Over the last few years, drones have gone from being a contentious military tool for airstrikes to a far more mundane magnet for aerial hobbyists. But as drones move into the mainstream, entrepreneurs are finding ways to harness the technology as the core of their business ideas. Read More>>
Monthly Archives: May 2016
Understanding University Intellectual Policy and Commercialization
For many years, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Innovation Policy and the Economy Working Group has published research to understand incentives relative to university intellectual property (IP) policy and commercialization. Based upon their research, we now know incentive alignment counts – and through that lens – Bob Litan, former Vice President of Research and Policy at the Kauffman Foundation, and Lisa Mitchell, the author of the research blog proposed the potential to drive a faster path to market with a little testing of policy. Read More>>
How Much Does Pre-Seed Equity Really Cost?
As you probably already know, accelerator programs help very early stage companies find their footing. They accomplish this by creating a community of founders and connecting them with mentors, advisors, and providers of important services that startups need access to: lawyers, accountants and other folks who keep companies in good standing. These services usually don’t come for free. Rather than have startups pay for these services in cash, accelerator programs invest cash and provide these services in exchange for equity. But here’s a question: Where do entrepreneurs get the best deal for the equity they give up? Read More>>
A new study on the state of entrepreneurship in the U.S.
The Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship is an indicator of business growth in the United States, integrating several high-quality sources of timely information into one composite indicator of entrepreneurial business growth. The Index captures growth entrepreneurship in all industries, and is based on data covering the universe of all U.S. employer businesses (approximately 5 million firms) and a privately collected benchmark of growth businesses. This allows to measure business growth from both revenue and job growth perspectives. Moreover, present trends on business exits—more particularly initial public offerings, a business milestone commonly associated with innovative, high-growth companies are put forward. Read More>>
How Do You Lift A Million Pounds Of Stainless Steel? Very Carefully
Inside a lab near Washington, D.C., there is a stack of stainless steel that weighs a million pounds. It’s part of a unique machine that was built in 1965 and just refurbished for the first time. It’s a device that measures force, and it needs to be calibrated. The machine does precise measurements of huge forces for clients like aerospace companies or the military — or others who need. Read More>>
A patient reportedly went to the emergency room based on a blood test that Theranos had to retract
Troubled startup Theranos has voided two years’ worth of blood tests result from its flagship Edison machines. That means that anybody who got a Theranos blood test during that period may have gotten wrong results.In fact, one patient went to the emergency room in 2014 based on a Theranos blood test result, says a report – a result that’s now been amended. That’s important, because Theranos is facing a criminal investigation, and it’s trying to prevent further problems. Read More>>
Bringing Energy Upgrades To the Nation’s Inner Cities
America’s inner cities are filled with aging buildings that are notoriously energy-inefficient. It’s a problem that Donnel Baird sees as an opportunity. Baird is CEO and co-founder of BlocPower, a startup that aims to revolutionize how small businesses and nonprofits secure funding for energy efficiency and clean energy projects in low-income neighborhoods. Read More>>
How Much for That Tequila Shot ? The Price Is Always Changing
Down a shot of tequila at The Blind Burro and the second round may cost you more. Or less. It all depends on what everyone else is drinking. Tequila prices at the San Diego bar and restaurant can change every five minutes based on demand. If more people order one tequila brand, the price of another might drop. That means you’ll likely pay more to visit a zoo, catch a ball game or watch a Broadway show on a Saturday, when everyone else wants to go. But it can also mean paying less if you go on a weekday. Read More>>
Why Do Startups Fail
It’s a common adage in Silicon Valley that 90% of startups ultimately fail. After meticulously analyzing 200 founders’ postmortems, researchers say these are the reasons startups fail. Read More>>
Grow fast or die slow: Why unicorns are staying private
Since 2013, an increasing number of technology companies have achieved “unicorn” status: valuations upward of $1 billion in private markets. Yet public tech markets haven’t matched this exuberance resulting in companies staying private for longer time than usual. In fact, many tech companies that undertook initial public offerings (IPOs) in the past three to four years have performed poorly. This suggests new dynamics may be in play, given the significant uptick in the number of high-valuation private software companies, combined with down rounds and post-IPO losses. Read More>>
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