Vivace Therapeutics, a San Mateo, CA-based biotech that has kept quiet about its research until now, has reached across the Pacific Ocean to close $25 million in financing to support its work developing drugs to target two different mechanisms of cancer biology. New investor Cenova Capital, based in China, led the Series B round of … Continue reading “Vivace Therapeutics Comes Out of Stealth With $25M for Cancer Drugs”
Buckle Up: Driverless Cars Going Full Speed Ahead at Mcity
From the outside, you wouldn’t expect the humble Ford Fusion to contain technology that could upend the global transportation paradigm—until you notice the LIDAR unit whirring on its roof. LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensor technology that uses pulses of light to produce a 3D picture of the surrounding … Continue reading “Buckle Up: Driverless Cars Going Full Speed Ahead at Mcity”
New Study: DNA Tests For Healthy People Have “Uncertain Value”
Genome sequencing is becoming more common for people diagnosed with cancer. Should it become part of a healthy person’s checkup, too? A new study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine questions the practicality of making DNA tests standard for people who don’t have a cancer diagnosis or aren’t trying to identify a mysterious … Continue reading “New Study: DNA Tests For Healthy People Have “Uncertain Value””
U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017
[Updated 6/27/17 5:00 pm. See below.] Improving economic fundamentals are stoking the IPO pipeline in the United States and elsewhere, according to a report issued Tuesday by the global consultant and accounting firm EY. Eighty companies raised a total of $22 billion on U.S. exchanges during the first half of 2017, according to the report … Continue reading “U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017”
Fighting Harassment, Raising Funds, & More Boston Tech News
Summer is here, but news from the Boston-area tech community hasn’t slowed down. Here are some of the recent headlines: —In a Medium blog post, the New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA) pledged more action to fight discrimination and sexual harassment. The initiatives are partly a response to sexual harassment allegations against venture capitalist Justin … Continue reading “Fighting Harassment, Raising Funds, & More Boston Tech News”
Globalscape Adds Software to Compete in Crowded SaaS Data Business
San Antonio—Transferring data among software programs is becoming increasingly important as more companies use products such as Salesforce (NYSE: [[ticker:CRM]]) and Hubspot (NYSE: [[ticker:HUBS]]), marketing and sales data collectors that don’t necessarily integrate information from different sources easily. Companies that help businesses transfer data between software programs, using application program interfaces and sometimes more advanced … Continue reading “Globalscape Adds Software to Compete in Crowded SaaS Data Business”
Catalant Scoops Up $41M to Boost Business Consulting Marketplace
It’s officially summer in Boston—the mercury is rising, and the venture capital is flowing. The latest local startup to cash in is Catalant Technologies, which on Tuesday morning announced it received a $41 million investment. Catalant joins CloudHealth Technologies, which announced a $46 million Series D funding round on Tuesday. And last week, Rubius Therapeutics … Continue reading “Catalant Scoops Up $41M to Boost Business Consulting Marketplace”
Alder Drug Cuts Down Migraines in Study, But Still Trails Rivals
Alder BioPharmaceutical’s migraine drug successfully reduced the frequency of headaches in a key clinical trial, early results that the biotech says lay the groundwork for its plans to file for FDA approval next year. Bothell, WA-based Alder (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALDR]]) has been studying its drug eptinezumab in patients who have episodic migraine, defined as experiencing between … Continue reading “Alder Drug Cuts Down Migraines in Study, But Still Trails Rivals”
A Sign of Success? Startup Co-Working Space Start Houston Closes
Houston—Five years ago this month, Gaurav Khandelwal and Apurva Sanghavi opened the doors of Start Houston, a co-working space in the shadow of Houston’s downtown that hosted a monthly demo day for tech startups. “There was a tremendous need,” Khandelwal says. “The meetups we were attending were at restaurants, bars, or in people’s homes all … Continue reading “A Sign of Success? Startup Co-Working Space Start Houston Closes”
CloudHealth Gets $46M as IT Management Sector Heats Up
CloudHealth Technologies says today it has snapped up $46 million in funding, continuing a surge of investments in companies that help businesses manage their cloud storage. The Series D funding round was led by new backer Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, with contributions from Meritech Capital Partners, .406 Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, and Scale Venture Partners. … Continue reading “CloudHealth Gets $46M as IT Management Sector Heats Up”
