Category: Texas

New McNair Ignition Fund Pledges $3M to Boost Houston Tech Startups

As many as 30 Houston tech startups could receive $25,000 in investment next year thanks to the McNair Houston Ignition Fund. The fund is sponsored by the McNair Group, a financial and real estate firm owned by Houston Texans owner Bob McNair. McNair is investing $1 million a year for three years to boost tech … Continue reading “New McNair Ignition Fund Pledges $3M to Boost Houston Tech Startups”

The Risks and Opportunities in a Startup: Age 5 Years and Up

In my last two articles, I explored the top risks and opportunities that startups face during their first five years of existence. In this conclusion to the series, I’d like to discuss the final phase of startup growth—Year 5 and up. If your business has made it to the crucial 5-year mark, that’s a good … Continue reading “The Risks and Opportunities in a Startup: Age 5 Years and Up”

Web Startup Experiment Engine Turns to Crowd to Ease A/B Testing

Constantly testing and optimizing your website to turn more visitors into customers is one of those things everyone knows they should be doing. But companies often lack the time, expertise, and money for it. Experiment Engine, a startup in Austin, TX, would like to make it easier for companies to do A/B testing on design … Continue reading “Web Startup Experiment Engine Turns to Crowd to Ease A/B Testing”

Revionics Receives New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9b2e428a-e3b4-477e-ad95-cd3afd909ea0 Date 12/8/2014 Company Name Revionics Mailing Address 5000 Plaza on the Lake Austin, TX 78746 USA Company Description Revionics is a leading provider of End-to-End Merchandise Solutions, including shopper-centric assortments, micro and macro space allocation, pricing, promotions and markdowns. Revionics solutions improve retailer sales, profits, and customer loyalty through sophisticated consumer-demand … Continue reading “Revionics Receives New Funding”

At ASH, Sunesis Dices Data to Argue For “Failed” Leukemia Drug

No drug has been approved to treat acute myeloid leukemia in four decades. As two specialists in the field wrote a couple years ago, “We indeed regularly administer the same chemotherapy regimens that became standard care for AML in the 1970s, back when each of us was playing Little League baseball.” South San Francisco, CA-based … Continue reading “At ASH, Sunesis Dices Data to Argue For “Failed” Leukemia Drug”

Innovating with Bitcoin at MIT

In November, we began distributing $100 in Bitcoin to every undergraduate student at MIT. A large share of the 4,500 eligible students participated in the project. Bitcoin is an innovative payment network that allows for instant peer-to-peer transactions with zero or very low processing fees on a worldwide scale. The objective of the study is … Continue reading “Innovating with Bitcoin at MIT”

Innovation Hub: Are Entrepreneurs a Dying Breed?

It feels like every day, we hear another story of a 22-year-old who sold his app for millions. But the truth about entrepreneurs may be very different. In fact, if you look at the official data, entrepreneurship in the U.S. has been in decline for over thirty years. We talked to Ben Casselman, the chief … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Are Entrepreneurs a Dying Breed?”

Houston Venture Capital Firm Mercury Fund Closes $105M Third Fund

Houston’s Mercury Fund has raised its third fund, totaling $105 million in commitments. The closing of Mercury Fund III, which made its first investment in October 2013 and its last a year later, brings the firm’s total capital under management to more than $200 million. This latest fund will make initial investments of between $100,000 … Continue reading “Houston Venture Capital Firm Mercury Fund Closes $105M Third Fund”

ParLevel Obtains $498,201 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0897f51a-1551-4145-b742-cfdeeb7051af Date 12/5/2014 Company Name ParLevel Mailing Address 112 East Pecan Street San Antonio, TX 78205 USA Company Description We have developed a machine-agnostic, low-cost device that connects any vending machine to the most powerful vending management system in the world. Vending machine operators eliminate guesswork by knowing which machines need service, … Continue reading “ParLevel Obtains $498,201 New Financing”

Start Houston, Presidio Unveil New Network to Fund Local Tech Startups

Start Houston, a co-working space, is going beyond demo days and other events to support the city’s tech startups: Now it’s going to invest money in them. Start has partnered with Presidio Venture Capital, also in Houston, to create the Start Investment Network, which will make seed investments of between $25,000 to $50,000 in Houston … Continue reading “Start Houston, Presidio Unveil New Network to Fund Local Tech Startups”

