Here’s a look at tech and innovation news from around Indiana: —The University of Indianapolis today announced the biggest grant in its history, and it’s designed to close STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) workforce gaps. This week, UIndy announced that it will launch the R.B. Annis School of Engineering thanks to a $5 million … Continue reading “Roundup: UIndy, Aprimo, STEM initiatives, IBRI at Notre Dame & More”
Esports Startup Cayke Wins Audience Vote at EvoNexus Demo Day
Cayke, a San Diego startup that has developed video editing software to automate the process of creating GIFs and highlight clips from long-running video game streams, was the top vote-getter of seven startups that presented at the EvoNexus Spring Demo Day. Karan Wadhera, Cayke co-founder and CEO, told several hundred attendees at the event last … Continue reading “Esports Startup Cayke Wins Audience Vote at EvoNexus Demo Day”
SutroVax Lands $64M From Roche, Others to Back Vaccine Studies
Vaccines may be available for pneumococcal infections, but none of them, including the widely used Prevnar 13, can cover all strains. SutroVax is one of the startups trying to solve that problem, and today raised $64 million to test its approach in humans. New investors Frazier Healthcare Partners and Pivotal bioVenture Partners led the Series … Continue reading “SutroVax Lands $64M From Roche, Others to Back Vaccine Studies”
Xconomy’s EXOME Presents: New York Biotech Seizes the Momentum
For New York biotech, the future is now. City and state governments have heard the call and committed $1.15 billion to the life sciences scene—and vowed to bring more lab space online to start and grow local companies. A growing number of biotech incubators are popping up. Venture firms are on the ground scouting universities … Continue reading “Xconomy’s EXOME Presents: New York Biotech Seizes the Momentum”
Join Varmus, Foley & More at NY Biotech Seizes the Momentum on May 31
It’s not an understatement to say 2017 is a crucial year for the growth of the life sciences industry in New York. This past year, city and state governments agreed to put $1.15 billion into the sector in the Empire State. It was part of a sprawling plan to bring lab space online, nurture local … Continue reading “Join Varmus, Foley & More at NY Biotech Seizes the Momentum on May 31”
Grab Your Ticket for Robo Madness 2017— A.I. Gets Real on March 28th
There’s no doubt robotics and artificial intelligence will become an even bigger part of our daily lives in the next few years. In one week, Xconomy is bringing together Boston’s top entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators to discuss future opportunities in these industries. Join us next Tuesday, March 28, at Google in Cambridge, MA, to take … Continue reading “Grab Your Ticket for Robo Madness 2017— A.I. Gets Real on March 28th”
Murata Pays $68M for Arctic Sand, to Combine with Peregrine Semi
Japan’s Murata Manufacturing has acquired Arctic Sand Technologies of Burlington, MA, and plans to combine Arctic Sand’s low-power semiconductor technology with its San Diego-based subsidiary, Peregrine Semiconductor. The purchase price was $68 million, according to a Peregrine spokeswoman. Arctic Sand, an MIT spinout founded in 2010, has developed semiconductor technology that consolidates a number of … Continue reading “Murata Pays $68M for Arctic Sand, to Combine with Peregrine Semi”
Biogen Appoints Ghosh Senior VP for Research & Early Development
Anirvan Ghosh will become Biogen’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) new senior vice president for research and early development. Ghosh joins Cambridge, MA-based Biogen from E-Scape Bio, where he was the San Francisco biotech’s chief scientific officer. His experience also includes a senior position at Roche, as well as academic posts at Johns Hopkins University and the University … Continue reading “Biogen Appoints Ghosh Senior VP for Research & Early Development”
United Neuroscience Names Ajay Verma Chief Medical Officer
Alzheimer’s disease drug developer United Neuroscience has named Ajay Verma the company’s new chief medical officer. Verma comes to New York-based United Neuroscience from Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]), where his work included overseeing early clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease drug candidates. Before Biogen, Verma held positions at Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) and Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]). Verma’s appointment … Continue reading “United Neuroscience Names Ajay Verma Chief Medical Officer”
Why Austin Tech Entrepreneur Joseph Kopser Might Run For Congress
Austin—Republicans have controlled Texas politics for so long that “we no longer have the good competition of ideas,” says Austin entrepreneur Joseph Kopser. That’s why he says he’s considering becoming a Democratic challenger to incumbent Texas Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, in the 2018 elections. Kopser, who founded and sold his startup, RideScout, to Mercedes-Benz maker … Continue reading “Why Austin Tech Entrepreneur Joseph Kopser Might Run For Congress”
Tech Exec Ahmed Rubaie on Trump’s Travel Ban and Silicon Valley
