Here’s a quick rundown of recent notable announcements from Wisconsin’s innovation and tech community:
—Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin became the first Wisconsin insurer to announce coverage of Madison-based Exact Sciences’ recently approved DNA-based screening test for colorectal cancer, Cologuard. Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) is one of Madison’s more closely watched biotech companies right now, and it is out to prove it can turn clinical promise into commercial success.
—Madison-based Shoutlet will be one of 30 companies making their case to investors at the Chicago Venture Summit organized by Chicago investor J.B. Pritzker, Groupon CEO Eric Lefkofsky, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. A group of notable venture capitalists will reportedly be in attendance, including representatives from Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, and Revolution. The field of invited startups is, perhaps understandably, dominated by Chicago companies. Shoutlet, a cloud-based social marketing software provider, is the only Badger State representative.
—Wauwatosa-based Advicent Solutions—which spun out of Zywave last year—acquired Netherlands-based financial planning software company Figlo for an undisclosed price, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported. Advicent is owned by Vista Equity Partners.
—DuPont Nutrition & Health is expanding its Madison manufacturing facility with the help of up to $140,000 in state tax credits to be distributed over the next three years. The company currently employs 200 people locally, and plans to add at least 12 more. The Madison location produces probiotics and cultures that customers use to make cheese, yogurt, and dietary supplements.
—Madison-based Echometrix was awarded its first patent for its ultrasound technology that tracks motion as part of its analysis of injured tissues.
