Parkinson’s disease patients experience progressive breakdown of their neurons, cells essential to movement and mental function. Aspen Neuroscience, a biotech working to develop a therapy that would reprogram those patients’ own living cells in ways that would allow the cells to reconstruct their damaged neural networks, has raised $70 million in a Series A financing … Continue reading “Aspen Neuro Adds $70M to Test Parkinson’s Cell Therapy in the Clinic”
Tag: Y Combinator
Five Years After Y Combinator First Admits Biotechs, They’re Dug In
Five years ago, the big tech incubator Y Combinator started to welcome life sciences companies into its sizable startup classes, which had previously nurtured entrepreneurs in information technology almost exclusively. That opening to biotech startups in 2014 was controversial at the time. Some observers simply wondered what kind of guidance a deeply tech-focused accelerator could … Continue reading “Five Years After Y Combinator First Admits Biotechs, They’re Dug In”
Why Menlo Ventures Backed Construction Tech Firm Fieldwire
[Corrected 9/17/2019, 8:58 a.m, and 9/18/19, 4:53 p.m. See below.] Fieldwire, whose mobile app helps builders and construction crews coordinate their work, announced today it has lined up a total of $33.5 million across two newly disclosed fundraising rounds. The San Francisco-based construction tech company says it raised $8.5 million in a Series B funding … Continue reading “Why Menlo Ventures Backed Construction Tech Firm Fieldwire”
No Co-Founder? Y Combinator Offers Matchmaking at Startup School
From the moment Talia Frenkel resolved to found a company after a kitchen-table talk with her parents, the odds were against her. There were a host of reasons—she wasn’t a software engineer, she had no product development experience, and she wanted to launch a consumer item that was already sold widely by established enterprises. Yet … Continue reading “No Co-Founder? Y Combinator Offers Matchmaking at Startup School”
Microsoft’s $1B For OpenAI Aimed at Improving Azure Cloud Platform
Microsoft announced Monday it will invest $1 billion in OpenAI, a young venture that aims to democratize the benefits of artificial intelligence and software-driven automation. The Redmond, WA-based tech giant says it will work with OpenAI in coming years to enhance Microsoft’s existing cloud computing and AI platform, Azure. San Francisco-based OpenAI says it plans … Continue reading “Microsoft’s $1B For OpenAI Aimed at Improving Azure Cloud Platform”
Boston Tech Watch: Medumo, Zilla, Armored Things, Fortify & More
The week in Boston tech news hit on all the highlights: health technology, 3D printing, crypto, blockchain, CEO moves, fintech, and plenty of venture cash. Read on for the details: —Healthcare technology startup Medumo has been acquired by Netherlands-based Philips (NYSE: [[ticker:PHG]]). The company’s patient navigation technology provides instructions and patient resources through text message … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Medumo, Zilla, Armored Things, Fortify & More”
Gener8tor to Make Startups From Scratch in Revamped Milwaukee Program
[Updated 6/14/19, 10:25 am CT. See below.] Gener8tor, a Wisconsin-based organization with a growing network of startup accelerators across the Midwest, is shaking up the format of its flagship Milwaukee program in a bid to catalyze entrepreneurship among locals. Instead of seeking applications from existing startups located around the world, this fall’s Gener8tor program in … Continue reading “Gener8tor to Make Startups From Scratch in Revamped Milwaukee Program”
Scaleworks Acquires SearchSpring for First Deal From Second Fund
San Antonio—Scaleworks is acquiring SearchSpring, a Denver, CO-based business that makes search and navigation systems for online stores and ecommerce businesses. The acquisition is the first for Scaleworks’ $80 million second fund, which the San Antonio investment firm announced it had raised in February. Founded in 2016, Scaleworks branded its investment style as a mix … Continue reading “Scaleworks Acquires SearchSpring for First Deal From Second Fund”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: MedCrypt, LunaDNA, Dynacure & More
Let’s catch up with the latest life sciences news in San Diego. — Cybersecurity company MedCrypt, which makes software to protect medical devices, raised a $5.3 million Series A funding round. The company says it will use the new funds to hire new salespeople and engineers and further develop its technology, which medical devices vendors … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: MedCrypt, LunaDNA, Dynacure & More”
Animal Rescue Groups, PGA, Stryve Biltong, Novo Labs & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Dallas Animal Services won $200,000 in the Innovation Showdown, a pet tech competition, for a customer service system that uses a mobile app and two-way video in order to streamline the adoption process. Day of the Dogs in Houston won $175,000 for its donation platform … Continue reading “Animal Rescue Groups, PGA, Stryve Biltong, Novo Labs & More TX Tech”