Promoter.io Secures $1,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=78d5e6e3-124a-4ad3-9d9d-a074a8e42359 Date 12/4/2014 Company Name Promoter.io Mailing Address 112 E Pecan St 10th Floor San Antonio, TX 78205 USA Company Description Net Promoter campaigns provide a level of comprehensive feedback that you don’t get from traditional surveys. We’ll help find strategic and actionable insights through deep analysis of the data, so you … Continue reading “Promoter.io Secures $1,000,000 New Funding Round”

Texas Cancer Center Seeks to Speed Discovery with Applied Research

To commercialize more discoveries from biomedical research labs, professionals in life sciences should take a cue from the physical sciences, where engineers convert basic science into real-world products. So says, Lynda Chin, chair of the department of genomic medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, which hosts the Institute for … Continue reading “Texas Cancer Center Seeks to Speed Discovery with Applied Research”

TX Roundup: Need, Experiment Engine, Bigcommerce, Bellicum, CS Disco

Over your turkey-weekend hangover? Let’s set the table with the latest innovation news in Texas, including new money raised, expansions, and the filing of the first IPO for a Houston biotech company in 14 years. —Need, a Dallas-based e-retailer, is getting a little brother. Matt Alexander, Need’s CEO and founder, told me about plans for … Continue reading “TX Roundup: Need, Experiment Engine, Bigcommerce, Bellicum, CS Disco”

More Biotechs Belly-Up These Days but Dendreon Still “One of a Kind”

Biotech companies rarely go bankrupt. Sitting where I sit, that bit of conventional wisdom comes around every so often, although it doesn’t generate quite the same buzz as Halley’s Comet or a wardrobe malfunction. Bankruptcy just doesn’t get America jawing over the water cooler on Monday morning. (I can’t imagine why.) If your cooler is … Continue reading “More Biotechs Belly-Up These Days but Dendreon Still “One of a Kind””

Prescription Drug Pricing: The Fine Line Between Value and Greed

Value. It’s one of the most frequently used buzzwords on both Wall Street and in healthcare. Virtually every press release from a publicly traded company assures us that its latest acquisition/layoff/tax inversion/sale of assets was designed “to increase shareholder value.” But what exactly is “value” and how is it measured? Here are some definitions from … Continue reading “Prescription Drug Pricing: The Fine Line Between Value and Greed”

Dallas E-Retailer Need to Expand With Foremost, Plans to Raise Funds

Black Friday is just days away and Matt Alexander, founder and CEO of e-commerce site Need, says he’s not only ready for the onslaught of holiday shoppers, he’s busy hatching a retail sibling. Alexander plans to unveil the new site, Foremost, at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Foremost will offer lower-priced clothing to cater … Continue reading “Dallas E-Retailer Need to Expand With Foremost, Plans to Raise Funds”

Spot On Sciences Aims to Take Pain, Hassle Out of Blood Tests

Take four years of work, some complicated scientific and medical research, and condense into 25-second nuggets that you will present before judges and a lively crowd as you “do battle” with nine other startups from around the world. That was the challenge Jeanette Hill, founder and CEO of Austin, TX-based Spot On Sciences, faced at … Continue reading “Spot On Sciences Aims to Take Pain, Hassle Out of Blood Tests”

Startups and 13 States Jumpstart Equity Crowdfunding Without SEC

Ever wanted to own your own little piece of a startup, but found you don’t quite have the money to do it? Well, now you can buy a stake in a local brewery, restaurant, or software company—at least if you live in Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington, Colorado, or other states with new laws that let companies … Continue reading “Startups and 13 States Jumpstart Equity Crowdfunding Without SEC”

Experiment Engine Receives $1,000,000 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=258bd6f6-16f9-4a88-84ff-8d8062b46abd Date 11/25/2014 Company Name Experiment Engine Mailing Address Undisclosed Austin, TX 78610 USA Company Description Experiment Engine is an an A/B testing platform backed by a marketplace of designers and conversion rate experts who get paid when they make businesses more money. Website http://www.experimentengine.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,000,000 … Continue reading “Experiment Engine Receives $1,000,000 Seed Funding”

Dallas Startups Pitch for Better Living at Health Wildcatters Day

Hosting the second annual Health Wildcatters pitch day at the 1920s-era Majestic Theater in Dallas made sense, said the accelerator’s co-founder Carl Soderstrom, as he asked the crowd to consider the innovators who had previously graced the stage. Soderstrom gestured to a photo of Harry Houdini, wrapped in locks and chains. “The only person who … Continue reading “Dallas Startups Pitch for Better Living at Health Wildcatters Day”

