. Rhodes had been at the helm of Rackspace since 2014 and led the company through rapid changes … Continue reading “Rackspace, Owned by Private Equity, Loses CEO to Cloud Tech Company”
Austin Startups, EverlyWell and Bitfusion, Nab New Rounds of Funding
Austin—Two local tech startups—one in health IT and another in computing and machine learning software—have announced new rounds of funding. EverlyWell picked up $2 million from investors such as NextGen Venture Partners, SoGal Ventures, Full Tilt Capital, and others. The startup, founded about two years ago, makes what it calls “health and wellness tests”—at-home assays … Continue reading “Austin Startups, EverlyWell and Bitfusion, Nab New Rounds of Funding”
Analysis: Trump’s First 100 Days Through the Tech Industry Lens
Donald Trump spent his 100th day in office in ways that would appeal to his working class base—holding a campaign-style rally in Harrisburg, PA, where he confirmed his campaign commitment to controlling immigration. Trump also signed an executive order to create a White House office of trade and manufacturing policy, which aims to protect American … Continue reading “Analysis: Trump’s First 100 Days Through the Tech Industry Lens”
Bridj Runs Out of Gas After Deal With Car Company Falls Through
Bridj’s vision of transforming urban transportation is no more, after the Boston-based startup announced over the weekend that it’s shutting down. Bridj—which operated a transit service that used a private fleet of shuttle vans coordinated by mobile app—decided to wind down operations after a deal with an unnamed “major car company” fell through, CEO Matt … Continue reading “Bridj Runs Out of Gas After Deal With Car Company Falls Through”
The State of Cybersecurity Insurance Today
Cyber incidents are considered the No. 1 emerging risk for enterprises long-term. No surprise, then, that cybersecurity insurance policy premiums are approaching $2.75 billion a year. Some experts believe this figure will grow to roughly $20 billion by 2025. For scores of insurance companies cashing in on the booming corporate cybersecurity insurance market, it’s a … Continue reading “The State of Cybersecurity Insurance Today”
Texas Roundup: Joshua Baer, UTD, Prytime, Next Coast, Spanning
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Renaissance Venture Capital, a fund-of-funds based in Ann Arbor, MI, announced it invested in Next Coast Ventures, a venture firm based in Austin. Renaissance puts money in out-of-state venture firms in order to help entice them to consider investing in Michigan-based startups. —For … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Joshua Baer, UTD, Prytime, Next Coast, Spanning”
Renaissance VC Fund Backs New-to-Michigan Next Coast Ventures
Ann Arbor, MI-based Renaissance Venture Capital Fund announced this week that it has invested in Austin, TX-based Next Coast Ventures. The fund-of-funds, which puts money into out-of-state VC funds to help entice them to invest in Michigan startups, did not disclose the amount of the investment. Chris Rizik, CEO of Renaissance and Detroit/Ann Arbor Xconomist, … Continue reading “Renaissance VC Fund Backs New-to-Michigan Next Coast Ventures”
Five Questions For … Joshua Baer, Founder of Austin’s Capital Factory
Austin—Joshua Baer has become one of Austin’s most high-profile evangelists. Baer founded Capital Factory in 2009 as a combination startup accelerator program and co-working space in the city’s downtown, and it quickly became a key epicenter of innovation in the city. (Capital Factory hosted nearly 1,000 startup-related events this past year.) During the South By … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Joshua Baer, Founder of Austin’s Capital Factory”
Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Flails, Spinraza Sales, Batten OK & More
To judge the first 100 days of a new administration is, as many pundits have pointed out, an odd vestige of history, more convenient than significant. Which is why we’ll start this week’s roundup with our 99-day evaluation of the Trump administration—at least when it comes to healthcare and the life sciences. In healthcare, nothing … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Flails, Spinraza Sales, Batten OK & More”
A New Mindset Could Overcome ‘Bogus Academic Person Business Model’
San Antonio — Academic research centers are perennially seeking new ways to get more work commercialized, from offices that are tasked with spotting marketable science to workshops meant to help scientists learn to think like entrepreneurs. But the problem may be that scientists at universities merely have different incentives than researchers in the biotech industry, … Continue reading “A New Mindset Could Overcome ‘Bogus Academic Person Business Model’”
Blackstone LaunchPad Adds to UTD’s Entrepreneurship Portfolio
Richardson, TX—The University of Texas at Dallas today formally kicks off its Blackstone LaunchPad program, one of three cross-disciplinary entrepreneurship centers opening at universities across the state. The program, funded by a $1 million donation from the charitable arm of the New York-based private equity firm, also received a matching $1 million grant from UTD. … Continue reading “Blackstone LaunchPad Adds to UTD’s Entrepreneurship Portfolio”
Gottlieb’s FDA Nomination Gets Committee Nod, Advances to Senate
Scott Gottlieb’s nomination to the top post of the FDA is on its way to the full U.S. Senate. The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee voted 14-9 on Thursday to approve Gottlieb’s nomination to become FDA commissioner. All of the Republicans on the committee voted for Gottlieb, along with two Democrats, Sen. Sheldon … Continue reading “Gottlieb’s FDA Nomination Gets Committee Nod, Advances to Senate”
Will New Data Open “Bottlenecks” For Biogen’s Pricey Spine Drug?
