Category: Texas

San Antonio Researchers Plan Trials for Drug Combo to Treat Ebola

San Antonio — Researchers in the Alamo City believe have discovered a drug combination that they believe could work as a therapy against the Ebola virus, and have won a $3.4 million contract from an agency at the Department of Defense to test the combo in early clinical trials. Success will partly depend on a … Continue reading “San Antonio Researchers Plan Trials for Drug Combo to Treat Ebola”

Biotech Roundup: Deals Gone Wrong, Ethical Red Flags & Bay Goodbyes

It was fitting this week that, in the lead-up to two of biomedicine’s biggest self-celebrations, we were served ample reminder of the industry’s expensive decisions gone wrong. This weekend, much of academia and industry involved in cancer will gather in Chicago for the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology conference. Thousands of others will head … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Deals Gone Wrong, Ethical Red Flags & Bay Goodbyes”

Houston’s TMCx Accelerator Hosts Debut of Digital Health Startups

Houston—TMCx, the Texas Medical Center’s accelerator, presented a dozen digital health startups in its second annual demo day Thursday. The companies showed off a variety of innovations, including apps and digital dashboards for better managing patients with chronic diseases (Sensely) and those needing mental health care (Valera Health), tracking developmental milestones in children (Qidza), and … Continue reading “Houston’s TMCx Accelerator Hosts Debut of Digital Health Startups”

7 Steps Online Companies Can Take to Manage Sales Tax Exposure

States have been fighting to collect sales taxes from online retailers since the dawn of the e-commerce age. But today, online companies that sell services rather than merchandise also need to be concerned about state sales taxes. Even though most services are usually not subject to sales tax, some states are now asserting that certain … Continue reading “7 Steps Online Companies Can Take to Manage Sales Tax Exposure”

Triseum Receives $1,400,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=50682f15-c17d-4a79-9a05-3f5426fb2bad Date 6/3/2016 Company Name Triseum Mailing Address 214 N. Main St. Bryan, TX 77803 USA Company Description Triseum grew out of the LIVE Lab at Texas A&M University which is why education will always remain at the heart of this gaming company. Since then, we’ve partnered with industry leading experts in … Continue reading “Triseum Receives $1,400,000 New Funding”

Vyze Lands $13,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4467efed-b8f5-4fb9-b9ef-d4cc7a6aadfd Date 6/3/2016 Company Name Vyze Mailing Address 3900 N Capital of Texas Hwy Austin, TX 78746 USA Company Description Vyze is a leading cloud-based financial technology company for businesses. By combining a comprehensive lending supply, technology, and support under one roof, Vyze is able to deliver businesses simpler, more satisfying financing … Continue reading “Vyze Lands $13,000,000 New Funding Round”

A Startup CEO Visits Cuba in Transition

I just returned from several days visiting Cuba with several of my BFFs. No amount of pre-reading prepared me for the wonderful experience. Americans cannot go as “tourists,” but must go on an approved people-to-people exchange. As such, we visited schools, farms, a university, children’s programs, museums, churches, a factory and the like. I’m sharing … Continue reading “A Startup CEO Visits Cuba in Transition”

Michigan’s Social Venture Fund Invests in Querium, Austin Edtech Firm

Austin—Edtech startup Querium has received an early stage bridge round of funds from the University of Michigan’s Social Venture Fund, among other investors. Querium, which uses artificial intelligence to provide students with step-by-step coaching in math, science, and engineering courses, raised $366,000 of a $720,000 convertible note from 10 investors. The Social Venture Fund, a … Continue reading “Michigan’s Social Venture Fund Invests in Querium, Austin Edtech Firm”

Vista Equity Makes Second Deal in Two Days With Ping Identity Buyout

If you were thinking about selling your company for a couple billion dollars, now might just be the time to try it. A day after Vista Equity Partners announced it would buy marketing automation software developer Marketo for $1.79 billion, the private equity firm has announced a second deal: Vista said today it is paying an … Continue reading “Vista Equity Makes Second Deal in Two Days With Ping Identity Buyout”

In First Distribution Deal, StemBioSys Teams with Funakoshi in Japan

San Antonio — StemBioSys has signed a three-year marketing and distribution deal with Funakoshi Co. Ltd to bring its stem cell production products to Japan, the San Antonio startup’s first distribution deal. Funakoshi, which is based in Tokyo, distributes both advanced and basic life science research instruments throughout the country. The deal will allow Funakoshi … Continue reading “In First Distribution Deal, StemBioSys Teams with Funakoshi in Japan”

