The Thai chicken bowl from Spyce Food’s new restaurant in downtown Boston wasn’t life-changing, but it’s one of the better meals I’ve had from a “fast casual” restaurant—and certainly the best I’ve had that was prepared mostly by robots. OK, it’s the first meal I’ve eaten that was cooked by a robotic system, with help … Continue reading “Spyce, MIT-Born Robotic Kitchen Startup, Launches Restaurant: Video”
Litigation in Israel and U.S. Mires RNA Drug Developer Arcturus
In the five years since it was founded, San Diego-based Arcturus Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARCT]]) says it has built a versatile platform for developing a variety of RNA-based medicines. On the Arcturus website, the company’s pre-clinical development pipeline includes drugs for treating hepatitis B, cystic fibrosis, and other intractable rare diseases and disorders. But a bitter … Continue reading “Litigation in Israel and U.S. Mires RNA Drug Developer Arcturus”
San Antonio Startup Adds Funding to Treat PTSD with Magnetic Field
San Antonio—An imaging researcher who hopes to improve a method of treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder has raised a round of funding to support a clinical study for his San Antonio company’s medical device. The business, Cerebral Magnetics, told federal securities regulators on April 9 it was seeking $1 million in an equity round … Continue reading “San Antonio Startup Adds Funding to Treat PTSD with Magnetic Field”
With $59M, Casma and Ex-Constellation CEO Take Aim at Cellular Trash
Scientists have known for decades that cells can recycle their own trash, but they’ve only recently started to figure out how. Casma Therapeutics is trying to prove that those insights could be useful in treating a wide range of diseases. Formed by Third Rock Ventures, Casma has secured a $58.5 million Series A round and … Continue reading “With $59M, Casma and Ex-Constellation CEO Take Aim at Cellular Trash”
New LLamasoft CEO Plans to Exploit Retail, Transportation Disruptions
Even though it’s been around for two decades, Ann Arbor, MI-based LLamasoft is one of the state’s biggest tech startup success stories. Llamasoft says its software optimizes the design of supply chains, enabling large, complex businesses to find ways to improve operations, lower risk, save money, and make faster decisions.The company has 400 employees in … Continue reading “New LLamasoft CEO Plans to Exploit Retail, Transportation Disruptions”
Unity Biotech IPO Raises $85M to Test Drugs for Diseases of Aging
Unity Biotechnology has yet to show that its drugs can treat diseases of aging in humans, but it now has $85 million to start those tests. The Brisbane, CA, drug developer priced its initial public offering late Wednesday by selling 5 million shares at $17 apiece, the midpoint of the $16 to $18 range it … Continue reading “Unity Biotech IPO Raises $85M to Test Drugs for Diseases of Aging”
Cord-Cutting for Kids: Video App Kanopy Adds Free Children’s Shows
If you’ve already liberated yourself from a cable subscription in favor of streaming video services over the Internet, you’re parcelling out your dollars to get the content you want most from services such as Netflix, Hulu, and N.B.A. League Pass. A lesser-known option, Kanopy, offers an unusual streaming subscription deal: Pay nothing, because your university … Continue reading “Cord-Cutting for Kids: Video App Kanopy Adds Free Children’s Shows”
Bitcoin, Johnson Controls, WARF & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
This week’s 70-degree temperatures have brought many Wisconsin residents out of hibernation, and they’re now flocking to bicycle trails, restaurant patios, and other favorite springtime spots. With 2018 now one-third complete, take a few minutes to catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Politicians in Wisconsin might soon be able … Continue reading “Bitcoin, Johnson Controls, WARF & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
TX Tech: Tyler’s Buying Spree, Trust Ventures, TheWaveVR, & More
Let’s catch up with innovation news from around the state. —Plano, TX-based Tyler Technologies (NYSE: [[ticker:TYL]]) has purchased Sage Data Security, a Portland, ME-based cybersecurity firm, according to a press release. Tyler makes public sector-related information management software, and the company says it has more than 15,000 local governments as customers. A few weeks ago, … Continue reading “TX Tech: Tyler’s Buying Spree, Trust Ventures, TheWaveVR, & More”
Flexera Buys MetaSaaS for Austin Startup’s SaaS Management Tool
Austin—A two-year-old tech startup that helps businesses manage their subscriptions to software-as-a-service applications has sold to software and security manager Flexera. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Austin, TX-based MetaSaaS helps companies track the use of software-as-a-service, or SaaS, programs, and offers them help determining whether to stay subscribed based on how customers interact or … Continue reading “Flexera Buys MetaSaaS for Austin Startup’s SaaS Management Tool”
Refuge Bio Turns to China for $25M Financing of Precision CRISPR R&D
