Successful management of any new enterprise, regardless of industry, is a process demanding of concerted effort to realize opportunity with a finite set of resources. As an entrepreneur, perfecting your vision, securing and managing funds, building a team, marketing and selling, and executing on plan, all while navigating unexpected obstacles, likely occupy your every day. … Continue reading “Finding Your Startup Lawyer: What Every Entrepreneur Should Know”
Category: Texas
Animal Rescue Groups, PGA, Stryve Biltong, Novo Labs & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Dallas Animal Services won $200,000 in the Innovation Showdown, a pet tech competition, for a customer service system that uses a mobile app and two-way video in order to streamline the adoption process. Day of the Dogs in Houston won $175,000 for its donation platform … Continue reading “Animal Rescue Groups, PGA, Stryve Biltong, Novo Labs & More TX Tech”
Bio Roundup: Biogen’s Strategy, Drug Price Convo, NASH News & More
The road to every new drug approval is littered with the remains of earlier failures. Biopharmaceutical companies don’t like to talk about the failures. But it’s earnings season now, so some of them don’t have much choice. Biogen’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) earnings call this week was the first since its Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab failed in a Phase … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Biogen’s Strategy, Drug Price Convo, NASH News & More”
Dave, More Chips on Aisle 3: Walmart Opens AI-Enabled Store in NY
Walmart has unveiled its “store of the future,” which uses artificial intelligence-enabled cameras to tip off employees when products need to be replenished on shelves or expired meat and produce needs to be replaced. The “Intelligent Retail Lab,” or IRL as the retailer calls it, has been installed at an existing Walmart store in Levittown, … Continue reading “Dave, More Chips on Aisle 3: Walmart Opens AI-Enabled Store in NY”
To Help Boost Female-led Startups, More Women Join Investor Ranks
Houston—Men have long leveraged their networks to succeed in business, and the tech industry has been no exception. Women, finding themselves outside of the club, are now creating their own networks to do the same. Katelyn O’Shaughnessy already had a solid track record, selling TripScope, a travel startup she co-founded in 2013, to Travefy two … Continue reading “To Help Boost Female-led Startups, More Women Join Investor Ranks”
Announcing Net@50: The Roots and Future of the Internet
The first short message went out over Arpanet, the precursor to the internet, 50 years ago this year—and it changed everything. Much of the change has been wonderful—as the internet has revolutionized communication, commerce, and access to information, in the process transforming and improving the lives of billions of people. But as we are ever … Continue reading “Announcing Net@50: The Roots and Future of the Internet”
Rackspace Hires Dallas Transit Exec Jones to Replace Eazor as CEO
San Antonio—Rackspace said Wednesday it has hired Kevin Jones, who most recently ran Dallas-based bus and transportation contracting business MV Transportation, as its CEO. Jones replaces Joe Eazor, who had held the top job at Rackspace since mid-2017. Apollo Global Management, which took San Antonio-based Rackspace private in a $4.3 billion acquisition in 2016, didn’t … Continue reading “Rackspace Hires Dallas Transit Exec Jones to Replace Eazor as CEO”
Join Xconomy for Our 8th Annual Napa Summit, June 13-14
Google. Amazon. Genentech. Those are some of the companies you’ll hear from at this year’s Napa Summit, the Xconomy Retreat on Technology, Jobs, and Growth. This is our most special event of the year—the eighth year we’ve held it—and it’s limited to about 100 VIP guests. We’ll tackle big trends, challenges, and opportunities in areas … Continue reading “Join Xconomy for Our 8th Annual Napa Summit, June 13-14”
SPECIAL REPORT: 2019 Blockchain Outlook — Reality Check
After a breakout year in 2017, the blockchain sector suffered a series of blows in 2018, from crashing cryptocurrency prices to increased regulatory scrutiny of crypto ventures and deepening skepticism about whether the technology was actually useful. Now, the industry has entered a crucial phase where blockchain developers need to overcome the limitations of the … Continue reading “SPECIAL REPORT: 2019 Blockchain Outlook — Reality Check”
Can We Afford to Be Cured? A Conversation With ICER’s Steve Pearson
[Corrected, 4/23/19, 7:10 p.m. See below.] New cell and gene therapies bring the possibility of cures once hardly imaginable. But the potential cures could also cost millions of dollars, like Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]), the owner of the gene therapy Zolgensma, has suggested in advance of an imminent FDA approval decision. As public backlash against high … Continue reading “Can We Afford to Be Cured? A Conversation With ICER’s Steve Pearson”
Chevron’s Burger On Energy Innovation, Houston’s Growing Tech Scene
