Category: Texas

Energy Storage Tech Catches On, But Policy Is Still Catching Up

The electric grid we have today operates largely as it has for decades—electricity produced and dispatched across power lines is used by customers right away. But nearly 30 years ago, a tiny North Carolina electric cooperative did something no other electric utility had done before. It used a battery to store some of that grid … Continue reading “Energy Storage Tech Catches On, But Policy Is Still Catching Up”

Alert Media Lands $2,699,997 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c71c0ec4-ab27-4985-91d2-e4b923330a3c Date 4/25/2016 Company Name Alert Media Mailing Address 3101 Bee Caves Rd. Austin, TX 78746 USA Company Description AlertMedia helps you securely and effectively monitor threats, streamline notifications, and improve business resilience and safety. Our fully-integrated, cloud-based software platform delivers two-way communications and event monitoring that protect organizations, improve operations, and … Continue reading “Alert Media Lands $2,699,997 New Round”

With New Partner, Rackspace Builds Out Support for Rivals’ Clouds

San Antonio — [Updated 4/27/16, 3:32 p.m. See below.] Cloud-computing giant Rackspace has made a deal to work with a Boston company that helps large businesses transfer their IT services to cloud-based infrastructures like Amazon Web Services. It’s a move that comes as Rackspace is increasingly finding ways to make money along with the public … Continue reading “With New Partner, Rackspace Builds Out Support for Rivals’ Clouds”

Purdue’s Fintech Experiment: An Alternative to Pricy Student Loans

Purdue University, which prides itself on teaching innovation, is joining with a financial technology startup in an unusual partnership that may pave the way for lower-cost tuition payment options for students at other higher education institutions some day. Starting May 2, juniors and seniors at West Lafayette, IN-based Purdue can apply for a novel source … Continue reading “Purdue’s Fintech Experiment: An Alternative to Pricy Student Loans”

ViZn Energy Receives $10,080,565 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8d8eb645-f092-491e-b1d9-3f309c87f802 Date 4/22/2016 Company Name ViZn Energy Mailing Address 7000 North Mopac Expressway Austin, TX 78731 USA Company Description ViZn Energy Systems provides micro-grid scale energy storage solutions to operators of utilities, thin-grids and island grids that have a significant renewable energy production component. Our products deliver a uniquely safe, reliable and … Continue reading “ViZn Energy Receives $10,080,565 Series B Financing”

Announcing Xconomy Cybersecurity Channel

It doesn’t seem to matter where you live, what you do, or what industry your company is in—the likelihood of a cyber attack is growing, and protecting yourself is ever more front of mind. Xconomy’s editors around the United States have certainly encountered that reality, as they are increasingly covering more and more cybersecurity issues. … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Cybersecurity Channel”

San Antonio Startup Merge VR Expands Retail Reach In GameStop Deal

San Antonio — San Antonio-based Merge VR, a virtual reality headset maker with a device that can be used with most new Android or iOS phones, announced this week that it has signed a deal with gaming giant GameStop and lowered the price of its headset to $80. The deal is just one of “several more” … Continue reading “San Antonio Startup Merge VR Expands Retail Reach In GameStop Deal”

Amid Coding School Boom, Eleven Fifty Aims to Meet a Local Need

A little over a year ago, John Qualls, a veteran entrepreneur and leader in the Indianapolis area’s business community, decided to try something slightly different for his next career move. At the time Qualls was working as an executive at BlueLock, a company he started in 2006 that develops software to help clients manage data … Continue reading “Amid Coding School Boom, Eleven Fifty Aims to Meet a Local Need”

EverlyWell Receives $2,500,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4c1f8265-8e15-4926-b6de-b1971c9be9c0 Date 4/21/2016 Company Name EverlyWell Mailing Address 300 W. 6th Street Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description EverlyWell believes that diagnostic tests shouldn’t be hard to get. We provide convenient, at-home health tests with results you can actually understand. Join the Everly community to help you live better. Website http://www.everlywell.com Transaction … Continue reading “EverlyWell Receives $2,500,000 Seed Funding Round”

