When Jonathan Baran started a healthtech company in 2011, he says he saw its mission as “evolving healthcare.” So he and co-founder Lyle Berkowitz chose the name Healthfinch, a nod to the species of birds Charles Darwin discovered during a voyage to the Galápagos Islands. Healthfinch, which makes software to automate routine tasks performed by … Continue reading “With $7.5M Series A, Healthfinch To Keep Evolving Automation Software”
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.
Prune, Swallow Solutions, & Corvisa: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List
After a mild start to winter, snow and freezing temperatures appear to be here to stay in many parts of the Badger State. Set your shovel down and curl up with Xconomy Wisconsin’s final news roundup of 2015: —Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) named Prune, a game developed by Madison-based developer Joel McDonald, as its iPad Game … Continue reading “Prune, Swallow Solutions, & Corvisa: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”
Amid Spotlight On Concussions, New Efforts To Improve Gear, Tackling
In 2005, the journal Neurosurgery published a paper by forensic neuropatholigist Bennet Omalu and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh that linked a neurodegenerative disease to repetitive brain trauma. Omalu was the first researcher to diagnose the disease—known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE—in a former National Football League player. Actor Will Smith portrays Omalu … Continue reading “Amid Spotlight On Concussions, New Efforts To Improve Gear, Tackling”
Wheeling And Dealing: WISC Partners To Invest Up To $1.5M In Rowheels
During a 2011 sailing trip, Rimas Buinevicius sustained a spiral fracture to his leg that landed him in a wheelchair for more than two months. It was his first time using a wheelchair for an extended period, and he says he was determined not to let the injury sideline him completely. “I had a lot … Continue reading “Wheeling And Dealing: WISC Partners To Invest Up To $1.5M In Rowheels”
Cellular Dynamics, Epic, & Wellbe: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List
Take a break from the hectic run-up to the holidays and check out these recent major headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —A judge granted preliminary approval to a settlement in a class-action shareholder lawsuit against Madison-based Cellular Dynamics International, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. In April, CDI tentatively settled three similar lawsuits challenging the biotech’s $307 million sale … Continue reading “Cellular Dynamics, Epic, & Wellbe: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”
Corvisa Acquired by Silicon Valley’s ShoreTel for $8.5M
Milwaukee-based Corvisa, which develops cloud-based software for call centers and other businesses, was sold on Monday to a California communications company for $8.5 million. The all-cash deal is part of a strategic shift for Kansas City, MO-based Novation Companies (OTC: [[ticker:NOVC]]), a public holding company that focuses on scaling startups, which had owned a majority … Continue reading “Corvisa Acquired by Silicon Valley’s ShoreTel for $8.5M”
@1403 Aims to Foster Innovation on UW-Madison Campus and Beyond
Since taking office two years ago, University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor Rebecca Blank has championed the effort to make more resources available to members of the campus community who have ideas for new companies. In 2013, Blank, who has previously served as U.S. commerce secretary, told UW-Madison’s news service she sees universities as “idea factories” critical … Continue reading “@1403 Aims to Foster Innovation on UW-Madison Campus and Beyond”
Smart Choice MRI, WARF, & Promega: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List
A capital-fueled expansion, a nine-figure acquisition, and two end-of-year awards are among the major recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Smart Choice MRI, which is based in the Milwaukee area and operates six clinics in Wisconsin that provide relatively low-cost magnetic resonance imaging services, has raised $6.5 million in new funding. Milwaukee-based F Street Capital led … Continue reading “Smart Choice MRI, WARF, & Promega: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”
Capital Midwest Raises $30M of Possible $150M for Third Fund
Capital Midwest Fund, a venture capital fund based in the Milwaukee area, has raised nearly $30 million from 32 investors for its third fund, according to a document filed with the SEC on Thursday. The investor group plans to raise up to $150 million for its latest fund, according to the filing. That would make … Continue reading “Capital Midwest Raises $30M of Possible $150M for Third Fund”
Seiva’s Smart Workout Duds Highlight Mini-Accelerator Pitch Event
[Updated 12/17/15, 5:09 p.m. See below.] One of the biggest storylines of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia was the disappointing performance of the U.S. speedskating team, which some blamed not on the athletes themselves but on the suit many of them wore during races. The so-called Mach 39 suit, touted as “the fastest … Continue reading “Seiva’s Smart Workout Duds Highlight Mini-Accelerator Pitch Event”
