Too many people treat pet adoption like a one-night stand. “You look at a dog, and see his eyes, and think he’s cute,” says Tama Lundquist, co-president of Houston PetSet, an organization that works with about 70 animal shelters in the Houston area. “But if you’re a couch potato and he likes to run, that’s … Continue reading “Finding True Love Can Be Ruff, But This Startup Could Have Your Match”
Category: Texas
VelocityTX Lands City Grant for “Innovation Center” Redevelopment
San Antonio — [Updated 2/19/19, 2:30 p.m. See below.] VelocityTX is getting a $750,000 grant and another tax incentive from the City of San Antonio for its redevelopment of a large industrial space that VelocityTX plans to turn into a three-building “innovation center” for tech, life sciences, and other businesses. VelocityTX, which is the innovation arm … Continue reading “VelocityTX Lands City Grant for “Innovation Center” Redevelopment”
It’s Not You, It’s Your Officials: Amazon Cancels HQ Plan for NYC
[Updated, 02/15/19, 8:50 CT] After a whirlwind courtship and brief engagement, Amazon has broken off its plans to establish another headquarters in New York’s Long Island City neighborhood. Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) rationalized its Valentine’s Day breakup with the Big Apple by saying that the problem was state and local officials, not New Yorkers themselves. A … Continue reading “It’s Not You, It’s Your Officials: Amazon Cancels HQ Plan for NYC”
Losing “Scalps”? Despite Pharma Fear, A Split on Trump Rx-Price Plans
Despite angry presidential tweets and other anti-pharma rhetoric, the drug industry has benefited under the Trump administration, thanks in part to a massive corporate tax cut. Indeed, for nearly two decades, the industry has been able to fend off its critics and gain win after win from politicians and regulators, including tax holidays, faster drug … Continue reading “Losing “Scalps”? Despite Pharma Fear, A Split on Trump Rx-Price Plans”
Neurogene Emerges with $68M to Advance Gene Therapies to the Clinic
Neurogene is breaking into gene therapy with $68.5 million in new funding to support research on experimental treatments for rare, genetic brain disorders, the first of which could start human testing next year. So far, New York-based Neurogene has disclosed two of its preclinical programs. One is a treatment for aspartyglucosaminuria (AGU), an inherited enzyme … Continue reading “Neurogene Emerges with $68M to Advance Gene Therapies to the Clinic”
Houston Health IT Firm Decisio Forms Partnership with GE Healthcare
Houston—Houston medtech startup Decisio Health is partnering with GE Healthcare to accelerate a broader deployment of its critical care dashboard. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. GE says it will integrate Decisio’s software into its Mural virtual care platform, which aims to prioritize “a clinician’s attention to the most critical patient cases with the … Continue reading “Houston Health IT Firm Decisio Forms Partnership with GE Healthcare”
San Antonio Life Science Business Acelity Cuts 260 Jobs in Texas, NC
San Antonio—Acelity, a decades-old San Antonio life sciences company known for its wound-healing technologies and tissue-repair products, plans to lay off 200 employees at its San Antonio headquarters and another 60 in Charlotte, NC, a company spokesperson said. The job cuts are occurring in “the coming months” and are part of changes Acelity is making … Continue reading “San Antonio Life Science Business Acelity Cuts 260 Jobs in Texas, NC”
Emergency Services Cloud Software Maker RapidDeploy Nets $12M
Austin—Public safety software developer RapidDeploy has raised $12 million in a Series A funding round. Investors include GreatPoint Ventures and Samsung Next. The funds will be used to help RapidDeploy accelerate development and marketing of its Cloud Aided Dispatch platform, the company said in a press release Monday. RapidDeploy, which was founded in 2014, says … Continue reading “Emergency Services Cloud Software Maker RapidDeploy Nets $12M”
Bio Roundup: New CRISPR Feud, A NY Splash, Pharma vs. Congress & More
If you’re into congressional spectacles, stay tuned later this month. A group of top biopharma executives—the full roster isn’t known yet—will testify at a Feb. 26 hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance to defend their drug pricing practices. No executives showed up for the previous hearing, but reports indicate industry has changed its stance … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: New CRISPR Feud, A NY Splash, Pharma vs. Congress & More”
Hypergiant in Space, Celltex & Saudi, Siete Foods’ $90M, & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up on the latest innovation news in Texas. —Aeglea Biotherapeutics, an Austin biotech, raised $60 million in a secondary public stock offering Wednesday, according to a press release. The company is developing drugs to essentially starve cancers to death. In 2016, it raised $50 million in an IPO. In 2017, co-founder David Lowe, who … Continue reading “Hypergiant in Space, Celltex & Saudi, Siete Foods’ $90M, & More TX Tech”
