Many people assume that the growing “gig economy” presents few barriers to entry for workers who want to, say, start driving for Uber, or shopping for the grocery delivery service Instacart. That’s true in some cases, but many independent contractors—everyone from field service technicians to software consultants—must meet a surprising number of requirements before they … Continue reading “Bunker, Startup That Helps Insure Gig Workers, Nabs Cash from Chubb”
Get the Inside Scoop on Seattle Life Sciences at Xconomy’s June Event
Xconomy’s annual Seattle-area life sciences conference will be held on June 12 at Cambia Grove in the Emerald City’s downtown. “What’s Hot in Seattle Biotech” will look at what’s hot, and what’s next, for the Puget Sound region’s life sciences scene. It’s only March , but already this year, Seattle’s life science community has seen … Continue reading “Get the Inside Scoop on Seattle Life Sciences at Xconomy’s June Event”
Xconomy’s EXOME Presents: What’s Hot in Seattle Biotech
To highlight the strengths of Seattle’s life-science community, as well as its challenges, look no further than two major deals that kicked off 2018. The first was Microsoft’s agreement to pursue an ambitious multi-disease diagnostic test with Fred Hutch spinout Adaptive Biotechnologies. If it works, it would be a groundbreaking marriage of artificial intelligence and … Continue reading “Xconomy’s EXOME Presents: What’s Hot in Seattle Biotech”
Want to Hire a Kid Down the Street to do Yard Work? ToDoolie Can Help
It used to be fairly simple to hire neighborhood kids to help move heavy objects or perform other household chores for a small fee. I’m not sure if the Internet and video games are to blame, or a general degradation of American civil discourse is the reason, but it seems a lot harder to connect … Continue reading “Want to Hire a Kid Down the Street to do Yard Work? ToDoolie Can Help”
Unum Therapeutics IPO Raises $69M to Test Universal Cell Therapies
Unum Therapeutics is the latest biotechnology company to take the plunge into the public markets, raising $69.2 million that it plans to use to fund more clinical tests of its experimental cancer treatments. The Cambridge, MA, company priced its initial public stock offering of 5.77 million shares at $12 each, which was on the low … Continue reading “Unum Therapeutics IPO Raises $69M to Test Universal Cell Therapies”
The Edge or the Cloud? It Depends on the App
There’s no arguing that the cloud has transformed the way organizations deal with data and apps. It has freed IT departments from constantly provisioning and managing storage, while bringing overall costs down. For these reasons and more, companies everywhere are moving more and more data and compute tasks to the cloud every day. It’s important, … Continue reading “The Edge or the Cloud? It Depends on the App”
Among Facebook’s Woes, EU’s Strict Privacy Laws May Loom Largest
In a continuing effort to regain the trust of its disillusioned users, Facebook on Wednesday announced new privacy controls where settings can be made from a central menu, rather than by tunneling through as many as 20 screens. As Facebook unveiled the sweeping revisions, though, it also made a striking admission: The company knew it … Continue reading “Among Facebook’s Woes, EU’s Strict Privacy Laws May Loom Largest”
Going Downhill: Roam Robotics’ Exoskeleton Supports Aging Skiers
Robotics has found its way to the ski slopes. San Francisco-based Roam Robotics has developed an exoskeleton, worn on the legs, that the company says will improve skiers’ endurance and safety while they blaze down trails. For skiers 45 or older, Roam says, the exoskeleton can provide vital support for aging knees that might be … Continue reading “Going Downhill: Roam Robotics’ Exoskeleton Supports Aging Skiers”
Foxconn, CUNA, DevCodeCamp & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
[Updated 3/28/18 4:29 p.m. See below.] Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Foxconn Interconnect Technology said it agreed to pay $866 million in cash to acquire Belkin International, a California-based maker of phone chargers, audio cables, and other accessories. The buyer is a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision … Continue reading “Foxconn, CUNA, DevCodeCamp & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Reachify Rolls Out Healthtech Software for Patient Communications
[Updated 3/28/18 12:15 am. See below.] A healthtech startup founded by two doctors who set out in 2013 to improve the overall management of their respective medical practices is emerging from beta mode Wednesday to offer fellow physicians an office software suite. Reachify, founded in 2015 and based in San Diego, targets medical groups with … Continue reading “Reachify Rolls Out Healthtech Software for Patient Communications”
Saver Rate Ending—Grab Your Ticket to Robo Madness 2018: Homecoming
