Have you noticed those unicorns outside your office? Recently, there’s been an uptick in the all-important $1 billion “unicorn” valuation for startups in the tech industry. In the VC-funded startup community, the young companies receiving such valuations are in the media daily. When an entrepreneur considers her unicorn counterparts, it’s not hard to see why … Continue reading “How Your Startup Can Run With Unicorns”
Category: Wisconsin
Invenra Partners With U.K. Company to Research Therapeutic Antibodies
Invenra, one of the few companies working on new ways to make therapeutic monoclonal antibodies using cell-free protein expression, today announced a partnership with U.K.-based Oxford BioTherapeutics aimed at commercializing a new cancer treatment. Madison, WI-based Invenra is one of the companies offering a way to make antibodies without using genetically modified cells such as … Continue reading “Invenra Partners With U.K. Company to Research Therapeutic Antibodies”
The Decade Of The Brain: 25 Years Later
My phone rang late in the day on a pleasant fall afternoon. It was a close friend and business associate of mine and, because we talk often enough about a whole variety of things, I didn’t think for a moment about not answering. I rarely talk about my days as a practicing physician, and it’s … Continue reading “The Decade Of The Brain: 25 Years Later”
The Water Council Raising $5M Fund, Names Next Accelerator Startups
The Water Council is raising a $5 million venture fund to take its water technology startup investments to the next level. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee organization announced the companies selected for its third session, beginning in the fall (see below). During The Water Council’s annual Water Summit held this week, the group celebrated the graduation of … Continue reading “The Water Council Raising $5M Fund, Names Next Accelerator Startups”
Introducing Exome, Xconomy’s New Home For Biotech and Health Coverage
By now you’ve had a day or two to meet Exome, Xconomy’s new place for all things life sciences, health, and biotech, which launched Monday. Let me amend that. Some things are new, which I’ll get to in a moment, but some things remain the same: the reporting and analysis you expect from me, Ben … Continue reading “Introducing Exome, Xconomy’s New Home For Biotech and Health Coverage”
U.S. IPO Activity Loses Steam to PE Deals in First Half of 2015
In the strange times category of today’s innovation news, a preview of IPO activity through the first half of 2015 suggests that market bubbles don’t always rise. In fact, the total number of IPO deals and proceeds actually sank through the first half of 2015, with 101 IPOs raising total proceeds of $19.7 billion, according … Continue reading “U.S. IPO Activity Loses Steam to PE Deals in First Half of 2015”
StartingBlock Madison Taps Resnick to Bring Project to Finish Line
StartingBlock Madison—the proposed co-working space and entrepreneurial center that supporters envision anchoring the tech community in Wisconsin’s capital—today announced $200,000 in new funding and named an executive director who will help bring the project to the finish line and oversee the center’s operations once it opens its doors. Scott Resnick, the 28-year-old former Madison city … Continue reading “StartingBlock Madison Taps Resnick to Bring Project to Finish Line”
Houston Dares to Challenge the Bicoastal Model of Biotech Growth
World-class universities, prominent medical institutions, a talented workforce, access to capital and favorable geography are critical factors required to stimulate and support a dynamic regional bioscience industry. Some might believe that these factors only converge along the coasts of New England and California, and many new and growing biotech companies may feel that they are … Continue reading “Houston Dares to Challenge the Bicoastal Model of Biotech Growth”
Welcome To The Sharing Economy. Cancer Researchers Are Next.
We’re sharing everything these days. Rides. Spare rooms. Pictures of things wrapped in bacon. Our thoughts, 24 hours a day. Next up: Cancer data? It can’t come soon enough for Charles Sawyers. Sawyers is one of the world’s most decorated cancer researchers, and his long resumé includes crucial work that helped make imatinib (Gleevec) one … Continue reading “Welcome To The Sharing Economy. Cancer Researchers Are Next.”
