It’s been one of the hottest-button topics of the past year—and it’s not going away anytime soon. The under-representation of women and minorities in technology and innovation jobs is a real issue, particularly at the highest levels of organizations. The question, as I see it, is what to do about it. But not everyone sees … Continue reading “How Should the Innovation Community Solve Its Gender and Diversity Problems?”
Category: Texas
iSIGHT Partners Garners $30,000,000 Series C Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ba0a2fd7-dd2a-4d85-ac91-e96c9e869d76 Date 1/5/2015 Company Name iSIGHT Partners Mailing Address 5950 Berkshire Lane Dallas, TX 75225 USA Company Description iSIGHT Partners is the leading global cyber threat intelligence firm, delivering intelligence services to over 150 public sector and commercial entities. We provide Fortune 100 companies with detailed, actionable intelligence essential to a comprehensive … Continue reading “iSIGHT Partners Garners $30,000,000 Series C Funding Round”
So You Want to Be an Early Stage Investor?
I absolutely love what I do—running a seed-stage venture fund (Founders’ Co-op) and startup accelerator (Techstars Seattle)—but neither is a job with a well-defined career path. Unlike later-stage or public market investing, where finance and quantitative analysis is a big part of the job, effective early-stage investing requires a combination of human, strategic, and operational … Continue reading “So You Want to Be an Early Stage Investor?”
Teach More Business in School
Science, medicine and information technology have become intimately entangled with business on all levels. Whether in academic settings or business settings, success in these areas increasingly requires involvement with basic business concepts and principles that aren’t taught in college. Undergraduates in science and engineering disciplines graduate from universities and enter positions in biotechnology and technology … Continue reading “Teach More Business in School”
Dallas Entrepreneur Center Aims to Bridge Tech’s Diversity Divide
The issue of gender and diversity is not a new challenge but one that has recently come to the forefront in a lot of our communities. There seems to be an awareness of the issues and an inherent need to address, but many are still conflicted how to best move forward. I think the best … Continue reading “Dallas Entrepreneur Center Aims to Bridge Tech’s Diversity Divide”
Hepatitis C Commercial Game Theory
Anyone either celebrating or fearing the start of a Hepatitis C drug price war should take a break from the excitement to consider that a far more nuanced and profound game is at hand, one where the rules of tacit collusion (the legal kind) constrain price erosion—and each new entrant with a “good enough” drug … Continue reading “Hepatitis C Commercial Game Theory”
Texas’s Innovative 2014: IPOs, Startup Funding Programs & SXSW
Another year comes to a close. Before you pop that champagne-bottle cork, let’s pause to remember the top innovation themes in Texas in 2014. The funding environment was brisk with Texas VCs deploying capital to startups in energy, life sciences, and IT. Two Texas biotechs made stock market debuts—the first ones in many years. While … Continue reading “Texas’s Innovative 2014: IPOs, Startup Funding Programs & SXSW”
The Small Business Revolution Will Be Measured
In 2015 I predict we will see a rise in the number of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that collect and analyze data for improving operational efficiencies, reducing risk, and better meeting customer needs. People tend to think of big data and business intelligence as living mostly in the realm of the big enterprise. Large … Continue reading “The Small Business Revolution Will Be Measured”
What Was the Biggest Surprise of 2014?
As we close out the year, we at Xconomy have been asking our network of sources and informal advisors (the Xconomists) a series of questions. An obvious but telling one was to inquire about the biggest surprise of 2014, from their point of view. We’ve been posting their answers on a variety of topics as … Continue reading “What Was the Biggest Surprise of 2014?”
