Information technology has wound itself so deeply into healthcare, this might be the year that the term “digital health”—used roughly to distinguish health-related hardware and software from drugs and medical devices—becomes quaint. One example of the ever-blurrier lines between health and technology is a new venture fund, Digitalis Ventures. The firm has already made three … Continue reading “Digitalis Launches $100M Health Fund, With Emphasis On Data”
RaNA Expands, Joins Messenger RNA Drug Race With Shire Deal
RaNA Therapeutics is branching out. Today, the Cambridge, MA, startup is acquiring some assets from pharmaceutical giant Shire that immediately make it a player in an emerging, yet unproven field of drugmaking—messenger RNA therapeutics. Cambridge, MA-based RaNA has acquired a small, recently shuttered unit of Shire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SHPG]]) devoted to making drugs with synthetic mRNA. … Continue reading “RaNA Expands, Joins Messenger RNA Drug Race With Shire Deal”
For 2017, Concerns on Immigration, Net Neutrality, & Cyber Warfare
I have many concerns about how the upcoming Trump administration will impact the overall tech economy. Some of my biggest worries are as follows: 1) More restrictive immigration laws will make it even harder for startups (as well as more established companies) to attract and retain the highly skilled workers that they need to be … Continue reading “For 2017, Concerns on Immigration, Net Neutrality, & Cyber Warfare”
Boston Tech Agenda 2017: 5 Things to Watch For This Year
For Boston’s technology scene, 2016 was the year of GE, a new crop of local venture funds, ambitious initiatives to spark startups, another failed attempt to reform Massachusetts noncompete rules, a few billion-dollar-plus deals, and a pair of IPOs. On a personal note, 2016 marked my first full year covering Boston tech for Xconomy. It … Continue reading “Boston Tech Agenda 2017: 5 Things to Watch For This Year”
Beyond Success: Failure’s Importance in Building Viable Startups
Houston—Entrepreneurs are a mobile bunch, quickly moving from one startup to another as opportunities play themselves out and others emerge. So in speaking to Houston entrepreneur Rakshak Talwar, I was struck by his answer to my question about what he’s doing with a new artificial intelligence startup he’s joined. “I can show them what not … Continue reading “Beyond Success: Failure’s Importance in Building Viable Startups”
Byte Foods Receives $5,500,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7c3896b6-f9ad-4be9-a83c-5dd6e1683874 Date 1/4/2017 Company Name Byte Foods Mailing Address 3095 Kerner Blvd. San Rafael, CA 94901 USA Company Description Byte offers employees fresh food options round the clock. Whether it’s nourishing your team of developers or offering shift workers a hearty meal any time of the day — we have options for … Continue reading “Byte Foods Receives $5,500,000 Seed Funding”
Minerva Surgical Garners $16,723,237 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2ec0206f-c483-4165-a874-9235c9fe31c0 Date 1/4/2017 Company Name Minerva Surgical Mailing Address 101 Saginaw Drive Redwood City, CA 94063 USA Company Description Minerva Surgical Inc. is a medical device company. The company’s efforts are focused on women’s healthcare. Currently Minerva Surgical’s development projects are aimed at delivering next generation products for the treatment of abnormal … Continue reading “Minerva Surgical Garners $16,723,237 New Funding Round”
Guardian Analytics Receives $5,063,107 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=86e99464-0faa-4bba-82ea-ab1365822620 Date 1/4/2017 Company Name Guardian Analytics Mailing Address 2465 Latham Street Mountain View, CA 94040 USA Company Description Behavioral analytics solutions to detect fraudulent wire & ACH payments, prevent online/mobile banking fraud, and detect unauthorized access to web portals. Website http://www.guardiananalytics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,063,107 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Guardian Analytics Receives $5,063,107 New Funding”
Ripio Garners $1,900,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=977aea05-611c-4575-b038-ab31c61bf256 Date 1/4/2017 Company Name Ripio Mailing Address 1263 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94103 USA Company Description Our main goal is to widen financial inclusion and democratize digital economy in Latin America, offering digital payment alternatives within everyone’s reach. Website http://www.ripio.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,900,000 Transaction Round Series … Continue reading “Ripio Garners $1,900,000 Series A Funding Round”
Henge Docks Receives $1,600,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e511bdaa-1b22-4047-b65a-b1e22b017221 Date 1/4/2017 Company Name Henge Docks Mailing Address 455 10th St. San Francisco, CA 94103 USA Company Description Henge Docks designs and manufactures high-end accessories for the Apple ecosystem, including the market’s best docking solutions for MacBook computers. Website http://www.hengedocks.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,600,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “Henge Docks Receives $1,600,000 New Funding”
