Venture capital firms invest in potentially disruptive technologies with the hope of profit, then keep watch for further advances that could overtake their existing portfolio companies. All this is done while they guide startups through other external challenges such as fundraising droughts and overall market downturns. Scott Beechuk, a partner at Norwest Venture Partners, is … Continue reading “Norwest VC Eyes Waves of Change in A.I., Marketing, Cloud for 2019”
Tag: Yearend2018
Autonomic CEO Gavin Sherry on Mobility, China, and Data Privacy
In a tech culture that looks toward self-driving cars as the pinnacle of mobility innovation, we’re still debating whether fully autonomous vehicles are an imminent reality for our roads or an ever-receding Shangri-La. But looking back from the viewpoint of 2019, it’s worth considering whether the really pivotal, world-changing advances in transportation have not already … Continue reading “Autonomic CEO Gavin Sherry on Mobility, China, and Data Privacy”
2019 Will See Progress on Personalization’s Last Frontier: Education
Today, technology and data science have combined to create artificial intelligence—data-driven algorithms that seemingly provide us with options for a fully personalized life. Gone are the days of Henry Ford’s “You can have any color so long as it’s black.” There are way more than three major network TV channels. We live in an era … Continue reading “2019 Will See Progress on Personalization’s Last Frontier: Education”
Detroit Trends in 2018? More Traction, Diversity, and Collaboration
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of posts sharing thoughts from industry and technology leaders about 2018 trends. A few trends come to mind that continue to shape and define the startup ecosystem in Detroit: —Marketplaces continue to evolve and attract funding (initial and follow-on), and gain traction that has to be recognized and respected. … Continue reading “Detroit Trends in 2018? More Traction, Diversity, and Collaboration”
A VC’s Take: Global Volatility Hurts U.S. Venture Ecosystem
As Xconomy’s editors looked back at the year just passed, we asked technology leaders to comment on the trends they’d observed in 2018, and the developments they expected in 2019. Some leaders responded with their views on the business impact of the Trump era, pointing to specific policy positions such as tax code revisions, curbs … Continue reading “A VC’s Take: Global Volatility Hurts U.S. Venture Ecosystem”
FAANG, Public Trust, Valuations, in 2019: The Read from Menlo Ventures
The market caps of some of the most successful tech titans reach as high as $1 trillion. Yet in 2018, perceptions about these dominant companies often reflected uneasiness and doubt—and for some, so did their stock performance. Maybe the mood shift has to do with the fact that the public and government leaders no longer … Continue reading “FAANG, Public Trust, Valuations, in 2019: The Read from Menlo Ventures”
The Power Combo of A.I. Devices with Cloudlets Comes with Cyber Risks
When we have a chance to view it from a distance, the year 2018 may be seen as a period when innovations in a number of technological fields came together to transform not only the future of computing, but also the very structure of the Internet. First, entrepreneurs vying to invent self-driving vehicles, virtual assistants, … Continue reading “The Power Combo of A.I. Devices with Cloudlets Comes with Cyber Risks”
Tech Leaders Weigh In on Tim Berners-Lee’s “Contract for the Web”
Looking back over the past two years, it seems that public perceptions of tech companies have shifted, compared with the eager acceptance that often prevailed as innovations from these businesses transformed social interactions, transportation, and other aspects of life. In early 2017, a more critical mood began to take hold as Uber’s allegedly biased employment … Continue reading “Tech Leaders Weigh In on Tim Berners-Lee’s “Contract for the Web””
From Immigration to Taxes, Execs Talk Trump Effect on Innovation
When it comes to developing and promoting innovation, external factors beyond the control of company founders, investors, and other business leaders can also determine whether a startup succeeds or fails. In 2018, geopolitical events—in particular, President Donald Trump’s hard-line stances on trade and immigration, and the repeal of net neutrality rules—were top of mind for … Continue reading “From Immigration to Taxes, Execs Talk Trump Effect on Innovation”
Copps: Key Ingredient As A.I. Permeates Daily Life is Building Trust
The promise, and pitfalls, of artificial intelligence became more apparent in the last year, and for Dave Copps, founder of A.I. companies such as Brainspace and Hypergiant Sensory Sciences, the pace of adoption will only accelerate in 2019. What can help to smooth the transition to our new machine learning-enabled future is an effort on … Continue reading “Copps: Key Ingredient As A.I. Permeates Daily Life is Building Trust”
Three Ways 5G Is More Than Just Fast Video Streaming