InventaBioTech, Formerly CytoBioScience, Replaces CEO
San Antonio—The CEO of InventaBioTech, a life sciences business formerly known as CytoBioScience, is stepping down and being replaced by an interim leader. Jim Garvin, who has been the CEO of Inventa since March 2015, shortly before it moved to San Antonio, TX, from Germany, will remain an active contributor to the business, he wrote … Continue reading “InventaBioTech, Formerly CytoBioScience, Replaces CEO”
Everdays Raises $12 Million for End-of-Life Communication Platform
Mark Alhermizi first found startup success with Gas Station TV, a Birmingham, MI-based company that broadcasted from gas station pumps and was sold to Dan Gilbert’s Rockbridge Growth Equity in 2014 for a reported $100 to $200 million. In 2017, Alhermizi started a new “social platform” venture called Everdays, which was born as a result … Continue reading “Everdays Raises $12 Million for End-of-Life Communication Platform”
Foot Traffic Startup Scraffic Mulls New Funding, Machine Learning
San Antonio—[Updated and corrected 2/15/19, 10:53 a.m. CT. See below.] Scraffic, a small startup that helps retailers count foot traffic in their stores, has gone international. The San Antonio-based business, which has four employees, now has customers in the Philippines, Spain, and Canada, as well as users in the U.S. Scraffic found opportunity to expand … Continue reading “Foot Traffic Startup Scraffic Mulls New Funding, Machine Learning”
Houston Investors Step Up to Bring Tech Innovation to the Energy Sector
Houston—A new crop of investors are backing efforts to support oil-and-gas innovation in Houston—just over three years after the Surge energy accelerator shut its doors. BBL Ventures, a newly formed investment and consulting firm that focuses on energy technologies, will, next week, formally announce an accelerator program at Station Houston next week. The idea, co-founder … Continue reading “Houston Investors Step Up to Bring Tech Innovation to the Energy Sector”
Connected Car Firm Vinli Raises $13.5M, Partners With Germany’s E.ON
Dallas—Vinli, a connected car analytics startup, announced today it has raised a Series B funding round of $13.5 million. Investors in the round include German utility E.ON, The Westly Group in Menlo Park, CA; Hersh Family Investments, which is based in Irving, TX; and Hal Brierley, a longtime Dallas airline executive. Among the uses for … Continue reading “Connected Car Firm Vinli Raises $13.5M, Partners With Germany’s E.ON”
Cancer Cures and the Importance of Communicating Responsibly
Last week, it was reported by multiple media outlets (see here, and here, and here) that a group of Israeli scientists had found “a cure for all cancer” and that it could be ready within a year. As a long-time life sciences industry executive my knee-jerk reaction was not “finally!” but “crap, not again!” As … Continue reading “Cancer Cures and the Importance of Communicating Responsibly”
Privacy Watch: Facebook Rebounds, But Privacy Concerns Accelerate
After Facebook posted a record profit of almost $7 billion in the fourth quarter on nearly $17 billion in revenue last week, an early investor, former advisor to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and current shareholder said he’s making it a mission to “fix’’ the 15-year-old tech giant. Roger McNamee, in a podcast interview with The New … Continue reading “Privacy Watch: Facebook Rebounds, But Privacy Concerns Accelerate”
New Funds for GoCo, CherryCircle, Phynd, Hive9 & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Houston-based human resources software maker GoCo has raised a $7 million Series A round led by ATX Seed Ventures and the investment arm of UpCurve, a maker of technology for small- to medium-sized businesses, the startup reported in a press release. This latest funding brings … Continue reading “New Funds for GoCo, CherryCircle, Phynd, Hive9 & More TX Tech”
LGS Innovations Plans San Antonio Cyber Hub After $750M Sale to CACI
San Antonio—[Updated 3:02 p.m. See below.] LGS Innovations, a Virginia-based tech company focused on cybersecurity and communications, still expects to open a cybersecurity operations hub in San Antonio, TX, after its acquisition by federal contractor CACI International. LGS announced Jan. 23 it was considering opening a hub in San Antonio for some of its cybersecurity … Continue reading “LGS Innovations Plans San Antonio Cyber Hub After $750M Sale to CACI”
BillyGo App Aims to Provide Plumbers on Tap (Within an Hour)
Dallas—His first ride in an Uber brought Billy Stevens out of retirement. It was the ride-hailing app’s ability to locate and dispatch drivers to meet customers that got the gears turning for the master-plumber-turned-entrepreneur, who had sold his plumbing and air-conditioning service business to a private equity firm in 2011. “With plumbing companies, it’s typically … Continue reading “BillyGo App Aims to Provide Plumbers on Tap (Within an Hour)”
Bio Roundup: Alzheimer’s Fail, Drug Price Plan, Gene Therapies & More