Houston—Among innovation-focused efforts in Houston, Chevron Technology Ventures is among the longest standing. Founded in 1999, Chevron Tech has launched seven funds up to $100 million each—the latest last month—in search of startups with technologies to hasten the ongoing digitization of the oil and gas industry. To date, the company’s corporate venture arm has made … Continue reading “Chevron’s Burger On Energy Innovation, Houston’s Growing Tech Scene”
Upland Software Acquires Email Marketing Business PostUp for $35M
Austin—Upland Software is paying $35 million to acquire PostUp, an email marketing automation company that was founded in 1996 by Joshua Baer. Upland (NASDAQ: [[ticker:UPLD]]) sells applications that help businesses do anything from communicate with customers, manage sales platforms, and automate other financial and professional services. PostUp works with companies in media and publishing, offering … Continue reading “Upland Software Acquires Email Marketing Business PostUp for $35M”
Imandra, Innovapptive, Nesh, Kroger Delivery Robots & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Austin-based LiveOak Venture Partners is one of three organizations that led a $5 million investment in Imandra, an artificial intelligence startup based in London, according to a press release. With the funding, Imandra says it will open a US headquarters in the Texas state capital. … Continue reading “Imandra, Innovapptive, Nesh, Kroger Delivery Robots & More TX Tech”
Bio Roundup: Nationwide’s Rise, a Surgeon’s Quest, CRISPR USA & More
Persistence and perseverance were the themes of two of our top stories this week. First there’s the story of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The Columbus, Ohio, hospital chose to invest in gene therapy when the field was in its darkest days. After some ups and downs, the team it put in place helped advance some of … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Nationwide’s Rise, a Surgeon’s Quest, CRISPR USA & More”
San Antonio Wound-Care Company Eyes (Another) Initial Public Offering
San Antonio—Acelity may become a public company again, eight years after a consortium of private equity firms took the company, then known as Kinetic Concepts, private. KCI Holdings, an affiliate of Acelity, filed paperwork Thursday morning with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that proposes to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange. … Continue reading “San Antonio Wound-Care Company Eyes (Another) Initial Public Offering”
Accenture Invests in San Antonio Government-Cybersecurity Operations
San Antonio—[Corrected 4/22/19, 2:22 p.m. See below.] Global technology and consulting services company Accenture is building out a facility in San Antonio that will focus on cybersecurity in government operations. Accenture (NYSE: [[ticker:CAN]]) says its Accenture Federal Services subsidiary plans to invest $5 million in the center and its other operations in San Antonio. The … Continue reading “Accenture Invests in San Antonio Government-Cybersecurity Operations”
$100M for Talaris Gives Surgeon a Shot to Reinvent Organ Transplants
When Novartis dissolved its gene and cell therapy unit a few years ago, a bunch of projects the Swiss pharma giant had incubated were tossed aside. One of them was the work of surgeon Suzanne Ildstad, who has spent decades trying to develop a new way to improve the health outcomes of patients who need … Continue reading “$100M for Talaris Gives Surgeon a Shot to Reinvent Organ Transplants”
New Microsoft, Intel Accelerator Seeks Tech to Make Houston Smart
Houston—Sensors that can measure rising waters in real time through internet-connected digital road signs, preventing commuters from driving into flooded underpasses. Traffic signals that use cameras and analytics to adjust the time allowed to cross streets, depending on the individual who is in the crosswalk. Those are among the types of technologies that could be … Continue reading “New Microsoft, Intel Accelerator Seeks Tech to Make Houston Smart”
Slingshot Adds $5M for Software That Monitors Disasters, Defense
Austin—Slingshot Aerospace has raised $5 million in additional seed funding led by its previous investor ATX Seed Partners, which gave the company $3.25 million in a seed round in December 2017. The Rise of the Rest Seed fund also participated in the add-on financing. Slingshot uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to process troughs of … Continue reading “Slingshot Adds $5M for Software That Monitors Disasters, Defense”
EverlyWell, Austin Maker of At-Home Lab Tests, Nets $50 Million
Austin—EverlyWell, an Austin-based startup developing at-home health and wellness tests for patients, announced that it has raised $50 million in a Series B round of funding. The investment was led by existing investor Goodwater Capital and newcomer Highland Capital Partners, the startup said in a press release. Next Coast Ventures, NextGen Venture Partners, and other … Continue reading “EverlyWell, Austin Maker of At-Home Lab Tests, Nets $50 Million”