Fixing Uber: An Open Letter to the Next CEO
For starters, trust that my motives come from a good place. To date I have given such advice to only three CEOs—Ivan Seidenberg when he was CEO of Verizon, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and most recently, your predecessor. Not sure they ever read any of it but I do this when I get deeply inspired, … Continue reading “Fixing Uber: An Open Letter to the Next CEO”
Xconomy IMPACT Highlights Innovation That Matters: The Photos
Last week’s Xconomy IMPACT event at the Museum of Science in Boston tackled a big theme—“innovation that matters”—but our speakers did not disappoint. The program explored a broad mix of ambitious ideas and advanced technologies—brain-computer interfaces, self-driving cars, collaborative robots, interactive entertainment, and much more. Speakers also offered solutions to some of the most pressing … Continue reading “Xconomy IMPACT Highlights Innovation That Matters: The Photos”
AkitaBox, PrecisionHawk to Bring Drones to Building Management
AkitaBox, a developer of software allowing users to access and edit documents containing data on buildings and the machines inside of them, announced a collaboration Monday that could enable the startup’s customers to inspect building exteriors by flying unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. Madison, WI-based AkitaBox says it has partnered with Raleigh, NC-based PrecisionHawk, which … Continue reading “AkitaBox, PrecisionHawk to Bring Drones to Building Management”
What’s Hot in Cancer Immunotherapy 2017: The Photos
Xconomy’s cancer immunotherapy event on June 14th in Seattle brought a packed house to The Pelton Auditorium on the campus of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Attendees heard top executives, physicians, researchers, investors and entrepreneurs discuss the different types of immunotherapy in development, their successes, and the challenges in each part of the field. … Continue reading “What’s Hot in Cancer Immunotherapy 2017: The Photos”
Genentech’s Hemophilia Drug Slashes Bleeding Rates, Early Data Show
While a host of companies are racing to treat hemophilia with cutting-edge gene therapies, others are working on nearer-term improvements to more conventional approaches, with billion-dollar franchises at stake. Genentech hopes to enter the hemophilia fray and announced Monday that its experimental drug emicizumab reduced bleeding by 87 percent, according to preliminary Phase 3 data. … Continue reading “Genentech’s Hemophilia Drug Slashes Bleeding Rates, Early Data Show”
Texas Roundup: Acessa Health, CareSet, TeVido, Larry Lawson, TAMU
Here’s what’s making news across the cities in Xconomy Texas. —Acessa Health in Austin announced the company has completed a $30 million Series A financing and acquired a non-invasive treatment for uterine fibroids from a California medical device company. Acessa says the new capital comes from institutional venture investment firms and will be used for … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Acessa Health, CareSet, TeVido, Larry Lawson, TAMU”
Programs Seek to Connect Women to Startup Funding, STEM Careers
It’s been an especially good month to be a female entrepreneur in Southeast Michigan. Over the past four weeks, a new STEM initiative was announced; young women pursuing tech careers were awarded scholarships to help propel them toward a diploma; and tomorrow, a conference designed to encourage women-led startups with a social mission is being … Continue reading “Programs Seek to Connect Women to Startup Funding, STEM Careers”
Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.
By the end of this year, for the first time, patients with certain deadly types of blood cancer might have a new option, CAR-T cell therapy, to prolong their life. Immunotherapy could further entrench itself as a mainstay of cancer treatment. Newer drugmaking methods—RNA interference and gene therapy—could get their first ever FDA reviews. Multiple … Continue reading “Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.”
GE, IBM Race to Deliver on A.I. Hype in Healthcare
This story is part of an ongoing series on A.I. in healthcare. A companion piece today looks at the question of when A.I. might replace doctors. Artificial intelligence has a long road ahead to reach the front lines of healthcare—but it’s coming. Big companies and startup investors are pouring billions of dollars into A.I. technologies for … Continue reading “GE, IBM Race to Deliver on A.I. Hype in Healthcare”
When Will A.I. Replace Doctors?
This story is part of an ongoing series on A.I. in healthcare. A companion piece today looks at advances from GE, IBM, and other competitors. Even as big companies race to build up their artificial intelligence capabilities, the prospect of using A.I. technologies in healthcare raises more questions than answers. Want more AI, machine learning, and drug … Continue reading “When Will A.I. Replace Doctors?”
