Author: Jeff Buchanan

Jeff formerly led Xconomy’s Seattle coverage since. Before that, he spent three years as editor of Xconomy Wisconsin, primarily covering software and biotech companies based in the Badger State. A graduate of Vanderbilt, he worked in health IT prior to being bit by the journalism bug.

Monthly Handbag Service Among 5 Startups in Latest Gener8tor Class

The list of products that businesses are now shipping to customers on a periodic basis as part of a subscription service seems to be getting longer all the time. Consumers can sign up to receive a monthly supply of makeup, wine and cheese pairings, and even cat litter, just to name a few examples. Add Ivory … Continue reading “Monthly Handbag Service Among 5 Startups in Latest Gener8tor Class”

Under New CEO, Rowheels Considers Selling More Than Just Wheels

[Corrected 4/19/17 4:18 pm. See below.] After nearly five years in business, Rowheels, a Fitchburg, WI-based maker of special wheels for wheelchairs, is expanding its team and products. [This paragraph has been updated to correctly state the amount of time Rowheels has been in business. We regret the error.] The company sells wheels that allow people in wheelchairs … Continue reading “Under New CEO, Rowheels Considers Selling More Than Just Wheels”

Third Fund Under State Program Gets $6M, To Be Based in Southern WI

A program supported in part by the state of Wisconsin that’s aimed at helping startups raise venture capital said it invested $6 million in a new fund based in the southern part of the state. The new fund is the third launched in the past year under the program, which is known as the Badger … Continue reading “Third Fund Under State Program Gets $6M, To Be Based in Southern WI”

Cellectar Brings On John Friend as Chief Medical Officer

Cellectar Biosciences, a Madison, WI-based company that is developing drugs with the potential to treat malignant tumors and certain forms of blood cancer, said on Wednesday that it has named John Friend as its chief medical officer, effective April 17. Friend, a physician, previously worked at the Swiss pharmaceutical group Helsinn Therapeutics for more than … Continue reading “Cellectar Brings On John Friend as Chief Medical Officer”

Lucigen, EnsoData, Rowheels, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist

Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community, starting with these recent headlines: —Middleton-based Lucigen, which makes tools for life sciences researchers, said it now has the exclusive rights to distribute Epicentre’s genomic kits, enzymes, and ancillary reagents. Madison-based Epicentre was purchased by San Diego-based Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) in 2011 for $71 million; … Continue reading “Lucigen, EnsoData, Rowheels, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”

Redox to Help Intermountain Bring Homegrown Apps to More Providers

In 2014, the startup accelerator Healthbox launched a program in Salt Lake City in partnership with Intermountain Healthcare, a network of hospitals and clinics headquartered there. The following year, the accelerator graduated a class of startups from its Healthbox Studio program that included Madison, WI-based Redox, which develops software that enables healthcare applications to exchange … Continue reading “Redox to Help Intermountain Bring Homegrown Apps to More Providers”

Shine Medical Raises $2.2M to Stay in Race for Vital Imaging Isotope

Shine Medical Technologies, a Janesville, WI-based company that’s working to resume domestic production of a vital medical isotope, has raised another $2.2 million from investors, says vice president of business development Katrina Pitas. According to a document filed with federal securities regulators, Shine raised more than $27.1 million in debt financing in January. With the … Continue reading “Shine Medical Raises $2.2M to Stay in Race for Vital Imaging Isotope”

With New Debt Round, Madison Startup Kiio Passes $5M in Funding

Most people are familiar with the concept of performing a series of rehabilitation exercises after having surgery. But far fewer have likely heard of “pre-habilitation” exercise regimens, which are assigned to patients before they go under the knife. The idea has gained traction due to changes in how the government reimburses hospitals and clinics for … Continue reading “With New Debt Round, Madison Startup Kiio Passes $5M in Funding”

Telkonet, Wantable, Marquette, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

March into April by staying current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community, starting with these recent headlines: —Telkonet, a Waukesha-based company that develops hardware and software to connect machines to the Internet, and to each other, sold one of its business divisions to Syosset, NY-based DCI-Design Communications. The price paid for the business unit, which is … Continue reading “Telkonet, Wantable, Marquette, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Promentis Pharmaceuticals Completes $26M Financing to Advance CNS Drug

