Lawyer Sues Venter’s Synthetic Genomics “Boys Club” over Gender Bias

Against a contentious backdrop of a gender gap in the life sciences, a lawyer who spent more than eight years managing intellectual property at San Diego’s Synthetic Genomics (SGI) has sued the star-studded company for discriminating against women. In a state civil lawsuit filed September 7, Teresa Spehar alleges that SGI is permeated by a … Continue reading “Lawyer Sues Venter’s Synthetic Genomics “Boys Club” over Gender Bias”

Humatics, $18M Richer, Aims to Equip Robots with Microlocation Tech

A Boston-area robotics firm is starting to make its first big moves. Cambridge, MA-based “microlocation” startup Humatics announced this week it has completed an $18 million Series A funding round. Detroit-based Fontinalis Partners led the investment, with participation from Airbus Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Intact Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Presidio Ventures, Blue Ivy Ventures, and others. … Continue reading “Humatics, $18M Richer, Aims to Equip Robots with Microlocation Tech”

Techstars Heads to Norway in Search of Energy Startups with Statoil

Global startup launcher Techstars plans to run a program next year in Oslo, with Norwegian state-owned energy giant Statoil, focused on startups working in the energy industry. Statoil (NYSE: [[ticker:STOS]]) is a 45-year-old vertically integrated oil and gas giant with deep expertise in offshore exploration and drilling, as well as a significant hydroelectric and wind energy … Continue reading “Techstars Heads to Norway in Search of Energy Startups with Statoil”

Austin Venture Firm AVX Partners Changes Name to Elsewhere Ventures

Austin—The founders of an Austin venture capital firm that invests in software companies have renamed the firm to Elsewhere Partners because its founders say it reflects the investors’ interest in companies located in cities that don’t traditionally have much access to venture capital. Previously known as AVX Partners, which was founded in 2015, the firm … Continue reading “Austin Venture Firm AVX Partners Changes Name to Elsewhere Ventures”

Last Chance to Save on Boston’s Life Science Disruptors

There’s just eight days left before Xconomy’s latest biotech event, “Boston’s Life Science Disruptors.” Don’t let the clock run out while you can still save some cash on a ticket. Next Thursday, September 28, we’re bringing together some of the key founders and investors behind three cancer drugmakers—Tesaro, Dragonfly Therapeutics, and IFM Therapeutics—that have each … Continue reading “Last Chance to Save on Boston’s Life Science Disruptors”

Alnylam Data Puts a Nobel Discovery One Step Closer to Approved Drug

[Updated with comments at 9:49 am ET, see below] For the first time ever, a medicine using RNA interference, a method of muting a gene before it can make a harmful protein, is headed for an FDA review. If the agency grants a commercial license, it would be a major victory not just for the … Continue reading “Alnylam Data Puts a Nobel Discovery One Step Closer to Approved Drug”

Costello’s A.I.-Driven Software Aims to Improve Sales Rep Performance

Artificial intelligence technologies are evolving at a rapid pace, remaking everything from vehicles to video games. An Indianapolis startup called Costello, armed with $1 million in investment capital, is launching this month to bring A.I. to deal management software, which the company says will help to better prepare sales reps while also offering managers increased … Continue reading “Costello’s A.I.-Driven Software Aims to Improve Sales Rep Performance”

NVCA Sues Trump Administration for Delaying “Startup Visa” Program

Add another item to the list of tech industry beefs with the new crew in the White House. An organization representing venture capital firms filed a federal suit in Washington, DC, on Tuesday accusing Trump Administration officials of unlawfully delaying a program that would have allowed international entrepreneurs to work at companies they founded within … Continue reading “NVCA Sues Trump Administration for Delaying “Startup Visa” Program”

Itron-Silver Springs, Doosan’s Storage Win, and More Smart Grid News

Here’s a look at recent news from some of Washington state’s grid modernization and energy storage players, including Itron’s planned acquisition of Silver Spring Networks; a big energy storage project in the Mojave Desert for Seattle-based Doosan GridTech; and a bolus of federal funding for electricity grid researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: Itron Buying … Continue reading “Itron-Silver Springs, Doosan’s Storage Win, and More Smart Grid News”