Four months after its drug nusinersen (Spinraza) became the first ever approved to treat the rare genetic disease spinal muscular atrophy, Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) released study results Tuesday that could help more patients gain access to the expensive drug. The data, from a 126-patient study called CHERISH, provide the most detailed evidence to date that … Continue reading “Will New Data Open “Bottlenecks” For Biogen’s Pricey Spine Drug?”
Forge Therapeutics Raises $15M to Take on Drug-Resistant Superbugs
One reason that drug-resistant “superbugs” are a growing healthcare problem is the hardiness of gram-negative bacteria, a type of bacteria whose characteristics render many antibiotics ineffective. Forge Therapeutics says it has found a way to target an enzyme found only in these bacteria, and potentially take them out. Now, the biotech firm is preparing to … Continue reading “Forge Therapeutics Raises $15M to Take on Drug-Resistant Superbugs”
Virent’s New CEO Talks Tesoro Purchase, Company Culture, and More
Last week, Virent, a Madison, WI-based developer of biofuels that are designed to replace crude oil, announced it had hired Stacey Orlandi to serve as the company’s next chief executive. Virent says its base technology can help produce cleaner and more sustainable versions of liquid transportation fuels, including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The 40-person … Continue reading “Virent’s New CEO Talks Tesoro Purchase, Company Culture, and More”
Prytime Signs Military Distribution Deal with Combat Medical Systems
San Antonio — Prytime Medical Devices has signed a deal that would have Harrisburg, NC-based Combat Medical Systems distribute and sell the company’s medical device, a catheter that can be used to control hemorrhaging, to the U.S. military and federal government. Prytime, which is headquartered near San Antonio in Boerne, TX, sells a catheter that can … Continue reading “Prytime Signs Military Distribution Deal with Combat Medical Systems”
Xconomy Bookclub: Big Data Meets Fine Dining in CEO’s “Culinary Tour”
Software, it has been said, is eating the world. Now the food world is looking to use technology and analytics as a main ingredient in running more profitable organizations. So says Damian Mogavero, who along with Joseph D’Agnese, wrote The Underground Culinary Tour: How the New Metrics of Today’s Top Restaurants Are Transforming How America … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: Big Data Meets Fine Dining in CEO’s “Culinary Tour””
Five Questions for Steve Guengerich, UT-Dallas Innovation Institute CEO
Dallas—In addition to founding tech startups such as mobile e-retail company Appconomy, entrepreneur Steve Guengerich has simultaneously focused on teaching young entrepreneurs and taking on roles that can help build an innovation ecosystem during his years in Austin. So it’s fitting that this experience has culminated in an actual full-time teaching position. Guengerich this month packed … Continue reading “Five Questions for Steve Guengerich, UT-Dallas Innovation Institute CEO”
Bio Roundup: Spinraza Woes, Science March, Baseline Launch & More
Rumblings of a new Obamacare replacement surfaced this week, while scientists and their supporters prepared for Saturday’s—a.k.a. Earth Day’s—nationwide Marches for Science. Our own reporting focused this week on the fallout from high drug prices, with a look at the frustration of families whose children have had trouble gaining access to the first drug ever … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Spinraza Woes, Science March, Baseline Launch & More”
Request Your Invitation to Xconomy’s Elite Napa Summit June 8-9
Nobel Laureate David Baltimore. Microbiome AND supercomputer pioneer Larry Smarr. Intellectual Ventures’ Nathan Myhrvold. Nicole Glaros of Techstars. These are just a few of the visionary speakers who will be headlining Xconomy’s sixth annual Napa Summit. And if you act fast to request your invitation to this special event, you can join them and … Continue reading “Request Your Invitation to Xconomy’s Elite Napa Summit June 8-9”
Insight Partners Buys Data Backup Business Spanning From Dell EMC
Austin—Spanning, software data backup service owned by Dell EMC, is being sold to New York-based private equity firm Insight Venture Partners. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The newly independent company is changing its name to Spanning Cloud Apps, according to a prepared statement. The company will continue to be based in Austin, TX. Dell … Continue reading “Insight Partners Buys Data Backup Business Spanning From Dell EMC”
Phoenix Shops Its Cancer Drug as Potential Alzheimer’s Treatment
San Antonio — George Perry, a scientist at the University of Texas at San Antonio, has long proposed that drug developers and researchers need to look earlier into the roots of Alzheimer’s disease. Over more than two decades, Perry has studied the possibility that diseases like Alzheimer’s may get their start because the body produces too … Continue reading “Phoenix Shops Its Cancer Drug as Potential Alzheimer’s Treatment”
“Our Son’s Fate”: Parents Fighting for Kids’ Spine Drug Eye New Data
Melissa Marotta pulled no punches to get her three-year-old son C.J., who has the genetic disease spinal muscular atrophy, access to nusinersen (Spinraza), the first approved drug for his condition. For months, she couldn’t schedule a treatment date at Columbia University Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, and for much of that time, she … Continue reading ““Our Son’s Fate”: Parents Fighting for Kids’ Spine Drug Eye New Data”
