Category: Texas

The $1K Genome? So What? Illumina Is On a Quest for World Domination

People can argue all day about whether Illumina has, at last, given us the $1,000 genome. The answer does matter, because the cheaper it gets to sequence a whole human genome, the easier it will be to gather lots of them. That will help us understand what makes people different, and shed light on what … Continue reading “The $1K Genome? So What? Illumina Is On a Quest for World Domination”

Lessons from the Austin Technology Incubator’s first 25 years

Startup support organizations—especially incubators—are notoriously fragile. Of the 122 incubators and accelerators that Xconomy profiles in the 2012 Guide to Venture Incubators, almost three-fourths of them were founded after 2006, and more than 95 percent since 2000. Only two of the Xconomy Venture incubators have had sustained operations for more than 15 years. The longest … Continue reading “Lessons from the Austin Technology Incubator’s first 25 years”

Pristine Lands $600,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6593eb83-1287-4344-8d50-e0703c850f75 Date 1/31/2014 Company Name Pristine Mailing Address 701 Brazos 16th Floor Austin, TX 78701 Company Description Pristine EyeSight is a video communication platform optimized for Google Glass in healthcare. 1st person, wireless, hands free video. Website http://www.pristine.io Transaction Type Crowdfunder Transaction Amount $600,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “Pristine Lands $600,000 New Round”

Virtuix Receives $800,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a8e82a77-0920-4aec-819f-e9d5ce271721 Date 1/31/2014 Company Name Virtuix Mailing Address 2221 W. Dallas St. Houston, TX 77019 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 ordering … Continue reading “Virtuix Receives $800,000 New Funding Round”

Houston’s OrthoAccel Mouthpiece Can Make Braces Work Faster

Sometimes an entrepreneur comes up with an innovation. Sometimes the innovation finds the entrepreneur. The latter certainly seems to be the case for Michael Lowe, president and CEO of Houston-based OrthoAccel. His story beings with an orthodontic technology sitting in a tech transfer office in Chicago that would eventually win an award at the Rice … Continue reading “Houston’s OrthoAccel Mouthpiece Can Make Braces Work Faster”

Innography Receives $7,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9737b551-46ac-403e-9887-31d7bbf997cc Date 1/30/2014 Company Name Innography Mailing Address 3900 N. Capital of Texas Hwy. Austin, TX 78746 Company Description Innography launched its intellectual property business intelligence software as a service (SaaS) platform in 2007. Website http://www.innography.com Transaction Type Debt, Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company intends … Continue reading “Innography Receives $7,000,000 New Funding”

Innography Receives $7,000,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9737b551-46ac-403e-9887-31d7bbf997cc Date 1/30/2014 Company Name Innography Mailing Address 3900 N. Capital of Texas Hwy. Austin, TX 78746 Company Description Innography launched its intellectual property business intelligence software as a service (SaaS) platform in 2007. Website http://www.innography.com Transaction Type Debt, Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes The company intends … Continue reading “Innography Receives $7,000,000 New Round”

In California, Walgreens & Walmart Are Rethinking Retail Health

On January 1, 2014, a bill signed by Governor Jerry Brown fundamentally transformed how pharmacists operate in California. The new law allows pharmacists in the most populous state in the nation to independently prescribe vaccinations, hormonal contraception, smoking cessation medications, and travel medicine without physician oversight or supervision. Importantly, the bill declares that “pharmacists are … Continue reading “In California, Walgreens & Walmart Are Rethinking Retail Health”

Life Sciences Innovation Key for UT’s New Medical School Dean

It’s always been a little odd that the University of Texas at Austin—one of the nation’s largest universities and known for its top-tier research—does not have its own medical school. The absence of one came about in a bit of political horse-trading toward the end of the 19th century. Texas voters agreed to allow the … Continue reading “Life Sciences Innovation Key for UT’s New Medical School Dean”