Thoma Bravo Acquires San Antonio’s Mailgun as Scaleworks Takes Exit
San Antonio—Thoma Bravo has acquired a majority stake in Mailgun Technologies, a spinout of Rackspace that offers software to help developers manage automated e-mail systems for their employers. Mailgun separated from cloud computing service provider Rackspace in 2017, securing a $50 million financing round led by Turn/River Capital, Rackspace, and San Antonio investment fund Scaleworks … Continue reading “Thoma Bravo Acquires San Antonio’s Mailgun as Scaleworks Takes Exit”
Seeded with $2.5M, Sales Tech Firm Polis Is Coming for Your Front Door
There’s at least one thread tying together clean energy providers, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, and home security systems, and it runs through a small Cambridge, MA, startup founded in 2015 by Kendall Tucker. Her sales and political canvassing technology company Polis has helped sell all three of them by sending people to residents’ front … Continue reading “Seeded with $2.5M, Sales Tech Firm Polis Is Coming for Your Front Door”
New Funds for ParkHub, Neighborhood Goods, Rabbet, & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —ParkHub, a Dallas startup that is digitizing how and when users pay for parking, raised $13 million in a Series B funding round, according to a press release. The investment round was led by Arrowroot Capital in Santa Monica, CA and is the first institutional money … Continue reading “New Funds for ParkHub, Neighborhood Goods, Rabbet, & More TX Tech”
May Mobility Snags $22M Investment, Will Expand to New Cities in ’19
May Mobility, an Ann Arbor, MI-based startup developing self-driving shuttles, today announced that it has raised a $22 million Series A funding round. The company has raised approximately $33.5 million since its inception in 2017. The new investment was co-led by Millennium New Horizons and Cyrus Capital Partners, with participation from LG Technology Ventures, Thayer … Continue reading “May Mobility Snags $22M Investment, Will Expand to New Cities in ’19”
Sentinel Healthcare Raises $2M For Hypertension-Monitoring Software
A Seattle-based startup, Sentinel Healthcare, is developing a platform combining software and wearable medical devices that it believes can help healthcare providers monitor patients who have high blood pressure—and perhaps one day predict their risk of heart attack or stroke. In the United States, about 75 million people, or one in three adults, have hypertension, … Continue reading “Sentinel Healthcare Raises $2M For Hypertension-Monitoring Software”
Sam’s Club Goes Digital, BNSF’s Electric Locomotive, & More TX Tech
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Texas. —The Texas Medical Center’s TMCx accelerator has been included in a list of best programs for the first time. With platinum status, AngelPad, StartX, and Y Combinator topped the list released by the Seed Accelerator Rankings Project. The rankings, which are in part compiled by … Continue reading “Sam’s Club Goes Digital, BNSF’s Electric Locomotive, & More TX Tech”
Icon Snags $9M for Tech to Print 3D Homes in 24 Hours for $4,000
Austin—Icon Technology, a company that builds 3D-printed homes and was permitted to construct its first home in Austin, TX, earlier this year, has closed a $9 million seed round of funding. The company plans to use some of the money to continue building homes in the U.S. and in the developing world, where it is … Continue reading “Icon Snags $9M for Tech to Print 3D Homes in 24 Hours for $4,000”
Packers, Microsoft Drop Accelerator Plans; TitleTownTech Still a Go
TitleTownTech, a soon-to-be-launched joint venture between the NFL’s Green Bay Packers and tech giant Microsoft, has hit the brakes on a startup accelerator the two organizations had previously said they planned to run together. Craig Dickman, whom the Packers named managing director of TitleTownTech earlier this week, says the goal of the joint venture—spurring digital-age … Continue reading “Packers, Microsoft Drop Accelerator Plans; TitleTownTech Still a Go”
Microbiome Startup uBiome Expands into Drug Research with $83M
Biotech company uBiome started as a “citizen science” project that collected and studied microbiome samples in order to learn how the trillions of bacteria living in and on people’s bodies affect human health. Six years and 250,000 samples later, uBiome is now moving beyond simply helping people understand their microbiomes. The San Francisco company has … Continue reading “Microbiome Startup uBiome Expands into Drug Research with $83M”
Convoy Reloads With $185M For Its Freight Shipment Marketplace
Convoy, an online marketplace that connects shippers with freight truck fleets and independent drivers, announced today it raised $185 million in a Series C fundraising round led by CapitalG, the growth equity investment fund of Alphabet, Google’s parent company. With its new funding, Seattle-based Convoy plans to continue expanding its network of customers and truckers … Continue reading “Convoy Reloads With $185M For Its Freight Shipment Marketplace”
