The cyber attacks on political organizations and election infrastructure added a level of intrigue to this year’s U.S. presidential election – culminating in the U.S. government officially blaming the Russian government for trying to influence the election. If the Cold War has taught us anything, it’s that global espionage is a game of chess, not … Continue reading “Cyber Attackers Targeted Our Trust, Not Just an Election”
Category: Texas
Biopharma Leaders Call for Gender Diversity Amid J.P. Morgan Conference
A group of more than 100 prominent life sciences executives, investors, and business leaders have signed an open letter calling on the industry to step up efforts to increase gender diversity. The letter was published Wednesday, on the second to last day of the annual J.P. Morgan healthcare conference in San Francisco (see full letter … Continue reading “Biopharma Leaders Call for Gender Diversity Amid J.P. Morgan Conference”
Trump Slams Drug Companies, Says Medicare “Bidding” Is Coming
Oh, the power of a Donald Trump sound bite. On the campaign trail and as president-elect he has made occasional noises about drug pricing—giving the U.S. Medicare system, the largest buyer of drugs in the world, the right to negotiate prices, for instance. This morning, in his first press conference, Trump went further. He said … Continue reading “Trump Slams Drug Companies, Says Medicare “Bidding” Is Coming”
Edtech Venture Funding Down in 2016, But Still Tops $1B
While we’re looking at venture deal numbers from the past year, let’s consider the education technology industry, which isn’t broken out by sector in the general reports I’ve seen. A recent study by EdSurge, an edtech information firm, shows venture funding for U.S. education tech companies totaled $1.03 billion (across 138 deals) in 2016. Those … Continue reading “Edtech Venture Funding Down in 2016, But Still Tops $1B”
Dropped Call? San Antonio’s Carnegie Technologies May Have An Answer
San Antonio — Like many in this tech-addicted world, I often fill the time I spend walking from my home to point B by reading e-mails or making a call. But that is inevitably interrupted, albeit briefly, by a confusion that consumes my phone when it disconnects from my home’s broadband WiFi network. The phone can’t … Continue reading “Dropped Call? San Antonio’s Carnegie Technologies May Have An Answer”
At Allergan And Other Pharmas, Price Transparency Has Limits
The first test of pharmaceutical giant Allergan’s promise to behave responsibly came last week. The firm acknowledged price hikes on several drugs that stayed—sometimes barely—under the 10 percent limit that CEO Brent Saunders pledged last September, in what he called a “social contract with patients.” In an interview at the annual J.P. Morgan healthcare investment … Continue reading “At Allergan And Other Pharmas, Price Transparency Has Limits”
Austin Biotech Xeris Names Edick CEO, Raises $41M in Series C Round
Austin—Xeris Pharmaceuticals, an Austin biotech, has raised $41 million in a Series C funding round and named a new CEO. Paul Edick has replaced Douglas Baum, as president and CEO of the company, which is developing a glucagon solution and injection device (G-Pen) for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia. Edick most recently had been CEO … Continue reading “Austin Biotech Xeris Names Edick CEO, Raises $41M in Series C Round”
Texas Roundup: HTC, Indigo, DEC, Rakesh Agrawal, Piko, & Top of 2016
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news from Texas. —The Houston Technology Center has tapped Lori Vetters, a longtime commercial banker and civic leader, to become its next CEO. Vetters takes over the 17-year-old incubator from Walter Ulrich, a business consultant who led the center for nearly a decade. During that time, the innovation … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: HTC, Indigo, DEC, Rakesh Agrawal, Piko, & Top of 2016”
Protecting America’s Tech Prowess Amid the Hostile Rhetoric of 2017
With the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on January 20th, the editors asked some of our Xconomists to offer their thoughts on “How could the incoming administration significantly affect your industry?” My biggest concern would be a failure to recognize and take full advantage of the fact that America’s biggest asset is its technological … Continue reading “Protecting America’s Tech Prowess Amid the Hostile Rhetoric of 2017”
LiveOak Gives Infocyte $3.4M Series A For ‘Threat-Hunting’ Software
San Antonio—[Updated 1/10/17, 10:57 a.m. See below.] Infocyte, a San Antonio cybersecurity company that uses a so-called threat-hunting method to seek out hidden or dormant hackers before any malicious software can strike, has raised a $3.4 million Series A round of funding led by Austin, TX-based LiveOak Venture Partners. Infocyte plans to use the funding … Continue reading “LiveOak Gives Infocyte $3.4M Series A For ‘Threat-Hunting’ Software”
Allergan, Eying More Neurodegenerative Drugs, Gets Right to Buy LTI