TriFusion Takes Top Prize in Rice Business Plan Competition

Houston — A Texas A&M University-based medical device company aiming to build a better prosthetic now has some new capital to support the effort. TriFusion Devices got a big boost over the weekend as the big winner in this year’s Rice Business Plan Competition, namely winning at least $300,000 in investment from Houston’s Goose Society. “It’s going … Continue reading “TriFusion Takes Top Prize in Rice Business Plan Competition”

Credential Stealing as Attack Vector

Traditional computer security concerns itself with vulnerabilities. We employ antivirus software to detect malware that exploits vulnerabilities. We have automatic patching systems to fix vulnerabilities. We debate whether the FBI should be permitted to introduce vulnerabilities in our software so it can get access to systems with a warrant. This is all important, but what’s … Continue reading “Credential Stealing as Attack Vector”

Tripchamp Lands $2,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1a9b4ef4-e58b-4b61-9d06-bd01bfdb3fc3 Date 4/20/2016 Company Name Tripchamp Mailing Address 1927 Lohmans Crossing Lakeway, TX 78734 USA Company Description Tripchamp is a leading corporate travel booking platform offering a one-stop marketplace for private, public and negotiated fares. It uses evolutionary artificial intelligence to understand travelers’ true needs, provides access to inventory that other companies … Continue reading “Tripchamp Lands $2,000,000 New Funding Round”

Ready Or Not: Next Alzheimer’s Drugs Might Strain Health Systems

By 2029, more than 20 percent of people in the United States will be over the age of 65. That’s why the race to find effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease feels urgent. A few drugs, approved well over a decade ago, can slow patients’ mental decline for some time. But everything else that has reached … Continue reading “Ready Or Not: Next Alzheimer’s Drugs Might Strain Health Systems”

Tour of Texas: Surge Ventures, Dell, Fannin Innovation, CellRight

Let’s take a moment to pause in the building of our ark to deal with the torrents of rain and floodwaters here at Xconomy Texas’ Houston headquarters, and reflect on the last week’s innovation news: Austin: —Dell Computer purchased EMC hoping to benefit by being able to offer its hardware along with the Massachusetts company’s … Continue reading “Tour of Texas: Surge Ventures, Dell, Fannin Innovation, CellRight”

Agenda Posted For Napa Summit: Request Invite to Star-Studded Event

It’s four weeks until Napa Summit 2016: The Xconomy Retreat on the Economy, Jobs, and Growth. We have now posted the agenda, and we’d love to see you there. So request your invitation today to Xconomy’s most prestigious event. The dates are May 16 and 17, starting with a wine reception and dinner at Silver … Continue reading “Agenda Posted For Napa Summit: Request Invite to Star-Studded Event”

Caringo Garners $1,500,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=81729459-ade3-47df-adfa-1353ab1e44f6 Date 4/18/2016 Company Name Caringo Mailing Address 6801 North Capital of Texas Highway Austin, TX 78731 USA Company Description Caringo develops software-defined object storage software that gives you control over any volume, velocity or variability of unstructured information; radically reducing complexity and costs while extracting the maximum value and performance from … Continue reading “Caringo Garners $1,500,000 New Round”

Edgile Lands $35,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9844b9f7-5c13-40b2-8b53-e5cd516bb2a7 Date 4/18/2016 Company Name Edgile Mailing Address 7000 N. Mopac Expressway Austin, TX 78731 USA Company Description Edgile was established in 2001 by a team of partners and senior managers from the Big 4 consulting firms to deliver strategic security services to Fortune 500 organizations. Website http://www.edgile.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Edgile Lands $35,000,000 New Funding Round”

How a San Antonio Company Joined In to Help Conjoined Twins In Need

San Antonio — [Corrected 4:05 p.m. See below.] For a few hours this week, the country was focused on a pair of infant twins in the South Texas town of Corpus Christi, who were conjoined below the waist. Surgeons at Driscoll Children’s Hospital successfully separated the 10-month old babies, Ximena and Scarlett Hernandez-Torres, after 12 … Continue reading “How a San Antonio Company Joined In to Help Conjoined Twins In Need”

Oil Price’s Dip Challenges Energy Entrepreneurs to Rise

Houston — Amid the fallout of Surge Ventures’ failure to thrive are the 32 portfolio companies that remain. These startups, with which Surge founder Kirk Coburn has said he will continue to work, are innovating in a variety of energy fields, by leveraging new apps and software, and novel hardware. They all face their biggest entrepreneurial … Continue reading “Oil Price’s Dip Challenges Energy Entrepreneurs to Rise”

