“New York, New York, it’s a hell of a town. The Bronx is up, but we’re Brooklyn down.” For all you old-school Brooklyn swingers out there, we’ll take a short break from the madness in the nation’s capital and start our roundup in the greatest city in the world. You might disagree if you’ve got … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Big Apple Mo’, Checkpoint Yes and No, CAR-T Death & More”
CyberArk Snaps Up Conjur for $42M to Secure Software Development
CyberArk Software said Thursday it has acquired Conjur for $42 million in cash, a tie-up that unites two cybersecurity firms with offices in the Boston area. CyberArk (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYBR]]), which is based in Israel and has U.S. headquarters in Newton, MA, makes software to help banks and other businesses manage user privileges, sensitive data, and … Continue reading “CyberArk Snaps Up Conjur for $42M to Secure Software Development”
Shoulder Innovations Raises $1.5M to Grow its Patented Implant Tech
Shoulder Innovations, the Holland, MI-based medical device startup, this week announced a $1.5 million Series A round led by the Michigan Angel Fund, with participation from Start Garden, Invest Michigan, Novus Bioventures, Western Michigan University’s Biosciences Research Commercialization Center, and Genesis Innovation Group. The four-person company, which was founded in 2009, has developed a shoulder … Continue reading “Shoulder Innovations Raises $1.5M to Grow its Patented Implant Tech”
Merck Immunotherapy Drug Notches Another FDA Win in Lung Cancer
The FDA has approved use of a Merck drug in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for the most common type of lung cancer. The FDA approval for (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) pembrozlizumab (Keytruda) to treat metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer widens the use of the immunotherapy. Last year, the FDA approved it for lung … Continue reading “Merck Immunotherapy Drug Notches Another FDA Win in Lung Cancer”
AppDirect, Amazon, And The Role Of The Middleman
[Updated 5/11/17 10:21 am. See below.] Daniel Saks, co-founder of a fast-growing San Francisco tech company, says he admires Amazon for taking the friction out of “finding stuff and buying stuff.” Worn-out sheets? No need to drive to Bed Bath & Beyond, he says. Saks likes to think his company AppDirect does the same thing … Continue reading “AppDirect, Amazon, And The Role Of The Middleman”
Boston Tech Watch: TripAdvisor, Ogin, Staples, Gillette, Draft & More
Here are some of the latest headlines from the Boston-area tech sector: —Ogin, the Waltham, MA-based renewable energy company formerly known as FloDesign Wind Turbine, recently went into receivership and put its assets up for sale, the Boston Globe reported. Ogin had raised more than $150 million in venture funding. Read more about the company … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: TripAdvisor, Ogin, Staples, Gillette, Draft & More”
Dell and Circular Board Advise Women Entrepreneurs: Go Ask Alice
Houston—Dell and Circular Board want women founders to meet Alice. Alice is a software platform that uses artificial intelligence-related tools designed to connect female entrepreneurs with resources needed to develop their companies regardless of where they are based, what industry they are in, or what language they speak. “The genesis for Alice is that we … Continue reading “Dell and Circular Board Advise Women Entrepreneurs: Go Ask Alice”
Structural Launches with Software to Unleash Employee Productivity
Structural is on a mission to unlock workplace data to help optimize the way offices function. The employee-management software startup—based in Indianapolis and St. Paul, MN, and backed by High Alpha—has set out to apply analytics and other technologies to produce workforce insights that were previously hiding in the raw data of human-resources files. Until … Continue reading “Structural Launches with Software to Unleash Employee Productivity”
Google Picks Up Owlchemy Labs, Austin-Based VR Startup
Austin—Google has bought Owlchemy Labs, an Austin, TX, virtual reality startup best known for its “Job Simulator” game. Relja Marcovik, engineering director of virtual reality and augmented reality at Google, announced the news in a blog post Wednesday, saying Owlchemy “set a high bar for what engagement can be like in virtual worlds, and do … Continue reading “Google Picks Up Owlchemy Labs, Austin-Based VR Startup”
Stalled or Rising Momentum? New York Wrestles With Its Biotech Future
[Updated, 6:25 a.m. ET, see below] New York City and state governments have finally put big dollars behind local development of the life sciences industry. But lots of cash is no guarantee of success, as panelists kicking off the annual NewYorkBio conference made clear Tuesday. “The question is, where are we as an industry, and … Continue reading “Stalled or Rising Momentum? New York Wrestles With Its Biotech Future”
Amazon Devotes New Seattle Headquarters Space to Shelter Homeless
