As part of Xconomy’s report on the scope of the healthtech sector in Madison, WI, we used Google Maps to plot the locations of the 43 companies on our list. The map is color-coded based on four categories: software-only companies, those that have a hardware component, software consulting businesses, and those that do both consulting … Continue reading “Madison’s Healthtech Cluster: A Map of the Companies”
Author: Jeff Bauter Engel
Jeff, a former Xconomy editor, joined Xconomy from The Milwaukee Business Journal, where he covered manufacturing and technology and wrote about companies including Johnson Controls, Harley-Davidson and MillerCoors. He previously worked as the business and healthcare reporter for the Marshfield News-Herald in central Wisconsin.
He graduated from Marquette University with a bachelor degree in journalism and Spanish. At Marquette he was an award-winning reporter and editor with The Marquette Tribune, the student newspaper. During college he also was a reporter intern for the Muskegon Chronicle and Grand Rapids Press in west Michigan.
Madison’s Healthtech Cluster: The Rise of Epic and Everybody Else
Healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing remain the bread and butter of the private sector in Madison, WI, and the surrounding region, but healthcare IT has arguably become the area’s most buzz-worthy industry. Today, Xconomy is adding to the conversation about healthtech’s ascent in the local economy. A new analysis of data gathered by the Madison Region … Continue reading “Madison’s Healthtech Cluster: The Rise of Epic and Everybody Else”
Tricast Snags $3.3M to Expand Push Into Pharmacy Benefits Software
Tricast, a Milwaukee-area healthcare insurance consulting business that started selling analytics software last year, has raised nearly $3.3 million from investors to grow its software business, president and CEO Greg Rucinski says. Rucinski founded Tricast in 1997, which has primarily conducted health insurance audits and provided other consulting services for customers such as public employee … Continue reading “Tricast Snags $3.3M to Expand Push Into Pharmacy Benefits Software”
Clinical Trial Innovation Prize Backs Ideas Using Health Records, Apps
A system that uses electronic health records data to better match eligible patients with clinical trials took the top prize in the first round of the Clinical Trial Innovation Prize, an initiative that is crowdsourcing ideas from around the globe to try and boost clinical trial participation. The team behind “Match Point: Matching Patients and … Continue reading “Clinical Trial Innovation Prize Backs Ideas Using Health Records, Apps”
Startup Milwaukee Hands Off 96square Management Duties, Shifts Focus
Startup Milwaukee will hand off the responsibilities of running and marketing downtown co-working space 96square to the building’s owner—a notable shift for one of the city’s most well-known startup groups, and a move that continues the evolution of the area’s startup offices. 96square, located on the second floor of the Blatz Wash House at 1101 … Continue reading “Startup Milwaukee Hands Off 96square Management Duties, Shifts Focus”
Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Promega, White House Demo Day, & More
Here is a collection of the latest headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Verona-based Epic Systems lost a high-profile bid for a $4.3 billion, 10-year contract to modernize the electronic health records system for the U.S. Department of Defense. Epic submitted a joint bid with IBM, but the military ended up going with a … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Promega, White House Demo Day, & More”
Could Defining Milwaukee’s “Cool” Factor Entice Young Techies?
A lot of cities would kill to have an Epic Systems in their backyard—a giant software company and talent magnet that has lured skilled young people to the rural outskirts of Madison, WI, who would otherwise have gone to Silicon Valley or some other coastal tech hotbed. Milwaukee, Madison’s neighbor 80 miles to the east, … Continue reading “Could Defining Milwaukee’s “Cool” Factor Entice Young Techies?”
