Agriculture is a more technical business than many people realize. Consider modern farm equipment: A John Deere tractor today contains more lines of code than a Boeing 747 jetliner, according to Syngenta’s Rick DeRose. Big agriculture companies like Syngenta (NYSE: [[ticker:SYT]]) are now coming to a realization of their own: Not all of the new … Continue reading “Syngenta, Bayer Try ‘Open Innovation’ to Find Next Big Agtech Idea”
Category: Wisconsin
Montage Garners $2,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d8dadee3-7d1f-41a6-a8ff-e47b8890346d Date 11/21/2016 Company Name Montage Mailing Address 514 Wells Street Delafield, WI 53018 USA Company Description Montage Talent is a leading provider of enterprise Video Talent Acquisition solutions. We are a pioneer in the utilization of video technology to dramatically improve and optimize the hiring process for the Global 5000. Website … Continue reading “Montage Garners $2,000,000 New Financing Round”
Arrowhead, Microbes, Diabetes, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Stay current on the latest happenings in Wisconsin’s innovation community with these headlines: —Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, which is based in Pasadena, CA, but houses its R&D operations in Madison, WI, provided updates on some of its drug candidates and development programs at two recent industry conferences. At one of the meetings, Arrowhead (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARWR]]) shared preclinical … Continue reading “Arrowhead, Microbes, Diabetes, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Cellectar Advances Drug Research With Pierre Fabre, Other Partners
Less than a year after Cellectar Biosciences announced a partnership with Pierre Fabre aimed at developing new cancer treatments, the collaboration appears to be bearing fruit. Madison, WI-based Cellectar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLRB]]) said Thursday that it has created multiple tumor-targeting compounds and has already started using them in a series of studies. The compounds were made … Continue reading “Cellectar Advances Drug Research With Pierre Fabre, Other Partners”
Bio Roundup: Trump’s Rx Silence, PCSK9 News, Amgen’s Migraines & More
Speculation swirled this week around the incoming U.S. president’s intent to make good on his angry campaign rhetoric on drug prices, while the Associated Press reported that naming-and-shaming—that is, Congress hauling executives into hearings and penning angry letters—certainly hasn’t done the trick. For one new kind of cholesterol drug, insurers and their agents have tried … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump’s Rx Silence, PCSK9 News, Amgen’s Migraines & More”
StartingBlock Madison Nets Federal Grant, Partners with Bunker Labs
The U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded a $471,875 grant to StartingBlock Madison, a still-to-be-built entrepreneurial center in Wisconsin’s capital city, the agency said on Tuesday. Scott Resnick, executive director of StartingBlock Madison, said that the grant will be paid out over three years. His organization plans to use the money to fund operations, including hiring … Continue reading “StartingBlock Madison Nets Federal Grant, Partners with Bunker Labs”
How to Lower Drug Prices, Improve Care, and Save Pharma
I recently received a note from a longtime friend who questioned me on the issue of pharma pricing. I answered with the always-reliable alleviating-the-scourge-of-disease-through-the-miracle-of-modern-medicine defense of “free-market pricing.” My friend, who is not in the pharmaceutical business, responded: The fundamental flaw in your argument centers on the notion that there is any relevance to “market … Continue reading “How to Lower Drug Prices, Improve Care, and Save Pharma”
The New Crowdfunding Rules: Will They Really Help Startups?
Hailed as the true democratizer of private investment, crowdfunding has been attracting both headlines and a fast-growing pile of cash. In May of 2016, rules from the Securities and Exchange Commission went into effect that will democratize the process even further. These new rules will open the doors to more investors, but they also pose … Continue reading “The New Crowdfunding Rules: Will They Really Help Startups?”
Bio Roundup: Trump’s Triumph, Election Fallout, CRISPR Arguments & More
The presidential election ended with Donald Trump’s stunning victory and Republican retention of the House and Senate. Now, the U.S. healthcare sector will try to figure out what it all means. Drug company stocks got a boost with the defeat of Hillary Clinton, a vocal critic of drug prices. But Trump’s plans are unclear. Will … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump’s Triumph, Election Fallout, CRISPR Arguments & More”
Trump Team Outlines Healthcare Agenda—No Mention of Drug Prices
The incoming Trump administration has posted an outline of its healthcare agenda on its transition website. There is no mention of drug pricing or what the administration might do about frequent price increases, such as Mylan’s EpiPen practice, that critics say are unsubstantiated and unethical. During the campaign, Trump’s official platform called for a change … Continue reading “Trump Team Outlines Healthcare Agenda—No Mention of Drug Prices”
Quick, How Might the Alien Spacecraft Work?