Where the Red Book Meets the Unicorn
Mike Stonebraker – my partner, friend, and winner of the 2014 A.M. Turing Award – has been on the cutting edge of modern database research, development, and deployment for over 40 years. The cutting edge … for 40 years. Mike was the main architect, starting in the 1970s through the 1990s, of many systems that … Continue reading “Where the Red Book Meets the Unicorn”
FDA Signs Off on Sales of Wicab’s BrainPort Device to Help Blind “See”
After more than five years of clinical evaluations and regulatory review, the FDA has given Wicab the green light to begin selling its “BrainPort” device in the U.S.—a product that helps blind people “see” through electronic impulses on their tongues. Middleton, WI-based Wicab’s device involves a small video camera mounted to sunglasses that are connected … Continue reading “FDA Signs Off on Sales of Wicab’s BrainPort Device to Help Blind “See””
25 Years in Biotech
That is a sobering headline to write. Twenty-five years ago at this time of year, I was graduating from college with no job, a pretty choppy economy, a bunch of student loans, a resume that included things like a summer research internship catching salamanders, and an aspiration to “get into biotech.” I look back and think … Continue reading “25 Years in Biotech”
Transforming Health Care for Those Who Need it Most
Like other engaged consumers, my family of athletes tries out many of the new healthcare related wearables and apps. From counting steps to counting calories, there is a site or app out there for everything we do. But it’s not my immediate family that can benefit most from these tools. Today, devices are bought and … Continue reading “Transforming Health Care for Those Who Need it Most”
Flagship CEO on Backing NY Biotech, Moderna, and Investing in a Boom
It’s been a jam-packed few months for Flagship Ventures, one of the Boston area’s most well-known biotech startup creators. The Cambridge, MA-based VC firm just raised a $537 million fund of its own, and recently became a founding investor in the eye-popping $217 million Series A for Denali Therapeutics, a startup led by a group … Continue reading “Flagship CEO on Backing NY Biotech, Moderna, and Investing in a Boom”
Wallet, Watch, and What We Learned from Google I/O and Apple’s WWDC
The two leading platform owners in the smartphone industry, Apple and Google, are going in very different directions—particularly in their philosophies about privacy, and approaches to the “next billion” smartphone users—with major implications for app developers and consumers. Team Apptentive attended both companies’ annual developer conferences, held in late May and early June, in San … Continue reading “Wallet, Watch, and What We Learned from Google I/O and Apple’s WWDC”
Doctors’ Discontent Helps Madison Startup Healthfinch Grow
Health technology startup Healthfinch has grown from four employees to 21 since January 2014. How? By selling software that saves doctors time, letting them spend more of their day with patients. The Madison, WI-based company—which streamlines routine hospital tasks through integrated software apps—would not be able to do what it does without electronic health record … Continue reading “Doctors’ Discontent Helps Madison Startup Healthfinch Grow”
Wisconsin Roundup: Illumina, Kohl’s, Arrowhead, TAI Diagnostics, & More
Here’s a collection of recent announcements by Wisconsin’s technology and innovation community: —Wauwatosa-based TAI Diagnostics raised north of $6 million from investors in a seed funding round that could reach $8 million, according to an SEC filing. The company was a finalist in last year’s Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. It’s developing a non-invasive test … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Illumina, Kohl’s, Arrowhead, TAI Diagnostics, & More”
Top Legal Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Launching Startups
High-impact entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Most venture-backed businesses don’t achieve the levels of success their founders and investors hoped for. Indeed, a significant number will fail. Having worked as legal counsel for dozens of venture-backed startups over the years, what frustrates me most is the number of companies that fail not … Continue reading “Top Legal Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Launching Startups”
Cellectar Biosciences Appoints New CEO Amid Recent Turmoil
Cellectar Biosciences today appointed a new president and CEO, the latest in a series of unexpected moves in recent weeks by the Madison, WI-based biotech company. Seasoned drug and device industry executive Jim Caruso is taking over for Simon Pedder, who resigned his positions as Cellectar CEO, president, and board director. The 54-year-old Pedder, who led the company since October … Continue reading “Cellectar Biosciences Appoints New CEO Amid Recent Turmoil”
Digital Agency Northern Ground Hatches Employee-owned Incubator
Northern Ground has spent the last three years designing and building websites, mobile apps, and marketing campaigns for clients ranging from local startups to international corporations. Now, the nine-person Milwaukee digital agency wants to create its own products. Last week, Northern Ground announced it has formed an in-house, employee-owned incubator called Quarry that will develop … Continue reading “Digital Agency Northern Ground Hatches Employee-owned Incubator”
Winner Takes All?
Last week I spent some time with Peter Diamandis, founder of the XPRIZE Foundation and Singularity University (among dozens of other initiatives), who quite simply is trying to solve some of the world’s greatest problems. What was most striking about the XPRIZE vision to democratize innovation was how effectively the model corrals entrepreneurs with a very … Continue reading “Winner Takes All?”