In 2019, we will finally see commercial deployment of the much-anticipated 5G (fifth-generation) wireless network. 5G brings us closer to the possibility and promise of ubiquitous, un-tethered connection between every device and every entity. The projected exponential increase in bandwidth, low latency, ultra-reliable connections, and highly configurable network solutions enabled by 5G will go beyond … Continue reading “Three Ways 5G Is More Than Just Fast Video Streaming”
New Year to Bring New Data Security Threats, Cyber Investor Warns
Bob Ackerman is one of the venture capitalists whose funding has long fed the growth of the burgeoning cybersecurity industry. So, you might imagine that his outlook on data protection for 2019 would be more optimistic than in past years, because businesses now take advantage of a broad choice of security services to protect themselves. … Continue reading “New Year to Bring New Data Security Threats, Cyber Investor Warns”
NY’s Research Institutions Must Keep Working Together in ‘19
[Corrected, 1/7/19, 5:15 pm. See below.] [Editor’s Note: Euan Robertson, the Director of Strategic Planning & Special Projects at Columbia Technology Ventures, co-wrote this article.] It is a commonly held belief that academic research institutions, including those in New York City, are fierce competitors. In some ways, that may be true: Universities battle with each … Continue reading “NY’s Research Institutions Must Keep Working Together in ‘19”
In 2019, the Dam Will Break: Student Debt Predictions and Solutions
With the density of colleges and universities in the Boston area, we don’t often recognize how inaccessible higher education has become for the majority of the country. In fact, seven out of 10 college graduates today have outstanding student loans. And while many of us believe that education is a “must-have,” it’s alarming how structurally … Continue reading “In 2019, the Dam Will Break: Student Debt Predictions and Solutions”
Saxena: More Than a Tool, A.I. Must Be Used With Society in Mind
[Updated 12/27/18, 9:54 am] Manoj Saxena is bullish on artificial intelligence. As chairman of Austin, TX-based A.I. startup CognitiveScale and managing director of The Entrepreneur Fund, which makes investments in early-stage machine learning companies, Saxena believes A.I. can transform how we work and play—creating opportunities for business. But he’s also aware that the technology, if … Continue reading “Saxena: More Than a Tool, A.I. Must Be Used With Society in Mind”
CFOs: Prepare To Become Your Company’s Data Czar This Year
In mid-2018, Tom Bogan was the leader of business planning software company Adaptive Insights as it planned its own next steps. The Palo Alto, CA-based company was on the point of raising about $115 million in a June IPO that would have set its market value at around $705 million, according to PitchBook. But like … Continue reading “CFOs: Prepare To Become Your Company’s Data Czar This Year”
Boston A.I. Leaders Call for Focus on Diversity, Global Mindset in 2019
It was an eventful year for the artificial intelligence industry. The sector saw more big venture capital deals and acquisitions, while researchers kept plugging away on technology advances. Meanwhile, A.I. developers continued to grapple with issues around transparency, trust, and ethics. As part of Xconomy’s series of year-end posts, we asked a pair of CEOs … Continue reading “Boston A.I. Leaders Call for Focus on Diversity, Global Mindset in 2019”
VCs May Face Backlash if Profits Come at Expense of Responsibility
Venture capital is, by nature, an optimistic industry, and venture capitalists have historically gone about their work comfortable that they were making positive societal contributions. When looking at VC activity over the past half century, one can see venture capital’s role in championing endeavors that advanced knowledge, improved health, increased worker productivity, and preserved natural … Continue reading “VCs May Face Backlash if Profits Come at Expense of Responsibility”
Can Pay-For-Results Drug Pricing Work? A Q&A With Michael Sherman
[Editor’s note: This is part of a series of posts sharing thoughts from industry and technology leaders about 2018 trends.] It’s been almost a year since Harvard Pilgrim Health Care signed what’s known as a “value-based agreement” with Spark Therapeutics to cover Luxturna, Spark’s $850,000 gene therapy for a form of vision loss. In doing so, Harvard … Continue reading “Can Pay-For-Results Drug Pricing Work? A Q&A With Michael Sherman”
A.I. in 2019: IBM Exec on Advances in Training, Trust, Transparency
[Editor’s note: This is part of a series of posts sharing thoughts from technology leaders about 2018 trends and 2019 forecasts.] Today’s artificial intelligence technologies have demonstrated they’re capable of handling specific tasks, such as identifying pictures of cats or spotting cancer in CT scans. Researchers are hopeful the industry’s next breakthroughs will enable A.I. … Continue reading “A.I. in 2019: IBM Exec on Advances in Training, Trust, Transparency”