First-Quarter VC Activity Buoyant at $12.1 Billion, & Top 10 Deals

Venture capital firms invested $12.1 billion in 969 startup deals nationwide during the first three months of 2016, marking the ninth consecutive quarter when VCs invested at least $10 billion in new companies, according to the MoneyTree Report. The top 10 deals accounted for 25 percent of all capital deployed during the quarter, and was … Continue reading “First-Quarter VC Activity Buoyant at $12.1 Billion, & Top 10 Deals”

RigUp Receives $15,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=139e9ff7-e0fa-4209-9827-6b931d788793 Date 4/15/2016 Company Name RigUp Mailing Address 701 Brazos St. Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description RigUp is a platform for the energy industry to digitally interact in a more efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly way. Website http://www.rigup.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “RigUp Receives $15,000,000 New Financing Round”

New Trinity Program Offers Paid Internships at San Antonio Startups

San Antonio — Two local tech-related organizations have announced a new program with Trinity University that will offer paid internships at San Antonio startups this summer. Called Students + Startups, the 10-week program will pay 30 students a $4,000 stipend, cover the cost of on-campus housing, and pay for one academic credit hour. It is … Continue reading “New Trinity Program Offers Paid Internships at San Antonio Startups”

Soul-searching in Houston on Energy Innovation as Surge Closes

Houston — Since Surge Ventures closed its cleantech/energy venture accelerator last week, the question lingering has been, If a Surge can’t succeed in Houston—the energy capital of the world—then where? Houston’s prowess in energy turned out to be Surge’s Achilles heel: a lack of buy-in from incumbent oil and gas companies and electric utilities, says Surge founder Kirk Coburn. … Continue reading “Soul-searching in Houston on Energy Innovation as Surge Closes”

PrideBites Lands $700,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f70b32a1-5ccb-4d6c-9207-45843f833df5 Date 4/14/2016 Company Name PrideBites Mailing Address 8906 Wall Street Austin, TX 78754 USA Company Description When PrideBites™ started, we were just a group of dog loving college friends. We were unhappy with the look, feel, and versatility of dog toys on the market, so we decided to create one ourselves. … Continue reading “PrideBites Lands $700,000 New Round”

OneSpot Obtains $3,268,526 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3b613c84-1c13-4dbe-8016-4e8d9245ce2a Date 4/14/2016 Company Name OneSpot Mailing Address 701 Brazos St. Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description OneSpot aggregates, filters, and prioritizes the best content, curated by you. The company’s patent-pending Publishing as a Service platform provides a fundamentally new and better model for media sites, traditional publishers. Website http://www.onespot.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “OneSpot Obtains $3,268,526 Series A Financing Round”

After EMC, Dell Buyouts, Spanning Focused on Data Backup, Ransomware

Austin — The broad-stroke reasoning behind the Dell and EMC merger has been discussed for months: Dell is hoping to benefit from being able to simultaneously offer its computers, servers, and other hardware alongside EMC’s data storage, virtualization, security, and various other computing and data-focused services. But there are other parts of Hopkinton, MA-based EMC (NYSE: … Continue reading “After EMC, Dell Buyouts, Spanning Focused on Data Backup, Ransomware”

“Start Here, Exit Here”: Dallas Startup Week Begins Its Second Year

Dallas — Aside from an unexpected—and unwelcome—surprise ice storm courtesy of Mother Nature, the first Dallas Startup Week last year went off without a hitch. “Other than that, we had very little negative feedback, which was surprising,” jokes Mike Sitarzewski, founder and CEO of Epic Playground and a chief organizer of Dallas Startup Week, “so … Continue reading ““Start Here, Exit Here”: Dallas Startup Week Begins Its Second Year”

Catapult Health Receives $1,407,590 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6ecf401b-43f1-467c-af50-8f8fb92e50e1 Date 4/12/2016 Company Name Catapult Health Mailing Address 8144 Walnut Hill Lane Dallas, TX 75231 USA Company Description Catapult Health provides on-site health care services to companies seeking to lower the risks and reduce the costs associated with employee health care. Website http://www.catapulthealth.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,407,590 Transaction … Continue reading “Catapult Health Receives $1,407,590 New Funding”