Pharmaceutical companies typically raise prescription drug prices at the start of each year and this year was no different. The increases were the latest reminder that, despite President Trump’s fiery campaign rhetoric, the administration had done little to actually lower drug prices. But a new plan aimed at the secretive rebate deals between pharma companies … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Alzheimer’s Fail, Drug Price Plan, Gene Therapies & More”
Want Better Tech Employees? Give Students More Data, Educators Say
San Antonio—Developers, analysts, and data scientists: Every tech company needs them, particularly in hot areas like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that computer and IT jobs would grow 13 percent by 2026 from 2016, which is faster than the average of all occupations. Even though there’s demand for workers, educators … Continue reading “Want Better Tech Employees? Give Students More Data, Educators Say”
Active Capital, Focused on Seed-Stage SaaS Startups, Raises $21.5M
San Antonio—Active Capital, a San Antonio, TX-based venture firm that invests in seed-stage software-as-a-service startups, has raised $21.5 million for its first investment fund. Active Capital has been investing for the last 18 months as it raised money from limited partners in mostly San Antonio, Austin, and Virginia. While Active’s investments cover a wide range … Continue reading “Active Capital, Focused on Seed-Stage SaaS Startups, Raises $21.5M”
Investing, Real Estate, In-Game Ads: Sputnik ATX’s Third Accelerator
Austin—[Updated 3:48 p.m. See below.] Startup accelerator Sputnik ATX has a picked five startup companies for its newest program, the third Sputnik has run. That includes software makers and entrepreneurs focused on investing, commercial real estate, advertising for gaming, and building websites. Founded in 2017, Sputnik ATX runs two programs annually, selecting a group of five … Continue reading “Investing, Real Estate, In-Game Ads: Sputnik ATX’s Third Accelerator”
Retailers Brace For Possible Economic Headwinds in 2019
Even as retailers struggle with a technology-disrupted business model and changing consumer desires, at least a generally positive overall economy and low unemployment rates seemed to keep shoppers’ wallets open. But a 2019 that started with stock market losses, a recently ended (but longest-ever) government shutdown, and other headwinds might now force consumers to pull … Continue reading “Retailers Brace For Possible Economic Headwinds in 2019”
Austin’s RigUp Adds $60M for Service That Finds Oil and Gas Workers
Austin—Energy industry startup RigUp has added $60 million in new funding for its service that aims to connect oilfield workers who are looking for a job with oil and gas companies. The financing is Austin, TX-based RigUp’s Series C funding round and was led by Founders Fund, the San Francisco venture firm started by PayPal … Continue reading “Austin’s RigUp Adds $60M for Service That Finds Oil and Gas Workers”
Companies at Geekdom Got 17% of San Antonio’s Venture Money in 2018
San Antonio—Companies housed at co-working space Geekdom raised $18.7 million in investment funding during 2018, an increase of more than 81 percent from the previous year, according to Geekdom. That accounts for almost 17 percent of the total venture funding raised by businesses in San Antonio last year, according to regional data compiled by PitchBook … Continue reading “Companies at Geekdom Got 17% of San Antonio’s Venture Money in 2018”
Equidate, Re-Named Forge Global, Boosts Series B to $85M
Equidate, one of the trading platforms that help employees sell their shares in pre-IPO unicorn companies, rolled out a new name today and announced a $35 million expansion of its $50 million funding round publicized in July. Re-branded as Forge Global, the five-year-old company plans to continue broadening the services it developed as many venture … Continue reading “Equidate, Re-Named Forge Global, Boosts Series B to $85M”
Billie, Subscription Shaving Products Service for Women, Raises $25M
Billie, a monthly subscription service for shaving and body care products for women, has raised $25 million. The New York-based startup said Tuesday that the new funding round, which is being led by Goldman Sachs Private Capital Investing group, brings its total investment to $35 million. Previous investors Silverton Partners, Female Founders Fund, and Lakehouse … Continue reading “Billie, Subscription Shaving Products Service for Women, Raises $25M”
Healthcare Technology Bubble Concerns Are Likely Overblown
By nearly every measure, 2018 was a banner year for the venture capital industry, particularly in the healthcare technology sector. Over $130 billion of venture capital was invested across all sectors in the U.S., easily eclipsing the prior high-water mark in 2000 and nearly 4.8 times what was invested a decade ago. While certain sectors … Continue reading “Healthcare Technology Bubble Concerns Are Likely Overblown”
Norwest VC Eyes Waves of Change in A.I., Marketing, Cloud for 2019
