Exact Sciences plans to expand its sales force by 200 employees, ramp up its digital and social media marketing campaigns, and introduce a new “national celebrity spokesperson” this year, as the company seeks to increase sales of its flagship product, a stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) detailed some of … Continue reading “Exact Looks to Sales Force, Ads to Boost Cancer Test Sales in 2018”
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.
Connecture, Spectrum, CDI, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Francisco Partners, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, agreed to terms to acquire Connecture (OTCMKTS: [[ticker:CNXR]]) and take the Brookfield-based company private. Connecture develops Web-based software designed to aid consumers shopping for health insurance. Francisco Partners and Louisville, KY-based Chrysalis Ventures—both of which … Continue reading “Connecture, Spectrum, CDI, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
VIP Crowd Takes Online Dating Approach to Enterprise Software Buying
[Updated 1/5/18 2:06 p.m. See below.] Three years after Mark Wilson sold the first startup he founded to a French business with hundreds of employees and annual revenues of more than $50 million, he’s back at it, once again working to develop a new software product that targets people in the corporate world. Wilson’s latest … Continue reading “VIP Crowd Takes Online Dating Approach to Enterprise Software Buying”
Barracuda Buys PhishLine, Maker of Cybersecurity Education Software
The proverb “a stitch in time saves nine” would seem especially apt in the cybersecurity world. Employers can in theory save time and money by training their workers to identify suspicious links and avoid clicking on them, rather than having to deal with the potentially costly fallout from a phishing attack. That’s the idea behind … Continue reading “Barracuda Buys PhishLine, Maker of Cybersecurity Education Software”
Imbed Bio Snags $1.6M to Commercialize Infection-Preventing Dressing
[Updated 1/3/18 1:13 p.m. See below.] Imbed Biosciences has raised a funding round of nearly $1.6 million, which the Fitchburg, WI-based startup plans to use to begin selling an ultra-thin wound dressing material later this year, CEO Ankit Agarwal says. Imbed has spent years working on its product platform, which was used to develop the dressing, Microlyte … Continue reading “Imbed Bio Snags $1.6M to Commercialize Infection-Preventing Dressing”
EnsoData, Pyxsee, Epic, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
As you get set to head into the final week of 2017, take a few minutes to catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —EnsoData, a Madison-based startup developing software to help clinicians analyze sleep data and diagnose patients with sleep apnea and other disorders, raised nearly $1 million in … Continue reading “EnsoData, Pyxsee, Epic, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Goods Unite Us Develops App to Shed Light on Money in Politics
Less than two weeks after last November’s presidential election, Penzeys Spices CEO Bill Penzey Jr. wrote a public Facebook (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FB]]) post excoriating Donald Trump and voters who supported him. “You just voted for an openly racist candidate for the presidency of the United States of America,” Penzey wrote in the post. Some left-leaning voters … Continue reading “Goods Unite Us Develops App to Shed Light on Money in Politics”
After gBETA, UW Professor’s Latest Startup Aims to Ride Chatbot Wave
Virtual assistants have come a long way in the two decades since Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) introduced Clippit, an animated paper clip that suggested tips and shortcuts to users as they worked in Word, Excel, and other Microsoft Office applications. The bot, commonly known as “Clippy,” drew endless ire and mockery—even from Microsoft—before the company retired … Continue reading “After gBETA, UW Professor’s Latest Startup Aims to Ride Chatbot Wave”
American Family Buys Chicago Firm to Expand Analytics, A.I. Use
In recent years, American Family Insurance has spent significant amounts of money and time developing new technologies it believes could improve customers’ lives, as well as the Madison, WI, company’s bottom line. These investments have been both internal—for example, ramping up the use of data analytics and artificial intelligence to assess risk and price policies—and … Continue reading “American Family Buys Chicago Firm to Expand Analytics, A.I. Use”
D2P Shifts Focus, as Fund for Investing in UW Entrepreneurs Dries Up
[Updated 12/15/17 2:51 p.m. See below.] Since its launch four years ago, a University of Wisconsin-Madison program has been working with students, faculty, and staff at the school to turn their ideas into startup companies. But now the program, known as Discovery to Product (D2P) has nearly exhausted the $2.4 million “Igniter” fund D2P has … Continue reading “D2P Shifts Focus, as Fund for Investing in UW Entrepreneurs Dries Up”
EmOpti Aims to Help Patients in ER Get Seen by Doctors More Quickly