In late January, when President Donald Trump’s first executive order banning all refugees and travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries was announced, Ahmed Rubaie’s mother-in-law was out of the country visiting Jordan. Although his mother-in-law is a green card holder, and Jordan wasn’t included in the ban, Rubaie’s wife was beside herself. She began making frantic … Continue reading “Tech Exec Ahmed Rubaie on Trump’s Travel Ban and Silicon Valley”
Boston Tech Watch: DraftKings, Nantero, WordStream, Tinyhood & More
[Updated 3/20/17, 5:45 p.m. See below.] If you’re sick of staring at the sea of red in your March Madness bracket, take a break with the latest headlines in Boston-area tech. This week, we’ve got a lot of funding news—including an update on the recent mega-round from DraftKings—plus a few other notable tidbits. Read on … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: DraftKings, Nantero, WordStream, Tinyhood & More”
Waving White Flag, Cerulean Merges With Dare Bio, Sells Cancer Drugs
Cerulean Pharma may have been able to survive one brush with death, but the second has proven fatal. Today, the Waltham, MA, company announced plans to merge with a privately held women’s health company, Dare Bioscience, and sell off, for a pittance, the cancer drugs that were once its prized assets. Under the terms of … Continue reading “Waving White Flag, Cerulean Merges With Dare Bio, Sells Cancer Drugs”
No Pain, No High: Nektar’s Opioid Drug Hits Trial Goals, Lifts Shares
An experimental opioid drug from Nektar Therapeutics now has clinical trial results showing that it can relieve pain without causing a high. The news may offer a potential alternative to the addictive qualities of prescription painkillers that are fueling a nationwide opioid epidemic. Nektar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NKTR]]) released the Phase 3 clinical trial results today and … Continue reading “No Pain, No High: Nektar’s Opioid Drug Hits Trial Goals, Lifts Shares”
Aetion’s Medical Evidence Software Scores $11M in Funding
As healthcare payment models change in ways that link the reimbursement of care to patient outcome, clinicians, drug companies, and medical device makers are all looking for ways to quantify those outcomes. Health IT startup Aetion has developed software that it says can provide this insight, and the company now has $11 million in capital … Continue reading “Aetion’s Medical Evidence Software Scores $11M in Funding”
First Trial Underway, CytomX Gets $200M More In Expanded Bristol Pact
It’s tough to stand out in the cancer immunotherapy crowd, where a slew of companies are testing a variety of drug combinations and new methods to help boost responses to existing treatments. But CytomX Therapeutics has clearly gotten the attention of one of the field’s major players, Bristol-Myers Squibb, which has just re-upped and expanded … Continue reading “First Trial Underway, CytomX Gets $200M More In Expanded Bristol Pact”
Wrapify Q&A: Adhesive Giant Puts $3M in Car Advertising Schtick
After the adhesive products maker Avery Dennison (NYSE: [[ticker:AVY]]) recently made a $3 million investment in San Diego-based Wrapify, we tracked down Wrapify CEO James Heller, and stuck him with a few questions about the deal. Heller founded Wrapify in early 2015 with the idea of creating a business that would pay motorists to wrap … Continue reading “Wrapify Q&A: Adhesive Giant Puts $3M in Car Advertising Schtick”
Scanalytics Receives Loan From WEDC, Eyes Series A Later This Year
Scanalytics, a Milwaukee-based startup that creates hardware and software to help customers track the movement of people through physical spaces, says it has received a $200,000 loan from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. The loan, which WEDC provided under its Technology Development Loan Program, is part of a $1 million-plus funding round that Scanalytics recently … Continue reading “Scanalytics Receives Loan From WEDC, Eyes Series A Later This Year”
Seattle Week in Review: Budget Cuts, Health IT, Alexa on iOS & More
It was a full week with Pi Day, the Ides of March, and St. Patrick’s Day. Tech was busy, too. We’re reviewing the potential impact of the Trump administration’s proposed budget; a Boeing executive tapped for deputy defense secretary; healthcare IT doings at Accolade and Limeade; PACCAR’s work on self-driving trucks with Nvidia; Alexa’s move … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Budget Cuts, Health IT, Alexa on iOS & More”
MD Anderson’s Hicks Named Interim President After DePinho Resignation
[Updated 3/17/17 5:32 pm. See below.] Houston—The University of Texas System has named Marshall Hicks the interim president of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, according to a memo to employees obtained by Xconomy. Hicks, whose appointment is official March 21, replaces Ronald DePinho, who resigned earlier this month. [Updated with comment from MD Anderson.] MD Anderson said … Continue reading “MD Anderson’s Hicks Named Interim President After DePinho Resignation”
Talking Driverless Cars, March Madness on Stocks and Jocks Radio
I hit the airwaves Friday morning to talk venture capital, startups, self-driving cars, and March Madness. Stocks and Jocks, a Chicago-based weekday business and sports talk radio program, invited me on the show to share my thoughts on some of the latest trends in the startup world. Hosts Tom Haugh and Kathy Dervin bantered with … Continue reading “Talking Driverless Cars, March Madness on Stocks and Jocks Radio”