SparkCognition Boosts Series B to $32.5M, And Other Texas Fundings
Austin—[Updated 6/26/17, 9:55 a.m. See below.] SparkCognition, a company that uses machine learning software to monitor clients’ infrastructure and technology for malfunctions and other problems, has boosted its Series B round of funding to $32.5 million. The round was led by Verizon Ventures, the venture capital arm of telecom company Verizon. The company had previously … Continue reading “SparkCognition Boosts Series B to $32.5M, And Other Texas Fundings”
Initiative to Boost SoCal’s Startup Scene Teams With GV Founder
A Silicon Valley entrepreneur has set out to boost the startup ecosystem in San Diego and the rest of Southern California—and he already has scored a coup by partnering with Bill Maris, the founder and former CEO of Google Ventures, now known as GV. Steve Poizner, who sold two of his startups to Qualcomm (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Initiative to Boost SoCal’s Startup Scene Teams With GV Founder”
ARI, Hyperloop, SmartUQ, GrocerKey, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —ARI Network Services (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARIS]]), a Milwaukee-based company that develops e-commerce software for equipment manufacturers and other customers, was acquired for about $140 million by True Wind Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm. Prior to the deal, shares in ARI Network Services … Continue reading “ARI, Hyperloop, SmartUQ, GrocerKey, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Seattle Week in Review: Disneyland, the Appiest Place on Earth
Xconomy Seattle was in Disneyland most of this week, where the operative question, voiced by one of the thousands of other kindred spirits hiking through the hot, crowded streets of Adventureland Thursday afternoon was, “What are all these people waiting for?” More on that below—including a gripe about the princess industrial complex. But first a … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Disneyland, the Appiest Place on Earth”
Portola Pharmaceuticals’ Drug to Prevent Blood Clots Wins FDA Nod
[Updated, 6/23/17, 6:23 pm, see below.] A Portola Pharmaceuticals drug developed to prevent risky and potentially fatal blood clots in patients who are hospitalized for an extended period of time received FDA approval on Friday. The FDA approved the Portola (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PTLA]]) drug betrixaban (Bevyxxa) for patients hospitalized for conditions such as heart failure, stroke, … Continue reading “Portola Pharmaceuticals’ Drug to Prevent Blood Clots Wins FDA Nod”
Chinese Pharma Licenses Two Drugs from UT Schools For $4.5M Upfront
San Antonio—A Chinese pharmaceutical company is licensing two experimental drugs from two University of Texas research institutions for an initial $4.5 million upfront payment. The Texas institutions could receive more money if the drugs meet clinical and regulatory goals. UT Health San Antonio and UT Health Houston announced today they are selling the global license for … Continue reading “Chinese Pharma Licenses Two Drugs from UT Schools For $4.5M Upfront”
Purdue Pharma’s Mark Timney Leaving, Craig Landau Named CEO
Purdue Pharma announced that CEO Mark Timney is leaving “to pursue other career opportunities” and another executive within the Stamford, CT-based drug company is taking his place. Craig Landau, a 14-year Purdue veteran, is now CEO. Landau had held several executive and senior management roles in the company, including serving as chief medical officer. In … Continue reading “Purdue Pharma’s Mark Timney Leaving, Craig Landau Named CEO”
Five Prime’s Williams to Transition from CEO to Executive Chairman
Five Prime Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FPRX]]) announced that founder Lewis “Rusty” Williams plans to transition from CEO to executive chairman next year. Williams founded South San Francisco, CA-based Five Prime in 2001 and then shifted from CEO to executive chairman in 2003. He returned as CEO in 2011. Five Prime, which is developing drugs to treat … Continue reading “Five Prime’s Williams to Transition from CEO to Executive Chairman”
Five Questions For … Houston Medical Device Investor Larry Lawson
Houston—Houston entrepreneur Larry Lawson started out his professional life immersed in the groovy melodies of the mid- to late 1960s. Lawson was part of an East Texas “sunshine pop” band that relocated to Houston as the Clique. One of the band’s bigger hits, 1969’s “Superman,” reached a new generation in the mid-1980s when R.E.M. recorded its … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Houston Medical Device Investor Larry Lawson”
Fuzic Closes on $3.5 Million Seed Round, Plans to Expand Reach
Fuzic, the Indianapolis-based marketing tech startup, announced this week that it has closed on a $3 million seed funding round, bringing the total amount of money raised since inception to $3.5 million. Fuzic’s backers include High Alpha, Allos Ventures, and Hyde Park Venture Partners, as well as local angel investors. “We are very impressed with … Continue reading “Fuzic Closes on $3.5 Million Seed Round, Plans to Expand Reach”
