Dell Acquisition in the Air, EMC Gets No Love From Entrepreneurs

As the biggest tech company in Massachusetts, EMC is both highly influential and much maligned. Tech startups in data storage and cloud services are gunning for its business. Entrepreneurs and venture investors say the company’s policies hurt the flow of talent in the innovation community. And despite its size and influence—think $50 billion market cap—most … Continue reading “Dell Acquisition in the Air, EMC Gets No Love From Entrepreneurs”

Procyrion Garners $10,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9c991e0f-79f1-4e54-8dbb-b12c91315539 Date 10/9/2015 Company Name Procyrion Mailing Address 3900 Essex Lane Houston, TX 77027 USA Company Description The Procyrion device consists of a small, continuous flow pump mounted within a self-expanding anchoring system. The device is advanced through a catheter in the femoral artery to the descending thoracic aorta. The self-expanding anchors … Continue reading “Procyrion Garners $10,000,000 Series B Financing”

Houston Biotech Nets $10M to Develop Circulatory Support Device

Procyrion, a Houston biotech developing a device to treat chronic heart failure, has raised $10 million. The company has built a circulatory support pump named the Aortix that essentially serves as a crutch for the heart, aiding the organ to push more blood through the circulatory system and to vital organs. The device, which is … Continue reading “Houston Biotech Nets $10M to Develop Circulatory Support Device”

Techstars’ Cohen on Promoting Diversity and Preparing for a Downturn

Techstars has made its views on diversity in the tech sector no secret. The Boulder, CO-based accelerator operator made commitments to the White House earlier this year, alongside various other prominent national organizations, to improve diversity in the industry by doubling the number of women or underrepresented minorities in its startup programs. Even more recently, … Continue reading “Techstars’ Cohen on Promoting Diversity and Preparing for a Downturn”

Austin, TX’s Curb Raises $1.25M for “Smart Home” Energy Software

Austin, TX cleantech startup Curb has nabbed $1.25 million in investment that comes after the company ran a successful Indiegogo campaign that was oversubscribed by more than 300 percent. In August, Curb raised $120,000 through crowdfunding. That helped the company raise the more than one million in seed funding from angel groups and the Capital … Continue reading “Austin, TX’s Curb Raises $1.25M for “Smart Home” Energy Software”

Biopharma CEOs, VCs, and Hedge Fund Managers: Fifty Shades of Greed

I just returned from a family vacation and was going through my accumulated mail. I got a notice that the terms of my auto loan were being adjusted. Instead of paying $300 a month, I was shocked to find out that I would now be paying $16,667 per month. My car company (the lender) explained … Continue reading “Biopharma CEOs, VCs, and Hedge Fund Managers: Fifty Shades of Greed”

Ordoro Obtains $1,499,999 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1a627a39-8f19-4f40-9496-92450869ebb9 Date 10/7/2015 Company Name Ordoro Mailing Address 101 W 6th St. Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description Ordoro is a provider of a web-based order and web-based inventory management service. Website http://www.ordoro.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,499,999 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory … Continue reading “Ordoro Obtains $1,499,999 New Funding Round”

Texas Roundup: RunTitle, BioHouston, Civitas, OncoReponse, DNAtrix

Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from around Texas: —Austin, TX-based RunTitle has raised $8 million in venture capital. San Francisco-based Founders Fund led the round with investments from Deep Fork Capital and Austin Ventures, among others. RunTitle has digitized mineral-rights records and was in Houston’s Surge cleantech accelerator two years ago. … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: RunTitle, BioHouston, Civitas, OncoReponse, DNAtrix”

BioHouston’s Northcut Steps Down, Tanabe Becomes CEO

Jacqueline Northcut, the chief executive officer of BioHouston, announced Tuesday she has resigned. The organization said that chief operating officer Ann Tanabe will assume the top post. In a separate e-mail to contacts, Northcut said she has not yet decided on her next steps. “I am proud of the work that has been accomplished during … Continue reading “BioHouston’s Northcut Steps Down, Tanabe Becomes CEO”

Houston’s M.D. Anderson, Theraclone Launch Immunotherapy Startup

A Seattle biotech and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center announced the formation of a new company seeking to find personalized antibodies that help fight cancer. The new company, OncoResponse, will be based in Houston and is a joint venture between the Houston cancer institution and Theraclone, a therapeutic antibody discovery company that … Continue reading “Houston’s M.D. Anderson, Theraclone Launch Immunotherapy Startup”

