Selling a new Web-connected thermostat or other wired gizmo to consumers without a plan to deliver the necessary security patches is not only bad business—it’s unethical. So is failing to challenge a law or tech company rule that governs work on technology products, if that rule causes unjustifiable harms to people or the environment. Those … Continue reading “New Ethics Code Urges Tech Firms and Coders To Avoid Harming Society”
Category: Wisconsin
Hyperloop, Cellectar, Cheeks & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Keep up with news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —A team of students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has constructed a third prototype for a vehicle designed to zoom through an above-ground vacuum tube at speeds that can exceed 300 miles per hour, the school said. The “Badgerloop” team is one of … Continue reading “Hyperloop, Cellectar, Cheeks & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Foxconn Buys Eau Claire Office Space, Partners with Advocate Aurora
Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturing giant, is making more moves in Wisconsin at it prepares to build a massive electronics factory in the southeast corner of the state. Foxconn said on Monday that it has agreed to buy one building in downtown Eau Claire, WI, and it has purchased office space in another, with the intention … Continue reading “Foxconn Buys Eau Claire Office Space, Partners with Advocate Aurora”
Telkonet Brings on Roth Capital to Explore Sale or Other Deals
Telkonet, a small Milwaukee-area energy management and connected devices company, said this week it had hired the investment bank Roth Capital Partners “to explore strategic alternatives” with the goal of maximizing shareholder value. Jason Tienor, president and CEO of Telkonet (OTCMKTS: [[ticker:TKOI]]), said his company will likely consider a variety of transaction types after doing … Continue reading “Telkonet Brings on Roth Capital to Explore Sale or Other Deals”
Bio Roundup: Pfizer’s Prices, Novartis Cuts, Gene Therapy Guide & More
Drug price changes typically happen either at the start of the calendar year or the beginning of the third quarter. Such changes are routine for many companies, but Pfizer took an unusual step this week by rolling back scheduled price increases on 40 of its drugs. The change of plan happened after Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Pfizer’s Prices, Novartis Cuts, Gene Therapy Guide & More”
C-Motive, Startup Developing Electric Motor Technology, Raises $750K
Cobalt is one of the ingredients in a type of rare earth magnet that, along with other rare earth magnets like neodymium and dysprosium, can be found in electric motors, smartphone batteries, and other products that are popular among consumers and manufacturers today. The price of cobalt more than doubled in 2017, according to the … Continue reading “C-Motive, Startup Developing Electric Motor Technology, Raises $750K”
E-Retail Startup Pointy Raises $12M, Helps Small Shops Be Found Online
Mark Cummins wondered why online search engines could help you locate a landmark halfway around the world in a second but couldn’t tell him whether the corner store had a craft beer he liked. That’s what led him to co-found Pointy, which makes a hardware device that enables small retailers to easily upload inventory onto … Continue reading “E-Retail Startup Pointy Raises $12M, Helps Small Shops Be Found Online”
BrightStar, Gener8tor Nix Deal Promising Funds for Accelerator Grads
[Updated 7/11/18 11:02 a.m. See below.] Two Wisconsin-based organizations that invest in startups have done away with an arrangement they made four years ago that was aimed at getting early-stage companies to move to—or stay in—the state, and create jobs there. Since 2014, the BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation has guaranteed a $50,000 investment in each graduate … Continue reading “BrightStar, Gener8tor Nix Deal Promising Funds for Accelerator Grads”
Gregor Diagnostics Raises $900K to Develop New Prostate Cancer Test
Gregor Diagnostics has raised $900,000 from investors as part of a seed funding round that the Madison, WI-based startup says will support its efforts to develop a new, at-home screening test for prostate cancer that it hopes will offer a more precise alternative to the current testing standard for the disease. San Francisco-based First Round … Continue reading “Gregor Diagnostics Raises $900K to Develop New Prostate Cancer Test”
Venture Funding Keeps Momentum Amid IPO Wave; Plus Q2’s Top 10 Deals
[Updated 7/12/18, 9:24 am. See below.] Last year, U.S. venture capital investments swelled to a level not seen since the dot-com era of the early 2000s. This year could be even bigger. Investors funneled $57.5 billion into U.S. companies through the first six months of 2018, according to the latest Venture Monitor report produced quarterly … Continue reading “Venture Funding Keeps Momentum Amid IPO Wave; Plus Q2’s Top 10 Deals”
Following Farm Deal With General Mills, Midwestern BioAg Nabs $15M