Allergan now has the right to acquire Lysosomal Therapeutics, a Cambridge, MA-based drug developer for Parkinson’s disease seeking to exploit the link between neurodegeneration and a family of rare genetic disorders. The Dublin-based pharmaceutical giant purchased an option right to acquire Lysosomal Therapeutics (LTI) after LTI completes a Phase 1b trial for its lead drug, LTI-291. … Continue reading “Allergan, Eying More Neurodegenerative Drugs, Gets Right to Buy LTI”
Houston Technology Center Chooses Banker, Civic Leader as New CEO
Houston—Lori Vetters, a longtime Houston commercial banker, has been selected as the next CEO of the Houston Technology Center. Vetters, most recently the head of HSBC’s regional bank based in Houston, becomes the first woman to lead HTC, which serves as an incubator for young tech companies. “I spent 30 years in the business community … Continue reading “Houston Technology Center Chooses Banker, Civic Leader as New CEO”
Indigo’s Microbial Treatment for Cotton Reaps Gains in Crop Yields
Drought presents challenges to cotton farmers in West Texas and this past growing season was no exception. But despite periods of moderate to severe drought in the region, some farmers reported higher crop yields after using a microbial treatment that helped their cotton plants hold up better in dry weather. Cotton plants treated with the … Continue reading “Indigo’s Microbial Treatment for Cotton Reaps Gains in Crop Yields”
Smart Voice Assistants Will Spread From Talking Devices To Apps in 2017
Millions of consumers who used to type their search questions on a laptop or the tiny keys of a smartphone are now simply telling a tabletop device what they want. Signs are that the Amazon Echo and Google Home—both equipped with smart voice assistants—will turn out to be blockbuster sellers of the holiday gift season … Continue reading “Smart Voice Assistants Will Spread From Talking Devices To Apps in 2017”
Five Questions For … SnapStream Founder & CEO Rakesh Agrawal
Houston—Houston-based entrepreneur Rakesh Agrawal is the founder and CEO of the media tech startup SnapStream, which has developed technology capable of recording television programs and combing through them in order to flag specific words or phrases identified by customers. For example, SnapStream’s tools allow one of its customers, “The Daily Show,” to mine congressional hearings … Continue reading “Five Questions For … SnapStream Founder & CEO Rakesh Agrawal”
Bio Roundup: Biogen Price Fears, A Grail Billion, Hellos, Byes & More
Happy new year, everyone. Are you all strapped in? Tray tables in the locked and upright position? As Bette Davis once said, “It’s going to be a bumpy night.” The news from Washington is already coming fast and furious. The effort to repeal Obamacare is underway, spawning more perspectives and opinions than a postmodern Japanese … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Biogen Price Fears, A Grail Billion, Hellos, Byes & More”
Families Fret As Insurers Mull Biogen’s $750K Spine Disease Drug
This past Christmas weekend, Ana Memedovich had her best two days in more than a decade. Her 23-year-old son Mikhail has spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, a rare genetic disease that has slowly robbed him of the ability to walk and function independently. On Dec. 23, the FDA approved nusinersen (Spinraza), the first-ever drug for … Continue reading “Families Fret As Insurers Mull Biogen’s $750K Spine Disease Drug”
Biopharma Industry, Heal Thyself (Without Government Help)
With the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on January 20th, the editors asked some of our Xconomists to offer their thoughts on “How could the incoming administration significantly affect your industry?” The life sciences industry has one problem: Lack of productivity. When it figures out how to consistently make a profit discovering and developing drugs … Continue reading “Biopharma Industry, Heal Thyself (Without Government Help)”
Xconomy Bookclub: “Hidden Figures” and the Brains Behind Space Flight
Part of the difficulty in attracting a diverse set of people to technology jobs is a chicken-and-egg problem. Women and under-represented minorities don’t often see themselves in those positions, which makes it less likely they would pursue them. Sometimes examples exist in plain sight, but we don’t realize the importance of them until later. That … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Hidden Figures” and the Brains Behind Space Flight”
Diversity in Experiences, Backgrounds Leads to Successful Businesses
As a Microsoft employee, I had the opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant minds in technology. The profile of my team members were similar to the United Nations. They were of every racial and religious mix. They contributed their unique genius shaped by their individual diverse experiences. I know the value of … Continue reading “Diversity in Experiences, Backgrounds Leads to Successful Businesses”
