Trump Policies, Paperwork, & More: Advice for Startup Founders

If you are the founder of a fledgling business, there are many things that are under your control, but also some that are not. For instance, entrepreneurs working to develop tools to help hospitals get reimbursed for providing care have likely monitored political news more closely since November. One of the reasons is that following … Continue reading “Trump Policies, Paperwork, & More: Advice for Startup Founders”

To Spin Out of Rackspace Means New Life and, In One Case, Mark Cuban

San Antonio—It’s getting hard to keep track of the number of new startups that have spun out of Rackspace to make a go of it as private companies in the city’s downtown tech corridor, from Mailgun earlier this week and HelpSocial in 2014, to many others in the years between. But HelpSocial, which provides software … Continue reading “To Spin Out of Rackspace Means New Life and, In One Case, Mark Cuban”

Celgene Promotes Smith to President, Fouse to Retire

Summit, NJ-based Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) said that president and chief operating officer Jacqualyn Fouse will retire and be replaced by Scott Smith, who currently runs the company’s inflammation and immunology franchise. Smith will take on his new role on April 1, when Fouse will transition to being a strategic adviser. She will officially retire from … Continue reading “Celgene Promotes Smith to President, Fouse to Retire”

Bio Roundup: Trump Backlash, Verdine Plans, Sarepta Sale & More

A short week makes for a shorter roundup. As we’ve come to expect, however, there was no dearth of health and life-sciences news from Washington, D.C. A bipartisan group of Congress members who oversee health policy countered President Donald Trump’s encouragement of vaccine skeptics; the real test will be the upcoming budget’s funding of Centers … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump Backlash, Verdine Plans, Sarepta Sale & More”

Boston Tech Watch: Amazon Expansion, Neurotech Acquisition & More

This week in Boston tech, we’re catching up on the latest real estate deals—including Amazon’s new digs, funding and acquisition news, and people on the move. Read on for details. Office Space —Let’s start with new office deals. The biggest one: Amazon is expanding to Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, leasing space at WeWork’s new coworking … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Amazon Expansion, Neurotech Acquisition & More”

Cascadia Innovation Corridor Starts With UW-UBC Urban Data Co-op

The University of Washington and the University of British Columbia will use a $1 million gift from Microsoft to collaborate on data-driven solutions to urban challenges, giving shape to the cross-border Cascadia Innovation Corridor that business, civic, and education leaders envisioned last fall. The effort to strengthen ties between the U.S. Northwest and British Columbia, … Continue reading “Cascadia Innovation Corridor Starts With UW-UBC Urban Data Co-op”

UT’s Lynda Chin Responds to Flap Over MD Anderson and Watson Project

Houston—A University of Texas System audit criticizing the administration of a $62 million partnership between MD Anderson Cancer Center and IBM Watson does not necessarily mean an end to the effort to treat cancer using artificial intelligence tools at the medical institution. That’s according to the researcher who led the project at MD Anderson, as … Continue reading “UT’s Lynda Chin Responds to Flap Over MD Anderson and Watson Project”

H3 Biomedicine Promotes Peter Smith to Chief Scientific Officer

Peter Smith has been named chief scientific officer of H3 Biomedicine. Smith is currently vice president, Drug Discovery Biology, for the Cambridge, MA-based precision medicine oncology company. Before joining H3 Biomedicine in 2011, Smith held various roles in oncology discovery for Millennium Pharmaceuticals/Takeda Oncology. He starts in his new role at H3 Biomedicine on March … Continue reading “H3 Biomedicine Promotes Peter Smith to Chief Scientific Officer”

Clinc Raises $6.3M Series A to Help Take Financial A.I. to Market

Clinc, an artificial intelligence startup spun out of the University of Michigan, announced this week that it has raised a Series A round worth $6.3 million, just six months after closing on a $1.2 million seed round. The new round was led by Drive Capital, with contributions from Hyde Park Venture Partners, Ann Arbor, MI-based … Continue reading “Clinc Raises $6.3M Series A to Help Take Financial A.I. to Market”