Fintech Startup Zebra Raises $40M, Seremedi, Alice & More Texas News

Austin—The Zebra founder Adam Lyons has described the insurance startup as the “Kayak of insurance.” Now, The Zebra’s got a new CEO: the former head of Kayak. Keith Melnick, who was Kayak’s president, takes the reins at five-year-old The Zebra, a website that allows consumers to enter basic information about their car’s make, model, and … Continue reading “Fintech Startup Zebra Raises $40M, Seremedi, Alice & More Texas News”

MIT’s The Engine, Now With $200M, Makes First Bets: 3 Takeaways

[Updated 9/20/17, 8:18 am. See below.] Now the real work begins for The Engine, MIT’s ambitious venture fund and incubator. The organization announced its first batch of seven investments on Tuesday (see below), and revealed that it has raised $200 million, with plans to back 40 to 50 so-called “tough-tech” companies over the next few … Continue reading “MIT’s The Engine, Now With $200M, Makes First Bets: 3 Takeaways”

Eyeing a Comeback, Arrowhead Bets on New RNAi Delivery Tool

[Updated 9/20/17 4:57 p.m. See below.] Following a series of setbacks late last year, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, one of the companies trying to develop drugs using RNA interference, has come up with a plan to try to bounce back. But to do so, it’ll have to prove it can safely and effectively deliver an RNAi therapeutic … Continue reading “Eyeing a Comeback, Arrowhead Bets on New RNAi Delivery Tool”

EPIcenter Developing Energy Incubator, Think Tank in San Antonio

San Antonio—[Corrected 2:28 p.m. See below.] On the south end of downtown San Antonio, in a 108-year-old power plant that was decommissioned in 2003, a nonprofit has plans to establish a think tank, incubator, and exhibit space that will advocate for innovation in clean energy. Called EPIcenter, the organization is redeveloping the power plant into … Continue reading “EPIcenter Developing Energy Incubator, Think Tank in San Antonio”

EiQ Networks Rebrands as Cygilant, Bags $7M to Fend Off Hackers

Cyber threats are mounting, and so are the investments in Boston cybersecurity companies. Earlier this morning, Threat Stack announced it closed a $45 million funding round. Meanwhile, EiQ Networks announced today it raised $7 million in growth capital and changed its name to Cygilant. The investment was led by Arrowroot Capital, an earlier backer of … Continue reading “EiQ Networks Rebrands as Cygilant, Bags $7M to Fend Off Hackers”

Cloud Security Firm Threat Stack Grabs $45M, Plans to Double Staff

Businesses big and small are increasingly storing their data and other IT assets on cloud servers, a move that can augment their operations, but also make them more exposed to cyber attacks. And that means opportunities for companies like Threat Stack, a Boston-based cybersecurity company that announced today it has raised $45 million in a … Continue reading “Cloud Security Firm Threat Stack Grabs $45M, Plans to Double Staff”

Disarm Launches With $30M From Atlas, AbbVie to Battle Neuro Disease

The available drugs for neurodegenerative conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS) can only treat symptoms, or at best slow the disease’s march forward. But recent research has uncovered a new approach that could potentially address what causes nerves to break down in the first place. Startup Disarm Therapeutics aims to turn that research into new drugs … Continue reading “Disarm Launches With $30M From Atlas, AbbVie to Battle Neuro Disease”

On CAR-T’s Edge, Seattle Researchers Plot to Bypass Novartis Therapy

[Corrected, 10/10/17, 2 p.m. ET. See below.] It’s not a stretch to say that Greta Oberhofer is alive thanks to the genetically modified cell therapy called CAR-T. At three and a half months old, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, an aggressive blood cancer. At 10 months old, she had a bone … Continue reading “On CAR-T’s Edge, Seattle Researchers Plot to Bypass Novartis Therapy”

Amazon Should Bypass States That Have Laws Pandering to Hate-Mongers

Instead of extolling the many virtues of southeast Michigan as a possible location for Amazon’s new headquarters, I will instead suggest why some of the other locations being considered are not advisable. Many of the cities being talked about, such as Boston; Toronto; Washington, DC; and Chicago, are strong contenders. They have the necessary infrastructure, … Continue reading “Amazon Should Bypass States That Have Laws Pandering to Hate-Mongers”

Qumulo Fulfills Cloud Promise of Its Name with AWS Integration

Enterprise data storage software company Qumulo is making its technology available in Amazon’s public cloud for the first time starting Tuesday, fulfilling the promise of its cloud-inspired name five years after it emerged from Seattle’s early-2000s data storage success story. The move to the cloud, and a related set of technology improvements that comprise the … Continue reading “Qumulo Fulfills Cloud Promise of Its Name with AWS Integration”