As Criticism Mounts, Health Records Firms Chart Path to Data Sharing
The Great Recession devastated many industries, but health information technology was not one of them. The stimulus package Congress and President Obama approved in 2009 included $29 billion in incentives for U.S. hospitals and clinics to adopt electronic health records (EHR) systems. The legislation ignited a period of explosive growth for companies that develop software … Continue reading “As Criticism Mounts, Health Records Firms Chart Path to Data Sharing”
Dairyvative, Catalyze, & EnsoData: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List
An agriculture technology startup, a regulatory flip-flop, and a new investment fund are among the major recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Markesan-based Dairyvative Technologies, which is developing a unique technology for making concentrated milk, raised $2.5 million from four investors, according to an SEC filing. The technology removes water from pasteurized milk to form … Continue reading “Dairyvative, Catalyze, & EnsoData: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”
EatStreet Grabs $15M To Bring Food Ordering To More Mid-Size Cities
Since launching in 2010, the online food ordering service EatStreet has seen significant growth in revenue, users, and participating restaurants, all while sticking to its small-town roots. Founded by three students in a college town—Madison, WI, where the startup continues to operate—EatStreet now serves 15,000 restaurants across 250 markets, many of them mid-size cities with … Continue reading “EatStreet Grabs $15M To Bring Food Ordering To More Mid-Size Cities”
Milwaukee Peer-To-Peer Lender Sells Minority Stake, Raises New Fund
[Updated 12/2/15 11:09 am. to clarify LGI’s business model.] A Milwaukee-based startup known for lending money to individuals and small businesses made a sale Tuesday. The product? Itself. Looking Glass Investments (LGI) uses popular peer-to-peer lending websites such as Lending Club (NYSE: [[ticker:LC]]) to find and evaluate loan-seekers. The company sold some of its own … Continue reading “Milwaukee Peer-To-Peer Lender Sells Minority Stake, Raises New Fund”
Arrowhead, Baird, & UW-Madison: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List
Before heading home to feast on turkey and spend time with family and loved ones, check out these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Madison-based Arrowhead Research (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARWR]]) released data last week that “strongly support” the advancement of its lead hepatitis B virus (HBV) drug candidate, the company said in a press release. The … Continue reading “Arrowhead, Baird, & UW-Madison: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”
At Cellular Dynamics, The Beat Goes On Under Fujifilm Ownership
Arne Thompson, an application support manager at Cellular Dynamics International, places a culture of manufactured human cells under a microscope. He points to a large screen above his head showing a close-up view of the lab dish contents. The cells are alive, pulsating in near perfect unison at a rate of about one beat per second. … Continue reading “At Cellular Dynamics, The Beat Goes On Under Fujifilm Ownership”
Gener8tor Announces Latest Mini-Accelerator Class, Pitch Event
gBETA, a free, six-week program for “pre-seed” startups affiliated with colleges and universities in Wisconsin, unveiled its newest class Tuesday. The group draws from several industries, including biotech, wearables, and software. The class, the second in gBETA’s brief history, kicked off Oct. 17 and will culminate with a pitch event in Madison, WI, on Dec. 8. … Continue reading “Gener8tor Announces Latest Mini-Accelerator Class, Pitch Event”
What’s On Tap? Propeller Health
Earlier this year, my colleague Jeff Engel created a series exploring Wisconsin tech companies at which employees enjoy drinking a couple beers together to wrap up the week. A few months back, Engel moved to Boston to work from Xconomy headquarters, and I joined the company as the new Wisconsin editor. I want to keep the series going, and … Continue reading “What’s On Tap? Propeller Health”
Epic’s Data Deal With HealthMyne, UW Health Could Help Quell Critics
Epic Systems, based in the Madison, WI, area, has been described as an “unwitting contributor” to the local healthtech startup ecosystem it helped spawn and now towers over. But that reputation could begin to shift, if a partnership unveiled Tuesday is a harbinger of things to come. HealthMyne, a Madison startup that makes analytics software … Continue reading “Epic’s Data Deal With HealthMyne, UW Health Could Help Quell Critics”
With $550K, Beekeeper Gets Buzz for Building “MailChimp for Data”
Matthew Rathbone left his job at Foursquare, the location-based social network headquartered in New York City, in 2013 after nearly three years of employment. While he didn’t miss his old job enough to return to the company, he says he did long to use some of the tools he had co-developed there. During his time at Foursquare, one … Continue reading “With $550K, Beekeeper Gets Buzz for Building “MailChimp for Data””
