This year’s Bayou Startup Showcase began, and ended, with waterworks that made good on its name. BSS, which combines the accelerator programs of the University of Houston and Rice University, held its demo day Tuesday, after which a thunderous storm swept through Houston, breaking weeks of 100 degree-plus heat. This second annual summer session was … Continue reading “Rice, Houston University Accelerators Showcase Student-Led Startups”
Category: Texas
Dr. Frances Kelsey: American Hero, Government Regulator
Dr. Frances Kelsey passed away last week at the ripe old age of 101. She was a true hero in every sense of the word. How did she achieve this status? She did not pull someone out of a burning building. Didn’t dive into a lake to rescue a drowning child. Never threw herself on … Continue reading “Dr. Frances Kelsey: American Hero, Government Regulator”
HUVRData Garners $2,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5e24cbeb-d63b-4db9-b1aa-d2b7812d7b1a Date 8/12/2015 Company Name HUVRData Mailing Address 3736 Bee Cave Road Austin, TX 78746 USA Company Description HUVR is a data analytics company that uses drones (UAS) to inspect industrial assets and large acreage for precision agriculture. Our goal is to provide actionable data for out clients that will dramatically reduce … Continue reading “HUVRData Garners $2,000,000 New Financing”
FDA Approves Apollo Endosurgery’s Gastric Balloon for Obesity
The FDA has approved Apollo Endosurgery’s latest product: a minimally invasive gastrointestinal balloon to combat obesity. The Orbera device is inserted through a patient’s mouth into the stomach where it is inflated and filled with saline. Dennis McWilliams, Apollo’s founder, president and chief commercial officer, says the device is a sort of mid-point therapy to … Continue reading “FDA Approves Apollo Endosurgery’s Gastric Balloon for Obesity”
Super Evil Megacorp Obtains $26,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2067d9d9-8552-4e95-850a-fe5bc58cdad7 Date 8/11/2015 Company Name Super Evil Megacorp Mailing Address Undisclosed San Antonio, TX 78251 USA Company Description Super Evil Megacorp is developing core games for tablet, mobile, and emerging platforms. With deep technical, design, and operational expertise. Website http://www.superevilmegacorp.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $26,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Super Evil Megacorp Obtains $26,000,000 New Funding Round”
Austin’s HUVR Raises $2M to Deploy Drones to Industrial Sites
An Austin, TX, drone company has raised $2 million as it launches its service to help wind, solar, energy, and agriculture companies record and analyze data in industrial sites. The investment comes from angel investors, including the Central Texas Angel Network, the Houston Angel Network, and the Texas HALO Fund. So far, the company has … Continue reading “Austin’s HUVR Raises $2M to Deploy Drones to Industrial Sites”
Why San Diego Is Better than Silicon Valley for AI Startups
Xconomy recently gathered some of the region’s leading minds in brain research and artificial intelligence for a discussion about research on the brain, and emerging areas of neurotechnology innovation . It was a mix of investors, academics, and entrepreneurs. Leading our discussion was UC San Diego Professor Ralph Greenspan, who helped advise President Obama to … Continue reading “Why San Diego Is Better than Silicon Valley for AI Startups”
JLABS: Meet Andy Conrad of Google Life Sciences
Take the opportunity to be transported into the future and join us for an exclusive look into The Future of Healthcare with Head of Google Life Sciences, Andy Conrad. Many tech giants are racing into healthcare and Google is not one to be left on the sidelines. Dr. Conrad, named amongst The Top 25 Most Influential … Continue reading “JLABS: Meet Andy Conrad of Google Life Sciences”
JLABS @TMC, ABCs of the FDA
Moving a program from Discovery through Development is an arduous task. Key among these challenges is designing a safe and druggable molecule that can withstand the rigors of preclinical testing in support of First in Human (FIH) trials, human Proof of Concept (POC), and ultimately global drug registration. This session will highlight design considerations to … Continue reading “JLABS @TMC, ABCs of the FDA”