The Risks and Opportunities in a Startup: Age 2-5 Years

In my previous article, I discussed the key risks and opportunities that startups face when they’re just starting out. This time, I’d like to go one step further to the second phase of a startup’s growth: age 2-5 years. This is a critical period. The initial excitement of starting a business is over, and now … Continue reading “The Risks and Opportunities in a Startup: Age 2-5 Years”

CS Disco Raises $10M for Software That Tracks Lawsuit Documents

Houston-based CS Disco announced on Thursday that it has closed on a $10 million Series B round of funding. The company makes software that enables attorneys to better find and organize the millions of documents gathered for cases during the discovery process. Bessemer Venture Partners led the round, with existing investor LiveOak Venture Partners also … Continue reading “CS Disco Raises $10M for Software That Tracks Lawsuit Documents”

SimplyTapp Obtains $5,999,999 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0d47a57c-f9da-4082-8ddc-99187a76956f Date 11/21/2014 Company Name SimplyTapp Mailing Address 507 Powell Street Austin, TX 78703 USA Company Description Utilizing host card emulation, SimplyTapp empowers your mobile banking application with tap and pay functionality all from within your bank’s private cloud. Website http://www.simplytapp.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,999,999 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “SimplyTapp Obtains $5,999,999 New Funding Round”

CS Disco Secures $10,000,000 Series B Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d276544c-8c42-4807-99b1-1ae36097eb90 Date 11/20/2014 Company Name CS Disco Mailing Address 4400 Post Oak Parkway Houston, TX 77027 USA Company Description CS Disco Inc. makes the best legal technology in the world. Our first product, Disco, is e-discovery software that helps lawyers find evidence faster in the tens of millions of documents reviewed in … Continue reading “CS Disco Secures $10,000,000 Series B Financing Round”

Altair Semiconductor Garners New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a66d0e86-440f-49e6-b74e-398a5dab9de9 Date 11/20/2014 Company Name Altair Semiconductor Mailing Address 1400 Preston Rd. Plano, TX 75093 USA Company Description Altair is a fabless semiconductor company based in Israel that is developing state of the art, ultra low power mobile WiMAX silicon solutions optimized for handsets and handheld devices. Website http://www.altair-semi.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Altair Semiconductor Garners New Financing”

TEKVOX Lands Series A Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f80cfa0d-6cb3-48c0-ad3a-3ea77368f14f Date 11/20/2014 Company Name TEKVOX Mailing Address 108 Wild Basin Rd. Austin, TX 78746 USA Company Description The TEKVOX mission is to make A/V solutions for teaching and collaboration that are affordable and supportable. The TekPatrol™ solution is the fundamental building block in bringing order, efficiency, and automation to corporate, educational, … Continue reading “TEKVOX Lands Series A Round”

Austin’s Bigcommerce Raises $50M to Expand Platform, Markets

E-retail software maker Bigcommerce announced Wednesday that it has raised $50 million in a Series C round. The Austin, TX-based company sells e-commerce software to small businesses. It’s in the middle of a growth streak, and the new funding will enable Bigcommerce to boost research and development and sales and marketing efforts to expand into … Continue reading “Austin’s Bigcommerce Raises $50M to Expand Platform, Markets”

Houston Biotech Firm Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Files for IPO

Houston biotech firm Bellicum Pharmaceuticals has filed for a $115 million IPO. The company is developing immunotherapies that allow the suppression or activation of cells administered to patients with leukemia, lymphoma, or pancreatic cancers. According to the filing, Bellicum plans to trade on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol BLCM. The IPO would be the … Continue reading “Houston Biotech Firm Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Files for IPO”

Breaking Bottlenecks, Opening the Floodgates to Genomic Data

There is a major transformational step underway for managing the growing amount of human genomic data. To date, the focus has been on amassing databanks of genomes and then developing new tools to analyze this information. In essence, the emphasis has been on breaking bottlenecks for analyzing the data. Now, there is an opportunity to … Continue reading “Breaking Bottlenecks, Opening the Floodgates to Genomic Data”