[Updated 3/31/17, 12:03 pm. See below.] Promentis Pharmaceuticals, a Milwaukee-based developer of drugs designed to modify brain chemistry to treat central nervous system disorders, has raised $26 million from investors, the company said Thursday. The Series C financing round was led by three firms, Promentis said: Aisling Capital and OrbiMed, both based in New York, and Cambridge, … Continue reading “Promentis Pharmaceuticals Completes $26M Financing to Advance CNS Drug”

WI Corporate Venture Funds Say They Bring Startups More Than Money

For a tech startup seeking to raise venture capital, there can be benefits to accepting an investment from the VC arm of a large corporation, rather than a traditional, standalone venture firm. For example, doing so might allow the startup to tap into the larger organization, whose employees and customers could use the technology and … Continue reading “WI Corporate Venture Funds Say They Bring Startups More Than Money”

Gener8tor Announces Latest Mini-Accelerator Classes, Pitch Event

The Wisconsin-based startup accelerator Gener8tor earlier this week unveiled the 10 startups currently participating in gBETA, a free, six-week program managed by Gener8tor. The companies are split evenly between two programs. One is taking place in Beloit, WI, the first time gBETA has been held in that city. The other program is in Madison, WI. … Continue reading “Gener8tor Announces Latest Mini-Accelerator Classes, Pitch Event”

Exact Sciences Shares Higher After Aetna Expands Cologuard Coverage

Another large insurer has said it will cover Cologuard, a stool-based DNA screening test for colorectal cancer developed by Madison, WI-based Exact Sciences. The announcement sent the company’s stock price higher during trading Monday. Hartford, CT-based Aetna (NYSE: [[ticker:AET]]) updated its policy to include Cologuard in its list of covered colorectal cancer screening tests on … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Higher After Aetna Expands Cologuard Coverage”

From Cow Chips to Fake Drugs, Panel Explores Blockchain’s Potential

If you keep hearing your tech-savvy colleagues and friends using the term “blockchain,” but still feel like you don’t quite understand what they’re referring to, you’re not the only one. Even top executives at large financial services firms are still getting a handle on the emerging technology and its potential impact. Blaise Beaulier is vice … Continue reading “From Cow Chips to Fake Drugs, Panel Explores Blockchain’s Potential”

Arrowhead, Research Cuts, JCI, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, which is based in Pasadena, CA, but houses its research and development operations in Madison, entered into a stockholder rights agreement. This type of agreement, known colloquially as a “poison pill,” is typically aimed at protecting a company’s shareholders in the … Continue reading “Arrowhead, Research Cuts, JCI, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Michigan Might Hold Lessons for Improving Wisconsin’s VC Climate

Wisconsin and Michigan share a border, but there’s a significant gap between the two states in the amount of money investors are putting into startups based there each year. Following the recent decision to reboot the Wisconsin Venture Capital Association, which happened in part because a Madison, WI-based VC firm has a satellite office in … Continue reading “Michigan Might Hold Lessons for Improving Wisconsin’s VC Climate”

Investors Reboot Wisconsin Venture Capital Association

The Wisconsin Venture Capital Association, a nonprofit trade group that was formed in 2002 but has been dormant since 2008, is springing back to life, according to key figures in the state’s venture industry. The revival, first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, was confirmed Wednesday by two Madison-based investors. Scott Button, managing director at Madison, … Continue reading “Investors Reboot Wisconsin Venture Capital Association”

Amid Focus On Value, Forward Health Group’s Software Gets Qualified

With the healthcare industry navigating the transition from fee-for-service payment models to value-based care, startups and mature healthcare IT companies are building tools to enable this massive business change. In many cases, the federal agency driving this transition must certify those tools, ensuring that they hew to new reporting requirements designed to link the quality … Continue reading “Amid Focus On Value, Forward Health Group’s Software Gets Qualified”

Scanalytics Receives Loan From WEDC, Eyes Series A Later This Year

Scanalytics, a Milwaukee-based startup that creates hardware and software to help customers track the movement of people through physical spaces, says it has received a $200,000 loan from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. The loan, which WEDC provided under its Technology Development Loan Program, is part of a $1 million-plus funding round that Scanalytics recently … Continue reading “Scanalytics Receives Loan From WEDC, Eyes Series A Later This Year”