Panterra Networks Lands $1,500,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=420f9949-afe3-46d7-bc7a-d02474441b39 Date 1/4/2017 Company Name Panterra Networks Mailing Address 4655 Old Ironsides Dr. Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA Company Description PanTerra Networks is the world leader in delivering Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) unified communications for small and medium sized businesses. We are unique because we have developed the most advanced unified communications SaaS platform … Continue reading “Panterra Networks Lands $1,500,000 New Funding Round”
Panzura Receives $22,207,850 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0d9ff82f-3159-45a9-9aab-d76140462f28 Date 1/4/2017 Company Name Panzura Mailing Address 695 Campbell Technology Parkway Campbell, CA 95008 USA Company Description Panzura is a storage software company whose vision is to enable cloud storage to be faster and more secure than local tier 1 storage. Website http://www.panzura.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $22,207,850 Transaction … Continue reading “Panzura Receives $22,207,850 New Financing Round”
ParqEx Raises $1.2M to Connect Private Parking Owners, Seekers
[Updated 1/4/17, 10:42 am. See below.] ParqEx, a Chicago-based company with several Wisconsin ties whose technology allows users to find or rent out private parking spots, has raised $1.2 million from investors, according to multiple media reports. Two Madison, WI-based venture capital groups, Venture Management and Wisconsin Investment Partners, were among the participants in the seed financing … Continue reading “ParqEx Raises $1.2M to Connect Private Parking Owners, Seekers”
Versant Closes on $400M Fund, Eyes More Biotech Deals in Europe
Versant Ventures now has $400 million in its coffers to fuel its pursuit of early-stage healthcare technologies and startups, and it has a particular goal of expanding its investment approach in Europe. With the closing of its sixth fund announced Tuesday, San Francisco-based Versant now aims to invest in as many as 25 companies in … Continue reading “Versant Closes on $400M Fund, Eyes More Biotech Deals in Europe”
Spensa’s Cloud-Based Technology Helps Farmers Automate Pest Control
Although agriculture is an ancient endeavor requiring little more than seeds, sunlight, and water, new technologies are helping commercial growers to be more efficient and prolific than ever. Spensa Technologies, a Purdue University spinout startup, is aiming to change the way pests are managed with an automated, connected device called Z-Trap 1. Commercially available for … Continue reading “Spensa’s Cloud-Based Technology Helps Farmers Automate Pest Control”
Subscription-Based Startups Size Up Amazon, Brick-And-Mortar Stores
Amazon said it shipped more than one billion items worldwide this holiday season, marking another record-setting year for the Seattle-based online retailer. Sales figures tell part of the story, while Amazon’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) steadily expanding geographic footprint tells another. The upshot is that for a new company looking to break into e-commerce, Amazon is likely … Continue reading “Subscription-Based Startups Size Up Amazon, Brick-And-Mortar Stores”
Top Cybersecurity Lesson from 2016: Unchecked Insiders
An unmistakable lesson from 2016 is that there is an escalating arms race between hackers and the organizations they target—from the highest levels of national governments to corporations and private institutions. And while hackers have many advantages, there are two that are contributing to a rampant spike in cyber breaches right now: 1. Employees, contractors, … Continue reading “Top Cybersecurity Lesson from 2016: Unchecked Insiders”
Inotek’s Glaucoma Drug Flunks in First Phase 3 Test, Shares Crumble
Inotek Pharmaceuticals has started 2017 with a big setback. The company’s first big Phase 3 test of an experimental glaucoma drug fell far short this morning, leaving the fate of the drug, known as trabodenoson, unclear. Lexington, MA-based Inotek (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ITEK]]) said that trabodenoson failed MATrX-1, the first of three Phase 3 trials in glaucoma … Continue reading “Inotek’s Glaucoma Drug Flunks in First Phase 3 Test, Shares Crumble”
Diverse Workforces Support the Growth of North Texas Innovation
We have made it a priority since the inception of the DEC to incorporate diversity into all that we do. We have hired a diverse workforce. We have created programs focused on diverse audiences including gender, age, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, and more. We have made all of this a priority not only because it … Continue reading “Diverse Workforces Support the Growth of North Texas Innovation”
First Trial Underway, Jounce Preps IPO To Fund Immuno-Oncology Work
Even though Jounce Therapeutics has no human clinical data to report yet, a partnership with Celgene and support from a broad group of investors have made the Cambridge, MA, cancer drug developer a likely IPO candidate for some time now. Jounce made those intentions clear Friday, filing papers to try for an IPO that would … Continue reading “First Trial Underway, Jounce Preps IPO To Fund Immuno-Oncology Work”