Pingboard Receives $1,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a169ab6e-d511-43e2-b0cd-0ab798719ee2 Date 11/18/2014 Company Name Pingboard Mailing Address 701 Brazos St. 5th Floor Austin, TX 78701 USA Company Description You are the backbone of the office. We know how important your job is. You are the key to company culture. You connect people. You make sure we have everything we need to … Continue reading “Pingboard Receives $1,000,000 New Funding”

New Research Could (Finally) Remove RNAi’s Commercial Limitations

[Corrected 11/17/14, 12:30pm. See below.] If nothing else, the acronym RNAi, which stands for ribonucleic acid interference, should be familiar to biotech observers as something that won two researchers the Nobel Prize in 2006, and that a few companies have tried to turn into drugs. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) is the most well-known. But in … Continue reading “New Research Could (Finally) Remove RNAi’s Commercial Limitations”

TX Roundup: LiveOak, Ridescout, The Food Lab, SeedInvest, Ambiq Micro

Cold arctic air blasted its way from Canada south to the Gulf of Mexico, but innovation news in Texas has not slowed down. New funding was announced for startups, food-tech finalists competing for $30,000 in prize money were unveiled, and a veteran entrepreneur gave back to others who may follow in his path. Here is … Continue reading “TX Roundup: LiveOak, Ridescout, The Food Lab, SeedInvest, Ambiq Micro”

Infocyte Garners $500,000 Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9e1a6caf-5ffb-426d-9d2d-293a67437585 Date 11/14/2014 Company Name Infocyte Mailing Address 110 E Houston St. 7th Floor San Antonio, TX 78205 USA Company Description Infocyte is a San Antonio-based developer of cyber security solutions designed to identify threats and unauthorized activity on enterprise networks. They have invented the only interactive security platform designed to rapidly … Continue reading “Infocyte Garners $500,000 Seed Financing”

Metal Networks Secures $5,000,000 Series A Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=71b84f8c-5d3c-4783-a5d1-299366318068 Date 11/14/2014 Company Name Metal Networks Mailing Address 3740 Greenbriar Houston, TX 77098 USA Company Description Metal Network’s software solutions cater to the metal industry and are geared to save money, time, and manpower, Our goal is to develop a united, sustainable, and innovative community where buying and selling metal is … Continue reading “Metal Networks Secures $5,000,000 Series A Funding Round”

Austin’s LiveOak Invests in San Antonio, Dallas Security Startups

LiveOak Venture Partners has made a new pair of investments in startups related to cyber and operational security. The larger of the investments, $3.5 million, goes to Razberi Technologies, a suburban Dallas maker of a plug-and-play video surveillance system. “You take a megapixel camera and plug into our device with a cable and you have a … Continue reading “Austin’s LiveOak Invests in San Antonio, Dallas Security Startups”

Razberi Obtains $3,500,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3d270afd-f602-4d57-8074-7c8a1ee4b98f Date 11/13/2014 Company Name Razberi Mailing Address 1628 Valwood Parkway Carrollton, TX 75006 USA Company Description Razberi Technologies is developer and manufacturer of network video solutions for professional video surveillance and security applications. The company is an innovator in providing ground-breaking solutions designed for simplicity and ease-of-use. Website http://www.razberi.net Transaction Type … Continue reading “Razberi Obtains $3,500,000 Series A Financing Round”

TeleTech, Humanify Hope to Bring Customer Service into Mobile Age

Think back to the last time you tried to fix something around the house that broke unexpectedly. What did you do? Maybe you searched Google and YouTube and found some articles or videos. One or two might have been helpful. You might have searched a manufacturer’s website for a product manual or FAQ, and if … Continue reading “TeleTech, Humanify Hope to Bring Customer Service into Mobile Age”

Next-Gen Network Monitoring: The Missing Piece of the Security Puzzle

If 2014 has taught us anything, it’s that IT security is falling behind the threats against which it is supposed to protect, and the gap is widening quickly. From data breaches at major retailers to serious zero-day vulnerabilities such as Heartbleed and Shellshock, the events of the last 12 months have caused everyone with an … Continue reading “Next-Gen Network Monitoring: The Missing Piece of the Security Puzzle”

Lowering the Cost of Failure in Biopharmaceuticals

In any business, projects fail, but in biopharmaceuticals, the consequences of failure are especially damaging. Projects in the industry tend to be long and expensive—from clinical trials to regulatory approvals to commercial application. At any point in the process, obstacles can derail a project. Failure is most certainly an option, and for companies with many … Continue reading “Lowering the Cost of Failure in Biopharmaceuticals”

