Think “innovation” and you might picture some scrappy entrepreneurs toiling away in a kitchen or garage, hoping the landlord doesn’t notice what they’re up to. But the reality is that turning science into big business often requires far more sophisticated infrastructure—and the landlord who provides that infrastructure sometimes has one of the best windows into … Continue reading “Workforce Trends, Economy, & More: Q&A With Alexandria’s Joel Marcus”
Tag: Uber
Boston Tech Watch: Driverless Cars, Stealthy Startups, Deals & More
Fall’s arrival has brought with it a ton of tech news. Here are the latest headlines from the Boston area, spanning self-driving cars, a flurry of startup funding deals, a lawsuit over 3D printer patents, and more. Read on for details. —Self-driving cars will soon be tested on Boston streets as part of a year-long … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Driverless Cars, Stealthy Startups, Deals & More”
Boston Tech Watch: GE, PillPack, Tech IPOs, Lola, Amazon, & More
[Updated 9/8/16, 4:46 pm. See below.] This week in Boston tech, we’re tracking the prospects for the state’s second tech IPO of the year, GE’s investments in 3D printing, new investments in pharmacy technology, software talent on the move, and more. Read on for details. —Online pharmacy and medication-management firm PillPack has raised $31.1 million … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: GE, PillPack, Tech IPOs, Lola, Amazon, & More”
Boston Tech Watch: DraftKings, Everbridge, GE & NuTonomy
As summer winds down, we are tracking tech startups, big companies, a proposed IPO, and a couple of sectors fraught with regulatory challenges (daily fantasy sports and self-driving vehicles): —General Electric’s new Boston headquarters officially opened on Monday. About 175 employees have moved into the Fort Point offices, and the energy and manufacturing giant expects … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: DraftKings, Everbridge, GE & NuTonomy”
Why Resilient Teams Are More Important Than Big Ideas
How important is having a “big idea” for startups? Ideas can generate a lot of buzz and capture attention from investors and potential customers, but long-term success really depends on the capabilities of the team. It’s often said that investors typically look for an “A” team with a “B” idea rather than a “B” team … Continue reading “Why Resilient Teams Are More Important Than Big Ideas”
Uber’s $100M Settlement Rejected, Contractor Debate Could Go to Trial
A judge’s rejection of a settlement between Uber and hundreds of thousands of drivers in California and Massachusetts reopens the possibility that a jury might decide a question at the core of the ride-hailing app juggernaut’s business model—whether drivers should be classified as employees or independent contractors. Uber agreed in April to pay up to … Continue reading “Uber’s $100M Settlement Rejected, Contractor Debate Could Go to Trial”
Ford Says It Will Have Self-Driving Cars Within Five Years
Ask five auto executives to predict when we can expect to see self-driving cars make their commercial debut, and you’ll likely hear five different answers. Even though it’s an exciting technology that has captivated car manufacturers across the world, the industry seemed to agree that there is still a fair amount of work to do … Continue reading “Ford Says It Will Have Self-Driving Cars Within Five Years”
Olympics Streaming, Uber Law, Exec Turnover & More Boston Tech News
In our latest recap of recent Boston tech headlines, we’ve got stats about Olympics online viewing, the latest development in local regulations of Uber and Lyft, a trio of acquisitions, and recent executive departures. Read on for details. —If you’re one of the more than 1 million people that have watched at least part of … Continue reading “Olympics Streaming, Uber Law, Exec Turnover & More Boston Tech News”
Massachusetts Passes Uber Bill; Noncompete & Airbnb Proposals Fail
In a frenetic end to the Massachusetts legislative session, state lawmakers worked throughout the weekend and past a midnight deadline Sunday to send several bills to Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk. But for three proposals with implications for the state’s tech sector, inaction mostly ruled. House and Senate lawmakers couldn’t agree on a compromise to iron … Continue reading “Massachusetts Passes Uber Bill; Noncompete & Airbnb Proposals Fail”
Austin Delivery Startup Dropoff Expands Beyond Texas to LA
Austin—Dropoff founder and CEO Sean Spector makes it a point to emphasize that the Austin, TX-based startup is a delivery service for businesses. “We are an extension of these businesses and their brands,” he says. “We deliver valuable medication, sensitive documents … parts for an airplane. These are these businesses’ everyday needs.” His insistence on … Continue reading “Austin Delivery Startup Dropoff Expands Beyond Texas to LA”
Fontinalis Closes New $100M Fund Supporting Mobility Startups
