The Obama administration announced this morning a public-private initiative to study the collections of microorganisms that live on or in humans and practically everywhere else on Earth. More than 100 other institutions are joining the administration with funding and resources in what’s being billed as the National Microbiome Initiative. The microbiome has become a subject … Continue reading “White House Wants to Spend $121M on National Microbiome Initiative”
Category: Texas
Blockchain, Fashion, Rockets, & More: Austin A-List Awards 2016
Austin—From a company developing rockets that can blast satellites into space to a business that decodes your dog’s genome, twelve local companies were honored this week as A-List startups by the Austin Chamber of Commerce and South by Southwest Interactive. The twelve companies were broken down into three categories: emerging, growth, and scale. A Rising … Continue reading “Blockchain, Fashion, Rockets, & More: Austin A-List Awards 2016”
“Be Vulnerable, With Confidence,” Keeton Advises Women Entrepreneurs
Houston—Among the best ways to encourage women entrepreneurs? Plug the confidence gap in young girls. So said Emily Keeton, a Houston entrepreneur—she co-founded the co-working space Station Houston earlier this year—at a Startup Grind Houston event Wednesday. She pointed to the example of a 12-year-old named Rosemary, who participated in the most recent Lemonade Day held … Continue reading ““Be Vulnerable, With Confidence,” Keeton Advises Women Entrepreneurs”
UT System Invests $12.4M to Bring Big Data Analytics to Patient Care
Austin—The University of Texas System is dedicating $12.4 million to build a “big data” analytics network for its system of hospitals. The network, which is going to be developed over the next four years, will collect anonymous patient and administrative data from its hospitals around the state. That information will be used to analyze and … Continue reading “UT System Invests $12.4M to Bring Big Data Analytics to Patient Care”
Houston’s Adhesys Medical Forms Partnership with German Pharma Firm
[Updated 5/12/16 10:15 am. See below.] Houston—Adhesys Medical, maker of a new surgical adhesive with its U.S. headquarters in Houston, has announced a commercialization partnership with a European pharmaceutical company. Grünenthal is based in Aachen, Germany, which is where Adhesys—then known as Medical Adhesive Revolution—was founded. Adheysys won the Rice Business Plan Competition in 2014, … Continue reading “Houston’s Adhesys Medical Forms Partnership with German Pharma Firm”
Ingrain Garners $3,042,902 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c7ae89f0-dba7-485a-9f23-4171e1e7467e Date 5/12/2016 Company Name Ingrain Mailing Address 3733 Westheimer Road 2nd Floor Houston, TX 77027 USA Company Description Ingrain’s mission is to provide a fast and efficient flow of detailed and accurate information about the porosity, permeability, resistivity, and elastic properties of rock samples. Website http://www.ingrainrocks.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “Ingrain Garners $3,042,902 New Funding”
J&J Company DePuy Synthes Buys San Antonio’s BioMedical Enterprises
San Antonio—BioMedical Enterprises, the San Antonio, TX-based maker of nickel-titanium alloy implants used to help small bones heal, has been acquired by a DePuy Synthes, a group of medical device companies owned by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]). Terms were not disclosed. DePuy is interested in BioMedical Enterprises (BME) because of the variety of implants … Continue reading “J&J Company DePuy Synthes Buys San Antonio’s BioMedical Enterprises”
Austin Software Firm Vyopta Adds Another $1M to Previous $5M Round
Austin—Vyopta, which provides a video conferencing system dashboard for businesses, said Wednesday it has added $1 million to a $5 million funding round it announced in February. AVX Partners, the company’s investor in the previous round, is putting up the additional $1 million. Allison Smith, a spokeswoman for the company, said Vyopta decided to take … Continue reading “Austin Software Firm Vyopta Adds Another $1M to Previous $5M Round”
Investigation Finds Recyclers Ship E-Waste Overseas
Despite assurances otherwise, electronic waste dropped at collection sites around the U.S. is winding up in junkyards in Hong Kong, and elsewhere in Asia, where handling practices are imperiling workers and the surrounding environment, according to an investigation by the Seattle-based Basel Action Network. Recyclers tied to overseas shipments of e-waste include Total Reclaim, the largest e-waste handler serving the Pacific … Continue reading “Investigation Finds Recyclers Ship E-Waste Overseas”
What Now: Austin Looks for Ways to Bring Back Ride-Hailing Services
Austin—Uber and Lyft both suspended service in Austin Monday morning following the defeat their bid to eliminate driver fingerprinting requirements, among other measurements. In a Saturday referendum, Austin voters opted to uphold the city’s rules on the ride-hailing companies’ employees with a 56 percent margin. Immediately after the votes were counted, Uber and Lyft announced … Continue reading “What Now: Austin Looks for Ways to Bring Back Ride-Hailing Services”
