San Antonio — George Perry, a scientist at the University of Texas at San Antonio, has long proposed that drug developers and researchers need to look earlier into the roots of Alzheimer’s disease. Over more than two decades, Perry has studied the possibility that diseases like Alzheimer’s may get their start because the body produces too … Continue reading “Phoenix Shops Its Cancer Drug as Potential Alzheimer’s Treatment”
“Our Son’s Fate”: Parents Fighting for Kids’ Spine Drug Eye New Data
Melissa Marotta pulled no punches to get her three-year-old son C.J., who has the genetic disease spinal muscular atrophy, access to nusinersen (Spinraza), the first approved drug for his condition. For months, she couldn’t schedule a treatment date at Columbia University Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, and for much of that time, she … Continue reading ““Our Son’s Fate”: Parents Fighting for Kids’ Spine Drug Eye New Data”
Small Cells & 5G: Using Tech To Create a Smart City Future for Texas
Starting today, the Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA) will host a two-day conference called “Igniting a Smart Texas Revolution.” The event will focus on the emerging area of smart cities, which as defined by industry expert and Fast Company contributor Boyd Cohen is “a broad, integrated approach to improving the efficiency of city operations, the quality of life for its citizens, … Continue reading “Small Cells & 5G: Using Tech To Create a Smart City Future for Texas”
Trump Executive Order Adds Uncertainty to Tech Visa Program
Is the U.S. high-skilled visa program, known as H-1B, an essential contributor to the innovation economy or a way for companies to replace American IT workers with immigrants at lower salaries? It’s a debate as old as the program itself, which began in 1990. The Trump administration on Tuesday joined the fray with a long-anticipated … Continue reading “Trump Executive Order Adds Uncertainty to Tech Visa Program”
Are You A Great Marketing Specialist? Xconomy is Hiring
In the past 10 years, Xconomy has grown from a single bureau in Boston to having an editorial presence in 11 innovation clusters across the country. We now hold around 60 events each year, from intimate private dinners to full-day conferences. And we are expanding into podcasting, webinars, special reports, and a host of other … Continue reading “Are You A Great Marketing Specialist? Xconomy is Hiring”
Positive Business Conference
Hosted by the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, the theme of this year’s event is Positive Leadership: Practices & Inspiration, and its purpose is to “spread knowledge and foster a community of leaders to make the world of work a better place.” The conference also features speakers, panel discussions, and networking. For details, … Continue reading “Positive Business Conference”
Desai Accelerator Demo Day
The University of Michigan’s Desai Accelerator demo day features startups from its most recent cohort pitching investors for capital. Presenting companies include Warmilu, ScoutDay, Foodstand, Circadian Risk, and SAHI Cosmetics. For more information, click here.
Verily’s Baseline: Homemade Wearable and Limited Data Sharing
After three years of planning, a long-range health study from the biotech group at the former Google has begun. Verily, the life sciences arm of Google’s parent company Alphabet, is funding what’s being called the “Baseline” study, which aims to collect extensive health data from at least 10,000 participants across four years. The idea is … Continue reading “Verily’s Baseline: Homemade Wearable and Limited Data Sharing”
Freebird Snatches $5M to Help Business Travelers Take Flight
One of the newer players in the Boston area’s travel technology sector is fueling its tank with $5 million from investors. The new funding for Cambridge, MA-based Freebird comes from General Catalyst Partners, Accomplice, and entrepreneurs and executives from the travel industry. General Catalyst and Accomplice also led Freebird’s first round of funding, which totaled … Continue reading “Freebird Snatches $5M to Help Business Travelers Take Flight”
The Xconomy Roadmap: Top 15 Innovation Areas to Watch (and Disrupt)
It is a time of great transitions in the technology and business world. Key advances in areas like machine intelligence, agriculture, and healthcare seem poised to transform society—and everyday life. But it can be hard to keep up with the latest news in fields as disparate as cybersecurity, food tech, and cancer therapeutics—let alone understand … Continue reading “The Xconomy Roadmap: Top 15 Innovation Areas to Watch (and Disrupt)”