Trump Administration Should Examine How Dodd-Frank Stifles Capital
A review by the new Trump administration and Congress of the 2010 Dodd-Frank legislation could address many of the stifling, unintended consequences of that law. Although designed to address abuses in the financial system that led to the 2008 recession, the far-reaching legislation had problems from the start. And while experts of all political stripes … Continue reading “Trump Administration Should Examine How Dodd-Frank Stifles Capital”
SHYFT Analytics Lands $20,000,001 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=57b6a7b2-653d-4a80-936c-4b4184bb3000 Date 1/3/2017 Company Name SHYFT Analytics Mailing Address 203 Crescent Street Waltham, MA 02453 USA Company Description SHYFT Analytics is the leader in cloud analytic solutions for global life sciences. The company delivers smarter, timelier access to novel insights in the cloud that provide new ways to look at the healthcare … Continue reading “SHYFT Analytics Lands $20,000,001 New Funding”
AdmitHub Secures $2,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b3fa863c-5794-43c9-9085-5793ca7ca83c Date 1/3/2017 Company Name AdmitHub Mailing Address 411 Shawmut Ave. Boston, MA 02118 USA Company Description AdmitHub, a Techstars ’15 company, provides students with free expert college admissions advising via a text message-based chatbot, known as Oli. By combining machine learning with human experts, we’ve essentially created Siri for college admissions. … Continue reading “AdmitHub Secures $2,000,000 New Round”
Infoworks Lands $14,999,998 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=afc5030e-465b-4b3b-aef9-260235368e4c Date 1/3/2017 Company Name Infoworks Mailing Address 2025 Gateway Place San Jose, CA 95110 USA Company Description Infoworks mission is to enable enterprises to quickly leverage their data assets, for all enterprise use-cases, whether via BI, reporting, OLAP, or advanced and statistical analytics. Website http://www.infoworks.io Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Infoworks Lands $14,999,998 New Financing”
Blue Danube Systems Secures $2,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1dee5b16-902d-44fa-9c87-433b7bf423e3 Date 1/3/2017 Company Name Blue Danube Systems Mailing Address 465 Fairchild Drive Mountain View, NJ 94043 USA Company Description Blue Danube Systems designs innovative mobile wireless access solutions that significantly and cost-effectively increase network capacity and enhance quality of service. Website http://www.bluedanube.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $2,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed … Continue reading “Blue Danube Systems Secures $2,000,000 New Funding Round”
Uru Garners $800,000 Seed Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=20fafc77-511f-4cad-8f0f-95f4dca47d10 Date 1/3/2017 Company Name Uru Mailing Address 625 Avenue of the Americas 3rd Floor New York, NY 10011 USA Company Description Uru instantly understands the content of your video and all of the untapped monetization opportunities inside it. Based on these learnings, it pinpoints appropriate brand partners and instantly immerses them … Continue reading “Uru Garners $800,000 Seed Financing”
Xeris Pharmaceuticals Obtains $4,000,002 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a679bcdf-21e7-43d6-aee3-99ddcf2cd97f Date 1/3/2017 Company Name Xeris Pharmaceuticals Mailing Address 3208 Red River Street Austin, TX 78705 USA Company Description Xeris is an Austin, Texas-based specialty pharmaceutical company developing patient-friendly injectables for indications in diabetes, epilepsy, and immunology. Website http://www.xerispharma.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,000,002 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds … Continue reading “Xeris Pharmaceuticals Obtains $4,000,002 New Funding”
Watching for NIH Innovation in 2017—and Drug Pricing, Trade Deals
With the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on January 20th, the editors asked some of our Xconomists to offer their thoughts on “How could the incoming administration significantly affect your industry?” When I worked in the Reagan Administration, the “Gipper” used to handle questions like this by saying he couldn’t respond to hypothetical questions. … Continue reading “Watching for NIH Innovation in 2017—and Drug Pricing, Trade Deals”
Intarcia Therapeutics Secures $206,000,000 Series E Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=72c974e4-7029-49ab-9cde-459986976dbe Date 12/31/2016 Company Name Intarcia Therapeutics Mailing Address 155 Seaport Boulevard 11th Floor Boston, MA 02210 USA Company Description Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc., is a rapidly emerging biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative therapies that merge medicine with technology, and have the potential to transform therapeutic categories. Website http://www.intarcia.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “Intarcia Therapeutics Secures $206,000,000 Series E Financing Round”