Grab your ticket to attend Xconomy’s fourth annual Robo Madness event, which was a total sellout last year. Leaders in robotics and artificial intelligence will discuss smart home technologies, progress in driverless vehicles, investment and startup strategies, and more. Join us on April 12 at iRobot in Bedford, MA, to look at how robots and … Continue reading “Saver Rate Ending—Grab Your Ticket to Robo Madness 2018: Homecoming”
Flipside Crypto Grabs $3.4M to Push Algorithms for Crypto Investing
Data-crunching algorithms have become a popular—and controversial—tool on Wall Street in recent years. Now, they’re starting to be used to guide investments in cryptocurrencies, too. The emerging strategy raises a number of interesting questions for the young and volatile cryptocurrency market. Among them: What types of data should be considered when trying to predict the … Continue reading “Flipside Crypto Grabs $3.4M to Push Algorithms for Crypto Investing”
Edge to Cut Jobs as Head Injury Drug Flops in Phase 3, Shares Tumble
For years, Edge Therapeutics has been building towards a crucial test of a drug meant to combat the potentially delayed effects of aneurysms and severe head injuries. The plan fell apart this morning: the company will shutter the study and cut its workforce because its experimental treatment, EG-1962, is likely to fail. An independent committee … Continue reading “Edge to Cut Jobs as Head Injury Drug Flops in Phase 3, Shares Tumble”
Tempest Therapeutics Debuts with $70M to Bring Cancer Drugs to Clinic
A number of companies are trying to improve cancer immunotherapy by disrupting the ways that tumors evade the immune system. Tempest Therapeutics is now joining that group with $70 million in financing to advance its drug pipeline. Tempest is a spinoff from a drug discovery unit supported by Versant Ventures, which co-led the Series B … Continue reading “Tempest Therapeutics Debuts with $70M to Bring Cancer Drugs to Clinic”
No Data Yet, But Homology Upsizes IPO and Raises $144M
Homology Medicines, a company trying to leapfrog existing gene editing developers, has raised $144 million in an IPO that will help fund its first clinical trials. Bedford, MA-based Homology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FIXX]]) priced its offering and sold 9 million shares at $16 apiece. Homology had planned to sell 7.6 million shares at $14 to $16 each. … Continue reading “No Data Yet, But Homology Upsizes IPO and Raises $144M”
Smartsheet Plans to Go Public as More Tech Firms Explore IPOs
Smartsheet, a developer of collaborative software that allows users to track projects and manage corporate processes, said this week it is seeking to raise $100 million as part of a planned initial public offering. Bellevue, WA-based Smartsheet’s revenues and headcount have risen sharply in recent years, though it continues to lose money on an annual … Continue reading “Smartsheet Plans to Go Public as More Tech Firms Explore IPOs”
Invanti Seeks Entrepreneurs to Help Crack America’s Toughest Problems
When Maria Gibbs and Dustin Mix were working on degrees at the University of Notre Dame a few years ago, they noticed a gap in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. They were used to attacking big problems as part of their university research, but they weren’t seeing similar issues being addressed by entrepreneurs, which they felt … Continue reading “Invanti Seeks Entrepreneurs to Help Crack America’s Toughest Problems”
Diane Hessan Seeks Common Ground in Era of Fake News and Facebook
When I sit down with Diane Hessan for a recent conversation, the entrepreneur, startup investor, and budding political researcher is nothing but hearty laughs, cool optimism, and earnest passion about her work. That’s despite having spent the past year and a half corresponding with hundreds of American voters on a weekly basis, during one of … Continue reading “Diane Hessan Seeks Common Ground in Era of Fake News and Facebook”
Delta Hires AT&T’s Morris, Pivotal IPO, New Fundings & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Pivotal Software, a cloud computing company majority-owned by Dell Computer, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday to go public. The company set $100 million as a placeholder target for the IPO. According to a document filed with federal securities regulators, Pivotal … Continue reading “Delta Hires AT&T’s Morris, Pivotal IPO, New Fundings & More TX Tech “
Are You Being Deliberate About Diversity in Your Investment Portfolio?
“We looked, but we couldn’t find any companies to acquire led by women or founders of color.” “I want to hire diverse talent, but it’s impossible to find.” “It’s not my fault that the financial sector doesn’t have a more varied talent pool or deals to make with non-white males.” I have heard all of … Continue reading “Are You Being Deliberate About Diversity in Your Investment Portfolio?”