Venture capital firms invest in potentially disruptive technologies with the hope of profit, then keep watch for further advances that could overtake their existing portfolio companies. All this is done while they guide startups through other external challenges such as fundraising droughts and overall market downturns. Scott Beechuk, a partner at Norwest Venture Partners, is … Continue reading “Norwest VC Eyes Waves of Change in A.I., Marketing, Cloud for 2019”
TX Tech News: Techstars Austin, Essentium, Ontic, & More Startup Funds
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Essentium, maker of a 3-D printing system for manufacturers, has raised $22.2 million in a Series A funding round led by BASF Venture Capital. Materialise, Genesis Park, and previous seed round investors also participated in the deal, according to a press release. The funding will be … Continue reading “TX Tech News: Techstars Austin, Essentium, Ontic, & More Startup Funds”
America Should Welcome Immigrant Entrepreneurs
When I came to America in 1987, as a wide-eyed University of Texas grad student, I arrived with just a suitcase and a few hundred dollars — money that my mother, back in India, had scraped together by selling her beloved jewelry collection. Three decades later, I’m a successful biomedical researcher and serial entrepreneur with … Continue reading “America Should Welcome Immigrant Entrepreneurs”
What $1M in Bay Area Startup Dollars Buys You in 12 Other Cities
The cost of doing business is always on the mind of startup executives. Salaries, rent, and other expenses like software licenses can often make or break a company. Much of the math comes down to how much money you can raise for your business, and startups often look to San Francisco and Silicon Valley to … Continue reading “What $1M in Bay Area Startup Dollars Buys You in 12 Other Cities”
Bio Roundup: Bosley’s Editas Exit, Bridge Bucks, CRISPR Crime & More
In a week of big personnel moves, none was more surprising than Editas Medicine CEO Katrine Bosley’s departure. After guiding the CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing startup from scientific breakthrough toward the development of a potential cutting-edge medicine, slogging victoriously through a legendary patent fight, and reaching the cusp of an historic clinical trial, the well-traveled Bosley is … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Bosley’s Editas Exit, Bridge Bucks, CRISPR Crime & More”
With International Growth in Mind, LegalTech Firm Disco Nabs $83M
Austin—Legal tech startup Disco announced Thursday it has raised $83 million in new funding. The round was led by Toronto-based Georgian Partners, with participation from existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners, LiveOak Venture Partners, The Stephens Group, and venture-debt provider Comerica. Disco has now raised a total of $135 million, the company said. Disco sells subscription … Continue reading “With International Growth in Mind, LegalTech Firm Disco Nabs $83M”
Autonomic CEO Gavin Sherry on Mobility, China, and Data Privacy
In a tech culture that looks toward self-driving cars as the pinnacle of mobility innovation, we’re still debating whether fully autonomous vehicles are an imminent reality for our roads or an ever-receding Shangri-La. But looking back from the viewpoint of 2019, it’s worth considering whether the really pivotal, world-changing advances in transportation have not already … Continue reading “Autonomic CEO Gavin Sherry on Mobility, China, and Data Privacy”
PR Software Maker TrendKite Sold to Cision for $225M Cash and Stock
Austin—TrendKite has sold to Cision, a Chicago-based public relations and marketing software company, in a $225 million in a cash-and-stock deal. Cision (NYSE: [[ticker:CISN]]) is paying $94 million in cash and offering Austin-based TrendKite shareholders 10.2 million Cision shares. The company’s stock dipped 2.6 percent to $12.16 each as of midday in New York after … Continue reading “PR Software Maker TrendKite Sold to Cision for $225M Cash and Stock”
DermaClip Ramps Up for U.S. Sales Push of Wound-Healing Device
Houston—Sutures or staples are the norm to close deep wounds that won’t otherwise heal on their own. But a Houston medtech company says it has a better way. DermaClip makes an eponymous device that the company says is a non-invasive way to foster wound healing. The DermaClip device is an adhesive strip placed across a … Continue reading “DermaClip Ramps Up for U.S. Sales Push of Wound-Healing Device”
2019 Will See Progress on Personalization’s Last Frontier: Education
Today, technology and data science have combined to create artificial intelligence—data-driven algorithms that seemingly provide us with options for a fully personalized life. Gone are the days of Henry Ford’s “You can have any color so long as it’s black.” There are way more than three major network TV channels. We live in an era … Continue reading “2019 Will See Progress on Personalization’s Last Frontier: Education”
Dosh Adds $40 Million in New Funding For Cash-Back Advertising App