Startup Founder’s Quest for Cure Leads to Genomics Hackathon at Google
This story is part of a series on A.I. in healthcare. Onno Faber was a member of Silicon Valley’s happy breed of tech startup founders when he was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition that can come with dire health damage, but few treatments. Faber responded with entrepreneurial zeal, exploring whether Silicon Valley’s mastery of algorithms … Continue reading “Startup Founder’s Quest for Cure Leads to Genomics Hackathon at Google”
Bio Roundup: Senate Trumpcare, FDA On Cancer, Alzheimer Review & More
All eyes are on the nation’s capital this week, where the Senate released its version of the American Health Care Act (now called the Better Care Reconciliation Act) and the White House worked on an executive order to address drug prices. No one knows how to pay for high-priced medicines that could bring long-term relief … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Senate Trumpcare, FDA On Cancer, Alzheimer Review & More”
Bluebird Reports Early Results From Upgraded Gene Therapy
One of the year’s most closely watched clinical studies could lead to a landmark approval of a gene therapy and throw wide open the debate over how to pay for expensive drugs. The first drips of data have emerged. Bluebird Bio (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BLUE]]) says the first three patients—of 15 total expected—have had good results from … Continue reading “Bluebird Reports Early Results From Upgraded Gene Therapy”
Shares in EnSync Plunge After Company Announces Stock Offering
EnSync Energy Systems, a manufacturer of renewable energy storage and power control products based in the Milwaukee area, saw its stock price fall more than 37 percent on Thursday after the company announced a public stock offering. Shares in EnSync (NYSE: [[ticker:ESNC]]) ended the trading day at just under 32 cents apiece, down more than … Continue reading “Shares in EnSync Plunge After Company Announces Stock Offering”
Lilly Adds Chemistry Capabilities in San Diego Lab Expansion
Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) has completed a $90 million expansion of its biotechnology R&D center in San Diego, added new automated synthesis equipment, and plans to build out its next-generation chemistry capabilities here over the next two years. The new facility adds 180,000 square feet of space to Lilly’s laboratory in La Jolla—a 145 percent … Continue reading “Lilly Adds Chemistry Capabilities in San Diego Lab Expansion”
Foxconn Founder Gives Details on Plan to Build Display Plant in U.S.
The founder and chairman of Foxconn, a Taiwanese multinational known as a key supplier for Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) and other digital device makers, said Thursday that Foxconn plans to invest more than $10 billion in an electronics display-making plant in the U.S., according to a Reuters report. Terry Gou, who has led Foxconn since founding … Continue reading “Foxconn Founder Gives Details on Plan to Build Display Plant in U.S.”
Energy Software Firm EnerNOC Inks $300M Sale to Enel Group
EnerNOC, a 16-year-old energy management software company, has agreed to be acquired by Enel Group, a global power utility company, in an all-cash deal valued at over $300 million. Enel Group, through its subsidiary Enel Green Power North America, plans to purchase Boston-based EnerNOC (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ENOC]]) for $7.67 per share, a 42 percent premium to … Continue reading “Energy Software Firm EnerNOC Inks $300M Sale to Enel Group”
RealCo Accelerator Startup Dauber Gets $1.1M for Trucking Tech
San Antonio—[Updated 6/23/17, 10:34 a.m. See Below.] Dauber, a trucking-focused app maker that’s working with the San Antonio-based RealCo startup program, has raised $1.1 million in seed funding from RealCo, angel investors, and people in the trucking industry. Dauber makes apps that lets construction trucking companies track shipments, track and analyze data such as load information, and … Continue reading “RealCo Accelerator Startup Dauber Gets $1.1M for Trucking Tech”
Mary Lou Jepsen: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview
For the inaugural episode of our new podcast, Xconomy Voices, we chose to speak with Bay Area entrepreneur and executive Mary Lou Jepsen. She leads a startup called Openwater, which is developing a new kind of wearable imaging device that might one day enable communication by thoughts alone. Of course, there are nearer-term goals as … Continue reading “Mary Lou Jepsen: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview”
Introducing Xconomy Voices (Podcast), Episode 1: Mary Lou Jepsen
