Two years ago, Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy after she found out she was carrying a genetic mutation that greatly increased her risk of contracting potentially fatal breast cancer. This March, the actress also revealed she also had her ovaries removed due to a second health scare.
Now two major revolutions, one genomic and one in informatics, are completely changing the face of preventive medicine. Every day all over the world, millions of genetic sequences — from disease-related genes to complete genomes of plants, animals, bacteria and viruses — are resolved, identified and dissected.
In-body microchips that deliver medicine in doses either pre-determined or controlled by doctors from outside the body could be the next big thing in drug delivery, and Teva Pharmaceuticals has jumped onto the bandwagon.
The company announced last week a new partnership with US firm Microchips Biotech to deliver Teva-made drugs to patients using the American company’s implanted microchip. It’s the first deal for Microchips Biotech – and the first ever that seeks to commercialize what some consider to be a controversial technology.
Despite the promise of the Internet of Things to redefine how we interact with the things around us, the reality may be closer to many competing Intranets of Things — each with its own network of users and products.
Within the last few years, the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) has entered the mainstream vernacular. The IoT consists of “real” things increasingly connected to each other virtually in an Internet-like structure.
Startups continue to infiltrate industrial markets including agriculture and even space. The oil and gas industry isn’t immune to this wave of technological innovation.
We have seen an encouraging amount of schemes and devices aiming to make urban cycling a safer experience. Volvo Lifepaint is a highly reflective temporary spray aimed at making cyclists and their equipment more visible at night, while WeCycle lets cyclists track their journeys, pooling their data to create heat maps for city planners. Now, Byxee is a smart device which could help cyclists conquer the hazards created by irregular road surfaces, by scanning the road ahead and alerting them of upcoming dangers.
Most holiday-seekers have stepped off a plane at one time or another and felt the cold wind of their destination mocking their optimistic attire. Now, Swedish travelers no longer need to suffer this cruel fate because Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport has created the first Climate Portal, which lets visitors preview the weather conditions of destinations all around the world.
Venture capital-backed healthcare startups are addressing diseases and conditions affecting virtually every part of the human body.
Tech isn’t the only sector receiving billions in venture capital funding. Healthcare and life sciences companies raised more than $8B from VC firms in 2014. And while tech exits may have slowed down, exits of VC-baked healthcare startups have been strong, especially IPOs: there were 61 in 2014 alone.
The ramping up of the 3D printing sector continued Tuesday as New York-based Shapeways announced it raised $30 million in a round led by INKEF Capital, with Andreessen Horowitz, Lux Capital, Union Square Ventures, and Index Ventures participating.
Corporate venture capitalists Hewlett Packard Ventures and Presidio Ventures, part of Sumitomo Corp., also invested in this funding round.