Facing ‘Headwinds,’ Connecture Raises Another $17.5M From PE Firms

The uncertainty surrounding the Affordable Care Act and the private, state, and federal health insurance marketplaces launched following the law’s passage has created “market headwinds” for the Brookfield, WI-based software developer Connecture, the company’s CEO said earlier this week. Connecture (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNXR]]), which sells Web-based software designed to aid consumers shopping for health plans, reported … Continue reading “Facing ‘Headwinds,’ Connecture Raises Another $17.5M From PE Firms”

Lumanu, Doyenne Group, Intellivisit & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Lumanu, a Milwaukee-based developer of marketing software that helps customers identify social media users to serve as “influencers” for their brands, was the subject of a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profile. The startup, which was part of the most recent class to … Continue reading “Lumanu, Doyenne Group, Intellivisit & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Did Milwaukee-Based Startups Really Raise $111 Million in 2016?

According to data compiled by PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association, two groups that monitor investment trends, startups based in the Milwaukee area collectively raised about $44.6 million in 2016. That was up from 2015, when PitchBook and NVCA data show the region’s funding total was about $28.1 million. Many members of the Milwaukee area’s … Continue reading “Did Milwaukee-Based Startups Really Raise $111 Million in 2016?”

Invenra Adds Partners, Still Open to Developing Own Drugs in Future

In the past three months, Invenra has announced two new partnerships, under which the company will provide therapeutic antibodies to its collaborators. Madison, WI-based Invenra is one of a small number of companies that has traditionally used cell-free protein expression technology to identify therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. This approach sets Invenra apart from the more popular … Continue reading “Invenra Adds Partners, Still Open to Developing Own Drugs in Future”

WARF, Cellectar Expand Licensing Agreement For Blood Cancer Drug

The organization that manages patents and licensing of intellectual property for the University of Wisconsin-Madison has expanded a licensing agreement with Cellectar Biosciences, a developer of cancer drugs, the company said earlier this week. The agreement, between the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) and Madison, WI-based Cellectar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLRB]]), covers the use of the company’s … Continue reading “WARF, Cellectar Expand Licensing Agreement For Blood Cancer Drug”

Emile Nuwaysir Joins BlueRock Therapeutics as CEO

Emile Nuwaysir last month joined Cambridge, MA-based BlueRock Therapeutics as chief executive, according to his LinkedIn profile. BlueRock is developing stem cell therapies to repair heart muscle in patients who have had a heart attack. The startup raised $225 million from investors in December. Previously, Nuwaysir was president and chief operating officer of Madison, WI-based Cellular … Continue reading “Emile Nuwaysir Joins BlueRock Therapeutics as CEO”

As Health Insurance Debate Heats Up, Dynamis Plugs Away

The best way to create a framework that enables large numbers of Americans to have health insurance, while keeping costs under control for patients, care providers, and insurers, has been a subject of heated political debate for much of the past decade. But for all the arguments that have been put forth criticizing and defending … Continue reading “As Health Insurance Debate Heats Up, Dynamis Plugs Away”

Gravy Live, Promega, Okanjo, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist

Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these headlines from late February and early March: —A trio of serial entrepreneurs based in the Madison area has launched a new startup, Gravy Live. The company raised more than $450,000 in funding from three investors, according to a regulatory filing that was made public on … Continue reading “Gravy Live, Promega, Okanjo, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”

Trump Policies, Paperwork, & More: Advice for Startup Founders

If you are the founder of a fledgling business, there are many things that are under your control, but also some that are not. For instance, entrepreneurs working to develop tools to help hospitals get reimbursed for providing care have likely monitored political news more closely since November. One of the reasons is that following … Continue reading “Trump Policies, Paperwork, & More: Advice for Startup Founders”

Shares in Exact Sciences Rise on Better-Than-Expected P&L Results

Exact Sciences nearly quadrupled its advertising spending in 2016 as it sought to build a customer base for its flagship product. The television ad blitz seemed to work, said leaders at the company earlier this week, when Exact reported fourth-quarter earnings. The company’s profit-and-loss results came in above many analysts’ estimates, sending its stock to … Continue reading “Shares in Exact Sciences Rise on Better-Than-Expected P&L Results”