JLABS @TMC “Meet With” Series
JLABS @TMC has taken a Texas sized approach to our JLABS’ Meet with … Series by bringing three early stage investors to Houston for one-on-one meetings with emerging healthcare companies. The firms, including Allegory Ventures, Azimuth Ventures and Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, represent corporate, angel and traditional venture models hailing from California, Texas … Continue reading “JLABS @TMC “Meet With” Series”
Dallas Startup Rise Aims to Pilot New Frontier in Private Air Travel
Door-to-door, the trip from Dallas to Houston took two hours. That’s quite a feat considering the two Texas cities are nearly 250 miles apart. But on a flight run by the Dallas startup Rise, there was no need to get through security 30 minutes in advance, parking was just yards from the plane, and a … Continue reading “Dallas Startup Rise Aims to Pilot New Frontier in Private Air Travel”
DiscoverOrg Acquires iProfile for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=07bde889-d547-4577-b05c-e3d407e1cb1c Date 8/6/2015 Company Name iProfile Mailing Address 611 S. Congress Ave Austin, TX 78704 USA Company Description iProfile has provided the highest quality proprietary research on IT departments of large US and European companies. We provide sales and marketing teams with the information they need to generate demand, penetrate new accounts, … Continue reading “DiscoverOrg Acquires iProfile for Undisclosed Sum”
Simply Hired Ranks Top Tech Regions In Mid-Summer Jobs Report Card
Simply Hired, an international job search engine based in Sunnyvale, CA, put out some sunny news for U.S. job hunters today—especially if you’re a tech-savvy worker. Positions for technology workers made up almost 10 percent of the millions of U.S. job listings tracked by the company in July. Nationwide, openings in all sectors rose for … Continue reading “Simply Hired Ranks Top Tech Regions In Mid-Summer Jobs Report Card”
FDA Taps DNAnexus to Build Platform for Crowdsourcing Diagnostics
There is an FDA project underway that could help change the way molecular diagnostics are developed, evaluated, and regulated in the U.S. one day, should things go the way the agency intends. And Mountain View, CA-based DNAnexus is getting the first crack at building the platform at the plan’s heart. DNAnexus, the genomics analytics startup … Continue reading “FDA Taps DNAnexus to Build Platform for Crowdsourcing Diagnostics”
Stock Options—a Golden Ticket?
When is a stock option a golden ticket, when is it of no consequence, and when is it a losing proposition? These are important questions for people in the startup world, where stock and stock options are a key part of most compensation packages. Startup companies like using stock because it costs little at a … Continue reading “Stock Options—a Golden Ticket?”
Astia Expanding Its Booster Network for Women Entrepreneurs
Sharon Vosmek, the CEO of a Silicon Valley non-profit that has been working for 15 years to boost access to financing for women tech entrepreneurs, says she sees no encouraging statistics on that score as yet. What has changed, though, is the number of people and organizations engaged in the dialog about gender diversity in … Continue reading “Astia Expanding Its Booster Network for Women Entrepreneurs”
As White House Hosts Demo Day, Techstars and Others Push Diversity
It’s no secret that the tech industry has diversity problems. Xconomy has covered the topic extensively, highlighting various allegations of misogyny, sexism, and harassment that occur at startups, as well as folks who are trying to change it for the better. That includes individuals like Robin Hauser Reynolds, who described the work of her documentary, … Continue reading “As White House Hosts Demo Day, Techstars and Others Push Diversity”
In Tough Diagnostics World, Will Ruling Out Cancer Be Good Business?
The high cost of cancer treatments is a huge topic of conversation these days. One way to trim those costs is to not give treatments to people who don’t need them. That sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s a knotty problem, and it’s at the heart of the current debate over the nationwide practice of … Continue reading “In Tough Diagnostics World, Will Ruling Out Cancer Be Good Business?”