Milestones of Innovation 8: Ten Minutes in White House Shapes World War II
Seventy-five years ago today, science took a seat next to the American presidency. It was a move of immense and continuing consequences for innovation in this country and across the world, not only in a war to the death but in the decades of uneasy peace that followed. The actual event on June 12, 1940 … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 8: Ten Minutes in White House Shapes World War II”
JAMF Software Names New CEO, Continues Growing in Eau Claire
JAMF Software has come a long way since it was just a two-man operation in the early 2000s, with founder Zach Halmstad handling product development and business partner Chip Pearson focusing on sales and marketing. The Minneapolis-based company—which provides enterprise software for companies, schools, and government agencies running on Apple devices—has since grown into an … Continue reading “JAMF Software Names New CEO, Continues Growing in Eau Claire”
Rare Heart Disease Advocate: “I’m More Relieved Than I’ve Ever Been”
[Corrected 6/10/15, 10:14pm. See below.] Katherine Wilemon had a celebratory glass of wine a couple hours ago, which some say is good for the heart. Even better for Wilemon, however, is the reason she’s celebrating: In a two-day discussion about two new drugs aimed at high cholesterol, a panel of outside advisors recommended that the FDA … Continue reading “Rare Heart Disease Advocate: “I’m More Relieved Than I’ve Ever Been””
WERCBench Accelerator Picks Startups in Drones, Virtual Reality, & More
Startups working on underwater drones and virtual reality products were among the companies chosen for the inaugural WERCBench Labs accelerator launching this summer in Milwaukee. WERCBench, backed by a $350,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., will run from June 10 to Aug. 27 at the Energy Innovation Center, a research and development hub … Continue reading “WERCBench Accelerator Picks Startups in Drones, Virtual Reality, & More”
With Quickstep Sale, WI Professor Patel Flips Third Startup
Jignesh Patel seems to have a knack for spinning university research into startups that attract a buyer. The University of Wisconsin-Madison computer sciences professor and serial entrepreneur scored his latest win this week, when San Francisco-based Pivotal snapped up Quickstep Technologies, a big data startup launched in January after six years of research by Patel … Continue reading “With Quickstep Sale, WI Professor Patel Flips Third Startup”
Wisconsin Roundup: Kauffman Index, Startup Funding, Ward 4, & More
Here’s a collection of recent headlines in Wisconsin’s innovation and technology community: —Wisconsin dropped to dead last in a closely watched national ranking of startup activity conducted annually by the Kauffman Foundation, with 170 out of every 100,000 adults in the state counted as entrepreneurs in any given month. Wisconsin was 45th in last year’s Kauffman Index. … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Kauffman Index, Startup Funding, Ward 4, & More”
How to Keep Your Best Employees: Write the Book
When it comes to retaining great employees, every executive has their favorite platitude: it’s all about culture; make sure people feel challenged; give them a clear path to advancement. Easy to say, but much harder to do. What is a great culture? Is it really enough to keep someone from taking a new job or … Continue reading “How to Keep Your Best Employees: Write the Book”
Rockwell Helping Manufacturers (Slowly) Join the Internet of Things
Just as connected devices are slowly but surely making their way into our homes, the Internet of Things is also starting to impact the manufacturing industry. The going is slow: Less than 14 percent of U.S. manufacturers have linked up their factory machines with their enterprise software, says Keith Nosbusch, CEO of Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation … Continue reading “Rockwell Helping Manufacturers (Slowly) Join the Internet of Things”
Take a Grain of Salt (Or Two) With New Cholesterol Drug Predictions
My mother always warned me never to start a column with a reference to management consultants. Sorry, Mom. Cover your eyes. But anyone else with personal health or personal finance interest in the latest cholesterol-fighting drugs, read on. Two years ago, three McKinseyites published a study about forecasts for drug sales. The upshot: To predict … Continue reading “Take a Grain of Salt (Or Two) With New Cholesterol Drug Predictions”
Seiva, Argo Bus Share Win Inaugural Launch Milwaukee Hackathon
An online platform for booking buses to events and a startup developing wearable sensor technology to help with physical therapy won the top prizes at the inaugural Launch Milwaukee hackathon held over the weekend. Argo Bus Share won in the software category, while Seiva Technologies took first place in the hardware category. Each will receive … Continue reading “Seiva, Argo Bus Share Win Inaugural Launch Milwaukee Hackathon”