Amid Nobel Prize Suspense, Making Sense Of Latest Gene-Editing News

There was a meeting Monday in Washington, D.C., to discuss some of the latest advances in gene editing, a field that has profound medical, agricultural, social, and ethical implications for society. At the lunch break, the webcast played over and over a genteel piece of classical music—Albinoni’s string concerto No. 4 in G major, to … Continue reading “Amid Nobel Prize Suspense, Making Sense Of Latest Gene-Editing News”

TVA Medical Lands $15,000,000 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f34d3e51-f4ed-40c1-9bf8-183b521f5dc8 Date 10/6/2015 Company Name TVA Medical Mailing Address 7000 Bee Cave Rd. Austin, TX 78746 USA Company Description TVA Medical, Inc. (TVA) is a medical device company developing minimally invasive therapies for End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Website http://www.tvamedical.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “TVA Medical Lands $15,000,000 Series C Funding Round”

Dallas-Fort Worth Aims to Boost Life Sciences Ecosystem

North Texas bio ecosystem, know thyself. That was the goal last week at a conference sponsored by the newly reconstituted Bio North Texas, an advocacy group that is promoting life science commercialization in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “There really is a lot more going on here” when you stop to take a look, says Melissa … Continue reading “Dallas-Fort Worth Aims to Boost Life Sciences Ecosystem”

From Dance Clubs to Syn Bio: MIT’s Collins on Startups, Second Chances

It happens over and over again with new science. A discovery prompts crazy hype and massive investment that the data aren’t ready to support. A crash ensues, backers lose millions, egos are bruised—yet the pioneers slowly trudge forward. They regroup, away from the limelight, and try to learn from failure. When it comes to synthetic … Continue reading “From Dance Clubs to Syn Bio: MIT’s Collins on Startups, Second Chances”

Perk.com Obtains $3,760,766 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a161068b-3197-4105-81b3-de7097bffcbf Date 10/2/2015 Company Name Perk.com Mailing Address 720 Brazos Street Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description Perk was formed in December, 2009 headquartered in Austin, TX. Perk provides a rewards platform targeting consumers primarily by rewards for people’s every day mobile and internet activities. Website http://www.perk.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “Perk.com Obtains $3,760,766 New Funding Round”

Aceable Nets $3M to Fuel Expansion of Mobile Driver’s Education App

Aceable, an Austin, TX, startup with a driver’s education app for teens and other soon-to-be drivers, has raised an additional $3 million in seed funding. The investment, which was led by Austin venture capital firm Silverton Partners, brings the startup’s total funding to $4.7 million and will be used to expand its offerings to other … Continue reading “Aceable Nets $3M to Fuel Expansion of Mobile Driver’s Education App”

Houston Biotech DNAtrix Partners With Merck on Brain Cancer Treatment

Houston-based DNAtrix is using a relatively quotidian tool to treat brain cancer: the common cold virus. And today the biotech says it has enlisted some big firepower to help it develop its drug candidate, the pharmaceutical giant Merck. The two companies will collaborate in phase II clinical trials on a therapy to treat glioblastoma, an especially … Continue reading “Houston Biotech DNAtrix Partners With Merck on Brain Cancer Treatment”

Bio Slump Hits IPOs as Edge, Mirna Cut Prices, Upsize to Close Deals

Biotech’s recent slump has crept into the IPO window. On one hand, the latest two biotechs to hold IPOs—Edge Therapeutics and Mirna Therapeutics—were able to close deals and prep for their debuts on the Nasdaq this morning. On the other hand, both biotechs had to scale back their offerings to get out. Edge, of Berkeley Heights, … Continue reading “Bio Slump Hits IPOs as Edge, Mirna Cut Prices, Upsize to Close Deals”

Aceable Receives $4,700,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c62a9d24-b026-49de-8ec5-b0bfeb6f699a Date 10/1/2015 Company Name Aceable Mailing Address 701 Brazos Street Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description Aceable is a team of techies, teachers, and driving educators from Texas. Our mission is to create safer drivers using the latest technology. The way teens learn is evolving, and driving safety is too important … Continue reading “Aceable Receives $4,700,000 New Round”

For Damaged ACLs, It’s Aperion and Pig Tendons to the Rescue

The premise of Aperion Biologics’ business is a bit of a no-brainer: Provide the market with a product used to repair anterior cruciate ligaments of the knee, because there is demand and not necessarily enough supply. The way the San Antonio, TX-based company does that is a bit more complicated. Aperion uses a patented process … Continue reading “For Damaged ACLs, It’s Aperion and Pig Tendons to the Rescue”