Next Gen Capital Markets Lands $1,200,000 Seed Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8427a4f1-52ba-448e-b7df-e29889dc9b1e Date 1/28/2014 Company Name Next Gen Capital Markets Mailing Address 6065 Hillcroft Ave. Houston, TX 77081 Company Description Next Gen Capital Markets is an equity fundraising platform that allows professional investors to invest in various stage companies requiring capital. NGCM is the only platform that is exclusively designed for professional investors … Continue reading “Next Gen Capital Markets Lands $1,200,000 Seed Funding”

What the World Needs Now Is (Probably Not) a Pill for Perfect Pitch

I remember seeing an episode of Desperate Housewives during the show’s first season called Running to Stand Still. In the episode, Lynette, working mom of many, takes her kid’s ADD medicine in order to be supermom and create costumes for the school play while balancing all of her other tasks. It was a classic self-prescribed … Continue reading “What the World Needs Now Is (Probably Not) a Pill for Perfect Pitch”

Gene Therapy Lurches Ahead, Sees Thorny Future Questions on Price

Imagine for a minute you’re a teenager with a rare genetic muscle disease nobody has ever heard of. No treatment exists. Your doctor says you might die if you ever eat pepperoni pizza. The medical literature says you’ll never get to be an athlete, get a real job, start a family. You’ll probably die in … Continue reading “Gene Therapy Lurches Ahead, Sees Thorny Future Questions on Price”

Lookback Receives $100,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bc719774-1996-4287-9f67-86d49d88def5 Date 1/27/2014 Company Name Lookback Mailing Address 14900 Landmark Blvd. Dallas, TX 75254 Company Description Lookback is creating a suite of beautiful and simple tools for collecting, understanding and sharing user experiences. A great user experience underpins every successful tech business today, but obtaining experiences has always been too complex. Not … Continue reading “Lookback Receives $100,000 New Financing Round”

Houston Entrepreneur Starts Microfinance Program to Boost Startups

[Updated 1/27/14 7:49 am] Entrepreneurship is an intensely personal business. Customers and investors must have faith in you, not just your product. A decade ago, Prasad Menon met a would-be entrepreneur, who not only fixed his wonky garage doors but also called days later just to check that all was well. “He seemed like the … Continue reading “Houston Entrepreneur Starts Microfinance Program to Boost Startups”

Using Cutting-Edge Science and Technology Against an Age-Old Disease

When I started working on the research and science of leprosy more than a decade ago, people thought this chronic infectious disease would eliminate itself and burn out over time. We didn’t have time for that. Why? Nearly 250,000 new cases of leprosy are diagnosed every year, and many more go undetected. Approximately 10 percent … Continue reading “Using Cutting-Edge Science and Technology Against an Age-Old Disease”

Texas Biotech Leaders Doubt CPRIT Will Get Its Groove Back

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas is back in business again, and is seeking a fresh start after a well-documented scandal. But many in the life sciences startup community are skeptical that the once-ambitious state agency will ever become a catalyst for creating high-impact biotech companies that could build on the state’s momentum … Continue reading “Texas Biotech Leaders Doubt CPRIT Will Get Its Groove Back”

Hockney’s iPad: How Technology Illuminates the Way We See

The best painters don’t just make pretty, eye-catching pictures. They make us think about what it means to see. On the canvas, they must reduce the three dimensions of the living world to two—but if they’re good at it, they add a different kind of depth in the process. David Hockney is very, very good … Continue reading “Hockney’s iPad: How Technology Illuminates the Way We See”

Silicon Space Technology Garners $1,600,000 Series C Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bc4bde1e-410c-46f4-9cfd-35e30760f1ef Date 1/24/2014 Company Name Silicon Space Technology Mailing Address 5918 West Courtyard Drive Austin, TX 78730 Company Description Silicon Space Technology (SST) is a privately held, fabless semiconductor company founded in 2004. SST’s patented, innovative technology, HardSIL, has been proven in multiple CMOS process generations at multiple fabs to harden integrated … Continue reading “Silicon Space Technology Garners $1,600,000 Series C Financing Round”

