Category: Texas

In Venture Reinvention, Versant Sees Gains Amid Biotech Boom Times

There’s not much ice in San Francisco, where I grew up, so hockey metaphors often go right over my head. But I can’t resist noting that Versant Ventures, led by a former hockey player, has made big line changes this decade to be able to skate another day, while many of its biotech venture peers … Continue reading “In Venture Reinvention, Versant Sees Gains Amid Biotech Boom Times”

Dallas’ Health Wildcatters Second Class of Startups Raises $4.5M

The Health Wildcatters accelerator in Dallas says its second class of startups have raised $4.5 million since leaving the program in November. Silicone Arts Laboratories, which makes a synthetic skin product, received the most of the companies, closing on a $1.5 million Series A round last month. Tennessee-based Innova was the lead investor and Green Park & … Continue reading “Dallas’ Health Wildcatters Second Class of Startups Raises $4.5M”

Bigcommerce Buys Fellow Austin Tech Firm Zing

Bigcommerce, a company that builds Web stores for small- and medium-sized businesses, is acquiring an Austin, TX-based business, Zing, that helps retailers manage their business between online and offline. Terms of the deal were not released. Five people from Zing are joining Bigcommerce. Bigcommerce counts about 85,000 retailers worldwide as its customers, up from 55,000 … Continue reading “Bigcommerce Buys Fellow Austin Tech Firm Zing”

Biscotti Lands $500,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e197b706-c562-4800-8c86-170b1259e604 Date 4/28/2015 Company Name Biscotti Mailing Address 101 E. Park Blvd. Plano, TX 75074 USA Company Description Biscotti Inc. is a consumer electronics company that designs, builds and markets high-definition video calling products for the home. Website http://www.biscotti.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Biscotti Lands $500,000 New Funding Round”

Startups Vie for “Craigslist Killer” Title As Mobile Claims Focus

Startups have spent years trying to dethrone Craigslist as the ruler of selling used goods—and if not to dethrone, at least to capture some of its users for their apps. Now a new generation of competitors has risen up, all with the goal of converting some of the website’s 50 billion or so monthly pageviews … Continue reading “Startups Vie for “Craigslist Killer” Title As Mobile Claims Focus”

TX Roundup: New Funding, an IPO, Rice Biz Plan winner, & More

Here is the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas: —The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas this week announced it has awarded $6 million in cancer research awards. Margarida Santos received $2 million to be recruited to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston from the National Cancer Institute, while Xiaochun … Continue reading “TX Roundup: New Funding, an IPO, Rice Biz Plan winner, & More”

Datical Secures $2,250,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=80771ced-1f57-45b5-a613-615964c4c3b9 Date 4/24/2015 Company Name Datical Mailing Address 611 S. Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704 USA Company Description Datical is founded on the fundamental philosophy of bridging the gap between phenomenal open source IT projects and the needs of enterprise customers. Website http://www.datical.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,250,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Datical Secures $2,250,000 Series A Funding”

Houston 2035: War for Talent, Personalized Textbooks, & More

Are you ready for the Smackdown in H-town? The hunt for engineering talent by technology companies is brutal and two tech company CEOs—Gaurav Khandelwal at ChaiOne and Shion Deysarkar at Datafiniti—will bring their experiences on Houston’s strengths and weaknesses at the upcoming Houston 2035 conference May 21. In 2013, Deysarkar decided to move his company … Continue reading “Houston 2035: War for Talent, Personalized Textbooks, & More”

Simplilearn Secures $15,000,000 Series C Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9d3e3f0a-5580-4415-9ff9-f692f7a69a45 Date 4/23/2015 Company Name Simplilearn Mailing Address 10685-B Hazelhurst Houston, TX 77043 USA Company Description Our mission is to consistently provide best in class quality education to working professionals via robust technology platform with a focus to achieve 100% customer delight. Website http://www.simplilearn.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Simplilearn Secures $15,000,000 Series C Funding Round”

Napa Summit 2015: Request Your Invite to Xconomy’s Most Elite Event

What are the forces shaping our innovation future—and who are the leaders who will build it? We can’t promise all the answers, but we can promise an unusually intimate and inspiring discussion of such questions at Xconomy’s most unique and exclusive event. It’s called the Napa Summit: The Xconomy Retreat on Technology, Jobs, and Growth—and … Continue reading “Napa Summit 2015: Request Your Invite to Xconomy’s Most Elite Event”

