Greg Ryslik has been appointed chief data officer of Celsius Therapeutics. He joins the Cambridge, MA-based company from Mindstrong Health, where he was vice president of data science. His experience also includes posts at electric carmakers Faraday Future and Tesla (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TSLA]]). In other moves, Celsius appointed Michael Boretti, formerly vice president of business development … Continue reading “Celsius Therapeutics Adds Greg Ryslik and Michael Boretti to C-Suite”
Agrilyst Rebrands as Artemis, Lands $8M for Indoor Farming Software
Agrilyst, an agtech startup that has commercialized software that helps manage indoor farms and greenhouses, is unveiling a new name and additional capital. The company is now called Artemis and it has raised an $8 million Series A round of funding. Astanor Ventures and Talis Capital co-led the investment announced Wednesday. Other investors include New … Continue reading “Agrilyst Rebrands as Artemis, Lands $8M for Indoor Farming Software”
With $120M, AlloVir Faces Big Test of Cell Therapy to Fight Infection
In healthy people, viruses are kept in check by the immune system. But for immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing transplant procedures, a viral infection is potentially deadly. AlloVir is developing a cell therapy intended to control infections while a patient’s immune system recovers. Houston-based AlloVir is preparing its lead candidate for late-stage testing and … Continue reading “With $120M, AlloVir Faces Big Test of Cell Therapy to Fight Infection”
California Life Sciences Fueled by Education, Established Companies
New medicines, devices, and diagnostics produced by the life sciences community in California are giving clinicians better tools to fight disease and improve quality of life for patients around the world. Emerging technologies, such as stem cell and gene therapies, are beginning to make their mark. According to the California Life Sciences Association (CLSA)’s latest … Continue reading “California Life Sciences Fueled by Education, Established Companies”
AI Startup Clinc Snags $52M Series B to Expand Offices, Markets
Ann Arbor, MI-based startup Clinc, which is focused on developing conversational artificial intelligence software for use in chatbots, has raised $52 million in a Series B round, the company announced this week. The round was led by Insight Partners, with participation from DFJ Growth, Drive Capital, and Hyde Park Venture Partners. As part of the … Continue reading “AI Startup Clinc Snags $52M Series B to Expand Offices, Markets”
Sebastian Thrun and Udacity Launch New Self-Driving Nanodegree
[Corrected 5/21/19, 11:04 am. See below.] Sebastian Thrun first made his mark on autonomous vehicle development at the dawn of that industry, when he led a Stanford team whose robot car Stanley won the $2 million DARPA Grand Challenge in 2005 by racing driverless through the Mojave Desert for 132 miles. These days, Thrun seems … Continue reading “Sebastian Thrun and Udacity Launch New Self-Driving Nanodegree”
Merck Preempts Peloton Therapeutics IPO With $1B Acquisition Deal
Merck has reached a deal to acquire Peloton Therapeutics, and its Phase 3-ready kidney cancer drug, for $1.05 billion. Under the agreement announced Tuesday, Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) will pay the sum in cash up front. If Peloton’s drug candidates reach the market and hit sales targets, shareholders of privately held Pelton could gain up to … Continue reading “Merck Preempts Peloton Therapeutics IPO With $1B Acquisition Deal”
Guardicore Raises $60M and Moves US HQ to Boston From San Francisco
US-Israeli cybersecurity startup Guardicore is moving its American headquarters from San Francisco to Boston after hiring a Massachusetts marketing executive and raising a $60 million funding round. The Tel Aviv-based company’s decision to run American operations from Boston is a well-worn path for high-tech firms, with more than 200 Israeli-founded businesses employing more than 9,000 … Continue reading “Guardicore Raises $60M and Moves US HQ to Boston From San Francisco”
Voyager’s CSO Dinah Sah to Retire, Omar Khwaja Expands Role
Dinah Sah is retiring from her position as chief scientific officer of Voyager Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VYGR]]). In her place, the Cambridge, MA-based gene therapy developer said that Chief Medical Officer Omar Khwaja will take on an expanded role as chief medical officer and head of research and development. The changes will happen June 28, but … Continue reading “Voyager’s CSO Dinah Sah to Retire, Omar Khwaja Expands Role”
Animal Bio Picks Tufts’ Rentko for Chief Veterinary Medical Officer
Ginny Rentko has been appointed chief veterinary medical officer of Animal Biosciences, a subsidiary of Boston-based Life Biosciences. Rentko comes to Animal Bio from Tufts University, where she was medical director of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Animal Bio is developing therapeutics and supplements intended to help pets live longer.