San Antonio’s Filestack Buys SF-based Content Marketing Service Tint
San Antonio—Software-as-a-service business Filestack is acquiring one of its customers, Tint, which makes software that aggregates social media posts and other online content for large corporations and organizations to use in marketing. Tint is based in San Francisco, and has an application programming interface (API) that lets a brand or business display content, which has … Continue reading “San Antonio’s Filestack Buys SF-based Content Marketing Service Tint”
Austin Group Joins Other Tech Efforts to Promote Responsible AI Use
Artificial intelligence is poised to infiltrate nearly all aspects of human life. Given this development, technologists are focusing on how to ensure the technology usage is governed by ethics. “The general rule is that power begets responsibility,” says Michael Stewart, founder and CEO of Lucid AI, an AI startup in Austin. “If you’re bringing in a … Continue reading “Austin Group Joins Other Tech Efforts to Promote Responsible AI Use”
Largest Startup Class Yet Enters UC Berkeley’s Expanding Accelerator
More than a hundred startup teams are beginning a training and mentoring program this month at the Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator—the largest group ever accepted to the UC Berkeley program since it was founded in 2012. Aside from the funding, free office rent, and other resources offered by the startup accelerator located near the edge of … Continue reading “Largest Startup Class Yet Enters UC Berkeley’s Expanding Accelerator”
Benchling Scores $14.5M to Grow Online Lab Notebook for Bio-Researchers
New immunotherapy approaches to cancer treatment, and the CRISPR technology for editing genetic material in cells, are among the most sophisticated research strategies scientists are using in their quest to defeat disease. But as researchers develop these techniques based on manipulating biological molecules, they may still be recording their experimental results by a method untouched … Continue reading “Benchling Scores $14.5M to Grow Online Lab Notebook for Bio-Researchers”
Smart-Kitchen Startups Give Cooks Digital Help Via Internet of Things
When it comes to connected homes, the hottest spot is located in your kitchen. The Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and related technologies are being used to connect ovens, refrigerators, and other kitchen appliances to the Web. Feeling unsure about cooking that fish dish? Smart ovens can more accurately calibrate temperatures to avoid over-cooking. There’s … Continue reading “Smart-Kitchen Startups Give Cooks Digital Help Via Internet of Things”
Boston Tech Watch: SmartBear, Wellist, LogoMix, Biobot, NEVYs & More
[Updated 5/16/18, 10:09 am. See below.] It’s time to catch up on recent news from the Boston-area tech sector, including a pair of acquisitions; investments in digital health, artificial intelligence, and wastewater analytics; and scenes from this year’s “Star Wars”-themed NEVY Awards. Read on for details. —Boston-based LogoMix, a provider of logo design tools and … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: SmartBear, Wellist, LogoMix, Biobot, NEVYs & More”
What’s For Lunch? ZeroCater Nabs $12M to Meet Corporate Catering Needs
Many employees at young startups end up with multiple roles. Arram Sabeti says “ordering lunches was by far the most painful hat I was wearing.” Finding a restaurant that everyone agreed on took more time than placing a lunch order should, he says. That experience led him to found ZeroCater, which uses software and analytics … Continue reading “What’s For Lunch? ZeroCater Nabs $12M to Meet Corporate Catering Needs”
After Facebook: Launch Seeks Social Startups With Focus on Privacy
The Facebook and Cambridge Analytica data scandal may be the most prominent controversy the social networking company has had, but Jason Calacanis appears to call Facebook the “dark side” of social media for more reasons than that. Calacanis is an angel investor and founder of San Francisco incubator Launch, which announced last Friday it has … Continue reading “After Facebook: Launch Seeks Social Startups With Focus on Privacy”
E-Commerce Startups Open Door to Endless Virtual Closet
The sharing economy is moving into our bedroom closets. We already apply this idea to transportation (Uber vs. taxi) and vacation accommodations (Airbnb vs. hotel). Now, thanks to a growing number of e-commerce companies, the ability to share goods and services is being applied to our wardrobes through programs that offer clothing rentals for a … Continue reading “E-Commerce Startups Open Door to Endless Virtual Closet”
Boston Tech Watch: Raytheon, Palantir, CyberArk, CIC, Nectome & More