Amazon will create a permanent space to shelter homeless families in its growing downtown Seattle headquarters campus, the retail and technology giant announced Wednesday. The company is donating 47,000 square feet in a building set for construction this fall on Eighth Avenue to Mary’s Place, a shelter for homeless women, children, and families. There will … Continue reading “Amazon Devotes New Seattle Headquarters Space to Shelter Homeless”
Genentech Drug Fails to Beat Chemo in Treating Advanced Bladder Cancer
Genentech’s hopes to expand applications of a cancer immunotherapy treatment to more cancers were dealt a blow with the failure of that drug in a late-stage clinical trial. South San Francisco, CA-based Genentech, a division of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche, announced Wednesday that its drug atezolizumab (Tecentriq), failed a Phase 3 clinical trial testing the … Continue reading “Genentech Drug Fails to Beat Chemo in Treating Advanced Bladder Cancer”
Agro Bio, BrightStar, Stratatech, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community, starting with these recent headlines: —Agro Biosciences, a Milwaukee-area company whose technology is aimed at identifying beneficial bacteria in order to improve agricultural products, said it was acquired by Church & Dwight (NYSE: [[ticker:CHD]]), the parent company of Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition. According to a press … Continue reading “Agro Bio, BrightStar, Stratatech, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Harvard Startup Competition Yields Winners in Computing, Fintech, Health
The full range of student entrepreneurship at Harvard University was on display Tuesday. The sixth annual President’s Innovation Challenge awards drew several hundred people to the Harvard Innovation Lab to meet the 15 finalists of the yearlong competition. At stake was $310,000 in prize money. You might think if you’ve seen one student-startup contest, you’ve … Continue reading “Harvard Startup Competition Yields Winners in Computing, Fintech, Health”
Newest Texas Angel Network Hosts Statewide Summit in San Antonio
San Antonio—Six months after the launch of San Antonio’s first angel network, the city is playing host to a statewide summit on angel investing Friday to help members of the network gain insight from other angel investors across Texas. The San Antonio Angel Network was officially launched by a group of local entrepreneurs and investors … Continue reading “Newest Texas Angel Network Hosts Statewide Summit in San Antonio”
Why You’re Wiser with an Adviser
Long before Silicon Valley and tech accelerators, the Beatles knew a thing or two about finding the right startup adviser. Their 1965 hit said it all: “Help! I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody. Help! You know I need someone. He-el-elp…” Every founder, no matter how sharp or motivated, needs some help, and a great … Continue reading “Why You’re Wiser with an Adviser”
Austin Real Estate Tech Startup Opcity Snags $27M in Funding
Austin—An Austin real estate startup is using technology to become a better matchmaker between buyers and sellers of properties, and has raised $27 million to expand its market. Opcity received the investment in a Series A round led by Palo Alto, CA-based Icon Ventures, with participation from Georgian Partners in Toronto, and Austin’s LiveOak Venture … Continue reading “Austin Real Estate Tech Startup Opcity Snags $27M in Funding”
Last Chance to Snag a Ticket for What’s Hot in Boston Biotech
Registration is closing soon for Xconomy’s annual life sciences bash, “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech.” It’s all happening tomorrow, May 11, at Biogen’s headquarters in Cambridge. We’ll be digging into several biotech topics, including the industry’s role in battling the opioid epidemic, the impact of patient advocacy on drug development and regulation, the importance of … Continue reading “Last Chance to Snag a Ticket for What’s Hot in Boston Biotech”
Roundup: LLamasoft, TechHire Bootcamp, Application Deadlines Galore
Here’s a look at innovation news you may have missed from around Michigan: —LLamasoft, the Ann Arbor-based developer of supply chain software, announced today that TPG Capital has invested in the company. The specifics of the deal were not disclosed. LLamasoft marks TPG’s second foray into the supply-chain technology space, following its 2016 investment in Transporeon, a … Continue reading “Roundup: LLamasoft, TechHire Bootcamp, Application Deadlines Galore”
Akamai Invests in Wind Farm as Tech’s Renewable Energy Demand Grows
Akamai Technologies, a content delivery network and cloud computing services provider, has invested in a Texas wind farm as it attempts to fulfill a promise to use renewable energy to power half of its global network operations by 2020. Akamai (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]) said it is making a 20-year investment in the planned Seymour Hills Wind … Continue reading “Akamai Invests in Wind Farm as Tech’s Renewable Energy Demand Grows”
Senate Vote Confirms Scott Gottlieb for FDA Commissioner