Reneo Pharma Launches with $50M to Target Energy-Depleting Diseases
Yet another new biotech company has been founded in San Diego by serial entrepreneur Mike Grey and other alumni of rare disease startup Lumena Pharmaceuticals. Reneo Pharmaceuticals, which has offices in San Diego and in the UK, announced Monday it has raised $50 million to advance a compound it is testing as a therapy for … Continue reading “Reneo Pharma Launches with $50M to Target Energy-Depleting Diseases”
Auth0 Gets “Unicorn” Status as It Raises $103M for Security Tools
Auth0, a Bellevue, WA-based developer of user identification and login tools for software makers and large businesses, announced Monday it has raised $103 million in new financing. Under the terms of the deal, investors valued Auth0 at more than $1 billion, putting it among the ranks of tech startup “unicorns.” Sapphire Ventures, based in Silicon … Continue reading “Auth0 Gets “Unicorn” Status as It Raises $103M for Security Tools”
ACC’s New Fashion Incubator Follows Growth of Industry in Austin
Austin— Though small, Austin’s fashion-technology community is growing. Not only have more businesses started moving to the city, now a new program at Austin Community College is hoping to further drive innovation in the industry. “We are looking to create a full pipeline (of resources) for promising designers,” says Nina Means, director of the newly … Continue reading “ACC’s New Fashion Incubator Follows Growth of Industry in Austin”
MedCo Touts New Data for Long-Lasting Heart Drug as Reckoning Looms
The Medicines Co. and partner Alnylam Pharmaceuticals have presented new evidence supporting the long-term use of their RNA-based cholesterol lowering therapy inclisiran, which is meant to be a longer lasting alternative to a new crop of heart drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors. At a medical meeting in Miami, Medicines Co. (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MDCO]]) reported that 290 patients … Continue reading “MedCo Touts New Data for Long-Lasting Heart Drug as Reckoning Looms”
Nomination Deadline Extended for Xconomy Awards Boston
We’ve received a lot of great nominations for this year’s Xconomy Awards Boston, but we’ve had several people ask for more time to get their nominations in. So we are extending the deadline until Friday, May 24 at 5pm eastern. This will be the final deadline—please get your nominations in soon for the top people, … Continue reading “Nomination Deadline Extended for Xconomy Awards Boston”
HAP Partners With Livongo on Tech-Enabled Diabetes Compliance Program
As digital health applications continue to grow in popularity, yet achieve only mixed results, one area in which tech-enabled tools have found success is among diabetes patients. Health Alliance Plan (HAP), a Detroit-based nonprofit health insurance provider, wants to leverage that success with a new program in partnership with Mountain View, CA-based Livongo, maker of … Continue reading “HAP Partners With Livongo on Tech-Enabled Diabetes Compliance Program”
Eiger Bio’s Apelian Gives Notice, Takes CEO Job at Private Biotech
David Apelian, chief operating officer and executive medical officer at Eiger BioPharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EIGR]]) for the past 17 months, is stepping down. The Palo Alto, CA, drug developer said Friday that Apelian accepted an offer to become CEO of an unnamed private biotech company. Apelian, whose last day will be June 14, will remain on … Continue reading “Eiger Bio’s Apelian Gives Notice, Takes CEO Job at Private Biotech”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: MedCrypt, LunaDNA, Dynacure & More
Let’s catch up with the latest life sciences news in San Diego. — Cybersecurity company MedCrypt, which makes software to protect medical devices, raised a $5.3 million Series A funding round. The company says it will use the new funds to hire new salespeople and engineers and further develop its technology, which medical devices vendors … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: MedCrypt, LunaDNA, Dynacure & More”
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Buying Supercomputer Pioneer Cray for $1.3B
Hewlett-Packard Enterprise will pay $1.3 billion to acquire Cray, a Seattle business that develops software used in supercomputers and other high-powered machines. High-performance computing technologies, such as those developed by Cray, are seen as central to sorting through “the explosion of data” resulting from innovations in areas like artificial intelligence and data analytics, HPE says. … Continue reading “Hewlett Packard Enterprise Buying Supercomputer Pioneer Cray for $1.3B”
PlanetM Awards New Grants to Advance Mobility Pilots in Michigan
PlanetM, the state of Michigan-backed business development organization, has announced a new batch of grants that aim to entice mobility startups and corporations to pilot their innovations in Michigan, or test and validate their technology at one of Michigan’s proving grounds. PlanetM has awarded a total of $440,000 in grants to five companies. The startups … Continue reading “PlanetM Awards New Grants to Advance Mobility Pilots in Michigan”