Early Bird Ends Soon for Feb. 21 Healthcare Summit: Get Your Invite

Innovations in the lab, in software, and in how doctors, hospitals, patients, and scientists view the world and relate to each other are transforming the way healthcare is delivered and consumed. Join us for a very special event as we bring together approximately 75 leaders in drug development, healthcare, venture capital, big data, and more … Continue reading “Early Bird Ends Soon for Feb. 21 Healthcare Summit: Get Your Invite”

Venture Highlights of 2013: Early Stage Deals, Mobile, and New York

More venture data is coming out today, and it confirms some of the big-picture trends for 2013—namely, a modest increase in the amount of venture investing nationwide. New York’s CB Insights, a venture capital database, says in its end-of-year report that the $29.2 billion that VCs invested throughout the United States in 2013 amounted to … Continue reading “Venture Highlights of 2013: Early Stage Deals, Mobile, and New York”

OrthoAccel Technologies Receives $9,000,000 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=15e87b4a-c968-40b4-90ba-11af0203bc40 Date 1/23/2014 Company Name OrthoAccel Technologies Mailing Address 6575 West Loop South Bellaire, TX 77401 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. FDA will be … Continue reading “OrthoAccel Technologies Receives $9,000,000 New Financing”

OrthoAccel Technologies Secures $9,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=15e87b4a-c968-40b4-90ba-11af0203bc40 Date 1/23/2014 Company Name OrthoAccel Technologies Mailing Address 6575 West Loop South Bellaire, TX 77401 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. FDA will be … Continue reading “OrthoAccel Technologies Secures $9,000,000 New Funding Round”

LiveOak Ventures’ Launch Points to Stronger Texas VC Climate

Two years ago, Venu Shamapant, Krishna Srinivasan, and Ben Scott, all veteran venture capitalists in Austin, decided to follow their own entrepreneurial path and launch a new VC firm. “It was absolutely the hardest environment to raise a fund in,” Shamapant says. “People were running away from non-liquid asset classes post-bubble. That, coupled with a … Continue reading “LiveOak Ventures’ Launch Points to Stronger Texas VC Climate”

How Startups Can Navigate the Dynamic IT Channel

The IT industry is one of the most dynamic industries where companies are under constant pressure to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advances and trends. However, information databases on IT companies aren’t always up-to-date. Therefore, navigating the IT channel to find potential channel partners to take a product to market is often … Continue reading “How Startups Can Navigate the Dynamic IT Channel”

MD Anderson Expands “Moon Shots” Immunotherapy Partnership to J&J

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Tuesday announced its second commercial partner, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, as part of its “Moon Shots” program aimed at dramatically improving the survival of cancer patients. “This is a way to maximize the value of drug pipelines already existing at the company,” says Ferran Prat, MD Anderson’s … Continue reading “MD Anderson Expands “Moon Shots” Immunotherapy Partnership to J&J”

The Village Walk: Trust, Relevance, and Reputation in Tech

Dawn broke quietly that morning near Eregi, in Western Kenya, apricot light chasing the indigo of night, birdcalls and soft footsteps sounding outside my farm room’s door. I shared that room with my son, then 11. We were visiting Kenya to work at a favorite childrens’ home and meet with rural entrepreneurs in the “birthplace … Continue reading “The Village Walk: Trust, Relevance, and Reputation in Tech”

The Big Guys Have Lost Their Iron Grip, and It’s All Good

Thinking about Big Pharma’s relationship with the biotech industry last week at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco reminded me of an old physical education teacher I had in 7th grade. This guy was feared for his patented “pinch.” He would grab misbehaving teenage boys by the clavicle, and squeeze so hard that … Continue reading “The Big Guys Have Lost Their Iron Grip, and It’s All Good”

Digitizing the Law: Houston’s CS Disco Aims to Reinvent E-Discovery

The legal profession is not usually associated with innovation. But one Houston computer scientist-turned-attorney saw an opportunity to reinvent a key part of a lawyer’s trade: finding and organizing the millions of documents that can be unearthed during business litigation. “We can fix the way the law is practiced by introducing great legal technology,” says … Continue reading “Digitizing the Law: Houston’s CS Disco Aims to Reinvent E-Discovery”

Google Gets a Nest, But Is It Flying Too High?

