As Monday morning rolls in, we’re providing TechWire readers with a quick recap of the past week’s news headlines.
Hot stories for September 23-28 included: A $500 million grant and other incentives led Cree to pick New York for its new chip factory; Pfizer is investing $19 million to build a gene therapy facility in RTP; TechWire asked local VCs why they aren’t investing in more black entrepreneurs — here’s what they said.
Also, some good news for jobseekers: The amount of new tech jobs is increasing across North Carolina, with 13,000 openings in the Triangle alone. Check out our breakdown of tech jobs with the highest demand in North Carolina here and here, and see the top 10 firms hiring here.
- Check out TechWire’s comprehensive resource package for Triangle startups.
And in national news: WeWork is reportedly considering layoffs and asset sales as CEO Adam Neumann steps down; Wells Fargo hired a new CEO to clean up its culture after a series of scandals; consumers are growing more concerned about the trade war; the FDA is promising an e-cig crackdown as the toll of vaping-related deaths increases.
Keeping with our Monday tradition, here’s a look back at 92 local, state and national headlines as reported by WRAL TechWire last week:
MONDAY September 23 Headlines:
- Across NC headliners: Velocity demos, SBTDC workshops, Clean Energy + more this week
- Amazon, SpaceX and others in race to get into orbit. The goal: ‘broadband everywhere’
- Chapel Hill startup AnelleO, founded by UNC professor, creating breakthrough in women’s health
- Cree picks New York for new $1B chip plant, lands $500M state grant, other incentives
- Here’s your guide to134 meetups for entrepreneurs & tech enthusiasts in Triangle
- On the horizon: 128 conferences, workshops & networking events across NC in Oct.
- Prize-winning black-owned startup Rare Feather gives ex-felons a second chance
- Raleigh’s MemberHub raises $1.2M for school communication software
- Ransomware boomerang: Insurance payoffs may lead to more hacking
- Reports: A CEO change may be in the works at WeWork
- RTI among 9 grant winners for CBD-Marijuana pain study
- TechWire rewind: 5G & drone tech; climate strikes; recession pessimism & 75 more headlines
- Triangle event headliners: ProductCampRTP, Black Wall Street, Robot Rumble + more
- Triangle Startup Guide keeps growing with more resources for region’s entrepreneurs
- Winston-Salem’s Velocity Creative Accelerator 4th cohort includes 1 Raleigh, 4 Triad startups
- Why did Cree ditch a chip plant in NC in favor of NY? Incentives, says CEO
TUESDAY September 24 Headlines:
- Apple to keep Mac Pro manufacturing in US, reaffirms $350B US expansion
- Auto dealers partner with Wake Tech to attract new talent for the evolving workforce
- Cary, Raleigh, Charlotte crack top 20 in affordable cities study
- Consumers growing more worried about trade war – that’s bad news for US economy
- Durham’s Precision BioSciences appoints David Thomson as its new COO
- EU’s top court backs Google on ‘right to be forgotten’ limits
- Facebook acquires neural tech startup developing device control from wristband
- From software to security, here are top tech job opportunities in NC
- Good news for tech job seekers: Openings surge across NC with 13,000 in Triangle
- Google counters Apple with own video game service
- Green gaming: Video game firms promise to be more go more green at UN
- Greensboro-based Qorvo lands contract to be part of Army radar system
- Here are the top 10 firms looking for high-tech workers in NC
- How to fill all those open tech jobs: Advice on the interview process
- Invest in Cures & Rare Disease Forum to explore possible treatments, solutions
- IT staffing giant Frank Recruitment to open Charlotte office, creating 90 jobs
- RIoT talks cybersecurity, data privacy, government Internet of Things in DC
- Samsung’s folding smartphone hits US markets Friday + watch video of how it works
- Streaming wars: Dinsey+ service now taking pre-orders
- These are top needed tech skills across North Carolina
- Watchdog organization fighting online extremists is going private (+ video: How group works)
WEDNESDAY September 25 Headlines:
- Alexa in your ear? Amazon unveils wireless earbuds – starring Samuel L. Jackson