A.I. Startup Atomwise Has a Deal for Researchers Hunting for New Drugs
[Updated 4/20/17 10:27 am. See below.] Artificial intelligence company Atomwise is offering a shortcut for as many as 100 university scientists who are searching for new drugs to fight disease. The San Francisco-based startup, which uses deep learning algorithms to ferret out drug candidates by sifting through masses of data, wants to send each researcher 72 … Continue reading “A.I. Startup Atomwise Has a Deal for Researchers Hunting for New Drugs”
TX Roundup: New Money for Austin Startups, TMC, Lean DNA, & More
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. Even though venture investment in Austin dipped in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2016, this week brought news of several funding announcements for startups in enterprise software, data analytics, and other fields. —Austin blockchain software … Continue reading “TX Roundup: New Money for Austin Startups, TMC, Lean DNA, & More”
Want to Communicate Your Science? First, Step Back
Think for a moment about the words and phrases that life science researchers and executives use on a daily basis. I’m talking about the seemingly simple phrases like “investigational drug,” “novel target,” “immunotherapy,” “clinical trial,” “in vitro,” and “therapeutic window.” There are hundreds more. Those of us who work in life sciences are comfortable with … Continue reading “Want to Communicate Your Science? First, Step Back”
Angie’s List Co-Founder Talks Diversity and Building Tech Ecosystems
It’s a bit ironic that Angie Hicks, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Indianapolis-based Angie’s List, didn’t originally plan to be an entrepreneur. Before she helped found the business-listings company 22 years ago, she was an intern at a venture capital firm with plans of becoming a consultant because, she says, that’s what economics majors … Continue reading “Angie’s List Co-Founder Talks Diversity and Building Tech Ecosystems”
Approved Opens for Business with $1M and Digital Mortgage Platform
Following a six-month trial of its digital mortgage platform, San Diego-based Approved has officially launched its Web-based software for home loan applications. In a recent statement, the 20-month-old startup also said it has raised $1 million in what co-founder and CEO Andy Taylor calls a “pre-seed round.” “Our goal is to create a platform [for … Continue reading “Approved Opens for Business with $1M and Digital Mortgage Platform”
Ex-Dendreon CEO, Gold, Returns to Wall Street as Alpine, Nivalis Merge
Mitch Gold, the controversial executive who oversaw the rise of now-defunct cancer immunotherapy pioneer Dendreon, is about to head back to Wall Street. Gold’s latest startup, Seattle cancer and autoimmune drug developer Alpine Immune Sciences, has struck a deal to go public by reverse merging with struggling Nivalis Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NVLS]]). Nivalis, of Boulder, CO, … Continue reading “Ex-Dendreon CEO, Gold, Returns to Wall Street as Alpine, Nivalis Merge”
Monthly Handbag Service Among 5 Startups in Latest Gener8tor Class
The list of products that businesses are now shipping to customers on a periodic basis as part of a subscription service seems to be getting longer all the time. Consumers can sign up to receive a monthly supply of makeup, wine and cheese pairings, and even cat litter, just to name a few examples. Add Ivory … Continue reading “Monthly Handbag Service Among 5 Startups in Latest Gener8tor Class”
Factom, Blockchain-Based Records Startup, Adds to Series A Funding
Austin—Factom, an Austin, TX-based company that uses blockchain technology to secure and verify data such as public records and business documents, nearly doubled its Series A funding round to more than $8 million. Factom, founded in 2015, announced it had raised a $4.2 million Series A funding in October, led by Tim Draper, the noted … Continue reading “Factom, Blockchain-Based Records Startup, Adds to Series A Funding”
MIT Entrepreneurship Guru Bill Aulet Coming to IN on April 27 and 28!
Xconomy is partnering with two great organizations to bring Bill Aulet, managing director of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship and senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, to Indiana to share his knowledge about starting new enterprises. First up for Aulet is an afternoon meetup at Launch Fishers on Thursday, April … Continue reading “MIT Entrepreneurship Guru Bill Aulet Coming to IN on April 27 and 28!”