Debugging the Gender Gap: Filmmaker Warns of Economic Crisis in Tech
As a former stockbroker, Robin Hauser Reynolds knows what it’s like to be a woman in a field dominated by men. Over the past couple of years, the San Francisco Bay Area film director and self-described feminist has immersed herself in another industry that has become notorious for its gender gap: tech. Poor gender diversity … Continue reading “Debugging the Gender Gap: Filmmaker Warns of Economic Crisis in Tech”
WITS(MD) Raises $1.6M to Securely Share Medical Images on Smartphones
The smartphone is starting to play a bigger role in healthcare. Doctors are using mobile devices for everything from accessing electronic health records to communicating with patients to taking photos of patients’ ailments. The trouble with that last one, says WITS(MD) CEO K. Thomas Pickard, is that taking medical images with a smartphone creates two … Continue reading “WITS(MD) Raises $1.6M to Securely Share Medical Images on Smartphones”
No Tumor Left Behind: FDA Clears NeuWave Software for Procedures
NeuWave Medical, a Madison, WI-based maker of medical devices that use microwave energy to zap tumors, has received FDA clearance to sell new software that it says can help doctors more easily monitor each step of the procedure, and more confidently determine that the cancerous tissue was eradicated. NeuWave’s products deliver focused heat to “ablate,” … Continue reading “No Tumor Left Behind: FDA Clears NeuWave Software for Procedures”
Wisconsin Roundup: Capital Midwest, Healthfinch, TAI, & More
Here’s a collection of recent headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —ProNAi Therapeutics’ recent $138 million initial public offering is a win for Capital Midwest Fund, a Milwaukee-area venture capital firm that invested $3.5 million in ProNAi through its Series C and D rounds, according to SEC filings. Capital Midwest holds more than 798,000 … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Capital Midwest, Healthfinch, TAI, & More”
Healthtech Startup ConsortiEX Closes $1M Round Led By Open Prairie
ConsortiEX, a healthcare IT startup with roots in both Wisconsin and Massachusetts, has closed a $1 million funding round led by Open Prairie Ventures, the company announced today. ConsortiEX developed an ordering and tracking software system for the production and distribution of sterile injectable compounds, such as antibiotics, analgesics, and neuromuscular blockers. Its target customers … Continue reading “Healthtech Startup ConsortiEX Closes $1M Round Led By Open Prairie”
Gener8tor Launches Free Accelerator for WI College Startups
Wisconsin startup accelerator Gener8tor has launched a free business training program to nurture young companies with ties to Badger State universities—and perhaps build a more direct pipeline of local companies for its main for-profit program. The new initiative, dubbed gBETA, is essentially a “truncated version” of Gener8tor’s three-month accelerator held twice a year in Madison … Continue reading “Gener8tor Launches Free Accelerator for WI College Startups”
Exact Sciences Raises $174M, Nearly Doubles War Chest For Diagnostics
Exact Sciences is significantly boosting its coffers as it continues pushing sales of its first molecular diagnostic test and goes to work developing more products. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) said it expects to earn about $174 million this week in a stock offering, after deducting expenses and underwriting discounts. Exact sold 7 million shares … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Raises $174M, Nearly Doubles War Chest For Diagnostics”
FDA Clears 2 New Propeller Health Devices That Track Respiratory Meds
Propeller Health has received FDA clearance to sell two new devices to help chronic respiratory disease patients track their medication usage and better follow their recommended treatment regimens. Founded in 2010, the Madison, WI-based company makes data-collecting devices that snap on to medication inhalers used by asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The devices … Continue reading “FDA Clears 2 New Propeller Health Devices That Track Respiratory Meds”
Wisconsin Roundup: Tax Credits, VC Funds, Medical Devices, & More
Here’s a collection of some recent headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —A report from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. reinforces the fact that 2014 was a strong year for investments in Badger State companies. The annual report on the Qualified New Business Venture program—a state initiative that offers a 25 percent tax credit … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Tax Credits, VC Funds, Medical Devices, & More”
StartingBlock Madison Project Moves Ahead, Releases New Renderings
The proposed $69 million revitalization project east of downtown Madison, WI, which will include the StartingBlock Madison entrepreneurial center, passed another hurdle this week. A city committee voted to allow city staff to negotiate the sale of the property where StartingBlock will be located to Gebhardt Development, the real estate project’s developer, the Wisconsin State … Continue reading “StartingBlock Madison Project Moves Ahead, Releases New Renderings”
Okanjo Embeds “Buy” Button in Ads, Follows Lead of Facebook, Others
Facebook, Google, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest have all begun rolling out “buy” buttons over the past year that give users a clickable gateway to make purchases related to whatever they’re viewing at the moment on their devices. Now comes Milwaukee-based advertising and e-commerce technology startup Okanjo, which announced yesterday it has launched a similar product … Continue reading “Okanjo Embeds “Buy” Button in Ads, Follows Lead of Facebook, Others”