Midwestern BioAg, a Madison, WI-based maker and vendor of fertilizers, seed, and other biological products that it says can help farmers boost soil fertility, has raised more than $15 million in new equity funding from three investors, according to a document filed with federal securities regulators. The company works with farmers in Wisconsin and neighboring … Continue reading “Following Farm Deal With General Mills, Midwestern BioAg Nabs $15M”
Bio Roundup: Dunsire’s Danish, Price Hikes, Rare-Disease Race & More
[Corrected, 7/6/18, 1:26 pm. See below.] Xconomy was dumbstruck this week, and not by the fireworks overhead. Our friend and one of our earliest employees, San Diego editor Bruce Bigelow, died suddenly last weekend. Bruce covered everything—and everyone—in San Diego’s innovation scene, including the life sciences. Some of our favorite stories of his sprang from … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Dunsire’s Danish, Price Hikes, Rare-Disease Race & More”
The Empathy Economy: Emotional Intelligence in Customer Service
The “empathy economy” will help define the new reality of human and machine interactions in the customer service industry. A takeoff on the sharing economy, the empathy economy will grow due to brand mania and increased automation in the workplace. Consumers are inundated by brands in their day-to-day lives, and these brands sometimes create personal … Continue reading “The Empathy Economy: Emotional Intelligence in Customer Service”
In Celebration of Bruce Bigelow: Our Memories, His Playlist
[Updated, 7/5/18. See below] Bruce Victor Bigelow, editor of Xconomy San Diego, passed away Friday afternoon, June 29, at the age of 63. He had suddenly fallen ill less than a week earlier, after he returned to San Diego from a hiking trip in Utah. Our initial post about Bruce’s death is here. And the … Continue reading “In Celebration of Bruce Bigelow: Our Memories, His Playlist”
Fresh Off Launch of First Test, TAI Diagnostics Adds Funding
As TAI Diagnostics presses forward on commercialization of its first product, a test for organ rejection in heart transplant patients, the Wauwatosa, WI-based startup recently revealed additional funding to support development of more tests. TAI Diagnostics is developing a series of non-invasive tests to monitor the health of transplant recipients. The company’s name stands for … Continue reading “Fresh Off Launch of First Test, TAI Diagnostics Adds Funding”
Xconomy Mourns the Loss of San Diego Editor Bruce Bigelow
[Updated, 7/5/18. See below] It is with profound sadness that we at Xconomy say goodbye to our longtime friend and editor of Xconomy San Diego, Bruce Bigelow. An outstanding journalist, colleague, and friend, and a fixture of the San Diego innovation scene, Bruce passed away today at age 63 after a brief illness. We are … Continue reading “Xconomy Mourns the Loss of San Diego Editor Bruce Bigelow”
Bio Roundup: Big Bucks For Calico, Data Dumps & The IPO Wave Rolls On
If you’re running a privately held biotech, the time to go public is now. Clinical data already in hand or not, biotechs have charged to Wall Street at a record pace over the past two weeks, raising more than $1 billion in offerings that all met or exceeded their projected valuations. And there are no … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Big Bucks For Calico, Data Dumps & The IPO Wave Rolls On”
Foxconn, Data Science, Roche & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
The collective eyes of Wisconsin’s business and technology communities are focused on a groundbreaking ceremony that Foxconn, a Taiwan-based electronics manufacturing giant, plans to hold Thursday at the site of its future electronic display production facility in the state’s southeastern corner. President Donald Trump and other big-name politicians like House Speaker Paul Ryan and Wisconsin … Continue reading “Foxconn, Data Science, Roche & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
IPO Wave Rolls On as Five Life Science Firms Haul In $651M
A week after seven biotechs went public, setting a new record for the Nasdaq, five more life sciences companies have joined the club. The latest crop continued the positive momentum for life sciences offerings, as the group either met or exceeded their projections and raised a total of $651 million. Neon Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NTGN]]) was … Continue reading “IPO Wave Rolls On as Five Life Science Firms Haul In $651M”
It’s a Bird! A Bike! A Scooter! New Transit Options Land in Milwaukee
[Update 6/28/18 5:24 p.m.] Less than 24 hours after Bird rolled out a fleet of 100 motorized scooters in downtown Milwaukee that people can rent using Bird’s smartphone app, Milwaukee Deputy City Attorney Adam Stephens wrote the company a letter asking Bird to “immediately remove all of the motorized scooters held out for rent on … Continue reading “It’s a Bird! A Bike! A Scooter! New Transit Options Land in Milwaukee”
Senators Grill HHS’s Azar on Drug Price Cuts That Have Yet to Come
