Tech vs. Biotech: VC Heavyweights Madrona, Arch Face off over How to Fund Seattle

Puget Sound Business Journal | Annie Zak | May 7

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2015/05/tech-vs-biotech-vc-heavyweights-madrona-arch-face.html?ana=e_tf&s=newsletter&ed=2015-05-07&u=ls5d+7OJRUaWfkIJW6OjBA0fe38366&t=1431106874

“Should Seattle’s biotech industry embrace working with the rest of the local tech industry or work separately? That question set off a vigorous discussion at a biotech forum Wednesday at cancer research nonprofit Fred Hutch, hosted by news website Xconomy and attended by nearly every major biotech name in the Puget Sound region. One tongue-in-cheek panel discussion pitted biotech venture capital firm Arch Venture Partners’ Co-founder and Managing Director Robert Nelsen against Matt McIlwain, managing director of technology venture firm Madrona Venture Group over how the industries butt heads but also collaborate.”

 

5 Exploding Niches Within Tech

Entrepreneur | Zach Cutler | May 7

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245923

“The progress achieved each year is monumental, and the rate at which we are progressing is exponential. Industries are being disrupted, conventions are being proven wrong, and the world at large is completely transforming right before our eyes. Here are five tech industries that are exploding with startups, venture capital and innovation.”

 

Amazon, Google See Shift in Regulatory Stance on Commercial Drones

Wall Street Journal | Jack Nicas | May 5

http://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-google-see-shift-in-regulatory-stance-on-commercial-drones-1430864309

“The two biggest companies seeking to use drones for package delivery say that U.S. regulators have suddenly become more receptive to their efforts, a potential boost to the chances of success for one of the burgeoning technology’s most promising commercial uses. Amazon.com Inc. and Google Inc. say they have noticed the sharp shift in attitude in recent weeks on critical issues such as drone test flights.”

 

EU To Probe Big Tech Companies in Digital Market Overhaul

Reuters | Julia Fioretti | May 5

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/05/us-eu-internet-idUSKBN0NQ1YC20150505

“The European Union will announce a wide-ranging probe on Wednesday into how big technology companies such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook use their market power as it considers whether to regulate them more tightly. The inquiry, which by its nature will inevitably focus heavily on U.S. firms, follows calls from France and Germany for regulation of so-called ‘essential digital platforms’, encompassing everything from e-commerce sites such as eBay to social media companies.”

 

Exclusive: Google Raising Stakes on Diversity

USA Today | Jessica Guynn | May 6

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/05/05/google-raises-stakes-diversity-spending/26868359/

“Whether it’s building self-driving cars, a fleet of balloons to blanket the world with the Internet or tiny particles to detect cancer, Google is known for thinking big — really big. Now the Internet giant is digging into its mountains of cash and tapping some of the world’s smartest minds to take on another serious and elusive challenge: cracking the code on the lack of diversity in the technology industry.”

 

Tech Companies See Market Opportunity in Healthcare Innovation

Financial Times | Aaron Stanley | May 5

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/709aa784-efd4-11e4-ab73-00144feab7de.html#axzz3ZT5uTS15
“In the new landscape, known in industry jargon as “population health”, providers are paid based on how well they can deliver more effective care at a better price. This has created a new emphasis on promoting healthy habits, thereby minimizing the need for costly hospital stays and treatments. Eyeing a sea of opportunity, technology entrepreneurs quickly rushed in to find ways of fostering healthy lifestyles and improving treatment outcomes.”