When Fontinalis Partners launched its first venture fund in 2009 to invest in early-stage mobility startups, many in the VC world didn’t quite know what mobility was. Defined by Fontinalis as “the efficient movement of goods, people, and services across all modes of transportation,” mobility has come to encompass ridesharing services like Lyft and Uber, … Continue reading “Fontinalis Closes New $100M Fund Supporting Mobility Startups”
From Drones to Sharing Economy, Don’t Disrupt the Disruptors
Napa Valley met the Silicon Valley at the recent Xconomy Retreat on Technology, Jobs, and Growth (aka the Napa Summit). Experts in cutting-edge technology huddled with business leaders and investors in the California wine country to explore what’s on, and just over, the technological horizon. Over the course of the two-day event, drones and the … Continue reading “From Drones to Sharing Economy, Don’t Disrupt the Disruptors”
Freshly Gets $21M More on Its Plate for Tech Hires, National Expansion
Amid some of the commotion in the food tech sector, on Tuesday New York-based Freshly, a meal delivery startup, announced it raised $21 million in a Series B round led by Insight Venture Partners. Prior investors, including Highland Capital Partners and White Star Capital, also participated. The infusion of funding will go towards some of the … Continue reading “Freshly Gets $21M More on Its Plate for Tech Hires, National Expansion”
Filestack, Owned by Scaleworks, Rides Wave of Interest in API Services
San Antonio—If you build it, will they buy your application programming interface? Increasingly, it seems so. With tech companies such as Uber and Lyft or Facebook and Instagram aiming to provide faster services to more people, a subset of companies has emerged that aims to provide niche software tools that are meant to take at … Continue reading “Filestack, Owned by Scaleworks, Rides Wave of Interest in API Services”
Uber Secures $1,150,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8ef4801f-3c27-4cbf-a523-c1c835637e78 Date 7/8/2016 Company Name Uber Mailing Address 1455 Market St. 4th Floor San Francisco, CA 94103 USA Company Description The company has created a mobile application that allows users to request car service to pick them up wherever they are located. Website http://www.uber.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $1,150,000,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “Uber Secures $1,150,000,000 New Financing Round”
Tour of Texas: Cancer Moonshot, Luminex, Integricote, & Rising Barn
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. Austin: —-Luminex (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LMNX]]) completed its acquisition of Nanosphere, an Illinois maker of diagnostic tests, for $77 million. The Austin-based Luminex, which also makes diagnostic tests, announced the purchase in May for an initial price of $58 million, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Dallas: —Dallas’s Tech … Continue reading “Tour of Texas: Cancer Moonshot, Luminex, Integricote, & Rising Barn”
Boston Tech Watch: HourlyNerd, Uber, Noncompetes, Akamai, & More
We hope everyone enjoyed the long holiday weekend. After all the fireworks last night, it’s time to catch up on some of the hot news in Boston-area tech from the past week: —Boston-based HourlyNerd said Tuesday it raised $22 million in a Series C round led by General Catalyst Partners, with contributions from Highland Capital … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: HourlyNerd, Uber, Noncompetes, Akamai, & More”
San Antonio Buys Time on Regulations to Find Place in Uber Economy
San Antonio—For those engaged in the ongoing saga of Uber and Lyft versus fingerprinting, the next date to mark is in October, at least in the Alamo City. Uber, Lyft, and Get Me will be able to continue offering rides to the people of San Antonio until at least October, after a decision yesterday by … Continue reading “San Antonio Buys Time on Regulations to Find Place in Uber Economy”
Twilio’s $150M IPO May Bolster Faith In Unicorns—-Or Some Of Them
Venture investors, as well as tech companies hesitant to try going public, were hanging on the outcome of communications software company Twilio’s IPO this week in hopes that it would signal a thaw in the mood on Wall Street for such offerings. So far, Twilio is delivering a strong positive signal. The San Francisco-based company … Continue reading “Twilio’s $150M IPO May Bolster Faith In Unicorns—-Or Some Of Them”
With Tech Charter School, San Antonio Groups Aim to Boost Workforce
San Antonio—For many startups, finding the right people is at least as important as developing the right idea. The sooner you build out a talented staff, the sooner you can implement your plan. In San Antonio, city leaders, a local grocery store chain, and an industry-focused nonprofit are taking that concept to a new level … Continue reading “With Tech Charter School, San Antonio Groups Aim to Boost Workforce”
The Xconversation: Software CEO Meets University Innovation Leader, Part II