Amazon, EWPanel, Shine, RPRD & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist

Catch up on the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Municipal leaders in Milwaukee will attempt to persuade executives at the online retailing giant Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) that the city would make an ideal home for its second headquarters, or HQ2, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Earlier this month, the Seattle-based … Continue reading “Amazon, EWPanel, Shine, RPRD & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”

Ultragenyx Makes Competing Bid for Gene Therapy Biotech Dimension Tx

[Updated 9/19/17, 10:39 am. See below.] A bidding war has erupted for gene therapy developer Dimension Therapeutics. Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RARE]]) announced Monday that it is ready to pay $5.50 per share in cash, or approximately $136 million, to acquire Cambridge, MA-based Dimension (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DMTX]]). The non-binding proposal from Novato, CA-based Ultragenyx is a 358 … Continue reading “Ultragenyx Makes Competing Bid for Gene Therapy Biotech Dimension Tx”

Hyperloop Finalists, Wooing Amazon, MassChallenge & More Texas News

Imagine being able to go from Dallas to Austin—around 200 miles—in 19 minutes instead of the three hours it takes to travel between the cities by car today? That’s the promise of the Hyperloop, a still-to-be developed mode of travel that entails people riding in pods or containers that travel through an above-ground vacuum tube … Continue reading “Hyperloop Finalists, Wooing Amazon, MassChallenge & More Texas News”

After Staring Down Adversity, Detroit is Perfect Place for Amazon HQ2

Detroit. There’s no mid-sized American city as revered, as iconic, as talked about as Detroit. That’s because no other city has symbolized America quite like it, or played a bigger role in shaping what we are as a nation. And the intertwining of Detroit with the future of America will become even clearer when it … Continue reading “After Staring Down Adversity, Detroit is Perfect Place for Amazon HQ2”

How Bayer and Ginkgo Teamed Up in a $100M Synthetic Biology Bet

Nitrogen is essential for plant growth and photosynthesis, but plants can’t pull it directly from air. They rely on bacteria on their roots to convert the gas into a usable form. Many major food crops don’t have these bacteria but Bayer wants to change that. The multinational company is teaming up with Boston startup Ginkgo … Continue reading “How Bayer and Ginkgo Teamed Up in a $100M Synthetic Biology Bet”

Race to Mine Fungi for Drugs Revs up as Verdine’s LifeMine Gets $55M

Can the life sciences industry finally begin to efficiently and systematically exploit the potential treasure trove of drugs hidden in fungi? It seems promising, thanks to cheaper DNA sequencing technologies, artificial intelligence, new academic research, and now the largest funding yet for a startup trying to take on the task. This morning, LifeMine Therapeutics, a … Continue reading “Race to Mine Fungi for Drugs Revs up as Verdine’s LifeMine Gets $55M”

Ex-Cubist CEO Bonney Emerges at Kaleido, Flagship’s Latest Microbiome Startup

Flagship Pioneering has been as active as any venture firm at funneling its investment dollars into microbiome drug developers. It’s putting some more of that cash to work as of this morning, unveiling a startup, Kaleido Biosciences, that has been incubated within its walls for two years and is run by a prominent former Boston-area … Continue reading “Ex-Cubist CEO Bonney Emerges at Kaleido, Flagship’s Latest Microbiome Startup”

Pitch.me Allows Salespeople to Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is

Jackson, MI, is a city of roughly 35,000 people situated 40 miles west of Ann Arbor. It’s known for a few things: It was the birthplace of the Republican Party; a center of automotive manufacturing before Detroit became dominant; and the location of Michigan’s first Coney Island restaurant. What Jackson is not, usually, is a … Continue reading “Pitch.me Allows Salespeople to Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is”

Formlabs’ New 3D Printing System Enables Custom Xconomy Awards: Video

When it comes to trophies, plaques and gold cups are so 20th century. For Xconomy’s first-ever awards gala, we decided to make custom prizes for the winning Boston-area life sciences companies and individuals, using advanced design software and 3D printers. (See video below. There are blue lasers involved—you’re welcome.) Xconomy partnered with Formlabs, a 3D … Continue reading “Formlabs’ New 3D Printing System Enables Custom Xconomy Awards: Video”