OutboundEngine Secures $1,999,992 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e21a81bf-b55c-47f1-ba51-e94a85e9e2e0 Date 1/5/2017 Company Name OutboundEngine Mailing Address 98 San Jacinto Blvd Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description OutboundEngine provides a hands-free marketing platform that puts your marketing on autopilot. Our SaaS-based platform delivers industry-focused content via email and social media on your behalf. Website http://www.outboundengine.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “OutboundEngine Secures $1,999,992 New Financing Round”
Trump Administration Needs To Set U.S. Cybersecurity Mandates
Cybersecurity is the penultimate existential risk to the United States—economically, militarily, socially, and as we have seen recently, politically. The nature of cyber is asymmetric, and given the size of the U.S. economy, our reliance on intellectual property, and the leadership role the U.S. plays in the Community of Nations, we have a lot more … Continue reading “Trump Administration Needs To Set U.S. Cybersecurity Mandates”
For 2017, Concerns on Immigration, Net Neutrality, & Cyber Warfare
I have many concerns about how the upcoming Trump administration will impact the overall tech economy. Some of my biggest worries are as follows: 1) More restrictive immigration laws will make it even harder for startups (as well as more established companies) to attract and retain the highly skilled workers that they need to be … Continue reading “For 2017, Concerns on Immigration, Net Neutrality, & Cyber Warfare”
Beyond Success: Failure’s Importance in Building Viable Startups
Houston—Entrepreneurs are a mobile bunch, quickly moving from one startup to another as opportunities play themselves out and others emerge. So in speaking to Houston entrepreneur Rakshak Talwar, I was struck by his answer to my question about what he’s doing with a new artificial intelligence startup he’s joined. “I can show them what not … Continue reading “Beyond Success: Failure’s Importance in Building Viable Startups”
Top Cybersecurity Lesson from 2016: Unchecked Insiders
An unmistakable lesson from 2016 is that there is an escalating arms race between hackers and the organizations they target—from the highest levels of national governments to corporations and private institutions. And while hackers have many advantages, there are two that are contributing to a rampant spike in cyber breaches right now: 1. Employees, contractors, … Continue reading “Top Cybersecurity Lesson from 2016: Unchecked Insiders”
Diverse Workforces Support the Growth of North Texas Innovation
We have made it a priority since the inception of the DEC to incorporate diversity into all that we do. We have hired a diverse workforce. We have created programs focused on diverse audiences including gender, age, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, and more. We have made all of this a priority not only because it … Continue reading “Diverse Workforces Support the Growth of North Texas Innovation”
Trump Administration Should Examine How Dodd-Frank Stifles Capital
A review by the new Trump administration and Congress of the 2010 Dodd-Frank legislation could address many of the stifling, unintended consequences of that law. Although designed to address abuses in the financial system that led to the 2008 recession, the far-reaching legislation had problems from the start. And while experts of all political stripes … Continue reading “Trump Administration Should Examine How Dodd-Frank Stifles Capital”
Xeris Pharmaceuticals Obtains $4,000,002 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a679bcdf-21e7-43d6-aee3-99ddcf2cd97f Date 1/3/2017 Company Name Xeris Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 3208 Red River Street Austin, TX 78705 USA Company Description Xeris is an Austin, Texas-based specialty pharmaceutical company developing patient-friendly injectables for indications in diabetes, epilepsy, and immunology. Website http://www.xerispharma.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,000,002 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Xeris Pharmaceuticals Obtains $4,000,002 New Funding”
Watching for NIH Innovation in 2017—and Drug Pricing, Trade Deals
With the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on January 20th, the editors asked some of our Xconomists to offer their thoughts on “How could the incoming administration significantly affect your industry?” When I worked in the Reagan Administration, the “Gipper” used to handle questions like this by saying he couldn’t respond to hypothetical questions. … Continue reading “Watching for NIH Innovation in 2017—and Drug Pricing, Trade Deals”
Top of Texas 2016: Big Exits, Ride-Sharing Leaves Austin, & More
As 2016 comes to an end, let’s take a look at some of the more notable stories from Xconomy Texas over the past year. What follows is my highly subjective list of news that we covered in 2016. Notable exits and fundraises: —San Antonio cloud computing company Rackspace was bought by New York private equity … Continue reading “Top of Texas 2016: Big Exits, Ride-Sharing Leaves Austin, & More”
