Houston—More than 12 million people in the United States and European Union have congestive heart failure, but there are only about 4,500 hearts available each year for transplant. LVADs—left ventricular assist devices—have been used to help some of these patients, but installing them means cracking open patients’ chests in expensive open-heart surgery and a month-long … Continue reading “Corinnova Nets $6.1M from Wellcome for Heart Failure Medical Device”
Q&A: Xconomy Award Winner Nikhil Wagle on Building Patient Partnerships
[Updated 10/30/ 9:33 am ET to include news of the data release and new tweets, see below.] You only have to see a few tweets from metastatic breast cancer patients and patient groups to see how they feel about the Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) Project and its leader, Nikhil Wagle (pictured). The breast cancer oncologist … Continue reading “Q&A: Xconomy Award Winner Nikhil Wagle on Building Patient Partnerships”
South Bend Code School Helps Get Underserved Kids on Career Path
A few years ago, Alexandra Liggins was a student at Notre Dame studying English and taking pre-med courses. When she began tutoring local high school students in South Bend, IN, she was disheartened by the number of kids who believed that if they weren’t on the path to college, they didn’t have many future job … Continue reading “South Bend Code School Helps Get Underserved Kids on Career Path”
San Diego Positions Itself as Autonomous Technology Proving Ground
UC San Diego is becoming a test bed for self-driving vehicle technology. With a campus that encompasses more than 3.3 square miles and a daytime population of roughly 65,000, “It’s a small city,” said Henrik Christensen, who is leading the new project as director of the university’s Institute for Contextual Robotics. Christensen, who announced the … Continue reading “San Diego Positions Itself as Autonomous Technology Proving Ground”
Apple Asks Appeals Court to Reverse Judgment in WARF Patent Case
Apple has requested that an appeals court reverse or reduce a judgment ordering the company to pay $506 million for infringing on a patent held by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s technology transfer office. In a brief made public this week, Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) says it didn’t infringe on a patent owned by the Wisconsin Alumni … Continue reading “Apple Asks Appeals Court to Reverse Judgment in WARF Patent Case”
Five Questions For … Jeff Reichman, Of Civic Tech Skunkworks Sketch City
Houston—For Sketch City founder Jeff Reichman, a guiding philosophy is love to learn. “If you follow that, you’re going to learn all sorts of cool stuff,” he says. “You can get a unique mix of skills and position yourself for really interesting stuff in your career.” The Philadelphia native came to Houston in 2009 to … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Jeff Reichman, Of Civic Tech Skunkworks Sketch City”
MSOE, Noncompetes, NASA, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —The Milwaukee School of Engineering announced it’s building a $34 million facility devoted to artificial intelligence research and computational science education. The four-year college’s goal in constructing the 64,000-square-foot research center is to position MSOE “at the forefront in artificial intelligence, … Continue reading “MSOE, Noncompetes, NASA, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Boston Blockchain Firms Shrug Off ICO Critics, Hunt for Talent
Blockchain technologies and digital currencies are arguably the most hyped and least understood areas of tech right now. Unbridled optimism about these emerging sectors—as well as interesting questions about how they’ll play out—were on display Thursday night at an event in Boston’s financial district featuring three local companies pitching virtual token sales. The main takeaway? … Continue reading “Boston Blockchain Firms Shrug Off ICO Critics, Hunt for Talent”
Tocagen Adopts “Seamless Pivotal Trial” for Brain Cancer Therapy
Three-year survival rates are rarely reported for a deadly form of brain cancer known as recurrent, high-grade glioma (HGG). Under the current standard of care, the median survival rate is seven to nine months. Yet San Diego-based Tocagen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TOCA]]) says five patients in a high-dose cohort of its gene therapy treatment Toca 511 and … Continue reading “Tocagen Adopts “Seamless Pivotal Trial” for Brain Cancer Therapy”
CyberArk, BitSight, Gigavation Join Cybersecurity Lineup on Dec. 5
In the post-Equifax world, companies and individuals are trying to figure out the best way to shore up their tech defenses and keep their data, networks, and devices as safe as possible. On December 5, Xconomy is gathering a who’s who of cybersecurity leaders from Boston and beyond to discuss emerging threats, new tactics in … Continue reading “CyberArk, BitSight, Gigavation Join Cybersecurity Lineup on Dec. 5”
Bio Roundup: CBO’s Praise, Celgene’s Shock, Trump’s Opioid Plan & More
