Lucy: Welcome back, folks! Dylan and KG are on vacation, so I'll be hosting The Beat for the next days. Let's see what we got!
Lucy: Yesterday you may have missed this. On Independence Day, the BBJ reported that Cambridge-based life science company Biogen filed 26 different lawsuits in federal court between June 26 and June 30.
Lawsuits are against more than two dozen companies and aim to prevent them from selling generic versions of blockbuster drug Tecfidera, a prescription medicine used to treat relapsing multiple sclerosis.
Biotech reporter Max Stendahl wrote that "the complaints accuse scores of drugmakers, including Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Novartis unit Sandoz, of infringing patents on Tecfidera through their efforts to market generic versions of the drug."
According to the article, since being approved by the FDA in 2013 Tecfidera has become Biogen’s biggest moneymaker, accounting for nearly $4B of the company’s $11.4B in total revenue in 2016.
Lucy: Again, it's the time of the month where we look back to recap of all the relevant Boston hires, departures, acquisitions and funding rounds. Here's the list of all the lists Dylan and I made for June 2017:
-- As for funding, the biggest rounds were raised by Cybereason, CloudHealth Technologies, Catalant Technologies and ORIG3N Inc. Overall, June was a big month for Boston startups raising capital. Based on announcements and federal filings we tracked, 26 startups raised a total of $393M in June, far more than the $211M 27 startups raised in May. Read more: These 26 Boston Startups Raised $393M in June
-- As for acquisitions, in the month that will be remembered for Amazon's $13.7B deal with Whole Foods, Boston had its fair share of M&A, including Hexadite, Foodler and Boston Dynamics. Read more: BostInno Departed: Boston Startups That Were Acquired or Shut Down in June
-- As for new hires and departures, June was a big month for Boston tech personnel moves: Localytics and BitSight Technologies got new CEOs and Uber hired a Harvard Business School professor. Read more: The Top Boston Tech Hires, Promotions (and Departures) in June 2017
Last but not least, I went to take a look at the new Cloud Technology Partners office on Summer Street as part of our Office Envy series. As soon as I walked through the main entrance, I was greeted with a giant booth with 18 dispensers filled with M&M's candies in 18 different colors.
The cloud computing consulting company, however, is not thinking about rebranding itself as a candy shop. The rainbow booth that greets visitors and employees illustrates the 18 steps of the Cloud adoption program, one of Cloud Technology Partners’ flagship products. Read more: Office Envy: Inside Cloud Technology Partners HQ, Home of 180 Pounds of M&M's Candies
Lucy: A couple of moves to report today:
-- Tech company DBmaestro announced today it has raised $4.5M in a round led by Vertex Ventures, with the participation of Stage 1, Lool Ventures, and iAngels. The money will help the Concord, MA-based company to launch its database automation solutions and extend its global sales and marketing reach.
-- Fractyl Laboratories, which is developing procedures and devices to address insulin resistance, raised almost $38.4M in an equity offering, according to a new Form D.
Lucy: In a week from today Ben Fischman, founder and CEO of M.Gemi, will share his tips on how to pioneer revolutionary concepts across diverse industries as part of a new IVY Entrepreneur Night at the Calderwood Pavilion. GM of BostInno Kyle Gross will be moderating the chat. Preferred tickets herea at $15.
For more July events (not necessarily tech-related), don't forget to check out our list. Read more: 13 Events Worth Checking Out This July
Lucy: More food for thought about the Amazon's deal with Whole Foods. In a commentary for Fortune, VP of Commerce at Acquia Laura Brooks wrote about how the supermarket chain can keep its identity after being acquired:"The Amazon-Whole Foods deal has huge potential, but will be a heavy lift. If the unlikely pair can practice corporate transparency and adeptly combine their technologies, they have potential to revolutionize our weekly shopping routine."
Lucy: I owe an apology to Rough Draft Ventures. Correction: RDV is not a fund, as I wrote in last Friday's Beat. Instead, it's a program within General Catalyst.
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