MGH Goes Epic: What I Learned in the Trenches
On April 2 at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the green charts went away. Every morning around 6:30 am since starting residency, my co-interns and I had frantically scrambled around the halls searching for these plastic binders, which contained the sole record of our patients’ vital signs. It was a ritual that blended equal parts anxiety, … Continue reading “MGH Goes Epic: What I Learned in the Trenches”
Across The Board: Ideas To Narrow Biotech’s Gender Gap
The evidence is piling up. Companies with more women in charge are better businesses. So why are so many biotechs still led mainly by men? Saira Ramasastry, a former Merrill Lynch analyst, is now a Bay Area consultant on the boards of three biotechs, including Sangamo Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGMO]]). Having benefited from female mentors such … Continue reading “Across The Board: Ideas To Narrow Biotech’s Gender Gap”
As Costs Soar in Silicon Valley, San Diego Looks for Startup Gains
Venture capital continues to gush into Silicon Valley, but is the Bay Area’s decades-long startup boom sustainable? Talk in the valley has turned increasingly gloomy amid signs that its phenomenal tech boom—like Moore’s law itself—is bumping against its upper limits. One perspective in this conversation comes from Redpoint Ventures partner Tomasz Tunguz. In a post … Continue reading “As Costs Soar in Silicon Valley, San Diego Looks for Startup Gains”
With Jobs on Horizon, San Antonio Cybersecurity Firm Funds Nonprofit
San Antonio—While job prospects abound in IT, especially in subsets like cybersecurity, a pretty simple question remains: Is there enough training available to provide people the skills to fill those jobs? The rise of coding schools is helping take care of the demand for software developers, a position that’s projected to rise 17 percent by … Continue reading “With Jobs on Horizon, San Antonio Cybersecurity Firm Funds Nonprofit”
Pulmotect Secures $1,751,430 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9d25722b-94d3-4b99-86cb-39edd683c781 Date 5/9/2016 Company Name Pulmotect Mailing Address 3900 Essex Ln. Houston, TX 77027 USA Company Description Pulmotect, Inc. is a Houston-based biotechnology company, developing products that boost the innate immune system to protect against a wide range of lung infections. Our cofounders are leaders in the emerging science of innate immunity … Continue reading “Pulmotect Secures $1,751,430 Series A Financing Round”
Uber, Lyft Say They Will Leave Austin Following Defeat in Election
Austin—Uber and Lyft have said they will pull out of Austin following a Saturday referendum that approved regulations that called for the ride-hailing companies to fingerprint drivers. “Disappointment does not begin to describe how we feel about shutting down operations in Austin,” said Chris Nakutis, Uber’s Austin general manager, in a statement according to the … Continue reading “Uber, Lyft Say They Will Leave Austin Following Defeat in Election”
How a Mobile Device Can Reduce Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a major problem. In 2014, more than 30,000 people were killed and more than 430,000 injured in car crashes involving distracted drivers. Ironically, it may just be that the root of the problem – a smartphone – could actually be the solution. People know they shouldn’t, but they do. In a survey … Continue reading “How a Mobile Device Can Reduce Distracted Driving”
TX Roundup: Uber Election, OutboundEngine, Joah Spearman, “Windfall”
Let’s end the week with a recap of the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Voters in Austin will go to the polls on Saturday to decide whether they want to keep fingerprinting regulations in place that govern drivers for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. The companies say—and some leaders in the tech community agree—that … Continue reading “TX Roundup: Uber Election, OutboundEngine, Joah Spearman, “Windfall””
Vetting Cloud Security Companies: Scale VC Sets The Scene
[Corrected 5/11/16, 12:59 pm. See below.] When Ariel Tseitlin joined Netflix in 2011 to help it transition from a movie DVD rental company to a Web-based streaming entertainment service, his team had to build Netflix’s cloud architecture. There was nothing out there to buy, Tseitlin says. The cybersecurity industry was also a fraction of its … Continue reading “Vetting Cloud Security Companies: Scale VC Sets The Scene”
SPLT Competes at Google Demo Day, Gets Steve Case’s Attention
SPLT, the Techstars Mobility alum now based in Detroit, has spent the past few months crisscrossing the globe to take part in startup competitions and other events as it continues to rapidly grow. This week, the enterprise ridesharing startup that connects employees within organizations to share their commute is out in Mountain View, CA, as … Continue reading “SPLT Competes at Google Demo Day, Gets Steve Case’s Attention”
