Here are a few of the latest headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation and technology community:
—France-based Esker has acquired Fitchburg startup TermSync for an undisclosed amount. TermSync makes cloud-based accounts receivable software and previously raised $2.2 million from investors, SEC documents show. Esker’s U.S. headquarters are in Madison.
—Milwaukee-based Mpirik snagged $1.75 million from investors to continue building its healthcare technology products, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal. Mpirik, formerly known as Medical Companion, said the money includes $250,000 from BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation, a nonprofit that invests donations in Badger State startups.
—Verona-based Epic Systems, already the leading provider of health records software, recently picked up two notable customers: the Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester, MN, and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Wheaton, with hospitals in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa, is spending $54 million to replace its current system with Epic software.
—VictorySpark, the Milwaukee startup accelerator for military veterans, could receive $500,000 from the state government under Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
—Next month, Kiva will launch its loan program for small businesses in Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The nonprofit organization makes zero-interest loans via crowdfunding and money raised by Kiva from public and private sources.
—A peer-reviewed proof-of-concept study examining the effectiveness of two fluorescent tumor-imaging agents developed by Madison-based Cellectar Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLRB]]) is being published in the February edition of the journal Neurosurgery. In trying to accurately discern glioma cancer cells, the first agent, CLR1501, performed similarly to an agent approved for use in the European Union, 5-ALA, while Cellectar’s second agent, CLR1502, showed superior results, the company said.
Cellectar said it plans to start a Phase 1 proof-of-concept trial this year using CLR1502 to detect breast cancer. Xconomy last year profiled Cellectar and its various experimental products for imaging and treating cancer cells.