Juno Therapeutics Appoints Sunil Agarwal President of R&D
Sunil Agarwal has been appointed president of research and development for Seattle-based cancer immunotherapy company Juno Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JUNO]]), which has fallen behind its rivals in the race to produce the first commercial T cell therapy known as CAR-T. Before joining Juno, Agarwal was chief medical officer of Novato, CA-based Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RARE]]). His … Continue reading “Juno Therapeutics Appoints Sunil Agarwal President of R&D”
Epic, UW Spinoffs, CDI, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community, starting with these recent headlines: —The Capital Times published a lengthy profile of Judy Faulkner, founder and CEO of Verona-based Epic Systems. Epic develops software that healthcare organizations use to do everything from scheduling appointments to documenting information on patients in clinical settings to tracking the charges … Continue reading “Epic, UW Spinoffs, CDI, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Cancer Drugmaker G1 Therapeutics Makes IPO Pitch To Wall Street
Pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Novartis were first to gain regulatory approval with drugs that block a pair of enzymes important to tumor growth in breast cancer. Clinical-stage biotech G1 Therapeutics has a different approach to those same enzymes and will ask investors in the public markets to get on board. Research Triangle Park, NC-based G1 … Continue reading “Cancer Drugmaker G1 Therapeutics Makes IPO Pitch To Wall Street”
OPS Solutions Scores More Funding from Michigan Capital Advisors
OPS Solutions, the Wixom, MI-based startup working on augmented reality technologies for manufacturers, has scored additional funding from lead investor Michigan Capital Advisors (MCA), a private equity firm focused on the automotive industry and transportation-related technologies. Earlier this month, MCA inked a deal to again invest in OPS, the maker of Light Guide Systems (LGS), … Continue reading “OPS Solutions Scores More Funding from Michigan Capital Advisors”
Under New CEO, Rowheels Considers Selling More Than Just Wheels
[Corrected 4/19/17 4:18 pm. See below.] After nearly five years in business, Rowheels, a Fitchburg, WI-based maker of special wheels for wheelchairs, is expanding its team and products. [This paragraph has been updated to correctly state the amount of time Rowheels has been in business. We regret the error.] The company sells wheels that allow people in wheelchairs … Continue reading “Under New CEO, Rowheels Considers Selling More Than Just Wheels”
Former Flextronics, Tesla CEO Aims to Disrupt Construction Industry
A startup construction firm, Katerra, has building projects in the works all over Northern California, but it has remained quiet until now about its unusual high-tech methods and its backing from finance, real estate, and technology heavyweights. Katerra, a two-year-old company that says its technology platform brings the efficiency of electronics manufacturing to construction projects, … Continue reading “Former Flextronics, Tesla CEO Aims to Disrupt Construction Industry”
TakeLessons CEO Discusses Chromatik Buyout, Why it’s a Good Fit
San Diego-based TakeLessons set out nine years ago to create a Web-based platform that helped match music students with qualified instructors. Since then, TakeLessons has raised a total of $20 million in venture capital, and expanded into new markets and services. The company’s last VC round in early 2014 raised $7 million. TakeLessons also acquired … Continue reading “TakeLessons CEO Discusses Chromatik Buyout, Why it’s a Good Fit”
Five Questions For … Allison Lami Sawyer, Rebellion Photonics’s CEO
Houston—As a woman who is a scientist and co-founder of Rebellion Photonics, an oil-and-gas related startup, Allison Lami Sawyer is used to plowing a different road. She’s also tired of being one of the few women on it. “Where is the pipeline of women behind me?” she said to me last fall following the first … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Allison Lami Sawyer, Rebellion Photonics’s CEO”
Procrastinators’ Special! Save on 4/19 Human Impact of Innovation
Join Xconomy this Wednesday, April 19, at our “Forum on the Human Impact of Innovation.” We’re hosting an afternoon of insightful presentations and candid chats about some innovations that are making the biggest impact on human lives. Don’t wait to register—our “Procrastinator’s Special” ends today, and it’s your last chance to save on tickets. We … Continue reading “Procrastinators’ Special! Save on 4/19 Human Impact of Innovation”
Seattle Week in Review: ShakeAlert, Rattle, Easter Egg Roll
Easter Sunday looks to be one of the nicest weather days in Seattle since I’m not sure when. The water year that began in October now ranks as the fourth-wettest in recorded Seattle history, with nearly 43 inches of rain as of Thursday. Enjoy the sun. But first, check out our review of local tech … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: ShakeAlert, Rattle, Easter Egg Roll”
FDA Nixes Lilly, Incyte RA Drug, Seeks More Dosing and Safety Data
