The way physicians practice medicine is changing, and investors are betting that this trend will accelerate. In the past few years, venture capital money has moved from an almost-exclusive focus on developing new therapies to a portfolio that now includes healthcare information technology (HCIT) and services companies. The intent of this strategy is to alter fundamentally the nature of medical care provision, focusing on improved physician care, increased labor productivity, and reduced use of hospitals and other facilities. The combined impact of these changes for physicians and the facilities in which they practice could be profound.

Image: http://www.forbes.com/ 

Since its founding in 2009, Andreessen Horowitz has become a top Silicon Valley venture capital firm by adhering to a simple mantra: It’s all about the talent.

The firm looks closely at business plans, market analysis and the details of new technologies, of course. But whenever possible, it answers funding pitches from entrepreneurs within a few days rather than stringing them along indefinitely, as was customary in the industry. It employs dozens of people who help start-up founders with marketing, hiring and business development — providing fledgling companies with insider knowledge and connections they rarely have on their own.

Image: "Marc Andreessen" by Brian Solis - IMG_8642. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marc_Andreessen.jpg#/media/File:Marc_Andreessen.jpg 

Astrophysicists have created a 3D map of the universe that spans nearly two billion light years and is the most complete picture of our cosmic neighborhood to date.

The spherical map of galaxy superclusters will lead to a greater understanding of how matter is distributed in the universe and provide key insights into dark matter, one of physics’ greatest mysteries, the astronomers say.

“The galaxy distribution isn’t uniform and has no definable pattern. It has peaks and valleys much like a mountain range. 

Image: A slice through the 3D map of the nearby universe. Our Milky Way galaxy is in the center, marked by a cross. The map spans nearly two billion light years from side to side. Regions with many galaxies are shown in white or red, whereas regions with fewer galaxies are dark blue. (credit: University of Waterloo) 

If robots could detect human emotions, it might make them more “human.” That’s the premise of new research by Korean scientists, who have developed simple, low-cost, ultra-sensitive wearable strain sensors that can detect facial expressions.

This kind if detection is normally done with vision sensors connected to a computer, with facial-analysis algorithms, but such systems are expensive and have low mobility and high complexity, the researchers note in a paper published in ACS Nano.

Image: Stretchable transparent ultrasensitive strain sensors attached to the forehead, near the mouth, under the eye, and on the neck to sense skin strains induced by muscle movements during expression of emotions and daily activities (credit: Eun Roh et al./ACS Nano) 

A study tying the aging process to the deterioration of tightly packaged bundles of cellular DNA could lead to methods of preventing and treating age-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, scientists at the Salk Institute and the Chinese Academy of Science note in a paper published Thursday, April 30 in the journal Science.

They found that the genetic mutations underlying Werner syndrome, a disorder that leads to premature aging and death, resulted in the deterioration of bundles of DNA known as heterochromatin.

Image: Salk Institute researchers discovered that a protein mutated in Werner syndrome, premature aging disorder, plays a key role in stabilizing heterochromatin, a tightly packaged form of DNA, suggesting that heterochromatin disorganization may be a key driver of aging. This image shows normal human cells (left) and genetically modified cells developed by the Salk scientists to model Werner syndrome (right), which showed signs of aging, including their large size. (credit: Salk Institute for Biological Studies) 

Great business ideas and insights can come from unusual places. Whether insights originate with personal inspiration and reflection, or with tips from established leaders, most entrepreneurs know not to overlook these potentially valuable nuggets of inspiration and wisdom, whatever their source.

A bipartisan group of senators this week introduced legislation targeting so-called "patent trolls."

The Protecting American Talent and Entrepreneurship Act — or PATENT Act — aims to curb an increasing amount of patent litigation. Proponents of patent reform argue the current system allows bad actors to file frivolous patent lawsuits in search of quick settlements and financial windfalls.

A few years ago I was invited to give a TED talk about crowdsourcing. When I started to prepare for the talk, I brainstormed ways I could share my ideas in a more creative and engaging manner. When I hit a roadblock in my thinking, I turned to my crowd of friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter and asked them, "How do you think I can best create an 'Aha' moment for people who are trying to make sense of crowdsourcing?"

It has been said that the heart and soul of a company is creativity and innovation, and history is littered with high-performing companies that lost their innovative edge, only to fade into irrelevance. Thankfully, history is also full of innovators that we can learn from, and we need not be the next Jobs, Gates, or Disney to apply their lessons to our own companies.