Startups, technology giants, and mainstream companies of all shapes and sizes are clamoring for software expertise, but top-tier computer science programs are struggling to expand capacity to meet that demand. Barry Crist, CEO of Seattle software company Chef, wants to see a dramatic increase in the number of well-trained programmers coming from places like the … Continue reading “The Xconversation: Software CEO Meets University Innovation Leader, Part II”
Uber Receives $3,500,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bcd86a1c-178d-4b63-b3b6-686573ca7ca0 Date 6/2/2016 Company Name Uber Mailing Address 1455 Market St. 4th Floor San Francisco, CA 94103 USA Company Description The company has created a mobile application that allows users to request car service to pick them up wherever they are located. Website http://www.uber.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,500,000,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Uber Receives $3,500,000,000 New Funding Round”
Texas Roundup: Tech Wildcatters, Funds for eyeQ & EquipmentShare, VR
Happy unofficial start to summer! Let’s ease back into the workweek by catching up with the latest innovation headlines from Xconomy Texas. —Dallas’s Tech Wildcatters accelerator held its first pitch day since launching its new “Gauntlet” program earlier this year. Instead of a traditional accelerator model, in which startups get access to tens of thousands … Continue reading “Texas Roundup: Tech Wildcatters, Funds for eyeQ & EquipmentShare, VR”
Austin Tech Entrepreneurs Develop Non-Profit Ride-Hailing Service
Austin—A group of Austin, TX, tech leaders have announced a new ride-hailing service for the city. RideAustin is pulling up to the curb about two weeks after voters rejected a referendum item that would have nullified the city’s fingerprinting rules for ride-hailing companies’ drivers. Two days after losing that vote, Uber and Lyft—which spent $8 … Continue reading “Austin Tech Entrepreneurs Develop Non-Profit Ride-Hailing Service”
NuTonomy, Optimus Lead Pack of Self-Driving Vehicle Startups
Here comes the blind fury of autonomous vehicle startups. We knew it was coming, since everyone from Google and Uber to GM and Tesla is working on the technology. Boston-area startup NuTonomy, founded by a pair of MIT scientists in 2013, is the latest to make a splash. The company announced on Tuesday a Series … Continue reading “NuTonomy, Optimus Lead Pack of Self-Driving Vehicle Startups”
Uber Garners New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=b00d97e3-967b-439b-917b-a3e1b7d3c631 Date 5/24/2016 Company Name Uber Mailing Address 1455 Market St. 4th Floor San Francisco, CA 94103 USA Company Description The company has created a mobile application that allows users to request car service to pick them up wherever they are located. Website http://www.uber.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction … Continue reading “Uber Garners New Round”
Tour of Texas: Ride-Hailing, CPRIT, Deep Space, Dean Kamen, START
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news in Texas. Austin —BeSomebody, an Austin, TX-based, app that connects people seeking experiences with experts in those experiences, is moving to Boston. Founder Kash Shaikh, a former social media marketing executive at Procter & Gamble and GoPro, has created essentially an online self-improvement network that encourages … Continue reading “Tour of Texas: Ride-Hailing, CPRIT, Deep Space, Dean Kamen, START”
Localytics Pushes Toward Profits After Layoffs and Market Slowdown
The tech startup maxim of putting growth before profits has started to reverse itself, as the venture capital boom of the past few years slows down and public investors reward companies with healthy balance sheets. The latest example of the shifting mindset is Localytics. The mobile analytics and marketing software firm has raised $60 million … Continue reading “Localytics Pushes Toward Profits After Layoffs and Market Slowdown”
CarGurus CEO on Profitable Tech Startups, and Why Uber Is Road Kill
CarGurus might be the biggest Boston-area consumer tech company you’ve never heard of, but founder and CEO Langley Steinert is ready to change that. Based in Cambridge, MA, the decade-old firm has grown to more than $100 million in annual revenue and around 300 employees, with much of that growth coming in the past couple … Continue reading “CarGurus CEO on Profitable Tech Startups, and Why Uber Is Road Kill”
Boston Ride-Hailing Service Fasten Seeks Inroads to Austin Market
Austin—In the wake of Uber and Lyft’s departure from Austin, a Boston-based ride-hailing service said it will launch its service later this month. The company has said it will comply with the city’s regulations regarding background checks of drivers. Uber and Lyft had fought against those rules, saying they were an unnecessary infringement on their … Continue reading “Boston Ride-Hailing Service Fasten Seeks Inroads to Austin Market”
What Now: Austin Looks for Ways to Bring Back Ride-Hailing Services