Refuge Biotechnologies, a company researching ways to use CRISPR gene editing to make cancer treatment more precise, has raised $25 million in financing to continue work on its preclinical drug pipeline. China-based 3SBio and Sequoia China led the Series B round of investment in the Menlo Park, CA, company. CRISPR-Cas9 technology uses modified versions of … Continue reading “Refuge Bio Turns to China for $25M Financing of Precision CRISPR R&D”
Soft Robotics Scoops Up $20M in Latest Logistics Automation Deal
Venture investment in logistics robot companies keeps coming. Today, Cambridge, MA-based Soft Robotics said it has raised $20 million in a new funding round led by Hyperplane Venture Capital. The deal brought in a slew of new investors, including Scale Venture Partners, Calibrate Ventures, Honeywell Ventures, Tekfen Ventures, and Yamaha Motor Ventures. They’re all looking … Continue reading “Soft Robotics Scoops Up $20M in Latest Logistics Automation Deal”
Save $100 Today on “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech” on May 16
We’re just a few weeks away from What’s Hot in Boston Biotech—and we’re offering you the chance to save $100 with our Procrastinator’s Special. It all takes place on Wednesday, May 16, at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, MA. Join us for fireside chats, spotlight talks, interactive discussions, and more with … Continue reading “Save $100 Today on “What’s Hot in Boston Biotech” on May 16”
California’s Top Court Sets Tougher New Rules on Hiring “Gig Workers”
California employers who classify their workers as independent contractors will be consulting their lawyers today, says A. Mark Pope, an attorney who helped persuade the state’s highest court to establish sweeping new restrictions on hiring so-called “gig workers.” The California Supreme Court on Monday set new standards that will make it harder for companies in … Continue reading “California’s Top Court Sets Tougher New Rules on Hiring “Gig Workers””
Salesforce, SupplyKick, Springbuk Among Big Winners at Mira Awards
On Saturday, TechPoint, a nonprofit working to grow Indiana’s technology ecosystem, hosted its annual Mira Awards gala. The Miras honor the best and brightest in the Indiana tech community and cover a range of categories. With more than 1,300 attendees, TechPoint says its 19th annual Mira Awards gala was the biggest in the organization’s history. … Continue reading “Salesforce, SupplyKick, Springbuk Among Big Winners at Mira Awards”
FluGen May Seek Funding from $12M Gates-Backed Flu Vaccine Challenge
Last week, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it plans to provide researchers with up to $12 million in funding as part of a new initiative to support the development of a universal influenza vaccine. The dollar amount isn’t huge: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reportedly spent about $64 million … Continue reading “FluGen May Seek Funding from $12M Gates-Backed Flu Vaccine Challenge”
Moving Beyond Obesity, Vivus Strikes $135M Deal for Digestive Drug
Sales of weight loss drugs have been light, and the Vivus drug Qsymia is no exception. Facing declining revenue as well as a looming mountain of debt, Vivus has been casting about for a new strategy. It looks like it’s found one. Campbell, CA-based Vivus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VVUS]]) has agreed to pay $135 million for the … Continue reading “Moving Beyond Obesity, Vivus Strikes $135M Deal for Digestive Drug”
Ironwood Pharma to Split in Two, Forming New Rare Disease Biz
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRWD]]) is making the unusual move of splitting up into two separate, publicly traded companies. One, which will keep the Ironwood name, will focus on selling its three commercial drugs and developing two experimental ones. The other, yet to be named, will be a R&D firm working on a pipeline of earlier … Continue reading “Ironwood Pharma to Split in Two, Forming New Rare Disease Biz”
What’s For Lunch? ZeroCater Nabs $12M to Meet Corporate Catering Needs
Many employees at young startups end up with multiple roles. Arram Sabeti says “ordering lunches was by far the most painful hat I was wearing.” Finding a restaurant that everyone agreed on took more time than placing a lunch order should, he says. That experience led him to found ZeroCater, which uses software and analytics … Continue reading “What’s For Lunch? ZeroCater Nabs $12M to Meet Corporate Catering Needs”
Toast Launches Restaurant Payments Device to Take on Samsung, Square
[Corrected 5/1/18, 9:59 am. See below.] Toast, one of the biggest venture-backed startup bets in Boston, is getting more ambitious with its restaurant technology products. The seven-year-old company sells cloud-based software that can handle a range of tasks for eateries, including executing payments, either through computers at the counter or right at the table with … Continue reading “Toast Launches Restaurant Payments Device to Take on Samsung, Square”
Three Lessons Punk Rock Teaches Us About Being a Business Leader