SolarWinds, Moki, Nimbix, GoT, Rice Business Plan & More TX Tech
—SolarWinds, an Austin IT services company, has acquired Samanage, a maker of service desk software based in Cary, NC. The $350 million cash deal is expected to close by the end of June. SolarWinds said in a prepared statement that Samanage’s products will add to its suite of software made for more than 300,000 customers … Continue reading “SolarWinds, Moki, Nimbix, GoT, Rice Business Plan & More TX Tech”
How an Ohio Kids’ Hospital Quietly Became Ground Zero for Gene Therapy
[Updated, 4/22/19, see below] If a once-modest regional hospital and its new biotech allies have their way, the capital of Ohio could one day rival America’s other biomedical hubs. “Our goal is to make Columbus the center of the universe for gene therapy,” says Doug Ingram, CEO of Sarepta Therapeutics. Sarepta (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRPT]]) is based … Continue reading “How an Ohio Kids’ Hospital Quietly Became Ground Zero for Gene Therapy”
Beyond Oil: Bahrain, Houston Can Find Common Ground on Innovation
Houston—A delegation led by the Bahraini oil minister was in town recently meeting with business and government leaders. It makes sense considering Houston is the birthplace of the fracking technology the Gulf country’s leaders are seeking. A year ago, Bahrain discovered its largest trove of oil and gas—at least 80 million barrels of “tight oil”—since … Continue reading “Beyond Oil: Bahrain, Houston Can Find Common Ground on Innovation”
Lyft, Uber, and the Changing Disclosure Rules For Unicorn IPOs
When a much-watched tech company such as Lyft, Uber, or Pinterest files for an initial public stock offering, people eagerly scour the sudden trove of information that such a private business must finally disclose when it begins to offer shares to the general public, rather than only to sophisticated inside investors such as venture capital … Continue reading “Lyft, Uber, and the Changing Disclosure Rules For Unicorn IPOs”
Thwarting Opposition, Bristol Gets Shareholder OK for $74B Celgene Buyout
The early opposition has turned out to be just noise. Shareholders of Bristol-Myers Squibb today approved the pharma giant’s planned buyout of Celgene, paving the way for a deal that will create one of the largest biopharma organizations in the world, and send ripples throughout the sector. Bristol (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) said Friday that more than … Continue reading “Thwarting Opposition, Bristol Gets Shareholder OK for $74B Celgene Buyout”
Bio Roundup: EASL Does It, Alnylam’s BFF, Gene Therapy Deals & More
A major conference devoted to liver disease kicked off with updates from the race for approval of the world’s first drug to treat a form of advanced liver disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. The gene therapy field continued to attract venture cash and industry interest, and it was a busy week in Washington for … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: EASL Does It, Alnylam’s BFF, Gene Therapy Deals & More”
Active Capital Leads $1.8M Round for Back Office’s AI Bookkeeping
San Antonio—Active Capital is leading a $1.8 million seed funding round for West Palm Beach, FL-based automated bookkeeping software maker Back Office. 500 FinTech, PlugNPlay Ventures, and angel investors also participated, according to Active. Back Office says it uses artificial intelligence-driven software to automate revenue and expense reporting (among other accounting measures) for businesses. It … Continue reading “Active Capital Leads $1.8M Round for Back Office’s AI Bookkeeping”
Senators Grill Pharmacy Benefit Execs About Skyrocketing Drug Prices
Executives from five of the companies that negotiate drug prices on behalf of insurers testified Tuesday before the Senate finance committee. It was the latest in a series of hearings centered on the rising cost of prescription medication, which has captured attention on both sides of the political aisle and is likely to become a … Continue reading “Senators Grill Pharmacy Benefit Execs About Skyrocketing Drug Prices”
Austin VC Firm LiveOak Venture Partners Closes Second, $105M Fund
[Updated 4/9/19, 9:45 am ET. See below.] Austin—LiveOak Venture Partners announced today it has closed a $105 million fund, its second. The firm’s “Fund II” has already made six investments, including Austin startups Eventador, Osano, and Rollick, and Dallas-based AmplifAI, LiveOak said in a press release. [Information about one investor.] Among those limited partners includes the … Continue reading “Austin VC Firm LiveOak Venture Partners Closes Second, $105M Fund”
VC Trends in 2019: More Money, Fewer Deals But Women Still Get Less
[Updated 11:23 a.m. See below.] If you’ve been following venture capital trends, what you expected to happen in the first quarter of 2019 did: More money is being invested in fewer deals, and women founders still are getting less of it than men. Venture firms sent $32.6 billion into startups nationally during the first three … Continue reading “VC Trends in 2019: More Money, Fewer Deals But Women Still Get Less”