‘Creepy Bird’ Anyone? Meet San Antonio’s Retro Video Game Developer
San Antonio—Video games are big business, and highly dynamic. From the Xbox to virtual reality, how players play has changed quite a bit since the Atari and the NES brought home gaming to the masses. One San Antonio video game developer is riding a wave of renewed interest in older gaming systems, starting a business … Continue reading “‘Creepy Bird’ Anyone? Meet San Antonio’s Retro Video Game Developer”
Despite Political Rhetoric, Staff Diversity Remains a Top Priority
I don’t think the election of Donald Trump as president does much to bolster those in tech working on creating a more inclusive and diverse industry, but I will continue to be a champion for it nonetheless. Specifically, I’ve ended 2016 by doubling our team at Localeur and introducing an Advisory Board, both of which … Continue reading “Despite Political Rhetoric, Staff Diversity Remains a Top Priority”
Political Focus on Rust Belt Could Help Boost VC Investment
Much has been written in the tech industry as a result of the Presidential election. Many coastal VCs and entrepreneurs believe that Trump’s America-first, anti-immigration platform could put the brakes on the venture industry’s core globalization strategies. While this may be true, regardless of which candidate you supported, most would agree that with chaos and … Continue reading “Political Focus on Rust Belt Could Help Boost VC Investment”
6 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2017: Ransomware, Skills Gap & More
In 2016, we saw cyber attacks increasingly shift from external breaches of confidential data to internal disruption of data and services, as attackers used distributed denial of service (DDoS) or encryption to hold businesses hostage. Attackers continue to focus more on exploiting users than technology. Users are often unaware and uneducated about the potential risks, … Continue reading “6 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2017: Ransomware, Skills Gap & More”
East Coast Silicon Valley
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” – R. Buckminster Fuller Reinvention A few months ago I was talking to executives in charge of innovation at a large U.S. bank. “Our biggest problem is that we look at all this new … Continue reading “East Coast Silicon Valley”
Immigration Restrictions, Lack of Healthcare Could Imperil Innovation
It’s hard to predict what effect the new administration will have, since we have very little information on any concrete policies they plan to enact. We do know a few things—namely, they are anti-Obamacare and anti-immigration. Decreasing the number of visas granted to highly skilled workers (a likely possibility given Steve Bannon’s comments on Silicon … Continue reading “Immigration Restrictions, Lack of Healthcare Could Imperil Innovation”
Ambiq Micro Lands $2,458,624 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b14cce5b-17e6-45ad-8174-a48eded4efe6 Date 12/26/2016 Company Name Ambiq Micro Mailing Address 11305 4 Points Drive West Lake Hills, TX 78726 USA Company Description A semiconductor company with a breakthrough patented technology, Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT) that dramatically reduces the amount of power consumed by ICs. Website http://www.ambiqmicro.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Ambiq Micro Lands $2,458,624 New Financing Round”
Texas Roundup: “1st & Future,” “Pink Tank” Pitch Contests, & More
As we approach Santa’s annual visit—are your milk and cookies ready?—let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas: —The National Football League has teamed up with the Texas Medical Center to sponsor the 1st & Future startup pitch competition Feb. 4, the day before the Super Bowl takes place in Houston. … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: “1st & Future,” “Pink Tank” Pitch Contests, & More”
Bio Roundup: Crazy ’16, Trials of ’17, Senate on Drugs & More
You’ve probably seen the Internet memes. “When 2016 started, I looked like this. [Insert picture of young Leo DiCaprio.] Now I look like this. [Leo, with mountain beard, after mud-wrestling with a grizzly in The Revenant.]” In life science terms, let’s just say all our telomeres feel a lot shorter than 12 months ago. The … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Crazy ’16, Trials of ’17, Senate on Drugs & More”
The Price of Growth: Founders’ Dilution
Founders of a company considering the various available fundraising options often ask the challenging question: Why take venture capital money, which may significantly dilute the founders and might result in a loss of control of the company? Although the venture capital path is always a possibility, founders are often concerned about the consequences of such … Continue reading “The Price of Growth: Founders’ Dilution”
Mary Kay Creates “Pink Tank” Pitch Event for Women Founders With DEC
