As Monday morning rolls in, we’re providing TechWire readers with a quick recap of the past week’s news headlines.
Notable news stories from last week included: Grifols is beginning phase 3 COVID-19 treatment testing at its plant in Clayton; a new PitchBook-NVCA report shows how North Carolina and the Southeast faced fundraising headwinds caused by COVID-19; Raleigh food tech company SinnovaTek opened a precision-scale aseptic food co-packing facility; two Triangle startups graduated from Silicon Valley-based Founder Gym, a startup accelerator targeting underrepresented entrepreneurs; NC TECH announced the finalists for this year’s 2020 Tech Awards lineup; Merck is expanding in Durham.
A few local companies secured new funding last week, including Durham-based Emergo Therapeutics ($3.5 million) and Durham-based inSoma Bio ($200,000). Read more local startup news in our weekly Startup Rewind edition.
And, in national news: Big Tech stocks began the week on a strong note; Big Tech could be facing a major tax overhaul; Apple unveiled its new iPhone 12 line; global stocks fell mid-week amid setbacks in the development of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.
Keeping with our Monday “TechWire Rewind” tradition, here’s a look back at 68 local, state and national headlines as reported by WRAL TechWire last week:
MONDAY | October 12 Headlines:
- 152 tech & business meetups in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill & beyond
- At Clayton plant, Grifols begins phase 3 testing for COVID-19 treatment
- Bandwidth to acquire UK-owned CaaS firm Voxbone, expand coverage to 60-plus countries
- Chapel Hill firm raises roughly $4M for stake in hipster shoe company Allbirds
- Durham’s Smashing Boxes shakes up its executive leadership team
- Event preview: All Things Open 2020 to feature 200+ speakers exploring a variety of open-source topics
- Hopes for US stimulus package gives lift to global shares
- How Wake Forest’s unique infrastructure is fueling an ecosystem of innovative opportunity
- NC headliners: 64 upcoming events & deadlines across North Carolina
- NC State researchers develop software that fixes ‘hang bugs’ in seconds, rather than weeks
- On the horizon: 80+ webinars, conferences, meetups & more events across NC in Nov.
- Record exit will boost Cary venture firm’s growth
- Startup Rewind: Support for Black founders; fundraising news; an IPO & more in our recap of startup headlines (Oct. 5-9)
- Tax overhaul coming for Big Tech? Global watchdog proposes plan to start collecting
- Triangle headliners: 78 local events & program deadlines coming up in Oct.
- TechWire Rewind: Cisco employees fear layoffs; IBM announces spinoff; NC companies raise cash + more news from last week
- Triangle Startup Guide updates: Two new COVID-19 relief grants + two VC firms
- Twilio buys Segment for $3.2B as demand for cloud tech booms
- Wall Street adds more gains to last week’s rally; tech leads
TUESDAY | October 13 Headlines:
- Cybersecurity insurance: what is it and does your company need it?
- Disney reorg to further bolster company’s focus on streaming
- Durham’s Emergo Therapeutics lands $3.5M, seeks another $1.5M
- EBay will now guarantee that those expensive sneakers are real
- Global shares mostly lower as virus concerns take spotlight
- How a collaborative office re-design worked in our favor post-COVID
- In the LimeLight: Scott Byers, CEO and owner of Majestic Kitchen & Bath
- It’s finally here! Introducing iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone Pro Max with 5G
- Looking for work? Fidelity Investments is hiring ‘hundreds’ in NC — even in a pandemic
- Mike Walden: How will the virus affect economic development? You decide
- Online retailer CandleScience expands in Durham, and it’s hiring
- Pandemic headwinds but dealmaking is resilient: NVCA/Pitchbook
- Raleigh-Durham no longer in top 10 ‘Best Places to Live’: Report
- The big reveal: Apple expected to release iPhone 12 with 5G capabilities
- The smart home’s evolution: CommScope is set to share vision for 10G internet service
WEDNESDAY | October 14 Headlines:
- Charlotte-based MedShift revamps its software to include e-commerce add-on
- Durham biotech startup inSoma Bio adds $200K to its coffers, seeks additional $690K
- Fast-tracked to space: Russian-US crew complete journey to station in just three hours
- Global shares turn higher after Wall Street decline
- How Durham life science startup Shattuck Labs is revolutionizing cancer therapy
- How this single mother of 4 landed a career in tech without a college degree
- UNC researchers seek 6,000 volunteers for world’s largest eating disorders study
- Raleigh food tech company opens ‘first of its kind’ precision-scale aseptic food facility
- RTP healthcare staffing firm ShiftWizard is acquired by Nashville firm in $32M deal
- Why diversity in STEM is good for your company culture and good for business
- With e-commerce booming, ChannelAdvisor debuts new tool to reach ‘purchase-ready’ consumers
THURSDAY | October 15 Headlines:
- 2 Triangle startups graduate from top accelerator for underrepresented founders
- Cary tech firm Dude Solutions to acquire asset management platform Confirm
- Cisco ordered to pay $1.9B to Virginia firm in patent infringement lawsuit
- Donald Thompson: Activating growth with multicultural marketing
- Duke spinout Polarean files NDA for lung diagnostic, possible COVID-19 aid
- LabCorp test results can now be accessed through CommonHealth mobile app
- Lockdown or a drip feed of Covid restrictions? One path is better for the economy
- NC ranks just No. 43 among states for ‘quickest recovery’ since start of COVID-19
- Startup looking for funding? There’s a new early-stage VC firm in town
- Stocks fall on Wall Street as coronavirus spreads in Europe
- US jobless claims likely remain high as layoffs persist
FRIDAY | October 16 Headlines:
- Amanda Taylor, a 29-year veteran of Merck, becomes its new Durham site leader
- Chapel Hill firm raises additional $10.1M for ‘blockchain opportunities’ fund
- Hatteras Venture Partners closes on additional $50.1M for new fund; target is $250M
- Here’s how one firm managed its phased re-entry back into the office
- Joining the esports bandwagon: Lenovo unveils new solution to engage students
- Looking for capital? Small STEM companies can apply for state R&D grants now through Dec. 1
- Merck’s expansion in Durham reflects huge legacy of Maurice Hilleman
- Raleigh’s Prometheus Group buys global data firm — its 5th acquisition in a year
- Robinhood says a ‘limited number’ of accounts were recently hacked
- Scores of companies across state are finalists for NC TECH Awards
- Verizon launches 5G with ‘game-changing’ speeds in parts of Raleigh
- Why tech giants limited the spread of NY Post story on Biden