Austin—Uber and Lyft both suspended service in Austin Monday morning following the defeat their bid to eliminate driver fingerprinting requirements, among other measurements. In a Saturday referendum, Austin voters opted to uphold the city’s rules on the ride-hailing companies’ employees with a 56 percent margin. Immediately after the votes were counted, Uber and Lyft announced … Continue reading “What Now: Austin Looks for Ways to Bring Back Ride-Hailing Services”
Uber, Lyft Say They Will Leave Austin Following Defeat in Election
Austin—Uber and Lyft have said they will pull out of Austin following a Saturday referendum that approved regulations that called for the ride-hailing companies to fingerprint drivers. “Disappointment does not begin to describe how we feel about shutting down operations in Austin,” said Chris Nakutis, Uber’s Austin general manager, in a statement according to the … Continue reading “Uber, Lyft Say They Will Leave Austin Following Defeat in Election”
TX Roundup: Uber Election, OutboundEngine, Joah Spearman, “Windfall”
Let’s end the week with a recap of the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Voters in Austin will go to the polls on Saturday to decide whether they want to keep fingerprinting regulations in place that govern drivers for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. The companies say—and some leaders in the tech community agree—that … Continue reading “TX Roundup: Uber Election, OutboundEngine, Joah Spearman, “Windfall””
Uber, Lyft at Center of Innovation Debate in Austin and Houston
Austin—It’s not uncommon for controversy to follow the entrance of ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft into a new market. But right now, in two Texas cities—Austin and Houston—the rhetorical salvos have started again. In Austin, for example, voters will go to the polls Saturday for a referendum to decide whether to overturn that city’s … Continue reading “Uber, Lyft at Center of Innovation Debate in Austin and Houston”
Flatiron School Tapped to Offer Web Dev Training to Immigrants in NYC
In yet another collaboration with the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, a New York-based coding academy called the Flatiron School is inviting more folks to its classrooms. The Flatiron School announced a new fellowship program Tuesday created specifically to help low-income, legal immigrants in New York get the skills they … Continue reading “Flatiron School Tapped to Offer Web Dev Training to Immigrants in NYC”
Uber’s $100M Settlement Doesn’t End On-Demand Economy Worker Debate
Uber has agreed to pay up to $100 million to settle two class-action lawsuits brought by drivers in California and Massachusetts, a move that keeps its low-cost business model intact and could have ripple effects throughout the app-enabled, on-demand services industry. Uber’s settlement allows it to continue classifying its drivers in those two states as … Continue reading “Uber’s $100M Settlement Doesn’t End On-Demand Economy Worker Debate”
PillPack Puts Pressure on Express Scripts in Pharmacy Dispute
[Updated, 10:30pm. See below] It’s a timeworn tale: a startup forms a key partnership with a big company, only to see said company change the terms or end the deal. Think Microsoft, Amazon, or any other giant throwing its weight around with smaller players. Now think healthcare—and a fight between one of the fastest-growing local … Continue reading “PillPack Puts Pressure on Express Scripts in Pharmacy Dispute”
Soul-searching in Houston on Energy Innovation as Surge Closes
Houston — Since Surge Ventures closed its cleantech/energy venture accelerator last week, the question lingering has been, If a Surge can’t succeed in Houston—the energy capital of the world—then where? Houston’s prowess in energy turned out to be Surge’s Achilles heel: a lack of buy-in from incumbent oil and gas companies and electric utilities, says Surge founder Kirk Coburn. … Continue reading “Soul-searching in Houston on Energy Innovation as Surge Closes”
Steve Case’s Rules for Building Startups in Internet’s “Third Wave”
Software could be poised to truly transform entrenched sectors like healthcare, education, financial services, and more. But the next wave of software companies will take longer to build than some entrepreneurs have grown accustomed to in the smartphone era, and success will require more patience and willingness to work closely with policymakers and industry stakeholders. … Continue reading “Steve Case’s Rules for Building Startups in Internet’s “Third Wave””
Pegasus Sustainability Nabs $2M to Develop Cleanup-facilitating Tools
Mark Hope understands the power of auctions. Hope is the founder and CEO of Pegasus Sustainability Solutions, whose software helps connect organizations or individuals that generate waste with groups that can come take it away. One mechanism behind this matchmaking is the reverse auction, where a waste-removal contract goes to the bidder willing to accept … Continue reading “Pegasus Sustainability Nabs $2M to Develop Cleanup-facilitating Tools”