[Updated 4/14/17, 2:51 pm. See below.] In a surprise decision, the FDA has declined to approve an experimental rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment from Eli Lilly and Incyte, dealing a setback to a drug that is already approved in Europe and was expected to pass muster with U.S. regulators. Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) and Incyte (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “FDA Nixes Lilly, Incyte RA Drug, Seeks More Dosing and Safety Data”
Why Bots Aren’t the Real AI Disruption: The Quiet Rise of Headless AI
Editor’s note: This piece was originally posted on Textio’s company blog. “Hey Siri, how’s the weather today?” “OK Google, remind me to pay the power bill.” “Alexa, tell me a joke!” Bots are eating the world. Whether you are an enterprising app developer building the essential software to bring a virtual Taylor Swift into your … Continue reading “Why Bots Aren’t the Real AI Disruption: The Quiet Rise of Headless AI”
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Appeal, Bristol Deals, Stock Pumping & More
It may have been a short holiday week, but there was plenty of news on the CRISPR front. In the ongoing battle for rights to the landmark gene editing technology, the faction led by the University of California appealed the U.S. decision in favor of the Broad Institute. Elsewhere, Bristol-Myers Squibb flipped assets, a top … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Appeal, Bristol Deals, Stock Pumping & More”
Plymouth Growth Partners Snags MIRA Award for Investor of the Year
A few years ago, when Ann Arbor, MI-based Plymouth Growth Partners was searching for new places to invest the $61 million in its third venture fund, the firm decided to look outside the Great Lakes State. “We were pretty heavily invested in Chicago and Michigan already,” recalls Jeff Barry, a partner at the firm formerly … Continue reading “Plymouth Growth Partners Snags MIRA Award for Investor of the Year”
Boston Tech Watch: The Engine, E Ink, GE, OM1, Mobiquity & More
It’s time to catch up on some recent Boston tech headlines: —The Engine, a new startup accelerator program and investment fund launched by MIT, has raised more than $150 million for its first venture fund. MIT committed $25 million, and the rest of the capital came from a mix of pension funds, endowments, wealthy individuals, … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: The Engine, E Ink, GE, OM1, Mobiquity & More”
Zoetis Builds on Biologics Pipeline with $85M Nexvet Acquisition
Zoetis announced on Thursday that it is acquiring Ireland-based Nexvet Biopharma in an $85 million deal that will bring new biologic drug candidates to the global animal health company. Parsippany, NJ-based Zoetis (NYSE: [[ticker:ZTS]]) will pay $6.72 per share to acquire Nexvet (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NVET]]), a price that represents a 66 percent premium over Nexvet’s closing … Continue reading “Zoetis Builds on Biologics Pipeline with $85M Nexvet Acquisition”
TX Roundup: RetailMeNot, Gaurav Khandelwal, Zilliant, Xbiotech & More
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Consortia Health, which provides physician groups with equipment and nurses to help patients with pelvic floor exercises known as kegels, has raised $2 million in funding, says Gail Page, the Austin-based company’s co-founder and executive chair. Investors include Ponil Ventures in Austin, as well … Continue reading “TX Roundup: RetailMeNot, Gaurav Khandelwal, Zilliant, Xbiotech & More”
Boston Firms Demo New Robots & Evolving Human-Machine Relationships
[Updated 4/17/17, 11:20 am. See below.] The breadth of New England’s robotics sector was on display Wednesday night at an event in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood, where startups showed off technologies for human transportation, schlepping products around warehouses and factories, underwater exploration, sweeping floors, and more. The showcase was part of the monthly Mass Innovation Nights … Continue reading “Boston Firms Demo New Robots & Evolving Human-Machine Relationships”
Tocagen IPO Raises $85M to Test Gene Therapy in Brain Cancer Trials
Tocagen raised $85 million in its stock market debut today, and underwriters saw enough demand to increase the number of shares in the initial public offering. Tocagen has been developing a gene therapy treatment for a deadly type of brain cancer. San Diego-based Tocagen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TOCA]]) priced its offering of 8.5 million shares at $10 … Continue reading “Tocagen IPO Raises $85M to Test Gene Therapy in Brain Cancer Trials”
New NW-Focused Tech VC Firm Flies Under the Radar
A group of Seattle-area angel investors is organizing a new tech-focused early stage venture capital fund. Flying Fish Partners is described on its co-founders’ LinkedIn pages as an “early stage software technology investment firm investing in the Pacific Northwest.” Those co-founders include Heather Redman, a technology executive already active as an angel investor and supporter … Continue reading “New NW-Focused Tech VC Firm Flies Under the Radar”
Texas Medical Center Names McKeon as New CEO to Replace Robbins