FTC Opens New Probe: Revisits Its Old Charges On Facebook Privacy Practices
Among the host of legal woes Facebook is now confronting amid news about the misuse of its member profiles in election politics: The Federal Trade Commission revealed Monday that it is investigating the social media giant’s privacy practices. The FTC decision comes in the wake of recent reports about the ease with which political consulting … Continue reading “FTC Opens New Probe: Revisits Its Old Charges On Facebook Privacy Practices”
EY Report Suggests Improving Conditions for U.S. IPOs in 2018
U.S. IPO activity has been ticking up, with 36 IPOs raising more than $12.7 billion in the United States so far this year, according to data released Monday by EY, the global consulting and accounting firm. Although there are still several days remaining in the first quarter of 2018, EY reports the number of first-quarter … Continue reading “EY Report Suggests Improving Conditions for U.S. IPOs in 2018”
Gener8tor Creates Program in Minnesota for Medical Device Startups
Since launching in 2012, Wisconsin-based Gener8tor has held training programs for entrepreneurs whose startups represent a wide range of industries—everything from online food ordering to weather technology to subscription services for wine and pet food. But as Gener8tor has expanded into new markets—the list of states where it’s held accelerator programs or plans to soon … Continue reading “Gener8tor Creates Program in Minnesota for Medical Device Startups”
Surface Oncology Plans IPO to Advance Clinical Tests of Cancer Drug
Cancer continues to be a big area of investor interest and Surface Oncology now aims to tap into that with an initial public stock offering that the company hopes will finance tests of its lead immuno-oncology drug. Surface set a preliminary $75 million goal for the stock offering, according to documents filed with securities regulators … Continue reading “Surface Oncology Plans IPO to Advance Clinical Tests of Cancer Drug”
General Catalyst Bags $1.4B for Ninth Fund as Tech Investors Go Big
[Updated 3/27/18, 10:27 am. See below.] General Catalyst Partners is the latest venture capital firm to join the billion dollar fund club. The Cambridge, MA-based firm’s latest fund—its ninth—clocked in at $1.375 billion, according to a document filed with the SEC. That’s a significant jump from its last fundraising effort two years ago, when General … Continue reading “General Catalyst Bags $1.4B for Ninth Fund as Tech Investors Go Big”
Leveraging the Value of City Data
With over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data generated daily, where do you start when looking to extract value from data? What are the key insights learned from successes identifying and demonstrating value to customers? How are these lessons applied to the mountains of data generated by smart cities every day? Join experts from academia and … Continue reading “Leveraging the Value of City Data”
San Antonio Startup Leaptran Develops Machine-Learning Energy Tech
San Antonio—A pair of San Antonio researchers have created a startup that aims to reduce the cost of energy consumption for commercial buildings using solar power and machine learning technology. Called Leaptran, the young startup plans to help commercial building owners, such as at a university or warehouse, use solar panels to soak up and … Continue reading “San Antonio Startup Leaptran Develops Machine-Learning Energy Tech”
Racing Allergan, Biohaven Touts Migraine Drug Data, But Shares Sink
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals has become the latest to head to the FDA seeking approval of a new type of migraine drug. But it’s unclear whether the treatment, rimegepant, will stand out amidst a crowd of new medicines aiming to help people fend off the debilitating headaches after they start. Biohaven (NYSE: [[ticker:BHVN]]), of New Haven, CT, … Continue reading “Racing Allergan, Biohaven Touts Migraine Drug Data, But Shares Sink”
Ada-AI Seeks to Build a Diverse Artificial Intelligence Community
Artificial intelligence innovation has become part of our everyday lives—retailers use it to tailor the product recommendations they make; biotech companies hope it can create customized medicine. But its shortcomings, born of human biases, are becoming apparent as well. Take, for example, facial recognition technologies that work best on white people and make the most … Continue reading “Ada-AI Seeks to Build a Diverse Artificial Intelligence Community”
Five Years In, Grand Circus CEO Reflects on Detroit Tech, Coding Boom
It seems like it was only yesterday when we covered the debut of Detroit’s Grand Circus, but the tech school is celebrating its fifth anniversary. The local tech scene has grown since 2013, as has the popularity of Grand Circus and other coding schools nationwide, which run short-term programs aimed at bestowing the skills needed … Continue reading “Five Years In, Grand Circus CEO Reflects on Detroit Tech, Coding Boom”
SD Team Heads to US Ignite Summit to Advance Emergency Mobile App
A San Diego software development team with an idea for an emergency mobile app that it said would be faster than calling 911 is headed this week to US Ignite’s Application Summit in Kansas City, MO. The team (pictured above right) emerged as the judges’ top choice among 12 pre-qualified entrants that competed in San … Continue reading “SD Team Heads to US Ignite Summit to Advance Emergency Mobile App”