Five Questions For … San Antonio Entrepreneur & Investor Morris Miller
San Antonio—Entrepreneurship has been a constant theme in Morris Miller’s life. That arc stretches from his grandparents’ businesses in key cutting and dry goods to Miller’s success as a co-founder of San Antonio cloud computing giant Rackspace, which sold to New York private equity firm Apollo Global Management for $4.3 billion. Along the way, he … Continue reading “Five Questions For … San Antonio Entrepreneur & Investor Morris Miller”
With New Data, Amgen Promises Refund If Cholesterol Drug Doesn’t Work
Stung by slow sales of its next-generation anti-cholesterol drug, Amgen hopes new clinical data, released this morning, will spur doctors to boost prescriptions and—perhaps more important—drive insurers to loosen their restrictions. The data, from a massive study of more than 27,000 patients, come at a time when drug and healthcare prices are a top U.S. … Continue reading “With New Data, Amgen Promises Refund If Cholesterol Drug Doesn’t Work”
Bio Roundup: Trump Budget, FDA Chief, CAR-T Qs, CRISPR Cash, & More
If it wasn’t clear that the Trump administration disdained most types of scientific inquiry and practice, the White House’s proposed budget drove the point home. The top-line figures: a nearly 20 percent cut in the National Institutes of Health, and a 30 percent cut in the Environmental Protection Agency. These and other cuts to programs … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump Budget, FDA Chief, CAR-T Qs, CRISPR Cash, & More”
Doing “Defense the Silicon Valley Way” Pays for Daylight Solutions
Startups that develop advanced military technologies often never come to light. But San Diego’s Daylight Solutions has managed to openly thrive in two very different markets. The company has advanced its specialized solid-state laser technology for customers in both the defense industry and commercial sector. Paul Larson, who co-founded Daylight Solutions with CEO Tim Day … Continue reading “Doing “Defense the Silicon Valley Way” Pays for Daylight Solutions”
Tech in the Trump Era: Regulating Privacy, Immigration, Ethics
Austin—From personal privacy to managing the technology that one day could take our jobs, finding the right approach to regulating technology is a more prominent subject now than seemingly ever, especially given the steady stream of proposals being pushed by the new White House administration. Those speaking at South by Southwest over the last week … Continue reading “Tech in the Trump Era: Regulating Privacy, Immigration, Ethics”
Facing ‘Headwinds,’ Connecture Raises Another $17.5M From PE Firms
The uncertainty surrounding the Affordable Care Act and the private, state, and federal health insurance marketplaces launched following the law’s passage has created “market headwinds” for the Brookfield, WI-based software developer Connecture, the company’s CEO said earlier this week. Connecture (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNXR]]), which sells Web-based software designed to aid consumers shopping for health plans, reported … Continue reading “Facing ‘Headwinds,’ Connecture Raises Another $17.5M From PE Firms”
Machine Learning 201: Exploring the Market for New Business
2016 will be remembered for many things, not least as the year that AI and machine learning stepped into the technological and cultural spotlight. Advances in applied machine learning fueled our enthusiasm for smarter, more talkative devices. It impacted how we learned about and processed the news—and fake news—of the national elections. Automation grew in … Continue reading “Machine Learning 201: Exploring the Market for New Business”
For $140M, PTC Gets Duchenne Drug and a Pricing Controversy from Marathon
PTC Therapeutics has acquired a controversial Marathon Pharmaceuticals drug for the rare disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy for approximately $140 million, potentially placing the South Plainfield, NJ, company squarely in the crosshairs of the national drug pricing debate. PTC (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PTCT]]), whose own Duchenne drug is conditionally approved in the Europe but not in the U.S., … Continue reading “For $140M, PTC Gets Duchenne Drug and a Pricing Controversy from Marathon”
Sigstr Aims to Unlock the Marketing Potential of E-mail Signatures
Bryan Wade, the new CEO of Indianapolis-based startup Sigstr, says e-mail is the next great marketing frontier. This insight comes after having spent more than a decade as a digital marketer, including a stint serving as the chief product officer for Salesforce Marketing Cloud just before taking the reins at Sigstr. The average business, he … Continue reading “Sigstr Aims to Unlock the Marketing Potential of E-mail Signatures”
Proteon Therapeutics Plans Path Forward for Blood Vessel Drug
Three months ago, Proteon Therapeutics’ experimental blood vessel drug for people with failing kidneys flunked a Phase 3 clinical trial. The company now hopes that a larger study with a modified goal can produce different results. The Proteon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PRTO]]) drug, vonapanitase, treats people whose chronic kidney disease has progressed to the point that they … Continue reading “Proteon Therapeutics Plans Path Forward for Blood Vessel Drug”
Insurify Gets $4.6M, Adds Insurance Search Bot on Facebook Messenger