ZBB Energy Names New CEO Amid China Sales Push
Less than a week after ZBB Energy shareholders approved a proposed ownership change, the company is shaking up its leadership team. ZBB (NYSE: [[ticker:ZBB]]), a small Milwaukee-area manufacturer of renewable energy storage and power control products, promoted president and chief operating officer Bradley Hansen to the role of CEO and president. He takes over for … Continue reading “ZBB Energy Names New CEO Amid China Sales Push”
ZBB Energy Shareholders Approve Ownership Deal With Chinese Solar Firm
Shareholders of ZBB Energy, a small Milwaukee-area manufacturer of renewable energy storage and power control products, voted to approve a deal with China-based Solar Power Inc. that brings an injection of up to $70 million in capital, new orders for up to $120 million worth of ZBB products, and potential new ownership. ZBB (NYSE: [[ticker:ZBB]]) … Continue reading “ZBB Energy Shareholders Approve Ownership Deal With Chinese Solar Firm”
Wisconsin Startups Cashed in on Venture Capital Bonanza in 2014
Last year was a great one for startups nationwide trying to raise money from investors, and the venture capital boom was felt even in the normally cash-starved state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin companies grabbed more than $346 million in investment capital last year—nearly triple the $128 million raised here in 2013. The number of deals climbed … Continue reading “Wisconsin Startups Cashed in on Venture Capital Bonanza in 2014”
Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, State Budget, Lucigen, & More
Here are a few of the latest updates from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Middleton-based Lucigen was awarded a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue developing a DNA cloning product used in protein expression, according to a press release. The company makes a variety of tools for life sciences research, … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, State Budget, Lucigen, & More”
Vote (Mostly) Online Shuts Down (For Now)
Vote (Mostly) Online, a civic-minded startup that aimed to help streamline the voting process for Wisconsin residents, has shut down operations. But co-founder Mike Fenchel says this might not be the end for the Madison, WI, startup’s idea. He’s trying to find people with the time and resources to restart the project. Vote (Mostly) Online—we’ll … Continue reading “Vote (Mostly) Online Shuts Down (For Now)”
What’s On Tap? Hardin Design & Development
With everyone getting ready to enjoy a long holiday weekend—and perhaps raise a cold brew or two in salute to Old Glory—it’s a good time to bring you another installment in our ongoing series exploring the beers on tap at the headquarters of Wisconsin tech companies. Up next: Hardin Design & Development. The 21-person company, … Continue reading “What’s On Tap? Hardin Design & Development”
Wisconsin Roundup: VC Funding, StartUp Health, Stem Cells, & More
Here’s a collection of recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Waukesha-based Elli Health has changed its name to Intellivisit and tacked nearly $400,000 on to a funding round that previously raised about $780,000, according to SEC filings. The company’s software enables virtual doctor visits. —Madison-based Health eFilings raised $934,500 in a seed funding round that … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: VC Funding, StartUp Health, Stem Cells, & More”
Exact Sciences Outlines Pipeline of Diagnostics for Deadliest Cancers
Exact Sciences’ ambitious plan to commercialize molecular diagnostic tests for several of the deadliest cancers is starting to come into focus. Fresh off announcing a partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to co-develop multiple blood-based diagnostic tests for lung cancer, Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) shared new details last … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Outlines Pipeline of Diagnostics for Deadliest Cancers”
Invenra Partners With U.K. Company to Research Therapeutic Antibodies
Invenra, one of the few companies working on new ways to make therapeutic monoclonal antibodies using cell-free protein expression, today announced a partnership with U.K.-based Oxford BioTherapeutics aimed at commercializing a new cancer treatment. Madison, WI-based Invenra is one of the companies offering a way to make antibodies without using genetically modified cells such as … Continue reading “Invenra Partners With U.K. Company to Research Therapeutic Antibodies”
The Water Council Raising $5M Fund, Names Next Accelerator Startups
The Water Council is raising a $5 million venture fund to take its water technology startup investments to the next level. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee organization announced the companies selected for its third session, beginning in the fall (see below). During The Water Council’s annual Water Summit held this week, the group celebrated the graduation of … Continue reading “The Water Council Raising $5M Fund, Names Next Accelerator Startups”
StartingBlock Madison Taps Resnick to Bring Project to Finish Line
StartingBlock Madison—the proposed co-working space and entrepreneurial center that supporters envision anchoring the tech community in Wisconsin’s capital—today announced $200,000 in new funding and named an executive director who will help bring the project to the finish line and oversee the center’s operations once it opens its doors. Scott Resnick, the 28-year-old former Madison city … Continue reading “StartingBlock Madison Taps Resnick to Bring Project to Finish Line”
