happens to be a HealthX portfolio company; last year, Madison-based EnsoData said it had partnered with the Wisconsin Sleep Clinic, part of the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, to test the startup’s algorithms for scoring sleep data.
But Madison’s size, relative to some of the tech hubs its aspires to compete with, means certain aspects of growing a company there can be hard, Sandock said. She and others at Dock wish Madison’s primary airport offered more “cheap tickets to major destinations, so that we can sell,” she said, adding that “it’s difficult to get in and out quickly.” Madison’s lack of direct flights to large U.S. metropolises, including San Francisco, is a popular refrain during discussions on improving the city’s high-tech business climate.
For his part, Natzke—who worked at Epic for about six years before joining HealthX in September—said that his fund considers prospects from all over the country, and he likes what he’s seeing from Madison. While lots of digital health startups outside the area are working on concepts he sees as “low-hanging fruit,” founders of companies here “have sat down next to clinicians,” and are more ingrained within the healthcare ecosystem, he said.