Joi Ito With Robert Langer @ MIT Press Bookstore

From the website: The MIT Press Bookstore presents Joi Ito, Director of MIT’s Media Lab, in conversation with Robert Langer, David H. Koch Institute Professor in MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering, discussing Ito’s new book, Whiplash: How to Survive Our Faster Future, at 5:30 pm on Monday, April 3, at the Bookstore. The future will … Continue reading “Joi Ito With Robert Langer @ MIT Press Bookstore”

Insurance Marketplace EverQuote Gets $13M More as Growth Accelerates

Fast-growing online insurance marketplace EverQuote has tacked on $13 million to its previously announced Series B funding round, bringing the total amount to $36 million. The additional money comes from new investor Second Alpha and earlier backer Stratim Capital, a spokesman said in an e-mail to Xconomy. The funding update was included in a press … Continue reading “Insurance Marketplace EverQuote Gets $13M More as Growth Accelerates”

Shares in Exact Sciences Rise on Better-Than-Expected P&L Results

Exact Sciences nearly quadrupled its advertising spending in 2016 as it sought to build a customer base for its flagship product. The television ad blitz seemed to work, said leaders at the company earlier this week, when Exact reported fourth-quarter earnings. The company’s profit-and-loss results came in above many analysts’ estimates, sending its stock to … Continue reading “Shares in Exact Sciences Rise on Better-Than-Expected P&L Results”

Bowery Bags $7.5M to Break Into Fast-Growing Indoor Farming Market

[Updated 2/23/2017 11:21 am] City real estate comes with premium prices, so the best way for developers to get the most out of limited space is by building skyward. The same approach holds true in urban agriculture. As vertical farms catch on in more cities, new agtech startup Bowery is entering the market backed by … Continue reading “Bowery Bags $7.5M to Break Into Fast-Growing Indoor Farming Market”

Harvard’s Verdine Aims to Retire, Become Full-Time FogPharma CEO

Harvard University chemical biologist Greg Verdine has been learning how to start and run biotech companies for almost two decades. He’s been a scientific co-founder of ten startups, worked at three different healthcare-focused venture capital firms, and even run a few biotechs in their early days before handing them off to more seasoned life sciences … Continue reading “Harvard’s Verdine Aims to Retire, Become Full-Time FogPharma CEO”

Seventh Sense Gets Initial FDA Clearance for Simple Blood-Draw Device

[Corrected 2/23/17, 12:44 pm. See below.] Seventh Sense Biosystems says it has received FDA clearance to begin marketing TAP, a device intended to make blood draws quick and painless. It’s the Medford, MA-based company’s first product approved for sale by the federal agency. Seventh Sense says its small, disposable devices can make blood collection more convenient … Continue reading “Seventh Sense Gets Initial FDA Clearance for Simple Blood-Draw Device”

Accenture Opens First of 10 Innovation Centers in Houston

Houston—The city of Houston boasts a healthy supply of young educated workers and an abundance of private wealth, but its corporate ecosystem and risk aversion toward tech startups prevents its innovation community from realizing its full potential. That’s according to a new report by the consulting firm Accenture, which also announced on Wednesday the opening … Continue reading “Accenture Opens First of 10 Innovation Centers in Houston”

Seeking Talent, Levementum Plans Indy Expansion to The Union

In 2005, Arizona-based digital marketing firm Levementum was conceived over drinks in Paris. The company officially launched the following year, and today, it announced plans to continue its growth trajectory in Indiana one year after opening an office in Indianapolis. At an event with Gov. Eric Holcomb and Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett this afternoon, Levementum … Continue reading “Seeking Talent, Levementum Plans Indy Expansion to The Union”

Rackspace Spinout Mailgun Raises $50M for API-Focused E-mail Service

San Antonio—For businesses sending out thousands or millions of receipts and marketing materials over e-mail to customers every year, there’s plenty to monitor. You have make sure those e-mails are delivered, that they stand out among the spam (or aren’t mistaken for it), that any customer replies go to the right employees, and that any … Continue reading “Rackspace Spinout Mailgun Raises $50M for API-Focused E-mail Service”

Voysis Nabs $8M, Adds to Boston’s Growing Voice Tech Cluster

The disembodied voices are coming. You probably know Siri, Alexa, and Cortana, but in the not-so-distant future every company and brand could have its own virtual assistant that you can talk to. A startup called Voysis wants to help make that happen, and now the Dublin-based company has a lot more cash to advance its … Continue reading “Voysis Nabs $8M, Adds to Boston’s Growing Voice Tech Cluster”