It’s always been Xconomy’s mission to reach audiences—both here on our website, and at our many live events around the country—with deep insights into the innovation process, divined from experts embedded in the world’s most important hubs of high-tech entrepreneurship. And now we’re doing that in one more medium: podcasting. I’m thrilled to be collaborating … Continue reading “Introducing Xconomy Voices (Podcast), Episode 1: Mary Lou Jepsen”
Cloudbeds Raises $9M to Expand its Technology, Brand Awareness
Cloudbeds, a cloud-based provider of hospitality management software, said today it has raised slightly more than $9 million in Series B financing to expand its software-as-a-service platform and broaden awareness of its brand. The San Diego company describes the financing as its first institutional round, and said it brings total funding for the five-year-old startup … Continue reading “Cloudbeds Raises $9M to Expand its Technology, Brand Awareness”
Repare Nabs $68M To Find Synthetic Lethal Cancer Targets Beyond PARP
The concept of synthetic lethality has been around for decades, but only recently has it been exploited for cancer therapy. The idea is to hit cancer cells in at least two places at once; the trick is to find the right combination of genetic mutations that make the cells vulnerable. The newest company aiming to … Continue reading “Repare Nabs $68M To Find Synthetic Lethal Cancer Targets Beyond PARP”
Madonna to Jeff Bezos: Invest Some of Your Billions in Detroit
You may have noticed that for the past couple of years, the Motor City has been busy mounting a comeback. Plenty of people are rooting for Detroit to get its groove back, including, it turns out, Madonna. Madonna is a native of metro Detroit, but her affection for the city has not been a lifelong phenomenon. … Continue reading “Madonna to Jeff Bezos: Invest Some of Your Billions in Detroit”
From Startup Week San Diego: The World According to Jason Calacanis
Silicon Valley angel investor Jason Calacanis has some advice for the millennial generation: Get your name on a cap table. In a keynote talk Tuesday night that was a headliner event for Startup Week San Diego, Calacanis observed that it doesn’t feel like the millennial generation is doing as well financially as their parents’ generation. … Continue reading “From Startup Week San Diego: The World According to Jason Calacanis”
Coinigy Adds Users, As Digital Currency Values Soar
Matt Cohler, a general partner with the Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Benchmark, in 2014 described to Vanity Fair his view of the smartphone as a “remote control for real life.” Cohler’s analogy captures a key feature of so many digital innovations, from the earliest remote controls to today’s smartphones: being able to take lots … Continue reading “Coinigy Adds Users, As Digital Currency Values Soar”
Boston as the Hub of Cybersecurity
I certainly wouldn’t be the first to declare that the cybersecurity industry is booming. But I am willing to wager that Boston is positioning itself to be the leader. The cybersecurity space is crowded and incredibly dynamic. On one side of the market, you have the legacy players trying to adapt to new technologies, and … Continue reading “Boston as the Hub of Cybersecurity”
Syntimmune Snares $50M to Test Autoimmune Drug in Two Rare Diseases
Although antibodies play a key role in neutralizing invading bacteria and viruses, sometimes these protective proteins can turn against the body’s own tissues, sparking an autoimmune disorder. Syntimmune’s leaders believe their company has found a way to block the immune system’s attack on the body. And now the biotech has $50 million to advance its … Continue reading “Syntimmune Snares $50M to Test Autoimmune Drug in Two Rare Diseases”
With $20M from Scale, Textio Envisions ‘Augmented Writing’ Everywhere
In a prime example of the promise of artificial intelligence to improve human capabilities, rather than just replace them, Textio is bringing its “augmented writing” technology to e-mails, sales and marketing communications, and other forms of business writing, and just raised $20 million to do it. The Seattle startup, which until now focused on improving … Continue reading “With $20M from Scale, Textio Envisions ‘Augmented Writing’ Everywhere”
With $23M, Flagship-Backed Sigilon Protects Protein-Producing Cells
Companies have been trying for years, if not decades, to find a way to encapsulate cells for therapeutic use in a way that protects them from the body’s reactions. Sigilon Therapeutics, a Cambridge, MA-based biotech, announced today it has raised $23.5 million from Flagship Pioneering to take its technology to clinical trials. The company has … Continue reading “With $23M, Flagship-Backed Sigilon Protects Protein-Producing Cells”
Accel, GV-backed Sense Raises $10M To Keep “Gig Workers” On Board
The new tech economy, as well as a longstanding trend toward outsourcing, has boosted the number of “gig workers” who rely on temporary assignments to earn a living. With a lack of income security and sometimes without benefits, these workers may run low on job satisfaction and loyalty to their employers. The founders of San … Continue reading “Accel, GV-backed Sense Raises $10M To Keep “Gig Workers” On Board”