Category: Texas

Turnkey, TrustRadius, Homeward, Geekdom, Ion, GasMob, & More TX Tech

Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Turnkey Vacation Rentals, an Austin-based company founded in 2013, has raised $48 million to expand to new markets and further develop its technology. The round was led by Altos Ventures, with participation from existing investors including Adams Street Partners, Greenspring Associates, and Harmony Partners. Turnkey … Continue reading “Turnkey, TrustRadius, Homeward, Geekdom, Ion, GasMob, & More TX Tech”

With Regulator’s Nod, Bosch Plans Spread of Driverless Valet Parking

Mass fleets of self-driving cars have yet to arrive on our streets, but people are already worrying about where they’re going to park. If they all just circle around city blocks, competing to offer on-demand rides, they could slow traffic to a crawl, industry observers say. Autonomous robotaxi services like Alphabet unit Waymo’s are still … Continue reading “With Regulator’s Nod, Bosch Plans Spread of Driverless Valet Parking”

Could Facebook’s Crypto Break Financial System? Congress Airs Fears

In late 2017, a federal watchdog unit assigned a working group to keep an eye on cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, and to sound an alert if those alternate currencies showed signs of becoming a risk to the stability of the US financial system. Soaring prices of Bitcoin and other so-called digital tokens were attracting investments … Continue reading “Could Facebook’s Crypto Break Financial System? Congress Airs Fears”

Bio Roundup: Opioid Exposé, Gilead’s Gambit, Life Science IPOs & More

The opioid crisis reaches all corners of the nation, and newly released data this week revealed how the growth of the epidemic tracked with a massive increase in the production and distribution of these drugs. From 2006 to 2012, the number of pills distributed to pharmacies increased by more than 50 percent. In total, 76 … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Opioid Exposé, Gilead’s Gambit, Life Science IPOs & More”

VMWare Plans to Acquire Bitfusion for Application-Enhancing Software

Austin—VMWare announced Thursday it intends to acquire Bitfusion, a startup with offices in Austin, TX and Silicon Valley that makes software aimed at optimizing the way hardware such as graphic processing units are used by applications. Terms were not disclosed. Bitfusion’s software is particularly useful for companies using artificial intelligence and machine learning technology in … Continue reading “VMWare Plans to Acquire Bitfusion for Application-Enhancing Software”

Genmab, Mirum Pharma & Fulcrum Raise $653M in Wall Street Debuts

Initial public offerings took a brief summer break the week of Independence Day, but healthcare IPO activity resumed this week as three more companies joined the US public markets. Here’s a recap of the biotech companies that priced IPOs Wednesday evening. —Genmab is different from the other life science companies that joined the public markets … Continue reading “Genmab, Mirum Pharma & Fulcrum Raise $653M in Wall Street Debuts”

San Antonio to Honor Regenerative Medicine Pioneer Stephen Badylak

San Antonio — Ah, to be able to regrow a missing limb like a slimy salamander—a trick long dreamed of by youngsters and scientists alike. Research into such regenerative abilities has increasingly excited the scientific community during the past 30 years as it has gained further insight into the potential of the extracellular matrix, a … Continue reading “San Antonio to Honor Regenerative Medicine Pioneer Stephen Badylak”

Trefoil Therapeutics Raises $28M and Eyes the Clinic for Cornea Drug

Trefoil Therapeutics, which is developing treatments for diseases that affect the cornea, the outermost layer of the eye, has raised $28 million to move its lead drug candidate into human testing. The company is developing an engineered form of fibroblast growth factor-1 proteins (FGF-1) as a treatment for corneal diseases such as Fuchs’ dystrophy, which … Continue reading “Trefoil Therapeutics Raises $28M and Eyes the Clinic for Cornea Drug”

Artemis Fund, TechStars Impact, Robin Autopilot, & More TX Tech

Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Mark Cuban and Serena Williams are among investors to fund maternal health startup Mahmee. The Los Angeles-based startup announced Monday it has raised $3 million from the Dallas Mavericks owner and the tennis star (through her firm Serena Ventures) in a round led by ArlanWasHere … Continue reading “Artemis Fund, TechStars Impact, Robin Autopilot, & More TX Tech”

Narrowing AI: A Useful Context for AI Innovation, Opportunity, and Investment

I was asked recently if there was a meaningful analog to AI – its pervasiveness, its transformative potential, its power – in the annals of technology, and I answered with a straight face: “Yes. The Wheel. The Printing Press. Electricity. The Internet.” I truly believe AI is going to be that big, if not bigger, … Continue reading “Narrowing AI: A Useful Context for AI Innovation, Opportunity, and Investment”