Uber, Lyft at Center of Innovation Debate in Austin and Houston
Austin—It’s not uncommon for controversy to follow the entrance of ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft into a new market. But right now, in two Texas cities—Austin and Houston—the rhetorical salvos have started again. In Austin, for example, voters will go to the polls Saturday for a referendum to decide whether to overturn that city’s … Continue reading “Uber, Lyft at Center of Innovation Debate in Austin and Houston”
More than a Matter of Appearances: Pharma’s Existential PR Problem
When President Obama forced Pfizer to scrap its proposed $160 billion merger with Allergan, the industry as well as the company emerged as losers in the eyes of the public, despite Pfizer’s credible and constructive position. As Pfizer CEO Ian Read explained in a recent op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer has long … Continue reading “More than a Matter of Appearances: Pharma’s Existential PR Problem”
Xconomy Launches Robotics and A.I. Channel
At the end of March, Xconomy held a jam-packed event called Robo Madness: The A.I. Explosion. If you were among the roughly 250 people who descended on the Googleplex in the heart of Cambridge’s Kendall Square for the event, you may have heard me note that robotics and artificial intelligence were clearly growing in importance … Continue reading “Xconomy Launches Robotics and A.I. Channel”
Down to Wire on Napa Summit—Get Your Invite to Our May 16-17 Event
It’s getting close to the last call for Xconomy’s invitation-only Napa Summit. We have a star-studded lineup. But there are only a few tickets and hotel rooms left, and the May 16-17 event is coming up fast. So request your invitation right away if you’d like to join us. It all starts with a dinner … Continue reading “Down to Wire on Napa Summit—Get Your Invite to Our May 16-17 Event”
OutboundEngine Gets $16M for Marketing Software for Small Businesses
Austin—OutboundEngine, an Austin, TX-based company that makes business development software, has raised $16 million in Series C funding. The round was led by S3 Ventures, with participation from Silverton Partners, Noro-Moseley, Harmony Partners, Altos Ventures, and Capital Factory. The company says it will use the money to hire additional software developers, as well as marketing … Continue reading “OutboundEngine Gets $16M for Marketing Software for Small Businesses”
A Vision for Boosting the Life Sciences in San Diego and Beyond
The life sciences industry represents a vital piece of San Diego’s innovation economy, contributing $31.8 billion each year in local economic impact—more than defense or even tourism, according to the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. Beyond our region, San Diego’s life sciences community is significant for a different reason: Our companies contribute novel healthcare … Continue reading “A Vision for Boosting the Life Sciences in San Diego and Beyond”
OutboundEngine Garners $16,000,000 Series C Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a5426be5-127b-40ac-9777-93f7fcd49567 Date 5/4/2016 Company Name OutboundEngine Mailing Address 504 Lavaca Street 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 $16,000,000 … Continue reading “OutboundEngine Garners $16,000,000 Series C Funding”
Duo Security Snags $2.5M Grant, Will Hire Up to 300
Ann Arbor, MI-based startup Duo Security announced that it has received a $2.5 million grant from the state’s Michigan Strategic Fund and, as a condition of the grant, plans to hire up to 300 new employees over the coming months. Economic development group Ann Arbor SPARK has pledged to assist Duo in its employee recruitment … Continue reading “Duo Security Snags $2.5M Grant, Will Hire Up to 300”
Five Questions For: Joah Spearman, Founder of Austin’s Localeur
Austin—The tech community in Austin, TX, takes great pride in its reputation as an innovation hub. So when Joah Spearman, co-founder and CEO of online city guides Localeur, called into question local venture capitalists’ dedication to supporting young tech companies, the allegation swirled around social media. “Despite this being an industry about first-movers and early … Continue reading “Five Questions For: Joah Spearman, Founder of Austin’s Localeur”
Emerging Medtech Companies to Pitch at San Antonio Symposium May 10
San Antonio — A few medtech companies will be pitching their products in a “rapid-fire” pitch competition next week at the Emerging Medical Technology Symposium in San Antonio. The organizers of the symposium, a group of medtech executives and others involved in the local industry, expect five companies to participate in the event, which awards … Continue reading “Emerging Medtech Companies to Pitch at San Antonio Symposium May 10”
Xconomy Bookclub: “Windfall” Looks at the Business of Climate Change