Ed Barthell doesn’t mince words when describing the poor experiences many patients have when they go to the emergency room. “Emergency medicine is still an industry that essentially delivers lousy service for really high cost,” says Barthell, a doctor who worked in the ER for more than two decades before leaving his clinical practice in … Continue reading “EmOpti Aims to Help Patients in ER Get Seen by Doctors More Quickly”
Promega, Cellectar, Blockchain, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —The Scientist magazine named Fitchburg-based Promega’s “High BiT” protein-tagging system as one of its top 10 innovations of 2017. The product emits a bright light, allowing researchers to “quantify the abundance of a protein of interest, whether it be in the … Continue reading “Promega, Cellectar, Blockchain, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Arrowhead Pharma Reveals Data It Hopes Will Aid New Hepatitis B Drug
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARWR]]) suffered a major setback last year after it canceled the development of three experimental drug candidates for liver disease. On Wednesday, Pasadena, CA-based Arrowhead—which houses its research and development operations in Madison, WI—shared data from a study involving one of the canceled drug candidates that the company believes could bode well … Continue reading “Arrowhead Pharma Reveals Data It Hopes Will Aid New Hepatitis B Drug”
Ionic Unveils New App-Making Tools, Continues Push to Make Money
Ionic has introduced a new set of tools for developing mobile software applications, as the Madison, WI-based startup continues its effort to create revenue streams off of its sizeable user base. The new suite of development tools, known as Ionic Pro, is aimed at helping developers build, test, and distribute apps faster and more easily … Continue reading “Ionic Unveils New App-Making Tools, Continues Push to Make Money”
American Family to Launch Moonrise, a Platform for Moonlighting
[Updated 12/6/17 11:43 a.m. See below.] Retailers across the U.S. often hire additional workers this time of year to help get them through the busy holiday shopping season. Allowing employers to bring in extra help during busy times is likewise the idea behind Moonrise, a Chicago-based startup that recently exited stealth mode. According to its … Continue reading “American Family to Launch Moonrise, a Platform for Moonlighting”
Stonehouse, AkitaBox, Iverson, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Stay current on the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Stonehouse Water Technologies, a Milwaukee-based startup developing energy-efficient water purification systems, said it raised more than $1.5 million from investors. Launched in 2012, Stonehouse is developing a water purifier about the size of a dehumidifier that’s designed for use in residential, … Continue reading “Stonehouse, AkitaBox, Iverson, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Business Leaders: Foxconn Plant Could Benefit WI Startups, Lure VC
Local startup companies could be among the beneficiaries of a 25 million-square-foot manufacturing facility that Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics assembly giant, intends to build in southeastern Wisconsin, according to state economic development officials. Foxconn, which is perhaps best known as a key supplier for Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) and other device makers, in July announced plans … Continue reading “Business Leaders: Foxconn Plant Could Benefit WI Startups, Lure VC”
CFO: Exact in ‘Investment Mode,’ Seeks to Advance New Cancer Tests
Shares in Exact Sciences have more than quadrupled in 2017, and the stock’s impressive run has led some analysts to question whether it’s a smart buy at the current price. But Jeff Elliott, Exact’s chief financial officer, says he believes his company is poised for continued growth as it adds laboratory space and works to … Continue reading “CFO: Exact in ‘Investment Mode,’ Seeks to Advance New Cancer Tests”
Eyeing Phase 2 Study of CNS Drug, Promentis CEO Plots Path Forward
Promentis Pharmaceuticals has for years publicly discussed its goal of commercializing a drug that uses a particular brain chemistry-regulating mechanism to treat central nervous system disorders. But it wasn’t until last week that the Milwaukee-based biotech revealed that the first clinical trial of its lead drug compound is aimed at treating trichotillomania, a chronic condition … Continue reading “Eyeing Phase 2 Study of CNS Drug, Promentis CEO Plots Path Forward”
Keyo’s Identity Verification Tools Highlight Latest Gener8tor Class
Smartphone makers like Apple, Google, and Samsung have in recent years introduced services allowing users to pay for coffee, food, and other items using their mobile devices. But several upstart companies, including Chicago-based Keyo, are betting that consumers will ultimately gravitate toward technologies that allow them to make purchases without having to take their wallets … Continue reading “Keyo’s Identity Verification Tools Highlight Latest Gener8tor Class”
Promentis, Stem Cells, Foxconn, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