Bio Roundup: Michael Becker, Suzanne Eaton, Gene Therapy Moves & More

The life science and healthcare worlds are vast. We often talk about impact in terms of millions of patients and billions of dollars. But these worlds can be small, too. It seems at times we’re never far removed from any one person, through their published papers, social media connections, friends, colleagues, or people they’ve mentored. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Michael Becker, Suzanne Eaton, Gene Therapy Moves & More”

Amgen, Novartis BACE Inhibitor Joins List of Failed Alzheimer’s Drugs

Amgen and Novartis are stopping work on an experimental Alzheimer’s disease drug after an early look at clinical data showed worsening cognitive function in patients. The interim results announced Thursday were part of a pre-planned review of data from two pivotal clinical trials testing the drug, umibecestat. Based on that review, Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) and … Continue reading “Amgen, Novartis BACE Inhibitor Joins List of Failed Alzheimer’s Drugs”

Trump Kills His Administration’s Plan to End Secret Drug Rebates

Donald Trump’s criticism of high drug prices began during the 2016 presidential campaign and continued through his presidency, perhaps most famously just before his inauguration when he said that drug companies were “getting away with murder.” This week has underlined the gap between the administration’s rhetoric and results. Most strikingly, the White House said last … Continue reading “Trump Kills His Administration’s Plan to End Secret Drug Rebates”

Record Exit Value for VC-Backed Startups Could Fuel Investment

More than a third of the companies that went public in the first half of this year were backed by venture capital. That, plus robust merger and acquisition activity, set a record for venture-backed exit value—$165.2 billion in money returned to investors—that’s already topped all other full-year totals, according to the latest VentureMonitor, the quarterly … Continue reading “Record Exit Value for VC-Backed Startups Could Fuel Investment”

Grocer H-E-B Explores Autonomous Delivery With SF-Area Startup Udelv

San Antonio — Pretty soon, the milkman may be making a comeback—at least, a robotic version. San Antonio-based grocery chain H-E-B is beginning a pilot program later this year to test out using an autonomous vehicle for grocery delivery. H-E-B plans to test one self-driving vehicle in a single San Antonio neighborhood, Olmos Park. The company … Continue reading “Grocer H-E-B Explores Autonomous Delivery With SF-Area Startup Udelv”

New Funds for Procyrion, Remedy, OncoNano, Vyopta & More TX Tech

[Updated 7/10/19, 11:41 am CT. See below.] Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Austin startup Vyopta, which makes a video conference system dashboard for businesses, raised $7.5 million in a Series B funding round led by Elsewhere Partners, according to a press release. The investment will be used for additional technology development and … Continue reading “New Funds for Procyrion, Remedy, OncoNano, Vyopta & More TX Tech”

Ross Perot Dies: Tech Pioneer Sold Two Firms For Billions to Dell, GM

Dallas—Ross Perot, the Texan billionaire businessman who twice ran for president in the 1990s, died Tuesday, five months after being diagnosed with leukemia, according to news reports. He was 89. Perot sold his first company, Plano, TX-based computer services business Electronic Data Systems, to General Motors (NYSE: [[ticker:GM]]) in 1984 for $2.5 billion. In 1988, … Continue reading “Ross Perot Dies: Tech Pioneer Sold Two Firms For Billions to Dell, GM”

Honeywell Spinout Resideo Adds to Smart Home Cache, Opens Austin HQ

Austin—[Corrected 11:14 a.m. See below.] Doorbells, thermostats, refrigerators, and more—everything in the modern home is becoming a smart, connected device. (You can even monitor your kitty’s litter box habits with the Litter Robot 3!) There are many other, less frequently discussed appliances that businesses are pitching homeowners on as connected devices, such as air conditioning units … Continue reading “Honeywell Spinout Resideo Adds to Smart Home Cache, Opens Austin HQ”

How Do YOU Think the Internet Will Evolve? A Sampling of Your Tweets

[Editor’s note: This is part of a series examining the internet’s first 50 years and predicting the next half century. Join Xconomy and World Frontiers Forum on July 16 for Net@50, an event exploring the internet’s past and future.] For my feature article “Special Report 2069: Predicting the Internet’s Next 50 Years,” I asked my Twitter … Continue reading “How Do YOU Think the Internet Will Evolve? A Sampling of Your Tweets”