Summer is around the corner and with it the seasonal hot-and-sticky climate, favored stomping grounds for mosquitoes. This year, health officials have warned Houston and other coastal communities along the Gulf coast that Zika virus-bearing mosquitoes could add a very unpleasant twist to the summer season. Over a decade ago, it was dengue fever, which … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Windfall” Looks at the Business of Climate Change”
Ransomware: Four Steps to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim
It’s no secret to anyone who’s been paying attention to global business news: over the last few months, ransomware attacks have been plaguing organizations across every vertical and nation. Recent examples include events in the healthcare and legal industries in particular, notably the widely reported attacks on the MedStar Health hospital chain. In the case … Continue reading “Ransomware: Four Steps to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim”
Arena Online Receives $450,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1a920389-ba6b-4968-8b53-1673e9d33e40 Date 5/2/2016 Company Name Arena Online Mailing Address 33136 Magnolia Circle Magnolia, TX 77354 USA Company Description Arena Online will take care of everything for you and place you in a team based on our matchmaking system. Just find a tournament that you like and join. Website http://www.arenaonline.com Transaction Type Debt … Continue reading “Arena Online Receives $450,000 New Financing”
Arena Online Secures $385,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=866a4211-71c0-4751-8c25-6fc1a8f9dcd3 Date 5/2/2016 Company Name Arena Online Mailing Address 33136 Magnolia Circle Magnolia, TX 77354 USA Company Description Arena Online will take care of everything for you and place you in a team based on our matchmaking system. Just find a tournament that you like and join. Website http://www.arenaonline.com Transaction Type Debt … Continue reading “Arena Online Secures $385,000 New Round”
From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary
Cybersecurity is a rapidly changing field. The arms race between hackers and organizations trying to defend themselves has given rise to a lexicon of epic proportions—and leaders from almost every industry are learning to speak the language. As concepts like antivirus and firewalls have grown old, security-tech companies are selling everything from “advanced threat detection” … Continue reading “From Antivirus to Zero-Day Attack: A Cybersecurity Glossary”
Sales Is Toxic to Innovation
Having had the good fortune to participate in business development and sales in both startups and large companies (Intel and Microsoft), I have arrived at the conclusion that sales is largely detrimental to successfully bringing innovative ideas to market. There is a critical transition from business development to sales, and if made prematurely it will … Continue reading “Sales Is Toxic to Innovation”
Ionic Downloads $8.5M to Rev Up Business Around Open-Source Software
When trying to build a business on top of free software, step one is attracting a ton of users. Step two is figuring out how to make money. Ionic has successfully checked the first box. Since launching its free, open-source software more than two years ago, more than 4 million developers worldwide have used it … Continue reading “Ionic Downloads $8.5M to Rev Up Business Around Open-Source Software”
Augmedix Plans To Expand Google Glass-Based System For Healthcare
A year ago, a flurry of news stories declared the failure of Google’s Web-connected eyewear Google Glass after the company halted sales of the novel item whose debut it had trumpeted in 2012. Critics said consumers could never figure out a compelling use for the $1,500 smart glasses, which are equipped with a video camera, … Continue reading “Augmedix Plans To Expand Google Glass-Based System For Healthcare”
COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability
Last week’s signing of the Paris climate accord successfully returned international efforts on climate change to the media spotlight. As private investors in cleantech startups since 2006, Element 8 members have been following the developments since December very closely. We are notably encouraged about the future of clean technologies in the wake of not just … Continue reading “COP21—The Road Ahead for Sustainability”
Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite
Carving out time to really ponder the future of our technology landscape can be touch, but it can also be incredibly valuable. And if that time is spent with some of the world’s great innovators, technologists, and investors, all the better. That’s just the opportunity you’ll have at Xconomy’s invitation-only Napa Summit on May 16-17. … Continue reading “Join Maeda, Hillis, Jepsen, & More in Napa May 16-17—Get Your Invite”
Locating Veins, Smart Crossbows Headline Student Startup Competition