A recently launched clinical study, highway lanes for autonomous vehicles, and a ruling in an intellectual property-focused court case are among these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Promentis Pharmaceuticals, a Milwaukee-based developer of drugs designed to modify brain chemistry to treat central nervous system disorders, said it has started a Phase 1 clinical study … Continue reading “Promentis, Stem Cells, Foxconn, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
ImageMoverMD Installs New Leadership Team Aimed at Boosting Sales
ImageMoverMD, a Madison, WI-based startup whose products include software allowing healthcare providers and patients to securely transmit photos and videos taken with their smartphones, has recently made a series of leadership changes in a bid to ramp up the company’s revenues, executives say. K. Thomas Pickard, whom ImageMoverMD brought on as CEO in 2015, says he left … Continue reading “ImageMoverMD Installs New Leadership Team Aimed at Boosting Sales”
Propeller, Express Scripts Partner to Monitor Asthma, COPD Patients
Propeller Health, a startup developing Internet-connected inhalers and complementary software to help people with respiratory disease manage their conditions, announced a new partnership with Express Scripts Thursday aimed at monitoring sensor-captured data to ensure patients are taking their medications as prescribed. Madison, WI-based Propeller’s tools are designed for patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary … Continue reading “Propeller, Express Scripts Partner to Monitor Asthma, COPD Patients”
New Understory Tie-Up Aims to Help Insurers Reduce Claim Costs
A little over a year after Understory began working with Pacific Specialty Insurance Company, the two organizations are now announcing a collaboration aimed at lowering the amount of money insurers pay policyholders for weather-related property damage. Madison, WI-based Understory, a weather technology startup, says it worked with Palo Alto, CA-based Pacific Specialty to reduce the … Continue reading “New Understory Tie-Up Aims to Help Insurers Reduce Claim Costs”
Q&A: EatStreet’s Alex Wyler on 30 Under 30, Facebook, Kanye, & More
Alex Wyler and Matt Howard, two co-founders of the Madison, WI-based food ordering startup EatStreet, were named to Forbes’ annual “30 Under 30” list, in the consumer technology category. Launched in 2010, EatStreet has raised more than $40 million from investors and currently has about 1,000 employees. The software company serves about 1.7 million customers … Continue reading “Q&A: EatStreet’s Alex Wyler on 30 Under 30, Facebook, Kanye, & More”
Foxconn, Exact, Ludois, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
A major deal between Wisconsin legislators and a foreign electronics assembler, a biotech company’s expansion plans, and an award for electric motors research are among these recent headlines from the state’s innovation community: —The state of Wisconsin and Foxconn, an electronics assembler and technology development business based in Taiwan, signed off on a deal that … Continue reading “Foxconn, Exact, Ludois, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Experts Examine Blockchain’s Present, Future at Marquette Conference
Many non-techies first heard about the digital currency Bitcoin as something people could use to anonymously buy illicit drugs and weapons, or even to hire an assassin, through websites such as Silk Road. But Bitcoin’s image has improved in recent years as more people hear about and begin using cryptocurrencies for more conventional purchases, said … Continue reading “Experts Examine Blockchain’s Present, Future at Marquette Conference”
Microsoft Ups Its Wisconsin Investments, Backs New Gener8tor Program
Microsoft is deepening its efforts to help Wisconsin foster more high-growth startups. The Seattle-based tech giant’s latest move in the Badger State is a new partnership with Gener8tor, an organization based in the state that runs training programs for early-stage companies, and invests in them. Gener8tor said Wednesday that its collaboration with Microsoft is aimed … Continue reading “Microsoft Ups Its Wisconsin Investments, Backs New Gener8tor Program”
With New Fund, Aurora Looks to Deepen Support for Health Startups
When Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care announced plans invest $5 million in local startups over the next five years through its new InvestMKE fund, Aurora president and CEO Nick Turkal said the new fund will help the organization “deliver high-quality, cost-effective healthcare, ultimately helping people live well here at home.” What Turkal’s comments accompanying last week’s InvestMKE … Continue reading “With New Fund, Aurora Looks to Deepen Support for Health Startups”
Rockwell, Sift, Fund of Funds, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Catch up on the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation (NYSE: [[ticker:ROK]]) declined two takeover offers made by Emerson Electric (NYSE: [[ticker:EMR]]) in the past three months, including one in October that valued Rockwell at more than $27 billion, CNBC reported. Rockwell develops software and provides services for … Continue reading “Rockwell, Sift, Fund of Funds, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell & Other Milwaukee Firms Fund gBETA