Future of the Internet: What Scares Networking Pioneer Radia Perlman

[Editor’s note: This is part of a series examining the internet’s first 50 years and predicting the next half century. Join Xconomy and World Frontiers Forum on July 16 for Net@50, an event exploring the internet’s past and future.] Bob Metcalfe co-invented Ethernet, the communications standard still used for most local on-site networking, but Radia Perlman … Continue reading “Future of the Internet: What Scares Networking Pioneer Radia Perlman”

Why Ethernet Inventor Bob Metcalfe is an Internet Optimist

[Editor’s note: This is part of a series examining the internet’s first 50 years and predicting the next half century. Join Xconomy and World Frontiers Forum on July 16 for Net@50, an event exploring the internet’s past and future.] Right alongside Moore’s Law, which describes the exponential growth in computing power since the 1960s, there’s Metcalfe’s … Continue reading “Why Ethernet Inventor Bob Metcalfe is an Internet Optimist”

Bio Roundup: Duchenne Race, Warren v. Gottlieb, A $599 Genome & More

As we pause to celebrate the 4th of July, another birthday is top of mind: A third baby whose embryonic DNA was edited by Chinese scientist He Jiankui. As Xconomy reported in November, He hinted about a second pregnancy after his infamous revelation of twins altered with CRISPR gene editing tools. That second pregnancy—a third … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Duchenne Race, Warren v. Gottlieb, A $599 Genome & More”

Ex-Apple UX Guru Don Norman Calls for Replacing the Internet

[Editor’s note: This is part of a series examining the internet’s first 50 years and predicting the next half century. Join Xconomy and World Frontiers Forum on July 16 for Net@50, an event exploring the internet’s past and future.] No one has done more than Donald Norman to teach us that every piece of hardware … Continue reading “Ex-Apple UX Guru Don Norman Calls for Replacing the Internet”

What Is the Future of the Internet? Experts Predict Next 50 Years

[Editor’s note: This is part of a series examining the internet’s first 50 years and predicting the next half century. Join Xconomy and World Frontiers Forum on July 16 for Net@50, an event exploring the internet’s past and future.] It’s a good thing journalists, pundits, and consultants can’t be held liable for the predictions we … Continue reading “What Is the Future of the Internet? Experts Predict Next 50 Years”

What ARPANET’s History Can Teach Us About Cybersecurity

[Editor’s note: This is part of a series examining the internet’s first 50 years and predicting the next half century. Join Xconomy and World Frontiers Forum on July 16 for Net@50, an event exploring the internet’s past and future.] The internet nearly came with built-in caller ID. The year was 1972: three years after the … Continue reading “What ARPANET’s History Can Teach Us About Cybersecurity”

Peter Gabriel Joins Net@50 Lineup; Tix Going Fast for July 16 Event

Legendary rock musician and longtime internet evangelist Peter Gabriel has joined the all-star cast of speakers for Net@50, a historic event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first net message—while also looking ahead to the internet’s next 50 years. The event, put on by the non-profit World Frontiers Forum in association with Xconomy, takes place … Continue reading “Peter Gabriel Joins Net@50 Lineup; Tix Going Fast for July 16 Event”

As Cities Ban Face Recognition, Body-Cam Firm Axon Also Nixes It

This week’s decision by police equipment manufacturer Axon to forego using facial recognition software in its body cameras follows a string of other actions against the use of face-matching technology by public agencies. They include a pioneering ban in San Francisco last month, and another passed Thursday by the city council of Somerville, MA. What … Continue reading “As Cities Ban Face Recognition, Body-Cam Firm Axon Also Nixes It”

Bio Roundup: Merger Drama, FDA Trauma, Big IPOs, CRISPR Fights & More

It was a busy week. If we had to choose a theme, it was all about getting together. Two huge drug companies, AbbVie and Allergan, said they’d be better as one. Two more huge drug companies, Celgene and Bristol-Myers Squibb, learned they would have to leave a big product behind if they want to merge. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Merger Drama, FDA Trauma, Big IPOs, CRISPR Fights & More”

What’s Worth $34B? IBM Gets OK in Europe for Acquisition of Red Hat

IBM’s acquisition of open-source software maker Red Hat cleared the hurdle of approval from European regulators Thursday because it raised no concerns about competition, according to the European Commission. The $34 billion deal, which the companies plan on closing in the second half of 2019, drew attention when it was announced last fall for being … Continue reading “What’s Worth $34B? IBM Gets OK in Europe for Acquisition of Red Hat”

