Tablelist Heads to Washington, D.C.
Pretty soon, anyone will be able to use Tablelist to plan a big night out in D.C.—the seventh city to get the Boston-based nightlife app. The service won't be widely available there until September (expect a big launch party) but Tablelist has kicked off exclusive early access to top members and influencers. Those early-access users can now purchase tickets to exclusive events and member parties, meet their concierge, pay cover charges, and book private tables at a growing list of D.C. venues through Tablelist. Get more details in the news release.
MassChallenge Announces Expansion to Newton, Mass.
Newton is about to get its own "innovation center" in the former Corner Library building, thanks to a two-year licensing agreement between the city and MassChallenge. The international startup accelerator will use the building, which was previously the headquarters for the Newton Parks and Recreation Department, to help local entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. Additionally, the center will host interns from the mayor’s summer high school program and hold workshops on business practices. In a press release, Mayor Setti Warren called this agreement "a tremendous opportunity" to "encourage entrepreneurship in Newton while also opening up access to the innovation economy to Newton residents of all backgrounds." Warren also noted the center's potential for attracting other businesses to Newton Corner. – Boston Globe
Boston Zoning Board of Appeals Approves Milk Street Medical Marijuana Dispensary
Boston is one step closer to housing a medical marijuana dispensary. On Tuesday, August 4, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved for Patriot Care Corp. to open a dispensary on Milk Street, not traditionally zoned for such use. It's reported, too, that should recreational marijuana be approved by ballot initiative in 2016 as it's expected to do, Patriot Care Corp. cannot transition to that market and must keep to selling the medicinal pot. – Boston Business Journal
Demandware Is Slipping After Earnings Miss
Investors are beating up on Demandware (DWRE) after the company fell short on its Q2 earnings. The Burlington, Mass.-based maker of e-commerce software reported that its net loss was much larger than expected by analysts (17 cents per share vs. 12 cents). As of Tuesday morning, shares in the company had dropped by $8.30 a piece, or about 12 percent. Demandware has previously performed pretty well over its life as a public company since its 2012 IPO, with its market cap at $2.32 billion even with the latest stock drop. — Kyle Alspach
Uber to Kick off Carpooling in Boston
On Aug. 13, Boston will be the fifth U.S. city to have UberPOOL—a service that lets two people going in the same direction share the ride and split the charge. According to the Boston Globe, Uber Boston GM Cathy Zhou said the company decided customers needed an alternative to public transportation to get around the congested areas of the city. She added that Boston was a no-brainer for launching the new service, given its reputation as a hub for innovation. UberPOOL debuted in San Francisco last year, and Uber’s East Coast GM Meghan Joyce says the service now accounts for half of all Uber rides there. Meanwhile, the taxi industry has been rallying behind legislation that pushes for stricter regulations for Uber’s operations in Boston, with a hearing on such regulations scheduled for Sept. 15. Undoubtedly, UberPOOL could make the app even more enticing than traditional taxi cabs. – Boston Globe
New Money: These Local Companies Raised Millions This Week
Smartvid.io (Cambridge)
- Deal: $3.4 million seed round
- Investors: CommonAngels Ventures led the financing, with participation from Launchpad Venture Group and other individual unnamed angels. >>> Read more in BostInno's New Money series
Is This Flying Car Company For Real?
The answer is yes, TechCrunch, there is a Terrafugia. Based in Woburn, its first model cost $279,000 and didn't look half as cool as the TF-X (below). Terrafugia's based in Woburn and the new TF-X is due to hit showrooms (or however you sell flying cars) in 2021. – TechCrunch
Baseball Has Few Executives Like the Red Sox' Larry Lucchino
It's clear that Lucchino possessed one of the most valuable skill sets in baseball. He was a man to run baseball operations on a day-to-day level, while at the same time taking to his job from the rarefied air as an owner. The fact that he wasn't a "principal owner" (a role occupied by John Henry) meant the 69-year-old Lucchino was almost placed in perhaps a better position as a result. >>> Read more on BostInno – Hayden Bird
More Local Companies Should Be Donating Goods to City Hall Plaza
According to the City of Boston, Wayfair was the donor behind the chess set, cornhole and hammocks while Beantown Athletics supplied Kan Jam. They're the only commercial entities to provide equipment for the plaza, the mayor's office told me, and the city's more profitable and productive companies ought to consider donating goods to continue nudging the space closer to becoming a park. >>> Read more on BostInno – Nick DeLuca