Advocates of entrepreneurship in the Milwaukee area have long argued that forging more connections between startups and old-line businesses headquartered there could lead to more people starting and building companies in the city. Lately, business leaders in greater Milwaukee have been taking steps to help the city realize that vision. The latest example is an … Continue reading “Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell & Other Milwaukee Firms Fund gBETA”
WEDC, 3 Nonprofits to Invest $1M in Wisconsin-based Tech Startups
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) says it’s teaming up with three nonprofits on an initiative that will invest $1 million in early-stage technology businesses in Wisconsin. The goal is to provide grant funding and loans to startups headquartered in Wisconsin, and to help them advance products and services they’re developing beyond the proof-of-concept stage, … Continue reading “WEDC, 3 Nonprofits to Invest $1M in Wisconsin-based Tech Startups”
Exact Sciences Plots Expansion Strategy as Cancer Test Sales Boom
Exact Sciences posted its fourth consecutive strong quarter—beating analysts’ and the company’s own projections of financial and business performance—and investors reacted favorably. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) develops diagnostic tests for several types of cancer. Its flagship product is Cologuard, a stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer. Exact said it completed about 161,000 of the … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Plots Expansion Strategy as Cancer Test Sales Boom”
Northwestern Mutual Launches $5M VC Fund to Support Local Startups
[Updated 10/31/17 11:01 a.m. See below.] Northwestern Mutual has in recent years begun supporting and working with more early-stage businesses, most notably through its 2015 acquisition of fintech startup LearnVest and creation of a $50 million venture capital fund. Now, the Milwaukee-based life insurance and financial services giant plans to inject $5 million into local startups … Continue reading “Northwestern Mutual Launches $5M VC Fund to Support Local Startups”
Apple Asks Appeals Court to Reverse Judgment in WARF Patent Case
Apple has requested that an appeals court reverse or reduce a judgment ordering the company to pay $506 million for infringing on a patent held by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s technology transfer office. In a brief made public this week, Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) says it didn’t infringe on a patent owned by the Wisconsin Alumni … Continue reading “Apple Asks Appeals Court to Reverse Judgment in WARF Patent Case”
MSOE, Noncompetes, NASA, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —The Milwaukee School of Engineering announced it’s building a $34 million facility devoted to artificial intelligence research and computational science education. The four-year college’s goal in constructing the 64,000-square-foot research center is to position MSOE “at the forefront in artificial intelligence, … Continue reading “MSOE, Noncompetes, NASA, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Phoenix Pulls in $12M to Fuel Growth of Neutron Generators
Things are accelerating at Phoenix. The Monona, WI-based business, which manufactures particle accelerator-based neutron generators and other machines, has outgrown its current headquarters and plans to break ground on a new home next year, says vice president of business development Evan Sengbusch. Phoenix, which recently shortened its name from Phoenix Nuclear Labs, also plans to … Continue reading “Phoenix Pulls in $12M to Fuel Growth of Neutron Generators”
With New Funding, TAI Diagnostics Set to Launch Post-Transplant Test
TAI Diagnostics, a Milwaukee-area startup developing a non-invasive test to monitor patients’ health after they’ve received heart transplants, plans to begin selling its test early next year, says CEO Frank Langley. Launched in 2015, Wauwatosa, WI-based TAI—whose name stands for “Transplant and Immunology” and is pronounced “tie”—has raised about $13 million from investors so far, … Continue reading “With New Funding, TAI Diagnostics Set to Launch Post-Transplant Test”
Connecture Plans to Delist Stock From Nasdaq, List on OTCQX Exchange
Connecture, a company that sells Web-based software designed to aid consumers shopping for health plans, said Friday it plans to withdraw its shares from the Nasdaq stock exchange next month. Brookfield, WI-based Connecture (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNXR]]) went public in 2014. Since then, the company’s shares have been listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (NGM), the middle … Continue reading “Connecture Plans to Delist Stock From Nasdaq, List on OTCQX Exchange”