Apple Watch: The First Wearable Device Worth Wearing
It’s just a watch. I’ve had my Apple Watch for three weeks now, and I have no qualms about telling you that the device’s killer app is telling time. That’s what I was expecting. After all, it looks like a wristwatch, you wear it in the same place as a wristwatch, and the first thing … Continue reading “Apple Watch: The First Wearable Device Worth Wearing”
BluDiagnostics’ Fertility Device Wins WI Business Plan Contest
For the third year in a row, a life sciences startup took home the top prize at the Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. On Wednesday, Madison-based BluDiagnostics was named the competition’s overall winner and top life sciences company, beating 12 other finalists. All 13 teams presented Tuesday at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference held at Madison’s … Continue reading “BluDiagnostics’ Fertility Device Wins WI Business Plan Contest”
Exact Sciences, MD Anderson Developing Blood Tests For Lung Cancer
Less than a year after Exact Sciences secured FDA approval and Medicare coverage for a colon cancer diagnostic, Cologuard, the company has set its sights on its next challenge: early detection of lung cancer. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) this morning announced a partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, MD Anderson Developing Blood Tests For Lung Cancer”
Chicago, Northern Wisconsin Investors Raising $30M For New VC Funds
Investors from Chicago and northern Wisconsin detailed plans on Tuesday for two proposed venture funds that would pump about $30 million into startups in Wisconsin and around the Midwest, if all goes according to plan. John Philosophos, a Chicago-based partner with New York-based Great Oaks Venture Capital, said he is trying to raise $20 million … Continue reading “Chicago, Northern Wisconsin Investors Raising $30M For New VC Funds”
ASCO Roundup: Checkpoints, Pushback Against Prices, CAR-T & More
As has been the case the past few years, the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, which just wrapped up in Chicago, was the latest referendum on immunotherapy. But this year, not only did the meeting feature scientific developments for these new types of cancer fighters that rev up patients’ immune systems, but it … Continue reading “ASCO Roundup: Checkpoints, Pushback Against Prices, CAR-T & More”
Ward 4 Aims to be “Lighthouse” for Milwaukee Startup Community
Ward 4—the Milwaukee co-working space inspired by the likes of 1871 in Chicago, CoCo in Minneapolis, and T-Rex in St. Louis—opened this week. Now, it’s up to organizers to ensure Ward 4 turns into the catalyst they envision for the local startup community. Ward 4 appears to be off to a good start. Nearly all … Continue reading “Ward 4 Aims to be “Lighthouse” for Milwaukee Startup Community”
Wisconsin Roundup: Wooden Microchip, Zendesk, Rockwell, FaB, & More
Here’s a quick recap of some recent headlines in Wisconsin’s innovation and technology community: —FaB Wisconsin, the Milwaukee-based food and beverage industry group with 135 member companies, announced a program intended to help small Wisconsin food and beverage companies boost their businesses. The one-year finance accelerator will include a $10,000 grant, access to mentors and … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Wooden Microchip, Zendesk, Rockwell, FaB, & More”
Summer Reading List: True Tales That Will Inspire and Educate You
OK, you’ve already read the latest hot science bestsellers—Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Emperor of All Maladies and Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (both terrific, by the way)—and you’re wondering what to grab next. I’ve suggested below a number of remarkable science books that I’m fond of, and that you might find interesting as … Continue reading “Summer Reading List: True Tales That Will Inspire and Educate You”
NeuWave Grabs $25M to Amplify Overseas Sales of Tumor-Zapping Tech
NeuWave Medical, the Madison, WI-based maker of medical devices that use microwave energy to zap tumors, has raised $25.3 million in a Series C round, the company announced today. The deal is the largest funding round announced by a Wisconsin company so far this year. The round was led by Versant Ventures, with participation by … Continue reading “NeuWave Grabs $25M to Amplify Overseas Sales of Tumor-Zapping Tech”
Milestones Of Innovation 7: FDR Phones Knudsen At General Motors