Scott Gottlieb will be the new FDA commissioner. The U.S. Senate voted 57 to 42 on Tuesday to confirm Gottlieb, a physician and venture capitalist, to lead the regulatory agency. He succeeds former FDA commissioner Robert Califf, who stepped down in January after President Donald Trump took office. Gottlieb is already familiar with the agency … Continue reading “Senate Vote Confirms Scott Gottlieb for FDA Commissioner”
Blackriver’s Planning and Tracking Tools Gain Traction with Cyclists
Want to go for a bike ride? If so, some of your next steps might be to determine the distance of your ride, where it will begin and end, and whether you want to invite anyone else to join. Blackriver, a Madison, WI-based startup, has joined the list of companies that develop technology allowing cyclists to … Continue reading “Blackriver’s Planning and Tracking Tools Gain Traction with Cyclists”
Startup Spotlight: Texas Innovations in Health IT, Big Data Analytics
The Texas innovation landscape is dotted with young tech companies. Here are a couple that have recently cropped up: Pilosa, software to enable real-time data analytics of really big data, based in Austin, TX. The problem: Data sets that are larger than 500 gigabytes are difficult to query. They typically have to be broken down … Continue reading “Startup Spotlight: Texas Innovations in Health IT, Big Data Analytics”
Former National Mental Health Chief Thomas Insel Leaving Verily
Thomas Insel, the former National Institute of Mental Health director, has left Verily Life Sciences after less than two years. With much fanfare but few details about his plans, Insel jumped in 2015 to South San Francisco-based Verily, formerly known as Google Life Sciences. In an announcement this morning, Verily said it would continue working on … Continue reading “Former National Mental Health Chief Thomas Insel Leaving Verily”
Edico Genome Raises $22M to Expand Data Processing and Web Services
San Diego’s Edico Genome, highlighted in Monday’s media debut of Dell Technologies Capital, said today it has raised $22 million in Series B financing led by the Dell investment arm. All existing investors, including Qualcomm Ventures, Axon Ventures, and biotech industry executive Greg Lucier, participated in the round. The new cash, which brings Edico’s total … Continue reading “Edico Genome Raises $22M to Expand Data Processing and Web Services”
Owl Labs Grabs $6M Led by Matrix, Teases Video Conferencing Device
Owl Labs, a Boston-based video conferencing startup that employs veterans of iRobot and HubSpot, announced today it has snagged a $6 million Series A funding round led by Matrix Partners. Founded in 2014, Owl Labs said it got seed funding from Playground Global Ventures and was the first company to work out of Playground’s Design Studio … Continue reading “Owl Labs Grabs $6M Led by Matrix, Teases Video Conferencing Device”
TX Roundup: New Funding, MD Anderson, Carolyn Rodz, 1PlanetSol, Dell
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —An Austin social venture company, 1PlanetSol, is among a group of ventures competing in the US Department of Energy’s Solar in Your Community challenge, which aims to bring solar energy to underserved communities. 1PlanetSol is partnering with Austin Habitat for Humanity and the Texas … Continue reading “TX Roundup: New Funding, MD Anderson, Carolyn Rodz, 1PlanetSol, Dell”
Evolving Empyr Unveils Way to Link Online Ads with Offline Sales
When Jon Carder talks about online consumer trends, he speaks with some experience. Beginning with eHeaven, an e-commerce website that he founded in 2000 as a student at San Diego’s Point Loma Nazarene University, Carder has ridden a series of enormous waves as consumers moved online to shop, search for home loans, and find businesses … Continue reading “Evolving Empyr Unveils Way to Link Online Ads with Offline Sales”
“Smart City” Startup Soofa Nabs $2.5M, Led by Underscore and Pillar
Should a bench be more than just a place to sit? For Soofa and its customers, the answer is yes. The Cambridge, MA-based startup makes solar-powered, sensor-equipped benches that double as charging stations for phones and other devices. These “smart” benches can also help municipalities and other partners measure the amount of activity in parks, … Continue reading ““Smart City” Startup Soofa Nabs $2.5M, Led by Underscore and Pillar”
Analysts Expect Payer Pushback as PTC Sets $35K Price For Duchenne Drug
[Updated, 5/9/17, 9:11 am. See below.] When Marathon Pharmaceuticals priced deflazacort (Emflaza), a steroid for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, at $89,000 per year, the prohibitive cost sparked such outrage that Marathon never launched the drug, but instead sold its rights to PTC Therapeutics. Since that time, South Plainfield, NJ-based PTC (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PTCT]]) has been planning its … Continue reading “Analysts Expect Payer Pushback as PTC Sets $35K Price For Duchenne Drug”
Kite CAR-T Death: An Unwelcome Mystery as FDA Mulls Approval