When President Trump signed legislation last month allowing seriously ill patients the “right to try” unapproved drugs without FDA oversight, he voiced a bold prediction: Within two weeks, he said, drug companies would announce “voluntary massive drops in prices.” Asked for further detail, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declined to elaborate on … Continue reading “Senators Grill HHS’s Azar on Drug Price Cuts That Have Yet to Come”
GE to Spin Out Healthcare Division in Corporate Restructuring
General Electric said Tuesday that it plans to spin its GE Healthcare division out into a separate company and make other major structural changes in a bid to reduce debt and narrow the iconic yet ever-evolving American company’s areas of focus. GE Healthcare, which is headquartered in Chicago, said its 54,000 employees are scattered across … Continue reading “GE to Spin Out Healthcare Division in Corporate Restructuring”
How the Rise of Beijing and Shanghai Tech May Impact Silicon Valley
When it comes to startup tech hubs, U.S. cities from San Francisco to Austin to Boston come first to mind. But that is starting to change, as Asian cities—particularly in China—are snapping up more tech venture capital funding and exits, according to a new report from CB Insights. Silicon Valley tech startups pulled in the … Continue reading “How the Rise of Beijing and Shanghai Tech May Impact Silicon Valley”
The Biggest Wisconsin Venture Round of the Decade… Didn’t Happen
Details surrounding a $127.4 million funding round, which groups that track venture capital investments have said Janesville, WI-based Shine Medical Technologies raised in 2014, were misconstrued in the years after the round was announced, according to people familiar with the deal. The Wisconsin Technology Council said as recently as last year that Shine’s 2014 funding … Continue reading “The Biggest Wisconsin Venture Round of the Decade… Didn’t Happen”
Student-Entrepreneur from Wisconsin Named 2018 Thiel Fellow
A student-entrepreneur from Oregon, WI, who runs a medical supplies company based in the Twin Cities, where she’s attended college the past two years, will receive $100,000 to take a leave from her studies and continue building the business following her selection as a 2018 Thiel Fellow. The Thiel Fellowship program, named for PayPal co-founder … Continue reading “Student-Entrepreneur from Wisconsin Named 2018 Thiel Fellow”
Stitch Fix CTO Polinsky Says Its Style Shuffle Game Makes Data Fun
When Cathy Polinsky became chief technology officer of Stitch Fix in late 2016, she knew one of the San Francisco-based company’s key challenges was continually refining its core software algorithm to make sure customers received the right tailored suggestions in their monthly wardrobe boxes. So, she made it into a game. Style Shuffle is a … Continue reading “Stitch Fix CTO Polinsky Says Its Style Shuffle Game Makes Data Fun”
Some of the Best Reads for Casual Friday: Artificial Intelligence
Fridays can be the most productive work day, as you look to shore up everything before the weekend starts. Or, maybe instead, it’s a day filled with long lunches and listless Internet surfing, as you seek out all the interesting articles you missed during the week. Fear not: Xconomy has done the work for you, … Continue reading “Some of the Best Reads for Casual Friday: Artificial Intelligence”
Bio Roundup: Duchenne Data, Roche Buys Foundation, IPO Wave & More
Biotech financing is a cyclical thing. Two years ago, the IPO window was unlatched but a number of companies ended up withdrawing their stock offerings. Others that pushed their IPOs through couldn’t sell shares at the price they wanted. This year, the IPO window is wide open. A total of 93 IPOs have priced as … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Duchenne Data, Roche Buys Foundation, IPO Wave & More”
Intel CEO Resigns After Board Learns of His Relationship With Employee
Intel (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTC]]) announced Thursday that CEO Brian Krzanich has resigned in the wake of the company’s recent discovery that he had been involved in a past consensual relationship with an Intel employee. The relationship violated Intel’s non-fraternization policy—the finding of an ongoing investigation by internal and external counsel, the company said in a written … Continue reading “Intel CEO Resigns After Board Learns of His Relationship With Employee”
Tcare’s Software Aids People Who Live with, and Care for, Loved Ones
Retiring baby boomers are expected to more than double Medicare and Medicaid costs from 2017 to 2020, according to industry data. That may just be the tip of the iceberg: by 2035, Medicare will account for 8 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product, according to projections by the Congressional Budget Office. One major reason … Continue reading “Tcare’s Software Aids People Who Live with, and Care for, Loved Ones”
Latticework Launches Personal Hybrid Cloud for Private Data-Sharing