Spaceflight Buys SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket for 2017 Rideshare Mission

Seattle space business Spaceflight, which sends its customers’ small satellites into orbit by renting excess capacity on other companies’ launch vehicles, bought a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX to conduct its own dedicated “rideshare” mission in 2017. By controlling the entire mission, Spaceflight can cater to higher-value customers who weren’t willing to trade the cost … Continue reading “Spaceflight Buys SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket for 2017 Rideshare Mission”

MicroTransponder Secures $3,895,682 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9e8b3e8a-5541-4a9b-a52c-b8ffad1f6bcd Date 9/30/2015 Company Name MicroTransponder Mailing Address 2802 Flintrock Trace Austin, TX 78738 USA Company Description MicroTransponder Inc. is a medical device development company with a strong neuroscience research focus. Our core technology is based on a previous technology developed in the DARPA Revolutionizing Prosthetics program by Dr. Larry Cauller at … Continue reading “MicroTransponder Secures $3,895,682 Series C Funding Round”

Mirna Therapeutics Secures $44,100,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=64736bd9-cca6-4a39-a0b6-400c2ed71039 Date 9/30/2015 Company Name Mirna Therapeutics Mailing Address 2150 Woodward St. Austin, TX 78744 USA Company Description Mirna Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIRN) is a biopharmaceutical company developing a broad pipeline of microRNA-based oncology therapeutics and is the first to establish clinical proof-of-concept for a microRNA replacement therapy for cancer. Website http://www.mirnatherapeutics.com … Continue reading “Mirna Therapeutics Secures $44,100,000 New Financing”

Spiceworks New CFO Brings Lessons From Twitter to IT Networking

Austin, TX’s Spiceworks—the biggest social network you’ve probably never heard of—continues to grow apace, adding 100 employees in the last year. The company, which is akin to both a LinkedIn (for a social network) and an iTunes (a one-stop shop for products and services) aimed at IT professionals at small to mid-sized companies recently hired Amir … Continue reading “Spiceworks New CFO Brings Lessons From Twitter to IT Networking”

My Déjà Vu Moment in Genomics: Why We Need Industry Standards Now

I am a serial entrepreneur who has spent the past couple of decades advancing the front lines of technology in digital healthcare, wireless communications, and semiconductor industries. And I’ve been experiencing a déjà vu moment in genomics. Back in 1994, when I was designing electrical circuits as part of my doctorate program at the University … Continue reading “My Déjà Vu Moment in Genomics: Why We Need Industry Standards Now”

Warburg Pincus Leads $60M Infusion into Austin Edtech Firm Civitas

Private equity giant Warburg Pincus is leading an investment round of up to $60 million for Austin, TX-based Civitas Learning. Civitas sells software to higher education institutions that is designed to help students make better curriculum and degree decisions. Civitas uses data analytics and builds school-specific predictive models around student enrollment, engagement, and graduation rates. … Continue reading “Warburg Pincus Leads $60M Infusion into Austin Edtech Firm Civitas”

Trinity’s Fred Wang on Thinking Outside the Silicon Valley Box

When it comes to investing in technology startups, anywhere beyond Silicon Valley is considered a “secondary market.” It’s just not possible to find a comparable density of super angel investors, venture capital firms, and tech startups anywhere else. Of the nearly $31 billion that venture firms have invested nationwide through the first half of 2015, … Continue reading “Trinity’s Fred Wang on Thinking Outside the Silicon Valley Box”

Civitas Learning Lands $60,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=81f85c24-933e-4097-af73-f01f7019085b Date 9/28/2015 Company Name Civitas Learning Mailing Address 100 Congress Street Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description Using a cloud-based predictive analytics platform and engaging applications, the company delivers personalized, real-time recommendations directly to students, faculty, advisors and administrators to inform decisions, big and small, across the student lifecycle. Website http://www.civitaslearning.com … Continue reading “Civitas Learning Lands $60,000,000 New Round”

FanDuel Acquires AlphaDraft for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c3fcb1b8-a760-44e0-983c-157fa3bfce78 Date 9/25/2015 Company Name AlphaDraft Mailing Address 3824 Cedar Springs Rd. Dallas, TX 75219 USA Company Description AlphaDraft operates an online fantasy sports service. Website http://www.alphadraft.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed by the companies.