TheSquareFoot Secures $2,083,535 Seed Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f5a1ee27-4989-49e2-868f-e853b286fe7f Date 12/31/2014 Company Name TheSquareFoot Mailing Address 1776 Yorktown Drive Houston, TX 77056 USA Company Description TheSquareFoot was born in 2011 in Houston, Texas. Seeing business owners and entrepreneurs like ourselves struggle through the commercial real estate leasing process made us think there must be a better way. We say that … Continue reading “TheSquareFoot Secures $2,083,535 Seed Funding Round”
Improve Education with Great Expectations for All Students
If I could change one thing about our K-12 education system, it would be to end the curse of low expectations in Washington’s public schools. Numerous studies have shown that teacher and principal expectations have a profound effect on school culture and student performance. A student treated as if she or he can accomplish anything … Continue reading “Improve Education with Great Expectations for All Students”
Attracting, Retaining Talent Key to Driving Economy Forward
A major issue continues to be how to attract and train the necessary talent to drive forward both individual businesses and the economy as a whole. This issue is being addressed in pockets (such as some nascent, innovative programs in Michigan), but not nearly at the scope that is needed. Among other things, it involves … Continue reading “Attracting, Retaining Talent Key to Driving Economy Forward”
5 Tips for Students to Get Ahead in Technology and Business
What advice would you give students interested in your field? That’s a question we posed to our network of Xconomists around the country. They range from academic leaders to startup founders to venture capitalists. What we found was that their answers were generally bigger than their particular field of expertise. Taken together, the tips provide … Continue reading “5 Tips for Students to Get Ahead in Technology and Business”
Omni Water Solutions Obtains $4,649,796 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=64469e65-0959-4304-a69f-1bd3675e7370 Date 12/30/2014 Company Name Omni Water Solutions Mailing Address 4007 Commercial Center Drive Austin, TX 78744 USA Company Description Omni Water Solutions is an emerging technology company, which specializes in developing and deploying mobile water treatment platforms for water re-use. Through its patent-pending Octozone automation technology, Omni’s platforms are able to … Continue reading “Omni Water Solutions Obtains $4,649,796 New Financing”
Alkami Technology Receives $23,732,200 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3decc229-24c9-49bc-a565-fe49ac0c6d86 Date 12/30/2014 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 Receives $23,732,200 New Funding”
14 for ’14: Xconomy’s Top Innovation Stories of the Year
It has been quite a year for one-word headlines: Ebola, Sony, Uber, WhatsApp, to name a few. Behind those headlines are complex issues in business and technology that came to the fore in 2014. Things like impediments to vaccine development; mounting threats in cybersecurity and privacy; the regulatory and cultural struggles of high-flying startups; and … Continue reading “14 for ’14: Xconomy’s Top Innovation Stories of the Year”
To Diversify the Innovation Community, Jump-Start Female Entrepreneurship
Just about a year ago at this time, I read a report that made me ask myself whether I was doing enough—and the right kind of “enough”—to encourage diversity in our technology startup community and innovation ecosystem here in Boston/Cambridge. Fortunately, when I looked at the startups in my portfolio of seed investments, I found … Continue reading “To Diversify the Innovation Community, Jump-Start Female Entrepreneurship”
Expand Our Notion of Success from Wealth Creation to Value Creation
We have too narrow a view of success in the tech community, fueled by investors wanting big returns, business schools reinforcing these values, and universities trying to maximize financial returns on their research. Young people see this. Many children of immigrants want to help their parents’ homelands. Many young people want to build a more … Continue reading “Expand Our Notion of Success from Wealth Creation to Value Creation”
10 Bits of Advice for Students Interested in Drug Development
Here are my 10 crucial pieces of advice for students who aspire to a career in pharmaceutical labs: 1. You need a solid foundation in science. Master the basics, and learn how to apply that knowledge. 2. But, try to also take classes and build skills in complementary areas like business, legal topics (especially intellectual … Continue reading “10 Bits of Advice for Students Interested in Drug Development”
Kicking the Cyber Attack Can Down the Road
By far the most important issue where the can got “kicked down the road” is any kind of concerted effort to deter or dissuade cross-border cyber-crime, cyber-attacks, cyber-vandalism and other various forms of hacking mischief. As more and more people become reliant of digital devices and networks for their livelihoods and leisure, their vulnerability to … Continue reading “Kicking the Cyber Attack Can Down the Road”
From STEM to C-Suite, Steps to Improve Technology’s Gender Balance
Gender and diversity problems certainly aren’t new for either the technology community or for business in general. Over the past several decades, women and minorities have worked to gain access to higher levels within organizations, and many white males already in senior roles have also worked to address these issues. However, progress has been slow, … Continue reading “From STEM to C-Suite, Steps to Improve Technology’s Gender Balance”
Biggest Surprises in 2014: Apple After Steve Jobs
What was the biggest surprise of the year? The continued success of Apple. It’s been a quiet period after Jobs’s disappearance and it is very difficult to step into those shoes, I had not counted on the success. The iPhone 6 is a marvel even if it’s not a groundbreaking innovation. But the Apple Watch … Continue reading “Biggest Surprises in 2014: Apple After Steve Jobs”
Simple Steps Toward More Inclusive Entrepreneurship
At conferences, meetups, and events, my colleagues and I often lament the lack of diversity in the audience, particularly the lack of women. Organizations like the Doyenne Group here in Madison, WI, are doing great things to cultivate entrepreneurship among women. Some recent changes in my life, however, have given me a new perspective on … Continue reading “Simple Steps Toward More Inclusive Entrepreneurship”
What’s Missing From Education? Critical Thinking
There is too little emphasis on teaching critical thinking skills in schools. Many adults have little understanding of important science and technology issues, which leaves them open to poor decision making on matters that will affect both their families as well as society in general. A good example would be a failure to understand and … Continue reading “What’s Missing From Education? Critical Thinking”
What’s the Most Important Issue That Didn’t Get Addressed in 2014?