The White House and the FDA turned the spotlight on the nation’s opioid crisis. Blockbuster drugs from Alexion and Tesaro gained expanded approvals, but bad earnings news from Celgene and Biogen brought stocks down. Academics in the U.S. and China made progress with the gene editing technology CRISPR. And as the week’s biggest biotech deal … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CBO’s Praise, Celgene’s Shock, Trump’s Opioid Plan & More”
Watch Out, VCs: A.I. Program Judges Startups at Boston Pitch Event
I rarely attend startup pitch competitions anymore. They’ve grown hackneyed over the past few years, thanks to a proliferation of such events and the popularity of the TV show “Shark Tank.” But a startup contest held Tuesday at a machine learning conference in Cambridge, MA, put a twist on the typical scenario: the startups were … Continue reading “Watch Out, VCs: A.I. Program Judges Startups at Boston Pitch Event”
Roundup: TechTown Awards, MCWT Competition, Detroit Initiatives, More
It has been a busy fall in Michigan, full of local tech and innovation news. Here’s a look at some of the recent announcements: —Earlier this month, TechTown Detroit hosted the Toast of the Town event to honor winners of its Salute awards, which recognize the best and brightest in the local startup ecosystem. The … Continue reading “Roundup: TechTown Awards, MCWT Competition, Detroit Initiatives, More”
Cloud-Focused Cybersecurity Center at UTSA Aims $5M at Unfilled Jobs
San Antonio—Encryption, access control, intrusion and fraud detection—the fundamentals of cybersecurity remain largely the same regardless of the type of computing infrastructure an organization uses. But the way IT professionals might apply those security methods to an analog computer versus computing on the cloud vary, for a pretty simple reason: people use different systems different … Continue reading “Cloud-Focused Cybersecurity Center at UTSA Aims $5M at Unfilled Jobs”
Gilt Groupe & Glam Squad’s Wilson Zeroes In On Your Closet With Fitz
Fitz wants to get in the closet with you. The New York-based company will send stylists to your clothes closet, help analyze what you wear and why, and reorganize the clothing and accessories that make the cut. “It’s really kind of cathartic,” says Fitz co-founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson. “We help clients manage their wardrobes and … Continue reading “Gilt Groupe & Glam Squad’s Wilson Zeroes In On Your Closet With Fitz”
One Week Left to Register for Healthcare + A.I. at Pfizer
We’re in the final countdown to Xconomy’s newest event, Healthcare + A.I. Don’t worry, there are still a few seats available—but they’re going fast. On Nov. 2, we’ll gather innovative minds from across machine learning and healthcare to share their insights on the intersection of these fields. It’s all happening at Pfizer’s office in Cambridge, … Continue reading “One Week Left to Register for Healthcare + A.I. at Pfizer”
Terminated Blood Cancer Drug Springs Back to Life at SD Biotech
A blood cancer drug resurrected by the scientist who helped discover the compound, and who shepherded it through years of R&D, got a shot in the arm today, in the form of a $90 million financing deal with New York’s Oberland Capital. The financing paves the way for San Diego’s Impact Biomedicines to move forward … Continue reading “Terminated Blood Cancer Drug Springs Back to Life at SD Biotech”
Phoenix Pulls in $12M to Fuel Growth of Neutron Generators
Things are accelerating at Phoenix. The Monona, WI-based business, which manufactures particle accelerator-based neutron generators and other machines, has outgrown its current headquarters and plans to break ground on a new home next year, says vice president of business development Evan Sengbusch. Phoenix, which recently shortened its name from Phoenix Nuclear Labs, also plans to … Continue reading “Phoenix Pulls in $12M to Fuel Growth of Neutron Generators”
No Charm: PTC’s Duchenne Drug Rejected by FDA for Third Time
The FDA on Wednesday rejected a Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug from PTC Therapeutics, marking the third time that the regulator has quashed the company’s attempts to bring its drug to the market. Early this year, South Plainfield, NJ-based PTC (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PTCT]]) invoked a little-used rule to force an FDA decision. That strategy looked ill-advised last … Continue reading “No Charm: PTC’s Duchenne Drug Rejected by FDA for Third Time”
After Delays, “Social Robot” Jibo Enters Home Assistant Fray
After three years of hype and shipping postponements, Jibo is finally delivering its eponymous “social robot” to customers. The Boston-based company announced Wednesday that its robot is now for sale to the general public, with shipping set to begin in November. The price tag? $899. Jibo (pronounced JEE-bo) launched a crowdfunding campaign for the product … Continue reading “After Delays, “Social Robot” Jibo Enters Home Assistant Fray”