Austin—[Updated and corrected, 2:36 p.m.] Dosh has added $40 million in new funding to further develop its mobile app that offers users cash back on certain purchases. The money is Dosh’s Series B round of financing, and includes $20 million in equity financing and $20 million in venture debt. Goodwater Capital and Western Technology Investment … Continue reading “Dosh Adds $40 Million in New Funding For Cash-Back Advertising App”
Geekdom Co-Working Space Opens Six-Week Entrepreneurship School
San Antonio—Co-working space Geekdom is starting a short-term night program for people interested in learning about entrepreneurship. The school, to be called The District, is accepting 36 students for its first six-week session, which begins Feb. 4. The program will run three times a year, Geekdom says. Classes will take place Monday through Thursday from … Continue reading “Geekdom Co-Working Space Opens Six-Week Entrepreneurship School”
A Healthier Lifestyle Helped Lead This Tech Exec to His Next Venture
Austin—Douglas Ferguson needed a change after his diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes at age 30. As a career software engineer and technology executive, Ferguson has been a part of the Austin, TX, tech scene since its first heyday in the 1990s. The diagnosis, which he received in the mid-2000s, was a product of that sleepless, … Continue reading “A Healthier Lifestyle Helped Lead This Tech Exec to His Next Venture”
Detroit Trends in 2018? More Traction, Diversity, and Collaboration
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of posts sharing thoughts from industry and technology leaders about 2018 trends. A few trends come to mind that continue to shape and define the startup ecosystem in Detroit: —Marketplaces continue to evolve and attract funding (initial and follow-on), and gain traction that has to be recognized and respected. … Continue reading “Detroit Trends in 2018? More Traction, Diversity, and Collaboration”
Outdoorsy’s Big Haul & Other Startup Fundraising in TX Tech News
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —TeVido, an Austin biotech, has raised $1.2 million to help fund a new facility in which the company can use a patient’s own cells to create personalized pigment cell grafts to treat vitiligo, a loss of skin color that affects about 1 percent of the … Continue reading “Outdoorsy’s Big Haul & Other Startup Fundraising in TX Tech News”
Bio Roundup: Aimmune Drama, Shutdown Blues, Perlmutter Talks Cancer
The partial government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, began to take a bite out of biotech this week, served with a hot side dish of confusion. On Tuesday, Aimmune Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AIMT]]) said the shutdown would delay the review—and potential approval—of its experimental treatment for peanut allergy. Aimmune said it received a letter … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Aimmune Drama, Shutdown Blues, Perlmutter Talks Cancer”
ScaleFactor Adds $30M from Bessemer to Boost Accounting Software
Austin—ScaleFactor is adding a $30 million round of funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners to make new hires and add more features to its software that automates accounting and provides financial insights. The Austin, TX-based company targets small- and medium-sized business with its software, noting that there are 19 million in the U.S. with fewer … Continue reading “ScaleFactor Adds $30M from Bessemer to Boost Accounting Software”
What’s Your Emergency? Law Enforcement’s Increasing Interest in Tech
Fort Worth, TX—Data analytics and visual search technologies are increasingly being used by law enforcement agencies, growth that has captured the attention of tech giant Motorola. The Chicago-based tech company, which has long sold narrow-band radios to law enforcement, has been building its arsenal of software and camera technologies through a series of acquisitions. The … Continue reading “What’s Your Emergency? Law Enforcement’s Increasing Interest in Tech”
CommonGrounds Raises $100M to Open More New Flexible Office Spaces
Billions of dollars have already flowed to the purveyors of shared workspaces, and the investment spigot isn’t turning off yet. CommonGrounds Workspace, a San Diego, CA-based company that operates flexible office spaces in California and Colorado today, announced Wednesday that it had raised $100 million in a Series A financing to expand its lineup to … Continue reading “CommonGrounds Raises $100M to Open More New Flexible Office Spaces”
Austin’s Media Tech Incubator Readies for First Group of Startups
Austin—An incubator for startups that are developing a media product is in its final week of accepting applications. Called Collective, the incubator is focused on startups that are working on innovating the media space, which includes augmented and virtual reality, publishing, news, public relations, video games, music, sound, film, marketing, advertising, radio, and podcasting, the … Continue reading “Austin’s Media Tech Incubator Readies for First Group of Startups”