Eyeing Further Growth, Social Marketer Spredfast Nabs Another $50M

Austin—Social media marketing software company Spredfast has raised $50 million, bringing its total funding raised to $116 million. Riverwood Capital, a private equity firm based in Menlo Park, CA, led the round. Also participating were return backers Austin Ventures, Interwest Partners, OpenView Venture Partners, and Lead Edge Capital. “Social media is super dynamic in the … Continue reading “Eyeing Further Growth, Social Marketer Spredfast Nabs Another $50M”

Spredfast Garners $50,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e0a71b00-acc0-49e2-a23e-c4234dcbdb34 Date 6/1/2016 Company Name Spredfast Mailing Address 200 W Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description As the first comprehensive social media dashboard, social media engagement through Spredfast offers the opportunity to shape conversation, increase traffic, create relationships, and ultimately build sales. Website http://www.spredfast.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Spredfast Garners $50,000,000 New Funding Round”

Two Years After Paying $680M, BioMarin Shelves Duchenne Drug

BioMarin Pharmaceutical took a $680 million gamble when it bought Prosensa in 2014 for its experimental Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment. Drisapersen (Kydrisa) had already failed a Phase 3 trial, but BioMarin bet it could dig through the data and win FDA approval. It lost that bet, and now BioMarin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BMRN]]) is pulling the plug … Continue reading “Two Years After Paying $680M, BioMarin Shelves Duchenne Drug”

Texas Roundup: Tech Wildcatters, Funds for eyeQ & EquipmentShare, VR

Happy unofficial start to summer! Let’s ease back into the workweek by catching up with the latest innovation headlines from Xconomy Texas. —Dallas’s Tech Wildcatters accelerator held its first pitch day since launching its new “Gauntlet” program earlier this year. Instead of a traditional accelerator model, in which startups get access to tens of thousands … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Tech Wildcatters, Funds for eyeQ & EquipmentShare, VR”

With Recruits Coming, Precision Med Effort Pledges $142M For Biobank

The Obama administration’s ambitious long-term health study, dubbed the Precision Medicine Initiative, has tapped the Mayo Clinic to build a repository for biological samples collected from the study’s participants. Through the National Institutes of Health, the administration has awarded $142 million over five years to the Rochester, MN-based Mayo Clinic for the so-called “biobank,” which … Continue reading “With Recruits Coming, Precision Med Effort Pledges $142M For Biobank”

117M LinkedIn Passwords for Sale: What You Should Do Now

Last week, a hack many of us had forgotten about shot right back into the headlines. First, the background: in 2012, LinkedIn acknowledged it had suffered a data breach that exposed the passwords of 6.5 million of its customers. What we discovered last week, however, was that the breach was actually much bigger than anyone … Continue reading “117M LinkedIn Passwords for Sale: What You Should Do Now”

Biotech Roundup: Duchenne Delay, Forum’s Fate, Califf, Ionis & More

Memorial Day weekend may be fast approaching, but don’t fire up those grills yet: there’s plenty of headlines to dig into first in our biotech trip around the Xconomy network. In New York, the nation’s most prestigious science competition changed sponsors for just the second time in its 74-year history. In Boston, one company’s controversial … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Duchenne Delay, Forum’s Fate, Califf, Ionis & More”

FDA Commish Califf to Big Data Crowd: Flood Of New Treatments Coming

New FDA commissioner Robert Califf said Wednesday that the recent spike in drug approvals is no temporary phenomenon, thanks to a better understanding of biology and continued adoption of sophisticated technology throughout healthcare. “I predict we’ll see of a flood of effective treatments”—not just drugs but combinations of drugs and data-enabled devices—“and we’ll have to … Continue reading “FDA Commish Califf to Big Data Crowd: Flood Of New Treatments Coming”

New Proposed Laws, Collaborations Pave Way for Driverless Future

This has been a banner week for Michigan-centric news pertaining to the development of driverless vehicles. On Wednesday, Google announced in a Google+ post that, after placing a team of employees in the metro Detroit area for “the past few years,” it would open a facility in suburban Novi, MI, to develop self-driving car technology. … Continue reading “New Proposed Laws, Collaborations Pave Way for Driverless Future”

Dallas’s Tech Wildcatters Pivots, Puts Startups Through “Gauntlet”