Dunsire, Forum Pharma Look Beyond Fidelity For Big Alzheimer’s Push

Alzheimer’s disease is a minefield for drug developers. Despite billions of dollars invested by biotechs and pharmaceutical companies, a number of programs have blown up in clinical testing over the past decade. Can a star CEO march the rechristened Forum Pharmaceuticals through that treacherous terrain? Since July 2013, Forum has been helmed by Deborah Dunsire, … Continue reading “Dunsire, Forum Pharma Look Beyond Fidelity For Big Alzheimer’s Push”

Quarri Technologies Obtains $2,116,075 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2cfd3e31-b8de-4cff-ae8a-5c2d102215b7 Date 4/21/2015 Company Name Quarri Technologies Mailing Address 7500 Rialto Blvd. Austin, TX 78735 USA Company Description Quarri is a leading provider of on demand web browser information security solutions that secure information and content at the endpoint. Website http://www.quarri.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,116,075 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “Quarri Technologies Obtains $2,116,075 New Funding”

Quarri Technologies Secures $952,831 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=758156c2-d590-49dc-92d0-ecbc13533b35 Date 4/21/2015 Company Name Quarri Technologies Mailing Address 7500 Rialto Blvd. Austin, TX 78735 USA Company Description Quarri is a leading provider of on demand web browser information security solutions that secure information and content at the endpoint. Website http://www.quarri.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $952,831 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “Quarri Technologies Secures $952,831 New Funding Round”

Kid-Themed Wearable Wins Top Prize in Rice Student Startup Contest

KiLife Tech, a Brigham Young University student startup, won the grand prize in this year’s Rice Business Plan Competition. The startup makes a smartband for children aged 18 months to seven, which buzzes and rings should the child wander beyond a designated distance set by the parents. The Kiband is connected to the parent’s smartphone … Continue reading “Kid-Themed Wearable Wins Top Prize in Rice Student Startup Contest”

Milestones of Innovation 5: Stephanie Kwolek and Kevlar

Let’s hear it for Stephanie Kwolek, a determined, observant, and playful chemist who died last year at the age of 90. She is the inventor-heroine of an artificial fiber stronger than steel called kevlar, which has saved thousands of soldiers and policemen from fatal bullet wounds and is used in everything from cellphones to skis. … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 5: Stephanie Kwolek and Kevlar”

Websense Sold to Raytheon for $1.9B, Fulfilling Vista Equity’s Plan

After more than a month of rumors that Austin, TX-based Websense and its private equity owners were looking for a buyer, Boston-area defense contractor Raytheon announced today it is acquiring the cybersecurity company in a $1.9 billion cash and debt deal. Raytheon offers customers, mostly governments and their militaries, products such as missile defense systems, … Continue reading “Websense Sold to Raytheon for $1.9B, Fulfilling Vista Equity’s Plan”

Ihiji Lands $1,800,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c4d050df-d9c4-4a60-b20f-00547973124e Date 4/20/2015 Company Name Ihiji Mailing Address 3925 West Braker Lane Austin, TX 78759 USA Company Description ihiji, a company focused on disruptive technologies, has created invision, a cloud based Network Management as a Service (NMaaS) platform for remote monitoring and maintenance of IP-enabled devices. Website http://www.ihiji.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Ihiji Lands $1,800,000 Series A Financing”

Nuve Secures $2,348,858 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=84b3d264-7a84-4ea0-8813-9a87b470b8ef Date 4/20/2015 Company Name Nuve Mailing Address 7320 N. Mopac Austin, TX 78731 USA Company Description Nuve, Inc. is an international technology company focused on the emerging field of asset management and fraud prevention, providing organizations with fuel and cargo security, transparency and supply chain integrity from origin to destination. Website … Continue reading “Nuve Secures $2,348,858 New Funding Round”

Innovation Hub: Which Companies Care About the Environment?

Transforming big businesses into green businesses might seem like a thorny process. But older, established companies like Ford have the potential to ignite a new generation of environmentally friendly products, according to Andrew Winston, author of The Big Pivot. By shifting their manufacturing process—like substituting aluminum for steel, as Ford has done—such companies are able … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Which Companies Care About the Environment?”