CD&R Buys Majority Stake in San Antonio’s Sirius Computer Solutions
San Antonio—New York investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) has acquired a majority stake in Sirius Computer Solutions, which provides a variety of security, cloud, and various other IT services to customers, typically offering products from companies it partners with, such as IBM or Cisco. Terms of the acquisition price weren’t disclosed. Sirius has … Continue reading “CD&R Buys Majority Stake in San Antonio’s Sirius Computer Solutions”
Four Things Every Smart Startup Should Do as It Scales
Your startup began as “four smart people with laptops and a vision.” Fast-forward a few years and it’s a bona fide business with investors, employees, and a snappy logo. Stay on this path, and signs are good that you’ll continue to grow. It’s easy and convenient to keep doing what you’ve been doing as you … Continue reading “Four Things Every Smart Startup Should Do as It Scales”
TX Tech: Made In, Jog.ai, Vital Farms, BBL & Advice from Mark Cuban
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Newchip, an Austin online market of crowdfunded deals, has accepted 45 startups into its remote accelerator program, according to a press release. The startups, sorted by Newchip into seed, pre-seed, and MVP/beta stages, will go through the company’s 10-week program. Unlike many accelerators, Newchip doesn’t … Continue reading “TX Tech: Made In, Jog.ai, Vital Farms, BBL & Advice from Mark Cuban”
Bio Roundup: Gottlieb’s Goodbye, AACR Recap, Migraine Drug Fight & More
Scott Gottlieb’s last day as FDA commissioner is today. His resignation announcement last month surprised some, given the earlier denials about leaving. But after two years of commuting between Connecticut, where his family remained, and the FDA’s Maryland headquarters, he decided to step down from the agency. What will Gottlieb’s legacy be? His efforts to … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Gottlieb’s Goodbye, AACR Recap, Migraine Drug Fight & More”
UT Health San Antonio Plans New Accelerator for Faculty Research
San Antonio –— The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is starting an internal accelerator program for inventors who work at the institution, with the goal of picking a first group of five to eight prospective entrepreneurs around May. The accelerator, which UT Health is calling TechNovum, will run its first program … Continue reading “UT Health San Antonio Plans New Accelerator for Faculty Research”
C-Motive Powers Up With $2M to Launch Reimagined Electric Motor
C-Motive Technologies, a small startup in Madison, WI, wants to overhaul the electric motors that power electric vehicles, assembly-line robots, aircraft propellers, and other machines. Now, investors are betting on the company’s vision. This week, C-Motive announced it closed a $2 million investment led by Prime Impact Fund, a Boston-area fund that invests philanthropic dollars … Continue reading “C-Motive Powers Up With $2M to Launch Reimagined Electric Motor”
AACR 2019 Roundup: Notes from a Weekend of Early Stage Cancer Results
[Editor’s note: Alex Lash co-authored this report] The American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting is wrapping up in Atlanta today. The conference typically focuses on early research and clinical work, not the big trials that can change the way doctors practice medicine and that compete for headline space at conferences like the American Society … Continue reading “AACR 2019 Roundup: Notes from a Weekend of Early Stage Cancer Results”
Executive Director of Alamo Angels Resigns to Focus on Seed Fund Job
San Antonio—Cat Dizon is stepping down from her role as executive director of Alamo Angels, the angel investing network in San Antonio founded in 2016. Alamo Angels, formerly known as the San Antonio Angel Network, is the city’s first angel network, and Dizon has been its second executive director. Chris Burney, a former Rackspace employee, … Continue reading “Executive Director of Alamo Angels Resigns to Focus on Seed Fund Job”
“FacePalm” Bug Is a Jarring Wake-Up Call. And Not Just for Apple
Apple is a global icon. It was the first company in the world to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization, and it is the most valuable company in the world today. For the second year in a row, Apple ranked as the world’s most-admired company, in a Fortune survey of 3,750 business executives. PC magazine … Continue reading ““FacePalm” Bug Is a Jarring Wake-Up Call. And Not Just for Apple”
Chevron Tech, Medical Informatics, ActivTrak, Linear & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Chevron Technology Ventures Thursday launched a $90 million fund for energy investments. The fund is CTV’s seventh and investments will be made in high-growth startups with technologies that have the potential to improve Chevron’s core oil and gas business performance, says CTV President Barbara Burger. … Continue reading “Chevron Tech, Medical Informatics, ActivTrak, Linear & More TX Tech”