Inspiration comes in many forms, and as an entrepreneur, I found mine early on in an unusual place: punk rock. There are strong parallels between the business of punk rock and startups. When you’re starting a new business venture, you wear many hats—leader, innovator, developer, marketer, HR rep—with very little budget or certainty. You might … Continue reading “Three Lessons Punk Rock Teaches Us About Being a Business Leader”
Express Scripts Picks Regeneron Over Amgen, Cuts Heart Drug Price
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and partner Sanofi have cut an unusual deal with Express Scripts, the nation’s largest drug-buying middleman. The two drug makers will cut the price of their $14,000-a-year cholesterol-lowering therapy alirocumab (Praluent). In return, Express Scripts will quickly approve treatment requests. The deal also sidelines Amgen, whose rival heart drug evolocumab (Repatha) will no … Continue reading “Express Scripts Picks Regeneron Over Amgen, Cuts Heart Drug Price”
Why “Micro-Learning” is the New Diploma For Today’s Jobseekers
You’d be hard-pressed to find a workplace today where using technology isn’t an integral part of the job, whether it’s an AI-powered recruiting tool, special coding software for app development, or even just Google Sheets that help workers keep track of budgets. Whether you’re applying for a position in marketing or in the field of … Continue reading “Why “Micro-Learning” is the New Diploma For Today’s Jobseekers”
City Staffers Share Innovation Insights at Smart Cities Accelerator
In cities across the United States, the benefits of bike-sharing and electric scooters that can be easily rented with a smartphone app have often been overshadowed by controversy. In Dallas, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, for example, complaints flooded into city offices earlier this year about the proliferation of “dockless” bikes cluttering sidewalks, handicap parking, … Continue reading “City Staffers Share Innovation Insights at Smart Cities Accelerator”
Bristol-Myers Latest to Drop IDO Studies in Wake of Incyte Failure
[Updated 5/1/18, 12:34 p.m. See below.] Drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb is the latest to feel the shockwave caused by the failure of a widely watched cancer immunotherapy nearly a month ago. Xconomy has learned that Bristol (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) is curtailing work on three late-stage studies testing an experimental cancer drug that it bought for $800 … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers Latest to Drop IDO Studies in Wake of Incyte Failure”
With New Data, Karyopharm Says It Will Ask for Myeloma Approval
Karyopharm Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KPTI]]) reported this afternoon that its cancer drug selinexor has passed a big test in treating some of the most desperate multiple myeloma patients—those who have failed at least five other therapies. The Newton, MA-based company will ask U.S. and European drug regulators to consider selinexor for approval. Karyopharm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KPTI]]) reports … Continue reading “With New Data, Karyopharm Says It Will Ask for Myeloma Approval”
StartingBlock Madison Names New Tenants Ahead of June Opening
Startup companies developing products that range from a saliva-based fertility test to a smartphone app that lets you securely send photos to your doctor are getting set to bid farewell to their current office buildings and move into a new hub for entrepreneurs in Madison, WI. On Monday, StartingBlock Madison, a 50,000-square-foot center for startups, … Continue reading “StartingBlock Madison Names New Tenants Ahead of June Opening”
United Therapeutics Reaches $141M Deal for PAH Drug Firm SteadyMed
Drug developer SteadyMed has been building momentum to take on the established seller of a therapy for a rare lung disease. But the rivalry could be over before it even started. Instead of competing against the United Therapeutics line-up of therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension, SteadyMed’s lead drug is now in line to join them. … Continue reading “United Therapeutics Reaches $141M Deal for PAH Drug Firm SteadyMed”
Texas Cancer Agency Launches Programs to Bridge Biotech Funding Gap
[Updated, 4/30/18, 10:26 am. See below.] Austin—The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) has created two new funding programs aimed at supporting the earliest-stage biotech companies. The first program, called the “Seed Award,” is designed to help companies that would not qualify for existing CPRIT programs targeting technology commercialization. The second program is called … Continue reading “Texas Cancer Agency Launches Programs to Bridge Biotech Funding Gap”
Synthorx Raises $63M to Advance Suite of Enhanced Cytokine Drugs
After demonstrating in 2016 how its synthetic biology technology could produce new biologic drugs, San Diego’s Synthorx today revealed that its lead drug candidate is an improved version of interleukin-2, an anti-cancer drug of intense commercial interest in the 1980s. Synthorx said its improved version of interleukin-2, known as Synthorin IL-2, is at the vanguard … Continue reading “Synthorx Raises $63M to Advance Suite of Enhanced Cytokine Drugs”