Ziosk Obtains $100,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1c1d8ace-97a2-49d6-bf7a-2c289813c4b3 Date 9/25/2015 Company Name Ziosk Mailing Address 12404 Park Central Drive Dallas, TX 75251 USA Company Description Ziosk is the creator of the first entertainment, ordering and pay-at-the-table tablet for the restaurant market. The industry leader commanding 95 percent of the installed tabletop tablet market, Ziosk has deployed more than 150,000 … Continue reading “Ziosk Obtains $100,000,000 New Financing Round”

Houston’s Wine4Me Gets First Taste of IBM Watson Developer Program

Navigating the scores of wines available on a trip to Napa Valley six years ago, Houston entrepreneur Amy Gross wondered why there wasn’t a more scientific way to pick the perfect glass. “If music can be characterized objectively like Pandora, why can’t wine?” says Gross, recalling a conversation with her husband. “Why do we have … Continue reading “Houston’s Wine4Me Gets First Taste of IBM Watson Developer Program”

Dallas-Based DriverUp Bolsters Lending Marketplace With $20M Series B

DriverUp, a Dallas, TX-based online market for investing in auto loans that launched in February, has received a $20 million Series B funding round that it plans to use to bolster its marketing and product development efforts. DriverUp provides investors access to loans used by consumers to buy cars. Those investors are typically groups such … Continue reading “Dallas-Based DriverUp Bolsters Lending Marketplace With $20M Series B”

DriverUp Lands $20,000,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d56d48b0-ad21-493c-a7f6-800d9c19ae4d Date 9/24/2015 Company Name DriverUp Mailing Address 2601 North Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX 78705 USA Company Description DriverUp is an online marketplace built exclusively for automotive financing. DriverUp is powered by Sierra Auto Finance, a nationally recognized specialty auto finance company. We are the first platform that enables investors to easily … Continue reading “DriverUp Lands $20,000,000 Series B Funding Round”

Shkreli Implodes And Provides Hillary A Perfect Medicare Moment

It was already a good political time for Hillary Clinton to unveil her plan to control the cost of prescription drugs. Martin Shkreli made it perfect. As you’ve probably heard by now, the front-running Democratic candidate Clinton on Tuesday outlined about a dozen ways she would aim to alter the American healthcare landscape if elected … Continue reading “Shkreli Implodes And Provides Hillary A Perfect Medicare Moment”

New Frontiers: Space Tech Ecosystem Begins to Grow Around Spaceport

An incubator designed to boost space tech startups could be operating in Houston in as soon as two years. The incubator would be one part of the planned Spaceport to be located at Houston’s Ellington Field, the 10th such facility in the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration gave the former U.S. Air Force base … Continue reading “New Frontiers: Space Tech Ecosystem Begins to Grow Around Spaceport”

Texas Roundup: Surge, MEST, Vinli, TMCx, Comfy, Omni Water, Emerge

Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news from around Texas. —The biggest news this past week was learning that Houston’s Surge Ventures has canceled its accelerator program indefinitely. Founder Kirk Coburn told me how and why he came to that decision. —Cutting edge research and a talented management team are key to bringing innovative … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Surge, MEST, Vinli, TMCx, Comfy, Omni Water, Emerge”

Houston’s Fannin Forms Company to Fight Inflammation-Induced Cancers

Houston’s Fannin Innovation Studio is forming a new biotech startup to add to its portfolio called ACF Pharmaceuticals, along with the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and a Michigan-based drug company. ACF Pharmaceuticals, which will be based in Houston, will work closely with MD Anderson and Ann Arbor, MI-based Cayman Chemical on discovering … Continue reading “Houston’s Fannin Forms Company to Fight Inflammation-Induced Cancers”

Kickstarting Entrepreneurs in San Diego by Testing Market Demand

In the six or seven years since Kickstarter and Indiegogo launched their crowdfunding sites, the way entrepreneurs raise money to finance their endeavors has fundamentally changed. These two companies have become the gold standard for helping entrepreneurs get their startups off the ground. In the old days (before 2008), an entrepreneur would typically come up … Continue reading “Kickstarting Entrepreneurs in San Diego by Testing Market Demand”

RunTitle Receives $7,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2df04dd0-0c20-48c4-9b05-aefad8bc2679 Date 9/21/2015 Company Name RunTitle Mailing Address 210 Barton Springs Road Austin, TX 78704 USA Company Description RunTitle is the only online marketplace for mineral ownership information. We’ve teamed up with professional landmen and oil & gas companies from around the nation to create a powerful platform unlike anything this industry … Continue reading “RunTitle Receives $7,000,000 New Financing Round”