Were you aghast at revelations that third-party organizations were able to capture millions of Facebook profiles from users who were unaware of the company’s privacy policy terms? If so, a Silicon Valley startup is hoping to entice you with a new option for private data storage of your personal digital life, along with private channels … Continue reading “Latticework Launches Personal Hybrid Cloud for Private Data-Sharing”
Bio IPO Madness: Six Biotech Startups Raise $568M in 24 Hours
The window for biotech IPOs remains wide open and six more companies have charged through it, raising more than $568 million in the span of 24 hours. The first was Eidos Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EIDX]]), which raised $106 million in its stock market debut. The San Francisco company priced its IPO late Tuesday, selling 6.25 million … Continue reading “Bio IPO Madness: Six Biotech Startups Raise $568M in 24 Hours”
CrowdStrike Hauls In $200M, Reports Valuation Over $3 Billion
CrowdStrike, a Silicon Valley cybersecurity company that fends off hackers by patrolling the edge devices connected to a network, announced today it raised $200 million in a financing round that sets the company’s valuation at more than $3 billion. Sunnyvale, CA-based CrowdStrike, as an endpoint protection and response platform, uses next-generation antivirus software, scans for … Continue reading “CrowdStrike Hauls In $200M, Reports Valuation Over $3 Billion”
Foxconn, Arrowhead, NorthStar & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Foxconn paid nearly $15 million for an office building in downtown Milwaukee that will serve as the company’s North American headquarters, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The location chosen by the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant does not come as a major surprise; in … Continue reading “Foxconn, Arrowhead, NorthStar & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Quest Analytics Buys Healthcare Compliance Software Firm BetterDoctor
BetterDoctor, a San Francisco-based startup that has built a national database with information on physicians, dentists, and other practitioners, has been acquired by a Wisconsin software analytics business, the companies said Monday. Appleton, WI-based Quest Analytics said that following its purchase of BetterDoctor, the combined company will build a “comprehensive platform” to help health plans … Continue reading “Quest Analytics Buys Healthcare Compliance Software Firm BetterDoctor”
Rock River Capital Nabs Another $15M to Invest in Midwest Startups
A young Wisconsin venture capital firm says it has raised more than $15 million for a fund created under a program partially supported by the state of Wisconsin and aimed at increasing the amount of funding available to Badger State startups. Rock River Capital Partners said in a document filed with the SEC on Friday … Continue reading “Rock River Capital Nabs Another $15M to Invest in Midwest Startups”
Built on Quantum Mechanics, Intraband Eyes Missile Defense for Laser
After meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, President Donald Trump wrote in a tweet that “there is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea” to the U.S. Other elected leaders disagree. “Saying it doesn’t make it so,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, told The New York Times this week. “North Korea still has nuclear weapons.” … Continue reading “Built on Quantum Mechanics, Intraband Eyes Missile Defense for Laser”
Biotech Beware, Your Culture Is Showing
In a recent survey of 220 scientists, 60 percent of the respondents reported having experienced harassment at a conference at some point in their careers. Even more astounding is the fact that 82 percent of those who reported harassment did not report it when it occurred. That’s why it’s easy to say, “How big of … Continue reading “Biotech Beware, Your Culture Is Showing”
30Ventures Seeks $15M to Fund Startups in Healthcare, Water Tech
30Ventures, one of the newest additions to Wisconsin’s venture capital scene, quietly revealed plans this week to raise up to $15 million for its debut fund, which will back healthcare and water and chemistry-related technologies in the Midwest. The Madison, WI-based firm disclosed fundraising details in a document filed with federal securities regulators on Thursday. … Continue reading “30Ventures Seeks $15M to Fund Startups in Healthcare, Water Tech”
Bio Roundup: Not-BIO Party Foul, CRISPR Drama, Sickle Cell Updates
This week brought a sobering reminder of how far away we are from true gender equality in the life sciences. An industry party held during BIO’s annual meeting in Boston last week featured scantily clad women with company logos painted on their bodies—two years after the infamous party at the J.P. Morgan party in San … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Not-BIO Party Foul, CRISPR Drama, Sickle Cell Updates”
For Sickle Cell, a Complex Disease, New Drugs Could Bring Complex Costs
