Gov. Baker Signs $38.117 Billion State Budget
On Friday, July 17, Gov. Charlie Baker signed the Commonwealth's approximately $38 billion budget into law for Fiscal Year 2016.
According to the governor's office, the budget "solves a $1.8 billion structural deficit without new taxes, makes critical investments in local aid, education and transportation, and gives the administration many new tools to fix the troubled MBTA including the creation of the MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board and the three-year suspension of the Commonwealth’s anti-privatization law." – Nick DeLuca
Vecna Technologies Acquires Telepresence Robot Maker VGo
New Hampshire-based VGo Communications, which produces telepresence robots for healthcare, education and business, is joining the Vecna family. And like VGo, Vecna Technologies makes bots that are designed to operate in human-centric environments. Terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed, but employees are reportedly already relocating from VGo’s office in Nashua to Vecna’s in Cambridge. In regards to VGo’s rechnology, Vecna founder and CTO Daniel Theobald noted that the company will continue to “enhance their product”—that being a small camera system on a mobile platform that can be controlled remotely. Vecna is currently designing robots that can be used in warehouses/factories to lift and move things. VGo was founded by iRobot vet Tom Ryden in 2007, and its customers include the likes of Intel, Verizon and Audi. – BetaBoston
Rapid7 Completes IPO
Rapid7 has become the local tech industry's first IPO of 2015. The Boston cybersecurity firm completed the sale of initial public offering shares on Thursday evening, raising $103.2 million and valuing the company at $604.5 million. The sale of shares for $16 a piece was above the previous range of between $13 and $15 each. As we've reported, Rapid7 has carved out its own niche by developing software for reducing IT vulnerability and detecting breaches in real time. The company’s shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq this morning under the ticker symbol “RPD.” Top shareholders in the company include Technology Crossover Ventures and Bain Capital Ventures. — Kyle Alspach
Aurora Colorado Shooter Found Guilty
Three years after James Holmes stormed into an Aurora, Colorado movie theater killing 12 people and injuring 70, a jury has found him guilty on all 24 counts of first-degree murder. Holmes plead not guilty by reason of insanity, thereby unable to discern the morality between right and wrong. – CNN
BRA Must Staff Up to Take On More Transit-Oriented Housing Projects
It seems, though, that the BRA is increasingly unable to keep up with the city's breakneck development speed. An audit released on Thursday commissioned by the Walsh administration "uncovered several facets of the BRA’s structure and operations that are in dire need of reform." Included in that, according to the BRA, is the suggestion that the BRA’s planning division should add staff to support the proactive planning initiatives that are currently underway. >>> Read more on BostInno – Nick DeLuca
With Stephen Curry & Julian Edelman, CoachUp Will Grow From a Position of Strength
And CoachUp founder Jordan Fliegel recently spent time with Curry for a current project the company's engaged in with one of its star partners.
"He's awesome," Fliegel said of Curry. "I think he's in a pretty good place."
In the event-filled months since bringing CoachUp together with Curry, Fliegel sees it as a mutual success. >>> Read more on BostInno – Hayden Bird
In This Episode of the BostInno Beat:
- Intro - VC Summer Vaca
- Big One - Twitter
- Moves - Startups on Necker Island
- Community - Consumer Tech in Boston
- One More - Sharks on the Cape >>> Watch more on BostInno – Chase & Greg