Akili, Emulate, Ginkgo & More: The Innovation at the Intersection Award Finalists

Research that happens at the intersection of different fields can lead to new innovations that tackle pressing problems in the life sciences. This year’s finalists in the Innovation at the Intersection category show the value of bringing different disciplines—engineering and biology, IT and medicine—together. Here are brief introductions to the finalists. The winners of this … Continue reading “Akili, Emulate, Ginkgo & More: The Innovation at the Intersection Award Finalists”

After Biogen Deal Fizzles, Rodin Bags $27M And Heads To First Trial

An option-to-buy deal, when one company agrees to buy another on prearranged terms after a series of milestones are met, doesn’t always lead to an acquisition. Sometimes, as with a 2016 deal between Biogen and Rodin Therapeutics, the arrangement fizzles and the smaller company charts a new course. Rodin, a Cambridge, MA, startup trying to … Continue reading “After Biogen Deal Fizzles, Rodin Bags $27M And Heads To First Trial”

Formlabs 3D Prints Xconomy Awards With New Form Cell System: Photos

For Xconomy’s first-ever industry awards gala, we wanted to make trophies that stand out and represent the winning Boston life sciences innovators in a fun and creative way. These days, it doesn’t get much cooler than making stuff with 3D printers. We partnered with Formlabs, a 3D printing company located in nearby Somerville, MA, to … Continue reading “Formlabs 3D Prints Xconomy Awards With New Form Cell System: Photos”

Five Questions For … WatchHerWork Founder and CEO Denise Hamilton

Houston—Technological innovation is sometimes rightly criticized for how it automates work, creating uncertain economic futures for many people. Denise Hamilton has decided to focus on how, as she puts it, technology can instead “inject people” into processes, amplifying their efforts. That ethos underpins the work she’s done recently to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, for … Continue reading “Five Questions For … WatchHerWork Founder and CEO Denise Hamilton”

Boston Tech Watch: Techstars, DraftKings, Kaspersky, PTC

This week in Boston tech, we’re tracking a new Techstars program to support early-stage companies, the latest development in DraftKings’ regulatory battles, a new home for PTC, and more problems for Kaspersky Lab. Read on for details. —Techstars is launching a second startup accelerator program in Boston, this one focused on autonomous technologies, such as … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Techstars, DraftKings, Kaspersky, PTC”

Dealmaker, Thought Leader & More: The X of the Year Xconomy Award Finalists

Given the size and diversity of the life sciences community in the Boston area, we at Xconomy knew that many candidates would be so unique that they wouldn’t fit neatly into a category. So we gave them a category of their own. These finalists represent the wide range of talent—from investors to entrepreneurs and thought-leaders—that … Continue reading “Dealmaker, Thought Leader & More: The X of the Year Xconomy Award Finalists”

Bio Roundup: Phase 3 Fails, Shkreli Jailed, Moderna Flip-Flops & More

It was a week of realignments. President Trump, who used to be known as “The Donald” but now goes by “Amnesty Don,” kept up the parlay-voo with his new friends Chuck and Nancy. Martin Shkreli, who was once known—and still is!—as the “pharma bro,” will have a new perspective for a while, through the bars … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Phase 3 Fails, Shkreli Jailed, Moderna Flip-Flops & More”

After Equifax: Should Tech Entrepreneurs Design the Next-Gen Credit Agency?

Personal financial data for as many as 143 million Americans, inadequately guarded by credit bureau Equifax and stolen by hackers, can never be sheltered again under an umbrella of privacy. Those victims could face dire consequences, such as raids on their bank accounts and identity theft, for the rest of their lives. The losses for … Continue reading “After Equifax: Should Tech Entrepreneurs Design the Next-Gen Credit Agency?”