Qualcomm’s Paul Jacobs Offers Farewell at Shareholders Meeting
Former Qualcomm executive chairman and CEO Paul Jacobs ended his 28-year career with the telecommunications giant Friday with a heartfelt farewell at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting. In a short speech to several hundred shareholders at Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QCOM]]) headquarters in San Diego, Jacobs acknowledged the role his father Irwin Jacobs played as Qualcomm’s founding … Continue reading “Qualcomm’s Paul Jacobs Offers Farewell at Shareholders Meeting”
Understory Teams Up With Monsanto to Bring Weather Tech to Argentina
[Updated 3/26/18 9:09 p.m. See below.] Many people look up information about local weather conditions to make low-stakes, everyday decisions, like whether to grab an umbrella or put on an extra layer of clothing before leaving the house. But for farmers, there’s more on the line when it comes to weather data. Many growers factor … Continue reading “Understory Teams Up With Monsanto to Bring Weather Tech to Argentina”
Auris Health’s Surgical Robot Gets FDA Green Light for Lung Cancer
Auris Health is now the latest surgical robot company with the go-ahead to enter the U.S. market. The Redwood City, CA, based company, formerly known as Auris Surgical Robots, said Friday that its robotic system has cleared the FDA’s regulatory bar, allowing the system to be used for diagnosing and treating lung cancer tumors. The … Continue reading “Auris Health’s Surgical Robot Gets FDA Green Light for Lung Cancer”
Founders, Pay Attention to This Stuff—Not the Stock Market
The Dow Jones Industrial Average. Nasdaq. Startup exits. Funding rounds. In our 24/7 connected world, there’s no shortage of data you can access, study, and agonize over. The market’s latest move—from boom to correction—has commentators and analysts in a tizzy; many investors are feeling anxious, too. It’s easy to get distracted by all this chatter, … Continue reading “Founders, Pay Attention to This Stuff—Not the Stock Market”
Bio Roundup: CMS Backs Cancer Tests, Right to Try Passes, AbbVie Sinks
We’ll start this week’s roundup with several stories from Washington, DC, that could have a lasting effect on public health. The FDA continued its campaign against cigarettes, while the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) gave a much-needed boost to the developers of cancer diagnostics. In its omnibus spending bill, Congress set aside more … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CMS Backs Cancer Tests, Right to Try Passes, AbbVie Sinks”
How Will Mobility Industry Take Shape? Lux Capital’s Farshchi Weighs In
Shahin Farshchi, a partner at Silicon Valley VC firm Lux Capital, describes himself on his LinkedIn profile as a gearhead, Trekkie, and recovering engineer. He’s a Bay Area native who spent part of his career working at GM’s tech center just outside of Detroit in Warren, MI. He’s into cars, space (as in the final … Continue reading “How Will Mobility Industry Take Shape? Lux Capital’s Farshchi Weighs In”
Boston Tech Watch: Desktop Metal, Nuance, Zagster, Elephant & More
[Updated 3/24/18, 1:38 pm. See below.] This week in Boston tech, we’re tracking a 3D printing rivalry now headed to court, layoffs at a local bike-sharing startup, a leadership transition, more money for two venture capital firms, and an investment in a stealthy startup that appears to have MIT ties. Read on for details. —Burlington, … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Desktop Metal, Nuance, Zagster, Elephant & More”
YouTube Limits Firearms Videos; Gun Rights Group Cries Censorship
YouTube has broadened its restrictions on gun-related videos, while thousands of Americans are mobilizing to demand stricter gun controls Saturday in a mass march spurred by young survivors of a deadly armed attack on a Florida high school last month. Google’s popular video-hosting site will bar videos that facilitate direct sales of firearms or accessories, … Continue reading “YouTube Limits Firearms Videos; Gun Rights Group Cries Censorship”
With Competition Rising, Dropbox Now a Public Company After $756M IPO
[Updated 3/23/18, 3:35 p.m. See below.] Dropbox has raised about $756 million in its public market debut after pricing its IPO at $21 per share, according to news reports citing sources familiar with the matter. It’s the largest initial public offering for a U.S. tech company since Snap’s $3.9 billion offering a year ago. That … Continue reading “With Competition Rising, Dropbox Now a Public Company After $756M IPO”
Salim Yazji Joins PMV Pharma as Chief Medical Officer
PMV Pharmaceuticals has appointed Salim Yazji to serve as chief medical officer of the Cranbury, NJ, cancer drug developer. Yazji most recently worked at Calimmune, where he was executive vice president and chief medical officer. Yazji will be based in the Boston area, where PMV is opening a site for its clinical and regulatory operations. … Continue reading “Salim Yazji Joins PMV Pharma as Chief Medical Officer”
HepQuant Appoints Richard Whitcomb Chief Operating Officer
HepQuant has named Richard Whitcomb to serve as chief operating officer of the Greenwood Village, CO, company. Whitcomb most recently worked for Boulder, CO, company Bioptix Diagnostics, where he was president and CEO. HepQuant has developed an experimental test to evaluate the liver in patients who have chronic liver disease.