Immigration. Very sad and shows how deeply dysfunctional our system is. This is really hurting innovation—and other countries, like Canada, U.K., Chile and Spain, have moved way ahead of us. Very frustrating. [Editor’s note: To tap the wisdom of our distinguished group of Xconomists, we asked a few of them to answer this question heading … Continue reading “What’s the Most Important Issue That Didn’t Get Addressed in 2014?”
Big D’s VentureSpur Targets Innovation in Retail & Restaurants
The VentureSpur accelerator in Dallas aims to make itself the destination of innovation that reflects the city’s overall economy: retail and restaurants. It makes sense when you’re located in the home of retailers ranging from luxury peddler Neiman Marcus to more down-market JCPenney, as well as food chains like Brinker International Restaurants, which has Chili’s … Continue reading “Big D’s VentureSpur Targets Innovation in Retail & Restaurants”
OrthoAccel Technologies Receives $5,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cd53f675-6ff7-474c-b544-a18770ee9a29 Date 12/23/2014 Company Name OrthoAccel Technologies Mailing Address 6575 West Loop South Bellaire, TX 77401 USA Company Description The AcceleDent System is currently in a randomized controlled clinical trial at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. This trial was enrolled under an Investigational Device Exemption. Website http://www.orthoaccel.com … Continue reading “OrthoAccel Technologies Receives $5,000,000 New Financing Round”
Officials Say Fuji’s Purchase of Kalon Boosts Texas’s Biotech Profile
A Texas A&M University spinoff has been acquired by Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, a transaction that helps to secure Texas’s role as an innovation hub for the testing and manufacturing of vaccines for pandemics, as well as cancer drugs. Terms were not disclosed for the deal involving College Station, TX-based Kalon, which was spun out of … Continue reading “Officials Say Fuji’s Purchase of Kalon Boosts Texas’s Biotech Profile”
The Sony Wake-Up Call
[Corrected, see below] The Sony saga continues. Last week, the FBI said there is enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for the Sony cyberattack. Now some are beginning to wonder how the U.S. should retaliate. Surely, new developments will continue to unfold, but our focus remains on what this breach … Continue reading “The Sony Wake-Up Call”
Rethinking Venture Philanthropy After the Kalydeco Windfall
The Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation’s big win in venture philanthropy can fuel constructive competition among companies developing innovative CF drugs, benefiting both patients and the healthcare system by increasing future treatment options and reducing their cost. CF is a fatal genetic disease affecting around 30,000 people in the U.S. that is caused by mutations in … Continue reading “Rethinking Venture Philanthropy After the Kalydeco Windfall”
InvestX Obtains $5,200,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=26690a40-f225-4a78-93a1-36cdf9a5a16b Date 12/19/2014 Company Name InvestX Mailing Address 700 N. Pearl Street Dallas, TX 75201 USA Company Description Private equity investing has averaged a solid 16% annual return over the past 10 years…more than the returns of the TSX, S&P and T-Bills combined! InvestX is the first-of-its-kind private equity marketplace for retail … Continue reading “InvestX Obtains $5,200,000 Seed Financing”
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Garners $139,650,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ecf456e1-fd54-4d44-bb27-d39c5133e8c9 Date 12/19/2014 Company Name Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX 77030 USA Company Description Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLCM) is developing next generation therapeutic vaccines and other immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of cancer and chronic infectious diseases. Website http://www.bellicum.com Transaction Type IPO Transaction Amount $139,650,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Garners $139,650,000 New Funding Round”