[This post is about the movie “Arrival“; there are no movie spoilers here.] “It’s an interesting script,” said someone on our PR team. It’s pretty common for us to get requests from movie-makers about showing our graphics or posters or books in movies. But the request this time was different: could we urgently help make … Continue reading “Quick, How Might the Alien Spacecraft Work?”
New U.S. “Roadmap” Lays Out Routes to Accelerate Robotic Technologies
Robotics technology is progressing faster than expected for self-driving cars, and drones are becoming ubiquitous throughout the United States, according to a lead scientist overseeing a robotics technology roadmap released last week. But robotics is moving slower than expected in some key areas, such as the development of dexterous gripper technology, intuitive user interfaces, and … Continue reading “New U.S. “Roadmap” Lays Out Routes to Accelerate Robotic Technologies”
Arrowhead Stock Falls After FDA Places Hold on Clinical Trial
Shares in Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals took a nosedive Wednesday after the FDA placed a hold on a phase 2 clinical trial of the company’s lead drug candidate, which is aimed at treating chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV). The company said in a press release Tuesday that the FDA has not sent any written communications to Arrowhead … Continue reading “Arrowhead Stock Falls After FDA Places Hold on Clinical Trial”
Has Technology Made Election Polls More Accurate? Not Yet
Statistical models, simulations, social media outreach, and the capacity to analyze big data sets—you’d think by now that technology would have delivered election forecasts that more reliably predicted Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential race. But most pollsters—and the people who relied on them—were gobsmacked by Trump’s upset wins, not only in battleground states … Continue reading “Has Technology Made Election Polls More Accurate? Not Yet”
Trump’s Election Stunner: Tech and Life Sciences Leaders React
Still processing what this will mean for technology, business, society, and humanity—I guess it’s going to take a while. In the meantime, here are 10 notable reactions from around the Xconomy network, mostly via Twitter. As you might guess, they are a mix of outrage, resiliency, hope, rationalizing, grandstanding, and some calls for calm and … Continue reading “Trump’s Election Stunner: Tech and Life Sciences Leaders React”
In Trump-GOP Tsunami, Blue-State Healthcare Ideas Swamped
[Updated, 11/9/16, 1:20 p.m. See below.] The 2016 U.S. election is over. The country has been rocked by the presidential race, with Donald Trump taking the White House. Every facet of American policy, our attitudes toward power and governance, even our national character will be topics of debate in coming months. Our healthcare system will … Continue reading “In Trump-GOP Tsunami, Blue-State Healthcare Ideas Swamped”
Silatronix, Propeller, BrainXell, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
The 2016 presidential campaign is coming to a close and for many, not a day too soon. Renew your faith in humanity with these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Madison-based Silatronix—a developer of silicon-based materials that can be used as electrolytes in batteries and other energy storage devices—was on a list of “10 Startups … Continue reading “Silatronix, Propeller, BrainXell, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Milwaukee Wine Subscription Startup Now Also Shipping Cheese
Bright Cellars appears to have little difficulty adjusting to its surroundings. The monthly wine service, which started in Boston but moved to Milwaukee last year, says it is now also shipping boxes of artisan cheeses to customers’ doorsteps. The cheeses are all made in the Badger State, Bright Cellars says. “Wisconsin has some of the … Continue reading “Milwaukee Wine Subscription Startup Now Also Shipping Cheese”
Simplifide Secures $1,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9e8cd8ad-e888-4fa0-8b59-e18d4e82344f Date 11/8/2016 Company Name Simplifide Mailing Address 301 S. Blount Street Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description SimplifIDe is the world’s first turn-key Software as a Service (SaaS) that eliminates the risk, complexity and cost of using biometric identification to replace traditional passwords, magnetic access cards, or knowledge-based authentication by using … Continue reading “Simplifide Secures $1,000,000 New Financing Round”
Simplifide Raises $1M for User Authentication Software
Simplifide, a Madison, WI-based startup that’s developing technology to verify identities based on physical characteristics, says it has raised $1 million from investors. The company, launched earlier this year, is on the verge of signing its first customer and is discussing conducting pilot projects with a handful of organizations in the U.S. and Europe, says … Continue reading “Simplifide Raises $1M for User Authentication Software”
The Five Major Tech Trends of 2016
As we draw closer to the end of 2016, it is important that we take a moment to look back and reflect on all of the ways technology has inspired us, and transformed the way we live and do work. As technology becomes more pervasive in our lives, we increasingly look for simple but secure, … Continue reading “The Five Major Tech Trends of 2016”
What Should Be on the Next President’s Cybersecurity Agenda?