In a lengthy interview in January, Kite Pharma CEO Arie Belldegrun was adamant that his company’s experimental cell therapy was different from one competitor, Juno Therapeutics, because unlike with Juno, no Kite patient had died from cerebral edema, or massive swelling in the brain. Belldegrun can no longer make that claim. Kite (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KITE]]) reported … Continue reading “Kite CAR-T Death: An Unwelcome Mystery as FDA Mulls Approval”
Sonam Technologies Wants to Reduce Risk of Playground Brain Injuries
In the past few years, we’ve heard a lot about the dangers of traumatic brain injuries. While we usually hear about these injuries in the context of high-impact sports like football or boxing, traumatic brain injuries are also a risk for kids that fall off playground equipment. These kinds of accidents are more prevalent and … Continue reading “Sonam Technologies Wants to Reduce Risk of Playground Brain Injuries”
Dell Technologies Goes Public About $100M Venture Capital Arm
Austin—[Updated 5/9/17, 10:58 a.m. See below.] Dell Technologies is publicly unveiling a venture capital investment arm that has been quietly investing in startups since the operation was run by EMC, the data storage giant that Dell agreed to acquire for $67 billion in 2015. Called Dell Technologies Capital, the investment arm plans to provide funding to … Continue reading “Dell Technologies Goes Public About $100M Venture Capital Arm”
Nipple Replacement Startup NovoThelium Sweeps Pitch Competitions
San Antonio — For breast cancer and trauma patients who need surgery, reconstructing the nipple and areola is an important and difficult part of that procedure. From skin grafts and prosthetics to tattoos and 3-D cellular printing, the ways to rebuild that tissue are numerous, but they often come with drawbacks. The surgically repaired skin can … Continue reading “Nipple Replacement Startup NovoThelium Sweeps Pitch Competitions”
Audio Startup 60dB Upgrades Streaming App for Short Radio Stories
In the smartphone era, many music fans are abandoning downloads and even broadcast radio in favor of subscription-based streaming services. You can just press Play on Pandora, Spotify, or Apple Music and you’ll hear an endless stream of songs tailored to your interests. What’s strange, then, is that there’s no Pandora or Spotify for spoken-word … Continue reading “Audio Startup 60dB Upgrades Streaming App for Short Radio Stories”
With $145M Buyout, River Vision’s Plan For Stalled Roche Drug Pays Off
A bid by a group of investors to transform a stalled cancer drug into an eye disease treatment has paid off. Horizon Pharma this morning has acquired River Vision Development Corp., a New York entity formed to develop a therapy for an eye condition called Graves’ ophthalmopathy. Horizon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HZNP]]), an Ireland based firm, is … Continue reading “With $145M Buyout, River Vision’s Plan For Stalled Roche Drug Pays Off”
The Enterprise Bang! Moment
The increasing rate of technology advancement is decreasing the time enterprises have to react to competitive pressures brought about by those same advancements. A Bang! moment arrives when the incumbent can no longer react before they fail in the market. The specific timing is unknowable, but the outcome is assured. Carmen Reinhart and Ken Rogoff, … Continue reading “The Enterprise Bang! Moment”
New State Fund Helps Commercialize Early Tech from MI Universities
University technology transfer programs in Michigan now have a new pot of money to support their efforts, thanks to a fund supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The University Early Stage Proof of Concept Fund, also known as the Advance grant program, will help move research projects and technologies developed at Michigan universities from … Continue reading “New State Fund Helps Commercialize Early Tech from MI Universities”
Novartis’ Owen Wallace Joins Fulcrum Tx as Chief Scientific Officer
Owen Wallace is leaving Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]) to become chief scientific officer of Cambridge, MA-based Fulcrum Therapeutics. At Novartis, Wallace was head of the company’s global discovery chemistry division. His experience also includes positions at Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]). Fulcrum aims to treat treat genetic conditions by developing drugs that … Continue reading “Novartis’ Owen Wallace Joins Fulcrum Tx as Chief Scientific Officer”
Accera Appoints Judith Walker Chief Medical Officer
Accera, a clinical-stage biotech developing treatments for central nervous system disorders, has appointed Judith Walker to its chief medical officer position. Before joining Boulder, CO-based Accera, Walker was vice president of product development at QuintilesIMS (NYSE: [[ticker:Q]]), where her responsibilities included neurology and pain drugs. Walker’s experience also includes posts at Teva Pharmaceutical (NYSE: [[ticker:TEVA]]) … Continue reading “Accera Appoints Judith Walker Chief Medical Officer”
Week in Review: Apple, Microsoft A.I. Investments, ‘Reality Caucus’