Somebody needs to say it: Google is getting too big. When one organization controls so much of the infrastructure of the digital economy, it’s not good for consumers. And when it has such an outsized influence on the resources flowing to inventors, programmers, and entrepreneurs, it’s not good for innovation. Like almost everyone else I … Continue reading “Google Gets a Nest, But Is It Flying Too High?”

MIT Sloan Students Meet Bay Area Innovators Tackling Huge Problems

I’d heard a lot about Silicon Valley, but had lived and worked in Europe and Asia until I came to MIT Sloan School of Management. Passionate about bringing new technologies to market, I wanted to do an MBA program in the U.S. because, more than anywhere else, this is where taking risk is valued as … Continue reading “MIT Sloan Students Meet Bay Area Innovators Tackling Huge Problems”

2013 VC Funding Tops $29B, and Software Continues to Eat the World

A few years ago, the technology investor Marc Andreessen wrote an essay that explained “Why Software is Eating the World”—and in 2013 venture capital investors laid out a feast to match the industry’s voracious appetite. Venture investments in both software and Internet-specific deals last year amounted to $18.1 billion, or nearly 62 percent of the … Continue reading “2013 VC Funding Tops $29B, and Software Continues to Eat the World”

Pingboard Secures $1,250,000 Seed Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4dcfc023-c583-40c8-9d60-912626fe3928 Date 1/17/2014 Company Name Pingboard Mailing Address 701 Brazos St. 5th Floor Austin, TX 78701 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 get … Continue reading “Pingboard Secures $1,250,000 Seed Funding Round”

A Stroll through Eureka Park, a Wonderland for Startups at CES

It would not be a tech show without a peek at ideas still in the workshop. Flexible, printed circuitry, pet activity trackers, and magnetic data connections for smartphones turned Eureka Park into a gallery of emerging technology at last week’s International CES (see slideshow). The show space set aside for startups, and a few growth-stage … Continue reading “A Stroll through Eureka Park, a Wonderland for Startups at CES”

Announcing Our Exclusive Healthcare Summit Feb. 21: Request an Invite

Advances in genomics, mobile technology, and data collection and analysis are poised to transform healthcare from drug development to patient care and hospital management. But what will it take to realize their promise in the age of the Affordable Care Act, and what does this require of payers, providers, and patients? How can we utilize … Continue reading “Announcing Our Exclusive Healthcare Summit Feb. 21: Request an Invite”

EquityMetrix Garners $5,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b50f3aef-0c89-45f0-ab74-bba0f51ff15b Date 1/16/2014 Company Name EquityMetrix Mailing Address 13727 Noel Road Dallas, TX 75240 Company Description We have organized millions of records and recovered tens of millions of dollars for our clients. We apply a disciplined methodology to all engagements. We have developed proprietary technology to detect anomalies and look for missing … Continue reading “EquityMetrix Garners $5,000,000 New Financing Round”

Blackboard Acquires MyEdu for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3e99e4a2-bcd6-48c6-929b-9c85db74996e Date 1/16/2014 Company Name MyEdu Mailing Address 1301 S. Mopac Expy Austin, TX 78746 Company Description We share a deep conviction that achieving a college degree improves the lives of individuals, families and society more than any other endeavor. That’s why MyEdu has created the simplest and most effective way for … Continue reading “Blackboard Acquires MyEdu for Undisclosed Sum”