From a hack of Democratic National Committee e-mails to fears that cyber attackers will attempt to interfere with tomorrow’s election, cybersecurity emerged as a crucial theme in this grueling presidential campaign. Neither candidate has said a lot about how he or she would address cybersecurity issues as president, although Hillary Clinton has offered more details … Continue reading “What Should Be on the Next President’s Cybersecurity Agenda?”
Midwestern BioAg Lands $21,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0f6e2366-0091-4b76-8c64-930a1ec1093b Date 11/7/2016 Company Name Midwestern BioAg Mailing Address 918 Deming Way Madison, WI 53717 USA Company Description Founded in 1983, much of what we make and do is based on the work of one of our founders, Gary Zimmer, considered by many to be the father of biological farming. His approach … Continue reading “Midwestern BioAg Lands $21,000,000 New Funding Round”
Sanofi’s Experience With Dengvaxia May Speed Development of Zika Vaccine
Dengvaxia, the first licensed vaccine for dengue virus, has now been approved in 11 countries where dengue is endemic. But sales of the vaccine, which were initially projected to reach €200 million this year, barely reached €20 million in the first half of the year, with little sign of picking up. Sanofi Pasteur, the group … Continue reading “Sanofi’s Experience With Dengvaxia May Speed Development of Zika Vaccine”
Bio Roundup: Clinical Shirkers, AMD Worriers, ASH Fallers & More
Our previous roundup came out last week before news broke that Susan Lindquist, a highly decorated and thoughtful researcher into the inner workings of proteins, passed away. She was 67. First at the University of Chicago and then MIT’s Whitehead Institute, Lindquist helped biologists see that all kinds of organisms—including ourselves—share errors of protein folding … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Clinical Shirkers, AMD Worriers, ASH Fallers & More”
Californians Still Hate Trump, But More Uncertain About Drug Companies
The polls are tightening. Millions of people are still making up their minds. National figures are making last-minute pitches. The decision could have huge implications for people across the U.S. We’re talking of course about next week’s vote on Proposition 61 in California, an attempt to control drug prices in the nation’s most populous state. … Continue reading “Californians Still Hate Trump, But More Uncertain About Drug Companies”
The Necessity of Innovation
Innovation is at the heart of wealth creation. Innovation is at the heart of job creation. Innovation is at the heart of building better lives for everyone. And innovation can be increased by conscious support. Innovation is enhanced by a culture of innovation, encouragement of talented inventors and entrepreneurs, collaboration between academics and business people, … Continue reading “The Necessity of Innovation”
Midwestern BioAg Raises $21M to Ramp Up Fertilizer Production
Midwestern BioAg, a Madison, WI-based manufacturer and distributor of fertilizers, seed, and other products designed to improve soil health and increase crop yields, says it has raised $21.3 million from investors. Midwestern BioAg says that the money will be used in part to expand its fertilizer manufacturing capacity. The company also plans to start working … Continue reading “Midwestern BioAg Raises $21M to Ramp Up Fertilizer Production”
Breg Partners With Redox to Improve Tracking of Orthotic Devices
For more than two decades, Breg has built and sold braces, splints, walking boots, and other devices designed to help rehabilitate injured patients. The Carlsbad, CA-based company has also developed software that it says can help healthcare providers and other organizations keep track of orthotic devices and bill patients for their use. On Tuesday, Breg … Continue reading “Breg Partners With Redox to Improve Tracking of Orthotic Devices”
Xconomy Announces Channel Focused on the Future of Education
Since its inception more than nine years ago, Xconomy has focused its coverage on the business of high technology—across information technology, life sciences, healthcare, energy, robotics, and much more. But underlying all that, in a sense, is education. We have long run stories about STEM education, educational technology, and more—and even put out a special … Continue reading “Xconomy Announces Channel Focused on the Future of Education”
Clinton and Trump Platform Analysis: Which Is Best for Education Companies?