Sexual Harassment Claims Add to Turbulent Times for Uber

For the second time in less than a month, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick found himself fending off critical questions from his own employees at a Tuesday company-wide meeting. The last time, Kalanick was trying to justify remaining on President Trump’s economic advisory council after Trump issued a sudden travel ban against refugees and people from … Continue reading “Sexual Harassment Claims Add to Turbulent Times for Uber”

Aiming At P53, Cancer’s Hard Target, PMV Pharma Raises $74M

PMV Pharmaceuticals is the latest startup to load up with cash in an attempt to home in on one of the toughest targets in cancer biology: the tumor suppressor protein known as p53. The company, headquartered in Cranbury, NJ, disclosed this morning that it has raised a $74 million Series B round from Topspin Biotech … Continue reading “Aiming At P53, Cancer’s Hard Target, PMV Pharma Raises $74M”

Amazon, Uber, and Bill Gates’s Robot Tax: An Automation Snapshot

As we gear up for Robo Madness 2017: A.I. Gets Real, our annual robotics and artificial intelligence conference at Google’s offices in Kendall Square, let’s connect a few dots around the topic of automation. In just the past day or two: —Uber has started testing self-driving cars in Tempe, AZ, after having its tests banned … Continue reading “Amazon, Uber, and Bill Gates’s Robot Tax: An Automation Snapshot”

Argos Shares Crater on Futility Finding for Kidney Cancer Therapy

An Argos Therapeutics therapy that uses the immune system to fight kidney cancer has hit a wall after an analysis of the latest clinical trial data found that the experimental treatment was unlikely to work. Following the planned interim analysis of Argos’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARGS]]) Phase 3 clinical trial, the independent data monitoring committee recommended stopping … Continue reading “Argos Shares Crater on Futility Finding for Kidney Cancer Therapy”

Epic Launches App Orchard to Create ‘Easier Developer Experience’

Epic Systems, which sells software for managing health records that is used to care for 190 million patients around the world, has introduced a new program that the company says will help outside healthcare software developers integrate their digital tools with Epic’s. The program, called App Orchard, aims to make it simpler for developers to … Continue reading “Epic Launches App Orchard to Create ‘Easier Developer Experience’”

Murray Asks Businesses to Help Homeless as Seattle Opposes Trump

Washington state’s emergence as a capital of resistance to the Trump administration has been abetted by many prominent tech companies. Now Seattle Mayor Ed Murray is asking companies based in the Northwest’s largest innovation hub to do more to address issues such as homelessness—helping fill a void left by an adversarial federal government that Murray … Continue reading “Murray Asks Businesses to Help Homeless as Seattle Opposes Trump”

Genomenon’s Software Seeks to Give Geneticists Faster Insights

Genomenon, a University of Michigan spinout developing analytics and data visualization software for the genomics industry, released its first product last week: software designed to simplify the process of interpreting gene variants. Called Mastermind, the software is a tool that automatically combs through millions of journal articles and medical publications; its goal is to drastically … Continue reading “Genomenon’s Software Seeks to Give Geneticists Faster Insights”

Cidara Antifungal Flunks in Phase 2 Clinical Trial, Sinking Shares

Cidara Therapeutics is halting work on an experimental topical antifungal drug designed to treat vaginal yeast infections after the compound wasn’t better than the current standard of care in a Phase 2 clinical trial. San Diego-based Cidara (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CDTX]]) said in a statement on Tuesday it will now shift its resources to other compounds in … Continue reading “Cidara Antifungal Flunks in Phase 2 Clinical Trial, Sinking Shares”

Texas Roundup: Joseph Kopser, Data Refuge, TMC, uShip, EO2 Concepts

Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —We have “Five Questions For” Joseph Kopser, an ex-Army officer and West Point professor who found a new mission as a transportation evangelist of sorts when he founded RideScout, an app that aggregated different modes of transportation. With the sale of his company to … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Joseph Kopser, Data Refuge, TMC, uShip, EO2 Concepts”