This Week’s Wisconsin Watch: Rockwell, Connecture, Shine, & More
Here are some of the major Wisconsin innovation news items from the past week: —Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation (NYSE: [[ticker:ROK]]) announced it’s working with software giant Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) and Cambridge, MA-based Nubisa to expand its mobile toolkit for workers in industrial settings, where there may not be reliable wireless Internet. Technology from Project Thali, a … Continue reading “This Week’s Wisconsin Watch: Rockwell, Connecture, Shine, & More”
The Future of Apple & Enterprise IT: Q&A With JAMF Software Founder
Zach Halmstad was an Apple loyalist before it was cool. He founded JAMF Software in 2002 after developing enterprise tools for Mac computers as part of an IT job at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he was studying music. Today, JAMF—which is headquartered in Minneapolis but has significant operations in Eau Claire—has more than … Continue reading “The Future of Apple & Enterprise IT: Q&A With JAMF Software Founder”
With Roche Deal, Cellular Dynamics Wades Deeper Into Drug Discovery
Cellular Dynamics International has long touted the potential for its manufactured human stem cells to help researchers identify and formulate new drugs. It got a strong endorsement from Swiss pharma giant Roche on Tuesday with a deal worth up to $83 million that Cellular Dynamics says is its largest partnership to date. The Madison, WI-based … Continue reading “With Roche Deal, Cellular Dynamics Wades Deeper Into Drug Discovery”
VC Panel, New Fund, Pitch Contests Highlight WI Early Stage Symposium
Wisconsin has a ways to go if it wishes to be seen as a hotbed for entrepreneurship nationally. The Badger State finished dead last in the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s state rankings for startup activity. While there are some positive data points, such as Gener8tor being ranked the 14th-best U.S. seed accelerator last year, funds … Continue reading “VC Panel, New Fund, Pitch Contests Highlight WI Early Stage Symposium”
AI, Accelerators, & Awards: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) announced it won’t move into a new headquarters in the city’s downtown, dropping its previous plans. Instead, the company will expand its presence at University Research Park on Madison’s west side. Last month, shares in … Continue reading “AI, Accelerators, & Awards: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”
At Startup Showcase, Gener8tor Examines Past, Present, and Future
When it comes to placing targeted online advertisements, it’s sometimes necessary to connect the dots to identify what a user wants or needs. Justin Hartzman is co-founder and CEO of Needls, a Toronto-based startup that serves personalized ads based on the content of social media posts. He said for his company’s purposes, there are two types … Continue reading “At Startup Showcase, Gener8tor Examines Past, Present, and Future”
Quietyme Seeks to Identify Patients’ Needs Faster With CareCube
The newest product from Quietyme, a startup based in Neshkoro, WI, is a white cube with a different pattern on each of its six sides. That description may conjure up an image of dice, which of course give games an element of randomness. But Quietyme’s CareCube is designed to reduce uncertainty: patients in hospitals can use … Continue reading “Quietyme Seeks to Identify Patients’ Needs Faster With CareCube”
IDAvatars, Working With Watson, Seeks to Answer Patients’ Questions
Watson, meet Sophie. In September, IBM (NYSE: [[ticker:IBM]]) announced 100 of its development partners on its Watson supercomputer had brought a product or service to market. Among them was iDAvatars, a Mequon, WI-based startup that creates avatars like Sophie, a virtual medical assistant who becomes more familiar with a user with each interaction. Norrie Daroga, … Continue reading “IDAvatars, Working With Watson, Seeks to Answer Patients’ Questions”
Looking to Spur Startups, UW’s Patent Office Partners with Gener8tor
gBETA, a free, six-week accelerator for early-stage companies affiliated with colleges and universities in Wisconsin, now has a second powerful backer. On Monday Gener8tor, the Wisconsin startup accelerator that launched gBETA earlier this year, announced a partnership with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), which manages intellectual property for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. American Family … Continue reading “Looking to Spur Startups, UW’s Patent Office Partners with Gener8tor”
Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Promega, WARF, & More
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —The new board of directors at Fitchburg-based life sciences supplier Promega has rejected a hostile takeover attempt, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. Two shareholders—Ted Kellner, executive chairman of Milwaukee-based Fiduciary Management, and Nathan Brand, a Miami real estate developer with … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Promega, WARF, & More”