Degreed Raises $75M to Expand in Growing Workforce Training Sector

Degreed, which helps businesses upgrade the skills of their staffers through an online gateway to learning resources, announced Thursday it has raised $75 million to grow the service and expand internationally. San Francisco-based Degreed is among the educational technology companies now classified as “learning experience platforms,’’ because they organize staff participation in skills development training … Continue reading “Degreed Raises $75M to Expand in Growing Workforce Training Sector”

Hate to Pump Gas? Booster Scores $56M to Scale Mobile Fill-Ups

Booster, an on-demand service that fills gas tanks for car owners while they shop at a mall or work at their office desks, announced Tuesday it has raised $56 million to expand into new territories. San Mateo, CA-based Booster runs about 70 mini fuel tankers that circulate at office complexes, sports clubs, and other commercial … Continue reading “Hate to Pump Gas? Booster Scores $56M to Scale Mobile Fill-Ups”

Led by Tech, Healthcare Debuts, IPOs in 2019 Show Positive Returns

Even as Uber, Lyft, and other high-profile initial public offerings underperformed out of the gate, the average share price of companies that have gone public in the US this year is up by almost 33 percent. That’s according to data based on the mean returns of issuers that started trading through June 19, released by … Continue reading “Led by Tech, Healthcare Debuts, IPOs in 2019 Show Positive Returns”

Funds for Phlur, Arrive Logistics, Aunt Bertha & More TX Tech News

Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Austin-based fragrance maker Phlur raised $7 million in a Series A round, the company announced. The investment was led by Symrise and included earlier investor Next Coast Ventures and new investor Belcorp, which Phlur said is the second largest beauty company in South America. Phlur … Continue reading “Funds for Phlur, Arrive Logistics, Aunt Bertha & More TX Tech News”

AbbVie to Pay $63B for Allergan to Prepare for Life Without Humira

[Updated, 10:11 am ET, see below.] Pharmaceutical giant AbbVie this morning agreed to acquire Allergan in a $63 billion deal meant to provide the pharmaceutical giant with enough revenue to brace for the loss of patent protection for the world’s top-selling drug. AbbVie (NYSE: [[ticker:ABBV]]) will pay $188.24 per share in cash and stock for … Continue reading “AbbVie to Pay $63B for Allergan to Prepare for Life Without Humira”

Dems and GOP Senators Unite Versus Big Tech on Data Privacy Bills

To hear some people talk, you’d think the age of bipartisan action in Congress was a lost phenomenon of the distant past. But it’s not so, at least when it comes to certain issues. And no one knows it better than the big Silicon Valley tech companies that are the recent targets of proposed bipartisan … Continue reading “Dems and GOP Senators Unite Versus Big Tech on Data Privacy Bills”

Review: Inside the House of Lies at Theranos

Youth. Charm. Fearlessness. Ruthless focus. These can be positive attributes in an entrepreneur, but in a more rational world, technology investors wouldn’t overvalue them. Risk capital would be allocated based mostly on evidence, data, progress towards milestones—in short, on proof. In the real world, of course, proof is hard to come by. Hope, avarice, or … Continue reading “Review: Inside the House of Lies at Theranos”

Ford Initiative Will Crowdsource Mobility Solutions in Detroit

It’s been a year since Ford announced it will refurbish a massive abandoned train station in Detroit and transform it into the anchor of its mobility and autonomous vehicle operations, which will eventually house hundreds of employees. This week, the automaker announced a new program called City:One Michigan Central Station Challenge to solicit ideas for … Continue reading “Ford Initiative Will Crowdsource Mobility Solutions in Detroit”

Bio Roundup: Array Bio Acquired, IPO Spree, Sanofi’s Job Cuts & More

[Corrected 6/24/19, 12:08 p.m. See below.] Cancer remains one of the hottest areas for pharma deals and this week saw a big one: Pfizer’s proposed $11.4 billion buyout of Array Biopharma. The announcement comes less than a month after Boulder, CO-based Array announced positive data from a pivotal study of its combination drug in colorectal … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Array Bio Acquired, IPO Spree, Sanofi’s Job Cuts & More”