Gener8tor, ParqEx, 4490, RPRD, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Gener8tor, a startup accelerator that has held programs in Wisconsin and Minnesota, has named Eric Martell managing director of its Twin Cities programming, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported. Martell is a co-founder of EatStreet, a Madison-based food-ordering startup, and previously served as … Continue reading “Gener8tor, ParqEx, 4490, RPRD, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Super Saver Rate Ending for Robo Madness 2017— A.I. Gets Real

Leaders across the robotics and artificial intelligence industries are coming together for our third annual Robo Madness event on March 28 at Google in Cambridge, MA. Join us for interactive talks, panels, and demos from an elite group of business leaders discussing how robotics and A.I. will reshape the economy and create new opportunities (and … Continue reading “Super Saver Rate Ending for Robo Madness 2017— A.I. Gets Real”

After Navigating Ups and Downs, Cellectar CEO Caruso Looks to Future

Cellectar Biosciences has seen ups and downs in the last 18 months, including several changes in its top ranks. Now, as the cancer drug developer prepares to take its lead drug candidate into mid-stage clinical trials, CEO Jim Caruso seems more interested in talking about his company’s future than its past. Madison, WI-based Cellectar (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “After Navigating Ups and Downs, Cellectar CEO Caruso Looks to Future”

Cashing in On Duchenne Approval, Sarepta Sells Voucher to Gilead For $125M

Sarepta Therapeutics didn’t just get its first drug to market when the FDA approved the Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug eteplirsen (Exondys 51) last year—it got a potentially lucrative voucher from the FDA too. Today the Cambridge, MA, company cashed that in. Sarepta (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRPT]]) this morning sold what’s known as a priority review voucher to … Continue reading “Cashing in On Duchenne Approval, Sarepta Sells Voucher to Gilead For $125M”

Boston, NY Tech Job Growth Hits 5-Year Low, as Amazon Keeps Expanding

The hiring pace among Boston and New York software companies has slowed to a crawl, amid a broader downshift in the tech industry. During the fourth quarter of last year, the two tech hubs saw their weakest job growth in the past five years. That’s according to a quarterly study compiled by John Barrett, a … Continue reading “Boston, NY Tech Job Growth Hits 5-Year Low, as Amazon Keeps Expanding”

Agtech Accelerator Radicle Recruits Industry Vets to Mentor Startups

Former Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle is one of four agricultural technology veterans who have agreed to advise the startups taking root at Radicle, the San Diego-based accelerator focused on agricultural and food tech ventures. Radicle named Pyle, who is now the CEO of BaseHealth, a Silicon Valley healthtech developer of analytic software, as a … Continue reading “Agtech Accelerator Radicle Recruits Industry Vets to Mentor Startups”

Lumina Foundation Gives Odds For Edtech Innovation Under Trump

[Corrected 2/22/17, 9:35 am. See below.] Bipartisanship hasn’t exactly been the watchword in Washington over the past month as the new Trump administration grapples with stalled nominations, court battles over its travel ban, and investigations of campaign contacts with Russia. But deeply divided politicians may still find some common ground over education policy—in ways that … Continue reading “Lumina Foundation Gives Odds For Edtech Innovation Under Trump”

Seattle Week in Review: Life Sciences at Risk, Keiretsu Record, & More

Here’s a quick look at news from the Northwest innovation economy this week, including a warning about the future of the life sciences industry in Washington; new funding for the University of Washington’s computer science expansion project; 2016 investment totals from Keiretsu Forum Northwest; fresh funding for ReplyYes; and an important new facility for cleantech … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Life Sciences at Risk, Keiretsu Record, & More”

TUGG Makes Boston: 11th Annual Wine & Tequila Party

From the event organizer: “Join TUGG (Technology Underwriting Greater Good) in celebration of social innovation in our community at the biggest party in Boston tech! Over 1,500 of Boston tech’s entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and philanthropists will come together to help raise $200K+ to catalyze six local nonprofits (while enjoying wine and top-shelf tequila). Please note … Continue reading “TUGG Makes Boston: 11th Annual Wine & Tequila Party”

Digital Health Solutions’ Software Helps Docs Screen Patients

Anyone who has ever visited an outpatient clinic knows it can be a crowded, chaotic place. Electronic health records (EHR) technology—software that puts a patient’s charts and health information online so doctors can access it, ostensibly leading to better, more efficient care while facilitating communication—has so far not lived up to its potential. Tammy Dugan, … Continue reading “Digital Health Solutions’ Software Helps Docs Screen Patients”