One of the sharpest controversies about our nation’s history is who gets top credit for the titanic American public-private partnership that won World War II with an avalanche of production. Some call it a rescue by private business, others view it as an example of Franklin Roosevelt’s multi-layered and often-mysterious leadership. How we see this … Continue reading “Milestones Of Innovation 7: FDR Phones Knudsen At General Motors”
NeuWave Medical Obtains $25,000,000 Series C Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2a527007-9bde-42f2-b3d9-d67094693f1c Date 5/28/2015 Company Name NeuWave Medical Mailing Address 3529 Anderson Street Madison, WI 53704 USA Company Description NeuWave Medical Inc., is a company that develops tools that deliver energy to the human body to treat a variety of serious medical conditions. Website http://www.neuwave.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $25,000,000 Transaction … Continue reading “NeuWave Medical Obtains $25,000,000 Series C Funding Round”
GrocerKey, Backed By Woodman’s, Aims to Help Grocers Bag Online Sales
The online grocery ordering and delivery industry has heated up over the past few years, with incumbents like Peapod competing against well-funded upstarts like Instacart, as well as e-commerce giants, such as Amazon, that have started offering similar services. In general, the business model for those grocery delivery services either cuts traditional brick-and-mortar grocery stores … Continue reading “GrocerKey, Backed By Woodman’s, Aims to Help Grocers Bag Online Sales”
Fetch Rewards Garners $4,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=aa7945cb-7104-4411-9e45-861eac49048c Date 5/27/2015 Company Name Fetch Rewards Mailing Address 16 N Carroll St. Madison, WI 53703 USA Company Description Scan all of your items as you go Deals are automatically applied Always know how much you’re spending. Make lists so you never forget an item Easily check off items as you shop … Continue reading “Fetch Rewards Garners $4,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
Fetch Rewards Snags $4M to Help Grocery Shoppers Sniff Out Deals
While more companies are diving into the online grocery shopping and delivery industry, Fetch Rewards is betting on a mobile app that aims to improve the in-store buying experience by helping shoppers find discounts, make lists, and more easily pay at the checkout lane. Now, more investors are betting on the idea, too. Madison, WI-based … Continue reading “Fetch Rewards Snags $4M to Help Grocery Shoppers Sniff Out Deals”
After Orexigen Gaffe, What Role for Drugs Amid Obesity Crisis?
Two recent happenings prompted this column. First, Orexigen Therapeutics drew fire from, well, nearly everyone earlier this month for an improper release of data related to its weight-loss drug Contrave. The second happening is Memorial Day weekend. I’m assuming you, like me, did not spend the long weekend hunting and gathering, sharpening your arrowheads, and … Continue reading “After Orexigen Gaffe, What Role for Drugs Amid Obesity Crisis?”
Wisconsin Roundup: Cellectar, Shine Medical, Concordia, & More
Before everyone checks out for the long weekend, here are a few recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation and technology community: —Madison-based Cellectar Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLRB]]) said in its latest quarterly earnings report that patient enrollment in its phase 2 clinical trial of one of its experimental cancer imaging agents is going slower than anticipated. The … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Cellectar, Shine Medical, Concordia, & More”
Neuro Startup Challenge Winners Try To Commercialize NIH Inventions
The winning teams were announced today in the Neuro Startup Challenge, a two-year-old virtual accelerator that helps academic researchers and entrepreneurs build companies around promising technologies developed by NIH researchers. The 13 winners include a team from the Medical College of Wisconsin, which is launching a startup called Angio360 Diagnostics to commercialize a blood-based test … Continue reading “Neuro Startup Challenge Winners Try To Commercialize NIH Inventions”
Meet the Masters Series: A Conversation with Sheldon Lubar
From the event organizer: “Join Scale Up Milwaukee for the launch of Meet the Masters, a conversation series with prominent entrepreneurs talking about growing big businesses. On June 4, Dan Isenberg, leader of Scale Up Milwaukee, will lead an intimate conversation with Sheldon Lubar, founder and chair of Lubar & Co. about his 50 years of … Continue reading “Meet the Masters Series: A Conversation with Sheldon Lubar”
Building an Agnostic Cloud Infrastructure
Over the last two years I have often been asked: What is the best way to move out of Amazon Web Services (AWS) or other public cloud services? There are many reasons for making such a move, but cost, stability, and planned growth are the primary factors. Many companies that surpass $50,000 a month in … Continue reading “Building an Agnostic Cloud Infrastructure”