Blackboard Buys Austin Edtech Startup MyEdu for Student Profiles

MyEdu, an Austin, TX-based edtech firm, was purchased by education software giant Blackboard Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2009, MyEdu makes a free online platform where students can create profiles that highlight their coursework, job experience, and skills, such as languages or participation in mock trials, in Pinterest-like boxes. Employers … Continue reading “Blackboard Buys Austin Edtech Startup MyEdu for Student Profiles”

San Antonio Launches HeroX Challenge By Targeting Mexican Innovators

[Corrected 1/15/14, 9:49 pm. See below.] To help boost San Antonio’s startup ecosystem, its entrepreneurs are looking south. To Mexico, that is, as part of an effort called San Antonio Mx Challenge— the “Mx” stands for Mexican Entrepreneurial Exchange. The challenge, which is officially being announced today, is the first offshoot of the HeroX competition, … Continue reading “San Antonio Launches HeroX Challenge By Targeting Mexican Innovators”

VolunteerSpot Lands $1,290,277 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b35c0ef7-dbc0-4b6b-9b59-8855a87950a9 Date 1/15/2014 Company Name VolunteerSpot Mailing Address Undisclosed Austin, TX 78701 Company Description VolunteerSpot launched in Spring, 2009 with the mission of enabling ANYONE to quickly mobilize and coordinate volunteers in their community, congregation and social network. Website http://www.volunteerspot.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,290,277 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “VolunteerSpot Lands $1,290,277 New Round”

Austin’s Volusion, WP Engine, and Main Street Hub Raise New Funds

Three business-to-business e-commerce companies in Austin, TX, said that they had raised a total of $64 million Tuesday. —Volusion, which helps retailers create online stores, secured $35 million in debt financing from Silicon Valley Bank. The money will be used to further develop the company’s software platform for small and medium-sized businesses. It will also … Continue reading “Austin’s Volusion, WP Engine, and Main Street Hub Raise New Funds”

Do Pivots Matter?

In late 2013 Cowboy Ventures did an analysis of U.S.-based tech companies started in the last 10 years, now valued at $1 billion. They found 39 of these companies. They called them the “Unicorn Club.” The article summarized 10 key learnings from the Unicorn club. Surprisingly, one of the “learnings” said that “the “big pivot” … Continue reading “Do Pivots Matter?”

Welcome to Zappos-Style Health Innovation

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s effort to revitalize downtown Las Vegas includes last month’s launch of a new clinic, run by Iora Health and spearheaded by physician Zubin Damania. Stanford-trained, Damania also happens to rap by the name of ZDoggMD. So it’s no wonder the project has drawn attention. But there’s another unusual aspect to this … Continue reading “Welcome to Zappos-Style Health Innovation”

WP Engine Garners $15,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1df181f3-af1f-4d7c-be81-38452c7abaf5 Date 1/14/2014 Company Name WP Engine Mailing Address 504 Lavaca Street Austin, TX 78701 Company Description WP Engine offers a WordPress VIP-type experience for smaller-scale websites. The service includes top-notch support, one-click backups, optimization for speed and scalability, and security features that include automatic software upgrades. Website http://www.wpengine.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “WP Engine Garners $15,000,000 New Funding Round”

Main Street Hub Garners $14,000,000 Series B Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f7f03a7c-97fb-46bd-99ad-3e922260e7a0 Date 1/14/2014 Company Name Main Street Hub Mailing Address 720 Brazos Street Austin, TX 78701 Company Description Our mission is to help great local businesses around the world connect with customers. Website http://www.mainstreethub.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $14,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes The funding will be used … Continue reading “Main Street Hub Garners $14,000,000 Series B Round”

Startup Career Fair

Startup Career Fair at Rice University, featuring a keynote by Allison Lami Sawyer, CEO of cleantech startup, Rebellion Photonics. For more information, click here.