Boston Tech Watch: Nuance, Gamalon, Grapevine, Data3Sixty & More

Here are some notable recent deals made by Boston-area tech companies: —Burlington, MA-based Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]) has acquired mCarbon, a Noida, India-based provider of telecommunications products and services, for an estimated $36 million in cash and stock, according to a report by The Economic Times. —Boston-based Grapevine has sold a majority stake in the … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Nuance, Gamalon, Grapevine, Data3Sixty & More”

Five Questions For … Joseph Kopser, Ex-Army Officer, RideScout founder

Austin—Many entrepreneurs developing a consumer product attempt to incorporate that technology in their daily lives. For Joseph Kopser, that meant regular commutes from his home in Austin, TX, to pitch events and meetings in Houston without using a car—a rather unusual choice in Texas. Kopser was developing RideScout, an app that aggregated various transportation options—taxis, … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Joseph Kopser, Ex-Army Officer, RideScout founder”

Bio Roundup: CRISPR Drama, Marathon and PhRMA, the Price of Vision & More

News may be coming out of Washington, DC, at a breakneck pace, but concrete plans regarding the future of the nation’s healthcare system, the FDA, and the pharmaceutical industry have been much slower to materialize. The consternation about President Donald Trump’s coming pick for FDA commissioner was palpable this week at the BIO CEO & … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Drama, Marathon and PhRMA, the Price of Vision & More”

An Update on Tasktop—and the Future of Software Development

You can learn a lot from a quick breakfast meeting. I’m at a French bakery in Assembly Row in Somerville, MA, with executives from Tasktop Technologies, a software company Xconomy has covered for years. Inside, the smell of croissants and coffee. Outside, a coating of fresh snow, just enough to be dangerous. These are heady … Continue reading “An Update on Tasktop—and the Future of Software Development”

Dermata Secures $10M in Combined Financing for Skin Treatments

[Corrected 2/17/17, 9:41 am to differentiate Silicon Valley Bank’s loan from private investment.] Dermata Therapeutics, a San Diego development-stage biotech advancing new treatments for rosacea, eczema, and related dermatological diseases, said it has secured $5 million in additional funding from private investors and entered into a $5 million credit facility with Silicon Valley Bank. The … Continue reading “Dermata Secures $10M in Combined Financing for Skin Treatments”

UW Testbeds Touted as an Asset to Northwest Cleantech Innovators

Behind the tony shops of Seattle’s University Village, clean energy researchers are preparing to install one of the world’s most advanced machines for printing novel thin-film electronics. The Danish-made, 28-foot-long roll-to-roll printer will be a centerpiece of the new Washington Clean Energy Testbeds, a 15,000-square-foot University of Washington facility for developing clean energy technologies unveiled … Continue reading “UW Testbeds Touted as an Asset to Northwest Cleantech Innovators”

Rhythm Raises $41M to Bankroll Late-Stage Push For Obesity Drug

Rhythm, a Boston biotech developing drugs for rare, life-threatening metabolic disorders, has raised $41 million from a group of crossover investors, a signal that an initial public offering could be on the way. Rhythm plans to use the new funding to push testing of its drug, setmelanotide, into Phase 3 clinical trials for two different … Continue reading “Rhythm Raises $41M to Bankroll Late-Stage Push For Obesity Drug”

Rice, UH Libraries to Host Data Rescue Project Next Month 

Houston—The University of Houston and Rice University library systems are working together to help preserve online federal data, as part of a national project aimed at safeguarding scientific research. “The ultimate goal is to raise awareness of having access to this information and preserving this information,” says Lisa Spiro, executive director of digital scholarship services … Continue reading “Rice, UH Libraries to Host Data Rescue Project Next Month “

Mylestone Grabs $2.5M to Deliver Memories Via Amazon Alexa Devices

Amazon’s voice-enabled smart speakers can order a pizza, play your favorite song on command, set timers, and do plenty of other ordinary tasks. Now, Boston startup Mylestone aims to help make Alexa your personal memory bank. The company has created a new “skill” for Alexa—that’s Amazon’s term for the growing library of software tools built … Continue reading “Mylestone Grabs $2.5M to Deliver Memories Via Amazon Alexa Devices”