Houston—The Texas Medical Center announced Thursday that Bill McKeon will become its president and CEO, replacing Bobby Robbins. McKeon had been the TMC’s executive vice president and chief strategy and operating officer under Robbins, who last month was named the president of the University of Arizona. “Bill McKeon is a seasoned executive who has served … Continue reading “Texas Medical Center Names McKeon as New CEO to Replace Robbins”
On Tap For “What’s Hot” on May 11: Opioid Crisis, Immigration & More
We’re just a month away from Xconomy’s latest biotech bash in Boston, so it’s time to dish some details on the program. For “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech” on May 11 at Biogen’s headquarters in Cambridge, MA, we’re focusing on the big issues in life sciences—both in Boston and across the country. The opioid epidemic, … Continue reading “On Tap For “What’s Hot” on May 11: Opioid Crisis, Immigration & More”
Bristol Flips Remnants of Adnexus, iPierian to Roche, Biogen For $470M
Priorities change over time for drugmakers, as evidenced today by Bristol-Myers Squibb. The company announced two separate deals for experimental drugs that no longer fit its strategy—both of which were remnants of old acquisitions and a past plan to zero in on genetic diseases. In one deal, Bristol (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) has sent Biogen (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]), of … Continue reading “Bristol Flips Remnants of Adnexus, iPierian to Roche, Biogen For $470M”
AVX Partners Makes Fourth Growth Investment, in Canada’s Tasktop
Austin—AVX Partners, the small growth-stage venture firm that sprouted from Austin Ventures in 2015, has made its fourth investment: in Tasktop, a Vancouver, BC-based software maker. Tasktop is getting $11.6 million in new funding in a round led by AVX, which contributed $8 million. Filling out the round were Austin Ventures and Vancouver-based Yaletown Partners, which … Continue reading “AVX Partners Makes Fourth Growth Investment, in Canada’s Tasktop”
Lyndra’s Long-Acting Drug Delivery Technology Lands $23M Investment
One of the challenges in drug development is making formulations that have a long-lasting therapeutic effect. Implantable products that release a drug slowly over time offer one way to deliver medication for longer than a day, but such long-acting effects have been more difficult to achieve with pills. Drug delivery startup Lyndra has developed technology … Continue reading “Lyndra’s Long-Acting Drug Delivery Technology Lands $23M Investment”
FoodTechWrap: Robots Delivering Meals, Making Custom Salads in SF
Food—it’s messy. It spoils. We don’t have time to cook it. We can’t live without it. These problems are catnip for hopeful tech startups looking for a business niche. Here’s a fast wrap-up on food tech companies and what they’re serving up lately in the Bay Area. —Marble set loose its first fleet of restaurant … Continue reading “FoodTechWrap: Robots Delivering Meals, Making Custom Salads in SF”
Roundup: GreenLight Winners, Develop the Mitten, WaitTime & More
Here’s a look at innovation news from across Michigan: —Thanks in part to a $450,000 performance-based grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund, Huntington Bank announced it will invest $5.4 million in a downtown Flint expansion. The company plans to renovate its call center at the former regional headquarters of FirstMerit, which the bank acquired last year, and … Continue reading “Roundup: GreenLight Winners, Develop the Mitten, WaitTime & More”
The Human Impact of Machine Learning in Medical Diagnostics & More
In January, UC San Diego announced that a group of scientists had succeeded in training a computer to tell the difference between a person with a “healthy” intestine from someone with inflammatory bowel disease by analyzing the genetic makeup of the microbes in their gut. Less than two weeks later, scientists at Stanford University said … Continue reading “The Human Impact of Machine Learning in Medical Diagnostics & More”
Cinch, at Nexus of Fintech and A.I., Wants to Be Your Personal CFO
For most of Sean Collins’s 35 years in the financial services industry, his work has “made large corporations richer,” he says. He’s proud of that work. But he’s excited that now, as co-founder and CEO of Boston startup Cinch Financial, he’s building technology that aims to help regular people manage their money and gain stronger … Continue reading “Cinch, at Nexus of Fintech and A.I., Wants to Be Your Personal CFO”
Full Harvest Raises $2M to Make Ugly Fruit and Veggies Valuable
Consumers take it for granted, but the fruits and vegetables they see in grocery stores are the best of the lot. Tons of perfectly edible produce doesn’t make it to stores and is instead thrown away each season simply because the items are unappealing to the eye. Agtech startup Full Harvest wants to cut down … Continue reading “Full Harvest Raises $2M to Make Ugly Fruit and Veggies Valuable”
Third Fund Under State Program Gets $6M, To Be Based in Southern WI
A program supported in part by the state of Wisconsin that’s aimed at helping startups raise venture capital said it invested $6 million in a new fund based in the southern part of the state. The new fund is the third launched in the past year under the program, which is known as the Badger … Continue reading “Third Fund Under State Program Gets $6M, To Be Based in Southern WI”