Epic Launches App Orchard to Create ‘Easier Developer Experience’

Epic Systems, which sells software for managing health records that is used to care for 190 million patients around the world, has introduced a new program that the company says will help outside healthcare software developers integrate their digital tools with Epic’s. The program, called App Orchard, aims to make it simpler for developers to … Continue reading “Epic Launches App Orchard to Create ‘Easier Developer Experience’”

Gener8tor, ParqEx, 4490, RPRD, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Gener8tor, a startup accelerator that has held programs in Wisconsin and Minnesota, has named Eric Martell managing director of its Twin Cities programming, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported. Martell is a co-founder of EatStreet, a Madison-based food-ordering startup, and previously served as … Continue reading “Gener8tor, ParqEx, 4490, RPRD, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

After Navigating Ups and Downs, Cellectar CEO Caruso Looks to Future

Cellectar Biosciences has seen ups and downs in the last 18 months, including several changes in its top ranks. Now, as the cancer drug developer prepares to take its lead drug candidate into mid-stage clinical trials, CEO Jim Caruso seems more interested in talking about his company’s future than its past. Madison, WI-based Cellectar (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “After Navigating Ups and Downs, Cellectar CEO Caruso Looks to Future”

Probiotics Maker UAS Laboratories Raises $21.2M From Investors

The Wausau, WI-based probiotics manufacturer UAS Laboratories says it has raised more than $21.2 million, according to an SEC filing that was recently made public. Twelve investors participated in the equity funding round, according to the filing. UAS Labs formulates, blends, bottles, and distributes probiotic products, which are designed to stimulate the growth of so-called … Continue reading “Probiotics Maker UAS Laboratories Raises $21.2M From Investors”

Panel: Big Data Can Be ‘Democratized’ For The Masses

Big data is a big deal, and it’s not too late for people who feel they know little or nothing about the collection, organization, storage, and retrieval of massive amounts of information to start paying attention. The trend isn’t going anywhere. Those were some of the themes of a panel discussion held on Monday in … Continue reading “Panel: Big Data Can Be ‘Democratized’ For The Masses”

Lynx Bio Makes Headway on New Diagnostic for Blood Cancer Drugs

In 2009, as a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chorom Pak was part of a group of researchers working to understand how sensitive patients’ cells were to certain therapies for blood cancers, such as multiple myeloma. The group, which also included UW-Madison professors Shigeki Miyamoto and David Beebe, and postdoctoral fellow Edmond Young, … Continue reading “Lynx Bio Makes Headway on New Diagnostic for Blood Cancer Drugs”

NeuroPointDX, JCI, Resnick, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist

Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —NeuroPointDX, a business division of Madison-based Stemina Biomarker Discovery focused on diagnostics for neurological disorders, announced a partnership with New York-based Ovid Therapeutics. The collaboration is aimed at identifying novel biomarkers of Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by intellectual … Continue reading “NeuroPointDX, JCI, Resnick, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”

Spredfast Says It Will Close Its Madison Office, Eliminating 47 Jobs

In August 2015, Spredfast, an Austin, TX-based developer of social media management software, acquired Madison, WI-based Shoutlet for an undisclosed sum. In a message announcing the deal, Spredfast said that the staff and headquarters of Shoutlet—which sold cloud-based software to help measure the impact of online marketing campaigns—would “become Spredfast’s newest development center.” Now, a … Continue reading “Spredfast Says It Will Close Its Madison Office, Eliminating 47 Jobs”

Propeller Health, Novartis to Develop Add-On Sensor for Breezhaler

Propeller Health, a Madison, WI-based startup that makes Internet-connected inhalers and sensors designed to help asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, says it is teaming up with Novartis to build an add-on sensor for the Swiss pharma giant’s Breezhaler device. The agreement, announced on Wednesday, is focused on patients with COPD who live … Continue reading “Propeller Health, Novartis to Develop Add-On Sensor for Breezhaler”

Madison Healthtech Startup Catalyze Rebrands As ‘Datica’