With election day less than a week away, voters are trying to imagine what turns the country might take under each of the presidential hopefuls. Tech entrepreneurs are likely considering how hospitable the new leadership might be to their specific industry sectors. Educational technology is one field worth examining, even though education hasn’t been a … Continue reading “Clinton and Trump Platform Analysis: Which Is Best for Education Companies?”
On Front Lines Of Price Dispute, Eye Doctors Wary of New Drug Data
Drugs that treat a form of vision loss known as age related macular degeneration aren’t just big business. They’re also a controversial part of the national debate over high drug prices, and their increased use has put ophthalmologists in the crosshairs of insurers, the federal government, and the press. “Retina practices are under significantly increased … Continue reading “On Front Lines Of Price Dispute, Eye Doctors Wary of New Drug Data”
Isomark, gBETA, Gregor, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s football team are using a device developed by the startup Isomark that gives them feedback on how they’re metabolizing food, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The device, called Energy Balance, reportedly tells users what and … Continue reading “Isomark, gBETA, Gregor, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
CUNA Mutual Group Venture Arm Exits Stealth, Reveals Investments
CMFG Ventures, an arm of CUNA Mutual Group that supports fintech and insurance technology startups, says it led a $10 million Series A investment in Chicago-based ForeverCar, which helps users purchase extended vehicle warranties. Madison, WI-based CUNA Mutual provides insurance and financial services to its member organizations, many of which are credit unions. According to … Continue reading “CUNA Mutual Group Venture Arm Exits Stealth, Reveals Investments”
Bio Roundup: Drug Pricing, Cystic Fibrosis Showdown, Myovant & More
The 2016 election is (thankfully) almost here, and as one biotech analyst noted this week, a possible Democratic victory is to blame for a big October sell-off in biotech stocks. Since Donald Trump’s infamous “Access Hollywood” tape was released on October 7, Leerink Partners analyst Geoffrey Porges wrote, biotech investors have lost $50 billion. The … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Drug Pricing, Cystic Fibrosis Showdown, Myovant & More”
Exact Sciences Shares Dip After Company Adjusts Revenue Forecast
Exact Sciences reported third-quarter earnings Wednesday and despite increases in revenue and other closely watched metrics, the reaction from investors was unfavorable. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) reported a net loss of $37.8 million for the three-month period that ended Sept. 30, on revenues of $28.1 million. Those figures marked improvements over the same period … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Dip After Company Adjusts Revenue Forecast”
Despite Low Crop Prices, Corporate and VC Agtech Investments Soar
Prices for agricultural commodities such as corn, soy, and wheat are at their lowest levels in years, but investment in agricultural technology has never been better. Venture capital firms have increased their agtech investments by 80 percent since 2012, bringing total VC investment in the sector to a total of $3 billion in 2015, according … Continue reading “Despite Low Crop Prices, Corporate and VC Agtech Investments Soar”
Healthfinch’s Drug Refill App Graduates to Athenahealth Marketplace
Healthfinch, a Madison, WI-based developer of software that’s aimed at saving healthcare providers and patients time and energy, said on Monday that one of its products recently became available to a wider audience. Swoop, an application Healthfinch created to make the process of reviewing prescription refill requests more efficient, is now listed on the Athenahealth … Continue reading “Healthfinch’s Drug Refill App Graduates to Athenahealth Marketplace”
Latest Data Show Venture Capital Industry on Pins and Needles
Given the obvious anxiety and frustration that surrounds us all, the U.S. venture industry is also exhibiting some fatigue as we finish the 88th month since the last recession. This is the fourth-longest period of economic growth in U.S. history (admittedly, at 2.1 percent, the growth over this period of time is the slowest since … Continue reading “Latest Data Show Venture Capital Industry on Pins and Needles”
FDA: Keytruda Now OK For Some Patients With Untreated Lung Cancer
The FDA has approved the use of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for some previously untreated patients with a certain type of lung cancer, the drug’s owner Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) announced late Monday. Pembrolizumab can now be used for patients who have never received treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of … Continue reading “FDA: Keytruda Now OK For Some Patients With Untreated Lung Cancer”