Renaissance Learning Turns the Page with Purchase of Minnesota Firm
Renaissance Learning, a Wisconsin company that claims its cloud-based educational software is used in more than 70 countries, said earlier this week it had acquired Myon, a developer of tools designed to improve and assess students’ reading abilities. Wisconsin Rapids, WI-based Renaissance, which focuses on K-12 education, said it plans to build applications that combine … Continue reading “Renaissance Learning Turns the Page with Purchase of Minnesota Firm”
AbbVie Shares Plummet as $5.8B Bet on Stemcentrx Takes a Hit
There is still a chance that AbbVie’s $5.8 billion gamble on acquiring Stemcentrx, a privately held developer of cancer stem cell drugs, could pay off. But the deal’s prospects dimmed this morning with news that Stemcentrx’s lead drug disappointed in clinical testing, sending shares of Chicago-based AbbVie down. AbbVie (NYSE: [[ticker:ABBV]]) said that it won’t … Continue reading “AbbVie Shares Plummet as $5.8B Bet on Stemcentrx Takes a Hit”
Freenome Co-founder & Investor Chat Where Big Data Meets Big Bio
Through the years, Xconomy has taken many of the stories we’ve published about innovation and entrepreneurship and brought them to life on stage at our events. In the process, we have learned that combining an entrepreneur with a venture investor for a one-on-one chat can provide some fascinating insights into the startup process. So we’re … Continue reading “Freenome Co-founder & Investor Chat Where Big Data Meets Big Bio”
Join Xconomy as We Bring Back the NY Biotech Expats on June 21
Here’s a question posed time and again by the those toiling away to build up New York’s biotech scene: What if we could just bring back the biopharma veterans who grew up here? You can call them the New York expats. They started out in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, but like many others before them, … Continue reading “Join Xconomy as We Bring Back the NY Biotech Expats on June 21”
Xconomy’s EXOME Presents: New York Biotech—Bringing Back the Expats
They grew up in Brooklyn. Queens. The Bronx. Staten Island. They became top scientists, and eventually life sciences entrepreneurs. And like many others before them, they rose to biopharma prominence only after leaving New York. They’re the New York expats, and to many in the New York life sciences scene, they’re seen as key to … Continue reading “Xconomy’s EXOME Presents: New York Biotech—Bringing Back the Expats”
After Decades of R&D, Bose Amps Up VC Deals in AR, Wearables, Wellness
[Updated 3/22/18, 1:14 pm. See below.] For the first 50 years of its existence, Bose Corporation invested primarily in in-house research and development to produce its lineup of high-end headphones, speakers, and other audio technologies. Bose’s Steve Romine says that’s still an important focus for the Framingham, MA-based company, which has been awarded hundreds of … Continue reading “After Decades of R&D, Bose Amps Up VC Deals in AR, Wearables, Wellness”
Rheos Medicines Launches, Backed by $60M for Immunometabolism R&D
Though many people understand metabolism as the process of converting food into the energy the body needs, it also plays a key role in how immune cells work. A growing body of evidence is revealing ways that adjusting metabolism at the cellular level could help immune cells treat disease. “You can get immune cells to … Continue reading “Rheos Medicines Launches, Backed by $60M for Immunometabolism R&D”
Don’t Want Your Facebook Profile Scraped? A Do-It Yourself Fix
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg tried to reassure users Wednesday that its new and old modifications will prevent the wholesale capture of millions of personal profiles, like the 50 million that fell into the hands of political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica by 2015. But an MIT team says canny software developers could still amass these profiles … Continue reading “Don’t Want Your Facebook Profile Scraped? A Do-It Yourself Fix”