TAI Diagnostics, RPRD, Wellbe, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Stay current on the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —TAI Diagnostics, a Wauwatosa-based startup seeking to commercialize a non-invasive test to monitor the health of heart transplant recipients, raised more than $1.7 million from 24 investors, according to an SEC filing that first became public on Thursday. The company’s test … Continue reading “TAI Diagnostics, RPRD, Wellbe, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Microsoft, Packers to Spend $10M to Create Startup Hub in Green Bay
The NFL’s Green Bay Packers attract tens of thousands of fans from Wisconsin and other states whenever the team plays a home game at Lambeau Field. Now, through a new, $10 million partnership with Microsoft, the Packers are hoping to attract entrepreneurs and tech startups to Green Bay, and develop new products and services there. … Continue reading “Microsoft, Packers to Spend $10M to Create Startup Hub in Green Bay”
At Lambeau Field, Case & Vance Plot a Path for Emerging Startup Hubs
Green Bay, WI, is among the smallest of the 30-plus cities Steve Case and other leaders of his venture capital firm Revolution have visited since 2014 as part of its national “Rise of the Rest” tour, but Case nonetheless said he sees some of the seeds that could help sprout a cluster of high-tech businesses … Continue reading “At Lambeau Field, Case & Vance Plot a Path for Emerging Startup Hubs”
Green Bay Startup Lanehub Wins $100K Steve Case Investment
When a company ships a truckload of goods across the country, it’s often the case that the truck will return to its city of origin carrying less than a full load. Trucking, which is estimated to be a $720 billion-plus industry, could be made more efficient by putting businesses that ship products by truck in … Continue reading “Green Bay Startup Lanehub Wins $100K Steve Case Investment”
UW-Madison Vice Chancellor Mailick to Take Leave
Marsha Mailick, vice chancellor for research and graduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will take a temporary leave beginning Jan. 1, 2018, a spokesperson for the university said Monday. Mailick plans to step aside from her day-to-day duties at UW-Madison for much of the spring 2018 semester “due to family health considerations,” according to … Continue reading “UW-Madison Vice Chancellor Mailick to Take Leave”
Access HealthNet Raising $3M for Tools Aimed at Cutting Care Costs
When a patient with health insurance is in need of an expensive medical procedure, the actual cost of the procedure may not seem material to her once it’s clear that it will exceed the deductible—the amount the patient must pay out of pocket—set in her insurance plan. For instance, a patient whose health plan covers … Continue reading “Access HealthNet Raising $3M for Tools Aimed at Cutting Care Costs”
Montage, EatStreet, Solomo, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Catch up on the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Delafield-based Montage Talent announced a partnership with Randstad Holding NV, a large human resources company based in the Netherlands that employs thousands of recruiters. Many Randstad employees already use Montage’s software for conducting video and phone interviews with job candidates, the … Continue reading “Montage, EatStreet, Solomo, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Jamf To Be Sold to Austin, TX-based Private Equity Firm
Jamf, a Minneapolis-based company that helps businesses set up and manage Apple computers and mobile devices that employees use for work, says it has agreed to sell a majority stake in the company to Austin, TX-based Vista Equity Partners. While Jamf is headquartered in the Twin Cities, it was originally based in Eau Claire, WI, … Continue reading “Jamf To Be Sold to Austin, TX-based Private Equity Firm”
Promega, CEO Linton Return Fire in Legal Battle with Shareholders
[Corrected 10/12/17 4:21 p.m. See below.] A little over a year after a group of shareholders of the life sciences supplies business Promega sued the company, alleging malfeasance by founder and CEO Bill Linton, Promega has begun sharing its side of the story. In multiple counterclaims filed recently in Dane County Circuit Court, lawyers representing … Continue reading “Promega, CEO Linton Return Fire in Legal Battle with Shareholders”
Awards, Water Council, TechSpark, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —The fourth annual Wisconsin Innovation Awards, a program that seeks to recognize bright ideas from companies based in the Badger State, were held earlier this week. According to a press release, the ten category winners were chosen from more than 230 … Continue reading “Awards, Water Council, TechSpark, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Invenra, Developer of Therapeutic Antibodies, Raises $2.9M
Invenra, a Madison, WI-based startup that develops therapeutic antibodies for pharmaceuticals companies and other clients, has raised more than $2.9 million from investors, according to a regulatory filing. Twenty-five investors participated in the equity funding round, according to the filing, which was made public on Thursday. Invenra, founded in 2011, has now raised more than … Continue reading “Invenra, Developer of Therapeutic Antibodies, Raises $2.9M”