TAI Diagnostics Hires CEO, Nabs $8.3M to Push Post-Transplant Test
Five months removed from raising $6 million from investors, TAI Diagnostics has upped the ante. Last week the Milwaukee-area startup, which is seeking to commercialize a non-invasive test to monitor the health of heart transplant recipients, said the value of its Series A round has climbed to $8.3 million. The company also said it hired a CEO: Frank … Continue reading “TAI Diagnostics Hires CEO, Nabs $8.3M to Push Post-Transplant Test”
Wisconsin Roundup: TAI Diagnostics, WhyHigh, DevCodeCamp & More
As the leaves change colors and kids prepare to trick-or-treat, the Badger State’s tech and innovation community has been staying busy. Here are some of the past week’s notable happenings: —TAI Diagnostics, a company started by Medical College of Wisconsin researchers that’s aiming to develop a blood-based test to determine if heart transplant recipients are properly … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: TAI Diagnostics, WhyHigh, DevCodeCamp & More”
Phoenix Nuclear Labs Looks to Diversify in Defense, Energy
In the race to start domestic production of molybdenum-99, a crucial medical radioisotope used in diagnostic imaging, Shine Medical Technologies is betting big on neutron-generating accelerator technology developed by Phoenix Nuclear Labs. Yet Phoenix, a 10-year-old company, is about more than isotopes. It’s also working on applications in military imaging and solar-cell production. Greg Piefer, … Continue reading “Phoenix Nuclear Labs Looks to Diversify in Defense, Energy”
NorthStar Gets $11.8M to Support Radioisotope Production Development
NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes has received an $11.8 million grant from the National Nuclear Security Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, the company announced Thursday. The startup, based in Madison, WI, said it will use the funding to continue its march toward commercial production of molybdenum-99, the material that decays into technetium-99m, the most … Continue reading “NorthStar Gets $11.8M to Support Radioisotope Production Development”
Redox Nabs East Coast Money to Develop Plug-and-play Healthcare API
Redox, a Madison, WI-based healthtech startup whose software helps other developers integrate with patient record-keeping systems used at hospitals and clinics, has raised $3.5 million in a Series A funding round from East Coast and local investors, the company announced Tuesday. The new financing brings the total amount Redox has raised to about $4 million. … Continue reading “Redox Nabs East Coast Money to Develop Plug-and-play Healthcare API”
Wisconsin Roundup: Promega, Protein Foundry, Orbitec, & More
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Representatives of an investment bank told Promega shareholders that the offer from activist shareholders to purchase the Madison-area biotech, first reported in August, is lower than similar industry transactions, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The $625-a-share bid is about 12 … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Promega, Protein Foundry, Orbitec, & More”
Apple Ordered to Pay $234M in UW-Madison Patent Infringement Case
Apple has been ordered to pay $234.2 million in damages for infringing on a patent held by the foundation that manages intellectual property for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Reuters reported Friday. The amount the jury settled on is less than the $400 million the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) was seeking. The verdict was returned … Continue reading “Apple Ordered to Pay $234M in UW-Madison Patent Infringement Case”
Marquette’s New Seed Fund Underscores Entrepreneurship Push
Only time will tell if Mike Lovell can help turn Marquette University into an engine for entrepreneurship, but he certainly hasn’t been resting on his laurels. When Lovell was introduced as Marquette’s new president in September 2014, he unveiled a $5 million “Strategic Innovation Fund” to invest in entrepreneurial initiatives on campus. The announcement signaled … Continue reading “Marquette’s New Seed Fund Underscores Entrepreneurship Push”
WI Startups Try to Grab Silicon Valley’s Gaze in 2nd Annual Trip
The startup scene in Madison, WI, is barely a blip on the radar for most Silicon Valley venture capitalists, but local business advocates are once again trying to attract investors’ attention by bringing a cohort of Badger State startups to the West Coast. Five Madison startups will fly to the San Francisco Bay Area Oct. 20 … Continue reading “WI Startups Try to Grab Silicon Valley’s Gaze in 2nd Annual Trip”
Apple Could Pay $862M in UW-Madison Patent Infringement Case
Apple could face up to $862.4 million in damages after a ruling from a jury in U.S. District Court Tuesday found the company infringed on a patent held by a foundation that manages intellectual property for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Reuters reported. The Madison jury ruled Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) had incorporated technology patented by the … Continue reading “Apple Could Pay $862M in UW-Madison Patent Infringement Case”