Scaling a mountain, even a figurative one, sometimes requires making changes on the fly. Catalyze, an early-stage healthtech company based in Madison, WI, previously used a mountaineering theme when choosing names for its primary software applications. It chose the climbing term Redpoint for its health data integration product, while its hosting and compliance offering was … Continue reading “Madison Healthtech Startup Catalyze Rebrands As ‘Datica’”

Exact Sciences, OnKöl, Fiserv, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Get caught up to speed on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) said that Cologuard, the company’s stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer, is slated to be included in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Advantage Star Ratings. CMS publishes the Star Ratings each … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, OnKöl, Fiserv, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

With $294M, Kamen Hopes to Bring Regenerative Medicine “Up to Scale”

Dean Kamen is, among other things, an inventor, entrepreneur, and leader in the technology and nonprofit fields. The products he and his company, Manchester, NH-based DEKA Research & Development, have helped create over the years include the first portable insulin delivery system, an electronic wheelchair that can climb and descend stairs, a robotic prosthetic arm, … Continue reading “With $294M, Kamen Hopes to Bring Regenerative Medicine “Up to Scale””

Biomedical Research Has Support, But Questions Linger About Funding

In December, the U.S. Department of Defense provided an update on the total amount of funding pledged to the Advanced Tissue Biofabrication Manufacturing Innovation Institute. A total of $294 million, including $80 million from the DoD, has now been committed to the public-private initiative, which is aimed at developing innovative manufacturing techniques that could be … Continue reading “Biomedical Research Has Support, But Questions Linger About Funding”

UWM Research Foundation Licenses Fluid Dynamics Tech to Ohio Firm

A foundation that assists with technology transfer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has licensed software designed to educate people about fluid dynamics and air flow to an Ohio-based company, the school said. Tom Hansen, a graduate student at UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences, developed digital tools designed to let users make ripples in, and perform other … Continue reading “UWM Research Foundation Licenses Fluid Dynamics Tech to Ohio Firm”

EatStreet Grows Through Partial Acquisition of Pennsylvania Startup

Since launching in 2010, the Madison, WI-based startup EatStreet has fueled its growth by raising venture capital, introducing its food ordering technology in hundreds of cities across the U.S., and bringing on dozens of new employees. Now comes news that EatStreet has made what co-founder and CEO Matt Howard calls its first “highlighted acquisition.” The … Continue reading “EatStreet Grows Through Partial Acquisition of Pennsylvania Startup”

Telkonet Unveils Connected Thermostat as Smart Devices Proliferate

Telkonet, a Waukesha, WI-based company that helps configure Internet networks and devices that run on them, says it has introduced a new wireless thermostat. The device, known as “EcoTouch+ Battery,” is the latest product in the company’s EcoSmart product line. It features an occupancy sensor that activates the thermostat’s touch-screen display when someone is nearby, … Continue reading “Telkonet Unveils Connected Thermostat as Smart Devices Proliferate”

Driverless Cars, UW Spinouts, & CRISPR: This Week’s WI Watchlist

Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —The U.S. Department of Transportation selected the University of Wisconsin-Madison as one of 10 “proving ground” pilot sites where researchers will test and share information on technologies underpinning driverless cars and trucks. Some of the testing will happen in the Madison area, but … Continue reading “Driverless Cars, UW Spinouts, & CRISPR: This Week’s WI Watchlist”

Northwestern Mutual VC Fund Leader Discusses Investment Approach

Earlier this month, Northwestern Mutual announced it would invest $50 million in early stage companies over the next several years. The Milwaukee-based life insurance and financial services firm says the new fund, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, will invest $500,000 to $3 million apiece in startups. According to the fund’s website, so far it has invested … Continue reading “Northwestern Mutual VC Fund Leader Discusses Investment Approach”

Mallinckrodt Filing Pegs Stratatech Deal at $76M, Could Reach $197M

[Updated 1/27/17, 6:49 pm. See below.] The sale of Stratatech, a Madison, WI-based maker of human skin tissue, to Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals in August cost the company $76 million in cash, according to a filing submitted to federal securities regulators. In addition, U.K.-based Mallinckrodt (NYSE: [[ticker:MNK]]) could be on the hook for another $121 million in … Continue reading “Mallinckrodt Filing Pegs Stratatech Deal at $76M, Could Reach $197M”