Washington Faces Outward with Opening of Global Innovation Exchange

A five-year effort launched by a top Microsoft executive to unite some of the Pacific Rim’s top educational institutions and businesses came to fruition Thursday with the grand opening of the Global Innovation Exchange in Bellevue, WA. The graduate education program aims to train a new generation of international innovators and entrepreneurs through project-based learning … Continue reading “Washington Faces Outward with Opening of Global Innovation Exchange”

Rebuilding Houston: Tech Tools Connect a City to Shelter, Food, & More

Houston—The storm waters from Harvey have nearly receded. Now, the painstaking work of rebuilding lives is underway. As the storm made landfall, Houston’s tech community—anchored by civic tech group Sketch City and the Station Houston co-working space—jumped in quickly to build tech tools to help rescue people from flooded homes and connect them to shelter … Continue reading “Rebuilding Houston: Tech Tools Connect a City to Shelter, Food, & More”

Khosla Backs Ori, BU Creates Fund, Mobee Merges & More Boston Deals

Here are some of the latest venture funding and acquisition headlines from the Boston innovation cluster, including a $100 million endowment for Boston University research, international expansion for Bullhorn’s recruiting software business, and an investment in a robotic furniture startup. Read on for details. —Boston University said it plans to create a $100 million endowment … Continue reading “Khosla Backs Ori, BU Creates Fund, Mobee Merges & More Boston Deals”

Check Out What’s Hot in Bay Area Biotech on December 6

Last December, Xconomy’s annual Bay Area biotech forum assessed the election aftermath for the life sciences. This year, What’s Hot in Bay Area Biotech, will dive into topics shaping the healthcare landscape, such as gene editing, the microbiome, immunotherapy, neuroscience, and more. Join us to hear how top researchers, executives, investors, and thought leaders are … Continue reading “Check Out What’s Hot in Bay Area Biotech on December 6”

With New Software, Epic Aims to Help Patients Share Health Records

Epic Systems has long used a slogan to describe its software, which hundreds of hospitals and clinics across the globe use to manage their patients’ health records: “with the patient at the heart.” Verona, WI-based Epic is backing up that credo with a new program that would allow the 190 million people who have a … Continue reading “With New Software, Epic Aims to Help Patients Share Health Records”

Online Portals Challenge WebMD as Patients’ Source for Health Info

Suppose you wake up with a mysterious rash. Or you’ve got back pain, or have come down with a cough unlike any you’ve experienced previously. What’s your first move? Maybe you run a Google search. Maybe you text a doctor or nurse you know. Or maybe you attempt to get through your normal morning routine, … Continue reading “Online Portals Challenge WebMD as Patients’ Source for Health Info”

Going Big or Against the Tide: Meet the Big Idea & Contrarian Award Finalists

[Corrected, 1:25pm ET, see below] All innovation and companies start off as an idea. Some will gain more traction than others over time, but we at Xconomy think that big ideas—and the people and companies in Boston’s life sciences community bold enough to try to implement them—are worth celebrating. Some of those ideas even go … Continue reading “Going Big or Against the Tide: Meet the Big Idea & Contrarian Award Finalists”

Halozyme Inks $105M Bristol-Myers Partnership, Expands Roche Deal

Halozyme Therapeutics has turned a method of delivering a drug more conveniently into partnerships with several large pharmaceutical companies that want to see their infusible drugs delivered via injections instead. The San Diego biotech company’s list of alliances is now getting longer. Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) announced Thursday that it will pay $105 million up … Continue reading “Halozyme Inks $105M Bristol-Myers Partnership, Expands Roche Deal”

Moderna Ends “Venture” Experiment, Dissolves Four Startups

Moderna Therapeutics, the high-flying private company with a $1 billion war chest, is reversing course. Three years ago, it decided to hatch startups as wholly-owned subsidiaries, all working on different aspects of its unproven biomedical technology called messenger RNA. Moderna announced today that it is ending the experiment. It is dissolving the four startups, or … Continue reading “Moderna Ends “Venture” Experiment, Dissolves Four Startups”

GM, Ford, BAE Systems Up the Self-Driving Ante with New Advances

Things are moving quickly in the mobility sector as the race to develop autonomous vehicle technologies revs up. This week brought a spate of mobility news from GM and Cruise, Ford, BAE, and even the federal government. Read on for details. —The Detroit News published a detailed report this week regarding Ford’s Silicon Valley lab, … Continue reading “GM, Ford, BAE Systems Up the Self-Driving Ante with New Advances”

Heptio Pilots Businesses Toward Hybrid Cloud with $25M Investment

The praise Heptio co-founder Joe Beda received after the Seattle startup company announced a $25 million funding round “seems a little strange,” he said in a tweet Wednesday, because the “real work” is still ahead. Thanks for all of the “congrats” but seems a little strange. We convinced VCs of good team and plan. Real … Continue reading “Heptio Pilots Businesses Toward Hybrid Cloud with $25M Investment”