Four More Through the IPO Door as Life Science Firms Raise $465M

It’s been a strong year for biotech IPOs and Wednesday shaped up to be a particularly busy day as four life science firms debuted on the public markets. So far this year, 72 companies have gone public, according to IPO research firm Renaissance Capital. That total is down 20 percent compared to the same period … Continue reading “Four More Through the IPO Door as Life Science Firms Raise $465M”

Big Business Has Your Data, and Osano Is Rating How They Handle It

Austin—Anyone who has an Evite account may be a bit wary right now: The company confirmed this month that personal data of some of its users, including names, dates of birth, and mailing addresses, were stolen. Some folks may have changed their password (recommended!), while others may have deleted their accounts to say good riddance. … Continue reading “Big Business Has Your Data, and Osano Is Rating How They Handle It”

Bio Roundup: Roche-Spark Drags On, GSK Taps CRISPR, Diabetes News & More

Is one of the bigger biopharma acquisitions of the year in trouble? This past week, antitrust regulators once again delayed Roche’s planned $4.8 billion buyout of gene therapy developer Spark Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONCE]]). The US Federal Trade Commission wants yet more information about the buyout, and overseas, the UK Competition and Markets Authority opened a … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Roche-Spark Drags On, GSK Taps CRISPR, Diabetes News & More”

VidMob Adds $25M Led by Austin-Based BuildGroup for Adtech Software

You’ve probably seen a VidMob advertisement, or at least an ad the company had some influence on, and not known it. The New York-based startup has helped make or optimize digital ads created for smartphones for brands ranging from Netflix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NFLX]]) to Arby’s (“We Have the Meats!”). The company has software that lets the … Continue reading “VidMob Adds $25M Led by Austin-Based BuildGroup for Adtech Software”

IPO Scorecard: CrowdStrike Gains 70 Percent on First Trading Day

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike delivered the kind of market debut this week that was an unfulfilled dream for the much-anticipated IPOs of Uber and Lyft earlier this year. Sunnyvale, CA-based CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CRWD]]) priced 18 million shares of common stock at $34 on Tuesday. Trading began at $63.50 Wednesday, and reached a near-doubling of the company’s … Continue reading “IPO Scorecard: CrowdStrike Gains 70 Percent on First Trading Day”

InGeneron Adds $23M to Test Stem Cell Therapy for Rotator Cuff Tears

Houston — Stem-cell technology developer InGeneron has added another $23 million to a Series D financing it announced in 2017, bringing the total of the funding round to $43 million. Based in Houston, InGeneron plans to use the money for a clinical study in rotator cuff tendinopathy, a swelling of the tendons and muscles that support … Continue reading “InGeneron Adds $23M to Test Stem Cell Therapy for Rotator Cuff Tears”

Insurance Tech Startup CyberFortress Starts Risk Assessment Service

San Antonio—CyberFortress, an insurance tech startup founded late last year, is graduating from the Plug and Play accelerator and launching a new service that gauges how vulnerable ecommerce businesses are to hacking. The service assesses the risk of an ecommerce business being taken down because of something like a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack or ransomware, … Continue reading “Insurance Tech Startup CyberFortress Starts Risk Assessment Service”

Polco’s Tools Help Governments Coax Citizens Out of Echo Chambers

[Updated 6/11/19, 7:31 am CT. See below.] Nick Mastronardi is finding success in countering the negative trend of endless partisan bickering by helping local governments gather public sentiments through online polling. Mastronardi (pictured above) is co-founder and CEO of Polco, a company based in Madison, WI, that he says is growing thanks to its ability to … Continue reading “Polco’s Tools Help Governments Coax Citizens Out of Echo Chambers”

3 Tips to Boost Security, Trust With Increasingly Remote Workforce

Employers are increasingly offering remote work options as a differentiator to attract top talent in today’s competitive hiring market. And, with modern technology at their fingertips, employees have come to expect a seamless working experience whether they’re home, in the office, or on the road. These new expectations, coupled with the increase of contract and … Continue reading “3 Tips to Boost Security, Trust With Increasingly Remote Workforce”

Vertex Pharma Shells Out $420M to Move Into Muscular Dystrophy

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is committing $420 million in a pair of deals that expand the company’s research scope to experimental genetic treatments for two forms of muscular dystrophy. Boston-based Vertex (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) announced late Thursday that it reached an agreement to pay $245 million up front to acquire Exonics, a company using gene editing techniques to … Continue reading “Vertex Pharma Shells Out $420M to Move Into Muscular Dystrophy”