Cuban, Corcoran Invest in Haystagg to Boost Ad Targeting

In the highly competitive world of online advertising, every bit of information counts if it can lead to a better-targeted ad. Haystagg, a Boston-based company that tries to boost the performance of digital ads for advertisers and agencies, announced it has received $600,000 in funding from Mark Cuban, the billionaire investor and owner of the … Continue reading “Cuban, Corcoran Invest in Haystagg to Boost Ad Targeting”

Rice Business Plan Competition Adds ‘People’s Choice’ Award

As if a couple of million dollars in prizes weren’t enough, the Rice Business Plan Competition this year unveiled a reality-show style “People’s Choice” award. The voting for the $5,000 prize takes place on a special Facebook page; only one vote per customer, please. The polls close Saturday at 1 pm Central. As of mid-morning Friday, … Continue reading “Rice Business Plan Competition Adds ‘People’s Choice’ Award”

Dip, But No Slowdown in First-Quarter VC Funding, & Top 10 Deals

A new MoneyTree Report being released today shows that U.S. venture capital activity eased off during the first three months of 2015. Yet it still marked the fifth consecutive quarter in which U.S. venture funding remained above $10 billion. VCs invested $13.4 billion in 1,020 deals throughout the U.S. during the first quarter of 2015, … Continue reading “Dip, But No Slowdown in First-Quarter VC Funding, & Top 10 Deals”

Early Bird Ends Today for Houston 2035: Innovating the City’s Future

Houston’s future direction is something both Catherine Clark Mosbacher and Stephen Klineberg have spent much time analyzing. It makes sense given their day jobs leading the Center for Houston’s Future and Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, respectively. Each group is gathering data and running scenarios on what the Houston of decades to come … Continue reading “Early Bird Ends Today for Houston 2035: Innovating the City’s Future”

3 Things Startups Need to Know to Move to the Cloud

Despite concerns around data security, businesses are optimistic about the cloud. In fact, software-as-a-service adoption has more than quintupled from 13 percent in 2011 to 72 percent in 2014, according to a cloud computing survey conducted by North Bridge Venture Partners and Gigaom Research. For startups, the cloud has always been a great equalizer, enabling … Continue reading “3 Things Startups Need to Know to Move to the Cloud”

Big Day For Biotech IPOs as Aduro More Than Doubles In Price

[Updated 4/15/15, 7:14pm. See below.] Aduro Biotech (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ADRO]]) kept the immunotherapy bulls running Wednesday after raising $119 million in its initial public offering. Berkeley, CA-based Aduro sold 7 million shares at $17 apiece, a price that has more than doubled in its first trading day on the Nasdaq, pushing past $38 in late trading. … Continue reading “Big Day For Biotech IPOs as Aduro More Than Doubles In Price”

Xbiotech’s $76M Offering Sets Course for Late-Stage Cancer Studies

Xbiotech, an Austin, TX-based company founded a decade ago, has taken its mission to develop drugs from naturally occurring monoclonal antibodies to the public markets. The company sold 4 million shares at $19 a piece, in the middle of its expected range, to raise $76 million. WR Hambrecht + Co. was the sole underwriter of … Continue reading “Xbiotech’s $76M Offering Sets Course for Late-Stage Cancer Studies”

StemBioSys Takes $8M to Build Homes For Stem Cells

Sometimes the difference between thriving and foundering can come down to having a nice place to call home. This is true even at the cellular level, so San Antonio, TX-based StemBioSys has built what’s essentially a home for stem cells—a three-dimensional matrix made of natural materials in which cells can replicate more rapidly than in … Continue reading “StemBioSys Takes $8M to Build Homes For Stem Cells”

Real Estate Platform TheSquareFoot Nets $2M, Expands to NY

Th SquareFoot, a Houston-born and now New York-based online platform for commercial real estate, has raised $2 million in seed funding following its expansion into the Big Apple. “Being in New York is a very different animal,” says Justin Lee, a SquareFoot co-founder. “The commercial real estate market in New York is super, super competitive … Continue reading “Real Estate Platform TheSquareFoot Nets $2M, Expands to NY”

Healthcare Is Transforming Regardless of What Happens to the ACA

Powerful arguments and emotions continue to challenge the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Supreme Court, partisan ideology, presidential elections, and deeply held convictions about the role of government will all make their mark. Most healthcare leaders, however, share a fundamental belief that healthcare transformation is happening now—driven by some of the same … Continue reading “Healthcare Is Transforming Regardless of What Happens to the ACA”