Microsoft Acquires FantasySalesTeam for Undisclosed Sum
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0e4a420b-80a7-4d7d-9c42-ae5a628cc7ce Date 8/4/2015 Company Name FantasySalesTeam Mailing Address 603 Davis Street Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description FantasySalesTeam was developed by sales professionals for sales professionals. It was designed by a team of software industry veterans and people that have been in the trenches by phone, foot, and plane selling and managing … Continue reading “Microsoft Acquires FantasySalesTeam for Undisclosed Sum”
Microsoft Buys Austin-Based FantasySalesTeam
Austin, TX, is known for semiconductors and startups, for breakfast tacos and music festivals. It may also now be a hub for the gamification of business. Microsoft said Monday it is buying Austin-based Incent Games, a company that sells a fantasy sports-style tool called FantasySalesTeam that aims to help customers boost sales by treating its salespeople like fantasy … Continue reading “Microsoft Buys Austin-Based FantasySalesTeam”
Roundup: New Money for FlexGen, Neos, MacroFab, Castle & Other News
Here is the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas: —Houston-based FlexGen Power Systems announced Monday it has raised a $25.5 million Series A round of financing to further market and install its hybrid energy storage software in oilfield and power generation sites. The round was led by Denver-based Altira Group and includes investors such as … Continue reading “Roundup: New Money for FlexGen, Neos, MacroFab, Castle & Other News”
Taking the Social Media Plunge at the C-Level
“You’ve got to play to win.” “With great risk, comes great reward.” Both of those popular phrases address the same concept – that in order for a company to grow, the leaders must be invested in every aspect of the business and willing to embrace technology, communication, and social changes. That idea is especially important … Continue reading “Taking the Social Media Plunge at the C-Level”
Debugging the Gender Gap: Filmmaker Warns of Economic Crisis in Tech
As a former stockbroker, Robin Hauser Reynolds knows what it’s like to be a woman in a field dominated by men. Over the past couple of years, the San Francisco Bay Area film director and self-described feminist has immersed herself in another industry that has become notorious for its gender gap: tech. Poor gender diversity … Continue reading “Debugging the Gender Gap: Filmmaker Warns of Economic Crisis in Tech”
Drug Discovery in Seattle 2015: An Updated History
The drug discovery and development process is a difficult one that takes considerable expertise in both the research and business realms. Seattle (and the rest of Washington state) currently has approximately 112 drug-focused biotechnology companies, 17 of which are publicly traded either in the U.S. or Japan. The area also has a number of non-profit … Continue reading “Drug Discovery in Seattle 2015: An Updated History”
Austin’s Nuve Uses Sensors, Smart Locks to Combat Theft
Nuve started out trying to solve a simple, yet important, problem for one of the world’s largest energy producers. The Austin, TX-based startup was working with Pemex to prevent fuel theft, and Nuve developed a series of smart locks and sensors that it says saved the Mexican state oil company millions of dollars each year. … Continue reading “Austin’s Nuve Uses Sensors, Smart Locks to Combat Theft”
Appconomy Obtains $1,061,860 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=34d9c385-036e-4551-8c10-5879827d0730 Date 7/30/2015 Company Name Appconomy Mailing Address 1300 Guadalupe St. Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description Appconomy designs, develops and sells mobile apps and app components, and AppCommerce capabilities that power the economies of people, businesses and enterprises. Website http://www.appconomy.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,061,860 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Appconomy Obtains $1,061,860 New Financing”
NarrativeDx Secures $718,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c8f21e19-7c3c-4c59-bc97-5fe7588f72e5 Date 7/30/2015 Company Name NarrativeDx Mailing Address 701 E. Brazos St. 16th Floor Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description Big data analysis of patient feedback to improve the hospital customer experience and maximize Medicare reimbursement. Website http://www.narrativedx.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $718,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “NarrativeDx Secures $718,000 New Financing”
MacroFab Receives $2,000,000 Seed Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=41393ead-f61e-4472-9f8d-c0180a7dc9f6 Date 7/30/2015 Company Name MacroFab Mailing Address 1107 Hutchins St. Houston, TX 77003 USA Company Description At MacroFab, our focus is in providing agile, just-in-time production of electronics for hardware startups. Whether your market is ten units a month or tens of thousands of units per year, we’re creating technologies that … Continue reading “MacroFab Receives $2,000,000 Seed Financing Round”
International Accelerator Program Brings Foreign Startups to Austin
Being an entrepreneur is a tough business. Then, tack on an added level of difficulty if that entrepreneur is foreign-born and seeking to enter the U.S. market. Angelos Angelou, a longtime business development consultant in Austin, TX, had helped entrepreneurs he had met on and off, including Schoox, a software maker founded by Greek entrepreneur, … Continue reading “International Accelerator Program Brings Foreign Startups to Austin”
Are Qualcomm Layoffs a Disaster for San Diego—or an Opportunity?
After years of strong corporate and financial growth, the pace of change in the wireless industry has forced a massive global layoff at San Diego-based Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]. If the wireless giant had only 1,000 employees, a layoff of 150 folks would not be big news. But with a worldwide payroll of 31,000, and a … Continue reading “Are Qualcomm Layoffs a Disaster for San Diego—or an Opportunity?”