The Life Science Industry Shows the Power of Giving Back to the Community
Every day here in Cambridge, MA, the world’s leading biotech hub, there are families who don’t have enough to eat. Hunger is not a problem caused by lack of resources—it’s a problem of distribution. Getting the right food to the right people at the right time is the challenge. Enter Food For Free, a Cambridge-based … Continue reading “The Life Science Industry Shows the Power of Giving Back to the Community”
The Hive Closes $26.5M Third Fund to Create More A.I. Startups
Some people may be horrified by the awesome powers of artificial intelligence, fearing that even their own skilled jobs will be taken over by machines. Others, faced with a pile of work just to keep a business humming along smoothly, might secretly yearn for robotic reinforcements. For those people, help may be on the way … Continue reading “The Hive Closes $26.5M Third Fund to Create More A.I. Startups”
VCs Back Jeremy Hitchcock’s New Security Startup, Minim, With $2.5M
Here’s what Jeremy Hitchcock is doing for an encore: trying to secure all your home and office devices and networks. Sounds like a nightmare. But if there’s anyone who should try, it’s Hitchcock (pictured). He is the co-founder and former CEO of Dyn, the longstanding New Hampshire-based Web infrastructure firm that was sold to Oracle … Continue reading “VCs Back Jeremy Hitchcock’s New Security Startup, Minim, With $2.5M”
Diagnostics Developer Nanopore Wins Agtech and Food Startup Showcase
In both humans and farm animals, time is crucial when diagnosing illness. An early diagnosis means treatment can be given before the disease worsens. In some forms of aquaculture, the diagnostic time line stretches out a little longer. Fish farmers need to take a boat to the offshore cages where salmon are raised. Samples are … Continue reading “Diagnostics Developer Nanopore Wins Agtech and Food Startup Showcase”
Alder BioPharmaceuticals Appoints Erin Lavelle to New COO Role
Alder BioPharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALDR]]) has named Erin LaVelle to the newly created position of chief operating officer. Before joining Bothell, WA-based Alder, Lavelle was the general manager of the Taiwanese affiliate of Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]). Alder says Lavelle will lead strategy and planning as the company prepares to bring its migraine drug, eptinezumab, to the … Continue reading “Alder BioPharmaceuticals Appoints Erin Lavelle to New COO Role”
New CRISPR Startup from Feng Zhang Revealed
[Updated 4/28/18, 11:30 a.m. See below.] With all the buzz this week about the new CRISPR diagnostic startup from the University of California, Berkeley lab of Jennifer Doudna, perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that news of another CRISPR startup—this one associated with another CRISPR pioneer, Feng Zhang—is now coming out. The Boston Business Journal … Continue reading “New CRISPR Startup from Feng Zhang Revealed”
COO Maneesh Arora Leaving Exact Sciences; More Earnings Call Tidbits
Exact Sciences has made several additions to its leadership team in the past 18 months, but on Thursday the Madison, WI-based cancer test developer announced a key upcoming departure. Maneesh Arora, who has been Exact’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) chief operating officer since 2012, will leave the company at the end of the year, CEO and president … Continue reading “COO Maneesh Arora Leaving Exact Sciences; More Earnings Call Tidbits”
Techstars Boston Demo Day: VC Gets More Selective, Plus 3 Takeaways
[Corrected 4/28/18, 5:14 pm. See below.] It’s getting tougher out there for early-stage startups, but Techstars Boston keeps plugging away. In the age of “unicorns” and “mega-rounds” of venture capital, investors are placing bigger bets on fewer, often later-stage, companies. At the early stages, deal sizes are also growing, but the number of investments continues … Continue reading “Techstars Boston Demo Day: VC Gets More Selective, Plus 3 Takeaways”
Amid #MeToo, MI Women’s Foundation Rebrands to Better Reflect Mission
The Michigan Women’s Foundation has a new name and an energized mission. Now called Michigan Women Forward (MWF), the rebranding was officially launched earlier this week in front of a crowd of 800 at Detroit’s Cobo Center. Carolyn Cassin, MWF’s CEO, explains that given the big moment women’s issues are currently having on the national … Continue reading “Amid #MeToo, MI Women’s Foundation Rebrands to Better Reflect Mission”
Bill Gates on Saving Babies, Educating Kids, and Picking a Major
On a sunny spring afternoon, William Henry Gates III strolled into the Harvard University science center. Several hundred students and invited guests were waiting for him in the auditorium. Security was tight, but not overly so (he’s used to it). Gates was there Thursday for a conversation with Frank Doyle, Harvard’s dean of engineering and … Continue reading “Bill Gates on Saving Babies, Educating Kids, and Picking a Major”