NSS Labs Garners $10,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=02eeedfb-37c4-42a3-b029-921a07f5a8c8 Date 4/15/2015 Company Name NSS Labs Mailing Address 206 Wild Basin Road Building A Austin, TX 78746 USA Company Description NSS Labs, Inc. is the world’s leading information security research and advisory company, with unparalleled expertise in the complex aspects of information security across a wide range of technologies. CEOs, CIOs, … Continue reading “NSS Labs Garners $10,000,000 New Financing Round”

Startups From Asia, Germany, and Texas, Kick Off Rice Student Contest

Rice University kicks off its prestigious business plan competition this week with 42 student companies from universities all over the United States and as far as Hong Kong, Germany, and Bangkok. The Rice Business Plan Competition, now in its 15th year, begins Thursday evening with a catered barbecue dinner—this is Texas, folks—followed by two intensive … Continue reading “Startups From Asia, Germany, and Texas, Kick Off Rice Student Contest”

Pop That Bubble: 5 Reasons Biotech Needs A Different Metaphor

Back in April 2011, at a biotech conference in San Francisco, a panel convened to discuss how hard it was to build biotech companies that could push through long, costly clinical trials before a drug comes to market. One panelist hedged to say, well, at least the financial reticence had a silver lining: there was … Continue reading “Pop That Bubble: 5 Reasons Biotech Needs A Different Metaphor”

VC Funding Slows as Big Funds Crowd into Late-Stage Venture Deals

Following a December surge, when U.S. venture firms invested $7.2 billion in 342 deals nationwide, VC activity reset at a lower pace during the first quarter of 2015, according to data being released today by CB Insights. The New York venture capital tracker says VCs invested $11.3 billion in 805 startups over the three months … Continue reading “VC Funding Slows as Big Funds Crowd into Late-Stage Venture Deals”

Ortho Kinematics Obtains $9,571,997 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cacc8834-983e-4c0b-94eb-0153b60c753f Date 4/14/2015 Company Name Ortho Kinematics Mailing Address 110 Wild Basin Road Austin, TX 78746 USA Company Description Ortho Kinematics, Inc. is a spine diagnostics company focused on spine motion analysis products and services. Website http://www.orthokinematics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $9,571,997 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “Ortho Kinematics Obtains $9,571,997 New Financing”

Khorus Garners $4,000,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f5d80639-24b0-493c-96f1-6f85277b1349 Date 4/14/2015 Company Name Khorus Mailing Address 8012 Bee Caves Rd. Austin, TX 78746 USA Company Description Austin, Texas-based Khorus provides business management software and a methodology to help leaders run their organizations more effectively using weekly, predictive insight from every employee. Website http://www.khorus.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,000,000 … Continue reading “Khorus Garners $4,000,000 Series A Funding Round”

IBM Acquires Phytel for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ea523167-2169-417d-a3ff-bf3eefeb162c Date 4/14/2015 Company Name Phytel Mailing Address 11511 Luna Road Dallas, TX 75234 USA Company Description At Phytel, we are passionate about physician-driven health improvement. We believe achieving the best health care results largely depends on the physician-patient relationship. Building our capabilities on the foundation of evidence-based guidelines, we provide physicians … Continue reading “IBM Acquires Phytel for Undisclosed Sum”

Peer-to-Peer Lending Grows Up, and Gets Wall Street’s Attention

[Corrected 4/14/15, 11:31 am. See below] Borrowing money, or refinancing borrowed money, is easier now than it’s ever been as new online lenders put credit lines just a few clicks away. And now the traditional titans of Wall Street are jumping on board. In the last decade, a handful of online lending companies have chipped away … Continue reading “Peer-to-Peer Lending Grows Up, and Gets Wall Street’s Attention”

Houston’s TCC Aims to Help NASA Find Energy, Biotech Partners

Turns out, even internationally renowned institutions like NASA need a little help making a connection. In the post-Shuttle era, federal funding has dropped and its traditional project-management relationship with outside partners has failed to provide the support to tackle NASA’s goals. Now, in hopes of finding a new path to industry partners, the Houston-based Johnson … Continue reading “Houston’s TCC Aims to Help NASA Find Energy, Biotech Partners”