[Updated 3/16/17, 9:44 a.m. See below.] Facebook Messenger is no longer just an app for messaging friends. The latest capability? It’s now a personal assistant for car insurance shopping. Thanks to a new product launched today by Insurify, a Cambridge, MA-based software startup, consumers can quickly compare car insurance quotes from dozens of carriers within … Continue reading “Insurify Gets $4.6M, Adds Insurance Search Bot on Facebook Messenger”
With FDA’s Blessing, Seres Preps New “Pivotal” Microbiome Drug Trial
Seres Therapeutics wants to become the first company to bring to market a drug that targets the microbiome, the delicate balance of microbes colonizing the human body. The failure of its lead drug in a clinical trial last year put those aspirations in doubt. Now the Cambridge, MA, drug developer is getting another shot. Seres … Continue reading “With FDA’s Blessing, Seres Preps New “Pivotal” Microbiome Drug Trial”
CRISPR Organs? eGenesis Raises $38M For Pig-To-Human Transplants
One of the companies trying to revive the once-failed notion of xenotransplantation—transplanting animal organs or tissues into humans—has raised a significant round of cash. The $38 million Series A round announced by Cambridge, MA-based firm eGenesis comes as the field of human-compatible organs grown in animals, while still years from real products, is back in … Continue reading “CRISPR Organs? eGenesis Raises $38M For Pig-To-Human Transplants”
Detroit’s HAAS Alert Links Motorists to 911 Responders, Smart Cities
HAAS Alert, the Techstars Mobility alum with offices in Detroit and Chicago, is one of three startups spending the first six months of 2017 at the Jaguar Land Rover Tech Incubator in Portland, OR. HAAS Alert has been working on a mobile platform for connected cars and smart cities that allows first responders and other … Continue reading “Detroit’s HAAS Alert Links Motorists to 911 Responders, Smart Cities”
Lumanu, Doyenne Group, Intellivisit & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Lumanu, a Milwaukee-based developer of marketing software that helps customers identify social media users to serve as “influencers” for their brands, was the subject of a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profile. The startup, which was part of the most recent class to … Continue reading “Lumanu, Doyenne Group, Intellivisit & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Gender at South By Southwest: Harassment, VC Jobs, & Hard Choices
[Angela Shah contributed to this report.] Austin—If there was a common theme among the gender-focused panels at South by Southwest, it might be the disbelief that we still need to discuss the importance of having women in tech. But considering the current occupant of the Oval Office, popular ride-sharing companies that back supervisors accused of … Continue reading “Gender at South By Southwest: Harassment, VC Jobs, & Hard Choices”
Myomo, a Robotic Arm Brace Maker, Aims to Raise $15M in “Mini-IPO”
Myomo, a privately held medical device company spun out of MIT, has launched an unusually structured public offering of stock aimed at raising up to $15 million and getting the company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Cambridge, MA-based Myomo is taking advantage of a change in federal securities law enacted through the Jumpstart … Continue reading “Myomo, a Robotic Arm Brace Maker, Aims to Raise $15M in “Mini-IPO””
“Blue Squad” to Use Tech Tools to Help Progressive Candidates
Austin—For Shion Deysarkar, founder and CEO of Web analytics startup Datafiniti, last fall’s presidential election was a wake-up call. “The election was a very sobering event,” he says. “I think most progressive people had just assumed that we had turned the corner on a lot of issues in America. The election proved we were severely … Continue reading ““Blue Squad” to Use Tech Tools to Help Progressive Candidates”
Tax Reform and Choice of Business Entity
Choice of entity—how an entrepreneur decides to conduct the business—is a key decision with critical tax and non-tax implications. In the coming months, the White House is expected to release a detailed tax reform plan which, among other things, may include a significant reduction in corporate tax rates. If the anticipated changes are adopted, should … Continue reading “Tax Reform and Choice of Business Entity”
Former Gates Investor, Advisor Unveil $200M Biomatics Health Fund
After years of investing Bill Gates’s money and giving him scientific advice, two of the software billionaire’s associates have launched their own $200 million healthcare fund. Some of biotech’s highest-profile bets are already in their portfolio. Based in Seattle, Biomatics Capital Partners has been an open secret for some time thanks to its own regulatory … Continue reading “Former Gates Investor, Advisor Unveil $200M Biomatics Health Fund”
Human Longevity Offers Genome Sequencing Through MassMutual
Human Longevity Inc., founded in 2014 by the gene pioneer J. Craig Venter to create a database for interpreting the human genome (and to make healthcare more proactive instead of reactive) said it has signed a partnership deal with MassMutual. Beginning today, San Diego-based Human Longevity plans to offer its whole genome sequencing service to … Continue reading “Human Longevity Offers Genome Sequencing Through MassMutual”
Did Milwaukee-Based Startups Really Raise $111 Million in 2016?