Dallas—How can you disrupt the accelerator? That’s the question Tech Wildcatters asked themselves following pitch day last year. “Instead of putting everybody in a one-size-fits-all program, instead of giving a trophy on day one, we decided to make it more ‘go at your own pace,’” says Gabriella Draney Zielke, the accelerator’s co-founder. So instead of … Continue reading “Dallas’s Tech Wildcatters Pivots, Puts Startups Through “Gauntlet””

San Antonio VR Headset Maker Merge Lands New Funding, Expands Sales

San Antonio — [Updated 1 p.m. See below.] Virtual reality headset maker Merge Labs has raised $10.1 million in new equity funding, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company, which sells virtual reality headsets marketed as Merge VR Goggles for $79, had previously raised about $3 million in seed … Continue reading “San Antonio VR Headset Maker Merge Lands New Funding, Expands Sales”

OncoResponse Obtains $19,499,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e92d4f7c-0c05-4dcb-9813-61762999fc1f Date 5/26/2016 Company Name OncoResponse Mailing Address 909 Fannin Houston, TX 77024 USA Company Description OncoResponse Inc., an immuno-oncology company located in Houston, Texas, has partnered with MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) to deploy a unique and transformational approach to cancer therapeutic monoclonal antibody and target discovery. Website http://www.oncoresponseinc.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “OncoResponse Obtains $19,499,000 New Funding Round”

Accelerate Learning Secures $10,000,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cbe72238-dfd7-458b-a3c0-a75f00e6f7b2 Date 5/26/2016 Company Name Accelerate Learning Mailing Address 5177 Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77056 USA Company Description Accelerate Learning, in conjunction with Rice University, has created the most widely used PreK-12 science curriculum in Texas, STEMscopesTM — and it’s now available nationally. It’s the teachers favorite science program and now serves … Continue reading “Accelerate Learning Secures $10,000,000 Series A Financing”

Reata Pharmaceuticals Garners $60,500,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=21d9b3ba-3a07-4022-b7ba-ce9f48344254 Date 5/26/2016 Company Name Reata Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 2801 Gateway Drive Irving, TX 75063 USA Company Description Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: RETA) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for cancer, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases. Website http://www.reatapharma.com Transaction Type IPO Transaction Amount $60,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes We … Continue reading “Reata Pharmaceuticals Garners $60,500,000 New Financing”

InCube, Pitt Building Device to Restore Bladder After Spinal Injury

San Antonio — There are obvious physical difficulties that people with spinal-cord injuries face. One that may not be top of mind, but can be both physically and emotionally taxing, is the inability to control their bladders, says Pratap Khanwilkar of San Antonio’s InCube Labs. InCube Labs is working with a researcher from the University … Continue reading “InCube, Pitt Building Device to Restore Bladder After Spinal Injury”

EquipmentShare Snags $5.5M for “Airbnb” of Construction Machinery

Dallas—EquipmentShare, an online marketplace for construction equipment, has raised $5.5 million in a Series A funding round. Boston’s Romulus Capital is providing the funding. EquipmentShare essentially works to bring the construction site into the digital age. The company’s website works as its name suggests: contractors, construction firms, and the like with idle equipment—forklifts, cranes, bulldozers—can … Continue reading “EquipmentShare Snags $5.5M for “Airbnb” of Construction Machinery”

EyeQ Receives $3,500,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b84ec270-d093-454e-afc7-3331e83030f2 Date 5/25/2016 Company Name EyeQ Mailing Address 3925 West Braker Lane Austin, TX 78759 USA Company Description eyeQ provides next generation digital displays that engage shoppers with personalized content, providing shopper insights and improved sales. Website http://www.eyeqinsights.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,500,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The … Continue reading “EyeQ Receives $3,500,000 Series A Financing Round”

Merge Labs Lands $10,112,801 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f2bf17c8-9443-467a-bc6d-ad96dd5516d0 Date 5/25/2016 Company Name Merge Labs Mailing Address 110 E. Houston Street 7th Floor San Antonio, TX 78205 USA Company Description Merge Labs is creating a hardware + software platform, which will make casual virtual reality accessible from your favorite smartphone. The MergeVR platform also enables other forms of immersive entertainment, … Continue reading “Merge Labs Lands $10,112,801 New Financing Round”

Austin Tech Entrepreneurs Develop Non-Profit Ride-Hailing Service

Austin—A group of Austin, TX, tech leaders have announced a new ride-hailing service for the city. RideAustin is pulling up to the curb about two weeks after voters rejected a referendum item that would have nullified the city’s fingerprinting rules for ride-hailing companies’ drivers. Two days after losing that vote, Uber and Lyft—which spent $8 … Continue reading “Austin Tech Entrepreneurs Develop Non-Profit Ride-Hailing Service”