Some 2,500 lightning strikes were recorded across Western Washington Thursday as powerful thunderstorms marched up the state, getting everyone’s attention and lighting up social media with beautiful photographs, such as the one below. In tech news this week, we’re tracking a new state-by-state jobs report from Apple, Microsoft Ventures’ latest A.I. investments, Seattle’s new broadband … Continue reading “Week in Review: Apple, Microsoft A.I. Investments, ‘Reality Caucus’”
Maker of Keyboard for Lawyers Eyes Resale Agreement, Second Product
A 2010 study on computer ergonomics by researchers at DePaul University found that selecting menu items using keyboard shortcuts was more efficient than doing so with a mouse. However, many organizations routinely erase some of the short-term memory stored on their employees’ computers. For these workers, adding custom “hot key” shortcuts is essentially futile because they … Continue reading “Maker of Keyboard for Lawyers Eyes Resale Agreement, Second Product”
2017 Weill Cornell Medicine Dean’s Entrepreneurship Lab $50K Biomedical Business Plan Challenge
Watch entrepreneurial scientists pitch their business plans at the inaugural Weill Cornell Medicine Dean’s Entrepreneurship Lab Biomedical Business Plan Challenge! Teams will compete for $50,000 in cash prizes and $35,000 in legal services from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Awards presented by Dr. Lewis C. Cantley, Meyer Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer … Continue reading “2017 Weill Cornell Medicine Dean’s Entrepreneurship Lab $50K Biomedical Business Plan Challenge”
Silicon Valley’s Big Three Grapple With Responsibilities Of Growth
A common goal of tech startups is a Silicon Valley mantra: Change the world. Apple, Google, and Facebook have done so—possibly more than any other upstart companies in recent U.S. history. These now-mature businesses are grappling with how their world-changing ventures have broadly affected the economy and communications. And in the prevailing populist mood, the … Continue reading “Silicon Valley’s Big Three Grapple With Responsibilities Of Growth”
VenBio Settles Immunomedics Litigation, SeaGen Nixes Cancer Drug Deal
A venBio campaign against a drug licensing deal between Immunomedics and Seattle Genetics has unwound the pact altogether. Three months after dealing for rights to an experimental breast cancer therapy from Immunomedics, SeaGen is now walking away due to delays and litigation that venBio, a biotech investment firm, brought against both parties. Meanwhile, Immunomedics (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “VenBio Settles Immunomedics Litigation, SeaGen Nixes Cancer Drug Deal”
Five Questions For … Carolyn Rodz, Founder of the Circular Board
Houston—As a child, Carolyn Rodz couldn’t decide what she wanted to do when she grew up. Doctor, lawyer, teacher: they each appealed to her. Rodz finally figured out the common thread among all of her interests—a desire to help others. “I’m an idealist,” she says. “I truly believe there is a solution to everything, and … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Carolyn Rodz, Founder of the Circular Board”
Bio Roundup: NIH Precision Boost, AHCA to Senate, New Drugs & More
Two dramatic healthcare stories played out this week. First, to the jubilation of the nation’s science community, Congress proposed to boost National Institutes of Health funding, not slash it as the Trump administration had outlined. Then the patchwork revival of the GOP’s healthcare plan, despite being panned by nearly every major medical group in the … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: NIH Precision Boost, AHCA to Senate, New Drugs & More”
Announcing Xconomy Impact, June 22: Here’s What It’s About
This summer, we are convening some of the biggest names in technology and innovation to talk about how they plan to make a real impact on society. This is Xconomy Boston’s ninth annual tech conference in June, and it’s one of our top events of the year. This year’s conference is called Impact, and it’s … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Impact, June 22: Here’s What It’s About”
TechPoint’s Mira Awards: MOBI Wins Company of the Year
TechPoint, the organization dedicated to growing Indiana’s tech ecosystem, held its annual Mira Awards gala in front of a packed house on Saturday. Meant to recognize the success and innovation of the state’s tech companies, entrepreneurs, educators, and other leaders, the Miras have been awarded for the past 18 years. From the 180 nominating applications … Continue reading “TechPoint’s Mira Awards: MOBI Wins Company of the Year”
Boston Tech Watch: Polaris, NuTonomy, Techstars, The Engine & More
It’s time to catch up on the latest headlines from the Boston-area tech community: —Polaris Partners said it closed a $435 million fund, the firm’s eighth. Polaris invests in technology and healthcare ventures. —Delphi, Optimus Ride, and Navya have contacted Massachusetts officials about potentially testing autonomous vehicles on state roads, according to a report from … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Polaris, NuTonomy, Techstars, The Engine & More”