Capital raises by state’s tech companies in 2020 far below 2019’s record mark
The amount of capital raised by state technology firms in 2020 was way down from the previous year, but local industry leaders say that shouldn’t be taken as bad news.
Technology
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GM charges up new unit to sell electric delivery vans, gear
The first product for the new venture called BrightDrop will be an electric-powered wheeled pallet that will take goods from the warehouse to trucks and from trucks to destinations. Then GM will roll out a clean electric delivery van.
Local software firm for not-for-profit fundraising swells with acquisition
Bloomerang officials say the acquisition of Tennessee-based Kindful combines the two largest companies in the donor management software space.
Allegion acquires internet-of-things firm as part of effort to diversify
Allegion Senior Vice President Vince Wenos told IBJ there’s more to the acquisition of Yonomi than meets the eye, and it will have a significant impact on Allegion’s future direction as well as its operations globally and in Indiana.
Alphabet workers launch unconventional union
It’s the latest organizing effort by tech workers, who have gone public with frustrations over what they say are unfair labor practices and unethical business deals in recent years.
Microsoft says hackers viewed source code, didn’t change it
Microsoft said Thursday in a blog post that hackers tied to a massive intrusion of dozens of U.S. government agencies and private companies sneaked further into its systems than previously thought.
Tennessee bombing spotlights vulnerable voice, data networks
The Christmas Day bombing in downtown Nashville led to phone and data service outages and disruptions over hundreds of miles in the southern United States, raising new concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. communications.
Neighborhood groups may be scanning your license plate
Homeowners associations across Indianapolis are increasingly partnering with private companies to surveil their neighborhoods with automated license plate readers.
Ed-tech startup aims to identify student challenges
Invoke Learning offers a cloud-based artificial intelligence system that tracks student behavior from a variety of data sources gathered from the school and other publicly available outlets.
FAA outlines new rules for drones and their operators
Federal officials say they will allow operators to fly small drones over people and at night, potentially giving a boost to commercial use of the machines.
From Zoom to Quibi: Tech winners and losers of 2020
In many ways, 2020′s pandemic-induced isolation threw our dependence on technology into overdrive, snipping away at our real-life connections while bringing digital relationships to the fore. Here’s a look at the tech offerings that succeeded and those who didn’t.
States making bold new legal claims in two Google lawsuits
The latest case came Thursday as dozens of states filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging that the search giant exercises an illegal monopoly over the online search market, hurting consumers and advertisers.
Commercial launch triggers $7.5M capital raise for Indy software firm MetaCX
MetaCX, a 2-year-old High Alpha portfolio company led by local tech entrepreneur Scott McCorkle, already has raised a total of $24.5 million in venture and growth capital and hired 40 staffers.
Hack against U.S. is ‘grave’ threat, cybersecurity agency says
The hack compromised federal agencies and “critical infrastructure” in a sophisticated attack that was hard to detect and will be difficult to undo, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in an unusual warning message.
First Merchants to close 17 bank branch locations
The company said it would use the savings from the closures to beef up its digital banking and in-branch technology initiatives.
High Alpha launches company based on product that spurred its own growth
High Alpha on Thursday announced the launch of its 10th company this year. Filo—which has eight employees and makes and markets a virtual meeting space for teams, workshops, programs and events—has already signed deals with more than 20 customers.
Indiana, nine other states sue Google for ‘anti-competitive’ online ad sales
The states are accusing the search giant of “anti-competitive conduct” in the online advertising industry, including a deal to manipulate sales with rival Facebook.
U.S. spent billions on system for detecting hacks, but Russians outsmarted it
This year’s months-long hack of federal networks has revealed new weaknesses and underscored some previously known ones, including the government’s reliance on widely used commercial software that provides potential attack vectors for nation-state hackers.
City partners on pilot network connecting students to high-speed internet
If proven successful in the pilot stage, the Marion County Dedicated Network Pilot could be expanded to serve public school students countywide as soon as early 2022.
Regulators homing in on social media companies’ data collection
The Federal Trade Commission is ordering Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, TikTok’s parent and five other social media companies to provide detailed information on how they collect and use consumers’ personal data and how their practices affect children and teens.