Occipital Acquires Paracosm, Plans Collaborative 3D Mapping Projects
Occipital, the spatial computing company based in San Francisco and Boulder, CO, announced this week that it has acquired Paracosm, a Gainesville, FL company developing 3D mapping technology. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Paracosm’s entire team of 13 people, which will remain in Florida, has been absorbed by Occipital. Adam Rodnitzky, … Continue reading “Occipital Acquires Paracosm, Plans Collaborative 3D Mapping Projects”
CRISPR Pioneer Zhang Details New Editing System Downstream From DNA
[Updated 10/25/17 4:26pm ET] Researchers at the Broad Institute have adapted the CRISPR-Cas gene editing system so that it can change the sequence of RNA, rather than edit DNA. RNA transports instructions from DNA in the nucleus to the cell’s protein-making machinery. CRISPR/Cas9-based drugs, which aim to correct genetic disease by making permanent changes to … Continue reading “CRISPR Pioneer Zhang Details New Editing System Downstream From DNA”
After Harvey’s Chaos, Tech Tools Provide Key Connection to Schools
Houston—Hurricane Harvey has faded from front-page newspaper headlines and the top of cable news, but for thousands of families, the chaos and dislocation are still very much top of mind. Luckily, some of them have been able to use technology to fill some basic needs in education and communication. Uma Dama, whose Sugarland, TX, home … Continue reading “After Harvey’s Chaos, Tech Tools Provide Key Connection to Schools”
As Drugs Fail, Some Researchers Urge a Return to Alzheimer’s Roots
As the quest to find treatments for Alzheimer’s disease keeps crashing against rocks, a group of researchers in the field want their peers to pay more attention to the part of the brain where Alzheimer’s disease first wreaks havoc. A new paper from the researchers, published this month in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, is … Continue reading “As Drugs Fail, Some Researchers Urge a Return to Alzheimer’s Roots”
Cord Cutting: How to Get High-Speed Internet Without Cable, 2017 Edition
Hey folks. If you’re thinking about breaking away from the cable monopolies and getting your data, music, and video in other ways, congratulations, I’m with you. I cut the cord back in 2009, and now millions of people are doing the same every year. With the growing interest in cord-cutting, you’d think it would be … Continue reading “Cord Cutting: How to Get High-Speed Internet Without Cable, 2017 Edition”
VelocityTX and OBr Plan to Bring Brazilian Startups to San Antonio
San Antonio — Another week, another announcement from VelocityTX, the rapidly expanding startup program launched last month to promote and aid young tech and bioscience businesses in South Central Texas. VelocityTX is now working to bring Brazilian startups from Rio de Janeiro to San Antonio as a part of a program it is starting with Outsource … Continue reading “VelocityTX and OBr Plan to Bring Brazilian Startups to San Antonio”
Partnership on AI Taps Obama Administration Tech Adviser as Director
An effort launched a year ago by big tech companies to address ethical and societal issues presented by the advancement of artificial intelligence has named as its first executive director a former top technology policy adviser in the Obama administration. Terah Lyons (pictured above right), who led government initiatives to develop machine intelligence strategies, will … Continue reading “Partnership on AI Taps Obama Administration Tech Adviser as Director”
MassMutual Ventures Launches Second $100M Fund
MassMutual is doubling down on its startup investments. MassMutual Ventures (MMV), the venture capital arm of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, on Tuesday announced the creation of its second $100 million venture fund. MMV, launched in 2014, has so far backed 20 companies with about $80 million from its $100 million first fund, according to … Continue reading “MassMutual Ventures Launches Second $100M Fund”
Five Prime Therapeutics Promotes Aron Knickerbocker to CEO
Five Prime Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FPRX]]) did not have to go far to find its next CEO. Aron Knickerbocker, currently the chief operating officer of the South San Francisco, CA, biotech, has been named its new CEO. Knickerbocker will succeed Lewis “Rusty” Williams, who will become executive chairman. The change will become effective Jan. 1. Knickerbocker … Continue reading “Five Prime Therapeutics Promotes Aron Knickerbocker to CEO”
Bruno Lucidi Appointed CEO of AgenTus Therapeutics
Bruno Lucidi has been named CEO of AgenTus Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Lexington, MA, cancer drug developer Agenus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AGEN]]). AgenTus is also developing cancer treatments, but it will focus specifically on cell therapies. Lucidi’s industry experience includes senior roles at GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]), and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]).