Innovation Hub: Why Science Plays Small Ball

The scientific revolution has ended. Or, at least it’s on pause, according to Roberta Ness, vice president of innovation at the University of Texas Health Science Center. She believes that science’s most promising thinkers aren’t taking big enough risks. They’re not researching the next penicillin or investigating new theories of relativity; they’re playing it safe. … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Why Science Plays Small Ball”

Mid-Size Cos to Battle in Startup-Style Games, for Charity

Foosball, beer pong, table tennis, giant Connect Four—not exactly what you’d call Olympic events, right? They are if you’re a startup in Austin, TX. The Startup Games hosted its fourth annual Olympic-style event for charity in January, in which small, early-stage businesses were pitted against one another to raise money for charities of their choice. … Continue reading “Mid-Size Cos to Battle in Startup-Style Games, for Charity”

Tax Time Alert: Key Things to Know About Founders Preferred Stock

As you gather and review tax papers for your return, be sure to inform your accountant if you hold founders’ preferred stock, or if you sold a block of it in 2014. Your CPA might not think to ask you about this because so few entrepreneurs hold this class of stock. As recently as 20 … Continue reading “Tax Time Alert: Key Things to Know About Founders Preferred Stock”

Rubicon Labs Lands Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a765d5e1-85ce-4771-a33c-3a2e790b8810 Date 4/10/2015 Company Name Rubicon Labs Mailing Address Undisclosed Austin, TX 35203 USA Company Description The company develops next-generation secure communication products and protocols that utilize underlying hardware, device-level software and cloud-based computing architectures designed for data center and IoT applications. Website http://www.rubiconlabs.io Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction … Continue reading “Rubicon Labs Lands Series A Funding”

Seismos Obtains $4,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b444d55c-cdc3-4b77-bcc8-c3fc5ab31280 Date 4/10/2015 Company Name Seismos Mailing Address 3925 West Braker Lane Austin, TX 78759 USA Company Description Seismos. the 2013 award winning startup, is a data analytics, software, and imaging Company focused on the Oil & Gas industry. Seismos’ proprietary technology enables real time, continuous fluid-flow monitoring, inside the reservoir, during … Continue reading “Seismos Obtains $4,000,000 New Funding Round”

Dallas Video Aggregator ViewMarket Buys Houston’s CultureMap for $15M

Dallas-based ViewMarket, a video content network, has acquired Houston-based media website CultureMap in a $15 million deal. ViewMarket wanted CultureMap’s platform, says Alexander Muse, co-founder of the Dallas company. “They are already monetizing their content in a profitable way,” he told me in an interview Wednesday evening. “We’re going to take that existing sales organization … Continue reading “Dallas Video Aggregator ViewMarket Buys Houston’s CultureMap for $15M”

Texas Roundup: New funds, Salesforce Buys Toopher, Chin Heads to UT

The post-South By Southwest haze revealed a lot of Austin innovation news, including several startups with new fundraises, an accelerator with a new name, and San Francisco’s Salesforce acquiring Toopher. Here is the latest news from Xconomy Texas, with stories from myself and my colleague, David Holley. —MD Anderson’s Lynda Chin departs the Texas Medical … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: New funds, Salesforce Buys Toopher, Chin Heads to UT”

Life On Air Lands $14,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=33918e8d-639e-4ef0-9d44-88ad15cdbcad Date 4/8/2015 Company Name Life On Air Mailing Address Undisclosed Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description The company operates a platform for live social video broadcasting. Website http://www.getair.co Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $14,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. Contact technology company for … Continue reading “Life On Air Lands $14,000,000 New Financing”

VUV Analytics Receives $9,000,000 Series A Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1d1e02ef-2e56-4c7c-abe9-e31f14daf160 Date 4/8/2015 Company Name VUV Analytics Mailing Address 611 Eagle Lakeway, TX 78734 USA Company Description VUV Analytics: Making Vacuum Ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy available to the general scientific community for the first time. Website http://www.vuvanalytics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $9,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes This latest infusion … Continue reading “VUV Analytics Receives $9,000,000 Series A Financing”

Academia vs. BioPharma: Young Scientists Between A Rock and A Hard Place

I’ve reached the stage of my career where I’ve been invited to give “career retrospective talks” to grad students and post-docs at academic institutions. It’s been an interesting and enjoyable experience meeting a new generation of young scientists and hearing what’s on their minds. After delivering my seminar and sharing lots of stories and advice, … Continue reading “Academia vs. BioPharma: Young Scientists Between A Rock and A Hard Place”