San Antonio — A team of University of Texas at San Antonio students who created an infrared device that helps medical workers more easily find veins won first place in the $100k Student Technology Venture Competition, hosted by the university’s Center for Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (CITE). The students’ product, called InfraVein, reflects infrared light, … Continue reading “Locating Veins, Smart Crossbows Headline Student Startup Competition”
Texas Roundup: Rapamycin, SparkCognition, MolecularMatch, Rackspace
Let’s take a pause midweek and review the latest innovation news in the Lone Star State. —A San Antonio, TX-based biotech is placing a bet that an old drug can have new effects—with the help of a proprietary coating. Rapamycin Holdings hopes to begin testing in clinical trials a new formulation of the decades-old drug … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Rapamycin, SparkCognition, MolecularMatch, Rackspace”
CyberArk-Led Alliance Unites Security Around Privileged Accounts
A new nationwide cybersecurity industry partnership led by CyberArk Software underscores the sector’s increased emphasis on collaboration and unifying software security measures as threats mount around the world. CyberArk (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYBR]]) today announced the launch of the C3 Alliance, a group of cybersecurity, enterprise software, and other service providers who will integrate into their offerings … Continue reading “CyberArk-Led Alliance Unites Security Around Privileged Accounts”
Led by Ex-Suros Execs, Nico is Out To Change Brain Surgery
Imagine that, heaven forbid, a blood vessel bursts inside your brain, spilling blood and causing pressure to build inside delicate tissues. You’ve just suffered the deadliest kind of stroke, what’s known as an intracerebral hemorrhage. You might think that surgeons would want to try to repair the damage as soon as you get to the … Continue reading “Led by Ex-Suros Execs, Nico is Out To Change Brain Surgery”
A New Coat Makes The Difference in Rapamycin’s Disease Prevention
San Antonio — Drugs that can cure a disease inevitably draw the most attention. But San Antonio, TX-based Rapamycin Holdings is hoping that its drug’s potential to prevent the recurrence of diseases like cancer, among others, will at least draw the interest of a Big Pharma company with money to spend. By 2017, Rapamycin Holdings … Continue reading “A New Coat Makes The Difference in Rapamycin’s Disease Prevention”
Austin’s SparkCognition Raises $6M for Predictive Cybersecurity
Austin—[Updated 6/26/17, 10 a.m. See below.] Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity company SparkCognition has closed a $6 million Series B funding round from investors that include Verizon Ventures and CME Ventures. The startup plans to spend the new money on gaining customers for its machine-learning technology that aims to predict when a company’s systems might fail … Continue reading “Austin’s SparkCognition Raises $6M for Predictive Cybersecurity”
Panama Papers Leak: The New Normal?
Imagine if robbing banks were so easy and common that the only headlines were about all the taxes the thieves were avoiding. Cybercrime has become so expected and normal that media coverage of the Panama Papers leak has barely mentioned law firm Mossack Fonseca’s failure to protect its most valuable and sensitive assets: the files … Continue reading “Panama Papers Leak: The New Normal?”
SparkCognition Lands $6,000,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=62025ce2-c3d3-4529-940d-2845718fb8e7 Date 4/26/2016 Company Name SparkCognition Mailing Address 4030 W. Braker Lane Austin, TX 78759 USA Company Description SparkPredict applies sophisticated algorithms to vast quantities of sensor data imbuing the Industrial Internet with intelligence. Next-generation AI-driven prognostics warn operators about failures before they occur, identify sub-optimal operating conditions and assist with root-cause … Continue reading “SparkCognition Lands $6,000,000 Series B Financing”
Near-Term FDA Nod Unlikely For Duchenne Drug After Negative Vote
In a close 7-6 vote, a committee of medical experts said today that eteplirsen, a drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, has not met the bar set by the FDA for approval, which could make the drug the third Duchenne treatment in recent months to face FDA rejection, adding to the frustration of a tight-knit … Continue reading “Near-Term FDA Nod Unlikely For Duchenne Drug After Negative Vote”
Houston’s MolecularMatch Expands Cancer Patient Treatment Service
Houston — Since MolecularMatch launched its web-based service to connect patients to clinical trials two years ago, the startup has received more than 250,000 searches by people seeking cancer treatment. “We don’t know if each of those people successfully ended up in a clinical trial,” says CEO Kevin Coker, citing privacy rules that patients agree to once … Continue reading “Houston’s MolecularMatch Expands Cancer Patient Treatment Service”