Cassandra Trimnell has sickle cell disease. She also loves to travel. For her 30th birthday last year, she and her husband planned a trip to Indonesia, and she figured she would be fine. Growing up in Iowa, she was sick all the time, in and out of hospitals with severe pain episodes, or “crises,” and … Continue reading “For Sickle Cell, a Complex Disease, New Drugs Could Bring Complex Costs”
Fasetto Eclipses Crowdfunding Goal on First Day of Campaign
[Updated 6/14/18 5:58 p.m. See below.] Fasetto, a Superior, WI-based company that develops solid-state storage drives and cloud-based software for instantly sharing files, on Thursday announced a new product aimed at helping users store and broadcast digital presentations. In addition to unveiling its latest device, which it calls Forum, Fasetto launched a crowdfunding campaign on the … Continue reading “Fasetto Eclipses Crowdfunding Goal on First Day of Campaign”
Benchling Scores $14.5M to Grow Online Lab Notebook for Bio-Researchers
New immunotherapy approaches to cancer treatment, and the CRISPR technology for editing genetic material in cells, are among the most sophisticated research strategies scientists are using in their quest to defeat disease. But as researchers develop these techniques based on manipulating biological molecules, they may still be recording their experimental results by a method untouched … Continue reading “Benchling Scores $14.5M to Grow Online Lab Notebook for Bio-Researchers”
Zurex Pharma Raises $9M to Fight Hospital-Acquired Infections
Zurex Pharma, a Middleton, WI-based company developing antimicrobial products for preventing infections acquired in hospitals, clinics, and home care settings, says it has raised $9 million in new funding. Zurex says it plans to use some of the proceeds from the investment to support the development of its lead product candidate, a pre-surgical skin preparation … Continue reading “Zurex Pharma Raises $9M to Fight Hospital-Acquired Infections”
New York Fashion Tech Lab Connects Retail to Crucial Innovations
Amazon is fundamentally disrupting how and where we shop, but in-store retail still has life in it. The Seattle e-commerce giant is “a hefty competitor, but that doesn’t mean brands and retailers don’t have the ability to fight back,” says Kay Koplovitz, co-founder and managing partner of Springboard Growth Capital in New York. In fact, … Continue reading “New York Fashion Tech Lab Connects Retail to Crucial Innovations”
Cellular Dynamics, Rockwell, WARF & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Madison-based Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics said it struck an agreement with the University of California, Irvine, under which the Wisconsin company will license technology from the school in order to develop stem cell-based therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative neurological conditions. The company, … Continue reading “Cellular Dynamics, Rockwell, WARF & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Rockwell Automation Pouring $1B into PTC to Push Connected Factories
Rockwell Automation is investing $1 billion in PTC, as the two companies team up to advance their vision of software-driven factories and industrial operations. The companies said Monday they expect their “strategic partnership” to boost both businesses by strengthening their pitch to customers around the world who are interested in enhancing their physical operations with … Continue reading “Rockwell Automation Pouring $1B into PTC to Push Connected Factories”
TraceLink Tracks Down $60M to Fight Counterfeit Drugs Worldwide
A global proliferation of subpar and fake prescription drugs is driving more investment into businesses combating the problem with new software-based systems for tracking the supply chain of pharmaceuticals. TraceLink is one of those companies on the rise, and the North Reading, MA-based firm recently raised $60 million in a new venture capital round, according … Continue reading “TraceLink Tracks Down $60M to Fight Counterfeit Drugs Worldwide”
Data Centers on Wheels: How Intel Plans to Capitalize on Mobility
Intel sealed its commitment to become a player in the burgeoning autonomous vehicle industry when it bought computer vision company Mobileye for more than $15 billion in 2017. The venerable Santa Clara, CA-based chipmaker is betting that its data analytics and connectivity chops—as well as its semiconductors—combined with Mobileye’s computer vision and mapping functions, will … Continue reading “Data Centers on Wheels: How Intel Plans to Capitalize on Mobility”
Exact Sciences Seeks Up to $190M in Latest Stock Offering
Exact Sciences said Friday that it plans to raise up to $190 million through the sale of notes that can be converted into cash or shares of the company’s stock, starting in 2025. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) is developing several screening tests for cancer patients. Its flagship product is Cologuard, a non-invasive, stool-based DNA … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Seeks Up to $190M in Latest Stock Offering”