Bio Roundup: Generic Drugs Graft, ASCO Ahead, ElevateBio Rises & More
Generic drugs are supposed to give consumers more choices and a counterweight to more costly branded medications. During his tenure as FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb often spoke about generics as a market force that could help tame climbing drug prices. But such tools only work when companies play fair. A lawsuit is now claiming that … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Generic Drugs Graft, ASCO Ahead, ElevateBio Rises & More”
Boston Tech Watch: Hydrow, Sea Machines, Toast, Pillar & More
[Updated, 9:05 am. See below] Another $100 million for early stage investing in Boston. Check-out machines are becoming clock-in machines. A hundred-plus startups join MassChallenge’s latest cohort in Boston. Read on for more of this week’s Boston tech news. —Rowing machine startup Hydrow added $7 million to the $20 million it raised in its Series … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Hydrow, Sea Machines, Toast, Pillar & More”
Apptio Continues Acquisition Spree With Deal to Buy Cloudability
Apptio, a Bellevue, WA-based company that helps corporate technology leaders manage their IT spending, announced Thursday it has agreed to acquire Cloudability, a Portland, OR-based developer of software for tracking cloud-computing expenditures. Apptio’s news release announcing the deal did not disclose any of its financial terms. The deal, which comes on the heels of other … Continue reading “Apptio Continues Acquisition Spree With Deal to Buy Cloudability”
ASCO Abstracts: Breast Cancer, Precision Treatments in the Spotlight
The world’s biggest annual cancer conference is just around the corner. Data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting each year can change medical practice and make or break companies whose drugs are under the microscope. That’s what makes even the “abstracts,” or snippets of data revealed a few weeks before the meeting, … Continue reading “ASCO Abstracts: Breast Cancer, Precision Treatments in the Spotlight”
BioClarity, Maker of “Clean, Green” Skincare Products, Raises $13M
BioClarity, which sells plant-based skincare products to online shoppers, announced Wednesday that it has raised a $13 million investment round. The San Diego-based company is part of Adigica Health, an e-commerce company founded in 2016 to develop and market direct-to-consumer healthcare products. Prolog Ventures led the round with a $6 million investment; BioClarity said earlier … Continue reading “BioClarity, Maker of “Clean, Green” Skincare Products, Raises $13M”
ViaCyte, Fate & More: Xconomy Awards San Diego Big Idea Finalists
The finalists in the Big Idea category of the Xconomy Awards San Diego are pursuing ambitious goals in pursuit of better ways of improving health. Their approaches range, from a new way to deliver insulin to patients with Type 1 diabetes to an innovative method to detect brain trauma that could reduce the need for … Continue reading “ViaCyte, Fate & More: Xconomy Awards San Diego Big Idea Finalists”
Pulmatrix CEO Robert Clarke Steps Down, Ted Raad Appointed Successor
Robert Clarke, the chief executive who led Pulmatrix to the public markets via a reverse merger in 2015, has stepped down from the company and its board of directors. The Lexington, MA-based company gave no reason for the departure of Clarke, who was promoted from chief scientific officer to CEO in 2012. But Pulmatrix (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Pulmatrix CEO Robert Clarke Steps Down, Ted Raad Appointed Successor”
Laurie Glimcher To Headline Xconomy Keynote Series in Boston in September
As groundbreaking therapies and diagnostics are coming to market, more patients are benefiting from the promise of precision medicine, but many are not, or aren’t able to access the latest treatments and technologies. What are hospitals and drug and diagnostic developers doing to make sure more cancer patients will go on to lead long, healthy … Continue reading “Laurie Glimcher To Headline Xconomy Keynote Series in Boston in September”
Pillar Fuels Second Go-Round With $100M Fund for Boston Startups
It took a few more years than initially planned, but early-stage venture firm Pillar has raised the $100 million fund it wanted. Launching with fanfare in 2016 under former North Bridge Venture Partners’ Jamie Goldstein, Pillar set its sights on $100 million for its debut fund but ended up raising just $57 million. It has since … Continue reading “Pillar Fuels Second Go-Round With $100M Fund for Boston Startups”
Whiskey Coffee, Immigration, AI: MassChallenge’s New Austin Cohort
Austin—MassChallenge has picked the 74 early-stage companies that will eventually compete for a portion of $500,000 in cash as a part of its Austin accelerator program. They’re startups that are developing products in a wide range of sectors, including life sciences, agriculture, and artificial intelligence. A majority of the startups are from Texas, although some … Continue reading “Whiskey Coffee, Immigration, AI: MassChallenge’s New Austin Cohort”