With New Funding, TAI Diagnostics Set to Launch Post-Transplant Test
TAI Diagnostics, a Milwaukee-area startup developing a non-invasive test to monitor patients’ health after they’ve received heart transplants, plans to begin selling its test early next year, says CEO Frank Langley. Launched in 2015, Wauwatosa, WI-based TAI—whose name stands for “Transplant and Immunology” and is pronounced “tie”—has raised about $13 million from investors so far, … Continue reading “With New Funding, TAI Diagnostics Set to Launch Post-Transplant Test”
What’s Hot in Bay Area Biotech on Dec. 6: Early Bird Rate Ends Soon
Grab your ticket to attend Xconomy’s annual biotech event in San Francisco, What’s Hot in Bay Area Biotech. Leaders in gene editing, microbiome, neuroscience, and other fields will discuss the opportunities and pitfalls, and emerging technologies in their industry. Join us on Dec. 6 at UCSF Mission Bay, home to QB3, the University of California’s … Continue reading “What’s Hot in Bay Area Biotech on Dec. 6: Early Bird Rate Ends Soon”
Delphi to Buy NuTonomy for $400M+ as Driverless Car Tie-ups Continue
Another big move today in the race to develop self-driving cars: Delphi Automotive has inked a deal to acquire NuTonomy, an autonomous vehicle software startup, for up to $450 million. The U.K.-based automotive supplier (NYSE: [[ticker:DLPH]]) will pay $400 million up front to acquire Boston-based NuTonomy, plus earn-outs of about $50 million, according to a … Continue reading “Delphi to Buy NuTonomy for $400M+ as Driverless Car Tie-ups Continue”
Announcing New York Biotech: The Future is Now on Dec. 11
Last year the New York City and state governments announced two initiatives designed to make New York a world-class biotech hub. If the right progress is made, 2018 could be a pivotal year in realizing this vision. Xconomy is convening a small group of influential New York life science leaders to host an interactive, town … Continue reading “Announcing New York Biotech: The Future is Now on Dec. 11”
With $50M of His Fortune, AppDynamics Founder Creates a Startup Factory
Jyoti Bansal, who was raised in a small town in India, earned a computer science degree in 1999, worked for three successful Silicon Valley startups, founded his first company in 2008 while still in his 20’s, and led it through its acquisition by Cisco early this year for $3.7 billion. He clearly had a knack … Continue reading “With $50M of His Fortune, AppDynamics Founder Creates a Startup Factory”
Houston Exponential Aims to Bring Venture Investment, Boost Startups
Houston—Houston leaders will officially launch a venture capital fund of funds later this morning, aimed at jumpstarting the city’s innovation ecosystem and elevating Houston into the top tier of startup hubs. The HX Venture Fund, which will be in the $40 million to $50 million range, will be made up of corporate investments which, in … Continue reading “Houston Exponential Aims to Bring Venture Investment, Boost Startups”
Massachusetts Leads the Fight for a More (Cyber) Secure Future
Last month, more than 143 million Americans potentially had their credit information, social security numbers, birth dates, and other sensitive information stolen in one of the worst data breaches in modern history. Prior to that, rogue cyber attackers infiltrated the networks of major U.S. and European energy providers, with the potential to cause massive disruptions. … Continue reading “Massachusetts Leads the Fight for a More (Cyber) Secure Future”
TUGG Gives Back, GE Struggles, Foodler Fades & More Boston Tech News
[Updated 10/24/17, 11:07 am. See below.] Before we dive into this week’s Boston tech news roundup, I want to give a shout-out to TUGG (Technology Underwriting Greater Good), a local nonprofit that mobilizes the tech community to give money and time to support charities and social ventures. Last Thursday, TUGG held its seventh annual “Tech … Continue reading “TUGG Gives Back, GE Struggles, Foodler Fades & More Boston Tech News”
SmartDrive Raises Capital, Rolls Out Distracted Driving Technology
At the American Trucking Association Management Conference in Orlando, FL, this week, San Diego’s SmartDrive Systems announced that Michelin North America has led a new investment round in the company, though SmartDrive wouldn’t say how much it has raised. SmartDrive, founded in 2004, specializes in dashboard video cameras and related analytic technology to identify dangerous … Continue reading “SmartDrive Raises Capital, Rolls Out Distracted Driving Technology”
Following Wave of Interest in Cybersecurity, SailPoint Files for IPO
Austin—SailPoint Technologies, a cybersecurity company that was acquired by private equity firm Thoma Bravo in 2014, wants to become a public company. SailPoint filed paperwork for an initial public offering on Oct. 20, and plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SAIL. SailPoint is approaching the markets during a high … Continue reading “Following Wave of Interest in Cybersecurity, SailPoint Files for IPO”
Connecture Plans to Delist Stock From Nasdaq, List on OTCQX Exchange