With $2B Market Cap and New Shareholder Rules, Juno Ready for Debut
Juno Therapeutics of Seattle set the price late Thursday for its initial public offering. It is selling 11 million shares at $24 each, which is where shares will start trading tomorrow morning on the Nasdaq. That puts $264 million into Juno’s bank account, minus fees to bankers and others, for Juno to use as it … Continue reading “With $2B Market Cap and New Shareholder Rules, Juno Ready for Debut”
Houston’s Bellicum Pharma Rides T-Cell Therapy Wave to $140M IPO
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals has made a little bit of Houston history. In becoming the latest in a new wave of cancer immunotherapy companies to go public, Bellicum has managed another feat—it’s the first Houston biotech to make it to the Nasdaq in nearly 15 years. Bellicum priced 7.35 million shares Wednesday night at $19 apiece, raising $139.65 million before … Continue reading “Houston’s Bellicum Pharma Rides T-Cell Therapy Wave to $140M IPO”
P97 Networks Receives $8,000,000 Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5dc05aa0-73fb-4c4d-a027-67756d22e090 Date 12/18/2014 Company Name P97 Networks Mailing Address 10333 Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77042 USA Company Description At P97 Networks we understand the power of mobile applications and the endless possibilities they offer. We look at mobile payment solutions as a way to create a meaningful relationship between company and consumer, … Continue reading “P97 Networks Receives $8,000,000 Series A Financing”
New Funding for Texas Software, Cleantech, & Health IT Startups
There’s just over a week until Christmas. How is your shopping going? As you wait in checkout lines or for e-retailers to process your orders, catch up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy’s Texas bureau, such as funding news and new startup partnerships in Houston. —Rebellion Photonics, a Houston energy startup, has received $4.25 … Continue reading “New Funding for Texas Software, Cleantech, & Health IT Startups”
Austin’s Wisegate Raises $4M to Further Develop IT Brain Trust
An Austin startup creating what it calls “a gated brain trust of the wisest in IT” has raised $4 million. Wisegate announced Tuesday it has closed a Series B round led by new investor Arcus Capital Partners. Prior investors the Central Texas Angel Network, Atlanta Technology Angels, Golden Seeds, and Cowtown Angels also participated. The … Continue reading “Austin’s Wisegate Raises $4M to Further Develop IT Brain Trust”
Wisegate Secures $4,000,000 Series B Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fd24d259-fc11-4d16-a737-2a4803d4e9cd Date 12/17/2014 Company Name Wisegate Mailing Address 13413 Galleria Circle Austin, TX 78738 USA Company Description Wisegate’s ambitious mission is to make our members’ jobs less stressful and more productive. We seek to achieve this goal by driving a radical degree of transparency in the industry while giving our members a … Continue reading “Wisegate Secures $4,000,000 Series B Round”
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Magnovision?
When the ads for Mars vacations came on the TV, Doug Quaid couldn’t turn away. He thought about Mars at work, dreamed about it at night, badgered his wife about going there. She reminded him that they couldn’t afford it—and anyway, Saturn is much nicer. But he could not get Mars out of his head. … Continue reading “Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Magnovision?”