FDA Signs Off on Sales of Wicab’s BrainPort Device to Help Blind “See”
After more than five years of clinical evaluations and regulatory review, the FDA has given Wicab the green light to begin selling its “BrainPort” device in the U.S.—a product that helps blind people “see” through electronic impulses on their tongues. Middleton, WI-based Wicab’s device involves a small video camera mounted to sunglasses that are connected … Continue reading “FDA Signs Off on Sales of Wicab’s BrainPort Device to Help Blind “See””
Wisconsin Roundup: Illumina, Kohl’s, Arrowhead, TAI Diagnostics, & More
Here’s a collection of recent announcements by Wisconsin’s technology and innovation community: —Wauwatosa-based TAI Diagnostics raised north of $6 million from investors in a seed funding round that could reach $8 million, according to an SEC filing. The company was a finalist in last year’s Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. It’s developing a non-invasive test … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Illumina, Kohl’s, Arrowhead, TAI Diagnostics, & More”
Cellectar Biosciences Appoints New CEO Amid Recent Turmoil
Cellectar Biosciences today appointed a new president and CEO, the latest in a series of unexpected moves in recent weeks by the Madison, WI-based biotech company. Seasoned drug and device industry executive Jim Caruso is taking over for Simon Pedder, who resigned his positions as Cellectar CEO, president, and board director. The 54-year-old Pedder, who led the company since October … Continue reading “Cellectar Biosciences Appoints New CEO Amid Recent Turmoil”
Digital Agency Northern Ground Hatches Employee-owned Incubator
Northern Ground has spent the last three years designing and building websites, mobile apps, and marketing campaigns for clients ranging from local startups to international corporations. Now, the nine-person Milwaukee digital agency wants to create its own products. Last week, Northern Ground announced it has formed an in-house, employee-owned incubator called Quarry that will develop … Continue reading “Digital Agency Northern Ground Hatches Employee-owned Incubator”
JAMF Software Names New CEO, Continues Growing in Eau Claire
JAMF Software has come a long way since it was just a two-man operation in the early 2000s, with founder Zach Halmstad handling product development and business partner Chip Pearson focusing on sales and marketing. The Minneapolis-based company—which provides enterprise software for companies, schools, and government agencies running on Apple devices—has since grown into an … Continue reading “JAMF Software Names New CEO, Continues Growing in Eau Claire”
WERCBench Accelerator Picks Startups in Drones, Virtual Reality, & More
Startups working on underwater drones and virtual reality products were among the companies chosen for the inaugural WERCBench Labs accelerator launching this summer in Milwaukee. WERCBench, backed by a $350,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., will run from June 10 to Aug. 27 at the Energy Innovation Center, a research and development hub … Continue reading “WERCBench Accelerator Picks Startups in Drones, Virtual Reality, & More”
With Quickstep Sale, WI Professor Patel Flips Third Startup
Jignesh Patel seems to have a knack for spinning university research into startups that attract a buyer. The University of Wisconsin-Madison computer sciences professor and serial entrepreneur scored his latest win this week, when San Francisco-based Pivotal snapped up Quickstep Technologies, a big data startup launched in January after six years of research by Patel … Continue reading “With Quickstep Sale, WI Professor Patel Flips Third Startup”
Wisconsin Roundup: Kauffman Index, Startup Funding, Ward 4, & More
Here’s a collection of recent headlines in Wisconsin’s innovation and technology community: —Wisconsin dropped to dead last in a closely watched national ranking of startup activity conducted annually by the Kauffman Foundation, with 170 out of every 100,000 adults in the state counted as entrepreneurs in any given month. Wisconsin was 45th in last year’s Kauffman Index. … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Kauffman Index, Startup Funding, Ward 4, & More”
Rockwell Helping Manufacturers (Slowly) Join the Internet of Things
Just as connected devices are slowly but surely making their way into our homes, the Internet of Things is also starting to impact the manufacturing industry. The going is slow: Less than 14 percent of U.S. manufacturers have linked up their factory machines with their enterprise software, says Keith Nosbusch, CEO of Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation … Continue reading “Rockwell Helping Manufacturers (Slowly) Join the Internet of Things”
Seiva, Argo Bus Share Win Inaugural Launch Milwaukee Hackathon
An online platform for booking buses to events and a startup developing wearable sensor technology to help with physical therapy won the top prizes at the inaugural Launch Milwaukee hackathon held over the weekend. Argo Bus Share won in the software category, while Seiva Technologies took first place in the hardware category. Each will receive … Continue reading “Seiva, Argo Bus Share Win Inaugural Launch Milwaukee Hackathon”
BluDiagnostics’ Fertility Device Wins WI Business Plan Contest