Shine, NorthStar Spar as Medical Radioisotope Race Continues
The quest to become the first domestic producer in decades of a crucial medical radioisotope is heating up, as the industry tries to avert a looming potential shortage when a key supplier in Canada begins winding down production next year. The interesting, and apparently coincidental, twist is that two of the companies leading that competition, … Continue reading “Shine, NorthStar Spar as Medical Radioisotope Race Continues”
Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, Redox, Launch Wisconsin, & More
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Johnson Controls (NYSE: [[ticker:JCI]]) is in early-stage talks to buy EnerSys (NYSE: [[ticker:ENS]]), which claims to be the world’s largest industrial battery manufacturer, marketer, and distributor, the Wall Street Journal reported. The acquisition would be a boon to Glendale-based JCI’s … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, Redox, Launch Wisconsin, & More”
Northeast WI Angel Investor Group Launches to Create, Fund Spinoffs
You could call Al Zeise a spin doctor, though not in the traditional sense of the term. Throughout his career, Zeise has proven adept at corporate spinoffs. Over the past two decades, the entrepreneur has founded or co-founded at least 10 companies in the Green Bay, WI, area. Many of them have come about in … Continue reading “Northeast WI Angel Investor Group Launches to Create, Fund Spinoffs”
Stratatech Awarded $247M to Develop Skin Tissue for Treating Burns
Cell-based human skin tissue maker Stratatech will receive up to $247 million over five years as part of a federal contract it signed in 2013 that has since been expanded, the company announced Monday. Madison, WI-based Stratatech said it will use the money to continue Phase 3 clinical trials of StrataGraft, its flagship skin replacement product for … Continue reading “Stratatech Awarded $247M to Develop Skin Tissue for Treating Burns”
Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Cellectar, BrightStar, & More
New funding, an office relocation, and a grant to develop a new drug are among the announcements we’re watching this week in Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community. Here are the details: —Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) is set to move its headquarters to downtown Madison from the city’s west side after the Madison Common Council approved … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Cellectar, BrightStar, & More”
Here’s How You’ll Stay in Shape During the Nine-Month Journey to Mars
Jeff Leismer wants to help people stay in space longer. Leismer, the founder of Sheboygan, WI-based physical therapy equipment maker VibeTech, got the idea for his company in 2002 as a graduate student at Michigan Technological University. One of his advisors there was studying the physiology of astronauts who had recently returned to earth. In … Continue reading “Here’s How You’ll Stay in Shape During the Nine-Month Journey to Mars”
Shares in Cellectar Tumble After It Announces $3.3M Stock Offering
Cellectar Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLRB]]) expects to raise $3.3 million in a common stock offering, the Madison, WI-based biotech company said in a press release Monday. Shares in cash-strapped Cellectar, which CEO Jim Caruso said in an earnings call last month is open to collaborating with other companies across most of its drug pipeline, were lower on … Continue reading “Shares in Cellectar Tumble After It Announces $3.3M Stock Offering”
Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Engineered Propulsion, Scanalytics, & More
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —The CEO and CFO of Cambridge University Hospitals have stepped down amid financial pressures partly tied to a $300 million implementation of electronic health records software developed by Verona-based Epic Systems, according to British media reports and a note to … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Engineered Propulsion, Scanalytics, & More”
Ahead of Rivals, Arrowhead Unveils Clinical Data for Hepatitis B Drug
Arrowhead Research (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARWR]]) released data Thursday showing humans and chimpanzees treated with the company’s hepatitis B virus (HBV) candidate during Phase IIa clinical trials had significantly lower levels of antigens. Shares in the company opened at $9.01, up 33 percent from the previous day’s $6.74 closing price. (The company sent out a press release … Continue reading “Ahead of Rivals, Arrowhead Unveils Clinical Data for Hepatitis B Drug”
Badger Fund of Funds Leader: Small Ball Is Best Way to Play
Ken Johnson, one of Wisconsin’s most successful venture capitalists, says a recent investment he’s proud of is buying season tickets for the Chicago Cubs. Seat prices at Wrigley Field, the team’s home ballpark, have shot up as the Cubs try to extend their surprising season into the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Johnson’s plan for … Continue reading “Badger Fund of Funds Leader: Small Ball Is Best Way to Play”