Dallas—Women in Texas interested in founding a business now have a female entrepreneurial icon offering them support: Mary Kay. The company is partnering with the Dallas Entrepreneur Center to host a one-day “Women’s Entrepreneurs Summit” on Jan. 27 to offer guidance to female entrepreneurs interested in fashion, tech, consumer-packaged goods, and business services. In particular, … Continue reading “Mary Kay Creates “Pink Tank” Pitch Event for Women Founders With DEC”
14 for ’17: Key Clinical Data To Watch For Next Year (Part 2)
We continue our look ahead to some of the clinical data due in 2017 that could shape healthcare practice and sway investor sentiment for years to come. Part one of our preview is here, with looks at key studies in lung cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and more. In part two, we examine studies in leukemia, … Continue reading “14 for ’17: Key Clinical Data To Watch For Next Year (Part 2)”
Message.io Lands $5,315,162 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4ec0ef5f-ed3b-4ee0-a5d3-899a05073bd1 Date 12/22/2016 Company Name Message.io Mailing Address Undisclosed Austin, TX 78751 USA Company Description Deploy your existing Slack app to other messaging platforms in 15 minutes with no coding changes. Website http://www.message.io Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,315,162 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. 15 investors … Continue reading “Message.io Lands $5,315,162 New Financing Round”
14 For ’17: Key Clinical Data to Watch For Next Year (Part 1)
[Updated, 4:28 pm ET, see below] After years of research, frustration, hype, and millions (sometimes hundreds of millions) of dollars invested, a drug program boils down to the clinical data—usually from big, late-stage studies—that can sometimes make or break a company. There were high profile successes in 2016. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “14 For ’17: Key Clinical Data to Watch For Next Year (Part 1)”
Industry Needs Common Security Standards to Thwart IoT Attacks
A silver lining has emerged in the wake of the massive and well-publicized denial-of-service attack launched less than two months ago by hackers using millions of IoT devices to cripple the websites of major companies like Amazon, Netflix and Twitter. This ambush has triggered a redoubling of efforts to focus on the need for industry-led … Continue reading “Industry Needs Common Security Standards to Thwart IoT Attacks”
Acelity Sells LifeCell Tissue Repair Unit to Allergan for $2.9B
San Antonio — Acelity, the San Antonio maker of wound healing technologies and tissue repair products, has sold one of its business units called LifeCell to Dublin-based biopharmaceutical company Allergan for $2.9 billion. The sale of Acelity’s so-called regenerative medicine division, LifeCell, is an attempt by the company to focus its business on its core wound … Continue reading “Acelity Sells LifeCell Tissue Repair Unit to Allergan for $2.9B”
CytoBiosciences Buys Alabama Company in ‘Multi-Million Dollar’ Deal
San Antonio — CytoBioscience, a San Antonio maker of technology that’s used to screen drug formulations, has acquired Birmingham, Alabama-based Soluble Therapeutics, which sells another screening technology. CytoBiosciences has a high-throughput device to screen a drug formulation’s safety and efficacy, helping scientists observe how multiple formulations might interact with a cell’s ion channel. Meanwhile, Soluble’s … Continue reading “CytoBiosciences Buys Alabama Company in ‘Multi-Million Dollar’ Deal”
What Is Causing Startups to Go Bankrupt?
Many startups have a great product that’s viable, marketable, and ripe with potential. But if that was the only indicator of success, then nine out of 10 startups wouldn’t fail. The annals of startup history wouldn’t be littered with instances of companies like Friendster or Color that had fantastic products, but eventually sank. The truth … Continue reading “What Is Causing Startups to Go Bankrupt?”
7 Ways to Secure Your Connected Devices Against Hackers
’Tis the season for giving gifts. And increasingly, those shiny new toys and gadgets can be connected to the Internet—from TVs to watches, speakers to Barbie dolls. That Internet connection opens up a ton of possibilities for how we can use and enjoy our new devices. (“Alexa, play my Christmas playlist on Spotify, and also … Continue reading “7 Ways to Secure Your Connected Devices Against Hackers”
Nokia’s Acquisition of Deepfield a Big Win for Ann Arbor’s IT Industry
Finnish telecom giant Nokia today announced it has acquired Ann Arbor, MI-based Deepfield, an IP network performance management and security startup. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Deepfield was co-founded in 2011 by Craig Labovitz, formerly the chief scientist at Arbor Networks, a Burlington, MA-based company that grew from being a DARPA-funded research project at … Continue reading “Nokia’s Acquisition of Deepfield a Big Win for Ann Arbor’s IT Industry”