Clinical Research IO Secures $1,600,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=cf9d6ccc-b942-4fed-9025-65f70e200d40 Date 12/31/2016 Company Name Clinical Research IO Mailing Address Undisclosed Cambridge, MA 02138 USA Company Description Our story begins in Boston with co-founders Raymond Nomizu and Phuc Truong. Raymond had spent years struggling with the inefficiency of error-prone paper binders while managing a clinical research site. Phuc was a serial entrepreneur … Continue reading “Clinical Research IO Secures $1,600,000 New Financing Round”
Opal Labs Secures $12,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3511700d-ff6d-474c-b37b-3d5a7c964d5a Date 12/31/2016 Company Name Opal Labs Mailing Address 107 Southeast Washington Street Portland, OR 97214 USA Company Description Opal Brainstorms radically amplifies the innovation potential of your organization. Unlock insight sharing across geographies, business units and specialties. Surface new ideas, solve problems, tackle ignored opportunities. Watch your team discover just how … Continue reading “Opal Labs Secures $12,000,000 New Financing”
Valant Medical Solutions Obtains $7,500,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=44e783b2-66a6-419d-b38c-8734b98bce54 Date 12/31/2016 Company Name Valant Medical Solutions Mailing Address 2033 6th Ave. Seattle, WA 98121 USA Company Description Valant takes care of your practice, so you can take care of your patients. Website http://www.valant.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,500,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. … Continue reading “Valant Medical Solutions Obtains $7,500,000 New Round”
AnaBios Receives $4,209,800 Series B Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=4b8cc0fd-bb7b-4ae5-b525-06261f2484b8 Date 12/31/2016 Company Name AnaBios Mailing Address 3030 Bunker Hill Street San Diego, CA 92109 USA Company Description AnaBios preclinical drug discovery is entirely based on human-relevant data. Website http://www.anabios.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,209,800 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture … Continue reading “AnaBios Receives $4,209,800 Series B Funding Round”
RedSeal Systems Secures $4,999,999 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6128e365-616e-47b2-8ad5-a69166e4e918 Date 12/31/2016 Company Name RedSeal Systems Mailing Address 2540 Mission College Blvd. Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA Company Description RedSeal Systems gives the concrete answer with a Security Risk Management (SRM) system that provides unified and measurable insight to network security and its effectiveness. Website http://www.redseal.co Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction … Continue reading “RedSeal Systems Secures $4,999,999 New Funding”
PAX Labs Garners $4,378,778 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0be78ca5-067b-43a5-96d7-f573c95139e8 Date 12/31/2016 Company Name PAX Labs Mailing Address 660 Alabama Street San Francisco, CA 94110 USA Company Description Founded by two Stanford Design Program graduates, San Francisco-based PAX Labs, Inc. was developed with the mission of making smoking obsolete. We create superior, beautiful and technologically advanced products that disrupt and redefine … Continue reading “PAX Labs Garners $4,378,778 New Round”
Rent the Runway Receives $60,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=614b5a61-04e3-4dd7-9c5e-7e8a0651168f Date 12/31/2016 Company Name Rent the Runway Mailing Address 304 Hudson Street New York, NY 10013 USA Company Description What if you had an entire rack lined with styles that were perfect for any special occasion, another filled with cheeky ’80s redux? And what if you had a team of stylists … Continue reading “Rent the Runway Receives $60,000,000 New Financing”
EquityZen Receives $1,809,374 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8f78551a-5cb5-41af-a093-97d7c2033d43 Date 12/31/2016 Company Name EquityZen Mailing Address 222 Broadway New York, NY 10038 USA Company Description EquityZen’s mission is to improve the way startup employees are paid by unlocking the value of their equity compensation in a way that benefits all key players: the shareholder, the company, and the investor. Website … Continue reading “EquityZen Receives $1,809,374 New Funding”
Titan Spine, Alfred, IoT, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
The year 2016 will soon be in the rear-view mirror. Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community, and take a look ahead to 2017, with these recent headlines: —The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profiled Titan Spine, a Mequon-based company that makes titanium cages of various shapes and sizes designed for spinal surgeons to use when … Continue reading “Titan Spine, Alfred, IoT, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Varmus, Sato on Steering De Blasio’s $500M Plan to Grow NY Biotech
The idea that New York City could become a biotech powerhouse dates back to the late 1990s. It’s been a slow, tedious process, and it’s nowhere near complete, but from near and far, Harold Varmus and Vicki Sato have been watching the gears begin to turn. Varmus, who earned a Nobel prize for his work … Continue reading “Varmus, Sato on Steering De Blasio’s $500M Plan to Grow NY Biotech”
Top of Texas 2016: Big Exits, Ride-Sharing Leaves Austin, & More