Intrigue and Outdated Rules Complicate Big Biotech Patent Fight
How’s this for strange? What’s likely the most important biotech patent battle of the decade is now being fought under outmoded rules that the U.S. Congress, in a rare spasm of common purpose three years ago, agreed roundly were due for a once-in-a-lifetime overhaul. The fight is over CRISPR/Cas9, a potential Nobel-winning biotech discovery, and … Continue reading “Intrigue and Outdated Rules Complicate Big Biotech Patent Fight”
Inova Labs Receives $3,878,272 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=65878459-a861-4197-85e2-4180c69be6c9 Date 12/16/2014 Company Name Inova Labs Mailing Address 3500 Comsouth Rd. Austin, TX 78744 USA Company Description The company has developed a portable oxygen concentrator product line. Website http://www.lifechoiceoxygen.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,878,272 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC regulatory filing. Contact technology … Continue reading “Inova Labs Receives $3,878,272 New Financing”
Austin’s Cratejoy Helps Local E-tailers Manage Subscriptions
Eileen Griffith realized that she and her husband were in a rut—and so were her friends. “Everyone was having the same conversation: What do you want to do?” she recalls. “Everyone was so busy to plan something so it always ends up with take out and Netflix.” Seeking alternative social excursions, Griffith in September of … Continue reading “Austin’s Cratejoy Helps Local E-tailers Manage Subscriptions”
Texas Medical Center, Village Capital Look to Boost Health Startups
The Texas Medical Center hosted a dozen digital health startups this week as part of a program with Village Capital, a Washington, DC-based venture firm. The program, called VilCapUSA, marks the debut of the medical center’s new accelerator space, TMCx, which will unveil its own inaugural class of healthcare startups in March. “Working with Village … Continue reading “Texas Medical Center, Village Capital Look to Boost Health Startups”
How Big Data Improves Sales Management and Predicts Performance
Enterprises worth their salt typically use a set of standard key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate progress, but there are limits to the effectiveness of these measures in improving or predicting future performance. According to Harvard Business Review, the top KPIs in sales include average annual quota and quota attainment average. The former describes the … Continue reading “How Big Data Improves Sales Management and Predicts Performance”
ASH Roundup: Immunotherapy Stars, Gene Therapy Leaps Ahead
Cancer immunotherapy and gene therapy grabbed many of the headlines from this past weekend’s American Society of Hematology meeting in San Francisco, and a number of the companies those fields look primed to cash in with big offerings in the coming weeks. Two such companies are already prepping to do so: Juno Therapeutics of Seattle, … Continue reading “ASH Roundup: Immunotherapy Stars, Gene Therapy Leaps Ahead”
Automated Marketing Software Nets Austin’s OutboundEngine $11M
OutboundEngine, which makes marketing and business development software, has raised $11 million in a Series B round. The Austin, TX-based startup’s software automates marketing duties for independent small businesses such as real estate agents, mortgage brokers, plumbers, and electricians. The startup creates content for the business while managing e-mail and social media channels on both … Continue reading “Automated Marketing Software Nets Austin’s OutboundEngine $11M”
OutboundEngine Receives $11,000,000 Series B Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=161fabd2-aa4d-4670-98cd-a2a04cf6978b Date 12/11/2014 Company Name OutboundEngine Mailing Address 200 E. 6th St. Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description OutboundEngine provides a hands-free marketing platform that puts your marketing on autopilot. Our SaaS-based platform delivers industry-focused content via email and social media on your behalf. Website http://www.outboundengine.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “OutboundEngine Receives $11,000,000 Series B Funding Round”
VuCOMP Secures $381,627 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=24806d7b-faec-4d1c-a365-ccc7d845b4d1 Date 12/11/2014 Company Name VuCOMP Mailing Address 2500 Dallas Parkway Plano, TX 75093 USA Company Description Pioneering some of the world’s most advanced computer vision systems, VuCOMP’s core team of engineers have worked together since 1986. This team founded VuCOMP with the primary goal of applying their deep understanding of imaging … Continue reading “VuCOMP Secures $381,627 New Round”
Virtual Reality Startup Virtuix Raises $2.7M, Readies for CES Debut
A Houston startup’s dream of “taking virtual reality beyond the chair” is getting closer to reality. Virtuix announced today it has raised $2.7 million that it will use to fund its final push to manufacture a treadmill that, when paired with an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and currently available video game systems, will enable … Continue reading “Virtual Reality Startup Virtuix Raises $2.7M, Readies for CES Debut”
Virtuix Receives $2,700,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=92a6bad1-05ae-41c7-8e5a-27cbe19fda45 Date 12/10/2014 Company Name Virtuix Mailing Address 2221 W. Dallas St. Houston, TX 77019 USA Company Description The Virtuix Omni is now available for pre-order. Thanks to more than 3,000 Kickstarter backers, the Virtuix Omni has been funded. Take advantage of our pre-order pricing and reserve your spot in line by … Continue reading “Virtuix Receives $2,700,000 New Round”