[Updated 3/16/18, 8:59 am. See below.] Here are some notable recent headlines from the Boston-area tech scene, including Raytheon and Palantir teaming up for a huge Army contract, another CyberArk acquisition, and a startup that wants to digitally archive your mind. Read on for details. —Waltham, MA-based defense contractor Raytheon (NYSE: [[ticker:RTN]]) and Palantir Technologies—the … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Raytheon, Palantir, CyberArk, CIC, Nectome & More”
Before SXSW, Austin Tech Startups Tout Funds for Share of Spotlight
Austin—Besides drawing countless entrepreneurs to Austin every year, the days before South by Southwest also seems to be a time of startups making venture funding announcements, particularly those from Austin-based companies looking to make a name at the conference. The largest deal announced so far in the days before SXSW has been a $40 million … Continue reading “Before SXSW, Austin Tech Startups Tout Funds for Share of Spotlight”
After Escher Exit, MIT Sandbox Aims to Mold More Student Startups
[Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories examining entrepreneurship on MIT’s campus and beyond.] When Escher Reality announced in February that it had been acquired by Niantic, the augmented reality company that created Pokémon Go, it was a big win for the young, six-person startup born at MIT. It also provided some … Continue reading “After Escher Exit, MIT Sandbox Aims to Mold More Student Startups”
Atomwise Raises $45M To Grow AI-Driven Drug Discovery Business
Atomwise, a San Francisco startup that’s using artificial intelligence to hunt for compounds that could make effective new drugs, announced today that it raised a $45 million Series A round. The small company, founded in 2012, mines the accumulated data about biochemical interactions to search for molecules with the properties needed to block faulty processes … Continue reading “Atomwise Raises $45M To Grow AI-Driven Drug Discovery Business”
May Mobility CEO: We’ll Beat Waymo, Uber, and Cruise to Market
When we spoke with Ed Olson, CEO of May Mobility, in January, he told us that his driverless-vehicle company had raised a little over $11 million in seed funding in 2017. Last week, May disclosed more details about its $11.5 million seed round: it was led by venture investment arms of Toyota and BMW, and … Continue reading “May Mobility CEO: We’ll Beat Waymo, Uber, and Cruise to Market”
Moltin Gets $8M Round Led By Underscore, Names Ex-Demandware Exec CEO
As shopping experiences continue to take new forms—think social media, smart televisions, virtual assistants, and video games—the complexity of building and managing multi-faceted e-commerce systems is growing. That creates opportunities for companies like Moltin, a startup that develops cloud-based software tools that power the back-end infrastructure of e-commerce applications. Its application programming interfaces (APIs) and … Continue reading “Moltin Gets $8M Round Led By Underscore, Names Ex-Demandware Exec CEO”
XRC Labs Chief Anthos: Retailers Must Adopt “Test and Learn” Culture
As college undergraduates, my roommate and I had what we called a “monowardrobe.” That’s how we described the contents of the closet that lined a wall in our dorm room. We each organized our own clothing on either side, but since we both wore the same size in clothing and shoes, we “shopped” for outfits … Continue reading “XRC Labs Chief Anthos: Retailers Must Adopt “Test and Learn” Culture”
Boston Tech Watch: Immelt, VirZoom, Salsify, ClickSoftware & More
It’s time to catch up on some of the latest Boston-area tech headlines: —There were two notable venture capital hires this week with Boston ties. General Catalyst Partners named departing American Express CEO Ken Chenault as chairman and a managing director. Chenault will be based in the venture capital firm’s New York office, the New … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Immelt, VirZoom, Salsify, ClickSoftware & More”
After Whirlwind 2017, May Mobility Plans to Expand Driverless Fleet
May Mobility, the autonomous vehicle startup based in Ann Arbor, MI, had an action-packed 2017. The company launched in January, completed a stint in the Y Combinator accelerator over the summer, put driverless shuttles on downtown Detroit streets through a small pilot program in October, and raised more than $11 million over the course of … Continue reading “After Whirlwind 2017, May Mobility Plans to Expand Driverless Fleet”
Andreessen Horowitz Backs Asimov’s Synthetic Biology CAD Software
Synthetic biology continues to capture the attention of technology investors. Last week, it was Boston-based Ginkgo Bioworks announcing a $275 million Series D funding round backed by the likes of Y Combinator and Bill Gates’s private investment vehicle, Cascade Investment. This week, it’s Asimov, another Boston-area synthetic bio startup, raising money. The amount—$4.7 million in … Continue reading “Andreessen Horowitz Backs Asimov’s Synthetic Biology CAD Software”
Ginkgo Bioworks Pulls In $275M as Synthetic Biology Funding Soars