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Tests, Parkinson’s Questions, Opioid Bills & More
Politics is more partisan than ever these days, but the opioid crisis might be one of the few issues where elected officials find common ground. This week, members of Congress exercised a bipartisan effort in both chambers to advance dozens of measures proposing various approaches to fighting the opioid epidemic. A Senate committee voted unanimously … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Tests, Parkinson’s Questions, Opioid Bills & More”
Boston Tech Watch: SidelineSwap, Cogito, Nebulous, Billshark & More
It’s time to catch up on the latest venture funding news in the Boston area, from blockchain tech to data analytics, to selling sports gear online. Read on for details. —SidelineSwap, the Boston-based operator of an online sports gear marketplace, said it closed a $5 million Series A funding round led by Global Founders Capital. … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: SidelineSwap, Cogito, Nebulous, Billshark & More”
Exact Sciences Beats Quarterly Forecasts, Sending Its Stock Price Up
When leaders at Exact Sciences discussed dealing with the adversity of cold weather and a “historically severe” flu season in early 2018, some industry observers predicted a potential break in the long growth streak of the Madison, WI-based company’s flagship product, a stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer known as Cologuard. But on Thursday, Exact … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Beats Quarterly Forecasts, Sending Its Stock Price Up”
Home Tests in Mind, Doudna Startup Races Rivals in CRISPR Diagnostics
[Updated 4/26/18, 2:20pm ET. See below.] The gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 has captured the world’s attention with the possibility of fixing tough diseases and altering human traits. While experimental medicine, ethical worries, and an epic patent battle have attracted most of the headlines, the field’s pioneers have advanced new types of CRISPR to detect and diagnose … Continue reading “Home Tests in Mind, Doudna Startup Races Rivals in CRISPR Diagnostics”
Boston Deal News: Digg, Bose, TripAdvisor, Vets First Choice, Examity
[Updated 4/26/18, 3:30 pm. See below.] Boston-area technology companies have played dealmaker lately, with notable mergers and acquisitions in augmented reality, online news curation, tourism tech, education, and veterinary software. Read on for details. —Boston-based advertising technology firm BuySellAds has acquired online news aggregator Digg for an undisclosed price, according to a report by Fast … Continue reading “Boston Deal News: Digg, Bose, TripAdvisor, Vets First Choice, Examity”
Moving On: Dallas Entrepreneur Center Founder Trey Bowles Steps Down
Dallas—Five years after founding the Dallas Entrepreneur Center, Trey Bowles is stepping down as its chief executive officer. “What I love to do is starting, building, and growing things,” Bowles said in an interview. “The DEC is doing what I wanted it to do—and it is not done by any means—but there is value in … Continue reading “Moving On: Dallas Entrepreneur Center Founder Trey Bowles Steps Down”
PayPal Headlines Dosh’s $44M Payday for Advertising-Rebate Business
Austin—Dosh, a fintech and advertising startup that gets consumers cash back on certain purchases, has raised a $44 million Series A round of funding from some big-name investors, including PayPal. Dosh, founded in 2016, has had an active start to 2018, after launching last year. The Austin, TX-based company’s app has added 3 million new … Continue reading “PayPal Headlines Dosh’s $44M Payday for Advertising-Rebate Business”
Roundup: Genomenon, Develop(her), QL Demo Day, MBA Summit & More
Michigan’s innovation community continues to pump out news at a steady clip. Here are some of the latest updates from around the state. —Ann Arbor’s Genomenon, a startup focused on genomic search data, has struck a new partnership with Boston’s Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RYTM]]), a company working on treatments for rare obesity disorders. They will team up … Continue reading “Roundup: Genomenon, Develop(her), QL Demo Day, MBA Summit & More”
DARPA Enlists Insects in R&D Effort to Protect the Food Supply
Farmers spend a lot of time and money trying to keep insects from damaging their crops. But the U.S. military sees some of these bugs as potential friends, not foes. A government-funded research project is studying how to use insects to deliver a targeted therapy to a crop following an outbreak of disease, a disaster, … Continue reading “DARPA Enlists Insects in R&D Effort to Protect the Food Supply”
As Telemedicine Use Booms, Doctor On Demand Raises $74M to Scale Up
Doctor On Demand, a startup that provides telemedicine services to patients who are unable or unwilling to see a doctor in person, says it has raised a $74 million round of outside financing. The new cash comes as the San Francisco-based company seeks to increase its market share in the telemedicine industry, which is projected … Continue reading “As Telemedicine Use Booms, Doctor On Demand Raises $74M to Scale Up”