Networking can feel like the professional equivalent of speed dating. And, like speed dating, you don't just want to make a good impression — you want to make a lasting one. So, how can you present yourself well and make meaningful connections when it feels like you're making small talk with people who are only half-listening?

The first step is to reframe your concept of networking. At your next event, remind yourself that it's less about empty chit-chat and more about making connections.

Ohio’s $150 million state-backed fund for venture-capital investments is showing stronger returns and has attracted more than $1 billion investment to the state, but still is performing below expectations. The Ohio Capital Fund LLC has generated an 8.7 percent annualized return from 2006 through the end of last year, fund managers on Thursday told the Ohio Venture Capital Authority.

Most business managers preach that the key to success is holding employees accountable for actions, but I have found that successful entrepreneurs are all about holding themselves accountable. They skip the blame and complain game, and make things happen despite major obstacles. As a startup investor, I view any evidence of a victim mentality as the kiss of death.

Ever wondered where big, breakthrough ideas come from? How do innovators manage to spot the opportunities for industry revolution that everyone else seems to miss?

Contrary to popular belief, innovation is not some mystical art that's forbidden to mere mortals. It can be just as systematic and methodical as anything else we do in business. And the great news is that we can all achieve it.

Image: http://www.ideachampions.com 

By Mike Patterson, CEO, Graphene Frontiers

Philadelphia has the ability to rewrite the rules on collaborative innovation. While knowledge used to be power, it is now knowledge-sharing that can create a long-term, sustainable ecosystem of growth.

If University City is a ‘hive’ of innovation, there’s no queen bee – it’s an orchestrated network of worker bees challenging antiquated beliefs and building a honeycomb of ingenuity. In our hive, we have access and exposure to world-class talent and technology from nearly every technical field. I believe that the most important breakthroughs of the 21st century will come from the confluence of groundbreaking advances in multiple disciplines. The most promising areas, which also happen to be historic strengths for Philadelphia, are in materials, biotechnology and electronics.

BY SARA DAVIDSON

When was the last time you indulged in play or dedicated purposeful time to fun? If you had to stop and search for an answer, you’re not alone. Somewhere along the way, we trade play for productivity, wrongly assuming that the two are mutually exclusive. In reality, if you want to build a better business, you’ve got to make time for fun.

Adobe has released its first set of findings from a new series of research on the creative economy.

As we reported in March, Adobe and Behance recently launched their first-ever book, Super-Modified, and this new research continues their exploration into the latest trends and techniques that are shaping the future of art and design.

By Nadine Kavanaugh, Associate Director, Wharton Entrepreneurship

Bungalow Insurance won the $30,000 Perlman Grand Prize of the 2015 Wharton Business Plan Competition. The prize was awarded at the Wharton School’s annual Venture Finals on April 30, 2015, where student finalists received more than $128,000 in combined cash prizes and in-kind legal/accounting services.

Bungalow Insurance is using data and design to create an insurance experience that finally meets the needs, habits, and expectations of Millennial consumers.

Image: 2015 Business Plan Competition Perlman Grand Prize Winners Zack Stiefler WG’15 and Tom Austin WG’15, founders of Bungalow Insurance. - https://beacon.wharton.upenn.edu/

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to bring a little Silicon Valley swagger to the Japanese business world.

Speaking at Stanford University on Thursday, Abe said Japan should emulate the spirit and creativity of Silicon Valley’s technology scene.

“We want to learn from the culture that exists in Silicon Valley,” said Abe, speaking in Japanese with a translator. “We’d love to capture the dynamism of Silicon Valley and bring it to Japan.”

Terry Pao worked in the very conventional business of government consulting for years. So when he and his wife decided to sell their company and start a new venture firm in Vienna, he turned to a less conventional industry in which to invest: cannabis.

For Pao and other investors who gathered Thursday in Greater Washington, the equation is tempting. The market is still emerging with varying degrees of legalization in several jurisdictions, including D.C., and there is still enough trepidation keeping other investors on the sidelines and competition for prospects low

On an episode of the HBO television show Silicon Valley, the young start-up founder at the center of the story, Richard, finds himself in a dilemma. It's the sort of quandary that many of us would dream of being caught in. When taking an initial round of investment, Richard has to decide whether his nascent compression algorithm company is worth $100 million or a fraction of that, figuring out how much investors will have to pay for a small slice of equity that thus far has only a very theoretical value.