Kirk Coburn Talks About Accelerator’s Halt at Houston’s Surge Ventures

[Editor’s Note: Xconomy reported Thursday that Houston’s Surge Ventures would not host a fifth consecutive accelerator class. ] Surge founder Kirk Coburn surprised many in the audience at a recent Rice University conference by saying the four-year-old accelerator program would be put on hold. But in an interview Friday, Coburn says the decision makes sense … Continue reading “Kirk Coburn Talks About Accelerator’s Halt at Houston’s Surge Ventures”

Reality Check: Cancer Experts Discuss Hurdles Facing CAR-T Therapy

There’s a lot of excitement these days about a type of cellular immunotherapy known as CAR-T, a method of modifying peoples’ immune cells to fight cancer. But you could also fill a book listing all the problems its makers will have to solve—how to test, manufacture, and even the define the nature of these cancer-killing … Continue reading “Reality Check: Cancer Experts Discuss Hurdles Facing CAR-T Therapy”

Mangstor Lands $10,200,000 Series B Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f7ad7643-1b7b-48ec-a856-b35969cf55fb Date 9/18/2015 Company Name Mangstor Mailing Address 108 Wild Basin Drive Austin, TX 78746 USA Company Description Mangstor is a leading developer of NVMe Flash Storage Solutions to accelerate application workloads in Web-scale and Enterprise Data Centers. Mangstor’s NVMe over Fabric Flash Storage Arrays and NVMe Solid-State devices provide the building … Continue reading “Mangstor Lands $10,200,000 Series B Funding Round”

Houston’s Surge Ventures Hits the Pause Button on Accelerator Program

Houston’s Surge Ventures, founded four years ago to boost innovation in the energy industry, has set its startup accelerator on “pause.” Speaking on a panel at the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship energy funding conference Thursday, Surge founder Kirk Coburn said the focus would now be on the fund’s existing 30-plus companies. “Let’s hit … Continue reading “Houston’s Surge Ventures Hits the Pause Button on Accelerator Program”

Alkami Technology Garners $11,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9605ffb1-a041-4702-8dd8-ccc958eac7ad Date 9/17/2015 Company Name Alkami Technology Mailing Address 5601 Granite Parkway Plano, TX 75024 USA Company Description Our Online Banking Suite and ORB Platform represent a quantum leap forward in the level of control and customization given to the FI, while revolutionizing the user experience provided to customers and members. Website … Continue reading “Alkami Technology Garners $11,000,000 New Financing”

What Fuels Innovation? Houston’s MEST Conference Says Diversity

Sometimes, the best way to fuel the spark of innovation is to spend some time with people who are very different from yourself. That’s the idea behind the second annual MEST conference—that’s Medicine, Energy, Space, and Technology—a gathering that aims to leverage the expertise of seemingly different industries to help solve problems across those businesses. … Continue reading “What Fuels Innovation? Houston’s MEST Conference Says Diversity”

Dallas Startup Vinli Creates Dashboard Tool for Connected Cars

[Corrected 9/21/15, 10:24 a.m. See below.] Vinli, a Dallas-based connected car device maker, is bringing a tablet-style dashboard product to market to be offered in new cars. The company offers a connected-car device, which users plug into a car’s diagnostic data port, that lets developers build apps for automobiles. A user can access any number of … Continue reading “Dallas Startup Vinli Creates Dashboard Tool for Connected Cars”

The Risks and Opportunities of Doing Business in Emerging Markets

If you’re a startup or small business based in the U.S., chances are that you’re engaging with other emerging markets in some way or another. Perhaps you’re serving customers in those markets – or you have partners, suppliers, or consultants located there – or perhaps some of your team members are based there, or traveling … Continue reading “The Risks and Opportunities of Doing Business in Emerging Markets”

Comfy Secures $1,250,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a08fc598-b2d9-44cb-81ef-5f0564187d5c Date 9/16/2015 Company Name Comfy Mailing Address Undisclosed Austin, TX 78704 USA Company Description Comfy is like eHarmony for student housing search. Student housing is a very specific niche market within the multi family housing industry. Students have very different needs compared to the normal multi family housing renter, and we … Continue reading “Comfy Secures $1,250,000 Seed Funding Round”