Castle Biosciences Secures $11,700,000 Series F Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=94f0fb64-7245-43a5-b353-f0abd2c275bb Date 7/27/2015 Company Name Castle Biosciences Mailing Address 2014 San Miguel Dr. Friendswood, TX 77546 USA Company Description Castle Biosciences develops and commercializes diagnostic and prognostic tests for cancers that provide actionable, tumor-specific information for improved treatment decisions and patient outcomes. Website http://www.castlebiosciences.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $11,700,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Castle Biosciences Secures $11,700,000 Series F Round”
Banker’s Toolbox Obtains New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cef9ab02-11ea-4909-95bd-839565cd38c1 Date 7/24/2015 Company Name Banker’s Toolbox Mailing Address 12331-A Riata Trace Parkway Building 3 Austin, TX 78727 USA Company Description The company’s product suite consists of proven solutions for money laundering detection and reporting, risk management through fraud prevention, secure wire processing automation, and commercial real estate loan portfolio risk assessment. … Continue reading “Banker’s Toolbox Obtains New Funding”
Companies May Stay Private as VCs Invest $32.5B, Report Says
As record levels of venture funding piles into startups, more companies may stay private rather than file for initial public offerings, according to venture capital database CB Insights and accounting firm KPMG. Private companies raised more than $32.5 billion in the second quarter of 2015, with about half of the total coming from 61 deals … Continue reading “Companies May Stay Private as VCs Invest $32.5B, Report Says”
Are Humans the Key to Discovery in a World of Digital Abundance?
We are drowning in content. Blogs made everyone a journalist. Self-publishing made everyone an author. YouTube made everyone a filmmaker. iTunes made everyone a musician. Publishing houses, record labels, and newsrooms have lost their long-held position as gatekeepers of taste. This is largely a good thing, particularly for aspiring artists. I’m a novelist. FG Press … Continue reading “Are Humans the Key to Discovery in a World of Digital Abundance?”
Continuum Analytics Garners $24,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=eeedd65c-42e1-49f0-aad3-96abc5a17711 Date 7/23/2015 Company Name Continuum Analytics Mailing Address 221 W. 6th Street Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description We will revolutionize how the world’s data is stored, computed, and visualized. We will provide domain experts with flexible tools that allow them to explore their data and maximize the impact of their … Continue reading “Continuum Analytics Garners $24,000,000 New Funding”
Neos Therapeutics Obtains $72,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=13fb64aa-466c-43b3-81a0-0550a4fe0b60 Date 7/23/2015 Company Name Neos Therapeutics Mailing Address 2940 N Hwy 360 Grand Prairie, TX 75050 USA Company Description Neos Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NEOS) is a specialty pharmaceutical company that focuses on time-release technologies. We have developed a broad, cutting-edge portfolio of processes that allow for tailored and independent release profiles of … Continue reading “Neos Therapeutics Obtains $72,000,000 New Round”
University of Houston’s Rathindra Bose Dies at 63
We at Xconomy Texas have some sad news to share. Rathindra Bose, the vice chancellor and vice president for research and technology at the University of Houston, died July 10 after a short illness. He was 63. In an email to faculty and staff, U of H President and Chancellor Renu Khator praised Bose’s contributions … Continue reading “University of Houston’s Rathindra Bose Dies at 63”
Houston’s Texas Medical Center Unveils New Fellowship in Biodesign
The Texas Medical Center is now seeking applicants for a new fellowship that could boost entrepreneurship in digital health and medical devices. The TMC Biodesign Fellowship is taking applications until August 2 for eight spots for a new, yearlong program. The fellows will be named about a week later. “There has been a convergence of … Continue reading “Houston’s Texas Medical Center Unveils New Fellowship in Biodesign”
In Biotech, Everyone’s Going Public. What’s Your Excuse?
Biotechs everywhere are going public these days. You might have heard. Approaching the traditional market lull in August, we’re up to nearly 40 life science IPOs in 2015, by my own count, with plenty more lined up. That’s more than half way to last year’s mark and already past the 2013 total. I weighed in … Continue reading “In Biotech, Everyone’s Going Public. What’s Your Excuse?”
