with WISC Partners,” Guinther says. “We’re giving aspiring entrepreneurs and talent coming out of [UW-Madison] and companies like Epic reasons to stay put. Now, no matter what my aspiration is, I can do it here.”
Since launching, WISC Partners has invested in three Madison-area companies:
—Imbed Biosciences, which is developing antimicrobial, nanofilm technology that aims to help wounds heal without infection or the use of potentially harmful levels of silver. The company claims its dressings can be used the moment treatment begins and contain 100 times less silver than competitors’ dressings, which can only be applied after a wound is infected.
—Rowheels, which makes wheels allowing people in wheelchairs to propel themselves forward by pulling the hand rims—as if rowing a boat—rather than pushing them. This alternative motion is more effective at strengthening back and shoulder muscles, according to Rowheels’ website, while the design improves the chair’s responsiveness and braking.
—Murfie, which can turn your CD collection into a digital music library accessible from anywhere. The company maintains a vault with all its customers’ discs—together, they number in the hundreds of thousands—and Murfie’s software lets users sell or trade their CDs.
Helmet maker wins pitch contest
The Early Stage Symposium featured two pitch competitions, though only one awarded prizes.
Twenty-eight tech companies from around the Midwest gave five-minute pitches at the first contest, sponsored by the Wisconsin Angel Network investor group. Among them were Madison-based startups HealthMyne, whose software allows clinicians to view 3D medical images alongside data from a patient’s electronic medical record, and AltusCampus, which is aiming to become the Netflix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NFLX]]) of continuing medical education.
The other competition, known as the Elevator Pitch Olympics, was more rapid-fire; 17 companies, all but three from Wisconsin, gave 90-second pitches to a panel of investors. First place in the contest, which has been held annually since 2005, went to Elm Grove, WI-based Whitcomb Technologies. The startup is developing a helmet for contact sports that uses air cells to reduce impact force during collisions. John Whitcomb, a physician who spent decades treating concussions in hospital emergency rooms, came up with the idea based on what he had learned about helmet impacts and the lasting effects of head injuries.