Thoma Bravo Acquires San Antonio’s Mailgun as Scaleworks Takes Exit
San Antonio—Thoma Bravo has acquired a majority stake in Mailgun Technologies, a spinout of Rackspace that offers software to help developers manage automated e-mail systems for their employers. Mailgun separated from cloud computing service provider Rackspace in 2017, securing a $50 million financing round led by Turn/River Capital, Rackspace, and San Antonio investment fund Scaleworks … Continue reading “Thoma Bravo Acquires San Antonio’s Mailgun as Scaleworks Takes Exit”
Bio Roundup: Amyloid Angst, NASH News, Brammer Bagged & More
A week after the failure of Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab, the ripple effects are still being felt—and not just by Biogen, which lost billions of dollars in market value in a flash. We’ll kick off this week’s roundup with the aducanumab reaction, which includes plenty of thoughts about the future of the so-called “amyloid hypothesis” … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Amyloid Angst, NASH News, Brammer Bagged & More”
Lyft Raises $2.2B in IPO, Pegging Valuation at Over $24B
Investors eager to bet on the mobility industry’s future handed ride-hailing company Lyft $2.2 billion in new capital Thursday as the company completed an IPO that set its market capitalization at $24.3 billion, The New York Times reported. Lyft sold 30.8 million shares at $72 apiece, according to Renaissance Capital—the top of a new range … Continue reading “Lyft Raises $2.2B in IPO, Pegging Valuation at Over $24B”
Houston Tech Leaders Start Site to Connect Startups With Talent
Houston—One of the challenges in creating a robust tech hub in Houston is the perceived lack of talent available to join startups. “People say they don’t know where to start when it comes to seeing jobs in Houston, and businesses say, ‘I don’t know where to find talent,’” says Erik Ibarra, founder and CEO of … Continue reading “Houston Tech Leaders Start Site to Connect Startups With Talent”
So You Want to Start a Cybersecurity Company?
Cybercrime has become a global epidemic. Attacks will cost the world $6 trillion by 2021, research firm Cybersecurity Ventures says-–the greatest transfer of economic wealth in history and more profitable than the trade in all major illegal drugs. As the threat keeps rising, the cybersecurity industry keeps growing. According to data released in January by … Continue reading “So You Want to Start a Cybersecurity Company?”
Garcia Steps Down After 18 Months as CEO of San Antonio’s Geekdom
San Antonio—David Garcia is stepping down as CEO of the Geekdom coworking space, according to the San Antonio Business Journal. “The collaboration and coworking environment at Geekdom creates opportunity to share professional experience in the roles that we hold as Geekdom team members,” Garcia said in a statement to the newspaper. “Geekdom also acts as … Continue reading “Garcia Steps Down After 18 Months as CEO of San Antonio’s Geekdom”
FTC Queries Internet Providers on Consumer Data Collection and Use
The Federal Trade Commission, which has been digging into the privacy practices of tech giants Facebook and Google, is now training its sights on the internet service providers that bring us all our online content. In its role as a consumer protection agency, the FTC ordered Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Comcast, Google Fiber, and other ISPs … Continue reading “FTC Queries Internet Providers on Consumer Data Collection and Use”
Cloudsnap Adds $1.75M to Make Enterprise App Data Integration a Snap
Austin—Cloudsnap, a startup that makes software to connect and integrate data from its customers’ enterprise applications, has raised $1.75 million in seed financing led by Active Capital. Cloudsnap was founded in 2018 by Rick Barkley, a native Austinite (he moved here when he was 2 years old, so close enough) who ran e-learning startup Nuvola … Continue reading “Cloudsnap Adds $1.75M to Make Enterprise App Data Integration a Snap”
FunnelAI’s $1.5M Seed Funding May Lead to Global Growth, New Sectors
San Antonio—FunnelAI, a startup that aims to measure a consumer’s intent to purchase something, announced it has raised a $1.5 million seed funding round led by San Antonio investor Active Capital. FunnelAI plans to use the funds to make new hires and to add to the industry verticals in which its software is used. Currently, … Continue reading “FunnelAI’s $1.5M Seed Funding May Lead to Global Growth, New Sectors”
Startup Diversity Pledge Takes National Aim After Start in Austin
Austin—There’s a diversity initiative in Austin that’s gaining interest: The Startup Diversity and Inclusion Pledge has now been signed by some 50 entrepreneurs and investors in the city. The pledge asks any company or individual who signs it to commit to standards such as hiring (and interviewing) a diverse workforce, pay equality, and training about … Continue reading “Startup Diversity Pledge Takes National Aim After Start in Austin”