Testlio Secures $6,250,000 Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=59156f23-34f4-4332-bb3e-943957751ffe Date 4/12/2016 Company Name Testlio Mailing Address 701 Brazos Street Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description We believe that a small yet dedicated team can still build a simple, elegant, and useful platform that can enable new forms of testing and better products for millions of people. Website http://www.testlio.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Testlio Secures $6,250,000 Series A Round”

A Pivotal Factor In M&A Deals: Cyber Risk

Big merger and acquisition proposals trigger intense examinations of the benefits and risks of the deal from both sides—valuations, assets, legal liabilities, operational risk exposures, and compatibility, among others. However, it is also critical that companies elevate another factor to the top of the priority list: their cyber risk exposure. The pending acquisition of Starwood … Continue reading “A Pivotal Factor In M&A Deals: Cyber Risk”

Kirk Coburn Announces Closure of Houston’s Surge Ventures

Houston — Kirk Coburn, founder of Surge Ventures, on Friday posted a “Dear John” letter saying Surge is closed. In a tersely worded blog post, Coburn wrote: “I received an e-mail from a senior oil and gas executive a few months ago stating, ‘There is noise from some that Surge is ‘dead.” I have given into … Continue reading “Kirk Coburn Announces Closure of Houston’s Surge Ventures”

Steve Case’s Rules for Building Startups in Internet’s “Third Wave”

Software could be poised to truly transform entrenched sectors like healthcare, education, financial services, and more. But the next wave of software companies will take longer to build than some entrepreneurs have grown accustomed to in the smartphone era, and success will require more patience and willingness to work closely with policymakers and industry stakeholders. … Continue reading “Steve Case’s Rules for Building Startups in Internet’s “Third Wave””

For San Antonio’s Consideration: A Biotech Incubator and Accelerator

San Antonio — [Updated, 1:55 p.m. See below.] Most research institutions or universities have at least one success story, a medicine or therapy developed there that made a big impact. Some have many. For the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, a 70-year-old nonprofit biomedical-focused institute with 56 researchers on staff based in Oklahoma City, OK, what first … Continue reading “For San Antonio’s Consideration: A Biotech Incubator and Accelerator”

The Case For An Internet Franchise Model

Internet service in America is not what it should be. Most consumers have two choices for access: the phone company or the cable company. By a quirk of fate, networks built with cables designed for television service can deliver more Internet bandwidth than networks built with cables designed for telephone service. So, the cable company … Continue reading “The Case For An Internet Franchise Model”

Vested Finance Secures $2,225,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d1f71be7-7b5e-4882-a3bc-6c9785ca9fb8 Date 4/8/2016 Company Name Vested Finance Mailing Address 111 Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description Through VESTED-funded Income Share Agreements (ISA’s), students will have access to a financial vehicle that allows them the opportunity to pay for their college education without incurring student loan debt. Website http://www.vestedfinance.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Vested Finance Secures $2,225,000 New Financing Round”

How Startups Can Run Better Landing Page Tests

In today’s fast-changing world, new product teams are constantly pushed to do more faster. They need to run fast to keep up with rapidly changing market conditions. Oftentimes it means making decisions about what to invest in with very little information. How can teams validate hypotheses without over-investing on speculative engineering projects, and potentially losing … Continue reading “How Startups Can Run Better Landing Page Tests”

Tour of Texas: Cancer Moonshot, Lumos, Robyn Metcalfe, & Esperance

It’s time to hit the road and catch up with the latest innovation news in the state. Austin: —Part of the mission of the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas is to both bring leading scientists to the state and support the research of those already here. This week it said that some of … Continue reading “Tour of Texas: Cancer Moonshot, Lumos, Robyn Metcalfe, & Esperance”

As Demand For Developers Rises, Denim Group Founders Stress Security

San Antonio—Dan Cornell and Sheridan Chambers had barely graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio—Chambers in 1997, and Cornell a year later—when they sold their first company, Atension, in 1999 to then-publicly traded Rare Medium Group. Their stint at Rare, which suffered the same fate as many dot-com-era software businesses when the bubble burst in … Continue reading “As Demand For Developers Rises, Denim Group Founders Stress Security”