Small Cells & 5G: Using Tech To Create a Smart City Future for Texas
Starting today, the Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA) will host a two-day conference called “Igniting a Smart Texas Revolution.” The event will focus on the emerging area of smart cities, which as defined by industry expert and Fast Company contributor Boyd Cohen is “a broad, integrated approach to improving the efficiency of city operations, the quality of life for its citizens, … Continue reading “Small Cells & 5G: Using Tech To Create a Smart City Future for Texas”
Trump Executive Order Adds Uncertainty to Tech Visa Program
Is the U.S. high-skilled visa program, known as H-1B, an essential contributor to the innovation economy or a way for companies to replace American IT workers with immigrants at lower salaries? It’s a debate as old as the program itself, which began in 1990. The Trump administration on Tuesday joined the fray with a long-anticipated … Continue reading “Trump Executive Order Adds Uncertainty to Tech Visa Program”
The Xconomy Roadmap: Top 15 Innovation Areas to Watch (and Disrupt)
It is a time of great transitions in the technology and business world. Key advances in areas like machine intelligence, agriculture, and healthcare seem poised to transform society—and everyday life. But it can be hard to keep up with the latest news in fields as disparate as cybersecurity, food tech, and cancer therapeutics—let alone understand … Continue reading “The Xconomy Roadmap: Top 15 Innovation Areas to Watch (and Disrupt)”
TX Roundup: New Money for Austin Startups, TMC, Lean DNA, & More
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. Even though venture investment in Austin dipped in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2016, this week brought news of several funding announcements for startups in enterprise software, data analytics, and other fields. —Austin blockchain software … Continue reading “TX Roundup: New Money for Austin Startups, TMC, Lean DNA, & More”
Want to Communicate Your Science? First, Step Back
Think for a moment about the words and phrases that life science researchers and executives use on a daily basis. I’m talking about the seemingly simple phrases like “investigational drug,” “novel target,” “immunotherapy,” “clinical trial,” “in vitro,” and “therapeutic window.” There are hundreds more. Those of us who work in life sciences are comfortable with … Continue reading “Want to Communicate Your Science? First, Step Back”
Factom, Blockchain-Based Records Startup, Adds to Series A Funding
Austin—Factom, an Austin, TX-based company that uses blockchain technology to secure and verify data such as public records and business documents, nearly doubled its Series A funding round to more than $8 million. Factom, founded in 2015, announced it had raised a $4.2 million Series A funding in October, led by Tim Draper, the noted … Continue reading “Factom, Blockchain-Based Records Startup, Adds to Series A Funding”
Five Questions For … Allison Lami Sawyer, Rebellion Photonics’s CEO
Houston—As a woman who is a scientist and co-founder of Rebellion Photonics, an oil-and-gas related startup, Allison Lami Sawyer is used to plowing a different road. She’s also tired of being one of the few women on it. “Where is the pipeline of women behind me?” she said to me last fall following the first … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Allison Lami Sawyer, Rebellion Photonics’s CEO”
Why Bots Aren’t the Real AI Disruption: The Quiet Rise of Headless AI
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”
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”
TX Roundup: RetailMeNot, Gaurav Khandelwal, Zilliant, Xbiotech & More
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Consortia Health, which provides physician groups with equipment and nurses to help patients with pelvic floor exercises known as kegels, has raised $2 million in funding, says Gail Page, the Austin-based company’s co-founder and executive chair. Investors include Ponil Ventures in Austin, as well … Continue reading “TX Roundup: RetailMeNot, Gaurav Khandelwal, Zilliant, Xbiotech & More”
Texas Medical Center Names McKeon as New CEO to Replace Robbins
Houston—The Texas Medical Center announced Thursday that Bill McKeon will become its president and CEO, replacing Bobby Robbins. McKeon had been the TMC’s executive vice president and chief strategy and operating officer under Robbins, who last month was named the president of the University of Arizona. “Bill McKeon is a seasoned executive who has served … Continue reading “Texas Medical Center Names McKeon as New CEO to Replace Robbins”
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”
JLabs’s Tom Luby Talks About Houston’s Potential as a Biotech Hub
Houston—Much is made over the difference between the Houston biotech ecosystem and those on the East and West coasts. Places like Cambridge, MA’s Kendall Square are so dense with scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors eager to play matchmaker, lab space is becoming near impossible to secure, says Tom Luby of JLabs, an innovation incubator run by … Continue reading “JLabs’s Tom Luby Talks About Houston’s Potential as a Biotech Hub”
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”