San Antonio Bootcamp Codeup Promotes Ex-Rackspace Employee to CEO

San Antonio — Web developer bootcamp Codeup has a new CEO: Kay Jones, a longtime Rackspace employee, is taking over the helm from co-founder Michael Girdley. Jones joined San Antonio-based Codeup in February as chief operating officer, coming off of more than a decade in various roles at Rackspace (NYSE: [[ticker:RAX]]). Her most recent position … Continue reading “San Antonio Bootcamp Codeup Promotes Ex-Rackspace Employee to CEO”

Personalized Shopping Startup eyeQ Gets $3.5M to Recommend Products

Austin—EyeQ, which makes software to help retailers provide “personalized shopping” experiences to customers, said Tuesday the company has raised $3.5 million in a Series A funding round. The investment is led by Austin’s Align Capital, a new investor in the company, one that joins previous backers such as the Houston Angel Network and DreamIt Ventures. … Continue reading “Personalized Shopping Startup eyeQ Gets $3.5M to Recommend Products”

Goldman Sachs Investment Management Acquires Honest Dollar for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=aaa96de9-b415-4430-ab21-2562c15c9c6f Date 5/24/2016 Company Name Honest Dollar Mailing Address 600 Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description Stealth Fintech Startup Launching March 13th 2015 Website http://www.honestdollar.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Honest Dollar will remain based in Austin upon completion of the transaction, which … Continue reading “Goldman Sachs Investment Management Acquires Honest Dollar for Undisclosed Sum”

Tour of Texas: Ride-Hailing, CPRIT, Deep Space, Dean Kamen, START

Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news in Texas. Austin —BeSomebody, an Austin, TX-based, app that connects people seeking experiences with experts in those experiences, is moving to Boston. Founder Kash Shaikh, a former social media marketing executive at Procter & Gamble and GoPro, has created essentially an online self-improvement network that encourages … Continue reading “Tour of Texas: Ride-Hailing, CPRIT, Deep Space, Dean Kamen, START”

Software Robots Are Transforming Old Guard Industries

Everyone’s talking about robots and automation. Do you imagine having a “Rosie” cleaning your home, or the next industrial revolution of automation putting millions out of work? Neither is quite reality, but there is a highly valuable virtual workforce of “software robots” working in today’s offices. They aren’t rolling around like BB-8 delivering the mail, … Continue reading “Software Robots Are Transforming Old Guard Industries”

Dean Kamen Talks Houston & Building Robotics “Super Bowl” For Kids

Houston—Dean Kamen’s inventions include the iBot, a powered wheelchair that can “walk;” the first portable insulin delivery system; and a robotic prosthetic arm made for the military as he built his firm Deka Research and Development. (Also, you may have heard of this other invention he had: the Segway.) Houston played a pivotal role in … Continue reading “Dean Kamen Talks Houston & Building Robotics “Super Bowl” For Kids”

Early Stage San Antonio Drug Trial Firm START Opens Taiwan Outpost

San Antonio — With the number of scientists, researchers, executives, and patients involved in any given drug approval process, it’s easy to gloss over the early work that goes into clinical testing, especially when most patient awareness about a drug comes after it gains FDA approval. For a company like South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics … Continue reading “Early Stage San Antonio Drug Trial Firm START Opens Taiwan Outpost”

The Biotech Roundup: Immunotherapy Ups And Downs, Gene Deals & More

A quick housekeeping note: Starting this week, we are combining our East Coast and West Coast biotech roundups into a single weekly post that will also include highlights from our other cities and regions, including Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Xconomy’s latest bureau, Indiana. As with our bygone coastal roundups, this new national roundup is not … Continue reading “The Biotech Roundup: Immunotherapy Ups And Downs, Gene Deals & More”

Bloomfire Receives $12,800,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c87fe64d-b876-4ef2-91f6-38b82b181e91 Date 5/20/2016 Company Name Bloomfire Mailing Address 1717 West 6th Street Austin, TX 78703 USA Company Description Sales enablement, organize your content, build your company knowledge base, and help enable your sales reps to be more successful with Bloomfire software platform. Website http://www.bloomfire.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $12,800,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Bloomfire Receives $12,800,000 Series B Round”