RiverVest Opens San Diego Office That’s Been 10 Years in the Making

RiverVest Venture Partners has stayed mostly under the radar as a small-but-active investor in San Diego life sciences startups for the past 10 years or so. After making investments in San Diego’s Cabrellis Pharmaceuticals and Conforma Therapeutics, the St. Louis, MO-based firm recruited Niall O’Donnell in 2006 to oversee the firm’s deals in San Diego. … Continue reading “RiverVest Opens San Diego Office That’s Been 10 Years in the Making”

Aeglea BioTherapeutics Lands $50,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6adad5ee-6ddc-4377-9f32-6e5da16aac88 Date 4/7/2016 Company Name Aeglea BioTherapeutics Mailing Address 815 Brazos Street Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description Aeglea BioTherapeutics (NASDAQ: AGLE) is developing two drugs invented at UT Austin, novel engineered human enzymes that degrade the amino acids L-methionine (L-Met), or L- arginine (LArg) in the circulation. These drugs target the … Continue reading “Aeglea BioTherapeutics Lands $50,000,000 New Round”

Lumos Pharma Raises $34M to Fund Clinical Trials for CTD Drug

Austin — Lumos Pharma has raised $34 million in a Series B round to help pay for clinical trials this summer for a potential therapy for creatine transporter deficiency (CTD). The Austin, TX-based biotech company believes its drug candidate, LUM-001, can turn the debilitating disease into a more manageable condition. About 42,000 Americans were born with and … Continue reading “Lumos Pharma Raises $34M to Fund Clinical Trials for CTD Drug”

Announcing Xconomy Indiana—11th Region in Our Network

Just over two years ago, when we launched Xconomy Wisconsin as the ninth region in our network, I wrote: “There are no flyover zones in the United States. That’s the way Xconomy views the map, anyway, because we see innovation happening all over America.” Since that time, we expanded again, to Raleigh-Durham. And I am … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Indiana—11th Region in Our Network”

Lumos Pharma Receives $34,000,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bbb4782a-ae0f-406f-9b0f-60bad94a56ba Date 4/6/2016 Company Name Lumos Pharma Mailing Address 4200 Marathon Blvd. Austin, TX 78756 USA Company Description Lumos Pharma, based in Austin, Texas, is an early stage biotechnology company created to develop and commercialize a novel treatment for the rare disease Creatine Transporter Deficiency. Website http://www.lumos-pharma.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “Lumos Pharma Receives $34,000,000 Series B Round”

Five Questions For: Robyn Metcalfe, Director of Food+City at UT-Austin

Austin — Cities are planned in a number of ways, from roads to utilities to parks. Robyn Metcalfe wants that focus to apply to the way our food is distributed. As director of Food+City, a multi-departmental effort at the University of Texas at Austin, Metcalfe is exploring how to create a better food system. “We’re … Continue reading “Five Questions For: Robyn Metcalfe, Director of Food+City at UT-Austin”

Software Study Ranks San Diego #7, Cites Prowess in Scientific R&D

A study to assess the strength of San Diego’s software sector has determined that it ranks seventh among the top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas, according to a “software power index” that weighs a variety of economic factors. The study, released last week by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., is the first comprehensive analysis … Continue reading “Software Study Ranks San Diego #7, Cites Prowess in Scientific R&D”

Making the Price Right: Ideas To Change Drug Costs Gain Momentum

If the U.S. presidential primaries continue their current trajectories, the two contenders come autumn will have at least one thing in common: a stated desire to do something about high drug prices. Maybe you believe them, and maybe you think they’re blowing smoke up our nether regions. But momentum is momentum. With consumers, doctors, and … Continue reading “Making the Price Right: Ideas To Change Drug Costs Gain Momentum”

Old Dog, New Tests: Embark Uses DNA Kit to Promote Canine Health

Austin — Human genetic testing is an increasingly popular way to gain bio-intelligence about ourselves and potentially ward off illness. Now, some startups want to enable us to do the same for man’s best friend. Embark Veterinary is an Austin, TX, startup that is offering what it says is the first canine DNA test to … Continue reading “Old Dog, New Tests: Embark Uses DNA Kit to Promote Canine Health”