- Alexa, help me find a job – at McDonald’s: Fast food giant to use smart speakers to find workers
- Alexa, what’s new? Amazon to unveil latest updates in virtual assistant arsenal
- CEO at WeWorks, which has fast-growing presence in Triangle, steps aside
- CommScope reports ‘breakthroughs’ with scale, speed and latency of broadband
- Diabetes relief from an inhaler? Durham company says yes
- Digital media: Vox acquires NY magazine; Commscore, former CEO settle SEC charges;
- Duke researcher wins ‘genius award,’ MacArthur Fellowship
- Duke professor: Trump’s attacks on Fed are moving markets, interest rates
- Durham-based Biocryst appoints rare disease expert to board
- eBay CEO quits, cites differences with board about ecommerce firm’s direction
- E-cigs firm Juul replaces its CEO amid growing vaping crisis
- Fate of WeWork’s CEO is a warning to other startup executives from investors
- Fennec Pharma names gene therapy exec to its board
- Raleigh media startup focusing on CBD products will no longer recommend vapes
- RDU International rises in customer satisfaction to No. 5 among large airports in new survey
- Rising star? RTP-based Locus BioSciences makes FierceBiotech’s ‘Fierce 15’ list
- Startup advice on term sheets – Why founder’s equity requires vesting
- Wake Forest leaders aim to improve quality of life through strategic planning – here’s how
THURSDAY September 26 Headlines:
- Big Mac with no meat? Yep – the P (plant) L (lettuce) T (tomato) burger is coming
- CEO who cut his pay, raised workers to $70K now promises same deal at new office
- Disney prepares to change the streaming game with Disney+ bundles
- Duke biomedical engineers report gene editing advance in tackling human cells – with boost from NCSU
- FDA promises e-cig crackdown soon; death toll for vaping related illnesses climbs to 11
- Greensboro-based chip firm Qorvo ups offering to $350M
- Hickory logistics firm acquires tech-enabled transport management business
- IBM sells suite of analytics products, to transfer 350 employees
- LabCorp expands footprint at Parmer RTP campus; Duke Health Technology Solutions also moves in
- Morrisville-based Novan presses ahead in fight against cervical cancer
- NC Tech Association eyes 50+ companies for top honors – here’s the list
- NC Tech Association picks 10 ‘startups to watch’ for 2019 – here’s the list
- No pop for another tech IPO: Peloton stock goes right in the ditch, down 11%
- Pfizer to build gene therapy facility in RTP, could add up to 120 scientists, staff
- Raleigh-based black-led marketing firm lands NFL’s 100th season t-shirt campaign
- Recycling company helps you reduce waste in a big way – businesses support ‘going green’
- Thought leaders: North Carolina can’t take its growing agtech hub for granted
- VCs say they want to fund more black entrepreneurs – so why aren’t they?
FRIDAY September 27 Headlines:
- Alexa, delete my commands: Amazon offers automatic deletion option
- An early fighter of ‘digital divide,’ Larry Irving is first African American to join Internet Hall of Fame
- All Things Open conference returns with focus on industry disruption, innovation & inclusion
- Charge it up? First coverted gas-to-electric refueling station opens in US
- Courtroom5, a case management platform, wins Black Founders Exchange Demo Day
- Critics questions Facebook decision not to remove elected officials’ posts
- Durham biotech Ribometrix raises $7.8M, names new board chair
- From rides to food, Uber loads up its app to build ‘operating system for life’
- Government to buy another $14M of BioCryst influenza treatment
- Inspired by Black Wall Street, Triangle investors target black-led startups with new fund
- Internet of Things market is changing: More but smaller projects to dominate
- Report: WeWork, which has big presence in RTP, considers layoffs, asset sales
- Spiffy, Coworks among 9 NC startups selected for Venture Atlanta Conference
- Tech headlines: Google quantum ‘victory;’ NetApp exec leaves; GSK vet joins startup; AT&T keeping DirecTV
- Tesla may sell 100,000 cars this quarter, Elon Musk tells employees
- Triangle headlines: Happy birthday, Fortnite; Swoboda honor; Red Hat automation; Lenovo sued
- Wells Fargo brings in outsider as new CEO; stock rallies
- Who’s No. 1? Raleigh beats Austin in this new ranking of state capitals