NanoRacks & Bezos’s Blue Origin Team to Boost Suborbital Research
Nanoracks, a private Houston-area space company, has formed a new partnership with Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin to help scientific researchers work in suborbital space. NanoRacks CEO Jeffrey Manber passed the information along to me in an e-mail this morning. According to a post on the company’s website, Manber said “for many projects, a productive first … Continue reading “NanoRacks & Bezos’s Blue Origin Team to Boost Suborbital Research”
Besomebody Garners $1,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=759f3172-fcb7-4304-a7a1-2a2754631946 Date 7/21/2015 Company Name Besomebody Mailing Address 5113 Doss Rd. Austin, TX 78734 USA Company Description Besomebody Inc is a beast the world has never seen. What started as the personal mantra of Founder, Kash Shaikh, and grew into the fastest growing Motivational Movement in the world, reaching more than 4 … Continue reading “Besomebody Garners $1,000,000 New Funding”
IsoStem Obtains $800,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bc0ba91c-c19c-4213-aaa1-900aff9682b1 Date 7/21/2015 Company Name IsoStem Mailing Address 206 Wild Basin Rd. Austin, TX 78746 USA Company Description The company provides biotechnology services. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $800,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing – amended. Contact technology company for … Continue reading “IsoStem Obtains $800,000 Series A Round”
Beyond Houston: Advocates Aim to Boost Texas Biotech in Dallas Area
To illustrate the promise—and potential loss—of biotech in North Texas, JJ Spegele likes to share a conversation he had with a PhD candidate finishing his studies at a Dallas-area institution. “He wants to stay here, but he doesn’t know where to look for work,” says Spegele, the president and CEO of the newly formed BioNorthTX, … Continue reading “Beyond Houston: Advocates Aim to Boost Texas Biotech in Dallas Area”
Rock the House—from Silicon Valley to China
It’s that time of the quarter, when venture capital fundraising data are released by the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), possibly leaving all the sophisticated investors across the industry wringing their collective hands about frothiness. The latest data shows that VCs in 2Q15 raised over $10.4 billion (slightly revised upward from the amount first announced … Continue reading “Rock the House—from Silicon Valley to China”
Vroom Lands $54,000,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=271ac8c3-42dd-404c-9224-57e9c41103ea Date 7/20/2015 Company Name Vroom Mailing Address 2615 W. Interstate 20 Grand Prairie, TX 75052 USA Company Description Vroom empowers you to buy a quality pre-owned car online and get it delivered right to your doorsteps with a 7 day in-home test drive. Website http://www.vroom.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Vroom Lands $54,000,000 Series B Funding”
Sharing Economy Companies Sharing the Heat In Contractor Controversy
[Corrected 7/31/15, 2:34 pm. See below.] For some time, Uber and other Silicon Valley tech companies have been fighting off lawsuits and other claims that their labor practices are unfair to on-demand workers they classify as independent contractors rather than as employees. The heat mounted this week on a number of fronts. The issue took … Continue reading “Sharing Economy Companies Sharing the Heat In Contractor Controversy”
Texas Roundup: SailPoint, DEC, Neos, Sanofi, NASA & XPrize
The dog days of Texas summer are here, with temperatures hitting 100 degrees. So stay inside and catch up on the latest innovation news: —SailPoint, an Austin-TX-based maker of identity management software, has purchased Whitebox Security, a security software firm based in Sunnyvale, CA. Whitebox’s products will still be offered under the “SecurityIQ” name. Terms … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: SailPoint, DEC, Neos, Sanofi, NASA & XPrize”
Ethoca Lands $45,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d862f8d4-1012-4213-9dfd-1f0b55972bf8 Date 7/17/2015 Company Name Ethoca Mailing Address 13413 Galleria Circle Austin, TX 78738 USA Company Description Ethoca is the Merchant-Issuer Collaboration standard. Together with our customers, we brought the Ethoca Network to life. Working with us is the only proven way for merchants and issuers to work together. Website http://www.ethoca.com Transaction … Continue reading “Ethoca Lands $45,000,000 New Funding Round”
Main Street Hub Secures $25,000,000 Series C Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1198d0a7-4a86-480b-989d-ec779142d63b Date 7/17/2015 Company Name Main Street Hub Mailing Address 600 Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description Our mission is to help great local businesses around the world connect with customers. Website http://www.mainstreethub.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $25,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes The investment will support … Continue reading “Main Street Hub Secures $25,000,000 Series C Funding”
Intuitive Machines Exploits Space Savvy to Boost Innovation on Earth
Steve Altemus wants to bring the rigor of manned spaceflight to energy and healthcare, as well as the private space industry. As one example, the company he founded to do that, Intuitive Machines, creates software that helps oil companies do more precise drilling by leveraging the founders’ experience in engineering for space. “These are algorithms … Continue reading “Intuitive Machines Exploits Space Savvy to Boost Innovation on Earth”