Connecture, a company that sells Web-based software designed to aid consumers shopping for health plans, said Friday it plans to withdraw its shares from the Nasdaq stock exchange next month. Brookfield, WI-based Connecture (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNXR]]) went public in 2014. Since then, the company’s shares have been listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (NGM), the middle … Continue reading “Connecture Plans to Delist Stock From Nasdaq, List on OTCQX Exchange”
DOTS Technology Pulls in $20M for Rapid Food Allergen Detector
DOTS Technology, a stealthy startup developing rapid diagnostics technologies, has raised about $20.4 million from investors, according to a document filed with the SEC. The fresh capital includes Series B preferred stock and common stock that is issuable upon the conversion of the preferred stock, according to the regulatory filing. Natick, MA-based DOTS previously raised … Continue reading “DOTS Technology Pulls in $20M for Rapid Food Allergen Detector”
Arsanis Eyes IPO to Support Clinical Testing of Pneumonia Drug
Arsanis is joining the IPO queue, filing for a stock offering that would raise cash to support a drug that combines two monoclonal antibodies with the goal of preventing pneumonia infections. The filing comes seven months after the Waltham, MA, company raised $45.5 million in a Series D investment round to finance Phase 2 studies … Continue reading “Arsanis Eyes IPO to Support Clinical Testing of Pneumonia Drug”
WSU Researchers Team Sensors, Clinicians, Algorithms for Senior Care
An older woman, still living independently in a senior care community, contracts a urinary tract infection. She ignores it for a few days, because she’s had them before and maybe it will go away. She takes more trips to the bathroom. The infection worsens and creates side effects including dizziness. She falls, breaks her hip, … Continue reading “WSU Researchers Team Sensors, Clinicians, Algorithms for Senior Care”
After Natural Disasters, Bluelock Helps Companies Recover Their Data
When hurricanes and other natural disasters strike, buildings and other physical structures aren’t the only things at risk of being destroyed. Crucial data and IT infrastructure can also be lost as a result of inclement weather, and a sector called “disaster-recovery-as-a-service” (DRaaS) has emerged, along with new cloud-based tools, to help mitigate the damage. Indianapolis-based … Continue reading “After Natural Disasters, Bluelock Helps Companies Recover Their Data”
Xconomy Q&A: An Update with Arcturus Therapeutics CEO Joseph Payne
Things have been moving quickly in recent weeks for the San Diego RNA drug developer Arcturus Therapeutics. After initiating a reverse merger last month, Arcturus signed a research collaboration and worldwide licensing agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, part of the Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]) family of companies. In a statement last week, Arcturus said it … Continue reading “Xconomy Q&A: An Update with Arcturus Therapeutics CEO Joseph Payne”
Back to the (Near) Future: Join Us for San Diego Life Sciences 2022
In 2010, Xconomy convened “San Diego Life Sciences 2030,” a séance with the soothsayers of San Diego as they gazed into the future at what the local life sciences landscape might look like 20 years from now. This December, we are gathering some visionaries from the past and present for another look into the future—only … Continue reading “Back to the (Near) Future: Join Us for San Diego Life Sciences 2022”
Devoted Health, Led by Athenahealth Alums Ed & Todd Park, Bags $62M
[Updated 10/23/17, 12:27 pm. See below.] Devoted Health, a new healthcare company created by former Athenahealth leaders, has raised nearly $62 million from investors, according to a document filed with the SEC. Devoted has now raised a total of $69 million from Venrock and other groups and individual investors, spokesman Kenneth Baer said in an … Continue reading “Devoted Health, Led by Athenahealth Alums Ed & Todd Park, Bags $62M”
Xconomy Young Innovator Award Winner Armon Sharei—CEO Before 30
It was by accident that Armon Sharei first discovered the technology that his startup, SQZ Biotech, is now using to develop cell therapies for cancer. As a grad student at MIT, he and his collaborators developed a relatively quick and simple way to deliver large molecules such as proteins into cells—by squeezing those cells enough … Continue reading “Xconomy Young Innovator Award Winner Armon Sharei—CEO Before 30”
Solvvy Raises $12M Series A for AI-Enhanced Customer Self-Service
[Corrected 10/23/17, 9:30 am. See below.] Customers who try to get straight answers from retail support desks or telecom companies often end up leaning on their phone’s “Operator” button after a robot voice comes on the line and says, “How can I help you? I can understand spoken questions.” Nope. And how many people have … Continue reading “Solvvy Raises $12M Series A for AI-Enhanced Customer Self-Service”