As 2016 comes to an end, let’s take a look at some of the more notable stories from Xconomy Texas over the past year. What follows is my highly subjective list of news that we covered in 2016. Notable exits and fundraises: —San Antonio cloud computing company Rackspace was bought by New York private equity … Continue reading “Top of Texas 2016: Big Exits, Ride-Sharing Leaves Austin, & More”
Xconomy Seattle Year in Review: Top Stories of 2016
Ready for a new year? We are, too. But first, we’re taking a look back at some of the stories we covered at Xconomy Seattle in 2016. IPO Drought Ends The Seattle area saw two tech companies go public this year, Impinj and Apptio. Biopharma company PhaseRx also went public in 2016. The previous year … Continue reading “Xconomy Seattle Year in Review: Top Stories of 2016”
‘Creepy Bird’ Anyone? Meet San Antonio’s Retro Video Game Developer
San Antonio—Video games are big business, and highly dynamic. From the Xbox to virtual reality, how players play has changed quite a bit since the Atari and the NES brought home gaming to the masses. One San Antonio video game developer is riding a wave of renewed interest in older gaming systems, starting a business … Continue reading “‘Creepy Bird’ Anyone? Meet San Antonio’s Retro Video Game Developer”
SD Venture Group Opens Bay Area Office as Part of “Cheeky” Campaign
The San Diego Venture Group has established a beachhead in San Francisco, and it’s opening for business Tuesday. After years of trying to persuade Silicon Valley venture capital firms to establish more of a presence in San Diego, or to at least hear more startup pitches here, the venture group has decided to open an … Continue reading “SD Venture Group Opens Bay Area Office as Part of “Cheeky” Campaign”
Despite Political Rhetoric, Staff Diversity Remains a Top Priority
I don’t think the election of Donald Trump as president does much to bolster those in tech working on creating a more inclusive and diverse industry, but I will continue to be a champion for it nonetheless. Specifically, I’ve ended 2016 by doubling our team at Localeur and introducing an Advisory Board, both of which … Continue reading “Despite Political Rhetoric, Staff Diversity Remains a Top Priority”
2016’s Last Boston Tech Watch: Akamai, Neurable, Facebook, GM & More
[Updated 12/30/16, 2:30 pm. See below.] As we wave goodbye to 2016, let’s take a look at some of the year’s final moves in the Boston-area tech scene: —Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]) acquired Cyberfend in a small cash deal. The price wasn’t disclosed, but Akamai said it’s not material to its financials. Based in Santa … Continue reading “2016’s Last Boston Tech Watch: Akamai, Neurable, Facebook, GM & More”
Xemex Raises $250K For Adhesive-Mixing Nozzle
Xemex Static Mixer, a Madison, WI-based startup that’s developing a nozzle for mixing two-part adhesives, raised $250,000 in equity financing from a single investor, according to a federal securities filing. Potential users of the disposable device, which contains no moving parts, include groups in the construction industry and manufacturers that sell to medical and dental care … Continue reading “Xemex Raises $250K For Adhesive-Mixing Nozzle”
Gates Foundation Sends $140M to Intarcia for HIV Version of Pump
Intarcia Therapeutics, a Boston biotech that’s developing a tiny, implantable drug-delivery pump for type 2 diabetes, is now broadening its focus to HIV backed by as much as $140 million in grant and equity funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. About $90 million of the money is non-dilutive and is being used to … Continue reading “Gates Foundation Sends $140M to Intarcia for HIV Version of Pump”
In Search of a State-of-the-Art Transcription App
Since reporting on the world’s most capable machine transcription system earlier this year, I’ve been pining for one that would help me with the tedious work of transcribing recorded journalistic interviews. Not long after I wrote about Microsoft’s speech transcription milestone—researchers at the company built a system that matches the human error rate in transcribing spontaneous … Continue reading “In Search of a State-of-the-Art Transcription App”
Military Families, Seniors in MA and IN to Test Major Healthcare Reform
Seniors in Massachusetts, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, as well as military families across the nation, will soon get the opportunity to test a major healthcare reform developed by faculty at the University of Michigan. Called Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID), the new approach to insurance coverage departs from the current “one-size-fits-all” system, in which people pay standard … Continue reading “Military Families, Seniors in MA and IN to Test Major Healthcare Reform”
Cellular Dynamics Plans to Relocate, Build New Manufacturing Center
Cellular Dynamics International intends to construct a new, 100,000-square-foot headquarters in Verona, WI, and move its operations there, according to a company proposal posted on the city’s website. Verona is a suburb of Madison, WI, where the company, known as CDI, is currently based. The facility would be both a research and cell-manufacturing center, and … Continue reading “Cellular Dynamics Plans to Relocate, Build New Manufacturing Center”