Companies sometimes raise big venture capital rounds to invest in equipment, people, and other tools for growth. Other times they do it to provide the business a cash cushion. And sometimes it’s about giving potential customers and partners more confidence in the fledgling company. For Ginkgo Bioworks, its latest venture funding round is about all … Continue reading “Ginkgo Bioworks Pulls In $275M as Synthetic Biology Funding Soars”
Newest Austin Startup Accelerator Sputnik Plans January First Class
Austin—[Corrected 9:56 a.m. See below.] There’s no shortage of startup accelerators in Austin, with stalwarts like Capital Factory, Techstars, and the Austin Technology Incubator often getting the most attention. To be fair, there’s no shortage of early stage startups, either, which may be part of the reason more accelerator programs have launched in the city … Continue reading “Newest Austin Startup Accelerator Sputnik Plans January First Class”
SendGrid Goes Public for $131M in First Techstars Accelerator IPO
Something rare happened this morning: A company that has gone through an accelerator program, SendGrid, has hit the public markets. SendGrid raised $131 million by selling 8.2 million shares for $16 apiece, according to research firm Renaissance Capital. Both figures were higher than expected for the Denver, CO-based company, which is now trading on the … Continue reading “SendGrid Goes Public for $131M in First Techstars Accelerator IPO”
Panorama Education Gets $16M for “Social-Emotional Learning” Tools
Panorama Education announced Tuesday that it raised $16 million from several high-profile tech investors to accelerate the adoption of its software tools aimed at boosting K-12 students’ social and emotional skills and college readiness. The Series B funding round was led by Emerson Collective, whose founder and president is Laurene Powell Jobs, the billionaire entrepreneur … Continue reading “Panorama Education Gets $16M for “Social-Emotional Learning” Tools”
JPMorgan Chase to Buy WePay; Venmo Adds Merchant Payments
Banks and financial technology companies are scrambling for territory in the online payments arena, as they compete to offer the safest and most convenient digital transaction mechanisms for both consumers and merchants. This week, JPMorgan Chase announced an agreement to acquire WePay, a Redwood City, CA-based company that helps software makers build a payment function … Continue reading “JPMorgan Chase to Buy WePay; Venmo Adds Merchant Payments”
Mapbox, Bill.com, Standard Cognition, Empowered by New Cash
—Mapbox announced Tuesday it had raised a hefty $164 million in a Series C financing round led by the SoftBank Vision Fund, which was joined by Foundry Group, DFJ Growth, DBL, and Thrive. The new capital will speed up Mapbox’s progress in vehicle navigation and autonomous driving, enlarge its virtual reality and augmented reality gaming capabilities, and fund its … Continue reading “Mapbox, Bill.com, Standard Cognition, Empowered by New Cash”
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”
Filestack, Maker of File Uploading API, Hires New CEO Sameer Kamat
San Antonio—Filestack, a startup offering software that aims to make uploading photos and other content to applications easier and more reliable, has hired a new CEO: Sameer Kamat, an executive and engineer who spent the last 15 years at data and application backup company Unitrends. Kamat started at Unitrends as a software engineer and worked … Continue reading “Filestack, Maker of File Uploading API, Hires New CEO Sameer Kamat”
After Y Combinator, May Mobility Ready to Test Self-Driving Fleets
[Corrected, 10:16 am. See below] There has been a lot of speculation about what Ann Arbor, MI-based May Mobility has been up to since the company began working in stealth mode early this year. The new company has to do with autonomous vehicles—one of the hottest fields in tech—but until this week its website revealed … Continue reading “After Y Combinator, May Mobility Ready to Test Self-Driving Fleets”
Illumina Accelerator Sees ‘Huge Impact in Genomics’ in New Startups
Genomics startups are increasing in number and quality, so much so that three-year-old Illumina Accelerator has expanded with its latest class to accommodate five of them. Xconomy got an early look at the specialty accelerator’s sixth cohort, which includes a company named for a butterfly and the accelerator’s first digital health startup. Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]), … Continue reading “Illumina Accelerator Sees ‘Huge Impact in Genomics’ in New Startups”
Y Combinator Mulls New Startup App—Rating VCs on Sexual Harassment
Y Combinator, a Silicon Valley hub that incubates and funds scores of tech startups every year, is entering the fray over sexual harassment in the venture capital industry. YC has opened an online reporting mechanism that women can use to identify venture capital firm partners or executives who have pressured them for sex or groped … Continue reading “Y Combinator Mulls New Startup App—Rating VCs on Sexual Harassment”