As Monday morning rolls in, we’re providing TechWire readers with a quick recap of the past week’s news headlines.
Notable news stories from last week included: Morrisville-based Heat Biologics is moving closer to human testing for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate; a London-based EV startup is bringing its North American headquarters to Charlotte, where it plans to hire around 150 employees; International Capital Group is more than doubling the size of its operations in Charlotte, planning to bring over 500 more jobs with average wages of $87,500; fitness giant Peloton acquired a huge manufacturing plant in Guilford County as a part of its $420 million deal with Precor.
A few North Carolina companies secured new funding last week, including Wilmington-based Performance Culture ($2.9 million), Chapel Hill-based Measur.io ($775,000) and Raleigh-based BOA Nutrition ($1.35 million). Read more local startup news in our weekly Startup Rewind edition.
And, in national news: Apple is moving forward with plans for developing an autonomous vehicle; Google denied and rejected the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit claims; AI startups raised $9.9 billion in the second half of 2020, up 15% from the same period last year; genetics experts worry that coronavirus vaccines might not work as well against the new U.K. variant; China announced an anti-monopoly investigation into e-commerce giant Alibaba; a new survey found that business leaders expect to have 51% or more employees back in the physical workplace by January.
Keeping with our Monday “TechWire Rewind” tradition, here’s a look back at 66 local, state and national headlines as reported by WRAL TechWire last week:
MONDAY | Dec. 21 Headlines:
- Businesses prove aviation is an economic engine
- Flight training at Raleigh Exec Jetport offers opportunities for those interested in aviation
- IBM looks to ‘turbocharge’ cloud efforts with another acquisition
- Looking for tech & entrepreneurship meetups? Here are 155 across Triangle
- NC event headliners: Previewing 46 events & webinars to wrap up 2020, kick off 2021
- New startup-focused podcasts, other resources added to Triangle Startup Guide
- Once-a-month HIV treatment from ViiV Healthcare lands EU approval
- Organizations like Wings of Carolina, Elite Aircraft Services opt for Raleigh Exec Jetport in the Triangle Region
- Raleigh Executive Jetport offers event space, pilot lounge, meeting rooms, and more
- Startup Rewind: Grants, capital raises and crowdfunding info – here’s a recap of last week’s startup news
- Startup Spotlight: EV startup picks Charlotte for US headquarters, plans 150 jobs
- Take that, Amazon: Walmart teams with FedEx for free pick-up-and-return service
- Taking an early look at 2021: Previewing 40 events, deadlines set for February
- TechWire Rewind: Tech jobs drop; SolarWinds hack; Downtown South update + much more news to review
- Thinking about building a chatbot? Here are 4 things customers prefer
- Too much too fast for Tesla? Stock takes a hit on S&P 500 premier day
- Triangle biotech moves closer to human testing for COVID-19 vaccine
- Triangle headliners: 50 local events & deadlines close out 2020, launch 2021
TUESDAY | Dec. 22 Headlines:
- Apple autonomous vehicle news gives a charge to Cree, Qorvo; Sense Photonics too?
- Can execs make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory? What tech companies need to know
- Drug from Raleigh-based Merz receives FDA approval to treat chronic drooling
- DUALBOOT PARTNERS: 7 ways we build trusting relationships
- DUALBOOT PARTNERS: The Carolina’s tech problem
- Economic chaos in 2021? Duke, UNC experts warn there are more risks beyond COVID
- Electric vehicles charge from hype to reality in a remarkable year of development
- Financial firm bringing 500 more jobs to North Carolina at average wage of $87,500.
- Good news for startups: Softbank is in the prowl again for acquisitions
- Google rejects DOJ antitrust suit claims – don’t expect a pre-trial settlement
- Pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for identity thieves, fraudsters – here’s how to fight back
- Peloton acquires huge NC plant as part of $420M deal for fitness equipment firm
- Private bankers who worked with Trump, Kushner resign at Deutsche Bank
- Quantum computing momentum builds, especially at Duke, Honeywell
- Raleigh Executive Jetport is the corporate gateway to the Triangle
- Report: Facebook, Google agreed to ‘cooperate and assist one another’ in case of investigation
- Report: How pandemic may have helped save WeWork
- Teaching Startup: Six mistakes to avoid in building a new venture
- VACO: Fostering innovation during a crisis
- Want to be Black Panther? Captain Marvel? Check out new Fortnite ‘skins’
WEDNESDAY | Dec. 23 Headlines:
- AI Startups Raised $9.9B in second half of 2020, a 15% Jump
- Analysis shows living near certain grocery stores may affect home value
- Donald Thompson: My best of 2020 list – people, products, companies and causes I admire
- Duke bioengineering team is using 3D printing to develop a new instrument for eye imaging
- Home exercise bike firm buys company with NC facility for $420M
- Musk says Apple blew off discussion to acquire Tesla
- Pandemic forces many older Americans to retire early
- Three former UNC-CH grads behind the season’s hottest toy
- What could steal Christmas for Wall Street?
- Wilmington’s Performance Culture lands $2.9M investment from Jurassic Capital
THURSDAY | Dec. 24 Headlines:
- Chapel Hill-based Mesur.io and BOA in Raleigh raise cash
- China steps up pressure on Alibaba with anti-monopoly probe
- Genetics experts worry coronavirus vaccines might not work quite as well against UK variant
- IBM and Airbnb settle patent suit
- IBM to pay $24.25M in FCC probe fines
- Japanese spacecraft’s gifts: Asteroid chips like charcoal
- LendingTree shows what last minute holiday buyers purchased in 2019 (infographic)
- Potential Goodnight successor at SAS, Oliver Schabenberger, resigns
- Survey: Americans resolving to be smarter about money in 2021
FRIDAY | Dec. 25 Headlines:
- Biden’s post-election stock market bump is easily beating Trump’s
- FDA accepts Atox Bio drug application for flesh-eating bacteria infections
- Law firm warns Amazon sellers that having multiple accounts open can lead to suspension
- Study: Business leaders expect more than half their employees back by January
- ‘Wonder Woman’ vs. ‘Soul’: 2020’s biggest blockbuster battle is on streaming