According to data compiled by PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association, two groups that monitor investment trends, startups based in the Milwaukee area collectively raised about $44.6 million in 2016. That was up from 2015, when PitchBook and NVCA data show the region’s funding total was about $28.1 million. Many members of the Milwaukee area’s … Continue reading “Did Milwaukee-Based Startups Really Raise $111 Million in 2016?”
Visit the Titanic in OceanGate’s Carbon Fiber Sub: Only $105,129
OceanGate’s deep-diving carbon fiber submersible, now under construction, is designed to carry the company’s intrepid, well-heeled clientele to a one-of-a-kind destination beginning next spring: the Titanic. Stockton Rush, CEO of Everett, WA-based OceanGate, announced the expedition Tuesday, and said the 2018 dives—which would be the first manned expedition to the Titanic since 2005—have already sold … Continue reading “Visit the Titanic in OceanGate’s Carbon Fiber Sub: Only $105,129”
Invenra Adds Partners, Still Open to Developing Own Drugs in Future
In the past three months, Invenra has announced two new partnerships, under which the company will provide therapeutic antibodies to its collaborators. Madison, WI-based Invenra is one of a small number of companies that has traditionally used cell-free protein expression technology to identify therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. This approach sets Invenra apart from the more popular … Continue reading “Invenra Adds Partners, Still Open to Developing Own Drugs in Future”
Relypsa Appoints Garland President, CEO Orwin to Step Away in June
Gastrointestinal drugs developer Relypsa has promoted Scott Garland to the position of president. Garland had previously served as senior vice president and chief commercial officer of the Redwood City, Calif-based company. Before joining Relypsa, Garland was vice president and chief commercial officer of South San Francisco-based Exelixis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXEL]]). His career also includes posts at … Continue reading “Relypsa Appoints Garland President, CEO Orwin to Step Away in June”
Cook Medical Promotes Umesh Patel to Subsidiary’s Top Spot
Umesh Patel has been promoted to president of Cook Biotech, the West Lafayette, IN-based regenerative medicine subsidiary of medical device company Cook Medical. Patel has served in various positions at Cook Biotech, most recently as vice president and general manager. He joined the firm in 1995 when it spun out of Purdue University.
Airlines Must Improve IT Infrastructure Now or Pay Later
At the tail end of this past holiday season—on one of the busiest travel days of the year—thousands of arriving international passengers found themselves stuck for hours in the line at customs, waiting to be processed. It wasn’t a terror alert, mechanical failure, or nefarious cyberattack that caused long lines and huge delays for travelers … Continue reading “Airlines Must Improve IT Infrastructure Now or Pay Later “
Robo Madness 2017— A.I. Gets Real: Early Bot Rate Ends Today!
Grab your ticket to attend Xconomy’s third annual robotics event at Google, which was a total sellout last year. Leaders in robotics and artificial intelligence will discuss the opportunities and challenges, emerging technologies, and new business models in the industry. Join us on March 28 at Google’s office in Cambridge, MA, to take a look … Continue reading “Robo Madness 2017— A.I. Gets Real: Early Bot Rate Ends Today!”
First Trial in Sight, Editas Cuts $90M Eye Drug Deal With Allergan
Slowly but surely, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing treatments are working their way towards human clinical testing, spurring more large pharmaceutical companies to get in on their future. The latest today is Allergan, which has just aligned itself with Editas Medicine on treatments for a group of genetic eye diseases. Allergan (NYSE: [[ticker:AGN]]) will pay Cambridge, MA-based … Continue reading “First Trial in Sight, Editas Cuts $90M Eye Drug Deal With Allergan”