As Monday morning rolls in, we’re providing TechWire readers with a quick recap of the past week’s news headlines.
Most notably, the global coronavirus outbreak dominated news coverage last week. As the CDC warned that the novel coronavirus will inevitably spread in U.S. communities, the stock market suffered its worst week since 2008. Coronavirus is hitting the global economy hard—NCSU economist Mike Walden weighed in on what that means.
Top local stories from last week (February 24-28) included: High-tech jobs surged across NC in January, with 12,000 new openings; Durham startup Sift Media raised $1.5 million in new capital–check out our two–part Q&A with CEO Jud Bowman; a new report from Pew Charitable Trusts praised NC’s broadband expansion efforts; RTP startup Get Spiffy is expanding to the West Coast with a new office in San Francisco; FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies broke ground on a major expansion of its biomanufacturing plant in Morrisville.
Also, Raleigh’s job market got two new accolades last week: The Wall Street Journal ranked Raleigh No. 6 on its list of hot job markets and the city was ranked No. 1 on Glassdoor’s list of the best places for jobs.
- Check out TechWire’s comprehensive resource package for Triangle startups.
And, in national news: Intuit is acquiring Credit Karma for $7 billion; here’s a look inside Mike Bloomberg’s big-spending social media campaign for the presidency; Disney CEO Bob Iger announced he’s stepping down.
Keeping with our Monday tradition, here’s a look back at 70 local, state and national headlines as reported by WRAL TechWire last week:
MONDAY | February 24 Headlines:
- ‘Dream Big…Dream STEM’ conference to introduce students to IoT, robotics, animation & more
- GSK partners with China-based biotech in search for coronavirus vaccine
- Here’s your guide to more than 140 Triangle meetups
- Jud Bowman’s Sift Media raises $1.5M from 10 investors
- More coronavirus fallout: Global economies may slide into recession
- NC event headliner preview: Wrapping up a busy February
- NC IDEA Foundation presses on with statewide entrepreneurship campaign
- On the March horizon: Previewing 105 events & deadlines
- Report: Intuit nears $7B deal to acquire Credit Karma
- Startups heading for another ‘dot-com bust’? New York Times sees ‘pullback’
- TechWire rewind: A look back at 77 headlines from coronavirus to jobs, broadband
- TechWire’s Startup Guide continues to grow with more resources for entrepreneurs
- The most important factors in ag tech decision making? Experts have their say
- Triangle headliner preview: Nearly 30 events close out a busy month
- Wall Street Journal ranks Raleigh as No. 6 metro for jobs; Austin and Nashville top the list
- Warren Buffett offers hints at succession in shareholder letter
- Wilmington startup Next Glass, owner of Untappd, acquires BeerAdvocate
TUESDAY | February 25 Headlines:
- Agtech startup Growers, founded by NC State grad, gets acquired by Israeli firm
- Coronavirus glossary: Here’s a guide to terms being used
- Dow tumbles nearly 400 points as coronavirus fears continue
- Duke: Study shows impact of paternal marijuana exposure on brains of offspring
- Expedia to cut 12% of workforce following ‘disappointing’ 2019
- Gilead Sciences drug could counter coronavirus, says World Health Organization
- Got a toddler who doesn’t sleep? Raleigh startup Hush Buddy aims to help
- Lab-grown diamond jewelry offers affordable, creative options
- NCSU study: Spending time in nature can help children better deal with emotions
- No checkout needed: Amazon opens cashier-less grocery store
- Pioneering black NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson dies
- Raleigh’s ‘East Coast Made Easy’ campaign unveiled for upcoming SXSW
- RedHill Biopharma lands $115M in financing, to acquire AstraZeneca drug
WEDNESDAY | February 26 Headlines:
- Another coronavirus vaccine sends a biotech’s stock soaring
- Bandwidth looks to raise up to $350M
- Cary-based software firm SAS working with NCSU to identify ‘5-star Wolfpack fans’
- Feds: Tesla Autopilot, distracted driver caused fatal crash
- Global markets drop for a third day on coronavirus fears
- Guest opinion: After year of unprecedented growth, RDU planning for future demand
- Here are steps NC can take to capitalize on Defense tech needs
- NCSU lands lead role in federal AI apprenticeships program
- Raleigh is No. 1 among best cities for jobs, says employment site Glassdoor
- Report: How networking, collaboration, other efforts could drive more defense-related growth in NC
- Reports: Panasonic, Tesla to scrap solar panels partnership
- RTP startup Get Spiffy sets up shop in Silicon Valley
- Shrinking giant: General Electric’s workforce down by 108,000
- Study: North Carolina a hotbed for military technology needs
- Want to land a $100,000 biopharma job? Learn how at NCBiotech’s March 3 Symposium
THURSDAY | February 27 Headlines:
- Analysis: Coronavirus creating a global economic pandemic
- Bob Iger may no longer be Disney’s CEO but he still has major role
- Here’s the mission of Oerth Bio – agtech startup led by John Dombrowsky
- Here’s what new report has to say about North Carolina’s broadband expansion efforts
- How to prepare for coronavirus? Here are steps you can take
- Mike Bloomberg’s big online spending campaign pushing boundaries across social media
- New agtech bio venture with $55M in backing from Bayer hires 3 senior execs
- New report singles out N.C., 8 other states for broadband expansion efforts
- Online ‘impersonator’ tried to contact campaigns, DNC says
- Raleigh startup Pureport taps former Red Hat engineer for top tech role
- Shark Tank host loses $400,000 in a scam
- The Midas touch: Jud Bowman talks new $1.5M raise, meteoric rise of startup No. 3
- Treatment in clinical trial offers options to woman fighting return of cancer (+ video)
- UNC PharmSci conference focuses on ‘open science’ impact in drug discovery
FRIDAY | February 28 Headlines:
- AI is hurting women and people of color. Raleigh city officials wants to fix that
- Another biopharma expansion is underway in NC – $54M manufacturing plant
- CRO Aperio moves HQ to Durham’s American Tobacco Campus
- Cruise lines are big losers on Wall Street this week — and there are few winners
- Durham pharma startup Renovion raises nearly $5M in equity
- Elon Musk’s brother wants to transform farming
- High-tech job openings surge across NC with 12,000 new openings in January
- NCSU economist: Economy will remain wobbly as long as coronavirus uncertainty persists
- Sift Media’s Jud Bowman talks about Durham’s renaissance and the transformation of RTP
- Stock markets having worst week since 2008 global financial crisis
- The music industry was left for dead a few years ago. Now it’s booming again