Gener8tor Unveils New Class of Startups, Hits Fundraising Milestone
Daniel Rotman wishes he had been able to tell sooner that his cat was sick. Rotman says that in 2010, he started noticing that his cat, Gingi, wasn’t her normal self. He brought her into a veterinarian’s office, and Gingi was later diagnosed with feline leukemia. Not long after that, she passed away. “Cats are … Continue reading “Gener8tor Unveils New Class of Startups, Hits Fundraising Milestone”
Why Friday’s Massive DDoS Attack Should Be Terrifying
Friday’s massive DDoS attack made a number of hugely popular websites unavailable for much of the country for large parts of the day. Our service wasn’t directly affected by this incident, but the nature and scope of this attack is tremendously worrisome. In a Denial of Service (DoS) attack, the perpetrator overwhelms a target company … Continue reading “Why Friday’s Massive DDoS Attack Should Be Terrifying”
From Robo Doctors to Mood Trackers, Emotion Sensing Is Coming
The proliferation of smartphones and wearable devices has enabled people to track all kinds of data about their physical health, from heart rate to steps walked in a day. Now, tech companies have their sights set on helping us—and perhaps others—monitor our mental health. “We’ve gotten very good at quantifying the physical self,” said Affectiva … Continue reading “From Robo Doctors to Mood Trackers, Emotion Sensing Is Coming”
Bio Roundup: Jenkins Gets Mad, Bernie Gets His Pen, CRISPR IPO & J-Lo
If you’re among those frustrated by the lack of talk about health and science in the three presidential debates, this week perhaps brought you a wee consolation prize. The steady drip of hacked Hillary Clinton-related emails showed her campaign team questioning then-candidate FDA commissioner Robert Califf’s ties to the pharma industry. The staff also crowed … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Jenkins Gets Mad, Bernie Gets His Pen, CRISPR IPO & J-Lo”
Propeller Health Receives $21,500,000 Series C Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0c556bbc-908b-4b28-af93-fd50443a36d0 Date 10/21/2016 Company Name Propeller Health Mailing Address 634 West Main Street Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description Propeller Health’s digital platform helps reduce the cost of COPD and asthma care, delivering better quality of life for patients with chronic respiratory disease. Website http://www.propellerhealth.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $21,500,000 … Continue reading “Propeller Health Receives $21,500,000 Series C Round”
Propeller Health Raises $21.5M for Respiratory Disease Technology
The winds continue to blow in Propeller Health’s favor. In the past year, Madison, WI-based Propeller—which makes Internet-connected inhalers and sensors designed to help asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients manage their conditions—has announced several new partnerships and programs with other healthcare organizations, including some large pharmaceutical companies. Now comes news that the 55-employee … Continue reading “Propeller Health Raises $21.5M for Respiratory Disease Technology”
Jamf, Nordic, Titan Spine, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Jamf announced a collaboration with University of California San Diego Health that’s aimed at equipping every patient room in a still-to-be-built 245-bed facility with an iPad and an Apple TV box. Jamf, which is headquartered in Minneapolis but has significant operations in Eau Claire, … Continue reading “Jamf, Nordic, Titan Spine, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
All In One Place: A New Immuno-Oncology Trial Resource
More than 100 years ago, New York bone surgeon William Coley began to suspect that bacterial infections might be improving the outlook for patients also suffering from cancer. The infections were turbo-charging the immune system. Coley (pictured) would be gratified to see that in 2016 a growing array of immune-boosting cancer treatments are helping some … Continue reading “All In One Place: A New Immuno-Oncology Trial Resource”
The Power of the Cloud for Life Science R&D
“In the new world, it is not the big fish which eats the small fish, it’s the fast fish which eats the slow fish…” — Klaus Schwab, Founder/Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum Over the past decade, the nature of innovation has changed—even as the pace has substantially increased. One of the reasons has been the ability … Continue reading “The Power of the Cloud for Life Science R&D”
New Company RPRD Seeking to Test DNA, Anticipate Reactions to Drugs
A faculty member at the Medical College of Wisconsin has spun out a new company, RPRD Diagnostics, which says it will help examine genetic profiles of its customers’ patients to determine how they are likely to react to particular drugs. Milwaukee-based RPRD, which stands for “Right Patient Right Drug,” was publicly unveiled on Monday. Founder … Continue reading “New Company RPRD Seeking to Test DNA, Anticipate Reactions to Drugs”