For the third year in a row, a life sciences startup took home the top prize at the Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. On Wednesday, Madison-based BluDiagnostics was named the competition’s overall winner and top life sciences company, beating 12 other finalists. All 13 teams presented Tuesday at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference held at Madison’s … Continue reading “BluDiagnostics’ Fertility Device Wins WI Business Plan Contest”
Exact Sciences, MD Anderson Developing Blood Tests For Lung Cancer
Less than a year after Exact Sciences secured FDA approval and Medicare coverage for a colon cancer diagnostic, Cologuard, the company has set its sights on its next challenge: early detection of lung cancer. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) this morning announced a partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, MD Anderson Developing Blood Tests For Lung Cancer”
Chicago, Northern Wisconsin Investors Raising $30M For New VC Funds
Investors from Chicago and northern Wisconsin detailed plans on Tuesday for two proposed venture funds that would pump about $30 million into startups in Wisconsin and around the Midwest, if all goes according to plan. John Philosophos, a Chicago-based partner with New York-based Great Oaks Venture Capital, said he is trying to raise $20 million … Continue reading “Chicago, Northern Wisconsin Investors Raising $30M For New VC Funds”
Ward 4 Aims to be “Lighthouse” for Milwaukee Startup Community
Ward 4—the Milwaukee co-working space inspired by the likes of 1871 in Chicago, CoCo in Minneapolis, and T-Rex in St. Louis—opened this week. Now, it’s up to organizers to ensure Ward 4 turns into the catalyst they envision for the local startup community. Ward 4 appears to be off to a good start. Nearly all … Continue reading “Ward 4 Aims to be “Lighthouse” for Milwaukee Startup Community”
Wisconsin Roundup: Wooden Microchip, Zendesk, Rockwell, FaB, & More
Here’s a quick recap of some recent headlines in Wisconsin’s innovation and technology community: —FaB Wisconsin, the Milwaukee-based food and beverage industry group with 135 member companies, announced a program intended to help small Wisconsin food and beverage companies boost their businesses. The one-year finance accelerator will include a $10,000 grant, access to mentors and … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Wooden Microchip, Zendesk, Rockwell, FaB, & More”
NeuWave Grabs $25M to Amplify Overseas Sales of Tumor-Zapping Tech
NeuWave Medical, the Madison, WI-based maker of medical devices that use microwave energy to zap tumors, has raised $25.3 million in a Series C round, the company announced today. The deal is the largest funding round announced by a Wisconsin company so far this year. The round was led by Versant Ventures, with participation by … Continue reading “NeuWave Grabs $25M to Amplify Overseas Sales of Tumor-Zapping Tech”
GrocerKey, Backed By Woodman’s, Aims to Help Grocers Bag Online Sales
The online grocery ordering and delivery industry has heated up over the past few years, with incumbents like Peapod competing against well-funded upstarts like Instacart, as well as e-commerce giants, such as Amazon, that have started offering similar services. In general, the business model for those grocery delivery services either cuts traditional brick-and-mortar grocery stores … Continue reading “GrocerKey, Backed By Woodman’s, Aims to Help Grocers Bag Online Sales”
Fetch Rewards Snags $4M to Help Grocery Shoppers Sniff Out Deals
While more companies are diving into the online grocery shopping and delivery industry, Fetch Rewards is betting on a mobile app that aims to improve the in-store buying experience by helping shoppers find discounts, make lists, and more easily pay at the checkout lane. Now, more investors are betting on the idea, too. Madison, WI-based … Continue reading “Fetch Rewards Snags $4M to Help Grocery Shoppers Sniff Out Deals”
Wisconsin Roundup: Cellectar, Shine Medical, Concordia, & More
Before everyone checks out for the long weekend, here are a few recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation and technology community: —Madison-based Cellectar Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLRB]]) said in its latest quarterly earnings report that patient enrollment in its phase 2 clinical trial of one of its experimental cancer imaging agents is going slower than anticipated. The … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Cellectar, Shine Medical, Concordia, & More”
Neuro Startup Challenge Winners Try To Commercialize NIH Inventions
The winning teams were announced today in the Neuro Startup Challenge, a two-year-old virtual accelerator that helps academic researchers and entrepreneurs build companies around promising technologies developed by NIH researchers. The 13 winners include a team from the Medical College of Wisconsin, which is launching a startup called Angio360 Diagnostics to commercialize a blood-based test … Continue reading “Neuro Startup Challenge Winners Try To Commercialize NIH Inventions”
Battle to Regulate Uber, Lyft Moves From City Halls to State Capitols
[Updated 5/19/15, 10:40 a.m. See below.] The push to regulate increasingly popular ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft has shifted from city halls to state capitol buildings—with implications for the companies’ reputations and expansion plans, as well as the future of transportation systems worldwide. Last year saw passage of the first rules for ridesharing companies—or … Continue reading “Battle to Regulate Uber, Lyft Moves From City Halls to State Capitols”