Startups

Johns Hopkins to break ground on new ‘innovation hub’ [Startup Roundup]

Plus: Millennial Media really wants you to see ads on your phone.

A rendering of JHU's new building at 1812 Ashland St. (Courtesy image)

Who’s Getting Funded

Sickweather sold $95,000 in debt out of $250,000 offered, according to an SEC filing. The company makes an illness-tracking app, and recently released an Apple Watch version.
CyberSpa sold $350,000 in equity, according to an SEC filing. The downtown company makes technology that provides technical support on Windows PCs.

Who’s Making Moves

Johns Hopkins just opened FastForward East, but the university is already building the incubator’s next home. On Friday, university officials and developer Forest City will break ground on a new “innovation hub” at 1812 Ashland St., in East Baltimore. Along with FastForward, the $65.6 million office and laboratory building will also house startups and other companies that grow out of university research, or want to work with Hopkins. It will be part of the university’s new Science + Technology Park.
Mt. Vernon-based private equity firm Slate Capital Group bought Broadcast Sports International from L-3 Communications. Slate declined to comment on the financial terms of the deal, but The Street reported it was worth $27 million. Broadcast Sports International makes wireless technology and communication systems for sports TV broadcasters, including remote control mini-cameras.
SameGrain, the social matching app based out of ETC’s Haven Campus, launched a new feature designed to help future college students connect. The “Connected College Visit” matches prospective college students while they are on campus tours. SameGrain’s algorithm allows matching on 45 million different categories. SameGrain is partnering with Quad2Quad, a college visit app, on the feature.
Evolve Communications recently signed its first international client, said founder Daniel Waldman. The PR and marketing firm that often works with local tech companies is working with Community Cube. The Hamburg, Germany-based company makes a “plug and play, open source, small server designed to build a cooperative and fair Internet where users’ privacy is protected,” and is currently raising money on Kickstarter. In recent weeks, Evolve has also been working with Betamore, SocialToaster, WhiteBox and AccelerateBaltimore grads Full Society.
Millennial Media wants to be sure users see all the ads on their phone. The adtech company offered a “100% guarantee” that all of the ads it runs in mobile apps will be viewable for at least one second. That’s a big deal in the adtech world because it goes beyond a standard of 50 percent viewability recommended by the Media Ratings Council. New York-based Integral Ad Science will measure whether or not all the consumers are seeing Millennial Media’s ads.

Companies: SameGrain / Evolve Communications / Millennial Media / Bio-Rad Laboratories / Sickweather

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