Karat Gets $28M for Software, Team That Assess Job-Seeking Engineers
Karat, a Seattle-based startup that uses a combination of software and a stable of freelance interviewers to help tech companies assess job applicants, announced Wednesday it has raised $28 million in new funding. Tiger Global Management led the Series B funding round, Karat says. Other participating investors included return backers Norwest Venture Partners and 8VC. … Continue reading “Karat Gets $28M for Software, Team That Assess Job-Seeking Engineers”
Ginkgo Eyes Antibiotics With Deal for Warp Drive’s Gene “Mining” Tech
Microbes designed by Ginkgo Bioworks are used in consumer products such as fragrances and beverages, and they’re undergoing research for applications in agriculture and medicine. The synthetic biology company has been pushing to expand its technology to more uses, and its latest deal moves the firm further into pharmaceutical research. Boston-based Ginkgo said Wednesday that … Continue reading “Ginkgo Eyes Antibiotics With Deal for Warp Drive’s Gene “Mining” Tech”
Glympse Bio Names NIBR’s Winckler to Chief Scientific Officer Post
Wendy Winckler has been appointed chief scientific officer of Glympse Bio. She joins Cambridge, MA-based Glympse from the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR), where she was executive director of next generation diagnostics. Winckler’s experience also includes posts at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, as well as the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Glympse, … Continue reading “Glympse Bio Names NIBR’s Winckler to Chief Scientific Officer Post”
Bavarian Nordic’s Heery Joins Precision Bio as Chief Medical Officer
Christopher Heery has joined Precision BioSciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DTIL]]) as chief medical officer, the same position he held at his former company, Bavarian Nordic. Heery’s experience also includes time at the National Cancer Institute where he was head of the clinical trials group of the laboratory of tumor immunology and biology. Durham, NC-based Precision Bio completed … Continue reading “Bavarian Nordic’s Heery Joins Precision Bio as Chief Medical Officer”
Eyeing Future IPO, A Rarity for SD Software Firms, Tealium Adds $55M
San Diego has had plenty of businesses go public in recent years, but most have been life sciences companies. Now software startup Tealium, which has about 215 employees at its San Diego headquarters, announced Wednesday it has added $55 million in a Series F financing. Eleven-year-old Tealium has now hauled in more than $160 million … Continue reading “Eyeing Future IPO, A Rarity for SD Software Firms, Tealium Adds $55M”
Science & Strategy Stars: Xconomy Awards San Diego Secret Weapon Finalists
[Updated 11:30 a.m. 5/16. See below.] Success in life sciences is always a team effort. Often, those doing the heavy lifting do so behind the scenes, without much external recognition of their role. To celebrate these hidden stars, we created the Secret Weapon category for the Xconomy Awards San Diego. The finalists in this category … Continue reading “Science & Strategy Stars: Xconomy Awards San Diego Secret Weapon Finalists”
Xcelerate at Biotech Week Boston 2019
The best way to experience Biotech Week Boston is with the Xcelerate program package, which provides access to four of the conference’s most popular events.
Vertex Continues Plan to Diversify, Strikes a $70M Pact With Kymera
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is best known for its cystic fibrosis franchise. But over the past several years Vertex has been making inroads elsewhere, and a deal it is announcing this morning continues that strategy. Vertex (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]), of Boston, will pay privately held startup Kymera Therapeutics $70 million to form an alliance to develop a group … Continue reading “Vertex Continues Plan to Diversify, Strikes a $70M Pact With Kymera”
Endpoint Security Company CrowdStrike Files Publicly for IPO
CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity company that identified the two Russian government-linked hacker groups that invaded the Democratic National Committee (DNC)’s network during the 2016 presidential campaign, filed publicly for an initial public offering on Tuesday. Sunnyvale, CA-based CrowdStrike sells cloud-based security software and related services by subscription to businesses. Founded in 2011, the company adapted traditional … Continue reading “Endpoint Security Company CrowdStrike Files Publicly for IPO”
Seattle Algorithm Marketplace and Manager, Algorithmia, Snags $25M
Algorithmia was founded on the idea that lots of people who write algorithms, from academics to private sector employees, have good products but no way to commercialize them. It launched in 2014 as a marketplace for people who want to buy or sell algorithms, and raised a $2.4 million seed funding round. Today, there’s more … Continue reading “Seattle Algorithm Marketplace and Manager, Algorithmia, Snags $25M”
Weather Tech Q&A: Understory CEO on “Ground Truth,” Climate Change