Seattle Week in Review: The March Madness of an Impressionable Teen AI
Where to begin with this week? Funny-not-funny #ManInTree, funding news from Convoy and a new AI startup, DimensionalMechanics, and the teen chatbot from Microsoft corrupted by the Internet over the course of a day? At least we’ve got hoops (and long odds). Here now, Xconomy Seattle’s Week in Review: —Microsoft has received more attention in … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: The March Madness of an Impressionable Teen AI”
EatStreet-Telkonet Tie-Up Aims to Help Hotel Guests Order Local Food
Room service is getting some new competition, thanks in part to an agreement between two Wisconsin companies. EatStreet, an online food-ordering service based in Madison, WI, announced on Tuesday that it’s teamed up with Waukesha-based Telkonet. One of the latter company’s business divisions, known as EthoStream, specializes in outfitting hotels with wireless Internet. The idea … Continue reading “EatStreet-Telkonet Tie-Up Aims to Help Hotel Guests Order Local Food”
Boston Tech Watch: Uber Bill, Noncompetes, Layoffs, & Expansions
This week in Boston, we’re tracking the latest tech legislation on Beacon Hill, layoffs at startups and big companies, and announcements of new companies, products, and offices. Read on for details. On the hill —Massachusetts lawmakers are once again considering regulations for ride-hailing app companies like Uber and Lyft. Under a new bill backed by … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Uber Bill, Noncompetes, Layoffs, & Expansions”
Social Media Week Recap: Startups to Watch & No End to Entrepreneurship
Even if hard times are ahead, founders will continue to crank out ideas and chase funding. That was the sentiment of Tim Devane, principal with New York- and Boston-based seed fund NextView Ventures. He spoke late last week during the Startups to Watch session of the Social Media Week conference in New York, where ten … Continue reading “Social Media Week Recap: Startups to Watch & No End to Entrepreneurship”
Emissions May Rise if Self-Driving Cars Become Too Convenient
If a road trip from Seattle to Portland meant three hours of focused work rather than gripping the wheel and gritting your teeth through traffic, would you be more likely to go by car than take the train, plane, or bus? That’s one scenario that could cause a transition to fully automated self-driving cars to … Continue reading “Emissions May Rise if Self-Driving Cars Become Too Convenient”
Tech Bloc Aims to Elevate San Antonio’s Role in Tech Innovation
San Antonio—Even if it seems unlikely, there is a common thread in these events: a women’s luncheon, a report on whether a city should annex county land, rallies for workers, startup competitions, a railroad project. Each project is being spearheaded by Tech Bloc, a tech-focused nonprofit in San Antonio that aims to promote the local … Continue reading “Tech Bloc Aims to Elevate San Antonio’s Role in Tech Innovation”
Uber Secures $200,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=065e9386-880f-4b17-9429-7dd218218dc4 Date 2/12/2016 Company Name Uber Mailing Address 1455 Market St. 4th Floor San Francisco, CA 94103 USA Company Description The company has created a mobile application that allows users to request car service to pick them up wherever they are located. Website http://www.uber.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $200,000,000 Transaction … Continue reading “Uber Secures $200,000,000 New Round”
Flint’s Water, Wicab, & New Leaders: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
The water crisis in Flint, MI, funding announcements, and personnel changes are among these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —The physician who detected problems with Flint’s water supply and escalated her findings, bringing to light the city’s current water crisis, did so using software developed by Verona-based Epic Systems, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. … Continue reading “Flint’s Water, Wicab, & New Leaders: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
EatStreet, Uber Partner To Serve Chicago Diners Starting Next Month
There’s a host of startups striving to be the “Uber of (insert activity or service here).” Meanwhile, some businesses are teaming up with the ascendant San Francisco-based company—which is most widely known for its ride-hailing app, but has expanded into other areas—to tap into its huge user base and recognizable brand. According to Uber’s website, … Continue reading “EatStreet, Uber Partner To Serve Chicago Diners Starting Next Month”
From Airbnb to Uber: An MIT Sloan Tour of Bay Area Tech
I’ve always been curious about the West Coast, especially San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Growing up in India and then working in the oil & gas industry in Latin America and Texas, I didn’t have much opportunity (or reason) to visit the Bay Area. Now that I’m an MBA student at MIT Sloan, I want … Continue reading “From Airbnb to Uber: An MIT Sloan Tour of Bay Area Tech”