Decisio Health Secures $4,500,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=be4a129a-954b-4d12-9dc3-58633e1159cf Date 5/20/2016 Company Name Decisio Health Mailing Address 6500 Main St. Houston, TX 77030 USA Company Description Decisio Health’s Clinical Intelligence Platform is a revolutionary product designed for the clinical care team. The Platform displays all the information you need to treat the patient, right at the bed side. And it’s … Continue reading “Decisio Health Secures $4,500,000 Series A Funding Round”

General Assembly Brings Tech Training Event to San Antonio Saturday

San Antonio—General Assembly and San Antonio co-working space Geekdom are hosting a day of free tech workshops and training in San Antonio this weekend. The event is being held Saturday at the Geekdom Event Centre starting at 2 p.m. and is open to the public, though the hosts are asking for online RSVPs here. The … Continue reading “General Assembly Brings Tech Training Event to San Antonio Saturday”

Dallas’s Deep Space Ventures Targets Business-Focused Startups

Dallas—Deep Space Ventures has big plans for the North Texas venture scene. “We’ll spend $20 to $30 million; it’ll take us three to five years to do it,” says co-founder Stephen Hays. “And then we’ll go from there.” “We” is Hays and an unnamed partner, an energy entrepreneur who is providing the funding for Deep … Continue reading “Dallas’s Deep Space Ventures Targets Business-Focused Startups”

Genstar Capital Acquires Accruent for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=54fb16d2-7709-4efd-93f7-610ecdd81590 Date 5/19/2016 Company Name Accruent Mailing Address 10801-2 North Mo-Pac Expressway Austin, TX 78759 USA Company Description Accruent provides IWMS software solutions for facility management, lease administration, project management, space management and more to leading organizations via the Accruent, FAMIS, Siterra and 360Facility products. Website http://www.accruent.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Genstar Capital Acquires Accruent for Undisclosed Sum”

CPRIT Marks Midpoint in Texas Agency’s 10-Year Cancer-Fighting Mandate

Austin—Officials at the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Tuesday marked the midpoint of the agency’s mandate. “Curing cancer takes 10 to 15 years and costs hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions,” said Wayne Roberts, CPRIT’s executive director. “But preventions and cures are possible with every advance…Cancer is not cured now, but … Continue reading “CPRIT Marks Midpoint in Texas Agency’s 10-Year Cancer-Fighting Mandate”

Studies Tout Massachusetts Tech Scene, But Talent Issues Loom

Several days after one study ranked Boston as the U.S. city best positioned to capitalize on the transition to a digital economy, a new report bolsters Massachusetts’s tech credentials—but with some important caveats that could hinder the Bay State’s growth. Last week, a report titled “Innovation That Matters” drew national attention with its somewhat surprising … Continue reading “Studies Tout Massachusetts Tech Scene, But Talent Issues Loom”

Learn These Tech Skills & Get a Raise, PayScale Report Says

Want to make a few extra (thousand) bucks? For software developers, it’s possible if you add a few trending programming languages to your resume, according to Seattle-based PayScale, a crowdsourcing and data analytics company that seeks out and provides salary information. Developers and programmers who learn the Go or Scala computer programming languages will make … Continue reading “Learn These Tech Skills & Get a Raise, PayScale Report Says”

Boston Ride-Hailing Service Fasten Seeks Inroads to Austin Market

Austin—In the wake of Uber and Lyft’s departure from Austin, a Boston-based ride-hailing service said it will launch its service later this month. The company has said it will comply with the city’s regulations regarding background checks of drivers. Uber and Lyft had fought against those rules, saying they were an unnecessary infringement on their … Continue reading “Boston Ride-Hailing Service Fasten Seeks Inroads to Austin Market”

Texas Roundup: Adhesys, Emily Keeton, BioMedical Enterprises & Vyopta

Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news at Xconomy Texas. —Station Houston co-founder Emily Keeton was the featured speaker at Startup Grind Houston’s most recent fireside chat event. Keeton became the national president of Lemonade Day, an organization that supports entrepreneurship in kids, and spoke specifically about encouraging young women in innovation. —The … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Adhesys, Emily Keeton, BioMedical Enterprises & Vyopta”

Internal Threats: 10 Ways to Protect Your Business

The topic of cybercriminals can invoke the image of a scruffy-looking hacker glaring at a computer screen from a mysterious location. But the most serious threats to your business’s information security could be much closer than you think. A growing number of small and midsize businesses consider internal security breaches—accidental and malicious—from employees a bigger … Continue reading “Internal Threats: 10 Ways to Protect Your Business”