[Updated 5/17/19, 3:56 pm ET. See below.] As climate change brings more extreme and unpredictable weather, the stakes for improving the ability to track and forecast atmospheric conditions are rising. That has contributed to a growing interest in startups developing technologies for weather monitoring and analytics. The latest to cash in is Understory, a Madison, … Continue reading “Weather Tech Q&A: Understory CEO on “Ground Truth,” Climate Change”
Klickstein Leaves NIBR for resTORbio Chief Scientific Officer Role
Lloyd Klickstein has joined resTORbio (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TORC]]) as chief scientific officer. Klickstein comes to Boston-based resTORbio from the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR), where was global head of translational medicine for the new indication discovery unit and the exploratory disease area. Last year, resTORbio reported positive data for lead drug RTB101, which was developed … Continue reading “Klickstein Leaves NIBR for resTORbio Chief Scientific Officer Role”
Advaxis Chief Scientific Officer Robert Petit to Step Down in June
Robert Petit, chief scientific officer of Advaxis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ADXS]]) for the past six years, is stepping down. In a securities filing, the Princeton, NJ, drug developer said Petit’s last day will be June 3 and his departure is not related to any disagreement about the company’s operations, policies, or practices. Advaxis added that Petit will … Continue reading “Advaxis Chief Scientific Officer Robert Petit to Step Down in June”
MassChallenge, Funds for Innowatts, Liveoak, Data Gumbo & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Innowatts, an AI-focused energy tech company in Houston, has closed an $18.2 million Series B funding round, according to a press release. The investment was led by Energy Impact Partners and included existing investors Shell Ventures, Iberdola, and Energy and Environment Fund (EEI Japan), as … Continue reading “MassChallenge, Funds for Innowatts, Liveoak, Data Gumbo & More TX Tech”
Respond Raises $20M to Advance Automated Response to Cyberattacks
In business sectors such as warehouse operations, automation may put a company’s current employees out of work in some cases. In the cybersecurity sector, automation can take up a multitude of tasks without displacing any staffers—because there aren’t enough qualified humans right now to fill all the jobs. That’s according to Bay Area cybersecurity company … Continue reading “Respond Raises $20M to Advance Automated Response to Cyberattacks”
Roundup: Strata Oncology, Genomenon, Gilbert Family Foundation, More
Spring is always a busy time for Michigan’s innovation community, so let’s catch up on recent tech and entrepreneurial news below: —Last year, we reported on the Gilbert Family Foundation, a charitable organization founded by Quicken Loans chairman Dan Gilbert and his wife Jennifer, and its initiative to develop gene therapy treatments for neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1). … Continue reading “Roundup: Strata Oncology, Genomenon, Gilbert Family Foundation, More”
Stock, Profit & AI: Carbon Black CEO Reviews Year Since IPO
It’s been a little over a year since Carbon Black debuted on the Nasdaq stock exchange, raising $152 million selling its shares to the public for the first time. The Waltham, MA-based cybersecurity company’s stock price (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CBLK]]) has bounced around since its initial pricing at $19 a share and closing its first day of … Continue reading “Stock, Profit & AI: Carbon Black CEO Reviews Year Since IPO”
Meet the X of the Year Finalists for the Xconomy Awards San Diego
The Xconomy Awards categories weren’t enough to capture the full diversity of the San Diego life science community. So we at Xconomy created X of the Year for people who are so unique they needed their own categories. Read on for short introductions of the X of the Year finalists. This is part of a … Continue reading “Meet the X of the Year Finalists for the Xconomy Awards San Diego”
ElevateBio Gets $150M to Grow a Crop of Gene & Cell Therapy Startups
When a biotech startup is ready to test an experimental therapy it faces a pricey choice: Should it make its drug in-house, or hire a contract manufacturer? The decision is particularly expensive for companies developing complex gene and cell therapies, which need to make large batches of engineered viruses to test their work. A new … Continue reading “ElevateBio Gets $150M to Grow a Crop of Gene & Cell Therapy Startups”
Seattle’s TransformativeMed Carves Out Niche in Medical Specialties
An estimated 99 percent of US hospitals now track patients’ health information using computerized records systems, many of which were installed to replaced paper medical charts. As a result, startups are rushing in to capitalize on the recent health-records digitization wave. Some of them, like Seattle-based TransformativeMed, are making the case that their add-on software … Continue reading “Seattle’s TransformativeMed Carves Out Niche in Medical Specialties”