Tech Tidbits From Across New Hampshire

Novalis LifeSciences, a Hampton-based investment and advisory firm for the life science industry, announced it has raised $85 million in capital for its first fund: Novalis LifeSciences Investments I, L.P. The growth-oriented fund will invest in 8-12 companies that are commercializing breakthrough technologies in various segments of the Life Science industry, including drug discovery, life science tools, genomics, synthetic biology, diagnostics, and agricultural biotechnology, “all areas with huge unmet needs and exciting opportunities for investors,” said Marijn E. Dekkers, founder and chairman.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed an appeal on Aug. 16 in response to a ruling in U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire that found the Wire Act only applies to sports betting and not to sales of lottery tickets or other gambling games, including online poker. iDEA Growth, a trade group based in Washington that represents all sectors of the mobile gaming industry, is requesting the withdraw of the appeal, calling it a political move and noting in Sept. 2011, the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel issued a Memorandum Opinion concluding that “interstate transmissions of wire communications that do not relate to a ‘sporting event or contest,’ fall outside of the reach of the Wire Act.” The Wire Act dates back to 1961 when it was enacted to address the rise in illegal bookmaking

Blue Nile, a large online retailer of certified diamonds and fine jewelry, announced the appointment of Sean Kell as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Kell most recently served as CEO at A Place for Mom, a senior living referral service. He brings nearly 20 years of executive leadership in ecommerce, digital innovation, brand marketing, call center operations and product management across leading retail organizations, including Expedia, Hotels.com and Starbucks. Blue Nile has a physical showroom in Salem, NH.

New Hampshire is among nearly 30 states whose correctional facilities utilize Jobview via the SecureView Tablet and Securus Video Visitation terminals. The job search digital tool created by Dallas-based Securus Technologies has reached a milestone of nearly 10.6 million searches. Securus offers the community tablets at no cost to taxpayers or the incarcerated. This digital tool allows offenders to work on personal rehabilitation with applications such as Jobview, education, mental health and law library. The Manhattan Institute study revealed that “enhanced job-readiness training and job-search assistance helped reduce recidivism among non-violent ex-offenders by one-third, with rearrests dropping from 52% to 35%.”