Advice Interactive Receives New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6259c243-ddfd-437a-917e-084c980eb215 Date 11/11/2014 Company Name Advice Interactive Mailing Address 7850 Collin McKinney Parkway McKinney, TX 75070 USA Company Description Advice Interactive Group is a Dallas based interactive digital marketing agency. Our team of advertising and marketing professionals provides clients with a clear and distinct voice in the marketplace. Website http://www.adviceinteractivegroup.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “Advice Interactive Receives New Round”

Mesh Networks Lands $4,300,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b12d67f2-c387-4601-b843-173ce64b8413 Date 11/11/2014 Company Name Mesh Networks Mailing Address 11757 Katy Freeway Houston, TX 77079 USA Company Description Mesh Networks, experts in the field of bandwidth management since 2005, is a provider of innovative, state-of-the-art, patent pending broadband management solutions. Website http://www.themeshnetworks.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,300,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Mesh Networks Lands $4,300,000 New Funding”

UT Food Lab Finalists: Robotic Chefs, Edible Insects, Virtual Farmers Market

Even the most fundamental of human endeavor, say, eating, can benefit from innovation. That’s the spirit behind the Food Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, an initiative that seeks to take an entrepreneurial look at how we grow, distribute, and eat food. “We’re bringing people to the table who normally don’t get together: … Continue reading “UT Food Lab Finalists: Robotic Chefs, Edible Insects, Virtual Farmers Market”

Beg, Borrow, or Steal: Accessing Unaffordable Science Journals

If you work in academia or in Big Pharma, you likely have easy access to the world’s scientific literature. Outside of these places, however, obtaining affordable access to the latest scientific journals is much more problematic. This includes scientists at all but the largest biopharma companies, doctors and other health care professionals, and people wanting … Continue reading “Beg, Borrow, or Steal: Accessing Unaffordable Science Journals”

YourCause Lands $4,000,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7d979364-20f5-4c5f-a065-3ca1790068f8 Date 11/10/2014 Company Name YourCause Mailing Address 2508 Highlander Way Carrollton, TX 75006 USA Company Description YourCause has developed a Corporate Social Responsiblity platform. Website http://www.csrconnect.me Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The additional capital will be used to support expansion of marketing and … Continue reading “YourCause Lands $4,000,000 Series A Financing Round”

Ambiq Micro Secures $15,000,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=62919d47-495c-4080-a178-45e1b8ce7ba9 Date 11/10/2014 Company Name Ambiq Micro Mailing Address 303 Camp Craft Road West Lake Hills, TX 78746 USA Company Description The company is developing next-generation energy-efficient microcontrollers. Website http://www.ambiqmicro.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction Round Series C Proceeds Purposes The company already manufactures and markets real-time clocks (RTCs) … Continue reading “Ambiq Micro Secures $15,000,000 Series C Financing”

SunPower Acquires SolarBridge Technologies for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6fa5c442-76cb-468e-bee2-7336352879f6 Date 11/10/2014 Company Name SolarBridge Technologies Mailing Address 9229 Waterford Centre Blvd. Austin, TX 78758 USA Company Description SolarBridge Technologies is making solar energy easier, more reliable and more affordable. SolarBridge and its partners are working together to drive solar adoption by delivering AC modules to the residential and commercial markets. … Continue reading “SunPower Acquires SolarBridge Technologies for Undisclosed Sum”

Austin Investor Sees Opportunity in City’s Cognitive Computing Niche

Manoj Saxena spent seven years at IBM Watson’s Austin headquarters leading its cognitive computing efforts. Now, at the helm of the Austin branch of The Entrepreneurs’ Fund, he hopes to use that expertise to help startups in an emerging realm of technology. “The goal with Austin is to create a hub of cognitive computing companies,” … Continue reading “Austin Investor Sees Opportunity in City’s Cognitive Computing Niche”

How a Big Company Can Run Fast, Like a Startup

What does the word “startup” mean to you? Many words can come to mind: new, exciting, experimental, small, lean, agile, fast. To me, “startup” mostly makes me think of “agile” and “fast.” In an early stage startup, everybody is focused on the same thing. People are passionate, enthusiastic, hungry for an opportunity to change the … Continue reading “How a Big Company Can Run Fast, Like a Startup”